Ring of Honor TV Report
Episode #399 (!!!)
Aired on Fite 5/13/19
Stage AE, Pittsburgh PA
Ian Riccobani & Caprice Coleman on commentary.
Triple Threat Tag Team Match
SHINOBI SHADOW SQUAD vs COAST 2 COAST vs THE BOUNCERS
C2C turns down the Code of Honor. We get “Beer” chants to start as we get the bell. LSG and Nova start off with speed and mat work, the pace stays quick, Nova snags an armdrag and evades a backdrop and hits a nice neckbreaker. Tag to Burger and they get a double team into a wishbone split and double kicks. Ali in and misses 3S but takes out the Bouncers, but 3S stay on top until The Bouncers come back in and sandwich 3S between them. Double corner splashes connect on both 3S and C2C. BCB “bites” C2C and 3S (because, well, HE AINT GOT NO TEETH!). C2C fires back to dump the Bouncers, 3S counters C2C and try dives on The Bouncers but get caught and C2C hit double baseball slides before Ali takes out everyone with a dive as we go to BREAK.
We’re back as Ali hits a tope atomico on Burger and gets 2 on Burger. Chants for Burger as LSG tags in and C2C keeps the pressure on. Nice butterfly suplex by LSG gets 2. LSG keeps Burger grounded, tag to Ali who keeps on Burger and covers for 2. Burger tries to get a tag and gets one to Milonas who boots Ali in the face and JUST SITS ON ALI WITH A LEGDROP and covers but its broken at 2. Samoan by BCB connects and Milonas lands the short back senton. Black Hole Slam by Milonas on Ali, cover but Nova breaks it at 2. BCB puts Nova outside, LSG tries to fight back and hits a spring elbow. C2C looks to get momentum but Ali cant lift Milonas and gets crushed, which allows BCB to throw LSG on top of Ali. LSG gets dumped, Nova tags himself in off of Ali and hits a tornado flatliner on BCB, goes right after Milonas and Burger comes to assist and hit double low superkicks. Burger takes out C2C with a dive but this leaves Nova alone with The Bouncers and the hit Last Call quickly and cover and thats the WIN for the Bouncers.
The Bouncers defeat 3S & C2C by pinfall via Last Call
JAY’S RATING: 2.75 out of 5
This was a fun opener for the episode, with The Bouncers picking up a nice win. You know, in many ways what they can do is limited, but they have gotten better and better and better at knowing how to mobilize what they can do really well, and thats the fucking work. Super impressed by them where they are right now, love the crowd love they are getting, and good angle progression with C2C’s heelishness starting to take over. Nice start.
After the match, C2C is pissed and start shoving around with 3S at ringside. C2C is ready for their heel turn and soon.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Flip Gordon, #1 Contender
We get a package hyping Gordon/Taven for the ROH title. Did its job.
RECAP: Bully Ray/Lifeblood; The Allure; Castle beats The Boys
We get a recap package of Bully taking out Tenille Dashwood and Haskins/Tracy Williams calling Bully out, with Bully quickly refusing. We also see footage of The Allure taking out Kelly Klein and Jenny Rose. Lastly, we see Dalton Castle solidify his heel turn by taking out The Boys again.
VIDEO PACKAGE: The G1 Honor Rumble
We get footage of Kenny King stealing the Rumble win from Jushin Liger and THE GREAT FUCKING MUTA. We also see King get a face full of red mist from Muta.
IN-RING SEGMENT: Kenny’s still blind!
Kenny King now comes out to the ring with sunglasses, a cane and some assistance, and grabs the mic. He says he should be happy right now but he’s not. He is the only guy in the business who says what he’s gonna do and then does it. He’s the first to win the Honor Rumble at #1, so everyone should now call him Kenny “Shawn Michaels” King. King does the HBK pose. Ha. King says we were treated to a magical moment at G1 with Liger/Muta, no one knew what was going to happen until King threw their old asses over the top and won. But they say never meet your heroes, because he extended his hand and got misted instead. The crowd cheers and laughs and King says its not funny. Now King needs surgery, and thats why he’s not wrestling tonight. But that brings him to Matt Taven. He says you dont know, but Taven is his homie. These are 2 kings who are friendly, and soon they will have to sit down to discuss the terms of Taven’s surrender. King now turns to Jay Lethal and says Lethal sucks. He runs down Lethal “cosplaying Randy Poffo”. Nice. So after his surgery, King is coming after Lethal and says when he’s back, he will make Lethal bend the knee. I like this – King is strong on the mic, this shtick is a little lame but at the same time it keeps him relevant to the title picture and in everyone’s mind, while Taven faces down a couple of challengers first.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Flip Gordon’s injury
We get a package recapping Flip blowing out his knee against Tracy Williams, with an interview with Flip talking through it step by step. He talks about his recovery and comeback. Gordon says he didnt think Taven was going to take the ROH title, but it doesnt matter, its his time now and he’s next in line. Decent package, Flip is confident in this forum.
