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ROH TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 18, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, PA AT 2300 ARENA
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
We opened with a video recap of Dalton Castle’s return to television last week, teaming with Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham in the main event against The Kingdom. Castle picked up the win for his team with a bang-a-rang and he and Lethal had a friendly eyeing of the ROH world title afterward.
-Opening theme.
-In the arena Castle’s music hit. He was in street clothes and accompanied by The Boys. They headed to the ring with a microphone. Castle reminded us that he was out for close to three months due to an injury but assured us that he was rehabbing, training, and kissing kangaroos the entire time. Now he’s back with one mission: to reclaim the ROH World Championship. He told Lethal that he wants the champ.
This prompted “the real ROH World Champion” Matt Taven. Taven stood on stage with his purple title belt and declared himself the only world champion. He walked to the ring as Castle said he couldn’t take that information standing up. The Boys formed a chair for him to sit on. Taven claimed Castle left because he couldn’t handle the responsibility of being the face of ROH. Castle called him delusional, narcissistic, gangly, and uncoordinated. Taven will never be the real ROH world champion. Taven said he had a surprise for him.
Red balloons floated out from under the ring as TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia attacked The Boys. Taven took down Castle in the process. The Kingdom threw five steel chairs into the ring and set up Castle for a three-way conchairto. All three men slammed their chairs down on Castle, who was laying face down across another chair. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: The crowd was shockingly quiet for what should have been a big angle featuring two of the top stars in the promotion. When it comes time to prep the highlight reel for Final Battle hopefully they rely more on the footage from Global Wars: Buffalo last week. The Kingdom’s attack on The Boys and Castle from that show was more drawn-out and sadistic and got louder heat if memory serves me. If you missed it, Taven officially challenged Castle in Buffalo to a match at Final Battle for his world title and Castle agreed. Meanwhile it was announced on social media this week that Lethal will defend the actual ROH world title against Cody at Final Battle in Cody’s last ROH appearance.)
-Video recap of The Briscoes attacking SCU last week and injuring Christopher Daniels. Riccaboni said we’ll find out who will team with Frankie Kazarian in the main event instead later tonight. Cabana had an assumption of who it would be (the third member of their stable?) but said we’d wait and see.
-Video package on the superhero vs. villain feud between Marty Scurll and Shane Helms. It began on August 5 TV with a Scurll win, continued on October 7 TV with a Helms win, and included footage from their third match at Glory By Honor on October 12. That one ended in a double disqualification after both men attacked the referee. Post-match Scurll and Adam Page attacked Helms in a very heelish manner and unmasked him.
-Scurll entered first for match #4, carrying the Hurricane mask. The Hurricane’s music hit and he stood on stage with his cape, posing behind his cape. But when the arm was lowered, it wasn’t Helms… it was Delirious in a Hurricane outfit! The real Shane Helms was already in the ring behind Scurll, mask-less, and planted him with a Hurrichokeslam. Referee Todd Sinclair called for the bell.
(1) SHANE “HURRICANE” HELMS vs. “THE VILLAIN” MARTY SCURLL – NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH
Scurll kicked out at two. Helms whipped him into the guardrail at ringside and stripped off his t-shirt. Helms choked Scurll with his own shirt and threw him into another guardrail. He set up a chair and sat Scurll in it. Helms clotheslined him out of the chair. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Again, if you missed Glory By Honor, Delirous posing as a fake Helms on stage was a call-back to that match where Adam Page appeared in Villain garb before the match to allow Scurll to jump Helms from behind. This was a fun use of Delirious.)
Helms was down in the ring as Scurll pulled a sextet of umbrellas out from under the ring. He threw them in and attacked Helms with one. Scurll cracked him with them while singing “Singin’ In The Rain.” Helms reached for his mask on the apron but Scurll stomped on his fingers. Helms fired back with right hands and hit a straitjacket slam. He grabbed his mask and pulled it on. Hurricane no-sold an umbrella shot and broke it in half. He hit a mortifier for a two-count. Hurricane threw four chairs into the ring. He took his time setting them up and took a European uppercut. Scurll finished setting up the four chairs with their seats facing each other. Hurricane put him up top for a superplex through the chairs. Scurll knocked him off but Hurricane came back by grabbing his crotch and gave Scurll an overhead throw onto the chairs. Nightmare On Helms Street gave him another two-count. [C]
There was a table set up at ringside and Scurll was on his feet with Hurricane down on the apron. They exchanged punches. Scurll raked the eyes and hit an Attitude Adjustment off the apron that put Hurricane through the table. “ROH” chant from the crowd. After a delay Scurll rolled him into the ring but Hurricane kicked out. Scurll found a satchel under the ring and brought it in. He poured out thumbtacks. Hurricane fought back. Both men almost went into the tacks. Scurll snapped Hurricane’s fingers. Hurricane hit a Hurrichokeslam that put Scurll into the tacks. He rolled over with tacks stuck into his back. The back of Scurll’s back was blurred out. Hurricane got a two-count. “Marty” chant from the crowd. Scurll with a low blow. He poured a handful of tacks into Hurricane’s mouth and superkicked him before following up with Graduation.
