aceldamas presents ROH

[Pariah]

As we've come to expect, plenty of wild action on this show... And things are building up to an awesome crescendo as we approach Best In The World... Superb performances by Affluence and Jay Lethal looks seriously focused going into his big title bout against Sabin...

The Kingdom segment totally took me by surprise... What an awesome twist and I'm looking forward to seeing what might have taken place if Taven and Bennett had parted ways without the latter leaving the company...

Excellent work!

[cruefan68]

Jay Lethal was focused and brutal in his assault on ACH and now gets the title shot against Chris Sabin at Best in the World. That is one great lineup for BITW and I'm really liking that Four Corner Survival Match. Roderick Strong departing is sad but I imagine he will have a great bout with Adam Cole.

I'm wondering where Moose slots in at BITW? He had a great win over Donovan Dijak on episode 18 so I expect him to make some kind of impact at BITW.

Are Mike Bennett and Maria leaving ROH or just parting ways with Matt Taven? I'm interested to find out and it will be a "Miracle" if we ever see Kingdom back together.

[aceldamas]

Pariah , cruefan68 - Mike Bennett is no longer on the roster. It is once again time to pare down the roster to make room for new guys and along with Roderick Strong and one or two more, Bennett is gone. Much like IRL, Bennett's shtick has gotten really old and to be honest, I'm bored of him. Unlike Taven, who I have plans for. Jay Lethal wrecked ACH to get his title rematch. Let's see how he does...

BEST IN THE WORLD 2016

JUNE 25, 2016

Concord, NC

FIGHT WITHOUT HONOR
Cedric Alexander def. Kazarian by pin
Best In the World kicked off with a bang as the feud between Alexander and Affluence’s Kazarian culminated in a Fight Without Honor. Cedric lit Kaz up with some knife-edge chops. A springboard clothesline sent Kazarian scurrying to the floor. Alexander gave chase and the two brawled into the crowd. Ced pulled a ladder out from under the ring and suplexed his opponent onto it. Back in the ring, Cedric continued the beating until Kaz surprised him with Back to the Future. The two fought back and forth. Cedric hit Overtime and went for the kill with a Lumbar Check. The ref counted three and Alexander was the victor.

Stokely Hathaway brought out the Briscoes Brothers for the Who’s the Better Briscoe Challenge. Jay was up to pick Mark’s opponent. “Congratulations on beating Kyle O'Reilly on television. That’s gotta feel pretty good tyin’ the series up with me.” Mark eagerly nodded. “So, you feelin’ like a big man, Chicken?” Mark shrugged and nodded again. “Well, how ‘bout you fight a real big man. How ‘bout you fight that big sumb***h Donovan Dijak?”
Mark’s eyes went wide and Dijak made his entrance with his manager Truth Martini as Jay joined Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino at the announcer’s table.

WHO'S THE BETTER BRISCOE CHALLENGE
Mark Briscoe def. Donovan Dijak w/Truth Martini by pin
Dijak used his size to pummel Mark but missed a charge in the corner, his momentum taking him over the top rope and crashing to the floor. Mark was waiting for him when he stepped back through the ropes, impressively getting him up for a Cut-Throat Driver. Martini nearly had a panic attack as Dijak barely kicked out of the pin attempt. Mark opened up with a frenetic attack which saw Dijak struggle to get back into the ring after taking a running blockbuster on the floor. Mark hit a Cut-Throat Driver again but Truth put Dijak’s foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin. On commentary, Kevin Kelly asked Jay if he was going to do anything about Martini’s interference. Jay replied that Mark was going to have to do this on his own. Another Cut-Throat Driver and again Truth caused a distraction to save his man. Mark was getting frustrated at this point. He tossed Donovan out of the ring on top of his manager, crushing Truth underneath the hulking man’s bulk. A final Cut-Throat Driver finished it without interference. Steve Corino asked Jay about what he thought of his brother’s win. “He gave Dijak a whuppin’. Now let’s see who he has for me.” Kevin Kelly informed Jay that his challenge match would take place during the second half of the show.

Adam Cole def. Roderick Strong by submission
Kevin Kelly informed the viewing audience that this was to be Roderick Strong’s final match in Ring of Honor, as he was looking to explore other opportunities. In ROH tradition, he was allowed to choose his last opponent and did not pick an easy win as he was faced one of the company's top performers. Cole took the early advantage with arm drags and superkicks and went for the fast pin. Roddy kicked out but right away, Cole put him in a figure four leglock. Strong shockingly tapped out. Cole gloated over the easy win and insisted that Roderick follow the Code of Honor. Roddy slapped Adam’s hand away, earning a cheer from the crowd. A “Thank You Roderick!” chant bid farewell to “Mr. ROH”.

