Mitchell’s Ring of Honor Report! (8/19/17)

ROH Wrestling TV, Episode 309

Steven Mitchell
Aug 24, 2017 · 15 min read

All images courtesy of the Fite.TV app and streaming service

OFFICIAL RESULTS

  • Team Coast2Coast VS The Best Friends; Best Friends win.
  • Jay Briscoe VS Matt Taven w/ The Kingdom; Briscoe wins by disqualification.
  • ROH Six Man Tag Championship: Dalton Castle & The Boys VS Colt Cabana & The Tempura Boyz; Castle & The Boys win and retain the ROH Six Man Tag Team Championships.

PLAY BY PLAY

The Peacock has a message for Colt Cabana.

They’re here once again, Cabana even got his own boys. Cabana talked a lot of trash, Castle countered by putting titles on the line. Cabana should’ve taken an easier task, like boiling chicken or discovering a reusable energy source. Because taking titles “from this, flanked by these, is a task you’re not ready for.” Can Cabana do the seemingly impossible and defeat the Peacock?

Team Coast2Coast VS The Best Friends!

Leon St. Giovanni and Shaheem Ali are an impressive combination with lots of potential, but Trent Baretta and Chuck Taylor are best friends, just as their team name suggests. Caprice Coleman joins commentary and feels insulted by not being introduced sooner. That aside, the Code of Honor is upheld, the fans are strongly behind the Best Friends. LSG and Chuckie T start while Ian Riccaboni and BJ Whitmer ask Caprice how the Rebellion break-up is going for him. LSG wrenches Chuck’s arm, Chuck reverses, LSG flips and reverses, Chuck hits back. Chuck whips but is reversed, back elbow, Chuck goes up and moonsault, but lands on his feet when LSG rolls under. LSG kicks, blocked, sweeps the legs but Chuck jumps over, LSG handsprings up, fans applaud. Tags to Baretta and Ali, Chuck rallies the fans as the two circle. They tie up, Ali powers Baretta to a corner, clean break. Fans applaud the sportsmanship, the two go again, headlock from Baretta. Ali slips out and puts on a headlock of his own, Baretta pushes Ali and powers out, things speed up, Baretta runs Ali over with a back elbow. Baretta drags Ali up, puts him in a corner, swift chop. Baretta chops again, Ali turns things around but Baretta still chops him down. Baretta whips Ali but is reversed, body drop on the rebound! Ali gets Baretta into C2C’s corner, tag to LSG, LSG gets a running start to ram his shoulder into Baretta. Tag to Ali, double arm wrench and roll, double dropkick low. TWO, Ali drags Baretta up and puts him back in the corner, tag to LSG. They club away on Baretta, then double whip to Tu Lo Sabes!

You Know It!

TWO, LSG drags Baretta back over. Tag to Ali, LSG rams a shoulder and Ali gives a forearm. Ali whips Baretta corner to corner, Baretta rolls to the top rope then back down, Baretta ducks the heel kick, Ali gets a waistlock, Baretta bucks Ali off while Chuck tags in. Standing switch, Baretta shoves Ali into Chuck’s forearm. Waistlock, Sole Food, Dragon Suplex!

Chuck takes out LSG, the Best Friends hug as we go to break!

We return, Best Friends are still in control but Ali is fighting out of a waistlock. Baretta reels him back in but Ali turns that into an Olympic Slam! Ali and Baretta crawl, tags to LSG and Chuckie T, the Human Rocket LSG rallies. He puts both Best Friends into a corner, double clothesline! LSG whips Chuck but is reversed, LSG springboards and forearms Chuck down. Baretta comes in, cradling swing-out gutbuster! LSG runs, low dropkick! LSG is fired up but Chuck gives him a boot, LSG slips out of the saido suplex, Coast2Coast hit a combination full-nelson Complete Shot facebuster!

TWO, but no frustration yet. C2C whips Ali in but he’s dumped to the floor, LSG takes a knee from Chuckie T, tag to Baretta, long dart cutter!

TWO! Best Friends are shocked by this determination. Baretta gets LSG up, LSG fights back, tag to Ali. Ali misses and takes an enziguri, Baretta fires up. Baretta runs corner to corner for the back elbow, runs the ropes, but his tornado DDT is blocked with pure strength! Ali spins Baretta out, swinging urinagi! LSG boots Chuck out, Best Friends regroup. C2C whips LSG as a fake out, Ali FLIES!

