Ring of Honor Presents: Final Battle 2011

-12/23/11


-From New York City

-Hosts are Kevin Kelly & Nigel McGuinness

-Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness, & Jim Cornette are in the ring. Audio problems remove Nigel's opening spiel. They throw it to Cary Silkin and the CEO of RoH, who wishes everyone a happy holliday of their choosing.

-Match 1: Michael Elgin (w/Truth Martini) VS TJ Perkins

-Elgin tosses Perkins around and no-sells a couple kicks. Perkins dives at Elgin, sending both over the top. Elgin avoids a dive, and catches Perkins as he tries a somersault off the apron. Elgin charges and drives Perkins' midsection into the barricade. Elgin blocks a flying headscissors, and dumps Perkins on his face for two. Elgin tosses Perkins in the air, but Perkins manages to catch Elgin with a headscissors to send Elgin outside, then follows up with a dive. Perkins hits a missile dropkick for two.

Perkins goes up, but Elgin somehow manages to catch him coming down right in vertical suplex position. Elgin turns that into a Rock Bottom for two. Perkins avoids the sitout powerbomb, but takes shock treatment for two. Perkins scores with a neck breaker. Perkins goes for double knees in the corner, but Elgin catches him, and hits a buckle bomb. Elgin goes for the sitout powerbomb, but Perkins counters with a reverse rana for two. Elgin takes a superkick, but comes right back with a spinning back fist, buckle bomb, and spinning sitout powerbomb for the win. Good opener with some really cool spots. First match I've seen from Perkins that didn't feel like an exhibition.

-Match 2: Tomasso Ciampa (w/The Embassy) VS Jimmy Rave

-R.D. Evans compares Jimmy Rave to a desperate ex-girlfriend crashing a family Christmas dinner. Rave is almost unrecognizable with facial hair. Scientific start. Ciampa knocks Rave for a flip with a follow clothesline. Ciampa works Rave over on the outside, then when they get back in, Ciampa hits a couple running knee strikes for two. Rave hits some chops and a clothesline, then catches a running Ciampa with the heel hook. Rave knocks Ciampa off the apron, but Ciampa counters a baseball slide and throws Rave into the barricade.

Rave hits a Shining Wizard and Rave Clash for two. Rave sets up for the Greetings From Ghana (pedigree), but Prince Nana distracts Rave by offering him the old Embassy robe. Rave, like an idiot, goes after Nana. Rave wipes out the Embassy, but that allows Ciampa to recover and hits Project Ciampa for the win. Match was OK. Finish is a waste if Rave isn't sticking around though.

-Match 3 for the RoH Television Championship: Jay Lethal [c] VS Mike Bennett (w/Brutal Bob Evans & Maria Kanellis) VS El Generico (3 Way Elimination Match)

-Maria's hoodie has "Prodigy Girlfriend". Crowd chants "CM Punk", so Bennett makes out with Maria. Bennett tries to cut a promo, but is interrupted by a "sloppy seconds" chant. Bennett pretends that he's going to let the other two fight it out, then nails Lethal from behind. Lethal & Generico double team Bennett. Lethal & Generico argue over who is going to dive onto Bennett first, then decide to hit a double suicide dive.

Lethal and Generico go at it. Lethal hits his hip toss/low dropkick combo for two. Bennett interrupts. Bennett pounds on Generico, and hits a bodyslam for two. Generico low-bridges Bennett, but then runs into a springboard missile dropkick from Lethal for two. Generico scores with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker on Lethal for two. Bennett gets some shots in on Lethal, but takes a handspring elbow. Generico works on Lethal, than catches Bennett with an arm drag.

Generico tosses Lethal into the turnbuckles with an exploder. Bennett prevents Generico from following up, and hides behind Evans, then Maria to get the advantage on Generico. Bennett hits a powerslam on Lethal, then a TKO on Generico. Generico hits a Yakuza Kick on Bennett (which the camera misses), then walks into a superkick from Lethal. Lethal hits Generico with the Lethal Combination (back breaker/downward spiral) for two. Bennett hits a spinebuster on Lethal for a very close two count.

Generico hits Bennett with a Michinoku Driver for two. Generico knocks Lethal off the top with a Yakuza Kick. Generico hits a double springboard dive onto Lethal, then follows up by diving in between the turnbuckles to deliver a tornado DDT on Bennett. Generico hits Bennett with a Yakuza Kick and half-nelson suplex for two. Lethal catches Generico with a neck breaker and a Savage elbow for two. Generico tries to hit the turnbuckle brainbuster on Lethal, but Bennett rolls Generico and pulls the tights for the pin to eliminate him, but then Lethal catches Bennett with the Lethal Injection (hand spring diamond cutter) for the pin to eliminate him and retain. Really good three-way match. Bennett didn't show a whole lot though.

