My Take: ROH Survival of the Fittest - Night 3 - Oklahoma City (November 19, 2017)

ROH Survival of the Fittest - Night 3
Oklahoma City, OK
Cox Convention Center

Dark Match
Tag Team Match
The Dawgs (Rhett Titus & Will Ferrara) vs Chandler Hopkins & Ky-ote
Winners: The Dawgs

Match #1
Normal Match
Jay Lethal vs Josh "The Goods" Woods
Winner by pinfall: Jay Lethal (Lethal Injection)

My Take: I really enjoyed this match and thought that their respective styles gelled well in this match. Woods really can be something special in ROH as the resident MMA specialist.

Match #2
Normal Match
Cheeseburger vs Gregory James (w/The Insidious Follower)
Result: No Contest (The Briscoe Brothers came out and laid out both guys)

My Take: This match started as a sort of under-the-radar debut to an interesting chapter in this heel Briscoes program.

Match #3
Normal Match
Jay Briscoe (w/Mark Briscoe) vs Cheeseburger
Winner by pinfall: Jay Briscoe (Jay Driller)

My Take: Good match. Cheeseburger is a benefit to the ROH roster and does his job well as the underdog babyface in peril. The Briscoes just exude legitimate toughness and are engulfed in an aura of bad assery, especially with this great heel run. Their program with Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer is my favorite thing going right now in ROH.

Match #4
Special Attraction
Normal Match
Joey Ryan vs Kikutaro
Winner by pinfall: Joey Ryan (Sweet Tooth Music)

My Take: This was a very fun match. My first Kikutaro match as well. I've always heard nothing but good things when it comes to Kikutaro's comedy and this did not disappoint.

Match #5
Non-Title
Normal Match
The Villain Marty Scurll vs Rhett Titus (w/Will Ferrara)
Winner by submission: The Villain Marty Scurll (Crossface Chickenwing)

My Take: Rhett issued an open challenge that was answered by Scurll. Will Ferrara was on commentary. Although The Dawgs kind of comes off as a lower card gimmick, it's pretty entertaining to me. A fine match here.

Match #6
Cody's Ring of Honor is on the Line
Non-Title
Normal Match
"The American Nightmare" Cody vs The Beer City Bruiser (w/Silas Young)
Winner by pinfall: "The American Nightmare" Cody (Cross Rhodes)

My Take: I like how not just anybody can get an ROH World Title shot. Title shot matches are some of the things that ROH really does well. However, they gave this match stakes anyway as Cody put his Ring of Honor on the line and Bruiser promised to kiss it if he actually lost. I enjoyed this match. Cody won with a Cross Rhodes.

Dark Match
Women of Honor
Normal Match
Deonna Purrazzo vs Madison Rayne
Winner by submission: Deonna Purrazzo (Fujiwara Armbar)

My Take: I wasn't aware that Rayne had competed in WOH before. She's been such a fixture on Impact Wrestling over the years that I can't help but think of that company when I see her here. At any rate, I think it's really good form Impact-associated acts to branch out and compete elsewhere. Purrazzo once again picks up the win here with the Fujiwara Armbar. It seems like they're getting behind Purrazzo with this new nickname of "The Virtuosa" and by establishing her armbar finish.

Match #7
Normal Match
Dalton Castle vs Christopher Daniels
Winner by pinfall: Dalton Castle (Bang-a-rang)

My Take: By the way, this really sounds like Truth Martini is doing the ring announcing for these matches. I can't spot whoever is doing it but it really does sound like him to me. So Daniels comes out in his street gear and makes his case about how he's defeated Castle twice in the past and how he can beat him again which would mean that beating the #1 Contender for the ROH World Championship. Castle comes out in his wrestling gear and perceives this as an open challenge but Daniels insists that he didn't mean his challenge to be for tonight. Dalton goes to head to the back and is immediately attacked by Daniels. I like how ROH add stakes to matches that don't directly involve titles. Sometimes having stakes makes a match that more exciting.

Match #8
Non-Title
Tag Team Match
The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs The Kingdom (Vinny Marseglia & TK O'Ryan)
Winners: The Young Bucks (Meltzer Driver)

My Take: Really good match. Shout out to The Kingdom for that innovative double team Death Valley Driver spot. Love that move.

Match #9
Survival of the Fittest 2017 Final Match
Six-Way Elimination Match
Flip Gordon vs Jonathan Gresham vs Matt Taven vs Punishment Martinez vs Shane Taylor vs Silas Young
Winner of 2017 Survival of the Fittest: Punishment Martinez

My Take: Taven is eliminated first. After trying to use various foreign objects, he kicks Gordon in the nuts (Todd Sinclair's words, not mine) for the DQ. Taylor is eliminated second after a 450 Splash from Gordon and a Shooting Star Press from Gresham. Gordon picks up Gresham on his shoulders who throttles Martinez's neck. However, Martinez easily fights out of it by throttling Gresham's throat, booting Gordon in the face and Chokeslamming Gresham into the canvas for the pinfall. Silas is eliminated next via Chokeslam by Martinez after a couple of near falls. The following series of near-falls between Martinez and Gordon are even more thrilling. The finish sees Martinez block a Hurricanrana attempt to hit a Last Ride Powerbomb which is immediately followed up with a big clothesline (Gordon stumbling back up from a Last Ride kind of took me out of it a bit) and then a Curb Stomp for the pinfall. Martinez takes in his big win as the ROH World Champion, Cody comes out to ringside as the show ends.

Overall Thoughts
Night 2 was my favorite out of this year's Survival of the Fittest but this show was pretty fun especially the main event. I really enjoy this tournament and how this company thinks up of inventive ways to springboard their talent. I still have Final Battle to watch so I'm going to dive right into that.