ROH WRESTLING TELEVISION, EPISODE 324

All images courtesy of the Fite.TV app and streaming service

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• The Beer City Bruiser VS Marty Scurll; Scurll wins.
• ROH World Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machine Guns VS The Kingdom; MCMG wins and retains the ROH WTTC.
• Flip Gordon VS “Hangman” Adam Page; Gordon wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

The Beer City Bruiser VS Marty Scurll!

The Bullet Club’s Villain and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion is preparing for his Final Battle match against The Greatest First Generation Wrestler, Jay Lethal, so he’s going to use The Last Real Man’s keg-carrying compatriot as a means to measure where the two stack up, as Lethal had his own series of matches against The BCB in the past.

The bell rings, they circle, fans “WOOP WOOP” as Scurll and BCB tie up. BCB shoves him away, daring him to come back, and Scurll does, only to be shoved away again, and again. Scurll gets out of the ring in frustration, BCB eggs him on. Fans cheer Marty on, so he gets fired up and back in the ring. He shoves BCB then ducks BCB’s punch to give haymakers of his own. Scurll tries to whip Bruiser but Bruiser’s too big and strong for that. Bruiser whips Scurll to a corner, Scurll goes up and under, fake out to mule kick. Then a double wristlock with a roll to really wrench those fingers before Scurll stands on BCB’s hands, “WOOP WOOP!”

Double stomps on the hands, dropkick sends Bruiser out of the ring, and fans applaud. The fans “WOOP WOOP” then rally with Scurll as he builds speed, but Bruiser trips Scurll up and drags him out. Bruiser goes to swing but Scurll ducks and chops, then again. Scurll throws more chops, Bruiser is sat down and Scurll gives him forearms and chops. The fans applaud as Scurll gets space, resets the ring count and fires them up. Scurll runs at Bruiser, Bruiser boots Scurll and then sits him down for chops. Bruiser resets the count, gets space, and builds speed, but Scurll dodges as the cannonball comes in!

Bruiser crashes and burns, Scurll “WOOP WOOP” as we go to break.

We return to see BCB break Scurll’s hold on his fingers to then slap Scurll to the mat. Bruiser brings Scurll up, suplex side slam! He then positions Scurll before climbing up, fans firing up as he does. Bruiser flies, but flops! Everyone notices that Jay Lethal has appeared.

Lethal is keeping an eye on his Final Battle opponent as fans cheer Marty on. Bruiser runs in but Scurll boots him away before slipping out to the apron. Bruiser returns but Scurll grabs his arm, shoulderbreaker hotshot! Scurll fires up again as he returns into the ring and hops up, grabbing that arm of Bruiser to put it in a hammerlock. He keeps up the torture on Bruiser’s arm by stretching it back out for an armbar, into a tornado armbar DDT! Bruiser slides out but leans on the apron, so Scurll runs and hops over to then mule kick Bruiser in the head. Lethal is stoic as Scurll gives Bruiser’s bad arm a double ax handle. Bruiser hits back, runs, but gets faked out so that Scurll can mule kick a leg out. Fans applaud and Scurll works them up, but Bruiser manages a clobbering lariat! Cover, TWO, Bruiser is frustrated. Bruiser drags Scurll into position again and climbs up, but Scurll revives and gets up under Bruiser! The fans aren’t sure Scurll can do this, but he does! Super Powerbomb!

Scurll puts his feet up on the second rope! The referee notices just in time, and fans are actually upset Scurll didn’t get away with it. Lethal chuckles, he must feel that was a bit amateurish. Scurll argues with the ref, Bruiser gets up and bulls him out of the ring. Bruiser gets on the apron, fans tell the ref “Ref, you suck!” Bruiser runs and cannonballs, but he misses again!

Both men are down, the ref counts, Lethal just watches. The count is halfway up, Scurll tries to drag the dead weight of Bruiser up. Bruiser is too much, Scurll just gets in the ring. The count continues, Bruiser barely beats it in time! Scurll goes after Bruiser right away, working on an octopus stretch. Scurll gets the stretch but also incorporates Bruiser’s fingers into the hold. Bruiser powers out to a ropebreak, Scurll gets up and calls for the finish. He hops up on Bruiser, Bruiser snapmares him off. Scrull and Bruiser are in opposite corners, Bruiser charges corner to corner but Scurll dodges while pulling the referee into the path, Bruiser squashes the referee!

