Ring of Honor TV Report
April 12, 2010
Taped Mar. 5 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Episode #53 - Fourth episode of Series 9
Report by Mike DeRosenroll, Torch ROH specialist

STRENGTHS

- This was a good follow-up show from the "Big Bang" Internet pay-per-view. The recaps of the pay-per-view made the show seem important and the opening segment transitioned Tyler Black nicely to his next challenger for the World Title: Davey Richards.

- The TV main event between Eddie Edwards and Kevin Steen, the first semi-final of the TV Title Tournament, was a very good match.

- Although the undercard was light on wrestling matches for the second week in a row, the show was nevertheless entertaining for the most part and moved along well. Jerry Lynn’s return felt important, even if his short match was okay at best, and Steve Corino’s entertaining promos moved the Kevin Steen-El Generico feud along nicely.

WEAKNESSES

- Both real matches this week started with the same cliched opening where the heel shakes the hand of the baybface before the opening bell, then kicks him in the gut, only to have the referee reward the heel by calling for the bell and allowing the heel to start the match with the babyface hurt and at a disadvantage. This match opening is now so common in ROH that it gets no heat for the heels. All it does is make the babyfaces look like idiots for following the Code of Honor and undermine the sense of order in the promotion by making the referees look like idiots as well.

DETAILED RECAP

- The show opened with a montage of still shots and slow motion shots set to a rock riff recapping Tyler Black’s successful title defense at "Big Bang" Internet pay-per-view against Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. The montage established that Strong was eliminated first, then Aries, and that Strong showed respect to Black after the match.

- In the arena, Jim Cornette introduced the show from mid-ring, then introduced World Champion Tyler Black. Black got a great crowd reaction. The announcers called his performance at Big Bang awesome and said he proved the doubters wrong. Cornette told Black that it won’t get any easier, and that he has a bulls-eye on his back. Black said that he has Austin Aries’ number, but is a little more concerned about Roderick Strong. Cornette interjected that while Black has fought through adversity in the past, Strong has seemed to get frustrated and blame his failures on others rather than take responsibility. Black said that, if he can get past Aries and Strong, the majority of his battle is won.

At this point, the American Wolves’s music played and Davey Richards came to the ring. Cornette invited Richards to say what was on his mind, but asked him to keep it civil and professional. Richards told Black that he wants the ROH World Title. Richards said he is the hunter, Black is the hunted, and the hunt is on. Good opening promo to wrap up the Black-Aries-Strong feud and introduce Richards as a new title challenger.

[Opening Credits]

- In the studio, Hogewood and Prazak announced that the Kings of Wrestling won the World Tag Team Titles from the Briscoes at the Big Bang and plugged the replay. Hogewood hyped Jerry Lynn’s return to television later in the show and threw to a video package on Lynn.

- A shortened version of last week’s Jerry Lynn video package aired. It emphasized that coming to ROH revitalized his career, that he won the ROH World Title, showed a clip of Ric Flair respecting Lynn, recapped his feud with Austin Aries that led to Lynn losing the title to Aries, and concluded with Lynn considering retirement and getting injured by Kenny King and Rhett Titus in a post-match two-on-one attack after Lynn had beaten King in a TV match.

1 – JERRY LYNN vs. JAKE MANNING

Lynn got a nice “welcome back” chant from the crowd. Manning kicked Lynn in the gut during the opening handshake to gain an early advantage in the match. It is stupid that ROH referees continue to reward heels for attacking their opponents before the opening bell by simply starting the match when they do so. It happens so often that it gets no heel heat, but it makes the babyfaces look like idiots for offering to shaking hands. In the context of the ROH universe, it is not logical for the referees to give heels this advantage.

Lynn quickly turned the tables on Manning and took him to the mat, where the two wrestlers briefly exchanged mat holds. Lynn got the better of the exchange as a “Jerry, Jerry” chant broke out. At 1:30, Manning took control of the match by countering a charge from Lynn and dropping Lynn throat first across the top rope. Manning then got a short spell of basic offence, scored a near fall off a twisting neckbreaker, then went to a chin lock. After Lynn got out of the chin lock, Manning tried to climb the ropes for a flying move at 3:00, but Lynn recovered too quickly and caught Manning with a headscissors to bring him down to the mat. Lynn followed up with a fast-paced flurry of offence, then hit his cradle piledriver finisher for the pin.

