Ever since they announced it two weeks ago, I've been absolutely hyped for this main: a 6-Man Tag Team Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contendership for The Kingdom's 6-Man Tag Titles. I love me some gauntlet matches, and I love me some tag team wrasslin', so I have no doubt in my mind this will be great.
Opener
The show opens with a promo from The Kingdom, who detail tonight's events. They deride the teams involved, calling them "melvins" (a Kingdom trademark), stating they never had to fight off any conspiracies (another Kingdom trademark). They close by stating they are first and last 6-Man Tag Champs, and when it's all said and done, the titles are staying with them.
Thoughts: A good promo to start the show. The Kingdom are collectively some of the better mic workers in ROH (Taven the obvious standout, while O'Ryan and Marseglia are decent at peppering notable quips), so I'm all ears when they have a microphone. Above all else, they're one of my favorite things in ROH, and I'm glad they have a title, because they sure as hell deserve it.
Kelly Klein vs. Jenny Rose
Following a slap from Rose, the two start the match out with a series of rest holds, jockeying for position. Klein sends Rose into the corner, only for Rose to counter a corner strike with a diving arm drag from the second rope. Klein quickly recovers, briefly distracts the referee while she attacks, gaining the advantage. Rose tries to fight back, but each time she attempts to mounts a comeback, Klein stops it with a lariat.
Klein begins toying with Rose, shoving her back while Rose once again attempts to fight back. This is unsuccessful once again as she's met with a corner clothesline/running big boot combo from Klein. She then picks up Rose in a firewoman's carry, only for Rose to wriggle out of it, deliver a codebreaker and hit Klein with a series of corner forearm strikes. Rose tries for a suplex, Klein blocks, attempts another lariat only for Rose to counter with a german suplex.
Rose spears Klein, who kicks out at 2. Rose then attempts her judo throw finisher, only for Klein to counter, hit her with a snap suplex then choke her out in her End Of The Match guillotine choke for the W.
Thoughts: A pretty decent match, given the time allotted. Both women are some of the better in-ring workers in WOH, especially Klein (give her the belt, damnit). They fulfilled their roles well in this match: Rose playing the workhorse babyface to Klein's powerhouse heel. I really dug the spot where Klein was toying with Rose and mocking the referee's 5-count. A nice little touch of character work there.
Not too much more to say about it. A relatively short, but rather good match.
Backstage Segment
Desperate to find a partner for the 6-Man Tag Gauntlet Match, The Dawgs (Rhett Titus and Will Ferrara), interrupt Cody backstage. They plead for him to give them some money in order to pay off Shane Taylor, who they had approached earlier to be their partner. Cody says his hands are tied and he has no money. The Dawgs mention they'll ask Marty Scurll for money, which incenses Cody, leading him to give a large amount of cash to The Dawgs.
Thoughts: The Dawgs are honestly one of the most entertaining things in wrestling right now, and these backstage segments are part of the reason why. They play the role of dipshit heels so well; their chemistry with one another is off the charts. Plus, Cody's great as always. I love how incensed he gets when anyone tries to put superiority on anyone else in Bullet Club besides him. Little things like that show why he's one of the best characters in wrestling today.
An entertaining prelude to the main event.
6-Man Tag Team Gauntlet Match
The team of The Dawgs and Shane and Johnathan Gresham, Alex Shelley and LSG are the two teams in the match. LSG and Taylor are the first two in the ring and LSG immediately starts peppering Taylor with strikes; unphased, Taylor hits LSG with a running knee strike. Titus and Gresham are tagged in. Gresham attempts to build some momentum with corner rolling elbow and a springboard headscissors, but Titus halts it with a haymaker and tags in Ferrara.
