By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Ring of Honor Wrestling TV (Episode 513)
Taped in Baltimore, Maryland at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Aired July 17, 2021 in syndication and on SBG regional sports networks, available Mondays on FITE.TV
The ROH opening aired… Backstage, Dalton Castle told the cameraman that he was busy. Castle left the room and then the camera showed Jonathan Gresham having his knee wrapped by Joe Keys. Jay Lethal, Tracy Williams, and Rhett Titus showed up and asked about Gresham’s injury. Williams said he wanted to protect the ROH Pure Championship and suggested that Keys replace Gresham in their eight-man tag match. Gresham agreed. An excited Keys told Gresham he had to get ready, then patted his bad knee when he stood up. Keys apologized as he left the picture…
Brian Johnson checked in from the studio and announced that he was the host for this week’s show due to Quinn McKay having a match. Johnson said Ian Riccaboni would normally sit in the chair while McKay pretends to be a wrestler, but he’s the keynote speaker at a nerd convention. Johnson hyped the eight-man tag match and mocked Gresham for being too hurt to wrestle. “Speaking of hideous things,” Johnson said before hyping McKay having her match against “the beautiful” Leon. Funny. He also plugged the opening match while taking shots at both wrestlers…
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman checked in on commentary while ring announcer Bobby Cruise handled the introductions…
1. Fred Yehi vs. Rey Horus. Before the match, Riccaboni gave a generic plug for the ROH Best in the World pay-per-view that took place a week earlier (the plug was generic because this show was taped prior to the pay-per-view). Yehi went for the Koji Clutch early, and Horus scrambled to avoid the hold before the show went to a commercial break. [C]
Yehi was able to apply the Koji Clutch. Horus fought to reach the bottom rope with his foot to break the hold. Yehi performed a T-Bone suplex and then worked over Horus in the corner. Yehi went to the ropes even though Horus was all the way across the ring. Horus rushed over and performed a sunset bomb from the ropes and scored the pin. The wrestlers shook hands afterward…
Rey Horus defeated Fred Yehi in 9:53.
A graphic listed the women’s match for after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good match until the nonsensical finish. There was just no reason for Yehi to go to the ropes when Horus was so far away from him. Horus also scored an upset win over Demonic Flamita at the pay-per-view, so perhaps he’s being built up for something. He could have a terrific match with new ROH World Champion Bandido, but I could also see Horus being cast as Bandido’s set-up man buddy. I don’t think Yehi is under contract to ROH, which would explain why they seem hesitant to give him a sustained push. If he is signed to ROH, then I really don’t understand why they haven’t done more with him.
Mandy Leon was on the phone when she arrived for a sit-down interview segment. She grumbled about taking part in the segment before hanging up the phone. The producer asked her for thoughts on Quinn McKay. Leon said she sees someone who deep down has a lot to hide. She claimed that McKay talked smack about her and Angelina Love on her YouTube show when the pandemic started. Leon mocked the idea of McKay wanting to have a match with her. Love showed up and said that they took enough of Leon’s time…
A Quinn McKay sit-down segment aired. She spoke about losing to Love and said she lost due to her own inexperience and due to Leon. She said it’s her last chance to qualify for the ROH Women’s Championship tournament. McKay pointed out that Leon was an interviewer before she was a wrestler just like she is. She also said Leon lost her first television match just like she did. McKay said Leon doesn’t want people to know that.
McKay said Leon can keep spinning the narrative about whatever she is pretending to be, but she sees through it. McKay said she and Leon are two sides of the same coin. She said the only advantage she has is that she sees Leon for who she used to be and she’s a glimmer of who she could have been had she just stayed the course. McKay said Leon doesn’t need Love and told her to leave her behind and give her a fair fight…
Powell’s POV: Great mic work. Leon delivered a basic heel promo and did a fine job, but McKay continues to shine. I love the way she told the story about the similarities between her and Leon’s own history in the company. McKay is a gifted talker and a huge asset to ROH as a studio host. The sky is the limit for her if she gets more reps and continues to improve inside the ring.
2. Mandy Leon (w/Angelina Love) vs. Quinn McKay. Maria Kanellis sat in on commentary. McKay offered her hand for the Code of Honor. Leon took McKay’s and then pulled her in for a forearm to the jaw. Love handed Leon a mic. Leon said McKay is a rookie who fell for the oldest trick in the book and said she doesn’t belong in the ring. Leon was on the offensive heading into a break. [C]
Leon dumped McKay to the floor and then performed a dropkick off the apron. Back inside the ring, McKay came back with a power slam. Leon was eventually able to apply her Tangerine Dream finisher. Love climbed on the apron and distracted the referee. Leon tapped out and McKay released the hold, but the referee didn’t see the submission. Love slid a pair of brass knuckles to Leon. McKay picked up Leon for a side suplex, but Leon hit her with the brass knuckles and scored the pin.
Mandy Leon beat Quinn McKay in 7:44.
The camera cut to the broadcast team where Coleman looked distraught. Kanellis said the referee can only call what he sees, but she’s on the board of directors and she can do what’s necessary… A graphic listed the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: A basic match with a surprising finish. I assumed that McKay would go over to qualify for the tournament, so it was a legit surprise when Leon beat her. It sounds like McKay could still get in the tournament based on what Kanellis said after the match, so I like the way they did this. On a side note, the ROH broadcast team talks about the ROH Women’s Championship tournament, but I don’t believe they have announced the dates or the bulk of the entrants on the weekly television show. I know it’s been mentioned on the company’s YouTube shows. Still, they should strive to make the weekly television show a one stop shop for viewers who don’t have the time or desire to watch all of their online content.
Moses, Kaun, and O’Shay Edwards came out together and then Shane Taylor made his entrance and joined them in the entrance aisle and headed to the ring with them. A pre-tape featured Taylor recalling his grandmother telling him to make sure people remember his name. Taylor and the rest of his teammates said their names. Taylor said Joe Keys is going from the dojo to the big leagues.
The Foundation trio and Keys made their entrance together. A pre-tape aired with Tracy Williams saying that the power struggle in ROH never seems to end. Keys said The Foundation isn’t at full force, but they have him. He said Gresham taught him everything he knows and he’s all about what The Foundation stands for. Keys said that if anyone doubts what they are about, they will get their asses kicked. The Foundation trio liked what he said…
3. Jay Lethal, Tracy Williams, Rhett Titus, and Joe Keys vs. Shane Taylor, Moses, Kaun, and O’Shay Edwards. Keys and Edwards started the match. Edwards caught Keys going for a cross body block. Keys came back and performed another cross body from the top rope to knock Edwards off his feet. Taylor tagged in and blasted Keys with a clothesline. Taylor told The Foundation to get the rookie out of the ring before he gets hurt. Lethal tagged in. [C]
Lethal and Titus worked over Moses. Lethal went for a cover, but Kaun broke it up. Moments later, Lethal slid through the legs of Kaun, who was on the apron, and pulled him to the floor. Kaun ended up grabbing Lethal’s leg. Lethal shook him off and then ran into a clothesline thrown by Moses. Kaun tagged in and roughed up Lethal, who ended up being isolated by his opponents. Taylor blasted Lethal with a punch that knocked him through the ropes and drew an “Oooooohhhhhhh my God” from Coleman. [C]
Lethal performed the Lethal Combination on Kaun and then tagged in Titus, who went on an offensive flurry against his opponents. Titus performed a top rope knee drop on Moses and covered him for a near fall. Coleman put over the power of the Moses kickout. Keys tagged in. Titus dropkicked Moses into a bridging suplex by Keys, but the pin was broken up by Edwards.
Everyone ended up fighting in the ring. Taylor’s team cleared everyone to ringside. Moses took out Lethal and Williams with a dive from the apron. Keys was surrounded by Taylor, Kaun, and Edwards. Keys tried to fight them off, but Taylor caught him with a headbutt and went for a cover, but Titus and Williams returned to the ring to break it up. Titus and Williams cleared Taylor from the ring and then performed a double butterfly suplex on Kaun.
Taylor returned to the ring. Lethal tried to hit him with his finisher, but Taylor caught him. Lethal escaped before Taylor could hit his finisher and then dove onto Moses on the floor. Keys hit Taylor with a missile dropkick. Edwards hit Keys with a forearm shot and then followed up with a sit-out spinebuster and scored the pin while Lethal tried and failed to break it up.
Shane Taylor, Moses, Kaun, and O’Shay Edwards defeated Jay Lethal, Tracy Williams, Rhett Titus, and Joe Keys.
Coleman said there were no weak links in the match. He said he thought Keys was going to be the weak link, but he showed so much heart during the match. Taylor’s team celebrated while graphics were shown to promote Sledge vs. PCO, and Eli Isom vs. Dak Draper vs. Dalton Castle in a three-way for next week…
Powell’s POV: A strong television main event with the right team going over. Keys gained something in defeat, but he was the right man to take the loss and I like that he was pinned by the impressive Edwards, who is new to Taylor’s faction. Overall, an entertaining show, especially considering that it was taped prior to the pay-per-view and they couldn’t follow up with fresh material coming out of Best in the World. Unfortunately, we probably have at least one more week of content taped prior to the pay-per-view. I continue to wish that ROH could somehow speed up the turnaround time, but it is what it is. Brian Johnson was fun in the studio, but I wish they would have went back to him another time or two. My weekly audio review of ROH Wrestling will be available for Dot Net Members later today.
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