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ROH TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 11, 2018
TAPED IN NASHVILLE, TENN. AT MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
[Q1] ROH World Champion Dalton Castle was backstage with The Boys. Always ready, always limber, and not much can surprise him. He knew he instantly became the biggest target in ROH when he won the world title. He doesn’t blame Punishment Martinez for jumping him from behind. Dalton would do the same thing if he was a big lummox with eyeliner. But Dalton is coming out swinging tonight, doing everything he can to ensure he leaves here still world champion.
-Opening theme. Some of the footage has been changed up including the removal of War Machine and addition of recent clips of Cody, The Kingdom, and Bully Ray among others.
-Footage aired before the match of Milonas aligning with Bruiser and Young to beat down Kenny King and Coast To Coast getting their first huge win over War Machine.
(1) BEER CITY BRUISER & BRIAN MILONAS (w/Silas Young) vs. COAST TO COAST (Shaheem Ali & LSG)
Coast To Coast have new matching turquoise boots, tights, and trunks. Bruiser and Milonas have a total combined weight of 728 pounds. The heels attacked C2C before the bell. Bruiser got an early two-count on LSG out of a double-team. Milonas squashed a seated LSG in the corner. LSG slipped out, dropkicked Bruiser into Milonas, and tagged Ali. Ali also avoided Bruiser, causing the big men to collide. C2C hit a double-team takedown on Bruiser for two. Young grabbed Ali’s foot from the outside when he began to get on a roll. Young also attacked Ali on the outside behind the ref’s back. Kenny King appeared and went after Young, throwing him into the ring. All six men brawled as the bell rang. [C]
WINNER: No contest in 3:02.
(Pageot’s Perspective: That was just getting started when it ended. This will presumably lead to a restarted six-man match when we get back from commercials. I quite like C2C’s new outfits. Here’s hoping Bruiser & Milonas adopt a team name and matching gear soon as well.)
(2) ROH WORLD TV CHAMPION SILAS YOUNG & BEER CITY BRUISER & BRIAN MILONAS vs. KENNY KING & COAST TO COAST (Shaheem Ali & LSG)
All six men were fighting in the ring and the bell rang to start the new six-man match. King hit a springboard corkscrew dive onto Milonas at ringside. Bruiser took him out with a somersault while King played to the crowd. Ali flipped over the ropes onto Bruiser. Young dropped Ali on the apron. LSG dumped Young and got caught alone by Milonas and Bruiser. Young condescendingly whipped his t-shirt into LSG’s face. LSG got hot and fired back. King tagged in and hit a spinning heel kick on the champ.
[Q2] The three heels surrounded King while C2C pleaded with referee Todd Sinclair to get the illegal men out of the ring. Bruiser and Milonas charged C2C, who pulled down the top rope and sent them tumbling to the floor. LSG hit a twisting flip off the top rope onto the big men. Ali and Young traded punches in the ring. C2C caught Young and threw him up onto King’s shoulders for the Royal Flush.
WINNERS: Kenny King & Coast To Coast in 5:44.
-The Dawgs (Rhett Titus & Will Ferrara) were watching the match on a handheld TV backstage. They were upset about C2C getting TV time and attention over them. Titus vowed that it was time to send C2C packing. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: The six-man change was logical as neither of the tag teams could afford a loss at this point. King getting a pinfall on Young puts him one step closer to getting his rematch for the TV title and also allows C2C to continue their momentum into a feud with The Dawgs. That should be a fun midcard feud as The Dawgs are a riot and playing off their characters may hopefully draw some more personality out of C2C.)
-Video package on Mandy Leon and Madison Rayne. Leon spoke about being a product of the ROH Dojo. She began training five years ago. Rayne said women’s wrestling is the biggest it’s ever been and called the WOH tournament history-making. She’s been wrestling for over ten years. Leon called Rayne a world-class talent who’s held championships all over the world. Leon juxtaposed that by her being part of Women Of Honor since day one. Footage aired of Rayne competing against MsChif in ROH, several years prior to the creation of the Women Of Honor division.
-Deonna Purrazzo joined the commentary team. Purrazzo vs. Leon was the very first Women Of Honor match in July 2015.