The Best Friends go down, the fans and Ali are fired up, but it’s not done there. LSG climbs up as Ali sets the Best Friends back up, LSG springboard phoenix senton!

Best Friends down again, C2C gets Baretta in. LSG drags Baretta up, butterfly underhook, flipping slam!

Saintsplosion!

Ali with the frog splash!

Chuck saves the match! Tag back to LSG, Ali jumps but misses Chuck, Chuck throws him into barrier. LSG kicks Chuck, kicks Baretta, climbs up top again, 450 hits knees! LSG gasps as Baretta fires up again. Baretta takes aim, shotgun knee! Chuck comes back in, Best Friends get LSG up. Chuck gives LSG a piledriver, rolls him to Baretta, Gotch Piledriver!

Best Friends win! And hug again. With this chemistry, can they become tag team champions?

Jay Lethal was interviewed on his return to ROH TV.

This was the first time Lethal was that badly injured. He “thanks” Silas Young and the Beer City Bruiser, and promises this will only get worse before it ends. Lethal is motivated in a new way. He wants revenge on the Last Real Man. But speaking of, Silas Young came to find “The Golden Boy”. Oh no Bruiser today? Good!

Lethal and Silas brawl it out, Lethal decks Silas, but then Bruiser comes in!

Lethal gives BCB a kick in the balls, Silas gives Lethal a chair in the back!

Silas and Bruiser stomp on Lethal but then security rushes in to pull them away. Silas shouts that “that’s what you’re gonna get, every time you come back!” Lethal still wanted to fight, but Silas had disappeared by the time he got to his feet. Lethal then sent a message to Silas: wherever the Last Real Man is, he should come back and finish this. Lethal tells ROH management to start arranging matches, any kind of matches. So long as Lethal gets to end this with those “last real men”.

Jay Briscoe VS Matt Taven w/ The Kingdom!

A high caliber match just about anywhere, both men are itching to get back to any title, who will #ManUp tonight to gain points in the ROH rankings? Briscoe swings at Taven even before the bell, Taven swings back as he has Briscoe in a corner. The referee backs Taven off, Taven whips Briscoe but is reversed. Taven goes up and over, but gets a headscissor. Bricoe boots Taven out, takes aim, but has to stop as Vinnie Marseglia gets Taven clear, and brandishes a tomahawk!

Briscoe gets himself a chair to back down Crazy Vinnie, but Taven pounces from behind. Taven stomps on Briscoe, puts him in the ring, Briscoe gets running and things speed up, big back elbow from Briscoe. Briscoe stalks Taven, puts him in a corner, Briscoe stomps away. Briscoe grinds a boot into Taven’s throat, then drags Taven up for stiff right hands. Corner to corner whip, Briscoe clobbers Taven with a clothesline, snapmare to low running dropkick! The Kingdom tries to coach Taven back into this, Briscoe drags Taven up, snap suplex. Cover, TWO, Briscoe isn’t frustrated just yet as he kicks Taven down. Briscoe gives a European Uppercut to Taven in the corner, then another, and another. Briscoe throws his headband at Taven before dragging him up and whipping him. Taven reverses the whip, sunset flip rolled through, Taven gives Briscoe a stiff knee strike.

Fans boo and jeer Taven as he grins at the camera. Taven says Briscoe’s “just another melvin” as we go to break.

We return, Taven climbs to the top, frog splash avoided, Taven runs back but Briscoe lifts him up, Death Valley Driver!

Both men are down, The Kingdom rallies for Taven but the fans rally for Briscoe. Both men get up, Briscoe gives Taven a stiff EuroUpper, a forearm, EuroUpper, forearm, repeat, the fans cheer “MAN UP!” Briscoe runs, Taven follows, springboard roundhouse! Briscoe down, Taven springboard lionsault hits knees! Briscoe runs and runs Taven over with a lariat! TWO! Briscoe isn’t frustrated, he gets to a corner to shake out the cobwebs. The fans rally, Briscoe gets up and grabs Taven. Taven escapes the neckbreaker, shoves Briscoe to a corner but gets a back elbow. Briscoe jabs away at Taven, Taven kicks, Taven’s whip is reversed but he ducks and rolls under Briscoe’s clothesline, enziguri! Back suplex powerbomb, TWO! Taven is shocked! Taven stands over Briscoe, drags him up, wraps the arm around but Briscoe turns that into a torture rack! Taven rakes the eyes to escape, Briscoe shoves Taven away, dropkick sends Taven out. Briscoe takes aim, speeds up, and DIVES!

