PWTorch.com - METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 12/14: Post-Final Battle episode features 2014 Tag Wars

Ring of Honor
METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 12/14: Post-Final Battle episode features 2014 Tag Wars - Briscoes, Bucks, Daniels & Kaz, more

Dec 15, 2014 - 9:58:00 PM

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ROH TV Report
December 14, 2014
Taped 11/22 in Baltimore, Md.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch contributor

The show opened with backstage comments from the Briscoes. Whether on purpose or not, Jay was not wearing the ROH World Title during the promo. It makes you wonder if they taped this segment believing Jay would drop the title to Adam Cole at Final Battle before changing their plans due to Cole's reported injury. Referencing tonight’s Tag Wars tournament, Jay called out Truth Martini and said he couldn’t buy his way to the ROH World Tag Team Championship. Mark promised that he and Jay would soon be the nine-time ROH tag champs.

The ROH TV opening aired.

Tonight: It’s Tag Wars 2014! Tonight’s show will feature three matches where the winning teams will qualify for a shot at reDRagon in a four-way match for the ROH Tag Team Titles.

1 - THE BRISCOES vs. ROH TV champion JAY LETHAL & J. DIESEL (w/Truth Martini) - Tag Wars 2014 qualifying match

Mark was the first to offer his hand for the Code of Honor. Lethal and Diesel tentatively shook hands with Mark and then Jay. Mark and Lethal started the match with some mat wrestling. Mark got an early advantage after a few shoulder blocks. Diesel tagged in at 2:10. Diesel appeared to be on the shorter side, but very muscular. He quickly turned the tide with a stiff clothesline to Mark. Jay Briscoe then tagged himself in and threw some fists. He followed up with a spinning forearm that sent Diesel to the outside, as the show went to its first break at the 3:30 point in the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 5:50, all four men were brawling in the ring. The Briscoes eventually isolated Diesel, with Jay Briscoe scoring a nearfall after a boot to the face. Diesel overpowered Jay Briscoe into his corner and tagged Lethal. The TV champ went for a dropkick, but missed because Jay Briscoe held onto the ropes! Jay Briscoe attempted to fight out of enemy territory, but Diesel yanked his leg from behind and then pulled him crotch-first into the ringpost!

Lethal and Diesel hit a double-suplex on Jay Briscoe, but Lethal could only score a two count. Lethal applied a chin lock. The fans cheered on Jay Briscoe, but he was unable to fight out of the hold. Instead, Lethal was able to lift his opponent and then crotch him on the top turnbuckle. Lethal went to take advantage, but Jay Briscoe fought back and reversed into a superplex! Both men were hurt on the mat, but each man was able to tag his partner!

Mark and Diesel squared off, and Mark took advantage with some Red Neck Kung Fu. Mark hit a Yuri Nagi on Diesel, but Lethal appeared out of nowhere and hit a superkick! Lethal went for a dive to the outside, but was cut off by Jay Briscoe. The Briscoes then double-teamed Lethal in the ring, but couldn’t put him away. They dropkicked Lethal to the outside. They then turned their attention to J. Diesel. Jay hit him with the Jay Driller and Mark immediately followed up with a Froggy Bow to put away Diesel!

WINNERS: The Briscoes via pinfall in 11:50 to qualify for the Tag Wars final.

ANALYSIS: I know WWE gets criticized for being strict about two wrestlers not having similar names, but here you had three guys called “Jay” in the same match! Kidding aside, this was a solid tag match. It made sense for the Briscoes to go over and for Diesel to take the fall. Diesel looked fine, but he has that short/muscular combination that probably makes him look shorter and stockier than he actually is. (**1/2)

[Commercial Break]

(During the break, there was a spot which encouraged viewers to order the replay of the Final Battle PPV. Very impressive, ROH!)

2 - THE DECADE (B.J. Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs) vs. THE ADDICTION (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) - Tag Wars 2014 qualifying match

The fans responded to The Addiction with plenty of streamers, but the former TNA duo was attacked by Jacobs and Whitmer before the bell. The beating went on for roughly 15 seconds, until Whitmer and Daniels were alone in the ring and the bell rang. Daniels fought back with a dropkick to Whitmer and then tagged in Kazarian. The Addiction hit a nice double-team move, but Kazarian couldn’t put Whitmer away. Whitmer fought Kaz back to his corner, which allowed him to tag Jacobs. Kazarian was able to reverse a whip from Jacobs, though, and then hit a modified side-Russian Legsweep!

Daniels tagged in and hit a delayed vertical suplex, which was good for a two count. Daniels tagged Kaz and they hit their springboard elbow drop/legdrop combination. Whitmer came in and was able to send the Addiction to the outside, and then he and Jacobs hit double dives onto their opponents! The show went to a break at the 3:45 mark of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:05, The Decade was still in control of the match, as they continued to double-team Kazarian. Whitmer chopped Kaz several times in the corner and then sent him face-first into Jacobs’s feet. Jacobs came in and then both pounded on Kazarian’s back. Jacobs applied a waist lock, while the fans rooted for the Addiction. Whitmer was tagged back in and they hit a power bomb/neckbreaker combination for another two count. Kazarian tried to fight out of enemy territory, but the heels continued to outnumber him. Jacobs came in and just pummeled Kaz with elbows and forearms on the mat. Whitmer tagged in and applied a chin lock.

