Ring of Honor TV
Episode #374
Aired on Fite 11/19/18
2300 Arena, Philadelphia PA
Apologies for the delay in this report – professional responsibilities and the Thanksgiving holiday took more time and attention than I anticipated.
We open to a video package of Dalton Castle’s return and teaming with Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham against The Kingdom, with Dalton getting the win over Vinny Marseglia. We see the moment of tension as Dalton holds on to Lethal’s championship belt, and he and Lethal shake hands. Decent “Previously On” segment here, and good to focus on Castle’s addition to the title hunt.
Ian Riccobani and Colt Cabana on commentary.
SEGMENT: Dalton Castle speaks
Castle makes his way down to the ring with Boys in tow, dressed in an AMAZING jacket and with mic in hand. Castle talks about how he was on the shelf, but he wasnt just sitting at home sippin’ mint juleps, he was sippin’ mint juleps AND put in the work. He says his mission is getting back the ROH title. Castle tells Lethal that he’s back, and he wants the champ.
The Kingdom’s music hits and out comes Matt Taven with his “Real” ROH World Championship belt. He says Castle must not have been watching the product because he is the REAL World Champion because HEEEEEEEEE’S MATT TAVEN! Castle says his head is spinning, and the boys make a chair for him to sit down on. Castle says “go home, Matt, you’re drunk. Like, Myrtle Beach drunk.” Taven says Castle is funny, but he couldnt handle the pressure of carrying this company. Castle should have left for good. Castle gets serious and runs down Taven as delusional and a bunch of other awesome descriptors, and says Taven will never be the real world champion.
Taven says he has a surprise for Dalton… and we get the red balloons as Vinny hits the ring and attacks the boys, Taven gets a belt shot on Castle and beats him down as TK hits the ring and The Kingdom lays waste. The ring fills with chairs and The Kingdom hit a triple grounded Con-chair-to on Castle as we go to BREAK. This was a decent segment, though the attack at the end didnt quite feel as high impact as I think it needed to to really sell the story. But Castle is back and GREAT on the mic, Taven feels like a main eventer about to burst and overall The Kingdom is still doing it for me.
We’re back with Ian and Colt showing footage of the Briscoe’s taking out Christopher Daniels in advance of the tag title match, as the crowd chants for Best Friends.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Hero vs Villain – The Final Chapter?
We get a repeated video package recapping the rivalry between the Villain and The Hurricane, with Marty taking Helms’ mask. Eh. Fine.
Hero vs Villain Chapter 4: No Disqualification
MARTY SCURLL vs SHANE “HURRICANE” HELMS
Scurll and Helms are 1:1:1 in this series, and this No DQ match looks to settle things. Marty out first with the mask. Helms’ package and music hits and we see the Hurri-pose… but its Delirious in disguise? Marty turns around and Helms is in the ring behind him, maskless, and Hurri-chokeslams the hell out of Marty! Helms goes for the cover right away but Marty is out at 2.
Helms takes Marty to ringside and sends him into the rail, rips off Marty’s t-shirt and chops him hard. Helms uses the shirt around Marty’s neck to send him into another rail. Helms grabs a chair, sits Marty in it and takes him down with a lariat (right after a “WAZZUPWITDAT?”) as we go to BREAK.
We’re back as Helms is down in the ring, Marty is at ringside and finds 6 umbrellas and tosses them in the ring, hitting a gut shot on Helms with one as he gets back inside. We get some Clockwork Orange from Marty “singing in the rain” as he beats down Helms with the umbrellas. Marty is dominant, dismantling Helms. Helms fights back, catching Marty in an inverted unprettier to buy some time.
Helms sees his mask in the corner, crawls over, and puts it back on! Pop from the crowd, and Helms looks like he has his powers back. Marty looks for an umbrella shot but Helms catches it, pushes Marty off and breaks the umbrella in half. Helms hits shots on Marty, a running forearm and a Colby Shot (which Ian mentions he calls the Mortifier, in partial reference to Chris “Mortis” Kanyon”), cover but only 2.
Helms gets a bunch of chairs and tosses them in the ring, looks to set them up but Marty had time to recover and floors Helms with a Euro. Marty now continues setting up the chairs, but Helms fights back and hoists Marty to the top rope, looking for the superplex onto the chairs. Marty fights Helms off, climbs up but Helms grabs Marty by the balls and tosses him through the chairs! Nightmare on Helms Street connects, Helms with a cover but Marty is able to kick out at 2 as we go to BREAK.
We’re back as Helms is out again on the apron, with Marty setting up a table at ringside. Marty climbs the apron, trades shots with Helms, Helms looks for a chokeslam but Marty hoists him up and hits a Death Valley Driver through the table on Helms! The crowd is hot on that spot. “ROH” chants. Marty rolls Helms back in, covers but Helms is still able to kick out at 2.
Marty has the umbrella but throws it down, heads under the ring and emerges with a bag. He unzips it… and WE HAVE THUMBTACKS. WHAT A VILLAIN. Marty waits for Helms to turn around and looks for a throw, Helms fights out but Marty almost knocks him over into the tacks. Marty runs and Helms almost drop toe holds him into the tacks! Marty spins around and gets the finger snap on Helms, lines up a lariat but gets caught and Hurri-chokeslammed into the tacks, which are THOROUGHLY stuck in Marty’s exposed back. Dang, Marty. Helms covers, but Marty is out at 2! “Marty” chants.
Helms looks for the Shining Wizard but Marty evades and hits a low blow, the tacks are still in his back, he grabs a handful of tacks and puts them in Helms’ mouth and then superkicks him in the face! He picks up Helms, hits Graduation into the tacks, covers and gets the 3 count and the WIN.
Marty Scurll defeats Shane Helms by pinfall after Graduation into thumbtacks
JAY’S RATING: 3.75 out of 5
This was a thoroughly entertaining No DQ match, that had both Helms and Marty really making the stipulation matter through their weapons and antics. This felt like a nice closer to their story together, the right person won, and most notably in my opinion, Marty once again showed just how versatile a performer he is. He can go junior, he can go heavy, he can go strong style, he can go technical, he can go sprint, he can go submission, he can go power or impact, he can strike, he can grapple, and now he showed that he can be pretty great in the extreme realm. ROH, its time to fully bump Marty. Give him some gold again, stat.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Brandi Rhodes returns
Brandi goes over breaking her clavicle while in Japan and finishing the match. We see the X-Ray, which is pretty badass. She discusses the thought of this being an omen, or if she wanted to get back in the ring and show that this cant slow her down, and thats what she’s doing. We see the X-ray of the metal plate that now is on her clavicle. This was actually a really nice package, Brandi is starting to thrive in her role, and this felt like ROH embracing the “reality” moment or whatever that is part of the current wrestling movement. Brandi felt very genuine here. Nice work.
Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match
SO-CAL UNCENSORED (Kaz & Scorpio Sky) vs THE YOUNG BUCKS vs THE BRISCOES (c)
Nick Jackson and Sky start us off, as the Briscoes pace at ringside. The action starts fast, Sky hitting a running rana on Nick, Nick gets wrist control on Sky, the action keeps moving fast until Sky decides to fly over the top rope to take out both of the Briscoes at ringside! Kaz in, then goes up and over into the rana on the floor on Mark. Sky tosses Jay in as the Bucks and Sky team up, Jay tries to evade but gets kicked in the head by the Bucks and double teamed by SCU.
Mark and Sky are now legal until Kaz tags in and SCU hits a double team tornado DDT on Mark, cover by Kaz but only 2. Kaz stays on Mark, whips him but Jay tags himself in and takes out Kaz with a high impact running lariat. Jay Euro’s Jay out of the ring, where Mark sends him into the barricade, then slams his head into the metal before holding him for a big boot from Jay.
Jay rolls Kaz back in and locks in a camel clutch. Quick tag to Mark and a double team on Kaz in the corner, chop and shot from Mark followed by a nice vertical suplex. Mark messes with Kaz who comes back swinging, gets behind Mark for the backstabber and looks for the tag from Sky until Jay kicks him off the apron and we go to BREAK.
