ROH "Death Before Dishonor" Recap (9/27): New Champions Crowned, Bully Ray Returns
Welcome to Wrestling INC's coverage of Ring of Honor's Death Before Dishonor event, streaming live via Fite.tv and Honor Club. Tonight's event takes place from the Sam's Town Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. Feel free to follow along and sound off in the comments. Enjoy the show!
Ian Ricabboni and Caprice Coleman welcomes us to the preshow. Our first contest is prepared to be underway. Brody King makes his way to the ring. Jeff Cobb is out next.
Jeff Cobb versus Brody King
Tie-up. Test of strength...King slams Cobb to the mat. They keep their knuckles locked. King bounces off the ropes...shoulder block...nobody moves. They continue to batter each other...Cobb deadlifts King...overhead belly-to-belly. King gets back to his feet. Back and forth striking...Cobb wins the exchange and pounds King down into the corner. King responds with a whisper in the wind, then hits his signature running senton for a nearfall. Each man rocks the other with a lariat...double-lariat and they're both down.
Another back and forth striking exchange. Running elbow from Cobb. King charges him but runs into a superkick. King answers with a discus elbow and follows it up with a sidewalk slam. Cover...Cobb kicks out. He traps King in the corner....running uppercut. King fires off a head kick...Cobb surprises him with a dropkick. He climbs up for a superplex attempt...stalling superplex connects. He goes for the pinfall...two count. King builds up momentum...frankensteiner sends Cobb to the outside. Suicide dive connects! Back in the ring...jumping senton off Cobb off the ropes. He picks him up...spike piledriver. King turns him for the cover...Cobb JUST gets a shoulder up.
Powerbomb attempt...Cobb slips out and German suplexes King. King German's him right back. Cobb with another. Cobb hits the Tour of the Islands...King is done.
Jeff Cobb wins by pinfall
King offers Cobb a handshake post match. He accepts. Crowd gives a nice ovation to both men for adhering to the Code of Honor.
Backstage, Brian Zane talks with the Bouncers ahead of their bar-room brawl with Vinny Marseglia and Silas Young. They say they plan on bringing the violence, as a bar-room brawl is their speciality.
Dalton Castle makes his way to the ring for an interview, along with his boys. He says that although he doesn't have a match scheduled, anyone that walks down the aisle he would beat the snot out of them. He asks the crowd, "who wants to be entertained?" This brings out Joe Hendry. Hendry says that he still believes in their tag team, and leads the Las Vegas audience in a sing-a-long calling him and Castle the most entertaining tag-team of all time. This angers Castle, who throws a drink in Hendry's face. Hendry chases Castle away, and slams the boys.
Pre-show is over.
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman officially welcome us to the main card for Death Before Dishonor. They run down the evening's card, which includes four title matches headlined by Matt Taven and RUSH for the world title.
Marty Scurll is out for his first-round Final Battle tournament bout with Colt Cabana. Cabana is second. He offers Scurll the Code of Honor handshake...Scurll does nothing, so Cabana shakes his hand for him.
Marty Scurll versus Colt Cabana Final Battle Tournament Round One
Tie-up. Scurll with a waistlock. Cabana switches behind. Knuckle-lock...Scurll trips Cabana and tries to pin his shoulders to the mat. Cabana shows his strength by holding Scurll up in a bridge even after Scurll jumps on him. Monkey-flip from Cabana. Sequence of chain wrestling. Both men reset. Scurll goes for his fake-out superkick but Cabana catches it and cartwheels away. Flying headscissor sends Scurll to ringside. Scurll grabs a drink of water and takes his time to recover. He jumps to the apron...Cabana meets him with a right hand...they both climb to the top...ear ringer by Scurll...Cabana shoves him off but Scurll comes right back with an enziguri. Superplex for two. He keeps Cabana grounded and applies a straight-jacket submission. Cabana tries to build momentum...Scurll dumps him to the outside and hits a superkick. Back in the ring...Scurll strings together some offense including a stacked powerbomb for two.
