ROH on Sinclair – Episode 034 – 12th May 2012

I always find these episodes where ROH runs a ppv in competition with their own TV show a little strange. The TV episode almost becomes a dead duck as the good/important stuff happens on the internet ppv event. Take tonight, we have Richards vs Rhino scheduled to headline in the Proving Ground. Sure I’m looking forward to the match, but it’s significance is immediately lessened by the fact that Davey lost at Border Wars. Anyway - with that main and Chikara on the show as well, at least we should be entertained. We’re in Baltimore, MD with Nigel McGuinness and Kevin Kelly.

Charlie Haas/Shelton Benjamin vs D-Line
Debut of a new team here – imaginatively named ‘Bodysnatcher’ and ‘Black Ice’. Personally I think that’s pretty goofy, but then I’ve never been particularly gangster. Haas and Benjamin were building up to their Fight Without Honor at Border Wars when this was taped, so will presumably be looking for a quick and emphatic victory.

Huge pop and chant for D-Line. Nigel seems as perplexed by their ring names as I was so maybe it’s an English thing. Black Ice starts with Shelton but gets distracted by Haas on the apron. Benjamin pounces to floor him with a simple boot to the face. WGTT quickly set to work cutting the ring in half and working Ice over. They focus on the leg, seemingly to set up the Haas Of Pain. Black Ice has no interest in selling it though, instead lunging off the second rope into a shoulder tackle then makes the hot tag to Bodysnatcher. He gets 2 on Charlie with a body avalanche. Benjamin superkicks Snatcher’s legs from under him, and Charlie locks in the Haas Of Pain. WGTT win at 05:53

Rating - * - Fundamentally there wasn’t anything wrong with this, so I didn’t feel comfortable calling it a DUD. But in reality I had no interest in seeing it. D-Line, inspirational as their charity may be, didn’t look like ROH level competitors and WGTT certainly weren’t going to bust their asses to make them look like it. For an enhancement match this was way too long – no need for it to be on TV at all.

Los Ice Creams/Ophidian vs The Colony
Chikara invade ROH TV and get set for signature trios action. We saw The Colony emerge victorious from a terrific 6-man at Unity in Chicago, and the group will look to go 2-0 against the returning Ophidian (who worked Gabe’s last weekend as head booker) and the debuting Los Ice Creams.

Ultramantis Black is on commentary to add more of a Chikara flavour to proceedings. Los Ice Creams somehow take it to all three Ants at once, but soon the situation turns and it’s Fire Ant and Green Ant attacking Ice Cream Jr. Soldier hits the multi-revolution satellite headscissors…before Ophidian drops Fire with a German suplex. Fire retaliates with a rope-run flying headscissors on Ice Cream Jr. Saluting Headbutt gets 2 for Soldier in the melee. ANTAPULT wipes out Los Ice Creams before Ophidian traps Green Ant in the Ophidian Death Grip. ANT HILL! The Colony win at 04:37

Rating - ** - It provided some diversity and something you don’t see on too many ROH TV episodes, so I appreciated it from that point of view. However, personally this wasn’t to my taste. Lots of sloppy exchanges and semi-botches as the six guys rushed to fit way too much into too little time. How ROH can justify giving the WGTT match over a minute longer than this is beyond me.

Jay Lethal vs Ricky Reyes
Seriously? Another squash match? I know this episode is borderline meaningless as we have a ppv going on at the same time, but who booked this? To be fair, these guys are vastly experienced and should be able to produce something watchable…and Lethal needs a few enhancement wins to look strong following his TV Title loss, but I question the timing.

Reyes wastes no time in jumping Lethal and seizing the initiative right away. He scores an early nearfall with a neckbreaker and stays on that body part with a neck vice. Eventually Jay returns fire with a flurry of strikes then a handspring elbow for 2. Swinging neckbreaker puts the former TV Champion down for another 2-count though. Lethal Combination nailed out of nowhere, and followed by the Lethal Injection for the win at 03:40

Rating - * - Much as with WGTT/D-Line there wasn’t anything technically wrong with this, but I just had no interest in seeing it. And whoever thought having Lethal work a 3-minute match against a jobber where he gets his ass kicked for most of it was a good idea should be fired.

