ROH on Sinclair – Episode 080 – 30th March 2013
It’s the go-home show for Supercard Of Honor 7, but the main focus for this episode will be SCUM. Last week Nigel McGuinness agreed to book an entire show of ROH vs SCUM matches this evening. With bragging rights and company pride at stake, there’s sure to be some heated battles. We can also expect a verdict on who gets to face Matt Taven for the TV Title on ppv after ROH’s Adam Cole and SCUM’s Matt Hardy fought to a no contest in last week’s main event. This is the third episode from the block of shows taped in Chicago Ridge, IL. Kevin Kelly and Caleb Seltzer to call the action.
Suspiciously absent from SCUM’s activities last week was Kevin Steen. He opens the show tonight, making his first appearance since the 11th Anniversary Show. He can’t even utter a word before Jay Briscoe comes out to meet him. Jay goes so redneck is unreal, and berates Steen for 'threatening his livelihood'. Before Steen can reply he is interrupted by Steve Corino in the crowd. The champ has to steal Corino’s microphone to make him shut up. When he’s finally allowed to talk, Steen simply calls Jay a b*tch then walks out…which leaves Corino alone with him. Briscoe threatens Steve with ascrewdriver, but Cliff Compton and Rhett Titus come to Steve’s aid…and before long we have our first match as Mark Briscoe, Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander rush the ring for a fight.
Rhett Titus/Cliff Compton vs Caprice Coleman/Cedric Alexander
Mark and C&C were both part of the spectacular SCUM beatdown that concluded the 11th Anniversary Show, and are here tonight looking for revenge and to uphold the honour of ROH. This is Compton’s debut match.
Cedric tears the jacket off Titus, but struggles to fight out of SCUM’s corner and finds himself crotched against the ringpost by Compton. Kevin Kelly fleshes out Cliff’s backstory, pointing out that he is a former OVW guy and felt slighted by ROH when he didn’t get the call to this promotion like so many other Ohio Valley guys. Alexander is well and truly cut off from his partner, but at last manages to roll under a lariat attempt from Titus into a hot tag. As we come back from a commercial break we see Rhett cutting Coleman off as he prepares a dive to the floor…so Caprice simply runs at him, and bounces off him into the moonsault to the floor on Cliff. Jimmy Rave runs in and gives Cedric a SICK apron bump as he shoves him off the top rope. Jimmy Jacobs is out too, handing Compton some powder which he throws in Caprice’s eyes. Rhett’s dropkick (for f*cks sake, am I supposed to buy that as a finisher now? I really don’t like Rhett anymore) finishes Coleman at 05:37 (shown)
Rating - ** - This had it’s moments, particularly from Caprice and Cedric who are really starting to come into their own as a team. Sadly a large portion of the match was aimless, uninteresting and basically killing time for an overcooked finish.
Mike Mondo runs in to save C&C from an assault at the hands of Rave and Jacobs…and just like that we have our next match
Jimmy Jacobs vs Mike Mondo
This is Mike’s first Ring Of Honor match since he broke his ankle battling Mike Bennett at Glory By Honor last year. Prior to that injury he’d been in great form, finally earning the fan’s respect with a series of surprisingly decent matches. How close to full fitness is he, and will Jimmy (who has been a very active roster member thus far in 2013) have the stamina edge on him here?
With Jacobs down, Mondo takes the opportunity to toss Rave into the crowd like trash. CORKSCREW PESCADO on Jacobs! It’s time for another ad break with Mike hanging Jimmy in the corner to put the boots to him. When we return the match is still in that same corner…except the tables are turned and it’s Jimmy knocking Mondo of the ropes to the outside. A Cactus Elbow follows, leading to a brawl all around ringside. He sits Mike up, setting him for the TOPE SUICIDA THROUGH A CHAIR! Mondo crawls under the ring, appearing on the other side to trip Jimmy into the apron. Mind Trip nailed for 2. He misses a second rope knee drop, but is so fired up that before Jacobs can even turn round he has him on the mat again with a big spear. End Time applied! This is testing Mondo’s conditioning but somehow he stands up and tries to counter to the double underhook DDT. Jimmy looks for the Contra Code…but that’s blocked too! He ends up pinning Mondo using the ropes at 06:34 (shown)
Rating - ** - Much like the first match of the evening, this one had some bright points (such as that electric counter sequence at the end) but featured far too much filler, went on waaay too long and all built to a disappointing and flat finish.
