The cameras are working, and the stream is running! There are some audio miscues from the get-go, but Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are quick to recover and welcome the viewing audience at home. Kelly talks about how a year ago at this event, Davey Richards won his first world title, and Kevin Steen was slandering the company that he wasn’t even a part of. Tonight, everything is different. They also bring up the fact that the package piledriver will be legal for this match. They then turn their attention to the Tag Team Title match, noting that Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team can lose the belts on a DQ. They turn to the ROH TV title match briefly before they’re interrupted by the music of the Briscoe’s.
The Briscoe’s make their way out to the ring to a huge pop from the crowd. Truth Martini is out next, by himself, and he makes his way toward this ring, smiling and laughing the whole way down. Martini calls for the mic.
Martini says he is indeed the Best in the World. The crowd isn’t too happy with him, and they let him know. He says the reason he’s the best in the world is that he’s got the breakout star of 2012, Michael Elgin. He’s got ROH TV Champion Roderick Strong. He’s got it all, almost. The one thing he doesn’t have is tag team gold, so the two men he’s going to introduce are feared coast to coast and all over the world. They’re about to take the Briscoe’s and make them a stepping stone. He says it’s time to change the face of pro wrestling. He calls out the Guardians of Truth. Out come two masked wrestlers wearing singlets and plain black hoods over their faces.
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. The Guardians of Truth with Truth Martini
The crowd gets a big “who are you?” chant going on for the Guardians. Truth stands over them and rips off their hoods, revealing other hoods, still plain black.
The Guardians attack the Briscoe’s and send Jay to the outside before taking out Mark with a quick double team. One of the Guardians stomps away at Mark in the corner before tagging out to his partner. Guardian 2 comes in and they slam Mark to the mat before 2 turns to Jay and sends him from the apron. 1 tags back in and Mark comes back with a kick and a chop to the throat before hitting one of them with an enzugiri. Jay pulls one from the ring, then heads in and delivers a big spinebuster to the one in the ring. Mark heads to the middle and does a pretty awesome springboard senton for a near fall. Jay tags back in and the Briscoe’s double team I guess #1. The ropes are really loose, and not giving the guys a safe place to work. Mark tags back in and hits 1 with a couple of punches before tagging back out to Jay. The Briscoe’s hit a double team shoulderblock and Martini causes a distraction, allowing the Guardians to switch places. 2 hits Jay with a mic check and stomps away at Jay.
1 tags back in and we get a side slam/leg drop combo for another two count. 1 rears back and cinches in a rear chin lock. Jay is quick to fight out of it with elbows to the gut, but he gets a rake to the eyes. 2 tags in and the Guardians slam Jay back into the corner hard before 2 simply chokes him with his boot. 2 pulls Jay out of the corner, only to slam him back in. He riles up Mark, and this allows 1 to get in a couple of dirty shots in the corner. Jay begins showing some life, fighting back and making the tag to Mark. Mark hits both Guardians with a series of redneck karate chops before hitting a charging dropkick in the corner. Mark heads up to the top rope, standing on the ring post, and hits the froggy elbow drop, but the pin is broken up. Martini is back on the apron as one of the Guardians is sent from the ring. The Briscoe’s try for the Doomsday device, but 1 wont stay up, so Jay rolls him up for three.
Winners: The Briscoe’s
Following the match, the Briscoe’s grab Martini and tease giving him a doomsday device, but it’s broken up by the Guardians who hit a double flapjack on Jay, leaving him laying as security runs out to break things up.
We cut to footage of the events that led up to the next match, seeing Eddie Edwards take on Homicide after Homicide saved Edwards from attack by Mike Bennett, then subsequently attacked and hit Eddie with the gringo killa.
Homicide is the first man to make his way out to the ring for the match, and he gets a big hometown pop from the NYC crowd.
Eddie Edwards is out next, and as always, the Boston boy is over with New York.
Homicide vs. Eddie Edwards
‘Cide doesn’t shake before the match, spitting in Eddie’s hand, so Eddie slaps him. Both men lock up and Eddie suplexes Homicide over. ’Cide rolls to the outside, so Eddie follows with a big plancha through the ropes. Eddie hits Cide with a big head butt and a series of nasty chops. Homicide gouges Eddie’s eye, then hits him with a big right and a chop of his own. Cide executes a back rake, and Eddie responds with big forearms before sending Homicide back into the ring. Cide fights back, trying to suplex Edwards, but Eddie lands on his feet, suplexes Homicide and hits a shining wizard for two.
Cide and Eddie trade forearms in the middle of the ring, then switching to chops. Cide kicks Eddie in the face, so Eddie responds. Both go for a big boot and both go down. Homicide is able to hit a quick belly to belly suplex to take Eddie over. Cide grates his forearm over Eddie’s face before sending him across the ring. Eddie reverses things and goes for a spear in the corner, but Cide moves and Eddie makes contact with the ring post. Cide pulls Eddie out and throws him right back into the ring post shoulder first. Homicide rolls to the outside and grabs a chair. The referee makes his way out to stop Cide, who throws the chair down and begins stalking the ref around the ring before simply heading back in.
