ROH 338 – Charm City Challenge – 5th October 2013
I don’t have much to say in the way of an introduction here. Last week’s Minnesota show was a solid start to the Adam Cole era, and actually featured several attempts by ROH’s creative team to inject the undercard with some potential feuds and angles. That was very positive, but on the negative side, the in-ring action was decent without being particularly memorable and ultimately it was a decent but largely skippable DVD. Here’s hoping that this week we see the same creative focus on getting that midcard moving and a solid top-to-bottom show to go with it. Certainly the card is a decent one. All three championships will be defended, plus Steen/ACH, the third Jimmy Jacobs Trial Series match and the return of Outlaw Inc are all scheduled. Interestingly, we’re in Baltimore, MD for a live event/house show rather than a TV taping. Kevin Kelly is on commentary, with various guests throughout the evening.
Adam Page vs Eddie Edwards
ROH signed Page a while ago, but haven’t done much with him at all. He joined the throng of vanilla wrestlers scrambling around at the bottom of the card, and fans were never given a reason to care about him. Thankfully he’s a pretty talented performer and getting a singles match against a former World Champion is a solid opportunity for him.
Page has, by some distance, the worst music in ROH. Eddie looks in terrific shape, which makes sense with all the rumours going around about WWE try-outs. They take it to the mat, with Adam really showing what he’s made of by hanging with Die Hard as they go hold for hold. Eventually Edwards has had enough of the plucky upstart, and after absorbing a flurry of armdrags from the debutant he imposes himself on the match by dragging him around into multiple chop sequences. Tree of woe baseball slide dropkick nailed, followed by a Bryan Danielson-inspired Mexican surfboard spot. He’s having fun at the expense of the up and comer, but misses a double stomp and gets spun into a powerslam. Sadly Page shows some inexperience moments later as he tries to go to the top rope far too early. Edwards punishes him with a running boot to the jaw...but credit to Adam who knocks him back and delivers a flying crossbody. Backpack Stunner from Eddie…into the Achilles Lock. Page counters! The kid just won’t quit! Boston Knee Party scores, only for Adam to respond with the Red Star Press for 2. Edwards counters an avalanche neckbreaker attempt and connects with the double stomp second time of asking. DIE HARD! Edwards wins at 09:43
Rating - *** - One of Page’s better ROH matches so far, although given who his opponent was that shouldn’t be of any great surprise. They didn’t reinvent the wheel with the story they went for, but it was a solid back and forth match with the plucky kid showing his worth in a game but eventually unsuccessful effort against the highly skilled veteran. Page looks good even in defeat, and Eddie continues his gradual slide out of the promotion.
Roderick Strong vs Tadarius Thomas vs Antonio Thomas vs Caprice Coleman
How the hell does Antonio keep getting booked? Are there seriously no promising young talents out there who could bring more to the table? Roderick is head and shoulders above everyone in this match, and his presence in it exemplifies how rudderless his ROH career has become. It will be interesting to see how Tadarius and Caprice perform though. In the eyes of most people they are the ‘less talented’ halves of their respective teams. Is there any money in a singles run for either of them?
Coleman and TD begin the match, with Veda Scott on commentary positioning herself as Steve Corino’s legal representation as he tries to get his commentary job back. Strong and Antonio come in next. Kevin Kelly witters on about Antonio’s physique…which I guess is why he gets booked. When did ROH become the company that books guys with ‘the look’ rather than ‘the talent’? Strong takes it to Tadarius, comprehensively out-wrestling him and leaving him on the mat for all three of his opponents to take turns working him over. Antonio blocks Death By Roderick and starts driving knees into Roddy’s throat. Abdominal stretch next…before Strong tags out to Caprice. All three of his opponents spill to the floor, allowing Coleman to hit the SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT from the inside of the ring. TD unleashes a flurry of capoeira strikes then a half nelson suplex for 2. Roderick chases Tadarius up the ropes and scores 2 with a superplex. Antonio desperately tries to submit Mr ROH with a Rings Of Saturn but is hauled off by a rejuvenated Coleman. Death By Roderick on Antonio! Stronghold applied, forcing Antonio Thomas to tap out at 11:18
Rating - * - Sloppy, incredibly disjointed and completely forgettable. This match really didn’t have a lot going for it. Roderick looked completely disinterested, Tadarius is talented but so devoid of personality it’s scary, Coleman produced the only really noteworthy spot of the match, whilst Antonio really doesn’t have any business in an ROH ring at this stage of his career – even in a jobbing capacity.