INSIDE SCUM – Since it’s a SCUM show, they have hijacked Inside ROH this week. Steve Corino hosts the episode and runs down the motivations for all the new talent joining SCUM. He signs off by promising another Kevin Steen victory at Supercard Of Honor 7.
Jay Lethal/BJ Whitmer/Michael Elgin vs Steve Corino/Matt Hardy/Rhino
Originally Steen was scheduled to be in this one, but he has been ‘given the night off’ by Corino and replaced by Matt Hardy – who presumably is still stewing over the events of last week’s match with Adam Cole. As SCUM are already 2-0 tonight they will leave the evening with the bragging rights, but Team ROH have sent some big hitters to pursue victory in tonight’s ROH vs SCUM main event.
Corino is so unhinged he plans to wrestle in his three-piece suit and glasses. He tries to recruit Lethal for SCUM…only for Jay to knock his glasses off and stomp on them! Twist Of Fate attempted on Elgin, who easily blocks it and lifts Hardy into the air for a stalling suplex. Rhino and Lethal collide in a Final Battle rematch with the Man Beast eating a springboard dropkick for 2. There are bodies lying all over ringside, and Bobby Cruise can be seen running for cover as we go for our last commercial break of the evening. SUICIDE DIVE BY LETHAL as we return! Rave, Compton, Jacobs and Titus are all at ringside as well now! In the ring Hardy takes Whitmer down with a Side Effect then leaves the ring to allow the still-suited Corino to abuse the fallen Buzzsaw. In a repeat of the 11th Anniversary, the SCUM crew handcuff Lethal and Elgin to the ropes meaning in the ring the three legal SCUM representatives have a free reign to abuse the helpless BJ. Such is Elgin’s power that, despite being handcuffed, Rave and Jacobs still have a real struggle keeping him out of the contest. Whitmer grabs Rave for an exploder suplex then turns his sights on Corino. Turning his back isn’t a great idea, as he doesn’t see the GOOOOOOOOOOOORE coming! Rhino tries to make Corino pin BJ, but the King Of Old School declines the honour and passes it to Hardy. TWIST OF FATE! Matt wins at 08:11 (shown)
Rating - *** - Easily the best of the three matches this evening. The wild, chaotic nature of the match got some hot reactions from the small crowd and, unlike the other two matches this evening, the overbooked finish actually felt completely appropriate. I loved how they repeated the 11th Anniversary trick of handcuffing guys to the ropes, and felt it was a real tip of the hat to the ROH/CZW war to have BJ be the guy in the ring being the implied sacrificial lamb for Ring Of Honor. Really hot main event.
The triumphant members of SCUM try to leave through the crowd…but are actually chased away as Lethal and Elgin are finally freed. An irate Jay Briscoe comes back out to promise that ROH will kill SCUM and he’ll leave Supercard Of Honor as the new World Champion.
Tape Rating - *** - This was an episode where the end result really seemed greater than the sum of it’s parts. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first two ROH/SCUM matches, but the whole episode told a great story, constantly kept me entertained, made Steve Corino completely believable as the leader of SCUM (finally stepping out of Kevin Steen’s shadows so to speak), and the crazy main event was a great way to end the show. It’s a third solid hour of programming from these Chicago tapings.
ROH on SBG Episodes 76-80 – Top 5 Matches
5) Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe vs Charlie Haas/Shelton Benjamin (*** - Episode 076)
4) Michael Elgin vs Silas Young (*** - Episode 079)
3) Michael Elgin vs Roderick Strong vs Davey Richards vs Matt Hardy (*** - Episode 077)
2) Adam Cole vs Matt Hardy (*** - Episode 079)
1) American Wolves vs Tadarius Thomas/ACH (**** - Episode 078)