ROH TV Report
April 19, 2015
Taped 4/4 in San Antonio, Tex.
Report by Mike Metzger (@mD0uble), PWTorch contributor

The ROH TV opening aired.

The camera panned to a jam-packed crowd in San Antonio. The arena wasn’t huge, but looked great with ROH’s new big screen entranceway.

Donovan Dijak and Truth Martini made their way to the ring, as clips aired of Dijak joining the House of Truth and helping Jay Lethal defeat Dalton Castle a few weeks ago on ROH TV. Castle came out to ring flanked by his scantily clad “boys,” who got on all fours so Dalton could step on their backs and enter the ring. The Texas crowd ate it up (this is the hometown of Shawn Michaels, after all), as they littered the ring with streamers. Castle extended his hand for a kiss (Romantic Touch should sue for gimmick infringement), but Dijak grabbed it and shook it “like a man,” according to Kevin Kelly. Castle grabbed onto Dijak’s arm in response, but the ref separated them into their corners and the bell rang.

1 - DONOVAN DIJAK (w/ Truth Martini) vs. DALTON CASTLE

Castle started the match with a spank to Dijak’s behind and then took control early. He screamed like a peacock and then charged at DIjak with a big knee strike in the corner. Castle continued his onslaught and posed for the crowd. Dijak tried to charge at Castle, but missed. Castle feigned a dive, but then strutted like a peacock instead. He posed for the crowd again, but this time Dijak took advantage by tossing Castle hard to the floor. Dijak beat on his opponent around the ring for a little bit, until Castle slid on the ring apron and nailed a nice huracanrana on Dijak! Castle followed up with a big dive to the outside, as the show went to its first commercial at the 3:45 mark.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 6:15, Dalton was still in control, until Dijak overpowered Castle and tossed him across the ring. Dijak went went for a cover, but Castle kicked out at two. Dijak and Martini posed for the crowd, as Castle’s boys fanned him at ringside. Dijak went for Feast Your Eyes, but Dalton fought out of it and dropkicked Donovan. The big man would not go down, but Castle kept fighting with some blows in the corner. He went for a cross body, but got caught. Castle quickly wriggled free, however, and regained control with a deadllift German suplex into a pinning combination that was good for a nearfall.

They jockeyed for position until Castle came out on top with a spinning flapjack-like maneuver. He went for the cover, but Dijak kicked out at two. Castle went for another deadlift German, but Martini held onto to Dijak’s foot! The temporary distraction allowed Dijak to hit Feast Your Eyes for the victory.

WINNER: Donovan Dijak via pinfall in 10:45.

After the match, Dalton’s “boys” fanned him while he was down on the mat. Truth Martini walked over and, in a rare display of machismo, shoved them both down to the mat. Martini grabbed Castle by the hair and talked up Dijak. Castle responded by applying the dreaded Testicular Claw to Martini! Donovan charged at Castle, but Dalton lowered the ropes which sent Dijak tumbling to the floor!

ANALYSIS: ROH might have something on their hands with Dalton Castle. I was initially skeptical of his routine, but the crowds are eating it up. The match itself was good, but the crowd reaction really brought it up a notch. I feel that Dijak has taken a step back by aligning himself with Martini, but I think ROH made the right call as Castle seems to be the breakout babyface of the two. I strongly believe that ROH has found two up-and-comers who can generate a buzz for them if they can get them to stick around for a while. (**3/4)

[Commercial Break]

2 - WAR MACHINE (Hanson & Raymond Rowe) vs. ANDY DALTON & KEN PHOENIX

Phoenix shook hands with Hanson and Rowe before the bell. “Dirty” Andy Dalton spit in his hand first before offering it to Rowe. Rowe shook his hand, but punched him in the face and the bell rang. Rowe picked Dalton up over his shoulder and Hanson came off the top with a huge leg drop. Hanson went for the cover and scored the victory!

WINNERS: War Machine via pinfall in 0:20.

ANALYSIS: Nice squash for War Machine. The commentators set their storyline up nicely, as Corino said that they are focused on both the ROH tag division and Michael Elgin. (n/a)

[Commercial Break]

Fish Tank Segment

Back from break, ROH World Tag Team Champions reDRagon were standing in the ring. O’Reilly mistakenly gave a shout out to the Oklahoma (of all places) crowd. Fish corrected him and then cited several of their recent accolades in ROH and New Japan Pro Wrestling. O’Reilly took over and introduced a man he had recently tapped out, ROH TV Champion Jay Lethal!

Lethal came out to the ring with Truth Martini by his side. Martini channeled New Japan’s Toru Yano by waving around Lethal’s DVD. Kevin Kelly pointed out that the title belt appeared to look different than normal. Lethal took the mic and immediately defended himself against O’Reilly’s claim that he tapped him out. Lethal blamed it on “whoever the hell” his partner was, but then hyped a one-on-one match between the two in Hopkins, Minn. (on a house show, not on TV) next week.

Lethal said that the only reason he agreed to do their stupid show was to promote his DVD. Lethal handed the DVD to Fish. Bobby and Kyle mockingly hyped the DVD, but Martini quickly got in their faces. Martini said he went to great personal expense to remove the word “television” from the TV title belt, making it say simply “ROH World Champion.” Fish said that he and O’Reilly could easily change the tag title belts to say “masters of the universe,” it didn’t necessarily make it true. Fish said that ROH already had a world champion and his name was Jay Briscoe. Lethal was incensed and demanded Fish never say the name “Jay Briscoe” in his presence again. Lethal went on to say that Briscoe was born in the highway because “that’s where accidents happen.”

