12/27 RING OF HONOR TV REPORT: Rok-C vs. Holidead for the ROH Women’s Championship, mystery tag team match, more

RING OF HONOR TV (EPISODE #536)
DECEMBER 27, 2021
AIRED ON SINCLAIR SYNDICATED TV & ROHWRESTLING.COM
REPORT BY CHRISTOPHER MAITLAND

Host: Quinn McKay

Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Ring Announcer: Bobby Cruise

– The opening theme aired. Quinn McKay welcomes everyone to this week’s show. The main event is a 12 man Christmas tag match where the winners will get a Christmas bonus. The opening match will be Rok-C defending the ROH Women’s World Championship against Holidead. Holidead won a #1 contender match at Honor For All,

Josh Woods is excitedly picking his team. After the first choice, the other selections are sped up. He says the other team is going on and he picked winners. Brian Johnson says it’s the holiday season and is the time for giving but ROH has only given him headaches. He notes at least they were smart enough to make him captain. Johnson is annoyed with his first pick and his other picks are sped up. Johnson says it doesn’t matter who is on the team because during this holiday season it will be Mecca vs Everybody.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Though most of the participants were a surprise, the promo shows Woods’ carefree attitude and the anger of Johnson.)

(1) ROK-C vs HOLIDEAD – ROH Women’s Championship

Ian welcomes everyone to the show. Maria Kanellis Bennett is on commentary. Holidead comes out first. In a pre-match promo, Holidead says the dark clouds of aligned and there is time for the dark reign. Holidead she will be the new Women’s champion and the dark days are coming. In a pre-match promo, Rok-C says that Holidead has been successful all over the world. Rok-C says Holidead has an advantage in strength and height but Rok-C has an advantage in heart and in being the champion. Rok-C says she will do whatever she can to retain the championship. (c)

(Maitland’s Thoughts: Paint by numbers promos by both competitors.)

Code of honor adhered to but Holidead pulls Rok-C in during the handshake. They lock up and Holidead shoves Rok-C to the mat. Rok-C avoids Holidead until Holidead throws Rok-C down. Rok-C grabs a side headlock. Holidead picks Rok-C up and throws her down. Holidead grabs a headlock. Rok-C reverses into a head scissors. Holidead stands up and grabs Rok-C by the throat. Rok-C escapes and grabs a headlock. Holidead escapes and applies a Vice Grip. Holidead rolls through for a two count three times. Rok-C escapes and goes for a crossface but Holidead gets to the ropes. Rok-C blocks a kick and takes Holidead down with an arm drag. Rok-C does a cartwheel and a curtsy. Rok-C slaps Holidead and hits a flying head scissors sending Holidead to the outside. Rok-C goes for a dive but Holidead catches her and rams her into the post. (c)

During the break, Holidead is in control. She hits a side suplex and a leg drop on the apron. Holidead puts Rok-C on her shoulders and rams her into three turnbuckles and hits a back breaker. Rok-C escapes and hits a knee to Holidead’s face. Rok-C hits a Thesz Press off the top rope. Rok-C hits a European uppercut followed by a snap mare. Rok-C escapes a side slam and hits a side Russian leg sweep and the Rok knees for a two count. Rok-C rolls up Holidead for a two count and grabs a head lock. Holidead lifts Rok-C and hits a Flatliner for a two count. Holidead attempts a Tiger Driver but Rok-C escapes and hits knees to Holidead’s back. Rok-C kicks Holidead and gets a two count. Holidead blocks an Irish whip and hits a spinebuster for a two count. Holidead gets Rok-C on her shoulders but Rok-C escapes and hits a spinning thrust kick and the Code Roc for the win.

WINNER: Rok-C at 13:30

-Rok-C celebrates and a replay s shown of the finish. Code of honor adhered to after the match.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: This result of this match was not a surprise due to Rok-C already being announced as defending the ROH Women’s World Championship in Impact. Match was alright. Holidead is an interesting character and if ROH was going forward there would have something in her odd couple tag team with Willow. They are currently feuding in MLW. With the strides that ROH took in the women’s division in 2021, it was important that there was a match representing the division on the last show of the era.)

-Dalton Castle says he has a big surprise for the viewers. (c)

Dalton Castle’s Classy Christmas Spectacular is next. Castle is singing with Dak Draper and the Baby Chicks. One of the Baby Chicks slips and Castle berates him. Castle asks who wants this to be fantastic. Draper says he does and when it doesn’t happen he likes to break stuff. Castle commands him and Draper starts to destroy the set. Castle said they ruined Christmas. Draper grabs a Santa hat and walks off. One of the Baby Chicks hits the Baby Chick who tripped.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: I would have preferred they showed Holidead vs Rok-C in its entirety. If ROH does come back, I hope that Castle and Draper as a team does not.)

(2) TWELVE MAN MYSTERY TAG

Quinn McKay is on commentary, Brian Johnson comes out first. He says it is in the holiday season and he is the first to say bah humbug. He says you are about to see 11 bozos and one Mecca and that it is still Mecca vs Everybody. Rhett Titus comes out next followed by Kenny King, Rey Horus, Homicide, and Flip Gordon. Josh Woods comes out next followed by Silas Young, Matt Taven, Bandido, and the Briscoes. (c)

Jay Briscoe and Homicide start. They lock up and grapple for control. Homicide and Jay trade strikes. Homicide clotheslines Jay and Jay responds with a kick. They lock up again and Woods tags in. Woods gets a rear naked choke on Homicide. Homicide bites Woods to get out. Woods and Homicide trade strikes until Woods takes Homicide down with a judo throw. Homicide gets up and flips off Woods. Homicide argues with Johnson and tags in Titus. Titus and Woods shake hands. Woods and Titus trade holds on the mat. Titus gets an arm lock and Woods rolls over for a two count. Woods and Titus continue to wrestle, reach a stalemate, and slap hands. (c)

