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ROH Supercard of Honor X Night 2
April 2, 2016

by Samoa Rowe

Written in February 2021, because I'm on vacation and I don't feel like watching Elimination Chamber.

From the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. Our hosts are Kevin Kelly and Mr. Wrestling #3. There's a few hundred Wrestlemania Weekend superfans packed into a relatively small venue.

ROH World Champion Jay Lethal and Taeler Hendrix come to the ring to talk. Lethal is grumpy about the return of Colt Cabana on Night 1. Lethal is sick of guys coming and going from ROH and acting like they deserve a title shot for nothing. He'd rather put the gold on the line against someone loyal, like perennial jobber, Cheeseburger.

ROH World Championship:
Jay Lethal © (with Taeler Hendrix) vs. Cheeseburger

Lethal has a 95 pound weight advantage over his challenger and cheap shots with a phony handshake to gain an unnecessary early advantage. Cheeseburger slips into a head scissors takedown with a cradle for 2. Lethal uses the metal rails to retake control and toys with Cheeseburger instead of going straight for the kill. Cheeseburger makes him pay with a tornado DDT onto the top rope, but then springboards into Lethal's superkick. Lethal Injection, but Lethal hesitates while the fans chant "one more time." Lethal defiantly pins Cheeseburger instead to retain at 4:20. Easy night at the office for Lethal, *½.
Winner and still ROH World Champion: Jay Lethal

Colt Cabana arrives to confront Lethal in the ring. Colt is disgusted that Lethal chose Cheeseburger and dares him to prove his manhood by facing him here and now. Lethal rushes Colt and they brawl. The referee returns and while I didn't hear a bell, it looks like this official...

ROH World Champion Jay Lethal (with Taeler Hendrix) vs. Colt Cabana

They aggressively brawl around the ring, and Lethal unwittingly shoves Taeler aside, but then hits a tope suicida. Colt has Hail to the King scouted, but Lethal blocks the Figure Four, but Cabana improvises with Billy Goat's Curse! Lethal springboards onto Colt's shoulders, avoids a DVD, and Colt rolls him up to win at 2:53! Good spring, *½.
Winner: Colt Cabana

Colt is a little too proud of his victory, almost feels like Lex Luger celebrating a countout win over Yokozuna. "That's how you make a comeback!"

The All Night Express (Kenny King and Rhett Titus) vs. ACH and Matt Sydal

Titus seems to think he's too good to be locking up with the likes of Sydal and boasts about his hair. Deep arm drag by Sydal and then wrenches Titus down by the hair. King charges in and eats a Sydal head scissors. ACH and Sydal clear the ring with dropkicks, Sydal hits a combo baseball slide dropkick, and assists ACH's big time dive and the crowd is loving it. Sydal drapes Titus for ACH's diving double stomp. Titus blocks Sydal's standing moonsault, and the ANX take control. Hot tag to ACH and the fans are on board for his spectacular house cleaning sequence. ANX double team ACH with rapid attacks, but Sydal helps out. ACH suplexes Titus into place for Sydal's SSP! ACH hits a 450 splash and wins at 8:21! Red hot and efficient, ***¼.
Winners: ACH and Matt Sydal

Will Ferrara vs. Donovan Dijak (with Prince Nana)

Dijak is currently floundering in WWE as T-Bar of Retribution, but here he is the most recent Crown Jewel of the Embassy. Ferrara resents the path Dijak took since they met in the Top Prospect tournament finals and vows to kick his Big Bird ass. Dijak withstands Ferrara's hot start and slams him over the ropes. Ferrara targets Dijak's bandaged ribs, but eats a backbreaker and splash off the first rope. Ferrara answers with a stretch muffler, but Dijak slams out of it. Ferrara counters into a DDT for 2. Dijak counters with a top rope chokeslam but then totally whiffs on a top rope moonsault to ringside, but the fans didn't notice and chant "That was awesome." Ferrara then botches a dropkick in mid-air, which the fans do notice and chant "Botchamania." Dijak hits a thrust kick or 2, and then a choke slam backbreaker, and Ferrara's kick out makes my eyes roll. Ferrara kicks out again, this time at 1, and muscles into a fireman's carry slam, but Dijak no sells and finishes with a GTS at 8:08. This was fine until the ugly botches took me out of it, the live crowd stuck with them, *¾.
Winner: Donovan Dijak

Dijak gets beaten down by the guest commentator whose name escapes me.