Veda Scott grabs a microphone and continues to rally for Steve Corino’s reinstatement to the commentary booth. She’s interrupted by the ominous entrance music of Outlaw Inc. Having already broken her associate RD Evans’ fingers (and given Homicide’s history with Corino) she really should vacate the area ASAP.
Outlaw Inc. vs BLKOUT
Apparently this was originally scheduled to be the Outlaws against Monster Mafia. After their promising debut at A New Dawn that would have been quite the contest, but I guess a combination or their well-documented work visa issues meant they were canned. As a late replacement ROH has brought back Ruckus and BLK Jeez (Sabian). These four guys have a lot of history with each other so it should be interesting to see how they interact in 2013.
Eddie Kingston joins commentary and wants to know what happened to the ‘snow Mexicans’ (Monster Mafia). In the ring Homicide is chasing people round trying to shake hands – which BLKOUT wisely decline. Eddie starts with Sabian, quickly imposing himself and putting Jeez on the defensive. Finally Jeez drops Kingston with a rebound cutter…then sprints straight him with a SOMERSAULT PLANCHA! SHOOTING STAR OFF THE APRON by Ruckus! He heads to the top rope and nails Eddie with the moonsault leg drop. Flipping neckbreaker/double stomp combo from BLKOUT…as Homicide stands on the apron wielding a chair (but holding the tag rope so he’s legal!). Ruckus misses a handspring elbow and eats Kingston’s signature Back Fist. Hot tag to Homicide, who lays BLK Jeez out with the Ace Crusher for 2. Sabian retaliates with a flatliner, but Eddie is in the ring waiting to help his partner. Outlaw Inc. win with what appeared to be a Doomsday Eye Rake at 06:50
Rating - ** - It was a shame they messed up the finish so badly, because this was really entertaining before that. Tossing spots around for cheap kicks has never been a problem for Jeez or Ruckus. They were perfect foils for what ROH are looking to achieve with Outlaw Inc. in this one. They bumped around, sold the Outlaws as dangerous threats but had enough in their own arsenal to pop the crowd with their comeback spots. Homicide and Kingston were equally entertaining with their deranged, ‘honourable’ characters. At this stage of his career, given how much he’s slowed down since his incredible 2003-2007 career hot-streak, working in a team is a great move for Homicide. Particularly as he’s paired with a solid worker and outstanding promo guy in Kingston. ROH botched their debut at Manhattan Mayhem badly. And I know some of the live reports of their early matches hasn’t been great. But I think there’s real potential in the Homicide/Kingston partnership so I hope they stick it out.
Up next Adam Cole’s music hits – and he comes to the ring for some promo time. He proclaims himself the #1 wrestler on the planet, and pokes fun at the Briscoe family – saying he beat Mark ‘easily’ last week. Jay Briscoe is banned from ROH shows until he is cleared to return from injury, much to Cole’s delight. He’s not pleased, however, when he is interrupted by Roderick Strong – who calls him a chickensh*t for running away in the climactic moments of their Ringmaster’s Challenge at Road To Greatness weekend. According to Roddy they’ve faced each other six times in ROH – and are tied at 3-3. He wants one more match…and so does Cole. But not tonight! However, apparently Nigel has authorised it, so tonight we will see Cole vs Strong for the World Title. Security has to separate them after Cole unsuccessfully swings for Roderick with his title belt.
SIDENOTE – With rumours of an upcoming WWE try-out for Roderick Strong, I’d recommend he do whatever possible to make sure they don’t see this in-ring exchange. Promos have never been his strong suit and he really struggled to keep up with the impressive Adam Cole here.
Matt Taven vs Cedric Alexander – ROH TV Title Match
This should be a hell of a match. Cedric may well be ROH’s most improved performer over the course of 2013. He’s been criminally under-utilised and hasn’t had anywhere near enough opportunities to show just how good he is. Will he live up to his promise and end the lengthy TV Title reign of Matt Taven, or will Taven and the Hoopla circus prove too much for him? The title is up for grabs because Truth Martini think Taven is ‘more motivated’ when the stakes are at their highest.
