ROH TV 15/02/2019
Centerstage , Atlanta,GA
Caprice Coleman & Colt Cabana On Commentary.
The show opens up and already 6 guys are in the ring, they are- Chris Sabin, Flip Gordon, Kenny King, Luchasaurus , Rhett Titus and Shane Taylor – 6 man Scramble match with Lucha rules (when a man exits the ring, another man can come in, no tag required)
Luchasaurus and Sabin start the match.
Luchasaurus overpowered Sabin. Sabin ended up in Gordon’s corner but Gordon chose to jump off the apron rather than tag in against the dinosaur. Sabin takes down Luchasaurus with a second rope Flying Headscissors and Luchasaurus tumbled to the floor and, as this was contested under lucha rules, that allowed King to become the legal man in his place. Sabin tagged out to King’s long-time tag partner in The All-Night Express, Rhett Titus. ANX wrestled to a stand-still. Taylor, who was a member of The Rebellion with most men, entered and applauded. They teamed up to take him out, and then Luchasaurus too. It looked like ANX were set to implode when Gordon dropkicked them both. Springboard spear from Gordon to King. Taylor sent Gordon flying with a shoulder block. Luchasaurus took out Taylor and King with kicks. All six men took each other out and were down heading into the break.
Taylor and King were the legal men after the break. King connected with a springboard blockbuster from the apron. Taylor hit a cannonball off the apron that took out both of ANX. Luchasaurus hit a step-up cannonball onto all three men. Gordon did a cannonball of his own, off the balcony onto four men. He rolled Taylor into the ring and hit a 450 but King pulled him out to prevent the three-count. Gordon hit a springboard into a steel chair shot from King. Rather than disqualify King and name it a five-way tie the referee elected to have King ejected from the match instead and have the others continue. Titus hit a flurry of offense on Luchasaurus and a Samoan drop on Taylor. Taylor hit a high knee and Greetings From 216 (Suplex lift into seated Tombstone) on Titus for the 3 count. Winner- Shane Taylor in just under 11 minutes a back and forth match, the crowd were into it from the start and the Lucha rules really benefited the flow of the match.
Next up
The Bouncers (The Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas) VS Marcus Cross & Griff Garrison
The enhancement team looked very young and particularly tiny next to The Bouncers. They tried to double-team Milonas but he shoved them off. Garrison avoided two elbow drops from Bruiser. Cross hit a Hadoken on bruiser to make the tag to Garrison after a short flurry of offence Kross was tagged back in and attempted a springboard Crossbody only to be caught by Bruiser and then flattened by Milonas with a back Senton. The Bouncers hit Last Call ( Superplex/ Frog splash combination) on Garrison for the easy victory, Winners The Bouncers in a little over 3 minutes, Squash match, the upstart team showed brief glimpses of potential but the larger team just decimated them quickly.
MAIN EVENT TIIME
The Briscoes ( Jay & Mark) VS The Best Friends (Chuckie T & Colt Cabana)
The Briscoes entered first for the main event. Chuck Taylor was out next alone. He said he didn’t have his best friend but he did have a really, really good friend. Colt Cabana’s music hit. He stood up at the announce table and stripped off his clothes to reveal his singlet underneath. ( Huge pop from the crowd and myself as well ).
The teams brawled around ringside.
Cabana tagged in and took out both brothers with a run of offense. Taylor hit Sole Food and sliced bread on Jay but he kicked out. They sat Cabana in a chair at ringside and Mark hit a running blockbuster off the apron. A huge Jay Driller to Taylor ended things.( I’m never comfortable watching that move as awesome as it is, just no margin for error)
WINNERS: The Briscoes in just under 11 minutes to retain the tag titles.
After the match the Briscoes were not done with the Best Friends and Mark set up a table at ringside. Jay laid Taylor across the table and Mark hit a froggy-bow off the top rope through Taylor and the table.
A video package recapped Bully Ray’s plague-like group ruining The Elite’s farewell party and contrasted that with Juice Robinson forming his faction Lifeblood.
Ian Riccaboni was in the ring and introduced the ROH World Champion Jay Lethal. Lethal said there’s so much pressure on him besides being the champion. Pressures like watching the company he loves deteriorate before his eyes. He acknowledged Bully Ray’s faction and turned his attention to Matt Taven and his fake world title. Juice Robinson interrupted.
All six Lifeblood members walked out. Robinson said they’re on the same page and he feels Lethal. Lethal said there are others in the locker room like them who feel the same. Lethal said he doesn’t want to join a group like theirs because– Robinson said they weren’t asking him. Lethal put over David Finlay, then Tracy Williams, then Tenille Dashwood. He said the only reason she’s not Women Of Honor champion is because she had to take time off for her shoulder injury. (No mention of the mystery assailant that kayfabe took her out of action.) Lethal spoke about facing Mark Haskins in the finals of the first International Cup last year. He put over Bandido and Robinson to close and wished them good luck in restoring honor to ROH. Robinson challenged Lethal to find four tag partners and face the Lifeblood men in a ten-man tag. Lethal of course agreed. They all shook hands. Respectful and I see a healthy rivalry developing between Juice And Jay ( I’d pay good money to see that match)
Next Week LifeBlood VS Team Lethal …….Should be good if given the right amount of time.
22/02/2018 Centerstage , Atlanta,GA
Caprice Coleman, Colt Cabana & Ian Riccoboni on commentary
Opening Match – WOH Triple Threat Match
Jenny Rose VS Sumie Sakai VS Madison Rayne
Code Of Honor adhered to by all 3 ladies
Match begins
Sakai is the aggressor in the opening moments of the match, Rayne then scores a couple of near fall attempts on Sakai , first with a Crucifix into a Sunset Flip and then she countered a Hip Toss into a bridging pin
Rose then inserts herself by knocking both Rayne and Sakai down with a Double Clothesline, Rayne then dumps Sakai out of the ring following a pinfall attempt by Rose after she delivered a Fisherman Suplex on Sakai.
