ROH WRESTLING TELEVISION, Episode 333

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• ROH World Tag Team Championships: The Motor City Machine Guns VS Best Friends; Best Friends win by disqualification, the MCMG retain the ROH World Tag Team Championships.
• Shane Taylor VS Marty Scurll; Scurll wins.
• Matt Taven w/ The Kingdom VS Cody; Cody wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

The challengers for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship are lining up.

Matt Taven told The American Nightmare to his face that he’s beaten everyone there is to beat, yet he keeps “getting looked over for people like you.” Cody was handed the ROH WHC and every opportunity to keep it, and yet, “bye-bye.” Taven summarized Cody’s career as “a little, undeserving, ungrateful, spoiled brat has become nothing more than a little bleach-blonde bitch!” He then gave the former champ a mic drop and a low blow. Before fighting for gold, who will win a fight over pride and personal animosity?

ROH World Tag Team Championships: The Motor City Machine Guns VS Best Friends!

Chuckie T & Trent Baretta have been circling the tag title scene, but seeing as how the MCMG just got the newest edition of those title belts, don’t expect Sabin & Shelley to let go without a fight.

The Code of Honor is upheld, and we start with Sabin and the Kentucky Gentleman. The two circle, Chuckie marching on his knees and Sabin copying. They tie up, Chuckie gets the waistlock but Sabin reverses to a wristlock. Chuck rolls to reverse but Sabin rolls and handsprings to reverse back. Sabin puts on the headlock but Chuckie powers out and things speed up. Chuckie arm-drags but Sabin arm-drags back and the two stand off. The fans applaud and Sabin offers a handshake, to then bring Chuckie into a hug.

Chuckie no likey so he pushes Sabin away. He backs off to his corner, and uses a handshake to tag Baretta in, Sabin tags Shelley in, as well. Shelley and Sabin hug before Shelley circles with Baretta. The fans start a duel, “Alex Shelley!” “Let’s go, Trent!” while the two men tie up. Shelley knees low then chops high but Baretta chops back. We have ourselves a chop fight! They go back and forth but Shelley gets the edge. Baretta gasps for air but then pokes Shelley in the eyes. Baretta has Chuckie come in without a tag, and Best Friends double whip Shelley for double back elbows. They want to hug but Sabin comes in to fight them both. Fans boo while Sabin stomps a mudhole into Chuckie and Shelley goes after Baretta. Sabin declares “No Hugs!”, then MCMG coordinate to whip Best Friends at each other. Best Friends reverse, MCMG do-si-do but Best Friends dodge. Best Friends run in but now MCMG dodges, but then Best Friends dodge again, to finally hit double forearm smashes!

Then they hit forearm smashes the other way. And they hug!

The fans applaud while the contenders have control and we go to break.

ROH returns, and the champions are back in control after diving on each of the Best Friends from the apron, as well as hitting some of their signature double team moves. Shelley has Baretta down as he tags in Sabin. He then bumps Baretta off a buckle before MCMG double whips Baretta corner to corner. However, Chuckie gets up and onto the top rope to be a stopper for Baretta in that corner.

Baretta counter attacks the MCMG with double clotheslines! Chuckie returns to his corner and rallies the fans. Baretta tags and Chuckie rallies on Sabin. Sabin reverses a whip but Chuckie hops up and over. Sabin jumps up but his idea is countered into a sit-out powerbomb!

TWO, but so close! Chuckie fires up and drags Sabin into position. He climbs up to the top and moonsaults, but flops when Sabin rolls out of the way! Sabin kicks and facelock, tries to go around the world when Baretta comes in but Baretta ducks. Shelley slips in while Sabin catches Baretta, and Shelley’s SUPERKICK stuns Baretta so that Sabin can go around the world for the DDT on Chuckie T!

The fans fire up while Chuckie ends up outside. They duel while MCMG takes aim at Baretta. Baretta stands up, and boots Shelley and Sabin away in turn. He comes out but Shelley catches him in a waistlock, and Sabin rocks him with an enziguri. Shelley rocks Baretta with a forearm smash, then MCMG sandwich Baretta inside a discus lariat SUPERKICK combo!