-Match 4: Steve Corino VS Kevin Steen (Special Guest Referee Jimmy Jacobs-if Steen wins, he is reinstated into RoH)

-Steen gets a big babyace reaction for his Sandman-esque (minus the beer and cigarette) entrance. Slug fest to start. Steen hits a cannonball on the apron. Corino hits a running chairshot. Second one is countered with a superkick. Steen powerbombs Corino on the ring apron, then follows up with a frog splash off the apron. Steen grabs a section of the barricade and runs it into Corino's head. Corino lays a chair across the barricade, but Steen powerbomb Corino onto that chair.

Steen bridges the ring apron and the barricade with a table. Corino tosses a garbage can and a chair into the ring. Steen drills Corino in the head with the garbage can lid. Steen bites the ear of Corino, busting it open. Corino blocks a garbage can shot with a back kick to the nuts. Corino hits Steen in the head with the garbage can a couple times, then suplexes him on the garbage can. Corino bodyslams Steen on a chair, then hits a big splash from the top for two.

Corino creates a bridge with four chairs and the section of the barricade. Corino super plexes Steen on the bridge (as the crowd chants "please don't die"), and that gets two. Steen adds a bridge of chairs on top of the table that is bridging the ring and the barricade. Steen tries to super plex Corino into the contraption, but ends up taking a shot to the head with the garbage can lid and falling through it. Crowd shows its appreciation by chanting for fire. Corino gets two off that.

Corino uses one chair to smack another chair into Steen's face, and that gets two. Steen hits an ugly Cobra Clutch suplex, then follows up with a pump handle onto a seated chair for two. Corino takes an unprotected chairshot (ugh) across the face for two. Jacobs stops Steen from hitting Corino again, and that allows Corino to nail Steen with a roll of quarters for two. Corino sets up a bridge of chairs, stopping to throw one at Steen's head. Steen blocks a suplex with a low blow, and hits a package piledriver through the chair bridge for the pin, with Jacobs looking at Cornette for approval before making the count.

It looked like they were going for an ECW PPV grudge match feel, and it was pretty effective, since it doesn't happen that much in major U.S. wrestling anymore. The psychology ended up getting really screwed up though, as the supposed heel (Steen) ended up fighting the system to win his career back, and received cheers for it.

-Steen says he came to do three things: win back his RoH Career (check), two: *package piledrives Jimmy Jacobs* and three...Steen stalks Cornette, but El Generico makes the save. Generico hits a Yakuza Kick, but Steen fights off a turnbuckle brainbuster, and hits a package piledriver off the apron through a table.

-Intermission.

-Match 5: Tag Team Gauntlet-Winners get an RoH World Tag Team Championship Match at some point in 2012

-ROUND ONE: The Bravado Brothers VS Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander

-I love the Bravados' gimmick. Too bad they never win. Order was determined by random draw. Bravados get the jump on Coleman & Alexander at the opening bell. Alexander hits a dive on both Bravados, who do a shitty job of catching him. Harlem low-bridges Coleman, then after waiting forever for Coleman to get to his feet, hits him with a bicycle kick. Lancelot tosses Alexander in the air, and Harlem catches him with a Diamond Cutter on the way down. That gets two. Kelly notes that RoH officials aren't happy with the Bravados' win-loss record. Alexander is face-in-peril for a bit until he catches Lancelot with an enziguiri meant for Harlem, then Coleman takes Lance outside before hitting Harlem with a flying clothesline.

Coleman hits Harlem with a Gory Guerrero Special (which the camera misses) for two. Harlem counters a suplex with a small package for two. Reversal sequence leads to Coleman pinning Harlem to win the first fall. OK start, but some of the work was sloppy and there was some obvious miscommunication.

-ROUND TWO: Coleman & Alexander VS Future Shock

-O'Reilly hits Alexander with a running kick to the chest for two. Futureshock hit a kick combination on Alexander for two. Cole hits Alexander with a snap suplex for two. Futureshock hit Alexander with a flapjack/bulldog combo for two. C & A hit O'Reilly with a powerbomb/Rough Ryder combo for two. Cole hits Coleman with a Northern Lights Suplex for two. O'Reilly hits an exposed knee drop to Coleman's back for two.

Alexander gets in and trades strikes with O'Reilly. Coleman hits Cole with an Attitude Adjustment onto Alexander's knees. Coleman hurricaranas O'Reilly off the top, and Alexander follows with a Frog Splash for two. Futureshock recover, and quickly finish Alexander with Ride the Lightning. Nothing to write home about here.

-ROUND THREE: Future Shock VS The Young Bucks

-Futureshock try to get the jump on the Bucks, but Cole ends up taking an assisted Sliced Bread #2 on the apron from Matt. Bucks hit Cole with a wheelbarrow/Diamond Cutter combo for two. Cole becomes the face-in-peril, as the Bucks work a lot slower than usual. Bucks hit Cole with a clothesline/enziguiri combo, then Nick hits a double stomp off the top before diving onto O'Reilly as Matt gets two on Cole. O'Reilly gets the hot tag, and cleans house.

