The Big Takeaway – Decent enough wrestling but nothing really stands out in as skippable a show as you’ll see from ROH.
Nigel McGuinness is back on commentary but they’re promising an update on Steve Corino’s status later in the show. Tonight’s show was taped in Kalamazoo and features a rematch from All-Star Extravaganza in the Main Event.
Cedric Alexander w/Veda Scott vs ACH
The announcers talk about Veda’s impending lawsuit due to unsafe working conditions during the intro and Scott and Nigel jaw at each other as Alexander makes his way into the ring. We are also reminded of the best of 5 series between ACH and Matt Sydal that resumes this Friday in Milwaukee with the deciding match.
Fans solidly behind ACH as Alexander is one of the few true heels in ROH. During the dead spots of the match, Nigel talks about how ACH and Sydal have both become better wrestlers as a result of the best of 5 and they’re often seen in the hotels after the match talking over their matches, what worked and what didn’t. Very different way to build a series like this than would’ve been done in the past.
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A key spot in the match happened when ACH knocked Alexander out of the ring and then went to do a kick off the apron on him. Veda Scott got in the way and ACH stopped short, allowed Alexander to hit and STO on the apron and take control.
Alexander was still in control after a commercial break, milking the crowd for boos. ACH turned things around with a series of Ric Flair chops and then a reverse thrust kick and a running clothesline. Playing off the earlier spot, ACH teased a dive outside the ring but when Scott got in the way, he stopped himself. Alexander then got in the ring and tried one of his own but ACH pushed Scott in the way and Alexander stopped himself. ACH then hit a dive on Alexander to finish the sequence.
Back in the ring, ACH hit a spinning discus punch and then a suplex with a bridge, which only got a 2. Nigel continually putting over how ACH’s strategy in the match has changed as a result of the Sydal series.
Alexander hit an enziguri and then followed with a dropkick in the corner to take control. He then went for a springboard move that looked like he messed but given the way the match played out, maybe have been a planned spot. ACH hit a superkick and a brainbuster and followed up with the Midnight Star to get the win.
WINNER – ACH by pinfall
Angle alert as Kevin Kelly did an in-ring interview with ACH after the match. He said he was going to walk in with the same mentality he had against AJ Styles but the difference is he would walk out with his hand raised. And that was it. I guess I’ve been watching too much WWE.
After a break, Veda and Alexander were at the commentary table and Scott blamed Alexander slipping on the rope on the rope being covered in baby oil, adding to the unsafe working conditions. She screamed at Nigel without a mic in the most annoying way possible and Kelly brushed her off, saying “Go file a brief”.
Will Ferrara vs Caprice Coleman
The angle from seemingly months ago when Coleman accepted an envelope from Prince Nana was shown at the beginning. Coleman did a promo that started off putting over Ferrara but ended up burying him and came off kind of jealous of him. “You had a great match with Kushida….I would’ve liked to have wrestled Kushida”. Seemed like the start of a heel turn.
Match was what you’d expect. Back and forth early with Coleman eventually taking over. Coleman was definitely more aggressive as Kevin Kelly talked about him doing things “the right way” over and over again. They also talked about how Coleman has been a mentor for Ferrara so this is your basic teacher vs student match.
Prince Nana showed up at ringside taking notes. Ferrara was selling his shoulder and running into the post shoulder first. The ref asked Ferrara if he needed a minute but Coleman threw him into the post. He then grabbed the shoulder in a submission move he called “Judgement Seat” and got a tapout win.
WINNER – CAPRICE COLEMAN by pinfall
Coleman shook his hand after the match and mockingly put him over to the camera afterward. On his way to the back, Nana handed Ferrara an envelope and he accepted it, acting confused. No idea where this angle is going.
Inside ROH has been replaced this week by Story Time with Adam Cole, complete with the same background music as the previous show. He talks about his feud with Kyle O’Reilly. He says there’s no question who the better man in is since he pinned O’Reilly in the 3 way main event last week. They also flashed back to June of 2012 and their hybrid fighting rules match and of course Cole won that one as well. Cole’s memory from that match was a scar on his lip that he got from an O’Reilly kick that he’ll have for the rest of his life. It’s a constant reminder that he’s better than O’Reilly. He says that he won’t stop until Kyle O’Reilly is gone from ROH.
Kevin Kelly interviewed Prince Nana at ringside and asked “what’s in the envelope”. Nana of course doesn’t answer and says that this is “The Edge of the Enlightenment” and that the Keys to Life are in that envelope. Still have no idea what’s going on and the fans sure didn’t seem to care.
Hilights of the Briscoes/ANX match from All-Star Extravaganza air to hype up the main event. The All-Night Express won of course in their return to ROH and the Briscoes will be looking for revenge tonight.
All-Night Express (Kenny King/Rhett Titus) vs The Briscoes (Jay and Mark Briscoe)
All four adhere to the Code of Honor at the start, as the fans chant MAN UP. Kevin Kelly talks about the long history of these two teams which originally culminated at Ladder Wars before picking up with the return of ANX a couple months back. Very even for the first part of the match with ANX taking over after a blind tag that even the announcers missed. A leg drop, standing splash combo from ANX got the first two-count on Jay but no one bought it. Nice spot, though.
Titus and Jay exchanged kicks to the face before Jay tagged in Mark. Mark with a series of Ric Flair chops in the corner on Titus and then takes out King outside with the ring with a suicide dive. A bit of Briscoes double-teaming culminates in a running clothesline from Mark on Titus but that only gets a two. Briscoes cut off the ring, isolating Titus in the corner. They are very much wrestling a heel style but the fans are still solidly behind them. Mark tags in and does some redneck Kung-Fu. Titus gets a brief flurry of offence but Jay runs in without a tag to prevent him from tagging out. Mark tags in Jay and then knocks Kenny King off the ring apron so he can’t make a tag, which leads into another break.
Back from break and the Briscoes are still double-teaming Titus but he makes the hot tag to King, which gets a lukewarm reaction from the crowd. King gets a two count on Mark but it’s broken up by Jay without a tag. King sets Mark up for a superplex but hits a dropkick instead. Titus then takes him down with an X-Factor from the top rope. Mark hits an exploder on Titus into the ringpost but King is the legal man.
Jay Briscoe comes in without a tag and takes out King and then Mark hits a neckbreaker on Titus. They set up for a Doomsday but King knocks Mark off the top rope. ANX sets up for the One Night Stand on Jay but Mark breaks that up. They all end up outside the ring brawling, which the Briscoes get the better of. Jay Briscoe eventually gets Titus in the ring and hits the Jay Driller and then Mark follows up with Froggie-Bo for the win.
WINNERS – THE BRISCOES by pinfall
The dynamic was all off in the main event as the Briscoes were clearly playing heel but the crowd did not want to boo them. All four guys did shake hands after the match, though and you get the sense that this might not be it between them.