PWTorch.com - METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 3/29: Samoa Joe vs. Kyle O'Reilly main event, The Decade's new Young Boy, more

Ring of Honor
METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 3/29: Samoa Joe vs. Kyle O'Reilly main event, The Decade's new Young Boy, more

Mar 30, 2015 - 6:39:07 PM

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ROH TV Report
March 29, 2015
Taped 3/7 in Baltimore, Md.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch contributor

Video package: For the first time since 2008, Samoa Joe returns to action in an ROH ring!

The ROH TV opening aired.

1 - MOOSE (w/Veda Scott & Stokely Hathaway) vs. CAPRICE COLEMAN

Caprice came out to an impressive entrance video that aired on the “Cary Tron,” the new video screen above the entranceway. It played up the Coleman’s other vocation, a religious minister. Both Moose and Stokely were set to shake hands with Coleman, but Veda intercepted and called off the Code of Honor. The bell rang and Moose immediately shoved Coleman to the mat. He tried to do it again, but this time Coleman reversed with a nice armdrag takedown! They wrestled on the mat for a moment. Moose overpowered Coleman and went for a dropkick, but Caprice held onto the ropes and Moose rolled to the outside!

Coleman went for a dive, but got caught. Caprice fought out of his predicament momentarily, but Moose caught him again and just wheelbarrowed him into the hockey boards several times on the outside. Moose went for a cover, but Coleman kicked out. Coleman attempted to knock the big man off his feet several times, but Moose wouldn’t go down. Eventually, Caprice hit a modified Ace Crusher that knocked Moose off his feet, followed up by a reverse facebuster for a two count!

Moose charged at Coleman, but Caprice ducked and Moose went to the outside again. Coleman immediately followed up with a dive onto Moose! Coleman threw Moose back into the ring and then climbed to the top rope, but Moose hit a gravity-defying dropkick that knocked Caprice to the mat! Moose followed up with a big spear and got the pin.

WINNER: Moose via pinfall in 4:45.

ANALYSIS: Coleman was good fodder for Moose, as he created a lot of the movement. Moose looked good here. It seems that ROH is giving Moose an “out” for an eventual babyface turn, as he is trying to act honorably but is denied by Veda. (**)

[Commercial Break]

2 - THE DECADE (B.J. Whitmer & Adam Page) vs. LEON ST. GIOVANNI & SHAHEEM ALI

St. Giovanni and Ali appeared as jobbers to the Decade on the 2/1 edition of ROH TV. Kevin Kelly said that the Decade might “have their eye” on one of them as a potential “young boy.” Before the bell even rang, Whitmer and Page jumped their opponents. Page nailed a backbreaker on Ali, and then Whitmer and Page quickly hit the All Seeing Eye on Giovanni for the victory.

WINNERS: The Decade via pinfall in 1:00.

The Decade’s Newest “Young Boy”

After the match, B.J. grabbed the mic and talked about the Decade’s seemingly endless search for a new “young boy.” He said they wouldn’t find him among derelicts like their opponents tonight. Whitmer had someone else in mind. “A second generation kid who was abandoned and neglected by his father.” Someone who needed a “big brother” like Page and “father figure” like himself. They turned their attention to Steve Corino at ringside. Kelly and Corino seemed to have completely forgotten the angle from a few weeks ago on ROH TV when Colby Corino was confronted by the Decade because they acted like Whitmer was talking about Steve. Whitmer said “Not you, Steve. Your son, Colby Corino!”

Colby, who was working as a ring crew member at ringside, seemed pleasantly surprised. He entered the ring. Whitmer asked Colby if he’d be their new “young boy.” Colby responded with a big hug for Whitmer! Steve Corino stormed into the ring and confronted his son. Whitmer said that Colby was 18-years-old and could do whatever he wanted. Steve got in his son’s face, as Whitmer and Page laughed hysterically in the background. Corino turned his attention to Whitmer and Page.

Out of nowhere, Jimmy Jacobs ran out and got in Whitmer’s face. “What the hell are you doing? That’s his son, dude!” said Jacobs. Jacobs got between Whitmer and Corino. Whitmer told Steve that he hadn’t seen anything yet. Colby held the ropes open for The Decade, as the segment faded out.

ANALYSIS: I guess The Decade lives to fight another day. I’m not waiting at the edge of my seat to see this play out, but at least there was a rhyme behind Whitmer’s reason for getting in Corino’s face at the last couple of ROH PPVs. I would be more excited if this was a way to introduce a new act, but Colby really does look like a young boy and is about six inches or so shorter than his father. While he’s cast perfectly in the Decade, I don’t see Colby Corino as the next breakout star.

[Commercial Break]

Video Package: Last week on ROH TV, Donovan Dijak gave up his ROH TV Title shot in favor of joining the House of Truth! Since Dijak wasn’t in the mood to challenge Jay Lethal, “Peacock” Dalton Castle was happy to oblige but was outmanned by the House of Truth.

3 - HOUSE OF TRUTH (Donovan Dijak & J. Diesel w/Truth Martini) vs. BRUTAL BURGERS (Bob Evans & Cheeseburger)

J. Diesel should have vetoed Dijak’s acceptance into the House of Truth, as he is about a full foot shorter than Dijak and looks tiny when standing next to him. Kevin Kelly was setting the stage for the match, until his own voice cut in with this week’s ROH Code Line plug. Evans and Diesel started the match. They went into a mat wrestling sequence, where Evans got the early advantage. Diesel tagged in Dijak. Cheeseburger wanted a piece of the big man, so Evans tagged him. Cheeseburger jumped right into the waiting arms of Dijak, but quickly escaped. Cheeseburger started to gain momentum, but Martini tripped him up. This set him up for a chokeslam/backbreaker combo from Dijak! The big man went for a cover, but yanked Cheeseburger up at two.