FOUR CORNER SURVIVAL
Christopher Daniels def. Dalton Castle, Adam Page w/Truth Martini, and Michael Elgin by count out
The participants in this match all had a bit of history with Daniels. Elgin has been battling Daniels who recently lost the ROH World Television Championship to Page and Castle also had beef with Daniels, the “Ring General” of Affluence. Not to be forgotten, Page’s manager Truth Martini has been engaged in a battle of wits with “The Fallen Angel” as they each guide their respective factions. It was Daniels and Elgin starting with Chris getting the jump on Big Mike. Angel’s Wings nearly put a quick end to the match but Elgin kicked out. Page tagged himself in, irking Daniels. Elgin made a comeback and tagged in Castle. Page tried to escape from Dalton but the eccentric star caught him with a tornado DDT off of the ring apron. Page turned the tide, superplexing Castle who had climbed to the top rope. Page tagged in Daniels who was again displeased about having to interact with the man who beat him for the TV title. Dalton tried using his amateur background to ground Daniels but Chris really worked him over, building great heat with the crowd. Last Rites almost put Castle away. An Arabian Press flattened Castle on the floor and he could not regain the ring and was counted out while Daniels provoked Page and Elgin to prevent them from assisting Castle in hopes of prolonging the match. Before exiting, Daniels made it clear to Page and Martini that he wanted the Television title back.

FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE
The Young Bucks def. War Machine by pin
The rivalry between the Bucks and War Machine had escalated to the point where the ring could not contain it. This feud would be settled with the fall being able to take place anywhere in the venue. The match started normally enough with Hanson and Raymond Rowe going back and forth with Matt and Nick Jackson. Rowe turned up the heat by taking Nick to the floor for a pounding. Back in the ring, Rowe no sold a back rake and tossed Nick with a T-Bone suplex. Nick was able to dispose of Rowe as he and his brother hit More Bang For Your Buck on the floor with Matt getting the pin on Hanson. With War Machine now in their rearview, perhaps the Bucks could now concentrate on going for gold.

After intermission, Stokely Hathaway returned with the Briscoe Brothers. It was Mark’s turn to pick Jay’s opponent. “Jay, you had to go and pick Donovan Dijak, din’t ya? Well, the way I figure, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. You get to face a big man, too. And no one in Ring of Honor is as big as this man. So, for the first time ever, Jay Briscoe takes on… Moose!”
Jay grimaced and shook his head. Moose made his entrance and Jay started pumping himself up for the match as Mark sat down with Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino.

WHO'S THE BETTER BRISCOE CHALLENGE
Jay Briscoe def. Moose by pin
Jay tried matching strength with Moose and had a little success but most of his offense failed to phase his opponent. Conversely, Moose had trouble getting his hands on the more agile Briscoe. The fight went to the floor with Jay looking the better man but Moose bounced Briscoes head off the timekeeper’s table to slow his roll. Back in the ring, Jay fired back with a pair of Yakuza Kicks and a clothesline from the top rope to set Moose up for a Jay Driller. Moose kicked out at two and Briscoe went for a second Jay Driller, putting down Moose for good. The fans were hyped after this slobber knocker and Mark was impressed with his brother’s performance. “Whew! I tell you what, Kevin Kelly, big or small, Dem Boys make them fall! Isn’t this exciting?!”

ROH World Tag Team Champions, reDRagon, came to the ring. Bobby Fish got on the mic. “You know something, Kyle? I didn’t think after winning these tag team title belts that things would get easier. I mean, Ring of Honor has one of the deepest tag team divisions in professional wrestling today. So then, how is it we don’t have opponents tonight to challenge for these belts?” Kyle made an exaggerated shrug. “I guess it’s not really that hard to figure out though. I mean, The Kingdom just broke up. And I have to say, that really breaks my heart. Meanwhile, the Young Bucks and War Machine are busy beating the hell out of each other. On top of that, the Briscoes are trying to one-up each other and The Addiction are dealing with all of the enemies they’ve made. I don’t know, Kyle. What are we going to do?”
“It seems to me, Robert, that we... get the night off?” Kyle chipped in with another shrug.
As reDRagon looked to step out of the ring, the video screen lit up and music began to play. Appearing at the top of the ramp was a team not seen together in ROH for four years. Rhett Titus and Kenny King - The All Night Express. The crowd popped as ANX made their way to the ring. Once things had settled down, Kenny King asked for the mic. Fish, unimpressed, handed it to him. Kenny proclaimed that ANX never lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship and they were here to take back what was theirs. Bobby got the mic back, looking to Kyle and the crowd, amused. “Well, Kenny, no one beat you for these titles because as soon as you won them, you jumped ship.” A murmur went through the crowd. “I mean, you left your buddy Rhett here hanging. So, to be honest, I don’t see how you even deserve to be in a Ring of Honor ring, let alone challenging for these belts.”
ANX bristled and the two teams started getting chippy when ROH matchmaker Nigel McGuinness came down to sort things out. Nigel recognized both side’s arguments and determined ANX would face reDRagon right now in a Proving Ground match.

