ROH TV Report
Aired August 16, 2015 in syndication
To air August 19, 2015 on Dest. America
Taped 7/25 in Baltimore, Md..
Report by Mike Metzger (@md0uble), PWTorch contributor

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

Ringside: Kevin Kelly and ROH matchmaker Nigel McGuinness welcomed viewers to the show. McGuinness said that regular announcer Steve Corino was on "paid leave" after his altercation with B.J. Whitmer last week, but will return to the show next week.

Clips aired of Dalton Castle's "boys" messing with Silas Young at the Death Before Dishonor iPPV last month. Silas got even with them later in the show, which set up tonight's match.

1 -- SILAS YOUNG vs. DALTON CASTLE (w/his "boys")

Castle immediately charged at Silas before the bell. Nigel called it a "smart move," despite being a total disregard for the Code of Honor and the rules. Dalton hit Silas with a chop and then a fist. He followed up with an arm drag and then headbutted Silas several times while he held Silas in an armbar on the mat! The fans chanted "fan up" as Dalton scored a nearfall. Dalton quickly followed up with a deadlift suplex that sent Silas to the outside.

The "boys" walked over to Silas, but Young quickly got to his feet and intimidated them. Castle took advantage of the distraction with a cheap shot to Silas! Both men re-entered the ring, but Silas quickly found himself back on the outside after Castle ducked a charge. Silas yanked Castle out of the ring by his legs and then threw him into the hockey boards, as the show went to its first break at the 2:45 point in the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 5:15, both men were trading blows in the center. Silas came out on top with big chop and then he raked Castle's back. Silas applied a hold, as the "boys" tried to fan Castle back into it. Dalton tried to capitalize on the distraction again, but Silas came back with a springboard clothesline out of the corner. Dalton tried to fight back with a running knee in the corner, but Silas moved and Castle crashed to the outside!

The boys again fanned Castle, who re-entered the ring at the count of seven. Silas dominated for the next minute as he talked trash to Castle on the mat. All of a sudden, Dalton burst into a feat of strength in which he picked up Silas and dumped him out of the ring! The "boys" were right there with the fans, as Castle attacked Silas on the outside. Silas tried to fight back, but Castle reversed with his patented huracanrana off the apron!

Back in the ring, Castle hit a running forearm and then a running knee in the corner. He followed up with what looked like a Black Hole Slam, but Young kicked out of the pin attempt. Castle came at Silas in the corner, but Young reversed into a DDT onto the bottom turnbuckle! Silas went for the cover but Castle kicked out at two. They jockeyed for position for a moment, until Silas hit his Killer Combo. Before he could capitalize, the "boys" got on the apron and distracted Young again. Silas went after them, but Castle was able to hit a tilt-a-whirl facebuster for the victory.

WINNER: Dalton Castle via pinfall in 10:42.

After the match, Silas grabbed the mic. He was almost out of breath as he muttered he was "getting damn tired of this." The fans chanted "shut up," but Silas refused because he is a "real man." He redirected his attention to Castle and said he didn't like the lifestyle Castle was leading with his "boys." Silas then challenged Dalton to a match in which the "boys" would be on the line. Silas promised to beat Castle and make "men" out of the "boys." Castle looked uncertain, while Kevin Kelly wondered if he would accept the challenge.

ANALYSIS: The match was just okay. Castle has an incredible connection with the crowd, but I felt the involvement of the "boys" was overkill here. I guess it made sense considering the post-match challenge, but I still thought it took away from the match. As for the challenge, it's a clever way to update an old stipulation for the 21st Century and I'm intrigued to see where ROH goes with it. (**1/4)

[Commercial Break]

Inside ROH: Mandy Leon introduced some classic clips of Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole as Future Shock. Clips then aired from a couple weeks ago on ROH TV when O'Reilly and Cole reunited to face The Addiction. O'Reilly and Cole defeated the ROH tag team champions, thus setting up a title re-match next week between the two teams. Mandy closed the segment by asking fans to predict the winners on Twitter.

[Reax: Great use of Inside ROH this week. Mandy Leon adds some much-needed sex appeal to the show, while announcing a big match in the process.]