Cide stands on the apron and wrenches Eddie’s arm, using the rope for leverage before biting and hitting Eddie’s hand and arm. Eddie fights back and the two trade punches. Cide gets in a huge slap that stuns Eddie, and he takes Eddie down to the mat in a cross face, fish-hooking and biting to add to the injury. Cide breaks the hold with a quick knee to Eddie’s elbow. Cide hits a suplex, rolls through and gets a second, and rolls through once more. Cide jaws with the crowd and this allows Eddie to hit a suplex of his own. Edie hits a second, but Cide takes Edwards down to the mat before he can hit the third. Cide heads up to the top, but he’s stopped with a boot to the face from Edwards. Eddie heads up to the top rope after Cide. Eddie hits a giant superplex.
Both men are slow to get up. Eddie shoulders Homicide and drives him to the mat face first. He charges Cide in the corner and catches a kick, executing a spinning fisherman buster for a two count. Eddie tries for something, but Cide throws him off. Eddie heads to the middle rope and hits the Boston knee party for two. Eddie rolls through into a crossface, but Cide is able to make it to the ropes to force Eddie to break the hold. Cide hits an inverted atomic drop, running forearm in the corner, and heads up to the middle rope for a leaping tornado DDT. Cide covers Eddie, but still only gets two.
Eddie struggles to his feet, Homicide charges, but Eddie seats him on the top turnbuckle. Eddie tries for the chin-checker, but Cide fights out of it and hits the ace crusher. Homicide covers Eddie, but he’s only able to get two. Cide takes off his elbow pad and hits Eddie with a lariat to the back of the head. Eddie comes up with a superkick, but Cide comes right back with a huge lariat for another near fall.
Homicide gets to his feet and waits for Eddie to stand. He tries for the gringo killer, but Eddie lands on his feet and reverses into a roll up for two. Eddie drops down and goes between Cide’s legs, locking in the Achille’s lock. Cide is able to roll over and kick Eddie away. He catches Edwards with a roll up, but only gets two. Eddie hits a big chop, but Cide comes back with an elbow to Eddie’s arm. Cide hits the gringo killer, and pins Eddie, finally getting the three count.
Winner: Homicide
While Edwards is helped to the back, Kelly and Nigel turn their attention to the next match, which will see former tag team partners Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly take each other on in a “Hybrid Fighting” match. The match has been pretty confusing in all its build, so they take time before the match to run down the ridiculous rules of the match, which is pretty much a combination of the old Pure title rules, and silly MMA-style rules.
Kyle O’Reilly is the first man to make his way out to the ring for the match. O’Reilly doesn’t get the most favorable reaction, but it’s not particularly loud either way. A lot of the fans are just sitting down not reacting at all.
Adam Cole is out next, and he gets a much livelier reaction.
Hybrid Fighting Rules Match: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Cole offers his hand, and O’Reilly shakes quickly. The bell rings and both men circle each other. Kyle tries for a kick, but gets nothing. Kyle is able to take Cole down to the mat with a quick takedown. Cole and O’Reilly feel each other out before Kyle is able to take Cole down to the mat again. Cole takes Kyle down and mounts him, punching away. O’Reilly is able to turn things around and goes for the triangle, but Cole gets out. The two try to trade strikes, but they are too quick and know each other too well to score anything decisive.
Both men try for suplexes only to have them reversed, but Kyle tweaks him knee and Cole capitalizes, going to work right away. Kyle tries to fight back, but Cole catches him with a kick to the face, and a big missile dropkick to the knee from the middle rope. Cole hits a dragon screw. Cole grabs Kyle’s leg, and Kyle hits an enzugiri, but Cole hangs on. Kyle tries for another, but Cole ducks. Cole locks on a knee bar, but it doesn’t last long. Cole beats on O’Reilly in the corner, hitting him with repeated shots, before being pulled off by the ref. Kyle is able to roll up Cole, but he doesn’t try to pin him, going for the arm bar instead. Cole makes it to the ropes to force a break.
Kyle takes Cole to the mat with a nasty arm wrench before he suplexes him over. Cole hits Kyle with a shot to the gut, and a couple of rights, but Kyle comes right back with a quick series of strikes and a big kick to the chest of Cole. Todd Sinclair begins to count, but O’Reilly breaks the count and goes to work on Cole, locking in a submission and stretching Cole’s arms and neck. The ref counts again, but Cole makes it to his feet. Kyle continues to work over Cole’s arm, but Cole comes back with a big shining wizard. Cole hits a clothesline, then a back elbow, then a dropkick. Cole tries for a suplex, but O’Reilly reverses. Both men go for big boots and connect. They go for a second, and the third knocks both to the mat.
Both men get to their feet and they trade rights. Cole’s mouth is busted open as both men go crazy. Both men are going crazy with strikes. Both his head butts. Cole’s teeth fell out in the ring, or at least it looks like it! his two front teeth are gone! Cole hits Kyle with a superkick and both men fall to the mat. Cole’s mouth is pouring blood.
Both men make it up before ten. Cole tries for another superkick, but O’Reilly blocks it and hits a lariat. Cole pops right back up. Cole and Kyle trade forearms and kicks respectively. Kyle hits a killer combo and suplexes Cole on the back of his head.
