DOJO PRO TV REPORT (Season 1, Episode 8): “The Stroke Daddy” Ricky Starks vs. White Belt

DOJO PRO TV REPORT – S1E08
RELEASED JULY 9, 2018
TAPED IN NASHVILLE, TN
AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. AND U.K. THROUGH AMAZON PRIME
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentary: Marc Warzecha

DOJO PRO presents the ultimate professional wrestling opportunity. A gauntlet competition in which 13 independent wrestlers fight their way up the ladder. The winner of each match receives the Dojo Pro White Belt and continues on. At the top, the Dojo Pro Black Belt, and a shot at the Ring Of Honor World Television Championship.

Opening video.

-In the studio Matt Lott recapped Joey Janela defeating James Storm. This episode he’s facing the #5 seed Ricky Starks. Lott acknowledged that Starks and the #4 seed Aaron Solow are tag team partners. Janela is now the only person to win three matches in the gauntlet.

-Janela was filming the usual promo backstage. The cameraman asked him to lose his sunglasses but he refused. This is his fourth time going through this routine and he’s tired of it. He could be out kissing ladies or doing better things with his time.

-Video package on Ricky Starks. He grew up in New Orleans where he stood out due to his skin color. He’s been getting into fights and standing up for himself his whole life. He described himself as scrappy.

Janela mocked Starks wanting to make his mom proud. Starks said he has a short temper and doesn’t think Janela will have an advantage. Janela continued to heel on the production team for wasting his time.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Starks is from New Orleans, Louisiana and he and Solow are known as Extra Talented. He wrestles for Anarchy Championship Wrestling and Progress Wrestling among others.)

-Janela entered first per usual. Starks wored a shiny baseball jersey with “Starks” across the front and the number 21 on the back. Ring announcer Dominic Malnar handled the introductions. The referee is Justin King.

DOJO PRO WHITE BELT “BAD BOY” JOEY JANELA vs. “THE STROKE DADDY” RICKY STARKS

Arm wrench from Starks. Test of strength. Janela with a kick to the stomach. Slingblade from Starks. Northern lights suplex to Janela for a two-count. Janela with an eye poke. Suicide dive from Janela. Suicide dive from Starks. Janela with a dropkick to Starks’ knee. He continued to work over Starks’ left leg. Starks with a roll-up for two but Janela put him back down. Janela methodically worked over Starks’ leg as the crowd grew restless. Starks couldn’t run on the leg but he did manage to hit a tornado DDT off the ropes. Starks countered a figure four into a roll-up for two. Spear from Starks for two. Starks looked for his finisher, The Buster Keaton, but couldn’t lift Janela on his bad leg. Janela locked in the figure four. They rolled out of the ring with the figure four still intact on the floor. Janela broke the hold to avoid being counted out. Starks rolled in at 9. Superkick for another two-count. Janela brought a steel chair into the ring. The ref pleaded with him to get rid of it. Janela wound up to swing. Rather than allow Janela to disqualify himself the referee grabbed the chair. Starks rolled up Janela off the distraction.

WINNER: Ricky Starks in 11:09 to capture the Dojo Pro White Belt.

-Janela attacked Starks while he celebrated and whipped him with the white belt. Warzecha said that Dojo Pro has no authority figure to restore order. Arm wrench took Starks from the apron to the floor. Janela pulled down Starks’ knee pad and slammed the exposed injured knee into the apron. Janela crawled under the ring and wrapped Stark’s leg around a metal beam. No sign of Starks’ tag partner Aaron Solow to make the save. A couple medics finally showed up to help Starks backstage. He faces Solow on the next episode.

(Pageot’s Perspective: So Janela’s eliminated from the gauntlet but still comes across as the only important guy on the entire series with us three-quarters of the way through. Starks wins off a fluke roll-up thanks to a distraction from the ref and gets beat down after the match with his friend and tag partner not caring enough to make the save. Warzecha acknowledged that there’s no authority figure but surely somebody has to be in charge. Who signs the paychecks? Who decides which referee is working this match? Once again, an establishment of time within this world is important here. How long does Starks have to recuperate before the next match in the gauntlet? Two hours? Six? Twenty-four?)

Find Harley on Twitter @talkinghonor and listen to he and Emily Fear talk all things ROH every Tuesday on the PWTorch Livecast “Talking Honor.”