4/21 ROH TV RESULTS: Bandido vs. PJ Black, Kenny King vs. Tracy Williams, The Bouncers vs. Reno Scum, Tenille Dashwood’s mystery attacker revealed

ROH TV REPORT
APRIL 21, 2019
LAS VEGAS, NV AT SAM’S TOWN
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Nick Aldis

Opening theme.

-In the arena we opened with the entrance of Vegas’ own Kenny King.

(1) “HOT SAUCE” TRACY WILLIAMS vs. KENNY KING

Williams gained control going into the first commercial break. [C]

Aldis justly mocked Williams for asking for the code of honor in the middle of the match. King took over to a smattering of boos. He hit an eye poke in front of the referee. Williams connected with a dropkick from the second turnbuckle. Front face DDT to King onto the top turnbuckle. Death valley driver for two. [C]

King with a chancery but Williams broke it with a closed fist, which Aldis jumped on, questioning the so-called honor of Lifeblood. King tried to steal the pin with his arm on the ropes but Williams kicked out. Royal Flush countered into an inside cradle but King kicked out. Fisherman’s buster but King kicked out again. Williams looked for a crossbody but King rolled through and hit with the Royal Flush for the clean win.

WINNER: Kenny King in 16:26.

(Pageot’s Perspective: We’ve spoken a lot on the Wednesday DailyCast Talking Honor about how ROH television has felt particularly inessential this year. Matches like this, thrown out on TV with no cause and no build, with two commercial breaks in the middle, really drive that point home. This didn’t tell you or show you anything new about either men. I think one of the big issues is that it feels like the TV tapings are structured and designed for the live audience more than the TV audience. It’s very rare that anything is added in post-production that doesn’t air in front of the live audience, unlike a show like NXT where a surplus of video packages, interviews, and backstage vignettes are used to explain matches and build characters.)

-The same video package on PJ Black that played last week aired again. [C]

-Brief video showing Marty Scurll challenging Nick Aldis to an NWA world title match at Crockett Cup.

(2) THE BOUNCERS (Beer City Bruiser & Brawler Milonas) vs. RENO SCUM (Adam Thornstowe & Luster The Legend)

Milonas and Thornstowe started but Thornstowe tagged out almost immediately to Luster. Milonas tagged in Bruiser and Reno Scum took control. After a couple minutes of basic offense Milonas got the hot tag. Closing Time ended things.

WINNERS: The Bouncers in 4:56. [C]

(Pageot’s Perspective: The commentators talked up the 12-year history of Reno Scum so I really thought we were going to see The Bouncers in their first non-enhancement TV match in a while. Nope, just more of the same. Milonas has apparently traded in his first name of Brian for the nickname Brawler instead. It’s fine.)

(3) BANDIDO vs. “DAREWOLF” PJ BLACK

Back and forth in the first three minutes. [C]

Bandido with a suplex on the floor. Top rope moonsault. Black avoided a cannonball and Bandido crashed into the guardrail. Styles Clash from Black for two. Bandido with a cradle brainbuster. [C]

Springboard moonsault from Black. Spanish fly from Bandido on Black coming off the ropes. Top rope Spanish fly from Bandido. Black got his shoulder up. Springboard moonsault from Bandido into the boots of Black. Bandido hit the 21plex for the win.

WINNER: Bandido in 16:18.

-The commentators talked up the Crockett Cup but were unable to mention that Bandido will be teaming with Flip Gordon in the tournament as this episode was recorded 36 days ago.

(Pageot’s Perspective: The video packages set this up as Black’s redemption match, marking him turning babyface again after turning heel against Bandido on January 13 at Honor Reigns Supreme. The crowd seemed to miss the memo, though, booing Black sporadically throughout. In their defense, though, the last time we saw Black wrestle on TV was February 10 against Nick Aldis and that match was a mess with both men alternating between face and heel at different points. This match was good but I don’t know if it was an instant classic deserving of three weeks of hype building to it.)

-Somewhere backstage an unconscious Tenille Dashwood was shown lying amid the wreckage of a broken table. Bully Ray pulled up a chair and took credit for being the mystery assailant who attacked her backstage at Death Before Dishonor on September 28 and put her on the shelf for the past six months. He told her he’d say goodbye to Lifeblood for her.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Lifeblood didn’t form until January so there are a lot of questions here as to what Dashwood did to Ray last fall to make him want to attack her. It shouldn’t have anything to do with his wife, Velvet Sky, either as she only debuted with ROH this month. So ROH finally teases an intergender match, only after knowing it can’t happen as one of the competitors has already left the promotion. This obviously sets up Juice Robinson and his crew going after Ray for vengeance but I really need to hear Ray’s explanation as to why he first attacked Dashwood last September.)