Cabana ducks a clothesline...he goes for a second....Scurll catches his hand and snaps his fingers! Cabana, screaming in pain, drops Scurll with a bionic elbow, but is in too much pain to make the pin. Back and forth striking...Cabana unloads a flurry of strikes...Scurll hits a haymaker and a piledriver in succession. Cover...only two. Scurll calls for the Chicken-Wing...Cabana tries to trap him in a submission of his own...Chicken-Wing is in! Cabana shifts his position for a pinning attempt...Scurll kicks out. Bionic elbow. Cabana climbs...moonsault. Scurll kicks out. Cubs win submission but Scurll gets to the ropes. Both men to the top...Cabana picks up Scurll on his shoulders...facebuster. Superman pin...Scurll escapes. Lariat and black plague...Scurll advances.
Marty Scurll wins by pinfall and advances to the next round
Riccaboni and Coleman congratulate Cabana on putting up a great match. Cabana smiles and heads to the back.
Kenny King is out for his showdown with PCO. The match is announced as a no-disqualification. He carries two cinder-blocks. PCO is next, entering to Jim Johnston's newly composed music.
Kenny King versus PCO no disqualification Final Battle Tournament Round One
King lands a punch then immediately flees the ring. PCO is not effected. King comes back with quick strike...PCO slows King down with a pop-up powerbomb. Fight spills to the outside. PCO suplexes King on the entrance path, then follows up with a senton. He throws King back inside and climbs...top rope maneuver lands. He slides King to the apron and climbs again...Swanton! PCO sets up three chairs on the outside...drapes King across them...he goes for a suicide dive but he suffers a technical glitch and dives to the wrong side. Referees check on him, as he hit his head pretty hard on the arena floor. They start to help him to the back...King attacks PCO and snap-suplexes him! He puts a ladder around his neck and drives him into the ringpost. King sets up two ladders on top of each other. Powerslam from King onto the ladders. King in the ring...tope con hilo onto PCO on the ladders! He brings him inside for a cover...PCO kicks out.
PCO on the apron...King goes for a sunset powerbomb...ugly botch...looks like PCO landed right on King's head. They move the action back inside. King catches a running boot from PCO and T-bone suplexes him into the turnbuckles. King's assistant shocks PCO with a stun-gun...it juices PCO...he chokeslams King for the win.
PCO wins by pinfall and advances to the next round
A vignette is played highlighting the feud between The Allure's Angelina Love, and the Women of Honor champion Kelly Klein. Love then enters for their title matchup, which commentary tells us is next. Mandy Leon accompanies her. Klein is out second. Introductions are over...here we go.
Angelina Love versus Kelly Klein for the Women of Honor championship
Tie-up. Love ties Klein up...neckbreaker. Early cover...Klein escapes. The champ catches Love in a side-walk slam. She follows up with a lariat that sends Love to the outside. Klein takes out Love and Leon with a flying crossbody. Klein plays to the crowd, giving Love an opportunity to eye poke Klein in the face. Love talks trash...Klein sends her into the barricade in repayment. Love surprises Klein with a modified triangle coming back in the ring. Klein is in trouble in the center...commentary puts over how Klein has rarely tapped out. She eventually gets to the ropes. Klein regains control and sets Love up on the top rope...fallaway slam for a nearfall. Klein mounts the middle-rope...cutter by Love! She doesn't make the pin right away and Klein kicks out. Leon distracts the referee and tosses Love a bottle of hairspray...she sprays Klein in the face! Thrust kick! Klein kicks out! Leon goes to spray her again but Klein moves and she sprays Love! School-boy from Klein...Love still in it! Leon runs in the ring and eats a spear from Klein! Another thrust kick from Love...and we have a new champion.
Angelina Love wins by pinfall to become the new Women of Honor champion
The Allure begins to attack Klein afterwards. Lights go out. Maria Manic appears and puts Love in the torture rack. Security runs to the ring...Manic disposes through them with ease, chokeslamming and racking them. She stands tall and screams at the camera while Leon and Love stare on from the entrance path.
