Back in the 90’s when I was but a white meat baby face growing up in Central New Jersey, I had to make the monthly decision as to which wrestling pay-per-view I was going to ask my parents to order. My dad was a fan of Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund, and was courteous enough to cover every WWF/E pay-per-view that aired in his house from 1996 to 2007. But every so often I was able to finagle a WCW event out of him as well. It was always alluring no matter the outcome—the spectacle of another wrestling company. Some things were different but it was all the same sport of entertainment that I had fallen in love with. These days I pay for my own pay-per-views, but the chance to catch anything other than WWE only seems to come along quarterly. TNA isn’t producing monthly events anymore, and if they do it’s been taped and running on a delay. So my long-winded point I’ve been vamping toward this whole time, is that I was excited to sit down and watch a live professional wrestling event on my TV for the first time in quite a while! As mentioned, I’m from the East Coast and have plenty of musically gifted friends that have played Terminal One in New York City. But as familiar as I was with the location, I couldn’t comprehend such a small site hosting a wrestling match, let alone an important show such as Final Battle 2014. Terminal One is less than half the size of The Hammerstein Ballroom, but the intimate atmosphere made it feel like a billion dollar stadium. Paul Heyman is famous for, among other things, being the first promoter to book Bam Bam Bigelow, and he did so at Studio 54, another small New York City music venue. In addition to reminding me of the debut of the Beast from the East, the look of this event was very reminiscent of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night in it’s very early days.
I wasn’t terribly invested in the opening contest of the night; of the four participants, the only worker I’m especially interested in is Caprice Coleman. ROH has an insanely large selection of aerial-inclined African Americans. Vince McMahon would have you believe that there’s never been a black WWE Champion because they aren’t as prevalent in the industry. Maybe there’s actually something to this WWE-racism rumor after all, because there are a lot of highly talented black wrestlers out there, and they aren’t all a part of The New Day. I’ve always had a hard time getting behind either Briscoe Brother. I have trouble discerning their “traditional” politics outside of the ring from their in-ring personas. Which is my fault I suppose, but I reserve the right to dislike anyone I choose. And while I may be able to support Jay Briscoe because he currently carries the ROH World title belt, I have no reason to endorse his brother, who’s no more than a toothless disgrace to the name Mark. I was disappointed that BJ Witmer had only come to Final Battle as a spectator, or at the very least for moral support. BJ is one of my favorite wrestlers in Ring of Honor, bar none. And as Final Battle appears to be ROH’s answer to WrestleMania or Bound for Glory, I was admittedly disappointed my favorite wrestler didn’t have the chance to apply his craft. But back to the match—I’ve never loved Jimmy Jacobs, but I don’t think I’ve ever been opposed to him either. I respect him as a 10-year veteran and appreciate his efforts regardless of where he’s working or for how many fans he’s performing. Hansen is the variable in this equation whom I know the least about and have therefore established no opinion. Just my luck, that the only wrestler in the match that I don’t care about was the one who walked away with the victory. It’s good to see Hansen actively competing on TV in singles matches when Ring of Honor could very well have shelved the War Machine member until his partner returned from suffering a motorcycle accident. I think given the unpredictable nature regarding Rowe’s rehab, Ring of Honor brass is most likely attempting to salvage Hansen’s singles career while they still can.
What can be said about Roderick Strong that hasn’t been said and repeated a thousand times before? He’s a polarizing figure that has his admirers and detractors, but very few are split on how they feel about the former Decade member. Roddy Strong is a staple in Ring of Honor, and with his classic good looks and world title pedigree, some might consider him ROH’s homegrown Randy Orton. He certainly has the same kind of cunning reputation as the Viper, especially when preying on the weak—in this case Adam Page. The triangle dynamic unfolding within The Decade is also strangely similar to the three way dichotomy that was developed over the summer by WWE between The Authority, Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton. In this scenario however, the young Adam Page is the one poised to lead the millennial roster into the next generation of wrestling. Riding alongside veteran ring generals such as BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs, and at one time Strong himself is in many ways similar to Seth Rollins being surrounded by Kane, the Big Show, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury. I love watching Roderick Strong wrestle because of the graceful fluidity in each of his steps and even in the bumps that he takes. Page is no slouch either, despite being greener than DX glow sticks. Adam Page only needed to provide Strong a canvas with which to work. But Page was able to periodically contour the contest to his own specifications in order to match talents with the imposing former world champion. Of course in the end, the riotous antihero must concquer the despicable pawn before he may enter back into his former castle to vanquish the usurpers—BJ Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs. For a match that was built on only a few weeks of storytelling, Strong and Page managed to tell an accurate tale that is more than likely only the first chapter in the downfall of The Decade.
