ROH Death Before Dishonor XIII Report
July 24, 2015 live on iPPV
From Baltimore, Md.
Report by Mike Metzger (@md0uble), PWTorch contributor

The show opened with video package on tonight’s main event between ROH World & TV champion Jay Lethal and #1 contender Roderick Strong. Strong said he wanted to prove that all of his sacrifices weren’t for nothing. Lethal said he was planning to be ROH “Undisputed Champion" for a long time and that he was just getting started.

Ringside: Kevin Kelly welcomed viewers to the show, as the crowd chanted “ROH! ROH!” Kelly and Steve Corino then ran down some of tonight’s matches. Corino said that 2015 has been Roderick Strong’s year so far and he predicted a title change tonight.

1 -- SILAS YOUNG vs. WILL FERRARA

Clips aired of a house show match between these two back in March. More recent clips then aired of Ferrara beating Silas on ROH TV after Dalton Castle’s “boys” distracted Young. The Code of Honor was adhered to and then the bell rang. Silas quickly rolled to the outside and talked trash to a fan in the front row, telling him he "sucked as a wrestling fan." Ferrara broke it up before long with a huge flip dive onto Young!

Ferrara was ready to take control, as the show had its first buffering issue of the night. After a quick refresh, Ferrara was still in control at the 2:00 mark, but Silas fought back with a stiff clothesline. Young followed up with a suplex and a cover, but Ferrara kicked out. Silas hit a back drop and then placed his boot on Ferrara's chest for a one count. Silas talked trash, but Ferrara came back with a dropkick! Ferrara followed up with a Tornado DDT, but could only get a nearfall.

Ferrara's momentum was cut off by Young's Killer Combo of a backbreaker and then a clothesline. Ferrara soon countered with a Codebreaker and then hit a standing Sliced Bread, but Young quickly rolled to the outside. Ferrara rolled him back in, but Silas reversed into a small package for two. Both men jockeyed for position. Silas eventually hit his Misery TKO finisher for the victory.

WINNER: Silas Young via pinfall in 6:28.

After the match, Dalton Castle's "boys" entered the ring and began fanning Young. Silas slapped their fans away. He went for Misery on one of the boys, but the other boy kicked Silas on the gut! Dalton's "boys" then channeled Norman Smiley and rode Silas like a horse on the mat! Silas rolled out of the ring, as Will Ferrara and the boys celebrated in the ring.

ANALYSIS: Standard match, not really a "hot opener" by any means. I like how ROH is taking things slow with Silas getting a win, but also having some interaction with "the boys" to keep his issue with Dalton Castle going. Ferrara continues his fall from grace in 2015. (**)

Video Package: Cedric Alexander handed Moose his first loss with the help of a ring wrench, and then turned heel and aligned himself with Veda Scott shortly thereafter.

2 -- CEDRIC ALEXANDER (w/ Veda Scott) vs. MOOSE (w/Stokely Hathaway)

Veda had a new look in all black. Kevin Kelly said he'd never seen a lawyer dressed like that before. Prince Nana joined the commentators. The crowd was split pretty evenly between the two. Cedric channeled Silas from the last match and quickly rolled out of the ring after the bell. Cedric re-entered and slapped Moose in the face, but again rolled to the outside. Cedric got back in the ring and was tossed across it by Moose. Moose went for his spear, but Veda tripped him up from the outside.

Moose kept his attention on Cedric and beat on him around ringside. Moose then followed up with a fallaway slam into the hockey boards! Veda tried to get involved again, but Stokely pulled her away. The brief distraction allowed Cedric to capitalize. Cedric hit Moose with some chops. Moose went to block the last one, to which Cedric responded by raking Moose in the eyes! Cedric hit a springboard clothesline and covered Moose for a one count.

Cedric settled things down with a chin lock in the center. Moose fought out after about 30 seconds with a huge Samoan Drop! The crowd got behind the former NFL player, as Moose nailed Cedric with some headbutts. Moose splashed Cedric in the corner a couple times and then hit him with a beautiful dropkick! Cedric tried to go up top, but Moose caught him and hit a sit-out powerbomb into a pinning combination. Cedric kicked out at two, however.

