And we're back in Nashville again. Heads up for these reviews: I know ROH TV is way behind their live shows. I'm doing my best to avoid spoilers and enjoy this as a week-to-week show as it airs.
ROH Top Prospect Tournament Semi Final - Raymond Rowe vs. Corey Hollis
Hollis is about the most generic looking guy you'll see in wrestling. Only a beard helps separate him. It's not even a full beard, not that I can talk about that. Rowe's considerably bigger and more bearded. Rowe's got some fine looking punches and chops. The camera work during this match is awful. The hard cam must be busted or something because it's all the handhelds recording footage right now. Very shaky and amateur looking.
Hollis tries a hurricanrana that Rowe stops with brute strength. Both guys are working hard in there and it's a fast-paced match. Rowe scoops up Hollis for a full-nelson slam, but knees Hollis in the back of the head on his way down. Cool looking move, Hollis is out cold, and Ray Rowe is on to the finals.
Match rating: *1/2. Very short match. The rating isn't a knock, the match is simply too short to give any real credit too. I like Rower's finisher, but he'll probably kill someone with that before too long. It screams "concussion machine."
RD Evans (/w Veda Scott) vs. "Matt Cells"?
The undefeated RD Evans is out, 13-0. His opponent is a Shetland Jack Swagger that gets no introduction. "Matt Cells" is his name, I think. Veda gets a bit of camera time to remind us that the real top prospect is already in the ring. Matt is roughing up Evans in there. Evans takes a really awkward looking bump off the apron when Matt knees him. Looks like he landed right on his ass. Evans gets back in the ring, clotheslines Matt, and finishes him off with a diving headbutt.
Match rating: *. Another very short match.
Veda's got a mic and is in the ring afterwards. "You can all updates you blogs and your fansites." Will do, Veda, will do. Veda volunteers RD to go for 15-0 tonight. She issues an open challenge to ANYONE on the roster. Bad news, Evans, Michael Elgin answers first.
Michael Elgin vs. RD Evans (/w Veda Scott)
Elgin extends a hand as the crowd chants "Don't die, RD, don't die!" Elgin jerks Evans in with the handshake and then slams Evans. They're outside in a few seconds, where Elgin is throwing Evans into barricades. Goddamn, Evans is bumping like crazy into the boards.
Evans is dead in the water when Elgin rolls him back in the ring. Elgin puts Evans up on the top rope. Veda's there to distract Elgin just long enough for Evans to recover. He tries a sunset flip powerbomb but Elgin is way too strong. Elgin ends up back on the middle rope as Evans is standing on the apron outside. Elgin lifts Evans up for a superplex from there, delaying it so the crowd can count it out. I do like Elgin, I really do, but I can do without that spot ever single match. Buckle bomb. Spinning sit out power bomb. Evans is done. Elgin is not.
Elgin gets some chairs from outside to set up. Elgin powerbombs Evans through the chairs. RD Evans is victorious! 15-0! 15-0!
Security, a/k/a ROH's ring crew, swarms Elgin to stop any more carnage.
Match rating: **. Big credit to Evans for his bumping. Elgin played up that he's blinded by rage and wants to beat the hell out of someone, anyone, until he gets his hands on Adam Cole. Elgin gets to look like a monster, Evans gets to add to his win streak. Everyone's a winner.
AJ Styles returning to ROH video package. He'll be here next week.
Matt Taven vs. Tadarius Thomas
A collar-and-elbow tie up to start the match off. TD and Taven exchange wristlocks and work through a bunch of slick transitions to get up to trading headlocks. Thomas forearms Taven to end the chain wrestling segment of this match.
Taven pops TD with a missile dropkick. He hurricanranas TD, who dodges any impact by cartwheeling through it. The ref actually admonishes Taven for clutching TD's tights before and during a suplex. Very judicious enforcement of the rules, I approve.
