SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
ROH TV REPORT (ep.456)
JUNE 12, 2020
AIRED ON SINCLAIR SYNDICATED TV & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY RYAN SULLIVAN, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Host: No Host This Week
-The opening theme aired.
– A highlight package was played, consisting of Silas Young’s top moments in Ring of Honor.
-The show begins with Silas Young outdoors, by a beautiful swimming pool. Silas talks about life during quarantine, while clips of him chopping wood and grilling steaks are shown. Next, the show pivots to Josh Woods on camera, lying on a wrestling mat and calling Silas on his cell phone. Silas did not pick up, so Josh left a message that he was trying to get ahold of him, and that he missed him. (This was somewhat intentionally creepy.)
-Silas is now sitting in a chair, presumably in his home. He says this time home has given him a chance to reflect on his career. When you think of ROH, you think about Jay Lethal. Silas then reflected on their feud, and specifically, their last man standing match. The video package hyping this epic match was then shown, highlighting the key moments to this storyline.
-The show pivots to a three minute highlight package of the Jay Lethal vs Silas Young Last Man Standing match from September 22, 2017 at Death Before Dishonor. Silas was declared the winner after both men fell from a ladder, through a ringside table. Silas was able to answer the referee’s 10-count, making him the winner. (c)
-Back from commercial, Silas is back sitting in his living room chair. He talked about Jay Lethal and what a privilege it was “to leave him laying.” Silas is then interrupted by another call to his cell phone, and again, it is Josh Woods calling. Silas picks up the phone, and sternly reminded Woods that he told him he would be busy taping this episode. Young told him to stop calling, and hung up on Woods. Silas regained his train of thought, and gloated about having the best record in Last Man Standing matches in Ring of Honor. This gave Silas the chance to introduce a Last Man Standing match against Kenny King.
(1) Kenny King (c) vs. Silas Young – Last Man Standing Match for the ROH World Television Title
Both Kenny King and Silas Young received their full ring entrances and introductions prior to the match. This match occurred on April 7, 2018 at ROH Supercard of Honor, with Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana and Austin Aries on commentary.
The match begins with both men mid-ring trading punches, and King getting the early advantage. King would soon deliver a swinging neckbreaker, into a Boston Crab, followed by a version of Aries’ “Last Chancery” finisher. This was devastating, but Silas was able to answer the 10-count. A moment later, Young used King’s momentum against him, picking up the charging Kenny and dumping him over the top rope and through a table at ringside. This was a nasty bump and left the crowd gasping, yet speechless, into commercial. (c)
Back “live”, the fight has moved to the outside, with Silas delivering plenty of punishment to King. Silas throws King back inside the ring, and uses this opportunity to mock a fan inexplicably wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. Young goes to the top rope, but King meets him there and hits Silas with an Insiguri kick. King then hit a sidewalk slam on Young, onto the top turnbuckle, forcing Silas to the outside. King beats on Silas outside the ring, but Silas is able to answer the referee before the 10-count.
Moments later, both men are on the ring apron, and King attempts his “Eddie Gordo” kick, but Silas counters it with his “Misery” finishing move. Kenny is able to reach his feet at an 8-count. Silas used this time to fill the ring with chairs and metal trash cans. King is back in the ring, and Silas taunts both Kenny and the crowd, as he repeatedly hammers King with a trash can lid. Silas attempts another shot to King’s head with the can lid, but King counters it by throwing a chair to Young, which he foolishly catches; King uses Silas’s loss of focus to hit him with a middle rope dropkick, into the steel chair Young was holding. King quickly followed with his “Royal Flush” on a trash can, but Silas smartly rolled to the floor and landed on his feet, beating the referee’s 10-count. This was one of the more ingenious moves I have seen in pro wrestling in several years. (c)
The action resumes with King placing Young on a table, outside the ring. King ascended to the top rope, but before he could pounce, Beer City Bruiser came out to interfere. Bruiser and King traded multiple punches, and eventually King held Bruiser off by hitting him in the head with a trash can. Young used this time to recover and hit King with a trash can to turn the momentum. Young set up a ladder against an outside guardrail and attempted to throw King into the ladder. However, King reversed the move into a belly-to-belly suplex on the ladder. King then placed Silas on a table, and went to the top rope, delivering a stupendous “Shooting Star Press” on Young, on the table. Wow!
The finish ensues seconds later, as both men were down outside the ring. The referee began to count to 10, and as King attempted to stand up, a hand from under the ring grabbed his leg, keeping him grounded. Young slowly used the barricade to get to his feet, and stood at 9, making him the winner. The camera then zoomed in on King’s feet, which had somehow been duct-taped together, rendering him unable to stand.
