Ring of Honor TV taping report: road to Final Battle ends with wild 10-man tag

Submitted by Josh Baker with additional commentary from Jason Finley from Nashville, TN

Taping One

– Veda Scott beat Heidi Lovelace in a dark match

Scott pulled off a barricade-walking spot and a rolling Low Ki-style kick. She won with a Saito suplex on Heidi that looked like it killed both girls.

– reDRagon defeated Silas Young and Beer City Bruiser (w/The Boys)

Adam Cole came out for commentary during this. Good match, I was more impressed with Bruiser than I have been in the past. ReDRagon won with a Chasing The Dragon on Bruiser that Kyle O’Reilly couldn’t quite keep Bruiser up long enough for. After the match, RedDragon chased off Adam Cole, and Silas argued with the ref, which led to The Boys attacking the ref with a DDT. Dalton Castle hit the ring from the crowd to a big reaction, sending everybody to the outside. Castle told Silas he wants his boys back, then clocked Bruiser with the mic. The Boys teased getting into the ring to rejoin Castle, then left voluntarily with Silas. 

– Chris Sabin came out for a promo. He wants to know who the mystery man is in the KRD mask that keeps interfering in Addiction matches. He says he’s hijacking the show until the KRD wannabe comes out and Sabin lays down in the ring. Eventually, a masked man comes out and faces off with Sabin, then removes the mask to reveal Alex Shelley. I popped big for this. Crowd chants for Shelley but Sabin just backs off shocked and leaves. 

– ROH TV Champion Roderick Strong beat Samson Walker

Sampson looked like Taz coming to the ring. He also used an inhaler during the match, that was kind of funny.  Bobby Fish came down for commentary on this match, which Roddy won with a somewhat botched lungblower, Sampson didn’t quite take it right. After the match Fish gets in the ring and gets all up in Roddy’s business. Much holding up of titles ensues.

– Young Bucks beat The Briscoes

Both teams got a huge reaction, and a THIS IS AWESOME chant erupted before the match even started. Great match as you could imagine, highlighted by Matt Jackson landing on his feet after a Briscoe Doomsday Device and hitting a superkick. The Bucks win with an Indytaker and More Bang For Your Buck on Mark. After the match, ANX gets in the ring and everybody starts brawling and several security guards get beat up to end the first taping.

Brutal Bob Evans comes out with Justin Hughes and Dylan Bostick. Bob says Hughes is the love of his life (?) and says both guys are the Future Of Honor, but then takes Bostick out of the upcoming tag match and attacks him.

– FUTURE OF HONOR MATCH: Brutal Bob Evans & Justin Hughes vs. The PBK (Pretty Boy Killers)

The PBK are two big guys named Keith Lee and Shane Taylor. Hughes was pretty entertaining trying vainly to execute power moves on the PBK, who weren’t going anywhere. Lee in particular looked good with a somersault dive to the floor that got the first HOLY SH*T chant of the night. Lee hit the Last Ride powerbomb on Hughes followed by a second rope splash from Taylor to win.  Afterwards, Brutal Bob brought Bostick back in and beat him up some more. Cheeseburger ran in for the save with a big reaction and ran off the heels.

Taping Two

– Adam Cole pinned Corey Hollis

Cole won with a neckbreaker-to-the-knee. He grabs a mic and says it’s storytime, then vows to end Kyle O’Reilly at Final Battle.

– War Machine vs. The Washington Bullets

The Bullets are John and Tray, and they did a great job heeling on the crowd and being crash-test-dummies for War Machine, who won in a squash with their back suplex/leg drop finisher.

– Dalton Castle pinned Mike Posey

Castle fends off stable attacks during the match which somehow don’t result in a DQ, eventually T-bone-suplexing his opponent over the top rope onto his stablemates in an impressive spot. Castle is way over with this crowd. He hits the Bang-A-Rang facebuster to win the match. Afterwards, Castle grabs a mic and says he’s the Aurora Borealis of pro wrestling and calls out Silas Young. The Boys come out instead, and distract Castle while Silas runs in from the crowd and lays Castle out with a TKO.