WINNER: Marty Scurll in 12:59. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Thus marks the end of Superhero vs. Villain. I can’t say the feud as a whole did a lot for me. We didn’t learn anything new about Scurll and feuding with a WWE comedy figure seemed to define him down more than it elevated Helms. Will Helms stick around and continue to wrestle like Bully Ray or is he destined for a backstage role now? Where will Scurll end up on the Final Battle card? The two men’s singles titles are already being defended against his teammates Cody and Page so what’s left for Scurll? Maybe a showcase match against a New Japan guest star? With a Survival Of The Fittest win in his pocket and the rest of his stable believed to be leaving ROH within the month he should be being positioned for something big. But nothing obvious jumps out at the moment.)
-Video package on Brandi Rhodes. She spoke about breaking her clavicle months ago while competing in Japan for World Wonder Ring Stardom. They showed photos of her match and subsequent x-ray. With a plate in her arm she doesn’t have the same range of motion she used to have but she has been cleared to wrestle again. Apparently we can watch her in-ring return on Honor Club.
-SCU entered first for the main event. As expected it was Kaz and Scorpio Sky representing the trio. The Young Bucks were out second and were introduced as co-holders of the six-man titles (they lost the titles two weeks ago to The Kingdom at Survival Of The Fittest). The Briscoes were out last. [C]
(2) THE BRISCOES (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) vs. THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. SOCAL UNCENSORED (Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky) – ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Sky and Nick started it off. After some back and forth Sky flipped over the ropes onto both Briscoes, who had been pacing at ringside in lieu of taking their corner. This led to all six men getting into it. SCU stood tall. The commentators reminded us that Kaz and Sky defeated The Briscoes on the All In kickoff show back on September 1. The champs took over on Kaz. Mark drove him into the guardrail. Jay locked in a camel clutch in the ring. They continued to isolate Kaz but he caught Mark with a lungblower. He almost had a tag to Sky but Jay kicked him off the apron to prevent it. [C]
Kaz tagged Matt. Double clothesline to both Briscoes. He took out Mark on the floor and put Jay in a sharpshooter. Sky broke up the hold. As he fought with the Bucks the fans went quiet, not knowing who to cheer. Luckily Jay quickly re-entered and the fans went back to cheering the Bucks as they double-teamed him. Nick saved Matt from redneck boogie. Kaz caught Matt with an inside cradle for two. SCU hit a dropkick + powerbomb combo to Matt but Nick made the save. They locked in stereo dragon sleepers on Mark and Matt but Jay and Nick broke it up with stereo superkicks. Nick went to town on SCU and took out referee Paul Turner by accident.
Mark nailed Nick with a chair, then Matt. Jay brought in another one. Jay went for a table and Kaz got the chair away from Mark. Jay Driller to Kaz. Turner recovered to count two but Matt broke up the pinfall. Turner was still groggy so Mark set up the chair behind his back. Matt fought back against the Briscoes, who had been attempting to injure Kaz. Jay hit a sidewalk slam on Matt’s bad back across the seat of the chair. Matt rolled to the floor and Nick checked on him. The Briscoes set up Kaz for a doomsday device. Sky threw a tag title to Kaz. He clocked Jay with it and countered the doomsday into a powerslam on Mark, the same finish that won them the match at All In, but Jay kicked out. Jay caught Kaz with a chair to the back. Jay threw it at him but Kaz moved and Mark got clocked. An assisted lungblower from Sky and Kaz to Mark put him away.
WINNERS: SCU in 15:13 to capture the tag titles.
-Daniels headed to the ring in a neckbrace and raised his teammate’s arms. The Bucks looked on disappointed from the floor. Jay demanded to know what happened from Mark.
(Pageot’s Perspective: The crowd was initially quiet after the three-count before cheering so they seemed genuinely surprised by the title change. I probably would have been as well had ROH not spoiled the results on social media and all of the live events of the past month. SCU and The Briscoes have continued to battle throughout November so expect another match between them at Final Battle, maybe with some sort of stipulation. I mean aside from the stipulation that was already established way back in January where we were told Daniels and Kaz will be fired after the December 14 pay-per-view.
Next week marks the first episode from the post-Glory By Honor and Jericho Cruise tapings in Pittsburgh on November 3 so expect Final Battle developments to come fast and hard. We only have three weeks of TV left before ROH’s biggest pay-per-view of the year.)
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