SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT (ep.455)
JUNE 2, 2020
AIRED ON SINCLAIR SYNDICATED TV & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY RYAN SULLIVAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Host: No Host This Week
-The opening theme aired.
– A highlight package was played, consisting of Brody King’s top moments in Ring of Honor.
-Brody King appeared on-screen, presumably from his home, talking about his life during quarantine. He has been teaching his child how to walk, playing a lot of video games, and has learned the art of smoking meat. In addition, Brody has taken up yoga, and is watching television in the evenings with his wife.
-Brody then pivoted to discussing his career in Ring of Honor. He arrived in ROH as part of Villain Enterprises, and highlights of his first night were shown.
-Brody started talking about the match against Mexibloods in January. He said it was his first match back from knee surgery, and even though Villain Enterprises lost the match, it was a fantastic and competitive contest. He said they could not have lost to better competitors.
(1) VILLAIN ENTERPRISES (Flip Gordon & Brody King & Marty Scurll) vs Mexibloods (Bandido & Flamita & Rey Horus) – ROH Six-Man Tag Team Title Match
This match took place in Atlanta, on January 11th. It was originally scheduled to be a non-title affair, but in a pre-match promo by Marty Scurll, he made it a title match. The ring entrances and the introductions were not shown for either team.
King and Flamita began the match, with Brody using his size advantage to overwhelm the smaller, but more agile, Flamita. Scurll and Bandido tag in about two minutes in, and the crowd was hot for both men. The pace immediately quickened, with both Scurll and Bandido countering the other’s moves into the first commercial. (c)
Back “live”, Flip Gordon and Rey Horus are now in the ring, with Horus controlling the action. Flip delivers a ricochet kick to Horus, sending him outside the ring, where a collective effort by Villain Enterprises, allowed Gordon to seize control. Flip sent Horus back in the ring, where Villain Enterprises began taking turns punishing Rey. A few minutes later, Gordon inadvertently clotheslines Scurll, allowing Horus to reach his corner and tag Bandido. Bandido enters the ring and clears all three members of Villain Enterprises. Bandido goes to the top rope and hits a moonsault onto Gordon on the floor, while Flamita and Horus hit simultaneous somersault planchas to the rest of Villain Enterprises on the floor. Wow! (c)
The match returns to total chaos, as all six men are in the ring. Each man somehow delivers a huge power move in succession, leading to everyone on the mat from the punishment. Commentator Ian Riccaboni punctuated this series of moves with “Dios Mio”!
The action resumes with the weary Scurll and Bandido the legal men, slugging it out in the middle of the ring. Bandido delivers an X-knee on Scurll, and follows it with a Moonsault top rope slam, but somehow, Scurll kicked out at 2.
The finish occurs soon thereafter, as Scurll and Bandido are the only two men in the ring. Scurll teases his “chicken wing” submission, but Bandido rolled him up for the 1-2-3. We have new champions!
WINNERS: MEXIBLOOD aka Bandido, Flamita & Rey Horus at 13:37
(Ryan’s Reaction: There was so much action in this match that I could not properly describe it in print. This is my pick for the best match thus far in Ring of Honor, and possibly anywhere in the United States, in 2020. I cannot recommend strongly enough watching this match start to finish.)
Rather abruptly, we are back at the house, with Brody still on his couch. King begins to discuss his match with Jeff Cobb at Death Before Dishonor. This was his first singles match in Ring of Honor and he wanted to show he was more than a tag team wrestler.
(2) BRODY KING vs. JEFF COBB
This match took place on September 27, 2019 in Las Vegas, at ROH Death Before Dishonor. Neither man received his ring entrance or introduction. The match began with a test of strength, as both powerhouses wanted to establish themselves as the alpha in the contest. After a couple minutes, neither man was able to gain a clear advantage. This evolved into Cobb and King trading shoulder blocks mid-ring, again, with neither man able to gain the upper-hand. King charged at Cobb in the corner, but Cobb was able to reverse it, and delivered an overhead “German” suplex to King, into the turnbuckle pads. (c)
Back “live”, King and Cobb are mid-ring exchanging forearms and punches – Wow! Both men were reeling from the punishment, but neither would fall down. King soon delivered a “Sidewalk slam” on Cobb. King went to the top rope, but Cobb recovered to hit a standing dropkick on King. However, King was able to return the favor and hit a “Frankensteiner” on Cobb, sending him outside the ring. King followed with a missile dive at Cobb. King sent Cobb back in the ring, and then delivers a piledriver on Cobb, but Jeff is able to kick out at two. This was a LONG two count.
