ROH TV Report
February 15, 2015
Taped 1/24 in Philadelphia, Penn.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch Contributor

The ROH TV opening aired.

The camera panned the Philadelphia crowd, as Kevin Kelly wished the audience a Happy Valentine’s Day. Kelly then introduced guest commentator for this week’s show, ROH World champion Jay Briscoe!

Tonight: The three challengers for the ROH World Title at the 13th Anniversary PPV will be in action!

1 - TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. JIMMY JACOBS

Before the match, Ciampa lurked around ringside and got into Jay Briscoe’s face at ringside. Ciampa grabbed a chair, while Briscoe egged him on. Jacobs went for a dive, but Ciampa threw the steel chair right into Jacobs’s head! Jacobs appeared to get his forearm up to block the full brunt of the chair, but it still looked nasty. Ciampa continued to pummel Jacobs on the outside. He turned his attention to Briscoe, which allowed Jacobs to miraculously get up and apply a guillotine choke! Ciampa broke the hold and then chopped Jacobs at ringside. He rolled him into the ring, and the bell finally rang.

Jacobs immediately hit a head scissors takeover on the outside and then followed up with an elbow drop from the apron! Back in the ring, Ciampa reversed a Sliced Bread attempt and hit a backbreaker, which was good for a two count. Jacobs was able to hit Sliced Bread out of the corner, but could only get two. Jimmy went for a spear, but ate a knee from Ciampa instead. Tommaso followed up with a stiff lariat, and then lowered his knee pad. Ciampa hit Jacobs in the face with a running knee, which sent him to the outside.

At ringside, Ciampa delivered three consecutive knee strikes to the face of Jacobs, while he was propped against the hockey boards. Referee Paul Turner checked on Jacobs, and ruled that he was unable to continue. Kevin Kelly wondered which knee strike put Jacobs out, but never mentioned the chair toss to the face that he took at the start of the brawl. CIampa stared down Briscoe at ringside.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa via referee stoppage in 2:42.

ANALYSIS: It made sense to have Ciampa look strong, but I had a few problems with this match. While the chair toss to the head was a protected blow, I absolutely hated how it was forgotten about after a minute. This match ultimately served the purpose of getting Ciampa’s knee strikes over as a threat, but then why even use the chair to the head at the start of the match? I might be nit-picking a little, but it just seemed inefficient. (n/a)

[Commercial Break]

Romantic Touch came to the ring escorted by two ladies. Touch poured champagne, as an inset interview aired. Touch said St. Valentine’s Day was his favorite day of the year. He warned that if the men watching failed to shower their ladies with roses and chocolates, he would be there to steal them away.

2 - ROMANTIC TOUCH vs. HANSON

Before the bell, Touch fed chocolates to one of his female escorts. He then walked over and handed a chocolate to Hanson, in lieu of the Code of Honor. The bell rang and Hanson immediately nailed the Spin Kick of Doom for the victory.

WINNER: Hanson via pinfall in 0:12.

After the match, Hanson got in Briscoe’s face at ringside. Jay said that what Hanson did was impressive, but he wasn’t Romantic Touch. Hanson got closer to Briscoe, who responded by saying, “Make your move.”

ANALYSIS: Nice squash for Hanson ahead of the 13th Anniversary PPV main event. Sad to see Rhett Titus fall this far, but at least he gets to be under a mask. (n/a)

[Commercial Break]

3 - MOOSE (w/ Veda Scott & Stokely Hathaway) vs. MICHAEL ELGIN

Elgin came out to some streamers, but more boos. Moose was actually getting some cheers, despite turning heel last December. They tentatively shook hands and the bell rang. Elgin got the early advantage and lifted up Moose for a delayed vertical suplex. After a count of 30 from the crowd, he dropped Moose hard to the canvas. Moose no-sold it, however, and immediately responded with a dropkick!

They battled to the outside, where Moose threw Elgin into the hockey boards a couple times. Back in the ring, Moose charged at Elgin, but Elgin reversed with an enziguiri. Moose quickly regained control with a sit-out power bomb, which was good for a two count. The crowd was now firmly behind Moose, as he charged at Elgin but missed. Elgin heelishly called for a baseball slide to the outside, but Moose popped back up and cut him off. Elgin responded with a neckbreaker over the top rope.

Elgin went up top, but Veda grabbed his leg. Elgin pushed her off the apron into Hathaway’s arms at ringside. Elgin went up top again, but missed a frogsplash! Moose went to follow up, but Elgin came right back with a release German suplex. Moose fought back with a knee to the face, but Elgin countered with a powerbomb! Elgin then hit another powerbomb, but Moose kicked out at two!

The crowd was really into the match, as the mysterious individuals in red masks appeared at the entranceway. Moose splashed Elgin in the corner, set him on the top turnbuckle, and then dropkicked him to the outside! Elgin got to his feet and shoved Briscoe at the commentary desk. Briscoe chased Elgin into the ring, but was then speared by Moose! For some reason, the ref called for the bell and the match was stopped.

WINNER: No contest at 6:30.

Briscoe was clutching his ribs after the spear from Moose. Elgin went over to the commentary desk and grabbed the ROH World Title belt. Elgin hoisted the belt in the air, as the crowd booed. Hanson then ran in and attacked Elgin. They brawled in the ring, as Ciampa ran out and attacked Briscoe. Mark Briscoe made the save for his brother, and then all five men brawled around ringside. This allowed Jay to hit a big flip dive on the other four men! After the smoke cleared, Moose speared Mark Briscoe out of nowhere!