PROVING GROUND MATCH
The All Night Express def. reDRagon by pin
Titus got off to a hot start against O’Reilly hitting three consecutive Thrust Busters. ANX worked the crowd, getting them hyped up. Kyle absorbed some more damage before firing back with some kicks and tagging in Fish. reDRagon subjected Rhett to some of their combo work including Chasing the Dragon. King came in for the save and things got wilder. Kenny and Bobby traded until reDRagon once again used teamwork to take control. ANX followed their example and took over. Titus worked on O’Reilly again. After being isolated for a while, Kyle made the much needed tag. Fish kicked the stuffing out of Titus until he was caught with Rhettribution. ANX gave Fish a One Night Stand but Bobby kicked out. O’Reilly was back in and almost made King tap to a guillotine choke and then Armageddon. The match was clocking in at twenty plus minutes with a lot of quick tags and double team moves. Both sides were wearing down and Fish seemed to be the first to break when he resorted to using a chair on Titus, busting him open. The crowd turned on reDRagon at that point. ANX hit the One Night Stand again on Fish, this time on the floor. The ref nearly lost control of the match in the home stretch but King ended up hitting the Coronation on Fish for the win. The crowd were cheering and ANX had earned a title shot by beating the champs.

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Chris Sabin(c) w/Truth Martini def. Jay Lethal by pin
Nigel McGuinness joined the commentary team for the main event, likely to keep an eye on the shady characters participating. Right away, he exercised his authority by sending Christopher Daniels to the back, not allowing him to corner his Affluence stablemate Lethal. Daniels protested the presence of Truth Martini but Nigel explained that Truth had a manager’s license. Martini wore a huge grin as Daniels was escorted away from ringside.
Sabin got off to a fast start and Lethal powdered, looking to slow the pace. He was greeted with a Cradle Shock as he reentered the ring, with Sabin nearly scoring the pinfall. Chris tried for a diving crossbody but Lethal caught him and dropped to the mat and applied a Koji Clutch. It looked like Sabin was sure to tap out but was able to narrowly hook his fingers onto the bottom rope for the break. Lethal’s ring awareness saw this as an opening, using Sabin’s proximity to the ring apron to his advantage. Similar to his strategy against ACH on Ring of Honor Television last week, Jay slammed Sabin’s leg against the ring post. Jay then hit his foe with a Lethal Injection but they were too close to the ropes and Sabin again escaped defeat. Jay put on the Koji Clutch again but Sabin was able to roll out of it before Lethal could cinch it in. Martini was anxiously shouting instructions to Sabin, trying to get him back on track. Hail to the King and Diving Dynamite had Sabin rolling out to the floor for relief. Back in the ring, Sabin was hit with a Lethal Combination and a dragon suplex, setting up for another Lethal Injection. Truth was on the apron before Sabin even hit the mat. Lethal slammed Sabin’s knee against the post again and slapped on a figure four leg lock. Truth grabbed Chris by the hands and pulled him out to the floor. Lethal gave pursuit but, out of desperation, Sabin scooped him up and dropped him across the barrier with a back breaker. Hail Sabin got a solid two count but it wasn’t over yet. Cradle Shock and Lethal kicked out again at two. Truth was really riding the ref at this point. Hail Sabin again and Lethal was finally put away. Sabin had weathered the storm and come out on top, proving he was Best In the World.


Current Rankings:

ROH World Champion - Chris Sabin

1. Jay Lethal
2. Matt Sydal
3. Adam Page
4. Adam Cole
5. Christopher Daniels
6. Michael Elgin
7. Jay Briscoe
8. ACH
9. Cedric Alexander
10. Moose

[Pariah]

Best in the World was absolutely spectacular... Sabin was on point as he retained the title in a very tough match against Lethal... Of course, some might argue that he needed Martini's help to keep the belt... We'll see how the boys from Affluence react to this outcome... Following a big victory over Roddy Strong, I'm wondering if we might see Adam Cole step up and declare that his time is now...

