Ring of Honor TV – June 14, 2017: The Latest Invasion
Ring of Honor
Date: June 14, 2017
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Colt Cabana, Ian Riccaboni
Best in the World is rapidly approaching and it would be nice to actually know something about the card other than just the main event. I know I’ve liked the fact that we know that match so far in advance but a little more than that would be nice. Hopefully it’s not just throwing a bunch of names together and hoping for the best. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Young Bucks/Hangman Page vs. Roppongi Vice/Chuck Taylor
Taylor is Trent Barretta’s other partner so this is kind of a mixture of two teams. It’s a brawl to start with the Bullet Club being sent outside for a big flip dive. That earns Chuck a chant, followed by the BEST FRIENDS chant (Trent/Chuck’s team name). Trent does a big run up and down the apron before slingshotting in for a stomp to the face.
Chuck adds a slow motion hilo and we get a big hug. Romero isn’t happy so he grabs Trent’s leg as the announcers talk about either team being possible challengers for the Six Man Tag Team Titles, again showing how TOTALLY WORTHLESS those belts are. These teams are working together for possibly the first time ever in this promotion and they might be in line for a title shot? Vice and Chuckie have some communication issues but Romero clotheslines the Bucks down anyway. That means the Bucks might have to sell something so they start cleaning house with kicks and a flip dive as we take a break.
Back with Romero being pulled off the apron so Chuckie can get the hot tag. A middle rope dropkick puts Page on the floor and Nick is suplexed into Matt. Everything breaks down again and Matt gets reverse Razor’s Edged into a cutter for two. Romero suicide dives onto Nick and Adam, leaving Matt to eat a cradle piledriver for two more. Strong Zero is broken up but Chuck takes Romero’s place to keep the wedge going. Nick Swantons onto Trent for the save and it’s time for a bunch of kicks to the face.
The slingshot X Factor drops Trent again and a DDT on the apron makes things worse for Chuckie. More Bang for Your Buck gets two with Romero making the save for Chuckie, meaning it’s time for the Superkick Party. Romero even shields Chuckie but he takes his sixth superkick anyway. The Meltzer Driver is broken up and a quick rotating piledriver is enough for the pin on Matt at 13:31.
Rating: B-. That was a lot of fun, assuming you can ignore the lack of the tagging and the Bucks in general, though I’ve ranted enough about them as of late. Chuck being wedged into the team is interesting, though that’s a story that could have taken three months and they did it in a single night here. If nothing else it’s nice to have someone from Kentucky who isn’t a hillbilly or Eugene.
The winners celebrate.
The Kingdom is ready to beat up the Boys next week. This team is still stupid.
Video on Jay White, who is so glad to be here after working so hard. The New Japan Dojo is awesome if you didn’t know that. He had a great match with Will Ospreay at War of the Worlds and now it’s time to face Punishment Martinez, who interrupted after. The Martinez stuff was a simple promo style and I liked it more than what you usually get around here.
Rebellion vs. Jay White/Jonathan Gresham
Shane Taylor/Rhett Titus for Rebellion here. The Rebellion jumps White and Gresham in the aisle to start as Alex Shelley joins commentary. Double dives take the Rebellion down as a Jay White chant starts up. White throws Gresham at Titus and we hear Shelley talking about how awesome Search and Destroy is. I still don’t quite know who is actually on that team at this point and I still don’t know why it’s supposed to be interesting.
The opening bell finally rings with the massive Taylor hammering on the tiny Gresham. Titus adds a gutwrench powerbomb and a splash for two. There’s no White to tag so it’s back to Taylor as we take a break. Back with Gresham still in trouble until Titus Bronco Busts Taylor by mistake.
White comes in to clean house as everything breaks down. Jay actually slams Taylor and a two man backsplash gets two. Caprice Coleman comes in with a spinebuster on Gresham so Shelley and Chris Sabin come in to take Coleman down. Jay dives onto the Rebellion and the match is thrown out (because SOMEONE INTERFERING IN FRONT OF THE REFEREE isn’t a DQ anymore) at 8:30.
Rating: C. This has been my least favorite story in Ring of Honor for months now as these teams really aren’t interesting. They’re just kind of there for the sake of having a feud, which isn’t enough to keep my interest most of the time. It doesn’t help that there’s nothing for these teams to do other than fight for a potential shot at the worthless Six Man Titles, which isn’t enough to keep my interest.
Shelley issues a challenge for Best in the World: Search and Destroy vs. Rebellion with the losing team having to disband. Well that helps a lot.
Kazarian has a belt and wants to use it on Hangman Page.
Jay Briscoe isn’t happy with the Boys costing him a tag match last week. Therefore, he wants to eat the Boys.
TV Title: Kushida vs. Marty Scurll
Scurll is defending and has to spin out of a wristlock to start. The fans decide that THIS is wrestling as the announcers talk about wrestlers debating what the top title is around here. Eh probably something from New Japan. Marty can’t spin out of a front facelock so Kushida spins around on his back and mocks the bird pose.
Back from a break with Kushida kicking him in the head and adding a springboard chop. The champ quickly breaks a cross armbreaker but Kushida grabs a DDT into a failed fisherman’s buster. Kushida misses a flip dive but is still able to reverse a chickenwing attempt into a cradle for two. They start trading the kicks until Kushida handsprings into the chickenwing.
The Hoverboard Lock goes on but Scurll spins out and snaps the finger. A hard clothesline turns Kushida inside out and both guys are down. Back up and Scurll calls for the chickenwing but the lights go out. They come back up in a hurry and someone is on the apron, wearing Scurll’s villain costume. Of course it’s Adam Cole and the distraction sets up a fisherman’s buster into a small package to give Kushida the title at 11:32.
Rating: B. I was ready to be annoyed at the title change but the interference and advancement of Cole vs. the Bullet Club helps a lot. I’m never wild on throwing a title on a New Japan guy if they’re not going to be around full time (which isn’t happening here) but you have to get used to it at this point.
Overall Rating: B. This was easily the best TV show they’ve done in several weeks as they advance stories, change a title and help get ready for a pay per view. I had a good time with the show and it flew by, which really isn’t the norm around here. Keep this stuff up and don’t take major detours before a pay per view and things will be fine.
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