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100 Percent Fordified: Ring of Honor Honor in the Heart of Texas

July 22, 2013 | Posted by Kevin Ford
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100 Percent Fordified: Ring of Honor Honor in the Heart of Texas  

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San Antonio, TX – 6.1.2013

Championship Rundown
ROH World Champion: Jay Briscoe
ROH Television Champion: Matt Taven
ROH World Tag Team Champions: reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish)

Commentary is provided by Kevin Kelly

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Mike Sydal

Bobby Fish in is in O’Reilly’s corner. O’Reilly controls Sydal by his wrist. Sydal flips out of a suplex attempt. O’Reilly kicks his arm away. Sydal comes back with a couple armdrags. O’Reilly kicks out his knee and kicks him in the chest. Sydal comes out of the corner with a crossbody attempt. He kicks O’Reilly in the side of the head and nails a standing moonsault for two. He puts on a Muta Lock. O’Reilly drives Sydal’s arm into the mat and snaps it over his shoulder. He applies a grounded octopus hammerlock. Sydal gets the ropes. He tries a roll-up. O’Reilly kicks out and divorce courts Sydal’s arm. O’Reilly pulls Sydal’s leg so that he lands in the splits. Sydal pops up from it and drops O’Reilly with a neckbreaker. After a corner clothesline, he drives O’Reilly into the mat with double knees for two. Sydal enzuigiri’s O’Reilly to the floor and comes off the top with a moonsault. In the ring O’Reilly dodges an attack which sends Sydal shoulder first into the corner. O’Reilly kicks him in the head. He strings two butterfly suplexes into a cross armbreaker. That tranisitions into a modified Fujiwara armbar. Sydal taps out at 9:36. Gotta love that O’Reilly’s arm work began right away and continued throughout the entire match, culminating in the finish. Sydal has had some pretty good outings lately. Kevin Kelly tells us he’s going to Japan soon, and if he comes back more polished I think he could become a full time member of the roster. **¾

Ernie Zuniga from a local FOX affiliate comes out. He mentions that he interviewed ACH earlier in the week when over the phone Steve Corino came on the line and hurled some insults towards him and San Antonio. This prompts Corino to make his way to the ring. Corino hurls some more insults towards Texas which riles up the crowd. He threatens to beat up Ernie. Mark Briscoe then makes his way to the ring. He is scheduled to face a member of S.C.U.M. tonight. When Mark speaks poorly of Matt Hardy, Corino gets defensive. He tries throwing a punch but Mark blocks and unloads some of his own. This kicks off our next match.

Mark Briscoe vs. Steve Corino

Mark whoops on Corino from corner to corner. Corino turns things around and chokes Mark with his tie. Mark sends him into the ring post and dropkicks him into the barricades. Mark does a little more damage before sending Corino back into the ring. Corino kicks the middle rope into Mark’s groin. Corino pokes him in the eyes after some punches. Mark becomes angry when Corino rakes his back. He flips out of Corino’s backdrop attempt and throws some Redneck Kung-Fu. Mark comes off the top with a splash. Todd Sinclair’s count is broken up by Rhett Titus and Jimmy Jacobs. Sinclair calls for the bell seconds later, awarding the match to Mark via DQ at 6:49. That was pointless. ½*

Michael Elgin and BJ Whitmer run out to make the save for Mark. Whitmer and Elgin were scheduled to face two unknown members of S.C.U.M., who we now know will be Jacobs and Titus in a Texas Tornado match.

Athena vs. Barbie Hayden

Hayden blocks a hip toss and gives Athena one of her own. Hayden evades an armdrag. Athena monkey flips her. Hayden takes a break on the floor. When she comes back in Athena tries a second rope elbow. Hayden drives her into the mat instead. Athena throws some kicks. Hayden catches her with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Athena gets on an ankle lock. Hayden gets the ropes. Athena cartwheels into a corner clothesline. She goes for it again but Hayden moves causing Athena to crash into the corner. Athena fights Hayden off the ropes. She hits the O Face for the pin at 7:01. Athena came off like a star with that finish. Some sloppiness kept this from being anything great or truly memorable but I’ve seen a lot worse Women of Honor matches. *½

