Last Week: Ring of Honor came under new regime, as Nigel McGuinness became the new matchmaker.

ROH TV Episode 62

11/24/12

Nigel McGuinness was in the ring to inform us that Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team refused to wrestle unless their thoughts could be heard. So come on down! You’re the next contestants on the Ring of Honor TV show! Shelton Benjamin couldn’t understand how Rhett Titus & BJ Whitmer got a title shot before them. Nigel reminded WGTT that Titus & Whitmer earned their shot when they beat WGTT on TV a few weeks ago. McGuinness decided that if WGTT wanted another title shot, they’d have to beat Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman right now!

Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander

The fans were all over Haas, and he did nothing endear himself to them by opting to flip off his opponents instead of following the Code of Honor. Alexander and Benjamin had the chance to kick this one off. Alexander go all hung up in the ropes when Shelton started tossing him toward Haas for some cheap shots. When Benjamin went to the well one too many times by pitching Alexander toward Haas, Cedric knocked Charlie down before doing the same to Benjamin so Cedric could tag out.

Caprice was on fire, using leg lariats and cross body blocks to rock Shelton and Haas. “The Outlaw”, who tagged in during Coleman’s onslaught, turned the tides with a simple eye rake. Coleman avoided Haas’ clothesline, but not Shelton’s. Before we headed to a commercial break, Rhett Titus and BJ Whitmer came to ringside to watch the action.

Coming back to the show, we found Coleman still in trouble as BJ and Titus joined the announce table. Whitmer expressed his disgust with the fact WGTT looked at him like some kind of rookie when he’s been wrestling for over twelve years. Titus noted that he has more victories over WGTT than anyone in the locker room right now. Turning a slam into a DDT, Coleman tagged out to a red-hot Alexander.

Cedric unleashed a sick spin kick to the back of Shelton’s head that put Benjamin in position for another flying kick to his face for a two count. C & C called for the Ice Breaker, but couldn’t pin Shelton thanks to Haas’ interference. Alexander and Haas went sailing over the top rope, landing beside the announce table. In the ring, Coleman used a pair of northern lights suplexes until Benjamin countered the third with a power bomb. As the referee checked on Benjamin and Coleman, a fight broke out between “The Outlaw” and Titus & Whitmer. Shelton noticed Coleman scaling the ropes when he got up. Shelton jumped to the top rope, belly to belly superplexing Coleman! Before Shelton could move, Cedric frog splashed him for the three count!

Bobby Fish vs. Ryan McBride

This is Bobby Fish’s ROH SBG TV debut. It didn’t take long before Fish showed his agility by diving on top of McBride when Ryan scurried to the floor to avoid a moonsault. Flying headbutt connected for Fish, but didn’t pick up the pin. Ryan turned the tides, almost winning off a brain buster. McBride got the fans behind him as he went for the frog splash. McBride missed, taking several knees to this face when he stumbled to his feet. Using a few forearms aimed at the head of McBride, Fish unleashed a roundhouse kick to put McBride out for the three count.

Veda Scott entered the ring to a nice ovation so she could ask about his teaming with Eddie Edwards in Japan. Fish noted that Edwards let Fish know about Davey Richards and Kyle O’Reilly, and was interested to see what happened when those two were in the ring.

Davey Richards came to the ring to admit that he’s been a butthole over the past few months. Richards promised to right the wrongs to the people he hurt the most. With Eddie Edwards in Japan, Richards opted to invite Kyle O’Reilly to the ring for his first talk. O’Reilly interrupted Richards to tell him that he’s sick of being a doormat to Davey. Richards said he made O’Reilly’s life better by giving a home to O’Reilly, food, and even introduced Kyle to his new wife.

Richards, though hurt, still offered to be tag team partners with O’Reilly if he got his head on straight. Before Richards could leave, O’Reilly stopped him to admit that Kyle had been wrong. O’Reilly thanked Richards for everything before asking for forgiveness before offering a handshake and a hug. Suddenly, O’Reilly leg swept Richards. Ready, Davey tripped O’Reilly in position for the Ankle Lock. Bobby Fish entered the ring, distracting Davey long enough for Kyle to roll through the submission. As Richards fell forward, Fish kicked Davey upside the head!