No Seleziya in the HOT corner tonight, but she is ably replaced by Kasey Rae. It’s a slow start from the champion, with Alexander controlling the early exchanges. After several minutes of Cedric dominance, Taven is knocked to the floor in a heap. The Hoopla Hotties try to distract Alexander, but he’s not interested in them – swatting them aside to NAIL the somersault plancha. Todd Sinclair isn’t as steadfast, and allows himself to get distracted by Scarlett. In the ring Kasey dives off the top rope and climbs onto Alexander’s back. SUPERKICK/CODE RED COMBO by Taven and Kasey Rae! I suppose if you’re going to have outside interference at least make it an awesome spot like that. It is slightly ruined by Matt botching a nip up moments later though. Cedric fires back with a rebound enziguri…only for Taven to flee the ring again. Springboard lariat gets 2 for Alexander! He tries to follow it with a split-legged moonsault, but crashes down into the knees. CRADLE DDT instead! And Taven retaliates with a swinging neckbreaker with fantastic aggression and fluidity seconds later. Five Star Frog Splash misses! DETONATION KICK from Cedric! The Hotties save Taven’s title reign by pulling Alexander out of the ring! Springboard enzi by Taven…SECOND ROPE CLIMAX! Awesome spot, and it’s enough to retain the TV Title at 09:50
Rating - *** - Pretty much the usual Taven title defence. Some of the wrestling was really good, but the extra-curricular stuff from the House Of Truth detracted from it (as always). To accentuate the positives here, Alexander is a fantastic athlete who has really started to come into his own during 2013. He was outstanding, and I also thought that Taven stepped up to meet him. These are both well-built, agile guys and it was clear they enjoyed being able to innovate spots with a likeminded worker. The Climax out of the ropes to end the match was really cool.
Larry Mercer and Kevin Kelly have received word from Nigel McGuinness. Adam Cole will indeed be defending the World Championship tonight. He has to face Roderick Strong in a No DQ Match!
ACH vs Kevin Steen
Two of ROH’s most popular acts go head to head in this hotly anticipated match. Steen will be disappointed to have fallen at the semi-final stage of the World Title Tournament, and knows he needs high profile wins if he wants to get to the front of the queue of challengers to Adam Cole. It’s an entirely different agenda for ACH, who has produced some amazing performances against many of Ring Of Honor’s top workers this year – but is still looking for a career-defining victory.
Steen tries to intimidate ACH, shoving him around before the bell. He’s not going anywhere though, and even in the opening moments when Steen knocks him off his feet ACH continually bounces back up and gets into his face. Eventually Steen flattens him with a standing senton. Undeterred, ACH tries to bewitch his opponent with some unnecessary flips and spills…and is rightly punished with a resounding slap to the face. PESCADO MISSES! ACH lands face-first on the protective mats outside the ring. But he’s not there for long, as he is dragged to his feet and whipped into the guardrails with such force that he ends up in the laps of the front row fans. Such is the impact of the devastating spills into the barriers that Steen even has time to join Kevin Kelly for some commentary. ACH really doesn’t like that…but when he tries to do the same thing seconds later Steen responds by punching the headset clean off his head! He grabs the ropes to block the apron bomb, only for Steen to block Air Jordan by tripping the legs as he runs to the ropes. APRON BOMB NAILED! Steen steels a roll of tape, and decides he’s so fed up of ACH’s mouth that he wants to tape it shut! He’s unsuccessful though, with ACH booting him away with a climbing enzi strike. Knowing he is unable to lift of seriously trade strikes with Mr Wrestling, ACH wrestles smart. He starts by kicking the legs out from under his opponent, then takes to the skies with a high missile dropkick. Even that isn’t enough though, as Steen’s relentless offensive barrage restarts seconds later with a cannonball senton. Hanging DDT out of the ropes blocked…SLINGSHOT swinging flatliner from ACH! F-5 COUNTERED WITH A STUNNER! MODIFIED BIG BANG ATTACK…gets 2! I loved how he amended that move to accommodate Steen’s weight! Sadly it amounts to very little as he walks straight into the F-5. Package Piledriver blocked! AIR JORDAN! Followed up with a frog splash for 2. 450 Splash misses, and Kevin splatters him into the canvas with a powerbomb. Package Piledriver COUNTERED AGAIN with a rana! LARIATOOOO! PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! Steen wins at 14:21
Rating - **** - This was possibly less spectacular than matches like ACH/Strong and ACH/Elgin, but this was nevertheless another amazing undercard match from ACH this year. Kevin Steen was comfortably the more popular, so I really enjoyed the hasty recasting of ACH from popular high-flier to a ‘talks-too-much’ irritation. It made for some really entertaining little comedic moments and certainly didn’t tarnish ACH’s credibility at all. The wrestling itself was excellent too, which always helps. Steen’s tactic was to completely negate the high-flying of his opponent. Kevin Kelly nailed it on commentary – he went out to completely smother ACH. He didn’t let him get any distance, build up any momentum and was always in a position where he could use the weight difference to his advantage. And ACH wrestled the perfect match to counteract that. There wasn’t a single spot in the match where he picked Steen up. No suplexes, no slams. EVERYTHING that ACH did was perfectly plausible and logical for a smaller guy wrestling someone much bigger. He kicked the legs. He took to the air. He had to slingshot to get any kind of momentum. And the way he modified the Big Bang Attack to fit that was fantastic. I know it’s only a subtle little thing but I’m a huge mark for little touches like that. Great match…
Steen cuts a promo about his upcoming title shot against Adam Cole in November. That ended up being cancelled so we won’t dwell on it too much. He also has words for Michael Bennett – and says he’ll prove conclusively that he has the better piledriver at Glory By Honor.