Shelley goes for Sliced Bread but Baretta denies it, then evades Sabin to send his corner clothesline into Shelley. Baretta kicks Sabin low then uses Shelley to go around the world but Sabin denies the DDT. Baretta still gives Sabin a chop, then gives Shelley a chop. He runs but Shelley is ready, Baretta runs into an atomic drop and that starts the Dream Sequence: Low dropkick to running Chancery to another low dropkick! Chuckie returns, but Shelley is the step for Sabin to hit Chuckie with the flying calf kick. The MCMG take aim at Chuckie while the fans fire up. Shelley slingshots to open the way, but Baretta trips up Sabin. Chuckie trips up Shelley to bounce him off the apron, then hops into the ring to slingshot back out. Shelley evades and grabs Chuckie, but he sees Baretta coming, so he gets out of the way to let Baretta wreck Chuckie with the dropkick!

Shelley then kicks Baretta, and he grabs both Best Friends to run at the post. Double Sliced Bread denied, and Shelley instead runs into a long dart cutter!

The fans applaud while the Best Friends fire up. Sabin comes over and slingshots but changes plans when Best Friends evade. Baretta ducks the kick but Chuckie takes the forarm, then Baretta takes that kick! Chuckie forearms Sabin down then builds speed to FLY onto the MCMG!

The Best Friends hug at the top of the ramp, but then Jay & Mark Briscoe appear and attack! #DemBoyz knock the Best Friends down, and this match is disqualified!

But they’re not satisfied with that. Jay goes right after the MCMG himself! Mark joins in while the referee has the bell ring more, but now the champions are put in the ring by the Briscoes. The beat down continues while the fans boo and jeer. The referee tries to stop this but the Briscoes keep going. Jay pulls out zip-ties!?

Mark takes some and while beating the MCMG down more, they tie Shelley to the ropes! The Briscoes make Shelley, the referee and the fans watch as they bring in a chair. Mark holds Shelley while Jay brings Sabin up, Jay Driller on the chair!!

The fans boo and jeer while the Briscoes stand over their victims. They want to be ROH World Tag Team Champions again, but is this going too far?

The Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas & Silas Young speak.

The Bruiser wants ROH to “belly up to the bar”, because the “two largest drinks” in the tag team division “start knocking heads together” next week. The Kingpin promises he and BCB are gonna start bouncing people, and the Last Real Man–sporting the brand new ROH World Television Championship belt–can’t wait to see it. Who will be the first team to fall before the Big Bad Bruisers?

Punishment Martinez speaks.

“My entire life has been about violence and anger.” He wasn’t raised in a “good area”, and earned the name Punishment on the streets “by breaking bones and cracking skulls.” Martinez is a two-time full-contact martial arts champion. ROH has given him “a platform to showcase my violence to the world.” Martinez’s time in ROH has been about speaking through actions. Those actions include “torturing” Jay White, truly beating Frankie Kazarian, as well as Will Ospreay, Jay Lethal, and everyone in the 2017 Survival of the Fittest. Martinez has established himself at the top of ROH’s food chain, and is guaranteed a match for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship whenever he wants. “Castle. Since Final Battle, you’ve received nothing but congratulations from your peers.” Martinez wishes to be the first to give his condolences. “Because your time as world champion is dead.” Will the Reincarnation of the Purple Mist be the one to rise from the Peacock’s ashes?

Shane Taylor VS Marty Scurll!

The Notorious Hitman went after The Villain as part of SoCal Uncensored’s request he keep Bullet Club members from helping The Young Bucks out weeks ago. Now Scurll wants to cause Taylor a #SpotofBother as payback! Taylor welcomes him to try, but can Scurll defeat a man armed with a killer right hand?

The Code of Honor is skipped, and the two circle at the bell. Scurll throws opening forearms but Taylor shoves him away. Scurll comes back with more forearms, but Taylor throws him into a corner. Taylor runs in but Scurll dodges, and then grabs that strong right hand to stomp on it! Scurll chops Taylor, then tries but fails to suplex the bigger man up and over. Taylor knees Scurll low, then throws Scurll to ropes. Scurll holds on to then dump Taylor out, Scurll gets to the apron to say “You’re Dead!” with a SUPERKICK!