Fish put Richards in the crossface so Kyle could tell Davey that he felt the same pain Richards was experiencing right now by being friends with Richards, “…so do everyone a favor and stay gone!”

This week on Inside ROH, it was announced that yes, Roderick Strong will face Michael Elgin at “Final Battle 2012”. Truth Martini was beside himself over this match happening. Martini declared the match would not happen.

We also got clips of what happened at “Final Battle 2012” where El Generico sent Kevin Steen packing. Also at the iPPV, the ROH World Tag Team title will be on the line in a three way dance that will see The Briscoes and Coleman & Alexander having to beat the champs to when. Jay Briscoe compared the match to a horserace while Mark Briscoe considered it being a cockfight with added chicken noises for added effect.

Adam Cole will have his chance to take on Matt Hardy at the iPPV. Cole felt Matt Hardy was trying to convince ROH fans and himself that he’s worthy of being in ROH. Cole promised to prove Hardy’s words useless when Cole beats him.

Jay Lethal was furious over having to face Rhino since win or lose, it doesn’t mean a thing to him since he’s frozen out of the ROH World title scene. Jay stormed off while saying, “F*** it!”

Next week, it’ll be Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin!

ROH World Tag Team title: S.C.U.M. (Steve Corino & Jimmy Jacobs) vs. Rhett Titus & BJ Whitmer

During the in-ring entrances, the challengers took the fight to the champions, sending them to the floor. Whitmer felt the sting of Jacobs’ head scissors, but Jacobs took a boot to the face seconds later. Corino was power slammed by Titus as things finally settled down. Titus knocked Jacobs off the apron, only to take a side Russian leg sweep from Corino. Titus was isolated on the wrong part of town. Making a rookie mistake, Corino put his head down a little too early following an Irish whip, taking a sunset flip Titus used to step up a dropkick. Before Titus could tag out, Jimmy Jacobs yanked BJ off the apron. Titus recovered seconds later, avoiding a clothesline from Jacobs to tag out.

Whitmer unleashed a spine buster on Jacobs. Series of suplexes following the flying knee in the corner almost pinned Jacobs. Jacobs ducked a clothesline, bouncing off the ropes with the spear. Reverse hurricarana from Jacobs following a failed pin ended with Whitmer rolling through the attack to clothesline Jimmy.

Titus became the legal man as Corino did the same. Big boot-clothesline combo by Titus almost ended the champ’s night. All four men entered the ring, with Whitmer accidentally whipping Jimmy into Titus for another spear. Whitmer and Jacobs went tumbling over the top rope via a suplex! As the referee watched Corino and Titus in the ring, WGTT ran out to use a backbreaker on Whitmer across the guardrail. Jacobs entered the ring to hit a springboard ace crusher to knock Titus into Corino’s bridging belly to back suplex to retain the ROH World Tag Team title.

But WGTT wasn’t done as they reentered the ring to beat down Titus until the show’s end.

Overall: Not as good as last week’s episode, but entertaining nonetheless. One thing lacking from this episode was the crowd enthusiasm. It’s hard to keep up the level of excitement that they had last week, and after the first tag match, that excitement waned. While they tried hard for the short period of time, Fish and McBride couldn’t regain the fans that reacted like they had no idea who these guys were (maybe they didn’t know). Richards and O’Reilly started off well, but faltered thanks to the unsympathetic fans who have gotten sick of Richards being put in soap opera style storylines. The main event tried hard, only to feel tedious and longwinded thanks to the lack of reaction from the crowd. That’s pretty much what hurt this show the most. While the action was solid, the lack of fan heat hurt the show tremendously. Hopefully the fans will be happier with the next episode featuring what could be a Match of the Year candidate. This is a good show that’s worth seeing, but nothing you have to go out of your way for.