FLEX SIMMONS vs JOSH WOODS
This is the first time we’ve seen Woods in a while, and at the time he wasnt really standing out in any kind of unique way, so lets see what he’s bringing that’s new. We get a Code of Honor and the bell. BIG spear by Woods right at the bell, followed by a pancake throw and a standing Exploder. Firemans carry into a slam (the Seismic Toss, essentially a standing Darkness Falls), and its over just that quickly.
Josh Woods defeats Flex Simmons by pinfall via the Seismic Toss
JAY’S RATING: NR
Big squash by Woods, who then leaves quickly after. Eh, nice fire, definitely is coming in with a spark, but need to see more…
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW: Josh Woods
Quinn McKay interviews Josh Woods backstage. Quinn mentions that its been a while since he’s been here, and asks what he’s been up to. Woods says its the same as always – he’s “Down To Fight”. Ok, that could end up being a good catchphrase and character POV for him… but still need to see more from him in the ring.
SHANE TAYLOR vs BANDIDO
This was filmed before Taylor became THE NEW ROH TV CHAMPION at War of the Worlds. I’m so thrilled for him and how he’s been delivering time after time lately. Nice chants for Bandido, who extends the hand, and Taylor spits at the handshake as we get the bell. Bandido goes at Taylor fast, hits a forearm but Taylor throttles him. Bandido escapes and keeps coming, landing a nice superkick. Bandido keeps using his speed to stay a step ahead of Taylor, and hits a basement dropkick that puts Taylor outside, following up with a nice suicide dive. GREAT Fosbury Flop wipes out Taylor at ringside. Back inside and Bandido looks to strike, but Taylor fires back. They trade, Bandido tries to hoist Taylor but cant quite, little bit of a sloppy exchange but Taylor snags a chokeslam and take control, and mocks the crowds love for Bandido. Knees by Taylor and a sharp forearm. That’s the Taylor I love. I honestly kind of want to see Taylor/Minoru Suzuki soon, just for the striking match. BIG biel out of the corner by Taylor as he keeps control of the pace. More chants for Bandido, but Taylor throws him by the hair. Corner clothesline by Taylor connects, and he keeps hold of Bandido’s wrist. Bandido looks to fire back but Taylor hits a nice left arm lariat and covers but only gets 2.
Big elbow flurry from Taylor and another cover for 2. Slaps by Taylor but Bandido counters and gets a kick out of the corner, and jumps off the middle rope but Taylor hits a KO punch and covers but only gets 2. Ian quotes LL Cool J and Caprice is here for it. Bandido looks to fight back again and tries to hoist but still cant get it, Taylor pushes him off and hits that sharp knee strike of his and covers but still only gets 2 as Taylor is pissed and we go to BREAK. We’re back as Taylor paintbrushes Bandido who gets fired up, they trade, Bandido with a knee but eats another lariat, but Bandido pops right back up (FIGHTING SPIRIT!), hits strikes and a superkick but Taylor plants him hard with a one-handed spinebuster and both are down. The ref counts and Taylor is up first, they trade again, Taylor hits a huge headbutt and an inverted ripcord into an End of Days, covers but still only 2 (#BetterThanCorbins). Bandido tries to come back from the apron but eats another stiff punch. Taylor gets the rope hung stunner, covers but STILL only 2. The crowd fires up for Bandido, Taylor keeps on him, Bandido tries another comeback and hits a big tornillo off the top, the is able to lift Taylor into a variation of the West Knee, lines up the 21-Plex and GETS IT BEAUTIFULLY, covers and thats the WIN for Bandido!
Bandido defeats Shane Taylor by pinfall via the 21-Plex
JAY’S RATING: 3.5 out of 5
Ok. So this was a VERY good match between two of ROH’s strongest talents right now. My only gripe is that Taylor just won the ROH TV Title on the War of the Worlds tour, and now ROH chooses to air a match where Taylor dominates most of the match only to lose? Eh. I question that storytelling immensely. But Taylor still came off looking strong, the post-match angle helped, and Bandido is a fucking rockstar so I cant complain too much. Good work by all.
After the match Bully Ray hits the ring and tries to take out Bandido, but Haskins and Williams are out and its now 3 on 1 as Taylor is still out. Suddenly the Soldiers of Savagery hit the ring (a new team that just signed with ROH), and they attack Lifeblood. They hit some decent spots on Lifeblood and just clean the ring. They hit Guerrilla Warfare on Williams, and both Bully and Taylor seem to not know why they are here. Its like a mix of Forgotten Sons and Guerrillas of Destiny with a touch of AOP… so I dont know yet. We shall see.
JAY’S THOUGHTS:
A solid episode of TV overall with a debut and some angles advancing, plus a strong main event. Next week is the 400TH EPISODE OF RING OF HONOR TV, and its going to feature the 6-Man Tag Team Titles getting defended, as well as Taven vs Flip Gordon for the ROH Title. Looking forward to this one.