The show starts with a video highlights of ROH action with Nigel McGuinness talking about being ROH Matchmaker and having the privilege of getting to make the best matches. McGuinness says with champion Jay Lethal this is easy and that honor is the ultimate motivator. McGuinness says there are others who fight for a different reason and Adam Cole and The Young Bucks are shown including their cutting Lethal’s hair. McGuinness says for the first time in a while he didn’t want to make a match but that he had no choice. He says Lethal is not fighting for honor or prestige, he fights because he has been dishonored and he fights for self-respect.
1) Jay White vs Lio Rush vs Donovan Dijak vs Kamaitachi
This match will determine the #1 contender for the ROH TV Title. Kamaitachi and Dijak start in the ring but they both attack Rush and White and beat them at ringside. They roll them in the ring and Rush and White both hit baseball slide dropkicks followed by tope suicida’s. Rush and White then wrestle and White dropkicks him in the knee. Kamaitachi comes in and dropkicks White. Rush is in and leapfrogs Kamaitachi and then brawls with Dijak at ringside. Dijak gives him a backbreaker and throws him. Kamaitachi and White are in the ring where Kamaitachi hits a clothesline in the corner. Kamaitachi chops White to the mat and Dijak comes in fights off Rush. Kamaitachi and White trade strikes and White hits back elbows on both Kamaitachi and Dijak. White starts hitting them with uppercuts and gives Rush one as well. White gives Kamaitachi a brainbuster. Rush is in and gives White a spinkick and a tornado DDT. Rush hits tope suicida’s on both Kamaitachi and White and tries one on Dijak who catches him. Rush gives Dijak a reverse rana on the floor. Rush and Kamaitachi are in the ring and Rush hits an enzuiguri. Dijak comes in and gives Rush a backbreaker but White hits Dijak with a missile dropkick. Kamaitachi comes off the top rope onto White and then does a super senton from the top rope to White on the floor. Dijak presses Rush in the ring and throws him onto Kamaitachi and White on the floor. Dijak then does a springboard corkscrew to the floor. Dijak takes Rush inside and attempts a backbreaker but Rush gets out. Rush hits a Spanish fly on both White and Kamaitachi but takes a discus boot from Dijak. Dijak then hits the Feast Your Eyes (Burning Hammer into a knee-strike) and gets the pinfall win to become #1 contender. This was a really good match and although I wouldn’t have picked Dijak to win going into it he really came off well.
2) Silas Young vs Katsuyori Shibata
They tie up a couple times and Young chops Shibata. Shibata misses a kick but get a choke. Young hits a pescado on Shibata on the floor. Shibata comes back inside and Young beats him down and elbows him in the head. Young knees Shibata in the head and rolls him into a Boston Crab but Shibata gets a rope break. Young starts kicking and chopping Shibata who absorbs it and calls for more. Shibata fights back and hits some big kicks and then elbows Young down in the corner. Shibata hits his big corner dropkick. Shibata suplexes Young and applies an abdominal stretch. Young fights out and throws some elbows and a clothesline. Shibata misses a kick and Young gives him a backbreaker and a clothesline. Young does a Finlay Roll and does his headstand into a springboard moonsault for a near-fall. Shibata goes for a headbutt and applies a rear naked choke into a sleeper. Shibata sits Young down and hits the PK kick finisher to get the pinfall win. They slap each other after the match and shake hands.
3) Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga and Tonga Roa vs Toru Yano, Rocky Romero and Trent Barreta
Roa starts with Romero who quickly tags in Barreta who takes a big backdrop. Yano tags in and gets chased by Tonga. Yano gets in the ropes and chants “break” but Roa scares him in the ring. Tonga beats on him but Yano whips him to the mat. Romero tags in and does his repeated clotheslines in the corner. Barreta tags in and slingshots in and stomps on Tonga. Romero tags in and kicks Tonga. Romero straddles the ropes but Yujiro knocks him to the floor and runs him head-first into the ringpost. Yano gets attacked by the Tongans as well. Tonga headbutts Romero in the corner and Yujiro tags in and hits Romero with forearms. Roa tags in and gives Romero a running powerslam. Yujiro tags in and hits a legdrop. Romero attempts a tag but can’t make it. He hits a spinkick on Yujiro and tags in Barreta who does a cross-body off the top rope onto Yujiro. Barreta hits an elbow in the corner and then tags in Romero who dropkicks Yujiro. Romero attacks Roa on the outside and Yujiro clotheslines Barreta in the ring. Yano enters the ring and undoes the top turnbuckle but Yujiro stops him and hits a dropkick. Yano goes after the turnbuckle again. Romero gives him scissors and he gets it off and hits their opponents with the cover. Tama and Roa get the cover from him and hit him in the face with it. Tama and Roa hit their powerbomb/neckbreaker combination for a near-fall. They go for it a second time but Romero breaks it up. Romero and Barreta hit a double knee-strike on Yujiro and then do dives onto the Tongans at ringside. Yujiro attempts a DDT but Yano catapults him headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle. Yano gets a low blow on Yujiro behind the referee’s back and gets the pinfall win. Hangman Page comes in after and ties up Yano in a noose. The Briscoes’ theme hits and Jay Briscoe comes to the ring.
4) Jay Briscoe vs Hangman Adam Page
Briscoe and Page both bring chairs into the ring and duel with them until Briscoe hits Page in the face. Briscoe dropkicks Page out of the ring and then does a tope suicida. Briscoe suplexes Page onto the ramp. Briscoe takes him back inside and kicks him in the face and then chokes him with a shirt. Briscoe grabs Page’s rope and ties it around Page’s neck but Page fights him off with a chair to the head. Page chops Briscoe but gets backdropped to the apron. Page fights off Briscoe and chokes him with the rope. Page throws Briscoe to the floor and drops him throat-first on the guardrail. Page powerbombs Briscoe on the floor, ties him to the guardrail and attacks him with a chair. Page sets up a table at ringside and goes for the Rite of Passage but Briscoe gets out. Page goes after him with a chair but Briscoe gives him a death valley driver onto the chair. They battle back and forth and Briscoe gives Page a neckbreaker. Briscoe puts Page’s head in a chair and kicks it and then gives him a chair-assisted neckbreaker. Briscoe sets up the chair in the corner, ties the rope around Page’s neck and ties him to the chair. Briscoe then charges him with knees to the head, unties him and gets a near-fall. Briscoe sets up Page on the table at ringside but Page gets up and Briscoe dives on him at ringside. Briscoe returns to the ring and Page hits him with a slingshot lariat. Page ties the rope around Briscoe’s neck and throws him to the apron. Briscoe fights back with shoulders to the gut but Page gives him a cutter on the top rope. Page then does a running shooting star press onto Briscoe from the apron to the floor but Briscoe avoids it and kicks him in the head. Briscoe takes Page to the apron and goes for a Jay Driller through the table but Page holds onto the rope. Page grabs Briscoe and hits Rite of Passage kneeling back-to-belly piledriver) through the table. Page has a big cut on his knee while Briscoe has a cut on his back. Page chokes Briscoe with the rope but Briscoe refuses to give up. Page then hits the Rite of Passage to pin Briscoe and win the match. This match was ridiculously violent and probably a step too far.
5) Kazuchika Okada vs Dalton Castle with The Boys
They shake hands to start. They trade wristlocks and Okada does his trademark teased chops against the ropes where he pats the opponent on the chest instead. Castle takes him down with a single leg but Okada grabs a headlock. Okada misses a rainmaker and Castle stands up to him. Castle charges Okada against the ropes but Okada slams him and does a slingshot senton. The Boys wave their fans at Okada and Castle grabs him in a waistlock. Castle is on the apron and Okada clotheslines him from the ring. Okada bodyslams Okada and goes up top where Castle cuts him off with a knee-strike. Castle knocks Okada to the floor and takes him back inside. Castle wears down Okada on the mat. Okada gets up but Castle slams him and then knees him in the ribs. Castle stretches out Okada who fights out and gives Castle a face-first flapjack. Okada fights back with elbows. Okada charges Castle in the corner and places him on the top rope and dropkicks him to the floor. Castle manages to give Okada a rana on the floor and then hit a tope suicida. Castle hits a knee-lift in the corner followed by a bulldog. Castle gives Okada a modified belly-to-belly suplex twice. Okada fights back with a kick to the face. Castle hits a deadlift German suplex. The Boys end up in the ring and Okada hits a neckbreaker. Okada celebrates with The Boys but Castle hits him with the bang-a-rang. Castle then hits another belly-to-belly suplex. Castle goes for another bang-a-rang but Okada blocks it. Castle hits the ropes and Okada hits a dropkick. Okada misses a rainmaker but gives Castle a tombstone. Okada then hits the rainmaker and gets the pinfall win.
