ROH Supercard of Honor VIII review

Due to previous, much-discussed issues with their streaming facilities ROH's WrestleMania weekend offering was not available live. It took place on April 4, opposite DG USA's Open the Ultimate Gate 2014, but wasn't uploaded until a week or so later. Which is a pity, because it was a good show (as you'll read below) and deserved to be discussed during wrestling’s biggest weekend of the year.

It's likely that this will be the last time the issues of streaming and uploading affect ROH. From Best in the World onwards their big shows will be broadcast as live pay-per-views. Yeah, full on television PPVs, not those internet streaming things and taped offerings they’ve been doing until now. It's a big thing for ROH which could help them expand (which is the idea, obviously) if they can string together some top notch shows.

The situation’s obviously only come about because the WWE Network has finally reared its head. With WWE moving away from pay-per-view it's created an opening for ROH to build itself up. Basically the pay-per-view companies are going to ROH to try and recoup some of the losses they’ll be suffering losing WWE money. Doesn’t say much for TNA, does it?

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. The show at hand is Supercard of Honor VIII. Although it wasn’t available live for anyone who didn’t have a ticket it was still a big and important show for ROH. It paid off months of storylines between the company’s two world champion claimants and offered a number of clashes between top names.

The show kicked off with a very impressive video that recapped the last year of plot. Jay Briscoe's title win, his reign and his loss of the belt via stripping. Adam Cole winning the vacated championship and subsequent heel turn on Jay. Their feud over the legitimacy of Cole's reign and Briscoe's introduction of the so-called real world title. It was a great piece of work that caught people up without being tedious.

The night's first match was Cedric Alexander taking on ROH veteran and proud Decade member Roderick Strong. He had Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer at ringside, along with new member Adam Page. He'd joined as a young boy (a Japanese, and therefore Ring of Honor, concept linked to paying dues and earning a spot) a week or two earlier.

The pair had a very good match that told a good story: Cedric wanted to prove himself to be on the same level as Roddy and worthy of his, and The Decade’s, respect. He kicked out of a bunch of very convincing false finishes, took out the Decade members stationed at ringside before eventually being caught with a drop kick and a suplex into a back breaker for the Strong victory.

Kevin Kelly put over Cedric’s efforts, though he didn’t need to: the match was one of the best of the night and Cedric looked so good during the match that he got over even in defeat. After the match Jacobs told Cedric he should act more like Adam Page and be respectful. Perhaps that will be the next swerve turn, Cedric attacking Caprice Coleman in favour of joining The Decade. Or not. ‘The Zombie Princess’ also referred to ROH as the house that The Decade built. I hope that was intentionally ridiculous.

Andrew Everett and Adrenalin RUSH were called out for their six man scramble tag match. The scramble rule meant that if someone leaves the ring one of their partners could become the match’s legal man without the need for a tag. It’s a good approach that ensures a faster pace, never a bad thing in your second match of the night.

Once again the story centred on respect. Specifically it was about The Decade not respecting their foes and the younger trio doing everything they could to show they were worthy of it. ACH was a highlight during this, taking particular exception to his treatment at the hands of the heels. He shook hands with the fans when the bad guys refused and was booked as the star of his team, getting isolated and hitting the majority of the most impressive flying moves. Making him the star made sense: he was the most charismatic guy in the match and had the crispest delivery.

As with the opener it was a very enjoyable match. The faces, Jacobs and Page were all quick. BJ wasn’t going to keep up, but he offered the match some a power guy instead. Highlights of the match included a Doomsday Device-suicide dive combo on the floor from Whitmer and Jacobs, springboard shooting star presses to the outside and inside of the ring by Everett, an incredible topé from ACH, and The Decade's All Seeing Eye (a move it would be easy to botch and that always looks good). That was enough to earn Whitmer the win for his team.

After the match Jacobs teased caving in Tadarius's skull with his trusty spike. He walked off instead. ACH sat at ringside, exhausted and unable to make the save. My assumption is that there will be a singles match between ACH and Jacobs sometime soon. Probably at Best in the World.

After a reminder of why they don't like one another Truth Martini and Matt Taven went to the ring for a showdown. Instead of introducing his mystery wrestler Truth called Kevin Kelly into the ring and started reading the final chapter of the Book of Truth. Taven snatched it away and started reading his "favourite” chapter. He got about three words in before flames came out of the book which caused a distraction (understandably so) and allowed Truth to kick Taven in the groin and walk off. It was a confusing, disappointing mess of a segment.

Match three saw the "undefeated" RD Evans (he's pulled 82-0 from somewhere) take on Silas Young. Evans was popular with the fans. Young was not. He was, in fact, hated. Partly because he does such a good job of being an unlikeable bully. What could have been a simple comedy bout was actually a pretty lengthy, compelling outing. After narrowly avoiding being counted out (having absorbed an impressive electric chair drop on the apron) Evans caught Young with a small package that was just kicked out of.

Veda Scott then distracted the referee while Ramon, the other member of the RD Evans Comedy Troupe, tossed his belt into the ring. Young intercepted it so Evans pretended he'd been struck with it in an effort to win by DQ. Young escaped another rollup and accidentally battered the ref with the belt. Evans got a hangman's neck breaker but there was nobody to count the three so Evans, needing a ref, checked on the downed official. That allowed Young to grab him for a fireman roll and a moonsault, at which point a fresh official appeared in the ring to make the unpopular count.

However... original official Paul Turner got to his feet and reversed the decision. Silas Young was disqualified, presumably for striking an official. Evans celebrated in typically overblown style, screaming that he'd done it and high fiving and hugging fans at ringside. He’s one of the best things currently going in ROH.

Following that were Michael Bennett and Mark Briscoe in a no disqualification match. Bennett had involved himself in Jay Briscoe's rivalry with Adam Cole, so Mark was looking out for his brother. That was all the build they needed.

The match started with Briscoe launching himself off the apron and battering Bennett around ringside. Bennett turned things around and the two wound up brawling into the bleachers. Noteworthy here was Mark launching himself from one guardrail over another and landing on nothing but Bennett and concrete. Back at ringside 'The Prodigy' smacked Briscoe with a pair of chair shots, spat water in his face and ran him into the crowd barrier.

In the ring Bennett wrapped a chair around Briscoe's leg and smashed a second chair on top. Briscoe shrugged that off (just one of many no-sells he would perform) and came back with an elbow drop to a floored Bennett outside the ring (Cactus Jack style). Briscoe gave Bennett some chair shots of his own and ran him into barriers in the aisle. Up at the entrance Bennett speared Briscoe through a table, which fell over rather than broke in half. Which was somewhat anticlimactic.  

Once again returning to the ring Briscoe pulled out a kendo stick. Bennett took two shots before Maria grabbed the stick out of Mark's grasp. Bennett snuck in a super kick and Maria gave Briscoe a stick shot of her own, allowing Bennett to hit a side effect. A series of chair shots put the former tag champ down. Bennett followed that with a one man Conchairto and an application of the Anaconda Vice. Referee Todd Sinclair awarded the match to Bennett. Briscoe was helped out of the ring but was looking for a fight before he'd reached the aisle. The match was a very satisfying brawl but someone needs to remind Mark to sell.

We were shown Matt Taven searching for Truth Martini backstage. He walked into the gents, there was some shouting, and then Truth wandered out. The cameraman entered the restroom to find Taven clutching his face. I think we were meant to assume he'd been fireballed. Although there were other options that would fit with Truth’s deviant character.

