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ROH TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 25, 2018
TAPED IN ATLANTA, GA. AT CENTRE STAGE
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
[Q1] We opened with a recap video of last week’s main event in Nashville where SoCal Uncensored almost stole the six-man titles with a belt shot to Matt Jackson and Bully Ray debuted as the new ROH enforcer. He referred to ROH as being the wild, wild west lately. Clips were mixed in of Silas Young tripping LSG during a tag match against Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas, The Briscoes attacking Best Friends during their tag match with Motor City Machine Guns a few weeks ago, Kaz arguing with referee Todd Sinclair, Marty Scurll throwing flour in the face of Shane Taylor during their match, The Briscoes giving Chris Sabin a Jay Driller on a steel chair, and Matt Taven kicking Cody between the legs.
-In the arena in Atlanta Bully had a microphone. He vowed to return honor to ROH and emphatically used the words “pro wrestling” multiple times. He led the fans in an ROH chant.
-Opening theme.
(1) SOCAL UNCENSORED (Scorpio Sky & “The Heavy Metal Rebel” Frankie Kazarian) vs. THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
No sign of Christopher Daniels, at least to start. SoCal declined the Code of Honor and attacked the Bucks instead. The brothers quickly cleared the ring. Cody walked out onto the stage in a suit and applauded the Bucks to loud “Cody” chants from the crowd. [C]
Cody was sitting in on commentary out of the break. Cabana and Cody insisted to Riccaboni that Bullet Club is fine. Nick with a lungblower to Kaz in the corner. Cody transitioned into badmouthing The Kingdom and his 16th Anniversary opponent Matt Taven. Sky with a jumping hurricanrana to Matt sitting on the top rope and he followed up with a big flip over the ropes onto Nick at ringside. Sky and Kaz tagged in and out quickly, double-teaming Matt. Cody mentioned The Young Bucks going heavyweight (as announced this past Saturday at Honor Rising and on the latest episode of Being The Elite). SoCal got distracted by Cody’s presence and ate a flip from Matt off the stage. Cody cheered and gave him a thumbs up. SoCal hit stereo slingshot cutters and locked in stereo dragon sleepers.
[Q2] The Bucks escaped and locked in sharpshooters. [C]
SoCal rolled up both Bucks for two-counts but ate superkicks. Another double-superkick to Sky. Kaz up for a Meltzer Driver but he wiggled to the ropes. Facebuster to Sky. Kaz taken out at ringside with a moonsault off the apron from Nick. Meltzer Driver to Sky.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks in 14:21.
-Daniels sneaked in during the post-match celebration and jumped the Bucks from behind. STO to Nick. Leg whip to Matt. Cody called for security. Hangman Page came running out with a steel chair to clear the heels. Once they were gone Cody jumped in the ring and acted outraged and ready for a fight as well.
(Pageot’s Perspective: The Bullet Club drama continues to evolve. It’s not as simple as just Team Kenny vs. Team Cody anymore as Page appears to be with Cody but has ties to the Bucks, the Bucks have been friends with Omega for a long time but were insulted his proclamation this weekend that Golden Lovers are the best tag team on the planet, and Scurll is playing the child of divorced parents who just wants things back to the way they were.
SoCal losing two weeks in a row might seem to hurt their credibility but they’re the cheap heels who cheat and steal victories so I still suspect they get hold of the six-man titles at next week’s anniversary show.)
-A video package recapped recent events between Kenny King and Silas Young.
-Last week after we went off the air King was making his way through the backstage area when he was confronted by Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas. They mocked his absence of the TV title. Young clubbed King in the back of the head from behind and beat him through the arena, tossing him into a steel garage door. Bruiser and Milonas held him while Young told him he’d be happy to give him a rematch. Young followed with a kick to the face. [C]
-A video package recapped recent events between The Briscoes and Motor City Machine Guns. The tag title match is official for the 16th Anniversary show.
-The commentators spoke on camera about the Women Of Honor Championship tournament. Tenille Dashwood debuted at Honor Reigns Supreme and Mandy Leon and Brandi Rhodes have advanced so far.
-Video package on Kelly Klein and “Bonesaw” Jessie Brooks. Klein hasn’t been pinned or submitted in 800 days. Brooks is a graduate of the ROH Dojo. She called herself the baddest woman on the planet. Klein spoke confidently about knowing who Brooks is and what it takes to put her down. These two have never faced each other before.
[Q3] -Unlike the past two weeks we did not get to see this match in its entirety. Clips were shown of the match taped January 20 in Nashville and we were encouraged to go to ROHwrestling.com to view it in its entirety. Klein picked up the win with a knee to the jaw. She faces Leon in the quarter-finals.
