SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
ATLANTA, GA AT CENTER STAGE
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
Video recap of last week’s main event which saw Cody & The Young Bucks pinning Vinny Marseglia to capture the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship from The Kingdom even though Matt Taven was the legal man.
-Opening theme.
-Mandy Leon was sitting in on commentary for the Women Of Honor title match. Bobby Cruise handled full championship introductions.
(1) SUMIE SAKAI vs. MADISON RAYNE – WOH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lock up. They traded pin attempts in a small package. Sakai with some Mongolian chops. They ran the ropes and traded forearms before dropping each other with a double clothesline. [C]
Sakai with a neckbreaker for a two-count. Top rope dropkick for another two. Rayne rolled out of the way of a top rope moonsault and caught Sakai with a tornado DDT. Sakai rolled her shoulder up at two. Fisherwoman’s buster from Sakai for another two. Rayne with a cutter for two. Sakai with Smash Mouth.
WINNER: Sumie Sakai in 9:07 to retain the Women Of Honor title.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Not as great as some of Sakai’s recent defenses. It felt a little disjointed and you knew there was no way Rayne was winning. Sakai continues to hold the best record of anyone in ROH this year, now checking in at 10-0. Riccaboni announced during All In that she’ll defend against Tenille Dashwood at Death Before Dishonor in three weeks. Rayne continues her high profile summer. She competed for the Impact Knockouts Championship last month, wrestled in a four-way at All In last night, and enters the WWE Mae Young Classic this week. Unfortunately for her she hasn’t actually won any of her high profile matches yet.)
-Video package on the feud between Shane Taylor and Josh Woods & King Mo.
-Taylor and Woods made their entrances for the potential blow-off match to their feud. Cabana pointed out that Taylor was wearing weighted MMA gloves. [C]
(2) JOSH “THE GOODS” WOODS vs. SHANE TAYLOR
Woods with a high knee right out of the bell. He looked for a take-down but Taylor blocked. Taylor tried again but Taylor hit some blows to his back. Taylor blocked a sunset flip. Woods looked for an armbar and transitioned into a kneebar into an ankle lock. He looked for a gut wrench German suplex but Taylor sandbagged him. Taylor punched Woods off the apron and dropped him across the guardrail. Taylor with a leg drop on Woods lying across the apron. Taylor roughed up Woods in the ring. Body slam and standing splash but Woods kicked out at one. Woods came back with some strikes. Woods with a running high knee and an exploder suplex. Taylor kicked out. [C]
Woods unloaded with right hands on Taylor in the ropes. Taylor with a knee to the face. Taylor ducked a right hand and countered into a cross armbreaker. Woods pulled off Taylor’s glove, convinced it might be loaded. Sure enough, he was right. There was a foreign object inside. Referee Paul Turner wanted to disqualify Taylor but Woods insisted he wanted to end this himself. Taylor caught him with a sit-out piledriver for the win.
WINNER: Shane Taylor in 9:41.
(Pageot’s Perspective: This might be the most I’ve ever enjoyed a Woods match. He showed real fire out of the gate, selling their heated feud, and his submission transitions made me want to see him vs. Jonathan Gresham in the future. Taylor looked good too. He’s not flashy or dynamic like his former tag partner Keith Lee but he stands out on the ROH roster because of that. He’s just a big, strong, heavy-hitter who smacks you around and wears you down. For how good this match was and how long this feud’s been going on, though, I can’t help but be disappointed that they just threw it out here unannounced. This really should have warranted a video package or promo time last week. Woods lost due to his hubris and Taylor picks up a cheap win, which is probably for the best as ROH needs more strong heels at this point. Is this the end of the feud or will we still someday get the Taylor vs. King Mo match that was teased?)
-SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky) were backstage. They addressed The Briscoes. Kaz said that Sandy Fork, Delaware is the worst town they’ve ever been in. Last week it was Daniels vs. Jay so next week it’s Kaz vs. Mark.
-Video package on the rivalry between Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham. [C]
-Caprice Coleman joined commentary.
