ROH TV Report
July 5, 2014
Taped in New York, N.Y.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch VIP Member

The ROH TV opening aired.

The familiar setting of Hammerstein Ballroom was shown, while a voice-over from Kevin Kelly said that ROH is two weeks removed from Best in the World. “While we recuperate here at Ring of Honor, we’d like to take you back to another historic event… War of the Worlds!” Well, at least they’re being honest, I guess.

Tonight: Select matches from War of the Worlds, including the TV Title and Tag Title matches!

The shot to a backstage promo with Jay Lethal and Truth Martini. Lethal said that even though KUSHIDA couldn’t read the title belt, it said that Jay Lethal was ROH TV champ. Lethal was doing KUSHIDA a favor by putting the title on the line, and he expected an even bigger favor when they traveled to Japan in the future. Martini closed by saying that if war was what KUSHIDA wanted, then war was what he would get.

1 - ROH TV champion JAY LETHAL (w/Truth Martini) vs. KUSHIDA - ROH TV Title match

The live crowd was very much into KUSHIDA (and the rest of the NJPW talent, for that matter). Lethal slapped KUSHIDA’s hand in a very cocky manner to start. The locked up and then went into a very impressive “let’s feel each other out” sequence, which resulted in a stalemate. They locked up again and got tied in the ropes. The ref called for a clean break, but Lethal immediately started stomping KUSHIDA. Lethal dropkicked KUSHIDA, but the Japanese star came right back with a dropkick of his own. Lethal rolled out of the ring and KUSHIDA went for a dive, but Lethal casually walked out of the way.

KUSHIDA chased after Truth Martini at ringside. This opened him up for two consecutive dives from Lethal! Lethal went for the third, but flipped the Manhattan crowd off instead, and then delivered a baseball slide to KUSHIDA on the outside. He rolled KUSHIDA back in, and crotched him on the top rope. KUSHIDA fell backward and his leg became tied up in the ropes, which allowed Lethal to pose for Martini, who snapped a “truthie” photo from the outside. The show went to commercial at the 4:45 mark of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 7:15, KUSHIDA was in control. He went for a moonsault, but Lethal got the knees up! Lethal went for a cover, but could only get two. Lethal went for the Lethal Combination, but KUSHIDA reversed with an armdrag. Lethal then went for the Lethal Injection, but KUSHIDA cut him off with a baseball slide! KUSHIDA went to the top turnbuckle and then delivered a huge cannonball dive to Lethal on the outside! Lethal rolled back into the ring and was greeted by a dropkick from KUSHIDA. KUSHIDA hit a nice slam and then went for the cover, but Martini pulled referee Todd Sinclair out of the ring!

Martini was ejected, as KUSHIDA nailed Lethal with a German Suplex into a bridge, but he could only get a two count! Both men jockeyed for position in the ring, until Lethal came out on top with a Lethal Combination out of nowhere! Lethal went up top for his Hail to the King elbow, but KUSHIDA got up and cut him off. KUSHIDA hit a handspring into the corner, where he kicked Lethal in the head. KUSHIDA followed up with a huracanrana from the top rope, but could only get a nearfall!

They went into the “boo/yay” sequence where they exchanged punches and kicks. Lethal eventually came out on top with a superkick, immediately followed up with the Lethal Injection to score the pinfall victory!

WINNER: Jay Lethal via pinfall at 13:00 to retain the ROH Television Championship.

ANALYSIS: I was very high on this match from War of the Worlds. It was a great showcase of both men’s abilities, particularly Lethal’s understanding of how to work as a heel. This was also a good use of Martini, as he predictably interfered, but was eventually taken out of the equation. I definitely recommend this match over Lethal-Taven from Best in the World. (***1/4)

[Commercial Break]

2 - FOREVER HOOLIGANS (ALEX KOSLOV & ROCKY ROMERO) & TAKAAKI WATANABE vs. A.C.H. & MATT TAVEN & TOMMASO CIAMPA - six-man tag match

The Code of Honor was adhered to by all six men, and then the show immediately went to another break.

