bookkeeping note: TiVo's programming guide has this as episode number 238 - maybe it's season 2, episode 38? Maybe someone just hit the wrong number?
This one's too easy, so I'll make it complicated
- highlight of Tyler Black losing the title, giving double bird to Strong - Jim Cornette in-ring sets up... - Davey (or "Davie" if you're captioning this show) Richards takes shots at Tyler Black while challenging him in a pretape interview. Tyler interrupts, and the refs, the interviewer, and bald Kevin Kelly break it up. - Cornette brings them in-ring, for the extended dance remix. Tyler doesn't understand why Davey hasn't taken a "major promotion" deal - "you turned down cash and choose competition". Davey picks up on Tyler being in for the money, so offers Tyler any amount of money he wants for a match tonight, Tyler's last appearance for the company. Instituting Tyler has no testicles is enough to get Tyler to do it for free, and Cornette takes him up on it. The rest of the show is canceled to make room for this show.
- Dueling Davey/Tyler video package interviews, originally airing 05/30 to set up their title match at Death Before Dishonor.
- Previously?: Kings of Wrestling locker room interview re: the Briscoes attack on Sara Del Rey + the attack on Papa Briscoe + Briscoes attacking the Kings briefly before the ring fills up - Interview with The Briscoes, re: next week's title match with the Kings of Wrestling for the tag team titles. It's their last shot at the belts. Briscoes sound less concerned with the belts and more focused on revenge for the attack on their father. - Replay of Davey/Tyler in ring scuffle - Davey's entrance.
- Tyler's entrance 1) Davey Richards b Tyler Black [27:14, cloverleaf]
Usual ROH style match. Good, very good near the end, but I spent the first 20 of it negotiating the difference between "Junior" and "II" and this match didn't pull me away. I think I may also be ideologically opposed to Davey Richards and so liked it less than others. No one believed Tyler was possibly going to win this, but they did at least have one moment where they got the people to think they might, which is a strong point in their favor. Worth seeking out when it turns up on YouTube last this week, but not a MOTYC for me.
Commentary was odd, as if they couldn't decide how they wanted to treat Tyler in his last match so they did a little bit of everything. Post match, Hogwood said "We wish Tyler the best in his future endeavors", except he read it completely sincerely, not knowing why they actually would script that specific line for him. That was weird.
- After the match, Davey told Tyler to tell Vince and his boys to come to Philly for real wrestling and left. - hype for KoW vs Briscoes
next week's match sounds interesting and I might remember to tune in for it. So, success?
I love the women competitors. I am a huge huge Jazz mark. Trish Stratus's improvement in the ring is incredible. Victoria makes me smile with her crazy antics. Molly Holly is one of the best women workers there are. Ivory, Jacqueline, Nidia...