Ring of Honor TV – April 24, 2019: I’m Used To It By Now
IMG Credit: Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Date: April 24, 2019
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, Nick Aldis
I don’t know how either but somehow we’re still waiting to get to the post Supercard shows. I know it wasn’t the best night in the world for the company but egads man get on to something new already. It’s another night of one off matches that aren’t likely to mean much but that’s how things go around here these days. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Kenny King vs. Tracy Williams
King is the hometown boy and Williams is coming in with a bad shoulder. They start slowly as the announcers ignore the match to talk about the Crockett Cup. To be fair, that sounds a lot more interesting. King picks up the pace and rolls over to grab a headlock, which is reversed into one from Williams. A takedown puts King on the mat and we take an early break. Back with a standoff as the even match continues.
Williams takes him down and starts in on the arm as the announcers argue about handshakes in wrestling. King grabs the referee for a distraction and crotches Williams on top. That’s about it for the offense at the moment though as Williams knocks him off the apron. King jumps onto the apron and corkscrews off in a completely unnecessary flip.
Back in and a butterfly suplex gives King two as Aldis continues to break down a match like no one else in a very long time. King takes him up top but gets caught in a DDT onto the top rope (that’s a new one). A Death Valley Driver gives Williams two and we take another break. We come back with Williams not being able to get the Crossface, allowing King to grab a Last Chancery.
With that broken up, King kicks him in the head and then the ribs for two, which Aldis says is making Williams bend the knee. King grabs a rollup and a rope for two and it’s time for the chops to fire Williams up. The Royal Flush is countered into a small package for two and a fisherman’s buster gets the same. Williams tries a high crossbody but gets pulled out of the air, setting up the Royal Flush for the pin at 19:18.
Rating: B. Nice long (very long) match here with King getting a win to continue a roll that hasn’t actually started yet, which is very clear as the announcers didn’t mention his win in New York at all. King is fine for a midcarder and hopefully that’s where he stays, because I can’t imagine an extended main event run from the guy.
We recap Bandido vs. PJ Black II. The original match caused Black to see the error of his ways and is a reason why he joined Lifeblood. Tonight he’s ready to show everyone what the good Black can do.
Video on Nick Aldis vs. Marty Scurll for the NWA World Title at the Crockett Cup.
Bouncers vs. Reno Scum
Scum must work really cheap because I don’t get the appeal. Milonas and Adam Thornstowe start things off with Adam bouncing off the huge shoulder. The bigger Luster the Legend comes in to try his luck and gets slammed down without much effort. Bruiser hits a running crossbody to set up the snap jabs as the beating continues.
Scum goes with some double forearms to the back to take over for the first time. A double slam sets up a falling headbutt to give Luster two and we hit the bearhug. The missed charge sends Luster shoulder first into the post and the tag brings in Milonas to a rather tepid reaction. Thornstowe gets caught in Closing Time for the pin at 4:57.
Rating: D. The Bouncers are a perfectly nice team in this spot and for once ROH seems smart enough to understand that. They would get wrecked by the Briscoes, the Guerrillas or Villain Enterprises so let them hang around the midcard and win squashes or matches like this. The fans like them well enough and they’re a fine little boost in the middle of the show.
Bandido vs. PJ Black
They grapple to the mat to start with Bandido going after the leg. Back up and it’s a standoff with Black shooting an invisible arrow at Bandido. A shoulder just makes Bandido nip up, followed by a handstand nip up to get in Black’s head. Black misses an elbow and Bandido freezes him with the finger gun. A dropkick puts Black on the floor but he’s right back in for a crucifix driver as we take a break.
We come back with Bandido kicking him in the head to block a dive, setting up a heck of a moonsault to the floor. The Cannonball hits the barricade though and it’s time to head back inside for a slugout. Back in and Black gets crotched on top but manages to roll through a super hurricanrana into a Styles Clash for his own near fall.
A pumphandle into a cutter (the Wellness Policy, because we have to take a shot at WWE every few shows) gives Black two but Bandido rolls over and deadlifting Black into a piledriver (Black’s head landed on Bandido’s leg as the whole thing looked messy). Back from another break with Black hitting a moonsault press for two but running into a Spanish Fly for two more.
Bandido charges into raised boots though and a top rope double stomp to a standing Bandido gets two. Black gets caught on top for a super Spanish Fly but the moonsault hits raised boots. A shot to the face rocks Black again though and the handspring bridging German suplex finishes Black at 15:21.
Rating: B-. So you remember when Black was evil and lost to Bandido? Well now he’s good and lost to Bandido again. The match was very back and forth and entertaining, but I’m not sure what the point of this was. Black’s change hasn’t made him any better but I guess he feels better about it? Uh, good for him then I guess.
Post match they shake hands because Lifeblood is good that way.
Tenille Dashwood has been put through a table. Bully Ray pops up to say bad things happen to good people. People have been trying to figure out who attacked Dashwood six months ago and now we know. He’ll tell Lifeblood she says goodbye. I mean, they could have done this for some fresh new heel but why do that when you can have it be Bully instead?
Overall Rating: C+. As I’m writing this, Matt Taven is three weeks into his ROH World Title reign. We haven’t seen or heard from him in that time, not even in an inset promo. How in the world can we go that long in what is supposed to be a new era after that long of a chase? This keeps happening over and over and I have no idea why ROH can’t find SOMETHING that is better than this. At least have him say something. It’s only going to happen again at the next pay per view too, so what’s the point in even getting annoyed at it again? Nice show, but come on already with this scheduling stuff.
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