The Glimpse:
Sorry for being an absentee reporter for a few weeks, kids – But I had to be sure to get the last main show before I attend Final Battle 2013 this Saturday. This is the last time I blame new home ownership on missing NXT and ROH write ups…at least until the next time. Outlaw Inc tries to earn a tag title shot tonight against the soon to leave Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. Could tonight be the last time we see Richards in an ROH ring?
The Action:
Match 1: Outlaw Inc vs American Wolves
Winners: Outlaw Inc via pinfall
Homicide mockingly shakes Richards’ hand and Kingston makes the handshake equivalent of a “you’re white guys” joke.
Kingston starts against Richards and they exchange dodges of signature strikes. Homicide tags in for another reversal/reset exchange, because this is ROH after all. Edwards is in now and its hammerlocks back and forth. Homicide shows that he can mat wrestle as good as the more traditional Wolves. Kingston in because we must see every combination of combatant before the match actually gets going. Corino keeps up his gimmick of being scared of chops and says that he’s happy to see none from Edwards yet.
Wolves take over and work the arm of Kingston with very quick tags. Culminates with an Edwards double stomp to the elbow and a headbutt from Richards. Kingston backs Richards into the wrong part of town and Homicide tags in to get some control back to Outlaw Inc. Both teams knock the corner man off the apron in turn which leaves Kingston to deal with the Wolves alone. reDRagon show up to snatch the clown masks and wigs that Outlaw Inc wear to the ring. Without so much as a mention, show goes to commercial.
Back in, Wolves are in charge again and Edwards fires off a snap suplex. Chop time from Edwards and Corino cries out. Wolves double team strikes and a miscommunication sees Edwards take a kick from Richards and Richards eats an Exploder from Kingston. Homicide hot tags and lays everyone out. Homicide with a back elbow and Three Amigos. Homicide calls for a frog splash but Edwards boots him from the apron. Kingston grabs Richards on his shoulders for the doomsday bulldog but the Wolves break it up. Richards wants a handspring back elbow but gets a neckbreaker from Homicide and the sliding forearm from Kingston. Edwards breaks it up then gets tossed to the floor. Gringo Killer is reversed and Homicide gets an Alarm Clock for his troubles. Both Wolves head up top but Kingston shoves Edwards down and Homicide dodges Richards. He gets the backfist and the Doomsday Bulldog to seal the deal.
Homicide demands the “snowflakes” in a tag title match.
Match 2: Roderick Strong vs Jay Lethal vs Matt Taven vs Michael Elgin, Four Corner Survival
Winner: Michael Elgin via pinfall
Four corner survival means one thing…a LOT of moves. Taven has Scarett and FOUR other women tonight. Good use of the budget, guys. They run this under Lucha rules – Go out of the ring and someone else can come in.
Taven tries to come in as Lethal and Roddy wrestle and gets smacked around a bit. Roddy treats him to a calf kick for an early one count. Elgin takes a turn on Lethal but ends up in a headlock. Taven tags himself in on Lethal but gets dropped and punched. Taven with a jawbreaker and he actually hits a stalling suplex on Elgin. Elgin answers with one of his own to a 15 count before Roddy boots him in the gut. Elgin drops Taven but catches him before he touches the mat and takes him right back up. So stupidly strong. Lethal breaks it up. Lethal tags in and Taven takes everyone out. Lethal dropkicks Roddy for no good reason and chops Taven over the top rope. Lethal hits dives on everyone until Scarlett skanks it up on the apron to distract him. Taven throws Lethal to the ringpost and to a commercial.
Back to action, Taven has Lethal pinned for a two count. Taven hits Moonlight Drive and a springboard senton for two. Right hands exchanged midring then the hip toss and dropkick from Lethal. Elgin’s turn on Taven and he greets him with an elbow and a t-bone suplex. Taven tries a waistlock but gets backed into the corner. Elgin hits a Samoa Joe style uranage out of the corner and bounces Taven like a super ball for two. Taven hits a rolling boot so Lethal tags himself in and lands a running forearm on Elgin. Elgin answers with an ass to the face (no idea what that was supposed to be) and Roddy hits jumping knees and boots on everyone. Superplex from Strong on Lethal but Taven breaks it up. Strong chops now and a Regalplex position backbreaker. Elgin whiffs a double lariat and Strong/Lethal chop him. Elgin stops Lethal Injection with a knee then takes Strong up and Lethal up for the Samoan drop/Fall away slam combination. Roddy kicks out at two.
Super kicks to Elgin and Taven then a Lethal Combination. Lethal heads up for Hail to the King then turns his attention to drive an elbow through Taven laying on a table. Way to eliminate yourself from the match equation. Elgin and Strong kick the bejeesus out of each other and Elgin hits a brutal lariat. Deadlift Hellevator, but Elgin only gets a two count. Buckle Bomb and Roddy reverses the Elgin Bomb into a small package. Elgin catches him half way through and we’re back to strikes. Death By Roderick and the Sick Kick and Elgin gets the shoulder up. Roddy wants a Gibson Driver but Elgin throws him away for a backfist, a ripcord rolling elbow and an Elgin Bomb to finish things.
Corino Interviews Jay Briscoe
Briscoe has new music. That’s kind of disappointing.
Briscoe still keeps to the tune of “I never got beat, I’m still the champ”. Silas Young attacks Briscoe after he makes his point a few more times. Mark Briscoe jumps Young to protect his brother then drags Young away. Cole shows up Belt in hand but Jay ducks. Elgin wants to break things up and backfists Jay’s beard off. Cole superkicks Elgin in the back of the head and lays Jay out with a belt shot, just like the night he won the title. Nice touch.
The Reaction:
Not sure of the taping schedule, so this may or may not Richards’ last match in ROH. Edwards hasn’t cut ties just yet and is still booked at Final Battle. Now see, a legit clean win for Outlaw Inc over a major team makes them seem like credible contenders. I can deal with the goofy masks and such if the matches are good. Still not liking them calling reDRagon snowflakes. It’s no good for a company that has and should look to expand their TV coverage. And it’s just plain lazy.
So you put the number one contender to the World Title in a four way match with the TV Champ and two other guys who don’t have title shots? Weird. Elgin wins it decisively, which is the smart thing to do leading into the PP and a World Title shot. Jay Lethal continues to show that he makes poor life decisions in storyline, but eliminating himself from the match. Maybe a win over the number contender would put you in line for a shot yourself? No, of course not. Like I said, a million moves. Wasn’t too over the top until the end, to be fair – Strong actually had me think he might win with the usual gutbuster/Sick Kick combo. I don’t believe they’ll take the World Title off Cole just yet, but at a personal level, I’d love to be there in person when Elgin wins the Title.
Not really much to say. Five minutes and we really just kind of restated the givens and reenacted the World Title victory of Cole.
The Preview:
Final Battle has quite a card coming – Stretcher match to determine who gets to keep their Piledriver, Ciampa gets a tv title shot, Outlaw Inc likely wins the Tag Titles to further the “why” of them being in ROH and Nana being involved plus the big three way for the World Title. I will be in attendance at the Manhattan Center this Saturday night and will be live tweeting results and anything else notable. Follow along, and best case we’ll get those posted for you all here as well.
The Shill:
As always, if you like what you read here, let me know in the comments or on twitter @sbfantom. I sincerely would like to hear what people think and strike up some conversation!
