ROH WRESTLING TELEVISION, Episode 332

All images courtesy of the Fite.TV app and streaming

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Punishment Martinez VS Dobbs; Martinez wins.
• Team Coast 2 Coast VS War Machine; C2C wins, and stays together.
• SoCal Uncensored VS The Bullet Club’s Cody, Hangman Page & Marty Scurll; SoCal Uncensored wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Previously on ROH TV…

Christopher Daniels and SoCal Uncensored went to the Notorious Hitman, Shane Taylor, with an offer. Taylor accepted, and while the SCU went after The Young Bucks, Taylor knocked out The Villain to earn his money. However, The Hangman made the scene, but perhaps a moment too late. Are the Bullet Club’s “Hung Bucks” in danger of losing their titles?

Punishment Martinez VS Dobbs!

The monstrous Reincarnation of the Purple Mist staked his claim to the ROH World Heavyweight Championship a few weeks ago, and looks to build momentum towards a title shot. It isn’t a matter of if, but when he reaches his golden goal.

Dobbs wants to keep the Code of Honor, but Martinez boots him right down!

The bell rings, Martinez jumps corner to corner for the back elbow, spinning lariat and roaring right hand! Dobbs falls down, Martinez stalks him as he crawls away. Martinez then brings Dobbs up by his hair, and shouts “Castle!” before ramming a right forearm into Dobbs’ face. The monster is sending a message to the Peacock one more at a time. He brings Dobbs back up, but Dobbs hits back! The fans cheer, but Martinez looks rather underwhelmed. He swings on Dobbs but Dobbs ducks to dropkick him! The fans cheer as Dobbs runs, but he runs into a discus boot! Martinez takes his time with Dobbs, dragging him back up to then swing him out for yet another boot! Dobbs is out on his feet, but Martinez finishes him with the South of Heaven choke slam!

Martinez covers, Martinez wins! And he scares off the ref, to celebrate on his own. How long will the monster have to wait to get his hands back on Dalton Castle?

Not too long, as the ROH WHC appears!

The Peacock and His Boys head right to the ring, and the champion stares Martinez down. Castle gets up and into the ring with Martinez, each man keeping his gaze locked on the other.

Castle shrugs, Martinez smirks. Martinez swings, but Castle catches him and throws him overhead! Martinez rolls out of the ring while fans fire up, and Castle dares him to get back in. The monster returns to the apron with a single jump! The Peacock is ready, but the monster backs down with another smirk. The fans boo while he makes his way out. When will the Purple Mist decide to make good on his championship challenge?

Team Coast 2 Coast speaks.

“Tonight is the night!” Shaheem Ali and Leon St. Giovanni risk it all for what could be one last match! C2C VS War Machine, “you know it! They know it!” It’s “Do or Die!” Can Ali & LSG keep it together to keep the team together?

Caprice Coleman joins commentary for this crucial tag team match.

The Most Versatile Man had Ali & LSG on his Pulpit last week, and he’s here because he just had to see this for himself. He warned them ahead of time who they were up against, and knows it’ll take a lot of heart from the younger team to win.

Team Coast 2 Coast VS War Machine!

Team C2C feels frustrated from all their losses in 2017, and have put it upon themselves that if they lose here, they’re done as a team. However, that challenge becomes all the more improbable, as they’re up against former ROH World Tag Team Champions in the intimidating Rowe & Hanson.

Team C2C takes no chances as Ali FLIES before the bell!

The match starts wild and the fans like it! Ali puts Hanson in the ring then regroups with LSG. They double whip Hanson but Hanson cartwheels through, they double dropkick him down! Rowe returns, but C2C double hip tosses him to then toss him back at Hanson!

The fans continue to cheer for the fiery C2C while Ali and LSG put Rowe and Hanson in the corners. C2C coordinates, then whips War Machine at each other, only for War Machine to turn it around into corner clotheslines! Hanson feeds Ali to Rowe’s shotgun knees while Hanson corner clotheslines LSG for himself! Hanson then bronco busters Ali, and Rowe picks Hanson up for a human weapon hip attack on LSG!

The fans fire up for War Machine now while the referee has them sort out a proper legal man. Rowe stays in while Hanson goes to the corner. Rowe brings Ali up and gives him a sharp chop in the corner. He brings Ali over and gives him knee strikes before tagging Hanson in. Rowe feeds Ali to Hanson’s knee, then Hanson returns the favor, and Ali goes down in a heap! War Machine gets the crowd going again, but LSG keeps fans cheering for Coast 2 Coast. Hanson sits Ali up, to give Ali a beard-wash. Tag to Rowe, and he comes in while Hanson scoop slams Ali down. Rowe then scoops Hanson for another human weapon, the scoop slam senton!

