ROH TV - June 17th 2015

-Sorry for those who were expecting this last night. I had tickets to see Rush and my bus being obscenely late wiped out the time I had leaving me in something of a “Rush”.  Regularly scheduled Wednesday reviews to follow next week, also, Tomorrow I’ll be posting a preview for the Best in the World Pay Per View.

-This week of ROH TV is highlighted by a huge main event contract signing and The ROH TV debut of Hiroshi Tanahashi.

-ROH fires straight into our opening contest this week

The Decade (BJ Whitmer and Adam Page) vs War Machine (Raymond Rowe and Hanson)

Before we get started however BJ has something to say.  Crowd wants Whitmer to shut up before he’s even said anything.  BJ reminds Toronto that his mic is louder than they are and presses onward.  He takes this time to remind us that 2 weeks ago Colby came “within an inch of defeating that big goofy bastard Moose” (LOL).  He doesn’t think Colby’s daddy gets it yet however, Colby needs to step up, and take BJ’s place in this match!  Colby Agrees and our NEW opening contest is…

The Decade (Colby Corino and Adam Page) vs War Machine (Raymond Rowe and Hanson)

-Ray Rowe and Corino start.  War Machine are basically ROH’s legion of Doom, but instead of driving motorcycles they’re Vikings. Ray doesn’t want to fight Corino and tells him he’s not ready.  Corino responds to this offer of mercy with a slap to the face. The announcers inform us that Rowe has known Colby since he was a 10-year old kid and doesn’t want to hurt him as he tags in Hanson, who has fewer reservations and knocks Colby loopy with a sidewinder slam.  Rowe comes back in and yells at BJ to get in the ring while COMPLETELY no-selling a series of strikes.  Enough is finally enough and Rowe hits a backbreaker, spins Colby around over his head into a gut buster, then spins him around into a powerbomb—all without releasing the hold.  Absolutely brutal.  Corino slowly crawls to make the tag and Rowe seems content to let him…but Page jumps down of the apron and leaves Corino to fend for himself.  War Machine is disgusted, but they hit a back suplex/diving legdrop combo to put this one away anyway. 

-Rating *1/2 BJ Whitmer is interesting.  I’m as shocked as you are.   His trolling of the audience was excellent yet again and Corino getting murdered was almost as much fun as the first time two weeks ago.  War Machine is slowly winning over the crowds with they’re offense and will likely end up with tag gold before the end of the year.

-After the match Corino and Whitmer start jaw-jacking and they tease a brawl but Kelly talks Corino out of it.  Crowd was really hot for Steve here.

Commercial

Back with Cedric Alexander in the ring and a live mic.  Cedric talks about winning the “Break out star of 2014 “ match this time last year but having nothing to show for it.  He’s been on a losing streak and right now its “do or die for Cedric Alexander”.  He has to start winning so he can prove to his family this pro-wrestling dream isn’t a waste of time—and to get things started, he’s challenging the undefeated Moose.

 

Moose W/Veda Scott and Ernesto Osiris vs Cedric Alexander

-Alexander starts things off with a relatively ineffective dropkick.  Moose manages a bodyslam but misses a splash and gets kicked in the back of the head for a one count.  They fight out onto the floor where Cedric escapes a powerslam attempt and shoves Moose HARD into the ringpost.  Cedric attempts a flying nothing that is tragically caught by Moose.  Alexander elbows free and goes back up top but Moose cuts him off and Dropkicks him all the way down to the floor as we fade to…

-Commercial

-Back with Moose missing a corner clothesline and eating a springboard crossbody.  Moose tries to roll out to the floor to create some space but Alexander follows him out with a Tope.  Kevin Kelly chimes in and reminds us the ROH Codeline is still retarted.  Moose misses wildly with a clothesline and Alexander gets two of a springboard tornado DDT.  Best I can tell this is the first time Moose hasn’t been in total control of a match.  Alexander has had 80% of the offense here.  Cedric can’t get Moose up for a Lumbar-check and ends up running into a vicious pop-up clothesline.  Well so much for Alexander being in control, both guys are down and the crowd starts dueling chants.  They start trading shots and the announcers remark that this is the longest match of Moose’s career.  Moose gets the upper hand and signals for his top rope springboard crossbody but Alexander cuts him off.  Alexander gets SIX corner dropkicks and Moose looks to be fading further with each dropkick, but lucky dropkick attempt number 7 runs into a spear.  Both guys are down and Veda Scott passes Moose a wrench while Osiris distracts the Referee.  Moose shakes his head refusing to win that way, but then Alexander takes the wrench and drills Moose with it behind the Refs back for the three count!  Fans chant “all your fault” at Veda Scott.

 

-Rating **3/4 The best match of Moose’s young career.  Alexander carried Moose to a competitive match mostly by himself and looks to finally be fulfilling some of that promise we’ve been hearing about for years.  Alexander has been teasing a heel turn since at least the 13^th Anniversary show when he refused the code of honor after a loss to Sydal and it was still shocking to see him complete the turn in such triumphant fashion. 

-Inside ROH recaps the reDRagon vs Addiction feud to hype their NO DQ title match this Friday.

