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We open this week's episode with a video package recapping the Kings of Wrestling-Briscoes feud, as the Briscoes interrupted their match with the Motor City Machine Guns and laid out Sara Del Rey, then the KOW attacked the Briscoes' father, and then the Briscoes ran in during the KOW's match with the Dark City Fight Club and caused an all out brawl, and then finally the KOW declared ROH a hazardous work environment.
Speaking of the Kings Of Wrestling, they're opening up our festivities tonight. Shane Hagadorn takes the mic and says that they're about to give the Philly fans something unprecedented: Hagadorn has handpicked three of the greatest teams in the wrestling business for the KOW to showcase their skills against. These teams are powerful and excellent, but they have nothing on the KOW, and we're about to find out how dominant Hero and Castagnoli are.
ROH World Tag Team Champions Kings Of Wrestling vs Josh Emmanuel & Ice Jackson.
The first team is Josh Emmanuel and Ice Jackson. Uh oh, the Kings are screwed now. Claudio ties up with one of them and fires him across the ring, then gets a fireman's carry into a press slam. Hero tags in and Claudio whips him into a leaping forearm in the corner, then Hero whips his victim into a bicycle kick from Claudio, and follows that with a senton. Hero continues the assault on...let's just call him Jackson. Jackson tries firing back but Hero no-sells and gets a big boot to the face, then rams Jackson into Claudio's boot in the corner. Claudio tags in and Jackson gets a rollup for 2, but Claudio pops him up about 20 feet in the air and catches him coming down with a European Uppercut. Somehow Emmanuel gets a hot tag and tries a bodypress, but Claudio catches him in a bearhug and Hero comes off the ropes with a knockout forearm, then Claudio gets a Giant Swing on Emmanuel into a diving Yakuza Kick from Hero, and then finally Claudio catapults Emmanuel into a roaring elbow from Hero for the three count.
Winners: Kings Of Wrestling
Okay, one down and two to go. Our next challengers are Adam Cole & Nick Westgate.
ROH World Tag Team Champions Kings Of Wrestling vs Adam Cole & Nick Westgate
Cole tries a couple of shoulderblocks on Hero (unsuccessfully), but gets a pair of dropkicks before eating a Yakuza Kick from Hero. Claudio tags in, Hero snapmares Cole, and they hit a stereo roaring elbow/diving European Uppercut. Cole gets a jawbreaker on Claudio and tags Westgate in, but Westgate appears unable to Irish Whip Claudio, so Claudio knocks his teeth out with a European Uppercut, deadlifts Westgate into a vertical suplex position, walks over and tags Hero in while still holding Westgate in the suplex position, then drops him back to his feet right into position to eat a Deathblow from Hero. KRS-ONE finishes Westgate.
Winners: Kings Of Wrestling
Hagadorn grabs the mic again and gloats over the KOW's wins, and says he promised three teams, so let's introduce the third...
ROH World Tag Team Champions Kings Of Wrestling vs The Ninjas
Sure enough, the Ninjas come to the ring and remove their masks to reveal that...surprise, surprise...they're the Briscoes. They go after the Kings and hit a double backdrop, then hit stereo running clotheslines in the corner and Beel first Claudio across the ring, and then Hero on top of Claudio. Double clothesline sends Hero to the floor, and one Doomsday Device later, the Kings Of Wrestling have suffered their first defeat since reuniting in ROH.
Winners: Jay & Mark Ninja
We go to Mike and Dave, and Mike says that the Kings Of Wrestling got what they deserved, but Dave says it's a sham because the Briscoes weren't supposed to be in the match. But that's okay, because later tonight, the Dark City Fight Club takes on the American Wolves, and Roderick Strong faces Christopher Daniels!
Speaking of Daniels, let's go backstage to the Fallen Angel with Kyle Durden. Daniels says that he doesn't mind Roderick challenging him because the reason he returned to ROH was to be challenged. What confuses him is Roderick's motivation, because last time they were in the ring, Roderick acted like he did something wrong by losing to the American Wolves. He doesn't know if this is because of Truth Martini or because he's trying to right some imaginary wrong, but whatever the cause, the fact is that they're in the ring with each other tonight, and unlike last time, they're across the ring from each other and he just sees Roderick as an obstacle that he needs to go through, and that's not in the Book Of Truth, it's the gospel according to the Fallen Angel.
Back to the ring...
Dark City Fight Club vs American Wolves
Can I just mention that I think it's great that the Wolves are still together and a serious team even after dropping the tag title? I was really worried that they'd more or less completely split up after losing the title and that'd be that, but they didn't and I like the way they're pushed on the singles side while remaining a force in the tag division. In fact, it's too bad that Davey Richards dumped Hagadorn last week, because I think they could have been like a Four Horsemen type stable in ROH with Davey holding the World Title, Eddie with the TV Title, and the Kings Of Wrestling with the Tag Team Title, all managed by Shane Hagadorn. But, I guess that's not going to happen now, so screw it.
Anyway, Eddie and Chavis start and they exchange wristlocks until Davey tags in and tries a series of shoulderblocks on Chavis, but without any success. He tries one too many and runs into a big boot from Chavis, but when Chavis tries a side suplex, Davey rolls through into a Crippler Crossface. Chavis nails Davey which brings Eddie into the ring with a running boot to the face of Chavis. Davis tries to make a save, but the Wolves dump the two of them out to the floor and hit stereo dives. Davey and Chavis end up back in the ring and Davey goes for the running forearm in the corner, but Chavis gets an elbow up. Eddie grabs Chavis from the outside though, and hits a legwhip, followed by Davey dropkicking the knee. Davey puts Chavis in a Texas Cloverleaf, during which Eddie comes off the top rope with a double stomp. Davis makes the save and nails both Wolves, allowing Chavis to give Davey a big Blue Thunder Driver for 2. Tag out to Jon Davis, who runs Davey into the corner and rams shoulders into his back, then gets a back suplex for 2. Tag back out to Chavis, who comes in and goes to work on Davey's back. Chavis with a vertical suplex on Davey for 2, then tags out to Davis, but Davey hits the handspring enziguiri. Davis tags out to Chavis who comes in and knocks Eddie off the apron, then goes back to work on Davey. Another tag out to Davis and he goes for a German Suplex on Davey, but Davey rolls through and makes the hot tag to Eddie, who comes in and hits an enziguiri on Chavis and a back elbow and lungblower on Davis, then rolls him up for 2. Eddie goes for a suplex on Davis which is blocked, but Davey with an enziguiri from the outside and a missile dropkick on Davis, then a double team gourdbuster and stereo superkick to Davis for 2. Wolves with another series of kicks to Davis, but Davis runs over both of them with a double clothesline, then Chavis comes in and clotheslines Davey out to the floor. DCFC with a double team Ace Crusher on Eddie, but Davey breaks up the fall. Davis goes for the rack bomb, but Eddie escapes just as Necro Butcher and Erick Stevens run in to ruin a great match.
Winners: Dark City Fight Club by DQ
Rasche Brown runs in to make the save and he and Stevens brawl out to the floor as the DCFC beat Necro up 2-on-1. The brawl spills out to the floor and around ringside, as Rasche tosses Necro over the guardrail and into the crowd. Necro comes back over the guardrail right into a running boot from Davis, and Rasche and the DCFC roll back into the ring as security ejects the Embassy.
We go to a video package detailing the recent history of Roderick Strong and Christopher Daniels, culminating in Roderick turning to Truth Martini for guidance. And with that, it's main event time!
Pick Six Contender's Match: Roderick Strong vs Christopher Daniels
They have an exchange of words as the bell rings, and Roderick shoves Daniels off. Daniels keeps a cool heads and goes back to jawing with Roderick, but Roderick shoves him again. Daniels again keeps his cool, and they tie up. Daniels with a waistlock but Roderick reverses to a wristlock. Daniels escapes and goes to a side headlock, but Roderick reverses back to the wristlock and uses it to take Daniels down and change it up into a top wristlock. Daniels reverses into a side headlock, Roderick gets to his feet and fires Daniels off into the ropes and nobody moves off a shoulderblock. Daniels gets the side headlock again and Roderick takes him to the ropes and nails a shoulderblock to the gut and goes back to the wristlock. Daniels cartwheels out and goes back to the headlock, and they do a fast paced sequence that ends with Daniels again getting the headlock. Roderick escapes and gets a knee to the gut, but Daniels gets an inverted atomic drop and a swinging neckbreaker and follows that with a forearm in the corner and a back suplex for 2. Daniels with a side neckbreaker for 2 and then a snapmare and a neck vice. Roderick fights his way out again but gets bodyslammed and then Daniels hits the Arabian Press, but Roderick gets to the ropes to escape danger. Daniels takes Strong to the corner and puts him up top, but Strong fights his way off and gets an enziguiri and a backbreaker, then starts putting the boots to Daniels. Strong with a vertical suplex for 2 and then gets an inverted bearhug. Daniels gets to his feet and elbows his way out of the hold but Roderick picks him up and drives him into the corner and follows with a chop, then chokes Daniels on the ropes. Roderick takes Daniels to the corner and hits an unbelievablely stiff chop, but tries a charge and Daniels moves and gets a rollup for 2. Daniels goes for a slam but his back gives out, so Roderick gets another backbreaker and chokes Daniels on the ropes again. Roderick whips Daniels hard into the corner and Daniels collapses, so Roderick covers for 2. Daniels fires back on Roderick, and Roderick tries to get the Stronghold but Daniels reverses to a rollup for 2 and then gives Roderick a lungblower. Roderick misses a charge and now Daniels comes back with a series of forearms and a leg lariat. Daniels snapmares Roderick into the corner and gets an STO for 2. Daniels charges Roderick in the corner and gets backdropped to the apron, and Roderick follows him out and goes for a backbreaker on the apron, but Daniels gets a pendulum kick to send Strong to the floor and then hits an Arabian Press to the floor. Truth Martini tries to explain the Book Of Truth to Daniels, but distracts Daniels long enough for Strong to come from behind and give him a backbreaker on the ring apron, then roll him back in the ring and cover for 2. Strong whips Daniels to the corner and follows in with a forearm, a flying kneestrike, an enziguiri, and a backbreaker for 2. Daniels gets a Flatliner and locks Strong in the Koji Clutch, but Strong makes the ropes. They both get to their feet and start going toe to toe until Daniels ducks a shot and gets a DVD for 2. Daniels goes for a uranage but Strong elbows out and goes for the gutbuster, Daniels elbows out of that, and Strong rams Daniels into the ropes where Truth Martini nails Daniels with the Book Of Truth, and Strong hits a running boot for the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Truth Martini comes in the ring and celebrates with Strong as we close the show, and by the way, next week on HDNet, Jay Briscoe faces Claudio Castagnoli and Mark Briscoe faces Chris Hero! Sounds good to me!
This week was generally a very good episode with some great wrestling, but I think we got too many screwy finishes. Now, I'm not typically opposed to doing screwjob finishes, but doing three on one show is a bit much. Other than that, good episode this week.
And that wraps it up for me, thanks for reading and I'll see you all back here next week on PWInsider.com!
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