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McNEILL’s RING OF HONOR iPAY-PER-VIEW REPORT
April 1, 2017
ROH Supercard Of Honor XI.
Live From Lakeland, FL
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni, Kevin Kelly, and Colt Cabana
NOTE: We will be providing live coverage of this show beginning at 6:30 pm Eastern time.
“Event Start Delay, Please Stay Tuned”
We have the opening video package. After a short delay, we have video but no audio. And then there’s audio. In the past, there have been complaints about how low the crowd mic is. That’s not a concern here.
In case you haven’t heard, this is the largest crowd in Ring of Honor history.
(1) MARTY SCURLL vs. ADAM COLE for the ROH Television Title
Cole gets a strong babyface reaction. Scurll refuses the pre-match handshake. Cole gets a near fall from a dropkick, then Scurll takes over. They fight at ringside. Cole grabs Scurll’s umbrella to hit Marty, but Marty grabs his title belt for a standoff. The referee forces them to drop the weapons, and Scurll hits a thrust kick.
The crowd noise (and crowd size) gives this a big show feel that the ROH Anniversary Show didn’t have. Cole with a superkick. He taunts Scurll, but Scurll nips up and hits his own superkick. Scurll hits a brainbuster for a near fall.
Cole hits a shining wizard and teases the chicken wing, but Scurll counters by pulling the tights for a two count. Scurll does the finger break spot and a series of kicks, but Cole with a superkick and package piledriver for a very near fall. Fans bought into it as a probable finish.
Scurll with an umbrella shot to the head and a piledriver. Cole kicks out. The fans went crazy. Apparently this is awesome. After a series of reversals, Cole goes for a Tombstone piledriver but can’t hold Scurll. Second tombstone piledriver attempt comes short. Scurll hits a Jerry Lynn piledriver and locks in the chickenwing for the victory.
WINNER: Marty Scurll by submission in 13:01. In a different environment, this would have been the main event.
Video package setting up The Kingdom vs. Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser.
Taven takes the mic and calls the crowd a bunch of melvins. He blames Silas Young for costing The Kingdom the six-man titles. O’Ryan berates the fans for their lack of empathy after his injury in Vegas. #Melvins is tonight’s keyword.
Kevin Kelly announces Beer City Bruiser has been cleared of the DUI charges against him, and drank all the Yuenglings backstage. Silas gets promo time. He blames O’Ryan for getting injured, and Marseglia for getting pinned in the title match. Bruiser spits on Marseglia and we’re underway.
(2) MATT TAVEN & VINNY MARSEGLIA (w/ TK O’RYAN on crutches) vs. SILAS YOUNG & BEER CITY BRUISER
Judging by the commentary, The Kingdom are the babyfaces here. Some quality trash talking, with Vinny telling Bruiser he looks like a pumpkin. Young misses a tope. Marseglia attempts a sunset flip, but Young grabs Bruiser and Bruiser sits down on Vinny. Young gives Taven a rope ride and a springboard clothesline. Young superplexes Vinny. While both men are down, Bruiser and Taven hit top rope splashes from opposite corners. That’s not the finish.
Marseglia steals Bruiser’s cigar, lights it and goes to put it in Silas’s eye. Young blocks it and hits Misery, grabs the cigar, smokes it, and then gets the three count. Nice touch.
WINNERS: Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser in 6:57 when Young pins Marseglia. Perfectly acceptable second match.
Promo from Bully Ray, talking about the six man title match, and facing the Guerrillas Of Destiny for the first time tonight.
(3) BRISCOE BROTHERS & BULLY RAY vs. GUERRILLAS OF DESTINY & HANGMAN ADAM PAGE for the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Titles
Bully Ray has mentioned that The Dudleys trained Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa. The Guerrillas told Kelly they didn’t like Bully Ray’s training tactics. Mark Briscoe and Tama Tonga pound on each other for a bit. Tonga Loa takes over on Jay Briscoe. Kelly warns us that the Guerrillas are infamous for all the cursing they did during Wrestle Kingdom 11 (true story).
Double backdrop attempt on Mark, who lands on his feet and tags in Bully Ray. Bully asks the Guerrillas to shake hands. They do, they pull him in for a double shoulder tackle. The Bullets get Bully into their corner for some triple teaming. Bully almost fights his way off before getting cut off by Loa. Bully rallies with a double clothesline, then comes off the top rope onto all three heels.