The doctor from the athletic comission comes out. Cole looks at the doctor and shakes his head no. Kyle locks on the guillotine choke. Cole fights out and plants Kyle with a suplex, dropping Kyle neck first across his knee.
Both men get back for their feet, and Cole absolutely blasts Kyle O’Reilly with a superkick that sends him falling through the ropes to the outside. Cole throws Kyle back into the ring. Kyle struggles to get to his feet, using the ropes. Cole helps him, and goes to whip him, but Kyle falls to the mat. The bottom half of Cole’s face is covered in blood. Cole looks to the crowd, but Kyle locks in the cross arm breaker. Cole reverses it and locks in a cloverleaf. Kyle wont tap, and he goes for an arm bar. Kyle reverses it an locks in the figure four. Cole smiles and it’s not his two front teeth, but he definitely lost at least one tooth from the side of his mouth. Kyle taps and the crowd goes NUTS!
Winner: Adam Cole
Following the match, one of Cole’s teeth is shown lying on the mat. Cole looks at Kyle and says it’s over. He extends his hand to O’Reilly, but Kyle comes back with a slap to the face before bailing out of the ring and flipping Cole off. The crowd chants loudly for Cole as Kyle heads to the back.
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness almost seem at a loss for words recapping the match. They turn their attention to the next bout, which will see Fit Finlay return to ROH to take on Michael Elgin. They cut to an interview with the House of Truth.
Elgin says Fit is a legend, but all legends must fall, and he’ll become the legend. Strong says he already beat Finlay, so it’s not a big deal. He’ll help Elgin if he’s having a tough time. Elgin says no more Roddy or Truth, he wants to do it on his own tonight. He walks off with Truth yelling after him.
Fit Finlay is the first man to make his way out to the ring for the match. He gets a nice reaction from the crowd, and just as he has in all of his indy appearances, he looks great.
Michael Elgin is out next, and true to his word, he has no Martini or Strong by his side.
Michael Elgin vs. Fit Finlay
Elgin is the first man to offer up his hand for the code of Honor, and Finlay obliges. Finlay pulls Elgin in close for a quick stare down, and the crowd, and myself, are excited for this one.
The bell rings and both men begin circling each other. We get a lock up and Elgin pushes Finlay right into the corner. Finlay turns it around and backs out. Another lock up and Finlay backs Elgin into a corner. Finlay breaks slowly and cleanly.
Another lock up and Finlay goes into a side headlock, clamping down on Elgin. Finlay transitions into an arm wrench before taking Elgin to the mat. Elgin pops up and gives Finlay a little shove. Finlay hits Elgin with a kick to the stomach before taking him down to the mat and wrenching away at the leg and knee. Elgin hits Finlay in the back of the head before hitting him with a knee drop to the back of the leg. Elgin pops up and hits Finlay with a forearm that backs up the veteran. Finlay is able to lock on a nerve hold before pulling back Elgin’s head and hitting him with an elbow to the bridge of the nose. Finlay lets Elgin get up and he takes Elgin down to the mat with a quick drop toe hold. Finlay locks on a face lock, and Elgin tries to roll him up. Finlay transitions up to his feet into an arm wrench before hitting Elgin with a big forearm. Elgin responds and Finlay asks for more before taking another and taking Elgin back to the mat in a face lock.
Elgin fights up to his feet, so Finlay takes him down with a clubbing blow across the chest. Elgin comes back with a big forearm and he pursues Finlay into the corner, but Finlay takes him back down to the mat and goes right back to work on the leg. Elgin beats on the back of Finlay’s head to try and get him to break the hold. Finlay pulls him into the middle of the ring and continues the assault on the knee.
Finlay and Elgin square off and Finlay slaps Elgin. Elgin takes Finlay into the corner and buries his shoulder in Fit’s midsection. Both men trade big forearms before Finlay takes Elgin back to the mat for more legwork. Elgin forces his way out of the hold, making his way back up to his feet. Both men square up again, grabbing each other’s hands for a test of strength, but Elgin goes behind and takes Finlay to the mat, only to end up in a wrist lock. Elgin makes it to the ropes and Finlay breaks the hold after a bit of cajoling from the ref. Finlay again is slow to break the hold.
Finlay asks the ref to check out Elgin’s knee, and uses the distraction to get in a kick to the leg in question. Finlay tries to whip Elgin into the corner but it’s reversed. Finlay comes back with a big kick, but when he comes off the middle rope, Elgin places Finlay on his feet and hits a humongous clothesline. Finlay rolls to the outside and Elgin follows, only to catch a punch to the face.
Elgin gets back to his feet, and Finlay catches him with a quick kick through the ropes that sends Elgin back to the floor. Finlay rolls back to the outside and pushes Elgin back first into the ring apron hard. Finlay check the guard rail for its sturdiness before picking up Elgin and dropping him chest first across it. Elgin makes his way back into the ring slowly, following Finlay. Elgin gets to the apron and Finlay catches him with a huge forearm before sending him to the outside again. Elgin comes right back into the ring and asks for more.