The finish occurs soon after, when King teases a “Gonzo bomb” piledriver, but Cobb blocks it. Cobb and King then trade “German” suplexes. King charges at Cobb off the ropes, but Cobb is able to catch King, and uses that momentum to hit his “Tour of the Island” finisher.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb at 9:54
(Ryan’s Reaction: This match was terrific, and in hindsight, it might have been wise for King to win this match. The biggest takeaway I have from this match, however, is that I am dumbfounded that it took nine months for the incredibly talented and versatile King to get his first singles’ match in Ring of Honor. King is a piece to build a company around, and I hope the new booker uses King to his fullest potential.)
-An Honor Club commercial was shown. (c)
-Another, yet different, Honor Club commercial was aired.
(3) VILLAIN ENTERPRISES (PCO & Brody King) vs LIFEBLOOD (Juice Robinson & David Finlay w/Tenille Dashwood)
This match originally took place in San Antonio, and served as the finals for Tag Wars 2019. Both Villain Enterprises and Lifeblood received their full ring entrances and introductions. Tenille Dashwood joined Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana on commentary. The Code of Honor was not adhered to, as Villain Enterprises declined the show of sportsmanship.
King and Finlay begin the matchup, with Brody capitalizing on his size advantage to gain the offensive advantage. Finlay uses his speed and quickness to allude to larger King, and tags in to Robinson. King tags in Scurll and takes us into commercial. (c)
Returning to action, Robinson and PCO are mid-ring, with Juice throwing relentless punches and shoulder tackles, to no avail. PCO no-sells these strikes, and goes on the offensive, delivering a steady stream of kicks to Juice. PCO punishes Juice for a few minutes, before an unforced error allows Juice to tag in Finlay. PCO also makes the tag to Brody King, and then Villain Enterprises proceeded to begin beating on Finlay. After several minutes of punishment, Finlay makes the hot tag to Juice, who proceeds to punish Villain Enterprises one on two. Juice charged toward King in the corner, but Brody reversed it, and used Juice’s momentum to overhead throw him into the turnbuckles. (c)
PCO goes to the top rope and attempts a frog splash, but Juice was able to get his knees up. Robinson and Finlay attempt a double running bulldog to PCO, but PCO blocks (no-sells) it, and double clotheslines both Finlay and Juice to the floor. PCO gets some assistance from Brody King and hits a “back body drop” onto Finlay and Juice outside the ring.
The finish occurs a couple minutes later, when David Finlay went to the top rope, but Brody swiftly knocked him off the top rope. King used this moment to capitalize and hit his “Gonzo bomb” finisher on Finlay for the win.
WINNERS: Villain Enterprises at 13:27
(Ryan’s Reaction: This match was not particularly great, and with Finlay, Juice and Tenille all no longer with Ring of Honor, I was continually struck with the idea, “Why are they showing this match”? This was a dud for me.)
-Brody King was back on his couch. King said the last match he wanted to show was him and PCO facing The Briscoes. He said the matchup helped set the path for his time in Ring of Honor. A few highlights of the match were shown, including a quick mention that he and PCO were crowned tag-team champions that evening.
-King then said he speaks for everyone in ROH when he says they are excited to get back to work. He says Villain Enterprises will once again rule the wrestling world. “Villain Enterprises is number 1”, as the show faded to black.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was one of the better spotlight episodes ROH has produced in this “pandemic” era. However, I am left bewildered at the decision to show PCO and Brody verses Juice Robinson and David Finlay as the main event of the show. I suspect something happened to preclude them from showing the match against The Briscoes, but the main event left me with a bit of an unsatisfied feeling. Nevertheless, this was a nice look into Brody King the individual, and the first two matches were terrific, making it a solid hour of wrestling television.
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