Ring of Honor Best in the World Results
6/23/17
Lowell, MA
Report by Mike Killam for WrestleZone.com
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Matt Taven & Vinny Marseglia vs. Ultimo Guerrero & El Terrible
The Kingdom came out in grand fashion, with Taven on a throne with a crown and two attractive women surrounding him. Vinny was chained up in a Hannibal style mask, with a doctor escorting him to the ring, while the injured TK O’Ryan came out in a wheelchair. This match will be contested under lucha libre rules, which in this case really only means that if a wrestler lands on the floor his tag team partner becomes the legal man.
Terrible took control of Vinny right from the start, grappling him down to the mat and fired off with a dozen hard slaps to the chest. Taven came in for his team but got dumped to the apron and sent flying with a baseball slide to the floor. The action spilled to the outside as the heels got thrown into barricade, and TK tried to take a cheap shot with his crutch but ended up hobbling away yelling “I’m injured!” at the CMLL foes. Guerrero took things back into the ring and planted Vinny with a headstand dropkick in the corner, but got caught with a superkick going to the well a second time. The Kingdom tried to bail and catch their breath, but Terrible flew outside with a tope suicida, and Guerrero launched himself off the top rope into the bunch. A “lucha” chant broke out, but they may have spent a bit too much time playing to the fans as Taven flew over the ropes with a huge tope con hilo to take everyone out. All four went back and fourth until Taven looked to put the match away, but Terrible pulled his Vinny to the outside and Guerrero rolled him up for the pin. // Winner: Ultimo Guerrero & El Terrible
Strap Match
Kazarian vs. Hangman Page
This is not a strap match in the traditional sense – there will be touching of the four corners to win. Both men start the match with leather straps attached to their wrists, and immediately go after each other swinging wildly with rights and lefts. Kazarian was the first to land a blow from the weapon across his opponent’s back, then threw Page to the floor and followed up with a suicide dive. The Bullet Club member threw Kaz hard into the barricade several times and began to remove sections of the mat to reveal the wood floor beneath. Kaz fought back with a big right hand and got a wicked suplex into the steps on the entrance ramp. The Addiction veteran goes wild, tying Page to the top rope and going crazy with the strap across his back. Hangman didn’t stay down long, coming off the ropes with a stiff lariat. He quickly stole Kaz’s strap throwing it to the floor, going to work with his strap across the back of the Heavy Metal Rebel.
Page went to the floor and retrieved his noose, tying Kazarian to the second rope and brutalizing him with shots all over his body. Not satisfied with the damage done, Page goes to find something under the ring and comes out with… a strap covered in nails!? Kaz came out of nowhere and just went insane, whipping his opponent in the face over and over again. He fought out of a Right of Passage attempt and connected with an Unprettier for an extremely close two-count. Kazarian went for nail-covered strap, but turned around into the Right of Passage from Page – 1…2…Kaz kicked out! Hangman got ahold of his deadly weapon and beat the hell out of his opponent’s backside, drawing blood immediately. Kaz screamed out in pain but fought back and stole the nail-covered strap and swung it across Page’s back, ripping holes in his skin. He wrapped the strap around Hangman’s neck and hung him from the bottom rope until the Bullet Club star had no choice but to tap out. // Winner: Kazarian
The Losing Team Must Disband
Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Jay White & Jonathan Gresham [Search & Destroy] vs. Kenny King, Rhett Titus, Caprice Coleman & Shane Taylor [The Rebellion]
The match becomes all-out chaos as soon as the bell rings, with all eight brawling on the outside. S&D got Caprice Coleman in the Tree of Woe position and hit him with a triple dropkick, as Sabin makes four on the follow-up. The Rebellion comes back and takes control as big Shane Taylor just rips through everyone, splashing Gresham to hell. Finally both teams make it to their corners as King gets a nice suplex on White into a series of mounted punches. Things slow down as the heels keep Gresham isolated in their corner for several minutes. Coleman hits a trio of fantastic looking vertical suplexes. Eventually Gresham connects with a big DDT to give him space and tag in Sabin, as the Machine Guns go wild on everyone. S&D clear the apron and put Titus in the Muta Lock followed by a Dream Sequence, but The Rebellion recover and it’s chaos once again. Shane Taylor destroys White with a huge splash but somehow the former NJPW young lion gets his shoulder up. Bodies start flying as everyone dives to the floor one after another, and White gets his revenge with an actual German suplex on the massive Shane Taylor. S&D held Rhett in the middle of the ring as Gresham came off the rope for a standing Shooting Star Press, but he didn’t get all of it and came down on his knees. The young star puts Titus in an Octopus Stretch and members of the Rebellion try to get to him, but they’re held back as Rhett is forced to tap out. // Winners: Search & Destroy
– Punishment Martinez came out after the match and destroyed Jay White, hitting him with South of Heaven to promote their upcoming match on ROH TV. This didn’t really get the time it needed to sink in, but The Rebellion must now disband!
