Ring Of Honor TV Recap (11/6): The Bullet Club Takes On The Returning Kingdom In Six Man Tournament

By Leon Milici

Ring Of Honor TV

Episode #268

Airing In Syndication, The Fight Network, Fite TV App & Wednesday Nights on Comet TV

Taped At The Lowell Memorial Auditorium In Lowell, Mass

This week's show opens with Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino at the broadcast area. They hype the main event, which features The returning "Kingdom" taking on The Bullet Club in The B Block of The ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament. The mystery to this match is, who will represent The Bullet Club and who Matt Taven has found to join his new Kingdom.

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Block A has been completed. ACH/Kushida & Jay White have advanced to the finals and will take on The winners of The B block at ROH's next PPV, Final Battle on December 2nd in New York City. The winner of The Kingdom/Bullet Club match will go on to face the winner of The Team CMLL/Addiction match. That first round B Block match is scheduled for next week's ROH TV.

The 'Unbreakable' Michael Elgin vs. Toru Yano

This opener is billed as a rematch from New Japan's G1 Climax tournament from this past summer. Toru Yano upset Elgin during that tournament and cost him a potential spot in The G1 Final. The story of this one is Elgin seeking revenge against Yano. Contrasting styles. One wrestler is all business while the other is all comedy.

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Typical Toru Yano antics in this one. He uses the ref as a shield, hides in the ropes to avoid damage, finds a wire cutter and undoes two separate turnbuckle pads. He even ends up choking Elgin with one of the ring ropes. Toru manages to slingshot Elgin into the exposed turnbuckle. This almost leads to yet another Yano upset of Elgin. When he hits his patented low blow/inside cradle combo, but Elgin kicks out. "Big Mike" ends up giving Yano a taste of his own medicine. Elgin beats Yano with one of the turnbuckles and eventually wins this match with The Elgin Bomb.

Michael Elgin defeats Toru Yano by pinfall

Featured next on this show is an ROH "Proving Ground" match between Bobby Fish and CMLL's Dragon Lee. The proving ground concept in ROH is fairly simple. A new wrestler in ROH gets a chance to face a champion. If he beats that Champion or takes him to a draw. Then he gets an automatic title shot in the future.

A highlights package is shown of Dragon Lee's ROH debut at All Star Extravaganza vs Kamaitachi. This is followed by a Bobby Fish promo. Bobby has cracked ribs. As a result of a recent attack by Hangman Page. Fish is scheduled to defend his ROH TV title next week on TV against Page. Fish calls Hangman an unproven commodity. Says that he has been misled by The Bullet Club and that he is not ready to step up and face someone of his caliber.

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Proving Ground Match

Bobby Fish vs. Dragon Lee

Dragon Lee has only been wrestling since 2014. He won The Wrestling Observer rookie of the year award. He is the current CMLL Light Heavyweight Champion. Deceptively strong despite being listed at just 5'7 and 165 pounds. This is Lee's second broadcasted ROH appearance. He is coming off a very impressive showing with Kamaitachi at The All Star Extravaganza Pay-Per-View.

The story of this particular match is how banged up, Bobby Fish is. He comes into this match with his rib section heavily bandaged. Throughout this match, He has difficulty breathing and absorbing or performing certain holds. Even at points, leaving the ring to collect himself and regroup.

Steve Corino at one point on commentary, suggests that Bobby Fish just take the loss and save himself for his title defense next week with Hangman Page. The match starts off on the ground and Lee goes hold for hold with the damaged Bobby Fish. He even applies a fujiwara arm bar on him. Dragon Lee picks up the pace in the match. Hits a lightning fast Rana on Fish. Sends him to the outside and then connects with a tope suicida. The move rocks Bobby into the guardrail. Further damaging his ribs. When the action gets back in the ring. Dragon Lee continues to be two steps ahead of Fish. Hits two straight rolling Northern Lights Suplexes and then follows that with a brainbuster for a near fall. Fish tries to battle back in this match. Bobby tries to hit a brainbuster on Lee, but he can't execute the move due to his ribs. Lee capitalizes and does The La Magistral cradle on Fish and pins him.

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Dragon Lee defeats Bobby Fish by pinfall to earn a future ROH TV Championship Match

There was a show of respect by Lee towards Fish after the match. Both men shook hands and Bobby was doubled over in pain. Selling his rib injury.

A Matt Taven promo airs. He talks about how time has finally run out. How after over a year. He is finally back and is forming a new Kingdom in his own image. He ends the promo by saying that tonight will be the beginning of the end for The Bullet Club.

A video package is shown highlighting the results of The ROH Six-Man Tournament. How Kushida, ACH & Jay White got to The Final from Block A. Next week, The CMLL team of Ultimo Guerrero, Hechichero and Okumura will face The Addiction & Kamaitachi in Block B of The Tournament.

Ring Of Honor TV Main Event

Adam Cole, Nick & Matt Jackson vs Matt Taven, TK O'Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

Prior to this match. Two royal looking figures arrived on the stage. One holding up candles, while the other read from a scroll. They introduced Matt Taven and his new Kingdom.... Just some quick backstory to all of this. The Kingdom in the past has consisted of Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Adam Cole, Maria Kanellis and even Matt Hardy at one point.. Taven is a former tag champ. He actually blew out his left knee in a match at last year's Final Battle PPV against War Machine. Since then of course, Maria and Mike Bennett are long gone and in TNA. Taven had surgery and has been on ROH TV periodically during his rehab period.

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Also a part of the backstory for this match is Taven and Adam Cole's history. Cole used to be a member of The Kingdom but of course has aligned himself with The Bullet Club and he has reached new heights.... The "New Kingdom" consists of two prominent indy wrestlers in TK O'Ryan. He is based out of The New England area. Is a former college baseball player. The other member is Vinny Marseglia. A young veteran on the indy circuit out of Georgia.

This ended up being a very entertaining main event. All 6 wrestlers looked impressive. A lot of triple teaming tandem moves early on by both teams. The Jacksons and Cole actually hit a triple apron power bomb on The Kingdom. The Bucks and Cole also did their usual comedic shtick and spots. Which included their terminator rising spot and a triple suicide dive.

This all built up to the final sequence with Adam Cole and Matt Taven finally going one on one at the end. Things got pretty dirty between the both of them. Taven spit in Cole's face. Cole targeted Taven's surgically repaired knee. He even ended up blowing snot on Taven. Adam Cole went for The destroyer on Taven but he countered it into a sharpshooter. The Bucks break it up with a double superkick. Cole did eventualy hit The Destroyer on Taven but it was broken up by O'Ryan and Marseglia.

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The Bucks and Cole tried to set up a double Indy taker but that was broken up. The Kingdom gained the advantage in the end with a trifecta of impact moves. TK O'Ryan hit a jumping tombstone piledriver on Cole. Taven hit his finisher, The Climax on Matt Jackson and Marseglia followed that up with a senton bomb off the top rope. Taven covered Matt Jackson and pinned him to get the victory for his team.

The Kingdom defeated Adam Cole & The Young Bucks to advance to the semi-finals of The ROH Six-Man Championship Tournament

Kevin Kelly hypes next week's show while The Kingdom celebrates in ring. They gloat over the fallen Bullet Club. Matt Taven slaps his surgically repaired left knee to show that he is finally at 100 percent. As the show comes to a close.

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