By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 406)
Taped June 1, 2019 in Kent, Washington at the ShoWare Center
Aired in syndication on June 29, 2019, Mondays on the FITE TV app
The show opened with a brief feature touting the Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins main event… The ROH opening aired.. The broadcast team of Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana pushed the ROH Best in the World replay… Bobby Cruise was the ring announcer…
1. Jay Briscoe vs. PCO. Riccaboni hyped that The Guerrillas of Destiny vs. The Briscoes for the ROH Tag Titles will stream live from New York on July 20. He also noted that the Top Prospect Tournament will begin in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 21. The wrestlers fought to ringside where PCO charged at Briscoe, who backdropped him onto the edge of the ring apron going into the first commercial break. [C]
PCO was the aggressor coming out of the break and clotheslined Briscoe over the top rope and tumbled to ringside with him. PCO returned to the ring and performed a summersault dive through the ropes onto Briscoe at ringside. Jay fought back and placed PCO on a chair at ringside, then performed a cross body block to knock the chair over. Jay picked up the chair and brought it into the ring with him while referee Benjamin Roberts warned him against using it.
PCO hit Briscoe, who dropped the chair and then traded punches with him. PCO performed a popup powerbomb. The broadcast team noted that it was a move used by former ROH Champion Kevin Steen (a/k/a Kevin Owens). PCO performed a sidewinder suplex and then went up top, but Briscoe hit him with a chairshot for the DQ.
PCO defeated Jay Briscoe by DQ.
After the match, Mark Briscoe walked to ringside. Jay grabbed the referee by the shirt and eventually let him go, which led to the referee running backstage. Mark slid a table inside the ring. Jay set PCO on the table, then Mark performed a Froggy Bow elbow drop to drive PCO through the table. PCO sat up and yelled, “Come on!” The Briscoes ran the ropes and PCO clotheslined both men. Security ran out to intervene…
Mark Haskins delivered a backstage promo. He said he’s wanted to face Jeff Cobb for a long time because he has mad respect for him and he knows they will bring out the best in each other. He said a win over the former ROH TV Champion will do wonders for his career. He said things haven’t gone his way and he, his wife, and his kids need this…
A Jeff Cobb promo aired from backstage. Cobb said Haskins is a submission expert, but he intends to throw him so far that he lands back in England… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good opening match with some ROH star power involved. Jay being disqualified plays into what the Briscoes have been doing lately, and PCO looked strong afterward by roughing up both Briscoes. It does seem a little strange for those who watched the pay-per-view, as it seems like Villain Enterprises are being cast as heels even though they are arguably the most popular act in the company, and PCO came off like a babyface in this match. Meanwhile, I like the presentation of the main event thus far. The brief video at the top combined with these simple promos make the match feel important and worth sticking around for…
Josh Woods was shown taping his wrists backstage when he was approached by No. 1 Brian Johnson, who said he will be this year’s Top Prospect Tournament’s No. 1 entrant. Johnson said he wouldn’t be a failure like Woods has been. Woods finally looked up and shot him a look. Johnson backed off and told Woods to calm down…
“Coast 2 Coast” Shaheem Ali and LSG made their entrance for a tag team match. Bully Ray came out and asked the crowd if they know who he is. Bully ordered ring announcer Bobby Cruise out of the ring and told him to sit down in his chair at ringside. Bully looked at Coast 2 Coast and asked if this is what he came out for and what he traveled 3,000 miles for. Bully said he had a partner who was an upgrade from what he was used to. ROH TV Champion Shane Taylor made his entrance…
2. Bully Ray and Shane Taylor vs. “Coast 2 Coast” Shaheem Ali and LSG. Bully barked at the crowd and drew some heat prior to going to the ring to start the match. It just got underway when they cut to a break. [C] Taylor distracted the referee while Ray pulled Ali down and crotched him using the ring post.
Bully checked in and hit a Bully Bomb on Ali. Bully tried to follow with a running splash, but Ali rolled out of the way and made a hot tag. LSG worked over Taylor and knocked Bully off the apron. LSG performed a cross body block from the top rope and picked up a two count on Taylor.
