SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT
AUGUST 5, 2018
FAIRFAX, VA AT EAGLE BANK ARENA
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 Silas Young’s music. Chris Sabin was accompanied by Alex Shelley and was announced as representing The Motor City Machine Guns. Shelley joined the commentary team and acknowledged having a concussion, nerve damage, and new teeth. Young blew off the code of honor.
(1) CHRIS SABIN vs. “THE LAST REAL MAN” SILAS YOUNG – #1 CONTENDER TO THE ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Shelley spoke of Sabin opening some new eyes regarding his singles career after competing in NJPW’s Best Of Super Juniors tournament. Sabin outwrestled Young with a series of wristlocks. They ran into each other with dueling shoulder tackles that left both men unmoved. Young challenged him to try it again only for Sabin to dump him to the floor. [C]
They exchanged punches until Sabin caught him with a knee to the stomach. Sabin escaped a Misery attempt and Young escaped a Cradle Shock. Back and forth. Young wound up at ringside again and Sabin ran the apron into a kick to the jaw. Top rope missile dropkick to Young in the ring. Young with a back elbow. Sabin with a springboard into a DDT for a two-count. Roll-up from Sabin for two. Young Combination put Sabin down and a running knee and anarchist suplex gave Young a two-count. Milwaukee Plunge missed when Sabin rolled out of the way. Sabin escaped Misery again into a backslide for two. Roll-up for another two. Sabin with Cradle Shock for the win.
WINNER: Chris Sabin in 8:22 to become #1 contender to Punishment Martinez’s TV title.
-Martinez walked out onto the stage and stared down Sabin. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Young got to hit a bit of his signature offense but this match was clearly all about being a spotlight for new singles star Sabin. I’ll admit I wasn’t certain what success he’d have as a singles act when they suggested a few months ago that MCMG might split up but seeing him compete here just felt refreshing in the sense that it’s been a while since ROH has had any new blood in certain divisions. The fact that this was billed as him becoming #1 contender, rather than just earning a shot at the TV title, would seem to suggest this is a long-term feud, likely heading to Death Before Dishonor in September, rather than a title shot that will be cashed in on television in the next week or two.)
-Our next match was hero vs. villain. Scurll wore his plague doctor mask and feathered coat, carrying his umbrella. Helms wore his cape and the Superhero Championship. He wrestled in his Hurricane mask. Instead of obeying the code of honor, Scurll threw his bandana in Helms’ face.
(2) SHANE “HURRICANE” HELMS vs. “THE VILLAIN” MARTY SCURLL
Helms got a cross armbreaker early on, which left Scurll scrambling to the ropes. Riccaboni and Cabana spoke about Helms’ 27-year career. Scurll mocked Helms’ superhero pose. When Helms did the pose in his own right a moment later Scurll fell to the mat in fear. Back on his feet, Scurll spit in Helms’ face. Scurll with an uppercut that sent Helms to the floor. Kick to the face from the apron. Double stomp on Helms’ left hand. [C]
Scurll put Helms in a Japanese stranglehold but he powered out. Straitjacket lungblower gave Scurll a two-count. They traded forearms. Mortifier gave Helms a two-count. He called for the Hurrichokeslam but Scurll escaped with an eyepoke. Eye Of The Hurricane but Scurll kicked out. Scurll escaped a shining wizard and hit a running knee, grabbing the ropes for leverage, but Helms kicked out. Scurll called for the chicken-wing but Helms heard him and countered. Scurll with the finger-snap. Helms with a neckbreaker off the top rope but Scurll kicked out. Scurll looked for the chicken-wing, Helms reversed, and Scurll shoved him off into referee Paul Turner. Turner threw up his arms to protect himself and Scurll kicked Helms between the legs while the referee couldn’t see. A roll-up put Helms away.
