Ring of Honor TV – July 24, 2018: That’s How The Castle Crumbles
IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling
Ring of Honor
Date: July 25, 2018
Location: EagleBank Arena, Fairfax, Virginia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
It’s FINALLY time for something fresh and egads it’s taken long enough to get here. Tonight is a big show with a major event taking place, as announced about a month ago on Ring of Honor’s website. That should be a big deal and something worth seeing, which is more than I can say for a lot of what has been going on as of late. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We open with the stills package from Best in the World. You know, the show from June 29.
Opening sequence.
Here’s Jay Lethal for the opening chat. Lethal was on a mission to avenge each of his losses (though there weren’t many in the first place) so he could be back to the top of his game. Now it’s time to go after the World Title again, so he wants his name in the hat. He wants Dalton Castle out here right now but here’s Matt Taven instead. Taven doesn’t want to hear about Lethal getting another title shot because in his six years here, Taven has received two title shots, both of which have ended in interference. He doesn’t want to hear about this injury anymore so it’s time for Lethal to get in line behind the King.
Now it’s Cody (with Bernard) to interrupt as well. Cody agrees that they’re in line, but they’re in line behind him. That means it’s Castle time and he can’t believe this many people want what he has. Castle feels like he’s been run over by a herd of wildebeests but he’s up for a four way TONIGHT. Well that’s hitting the ground running.
Post break, the match is officially made.
Women of Honor Title: Sumie Sakai vs. Hazuki
Hazuki is challenging and has her Oedo Tai stable mates with her. Sakai starts with the Mongolian chops and gets tossed into the corner with no effort. The announcers make a big deal out of Hazuki being just 20 years old, which is quite the point worth bragging about. A facewash sends Sakai outside and Hazuki hits a middle rope backsplash to a standing champion as we take a break.
Back with Sakai getting rolled up for two but slugging Hazuki in the face to take over. A full nelson slam and another backsplash (this time with Sakai down) give Hazuki two. Sakai is right back with a running dropkick and a missile dropkick to send Hazuki to the floor. That means a big dive onto all three but Hazuki catches her with a Codebreaker off the top for a very close two. The rest of the team fails at interfering and it’s Smash Mouth to retain at 9:55.
Rating: C+. It’s not a good sign when you need to bring in this many people to even have a division, or when a 20 year old showed up your first champion this badly. Sakai has no spark to anything she does and I still have no connection to her, even after the whole tournament. Hazuki came off like a star with a better offense and charisma, but we’re still getting Sakai no matter what logic may dictate.
Marty Scurll is telling someone where to put the powder for his match when ace reporter Gregory Helms comes in. Scurll doesn’t want to hear it (Helms: “Ok Mr. Cobblepot.”) and breaks Helms’ fingers.
ROH World Title: Cody vs. Matt Taven vs. Jay Lethal vs. Dalton Castle
Castle is defending and it’s one fall to a finish, even though the match is called a Survival Match. I get what they’re going for and it’s not terrible by any means but I’ve never liked that name for a one fall match. Castle is also very banged up but has the Boys with him to counter Cody’s seconds in Brandi and Bernard. Taven and Castle go straight to the floor so Lethal can dropkick Cody back inside.
Back in and Taven misses a missile dropkick but backdrops Letha to the apron for a springboard kick to the head. The Disaster Kick puts Taven on the floor as Castle gets back in for a running clothesline to put Cody on the floor. There’s the Peacock strut but Lethal comes back in to clear things out. Two suicide dives per opponent has Lethal in full control and we actually don’t take a break. Bernard even takes one of his own so Castle gets back inside where Brandi tosses him something.
That’s just a ruse though so a low blow can take Taven down, meaning it’s a showdown with Cody vs. Castle. The American Deathlock works on Castle’s bad knee so Lethal goes up for the save. Taven breaks it up and does the frog splash for a save instead, which fits him perfectly. Back from a break with Lethal hitting a DDT on Cody and a Downward Spiral for two on Castle. The Figure Four goes on Castle with Cody making a save, only to get kicked in the face for his efforts. Lethal goes crazy with chops on Taven, who collapses against the ropes in a heap.
Castle can’t hit the Bang a Rang on Taven, who rolls him up for a VERY delayed two (there’s your conspiracy). With Taven panicking, Cody comes in and hits Cross Rhodes for two and it’s a three way strike off between everyone but Taven. Cody powerslams Lethal and there’s the Disaster Kick to Castle. Taven is back in with a Climax for two on Castle as Cody saves. A double Lethal Injection drops Cody and Taven to the floor and the single version drops Castle. Taven pulls the referee out at two though and we take a break.
Back again with Lethal diving into a chair and Taven hitting his great looking dive onto Cody. It’s table time (completely unnecessary) and a Tower of Doom sends Taven and Cody through the wood with Lethal sliding in to get two. Lethal and Castle slug it out but the Lethal Injection is countered into the Bang a Rang. That’s countered as well and the Lethal Injection ends Castle to give Lethal the title back at 17:44.
Rating: B+. The more I think about this, the more I like it. Castle retaining at Best in the World was just a swerve so they could do something like this and there’s nothing wrong with that. Lethal feels a bit like a transitional champion and the safe choice to take the title off of the injured Castle but there are far worse choices. You’ll get solid to great matches and the fans respect him so it’s as good of an option as there was available. Now ROH can figure out where they want to go and Lethal is a fine placeholder. It came in an entertaining match as well, with everyone working hard and feeling like they could pull it off.
Lethal shakes Castle’s hand to end the show.
Overall Rating: B+. This was an odd week as it felt more like a last minute emergency move instead of the first big show back. That’s not a criticism though as they needed to get the title off of Castle as fast as they could and they did it in a rather nifty match. I liked what they did here and the big stuff can come together next week. This would be more about taking care of something that had to be done instead of taking the next step. That’s all perfectly fine though, as it wasn’t something they could leaving out there much longer. Good show, thankfully.
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