6) ROH TV Title Match: Bobby Fish (c) vs Mark Briscoe
Fish starts out with leg-kicks and works Briscoe’s leg. Briscoe grabs a headlock but Fish grabs him an armbar and then an ankle-lock with Briscoe getting a rope break. They trade forearms and Fish rolls outside. Briscoe follows him out and takes a knee to the face upon returning to the ring. Briscoe throws Fish outside and goes for a dive but Fish gets back in and hits a knee. Fish throws kicks at Briscoe and then trips him in the corner. Fish does a corkscrew on Briscoe’s leg and they trade strikes. Fish grabs a clinch and throws knees but Briscoe fights back with red neck kung fu. Fish rolls outside and Briscoe holds back on a dive but then hits a blockbuster from the apron. Briscoe gives Fish a vertical suplex onto the apron. Briscoe takes him inside and hits strikes but Fish rolls outside where Briscoe runs him into the ringpost. Briscoe does the Cactus Jack elbow drop from the apron to the floor. Briscoe gives Fish a clothesline in the ring and then throws some chops. Briscoe gives Fish a vertical suplex but his back gives out in the process. Fish gives him a dragon-screw legwhip and continues to work the leg. Fish starts throwing kicks to Briscoe’s back. Fish throws kicks in the corner and delivers a vertical suplex. Fish hits a knee-strike and gives Briscoe a slingshot senton. Briscoe avoids a suplex attempt by Fish and gives him an enzuiguri. Briscoe clotheslines him in the corner and then shoulders him in the gut. Briscoe starts throwing strikes and hits an exploder suplex and a sick-kick. Briscoe gives Fish a fisherman buster. Fish fights back and hits a double-knee gutbuster. Briscoe gets Fish in a death valley driver. Briscoe does a Froggy ‘Bow from the top rope but Fish gets his knees up. Fish gives Briscoe a falcon arrow and applies a submission. Briscoe gets to the top rope and hits Froggy ‘Bow for a near-fall. Briscoe takes Fish to the top rope for an attempted fisherman superplex but Fish blocks him. Fish knocks him off and does a falcon arrow to get the pinfall win.
7) ROH World Tag Team Title: Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin vs Tetsuyo Naito and EVIL
Tanahashi tries to start with Naito but Daniels tags in. Naito stalls but Daniels stomps him down. Naito hiptosses Daniels to the floor. Daniels misses an elbow-drop and Kazarian drops an elbow on Daniels when Naito gets out of the way. EVIL tags in and double-steams Daniels with Naito. Daniels gives EVIL a neckbreaker. Elgin and Kazarian tag in and Elgin hits a shoulder-block. Elgin tries a delayed vertical suplex but ends up doing a double suplex on Daniels and Kazarian. Tanahashi tags in and hits Kazarian with a back elbow. Tanahashi drops an elbow on Daniels and does a senton. Tanahashi knocks EVIL off the apron and Kazarian gives Tanahashi a lungblower. Kazarian and Daniels double-team Tanahashi and give him a neckbreaker. Daniels elbows Tanahashi and drops a knee on him. Daniels runs Tanahashi into Kazarian’s boots and they both drop elbows on Tanahashi. Naito tags in and elbows Tanahashi and then dropkicks him in the corner. Daniels tags in and throws Tanahashi to the floor. EVIL comes in and he and Naito have a shoving match with Daniels and Kazarian and then brawl with them. Tanahashi returns to the ring and fights off EVIL and Naito and dropkicks Naito in the knee. Elgin tags in and gives Kazarian an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Elgin hits clotheslines in the corner and then takes Kazarian to the top rope. Daniels comes in and Elgin gives him a German suplex. Kazarian cuts off a second one but Elgin gives him a German and then does a double German suplex on Daniels and Kazarian. Elgin then does a combination Samoan Drop/fall-away slam on Naito and EVIL. Kazarian and Daniels take over and Daniels does a double stomp on Elgin. Daniels hits a tope suicida on Naito and Kazarian gives Elgin a cutter. Everyone else ends up brawling on the floor with Elgin hits them with a tope con giro. Elgin returns to the ring and attempts a superplex but gets thrown to the floor. EVIL and Naito team up on Kazarian with an inverted atomic drop and clothesline. Daniels hits a tornado DDT. EVIL attempts a suplex on Tanahashi but Tanahashi fights him off and gives him to Elgin for a top rope powerslam. Elgin then slams Tanahashi onto Daniels and The Addiction break up a pin attempt. Tanahashi goes up top and Kamaitachi distracts the referee. Daniels swings at Tanahashi with the belt but hits Kazarian. EVIL hits Tanahashi with a spinebuster for a near-fall. Tanahashi hits a slingblade and goes up top for the High Fly Flow. Daniels makes the blind tag in the process and rolls up both Tanahashi and EVIL for the pinfall to retain the titles.
