SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 23, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, PA AT 2300 ARENA
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
Video recap of last week with Bully Ray attacking Jonathan Gresham with a steel chain and effortlessly disposing of Flip Gordon. Jay Lethal made the save but was jumped by Silas Young from behind. Afterwards Lethal and Gresham challenged Ray and Young to a tag title match – tonight’s main event.
-Opening theme.
-In the arena we opened with Dalton Castle’s music in a big surprise but it turned out to just be The Boys alone.
(1) BEST FRIENDS (Beretta & Chuckie T) vs. THE BOYS (Brandon & Brent)
Brent and Chuck Taylor started it off. Headscissors sends Taylor to the floor. Brandon and Beretta get involved and Beretta ends up on the floor too. They hug at ringside but Beretta releases in time for Brandon to hit a leaping splash over the ropes onto Taylor. Beretta hangs up Brent on the ropes. Crucifix cutter from Best Friends to Brandon on the floor. Taylor hits a power bomb to Brent for a two-count. [C]
Brent looks for a tag but Brandon is nowhere to be found. Beretta with a back elbow. Double chokeslam from Best Friends but Brandon breaks up the pin. Taylor throws him back to the floor. Beretta looked for a Razor’s Edge but Brent escaped and Brandon made a blind tag. Lungblower + codebreaker from The Boys for a two-count to Beretta. Best Friends somewhat heelishly double-teamed Brent and postured. Brandon looked for a jackknife pin to Beretta but he kicked out. Simultaneous Dudebuster and Awful Waffle to Brent and Brandon for the pin.
WINNERS: Best Friends in 7:15.
(Pageot’s Perspective: I want to say this was the first appearance of The Boys since Castle lost the world title and took time off to heal his injuries. The Boys hanging so long against Best Friends didn’t make the BFs look too bad as most of their offense was sporadic and the Friends would have won more than once if a Boy hadn’t been able to break up the pin at the last minute. Best Friends team with their Chaos stablemates Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero to take on the ROH Bullet Club five this Friday at Death Before Dishonor.)
-Video package covering the SoCal Uncensored-Briscoes feud.
-Kenny King made his entrance wearing a sun hat with an inflatable pool donut around his waist and carrying another inflatable pool raft in the shape of a bottle of champagne. It was seemingly a reference to his appearance on this season of Bachelor In Paradise. King had a red rose on his blue tights now too as an allusion to the show.
-Video recap of King pinning Marty Scurll with his feet on the ropes five weeks ago. [C]
(2) ADAM PAGE vs. KENNY KING
Coleman defended King’s recent heel pivot by pointing out that Scurll cheated at least four times in their recent match but King cheated once and the audience was all over him. King posed for a selfie with a fan in the front row, which allowed Page to catch him with a running shooting star press off the apron at 3:30. Page followed by taking a selfie with the same fan. “Hangman” chant from the crowd. Page rolled King into the ring and brought the pool toys in with him. Referee Paul Turner disposed of the donut as King used the raft to block punches from Page. Page came back and suplexed King onto the raft to a loud ovation. [C]
King caught Page with a chin-checker and running clothesline. Spinning heel kick. Spinebuster gave King a two-count. King tried for a release German suplex but Page land on his feet. Bridging German suplex from Page for a two-count. King went to the floor for a breather. Page looked for a suicide dive but King caught him with a kick as he hit the ropes. A second on the apron connected but Page hit Buckshot Lariat for a near-fall. King rolled through a Rite Of Passage attempt and got his feet on the ropes but Turner caught him. Page rolled through a Royal Flush attempt. They rolled back and forth but it was King grabbing a handful of tights that tipped things in his favor.
WINNER: Kenny King in 11:54. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: The commentators put over King being 2-0 against Bullet Club now. If there’s one way to ensure a crowd is against you it’s definitely to put somebody up against the ever-popular BC crew. Will we see King face Matt or Nick Jackson in singles competition sometime soon? Or perhaps Chase Owens. He’s scheduled to appear at this Saturday’s TV tapings. If this is all building to King vs. Cody for the NWA title at an upcoming pay-per-view that would be a lot of fun and a perfect road to take. In the meantime King faces Jushin Thunder Liger this Friday at Death Before Dishonor in his hometown of Las Vegas.)
-Up next it was our fourth attempt at a 2018 Top Prospect Tournament match. Dante Caballero was from Puerto Rico. He got a picture-in-picture promo saying he was going to win the tournament. Brian Johnson also got a PIP promo. He called himself the #1 athlete, the #1 seed, and the #1 top prospect.