The fans applaud but Taylor stays standing. Scurll tries again but Taylor catches the second kick. Scurll fights with haymakers but then resorts to a thumb digging right into Taylor’s eye! Taylor lets go, the referee reprimands Scurll, but the fans applaud the Villain’s tactics. Scurll leaps for a flying headscissors, but Taylor stops him with pure power. Taylor swings Scurll back up to try a powerbomb but Scurll slips out. Taylor grabs Scurll around the neck, Scurll breaks free and spins around but gets grabbed at the neck again, to be thrown into barriers!

The fans applaud while Taylor walks off his frustration. He then picks Scurll up, and throws him into more barriers! Scurll is stuck upside down while Taylor walks around again. Taylor rocks Scurll with a forearm, then choke slams him onto the apron edge while we go to break!

ROH returns to find Taylor still in control. He whips Scurll but Scurll evades to sunset flip. Taylor stays standing, then jumps up but Scurll rolls out of the way, letting Taylor slam himself down onto the mat! Scurll gets to a corner and back to his feet while the fans fire up. Taylor runs in but Scurll gives him a European Uppercut. Scurll runs and clothelines but Taylor stays standing. The fans duel while Scurll climbs to the top rope. Scurll jumps and his missile dropkick knocks Taylor down! Taylor rolls out of the ring, and Scurll gets the fans going again. Scurll builds speed and DIVES!

But Taylor catches him, and lifts him for a slam, but Scurll slips out. Scurll mule kicks Taylor, then uses the apron to help in a tornado DDT to the ground!

The fans are thunderous for The Villain as he crawls away from the crash. Scurll gets to his feet with the help of the barriers. The ten count gets past 7 as he drags Taylor up and into the ring. Scurll covers, TWO, but Scurll keeps his cool. He tries another suplex but Taylor is still too big and strong. Taylor rocks Scurll with a heavy right forearm, then gets running. Scurll fakes him out with the feint, then goes for the real kick, but Taylor catches that to rock Scurll with a knee! Taylor hits a running splash!

TWO! Taylor can’t believe it, but the fans start chanting “Too Sweet! Woop Woop!” for Scurll. Scurll gets to the apron and Taylor walks over, but Scurll grabs Taylor’s arm over the top rope. Scurll gives Taylor a shoulder breaker hotshot and he staggers back. But Taylor sees Scurll’s shoulder coming and counters with a big knee lift and discus forearm smash! Taylor drags Scurll out of the ropes for a two-handed sit-out choke slam!

TWO!! Scurll shocks Taylor again, but the fans keep chanting. Taylor mocks Scurll’s song and dance, which the fans boot. Scurll staggers to his feet as Taylor calls for his Knockout right. Taylor swings but Scurll ducks, Taylor tries a full nelson but Scurll counters with elbows and forearms. Scurll then takes the left hand by the fingers! He bends them back and asks for silence, but Taylor hits with his right hand! But Scurll stays up, to counter with an open hand slap! Scurll goes for another but Taylor catches him with a short range headbutt! Taylor goes to suplex Scurll but Scurll manages the suplex on Taylor!

TWO!! Scurll can’t believe he didn’t get it, but there’s a huge difference between the brainbuster he got and the one he wanted. The fans still cheer him on with “Woop Woop!” Taylor staggers while Scurll gets the fans going with his song and dance! They all shout “Chicken wing!” but Taylor hits a left jab! Taylor picks Scurll up, spins him around, but Scurll slips out to get the chicken wing! Scurll can’t bring Taylor down before Taylor rams him into buckles. Taylor gets free while Scurll exits the ring to regroup. Scurll grabs his umbrella but Taylor steps on it. Taylor takes the umbrella and threatens Scurll with it. The referee tells Taylor to put it down and even Scurll asks for mercy. The referee grabs the umbrella and struggles with Taylor while Scurll slips under the ring. Scurll pulls out a bag, and from that bag… chalk powder!!

Taylor takes a handful of it right to the face, and more importantly his eyes! Scurll rolls Taylor up, and Scurll wins! The Villain gets his revenge his way!

Marty Scurll speaks.

“I’m not done tonight.” Scurll calls out Punishment Martinez to get his “numpty ass out here right now!” However, while Marty expects the monster to come out from the stage, Martinez appears from the crowd and from behind!

