Ring of Honor TV Report
December 13, 2010
Taped in Philadelphia, Pa.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

The final show leading to the "Final Battle" Internet PPV opened with Jim Cornette center-ring. Cornette welcomed out the challenger to the ROH Title at Final Battle, Davey Richards. Richards marched to the ring dressed to compete and signaled to the crowd that he wants the ROH Title belt. Cornette broke down Final Battle weekend for Richards, emphasizing the title match on Saturday being the biggest match of his career.

Richards paused and said he's not teaming with Eddie Edwards after Friday's show in Boston, but the American Wolves represent each and every ROH fan refusing to be knocked down. Richards said he gets it that Edwards need to concentrate on his singles career and he needs to focus on becoming ROH World champion at Final Battle. Richards said the "truth" at Final Battle is he will dominate and he will become ROH champ.

Richards needed to get something off his chest and he might get in trouble saying this...pause..."Truth Martini is full of s---." Cornette sold shock, which was the right response, then Richards tried to tell Strong that Martini is filling his head with lies.

Suddenly, Strong marched to the ring to interrupt. Cornette said they're trying to keep this civil until the PPV. Strong said Richards sounds like he's just jealous. He said everyone wants to put the blame on Martini and no one wants to give him the credit he deserves. Strong said he wouldn't take a victory if Martini interfered. He said if Martini interfered, he would hand Richards the ROH Title himself. Martini read from the Book of Truth, which agitated Cornette.

Strong told Richards he doesn't have to worry about anyone but him. "I will beat you and I will break you," Strong said. They were inches away from each other at this point as Strong asked Richards how it will feel when he lets down the ROH fans and...his dead grandfather. Richards tried to get a piece of Strong, who quickly ran out of the ring. Mike Hogewood said the talk is over and they will find out who the best is at Final Battle in New York.

Reax: Excellent introduction setting the stage for Final Battle and creating extra motivation for Richards to win the match. Also, good heel tactics from Strong trying to get Richards out of his element "making it personal." And, they didn't give away any physicality to make you pay for it.

In-studio: Hogewood and Dave Prazak hyped the PPV on Saturday and plugged Strong vs. Austin Aries still to come tonight in a tune-up match for Strong.

Next time on ROH TV: Holiday Gauntlet worth $10,000.

[Commercial Break]

Final Battle plug: More of the excellent sit-down interview with Daizee Haze and Sara Del Rey hyping their tag match at Final Battle. Del Rey said she plans to prove at FB that she's the best and no one comes close. Haze is looking to prove she can beat Del Rey under any circumstance.

1 -- DAIZEE HAZE vs. TAELER HENDRIX

This was taped several weeks ago, so the announcers talked as if Haze and Del Rey have not selected their tag partners for Final Battle. Del Rey will have Serena and Haze will have Awesome Kong. The SHIMMER showcase match started off with some back-and-forth and two counts. They traded standing chops and kick strikes before Haze floored Hendrix and applied a Muta Lock. Hendrix grabbed the bottom rope for a break. They returned to their feet and Haze executed a German Suplex with a bridge for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Haze in 4:00. A bit clunky at the end, but the job was accomplished enhancing Haze heading into Final Battle.

Final Battle plug: Briscoes & Papa Briscoe vs. Kings of Wrestling & Shane Hagadorn. Backstage, the Briscoes were given mic time to hype the match. Jay handled the talking and said this is about blood and family. He said Papa whipped them to make them a better man. Mark chimed in that Papa is going to show Hagadorn how to be a man. Jay said the Kings obviously didn't receive a good ass-whipping growing up, so Papa is going to show them too. Papa vowed to do a number on Hagadorn. That was amazing. Great tone selling the intensity of the feud heading into the PPV.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Kevin Steen and Steve Corino were in the ring as Steen paced around selling the "demons within himself." Kory Chavis was out as Steen's opponent tonight. This is where Steen needed a squash match opponent before facing El Generico at the PPV.

2 -- KEVIN STEEN (w/Steve Corino) vs. KORY CHAVIS

Steen jumped Chavis from behind to start things off, but Chavis came back with a textbook dropkick. Steen then returned fire with an elbow to the back of the head. He found a ringside camera and talked trash toward Generico. Steen landed more offense, then directed more comments toward Generico. Steen then grabbed Generico's mask and fired off a big loogie. He tried to put the mask on Chavis, who turned back Steen and landed successive offense for a nearfall. Steen then took a sit-out powerbomb for another nearfall. Steen then countered a whip to the ropes and landed a fireman's carry suplex. Steen screamed, then hit the Package Piledriver for the pin and the win. The announcers noted the stipulation at the PPV where they will see Generico's face or Steen will be gone from ROH.

WINNER: Steen in 4:00. A squash match would have better accomplished the goal of getting over Steen's story heading into the match against Generico. This was fine.

Video package: Kevin Steen vs. El Generico. They rolled black-and-white "silent movie" style footage going back to Final Battle 2009 when Steen turned on Generico. Steen's recent promo explaining why he turned on Generico provided the narration for the footage. Very unique, memorable video piece advancing the feud to Saturday.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: New music hit to bring out Austin Aries, who slowly made his way to the ring for the TV main event. It's so odd seeing Aries in ROH several weeks removed from leaving the company and being presented as a secondary act when he was ROH World champion this time last year. ROH champ Roderick Strong came out to face Aries as Prazak noted it's a "turn back the clock" type match going back to Generation Next.

3 -- ROH World champion RODERICK STRONG (w/Truth Martini) vs. AUSTIN ARIES -- non-title match

A nice, competitive, back-and-forth beginning with the men trading trademark offense. Martini interjected himself into the match by grabbing Aries's foot, so Aries stole the Book of Truth and shoved it in Martini's face to knock him off the ring apron. Strong then leg-whipped Aries to take control of the match. Strong taunted the audience, drawing shouts from kids in the crowd. Aries then scored a roll-up for a two count. They came to their feet and traded blows stunning both men. Strong then back-dropped Aries to the apron, but Aries came back with a trademark twisting body press for a two count.

Aries followed with a corner dropkick for a nearfall, but Strong returned fire with a combination of kicks for a nearfall. Strong, who was targeting Aries's back throughout the match, landed a backbreaker across the top turnbuckle. Strong tried to follow with a Boston Crab, but Aries countered into an inside cradle for a nearfall. Strong immediately popped up and hit a fallaway gutbuster for a two count. They returned to their feet and traded forearm strikes.

Aries hit a brainbuster center ring for another two count. Aries tried to finish off the champ with a 450 Splash, but Strong grabbed the bottom rope in-between two and three to break the pin count. Both men sold exhaustion and they started trading close nearfalls. Strong then showed he was in superior condition taking control of the match. Strong executed a sick flip-over suplex into a fallaway backbreaker across his knees. That was all one fluid motion. The champ followed with a big kick strike to the face for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Strong in 16:00. Excellent main event. Strong looked like a threat at the end, but the idea was to make Strong seem vulnerable as champion to get fans to pay money to see a potential title change. (***1/2)

Final Battle: The show ended with a final six-minute video package plugging the triple main event for Final Battle.

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