Bruiser chases Scurll but misses yet again, the fans tell the referee “You deserve it!” Scurll realizes he can get away with anything while the ref is down, so he grabs his umbrella. However, Jay Lethal walks down the ramp, which distracts Scurll. Lethal stops, so Scurll’s plan continues, he SMACKS Bruiser upside the head! Bruiser goes down, the ref comes to, Scurll covers and wins! Lethal lets Scurll know he has his eye on The Villain.

Scurll got away with a villainous victory tonight, but will he prove himself the dirtiest player in ROH?

ROH looks back at the Peacock’s stellar performance in the Soaring Eagle Cup.

From giving out Bangarangs like candy to pinning all three men in a Four Corners Survival elimination match, Dalton Castle is THE inaugural Soaring Eagle Cup champion! Castle is now poised to fly even higher as he faces The American Nightmare, Cody, at Final Battle for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. Can The Peacock dethrone the Son of a Son of a Plumber?

The Peacock speaks!

This is a pretty big deal for Dalton Castle. He never thought “that’s where I’m headed!” He was only 12 years old when he first hit the wrestling mat, and has been “a wrestler in some form or fashion” ever since that day. This isn’t what he likes to do, this is what he does. “I am a wrestler, and I’m a damn good one.”

Castle made his ROH TV debut all the way back in March of 2015, and no one, not even Castle himself, could’ve predicted his rise. He was in Top Prospect Tournament, didn’t win it, but look at him now! Castle can prove to everybody that he’s as fantastic as anybody, and he worked to earn this all the way. It will be Castle VS Cody for the ROH WHC, but Castle only wishes that was the focus of it all. It is no longer just sport, Cody made this so personal. They had a match together only just last February, ROH The Experience.

Cody tried to trick Castle with his “silly dress-up game”, but why? Because Cody is afraid of Castle. Cody is a “pale-faced scoundrel”. Castle has had his shots at the ROH WHC before, such as against Christopher Daniels. Castle learned from that match defeat back in April’s Supercard of Honor. He put up a good fight, but then Cody had to go and attack them both, kicking Castle in the balls!

Cody didn’t leave it at that, either, he would bully Castle randomly, such as at War of the Worlds UK back in August. He left Castle for dead, saying he was “a novelty act”. Worse yet, Cody literally shipped The Boys away in boxes! Cody knew Castle wasn’t going to be gone forever, so he needed a different advantage. Castle isn’t going to let being without his Boys slow him down. Final Battle will see Cody walk in as champion, and will see Castle kick his ass. Can the Peacock come through on his words?

ROH reluctantly shares footage of The Briscoes invading the Dudley training facility.

Jay bangs on the door as Mark controls the camera. The door swings open, and the Briscoes simply walk on in.

Jay asks the trainees where the Dudley Boys are, but the trainees won’t tell them. Jay goes looking for Bully and D-Von, Mark knows they have to be here somewhere. The trainees say hello, the Briscoes give them handshakes. Jay asks the students where the Dudleys are, the students say they’re not here. Mark says they’re full of crap, and Jay attacks the students!

Jay shouts for Bully to come out, Mark shouts for the students to keep it down. The Briscoes creep deeper into the Dudley facility and find their memorabilia. Jay grabs a picture of the Dudleys with the Hardys, to then throw it at a wall!

Mark points out another picture, The Dudleys and Terry Funk in the Tokyo. That picture also gets thrown at the wall! The Briscoes make it into yet another room full of pictures, such as The Dudleys with the legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and Midnight Express. Three legendary tag teams in one picture, thrown against the wall! The Briscoes return to the training room and look at a poster that lists Bully’s long list of injuries.

Jay reads them off, line by line. Bully Ray endured all of that, yet he’s going to let Jay Briscoe take him out for good? Jay warned Bully Ray, so what is it going to take to get him in the ring with them? Jay spits on the picture of Bully Ray. The students tell the Briscoes to leave, the cops are on their way. Jay tells them to shut up, then has Mark put the phone-camera where it can be propped up. The phone records the ring, Jay and Mark bring a student in for a 3D!

The Briscoes ask again, “What’s it gonna take?” They finally leave, how will the Dudley Boys respond to this invasion?

Time for ROH’s #1 (and only) talk show, Coleman’s Pulpit!

The Most Versatile Man in This Sport Today has a very special guest today, a 20 year veteran on the verge of the biggest match in his career: himself!

Caprice Coleman greets himself to the set, and Coleman thanks himself for inviting him on. Guest Coleman tells Host Coleman that the set is awesome, but they soon get down to business. The previous episode of the Pulpit had ROH World Television Champion, Kenny King, and Kenny wasn’t happy after what Coleman said to him. Coleman thinks that’s sad, but Kenny just has a bad attitude. Coleman told the truth, and some people get upset by the truth. Host Coleman asks Guest Coleman, does Coleman have a vendetta against Kenny? Is Coleman jealous of Kenny? Jealous? Vendetta? No, not at all. Coleman has nothing but respect for Kenny, Kenny is ROH WTVC for a reason. However, anyone can be champion, if they’re given the “right opportunities.”

