Ring of Honor TV
Episode #390
Aired on Fite 3/11/19
RP Funding Center, Lakeland FL
VIDEO PACKAGE: The Purple Belt Destroyed
We open to a recap of what went down with Jay Lethal destorying Matt Taven’s REAL ROH Title belt. Decent package.
Ian Riccobani and Colt Cabana on commentary.
THE KINGDOM (TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia)
vs
VILLAIN ENTERPRISES (Marty Scurll & PCO)
The Kingdom jumps VE before the bell as Marty gets dumped, but PCO is able to run through both TK and Vinny, allowing Marty to come back with a pair of apron superkicks then skins the cat back inside to a pose and a pop. Marty puts Vinny back inside, PCO in and they get the double team. Marty with the arm, Vinny escapes and tags in TK but Marty kicks TK in the gut and stomps the elbow. Magistral by Marty gets 2, Marty with another rollup for 2, looks for a sunset flip but Vinny pulls Marty out and throws him into the barricade, tosses him back in and TK gets a choke with the ref’s back turned.
Tag to Vinny. Double team by The Kingdom and a double flapjack plants Marty, followed by a senton/leg drop combo and a cover for 2 as we go to BREAK. We’re back and TK has Marty grounded, gouging the eye as we see a replay of Vinny working over the eye during the break. Tag to Vinny, Marty dumps TK and evades Vinny off the ropes and looks to tag in PCO. Marty cant find PCO though because he’s blinded from the eye work until he finally finds PCO, who comes in hot. Backdrop to Vinny, a TK clothesline does nothing and PCO drops TK and Vinny with a lariat. PCO with a belly to back bomb and pop-up powerbomb on TK, and a swinging Emerald Flowsion to Vinny with a cover but TK breaks it up at 2.
Marty in, The Kingdom get a double team on Marty but he is able to dump both of them and set up PCO, throwing him overhead and over the top onto Vinny and TK on the floor. PCO chants. Vinny tossed back in and Marty sits him up top and hits a superplex, PCO follows with a frog splash off the top and a cover but Vinny is out at 2. Suplex is countered and TK tags in, Marty gets a backslide into a kneeling enziguri and calls for the Chickenwing, TK hits a pele enziguri and tags Vinny in who drops PCO and hits a tilt a whirl Russian Legsweep, covers but PCO breaks it at 2.
Vinny is on the apron, PCO joins and hoists him, Vinny out of it and hits a knee strike and looks for a piledriver on the apron but Marty interrupts. Vinny is able to get a dive on PCO at ringside, Marty turns around into a spinebuster from TK and Redrum (a swanton) from Vinny, cover but Marty is out at 2 as we go to BREAK. We’re back and Vinny puts PCO on a table at ringside and climbs to the top, and HITS REDRUM ON PCO THROUGH THE TABLE! ROH chants. BUT PCO IS RiGHT BACK UP! HE’S NOT HUMAN!
Vinny jumps PCO from behind but Marty assists and holds Vinny in place as PCO climbs, TK cuts it off and climbs with PCO and HIP TOSSES HIM OFF THE TOP ONTO A CHAIR ON THE APRON! HOLY SHIT! Side effect from Vinny, moonsault from Vinny and a cover but only 2 on Marty! House of a Thousand Horses is blocked, TK is dumped outside and PCO puts him down, VE gets a Quebecer Combo (Boston Crab with a middle rope leg drop) and PCO wipes out TK at ringside with a suicide dive. Vinny is put face first into the corner, Marty looks for Chickenwing but Vinny gets a rollup for 2, Marty counters a legsweep into the Chickenwing Crossface and Vinny has no choice but to TAP!
Villain Enterprises defeats The Kingdom by submission after a Chickenwing Crossface
JAY’S RATING: 3.5 out of 5
That was a thoroughly entertaining match by two of my favorite teams/stables in ROH currently. Everyone had a chance to look good, and PCO is simply unstoppable. The crowd cant get enough of him. Will it begin to overshadow Marty, I wonder? And are there story opportunities within that? Hmmm…
BACKSTAGE VIDEO: Rush
We get a backstage promo from Rush about 17th Anniversary in Spanish. He gets interrupted by Bandido who challenges him in Spanish. Bandido extends the hand, Rush accepts but does not shake, and calls Bandido “perro” before leaving. I LOVE that they didnt subtitle this. We got the message.
