By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN'S ROH BITW 2015 PPV BLOG
JUNE 19, 2015
NEW YORK, N.Y.

(1) Donovan Dijak (w/Truth Martini) vs. Mark Briscoe (w/ODB). Dijak slammed Briscoe over the top to the floor during the early going. Mark took an insane bump to the floor. ODB destroyed The Book of Truth when Martini tried to interfere. Mark then hit a blockbuster to the floor from the apron on Dijak. Mark blocked feast your eyes and hit a brain buster. He then hit the froggy-bow for the win.

Winner: Donovan Dijak

Star rating: (**3/4) - This was a solid open to the show. Mark winning was a somewhat surprising result, but he definitely did a good job of making Dijak look good in defeat.

(2) The Decade (Adam Page & B.J. Whitmer w/Colby Corino). vs. ACH & Matt Sydal. Sydal appeared to hurt his leg during the early going and The Decade went after it. Page finally wanted a piece of ACH after wanting nothing to do with him early on after Whitmer caught him with a power slam. Page went for a SSP off the apron on ACH with the red distracted and pretty much whiffed. Sydal got the hot tag and his leg was magically better. Sydal hit a SSP off the top, but Corino made the save. ACH then wiped out Corino and Page with a big dive, but Whitmer dragged ACH off the top and Whitmer hit the right of passage on Sydal for the win.

Winners: Adam Page & B.J. Whitmer

Star rating: (**) - There was some good action here, but they didn't get much time to tell much of a story. There was virtually nothing here between Page and ACH.

(3) Silas Young vs. Dalton Castle. Castle had the upper hand, but Young caught him with a back breaker/clothesline combo. Castle's attendants tried to make peacock noises and waved their feathers to get Castle back into the match. They did some comedy with Castle pulling down Young's pants several times when he mounted a comeback. Castle caught Young coming off the turnbuckles and hit a suplex for a 2 count. Young fired back and DDT’d Castle into the bottom turnbuckle. They went back and forth on the apron and Young caught Castle with a spear through the turnbuckles and both men were down on the outside. Castle fired back and spun himself around the ropes into a hurricanrana to the floor on Young. Castle countered Young and hit a dead-lift German for a near fall. Castle went up top, but Young shoved the ref into the ropes. The ref admonished Young and Castle hit a low blow and the pinned Young with a roll up for the win.

After the match, Young hit misery on one of Castle's boys.

Winner: Dalton Castle

Star rating: (***) -This was a really good back and forth match. Castle is a lot of fun to watch and they put together a really good match.

(4) C & C Wrestle Factory (Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander) vs. War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson). Coleman and Alexander ran wild during the early going until Coleman accidentally kicked Alexander. Coleman got isolated and took a beating from Hanson and Rowe. Alexander went under the ring and grabbed a wrench. He got on the apron and his if behind his bag. Coleman saw that he had the wrench and wouldn't tag him in. War Machine then hit fallout on Coleman did the win.

Alexander stood over Coleman with the wrench, but stopped himself from hitting Coleman. He told Coleman that they're done.

Winners: Raymond Rowe & Hanson

Star rating: (*) – not much to this match other than a hot start and Coleman not wanting to allow
Alexander to use the wrench. The post-match development wasn't all that interesting either.

Elgin didn't get much of a a reaction coming out next. Moose had a more elaborate entrance worn cheerleaders lining in the entrance. He came out wearing pads and a helmet to a good reaction. Strong got the biggest pop of the three men in the #1 Contender match.

Elgin sat in the corner while the fans chanted for Moose and Strong. He got up and followed the code of honor before jumping both men.