Rowe immediately hits LSG with a right hand, but LSG comes in with fire in his eyes. The referee keeps LSG back, so he can only watch and rally the fans as Rowe returns to Ali. Ali fights back with body shots, but Rowe rocks him with a knee strike. Rowe lifts but Ali slips out of the back suplex to then give Hanson a forearm smash, then dropkicks Rowe down! Both Ali and Rowe are down, the fans rally for them both. Ali crawls, but Rowe anchors his feet. Ali still stands up and still makes the tag! LSG flies in with a springboard lariat!

Hanson comes in but LSG is ready, he runs War Machine into each other, then handspring lariats Hanson down! He whips Rowe but Rowe reverses, LSG springboards for a big forearm smash! Hanson is in a corner, LSG hits him with another forearm smash. LSG climbs up to the top and takes aim at Rowe, and hits the 450 splash!

Cover, but Hanson breaks it right up. Hanson runs but LSG catches him and Coleman loses his mind as LSG manages a saido suplex!

The fans are fired up and cheer for the red-hot “LSG! LSG!” He turns his eyes on Rowe, runs in but gets the Ace Ten Mao knee! Ali returns, Rowe runs but misses the Superman Punch and Ali scoops him up, for the Swing-out Slam!

Rowe rolls away but Hanson returns, Ali side steps but in comes the handspring back elbow! Every man in this match is down, but the fans are fired up! The referee begins a ten count on them all while we go to break.

ROH returns, and Rowe catches LSG out of his springboard. LSG fights out of the hold but Hanson is there behind him. Hanson tosses LSG to Rowe, Rowe holds him up while Hanson hops up, flying clothesline German Suplex!

Cover, TWO, and War Machine can’t believe it. They go back to him, scoop slam backbreaker, then transition for a gut wrench backbreaker while Hanson climbs up. Rowe puts LSG in the powerbomb, Hanson leaps for the frog splash!

Cover, TWO!! War Machine is again surprised by LSG’s resilience, but there are still fans dueling on behalf of “Coast 2 Coast! Coast 2 Coast!” Even so, War Machine drags LSG up and prepare a double choke slam, but LSG breaks free! He slips under and tags in Ali! Ali rallies on War Machine, saido suplex on Rowe! Hanson comes in and boots Ali down, then with C2C in opposite corners, Hanson starts up the clothesline train! He starts with LSG but then Ali stops him with a boot! LSG adds a boot, then Ali the crescent kick! Hanson rolls out while Rowe returns, C2C catch him in the combination half-nelson facebuster and complete shot!

Cover, ONE!? Rowe is full of rage while C2C is completely shocked. They go after him, but he blocks their forearms with his forehead! Rowe then headbutts LSG down, and completely absorbs Ali’s forearm, and his kicks. Ali kicks more and more, then even forearms and chops again and again and again! He hammers Rowe down to his knee, then gets running, but Hanson returns and brings in Thor’s Hammer! Hanson immediately flies onto LSG!

Rowe covers Ali, TWO!? Coleman is as shocked as anyone! The fans are on C2C’s side right now, but War Machine calls for the finish! Hanson climbs up top while Rowe brings Ali to his feet, but LSG slips in to knock Hanson down! Rowe runs in but LSG slips to the outside, then roundhouses Rowe away. Ali returns to rock Rowe with a forearm, and Rowe ends up in a corner. Team C2C give him double back elbows, then get to their corners! LSG and Ali take aim, and hit THE Coast 2 Coast!

Double the cover, TWO!? C2C cannot believe how Rowe survived! Hanson makes his return but C2C goes right at him. Double whip corner to corner, then Ali whips LSG in, but Hanson sits right on him! Hanson then fires out to heel kick Ali down. Rowe drags Ali up while Hanson climbs up, Fallout!!

TWO!?!? The most powerful move War Machine has, and yet Ali survives!? The fans in the 2300 Arena declare “This is Awesome!” War Machine wait for Ali to get up, Rowe rocks him with another knee strike. Rowe lifts Ali again but LSG pushes Hanson off the top rope! Ali revives to roll Rowe up, C2C WINS!! Not even LSG can believe it!

