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“Ring of Honor Wrestling” #474
Airdate: Weekend of Oct. 17, 2020
Host Quinn McKay welcomed viewers to Week 6 of the ROH Pure Title tournament. She recapped last week’s show and pitched to highlights of Jay Lethal’s win over David Finlay in a Block A semifinal match and Jonathan Gresham’s win over Matt Sydal in a Block B semifinal match.
Jay Lethal’s post-match comments
Lethal said the finals of the tournament will be between him and his best friend Jonathan Gresham. He said he knows he has one more match to go, and then he’ll see Gresham in the finals. Lethal said Gresham is doing good on his side of the block.
Jonathan Gresham’s post-match comments
Gresham said Matt Sydal is part of the bigger problem because Sydal is one of the best high flyers in the world but he took an opportunity from a pure wrestler who is sitting at home watching the tournament instead of competing in it. He said ROH needs to return to its roots of being the place that represents pro wrestling freedom, where pure wrestlers can wrestle the way they see fit without being judged or suppressed.
He said it doesn’t matter if he faces Josh Woods or PJ Black in the block final because it’s his destiny to make sure pro wrestling freedom is protected at all costs. He said he has a bum leg but he’s continuing because this is too important to him, independent wrestling, ROH and fans around the world that want real pro wrestling to return to ROH. He said he is the foundation of the company, and the Pure Title will come home to The Foundation whether anyone likes it or not.
Clip from last week: Vincent delivers his message, but Matt Taven returns and sends a message of his own
Vincent stood in the ring and said that to be successful you have to have friends, but to be very successful you have to make enemies. Suddenly, the Follow The Trend video was shown on the tron, and Taven hit the ring and attacked Vincent. It’s the first time Taven has been seen since Vincent attacked him in his own home in June.
Taven went after Vincent’s eye, and then ripped off the canvas to expose the wood. He hit Climax on Vincent on the wood. Taven put Vincent on a table outside the ring and hit a frog splash that sent Vincent through the table. Taven told Vincent this is just the beginning.
Block A Semifinal Match: Fred Yehi vs. Tracy Williams
Williams applied a hammerlock, but Yehi used his first of three allotted rope breaks. Less than 20 seconds later, Williams applied the same hold and Yehi used another rope break. Yehi hit an exploder suplex, then trapped Williams in a Koji Clutch, which forced Williams to use his first rope break. Williams kicked Yehi in the spine and landed a stiff forearm to the face. Yehi answered with a basement dropkick for a two count. Yehi caught Williams in the Koji Clutch again, but Williams used his second rope break.
Williams hit a brainbuster for a two count. He followed with a discus clothesline and went for a cover, but Yehi countered with an inside cradle for a near fall. Yehi locked on the Koji Clutch again, but Williams used his third and final rope break. After a series of counters and reversals, Williams rocked Yehi with a forearm to the face. Williams hit a DDT onto the turnbuckle from the middle rope and stacked up Yehi for a two count. He planted Yehi with a piledriver, but Yehi used his final rope break. Williams applied a crossface. Yehi got to his feet and into the ropes, but Williams did not have to release the hold because Yehi was out of rope breaks. Williams transitioned into a Dragon Sleeper in the ropes. Yehi tapped out at 14:03.
Williams will face Jay Lethal in the Block A final next week.
EC3 Arrives!
EC3 delivered his mission statement in the ring, specifically naming Jay Lethal, the Briscoes, Dragon Lee and RUSH as competitors he’d like to face.
Later, Shane Taylor (accompanied by The Soldiers of Savagery) confronted EC3 backstage. Taylor was angry that Taylor didn’t mention him among the ROH greats and said ROH is his house. The Briscoes walked by and took exception to Taylor’s comments.
A match was proposed pitting Taylor and SOS against the Briscoes and EC3.
Stepping foot in an ROH ring for the first time, EC3 called out the biggest names on the Ring of Honor roster, and said he’s not here to wrestle – he’s here to fight!@therealec3 pic.twitter.com/3YkLXknwGP
— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) October 20, 2020
Block B Semifinal Match: Josh Woods (w/Silas Young) vs. PJ Black (w/Brian Johnson)
Woods locked on a rear naked choke, but Black got to the ropes to force a break. Woods then caught Black in a kneebar, and Black used his second rope break within 15 seconds. Woods applied an armlock, but Black powered up and landed a fireman’s carry to break the hold. Black hit a high crossbody, but Woods rolled through and got a two count.
Woods hit a bridging German suplex for another two count. Woods put on a cross armbreaker, but Black countered and stacked up Woods for a one count. Woods trapped Black in a grapevine anklelock. Black tried in vain to reach the ropes, and he tapped out at 13:27.
Woods will face Jonathan Gresham in the Block B final next week.
Next week
Block A Final: Jay Lethal vs. Tracy Williams
Block B Final: Jonathan Gresham vs. Josh Woods
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