Proving Ground Match
Matt Taven vs. Eddie Edwards

Edwards wins the opening exchange with an armdrag. Taven jumps to the second rope. Edwards crotches him on the top and hangs him in the tree of woe. He gives him a delayed dropkick and a dropkick from the floor. He puts Taven in a dragon sleeper while applying a surfboard. Edwards goes to the apron. As he’s running, Taven catches him with a springboard tornado kick from inside the ring. Out on the floor Taven stops from being sent to the barricades. Edwards however lights him up with chops around the ring. Taven catches him with a kick as they re-enter the ring. He gives him a rope-assisted neckbreaker for two. He also gets two with a second rope tumbleweed senton and a boot. Edwards tosses Taven out. Taven tries skinning the cat but gets dropkicked to the floor. Taven cuts off his suicide dive by coming back and delivering a boot. Edwards pitches him back out and successfully delivers a suicide dive. Back in the ring he unloads chops to Taven in the corner. Edwards turns him inside out in a belly-to-back suplex. Taven breaks out of the Chin Checker. Edwards rolls him into the Achilles Lock. Taven turns it into a small package for two. He hits the Angel’s Wings which has the same result. Edwards shoves Taven to the corner to block the Headlock Driver. Taven blocks a Frankensteiner. He hits a frog splash for two. Edwards double stomps Taven’s back. He strings a powebomb and Die Hard together for the pin at 15:55. You could aruge Edwards didn’t need this match to justify a title shot, but what it did for Taven made the match worthwhile. Even in a loss Taven looked formidable against a Triple Crown winner and didn’t have the rest of the House of Truth with him to distract him from strictly wrestling. Without question this was the best he’s looked in ROH so far. Hopefully it’s all uphill from here. ***½

ACH vs. Jay Lethal

ACH positions Lethal for a kick and taunts him with it. Lethal snaps off some armdrags. He hip tosses ACH, cartwheel, pauses for a kick to mock ACH and then dropkicks him to the floor. Lethal catches him coming off the ropes with a right hand. ACH comes back with an armdrag, headscissors, and a dropkick that sends Lethal outside. When he comes back in, they look for control. Eventually ACH enzuigiri’s Lethal back out. Lethal cuts off ACH with a dorpkick. ACH cuts off Lethal with a leg lariat. Lethal tries to dropkick him off the apron but ACH backflips to the floor. ACH avoids an interaction back in the ring but Lethal manages to catch him with a suicide dive. Lethal goes for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker back in the ring. ACH stops and slaps him in the face. Lethal catches him with it the second time. ACH dropkicks his leg out, sending Lethal to the corner. ACH clotheslines him and flies out through the ropes. He comes back in with a crossbody for two. Lethal comes off the ropes. His head collides with the back of ACH’s head and both men go down. ACH gets Lethal back on the floor where he hits Michael Jordan. In the ring Lethal goes for the Lethal Injection. ACH bails to the apron and comes back in with a slingshot Ace Crusher. He tries another slingshot manuever. Lethal catches him and turns him out into a facebuster. ACH kicks him in the head as they both get up. He hits the Lightning Spiral for two. ACH goes for a superkick. Lethal catches in and turns him inside out. Hail to the King only gets him two. The Lethal Combination leads to the Lethal Injection, giving Lethal the win at 17:42. Just like his match with Elgin, ACH got to come off like a massive star even in a loss. It helps a lot that ACH had the hometown crowd completely behind him. Lethal gave him a lot and played the de facto heel extremely well. This was hot action from start to finish and was a real pleasure to watch. ****

Bobby Fish vs. Raymond Rowe

Kyle O’Reilly is in Fish’s corner. They’re both mocking Texas and cowboys when they come out which is tremendous. Fish is taken down in a waistlock. He kicks Rowe when they look to lock knuckles. Fish tries some shoulder blocks but Rowe remains steadfast. He decides to kick him in the leg. Rowe responds with a backbreaker and some strikes in the corner. Fish retreats to the floor. He ambushes Rowe back in the ring. O’Reilly distracts Rowe so Fish can sweep his leg. Fish focuses his attack on the leg. He gets two with a slingshot senton. Rose gets in a few shots. He misses double knees in the corner. Fish puts on the Fish Hook. Rowe fights out of it. Rowe delivers some clotheslines while nursing his bad leg. Each guy gets in a Saito suplex. Rowe hits Shotgun knees for two. Fish gets in a kick before being dropped with a powerbomb for two. Fish then catches Rowe with a crucifix pin for the win at 11:43. This should have ended with the Fish Hook. All that leg work would have actually meant something. Fish’s personality carried the match, as Rowe didn’t bring anything to the table in that department. *