Both men jockeyed for position. Moose came off the top, but Cedric caught him with his 540 Kick in mid-air! Cedric followed up with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover, but Moose kicked out at two! Cedric followed up with a Michinoku Driver, but still couldn't put Moose away. Cedric tried to come off the top rope, but slipped. Moose was able to improvise nicely with a big clothesline to Alexander.

Reset at the 8:35 mark, as both men traded blows in the center. Cedric exploded into a series of kicks and an enziguiri. Cedric followed up with a charging dropkick and then hit a huge flip dive on the outside! Cedric got on the headset and demanded Prince Nana proclaim how good he was. A shoving match ensued and then Cedric punched Prince Nana in the face! Stokely tried to get involved and Cedric responded by throwing him into the hockey boards!

Moose finally re-emerged, but Veda distracted him again. Cedric went for a dive to the outside, but Moose caught him and hit a Kevin Owens-like Apron Bomb! The crowd popped, as Cedric disappeared underneath the ring. He reappeared and clutched his ribs. Back in the ring, it was revealed that Cedric had the ring wrench in his hand. He nailed Moose with it and pinned him in the center of the ring!

WINNER: Cedric Alexander via pinfall in 12:00.

ANALYSIS: Great action and storytelling throughout. Cedric is so impressive when he explodes into offense, but he still played the heel quite well here. The outside antics were a bit of a distraction, but weren't overdone. I love Cedric's continued reliance on the ring wrench, his key to getting ahead in his career. (***)

3 -- JAY & MARK BRISCOE VS. RPG VICE (ROCKY ROMERO & TRENT BARRETA)

The Code of Honor was adhered to and then the bell rang. Romero and Mark started the match. They fought to a stalemate after about 30 seconds. They shared a fist-bump and channeled Eddie Guerrero for a moment, but Romero quickly nailed Mark and then tagged in his partner. Jay was tagged in before Barreta could really mount any offense. The Briscoes dominated the next few minutes with some quick tags. Barreta rolled to the outside for a breather, but the Briscoes nailed both of their opponents on the outside!

Mark went to capitalize, but Barreta ended up flipping Mark over the ringpost and to the outside hard! RPG Vice double-teamed Jay in the ring and then slapped each other five. They hit a moonsault/senton combo, but Romero couldn't put Jay away. Jay fought back with a headbutt and then tagged in Mark. The Briscoes double-teamed Romero and then hit a moonsault/senton combo of their own! Jay went for the cover, but Romero kicked out at two.

Mark tagged back in and hit Romero with an enziguiri. Mark went for Red Neck Kung Fu, but Barreta ran in and nailed him from behind. Trent was officially tagged in, but quickly went to the outside and pummeled Mark. RPG Vice controlled the match for the next minute or so with more quick tags. Romero broke into a series of charging clotheslines until Mark got the boots up! Both men collided in the center and then Mark made the hot tag to Jay!

Jay came in and hit Romero with several fists and then a stiff forearm shot. Barreta tagged in, but Jay pummeled him as well. Romero and Barreta both attacked Jay, but Mark quickly reappeared to make the save! He tossed Romero to the outside, but Barreta then stomped him to the mat. Mark somehow gained possession of Trent's headband and then put it on his own head. He then broke into Red Neck Kung Fu successfully this time! Mark went to the top, but Barreta superkicked him in mid-air. RPG Vice hit a nice combo move, but Jay ran in to make the save!

Reset at 12:00: Mark and Barreta traded blows in the center. Barreta came out on top and then RPG Vice went for their finisher. Jay ran in and hit a superkick on Barreta and then Mark hit a Canadian Destroyer! Jay hit a top rope splash and then a neckbreaker, but Barreta kicked out at two! Jay went for the Jay Driller on Barreta, but Romero broke it up. RPG Vice hit a nice double-double foot stomp combo, but Jay somehow kicked out at two!

RPG Vice set up Jay for the Doomsday Device, but Jay reversed and Mark re-appeared. Mark hit a Blockbuster on Romero on the outside, while Jay hit Trent with the Jay Driller in the ring. Mark followed up with the Froggy Bow for the victory!