Jay Lethal vs. Silas Young
The Beer City Bruiser came out with Silas Young, but Jay Lethal ran out from the crowd and blasted him with a steel chair several times to even the odds before the match began. Young took advantage and attacked Lethal from behind, throwing him hard into the barricade. The former ROH champion fought back with rights and lefts, then suplexed his opponent off the top of the barricade. Finally they found their way to the ring, as Silas took a cheap shot and connected with a knee drop coming over the top rope. He followed up with a double knee gutbuster, but only got a two-count and got in the face of referee Todd Sinclair. Young slapped Lethal in the face and it didn’t go over well, as he fired back with stiff right hands and tilt-a-whirl DDT off the ropes. Lethal stalked his opponent, stomping away at him on the mat and looking for quick pins, but that’s not going to get it done here. He starts throwing knees into Young’s back over and over again, then connected with a headbutt in the corner that may have rocked him just as much. They traded suplex attempts jockeying for position, and finally Jay settled for a big enzuigiri to the head, then lifted the bigger man up for an Elgin-like delayed vertical suplex. Lethal went to the top rope possibly looking for Hail to the King, but got caught with a big lariat that sent him crashing to the floor.
Silas teased a dive to the outside but Lethal rolled back in and lit him up with a superkick, following up with a duet of suicide dives. The crowd chanted for “one more time” but it ended up being once too many, as Young threw a chair into his head on the way down. Eventually they both roll back into the ring, barely able to make it to their feet, and start throwing right hands back and forth. Lethal Injection attempt is countered into a Misery attempt, but Lethal fights out and connects with a superkick. He heads to the top rope and this time Hail to the King finds its mark! He goes for the pin but Young rolls him up with an inside cradle for a close two-and-a-half count nearfall. Silas locked in the Figure Four just to mock his opponent, but Jay managed to pull himself to the ropes. Lethal hit a rolling Fireman’s Carry slam but got caught looking for a spinning backfist, and Young planted him with a Pee Gee Waja Plunge. Now infuriated, the Last Real Man went to the floor and grabbed the big beer keg that Bruiser had left at ringside. The referee tried to take it from him but Silas threw him to the mat, only to get caught with a rollup for the win. // Winner: Jay Lethal
– Young turned Lethal inside-out with a brutal lariat the second the bell rang. Beer City Bruiser came back out and attacked Lethal, until Young hit him with Misery on top of the beer keg. Not finished yet, they hung up Lethal in the corner with the beer keg, and Bruiser splashed him over and over again until Jay collapsed on the mat. The heels set up a table on the floor with Young directing traffic, and the massive Bruiser climbed to the very top rope obliterating the ROH Franchise with a 300-pound Frog Splash through the table.
ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match
Bully Ray & The Briscoes (c) vs. Dalton Castle & The Boys
Dalton Castle started things off against Bully Ray with a series of chops that did literally nothing. Bully fired back with some effective right hands, but Castle rolled under a clothesline and did the Peacock Pose to take the tag team legend off his game. Bully stared at him, unsure of exactly what to do against the very strange star in front of him, then did some very strange dance moves and threw a Peacock Pose of his own! A loud “holy s—” chant broke out and the Boys had to fan off their leader who couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Dalton tried to do another pose of his own, but the ECW veteran destroyed him with a hard chop. Jay Briscoe tagged in and screamed out that he wanted to murder The Boys. Boy #2 distracted the referee as Boy #1 kicked Briscoe in the balls, as Ian Riccaboni quoted Kesha just to add to the madness of this contest.
