Ring of Honor TV
Episode #372
Aired 11/5/18
The 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Ian Riccobani, Colt Cabana and Caprice Coleman on commentary.
VIDEO PACKAGE: Flip vs Bully
We start with a video package of Flip taking out Shane Taylor with a chair and calling out Bully Ray. Bully Ray makes the challenge of Flip’s best guy vs Bully’s next guy: Silas Young. The winning “captain” gets to do whatever they want to the other. A nice package actually, with much more effort and intention put into it than the small interview videos and backstage pieces. Nice.
Pick Your Punishment Match
SILAS YOUNG (w/ Bully Ray) vs ??? (w/ Flip Gordon)
Bully Ray takes the mic and explains the “rules” of the match, and then introduces Silas Young.
Flip then enters, and Colt teases being the pick and makes his way down to the ring with Flip. “Colt Cabana” chants. Bully on the mic, runs down Colt Cabana and Flip. Colt then grabs the mic and says, actually, I just wanted to see your face when you saw who it was. He then introduces Flip’s pick: THE SANDMAN! The Sandman makes his way through the crowd and the crowd is going wild! And that takes us to BREAK.
We’re back to “EC-Dub” chants and huge energy from the crowd as Sandman opens at the bell with a kendo stick shot to Silas. And another. Covers, but Silas out at 2. Sandman beats Silas down with the Singapore cane. “This is Awesome” chants. Sandman sends Silas outside, and has been doing this all one handed up to this point until Sandman finally drops the cane and follows Silas outside.
Sandman takes the fight to Silas at ringside. He plays the hits a bit, but the crowd is EATING IT UP. Doing this in Philly was the right idea. Sandman pulls out a ladder and just throws it over his shoulder onto Silas. “You still got it” chants. Sandman rolls Silas back inside and covers, but Silas out at 2. Sandman puts the ladder in the corner but Silas reverses the whip and flips Sandman back-first into the ladder.
Silas picks up the ladder and shoves it right into Sandman’s gut. “Sandman” chants as Silas jaws at the crowd. Silas stays on Sandman, but Sandman fights back before getting cut off again. Silas goes outside and under the ring, and pulls out a table. Sandman puts the ladder back in the corner and fights of Silas, and then props the table in the corner opposite the ladder. Sandman doesn Silas and then puts the ladder on top of his body, and hits the Rolling Rock senton! Great pop. Cover, but Silas is out at 2! “That was 3” chants.
Sandman misses a cane shot which allows Silas to pick Sandman up and hit Misery, covers and gets the 3 count and the WIN.
Silas Young defeats The Sandman by pinfall after Misery, giving Bully Ray the right to choose Flip Gordon’s punishment
JAY’S RATING: 2.25 out of 5
As soon as Sandman came out, you knew exactly what this was going to be and thats exactly what it was. And as such, it was pretty predictable from top to bottom, though the hot Philly crowd soaking in The Sandman helped matters GREATLY. Sandman is definitely showing his age, though his pace was still pretty quick and the rolling senton spot looked great! Kudos to him for delivering an entertaining as hell outing. Young looked fine, but this was a match who’s sole purpose was to set up the post-match and keep this Bully/Flip thing going, sooooo yeah. It was fine.
We get a BREAK before we get the punishment.
We’re back to an edited package of footage of the punishment, which Bully sets as 10 Singapore cane shots using Sandman’s cane. We get a message that says that given the violence, the segment has been edited and the full punishment will not be shown. Sandman is still at ringside watching and supporting Flip, along with Colt, Cheeseburger and Jonathan Gresham, all people who have had issues with Bully Ray. Flip at one point gets in Bully’s face, but then sets himself to accept another one.
Bully gets the mic and says he will stop right now if Flip just says “I Quit”. “No” chants from the crowd. Flip says “Never”. And Bully lays in another shot, and we hear that he has 3 left. SCU joins ringside. Everyone is here for Flip and Flip spits in Bully’s face before snapping off a HARD shot. With that, The Elite of Cody, Brandi and the Young Bucks come out and Cody gets in the ring and takes his jacket off. Cody then talks to Flip. “Flip” chants. Cody tells him to take it and Cody fires up the crowd behind Flip. Flip presents the back, Bully says this one’s for Brandi and hits another one.
