August 6, 2016
Episode 255
(taped July 16, 2016)
City: Philadelphia, PA
Venue: 2300 Arena
Commentary: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Bobby Cruise
Video
Clips of Adam Cole cutting Jay Lethal’s hair.
Intro Video
“War Zone” by 615 Music
Match 1
Will Ferrara vs Jay White
(referee: Paul Turner)
Result: Jay White wins via pinfall with a Kiwi Crusher
Time: 6:50 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Both guys were evenly matched and each had some nice holds and moves. There was a particularly entertaining sequence with some wrist locks early on. Ferrara was wrestling with an injured hand, and that came into play during the match a little which was cool.
Video
Shibata will make his ROH debut be at Death Before Dishonor.
** Shibata is going to kill Silas Young. Shibata hits very, very hard, and he can take a beating himself. **
Ring Area
Mark Briscoe arrives at the ring early for The Fish Tank. He says that The Fish Tank is divisive rhetoric and communist propaganda. Bobby Fish is trying to infiltrate your brain. So instead, Mark Briscoe decides to make his own show: The Chicken Shack. He introduces his first ever guest, the ROH TV Champ, Bobby Fish.
Bobby Fish heads to the ring and shakes Mark’s hand. He says he looks like a million buck (he does look good) and Mark looks like an unmade bed (he does look unkempt). Mark then asks some questions. Chicken or fish? Did Fish marry an Ethiopian midget in Vegas?
Mark then tells Fish that the TV Title is his destiny. Fish then wonders who Mark would be if he wins the TV Title. He’d be Jay Briscoe’s little brother with a secondary title. Bobby Fish makes the TV Title the number one title. Mark has to be held back by security as Bobby Fish finishes telling him how he won’t take his title away.
** I’m surprised Mark Briscoe knows a lot of the words he was using. But yeah, I liked this. It builds some good emotion in the match. **
Video Promo
The Addiction says there’s a conspiracy, but they’re smart, so they might have things handled.
Match 2
ROH World Title Match
Colt Cabana vs Jay Lethal (ROH World Champ)
(referee: Todd Sinclair)
#LETHALvsCABANA
Result: Jay Lethal wins via pinfall after a Lethal Injection to retain the title
Time: 12:17 (2 breaks)
Match Thoughts
Very good match! it started off with a lengthy feeling out period where both men had some nice holds and counters. As the match went along it became a little faster with bursts of hard-hitting moves. At a certain point they started hitting big moves which led to a number of believable near fall. It was done very well, even making a hip attack a viable way to end the match. In the end one of the big moves led to the end, even though the guy that got hit with it wasn’t defeated right away.
Ring Area
After the match, Lethal and Cabana shake hands. Lethal then gets on the mic and calls Nigel McGuinness into the ring. He tells McGuinness that he wants to face Adam Cole. McGuinness doesn’t want to because he’s already told Cole that he wouldn’t get another shot at the title.
Adam Cole comes out. He doesn’t believe what’s happening in the ring. He accuses them of pretending in order to let Jay Lethal avoid facing Cole again. Cole then says that everyone in the locker room thinks he’s a “little bitch.” Lethal wants to shut Cole up, so he again asks MCGuinness for a match with Cole. Nigel relents. He agrees to the match.
Show Impressions
Good show. The main event was great, the opener was good, and the talk show was pretty funny while still adding something to the feud. Even just watching this show, it makes me want to see Death Before Dishonor.
Match of the Night
Colt Cabana vs Jay Lethal
This was a really good match and featured a great outing by Colt Cabana.