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ROH TV Report
January 14, 2018
Taped December 16 in Philadelphia, Pa. at 2300 Arena
Aired On Sinclair Affiliates & ROHWrestling.com
Report By Harley R. Pageot, PWTorch Contributor
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
[Q1] Opening theme.
-We opened in the arena with Will Ospreay making his entrance.
(1) WILL OSPREAY vs. JAY LETHAL
Riccaboni called this a dream match and the commentators reminded us that last week Lethal asked Dalton Castle for a shot at the ROH World Title. The men exchanged a series of arm holds and headlocks before Ospreay took over with some dropkicks. Lethal drug Ospreay to ringside and threw him into the barricade before hitting his trio of suicide dives. The third sent Ospreay toppling over the barricade into the crowd. “The Villain” Marty Scurll walked down the ramp and applauded. [C]
Scurll had joined Riccaboni and Cabana on commentary. He claimed that the Lethal they were watching was the old Jay Lethal and Scurll took credit for bringing it out of him. Like last week, Scurll again questioned why Lethal was able to just walk out and ask for a title shot when people like himself have never had any World Championship opportunities. Ospreay with a strike to Lethal’s face but Lethal hit a spinning backbreaker. Lethal with a European uppercut and a chop. Scurll laughed heartily. Ospreay fired up with a kick and a running European uppercut in the corner. Enziguiri and a 619. Ospreay body-scissored Lethal to the outside and hit a flip over the top rope that took Lethal out. [C]
[Q2] Lethal ducked an attempt at the OsCutter. Ospreay countered the Lethal Injection. A second attempt at the OsCutter was turned into a torture rack. Scurll openly cheered for Lethal on commentary, proudly proclaiming himself Lethal’s #1 fan. Lethal went up top but was caught. Ospreay landed a hurricanrana that sent Lethal flying into the middle of the ring. Ospreay covered but Lethal kicked out. Lethal Combination on Ospreay. Lethal went for Hail To The Chief, Ospreay got a boot up, Lethal with a figure four attempt, Ospreay with a roll-up. Ospreay tried for the OsCutter again but Lethal caught him with a cutter of his own and followed up with the Lethal Injection.
WINNER: Jay Lethal in 17:06.
-Scurll continued to claim he was Lethal’s biggest fan but Riccaboni wasn’t buying it. Lethal and Ospreay shook hands.
(Analysis: Obviously not as amazing of a match as these two could have considering there were no stakes and it was the opening contest on weekly television but still a fun encounter that left you wanting to see them meet up again down the line. The ending was particularly hot. Scurll on commentary was interesting. He continued to claim that he’s Lethal’s biggest fan and that he has no hard feelings about his loss at Final Battle because he got what he wanted: the villainous Jay Lethal of old. At the same time, though, he complained for the second week in a row that he’s never had a World Title match and wondered aloud why other people are allowed to just walk out and ask for one.)
-Coleman’s Pulpit: today’s guest is Jonathan Gresham. Coleman was seated in his usual chair while Gresham was perched above him on a high chair. Gresham was wearing a purple hoodie and jeans. Coleman said Gresham’s been wrestling for twelve years. Gresham was trained by Mr. Hughes. They talked about Gresham’s Octopus nickname. Coleman asked how many matches Gresham’s won. One or two? Gresham was annoyed. He said he’s not proud of his win record but it’s about how he picks himself up after. Gresham feels he’s mastered his style of wrestling and thinks special rules should be instated for guys like him who just love professional wrestling in its original form. Coleman asked what he meant but Gresham didn’t really have an answer. [C]
(Analysis: Yikes. Gresham is very talented in the ring and I love that ROH acknowledges win/loss records on television (as they did here and previously when Brandi Rhodes was on the Pulpit). It makes every match seem important and it gives every person on the card a goal of not just winning gold but of winning all their matches in order to move themselves up through the ranks. I also like that they’re willing to give someone like Gresham mic time. Talent is never the problem with ROH wrestlers. It’s characters and clear personalities that are often lacking. Unfortunately this whole segment was just awkward. Gresham was so soft-spoken that you could barely hear him. Coleman’s questions were so dull that they felt like it wasn’t planned out at all and Gresham’s answers were worse. I have no idea what the bit was about Gresham thinking ROH should have special rules for guys like him. He never really clarified what he meant and I truly hope it’s not leading to some new division with new stipulations. We’ve already got five championships on a one-hour show. That’s more than enough.)
[Q3] (2) KENNY KING vs. BRIAN MILONAS
The 350-pound Milonas competed in last year’s Top Prospect tournament, losing in the semi-finals to eventual winner Josh Woods. Milonas charged King, who pulled down the top rope and sent the big man tumbling to ringside. King followed up with a corkscrew dive, then ran up the ramp and took a selfie with a woman in the crowd. King hit a springboard legdrop back in the ring. Milonas with snake eyes and an avalanche splash in the corner. Milonas mocked King, who fought back with forearms, but Milonas put him down with a clothesline. King hit Milonas with a series of jabs and a spinning heel kick that dropped him. Shotgun knees in the corner and a springboard blockbuster for the win.
