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RUSH VS. SHANE TAYLOR, NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS CROWNED & MORE: ROH 'CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION" TV REPORT

By Anthony Pires on 2021-02-28 14:02:00

It is CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK here on Ring of Honor TV.  We get a dramatic voice over introducing us to ROH World Champion Rush and challenger Shane Taylor.  La Faccion Ingobernable discuss strategy as Kenny King and Amy Rose enter.  Kenny suggests Rush go it alone and prove he’s the best.  Any Rose and the rest of Ingobernoble get in King’s face and tell him they’re all about domination and humiliation.  Things seem very shaky for King’s status in the group.

Quinn McKay welcomes us to tonight’s episode.  Dragon Lee, Kenny King and Amy Rose tell is that La Faccion Ingobernoble are unstoppable.  I’m guessing this was filmed before the locker room discussion we saw as King and Lee are completely on the same page.  Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham point out to us that they will prove once and for all that they, The Foundation, are the single greatest unit in Professional Wrestling.

ROH World Tag Team Championship: Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham (Champions) vs. Kenny King & Dragon Lee w/Amy Rose- Contested under Pure Rules.

Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are on the call tonight.  History could be made as Amy Rose has a chance to walk out of this as manager of 3 different ROH Champions, a feat, we’re told, has never been accomplished before.  We’re informed that Gresham and Lethal are the longest reigning champions in ROH history.  There is an asterisk attached, of course.  Code of Honor reluctantly adhered to by the challengers.

Gresham and Lee kick things off and Lee poses.  Reminder that, under Pure rules, a save from your opponent counts as a rope break.  

Arm twist by Gresham, they exchange hammerlocks and Lee makes the ropes for his 1st rope break.  The two commence with a series of takedowns, armdrags and leg sweeps jockeying for position, we get a stalemate.  King tags in as does Lethal.  Lockup into a hammerlock by Lethal.  Leg sweep, Lethal attempts a toe hold, but King with an open handed slap (totally within the Pure Rules boundary) to break it up.  Lethal with a headlock takedown, headscissors escape, rollup by Lethal for a 1 count.  Lethal is able to capture a quick Figure 4 but King makes the ropes for the team’s 2nd rope break less than 5 minutes in. 

Lee tags in and locks up with Lethal.  Lethal with a headlock.  Lee throws him off but Lethal with a chop.  Lee quickly bounds to the top rope.  Lethal tries to powerbomb him off but Lee uses a closed fist to stop him.  One more closed fist and the challengers are disqualified.  Dropkick sends Lethal to the outside as we go to commercial.

We’re back and Lethal with a back elbow to King.  Lethal with a dropkick and a Dragon Screw.  Gresham and Lee tag in and we get forearm exchange battle.  Lee covers up and Gresham with a dropkick to the leg, sending Lee down.  Chop by Gresham, Lee grabs him for a double team but he ducks and King nails Lee with an enziguiri.  Gresham stomps the arm and goes for the cover and King breaks it up.  The challengers are out of rope breaks.  Lee scores a quick 2 count after a Driver when he caught Gresham during a Combination Cutter attempt.  Brainbuster by King and an incineration by Lee for a 2 count on Gresham, broken up by Lethal for the Foundation’s first rope break.

Lethal sends King to the outside and goes for a tope.  King moves and Lethal takes out Amy Rose.  With the referee momentarily distracted, Lee with a closed fist punch to the jaw of Gresham, covering him for the pin.

WINNERS: Kenny King & Dragon Lee (NEW ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS)

The new champions strike the Tranquilo pose.

Shane Taylor and Rush reintroduce themselves to the audience.  Taylor cuts an amazing promo about who is really is.  He believes the people are finally ready for a man like him to be their champion.  Reminder that Taylor is going to attempt to become a double champion, as he and the Soldiers of Savagery are the new World Six Man Tag Team Champions.

Kenny King joins the commentary booth.

ROH World Championship: Rush (ROH World Champion) vs. Shane Taylor w/The Soldiers of Savagery (Challenger)

S.O.S return to the back immediately.

Code of Honor rejected by the Champion. The 2 immediately go for standing switch reversals.  Ian tells us the match will conclude on Honor Club if we exceed television time.  Neither man gets a collar and elbow, Rush with a kick to the midsection.  Taylor with a shoulder tackle but Rush immediately to his feet and champion and challenger exchange forearms.  Pop up powerbomb by Taylor.  Rush gets thrown to the outside, Taylor follows and sends him into the barricade.  Taylor with a forearm shiver on the floor.  Taylor in and out to break the count, he sends Rush into another barricade.  Big right hand by the challenger.  Taylor is just bullying him on the floor and throws him back to the apron and hits a draping DDT on the floor as we go to commercial.

We’re back and still on the outside, Rush is now in control as he slams the barricade door on Taylor’s head.  Rush now drives Taylor into the barricade and grabs a television camera wire.  He whips Taylor with the cord and chokes him out.  Todd Sinclair is allowing a lot of leeway here.  Chops by the champion, Taylor rolls back in the ring.  The champions pounds away in the corner. Whip into the corner by Rush, Taylor covers up for the charge but Rush puts on the breaks a slap to the face by the champion.

Taylor fires back, Rush goes down and a running knee/clothesline combo by the challenger for a 2 count.  Chokeslam for 2 by Taylor.  On commentary, King explains how much respect he has for Taylor and that’s why he asked LFI to back off here and give Shane a fair shot.  Legdrop by the champion for 2.  Rush drapes Taylor on the 2nd rope and nails a double stomp for 2.  I can’t tell if King is really torn or is this is a ruse.  Forearm exchange and now it’s open palm strikes, both men slump to the ground and come back to life.  Taylor with a headbutt and package piledriver, Rush slips out of the cover and rolls to the corner.  Belly to Belly off of a Taylor charge by Rush.  Rush fires up and stomps Taylor and then accidentally runs into Todd Sinclair, sending him down.

Very quickly, here comes Bestia with a chair and slips it to Rush.  King runs in to stop it and grabs the chair and nails Taylor with it.  King, very passionately and loudly, screams to Rush “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME NOW?!?!”  Rush puts his head to Kenny’s in acknowledgement.  Superman punch and the Bulls Horns by Rush and he scores the pin.

WINNER: Rush (retains championship)

La Faccion Ingobernoble pose as we go to credits.

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