6/8/23 ROH TV Recap
ROH Recap 6/8/23
Hey guys its Chris with another week of ROH action!
Match #1. Christopher Daniels vs. Kyle Fletcher
Always love Daniels and Fletcher has been getting a lot better. Exciting to see this match start things off. Fletcher back flips out of a wrist lock and grabs one of his own. Daniels grabs a headlock and refuses to let go here. 3 shoulder blocks by Fletcher follows. Trio of arm drags by Daniels but Fletcher responds with a big body slam. Daniels fights back with elbows before locking in a kravat. Knee drop by Daniels and some heavy chops to the spine. Both men trade elbows as Daniels blocks a suplex initially but Fletcher eventually gets it. Flying forearms by Fletcher and an arm ringer back suplex. Two count. Fletcher runs into a Daniels dropkick and follows up with a Michinoku Driver! Two count. Daniels counters a charging Fletcher with a single arm DDT and gets a two count. Daniels looks for the uranage but Fletcher rolls out and hits the running enziguiri in the corner. Tombstone by Fletcher countered into a roll up by Daniels for two. Angel’s Wings attempt by Daniels but Fletcher back body drops him. Hammerlock into the tombstone by Fletcher and that’ll do it! Fletcher wins in a classic style ROH match. Great job by both men.
Match #2. Matt Sydal vs. Zack Clayton
Sydal is still going strong! I love it. Step-up hurricanrana by Sydal gets a two count. Spinning back kick to the stomach by Sydal and a clothesline by Clayton. Spinning back kick to the face now by Sydal gets two. Standing twisting moonsault by Sydal and Karter distracts Sydal, allowing Clayton to catch him with an anti-air powerslam but can only get two. Sydal reverses Clayton into a swinging DDT. Diving Meteora off the top and this one is over. Sydal wins in a rather quick match.
Match #3. Dralistico w/ Jose the Assistant vs. Willie Mack
Dralistico declines the Code of Honor and we are off and running. Dralistico now throws Mack into the steps a bunch before rolling Mack inside and coming off the ropes with a springboard senton for two. Big elbow by Mack but a corkscrew kick in return by Dralistico. Spinning leg lariat by Mack and both men are down! Kick and knee combo by Dralistico but he runs into a Samoan drop by Mack as both men ar down. Kip up by Mack! Moonsault by Mack gets two. Mack heads up top for a frog splash but catches only knees! Ripcord knee strike and a shining wizard by Dralistico get two! Mack shoves Dralistico into the ropes and hits a huge pop-up elbow strike. Jose gets on the apron as Dralistico goes low and hits the Incinerator Knee for the finish. Great match!
Tony Khan announces Matt Sydal will wrestle Samoa Joe next week for the ROH TV Title. Tony also says that we have new additions to the ROH Board of Directors. The first one announced is Stokely Hathaway! Stokely loves the fans and Tony and his family and ROH and AEW. The other Director is Jerry Lynn! Lynn thanks Tony and says he won’t be disappointed. The less Tony Kahn is on screen the better. Cringe. Although, can we take time to appreciate how great Jerry Lynn was in the ring.
Match #4. NJPW Strong Women’s Championship: Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Rachael Ellering
Both women exchange wrist locks and head locks. Low crossbody by Willow gets two. Snap suplex by Willow as she holds on and hits a second one before finishing the trio with a fisherman’s suplex for two. Both women trade chops now as Willow hits a running clothesline in the corner. Running splash in the corner by Ellering and an STO right into a springboard leg drop for two. Arm ringer to the mat followed by a dropkick and a senton by Ellering. Two count. Ellering with some hard chops in the corner but Willow responds with some of her own. Willow cartwheels out of an Irish whip and connects with an enziguri. Running splash in the corner and a lariat, followed by a shotgun dropkick off the middle rope for two. Short-arm clothesline by Willow. Make that two. Ellering ducks a third one before sending Willow into the ropes and catching her with a Bossman Slam on the return. Two count. Ellering hits the ropes but Willow responds with the POUNCE! Cannonball in the corner by Willow gets two. Spinebuster by Willow and a Camel Clutch. Ellering taps! Ellering looked great. Willow is a stud.
