Ring Of Honor TV – April 15, 2020 (Best Of PCO): Too Far
IMG Credit: Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Date: April 15, 2020
It’s PCO week as we continue the highlight episodes. I’m not sure what to expect from this one as PCO hasn’t been around the company that long. It was cool to see his career renaissance but I’m not entirely sure how smart it was to push him all the way to the main event scene. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
PCO talks about how long he has worked to get here. At one point he quit but then he had one more chance. Now he believes that he isn’t human and here he is. A few months ago he and Brody King made it to the finals of a tournament to become the new #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles. After they won, the Briscoes attacked them and he never felt the pain. This set up their big showdown for the titles at the 17th Anniversary Show where he and King won the titles for PCO’s huge moment. It was enough to get him into the tournament for the #1 contendership to the World Title and that’s where we’re going.
From ROH TV, November 13, 2019.
#1 Contenders Tournament Finals: PCO vs. Marty Scurll
They’re both part of the Six Man Tag Team Champions, though it helps when you almost never defend the things. Before the match, Scurll suggests they wrestle a clean match…and then hits him with the umbrella for two. PCO shrugs it off and hits the standing splash as we take a break. Back with Scurll hitting an enziguri on top and scoring with an Iconoclasm.
They head to the floor with PCO going into the barricade so Scurll can pose a bit. It’s back inside for a chop off but PCO goes with a powerbomb and spear to take over. The chokeslam sets up the Swanton for two more and they head right back to the floor with PCO setting up a table. Scurll gets off of it before PCO can dive and sends PCO through it instead.
We take another break and come back with PCO hitting a powerslam but the referee was bumped. Cue Brody King for a Boss Man Slam on PCO to give Scurll two. Scurll hits PCO by mistake though and walks into a sidewalk slam for two. The PCOsault is broken up and the ref gets bumped again, but it’s Flip Gordon to kick PCO down. A belt shot gives Scurll two so PCO flip dives onto King and Gordon. The PCOsault connects for two but the Cannonball to the apron misses. Well not the apron but Scurll at least. PCO is fine enough to hit a clothesline and the PCOsault for the pin and the title shot at 14:33.
Rating: D+. Well that happened. This one was designed to make PCO look like a killer but that had been done in previous weeks. It’s another day where you look at Scurll and try to figure out why he isn’t a multiple time World Champion already, but ROH has not been known for its bright ideas in this area as of late. PCO getting a chance is fine, though he isn’t someone I would build my biggest show of the year around.
Post match, Scurll tells him to go win the World Title.
Then it was time for the title match against Rush at Final Battle.
Ring of Honor World Title: PCO vs. Rush
PCO is challenging and anything goes. They stare each other down to start and forearm it out with PCO shouting a lot. A clothesline drops Rush but he stops a suicide dive with a chair to the head. Rush whips him with a camera cord, followed by the running slap in the face in the corner. That means a Tranquilo pose but Rush would rather go over the barricade to get a small ladder. He throws the ladder at PCO and then wedges it in the corner before whipping PCO hard into said ladder/corner.
The posing takes too long though and it’s a pop up powerbomb to send Rush outside. PCO misses the Swanton to the apron though and Rush suplexes him onto the timekeeper’s table. They fight up the aisle and Rush hits him in the head with a barricade. Rush stacks up a bunch of barricades and chairs before throwing PCO off the stage for a huge crash.
PCO is a bit dead so here’s his trainer Destro to pop open the hoot of a well placed hearse…..and jump start PCO using some jumper cables. Well of course he does, allowing PCO to chokeslam Rush onto the car. Rush suplexes him off of the car and heads back to the ring, only to have PCO stagger after him.
That means it’s time for some doors, with Rush standing them up in opposite corners. Rush knocks him down and gets one off a top rope backsplash. PCO gets sent through the door but of course he’s right back up to send Rush through another door. The PCOsault gets two so Rush goes outside to beat up Destro. The delay lets PCO hit a chokeslam and another PCOsault through a table finishes Rush at 22:28.
Rating: D. And no. The problem here comes down to the fact that Ring of Honor was in a terrible place at this point and this is what they give us for the main event of the biggest show of the year? It was just a brawl, but a very slow paced one that should have been about ten minutes shorter. The PCO story is a nice inspirational one about never giving up on your dream, but this was a really rough sit, especially in this spot. It wasn’t the right way to go given where Ring of Honor was and it was a pretty terrible match as a result. Cut this down to ten minutes and put it in the middle of the card and maybe, but not like this.
PCO talks about how dreams come true and he can’t believe this happened. He thanks everyone who helped get him here, from his fellow Villain Enterprises teammates to Destro to the fans. This is only the beginning.
Overall Rating: D-. I really don’t get the PCO thing. It’s a nice story and PCO did an amazing job of reinventing himself but making him World Champion when you have Marty Scurll right there next to him? Yes I’m aware of Scurll’s contract situation around the time, but how many other people would have been better off in the spot? Just too much for someone who doesn’t have enough to make something like this work.
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