Ring of Honor Wrestling Television, Episode 371

The World Champion teams up with his new friend The Octopus, Jonathan Gresham, to take on Kushida and THE Jushin Thunder Liger in an ROH x NJPW crossover!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Hangman Page VS Scorpio Sky; Page wins.
• Eli Isom VS Shane Taylor; Taylor wins.
• Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham VS Kushida & Jushin Thunder Liger; Lethal & Gresham win.

PLAY BY PLAY

Hangman Page VS Scorpio Sky!

The Bullet Club’s Problem Solver and SoCal Uncensored’s Closer both want to climb towards a title opportunity, but only one can win tonight. Who will make a good impression and possibly contend for Jeff Cobb’s ROH World Television Championship?

The Code of Honor is upheld with the handshake, and we begin. They circle and tie up, and Hangman gets a wristlock. Scorpio uses the ropes to flip through and wrench back. Hangman rolls, pries free and gets a hammerlock. He spins Scorpio for a snapmare but Scorpio gets up to wrench Hangman’s arm. Scorpio gets a headlock, but Hangman powers out. They collide shoulders but neither man falls. Hangman dares Scorpio to do that again, but then he follows Scorpio to run him over. Scorpio kips up, then ducks Hangman’s clothesline to get a waistlock. Hangman bucks him off but Scorpio jumps over him. Scorpio rolls and Hangman kips up, Hangman boots Scorpio down! Fans applaud Hangman and he soaks it in.

Hangman whips Scorpio into a corner, then stomps a mudhole into him. He backs off at the ref’s count, but comes back to bring Scorpio out. Hangman suplexes but Scorpio slips out and shoves to follow. Hangman dodges Scorpio to then clothesline Scorpio out! Scorpio is down as fans applaud. Hangman goes out to fetch him, and whips him at barriers. Hangman brings Scorpio up to whip him into more barriers. He brings Scorpio up in a fireman’s carry, for a running toss at the post! Scorpio is down and Hangman has control while we go to break.

ROH returns as Hangman is on the top rope, but Scorpio gets him with a leaping SUPER Steiner! Fans chant “SCU!” for Scorpio as he covers, TWO! Scorpio stomps on Hangman to the ropes, then drags him out on the apron. Scorpio grinds his boot into Hangman, before giving a guillotine leg drop! He drags Hangman to a cover, TWO! Scorpio keeps his cool as he drags Hangman up for a big backbreaker. Cover, TWO! Scorpio stays on Hangman with a chinlock, trapping an arm in a hammerlock. Fans rally and Hangman fights his way up and out. Hangman gives a haymaker, Scorpio returns it. They go back and forth, and even hit each other at the same time. Scorpio whips Hangman but Hangman comes right back out with a big clothesline! Both men are down but fans applaud.

Hangman gets himself up first as fans rally. Scorpio follows but gets a chop and forearm. Hangman whips but Scorpio reverses. Scorpio follows but Hangman dodges and catches Scorpio’s crossbody, to give him a Fall Away Slam! Hangman fires up while Scorpio gets to a corner. Hangman runs corner to corner for a big dropkick, then a German Suplex! Bridge cover, TWO! Hangman keeps his cool as he drags Scorpio up in a pumphandle. Fall Away bridge! TWO! Hangman catches his breath while keeping calm. He drags Scorpio up but Scorpio grabs ropes. Hangman grabs the arms but Scorpio elbows him away.

Scorpio grabs Hangman with a fisherman and lifts, but Hangman counters with a cradle! TWO, and Scorpio dumdum stomps Hangman quick! Hangman ends up at the ropes, Scorpio slingshots out then in for a cutter! Cover, TWO! But Scorpio doesn’t stop, he hits the Fisherman Buster! Cover, TWO!! Hangman survives and Scorpio cannot believe it. Hangman rolls to the apron for safety. Scorpio walks into Hangman’s boot, and Hangman slingshots. Scorpio avoids Buck Shot to give Hangman a German Suplex! Cover, TWO! Hangman hits a roaring elbow, but Scorpio gives back a knee. Hangman comes back with a clothesline! Fans fire up with Hangman as he hauls Scorpio up, Rite of Passage! Cover, Hangman wins!

Winner: Hangman Page, by pinfall

Bullet Club tops SCU as the Hangman takes care of business. How long will it take for the Problem Solver to get his first piece of singles gold?

The Kingdom speaks.