The Villain turns around to see him, then quickly explains he isn’t trying to pick a fight. Scurll instead wants Martinez to know that when he faces Dalton Castle for the ROH WHC, Scurll is sure Martinez will win. The fans may not agree, but they can all agree that they want to see The Villain as the next ROH WHC! And indeed they do, with “Too Sweet! Woop Woop!” Therefore, Scurll says that when Martinez becomes WHC, Scurll wants to be first up to challenge him. “What do you say, big man?” Martinez nods! Is the deal set? Scurll turns to leave, but then Martinez turns him around for a South of Heaven Choke Slam!

Deal or no deal, Martinez is confident he’ll be ROH WHC after next week. Is Scurll asking for too much from the merciless monster?

Next week, ROH Wrestling Television presents: The WOH Championship tournament!

The 16 woman tournament to crown the inaugural Women of Honor Champion begins with episode 334! Who will make it through the five-round bracket to be the first woman to hold the WOH title belt?

Matt Taven w/ The Kingdom VS Cody!

Whether it is a conspiracy, bias or just plain unpopularity, Taven and The Kingdom are upset they aren’t getting the title opportunities everyone else does. Especially when Taven sees The American Nightmare being given them without even trying. Can Taven get over his grudge with a win here tonight?

The bell rings but there’s no Code of Honor or any respect between these two. Taven pie-faces Cody, Cody throws Taven into a corner! Cody chops Taven in that corner, then in another corner, then whips Taven to ropes. Taven holds on then bails out, not wanting Cody to have control. The Kingdom vouches for him, this is all strategy and mind-games. Cody pursues and Taven runs back into the ring. Taven slides under Cody’s kick to kick back, then wraps the arm for the Climax, but Cody denies. Taven holds ropes again to boot Cody away, but Cody catches Taven in the dragon sleeper! He wants Cross Rhodes but Taven slips around. Taven swings but Cody dodges, Cody tries for Beautiful Disaster but misses. Taven tries to copy the Beautiful Disaster but Cody dodges. The two stand off and the fans applaud. Cody and Taven are evenly matched while we go to break.

ROH returns and we find Cody and Taven brawling, forearm for forearm! Taven gets the edge and knees low, then trash talks before running. Cody goes to throw him out but Taven counters to throw him out instead. Taven mocks the literal Ring of Honor then builds speed, but Cody ducks the wrecking ball dropkick. Cody blocks and deflects Taven’s strikes to then ram Taven into the apron face first with a complete shot!

The Kingdom regroup with Taven and want a time out while Cody rallies the fans. Cody runs, springboards and FLIES!

Taven gets out of the way and leaves Vinnie & TK to take the hit! Cody gets up and Taven rakes his eyes to then throw him into a post. Taven keeps going, throwing Cody into barriers and then into the ring. He slams Cody’s arm against the apron edge, then gives a cocky grin at the camera. Taven reenters the ring and stands over Cody. Cody gets to a corner and Taven trash talks him as he toys with him. Cody kicks back, so Taven throws him into a post again. Taven wrenches the arm and drops him with the armbar DDT. Cover, TWO, and The Kingdom grows frustrated. Cody tries to get feeling into that left arm but Taven goes after the arm. Taven jumps to give the arm a code breaker, then lets Cody roll out of the ring for The Kingdom to go after him! TK blows a kiss to the camera after he and Vinnie finish mugging Cody. Vinnie feeds Cody to Taven, and Taven digs a heel into Cody’s chin while pulling on the arms. Taven goes after the beat up left arm again with a seated keylock. The fans rally for Cody and Cody wills himself up to his feet. Cody fights out and throws Taven, but Taven comes back to throw Cody out again. Vinnie throws Cody into barriers on one side, then gets him moving again so TK can throw Cody into the barriers on the other side!

The Kingdom embraces the heat while Cody writhes on the ground. Taven comes out to fetch Cody, mocking the injury before wrapping Cody’s arm around a post. Cody fights back with his good arm, jabbing Taven in the ribs. Taven slings that arm into the post, and they return into the ring. Taven drags Cody up and then throws him into buckles. He whips Cody corner to corner, but Cody stops himself short to then collide with Taven. Both men go down, but get to their feet. They both run at the ropes and springboard, double Beautiful Disasters!

Taven and Cody go down, we go to break.