O'Reilly hits Matt with a series of nine rolling butterfly suplexes. Futureshock hit a double team series that ends with a Cole German suplex on Matt, and Nick makes the save. Nick hits a slingshot X-Factor on Cole, but then takes a wheelbarrow suplex onto the ring apron from O'Reilly. O'Reilly misses a dive, and the Bucks finish Cole with More Bang For Your Buck. Decent enough. Poor Cole is going to be screwed if Futureshock break up anytime soon.

-ROUND FOUR: The Young Bucks VS The All-Night Express

-Bucks had attacked Titus with chairs at a live RoH event. Don't know why the ANX are in this, since they should already have a guaranteed title shot after beating WGTT in a "Proving Ground" match. ANX take control early. As King works on Matt, Nick wraps Titus' injured knee around the ring post. King hits Nick with a spine buster for two. With Titus out of the equation, the Bucks take control on King. Kevin Kelly likens Titus trying to wrestle with his injury to Ben Roethlisberger playing injured for the Steelers and them losing.

King manages to make the tag to Titus. Titus hits Matt with a Sky High, but eats a knee to the face from Nick. King hits Nick with the Coronation (TKO into a Rock Bottom), but then takes a springboard into a DDT on the apron from Matt. Titus knocks Nick for a loop with a clothesline, but he then takes a chop block from Matt. Matt locks Titus in a step-over toehold, then Nick adds a 450 splash. Titus can't defend himself, so the ref stops the match, giving it to the Bucks. Bucks try to do more damage to Titus, but King chases them off with a chair. This was more of an angle than a match. Not much crowd  reaction for the gauntlet at all.

-Match 6: Roderick Strong Invitational Challenge: Roderick Strong (w/Truth Martini) VS ????

-Stong bitches that he doesn't have an opponent, and that RoH sent him a list of unsuitable opponents. Strong wants a ten count, then a forfeit victory, but when Martini gets to nine, Chris Hero answers the challenge, having, as rumor has it, failed his WWE mandated drug test. If that is the case, I have to wonder what he failed for, considering they let Claudio Castagnoli go to FCW. Hero does look like he hasn't seen the sun in a while, maybe that's why he's not in WWE.

Hero lands some chops as Martini freaks out. Strong avoids a monkey flip and hits a chop, but then takes a big boot that sends him outside. Martini nails Hero with the book of truth to turn the tide. Strong drops Hero back-first on the corner of the ring apron. Strong keeps the pressure on. Strong sends Hero outside, and Martini takes the opportunity to land a couple cheap shots. Strong whips Hero into the barricade, and gets two off that.

Forearm exchange proves nothing, and Hero abruptly ends a criss-cross with a big kick to the head. Hero no-sells a chop, and hits a big elbow. Match spills outside, and Hero works Strong over. Back in, Hero hits a cravat suplex for two. Strong counters a hangman's neck breaker and hits a high knee for two. Strong hits a turnbuckle back breaker for two. Hero gets out of the Stronghold, and hits another cravat suplex.

Strong hits an enziguiri, German suplex into the corner, another enziguiri, Death From Above, and a Gibson Driver for two. Strike exchange proves nothing. Hero lures Strong into two roaring elbows, then a spinning bicycle kick for two. Death Blow (roaring elbow to the back of the neck) gets two, as Martini dives into the ring to provide a distraction. Hero goes after Martini like an idiot, and gets rolled up for two. Hero misses Strong with a kick and hits Martini, but then turns into the Sick Kick for the pin. Match was good, but not great. Not sure where Strong goes from here, as he's not in the World title picture, but they're still protecting him.

-Match 7 for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship: Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team [c] VS The Briscoe Brothers

-Babyface reaction for the Briscoes, mixed reaction for WGTT. WGTT go on the attack before the bell, striking the Briscoes with the title belts before working them over. Shelton suplexes Mark on the ramp. Haas drops Jay back-first on the barricade. WGTT grab chairs and go to town. Shelton whips Mark into an unprotected chairshot to the head from Haas. Jay is at least smart enough to protect himself when Shelton delivers a chairshot. Haas nails Mark a couple times in the back, then threatens the ref.

WGTT continue to use a chair, and Jay is busted open after taking an unprotected shot to the head. Shelton botches the Leap of Faith on Jay, and the crowd gets on his case, The bell finally rings to officially start the match. Mark tries to fight back, but takes a spike DDT from Shelton. Jay interrupts a second Leap of Faith on Mark with a superkick to Shelton. Jay wins a slug fest with Haas, but then runs into a big boot. Shelton hits a Stinger Splash on Mark, but hurts his already injured ribs, and that allows Mark to hit a spear.

