A Japanese influence on Ring of Honor television is never more prevalent than with the next few weeks highlighting the Honor Rising cards. Taped in Japan on a tour with NJPW that included a two-night stand in the fabled Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, the main event of the first card featured Roderick Strong losing the ROH TV title to Tomohiro Ishii.
Though the result of the match was no secret having happened some time ago, the involvement of Bobby Fish in playing mind games with Strong in skit on TV added an element to the story not seen when the title change took place a few months ago.
The entire Honor Rising card featured on this episode of ROH is available on NJPW World (albeit without English commentary or any commentary at all for that matter). Coverage from this site by our own Bryan Rose detailed the full card from the first night of Honor Rising back in February.
Besides three matches from that first card, several video packages on TV highlighted the trip to Japan itself along with vignettes featuring Dalton Castle and Moose respectively. Both looked like stars. Moose looked like a superstar.
Jushin Thunder Liger & Matt Sydal beat Dalton Castle (with the Japanese boys) & Ryusuke Taguchi
Flanking and fanning Castle were Japanese boys. After posing with Castle during his entrance that included him spreading his cape like wings, Taguchi joined with the boys to do Castle’s pose. The early portion of the match involved comedy as well. At one point, Castle posed with the boys during the match when Liger jumped in to dispatch Dalton to the outside so Liger himself could pose with the boys. Later on under a more serious tone, the action picked up. Eventually, Sydal executed a shooting star press on Castle and covered him for the pinfall.
Delirious beat Gedo
In a battle of the bookers, the men behind the pencil for ROH and NJPW met in a showdown. This was very old school with a long headlock spot, biting, raking and some stalling. Some stalling was actually more like pandemonium with Delirious acting wild and crazed in the opening moments. Gedo shined up Delirious for a comeback in the body of the match.
(Photo: NJPW)
Though he did get a nearfall just before the finish with him holding the tights, the Southern-style heel antics of Gedo lost out in the end to a crucifix by Delirious for the pin. Besides a battle between bookers, this match also served to showcase Delirious for an upcoming match in San Antonio this weekend that the announcers (Kevin Kelly and Mr. Wrestling #3) plugged throughout.
Before the main event, Bobby Fish taunted then-ROH champion Strong just as he was set to go through the curtain for his title defense. Fish talked trash and said he would see him in Vegas. Of course, the subsequent title change altered the match in Vegas to a three-way for the title. The story here was Fish playing mind games with Roddy, causing him to be distracted heading into a title defense he would ultimately lose.
The involvement of Fish as it pertains to the outcome of the match was an aspect introduced with this episode and not evident when the match first appeared on NJPW World. It explains why Strong looked distracted in the match with Ishii at the time because he was distracted within the storyline narrative.
Tomohiro Ishii beat Roderick Strong to capture the ROH TV title
There was a lot of cat-and-mouse. Some of that was the storyline of Strong being distracted. Also, Strong was playing a chickenshit heel in general by begging off and such. Plus, Ishii is indeed similar to a pitbull and stayed aggressive the entire match. Strong held his own and there was some strong physicality in much of the match, especially the closing moments. Fighting spirit was on display. Roddy got a flurry of offense just before the end only for Ishii to finish him off with a sliding lariat followed by a brainbuster for the pin to win the TV title.
(Photo: NJPW)
On the next episode of ROH, more highlights from Honor Rising in Japan: