ROH on Sinclair – Episode 029 – 7th April 2012
We take a two week break from fresh content after this episode tonight. I’m hoping ROH does what they can to sign off in style – particularly for the fans who forked out the cash to watch the ppv, had a terrible experience watching it live and will next week find out that Ring Of Honor is giving away the choicest cuts of the double header in Florida on free television. The scheduled main event will see the winner of the March Mayhem tournament crowned, and that person will leave $24,000 make believe dollars richer too. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are in Baltimore, MD
Young Bucks vs TJ Perkins/Shiloh Jonze
There’s no real reason for this to happen, but it should be a fun procession of high spots if nothing else. Matt and Nick Jackson went 1-1 with ANX in the Dual Duel at Showdown In The Sun, although their victory owed more to luck than skill. If they want to get back into the hunt for the tag titles then they need to win here. Perkins is generally pretty impressive in this televised undercard matches, but never given much to work with. And, whilst I’m usually critical of the amount of OVW guys that are brought in, Shiloh was decent at Rise & Prove so I don’t mind him as an enhancement talent so much.
As ever, the Bucks aren’t taking their opponents too seriously and they sucker punch TJP before looking to double team Jonze. Perkins distracts them with his hang in the ropes gimmick, giving Shiloh the chance to land a flying clothesline for 2. Nick drags him up by the hair though, exposing him to a top rope double stomp from Matt. Shiloh is taking a real beating but does finally get the hot tag to TJ. He hits really sloppy neckbreaker on Matt as Jonze clobbers Nick with an enziguri. To the top rope goes Jonze…as a random clip of Adam Cole fighting Chris Silvio is shown. What the hell? Matt catches him with a mid-air superkick. More Bang For Your Buck wins it for the Bucks at 06:07
Rating - DUD - Horrible, awful, ghastly match there. It was riddled with bad camera work, production errors and to top it off the actual bout sucked eggs too. The Jacksons were in total cruise control and barely broke into a sweat…and since Perkins needed to be protected in this, it was basically the Bucks slumming it with Shiloh for almost the entire duration. The Bucks and TJ deserve more than this…
Matt Taven vs Mike Mondo
Neither of these two have a great won/loss record in ROH, but this is a real grudge match. They first met as opponents back in February but had their match curtailed thanks to an interruption by Kevin Steen. A week later they were put together as partners to test the fledgling new duo of Eddie Edwards and Adam Cole…during which Mondo continually belittled Taven – then attacked him after their loss. Now Matt wants revenge and has been given the stage on national television to get it done.
Taven refuses to shake hands with Mondo which kick starts a huge brawl. Matt beats his opponent out of the ring and refuses to let him back. Back suplex attempt…and Mondo lands ugly and immediately looks to have suffered a leg injury. He rolls out of the ring, removes his boot and appears to want to leave. It’s all a rouse though, and when Taven goes out to check on him Mike MURDERS him against the guardrails. Taven is nearly knocked unconscious, but still manages to catch him with a POWERSLAM ON THE FLOOR! Payback is a b*tch for Mondo as Taven repeatedly flings him into the crash barriers. STALLING SUPLEX ON THE RAMP! He flies back into the ring with a crossbody from which Mike struggles to kick out. He tries it again only to have it COUNTERED with a mid-air flatliner. DOUBLE ARM DDT! Mondo wins at 06:10
Rating - *** - Where the hell did that com from? Like Kevin Kelly said on commentary, we were ‘expecting a wrestling match but got a car wreck’. This was such an unexpectedly heated match, and completely out of character to how SBG usually book their jobbers. I was expecting a few minutes of back and forth before Taven inevitably stared at the lights to continue the OTT Mondo push. These guys turned it into a hell of a brawl, told a great story and made both of them look a million bucks. Taven is obviously gifted and it’s clear why WWE are sniffing around, but Mondo deserves credit here too. More matches like this and he might just convert me into a fan yet…
INSIDE ROH – Kevin Kelly introduces exclusive footage of a press conference to announce the next internet ppv – Border Wars – which take place in Toronto during May. Fit Finlay’s ROH debut and Rhino’s return are announced, but the proceedings are interrupted as Kevin Steen crashes the party to demand Jim Cornette give the fans the match they want – Richards vs Steen. Davey demands the match is booked, WITH the Package Piledriver being made legal, and threatens to quit if it isn’t. The Executive Producer has no choice but to agree, and demands Davey’s assurances that he will win
Adam Cole vs Tommaso Ciampa vs Mike Bennett vs Jay Lethal – March Mayhem Final
Four men collide under elimination rules, with the last man standing walking away with a $24,000 prize. The motivations for all four are different, but they all want the same end result. Cole knows he’s on a hot streak and will keep climbing the ladder with a win in this tournament. Bennett wants to prove he’s the top superstar in ROH. Meanwhile Lethal and Ciampa are embroiled in an increasingly personal issue. Of course they’d like to win, but this one also represents their first chance to lay hands on each other since the anniversary show.