Cut to a video package hyping the growing tension between Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham. Once partners, Gresham repeatedly began turing to the dark side, with Lethal trying to push him to adhere to the Code of Honor. Gresham is out first for their Final battle tournament match. The franchise Jay Lethal is second.
Jay Lethal versus Jonathan Gresham
Tie-up. Lethal grabs a wristlock. Gresham powers him to the mat and ties up Lethal's leg in a submission. Lethal reverses the pressure...they get back to their feet an reset. Another tie-up...Gresham shows off his ground-wrestling prowess, but Lethal keeps pace and escapes from every submission attempt. Side headlock from Gresham...he goes for a hip-toss...both men block and counter...Lethal sends him to the outside. Off the ropes...baseball slide to Gresham's legs. Gresham runs back in the ring for a misdirection attack but Lethal nails a dropkick that sends him right back out. Lethal off the ropes...suicide dive connects! Crowd is the hottest they've been all night for a match. Springboard moonsault from Gresham and now Lethal is the one in trouble. He stomps the former champion down, targeting the arm, and wrapping it up in a standing butterfly lock.
Powerslam from Gresham...he transitions right into a double-wristlock. Lethal gets to his feet but Gresham keeps the hold applied. Gresham goes for a crossbody...Lethal catches him with a snap-powerslam. Figure-four from Lethal right in the center! Fight spills to the outside. Gresham grabs a chair and goes to use it until the referee pulls it out of his hands. Lethal shouts into Gresham's face: "Is that the only way you can beat me?" The two argue...Gresham slaps Lethal across the face. They brawl viciously all around ringside. They continue the striking exchange on the inside. Superkick from Lethal...he goes for Lethal injection...Gresham cuts him off with a PK. Countless counters from both men...jumping cutter by Lethal. He goes back to the leg...figure-four! It's in for a while before Gresham grabs the rope and Lethal has to let go.
Up-kicks by Gresham..Lethal shakes them off. Lethal Injection attempt...Gresham turns and backslide pins Lethal...two count. Lethal combination! Crowd cheering loudly for Lethal. He goes for another Lethal Injection but he's in too much pain! Gresham kicks the arm! He unloads a flurry of strikes! Octopus submission! He falls into it! Lethal taps!
Jonathan Gresham wins by submission
Fans give both men a nice ovation in what has been the match of the night so far. They chant for them to "hug it out." After an intense staredown...they hug ending the segment.
Coming up next..the Barroom Brawl. A video showing us how we got to this point is shown, when Silas Young betrayed the Bouncers (Brian Milonas & Beer City Bruiser) at Global Wars Espectacular and aligned himself with the Kingdom's Vinny Marseglia. Back to the arena...Young is out first, followed by Marseglia. The Bouncers attack from behind and we are underway. Josh Woods join the commentary table.
The Bouncers versus Silas Young/Vinny Marseglia Barroom Brawl
Bruiser goes after Marseglia, throwing him into the barricade. The Milonas drops Young with a flying crossbody and mounted punches. Bruiser reveals a pool cue and tries to smash it off Marseglia's face but he moves and it shatters off the ringpost. He shove Bruiser and he and Young double-team the Milonas on the inside. They handcuff him to the turnbuckles, and stomp him down. Milonas tries to fight Young and Marseglia off on his own...lungblower from Young and a side-effect by Marseglia. Young and Marseglia grab a table and set it up on the outside. Milonas rips out of the handcuffs. Double lariat to the heels. Milonas has the match won but Bruiser says he wants to cause Marseglia some revenge.
He grabs a metal rod from the under the ring...Marseglia gets his hands on it and levels Milonas, busting him open. Young throws Marseglia the broken pool cue...he shoves it into Milonas' head. Bruiser makes the save...he raps Marseglia's head off the top turnbuckle. Bruiser to the top...Young pulls his leg out trapping him in the ropes. Marseglia reveals some darts and throws them in Bruiser's back getting the biggest reaction from the crowd in this match thus far. Milonas sets up Marseglia for a powerbomb...Young stops it with a steel chair to the back. Young gets hurt and Woods brings him to the back. Milonas gets sent through a table...Bruiser superplexes Marseglia through two chairs but still kicks out! Beer city DDT. Bouncers win.
