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RADICAN'S ROH FINAL BATTLE PPV BLOG 12/19: Coverage of Aries vs. Black ROH Title match
The feed is live from NYC with Dave Prazak asking if they're on. They are on, but they're not. National Anthem on multiple camera shots seems to be working. Highlights of the Aries-Black feud air while Bobby Cruise introduces Final Battle in the background. This is low-rent. Bobby Cruise says Teddy Hart and Tyler Black are being rerouted and be at Final Battle sometime tonight. Jack Evans is delayed as well.
I'm still watching a video package. Oh, I'm not supposed to hear Bobby Cruise. He says were going live. Okay, the feed seems to be working now and were actually live at Final Battle! Dave Prazak and Dave Santamaria come out to announce the show. Larry Sweeney then comes out to a monster pop. They are using the standard DVD graphics for the entrances.
(1) Kenny Omega vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Rhett Titus vs. Colt Cabana
Cabana and Castagnoli work together early to get rid of Castagnoli and Titus. They then dance around the ring together. The sound quality suddenly got better. Omega turns on Cabana and plants him witha. Uranagi, but Titus breaks it up. Castagoli turns on Titus and the action breaks down. Castagnoli eventually pins Titus with a deadlift German. (**1/2)
Tyler Black is shown cutting a promo, but it's hard to hear him over the crowd noise.
(2) Erick Stevens & Bison Smith vs. Delirious & Bobby Dempsey
Nana ran down Necro Butcher for not being there. Delirious went at it alone, but Pelle Primeau came out to be his partner. Smith destroyed Primeu. Dempsey then came out to a huge pop and ran wild on Smith before nailing Stevens with a powerslam for a nearfall. Sweeney's audio is barely audible. Prazak is too loud. Heels work over Delirious until Dempsey gets the hot tag and runs wild on Stevens. Heels getting the heat on Dempsey, who is survivng a beating from Smith. Smith finally gets the pin on Dempsey with a powerbomb. (**)
(3) Chris Hero vs. Eddie Kingston - Fight Without Honor
Hero has a chain and is attacking Kingston, who is bleeding a little from the head. Hero and Sweeney lock eyes and Kingston fires back with a hard slap, but Hero maintains the advantage using the chain. Hero slaps Kingston across the face and then slams him on the chain. Kingston fires back to a huge pop and slams Hero on the chain with a uranagi. Hero hits a roaring elbow, but Kingston kicks out. Both men have torn each other's shirts off. Hero has taken a section of the barricade and set it up in the corner with Hagadorn helping. Hero dumps Kingston neck-first on the barricade with a dangerous stunt bump off the top. Kingston kicks out of the botched powerbomb. Kingston hits a straightjacket suplex and nails Hero with a clothesline with the chain wrapped around his arm for a nearfall. Sara Del Ray interferes, but Kingston nails her with a suplex. Hero hits a low blow and kisses Kingston before nailing him with the Loaded pad, but Kingston kicks out. Kingston fires back with two spinning backfists for a nearfall. Kingston takes Hero's loaded pad and nails him with a roaring elbow for the pin. (***1/4) Would have been higher without that sick bump.
(4) Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Things are getting personal with both teams spitting at each other. Will the Young Bucks go after Steen's knee? Steen & Generico have isolated Nick. Steen is growing a scruffier beard than the one currently sported by C.M. Punk. Check that the heat was on Matt and Nick has gotten the hot tag and is running wild on Generico. Huge heat for Generico to make the hot tag and he fianlly tag in Steen, who runs wild on the Young Bucks. Steen hits Orton's through the ropes DDT on Nick for a nearfall. Bucks cut off Steen and nail him with an assisted reverse DDT off the top. Steen manages to nail Matt with a codebreaker and tags in Generico. Young Bucks hitting their signature high flying manuevers on Steen and Generico. Steen nails Nick with a frogsplash and Generico covers him for a great nearfall. Steen is favoring the knee. Steen has Nick in the sharpshooter forever and no sells a kick from Mat and spits in his face. He eventually let's go beacuse of his knee. Steen kicks out of More Bang for Your Buck! Young Bucks finally get the pin after a series of superkicks and then a tandem superkick. Wow! (****1/2)
Steen was great here selling the story of his knee injury. Bucks were awesome pumping each other up before finishing off Steen. Steen blasts a fan on the mic before cutting a promo. He says he's not the same man he was three years ago. Steen thanks all the fans and several companies he's worked for. He thanks several wrestlers and hugs Generico. Steen then nails Generico with a low blow and nails him with a huge unprotected chairshot. Cabana comes out and Steen kisses him on the lips.