Ringside: Kevin Kelly was standing with Bobby Fish. The show cut to clips of Fish winning an elimination-style match in Las Vegas to earn a shot at the ROH TV championship. Kelly asked Fish what his thoughts were on facing ROH World & TV champion Jay Lethal at All-Star Extravaganza in September.

Fish said he didn't think he would even fight Lethal for the title because he believed Lethal would drop the ROH TV Title to Hanson before then. Jay Lethal came out and got in Fish's face. Fish said he "was just being honest" with Lethal and said he had too much on his plate. ROH security escorted Lethal to the back, as Fish told Kevin Kelly that Lethal was scared of him.

[Reax: Effective, yet simple way to build to a future ROH TV Title match. In a couple of minutes, they explained how Fish earned a shot, got some words from the challenger, and then had a brief confrontation between the two wrestlers. Efficiency works!]

Kevin Kelly then threw to the Philadelphia/Brooklyn commercial hyping the return of NJPW stars to ROH.

2 -- WILL FERRARA vs. MOOSE (w/ Stokely Hathaway)

Prince Nana joined the commentary desk for this one. Both men shook hands and then the bell rang. Moose had a huge size advantage over the much smaller Ferrara. Ferrara out-quicked Moose in the beginning, but was soon neutralized by a big right hand. Ferrara went up top, but Moose hit an impressive standing dropkick that sent Ferrara to the outside!

Moose simply dominated on the outside, picking up Ferrara and just wheelbarrowing him repeatedly into the hockey boards. Moose rolled his opponent back in the ring and covered him, but Ferrara kicked out at two. Ferrara got to his feet and threw several chops at Moose, but they had no effect. Moose picked up Ferrara, but Will reversed into a DDT! Moose rolled to the outside and Ferrara went for a dive. Moose caught him, but Ferrara again reversed into a DDT!

Ferrara struggled to get Moose back into the ring. He succeeded before long and then climbed to the top. Moose ran up and then slammed Ferrara off the top! Moose then hit his spear for the victory. Prince Nana was impressed with Moose.

WINNER: Moose via pinfall in 3:24.

ANALYSIS: Good for what it was. Moose did his thing and Ferrara looked strong, despite doing yet another job. (*3/4)

[Commercial Break]

Backstage: Adam Cole wouldn't have believed it if someone told him he and Kyle O'Reilly would be challenging for the ROH World Tag Team Titles in 2015. He also couldn't believe that The Kingdom questioned his abilities in the ring. He said that one person who doesn't question his abilities is Kyle O'Reilly and then he vowed that he and O'Reilly would win the ROH Tag Team Titles from The Addiction next week on ROH TV.

3 -- IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team champions YOUNG BUCKS (NICK & MATT JACKSON) vs. RPG VICE (ROCKY ROMERO & TRENT BARRETA) - non-title match

All four men shook hands, as Kevin Kelly referenced RPG Vice's recent victory over the Bucks at an ROH live event in Las Vegas. Nick and Trent started the match, as the fans started a "Young Bucks" chant. They felt each other out until there was a stalemate at 0:35. Matt and Rocky then tagged in. Romero did his Eddie Guerrero schtick (to counter The Bucks's homage to the NWO, perhaps). Romero hit his series of clotheslines on Matt in the corner. The Bucks came in and double-teamed each of their opponents.

When the dust settled, Romero found himself in position for an IndyTaker, but was able to break free. Romero dove onto Matt on the outside, but Nick quickly followed up with a Swanton onto Rocky and Matt on the outside, as the show went to break at 2:25.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 3:25, the Bucks had Romero isolated. Nick mocked Romero with an Eddie Guerrero shuffle of his own. Nick raked Romero's back and then tagged in his brother. Matt went for his cartwheel back-rake, but Barreta broke it up. All four men then brawled on the outside, with RPG Vice coming out on top of the scuffle. Back in the ring, Romero did a cartwheel back-rake of his own to mock his opponent. He tagged in Barreta, who hit a standing moonsault which was good for a nearfall.