WINNERS: Jay & Mark Briscoe via pinfall in 15:10.

ANALYSIS: Hard-hitting action from all four men throughout. The match built to a hot finish with several convincing nearfalls. It looks like the Briscoes are back in tag title contention and that is a old role for them at this point in their careers. (***1/2)

4 -- ADAM COLE vs. DALTON CASTLE (w/his "boys")

The crowd was pretty evenly split. Both men shook hands and then the bell rang. Dalton did his usual schtick by playing mind games with Cole. Cole just seemed disgusted when Castle bent back in a yoga pose. Cole shoved Castle in the corner and yelled "Adam Cole, bay-bay!" and then mocked Castle with a yoga pose of his own. They felt each other out for about a minute, with neither man getting a clear advantage (there was plenty of posing by both men, however).

Castle hit a springboard splash in the corner which was good for a two count. Huge "Peacock" chant. Castle had trouble lifting Cole for a gutwrench suplex, but got some help from the "boys" when they fanned Cole and Castle hit it! Castle went up top, but Cole ran over and knocked Dalton to the outside. Cole threw Castle back into the ring, as the fans chanted "fan up!" Cole applied a chin lock, as the "boys" rallied on Castle with peacock noises from the outside.

Castle again got some assistance from the "boys" when their fanning helped Dalton roll up Cole for two. Cole was so annoyed that he went to the outside to confront the "boys." The brief distraction allowed Castle to hit a big dive onto Cole! Back in the ring, Castle took control and suplexed Cole again. He hit a running knee strike and then a Black Hole Slam, but Cole kicked out at two. Castle applied a bear hug, but Cole quickly fought out.

Cole went for a Canadian Destroyer, but Castle reversed into an overhead throw! Castle went for a German suplex, but Cole reversed with a neckbreaker followed by a Shining Wizard. He went for the cover, but Castle kicked out at two. Cole applied a figure-four leg lock, but Castle was too close to the ropes. Castle rolled to the outside and was fanned by the "boys." Cole went after him, but Castle was able to reverse into a hurricanrana off the apron!

More "Peacock" chants from the crowd, as Castle hit a German suplex into a pinning combination. Cole kicked out and rolled to the apron. Cole shoved away Castle and then took a lot of time mockingly fanning him. The brief hesitation allowed Castle to fight back, but Cole nailed Castle with a super kick in mid-air! Cole followed up with another Shining Wizard, but still couldn't put Castle away!

Rest at 12:50, as both men began trading blows in the center. The crowd made peacock noises whenever Castle nailed a blow! Cole hit two superkick to the back of the head, but Castle somehow kicked out. Cole hit another one and then dropped Castle over his knee for the victory.

WINNER: Adam Cole via pinfall in 14:04.

After the match, Cole picked up Castle and shook his hand. Then out of nowhere, Silas Young ran out and attacked the "boys" from behind. ROH officials ran out to break it up.

ANALYSIS: Solid match between these two. The crowd is in love with Dalton Castle, as he is perhaps the hottest rising star in ROH behind Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole. His interactions with the "boys" during the match were hilarious, and the cocky Cole was spot-on in his response to all of it. I was surprised that Young didn't appear sooner to cost Castle the match, but I guess it was more important for Cole to go over clean here. (***)

Video Package: The Decade and A.C.H. have been at odds and Adam Page promised to "kick the dog s---" (no bleep) out of A.C.H. tonight.

B.J. Whitmer and Colby Corino were out next. Whitmer was on crutches, as Kelly spoke of rumors on Whitmer's condition. Kelly and Corino also wondered about Adam Page's whereabouts. Whitmer grabbed the mic and said he had recently had knee surgery and would be out of action indefinitely. The crowd popped. Whitmer said he could do more than just wrestle. He could be a "father figure for Colby Corino," for instance. Whitmer said his job tonight was to be a color commentator. He said he would show Kelly and Corino a thing or two, and maybe even show Corino how to be a better father.