WINNER: Lynn in 3:30. Okay match, but the part with Manning on offense dragged too much because it was obvious from the context of the show that Lynn was going to win, so there was no sense that Lynn was in any jeopardy. It would have been better as a more clear-cut squash.

- After the match, Kyle Durden came down to the ring to interview Lynn. Lynn cut a promo on Kenny King. Lynn said he knows the risk when he steps in the ring, but what King and Titus did to him was different because they deliberately set out to injure him. Lynn said that it is okay that King does not feel bad about it, because he is not going to feel bad about what his is going to do to King. Good basic promo from Lynn.

- A slow motion video package from the ROH World Tag Team Title match at The Big Bang where the Kings of Wrestling captured the titles from the Briscoes. Prazak mentioned that the match got “match of the year” chants from the fans while plugging the replay.

- Hogewood plugged the upcoming TV Title tournament semi-final match between Eddie Edwards and Kevin Steen.

- Backstage, Durden interviewed Steve Corino and asked Corino for a prediction about the upcoming Edwards-Steen match. Corino said Steen was going to destroy Edwards. Durden asked Corino why he was still wearing a suit with his match against El Generico coming up very soon. Corino said he does not need much time to get ready after sixteen years wrestling, but Generico should be getting ready because he was going to shock the world and make sure Generico always remembers the name Steve Corino.

2 – STEVE CORINO vs. EL GENERICO

Corino came to the ring still wearing his suit, grabbed a mic and started cutting a promo on Generico. He asked Generico if it makes his heart warm to hear the crowd chant “Ole!” Corino said it makes his heart warm to call Kevin Steen his best fried. The he began running down Generico as a masked freak who uses his mask to hide the fact that he is no good. Corino said that no one would care if Generico died tomorrow. He said the fans in the arena and watching on HDNet don’t care about him. Corino then began calling Generico names, one of which was bleeped out. The fans began chanting ”Ole! Ole!” for Generico. Corino said the fans would not get a chance to see Generico beat him up, then told the referee to ring the bell because he forfeits.

WINNER: Generico by forfeit. Good promo from Corino.

- Corino took his suit jacket off, asked the fans if they were upset not to get to see a five star match, then went back to running down Generico with bleeped out insults. Generico played his part well with good body downtrodden body language. Corino said Steen was right when he said Generico would never be anything without Steen. This finally got Generico to grab Corino by the tie and start hitting him. Corino fled the ring, but Generico came after him with a spectacular running dive over the top rope that wiped out Corino on the floor. Generico continued beating down Corino on the floor until a gaggle of referees and wrestlers arrived to pull him off Corino.

- Back in the studio, Hogewood and Prazak introduced a video package recapping Edwards and Steen’s TV Title tournament first round wins over Colt Cabana and Rhett Titus respectively. Hogewood hyped that the semi-final match between Edwards and Steen coming up next.

[Commercial Break]

- A video package recapped Christopher Daniels’s surprise return to ROH at The Big Bang.

- Highlights aired of the earlier in-ring segment with Jim Cornette, Tyler Black and Davey Richards.

- Hogewood hyped next week’s second TV Title tournament semi-final match between Richards and Kenny King.

- Backstage, Durden interviewed Eddie Edwards. Durden asked Edwards about the possibility that he might have to wrestle his tag team partner Davey Richards in the tournament final. Edwards said it is not a matter of if that will happen, because it will happen and it will be the end of the American Wolves. Kenny King interrupted and said it was criminal for Edwards to be overlooking him. King said he is the Pretty Boy Pitbull, and the end of the American Wolves will be putting two overrated huskies in the ring with a pitbull. Edwards said the problem with King and guys like him are that they would rather look pretty than do what it takes to win. Edwards said he hopes he gets a chance to shut King’s mouth in the final.

