ROH TV Recap: Bully Ray & The Briscoes Win The ROH Six-Man Titles, Top Prospect Tourney And More

By Leon Milici

Ring Of Honor TV Episode #290
Taped at Sam's Town Live in Las Vegas, Nevada
Airing in syndication, on Comet TV, The Fight Network, The Fite TV app and ROHwrestling.com

The show starts off with a promo by The Briscoes. Highlights are shown during the promo of Bully Ray rescuing the Briscoes at Manhattan Mayhem. As well as The Briscoes and Bully Ray defeating War Machine and Davey Boy Smith Jr. at the 15th anniversary pay-per-view. Mark and Jay Briscoe compliment Bully Ray and talk about their united quest to become ROH's next six-man tag team champions. This serves as a preview for the show's main event.

After the ROH TV open plays.... Ian Riccaboni and Kevin Kelly are on commentary, and hype up this week's show.

Punishment Martinez vs. Hanson

Martinez has broken free from Kevin Sullivan and BJ Whitmer. He recently spurned Los Ingobernables De Japon at Honor Rising, and ROH has really started to push him of late. Hanson and his War Machine partner Rowe, are in the headlines recently. They have been traveling all over the world, and just recently won the prestigious IWGP tag team titles. In front of a capacity crowd in Tokyo, Japan. Hanson and Ray Rowe defeated the team of Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima, known as TenCozy, to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Sakura Genesis 2017.

Punishment and Hanson have a very physical match here. It starts off with Hanson thwarting Punishment's early attempts at offense. The battle leads to the outside and sees Hanson, set up Martinez in a chair, and then run down the ramp way and hit a running "whoopee cushion". Which can be seen in the video below:

When the action gets back inside the ring. Martinez turns the tables with a flying shoulder block and a springboard senton. Both men then lock up in the center of the ring and get into a battle of suplexes. Both men take turns lifting each other off of the mat several times, before Hanson eventually wins the battle of strength. This leads to a succession of rapid fire moves by Hanson on Martinez. Which ends with Hanson connecting with a springboard lariat for a near fall. Martinez rallies with a superman punch, that sends Hanson to the outside. Punishment then does a running tope over the ring post and onto Hanson at ringside. A very impressive display of athleticism by Martinez.

Punishment gets Hanson back into the ring and connects with a spinning wheel kick from the top rope. This leads to a near pin fall. Moments later, Hanson and Martinez get into another standoff in the center of the ring. This time, instead of trying to suplex one another. Both men trade off several stiff strikes. Hanson wins the battle with a scissors kick. Hanson then hits Martinez with a seated senton, and looks to put Punishment away, as he heads to the top rope. Just then, Davey Boy Smith Jr. walks out on the rampway. The distraction causes Hanson to hesitate, and he misses a top rope moonsault. A recovered Martinez capitalizes with a discus martial arts kick and finishes off Hanson with the "South of Heaven" chokeslam for the victory.

Punishment Martinez defeats Hanson by pinfall

A Silas Young promo airs during the break. Young promotes ROH's upcoming "Unauthorized" show in Milwaukee on April 28th.

After the break.... Ian Riccaboni and Kevin Kelly cue to footage of a recent attack by Hangman Page on Frankie Kazarian. In the brief clip, Page is shown waiting for Kazarian in a parking lot. Page promises to get revenge on Kazarian for how he tricked the Bullet Club. When Frankie show up, Page runs out of his car and attacks Kazarian. He beats him down and then attempts to choke him out with his bullrope before security runs him off.

2017 Top Prospect Tournament Semi-Final Match
"The Southern Savior" John Skyler vs. Curt Stallion

This match took place at Manhattan Mayhem, and has Bob Evans joining Riccaboni on commentary.... The conclusion of this tournament took place this past weekend at the most recent tapings.... The winner of this match was scheduled to face Josh Woods in the final.

The argument can be made that this may have been the best match of the entire tournament. This was very evenly contested. John Skyler did a lot of Kevin Owens like trash talking throughout the match. He even reached into the Jericho playbook and called Stallion, a "stupid idiot" early on. Which the fans in attendance chanted. A big spot in the early part of the match occurred when Curt Stallion attempted a suicide dive on Skyler, only to have Skyler move out of the way and push Stallion into the guardrail head first. This prompted a "You just killed him" chant from the crowd.

