wrestling / TV Reports
411’s Ring of Honor TV Report 2.17.15
Taped
January 24, 2015
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators:Â Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino, & Jay Briscoe
Jimmy Jacobs vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa and Jay got into each other’s faces before the match. Jacobs tried to catch Ciampa with a tope suicida, but Ciampa just threw a chair at him. Ciampa continued to attack Jacobs on the floor before the match officially started.
Jacobs, ever-so briefly, had control once the match officially started. Ciampa then cut him off and worked him over. Jacobs came back. Ciampa blocked the spear with a knee and then hit a discus lariat. Ciampa delivered more knees on the floor until the referee ended the match.
The entire presentation of Ciampa here tells me all I need to know about the lack of effort ROH genuinely puts into promoting their product. This match was unbelievably flat. It was to the point that Ciampa, a challenger for the world title on a national PPVÂ in a few weeks, came across like a complete non-entity. Put highlights of Ciampa killing Jacobs (or anyone and everyone else) on in this spot. Show Ciampa’s complete (and awesome) destruction of Matt Taven from Final Battle 2013. Do something that makes Ciampa look good and/or important. Just because this was theoretically a fine idea to build him up, it doesn’t mean it got over and worked. I cannot believe they allowed this to air.
Match Rating: DUD
The Romantic Touch vs. HANSON
Touch offered HANSON some chocolates before the match. HANSON gave him the spinning heel kick of DOOM: 1…2…3
This was the exact opposite of the opener. Good job, ROH!
Match Rating: A Success!
Moose (w/ Veda Scott & Stokely Hathaway) vs. Michael Elgin
I do not follow ROH’s stories, but I believe that Michael Elgin has lost his mind. He’s basically Ross Gellar after the second divorce: too unlikable and unstable to be a hero.
Moose no-sold a delayed vertical suplex, which got a big pop. Moose continued to have a ton of success. Elgin started to come back. Veda Scott tried to interfere, but Elgin pushed her onto Stokely. Elgin his rebound-German and a pop-up powerbomb. Deadlift powerbomb from Elgin: 1…2…NO! Moose managed to dropkick Elgin to the floor. Elgin decided to shove Jay. Jay rushed the ring, and Moose accidentally gave him a spear. For some reason, that ended the match. I’m not sure why.
Elgin posed with the belt. HANSON ran down. Ciampa ran down. Mark Briscoe saved Jay. Jay ended up doing a big hilo on all of his challengers. Moose speared Mark.
Having never seen Moose before, I left this match very impressed with him. He seems to have a ton of potential. Elgin did a great job in this one, and I hope his career gets back on track soon.
Match Rating: ***
BULLET CLUB [AJ Styles & The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)] vs. Matt Sydal, ACH, & Cedric Alexander
After some back and forth action, ACH got cut off and was then worked over for a while. Sydal eventually made a comeback. He also got cut off and then worked over though. Sydal escaped, and ACH made a hot tag. So, Cedric hasn’t done anything of importance yet. Right on fucking cue, Cedric went for the Eddy Guerrero suplexes. Vomit. The teams went back and forth for a while. As you would expect, it was quite awesome. They actually managed to do a creative version of the spot where everyone collapses. I did not know that was possible. In one of the nuttiest attempted spots ever, ACH jumped over the ropes and tried to give AJ a hurricanrana from the apron to the floor. They botched it, but it was such a scary bump that it doesn’t matter. The IndyTaker accidentally gave Corporate Kane the Deadman Suicida. The babyfaces tried to put away AJ, but they failed. Superkick Party from the Bucks. The Bullet Club then gave Sydal an Indytaker/Early-Onset Alzheimer’s/Styles Clash combo: 1…2…3
This was a great match, and I think it would behoove ROH to put on this kind of match every six months or so. It just makes the company seem fun and willing to do exciting matches for the sake of exciting matches.
The Bullet Club, for all their faults in NJPW, looked fantastic here. ROH really *might* have something with these guys as a regular trio given that there is no drama in AJ Styles singles matches as long as he is IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Go to ROH’s site and watch this episode just for this match.
Match Rating: ****
If you want to watch some ROH matches for free, check out:
CM Punk vs. AJ Styles
Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan vs. Nigel McGuinness [Great match]
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
El Generico vs. Chris Hero
The Young Bucks vs. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Eddie Guerrero vs. Super Crazy
AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong
CM Punk vs. Brian Kendrick
El Generico vs. Davey Richards
KENTA, Kevin Steen, & El Generico vs. Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, & Chris Hero
KENTA vs. Nigel McGuinness
Cesaro vs. Colt Cabana
Roderick Strong vs. Homicide
Austin Aries vs. Sami Callihan
Daniel Bryan vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
Austin Aries vs. Eddie Edwards
Evan Bourne vs. Delirious
CM Punk vs. Jimmy Rave
CM Punk vs. Homicide
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