ROH Classics: Get the tables for Keith Lee, most shocking returns, more!

Ring of Honor has another batch of classic matches for your viewing pleasure.

I hope you are in the mood for beef, because ROH has all the beef for Keith Lee & Shane Taylor vs War Machine in a no rules match at Survival of the Fittest in 2016. This was a fun bout with plenty of table spots and even announcer Kevin Kelly on the receiving end of a suicide dive.

It must have been Halloween for Shane Taylor, since he pulled quite the trick in the end. He pleaded to quit the fight only to sucker in Raymond Rowe for a headbutt. That led to Keith Lee powerbombing Rowe through a table to win.

Other free matches posted on ROH’s YouTube channel include:

• Kyle O’Reilly vs Mike Bennett in 2011 Top Prospect Tournament final (here)
• Jenny Rose with commentary on her first ROH match (here)

Most shocking returns

The Honor List is back. The topic du jour is most shocking returns to ROH.

6. All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King)
5. Samoa Joe
4. Kevin Steen
3. CM Punk
2. Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy
1. Chris Hero

The Honor List quality is not the same without a narrator to fill in the details of why these were big moments. I have a vague idea, but more information would help me appreciate ROH history. That said, the storyline doesn’t need to be known to enjoy Steen turning his back on ROH. That swerve was the best moment of the countdown.

Kenny King showcase

Kenny King was profiled on ROH Wrestling, episode #458 (here). King selected his greatest matches in ROH, which were title fights versus Jay Lethal and Kushida. The version on Fite TV also featured a medicare commercial with Joe Namath. Three cheers for Broadway Joe and his Super Bowl guarantee. Okay, back to regularly scheduled programming.

King challenged Lethal for the World Championship at Global Wars on November 11, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. This match could be broken up into three stanzas. The beginning featured hard-hitting athleticism. The middle saw each one target a body part. The conclusion upped the ferocity of each maneuver. King had two close call pinfalls that made me believe the belt would become his. The finish contained questionable shenanigans as King put his feet on the ropes to “win” before a referee decision to restart the match. Lethal quickly pounced to retain. This was the best match out of the bunch in this edition of ROH Classics.

The main event had King challenge Kushida for the TV Championship at Death Before Dishonor on September 22, 2017 in Las Vegas NV. There were some cool sequences of counter tactics. Kushida was focused on the hammerlock hold, while King stayed alive using the advantage of his physical tools. King pulled out a surprise Royal Flush cutter to win the title. His daughter rushed the ring to celebrate with her proud papa.

We’ll close with a 50% off sale in the ROH shop.

What are your favorite returns in ROH? Where does Kenny King rank on ROH’s roster today?