We’re back as Mark and Kaz are going at it, with Kaz getting a German into the corner. Mark gets the tag to Jay, Sky is still down but Kaz tags Matt instead who comes in hot! Lariats on both Briscoes, gets both Briscoes off their feet, gets a tornado stunner on Mark at ringside and a sharpshooter on Jay in the middle of the ring! “Tap” chants, but Sky breaks it up. Sky takes it to Matt but Nick pops him up into a spear from Matt. Matt then gets Jay in a slingshot into Nick’s superkick, but holds on with Jay draped over the knees so Nick can hit a springboard double stomp. Cover, but Jay out at 2 as the crowd chants for “Young Bucks”.
Jay tries to fihght back and crotches Matt on the top rope, Mark back in and they look for Redneck Boogie but its broken up and Sky gets a rana out of the corner on Mark. Mark stumbles into the SCU corner, allowing Kaz to tag himself in and rush the corner where Matt is still seated. Matt gets a sunset flip on Kaz and looks for the sharpshooter, cradle rollup by Kaz but only 2. Sky stuns Matt with a knee shot, sits Matt on Kaz’s shoulders powerbomb style and then hits a leaping dropkick (THAT HEIGHT THOUGH) on Matt into the sitout bomb! Cover, but Nick in to break it up. SKY IS TALENT.
Kaz takes out Nick, gets the slingshot cutter on Matt and Sky gets a over the top flip cutter on Mark, and SCU gets Mark and Matt in dual dragon sleepers. Jay and Nick in with superkicks to break it up. Nick superkicks Jay’s head off and fires up the crowd, and gets the tag from Matt. Nick gets the hot tag sequence except that he misses Kaz and instead hits the ref with a knee in the corner. Mark throws the chair at Nick to take him out, chair shot on Matt, and Jay in with a chair of his own.
Jay tells Mark he’s gonna get a table, goes to get one but Kaz gets Mark from behind, sets up a chair on the ground and looks for a suplex. Jay back in and hits a Jay Driller (sort of) on the chair, covers, the ref counts slow which allows Matt to break it up at 2. Matt gets dumped, the ref is still coming to and Mark sets up a chair in the ring. Matt back in with shots to the Briscoes, gets super fired up and takes out Mark with a spear before Jay picks him up and drops him back first on the set up chair!
The Briscoes look to finish off Kaz with the Doomsday Device, but Nick breaks it up, Sky tosses a title belt to Kaz who hits Jay in the head with hit to stun him, but Kaz stays seated on his shoulders and waits for Mark. Mark leaps, but Kaz catches him in a powerslam off of Jay’s shoulders! Cover, but somehow Mark kicks out at 2! Mark and Kaz trade shots until Jay gets a chair shot, but then accidentally hits Mark with the next one! Cutter from Sky to Jay on the apron, Sky then sets up Mark for a Rock Bottom which Kaz combines with a backstabber, cover and a 3 count, a WIN and NEW ROH Tag Team Champions!
So-Cal Uncensored defeats The Briscoes and The Young Bucks by pinfall to win the ROH Tag Team Championships after a Rock Bottom/Backstabber combo
JAY’S RATING: 4 out of 5
This was a strong main event title match to close out the show, and the title change keeps SCU under contract at ROH for a bit longer while adding some drama with Daniel’s contract situation still in question. All three teams showed why they are some of the best in the world right now, keeping the action tight and fast and forward-moving, and a nice bit of comeuppance storytelling with the Briscoes use of chairs not allowing them to escape with the straps this time. I still may not fully get SCU’s gimmick, but they are just so freaking good it really doesnt matter. Well done all around.
After the match, Daniels is out to celebrate while sporting a neck brace, as Ian and Colt play us out.
JAY’S THOUGHTS:
This was a really strong episode of TV, with stronger non-match content than I feel like I’ve been seeing lately and two very entertaining matches. Time to move Marty on to the next big thing, which I hope is indeed reasonably big as he continues to show the sheer variety of ways that he is able to carry a company if trusted to do so. Dude’s pretty brilliant. Castle and Taven had a great sparring match, if the beatdown was a bit generic. And the tag title match delivered great action (surprising no one) and adds some change and drama to the waters in some exciting ways. This feels like something along the lines of what I want the ROH minimum standard to be moving forward, because this was solid as hell.