Finlay backs away from Elgin before catching him with a big kick. Finlay covers Elgin for one. Finlay chokes Elgin against the middle rope before hitting him with a blow to the face. Finlay picks Elgin up and hits him with a clothesline and a knee drop to the face before locking in a rear chin lock. Finlay rears back and blasts Elgin with a punch to the face before going back to the rear chin lock. Elgin fights up to his feet slowly, but he makes it and suplexes Finlay to force a break of the hold. Finlay rolls right over and goes into a submission. Elgin is able to counter it with a headscissors. The crowd is chanting boring, but I think it’s only because of the match that came right before this. Both men get back to their feet, but Finlay rolls right into another submission and wrenches away at Elgin’s knee and leg. Finlay gets to his feet, still holding Elgin’s leg. Elgin stands on one leg before hitting an enzugiri. Finlay whips Elgin into the corner and charges after him, but Elgin moves and Finlay connects shoulder first with the ring post. Elgin hits a series of clotheslines in the corner, shaking the ring, before tossing Finlay out and hitting a superkick to a kneeling Finlay. Elgin deadlifts Finlay into a suplex from his knees, planting Finlay on his face a bit sloppily. Elgin goes for the pin but only gets two.
Elgin tries for a powerbomb but Finlay fights out. Finlay approaches Elgin in the corner and he’s caught with two boots to the face. Elgin heads up to the top, but Finlay shoves him to the outside and Elgin falls to the floor. Finlay picks Elgin up and rolls him into the ring, following after. Finlay shoulders Elgin and flips over, hitting a standing Finlay roll. Finlay gets two. He picks Elgin up and hits the Celtic cross, putting Elgin down to the mat again. Finlay goes for the pin but he’s only able to get two. Finlay hoists Elgin up and hits a tombstone piledriver, but it’s still not enough to keep the monster down!
Finlay pulls Elgin to his feet once more and tries for another tombstone, Elgin reverses, hits a spinning backfist, and follows it up with a buckle bomb. Elgin catches Finlay coming out of the corner, and he hits him with a spinning powerbomb to plant the Irishman for three.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Following the match, Truth Martini runs right out to the ring screaming, “We did it!” Martini is so happy he even does a spin-a-roonie. Elgin is slow to make his way to his feet, and when he does Martini and the ref raise his hands in victory.
Finlay stands to his feet and he taps Elgin on the elbow, offering his hand. Martini says no, but Elgin shoves him aside and shakes hands with Finlay. Martini isn’t too happy about it, so he gets in Elgin’s face. Elgin backs Martini up, causing him to climb into the corner and beg off. Elgin and Truth head to the back while Finlay watches it all happen.
Kelly and Nigel reflect on the first half of BITW 2012, talking about the importance of Cole’s performance earlier tonight. This leads us directly into intermission
-Intermission-
Back from intermission, Kelly and Nigel turn their attention right back to Adam Cole, letting us know he’s been stitched up and his teeth are being attended to. They also begin hyping the three championship matches that will be taking place, but they’re interrupted by The Prodigy Mike Bennett, who makes his way out to the ring with Maria and Brutal Bob in tow.
Bennett is apparently out for a Prodigy service announcement. Bennett calls for the mic. The fans HATE Bennett. Bennett says that the fans still pay to see him, so they need to listen when he talks. Bennett says NYC wasn’t his first choice for the PSA, Boston was. He says that ROH came to him and told him he could have any match he wanted. He says unless it was a title match, he’s not interested. The Prodigy should only be wrestling in title matches because he’s the best wrestler on the show, in the world, and no one else can come close.
Bennett says he’s better than the best. He’s from Boston, the best city in the world. Everyone from Boston is wicked awesome and wicked smart. Instead of wrestling, he’s going to hand the mic back to Bobby Cruise, and he and Maria are going to show the crowd the best make-out session they’ve ever seen. Maria and Bennett stand across each other in the middle of the ring before embracing and seemingly trying to eat each other’s faces.
Mike Mondo heads out with a mic in his hand. He says he’s from New York, and Bennett is full of s***. Mondo says he’s from New York, his parents live on Long Island, and his first match he saw was in the Manhattan Center. It’s been his dream to perform in the Hammerstein ballroom. Mondo says he’ll give him a shot, and if he’s not knocked out, Mondo will rip out his throat New York style. Bennett takes off his jacket. Mondo says he tried reaching out to his fans, and to the office, but he was ignored, but he’s not leaving until he accomplishes his dream tonight. Bennett could have wrestled anyone, but he didn’t because he’s a little b****. Bennett would rather play around with his girlfriend and talk about Boston, Mondo says he p***** on Boston. Mondo says no security is going to break this up, and just because they don’t have a match, doesn’t mean they can’t have a fight. Then he says something that I can’t print here.
Mike Mondo vs. Mike Bennett
Mondo catches Bennett with a couple of punches, and one for Brutal Bob. We get a ref, and apparently this is a match. Not really though, as Brutal Bob pulls Bennett from the ring. Mondo leaps out to the apron and the heels scatter, so Mondo takes out Bob. Bennett catches him and plants him on the apron, before sending him back into the middle of the ring.
Well, even though Kelly says this isn’t a match, it certainly looks like on. Bennett catches Mondo with a series of punches before stomping away at him in the corner. Brutal Bob gets in a cheap shot, so Mondo turns to him. Prodigy chokes Mondo against the bottom rope.
