ROH on Sinclair – Episode 089 – 1st June 2013
The countdown to Best In The World 2013 continues with more Canadian SBG action tonight. Last week Roderick Strong and Taiji Ishimori tore it up in a spectacular main event so this week’s episode has a lot to live up to. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino are in Toronto, ONT.
QT Marshall/RD Evans vs Tadarius Thomas/ACH vs Caprice Coleman/Cedric Alexander
This is a triple threat tag match to determine who gets a shot at reDRagon when we roll into Baltimore for Best In The World 2013. These three teams are at completely different stages in their careers right now. C&C have been the ‘hot up and coming team’ for well over 18 months, and since the turn of the year have been increasing in stature and delivering increasingly commanding performances as they press their case for elevation up the tag ranks. TD and ACH are the NEW ‘hot up and coming team’, having only formed earlier this year but already produced some exciting match ups. At the other end of the spectrum you have QT and RD, who have big mouths, big egos but don’t have too many wins to back up their claims to be #1 contenders. They’d have to be considered outsiders here…
Corino is irate that there is no SCUM representation in this match. RD Evans comes up with some incredibly racist ways to shake hands…so Thomas literally takes him off his feet with a handshake! Marshall saves his barrister with an inverted powerslam on ACH. Evans holds the injured Coleman down, and orders QT to pull out a tope suicida…only for it to be blocked with a jumping enzi from ACH. Evans is pissed, and doesn’t spot Alexander flipping OVER Marshall into a somersault plancha which wipes him out too! SLINGSHOT STUNNER from ACH to QT! Tadarius (just about) lands a handspring moonsault to the outside as we go to commercials. Back from the break with ACH and Cedric wrestling at a hundred miles an hour! KUNG FU STRIKE EXCHANGE between Thomas and Alexander! Marshall runs into the ring and hits an armbreaker on the injured shoulder of Caprice, whilst his partner is planted with the Ghana-rea from ACH. Camel Clutch Capo Strike combo from Adrenaline RUSH! Marshall inadvertently strikes Evans! Then TD back drops him over the ropes to the floor! AIR JORDAN SOMERSAULT PLANCHA! Somehow a one-armed Coleman captures Tadarius for OVERTIME! C&C WrestleFactory advance to Best In The World at 06:49 (shown)
Rating - *** - There were some moments of minor sloppiness, but on the whole this was a riot to watch. QT and RD brought the comedy, Tadarius brought his usual innovative style to the table, whilst ACH and Cedric were on another level completely to everyone else. Everything they did was first rate.
Next week the Briscoes face the American Wolves in tag action…and though the Briscoes try to keep it together to cut a promo, the tension is clearly simmering under the surface ahead of their ppv showdown. Jay has strong words for the Wolves, whom he’s also scheduled to defend the World Title against on live events in the build-up to BITW 2013.
Kevin introduces highlights of Paul London’s emotional return to Ring Of Honor at Border Wars – which ended in a heroic defeat and a serious concussion.
INSIDE ROH – The Briscoes have conflicting memories of their childhoods, which all boil down to little brother wanting to take what big brother has when they collide for the World Championship.
Nigel McGuinness and Michael Elgin welcome Paul London to the arena. Nigel speaks from the heart when he talks about having to take care of Paul after his concussion at Border Wars, and confirms that we will see the scheduled London/Elgin match later in the year when he has recovered. The niceties are interrupted by QT Marshall and RD Evans. The Barrister wants Nigel to strip reDRagon of the Tag Titles for failing to come to Canada for Border Wars or TV. Elgin DESTROYS RD with the spinning back fist…and somebody is here for QT! Tommaso Ciampa comes through the curtain and does his best to murder Marshall with the guardrails. AIR RAID CRASH ON THE RAMP! Elgin then feeds the Barrister to him for PROJECT CIAMPA! And as if that wasn’t enough the Sicilian Psychopath and Unbreakable have to be separated too.
BJ Whitmer vs Mike Bennett vs Jay Lethal
Much as with the tag three-way earlier, this one is also for a Best In The World Championship opportunity – with the winner advancing to challenge Matt Taven for the TV Title. Lethal is a former TV Champion, and whilst he held that belt he actually had to stave off a hugely spirited assault on the belt from The Prodigy (who now appears to be back appearing on a regular basis). Whitmer is on the rebound after losing his big World Title shot at Relentless, so would love to get right back into the hunt for gold by becoming the top contender to the Television Championship.
Whitmer holds the ropes open for Maria Kanellis to exit the ring…and amusingly Bennett uses his chivalry as an opportunity to punch him in the mouth. ‘If I wasn’t married I’d rock your world’ – Corino to Maria as she joins commentary. Truth Martini is in the aisle watching, and will surely have been impressed as The Prodigy catches Lethal for a spinebuster…then catches BJ moments later to toss him down on top of Jay. Whitmer fights back with an exploder on Lethal…and picks him up for a second, this time tossing him onto Mike as he lies slumped against the turnbuckles. Bennett dropkicks Lethal’s bad knee (injured at Border Wars), and he gets a nearfall with a superkick after BJ gets totally distracted by Corino making fun of him on commentary. After commercials Jay springs back into the match with a dropkick and hits the handspring elbow on Prodigy for 2. Whitmer knees him in the neck to counter the Lethal Injection and connects with the rolling fisherman suplexes. He them bumbles into the Box Office Smash…for 2. Exploder from Whitmer, who turns his back on Jay and eats the Macho Elbow. Lethal Injection finishes Whitmer at 08:53 (shown)
Rating - ** - This wasn’t totally dreadful, and the commentary from Maria and Corino made watching this match worthwhile, but if I’m honest this was really disappointing and a waste of all three guys. It had lots of the standard problems associated with triple threats, and the booking made no sense. Lethal just lost a match to Jacobs on TV…but now is somehow considered the top contender for the TV Title. You just had BJ beating the likes of Adam Cole on TV and challenging for the World Title…but now he’s back to staring at the lights and putting guys over. You’ve also got two guys under contract (Lethal and Whitmer), and one guy not, and not involved in any storylines…yet somehow it’s Bennett that is protected with the finish rather than BJ. Jay Lethal seems like the best opponent for Taven at present anyway, so I’m glad that’s the TV Title match we’ll be getting. The ends justify the means I guess...
Maria vents her frustration at Bennett’s loss by tricking him into assaulting BJ Whitmer…
NEXT WEEK – The Briscoes/Wolves rivalry comes to TV
Tape Rating - ** - Most of the episode was fairly solid, with a spotty but entertaining opening match then a really enjoyable in-ring segment featuring Nigel, London, Elgin, Marshall, Evans and the return to TV for Ciampa. But the main event was very underwhelming, and a colossal step down in quality from the stuff Ishimori and Strong produced the previous week.