Double submission with Sakai getting Rose in a full Boston Crab and Rayne putting Sakai in a Sleeper Hold ( Veteran move from Madison)which causes the full Crab to go into a Single Leg Boston Crab on Rose increasing the pressure on her lower back.
Sakai seemingly looks like she is fading , takes Rayne over and transitions beautifully into a Cross Armbreaker , Rayne gets her foot on the ropes but the official is tending to Rose who then breaks the hold.
Jenny Rose is in control and she takes Sakai over with a German Suplex and follows it up with a Clothesline which gets her near fall.
Match resumes and following a couple of Elbow Strikes Sakai muscles up the larger Rose for a Fisherman Buster and gets a near fall, she also kicks Rayne off the ring apron.
Sakai misses a top rope Moonsault then eats a Lungblower and Spear from Rose for her trouble, Rayne breaks up the pinfall attempt.
Rayne Delivers a pair of Rayne drops(Ripcord Ace Crusher) (I named the move not sure if its official but oh well) and gets a very close near fall on Sakai.
A Dazed Sakai hits a Fisherman Neckbreaker on Rayne out of desperation. Sakai kick Rayne to the outside.
The end of the match came when Madison hit an Inverted DDT on Sakai after a brief exchange for the 3 Count
Winner- Madison Rayne in just under 11 and a half minutes. a good showing from all 3 ladies , the crowd were up and down at times, and the flow was steady and benefited all parties.(This victory must put Madison in contention for a title match further down the line.)
Flashback Video to the Formation of Lifeblood
MAIN EVENT TIME
10 Man Tag Team Action
LIfeBlood (Juice Robinson, Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams & David Finlay) VS TEam Lethal (Jonathan Gresham, Flip Gordon, Dalton Castle, RHO TV Champion Jeff Cobb & ROH World Champion Jay Lethal)
Lethal and Robinson Start the match (the crowd being very vocal shouting ‘HONOR HONOR HONOR’ directed towards both teams as they are all like-minded people who only want the best for ROH)
A brief feeling out process between Lethal and Robinson results in both men trading Side Headlocks and Shoulder-blocks to which the larger Robinson gets the better of the exchange.
Castle is tagged in by Lethal and Robinson follows suit by tagging in ‘Hot Sauce’ Tracy Williams after an exchange with Castle.
‘The Octopus’ Jonathan Gresham enters the match and has a great technical exchange with Williams with many Takedowns, Submissions and Pinfall Attempts.( a Joy to watch , These 2 need a singles match)
Finlay gets the better of Lethal in a brief exchange before tagging in the Brit Haskins. who wants a piece of ‘The Hawaiian Juggernaut ‘ Jeff Cobb And Lethal Obliges him tagging in Cobb , to which the crowd start singing ‘ Cobb is gonna kill you’ (They maybe right), Haskins gets the better of Cobb with strikes , but the overwhelming , mind-blowing strength of Cobb is too much of a factor as he attempts to Suplex Haskins who lands on his feet and attempts and misses with a PK kick , Cobb Nips up to his feet. (Crowd applaud Cobb’s athleticism).
Haskins tags in the ever-exciting Bandido and Cobb tags in the athletic Flip Gordon (This should be fun to watch- another 2 guys who need the time and a singles match)all remaining team members drop to the apron and start pounding the ring.
OMG!! Flip and Bandido go full steam into an exchange , flying all over the ring then both men execute front flip counters to Headscissor and Hurricanrana attempts – Everybody cheers in amazement. both men then attempt Standing Dropkicks at the same time and flip back the their feet. and we are at a standoff (Whew) , both men shake hands (nice show of mutual respect there)
Match resumes and Lethal is in control of Bandido.
Castle and Gordon both take turn on isolating Bandido
Bandido fires back and finally gets the tag to Williams, who delivers a Knife Edge Chop and Stomps to the grounded Gordon.
Gordon gets isolated by Haskins who applies a Rings of Saturn to Gordon – Gresham Breaks the hold.
Gordon then feels the effects of 2 Senton Back Splashes, 1 from Robinson and 1 from David Finlay who remains in the ring.
After having the ring cut off by Lifeblood and absorbing a tremendous amount of punishment , Flip makes the hot tag to the champ Jay Lethal who is a ‘House of Fire’ as is Haskins who is tagged in by Finlay, and they both Clear out all remaining opponents off the ring apron – Commercial Break
Its all broken down , after Haskins Counters a Top Rope Elbow Drop and Figure Four attempt by Lethal , Juice comes in ( No tag)and assaults Lethal with 2 Corner Clotheslines , a Corner Cannonball and a thunderous Full Nelson Slam.
Missle Dropkick From Flip to Juice , Inverted Slingblade from Castle to Finlay and a Stalling Dr Bomb From Bandido to Castle, Gresham with an Armtrap Stunner and Enziguri to Bandido, Lariat from Williams to Gresham , Sidewinder Suplex and a beautiful Standing Moonsault From Cobb to ‘Hot Sauce’ (My God what action).
Flip Takes down everyone with a Double Springboard Somersault Plancha.
And the end of this classic match came when Dalton Castle tried executing Bangarang on Haskins who countered with a lightning quick application of the Sharpshooter for the tap-out victory
WHAT A MATCH – the flow was great , each man got to show off his skills and the crowd loved it
Winners LifeBlood at just over 22 brilliant minutes
All 10 men shake hands which is refreshing to see
Thanks for reading – Danny
