Ring of Honor TV – March 7, 2018: They Got It Done

IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Ring of Honor
Date: March 7, 2018
Location: Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana

We’re coming up on the 16th Anniversary Show and that means it’s time to really hammer the card home. Or in this case, it’s time to have a bunch of other stuff before we actually get to the pay per view because of the weird schedule. The shows have been mostly solid as of late so hopefully the trend continues. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Briscoe Brothers vs. Best Friends

The Briscoes cost them a title shot a few weeks back to set this up. The violence continues here as the Best Friends are knocked off the apron to start with the beating starting fast. Back in and the Friends hit a string of running clotheslines in the corner but stop for a hug. You don’t give the Briscoes that kind of a break so the Friends are knocked outside as we take a break.

Back with Mark driving Barretta into the corner but getting caught in a tornado DDT. It’s off to Chuckie for a sitout powerbomb as everything breaks down. An Eat Defeat into a suplex rocks Mark, setting up the big flip dive from Barretta. Back in and the reverse Razor’s Edge into a cutter gets a close two on Mark. Barretta’s backslide gets two more but it’s a Jay Driller into a Froggy Bow for the pin at 8:45.

Rating: C+. I’m not big on the Best Friends but amazingly enough, they’re this much better without all the hugging nonsense. Instead it was a straightforward match where they came close to beating the Briscoes, only to come up short in the end as they should have. The Briscoes are going to win the titles without much effort and that’s how it needs to go.

Post match the Motor City Machine Guns come in and lay out the Briscoes in an attempt to make you believe this isn’t going to be the biggest layup of a title change in years.

We recap last week’s TV Title change.

Recap of the Women’s Title tournament so far.

Christopher Daniels vs. Adam Page

Hang on a second though as here’s Bully Ray to eject Scorpio Sky and Kazarian under the threat of a suspension. Page, acting on Ray’s orders, wastes no time in taking it to Daniels by knocking him into the corner and out to the floor. Daniels gets hung over the ropes (by the Hangman of course) but comes back with a shot to the face as we take a break.

Back with Page fighting out of a chinlock and winning the big exchange of forearms. Page powerbombs him down and sends Daniels outside for the shooting star shoulder. Daniels is right back with a rollup but neither can hit their finisher. Best Moonsault Ever misses and the Buckshot Lariat is enough to put Daniels away at 9:17.

Rating: C. I remember watching Page and thinking next to nothing of him. He wasn’t interesting, he wasn’t different and he wasn’t very good. Now though, he’s managed to turn himself into someone who not only puts on good matches but has also figured out how to be the aggressive enforcer of Bullet Club. That’s a role he can play and much more than I ever would have expected from him.

Post match Shane Taylor runs in and beats Page down with Daniels saying it was the best money he ever sent. Ray pops up and isn’t pleased with these events.

Punishment Martinez/Marty Scurll vs. Jay Lethal/Dalton Castle

Before the match, Martinez and Scurll say they’ll be the World Champion, Lethal is ready to take the title and Castle is happy with a bowl of delicious soup. Martinez and Castle start but Punishment wants Lethal. Jay, in full on Macho Man style gear, comes in and gets caught in a hard headlock. The early chokeslam doesn’t work and Jay’s chops just seem to annoy Martinez. Dude his name is Punishment. How smart do you think it is to chop him?

Scurll demands to come in and Castle wants a piece of that (his words). Some jockeying leads to an exchange of wristlocks with Marty actually getting the better of it. Jay comes back in for an elbow to the jaw and the good guys exchange Matrix style poses. Marty uses the distraction to kick Jay in the face though and we take a break. Back with Jay slipping out of a Psycho Driver and handing it off to Castle for the suplexes, including a German suplex for two on Scurll.

Lethal kicks Castle by mistake though (You knew that was coming) and Scurll grabs the Ghostbuster on Jay. The full chickenwing dance is broken up by Punishment tagging himself in. Now the Psycho Driver and a curb stomp connect for a near fall on Jay (that’s not a good sign for two big moves from Martinez).

Scurll tags himself back in this time and everything breaks down. Martinez turns Jay inside out with a clothesline but charges into a dead lift German suplex. The fans are way behind Castle but Punishment beats on the Boys. Lethal is back in with some kicks to Martinez, followed by some errant powder from Scurll. Castle takes Martinez to the floor and the Lethal Injection ends Scurll at 13:20.

Rating: C+. The ending being too overbooked didn’t do this any favors but the rest of the match was all it needed to be. They set up both matches on Friday as well as they could have and aside from a DQ or countout ending, Scurll probably has the least to lose here. Lethal continues to be awesome, but I think he comes up short on Friday.

Cody says there is no throne for the Kingdom.

Matt Taven is ready to make Cody kiss the ring.

The Briscoes can’t be held responsible for what they’ll do to the Machine Guns.

The Guns aren’t letting the Briscoes be around one more year.

So Cal Uncensored is ready for a street fight party.

The Bullet Club promises to win.

Scurll says Martinez is in for a spot of bother.

Martinez says Scurll is just his next victim.

Lethal is getting his title back.

Castle’s belly is full of excitement. We saw most of these promos last week but it’s nice to have them on the go home show too.

Overall Rating: C+. The main goal was accomplished: I care more about this Friday’s pay per view than I did coming in. If nothing else, I got a reminder of the matches on that show, which were getting a little hazy. It’s still not a good looking show, but the main event should be awesome and if there’s one more good match included, things should be fine.

Remember to check out my new forums at steelcagewrestling.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

https://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/


And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:


http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

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