2/3 Falls: Roderick Strong vs. Bobby Fish

They shake hands but then Fish lunges for a hot start. Fish hits a suplex at ringside and sends Strong crashing into the rails. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Fish, and a slingshot plancha. Roddy tries to flee into the crowd before resorting to shielding himself with the referee, and hitting a double knee backbreaker for the first pinfall at 3:30. Strong goes on offense, hitting a back suplex onto the guard rail. Strong throws Fish into the ring post and looks for a countout win. Fish crawls in so Strong continues targeting the back on an onslaught. Fish hits a dragon screw leg rip to buy some time, but Strong slams him on his face for 2. Fish hits a school boy out of nowhere for a pinfall at 8:45! Both guys are selling exhaustion, and Roddy misses a leaping knee into the ring post. Fish finds his second wind and runs wild through Strong in the ring, hitting an exploder suplex into the buckles. Moonsault by Fish gets 2. Strong breaks a chinlock by thrashing Fish into the buckles. Superplex by Strong gets a routine nearfall. Strong counters into a novel backbreaker and locks on the Strong Hold. Fish escapes and hits a roundhouse kick but Strong's leaping knee drops him. They stumble to their feet to trade stiff shots, and Fish rolls into a heel hook! Strong taps at 16:20! They left it all in the ring, ****.
Winner: Bobby Fish

P-Dog (who?) and his entourage are here to perform hip hop for us. They're immediately interrupted by Moose and Stokely Hathaway, and P-Dog cuts the wussiest diss rap ever, so Moose beats up everyone. The crowd LOVES Moose and pops for his diving senton. Five years later in 2021, no one has yet figured out how to make a gajillion dollars with Moose on top, so we'll have to wait a bit longer.

Silas Young and The Beer City Bruiser vs. ROH Tag Team Champions War Machine (Hanson and Rowe)

Young insults the rude and stupid fans and suggests the match is non-title because War Machine are scared, and it looks like this will be for the gold afterall. War Machine are unfazed and absolutely obliterate the challengers. Young grabs Rowe by the beard and snaps his neck on the ropes, allowing Bruiser to hit a German. Young hits about a dozen elbow drops on Rowe's back and locks on a crossface. Rowe escapes, so Silas locks on an STF. Young and Bruiser make quick tag to work over Rowe. Hanson makes the inevitable hot tag and squares off with Bruiser for a hoss fight. Hanson overcomes Young's distraction, and piles them onto the buckles for clubbing punches. Bruiser comes back with a back suplex, and Young hits a Lionsault for a nearfall. Rowe helps with a uranage on Bruiser and backbreaker on Young. Rowe powerbombs Young into position for Hanson's diving headbutt for only 2! Young DDT's Hanson into the buckles, Bruiser then wipes Rowe out with a senton off the apron. Hanson lariats Young, and slugs it out with Bruiser. DDT by Bruiser, but Rowe sneaks in for a superplex! Hanson drops Bruiser with a tope suicida! Young tries to finish Rowe, but War Machine kill him with the guillotine leg drop and win at 10:41! This WAY over delivered, excellent hoss fight, and a different flavor from anything else on the card, ***½.
Winners and still ROH Tag Team Champions: War Machine

BJ Whitmer vs. Dalton Castle (with The Boys)

Whitmer just wants to grapple, but Castle plays mind games early on. Castle finally accepts a test of strength, but Whitmer pulls him into a headlock. Castle escapes and leans onto his shoulders to lure his opponent into a trap. Castle hits a flurry of head butts and hams it up for the fans (who mostly like him). Castle dominates for a stretch, hitting a tope suicida, and soaking up the fan adoration. Castle hits a gut wrench suplex. Whitmer retakes control, despite the constant distraction from the Boys waving their fans. Whitmer applies a chinlock while the fans chant "BJ sucks." Castle embraces the crowd by making a plucky babyface comeback, despite his heel status. Whitmer cuts him off with a power slam for 2, and this match is just going nowhere. Whitmer hits a wild lariat for another 2, crowd is ready for this to end. Castle floats into a German suplex but Whitmer kicks out, crowd chants "That was 3!" Whitmer hits a super back suplex, despite the Boys jumping all over him with their feather fans, and destroys a mask to major heel heat. Castle hates this and hits Bangarang to win at 15:01. Man, I like these guys a lot, but this died a slow and miserable death. Doesn't help when the fans love the heel and hate the babyface, *¼.
Winner: Dalton Castle

Adam Page sits himself in a chair and tells off BJ Whitmer. They are heading towards a Street Fight in San Antonio, but these fans don't care.

