7/12 Mathieson's ROH on HDNet Live Coverage: Tyler Black, Jerry Lynn, and Delirious vs. Austin Aries, Kenny King, and Rhett Titus, plus Eddie Edwards' Ten Minute Hunt, Necro Butcher in action, and Roderick Strong introduces his new manager

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

A recap of the Necro Butcher joining the Embassy aired...

The Embassy music played and Prince Nana and Mr. Ernesto Osiris came down to the ring. Nana grabbed the mic and the opening video played. After the video, the Embassy music was still playing. Nana said that everyone in the crowd was "taking craps all over themselves" because the Embassy was the most elite group in ROH.

Nana said he wanted everyone in the arena to understand that he was a loving and caring man, "especially when it comes to the dollar bill". He said that nobody called Necro when he was hurt, even though he got hurt trying to make the fans cheer him. He introduced the "new crown jewel of the Embassy", the Necro Butcher.

1. Necro Butcher defeated Bobby Beverly in 3:30. Necro knocked Beverly to ringside about a minute in, and Nana and Osiris put the boots to him. Necro hit Beverly in the midsection with a chair, then a bulldog onto the chair. He covered, but pulled Beverly up at two and hit a chokeslam and Tiger Driver on the chair for the win.

Post match, Necro set up two chairs back to back and side slammed Beverly onto the upright backs. Ouch.

Joe's Judgment: I still don't care about Necro, and apparently the live crowd doesn't either. There's potential, particularly if Necro actually changes a little, but right now, it's kinda... boring.

A hype video for tonight's main event aired...

My feed cut out for a couple minutes, and when it came back Eddie Edwards and Andy Ridge were standing in the ring. Edwards asked Ridge what his name was, where he's from, and whether he was a virgin, "like a lot of the men in the audience". Ridge said he wasn't, and Edwards asked what her name was. Ridge said it was Michelle, and Edwards replied that he probably lasted longer with her than he would with him, then hit him with the mic and the match started.

2. Eddie Edwards defeated Andy "Right Leg" Ridge in a Ten Minute Hunt match in 3:02. Edwards dominated. Ridge got one kick, and blocked an Edwards powerbomb, but Edwards hit it shortly after, then locked in the Achilles Lock for the submission win.

Joe's Judgment: Edwards looked really strong here. I had thought the belt should be defended more, but this could also work. We'll see.

Kyle Durden was backstage with Austin Aries, Rhett Titus, and Kenny King. Aries said that he was a manager now, and not a prince, a professional manservant, or "some crybaby mama's boy asshole with a tennis racket". Titus said that people had said they couldn't take him seriously, but Aries had taught him that it was business before pleasure. Aries told us we could put that in our pipe and smoke it.

Jim Cornette was in the ring, and said that Roderick Strong had demanded some interview time. Strong came out and said that he was surprised Cornette had actually granted the interview time, after how he hadn't give him a one on one title shot. Strong said he was sick of being lied to, and introduced his new friend, Truth Martini, who came out with the House of Truth.

Truth said that he was a "life intervention specialist", and that Strong's recent actions were actually reactions, and so they were the fault of Tyler Black, Austin Aries, Cornette, and all the fans. Cornette said that was "new age garbage" and Truth was a snake oil salesman. Truth said that all his teachings were in his Book of Truth, and the HOT and Strong had studied it. Strong said that now that he knows the truth, nobody could stop him, "and that is the truth". [C]

Joe's Judgment: That was kind of ridiculously long and rambling. Strong needed a heel turn, but I'm not sure if this is the right move. Hopefully this means a rub for Raymond and Able, who are talented guys and deserve it.

A video recapped the Kevin Steen and Steve Corino vs. El Generico and Colt Cabana feud. Hogewood announced next week's main event: an anything goes street fight with Corino and Steen against Cabana and Generico.

Entrances for the main event were made, and all six men brawled at ringside before the match officially started.

3. Austin Aries and the All-Night Express (Kenny King and Rhett Titus) vs. Tyler Black, Jerry Lynn, and Delirious went to an apparent no-contest at 13:29. Lynn and King got in the ring to start the match, while the other four brawled at ringside. The faces dominated the early action, but Aries got two at 5:30 after a slingshot elbow. King worked over Lynn, and Lynn made a hot tag to Delirious as King tagged in Aries.

Aries knocked Delirious to ringside and King and Titus threw him into the guardrail and smashed him into the ground. Titus choked Delirious in the ropes and hit a dropkick for two. Delirious kept going for Aries as King and Titus held him back. King and Aries double-teamed Lynn, but Black hit a double leaping clothesline and Lynn hit a TKO on Titus for two.

Lynn and Aries climbed the ropes on opposite corners, but King and Black hit simultaneous kicks to their heads. Delirious hit Shadows Over Hell on Titus and covered, but Aries broke it up at two. Lynn and Delirous hit dives against the protests of referee Paul Turner. Delirious and Lynn brawled with King and Aries at ringside, and Turner threw the match out.

Black tried a dive, but Turner stopped him, so Black threw him out of the ring and went for the dive anyway. Suddenly, Kevin Steen appeared in the ring, and hit Black with a package piledriver. A graphic noted that Black is defending against Steen next week in Chicago, and a video hyped that weekend of shows, Thursday in Louisville, Friday in Collinsville, IL, and Saturday in Chicago.

Joe's Judgment: I'm not sure I could have cared much less about half the guys in this match. The non-finish seemed weak and definitely came out of nowhere, but there was a good deal of action in the match and at least there was a logical reason for it. The Steen thing would have been a lot better had they not mentioned that Steen was challenging Black several times in the show before that moment. I think there's potential in a Steen/Black feud and I hope they don't just blow it off quickly with the one match in Chicago.

Questions, comments, problems, etc.? Email me at jtmathieson88@gmail.com.