Ring of Honor TV – May 22, 2019 (400th Episode): The ROH Way
IMG Credit: Ring of Honor Wrestling
Ring of Honor
Date: May 22, 2019
Location: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
It’s the 400th episode and in this case we actually have something special for the main event. This time around it’s Flip Gordon getting a World Title shot against Matt Taven, who is making his first defense after winning the title in Madison Square Garden. Other than that, the Six Man Tag Team Titles are on the line. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Six Man Tag Team Titles: Jeff Cobb/Jay Lethal/Rush vs. Villain Enterprises
Villain Enterprise are defending against a random trio. PCO and Lethal start things off with the former shouting a lot before doing anything. Lethal refuses to hit him from behind but a chop has no effect on PCO. The hiptoss into the basement dropkick has no effect so Lethal does it again to the same result. Another dropkick puts PCO on the floor and he welcomes a suicide dive, scaring Lethal away.
Lethal eventually loads it up anyway but Marty Scurll jumps him from behind to take over. It’s off to Rush vs. Scurll, which isn’t as historic as Ian thinks it is. Rush starts flipping around and it’s a standoff with the fans being rather appreciative. Now it’s King vs. Cobb as the blind Kenny King joins commentary. An exchange of shoulders goes nowhere so Cobb snaps off a hurricanrana and brings Lethal back in. King crossbodies both of them down at once and snaps off his own hurricanrana.
Everything breaks down and Lethal fires off some dropkicks, only to get caught in a suplex/apron superkick combination on the floor. Back from a break with Lethal not being able to suplex King because King is, you know, huge. Instead it’s back to Rush as everything breaks down. The Bull’s Horns are loaded up in the corner but Rush settles for the running slap instead.
Scurll kicks him in the leg though and nails a low superkick but the chickenwing is broken up with a headbutt. Cobb starts suplexing people with a German version to PCO and an overhead belly to belly to Scurll. The standing moonsault gets two on Scurll with King making the save. Just to show off, Cobb suplexes Scurll and King at the same time. PCO shoves Cobb over the top and it’s King hitting the running flip dive. PCO gets backdropped onto them as well as the champs are rolling.
Back in and King tries a German suplex on Cobb, with Scurll sunset flipping his partner to send Cobb flying. King dives onto Lethal and Rush, leaving Scurll to hit a 619, with King diving in for a Cannonball to Cobb’s back at the same time. Back in and Cobb superkicks PCO, setting up Hail To The King to give Lethal….no cover as PCO sits up. Rush dropkicks PCO in the back of the head so a second Hail To The King can get….two as Scurll makes another save. Lethal Injection hits Scurll but King counters another into a spinning torture rack bomb. PCO adds the moonsault to retain at 14:17.
Rating: B+. Well that was a blast. This was all about complete insanity and PCO getting a pin over someone as big as Lethal should keep him in the World Title situation. I had a great time with this as they didn’t bother with tagging for the most part and just had an entertaining match. That’s what the Six Man Titles are all about and it worked really well here. Nicely done.
We see the same video from last week looking at Flip Gordon’s knee injury and road to recovery.
During the break, King came off commentary and choked Lethal, showing that he was NOT blind, a full week after debuting the gimmick.
We look back at the Soldiers of Savagery debuting last week to the confusion of Bully Ray and Shane Taylor.
We recap Taven vs. Gordon. Taven won the title at Supercard of Honor and Gordon won the Sea of Honor tournament to earn the shot.
Ring of Honor World Title: Flip Gordon vs. Matt Taven
Taven is defending and has TK O’Ryan in his corner, meaning Vinny Marseglia is lined up for interference. Gordon starts fast with a shotgun dropkick but gets backdropped to the apron. That’s fine with Gordon who nails an enziguri, setting up a monkey flip to send the champ flying. Taven sends him outside but Gordon is right back in with a rollup through the ropes, setting up a suicide dive to keep Taven in trouble.
Hang on though as Gordon has to adjust his knee brace, which isn’t a good sign. O’Ryan has to be superkicked away though and Taven gets in a shot from behind to take over. That means some condescending applause from the champ but Gordon is fine enough to kick him down and hit a standing moonsault. The knee is tweaked again though and Taven kicks it out to send Gordon outside. A running charge gets Gordon hiptossed into the barricade and we take a break.
Back with Gordon still in trouble, including the leglock to go with some logic. Gordon gets sent outside with the knee being even more banged up on the crash. A Blue Thunder Bomb into a half crab keeps Gordon in trouble. The rope grab lets Gordon fight back up with right hands and the knee is fine enough for the reverse Alabama Slam into the corner. Something like the Nightmare on Helm Street gets two and we take another break. Back again with Gordon going up top but getting punched in the face.
Gordon fires off some kicks to the head but another kick to the knee gets Taven out of trouble. The middle rope Russian legsweep plants the champ though and the spinning Falcon Arrow gives Gordon two. Taven grabs one heck of a pop up powerbomb and knees Gordon in the face for two more. It’s Gordon’s turn as he grabs a fireman’s carry for a swinging TKO but there are the red balloons (you knew they were coming) to break up the 450. A hanging Climax retains the title at 16:39.
Rating: B-. Yeah we know that’s how Taven wins matches because it’s the trope they’ve created for them. It’s not interesting and it’s not creative and they didn’t even try to hide it at the beginning with Marseglia nowhere to be found. Taven is more than watchable in the ring but he’s reached his peak of interest six weeks into his title reign. That’s what happens when your whole persona is “I’m a villain and everyone is against me”. Good match, but it didn’t feel important or epic at all.
Overall Rating: A. What were you expecting here? Ring of Honor has shown that they are far more interesting when they cut out the storyline elements and focus on the in-ring product. That’s what they did here and the show was a lot of fun as a result. This was all about having two very good matches with some minor stuff in between. What more could you possibly need from a show like this?
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