1/12/2013 ROH TV Report
Kevin
Kelly opens this “Road Rage” edition of the show from Final Battle 2012
at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Kelly announces that
tonight’s episode will feature the ROH Tag Team Title match with
champions Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs defending against Jay and Mark
Briscoe and Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander. Highlights will be
shown of the ladder war between ROH World Champion Kevin Steen and El
Generico as well as Jerry Lynn’s final ROH match against Mike Bennett.
The first match shown will be Jay Lethal against Rhino.
Jay
Lethal is interviewed by Veda Scott. Lethal comes out clapping and says
that in tonight’s match with himself vs Rhino the winner will get
absolutely nothing. Lethal says he has never had a match he didn’t care
about but tonight he is backed into a corner. Lethal says that as he is
the winner of the Survival Of The Fittest tournament this match
shouldn’t be happening. Lethal says that all week he has been making a
lot of promises and tonight he fulfills them. Lethal comes to the ring
followed by Rhino. The “Tale Of The Tape” shows that Lethal is 26 and
that Rhino is 36. Steve Corino comes to ringside and joins the
commentary team. Lethal and Rhino circle each other and tie up with
Rhino backing Lethal into the corner. They break and circle again with
Rhino yelling at fans. They go to tie up again but Lethal dodges and
then punches Rhino who fights back with a kick to the gut. The
criss-cross and lethal comes off the ropes with a cross-body. Lethal
throws Rhino over the top rope to the floor. Rhino gets to the apron but
Lethal jumps to the second rope and hits Rhino with a dropkick. Lethal
attempts a pescado on Rhino who gets out of the way. Lethal ducks a
clothesline from Rhino and hits a superkick. Lethal returns to the ring
and hits a tope suicida onto Rhino on the floor. Lethal whips Rhino into
the ring barrier and then attacks him with punches and chops before
again whipping him in to the ring barrier. Lethal sits Rhino on a chair
on the floor and chops him a number of times before rolling him back in
and going for a pin attempt. Lethal hits a seated dropkick on Rhino for
another pin attempt. Rhino gets to his feet and throws punches that
Lethal ducks. Lethal does a handspring but Rhino avoids him and attempts
a clothesline. Lethal gets out of the way but Rhino hits a spinebuster.
Rhino whips Lethal hard into the turnbuckle. Rhino picks Lethal up and
sits him on the ropes before laying into his back with forearms. Rhino
chokes Lethal on the ropes but is called off by the referee. Lethal
tries to fight back with a chop but Rhino knocks him down with punches.
Rhino snapmares Lethal and then applies a body-scissors. Lethal starts
throwing punches from the mat but Rhino gets up and is still in control
with forearms as the match goes to commercials.
Adam Cole is interviewed by Kevin Kelly regarding his Final Battle
match against Matt Hardy. Kelly asks Cole what he thought of Hardy going
into the match and how his perception changed coming out of the match.
Cole says that Hardy has proven time and time again that he is a
wrestling icon and his coming into ROH was very big for Cole. He says
that it was a great wrestling contest and that regardless of the outcome
he thinks it is one that fans will remember for a long time. Cole says
that Final Battle 2012 was an event that people will remember forever,
that it is their biggest event of the year and it didn’t disappoint.
Cole says that the ladder war was one of the most violent matches he has
ever seen in his life and is certainly one that fans will want to check
out on replay. Kelly plugs the replay at www.rohwrestling.com.
The
show returns to Lethal vs Rhino with Rhino in control and applying a
bearhug. Lethal starts to fire up with punches and eventually breaks
free. Rhino whips him into the ropes but Lethal hits a handspring elbow.
Lethal hits a dropkick followed by a spinning clothesline and a pin
attempt. Lethal chops Rhino in the corner but Rhino whips Lethal to the
opposite corner. Rhino charges with a shoulder into Lethal’s gut and
follows up with a belly-to-belly suplex. Lethal is on the mat as Rhino
goes to the corner to set up for the gore. Lethal gets to his feet and
Rhino charges but Lethal hits a superkick. Rhino falls to the mat where
Lethal applies a Koji Clutch. Rhino fights back and lifts Lethal off the
mat and drops him. They both get to their feet and Lethal hits punches.
Rhino lifts Lethal briefly but Lethal gets out and handsprings into his
Lethal Injection Ace Crusher. Lethal then pins Rhino and wins the
match. Corino comes into the ring with the microphone and says
“Congratulations Jay Lethal, big freaking deal!” Corino says that Lethal
has a lot of balls to say he is going to get involved in tonight’s main
event and that Lethal fails to realize that he couldn’t beat Kevin
Steen in Rahway, New Jersey. Corino says that Lethal is a hypocrite to
say that Steen spit on his mother so now he wants the world title.