-Video package on Deonna Purrazzo and Holidead. Holidead is the ugly truth staring at you in the mirror. She wears bright neon purple and green face paint. Purrazzo started to tear up and got embarrassed while talking about wanting to be a women’s champion and change women’s wrestling ever since she was a kid. She grew up watching wrestling with her brother. She wants to show that women aren’t just eye candy but can be main eventers and role models to little girls.
-This match (taped February 9 in Concord) also got the ten-second clip show treatment. Watch the whole thing on the ROH website. Purrazzo won with a Fujiwara armbar. She faces the winner of HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani in the quarter-finals. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: This was incredibly disappointing. Following the last two weeks of TV I had put renewed faith in ROH and their treatment of Women Of Honor. It seemed like they were finally being integrated into the company and treated like serious competitors. Then they turn around and cram two tournament matches into one clip-show segment. Not just that but the two matches they choose to gloss over and not show in their entirety are the matches featuring Klein and Purrazzo, the two women who should be the favorites to win the entire thing! These are arguably the two best female wrestlers in ROH and we only get ten seconds of their matches but the matches featuring the green Leon and Rhodes air in their entirety? Purrazzo in her video package gave some of the most heartfelt, authentic comments I’ve heard on a pro wrestling show in a long time. She should be being positioned as the top babyface in the entire division but her and Klein both came across here as also-rans, second fiddle to the more Divas-esque Leon and Rhodes. Apparently Purrazzo’s quest for women to be treated as more than just eye candy is one that she’ll still be working away at for years to come.)
-Video package on the 16th Anniversary Pay-Per-View lineup. Cody vs. Taven, Machine Guns vs. Briscoes for the tag titles, Scurll vs. Martinez for a world title shot, Castle vs. Lethal for the world title. All the competitors spoke briefly about their matches.
(2) KENNY KING vs. SILAS YOUNG (w/Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas) – ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise did the full championship match introductions in-ring. [C]
Code of Honor to start. Cabana called it a mistake from referee Todd Sinclair to allow the two big men to remain at ringside. King and Young were evenly matched out of the gate.
[Q4] King with a drop toehold and side headlock. Bruiser tripped King while he was too busy showboating. Bully Ray immediately made his way down to ringside and sent Bruiser and Milonas to the back. He shook Sinclair’s hand and left as well. King with an armbar. Young dumped King to the floor. Young with a slingshot stomp onto King back in the ring. [C]
King caught a charging Young with a spin kick. Right hands sent Young tumbling through the ropes. King showboated again, which allowed Young to sweep his legs. King hit a flip off the stage onto Young then ran up into the crowd for a selfie with a fan. Cross-body from the top rope for a two count. Spinebuster for another two. Eye rake from Young behind Sinclair’s back. King rolled out of a Misery attempt into a crucifix pin. Young with a draping neckbreaker for two. Young countered a Royal Flush attempt into a roll-up for two. Young considered taking an intentional count-out but King rolled him back in the ring. Young kicked the middle rope into a low blow as King re-entered. Young with the Pee Gee Waja Plunge for a believable near fall. Fists thrown in the middle of the ring. King with a cradle roll-up out of the corner for three.
WINNER: Kenny King in 13:58 to capture the ROH World TV Championship.
-King celebrated with the title amidst streamers to close the show.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Well, that was unexpected. Young just won the title at Final Battle so I fully expected him to retain here and move on to defend against people like Jonathan Gresham and Flip Gordon. Ray tossing Young’s henchmen is the story of his defeat, I suppose, though I thought King’s fixation on playing to the fans might lead to his downfall. Does this feud continue or does King feud with someone like Punishment Martinez or Shane Taylor instead? Maybe Young and Bruiser can finally fulfill last year’s goal of going after the six-man titles now that they’ve got Milonas with their crew.)
-Next week: it’s the 16th Anniversary go-home show with The Briscoes vs. Best Friends, Christopher Daniels vs. Hangman Page, and Punishment Martinez & Marty Scurll vs. Jay Lethal & Dalton Castle.
(Pageot’s Perspective: If you’re a PWTorch VIP member don’t forget that Lola Bradbury and I have a new ROH podcast called Talking Honor available every Monday afternoon. This week we kick things off with our in-depth Honor Club review.)
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 2/18 ROH TV Report: Hung Bucks vs. SoCal Uncensored for six-man titles, Bully Ray enforces, Karen Q vs. Brandi Rhodes in WOH tournament, Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon
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