Pier six brawl. The champs get the advantage. Bully Ray calls for the tables. When the Briscoes get the table, Page & Tama Tonga jump Bully from behind. The Guerrillas get the tables. Page trades strikes with Bully, but Bully spears the Hangman. Hot tag to Mark Briscoe for redneck kung fu. Mark tags Jay, then jumps from the top rope onto Tama Tonga.
The Tongas work over Jay Briscoe and tags in Page, who puts the boots to Jay. Jay rallies before Page hits a slingshot lariat. Bully gets tagged in and takes over before Tama Tanga spears Bully from behind. The Bullets set for a double superplex on Bully, but the Briscoes stack the Bullets up for a double doomsday device. They hit the Super 3-D on Tanga Loa for the finish.
WINNERS: Bully Ray & The Briscoes in 13:31 when Mark pins Tonga. A fun match, and a darn good first hour of wrestling.
The bullrope match is next. Jay Lethal cuts a Roddy Piper style promo and we get highlights from their match at Final Battle.
(4) “THE FRANCHISE” JAY LETHAL vs. “AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” CODY RUNNELS in a Texas Bullrope match
Lethal comes out in a white T-shirt and jeans. Cody comes to the ring on a motorcycle, wearing a T-shirt that reads “Lethal Sucks Eggs”. Cody refuses to let referee Todd Sinclair hook him to the bullrope. This is allegedly the same rope Dusty Rhodes used for his match with Superstar Billy Graham.
Kelly explains that this is one fall to a finish, not a match where you drag your opponent to all four corners. After a few minutes of punches, kicks and chokes, we go to the floor. Lethal ties Cody up with the rope. Cowbell shot by Lethal. Another. Lethal pulls Cody into the ringpost. Cody attempts to hide under the ring. When Lethal pulls Cody out from under the ring, Cody has been busted open.
Lethal bites Cody, and digs the bell into Cody’s cut. Lethal goes outside and gets a chair. He sets Cody up facedown on the chair and goes to the top rope, but Cody pulls Lethal off the top rope onto the chair. Cody with a series of punches. He teases the flip flop and fly, but Lethal counters. Cody goes to the knee, then starts whacking Lethal’s knee with the ring bell.
Cody hits Lethal in the back, then pulls out a table from under the ring. Cody attempts to suplex Lethal through the table, but Jay blocks it. Top rope dropkick by Runnels. Cody with the figure four leglock. Lethal eventually uses the cowbell to break the hold.
Lethal goes up top from Hail To The King, but Cody jumps up and slams Lethal off the top rope through the table for a big reaction. Cody rolls Lethal back into the ring. Kick to the doodads by Cody. Disaster kick. Cody’s Crossbow, and Lethal kicks out. Cody sets up Lethal for a superplex, then removes his right boot and whacks Jay with it. Lethal knocks Cody off the turnbuckle. Lethal goes for the top rope elbow, but Cody blocks it with the cowbell. Cody wants the Disaster kick again, by Lethal counters into the Lethal Combination.
WINNER: Jay Lethal in 17:26. Definitely not an ROH-style match, but the fans loved it. The announcers mention this is Cody’s first loss in ROH, and that Lethal should be back in the hunt for a World Title shot.
After the match, Cody is very subdued. He hands over the bullrope to Lethal before making the slow walk to the back.
Time for intermission. Fans watching at home will get to see the preshow matches. First up is a triple threat tag team bout.
(5) CHEESEBURGER & WILL FERRARA vs. THE REBELLION (SHANE TAYLOR & RHETT TITUS) vs. MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS
If you’ve taken a drink each time the announcers tell us this is the largest crowd in ROH history, you’re already unconscious. Ian and Kevin tell us there’s been dissension between Cheeseburger & Ferrara.
Sabin and Ferrara start. Sabin makes the blind tag to Shelley and tosses Ferrara. Cheeseburger comes in, and the Guns toss Burger over the top rope onto Ferrara. Titus takes over and hits a front slam on Will. Apparently Kenny King is out with an injury. Ferrara tries a sunset flip on Taylor, and that’s a bad idea.
Shane told Ian Riccaboni earlier The Rebellion is like family to him. Tag to Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger & Ferrara hit some double teams on Rhett, ending with a springboard top rope knee to the side of the Big Dog’s head. Titus rallies and hit a big splash on Cheeseburger. Will makes the save. The Guns come in, give Taylor a low bridge, then go to work on Ferrara. Cheeseburger uses Sabin to knock Shelley off the top rope.
Now we get a round of Everyone Hit A Finisher. The Guns catch Cheeseburger with a Motor City Bomb for the finish.
