By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S ROH TV REPORT
OCTOBER 10, 2011
TAPED IN CHICAGO RIDGE, ILL. AT FRONTIER FIELDHOUSE
AIRED IN SYNDICATION - SINCLAIR MEDIA

[Q1]

-The show opened with a highlight package on last week's TV Title main event. Then the ROH opening aired.

-Jim Cornette - billed by announcer Kevin Kelly as executive producer of ROH - introduced The Briscoe Brothers for an interview. After some verbal sparring, Cornette booked them for a tag team no. 1 contender's match next week against The All-Night Express. The Briscoes wanted a title shot, not a no. 1 contender's match, and when their body language suggested they were upset, Cornette went back to the 1990s and said, "Did it look like I stuttered." What does that even mean? The Briscoes said when they're done, ROH officials will haven choice but to give them a title shot.

(WK Reax: The mic was echoey and distracting, and there was even some other voice like that of a director in the background at one point. The Briscoes give off a sense of authenticity as badasses that stands out.

-A "localized promo" aired with Kelly interviewing Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin talking generically about coming "to a town near you" soon.

(WK Reax: This show is feeling very 1985 and I think it might make a big enough difference to a lot of potential newer viewers to limit ROH's growth, but apparently the next TV taping improves on this. There's something charming about the organic throwback format for long-time fans, but they need to be really strong in other areas to make up for the production values and retro formatting for those who won't watch a show with these "public access cable show" production values.) [c]

-They went to the "ROH Focus On" segment on "The Dominant Male" Tomasso Ciampa, billed as the one undefeated wrestler on the roster. Cornette said he's driven, obsessive, and even spooky in the way he approaches his opponents. He talked in the third person in a way where the average viewer wouldn't have known it wasn't someone else talking about him until he broke into "I" pronouns. Prince Nana, his manager, bragged up his latest find. He said all he sees with him i gol and riches. He said other wrestlers have kids, worry, hardships, bills, whereas he has none of those. [c]

[Q2]

1 -- "THE ULTIMATE MALE" TOMASSO CIAMPA vs. ANDY "RIGHT LEG" RIDGE

Ridge's nickname comes from his "devastating kicks" that are part of his offense. Steve Corino joined Kelly at ringside. Ciampa refused a pre-match handshake. They fought on the ring apron early with a barrage of kicks and chops and punches. The "Tweet of the Week" was "You should watch ROH because you've been deprived of real wrestling for far too long." Tomasso went on a flurry of dominant offense including several running knees to Ridge's head in the corner followed by Project Shamba, a dropdown backbreaker onto his knees. Solid TV match.

WINNER: Tomasso in 6:00.

-Kelly finally got around to plugging the main event for the ROH World Title, saying it was up next.

(WK Reax: I can't believe they got 23 minutes into the show before getting around to mentioning that the ROH World Title would be defended in the TV main event. How does that happen?)

-Nigel McGuinness asked a fan at ringside to pick the winner of the World Title match, and instead he said, "Bring back Kevin Steen! Bring back Kevin Steen! Bring back Kevin Steen!" McGuinness said, "You give someone a chance to be on TV and they act like a wanker."

-They arid a video package previewing the World Title match with soundbites from Roderick Strong bragging about how he was such a stud in school he was the center of attention, people couldn't wait to do favors for him, "especially the girls." He said being ROH World Champion pays better than high school football "and the women are a lot prettier." He said beating Davey Richards and making his life miserable "would be better than sex… even sex with me." Richards talked humbly about being raised by his grandparents. He said they didn't watch baseball or football, but rather watched wrestling. He said his grandfather, who was battling cancer, lit up when he'd see him wrestle. He said he got a call that his grandfather was dying, and he made it home in time to thank him for making him the man he is. He said he was in Japan when he got the call that his grandmother died. He said people don't understand what it means to him, but he'd love to see his grandparents again to tell them how important they were to him, and show them that he is ROH World Champion.

[Q3]

-Ring intros took place for the main event. Kelly said there aren't two more different people than Strong and Richards. Martini is billed as Strong's "life intervention coach."

[c]

2 -- DAVEY RICHARDS vs. RODERICK STRONG (w/Truth Martini) -- ROH World Hvt. Championship

The "Tale of the Tape" listed them both at 28 year old and similar in height. They had a pre-match stare down. Kelly asked McGuinness if he's ever known two wrestlers who hate each other as much as these two. Kelly talked about how Richards went into an MMA-style "training camp" with other wrestlers to prepare for his title match against Eddie Edwards where he did win the ROH World Title. He said Strong was in Japan when that match took place.

At 4:00, after some good in-ring exchanges, they fought at ringside. Kelly noted that it was good to see ROH founder and pioneer Cary Silken at ringside. The cut to a break at 8:00.

[Q8] [c]

They showed during the break Strong disrespecting Richards with some slaps. Richards made a comeback at 11:00. He gave Strong a running kick to the face on the ring apron, then gave him a running spear through the ropes. Martini went to check on Strong right afterward. Strong came back and gave Richards a slam on the edge of the ring apron as he dropped to the floor, then scored a near fall back inside the ring at 15:00. Richards fired back with hard lariat to stop a rapid-fire back-and-forth sequence. The crowd chanted "ROH! ROH!" Kelly brought up that they are dangerously low on TV time and hoped they'd get the finish in before they went off the air, but if not they'd provide the finish on next week's show. That again sounds so primitive in an Internet era. The crowd chanted "This is awesome!" Richards applied anklelock at 19:00. Strong escaped and hit a flying knee, but Strong countered right into an anklelock. Martini distracted the ref as Strong tapped out. Richards chased after Martini. When he went back in the ring, Martini followed. Richards backed him into the corner and then whipped him across the ring and over the top rope to the floor. Strong caught Richards with a running boot to the face and then a Boston Crab. Richards escaped and countered into a third anklelock, but Strong escaped right away. Richards kicked him. Strong stood up and spit at Richards. Richards nailed Strong with a spin wheel kick and scored a two count, then applied a fourth anklelock. Strong tapped out quickly.

WINNER: Richards in 22:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/2

-Seconds after the tapout, Kelly said they were out of time but there would be a "double main event next week."

FINAL THOUGHTS: If they're going to draw attention to the idea that the show could end before the match ended, don't then have the match end just before going off the air. It feels overly contrived because it's such a coincidence. Also, tune in next week for a "double main event." That's it? This show needs to sell viewers on tuning in next week by selling us a match and building anticipation a week ahead of time. That's disappointing. Easily, though, the main event was the best match so far in ROH's three weeks in semi-national syndication. A little more post-match celebration and reaction from the wrestlers and announcers would have been a nice touch.

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