As Coleman puts it, “The word ‘upset’ would be an understatement!” The fans cheer and chant for Coast 2 Coast after this superhuman effort! And though they lost, Rowe & Hanson stand before Ali & LSG, and offer to complete the Code of Honor. Ali & LSG accept the handshakes.

With this ringing endorsement from ROH Tag Team Division staples, can Team Coast 2 Coast finally rise up to the very top?

The Beer City Bruiser and his new tag team partner speak.

The Last Real Man, Silas Young, is such an “inspiration” as the ROH World Television Champion that the BCB felt he had to go get the ROH World Tag Team Championships. He and the Kingpin had quite the brawl roughly six months ago, and that was when Bruiser realized Milonas was “a diamond in the haystack, a needle in the rough”, and a certified Boston Bruiser. And Milonas himself couldn’t imagine “a better way to make a splash” in ROH than to team with the Beer City Bruiser. Now, the two literally biggest men in ROH are the newest and biggest tag team! Can the Big City Bruisers barrel through the ROH Tag Team Division towards those tag team titles?

Bully Ray Dudley heads to the ring.

And he’s bringing his wrestling boots. At Final Battle, alongside long-time friend, Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray fought The Briscoes in a New York Street Fight that lived up to every bit of ECW’s extreme legacy. However, it was #DemBoyz who won out in the end, and now Bully is here to speak on the end of his career. “Final Battle was my final battle.” Philly disapproves, but Bully tells them that “they say before you die, your life flashes before you.” That night in New York, after losing, Bully sat there and felt his blood pouring out. Yet, he smiled, because his entire career flashed before his eyes. And it was a pretty damn good one. Philly agrees to that!

Bully knew taking off the boots was the right thing to do. He left his boots in the middle of the ring in his hometown of New York. New York City is where Bully was born, but as a wrestler–and Philly knows what he’s going to say, and they chant “E C Dub!”–Bully’s home is Philadelphia! It was October of 1995, in the very building they stand in now, that Bubba Ray Dudley was born. “This is the ring I should leave my boots in.” The 2300 Arena is the building he should leave his boots in. And there’s no doubt in Bully’s mind that Philly is the city he should leave his boots in. Philly agrees to all those sentiments.

Bully continues to thank the fans, “for everything. Thank you Lord, for thinking about me, I’m alive and doing fine. Do you know who I am? I’m Bully Ray, and it has been my honor.” With that, Bully leaves his boots, and the fans see him off with a standing ovation.

But not only that, Jay Lethal and other ROH stars also appears to give their thanks in person.

From the ROH WHC to the ROH World Tag Team Champions to the Women of Honor, they all appear and applaud while Philly chants “Thank you, Bubba!”

Lethal enters the ring to speak to Bubba on their behalf. “I’ve known you for a long time. And if this is the last time I’m gonna see you, I got to get something off my chest.” Lethal knows that when Bubba was showing up, no one knew what to think. There have been rumors about Bully Ray, both good, not so good, and really bad ones. They all had their guard up, but then Lethal saw something amazing: every show, Bubba went above and beyond to help anyone and everyone in ROH. At the end of every event, Bubba made himself available. Not to push his views, but to let them come to him and pick his brain about this business.

Every interview Bubba did put ROH over, and no one forced him to. Bubba came to ROH because he was inspired by it. He represents what ROH is all about, and the craziest part: they’ve only been here a fraction and yet Bubba still helped them. Bubba did things in and for the wrestling business that most will only dream of, and yet he helped them. Lethal has never used this term before, but when it comes to wrestling “legends”, Bubba is definitely a legend. Philly agrees with that, too! And though it pains everyone to see him go, “know this: more than anything else”, everyone in ROH from wrestler to staff will scream it loud, “THANK YOU!” Lethal then gives the living legend a big hug.

ROH begins the Women of Honor Championship tournament!

As announced at Final Battle in December, January 20th in 2018 marked the beginning of a tournament to crown the inaugural ROH WOH Champion! 16 of the best women wrestlers from around the world, including ROH and Stardom, compete for the honor to wear that brand new championship belt. Familiar names like Deonna Purrazzo, Kelly Klein, Karen Q, Mandy Leon, Sumie Sakai and even newer stars like Brandi Rhodes, Jessie Brooks will represent ROH while Stardom will be represented by HZK, Hana Kimura, Kagetsu and Mayu Iwatani. The tournament will air as part of ROH Television in just two weeks, with Episode 334!