ANALYSIS: Elgin really drew the short straw here, compared to the other 13th Anniversary challengers. This was an awful match-up on paper, as you have two newly-turned heels battling each other. The crowd eventually got behind Moose, which basically un-did that awful heel turn at the Final Battle PPV. The match itself was actually good while it lasted, but got way too complicated at the end. I’m not sure why Moose spearing Briscoe would cause a DQ (other than it avoided either guy having to do a job). They were obviously setting up a Mark Briscoe-Moose match here, but having those too involved in the brawl just felt convoluted. (*3/4)

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, there was a video package that hyped the Jay Lethal-Alberto El Patron match at the 13th Anniversary PPV. The video itself was fine, but it had this oddly-placed, generic funk music in the background.

4 - CEDRIC ALEXANDER & A.C.H. & MATT SYDAL vs. THE BULLET CLUB (A.J. Syles & The Young Bucks) - six-man tag match

The fans chanted “this is awesome” before the bell even rang. Matt Jackson and Matt Sydal started the match. Sydal countered an early superkick attempt, and followed up with a standing moonsault! Sydal tagged Cedric and Matt tagged Nick. They went into a chain wrestling sequence, until Cedric dodged a superkick attempt and countered with a dropkick! A.C.H. and A.J. both tagged in. Styles outwrestled A.C.H. on the mat at first, until A.C.H. countered with a side headlock. A.C.H. did some acrobatics and then hit Styles with a dropkick of his own, as the show went to break at the 2:55 mark.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 5:25, A.C.H. delivered several stiff chops to Styles’s chest. A.J. countered with a dropkick and then tagged Matt Jackson. Matt stomped on A.C.H. and covered him for two. A.C.H. found himself in the enemy corner, where all three of his opponents proceeded to rake him in the eyes with the “Too Sweet” hand signal. A.J. tagged back in and continued to pummel A.C.H. After about 30 seconds, A.C.H. was able to create some separation and tag Sydal! Matt hit Styles with a spin kick and then attacked both Bucks! He delivered a huracanrana to Styles. He went back after the Bucks, but they cut off the momentum with a neckbreaker/senton combo. The Bucks then followed up with their dropkick combo to Cedric on the apron. The Bullet Club celebrated in the ring for a moment.

Things settled down with Matt Jackson and Matt Sydal in the ring. Eventually, all three Bullet Club members triple-teamed Sydal, with the Bucks hitting a neckbreaker/backbreaker combo, and then Styles followed up with a knee drop while Sydal was still draped across Nick Jackson’s knee! The Bullet Club celebrated, as the show went to another break at the 9:55 point in the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 11:55, Sydal was still isolated, but a miscommunication caused Nick Jackson to nail Styles! The Bucks went for superkicks, but Sydal reversed and then hit a double-huracanrana on both Bucks! A.C.H. was tagged in and he immediately went after Styles. They battled back-and-forth, until A.C.H. hit a head scissors takeover, followed by a stiff kick to the face! Cedric tagged in and nailed Nick Jackson with two consecutive suplexes. He went for the third, but was cut off. Nick Jackson then superkicked A.C.H., delivered an facebuster to Cedric, and then hit a tornado DDT to A.C.H. back on the outside!

Nick climbed the top rope and went for a senton, but Cedric got the knees up and then hit a 540 kick! Cedric then held Nick for a double knee strike from Sydal from the top! Sydal went for the cover, but A.J. broke it up! Styles and Sydal then squared off, which led to every wrestler getting their signature moves in, including a jumping knee strike by Sydal, several superkicks from the Bucks, a pele kick from A.J. Styles, and a spin kick from A.C.H. It culminated when several of the wrestlers got tied up in the center of the ring, which allowed Cedric to hit a 540 kick and A.J. to hit an enziguiri simultaneously onto the four tangled-up wrestlers! Amazing sequence!

A.C.H. then hit a dangerous-looking huracanrana to Styles on the apron, which sent both men crashing to the mat. The ref checked on both men, as Cedric hit a flip dive onto both Bucks on the outside. Cedric hit a big splash on Nick, but he kicked out at two! Cedric charged at Nick in the corner, but Jackson reversed with a superkick! A.J. tagged himself in and went for a 450 splash, but Cedric got his knees up! Cedric followed up with a dropkick and then tagged in Sydal. A.C.H. hit a 450 splash first, then Sydal went for a Shooting Star Press, but missed and ate a double-superkick from the Bucks!

The Bucks hit the Indytaker on Sydal with an assist from Styles! A.J. then held up Sydal for the Styles Clash, but before he could execute the move, the Bucks hit a double superkick to Sydal while he was held upside down! A.J. then hit the Styles Clash and scored the victory.

WINNERS: The Bullet Club via pinfall in 18:30.

ANALYSIS: Amazing, just amazing match. I would have given it a full five stars if there was any hint of back-story. The last five minutes of this match is one of the most creative displays of explosive athleticism I have ever seen in a pro wrestling match. And that is coming from a 22-year fan. (****1/2)

FINAL REAX: A tale of two shows. The first half of the show was the traditional build for a PPV main event, although it ended in a huge clustermess. At least they’re properly promoting the ROH World Title match this time around. The main event of this week’s episode is absolutely must-see. Styles and the Bucks never cease to amaze me. They are a huge “get” for the 13th Anniversary PPV. Both acts should help the show not only draw, but generate a buzz as well.

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