Ring of Honor Wrestling #3

-LAST WEEK: Jay Lethal defeated El Generico in extra time to win the RoH Television Championship.

-Jim Cornette starts the show in the ring, and he brings out the Briscoe Brothers. Mark is mad that the $5,000 fine they got for attacking WGTT cost them a lot of beer and bullets. Jay is less upset, but says WGTT are afraid to give them a title shot. Cornette responds that WGTT want to face them, but Cornette doesn't want to reward them for their attack. Cornette has a compromise; next week, the Briscoes will wrestle the current #1 contenders the All Night Express, with the winners getting the next title shot. Briscoes are OK with that.

-Profile video on "The Dominant Male" Tomasso Ciampa, the only undefeated wrestler in RoH. Largely about how he is soley focused on wrestling, and Prince Nana's money affords him the ability to avoid worries everyone else has.

-Match 1: Andy Ridge VS Tomasso Ciampa (w/Prince Nana & Ernesto Osiris)

-Ridge's nickname, "Right Leg" is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Steve Corino joins us for color commentary. I don't like Ridge's chances.

Ridge starts off with some kicks, but runs into a big clothesline. Ciampa ties Ridge in the ropes, delivering a backchop, kick, and German suplex. Out on the apron, they trade chops (Ciampa) and kicks (Ridge). Ciampa swings Ridge like a baseball bat into the barricade. That gets two. Ciampa figure 4s his legs around Ridge's head, delivers some elbows  and a skullfucker, but only gets one out of it.

Ridge hits a slingshot Ace Crusher for two. Ciampa yanks Ridge out of the corner, delivers several running exposed knees, and finishes with Project Ciampa. I LOVE that move. A lot better than I was expecting, as Ridge did a good job of fighting from underneath and being a sympathetic babyface. I've been impressed with Ciampa since the first time I saw him.

-Pre-match video for the RoH title match. Strong wants to be champion again to make Davey's life miserable. Richards talks about the death of his grandparents.

-MAIN EVENT: Ring of Honor World Championship: Davey Richards [c] VS Roderick Strong (w/Truth Martini)

-Barebones stuff to start. Davey locks in an anklelock, but Strong rolls through to send them both outside. They battle out there for a bit. Strong wins a chop exchange. Back in, Strong stomps a mudhole. Richards hits an enziguiri, but gets distracted by Martini as he climbs on the turnbuckles, and ends up taking a flying knee to the face for two.

Back from a commercial break, Richards takes control, sending Strong to the outside, then running along the apron and kicking Strong in the head. Richards hits a suicide dive. Back in, Richards hits a missile dropkick for two. Richards hits an Exploder suplex for two. Strong hits a powerslam for two. Richards gets a crucifix pin for two. Strong avoids a kick, and hits one of his own for two. Strong drops Richards back-first on the corner of the apron for two.

Richards hits the Alarm Clock, avoids a boot, and hits a discus clothesline for two. Richards kicks the shit out of Strong in the corner, but takes an enziguiri and Death from Above for two. Richards hits a superplex and a falcon arrow for two, then locks in an ankelock. Richards avoids falling on the knees on Death from Above, and locks in the anklelock again before turning it into a heel hook. Strong taps, but Martini has the ref.

Richards gets rid of Martini. Strong takes the opportunity to hit the Sick Kick for two. Stronghold is countered into the anklelock. Strong no-sells a kick, ends up taking three more, and the anklelock into a heel hook gets the submission for Richards conveniently right before TV time expires. Match was good. I might have been blown away if I had never seen them wrestle before.

-FINAL THOUGHTS: Solid show this week, with a little less time-wasting than the first two. For a company that says it's all about wrestling, it does take them too long to actually get into the wrestling on these shows (this week, the first match didn't start until 15 minutes in). Hopefully they tweak the format a little bit and find the sweet spot.