ROH TV report

2/23/2013 ROH TV Report

Kevin Kelly and Caleb Seltzer introduce the show from the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. They preview tonight’s finals of the Top Prospect tournament with Tadarius Thomas vs Matt Taven. Footage is shown from last week with Kevin Steen stopping Rhino from attacking Jay Lethal, Steen’s opponent at the 11^th Anniversary Show.

Kevin Steen comes to the ring and says that people say he has changed. Steen says ROH has changed a lot over the past few years. Steen says when he won the title last year he wasn’t proud of the victory and wasn’t proud to be ROH Champion. The only reason he was happy was because he thought it would help him kill this company. He didn’t want to kill this company because he hated it, he loves ROH and always has. He wanted to put ROH out of its misery because of what Jim Cornette was doing to it. ROH was once about young talented wrestlers busting their asses to prove they belong in this industry and since Jim Cornette is gone it is about what it should be, pro wrestling.   You can call him a lot of things and you can say he is sick, but you can’t say he doesn’t love pro wrestling. He has dedicated his life to it, he has bled for it and cried for it and is not stopping any time soon. He has realized since Jim Cornette’s departure he cares about this company and is proud to be ROH Champion. That is why he is giving Jay Lethal a title shot even though he doesn’t have to, because he deserves it.   He doesn’t deserve it because he is a good wrestler or because he has beaten a lot of good wrestlers, he deserves it because he is the one that got rid of Jim Cornette. Steen says Lethal is great, but since winning the title Steen has beaten Eddie Edwards, Davey Richards, Roderick Strong, Rhino, Michael Elgin, and El Generico to name a few. He has put himself through hell and now more than ever he will do anything and everything to keep the title. He asks Lethal what makes him think he can beat him and says that the truth is Lethal can’t beat him.

Tadarius Thomas and Matt Taven are both interviewed with footage being shown of their matches in ROH. Thomas says that since he has joined ROH he has gone through a lot of emotions and the first one is that more than anything he is glad to be in an arena with all these top guys. Taven says the first time he was in ROH was in 2009 and it is 2013 and he is finally getting his chance. Thomas says he has been on the independents for the last four years but ROH is the top and the best athletes. Taven says he was jealous of Thomas last year as he got a spot Taven wanted and is now the last man in his way for him to get what he wants and what he thinks he deserves. Thomas says his knowledge of Taven and his background is very limited and what he knows of him is what he sees in his matches and pretty much all that matters is what he does in the ring. Thomas says that what he brings to the ring is something that Taven probably hasn’t seen, his African Brazilian style Capoeira which makes him very unorthodox. Taven says for years he has floated around and made his name here and there but this tournament is his break-out opportunity. Thomas says he has accumulated some losses that he is not too proud of but he has learned from them. Taven says people are talking about him the way he wants and this tournament will skyrocket him. Thomas says this tournament will jump-start him like Frankenstein. Taven says that Thomas is a humble guy but tonight he is a giant stepping stone for him. Thomas says he hopes Taven is ready because he is going to bring everything he has to the table. Taven says he wants the TV Title shot and nothing including Taven will get in his way.

After a commercial break Kelly and Seltzer say they are surprised that Truth Martini has not joined them on commentary for the match as he has added expertise throughout the tournament. Matt Taven comes to the ring followed by Tadarius Thomas. Bobby Cruise announces that the winner of the match and the tournament will get a shot at the ROH TV Title at the 11^th Anniversary Show. The “Tale Of The Tape” shows that Thomas is 31 and Taven is 26. They circle each other to start and Thomas takes Taven’s back and then exchanging headlocks. Taven attempts a roll-up but Thomas grabs the ropes. Taven hits a dropkick and attempts to kick a seated Thomas who avoids it and hits capoeira kicks and attempts a pin. Taven gets whipped to the corner but he jumps to the top rope and hits a crossbody with Thomas rolling through for a pin attempt. Taven hits a lateral press and takes a headlock. Taven punches Thomas as Truth Martini is shown at ringside. Thomas hits two armdrags and a dropkick. Taven hits a back-kick and starts working on Thomas’s ribs which were injured in his match with QT Marshall last week. Taven hits a backbreaker and a gutbuster and attempts a pin. Taven hits a delayed vertical suplex followed by a springboard somersault senton for a pin attempt. Taven hits an elbow in the corner and whips Thomas to the opposite corner where he vaults over into a sunset flip. Thomas hits a La Magistral cradle and then whips Taven to the corner where Taven hits a step-up enzuiguri. Taven hits Thomas with punches. Thomas whips Taven into the ropes and Martini grabs Taven’s foot. Thomas slams Taven to the mat and hits an elbow in the corner followed by a legsweep. Thomas gets whipped into the corner but he hits Taven with a boot to the face. Thomas hits punches and then a hangman clothesline as Martini is cheering him on. Taven misses a headkick allowing Thomas to hit a dragon suplex. Taven gets out of a vertical suplex attempt and attempts a headkick but Thomas gets out of the way and Taven hits referee Todd Sinclair. Martini takes off his boot and throws it to Thomas but Thomas refuses. Taven grabs the boot and attempts to hit Thomas who avoids it. Thomas tries to roll up Taven but Martini hits Thomas in the head with his Book Of Truth. Taven covers Thomas and Sinclair is recovered and counts the pin. Taven wins the tournament and seems hesitant at first to ally with Martini but Martini talks in his ear and they shake hands and celebrate. Taven will be facing Adam Cole for the ROH TV Title at the 11^th Anniversary Show.

