ROH WRESTLING TELEVISION, Episode 350

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived does NOT impress the ROH World TV Champion. But if it means proving a point, The Last Real Man will put up his title against the belt-hungry Austin Aries as his way of “welcoming” the former ROH talent. Who will be THE Man holding the title by the end? Plus, more Women of Honor action!

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

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Karen Q VS Tenille Dashwood; Tenille wins.
• ROH World Television Championship: Silas Young VS Austin Aries; Silas wins by disqualification and retains the ROH WTV Championship.

PLAY BY PLAY

The American Nightmare is here!

And he’s brought Bernard the Business Bear! Cody and his bear head to the ring while fans chant “All in! All in!” for Chicago will be the site of the explosively popular event of the summer. Cody speaks on “the irony that I go by the American Nightmare, when the last six months has been a complete Dream”, given how he is now (the self-proclaimed) Leader of Bullet Club. A banner six months, and a future senator from the great state of Texas, Cody will also be the future NWA World Heavyweight Champion! “But the world is not enough.”

Cody stands here and says that “the time is now.” He deserves his ROH World Championship rematch. It’ll be bittersweet, because at Best in the World, his personal anniversary, Cody doesn’t get 1v1 with Dalton Castle, but a Triple Threat with his friend, The Villain, Marty Scurll. Cody is sure everyone loves Marty, right? “YES!” And speak of the Villain, Marty’s here!

Scurll joins Cody in the ring with Chicago fans going wild. The streamers rain down on the second third of the coming championship triple threat but Cody smugly sneers. Scurll takes a mic and says “y’know something, Cody? You just love to tell everyone how good you are. But y’know what mate, I don’t have to tell anyone how great I am, because they already know it.” And who knows it better than anybody else? Cody himself. Scurll can tell when he looks Cody in the eyes, that Cody’s intimidated. At Best in the World, Cody is going to find firsthand just how good Scurll is. Fans “Woop Woop!” Even though they’re friends, if Scurll has to go through Cody to get on his first ROH World Championship, “then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Gentleman’s handshake?

Scurll offers, but Cody wonders if there’s more to it. Scurll puts down the mic and the umbrella, to offer the handshake. Cody says Scurll’s a good guy, and fans chant “Shake! Shake!” They do shake hands, but then Scurll bends the hand! To give it a pat. He also keeps Bernard on his toes with an umbrella strike feint. The Villain plays mind games already, but will he be the winner in the end?

Silas Young speaks.

“Tonight’s the night.” Silas tells Austin Aries that Aries spent the last few weeks “whining and crying” until he got this title opportunity. But tonight, Aries better have also spent that time researching Silas, because Silas studied up on Aries. After Silas wins, he doesn’t want to hear excuses, he wants to hear Aries say, “Silas Young IS the realest man that ever lived.”

Karen Q VS Tenille Dashwood!

Karen may put the Q in Queens, and she may have been the first woman to give Kelly Klein a loss, but she didn’t go as far in the WOH Championship tournament as her opponent did. Tenille put the spotlight on herself when she came to ROH, but the Aussie All-star wants more. Which woman will rise up to head for a shot at Sumie Sakai’s inaugural reign?

Karen gets annoyed by the streams, and claims, “I’M the only superstar here!” She reluctantly upholds the Code of Honor, and barely at that. Fans boo and the bell rings, and Karen ties up with Tenille. Fans rally as Karen and Tenille go around the ropes, and they end up in a corner. Karen has Tenille but Tenille turns that around, and then they break. Fans keep rallying as Karen rushes out, but Tenille reverses her into a wristlock. Karen rolls and kip-up to reverse back. “Who’s the superstar now?!” Tenille pushes Karen down, then dares her to come back. Karen does, but Tenille sidesteps and trips her up with a tabletop. Tenille then high stack covers, TWO. Karen kicks low, then waistlock, but Tenille standing switches. Karen switches back but then Tenille but then Karen. They go around and around, and fans applaud the exchange.

Tenille smiles, giving Karen credit, but then trips her up with a single leg. Fans cheer but Karen is frustrated. Things speed up and Tenille comes back with a tilt-o-whirl into another leg takedown. Cover, TWO, and Karen scrambles to a corner. Tenille lines it up, but Karen rolls out of the way before getting a Taste. Karen claims she’s “too smart” for that, and narrowly avoids Tenille’s baseball slide. Karen slides into the ring, and throws a shoulder out, but Tenille sees that coming and kicks her back. Tenille then turns Karen around for the hotshot neckbreaker. Fans fire up, but Karen trips Tenille on the apron. Karen has control while we go to break.