Bully screams “Just say I Quit”, and Flip takes the mic and says “F*** YOU!” Bully lines up the final shot, but then drops down and hits a low blow and scurries out of the ring. He and Silas each have canes as the performers at ringside move in toward Bully and Silas who head up the ramp protecting themselves with the canes, as we go to BREAK. This ended up being a strong post-match for the feud in and of itself, and it was a FANTASTIC spot for Flip showing the ferocity and determination. My only question is still, how much more are they gonna try to shove at this feud? Lets have the proper match already and MOVE EVERYONE ONE. But, this was very well executed.
We see Kenny King lacing up for his match against Cody tonight, Mandy Leon is on commentary and we head to…
KAREN Q, DR. BRITT BAKER & KELLY KLEIN
vs
JENNY ROSE, MADISON RAYNE & SUMIE SAKAI
We hear from commentary that Baker is not thrilled to be partnered with the heels Q and Klein. Klein and Rose get in each others face at the start, as they are carrying over issues from earlier that were furthered during their time in Japan.
Sumie and Baker start us off and we get a Code between them before the bell. They lockup, Sumie gets Mongolian chops on Baker, Baker picks up the pace and hits a nice rolling elbow on Sumie and a shining wizard in the corner. Baker follows up with a roll-through into a great Rings of Saturn variation, but Sumie shifts weight into a pin for 2. Sumie with a running knee to follow, another cover but Baker out at 2. Baker ducks Sumie’s clothesline and nails a Sling Blade, covers but only 2.
Baker runs the ropes but Karen Q tags herself in. Karen comes in but Sumie trips her up and gets the tag to Rose, who gets Q in a headlock. Rose tackles Q down and works over the arm. Rose tags in Rayne, who stays on Q’s arm. Bridging cover by Rayne for 2, another rollup for 2 before Q kicks Rayne and looks for a suplex. Rayne reverses into a bridging Northern Lights suplex, but Klein breaks it up and a brawl breaks out as we go to BREAK.
We’re back and Sumie is in with Q, who works over Sumie. “Sumie” chants. Q whips Sumie but Sumie hits a nice flying headscissors and tags Rayne in. Q tags Klein. Rayne takes out Klein’s knee and hits a running dropkick. Strikes and a rolling elbow on Klein, and Rayne follows with a crucifix driver on Q. Sumie takes Q down on the outside as Rayne calls Klein in. Klein runs at Rayne who ducks and Klein knocks Baker off the apron, enziguri from Rayne on Klein and Rayne hits Chance of Rayne!
Rayne tags in Rose who spears down Klein and lays in shots. Klein takes control back but ends up eating a codebreaker from Rose, who follows with an abdominal stretch. Klein looks to tag Baker, but Baker makes it clear that she’s not going to fight for the tag with Klein. Klein is able to dump Rose, and then yells in the face of Baker to tag her when she tells her to. Klein turns around into a Northern Lights throw by Rose, Rose snags the legs and sits down deep for the cover, the 3 count and the WIN!
Jenny Rose, Sumie Sakai & Madison Rayne defeat Kelly Klein, Karen Q & Dr. Britt Baker by pinfall after a Northern Lights and rollup
JAY’S RATING: 2.5 out of 5
Solid match by all, Klein was looking a little clunky at moments coming back from her time in Japan but she’s also so clearly a threat in that ring that it didnt take too much away for me. Crowd was firmly behind Sumie, Rayne is looking great and Baker is so dropped in as a performer. I still dont really get much from Jenny Rose – maybe this feud with Klein will help? But for me at the moment, Rose was the focus of the match in spite of being the least interesting part of the match in terms of in-ring energy and persona.
Which takes us to…
BACKSTAGE: The Kingdom Speaks
The Kingdom talk smack at Jay Lethal. Vinny closes it up by saying “always check under the ring”. This was… whatever.
KENNY KING vs CODY
Jay Lethal is on commentary with Ian and Caprice. HUGE “Cody” chants. Cody is out with Brandi, the Six-Man belt (GODDAMMIT THIS TAPING/EVENT SCHEDULE), is announced as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion (GODDAMMIT THIS TAPING/EVENT SCHEDULE), and wearing the IWGP US Championship belt. And his entrance takes us to BREAK.
We’re back at the bell and the crowd is fired up. Lock up, Cody gets the go behind, King counters into a heeadlock, Cody gets arm control and pushes King into a back bridge and King makes the ropes for the break. “Lets go Cody” chants and they lock up again, and King takes down Cody with a tackle. Cody goes back to the arm, King with a BEAUTIFUL counter into an arm drag to take control.
