Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDnet
Taped in Philadelphia, PA

Highlights of last week's Big Bang main event announcement aired, focusing on Roderick Strong wanting his one on one title shot...

Mike Hogewood hyped the two TV title matches. Bobby Cruise was in the ring with a graphic that called him the "Voice of ROH" standing next to Rayna Von Tash, who held the TV title belt. Eddie Edwards entered with Shane Hagadorn wearing a sweater vest and nothing underneath. I'm no fashion guru, but I don't think that's how it works. Colt Cabana's entrance followed...

1. Eddie Edwards defeated Colt Cabana in 10:40. They went back and forth with Colt working finesse and Edwards power. Steve Corino appeared on the ramp and Cabana approached him. When he re-entered the ring, Edwards jumped him and went to work on Colt's leg.

Edwards began to work on Cabana's back as well, with various stretches and then a Camel Clutch. He hit a doublestomp and a backbreaker. At 8:00, Cabana hit the Flying Asshole but Edwards kicked out. Corino came to ringside and Cabana confronted him. Edwards took out his knee from behind with a chop block and locked on the Achilles Lock for the submission win.

Joe's Judgment: Was it spectacular? No. Was it enthralling? Not really. Was everything logical? Yes. Did I enjoy watching it? Absolutely. A TV match, especially an opener, doesn't really need much more than solid limb work, and everything making sense. Edwards is going to be just fine as a singles wrestler.

We saw some hype for the tag title match for the Big Bang, with the Briscoes facing the Kings of Wrestling. The Briscoes were interviewed by Kyle Durden, and said something along the lines of "we're going to the South, we're gonna beat y'all, y'all gonna have to man up".

A Roderick Strong interview aired. He said that he had been used by Tyler Black and Austin Aries, and he would win the title at the Big Bang...

Jim Cornette in the ring announced the debut of the newest member of the ROH roster, somebody who has worked for every major promotion in the US, and who has been controversial everywhere he's been, and who recently demanded his release from a long-term contract: Shawn Daivari.

Daivari came out wearing his Sheik Abdul Bashir attire. As Cornette welcomed him, he threw his "Taliban regalia" (his words) off. He said that he stands here as something no "hillbilly wrestling promoter" could see him as: a professional wrestler. He said that he wasn't a sheik, he wasn't a terrorist, he was a wrestler. He said he walked away from guaranteed money because he loved professional wrestling, and because he could afford to.

He said that he didn't have money because of some oil ties in the Middle East, he had money because he worked the last ten years in the wrestling business and had earned it. He started to get anti-America by saying that he would never take bailouts like the fans in the crowd. He said that he was the best, and that he nobody could stop him.

Joe's Judgment: That was... strange. Daivari seems like a heel, but not a stereotypical one. In fact, his motivations seem somewhat logical, although he could just as easily have been a babyface with the same motivations. He also looks jacked. I'm interested to see where this goes from here.

An Austin Aries interview aired. He said that he was mentally the strongest person in the match and would reclaim his belts. He said that "blood will be spilled, bones will be broken... children will be eaten, it's gonna be crazy."

2. Kyle O'Reilly defeated Tony Kozina in 6:20. This is O'Reilly's second appearance on HDnet. Dave Prazak hyped the lucha libre talent being brought in for the Big Bang. O'Reilly hit a really nice triple butterfly suplex as Hogewood and Prazak hyped the Big Bang. Hogewood picked Roderick Strong to win the main event.

At 3:00, Kozina huracanrana'd a standing O'Reilly to the floor by jumping off the turnbuckles. Whoa. Kozina hit a crossbody, but O'Reilly rolled through for a two count. O'Reilly worked kicks. They did the running forearm duel thing and Konzina fell down kind of awkwardly. O'Reilly hit a kick and a tornado DDT and went for a brainbuster, but Kozina rolled him up. O'Reilly reversed that rollup for the pin.

Joe's Judgment: The crowd was mostly dead with the exception of a few spots. Part of that was probably due to the snowstorm and part of it was probably due to not knowing who either of the participants were. O'Reilly really impressed despite the lack of reaction though. Kozina was just okay.

Tyler Black's interview aired. He talked about how Strong "lost his mind" and how he would win the match and have a long and dominant reign...

3. Davey Richards defeated Delirious in 13:10. They worked wristlocks and such to start things off. At 4:00, Richards hit a sick kick to the back of the head for a two count. Delirious hit two Panic Attacks. Richards went for his handspring enzuigiri, but missed and Delirious hit a headbutt.

Richards caught Delirious with a knee to the midsection and followed up with a suplex and then the kimura. Delirious went for the Bizarro Driver but Richards broke out, and then Delirious hit Chemical Imbalance II. Richards got a two count with a few kicks.

Delirious got the Cobra Stretch out of nowhere and then suplexed Richards out of it, then put the hold on again. Richards got out and dropkicked Delirious on the arm. He hit a tombstone and floated over into the kimura. Delirious rolled up Richards for two, but Richards went right into the cross armbreaker and Delirious tapped out almost immediately.

Joe's Judgment: Really good main event. It was Richards, so what did you expect? Delirious was surprisingly good here as well. By the way, this makes the final four wrestlers in the tournament all heels. Interesting.

A Black-Strong-Aries hype video aired...

Joe Mathieson is available via email at jtmathieson88@gmail.com.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: