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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of Ring of Honor's TV Taping at Terminal 5 in NYC.
Dark Match:
*A team named "Nuclear Casserole" defeated former EVOLVE champ AR Fox (making his ROH in-ring debut) and a partner who's name I didn't catch. Solid match. Fox got a nice round of applause.
ROH Matchmaker Nigel McGuinness came out to announce Jay Lethal will defend the ROH title against Roderick Strong in Baltimore, Maryland on 7/24 on iPPV. I think that might be Death Before Dishonor. Nigel then noted that someone else has tapped Lethal out and taken him to a time limit draw in the last year, Kyle O'Reilly. That means he is now a top contender for the title.
Nigel then said they have to make a decision about the ROH Tag Team championship on 7/24, so it will be The Addiction, The Kingdom, War Machine and ReDragon on iPPV. He pushed that this is ROH, the best professional wrestling in the world today.
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise announced they would be taping their 200th episode of ROH TV tonight. That blew my mind. Not only was I at the first taping in Chicago, but the first taping for HD Net and hell, the first ROH show ever. I feel really old right now!
He introduced announcers Kevin Kelly and King Steve Corino.
First Episode:
Watanabe vs. Dalton Castle
Watanabe wasn't sure of what to make of Castle's unique approach to the ring. Watanabe knocked him down in the corner and Castle's cornermen fanned him. The crowd chanted, "Fan up!" Castle grabbed a side headlock and was sent into the ropes. He rebounded and shoulderblocked Watanabe down. Watanabe backed into the corner. Castle's underlings fanned him as Watanabe wondered what in the world was going on. That was pretty funny.
Watanabe used his power to control Castle. Castle came back with a front facelock but Watanbe battled his way out. Castle brought him back to the mat and scored with several headbutts before going to a side chinlock. Watanabe worked him over for a long time. He drilled Castle with a nice back suplex for a two count. Castle came back with an inverted Whirlbird for the pin.
Your winner, Dalton Castle!
Castle cut a promo (and wait until you see how he was presented for the promo) after about beating Silas Young at Best in the World. Young came out and told Castle that he got lucky. Castle told him to "eat his heart out."
Decent match. Castle has one of the most original, fun presentations to come around in some time. Watanabe looked good here.
Nigel McGuinness brought out the new ROH champion (as well as ROH TV champion) Jay Lethal, who came to the ring with Truth Martini, J. Diesel and Donovan Dijak. Nigel asked him to say a few works to his fans. Before Lethal could speak, the crowd chanted, "You deserve it." Martini said that Lethal does deserve it, but these fans are not Lethal's people. They are Lethal's people. He said that history was made at the PPV and the fans witnessed the greatest first generation wrestler in the world and the undisputed champion of the entire world, Jay Lethal. Nigel said he wanted to hear what the champ has to say. Lethal said that he wants to say what he's been saying since the very beginning - that he is the best in the world. He said to be the best you have to be the undisputed champion of the greatest wrestling company in the world - ROH. He said ROH is the greatest company in the world because he is the champion.
Lethal tried to leave but Nigel wanted to ask him a question. He said fans are wondering if he's going to vacate the ROH TV title after working so hard to raise the prestige of the belt. Lethal said he's not giving up a damn thing because he earned them. He said that Nigel knew at the end of Best in the World, one man was going to hold both and got angry Nigel even questioned them. He said to be undisputed champion he has to have both belts. Nigel said that they are separate belts and entities, so it means Lethal might have to defend both belts in one night. Lethal accused him of stacking the deck and trying to take away from his moment and said if he has to do that, he will. They announced Mark Briscoe would be challenging for the ROH TV title next week. Lethal promised to destroy Briscoe and then said at Death Before Dishonor, he's going to do the same to Roderick Strong.
This brought out Strong, who came to the ring. Nigel told Strong he obviously has something to say and asked him to say a few words. Strong said he wanted to make Lethal fully aware that he was walking into their match as ROH champion but Strong would be walking out as the new champion. He and Lethal had a staredown.
Good segment. Lethal got his moment. He and Strong each had good mic work setting the stage for their iPPV bout.
IWGP Tag Team champions Michael Bennett & Matt Taven & Adam Cole (with Maria Kanellis) vs. Michael Elgin & ReDragon
Kanellis came to the ring and said that she knows Adam Cole was a little upset about losing at Best in the World, but it's OK. She said they have been traveling the world and are the Internet darlings they are. She said it wasn't Cole's fault because as the leader of the Kingdom, she takes the blame. She said she believes in him and tonight they will show the Kingdom will never fall. It was a pretty good promo. I wonder if that is the start of teasing some issues between Adam Cole and the others.
Elgin and Bennett opened the match. Elgin used his power to control Bennett, despite Bennett's brash attempts at taking Elgin down. Elgin held up Bennett in the air for a LONG time for a delayed vertical suplex. Cole and Taven tried to interfere but Elgin held him strong. Finally ReDragon took them down to allow Elgin to finish holding as long as he wanted. Some good action.
The Kingdom tripped Elgin and pulled himto the floor, allowing Bennett to nail a dive to the outside. Back in the ring, The Kingdom controlled, tagging in and out for a series of near falls. They were pretty great at berating the referee when they didn't like his calls as well. They have really grown into a hell of a unit. They worked over Elgin in the corner.
Elgin finally made a comeback with an inverted sitdown suplex. He fought to the corner to make the tag but just as he did, the other members of the Kingdom pulled ReDragon to the floor. That allowed The Kingdom to continue their assault on Elgin. He finally mad the tag to ReDragon who began cleaning house on everyone with all their crazy, athletic double-team maneuvers.
The battle continued back and forth. Taven hit an awesome dive to the outside in Fish. Elgin cut him off and nailed Taven with a somersault legdrop off the second rope. You can see a marked improvement in the crispness of Elgin's work. He nailed a double Samoan Drop on the Kingdom, wiping out Adam Cole in the process as well. The crowd chanted, "This is awesome."
Elgin slugged it out with the Kingdom as they tried to take him out but the three on one odds finally took their toll. They scored several two counts on Elgin after some spectacular moves. ReDragon hit the scene and helped Elgin. They nailed a combination superbomb off the ropes on Bennett but Cole and Taven broke the pinfall at the last second. The Kingdom took over and nailed a spike piledriver for a two count.
Cole went for a Canadian Destroyer but Elgin backdropped him O'Reillly and Cole drilled each other with forearms. O'Reilly nailed a series of kicking combinations but was snagged with a forearm, Cole nailed a superkick but O'Reilly used the momentum to boomerang off the ropes with a lariat. He scored the pin.
Your winners, Michael Elgin & ReDragon!
A HELL of a six man tag. Just all sorts of cool moves plus they told a great story in Elgin having to persevere and overcome the Kingdom. A PPV worthy main event. Loved this one.
Cole shook hands with his opponents after the bout, which Taven and Bennett weren't happy about. ReDragon raised Cole's hand and Cole left on his own, leaving his partners behind.
Coverage will continue on Page 2!
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