Jimmy Jacobs vs Michael Bennett – Trial Series Match #3
The score on Jimmy’s quest for ROH redemption and a World Title opportunity in his hometown is currently 1-1 after two matches. He defeated Silas Young in match #1 (although it’s still to be aired on SBG TV so we’ve not seen it yet), but then lost to Kevin Steen in a brutal match last week at A New Dawn. Having fallen to Steen’s Package Piledriver in Minnesota, he now comes up against Bennett and his much-vaunted piledriver. It’s the move that put Jimmy’s long term friend-turned-rival-turned-friend-again BJ Whitmer out of wrestling. Since BJ’s apparent last act in ROH was to ask Nigel to give Jacobs his spot back, Jimmy will be keen to show some gratitude by beating up Bennett for him.
Jacobs didn’t appear to learn from last week, as he explodes out of the blocks and nearly loses in the opening seconds as he misses a spear and nearly gets pinned by Bennett. Ever-resourceful, Jimmy rana’s his opponent into the corner and does his best to cave his chest in with stomps. He tries to keep Bennett on the mat where the size difference isn’t a factor. Bennett blocks the trampoline double stomps though, and hauls him through the ropes with a swinging neckbreaker. Maria pokes fun at Bennett breaking BJ Whitmer’s neck as a result. He follows it with a strong lariat across the back of the head for 2. Jacobs hits the tornado snap suplex but is too beaten up to capitalise right away. Contra Code blocked…but so is Bennett’s Piledriver. REBOUND CUTTER gets 2 for Jimmy! END TIME! COUNTERED WITH A SPINEBUSTER! Bennett tries to mow Jacobs down with a spear…but it’s countered BACK TO END TIME! Maria Kanellis is in the ring distracting Todd Sinclair as Bennett starts to tap! Jimmy steals one of her furry boot covers! HUSS! HUSS! HUSS! RUNNING BOOT from Jimmy but it’s still just 2! That spot got a huge pop! He chases Michael up the ropes, only to eat the AVALANCHE Box Office Smash! Still 2! Jacobs rolls to the apron – much to Bennett’s delight! Jimmy blocks the apron Piledriver…SPEAR ON THE APRON! He tries to put Bennett through a chair with the tope suicida…but Maria drags him out of the way! Jacobs crashes through the open chair and lies slumped on the arena floor. Jimmy beats the 20-count much to the delight of the crowd. Box Office Smash blocked! Superkick…NO SOLD BY JIMMY! SPEAR…FOR 2! Repeated headbutts from Jimmy, only to have the Contra Code countered with a TKO. Does Jimmy have anything left now! He tries another rebound cutter…COUNTERED WITH A MID-AIR NECKBREAKER by Bennett! PILEDRIVER NAILED! Bennett finally wins, leaving Jimmy at 1-2 at 14:43
Rating - **** - This was totally different from Steen/ACH, but in many ways just as fun to watch. It wasn’t a great ‘wrestling’ match so to speak, but as a piece of sports-entertainment it had undeniable quality. The way they countered back and forth was enthralling. Jimmy Jacobs is so charismatic and so experienced he really made you believe his career was on the line in every move he made. Add to that a great crowd, some hilarious commentary from Kevin Kelly and Maria Kanellis and a hot climactic sequence which left you guessing right to the finish and I really found it impossible not to go 4* on this. It won’t be everyone’s idea of a great match. Certainly the purists, and those that are determined to hate on Bennett regardless of what he actually produces in the ring, won’t like this as much. But personally I thought this was a hell of a performance. Possibly Bennett’s best match of 2013, and one of Jimmy’s better efforts too.