ROH returns once again, and Taven has regained control. He walks around over the downed Cody with a heat-embracing grin on his face. He runs, springboards but has to land on his feet when Cody rolls out of the way. Cody rolls back and hits Taven with the uppercut! Taven staggers while Cody gets up, but Taven comes back with the spinning heel kick! Then Taven runs and springboards again to hit the lionsault!

TWO and The Kingdom is frustrated again. Taven rolls Cody into position then climbs up top. Cody stands back up and ducks the missile dropkick. Taven runs back in but then Cody catches him in the “shout out to Uncle Bob”, the Alabama Slama!

Cover, TWO! Cody feels frustration now, but the fans keep cheering him on. Taven gets up but then Cody walks over, Taven boots that bad shoulder. Taven hits a Moonlight Drive!

He keeps moving, he goes back to the top rope. Taven frog splashes, but into Cody’s knees! The fans applaud Cody’s resilience, and a ten count begins as both men slowly stir. They get up before 5, Cody sunset flips but Taven rolls through for a stiff knee to the face! “Because I’m Matt Taven.” Both men are down again, but Vinnie grabs that hatchet of his.

The referee takes notice of the Horror King creeping closer, but it’s a distraction so that the Sassy Wild Horse can slip in on the other side. However, the referee sees that, too! He ejects The Kingdom from ringside! Vinnie & TK freak out but the referee exits the ring to make sure they leave. However, Taven grabs his walking stick. Taven raises it to take a swing at Cody, but Cody kicks him right in his family jewels!

Cody gets payback for a couple weeks ago, then rolls Taven up in a small package, Cody wins for ultimate revenge! The American Nightmare still has his Ring of Honor, when will he get a chance to regain the ROH WHC?

But then TK O’Ryan attacks Cody from behind!

TK embraces the heat while Vinnie brings a chair over. Cody’s hand is vulnerable on the apron edge, TK smashes it with the chair!!

Cody writhes and flails in pain but that’s still not the end of it. Vinnie & TK stomp and club Cody down more while Taven stands up. The fans chant for “Young Bucks!” in hopes of summoning Matt & Nick Jackson. However, neither they nor anyone else in Bullet Club comes running. TK & Vinnie get Cody up for Taven, and Taven kicks Cody’s jewels even harder!

Then, Taven finally hits Climax!

As if that wasn’t enough, Taven picks up Cody’s busted ring hand, and then takes that Ring of Honor for his own, and makes Cody kiss it!

Taven says that “He who laughs last, laughs longest.” But will The Kingdom really have the last laugh against The American Nightmare and The Bullet Club as a whole?

My Thoughts:

A really good episode of ROH that also sets the stage for an incredible episode next time. We open with a great ROH WTTC match that turns out to only set up more of the Briscoes’ story with the MCMG. It was a bit disappointing that the Briscoes didn’t wait until the match ended, like commentary helped selling, but perhaps the Briscoes were making sure the only ones to beat Sabin & Shelley were them. Though, with that chair Jay Driller, the tag titles could be vacated due to an injury to Sabin and then The Briscoes would have to take the long way back to the titles. The ROH Tag Team Division is still very competitive and deep, especially with the creation of Bruiser & Milonas as a team. They’re set to face Coast 2 Coast, Ali & LSG, next week and that could be a really great match, something on a PPV quality level given how well C2C did in their “Do or Die” with War Machine. If Bruiser & Milonas aren’t meant to win, then I expect it to end dirty so that they don’t look weak in their tag team debut.

There was a lot of quality continuity between everything revolving around the ROH WHC scene as well as the angles shared between ROH and NJPW. First, Scurll VS Taylor was great, lots of good story telling. Then him trying to jump the line by going to Martinez was great, especially for Martinez’s response of a choke slam. Getting the ROH WHC match on free television is nice of ROH, and that match could go either way. Then, Cody being out there alone in his match with Taven is a great way to demonstrate the rift within The Bullet Club given the events of New Beginning in Sapporo, aka Cody betraying Kenny Omega. The fans expected the Young Bucks, and probably by association, Scurll and Hangman, but no one came and now Cody may have a busted hand (in kayfabe). At the same time, ROH canon established that the “Hung Bucks” are busy with SoCal Uncensored and that in itself is reason they couldn’t/chose not to help Cody here. I hope this Bullet Club Civil War angle bleeds over into ROH more, such as matches between the two sides, to give it plenty of build and action before it all wraps up.

My Score: 8.5/10