Post by Cauchi on Jan 2, 2020 12:19:08 GMT -5
RoH Wrestling
Friday, January 3rd, 2020
Toronto, Ontario
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Steve Corino & Tazz
Cue the music! Cue the pyro! Another episode of RoH Wrestling is live on the air!
Happy New Year everyone! The ringside announce team welcome everyone back to RoH Wrestling before going over tonight’s card. Tonight we have the final two matches in the first round of the RoH World Heavyweight Championship tournament with Bobby Lashley taking on Michael Elgin and Keith Lee vs. Jay Lethal! Also confirmed for tonight, The Motor City Machine Guns will be taking on The Best Friends in tag team action!
Match #1: Singles Match – 10-Minute Time Limit
Lio Rush vs. Mike Bennett ©
Ring of Honor Television Championship Match
We start off tonight with a Television Championship match as Mike Bennett looks to continue his impressive streak of weekly title defenses since winning the title back on the first episode of RoH Wrestling last month. Rush’s speeds proves tricky for Bennett at times, but being no slouch himself, the Champion proves he is ready and able to hang with the challenger as long as he needs to in order to get the job done. The finish comes after some underhanded tactics by Bennett, who “bumps” the referee just enough to open up a window of opportunity to hit Lio Rush with a low blow, before putting him away with The Power of Love for the 3-count!
Winner & STIIIIIIIIILLLL RoH Television Champion: Mike Bennett by pinfall @ 8:14.
After the match, Bennett gets on the microphone. He begins to hype up his 4th consecutive title defense, before mentioning last week’s 6-man Championship Scramble match and the final moments of the match that lead to Bennett retaining the Championship with just seconds left on the clock. Bennett pokes fun at The Motor City Machine Guns and Alex Shelley’s selfish decision to cost his best friend the Ring of Honor Television Championship. Bennett offers some advice to Chris Sabin, telling him he should focus on repairing his relationship with Alex Shelley so that they just might have a chance to win the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championships, because as Bennett puts it bluntly “He’s had his chance at me, he’s failed, and he’s now at the back of the line!”
We head backstage Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley in their locker room getting ready for their match tonight. Shelley breaks the awkward silence by bringing up his actions last week and apologising to Sabin. Shelley explains that while Sabin has been relentlessly chasing the Television Championship these past couple of weeks, Shelley has stood by the sidelines, supporting him but also waiting for a chance of his own. Shelley says he saw the opportunity last week to finally get his chance at gold and he took it at his best friend’s expense. Sabin doesn’t say much. He nods his head before telling Sabin he understands, but he wants to focus on the match tonight. Shelley reminds Sabin they haven’t had a tag match together in quite some time, before saying he hope they aren’t too rusty. Sabin finishes taping his wrist, stands up and says “Well, I know I’m not!” before walking out of the locker room, leaving Shelley standing there alone and looking somewhat worried.
Match #2: Singles Match
Keith Lee vs. Jay Lethal
Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship Tournament: Round #1
Shades of the early days in RoH at the beginning of this match as Jay Lethal upholds the old “Code of Honor” rules by offering Keith Lee a handshake before the start of the match. Lee pauses to think for a moment, before smiling and shaking his head no as he suspects Lethal is trying to get an upper hand with a cheap shot. This match was fast paced and hard hitting with both men giving 110% in this one. Lee who has been showcased a few times since joining RoH was everything he was expected to by, while Lethal who was making his Ring of Honor debut here in Week 5, gave the crowd every reason to want him on television regularly moving forward. This match was filled with momentum changes, high flying, smart technical wrestling and some pure power spots that had the crowd not wanting it to end. Unfortunately for them, there had to be a winner in this match, and that man was Keith Lee who manages to put Lethal away with the Spirit Bomb after one hell of a hard fought bout!
Winner: Keith Lee by pinfall @ 18:47
Lee celebrates his victory after the match while Lethal slowly begins to pick himself up from off the mat. With Lethal now back on his feet, Lee places his hand on his shoulder and offers him some words of encouragement before leaving him alone in the ring. Lethal watches Lee leave looking upset and disappointed in himself as the crowd applauds him for his efforts. Lethal stands in the ring dejected for a few more moments while the announcers wonder what this means for Jay Lethal’s wrestling future, as we fade to our first commercial break of the evening.
***COMMERCIAL***
Ladies and Gentlemen, Elias!
