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ROH TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 9, 2018
ATLANTA, GA AT CENTER STAGE
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, Caprice Coleman
Opening theme.
-Mark Briscoe and Kaz were in the ring throwing hands and we were told that the bell had already rung.
(1) ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPION MARK BRISCOE vs. “THE HEAVY METAL REBEL” FRANKIE KAZARIAN
Kaz with a hip-toss into a neckbreaker. Briscoe escaped to the floor but Kaz catapulted himself over the top rope and into a hurricanrana. Briscoe caught him with a knee and threw a steel chair into the ring. Referee Paul Turner got rid of the chair but Briscoe kicked the middle rode into Kaz’s crotch at the same time. Briscoe tipped over a guardrail. Kaz came back with right hands. Briscoe with a back body drop to Kaz onto the apron. Kaz came back with a lungblower in the ring and a springboard into a codebreaker. Kaz with a straitjacket electric chair drop into a pin but Briscoe kicked out. [C]
Jay Briscoe was at ringside, taunting Kaz with his ROH tag title belt. Mark looked for a roll-up with a handful of tights but Kaz kicked out. Kaz dropkicked Jay through the aprons and avoided a froggy-bow from Mark. Crucifix roll-up puts away Mark.
WINNER: Frankie Kazarian in 7:56.
-Jay jumped in the ring and stomped away at Kaz. Christopher Daniels and Scorpio Sky hit the ring for the save but ROH World Television Champion Punishment Martinez showed up in street clothes to even the numbers. The three champions laid out SCU as the commentators reminded us that Sky saved Alex Shelley (temporarily) from Martinez a few weeks ago.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Very unique in medias res opening with the match bell ringing just before our cameras went live. It was likely a business decision in order to fit this and the entirety of the iron man match into our 60-minute timeframe but artistically wound up really cool and sold how heated the Briscoes-SCU feud has become. The Martinez involvement is likely simply setting up a six-man tag on TV sometime in the next few weeks.)
-Video package on the Lethal-Gresham rivalry.
-Video recap of recent TV developments including Cody & The Young Bucks winning the six-man titles, Chris Sabin earning a TV title shot, and Jeff Cobb debuting.
-Our second match would have been The Bouncers vs. The Dawgs vs. Cheeseburger & Ryan Nova but it was scrapped from television due to a desire to show the iron man match in its entirety. Instead Riccaboni threw to a video that showed post-match developments involving The Dawgs double-teaming and beating down Cheeseburger. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: It appeared that The Bouncers pinned Nova to win the triple threat match. Everything tonight is really selling the iron man match as must-see and one of the most important ROH television matches in ages. The Cheeseburger-Will Ferrara feud has been dormant for a while but is slated for a final, final blow-off in the near future on television.)
-Video recap of recent problems between Bully Ray and Silas Young. Last week after we went off the air Young chewed out Ray in the locker room while Ray seemingly couldn’t care less.
-Gresham entered first, followed by the champion. Bobby Cruise handled full ring introductions. Gresham was the hometown hero, born and raised in Atlanta where this was taking place. Lethal was equally cheered by the ROH fans. [C]
-Code of honor exchanged. There was a scoreboard in the top right corner of the screen.
(2a) JAY LETHAL vs. JONATHAN GRESHAM – 30-MINUTE IRON MAN MATCH FOR THE ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Slow moving in the opening minutes as they felt each other out, both men afraid to make the first mistake. They wound up in the ropes and separated amicably. They traded arm drags and both looked for locks and submissions but all attempts were quickly outmaneuvered and escaped out of. Riccaboni and Cabana were both terrific here, matching the pace with a quiet, serious call and discussing both wrestler’s philosophies. Cabana spoke about wrestling Lethal in the past and questioned who Gresham went to in search of advice for this match as he would have been foolish not to consult with someone in preparation. [C]
Lethal with a shoulder tackle, hip toss, and dropkick for a one-count. The speed had clearly picked up during the break. They traded chops. Lethal with a back suplex for the first two-count of the match at 8:40. Gresham with another chop. Lethal nodded and chopped him back. Gresham avoided another back suplex and more chops from both men. Snap suplex from Lethal but Gresham bridged out of a pin. Lethal said, “Come on, Gresham, we’re in for a long night.” European uppercut from Lethal. More chops and another suplex from Lethal. Reverse chinlock from Lethal. Gresham bent the fingers back to escape. More chops from Gresham. Lethal stood there and let him do it before hitting a knee to the stomach. Cruise announced we were at the 15:00 mark. [C]
Lethal was nursing his left arm at ringside. Gresham followed him. More chops. Gresham twisted the arm behind Lethal’s back with a hammerlock and dropped Lethal onto the edge of the apron. Gresham rolled in and out to break the count-out, which the commentators questioned. Lethal rolled back into the ring with Gresham in pursuit. Gresham worked Lethal down to the mat and picked away at various appendages. Cruise announced the 20:00 mark.