8) ROH World Title: Jay Lethal (c) vs Adam Cole
They do a staredown to start and Cole pulls some of Lethal’s shorn locks out of his tights. Lethal attacks him with chops and slaps. Cole comes back with stomps and kicks but Lethal chops him again. Lethal stomps Cole down in the corner. Cole spills to the floor and Lethal slaps and chops him around ringside. Cole fights back with forearms but Lethal gets him with a seated dropkick on the floor. Lethal starts looking under the ring but also hits another seated dropkick. Lethal continues to search and finds a table that he sets up. They trade forearms and Lethal hits an ace cutter. Lethal places Cole on the table and goes up top and drops the elbow but Cole gets out of the way. Lethal is busted open and Cole tries to roll him inside but he falls on the floor. Cole goes back outside and runs Lethal’s head into the ringpost. Cole takes him inside and applies a chinlock. Lethal fights out with elbows and a chop but Cole hits a back elbow. Cole charges in the corner but Lethal boots him in the face and hits a leg lariat. Lethal gives Cole a death valley driver for a two-count. Cole gets to the apron and Lethal dropkicks him from the second rope.
Lethal hits six tope suicida’s in a row before collapsing into the barricade when Cole was able to get mostly out of the way of the last one. Cole takes Lethal back inside and shoves him into the mat. They trade forearms and Cole hits a shining wizard. Cole goes for a superkick but Lethal strikes him down. Lethal goes for the lethal injection but Cole stops him with a low blow out of the referee’s sight. Cole hits the Last Shot for a pinfall but Lethal gets his foot on the ropes. Lethal throws forearms but Cole kicks him in the knee. Lethal grabs Cole in a small package. Lethal goes for a figure four but Cole kicks him off. Cole applies a guillotine choke but Lethal gets out with the Lethal Combination. Lethal gives Cole three rolling back suplexes. Lethal does a top rope elbow-drop for a near-fall. They go back and forth with kicks and both men are down. Cole gets up and goes up top for a Canadian Destroyer but Lethal avoids it and hits an ace cutter off the ropes. Lethal goes for a Lethal Injection but Cole hits a superkick. Cole gets the Canadian Destroyer and the last shot for a near-fall. Cole spits in Lethal’s face and goes for a superkick but Lethal avoids it and hits the Lethal Injection for a near-fall. Cole flips both middle fingers at Lethal who throws a superkick that Cole avoids and grabs a small package. Cole this the last shot, a shining wizard and another last shot and then pins Lethal to win the title. Cary Silkin presents the title to Cole. Kyle O’Reilly then attacks Cole and suplexes him.
Some of this pay-per-view was only ok, but the last match in particular saved it. Cole as ROH Champion feels right at this time and it was good to see a non-controversial finish for the title win. It was classic ROH style with no outside interference and is very welcome by me. This sets up what should be a very strong program with O’Reilly with a hopeful title win by O’Reilly. The two pieces of advice I would have for ROH are to make use of Cole’s title reign for fresh match-ups such as Kamaitachi, Rush and White who were all great in the four-way. Even if a title change doesn’t seem likely in the matches the quality matches could do a lot for Cole, his opponents and the title.