A top notch hype video for ROH's co-promoted shows with New Japan was followed by Cheeseburger giving out T-shirts. The inevitable interruption came from Matt Hardy. After politely asking the burger to give him the ring 'The Icon' talked about ROH setting record numbers in TV ratings, attendance figures, and merch sales, which he took credit for, natch. In fairness he didn't just claim it was because of him, he also said it was because he'd handpicked Adam Cole as the top guy in the company. Channelling both Triple H and Gedo ‘The Sensei of Mattitude’ talked up Adam Cole as being on another level and said he couldn't take anything away from Briscoe being a "pretty good little wrestler". Wrapping up, Hardy said that he, Bennett, Kanellis, and Cole are the best unit in wrestling and that Cole winning the main event would cement him as the greatest ROH champion ever.

Cheeseburger was called back into the ring. Hardy disingenuously apologised for taking his time and then gave him a Twist of Fate. The sequence was good for building up the importance of the main event and establishing the top heel unit in the company but it wasn't unmissable stuff. Nothing involving Matt Hardy is.

Match five was the Forever Hooligans v reDRagon v Hanson and Raymond Rowe in a three-way tag match, with the winners earning a title match with The Young Bucks at Global Wars. Despite Hanson and Rowe being the only guys who were definitely faces it was Fish and O'Reilly who got most of the cheers before the match started.

Things took a while to get going in this. The first several minutes were pretty standard tag fare. Things only really picked up in the final five minutes when the near falls kicked in and guys were rapidly coming and going from the ring. O'Reilly eventually got the win for his team off a rollup, craftily applied after the Hooligans had attempted a double team springboard thwarted by Fish (who, for the record, was sporting a lovely quiff).

Hanson and Rowe looked decent as a team. If they’re together long enough they could development into a useful combo. That said I can’t help but feel this match would have been better without their involvement. But that feels like an unfair complaint to make. The match wasn’t actively bad, it just wasn’t as good as it could have been. We’ve had Forever Hooligans versus reDRagon on other shows so all things considered I think I’d rather have had this three-way. It was something different and it gave Hanson and Rowe a good introduction to the tag division.

A video package showed an angry Jay Lethal talking about his two years of history with Tommaso Ciampa and wanting the TV title back. They have indeed had two years of feuding for the TV strap, on and off. Unfortunately none of their interactions are especially memorable. I think it was a result of Lethal's bland face character. I like Ciampa's character and both men's wrestling ability but they've never clicked for me as the great feud they're clearly meant to be.

The match was a two-out-of-three falls affair. Instead of a handshake Ciampa put his knee brace on Lethal's outstretched hand. It was a way of demonstrating that he was not only confident in his knee but keen to pursue a level playing field. The first fall was the length of a regular ROH match and ended with a Lethal Injection attempt countered into a pinning attempt which was countered itself into another pinning attempt. That put Lethal ahead by one fall.

Ciampa was on the defensive for the second fall, having to immediately escape a hurricanrana and a Koji clutch. He countered the latter into a Sicilian Stretch but it wasn't enough to get him his first pin. Minutes later he was on the receiving end of his own Project Ciampa. The second ref bump of the night followed when Ciampa ducked a Lethal Injection attempt and Todd Sinclair took the move instead. Ciampa blasted Lethal with a German suplex series (triggering a Benoit chant) and a lariat.

Truth Martini then rocked up and slid Ciampa's knee brace to Jay Lethal. The challenger used it. Ciampa kicked out but wasn't with it enough to make it back to his feet, so Lethal hit him with the Macho Elbow. Ciampa, channeling Hulk Hogan, immediately kicked out. He no sold a pair of super kicks but buckled after a kick to the knee and fell to a Lethal Injection.

The first ever two time TV champ celebrated with Truth Martini as the fans told him he'd sold out. Taking a microphone Lethal told the fans "There is a house in New Orleans. And it's called the House of Truth." At commentary McGuinness and Kelly talked about how Lethal had turned his back on honour and the teachings of his parents (though they failed to mention it was Truth Martini who cost him the TV title in March 2012 (not that I’d expected them to)). They also made it clear they'd never expected to see a Jay Lethal heel turn in ROH. I have to say I’d never thought we'd get it either. It could work out well though. Lethal's lack of charisma (except for when he's channelling Randy Savage) has always been a problem and he'd done loads as a face and become a little played out doing it. This is something new for him and it gives Martini someone new to interact with.

The evening's penultimate match saw Michael Elgin clash with Kevin Steen in a match that would see the winner challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP world heavyweight championship at Global Wars. They set an electric pace from the opening bell, Steen immediately attempting a package piledriver with Elgin escaping and belting him with a right hand. Within thirty seconds Steen had hit a cannonball and gone for a cover. After that they headed out of the ring for the obligatory ringside rampage.

Several minutes passed before they re-entered the ring, at which point Elgin was in control after using a stalling suplex on the outside to wind 'Mr Wrestling'. Elgin hit a drop kick before Steen came back with a version of the draping DDT. Elgin took a senton and shoulder blocks in the corner then blasted Steen with an enziguri and a dead lift German suplex. Steen got a two count from a fisherman neck breaker then hit a second cannonball into the corner.

It would prove ill-advised as 'Unbreakable' kept hold of him and powered up to his feet to give him a power bomb. He went for a second but Steen turned it into an F5. Elgin kicked out and an exchange of big punches followed. Elgin got the better of that and dropped Steen with a bicycle kick and a back fist for two. Back on the outside Steen apron bombed Elgin and then took a power bomb into the turnbuckle. In the ring Steen survived a tombstone piledriver and responded with a pop up power bomb and a package piledriver for an ultra-convincing two count. Steen attempted a Swanton bomb but was met with knees.

Both men dragged themselves back to their feet. Elgin walloped Steen with a back fist, a buckle bomb and an Elgin bomb for another strong convincer. Elgin tried for something on the top rope but Steen countered with a version of the fisherman suplex for another two count. Steen once again tried the package piledriver but found it reversed into triple power bomb, followed by a buckle bomb. The Elgin bomb attempt that followed was countered with a sleeper suplex, but Elgin shrugged it off and belted Steen with a lariat, another buckle bomb and Steen's own package piledriver for the hard fought victory.

The match was phenomenal. Elgin and Steen are two of ROH’s best and this was proof of it. I thought it was significantly better than their last effort opposite one another.

The ladder match main event was excellent, which was to be expected. Jay Briscoe is one of the most experienced ladder guys ROH has while Cole is just generally awesome and capable of doing anything asked of him. The history behind the match helped too, creating a reason for the two to clash under ladder rules and continuing the tradition of ladder matches only occurring under very special circumstances in Ring of Honor.

In the end it was Cole who “unified the titles” and left New Orleans as Ring of Honor’s undisputed world champion. This, I’m sure, will be credited to the training from self-proclaimed ladder match whizz Matt Hardy. In actuality it was more down to interference from Hardy and Bennett. That made sense though: the heels are a confirmed faction and there was always going to be interference in the match.

Supercard of Honor VIII was a good show, all told. It paid off various long-running plots, provided some high quality matches, and provided a few changes to keep the promotion feeling fresh. It will almost certainly not end up being Ring of Honor’s best show of the year (especially when you consider what they’ve got coming up at Global Wars) but it was a satisfying show at a time when ROH needed to deliver a satisfying show. If they can give us more events like that when they hit pay-per-view they’ll be doing okay.

ROH 12th Anniversary Show review

ROHTwo nights before WWE promoted their very good Elimination Chamber pay-per-view Ring of Honor returned to their original home base of Philadelphia for their 12^th Anniversary Show. It would not be seen live by anyone outside of the arena, as is standard for ROH now. They’ve had too many streaming issues over the years to attempt even free streaming these days. I’m sure it’s something they’ll go back to but their twelfth year’s showcase event would not be the time.

