Cook’s ROH TV Review 10.31.21: Halloween Special

Hey kids! I went down to Atlanta to work some World Series games, and while I was gone this company decided they were going to pause things. We don’t know what this means going forward, but until we figure out what it means I’ll be here watching these shows and reviewing them.Not gonna lie, it kinda feels like I’m doing the AWA Team Challenge Series gimmick, but I am here for the people to tell them what Sinclair stations couldn’t air and placed on YouTube. This particular show did not air on TV due to issues and is available on YouTube, so here we go!

Cook’s ROH TV Review 10.31.21: Halloween Special

Quinn McKay welcomes us to Ring of Honor Wrestling! She’s not hosting today since she has a match she needs to mentally prepare for, but she’s here to draw some names for the Tag Team Wildcard Trick or Treat Halloween Four Corner Survival. The first name is EC3, and his partner will be…well, we don’t know yet because production fast-forwards through the other names. Suspense! Quinn hopes ROH has found a replacement host more articulate and professional than Brian Johnson.

Delirious tells us we have three big matchups coming up: Shane Taylor Promotions defending the Six-Man Tag Team Championship against Sledge, Danhausen & PCO, the WCTOTHFCS, & Quinn McKay & Rok-C taking on Miranda Alize & Max the Impaler in a Halloween Special. It somewhat disturbs me that I understand him more with each passing year.

Ian & Caprice are joined by Maria Kanellis-Bennett. I should probably note Ian’s Twinky Winky costume. Are Teletubbies still a thing?

Rok-C talks about how Miranda Alize seems to be so confident but can’t do things by herself. Quinn busts in and is concerned about Max. She’ll cheer Rok-C on! Not gonna lie, I don’t think these two are going to gel as well as some might assume since they’re both “good”.

Halloween Special: Max the Impaler (w/Amy Rose) & Miranda Alize vs. Quinn McKay & ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C: Max knocks down the camera man on her way to the ring. Rok-C & Alize get into it during the handshake of Honor & Todd Sinclair gets between them. They’re a clubberin on each other as the bell rings. Back into the corner & Quinn tags in to restore order. So now she hits some wrestling moves for her colleagues to over-sell. Alize is no slouch though, and takes her down as we go to commercial.

During the break, Rok-C tagged back in and wrestled Miranda for a minute, but Miranda has taken complete control as we return. Rok-C works out of the bow & arrow & tags Quinn, who hits some clotheslines and a dropkick. Quinn runs into an elbow in the corner. Miranda knocks Rok-C off the apron, boots Quinn, kicks Rok-C down, goes for the tag but Quinn blocks. Sunset flip gets two for Miranda. Quinn hits a powerslam for 2. I was about to comment on the odd psychology here, but then Miranda takes a bite out of Quinn to reestablish her rudo status. Here’s the tag to Max. The announcers are confusing me with their confusion over who Miranda Alize is. They’re acting like they were fooled into believing she was a technico, while her nickname is “The Lucha Baddie”. Like, how dumb are these people? BAD IS IN HER NICKNAME. PAY ATTENTION. So here comes Max to destroy Quinn. Rok-C tries to intervene, but gets slammed down, then Quinn gets slammed on top of Rok-C. Alize tags back in, hits a GTS on Quinn but Rok-C makes the save. Alize kicks Quinn’s head off, tags Max back in, she hits both women down, lifts them up for a double backdrop suplex. Max hits the Shock Treatment on Quinn. Alize tags in, covers Quinn for 3. Well, kinda. Quinn did the Bobby Fish kick out before 3 thing. Why are people doing this now?

Winners: Max the Impaler & Miranda Alize (6:37 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **

Should have been better, but things got in the way. Alize & Rok-C stare each other down and that issue is far from over. Don’t know where it’ll be settled, but it’s far from over!

Dr. PJ Black joins Ian & Caprice for the next match. We’re told he’s an isoeric shaman.

WCTOTH4CS: DEMONIC FLAMITA & O’Shay Edwards vs. Silas Young & Rey Horus vs. World Famous CB & EC3 vs. Flip Gordon & Matt Taven: I don’t think we’ve discussed Flip’s current gimmick yet. Apparently he got knocked out at some show that wasn’t on ROH television and thinks it’s still 2018. Back when he was still on Being The Elite. I guess he’s hoping the Elite still think it’s 2018 and they should make him All Elite. I guess he has to try something, but I have the feeling Tony Khan is ok without Flip. Maybe I’m wrong. What I do know is Taven is not too thrilled about teaming with the guy.