Gresham contorted Lethal into a pinning position for a two-count. Both men back to their feet but Gresham held onto the wrist. Gresham hadn’t let go of Lethal’s body in over five minutes at this point. Lethal tried chopping out but Gresham wouldn’t let go. Battling of chops with Gresham still holding onto the wrist. Gresham finally let go to hit a dropkick to the wrist. Gresham avoided the Lethal Combination twice and got a close near-fall off of a backslide. [C]
Gresham with a springboard moonsault. Lethal wound up on the apron and Gresham dropkicked him off. They switched positions and Lethal did the same. Suicide dive from Lethal. He rolled Gresham back in rather than going for his signature trio. Lethal Combination. Another big chop from Lethal. Gresham with a stunner and a deadlift German suplex for another two-count. We hit the 25:00 mark.
Snap German suplex and a big right hand from Gresham but Lethal kicked out. Cross armbreaker but Lethal blocked. Gresham avoided the figure four but took a superkick. Gresham kicked Lethal out of a Lethal Injection attempt. Octopus! Gresham wailed away at Lethal’s head with his free hand and Lethal was forced to tap.
Jonathan Gresham via submission at 26:27 to go up 1-0.
Gresham was in shock that he pulled off the first win. Lethal came back with a vengeance. Lethal locked in the figure four. Gresham screamed in agony, pulled at his kneepads, and tried to break the hold but couldn’t take it any longer.
Jay Lethal via submission at 28:30 to tie it 1-1.
Lethal let go and both men were left lying battered on the mat. Lethal looked for a chop but Gresham ducked and rolled him up. Kick out. More roll-ups. More kick-outs. Gresham tried one pin after another but Lethal kept kicking out. The time ran out.
WINNER: A draw (1-1) in 30:00. Jay Lethal retains the ROH world title.
-Both men sat on the mat, exhausted. A microphone was slid into the ring. Gresham said he started in Atlanta fourteen years ago. There was no way he was coming this far only to let Lethal leave with that kind of decision. He asked for five more minutes. “Five more minutes” chant from the crowd. Both men staggered to their feet. Lethal looked like he really wanted to call it a day but took the microphone and said “Start the clock.”
(2b) JAY LETHAL vs. JONATHAN GRESHAM – 30-MINUTE IRON MAN MATCH FOR THE ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME
They threw hands mid-ring. Lethal punched Gresham down but he kipped up and hit an enziguiri. Standing switch exchanges. Gresham with a stomp to Lethal’s injured left arm. Gresham with a beautiful bridging pin into a two-count. Four minutes remaining.
Gresham looked for the octopus again but Lethal countered into a torture rack. Dueling “Let’s go Lethal”/”Let’s go Gresham” chants. Lethal dropped Gresham and went up top. Three minutes remaining.
Hail To The King. Gresham barely kicked out. More pinfall attempts with both men rolling through. Two minutes remaining.
Gresham with a backpack sleeperhold. Lethal ran back-first into the turnbuckle to knock him off but Gresham jumped back on. Lethal dropped him with a cutter. Both men back to their feet and Lethal Injection!
WINNER: Jay Lethal in 33:47 to retain the ROH world title.
-Cabana, Riccaboni, and the Atlanta crowd gave both men a standing ovation.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Fantastic match. If it’s not the best ROH television match this year I’m struggling to think of what is. Anyone questioning Lethal getting the gold after Dalton Castle got injured should hopefully see now why that was the case. If Gresham isn’t positioned as a top tier talent in ROH after this that’s a horrible decision. He cannot go back to sporadic appearances. They must follow up on this. Hell, why not do Lethal vs. Gresham vs. Matt Taven for the title in the main event of Death Before Dishonor?)
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