Ring of Honor TV Report: Episode #294

The show opening airs to start the show. Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana are commentary.

The Young Bucks come out to the start the show. The commentators put over the War of the Worlds pay per view that is airing as I watch and write this. Once the Bucks get to the ring, The Spirit Squad comes from the crowd and jumps them from behind to start the match…

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. The Squad (Ken Doane and Mikey Mondo) for the ROH World Tag Team Titles

The Squad sends the Bucks out of the ring and they pose with the belts and let out a cheer. They go to whip the Bucks into enter each other, but the Buck mosey do through it and nail them with stereo superkicks! They hang Kenny up in the corner and hit Mikey with a reverse DDT/top rope double stomp combo, with Nick rolling through to take Kenny down with a lungblower. Crazy combo there. The Bucks follow it up with a stereo tope to the floor and the crowd lets out a “Be Elite” chant, a reference to the Bucks YouTube show. Nick goes to hit Kenny with a superkick, but he catches it and Mikey nails Nick with a clothesline. Matt comes in throwing rights at both Squad members, but they cut him off with a cool double pop up gut buster. Kenny covers for a two count. Kenny slams him and tags in Mikey, then vaults him into a standing Moonsault. Mikey does a cheer to his name, stomping Matt between letters, then covers for a two count. Commercial Break.

BFC, Mikey slaps a rear chinlock on Matt as the fans chant for the Bucks. Matt fought to his feet, but Mikey took him down by the hair and tagged in Kenny, who pounded him with elbows and stomps before hitting a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Kenny went for a piledriver, but Matt backdropped out only to be rolled up, but he rolled through and hit a basement dropkick. He nailed Mikey and went for the tag, but Kenny single legged him to the mat and pulled him into his corner, tagging Mikey. Mikey worked over Matt before twerking at Nick, drawing a “Magic Mike” chant. He threw Matt into Kenny’s sneaker and tagged him back in. They went for the double pop up gutbuster again, but Matt landed on his feet and superkicked Kenny, then made the hot tag to Nick. He cleaned house with some strikes, before hitting them with a bulldog/clothesline combo. He hit the slingshot facebuster on Mikey, before going straight into a Moonsault off the apron on Kenny. He went for a swanton bomb, but Mikey moved, but Nick rolled through only to get him with a modified cutter. Kenny tagged in and hit a tilt a whirl backbreaker on him, but Matt came in and superkicked him. Mikey tagged him on the way down and he got nailed with a double superkick. Nick took Kenny out with a no hands over the rope Moonsault, then they hit Mikey with the Meltzer Driver for the three count.

Winners: Young Bucks via pinfall

Then we get a promo from Matt Taven with the Kingdom for his title match with Christopher Daniels, which happened last week in Dearborn. He promised to become ROH’s First Grand Slam Champion, which of course didn’t happen.

Punishment Martinez vs. The Beer City Bruiser

Silas Young joined Riccaboni and Cabana on commentary. Martinez jumps Bruiser at the bell. Martinez hit a jumping back elbow in the corner, but Bruiser comes back with a sit out slam and a running uppercut in the corner, but Martinez came back with a cross body block for a two count. Bruiser came off the ropes with his own massive cross body for a near fall. Bruiser missed a charge, and Martinez hit a springboard superman punch, but Bruiser didn’t go off his feet, and came right back with a clothesline and a sliding kick to the face. Martinez took a powder, and Bruiser followed with a cannonball from the apron. Commercial Break.

BFC, Bruiser was climbing the top, but Martinez hit him with a spinkick and sent him to the floor. Martinez then went over the top rope and the ring post and it looked like he landed on his damn head. His legs did hit Bruiser somehow. Martinez went for a powerbomb on the apron, but Bruiser blocked it and backsuplexed him on the apron. Bruiser missed a senton and Martinez hit a springboard twisting senton for a two count. Martinez went for the chokeslam, but Bruiser fought it off and drove him into the corner, then hit the cannonball, but kicked out at one. They traded rights, but Martinez hit a spinkick, but Bruiser at one. Bruiser came back with the Bossman Slam for a two count. Bruiser missed a charge and Martinez hit the sit out chokeslam for the three count.

