SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT
DECEMBER 16, 2018
PITTSBURGH, PA AT STAGE AE
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, Caprice Coleman
ROH World Champion Jay Lethal was backstage by a Christmas tree and a table full of wrapped presents. He and Matt Taven are the captains of this year’s annual Christmas surprise ten-man tag match. He explained the premise: they each choose four gifts at random and unwrap them to reveal their tag partners for the night.
We cut to the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Kingdom elsewhere looking gray and Scroogey. Taven hates Christmas and he hates surprises. The only people he ever wants to be teamed with are TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia, not the other melvins on the roster.
-Opening theme.
-In the arena the commentators were wearing festive hats. They wished us a merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah.
-Shine tag team champions Twisted Sisterz made their entrance for their first Women Of Honor tag match. Footage aired of them attacking Madison Rayne and Britt Baker at Survival Of The Fittest.
(1) MADISON RAYNE & DR. BRITT BAKER vs. TWISTED SISTERZ (Holidead & Thunder Rosa)
Baker nailed Holidead with a superkick. The Sisterz were cleared to the floor and Rayne hit a crossbody off the apron onto both of them. Rayne and Holidead wound up the legal women. Rayne got a bridging pin but Holidead kicked out. Holidead tagged in Rosa and lifted her into a leg drop on Rayne. Rosa hung Rayne in the tree of woe and hit a dropkick to the face. [C]
Riccaboni talked about how the Sisterz are the first real pairing in Women Of Honor. The commentators compared them to the Briscoes. Rayne made the hot tag to Baker. She unloaded on Rosa with clotheslines. Slingblade to Rosa and one for Holidead too. Holidead came back with kicks. Baker with a double underhook suplex. Rosa pulled Rayne to the floor. The Sisterz hit a lungblower + flatliner combo and a variation on The Addiction’s Celebrity Rehab. Rayne broke up the pin. Rayne with a split-leg dropkick to both opponents. Holidead hit a big spinebuster to Baker. Ripcord forearm from Baker into a cutter from Rayne. Rosa cause Baker’s leg to kick Rayne in the head. Rayne went down and Holidead hit Baker a spinning back slam. Rosa followed with a top rope double stomp and pinned Baker.
WINNERS: Twisted Sisterz in 9:45.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Damn, that was great. Twisted Sisterz might be the best addition to Women Of Honor yet. They’re an established team with a résumé, matching gear and face paint, and double-team moves. They’re also Hart Foundation-esque with Holidead being the physical strength and Thunder Rosa being lighter and faster. And they’re heels – something much needed in the women’s division. Lots of possibilities going forward here.)
-Lethal and Taven (in their separate areas) were both shown unwrapping the names of their first two tag partners. Lethal’s reactions were “Good!” and “This one’s in the bag.” Taven’s was a double dose of “Ugh! Melvin!”
-In an “ROH in 2018” look back feature, footage aired of Jeff Cobb debuting and capturing the TV title. [C]
-Caprice Coleman found Lethal backstage looking bummed out. He asked what’s wrong. Lethal said he wanted Cheeseburger to be on his team but he didn’t get him. Coleman told him to look under the desk. Lethal found one last present. He opened it to find… “Cheeseburger!” Lethal was ecstatic.
-Taven was out of presents but still one partner short too. O’Ryan and Marseglia realized it was in the stocking on the tree. He opened it to find… unclear. The Kingdom walked off in a huff without revealing the name.
-In the arena ring announcer Bobby Cruise introduced Taven to start. Brian Milonas was his first partner. He walked through the crowd from the bar, drinking a beer and wearing reindeer antlers. Jonathan Gresham was their next partner. He had a pillow under his shirt and wore a Santa hat and beard, carrying a plastic candy cane. Luck was on Milonas’ side as his regular partner Beer City Bruiser was #4 for their team. He also headed down through the crowd from the bar, carrying his keg, which was decorated with streamers. Their final partner was Marty Scurll. He wore silver streamers around his neck and reindeer antlers as well over his usual gear. [C]
-In an “ROH in 2018” look back feature, footage aired of Jay Lethal becoming world champion.
-Lethal entered first for his Christmas surprise team, wearing fuzzy Christmas glasses. Cheeseburger was out next, dressed in an elf hat and ears. Out third was Rhett Titus, wearing a Santa Snoopy hat and carrying a present. (But where’s Little Willy?) He took off his Christmas sweater and posed on the apron. Fourth for their team was Vinny Marseglia. He wore no festive fear but had red and green balloons instead of just red like usual. Out last was the television champion Jeff Cobb, wearing an elf hat. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: The commentators previously stated that all three Kingdom members were eligible for this match so the fact that O’Ryan isn’t here implies that there were more than eight names eligible and these men were simply the first ones unwrapped.)
