By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 433)
Taped February 9, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland at UMBC Event Center
Aired March 7, 2020 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
Highlights aired of La Faccion Ingobernable leaving members of Villain Enterprises lying after Nick Aldis interfered. Additional footage aired of Aldis delivering a promo while flanked by Thom Latimer and Kamille before Flip Gordon and Brody King went after them. A La Faccion Ingobernable promo aired along with a clip of Aldis saying he doesn’t have to like Rush to team with him…
Show host Quinn McKay hyped the tag team main event and then threw it to ring introductions for the opening match…
1. Brody King vs. Rey Horus. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman were on commentary for the matches. From my live review of Free Enterprise: King performed an early splash and barked at the referee about only getting a two count. [C] King followed Horus to ringside and hit him with a kick and a chop. King rolled Horus back inside the ring, but Horus used his speed to dropkick King before he could follow. Horus performed a leap over the top rope into a huracanrana on King at ringside. Horus performed a flip dive onto King.
Back inside the ring, King rallied and put the boots to Horus in the corner. Horus leapt off the top rope into a DDT and picked up a pair of two counts. King came back with a big clothesline, hit a Gonzo Bomb, and scored the pin…
Brody King beat Rey Horus.
Powell’s POV: This went on right before the main event of Free Enterprise. It only went 6:30 in length, so I’m not sure if they were running short on time or if they wanted to give King a strong win.
Footage aired of Homicide from his ROH days, then a graphic listed ROH Past vs. Present for Saturday in Vegas… [C] A Delirious video aired to push him for the Past vs. Present show…
Powell’s POV: ROH has a pay-per-view on Friday night, but they have spent their time pushing the Past vs. Present show for Saturday on HonorClub thus far. Strange.
Brian Zane listed his Top 5 Unlikely Tag Teams
5. Rhett Titus and Charlie Haas
4. Low Ki and Homicide
3. Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer
2. Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
1. Jushin Liger and Cheeseburger
Classic Matt Sydal footage was shown to push him for the Past vs. Present show…
McKay interviewed Rush and Kenny King about teaming with Nick Aldis. Rush said he has brothers in King and Dragon Lee, then questioned who Aldis is. King said Aldis isn’t even the biggest star in his own house. A graphic listed the main event… [C]
The Havanna Pitbulls were spotlighted for the Past vs. Present event… Ring entrances for the tag team main event took place with ring announcer Bobby Cruise handling the introductions… [C]
2. ROH Champion PCO and Marty Scurll vs. NWA Champion Nick Aldis and Rush. From my Free Enterprise review: Rush attacked PCO as he was removing the jacket he wears to the ring and then the bell rang to start the match. The heels jumped out to a fast start. PCO did his monster no-sell bit, but the heels remained in offensive control. “You’re not much of a monster now, are you?” Aldis asked him a little over five minutes into the match. [C]
Later, Scurll backdropped PCO onto Aldis and Rush at ringside. Scurll kicked Aldis in the gut, but Aldis ducked whatever he was going for and then put Scurll down with a piledriver. Aldis went up top for an elbow drop, but PCO cut him off. Scurll ran up and superplexed Aldis. Scurll sent PCO onto Aldis with a cannonball. PCO had the pin, but Rush returned to break it up.
Aldis and Rush double teamed PCO, which led to Aldis getting a two count. Aldis called out for Rush to get PCO in position. Aldis went up top and dropped a top rope elbow, but PCO pulled Rush onto him to take the elbow drop. Rush walked out on Aldis. A short time later, PCO performed a moonsault and pinned Aldis. Riccaboni noted that the ROH Champion pinned the NWA Champion. [C]
PCO and Marty Scurll defeated Nick Aldis and Rush in 14:45.
Powell’s POV: At the time this match took place, it seemed like this result meant they were building to PCO vs. Aldis in a champion vs. champion match for the Supercard of Honor event that will be held during WrestleMania weekend. But PCO has dropped the ROH Championship since this match took place (which McKay acknowledges momentarily, so no yelling at me about spoilers), so perhaps the idea was to give PCO a win here, then Aldis will beat him to retain the NWA Championship at Supercard of Honor.
Classic Doug Williams footage aired to promote the Past vs. Present event…
McKay noted that Rush defeated PCO at the Gateway of Honor show to become the ROH Champion. She said Rush will defend the ROH Championship against Mark Haskins at the ROH 18th Anniversary pay-per-view. McKay set up a video package on the 18th Anniversary pay-per-view that listed the matches and featured brief comments from Session Moth Martina, Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham, and Bandido…
Mark Haskins was showcased in a sit-down promo. He spoke about being bullied as a kid nearly every day. He said a friend brought a pro wrestling tape over. Haskins said his eyes were opened to a world where the smaller guys get beat up and yet still come out on top. He said he fell in love with pro wrestling that day and followed his dream ever since. Haskins said his friend who turned him on to pro wrestling suffered from cerebral palsy, so he felt like he had to chase the dream because his friend could not.
Haskins said that friend died a few years ago. He said there have been times when he wanted to quit. He also spoke about moving to a city he hated in order to have a shot at making it. Haskins spoke about what he’s done over the last year and said he wants and needs the world championship. He spoke about facing Rush and said Rush is more ruthless and unstoppable than he’s ever been.
Haskins said he has his family in his corner and they depend on him. He said this is his opportunity to make a better life for them and to make a legacy for himself. “You’re the bull, right?” Haskins said to Rush. “Well I’m wearing red, so come at me, bro”…
Powell’s POV: An outstanding promo. Where the hell has that been all month? That’s what’s so infuriating about the ROH Wrestling television show. They should be telling stories that lead up to big matches, but the most we’d heard from Haskins this month until now was him talking in general terms about going after the ROH Championship while Tracy Williams looked potentially irked. This was an excellent go-home promo and Haskins could have been made this month if they had bothered showcase him before now.
The hype on this episode focused on the Past vs. Present show until the final minutes when they finally got around to pushing the actual pay-per-view. And the hype for Past vs. Present show featured some old footage that was cool, but they didn’t even tell us what those wrestlers will be doing on the show. I just don’t understand ROH’s approach and why they’ve wasted all this television time when they could have been giving a proper build to both events. Was all the time they’ve recently dedicated to the partnerships between PJ Black and Brian Johnson and the team of Silas Young and Josh Woods really worth it? I will have more to say about this madness in my audio review for Dot Net Members later today.
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