SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT
APRIL 29, 2018
PITTSBURGH, PA AT STAGE AE
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, BJ Whitmer
[Q1] We opened with a video package on Supercard Of Honor XII that highlighted Cody vs. Kenny Omega and all the title matches.
-Opening theme.
(1) “THE KENTUCKY GENTLEMAN” CHUCKIE T vs. JOSH “THE GOODS” WOODS
Woods immediately went for the cross arm-breaker but Chuck Taylor escaped. Taylor hit a thumb to the eyes when Woods went on a roll. Taylor with an enziguiri and a dropkick. Woods with an exploder suplex. [C]
Woods with a release northern lights suplex, then a release German suplex. Taylor with a missile dropkick. The fans were strongly behind him. Clothesline in the corner and a sit-out dropkick. Woods got a chokehold on the ropes but the ref made him break. Falcon arrow from Taylor for two. Taylor tried for a top rope moonsault, missed, but landed on his feet. Soul Food connected then Woods hit a TKO onto his knee. Rolling bridging German suplex got Woods two but when he went for the armbar Taylor turned it into a pin.
WINNER: Chuckie T in 8:38.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Interesting choice to open the post-pay-per-view tapings with two directionless undercard wrestlers. The only wins either man has had recently was Taylor over Jonathan Gresham at Supercard and Woods over Shane Taylor at Bound By Honor but neither of those men win very often either. Maybe this one will be the start of ROH doing something with Chuckie T while Beretta is out injured?)
-Cody and Brandi Rhodes were backstage. He asked who her favorite wrestler is and she said him. She asked who his favorite is and he said Dalton Castle. Cody’s not going to be “one of these hobby journalists, one of these keyboard warriors who writes off Dalton’s title reign as a failure.” Brandi pointed out that Cody beat Jay Lethal and Kenny Ho-mega. She gestured toward her stomach. “Are you pregnant?!” “No, the title!” [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Ouch. Shots fired at me with that comment about people who have been criticizing Castle’s title reign thus far.)
[Q2] -The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan, & Vinny Marseglia) were backstage. They had the six-man titles that they stole at Supercard. They sarcastically congratulated SoCal Uncensored, Flip Gordon, and The Young Bucks. They reiterated that they never actually lost the titles.
-Jenny Rose joined commentary for the next match.
-Stella Grey cut a picture-in-picture promo. She said that Sumie Sakai deserves to be the first WOH Champion but we haven’t seen anything yet from Stella Grey.
(2) WOMEN OF HONOR CHAMPION SUMIE SAKAI vs. STELLA GREY – NON-TITLE MATCH
Grey with a headlock but Sakai pushed her off and hit a dropkick. She went straight up top for a missile dropkick and followed with a bridging northern lights suplex for two. Grey hit a spear off the ropes for two of her own. Sakai stomped on Grey in the corner. Grey caught with her a boot and a tornado DDT. Grey with a suplex for two. Sakai with a saito suplex for two. Grey countered a fisherwoman’s buster attempt into a roll-up but Sakai hit Smash Mouth.
WINNER: Sumie Sakai in 3:35.
-Rose entered the ring with a mic. She congratulated Sakai on winning the WOH Championship. She apologized for not being able to celebrate with her in New Orleans and sent to footage from Manhattan Mayhem in March. The two had been teaming against Tenille Dashwood & Deonna Purrazzo when Dashwood shoved Sakai into Rose, costing them the match. The fans booed in anticipation of a Rose heel turn. She said she wants to be the first to challenge for the title. Sakai took the mic. She said she loves Jenny and doesn’t want to fight her but, for the title, she will. She offered a handshake but Rose bailed.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Great news for WOH fans that it appears they are going to be a regular part of weekly TV and programming going forward. A lot of people had their fears throughout the tournament but the championship was presented here in the exact same manner the TV title or tag team titles would be presented any other week. It’s important to give us a sense of who Sakai is as a person now and this was another good step in that direction. I also like that they’re not rushing into a rematch with Kelly Klein or a program with the bigger names in the division like Dashwood and Purrazzo.)
-SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky) were backstage without their six-man titles. “Bad Matt Taven! Bad!” Daniels scolded. He’s going to talk to The Kingdom like children because that’s all they are. At Supercard they played hide and seek and stole the titles like it’s a prank or a sorority game. They won’t send them to bed without supper or slap them on the wrist, they’ll do ROH a favor and get rid of The Kingdom once and for all. [C]
-Footage aired from Masters Of The Craft of Marty Scurll winning Defy Or Deny to earn a world title shot. Scurll was backstage. The fact that Dalton Castle calls himself a world champion makes him physically sick. He wants his shot at Best In The World (June 29). Castle’s days are numbered.
[Q3] -Video recap of Bully Ray turning heel at Supercard, beating down Cheeseburger, and blaming young wrestlers like Flip Gordon for destroying the business.
Ray made his entrance into the arena with full music and video wall. Some fans booed but others gave him the streamer treatment. He said a certain portion of the fan base are upset with him and his actions at Supercard. “Cheeseburger” chant. He asked the fans what gave Burger the right to put a legend like himself on the spot. He reiterated that he despises a lot of the young guys in the wrestling business and the fans as well. He called Burger, Gordon, and the fans spoiled and entitled. Another fan threw a streamer so Ray threatened to jump the guard rail and punch him in the face. Someone else then bounced a streamer right off his head. He froze in anger, unable to move, before turning his attention to ROH COO Joe Koff. Koff was standing near the production table. Ray blamed Koff for giving the young guys a platform. Ray stated that he’s still the enforcer and slid on his WWE Hall Of Fame ring. “This ring makes me better than every single person in this building.” [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Koff appeared to simply roll his eyes and walk away at the end so I suspect Ray’s claim of still being the enforcer won’t last much longer. Maybe Koff was simply too scared and intimidated to head right down to the ring and fire Ray on the spot so he returns next week with Gordon and Burger for back-up? There’s no way they can actually allow Ray to remain in an authority figure role because it would make zero sense in the worst WWE kind of way. He’s getting fired, going back to being a wrestler, and facing Gordon at Best In The World.)
-Dalton Castle & The Boys were backstage. He’s been world champion for over 100 days yet people still ask if he’s championship material. Punishment Martinez, Beretta, Beer City Bruiser, Jay Lethal, and Marty Scurll. They all fell to him so if you’re asking if he’s championship material, you’re damn right he is.
-Shane Taylor joined the commentary team for our main event.
-Footage aired from March 11 television where Gordon beat Taylor to earn this TV title shot. Footage then aired of Young beating Kenny King in a last man standing match at Supercard with the aid of Bruiser to win the title.
(3) “THE LAST REAL MAN” SILAS YOUNG vs. FLIP GORDON – ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Gordon hit a kip-up but Young immediately grabbed him and slammed him back down. Young hit a big lariat. [C]
[Q4] Gordon hit a right hand but Young leveled him with a loud forearm. Gordon got his first offense with a springboard dropkick from the apron. Shotgun dropkick and a springboard spear got him two. Kinder surprise sent Young to the floor. In a really nice touch, Riccaboni was sending us to commercial when Gordon hit a suicide dive. The action picked up so suddenly and so swiftly that he said the producers decided to hold off and wait to take that break. Gordon missed a 450 but landed on his feet. Samoan pop and running shooting star press for two. [C]
Young hit his backbreaker/clothesline combo. Gordon got a roll-up for two and another half a minute later. Superkick and falcon arrow into a pin but Young kicked out at two. “That was three” chant from the crowd. When Gordon was re-entering the ring Young kicked the middle rope into his crotch and grabbed an inside cradle but Gordon kicked out. Young pulled Gordon to his feet by the ear and hit Misery.
WINNER: Silas Young in 13:44.
(Pageot’s Perspective: I loved the comments from Riccaboni about the producers going to break. It’s a small thing but it makes the show feel live and unscripted. This was a great TV main event and the fans were very invested. One of the few criticisms I have of the ROH roster is that too many wrestlers wear all-black ring gear. Babyfaces like Gordon in particular would benefit from something more colorful. He doesn’t have to go full John Cena neon but Coast 2 Coast’s recent blue gear, for instance, really stood out to me in a great way when they first debuted it.
Overall it was refreshing to get back to an episode of timely, story-heavy wrestling. Apparently Best In The World is the next big event we have to look forward to so expect our top feuds to coalesce there. Early signs would point to Castle vs. Scurll vs. Cody in the main event. Two months to build the matches on that card should give each feud a chance to breathe and build nicely. I have high hopes.)
-Next week: it’s Coast 2 Coast vs. Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas and Dalton Castle & The Boys vs. The Kingdom.
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