ROH TV Report
Aired July 12, 2015 in syndication
To air July 15, 2015 on Dest. America
Taped 6/20 in New York, N.Y.
Report by Mike Metzger (@md0uble), PWTorch contributor

The ROH "Creating Excellence" signature aired, followed by the ROH TV opening.

Ringside: Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino welcomed viewers to ROH TV episode 199. They announced tonight's main event would be Jay Lethal defending the ROH TV Title against Mark Briscoe.

1 -- ADAM PAGE (w/B.J. Whitmer & Colby Corino) vs. MATT SYDAL

Clips aired of The Decade beating A.C.H. and Matt Sydal at last month's Best in the World PPV when Page pinned Sydal. Page refused to shake Sydal's hand before the bell. Corino was showed at ringside, while Page and Sydal wrestled on the mat. Corino was disgusted as Kelly described some of Colby's duties as the Decade's "young boy."

Sydal burst into a flurry of offense and nailed Page with a huracanrana and a spin kick. Sydal continued to dominate with some kicks and then a corner clothesline. He kicked Page to the outside and went for a dive, but hit Colby Corino instead! The momentary distraction allowed Page to hit a Shooting Star Press on Sydal from the apron! Whitmer then shoved Sydal into the hockey boards, as the show cut to a break at the 2:20 mark.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 4:50, Sydal and Page were trading blows in the center. Sydal went for a roll up, but could only get a two count. Page then hit a nice pumphandle fallaway slam into a bridge before Sydal kicked out at two. Page went for another one, but Sydal rolled through and Page landed on his head. Sydal fought back with a series of kicks and chops, followed by a leg lariat! Sydal then drove both knees to the face of Page, but the Decade member kicked out of the pin attempt.

Sydal hit a Curtain Call/leg drop combo and a standing moonsault. He went for the cover, but Page kicked out before Whitmer could run in and make the save. The fans cheered on Sydal, who hit another spin kick. Sydal climbed up top, but Page crotched him on the turnbuckle. Page then hit a nice fireman's carry/backbreaker combo, but Sydal kicked out of the pin attempt. Page then positioned Sydal on the top turnbuckle and went for for a superplex, but Sydal knocked Page to the mat. Sydal was in perfect position for a Shooting Star Press, but Page rolled out of the way.

Both men jockeyed for position, until Page nailed Sydal with a clothesline that turned him inside out! Page went for his finisher, but Sydal fought back with a running knee strike. Sydal went up top and hit the Shooting Star Press for the victory!

WINNER: Matt Sydal via pinfall in 9:45.

After the match, Whitmer attacked Sydal from behind. He demanded a chair from Colby who immediately obliged. A.C.H. ran in to make the save, but the numbers game caught up with him. Whitmer hit A.C.H. with a chair and then held him down on the mat, as Page nailed Sydal with his "Rite of Passage" reverse piledriver on top of several chairs. Kevin Kelly begged for medical attention from the back. Corino was enraged, as the show went to a break.

ANALYSIS: Slightly above-average match. Sydal looked good here. Odd that he went over clean since Page has the iPPV match, although Sydal really needed a win to avoid jobber status. The build for A.C.H.-Page continues ahead of their Death Before Dishonor showdown and I am looking forward to it. (**1/2)

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, the announcers recapped what had just happened between The Decade and A.C.H./Sydal. They then ran down the Death Before Dishonor iPPV card.

Veda Scott interrupted Kelly and Corino just as they were announcing Moose vs. Cedric Alexander at the iPPV. Kevin Kelly wondered if she had run out of ambulances to chase. Veda grabbed the microphone and called out Moose. She said he tried to be a successful football player, but failed. She said he tried to be a successful wrestler, but Cedric Alexander put a "wrench" in his plans. Veda spoke to the camera and said that aggressiveness and the guidance of Veda Scott wins matches, not potential and famous friends. Veda said that at Death Before Dishonor, Cedric Alexander would take everything that Moose never deserved.

[Reax: Nice heel promo from Veda, although I wonder if Moose or manager Stokely Hathaway will be able to counter her verbally. Perhaps Moose will just "do his talking in the ring," but either way I thought Veda was effective here.]

2 -- SILAS YOUNG vs. WILL FERRARA

Clips aired from last week's episode where Young stared down Dalton Castle from the entranceway after his match. Both men shook hands before the bell, although Silas had some words for both Ferrara and the referee. Silas and Ferrara tied up in the center, with Young getting an early side headlock. Silas threw in some knees and then dropped Ferrara to the mat, while the announcers mentioned that Silas beat Kevin Steen last year.

Meanwhile in the ring, Ferrara burst into a flurry of offense and scored a nearfall on Young. Ferrara locked on a short arm scissors on the mat, but Silas was able to lift Ferrara into the air and slam him while still locked in the hold! Silas took control and applied a chin lock. Ferrara broke out after about 30 seconds with a jawbreaker. Ferrara hit some elbows and then a dropkick. He followed up with a Tornado DDT, but Silas kicked out at two!

Ferrara hit a sunset flip powerbomb into a pinning combination, but Silas kicked out. Silas fought back by pounding on Ferrara's back. Young then DDT'ed Ferrara right on the bottom turnbuckle! Dalton Castle's "boys" appeared on the apron. Silas looked at them and was incensed, but the momentary distraction allowed Ferrara to roll him up for the victory!

WINNER: Will Ferrara via pinfall in 5:32.

Immediately after the bell, Silas grabbed one of the "boys" and DDT'ed him off the ropes, Randy Orton-style. Silas then grabbed him again and hit his Misery finisher.