Matt Taven joins commentary for the main event match.

The Kingdom is also with him at ringside, as this trio continues to believe in a conspiracy against them in regards to any and all ROH championships, which definitely include the ROH World Six Man Tag Championships they have yet to receive rematches for.

SoCal Uncensored VS The Bullet Club’s Cody, Hangman Page & Marty Scurll!

Scorpio Sky joins The Addiction to form this new trio, but this new trio is already on borrowed time according to ROH commissioner Joe Koff. They want at the ROH World Six Man Tag titles as badly as anyone, can they take out the Bullet Club’s American Nightmare, Problem Solver, and Villain to prove their worth?

Taven makes snarky remarks as Cody, Hangman and Scurll make their entrance and fans kiss the literal Ring of Honor.

ROH returns from break while the teams sort out who starts. The SCU choose Scorpio Sky while the Bullet Club goes with Marty Scurll. The bell rings and the two men circle, the fans chant “Too Sweet! Woop Woop!” Scurll and Scorpio tie up, Scorpio gets the waistlock but Scurll swings an elbow to back him off. Scorpio kicks but Scurll catches it, only for Scorpio to turn it into a bodyscissor roll up, TWO. Scorpio kicks low again, then whips Scurll but Scurll reverses. Scurll bends over for the body drop but Scorpio double stomps up and over him. Scorpio whips Scurll corner to corner but Scurll slips under to bring Scorpio’s hands down and stand on them. Scurll flaps his wings then stomps on the hands before giving Scorpio an enziguri! The fans applaud while Scurll brings Scorpio up, but Scorpio scrambles and tags in the Almighty Daniels. But before he and Scurll tie up, he says he wants “Spike.”

Scurll gets the fans into it, and Cody wants in, too, so Scurll tags Cody. Cody and Daniels are in the ring, a flashback to their time fighting over the ROH WHC. The fans are on Cody’s side as he and Daniels tie up. Cody gets the hammerlock but Daniels reverses it. Cody elbows out then runs, Daniels jumps over, but Cody kicks low and drops down for the uppercut. Daniels staggers, Cody wants the finish but Daniels snapmares out. Daniels double underhooks for his finish, but Cody reverses with headscissors. They speed up, Cody runs Daniels over and arrogantly pins, ONE. Cody and Daniels stare down, but then Cody kneels and flexes.

However, Frankie Kazarian gets right in and attacks Cody from behind! Hangman Page jumps in and he brawls with Kazarian, flashbacks to their violent feud that paralleled Cody’s and Daniels’. The referee tries to get them to stop, but Kaz doesn’t stop until he rakes Page’s eyes. Kaz runs but Page follows to forearm smash him against ropes. Page runs but now Kaz returns the favor. Kaz goes again, but Page rocks him with a roaring elbow to then clothesline the Heavy Metal Rebel right out! However, neither man stops there, they brawl on the outside, too! Things blow up as Scurll and Scorpio hop into the ring with Cody and Daniels and it’s a brawl times three! It spills out near the commentary area, and thankfully Vinnie Marseglia chooses not to chop someone with his ax. Taven says that if Scurll was a real villain, he’d be more like Vinnie. That aside, Cody and Scurll trade targets and Cody bumps Scorpio off the apron while Scurll scrapes and punches Daniels. Cody reenters the ring and the fans fire up, Cody builds speed and FLIES!

Everyone topples down and the fans fire up, but Taven feels he could’ve done so much better. His remarks aside, the fans chant “Too Sweet! Woop Woop!” while Cody puts Daniels back in the ring. Daniels has the entire Bullet Club team after him, they put Daniels in a corner and coordinate the Bullet Train, “Choo Choo!” Cody goes first, he hits. Page goes second, he hits. Scurll is always last, and he continues to fail as Daniels boots him away. They go again with Cody succeeding, Page succeeding and Scurll… failing. Cody yes, Page yes, Scurll… No! Scurll staggers, Cody and Page help him stay standing. Daniels comes roaring out, Page and Cody help Scurll boot Daniels down!

The Bullet Club is fired up as we go to break.

ROH returns once more, and now the SCU is in control. They have Cody in their corner but Cody fights out! He runs but Kaz catches him, to push him back. Kaz runs in, but Cody goes up and over, powerslam! Both men are down, but Cody is busted open. The fans rally while they crawl, hot tags to Scorpio and Page! The Problem Solver rallies but Scorpio reverses the corner-to-corner whip. Page still roars out with a lariat. Daniels comes in but Page sends him right out to then run and DIVE!