(5) Michael Elgin vs. Moose (w/Veda Scott & Stokely Hathaway) vs. Roderick Strong - ROH World Title #1 Contender match. The winner will get their shot at the ROH World Title on July 24. Moose hit the flip, flop, and fly during the early going to a big pop. Elgin hit a dive on Moose and took a replica ROH World Title and paraded around the ring with it. That was funny. Fans were way into Strong when he had the advantage. Strong superplexed Elgin and then Moose. He made the cover on Moose for a 2 count and the fans fired up big time. Elgin botched a suplex on Moose and the fans got all over him. Elgin hit a hurricanrana/moonsault combo on Strong and Moose. Moose no-sold a buckle bomb from Elgin and hit a spear, but Strong broke up the pin. Moose hit the pounce and then wiped out Strong and Elgin with a huge dive to the floor. Strong ended up hitting two jumping knees and the sick kick on Moose for the win.

Moose and Elgin followed the Code of honor after the match. Scott slapped Moose twice for shaking hands. Moose went to spear Scott, but Alexander nailed him with the wrench. Hathaway also got wiped out. Scott then took the wrench and smiled. The fans chanted f--- you Cedric.

Winner: Roderick Strong to become the new #1 Contender to the ROH World TItle

Star rating: (***3/4) - This was really good. All three men got a chance to shine. I love Strong getting the win here. He has had an incredible 2015. The post-match segment was nicely exectued

(6) The Kingdom (Adam Cole & Michael Bennett & Matt Taven w/Maria) vs. The Bullet Club (A.J. Styles & Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) in a Six Man Tag match. The action was hit and heavy during the early going. Maria got up on the apron and stopped a triple dive. The Kingdom ducked a triple dive attempt off the apron and nailed The Bullet Club with a triple superkick. The Kingdom took too long celebrating and The Bullet Club wiped them out sign a triple dive. The Kingdom isolated Matt and began working him over. Matt mounted a comeback with the suck it punches, but Taven and Bennett dragged Matt to the floor and Maria nailed him with a superkick. Matt cut off Taven and tagged in Styles, who ran wild. The action broke down and The Bullet Club ran wild. Styles hit a sit-out face buster on Cole, but Taven and Bennett broke up the pin. Cole backdropped his way out of the Styles clash. This match is too insane to follow with both teams going back and forth. Cole big a destroyer off the turnbuckles on Styles and The YB nailed him with a double superkick right away. The Young Bucks and Styles then hit a double IndyTaker on Taven and Bennett. Maria got on the apron and Styles dragged her into the ring. They then nailed her with a Pele kick and a double superkick at the same time and the fans went nuts. Holy s--t! Styles hit Bloody Sunday on Come, but he kicked out at the last second. Cole countered more bang for your buck and went at it with Styles. He fought off the Young Bucks and nailed Nick with a superkick. Styles and the Young Bucks then hit a series of tandem maneuvers on Cole capped by Styles clash for the win.

Winners: A.J. Styles & Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson

Star rating: (****1/2) - This was an incredible match from start to finish with so many innovative maneuvers and sequences between both teams. Wow! Just wow! Must-see match.

(7) ROH World Tag Team Champions The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) vs. ReDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) -No DQ match. Both teams went at it right away. The Addiction quickly got the upper hand. Daniels was wearing a new black singlet. Daniels and Kazarian went to the floor and got a ladder. O’Reilly tried to dropkick them through the ropes, but they lifted it up and nailed him with the ladder. Both teams ended up going at it on the floor. ReDRagon set up The Addiction on a chair. Fish then held up a chair over them and O’Reilly hit a running dropkick off the apron. ReDragon set up for chasing the dragon on Daniels on a chair, but Kazarian tripped Fish from the floor. O’Reilly eventually ended up getting put through the chair by Daniels. The Addiction whipped Fish into a ladder set up in the corner a short time later. Daniels tried to tape Fish to the ropes with athletic tape while Kazarian held onto him. Kazarian eventually got a chair and nailed Fish with it across the back. O’Reilly mounted a comeback on The Addiction after he ducked a clothesline from Daniels, who connected with a Kazarian instead. O’Reilly tried to free Fish. Kazarian went to the floor and got a section of the barricade. The Addiction set up the barricade on two chairs on the floor. They went for a suplex on O’Reilly off the arpon to the floor on the barricade, but he blocked it. Daniels went for the BME on O’Reilly a short time later, but landed right into a triangle from O’Reilly. Kazarian came to the rescue a short time later and waffled O’Reilly with a chair to break it up. The Addiction dragged O’Reilly to the floor and then slammed him onto the barricade. Fish continued to try to free himself as The Addiction worked over O’Reilly. Daniels rolled O’Reilly into the ring and tried to pin him, but Fish freed himself and made the save. Late in the match, ReDragon hit chasing the dragon on Daniels down the stretch, but Sabin came down to the ring and yanked the ref to the floor. The Addiction then hit celebrity rehab on Fish for the win.