5 -- ADAM PAGE (w/B.J. Whitmer & Colby Corino) vs. A.C.H. -- No Disqualification match

Page slapped Colby around as he helped him with his kneepads. A.C.H. ran in the ring and immediately tackled Page as the bell rang. A.C.H. was all over Page as he stomped him in the corner. A.C.H. did some acrobatics and then dropkicked Page to the floor. A.C.H. followed up with a moonsault to the outside! ACH chopped Page several times on the outside. A.C.H. went for a move, but landed right on the camera man! No harm was done, however, as A.C.H. hit Page with a backdrop on the floor. A.C.H. threw Page into the hockey boards a couple times as the crowd rejoiced.

A.C.H. then ran around the ring to gain some steam, but Page cut him off with a clothesline out of nowhere. Back in the ring, Page went for a cover but A.C.H. quickly kicked out. Page hit a neckbreaker and another one count. On the outside, Page set A.C.H. down on a chair. Page charged at him, but A.C.H. threw the chair in Page's face! A.C.H. went for a double foot stomp from the top, but Page cut him off and then nailed him with a chair!

Page took control and went for a DDT on a chair, but A.C.H. fought out of it. They jockeyed for position until Page nailed a powerslam on the chair! Both men went to the outside, as Page grabbed a table from underneath the ring. Before Page could pull it out completely, A.C.H. nailed him with an enziguiri! A.C.H. pulled out the table and set it up on the floor. He went to grab Page, but Page hit A.C.H. with a drop toehold into the hockey boards!

Page grabbed a ladder, as Kevin Kelly finally explained why tables and ladders were underneath the ring to begin with (a pro wrestling first?). A.C.H. then grabbed a training bat and nailed Page with in in the ring, but Page immediately fought back by dropping A.C.H. on the ladder! Page hit an overhead throw on top of the ladder and went for the cover, but A.C.H. kicked out at two! Page went for a springboard clothesline to A.C.H. while on the chair, but A.C.H. got up and delivered a low blow to Page! There was a brief "No DQ" chant from the crowd.

Page went to nail A.C.H. with the chair, but A.C.H. ducked and hit Page with some shots to the body. A.C.H. hit a stiff clothesline and then hit Page with a German suplex onto the ladder! Page rolled to the outside and then A.C.H. nailed him with a kick from the apron. Back in the ring, A.C.H. hit a brainbuster on a chair, but Page kicked out of the pin attempt! After a moment, both men jockeyed for position until Page threw a chair into A.C.H.'s face!

A.C.H. fought back and knocked Page to the outside. A.C.H. then hit his Midnight Star 450 splash from the apron onto the floor! Page rolled back into the ring and A.C.H. went up top. Colby Corino grabbed A.C.H.'s leg while Whitmer slid his crutch in. Page nailed A.C.H. with the critch and then hit his reverse piledriver Rite of Passage finisher off the apron and through a table! Sick spot! Page rolled A.C.H. back in for the win.

WINNER: Adam Page via pinfall in 18:04.

ANALYSIS: Great psychology from both men here. I loved how A.C.H. went right after Page to start things off. They made good use of the no-DQ stip as there was a serious grudge to be settled. The weapons were also used well. I got the impression that Page was going over as A.C.H. began to dominate the later part of the match. I know they wanted to tell the story of the Decade outnumbering A.C.H., but I think A.C.H. really needed a win here as he has lost so many high profile matches in recent months and the Decade has even made it the focus of this feud. (***3/4)

6 -- ROH World Tag Team champions THE ADDICTION (CHRISTOPHER DANIELS & FRANKIE KAZARIAN) vs. THE KINGDOM (MICHAEL BENNETT & MATT TAVEN w/ Maria Kanellis) vs. REDRAGON (KYLE O'REILLY & BOBBY FISH) vs. WAR MACHINE (HANSON & RAYMOND ROWE) -- four-corner ROH World Tag Team Title match

Every team but the Kingdom adhered to the Code of Honor. O'Reilly and Kazarian were about to start the match, until Kaz tagged Bennett. Adam Cole joined the commentators at ringside. O'Reilly dominated early and then tagged in Fish. Cole said that he hadn't spoke to Bennett, Taven or Maria all day. Taven and O'Reilly tagged in. O'Reilly nailed Taven with a boot, but Bennett nailed O'Reilly from the outside.