-Charles Zanders got a picture-in-picture promo. Zanders is an Alabama boy with short hair and brown and yellow pants. He was here to show everyone that he’s here to stay.
-Future Of Honor competitor Marcus Kross was his opponent. Kross has big blond ‘80s hair and wore an orange and blue karategi looking like a reject from The Karate Kid. In his PIP promo he spoke about winning a recent Future Of Honor match. He dubbed himself the kick-master.
(3) MARCUS KROSS vs. CHARLES ZANDERS – TOP PROSPECT TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND
“Super Saiyan” chant from the crowd for Kross in reference to the fact that his gear looked like the same thing worn by Goku in Dragon Ball. They exchanged headlocks. Zanders with a dropkick. Arm drag from Kross. They flipped and rolled over each other. As expected Jeff Cobb walked out again. He clotheslined both kids and hit an Athletic-plex on Kross. Zanders took Tour Of The Island.
WINNER: No contest in 1:32.
-Eli Isom ran down and unloaded with forearms to Cobb who simply no-sold them and stared at Isom. “This is awesome” chant from the crowd. Tour Of The Island to Isom too. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: The Top Prospect Tournament has become a running gag this year. This is the third time they’ve attempted to do a match for the tournament. Bully Ray interrupted the first one and Cobb’s interrupted the following two. Are they connected in some way or is it just a coincidence that Cobb and Ray both like beating up the rookies? Hopefully this is the last time we see this. Cobb is big enough of a name and established enough that we don’t need to see him winning enhancement matches over Isom and Cheeseburger. Put him right into a feud with someone like Adam Page.)
-Video recap of Bully Ray low blowing and beating Chuckie T with a chain at Honor For All on July 20 before Beretta made his return from injury to make the save.
-Ray got in Cabana’s face at commentary before heading to the ring. [C]
(4) BEST FRIENDS (Beretta & Chuckie T) vs. BULLY RAY & “THE LAST REAL MAN” SILAS YOUNG
Ray and Beretta started but he immediately tagged out to Young. Back and forth wrestling until Ray demanded the tag. Ray ran his mouth to loud boos. Ray with a body slam. Ray worked over Beretta’s surgically-repaired arm. Hurricanrana from Beretta and a back elbow in the corner. Tag to Chuck Taylor. Ray tackled him and tagged Young. Ray barked at him to “do something.” Taylor took over immediately and tagged Beretta. Ray pulled Beretta crotch-first into the ring post behind the ref’s back. [C]
Ray and Young targeted Beretta’s bicep. Beretta with a roll-up for two. Ray grabbed him by the hair from the apron and slammed him to the mat. Ray tagged in and encouraged Beretta to crawl for the tag. Beretta dropkicked Ray’s leg out. Back body drop from Ray. Tag back to Young. Beretta with a tornado DDT to Young. Hot tag to Taylor. Second rope dropkick. Sole Food. Falcon arrow. Young kicked out at two. Fireman’s carry slam for another two. Ray with a knee to the back as Taylor ran the ropes. Beretta with a blind tag. Lawndart cutter from Best Friends to Young and the big hug. Ray came in illegally to clothesline both of them. Ray demanded another tag but then jumped off the apron and walked away when Young went for it. Ray jawed at Young telling him he needs to learn a lesson. Ray said Young isn’t the guy he used to be. Dudebuster put away Young as Ray looked on with disgust.
WINNERS: Best Friends in 12:33.
(Pageot’s Perspective: A couple stories here. Best Friends are back in the tag title picture after Beretta’s long layoff. Ray’s belittling of Young that began last week continues. My best guess is that it leads to a face turn for Silas who needs something new to his act and it would help balance out the rosters with Kenny King turning heel. Is it going to be Ray vs. Colt Cabana, Flip Gordon, and Silas in a handicap match at Death Before Dishonor? Or a four corner survival match? I suppose Ray could team with Cobb and Shane Taylor in a trios tag. A lot of people on the roster are looking for any story or any feud to be a part of and Ray now has three going at the same time. Bizarre.)
-Next week: it’s Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham in a 30-minute iron man match for the ROH World Championship and Mark Briscoe vs. Frankie Kazarian.
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