Ring of Honor - Mar 9, 2013
by SamoaRowe
-Video replay of The Briscoes defeating Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team in a match that forced WGTT to split up. Charlie Haas doesn’t take the loss well and beats up Shelton Benjamin.
-From Baltimore, MD. Our hosts are Caleb Seltzer and Kevin Kelly. This episode was taped before the 11th Anniversary Show, so I guess we have to wait longer for a follow-up to the newly strengthened SCUM faction. I was hoping by now that ROH would have figured out a way to plan TV tapings around the iPPVs so we don’t have continuity issues like this.
Rhett Titus vs. Eddie Edwards
Bobby Fish joins commentary for the match to discuss his history of teaming with Edwards in Japan. Fish calls Davey Richards a wolf in sheep’s clothing as the match reaches a stalemate. Eddie sets up a tree of woe for a running drop-kick. Eddie delivers another drop-kick from the floor, just to show off. Titus blocks a chin breaker and nails a drop-kick of his own. Titus throws an overhead suplex. Titus looks to put Edwards away with a hard clothesline. Eddie strikes back with a moonsault off the apron. Missile drop-kick by Eddie and a series of chops. Edwards connects with the backpack chin breaker for a near fall. Titus counters and scores a close roll-up. Titus misses a frog splash, allowing a double stomp from Edwards. Eddie applies the Achilles Lock and stomps the head. The ref stops the match at 9:40. This wasn’t bad but it just kept going.Winner: Eddie Edwards
-Veda Scott interviews Davey Richards about the bad things Matt Hardy has been saying about ROH. Davey says that while Hardy was cashing in big paychecks, guys like himself and Roderick Strong were stealing the show across the country.
-They air a commercial for the VOD replay of the 11th Anniversary Show. Veda Scott interviews Michael Elgin about the “war” he had with Roderick Strong at the event. Elgin puts himself over without quite spoiling the result.
-Michael Elgin cuts a promo backstage about tonight’s 4-way main event. Elgin’s actions will do the talking.
Mia Yim vs. MsChif
Veda Scott joins commentary for the match, I guess to scout the only other two women in ROH. MsChif takes early control with a back leg scissors takedown with a bridge. Mia comes back with the Tarantula. Missile drop-kick by Mia, who is now in firm control. Meanwhile, Veda claims that ROH is currently scouting other female talent. MsChif mounts a comeback, but Mia kicks out of a standing moonsault. Mia pokes the eyes and sets up a springboard moonsault. MsChif no-sells and nails the Final Cut. German suplex by MsChif but Mia applies an arm breaker in the ropes. A corkscrew moonsault by Mia misses. MsChif kicks out of a German suplex. The Desecrator finishes Yim at 5:49. This was a bit on the sloppy side, but was sooo much more hard-hitting than anything you’ll see in a WWE divas match.Winner: MsChif
-Matt Ryan tries to interview Roderick Strong in the locker room but came at a bad time. Strong calls Ryan a pervert and gets rid of him.
-Kevin Kelly hosts Inside Ring of Honor.
-Supercard of Honor VII is coming! It’s being built up as one of the biggest I-PPVS of the year.
-National Pro Wrestling Day was held recently. ROH sent the Briscoes to the event to defend the ROH Tag Team Championship against Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs. We’re treated to footage of Corino at the event, proclaiming that ROH is dead. The Briscoes won the match but SCUM beat them up afterwards.
-Jay Briscoe rants about SCUM. If they want to kill ROH, they’ll have to kill the Briscoes first.
Roderick Strong vs. Matt Hardy vs. Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin
Nigel McGuinness joins commentary for the main event. There’s no obvious reason for this match to take place other than to fill some time. Richards and Strong start the match exchanging holds. Elgin and Hardy enter the match and it doesn’t take long for Elgin to take control. Neither Hardy nor Strong are interested in facing Elgin, so a tag is forced to Richards. A test of strength leads to a power slam from Elgin. Hardy tags himself in and goes after Elgin’s wrist. Strong tags but Elgin counters with another slam. Davey tags himself in so he can hurt Roderick. Strong nails a drop-kick and seems to be working together with Hardy as if it were a tag match. Cue the commercial. After the break, Elgin is putting a hurting on Hardy. Davey nails Matt with a superplex. Elgin breaks the cover, prompting a slugfest with Richards. Elgin shell shocks Davey but Hardy catches him with the Side Effect. Strong uses Elgin to shield himself from a Davey kick but gets caught anyway. Hardy blocks Davey’s ankle lock while Strong slams Elgin on the apron. Richards eats the Twist of Fate, but there’s no referee. Strong tags himself in but is too late to pin Davey. Strong and Elgin trade power moves. The Buckle Bomb and Elgin Bomb finish Strong at 11:50 (shown). This was entertaining filler.Winner: Michael Elgin
Final Thoughts: Since this episode takes place in an awkward limbo of being filmed before an I-PPV but airing a week after, we’re left with a placeholder show that doesn’t advance anything. In other words, it’s like watching Smackdown. There was too much fluff here, thumbs down.
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