The Addiction came in and double-teamed O'Reilly. Kyle grabbed a choke on Daniels and then Rowe tagged himself in. He then picked up O'Reilly and Daniels while still locked in the hold and dropped them both to the mat! Rowe tagged in Hanson and then they hit a double-slam on Kaz. They continued to double-team Kaz until Fish tagged himself in. Daniels grabbed Fish from the outside, but Kaz nailed Daniels by mistake! Kaz recovered quickly however, and nailed Fish with a leg drop which was good for a two count.

Daniels officially tagged in and then the Addiction double-teamed Fish for a moment. Daniels hit a springboard elbow drop and then Kaz hit a springboard leg drop, but Fish kicked out at two. The Addicton continued to dominate with quick tags. Daniels went for a suplex, but Fish reversed! Bennett tagged himself in and nailed Fish with a spinebuster. Bennett tagged Taven, who missed a top rope frogsplash. Fish went to tag O'Reilly, but Kaz knocked him off the apron before the tag was made.

Fish tagged in Rowe instead, who then tossed Taven around the ring. Bennett got involved, but ate a knee for his troubles. Things started to break down, as O'Reilly came off the top and nailed both Kaz and Daniels! ReDRagon then double-teamed Daniels and did their hip gyrations in the center of the ring. They went for Chasing the Dragon, but Bennett broke it up. Hanson and Rowe came in and nailed Taven with a double chokeslam. The Addiction re-appeared, as all eight men brawled in the ring at the 10:00 mark!

Daniels hit a springboard moonsault on Rowe in the outside and then Fish, Daniels and Rowe took turns hitting dives on the outside. Hanson topped it off with a huge flip dive onto the sea of humanity at ringside! Hanson went to capitalize but ate a double superkick from the Kingdom. They did the same to Rowe and then hit their Twist of Fate/Swanton combo. Cole said it was time for him to go to work, as reDRagon hit Chasing the Dragon on Bennett in the ring! Cole just left without doing anything, as Addiction double-teamed Fish in the ring.

Taven nailed Daniels with a superkick, but Kaz held him off with slingshot DDT. O'Reilly reappeared, but ate a superkick from Bennett. Fish hit a Samoan Drop, but Hanson hit him with a powerslam out of nowhere. Hanson then hit a Cartwheel Clothesline on Daniels. War Machine went for their Path of Resistance powerslam/frogsplash combo. War Machine went for their Fallout finisher, but Maria got up on the apron. The distraction allowed Daniels to nail Hanson and Rowe with the title belt.

ReDRagon and the Kingdom were the only ones left in the ring. The Kingdom hit their Proton Pack double-team move on O'Reilly, but he kicked out at two! Fish reappeared, but Taven held him at bay. Taven went for a moonsault, but Fish got the knees up. Daniels broke up the cover, but was quickly tossed to the outside. ReDRagon went for Chasing the Dragon on Taven, but Kaz tagged himself in and somehow nailed Celebrity Rehab on Fish for the victory.

WINNERS: The Addiction via pinfall in 16:08 to retain the ROH World Tag Team Titles.

After the match, The Kingdom went to the commentary desk and demanded to know what Cole said on commentary. Kelly told them that all he said was that he didn't talk to the other Kingdom members all day. The Kingdom just stormed off to the back.

ANALYSIS: Non-stop action throughout. It was more of a spotfest than a psychologically-charged mat classic, but it was still fun to watch. I especially liked the Adam Cole developments not interfering with the match itself. Ultimately though, this was just a placeholder until ROH is ready for the eventual Addiction-reDRagon rematch. (***1/2)

Video Package: The storied history between Jay Lethal and Roderick Strong.

7 -- ROH World & TV champion JAY LETHAL (w/Truth Martini, J. Diesel, and Donovan Dijak) vs. RODERICK STRONG -- ROH World Title match

Both men shook hands and the bell rang. Jay rolled out of the ring. He rolled back in and tied up with Strong in the center. They wrestled on the mat until there was a stalemate at the 2:00 mark. There was a test of strength in the center which Strong won. Roddy applied a chin lock, but Lethal quickly broke free. Lethal was a bit frustrated and again rolled to the outside.