Adam Cole vs. Roderick Strong

The opening exchange leads to a pinfall exchange. Strong gets two with a leg lariat. He throws some chops and gets two again with a gutbuster. Cole breaks out of a waistlock. Strong tries a dropkick. Cole evades it and suplexes Strong for two. Cole also gets two with a neckbreaker. He snapmares Strong into a figure four headscissors. Strong escapes with a chinbreaker. Cole gives him a bicycle kick. They meet mid-air with stereo crossbody attempts. Strong comes up and powerslams Cole for two. Cole catches Strong with a slam across his knee. Strong ducks a superkick. He nails Cole with a forearm. Cole kicks his legs out and gets two with a Shining Wizard. He gets on the figure four leg lock. Strong escapes. Both men fight on the apron until Cole nails an enzuigiri. Cole then suicide dives onto Strong and into the barricades. In the ring however Strong pulls off a superplex. Cole’s elbow is bleeding. They trade forearms. Cole delivers a superkick. He gives Strong a brainbuster onto his knee for two. Strong hits Death By Roderick.Cole superkicks him and gives him a brainbuster onto his knee for two. He goes for the Florida Key. Strong rolls through. Strong hits the Gibson Driver for the win at 15:27. Cole does not follow the Code of Honor afterwards. The ending sequence was sweet, but aside from Cole’s character development the match didn’t have much depth. ***

No Disqualification – Texas Tornado Rules
Michael Elgin & BJ Whitmer vs. S.C.U.M. (Jimmy Jacobs & Rhett Titus)

The fight starts outside the ring and spills into the crowd. Elgin pushes Jacobs around in a trashcan before slamming him onto it. Titus and Whitmer fight elsewhere and make it back to the ring first. TItus slides back out to avoid being whipped to the corner. Whitmer simply dives after him. Now in the ring, Elgin press slams Jacobs. Elgin and Whitmer lift up Jacobs and Titus for stereo delayed vertical suplexes. Whitmer sends Jacobs out with an exploder suplex. Elgin brings Titus into the corner with a Death Valley Driver for two. Jacobs trips Elgin and brings him out. Whitmer tries pulling Jacobs to the into the ring. Jacobs snaps his neck across the top and Titus delivers a dropkick. Jacobs pescado’s onto Elgin, leaving Whitmer left alone to fight off both members of S.C.U.M. by himself. Elgin slingshots in with an elbow strike to take out Jacobs. Titus sends him back out with a series of strikes. Whitmer fires up from Titus’ punches and throws back some of his own. He powerslams Titus. Jacobs comes in. Whitmer gives him a DDT while also giving Titus a Complete Shot. Elgin and Whitmer clothesline and boot Titus. Jacobs breaks Elgin’s pin. He tries a huracanrana. Elgin instead powerbombs him across Whitmer’s knees. They set up for another double team manuever that Titus breaks up. Jacobs spears Whitmer. On the floor Titus sets him up for a piledriver. Elgin slides through the ropes with a dropkick to stop it. Elgin brings in Jacobs from the apron. Titus stops his superplex by crotching him on the middle rope. Elgin however is able to superplex Titus in from the apron. Jacobs drops Whitmer with a spring back Ace Crusher. He puts Elgin in a Guillotine. Whitmer boots Jacobs to free his partner. He gives him a fisherman’s suplex. Titus breaks the pin. He hits Whitmer with the Thrust Buster. Elgin comes in with the Boss Man Slam. Jacobs goes for a spear. Elgin catches him and powerbombs him onto Titus. He drops both members of S.C.U.M in a combination Samoan Drop/fallaway slam combo. Elgin sets up for the Revoluton Bomb when Steve Corino runs in. He knocks out Elgin with a chain. Mark Briscoe chases him away with a cowbell. Whitmer sets up to suplex Titus. Jacobs sneaks in a schoolboy for the win at 19:35. That was pretty fun for a brawl. Whitmer and Elgin make for a great power duo and were perfect to put against S.C.U.M. Problem is, if S.C.U.M. has to keep getting help or using roll-ups to win, how on Earth is that going to lead to them destroying the company? ***

