ROH TV Results
April 19, 2014
Taped 4/5 in New Orleans, La.
Report by Mike Metzger, PWTorch VIP member

The ROH TV opening aired.

Tonight: More highlights from Supercard of Honor VIII, taped during WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana!

1 - CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. RODERICK STRONG (w/Jimmy Jacobs, B.J. Whitmer, and Adam Page)

The storyline here is that Strong, Jacobs, and Whitmer are hazing the “freshman” Adam Page. The Code of Honor was not adhered to before the match began. Despite being a “grudge match,” they started with some basic chain wrestling for the first minute. After a brief stalemate, Cedric nailed Strong with a beautiful dropkick. Alexander followed up with some chops. Cedric then charged at Strong in the corner, but Roderick kicked him in the knee as he approached him.

Strong took control with several chops of his own. Cedric tried to reverse the momentum by going up to the second rope, but Strong pulled his legs out from under him, sending Alexander crashing to the mat. ROH went to commercial at 3:20 of the contest.

[Commercial Break]

The show returned at 5:50, as both men were on the mat. The feed from my local CW affiliate then dropped for about 30 seconds. When it returned, Strong charged at Cedric in the corner with a knee. He went for a backbreaker, but Cedric reversed into a crucifix pinning combination! Cedric could only get a two count, however. Strong followed right back up with a backbreaker. Cedric fought back and exchanged chops with Strong. Roderick nailed Cedric with a knee to the face and then hit a double knee gutbuster, but could only get a nearfall.

They jockeyed for position, as the crowd chanted, “This is awesome!” Cedric dropkicked Strong in the corner. Page tried to interfere, but got nailed. Cedric then hit his finisher on Strong, but Jacobs got up on the apron. “The Zombie Princess” received a 540 spinkick for his troubles! Cedric followed up by diving onto members of The Decade on the outside! Cedric tried to follow up with a top rope move, but was dropkicked by Strong as he came off the ropes! Roderick then hit his End of Heartache backbreaker and scored the pin.

WINNER: Roderick Strong via pinfall at 9:45. (**1/2)

ANALYSIS: Good match between these two. I didn't think it was as "awesome" as the crowd did, but it was solid nonetheless. Perhaps some of the more "awesome" parts were edited out, or maybe the WrestleMania crowd was just easy to please. Either way, I think this is a great way for Cedric to establish his singles career. It gives him some great opponents to work with and a back-story people can get behind.

After the match, Jimmy Jacobs took the microphone and compared the ungrateful Cedric Alexander to their respectful “young boy” Adam Page. Cedric ran toward the ring, causing Jacobs to literally shriek like a girl. Realizing he was outnumbered, Cedric thought better of it and went back to the locker room. Jacobs then called out Adrenaline Rush and Andrew Everett for the next match.

2 - THE DECADE (Jimmy Jacobs & B.J. Whitmer & Adam Page) vs. ADRENALINE RUSH (A.C.H. & Tadarius Thomas) & ANDREW EVERETT - six-man turmoil match

A “turmoil” match is essentially Lucha rules, where someone can enter the ring whenever his partner falls to the floor, with no tag required. The match was joined in progress. A.C.H. and Whitmer started off. A.C.H. dropkicked Whitmer a few times, but they had no effect on Whitmer. A.C.H. responded to this by dropkicking Whitmer in the knee. B.J. rolled to the outside, allowing Jacobs to come in. He knocked A.C.H. out, bringing in Thomas. Tadarius hit some capoeira offense on Jacobs and knocked him to, you guessed it, the outside! Page came in and dropkicked Thomas to the floor. Page then came in and received a huracanrana from Everett. This was all in the first 1:30 of the match!

Jacobs and Thomas were in the ring next. Jacobs whipped Thomas into the corner, but Thomas was able to dive off the ropes and onto the rest of The Decade members on the floor. On the outside, Whitmer hoisted A.C.H. on his shoulders. Jacobs then dove to the outside and hit a Doomsday Device onto A.C.H., who then fell onto everyone else. “This is awesome” chant from the crowd. Jacobs and Whitmer double-teamed A.C.H. in the ring. Jacobs then raked the eyes of ACH and slammed him. He tagged in Page, but Whitmer came in as well. All three Decade members parachuted A.C.H. up and then down onto the mat, but Page could only get a two count on A.C.H.

Page then applied a chinlock to A.C.H., but he reversed it into a jawbreaker. A.C.H. charged at Page, but was nailed with a spinkick. Page then took A.C.H. into his corner and chopped him. Whitmer was tagged in. A.C.H. tried to fight back with some blows, but Whitmer just overpowered him with a kick to the midsection. Whitmer taunted his opponent. A.C.H. responded by knocking Whitmer out of the ring and then diving onto him!