WINNER: Silas Young at 15:26 to capture the ROH Television Title
(Ryan’s Reaction: Bravo Silas, Kenny, and ROH! I appreciate when ingenuity is shown in wrestling, and the astute move by Silas to roll out of the ring to get to his feet, combined with the shrewd interference by Bruiser to cause the finish, was simply brilliant storytelling by two talented veterans. This was one of my favorite matches in recent years, and I enjoy it more each time I watch it.)
-After the match, Silas Young and Beer City Bruiser taunt Kenny King, who is understandably furious. The commentators, begrudgingly, acknowledge how smart this tactic was, as the show went to commercial. [c]
-The show restarts with Silas in his chair, saying what a pleasure it was to re-watch that match. He said watching that match reminded him “it has been too long since I’ve held gold, and it’s time to change that”. Silas’s cell phone rang again, and surprise, surprise, it was Josh Woods calling. Josh said that Silas said he would call him back, but he didn’t. Silas asked Woods why he keeps calling him and what his deal is. Silas said Woods was really annoying, but he was also one of the best tag partners he has ever had. Silas says that he is going to show a 2 Guys 1 Tag match next. Josh suggested a possible match, but Silas overruled Woods, and decided to play their contest against The Briscoes.
(2) THE BRISCOES (Jay & Mark) vs. TWO GUYS ONE TAG (Silas Young & Josh Woods)
This match originally occurred December 15, 2019 at Final Battle Fallout, and the contest was to crown the #1 contender for the ROH World Tag Team Titles. The match starts with 2G1T playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to decide who would begin the contest, with Woods winning the epic duel. Mark Briscoe and Josh Woods begin with some impressive chain wrestling, and while Mark held his own, soon Woods gained the advantage. Not long after, Silas demanded a tag, and Young began to outwrestle Mark himself. A couple moments later, the veteran Jay blind tagged his brother Mark, allowing the Briscoes to go on offense. Jay forced both Woods and Young to the floor, giving Mark the opportunity to deliver a “Cannonball” onto 2G1T. (c)
The action returns and the Briscoes are still punishing 2G1T on the outside. The Briscoes throw Silas back in the ring, and begin to isolate him in their corner, and beat on him. After several minutes of punishment, Young escapes the Briscoes and makes the hot tag to Woods. Josh begins to pound on Jay, on the mat, giving Silas time to recover. Silas tags in and 2G1T start to work well as a team, beating on Jay Briscoe in their corner. 2G1T keep Jay in their corner for nearly four minutes, really working him over. Jay finally fires up and hits a dropkick on Silas Young, which gives him the chance to finally tag Mark. Mark enters and fights 2G1T 1-on-2. Mark attempts a “froggy-bow” on Woods, but Josh counters into an ankle-lock submission. Jay Briscoe and Silas begin to brawl outside the ring, while Woods switches the ankle-lock into a nasty “German” suplex. (c)
The show returns to action with the Briscoes hitting their “Red Neck Boogie” maneuver on Woods, but somehow, Josh is able to kick out at two. Young soon recovers and hits an “Anarchist” suplex on Jay Briscoe. Meanwhile, Woods and Mark Briscoe head to the top rope and start exchanging haymakers. Woods hits a belly-to-belly suplex from the top rope on Mark, leaving all four men down in the ring. The Briscoes and 2G1T rise and stand in the middle of the ring, and start trading forearms and punches. The Briscoes send Silas to the outside, and then hit a double running shoulder block on Woods.
This leads to the finish, as the Briscoes teased their Doomsday Device finisher on Woods. Shockingly, tag-team champions Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham run to ringside. Lethal distracts the referee, while Gresham pushes Mark off the top rope, sending him to the floor. Woods uses this opportunity to hit a rolling wheelbarrow suplex, into a bridge, on Jay Briscoe for the 1-2-3.
WINNERS: 2GIT at 14:32 to become #1 Contenders for the ROH World Tag-Team Titles
(Ryan’s Reaction: This was one of my favorite tag-team matches in the promotion last year, and all three men went out of their way to make Josh Woods look like a superstar. In addition, while I am suffering from “screw job” and distraction finish fatigue in pro wrestling, this was an example of clever, well-booked interference leading to the eventual winner.)
-Silas was again in his backyard, and thanked the viewers for watching a show focused on him. Young said he has to go check out his pool now. Right then, Young got yet another cell phone call, presumably from Josh Woods, as the show went to black.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was one of my favorite spotlight episodes Ring of Honor has done since quarantine changed their television product. While I would argue Silas has had better career matches in Ring of Honor, both contests were terrific and well worth re-watching. It also did a nice job furthering the “odd couple” dynamic between Woods and Young, and foreshadowed a strong tag-team run for 2G1T when live action resumes.
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