He doesn’t stop there, he then throws Daniels into barriers at the corner, then all the way to the next corner! Page keeps going but Daniels reverses, only for Page to reverse back and whip Daniels in to even more barriers! Kaz runs in, but Page gets him with a SUPERKICK!

Hangman reenters the ring with Scorpio in a corner, but Scorpio boots him away. Scorpio hops up and jumps, but into Hangman’s boot! Hangman brings Scorpio up, powerbomb and stacked pin, TWO! Taven gives Page credit that he’s ROH Day One and a “star in the making”, but says that he won’t ever be that while he’s with the Bullet Club. The fans rally while Hangman returns to Scorpio, but Scorpio revives to throw forearms. Scorpio runs, but Hangman gets him in a fireman’s carry. Daniels returns, but Hangman kicks him. Hangman throws Scorpio down to dropsault!

Cover, TWO, but Hangman keeps the fans going. He whips Scorpio but Scorpio reverses and feeds Hangman to The Addiction, they hit Hangman with the pop-up powerbomb neckbreaker combo! Then Scorpio adds his jumping double stomps! Cover, TWO! Scorpio fires himself up, fans rally as he runs in at Hangman, but Hangman throws him into buckles with a belly2belly suplex! Daniels runs Hangman over with an STO, but Cody returns to hit Daniels with the Beautiful Disaster kick! Kaz boots Cody, but then Scurll hits him with a European Uppercut. Scorpio runs in but Scurll evades to EuroUpper and Electric Chair lift Scorpio. Cody springboards, the “Allied Powers” give Scorpio a missile dropkick Doomsday!

The Villain fires himself up as he stalks Scorpio, and the fans know what he’s after. He spins around, calls for it, but Daniels stops Scurll just before. Daniels whips but Scurll reverses, and he grabs the fingers! The fans hush themselves, but Daniels gives Scurll a couple right hands to send him out of the ring. Daniels then topples Scurll over with the Arabian Moonsault!

But then Cody jumps and FLIES outta nowhere!

The American Nightmare wipes out the Fallen Angel, but then the Heavy Metal Rebel slingshots out to huricanrana Cody down, and into Scorpio’s cutter! But then Hangman SUPER Asai Moonsaults onto Scorpio!

But he also hits his own leg on the barriers!

Hangman screams in pain and the referee checks on him. Despite whatever damage he may have done to himself, Hangman still gets Scorpio into the ring, and the fans applaud his courage. The SCU regroup behind him though, and Daniels saves Scorpio from the Buck Shot. He then boots Hangman, and Kaz gives Hangman a backstabber into Daniels’ haymaker. Scorpio returns for the bicycle knee strike! Scorpio covers, the SCU win! Between the damage done to The Young Bucks last time, and the damage done to the Hangman this time, will it be easier for the SCU to take those ROH World Six Man Tag Championships than anyone thought?

My Thoughts:

This was quite the surprising episode of ROH. For starters, it was the second episode in a row to start with a recap. I wonder if this is going to be a regular thing for ROH TV now. Then we move into Martinez squashing a jobber to then be confronted by Dalton Castle. The Peacock already has a huge list of eager challengers for his ROH WHC, but I sense Martinez is first up as he made his challenge the most physical. Martinez plays up his Heel status by choosing to do this on his time, ROH is obviously saving this match for a PPV. The “Do or Die” tag team match for C2C was amazing, and serves as both a fantastic “good-bye” match for War Machine and a “passing of the torch” match in respects to Ali & LSG. Those in the know already know that War Machine is headed to WWE by way of NXT, and them putting C2C over is major props to how they’ll do in ROH.

What an amazing good-bye segment for Bubba Ray in ROH and wrestling in general. Lethal was also a great person to take the role of speaking for the company, and he captured the moment in words perfectly, as well. Also great to hear that we’ll be able to see the WOH Championship tournament on TV soon enough, really excited to see who wins and becomes their first Women’s Champion. Then, a really big surprise as SCU wins against The Bullet Club. I really thought Hangman was going to stand tall to get even for what happened last time, but there’s no 50-50 booking here as the SCU essentially comes out ahead 2-0. A dirty attack last week but a clean win tonight, and with great story from Hangman risking that foot, I can’t wait to see the Six Man Tag title match that comes from this.

My Score: 8.5/10