By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 505)
Taped in Baltimore, Maryland at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Aired May 22, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
Quinn McKay checked in from the studio following the ROH opening montage. McKay thanked Ian Riccaboni for filling in for her over the last two weeks as well as everyone who followed her on her journey to her first match. McKay said it may have been her first, but it won’t be her last. She hyped the two matches…
Backstage, Matt Taven was laid out. Mike Bennett showed up and called for help. Bennett helped Taven stand up, but Taven couldn’t put weight on one of his ankles…
Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and The World Famous CB (f/k/a Cheeseburger) were on commentary…
A Fred Yehi promo aired while he made his entrance. He questioned whether he is pure or anti-pure. He said Romero would get “The Savage Weight.” Romero made his entrance while his promo aired. He said Yehi got himself in the rankings and that’s exactly where he wants to be…
1. Fred Yehi vs. Rocky Romero in a Pure Rules match. Yehi wrenched the neck of Romero early in the match before the show went to a commercial break. [C] Romero applied a headlock. Yehi moved him to the ropes. The referee ruled that Yehi used his first rope break. Later, Romero performed a single-armed DDT heading into another break. [C]
Yehi knocked Romero down with a spinning backhand shot. Yehi followed up with a fisherman’s suplex for a two count. Romero came right back with a cross arm breaker, causing Yehi to use his second rope break. Yehi rallied with a T-bone suplex and a Koji Clutch, triggering Romero to use his first rope break with just over two minutes remaining in the match time.
Romero wrenched Yehi’s arm over the top rope, then tied him so that his head was hanging under the bottom rope. Romero leapt from the middle rope and dropkicked Yehi. Romero covered Yehi, then countered into another cross arm breaker attempt with a minute remaining. Yehi escaped the hold and then fired away with punches to the side of Romero.
Both men got to their feet. Romero threw a high knee that Yehi blocked. Yehi blasted Romero with a forearm and then a kick to the head. Yehi applied the Koji Clutch and got the submission win.
Fred Yehi defeated Rocky Romero in 14:44 in a Pure Rules match.
A dejected Romero bumped firsts with Yehi before making a quick exit. Riccaboni said Yehi is on a collision course with World Famous CB…
Powell’s POV: A well worked match. It was a little flat for the first ten minutes without much creativity in terms of using the Pure Rules, but they more than made up for it with a good final five minutes.
A trainer tended to Taven while Bennett said that they could get another title shot and his main concern was Taven’s health. Taven assured him that he would be fine even though he was still wincing… [C]
“The Mercenary” Flip Gordon made his entrance. Riccaboni reminded viewers that Gordon still has a title shot coming to him. Footage aired of Gordon and EC3 defeating The Briscoes on ROH television two weeks ago, followed by EC3 looking upset with him afterward.
Once in the ring, Gordon told ROH World Champion Rush that he’s done waiting. He said he has Rush exactly where he wants him. He said he’s watched Rush face some of the best wrestlers in the business and now it’s his turn. Gordon called out Rush.
EC3 made his entrance instead of Rush. EC3 entered the ring and went face to face with Gordon. “You have been warned,” EC3 said before leaving the ring…
ROH Tag Team Champions Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams were starting a promo inside The Foundation’s locker room. Jay Lethal interrupted them and informed them of the Taven injury. Lethal said Taven still wanted the match. He said that’s a sign of how important the ROH Tag Titles are and told his stable mates not to take the opportunity away from Taven and Bennett. Titus and Williams agreed… [C]
Ring entrances for the main event took place with Taven and Bennett coming out first. Taven limped to sell his injury. Titus and Williams made their entrance with Titus wearing a bloody skull head mask for some strange reason…
2. Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus vs. “The OGK” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett for the ROH Tag Titles. All four wrestlers adhered to the Code of Honor. Taven sold his bad ankle after doing an up and over spot with Williams. Taven rushed to his corner and tagged out, then rolled to the floor and held his ankle while Bennett checked on him. [C]
Taven was isolated by the champions coming out of the break. Williams put Taven in a Texas Cloverleaf, but Taven was able to reach the ropes to break the hold. Taven hit Titus with an enzuigiri and tried to dive to make the tag, but Titus stopped him to continue the isolation.
Bennett eventually took a hot tag and performed a nice Death Valley Driver on Titus for a near fall. Taven tagged in again and went right back to limping, but he was able to superkick Titus. Bennett followed up with a spear. Taven covered Bennett for a two count. [C]
Williams superplexed Taven and covered him, but Bennett broke up the pin. Williams put Bennett in a sleeper hold, but Bennett fell into the corner to break it. Taven put Williams in a face lock. Riccaboni noted that Taven would normally hook the leg and turn it into a Koji Cluch. Williams broke the hold.
Taven tagged out unbeknownst to Williams, who put Taven in a hold. Bennett entered the ring and put Taven in an ankle lock, which he eventually kicked out of. Williams put Bennett down with a clothesline. Taven took out Williams with a kick. Titus took out Taven, then Bennett superkicked Williams.
Bennett put Titus in a submission hold even though Riccaboni noted that Williams was actually the legal man. Williams put Taven in a Boston Crab and went face to face with Bennett. Both men maintained holds briefly while trading shots with one another and then they released the holds and continued to fight.
Williams and Bennett performed stereo piledrivers on Taven and Titus, which left all four men down. Taven rolled to the floor and then took his spot in his corner. Williams and Bennett traded elbow strikes. Williams delivered a pump kick.
Bennett ran the ropes and Taven tagged in. Williams didn’t realize it and was rolled up, but he rolled through and put Taven in an ankle lock. Bennett broke it up. Titus performed a belly to belly suplex on Bennett to clear him from the ring. Taven went for a move from the ropes that Williams ducked. Taven sold his bad ankle. Titus tagged in and took turns hitting moves with Williams, who capped it off with a piledriver. Titus covered Taven for the win.
Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus defeated “The OGK” Matt Taven and Mike Bennett in 19:28 to retain the ROH Tag Titles.
The four wrestlers shook hands after the match and Taven fell to the ground and sold his ankle again. The champions left the ring and Bennett knelt down to check on his partner. Taven asked why this keeps happening to them.
Vincent appeared on the big screen and yelled, “I’m Matt Taven.” Riccaboni said he thought Vincent was on a spiritual awakening. “He’s back,” Taven said. Coleman said he thinks we now know who attacked Taven…
Powell’s POV: A very good tag title main event. It was hurt from a predictability standpoint by the injury angle from the standpoint that it provided an obvious out for Taven and Bennett to lose the match. But it obviously protected the challengers and furthered their feud with Vincent and his Righteous faction. Overall, it was a solid hour of television. I normally don’t miss the fans as much during ROH television shows, but I definitely did this week for some reason. It will be great to have fans back in attendance at the July 11 Best in the World pay-per-view.
ROH didn’t list any matches for next week. However, Kevin Eck’s latest blog listed “Violence Unlimited” Brody King, Tony Deppen, Chris Dickinson and Homicide vs. “The Foundation” Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus in an eight-man tag match, and LSG vs. Joe Keys in the meeting of the rankings battle royal winners with the winner of the match being allowed to choose whether to be ranked in the Pure Championship or ROH TV Title division. My weekly audio review of ROH Wrestling will be available for Dot Net Members later today.
Be the first to comment