[Commercial Break. (During the break, Larry Mercer ran down the Best in the World card and encouraged viewers to contact their local cable/satellite providers to order the replay.)]

Back at the supposed 2:30 mark of the match, Koslov tagged in Rocky Romero to face off with Taven. Both men locked up. Romero hit a quick dropkick and then posed like Eddie Guerrero. (For all the hype, the NJPW stars sure love to steal old gestures from the Attitude Era.) Taven came off the top with a dropkick, but could only get a one count. Both men ran the ropes again, but this time Romero slapped Taven. Matt came right back with an enziguiri, but could only get a nearfall.

Taven tagged in A.C.H., who immediately jumped on the exposed arm of Romero. Romero tagged in Watanabe, who was then dropkicked out of the ring by A.C.H. The high flier then did the same to both members of Forever Hooligans. A.C.H. went for a dive, but was tripped by Watanabe on the outside. Things broker down with several wrestlers fighting on the outside.

Back in the ring, Watanabe was in control of A.C.H. There were some quick tags to the Hooligans, who continued to dominate A.C.H. Koslov grabbed his red fur hat and did his kicking routine and then finished up with a big stomp to the head of A.C.H. He tagged in Watanabe, who slammed A.C.H. and got a two count. Watanabe tagged in Romero, who then clotheslined A.C.H. several times in the corner. Romero went for one clothesline too many, however, as A.C.H. reversed the final one into a reverse STO into the middle turnbuckle! This allowed A.C.H. to make the hot tag to Ciampa!

Ciampa was a house of fire, as he set up both members of Forever Hooligans in separate corners. Ciampa followed up with running knee strikes to both men, until Koslov cut him off. He tagged Taven back in, but the NJPW contingent triple-teamed Taven. Watanabe delivered a big forearm blow and then a back suplex, but could only get a two count. A.C.H. and Ciampa came back in, but the Hooligans remained in control. Ciampa eventually hit a big kick, but was taken down from behind by Watanabe. A.C.H. reappeared with a big foot stomp from the top rope to Watanabe, followed up by one of his signature dives to the Hooligans on the outside! When the smoke cleared in the ring, Taven delivered his Dean Ambrose-like headlock driver to Watanabe and scored the pin!

WINNERS: Matt Taven, Tomasso Ciampa, and A.C.H. via pinfall at 10:48.

ANALYSIS: This was the hot opener from the PPV, and it definitely served its purpose of getting the crowd excited for the show. A.C.H. is just so impressive to watch and the NJPW stars ensured there would be non-stop action throughout. Taven went over, perhaps in an attempt to build him up for his TV title match at Best in the World, but we all know how that worked out. (**3/4)

[Commercial Break]

A video package aired, detailing the history between reDRagon and then-ROH tag champs, The Young Bucks.

3 - ROH tag champions YOUNG BUCKS (NICK & MATT JACKSON) vs. reDRagon (KYLE O’REILLY & BOBBY FISH w/Tom Lawlor) - ROH World Tag Team Title match

The Code of Honor was adhered to, although Matt Jackson crotch-chopped both O’Reilly and Fish after shaking their respective hands. Tom Lawlor went to leave the ring, but the Bucks kicked the second rope directly into the crotch of Lawlor! The bell rang, and then the Bucks threw Fish to the outside. The champs then double-teamed O’Reilly in the ring. Fish rolled back in to protect O’Reilly in the corner. Nick did a handspring backflip, only to rake the back of Fish!

