ROH TV Report
September 20, 2014
Taped 8/22 in Milwaukee, Wis.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch contributor

The show opened with some backstage comments from Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian. Daniels did all the talking, and used several veiled drug references. He talked about him and Kazarian following the territories and then the international scene to the point they “got addicted to it.” Then, they started “doing it” themselves. Eventually, then they found Ring of Honor, “where the pure stuff was.” It wasn’t just “a rush” for them, but for the fans as well. Daniels said the fans need to see them against the best ROH has to offer to “get that rush.” They promised to turn the fans into addicts because they are The Addiction.

The ROH TV opening aired.

Tonight: The Kingdom faces the Addiction in tag team action! (Oh yeah, and an ROH World Title match…)

1 - THE KINGDOM (Adam Cole & Michael Bennett w/Maria Kanellis) vs. THE ADDICTION (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)

Caprice Coleman joined Kevin Kelly on commentary. The Addiction did their usual strutting routine, as the fans littered the ring with streamers. Both teams adhered to the Code of Honor, and then Daniels and Cole started the match. They went into a mat wrestling sequence for the first minute or so, until there was a clean break in the corner. Daniels and Cole locked up again, but this time Cole delivered several kicks to his opponent in the corner. Cole threw Daniels to the ropes and knocked him to the mat for a quick near fall. Kelly talked about the Kingdom’s recent success in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Daniels came back with a slam, and then he and Kazarian took turns punching Cole in the face. Kaz formally tagged in, and then they double-teamed Cole. Bennett ran in, but was double-teamed and then thrown onto Cole on the outside! Daniels and Kaz then dove onto their opponents at ringside, despite an attempted getaway from Cole. Back in the ring, Daniels hit a moonsault on Bennett for a two count, as the show went to its first commercial break at 4:20 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:30, Daniels was still in control of Bennett, as he delivered a charging forearm smash in the corner. Somehow, Cole was able to blindly tag himself into the ring. Maria got involved in the momentary confusion, and Cole was able to sneak a nearfall on Daniels. Bennett tagged in and the Kingdom double-teamed Daniels, as the fans chanted “Fallen Angel.” Bennett controlled Daniels for a minute and hit a nice dropkick, but couldn’t put his opponent away.

Cole tagged back in and applied a chin lock. The crowd got behind Daniels, and “The Fallen Angel” began to elbow his way out of the hold. Cole took him back into his corner, but Daniels furiously threw fists at both men, and then hit an STO on Cole! Daniels struggled to make the hot tag, but was cut off by a fresh Michael Bennett. Kaz wouldn’t have been there anyway, as Maria yanked the legs out from under Kaz on the apron. Bennett went for a tombstone on Daniels, but Christopher rolled through and finally made the tag to Kaz!

Kaz came in delivered a springboard elbow to Bennett, and then a bulldog to Cole into the turnbuckles. He followed up with a weak-looking shoulder tackle to Bennett, but could only get two. Kaz continued to dominate both members of the Kingdom. Daniels came in to help with his holding-hands footstomp on Bennett, but Kaz could only get a nearfall on him. The Kingdom came back, however, when Cole hit Kaz with a superkick for a two count of his own!

All four men began to brawl in the center. The fast-paced exchange concluded with Kaz clotheslining Cole over the top rope. Maria tried to get involved on the apron, but both Addiction members pushed the top rope toward her, causing Maria to land directly onto Cole on the outside! The Addiction hit an awesome combo, where Kaz flipped Bennett over his back and directly into a double knee gut buster from Daniels to score the victory!

WINNERS: The Addiction via pinfall at 13:25.

ANALYSIS: We finally got to see the Addiction cut a pre-match promo and it didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t perfect, but they at least established a purpose for being in ROH - took hook the fans on their pure supply of wrestling action. It really helped to have a clear face-heel dynamic. The match itself was very smooth and fast-paced. Despite their age, The Addiction can certainly hang with their younger counterparts. (***)

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Silas Young cut a promo hyping tonight’s main event. He said that every athlete has an expiration date, and Michael Elgin’s would be tonight.

Steve Corino replaced Caprice Coleman on commentary for the main event. Silas Young received a big pop from the crowd, as Milwaukee is his hometown. Elgin received quite a few boos, which Corino referred to as “bizarro world.” Silas grabbed the mic and told the champ that he hoped he spent every last minute with the title because when he accepted the “Last Real Man’s” challenge, he started a countdown clock to the end of his title reign. Silas turned on the crowd and compared Elgin’s mediocre lifestyle to the average people in the arena. Kelly read a disclaimer that Young’s comments were not those of ROH or Sinclair Broadcasting. Corino said he was personally 50/50 regarding Silas’s point of view.

