Last week: After Willow earned the top contender spot in the Women’s Championship division, Bandido & Rey Horus overcame PJ Black & Flip Gordon.
ROH TV Episode 534
December 11, 2021
Baltimore, MD
Falls Count Anywhere: PCO vs. Sledge
Brian Zane caught up with Sledge, who, after lambasting Zane for calling him out of his name recently, promised to destroy the walking monster. PCO’s pre-match saw him screaming a mixture of, “No DQ match,” and, “It’s alive!”
Sledge pulled a Pearl Harbor job at the sound of the bell, only for PCO to fire back with a shoulder block. Sledge recovered, knocking PCO into the corner before placing a trashcan atop the former ROH World champion to kick the can while PCO was trapped. Surrounding the ring were ladders, chairs, and other instruments of destruction that saw Sledge bash PCO with a chair to the back. Sledge ran into a big boot topped by the side Russian leg sweep against the barricade. Sledge took a trashcan shot to the head, only to fight back when PCO tried to whip him into a ladder by back body dropping the monster atop the steel prior to the commercial break.
PCO took over during the commercial, actually pulling off a hurricarana off the top. PCOSault seemed to be coming when Sledge got his knees up. Sledge made the cover, but only gained a two count. PCO rolled to the floor, firing off chops when Sledge approached him. A table stood nearby that gained PCO’s attention. Cracking Sledge on the head with a chair, PCO placed his opposition atop the table. Somersault senton off the top by PCO put Sledge through the table … for a near fall!
Sledge ended up on the other side of the barricade as PCO followed him with a swinging chair that connected perfectly on his cranium. Blocking a whip against the chair, Sledge paid PCO back with chair shots to the head & face. Sledge placed PCO on the barricade for something. Springing off an open chair, Sledge took PCO over via a cross body block. Sledge pulled PCO up the aisle, utilizing a DDT on the steel entrance. PCO sat up after taking the blow to his head, grabbing Sledge and pushing him toward the stage’s edge. Sledge broke free of PCO’s grip, pulling PCO off the stage to drive him through two tables via the Detox DDT to pin the former ROH World champion.
Chelsea Green vs. Miranda Alize
Chelsea Green quickly showed how adept she is to a luchadora’s speed, pulling off quick arm drags until Miranda Alize left the ring. Green gave chase, luring her into a dropkick that put Green at ringside for some big Irish whips against the barricades. The basement hurricarana worked for Alize, but didn’t get a three count for “The Lucha Baddie” before the commercial break.
During the break it was Alize working over the back of his opponent. Green fought through a shoulder lock to neck break Alize to reset this bout. They got up swinging with forearms. Green swept Miranda, looking for flash pins until she had to opt for big strikes like clotheslines & a sliding dropkick. Missile dropkick connected for Green, but didn’t put Alize away. Miranda countered an Irish whip with not one, but two knee strikes that only gave her a two count. Blocking the Drive-By by curb stomping Alize into the turnbuckles, Green found herself distracted by The Allure who were at the commentators’ table. Mandy Leon & Angelina Love screaming at Green distracted her long enough for Alize to clip her in position for the Drive-By. Alize quickly made the cover for the pin fall victory.
EC3 vs. Eli Isom
In EC3’s pre-match promo he called to arms those who have lost their safety net with the destruction of Honor. With his words, EC3 hoped that those worried about their futures begin to control their narratives.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was Eli Isom during his pre-taped promo where he looked forward to challenging EC3’s lack of belief in honor by taking him to the limits like Jay Briscoe did all those months ago.
EC3 found himself overwhelmed in the early going as Eli Isom worked over his left arm. EC3 worked his way off the mat, whipping Isom around. Eli countered slams & attacks, using the ropes to arm whip EC3. When Isom went for a springboard maneuver, EC3 rushed him and knocked Isom to the mat prior to the commercial break.
EC3 was in complete control, utilizing slams & suplexes to knock the wind out of “Infinite”. Isom took a hard Irish whip against the turnbuckles, hitting them chest first a la Bret Hart. Isom fell to the floor with the referee asking if Eli could continue. Before Isom could decide, EC3 grabbed him for another suplex. EC3 started mouthing off, energizing Isom as Eli initiated a fistfight. Just when it seemed Isom was winning the battle, EC3 dropped him via a neck breaker. Big power bomb by EC3 had the referee checking on Isom again as EC3 watched from his seat on the bottom turnbuckle. Another power bomb almost knocked Isom out of his tights as Dalton Castle & the baby chicks celebrated at the commentators’ table.
Isom was throwing haymakers, setting up a sidewinder belly-to-back suplex. When EC3 hit the mat, he rolled out of the ring. Isom took a hotshot, but recovered quickly to catch EC3 coming in with a suplex of his own. EC3 couldn’t stop the springboard dropkick. EC3 rolled to the floor, but found no haven as he was taken down by a springboard asai moonsault. Rolling EC3 back in and climbing the ropes resulted in Eli getting caught on the top rope. Knocking EC3 off the ropes, “Infinite” pulled off a High Fly Flow. But Isom’s back didn’t allow him to follow up before EC3 clipped his legs from underneath him. Isom reversed the Angel’s Wings with a failed jackknife cradle. Isom stumbled to his feet, getting turned inside-out thanks to a clothesline. Before Isom could recover, EC3 drilled him with Angel’s Wings before cinching in the crossface for submission victory.
Overall: On the night of ROH’s “Final Battle: End of an Era”, this felt like a show that felt like something that should’ve occurred an episode or two before. Why? Both the second & third bouts had nice tie-ins to the stories & matches that unfolded at “Final Battle” including The Allure costing Green a match against Love & Leon’s PPV partner Alize, and Isom beating some respect into EC3 that would convince that latter to team with Eli at “Final Battle”.
From an in-ring perspective, the wildness of Sledge-PCO probably would’ve been a better way to close the episode because that bout was exhausting in the best way possible as you had pretty much a brutal hoss battle that ended in wild form. Alize-Green was solid and felt like a match that would’ve benefited from a crowd – something that usually happens when ROH has more lucha-based matches. Just like his match with Jay Lethal on ROH TV a couple of weeks ago, EC3 had another really strong match against Isom – an individual who can’t be understated for blossoming into a truth blue chipper. It also must be noted that Dalton Castle was hilarious on commentary for the main event. Definitely a solid hour of action that may have benefited better from having the card flipped. And I’ll just leave this here:
