Ring of Honor TV 2/2/2013 Review

Ring of Honor TV 2/2/2013 Review

Last week's show is here: http://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/ring-of-honor-tv-1262013-review.html

I did this live so the review is a little more review focused than picture focused tonight. From now on, I should have a nice mix of both.

They changed the intro a little bit to the show with some drops like "SOARING" and new highlights.

Truth Martini was on commentary with Caleb Seltzer and Kevin Kelly.

Antonio "The Promise" Thomas vs Tadarius Thomas

Antonio Thomas is a former member of the Heartthrobs of WWE. He's actually a pretty cool guy in person and looks different now as he ditched the pink. He's added some tassles on his boots as well. If you've been following me, you know high I am on Tadarius Thomas. Thomas dropped well...Thomas on his head with a backdrop. That's Antonio Thomas dropping Tadarius by the way the backdrop. The announcers pointed out both guys having the same last name a few minutes into it. TD hit a hanging armbar out of the ring and followed it up with a swinging kick on the ground. He then slipped out of a shot and hit a handstand kick and a sling blade. Truth Martini came out from the booth at this point as TD got crotched. He then got hit with a swinging neckbreaker with Truth loving it.  TD then hit a slow roundhouse kick for the win. Truth Martini seemed to be enjoying what he was seeing as he was clapping. The match was okay but had some rough points. I like TD but he is hard for people to work with because he is so different.

We got a promo for the next iPPV at Chicago Ridge with Jay Lethal. He said his title shot took alot of convincing of the fans, Steen and ROH, but he said he never had to convince himself of champion. He then said, "I know at Chicago Ridge, I will be the next ROH World Champion...Forever".

Mike Mondo then joined the booth and said he would try to get the doctor's prognosis and said "I hate Roderick Strong" and said "I'm out here for another reason. My heart is with Grizzly Redwood". We then cut to a Grizzly Redwood video with them showing him being born prematurely. They showed him in a match against Michael Elgin and showed him getting a win on QT Marshall which supposedly QT said "didn't count and should be erased from the records".


Grizzly Redwood vs Roderick Strong

A version of La Nordica

Strong whipped the camera with his towel during his entrance. Strong has a 61 pound weight advantage at 212 over Grizzly Redwood. They shook hands to start. Strong then got the mic and said "you also know that me facing you is a small deal". He told him "not just in wrestling but also in life, you're always going to come up a bit short". Strong pounded on him to start with shots in the corner and Griz recovered with a completely missed dropkick to the knee. Griz then hit a version of El Vikingo's "La Nordica" abdominal stretch, which adds an extra arm trap on the hold. Griz got a comeback here and then got caught with a sloppy powerslam. Griz made another comeback here jumping on Strong's back before getting tossed into the corner and landing on his head. He then ate a double knee gutbuster but kicked out. Mondo was going nuts for him here encouraging him to "get a little crazy". Strong then hit a Stronghold for the win in a squash. Strong went for more after but Michael Elgin came out and cleared him out. Decent match here with Griz's comebacks being good and Mondo making it seem like a big deal at the desk.

Michael Elgin vs "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett

As usual, Bennett came out with Maria and Brutal Bob Evans. Someone threw toilet paper in the ring but missed. Maria was wearing a bikini top and a skirt that was so short that it seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever. Bob got decked early here as he was on the apron jarring with the ref. Elgin then went for the quick cross face but Mike got out of it quick and ate a powerslam. Bennett then ate a nasty backdrop to the outside where Bennett landed face first. Elgin followed it with a diving shoulder tackle from the apron. They got back in and Elgin did a beautiful over the top belly to belly. He then ate a TKO for a nearfall. Elgin then hit a hard death valley driver buckle bomb with Mike(Uh oh, not starting the same name things again) Bennett landing on his head. He went to the top, Maria jumped up and it led to a tug of war on Maria. Bennett then hit a Box Office Smash only for a 2-count.  Elgin slapped Bennett down with a lariat as Bennett dove from the top, hit a buckle bomb then a spinning sit out powerbomb, known as the fireball bomb for the win. Good match here with a fast pace and lots of stiff moves. Rating:**3/4

Inside ROH
They recapped the Nigel/Jay Lethal/Steen segment from last week with Lethal talking Steen into a title shot. I was quite surprised by that segment as I usually hate Lethal on the mic. Still not feeling Lethal vs Steen as the 11th Anniversary main event though.

They cut to a BJ Whitmer promo with him saying he's not been 100% since 2001. He said that the table he went through in New York is going to cost him a neck surgery. He said BJ Whitmer's story in ROH is far from over and "the best is yet to come". They promised features of the Top Prospect Tournament next week along with the usual stuff.

We then got another replay of the Jay Lethal promo from earlier. They really can't afford to show a different promo, can they?

Main Event - Tag Team Gauntlet - SCUM vs The Bravado Brothers vs The American Wolves vs Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish

They said that The American Wolves were first out due to losing the lottery from earlier in the day. The Wolves had matching blue tights on. The Bravado Brothers were the next out, will baby blue matching gear.  Charlie Haas came down with beer and they called him "The Haashole". Davey hit a diving headbutt from the top and Hass said, 'This segment is brought to you by me, Charlie Haas". He confirmed that he was pissed off as usual due to not being invited to the gauntlet. He then called both teams "a bunch of crap". They brought up Haas beating Brendell Cheeseburger last week and Haas said, "He should be thankful because he has more miles on American than I do since I gave him flying lessons".  Haas introduced himself to Caleb and said, "The pleasure is all yours". Edwards got thrown into the post as Davey had to fend for himself. Davey did a cool counter on a double suplex as he knee'd both guys in the head.  Edwards got back in and they hit a chop/kick combo. Davey had Harlem in the ankle lock and Edwards hit the achilles' lock, but they both got cradled. Both teams then botched head kicks and Davey tapped out a Bravado with a ground ankle lock.

SCUM vs The American Wolves

Haas on SCUM, "The only cool thing about that tag team is their music". SCUM went out quick and ate double spine kicks and tope's.  Davey got caught trying to kick Corino outside and Jacobs speared him. They talked about Cincinatti and said that Haas still has warrants there. Davey caught a Corino lariat and then got him for the pin. SCUM didn't leave though and Corino brain'd Davey with the ring bell. Davey was out cold.

Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish vs The American Wolves

Davey is KO'd here and Edwards is down as well as we go to break. We came back with The Wolves still down. Haas again said that the gauntlet was still a bunch of crap. Haas wondered how the could trust each other as he said he wouldn't be able to. He then said "they are destroying tag team wrestling". Davey stacked his opponents in the corner and kicked Kyle while he was in front of Fish. Davey ate a stepkick then hit a big lariat. Haas said he would sue Davey for using his german suplex then when asked if he would sue Karl Gotch too, he confirmed that he would. Davey hit a big frontplex and Wolves climbed to the top. Both hit double stops after each other for the nearfall. Fish cut the leg of Davey with a kick and he took a facial. The heels did a version of Total Elimination but only got a nearfall. The heels then hit the headkick and brainbuster combo for the win.

The gauntlet overall was fast, stiff and fun. It went flying by and I really loved it. Great action here. For the whole gauntlet my rating is: ***1/4

They announced C&C and The Briscoes vs SCUM for next week:

Overall thoughts: Another good show from ROH with everything being atleast passable, Haas being awesome and Mike Mondo being good on the mic as well. This is worth a look!