Lethal re-entered the ring, but Roddy rolled to the outside. He got back in the ring and nailed Lethal with a chop. Strong slammed Lethal and went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out at two. Lethal fought back with an elbow and then chopped Roddy in the corner. Strong reversed and chopped Lethal! Lethal tossed Strong to the outside and then rammed him into the hockey boards.

Lethal regained control when Roderick re-entered the ring and hit a snap suplex, but Strong kicked out at one. Lethal applied a surfboard-like maneuver on Strong, but the challenger was able to get to the ropes before long. Strong began to fight back with some chops and then slammed Lethal to the mat. He covered Lethal for two and then stayed on the attack with some stomps to Lethal on the mat.

Lethal rolled to the outside and Strong followed. Strong chopped Lethal again and then stared down Diesel. Strong chopped Lethal, but the brief distraction allowed Lethal to hit two chops of his own. Strong quickly cut it off, however, and dropped Lethal throat-first on top of the hockey boards! Back in the ring, Strong continued to control the match. Strong hit a slingshot suplex, but Lethal kicked out of the pin attempt.

Strong applied a unique submission hold where he stretched Lethal across his own back. Roddy dropped him and went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out again. Lethal broke up Strong's momentum with a step-up enziguri. Lethal slammed Strong to the mat and then posed for the crowd, as they chanted "Leth-al Sucks," New Day-style. Strong began to fight back, but Lethal cut him off and then punched him several times in the corner. Strong no-sold it and immediately exploded out of the corner with a leg lariat!

Strong followed up with a back suplex. Lethal began to crawl out of the ring, but Strong caught him and applied a surfboard in the ropes! Strong broke before the count of five and covered Lethal, but could only get a nearfall. Lethal fought back and chopped Strong in the corner. He followed up with a snap suplex and a cover, but Strong kicked out. Lethal kept on top of Strong with a sleeperhold. Strong quickly broke out of it and kicked Lehtal in the gut.

Strong nailed Lethal with a chop, but Lethal cut him off and went for a Jay Driller! Strong blocked it and went for a double-knee gut buster, but Lethal blocked and hit a superkick followed by the Lethal Combination! He went for the cover, but Strong kicked out at two. Dijak nailed Strong with a cheap shot on the outside. Strong tried to overcome it with a sunset flip, but Lethal held on and then tossed Strong to the outside again.

Dijak and Diesel both attacked Lethal on the outside, while referee Todd Sinclair was distracted. Lethal and Strong fought in the aisle and then rolled back into the ring. Lethal applied a modified Camel Clutch in the center of the ring. This lasted about 30 seconds until Strong broke free and reversed into a Camel Clutch of his own! Lethal struggled for a few seconds, but was able to reach the bottom rope to cause a break.

Strong nailed Lethal with some chops in the corner. Strong followed up with a running powerslam, but Lethal kicked out of the pin attempt. Roddy applied a modified abdominal stretch. Lethal broke free, but Strong responded with a dropkick! Strong went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out at two. Strong applied a body scissors at the 24:30 mark. Lethal reversed into a hold of his own, but quickly let it go when he tried to pin Strong to no avail.

Lethal was in control and hit a baseball slide for good measure. Roddy got to his feet and then both men traded blows on the apron. Lethal won out when he knocked Strong to the floor right next to the announce table. Dijak hit yet another cheap shot on the outside. Both men brawled on the floor until Strong hit an inverted DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Roddy hit a dropkick and scored yet another nearfall. Lethal again rolled to the outside.

Strong followed and chopped Lethal on the outside. Lethal came to life and traded blows with Lethal! Strong rammed Lethal jaw-first into the hockey boards, as Todd Sinclair counted. Roddy rolled Lethal into the ring at the count of 19 and went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out. Strong hit some more chops and then dropped Lethal to the mat. Strong went for a running dropkick, but Dijak and Diesel grabbed his legs from the outside which allowed Lethal to regain control.