Matt Taven and Silas young kicked the evening off. The crowd was really into MTV and Young was accepted as a heel, both of which helped add something to hat could otherwise have been a pedestrian opener. Taven won with a rolling pump kick and a frog splash after Young knocked himself silly (in storyline terms) attempting a springboard moonsault.

After the match 'The Last Real Man' accepted the winner's handshake before assaulting him. He was egged on by Truth Martini. It was left ambiguous as to whether Truth and Silas are united. I like Silas Young a lot. I think he's got everything that's needed to be a top antagonist in ROH. Placing him with the House of Truth wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Match two saw The Decade take on Cedric Alexander, Mark Briscoe and Adam Page. The Decade is comprised of BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs (former tag champions together, fact fans!) and Roderick Strong. Their gimmick or, more accurately, unifying factor, is that they've all been with the company for at least ten years. It's the sort of idea that works well in a company like Ring of Honor. It fits with the more realistic, sports-based approach. I also think it's the best use of all three members. Jacobs and Whitmer are guys that work best in units while Strong adds some credibility as a former ROH world champion and gets something to do. He'd been left aimless several times under Delirious.

The match was very good and had a surprising amount going on. Page was intimidated by his more experienced opponents, Alexander wanted to demonstrate that he’s just as good as anyone else on the roster , and The Decade were portrayed as veterans wanting respect from the younger men opposing them, with Strong having a particular problem with the C&C man for using back breakers in previous matches. The Decade won after Whitmer and Jacobs hit The All Seeing Eye on Page.

2014 Top Prospect tournament winner Hanson got his TV championship match against Tommaso Ciampa next. 'The Sicilian Psychopath' strikes me as the kind of man who ROH fans will turn on. They haven't yet, but I suspect they will sooner or later. There’s not enough depth to his character as it is at the moment to sustain fan interest in the long term, and I can’t imagine any significant changes being made.

There was a handshake to start after the two had had gone nose-to-nose. The size difference between them made me think that Hanson had been selected as the tournament winner because he was noticeably larger than Ciampa and could be presented as a tough, imposing challenge for the him to overcome. They went all around ringside and traded power moves and shots in the ring. Hanson even busted out a cartwheel and a moonsault. Ciampa successfully retained after walking Hanson out of the corner as he stood on the second rope into a Project Ciampa. They made the most of the time they had to put on an energetic show.

That match was followed by a Michael Elgin promo. He said he had wanted to send Matt Hardy out of Philadelphia in a body bag but he was being denied his wish because Matt’s flight had been cancelled (whether this was real, part of the storyline, or cover for legal issues stemming from troubles between Matt and his wife I’m not sure). Elgin then put over ROH giving unknown wrestlers the chance to impress and called out Raymond Rowe for a match. With Hardy unavailable this was one of the best matches available to ROH. Rowe isn't a big name, but he got closer to becoming one by being pitted against, and talked up by, a man like Elgin.

The match was a hard hitter, obvs. Rowe weathered a long stalling suplex, the suplex from the apron into the ring, the multiple clotheslines spot, stiff lariats, a German suplex from the apron, and the crossface. Rowe had various spurts of offence, including a very nice pop-up power bomb. It was a match designed to elevate Rowe in defeat by showing that he could survive Elgin’s signature moves and remain in the fight. 'Unbreakable' won after power bombing Rowe into a barrier outside the ring and then hitting an Elgin bomb in the ring. Elgin v Rowe was better than anything Matt Hardy would have been a part of.

After the match ROH champion Adam Cole tried to attack Elgin from behind. Rowe made the save. Before Cole could be given his comeuppance Michael Bennett slid into the ring and low blowed the babyfaces. The stomp sesh that followed brought out Jay Briscoe, sending Cole scampering to the back. Briscoe took the mic and said he wanted Bennett in a match then and there. Even though ROH went out of their way to show Nigel McGuinness at ringside he wasn't used to make the match official. So what was the point of showing him at ringside? Only ROH knows.

The match, which was for Jay Briscoe's "real" world championship, featured a lot of ringside brawling. The atmosphere carried over to the ring. That's to be expected from Jay by now, surely? While I'm not the biggest Briscoes fan and really don't like the "real" world title shtick I did enjoy this match for what it was. Jay retained his belt after a low blow (something he'd taken and kicked out of moments before after Cole had returned to ringside to cause a distraction) and a Jay Driller. He then had a staredown with the real ROH world champ Adam Cole. That feud's still not over.

reDRagon got cheers and the streamer treatment before they defend their tag team titles against Adrenaline RUSH. This is even though they're very clearly intended to be heels. With Bobby Fish being one of the best guys in ROH for crowd interaction cheers were always going to come his way. Shouting down a cocky ACH probably helped too: ACH came across as irritating while talking smack from the apron. Even telling the fans no when they started a "Yes!" chant earned Fish laughter and applause.

The match took a while to get going and never quite met my (admittedly lofty) expectations. I'd thought the teams would click better than they did and produce a modern company classic. It wasn't a bad match it just didn’t get into gear until the closing moments, by which point it was too late. reDRagon retained after Kyle O'Reilly countered a top rope splash into a triangle choke.

A spot towards the finish saw ACH get a three count on Fish while Fish's foot was on the rope. That prompted premature celebrating from the challengers, and will possibly become the kayfabe reason they failed to win. It seemed designed to set up a rematch. If so it was a good way of doing it, but a strange show to do it on: the 12^th Anniversary doesn’t feel like it should be a setup show.

AJ Styles outdid Bobby Fish on the streamer front. He outdid him in the ring too, producing a highly enjoyable, competitive match with Jay Lethal. The early moments saw both men equally matched. Lethal gained the upper hand several minutes in with a modified inverted figure four, slowing the pace for a breather but in a far more interesting way than simply using a headlock (take note Randy Orton). Styles came back with a suplex on the ring apron and an Indian deathlock-STF combination. An exchange of chops soured the mood between the competitors before Lethal struck with a Lethal Combination and a neck breaker for two counts.

Styles regained the upper hand when he yanked Lethal from the top rope and belted him with a springboard forearm. Lethal escaped a Styles Clash attempt and buckled Styles with a super kick. Styles nailed a Pele kick. Lethal came back with a dragon suplex and a Macho Elbow for a close two. Duelling chants filled the air as Lethal went for the Lethal Injection, turning to pro-Styles cheers as he countered, pulling his opponent into a power bomb and then a match winning Styles Clash.

They shook hands after the match, natch. AJ was then left to pose in the ring as Lethal looked dejected in the aisle. That could lead to something significant for Lethal, or it could just be ROH having him sell the loss. You can't tell with this company. Which is good, I suppose.

The ever unpopular Outlawz Inc made an allegedly unscheduled appearance before the next match. Eddie Kingston cut a rambling promo about people who work for Sinclair Broadcasting making him sick. He also said he and Homicide had spent the evening recruiting. There's nobody currently on the roster I'd be interested in seeing added to the Outlawz. I can't think of anyone they could bring in that would make me care either. They're a poor act that don't gel with the current roster and company direction. Severing ties would be the sensible decision at this point.

Nigel McGuinness announced that he'd sent Jay Briscoe, Michael Bennett, Maria Kanellis and Michael Elgin back to the hotel before the main event. That, he assured us, would guarantee a clear, undisputed winner and loser.

ROH champion Adam Cole and challenger Chris Hero had a very good match, though they didn’t quite manage to better Styles v Lethal. There were a lot of elbows and a lot of boots. Because it was a Chris Hero match. You always get plenty of both in his matches. Something new was the crowd jeering Cole whenever he screamed and shouted at Hero or shouted his own name. The champ was smart enough to play to that. That becoming a regular part of his matches could actually help him. It would set him apart and give his bouts a different vibe. It’s real heat too, which is rare in wrestling these days.

