Ring of Honor TV – August 19, 2016: The Second Half Of A Go Home Show
Ring of Honor
Date: August 14, 2016
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 850
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly
It’s the go home show for Death Before Dishonor and they’ve actually done a good job of setting up the main event with Jay Lethal defending the ROH World Title against Adam Cole. Unfortunately the only other match that has gotten any real time is the TV Title match with Bobby Fish defending against Mark Briscoe. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of Cole getting himself a title shot by taunting Lethal last week.
Opening sequence.
War Machine and the Motor City Machine Guns are both out with injuries so the Tag Team Title situation is up in the air.
Donovan Dijak vs. Lio Rush
Rush still doesn’t do anything for me. Dijak throws him outside to start but Rush reverses a whip into the barricade. It works so well that Rush does it again but Prince Nana won’t let Rush get back inside. Well it’s not like he does anything else. Back in and Dijak kicks him in the face for two.
Another toss sends Rush flying as the size difference is staggering here. Rush comes back with strikes because that’s how you make comebacks in ROH. A suicide dive is caught in midair but Rush kicks him a few more times and hits a springboard corkscrew dive as we go to a break. Back with Rush knocking Dijak down until a frog splash is countered with a choke.
The chokeslam is countered into an attempt at a victory roll but Dijak reverses into Feast Your Eyes. That’s countered into another rollup, followed by a low DDT and a kick to the head for two. A chokebreaker finally slows Rush down but Nana wants one more. You really should see where this is going and of course Rush gives him a reverse hurricanrana. A kick to the head and the frog splash…only get two on Dijak. Ok they actually fooled me there. Feast Your Eyes is countered into a crucifix to give Rush the big upset at 12:26.
Rating: C+. That near fall alone brings this up though I’m not wild on Dijak losing to Rush. Lio is entertaining enough but there’s nothing about him that makes him stand out. Dijak might not be great but he has potential and he’s been built up long enough. It’s a good match though and my only issue is I’m not a Rush fan.
Jay White and Kamitachi come out for back to back saves, only to have Dijak and Kamitachi beat White down. These four are in a four way for the #1 contendership to the TV Title on Friday. You might mention that in the first place but I’ll take what I can get.
The Cabinet warns Dalton Castle that his Boys might be in danger. Can we just get rid of this Cabinet gimmick already? They’re not entertaining, they’re nothing unique and they barely wrestle.
Earlier today, Shane Taylor and Keith Lee beat down War Machine to take them out of the Tag Team Title shot.
Hangman (Adam) Page talks about the Bullet Club wanting every piece of gold they can find. That includes the Briscoe Brothers and their IWGP Tag Team Titles. Cue Jay Briscoe for the brawl until security breaks it up.
Earlier tonight Addiction said they have the night off but Roppangi Vice came out to say they should deserve a shot due to being undefeated in Japan for a month. Well if it was in Japan then of course it does. This brought out the Young Bucks to say this is going to be a two and a half star match at best so let’s make it a five star classic. Nigel says he can’t do it but he can make a #1 contenders match for the title shot in two weeks.
Young Bucks vs. Roppangi Vice
Matt pounds on Romero to start as the Addiction is on commentary with Daniels listing off various Japanese teams they could fight. They’ll be defending against Naito/Evil and Tanahashi/Elgin at the pay per view, because of course having them fight an ROH team was out of the question. Romero chops at Matt’s chest before it’s off to Trent, only to have the Superkick Party begin.
Some stereo suicide dives keep Vice in trouble but Romero knocks Matt to the floor as we take a break. Back with Vice in control until Romero is sent outside for yet another superkick. Matt’s top rope elbow gets two on Barretta and it’s time to SUCK IT over and over. That earns Matt a double knee to the face, followed by Romero cleaning house with clotheslines.
The over the back piledriver on the floor is broken up though and it’s time for Addiction to take some superkicks. More superkicks abound and Nick’s 450 gives Matt a near fall. Nick moonsaults onto Addiction, leaving Trent to hit the Dudebuster (kneeling tombstone) for two. Of course it’s two because that means that would imply the Bucks aren’t the most amazing team ever. A running knee gets two on Matt but the cover is countered into a rollup to give Matt the pin at 12:16.
Rating: C. Just give the Bucks the titles already so it can officially be the Bullet Club Era instead of just pretending that it has been for six months now. At least they could have had the Bucks vs. the Addiction for the titles which now has a TV build, but instead we’re getting the Addiction vs. two teams from New Japan because YAY NEW JAPAN. I’m not a fan of anyone involved here but the booking is even worse.
Post match Addiction gives Matt Celebrity Rehab onto the title belt.
Here are Lethal and Cole for a contract signing. Cole says it’s Story Time and asks Lethal if he really believes that he’s ready for Friday. Everyone here believes they’re two of the best in the world and they’re facing off at Death Before Dishonor. Cole doesn’t sign yet but it’s Lethal’s turn to talk. Every match Jay has had in Ring of Honor has always been around the ROH World Title.
No matter what he was doing, including beating an outsider like Alberto El Patron, it was about the title. The titles are the most prestigious things in the wrestling business. For the first time though, this is personal and not about a title. Lethal doesn’t have catchphrases and one liners. He’s coming to Las Vegas to fight and he signs the paper. Cole says Lethal just signed away the title so he goes to sign as well but Lethal throws scissors on the table. The fight is on (Cole signed) and there’s a superkick for Jay but Cole spends too much time talking and gets hit low. Jay goes for Cole’s hair but the Bucks make the save to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. The wrestling was acceptable and we got a strong push to the main event but there’s a lot of stuff that just wasn’t touched upon here. Death Before Dishonor is an eight match card and this show built up four (including the Tag Team Title match which was only mentioned). But no worries, because all you need to do is say New Japan is on the card and that makes it better. Anyway, if you combine this show with last week’s you have a strong go home show but on its own, this was just more hype for the main event.
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