Corino says “I dated your mother and I don’t have the cajones to
challenge Kevin Steen.” Corino says that he used to like Lethal and
thought he was a good, respectful young kid who used to carry Corino’s
bags but if he thinks he will mess up S.C.U.M.’s main event… Lethal
gives him the finger and challenges Corino to come in the ring as Jimmy
Jacobs hits the ring and they beat down Lethal together. Corino and
Jacobs hold up Lethal and allow Rhino to hit him with a gore. Corino
yells at a downed Lethal that he will never be in the main event, he
will never beat Kevin Steen, he will never be ROH Champion and will
always be in the second match.
After
a commercial break Mike Bennett comes to ring accompanied by Brutal Bob
and Maria Kannellis. Jerry Lynn then comes to the ring. The footage
clips into the match with Bennett and Lynn exchanging punches. Lynn gets
whipped into the ropes and he drives Bennett’s head into the mat
repeatedly. Lynn somersaults toward the corner and pokes Bennett in the
eye. Lynn then punches Bennett in the head ten times in the corner and
follows up with a DDT and a pin attempt. Lynn rolls outside and drapes
Bennett on the apron before falling to the ring with a cutter. Lynn
rolls Bennett back inside and attempts a pin. Lynn attempts a package
piledriver but Bennett fights out and hits a spinebuster. The referee is
distracted as a chair gets rolled into the ring by Brutal Bob. Bennett
attempts to give Lynn a TKO on the chair but Lynn gets out and manages
to give Bennett a cutter on the chair. Lynn throws the chair outside at
Brutal Bob and covers for a pin attempt. The referee gets distracted by
Brutal Bob and Maria jumps to the apron. Lynn then grabs Maria but
Bennett attacks Lynn and gives him the Box Office Smash for the pinfall
and the win. Lynn is on the mat when Bennett mockingly shakes his hand
but Lynn gets up and throws Bennett into Brutal Bob. Maria tries to slap
Lynn who gives her a DDT. Lynn then gives Bennett a cradle piledriver
and the fans chant “ECW”. Lynn then gets on the microphone and thanks
the fans. Lynn says he knows that ROH is mainly a company for young
up-and-comers and thanks the boys for welcoming him from day one because
he is an old fart. Nigel McGuinness enters the ring and tells Lynn that
he will always be over with them. McGuinness presents Lynn a plaque for
his accomplishments in and contributions to the sport of professional
wrestling. Jay Lethal then slides in the ring and tells matchmaker
McGuinness that it seems he has been ducking Lethal. He says that as the
2012 Survival Of The Fittest winner the main event spot rightfully
belongs to him. Lethal says he is going to put himself in the main event
for the world title and for McGuinness to tell El Generico that if he
has a problem with going home he can deal with it with Lethal.
McGuinness tells Lethal that he suggests he go in the back with everyone
else that wants a world title match and cheer on El Generico because if
he wins the title Lethal will be first in line for the title shot.
Lethal tells McGuinness that he thinks he is confused as yes this is
about the ROH World title but it is also about something equally
important to Lethal and every man and that is defending his family’s
honor. Lethal says a man spit in his mother’s face and that is all he
should have to say. Lethal tells McGuinness to make the match tonight or
he is just going to take it. McGuinness tells Lethal he is not going to
take anything tonight and he is standing his ground. Lethal says that
“Kevin Steen spit on my mom, Ring Of Honor spit on Jay Lethal and Jay
Lethal just spit on you.” Lethal then spits on McGuinness who responds
by getting into a shoving match with Lethal that is broken up by
officials and Lethal is taken away from ringside.
After
a commercial break Kelly says that one of the biggest changes in ROH in
2012 is that Jim Cornette is no longer in charge. Kelly says that the
new matchmaker was Nigel McGuinness and one of his first orders of
business was to make the main event of Final Battle. Kevin Steen is then
shown coming to ringside for his ladder match with El Generico. Kelly
discusses the history of the feud between Steen and Generico and the
history of the ladder war in ROH. Kelly introduces highlights of the
ladder war match between Steen and Generico at Final Battle. Highlights
include a Generico dive to the outside, Steen backdropping Generico on a
ladder and Generico giving Steen a German Suplex on a ladder. They are
shown repeatedly throwing ladders at each other leading to Steen getting
backdropped onto a table set up on a ladder outside. Steen is shown
giving Generico an F-5 from the top rope through a table on the outside.
