ROH WRESTLING TELEVISION, Episode 353

Best in the World is fast approaching, but the stars of ROH are ready! #DemBoyz Jack & Mark Briscoe team up with Punishment Martinez to take on the #HungBucks ahead of their separate grudge matches. Will the Superkick Party start early? Or will Martinez & The Briscoes keep the Bullet Club from making it to BitW?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Jay Lethal VS Chuckie T; Lethal wins.
• Six Man Tag: Punishment Martinez & The Briscoes VS The Bullet Club; The Bullet Club wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

The ROH World Champion, Dalton Castle is here!

The Peacock and his Boys walk down to the ring, still holding onto the gold this close to his Triple Threat title defense against The American Nightmare and the Villain. The Hammerstein Ballroom is thunderous for him, and he likes it. Because this was the site where he became ROH World Champion. “Ever since that day”, Castle has done everything possible to continue to call himself champion. Castle says that June 29th, he’s pushing himself to the limit, with the title on the line against two members of Bullet Club. Why two at once? “Why the Hell not?” Castle lets us know that he’s a damn good wrestler, so he’s not afraid to go against two guys hungry for his title.

The odds are against him, sure, but he’s gonna tell us what will happen at Best in the World. He pulls out a pretzel as a metaphor. Okay he doesn’t know what metaphors are, but he knows he’s ROH WHC and not by accident. Castle fights whoever is put in front of him and to keep what is his. The title is his, so put Cody and Scurll in the ring, or even a “god damn werewolf and Frankenstein”, Castle will still drop them all on their head until they never get up again! Castle’s the best in the world, so in Baltimore, Cody and Marty will regret questioning that. Castle loves the fans, loves doing this, and vows to be champion for a long, long time! He raises the belt now, but will he be raising it after Best in the World?

ROH reviews Jay Lethal’s quest for redemption.

“Without Ring of Honor gold around my waist, I’ll be the first to admit it. I am lost.” The Franchise Player wants to climb back up to the top, and to the ROH World Championship. And in order to do that, he needs to win more. Lethal vows to show ROH management that he can do more than just win, he’ll win against wrestlers who defeated him in the past. Since making this vow, Lethal has defeated Mark Briscoe, Matt Taven, Punishment Martinez and soon looks to do the same to Kushida. “I am lost right now, but that is going to change, soon.” Can Lethal make up for all his defeats, and find his way to the title?

Jay Lethal VS Chuckie T!

Lethal had a match with The Kentucky Gentleman as well as the Switchblade, Jay White, back at War of the Worlds in May. In the end, Chuckie T would win against both Jays, putting him on Lethal’s hit list for loss redemption. Can Lethal get that loss back? Or will Chuckie T suddenly go up 2-0 on the former world champion?

The two uphold the Code of Honor with a handshake, and we begin with the bell. Chuckie and Lethal circle while fans duel already. They tie up, Lethal spins into the wristlock then brings Chuckie to the mat. Chuckie stands but Lethal wrenches his arm again. Chuckie rolls and reverses the hold, but Lethal gives it back. Lethal keeps wrist control but Chuckie brings him down to a knee. Chuckie trots around Lethal to put the wristlock onto him. He shifts to a hammerlock but Lethal snapmares out, only for Chuckie to use another hammerlock as an escape. Chuckie backs off and fans applaud that sportsmanship.

The two circle again, tie up, and Chuckie gets a headlock. Lethal powers out as fans duel again. Chuckie runs Lethal over, then runs, but things speed up. Lethal tries to hip toss but Chuckie blocks to hip toss Lethal, only for Lethal to reverse that and Chuckie to reverse that. They end up by the ropes and Lethal tumbles out. Lethal comes back and chops Chuckie! Lethal whips him corner to corner but Chuckie reverses. Chuckie runs into a back elbow, then Lethal hops up, but his crossbody misses as Chuckie walks out of the way. Chuckie brings Lethal up for a shoulder breaker, then a standing Octopus stretch!

