Ring Of Honor TV – June 19, 2019: They Didn’t Do Something Stupid
IMG Credit: Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Date: June 19, 2019
Location: The Odeum, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
The Chicago run continues as we move towards Best in the World. That can mean a few different things, but tonight it’s a four corner survival match with no connection to the pay per view. Never let it be said that Ring of Honor spends all of its time before a pay per view getting ready for the show. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Hikuleo vs. Hirooki Goto
Goto gets shoved down to start as this is likely going to be a physical one. They grapple a bit and it’s off to an early break. Back with Goto’s Saito suplex being blocked with elbows to the head and some hard chops. A knee to the head cuts Hikuleo off though and Goto heads up top.
As expected, that’s not a good idea as a superplex brings him right back down. They trade clotheslines until Hikuleo gets the better of it but Goto is right back with a headbutt. The fireman’s carry backbreaker drops Hikuleo again and the GTR (kind of the Eye of the Hurricane onto a knee) gives Goto the pin at 9:36.
Rating: C-. I’ve never cared for either of these guys (though Goto has been fine at times) and this felt like a match whose sole appeal was the inclusion of New Japan talent. That’s not the most interesting thing in the world and this felt like a match that just came and went. Not terrible, but I won’t remember it by the end of the show.
Kenny King showed that he was the better man in their first match and he’ll win the second too. Maybe he’ll just use the Lethal Injection again.
Kelly Klein/Jenny Rose vs. Allure
It’s Mandy Leon/Angelina Love for the non-Beautiful People here. And never mind as Allure jumps them from behind during the break and there’s no match.
The tag match will take place at Best in the World instead. Well at least they didn’t waste time with the bait and switch this time around.
We look back at the Briscoe Brothers going nuts and coming after the NWA, both at the Crockett Cup and last week.
Best in the World rundown, including some clips for some of the matches.
Shinobi Shadow Squad vs. PJ Black/Mark Haskins/Tracy Williams
Williams throws Cheeseburger down without much effort so Cheeseburger spins around into a headlock. That goes nowhere so it’s off to Black vs. Isom with Eli jumping around and hitting a knee to the chest. Back from a break with Haskins kicking Nova into the wrong corner to take over.
Black adds a top rope stomp, followed by Haskins’ guillotine legdrop to the back of the head. A missed charge in the corner allows the tag to Isom so house can be cleaned for a bit. That means a moonsault to the floor to take Black down and Cheeseburger’s Swanton gets two on Haskins. Back up and Haskins hits a sitout Samoan driver on Isom. Black adds the moonsault double stomp for the pin at 9:53.
Rating: C. This is another match match that existed and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. The Squad continues to be little more than a bunch of jobbers while Lifeblood and Black could be fine if they got some better opponents. The fans seemed to like it though so it’s hard to complain all that much.
Post match handshakes abound and Haskins calls out Bully Ray for a fight anywhere.
Jeff Cobb vs. Rush vs. PCO vs. Jay Lethal
One fall to a finish with Matt Taven on commentary. Rush won’t shake hands to start because he’d rather forearm PCO in the face. An exchange of shoulders gives us a big staredown, followed by Lethal’s chops having no effect on PCO. A hiptoss into the cartwheel dropkick works just fine but PCO is waiting on the dive. Lethal isn’t sure what to do and neither is Cobb. Rush rolls into a tranquilo pose so Lethal knocks him down and hits a dive.
Lethal’s dive is caught by PCO with a chokeslam onto the apron and a Vader Bomb gets two on Rush. There’s a chokeslam for two on Cobb as Rush makes the save and suplexes Lethal. Rush runs PCO over but walks into a superkick from Cobb. The very delayed vertical suplex slam doesn’t worry Taven but Cobb suplexing PCO does a bit. Cobb pulls Lethal out of the corner into the swinging belly to back suplex as we take a break. Back with Lethal hitting a DDT on Cobb and a Downward Spiral on Rush at the same time.
Both Lethal and PCO head up top so Cobb goes up with them, meaning it’s a Tower of Doom with Rush powerbombing all three down. Rush can’t cover so the bloody PCO sits up. The Lethal Injection is countered with a pop up powerbomb for two with Cobb making the save. Rush’s overhead belly to belly gets two on Cobb but the strikes have little effect on PCO. PCO’s top rope flip dive only hits apron and it’s the Lethal Injection to Rush. Cue Kenny King to yell at Lethal for stealing his moves and Cobb hits the Tour of the Islands to finish Lethal at 13:16.
Rating: B. The ending was a relief as I was worried about having someone other than the #1 contender winning here. At least they didn’t do anything stupid like having someone outside of the main person winning, and King interfering helped things out a lot. It’s a nice main event and easily the best thing on the show so far.
Overall Rating: C+. If this company ever learned how to properly use their television time leading up to a pay per view, I’d be tempted to buy them a sandwich. What was the point in the opener other than to show that New Japan still does business with them? We’re less than two weeks away from a pay per view and how many matches received no build here? This shouldn’t be complicated but it’s been a problem for them since before I can remember. Do promos or a squash match or something, but get us to want to buy the pay per view, not New Japan World.
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