A ladder is set up draped between two other ladders and both men climb
and are standing on the middle ladder where Steen gives Generico a
package piledriver. Steen then climbs a ladder and grabs the title belt
to win the match.
Kelly
interviews Truth Martini about Final Battle and asks him what he
thought about the show. Martini says that his life has changed forever
and Kelly everybody to watch the replay. Martini says he will not be a
part of this. Martini says it was an historic event but the House Of
Truth will never be the same and Truth Martini will never be the same.
Martini charges off as Kelly says that if people want to see what
Martini is talking about they can order the replay.
After
a commercial break the three-way match with sudden death rules for the
ROH World Tag Team Titles is introduced with champions Steve Corino and
Jimmy Jacobs vs Jay and Mark Briscoe and Caprice Coleman and Cedric
Alexander. Highlights of the build-up to the match are shown. Corino and
Jacobs are then shown coming to the ring where the Briscoes and Coleman
and Alexander are already present. After the ring introductions both
challenging teams attack Corino and Jacobs. The match spills to the
outside with Mark and Coleman double-teaming Jacobs and Jay and
Alexander double-teaming Corino. Jay and Corino enter the ring and Jay
kicks and punches Corino in the corner. Jay whips Corino into the
opposite corner and splashes. Jay seats Corino and goes for a dropkick
but Alexander hits one. Jay goes for a pin but is pulled off by
Alexander who then goes for a pin. Jay pulls off Alexander Mark beats
down Jacobs on the way to the ring and Jay starts punching and kicking
Corino. Jay rolls Corino into the ring where Coleman and Alexander beat
on him and hit Total Elimination. Alexander then hits a tope con giro
onto Jacobs and the Briscoes on the outside and Coleman jumps to the top
rope and leaps backward onto Corino for a pin attempt. This is broken
up by Mark who this Coleman with his “Redneck Kung Fu” chops. Coleman
whips Mark into the ropes and Mark boots Coleman in the face. Jacobs
then attacks Mark’s knee and attempts Sliced Bread # 2 but Mark throws
him off. Jacobs vaults off the top turnbuckle with a cutter on Mark for a
pin attempt. Alexander hits a cross-body on Jacobs and then drives him
face-first on the mat. The Briscoes re-enter and thrown Corino to the
floor as Alexander whips Jay to the corner where he boots Alexander in
the face and hits him with a rolling elbow. Jay and Coleman trade
punches but Jay gets the better of him. Jay hits the ropes for a running
punch but Coleman hits him with an Ace Crusher. Corino is in the corner
and asking Coleman for a handshake but Coleman turns around and gets
hit with a spear from Jacobs. Corino gives Coleman a bridging back
suplex for a two-count that is broken up by Mark and Alexander who are
thrown out of the ring by Corino and Jacobs. Corino then assists Jacobs
into a mid-ring Sliced Bread # 2 followed by a Lariat from a big
clothesline from Corino for a two-count. Corino is then seen to grab
something out of his tights but Alexander hits him with an enzuiguri.
Coleman hits Jacobs with his no-hands top rope hurracanrana. Alexander
climbs to the top rope but Mark rolls Jacobs out of the way. Alexander
hits Mark with a missile dropkick but as Alexander gets to his feet
Corino punches him with a roll of quarters. Alexander kicks out of a
pin. Corino holds Alexander for Jacobs to hit him with the title belt
but Jay kicks Jacobs and Mark hits Corino with a mule kick. Jay and Mark
then hit Jacobs with Doomsday Device clothesline to score the pin and
win the ROH World Tag Team titles for the eighth time. The Briscoes
celebrate with the title belts. Jay takes the microphone and says that
he and Mark consider themselves the best tag team in the world. Jay says
that ROH is alive and well and has the best tag team division in the
world. Jay says he and Mark are sending an open challenge to any tag
team in the world. Jay says that one team doesn’t have to ask for a shot
and that they will give a shot to out of respect. Jay says their first
tag team title shot will be against Coleman and Alexander and says that
they earned the title shot.
Kelly says that next week the show will be from Baltimore with the best wrestling in the world.
The
show was fun this week and although it was again second-run footage the
tag team title match was better than I remembered. There seems to be a
focus on the Briscoes as tag champs going forward so it makes sense to
show this match. The highlights shown of the ladder match and Lynn’s
last match were good and the continued storyline building with Lethal
really has me interested in seeing his grudge match with Steen.
Thankfully there will be new footage next week to get 2013 rolling.
Dave Musgrave
Oshawa, Ontario
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