Ring of Honor Wrestling on Sinclair (Wrestling’s Finest Edition #1)
February 8, 2014
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (David L. Lawerence Center)
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Over the next 3 weeks, ROH TV will be matches from the January 25th “Wrestling’s Finest” show in Pittsburgh.
Adrenaline RUSH (“The Last Hero” ACH & TD Thomas) vs. The Decade (“The Zombie Princess” Jimmy Jacobs & “The Buzzsaw” BJ Whitmer) w/Roderick Strong
No Code of Honor as the Decade says Adrenaline RUSH hasn’t earned it. Jacobs & TD start. TD takes down Jacobs, but Jacobs slips out. Crowd chants for TD as they go to a knucklelock. Jacobs with a headscissors to get free, but TD cartwheels to block the takeover. TD with an armdrag and a one-leg dropkick. Rolling snapmare, followed by a kick. ACH in, but Jacobs backs away to his corner. Whitmer in, knee to the ribs and a back club. Right hand and a chop in the corner. Commentary mentions that Whitmer is medically cleared to compete after his neck injury in August. ACH sent onto the apron, but hits an enziguri. Whitmer slips out of a bulldog and tags in Jacobs. Jacobs with a double sledge off the middle rope. Headbutt, followed by a choke takedown. Jacobs charges, but ACH pulls down the top rope, sending Jacobs to the outside. ACH then wipes out Jacobs with a slingshot plancha. Back in, ACH heads up top, but almost loses his footing. ACH leaps over Jacobs and hits a slap. Whitmer comes in and assists Jacobs into hitting the Spear on ACH as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Whitmer with a chop to ACH. ACH sent off the corner and hits another chop. Jacobs in, running forearm, followed by a running knee by Whitmer. Neckbreaker by Jacobs for a nearfall. ACH sent off the corner as Strong joins commentary to say that nothing is given in ROH, everything is earned, even the Code of Honor. Double team by the Decade as Strong says that Adrenaline RUSH has done nothing but b***h about not getting opportunities. ACH sent off the turnbuckles. Jacobs piefaces ACH, but ACH catches Jacobs off a charge and Flatlines him into the middle turnbuckle.
TD in, Whitmer knocked off the apron. Capoiera Kick, followed by a slam by TD. Whitmer comes in, but TD with back elbows. Running chest kick to Jacobs, followed by a running back elbow to Whitmer. Cartwheel Kick to Whitmer, then a back kick to Jacobs. Whitmer comes back with a knee to the ribs, but TD sends him to the outside. Jacobs sent onto the apron, then TD knocks him off it with an enziguri. TD with a head of steam and wipes out the Decade with a flip dive! Crowd chants for ACH as he gets a head of steam, but Whitmer gets in to stop him. Whitmer with chops to TD, then catches him and allows Jacobs to hit a 2nd rope legdrop for a nearfall. Jacobs with back clubs, then avoids another kick, but TD with a forearm. Half & Half connects. Whitmer & ACH tagged in, ACH with a series of chops. ACH slides under Whitmer’s legs, then hits a dropkick. ACH hits the New School Big Bossman in the ropes, followed by a leaping Paydirt, but Jacobs breaks up the pinfall. TD with forearms to Jacobs, then hits a kick that sends himself onto the apron. Jacobs with a head of steam and he Spears TD through the ropes and sending both crashing to the outside and TD crashing into the barricade! Whitmer with a jawbreaker to ACH, but ACH comes back with a rana for a nearfall. Wheelbarrow roll-up by ACH for a nearfall, but Whitmer comes back with a big boot.
The Decade then hit the All Seeing Eye (Dominator/Ace Crusher combo) on ACH for the win.
Winners: The Decade by pinfall (The All Seeing Eye)
The Decade celebrate their win afterwards.
Commercial
We see a video recap on the 2014 Top Prospect Tournament before our next match.
