Honorable Mention
ROH TV 1/17/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
It's that time of the week once more when I return to discuss the most recent events from Ring of Honor TV. With the Thirteenth Anniversary show just over one month away, what is matchmaker Nigel McGuinness prepared to do regarding the number one contender situation? Last week's episode ended as "Warbeard" Hanson, Tommaso Ciampa and Michael Elgin's three way dance imploded and devolved into an all-out street fight with referee Todd Sinclair caught in the crossfire. This week the ROH World Title is on the line with Jay Briscoe defending against an unnamed member of the Kingdom. In addition, Alberto El Patron is set to make his Ring of Honor debut. What does the former WWE Champion have to say about the no compete clause he was issued just four months ago? Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "Honorable Mention," the once-weekly critique of what's been called by many "the best hour of wrestling on television"—Ring of Honor TV.
ROH is off and running with a pre-recorded promo per Jay Briscoe, speculating on the fate of his championship come the end of tonight's mystery main event against the Kingdom. Briscoe's original title belt was stolen and revamped, currently clad in pink fur by Maria, dubbed her "Title of Love." Jay says that if he's willing to put his title on the line, they should be willing to do the same. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino welcome fans back to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in beautiful Nashville, where they can now confirm tonight's main event will in fact be a world title match. The opening contest of the show features the 17-year veteran Frankie Kazarian as he gets set to square off against the incomparable Cedric Alexander. Kazarian comes to the ring accompanied by his tag team partner, "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, who makes residence alongside Kelly and Corino at the broadcast position. The match is an evenly-paced back-and-forth contest between two individuals with a ton of respect for one another. The last time these wrestlers stood inside the same squared circle was at Final Battle when they stood on the same side in a six man tag match. Kelly and Corino ask Christopher Daniels how someone who's use to tag team competition might fare in a singles match, implying that "The Addiction" might work better together than apart. I suppose the announcers forgot both workers and their stellar singles careers including multiple X-Division titles between the two of them. Daniels is obviously insulted, although keeps his cool and insists that Kazarian will be just fine. The experience gap is uncanny as Frankie Kazarian made his professional debut in 1998, eleven years before Cedric hit the ring in 2009. Both men are tremendous wrestlers, but Kazarian puts his wealth of knowledge on display by systematically picking Cedric apart, concentrating on specific body parts and targeting them until Alexander has no choice but to give in. Back on the outside, Kelly asks Christopher Daniels about his match next week against former WWE champion Alberto El Patron. Daniels appears to have great respect for "Dos Caras," but insists that he will defeat Patron next week, serving him his first loss in his debut match. As Alexander's high-risk offense started to hinder the mat-based-game of Frankie Kazarian, the tag team competitor decided to take it upstairs as well. In an attempted powerbomb from the top rope, Kazarian tossed Alexander into the air, a move that Cedric skillfully reversed by landing clean on his feet. Cedric kicked Kaz in the side of his head, followed by another impactful boot to the other side. Things looked to be going in Cedric's favor until an ill-fated top-rope move was caught in a cutter by Kazarian—I guess the "RKO" really can come outta nowhere, even in a Ring of Honor Ring! Staggered, Cedric stepped directly into the sights of Frankie Kazarian who sealed the deal, delivering a Tomikaze inverted double underhook facebuster.
With the main event looming, the Kingdom decides it's time to announce who Jay Briscoe will be defending his ROH World Title against in less than one hour. Matt Taven appears backstage, and says he always thought Jay was the smarter of the Briscoe brothers, but he must have been wrong if Jay Briscoe is willing to put the belt on the line—against him. Taven warns Briscoe and fans around the world, that he's going to beat Jay Briscoe and become the new ROH World Champion. Back at ringside, Caprice Coleman is back to assist Kevin and Steve in covering the upcoming first round match in the Top Prospects Tournament. This week the rookies featured are Jake Dirden and Donovan Dijak. Kevin Kelly is floored at the sheer size of these individuals, each standing at around 6'7" and weighing 275 pounds; what's considered average in the WWE is gargantuan in other promotions. Dirden reminds me Luke Harper, Bruiser Brody, or any number of crazy-haired unkempt brawlers, set to take on a 2-sport college athlete in Donovan Dijak. Once things get underway we're privy to a one-sided battle with Dijack taking the lead. From bell to bell, Dirden has his patches of considerable offense, but this match served as the "Coming Out Party" for Donovan Dijak. After a few moments of wrestling a very spirited contest, the Decade appears in the entry way. BJ Whitmer leads the trio and says, "Continue! Continue! Impress us!" The Decade is obviously on hand looking to scout the next potential diamond in the rough from this Top Prospect Tournament. Graduating from UMass after four years of basketball and football, Dijak has the power and unpredictable force of a super heavyweight, with the agility of a luchador. He reminds me of Matt Morgan—just an all-around impressive talent with a plethora of positive qualities just one year into his wrestling career. Once he was finished promoting his bottomless well of power-based offense, Dijak opted to showcase his aerial abilities by performing a beautifully executed swan dive over the top rope to the outside. It was at this point that Jake Dirden began his comeback, beginning with clasping his fingers around the throat of Dijak and choke slamming him into a 2-count. Dirden made quick work of evening the odds, and was soon ready to pin the dynamic Donovan Dijak. But rather than covering his opponent to advance in the tournament, Dirden instead chose to finish things with the crippling, "Asiatic Spike," a thumb strike similar to the move Umaga used in the WWE. After pacing around the ring waiting for an opportune occasion, Dirden was blindsided by the former football player. Dijak lifted the humungous Dirden onto his shoulders in a "Torture Rack," and finished with a variation of the GTS called "Feast Your Eyes." Dijak advances in the tournament and will wrestle the winner of Ashley Sixx and Dalton Castle in the second round.
