Cook’s ROH TV Review 5.30.20

My first ROH review featured Dragon Lee. My second? El Toro Blanco, Rush! Ring of Honor has certainly rolled out the welcome wagon for me, and I greatly appreciate it.

Everybody stay safe out there.

Cook’s ROH TV Review 5.30.20

– We open with a video package showcasing El Toro Blanco Rush, the subject of tonight’s show! Rush welcomes us & wants to talk about his great 2019. He talks about his title match with Matt Taven, and even though it was tough, the support from his family helped him reach down deep and become the first ROH Champion from Mexico.

ROH Death Before Dishonor 2019: ROH World Championship Match: Matt Taven (c) vs. Rush: We see Rush’s family at ringside & Rush adorned in an all-white suit. Taven & Rush go at it right away. Superkicks by Taven. Rush suplexes him into the corner…but misses the dropkick in the corner. Taven takes it outside and rams Rush into the barricade. One more time right in front of Dragon Lee & Bestia del Ring, who are none too impressed. Into the ringpost, chop, into the timekeeper’s table and somebody needs to tell me who that blonde is. HACHI MACHI. Rush reverses a powerbomb and backdrops Taven on the ramp. Now Rush is tossing Taven around ringside. Another shot into the barricade. A touching father-son moment between Rush & his son. Taven is not touched, and bodyslams Rush from the ring apron to the floor. We have not seen Rush in this position before, and it’s apparently 10 feet from the apron to the floor. Spicy dropkick and a suicide dive from Taven, he’s setting up for the flying of the conquerer! Ian Riccaboni gonna teach me all these move names. Taven still on top when we come back, hits a frog splash for two. Rush briefly fights back, but Taven’s right back on top. Matt does have some fans in Las Vegas, and now the rest of the fans boo those fans. Rush fights back with a snap German & a knee, and now he’s outside breaking the safety rail. Brainbuster on the floor! Rush has one of the rails, and tosses it right into Taven. How is this not a disqualification? Is this no DQ? Come on Todd Sinclair, get your head in the game! Now Rush chokes the man with a camera cord & fish hooks him, the guy has no regard for the rules. Rush slams Taven onto the announce table! That’s one of those 1980s tables too, not that WWE fall-apart stuff. Taven tried to chop Rush in the ring, that just pissed Rush off. Kick in the corner, TRANQUILO POSE! We return from commercial and a shotgun dropkick sends Taven outside. Missile dropkick from the apron to the floor and Rush hurts himself as much as Taven on that one. Misses a senton off top, but regains the advantage and hits a Jay Driller. Taven decides to no-sell that, hits a running knee, hits the Climax and gets two. Back & forth, Rush sets up for the Bull’s Horns again but Taven hits a spear. “Just The Tip” is the name of Taven’s knee strike? OK so all his move names are sex things. Got it. Taven in the tree of woe, and Rush hits the Bull’s Horns! One more time! Rush gets the pin, and the title! Three generations of Munozes celebrate in the ring afterward. Taven shakes Rush’s hand, Cary Silkin presents the title belt, and Rush reigns supreme!

Winner: Rush (16:05 via pin)
Larry’s Star Rating: ****

– I heard a lot of bad things about Matt Taven as ROH Champion. All I can say about it is that his title loss worked. I know Taven works CMLL pretty regularly and has a history with Rush, and it translated well in the ROH environment. Really good stuff here.

– Rush comes out One Day Later. Quinn McKay asks Rush what he’d like to say, & Rush declares nothing happens until he says it happens.

– Jeff Cobb is the number one contender, and will meet him in the UK.

ROH Honor United 2019: Bolton: ROH World Championship Match: Rush (c) vs. Jeff Cobb: Rush flips off Cobb instead of honoring the Code of Honor. They’re trading blows right away, back & forth, Rush shoulderblocks Cobb down. Rush rattles Cobb with a Superman forearm, sends Cobb outside, Rush teases a dive but does the Tranquilo pose! Cobb invites Rush outside and suplexes him for his trouble. Colt Cabana notes that these guys don’t take it as easy as he does. Cobb runs the ropes and does a Tranquilo pose of his own! A right from Cobb sends Rush into the barricade. Cobb slows things down and the fans get behind Rush. Cobb just throws the man over his head. Lame cover though. Misses in the corner, Rush hits a dropkick and now they’re going outside again as we go to commercial. Powerslam from Rush gets two as we return. Chinlock time but that doesn’t last long. Series of suplex blocks leads to Cobb hitting one. Lots of bleeps in this match. Chop from Cobb met with a spit from Rush. Snap German and knees gets 2 for Rush. Triangle choke on the ropes, a Tranquilo pose from Rush, and we’re exchanging shots again. Lots of shots exchanged, a Mexican Destroyer, Cobb pops up and clotheslines Rush. Cobb kicks Rush off the top rope onto the floor. Cobb deadlift superplexes Rush in an impressive feat that gets 2. Standing Moonsault gets 2! They back up top as we return from commercial, a superplex by Rush gets two. Looks like these guys are slowing down here. They make it to the opposite corner, and Cobb attempts a superplex of his own. Well, no, Cobb puts himself in the Tree of Woe, and Rush hits a double stomp like his brother Dragon Lee. Two count. Rush teases those Bull’s Horns with a stomp down, but it gets answered with a spear from Cobb! An attempted Tour of the Islands is averted, an overhead suplex by Rush into the corner is not. There’s the Bull’s Horns. Cobb is still moving, so Rush does it again. Rush retains! Rush even extends the hand after the match to show his respect. Cobb kicks it away, and extends his hand instead to show his respect.

Winner: Rush (16:00 via pin)
Larry’s Star Rating: ***1/2

– Decent match here. Larry & others were hoping for it to reach another level, which seems to be a trend in Jeff Cobb matches. Perhaps people set too high expectations for him? I’m not sure, but it was perfectly decent action for me.

– We see clips from Final Battle 2019, where Rush suffered his first loss in ROH to PCO. This leads to Rush introducing the ROH branch of Los Igonerables. It also led to ROH Glory by Honor 2020, where Rush regained the championship thanks to a little help from his friends.

– Rush thanks us for following ROH. He didn’t come to play, he came to become the biggest figure ROH has ever seen. He’ll dismantle every dog he sees. The Bull is locked in at all horns. When the doors open, the Bull will return, like wrestling, stronger than ever. He will be champion for a long time.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

ROH's World Champion was on display this week, and when you mess with the bull you get the horns! Not going to complain about two pretty darn solid Rush matches.