After a short while, Kazarian was able to escape and he tagged Daniels! “The Fallen Angel” came in and dominated both of his opponents. He hit an STO on Whitmer, but Jacobs attacked from behind. Daniels kept fighting, however, and a miscommunication caused Jacobs to spear Whitmer! Eventually the numbers game caught up with Daniels, as Jacobs hit an Ace Crusher, followed by a suplex from Whitmer. Daniels was able to get away and tag Frankie.

All four men were now in the ring. The Addiction hit a high-low on Jacobs. Whitmer reversed Angel’s Wings from Daniels, but Kazarian grabbed him and hit a Kamikaze on Whitmer to put him away!

WINNERS: The Addiction via pinfall at 12:25 to qualify for the Tag Wars final.

ANALYSIS: Another good match. It was different from the opener, as it focused more on a long heat sequence where Kazarian played the babyface-in-peril. The finish wasn’t as fast-paced as the opener, but the overall quality was about the same. (**1/2)

[Commercial Break]

Backstage, ReDRagon cut a somewhat comical promo where they wondered why ROH would even need to sanction the Tag Wars tournament. They insisted that they never ducked a challenge, and that Tag Wars was a pathetic attempt to drum up new challengers. Fish started to creepily repeat the word "reDRagon" three times, but O’Reilly cut him off and said he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. Those crazy kids…

3 - YOUNG BUCKS (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. A.C.H. & MATT SYDAL - Tag Wars 2014 qualifying match

There were plenty of streamers for both teams. The Code of Honor was adhered to and then the bell rang. Nick and A.C.H. started the match with some mat wrestling. A.C.H. eventually broke into some acrobatics and then nailed his opponent with a dropkick. Sydal was tagged in, but Nick fought him off and tagged his brother. Both men stared each other down for a moment, until Matt Jackson pummeled Sydal to the mat. Sydal came back with a huracanrana and a dropkick, followed up with a spin kick in the corner, but he couldn’t put Matt Jackson away.

Matt Jackson went for a superkick, but Sydal reversed and hit a standing Shooting Star Press! Matt Jackson rolled to the outside, and Sydal chased him with a baseball slide that missed. This opened him up to a kick from Nick on the apron. A.C.H. went to check on his partner, but Matt Jackson nailed him with a diving dropkick! The Bucks were in firm control, as the show went to a break at 3:25.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 5:25, The Bucks hit Sydal with their neckbreaker over a backbreaker combination. Nick left the ring, but then held Sydal in the corner so Matt Jackson could hit his back handspring back rake! Matt Jackson applied a chinlock to Sydal for a few moments. Matt Jackson then taunted Sydal in the corner, but Sydal fought back with a couple of chops! The comeback was short-lived, however, as Matt Jackson applied a front face lock. Sydal escaped and went for a huracanrana, but Matt Jackson held him in perfect position for a superkick from Nick! The Bucks went for a standing Sliced Bread, but Sydal was able to counter! The fans cheered him on and he made the hot tag to A.C.H.!

A.C.H. came in with a flurry of chops on both Bucks. He isolated Matt Jackson and went for a move off the top rope, but Nick yanked his brother out of harm’s way. Their safety was only temporary, however, as it opened them up for an amazing change-in-direction dive from A.C.H. to the outside! A.C.H. followed up with a double foot stomp and Sydal followed up with a jumping kick. Both babyfaces were ready to come off the top, but Nick crotched Sydal on the top turnbuckle while Matt Jackson nailed A.C.H. with a superkick! The Bucks exploded into offense on A.C.H., but could not put him away.

Sydal returned, but The Bucks nailed him with a superkick on the apron and then Nick Jackson nailed him with a tornado DDT on the outside. They went for More Bang for Your Buck, but A.C.H. temporarily broke it up. The Bucks persevered, however, and hit the Indie Taker (spike tombstone piledriver)! They went for the cover, but Sydal reappeared out of nowhere to break it up! The Bucks went to double-team Sydal, but Sydal somehow hit a double hurracanrana on both Bucks! Sydal hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press on Matt Jackson and then A.C.H. hit the 450 Matt for the pin!

WINNERS: A.C.H. & Matt Sydal via pinfall in 13:15 to qualify for the Tag Wars final.

ANALYSIS: Great match from these four and Sydal’s best offering since returning to ROH. I see great potential for Sydal and A.C.H. as a team, especially with Sydal’s lukewarm run as a singles star thus far. The Bucks were more laid back here, as they held their crazy bursts of offense for the later parts of the match. It definitely worked, though. Easily match of the night. (***1/4)

NEXT WEEK: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Cedric Alexander in a No-DQ match and Michael Elgin takes on former friend Hanson!

FINAL REAX: Good show this week. It was a great idea to focus on the Tag Titles while the smoke is still clearing from the Final Battle PPV. Ring of Honor seems to finally be getting its act together as far as syncing the TV product with their live events and PPVs. The “order the replay” ads are one thing, but having fresh TV episodes ready to air is leaps and bounds ahead of where they were after the Best in the World PPV earlier this year.

For those who don’t remember, ROH had no shows scheduled after BITW, and were forced to air several weeks worth of repeats from previous iPPVs. It looks like ROH has the next few weeks of TV covered, ahead of the next TV taping on January 3. There isn’t a lot of buzz for ROH right now, but 2015 looks promising with the signing of Alberto el Patron (Del Rio) and an expanded traditional PPV schedule.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]