Unusually for ROH, especially at a major show, there was a ref bump in the main event. Hero elbowed Todd Sinclair as he countered the Florida Key. Moments later Cole was tapping while locked in a submission hold. There was no new champion of course, because Sinclair was sprawled at ringside being tenderly tended to by Nigel McG. Hero hauled the champ up and went for a death blow but Cole got in first with an enziguri. They traded boots before Cole connected with three Florida Keys for the pin.

McGuinness was shown a replay after he rejoined Kevin Kelly. Instead of simply overturning the decision based on the submission McGuinness let the decision stand. As Cole celebrated he was joined in the ring by Kevin Steen. Cole flipped him off and left to loud jeers. Nobody should have been surprised by him leaving. He's the bad guy!

Steen told everyone at ringside to leave before his "unsanctioned" match with Cliff Compton. The former Domino wandered in through the crowd, dressed like a cross between Trent Acid and Raven circa 1996. The match featured a duelling canes spot; liberal use of a "trash" can (or a dustbin, if you're British); a chair assisted top rope dive; bumps from the top rope to ringside through tables; a Michinoku driver through chairs; power bombs onto a ladder; the Terry Funk spinning ladder spot; a match winning package piledriver onto a ladder; and, surprisingly, a single straight chair shot. Basically it was an ECW match, fought thirteen years after ECW went under in a company that emphasises the athletic aspects of pro wrestling. But it was fun and it ended the show with a result that fans wanted. That counts for a lot.

After the match Steen said he wanted to be ROH champion again and that he’d live up to the legacy of the title during his second reign. Outlawz Inc watched from the entrance, applauding. Looks like that's the next programme for Steen, eh? It’s not one I’m interested in. I’d much rather see Steen in the title picture against the likes of Hardy, Cole and Bennett.

As a complete package the 12^th Anniversary worked. There were some matches better than other but none that I’d consider bad. Styles v Lethal, Hero’s title challenge, and Briscoe v Bennett were all very good wrestling matches and the “unsanctioned” main event was great, for those who like that sort of thing and miss the good ol’ days of ECW. Hopefully this is the new standard from ROH after some spotty cards last year.

Generation Next

This year has seen ROH introduce several new wrestlers to the roster. This is something that's been needed for a while. Being a small promotion Ring of Honor requires a steady stream of new names to keep them in fresh matches and avoid stagnation.

At the top of the list of new talent is ACH. I've written about him before, specifically the potential for him to become one of the company's biggest names if he sticks around for long enough. The same is true of his Adrenaline RUSH tag team partner Tadarius Thomas. The promotion isn't rushing things. The long approach is being taken, putting them in a tag team and letting them earn their way up the card with time.

That's how it works in ROH. Wrestlers work hard enough to make fans want to see them moved up the card. It's a meritocracy. That's one of ROH's greatest appeals. To me, anyway.

 

ROH's present shaking hands with ROH's future

 

There are guys like QT Marshall, Matt Taven and Adam Page too. QT's become a comedy act. Considering that I've yet to see him do anything special that seems like a pretty good use for him. Taven’s currently epitomising Ring of Honor mediocrity with the TV strap. He could progress but frankly I think he’s found his niche as a mid-card guy who can provide a speedy match that keeps the crowd interested.

 

Page, on the other hand, may he someone the company's got plans for. His All Star Extravaganza V outing against KUSHIDA is certainly indicative of there being bigger and better things in his future. He may have lost, but facing outside talent is generally something only significant names get to do.

 

Then there's Silas Young. He's not had any significant wins yet, unless you count his qualification for the ROH world title tournament (which I don't). He has, however, wrestled against big names Davey Richards, Kevin Steen and Tommaso Ciampa. He lost to all three but it's matchmaking that hints he's viewed as someone with potential, another guy to grow into a headline role.

His 'Last Real Man on Earth' gimmick is either bland or mildly amusing depending on your point of view. Personally I don't think it's prominent enough to be anything other than I offensively bland. If developed it could become something worthwhile. Ring of Honor currently being light on noteworthy personalities could help in that regard too. The lack of big characters would help to make Young's gimmick stand out even more.

Young is someone I think Ring of Honor should be building their future around. He's young enough to get established and maintain a top spot for several years but past the age where he's likely to interest WWE. That's perfect for ROH as it gives the company someone they can construct storylines around without worrying about how long they've got them for. He works the traditional, hard-hitting ROH style well (he is, I feel compelled to point out, the nephew of Stan Hansen). If he can master frenetic ending sequences and deliver half decent promos on a regular basis he could make an excellent addition to the company's upper echelon.

Slaying reDRagon

Last Saturday's TV taping saw a significant development in Ring of Honor's tag team division. As Matchmaker extraordinaire Nigel McGuinness stood in the ring talking about bringing in outside talent and making the doubles scene truly world class he was interrupted by reigning champions reDRagon.

Fish and O'Reilly, presumably wanting to prove that they're the best tag team out there, requested that their scheduled non-title match against the Forever Hooligans be turned into a championship defence. Agreeing that it would improve the show and that the Hooligans were worthy challengers Nigel granted the request.

And so it was that in the main event of the evening's first episode (which will air this coming Saturday) the Forever Hooligans beat reDRagon for the belts. It was a win that marked Alex Koslov's first title win in the promotion. For Rocky Romero it's a third. He's previously worn ROH tag gold alongside Ricky Reyes, as the Rottweilers, and Davey Richards, as members of the No Remorse Corps.

The win also makes the Hooligans double champions. They were already the NJPW junior heavyweight tag champs. It's an impressive feat for both men, and one that elevates their reputation as a duo.

 

The Forever Hooligans with their hardware

 

reDRagon's contributions over the last five months shouldn't be overlooked. The team deserves credit for their reign. Fish and O'Reilly treated the titles as though they meant something. That's always a good trait for champions. They wrestled exciting defences against the American Wolves, the C&C Wrestle Factory and the men who'd eventually terminate their run, the Forever Hooligans. They even made Cheeseburger look competitive at A Night of Hoopla. That's not something they had to do, but doing it made the match far more enjoyable than it would have been had they buried or mocked him for twenty minutes.

Both improved their characters throughout the reign. Just because ROH emphasises sportsmanship and match quality doesn't mean interesting characters have to become obsolete. O'Reilly in particular has improved greatly this year. He appears much more confident and has developed a confident persona that meshes nicely with his ring style. Teaming with Fish has been of benefit to him. I hope they continue to be used well and excel as a team.

reDRagon were going to defend the straps against the American Wolves at All Star Extravaganza V. That won't even happen as a non-title affair now, apparently: Fish and O'Reilly have announced via YouTube that as they're no longer the champions they won't be attending the show. They were omitted from the last swing into Canada too. I'm beginning to think Bobby Fish has some sort of legal difficulty crossing the border (O'Reilly won't be the issue: he's Canadian).

Instead Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards will be wrestling the new champions for the belts. I'm sure it will be a very exciting match, although I wish the Wolves v reDRagon match had remained on the card. That would have left Romero and Koslov free to defend against the Young Bucks. As the Bucks are the current Dragon Gate USA tag team champions it could have been something of a dream match, albeit one in which the champions versus champions, best versus best aspect would have been overlooked on commentary. ROH are unlikely to acknowledge Dragon Gate anytime soon. In that regard they're like the WWF used to be with WCW.

As it is the Bucks will take on Adrenaline RUSH and the C&C Wrestle Factory in a match that will be every high spot lover's dream. I can live with the omission of reDRagon with quality like this on the card.

