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This week’s episode of Ring of Honor is brought to you by Kenny King, former 2X ROH TV champion and member of La Faccion Ingobernoble. King enjoys a sip of $800 whiskey and a little workout video before throwing it to our first match
ROH World Championship: Jay Lethal (Champion) vs. Jay Lethal
King immediately with a pair of shotgun dropkicks, the champion goes to the outside and Kenny with a tornado splash to the dazed champion. Lethal counters back with a suplex. Uppercuts by the champion followed by a series of chops. King regains the advantage with a cross bodyblock as we go to commercial.
The action is finally back in the ring. King with a dropkick. At this point in his ROH tenure, King had been coming off a run as the 2X ROH TV Champion here and was in the midst of turning back heel after feuding with Silas Young over the title. There wasn’t necessarily a solid moment where the turn happened, but it became very much a full turn at the G1 Supercard.
Back in the ring, King with a chinlock and a series of chops. Lethal with a powerslam for 2 and forearm shots in the corner. Lethal with a springboard dropkick sending King to the floor. King baits Lethal to the floor and retakes the edge, sending the champion into the post. Lethal’s shoulder is in trouble. Reverse armbar by King. Lethal gets to the ropes, forcing the break. Trash talk by the challenger and King spits on Lethal. Enraged, Lethal fires up and we get a forearm exchange. They go back and forth on this for a while. Thunder bomb by King for 2. King to the top rope, Lethal meets him with a superplex. Lethal with a Macho Man elbow tease, he hooks a figure 4 instead. King makes it to the ropes. King kicks out of a 2nd figure 4 and hits a cutter for 2. Interesting to note Amy Rose was acting as timekeeper here. Around a year from now, those 2 would be connected in the La Faccion Ingobernoble stable with Rush and Dragon Lee. Lethal blocks the Royal Flush and hits a springboard blockbuster for 2. King sets up a superplex but Lethal fights him off with an uppercut and a Spicoli Driver. Lethal attempts the Savage Elbow but King rolls him up for 2. Lethal attempts a Lethal Injection but King counters with the Royal Flush for 2. King misses a shooting star press. Lethal with a lethal injection for 2. The crowd rewards this with a “THIS IS AWESOME” chant. Lethal with ground-and-pound, clearly frustrated. King shoves Lethal into referee Todd Sinclair. King scores the pin with his feet on the ropes but Sinclair catches it and restarts the match. Lethal Injection by the Champion and he scores the 3.
WINNER: Jay Lethal
Back at Casa de King, Kenny complains about doctored footage. We see highlights of the Honor Rumble from Madison Square Garden, which led to the “horrifying” eye injury and the follow up attack on Jay Lethal and subsequent rematches between the two.
We get a little trip down memory lane of The All Night Express
ROH World TV Title: Kenny King vs Kushida (ROH TV Champion)
Las Vegas was definitely behind its hometown hero here. Code of honor adhered to. Arm twist by Kushida, reversed by King. Chain wrestling takedowns by Kushida, King bails. Back in the ring, they exchange wristlocks and King takes him down with a Japanese armdrag. Dropkick by Kushida. Leg sweeo by King into a Last Chancery, Kushida makes the ropes. Kushida bails and King dives and misses to the outside. Springboard dropkick off a chair by the champion, he then excahnges pleasantires with King’s daughter.
Back in the ring, dropkick by Kushida. This period if Ring of Honor was a time when the talent exchange with New Japan was in full force, as, in addition to Kushida, ROH had dates on stars like Kenny Omega, who a few weeks earlier had defended the IWGP U.S. Title in ROH against Yoshi-Hasi. I believe Minoru Suzuki would be in ROH shortly after this event to challenge Cody for the ROH World Title. Back to action, Kushida blocks the Royal Flush and turns it into a Kimura, King will not submit. Suplex by King to get out of it, both men are down. Palm strikes by King, Kushida takes him down from the 2nd rope. Armbar by Kushida, King pushes his way into the ropes but Kushida holds on. Big right hand by Kushida, spinebuster by King. They exchange forearms and go nose to nose. Kushida escapes the electric chair and tries a hurancanrana. King blocks it and hits the Royal Flush for the pin
WINNER: Kenny King (New ROH World TV Champion)
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