-Adam Cole crashes inside ROH!  It’s an “important person’s” time to speak!  The Bullet Club requested a rematch with the Kingdom because they were unsatisfied with Cole’s “underhanded tactics” in Philadelphia—Which Cole shrugs off and instead calls out AJ and the Bucks for superkicking “The Queen of the Kingdom” Maria.  Adam Cole tells us that at Best in the world we’ll get the true answer to the true question: What Faction is number one in the world.  According to Cole, "it's the Kingdom, Bay-Bee!"

ACH and Matt Sydal VS Hiroshi  Tanahashi and “Stardust Genius” Tetsuya Naito

-ACH is celebrating the Japan cross over by dressing up as Luffy D. Monkey of One Piece fame.  Tanahashi’s entrance video alerts the crowd to the arrival of “The Man of Talent; All the World Ace 100%”.  Gotta love that Engrish.  Naito doesn’t get a separate entrance.  Sydal and Tanahashi start with some chain wrestling that Sydal gets the better of.  Sydal picks the pace up with a series of backflips and arm drags.  Tanahashi misses a dropkick and is punished with a standing shooting star press for two.   Having accomplished absolutely nothing 100% Tanahashi gets visibly frustrated and decides to let Naito have a go, Sydal tags ACH in.  They trade arm wrenches and strikes until Naito puts Corino’s second favourite Hardy down with a dropkick.  We get some really fast reversal stud that culminates in ACH rolling under a clothesline and hitting a dropkick.  ACH pauses to mock Naito’s signature pose for a pop.  ACH runs the ropes but Tanahashi pulls him outside illegally!  For shame Japenese Cena, AMERICAN Cena would never stoop to such cheating!  Clearly this Tanahashi fellow is a hack!  Tanahashi throws ACH into the barricade as we fade to…

Comercial

 

-Back with Tanahashi now mocking ACH’s taunt.  High Fly Flow misses so Tanahashi makes the tag to Naito who enters with a sideslam.  ACH powers out of a chinlock but gets shut down by an Enzugiri and slingshot dropkick.  Superplex is blocked and ACH hits a GREAT double stomp and gets the hot tag.  Diving Bronco Buster and and a huricanrana to Naito brings in Tanahashi who gets dropped with a wheel kick.  Naito ends up on the top rope and Sydal brings him down with a Mayonara.  Sydal calls for the standing shooting star press but he jumps right into a German from Tanahashi!  That was seamless.  Tanahashi is officially tagged in but he gets shut down by a guillotine legdrop from Sydal.  ACH is tagged in and he gets two off a flurry of kicks and a clothesline.  Tana swings wide and now he’s outright throwing a bit of a tantrum in the ring because this isn’t going as well as he thought it would.  ACH eggs him on by playing some air guitar.  Tanahashi gets the Dragon Screw and locks in a clover leaf while Sydal brawls with Naito on the outside.  Sydal gets free Naito and breaks the hold with a knee to the face.  Tanahashi rolls to the outside and Naito gets dumped.  Sydal’s dive is blocked but ACH takes out both NJPW talents with Air Jordan.  ACH throws Tanahashi in and hits him with a Get over Here to set up Sydal’s shooting star press.  Naito just barely makes the save at 2.9.  Naito pants Sydal with a DDT before ACH drops him with a kick.  ACH goes up but his 450 gets Tanahshi’s knees.  Slingblade and High Fly Flow gets the three count.

Rating ***1/2 Great tag match where ACH and Sydal got to look great even in defeat.  Not much else to add, it was really just an exhibition for the New Japan talent to make an appearance in the states.  Worth watching if you’re a fan of any of the guys involved in this one.

 

-Nigel McGuiness is out for the main event contract signing.   It’s been over 400 days since Jay Lethal won the TV title, and almost three years since world champion Jay Briscoe was last pinned or made to submit.  The audience starts a cute “Sign up” chant while Lethal and Briscoe sign the dotted line.  Both titles will be on the line in a one fall match with a 60 minute time limit.  Nigel calls this the biggest match in ROH history (an exaggeration for sure, but the main event *does* feel huge enough that it’s forgivable.  He asks if the men have any last words before this Friday.

-Lethal goes first.  The only reason he doesn’t destroy Jay Briscoe right now is because he needs Jay at his best on Friday.  He has to prove that he is the best.  At the end of Best in the World Briscoe will have no reason to be here—signing that contract was the biggest mistake of his life, just like it was papa and Mama Briscoe’s biggest mistake of their lives 31 years ago when they sired Jay Briscoe!

-Jay Briscoe says he’ll keep this short and sweet.  When he’s done with Jay Lethal, he’ll have no choice but to leave and become “Black Machismo again”.  This incenses Lethal who flips the table.  They stare down and hold up their belts as we fade off the air.  It’s here that Jay Lethal gets the money line.

-“Your belt means nothing, mine means everything—I made this belt, that belt made you, I MADE THIS, THAT MADE YOU.”  Actual chills.  Everything about this feud is so good.

-Final Verdict: The Best episode of ROH on Destination America yet, with a main event angle that sets the stage for Friday's clash perfectly and great wrestling as well.  If the show maintains this quality then ROH should have nothing to worry about.

-See you all Next week for CHAOS vs the Bullet Club and Roderick Strong vs Shinsuke Nakamura, and Tommorow for my BitW preview.