Michael Elgin is to me now what Bret Hart was to the 10-year-old incarnation of me in 1996. He’s clearly a very talented wrestler with a lot to offer and average promo skills. But he’s just so damn boring! I went on a bit of a holiday earlier this year that kept me away from any and all wrestling news. When I returned, I sat on the runway waiting to get off my plane for about 25 minutes. So I decided to check my Facebook and email; I sent a few messages to family and friends; and of course I read all of the latest dirt. That’s when it happened: I read the headline of an article on Lords of Pain and let out an extremely loud, “Michael Elgin is the Champion?! Of what?!” I couldn’t believe it. I’ve always held the ROH title in the highest esteem due to the exclusivity associated with earning the right to wear the belt. To me the Ring of Honor World Championship is in many ways the most prestigious world title in America, falling short only to the IWGP Championship worldwide. So I was startled that a high midcarder such as Michael Elgin had proven himself worthy of taking up the task in leading the ROH locker room. Fast forward several months, through a summer of below average live events and Elgin is back to where he started and his championship reign is all but a faded memory. In the opposite corner stands Tommaso Ciampa, the self-proclaimed Sicilian Psychopath who seems to be having more trouble as of late with matchmaker Nigel McGuinness than any of his contemporary combatants. The concept of enigmatic brawlers settling their differences by employing their similar strengths is a capital idea to peak interest. It’s refreshing to see a hard-hitting battle of this magnitude fought between two warriors as technically sound as Tommaso Ciampa and Michael Elgin. I thought the entire contest was above average, and despite losing, Ciampa was in many ways the MVP of the match.
The Young Bucks are probably the best tag team in the United States, and could even go down as one of the greatest teams in history. Aside from their Ring of Honor appearances, the Bucks are currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling where they are active members of the heel faction known as The Bullet Club. Battling alongside the brothers Nick and Matt Jackson is one of the most charismatic and captivating competitors in the sport of professional wrestling today—ACH. Coming off the heels of his earth-shattering contest against Jay Lethal just a few short weeks ago, ACH seems to have put his TV Title loss in the rearview and is focused on the task at hand. He’s one of those talented performers who purists like to pick on and say, “He won’t be able to walk in ten years.” People said the same thing about AJ Styles and Shelton Benjamin and Jeff Hardy. In 1996, Larry Zbyszko made a comment regarding one WCW wrestler saying, “The high risks are all well and good now but this guys gonna be in a wheel chair by the time he’s 30!” That was Rey Mysterio. So I say be smart about when to employ high spots and think twice when risking your health in front of 95 fans. Aside from that, I encourage all wrestlers to put on whatever kind of match they’re comfortable with. Now as for their opponents—who the hell is The Addiction? What was wrong with their original tag team name? I assume Bad Influence had some sort of correlation with TNA, or maybe Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels were just trying something new. I’m all for a change whatever the case may be, but this seems like a step backwards in regard to creative direction. But what’s in a name if these two seasoned veterans are still at the top of their game? Cedric Alexander and ACH are in the ring together more often than Jimmy and Jey Uso. Alexander is sort of a strange worker and it’s hard for me to ever get a feel as to how he’s trying to develop his character. Since disbanding from The Decade, one would assume that the only direction to go would be toward the light. But Cedric Alexander appears to be latching onto his former villainous role a bit too tightly. Maybe that’s because he was partnered with Daniels and Kazarian, but aside from ACH, it seemed that everyone in this match was a heel. What it lacked in progressive excitement, this match compensated for with star power and a flurry of high spots that helped to bridge the gap between the matches both before and after.
My biggest question going into the grudge match between Moose and RD Evans was, “Where will Veda Scott be?” For as long as I can remember, the Evans Streak storyline has been an ensemble affair involving multiple characters and I needed to know where her allegiance would lie. I’m not yet sold on Moose, and he is perhaps my least favorite member of the Ring of Honor roster. That being said, Hathaway and Prince Nana are my favorite parts of the program, even moreso than any of the action going on between the ropes. While ROH has always been a promotion based largely on in-ring competition, this match is more in line with a classic Rasslin’ feud from the territory days. I really like RD Evans and I’ve said so on more than one occasion. As sad as I was to see the Streak end, Evans is sure to have a far more prolific career now that he’s being cast in a more traditional fashion. As far as this match, I was less than enthused with the outcome but I’m optimistic about what’s in store for Moose come TV this week.
I think many people expected the television championship match to be the highlight of the entire pay-per-view, and in some ways it was. It definitely deserved its place on the card, and I think if it was outdone by anything it would have been Fight Without Honor. Jay Lethal is like Shawn Michaels or Randy Savage in that he’s going to have a good match no matter what he’s doing. Whether it be inside a steel cage or at the top of the ladder; in front of hundreds or thousands; Jay delivers the same rock star performance day-in and day-out no matter who he’s booked with. Luckily for Final Battle buyers, Lethal wasn’t matched with just any random hand, but with a former champion himself and a former WWE Superstar in Matt Sydal. Independent wrestling is kind of easy to predict sometimes; if one worker has a dozen dates scheduled across the country and his opponent is about to go on vacation, odds are the more visible of the two will walk away champion. Ring of Honor is a little different in that they sign their wrestlers to exclusive deals that allow them to work in a variety of promotions, but prohibit them from appearing in some as well. I wasn’t sure who was going to take home the television title, but due to an enormity of dates scheduled, I would have put money on Matt Sydal. But I was wrong. In any case, it’s always interesting to see a former ROH wrestler-turned WWE Superstar return to his roots after being “future-endeavored” by the Connecticut based mega power. I caught myself asking, “Is that really Evan Bourne,” on several occasions. Of course it was, but it was like night and day the difference in work rate compared to what the former WWE tag team champion was capable of. I understand the WWE’s desire to assimilate all athletes into a similar style in the ring, but once you see Matt Sydal soar through the air in this setting, it’s enough to make you personally angry with Bill Demott and every other trainer on the WWE payroll.