Elias is sitting on a stool in the middle of the ring, strumming his guitar. He informs the Ring of Honor crowd that it’s time to “Hold your applause, silence your cellphones, and shut your mouths!” Elias brings up New Year’s Resolutions, he compares making resolutions to the expectations of your favourite sports team heading in to the season. “Every year you think things are going to be different. Every year you think this going going to be the year, but every year the Toronto Maple Leafs still lose to the Boston Bruins in the 1st Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!” This gets a loud boo from the Toronto crowd as well as a “Go! Leafs! Go!” chant. Elias says this year, against his better judgement, he actually made a New Year’s Resolution. Elias says he swore for 2020 he’s only allow himself to be around people that are on his intellectual level, but since he’s sitting here in Toronto Canada, his resolution is already broken! More boo’s rain down from the crowd, much to the enjoyment of Elias. The boos soon quickly turn to cheers as Jeff Jarrett slides in to the ring behind Elias. Jarrett stands behind Elias as the crowd continues to roar, before Elias senses something behind him. Elias gets off his stool and turns around, only to be levelled with a Guitar Shot to the head by Jarrett!
The crowd roars as Jarrett stands over Elias. He then picks up the microphone and tells Elias that his New Year’s Resolutions is “To kick your ass!” before dropping the microphone on Elias and leaving the ring.
{We see a pre-taped interview with Austin Aries who is joined as always by his “Smoking-Hot Girlfriend, Scarlett Bordeaux}
Aries says 2019 was not his year. Bouncing from one small independent company to another, constantly being underestimated and underappreciated. He brings up the fact that he’s 0-1 in Ring of Honor, and hasn’t been given an opportunity by Eric Bischoff since his loss in the first tournament match. Aries reminds everyone that he’s “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived”, and vows that things are going to change for him in 2020. With a new attitude, and the most beautiful woman in wrestling by his side, Aries promises that he’s going to hold Ring of Honor gold before the end of the year. Aries then announces that he’s officially calling his shot against Mike Bennett for the Television Championship next week, before he “cleans up some loose ends”.
{We get breaking news from our announce team as next week Seth Rollins will be here live and he plans on calling out the two masked attackers once and for all! Will we finally find out their identities and their motives? What do they want with Seth Rollins? We’ll find out next week!
}
}
Match #3: Tag Team Match
Best Friends vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Chuck Taylor and Trent Barretta put together a solid match here, but the story of this match was if Sabin and Shelley would be able to function properly as a team against The Best Friends after the events of last week’s Television Championship match. There didn’t seem to be much of an issue in terms of teamwork in this one. Both Sabin and Shelley made frequent tags and did what was needed to be done in order to get the job done in this one, but with fewer double team moves than one would expect in a typical MCMG match. The finish comes with Shelley tagging in Sabin and calling for the ASCS Rush, but Sabin ignores Shelley’s request and hits Chuck Taylor with the Cradle Shock for the victory.
Winners: Motor City Machine Guns by pinfall @ 10:35.
Shelley goes to celebrate with Sabin in the ring after the match, but Sabin just pats Shelley on the shoulder and nods before leaving him alone in the ring confused. Shelley questions Sabin, but Chris Sabin keeps walking up the entrance ramp as we go to our final commercial break of the night.
***COMMERCIAL***
Main Event: Singles Match
Michael Elgin vs. Bobby Lashley
Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship Tournament: Round #1
The final bout in the first round of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament pits the Indestructible Bobby Lashley against Unbreakable Michael Elgin in a match of two absolute powerhouse hosses. Much like in the earlier match between Jay Lethal and Keith Lee, RoH Original Michael Elgin offers his hand at the start of the match, but it’s quickly slapped away by Lashley who slaps Elgin in the face. From that point forward, these two men did everything possible to try and break their opponent in half with both opponents using shier strength and powerful attacks. The first near fall of the match comes after Lashley ducts a discuss clothesline from Elgin and plants him down with the Dominator, but Elgin just manages to kick up before the 3 count!
The pace slows for some time as both men try to regain some stamina in order to gain an upper hand. Lashley eventually goes for a Spear, but Elgin side steps it, causing Lashley to drive himself shoulder first in to the ring post. Elgin quickly jumps on a dazed Lashley, picking him up and slamming him down to the ground with the Elgin Bomb!
Elgin covers Lashley and the crowd chants along, but Lashley just manages to get a shoulder up in time to break the count! Exhausted, both men continue to slug on each other, with the action spilling to the outside at points as well. The finish comes around the 25 minute mark in this match, when Elgin goes for a second Elgin Bomb, but Lashley slides down behind him and hits Elgin with a Spear as he’s turning around. Lashley covers Elgin and this time, he gets the 3 count!
Winner: Bobby Lashley by pinfall @25:17
We get an updated view of the tournament bracket with the Quarter Finals matches now officially set. The announcers hype the first two quarter final bouts as RVD vs. Brian Kendrick and Kurt Angle vs. Apollo Crews are set to take place next week! We wish you all a Happy New Year one last time as Ring of Honor’s first show of 2020 fades to a close.
***END OF THE SHOW***