(3) BRIAN JOHNSON vs. DANTE CABALLERO – TOP PROSPECT TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND
It took 20 seconds for Jeff Cobb to storm the ring. Johnson begged off and suggested they double-team Caballero. Caballero tried for a kick so Cobb yanked him into Tour Of The Island.
WINNER: No contest in 0:56.
-Johnson celebrated like he and Cobb were allied. He of course took a Tour Of The Island too. Cobb asked for a microphone. He said the Top Prospect Tournament is over. The commentators agreed. Cobb declared himself the top prospect.
(Pageot’s Perspective: The failure for any Top Prospect match to go off successfully was a fun running gag even if it did poke some logic holes in the kayfabe ROH booking and enforcing. Cobb filling the role of this year’s hot new prospect is perfect. Hopefully they do something big with him now. We don’t need months of enhancement victories as we’ve already been acquainted with how dominant he is. Sic him on someone like Page or Chris Sabin and ensure Cobb starts off on as hot of a roll as they can.)
-Video package promoting Sumie Sakai vs. Tenille Dashwood for the Women Of Honor World Championship at Death Before Dishonor.
-Silas Young and Bully Ray entered individually for the main event. Ray spun Young around and got in his face, lecturing him. Jonathan Gresham entered next as Riccaboni reminded us that he and Jay Lethal defeated The Young Bucks in tag action at Honor Re-United on August 18. Lethal entered last. [C]
-Lethal held Gresham back from going after Ray. Gresham insisted he be allowed to start.
(4) ROH WORLD CHAMPION JAY LETHAL & “THE OCTOPUS” JONATHAN GRESHAM vs. BULLY RAY & “THE LAST REAL MAN” SILAS YOUNG
Gresham tried to lock up. Ray of course immediately tagged out. Gresham worked Young into the corner but Young held onto the ropes to avoid a dropkick. Gresham got in Ray’s face on the apron and goaded him into coming into the ring. Gresham slapped Ray. Young slapped Ray on the chest for the tag and told him to get in too. Ray dropped off the apron and started up the entrance ramp. He came back and threw some streamers around ringside in a huff. Ray caught a Gresham crossbody but Gresham escaped out into a hammerlock and another slap to the back of Ray’s head. Ray hit a high back body drop and pie-faced Lethal on the apron. Lethal asked for the tag and Gresham obliged. Ray hit a dropkick, which left Lethal surprised. [C]
Lethal and Ray threw hands. Ray chopped Lethal, who asked for another. They exchanged slaps, then more right hands. Ray with a bear hug club that put down Lethal. Ray charged Lethal. The champ moved and Ray hit Young. Tag to Gresham. Stereo suicide dives from the babyfaces to the heels. Gresham went up top but Ray crotched him. Ray worked over Gresham but Gresham dropkicked out his left knee. Gresham locked in the octopus but Ray powered out with a sidewalk slam. Ray missed a back senton from the second rope. Hot tag to Lethal. Tag to Young. Lethal unloaded on Young and knocked Ray off the apron in the process. Lethal Combination to Young. Ray jumped in and took an enziguiri. Lethal tried for a suplex. Gresham ran over to help lift Ray up and over. Tag to Gresham and they set Ray up for Whassup? Gresham hit the diving headbutt to Ray’s crotch. Snap German suplex to Young from Gresham. Hail To The King from Lethal to Young. Gresham followed with a shooting star press but Ray shoved Lethal into all three men and refere Todd Sinclair to break it up. Behind Sinclair’s back Ray hit a low blow to Gresham. Misery from Young to Gresham sealed it.
WINNERS: Ray & Young in 14:34.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Coming out of last week’s show I thought for sure Young would walk out on Ray as payback from their last tag match but once it was announced they’re taking on Colt Cabana & Flip Gordon in a tables match at Death Before Dishonor it became clear that the heels had to win here. Gresham’s being positioned as the new ultimate underdog so taking another pin doesn’t hurt him at all. In fact he’s such an underdog that he isn’t even booked for the pay-per-view. Lethal of course defends his world title against Will Ospreay.)
-Video package on Death Before Dishonor highlighted all the matches on the card with backstage promos from some of the wrestlers involved interspersed throughout.
-Next week: it’s Cody & The Young Bucks vs. Silas Young & The Bouncers for the six-man titles and Punishment Martinez vs. Aaron Solow for the television title.
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