Ring of Honor television from Philadelphia with more of the aftermath from Final Battle included the surprise return of Stevie Richards. In another ode to ECW, there was a match with wild brawling, chair swinging and a table breaking. Also, Cedric Alexander and Veda Scott get shocked after an upset. In the television main event, Big Mike provides a display of power.
Kevin Kelly and Mr. Wrestling 3 (Steve Corino) provided commentary.
Enter TV champion Roderick Strong to some cheers then a chorus of “you tapped out” chants. Roddy looked annoyed and continued his change to a more heelish demeanor as the champion bro. He bragged that he was still the champion following the last PPV and then he smirked.
The backstory being he tapped out to a submission hold applied by Bobby Fish without the referee seeing the tap. Strong went on to eventually retain. In continuing the Roddy vs. the world theme, Strong issued a new open challenge.
Surprisingly, Stevie Richards returned to challenge for the TV title in the same arena in which he first rose to prominence in during his ECW run.
ROH TV champion Roderick Strong beat Stevie Richards to retain
Richards looked in great shape as he did more than just hang with a conditioned machine like Strong. Corino noted both represented different disciplines of training and suggested the idea of the match being DDP Yoga (Richards) vs. crossfit (Strong).
The match was nip-and-tuck throughout and wide open in the early moments. They slowed down for a knuckle lock when Strong took a cheap shot and dastardly kicked Richards in the stomach. However, Richards escaped his clutches. Roderick cut off Stevie, nailed him with a sweet dropkick then kept him grounded on the mat. Roddy dashed a hope spot before a commercial.
Dashing hope again after the break, Strong got a nearfall. A moment later with Roderick perched on the top turnbuckle, Stevie hit a superkick to send Roddy tumbling down. Off an implant DDT, Richards got a nearfall. Another nearfall by Strong when he delivered a flurry of offense and a backbreaker for a two count. The crowd started dueling chants for their respective favorites.
Landing a series of forearms and elbows, Strong had Richards reeling when he executed a gutbuster and went for his finishing kick. Stevie hit a superkick out of nowhere for a nearfall. The crowd chanted “that was three.” Richards promptly applied the Boston crab on Strong, which is a move Roddy normally uses. Mere seconds later and Strong applies the same hold, which he calls “the stronghold”, on to Richards. As they began slugging it out, Strong suddenly hits a bome ye of sorts with a jumping knee to the face for the pinfall.
Post-match, the theme song for reDRagon interrupted Roddy’s celebration. Bobby Fish sporting a dapper suit entered the scene flanked by three aids collectively carrying a table and two chairs. Fish informed the audience this was an impromptu edition of his Fish Tank segment and he planned to interview Roderick. Clutching his title belt, the champion looked unpleased with the sudden turn of events.
Before the Fish Tank came a commercial break. ACH plugged ROH merchandise including but not limited to a water battle, his new t-shirt, a backpack to put it all in and a coloring book to keep you entertained.
After the break, Fish was seated at a table in the ring. Though he was invited to sit, Strong threw a chair across the ring where it bounced into the turnbuckles.
“Looks like we’re standing,” Fish said.
With a slight dig toward the current champ, Bobby talked about the new heights Jay Lethal took the championship to in the past year. Bobby went on to say the year was a banner year for “Mr. ROH” as well. He put over Strong for a moment before showing a photo on the video screen that Bobby introduced as what the year meant to Roderick. It showed Strong tapping in their match at Final Battle. Roderick was already hollering about not tapping when Bobby asked him directly if he tapped. The champion defiantly shook his head and scoffed.
Strong grabbed a microphone. He fiddled with it in trying to get working, which helped convey his frustration though it was a mishap. Fish just kept ad-libbing. Roddy began to deny he tapped. Then he denied some more before cutting a promo on Fish.
“I did not tap out, you sore loser,” Strong said and angrily threw the mic at Fish then stormed off dragging his title behind him.
Before the next match, Caprice Coleman cut a promo on Will Ferrera. Coleman first bullied the ring attendant. He once again called Ferrera a “jive turkey” and said he would beat Ferrera while looking pretty from all angles. He claimed to “have the body of a god and the face of an angel.” With that, Ferrera jumped him before the bell.
Caprice Coleman beat Will Ferrera in a no disqualification match
After a getting into a brawl and dueling with chairs two weeks ago on TV, this match was no DQ. Upping the violence and the brutality with this match, Coleman and Ferrera took their feud to another level with Prince Nana mysteriously connected to the rivalry. That and they were in the ECW Arena so they took it to the extreme.
They brawled around ringside at the outset. Back in the ring, Coleman whipped Ferrera with a belt. Coleman got the better of a dueling chairs spot. On commentary, Mr. Wrestling #3 pondered about the involvement of Prince Nana and how that has somehow escalated the level of violence.
For the finish, Ferrera made a comeback and retrieved a table. Ironically, Coleman would jump off the top rope with a legdrop to put Ferrera through the table and cover him for the pin. From the aisle, Prince Nana looked on approvingly as he clapped and smiled.
Jonathan Gresham beat Cedric Alexander (with Veda Scott) in an upset
The beginning looked like any enhancement match. Cedric delivered a suplex series of three amigos. When he went for a fourth consecutive suplex, Gresham cradled him in a small package for a nearfall. The underdog fired up. Veda caused a distraction allowing Cedric to derail the comeback. He dropkicked Gresham in a corner a couple times before delivering a vicious falling backbreaker. Cedric and Veda smirked and showboated. When Cedric went for a lackadaisical cover, Gresham used a cruxifix to reverse it and score the pinfall. Veda couldn’t even *ugh*.
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Michael Elgin beat Donovan Dijak (with Truth Martini) in the television main event
Airing before the Tokyo Dome show, the story was Dijak trying to soften up Elgin for Jay Lethal and the House of Truth ahead of the title match at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Likewise, Lethal was at ringside providing guest commentary. Before the match, Jerry Lynn interrupted the proceedings and confronted Lethal. At first it looked tense but Lynn admitted he was wrong about his Final Battle predictions. They shook hands. Lethal proclaimed it was the final proof he was the now the greatest wrestler in the world.
This was a mean guy match. They started by slamming into each other with shoulder tackles. Elgin eventually got the better of the early exchange. The fans counted along when Elgin hoisted Dijak up for a delayed vertical suplex. They quickened the pace and Dijak knocked Elgin off the apron. Truth Martini celebrated by break dancing in the ring before a commercial break.
Dijak got heat on Elgin then Big Mike made a comeback. He pummeled Dijak for a few moments until using a German suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. On commentary, Lethal kept mentioning that this was pro wrestling and not powerlifting. So, he would beat the mighty Elgin because he was the best wrestler in the world as ROH world champion.
Elgin blocked a chokeslam. Seconds later, Dijak picked him for a chokeslam into a backbreaker. Dijak leaped to the top rope and did a moonsault for a two count. Elgin fought back with forearm smashes. Dijak lifted him up in a fireman’s carry. Elgin turned it into a sunset flip followed by a deadlift powerbomb. Elgin finished him off with sit-out powerbomb for the pin. He then stared down Lethal.