Ring of Honor TV Episode #491 2/12/2021

Ring of Honor TV Episode #491 2/12/2021

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/ring-of-honor-tv-episode-490-262021.html

As usual, ROH has their show on weekly at various times and the date isn't reliable, just the episode number is. 

The Foundation did a promo with Wheeler Yuta and Fred Yehi. Lethal said this company was built on pure wrestling. They said this isn't bar fighting or karate. They said they must lead by example. Jay said you can't claim to be the best until you really are.

Jay talked to Tracy Williams after. He said about they start the match tonight and Tracy said don't forget what happened last time.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to the show. They announced Jonatham Gresham, Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi vs Jay Lethal, Rhett Titus and Wheeler Yuta. They said The Foundation wanted to show what wrestling was about after being disgusting at what happened last week. They said Maria Kanellis was making a facebook group called "Choose Your Honor". They also announced LSG vs Tony Deppen.

Tony Deppen did a promo. He said people maybe wanted him to win but knew he can't because he is small. He said he didn't beat Dragon Lee at Final Battle, but he earned respect and proved he belonged. Deppen said him and LSG went from the backyard to ROH. He said LSG is bigger and stronger, but he gets beaten up all the time and he has momentum. He told LSG to bring it.

LSG then did a promo. Do I even need to tell you how bad this name is? LSG said Deppen took what was his by upsetting him at Final Battle. He said Deppen beat him in a fluke, but can he do it again?  He said "I am Ring of Honor, are you?".

Tony Deppen vs LSG

Deppen is a decent wrestler, but he's really really small in weight and height. They say he is 5'10 but Chikara's site says he is 5'7 and I think even that is probably too high. LSG does a nice sweep into a pin attempt and they counter each other early. They forearm each other on the outside at the same time. TD springboards with a dropkick onto LSG on the apron. LSG does a flipping neckbreaker onto Tony on the floor. LSG yells at him from the floor saying, "you're going to make a name at my expense?".

Deppen is thrown into the rails and barely makes it in. We take a break and come back. LSG puts Tony on his back and pulls on his neck and Tony escapes with an armdrag. Tony hits a slap combo and crossbodies him from the top. TD then rams knees into him in the corner. They slap each other  and Deppen in swung around then slammed sternum first. LSG hits a springboard forearm for 2.

Deppen hits a brainbuster and a shining wizard for 2. LSG comes back with pump kicks and gets bounced on a german suplex. LSG puts Deppen on his back and flips him over into a powerbomb landing for the win. They did too much here and there wasn't any particular story.

Quinn McKay ran up to the Briscoes in the back. The Briscoes were staring each other down while sitting. Jay said he missed the boat and Mark said he missed the boat swimming after someone named "EC3". Mark told him to get back on the boat and they pounded forearms. I don't know what any of that was about but atleast they are funny and have personality.

Shane Taylor said he was next for Rush and Rush said when you mess with the bull, you get the horns. They will have a title match in two weeks.

Jonatham Gresham, Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi vs Jay Lethal, Rhett Titus and Wheeler Yuta

We got about 18 minutes left for this. Everyone is wearing black and as promised, we start off with Lethal vs Williams. They went to the mat. Williams put in a single leg crab but Jay rolled him over to stop it. Yehi and Rhett do some amateur wrestling. Yehi grabs Yuta's arm and lifts him up but Yua jumps over him. Gresham does some nice rolls while put into a wristlock to escape. Gresham and Lethal, tag champs, go at it and do a million counters to each other.

Gresham does a nice cartwheel out of a headlock. Lethal then cartwheels into a dropkick. Rhett gutwrentches Gresham. Yuta traps Greshman's arm and is able to tag to Rhett while doing it, then Rhett continues the hold. Lethal goes for a spear on Gres, but he leapfrogs and Lethal spears his own opponent. Lethal rolls Gres and he flips out of it into a cutter on Rhett. Yehi puts a Koji Clutch on Yuta, but he hits the ropes.

Williams and Yehi 2v1 Yuta then Williams hooks him under the crotch and suplexes him over. Jay does a top rope elbow on Williams for 2 but Williams comes back with a lariat. Rhett and Gres traded forearms and Gres was belly to belly suplexed. Yehi takes a Williams/Yuta combo then Yuta does a head and arm Angle slam for 2. Yuta does a ddt from the top to Yehi and Yuta takes an exploder suplex. Lethal then takes a nice exploder suplex. Yehi does a reverse STO into a fast Koji Clutch but Jay breaks it up. Lethal hits the Lethal Injection on Gresham, but he isn't the legal man. Rhett then hits a dropkick out of nowhere and wins over Yehi at 17:47. They promised a pure wrestling match without a lot of strikes and stuff and initally they did just that, then it devolved into a regular wrestling match. It was fast paced but there wasn't a story.

Overall thoughts: The opener was your basic indy match and the main event seemed like it would be a technical classic but just devolved into a regular match. It was still entertaining but it defeated its purpose.