Thomas and Jacobs both ran in. Thomas hit a capoeira kick and then suplexed Jacobs on his head and out of the ring. This brought in Page. Everett came in and jumped on the ropes, but slipped. The fans were quick to point out Everett’s botch. He eventually hit his backflip onto Page. This brought in Whitmer. Everett delivered a spinkick on Whitmer and then did a crazy inverted flip dive onto the Decade on the outside. Everett did not stop, as he then hit the same dive on Whitmer inside the ring! He could only get two, however. After some brawling on the outside, Whitmer and Jacobs nailed Thomas with the All Seeing Eye and scored the pin.

WINNER: The Decade via pinfall at 8:10 (***1/2).

ANALYSIS: Total spotfest, but this was sure fun to watch. I could see this type of match wearing out its welcome after a while, but as a novelty, it was fine.

After the match, Jacobs grabbed a spike from his boot. He looked like he was about to stab Thomas with it, but stopped just short and put it back in his boot. Those dastardly heels!

[Commercial Break]

A video package aired, chronicling the year-long storyline of Jay Briscoe winning the ROH title, being stripped of the championship due to “injury,” and then Adam Cole winning the vacant title last September. The package then recapped the six-month feud between Cole and Briscoe.

Still shots of the match then aired. Kevin Kelly said that they intended to replay the match on ROH TV, but it turned out to be so violent that they were not allowed to broadcast it. Kelly said that the only place to see the match was at ROHwrestling.com.

3 - KEVIN STEEN vs. MICHAEL ELGIN - winner gets a future shot at the IWGP World Hvt. Title

Both men shook hands, but then immediately traded blows when the bell rang. Steen got the early advantage and hit his running cannonball on Elgin in the corner, but could only get a nearfall. Both men then brawled on the outside. Steen threw Elgin into the hockey boards and then slapped hands with the fans. He held up a blow-up yellow kangaroo, as the show went to commercial at 0:55.

[Commercial Break]

The show returned at 3:25, and Elgin was now in control of Steen on the outside. He held Steen in the air for about fifteen seconds and then suplexed him on the floor! Elgin rolled up back in, but could only get a two count. Elgin continued to dominate, striking Steen with several forearms and then a dropkick. Steen tried to fight back with some chops, but Elgin held him at bay with a stomp. Steen was able to get Elgin tied up in the ropes and then followed up with a running boot.

Steen was now in control. He hit a scoop slam and then a standing senton, but could only get two. Steen charged at Elgin in the corner several times. He tried once more, but was greeted with an enziguiri from Elgin. Elgin followed up with a huge German suplex. Both men went for a clothesline, but neither would budge. Each competitor then tried to apply a submission hold, but to no avail. Elgin broke the stalemate with a Black Hole Slam out of nowhere! He went for the cover, but could only get a two count.

Elgin went up top and attempted a twisting senton splash, but missed. Both men jockeyed for position, with Steen eventually nailing a Death Valley Driver over his knee. Steen got a nearfall, as the crowd chanted “this is wrestling.” Steen went for another cannonball in the corner, but Elgin caught him, lifted him up and then powerbombed him to the mat! Steen immediately fought back and nailed the F-Cinq! Steen could only get a two count, though, as the show went to commercial at 10:10 of the contest.

[Commercial Break]

The match resumed at 12:10, and Elgin was in control. He lifted Steen up for a Buckle Bomb, but Steen wriggled free. They battled back-and-forth for a few moments, with Steen eventually coming out on top with the Package Piledriver! Steen went to the top rope and went for a senton, but Elgin got his knees up! Both men were exhausted. Steen charged at Elgin, but was taken down. Elgin went for another Buckle Bomb, and this time he nailed it! He immediately followed up with a sit-out powerbomb, but could only get a nearfall!

Elgin positioned Steen on the top rope for a superplex, but Steen reversed it into a neckbreaker! The fans chanted “this is awesome,” as Steen called for his finisher. He went for another Package Piledriver, but Elgin reversed it into three consecutive powerbombs! Elgin delivered another Buckle Bomb, but Steen somehow reversed it into a sleeper suplex! Elgin remained in control, however, with another Buckle Bomb and then a Package Piledriver of his own for the victory!

WINNER: Michael Elgin via pinfall at 18:05 (****)

ANALYSIS: Great match between these two. Hard to truly judge with the commercials, but this was definitely in four-star territory. Elgin winning makes sense with news of Steen trying out with WWE.

After the match, the fans chanted “that was wrestling.” Both men shook hands, as the show faded to black.

FINAL REAX: Good show. I'd definitely recommend seeking it out if you are looking for a solid wrestling show from start to finish. I'm not sure if I understand why they gave away more matches from their $15 VOD show, rather than just transition to the TV episodes they taped on Day 2 of their WrestleMania weekend tapings. It really is a moot point, though, as ROH is transitioning to real PPV in June.

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