Briscoe’s music blared throughout the arena and out came the ROH World Champion. Briscoe grabbed the mic, but threw a punch at Lethal instead of saying anything! They brawled all the way to the back, as referees and officials tried to break them up. Back in the ring, two members of the Knights of the Rising Dawn attacked reDRagon from behind. They were setting up for a Twist of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo, until Daniels and Kazarian ran out to make the save. Kevin Kelly said it was obvious that it was Michael Bennett and Matt Taven behind the masks, but Corino argued that the Kingdom was currently on tour in Japan.

[M.M. Reax: I thought this was one of the best angles on ROH TV in a long time. It was a simple, yet effective way to set up a match that is over a year in the making - Jay Briscoe, the man who hasn’t been pinned in over two years, versus Jay Lethal, the longest reigning ROH TV Champion in company history. Who is the best in the world?]

[Commercial Break]

(For those keeping track, “Peacock” Dalton Castle cut a promo for tonight’s sponsor, Super Beta Prostate.)

Backstage: B.J. Whitmer and Adam Page cut a promo on A.C.H. Whitmer is sick of hearing about A.C.H. when there is a more deserving guy like Adam Page on the roster. Page took over and talked up all the dues he had paid. He was sick of A.C.H. getting big matches that he didn’t deserve. Page said he was going to issue A.C.H. his ticket out of ROH.

3 — MICHAEL ELGIN vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER

Both men shook hands and the bell rang. The crowd was surprisingly split. Elgin called for a Test of Strength. Cedric accepted, but Elgin heelishly backed away. Both men traded chops and blows, with Elgin coming out on top. Cedric fought back with a nice dropkick, but was sent back to the mat with a stiff shoulder block from Elgin. Cedric hit another dropkick, which sent Elgin to the floor this time. Cedric followed up with a huge flip dive to the outside!

Cedric rolled Elgin into the ring and went for a frogsplash, but Elgin rolled out of the way! Elgin went for a power move, but Cedric rolled him up for two! Elgin took control with a somersault leg drop onto Alexander while he was draped across the middle rope. Alexander eventually fought back with a jawbreaker and a kick. Cedric immediately followed up with a guillotine choke, but Elgin reversed with a brainbuster off the ropes! Elgin scored a nearfall and then dumped Cedric to the outside. Alexander fought back with a couple of chops on the outside. Elgin came right back with spinning forearm to Cedric’s head, as the show went to break at 5:45 of the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 7:45, both men were still on the outside. Elgin went for a powerbomb, but Cedric reversed into a back drop! Back in the ring, each man tried to gain control of the match but was unsuccessful in doing so. Cedric eventually caught Elgin in two consecutive suplexes. Cedric went for the third, but Elgin escaped. Cedric took Elgin back down with a stiff kick to the mid-section. Alexander followed up with a clothesline from the top and a cover, but Elgin kicked out at two!

Cedric charged at Elgin in the corner, but ate an enziguiri from the former ROH champ! Elgin hit a Codebreaker from the second rope, but Cedric no-sold it and responded with a Michinoku Driver, which was good for another nearfall! Cedric went for a 540 kick, but Elgin ducked and nailed him with a lariat from behind. Elgin hit another lariat, this time square on Cedric’s chest! He went for the cover, but Cedric kicked out! Elgin went for a deadlift suplex, but Alexander fought his way out and then dropkicked Elgin two consecutive times in the corner! He called for a third dropkick and nailed it! Cedric climbed to the top and hit his Overtime frogsplash. He went for another frogsplash instead of going for the cover, but this time Elgin got his knees up.

Alexander kept fighting and hit his 540 kick. He went for an O’Connor roll, but Elgin rolled out of it and kicked Alexander in the face. Elgin followed up with a Falcon Arrow into a pinning combination, but Alexander kicked out at two! Cedric fought back and hit the Lumbar Check, but Elgin kicked out. They fought on the apron, where Elgin nailed Cedrc with another stiff lariat to the chest. Elgin positioned himself on the top rope, but Cedric responded with a kick to the face! Cedric climbed to the top and nailed a huge huracanrana, but Elgin rolled through and then powerbombed Cedric to the mat. Elgin hit Cedric with a ridiculously stiff chop and immediately hit a revolution Elgin Bomb to score the victory!

WINNER: Michael Elgin via pinfall in 16:10

After the match, Elgin grabbed the mic and said he was calculated and focused on “making every single wrestler in ROH pay for the sins of the men they follow.” He said that he was a killer and that any man unfortunate enough to be in the ring with him will realize that they dug their own grave.

ANALYSIS: This was perhaps the best Michael Elgin match I’ve seen since his meltdown late last year. The match told a great story of Cedric making several mistakes and the veteran Elgin capitalizing on them. It looks like Cedric is in the process of a slow-burn heel turn, which should be a nice change of pace for him. He’s really treaded water since ending his feud with Roderick Strong last year and could use some character development. Elgin seems to be rebuilding himself as well, which could make for some intriguing match-ups going forward. (***1/2)

Next Week: The Addiction challenges reDRagon for the ROH World Tag Team Titles!

FINAL REAX: Hotter show than it looked like on paper. ROH is positioning itself well with two hot rookies in Dijak and Castle, a nice mid-card program with Elgin and War Machine, and perhaps the biggest match they’ve built to in a long time in Briscoe versus Lethal. The ROH/New Japan co-promoted events should be fun, but I’m glad to see that ROH seems to have a clear direction headed into the summer. It has not felt that way since Adam Cole went down with an injury last December.

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