Host Coleman brings up Final Battle’s Four Way Elimination match for the ROH WTVC. The ROH WTVC will have to outlast the other three men. Is Guest Coleman prepared for such a match? Absolutely. Guest Coleman compliments Host Coleman on that great question, and especially how he worded it: the champion will defend the title in that Four Way. If Coleman defeats Kenny King for the title, he will have to be in said Four Way. The one who wins the race is not the swift nor the strong, but the one who can endure. Coleman never thought of it that way.

Guest Coleman reiterates that Kenny is not a king, a peasant nor a pawn, he’s a ho. Coleman makes it his responsibility to make Kenny his priority, and become the new ROH WTVC. Host Coleman is blown away by that, and won’t miss that match for anything. Coleman’s Pulpit: where you find out the truth, and the truth will help you see. Can the egotistical Coleman conquer the K I N G? Or will he, too, #BendTheKnee?

ROH looks back at the mishap between The Addiction and War Machine.

Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vowed to ruin the fun in ROH, but their ambush on Hanson & Rowe went a little too far. Not for what they did to their targets, but for the fan casualty that occurred. Ray Rowe has been temporarily suspended, because he was the one who threw the Heavy Metal Rebel headlong like a long dart into the innocent bystander, but they will still have a tag team grudge match at Final Battle. Can War Machine make The Addiction pay for inciting such an incident?

ROH World Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machine Guns VS The Kingdom!

This match isn’t live in Lakeland, but ROH TV lets us see the amazing action from the incredible Fort Lauderdale event! Before the bell, The Kingdom attacks from behind!

The bell rings, the attack continues and fans boo. O’Ryan has Shelley and Vinnie has Sabin in opposite corners. The Kingdom whips the MCMG, but the MCMG do-si-do and swing on the Kingdom. The Kingdom ducks, run in, the MCMG dodge and go corner to corner for double clotheslines! Shelley throws out O’Ryan, Sabin throws out Vinnie, and the MCMG gets the fans rallying. The MCMG aim and double slingshot over!

The MCMG topple The Kingdom over, the fans chant for “Motor City! *clap clap clapclapclap*” Sabin sits O’Ryan down and throws haymakers while Vinnie drags Shelley down. Sabin whips but is reversed, he ends up into barriers, Vinnie fish-hooks Shelley’s mouth to stretch while he bites Shelley’s forehead! The Sassy Wild Horse regroups with Mr. Inksanity, chop to Shelley and European Uppercut for Sabin. Vinnie throws Sabin at barriers while O’Ryan puts Shelly in the ring. O’Ryan climbs up, aims, but flies into Shelley’s boot. Vinnie climbs up, he jumps, but into a body shot. Sabin tags in, The MCMG double whips O’Ryan corner to corner. Shelley whips Sabin in for a forearm smash, then Sabin is the step stool for an MCMG Poetry in Motion.

Shelley returns the favor, Sabin hits his own Poetry in Motion. The MCMG target Vinnie, he runs in but gets caught in a double kick vice. Sabin runs but is put on the apron, O’Ryan stuns him with a forearm. O’Ryan runs at Shelley but is kicked to a stop, Shelley stacks The Kingdom as Sabin climbs up. Sabin aims, jumps, missile dropkick double shot!

Shelley covers Vinnie, TWO. MCMG hit O’Ryan with double arm wrench, double back elbows and then crisscross arms for the double whip. O’Ryan kicks Shelley, Sabin blocks O’Ryan’s kick for him, hands the leg to Shelley, and the MCMG beat up that leg with kicks and elbows. Sabin hits an enziguri, Shelley gives O’Ryan a dragon screw, and then the figure four leglock! Sabin intercepts Vinnie, then puts him in the legendary submission for a double Figure Four!

The Kingdom endures, then drag themselves to ropes. Double ropebreak, so the MCMG lets Vinnie go but holds on a little longer for O’Ryan. Shelley frees O’Ryan at 4, O’Ryan’s healing legs are a factor. Shelley whips O’Ryan, O’Ryan jumps over but his legs slow him down on the landing. The referee checks on O’Ryan, O’Ryan gets out of the ring. Sabin stops Vinnie again, Shelley pursues O’Ryan. O’Ryan reveals he was exaggerating, he fights Shelley on the outside and bumps him off the apron. O’Ryan trips Sabin up, too, and drags him out of the ring. Sabin fights O’Ryan off and chases him down, things enter the ring, spinebuster! Vinnie adds a flying headbutt, O’Ryan rocks Shelley with a right, Vinnie DIVES on him!