Lethal tossed Strong to the outside and went for a dive, but Roddy tossed him into the hockey boards! Strong then dove onto both Dijak and Diesel on the outside! Strong dropped Lethal on the hockey boards and then exploded on Lethal back in the ring. He hit the double-knee gut buster, but Lethal kicked out at two! Strong hit a suplex and another nearfall. Strong positioned Lethal up top and then both men traded blows on the top turnbuckle. Strong went for a superplex, but Lethal fought out and knocked Strong to the mat.

Lethal went for a Tornado DDT, but didn't get all of it. Lethal rolled through into a short-lived submission hold. Out of nowhere, Lethal choked Strong from behind with his wrist tape. Sinclair saw it and broke it up. Lethal hit a neck breaker over the top rope which sent Strong to the floor. Lethal hit some more chops, but Strong fought back.

Back in the ring, Strong hit a backbreaker. Lethal tossed Strong to the outside and then nailed Strong with a baseball slide through the ropes. Lethal sprang into action and hit three consecutive dives to the outside. Strong was able to get back into the ring at the count of 19, but Lethal threw him right back to the outside. Strong got back in the ring and Lethal hit him with a suplex. Lethal applied a crossface, but Strong eventually broke out of it,

Lethal chopped Strong in the corner, but Strong refused to go down. He got in Lethal's face and Lethal responded with an explosion of chops. Strong reversed and hit a series of explosive chops of his own which sent Lethal to the mat. Lethal broke up the momentum with a rake to the eyes, but Strong dumped Lethal to the floor. Lethal took almost the full 20-count to get back in the ring, He went for the Lethal Injection, but Roddy reversed it!

Lethal applied the Strong Hold. It looked like Lethal tapped, but he did not. He came close to tapping again, but instead grabbed the bottom rope. Strong positioned Lethal on the top rope, but Lethal slapped Strong in the face and sent him crashing to the mat. Lethal hit the Hail to the King elbow, but Strong kicked out at two. Lethal hit the Lethal Combination and then floated over into the Koji Clutch. Strong quickly broke free.

Lethal went to use to Book of Truth, but Strong reversed with a kick. They ran the ropes and then Lethal was able to nail Strong with the Book of Truth! Strong regained control for a bit, until Lethal went for the Lethal Injection, but instead hit Strong with a superkick out of nowhere! Lethal went up top, but Strong cut him off. Strong hit a superkick and then the Sick Kick, but Lethal somehow kicked out at two! Both men jockeyed for position until Lethal hit the Lethal Injection! He went for the cover, but Strong kicked out!

Reset at 58:45, as both men traded blows in the center. Both men hit each other at the exact same time and fell to the mat. Strong hit two jumping knees and then a forearm, but Lethal hit a superkick as the bell sounded at 60:00.

WINNER: Time limit draw at 60:00.

ANALYSIS: Kudos to these guys for going an hour, but boy did that feel like an eternity. It took forever for these guys to get going. I'm all for epic matches, but this felt more like they were going an hour just for the sake of going an hour. There were very few believable nearfalls in the first 45-50 minutes. Instead, it just felt like they were repeating the same sequences over and over again. Combine that with the fact that it was unlikely Strong would win the title so soon into Lethal's reign and this felt like extremely anti-climactic for the good majority of the match. Things picked up at the very end, but it was too little, too late. And all that for no decisive finish? (***1/4)

After the match, the fans chanted "five more minutes" and then transitioned into "match of the year." Kevin Kelly talked about it being "the greatest match of all-time," as he signed off.

ROH returns to iPPV with "All-Star Extravaganza" in September.

FINAL REAX: Solid show from top-to-bottom, but the word "inconsequential" comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I don't need a show to feature title changes and hot-shot booking to be considered really good. But, there needs to be some sort of storyline development, otherwise it's a glorified house show. There was little-to-no development throughout the entire card. A.C.H. didn't even get to beat Adam Page, for instance.

You could skip this show and not miss a beat when tuning into the next week's TV episode (or whenever they get around to the fall-out). Just like the main event felt like an hour-long adventure just for the sake of doing so, this felt like a three-hour iPPV just for the sake of doing a three-hour live PPV. Add in the fact that it took up a Friday night and cost $20, I can really only recommend this show only if you're really into the ROH product right now.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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