Ring of Honor
Date: May 1, 2019
Location: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman
We are FINALLY back to the present with some fresh material after nearly a month of pre-taped shows. It’s been a long time coming and I can barely remember what happened at the Madison Square Garden show, but Matt Taven is the World Champion and that means we’re not in for something all that interesting. Let’s get to it.
We open with a look at Taven winning the title.
Opening sequence.
Here’s Taven for his first address as champion. He takes his sweet time getting into the ring and gets a pretty weak YOU DESERVE IT chant. Taven: “I earned this.” Taven explains what it means and another weak TAVEN chant starts up. He lists off everything he’s done in the last year, which is quite the run. It took a long time to get there, but everything was worth it in the end. If you want this title, you’ll have to earn it like he did.
This brings out Flip Gordon (rocking a suit) to say he earned his opportunity when he won the Sea of Honor tournament. Taven laughs that off because a tournament on a cruise ship is different than the main event in Madison Square Garden. Gordon doesn’t think it’s so funny, because he is the official #1 contender.
We look back at Silas Young injuring Jonathan Gresham’s knee, the ensuing trash talk and then the cheating win.
Silas talked more trash after the match when Gresham came in and asked for one more match. Security broke it up in a hurry though.
In three weeks: Gordon vs. Taven for the title on the 400th episode.
Silas Young vs. Jonathan Gresham
Young has promised to win with a wrestling move. He also wants a handshake, which Gresham agrees to before dodging an early low blow attempt. Some leg trips gives Gresham two and it’s time to go old school with the crisscross. A hiptoss sends Young outside but he pulls Gresham with him, meaning it’s time for the headlock takeover into the headscissors counter sequence on the floor. Back in and another hiptoss attempt doesn’t send either of them over the top so we take a break.
We come back with Young riding him off a waistlock until Gresham chops his way to freedom. Young doesn’t like the strikes because he was offering pure wrestling. They chop it out until Gresham starts throwing fists, which is way outside of his norm. Young offers him the wrist and then spins out of a wristlock into a quickly broken armbar. Now it’s Gresham offering Young the wrist, which earns him the cheap shot.
A dropkick sends Young into the corner and there’s the running dropkick as we take a second break. Back again with Young getting a fast two off a sunset flip, followed by a DDT to send Young outside. Young tries to bring in a chair, which is quickly taken away, allowing Young to get in a ring bell hammer shot to the head. An abdominal stretch goes on and the unconscious Gresham is unconscious at 11:25.
Result: Silas Young b. Jonathan Gresham – Abdominal stretch (11:25)
We look back at Kelly Klein winning the Women’s Title back but getting beaten down by the debuting Allure.
Klein says the title is what matters so she’s going to clean up the hot mess.
We look at Rush beating Dalton Castle in thirty seconds in New York.
We look back at Bully Ray putting Tenille Dashwood through a table (off camera) last week.
Lifeblood promises revenge on Bully Ray and the Kingdom.
Briscoes vs. Soberano Jr./Caristico
Soberano and Caristico (the original Sin Cara) are from CMLL. Mark takes Soberano down and shakes at him a bit so Soberano grabs a waistlock into a sunset flip for two. Some kicks to the arm set up a springboard hurricanrana and it’s off to Jay vs. Caristico. Jay doesn’t take kindly to the dancing test of strength so it’s a headlock to slow Caristico down. He’s fine enough for a rope walk wristdrag to send Jay outside but they back up before the double dives.
Back in and the masked men get kicked out to the floor with Mark hitting a dropkick through the ropes. The Cactus Jack elbow takes us to a break with the Briscoes in control. We come back with Caristico still in trouble as Mark headbutts him into the corner. A double handspring elbow takes down both Briscoes and it’s back to Soberano to pick up the pace.
That means a running moonsault dive to the floor and everyone is down on the outside. Back in and Caristico kicks Mark in the head, setting up a high crossbody for two. Jay is tired of this flying stuff and sends Caristico face first into a chair on the floor. A Death Valley Driver gives Mark two on Soberano and Redneck Boogie gets the same. The Jay Driller into the Froggy Bow finishes Soberano at 13:01.
Result: Briscoes b. Soberano Jr./Caristico – Froggy Bow to Soberano (13:01)
Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 28 wrestling books. His latest book is the the Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1.
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