The last sequence gave Skyler control of the match moving forward. Skyler hits a firemen's carry and a tiger driver on Stallion for a near fall. Skyler starts to toy with Stallion, he slaps him around and then spits on him. Curt gets fired up as a result of this. Skyler hits a german suplex on Stallion but he no sells it, and delivers a german suplex of his own. Stallion then sets up Skyler in the corner and hits a succession of moves on him. Two straight drive by kicks, followed up by a running basement dropkick into the corner. This flurry of moves leads to a near pin fall. Moments later, Skyler rallies by hitting a very nice looking springboard spear on Stallion. As seen in the video above, Both men then go into a series of counters and reversals. With near falls by both men. The sequence ends with Stallion hitting an Emerald Fusion on Skyler. Thinking, he has the victory in hand. Stallion covers Skyler but he kicks out at the last second. Moments later, both men battle to the top rope. Stallion tries to hit a top rope hurricanrana on Skyler but he blocks it. Skyler instead hangs on to Stallion and leaps off the top rope with him, and hits his finisher, "The Southern Salvation". Which looks like a modified firemen's carry slam. Skyler hits the move and pins Stallion for the victory.

John Skyler defeats Curt Stallion by pinfall to advance to The 2017 ROH Top Prospect Final

In a follow up to last week's TV angle. Which saw Adam Cole fire The Young Bucks. Adam Cole is shown backstage delivering a message to The Young Bucks. He apologizes for firing them, and in true heel fashion. Cole says that he forgives them for all the mistakes they made. In how they didn't protect him from losing the ROH World Championship. Cole states that he just wants things to go back to the way they used to be. Cole just wants to bring the "SuperKliq" back.

Prior to the main event starting. Clips are shown of TK O'Ryan's gruesome injury at ROH's 15th anniversary show. How The Kingdom retained the ROH Six-Man titles despite O'Ryan suffering a catastrophic leg injury, and having to be carried to the back..... Matt Taven and Vinny Marseglia are now shown backstage. They debate who should replace O'Ryan in their upcoming title defense. In walks, Silas Young. He offers to join their team on one condition. That he and The Bruiser are guaranteed a future shot at the Six-Man titles. Taven and Marseglia begrudgingly accept Young's offer, but tell him to not drop the ball.

Ring Of Honor TV Main Event
The Kingdom & 'The Last Real Man' Silas Young vs. Bully Ray & The Briscoes

Silas Young actually interrupts The Kingdom's elaborate ring entrance. He walks right in front of them, and heads to the ring with one of the Six-Man titles in hand. When all six participants are in the ring. Silas Young and The Kingdom start arguing before the match even begins. Bully Ray gets on the mic. He tells Young and The Kingdom that they are going to be former champs, and asks them if "they know who the hell they are".... This leads to Bully and The Briscoes attacking and clearing the ring of Young, Taven and Marseglia.

When the official match begins. Vinny Marseglia becomes a crash test dummy for Bully Ray and The Briscoes. They each take turns beating up on Vinny. Bully at one point, corners Marseglia and delivers several loud chops. Mark and Jay Briscoe follow suit. The Kingdom turns the match back in their favor when Taven and Silas pull Jay Briscoe down and they then grab Jay's legs and perform a leg split on the ring post. Jay Briscoe is then isolated and beat down in the corner by Young and The Kingdom for the next few minutes.

Jay Briscoe eventually rallies and tags in his brother. Mark Briscoe takes the fight to Young and The Kingdom. After a flurry of moves by Mark. He gets caught by Marseglia, who hits a tilt a whirl Russian leg sweep on Briscoe. Silas Young comes into the ring and tries to steal the thunder and pinfall. This leads to Matt Taven and Silas Young arguing. The distraction allows Mark to tag in Bully Ray. Bully comes in and goes after all three men. He hits the flip, flop and fly on Marseglia, and then follows that up with a Bully Bomb. Before a pin can be attempted. All 6 men are now in the ring brawling. The Briscoes neutralize Taven and Young and get them out of the ring. This leads to the finish where Bully Ray and The Briscoes hit a tandem 3D on Vinny Marseglia and it secures them the victory.

Bully Ray & The Briscoes defeat The Kingdom & Silas Young to become The New ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions

In the post match, While Ray and The Briscoes hoist their titles in celebration. The Kingdom and Silas Young are in a heated shouting match at ringside.

Kevin Kelly and Ian Riccaboni then close the show by previewing next week's "8 Man Vegas Wildcard" match. Which will be an 8-Man tag team match of wrestlers that are chosen at random. With the winners of that match facing off in a 4 corner survival match. The sole winner will then get a shot at the ROH World Championship. A preview for the show can be seen in the video below.

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