Continue to enjoy the Who's the Better Briscoe challenge... Dem Boys really brought their A-game to come out on top of two big guns in Dijak and Moose... Pleased that the score remains tied and can't wait to see who's next on each brother's playlist...

One of my favorite moments (as they often are) was listening to Bobby Fish on the mic... Hands down, he is my favorite talker in ROH and you consistently capture his snarky personality... Not sure how I feel about ANX defeating the currrent tag champs, but it will certainly lead to an interesting development in the division...

Top notch action from start to finish, as expected... Excellent work!

[bookerbill]

That card was a great read from top to bottom. The main event was amazing and it is clear Martini was earning his paycheck tonight both taking the bump in the first half of the show and assisting Sabin in retaining the gold. All Night Express get the win in an absolute war in the semi main event. Their title shot hopefully will just as intense. The Briscoe Brothers continue to be a highlight for me. Fantastic creativity. Strong does the honors on his way out but how much the win elevates Cole I don't really know since he had such an easy go of it. I was not a fan of the four way finish but the presentation of the tension between the competitors was excellent. Impressive write up.

[cruefan68]

Mike Bennett is gone? No big loss I guess but we also lose Maria which is unfortunate. I look forward to seeing the new talent arriving as well as what the plans are for Matt Taven.

Pariah and Bookerbill already said it all - Best in the World was, in a word, spectacular. I totally enjoyed reading that from start to finish. You really have your finger on the pulse of ROH and it shows in how the fed plays out. I am a huge fan of the Who's the Better Briscoe challenge, not too mention of how I can hear their voices in your writing. You capture those guys perfectly. It was great to see both men win over tough opponents like Moose and Dijak. If this thing is tied at the end we may have to see Mark vs. Jay which would be amazing.

As for the rest of the show highlights for me were the huge win by ANX over reDRagon and Chris Sabin beating Jay Lethal to retain the ROH World Heavyweight title. I hate to see Roderick Strong going out but he does have to see about those other opportunities That was a big win for Adam Cole over the departing Strong which I hope leads him towards a title shot. I also agree with Pariah in that much like the Briscoes you also bring the vocals of Bobby Fish alive in my head and that is awesome. Congrats on another stellar show.

[aceldamas]

Pariah - Adam Cole has to be in consideration for a title shot but does that fit Affluence's plans? We'll see what happens. I'm glad you liked the Bobby Fish promo. He's one of my favorite talkers as well. He's just about up there now with the Briscoes for his voice being in my head. That's when the promos almost write themselves.

bookerbill - That reDRagon/ANX match was a war. Probably the most fun I've had rolling a match in recent memory. Fingers crossed they can live up to it in the rematch. I have to agree about the end of that 4-way. A crummy way for a good match to end. Blame Delirious! LOL.

cruefan68 - Roderick Strong had a huge run in this fed but has declined recently. He's currently my EVOLVE champ and he'll be spotlighted in that fed for a while.

I'm glad (and a little suprised) about the reception the Who's the Better Briscoe Challenge is getting. I planned it to take Dem Boys in a more laid back direction since they are usually in big feuds. If things go according to plan, there will be a nice conclusion to the series.

I'll be taking a short break with this fed to do a couple of EVOLVE shows and some CZW but will be back very soon. 

Thanks for reading and the compliments. It's always cool to hear feedback from some of the best promoters on this board!

[aceldamas]

RING OF HONOR TELEVISION

2016 Season Episode 19

Michael Elgin def. Kazarian by pin
It looked like Elgin was going to dominate this match with his strength. However, Kazarian got on track and had Elgin in trouble for a majority of the match, using his full array of signature moves like Back to the Future, Fade To Black, and the Flux Capacitor. But every time Kaz put Big Mike’s shoulders to the mat, he powered out. Everything turned on a dime with an Avalanche Elgin Bomb that spelled the end for Kaz.

Donovan Dijak w/Truth Martini def. Hanson by pin
This battle of the big men began with a struggle for dominance with Hanson breaking the stalemate with a corner lariat leading into a Spin Kick of Doom for a two count. Hanson tossed Dijak to the floor then flattened him with a somersault dive from the top turnbuckle to the outside. Truth seemed to be in a state of shock witnessing the shots his man was taking. Spin Kick of Doom for another near fall. A third Spin Kick of Doom and Truth jumped into action, drawing the referee from the pinning situation. Much like the last match, it only took a couple of moments for Dijak to execute Feast Your Eyes and end the otherwise lopsided affair.