I don't expect the Forever Hooligans to have a long reign. They're over in Japan far too often to be convenient for Ring of Honor to book. Them winning the titles feels like a way of shaking the division up a little and making things a little less predictable. Which, by the way, is fine with me: wrestling promotions should try to surprise fans more often. It's possible that the change is also a way of switching the titles onto the American Wolves without reDRagon losing straight to them, so as to prolong that feud. If that's the case the Hooligans are credible interim champs but I hope they get longer than a week with the gold. They deserve at least a couple of months. Hopefully they'll get that.

However long their reign lasts, whoever they defend against and eventually lose to, I'm pleased the Forever Hooligans' names have been added to the list of ROH tag team champions. It shakes up the division and puts a talented, entertaining and hard-working team at its head. You can't ask for more than that, can you?

A Night of Hoopla review

On Thursday July 11^th Ring of Honor returned to their onetime stronghold of Chicago. They were there to put on a wrestling show. Nothing unusual about that, you may think. And you’d be right. Because ROH is a wrestling company. But it’s a wrestling company with a reputation for being serious and placing its emphasis firmly on pro wrestling as a sport, rather than as a form of entertainment. That was not the case on July 11^th.

The show was dubbed A Night of Hoopla and featured Truth Martini running things for the evening. The event was so far from what ROH has been presenting under current creative chief Delirious (and indeed what ROH is known for in general) that I wouldn’t be surprised if Truth genuinely had had some input into the direction of the show. Imagine if the WWF had done a house show with The Godfather as the guest General Manager towards the end of the Attitude Era and you’ll have a very clear idea of the vibe this card had.

Despite its status as an unauthorised event, and a house show no less, A Night of Hoopla looked pretty strong going in. They’d announced a three-way between Matt Taven, Eddie Edwards and Adam Cole, a match pitting reDRagon against Roderick Strong and ROH trainee Cheeseburger, a six person tag match featuring the popular ACH and probable next world champ Michael Elgin, and a rare in-ring appearance from Delirious. There was every chance it would be an eventful show.

That parental guidance line wasn't for decoration

 

Things kicked off with a Truth Martini promo. He hyped the evening in general and told the audience to drink responsibly. He set the tone for the evening when he said if people didn’t drink responsibly then they might crash into a school bus on their way home, which could potentially kill a girl and stop her growing up to be eighteen. Which would mean he’d have nobody to have a “good time” with.

That line alone told us this would not be a regular ROH show. And that Truth Martini had carte blanche to say whatever he fancied. The latter was not necessarily a good thing.

Hoopla Hotty Scarlett sang America the Beautiful. The lyrics were altered to be about boobs and stripping and it being okay for men to check her out. Once again this was a tone setting exercise as much as anything else (although one far more enjoyable than Truth’s). I laughed when the accompanying video montage of American icons showed a Walmart.

The first match was the three-way. Matt Taven was introduced first. It seemed weird to me that Truth would book his own guy in the show opener, but what do I know about managing wrestlers? Not as much as Truth Martini, that’s for sure.

Instead of a slick, wrestling-heavy match we got a load of comedic ringside brawling revolving around stiff chops and the wrestlers taking pictures of one another with fans’ cameras. It was good, it just wasn’t what I expected from Cole and Edwards. The crowd enjoyed it. The match also featured the evening’s first referee in underpants, a running theme for the show.

It was a fun opener. Had they been allowed to have a regular match they could have done something great. That wasn’t the point of the evening though. The finish came after Scarlett interjected herself into the match¹ and Cole and ‘Die Hard’ exchanged super kicks, with Taven sneaking in to hit his tumbling DDT on Edwards for the victory. It was a clean win for him, more or less.

Following some simulated spit-roasting from Edwards and Cole Truth returned to the ring to introduce the Ring of Honor equivalent of P Diddy performing at WrestleMania: Jimmy Jacobs singing his new song, Gypsy Soul. The guy was one of ROH’s top villains a few years ago when leading The Age of the Fall. He’s had quite the comedown. The crowd liked him though (which surprised me). That’s what counts.

Match two was ‘Machismo King’ Jay Lethal v Delirious with Maria Kanellis as the guest referee. Lethal was wheeled in through the crowd on a cart of some sort, emulating ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage’s entrance at WrestleMania IV. He was accompanied by Sister Sensational Sherri. I’ve no idea who was playing her, but she was dreadful throughout the entire match.

I found the match awkwardly paced. It was far more miss than hit. Sherri’s timing didn’t help matters. I did enjoy Lethal’s spot on Savage tics and traits, as well as Delirious channelling Ultimate Warrior (Ultimate Delirious? The Delirious Warrior?). Considering how good both men are at actually wrestling their characters shouldn’t have been the highlight.

‘Machismo King’ won with a rollup after Delirious attempted a cocky cover.

After the bout Lethal proposed to Maria (calling her Elizabeth). That upset Sherri. She lumbered into the ring and low blowed Lethal. Maria returned to make the save, which prompted Lethal to say he knew she really cared and issue a second proposal. He tried again and Maria accepted with an “Ohhhh yeah!” Mike Bennett came out to put an end to the fun and games by carrying his girlfriend backstage. The post-match shenanigans were better than the match itself.

Truth came back out to host the Pants Off Dance Off. Solicia and Scarlett were joined as contestants by a third random girl. This was one of only two points when I missed there being a commentary team. It would have been nice to know the identity of the newcomer.

Truth introduced Judge Jeff Jones as the guest… erm… judge of the Dance Off. Yes that is the same Jeff Jones that managed Mike Awesome to the ECW championship in 1999. ROH are now recycling fourteen year old gimmicks that were barely over in ECW. Brilliant.

Personally I’d hoped that Sabu would be the judge and end up smashing the Hoopla Hotties through tables. I admit it wasn’t likely.

The three women danced half-heartedly, ground themselves against Jones, and stripped. It was everything you’d want from this sort of segment.

 

The Hoopla Hotties there, doing whatever it is they do

 

Before Jones could announce the winner he was interrupted by Davey Richards. ‘The American Wolf’ swerved everyone with a promo about how the ROH he’d joined was about wrestling. He made the obligatory mentions of Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk (because those names are shorthand for the glory days of Ring of Honor and always good for a pop) before switching gear and announcing that he would participate in the Dance Off too.

Richards didn’t pull his pants off but what he did do was pretty funny. There was a lot of air humping going on. It worked because it juxtaposed Richards’ serious persona so perfectly. As Richards was announced as the winner ‘Pro Wrestling’s Last Real Man’ Silas Young made his way out to the ring, incredulous at what he’d just seen.

The two ended up having their scheduled match early. It looked promising for the first several minutes but took a turn for the worse when Truth came out to inform Silas that he was spending too much time outside the ring. It was turned into a Lumberjill match. Men in drag came out to ringside to chants of “No!” and “This is awkward!” That was to be expected.

Young took a predictable tumble to ringside and got manhandled back in. Richards was in control from then on, although Young did manage to squeeze in an impressive corner headstand into a springboard moonsault. Davey got a convincing near fall after an alarm clock, a running kick and a top rope double stomp, then locked in the ankle lock for the submission victory. Young tapped quickly, as befits his spot on the card.

Adding to the surreal nature of his appearance for the evening Davey Richards sang a few lines of a song as the lumberjills left. The poor audio made it hard to make out what the song was, but that’s hardly the point.

Next, Truth Martini (the hardest working man at A Night of Hoopla) returned for a segment where a man was plucked from the audience for a lap dance. He was sat down in a chair, under the impression the Hoopla Hotties would be dancing for him. He seemed fine with a blindfold being strapped round his eyes. I like to think I would have questioned that.