Dijak followed up with a suplex where he just tossed Cheeseburger across the ring. Diesel tagged back in, as Martini talked up Dijak on commentary. Cheeseburger fought out of enemy territory and nailed Diesel with a DDT! He tagged in Evans, who came out swinging against Dijak. Evans hit a bulldog and then knocked Diesel off the ring apron. Evans tagged Cheeseburger back in and they went into “Chicken Fight” position. They rammed Dijak in the corner and then went for a double stunner, but Dijak shoved Evans aside and picked up Cheeseburger and hit Feast Your Eyes for the victory.

WINNERS: House of Truth via pinfall in 4:55.

After the match, Evans hugged Cheeseburger and raised his arm. (Uh oh, heel turn ahead...) They swerved everyone for a brief second when both men went to separate corners and saluted the crowd. Then, to the surprise of no one, Evans nailed Cheeseburger from behind with a shoulder tackle. Kelly was outraged, as the crowd booed.

ANALYSIS: The match itself was fine, but very basic. The turn afterward was just unnecessary. The fact that we witnessed a son turn on his father in the previous segment made this feel very TNA-like. (*1/2)

[Commercial Break]

Backstage: ROH World champion Jay Briscoe began to cut a promo, but the feed was interrupted by the Knights of the Rising Dawn. Very similar to last week’s hijacking of ReDRagon’s promo, clips of the KRD were shown as the creepy voice said, “We have our agenda, we have picked our targets... We are the Knights of the Rising Dawn.”

4 - ROH World Tag Team champion KYLE O’REILLY (w/Bobby Fish) vs. SAMOA JOE

The fans chanted “Joe is gonna kill you” before Joe even made his entrance. He received a ton of streamers and a loud “Welcome Back” chant as he entered the ring. Both men shook hands and the bell rang. They wrestled into a corner and then Joe went for a hold, but O’Reilly rolled out of the ring. There was another stalemate and then Joe grabbed a wrist lock. O’Reilly reversed and then they went into a chain wrestling sequence that ended in another stalemate at the 3:00 mark.

Joe hit O’Reilly with a stiff slap and then pummeled him in the corner. Joe hit his splash/enziguiri combo in another corner and followed up with a mafia kick. The crowd chanted for one more and Joe obliged, as the show went to a break at 4:30.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:30, O’Reilly was kicking Joe on the outside. O’Reilly charged at Joe in the hockey boards, but Joe came back with a blow to the face! Joe then sat Kyle down in a chair and nailed a running boot of his own! Fish got in Joe’s face, which enabled O’Reilly to nail him from behind. O’Reilly shoved Joe shoulder-first to the ground and then worked his arm on the outside. Back in the ring, O’Reilly went for a suplex but couldn’t lift Joe. Joe fought back with some fists, but O’Reilly cut him off with a running knee and then yanked Joe’s arm to the mat.

O’Reilly charged at Joe, but Joe took out his legs. Joe followed up with a senton splash, but O’Reilly kicked out at two. Kyle went back to the arm, but Joe reversed with a powerslam! Joe went for a powerbomb, but O’Reilly fought out of it. Kyle then jumped toward Joe, who caught him and powerbombed him this time! Joe immediately followed up with an STF in the middle of the ring. O’Reilly struggled for about 30 seconds until he was able to hook his foot on the bottom rope. Joe broke then hold, as the crowd cheered him on.

Joe set up O’Reilly for the Musclebuster, but Kyle reversed into a guillotine choke! Joe tried to fight out, but O’Reilly applied a Fujiwara armbar! O’Reilly started to pull on the ar bar, but Joe made it to the ropes. Joe rolled to the outside, but Kyle followed right up with a running knee strike off the apron! Back in the ring, O’Reilly nailed a Brainbuster, but Joe kicked out at two. O’Reilly went for a cross arm-breaker, but Joe wrestled out of it. Both men struggled on the mat. O’Reilly reapplied the cross arm-breaker, but Joe was in the ropes.

O’Reilly hit some kicks to the body, but Joe came right back with some slaps. O’Reilly replied with some slaps of his own. O’Reilly nailed a Dean Ambrose-like clothesline, but Joe responded with an enziguiri! O’Reilly charged at Joe in the corner, but Joe reversed with a Yuri Nagi! Joe hit the Musclebuster for the pin. Both men shook hands after the match.

WINNER: Samoa Joe via pinfall in 15:15.

ANALYSIS: Good, but disappointing considering the two men involved. Joe was okay here, but it was O’Reilly’s creative offense that really added something to this match. Other than that, pretty average by ROH standards. I understand why Joe went over, as he will challenge Jay Briscoe for the ROH World Title on TV in two weeks, but I feel that O’Reilly should be better protected at this point. (***)

Next Week: A.J. Styles takes on Mark Briscoe!

FINAL REAX: ROH packed a lot into this show, but it mostly focused on undercard storylines. Considering this aired head-to-head against the WWE Hall of Fame in a lot of markets (and against WrestleMania itself in my market), I wouldn’t be surprised if regular viewers skipped this week’s episode completely. And they didn’t miss much either, as even Samoa Joe’s return match left a lot to be desired.