ROH World Championship
Jay Briscoe vs. Davey Richards

Richards throws a kick which Jay manages to duck. The fans seem excited for a test of strength, so Richards wants nothing to do with it. Jay cinches on a wristlock. Richards leans back and kicks him in the shoulder. Jay shoulder blocks him down. He ducks another one of Richards’ kicks bringing us to a stalemate. Finally we get a test of strength which ends with Richards kicking Jay in the stomach. Richards catches Jay with a dropkick. Jay forearms him to the floor and follows with a slingshot senton. Another test of strength happens on the floor. Jay goes for a boot and misses. Richards kicks him in the chest from the apron. In the ring he goes for the Trailer Hitch. Jay quickly gets the ropes. Richards does some damage to the legs anyways. Jay stomps him down in the corner. He sends Richards chest first into the corner for two. After yet another test of strength, Richards gets the fans to chant “yes” as he throws kicks to Jay’s Chest. Jay responds with some headbutts. Jay gets the best of the exchange with a big boot. They boot each other in the face when they agree to no more uppercuts. Richards pops Jay up into the Alarm Clock. Jay responds with a superkick. Richards gives him a dragonscrew leg whip in the ropes. On the apron Jay drops him with a Death Valley Driver. He comes off the top with a splash. He goes for a boot in the corner. Richards catches him coming in with a suplex. Jay goes to the floor where Richards comes at him with a tope suicida. He delivers a tombstone piledriver back in the ring. A top rope double stomp is only good for a two count. Richards charges. Jay sends him face first with a Complete Shot into the second turnbuckle. They head to the top rope. Jay brings Richards down with a super facebuster for two. After a series of counters, Richards gets Jay in an ankle lock. Jay rolls forward to send Richards to the corner. When Jay’s knee gives out, Richards kicks him in the side of the head and hits the Jay Driller for two. Richards re-applies the ankle lock. Jay rolls him up to escape. He only gets a one count with a lariat. He does the deal with a Falcon Arrow for two. Richards tries a backslide. Jay kicks out and hits the Jay Driller for the pin at 23:19. The crowd really loved the strike exchanges and both guys worked hard. This also had some of the typical selling issues involved in matches with both competitors, but given how much the crowd was into it those can be overlooked. The problem with this match, as every other match in his reign thus far, is nobody bought the challenger to win so it hurt part of the atmosphere. Basically you get exactly what you would expect from this match. ***

Bonus Content

Honor Roll 5.30.2013

AJ Summers & Rudy Russo vs. Carson & Ricky Starks

Carson takes Russo down and walks across his back. Russo gets a couple quick nearfalls before delivering a neckbreaker. He comes off the second rope with a Frankensteiner. Starks tags in but is caught with an armdrag. Summers and Russo kick him in the sides of his head simultaneously. Summers drops Starks with a tornado DDT. He drops a knee across his chest. Starks evades a kick. He boots Summers and gives him a half-nelson suplex. Starks and Carson isolate Summers. They do some gross things like the stink face and rubbing saliva into his face. Summer boots Starks on the middle rope. He crossbody’s Carson and tags in Ruso. Russo dropkicks Carson to the floor. Starks goes for a clothesline. Russo ducks and comes back with La Mistica. Starks taps out at 5:19. Carson and Starks were just sloppy. The gross stuff did nothing for me and only took away from some of the decent action Summers and Russo brought to the table. Not an ideal match to have on the biggest platform of your career. ½*

The 411: There's a lot to enjoy on this DVD. It take it's time to get into a rhythm, but Taven/Richards kicked things up and Lethal/ACH kept the flow going. Those two matches, the Texas Tornado tag, and the main event make this show a worthy pick up. You can pick up this DVD from Ring of Honor's store. You can check out all of my ROH reviews over at the 100% Fordified blog. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well!
 
Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]  legend

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