wrestling / TV Reports
Cook’s ROH TV Review 1.22.21
Image Credit: ROH
Loading...Hey kids! This week’s ROH show features some fun six-man action in the main event, as the Foundation takes on Shane Taylor Promotions. We also have an interesting Pure Rules match with Josh Woods & Dalton Castle. Sounds fun to me, let’s hook em up!
Cook’s ROH TV Review 1.22.21
– Quinn McKay welcomes us to Ring of Honor Wrestling and tells us there will be two world class matches that we don’t want to miss. The main event pits Shane Taylor Promotions against the Foundation. Mexisquad’s absence from Final Battle led to the ROH Board of Directors deciding to award the World 6-Man Championship to Shane Taylor Promotions. We see a clip from Final Battle where Taylor rejected the idea. They don’t want to be handed the Championship, they’re not a charity case. Last week, Dragon Lee & Rey Horus faced off in a match I might have underrated due to tiredness. That happens sometimes. We see the conclusion of the match, then Quinn tries to talk to Dragon Lee. Lee talks to the camera, declaring himself the winner and wondering who’s next. Brody King appears, and says it’s just the beginning for Dragon Lee & his family.
– New Pure Championship Rankings! Tracy Williams, Josh Woods, Rhett Titus, Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta make the list. Dalton Castle will be looking to beat Woods in a Pure Rules match in order to crack the rankings.
– Josh Woods talks about how it’s been one step forward & two steps back lately. He’s been overlooking his opponents lately, but he won’t make that mistake against Dalton Castle. They’re both decorated amateur wrestlers and can do many things most wrestlers can’t do. Beating another former champion will send him up the ranks. He guarantees he’ll hold ROH gold in 2021.
– Dalton Castle says he’s double booked, so he’s going to make this quick. He’s got somebody important on the phone, apparently. He feels conflicted, being pulled in all sorts of directions internally. His win-loss record hasn’t been good lately. He’s focused on other things, but that’s not an excuse. He took a gamble at Final Battle, taking a match he hadn’t prepared for, but he doesn’t regret taking the opportunity. Dalton’s a fan of Josh & has respect for his skills. He’s part-gorilla, part-neanderthal, part-cantelope. He remembers Josh coming out on top in a tag team match. Dalton isn’t garbage, he can beat him. He doesn’t know what happens after Josh Woods in the ring.
– Ian & Caprice on commentary as usual.
Pure Rules Match: Josh Woods vs. Dalton Castle: Some mediocre stats for Woods, but we’ve seen him before and know what he can do. Dalton not exactly as flamboyant as usual during his entrance, dude doesn’t even have a jacket this week. Tale of the Tape is pretty much even. Handshake and here we go! Woods with the early advantage, Castle ducks outside, gets back in and into a wristlock by Woods. Up & over in the corner, Hip toss reversed into a backslide for one. Arm drag exchange, Woods turns it into the armbar. Ian plugging a match for next week that aired the week before. Big back elbow by Castle doesn’t swing the momentum, but Woods tossing Castle chest first into the top rope does. Targets the core in the corner with some shoulderblocks, then whips him front first into the turnbuckle. Woods keeps targeting the body, making it tough for Castle to breathe. Woods locks Castle in a submission in the ropes, tries to make the argument that it’s a rope break but the referee doesn’t buy it. Castle fights back with a single leg takedown, but gets T-boned by Woods for two. Castle finally does use a rope break on an abdominal stretch, but beals Woods over the top rope & to the floor as we go to commercial.