Mondo swings wildly, but Bennett just sends him back down to the mat. Bennett shoulders Mondo and runs across the ring. Mondo drops down and shoves him into the corner. Both men connect with clotheslines and both go down.
Mondo catches Bennett with a series of strikes before stomping down hard on the back of Bennett’s head. Mondo heads up to the top rope, leaping off with a flying head butt, but Bennett moves and Mondo eats the canvas. Bennett plays to the crowd, but he bends down to talk smack, and he gets rolled up for a three count.
Winner: Mike Mondo
Bennett freaks out in the ring as Mondo heads to the back triumphantly. Bennett pouts on his way to the back.
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness turn to the title matches, which are all that remain left on the card. This leads us into a video package highlighting the events that have led up to the triple threat TV Championship match, and suspected collusion between the House of Truth and the Embassy.
Tomasso Ciampa is the first man to make his way out to the ring for the match, and he’s got the Embassy LTD. along with him, represented by Mia Yim, Prince Nana and RD Evans (where’s Mr. Ernesto?).
Jay Lethal is out next and he gets a great reaction from the crowd, though he looks a bit goofy with his hair blown far out to the sides. His head looks like a pyramid.
The Champion, Roderick Strong, is the final competitor to make his way out to the ring, and he’s got Truth in tow, but it’s interesting to note that he doesn’t have Elgin, especially interesting when you consider the video package that played before the Finlay match.
ROH Television Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Jay Lethal vs. Tomasso Ciampa
Ciampa attacks Lethal before the bell, fighting with Jay to the outside. Strong tries to join in, so Ciampa throws him into the barricade. He and Lethal continue fighting around ringside. Lethal scores a nasty chop before sending Ciampa back into the ring. Lethal sends Ciampa into the ropes, but Ciampa comes back with a huge lariat. Strong is back in and he hits Ciampa with boots to the face, but Lethal hip tosses Strong and hits him with a low dropkick to the face. Lethal tosses Strong to the outside.
Ciampa gets in a couple of shots, but Lethal dives out of the ring and hits Strong with a plancha out of nowhere. Lethal heads back to the apron, and princess Mia gets up and hits Lethal with a huge kick to the face. Lethal sits in the corner, and Ciampa hits him with a running knee to the side of the face, then a second and third. Strong hits Ciampa with an enzugiri before suplexing him into the ropes for a two count. Strong turns to Lethal and blasts him with a couple of punches, then a nasty chop. Strong sends Lethal across the ring and follows, hitting him with a big urunage backbreaker. Strong kicks Lethal in the ribs before picking him up and hitting another big chop. Strong shoves Lethal into the corner, and Lethal comes right back out with chops and punches of his own. Strong kicks Lethal in the knee, but he’s attacked from behind by Ciampa. Ciampa sends Strong across the ring and catches him in electric chair position, dropping him to his face. Ciampa gets a two count, then suplexes Strong hard for another two.
Strong rolls back to the outside and Ciampa turns back to Lethal, bringing him out of the corner and taking him to the mat. Ciampa rips and bites at Lethal’s eyebrows before hitting him with a running clothesline in the corner. Ciampa hits Lethal with a series of chops, but he hits the ropes and runs into a superkick. Ciampa responds with a running knee for another near fall, but Strong tosses him to the outside and gets a near fall on Lethal of his own. Strong hits a big suplex before pinning Lethal for a two count. Strong clamps on a rear chin lock, but Lethal is quick to fight out of it. Strong comes right back with a giant dropkick, but he can’t keep Lethal down for three. Ciampa tries to roll back into the ring, but Strong sends him packing with a quick kick.
Strong catches Lethal with more chops, but Lethal stands to his feet. The two men trade chops in the middle of the ring, and Ciampa gets involved, catching chops from both Strong and Lethal, but giving out none. Lethal clotheslines both men before hitting Strong with a crazy dropkick. Lethal hits Ciampa with a handspring back elbow. He hits the Lethal combination on Strong for a two count. Ciampa runs into Strong, so Lethal hits Ciampa with a tornado DDT, posting off of Strong. Lethal locks on the figure four on Strong, putting Ciampa in the crossface at the same time for bonus points.
Lethal breaks the hold on both men at the same time. Lethal runs into a boot and enzugiri from Strong, but he comes back with a belly to back suplex into a neckbreaker for a near fall. Lethal runs into a forearm from Ciampa, then walks into a big knee to the face. Ciampa heads up to the rope rope launching himself off with a top rope elbow drop on Lethal. Lethal kicks out of a pin at two. Ciampa tries for a powerbomb, but Strong breaks it up with a running knee. Lethal hits Strong with a superkick. Lethal seats Ciampa on the top rope and heads up after him. Ciampa pushes Lethal into a forearm from Strong. Strong hits Ciampa with an enzugiri and heads to the top, hitting Ciampa with a superplex.
Lethal heads to the top and drops and elbow on Ciampa for another near fall. Lethal heads to the ropes, but Strong low bridges him. Lethal ducks a shot from Martini, and blasts him with a punch. Prince Nana looks to save Martini, but Nana runs and Lethal gives chase. He knocks out Ciampa’s legs while Ciampa is trying for project meyhem on Strong, knocking Strong down on top of Ciampa. Ciampa is pinned for three and he’s been eliminated.
