Last week: Jay and Mark Briscoe solved their issues on a Fight at their family’s farm after Jonathan Gresham successfully defended the Pure Championship against Fred Yehi.
ROH TV Episode 512
July 10, 2021
Baltimore, MD
Quinn McKay not only welcomed everyone to the show, but also the card for tonight including The Briscoes beginning their journey back to the top of the mountain.
The Briscoes vs. Joe Keys & Dante Caballero
McKay caught up with Dante Caballero & Joe Keys prior to the show, discovering the ROH Dojo graduates being rather scared. Keys admitted that they were getting their asses whooped tonight. Dante agreed that they may end up in the woods of Sandy Fork after this one. The Briscoes also cut a pre-taped promo to simply tell everyone they are working together again; prepared to fight back from the bottom to the top starting with a pair of boys they plan on whoopin’. Well at least everyone is on the same page about this match.
It was Mark Briscoe starting off with Joe Keys; the prior landing a perfect dropkick off the leap frog in the corner. The show entered a commercial break just as Dem Boys were running through their opposition.
Keys found himself on the wrong part of town, getting double teamed and suplexed until Mark had him pinned against the turnbuckles for some sickening knife edge chops. Double team shoulder tackle from The Briscoes put Keys on his back and Dante refusing to tag in. Countering an Irish whip with the belly-to-back suplex, Keys tagged out to his partner so Caballero could execute a backbreaker that gave him a two count on the former World champion. Stopping a follow-up attack with the hurricarana was Jay before he tagged his brother in. Redneck Kung Fu was in full effect as he knocked both opponents out of the ring. Keys took a Mark flying dropkick to the floor before Dante got kicked down by Jay. Flying tomahawk chop from Mark on Keys set up Redneck Boogie … to give Dem Boys a near fall!
Dante got wiped out before Keys felt that Time-bomb neck breaker. Mark scaled the ropes, crushing Keys with the Froggy Bow to pick up their first win since February.
Flip Gordon vs. PJ Black
Flip Gordon not only didn’t care for Quinn McKay interrupting his pre-match workout, he pretty much blew her off so he could do handstand push-ups instead. PJ Black, on the other hand, gladly explained how Gordon is just a younger, less experienced version of the globe-trotting star he’ll oppose tonight. Brian Johnson joined the commentary team to remark about things like how he doesn’t cheat, his plan to obliterate The Briscoes at “Best in the World”, and how boring EC3 is.
The early going saw both men looking for a hold that would give them the early advantage and coming up short. Making it the ropes after a trip saw Black actually witnessing his opponent break clean. When they tumbled into the ropes again, Gordon opted to sucker punch PJ. Black was getting the life chopped out of him and didn’t feel like taking any more as he picked up the pace to head scissor Flip to the floor for a plancha. When Gordon couldn’t recover and decided to run to the floor, PJ dropkicked him from behind to put them at ringside against. Flip left the ring when Black rolled him back in for another attack, using the apron to trap Black when PJ went for a baseball slide. Big whip into the barricades by Gordon allowed him to take control both outside and inside when Flip hit a springboard dropkick. Black moved away to avoid another springboard maneuver, only to get super kicked on the floor prior to the commercial break.
Black was stuck in a seated surfboard, feeling a fisherman’s buster when he tried to free himself. Black rallied back, looking for pinning combinations until he came off the ropes with a DDT attempt. Black not only blocked the DDT, but turned it into an overhead suplex. Countering a superplex only resulted in Gordon feeling a frankensteiner for a two count. Mushroom stomp connected for Black, but didn’t end this one in his favor. Avoiding another flying attack, Gordon squashed his opposition with a reverse Finlay roll topped by the standing shooting star press … that gave him a near fall!
Resetting his ponytail left Gordon open for a series of right hands. Gordon responded with a chop before hitting the ropes. Black ran in after Flip, pulling him down via a springboard Spanish fly that too gave him a two count. Black couldn’t believe Gordon was still fighting, leading to a forearm exchange that ended with Gordon’s blue thunder bomb. Grabbing Black by his beard, Gordon thumbed PJ in the eyes to pull off the Flip-5. Gordon immediately cinched in his STF to make PJ tap out.