Corino's talking about Matt Hardy on commentary, making an awkward mention of Hardy spending time with his beautiful wife. TD eats back-to-back enzugiris as he sits on the top turnbuckle. TD pushes Taven away when he tries a huracanrana. TD tries to ax handle Taven from the top. Taven counters with a superkick. Now Taven's up top and he lands a frog splash with plenty of air. It's enough to finish TD.
Match rating: *1/2. To be succinct: it was a bunch of moves. Neither guys are stiffs, but there's nothing to this match.
Another video package follows, giving a bit of back story to Jay Briscoe vs. Adam Cole. Cole's answering Briscoe's charges today. Jay's out there first, letting Cole know that he's there to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And he's all out of bubble gum. His line, not mine.
It's not Cole who greets Jay tonight, it's tag team champion Bobby Fish. Bobby Fish proclaims that he's a real champion, like Adam Cole. Jay Briscoe is a fake. Fish wants Jay to know that Cole won't dignify a fake title by coming out here, but Fish is more than happy to represent ROH in a match.
Bobby Fish vs. Jay Briscoe
Fish yells that he wants a shot at Briscoe's fake title as we go to a commercial break. Kevin Kelly lets us know the rest of the hour is going to Jay Briscoe vs. Bobby Fish, so I'm expecting a nice long match. Fish kicks the inside of Jay's thigh when they consider locking up. He's using leg kicks early on and Jay's selling the knee already, limping around moments in.
Jay headbutts Fish and whips him into the boards outside. He tosses the chairs from outside into the ring, but the ref cleared them out by the time Jay and Fish are in there again. Jay's laying the boots to Fish, who's trying to run away when the beating doesn't stop. The two take it outside again, where Jay is throwing Fish into the boards once more.
Fish is trying to run like hell until he gets an opening to take control. Fish follows up almost every move with a pin attempt. Slam then pin. Suplex then pin. Rinse and repeat. If Briscoe bumps, Fish pins. Fish starts to get more frustrated with each kick out.
Jay fights back with headbutts and boots. Both guys have good looking strikes that they trade back and forth. Jay makes Fish buckle over long enough to scoop him up for a falcon arrow. Two count. Jay wants the Jay Driller, Fish drives him into the corner to avoid it.
Fish puts Jay up on the top turnbuckle, looking for a superplex. Jay hammers away at Fish's sides and dumps him off the top. Fish takes a hell of a bump there, like he was trying to push himself as far away as he could. Jay lands a splash but it hurts him too. The ref's giving both men a ten count. Adam Cole finally shows up now. Cole claps and taunts Jay. Both men in the ring are back on their feet. They're exchanging stiffer and stiffer forearms until Fish starts to break. He starts to wobble. Fish's forearm attempt is barely a slap a slap now.
Jay doesn't let up. A few more hard forearms drive Fish back. He irish whips Fish, looking for the killing blow, but Fish ducks under it. Cole grabbed Jay's belt outside, distracting him away from Fish. Fish crouches in wait. The ref is yelling at Cole on the outside, giving Fish the chance to land a crushing low blow. Jay's hurt badly now. Fish hits a Saito suplex on Jay, covers, but only gets two! Great near fall, I thought this one was over.
Fish sizes up Jay. He wants to kick his head clean off, but a kneeling Jay gets under the kick. He grabs Fish by the waist and shoves him into Adam Cole, who was up on the ring apron. Jay doubles Fish over, hooks the arms, and a Jay Driller ends the main event.
Adam Cole gets in the ring while Jay celebrates his win. He's going to use the world title to blindside Jay, but Jay avoids it. Cole drops the belt and rolls out of the ring before Jay can get his hands on him. Jay's got both world title belts now, much to Cole's disgust.
Match Rating: ***. Good main event that was missing a little something to take it to the next level. Fish spammed pins early on then didn't get any in for a long while, which made his nearfall at the end entirely believable.
Final Thoughts
This week was much more entertaining than the last. We got a good-length main event, plenty of RD Evans, and more set up to matches down the road without feeling so much like a pure transition episode. Next week is AJ Style's return. I'm looking forward to it.
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