Match #5. ROH World Six-man Championship Proving Ground Match: The Embassy (c) vs. Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, & Marcus Kross
Isom and Cage start. Isom uses his speed to evade Cage before getting caught coming off the top. Isom gets free and hits a dropkick but Cage flapjacks him before tagging Toa. Toa destroys Isom with a huge biel as Cheeseburger comes in and gets run over as well. Toa sends Kaun into Cheeseburger in the corner. Kaun with a Bossman Slam of his own for two. Hard chops in the corner by Kaun. Cross gets the tag but eats a huge lariat. Buckle bomb by Cage to Cross. Open the Gates to Cross and this one is over. I want these minutes from my life back.
Match #6. Mercedes Martinez vs. Vertvixen
Single leg dropkick by Vertvixen but Mercedes responds with a boot to the face. Seated abdominal stretch by Mercedes gets a two count. Vervixen fights out of a suplex but Mercedes responds with palm strikes to the chest and a big elbow to the face. Saito suplex by Mercedes but Vertvixen rolls to the apron and trips up Mercedes. Rolling Stunner by Vertvixen and a Blue Thunder Bomb. Two count. Mercedes fights out of a fireman’s carry and hits a German suplex. Running back elbow in the corner and the Anarchist Suplex gets a long two count. Diving forearm to the back of the head by Mercedes and the Brass City Sleeper forces Vertvixen to tap. Great showing for both women. One of the best parts of ROH has been the women!
Match #7. Griff Garrison vs. Lee Moriarty
Griff Garrison is returning from injury apparently, and the fans give him a “welcome back” chant. Moriarty cartwheels over Garrison and hits a side kick to the stomach but runs into a big boot. Moriarty hammerlocks the shoulder and runs Garrison into the turnbuckle. Twice. Garrison fires up with clotheslines, big boots, and a body slam now. Big Stinger Splash in the corner and a bulldog fake out into a clothesline. Garrison catches a jumping Moriarty into a powerslam. Head scissor takeover by Garrison and a rolling elbow for two. Garrison looks for a fireman’s carry but Moriarty goes to the eyes and rolls through while holding the tights for the win. Pretty weird match. Awkward moments. Pretty blahh.
Match #8. Robyn Renegade vs. Kiera Hogan
Hogan quickly gets the upper hand with the curb stomp leg drop. Hogan runs into a big boot and Renegade posts her before delivering some boots in the corner. Top wrist lock by Renegade but Hogan fights out. Renegade lights up Hogan with some chops in the corner. Hogan fights back with a bunch of her own and now both women are trading. Elbows by Hogan and a pair of running body blocks. Running hip attack in the corner by Hogan and a sliding boot to the face. Renegade rolls outside and it’s an attempt at twin magic, but Hogan takes them both out. Tear Drop Suplex by Hogan but Renegade blocks it and delivers a high kick and that is it. I spoke to soon about the women? This match was……..not good. Athena attacks Hogan after but Hogan counters. Athena is livid.
Match #9. Shane Taylor & The Workhorsemen vs. The Dark Order
Silver delivers some roundhouse kicks to Taylor to start. Running European uppercut by Silver and the Dark Order beat on him in their own corner. Reynolds attacks Taylor with some forearms and a dropkick but Taylor catches a crossbody and Reynolds gets free again. Henry kicks out Reynolds feet behind the referee’s back from the outside. Henry tags himself in and twists the neck of Reynolds with his feet as Drake comes over the top with a senton. Drake in now with some hard chops that floor Reynolds. Reynolds fights back with some of his own but Drake with a big side suplex as Taylor hits a running splash. Huge elbow from Taylor and Drake hits a running cannonball in the corner. Tag team Tower of London and a double stomp from Henry! One, two, no! Uno gets the tag and he cleans house with chops and elbows. Big boot to Drake and a palm strike to Henry. Pair of short-arm clotheslines to Henry. Brainbuster by Uno but Taylor makes the save and tags himself in. Henry and Uno go toe-to-toe in the center now, with Uno telling him he’s not done yet. Uno hits the deck after a pair of hard rights and Drake is in before inadvertently catching Taylor with a single leg dropkick in the face. Sky High to Drake from Uno and a right hand to Henry. Reynolds is in and it’s the Windmill (?) from Dark Order. Rolling elbow into the enziguiri into the German suplex into the cutter by Dark Order to Drake and this one is over. I think this match could be the match of the night.
