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COMPLETE RING OF HONOR BEST IN THE WORLD 2014 PPV COVERAGE

Welome to PWInsider.com’s live, ongoing coverage of Ring of Honor’s Best in the World 2014 on PPV.

The pre-game show is a 30 minute version of the ROH TV episode that aired this weekend on Sinclair Broadcasting. ROH Best in the World opened with a nice video showcasing some of their older champions like Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk before showing the current roster, with the idea they if you make it in ROH, you are “The Best in the World.”

Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino (wearing a suit jacket that Vince McMahon and Jim Cornette would both be proud of) welcomed everyone to the PPV and previewed the main event of Adam Cole vs. Michael Elgin.

You could hear the Nashville crowd chanting, “F TNA.”

Six Man Mayhem: ACH vs. BJ Whitmer vs. Tadarius Thomas vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Takaaki Watanabe vs. Tomasso Ciampa

The winner will get a future ROH TV championship shot.

Kevin Kelly said that Coleman was Thunderbolt Patterson’s favorite wrestler. Corino said, “That’s like saying Brian Christopher is your favorite wrestler – no one cares.”

Ciampa and ACH had a nice back and forth with lots of reversals to start off, but Watanabe attacked ACH when they faced off. He manhandled ACH but ate a leg lariat. Thomas tagged in and slapped ACH hard. They had some nice back and forth. Thomas was chased to the floor, allowing Whitmer the chance to attack ACH.

Whitmer worked over ACH but Coleman attacked him and sent him to the outside. They did a sequence that saw everyone sent to the floor but Watanabe and ACH. Watanabe controlled him but was sent to the floor. ACH tried to set up a dive but Whitmer clobbered him with a clothesline.

This allowed Whitmer to take control, nailing a suplex with a two count. ACH finally cuts him off with a reverse kick and tagged in Coleman. Coleman cleaned house on Whitmer, Thomas and then Watanabe He nailed a leaping rana on Whitmer. Thomas broke it up but was caught with a series of suplexes. Ciampa tagged in and drilled him with a lariat.

Ciampa and Watanabe began stiffing each other with forearms. Watanabe went for a leapfrog but was caught and nailed by Ciampa with a Kryptonite Krunch. Whitmer broke it up. ACH cleans house but is caught by a Whitmer powerslam. Watanabe went for a back suplex and drilled Whitmer on his head. Coleman broke up the pinfall attempt and nailed a cutter. Ciampa grabbed him and went for Project Ciampa on Coleman and nailed it, then drilled ACH with one as well.

The Decade broke up the pinfall attempt. They ended up as the two legal men, so Whitmer attacked Thomas and nailed a series of exploders for a two count. Watanabe broke it up and slugged it out with Ciampa. Ciampa cuts him off in the corner and nails a running knee, then a second. He then hits a dive over the top to the floor on everyone else. Coleman then hit a springboard moonsault to the outside. ACH then hit an INSANE springboard dive to the floor on everyone.

ACH tossed Thomas into the ring and nailed a 450 splash off the top and scored the pin.

Your winner, ACH!

ACH will be getting a title shot.

Really fun opener. Lots of good wrestling and they teased all the big dives until the climax, which made them even more special. Everyone looked really good here and if you wanted an introduction to ROH, this was a fun way to do it to show how hard everyone works.

After the match, Whitmer slapped or shoved Corino and they got into it shoving and yelling at each other.

ROH TV champion Jay Lethal (with Truth Martini) vs. Matt Taven: Martini handcuffed to to the ringpost

Seleyzia came out with Lethal and Martini, so you can see where this is going.

After they spent some time getting Marini handcuffed, Taven chased Lethal out of and back inside the ring. He nails some big chops with Jay sold like they were killing him. He cut off Taven with a headbutt to the gut. Taven went after Martini but Lethal stopped him and they battled back inside the ring.

