Last week: Dragon Lee & Kenny King overcame VLNCE UNLTD’s Homicide & Chris Dickinson to become the new ROH World Tag Team champions.
ROH TV Episode 522
September 18, 2021
Baltimore, MD
Pure Rules Gauntlet: World Famous CB vs. Eric Martin
Each segment of the gauntlet will have fifteen minute time limit with each wrestler only having the three rope breaks as per the norm no matter how far they make it in the gauntlet. The much larger Eric Martin found himself on the wrong end of a leg takedown trip after World Famous CB reversed his arm bar. Martin would use the ropes to keep his balance, losing a rope break. CB would do this two more times with Martin stumbling and instinctively grabbing the ropes to stop himself from falling out of the ring.
CB laughed that Martin lost all three ropes breaks in two minutes. A frustrated Martin sent CB careening to the floor following a dropkick. When the action returned inside, Martin almost took CB’s head off with the clothesline in the corner after a big butterfly suplex. World Famous stopped the incoming onslaught by rolling up Martin. When Eric kicked out, it was CB catching him with a super kick that he converted into a double leg trip-kneeling straightjacket choke combination for the submission victory.
Pure Rules Gauntlet: World Famous CB vs. Delirious
Code of Honor was followed again before World Famous tried to counter Delirious’ wild post-bell-ringing antics by out-grappling him. It pretty much ended in a stalemate that allowed Delirious to reassert himself when they were on their feet. Takedowns and leg trips were the name of Delirious’ game until CB caught his head in a scissors that forced the masked man to use the bottom rope to save himself. Delirious wasn’t deterred, sweeping the approaching CB into the Cobra Clutch set up. CB stopped the submission, only to give Delirious a running start.
CB tried to stop the running Delirious, only for his opponent to get behind him. CB reversed the waist lock, executing a big German suplex. CB had the Shotei in mind when Delirious got up. Delirious was ready, tripping CB into the Cobra Clutch again. Before CB could make it to the ropes, Delirious pulled off a cobra clutch suplex. CB seemed out of it when Delirious came after him. CB was actually playing possum, looking for a flash pin off a cradle. Delirious kicked out of every pin attempt, going for the Cobra Clutch. CB fought his way out of the submission, only for Delirious to sweep him into a modified omoplata. CB hastily tapped out.
Pure Rules Gauntlet: Delirious vs. LSG
Unlike CB, LSG simply got away from Delirious when the bell sounded to avoid being tackled. But Delirious was ready to pounce and almost grounded LSG incredibly early. LSG got up swinging when he freed himself from a side headlock, initiating a forearm exchange. Delirious suddenly went low and swept LSG into the Cobra Clutch. Thankfully for LSG, he was close enough to the ropes to sacrifice a rope break. Delirious had LSG still reeling, but blocking the suplex allowed “The Ace of Space” to force Delirious to change his gameplan.
Unfortunately for LSG, that gameplan change came in the form of a head-butt the abdomen. LSG fired back with chops before coming off the ropes to shoulder block the masked man into the corner for a flying forearm, followed by the springboard takedown. Delirious used his bare feet to knock LSG backwards when he rushed him in the corner. LSG found himself taking a northern lights bomb that resulted in him stopping a pin fall. LSG hip tossed Delirious when he grabbed him, cinching in the Muta Lock. Delirious tapped out after LSG used Delirious’ own right arm to choke himself in the Lock.
Pure Rules Gauntlet: LSG vs. Joe Keys
LSG found himself having to head scissor his way constantly out of the side headlock before putting Joe Keys in a side headlock of his own. Keys got to his feet while still stuck in the headlock, pulling LSG down with a backbreaker. As if one backbreaker wasn’t enough, Keys executed two more before putting LSG in the corner. “The Ace of Space” rallied back with forearms, only to get caught in an abdominal stretch.
