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Cook’s ROH TV Review 10.12.20

October 12, 2020 | Posted by Steve Cook
ROH Image Credit: ROH
7.5
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Cook’s ROH TV Review 10.12.20  

Hello friends! I know this thing usually comes a couple of days earlier, but I’ve been fighting off some eye problems for the past few months and it seems like I’m finally kicking them after some very serious issues the past few days. The ROH Pure Tournament has kicked into the second round, and I need to be here to chronicle it. SO LET’S HOOK EM UP!

Cook’s ROH TV Review 10.12.20

– Not gonna lie, this Pure Tournament voiceover guy tries to sound like the TNA voiceover guy (RIP), but he doesn’t quite get there.

– Quinn McKay welcomes us to the ROH Pure Tournament semi-finals. She throws us to some post-match comments from Tracy Williams. Tracy is hyped up. He sustains himself on competition. He puts over Rust Taylor, who put him to his limit. Tracy breaking kayfabe by mentioning his match will take place “tomorrow night”, and talks about Fred Yehi. Quinn talks about Block B, throwing it to postmatch comments from PJ Black. PJ talks about how you should bet on black. He will remember Tony Deppen going forward. The semi-finals will start after this short break.

– Jay Lethal video package starting with his match with Dalton Castle in the first round. He’s never faced David Finlay in a singles matchup, so he’s looking forward to it. We kick into Finlay finishing off Rocky Romero. Finlay notes Lethal’s status as the face of ROH, and is ready to face him.

Second Round Match: Jay Lethal vs. David Finlay: Lethal is 15-2 in Baltimore. Threw more strikes than anybody in Round 1. Finlay is 2-0 against Jay Lethal! Could be a problem for Jay. Pretty much a wash on the tale of the tape except for a slight height advantage for Finlay. Wristlocks exchanged. Lethal into a cross-armbreaker, Finlay tries to work out, and he does. Headlock reversed, Lethal with the wrist control, holds onto it into a Fujiwara position, doesn’t lock it in, Finlay into a hammerlock then headlock, shoulderblock, off the ropes, Lethal eventually gets hip tossed to the outside! Lethal can milk a count here, and he does. He gets the advantage on Finlay afterward, and Finlay tweaks his knee. Now Finlay milks that count. Gets back in the ring, Lethal gets that headlock takeover. Hip toss into a dropkick from Lethal, tweaks the foot, cover gets barely 2 and we go to mesh commercials. During the commercial, Finlay countered the Lethal Injection into a backbreaker. Finlay kicks out of the Figure 4 attempt, but gets hit by the Lethal Combination. Lax cover gets two. Gorilla Monsoon would have eaten that alive. Slam by Lethal, Jay goes up top…that doesn’t work, spear by Finlay gets 2, and Finaly locks in the Indian Deathlock! Finlay could win, or Lethal could use a rope break since he’s right there. Now he uses it. Some exchanges, Lethal goes for that elbow drop, gets two, back up and now there’s the Lethal Injection!

Winner: Jay Lethal (14:58 via pin)
Star Rating: ***1/4

– Arguably the ROH GOAT moves onto the next round after a tough fight from a man with the best gene pool for wrestling…the Finlay gene pool! Lethal promises he will be the first 2-time Pure Champion.

– Vincent The Horror King asked for this time to address the ROH fans. There’s a lot of talk about change going on. A lot of delusional visions going on. He doesn’t need to change. At one time, he stood in the shadows. Now he stands as the face of Ring of Horror. If you want to be successful, you need to have friends. If you want to be very successful you need to make enemies. Dig what I’m saying?

– Matt Taven emerges! He attacks Vincent! He’s all jacked up and looking for revenge, he’s pulling the mat off of the ring! Just the tip! That wood is exposed! Vincent made him do this! Front face DDT on the wood! Now Taven’s pulling out a table! He puts Vincent on the table…going up top…splash through the table & Vincent! I’m just glad Mary-Kate can stop wondering where Matt Taven is!

– EC3 promo telling us to control our narrative. We have been warned!

– Video package starts with Jonathan Gresham dealing with Wheeler Yuta. Then we go to Delirious vs. Matt Sydal, who I meant to include in my Fave 5 but forgot. Such a great man. Am I ready for this? Yes I am!

Second Round Match: Jonathan “The Octopus” Gresham vs. Matt Sydal: Gresham did wear that tag team title belt out for this match, so he obviously heard the folks complaining earlier on. Sydal did have the quickest win in the first round, and has that third eye. Shaking of the hands. HERE. WE. GO! Gresham works into a headscissors, then Sydal works the ankle! Gresham grabs the head, into a side headlock, Sydal with a wristlock, Gresham goes back to the foot of Sydal, Working an anklelock into an achliles lock, twists around, Gresham gets kicked out of that. Now Sydal working the ankle of Gresham! Gresham does have his mouthguard in for this match, which means business I assume. Gresham now trying to work submissions on Sydal. Gresham going for that Tequila Sunrise into a pin, gets 2. Rana by Sydal, head scissors, arm drag into a submission! Gresham gets the advantage, Sydal works out of it, back to the armbar. Gresham firing back, Reversals, back elbow sends Sydal down. We back from commercial. Chops from Sydal. Slam down from Sydal gets two. Sydal with the Cobra Clutch, shades of Delirious, but Gresham fights out. Dragon screw on Gresham and Sydal working that knee for two, backslide by Gresham for two. Gresham struggling here, and Sydal trying to take advantage. Gresham keeps fighting that Cobra clutch, leads to a series of roll throughs for covers. Sydal kicked the man’s head off, but Gresham still has that second wind. Surfboard? There it is! Sydal slips out right into an arm submission, and taps right away!

Winner: Jonathan Gresham (6:23 via submission)
Star Rating: ***

– Gresham is a technical wrestling master. Sydal is a good man and will go on to great things wherever he ends up. Happy wrestling!

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
I was talking with my good friend Greg DeMarco about these past few episodes, and one of my few gripes was that there wasn't enough variety. Way too many matches felt samey, and the promos did as well. This episode did a good job with two different matches and the return of Matt Taven to kick Vincent's ass, which we needed to remind us that there are other people on the roster. Fine show here.
legend

article topics :

ROH, Steve Cook