The “joke” of the segment was that some larger ladies came out to perform the lap dance as Truth and his girls laughed. The audience seemed to think this was brilliant, so I’m forced to concede it wasn’t the most dreadful idea for a segment.

It was during all of this that I thought about Gabe Sapolsky. I bet he’d have loved A Night of Hoopla.

reDRagon wrestled Roderick Strong and Cheeseburger in the evening’s penultimate match. It’s still not clear if this was a tag team title match. It wasn’t announced as one but as Truth Martini was doing the ring announcing that doesn’t mean it wasn’t. Confusing things further ROH’s website simply has a question mark next to the status of the titles in relation to this match.

It doesn’t matter either way because reDRagon won.  The four men had the best match of the evening. Cheeseburger was incredibly popular with the crowd. His diminutive size makes him a natural underdog. It took him a while to really begin selling the beating he was taking and actually become isolated but when he did he was great at it.

Eventually O’Reilly eliminated Roddy with a series of stiff kicks and punches. The champions then hoisted Cheeseburger up and hit Chasing the Dragon for the win.

 

His ring name is Cheeseburger and he wrestles in Ring of Honor. Deal with it

 

Truth returned for his final segment of the evening, Hoopla Unplugged. His guest? Satan². It was a guy painted red with horns sticking out from his hair. The fans initially chanted “Six six six!” but quickly switched to more negative stock chants when the novelty wore off (which took approximately seventeen seconds).

“Satan” cut a tedious promo about how Truth’s debauchery was too much for even him. That’s right, ROH put Truth Martini over the devil. When asked to join in with the pants off party Satan declined and instead told everyone they were going to Hell. He ended up taking a Death Valley Driver from Solicia and having his trousers pulled off. Satan wears silver wrestling trunks under his trousers. Who knew?

Adrenaline RUSH and Athena v Michael Elgin, BJ Whitmer and MsChif was the main event. It was established early on that MsChif and Elgin didn’t like each other locking up with people of the opposite sex. This was the other instance of me missing a commentary team. I had to rely on Google to find out that MsChif and Elgin are married.

 

Matching ring colours...

 

The match was unmemorable but enjoyable enough. It picked up as it went on and featured a fun dance off towards the beginning. Michael Elgin did The Worm. Perhaps ROH should have brought Scotty 2 Hotty in for the title tournament. He’d have been an ideal first round opponent for ‘Unbreakable’.

Elgin saved MsChif from an ACH power bomb. She kissed him. Tadarius Thomas broke that up and got green misted by Elgin for his trouble. Big Michael followed up with a buckle bomb and then an Elgin bomb for the three count.

Truth made his final appearance of the evening to thank everyone for coming. He reminded us that hoopla is not just a word but a lifestyle. The House of Truth theme played and Martini and the Hoopla Hotties danced us off the air.

Anyone tuning in for a standard Ring of Honor show would probably have been disappointed with A Night of Hoopla. The emphasis was far more on comedy than it was competitive wrestling. ROH did do a good job of advertising the show as something different and ended up with something that was like a cross between Attitude Era WWF, latter days ECW, and PWG. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant mix.

As a one off it worked very well. If ROH were to modify this model for more of their smaller shows I don’t think there would be that many complaints. But it’s not a bold new format ROH can adapt without driving away a significant portion of their existing fan base. And I get the feeling a bold new format is what the promotion is currently searching for.

***

¹ Eddie hit Scarlett with some chops to the backside to send her packing. She did a great job of selling her arse after the match. She’s probably had some practice…

² Yep. Satan.

Best in the World 2013 review

The title of Satursday’s Best in the World presumably didn’t refer to the quality of the internet stream. Yep, ROH had issues in that area again. I've written about ROH's streaming problems so many times that I'm bored of the subject. The sentiment I've expressed before is basically that ROH should have more respect for their fans than to continually offer shoddy streams and that being owned by a broadcasting company should mean these issues are far rarer.

Since Saturday it’s become something of a moot point. Finally admitting defeat, Ring of Honor announced that they are discontinuing their internet pay-per-view offerings. They will instead record their shows and upload them as video on demand content, allowing them to ensure the highest quality possible.

I think this is a move they should have made a while ago. Streaming issues have been plaguing ROH’s internet broadcasts for years, so much so that it had reached the point that a flawless stream was considered newsworthy. The lack of a live atmosphere and the floods of spoilers are a small price to pay for offering a reliable product that fans know won’t let them down.

Anyway…

Best in the World’s opening match saw BJ Whitmer tangle with Mike Bennett. Their match was nothing special. What happened afterwards was more interesting. Maria blamed 'Brutal' Bob for 'The Prodigy's' loss. She didn't really have much of a point: Bob had run into the ring and been immediately thrown out by Whitmer. He had no impact on the match outcome. Bennett lost clean after being hit with an Exploder suplex.

Maria shouted at Bob as she left with Bennett. Bob followed them, bellowing pleas for reason. I assume the group is being split to free 'The Brutal One' up to manage someone else once Bennett leaves for NXT.

The second match was the one I'd looked forward to most: the American Wolves versus Adrenalin RUSH. What I saw of it lived up to my high expectations. Thomas and ACH didn't look at all out of place opposing two former world champions. Richards seemed to be on form, having fun encouraging "Yes!" chants and good naturedly using traditionally heel tactics. Free of the pressures of the main event Davey is a far more enjoyable personality.

The Wolves won. Adrenalin RUSH put up a strong fight though. I'd like to see a rematch on TV at some point. Singles matches wouldn't go amiss either. Richards v ACH could be incredible.

Match three was preceded by footage of recent altercations between Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. The story was that Cole refused a handshake after losing to Strong in San Antonio, which irked Roddy. They shook hands here though, which Kevin Kelly theorised was Adam Cole admitting he was wrong to refuse it to begin with. If only we could block Kev out.

The streaming issue cuts seemed particularly prevalent in this match, so certain transitions were lost on me. What I managed to see was great. Cole and Strong work very well against one another.

Eventually they headed on to the ring apron. Chops (needlessly stiff ones of course) were exchanged, with Cole ultimately giving up on them in favour of a superkick. That sent Strong tumbling off the apron and through a table.

Cole made out as though he was torn on what to do, take the count out win or be the good sportsman and help his opponent. Corino screamed at him from the commentary position, telling him to think of himself and take the victory. Cole's conscience seemed to get the better of him as he slipped out of the ring to help Strong to his feet.

Cole revealed his true nature after a few seconds, pushing Strong down to the floor and getting back into the ring just as the ref reached twenty (yeah, they get a twenty count in ROH, deal with it). He seemed very pleased with himself. I was just pleased the stream had held out long enough for me to make sense of the sequence.

Steve Corino followed Cole to the back. The official heel turn is a step closer.

Yet another chunk of footage went missing after that. The next thing I saw after Corino gushing over Cole (not like that) was Kevin Kelly being joined by RD Evans and Veda Scott. For some reason Kelly said he'd rather have RD with him at ringside so Veda Scott left. If there was a point to her presence it was lost on me.

A man of questionable morals

The final match of the first half was Michael Elgin versus Tommaso Ciampa. The audience was split on who to support and remained so throughout the match. They did react more to 'Unbearable's' delayed suplex than to Ciampa's if that means anything to anyone. But then it's his move, so you'd expect that.

Thankfully the stream held out for the particularly exciting end sequence. Ciampa blasted Elgin with Project Ciampa and was astonished when he kicked out. 'The Sicilian Psychopath' took his foe out to the apron and gave him a Kryptonite Crunch, then took him back into the ring to attempt another Project Ciampa. Elgin reversed into a conventional power bomb and followed up with a buckle bomb. Ciampa managed to kick out and apply a triangle choke.

