By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 430)
Taped January 12, 2020 in Concord, North Carolina at Cabarrus Arena
Aired February 15, 2020 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
The ROH Wrestling opening video started the show. Highlights aired from Final Battle Fallout of Silas Young and Josh Woods beating The Briscoes due to interference by Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham to become No. 1 contenders to the ROH Tag Titles…
Show hosts Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay checked in and set the table for the show… Highlights aired of Alex Zayne defeating Bandido in a match held at Honor Reigns Supreme in Concord… [C]
Powell’s POV: I have no clue why they didn’t air this entire match. It was a well worked match and a hot debut for Zayne.
Footage aired of Dalton Castle comically instructing Joe Hendry how to pose during a photo shoot. One of the instructions was telling him to look less and then more Scottish. Castle called for a break and walked away. Hendry shook his head in disbelief…
The show hosts ran through the upcoming ROH dates and plugged some merchandise. The duo spoke about Sumie Sakai’s heel turn. Riccaboni said she broke his heart…
Highlights aired of Sumie Sakai beating Nicole Savoy in Concord… [C]
Brian Zane hosted the top five segment that focused on his list of factions.
5. SCUM
4. The Embassy
3. The House of Truth
2. Age of the Fall
1. Generation Next
Powell’s POV: I continue to enjoy this segment. I don’t always agree with Zane’s rankings, but I like that they come off as his honest selections and are not controversial just for the sake of creating controversy.
1. Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams vs. Vincent and Bateman (w/Vita Vonstarr, Chuckles). The entrances were not televised, but the full match aired with Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman on commentary. There was a commercial break a few minutes into the match. [C] From my review of Honor Reigns Supreme: Williams performed a DDT that drove Vincent’s head into a top turnbuckle. Williams held up Vincent, Haskins kicked him, and then Williams performed a piledriver. Haskins applied a Sharpshooter, but Chuckles hit Haskins with a block of wood for the disqualification. The heels were setting up for a move on Haskins when Williams ran them off with a chair… [C]
Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams beat Vincent and Bateman by DQ.
Powell’s POV: I continue to feel like the Righteous faction’s success largely hinges on whether Vincent (Vinny Marseglia) clicks as a strong faction leader. Only time will tell.
Ring entrances for the eight-man tag team match took place… [C]
2. Jeff Cobb, Dan Maff, Jay Lethal, and Jonathan Gresham vs. Silas Young, Josh Woods, Beer City Bruiser, and Brian Milonas. Coleman defended Gresham’s antics by saying that people felt he needed an edge and now that he has one, the same people are complaining about it. There was a comical bit where Bruiser told Lethal he would punch him in the mouth.
Lethal looked at referee Todd Sinclair and claimed that Bruiser was drunk. “Are you going to allow this?” Bruiser made good on his threat and then did his usual gag where he bit Lethal, then looked at the crowd and said, “I can’t bite, I ain’t got no teeth.” [C] Late in the match, six men fought at ringside while Cobb performed a Tour of the Islands on Bruiser and pinned him clean.
Jeff Cobb, Dan Maff, Jay Lethal, and Jonathan Gresham beat Silas Young, Josh Woods, Beer City Bruiser, and Brian Milonas.
After the match, Lethal punched Young and Woods off the apron. Maff grabbed one of the ROH Tag Title belts. Gresham and Lethal jawed with Cobb and Maff while Riccaboni hyped their Proving Ground match for the Free Enterprise show (which took place a week before this episode aired). Maff left the ring with the tag belt to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Just another throwaway edition of the weekly ROH television show with no attempt to entice viewers to return for next week’s show. They just pluck some highlights, air a couple of full length matches, and do very little beyond that. Will someone try to make this show matter again? We don’t hear from the wrestlers in the main event, the main event just happens every week. Why not interview the wrestlers involved and at least try to make the main event is feel like it actually matters while giving the wrestlers involved some promo time and character development? The wrestlers and those working hard behind the scenes in ROH deserve better than this weekly phoned in show. Sure, there’s some good wrestling, but fans can see good wrestling every night of the week due to the way the business has changed and with the abundance of pro wrestling on television. There are so many creative things that could be done with this show, but ROH isn’t even trying.
Be the first to comment