-In an “ROH in 2018” look back feature, footage aired of SoCal Uncensored capturing the tag team titles.
-All ten men were in the ring with refere Todd Sinclair. Taven bickered with his team, insisting he was in charge. Scurll demanded to know where his Christmas outfit was. Lethal offered to trade Marseglia for Gresham. Taven eagerly agreed but Sincalir wouldn’t allow it. Bruised yelled for them to stop fighting because it’s Christmas. Wrestlers from their respective teams slowly made their way to the apron. Taven threw a Santa hat on the ground rather than gift it to a fan.
(2) ROH WORLD CHAMPION JAY LETHAL, ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION JEFF COBB, ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPION VINNY MARSEGLIA, “THE BIG DAWG” RHETT TITUS, & CHEESEBURGER vs. ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPION MATT TAVEN, “THE VILLAIN” MARTY SCURLL, “THE OCTOPUS” JONATHAN GRESHAM, & THE BOUNCERS (Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas) – CHRISTMAS SURPRISE 10-MAN TAG
Lethal and Gresham started for their teams. “Merry Christmas” chant from the crowd. They mat wrestled briefly before Bruiser tagged himself in. Lethal with a hiptoss into a dropkick. Bruiser scurried over to tag Taven. [C]
-In an “ROH in 2018” look back feature, footage aired of Sumie Sakai winning the Women Of Honor tournament to become the inaugural women’s champion.
Taven called for Cheeseburger. He tagged in and they both did push-ups. Taven immediately tagged in Milonas as his gift to Burger. Burger thought of tagging out but convinced himself he could handle the guy who has to be three times his weight. Burger tried for a headlock but Milonas just lifted him into the air. Burger leapfrogged Milonas over and over until Milonas lost his breath from running back and forth. He doubled over to catch his breath. Titus jumped in and looked to take advantage with a suplex but couldn’t budge the big man. He called over Burger to help. Milonas came in to help his partner. Scurll joined the Bouncers and they triple-suplexed Burger and Titus. Marseglia entered the ring with his ax. Scurll called for his umbrella. Gresham threw him a candy cane. Scurll cast it aside and got his umbrella. He faced off with Marseglia but instead tagged Taven.
Taven and Marseglia got face to face and spoke confidentially. Taven told him to tag out but Marseglia’s partners dropped off the apron to prevent a tag. Taven’s partners did the same. The eight men surrounded the ring and slapped the apron, chanting for the implosion of The Kingdom. Taven and Marseglia ran the ropes before sliding to the floor and attacking their opponents. All ten men brawled on the floor. Bruiser went up top and just straight up fell onto everybody as Taven stepped out of the way and laughed at the other eight men being wiped out. [C]
Lethal with a superkick to Marseglia before remembering they’re partners. Team Taven took turns splashing Lethal in the corner. Gresham didn’t want to do it so everything broke down again. Now it was Team Lethal’s turn to splash Taven in the corner. The four men (minus Marseglia) surrounded Taven and worked together to dropkick and suplex him. They all covered but Gresham broke up the pin. Cobb hoisted up Milonas for a Tour Of The Islands but Scurll pushed him over. Burger nailed Gresham with a shotei. Lethal Injection to Taven! Crossbody from Milonas to Lethal. Cobb hit a massive overhead suplex on Milonas. Tour Of The Islands to Bruiser!
WINNERS: Team Lethal in 15:26.
-As Team Lethal (minus Marseglia) celebrated in the ring, the commentators wished us all happy holidays and thanked the entire ROH staff for a terrific 2018.
(Pageot’s Perspective: If you hated this, you’re just a grinch. This was so much fun. It’s lighthearted holiday frivolity but all the wrestlers stayed true to their characters at the same time. Plus we got a call-back to the great Lethal-Gresham matches from this year, furthering of the slow burn Lethal-Taven feud, some rub given to the Bouncers and Burger for getting to tag with the top names on the roster, and Jeff Cobb performing ridiculous feats of strength. Oh, and a lot of genuinely funny moments.)
This was a real fun show and the fans were really into what was going on. Can you imagine if the WWE could get their much bigger crowds this interested in the matches?