RADICAN’S 6/28 ROH Best in the World PPV Blog: Thoughts on entire event headlined by ROH World Champion Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb

RADICAN’S ROH BEST IN THE WORLD PPV BLOG
JUNE 28, 2019
BALTIMORE, MD
AIRED LIVE ON HONOR CLUB, PPV, & FITE.TV

Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Colt Cabana

PRE SHOW

(a) Flip Gordon vs. Rush

Rush won a solid match with the Bulls Horns.

WINNER: Rush. (**)

(Radican’s Analysis: Some good action, but this was a decisive win for Rush, who appears headed to the top of the company. As for Flip, who knows what the future holds for him.)

After the match, Rush spoke and it was hard to hear what he said. He said, “nothing happens unless I say so.”

NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis was out next. He wished Cabana the best in recovering from his injury. Aldis said when his partner Cabana was injured, he thought about whether or not he should have the match with The Briscoes. He said Baltimore was NWA country and in the NWA they keep their promises. Aldis introduced the newest acquisition of the NWA, but James Storm came out and interrupted him.

Storm got on the mic and called Aldis the protected one. He said he’s protected by Billy Corgan. He said he wasn’t chosen by Aldis. He said he’s had Colt and Aldis best. He said he’s spent 22 years earning his respect in this business. He asked Aldis who his partner was. Aldis said he’d let his parents tel him and it was Eli Drake.

Drake cut a promo and said he’s weighed offers from all companies. He said he does what he wants and he does it his way. He said he grew up down the road in Maryland. He said he used to watch men walk around with the 10 pounds of gold. Drake said nobody is going to stop him. He said the NWA and ROH would be turned upside down. He said The Briscoes would get a size 12 1/2 up their rear end tonight.

MAIN CARD

(1) Dalton Castle vs. Dragon Lee

Lee hit two Bull Horns, but Castle kicked out at two. Castle blocked an inside out rana on the apron and powerbombed Lee onto the apron. The pace slowed and Castle kept going after Lee’s mask and he eventually ripped it. Lee blocked one Bang-A-Rang, but Castle eventually hit it on the second try. He didn’t pin Lee and instead he hit the Bulls Horns.

WINNER: Dalton Castle. (**)

(Radican’s Analysis: Such poor use of Dragon Lee here. Castle is a shell of his former self and yet he’s out over one of the best performers in the world in Dragon Lee to further his feud with Lee’s brother Rush.)

(2) The Allure (Angelina Love & Mandy Leon w/Velvet Sky) vs. WOH Champion Kelly Klein & Jenny Rose

Rose and Klein charged into the ring and ran wild early. The action was dull with The Allure in control with Love doing most of the work. The crowd fell flat as the action dragged along. Love kicked out of a super fallaway slam. Sky got on the apron and Mandy hit her with a shoe from behind while almost tripping and falling in the process. Love them by the Botox Injection for the win. (*)

WINNERS: Angelina Love & Mandy Leon

(Radican’s Analysis: This was just painfully slow to watch as it unfolded. The finish took a long time to execute with the ref distraction.)

The lights went out and Maria Manic’s vignette played. The lights came back on no she was in the ring behind The Allure. The Allure left and Manic beat up the security with high impact moves. She hit a razors edge on one of them over the top to the floor into a pile of security.

(3) Jay Lethal vs. Kenny King – Match 3 of Best of 3 Series

Lethal was seated in a chair on the outside, but he avoided Kong’s charge and tripped him into the chair. King fired back and suplexed Lethal from the floor into the apron. Lethal hit the Royal Flush on King, but he kicked out at two. King called for his walking stick. Lethal got a fight four, but he let go when Amy Rose rolled his walking stick into the ring. Lethal hit the Lethal Injection a short time later, but King kicked out at the last second. King fired back up top and hit a blockbuster. He hit a sloppy Lethal Injection and The Royal Flush for the win.

WINNER: Kenny King to win the best of 3 series 2-1. (**1/2)

(Radican’s Analysis: Solid action, but once again the finish involved outside inference, which is a staple of this booking team. King’s attempt at a Lethal Injection at the end did not look good at all.)