Fans rally while Lethal fights out. Chuckie sunset flips but then slips out as Lethal tries to counter. Lethal runs in but into a back elbow. Chuckie climbs and back-flips, but Lethal walks out of the way. However, Chuckie lands on his feet. And he dropkicks Lethal down! Chuckie embraces the applause before going for the cover. TWO, and we go to break.

ROH returns and Chuckie pulls Lethal’s arm against the ropes. He backs off at the ref’s count of 4, then whips Lethal. Lethal reverses and hip tosses to then cartwheel and dropkick. Chuckie bails out of the ring, but Lethal takes aim, builds speed and DIVES! Direct hit with the tope suicida. Fans want “One More Time!” so Lethal goes in, runs and DIVES! There’s the second! The fans want the hat trick, so who is Lethal to complain? Lethal runs and DIVES! There it is! Lethal high-fives the fans while Chuckie slumps off the barrier. Lethal puts Chuckie in the ring, then covers, TWO! But Lethal doesn’t get frustrated, he brings Chuckie up for a pendulum backbreaker! Cover, TWO!

Lethal stays on Chuckie with a buckle bump and a swift chop. He whips Chuckie but Chuckie reverses into Sole Food! Chuckie then drops the elbow and barks at the camera. Chuckie brings Lethal up for a back suplex but Lethal fights out. Lethal tries a back suplex but Chuckie fights out. Chuckie tries again but Lethal fights out. Lethal tries again but Chuckie lands on his feet. Chuckie tries again but Lethal lands on his feet. Lethal tries again but Chuckie lands on his feet. Chuckie staggers back into the corner then boots Lethal away. Chuckie runs but double clotheslines take both men down. Fans applaud while the referee starts a 10 count.

Both men stir while fans duel. Chuckie sits up, but Lethal does, too. Chuckie jabs away, then gives a strong haymaker. Lethal puts Chuckie on the apron and hits back. Lethal triangle jumps but misses as Chuckie ducks. Chuckie prepares for the most dangerous move, but Lethal gets out of the ring. Chuckie slingshots back out but Lethal dodges again, to drop Chuckie with a cutter! Both men are down from hitting the floor but the fans love it. A 20 count begins, and Lethal stands up at 7. Lethal gets in at 8, but Chuckie barely stirs by the time the ref reaches 15. Chuckie stands but staggers, to beat the count at 19! Lethal drags Chuckie over, “WOO~!”, but Chuckie inside cradles, TWO. SUPERKICK, cover, TWO!

Lethal grows frustrated, but fans are still dueling. Lethal stands, drags Chuckie over, and calls for the top rope. But Chuckie grabs Lethal’s foot. Lethal stomps Chuckie out for it, making sure Chuckie stays down. Lethal then goes to the corner, and takes his time climbing up. But Chuckie stands to get under Lethal. Chuckie runs back at Lethal, but ends up in a Lethal Combination, yet rolls Lethal up! TWO, and Lethal boots to then enziguri! Chuckie staggers to a corner, and Lethal runs in, but into a big knee! Chuckie drags Lethal up, snap piledriver! Cover, TWO! Now Chuckie grows frustrated. Fans rally up for him as he brings off the elbow pads. Chuckie drags Lethal up, lifts, but Lethal slips out. Handspring, Lethal Injection!! Cover, Lethal wins!

Winner: Jay Lethal, by pinfall

Check off Chuckie T, as Lethal has avenged his loss to the Kentucky Gentleman. But his journey back to the top is far from over. Best in the World, Lethal and Kushida face off for the tiebreaker! Will Lethal complete his mission of redemption? Or will the Time Splitter stall him out a little longer?

Best in the World now has a generational grudge match on deck!

Bully Ray lived up to his name when he started picking on the younger wrestlers for simply being younger, and that included the high-flying Flip Gordon. However, upon learning Flip Gordon is an actual active-duty combat engineer under the National Guard, Bully changed his tune. He wanted to show Flip that the hatchet was buried and the heat was off, and that he respected the younger man. Or so he claimed, because he would then kick Flip between the legs! Bully Ray may not care what his reputation with the fans is anymore, but will he regret every picking on this explosive young star?