LSG survived the submission, sunset flipping Keys when he rushed him. Keys kicked out, hitting LSG with the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to set up a single leg Boston crab. LSG had no choice but to use the ropes to put him at one rope break remaining. Keys was merciless, landing German suplexes until LSG grabbed the bottom rope to give up his final rope break. Placing LSG on the top rope, Keys had a superplex in mind. LSG countered in midair to come crashing down atop Keys. Before Keys could realize what happened, the referee’s hand hit the mat three times.
Pure Rules Gauntlet: LSG vs. Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson, of course, cut a promo on his way to the ring; declaring he’s the best in the Pure Division. Promising to make this the “Mecca Division”, Johnson entered the ring and kicked LSG off the Code of Honor. LSG almost slipped coming off the ropes for a springboard counter off the Irish whip, catching Johnson with the forearm. LSG hit both Rocket Bye Baby and Saintsplosion … to gain a near fall due to Johnson getting his right foot on the middle rope!
Johnson rolled onto the apron, popping LSG in the face with an illegal right punch. The referee warned Johnson another punch would cost him cost him a rope break, only for “The Mecca” to trip LSG with a cradle. Johnson threw his feet on the middle rope for leverage and it was legal due to LSG having no remaining rope breaks. LSG couldn’t kick out in time, ending his streak and giving Johnson the overall victory.
Pure Rules: Rhett Titus vs. Mike Bennett
Mike Bennett had the arms in mind as he aimed for hammerlocks. Rhett Titus countered with the head scissors, actually inching Bennett closer to the ropes to convince him to use a rope break. Bennett muscled his way out of the leg lock around his head, pushing Titus down following a Greco-Roman knuckle-lock. Rhett reversed the hold by almost pinning the former “Prodigy”. Titus had the side headlock on tight until Bennett got free and came off the ropes for something. Instead, Bennett ran into the abdominal stretch. Surviving the submission, Bennett ended up standing off with Titus when it seemed they were so evenly matched.
Spinning toe hold by Titus set up his Boston crab that Bennett could only break by using the bottom rope. Bennett quickly recovered, catching Titus running in with the London Dungeon. Titus countered, actually twisting Bennett’s arm until he made it to the ropes to stop the pain. Bennett got up chopping with his good arm, actually knocking Titus around until he was prone for a suplex attempt. Titus flipped out of the suplex, only to take a rolling elbow that put Rhett in the ropes to stop a sure pin attempt. Titus seemed out of it & had a glassy look in his eyes. Bennett took advantage of the situation, going after The Foundation member’s leg. The commercial break arrived with Titus doing everything in his power to stop a pinning combination.
During the commercial, Titus hit his big dropkick, but couldn’t capitalize as Bennett fell to the floor. Bennett used his final rope break to stop another pin attempt when the show returned to live action. Titus used the ropes to twist up Bennett prior to climbing the ropes. Bennett caught Titus on the top turnbuckle, pulling him off with the ankle lock while Rhett clutched the ropes to lose his second to last rope break. Bennett’s attempt to Indian deathlock Titus ended in a slap exchange and Rhett almost winning with the small package after stunning The OGK member.
Bennett kicked out and had the power bomb in mind after Titus’ leg gave out on him when his opposition went for a follow-up attack. Titus stopped the power bomb, rolling through a Boston crab. With only one minute left in the fifteen minute time limit, both men were looking for pinning combinations. Titus exploded with a clothesline, only for Bennett to retaliate in the same manner. Both rushed each other with clotheslines connecting as the bell sounded to declare this one would go to the judges.
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise declared Bennett won via the judges’ vote.
Overall: As per the norm with ROH TV following a pay-per-view weekend, this episode featured nothing associated with the show while providing something unremarkable story wise. The Pure Gauntlet took up the show’s majority and, just like the first time, worked very well with LSG and CB really standing out alongside the Dojo students and Delirious with the latter’s determination to make people submit with the Cobra Clutch. Johnson snuck in and “stole” a hard-fought victory from LSG, hopefully giving us a rematch in the near future where Johnson and LSG get a longer match. The main event definitely stole the show with Bennett taking Titus to the limit and won in the end, pushing him up the Pure title rankings following the crowning of a new champion in the division. This wasn’t the most remarkable or must-see episode of ROH, but still a solid one.