(4) Silas Young vs. Jonathan Gresham – Pure Rules match

Gresham used his first of three rope breaks early when Young pushed him into the ropes. Gresham grabbed Young’s leg and he stood up and grabbed the ropes, which cost him his first of three rope breaks. Gresham got the octopus hold and forced him to use his second rope break. Young got a warning for punching with a closed fist. Gresham used his second rope break to escape a submission from Young. This match has been so dull and boring up to this point. Gresham used his last rope break to escape a full nelson submission. He can no longer use the ropes to escape a submission.

Young used his final rope break, so both men are out of rope breaks. If Gresham can get Young to throw a closed fist, he will win the match because Young already has one warning. Young suplexed Gresham over the top to the floor and both men crashed and burned. Todd Sinclair went to fix the ring apron and he missed a low blow from Gresham on Young. Gresham then won with an octopus submission. Young got to the ropes, but couldn’t escape, so he tapped.

WINNER: Jonathan Gresham (-*)

Radican’s Analysis: Terrible. It was painfully dull and ended with yet another bad finish. This time ref stupidity was used to cover for a low blow. 

(5) NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis & Eli Drake vs. The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe)

James Storm joined in on commentary. Aldis ended up getting isolated by The Briscoes, who wiped him out with a double shoulder tackle. Later, Drake ducked a charge from Jay in the corner and hit a neck breaker. Jay fired back and hit a big dropkick on Aldis. Drake hit a burning hammer on Jay for a near fall. Aldis got the King Lynn’s Cloverleaf on Jay, but Mark sent him to the floor. Mark and Eli crawled through the crowd. The bell had rang at some point, but I’m not sure why they called for it. Drake and Storm ended up going at it up by the announce booth.

The Briscoes tried to set up Aldis on a table, but Kamille made the save. Security came in to stop The Briscoes. The Briscoes went after security and then Jay hit a low blow on Aldis. After the ring was cleared, Mark put Aldis trough a table. Cabana wanted to go down to the ring several times to help Aldis, but it seemed that Riccaboni was able to talk him out of it.

Aldis was left alone in the ring and Marty Scurll came down to the ring to help him.

WINNERS: No winners match was thrown out due to Drake and Storm brawling.

(Radican’s Analysis: The match was just thrown out and that’s fine if they’re looking to split Drake off with Storm and go back to Cabana’s story at another time. The announcers didn’t do a good job of hammering home why the bell rang and focused more on the continued action. The main problem I had here was that this was yet another screw finish on the card that’s already had several. The action and post-match segment were good with Colt wanting to save Aldis, but not risking it with his injury.)

(6) ROH World TV Champion Shane Taylor vs. Bandido

Taylor blocked a rana to the floor and slammed Bandido into the apron. Bandido hit s flurry of offense capped by a corkscrew splash off the top. WOW. He then rolled into Taylor and hit a face buster. Bandido then wiped out Taylor with a big dive. Taylor wiped out Bandido with a clothesline a short time later. The announcers talked about how Taylor needed to avenge his loss to Bandido and prove himself he’s a different wrestler. Bandido kicked out of a splash off the turnbuckles at two. Bandido went for the 21 Plex, but Taylor hung onto the ropes to block it. Taylor then hit a package piledriver, but Bandido kicked out at the last second. Bandido caught Taylor coming off the turnbuckles and slammed him from a two count!! Wow! Bandido slipped but got his footing and hit a SSP for a near fall. Taylor fired back and hit Welcome to the Land for the win.

WINNER: Shane Taylor to retain the ROH World TV title. (***1/2)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was easily the best thing on the show so far. It was a good match with a good story. Taylor came out looking strong.)

(7) ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions (Marty Scurll & PCO & Brody King) vs. P.J. Black & Lifeblood (Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams

Villain Enterprises had new entrance music and Road Warrior style entrance gear. They were also wearing new belts. The belts were custom designed with the VE logo on them. The announcers said the standard belts were in the building and would be awarded if new champions were crowned. The crowd started several PCO chants before the match started. They wanted Scurll to tag in PCO and Scurll tagged him in. PCO wiped out a pile of men with a dive off the apron to the floor. Scurll got isolated. Scurll tagged in King, who ran wild. Villain Enterprises ran wIld, but Haskins mounted a comeback. Black nailed PCO with a dropkick off the top and Williams his a big splash off the top for a near fall. PCO got isolated and they hit a triple piledriver, but PCO kicked out at the very last second. Everyone hit moves and PCO capped a big sequence with a kryptonite crunch on Haskins.