Lethal goes for the Lethal injection, but Truth hits him with a book to the back of the head. Lethal pops up, but Strong puts him right down with a suplex into double knees to Lethal’s spine for the pinfall and the win.
Winner and STILL ROH Television Champion: Roderick Strong
After a bit of chatter about the match, and replays, Kelly and Nigel immediately turn to the ROH World Tag Team Championship match that will be coming up next. He poses a question, asking if ANX need to get it done tonight. This leads into a quick video package detailing some of the animosity between these two teams.
Rhett Titus and Kenny King are the first two men to make their way out to the ring, and they get a lot of love from the NYC faithful.
Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team are out next, and in a sign of how unpopular Haas and Benjamin are, they garner boos before their music even starts.
After formal ring introductions, and a reminder that WGTT will lose their belts in the event they’re disqualified, we’re ready to kick off our semi-main event of the evening.
ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: The All Night Express vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
King and Haas look to begin things for their respective teams. The bell rings and Haas can’t stop jawing with fans, yelling and screaming at them. Haas backs off and tags out to Shelton. The fans really, REALLY do not like WGTT. We get a lock up and Shelton slams King down to the mat, then takes the time to gloat about it. Another lock up and Shelton puts on a headlock. King pushes him off, but runs into a shoulderblock. A third lock up and Shelton goes behind King, into a hammerlock. King spins out, hits Shelton with a trio of arm drags, and Shelton rolls to the outside.
Shelton slowly makes his way back into the ring and blasts King with a kick to the gut. Shelton hits Kenny with a big right hand and follows him into the corner. King blocks another right and fights back with a series of his own. King back drops Shelton and locks on a big head lock of his own.
Shelton backs King into his own corner and Haas tags in. Haas hits King with a big kick to the chest before standing on his back and screaming at the fans. Haas butterflies King’s arms and suplexes him before tagging back out to Shelton. Shelton comes in and gets King in powerbomb position, but King fights out of it, lands on his feet and hits a huge dropkick. Titus finally tags into the match and hits Shelton with a running kick to the ribs before jumping high and hitting a big knee drop. King tags back into the ring and we get a flurry of kicks before a big dropkick from Titus puts Benjamin down for two. King locks on a rear chin lock and Shelton struggles, but makes it to his feet. He gets out of the hold and tags in Haas, who runs into an arm drag and arm bar. King makes the tag to Titus, slams Haas to the mat, and hits a springboard leg drop while Titus hits a splash and gets a two count.
Haas comes back, beating on Titus in the corner, but Titus reverses a whip and clotheslines Haas to the mat for two. Titus heads back to his corner and King tags in, coming in with a big heel kick to Haas’ face, laying him down for another two count. King locks in a front face lock, but Haas back him into his own corner. King tries to fight off both Haas and Benjamin, but Haas chokes him against the ropes and Shelton hits him with a quick dropkick that sets him up for a two count. Shelton tags back into the match and cranks on a modified chin lock. King fights up to his knees, but Shelton puts him right back down to the mat. Shelton stomps away at King before picking him up and hitting a big suplex, then following up with a second, much sloppier suplex. Haas tags back in and tags King with a big right hand to the face before choking him with his boot.
King tries to gain a bit of momentum, but Haas catches him with a big boot to the face. Haas sets King up in the tree of woe before backing across the ring and charging in with a running knee. Haas stomps away at King a bit more before choking him with his boot again. Haas picks up King and hits him with a forearm, but when he sends him across the ring, King catches Haas with a roll up for two. Haas destroys King with a big lariat before tagging back out to Shelton. Shelton hits King with a knee drop to the front, then the back of the head. Shelton stomps on King, standing between he and Titus. King surprises Shelton with a roll up for two, then a backslide for another two count. Shelton picks up King and drops him down hard across the knees. Haas comes into the ring without a tag, so the ref won’t count a pin. King rolls up Haas, but the ref counts. Shelton tags back into the match and WGTT go for a double suplex, but King turns it into a double DDT.
King makes the hot tag and Titus comes in with a dropkick to Haas. Titus takes on both members of WGTT with big punches before back dropping Shelton and hitting Haas with a big rocker dropper. Titus blocks a shot from Shelton and hits him with a big boot, then clothesline for a near fall. Titus tries to send Shelton across the ring but it’s reversed, Shelton runs into a big boot. Titus goes to the top. Shelton tries for snake eyes. but Titus falls through his legs and pushes Shelton into the ring post. King hits shotgun double knees and Titus goes for the pin but it’s broken up by Haas. Haas goes to work on Titus before sending King from the ring. Double team work from WGTT leads to an Angle slam from Haas to Titus, but Titus kicks out at three. Titus has a chair and he tosses it to Shelton, calling out the ref. The ref asks if Shelton uses the chair, but Shelton refuses and drops it. Titus DDT’s Shelton into the chair and goes for the pin but only gets two.
King heads back into the rings, but only to gain higher ground for a dive to the outside on top of Haas. Titus teases a dive, but when he hits the ropes, Shelton hits Titus with a big clothesline that sends him to the outside. Shelton follows and he sends Titus head first into the guard rail. Shelton looks under the ring while Haas distracts the ref. Shelton has the title and he uses it to hit Titus in the face, though it happens off camera. Titus is bleeding, and now Shelton slams him head first into the timekeeper’s table.