Lethal went for a bodypress off the ropes but Taven ducked. Lethal backdropped Taven over the top to the floor, but Taven pulled himself on the ropes. Selizia distracted him, allowing Lethal to nail an enziguiri and send Taven to the floor. Lethal peppered him with punches on the floor. Taven fired back with chops but was clubbed in the back of the head as they returned to the ring.

Taven sent Lethal into the corner but was cut off with an elbow as he charged in. Taven caught him with a kick but ducked a clothesline and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Lethal knocked Taven to the floor and then worked him over before locking him in a rear chinlock.

Taven fought his way up and they fired back with chops and punches. Taven cleaned house and nailed an enziguri. He nailed a neckbreaker for a two count. Lethal made a comeback and nailed the flying elbow for a two count. Lethal went for the Lethal Injection but Taven followed him with a springboard of his own and nailed a kick to the head, then drilled him with a brainbuster for a two count. Cool sequence.

Taven followed Lethal to the floor but was slammed into the guard rails. Lethal went for a dive but was nailed as he came through the ropes. Taven then nailed a dive of his own, then, like Lethal, nailed a second, then a big dive over the top that also took our Seleyzia. Nice spot.

With Martini all alone, Taven lost focus and grabbed a chair. Martini paid off ROH’s Head of Security Jay Diesel, who pulled the chair away from Taven. He challenged Taven but ate a kick to the head for his troubles. This never would have happened if they used Ronnie Lang and Atlas Security! As all this was going on, Seleyzia broke the cuffs and ran off with Martini.

Taven tried to give chase but then realized he was missing his chance at the title and returned to the ring. He tried to come off the ropes with a splash but Lethal pulled his knees up. Taven was nailed with The Lethal Injection and pinned. Good work in most of the match, but the final sequence with Jay Diesel came off as out of nowhere and overbooked and seemed to muddy things a bit. The average person at home would have no idea why that happened and it came off pretty goofy. Seleyzia did a good job at ringside. Taven worked hard but probably needed a little more fire to really get the crowd behind him. Lethal is a hell of heel.

Cedric Alexander vs. Roderick Strong: Submission Match

They began scrapping with fists right away and rolled around on the mat. Strong tried to back off but Alexander refused and worked him over with some big moves. Strong fired back and they battled back and forth with chops and punches. Alexander nailed a big clothesline as he dove out of the ring and peppered Strong with punches on the floor.

Alexander slammed Strong against the apron and drilled him with chops. He charged and Roderick backdropped him into the ropes and the ring apron, which looked great. Strong began picking Alexander apart with backbreakers and suplex, trying to wear him down for the submission. Alexander was locked in a Camel Clutch.

Alexander fought his way out and wiped Strong out with a dropkick, sending Strong off the apron to the floor. The junior members of The Decade went to check on Strong and Alexander wiped them out with a big dive. Alexander nailed a leaping DDT into a guillotine choke on Strong, but Roderick made it to the ropes to force the break.

Strong and Alexander traded kicks with Alexander taking him down with a spinning kick and a dropkick in the corner. Alexander locked in a Dragon Sleeper but Strong nailed a series of knees to force a break. Strong places him on the top and worked him over with chops, then nailed a superplex into the ring. The referee counted both men down but they made their way to their feet before the ten count.

Strong nailed several stiff shots in the corner but Cedric fired back and caught Strong in a choke. Strong’s feet draped the rope, forcing Alexander to release. He is tossed to the floor. Strong dove off the aprong as he drilled Alexander with a forearm.

Strong brought Alexander back into the ring and nailed an over the knee backbreaker. He went for the Stronghold Boston Crab but was kicked away. Strong beat him down and dragged him to the ropes. He looked as if he was attempting a Pepsi Plunge but was cut off and nailed with a backbreaker on the buckles. Alexander worked over his back and locked on a Boston Crab, forcing Strong to tap to his own hold.

Your winner, Cedric Alexander!

Solid, physical wrestling match. Alexander’s backdrop onto the apron and the finishing sequence were the highlights but I enjoyed the good hard fought match.

After the match, Alexander offered his hand in the Code of Honor but Strong ignored it and walked off.

Coverage will continue on Page 2!

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