“No more, this is over.” The Kingdom Conspiracy is going to be turned upside down. No longer will there be a “Melvin with green hands holding fool’s gold” in ROH, because you have a real world champion. ROH has a champion who will defend the belt against anyone worthy of it. Why? “Because IIIII’M Matt Taven! And this is my Kingdom.” The conspiracy is dead, but will the would-be king lose his throne before he even has it?

Hangman Page talks to cameras backstage.

Did everyone see that? Hangman beat Scorpio Sky, and dominantly. Hangman is one of the best Heavyweights in the world. He impressed in the G1 and he impresses in ROH, “so give me a title shot.” Hangman doesn’t mind if it’s the ROH World Six Man, World Tag Team, World Television, or maybe even… the World Heavyweight Championship. Will Hangman finally rustle himself up some gold?

Eli Isom VS Shane Taylor!

The Hangman ain’t the only man wanting at gold. With Jeff Cobb joining the ROH locker room, everyone wants their shot. At the same time, Taylor owes Isom for the opportunistic roll-up win in that Fatal 4 Way about a month ago. Can the Future of Honor survive the Hitman? Or will Taylor’s One Hitter Quitter be more than enough to punch his ticket to the TV title?

Isom wants to keep the Code of Honor, but Taylor just spits on the young man’s hand! The bell rings, and Taylor trash talks. They tie up, and Isom throws forearms. Taylor starts dodging but so does Isom, and Isom chops Taylor! Isom eggs Taylor on, and Taylor runs in. Isom leaps Taylor but then Taylor fakes him out on the second time. But Isom still gets Taylor with a knee strike. Isom springboards, but his huricanrana is stopped. He fights back but can’t get Taylor down. Taylor brings him back up but Isom slips out to then dropkick Taylor! Taylor staggers, Isom runs in but is put on the apron. Isom forearms and slingshots, but into a forearm!

Isom’s hung up on the ropes, and Taylor trash talks before dragging him out. Draping stunner! Isom gets to a corner but Taylor taunts him. Taylor drags Isom up for a CHOP! Isom is stinging while we go to break.

ROH returns as Taylor gives Isom big body shots. Taylor scoop slams Isom, then soaks up the heat while Isom writhes. Isom gets to his feet, and throws body shots of his own. He gets going, runs and dodges to enziguri Taylor! He keeps moving, but Taylor clobbers him! Taylor takes a moment to catch his breath and adjust his pads. He then runs and leaps for a splash! But Eli moves and the splash flops! Isom fires himself up, and hits Tayloer with forearms. Taylor stays standing so Isom keeps giving them. Isom runs again, for a shotgun dropkick, and a fireman’s carry! He hits a Samoan Drop!! Cover, TWO!! Isom was so close but still so far from another shocking upset!

Fans boo, they thought that was three. Isom keeps on Taylor with forearms, but then Taylor headbutts him down. Isom shakes the stars out, but then Taylor grabs his nose! Taylor blocks a kick to give a knee, then suplex to gutbuster, Greetings from 216! Cover, Taylor wins!

Winner: Shane Taylor, by pinfall

The 216 says hello and good-bye to the Future of Honor as Taylor gets another winner’s purse. But he’s not done with Isom yet, as he grabs a chair! Taylor throws Isom down to stomp away. Then he throws Isom down and puts the chair around his neck! But here comes CHEESEBURGER! The Burger Ranger throws hands on Taylor, then powers up. No Shotei, the One Hitter Quitter hits faster. Taylor then suplexes Burger up for another Greetings from 216! Taylor grabs the chair, but here comes Flip Gordon! Flip SPEARS Taylor, and throws hands! Flip takes the chair and jabs it in Taylor’s chest, and SMACKS him on the back! SMACK on the back! SMACK on the back!

Flip then takes a mic and asks, “Is this what you wanted, Bully?” Does Bully want Flip to get extreme? To get hardcore? Flip doesn’t care how it goes down, he will fight Bully anywhere, anytime! Bully appears with his own mic in hand. “Wow, listen to you!” Flip’s all fired up and ready to fight, swinging a chair and kicking ass. Flip and Bully both look ready for a fight, but Flip couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted. Bully says the fans will decide! What do the fans want? A No Disqualification match? A TLC Match? If fans want it, they ain’t getting it! And they sure ain’t getting it tonight. Instead, Flip gets “absolutely nothing”. Bully has no reason to fight because he’s done everything to Flip he possibly could. Flip is a bottom-feeder young boy while Bully is a wrestling god!