2 - Then-ROH World champion MICHAEL ELGIN vs. SILAS YOUNG - ROH World Title match

Both men surprisingly shook hands before the match, but Silas immediately kicked Elgin in the gut. The bell rang and Silas attacked Elgin in the corner. Elgin fought back and slammed Silas in the center, and then threw him out of the ring. Elgin threw Young into a few different sections of the hockey boards at ringside and then went for a piledriver on the ramp, but Silas reversed into a back body drop! The show went to a break at the 1:25 point in the match.

[Commercial Break]

(During the break, Caprice Coleman cut a backstage promo on Jay Lethal and Truth Martini. Next week on ROH TV, Coleman will challenge Lethal for the TV title!)

Back at 3:35, Silas was pounding on Elgin in a corner. Young followed up with a chop, but was unable to throw Elgin at the ropes. Instead, Elgin grabbed Young and hoisted him up for a delayed vertical suplex, and the fans counted to 40 before Elgin slammed Young to the mat! Elgin went for a cover, but could only get two. Elgin went for a deadlift superplex, but Silas took out his opponent’s legs from under him. Young went on the attack with some elbows, but could only get a nearfall.

Young went for a suplex, but Elgin battled out and threw Silas to the outside. Elgin then went for a dive, but Silas ran back in and cut him off. They jockeyed for position, until Silas threw Elgin shoulder-first into the ringpost. Silas was in firm control, as he taunted the crowd. Elgin battled back with some fists, but Silas cut him off with a sleeperhold! Elgin eventually fought out by backing Silas into the corner. Elgin followed up with springboard splash and an enziguri. Elgin then hit a codebreaker from the second rope, but he couldn’t put Young away. The show cut away to another commercial at 9:35.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 12:00, a dueling chant rang out from the crowd, as both men struggled on the top turnbuckle. Elgin went for another superplex, but Silas wriggled free and yanked Elgin to the mat. Silas hit a TKO, but could only get a two count. Kelly hyped that the winner of this match would defend the title against Tommaso Ciampa at night two of Death Before Dishonor weekend (oh boy…). Elgin fought back and hit a big over-the-shoulder facebuster, but still couldn’t put the challenger away.

Elgin nailed Young with some forearms. Silas ran the ropes, but Elgin cut him off. Young hit some clotheslines, and finally knocked Elgin off his feet after the third one, but Silas could only get a two count. Young positioned Elgin on the top rope and went for a superplex of his own, but Elgin fought his way out of it with fists. Elgin then picked up Silas over his shoulders and hit a brainbuster from the top rope! Young again kicked out, as the show went to yet another commercial at the 16:50 mark of the match!

[Commercial Break]

Back at 18:50, Elgin was in form control. He nailed Silas with a stiff lariat, but Silas somehow reversed into an ugly-looking Pee Gee Waja Plunge, but could only get a two count. A frustrated Silas went to the outside and grabbed a table. He set it up on the outside and attempted to suplex Elgin onto it from the apron, but Elgin reversed with a superkick! Elgin then hit a somersault leg drop on Silas while he was still hanging in the ropes! Elgin went to dive on Silas, but Young picked up the table and launched it directly toward the charging Elgin!

Both men were exhausted, but they got up and battled on the apron. Silas charged at Elgin, but Elgin grabbed him and delivered a overhead belly-to-belly suplex over the top rope and through the table on the outside! The fans chanted “ROH,” as Elgin attempted to throw Young back into the ring. He did so, but Silas rolled Elgin up out of nowhere for two. Silas went for the Pee Gee Waja Plunge again, but this time Elgin cut him off with a back-fist. Elgin followed up with a a Buckle Bomb, and then his revolution Elgin Bomb for the victory!

WINNER: Michael Elgin via pinfall at 24:15 to retain the ROH World Title

ANALYSIS: This was your typical Michael Elgin main event match, complete with feats of strength, dueling sequences, and the big finish. I thought there was an overall lack of selling, but that is to be expected in 2014. The match built to a strong finish and the crowd was hot for it, which is what counts. The match as presented on TV is hard to judge with the three commercial breaks, but this match definitely hovered at the four-star level. (***3/4)

Elgin extended his hand to Silas, but Young walked away as the show faded to black.

FINAL REAX: Another solid hour of wrestling from Ring of Honor. I was happy to see the Addiction finally get some much-needed character development. I like the recent focus on the tag team division and how it is being portrayed as a top-tier attraction. You can really see how unexpected the ROH World Title switch at All-Star Extravaganza was, as it was teased that Michael Elgin would again be defending the title he lost on an upcoming episode of ROH TV, this time against Tommaso Ciampa.

While great wrestling matches are fun to watch, I truly believe there needs to be an overall story arc for a wrestling show to be worth tuning into each week. Why even bother watching these Michael Elgin title defenses when it’s well-known that the company is essentially being forced to move in a new direction? I personally feel the company would have been better off severely altering the rest of the Death Before Dishonor tapings, while mixing in updates and perhaps a match or two from the ASE iPPV. Then again, having a coherent TV has never been ROH’s strong suit.

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