Welcome to the debut edition of Honorable Mention, my weekly commentary on Ring of Honor’s ROH TV, broadcasting nationwide on HDNet and available each and every week at RingofHonor.com. This week’s episode was yet another high octane hour highlighted by some of the best and brightest young talent in the world of professional wrestling.
The set of promos that kicked off the show reminded me of the old school clips that would frequently open “Saturday Nights Main Event.” I’m happy to be excited about a main event, even if it’s a tag team match. Sometimes the dated techniques have withstood the test of time for a reason. This evening, Kevin Kelly is joined on commentary by ROH Match Maker Nigel McGuinness, a welcome change compared to Prince Nana or Truth Martini, but disappointing when you’re hoping for Veda Scott. Overall a really good show as far as pro wrestling on cable television, about average for Ring of Honor. Maybe slightly below due only to the weird Michael Elgin spot. But hey, let’s quit jibberВjabbing and jump into the card…
Cedric Alexander vs. Tommaso Ciampa
I made a prediction a few months back that Tommaso Ciampa would be the next ROH prospect on WWE’s radar. He’s got a phenomenal look, a captivating character, he can speak better than half of the talent down in developmental. Oh, and he’s an incredible wrestler. Match of the night, hands down, without question. Now that I’m done putting over the Sicilian Psycopath, let me give Cedric Alexander his due; an exciting young worker who flies high but can also perform on the mat. I was especially impressed with a springboard kick that Alexander landed square in the jaw of Ciampa. As the match started to wind down, both men traded off a series of signature moves and pin attempts, until a stray drop kick from Alexander collided with referee Todd Sinclair. With the official recovering, Ciampa unraveled the turnbuckle rope, hiding it in his fist, and choked Cedric Alexander to earn his victory. I thought the application of the turnbuckle rope as a weapon was ingenious storytelling, something I don’t see very often. I wasn’t happy with the call to reverse the decision. I feel like doing that sets a precedent that could be difficult to enforce. From bell to bell this match had everything that you’d hope for in a wrestling match. Ciampa is a cunning heel, and I thought it was especially cheeky of him to walk off the way he did, with a mic in hand saying, “Nigel Screwed Nigel.”
Worst Case Scenario vs. RD Evans & Moose
Moose is a unique character in the ROH locker room, as the WWE tends to get all of the exВ-football players. He can out weigh most of his peers by up to 150 lbs, and that includes his tag team partner, the man who is currently 166В-0, RD Evans. Their opponents are the obscure duo of Elijah and Ethan, Worst Case Scenario. WCS is dressed in neon, and pat themselves on the back Barry Horowitz-Вstyle, leading me to infer that their gimmick is that of a midВ-90s WWF jobber tag team. Brilliant.
They hang in with their perhaps more formidable opponents until Moose’s tenacity and aggression proves too much for anyone to compete with. Once Moose decimates his opponents, RD quickly tags himself in so he can secure the 1В2В3. RD Evans is now 167-В0. A good match for what it was. RD is a comedy wrestler built on good fundamentals, while Moose is a powerhouse rookie with a spear that turns his opponents inside out. It was a threeВway clash of styles, it’s just good to see the streak continue, and let’s hope Evans will become the next TV Champion.
Michael Elgin Speaks
I feel as though I heard about this segment with Elgin long before it aired on television. I don’t see what was so controversial about it, unless the cringeВ-worthiness was enough to actually convince anyone that this was anything more than a work. They don’t generally air informal shoots on taped wrestling programs. From reading about this, I was convinced it was going to be intriguing TV featuring a disgruntled employee unable to fit the company image. But then it aired on television, and all I saw was a short guy with a highВpitched voice in a cheap suit and a bottle in his pocket. He said he had dressed nice to meet ROH’s “corporate image,” which is insane. Honestly, his ramblings about “making things messy” left no mark in my mind by the time he left the ring. However, his final comment came close: “When you pray for the rain, you have to deal with the mud.”
The Kingdom vs. The Briscoes
I’ve never been a Matt Taven fan, but judging by the company he keeps, I’m starting to come around. He and Michael Bennett are set to do battle against the Briscoes, as Adam Cole sits at the broadcast booth. Jay Briscoe is a curious character; he’s the current ROH Champion, he’s one of only two men to ever hold the belt more than once, he’s unpinned and unsubmitted for over two years. And then there’s Mark, his toothless brother. It took me a few years to come around to the boys from Deleware, and despite what I think of them outside the ring, I cannot deny the magic that both brothers work between the ropes. This match erupted into a tornado tag affair in a matter of moments, with carnage spilling throughout the ringside area and even into the front row. The final moments were a hodgepodge of finishing maneuvers including the “JayВDriller.” The Briscoes pick up the victory but are soon caught in a three on one beatВdown, now featuring Maria on the headset as Cole joins his fellow Kingdom members. I wonder how long Jay Briscoe can hold the ROH Title this time, and more importantly, who might be the competitor to serve him his first clean singles loss in 2 years?
As mentioned before, another stellar hour of professional wrestling the way it was meant to be. As ROH gets closer to their next pay per view event and their partnership with NJPW is currently unclear, it’ll be interesting to see how events unfold in the coming weeks. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, honored to have been with you today.
