Report by Dave Musgrave and F4WOnline.com …
Ring Of Honor T.V. Report 3/10/2012
The show opens with footage of last week’s match between Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong with Jim Cornette announcing a three-way match between Edwards, Strong and ROH Champion Davey Richards on March 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are in the ring and introduce the show discussing the three-way match on March 30. They introduce the concept of “Blind Destiny” with three matches on March 31 involving singles matches with Strong, Edwards and Richards. Whoever is champion will defend the championship. Three matches will happen tonight seeing Jay Lethal vs Kenny King, Kevin Steen vs Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly vs Michael Elgin. The winner of Lethal vs King will face Strong, the winner of Steen vs Cole will face Edwards and the winner of Elgin vs O’Reilly will face Richards.
After a commercial break King is interviewed talking about it being his destiny to be ROH Champion. Lethal talks about his TV title being the gateway to the ROH champion. Lethal says that he had his shot at the World title two weeks ago and needs to get back in the title picture.
Lethal and King come to the ring and shake hands before the match starts. They lock up and Lethal charges with a kick but King gets out of the way. They circle each other and lock up. Lethal gets a hammerlock and King spins out and hits a series of armdrags. Roderick Strong and Truth Martini come to ringside to watch the match. King springs off the ropes into a legdrop on Lethal. They criss-cross and Lethal armdrags King before hitting him with a seated dropkick. Lethal hits a vertical suplex for a pin attempt and then armdrags King again before hitting a seated dropkick to his back. Lethal puts King in a head-scissors and then runs him into the corner. He whips King into the opposite corner and goes to the top rope to attempt to powerbomb him. King fights out and hits a dropkick to Lethal who is still on the top rope. They get tot heir fight and exchange several punches. Lethal attempts a handspring but is cut off by a dropkick from King. King hits a cartwheel enzuiguri for a pin attempt and then hits a neckbreaker on the top rope. Lethal fights back and jumps to the second rope and dropkicks King on the outside. Lethal attempts another handspring for a Lethal Injection but is stopped. King gives Lethal an O’Connor Roll and bridges for a pin attempt but Lethal manages to bridge into a German Suplex position and gets the pinfall. It will now be Jay Lethal vs Roderick Strong on 3/31 in Fort Lauderdale with the ROH Title being on the line if Strong becomes champion on 3/30.
After a commercial break Cole was interviewed and talked about having been teaming with O’Reilly a few months ago and now going one-on-one with Steen and possibly having a chance at the ROH Title. Cole says that if he is given the opportunity he will not back down. Steen is interviewed and says that he shouldn’t worry about facing his tag team partner, he should worry about rebuilding his career after the beating Steen gives him. Steen says that Cole’s cute face is all that stands between him and the ROH Title. Steen says that he is sorry for what he will do to Cole but nothing will stand between him and the ROH title.
Steen and Cole both come to the ring. At the bell Cole ducks as Steen attempts a clothesline. They trade punches and Steen chops Cole, followed by a dropkick from Cole. Steen goes outside and Cole hits him with a dive. Cole chases him on the outside and Steen puts Cole on his shoulders before throwing him into the ringpost. Steen takes him back inside and beats him down before hitting a second rope moonsault for a near-fall. Steen chops Cole who fights back before being knocked down with a headbutt. Steen charges in the corner and gets kicked in the face by Cole who then jumps off of the ropes and DDT’s Steen. Cole hits an enzuiguri followed by a flying knee. Steen fights back and hits a DDT from the outside followed by his charging cannonball in the corner. He attempts his “F-Cinq” (F-5) but Cole stops it and eventually hits a back-cracker followed shortly by two superkicks. Cole goes off the ropes and gets powerbombed. Steen hits his “F-Cinq” for the pinfall and victory and will now face Edwards on 3/31. After the match Steen goes for the banned package piledriver but Edwards runs in to save Cole.
