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ROH TV REPORT
JULY 1, 2018
NEW YORK, NY AT HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
Opening theme.
-In the arena we opened with the commentators discussing the main event. Jonathan Gresham was out first to near-silence. Kenny King did a picture-in-picture promo backstage where he was shirtless but wore sunglasses. He said if Gresham’s the octopus, he’s the great white shark.
(1) KENNY KING vs. “THE OCTOPUS” JONATHAN GRESHAM
Gresham with a wristlock but King just shook his head condescendingly. Gresham took him down with his mat work but King flipped out. King worked Gresham into the corner and patted him on the head. Gresham with a crucifix pin for a two-count. He looked to have the advantage going into the break. [C]
King with a chin-checker for two. Gresham looked for a waist-lock but his back was too hurt. King spotted the injury and went after it. He missed a springboard leg drop, though, as well as shotgun knees in the corner. Gresham came back with two corner to corner running kicks and a hesitation dropkick. King with a spinebuster for two. Small package and they rolled back and forth with both men’s shoulders alternating being down. Gresham with a springboard moonsault. They threw hands with King coming out on top but Gresham immediately kipped back up. King waited for Gresham to go for a crossbody off the top rope and caught him and rolled through. Royal Flush sealed it.
WINNER: Kenny King in 10:15. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: King’s mannerisms at the beginning probably don’t mean anything as he always wrestles with a cocky, showboating attitude to him. It did make me think that King turning heel again wouldn’t be a bad thing, though. ROH desperately needs more real heels and they could work his losses to Silas Young and Austin Aries into the turn or simply have it be a case of his ego getting out of control ahead of appearing on the next season of Bachelor In Paradise this August. Gresham rarely wins but always stands out due to his style being so different from everyone else on the roster.)
-Short promo video for the first six-man tag team gauntlet match in ROH history, happening in two weeks on television. The winners earn a future title shot against The Kingdom.
-Shane Taylor joined the commentary team for the next match. The 2017 Top Prospect Tournament winner Josh Woods was facing the unsigned Façade. We previously saw Façade vs. Eli Isom on May 13 TV in what was originally billed as the first match in the 2018 Top Prospect Tournament before Bully Ray attacked both men, causing a no contest. The tournament hasn’t been mentioned on air since.
-Video recap of Taylor beating Woods with his knockout punch two weeks ago on TV.
(2) JOSH “THE GOODS” WOODS vs. “THE NEON NINJA” FAÇADE (w/Danni)
Gutwrench suplex from Woods. Riccaboni asked Taylor about King Mo getting in his face during a match between Taylor and Woods at Bound By Honor two months ago. Façade managed to send Woods to ringside but Woods went right back on offense. Overhead belly to belly suplex. Façade got a couple kicks in and Matrixed out of a kick from Woods. Façade ran the ropes and came off with a dropkick. Step-up springboard 450 from Façade to Woods on the floor. Springboard bulldog back into the ring on Woods. Woods with a rolling German suplex and hit a slam for the win.
WINNER: Josh Woods in 4:16.
-Woods took a mic and actually spoke. “Big man Shane Taylor, last time we fought you knocked me out.” He’s been hit in the face a bunch of times but never with something like Taylor’s right hands. The fans gave him the “What?” treatment. Taylor took a house mic and responded from the stage. They call him One-Punch Shane for a reason. Any time, anywhere. If Woods wants another shot, come get it. Woods was ready on the spot. Taylor started toward the ring but stopped at ringside. He scoffed at the idea of fighting for free. Big Money Shane don’t fight free. Cabana laughed at how many nicknames Taylor has. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Façade got to hit the same couple big moves that he did in his last match but they worked. The crowd seemed indifferent up to that point but immediately rallied behind him. ROH crowds in general don’t seem to know how to feel about Woods, though. He looks like a heel but he’s booked as a babyface and he appears so sporadically that he never really gathers any momentum. I feel like this is the first time I ever heard him speak. Indications would seem to be that we actually are going to get Taylor vs. King Mo at some point. Maybe in Las Vegas in September at Death Before Dishonor? To get there Mo’s buddy Woods is going to have to be a punching bag for the next few months.)
-The promo video for the six-man tag gauntlet played again.