ROH returns and Karen has Tenille against the ropes as she rakes the back. Karen throws forearms in a corner, then runs in corner to corner to handspring clothesline! She keeps moving, for a back elbow and then a running roundhouse! Fans fire up, they like this. Karen throws Tenille with an exploder, covers, TWO. Fans rally as Karen drags Tenille over for a knee to the ribs. Karen clubs away with hammer fists, then barks at the referee for reprimanding her. She brings Tenille up, snap suplexes her, then boasts. Fans boo and jeer, but Karen keeps on Tenille in a corner. Karen pushes and shoulders Tenille into buckles, then backs off at 3. She snapmares Tenille and kicks her in the back a couple times. She stands on Tenille’s hair and pulls the arms, letting off at 4.

Karen goes back for more but Tenille kicks her away. Karen trips Tenille and tries to turn her over, but Tenille powers her away. Tenille whips but Karen kicks her away. Karen clubs Tenille, then bounces her off the mat. Karen stalks Tenille to a corner, and drags her up for more forearms. She whips Tenille corner to corner, but Tenille dodges and lets Karen hit buckles, before putting Karen in the Tarantula!

Tenille lets go at 4, then drags Karen back up. She whips but Karen reverses and lifts, for the side slam. Cover, TWO. Karen tries again, TWO. Karen curses in Mandarin Chinese out of frustration, then shouts at the ref the same way. Fans rally and Tenille fights back. Karen hits Tenille down, then whips into a corner. Tenille hits buckles then hits the mat, but Karen keeps on her. Karen whips her the other way and just as hard. Karen drags Tenille up again, and whips for a hat trick. She runs in, but Tenille boots her away. Tenille back elbows Karen, then runs to rally with clotheslines. Tenille brings Karen around and throws her by her hair! Fans fire up with Tenille as she runs corner to corner, and gives Karen a Taste of Tenille!

Cover, TWO! Tenille is surprised, but she keeps focus while fans rally again. She brings Karen up in the double underhook, but Karen trips her up and turns her over for the Spring Roll Crab! Tenille endures as Karen bends her back. Tenille claws and drags herself over while fans rally, ropebreak! Karen lets Tenille go, but comes back with stomps and kicks. Karen goes for it again, but Tenille tucks and covers, Tenille wins!

Winner: Tenille, by pinfall

The spotlight is on her again, but Tenille bails out of the ring before Karen can attack again. Can Tenille keep it #AllAboutMe and reach the top?

Meanwhile, Karen takes her frustrations out on buckles, then confiscates a chair to start swinging it like mad! Karen is having a sore-loser meltdown, but she’s only been back for one match. Will she be able to turn it around towards a title shot? Or is this just a sign of things to come?

ROH recaps the vicious feud forming between Punishment Martinez and Hangman Page.

Part one was 4/27/18, Lakeland, FL, when the Reincarnation of the Purple Mist would blindside and beat down the Problem Solver moments before their scheduled match. Part two was 5/11/18, in Toronto, ON, during the War of the Worlds 2018 tour. Martinez was moments from winning the IWGP United States Championship off Jay White, but Hangman would come out to distract him. This gave White the win, but Martinez would come back for revenge later that night when he attacked Hangman just moments before his own match. Hangman would not leave it for their rematch in Royal Oak, MI, as he attacked Martinez in Detroit, 5/12/18. Between the chair shots and the table smashing, Hangman made it very clear to Martinez that he’s not going away quietly.

Given all of this, it is being made official! Hangman and Punishment will meet again, but in the ring, at Best in the World! Who will win this gritty grudge match? Will either man even be able to walk away?

Another Best in the World match has been made!

Yes, after the brutal beating #DemBoyz Jay & Mark Briscoe gave to Matt & Nick Jackson simply to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championships, management had no choice but to grant a rematch. But it won’t be an easy road for The Briscoes, as they’ll have to defend against Roppongi 3K’s Sho & Yoh next week on ROH 351! Will Jay & Mark #ManUp and make it through one defense to then walk into another against arguably the best tag team in the world?

ROH World Television Championship: Silas Young VS Austin Aries!

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived has been collecting belts far and wide, from DEFY to Impact to World Series Wrestling, and now he’s come back to grab the belt that he’s never held. But the Last Real Man won’t let go of that belt so easily. Can Silas show the A-Double Level means nothing in today’s Ring of Honor? Or will Aries just add another belt to the collection?

ROH returns as Chicago duels in chants for Milwaukee’s two toughest sons. The bell rings the Silas circles with Aries. They tie up, and Silas powers Aries to ropes but Aries turns things around. Aries backs off and Silas finally takes off his shirt, and throws it at Aries! But Aries catches it!

