Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDnet
Taped in Philadelphia, PA

The same highlights we've seen the last three weeks of Tyler Black beating Austin Aries, then celebrating in the ring to win the ROH World Title aired.

Backstage, "after the 8th Anniversary Show", Black was celebrating with several babyfaces, and Cary Silkin. Jim Cornette showed up and asked if he was out of his mind. Tyler said he didn't know what Cornette was doing on the apron, and he didn't know what Roddy was doing either. Cornette said that from now on he only cared about what was best for ROH, not for Black.

Kenny King took us into a room where Austin Aries asked for a rematch. In another room, Roderick Strong grabbed Cary Silkin's shirt and asked for his title match. Cary told him to go talk to Cornette...

The opening video played, and Rayna Von Tosh came out holding the TV Title belt. She was followed by Kevin Steen, to new music, and Rhett Titus, to his usual music. Kevin walked in the ring with a sign that said "Kiss me Rhett, it's my birthday!" He ripped it up and threw it to ringside.

Kevin Steen (w/ Steve Corino) defeated Rhett Titus in 9:15. Steen worked on the shoulder, dominating much of the match. Titus hit a flipping neckbreaker late and went for the Muff Driver, but Steen hit his folding press powerbomb.

Shortly thereafter, Steen hit a cannonball in the corner, and locked in the Crippler Crossface, to which Titus tapped nearly immediately. The bell rang, but Steen kept the hold in. Titus continued to tap, and eventually he let it go.

Joe's Judgment: Eh. Nothing fantastic. Really not much to say other than that it made sense.

Not only did Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood get a new green screen last week, they finally got chairs this week! They took us to the official announcement of the main event for the Big Bang iPPV.

Cornette was sitting with Tyler Black, Roderick Strong, and Austin Aries. He announced the main event as "Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong." Strong flipped out. He yelled at Cornette about how he was promised a title shot, and about how ROH kept keeping him down. Cornette said he sounded like Bret Hart. Strong shoved Cornette, and walked off.

Aries said to Black that they should team up and take out Strong. Black said that was a good idea, "but here's a better one: f**k off". He said he would take out Aries, then "kick some sense" into Strong. Strong returned and said Tyler wouldn't kick sense into anyone. He shoved Cornette again, punched Tyler when he tried to intervene, and left.

Joe's Judgment: Money segment. As stale as Black vs. Aries is, and as bad as Strong normally is on the mic, you'd think this wouldn't have me excited, but I'm actually hyped for this. Strong in the title picture feels natural, deserved, and not overdue. Attention WWE and TNA, this is how you elevate somebody.

2. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) (w/ Sara Del Rey, Shane Hagadorn) defeated the Bravado Brothers in 3:40. Extended squash, which concluded with a rolling elbow into a powerbomb, a giant swing into a dropkick, and then the KRS-1 for the win. Post match, Hero called out the Briscoes, and Claudio said something in German.

Joe's Judgment: That giant swing into a dropkick looked incredible. The Kings had better win that title match. They are that awesome.

Hogewood and Prazak recapped the Necro Butcher being banned from TV. Kyle Durden was backstage with Prince Nana. Nana said that Necro was mad because his food stamps ran out. Durden asked about Rasche Brown. Nana said he wanted Rasche to "join the family".

3. Rasche Brown defeated Caleb Konley in :54. Squash. Rasche won with the Burning Hammer.

Joe's Judgment: Dear Rasche,

Please stop using Kenta Kobashi's ultimate finisher that he only uses in the absolute biggest matches to win squashes. Seriously.

Sincerely, Joe Mathieson.

Colt Cabana told Kyle Durden that he was excited about being the champion of TV. Durden asked about El Generico. Steve Corino showed up and bragged about Steen advancing in the TV title tournament. [C]

After commercial, highlights aired of the Strong/Black/Aries/Cornette segment from earlier.

4. Kenny King defeated El Generico in 14:40. Did You Know: ROH features the most wrestling per hour of any show on TV. Okay, if you're reading this, you probably did already know that. Still, Hogewood said it, and I felt compelled to write it down.

Both men focused on wristlocks to start. King worked over Generico's arm. King hit some right hands as Prazak mentioned that King was his pick to win the tournament. He said that whoever won could always claim that they were the first, "just like Pat Patterson when he won that tournament in Rio."

Generico tossed King to the floor, and then Arabian pressed him. He went back in the ring and hit a crossbody. At the 10:30 mark, Generico hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. He tuned up the band for a Yakuza kick, but King dropkicked him first for a really good nearfall.

An Olé chant started as King connected with three clotheslines for a nearfall. King went for the Coronation at 12:00, but Generico countered and tried for his half-and-half suplex, which King fought out of. Shortly thereafter, Generico hit it anyway for no pop. A Yakuza kick later he got a nearfall.

Generico went up top, but King followed him and went for a superplex. Generico got free and King got crotched on the top rope. He hung in a tree of woe, and Generico went to another turnbuckle and hit a flipping Van Terminator for a nice pop. King grabbed the ropes on the pin.

Generico went up top again, but King pushed Paul Turner into the ropes. Generico slipped, and King caught him for a second rope Royal Flush for the win.

Joe's Judgment: Good match. The crowd was fairly dead all night, although this show was taped in the midst of the biggest storm in the recorded history of the mid-Atlantic region, so I guess it's excusable. The highlight of the show for me was the Big Bang match announcement. Funny that a company that prides itself on having the most wrestling on TV's best segment wasn't a wrestling match.

Joe Mathieson can be reached at jtmathieson88@gmail.com.

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