By Paul Fontaine, for WrestlingObserver.com
The Big Takeaway – A very good tag team title match capped off an otherwise skippable show as the company proceeds toward All-Star Extravaganza in 3 weeks on PPV.
Steve Corino is back on commentary this week after a week off due to his altercation with BJ Whitmer. His favorite wrestler, Adam Cole, challenges for the tag title in the main event.
Bloodbound Warriors (Red Scorpion/Grey Wolf) vs The Briscoes (Mark and Jay Briscoe)
The Warriors are one part Ascension, one part the Eliminators and one part the Samoan Swat Team. Short and jacked to the gills. They do adhere to the Code of Honor after some unique posing.
Scorpion in particular is very powerful, press slamming Mark Briscoe over the top rope to the floor in an impressive spot. Warriors actually controlled most of the match, double-teaming Mark for a good portion of it. Jay then took over, setting up Mark for his Froggie-Bo splash and then what I could swear was the Rainmaker on Scorpion by Jay for the pin.
WINNERS: THE BRISCOES by pinfall
Adam Page came out, accompanied by BJ Whitmer and Colby Corino and challenged Jay Briscoe. He’d done this two weeks ago as well but Briscoe wasn’t there that week. Briscoe claims not to know who he is. “Pretty boy, if you’re looking for a fight, we can do this right now”. BJ puts the kibosh on that idea but says that next week he can “Man Up” and face Page. “So that’s your name? Well Adam Page, next week you’re gonna get yo’ ass whooped.”
Truth Martini and Jay Lethal did a taped promo hyping up next week’s TV title match with Hanson. Lethal claims that Hanson is living in the past, claiming that he beat him once before. Well, it’ll never happen again.
Donovan Dijak (w/J Diesel and Truth Martini) vs “Mr. ROH” Roderick Strong
Kelly and Corino are still promoting the replay of Death before Dishonor where Strong had the one hour time limit draw. They do adhere to the Code of Honor.
Story here is that the House of Truth is trying to soften up Strong before his rematch with Lethal in two weeks. Strong pretty much had an answer for everything Dijak threw at him. Dijak finally threw him out of the ring to Martini and Diesel as we went to break.
Back from break and Dijak was in control, just tossing around Strong from pillar to post, not even really trying to win. Martini celebrating on the outside, taking a lap around the ring. Strong got the advantage with a jawbreaker and a series of shoulderblocks.
Dijak eventually got control and tried to hit Feast Your Eyes but Strong powered out. He hit some running clotheslines into the corner and then set up a superplex by rapid-fire punches to the ribs on the top turnbuckle and then hit it but only got a 2 count.
They did the YAY/BOO punch spot in the centre and Strong got the better of that. Strong hit a flying knee but Dijak nearly took his head off with a boot to the head that got a 2 ¾ count. Went for Feast your Eyes again but Strong powered out and hit a jumping knee, a gutbuster and then the Sick Kick for the win.
WINNER: RODERICK STRONG by pinfall
Immediately after the bell rang, Jay Lethal ran out and it was a 4 on 1 attack. Strong got some brief offence in before the House of Truth started laying the boots to him. War Machine came out for the save.
Main Event for the ROH World Tag Team Titles – Future Shock (Kyle O’Reilly/Adam Cole) vs ROH World Tag Team Champions of the World The Addiction (“The Almighty” Christopher Daniels/Kazarian) w/Chris Sabin
Kazarian looks like he borrowed the jacket Dolph Ziggler wore a couple months ago with all the Band names on it. Kevin Kelly reminds us that Future Shock wrestled on the very first edition of ROH on Sinclair. Sabin joins Kelly and Corino at the commentary table. The teams do adhere to the Code of Honor.
Sabin denies the rumours that his career is over due to a neck injury because he has “super-mutant” healing powers. It should be noted that he’s wearing sunglasses indoors at the table. Future Shock do some sweet double-teaming to get the early advantage as we go to the first break.
Cole lays out Daniels with a superkick right after the break and is about to do the “Adam Cole Baby” pose but O’Reilly stops him and they do it together…”FUTURE SHOCK BABY”. The champs eventually take over, with Daniels pulling Cole outside the ring and whipping him around ringside while O’Reilly is down. Sabin around this time is sure to point out that he looks extremely cool wearing sunglasses indoors.
The Addiction are making quick tags and O’Reilly tries to get involved but the ref sends him back to the corner, allowing more double-teaming. After about 5 minutes, Cole hits an enziguri and is about to get the tag to O’Reilly but Daniels runs around the ring and pulls O’Reilly from the apron, preventing it.
Cole recovers and keeps trying to put on the figure four but is stopped by Kazarian. He finally gets it on the third try, right in the centre of the ring. Kazarian is able to reverse it but O’Reilly jumps into the ring and gets an armbar on Kazarian. Daniels joins the fun and puts the Koji clutch on O’Reilly so all 4 guys are tied up. Ref is trying to break it up as we go to another break.
Back from break and O’Reilly must’ve made a tag. He gets a kneebar on Daniels but Daniels makes the ropes. O’Reilly then goes to the outside and hits a sick kick from the apron on Kazarian to take him out. Airplane spin from O’Reilly on Daniels leads to a Superkick from Cole and then a clothesline from O’Reilly while Cole sweeps the legs. Kazarian breaks up the pin right before a 3.
All 4 are brawling and the ref tries to break it up and Cole shoves the ref. He turns around once he realizes it and Daniels hits him with a low blow while the ref is recovering. Corino “He kicked him right in the ding-ding”. O’Reilly gets a brainbuster on Kazarian for two and then transitions to the armbar. While the ref is checking, out comes Bennett and Taven.
Kazarian is tapping furiously but the ref is distracted by Bennett, who’s on the ring apron. O’Reilly then hits an Okada roll, seemingly for the pin, but the ref is still distracted by Bennett. Kazarian finally kicks him off, after the ref counts to five, right into a superkick from Taven. Kazarian rolls him in a schoolboy but only gets two.
Marian now getting involved, grabbing O’Reilly’s leg. Cole then chases Maria away, leaving O’Reilly in there with the Addiction on his own. Celebrity Rehab ends it and picks up the win for the champs.
WINNERS AND STILL ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD – THE ADDICTION
It’s a 3 on 1 after the bell but bobby Fish comes out for the save. The Young Bucks come out as well, followed by the Kingdom. Bucks are challenging for the title in two weeks. Bucks hit stereo superkicks and then follow up with CRASH AND BURN as the show ends.