We're going to intermission with a bonus match with C.M. Punk vs. Spanky. Bobby Cruise can be heard in the background. The audio is back and Prazak is saying "they tried" in relation to some travel arrangments for someone and the audio drops. We now have a shot of the ring with no audio.
(5) Kenny King vs. Roderick Strong
Dave Lagana is doing a good job producing this show. The camera shots have been spot on. Strong had the upper hand early, but King is now taking the attack to him on the outside. King nails Strong with a backbreaker and dances around. Strong fires back and hits a backbreaker of his own for a two count. King fires back with a nice kick and regains the advantage. Both men end up on the apron where Strong nails king with a backbreaker, but King gets his boot on the ropes to break it up. Kenny crotches Strong on the ropes and nails him with the Trouble in Paradise for a two count. King ended up countering Strong and rolled him up with a handful of tights to take Strong's spot in the Pick 6. (**3/4)
(6) Alex Kozlov vs. Rocky Romero
Romero got on the mic prior to the match. He said it was good to be back in NYC. He said Jack and Teddy wouldn't be able to make it, but they do get to see Romero vs. Koslov and the crowd booed. A "we want Teddy" chant broke out. Crowd was dead silent for this during the early going. Romero did a nice counter hanging onto the ropes and then nailed Koslov with a dive to the outside. Koslov fired back and did his dancing kicks wih his hat on. The fans are chanting "f--- John Cena." Romero fired back and put on Koslov's hat and did a wacky dance. The fans are chanting back and forth at each other about Cena. One side wants the other to shut up. Koslov sent Romero into the crowd and nailed him with a dive off the top. The mic is still really low for Sweeney. Romero caught Koslov with the flying armbar off the top. The bell rung out of nowhere and Prazak tried to say Kozlov was tapping, but it didn't look like it. Wow, not good all around between the no-shows and the finish. (**1/2)
(7) ROH World Tag Team Champions The American Wolves vs. The Briscoes
Why are the announcers saying the Briscoes have been waiting a year for this match? I just saw them wrestle on the Final Countdown: Chicago. The commentary can now barely be heard. The crowd is hot for the excellent early exchanges and the Briscoes have taken control of the match by isolating Edwards. Edwards is favoring his elbow. The ref is backing Jay away. Edwards was faking and now the Wolves are double-teaming Jay. Good nearfall for the Wolves with a superkick/German combo. Jay finally makes the hot tag and Mark goed all karate style on the Wolves. Jay charged at Richards in the corner, but Edwards nailed him with a kick. Edwards cut Jay off up top and nailed him with a backpack chinbreaker, but Mark broke up the pin. Richards hit the DR driver on Jay, but he kicked out. Briscoes countered a double submission into stereo small packages for a nearfall. Edwards has Jay in the half crab again. Richards is keeping Mark at bay, but Jay got the ropes. Wolves went for the Doomsday Device on Jay, but Mark broke it up with a suplex off the top. Crowd is behind the Briscoes. Jay hit Edwards with the Jaydriller, but Edwards got his shoulder up. The Briscoes then hit the doomesday device on Edwards to win the belts. Awesome match. (****1/4)
Castagnoli came down to the ring. Hero then ran out from the crowd and they laid out the Briscoes and held up the titles! Awesome.
The lights went out and Evans and Hart are in the ring with Julius Smokes to a huge pop.
Evans said he was down to destroy Teddy right now. Hart said he was glad to be here. He said he was going to teach Evans a lesson.
(8) Teddy Hart vs. Jack Evans - Unsanctioned match
There's no ref. Evans hit a sick dive to the outside. Hart cut him off moments later with an insane variation of the backbreaker. Wow! Hart just hit a piledriver through the ropes. Crowd is going nuts for Hart. Hart went for a SSP, but Evans got his knees up. Jack went for the 630 moments later, but Hart got his knees up. Smokes is now counting the pinfalls. Evans just kicked out of another sick piledriver variation. Evans finally managed to hit the 630 for the pin. (***1/2). That was sick while it lasted. After the match, Evans put over Hart and said maybe in a couple of months they could do it again. The crowd chanted "one more time." Hart said it was an honor to be in ROH and he'd like to do it again. Evans said ROH fans were the best in the world. The crowd chanted "ROH."