But they’re in Vegas, so Bully asks Flip: Is he a betting man? Flip bets he can kick Bully’s ass! Well in that case, Bully wants Flip to be in Philly, in the ECW Arena, bringing his best guy while Bully brings his. Those guys will get in the ring to fight, and the stipulation will be that if Flip’s guy wins, he can do whatever he wants to Bully. Flip could even fire Bully if he wants. But if Bully’s guy wins, it’s the same, Bully can do whatever to Flip. Bully claims to see the fear in Flip’s eyes, but Flip says he’s not afraid, the challenge is accepted!

Then Bully will make this easy for him, and reveal his guy in that fight: Silas Young! The Last Real Man will be Bully’s guy, and Bully says Flip better hope his guy wins, or else it’ll be the end of him. Who will step up to help Flip against these “real” men?

The American Nightmare points something out on social media.

It has been 10 months and counting since he lost the ROH World Heavyweight Championship at Final Battle 2017. Yet he has not gotten his contractual 1v1 title rematch. Cody wants to know when and where he’ll finally get that shot, will the ROH Administrators give him that answer?

Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham VS Kushida & Jushin Thunder Liger!

Despite what The Kingdom says, The Franchise Player is the real ROH World Heavyweight Champion. But for the entertainment of Las Vegas, he teams with The Octopus to take on the Time Splitter and a living legend of wrestling! Will ROH or NJPW win this crossover main event?

Kenny King joins commentary as Vegas is his hometown. He also rubs in that he defeated Liger at Death Before Dishonor not too long ago. The K I N G has been on a roll as the #BulletClubSilencer, even though he’s been using every trick in the book to get those wins. Everyone wants a shot at Lethal, but will King have himself a shot in the near future?

The four men in this match make their entrances, and Kushida gives the fan cosplaying him the mirrored sunglasses strap! The teams sort out while we take a break.

ROH returns and we begin with Lethal and Kushida. These two are familiar foes and they feel it out as they circle. Lethal gets a waistlock but Kushida gets a standing switch. Lethal gets the wristlock, Kushida gets it back. They go back and forth with the wristlock and Kushida brings Lethal to the mat. Lethal gets up and snapmares Kushida to a chinlock, but Kushida gets up quick. Kushida has the wristlock but Lethal spins through and spins back to get his own wristlock. He gets a leg takedown but Kushida counters with an armbar! Lethal resists and rolls to get Kushida’s legs, Queen Angelito stretch! Fans applaud the technical exchange as Lethal pulls back the arms. Lethal uses body scissors to roll Kushida over to a cover, TWO! Kushida gets up and the two stand off.

Liger and Gresham tag in while King tries to stir the pot, saying Gresham only hangs around Lethal to learn his strengths and weaknesses. Gresham circles with Liger as fans chant the legend on. They tie up, and Liger gets a waistlock. Gresham gets a standing switch, but Liger gets the wristlock. Gresham rolls and pries himself free, to then get a drop toehold. He floats to a facelock but Liger rolls him for a cover, ONE! Liger tries again, ONE, so Liger gets the headscissors. Gresham pops out and fans applaud this technical exchange.

Liger and Gresham circle again, and then tie up. Gresham gets to a waistlock, spins Liger around, and fakes Liger out to get a takedown. He floats right to a headlock, then forces a cover. TWO as Liger gets a shoulder up, so Gresham rolls him for a crucifix pin. ONE and Liger gets Gresham’s leg for the figure four, into a Bow ‘n’ Arrow stretch over the legs! Gresham pops out but the two stand off. Fans applaud again, Gresham tags to Lethal.

Now Lethal and Liger circle and tie up. Liger gets a headlock, Lethal powers out. Lethal and Liger collide shoulders but neither falls. Lethal plays with Liger’s horns, he doesn’t like that. Liger runs and collides shoulders, neither man falls. Lethal runs, Liger ducks but Gresham tags in. Gresham gets Liger in a German Suplex! Kushida protests but it was a fair tag. Gresham brings Liger up to club him back down. He rolls Liger over to ram knees into the side. Gresham hits Kushida for good measure, then brings Liger up. He whips Liger into the ROH corner, then tags Lethal. Lethal stomps Liger then brings him up for a backbreaker. Cover, TWO!

Lethal keeps on Liger with a grounded chinlock, then rams his knees into Liger’s ribs. He rolls Liger for a cover, ropebreak! Lethal drags Liger up and over to the corner for a buckle bump. He throws hands, then tags Gresham. Team ROH whips Liger but Liger ducks and shoves Lethal into Gresham. Lethal kicks low then runs, but into a Shotei! Liger crawls for his corner as fans rally. Hot tag to Kushida! The Time Splitter springboards for an ax handle on Gresham! He kicks away on the arm, then whips. Gresham reverses but Kushida handsprings for a back elbow. Lethal kicks low but things speed up. Lethal counters Kushida’s hip toss with a hip toss, then handsprings but misses the dropkick. Kushida handsprings and hits his own dropkick! Lethal bails out but Kushida fires up.