Dalton tagged back in and took Jay down to the mat, and we’ve finally got a wrestling match. After several minutes of back and forth they fought up to the top rope and Castle connected with a high elevation dropkick. He tried to follow up with a superplex but Briscoe fought back and launched them both to the mat with a Super Facebuster! Mark made the hot tag for his team and lit up the Boys with a rapid seriers of knife-edge chops. Boy #1 took a uranage suplex and Castle attempted to make the save, only to get laid out with the Fisherman’s Buster. All hell broke loose as the six men hit the ring in a big brawl. Bully got Boy #2 in position as Mark flew off the top rope for the “Wazzup” dive, and a loud “get the tables” chant broke out. Jay recovered and flew through the ropes to take out both of the Boys, and is done playing around as he grabs a steel chair. Boy #2 ducks under the chair shot and takes off over the barricade and through the crowd, as we pan back to the ring where Dalton Castle rolls up Mark Briscoe with a small package for the win! // Winners and New Champions: Dalton Castle & The Boys!
ROH World Television Championship Match
Kushida (c) vs. Marty Scurll
Scurll refused to adhere to the Code of Honor at the start of the match, kicking Kushida’s hand instead. The New Japan ace took him down to the mat and literally wrestled circles around him, then connected with a hip toss into a seated dropkick to kick things off. They went back and forth in a great exchange, countering move for move until the champion caught Scurll with an armbar out of the air! The Villain got to the ropes and tried for the Chicken Wing but Kushida rolled to the outside and scouted a superkick attempt, firing back with a handspring kick. An early Back to the Future attempt was countered into a rollup for two, and Scurll hit a brutal Ushigoroshi to finally take full control of the match.
The Bullet Club star slowed things down, stomping away at Kushida’s arm and shoulder to weaken him for the impending Chicken Wing. The assault continued for several minutes until the champ caught him running with a snap exploder suplex into the bottom turnbuckle. The battled for position on the top turnbuckle as Kushida locked in the Hoverboard Lock; Scurll tried to roll to the floor but the champion maintained control on the way down! The challenger reached the ropes and fired off with a stiff European uppercut, followed by a knee lift and a classic, picture-perfect piledriver for a close two-and-a-half count. The Villain continued to work over the shoulder, but subsided briefly for a dropkick to the knees. Kushida tried for a handspring forearm but got rolled into a backslide pin for two. He was slow getting to his feet, but followed up with a snap DDT off the ropes.
They went back and forth looking for their respective submissions, but neither could sink it in before being countered. Knowing it was no use, they started swinging wildly with rights and lefts, then stiff forearm shots that took them both to the mat. Kushida got to his feet first and extended the arms of the challenger, stomping away on his face over and over again. Scurll reversed a hold and fired away with the same number of rapid elbows to the head, then locked in the Chicken Wing and fell to the mat to sink the hold in! Kushida refused to tap out so the Bullet Club heel took his arm and snapped his fingers back, then transitioned into a brutal looking body stretch variation, wrenching away at the back, but the champion got his foot under the bottom rope to stay alive. Both men are barely standing, Kushida selling the effects of his broken fingers, as they slowly fight their way once again to the top rope. Scurll threatens to break his other hand, but the juniors sensation grabs his hand and gives him a taste of his own medicine! Back to the Future off the second rope, floated into a Back to the Future on the mat! 1…2…3! // Winner and Still Champion: Kushida
ROH Tag Team Championship Match
The Young Bucks (c) vs. War Machine
Before the match can get started, we here a voice over the speakers telling the two teams in the ring to hold on. Music plays and the Best Friends are here! Chuck Taylor and Trent Baretta make their way out, issuing a challenge to turn this match into a triple threat tornado tag match!
