Last week: In a thriller of a match, The Foundation’s Rhett Titus & Tracy Williams successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship against The OGK of Matt Taven & Mike Bennett.
ROH TV Episode 506
May 29, 2021
Baltimore, MD
– After footage of last week’s main event was shown, the ROH World Tag Team champions thanked The OGK for a tremendous match. Tracy Williams declared that this reign would establish a Pure Tag Team division.
Choose Your Division Ranking: LSG vs. Joe Keys
Two weeks ago, LSG and Joe Keys survived a battle royal that allowed them to fight in the future for an opportunity to choose whatever championship division they want to be rank in the top five. Joe Keys had a pre-taped promo where he stated tonight was the night he went beyond being just a ROH Dojo boy and a person who could be a ROH champion. LSG also got the promo treatment, stating this match is an example of the current era of ROH where LSG will propel toward super-stardom with this victory.
After a quick grappling exchange, the pace quickened with LSG stopping a Boston crab before trying for Rocket Bye Baby. Keys spun out of LSG’s patented maneuver, putting the match at a stalemate. When they tied up again, Keys pushed LSG into the corner. Unleashing a big chop, Keys brought a smile to LSG’s face. LSG paid him back moments later; causing a back & forth of chops until Keys simply kicked his opposition. Sunset flip didn’t help Keys as he took a dropkick when LSG rolled through the pinning combination. LSG had that handspring DDT in mind when Keys countered with a backbreaker prior to the commercial break.
Keys had LSG grounded & his arms pulled behind his own body. LSG muscled his way off the canvas, only to feel a German suplex for a two count in Keys’ favor. LSG used a slinging of his own body off the ropes to connect with that springboard flying forearm. LSG couldn’t gain the three count off another one of his patented maneuvers, simply bashing Keys with forearms afterward. LSG had the cravat cinched in, executing a float-over neck breaker soon after for another two count.
LSG wanted to make Keys tap with the cravat, only for Joe to rally off the mat and slam his way out of the hold. Keys’ subsequent slam attempt resulted in him being slammed with Rocket Bye Baby. Keys couldn’t get up in time to stop LSG from putting him in an Indian deathlock. Even after grabbing his opponent’s wrist, LSG couldn’t prevent Keys from making it to the bottom rope. Keys caught LSG coming in after him with a big brain buster. Sadly for Keys, LSG was fresh enough to take Joe’s follow-up strikes and responded in kind until he swept Keys into a crucifix for the three count.
– Quinn McKay awaited LSG’s arrival backstage to ask what title LSG wants to challenge for. Considering the purity of Keys’ style and believing in what The Foundation stands for, LSG decided he will be gunning for the Pure Championship going forward.
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– At ROH’s “19th Anniversary”, Silas Young turned on his protege Josh Woods. A few weeks later, Young stole a victory over the “Technical Beast” by using the ropes for leverage during a pinning counter of Woods’ submission. Quinn McKay caught up with Young to question how he could be proud of the win. Woods confronted Young, only for Silas to throw out the challenge, “…Pure Rules match.” Woods had a good laugh about the idea and was happy to accept the challenge. Next week it’ll be Young versus Woods in a Pure Rules match.
– Next week begins the 2021 Survival of the Fittest tournament.
– VLNCE UNLTD put the warning out in regards to tonight’s main event featuring the faction taking on The Foundation. Brody King was trying to get philosophical when he just gave up and promised The Foundation would die at his allies’ hands. Chris Dickinson promised to beat anyone in any environment. Homicide reminded everyone of the beatings he gave Lethal back in the day after insulting Tracy Williams & Jonathan Gresham. Deppen closed out the promo by simply declaring violence would win out every time.
– The Foundation was in full force as well with Jay Lethal speaking for the faction. Lethal was surprised Tony Deppen couldn’t cut it as a pure wrestler. For Dickinson, Lethal didn’t know what to expect; unlike dealing with Homicide who is an old foe from many years ago. Lethal declared that VLNCE UNLTD would realize what The Foundation is trying to do for ROH.
