ROH 3/03/18 TV Review: Jay Lethal & Dalton Castle vs. Punishment Martinez & Marty Scurll
02/10/18
Center Stage Theater
Atlanta, Georgia
This week was the second episode from the set of tapings from Atlanta,GA. The show had a cold open to the crowd at Center Stage.Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana were on commentary and welcomed everyone to show.
First Match: Best Friend vs. The Briscoes
This match served as a bit of a preview of a possible future title defense for the Briscoes, should they win the title. Best Friends would prove to be a good foil, almost the light antithesis to the cruel dark brother tandem the Briscoes have become. This was a strong opener and an overall good match between the two teams. ROH has some strong teams in the division, but it’s important that they keep mixing and matching different opponents that can believably win against each other. The Briscoes won after Jay hit a Jay Driller, then Mark followed with a Froggy Bow before Jay cover Trent for the win. Post match Sabin and Shelley attacked the Briscoes, using Jay’s chain on Mark as Sabin dropped Jay on the title with a Sabin Driver. (***1/2)
Winners: The Briscoes
Recap of the ROH TV title match from last week, seeing Bully Ray enforcer the Code of Honor before Kenny King beat Silas Young for the title.
A recap of the Women of Honor Tournament thus far aired, reminding us that the Stardom contingent has not yet completed.
Second Match: Christopher Daniels w/ Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky vs. Adam Page
After a recap of the issues between SoCal Uncensored and The Bullet Club, Bully Ray came out and thanked the Bullet Club for following the rules. He then threatened to suspend Daniels for 30 days if Sky and Kazarian did not leave within five seconds. They technically did not make it, but it seemed the effort was enough as the match got underway. Page was on the offensive early, sending Daniels outside before tossing him into the barricades. Daniels gained control but quickly after the commercial, Page impressively reversed a do-si-do into a powerbomb and then followed with a Shooting Star shoulderblock to the outside. Inside Daniels hit a judo throw, but missed a Best Moonsault Ever and was dropped with a Buckshot Lariat, succumbing to Page via pinfall. Post match Shane Taylor came down and ambushed Page, absolutely destroying him, leaving him on the mat with the One Hitter Quitter. Commentary sold the mystery of the alliance until Daniels proclaimed that Taylor was the best money he ever spent. Bully Ray was at the top of the ramp and confronted Daniels. Daniels insisted that he was within the rules because neither Kaz or Sky interfered. This was a very good match. Page was quite over and his work benefitted, as he really seemed to grow stronger as the match wore on. The post match segment makes sense, especially consider the Bullet Club’s numbers against SoCal Uncensored and tied into the originally scheduled Manhattan Mayhem main event. (****)
Winner: Adam Page
Main Event: Punishment Martinez & Marty Scurll vs. Jay Lethal & Dalton Castle
Great use of picture in picture promo with both Martinez and Scurll making it clear that tonight they are partners, but next week at the 16th Anniversary they clash. Lethal and Castle then essentially did the same exact thing, but it really is a nice touch, even if the messages were similar. This was a good reminder if the viewer was not up to speed with the upcoming PPV crowd. This match had some great moments, really building to the PPV as it teased the match ups we will see and all four worked well together. Scurll went for some powder, but missed Lethal and hit Martinez instead. This dissension built to Lethal hitting Scurll with a Lethal Injection. This was perfect heading into the big PPV and gave the uninformed viewer some extra reason to go out and get the show or sign up for HonorClub to be able to do so. Lethal getting the pin here was smart, making him appear to be a strong credible threat before the PPV. Scurll and Martinez laid the groundwork for issues between them, but if I never seen powder again, it’ll still be too soon. (***1/2)
Winners: Dalton Castle & Jay Lethal
Final Reaction: B+
Often times the show before the PPV, there isn’t always a perfect build to the show, as some talent may be missing that is integral to the main matches on the upcoming PPV. All of three announced titles matches had segments that addressed the issues between the two sides here and if you have not seen manhattan Mayhem or even last week’s episode of television, this was a perfect sell for the show. The matches themselves were all good, with Page and Daniels being the strongest, but that simply could be a singles match bias. Page really did work with a confidence that shows why he will be a top guy in this company for years to come.
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