ROH Weekly Recap: 7/6/2018
Bully Ray battles Cheeseburger in a stroll down memory lane.
#itshappening
Post this on Twitter. Promote this on Instagram. Share it with your friends on Facebook. It is happening. On April 6, 2019, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling (no mention of CMLL yet) will be hosting “G1 Supercard” at none other than…Madison Square Garden!
A few weeks ago, I was very disappointed to hear that ROH had lost its opportunity to hold a show in MSG. Since I heard that news, I had been planning an article about how independent pro wrestling companies are hindered by pro wrestling conglomerates as to where they can and can’t perform. The hope was to shed some light on the topic and make people think about how hard it is for independent companies to run shows in venues, thanks to a number of economical and logistical factors, let alone larger companies feeling their territory is being taken over.
Yet, on Thursday evening, when I read the news that ROH and NJPW had finally struck a deal to perform at MSG, the emotion I felt was truly liberating. While I did not cry, I was very moved to hear that both companies had finally achieved the big time and secured a spot at the most famous pro wrestling venue in North America. This is a huge boost for not only independent pro wrestling, but the industry as a whole. The WWE’s link with MSG has been synonymous for over half a century and for many, another company running in the Garden was an impossible dream.
But somehow, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have achieved that dream. They have created a new reality, and a new era in pro wrestling. Together, both companies have grown and the WWE’s stronghold on the North East of the United States of America is gradually coming to an end. 2019 is the year #itshappening and we cannot wait to see it unfold!
The other big ROH news this week was the uncomfortable reports surrounding the sexual harassment allegations made against Jay Lethal by former ROH valet Taeler Hendrix. Given Lethal’s recent world title win, these allegations could be extremely damaging to the company. But as of writing this article, no information about the investigation has been published, so we will have to wait and see what transpires.
As a fan, I hope that these allegations are not true, as I would hate either party to have gone through any unnecessary upset. But, if crimes have been committed, those responsible have to face the consequences. It is too soon to know what will happen, but I just hope that both Jay and Taeler are okay.
As always, any improvements, criticisms, feedback or suggestions are all welcome via the website or my Twitter account (@SteJay215). So now let’s get on with the show!
Venue – Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, NY
Commentary Team – Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana (1st Match & 2nd Match) and Caprice Coleman (Main-Event)
Before the show opening titles, there was a brief Cody and Brandi promo hyping up the main event of Cody vs. Titan. Cody proclaimed there was no one better than him and they needed to bring someone better to “his” ROH. From his time in WWE, Cody knows how to talk to the camera and his promos are always very engaging. This one was no different and it was good stuff.
Riley Shepard and Gabby Ortiz vs. Sumie Sakai and Stella Gray (Referee = Paul Turner)
The opening match this week was a “Women of Honor” tag team contest. This match marked Riley Shepard and Gabby Ortiz’s ROH TV show debuts, and unfortunately, neither wrestler put on a great performance. Hell, this entire match was just a disaster!
After the last Women of Honor match I recapped, I was expecting things to improve. But actually, they have gotten worse. The Code of Honor was followed, but this match just did not flow well. The crowd was dead throughout and the action was very clunky. All the participants looked like they had just come out of wrestling school, which was a real shame as I can see great potential in Stella Gray and also Riley Shephard. However, this was not a good showcase for them. In my notes, I put “a bit of a mess ☹”. That just sums it up.
Winners = Sumie Sakai and Stella Gray
Following this match was a video package hyping up the imminent Cheeseburger vs. Bully Ray No Countout and No DQ match (I thought this was the main event, so my apologies for saying it was in my recap last week). It was the same highlight package as the week before, but it still did a great job of getting me invested in the feud. Quick point: Cheeseburger can take and sell a powerbomb better than anyone I’ve seen in the industry.
Bully Ray vs. Cheeseburger [No Countouts and No DQs] (Referee = Todd Sinclair)
To quote the Memberberries from South Park...“Hey Hey Hey…Member when Bully Ray used to have hardcore matches in ECW…Ooo I member!” That was this match in a nutshell. You all know my thoughts on Bully Ray’s involvement in ROH, and this match just solidified those claims. It was your standard ECW hardcore brawl, coincidentally taking place in an iconic ECW venue. The Code of Honor was not followed and Bully Ray dominated from the outset.
The bright spots of this match were definitely Cheeseburger (who was hugely over) attacking Bully Ray with the Kendo Stick, and Colt Cabana making the save, as this allowed Cheeseburger to hit Bully Ray with a Wazzup, while using a cheese grater to cause maximum damage. A table was brought into the ring and Bully Ray then hit Cheeseburger with a big splash through the table for a very close two count, causing the crowd to erupt. Sadly, Bully Ray nailed Cheeseburger with a big boot for the victory.
Winner = Bully Ray
This should have been Cheeseburger’s big clean win after the previous two matches ended in a DQ and a Count out. Instead, it was yet another victory for Bully. This match had tons of nostalgia but I have seen everything before, and like the live audience, I was disappointed with the outcome.
Preceding the main event, a number of promo segments were shown. The first segment was “Coleman’s Pulpit” with his guests The Kingdom. I have never really enjoyed “Coleman’s Pulpit” and this segment was just cringe worthy. Maybe it is just my sense of humor, but I did not find it very funny. The best part was the rolling Twitter feed at the bottom of the screen. My advice: ignore the segment and read the Twitter entries!
Next came a quick VT hyping the Six-Man Tag Team No.1 Contender’s Gauntlet, leading into the best part of the show up to this point, a So-Cal Uncensored promo. Christopher Daniels is a legitimate pro wrestling legend and this promo was just a step above everything else on this show. To the point and direct, it hyped the gauntlet perfectly, and showed why Daniels is just so damn good!
The next promo was from the DAWGS, Rhett Titus and Will Ferrera, who like last week, are still hunting for a third partner. In the back, they confronted Future of Honor star Ryan Nova, who they bullied and beat up. It was an okay segment and did help to forward the story further. I wonder who will be their third partner?
Main Event: Cody [with Brandi & Bernard the Business Bear] vs. Titan (Referee = Paul Turner)
For the main event, Ian was joined by Caprice on commentary as Colt had gone to the hospital with Cheeseburger. Cody and his troupe were over huge with the ROH crowd, and while the Code of Honor was adhered to, there was very little honor in this match. This main event was a lot like the Bully Ray vs. Cheeseburger match in that it had a lot of interference and very little actual wrestling.
Titan and Cody had a taunt-off which showed Titan’s impressive acrobatic moves, while Cody showed off his muscles to the crowd. Also, like the Cheeseburger vs. Bully Ray match, outside entities decided to get involved with Brandi and Bernard distracting Titan which lead to Cody gaining the attack. The positive highlights of this match were Titan’s high-flying dropkicks, the temporary humorous loss of Bernard’s head and Cody sneakily getting the victory by taking off Titan’s mask. This was a fun match for the live crowd, but just didn’t translate well to TV.
Winner = Cody
Conclusion
After a run of four great episodes, this week’s episode was not very good. None of the matches were very strong from an in-ring standpoint and the promos were quite underwhelming. I would recommend you skip this week’s episode, but if I had to choose something for you to go out of your way to see, give Cheeseburger vs. Bully Ray a watch, as it was a fun, albeit tired trip down ECW memory lane.
You can watch the latest episode for free on:
ROH’s Official Website – www.rohwrestling.com/current-tv-episode
Fite TV – www.fite.tv/watch/roh-355/2o79c/
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