Silas & CB start this thing off. CB with the headlock, they work through some reversals, CB climbs on Silas’s back for the ab stretch. Silas chops him down a couple of times, some near-falls. Good chemistry here. Horus tags himself in while Flamita tosses CB out, so we get the luchadores going at it. Flamita gets headscissored out of the ring eventually, so Flip goes in against Horus. Flip gets him out of the ring, so EC3 steps in. Flip shakes EC3’s hand and introduces himself. Flip flips around. EC3 smacks him down. Taven tags in to face off with EC3. EC3 gets the upperhand, Taven fights back with a dropkick that makes EC3 bail out as we go to commercial.

We back. O’Shay hit a big suplex on Taven during the break and is asserting his will. BEAR HUG! into the corner, tag to Flamita. Flamita works Taven over. Taven has extensive experience in Mexico but apparently not much with Flamita. Horus & Flamita work together on Taven. Flamita turns on Horus pretty quick. Flip tags in. Chops to Horus, some flips on Flamita. Powerbomb on Horus gets 2. Taven hits the frog splash on EC3 for 2. Flamita & O’Shay miscommunicate. EC3 clotheslines Taven down. EC3 goes at it with Flamita. CB dives onto O’Shay, gets caught, Taven jumps into them. Horus with a dive of his own. Flamita with a dive. Flip with a dive. Horus & CB in the ring. Horus hits a 450, Silas tosses him outside and gets a 3 count. I guess he was the legal man.

Winners: Silas Young & Rey Horus (11:29 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***

Mark Briscoe is dressed as Mario to join Ian & Caprice for the next match. I have a Wario costume somewhere, but am not wearing it for this review.

Teamhausen does a promo beforehand and I have a tough time believing these folks are on the same page. Shane Taylor says you can’t overlook anybody, and these boys are going to get the ass whooping that LFI should have got.

ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: Teamhausen (Danhausen, Sledge & PCO) vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (c) (Shane Taylor, Moses & Kaun w/O’Shay Edwards): Danhausen & Kaun start, and Kaun’s strength baffles Danhausen early. Moses tags in & Danhausen goes after the knee before getting shoulderblocked into next week. Danhausen wants to fight Shane Taylor, and STP allows it. Danhausen with some shots, but the Irish whip goes nowhere. Danhausen with some kicks. Goes for the suplex, lol. Danhausen with a strike, goes for the chokeslam. Shane strikes Danhausen, who tags Sledge. Sledge & Shane trade some shots. Pump kick from Sledge, but Taylor knocks the poor man down with a punch as we go to commercial.

Sledge hits a spear through the ropes as we return. He tags PCO, and then really tags PCO, and PCO goes crazy on anybody in the ring. Including the referee. Danhausen keeps Sledge out of the ring to avoid further team dissention. PCO rams STP members into the exposed turnbuckle. Then he dives outside onto nothing since he’s PCO. OK then. Taylor sends PCO into the barricade and back into the ring. then they exchange strikes. PCO loses that exchange. Moses tags in and gets clotheslined. PCO goes to the wrong corner first, then tags in Sledge. T-Bone suplex to Moses! Kaun comes in, gets his face washed for his troubles. Danhausen decides he needs to tag in, which might be ok because Shane Taylor kicked Sledge’s head off. Danhausen with a rana then a pump kick to Taylor! Kaun hits a gutbuster while Mark Briscoe gives his old drinking buddy Roderick Strong a shoutout. PCO having a brain issue, and he dives onto Sledge on the outside. Danhausen is in a bad place now with all three STP folks in the ring with him. SOS finisher, followed by Shane’s Marcus Garvey Driver for the three count.

Winners: Shane Taylor Promotions (8:33 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/2

I enjoyed some of the stupidity, what can I say? Ian teases STP defending the titles outside of Ring of Honor, which might just happen given the state of things. Sledge & PCO go at each other while Danhausen watches. Not like he could or would do anything about it.

Next Week: Championship Edition! Josh Woods vs. LSG, Bandido vs. Alex Zayne.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

I would have preferred more people in Halloween costumes. Other than that, no major complaints.