Elgin hoisted the mohawked one up and dropped him with a powerbomb but it wasn't enough to break the hold. Elgin went for another buckle bomb but 'The Dominant Male' rolled through and scored with a hard knee to the head.

That still wasn't enough to end the bout. Nor was the lariat that Elgin pounded Ciampa with seconds later. It would take three spinning back fists, a rolling elbow to the back of the head, and a final hellacious lariat for Elgin to finally put Ciampa down for the count.

The match, particularly the finishing sequence, was expertly paced. That's becoming one of Elgin's more obvious strengths as a performer. His bigger matches tend to build to frantic exchange of big moves and finishers.

After the match QT Marahall strolled to the ring. What he and the rather natty suit he was wearing got up to will remain a mystery as the video I watched cut out just as he neatly folded up his jacket. When it came back on QT and Evans were stood outside the ring. Presumably he attacked both Ciampa and Elgin. Maybe the two powerhouses will team up to take on the amusingly named Marshall Law? Hey, it's not like ROH prioritise turning Elgin into a star or anything.

The second half opened with a video that showed how the two triple threat matches came about. It was pretty well edited but it didn't do anything that Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness (who commentated the second half) couldn't have done with a sentence or two.

Matt who?

The TV title match was one of the more severe casualties of the streaking troubles. One moment I was watching Taven get introduced to some impressively loud boos, the next I was watching him land on his opponents at ringside to cheers. He followed that up with a Mark Henry impression, shouting "That's what I do!" into the camera. At least the stream managed to catch that!

The middle portion of the match was pretty slick. You'd expect that from MTV though: he's been in a ton of three-ways over the last few months (and I'm not talking about the Hoopla Hotties!). Everyone carried themselves well. It was a lively affair.

What I assume was the ending sequence was bizarre. Scarlet entered the ring to distract Jay Lethal and got her top yanked off for her troubles. As the referee pawed at her (by which I mean gave her a towel) Truth Martini entered the ring, allowing Jimmy Jacobs to spear 'Black Machismo'. Truth begged off from 'The Zombie Princess' until Solicia (the other Hoopla Hottie, whose name is probably spelt incorrectly) got in between them. Jacobs pie faced her out of the way. It was a bit of a dodgy thing to book but he is a heel and fans are smart enough to know it's an act. What came next is far harder to shrug off. Solicia scooped Jacobs up on to her shoulders and then took a full force super kick to the face from Jay Lethal.

Pie facing someone is one thing, booting them in the head is quite another. On top of how uncomfortable it was to see it was also done by a babyface. They're the ones who are supposed to have moral fibre and a sense of honour. Or at least they used to. Apparently in 2013 it's absolutely fine for a good guy to kick a defenceless woman in the head.

What that led to I have no idea. The next thing I saw was Taven celebrating and Jimmy Jacobs angrily pushing his way backstage as Kelly intimated that he'd had the match, and the belt, won.

The technical issues really ruined the flow of the match. I've no idea how it started or how it finished. The middle was good, as was the beginning of the presumed finishing sequence, but it felt very disjointed.

The three-way tag team title match, reDRagon defending against the C&C Wrestle Factiry and SCUM boys Rhett Titus and Cliff Compton, was decent enough. It was never going to be anything special with Compton and Titus involved. The good news is that O'Reilly and Fish defended the titles against Coleman and Alexander in a conventional two-on-two match at Sunday's TV taping. We'll get what I'm sure will be a superior match for free. That's not bad.

Back to Best in the World. reDRagon retained their titles after Fish knocked out Alexander with a kick to the head. It was a believable, if slightly sudden, finish.

The evening's penultimate bout saw Matt Hardy defeat Kevin Steen. Before the match started Corino cut a cheap heat promo and provided an introduction for Matt Hardy. Not to be outdone Steen performed some mic work of his own, requesting that matchmaker Nigel McGuinness add a no disqualification stipulation. McGuinness complied, which allowed 'Mr Wrestling' to once again draw inspiration from the Attitude Era in a wild brawl that went all over ringside and saw various objects, including a crutch, a trash can, and a ladder, incorporated into the madness.

Naturally SCUM intervened. Titus and Jacobs were first out, saving Hardy a trip through a table. Titus got a Package piledriver for his troubles while Jacobs got an apron bomb. Hardy eventually gained the advantage after Compton hit Steen with a chair.

Steen came back with a Codebreaker variant and an F5, which 'The Wrestling Jesus' kicked out of. Hardy hit a low blow and one of the match's many side effects on to the ladder for a two count of his own. Hardy finally secured the win when he gave Steen a Twist of Fate through some chairs.

Corino announced the victory as part of another attempt to convince people he can do the overblown announcer shtick (which he can't). SCUM continued to beat up Steen as referees came to the ring and the bell was rung (because heels always stop beatdowns when bells are rung). Eventually they just wandered off. Nobody made the save. Presumably this was designed to illustrate that Steen is still an unpopular member of the roster.

It was not a good night for Kevin Steen

In what has to be considered one of Ring of Honor's worst ever production choices Papa Briscoe was interviewed before the main event. He said the word family around a dozen times. It was awful. He'd clearly enjoyed a drink or six throughout the course of the evening.

I really wasn't into the Briscoe v Briscoe match. Neither was the crowd. They came alive at certain points but they were quiet for a lot of the exchanges. I think a large part of the problem was the lack of a storyline feud. Matt Hardy would have been a far more sensible choice of challenger, especially when you consider he faced Jay the following evening.

The pair went overboard when it came to the finish. Mark kicked out of a Jay Driller so Jay lariated him and hit a second. That also got two. Jay hit a series of superkicks (during which audience members were shown for some reason) and then hit a third Jay Driller for the win. The audience livened up during points of this bit for the most part they didn't seem to care. Frankly, it was not the greatest of matches.

The following evening's TV tapings saw Jay retain the championship against Hardy. Reading that on Monday morning was a big surprise. If you've read anything I've written about ROH over the last few months you'll be aware that I was convinced Hardy would have the belt by late June in order to setup a future clash with Kevin Steen. Not only is that not happening but it appears the SCUM stable as we knew it is over: the faction lost a stipulation match at the tapings which means they must disband.

So, where next for ROH? In a way the move away from iPPVs will benefit them. They now have a greater degree of freedom when it comes to pacing their stories. Without the need to ensure bigger matches are reserved for pay-per-views any card can now be turned into a "supershow". Obviously venue size and the town the show’s being held in will still need to be taken into consideration to an extent but with every show now potentially becoming a VOD ROH can do more with some of their smaller shows.

Storyline-wise I think a union between Adam Cole and Steve Corino seems like a safe bet. I don't think Matt Hardy's going anywhere either. He nicked Jay's belt at the TV taping, which indicates he's going to get a second shot at the title. If he doesn't win it I think Adam Cole will. I can't imagine (nor do I want to) a world in which Jay Briscoe is the ROH champion until the end of this year.

Best in the World 2013 preview

This Saturday Ring of Honor will present its third annual Best in the World pay-per-view. Over the last two years the event has been used as a mid-year turning point for advancing or starting feuds and storylines, most notably the Eddie Edwards v Davey Richards rivalry in 2011. The previous BITW events have been worthwhile affairs, second only in importance to Final Battle.

This year's show is going to have its work cut out if it's to compete with its predecessors. The Jay Briscoe v Mark Briscoe main event does not, in my eyes, immediately scream "quality". That's not helped by the fact that I'm not the Briscoes biggest fan. Yes, they've been with the company "since day one", but they're a tag team. Tenure does not (or at least it shouldn't) entitle anyone in wrestling to a spot they're not necessarily cut out for. And I don't think the Briscoes, as opponents, are cut out for the main event.