The Foundation (ROH World Tag Team champion Rhett Titus, ROH World Tag Team champion Rhett Titus, Pure champion Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal) vs. VLNCE UNLTD (ROH World Television champion Tony Deppen, Brody King, Homicide & Chris Dickinson)
Brody King demanded The Foundation follow the Code of Honor, only for things to get hostile until Tony Deppen stepped up to face off with the man he beat to win the TV title, Tracy Williams. Williams immediately beat Deppen until he was stuck in the corner. Using an incoming clothesline against him, Williams set up the piledriver on Deppen when Homicide attacked Tracy from behind. Williams wouldn’t be deterred, suplexing Deppen into a tag from Homicide. Homicide wanted Lethal just like the old days, only to tag out to Chris Dickinson when Lethal went to lock up.
Backing Dickinson into the ropes, Lethal broke clean; only for Chris to respond with a big forearm. Lethal fired off with a chop that resulted in Dickinson laughing it off. Lethal missed his cartwheel dropkick as Chris rolled to the floor. Homicide attacked Lethal from behind when Jay went for the tope on Dickinson, causing another referee-stopped brawl from breaking out. Jonathan Gresham ordered Lethal out to cool down as Dickinson kept mouthing off. Homicide promised to embarrass Gresham upon tagging in, but it was the Pure champion slapping Homicide after taking him down.
Gresham stated Homicide got schooled, to which the former ROH World champion responded by kneeing “The Octopus” in the gut & trying to break his fingers. Back rakes, closed fists & elbow drops set up a Homicide Irish whip. Unfortunately for Homicide, Rhett Titus blind tagged Gresham; allowing the Tag champ to drill Homicide. Quick tags from The Foundation allowed them to isolate Homicide on the wrong part of town. Lethal was the legal man, slamming the life out of Homicide prior to the commercial break.
Homicide had to eye rake Gresham to back “The Octopus” into VU’s corner so Brody King could tag in & unleash strikes on every opponent in & out of the ring before twisting up Gresham on the mat with an abdominal stretch. It was champion versus champion as Deppen assaulted Gresham with slams & knee drops to prepare Jonathan’s body for Dickinson’s Oklahoma stampede. Gresham kicked out of the follow-up pin, allowing Homicide to reenter for some more damage. Homicide’s tornado DDT was countered; giving Gresham the chance to muscle Homicide over with a suplex.
Tag to Titus on one side as Brody tagged Homicide. Titus ducked a big clothesline, landing a dropkick to King’s back. Dickinson ran in, only to get clotheslined and power slammed. Deppen had a tornado DDT in mind, but Titus turned it into a northern lights suplex topped by the belly-to-belly suplex on the TV champion. Titus had King position for the flying knee drop, but Brody stopped the three count leading to another commercial break.
Lethal tagged in, trying to help Titus Irish whip King. King fought through their intentions, only for Williams to run in and muscle King into a modified FU off the Lethal super kick. Things were breaking down when VU stopped a pin on King. Lethal stopped the Cop Killa, only for Homicide to get a running start for his tope con hilo on Titus & Gresham on the floor. Homicide jumped on the apron as Jay went for the Lethal Injection, causing them to collide. Lethal stumbled right into King’s Ganso Bomb to give Brody the three count over the former two-time ROH World champion.
Homicide immediately mocked Lethal by shaking his hand while The Foundation demanded they back off so they could help Jay out of the ring. VU eventually allowed The Foundation to retreat.
Overall: A few weeks ago VLNCE UNLTD and La Faccion Ingobernable had a nice, intense battle that was cut short due to the referee losing control. This week’s main event had the same potential of an ending, but instead delivered on the same level of intensity as the aforementioned main event with an actual winning team. For two weeks in a row ROH TV has produced a must-see tag team main event. The level of vitriol involved in these faction matches as of late has been so refreshing; especially when the commentators are doing a wonderful job bringing up past encounters & feuds. King pinning Lethal is not only huge for his team, but also a big deal in Brody’s quest to get another ROH World title shot. It’ll be interesting to see what ROH does going forward with this faction warfare and if it’ll lead to a big twelve man tag with all three major factions going to battle at the same time.
LSG and Joe Keys was a really good match as well with the outcome pretty much out of the question. Keys has really stepped it up during his recent ROH TV appearances and, hopefully, this is the beginning of bigger things for him. Considering what Gresham has been going through as of late, LSG may be the unlikely person to finally topple the Pure champion in the very near future. Also regarding the near future – kudos to ROH for properly building toward next week’s episode with vignettes promoting the return of the Survival of the Fittest tournament and Young-Woods Pure Rules.