The Bouncers win by pinfall
Commercial for the Matt Taven DVD set, advertised by the champ Matt Taven himself.
PJ Black joins Riccaboni and Coleman to call the next match. Television champion Shane Taylor is out first. Lifeblood's Tracy Williams is next. Villain Enterprise's Flip Gordon is last. The ring announcer tells us we have a late addition to the match...IT'S DRAGON LEE. This is now a fatal-four way!
Shane Taylor versus Flip Gordon versus Tracy Williams versus Dragon Lee for the Ring of Honor Television Championship
Williams goes right after Gordon with a ground and pound they fight on the outside. Lee goes after Taylor...shoulder bumb but Taylor rocks him with an elbow. Back kick to Taylor's gut...frankensteiner from Lee takes the champ down. Gordon charges but Lee frankensteiners him. Williams in...he gets dropkicked out. Tranquilo pose by Lee. Williams wraps Gordon in a dragon sleeper. Taylor breaks the submission. Lee retakes control...ripcord knee to Williams. Boot to Taylor. Lee to the top...he jumps over Williams...nice exchange of counters leads to a stalemate and a round of applause from the crowd. Gordon pulls Williams to the outside...Lee takes them out with a suicide dive! Taylor to the apron...running senton brings the lot down. Back inside...Gordon steps through...tornado DDT to Taylor. Williams DDT's Gordon onto the turnbuckle, then hits a discus lariat. Lee breaks the pin by booting Williams in the face. He picks him up...brainbuster for a nearfall.
Taylor shakes off a lariat tries to powerbomb Lee...Lee dodges but Taylor knees him in the face. Gordon tries a sunset flip pin on Taylor...he's too big. Gordon superkicks him. He grabs a chair...Williams stops him from using it...Gordon elbows him sending Williams to the outside. Taylor sneaks up behind Gordon...Taylor driver. It's over.
Shane Taylor wins by pinfall and retains the Ring of Honor Television Championship
Taylor and Lee have a staredown afterwards, indicating that the lucha star will be the next challenger.
We move right along to our third title matchup. Lifeblood (Mark Haskins & Bandido) are out first. Dem Boyz, The Briscoes, are out second. All four men shake hands...and this one is underway.
The Briscoes versus Lifeblood for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship
Haskins and Mark begin. Tie-up. Haskins traps Mark in the headscissor...Mark jumps out and applies a headlock...he forces Haskins to the corner...referee separates them. Back and forth striking...they trade thrust kicks...neither man gains the advantage. Staredown. They tag out...Jay and Bandido square off now. Frankensteiner from Bandido but Jay sweeps the leg for a quick pin...two. Dropkick and Jay tags Mark back in. Haskins also tagged back in. They continue their striking exchange from earlier. Running elbow, PK, and basement dropkick in succession. Bandido back in...double-team from the Briscoes. Haskins jumps in...Jay grabs him and holds him for a baseball slide from Mark but Haskins moves! Tope con hilo by Bandido! Haskins chops Jay...criss-cross pump kicks from Lifeblood. They go to repeat the spot but the Briscoes hit duel boots of their own.
Jay whips Bandido into the barricade. Mark chops away at Haskins. Jay throws a chair into the ring...Mark uses it and hits a tope con hilo onto Lifeblood! Crowd going nuts for the Briscoes. Mark pulls out a table. Commentary reminds us that this match is not no DQ. Assisted suplex inside the ring and the Briscoes are in total control. Bandido desperately needs to make a tag...he nearly does but Jay puts him in the camel clutch...he breaks free and brings in Haskins! Haskins takes out the Briscoes with some unique offense. Slam/flatliner combo. Haskins and Bandido with tandem submissions...Mark and Jay don't tap. Haskins picks Mark up..falcon arrow. Bandido from the top...frog splash. Cover...Bandido and Haskins aren't sure who's legal, giving Mark time to kick out. Reverse suplex/superkick combo from Lifeblood. Haskins suicide dives Jay! Cover...still not over. Jay whips Bandido but he flies to the apron and hits an enziguri. Bandido to the top...corkscrew crossbody. Pop-up cutter. Action all over the place. Mark and Haskins take each other out with single-leg dropkicks. All four men down.
