Ring of Honor TV
Episode #389
Aired on Fite 3/4/19
RP Funding Center, Lakeland FL
PROMO VIDEO: TV Title Match
We open to a short and sweet video package hyping Jeff Cobb and Silas Young for the ROH TV Title. Well edited if a bit bland. This should be a pretty good title match though.
Ian Riccobani & Colt Cabana on commentary.
Ring of Honor World Television Championship
SILAS YOUNG vs JEFF COBB (c)
Silas talks shit to start as we get the bell. Lockup puts Silas into a corner for the break. Cobb gets hold of Silas and takes it to the mat, Silas has to crawl to the ropes to break. Cobb grounds Silas again. Silas bails to ringside for a breather as we go to BREAK. We’re back as Cobb and Silas shake hands before Silas take s cheap shot to the throat to take control. Cobb drops Silas to regain control, whips Silas to the ropes and hits a great dropkick followed by a standing moonsault to perfection, covers but Silas kicks out at 2.
Cobb looks for the finish but Silas holds onto the ropes, takes out Cobb’s knee and then Stun Gun’s Cobb on the top rope before taking it to ringside. Silas sends Cobb into the barricade, a chair and the ringpost beefore tossing him back in. Over the top stomp by Silas as he takes control of Cobb, Cobb fires back but misses another dropkick. Camel clutch chinlock with a fishhook by Silas, Cobb tries to fire back but Silas has him winded, gets Cobb to the apron and drops him with the springboard lariat. Silas intimidates Cobb in the corner and has him winded with shoulder blocks, keeping the pressure on as we go to BREAK.
We’re back as Silas has Cobb in a body scissors and chinlock, Cobb powers back up and evades Silas in the corner but Silas gets a rolling DVD and a double stomp to a seated Cobb, covers but Cobb is out at 2. Cobb fights back, shots traded, Silas gets put in the corner where Cobb hits the flying uppercut, then hoists Silas into the stalling vertical but Silas drops behind and gets the backbreaker/lariat combo for 2. Full nelson by Silas as Cobb favors the ribs, Cobb counters but Silas hits a hard knee strike and Anarchist Suplex for another 2 count.
Silas talks shit to Cobb who fires up and drives Silas across the ring into the corner, where he lays in shoulder blocks and tosses Silas with a belly to belly overhead release suplex. Cobb is countered by Silas but Cobb catches him in a sidewinder suplex anyway. Tour of the Islands is blocked by Silas but Cobb follows with a series of German suplexes, then pushes Silas into the ropes and catches him coming back with Tour of the Islands, covers and thats the 3 count and the WIN.
Jeff Cobb defeats Silas Young by pinfall after Tour of the Islands to retain the ROH World TV Title
JAY’S RATING: 2.8 out of 5
The finish held this one back big time for me, simply in that there was really no competitive build to the final moment, which is what I would expect from Silas Young who can deliver in big title match situations far more than I saw here. Maybe it was the time they were given, but I do feel like it just could have been used better. Maybe more of a sprint? At least at the end? The Germans, while impressive, honestly killed the momentum for me, and kept it from ever reaching a gear where I really believed Silas had a chance of taking the title. And Cobb is AMAZING and all, but Silas has the experience and the goods, so it just didnt make sense to me to see him fall like this. But, the ring work was still solid and dropped in, and both show that they are indeed great workers – I just wish this (TV Title) match actually demonstrated it more, and what I think they could actually be capable of together.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Tag Wars
We see footage of the Tag Wars Finals with Villain Enterprises earning a shot at the ROH Tag Titles, which will take place at 17th Anniversary, along with the brawls that have already broken out between champs The Briscoes and VE. A nice little recap package.
BACKSTAGE: Matt Taven
Taven is backstage with his… now destroyed?… REAL ROH World Championship, and makes an open challenge for his title. He’s gonna show everyone why he’s the REAL World Champion, because HEEEEE’S MATT TAVEN. I like Taven promos in general.
VIDEO PACKAGE: More for 17th Anniversary
We see footage of Shane Taylor taking out Jeff Cobb with Greetings from 216. We now officially have an ROH TV Title match between the two for 17th Anniversary. We also see footage of Mayu Iwatani winning the WOH World Title, and will see the rematch at 17th Anniversary as well. I am liking how this card is shaping up overall.
VINNY MARSEGLIA vs RUSH
Vinny is out with his own personalized theme music while keeping the Kingdom imagery (with some custom tron work), and I dig it. It still feels of the same language as the overall Kingdom theme, while fitting Vinny’s specific vibe. We see The Kingdom taking out Rush, which set up this match. We get the bell and they start brawling hard and fast. Vinny hits a pump kick but Rush answers with a pump knee strike, they run the ropes and both get shots in the corner before Vinny gets the tilt-a-whirl into a Russian Legsweep to take control. Vinny beats down Rush who goes outside, but Vinny keeps the pressure on at ringside as we go to BREAK.
We’re back and Vinny continues the assault at ringside, sending Rush into the barricades. Vinny exposes the arena floor and looks for offense but Rush counters before eating a knee strike from Vinny, who rolls Rush back inside. The beat down continues from Vinny, who covers for a 2 count. Suplex by Vinny connects, cover but only a 1 count that time. Vinny mocks the “tranquilo” pose and talks shit to the crowd but Rush fires back with a forearm, puts Vinny outside and sends him into the barricade and timekeepers table, then grabs a chair. Ref Paul Turner warns Rush, who drops the chair and kicks at Vinny.