3 – EDDIE EDWARDS (w/Shane Hagadorn) vs. KEVIN STEEN -- ROH TV Title Tournament Semi-Final #1

Before the match could begin, Steen grabbed the mic and cut a promo. He brought up his tag team feud last year with “some masked wrestler” (El Generico) against the American Wolves. He said now he understands that the Wolves were only trying to hurt him because Generico is such a piece of crap. He said he understands them wanting to do that, and loves him now, but still want the TV Title. Steen said he did not want to break Edwards'ss elbow like he did in his feud last year, then stopped and said, “Actually, I think I do,” and attacked Edwards. For the second time on the show, the referee rewarded a before-the-bell attack by calling for the bell after Steen cheap-shotted Edwards. Ridiculous.

Steen targeted Edwards'ss elbow with punches and kicks, then threw Edwards to the outside and continued attacking his elbow by slamming it into the ringside barricades and the ringpost. At 1:00, Steen threw Edwards back inside, but got distracted by Hagadorn before climbing back inside himself, allowing Edwards to come back with a missile dive through ropes. Edwards then began beating Steen down on the outside. At 2:30, Edwards climbed back in the ring and tried for a baseball slide on Steen, who was staggered on the outside floor, but Steen managed to avoid it and regains the advantage by going back after Edwards's elbow. Steen distracted the referee by throwing chair in ring. While the referee’s back was turned clearing the chair out of the ring, Steen used a second chair to smash Edwards's elbow. Steen then took the action back inside and locked in an arm bar at 3:30, which in the context of the match seemed like a devastating submission hold.

Edwards managed to escape the arm bar with an arm drag on Steen, then got a short burst of offence that ended at 4:30 when Steen dodged a charge from Edwards in the corner and Edwards went shoulder-first into the post. Steen went back to work on Edwards'ss elbow, including by targeting a swanton from the top rope onto Edwards's selbow. At 6:00, Edwards ducked a Steen haymaker and countered with a German suplex. Shortly afterward, Edwards tried for a regular standing suplex but his injured arm gave out allowing Steen to counter with a divorce court and go back to work on Edwards's arm. At 7:30, Steen pulled the bandages off Edwards's arm and viciously stomped his elbow.

Edwards turned the tables at 8:00 when Steen tried charging him in corner and Edwards got his good elbow up. Edwards then hit a series of strikes with his good arm and his legs, then tried for an Achilles lock but Steen avoided it by kicking Edwards's bad elbow. Steen quickly followed this up with a power bomb for near fall. Steen then tried going to the top rope again, but Edwards made it to his feet and hit a running enziguiri. Edwards then tried for a backpack chinbreaker at 10:00 but could not hit the move because his elbow gave way, allowing to counter into crossface submission. With Edwards seemingly on the verge of tapping out, Generico came out to the aisle. Steen released the hold so he could get up and yell at Generico, completely forgetting about Edwards. The distraction allowed Edwards to roll up Steen from behind for the pin out of nowhere.

WINNER: Edwards in 10:30. Aside from the ridiculous opening, this was a very good match. Edwards's selling of Steen’s relentless attacks on his elbow was excellent, and the injury to Edwards's elbow had logical consequences late in the match. The wrestlers told the story so well that they made it seem like a simple arm bar could legitimately lead to a submission at one point. I did not mind the tainted finish because Steen getting distracted by Generico to lose the match was true to Steen’s character and gave a small satisfying taste of revenge to Generico.

- After the match, the fans taunted Steen by chanting “Ole! Ole!”

- Hogewood hyped next week’s second semi-final between Kenny King and Davey Richards to close the show.

We suggest these recent related articles...

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 9/27 & 9/30: NJPW vs. ROH Series continues - Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Adam Cole, Sydal vs. KUSHIDA, more

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 9/20 & 9/23: New Japan's top champions Okada & Goto in tag main event, ROH/NJPW announcement, more; Reax to post-PPV episode

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 9/13 & 9/16: The Kingdom vs. War Machine main event, ReDragon vs. House of Truth, final build-up to "All-Star Extravaganza" PPV, more; Reax