Jay works on Shelton, but ends up running into a BAAAAACK body drop. Shelton makes the tag, and Haas cleans house. Haas hits Jay with an exploder suplex for two. Haas catches Jay with a powerslam for two, as Mark makes the save. Mark hits Haas with a slam off the top, and Jay gets two. WGTT break up a springboard spike Jay Driller, and Haas hits rolling Germans on Jay. Haas locks Jay in the Haas of Pain. Shelton lays in front of Haas to take the hit when Mark flies off the top to break the hold. Shelton is helped to the back.

Briscoes hit Haas with a double shoulder block for two. Haas hits Mark witn an Angle Slam, wiping out the ref in the process. Shelton comes back and grabs a board from under the ring. WGTT use the board, prompting "Hoooooooo"s and a "USA" chant from the crowd. WGTT go for the Doomsday Device, but Mark knocks Shelton off the top with a piece of broken table, and the Briscoes hit Haas with the Doomsday Device for the pin and the titles.

Well that was...interesting. Not sure about the double turn, but WGTT did need freshening up.

-Match 8 for the Ring of Honor World Championship: Davey Richards [c] (w/Team Richards) VS Eddie Edwards (w/Dan Severn)

-Both try to finish early, Edwards with a Dragon sleeper, and Richards with the running kick that won the title for him. Richards locks in the Trailer Hitch, but Edwards makes it to the ropes. Edwards gets the advantage. Richards pulls Edwards off the turnbuckles and hits the Alarm Clock. Richards locks in a Tequila Sunrise. Edwards scores with a throw that sends Richards outside. Richards whips Edwards into the barricade, then connects with a big boot.

Edwards locks in a toe hold with a bridge. Richards back drops Edwards to the outside. Edwards avoids the running apron kick, but then takes a back kick, and the apron kick. Richards hits a missile dropkick for two. Richards lands a series of elbows to the chin and an exploder for two. Richards gets the ankle lock. Edwards then gets the Achillies' lock, but Richards counters that into a small package for two.

Edwards catches a charging Richards with a Rough Ryder for two. After a strike exchange, Edwards catches Richards while he's attempting a hand spring elbow, and dumps Richards outside. Edwards hits a dive, but smacks his leg against the barricade. Edwards hits the backpack chin breaker for two. Edwards counters a cross-arm breaker with a rollup for two. Edwards locks in an STF, then an anklelock.

Richards repeatedly kicks Edwards in the head to escape, so Edwards tries to kick Richards' head in. Another strike exchange leads to Richards essentially no-selling a superkick and hitting a clothesline for one. Richards hits a double stomp to the back, running kick to the chest, and a double stomp to the chest for two. Richards sets Edwards up top, where they exchange headbuts (which Nigel audibly winces at). Richards hits a superplex and rolls through, but then Edwards suplexes Richards, which sends them both out over the top.

Edwards lands a series of chops in the corner, and Richards responds with a series of kicks. They go back-and-forth like this another time. They exchange chops/slaps (Edwards) and kicks (Richards) in the center of the ring, then in a stupid sequence, back drop drivers, as they have to no-sell them. They exchange kicks to send them both down. Roderick Strong comes to ringside, and gets into it with Team Richards. Severn gets a hold of Strong, which brings out Elgin and Martini for a full-fledged brawl. Everyone leaves ringside, leaving just the two combatants in the ring.

Edwards wins another strike/kick exchange, then drops Richards on his head, missing the turnbuckles that he was aiming for. Edwards hits a top rope hurricarana, shotgun dropkick, powerbomb, and a sit-out powerbomb for two. Edwards chops Richards down for two, and locks in a Dragon sleeper. Richards counters into a rollup for two, then Edwards re-applies the hold. Edwards hits a tombstone and the Die Hard (formerly the 2k1 Bomb) for two. Richards fights out of a superplex, and hits a full nelson suplex off the top for two.

They fight on the apron, and Richards tosses Edwards to the floor. Edwards sticks his head through the ropes at 19, so Richards punts him in the head, and hits a full nelson suplex on the apron. Richards hits a kick to the head and a buzzsaw kick for two. Edwards counters the anklelock with a rollup for two. Richards re-applies the anklelock, then hits another kick to the head for two. Richards hits another two buzzsaw kicks to finally put Edwards down for three.

Match was a pretty epic war, but I can't say it's an all-time classic. If you are familiar with these two, you know what you're getting, for better or worse.

-Richards starts to give a speech, but he's interrupted by Kevin Steen, who vows to win the World title in 2012 and hold RoH hostage.

-FINAL THOUGHTS: Pretty good show, but not a blow-away show. It at least sets up some interesting stuff for 2012. I was expecting a turn from Edwards, but nothing yet.