By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 436)
Taped January 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia at Center Stage
Aired January 25, 2020 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
The ROH opening aired… Footage aired of the PCO vs. Rush match for the ROH Championship at the Atlanta event. The match ended in a DQ and the post match scene included an appearance by NWA Champion Nick Aldis, then Dragon Lee and Kenny King helping their La Faccion Ingobernable stable mate Rush in attacking Villain Enterprises members afterward…
Show hosts Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay checked in while standing in front of the ROH backdrop. They mentioned the Free Enterprise show for February 9 in Baltimore, then hyped the main event of this episode. Riccaboni hyped PCO and Marty Scurll vs. Nick Aldis and Rush as the Free Enterprise main event…
Highlights aired of Dragon Lee defeating Andrew Everett to retain the ROH TV Title in Atlanta…
Backstage, McKay was talking about the show when Silas Young and Josh Woods entered the picture behind her and bickered. Young shoved Woods, who bumped into McKay. Young said he didn’t push Woods and asked him what he was doing bumping into her. Woods was apologetic and went for a hug, but Young stopped him and continued to scold him… [C]
A Vincent video package aired and focused on his attack of Matt Taven and his new stable…
1. Vincent and Bateman (w/Chuckles, Vita VonStarr) vs. “The Wrestling Buddies” Sal Rinauro and Michael Stevens. Bateman performed a tombstone on Rinauro. Vincent grabbed the mic and the audio was muted. A graphic on the screen said the audio was removed due to Vincent’s controversial statements. Vincent’s mouth was digitized and he laid down on Rinauro and pinned him, then the audio returned for ring announcer Bobby Cruise announcing Vincent and Bateman as the winners… [C]
Vincent and Bateman defeated Sal Rinauro and Michael Stevens.
Powell’s POV: I’m guessing the plan was to mute Vincent or the promo was rough and they felt this was a better approach to make him feel more controversial. Either way, it didn’t work and they would have been better off running a different match.
A cameraman caught up with NWA Champion Nick Aldis in the backstage area and asked what he was doing in ROH. Aldis took exception to the cameraman not asking him how he was doing or thanking him for keeping the lights on in ROH. Aldis said once you’ve been in the ring with him, you’re a bigger deal. Aldis said that’s obviously true with “big money” Marty Scurll. Aldis said he and Scurll are not friends at the moment and he will expose him as the fraud that he is. Aldis said Scurll can have Villain Enterprises and he has Strictly Business, and they can have a turf war if that’s what Scurll wants. The cameraman asked about the Free Enterprise main event. Aldis said he has nothing against his tag partner Rush…
The hosts hyped the Free Enterprise event. They also hyped Bound By Honor for February 28 in Nashville, Tennessee, and Gateway to Honor for St. Charles, Missouri on February 29…
Powell’s POV: Where is Free Enterprise airing? They keep saying its a free show as a thank you for their fans, but unless I’ve missed something, they haven’t said on the show if that event will be streaming free and live. Well, since this show aired, ROH has announced that it will stream exclusively on HonorClub, which I consider to be a big mistake. If you want to use a show to win over fans on the company’s new direction, those fans actually have to see the show. I really hope they come up with a way to free stream the Free Enterprise.
Footage aired of Shane Taylor calling out ROH COO Joe Koff and making his demands. They ran an edited version on television. Here’s my full rundown from when the segment ran during the HonorClub broadcast: Shane Taylor made his entrance dressed in a suit and was flanked by the SOS tag team. Taylor recalled starting in ROH three years ago and how people felt he was lucky to be there. He said fast forward to now and people are listening to what he has to say. Taylor called for ROH COO Joe Koff, who came to the ringside area. Taylor thanked Koff for taking a chance on him when a lot of people didn’t want to. He said he’s had the best run of his career over the last year and a half.
Taylor said everyone wants to talk in public about what he’s going to do next, so he thought he would do the same. Taylor said he had a counteroffer for Koff. He said he’s been the best performer that ROH has had over the last year and a half and the best homegrown talent the company has had over the last decade. He said that if Koff wants him to continue in ROH then he wants an ROH Six-Man Tag Title shot for SOS and a partner of his choosing, a guaranteed ROH World Championship shot of his choosing when he wants and where he wants, his name and face on every ROH poster, and he wants to be the “highest paying per fight” deal in ROH history. Taylor said he would give Koff until Sunday to respond… [C]
The show hosts spoke. Riccaboni announced Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham vs. Jeff Cobb and Dan Maff in a Proving Ground match for Free Enterprise…
Highlights aired from Atlanta of Jonathan Gresham beating Josh Woods via count-out… [C]
Ring entrances for the main event took place. Marty Scurll took the mic and said that Flip Gordon was replacing PCO for one night only and they were putting the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles on the line… [C]
2. Marty Scurll, Brody King, and Flip Gordon vs. Bandido, Flamita, and Rey Horus for the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. The following recap is from my review of when this match first aired on HonorClub (ROH inserted multiple commercial breaks on television): Late in the match, Scurll had Bandido down and signaled for his chicken wing finisher. Bandido rolled up Scurll and pinned him to win the titles for his team.
Bandido, Flamita, and Rey Horus defeated Marty Scurll, Brody King, and Flip Gordon to win the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles.
The new champions celebrated with their title belts and a Mexican flag to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Will the new champions wear the Villain Enterprises themed six-man tag title belts or will ROH revert to their previous belts? I’ve made it no secret that the six-man tag belts don’t do anything for me and feel like title belt overkill. That said, I’m keeping an open mind to the luchadores breathing some life into these straps. Overall, ROH reverted to a clip-heavy show after taking a more traditional approach last week.
Quite simply, ROH needs to make its weekly television show feel more must see. Let’s say that ROH Free Enterprise is a smash hit and gets everyone excited about the new era of ROH. There’s just no way ROH can maintain any sense of momentum with the current television product. I will have more to say in my weekly Dot Net Members’ exclusive audio review.
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