Ali tagged in again. Bully accidentally clotheslined Taylor, then Coast 2 Coast hit a rough double superkick. The duo followed up with a pair of top rope splashes on Taylor that led to a two count. LSG went up top, but Bully recovered and shoved him to the floor. Taylor hit Ali with Greetings from 216 and pinned him…
Bully Ray and Shane Taylor beat Coast 2 Coast.
A graphic showcased the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: A fine television match with Coast 2 Coast getting their offensive flurry before the heels recovered and put them away. ROH needs to give Coast 2 Coast a real chance or move on. It’s not that I expected them to win this match, but Ali and LSG have been spinning their wheels for far too long. Why not push them in a meaningful way and see if they click just as it seemed like they were when they beat the War Raiders prior to their departure from ROH?
Footag aired of Tracy Williams pinning Eli Isom on May 11 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to earn a shot at the ROH Championship. A graphic listed Matt Taven vs. Williams for the ROH Championship, but it did not indicate when the match would take place (maybe next week?)…
3. Jeff Cobb vs. Mark Haskins. The wrestlers adhered to the Code of Honor. A “Cobb is gonna kill you” chant broke out. They cut to break early in the match. [C] Haskins caught Cobb with a couple of kicks. Haskins ran the ropes and it looked like Cobb was going for a popup move, but Haskins applied a submission hold on his right arm.
Cobb sold the armbar, then used that arm alone to fling Haskins face first into the corner (damn). Cobb came up with a small cut on his nose. Cobb came back and performed a piledriver for a two count. [C]
Haskins applied a cross arm breaker, but Cobb immediately reached the ropes to break it. Cobb rolled to ringside. Haskins caught him with a couple of kicks from the apron, but Cobb grabbed him and flung him down onto the ringside mats. Both men stayed down while referee Todd Sinclair counted, then raced back to the ring as the count reached 19.
Cobb and Haskins crawled toward one another and went face to face, then traded forearms on their knees. They got to their feet and Cobb delivered a kidney punch. Haskins came right back with strikes, but Cobb caught him with a nice suplex. Cobb set up for his finisher, but Haskins blasted him with a knee to the head. Haskins ran the ropes and Cobb popped him up and let him fall to the mat, then performed a standing moonsault onto his back. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Cobb got his feet and pulled in Haskins for his finisher, but Haskins avoided it again and went for a Sharpshooter. Cobb stuffed it, but Haskins ended up powering the big man up and performed a Michinoku Driver for a really good near fall. Haskins went to the top rope and was cut off by Cobb, who dropkicked him. They fought for position on the ropes. Haskins headbutted Cobb to knock him off the ropes. Haskins went back up top. Cobb followed, but Haskins caught him with a kick. Moments later, Cobb hit his Tour of the Islands and scored the clean pin.
Jeff Cobb defeated Mark Haskins.
Riccaboni hyped Matt Taven vs. Tracy Williams for the ROH Title, and The Bouncers vs. TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia for next week. In the ring, Haskins raised the arm of Cobb as the show concluded…
Powell’s POV: A very good television main event that is definitely worth going out of your way to see. This was better than most of the BITW matches. It was also an entertaining episode overall. This was a loaded television lineup of matches compared to what we saw leading up to the Best in the World pay-per-view. I like it, though I wonder if the better strategy would have been to advertise the heck out of these strong matches and air them on last week’s go-home show to help sell the pay-per-view rather than saving them for a gap show (a show was taped prior to a pay-per-view that airs after the pay-per-view has aired). Again, though, I’m not complaining since this beats many of the throwaway matches that aired on the shows leading into the Best in the World event, and it’s always possible that these matches will play into post BITW booking plans. I will be by later today with my weekly members’ exclusive audio review of this episode.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Bruce Mitchell of PWTorch.com discussing WWE naming Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as executive directors of Raw and Smackdown, why Paul Levesque isn’t taking on a bigger role, AEW Fyter Fest, and much more.
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