ROH Tag Team Championship Match
The Young Bucks (c) vs. War Machine vs. Best Friends
The match is pure chaos from the opening bell. The Young Bucks look to fly but it’s cut off by Chuck Taylor. The Best Friends look for a double chokeslam on one of the Bucks but War Machine takes them out from behind and destroys them with powerbombs. Big Hanson flies off the second rope with a huge splash on Trent, but Nick Jackson makes the save with a dive off the top. Bodies dive to the outside as the Bucks hit superkicks on everyone, and Matt hits a springboard moonsault to the outside to take down the big boys. All four slowly got to their feet as Sexy Chuckie T came flying off the entrance ramp with a huge Swanton Bomb to take down everyone, but out of nowhere comes Hanson off the top rope with a senton through the pile. This is madness!
Eventually we head back into the ring as the champions try More Bang For Your Buck on the Best Friends, but they roll out of the way. War Machine takes down the challengers and Hanson goes up top for a third time as the crowd goes crazy, but Trent sprints across the ring to send him crashing with a huge suplex! Matt and Nick recover and hit both members of War Machine with superkicks as the crowd chants along with them, then superkick the Best Friends as well. They hit War Machine with a second set of superkicks, but turn around into superkicks from the Best Friends – all six men collapse! The big men are the first to their feet as Hanson and Trent fight over position on the apron. Hanson kicks him into Rowe on the floor, who catches him into a huge German suplex. They roll back into the ring and hit one of the Bucks with a pop-up powerbomb, but only get two. They hit Trent with Fallout and Hanson goes flying over the ropes to take out the Bucks, but Chuck Taylor is back to make the save.
There are just bodies flying everywhere. All three teams go back and forth with huge moves, teasing nearfalls all the way around. The Bucks line up for the Meltzer Driver on Chuck, but he turns it into the Awful Waffle for two-and-a-half. War Machine pick up the Best Friends for piledrivers, but get caught with superkicks, and the Bucks use them to turn it into a double Indytaker spot! They lay out the big men with two more superkicks, then pile up on Hanson to finally pick up the pin. // Winners and Still Champions: The Young Bucks
ROH World Championship Match
Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
The champion starts things off in total control, wrestling Rhodes to the mat and keeping him grounded. Daniels connected with a big right hand that actually split open the challenger, and Cody rolled to the floor to reevaluate his approach. Eventually they lock up a second time, but Daniels again gets the advantage and grapples his opponent to the mat. He went for an early Angel’s Wings, but Cody rolled to the floor and went into the crowd this time, flipping off a fan to massive boos as blood dripped from his mouth. The challenger cannot get anything started, and rolls to the floor a third time. This time Daniels goes out after him, but Cody had it scouted and threw him hard into the barricade to get his very first opening in the match.
Rhodes takes his time working over his opponent, throwing the champion in and out of the ring as he picks his spots. Daniels fought back with right hands and went to the top rope, but got caught with a big armdrag sending him crashing to the mat below. Cody went to the floor and cleared everyone out of the way, then got in the face of ROH Ambassador Cary Silken. Daniels saw it happening and went after him, but fell into the trap and got thrown hard into the barricade for the second time in this match. Rhodes took him back into the ring and threw him into the corner, intentionally taking out the referee not once, but twice. Daniels tried to roll him up twice, but there was nobody to make the count and the crowd booed.
Marty Scurll made his way out with a steel chair, throwing it to his Bullet Club partner. Daniels scouted it and stole the chair, then did the old Eddie Guerrero special smacking the mat and throwing it to Cody as the ref recovered and threatened to DQ him. Scurll got up on the apron to explain things, but out comes Kazarian to even the odds and take out the Villain. In the meantime, Cody managed to set up a table on the floor. He rolled back into the ring but got caught with a flurry of offense from the champion, including the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. The champ set up for the Angel’s Wings, but Cody fought out of it and hit the Rainmaker! Message sent to the IWGP Heavyweight Champion! The Disaster Kick connects and sends Daniels to the apron, and Cody follows up with a Dragon Screw in the ropes. They fight out on the apron and it’s the champion that gets the better of the exchange, sending them both crashing through the table below with a belly to back suplex. Slowly they both make it back into the ring, going back and forth looking for big moves. Cody tried for the Disaster Kick but Daniels ducked under it and went for Angel’s Wings. Rhodes countered, hit the Cross Rhodes, and picked up the win. // Winner and New Champion: Cody Rhodes