(3) “THE EXOTIC GODDESS” MANDY LEON vs. MADISON RAYNE – WOMEN OF HONOR CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT EIGHTH-FINAL MATCH
Lock-up to start with Leon driving Rayne into the corner. Restart and reverse with Rayne doing the same. Arm drags from Leon. Riccaboni credited the fans with demanding a WOH championship. Both women got two-counts off of roll-ups. Rayne landed a dropkick. [C]
[Q3] Rayne with a neckbreaker for two. Leon with a facebuster. Leon with forearms and a flatliner into the Koji clutch. Rayne made it to the ropes and rolled out for a breather but Leon caught her with a kick and a cannonball off the apron. Leon with a missile dropkick from the top rope but Rayne kicked out at two. Rayne with the Rayne Check for two. Leon with an inside cradle for two. Leon with Astral Projection (a pumphandle half nelson driver) for the win.
WINNER: Mandy Leon in 9:16. She faces either Kelly Klein or Bonesaw Brooks in the quarter-finals.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Not an incredible match to kick off the tournament but fine for what it was. Leon is still coming along as a wrestler so her win over the veteran Rayne might surprise some viewers but she has been consistently portrayed as the face of Women Of Honor, going back to competing in the first WOH match two and a half years ago. It makes sense that she would be the person to pick up the first tournament victory but it seems highly unlikely that she makes it past Kelly Klein in round two.)
-Last week after ROH TV went off the air, Cody found The Young Bucks in the locker room. He was furious about getting triple-teamed by The Kingdom while the fans chanted “Young Bucks” and nobody from Bullet Club came out for the save. Matt said they were running late and just arrived. They apologized. Cody said everybody wants them to break up but he needs better – from everyone, but especially them. Cody stormed off. Marty Scurll walked in from a different room, proudly showing off an elaborate fan sign someone made for him. Matt said that now was not the time. [C]
-The Briscoes were skulking about an empty stairwell. Jay spoke to the tag champions, the Motor City Machine Guns. At this point in their careers all they care about is making statements. Mark said they’re the baddest tag team to ever walk this planet. Jay claimed it’s nothing personal against the Guns; it’s personal against everybody. The ROH tag titles are their property and they’re coming to take it back.
-Marty Scurll joined commentary for the main event. Riccaboni asked about dissension in Bullet Club. Scurll said the big story in Bullet Club right now is his quest for the ROH world title.
(4) PUNISHMENT MARTNEZ vs. DALTON CASTLE (w/The Boys) – ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Castle with a huge chop to start. Martinez went for his chokeslam early but Castle fought out, knocked Martinez to ringside, and hit a suicide dive.
[Q4] They brawled in the aisle. Castle shoved Martinez head-first into the ring post. [C]
Castle with a half nelson. Martinez drove him into the corner to break the hold. Discus big boot knocked Castle off the top rope to the floor. Martinez with a Last Ride to Castle on the apron. Scurll criticized Martinez for not trying to pin him. Martinez with a corkscrew springboard splash for two. Castle was down at ringside. The Boys fanned him until Martinez chased them off. Castle took advantage of Martinez’s distraction but Martinez quickly put him back down. Castle whipped into the guardrail. And again. [C]
Castle with a German suplex into a bridge for two. Castle ducked two kicks and hit a back suplex. Martinez kept getting right back to his feet. Martinez with a falcon arrow for two. As The Boys tried to revive Castle at ringside Martinez hit his suicide somersault senton onto all three. Spinning heel kick for a near fall. Martinez called for the South of Heaven chokeslam but Castle fought it off. Martinez with a ripcord kick. Castle into the torture rack but he rolled through and hooked the legs for the pin.
WINNER: Dalton Castle in 13:49 to retain the ROH World Championship.
-Martinez laid out The Boys at ringside and hit a Last Ride on Boy 1 onto Boy 2 on the apron. Cabana said Martinez is going to the back of the (world title contenders) line.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Good match. Martinez is always kept protected and looking strong, even in defeat. He’ll likely leave the main event for a while now and reappear in the TV title scene in the future, which is a better spot for him at this point in his career. Lethal, Scurll, Taven, and Cody appear to be the principal names queueing up for the next shot at Castle. We’re only three and a half weeks away from ROH’s first pay-per-view of the year so it’s a bit surprising that no matches have been announced yet.)
-Next week: it’s The Hung Bucks vs. SoCal Uncensored for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon, and the WOH tournament continues.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 2/4 ROH TV Report: Cody vs. Matt Taven, Best Friends vs. Motor City Machine Guns for the tag team titles, Marty Scurll vs. Shane Taylor
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