Thought Zero – Damn, that flu bug that is going around caught up with me and my family the past couple weeks. Seriously messed me up. That is a nasty little thing folks. Do your best to stay healthy. Let’s get to the Honorable Ring of Wrestling.
- We start with Dalton Castle talking in a pre-taped promo. Nothing much to see there. He puts his title on the line against Punishment Martinez later. But the opening song features some new clips with the current roster, so that’s good.
- First match is a new tag team called the Beer City Crew (Beer City Bruiser and Kingpin Brian Milonas) taking on Coast 2 Coast. Last we saw C2C, they were able to knock off War Machine to send them off to NXT. Let’s see if they can keep up the momentum. C2C is giving up about 300 pounds to the Beer City Crew though.
- Bruiser and Milonas have control through the power of the fat guy for most of the match. Bruiser is SO much more athletic than Milonas though. This tag team does very little for Bruiser. That’s why his teaming with Silas Young was so good because it allowed him to be more athletic and interesting rather than just being fat guy #1.
- The match gets toassed as Kenny King interferes in the match because Silas Young was doing his job as the Beer City Crew’s manager by helping their opponents back into the ring. He can’t help it that C2C is uncoordinated and kept falling down every time he tried to assist. Anyway, this then becomes WWE booking and they add Young and King to the match to make it a six-man match. That isn’t really fair to either of these teams, but so be it. C2C just stand on the apron while Young hits Kenny King with a big knee and then Bruiser and Milonas hit a couple double splashes on King. Yet he kicks out and C2C starts their flippy comeback. And an illegal triple team on Silas Young results in King hitting the Royal Flush and giving them the victory.
- Backstage, the Dawgs talk some smack about Coast 2 Coast. I guess that is going to be a little mid-card tag team feud now. That’s good for both of them.
- We get some promo work from Mandy Leon in a Ring of Honor studio, and Madison Rayne from what looks to be her living room. These two will have a first round match in the tournament to crown the inaugural Women of Honor championship. Funny note, Mandy Leon points out that she came through the ROH Dojo and has been here since Women of Honor began as a branded thing. But Rayne counters by saying she was in Ring of Honor even before that, unfortunately making herself seem much older than I think she was meaning to. Deonna Purrazzo is guesting on commentary, but since she is in the tournament she probably shouldn’t be commentating on it. Maybe she should be scouting instead. But it does seem like she needs so work on the mic still.
- Mandy Leon looks pretty good here in the ring with some interesting and innovative moves. The only thing that brings Leon down just a bit is that she seems moving just a tad slower than most of the competitors. Not necessarily due to her athletic skills, but because it looks like she is thinking a little too much about what to do next. Some good near falls towards the end of the match and Leon winds up winning with a move called the Astral Projection which is sort of a pump handle Back to the Future cradle slam.
- We cut to backstage footage from last week with Cody charging into the dressing room wondering where the Young Bucks were when he was getting beat up by The Kingdom last week. Apparently they were running late. After Cody leaves, Marty Scurll comes in to show the Jackson Brothers a sign he got from a fan. Nick Jackson lets him know now is not the time and points out the fan didn’t even spell his name right. Ha.
- Main event is Dalton Castle’s first title defense against Punishment Martinez. Marty Scurll is guest announcer for the match, pointing out that he is coming for the belt as well. Cool visual as Castle does his usual pomp and circumstance with confetti and streamers and the boys and all that while Punishment Martinez just stands there, still in the ring, looking pissed off. Little things like that are what makes Martinez’s character work so well. Almost like an angry Undertaker. Scurll points out that he has never had a World Title shot and wonders why Martinez gets a shot before him. Scurll also rightfully points out that Colt Cabana has even had several title shots which he has lost and didn’t deserve more than Scurll.
- Castle has control early, but Martinez uses his badassery and strength to take over. He also almost breaks Castle in half with a Last Call powerbomb onto the ring apron. Overall, this was a pretty good TV main event which didn’t live up to the hype of a world title match. Martinez is still maybe a year away, and they really seem like they are building to Scurll taking the title off Castle sooner rather than later (which would be a good move). Castle uses some of his amateur background to hit some nice throws and suplexes, but Martinez is just too strong. Martinez hits a crazy dive over the corner onto Castle and the boys on the floor which was so impressive that Scurll switches nationalities and becomes Australian for a minute, letting out a “Crickey!” Finish comes after Martinez almost kills Castle with a wicked kick to the side of the head, but somehow is able to reverse a psychodriver into a pin. Post-match, Martinez just annihilates the Boys because he is rightfully pissed. And we’re out.
Another good hour of wrestling. So much more exciting than WWE programming, to be honest. Until next week…
