Ring of Honor TV Episode #497 3/27/2021

Ring of Honor TV Episode #497 3/27/2021

 

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/ring-of-honor-tv-episode-496-3202021.html

 

They announce a pure rules gauntlet for today and they announce...

 

Beer City Bruiser vs Mike Bennett

BCB does an inset. He said he wants to win and that's why he broke a beer bottle over Matt Taven's head on Episode #489, which was six weeks ago. Time moves slow in ROH. He said Milonas has been stopping him from doing stuff and they are at a crossroads. He said he is tired of being the fun loving drunk who everyone likes, but never gets anywhere. He said he starts getting somewhere by taking down Bennett tonight.

Mike Bennett does an inset promo. He said he has liked a clean life and the angel on his shoulder has been protecting him. But she hasn't been there since he returned. He said Bateman likes random acts of violence but tonight against the BCB, it will be a methodical act of violence.

Mike sits on the apron and Beer knocks him off and throws him over the barricade. Mike comes off the barricade on him but Beer isn't too affected. Back in and Beer double arm ddt's him as we go to break. Back from break and Mike hits a forearm to the back of the head.

Beer drops an elbow on his leg and goes to work on it as Mike really sells it. Mike gets worked over and comes back with a sit out side uranage, which he shouldn't have been able to do so easy against a big guy like that. Mike hits a running forearm and Beer keeps having to adjust his trunks which are sagging. Mikes comes off the ropes and Beer crossbodies him. Beer then hits a ddt variation on him for 2. There's some debris on the one side of the mat for some reason.Beer goes under the ring and grabs a bottle. He breaks it off the post and Todd Sinclair immediately calls for the bell.  Taven then comes down and superkicks Beer to save Mike. 

 

Thoughts: This had an unusual ending. I don't really have a problem with Sinclair doing that, but I think the same logic should apply when people grab chairs and stuff. This match wasn't anything special. 

 

Pure Rules Gauntlet

Man, we have almost 40 minutes left for this. This match is exactly as it says - a gauntlet held under Pure Rules.

Leg 1 - Dante Caballero vs Will Ferrara

Dante is from the ROH Dojo. This is Will's first ROH match since August 2018. They say if every match goes the distance, the rest of this show will be aired on Honor Club. I will riot if that happens. Dante slams Will early. Will tosses him on a wristlock but Dante bumps on his head to sell it like a driver. Will works the arm early as we hit 5 very uneventful minutes. Dante gutbusters him then hits a flying kick off the ropes and gets flipped over and pinned by Will.

Leg 2 - Will Ferrara vs The World Famous CB

CB is Cheeseburger. He changed his gimmick on Episode #490 and hasn't been seen since. Will said he fights with honor and they need to wrestle and put the past between them. Will works the arm early and CB stretches both arms behind will. will hooks a crossface with CB's elbow hooked and CB uses a rope break for it.  Soon after, CB straightjackets his arms and pins him from the powerbomb position in another lame leg.

Leg 3 - The World Famous CB vs Eric Martin

Martin is another ROH Dojo guy. He has a poor man's Drew McIntrye look to him. Martin gets put in a headscissors and sits on the ankle to release it. Martin clearly misses a facekick but it is sold anyway and he drops some elbows on CB. He then hits a slam and after 12 minutes of nothing happening, I've never been so happy to see that. Martin backdrops CB and hits a decent lariat.  

CB does a weak dragon screw leg whip and superkicks him in the leg for 2. CB springboards and gets caught with a northern lights. Martin then flips back and crabs him, but CB catches the ropes and blows his last ropebreak. CB does a hip throw off the ropes then puts on something like a moss covered three handed family gradunza to win. This was the most interesting leg yet, but believe me, that is saying nothing.

Leg 4 - The World Famous CB vs Wheeler Yuta

We go to a quick break and return. CB is going for backslides and is popped up but hits an armdrag. Yuta evades an armdrag then sentons CB's back. Yuta puts him in the gory special backbreaker and CB gets out with an armdrag. Yuta hits a german on CB then hit a diving ddt off the top to win the leg. This leg was fine.

Leg 5 (Final Leg) - Wheeler Yuta vs Fred Yehi

Caprice Coleman on commentary is happy to see Yehi as the final man. We go to break and have a little under 8 minutes for this as we return. Yuta hits a dropkick early then really gets thrown on an exploder. Fred works the arm but takes an atomic drop and an enzugiri. Yuta springboard crossbodies off the 2nd rope for 2 then crossbodies him off the top.

They go outside and Yehi hits an exploder suplex on the floor. Yehi puts Yuta in a Koji clutch but Yuta ankle locks him and Yehi gives it up. Yuta puts Yehi in the heel hook and Yehi uses a rope break. Yehi double stomps Yuta's shoulder but slips. Yehi gets his Koji clutch countered then puts on another one to win.

Thoughts: I didn't really like this that match. The 2nd half was fine but the first two matches were boring wastes of time.

Overall thoughts: This was a pretty lame episode with the gauntlet taking up most of the show.