ANALYSIS: More of an angle than a match. I am so sick of the distraction/upset finish, but ROH doesn't use it that often and I'm just happy that the Young-Castle feud is continuing. It is perfect for both acts right now and I have no idea who will come out on top. (*1/2)

Backstage: The Briscoes hyped next week's 200th episode of Ring of Honor TV. Jay thanked the fans, while Mark literally couldn't believe it.

[Commercial Break]

Inside ROH: Mandy Leon talked about Cedric Alexander's recent losing streak and then introduced clips from last month on ROH TV when Cedric used a ring wrench to hand Moose his first ever loss. Mandy then recapped what happened at Best in the World, when Cedric walked out on his long-time partner Caprice Coleman after their loss to War Machine. Clips then aired of later in the PPV when Cedric attacked Moose with the same ring wrench and aligned himself with Veda Scott. Mandy then announced Moose-Alexander at the Death Before Dishonor iPPV.

[Reax: This segment was fine in a vacuum, but this is the second week in a row where things just felt out of order. I don't understand why this storyline recap aired after Veda Scott had just come out and cut the promo on Moose in the previous segment. There is no excuse for this on pre-tape show and ROH needs to correct course now that they are under a much larger microscope on national cable TV.]

[Commercial Break]

3 -- ROH World & TV champion JAY LETHAL (w/Truth Martini) vs. MARK BRISCOE -- ROH TV Title match

Roderick Strong joined the commentators for this match. He made the usual generic comments about challenging Lethal for the ROH World Title at Death Before Dishonor. Both men shook hands and then the bell rang. Lethal immediately exploded into action and then stomped Briscoe several times in the corner before throwing him to the outside. Lethal followed and held Mark for Truth Martini. Out of nowhere, ODB came out and chased Truth Martini away! Mark threw Lethal back into the ring and then hit an axehandle from the top rope! Mark went for the cover, but Lethal quickly kicked out as the show went to a break at the 1:35 mark.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 2:35, Mark was pounding on Lethal in the corner. Lethal tried to fight back, but Mark chopped him down to the mat. Mark hit a suplex and then covered Lethal for a two count. Lethal fought back, however, as he pummeled Mark in the corner. Briscoe reversed with a belly-to-belly suplex. J. Diesel ran into the ring, but Briscoe tossed him to the outside before he could cause a DQ. The brief distraction allowed Lethal to capitalize with a spin kick. Lethal followed up with a backbreaker, but Mark kicked out at two.

Lethal applied a chin lock in the center of the ring. Mark broke it up with a jawbreaker, but Lethal knocked him right back down to the mat. Lethal just pummeled Briscoe on the mat and then applied a front chancery. Mark eventually fought to his feet, but Lethal reapplied the front chancery! Briscoe broke out of it again, but Lethal locked it right back on for a third time! Briscoe eventually fought out of the hold for good and hit a Yuri Nagi, followed by a stiff clothesline! Mark followed up with a fisherman buster and went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out at two!

Mark hoisted Lehtal up on his shoulders, but Lethal elbowed his way out and then nailed Mark with superkick! Jay went for the Lethal Injection, but Mark reversed into a German Suplex! Mark then clotheslined Lethal to the outside and nailed him with a baseball slide through the ropes! Mark hit his Cactus Jack elbow from the apron, as the show went to another commercial at the 8:55 mark.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 9:55, Mark was claiming to the top rope. Truth Martini tried to interfere, but ODB yanked him off the apron. Donovan Dijak appeared out of nowhere to interfere, but Jay Briscoe cut him off! Meanwhile, Mark hit Froggy Bow from the top and went for the cover, but Lethal kicked out! There was carnage at ringside. Mark threw Lethal to the ropes, but he reversed it into a dive directly onto ODB! Mark went to drag Lethal back in the ring, but Dijak ran in and nailed Briscoe with a low blow from behind! Lethal capitalized on the distraction and hit the Lethal Injection for the victory.

WINNER: Jay Lethal via pinfall in 11:05 to retain the ROH TV Title.

After the match, Jay Briscoe attacked Lethal. They fought to the mat, until Diesel and Dijak got involved. Roderick Strong ran in and evened things up. Lethal left the ring. Roddy grabbed the mic and asked Lethal where he was going. Strong challenged Lethal to a six-man tag match next week on the 200th episode of ROH TV. Lethal seemed to accept, but then ODB grabbed the mic. She said there were actually four people on each side and she wanted a piece of Truth Martini. ODB challenged them to an eight-man tag next week and the House of Truth accepted!

ANALYSIS: The shenanigans were a bit distracting at times, but I thought Lethal and Briscoe were able to overcome all of the hoopla in the end. I loved how Lethal kept applying the front chancery after Mark would escape, and I thought Mark was convincing in trying to win the title, especially after the Froggy Bow at the end. There was some man-on-woman violence with ODB, but at least she is portrayed as an equal to Truth Martini. I guess that's slightly less offensive than a double superkick/pele combo on Maria Kanellis, but I don't think ROH is helping their horrid female demo numbers. (***)

After the match, the ROH narrator ran down the Death Before Dishonor card again.

FINAL REAX: ROH did a great job of selling viewers on ordering their Death Before Dishonor iPPV for the entire hour. It is "night and day" compared to how disjointed their overall TV presentation was last year. The last two shows have definitely felt more episodic than the pre-Destination America episodes. While ROH appears to be stepping up to the "national cable level," I just hope they don't fall into the rut of overdoing distraction/upsets and non-finishes. I think the most important thing for ROH to do at this point is to remember its roots and not feel pressured to become WWE-lite.

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