Brawl between all four competitors. Pump knee by Haskins to Mark. Bandido rocks Jay with a big boot. Suplex attempt reversed from Mark...brainbuster. Haskins catches Jay in the sharpshooter! Bandido handsprings into a German suplex. Jay helps Mark kick out and breaks the submission in one motion. Superplex and double stomp from Lifeblood...still not over. "This is awesome" chants break out. Jay nails Haskins with a J-driller! HE KICKS OUT. Jay can't believe it. They go for a doomsday device...Bandido breaks it up. Froggie bow from Mark to Bandido. Another J-driller. Briscoes retain.
The Briscoes win by pinfall to retain the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship
The Briscoes leave and Bandido and Haskins help each other up. Bully Ray runs out and powerbombs them both! Tracy Williams runs out and fights Ray off. Flip Gordon appears and smashes Williams with a kendo stick. Gordon and Ray have a staredown, remembering their feud from last year. Ray smiles at Gordon, who leaves. Ray continues his assault on Lifeblood, whipping Williams into the barricade, and powerbombing Haskins through a table right in front of his wife, Vickie Haskins. Ray eventually leaves as the crowd showers him with boos.
Footage of Matt Taven's reign as world champion is played. RUSH would emerge as the next challenger at Summer Supercard back in July. It's main event time. RUSH is out first. Commentary reminds us that he hasn't been pinned or submitted since joining ROH. The champion Matt Taven is next. Here...we...go.
Matt Taven versus RUSH for the Ring of Honor World Championship
Both men come right out of the gate with right hands. Thrust knee from Rush but Taven fires two superkicks right back. He charges into RUSH who sends him into the turnbuckles with an overhead belly-to-belly. Taven's in the corner...Rush goes for the bulls horns...Taven moves and pulls Rush to the outside...into the barricade he goes. Dragon Lee is sitting in the front row. Taven jaw jacks with him. Taven smashes Rush's head off the bell keepers area. He goes to piledrive Rush on the entrance path...Rush back body drops him. Rush starts sending Taven into each side of the barricade. Big chops. Fight moves back to the ring...Taven gets to the apron...he suplexes Rush to the outside. Rush goes to go back in...baseball slide and suicide dive from the champ. Flight of the Conchords hits. Taven is on a roll. He throws Rush back in and climbs to the top...frog slash for two.
Taven strings together offense, including a rope assisted lungblower. He flips over Rush...DDT. Rush fires back with a snap-German and a running knee. He rips off the barricade, and suplexes Taven onto the arena floor. He unhinges the rest of the barricade and uses it as a weapon. Referee allows the match to continue, even though Rush uses a microphone cord to choke Taven. He brings Taven over to the commentary table...suplex! He throws Taven back inside. Big chop...Taven responds with two of his own but Rush is barely effected. He stomps Taven down...he goes for bulls horns...he fakes Taven out and just boots him in the face. Tranquilo pose. Rush to the top...missile dropkick. Taven rolls outside again. He goes or a suicide dive but Taven moves...Rush instead slides to the apron and rocks Taven with a shotgun dropkick. Back in the ring...Taven goes for the Climax..Rush blocks it...J-driller! Somehow Taven connects with the running knee...CLIMAX. Rush gets a shoulder up!
Vicious slaps from both men. Rush has Taven set up...he charges...spear from Taven! Running knee! Another one. Rush spits in his face. Climax attempt...Rush pushes him off...Taven ends up in the tree of woe..bulls horns. Rush hits a second one. New champ.
RUSH wins by pinfall to become the new Ring of Honor World Champion
Rush celebrates in the ring with his family. Taven turns RUSH around...and shakes his hand.
That's the show friends.