Titus makes it back into the ring where Haas has tagged in. Haas hits him with methodical stomps and punches. He hits Titus with a series of rights in the corner, having to be pulled away by the ref. Titus struggles for the tag, but Haas hits him with a boot to the face. Haas chokes Titus with his boot before peppering him with more punches. Shelton tags back into the match and continues the assault with more stomps.
Shelton hits Titus with a DDT while King screams at his partner to fight back. Haas tags in and hits Titus with a series of clubbing blows before taking him into the corner and chopping him in the throat. Haas grabs a mic and asks if the ref is going to call the match, because if not they’re going to kill Titus. Titus says no, so Haas says the blood will be on the ref’s hands. Haas hits Titus with a couple more forearms before tagging out to Shelton and hanging Titus up on the ropes. King wipes out Shelton and prevents the double team, but Haas turns to King to hit him with a kick, and he’s rolled up by Titus for a three count.
Winners and NEW ROH World Tag Team Champions: Kenny King and Rhett Titus, The All Night Express
Haas and Benjamin look dejected as they console each other in the ring. Kenny King apparently had a bottle of champagne stashed under the ring, and he grabs it and sprays it all over himself and Titus before giving Rhett a swig.
Shelton attacks King and Haas attacks Titus after the celebration. Shelton sends King into the barricade hard before stomping on him repeatedly. The attack is over quickly though as Haas flips the bird to the fans before he and Shelton make their way to the back.
Following replays, all attention is turned to the main event of the evening, and the match that will decide who gets to head into tomorrow as the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion. A video package showing some of the more recent history between Kevin Steen and Davey Richards is shown, but I don’t think many fans, if they’re like myself, care too much. We just want to see the match!
Before ring introductions, Steve Corino makes his way out to the ring. He has a mic and he says his name is Steve Corino, and he’s proud to be evil. He says NYC is witnessing the era of “Kill Steen Kill” and unlike Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness, Corino is going to sit ringside because Steen needs representation from people who care about him, unlike the fat piece of garbage, Jim Cornette.
Cornette makes his way out to the ring as well, asking for the mic. Cornette asks if Corino thinks he’s an idiot or crazy. He says Corino wants to interfere. Corino may be a color commentator for ROH, but Cornette is also going to sit ringside, and if Corino tries to interfere, Cornette will do something personally.
Davey Richards is the first man out to the ring, and the American Wolf doesn’t get much of a warm reaction from the crowd. Davey is looking to be returning to ways of old, kicking at fans hands and kicking ringside aides on his way into the ring. Richards looks to be all business tonight. Kevin Steen is out next, and Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare gets what is probably the biggest pop of the night, and he’s showered with streamers upon his entrance to the ring.
Bobby Cruise handles formal ring introductions, and we’re ready to begin the main event of the evening!
ROH World Championship Match: Kevin Steen vs. Davey Richards
Kyle O’Reilly makes his way out to the ring, and he asks for the mic before things can get underway. Kyle says some people are wondering why he’s not in Davey’s corner tonight. He says Davey didn’t like how he handled his loss to Cole earlier tonight. He says he’s proud Cole is getting stitches in his mouth, and he’s proud that he slapped the smile off his face. Kyle says he’s not out here to stab Davey in the back, but right in the eye because he saw it coming. He says he doesn’t respect Steen, he respects Davey. Kyle says he’s not Davey’s lackey. No more Team Ambition, or Kyle and Davey. They’re on their own. Kyle says he’s going to have to go through Davey. He says that’s why he’s not in Richards’ corner before telling NYC to kiss his a** and walking off.
Steen grabs a streamer and uses it to wipe his tears for Davey. Davey hits him with a kick that sends him crashing to the outside through the timekeeper’s table. Davey follows and sends Steen into the barricade before seating him in a chair and running into him with a giant running kick. Davey whips Steen into the barricade again before blasting him with a kick to the chest. Jimmy Jacobs tries to get involved, but Richards takes him to the barricade and hits him with a big kick. Davey runs toward Steen, but Steen catches him, throws him up, and lays him down with a powerbomb across the apron. Steen takes Davey around the ring and throws him into the barricade before slamming him down to the floor. Steen rips off the portion of the barricades with ROH logos on them, made of sheet metal. He lays them across Davey before heading up to the apron and leaping off with a frog splash on top of Richards.
Steen grabs a chain in the middle and uses them to whip Davey. He sends Davey back into the ring and he goes to the top. Steen tries for a swanton, but Davey gets his knees up. Steen responds by hanging Davey up in the ropes and hitting a suspension DDT. Davey rolls to the outside and Steen follows. Steen sends Davey back into the ring before making contact with Bobby Cruise, turning around and blasting him with a superkick. Davey launches himself through the ropes and out at Steen.
Richards picks Steen up and brings him around toward the announcer’s area. He walks right past and slams Steen’s head into the apron. Steen and Davey fight up to the apron. Steen teases a powerbomb, but Richards fights out. Steen and Richards fight on the apron, and Davey hits an exploder, laying Steen out on the apron. Richards catches Steen with a big kick to the back of the head. Can I mention that Steve Corino on commentary is a freaking RIOT.