When I first got hip to the Time Splitters I immediately found fault in their name. Time Splitters is an arcade game that suburban kids play at movie theaters while waiting for their moms to come pick them up. But the cheesy gimmick fits an otherwise still cheesy tag team that dresses like a pair of Marty McFly’s and hits the ring each night to an epic Japanese musical score. American audiences are most definitely more familiar with Alex Shelley who made a name for himself in TNA, both as a singles competitor and as one half of the Motor City Machine Guns. But his tag team partner Kushida is almost certainly the more capable of the two once the bell sounds. Kushida exudes an aura of charisma that transcends the language barrier and makes it possible for English speakers such as myself to understand his character. On any other night, the Time Splitters would probably be the favorites to win, but at Final Battle they are booked against Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish—reDragon. While I admit The Young Bucks are perhaps the best team on the planet, reDragon is my favorite. Kyle O’Reilly seems to get the majority of message boards buzzing, but for me the appeal lies with Bobby Fish. Who doesn’t like a wrestler who wears glasses? I was hopeful that this match would steal the show, based both on my expectations for the teams involved and because of my pessimism regarding the main event. I was wrong about the world title match, but I was right in that these four competitors put on a clinic that could very well have earned itself the title of match of the night. I was happy that reDragon picked up the win as I wasn’t yet ready to see them relinquish the titles they’ve worked so hard to defend, especially if it meant dropping them to a pair of outsourced New Japan workers.
I held out hope that the Fight Without Honor would be a championship caliber main event, even when commonsense kept telling me otherwise. I mentioned earlier that the Briscoes have never been my favorite team, and as entertaining as The Kingdom truly is, Adam Cole hasn’t seemed to be anything more than a placeholder between title contenders. Before dropping the belt to Michael Elgin, I was beginning to come around to Adam Cole. But the decision to strip him of the championship in favor of an obvious flop such as Elgin may have done more than put the brakes on Cole’s career, it could have blown out his engine. In the months between losing the world title and the beginning of his rekindled rivalry with Jay Briscoe, Adam Cole was one of the least entertaining aspects of ROH TV. I admittedly had to struggle to get excited for this match. Now that I’ve covered all of my pre-match prejudices, I can admit when I’m wrong. And I was very wrong. I expected Jay to exceed my expectations as he always does, and my feelings for him are of a largely personal nature. But Adam Cole stood out and impressed me beyond anything I could have imagined. From start to finish, the brutality exhibited by both competitors was breathtaking. For a period of time where chair shots to the head are deemed taboo, this match had no shortage of direct contact between steel and skull. As the bout wound down to its final moments, and Cole appeared to be on the verge of victory, the carnage kicked in to overdrive. In a moment that I had to rewind and record and post on Facebook, Adam Cole racked his brain for ideas on how to torture and ultimately eliminate Jay Briscoe. Kneeling amongst a pile of thumbtacks, Cole scooped several dozen into his fist and fed them to Briscoe—following up with a Super Kick that projected shards of metal from between the lips of the World Champion. A little heavier on the gore than I think anyone would have expected, and perhaps that’s why it worked. Of course no cosmetic injury is going to dethrone the Deleware-born and bred Jay Briscoe, who was able to reach deep down into his reserve and summon the stength to drill Cole directly into the canvas, thus successfully defending the coveted ROH World Championship.
Once the dust had settled and Final Battle 2014 drew to a close, I sat back feeling satisfied with the previous three hours and eight wrestling matches I was privileged to see. There didn’t seem to be much build going into this event, but we come to realize that ROH wrestlers are fully capable of telling a story in the ring, and therefore don’t need months of promos and overly produced vignettes. The match of the night was the Fight Without Honor for the World Title. I think that if a pay-per-view is going to be successful as a whole, the way this was, then the main event needs to be the breakout match of the show. But that’s not to say that every undercard contest wasn’t without it’s strengths as well; Final Battle 2014 did a phenomenal job of closing out a puzzling year on a positive note. If you haven’t caught it already, I implore you to spend some time and catch up on Ring of Honor as 2015 is shaping up to be quite a year. That’s it for me I’m Mark Haggerty—keep it tuned to Cheap-Heat.com for all the latest and greatest columns and countdowns.