Davey Richards asks Veda Scott why Truth Martini is wasting his money employing Rhino to take him out when he already has Michael Elgin. Is that a thinly veiled shot at ROH management?

INSIDE ROH – Kevin Kelly announces that we have a rematch from March Mayhem – as Eddie Edwards faces Mike Bennett looking for revenge for the shady defeat he suffered in the tournament. It’s booked for next week.

Next week also sees the final showdown between the Young Bucks and ANX.

Rhino tells Veda he’s going to rip Davey in half in tonight’s main event…

Davey Richards vs Rhino
Proving Ground rules here, meaning if Rhino wins or makes it to a time limit draw he’ll earn himself a World Title shot. As a former World Champion in other promotions he surely represents one of Davey’s toughest tests in the Proving Ground thus far. It’s a continuation of the long running Richards vs House Of Truth feud. We know Roderick and Truth don’t like Davey. Roderick tried to dethrone Richards and failed. Elgin got his shot at Showdown In The Sun – and likewise failed. Now Martini has turned to the paid hitman to get the job done.

Rhino is still super over with the live crowd, and with no pressure on him to win he methodically stalks Davey around the ring rather than charging straight into battle. His power advantage is pronounced, and emphasised when he hits a shoulder block with such force that Richards nearly falls out of the ring. Davey goes after the legs, which is a smart strategy, but such is Rhino’s size that he visibly struggles to lock in a Cloverleaf submission. The Man Beast leaves the ring, blocks a kick attempt and DRILLS Richards into the apron. The fight spills to the floor, obviously favouring the former ECW Champion, so Davey sensibly brings it back inside with a diving headbutt. Cross armbreaker attempted only for Rhino to simply PUNCH his way out. Spinebuster nearly sends the World Champion through the ring and gets a 2-count. We go to commercials there, and return with Kelly informing us that Rhino has spent the entire break targeting Davey’s midsection. Davey is clearly hurt, but somehow hits a running punt even whilst clutching his ribs. ELBOW SUICIDA NAILED! Huge score for Davey, but did that do more damage to himself than it did to his opponent? Missile dropkick get 2…but again Rhino is on his feet before the champ! HUGE forearms from Rhino! They looked f*cking brutal so it’s to Davey’s credit that he absorbs them and hits an EXPLODER SUPLEX! Buzzsaw Kick COUNTERED with a belly to belly suplex from the War Machine! STRONGHOLD ON RICHARDS! Roddy is at ringside and applauding the use of his move on his great rival. COUNTERED to the Anklelock! Somehow Rhino powers out and knees Davey in the face! GORE…LEAPFROGGED! Davey catches onto a sunset flip and somehow rolls Rhino up for the victory at 12:40 (shown)

Rating - *** - I’ll admit to being sceptical about bringing Rhino back as a fulltime roster member, and even more doubtful when he was transferred into the House Of Truth, which immediately damaged the Michael Elgin’s heat and credibility. But, to give credit where it’s due, he cuts a good promo and in his two serious matches this weekend he’s worked very hard and put both American Wolves over clean. I really liked the physicality of this one, and loved the story-telling we got to see in front of a decent live crowd too. For a free TV main event this was a blast.

Roderick Strong had been lurking at ringside menacingly all match, and as Davey takes the win there’s a sense of inevitability as he dives into the ring and launches into an attack on the World Champion. Jay Lethal makes the save and fights off the entire House Of Truth by himself…

Tape Rating - * - Whilst Richards/Rhino was quite fun, it was nowhere near enough to salvage what was a really lousy show. Trying to shoehorn four matches into 45 minutes of television isn’t workable and I had no interest in vast portions of this. D-Line aren’t good enough to be here. The Chikara match was too short to mean anything, and who the f*ck thought putting three minutes of Ricky Reyes beating up Jay Lethal onto national television was clever? I said at the start of the show that I tend to find the TV shows clashing with ippv’s a little bit pointless…and judging from this so do ROH.
 

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