Gresham runs at Kushida but into a boot. Kushida runs out, sunset flip but Gresham rolls through to jackknife but Kushida sits on it but Gresham sunsets for Kushida to roll through but Gresham sits on it for Kushida to sunset flip, and it starts over! It ends with Kushida’s sunset flip, TWO!! The fans are loving this technical masterpiece while we go to break!

ROH returns once more, and Kushida has Gresham on the outside. He puts him in for Liger, who goes after the legs. Liger wants the surfboard, and he gets the arms. He pulls back and gets it! Lethal comes in, but runs into an armbar takedown! Double submissions, but Gresham pops out while Lethal gets to ropes. Team ROH is free, but Liger goes after Gresham’s legs. He ties Gresham up in a modified deathlock, hooks the head and has a double wristlock! Gresham endures this chimera lock of sorts, and goes after Liger’s leg. Liger lets Gersham go to tag in Kushida. Kushida wrenches Gresham’s arm into a hammerlock, then hops on for a takedown, into his own form of that chimera. Gresham gets a ropebreak with his foot, so Kushida lets him go.

Kushida keeps Gresham away from Lethal, and gives him a chop. Gresham gets up and blocks the next chop, to give a chop! Kushida kicks Gresham in the arm, and Liger comes in. Team NJPW whip Gresham, but Gresham reverses to whip Liger. Liger holds ropes, Gresham elbows Kushida away, then Gresham jumps over Liger’s tackle, Liger gets Kushida! Gresham dropkicks Liger down, hot tag to Lethal! Lethal runs in to hit Kushida with a corner clothesline. Lethal whips Kushida corner to corner but runs into a boot. Kushida runs out but into a back drop! Lethal handsprings to hit the dropkick! Lethal fires up, then gets Kushida in a Lethal Combination! Cover, TWO! Lethal calls for it, chops Kushida, but Kushida kicks the handspring down!

Tag to Liger, and Liger climbs up. Liger Splash, TWO! Liger drags Lethal up for a whip to a corner, then hits a rolling kick! He drags Lethal up but Gresham saves Lethal with an enziguri. Kushida kicks and whips but Gresham reverses to enziguri Kushida. Gresham builds speed but sees Kushida evade, so he changes plans to leap off the apron with a big flying knee! Lethal has Liger in the drop zone as he climbs up top. Lethal jumps, but sees Liger’s boot in time. He grabs that, for a Figure Four! But Liger cradle counters, TWO!! Lethal dodges the Shotei and gets the waistlock. Liger standing switches but Lethal bucks him off. Bicycle boot, spinning round house, Lethal Injection! Cover, Team ROH wins!

Winners: Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal, Lethal pinning

The Franchise and The Octopus work together well, and defeat two of NJPW’s best. Lethal has many eyes on his ROH World Championship, but who will be the first to step to the Franchise?

My Thoughts:

A pretty solid episode though nothing too crucial happened. Hangman VS Scorpio was a solid match, and it’s great for Hangman to win. As his post-match promo says, he’s making leaps and bounds as a star wrestler, when is he going to get a singles title? He mentioned the ROH WHC, but who wouldn’t mention such a title in a promo? Hangman is definitely a great choice for the ROH World Television Championship, but Jeff Cobb has that title and will probably have that for a long time. But it’d help Cobb’s reign look strong if he takes on guys like Hangman or Shane Taylor. Taylor VS Isom was good, and did more to build Isom’s strength despite losing than anything. Give it time, Isom really will be the Future of ROH.

Matt Taven claims to be the ROH WHC even though Lethal still is, while Cody has been waiting for another shot and Kenny King is building up points towards his own shot. Lethal VS Taven to crown an “undisputed” World Heavyweight Champion makes sense, and I could see King VS Cody to crown a #1 contender. King has been going after Bullet Club members anyway, so taking on Cody makes sense in his own story. The tag team main event was great, Lethal & Gresham make a great team and it was a lot of fun. Lethal & Gresham win because they were representing ROH, so obviously the ROH team wins. Gresham himself looks good, maybe he can circle back to the World TV title to give Cobb a challenge in technical style.

My Score: 8/10