-In a hallway backstage The Dawgs (Rhett Titus & Will Ferrara) bickered about whether they should ask Shane Taylor to be their partner for the gauntlet. Ferrara thought it was a bad idea but Titus assured him that he and Taylor go way back. They found Taylor and pitched the idea, selling him on all the money and drinks they’ll have. Unfortunately all Little Willy had at the moment was a crudely-drawn I.O.U. on a piece of Kleenex. Taylor told them to come back when they had real money.
-Riccaboni and Cabana talked about the gauntlet on camera. There will be five teams in the gauntlet with the winners challenging The Kingdom at a future date. They transitioned into next week’s no disqualification, no count out match between Cheeseburger and Bully Ray. It’s happening at Cheeseburger’s request.
-Video recap of the Bully Ray-Cheeseburger feud that began at Supercard Of Honor in April with Ray’s heel turn.
-Cheeseburger was backstage. The match is happening in Bully Ray’s hometown but he doesn’t care. He’ll be battered and bruised but Burger has a heart of gold and he’s going to kick Bully’s ass. [C]
(3) ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPION MATT TAVEN (w/TK O’Ryan) vs. ÚLTIMO GUERRERO
Guerrero took a swipe at O’Ryan to try to brush him off. Marseglia’s absence here means he’ll probably appear from under the ring with red balloons at some point to cause a distraction. Loud “lucha libre” chant with the crowd the most fired up they’ve been all night. Guerrero chased O’Ryan off into the crowd with a chair but TKO returned to ringside as soon as Guerrero got back into the ring. Guerrero’s instincts were right as O’Ryan choked him behind the ref’s back at the first opportunity. Guerrero swept Taven’s legs on the apron and hit a sliding dropkick that sent Taven to the floor. Taven whipped into the guardrail and right across the lap of a fan. O’Ryan also got tossed into a couple guardrails. With both men down Guerrero went up top for a diving elbow. Taven dodged, O’Ryan got taken out, and Taven capitalized with a dive of his own. [C]
Taven with a diving splash over the top rope but Guerrero pulled O’Ryan in the way. A fan gave Guerrero his cup of beer and he threw it at Taven. He then set up a steel chair, sat Taven in the chair, and sat O’Ryan in his lap. Guerrero with a running dropkick down the ringside area that left all three men down. “This is awesome!” from the crowd. Guerrero recovered first and played to the fans, who responded with “Si” chants and another “this is awesome.” Chops from Guerrero. He kept asking “one more?” and the fans always said yes so Taven ended up eating a barrage of chops in the corner. Guerrero with a gorebuster from the second rope. Guerrero with a corner handstand into a senton on Taven. Taven grabbed the ropes to break the pinfall. Taven avoided a powerbomb into Just The Tip of the knee. [C]
“Lucha libre!” from the crowd. Taven with a springboard moonsault for two. Taven looked for a top rope hurricanrana but Guerrero blocked and turned it into a powerbomb. Taven with The Kick Of The King. Guerrero met Taven on the top rope and bitchslapped O’Ryan off the apron but a cluster of red balloons suddenly floated up past them. Vinny Marseglia appeared behind Guerrero and popped a balloon in his ear. Taven followed with The Climax.
WINNER: Matt Taven in 17:26.
-Riccaboni and Cabana talked about Taven being in line for an ROH world title shot. Taven took a microphone with the rest of The Kingdom at his side. What more does he have to prove? When will melvins like Guerrero realize the greatness of Matt Taven?
(Pageot’s Perspective: Tremendous fun and a great example of how a match that could sound like filler on paper (considering Guerrero isn’t an ROH regular) instead being the highlight of the show and quickly engaging the crowd. Guerrero is mostly to thank for that. At age 46 he makes his ability to work the crowd and get them invested look so easy. Taven’s role shouldn’t be overlooked, though. He always hold his own in big matches like this or his feud earlier this year with Cody. With the hype they’ve been putting into this upcoming gauntlet match and the way Taven was talked about here I wouldn’t be surprised if The Kingdom lose their titles to whomever wins the gauntlet, freeing up Taven to enter the main event scene permanently.)
-Next week: it’s Cody vs. Titán, Bully Ray vs. Cheeseburger in a No DQ, No Count Out match, and the Women Of Honor in tag action.
As far was wrestling content, I thought this show was far superior to Raw.