Gordon wasn’t done, putting Black back in the STF. Brian Johnson made the save, demanding that Gordon fight “The Mecca”. After Gordon left, Johnson cut a promo on The Briscoes that confirmed his belief that they’ll overcome Dem Boys at “Best in the World”.
VLNCE UNLTD (ROH World Television champion Tony Deppen & Brody King) vs. The Foundation (Pure champion Jonathan Gresham & Jay Lethal) vs. La Faccion Ingobernable (Dragon Lee & Kenny King)
Brian Zane was with the commentary team for this one. Kenny King & Dragon Lee’s pre-taped promo heard them state they’ll let their opponents beat up each other & they’ll pick the scraps. Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham’s promo saw Lethal declare that he’ll show Brody King tonight and at “Best in the World” that he’s the best when it comes to professional wrestling – what ROH is built on. VLNCE UNLTD’s Brody King & Tony Deppen promised to assert dominance in this growing hatred making up ROH’s faction warfare.
The Foundation and VU followed the Code of Honor while LFI refused. Lethal was rocking a new singlet as he was forced out of the ring by his partner when Lee & King opted to join the timekeeper’s table so they could watch the action instead of participate. It was a clash between the Pure champion and Television titleholder as Gresham actually offered his wrist as a set up to sweep Deppen into an arm bar attempt. The TV champ freed himself, actually mocking Gresham’s grappling abilities. LFI didn’t seem impressed by the action happening in front of them, tripping & yanking Gresham out of the ring for a double team suplex. Deppen didn’t care, throwing Gresham back in for a two count. Countering a wrist lock by almost kicking Deppen’s elbow out of the socket put The Foundation back in control at the commercial break.
When the show returned it was Lethal trying to wring off Brody’s left arm. Brody freed himself before shoulder blocking Lethal into an Irish whip. Once again it was LFI pulling a running member of The Foundation to the floor for a double team suplex. And, once again, a member of VL took advantage of the situation created as King laid out Lethal in the ring after a failed pin attempt. Assisted senton splash by King to help Deppen knock the wind out of Lethal allowed the TV champ to pick up a two count. Catching Lethal in the sleeper, Tony almost knocked out Lethal; only for LFI to pull Deppen out of the ring for a double team suplex as well. Brody ran off LFI, pushing Deppen back in as Lethal tagged out to Gresham.
“The Octopus” was all over Deppen, as well as LFI when he dove on them after using a lionsault on the TV champ. Brody tagged himself in, attacking Gresham before hitting the ropes. LFI grabbed Brody for that double team suplex when King reversed it on Lee & King. Just as Brody got up, Lethal came sailing through the ropes for his patented tope to down the big man prior to the commercial break.
Brody found himself being double teamed by The Foundation with Kenny being the only person able to save him from a sure pin. Lee tagged in, attacking Gresham. Dragon muscling Gresham into a power bomb off the failed cradle saw Lethal having to save his partner from a three count. Lethal got shoved out of the ring before Kenny pulled off a spine buster-tiger driver combo on Gresham that ended with Deppen stopping a sure pin.
Brody had to do the same thing moments later after another LFI double team put Gresham down. Lethal found himself on the top rope courtesy of Brody. Gresham got underneath Brody, power bombing him off the middle rope. Lee got in the ring, running into the Cornette Cutter. Before Gresham could take advantage of the moment, Deppen caught the Pure champ with a shining wizard. Kenny slipped in, knocking Deppen out of the ring before pinning Gresham.
Overall: There used to be a time when episodes airing the same weekend as a pay-per-view wouldn’t feature much to actually emphasize the PPV happening or even presenting some big matches – this episode was nothing like those. Beyond three very fun, though very different matches was the fact there was some actual build to some of the PPV matches including The Briscoes getting their first win in months in preparation for Brian Johnson & PJ Black, Gordon showing his ruthlessness that could be the big determining factor in him defeating EC3, Johnson cutting a masterful promo on Dem Boys, and LFI getting the last big win over their faction competitors before the big PPV.
From a match quality perspective there was a solid, though one-sided tag bout as the opener. Gordon-Black was incredibly even and warrants a rematch down the line as they definitely had marvelous chemistry. And then there was a wild, though not as chaotic as their previous encounters, main event where LFI used the “less is more” theory to win after their opponents did most of the work. As per the norm, a really enjoyable episode that shockingly meant a lot to the build to “Best in the World”.