The fans boo and jeer at the Kingdom, especially as they already declare themselves ROH World Tag Team Champions.

The Kingdom gloats as we go to commercials.

We return, The Kingdom isolates Shelley, until Shelley slips out and lets The Kingdom run into each other! Shelley crawls, Vinnie drags him back and kicks Shelley’s hand. Vinnie rushes Sabin, Sabin knocks him away, Shelley dodges O’Ryan to send that SPEAR into Vinnie!

Shelley tags Sabin, Sabin hits a flying crossbody! Sabin solos The Kingdom with chops and elbows, ducks a double lariat to send The Kingdom into themselves again. Sabin grabs Vinnie and dropkicks O’Ryan to hit Vinnie with a tornado DDT! Fans fire up as Sabin gets to the apron. Penalty Kick for O’Ryan! Sabin climbs up, flies for a missile dropkick on Vinnie. Fans rally for MCMG, Shelley up as The Kingdom regroups. Sabin speeds up, Shelley opens the ropes, Sabin DIVES!

The Kingdom goes down again, Sabin puts O’Ryan back in the ring. Shelley and Sabin give O’Ryan the double kick, but then Vinnie knocks Shelley off the top rope. Vinnie climbs, O’Ryan reverses Sabin into the Twist of Fate! Vinnie hits the RedRum swanton!

TWO! The Kingdom is shocked! Shelley returns but O’Ryan knocks him back down, The Kingdom regroups to get Sabin up and in a corner. They hoist Sabin up and climb up to join him, Sabin resists. He shoves O’Ryan down then Vinnie, jumps but is caught into the fireman’s carry, O’Ryan lifts Vinnie to commit Sassy Murder!

O’Ryan blocks Shelley but Shelley barrels through to break the pin! O’Ryan rocks Shelley with a right hand then throws him out. Vinnie, get the ax. Fans rally, Vinnie slithers out to grab his hatchet! He brings it in, the referee has eyes on him, but it was never about the ax, because O’Ryan has his bat!

The referee confiscates Vinnie’s ax, O’Ryan swings the bat, but Sabin ducks and almost hits Vinnie! Sabin shoves The Kingdom into each other, ducks another swing, then baits O’Ryan in, this time he hits Vinnie!

Shelley and Sabin put O’Ryan in the Dream Sequence! The fans fire up, Vinnie revives, double mule kicks and double lift, Thunder Express!

The MCMG win and retain! With The Kingdom taken care of, Shelley & Sabin now move on to Final Battle to face Best Friends, Trent Baretta & Chuckie T. Which team will end 2017 as the ROH World Tag Team Champions?

Flip Gordon VS “Hangman” Adam Page!

Despite comprising of rising stars within the ROH roster, “Flip Army” could not defeat The Bullet Club. Now #FlipArmy Commander Gordon wants to prove he can defeat the Bullet Club’s Problem Solver 1v1 to prove he belongs. Hangman offers a handshake for the Code of Honor, but Gordon doesn’t trust it after all the trap handshakes The Bullet Club got him with. Hangman takes offense, he pie-faces Gordon. The bell rings, the two circle and tie up. Hangman shoves Gordon but Gordon flips through it. They circle again, the fans trash talk, Hangman gets a headlock, Gordon powers out but Hangman runs him over. Hangman keeps moving, things speed up, Gordon handsprings then uses his kip-ups to dodge lariats!

Hangman gets frustrated, the fans are loving it. Gordon embraces the love, Hangman uses that opening to throw him out of the ring. Hangman runs, Gordon evades, flips past Hangman then ducks under Hangman’s shooting star!

Gordon climbs up and goes for a SUPER Asai, but lands on his feet when Hangman gets in the ring.

He follows Hangman back into the ring, things keep moving, Gordon hand-walks to ropes. Gordon walks back, and headscissors Hangman back out! Gordon dares Hangman to come get him, Hangman swings but Gordon cartwheels over to mule kick Hangman. He climbs up again, and this time hits the SUPER Asai!