ROH Update with Stokely Hathaway
"Best in the World is in the books and now we can take a moment to look at the title picture coming out of that big event. Chris Sabin retained the ROH World Championship defeating Jay Lethal and proving himself to be the Best in the World. With Lethal joining Matt Sydal in Sabin’s rear view mirror, who will be the next to challenge for the richest prize in professional wrestling? Could Adam Cole step to the forefront of Affluence’s campaign for dominance or will Michael Elgin make another run at the gold? Or maybe there is someone else waiting in the wings to challenge for the top spot.
ROH World Television Champion Adam Page is set to make his first defense of the title next week against the man he defeated for the belt, Christopher Daniels. Daniels won the four corner survival match at Best in the World that also involved Page. Though the match ended in controversial fashion, it was enough to influence ROH matchmaker Nigel McGuinness to give Daniels a rematch.
Perhaps the biggest news coming out of Best in the World was the Ring of Honor return of the All Night Express. Rhett Titus and Kenny King made a huge splash returning with a Proving Ground win against the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions reDRagon. ANX are former tag team title holders as well and did not lose those championships in the ring, rather forfeiting them when Kenny King had a dispute with the ROH office. ANX showed themselves to be contenders, winning a brutal war with Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. In two weeks, right here on ROH Television, we will see the rematch, this time with the titles on the line!"

Back from break, Stokely Hathaway was in the ring with Jay and Mark Briscoe for the next match in the Who’s the Better Briscoe Challenge. Both brothers were victorious at Best in the World with Jay beating Moose and Mark coming out on top against Donovan Dijak. Stokely put the question to mark - who would Jay face tonight? “Whelp… I been thinkin’, Stokely and somethin’s been bugging me. We have Jay Briscoe, who is standing right here beside me, but we also have Jay Lethal. I can tell you from experience, one Jay is enough. That being said, there’s only room for one Jay in ROH. So it’s gonna be Jay Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal, one-on-one, right here tonight!”
The elder Briscoe nodded, acknowledging the challenge ahead. Affluence’s music began to play and Jay Lethal came through the curtain with his body guard Moose and the Ring General Christopher Daniels. Stopping at the top of the aisle, Lethal surveyed the situation with a sour look on his face. The trio slowly made their way down to ringside, glaring at the crowd who loudly jeered them. Getting a mic from the timekeeper’s table Lethal had something to say. “I don’t know what kind of game you two rednecks are playing and I don’t care! If you think that I’m going to have any part of it, you’re sorely mistaken.” The volume raised on the boos from the fans. “Affluence doesn’t have time to for this foolishness.”
As Affluence turned around and headed back up the aisle, Jay Briscoe replied. “Well, I don’t know what you all are spending your time doin’, but it seems to me like y’all have been getting yer asses kicked.” Lethal flaired up at this and Daniels tried to calm him. “I guess you just don’t want it getting kicked again.” Lethal tore off his ring jacket and threw it on the ground. Moose held him back as he pointed a finger at Briscoe, shouting epithets. “Don’t hide behind big man there, I already done whupped his ass.” Lethal pushed past Moose and charged the ring.

WHO'S THE BETTER BRISCOE CHALLENGE
Jay Lethal w/Moose & Christopher Daniels def. Jay Briscoe w/Mark Briscoe by submission
Briscoe blasted Lethal with a Yakuza Kick as he entered the ring. Lethal reversed a whip into the turnbuckle and went for a cover after Diving Dynamite. Briscoe easily kicked out at one but Lethal immediately went for the Lethal Injection. Briscoe kicked out at two. Frustrated, Lethal took the fight outside of the ring and smashed Briscoe into the ring post. Briscoe responded by bouncing Lethal’s head off of the timekeeper's table. The brawl continued on the floor and Lethal again rammed Briscoe into the post. Back in the ring, Lethal applied the Koji Clutch and Jay had to tap out. Lethal left in a huff with his Affluence teammates. Mark saw to his brother, trying to apologize for pitting him against Lethal.

[Pariah]

Lethal puts down Jay Briscoe clean! Meaning Mark now has the chance to one up his older brother... Should be intwresting to see who Jay comes up with to be Chicken's next oponent...

Really looking forward to the rematch between ANX and reDRagon... With the title berks on the line, expecting all four men to crank up the dial for this one... Also excited to find out who Nigel considers worthy of a shot against Sabin for the ROH title...

This show marked a sweet return... Well worth the wait... Excellent work!

[bookerbill]

The Briscoe Brothers storyline has really been well executed and a lot of fun to follow along with. Once the story is over I would be curious to.find out how much was planned in advance v. How much just flowed from the dice.