Ring of Honor TV – March 27, 2019: Get Me To The Garden
Ring of Honor
Date: March 27, 2019
Location: RP Funding Center, Lakeland, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
The post-Anniversary Show shows continue here and that means another one off night that may or may not mean anything. There’s always the chance that none of this goes anywhere, which can be rather tiresome. At the same time though, there is a real chance of getting something very nice out of these shows. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Dalton Castle/The Boys vs. Lifeblood
Bandido/Tracy Williams/Juice Robinson with Tenille Dashwood for Lifeblood here. Castle sends Robinson to the floor for the strut to start, only to have Robinson throw him to the floor for a strut of his own. Another exchange of tosses to the floor is capped off by Castle being sent over the top but he comes back in for another strut off. It’s off to Williams instead, with the Boys making some rather weird noises to suggest that they want in.
Boy #2 comes in for a chop but has to bring in #1 for threat of being chopped back. The exact same sequence brings #2 back in and Williams chops both of them down for being annoying. Back from a break with Bandido in trouble as #1 hits a top rope double stomp to the arm. Castle slams him down and drops the Boys onto him but Bandido comes back up with a top rope corkscrew crossbody.
Robinson comes in for the snap punches and an airplane spin to #1, capped off by the Juicebox. Pulp Friction connects with Castle making the save, earning himself a big flip dive from Bandido. #1 forearms away but a springboard forearm has no effect. A slingshot hurricanrana takes Castle out but he’s fine enough to dive in for a save. Bandido throws #2 at Castle and Bandido’s rolling German suplex is good for the pin at 12:24.
Rating: C. Castle’s misfortunes continue as I keep trying to figure out how they’re going to turn him heel down the line. You can only have him do so many of his antics before the fans start cheering him again, which has to be expected. Lifeblood is still awesome and could go somewhere, but they need something to do other than one off matches.
Jay Lethal is excited to be wrestling in a sold out Madison Square Garden.
The Briscoes (still with the Tag Team Titles that they lost about two weeks ago) are ready for the MSG show where they’ll win the IWGP Tag Team Titles.
NWA National Title: Willie Mack vs. Rhett Titus
Titus has the Survival of the Fittest trophy and is very oily. An armbar doesn’t get very far on Mack but a headscissors works a lot better. Back up and Mack hits a running knee to the face, setting up the chop off in the corner. A big boot takes Mack down and we take a break with Titus in control.
Back with Mack getting two off a backslide and the swinging slam sets up an inverted Cannonball in the corner. That’s enough to send Titus outside for the running flip dive but it’s too early for a frog splash. Instead Mack goes with a Samoan drop into the standing moonsault. Now the Stunner sets up a frog splash to retain the title at 10:57.
Rating: C-. Mack is awesome and I’m very glad to see him showing up in so many promotions lately. He has such a natural charisma and it’s hard not to want to see him in the ring. Titus was just an opponent here, which has been the case for almost everything that he’s done since the All Night Express. That being said, I’ll take his “I’m in shape and have a trophy” deal over the Dawgs all day.
Bully Ray talks about his WWF successes in Madison Square Garden and throws out an open challenge for Madison Square Garden.
Jay Lethal/Jonathan Gresham vs. Coast 2 Coast
Lethal has bad ribs and they shake hands before we get started. Lethal and Ali start things off with Jay hitting a hard shoulder. The cartwheel into a dropkick is broken up and it’s off to LSG for a running neckbreaker. A suplex doesn’t work on Lethal and it’s a blind tag to bring in Gresham for a German suplex. LSG drives him into the corner though and it’s Ali with a bit of a dance into a spinning splash for two of his own. Gresham starts going after Ali’s leg and we take a break.
Back with Ali hitting something like an Angle Slam to get Gresham off his leg. Everything breaks down and the Lethal Injection is countered with a running flip neckbreaker. We settle down to Lethal and Ali slugging it out until an enziguri takes Ali down. Everything breaks down again and the Lethal Combination drops LSG, who gets sent outside. Gresham slaps the Figure Four on Ali with Gresham diving in for the save. Lethal rolls Gresham forward and a jumping cutter finishes Ali at 11:04.
Rating: C+. Nice enough tag match here as Coast 2 Coast being back is a good prospect. They’re a solid team and can help bolster a somewhat weak tag division outside of the very top. There’s nothing wrong with being in the midcard of the division and that’s where they are likely going to be if they stick around.
Overall Rating: C-. Completely skippable show this week though it was far from bad. It’s yet another example of a show that was taped before the pay per view and therefore has almost nothing in the way of advancing things for the big show. That’s not a good sign with a week to go before Madison Square Garden, but New Japan and the venue itself will be the stars of that show.
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