– Kevin Kelly introduces Jerry Lynn, who comes out unrecognizable with a short haircut. Lynn thanks everyone everywhere for their support after his recent surgery, then Kelly prods him to talk about the upcoming Jay Lethal VS AJ Styles World Title match. Kelly wants Lynn to pick a winner, but before Lynn can answer Lethal comes out with Truth Martini and Taeler Hendrix. Lethal wants to know what Lynn’s pick is, then bullies him and tells him to turn up his hearing aid. Lynn calls Lethal an overconfident prick and picks AJ to win. Lethal threatens Lynn, who then brings up that he knows Lethal’s parents and they would be very disappointed in him if he beats Lynn up. Lethal cuts a heated promo on Lynn then angrily leaves. Lethal was great here, while Lynn was never much of a talker but did okay.

Alex Shelley is out for commentary.

– ACH & Matt Sydal def. Roppongi Vice 

Good match, Sydal in particular looks better than he ever has lately. Sydal attempted a shooting star press onto Baretta, but Baretta got his knees up then hit a flying knee for a two count that I totally bought as the finish. The actual finish was fantastic, Baretta had Sydal over his back holding him for a Romero springboard attack, but ACH intercepted Romero in midair and Sydal flipped Baretta into a Last Call bomb for the win. Shelley came in after the match to congratulate Sydal and ACH and they celebrated to end the second taping.

– WOMEN OF HONOR MATCH: OBD def. Taeler Hendrix (w/Truth Martini)

ODB got a great reaction coming out. Lots of boob spots to start this match, including ODB motorboating Taeler and then Truth, who of course liked it. I’m fairly sure this match will not be on TV. Taeler kissed ODB to try and distract her for her kick finisher, but ODB kissed her back then hit a TKO for the pin. Fun little match, Taeler was a great sultry heel and showed a lot more charisma than I ever saw from her in TNA.

Taping Three

– Will Ferrara and Caprice Coleman went to a no contest when they attempted to use chairs on each other.

– Donovan Dijak and Ken Phoenix def. Truth Martini vs. All Night Express

Gimmick is Truth bummed a cigarette off Phoenix this morning so he’s giving him a tryout here. ANX mistimed their finish, which led to Rhett Titus powerbombing Phoenix while Kenny King was late jumping to the top rope. They quickly improvised into a King spinning plancha onto Phoenix laid out on Titus’s knees for the win. After the match, Truth informs Phoenix that he did not impress, and Dijak hits Phoenix with the Feast Your Eyes. On their way out, Prince Nana gives Dijak one of his cards behind Truth’s back.

– Kevin Kelly introduces Steve Corino, who comes out in a neck brace to a great reaction. Corino says some day the neck brace will be off, and BJ Whitmer will pay for his sins. I was sure this was all leading to some angle, but Corino just cut his promo then left.

– ROH TV Champion Roderick Strong, Cedric Alexander, Moose, Mark Briscoe and Matt Jackson def. ROH Champion Jay Lethal, Cheeseburger, Jay Briscoe, Adam Page and Cliff Compton

First thing referee Todd Sinclair did was send all the seconds to the back which was needed because It looked like a lumberjack match with everyone out there. With a bizarre mixed heel/face team dynamic here, you would think the psychology in this match would be real messed up, but it was fantastic. Too much went on to recap, but it involved some great double-teaming by Roddy and Matt Jackson, a chance for Cheeseburger to shine, Briscoe VS Briscoe, Compton going through a table, and much more. Well worked by everyone involved, the guys seemed to be having a great time, and the crowd was SUPER HOT for the match. After a parade of finishers, Roddy hit his suplex backbreaker on Adam Page then Mark Briscoe dropped the Froggy-Bow on Page for the pin. I was all set to give The Briscoes VS The Bucks the Match Of The Night, but this match stole the show and is well worth going out of your way to see. Great fun match. Afterwards all the faces gathered in the ring and Jay Briscoe thanked the crowd.

Notes:

– Not as big of a crowd as in the past for ROH at the Nashville Fairgrounds, but the crowd was lively enough to make a TV taping worthwhile. 

– They announced a return to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium in February.