The Briscoes battling for the ROH championship will, in short, be a peculiar sight. Hopefully their match will be kept under the twenty minute mark and they'll be allowed to brawl around ringside. That's the best way to handle the match, letting them play to their strengths.

I expect Jay to win. The champion will defend the title against Matt Hardy at Sunday's TV taping and I expect the belt to change hands there. Having Jay lose to Mark only for Mark to lose to Matt the next night doesn't strike me as something ROH would do. Mark doesn't strike me as a world champion either (but then neither did Jay). I think it'll be Jay entering Sunday's match against Hardy with the belt.

 

Jay Briscoe, centre stage on another poster

 

Speaking of SCUM, the group has been included in Best in the World's other two title matches. This is the result of storyline complaining from Steve Corino about his boys being locked out of title contendership. I was perfectly happy with the original matches that were announced. ROH could have afforded a night light on SCUM.

The tag team title match will see champions reDRagon defend against Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander and SCUM members Cliff Compton and Rhett Titus. The prospect of C&C facing Fish and O'Reilly alone appealed to me far more. I've wanted to see them given a larger role for around a year now and it seemed as though they were finally going to get that here. Perhaps the match will be revisited in the future. I remain hopeful that Coleman and Alexander will get their turn as a top team eventually.

As far as the match goes I think the addition of Titus and Compton will hamper the quality. The original match could have seen some fast and slick exchanges. A triple threat will make that trickier to accomplish.

I'm going with reDRagon to win. They still have plenty left to do as champions. They could lose the titles and then win them back later but what would be the point? The current approach seems to be longer reigns for the secondary titles.

The other match SCUM have been added to is the TV title match. It was originally going to be Matt Taven defending against Jay Lethal. MTV will now defend against Jimmy Jacobs as well. This will be the third iPPV of the last four that sees the television belt defended in a three-way match. Someone should remind the booking team that it's not the X Division championship.

Unlike the tag match I think the inclusion of 'The Zombie Princess' could enhance this match. He's had some highly regarded matches with Lethal this year, which bodes well for some good exchanges in this bout. Taven's not a slouch himself, he'll contribute to the match too. It could be a surprise match of the night.

I'm going to predict a successful defence for Taven, but that's as much wishful thinking as anything else. I like his current status as a slightly unworthy champion who has to rely on Truth Martini and the Hoopla Hotties to win. We could just as easily see Jacobs benefit from SCUM interference to win his first ROH singles title or Lethal become the first multi-time TV champ. Long term it's Taven that needs the title most.

Speaking of the TV title two former holders of it will clash at Best in the World: Roderick Strong and Adam Cole. A few months ago Strong was a heel. Without any particular turning point or change in character he has become a babyface. Cole'a the opposite. He was a happy, smiley good guy into hand-slapping and morals a few months back. Losing the television title to Matt Taven and then failing to defeat Jay Briscoe for the world title has made him bitter. He is now an out and proud bad guy.

There's not a particularly interesting reason for this match to happen, not that that matters. Strong and Cole will tear it up and do their best to have the match of the night. Both men could do with a win because their iPPV records this year aren't the greatest. I think a Cole win would make more sense so that's what I'm going with.

I originally said that Tommaso Ciampa v Michael Elgin would be held off until after this show. Looks like I got that wrong. I think it could be a great match. The story is basically that 'The Sicilian Psychopath' feels he could have made it to Elgin's spot on the card had he not been injured last year. For his part Elgin wants to beat Ciampa to prove he's the more worthy of an ROH title shot (which, for the record, he's already earned).

I'd like to see Ciampa win but I think Elgin will get the nod. He's not had a huge amount to do lately and is closer to being a major star than is Tommaso. Perhaps a loss will be used to tip Ciampa over the edge and make him a heel, although he's had stirring responses since his return so perhaps not.

Perhaps the least interesting match on the card is BJ Whitmer v Mike Bennett. Whitmer is like the Briscoes, respected more for the length of time he's worked for ROH having hard-hitting matches as for the quality of his wrestling. I like Bennett as a character, and it's always nice to see Maria at ringside, but his wrestling style always feels a little out of place in ROH. He has improved since debuting a couple of years ago though. That's a positive.

I'd like to see 'The Prodigy' win this match. There are still rumours floating around that he's heading to NXT. ROH could make use of that by building him up with plenty of wins, making a loss in his final appearance mean more. If that happens then it could be ROH trainee 'Cheeseburger' that gets the honour of a stature enhancing victory over Bennett. He's been moved into a rivalry with Bennett by kissing (or sexually assaulting, call it what you will) Maria so a match between the two seems likely.

All that said I've predicted a lot of heel victories so far (and I'll be predicting another below). I don't think the promotion will present such an unbalanced card so I'm going to predict a win for 'The Buzzsaw' here. Perhaps 'Cheeseburger' will interfere to protect 'The Prodigy' in defeat. I'll be cheering for Bennett.

The second tag match on the card will see the American Wolves face ACH and Tadarius Thomas, who have picked the team name Adrenalin RUSH. As far as actual wrestling goes this is the match I'm most looking forward to. Both teams are fast and I think the intensity of the Wolves will work well with the high flying of the RUSH boys. That Richards and Edwards are very generous when it comes to making their opponents look good wont hurt either. It should be a fantastic match.

A month ago I thought Adrenalin RUSH were being built up for a title match with reDRagon, so I was puzzled when they lost a number one contenders match on TV. That loss now makes sense. It was done to keep them free for this match. Winning here would make them very credible challengers but I don't think it will happen. I think the Wolves will win a tough contest, only barely overcoming the younger team.

Finally there's the storyline main event: a singles match between Kevin Steen and Matt Hardy. As I mentioned above I think Hardy, 'The Jesus Christ of Professional Wrestling', will be winning the ROH world title on Sunday. That creates reasons for him to both lose to and beat Steen.

If Hardy defeats 'Wrestling's Worst Nightmare' and goes on to capture the top prize then there will be a natural story of Steen having to spend six months earning a title shot at Final Battle. The audience would be encouraged to be more supportive of him whenever his title match with Hardy came because he would have been cast in the underdog role by the BITW loss. Beating Steen would also make Hardy even more unpopular than he already is. The win would also allow Hardy access to the cowardly heel tactic of refusing a title match because he's already beaten 'Mr Wrestling'.

Steen beating Hardy on Saturday would give him a legitimate argument for a title match as soon as Hardy's the champ. Hardy could then spend six months avoiding a rematch with Steen, creating more heat, before finally having to face him at Final Battle.

Of the two stories I think the one that would most make sense is the first. I think Matt Hardy will win and that Corino will spend months claiming that Steen's loss means he doesn't deserve to get in the ring ever again with Matt Hardy.

Of course I could be wrong about everything regarding the next six months for ROH. Perhaps Jay Briscoe's reign is going to stretch into 2014. Who knows?

I've really enjoyed the pay-per-view and TV product of Ring of Honor over the last six months. They've got a strong central plot with the SCUM invasion and they've finally expanded the roster and started pushing new talent. I'd love to see Best in the World get the second half of the year off to a good start for the company. I think it will.

Predictions summary:

Jay Briscoe to defeat Mark Briscoe
Matt Hardy to defeat Kevin Steen
reDRagon to retain the tag team championship
Matt Taven to retain the TV championship
American Wolves to defeat Adrenalin RUSH
Adam Cole to defeat Roderick Strong
Michael Elgin to defeat Tommaso Ciampa
BJ Whitmer to defeat Mike Bennett