Briscoe crashes and burns as he topples Taven over! Even so, Briscoe gets up and makes his way back to Taven. He throws Taven in, takes aim again, running boot! Vinnie comes in, Briscoe dodges, neckbreaker! Briscoe sees O’Ryan, takes that crutch and uses it to drag O’Ryan in! O’Ryan begs for mercy, his broken leg is still healing. Briscoe tells him to “Sit yo’ ass down!” and O’Ryan obeys. Briscoe has that crutch, aims at Taven, but O’Ryan winks to the camera. O’Ryan undoes his cast! His leg is just fine! O’Ryan uses that cast to smack Briscoe in the head!

The match is disqualified, but the Kingdom has bigger plans for Briscoe. Taven throws in several chairs, Vinnie positions Briscoe to rest on one, Taven sets another on top of Briscoe, and each member of the Kingdom takes a chair for themselves. TRIPLE Con-Chair-to!!

“Thy Kingdom Come!”

The Kingdom has just decimated the former ROH World Heavyweight Champion! Now that they are at full power again, who else will suffer by their hands?

The American Nightmare speaks.

On his “journey to become the greatest Ring of Honor World Champion to date”, as a free agent, just look at the long list of successful title defenses. Jack Swagger: ended him! Ricochet: eviscerated! Whether in or out of ROH, sign up and he’ll show up! Can Cody keep his win streak going against the world’s best wrestlers?

ROH Six Man Tag Championship: Dalton Castle & The Boys VS Colt Cabana & The Tempura Boyz!

Colt Cabana talked pretty big about himself, and The Peacock heard word of it all. The Peacock was confident enough to put up the titles he and The Boys won off Bully Ray & the Briscoes, is his team skilled enough to keep them? Castle and Cabana start but Cabana wants at The Boys. He ties up with Castle, Cabana backs Castle to a corner but chooses not to give him a punch. They break, Castle gets a waistlock but Cabana uses a back elbow, Peacock Pose freezes Cabana. Only for a second, though, as Cabana throws Castle out of the ring. Then he yanks both Boys in at once! Both Boys back away from Cabana, Castle slips back in and reels Cabana in, Cabana slips out of the back suplex, and stares down the champions. Cabana rushes Castle, Castle slips away to the outside and the Boys double arm wrench Cabana, criss-cross him, double straitjacket arm drag! Cabana rolls out, Sho & Yo jump in but they both get Japanese arm-drags from The Boys! Castle returns, speeds up, but he and the Boys are all tripped up by Cabana and the Tempura Boyz. Cabana and the Tempura Boyz take the ring, Cabana speeds up, to mock the Peacock Strut and Pose!

Castle and his Boys are offended, we go to break as things sort out.

We return, The Tempura Boyz whip the Boys at each other, but the Boys stop and help each other go Matrix to dodge Sho & Yo.

Tempura Boyz collide, Castle and Cabana come back in, the Boys get clear so that Castle can lift and throw Cabana overhead! Cabana and the Tempura Boyz gather again, The Boys become a bench, and Castle sits back to relax.

Cabana huddles up with Sho and Yo, the Boys #FanUp for Castle, Cabana is trying to convince the Tempura Boyz about something but they seem a bit reluctant about the idea. Cabana and Castle stare each other down, Castle wants competition. Cabana tags in Sho, he and Castle tie up, Castle gets Sho down and into a waistlock, Sho standing switch but Castle gets an arm wrench. Boy 1 (with the light brown hair) tags in, Sho shoves Castle away, Cabana gives Sho some tips on how to handle a Boy. The two tie up, Boy 2 tags in, Sho backs off to flex. The Boys become a tower to become SUPER Boy! So Yo comes in, Super Tempura Boy! The boy towers face off!

They flex, Cabana shoves The Super Boy over. Castle complains but The Tempura Boyz just stomp out Boy 2. Sho & Yo double whip Boy 2, hip toss, dropkick, elbow and knee drop, but confusion on who is legal prevents a cover. Sho puts Boy 2 in his corner for a right hand, Fisherman suplex, TWO, into Fujiwara armbar! Castle comes in and kicks Sho to break the hold, the Boys switch places! Cabana exposes the trick to Sho, Sho throws Boy 1 out while Cabana puts Boy 2 back in, Castle keeps distracting the ref. Boy 2 suffers more stomps, tag to Yo, Boy 2 is isolated as we take another break.

