Cook’s ROH TV Review 7.23.21

Hey kids! We’ve got three big matches this week, including the continuation of Dalton Castle’s quest to make Eli Isom & Dak Draper entertaining.

Cook’s ROH TV review 7.23.21

Last week, Mandy Leon defeated Quinn McKay with a little help from Angelina Love. Turns out that brass knuckles are illegal in the state of Maryland, which makes me wonder which state they’re legal in. Did I use that joke last week?

Brian Zane is backstage, joined by the Allure. Mandy questions it being a hard fought battle. Quinn’s a rookie, she couldn’t back up the poop talk. Angelina reiterates that Quinn blew it and she’s done.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to Ring of Honor Wrestling, rattled by the fact she won’t be in the Women’s Championship Tournament, which starts next week. Today’s main event is a triple threat match pitting Eli Isom, Dak Draper & Dalton Castle against each other. PCO takes on Sledge, and the opener sees Flip Gordon taking on the World Famous CB.

Ian & Caprice are on the call as usual.

Flip Gordon has nothing to say until he gets his world title shot. CB spent the last year figuring out who he was. Flip seems to want to be something different every week, this week he’ll be a victim because CB will tap him out like all the rest. Uh huh.

Flip Gordon vs. World Famous CB: Flip is 4-0 against CB. No handshake from Flip, probably a good thing because who knows where his hands have been. Some wristlock reversals and some pure wrestling to start, Flip gets the advantage on the mat. CB wants a knucklelock, some reversals as we go to commercial.

Headlock by CB. Flip sends him off the ropes, CB tries a shoulderblock but shockingly that doesn’t work. Off the ropes, wristlock by Flip into an arm drag by CB. Up & over, CB with another arm drag into a Pentagon armbar. He playing with the fingers of Gordon like he’s Pete Dunne. Locks in La Scarela, but Gordon tosses him off. Big boot sends CB outside. Flip misses a dropkick on the outside, and CB goes back to that left arm. A German suplex by Flip changes the momentum. Back in the ring, Flip with some stomps and a boot choke in the corner. Back outside, CB sent over the barricade, Flip jumps off with a double axehandle. Back into the ring. Flip charges shoulder-first into the ringpost, and that left arm is in even worse shape now. Arm wrench into a single-arm bulldog. Stomp to the elbow, then a seated superkick for two. CB with the Kimura armbar, keeps Flip from the ropes until Flip lifts him up unto the corner. Jumps up top and kicks CB. Finlay Roll into an STF. CB taps out.

Winner: Flip Gordon (approximately eight minutes via submission)
Match Rating: **1/2

Flip kicks CB out of the ring so he can pose on the turnbuckle. Pretty easy win for him as Ian & Caprice are joined by the Bouncers & Ken Dixon. They’re going to take the Six-Man Tag Team Championship & the Tag Team Championship. Both? They’re setting high goals for themselves.

Zane is joined again by Flip Gordon, who tells us again that he’s got nothing to say until he gets that title shot. OK.

DANHAUSEN joins Ian & Caprice on commentary for the next match.

Sledge plans on using a ground attack on PCO. Good luck! PCO says it’s coming right around the corner, Sledge will rest in hell, and PCO is alive.

Sledge vs. PCO: Danhausen & PCO sent Dave Honor a letter to make this match. Sledge does have a height advantage, and doesn’t seem to be intimidated. PCO with the takedown and some hammer elbows. Some punches, Sledge with some punches of his own. Running kick in the corner by Sledge. Danhausen claims that Sludge is cheating. Exchange of chops. Russian leg sweep by PCO, then a falling headbutt gets two. Splashes in the corner by PCO. Sledge with a bodyslam, then a twisting elbowdrop gets two. We go to commercial.

Powerslam by PCO, then a dropkick to the back of the seated Sledge gets two. More chops exchanged. PCO misses in the corner but Sledge doesn’t. Overhead belly to belly, and PCO sits up. Forearm exchange. PCO with running splashes off the ropes. Both men go for a chokeslam. PCO sends Sledge outside. Quebec cannonball by PCO. Danhausen says that groin strikes before the bell rings are ok and has unkind words for the board of directors while PCO sets up his silly swanton to the apron that never hits anybody. Except Sledge, apparently, because PCO actually hits him instead of the apron. Good for PCO. Then PCO gets a bad headache and decides to sit on the barricade. Sledge kicks him off of it as the referee breaks the count to check on PCO. Shove to the referee, and the two men fire away on each other. Sledge with a shove to the referee of his own, and it’s a double disqualification.

Winner: None (approximately nine minutes via double disqualification)
Match Rating: **

Didn’t really feel this one, Sledge did a nice job trying though. The brawl continues as security comes down to break things up. Danhausen likes them beating each other up.

Sledge tells Brian Zane he just hung with a former ROH Champion, and this isn’t over.

Dak Draper talks about he’s about titles, prestige & attention. He doesn’t do well on teams, but he wanted the Six Man Tag Team Championship. It didn’t happen because of Isom & Castle, and he’ll make them pay. Eli Isom’s hot because he didn’t get the memo about wearing pink gear at the PPV. Dalton Castle says they screwed everything up.

Dak Draper vs. Eli Isom vs. Dalton Castle: Dak is wearing three shirts this week, which I think means it’s a big match. 40:50 The boys tear Dalton’s shirt off and he rushes the ring like he’s Delirious or something. Draper sends Castle over the top, Isom sends Draper out then dives onto him. Isom with shots to Castle, his momentum gets cut off by Castle. Back in the ring, vertical siuplex by Castle. Draper pulls Castle out and sends him into the ring post. Isom reverses a back suplex for a one count. Draper with a faceplant while the boys check on Dalton.Suplex on Draper, suplex on Castle gets a nearfall. Draper with a slam on Isom, Castle with a suplex on Draper. Castle gets dropkicked by Isom, then suplexed. Draper boots Isom on the floor. Castle breaks up the count. Draper sends him over the barricade after a brief discussion. Isom with a spinning back suplex for two as we go to commercial.

Isom with the advantage on Draper as we return. He lands a springboard moonsaulton the outside, but Castle sneaks up from behind and tosses a chair into Isom’s face. Shockingly the referee didn’t see it. Castle tells Draper to do something big! Back in the ring, Draper lifts Isom while the boys mount the apron. He hits the Magnum KO and the referee makes the three count!

Winner: Dak Draper (6:50 via pin)
Match Rating: ***

Dalton & the boys leave, as they’re busy. Draper produces a participation ribbon from his boot, tosses it aside and shakes Isom’s hand.

We see graphics of the women in the championship tournament to end the show. That starts next week!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Nothing awful, but nothing you need to go out of your way to see either. Looking forward to seeing if ROH can finally get a Women's division going consistently.