Best in the World has another major match announced!

The K I N G set aside his own desire for the ROH World Television Championship in the hopes of helping his friend and the Greatest Man That Ever Lived could add it to his collection. They were great friends, but after a mistake turned Austin Aries against him, Kenny King vows to prove the Greatest Man has an equal.

Flip Gordon speaks on his match.

Bully Ray may have a problem with him, but at Best in the World, Flip vows to be the “Young Boy” that kicks the old man’s ass!

Hangman Page speaks on his own grudge match.

The Problem Solver swears that their Baltimore Street Fight will be where he finishes what the Purple Mist started!

Jay Lethal has last words for his match with Kushida.

The time has come for Lethal to get his tiebreaker and get his win back as he shows the world he IS the Best in the World!

The Briscoes speak on their ROH World Tag Team Championship match.

“The Young Bucks? Young Bucks my ass!” #DemBoyz have had it up to here with the Young Bucks! They’re the Briscoes, the greatest tag team of this generation. At Best in the World, Jay & Mark prove it.

The ROH World Championship Triple Threat participants speak.

“What an evening we are in for!” Castle will toss bodies left and right with plenty to go around against the “two squishy faced fellas” coming for his ROH World Championship. But Cody feels that on the anniversary of when he became ROH WHC, it’ll be a repeat of success. As for his good friend Marty Scurll, well he’ll have no choice but to let him. Hover, Scurll says that at BitW, the best Villain in the world defeats Cody and Castle to finally become ROH WHC. There is no lack of confidence here, but who will find themselves lacking that coveted world title?

Six Man Tag: Punishment Martinez & The Briscoes VS The Bullet Club!

An unlikely alliance comes from having mutual enemies, as Jay & Mark join the Reincarnation of the Purple Mist against the former ROH World Six Man Tag Champions, the #HungBucks! Martinez and Hangman are going to have a truly brutal Baltimore Street Fight to settle their grudge, while #DemBoyz will defend their ROH World (Two Man) Tag Team Championships against another highly decorated tag team. Which side will gain the last bit of momentum before Best in the World?

ROH returns as Nick Jackson and Mark Briscoe start with the bell. Fans are strongly behind “The! Elite! The the Elite!” but Jay shouts at them to shut up. Jay gives Mark advice on what to do, and Mark ties up with Nick. Mark gets the waistlock and powers Nick into a corner. He grinds a forearm, then backs off. Nick dodges the chop to give a chop, then whips Mark corner to corner. Mark goes up and over, rolls but into another chop. Nick goes “lucha libre~” and arm-drags Mark, then dropkicks him down. Jay is pissed off and throws a chair into the ring! That doesn’t distract Nick long as he counters Mark with a back kick. Nick rocks Mark with a right then whips, but Mark reverses. Nick dodges but Jay dumps him out with a low rope. But then Matt comes in to FLY on Jay!

Matt says that was for his brother, but then he and Mark brawl for both their brothers. Hangman and Martinez decide to sub in and they brawl in the ring! Martinez knees low, then ear claps before he tosses Hangman out. Nick returns to the ring with a springboard, but Martinez catches him with one hand. Matt saves Nick from going South of Heaven, then they both dropkick Martinez out. The Briscoes return but run into kicks, and then the alley-oop dropkick. Both Briscoes go back out, and the Terminator drums begin.

The Bucks coordinate, and Nick runs for Matt to put him on the apron, Penalty Kick for Jay! Hangman runs in for Matt to put him on the apron, to Shooting Star Press Mark down! Martinez climbs back up, but Matt handsprings and headscissors for Nick’s dropkick! Fans are all fired up and so are the Bucks. The Briscoes regroup but get double slingshot plancha! Hangman goes up and fans rally, but Martinez tosses him down! Hangman hits apron on his way to the ground. The Briscoes then shove the Bucks into barriers, then hold them in place for Martinez. Martinez climbs up, for a falling senton!