WINNER: Machine Guns in 9:24 when Sabin pins Cheeseburger.
After the match, The Rebellion and The Guns brawl to the back. Ferrara is chewing out Cheeseburger when Punishment Martinez hits the ring. Ferrara bails, and Martinez (barely) hits Cheeseburger with a spin kick. The crowd chants for Nakamura. Punishment wants his match now.
(6) FRANKIE KAZARIAN vs. PUNISHMENT MARTINEZ
Martinez surprises Kazarian with a beautiful suicide dive to the floor. Okay, that was impressive. Some more offense for Martinez, before Kaz surprises him with a springboard DDT. Slingshot cutter by Kazarian. Punishment kicks out at zero. Springboard legdrop by Kazarian. A second. A third. This gets Frankie a two count.
Hangman Page runs out and jumps on the apron. Kazarian kicks Page, then walks into MArtinez’s finisher.
WINNER: Punishment Martinez in 6:03 with the South Of Heaven Chokeslam. This felt like a TV match. Good, except for one weak spot.
A FITE TV ad airs, followed by a brief instructional on using the FITE TV app.
The show isn’t back from intermission yet. Still to come are Daniels defending the ROH title against Dalton Castle, Will Ospreay and Volador Jr. vs. Dragon Lee and Jay White, and the ladder match.
We return from intermission, and Bobby Fish is making his way to the ring, in his wrestling gear. Fish takes the mic and announces he’s not done with Ring Of Honor. More specifically, he wants a rematch with Jay Lethal. Silas Young’s music hits instead.
Silas says he’s sick of hearing about Jay Lethal, and he’s sick of Fish’s excuses for losing to him. Fish invites Silas into the ring. Impromptu match time.
(7) BOBBY FISH vs. SILAS YOUNG
Fish accidentally kicks ref Paul Turner. As Todd Sinclair makes his way to the ring to replace Turner, Silas Young grabs a chair and hits Fish with it.
WINNER: Bobby Fish by disqualification in 2:25.
Fish spears Young through the ropes to the floor. Fish sets up two chairs, but Young spinebusters Fish through both chairs. The two keep brawling to the back as the crowd chants “Let them fight”. The announcers hope we’ll get a Bobby Fish vs. Silas Young rematch on an upcoming show.
(8) DRAGON LEE & JAY WHITE vs. WILL OSPREAY & VOLADOR JR.
Dragon & White have teamed together in New Japan. This is Volador Junior’s ROH debut. Cabana remembers young Will Ospreay from Rev Pro. Volador Jr. comes to the ring holding a Mexican flag. He has 20 years experience and is La Parka’s nephew.
White and Ospreay start. White gets the advantage in early chain wrestling and does the Fargo strut. Tags to Volador and Dragon Lee. Spinning headscissors by Volador, but Lee lands on his feet. Dragon Lee sends Volador to the floor then hits a long-distance suicide dive.
White and Lee try to double team Volador, but he cleans house and tags in Ospreay. Yeah, they’re moving too fast for me to keep up, but I’ll keep typing. Ospreay catching Lee with a springboard spinning swanton bomb for a near fall. Lee ranas Ospreay off the apron to the floor while landing on his feet.
Ospreay goes for a Space Flying Tiger Drop on White. White catches Ospreay and slams him onto the apron. No kidding. White backdrops Volador over the top rope, but Volador lands on his feet. Ospreay hits White with Spanish Fly. Dragon Lee makes the save.
White catches Ospreay in the Tree of Woe. Double stomp by Lee gets a near fall. Lee goes to the floor. Ospreay runs up to the top rope into a springboard shooting star press onto Lee. Volador Jr. catches White with a top rope hurancanrana for the finish. The crowd thinks that was awesome.
WINNER: Will Ospreay & Volador Jr. in 13:57 when Volador pinned White. That was a hell of a deal. Sheer spectacle.
A video package for the ROH World Title Match, which is next. Dueling promos. Dalton Castle makes his entrance with The Boys. Colt Cabana complains, on cue.
(9) CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. DALTON CASTLE for the ROH World Title
Cruise introduces Daniels as the “World Champion of the World”. Nice callback. Cabana tells us Daniels is definitely the better wrestler. Dueling chants. Staredown. Castle goes to his corner and lets The Boys fan him. Daniels goes to the same corner. The Boys are about to fan him when Castle waves them off.
Daniels throws Castle to the floor, steals the fans from The Boys and fans himself. An incensed Castle comes in, hits a waistlock takeover and goes for side control. Castle clotheslines Daniels over the top rope, then struts.