During the break, Castle took control and forced Woods to use a rope break. Woods recovers on the floor and the referee checks on him. We up over the ten minute mark, and Castle has the upper hand…well, until Woods backdrops him over the top. Castle drives Woods back-first into the barricade. Woods goes shoulder-first into the ringpost, then eats a suplex on the floor. Knee to Woods’ head gets two back in the ring. Suplex attempt by Castle leads into a gourdbuster from Woods. Woods targets Castle’s back, hits a bridging German suplex for two. Deadlift into a gutwrench suplex by Woods, Castle answers with a german of his own. Woods sends Castle down with a kick, exchange of blows as we hit the one minute mark. Castle’s closed fist goes undetected by the ref, but Woods fights back anyway with a shot to the ribs. Bangarang by Castle, but Woods reverses it into a cloverleaf with a bodyscissors! Castle taps out to the Woods Lock.
Winner: Josh Woods (14:27 via submission)
Match Rating: ***
– I wouldn’t have wanted to be a judge for that one. Pretty even. The men shake hands afterwards & respect is shown.
– Quinn asks Josh Woods why he looks disappointed. There was too much brawling & fighting for his liking. He wants to establish himself as one of the top wrestlers in the company.
– Tracy Williams tells us how the Foundation is here to restore honor. They saw what Shane Taylor Promotions did, turning down the 6-Man Tag Team Championship. It was an honorable gesture. But a gesture that is empty without actions. He met S.O.S. when they jumped him from behind, so they need to prove themselves. They can prove they have honor in this match.
– Shane Taylor talks about how a house with a crooked foundation falls. Lethal & Titus have been with ROH over ten years, if they wanted to make change they would have done it by now. Gresham & Williams want conformity, and to gentrify ROH for only the people and styles they deem worthy. The Foundation wishes they were Shane Taylor Promotions, and could lead the way they lead. They do appreciate the opportunity to kick the Foundation’s asses.
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses & Kaun) vs. The Foundation (Jonathan Gresham, Jay Lethal & Tracy Williams): Code of Honor adhered to by all parties. Lethal & Kaun start off. Lethal goes for a single leg, gets tossed away by Kaun. Gonna need a little more than that. DANHAUSEN NEXT WEEKHAUSEN! Kaun starting to frustrate Lethal here, especially when he knocks Lethal out of the ring with an elbow. Gresham & Williams aren’t happy with it. Williams tags in, as does Shane Taylor. Williams tries a sleeper, but Taylor drives him into the corner. Williams with the armbar in the corner, tries to target the arm but gets driven down by a forearm. At least that’s what Taylor says it was. Moses & Gresham tag in. Bit of a size difference here. Moses uses that size difference early on, though Gresham is as speedy as usual. Headscissors by Moses then a shoulderblock. Lethal tags in, before he goes in the Foundation has a discussion on the outside. Lethal tells them to stick to the plan, which works well for the next minute or so against Moses. Williams gets control & works on Moses’ arm, then Gresham goes after it too. Lethal with some basement dropkicks into the arm.
Williams working that arm when we return from commercial. Moses hits a Samoan Drop and needs to make the tag. Lethal & Kaun tag in, and Kaun is a house affire. Baaack body drop. Boot sends Lethal outside, then a dive! Gutbuster by Kaun gets a two count. Lethal fights back, goes for the Lethal Injection but Kaun blocks it. Blind tag to Gresham, who hits a German on Kaun. Taylor blocked Lethal from making it a double team, so all wasn’t lost there. Kaun fights out of the corner, Gresham with the dropkick off the turnbuckle. Kaun makes the tag to Taylor, who knees Gresham’s head off and hits the Marcus Garvey Driver for two. All six men in now for the brawl. SOS left in there with Williams, who fights them both off for a second before being sent outside. Kaun misses a dive, Moses does not. Lethal with a dive onto Moses. Dive onto Taylor, Taylor rolled in the ring for a shooting star from Gresham for two. Lionsault to Taylor, dive out onto Moses, Lethal tags in and goes for the Lethal Injection on Taylor, who catches Lethal and hits the Welcome to the Land! Three count!
Winners: Shane Taylor Promotions (12:08 via pin)
Match Rating: ***3/4
– Taylor has clearly established himself as the #1 contender to the ROH World Championship. Not to mention STP’s status as top contenders for the 6-Man Championship.
– End show