Winners: Frankie Kazarian & Christopher Daniels to retain the ROH World Tag Team Titles.

Star rating: (***1/4) – This was a good match, but the crowd seemed to come down after being incredibly hot during the previous match. I would anticipate a Ladder War down the line between these two teams given how a ladder played a role in this encounter.

A video package for the Lethal-Briscoe main event aired.

Nigel McGuinness made his way down to the ring before the main event. He joined Corino and Kelly on commentary.

Lethal and Martini came out for the main event first. They wore matching white outfits. Martini had a new Book of Truth, which was pretty funny after it was torn apart by ODB earlier in the show. A shot of Lethal’s parents in the crowd was shown. Jay Briscoe came out next to a big pop from the crowd. The fans threw streamers on Jay once he got on the apron and raised the ROH World Title. Martini interrupted the ring introduction to make sure Lethal was announced as the greatest first generation wrestlers and the ROH World TV Champion. Briscoe was introduced next to a good reaction from the crowd. The announcers looked at the Tale of the Tape and said this match could go either way. The fans began chanting for both men before the match began. The fans continued to chant for both men and they went face-to-face in the middle of the ring. What an atmosphere! Both men followed the code of honor and shook hands.

(8) ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe vs. ROH World TV Champion Jay Lethal (w/The House of Truth) in a Title vs. Title match. Dijak tried to grab Jay’s leg from the floor and the ref ejected him. Lethal went to the floor and looked upset. Diesel was tossed out as well. Martini was allowed to stay at ringside in Lethal’s corner. The fans chanted let’s go Jay, which was pretty funny. Corino said Cary Silkin wasn’t in attendance because he was on a scouting mission. Briscoe had the upper hand early, but Lethal mounted a comeback and went for his signature series of dives, but Briscoe cut him off on the third dive and clotheslined him to the floor. Briscoe then nailed Lethal with a dive to the floor and both men crashed into the guardrail. Martini tripped Jay from the outside a short time later and Lethal wiped him out from behind. The ref didn’t see it, but he admonished Martini on the floor. Both men began trading blows in the middle of the ring a short time later, but Lethal wiped out Jay with a clothesline and both men were down. Both men went at it again and Briscoe eventually hit a neck breaker after a big exchange for a 2 count. Lethal fired back and went for the Lethal injection, but Briscoe caught him and slammed him to the mat with a uranagi for a 2 count. Lethal’s parents were shown trying to rally behind Lethal in the front row. Briscoe set up for the Jay-driller. Lethal slipped out and Briscoe went for it again, but Lethal slipped out and hit the Lethal combination for a 2 count. The fans chanted for both men with Lethal in control. Lethal went up top very slowly for hail to the king. Briscoe popped up and crotched him on the turnbuckles. Briscoe went for a superplex, but Lethal blocked it. Lethal sent Briscoe to the mat, but Briscoe fired right back with a dropkick up top. Briscoe went for a superplex again, but Lethal countered it. Lethal hit several punches and sent Briscoe down to the mat. Lethal then hit hail to the king, but Briscoe kicked out at the last second.