During the break, Johnson tagged in and wrestled Woods until Young tagged in and wrestled Johnson. Taven is in the ring with Gordon. Taven hits a dropkick after Gordon escaped a clothesline. Gordon rolls up Taven for a two count. Gordon runs the ropes and hits a head scissors. Taven tags in Bandido. Bandido takes Gordon down with a shoulder charge but Gordon pops up. Bandido drops down after running the ropes. Gordon walks on his hands and Bandido kicks him the mat. Gordon escapes a suplex attempt and tags Horus. Horus and Bandido don’t want to fight and go to tag out. All of their teammates leave the ring apron. Horus and Bandido slap hands and run the ropes. Bandido does a handspring flip into the middle of the ring. Horus rolls through a wheel barrow attempt. Bandido hits a hurricanrana but Horus kicks him when Bandido charges into the corner. Horus hits a spinning body scissors. They trade sweeping the leg. Double dropkick leads to a stalemate. Bandido tags Mark Briscoe while Horus tags King. They lock up. Mark grabs a side headlock but King pushes him into the ropes. Mark takes him down with a shoulder charge. King hits a leap frog and a drop toe hold on Mark. Mark and King trade moves until Mark hits a chop to the throat. Mark Irish whips King to the corner. Titus makes a blind tag. King hits an inverted atomic drop and Titus clotheslines Mark. Titus clotheslines Mark and King hits a spinning kick. Titus and King go face to face. Titus and King do their All Night Express hand shake. Titus Irish whips Mark and Jay makes a blind tag. Titus ducks a clothesline and King enters the ring. All four men start brawling. Everyone else is brawling on the outside except Taven. Mark throws Titus out of the ring and hits a drop kick. Mark hits a Blockbuster on Titus. Gordon goes to the commentary booth to invite the commentator to his New Year’s Eve party. Jay hits an uppercut on King. King ducks a clothesline and dives onto Mark. Johnson knees Jay and sends him to the outside. Taven dives over the top rope onto King and the Briscoes. (c)

Woods and Young are in the ring. They look like they are going to work together. Young sends Woods over the top onto Taven and Titus. Horus comes into the ring and trades forearms with Young. Young puts Horus into the corner and hits a series of shoulder charges before Horus moves out of the way. Horus hits a kick and sends Young to the outside. Horus dives on Young. Homicide dives onto several wrestlers. Bandido does a dive off the tope rope. Gordon dives off the stage onto several wrestlers. A replay is shown of Gordon’s dive. Young and Homicide are in the ring. Homicide hits a forearm. Young misses the Plunge and Homicide hits the Ace Crusher. Taven breaks up the pin. Homicide and Taven grapple for control until Taven hits Just the Tip of the Knee for a two count. Taven does a neckbreaker for a two count. Taven climbs the ropes but Gordon hits the Kinder Surprise knocking Taven to the floor. Bandido gets into the ring. Gordon hits a superkick but Bandido responds with a pop up Ace Crusher. Horus comes in kicks Bandido but Bandido hits with the X knee. Bandido throws Horus in the air but Horus hits a DDT. Woods comes in kicks Horus and hits him with the Gorilla Slam. Titus runs in and hits a running belly to belly suplex and a drop kick on Woods. Woods goes to the outside. Jay Briscoe comes in. Briscoe moves out of the way of a drop kick. Titus escapes a neck breaker but Jay hits the Jaydriller. King comes in, misses a spinning kick but hits a Dragon Suplex followed by a Tiger Driver for a pinning attempt. Mark breaks up the pin. Mark gets hit by an elbow but hits a Death Valley Driver. Mark hits the Froggy Bow but King rolls to the outside. Johnson rolls up Mark by holding the tights and gets a two count. Johnson and Mark trade strikes. Johnson hits a pump kick and Mark responds with the Cutthroat Driver. The Briscoes hit the Doomsday Device on Johnson for the win.

WINNER: Team Woods (Josh Woods, Bandido, Matt Taven, Silas Young, and the Briscoes) at 20:45

-A replay is shown of the finish. All the wrestlers hug each other except Johnson. Ian Riccaboni mentions that updates on the reimagined Ring of Honor will appear on social media heading to Supercard of Honor in April 2022. Mark and Jay Briscoe get lifted up on the shoulders of other wrestlers.

(Maitland’s Thoughts: I usually don’t care much about these end of the year random team matches but due to the circumstances, I really enjoyed this one especially the call backs to earlier feuds and alliances. The Briscoes were fitting winners of the last match of this era. I am at the point of my life where I am not afraid of being upfront about my emotions. I can say that I was sad watching what is the final episode of this era of Ring of Honor and realizing it’s all over. This Ring of Honor inspired me to do something that I thought I would never do, which is write weekly television reports. I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to make sure it got the attention it deserved. I even went to my first and last wrestling show for the foreseeable future due to my desire to be at Final Battle. Unfortunately, the company is going through a change and the future is uncertain. ROH is my current favorite wrestling promotion and I hope it comes back. In the meantime, I as well as many others will follow wrestlers from Ring of Honor as they appear in other promotions as we wait to see what April brings us. This will be my last television report but I wanted to thank everyone who read and watched ROH alongside me. Justin McClelland and I will continue to host Honor Speak on the PWTorch Dailycast Lineup. The show is on Thursdays and we will talk ROH and matches taking place in independent wrestling.)

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ROH TV REPORT: 12/20 RING OF HONOR TV REPORT: Josh Woods vs. Dak Draper, Dante Caballero vs. Matt Makowski, more