Shelley is tagged in, with Titus coming soon after. Titus nails Shelley with a slingshot shoulderblock as Ferrara takes out LSG and Gresham. Titus then catapults Ferrara into Shelley, who hits him with a flying clothesline. Taylor is tagged back in and drills Shelley with a headbutt and consecutive knee strikes. After planting Gresham with uranage/running splash combo, Taylor tags in Ferrara. Looking to escape further punishment, Shelley hits a DDT/reverse STO combo on Ferrara and Taylor with an enguiri assist from Gresham.
LSG gets the hot tag and he makes quick work of The Dawgs, then swan dives onto The Dawgs and Taylor on the outside. Back in the ring, LSG rolls up Ferrara, eliminating The Dawgs and Taylor. Silas Young, Beer City Bruiser are the next teams in. Following a quick exchange between the two teams, Milonas catches an LSG plancha attempt and the action gets back in the ring. Following a front dropkick/sidewalk slam combo, the two try to double-team Shelley, who evades the attack.
As Bruiser and Milonas go to the outside, Young enters hits Shelley with full nelson knee strike/cutter combo. Gresham is back in and the two jockey for position. Young drop toe-holds Gresham onto the ropes and his team go to town on Gresham with some triple-team offense. After Bruiser and Milonas work Gresham over for a bit, Young is tagged back in. After a well-timed DDT counter from Gresham, LSG gets the hot tag once again, single-handledy taking on Young, Bruiser and Milonas.
LSG's momentum is halted as Bruiser and Milonas plant him with a hanging spinebuster/leg drop combo. Shelley breaks up the pin attempt only to be met with a backbreaker/lariat combo from Young, who attempts the same thing on Gresham, only to be met with a german suplex. Bruiser and Milonas attempt their Last Call superplex/frog splash combo on LSG, only for all 3 three to counter it. Milonas comes crashing down and LSG hits the 450 splash, eliminating Young and his lot.
SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) are the next team and they take advantage of their prone opponents, laying waste to them as Kazarian starts out as the first man in for his team. SCU absolutely work LSG over as Sky is tagged in. Following a leaping super hurricanrana from Sky, Daniels and Kazarian hit LSG with their Celebrity Rehab (flipping back suplex/codebreaker) tag finisher, eliminating his team.
The surprising combo of Kenny King, Eli Isom and Chuckie T are the last team in the gauntlet. Chuckie is the first man in for his team as he works over Daniels with a jumping knee strike, a backdrop and a couple of lariats. Sky gets tagged in, then King followed by Kazarian. Following some quick combo offense from King and Chuckie, Isom is tagged in. However, just as he gets in, SCU makes immediate work of Isom and begins their triple-team assault on him.
Isom manages to cut the beatdown short as King gets the hot tag, who nails Sky with a chin-checker/rolling enzuguiri combo, then plants Kazarian with a spinebuster. King and Chuckie try for some tandem offense only for Daniels to break it up. Isom is tagged in, and he and his team swap corner strikes on SCU. Following a slingshot hurricanrana from Kazarian to King and a somersault tope from Sky to Chuckie, Daniels the Angel's Wings on Isom, only for Isom to counter with an overhook backdrop pin (I guess), eliminating SCU and gaining the #1 Contendership for his team.
Thoughts: I always love gauntlet matches, and this one here is part of the reason why. There's always so much drama and so many surprises in them, and there were plenty here. My favorite part about the match were the unlikely trios. Gresham/Shelley/LSG were a nice pairing, and they told a decent story in this match. They tried to run the gauntlet and were almost successful, only for SCU to cut their momentum short.
And while we're on unlikely trios, who would've thought that the team of King, Chuckie and Isom would be the ones to come out on top? A fair amount of twists and turns in this match. As a whole, it was fantastic. Couldn't have asked more from a main event.
Overall
A damn good episode, if only for the main event. While I liked everything else (The Kingdom's promo and the backstage segment between The Dawgs and Cody were good, plus Klein and Rose put on a good showing), this gauntlet match was the absolute best part about it. Just a damn good time the whole way through. If it's the only reason for you to watch the episode, I honestly don't blame. It's that good.
An immediate watch for sure. Check it out right now.
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