We return, Boy 2 is in an neutral corner. Cabana coordinates, and Yo runs in to hit a back elbow. Sho runs in to hit a forearm smash, and Cabana with the big flying butt bump! Cabana and the Tempura Boyz again mock the Peacock Pose and fanning, Boy 1 pulls off Twin Magic! Yo tries to point that out to his team, Cabana won’t listen, he falls for the trick! Boy 1 boots, hops up, jumps over, tilt-o-whirl and tag to Castle! Castle rallies on Cabana, blows up the Tempura Boyz, then runs Cabana over again. Castle with the waistlock, Sho runs in but he takes an overhead slam! Yo comes in, he gets one, too! Cabana charges up, butt bump caught! German Suplex! The fans are all fired up, as are The Boys. Loaded up, Castle launches Boy 2 at Yo!

Boy 1 is launched at Sho!

Castle himself takes Cabana, but does the proper Peacock Strut! Cabana gets mad, gets on the apron, Double Boy Dropkick! The Peacock speeds up, and DIVES!

Back into the ring, Double Boys Missile Dropkick! Waistlock, deadlift German bridge, the Tempura Boyz break it up! Sho back stabber into Yo code breaker! Boy 1 flies in but takes Double Tempura dropkicks. Boy 2 takes kicks and double whip, he ducks their double lariats but takes the Tempura Death Drop!

Cabana is back, the Tempura Boyz set Boy 2 up for Cabana, Castle comes back in! Stiff back elbow, The Boys make the Tempura Boyz collide, Castle rallies on them with stiff elbows and chops! Cabana’s all alone, but he still hits the bionic elbow on Castle. Boy 1 leapfrogs to take a bionic elbow, Boy 2 leapfrogs and takes a bionic elbow. Cabana goes after Castle, but runs into BANGARANG!

Castle and the Boys win to retain! Castle backed up his own words by making sure Cabana did not!

Castle takes the mic, to talk to Cabana. “That sure as hell felt great.” Cabana and Castle have history, that’s no secret. To be perfectly honest, Castle has admired Cabana for a long, long time. Cabana was an inspiration even. Then Cabana made it so hard for Castle to like him. Castle’s beaten him three different ways, but Cabana keeps coming like Castle isn’t the fantastic wrestler he is. Three in a row, has Castle earned Cabana’s respect? He’s earned the fans’ respect, it seems to be just Cabana’s problem. Cabana gets up, Castle keeps his Boys back. Cabana and Castle shake hands! Grudge gone, where will the Six Man tag champions go from here?

My Thoughts:

Really solid episode for ROH here, again showing us the wealth of young talent they have and can build. First, Team Coast2Coast has a good showing against Baretta and Chuckie T, who themselves still have plenty they can do in ROH, both teams will be major parts of ROH’s two man tag team division going forward. Commentary did great in talking up Ali and LSG, and BJ Whitmer has a point that Coast2Coast’s day will come to finally get that landmark win on ROH TV. The Kingdom is growing stronger as a Heel faction, they got some real Heel Heat with their brutal attack on Jay Briscoe, who represents a huge part of ROH’s legacy. It was like a passing of the torch, but instead of being passed it, the Kingdom is taking the torch and running with it. They already had an undefeated streak from when they formed, to winning the ROH Six Man Tag Tournament and becoming inaugural champions, up until losing those titles shortly after O’Ryan broke his leg. Great heel tactic of waiting to reveal O’Ryan was healed, these guys can easily get those ROH Six Man Tag Titles back and have another win streak with them. Plus, if they’re next feud is going to be an extended one with Bully Ray and the Briscoes, that gets them even more credit given the combined legacies of those three men.

That main event was fun in all kinds of ways. There was the great story elements of Castle and Cabana having their heated personal feud, the Tempura Boyz did great playing along and mocking the champions, the Boys (aka the Tate Twins) did great with both a failed and successful Twin Magic, and I genuinely laughed seeing the game of chicken in the ring, even with Cabana ruining it. Castle and the Tate Boys are so over, which is why they’re champions in the first place and why they retained. The Tempura Boyz have a ways to go but they’ve got what it takes in the ring to climb the ranks, same as Team Coast2Coast. Also great to see Cabana and Castle peacefully settle this, you don’t always get that in pro-wrestling.

My Score: 8/10

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