Fans cheer, and Aries goes to throw it, but changes his mind. He just tosses it on the ground, saying no one wants a Silas Young shirt. Aries circles with Silas again, and ties up. Aries gets the waistlock takedown and floats all around, to then cover, ONE. He puts Silas in the crucifix cover, ONE, but grabs Silas in the facelock! Aries goes for Last Chancery but Silas slides under the ropes. Aries honors the break, and Silas gets away while Aries dares him to be a man. Silas takes his time, so Aries lounges on the top rope. Silas slowly returns, and sarcastically applauds for Aries. They circle again, tie up, Silas gets the hammerlock.

Aries moves around and snapmares but Silas stays on his feet. Silas sweeps the legs and covers, but Aries slips out. Aries sweeps and covers, but Silas slips out. Silas Oklahoma Rolls, ONE, and the fans applaud the standoff. Silas shows no respect as he flicks snot and sweat onto Aries. Aries brushes that off while Silas taunts the fans. They circle again, tie up, and Silas gets another armlock. Aries rolls and handsprings to reverse then put on a headlock. Silas powers out, but Aries goes up and over. Aries runs and speeds it up with a cartwheel to then arm-drag Silas a couple times. He puts Silas in an armlock but Silas headscissors. Aries headstands and pops out to dropkick Silas!

Silas gets to a corner, and Arise gives back the snot and sweat flick. Silas rolls out of the ring in disgust, but Aries lets him catch his breath. The ring count begins, but Silas returns quicker this time. Silas shoves Aries so Aries shoves back. Silas puts on a headlock, but Aries powers out. Aries swings but Silas dodges to then shoulder Aries down. Silas gets big handfuls of sweat from his chest hair, and flicks it all at Aries! Aries SLAPS Silas! Then they brawl with haymakers! Silas gets the edge and whips Aries corner to corner, but Aries reverses and back elbows. Aries snapmares, then climbs up, for the second rope elbow to the neck! Cover, TWO, and Silas rolls to the apron.

Aries goes over, and drags Silas up by that chest hair! Aries bumps Silas off one buckle, then the other, then back again. And again, and again, then ear claps Silas off the apron. Fans cheer as Aries builds speed, but Aries runs right into clobbering hands from Silas. The Last Real Man has control while we go to break.

ROH returns as Silas bowls Aries into barriers. Silas tells the ref, “If you don’t like it, count ’em out.” Silas then bumps Aries off the blue chair, and the ref comes out to stop him. Fans rally for Aries but Silas grinds his boot into Aries’ throat. Silas stalks Aries around the corner, then haymakers him into the ring. He slingshots and stomps on Aries, then covers, ONE. Silas keeps his cool, and drags Aries up for more haymakers. Aries hits back, and they brawl. Silas boots Aries but Aries comes back with a forearm. Aries walks over to Silas in the corner, but Silas boots him right in the face. Silas snapmares into a chinlock to grind and squeeze Aries on the mat.

Fans rally again, and Aries feeds off that energy. Aries fights out, then overhand chops. Aries runs, but into Silas’ backbreaker and lariat! Cover, TWO, and Silas grows frustrated. Silas can’t believe fans are still cheering for Aries. He goes after Aries with a full nelson but Aries stomps and elbows out. Silas goes after the full nelson again, but Aries breaks free again. Silas tries a third time, but Aries runs around and reaches for ropes, but just ends up slinging Silas right out of the ring. Aries stands up but Silas returns, so Aries shoulders him and neckbreaker hotshots Silas down. Aries fires up and fans follow, he builds speed to DIVE!

The “Low-pe” hits and fans fire up with Aries again. Aries puts Silas back in, then climbs up top. He takes aim, and hits the missile dropkick. Cover, TWO!

Aries keeps his cool and stands up as fans rally up again. Aries brings Silas up, but Silas powers him to a corner. Silas rams his shoulder in, but Aries clubs his back. They trade chops and forearms, and Silas rams his shoulder in again. Silas whips Aries corner to corner but Aries reverses. Aries runs but into a big boot! Silas grabs Aries, Full Nelson Knee, then fireman’s carry but Aries slips off. Aries kicks low, suplexes, but Silas slips out and kicks Aries low. Silas lifts Aries up again, but Aries slips out again. Aries kicks low again, lifts but Silas slips out again. Silas kicks and lifts, but Aries slips out and onto the apron. Aries tries to suplex but Silas lands on his feet, so Aries lifts Silas in the fireman’s carry. Aries gives Silas a Death Valley Driver to the apron!!

The champion goes down and we go to one last break.