Overhead throw by Castle for a near fall.
(Missed several minutes of this when the feed died.)
The two countered each other’s finishers, Castle goes for a German suplex, Daniels kicks Castle in the knee and rolls Castle up for three, right before Castle kicks out.
WINNER: Daniels by pinfall in 15:43. The announcers tease how close Castle came to winning the title with the bangarang.
After the match, the two wrestlers shake hands. Cody Runnels, wearing a suit, hit the ring and clotheslines both men from behind. Low blow to Castle. Cross Runnels on Daniels. Cody grabs the title belt. Kazarian runs down to make the save, but Cody runs off with the belt.
Okay, time for the main event. Video package airs showing the Bucks challenging the Hardys to the ladder match at the Vegas tapings.
(10) MATT HARDY & JEFF HARDY vs. MATT JACKSON & NICK JACKSON in a ladder match for the ROH World Tag Team Titles
The Young Bucks receive a great ovation. Kevin Kelly thanks them for the house. The Hardys do their vanilla, unbroken ring entrance. Shawn & Marty wish they could have afforded the Bucks’ gold and purple ring gear.
The ROH fans are very upset with someone’s owl. The Hardys throw away what I assume are the Superkick Party Tag Team belts. Matt and Jeff with double team moves on Nick, then Matt Jackson. Nick accidentally superkicks his brother, but Matt Jackson recovers and deliberately superkicks Broken Matt. The Bucks try their do-si-do superkick spot, but are hit with a double Twist of Fate.
The Jacksons lay out the Hardys with California Love, and get the ladders. Matt and Jeff pull the challengers down and hit a series of chops, earning “Delete” chants. The Hardys whip Nick Jackson, then Matt Jackson into the ladder.
The Bucks set up the ladders as a teeter totter. The Hardys block a double superplex attempt. Broken Matt sets up two tables side by side at ringside. The Bucks take over. Superkick and ladder under the chin on Jeff Hardy. Then Nick Jackson uses a 450 to splash Jeff through a table.
Matt Hardy and Matt Jackson climb opposite sides of the ladder. Broken Matt wins, but Nick Jackson is there. He buckle bombs Broken Matt into a round kick from Matt Jackson. Jeff Hardy comes back into the ring, and the Hardys hit a double back suplex on Nick that breaks the ladder.
Matt Jackson hits Broken Matt with a ladder to the midsection. Then, Jackson hits Matt with a tornado DDT onto the apron. Matt Jackson starts to climb, but Broken Matt stops him and hits a belly to back suplex. Matt Jackson tries to climb again, but Broken Matt tips over the ladder. Jackson jumps to a second ladder, can’t hang on, clears the top rope and lands on Nick Jackson, breaking the table Nick is lying on at the time.
No, that’s not the finish. The Matts climb opposite sides of the ladder again, and the ladder tips over, sending them crashing across the top rope. Now all four men try to set up the ladders. Matt Jackson touches the belts, but Matt Hardy pulls him off the ladder. Jackson climbs back up, and Matt Hardy tips over the ladder, sending Matt Jackson over the top rope through another table.
Nick fights off both Hardys by himself, giving Matt Jackson time to recover. Jeff goes for Whisper In The Wind, flying right into a double superkick. Matt Hardy fights off both Bucks. All four men are down. Again.
Jeff puts Matt Jackson through a table. Nick backdrops Jeff through a table. Matt Hardy side effects Nick Jackson through a table. And everyone recovers and start setting the ladders back up. Two ladders, one wrestler per side. The Bucks somehow superkick the Hardys off each ladder. Left alone, they grab the belts.
WINNER: The Young Bucks grab the belts at 25:25 to become ROH World Tag Team Champions for a third time. A few minutes shorter and a few less tables might have been better, but this was great.
Matt Hardy has the mic. He uses his Broken Matt voice and tells the Jacksons they are the best tag team the Hardys have ever faced. Matt calls them amazing and delightful, and says with the Bucks around, tag team wrestling is safe, and that tag team wrestling can fill a house.
Jeff Hardy sings the Obsolete Song to the Bucks, with the crowd joining in on the chorus. And the stream ends with Jeff in mid-verse.
Overall: Hell of a show. At the very least, catch the matches they’ll air on ROH Television. The international tag match, Scurll vs. Cole and the main event were very strong.
I know what you’ve read, but that sure felt like the Hardys’ last Ring of Honor match for a while.
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