Lethal doesn’t even want to wait for the introductions; he just wants to start fighting Tommaso right away. Amusingly Cole and Bennett don’t mind at all and step onto the apron happy to let them fight it out. Jay drives his rival out of the ring and as he locks up with Bennett there is chaos on the floor as Ciampa and The Embassy Ltd clash with Bob Evans and Maria Kanellis. Nana and RD Evans have to convince Tommaso to take a chill on the apron – protecting their investment whilst others carry the fight. That leaves the babyfaces forming a makeshift alliance to work over The Prodigy. Ciampa can’t be restrained any longer and as three men fight on the floor Cole hits a SUICIDE DIVE ONTO ALL OF THEM! At the commercials we’ve not had an elimination, and it remains that way when we return. Ciampa and Lethal are still beating the snot out of each other as Bennett gives Cole a SPINEBUSTER ON THE APRON! Lethal Injection countered with a dropkick…only for Bennett to piss Tommaso off by blind tagging himself in. LETHAL INJECTION on The Prodigy! Bennett is the first man down at 07:58 (shown). RUNNING KNEE STRIKE! Ciampa eliminates Lethal at 08:06 (shown) and we’re left with two – the Dominant Male and the injured Adam Cole! BARE KNEE STRIKES! COLE NO SELLS TO HIT A SUPERKICK! Both men are down! Ciampa falls out of the ring…but CATCHES COLE GOING FOR A TOPE SUICIDA AND GIVES HIM AN AIR RAID CRASH ON THE FLOOR! FOR 2! Project Ciampa blocked and turned into a sleeper hold! Tommaso nearly goes out, only to muscle himself back to a vertical base. Cole sets up the crossbody only for Nana to crotch him on the ropes. PROJECT CIAMPA! Tommaso wins at 12:44 (shown)
Rating - *** - For the second week running, although that was pretty cheap, I had an absolute blast watching it. These are four of my favourite workers on the roster right now and seeing them get some decent time in the main event of the TV show was a treat. Cole got his big win in New York, Lethal is already an credible main eventer after the Richards matches, whilst Bennett is in the doghouse after failing to live up to the hype in 2011…so Tommaso was absolutely the right man to win. I complained they didn’t give him the TV Title in New York then randomly gave it to Roderick in Florida…but at least they pulled the trigger on Ciampa tonight. He was the outstanding performer in this one, playing up the ‘Sicilian Psychopath’ persona really well. Cramming an elimination match into less than 15 minutes is never easy…so these guys did the right thing in working at full pace from the outset. Everything after the commercial break was really exciting.
Veda Scott tries to present the winner’s cheque to Ciampa, but Nana takes it and dances like a goof as the show comes to an end.
NEXT WEEK – Road Rage from Showdown In The Sun
Tape Rating - *** - Good show again. The horrible Young Bucks tag at the start was one to forget but with the shockingly good Mondo/Taven match, the explosive Border Wars press conference footage (and the main event for the next ppv signed), as well as the finals of March Mayhem, there was still plenty to enjoy. If, like me, you’re a real fan of how Tommaso has grown into his role as The Embassy’s Crown Jewel in 2012 thus far, this is certainly an episode to check out.
SIDENOTE – Since it’s Road Rage next week I’ll do the usual Top 5 now…
ROH on SBG Episodes 26-29 – Top 5 Matches
5) Jay Lethal vs Roderick Strong (*** - Episode 026)
4) Mike Mondo vs Matt Taven (*** - Episode 029)
3) Mike Bennett vs Eddie Edwards (*** - Episode 028)
2) Tommaso Ciampa vs Adam Cole vs Jay Lethal vs Mike Bennett (*** - Episode 029)
1) Adam Cole vs Michael Elgin (*** - Episode 027)