HOLIDEAD vs MAYU IWATANI
God I love the Twisted Sisterz who shtick, the packaging of it, the music, the walk, all of it. We get a recap video of Mayu Iwatani hitting 2 moonsaults en route to winning the WOH World Title from Kelly Klein, with some hype for the rematch at 17th Anniversary. Mayu extends the hand, Holidead refuses and we get the bell. Holidead uses the power advantage early. Mayu fights back and hits a flying elbow into a cover for 2. Holidead with a hard shot, lariat and boot misses and Mayu hits a dropkick that sits Holidead against the bottom rope, Mayu follows with a hesitation dropkick and Holidead heads outside.
Mayu climbs but Holidead cuts her off and looks for a suplex to the floor, Mayu fights out and hits a sharp kick to the head of Holidead, tries to follow up but Holidead hits a stunner over the middle rope and a legdrop on the apron as we go to BREAK. We’re back and Sumie Sakai has joined at ringside. Mayu fires back at Holidead but gets caught and driven into the corners, Mayu fights back and gets a rollup that rolls through into a kick to the head. Cover, but only 2. Mayu gets caught into a spinebuster by Holidead, cover but only 2. Holidead looks for a Go Home Driver but Mayu turns it into a Crucifix Bomb and a cover but Holidead is out at 2.
Dragon Suplex is blocked by Holidead who turns Mayu inside out with a short arm lariat and covers for 2 before showing some frustration. Mayu is looking limp as Holidead looks to pick her up, finally gets an underhook but Mayu escapes and hits a superkick, a GREAT release German Suplex and a buzzsaw kick to the head. Holidead is lined up, Mayu climbs, hits the moonsault and covers for the 3 count and the WIN.
Mayu Iwatani defeats Holidead by pinfall after a moonsault
JAY’S RATING: 2.75 out of 5
This was an enjoyable match, a couple of near-missed communications but nothing too egregious, with both talents showing some strong stuff throughout. Mayu is a fun and high-energy babyface, which I hope they take further advantage of. And anything with Holidead and/or Thunder Rosa I am down for. The match was short and sweet and as much about the angle that followed as anything…
After the match, Kelly Klein hits the ring and take the WOH Title from Mayu, and Camp Klein protects her. Mayu takes out one member of Camp Klein as the others bail. Kelly raises the title in Mayu’s face as Mayu grabs it and tears it back. Decent angle, no promo needed and I think that was one of its best features. It made me care more that way, honestly.
RECAP/HYPE: Villain Enterprises & The Briscoes
We get footage of the current chaos between the Briscoes and Villain Enterprises, all leading to their No DQ match for the ROH World Tag Team Championships. Well produced.
KENNY KING vs DALTON CASTLE w/ The Boys
Chants for Castle. Some chants for King as well. Code of Honor refused by King and we get the bell. They look to grapple to start, and commentary talks about how Castle psyched out after losing the ROH Title. Castle is able to take King down to the mat with amateur throws, and works over the midsection. Gutwrench by Castle is reversed but Castle peacocks up, eats an elbow from King but dumps King to ringside and does the tease and the strut to a pop. King tells of Castle as we go to BREAK. We’re back and King has Castle grounded with a chinlock. We see a replay of King using the ref to distract Castle, crotch him up top and dump him to ringside to take advantage.
Headbutts by King. Castle gets a nice sequence with a short lariat a knee and a short DDT to change the momentum. King fires back with jabs, they evade each others shots until Castle finally connects with a clothesline. Backdrop suplex by Castle, T-Bone to follow, running corner knee and an inverted Sling Blade bulldog, covers but only 2. Gutwrench Bomb connects by Castle for 2 and King rolls to the outside. Castle looks to dive so King grabs one of the Boys and just chucks him inside to interrupt Castle’s momentum, and this allows King to get back in the ring and hit Castle with the Royal Flush. Cover by King and thats the 3 count and the WIN.