ROH returns once more, and Aries puts Silas in the ring. Cover, TWO! Aries grows frustrated, but he feels he’s getting closer. Fans rally again, Silas crawls to a corner, and Aries runs in, but the dropkick is caught into a fireman’s carry! Silas hits the rolling senton, then headstands for the Plunge! Cover, ROPEBREAK! Silas is shocked, but fans say “This is Awesome!” Silas goes out and grabs his belt, wanting to use it. The referee grabs the belt to stop Silas, but Aries rolls Silas up! TWO, but into Last Chancery!

Silas endures as Aries wrenches him back. He reaches, and gets a ropebreak. Aries is in disbelief now, and so Aries grabs one of his belts. The ref confiscates that belt, too, and then Silas rolls Aries! TWO, and Aries throws hands. Silas returns them and it’s a Milwaukee brawl in Chicago. Fans are on Aries’ side, but Silas keeps pace. They go back and forth, back and forth, then Aries gets the edges. Aries chops and chops, then runs, but the Discus Fivearm is caught into the fireman’s carry! Silas’ spin takes out the referee! Aries escapes again, and hits the Fivearm! Fans fire up, Aries runs and hits the dropkick. Aries climbs up and takes aim, but wait! Out comes Beer City Bruiser, but with Kenny King in pursuit!

The two pals of the two Milwaukee men brawl it out on the outside, but that gives Silas the opening to knock Aries off the top! Aries goes down, and Silas wakes the referee up. Kenny King has finished with Bruiser, but Silas wants to use his belt! Kenny sees that and snatches that belt away. Silas screwed Kenny out of the ROH WTVC before, he’s not letting Silas do it to his friend. Kenny swings on Silas and clobbers him with the gold!

Aries stands up, and Kenny is all fired up. Cover, Aries wins!!

Winner: Aries, by pinfall; NEW ROH WTV Champion

The Belt Collector is victorious, and the Last Real Man is beside himself. Fans chant “You Deserve It!” but wait, a second referee comes out and talks it over with the primary ref. They then talk to the ring announcer, and it seems a change has been made… “Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.” Because senior referee Todd Sinclair is using his authority as backstage monitor, Austin Aries has been disqualified via interference from Kenny King. Therefore, the decision is reversed, and the real winner, and STILL ROH World TV Champion: Silas Young!

New Result: Silas Young wins, by disqualification; still ROH WTV Champion

If you’re Austin Aries, this is a travesty. But if you’re Silas Young, this is a triumph of justice. Either way, a rare instance when the head referee changes the decision on the field.

Aries and Kenny argue with Todd Sinclair, but Sinclair says Silas retains. Aries doesn’t accept that, so he kicks Sinclair in the balls! Kenny tries to stop Aries but now Aries is choking Sinclair! The Greatest Man That Ever Lived is furious, but taking it out on an official won’t help his chances of staying in ROH. Kenny tries to talk reason into Aries, but fans tell Sinclair “You Deserved It!” Aries still has three other belts, and Kenny reluctantly touches the Impact title to hand it back to him. The good friends high five, but then Aries kicks KENNY in the balls!! Aries is NOT okay with Kenny costing him the title, and he gives Kenny the Greatest Brainbuster! The Greatest Man is not so great, as he puts Kenny in Last Chancery!

Aries leaves his “friend” out cold in the ring, and has fury in his eyes. Will Aries ever return to ROH? Will he pay for betraying the K I N G, who was only trying to help? And what about Jay Lethal’s big announcement!?

My Thoughts:

A solid night for ROH from start to finish. The divide between Bullet Club is growing as Marty Scurll is already questioning the abilities of the “new leader”. He toys with Cody already, this is going to be a fun few weeks leading into Best in the World. Win or lose, these two having a feud all their own will also be great. Karen Q VS Tenille was a great match for WOH, and just as commentary said, this was a great showing for Karen’s return. Karen’s sudden tantrum was a nice touch to her character, and I bet this will become a recurring thing for her when she loses. Tenille moves up in the rankings, as she should, but I sense she’ll have a #1 contender’s match with the likes of Kelly Klein or Mandy Leon before challenging Sumie Sakai.

Great video package for the Hangman VS Martinez rivalry and coming grudge match. That match is going to be intense, and could easily count as a contenders match for the World TV or World Heavyweight title. Young Bucks VS Briscoes at BitW is going to be great, because I’m pretty sure Briscoes get through Roppongi 3K one way or another. Silas VS Aries was incredible, practically worthy of a PPV in itself. The story elements were great, too, and what a way for Aries to turn Heel in the ROH kayfabe. I’m pretty sure this means Aries returns for more matches, namely against Kenny King, but given the link made by Don Callis between ROH and Impact, we could be seeing even more crossover matches between those promotions. The only downside is that I might have to start watching Impact… Or at least start following Ja’ Von’s Impact coverage.

My Score: 8.5/10