ROH Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match:
The Addiction (Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels) vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson)

Based on their ovation, The Young Bucks are clearly the biggest stars on the card, and the fans chant "This is awesome" before the bell. The match begins with a blistering pace, as all 4 teams continuously tag themselves in and take turns unleashing furious tandem offense. They all gather together for a ludicrous and amazing quadruple suplex. Young Bucks offer "Too Sweet" to the Briscoes but then hit superkicks. Briscoes pop up for stereo clotheslines and hip toss a Jackson onto the other teams. Matt and Shelley return for a slugfest, and Matt pokes the eyes, but Shelley answers with double testicular claws. The Machine Guns hit their patented suicida, but Daniels interrupts with a split legged moonsault to ringside. Jay joins with a blockbuster off the apron, and Mark goes for the Cactus elbow, but flies into a SUPERKICK PARTY! The Addiction restore order and trap a Briscoe in their corner. The MCMG's both clean house on a hot tag, as do the Briscoes. Bucks tag (like it matters) and hit the Addiction with their enziguri/buckle bomb specialty. Daniels blocks a Meltzer Driver, but Nick settles for an Asai moonsault onto the other teams. Daniels gets stuck in a tree of woe and the Machine Guns suplex another man onto him. Mark Briscoe dominates Kazarian and hits a crazy DVD. Kazarian counters the Briscoes' Doomsday Device into a Flux Capacitor in mid-air! Bucks return for another SUPERKICK PARTAY! Jay jabs at the Bucks and Machine Guns, and then eats a quadruple superkick! LOUD "ROH" chant! Briscoe then superplexes Kazarian onto the others at ringside. Jay blocks Angels Wings, and the Briscoes hit Daniels with their Doomsday Device to win at 17:00! You might not like this style, think it "kills the business", and turn your nose at the fips, superkicks, and gymnastics, but you know what, this match accomplished exactly what guys set out to do, and it tore the house down. You don't have to like this, and that's okay, ****½.
Winners: The Briscoes

Moose and Stokely Hathaway come to the ring to talk. Hathaway says that Moose recently impressed New Japan officials, so he'll be teaming with Kazuchika Okada during the upcoming ROH/New Japan tour.

No Holds Barred: Kyle O'Reilly vs. Adam Cole

Cole ambushes Kyle with a chain during his entrance and it's on! O'Reilly recovers with a running boot onto a seated Cole. They brawl over to the timekeepers table and Cole inadvertently superkicks Mandy Leon! O'Reilly capitalizes with a running double stomp off the apron through a seated Cole. Kyle bridges a piece of guard rail in the aisle, but Cole smashes his face into it. Cole does the ADAM COLE BAY-BAY shtick on top of the rail, but Kyle joins him for a high risk brawl. Cole hits a low blow and attempts a suplex into the crowd, but Kyle reverses into a suplex through the rail itself. They finally head into the ring, where O'Reilly hits a draping armbreaker. Cole reverses a suplex to the floor, and follows with a catapult into the post. Kyle blocks a Figure Four by kicking Cole into a chair, but Cole recovers to throw Kyle over the ropes for a bad landing. Cole wraps Kyle's leg into a chair for a vicious chair shot. Cole then seats himself for an arrogantly lazy leg submission. Kyle foolishly walks into a drop toe hold into the chair. They are telling a subtle story of Cole maintaining his composure while Kyle seems overzealous. They block unprotected chair shot attempts and O'Reilly hits a discus punch through the chair! Kyle builds some steam and leaps off a chair to missile dropkick another chair into Cole's face. They slug it out and Cole hits a Shining Wizard onto a seated O'Reilly for 2. O'Reilly looks for a furious KO blow, but Cole throws a chair into his forehead. Kyle locks on a guillotine choke on the apron, but Cole breaks it by leaping through a table! Cole sets up a pair of chairs, but Kyle counters with a backbreaker onto the spines! Kyle ties a chain to the rope, but Cole blocks having the other end tied around his neck. Cole's chair shots only seem to fire O'Reilly up and he nails a discus punch, Cole hits a German, but O'Reilly pops up for another German, but then Cole hits a Shining Wizard through a chair, but KYLE KICKS OUT! They take a breather to a "This is awesome" chant. Cole brings in a table and preps a Super Destroyer, but Kyle reverses into a superplex through the table! They stumble through a stiff slapfest and both collapse into chairs, and resume trading blows. O'Reilly blocks a superkick and hits a Brainbuster through the chair! O'Reilly wraps the forgotten chain around Cole's neck and arm for a sick cross armbreaker! Cole can't escape the ref stops the match at 27:20! I forgot how great these two guys can be. This was an incredible grudge match, with creative use of furniture, and relentlessly nasty action from bell to bell, ****½.
Winner: Kyle O'Reilly

Final Thoughts: Five years later, it's pretty cool to put on a DVD and see Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish, The Young Bucks, Adam Page, and others all under one roof. Ring of Honor was in the midst of a rebirth and the hot ‘Mania Weekend crowd helped. I'm not sure if this show is available on Honor Nation, but there's always Ebay.

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