Backstage once more and a mysterious figure is sitting in front of a television monitor, currently tuned to Ring of Honor programming. The figure was completely unrecognizable due to the shadow effect and the way in which their voice as disguised. The only words we're given from this masked vigilante are, "We are coming. And we are bringing change with us." So maybe it's Barack Obama? With his tenure as president nearing an end, would working a wrestling program really be such a dramatic downgrade? Back at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Kevin Kelly is on hand awaiting the arrival of Alberto El Patron. The crowd give the former-Del Rio a huge ovation and chant, "Si! Si! Si," before Patron can even say a word. Once inside the ring alongside Kevin Kelly, Alberto has quite a bit to get off his chest relating to his "no compete clause" and his unnamed former employers. "Four months ago," he began, "Somebody said I was not going to be able to wrestle in the United States—for one year!" The live audience is loving the anti-WWE shoot, and get even further behind the second-generation athlete when he went on to say, "I said Wrestlers, because that's what we are! I am not a �sports entertainer,' I am a WRESTLER!" Alberto says that the real reason he's in ROH is to compete with the best, and issues a challenge to ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe in the process. Instead of "Reach for the Sky," we hear the demonic laughter of Truth Martini, who escorted the record-setting TV champion to the ring. Truth begins by saying, "I don't care about anything you've done in your career. When you said you wanted to face the best, you failed to mention this guy." Truth pointed at Lethal, who was now in possession of the microphone. "Do your homework before you come to class! The number one man around here is not Jay Briscoe." Both Lethal and Truth argue the merits of the television championship, even calling it "the greatest title in the world." Jay Lethal demands an apology from Patron, a request that Alberto initially obliges, until disrespect makes room for stupidity. "Let's dance," El Patron exclaimed, shredding his t-shirt! Jay Lethal too began preparing for war until Truth Martini interrupted, saying that Patron hasn't yet earned the right to wrestle Lethal. I really like this rivalry as a way to incorporate Patron into the TV title picture; with so many viable world title contenders, I was worried ROH would immediately strap the belt around Patron's waist. But instead it appears as though Patron might be the one to take Lethal's TV title, just short of 300 days since winning it last year.
The events of last week's three way dance are explained, and the announcers at ringside begin to speculate as to who the number one contender is. Before they can come up with any names, former ROH champion and matchmaker Nigel McGuinness appeared presumably to address the situation head on. Nigel says he wants Jay Briscoe to come down the aisle so that he may give the champion the news to his face. Briscoe walks down the entry way and already has his own ideas for the Thirteenth Anniversary: "Vegas is a gamblin' city, and I'm a gamblin' man. Let's just make all three of them [the number one contender]!" Briscoe pitches a simple 4-way match under the banner, "High Stakes Four Corners Survival Match"—perhaps meaning that this will be an elimination style contest? Briscoe continues his walk to the ring, where he patiently awaits the Kingdom and Matt Taven. Alongside the challenger is Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis, stacking the deck even higher against the self-confessed "gamblin' man." Jay Briscoe did more than give Matt Taven a schooling in ringwork, he proceeded to squash the former TV champion in order to send a message to Adam Cole. Bennett makes his presence known throughout the match, getting involved several time including landing an exceptionally executed superkick to the side of Briscoe's head. Maria puts herself in the match as well, tripping Briscoe into a near-fall attempted victory for Taven—but Briscoe powers out just before three. Briscoe fights the junior heavyweight competitor into the corner where he delivers nine solid punches as the audience in Nashville counts along. Before the final tenth punch however, Taven slid out of harm's way and was once again on the offense. Taven attempted a top rope hurricanrana, and got nearly 75% of it until Briscoe reversed the maneuver in md-air. The wind was knocked out of Taven, allowing him zero chance of kicking out. Your winner and still ROH World Champion: Jay Briscoe. After his successful title defense however, Bennett and Maria hit the ring to obliterate the world champion. Maria is one of the best female promos in professional wrestling today, and the finale of ROH TV was no different. Maria told Jay, who was now in the clutches of Bennett and Taven, that he didn't have the BALLS to fight her. This was all the finest practitioner of redneck kung-fu needed to storm the squared circle and save his brother. Mark Briscoe says that this feud has gone on long enough, and next week he wants Taven and Bennett against the Briscoes in the opening match!
Another incredible hour of professional wrestling courtesy of the promotion who does it better than anyone this side of the Pacific Ocean. Next week's episode will of course continue the "Top Prospect Tournament," as well feature the tag team bout between the Kingdom and the Briscoes. Perhaps most important-of-all, next week's episode of ROH TV will include the in-ring debut of the man once known as "Alberto Del Rio," Alberto El Patron. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and until next time, thanks for joining me for this installment of, "Honorable Mention."