(9) ROH champion Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black - ROH World Title match
Aries said a wall should be built between Mexico and the USA after that last match. Aries said hi to a few people watching all over the world including his mom. He then told Black he wouldn't be winning tonight. The crowd is split chanting for both men at the bell. Awesome heat with Aries constantly jumping out of the ring to get away from Black. Black and Aries are battling on the outside. Black just suplexed Aries over the guardrail to the floor. The crowd is chanting at the small group of annoying fans again. Aries continues to bail to the outside when Black is on the attack. Aries now has control of the match and is picking apart Black on the outside. Aries is now going after Black's knee. Aries took forever to hit his power elbow and Black made him pay with a kick to the side of his head. Some fans are booing Black's comeback, which is due to the way he's been booked the last year. Black won a lot of fans over with a sick dive to the outside. Black continues to run wild on Aries and managed to nail him with a standing SSP for a nearfall.
Aries managed to cut off Black and nailed him with a DDT off the top for a nearfall. Aries then applied the last chancery, but Black escaped. Aries mocked Black's stomping in the corner and Black nailed him with a running kick and then the paroxsym for a nearfall. Black them locked in the last chancery, but Aries elbowed his way out of it. Black went for the Phoenix Splash, but Aries shoved him off the top and into the guardrail. The crowd then popped huge when Aries hit the heat-seeking missile.
Black missed the Phoenix Splash and Aries dropkicked his knee. Aries followed up with a figure 4 and Black screamed in pain. Black reversed it, but Aries got the ropes. The fans continued to heckle Black and one fan could be heard saying he's the John Cena of ROH. Black nailed Aries with a kick near the 30-minute mark of the match and he fell off the turnbuckles through a table on the outside. Aries held his shoulder against his side like he had seperated it. Black whipped Aries into the barricade and rolled him into the ring for a nearfall. Aries is fighting with one arm at this point. Aries went for a brainbuster, but Black dumped him to the canvas. Black went for a superkick, but Aries bailed to the outside. Aries was faking and ended up dumping Black on the apron.
Aries locked in the last chancery, but Black escaped. Aries pitched Black to the outside and the ref began counting, but Black made it back. Black finally nailed Aries with a flurry of shots, but Aries bailed. Black finally managed to catch Aries with a dive to the outside. Aries tried to walk out, but Black caught him. Aries then ran to the back, but Black gave chase. Some fans chanted "don't come back." Black came back with Aries and nailed him with a TKO on the ramp. Black ran back into the ring to break up the 20-count and convinced the ref to break his count. Black then carried a bloody Aries back into the ring.
Black decked Aries with a match at the 45-minute mark as the douche fans chanted "this match sucks." Aries tried to run again, but Black nailed him with the buckle bomb on the outside into the barricade and superkicked him. Aries managed to kick out after Black rolled him back into the ring. Black went up for the Phoenix Splash, but Aries got out of the way and both men were down. Aries ran to the back again, but Black caught him. Aries quickly countered Black and nailed him with a brainbuster on the ramp. Aries ran back into the ring and looked for a countout win.
Black came up busted open and barely beat the 20-count for a big pop. Aries locked in the last chancery. Aries let him go and tried to get himself DQ'd by holding a choke past the five count, but the ref wouldn't DQ him. Aries hit a low blow and told the ref to DQ him, but Black begged him not to, Aries continued to try to get DQ'd, but the ref told him he had to wrestle him after Aries drove Black's head into the exposed turnbuckle. Aries hit the 450, but Black grabbed the bottom rope. Aries threatened to hit the ref before locking in the last chancery. Aries went for the belt but the ref took it. Both men then hit kicks o the head and they were both down as the fans got to their feet. Both men exchanged blows from their knees at the 55-minute mark as the audio failed.
Both men exchanged strikes and fell to their knees again. Aries hit a rolling elbow. Black slipped out of a brainbuster attempt and locked in the cattle mutilation. Black then did Danielson's elbow strikes before applying the Cattle Mutilation again. Aries managed to escape and hit the brainbuster for a great nearfall. With one minute left in the match, both men began exchanging blows again. The crowd mic is gone for the most part, but the announcers can be heard. Aries then kicked out of God's Last Gift right before the time limit expired. Both men continued to battle. The Briscoes were shown brawling with Hero and Castagnoli, who bailed. The Briscoes stood tall in the ring with Black to end the show. (****1/2)
Torch columnist Sean Radican is Tweeting on tonight's ROH PPV. We'll post his "blog" throughout the night with ongoing thoughts on the PPV. Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
