11/1 Mathieson's ROH on HDNet Coverage: Kevin Steen and Steve Corino vs. El Generico and Colt Cabana in a steel cage match, Eddie Edwards defends the TV title against Rhett Titus, and Sara Del Rey in action

By Joe Mathieson

Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet
Taped in Philadelphia, Pa.

A video package recapped the American Wolves splitting from Shane Hagadorn and the brawl between the Wolves and the Kings of Wrestling.

After the opening video, the Wolves' music played and Eddie Edwards entered. Rhett Titus was out next for the first match.

1. Eddie Edwards defeated Rhett Titus to retain the ROH TV TItle in 6:50. Edwards had the advantage until missing a spear on the apron and hitting the ringpost shoulder-first. Titus went to work on the shoulder, slamming it into the ringpost and then the guardrail, and working a hammerlock in the ring.

Edwards went for his backpack stunner, but Titus avoided it and went to a shoulder submission. Edwards got busted open at some point but was able to hit some stuff with one arm. After a belly-to-belly suplex, Titus rolled to the floor and Edwards hit a pretty nice dive, then covered Titus and the ref counted to three. Post match, Edwards ran to the back clutching at his wrist.

Joe's Judgment: Looked like Edwards was legit hurt. Too bad, because the match was really good. Fast paced, solid story, and excellent selling. Everything a TV title match should be.

Colt Cabana cut a backstage promo with El Generico, saying that Kevin Steen and Steve Corino thought they could play by their own rules and just walk out, that they could take Generico's mask and think they took his identity, but they actually gave him a reason to keep fighting. Colt said Steen and Cornio could quit if they wanted, but they had to wait until they were through with them.

Joe's Judgment: I've said it before, but it bears repeating: this is, by far, the best work Colt has done in the twenty months since he came back to ROH. He's been so great as Generico's mouthpiece and it still baffles me that WWE never gave him a real chance.

A video package recapped last week's tag team title match between the Kings of Wrestling and the Briscoes...

2. Sara Del Rey (w/ the Kings of Wrestling) defeated Rachel Summerlyn in 2:40. Del Rey hit with some really stiff kicks and struck an impromptu KOW pose with Hero and Claudio while Summerlyn was held up in the ropes. Del Rey hit some more kicks. Summerlyn hit a fisherman neckbreaker out of nowhere for a two count, but shortly afterward Del Rey locked on a leg submission and Summerlyn tapped out. After the match, Sara got on the mic and asked where the challenge was.

Joe's Judgment: Seriously, those were some really stiff kicks out of Del Rey. Women's wrestling gets a bad reputation because of how little WWE cares about it, but Del Rey kicks harder than just about anybody in ROH short of Davey Richards. Hopefully she'll get competition, because I would totally not mind some Sara Del Rey TV main events.

Another video package recapped the recent happenings in the Steen/Generico saga...

Steen and Corino entered before a commercial, and Cabana and Generico after it.

3. Kevin Steen and Steve Corino defeated El Generico and Colt Cabana in a steel cage match in 13:12. Steen slammed the door into Cabana's face and he and Corino beat up the babyfaces on the floor for about a minute before the match entered the cage. Once it did, referee Todd Sinclair locked the door, then Steen stole the key and hid it in his singlet. Nice.

Cabana and Generico took control for a bit. Generico hit a flying crossbody at about 3:00 on both Steen and Corino. They sent both heels into the cage several times, Corino getting busted open in the process. Cabana and Generico did the mounted punching thing on the turnbuckles, but Steen caught Generico and powerbombed him into first the cage and then the ring.

Steen punched a prone Cabana in the back of the head while yelling "boom boom". At 10:00, he hit his pump handle neckbreaker over the knee on Generico. Steen and Corino took Cabana to the top of the cage and threw him face-first into the top railing. Cabana jumped off, though, crotching both Steen and Corino and allowing Generico to hit a Yakuza.

Colt locked in the Billy Goat's Curse, but Steen threw Generico into him to break it up. Steen superkicked Generico but was caught with an Asai moonsault from Cabana. Generico Yakuza kicked both Steen and Corino and went to the top rope. Colt told him to go to the top of the cage, which he did. Steen shoved Colt into the cage, knocking Generico off, and Steen pushed him to thre floor.

Generico tried in vain to get back in the ring, but the door was chained shut and Steen had the key in his tights. Corino pulled a fork out of his boot, but Cabana hit him and grabbed the fork. Steen hit him with a turnbuckle wrench and put him in a crossface. Corino forked Cabana in the forehead and Sinclair called for the bell.

Post match, Generico still tried to get in the ring. He hit the cage with a chair a couple times, then signaled for bolt cutters and ran backstage to get some. Steen celebrated briefly with Corino, then got the key and unlocked the door. Generico appeared with the bolt cutters and chased Steen and Corino backstage. Generico's music played as he helped Cabana in the ring to close the show.

Joe's Judgment: It was short and nothing crazy, but they brought the hate and it was a lot of fun to watch. Nice to see the heels get a clean win to add more heat going into Final Battle. I didn't think it was possible for the feud to get hotter, but it did. This feud has been built so well and I have to say it yet again: two years ago, would anyone have predicted that the hottest feud in ROH at this time would involve Steve Corino and Colt Cabana?

As always, feel free to email Joe at jtmathieson88@gmail.com.