Week eight in the ROH TV revival (Apr. 20, 2023) featured eleven matches with two as official title bouts. Hijo del Vikingo and Gringo Loco rose above the rest with an exciting highlight reel to steal the show.
Vikingo entered with the AAA Mega Championship on the line. His feud with Gringo has been brewing outside ROH in GCW, AAA, and other promotions. The match started with a wild hurricanrana from Vikingo. Gringo is called the Base God for a reason.
The next eye-popping highlight was an inside-out 360 springboard rana from Vikingo.
The AAA champion followed up with an outside-in 450 corkscrew splash.
Gringo had his moments to shine as well, such as an avalanche military press slam.
In the end, Vikingo hit a double springboard corkscrew poison rana, running double knees in the corner, and a 630 senton to win.
The crowd was hot for this match, and so was Tony Khan. Gringo cut a promo backstage about the contest. He was anxious going in, but they hit it out of the park. Even though Gringo didn’t win the bout, he viewed the evening as a victory when Khan raised his hand and invited him back.
ROH TV quick results:
Matt Taven & Mike Bennett defeated Darius Martin & Action Andretti. The babyfaces had momentum down the stretch, then Maria Kanellis created a distraction leading to the Proton Pack teamwork backpack stunner on Martin.
Athena was not in the mood to be bothered by inferior competition. Any challengers better bring their best, because none of them are on her level. Her legacy as champion will not be tampered with. Athena issued an open challenge. (She was in action later, but I don’t think that was part of the open challenge.)
Willow Nightingale defeated Robyn Renegade. Technically, Willow pinned Charlette Renegade. After a big pounce from Willow, Robyn rolled out of the ring for twin magic with Charlette. Willow was too crafty and reversed top position on a roll-up to win. Afterward, the Renegades stomped Willow. Aside from the match, enjoy Ian Riccaboni’s latest freestyle rap for Willow’s entrance.
Lance Archer defeated Jah-C. The Murderhawk Monster put Jah-C out of his misery with an inverted DDT and crushing lariat.
Brian Cage defeated Joey Jett. Prince Nana was ringside. Mr. GMSI got his shit in. Jett gave the Machine a little bit of a challenge until Cage blitzed offense for victory. The F5 sealed the deal.
Athena defeated Heather Reckless. Proving Ground match. Athena bull rushed Reckless with repeated powerbombs and a crossface submission. Afterward, the champ smashed the challenger’s head onto the title belt.
Alex Reynolds & John Silver defeated Lee Johnson & Cole Karter. Competitive match. The Dark Order flurried for the finish. They took out Johnson with a teamwork powerbomb backbreacker over the knee. Silver executed a bridging German suplex on Karter, then Reynolds came over the top for a jackknife pin.
Pentagon defeated Nick Comoroto. Alex Abrahantes was ringside. Penta worked for the arm snapper and finally popped the power man’s limb to win. Give us more Comoroto, please. I am a fan of his hoss style. Let the man pound beef with other hosses.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Moriarty. Taiga Style worked the arm and shoulder throughout. Takeshita rallied for a German suplex. His arm gave out on the follow-up German, so he changed plans for a ripcord forearm and a running knee strike to win.
Iron Savages defeated Ren Jones & Logan Lynch. Jameson Ryan was ringside to support the bears. Boulder unleashed his power for a double body slam. A teamwork electric chair splash finished the job.
ROH World Television Championship: Samoa Joe retained against Colt Cabana. Boom Boom had momentum, but Joe got his knees up to block a moonsault attempt. Joe grabbed a rear naked choke to win. (Full details here.)
This episode was more in the ROH Dark vein. There were a lot of mismatches. A few promos were sprinkled in to enhance the viewing experience. There was minimal storyline material. The Kingdom bested Darius Martin and Action Andretti to possibly close that chapter. It wouldn’t surprise me if Matt Taven and Mike Bennett went after the Lucha Bros to compete for the ROH tag titles. The Renegades’ switcheroo was amusing. Their post-match attack seems like an easy setup for Willow Nightingale to find a tag partner for revenge. Athena is still ranting about hussies. That’s about it for the show.
The top watch list is two matches deep. Hijo del Vikingo versus Gringo Loco was the most exciting with all the flashy moves. Konosuke Takeshita versus Lee Moriarty was the best match in terms of telling a story in the ring. The finish was neat with how Takeshita sold the injured arm. The pain was too much to execute a second German suplex, so he swiftly transitioned to a backup plan. The sequence felt natural. It presented Takeshita as a well-rounded fighter that stays cool under pressure.
Share your thoughts on the latest ROH TV episode. Who were the standout performers?
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