Winner: Martinez by pin

We then get a promo from Marty Scrull. He says he’s not surprised Matt Sydal came after him and called him a miserable little toerag starved for attention. He said he would get it when he was taken out by the Villain. Commercial break.

BFC, we get an Adam Cole promo. He proclaimed that the dissension was over and they stronger than ever, and that Castle and Daniels would pay if they got in their way.

Adam Cole and Cody vs. Christopher Daniels and Dalton Castle

Jay Lethal joined the commentary booth. Cabana was very negative towards his former rival Castle here. Cody got on the mike and ordered the Boys to the back. They didn’t. Commercial Break to start the match.

Cody and Castle start the match. Castle applies a headlock, then nails him with a shoulder block. Cody stares him down and swings, but Castle ducks it and clotheslines him to the floor. He teases a dive, but instead strikes a pose and Daniels fans him with one of the Boys’ fans. Cole is looking on from the apron with disdain. Daniels tags in. He and Cody lock up, and Cody slaps on a headlock before nailing a shoulder block, but Daniels bounces back with a bodyslam, followed by a perfect Arabian Moonsault. Daniels place one foot on the chest for a two count. Daniels went for a whip, but Cody cut him off and hit the drop-down uppercut. Cole asked for a tag, but Cody looked reluctant. He ducked a Daniels strike and Cole nailed him with a forearm and Cody finally tagged him. Cole pounded him in the corner and did the “Adam Cole Bay Bay” pose.

Daniels came back with a double chop and a right hand that dropped him, then tagged in Castle. They worked him over, then Daniels hit a somersault swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Cole immediately went to the eyes of Castle, then spat at Daniels. Daniels came in and Cole brought him into the Bullet Club corner, but Castle came back with a double clothesline and then tried to double German suplex both of them, but Cole grabbed the ref and Cody nailed Castle with a low kick. Cole dropped Daniels off the apron. Cody then began working over Castle, then tagged in Cole. Cole worked him over, then hit a shining wizard for a two count. Cole throw him into Cody’s boot, then Too Sweeted him for a tag. Cody went back to work on Castle, then snapmared him into a double underhook. Castle fought out, but Cole kicked him in the back from the outside and Cody took out Daniels again. Cole then held Castle for the Beautiful Disaster, but Castle moved and Cody hit Adam Cole! Cole then goes to the back and leaves Cody alone! Commercial Break.

BFC, Cody is still working over Castle. Castle catches him with some strikes and makes the hot tag to Daniels. Daniels hit a clothesline, then whipped him into a leg lariat. Daniels hit a flying forearm, then the iconoclasm for a two count. Cody came back with a modified flatliner. Cody went for the Angels Wings, but Daniels blocked it and hit a release urange, then went for the BME, but Cody moved so, Daniels landed on his feet, only to charge into a boot, but came right back with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Daniels then went for the Angels Wings, but Cole came back in and superkicked him in the back of the head, then hit the brainbuster on the knee. Cole yelled for Cody, who then hit the Cross Rhodes for the pin.

Winner: Cole and Cody for the pin

After the match, The Young Bucks came out to celebrate with Cole and Cody. Cody stands on Daniels chest while they have a four-way ‘Too Sweet’ in the ring. The Bullet Club then leaves while Lethal is ranting on commentary. He then goes to the ring and without a mic, asks Daniels why he added Cody to what should have been his singles match with Daniels. Daniels asked what it mattered if he was so good. They arguing until Cody comes down and knocks them into a each other. Cody then whips Lethal in, but he bounces back and catches them with a double Lethal Injection! The show ends with Lethal posing with the belt.

We then get a final preview of the PPV.

Fanatic Take: This show is one of the problems with Ring of Honor in a nutshell. If this had been a go-home show for the PPV, this would have worked out great. But by the time this show will air in most of the local markets, the PPV will have already happened! ROH is their own worst enemy most of the time. Otherwise, this was a fun little show. Especially loved seeing the Young Bucks getting be straight babyfaces in their tag match, plus Cabana’s commentary on Castle. Why should he praise him when they were rivals two months before? A beautiful touch.