The fans fire up and applaud, Gordon drags Hangman up and gives him forearms. They return to the ring, Gordon takes aim from the apron. Gordon slingshots, into a boot from Hangman! Hangman stands over Gordon as fans applaud, “The Hung Man” taunts before covering, ONE. Hangman puts Gordon in a corner then gives him a sharp chop. Gordon gets to an adjacent corner, Hangman runs in corner to corner but gets a back elbow. Gordon hops up, sticks out a foot but Hangman catches that and spins Gordon sideways, and puts Gordon in a Tree of Woe. Hangman goes to the apron, and gives Gordon a kick right to the face. Hangman grabs a chair, puts it up halfway between the corners, then rallies the fans. He then builds speed, uses the chair as a launch pad, and hits Gordon with a dropkick!

Gordon drops to the floor, we go to one more break.

We return one last time, Hangman hits a Fall Away Slam with a bridge! TWO, and Hangman is frustrated. The fans rally once more as Gordon stirs. Hangman lets him get to a corner, then runs in corner to corner, but into another back elbow. Gordon dodges and swing kicks into Hangman’s head, then swings up for an elevated 619! Hangman staggers, Gordon springboards but Hangman gets under. Gordon gets Hangman in the fireman’s carry, Hangman slips out and shoves, another back elbow. Gordon springboards, Hangman dodges the quebrada, Gordon uses kip-ups to again dodge a lariat. Hangman ducks the roundhouse, but Gordon hits the enziguri. Gordon speeds up, rolling sunset flip! TWO, Gordon can’t believe it. The fans rally once more, Gordon gets up onto the top rope. Gordon takes aim at Hangman, Hangman revives but Gordon jumps over him. Gordon runs back in, Hangman boots him then hops up, Gordon jumps up and gives a spinning back elbow. Springboard Steiner!

Running Shooting Star on top, TWO! Gordon is frustrated now, fans rally as he takes aim corner to corner. He runs in, Hangman puts him on the apron and blasts him with a forearm. Hangman climbs up, and hits his SUPER ASAI!

Gordon topples down, fans fire up and chant “ROH! ROH!” Hangman brings Gordon into the ring, Gordon revives and starts a chop fight! They go back and forth, Gordon getting the edge, Gordon runs and springboards but is caught, but manages to flip out of the Rite of Passage. Gordon goes for a Superkick, Hangman blocks and spins Gordon to hit his SUPERKICK!

Hangman runs, into Gordon’s SUPERKICK! Gordon gives Hangman the Samoan Pop, then the PELE! Gordon springboards for the Star-Spangled Stunner!

Flip Gordon WINS!! He overcomes the bullying of the Bullet Club! Wait, that’s not the referee raising Gordon’s hand!

Matt asks “Where do you think you’re going?!” and Nick gives Gordon a SUPERKICK!

Never mind, Gordon has not gotten away from the bullying. Will “The, Elite! The the, Elite!” ever leave Gordon alone?

ROH World Heavyweight Champion, Cody, watches from the production room.

“Flip Gordon? Flip Gordon is the LOSER if he thinks he’s going to take the Six Man Titles at Final Battle!” Gordon is just as delusional as Dalton Castle is thinking he can take the ROH WHC from Cody. Will The Bullet Club continue their title reign of terror over ROH? Or will each of them receive the retribution owed at the hands of their victims?

My Thoughts:

A solid night from ROH, though it almost feels like it was meant as a go-home to Final Battle. We got great matches, as always, but we also got quite a lot of recap and talking for just a one-hour program. Scurll-Bruiser built upon the Scurll-Lethal story with Lethal ringside but also Scurll making sure Lethal saw every bit of cheating he committed in the match. Scurll said he wants Heel Lethal, because Heel Lethal was the superior Lethal. Lethal might face a conflict within himself during their match: should he keep it clean to prove he’s the better man? Or should he cheat to prove he’s the better Heel? MCMG-Kingdom was also great, even if we were watching it on a tape delay, and I am surprised to see MCMG retain to make MCMG VS Best Friends a Face VS Face affair. The Kingdom will likely protest, claiming “conspiracy” again, or even interfere with the title match, because it can’t end like this.

The Briscoes invaded Dudley territory, another great move. They referenced D-Von a lot, too, but I don’t think ROH can get D-Von away from WWE even just for a one-night only tag team match. That’s a shame, because that would be the thing to make this tag team story, that is also Bully’s good-bye story, truly perfect. Coleman gave a great segment, it should’ve been obvious he’d interview himself. Coleman-King next episode will be great, and could go either way at this point. The main event once again felt like a main event, and Gordon winning was a pleasant surprise. The Young Bucks appearing wasn’t a surprise, but it was still great to see this story is far from over. “The Hung Bucks” VS Flip & Coast2Coast (I assume) is going to be great, but I don’t think ROH is going to put anyone over the super-stable that is Bullet Club.

My Score: 8/10