The Bucks knocked reDRagon to the outside. Matt kicked both men through the ropes, setting up Nick for a beautiful spinning dive to Fish and O’Reilly on the outside! Matt went up for a dive, but was crotched by Lawlor! ReDRagon took control, as the show went to commercial at 1:25 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

The show returned at 3:25, and O’Reilly took control of the match after some shenanigans from Fish on the outside. O’Reilly hit a Regal-plex pinning combination on Matt, but could only get a nearfall. ReDRagon then double-teamed, but Matt was able to escape and tag his brother. Nick was stopped for a moment by Fish, but then delivered a kick to Fish from the apron, immediately followed by a tornado DDT to O’Reilly on the outside! Nick then hit a springboard X Factor to Fish back in the ring! Fish charged at Nick, but he ducked. On the outside, Fish speared Nick into the hockey boards, but was then speared by Matt. O’Reilly went for his running knee strike from the apron to Nick, who was leaning against the hockey boards, but Nick reversed with a huge superkick out of nowhere!

Back in the ring, Nick scored a nearfall on Fish. He then tagged in Matt, who delivered a Buckle Bomb to Fish, while Nick kicked him in the head from the outside. Fish briefly revered Matt into an ankle lock but Matt rolled him up for a nearfall. Matt hit a superkick on Fish, and then did a spot where they had O’Reilly hold Fish in the Tombstone position, and then kicked O’Reilly’s legs, causing him to Tombstone Fish! The Bucks were shocked when they could only score a nearfall.

The Bucks went for a double superkick, but O’Reilly jumped in the way. He slapped one of the Bucks, and then hit a dragon screw legwhip that somehow flipped both men to the canvas! He immediately followed up with his running knee strike to Nick Jackson from the apron to the outside! Back in the ring, Matt was climbing up top, but Fish climbed up and reversed into a Falcon Arrow from the top! He could only score a nearfall, though. He tagged O’Reilly back in. They went for Chasing the Dragon, but Nick came back in an spin-kicked Fish. Matt superkicked O’Reilly and then set him up for another Buckle Bomb, but Fish cut them off from the outside! This allowed O’Reilly to apply the guillotine choke on Matt, until Nick came out of nowhere with a 450 splash from the top onto O’Reilly!

Matt hoisted up O’Reilly for More Bank for Your Buck, but O’Reilly caught him and applied a triangle choke! It was broken up, but O’Reilly immediately delivered several kicks and then a brainbuster to Matt, but could only get two! Fish came back in and hit Chasing the Dragon with O’Reilly, but Matt kicked out! O’Reilly immediately applied a cross armbreaker to Matt. Nick tried to to run in, but was stopped by Fish. With no other choice, Matt tapped out to end the match!

WINNERS: reDRagon via submission in 12:15 to regain the ROH World Tag Team Titles.

ANALYSIS: Absolutely stellar match between these two world-class teams. The Young Bucks and reDRagon have an amazing chemistry and it was on full display during this match. My only critique is that the match featured two heel teams who were working like babyfaces. The crowd loved it, though, so what do I know? (****1/2)

FINAL REAX: Where do I begin? First, I just want to say that I thought this was a great way to condense War of the Worlds into an incredible hour of programming. They chose three great matches to feature, including the match of the night. Considering that ROH has not run any shows since Best in the World, this show seemed the be a great way to whet the appetite of fans, perhaps inspiring them to order the BITW replay if they missed the live PPV. I only wish there weren’t so many mixed messages. While Kevin Kelly promoted the VOD replays of Global Wars and War of the Worlds during the matches, Larry Mercer hyped the BITW replay during the commercial breaks. ROH really needed to decide which show they were hyping here.

Also, what about the hardcore ROH fans who have already seen all three PPVs? On one hand, ROH is giving hardcore fans a few weeks off to build up excitement for the second half of 2014. This is actually pretty refreshing in the non-stop, every-single-week programming model that pro wrestling offers. But, ROH shouldn’t “recuperate” for too long, as viewing habits can easily be broken in such a timeframe. With possibly two more weeks of recap shows already in the can, ROH should take this time to re-examine their TV product going forward.

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