King whips Cody to the ropes but Cody gets the drop down uppercut and the stalling gourdbuster, covers but only a 1 count on King. Cody stays on the arm and elbow, but King looks to fight back, and then face plants himself and accuses Brandi at ringside! Cody however overcomes the distraction with King in the ropes and hits the clothesline/flatliner combo, covers but only 2. King fights back and gets Eddie Gordo, Cody fights back but King once again fakes that Brandi slapped him, apparently trying to get Brandi kicked out, and this time King uses the distraction to land a cheap shot on Cody.
Cody rolls out but King follows and keeps the pressure on, and goes so far as to tear at a Cody shirt a young fan is wearing (mmm… putting hands on a child, fan or not? Mmm skirting the line there for me, but King then goes right back to Cody), and then throws Cody back in the ring. Snap suplex rolls through into punches on Cody, cover but only a 2 count as King grounds Cody with a headlock and we go to BREAK.
We’re back and Cody is fighting off King, ducks a spin kick and they both take each other out with running lariats and Turner begins the 10-count. They’re up and Cody hits an elbow and snap powerslam, covers but only 2. Cody fired up and hits the Beautiful Disaster, another cover and another 2. King turns it around and lands the Chin-Checker, and then looks to climb. Cody cuts him off, climbs and lands a big top rope superplex on King! Cover, and King is able to kick out at 2! “Cody” chants.
Cody looks for Cross Rhodes but King evades, hits a kick and a rollup with his feet on the ropes but Turner catches him and stops the count. King dumps Cody outside and hits the tornillo, then talks to the crowd before throwing Cody back in. King misses a springboard but is able to land a spinebuster, covers Cody but only 2. “Lets go Cody chants” as King takes off his elbow cover and chucks it at Brandi. Brandi now rushes the ring which distracts the ref, and King looks to pull an Eddie Guerrero with the IWGP US title belt as he tosses it to Cody!
Turner turns around and sees Cody with the belt, Turner inquires and Cody protests with the crowd, but Todd Sinclair comes in and sets the record straight. King is pissed and shoves down Sinclair, which prompts Turner to call for the bell and the DQ as King turns around and kicks Cody in the balls.
Cody defeats Kenny King by Disqualification after King’s shenanigans are caught and he shoves Todd Sinclair
JAY’S RATING: 3 out of 5
That was a nice showing from Cody and King to close out the episode, and the DQ works to keep Cody in the main event conversation after King’s title shot. King’s maturity as a performer is starting to really land, and I am SUPER excited about that as he is starting to feel more and more like a main eventer, and really belonged there with someone like Cody who has simply had that spotlight more firmly for longer. I know a lot of people dont like Cody, in-ring or otherwise, but I have to say that I get it more and more, as whether his style is to ones taste or not, he is always dropped in, always being an active scene partner, and as such his care and passion for (and belief in the future of) his art form is infectious to me. Good work here.
After the match, Brandi comes in to check on Cody, “you suck” chants from the crowd, King tells Brandi to move and then grabs Brandi by the hair. This prompts Jay to run down from the announce booth and back King off of Brandi and Cody. “Lethal” chants. King looks to hit Cody with the belt, but Lethal says to calm down and that Kenny is better than this. Lethal turns his back and King gets the belt shot on Lethal to solidify his heel turn as official, as the crowd boos. Ian hypes the Lethal/King title match on November 11, and next week’s TV card. A nice post-match angle to fully establish King as a new heel challenger to Lethal/the ROH World Title. Honestly, this particular evolution of King makes me REALLY excited at a potential King/Scurll outing that gets enough time and attention – that could be AMAZING.
NEXT WEEK: Shane Taylor vs Jeff Cobb; The Kingdom vs Lethal/Gresham/Mystery Partner
JAY’S THOUGHTS:
This was a solid enough episode of TV, anchored by King really capping off the night well with his match with Cody and subsequent full fledged turn. Flip also had a great show in spite of me being pretty fully over this bizarre and overcomplicated Bully Ray feud that includes a ton and a half of sideplayers for no reason that has become discernable yet to me. The women’s match was also fine. My big gripe continues to be the scheduling issues as it pertains to storytelling. Having Cody have 3 titles to his name on TV on November 8th when he just lost the 6-man straps on ROH programming and lost the NWA title before that feels sloppy. I know it isnt meant that way, but its how it reads to me as an audience member. Come on, this is the most exciting moment ROH has been in in YEARS. Dont screw up good momentum with bad planning and execution of tapings and schedules.