WINNER: Marty Scurll in 11:51. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Surprisingly straight-forward. With the hero vs. villain build and Helms being in the later stages of his career I was expecting more of a comedy match or a surplus of Scurll villain shenanigans, some working and some backfiring. Instead it was just a pretty basic match. I don’t know if their chemistry was off but things were a bit slow at times and there seemed to be a couple miscommunications. Not sure where they go with Helms from here. He’d be a great boon in a backstage role or as the new ROH Enforcer but as a full-time active wrestler, I don’t know.)
-Short video package of Jay Lethal winning the world title with comments from his post-match promo mixed in.
-SCU made their entrance first for the trios triple threat match. Evil entered alone in full robe, mask, and glowing glove. Bushi walked out next in a Venom mask and hoodie, then Sanada in his skull mask and vest. Hangman Page entered alone for his team. The Young Bucks were out last with the IWGP heavyweight tag titles and Never Openweight six-man tag titles. [C]
(3) THE HUNG BUCKS (Adam Page, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson) vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPÓN (Evil, Sanada, & Bushi) vs. SOCAL UNCENSORED (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky)
Daniels and Sanada started. They could tag out to either of their partners or any member of Bullet Club. Kaz and Page jumped into the ring instead and renewed their blood feud, going after each other. Sanada dumped Kaz and Daniels tossed Page. They collided with each other on the floor and both men went down. Sanada and Daniels traded arm-drags. Nick Jackson hit a blind tag on Sanada, then Sky tagged Daniels. They ducked and flipped around and over each other. All of the SCU and BC members took turns looking to drop an elbow drop and missing, followed by all six men dropkicking into the center of the ring at the same time. LIJ were not impressed. Evil dropped Page onto Nick, then sentoned them both. SCU took out LIJ with a series of dives and flips. They posed in the ring and were immediately superkicked by Bullet Club. BC triple-teamed Sky, then Kaz, then Daniels. [C]
Daniels put down Sanada with an STO. Kaz and Sky were nowhere in sight so he tagged to Page. Page took out Evil and Bushi. Dropsault to Evil and Sanada. Buckle bomb on Sanada into kicks from the Bucks. Moonsault + frogsplash + running shooting star press from BC but Sanada kicked out at two. There was no indication who were the legal men as people flew in and out, hitting one move at a time. Bushi misted referee Todd Sinclair by mistake. Celebrity Rehab put down Bushi. Kaz grabbed Sinclair’s hand and made him make the count but Kaz stopped himself at two when Bushi kicked out. Superkick party. Cradle piledriver to Sanada. Paul Turner ran out as Sinclair was helped to the back. Turner counted two but Sanada kicked out. Page set up Sanada for the Bucks-assisted Rite Of Passage but Evil and Kaz broke up the pin.
Nick splashed off the top rope onto a group of men on the floor. Bushi with a Japanese Destroyer to Matt and suicide dive to Daniels. Kaz met Page on the top rope and looked to suplex him to the floor but Page reversed it, suplexing Kaz and himself onto everyone on the floor. Daniels and Bushi were left in the ring. Blue Thunder put down Bushi. Daniels looked for Angel’s Wings but Mark Briscoe ran out and distracted Turner. Jay Briscoe slid in behind him and smashed a steel chair across Daniels’ back. Bushi leapt from the second rope into a codebreaker on Daniels for the win.
WINNERS: L.I.J. in 12:46.
(Pageot’s Perspective: It’s been a while since we’ve had a Bullet Club multi-man main event and a storyline was furthered so I enjoyed this. The bulk of it was the usual Bullet Club melee stuff with SCU’s spots mixed in and a bit of LIJ, though they were just bodies for the most part and didn’t do anything too distinct. SCU’s face turn is complete and their chase for The Briscoes’ tag titles is off. Kaz & Sky vs. the Briscoes was announced for All In today but no indication that the tag titles will be on the line there.)
-Next week: it’s Bully Ray, Punishment Martinez, & Shane Taylor vs. Cheeseburger, Flip Gordon, & Josh Woods in a six-man tag, Tenille Dashwood vs. Kelly Klein vs. Karen Q vs. Madison Rayne to become #1 contender to Sumie Sakai’s Women Of Honor World Championship, and The Briscoes vs. The Bouncers.
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