Richards grabs a table and he sets it up on the outside. Richards lays Steen across the table, then heads up to the top. Richards hits a double stomp, sending Steen through a table on the outside.
Richards sends Steen back into the ring, heads back to the top and hits another double stomp. Richards goes for the pin but Steen is able to kick out at two. Davey heads to the outside, grabbing a steel chair. Richards slides the chair into the ring, then grabs another, sliding that one in too. Richards brings four chairs into the ring. Richards winds up for a chair shot, but Steen catches it and hits a codebreaker, driving Richards’ face into the chair. Steen drapes a chair across Richards in the corner, then hits a big cannonball. Steen gets a near fall. Steen lays a chair across Davey, then throws one into it. He stacks all four chairs on top of Davey before heading to the top. Richards gets out from under the chairs and he catches Steen with an enzugiri. Richards follows up Steen and hits him with a series of head butts. Richards stands on the top with Steen, hitting a superplex that sends the champ crashing into the pile of chairs in the ring. Davey covers Steen, but he only gets two.
Davey stomps away at Steen before heading back outside the ring and grabbing another table. Davey slides the table back into the ring before heading in himself. Davey stomps at Steen before setting the table up near one of the corners. Davey takes Steen into the corner and seats him on the top turnbuckle. Davey heads up after Steen, but Steen bites at Davey’s face. Steen hits Davey with a crazy fisherman type buster from the second rope through the table. Steen pins Richards, but Davey kicks out!
Steen has Richards’ mouth piece, which must have fallen out at some point, and he pops it in his mouth for a bit. Steen grabs two chairs and sets them up facing each other. He tries for the F5, but Davey reverses, hitting a belly to back suplex that sends Steen through the chairs head first.
Richards grabs the chain that Steen introduced into the match. Steen uses the chain to choke Steen, but only for a bit before he wraps it around his boot. Steen uses his chain wrapped boot to hit Steen with some Kawada kicks. Steen spits at Davey, so Davey responds with a giant kick to the side of the face from his chain wrapped boot. Richards isn’t happy about it and he hits the referee with a kick to the stomach.
Richards goes under the ring to grab a ladder. Steen shoulders Davey and hits the F5 out of nowhere. Another ref is out from the back and Steen covers Davey for two. Steen isn’t happy about this, so he hits the referee with a package piledriver.
Steen sets Davey up for the package piledriver, but Davey fights it off. Davey hits a crazy emerald frosian-type driver, setting Steen down head first on the ladder. He pins Steen, but there’s not a ref. Richards brings the first ref back into the ring and sets up the ladder in the corner. Jacobs attacks from behind and gouges at Richards’ eyes. Jacobs has the spike. Cornette is in and he grabs the spike from Jacobs. Jacobs backs off, but Cornette turns around into a kick to the groin from Corino. Jacobs has the spike again and he goes to attack Davey, but he’s caught with an exploder into the ladder in the corner. Jacobs hands Steen a spike, but there’s another out of nowhere that Davey has. Steen spikes Davey in the groin, then delivers a package piledriver to Richards for the pin, and the win.
Winner and STILL ROH World Heavyweight Champion: Kevin Steen
Steve Corino gets into the ring after the match and he sings the praises of Steen before announcing that he is indeed STILL the ROH World Champion.
Steen asks for his music to be cut. He says he’s closed out the last two NYC shows on the mic, so he’s going to make tonight a hat trick. Tonight, it’s particularly special because he’s been waiting a long time to be standing in this ring, in this building, in front of these fans as ROH World Champion. There’s one thing Steen can’t stand in pro-wrestling, and it’s hypocritical people. Jim Cornette is one of the most hypocritical people that he’s had to deal with in wrestling. There are people worse than that. He needs Davey Richards to know that for the last 18 months, he’s been a hypocrite, because he needed to be to get into a match with Davey and get the title. He says everything he said about Davey being an undeserving champion isn’t true. He thinks Davey is one of the hardest workers in the business, and he thinks he’s the best in the world. He says the most hypocritical people in wrestling choose not to acknowledge Davey as that, and that’s the fans. He calls them the most hypocritical pieces of s*** in wrestling. The crowd chants “Yes!” Steen points to Final Battle 2010 when he lost to El Generico and the fans celebrated and cheered. Then six months later he showed up and couldn’t have been loved more. He was a God in this building. And they say they respect Cary Silken, but when he threatens to break his neck, the fans explode. People buy ROH tickets, then cheer for Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. He asks if the fans think they even remember the company, and he chants no. He says there’s irony in how they chant for them, considering how they love turning on World Champions. The fans turned on McGuinness. They turned on Tyler Black. They turned on Davey Richards. But they can’t turn on Steen, because he doesn’t give a s*** about any of them. He used them to get what he wanted, and now that he’s champion, he’s going to bring the company to the ground, and the fans only have themselves to blame. Steen says the fans are like a woman that keeps getting beaten up and tells her husband she loves him. He says a year ago he said f*** Ring of Honor, but what he really wanted to say was f*** New York City. Steen drops the mic and storms off to the back. The PPV ends with a shot of an empty ring filled with the remnants of streamers.
