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ROH TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
PHILADELPHIA, PA AT 2300 ARENA
AIRED ON SINCLAIR AFFILIATES & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
Opening theme.
-In the arena Eli Isom made his entrance. He has his own music and video now so he may have officially graduated from Future Of Honor to full roster member. Video recap of Isom pinning Christopher Daniels in a six-man tag on July 15 television.
-Shane Taylor entered and a video recapped him pinning Josh Woods four weeks ago to end their feud.
(1) CHRIS SABIN vs. FLIP GORDON vs. SHANE TAYLOR vs. ELI ISOM – FOUR-CORNER SURVIVAL MATCH
Gordon and Sabin started things off. They could tag out to either Isom or Taylor at any point. First pinfall or submission took the victory. Sabin and Gordon started out quickly against each other. Both men took hard hits and tagged out. Isom hit Taylor with some blows and dodged a few of Taylor’s before being slammed. Taylor knocked Sabin and Gordon off the apron but Sabin returned to break up a pin attempt on Isom. Taylor tried for a double chokeslam on Gordon and Sabin but they disposed of him. Isom tried for a flip over the ropes but Taylor caught him. Sabin ran the apron to kick Taylor, sending him and Isom down. Gordon flipped onto all three men. Taylor hit a cannonball off the apron onto all three men. [C]
Taylor was roughing up Gordon but ate a springboard dropkick. Gordon with a running dropkick in the corner. He foolishly tried for a fireman’s carry. It didn’t work but he connected with a springboard spear. Sabin tagged in and hit a missile dropkick on Taylor. He also foolishly tried for a fireman’s carry that didn’t work. He connected with a tornado DDT, though, for a two-count. Taylor knocked Sabin out cold into Isom’s corner. The rookie tagged Sabin. He also went for a fireman’s carry and did it! Samoan drop and a cover but Gordon broke up the pin. Sabin entered and hit a DDT + flatliner combo on Gordon and Isom. Isom with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and suicide dive on Sabin. Taylor took out Isom with a big knee and then Gordon got one too. But as Taylor ran his mouth over Gordon Isom rolled him up from behind.
WINNER: Eli Isom in 10:31.
-Taylor lost it. He knocked out Isom and dropped him with a sit-out piledriver. Sabin ran in and got one of his own. He wasn’t done. He looked for a third on Gordon but Gordon superkicked him to the floor. They glared at each other as Riccaboni implied that we can expect to see more between these two going forward.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Taylor really shined here as the sole heel against three plucky babyfaces. Isom also had some big moments, which Coleman in particular really put over, and managed to pull out another surprise win. Will it be another two and a half months before he gets his third? Gordon and Sabin are essentially competing for the exact same position in ROH right now but Gordon has the advantage of a year spent on Being The Elite. I can’t say I’m overly optimistic about Sabin’s singles future as there are a surplus of faces in ROH right now and next to no heels. If Taylor is going to be tied up with Gordon that only really leaves Silas Young and Bully Ray as potential feuds.)
-Very short, narrative-less video package of Aaron Solow competing on the limited series Dojo Pro. Due to winning the gauntlet he earned an ROH TV title match. [C]
-Aaron Solow made his entrance wearing the tacky Dojo Pro championship belt. He slapped the hands of fans in the crowd and the commentators acknowledged that he defeated Jeff Cobb in the finals of Dojo Pro to end up here today. Ring announcer Bobby Cruise handled full championship introductions.
(2) PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ vs. DOJO PRO BLACK BELT AARON SOLOW – ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Solow slapped Martinez before the bell and avoided a series of kicks. Martinez blocked a chop. Solow avoided a chokeslam. Martinez threw him back-first into the guardrail. Martinez was firmly in control going into the break. [C]
Solow hit a superkick to the heart and followed with a flip over the ropes onto the champ at ringside. He leapt off the top rope into a chokeslam attempt but rolled through into a double stomp. Solow with a belly to belly suplex. Another suplex gave him a two-count. The fans rallied behind him. Martinez with a thunderclap. Psycho Driver. Silencer. South Of Heaven chokeslam.