Martinez wipes the Bucks out, and it seems he and the Briscoes have come to an understanding of aggression. Mark tosses the chair back into the ring while Jay and Martinez keep the Bucks down. Mark drags Matt up, to run him all the way into barriers! Martinez drags a table out while Mark then back suplexes Matt on the apron and Jay hits Nick for good measure. They set the table up, then set Matt on it. Mark keeps on Nick, then lifts him up for a crucifix bomb. Nick senses what’s coming and manages to fight out. But he finds himself 2v1 against The Briscoes. They double whip Nick, but Nick boots Jay and dodges Mark to then rally on both with those swift kicks.

Nick gives Jay a shining wizard, but Martinez distracts the ref, so that the ref doesn’t see Mark toss the chair into Nick’s face! Martinez grins while Mark goes up. Mark leaps and drops an elbow through Matt and the table! Matt is left wrecked in the wood but the fans are thunderous while we go to break.

ROH returns and Martinez has Nick in a chinlock in the ring. He also drives a knee in, but fans rally for Nick. Nick fights out but Martinez knees low. Martinez whips but Nick reverses into a back elbow. Nick runs at the Briscoes and trips Jay off the apron. Nick ducks Mark, then roundhouses him down! He hurries back into the ring but Martinez is waiting to intercept his leap for the Bullet Club corner. Martinez pushes Nick back then gives him an uppercut. Martinez rocks Matt for good measure, then just taunts Hangman. He goes after Nick with a corner to corner whip, but Nick uses that to springboard and FLY onto #DemBoyz! Nick hurries back in, ducks Martinez to hot tag Hangman!

Hangman fires off haymakers and chops on Martinez! He whips but Martinez reverses. Hangman grabs ropes then dumps Martinez out to the apron. He knocks Martinez down, but Mark returns. Hangman lifts Mark in a fireman’s carry, but then kicks Jay. Hangman dumps Mark down to dropsault off of Jay! Fans fire up, but Martinez returns. Hangman swings around to try a piledriver, but Martinez slips out to swing. Hangman ducks that and runs, to then kick away the back drop. But Martinez just stands straight up! Martinez roars, so Hangman spits on him. Hangman clotheslines Martinez out, then climbs up top. Fans rally while The Briscoes come over. They and Martinez are grouped together and Hangman SUPER MOONSAULTS!

Direct hit, and the fans are thunderous! “Too Sweet! Woop Woop!” echoes out as Hangman puts Martinez in the ring. Fans rally as the Hung Bucks coordinate for the double kick and clothesline in the corner! They keep going, as Nick and Matt frog splash and standing moonsault, then Hangman adds a standing Shooting Star! Cover, but the Briscoes break it up. Mark throws Hangman out, then both brothers throw both Bucks to the apron. The Bucks shoulder back, then double slingshot sunset flip, into double Cease Sharpshooters! “The! Elite! The the Elite!” echoes out while both Briscoes endure. But Martinez stands up and grabs each Buck in one hand. The Bucks break free, Hangman hits Buck Shot! Hangman and Matt drape Martinez out for Nick’s 450 splash! Cover, TWO!!

The Bullet Club rallies the fans up again as Hangman drags Martinez up. He prepares the Rite, but Martinez fights out. Martinez swings but misses, as does Hangman, until they double clothesline each other down! Both men crawl for their corners, but we need one last break!

ROH returns once more, and only now do Martinez and Hangman hot tag Jay and Matt! Matt and Jay brawl with haymakers back and forth. Jay rakes and bites Matt, then turns him, but Matt escapes the neckbreaker to SUPERKICK! Matt runs, but into a sudden Death Valley Driver! Cover, but Nick breaks it. Mark throws Nick out then keeps Hangman down. He and Jay coordinate, electric chair and… No! Matt lands out of Doomsday on his feet! SUPERKICK! But then Jay SUPERKICKS, too! Hangman slingshots in, but Jay dodges to waistlock and shove Hangman into a corner. Hangman gives a back elbow, then hops up, but Jay clubs him in the back. Jay gets Hangman on his shoulders, and Martinez climbs up, for a heel kick Doomsday!