Romero was quickly tagged back in. He continued to dominate Matt, as the fans rooted for the Bucks. Trent laboriously called for a springboard move from the apron, but Nick ran over and superkicked him before he could pull it off! Romero hit some charging forearms in the corner, but Nick hit him with superkick as well! Nick became a house afire and nailed everyone in site. The Bucks then hit a moonsault/dive combo onto both of their opponents on the outside! Nick hit a Swanton on Romero back in the ring, but Rocky kicked out at two.

The Bucks went for a superkicks in-stereo, but Romero reversed into a double huracanrana! The Bucks fought right back when Nick kicked off of his brother and hit Sliced Bread on Romero! The show then went to another break at the 8:45 point in the match.

[Commercial Break]

Back at 9:45, Trent Barreta was fighting back against the Bucks, He nailed Matt with a Tornado DDT and then RPG Vice hit a Codebreaker/double foot stomp combo on Matt! Romero went for the cover, but Matt kicked out at two. Trent hit an enziguiri on Matt, but Nick came in with a blind tag and a superkick. Romero and Nick jockeyed for position for a moment, until RPG Vice hit a jumping knee/German suplex combo! Matt ran in and hit Trent with a superkick, but Romero was right there with a clothesline to Matt. All four men were down at 11:15. Amazing sequence!

"This is awesome" chant as Rocky and Matt traded blows in the corner. They fought to the outside, where RPG Vice hit their running knee Doomsday Device on Matt! Back in the ring, RPG Vice double-teamed Nick. Barreta finished off the sequence with a Shining Wizard, but he couldn't put Nick away. RPG Vice went for a double suplex on Nick, but he fought out of it. RPG Vice remained in control, however, and set up for a big double-team move. Before they could pull it off, Matt nailed Romero with a superkick and then Nick somehow reversed Barreta into a Canadian Destroyer!

Nick then made the hot tag to his brother. They hit a Buckle Bomb/enziguri combo, immediately followed by a Corner Cannonball/enziguiri combo! Nick hit a 450 Splash on Romero while he was draped across the middle rope, but somehow Romero kicked out of the pin attempt! Matt positioned Romero up top, but Baretta ran up and hit a German suplex. Somehow Matt landed on his feet and then both Bucks delivered superkicks to their opponents! The Bucks then hit More Bang for Your Buck on Romero for the victory!

WINNERS: Young Bucks via pinfall in 14:50.

ANALYSIS: Non-stop, creative action from all four men throughout. There was the blatant lack of selling that is common in this type of match, but man was this fun to watch. Perhaps the best match you will see on free TV all week. (***3/4)

After the match, The Addiction and Chris Sabin ran out and attacked both teams. Kaz and Daniels hit their Celebrity Rehab finisher on Matt Jackson. The Addiction and Sabin then taped Matt's arms to the top rope and beat on him. Nick tried to break it up, but the numbers game was too much for him. Daniels taunted the crowd as Kaz held down Nick. Daniels mockingly yelled "superkick party" before delivering a superkick to the helpless Nick Jackson. The heels took turns superkicking the even more defenseless Matt Jackson, who was still tied to the top rope. Daniels and Kaz then hit an IndyTaker on Nick Jackson! The heels continued to pummel both Bucks, as Nigel McGuinness looked on from ringside. Daniels, Kaz and Sabin posed for the crowd as the fans booed and the show faded to black.

FINAL REAX: Hot, hot angle to close the show. I take back everything I ever said about Daniels and Kazarian being bland. This was right up there with the original Knights of the Rising Dawn reveal where The Addiction and Sabin bloodied Kyle O'Reilly this past April. I am beyond psyched to [finally] see the Young Bucks involved in a meaningful blood feud in ROH, especially since reDRagon seems to have moved on from The Addiction.

The rest of the show was solid throughout. ROH has strung together three excellent weeks of TV since they fell into a bit of a rut around their 200th episode special. The timing could not be better with WWE NXT and ROH running head-to-head in some big markets over the next month. Between the up-and-coming stars, the hot angles and the improved production values, this is the best I have felt about ROH's TV product since I began covering the show for the Torch back in February 2014.

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