By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 523)
Taped in Baltimore, Maryland at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Aired September 25, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
Quinn McKay checked in from the studio following the standard ROH opening video. She hyped the two matches briefly…
A video package aired with PJ Black telling Brian Johnson that if Johnson beat him, he would earn the black belt. Black said that if he beat Johnson, then Johnson would have to shake his hand. Johnson offered a handshake and then pulled his hand back before telling Black that he’d have to earn it…
Brian Johnson made his entrance and delivered a promo as he made his way to the ring. He said he didn’t care about Black’s belt. He said the only belt he cared about is the ROH Pure Championship belt. Johnson delivered his own introduction rather than allow ring announcer Bobby Cruise to do it for him.
The broadcast team of Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman checked in. PJ Black made his entrance for the match heading into the first commercial break… [C]
1. PJ Black vs. Brian Johnson in a Pure Rules match. the wrestlers adhered to the Code of Honor. Riccaboni explained the Pure match rules as the match started. Black dropkicked Johnson, who rolled to ringside. Black coached his former protege to focus on his breathing. Back inside the ring, Black forced Johnson to use his first rope break.
Black sent Johnson to the floor. Black went up top, but Johnson scurried away. Black dropped back into the ring and then performed a suicide dive on Johnson. Black picked up a couple of near falls just before the five-minute mark. Johnson avoided a springboard moonsault. [C]
Black picked up Johnson by his arms and brought him to the ropes to force a second rope break. Black later superkicked Johnson and then performed a springboard moonsault and went for the pin. Johnson put his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin and use his final rope break.
Johnson shoved Black into the referee, who was momentarily distracted and missed Johnson poking the eyes of Black. As Black tended to his eyes against the ropes, Johnson grabbed him from behind. The referee turned and called fo rope break against Black. Johnson punched Black while the referee was informing the ring announcer of the rope break. Johnson followed up with The Process and scored the pin.
Brian Johnson defeated PJ Black in 10:58 in a Pure Rules match.
Afterward, Black took the mic and said that losing sucks and Johnson had to cheat, but he praised Johnson for taking the things he taught him and applying them during their match. Black congratulated Johnson and told him he would do great things. Black offered him a handshake and said he would be there when Johnson needed him. Johnson shook his hand. Johnson looked in the camera and said Black was the one shaking his hand…
A graphic listed the four-way main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good match with Johnson beating his mentor. Johnson is a good heel. He seems to be transitioning from obnoxious heel that fans enjoy seeing put in his place in undercard matches to perhaps being a player in ROH. I like that his character has no redeeming qualities.
Backstage, Brian Zane interviewed Brian Johnson, who mocked Zane for asking worse questions than Quinn McKay. Black showed up and basically repeated what he told Johnson in the ring. He said he owed him the black belt ceremony and would be there whenever Johnson needed him. Johnson said he appreciated it and they bumped fists. Johnson once again noted that Black wanted to shake his hand…
A video package aired on the ROH women’s division… An ad aired for the ROH Week By Week online show… An ad aired for the ROH Death Before Dishonor replay on HonorClub…
Eli Isom delivered a promo about facing Ryan Mooney (f/k/a Ryan Nova) and said he heard him talk about being in the shadow of the Shinobi Shadow Squad. Isom said they and World Famous CB were equals. He spoke of facing Mooney in a match and said Mooney would not win.
Ryan Mooney checked in with his rebuttal promo and said he loved Isom like a brother. He said it’s not about animosity, it’s about being the best. Mooney said people think Isom is better than him, but he’s never had to prove it before. The Isom vs. Mooney match was listed for the ROH Week By Week show…
Powell’s POV: Two well delivered promos. The only issue was that it wasn’t clear who Isom was talking about initially because he only referred to Mooney by his first name. I figured it out and obviously they followed up with Mooney, but it probably had casual viewers wondering until Mooney’s promo aired.
Footage aired from a Foundation vs. Violence Unlimited eight-man tag match that was held at ROH Glory By Honor night two on August 21 in Philadelphia. Over six minutes of the match aired and it concluded with Jay Lethal pinning Tony Deppen. A graphic listed the show as being available via HonorClub…
A graphic listed Violence Unlimited vs. a mystery foursome for next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: That was bizarre. They just cut to the eight-man tag match footage without any explanation. Equally strange, the match resulted in Violence Unlimited losing, only for them to tease Violence Unlimited in another eight-man tag match for next week. So viewers are supposed to be excited about seeing the losing team next week?
Entrances for the main event took place. Each man had a pre-taped promo. Taylor has the most notable promo, saying that he could silence every critic by winning and adding that his focus was on Kenny King. Brody King said he beat Taylor and Lethal in the past, and “the weasel” Kenny always seems to escape… [C]
2. Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King vs. Brody King vs. Jay Lethal in a Four Corner Survival match. King declined to shake hands with his opponents while the others adhered to the Code of Honor. Lethal performed an early dragon screw leg whip on Taylor. Kenny reached in and tagged Taylor to enter the match. Kenny performed a cartwheel and a dropkick on a seated Lethal. The broadcast team noted that it was a combination that Lethal uses and called it the ultimate disrespect. [C]
Brody worked over Kenny coming out of the break. Kenny came back with a nice top rope Blockbuster. Kenny dove onto Taylor at ringside and then raced back to the ring and covered Brody, who kicked out quickly. Kenny went to run the ropes, but Taylor grabbed his foot. Brody took advantage of the distraction by blasting Kenny with a lariat. Taylor tagged Kenny to enter the match and then traded strikes with Brody. Taylor got the better of it with a big punch or forearm that sent Body to ringside.
Lethal dove onto Brody at ringside. Taylor took out Kenny. Lethal went for a Lethal Injection, but Taylor caught him. Lethal escaped Taylor’s finisher, but Taylor drilled him with a headbutt. Taylor took out Lethal with a Marcus Garvey Driver. Kenny recovered and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Taylor. Brody returned and suplexed Kenny. Brody hit Taylor with a lariat and pinned him.
Brody King defeated Shane Taylor, Kenny King, and Jay Lethal in a Four Corner Survival match.
Brody stood over Taylor and held his hand out. Taylor accepted and was helped to his feet. Brody offered a handshake. Taylor indicated that he wanted a singles match with Brody. Lethal shook Brody’s hand. Taylor also shook Lethal’s hand…
A graphics listed Taylor Rust and Alex Zayne vs. Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe, and the Violence Unlimited match against a mystery foursome for next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: A good main event. I like the build to the Brody King vs. Shane Taylor match and it will be interesting to see if Taylor avenges his losses. The listing of Violence Unlimited match against a mystery foursome really could have used some explanation. This would have been a spot for Quinn McKay to explain what was happening. For that matter, she could have set up the eight-man tag footage they just inserted into the show without explanation. McKay’s role as the studio host feels like it’s been stripped down to a brief and repetitive introduction at the top of the show and nothing more. Overall, though, it was an entertaining hour of television. My ROH Wrestling audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members.
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