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ROH TV REPORT
JULY 7, 2019
KENT, WA AT SHOWARE CENTER
AIRED ON FITE.TV
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentary: Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana
Opening theme.
-In the arena we opened with The Kingdom’s music but it wasn’t for our world champion, it was his henchmen competing in tag team action.
(1) THE BOUNCERS (Beer City Bruiser & Brawler Milonas) vs. THE KINGDOM (TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia)
Milonas and O’Ryan started. The fans chanted “Beer!” as he bounced O’Ryan’s head off the top turnbuckle. O’Ryan tricked Milonas into running back and forth from corner to corner until he ran out of breath. O’Ryan hit a dropkick, posed on his knees in celebration, and Milonas collapsed forward, flattening him. Bruiser and Marseglia made tags. Bruiser took out both opponents at ringside with a cannonball off the apron. Marseglia ran Bruiser into the guardrail. [C]
Marseglia continuined to work over Bruiser. Double sidewalk slam to both Kingdom members. Hot tag to Milonas. He sent Marseglia flying and squashed O’Ryan with a crossbody. Marseglia pulled Bruiser off the apron to prevent The Bouncers’ finishing move. He then tripped Milonas off the second rope too, allowing O’Ryan to pin Milonas.
WINNERS: The Kingdom in 10:10.
-The Bouncers’ offered the post-match toast of honor. The Kingdom accepted. O’Ryan took a mic and said ROH is built on elite tag team wrestling and there’s no doubt in his mind that The Bouncers are an elite tag team. But tonight they proved that they’re big fat losers just like all the fans. O’Ryan and Marseglia poured their beers on the floor. The Bouncers clubbed them out of the ring.
(Pageot’s Perspective: ROH announced today that The Bouncers will officially challenge either Guerrillas Of Destiny or The Briscoes for the ROH tag titles on July 21 at Mass Hysteria. What timing. Going into this The Bouncers had the best TV record this year of any act in ROH at 6-0, while The Kingdom had the second-worst at 0-3, so this outcome is a legitimate headscratcher. Both teams were left off of the Best In The World pay-per-view card, though, so that tells you more than anything that ROH doesn’t consider them top acts or credible champions.)
-ROH World Champion Matt Taven was backstage. He said to beware the quiet man. While others talk, he listens. While others act, he bides his time. Taven will never rest, though. He’s not satisfied and there’s no finish line in sight. [C]
-Tracy Williams was backstage. The ROH world title has been held by some of the greatest wrestlers in history. He doesn’t take this opportunity lightly. The Kingdom are banned from ringside and he knows he can outwrestle Taven so tonight the title will be his.
-Dark match VIP and Shinobi Shadow Squad foe Brian Johnson had a picture-in-picture promo. He called Josh Woods the biggest bust in Top Prospect history, while he’s this year’s #1 pick.
Woods also had a PIP promo. His philosophy is less is more. He told Johnson he’d let his actions do the talking.
(2) JOSH “THE GOODS” WOODS vs. “#1” BRIAN JOHNSON
Johnson has twelve years of experience, which really makes you question why he’s competing in a Top Prospect tournament. Johnson continued to run his mouth even after the bell rang. Woods picked him up and slammed him down. Overhead throw. [C]
Johnson was in control out of the break. Woods started a comeback at 5:30. Johnson tried to steal a pin with both legs across the ropes but it was blatantly obvious to the ref. High knee from Woods. Seismic Toss.
WINNER: Josh Woods in 6:58.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Woods is the most recent winner of the Top Prospect Tournament, defeating John Skyler in the finals of the 2017 edition. Giving him something of a push now, ahead of the 2019 tournament starting in a few weeks, makes perfect sense. I don’t know if taking this long to beat an unsigned enhancement talent qualifies as a “push”, though.)
-Video recap of Tracy Williams pinning Eli Isom in a four-way at War Of The Worlds: Grand Rapids on May 11 to earn tonight’s world title match. [C]
(Pageot’s Perspective: Eli Isom was announced today as being given a TV title match on July 21 at Mass Hysteria. What timing.)
-Jay Lethal joined commentary for the main event. He’ll be challenging the winner of this next match for the ROH world title sometime on TV in August.
(3) MATT TAVEN vs. “HOT SAUCE” TRACY WILLIAMS – ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The first commercial break came quickly. [C]
Williams with a saito suplex. Taven bailed to ringside. Williams followed and his bad left shoulder was ran into the ring post and the guardrail because of it. Taven grabbed the world title and started to head backstage. Williams went after him and they fought in the aisle. Taven face-first into the entrance steps. Williams with an axhandle off the stage. Taven took Williams off the second rope with a Russian leg sweep that wrenched the bad shoulder across the top rope. A dropkick through the ropes cleared Williams. [C]
During the break Taven ripped off one of the top turnbuckles. Senior ROH official Todd Sinclair didn’t appear to care. Taven avoided a top rope double-stomp. Impaler DDT from Williams to Taven onto a top turnbuckle. A diving DDT followed for a two-count. Just The Tip of the knee to Williams. Both men were down at 11:45. A clothesline from Williams turned Taven inside out. Crossface into an ankle lock back into a crossface. Taven made the rope break. After a scuffle Taven hit the Climax. Williams kicked out of the champ’s finishing move. Top rope frog-splash but Williams got the knees up. Piledriver from Williams for a two-count. Both men were down again at 15:30. Williams and Taven scuffled again, around and around. In the midst of it Williams accidentally grabbed Sinclair by the head. The referee freaked out and stopped to check his eye. Taven used the distraction to run Williams’ bad shoulder into the exposed turnbuckle. A second Climax ended things.
WINNER: Matt Taven in 16:06 to retain the world title.
(Pageot’s Perspective: A very good main event with yet another groan-inducing finish. The exposed turnbuckle gag at least isn’t overused like the constant low blows and chair shots of late but it was removed so early that we spent the entire rest of the match not buying into any near-falls and just waiting for the moment that Williams would be ran into it. And it’s not like it was removed in any clever way. Taven just walked over and undid the ties while Sinclair watched him. There’s a reason AEW wanted Paul Turner and not Todd Sinclair. Considering he’s ROH’s senior official he constantly makes bad calls and misses completely obvious things.
Nothing was advertised for next week’s show, though I believe it should be the last episode from Kent, Washington with the following week finally providing some response to the events of Best In The World.)
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