WINNER: Kenny King in 3:51.
-King took a microphone and put over Milonas before calling out Silas Young. The ROH World Television Champion answered. They traded fists in the ring before King dropped him with a spinning heel kick that sent Young scurrying up the ramp and holding his jaw. The Beer City Bruiser showed up to check on his buddy. Milonas suddenly re-entered the ring and attacked King from behind. Milonas stomped away at King until Bruiser and Young joined in. Milonas and Bruiser shook hands while Riccaboni questioned if Milonas was the new mystery tag partner Bruiser had alluded to last week. [C]
(Analysis: Oh my god, I called it! I swear I don’t read the taping spoilers. Milonas just jumped to mind last week as a potential partner for Bruiser based on their size similarities and the tradition that ROH tends to keep a number of Top Prospect entrants around after the tournament each year, not just the winner. With War Machine heading to NXT it would leave an opening for a new tandem of big men. While Bruiser and Milonas are an entirely different type of physique from Hanson and Rowe they should provide a nice variety to the tag division.)
-SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky) were in the ring out of the break. Footage aired of the new trio attacking our Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Hung Bucks at Final Battle. Daniels didn’t know why Riccaboni asked them out there. ROH COO Joe Koff walked out onto the stage with a microphone. He said he asked them to come out there, not Riccaboni. Koff acknowledged that fans don’t want to see him, they want to see the best wrestlers. This doesn’t include Daniels and Kaz. All they are is a disruption. Koff said he should probably fire them. Kaz threatened to kick his ass. Daniels claimed that when he was World Champion he and Koff would chat about all of the plans for ROH’s brand expansions. If Koff fired him, what would stop Daniels from going and spilling all those secrets to Don Callis or his best friend, AJ? Koff wasn’t intimidated. He already consulted with his attorney and The Addiction’s contract expires in one year. After Final Battle 2018, they’re done.
(Analysis: Wow. They can always take this in a couple different directions as we get near to the end of this year but at this point it would really seem like we’ve just begun The Addiction’s retirement storyline. This April marks 25 years as a wrestler for Daniels so if this is the beginning of the end for the 46 year-old we’ve got a hell of a journey to look forward to this year. Kaz hasn’t been active for as long as Daniels but he’s north of 40 himself so if the two decide to bow out together after this year it would be quite the conclusion to their careers. I can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store for them now.)
[Q4] -The Briscoes were in a parking lot. It’s nothing personal with the Motor City Machine Guns but they’re coming for the tag titles because nobody can do what the Briscoes can do. [C]
(3) THE KINGDOM (Matt Taven, Vinny Marseglia, & TK O’Ryan) vs. ROH WORLD CHAMPION DALTON CASTLE & THE BOYS (Brandon & Brent)
Castle and O’Ryan started us off. Back and forth and a tag out to Marseglia. Boy #2 tagged in. They worked over Marseglia with double-team kicks before Marseglia scrambled to Taven for the tag. Taven asked for Castle. The commentators said we can add his name to the list of people gunning for Castle’s title right behind Lethal, Punishment Martinez, and Scurll. Castle and Taven jockeyed back and forth. Taven took over with chops. Taven whipped Castle into the far corner but the Boys dropped down Matt Hardy style to allow Castle to run up their backs to the top rope. Castle with a crossbody on Taven. The champion cleared the ring and Castle and the Boys peacocked for the crowd. [C]
Taven dropped a Boy throat-first over the top rope. Marseglia and O’Ryan took turns throwing him into the barricade. Marseglia and O’Ryan with a double flapjack and double legdrop. Taven tried for a back bodydrop but the Boy escaped and tagged out to his brother. The Kingdom immediately took over again. Castle eventually came in with fists and forearms on Marseglia. Taven and Castle did a series of rotating tombstone piledriver attempts before Castle finally hit it. Bangarang to O’Ryan. Julie Newmar (cobra clutch with bodyscissors) locked in on Marseglia. Taven slid his ax into the ring but Marseglia couldn’t reach it so he tapped out while the Boys hit stereo dives over the top rope onto Taven and O’Ryan at ringside.
WINNERS: Dalton Castle & The Boys in 11:26.
(Analysis: Not much to the match itself but I always appreciate how ROH keeps their champions looking strong and consistently winning non-title television matches. Castle officially has two believable finishing moves now, which is always a good thing for drama. Maybe the most surprising aspect here was the fact that The Kingdom lost clean. They’ve been talking for a while about going after the Six-Man titles again so this tells me that either they’re not going in that direction or this will simply play into their conspiracy complaints.)
-Next week: it’s the Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Dawgs for the ROH World Tag Team Championships and a triple threat match featuring The Young Bucks vs. Best Friends vs. Titán & Dragon Lee.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 1/7 ROH TV Report: New World Champion Dalton Castle, Scurll vs. Gordon, Grimm vs. Silas Young for the ROH TV Title
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