Lethal immediately applied the Koji clutch, but Briscoe managed to get his feet on the ropes. They ended up on the apron a short time later. Lethal set up for a suplex, but Briscoe blocked it. Briscoe blocked an ace crusher and Martini got up on the apron. The ref went after Martini and Lethal hit a low blow. McGuinness got up on the apron and threw Martini out of the match. Martini tossed Nigel’s chair away for good measure before heading to the back. Briscoe managed to fire back on Lethal a short time later and he nailed him with a Jay-driller off the apron through the table and the fans went nuts. Both men were down on the floor. Briscoe began to stir first. They showed an awesome overhead shot of the Jay-driller from the ceiling. Briscoe’s parents were shown looking on. Briscoe tossed Lethal back into the ring and made the cover for a near fall. Jay fired up on Lethal with punches. Lethal tried to fire back with punches of his own. Lethal hit a superkick and went for the Lethal injection, but Briscoe ran behind him and hit a huge clothesline for a two count. Lethal countered the Jay-driller and Briscoe transitioned it right into the rainmaker for a near fall and the fans went nuts. Lethal’s parents were shown going nuts as the fans went insane chanting for both men. Lethal fired back on Briscoe and hit a springboard ace crusher. He then hit the Lethal injection, but Briscoe kicked out at the very last second. OH MY GOD! The fans lost their minds and chanted this is awesome. Lethal listed Briscoe up and went for the Jay-driller, but Briscoe dropped down to a knee. Briscoe fought out of it and they went back and forth until Lethal hit the Jay-driller. Briscoe wobbled on his feet and Lethal hit the Lethal injection for the win. That was amazing.

The fans went nuts and applauded. Streamers were tossed into the ring and Martini came down to celebrate with Lethal. Lethal looked extremely emotional as he was presented with both titles. Bobby Cruise announced him as still ROH World TV Champion and new ROH World Champion, which was awesome. Streamers began to fill the ring as Lethal held up both titles. Dijak and Diesel joined the celebration as Lethal’s parent celebrated at ringside. Lethal’s music stopped playing and he looked at Briscoe, who picked himself up in the corner. Briscoe extended his hand and Lethal shook it. Lethal dropped down to his knees and looked emotional. The fans chanted you deserve it at Lethal. Lethal appeared to be crying as the show went off the air.

An ad played for the “Death Before Dishonor XII iPPV to close the show.

Winner: Jay Lethal to become the new ROH World Champion and retain the ROH World TV Championship

Star rating: (****1/2) – The match started a bit slowly, but they built the match up to an amazing finish that had the crowd going insane. The build of the match was fantastic with Lethal’s House of Truth cohorts, Dijak and Diesel, getting kicked out early in the match. The match just built and built with Martini getting booted by McGuinness. The finishing sequence was simply fantastic. It has been incredible to watch Lethal’s journey from Special K member, to the Black Machismo comedy act, and now to ROH World Champion.

Overall thoughts: (8.5) – The undercard was a bit flat and felt rushed at times, but they progressed several storylines as well as set the stage for other angles to unfold, especially with Alexander’s heel turn being completed and Strong becoming the new #1 contender to the ROH World Title.

The second half of this show was really good. The Bullet Club vs. Kingdom Six Man Tag featured a ton of insane action that set the fans on fire, Addiction vs. ReDRagon was good and appeared to set the stage for a Ladder War down the line, but it was the main event that put this show over the top.

Lethal’s rise has been amazing to watch over the last couple of years. Lethal has gotten better and better and this match fit the billing as a huge main event, although I still thing ROH overplayed their hand calling it the biggest match in the history of the company. The crowd was red hot at the beginning of the match and although it started slowly, the match was built with multiple chapters leading into a red hot second half.

It’s hard not to feel good for Lethal becoming a double champion in ROH. He’s earned it. He’s been one of the best performers in the company and although he hasn’t been consistently great, the potential is there for Lethal to be a king of the hill heel champion. This was a match worth going out of your way to see and it was truly memorable give the stakes and participants involved. Big thumbs up.

***

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