Kenny King defeats Dalton Castle by pinfall after The Royal Flush
JAY’S RATING: 2.5 out of 5
This was a good match, with King stealing another victory and continuing his rise among the ranks. This was also to set up King’s upcoming match at 17th Anniversary with Marty Scurll, so the momentum both have now going in from this episode is great. I also love that the Boys were once again an element in Castle losing, and while there was no particular angle on that here, its something that has been seeded a couple times already so I cant help but read into that choice, and I’m interested (and happy that they are slow-playing it, if that is indeed what they are doing). Both of these guys are so solid, so it made for an engaging little match.
After the match, King grabs a mic and runs down Castle and then runs down Marty Scurll. He says in Vegas, his hometown, its happening one last time. Nice little promo, short sweet and well executed.
BACKSTAGE VIDEO: Matt Taven
Matt Taven is sitting on the stairs with his destroyed REAL ROH World Title belt. Taven says that for 9 months he didnt utter Lethal’s name, but now he’s broken his title and he’s going to make Lethal pay. He’s going to show Lethal why HEEEEE’S MATT TAVEN. Short sweet and to the point.
VIDEO PACKAGE: 17th Anniversary Rundown
Ian runs down a pretty stacked 17th Anniversary Card, and we get hype from The Briscoes, Kelly Klein, Marty Scurll… and all of the sudden MATT TAVEN IS ON THE MIC.
IN-RING SEGMENT: Matt Taven is Angry
Taven has hit the ring and calls Lethal a coward. He says there is no Kingdom out here with him, he’s out here by himself and they dont have to wait for 17th Anniversary. He calls out Lethal. Lethal appears on the stage looking sharp, slowly makes his way down and unbuttons his vest and gets in the ring as Taven backs off and The Kingdom jumps Lethal from behind. They tear his clothes off him, looking to humiliate Lethal before their match. Taven slaps and spits at Lethal, tears open his shirt and lays in chops. Lethal breaks free and takes down Taven and beats him down, and Lethal fights the entire Kingdom off as long as he can until the numbers become too much, and he gets planted with House of a Thousand Horses.
Taven sends the others outside and they get a table as Taven slaps the hell out of Lethal and beats him down. Finally Jonathan Gresham hits the ring and tries to even the odds, taking on everyone and getting caught in House of a Thousand Horses himself before getting thrown into the ringpost. The Kingdom sets up the table and sets Lethal on it, Taven climbs and hits a flying elbow drop driving Lethal through the table. Taven stands tall with his Kingdom and informs the crowd that HEEEEEEE’S MATT TAVEN as Ian takes us out, and we look toward 17th Anniversary in Las Vegas. This was a FANTASTIC and well executed segment to take us home with the episode and further fan the flames of one of the more exciting ROH Title matches we’ve had in a while in terms of all of the elements – a long-simmering feud, an outstanding recent build and someone who is a legitimate threat to the title as he is ready to sit in that seat if ROH is. Taven standing tall is also a great choice, because if Lethal prevails it plays that story well (its one we’ve seen before but this one has just been well told up til now), and if he takes it it just builds upon that image, so its a storytelling win-win now. Well done by all.
JAY’S THOUGHTS:
This was a GREAT go-home show episode of TV leading up to ROH’s Anniversary show, which is a top to bottom stacked card that I cant wait for. I’ve had issues with some of ROH’s go-home execution in the past, but this is everything it should be. If I was new to ROH and tuned in to this as my first episode, I feel like I have a sense of stuff going on, a good lay of the championship landscape with some genuinely interesting stories and matchups coming up next, some legit hype and a main event that just has the energy behind it of a true Main Event… Yeah, this was an episode of TV that would get me excited about this company. And it certainly has me excited about 17th Anniversary. Stay tuned for my report on that. I am rooting for them to achieve the potential of that card.