Rush continues to punish Vinny at ringside and almost uses a chair again, Turner grabs it which causes Rush to get in the refs face. The action goes back inside as Rush and Vinny trade shots in the corner until Rush gets Vinny seated and hits the Tranquilo boot and pose. Rush chants. Sharp vertical suplex by Rush and a cover but Vinny is out at 2. Rollup by Vinny for a 2 as well but Rush follows with a German suplex, Vinny with a belly to back into a side effect and both are back up. Butterfly backbreaker from Vinny connects well, covers but Rush is out at 2. “Toro Blanco” chants for Rush. Rush hits a boot to Vinny and then suplexes him into the corner, then crushes him and sits him down befeore hitting the running corner dropkick (“La Lanza”), cover by Rush and thats the 3 count and the WIN.
Rush defeats Vinny Marseglia by pinfall after La Lanza
JAY’S RATING: 3 out of 5
This was a good match as Vinny continues to grow more and more as a performer and Rush continues to deliver the goods both in ring work and in charisma. This was a fairly straightforward outing in many ways, but they hit their spots well, played the arc of the match and the right person won in the end. I do wish they could package Rush a bit better, as he is probably the most generic rising talent on the roster right now (what is that tron?), but you cant beat audience connection, and Rush has that naturally.
VIDEO PACKAGE: King/Scurll at 17th Anniversary
We see footage of Kenny King cheating himself a win at Bound By Honor in the 4-Way Match, further rising him up the ladder of contenders. As a result, we now have Kenny King vs Marty Scurll at 17th Anniversary. That should be SUPER fun!
Open Challenge
The REAL Ring of Honor World Championship
MATT TAVEN vs ???
Taven takes the mic and says there is someone in ROH who thinks he’s Matt Taven. He’s running around claiming to be World Champion. But there is only one champ in the building and you’re looking at him. Taven says Lethal looks foolish, but his real beef is with ROH putting him on a pedestal, giving him praise for “cosplaying ME!” (that’s awesome). Taven says he will defend his title right here and right now to anyone in the back EXCEPT for Jay Lethal, because he doesnt deserve a shot. Taven says he makes the rules around here because HEEEEEE’S MATT TAVEN. He drops the mic, and the music hits, and we get… JONATHAN GRESHAM!
Open Challenge
The REAL Ring of Honor World Championship
JONATHAN GRESHAM vs MATT TAVEN (c)
Ref Todd Sinclair boots The Kingdom from ringside, as part of the story of the refs asserting the ROH rulebook more aggressively. Taven jumps Gresham at the start of the match, and beats Gresham down, choking him and making use the of the ref’s 5 count. Gresham looks to fight back and uses his incredible mat work to stay ahead of Taven, and then is able to lock in the Octopus! Right as it gets locked in, The Kingdom runs down and Sinclair calls for the DQ as The Kingdom collectively beats down Gresham.
Jonathan Gresham defeats Matt Taven by DQ after The Kingdom interferes
JAY’S RATING: Not Rated
Jay Lethal runs down and starts cleaning house of TK and Vinny before he and Taven start slugging it out. The numbers game gets the better of Jay who gets beaten down next. Taven heads under the ring and pulls out a table, but dont set it up – they just lay Jay on top of it. LIFEBLOOD now runs down and clears the ring. “Juice” chants. The Kingdom starts to bail as they talk shit back at the ring. Suddenly, Mark Haskins has found the REAL ROH belt, which Taven seems to have forgotten about. Lifeblood keeps The Kingdom at bay as Haskins gives the belt to Jay. Tenille Dashwood takes the mic and runs down the REAL ROH belt, and calls for destroying it. Dashwood hands Jay TK’s bat, and Jay starts WAILING on the purple belt, which is getting dented to hell. Dashwood now picks up Vinny’s hatchet, gives it to Jay and he chops through the plates and rips them off. Taven rages from the entrance ramp as the utterly demolished belt takes us out. That was a well done ending and a nice way of continuing our built to Lethal/Taven at 17th Anniversary.
JAY’S THOUGHTS:
A solid episode of TV despite the ROH Timeline Crisis (didnt someone already reference the destruction of Taven’s belt on an ROH program prior to this episode airing?). The TV match was arguably the most disappointing aspect, which is a shame because Cobb and Silas are genuinely two of the company’s best. They just didnt have the time, and the match ending didnt make a whole ton of sense to me (Cobb is due for more real competition over the belt already). We got to see more of Rush which is fun, and Vinny is more and more one to watch for me. And the closing segment played well, as the destruction of Taven’s belt is SUCH a viscerally satisfying and cathartic moment for this storyline, and one that has been well-earned. I could have seen them saving it for the PPV, but honestly this choice is MUCH stronger to me as it has me wondering even more who will walk away from 17th Anniversary with that belt. And honestly, a Taven reign to officially begin his Kingdom, and to be crowned at the Anniversary show of the company? That could be a great story. Although Lethal retaining and moving on to his next slew of challengers would be fine as well, as the roster continues to evolve. So yeah, way to stick the landing. Taven and Lethal is by far the story that has me paying the most attention right now, and it is largely due to the sheer talent of those two individuals. Looking forward to their showdown.