On “Inside Ring Of Honor” Strong says that he should have been given the ROH Title match and that it sucks that he will have to beat both Edwards and Richards. Edwards says that Cornette should have just re-started the match last week and that Cornette is a promoter who just wanted to put on a three-way match. Edwards talks about how brutal a three-way match can be.
Mike Bennett is interviewed regarding his 3/30 match with Lance Storm who is reported to have been watching ROH television and asked for this match. Bennett is interviewed and says for Storm to come and shut his mouth.
The match between Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin vs Jay and Mark Briscoe is previewed with footage of Haas recently facing Mark Briscoe and using a steel chair. The 3/30 and 3/31 Dual Duel matches between the All-Night Express of Rhett Titus and Kenny King and The Young Bucks of Nick and Matt Jackson is also previewed.
After another commercial break Kelly and McGuinness are joined on commentary by ROH World Champion Davey Richards for the match between Elgin and O’Reilly. An interview is shown with O’Reilly in which he says that when world championships are on the line friendships suffer. O’Reilly says that he could possibly face Richards for the title and if he does he will face Richards with honor unlike Eddie Edwards. O’Reilly says to Elgin that he has to fight hard or go home. Strong and Elgin are interviewed with Truth Martini and Strong tells Elgin to beat O’Reilly because in case something happens in the three-way match he has a back-up plan.
O’Reilly and Elgin both come to the ring. Richards says that he has taught O’Reilly to be strong and he is ready for anything. Richards says that he once worked out with Elgin in Ontario and say him squat 800 lbs. The “Tale Of The Tape” shows that both O’Reilly and Elgin are 24 years old. Elgin tosses O’Reilly at the start of the match. O’Reilly tries to swat at Elgin who backs him into the corner and hits him with an overhand chop. They trade waist-locks and Elgin shoulder-blocks O’Reilly. They criss-cross and Elgin tries a running powerslam but O’Reilly gets out and runs him into the corner. O’Reilly hits a series of kicks across Elgin’s chest but Elgin hits forearms smashes on O’Reilly. They trade forearms and O’Reilly takes Elgin down with a cross armbreaker. O’Reilly hits a series of strikes and then a legsweep. Strong appears on the ring apron and Elgin gets a waist-lock and back suplexes O’Reilly. After a commercial break Elgin is charging O’Reilly in the corner and O’Reilly puts on a guillotine before being slammed by Elgin. They again trade forearms with O’Reilly getting the advantage before taking an enzuiguri from Elgin. O’Reilly gets placed on the top rope and is chopped by Elgin who appears to go for a top-tope hurracanrana but is knocked down. O’Reilly hits a belly-to-back suplex off the top rope for a pin attempt. O’Reilly hits kicks to Elgin as he gets up. Elgin charges at O’Reilly who pulls down the top rope. O’Reilly attempts a sunset flip to the outside but Elgin stops it. Elgin attempts a sit-down splash but O’Reilly moves and hits a back suplex into the guardrail. O’Reilly hits his running missile dropkick from the apron into Elgin who is against the guardrail. O’Reilly rolls Elgin back in and hits a missile dropkick inside for a pin attempt. O’Reilly puts on a guillotine but Elgin stands up into a vertical suplex position. O’Reilly fights out with knees to the head. O’Reilly puts on another guillotine and Elgin stands up with him and hits a side-slam. Elgin hits a lariat in the corner but O’Reilly kicks him in the hard and hits a Regal-Plex followed by a crossface. O’Reilly again puts on a guillotine but is distracted by Strong on the apron, with Richards coming to ringside to fight Strong. Elgin powerbombs O’Reilly into the corner and then hits a spinning sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall and the victory. Elgin will now face Richards on 3/31.
The show was excellent this week, one of my favourite episodes since the Sinclair series started. The booking and the matches has me excited for the Blind Destiny concept on Wrestlemania weekend, much more than before and more than anything from last year’s shows. I’m personally hoping for Richards to retain on 3/30 as a title match could help Elgin’s star rise. The Steen vs Edwards and Lethal vs Strong should also be very good matches and the weekend is really coming together.