But Matt returns, and takes aim at Jay. Mark comes in, but Matt still SPEARS Jay! Matt throws hands on Mark, then whips. Mark uses that to wreck Nick with a dropkick. Mark hits Matt, then hits an apron blockbuster on Nick! Matt goes to kick Martinez, but Matinez blocks for the Psycho Driver, and curb stomp! Jay covers, TWO!! Jay cannot believe Matt survived, but fans hope they all “Fight Forever!” The teams all start to regroup, and while Jay scoop slams Matt, Hangman distracts the ref. This allows Nick to throw that chair at Mark’s face! Turnabout is fair play, after all.

Mark teeters on the top while Jay kicks Nick down. Jay argues with the ref, but that’s wasting time. SUPERKICK from Matt to Jay! Matt aims at Martinez, but Martinez still blocks. Martinez spins Matt around, but Matt ducks the roundhouse. Hangman joins in for a double SUPERKICK on Martinez! Nick sees Mark sitting up on the top rope, SUPERKICK! Jay comes back and throws forearms on all three #HungBucks. He doesn’t slow down, but then he runs into TRIPLE SUPERKICKS! Hangman slingshots out to hit Martinez, and the Bucks coordinate. Matt scoops Jay while Nick springboards, but Mark catches him with a SUPER CUTTER!

Jay then gets Matt, Jay Driller! Cover, but Hangman breaks it!! The match continues and fans are thunderous. Martinez drags Hangman out to put him into barriers while fans chant “Fight Forever! Woop Woop!” Matt and Jay stir while Martinez keeps on Hangman. Jay gets Matt up and coordinates with Mark, but Nick disrupts Doomsday. Mark punches away on Nick, so Jay turns to Martinez. But Hangman powerbombs Martinez through the timekeeper’s table! Mark gets back up, but Matt victory rolls through the electric chair, and Nick blocks Mark! The #HungBucks WIN!

Winners: The Bullet Club’s Hung Bucks, Matt Jackson pinning

That win was by the seat of their pants, but the Bullet Club doesn’t get to celebrate long as Mark immediately starts stomping on Matt and Nick. Jay joins in, and they even go after Hangman. Fans boo and jeer, but here comes Cody! The American Nightmare is armed with a chair and he runs #DemBoyz off. The Briscoes may not like it, but they lost. Will they get better payback on the Bucks at Best in the World? Or will the Superkick Party bring them a fourth ROH World Tag Team Championship reign?

My Thoughts:

This was a decent go-home show with the most insane main event for a go-home to have. Dalton Castle has a good opening promo to state his case for keeping the world championship. But it makes his later smaller promo seem needless, even if it seems to be ROH go-home tradition. Maybe instead, the opener would’ve been better served with one last showing of Scurll and Cody not getting along going into the Triple Threat. The Jay Lethal review package also seemed unnecessary when he was going to have a match with Chuckie T and make his point in his later short promo. I’m pretty sure Lethal wins against Kushida to keep his story going for the summer.

The review package for Flip and Bully was better since it helps establish the match is happening. I just wish Flip’s short promo was longer and put at this point for the sake of consistency. ROH is editing these episodes together for themselves, why can’t they just edit it together to go that way? But the main event was the best part of this entire episode, it could’ve just been the entire 50 minute episode and no one would complain. The Bullet Club is still super popular, The Briscoes are amazing in this Heel run of theirs, and Martinez is of course ROH’s number one monster. Martinez-Hangman could go either way, but I’m betting on the Bucks becoming simultaneous ROH World, IWGP Heavyweight AND NEVER Openweight Six Man champions after 6/29/18.

My Score: 8.5/10