Caprice Coleman joins commentary ahead of the next match, and wants to know why Elgin and Lethal are getting an opportunity at the Tag Titles when he and his partner Cedric Alexander have been campaigning for one. Remember, they’ve been screwed over multiple times with run-ins, getting booked into three-way title matches etc. All C&C want is a straight-up, 2vs2 championship opportunity
reDRagon vs Michael Elgin/Jay Lethal – ROH Tag Title Match
This was originally scheduled to be the main event, but has been bumped down due to the ‘impromptu’ Cole/Strong World Title headliner. With the American Wolves and the Forever Hooligans seemingly done with the Tag Title scene for the time-being, and with C&C WrestleFactory and Adrenaline RUSH not yet stepping up to earn a championship opportunity, suddenly challengers to Fish and O’Reilly are a little thin on the ground. Elgin and Lethal have some experience teaming together, but their main credentials for this opportunity are their prowess as singles workers. They are both established main event level talents in ROH, and even given their limited experience as a duo they represent a serious challenge to reDRagon’s title reign.
Caprice is weirdly really good at commentating. He should look into it as a post-wrestling career. Outlaw Inc. are in the crowd, eating pizza and hurling abuse at everyone in the ring. Given that they are in full clown get-up it’s a bizarre visual. Lethal hits the cartwheel dropkick on Fish…then the fight spills to the floor where he hits a tope suicida which wipes out both opponents. Elgin continues the assault, using his size to absolutely dominate Bobby. It’s the tag team cohesiveness (pointed out by Caprice) that brings reDRagon into the match. O’Reilly sneaks in for a legsweep/crossbody combo. However, Elgin is a one-man tag team in himself – and picks them both up for a DOUBLE back suplex! He then picks Kyle up for the stalling suplex, and holds it for so long that Kelly and Coleman start discussing the books they are reading rather than call the match. Lethal Combo on Fish…but as he lines up the Lethal Injection O’Reilly cracks him across the spine with a chair! That’s a game-changer, and the champions waste no time in isolating and working over the back of Jay Lethal. Flying knee drop/backbreaker combo gets 2. The next several minutes are spent grinding Lethal down. Even when Jay looks set to make the crucial tag reDRagon’s experience as a team comes into play – with O’Reilly hauling Unbreakable off the apron at the last moment. Finally Lethal drops Bobby with a DDT, but as all the impact is absorbed by his sore back he is again slow to get to his corner…and once again is mauled by the champions. Finally the hot tag comes, and in comes Elgin to lay waste to Fish and O’Reilly. Bobby saves his partner from the Spiral Bomb and clings desperately to a sleeper hold. ELGIN DEAD-LIFT GERMAN SUPLEXES O’REILLY EVEN WITH FISH ON HIS BACK! reDRagon are like a pack of dogs, continually snapping and striking at Elgin whilst his partner is incapacitated in the corner. Finally Fish drops him with the Saito suplex! LETHAL INJECTION on O’Reilly gets 2! Fish barely had time to make the save there! Hail To The King misses, and Kyle sweeps Lethal into the cross armbreaker. ELGIN BREAKS IT WITH A CORKSCREW SENTON! He then clocks Fish with a devastating Roaring Elbow. MISSILE DROPKICK FROM THE APRON BY O’REILLY! CHASING THE DRAGON! The champs retain at 20:21
Rating - **** - Another terrific match for this show. This one was a little longer and took more time to get going, but the quality was still extremely high. They worked a pretty standard tag formula, but that actually made perfect sense. Lethal and Elgin aren’t a regular team, and the story they told through the match perfectly emphasised everyone’s skills. And huge credit to Caprice Coleman, who fleshed it out on commentary far better than Kevin Kelly was able to do.
