Last week: The Pure Championship Tournament’s semifinals began with Jay Lethal pinning David Finlay and Jonathan Gresham submitting Matt Sydal.
ROH TV Episode 474
October 17, 2020
Baltimore, MD
Like the last few weeks, the winners from the previous episode had some thoughts on their victory & their upcoming tournament matches. Jay Lethal was very forward in his belief that come the overall finale it will be himself and Jonathan Gresham standing across the ring from one another while praising his partner’s success thus far. On one leg, Jonathan Gresham proclaimed himself the person who will restore honor to ROH after it was taken from it by those who didn’t appreciate the purity that is now rooted in the Foundation.
Footage from Matt Taven’s return was shown as he put old partner turned rival Vinny Marseglia through a table with his patented frog splash.
Block A Semifinal Match: Tracy Williams vs. Fred Yehi
Both men were going after the other’s arm during the opening minute with Fred Yehi showcasing some immaculate escapes. When he got caught. Getting caught in a modified chicken wing, Yehi used his first rope break to save himself from an early submission. When they locked up again, Williams snatched “The Savageweight” in a top wrist lock. Yehi wanted to use the ropes to counter it, but the referee saw that as a rope break. Yehi, failing to explain himself, opted to turn up the heat by landing strikes before executing an exploder suplex as the show entered a commercial break.
During the commercial, Williams used a rope break to stop an arm bar; pulling off a big suplex to turn the tides. “Hot Sauce” was knocking the sweat off his opponent as he chopped, slammed and twisted Yehi. Kick to the spine-running forearm combo almost knocked out Yehi. Ducking a wild swing, Yehi waist locked Williams. Instead of just grinding with the hold, Yehi pulled off a pair of German suplexes. Williams freed himself, only to get his feet stomped, his face dropkicked, and his upper body caught in the Koji clutch. Williams used the ropes to save himself from Yehi’s patented submission. Williams tripped an incoming “Savageweight” into the crossface at the ten minute mark. Yehi fought through the submission, only to be driven into the canvas with the brain buster that gave “Hot Sauce” a two count. Yehi almost pulled a Daniel Bryan with the small package before wrapping his body around the incoming arm of Williams to lock in the Koji clutch.
Using his final rope break, Williams pushed off the ropes to almost pin Yehi. Both men got up, looking to knock the other out. Williams landed a sickening forearm, only to get caught climbing the ropes. Williams countered whatever Yehi had in mind with that turnbuckle DDT. Williams refused to go for the pin, looking for the crossface again. Yehi blocked the hold, only to feel the piledriver. Thankfully for Yehi he was close enough to the ropes to save himself. But Yehi was still prone on the mat, with Williams locking in the crossface. Yehi used the ropes to get himself up, only for “Hot Sauce” to grab him from behind with a rope-assisted dragon sleeper. Yehi, even though he was in the ropes, couldn’t stop the pain until he tapped out.
Free EC3! EC3 is actually here. Grabbing the microphone, EC3 questioned if there is truly honor in the act of fighting. Standing under the banner of ROH, EC3 questioned if ROH lives on the laurels of something unattainable. Promising not to wrestle, but sacrifice himself on the altar of honor, EC3 is looking to prove himself as a fighter beyond measure even if it means purifying his soul.
Shane Taylor found EC3 crossing his path backstage, the former Television introduced himself as the man who runs this house of Honor. The Briscoes took exception to Taylor claiming ROH is his house, causing a slew of officials to stop a potential fight. The Briscoes noted that alongside EC3 they could fight Taylor & The Soldiers of Savagery anytime. EC3 nodded in an apparent agreement to fight alongside Dem Boys when the time is ready.
Block B Semifinal Match: PJ Black vs. Josh Woods
PJ Black made a rather interesting approach at the bell by lunging forward with his feet almost seeing him pull off a dropkick. Josh Woods kept his wits about him, looking to get a hold of Black’s wrists. Hammerlocks were being traded as Brian Johnson gave his thoughts on what his mentor needs to do from ringside. “The Goods” showcased how good he is rolling on the mat; forcing Black to add some space between himself and Woods in an effort to coax him in to running. Woods was swept into a head scissors, rolling with Woods whenever he countered his attempted submission. Johnson demanded Black to not embarrass him as the show entered a commercial break.
Pitching Black over the top rope to counter the head scissors, Woods left the confines of the ring to confront the loudmouth Johnson. Pushing Black back in, Woods locked in a rear naked choke. Black used the ropes to save himself from the choke and a knee bar immediately after. “The Darewolf” got up swinging. Missing a dropkick, Black found himself tied up again. Powering himself off the mat to stop an arm bar, Black slammed Woods before coming after him when “The Goods” rose. A judo style hip toss allowed Woods to hook both of Black’s arms. Black freed himself, coming off the ropes with a pair of flying forearms topped by the cross body block off the top. Woods rolled through the pinning predicament, only to get caught in the pendulum. Black walked Woods into the corner while holding him in the pendulum.
Silas Young demanded Woods to not quit as Black prepared to splash him in the corner. Woods stopped a running Black with the bicycle knee strike. Woods pulled Black off the ropes with a German suplex he converted into the cross arm bar. Black countered by pushing up, only to get swept into the ankle lock. Woods changed a regular ankle lock into an inverted Indian deathlock for the submission victory. It will be Lethal vs. Williams and Gresham vs. Woods in the block finals.
Overall: This was another fun episode of ROH TV with the focus obviously on the Pure Championship Tournament, but it wasn’t set up for the best viewing experience. Woods and Black had a great grappling encounter that, unfortunately, lacked the energy of the previous bout. As expected, Williams and Yehi wonderfully mixed grappling, hard-hitting strikes and the Pure Rules to create a captivating match that should’ve closed the show instead of the rather divisive encounter like Woods-Black. Vinny Marseglia’s promo topped by the return of Matt Taven lacked that certain something that EC3’s official ROH debut didn’t. EC3 cut a marvelous promo with some clever name dropping without actually doing so. To top it off was an unexpected confrontation between EC3 and Shane Taylor topped by the set up for a six-man tag that should happen in the next few episodes. Good stuff all around, but a show that should’ve been structure a little differently for maximum effectiveness.
