Ring of Honor TV Report
December 15, 2012
Taped in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor


This week's syndicated ROH TV episode opened with Kevin Kelly and color commentator Caleb Seltzer opening the show. Kelly noted that he is getting a new commentator at Final Battle on Sunday.

1 -- DAVEY RICHARDS vs. VINNY MARSEGLIA

The story played up during the match was whether Eddie Edwards will join Richards in re-forming the American Wolves for tag action at Final Battle. A minute into the match, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish walked out on-stage to take a look at Richards. After Vinny scored with early offense, Richards came back with a dominating attack before finishing him off with a kick to the head. After the match, Richards glared toward O'Reilly and Fish on-stage.

WINNER: Richards at 4:10.

Locker Room: S.C.U.M. offered final words ahead of Final Battle. Actually, ROH tag champs Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs did all the talking while Kevin Steen sat quietly in his chair, not reacting to having to face El Generico at Final Battle.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Kevin Kelly did a strong introduction for a "wounded warrior," making it seem like a U.S. military representative was coming out. Instead, Mike Mondo came out to discuss his injuries. After ROH replayed Mondo fracturing his ankle, Mondo limped out on crutches. In the ring, Mondo did the wipe-your-face-to-sell-emotion routine before giving a speech that his dream is to perform in the ring. He then referenced "working elsewhere," where they (WWE) made him wear a green suit. Mondo screamed that was not the pinnacle of his career and he wanted to burn the suit from Day One. Mondo continued the ra-ra speech for ROH that he is here to compete with the best. Mondo made a promise that when his cast comes off, he is going to rehab, train, be more jacked and tan, have shoulders like folders, and be the best ROH has ever seen past, present, or future. He vowed to make the company Ring of Mondo.

For the interruption, Roderick Strong walked out selling mock emotion over the speech. In the ring, Strong mockingly said he cried watching in the back. Strong said no one really cares about Mondo, and this TV time should be spent on him. Strong said ROH doesn't need a guy to pump the people up...kind of like a cheerleader. Strong laughed, then called Mondo a weak little man. Edwards tripped Mondo, then looked to the back. No help, so Strong continued that he has finally left the House of Truth. Strong continued that at Final Battle, he will break the unbreakable.

This brought out Michael Elgin to make the save. Elgin asked Strong if he's really going to break the unbreakable, then Truth Martini walked out to stand between them. Elgin vowed to break Strong, who answered that he has carried Elgin for too long. Truth continued to try to hold back Elgin, then Elgin turned his back, allowing Strong to pop him from behind with Mondo's crutch. Strong quickly bailed from the ring, leaving Elgin to seethe in the ring.

[Commercial Break]

In a studio update, Kevin Kelly told Jay Lethal's story about being squeezed out of the ROH World Title scene. Lethal, who faces Rhino at Final Battle, has also vowed to fight the ROH champ, no matter whether it is Steen or El Generico, at the iPPV.

Hype videos for the undercard matches at Final Battle followed.

[Commercial Break]

Backstage: Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander were interviewed by Veda Scott about wrestling for the Tag Titles at Final Battle.

In-ring: ROH tag champion Steve Corino made his way out to the ring dressed in a suit. The announcers questioned Corino's attire for a Street Fight, then Jay Briscoe was introduced for the TV main event.

2 -- JAY BRISCOE vs. ROH tag champion STEVE CORINO -- Steel City Street Fight

After the bell sounded, Corino slowly removed his jacket and tie before Jay charged him to begin the fight. Jay took the fight to the outside, where Jay used a secondary tie against Corino. But, Corino reversed momentum and Jay ate a chair held up by a ringside fan. Moments later, Jay regained control, set up a table, and double-stomped Corino through the table.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Jimmy Jacobs showed up with a roll of quarters to KO Briscoe, but Briscoe kicked out of a pin attempt. Jacobs then entered the ring to taunt Jay, which brought out Mark Briscoe to chase off Jacobs. Back in the ring, Jay dismantled Corino as Mark disappeared to the back. Mark then returned with a stack full of chairs in a wheelbarrow, presumably straight from the Briscoe Farm. Mark chucked the chairs one-by-one into the ring as the crowd counted along. But, Corino turned the tables by bodyslamming Jay on a stack of Mark's chairs. Mark, not realizing the events in the ring, put Jimmy in his wheelbarrow and wheeled Jimmy away to the back.

So, it was back to Corino and Jay. Corino worked on Jay, primarily using chairs as his weapon of choice. Corino mixed in low blows to insult Jay before suplexing him into the seat of a chair for a nearfall. Jay made a comeback, then Mark re-emerged with a guardrail, but it was stuck in the silver ROH curtain. Mark eventually dislodged it, introduced it into the ring, and Jimmy low-blowed Mark from behind. In the ring, Corino suplexed Jay through a table after Corino used the distractions to his advantage.

Instead of going for a pin, Corino set up the guardrail on four chairs. Jacobs and Mark then got involved in the battle before Jay suplexed Corino off the top rope into the guardrail below. Meanwhile, security and officials stormed ringside to separate Mark and Jay. Then, Cedric & Alexander hit the ring to splash men on the outside while Jay pinned Corino inside the ring.

WINNER: Briscoe at 15:25. Way too much going on here. And, they gave away a ton before the PPV, not leaving viewers with much to anticipate on Sunday. Less is more.

Post-match: As chaos continued everywhere, ROH champ Kevin Steen simply walked out to the ring. Steen took control of the ring leading to commercial.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Back on the show, Steen was sitting down in a chair in the ring. Steen screamed at the fans to shut up and listen. Steen, clutching Generico's mask, said he will never forget the feeling when Generico forced him to leave ROH two years ago. So, he took over ROH when he returned. And, he also thought it was the end of their feud two years ago. But, he realizes they are destined to carry on this fight forever.

Steen continued that the ROH Title will hang above the ring on Sunday when they battle. Steen then left the ring to call out Kevin Kelly, asking him what he said in radio interviews two years ago promoting Final Battle. Kelly meekly answered Steen, who told him to speak louder. Kelly said he said then that he was very afraid of what they were capable of. Steen told him that he should be even more afraid this time around. Steen screamed in his face that this is Ladder Wars for the ROH Title.

Steen, now calm, re-entered the ring and said a lot of people are scared that the End of the World is coming on December 21. But, he's not scared. Steen said he's scared of waking up on December 17 with Generico as ROH World champ. Steen said that cannot and will not happen. He said he will leave New York City either as ROH champ or as a corpse. A bit over-dramatic like a Samoa Joe "I will kill you!" promo line, but the overall point of the promo was effective. To close the show, Steen dropped the mic and Kelly offered a final pitch for the PPV.

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