Everyone was down and then the action picked back up. PCO clotheslined Black to the floor and went up top for a moonsault to the floor. Williams cut him off and powerbombed him onto the apron after Haskins nailed him with a kick. King hit a sick double arm drag on Lifeblood and then wiped them out with a dive through the ropes. Black went for a moonsault off the top but Scurll got his boot up. King nailed Black with a Gonzo Bomb and PCO finished him off with a moonsault for the win.

WINNERS: Marty Scurll & Brody King & PCO to retain the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship. (***1/2)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was all action and it was very good. This was a great presentation of Villain Enterprises and was a great way to make the group feel special.)

The Sons of Savagery attacked Lifeblood after the match. Bandido cleared the ring, but Bully Ray ran down and wiped him out from behind. Gordon made the save and Bully left the ring. Bandido gave Gordon a shirt and he accepted it for Lifeblood.

The lights went out and Scurll was shown backstage. He said he was going to reveal to the world the newest member of Villain Enterprises. Scurll said the new member was the intern. The understudy. The camera panned over and it was Flip Gordon in a Villain Enterprises shirt. Gordon went after Lifeblood, but Villain Enterprises ran down and helped Gordon wipe them all out. Williams was set up on a table and Gordon hit a 450 off the top to the floor. That looked like a rough landing for Gordon.

(Radican’s Analysis: That reveal made my brain hurt, but the attack on Lifeblood was cool. For that video to work Scurll had to know (1) VE would win the match (2) Sons is Savagery would attack Lifeblood. (3) Flip would make the save (4) Bully would leave the ring and back down from Flip (5) Lifeblood would offer him a spot.)

(8) ROH World Champion Matt Taven vs. Jeff Cobb

There was around 12 minutes of air time left when the match began. Cobb dominated with his power during the early going. Taven went to the floor and spit at Cobb. Cobb went after him, but Taven cut him off as he came through. Cobb was standing up facing away from Cobb.Taven eventually hit a big dive that sent Cobb face first into the barricade. Why would they do that move after what happened to Nigel when he took it? Cobb fired back inside the ring and hit a one arm German. Cobb yanked Taven out of the corner and caught him in a twisting suplex. Taven countered a powerbombed into a rana. He then hit just the tip. He hit another a short time later. Taven made the cover, but Cobb kicked out at 1. Cob blocked Climax, but Taven hit it on a second try for a near fall.

This match has no heat. Cobb blocked Climax and hit a wheelbarrow German. Taven blocked Tour of the Islands and hit Climax for the win.

WINNER: Matt Taven to retain the ROH World Title. (**1/2)

(Radican’s Analysis: This felt rushed with ROH running up against the midnight hour for the PPV to end. The crowd was flat for the main event and Cobb never seemed like he came was going to win. At least Taven won clean.)

Overall thoughts: (3.5) – This was just a really bad show with one bad booking decision after the other. Multiple matches ended with outside interference or ref incompetence, which I can’t stand.

Hopefully Joe Koff takes a long hard look at the booking committee after this show and realizes how bad things are given how the crowd responded most of the night. The show featured one match after another ending due to ref incompetence or interference. It was just ridiculous.

There was some solid action on the show, as things picked up nicely with a couple of really good matches. Taylor defended his ROH World TV Title successfully and the match had a really good story to bolster Taylor, who was looking to avenge an earlier loss to Bandido before he won the ROH World TV Title.

The VE vs. Lifeblood & Black match was really good as well, but the post-match angle had so many logic gaps that it made my head hurt. It was ridiculous that everything fell into place for Scurll’s reveal of Gordon as the newest member of VE.

The main event was rushed and Cobb’s undefeated streak ended with a thud. The match was fine, but Cobb never threatened Taven and lost cleanly. There doesn’t seem to be much momentum for him coming out of this encounter. Hopefully he goes to NJPW full-time in the near future where he’ll likely be used much more effectively. He’s being wasted by the ROH booking team.

I’ll have much more to say about this show on the post-PPV roundtable for VIP members with Rich Fann and Tyler Rose.

Contact Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him at twitter.com/sr_torch