WINNER: Punishment Martinez in 7:44 to retain the TV title.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Solow had a flurry of hope spots in the middle there but that was about as decisive a victory as you’re going to see on ROH television. I can’t imagine we’re going to be seeing Solow regularly on ROH going forward or they likely would have protected him more here. Also quite surprised that Jeff Cobb didn’t appear here being that Solow beat him to earn this match and Cobb and Martinez had an altercation on Friday at Death Before Dishonor.)
-Video package on Coast 2 Coast. They’ve been out of action since May 9 due to Shaheem Ali being in a car accident but will return next week.
-Backstage Bully Ray recapped Death Before Dishonor to Silas Young and how they destroyed Colt Cabana and Flip Gordon. He said tonight is a step backwards, going from tagging with a hall of famer to two shmucks. He sarcastically said “good job” and slapped Young on the shoulder before leaving. [C]
-Video recap of Cody & The Young Bucks winning the six-man titles from The Kingdom one month ago on TV when Cody pinned Vinny Marseglia, despite Matt Taven being the legal man at the time.
-Young and The Bouncers entered together. The Young Bucks came out next and then Cody, Brandi, and Burnard. This may end up being Burnard’s final appearance as he was notably absent at both All In and Death Before Dishonor. [C]
(3) BULLET CLUB (Cody, Matt Jackson, & Nick Jackson w/Brandi Rhodes & Burnard The Business Bear) vs. SILAS YOUNG & THE BOUNCERS (Silas Young, Beer City Bruiser, & Brian Milonas) – ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Matt and Milonas started. Milonas overpowered Matt. Matt tried for a German suplex but couldn’t reach around Milonas’ waist. Nick and Bruiser tagged in. Bruiser yelled that this is a fight. Nick unloaded with forearms but Bruiser caught him on a crossbody attempt. Matt dropkicked Milonas and goaded Young into a dropkick from Cody. Young was triple-teamed with the big men sent to the floor. Young badgered them at ringside and brought them in for a huddle. Bruiser blocked Nick running the ropes and slammed him. Nick tagged Cody. Body slam to Bruiser. Young with a chopblock from behind. Young and Cody traded fists. Young blew a kiss at Brandi but Cody dropped him so he tagged out to Bruiser. Cody threw Bruiser through the ropes and he inadvertently took out Burnard in the process. Milonas with a crossbody to Cody behind the ref’s back. Bruiser made the cover but Cody kicked out. [C]
Cody was limp in Milonas’ grip. He took a splash in the corner but avoided a Milonas splash and powerslammed Young. Hot tag to Nick. He cleared Young and Bruiser and found himself face to face with Milonas again. Matt tried to help and their double-team offense took him down. Bruiser returned, as did Young. Superkick party! Cody with a springboard splash onto Young and Milonas at the foot of the ramp. All five men stood together and waited for Bruiser to cannonball off the top rope onto them. Bruiser held Cody for a second rope leg drop from Milonas but the Bucks broke up the pin. Matt and Nick were disposed of and The Bouncers set up for Closing Time but the Bucks caught Bruiser with a double superkick on his way off the top rope. Superkicks to Milonas. They cued up for Young but he took off and walked up the ramp. More superkicks to Milonas and CrossRhodes ends it.
WINNERS: Cody & The Young Bucks in 14:28 to retain the six-man titles.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Fun match. With all the matches the Bucks have had against teams like War Raiders they’re experts with playing up the size difference against The Bouncers. I do like the idea of spinning The Bouncers off from Young at this point. It will give them a chance to stand on their own and find strong personalities for themselves and furthers the Young-becoming-Bully Ray story. Ray has been doing undeniably strong heel work this year and making crowds really loathe him but he’s in no position to capitalize on that with main event matches or a world title run. Transferring some of his heat onto Young could be exactly what it takes to finally elevate Young from the upper midcard to the main event scene.)
-Next week: it’s The Kingdom vs. Coast 2 Coast, Marty Scurll vs. Shane Helms, and Cheeseburger vs. Will Ferrara in a fight without honor.
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