On Inside Ring Of Honor footage is shown of the brawl between Charlie Haas and BJ Whitmer last week. Haas says Whitmer won’t be at the 11^th Anniversary show. Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander are interviewed regarding their match against Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs. The match with Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards vs Rocky Romero and Alex Kozlov is previewed with Richards talking about his former tag team with Romero. Edwards says they were partners but he and Richards are brothers. Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly are interviewed regarding their ROH World Tag Team Title match saying that Jay and Mark Bricscoe are the most decorated team in ROH history but they will make it short-lived. Truth Martini is shown laughing about the Matt Taven vs Adam Cole match. Michael Elgin is interviewed regarding his match with Roderick Strong saying that he was taught growing up that you don’t pick fights you can’t win and that is what Strong has done and he has signed his own death warrant. Jay Lethal is interviewed regarding his match with Kevin Steen and says he has Steen’s number and he is focused as his parents are miles away and he has no distractions.

After a commercial break Jay Lethal comes to the ring and says that it is great that Steen all of sudden has a change of heart and loves ROH and wants to be an honorable champion but he also thinks he is full of crap. Lethal says that Steen is a master of mind-games and getting into people’s heads. Steen came out and told everyone what they wanted to hear. Lethal says that the mind-games Steen played on Davey Richards to win the title was amazing but it will not happen to him. Lethal says he has forgiven the past and his parents will be miles away and he has removed all distractions. Lethal says that when they discuss the great ROH Champions after March 2 they will say there was Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and then there was “one of us.” Lethal says that he thinks he can win on March 2 because Steen thinks that he can’t.

Veda Scott is shown interviewing Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong regarding their match against Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Kyle O’Reilly. Strong says he is 2-0 against Elgin and tonight will help him prove Elgin is very breakable and Strong is unbeatable. Fish notes that he and O’Reilly just beat the American Wolves to earn their ROH Title shot but if ROH wants them to go out and beat them again they’ll do so. O’Reilly asks if the wolves are going to bark all day or if they are going to bite.

Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish come to the ring as Jay and Mark Briscoe join the commentary table. Roderick Strong comes out in his own entrance. Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Michael Elgin then come to the ring together. All six met start brawling to start the match and it spills to the floor. Edwards starts chopping Fish and Richards is fighting O’Reilly. Two referees work to get the match in the ring as the show goes to commercials. On return Richards and Edwards hits Fish with double elbows and then tag in Elgin who hits Fish with a very long delayed vertical suplex. Richards then takes on Fish with O’Reilly interfering allowing Fish to take advantage. O’Reilly drops a knee on Richards’ face. Strong tags in and starts chopping Richards. Strong hits a dropkick and then holds Richards while Fish vaults in with a senton on Richards. Fish hits kicks and punches and Richards starts to come back but gets cut off. O’Reilly tags in and starts trading forearms with Richards but O’Reilly takes him down with a kick. Strong tags in and holds up Richards for a delayed vertical suplex but Richards fights out with knees to the head. Strong takes control and tags in Fish. Richards is fighting out with shoulders to Fish’s stomach but Strong tags in and hits Richards with strikes. O’Reilly tags in and puts a submission hold on Richards. They get to their feet and O’Reilly hits a dragon-screw legwhip. Fish tags in as the match goes to commercials. When the show returns Richards is still on defense and is being double-teamed by Fish and O’Reilly with O’Reilly dropkicking Richards into a DDT. Richards fights back and tags in Edwards who hits a double missile dropkick on Fish and O’Reilly. Edwards unloads with chops on Fish and then catches a charging Fish with a boot to the face. Edwards hits a running kick (almost a Shining Wizard) to the face of Fish who fights back and hits a falcon arrow. Strong tags in and Edwards attempts to hit a lung-blower from the top rope but Strong blocks and attempts a Boston Crab. They exchange chops and Richards tags in to hit an alarm clock with Edwards. Fish and O’Reilly are in the ring and attempt to charge Edwards and Richards who avoid them and send them to the floor. Edwards and Richards then hit kicks to their back and follow up with suicide dives. This leaves Elgin and Strong in the ring and Elgin throws Strong into the corner and hits clotheslines. Elgin hits an STO followed by corner-to-corner clotheslines and a side-slam. Fish and O’Reilly enter the ring and try to stop Elgin with O’Reilly hopping on his back with a sleeperhold. Elgin walks with O’Reilly on his back and grabs Fish in a waist-lock and gives him a back suplex while falling back on O’Reilly. Edwards goes to the top rope and hits a double stomp on Strong while Richards hits a double stomp from another corner. Elgin lifts Strong for a suplex but drops him into a slam on the mat. O’Reilly breaks up a pin attempt. Elgin is hitting clotheslines on Fish but O’Reilly hits him with a boot to the face. Strong attempts a double-knee gutbuster but Elgin lands on his feet. O’Reilly and Fish hit him with Double Elimination. Fish and O’Reilly start trading punches with Richards and Edwards. Strong hits Richards with a double-knee backbreaker. Strong faces off with Elgin who attempts a death-valley drive and then an O’Connor Roll but Strong fights out with kicks. Strong hits an enzuiguri and then a sick-kick for a pin attempt. Elgin hits a punch but Strong hits him with a number of knees to the face followed by a suplex into a double-knee backbreaker to score the pin and win the match.

The show was fun this week with the build-up to the Taven vs Thomas match making it seem important and the match being a good one building to the TV title match. The main event was actually pretty good and Mark Briscoe was really entertaining on commentary. This show was a good build-up to the 11^th Anniversary Show next weekend.

Dave Musgrave

Oshawa, Ontario