SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
The Dawgs (Rhett Titus & Will Ferrara aka Little Willy) vs. Cheeseburger & Jushin Thunder Liger: The Dawgs head to the ring with their normal comedy style promo. Parts of me really enjoy The Dawgs and then another part of me hates seeing both guys relegated to a comedy spot. For what it is worth though, the guys are really entertaining as The Dawgs. This was a quick 10-minute match to kick-off the show where I think you would be entertained. There is a history between Burger and Ferrara. Also, I was curious who would win the match considering Burger has lost his share of matches as well as The Dawgs have been on the losing end. As we work towards the end of the match, Liger and Burger gain control and hit a double Shotei on to Titus and then Liger hits Titus with a brain buster. Liger and Burger get the win in an entertaining opener.
Jenny Rose Video Package with Rose Challenging Sumie Sakai: Nice, short, and concise recap of Rose challenging Sakai for the Women of Honor title. Nice reminder of how we got to the title match we are about to see from the two ladies.
Dalton Castle Promo: Dalton Castle, without formally announcing a 3-way match between himself, Cody, and Marty Scurll, basically challenges both guys at Best in the World. At this point, if I was a betting man I would say these 3-way will battle for the title. No pun intended but that is where all roads seem to be leading between these three. Another quick and concise promo with time utilized wisely.
Sumie Sakai (ROH Women of Honor Champion) vs. Jenny Rose: This match is for the WOH title. Rose refused the code of honor at the start of the match and instead attempted to slap Sakai as Sakai ducked the slap. From there, the match was on to the races. Soon after that, Sakai hit a crossbody from the top rope on to the floor on Rose. She followed that up after the commercial break with a missile drop kick to Rose. Sumie was on a roll offensively until Rose caught her in a sidewalk slam. This was one of the better WOH matches that we have seen on ROH’s weekly TV this year. I felt that both ladies wrestled at a really good pace. There were no lulls in the action. The action was hard hitting. I cringed when Sakai flew off the ring apron and took a hard fall on to the floor when Rose speared her from the inside. Rose followed that with a drop toe to a chair on the floor to Sakai. The end was good. Rose hits Sakai with a German suplex and a spear but Sakai kicked out. Out of nowhere, Sakai hit a roll through on Rose and then hits her finisher. Sakai gets the victory in a very solid WOH match. Hats off to these two ladies for putting on a solid match on this week’s episode.
Marty Scurll and Cody Video Package Recap: We see Scurll defeat Castle as Masters of the Craft a few months back. We then see Castle pin Scurll at Bound by Honor but that is followed by Cody pinning Castle in the same match. We are then taken to Cody and Scurll bickering over who will face Castle at Best in the World. I think the obvious is playing out here where we will get a 3-way at Best in the World. To me it’s just a matter of when the 3-way dance match between Castle, Cody, and Scurll will be announced which then was announced by Ian Riccaboni later in the show.
Silas Young Backstage Promo: I do not know how much Young is paid but give the man a raise. Young can talk fans into the building. I love Young calling Aries a crybaby. And Young isn’t telling a lie. Aries just walked into the promotion and asked for a title shot and was magically given one? I am fine with that, but I also respect the last real man when he calls that a joke. All that said, I loved this promo and am looking forward to seeing Aries and Young lock horns next week.
Late Announcement at the end of the show from Ian Riccaboni: Riccaboni delivers the late breaking news that Dalton Castle, Marty Scurll, and Cody will battle for the ROH World Championship at Best in the World.
MISSES
SoCal Uncensored Backstage Promo: This promo is good. Kazarian and Daniels are always good on the microphone. I am just burnt out on the 6-Man Tag Division. I know we have not been doing this for long, but I feel like there needs to be at least 2 other teams involved consistently in this division to make me want to care more. Right now, I feel like if it is not SCU, The Kingdom, and maybe The Bullet Club, there are no other possibilities of anyone else being taken seriously in this division.
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia & T.K. O’Ryan) vs. SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky): The ROH 6-Man Tag Team Titles are on the line in this match. Fans were quiet at first for the most part. Although wrestling is weird these days for us old wrestling fans. Marseglia popped a balloon on or near Sky’s ear that the crowd popped for and started a “THIS IS AWESOME” chant. In short, I did not enjoy this match. My ability to be invested in the six-man tag division is slipping away. It is not the competitors because I am fans of most of these guys. ROH has set the bar so high with a few of the 6-man matches that have involved three teams that when it is just two teams facing each other, it comes off as boring to me. Maybe that is what struck me during this match. The finish felt like a huge dud. Kazarian uses a chair and accidentally hits himself with it. Paul Turner did not see it, so he figured someone from The Kingdom used the chair. Paul Turner throws the match out. Ian Riccaboni mentions this is why we need an enforcer. I really enjoy Riccaboni on commentary, but an enforcer is not needed. The last thing I want to see is another authority figure like Bully Ray. SoCal Uncensored wins the match by DQ but The Kingdom does retain the belts in a match that was an overall dud.
FINAL THOUGHTS…
The main event was far from the standard you come to expect from ROH. As I said above, it ended with a dud. I also understand that promotions cannot always hit a grand slam every week. However, sandwiched in the middle of this week’s episode was a solid match between Sakai and Rose. These ladies got after it and were impressive in their title match. Not a bad week but we have certainly seen better this year from ROH.
Mike Mills is the PWTorch.com ROH TV Hits and Misses Specialist, providing his point of view on ROH TV weekly. You can follow Mike at @BTT_Podcast and @Mike504Saints on Twitter and you can check out his old school wrestling podcasts at tinyurl.com/BTTPod
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: ROH HITS & MISSES 5/21: Lethal vs. Martinez, Daddiego vs. Taylor, The Bullet Club vs. SoCal Uncensored, More Bullet Club Drama
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