Adam Cole vs Roderick Strong – ROH World Title No DQ Match
These guys have had multiple matches across the past couple of years – and more often than not it’s been Cole who had the upper hand. He was the one to end Roderick’s TV Title reign. He’s beaten him in controversial circumstances a couple of times this year too. In fact, apparently they are now 3-3 in ROH (I can’t be bothered to read back through multiple reviews to find out if that’s actually accurate), so they need one more to settle their rivalry after the Ringmaster’s Challenge at Road To Greatness failed to do that. Nigel McGuinness has signed off on this match, and given Roddy the added protection of no disqualifications and no count-outs, preventing Adam from taking a cheap victory as he has done in the past. Can Mr ROH, one of only two Triple Crown winners in ROH history, become only the second ever 2-time World Champion?
Strong seems to have the edge on Cole when it comes to mat wrestling, forcing him to repeatedly hide in the ropes. Not that that should matter in a No DQ match but there you go. In the end Roddy chops the champion with such force that he is catapulted backwards and falls out of the ring. They fight on the apron, in a similar position to the table incident at Best In The World 2013. Strong blocks Cole’s attempt to wheelbarrow him into the apron…only for Adam to fling him into the ringpost. That knocks him silly and he struggles to recover. Cole returns to the ring and tries to wear him down with chinlocks and sleepers. OCEAN CYCLONE HALF NELSON BACKBREAKER by Strong! But he can’t capitalise, and stumbles into the DVD over the knee as Cole reasserts himself. The champion gets cocky and takes far too long to scale the ropes though – getting caught in a huge superplex. Urinage backbreaker gets 2 for Strong. It’s Cole’s turn to show resilience, as he catches Strong coming in with a Shining Wizard. Florida Key blocked…so Cole turns into a Michinoku Driver for 2. Roderick hits back with the Olympic Slam. Death By Roderick COUNTERED to the Figure 4 Leglock. Strong makes the ropes…but since it’s No DQ Adam is able to maintain the hold for a little longer. They fight on the apron again, with Roddy countering a superkick with a CRADLE BACKBREAKER ON THE APRON! Sick Kick nailed…but Roddy is tired (this is his second match of the night) and is slow to cover. Orange Crush Backbreaker blocked…and Cole gets 2 with the superkick to the back of the head. He grabs his title belt, but before he can use it Roderick knees him in the jaw. Stronghold locked in! Cole escapes by blasting him in the head with the belt! ROLLING URINAGE BACKBREAKERS! DEATH BY RODERICK! SICK KICK! COLE KICKS OUT! GIBSON DRIVER! GETS 2! Roderick is in disbelief, and tries to finish it off with an avalanche Gibson Driver. Cole blocks it! PANAMA SUNRISE! Cole retains at 19:19
Rating - *** - These guys have had so many matches against each other, but actually the vast majority of them have been rather underwhelming. The TV Title change match was good. I really liked the Ringmaster’s Challenge as well, but a lot of the rest really blur into one. This match was ok. It became really exciting at times. But I didn’t ‘get it’. There was nothing here to generate an emotional connection with the match, as a viewer. It was just two guys trading spots. There wasn’t a lot of selling, almost zero story telling. It was one guy hitting a spot, the other lying around for a bit. Then getting up and hitting his spot. They basically rinsed and repeated that formula for damn near 20-minutes. Some of the exchanges really clicked, but I found the majority of this to be a little underwhelming. I like Cole, and his character shift since winning the belt has proved beyond question that he is a good choice to be World Champion at the moment. But he’s not had the best 2013 when it comes to in-ring performances, and that’s something he’ll need to step up if his reign is to be a memorable one.
Kevin Steen joins Adam Cole in the ring…but before he can say a word he is jumped from behind by Michael Bennett. Michael Elgin runs in to make the save, and the show fades out with Steen and Elgin standing tall in the ring as Cole and Bennett retreat.
Tape Rating - *** - Although it gets the same rating, I found this show more enjoyable than A New Dawn. If I gave half stars this would certainly get an extra half. The first 40 minutes or so was patchy (Edwards/Page was good, but the following matches and in-ring segment were pretty indifferent)…but from there the show really picked up. Steen/ACH, Jacobs/Bennett and the Tag Title Match were all outstanding matches well-worth checking out. When you include two other decent title matches as well, it amounts to a really solid house show in front of an outstanding Baltimore crowd who contributed positively to almost every match. Had the main event been better my Tape Rating could have been higher still.
Top 3 Matches
3) Michael Bennett vs Jimmy Jacobs (****)
2) reDRagon vs Michael Elgin/Jay Lethal (****)
1) Kevin Steen vs ACH (****)