Match #10. The Trustbusters vs. Action Andretti, AR Fox, & Darius Martin
Fox and J start with a pair of arm drags.Andretti flips over Jay and tags Martin. Atomic drop and a flying forearm by Martin. Pumphandle facebuster by Martin gets two. Spinning kick by Kiss levels Martin and an assisted Sliced Bread by J allows Kay to hit the frogsplash off the top for two. Fox is in. Springboard cutter to J. Cutter to Kiss. Enziguiri by Martin to Kay before he and Andretti hit the inverted Fidget Spinner for the win. Ehhhh
Match #11. The Kingdom vs. El Cobarde & El Dragon
Taven and Cobarde start as Taven takes him over with arm drag. Tons of lucha here but Cobarde stifles him with a dropkick. Bennett gets tagged in and Dragon flips in with some fanfare. Bennett isn’t impressed and asks Dragon to hit him, which he does. Both men exchange chops and elbows but Bennett is busted open bad out of nowhere. Blood is leaking all over the place as Taven clips Dragon’s knee from behind. Dragon backflips over both men and sends both guys to the floor with a double hurricnanrana. Dragon with a corkscrew plancha to the floor but Taven takes the impact and saves Bennett. Boston Bayonet by Bennett to Dragon but Cobarde takes out Bennett with a huge plancha. Back in the ring Bennett ducks and Taven catches Cobarde with a big superkick. Boston Bayonet in the ring into a Purple Thunder by Taven. Two count. Brainbuster by Bennett but Taven misses the frog splash. Dragon with a high cross body and a ton of misdirection before flapjacking Taven directly into a Cobarde cutter a la the 3D. Bennett sneaks in and dumps Cobarde and hits Dragon with a Spiccoli driver and Just the Tip by Taven. Proton Pack and this one is over. Nice match!
The ROH Board of Directors is back. Stokely wants mass layoffs, but Tony says no. Makes sense because Tony just hires 400 new wrestlers a week anyway. You would think he has a TV show time slot every night. Stokely says Action Andretti against the entire Embassy next week, because he talks too much. Tony Con says let’s do a ROH Six-man Tag Title defense vs. Andretti, Martin, and AR Fox instead. While Bandido isn’t here tonight, his brother is, and Bandido’s brother’s name is… Gravity. Cringe segment. Please get Tony off my screen.
Main Event. Gravity vs. Rey Fenix
Fenix with some heavy chops from corner to corner to start it off. Single leg dropkick by Fenix. High mounted ankle lock as Gravity has an awkward habit of tapping the back and legs of Fenix, making it look like he’s tapping out and forcing the announcers to cover it. Gravity counters a suplex into a cradle but then gets superkicked in the face. Fenix misses a boot in the corner and Gravity counters with an enziguiri and a triple jump arm drag. Fenix rolls to the outside and Gravity flys and nails him. Rolling Thunder but Gravity catches Fenix again in a roll up for two. Series of roll ups now as Gravity picks Fenix up in a powerbomb for another two count. Gravity with a stalling splash off the top that misses as Fenix walks the ropes and punts him in the face. Two count. Gravity counters Fenix with a big Crucifix Driver for two. Gravity taunts Fenix with head kicks and Fenix responds with hard chops and elbows. Gravity hits the ropes but Fenix follows with the Rolling Thunder Cutter before ending this one with the Fenix Driver! Ray Fenix is a star! ROH needs to keep showing him off.
Final Thoughts: I thought this show delivered. I have said this a lot,but 12 matches is a lot for their time slot. Nevertheless the build for Death Before Dishonor has started and there was a lot of quality wrestling on this show. Fenix, Fletcher, Willow, to me, are the crown jewels of ROH right now. Awesome show.
Until Next Time.