2014 Top Prospect Tournament Finals: Hanson vs. Raymond Rowe
Code of Honor, but Hanson with a knee to the ribs and a back club as the bell sounds. Rowe with a knee to the ribs, avoids a clothesline and hits a Cactus clothesline, sending both he & Hanson over the top and to the outside. Big forearm and a chop by Rowe. Rowe with a head of steam, but Hanson catches him with a big forearm. Back club and a stomp by Hanson. Right hand, then Hanson with a series of chest clubs while Rowe is draped across the apron. Back in, Hanson pulls at the face of Rowe in the corner. Rowe fights back with a chop, but Hanson with a series of gut shots. We see Michael Elgin at ringside watching the match as Hanson sends Rowe off the turnbuckles. Rowe fights back, but Hanson with a knee to the face. Snapmare, followed by a fist drop for a 1 count. Rowe comes back with a back kick, but Hanson with a gut shot. Another knee to the head, then Hanson taunts the crowd. Snake Eyes by Hanson, but Rowe avoids a clothesline and hits a clothesline. Rowe avoids another clothesline and hits Shotgun Knees. Rowe with a big forearm, followed by a release German for a nearfall. Chest kick and a right hand by Rowe, but Hanson catches him with a front slam for a nearfall. Rowe avoids a Polish Hammer and hits a big slam on Hanson for another nearfall. Hanson with back elbows in the corner, but Rowe avoids a Bronco Buster. Rowe with a backdrop driver, but Hanson pops right up! Hanson with a backdrop driver, but ROWE POPS RIGHT UP! Rowe with another backdrop driver and Hanson does not pop right up this time. Rowe goes for Death Rowe, but Hanson blocks it with back elbows. Hanson evades Rowe with a cartwheel, then hits a big clothesline. Hanson goes for the Spin Kick of Doom, but Rowe catches him with a powerbomb, but Hanson kicks out!
Rowe again goes for Death Rowe, but Hanson slips out and this time hits the Spin Kick of Doom for the win.
Winner of the 2014 Top Prospect Tournament, earning a future ROH TV Title shot: Hanson by pinfall (Spin Kick of Doom)
Code of Honor adhered to afterwards as Elgin applauds both men.
Commercial
Back from commercial, we go to a promo from the Briscoes. Mark Briscoe says its been a long time, but next week in Pittsburgh on your television screens, the Briscoes is back in tag team action. Jay Briscoe says next week, we face Matt Hardy & Adam Cole, then Mark chimes in to say they also face Chris Hero & Michael Elgin. The 4 of you are about to find out who is the best and the baddest tag team on the planet is. Jay says he tries not to gamble too much because I had a problem back in the day with it, but if I was a betting man, I’d be betting the farm on the Briscoes. Just look at it, you got two teams that ain’t really teamed that much. Then you got #DemBoys, 8-time ROH Tag Team Champions. Mark says that #DemBoys is back in town.
We see video from Final Battle when Tommaso Ciampa defeated Matt Taven to become the new ROH TV Champion, wiping out all of the H.O.T. in the process. We then see video from the last couple of weeks on ROH TV when Matt Taven has been appearing on the show alone, without the H.O.T. We then see Ciampa’s successful title defense against Silas Young that saw Matt Taven & Jay Lethal make the save afterwards after Silas attacked Ciampa afterwards. These three men compete for the ROH TV Title in our main event………..NEXT!
Matt Taven comes out first for our main event, but far behind him come out the HOOPLA Hotties of Scarlett & Seleziya. Taven wonders why they are here, then Truth Martini comes out, but not dressed like the Truth Martini we have seen in the last year. Truth gets a mic and says that ever since Final Battle, I haven’t talked to anybody from ROH. So, I want to take this opportunity to talk to you, Taven. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, hell, I can read you like a book. I knew everything you wanted, you like to party, you wanted women, I provided all of that for you, hell, I even gave you the HOOPLA. But once you the lost the ROH TV Title, you killed our lifestyle. Like now, it would be normally “HOOPLA Hotties, take your pants off”, but now its gonna be “Hey floozies, take your useless selfs to the back.” “NO” chant by the crowd. Truth says that from this moment on, HOOPLA is dead. Taven grabs the mic from Truth and says that for far too long, I let you do all my talking. Now, its my time. I’ll give you this, thank you for guiding me to the TV Title. But a long time ago, I outgrew you and could have done it on my own and when I needed you all the most at Final Battle, you guys all let me down. So if the girls are gone and HOOPLA is dead, then you can hit the bricks too because from now on, its my time and its about me, not you. Crowd chants for Taven as Martini gets a weird smile on his face as he leaves through the crowd and we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial, we go to a promo from Veda Scott. Veda says the #NewStreak is alive. You all saw it. RD Evans officially defeated Michael Elgin, this is beyond a #1 Contendership or a title reign, this is………All of a sudden, we see a rose and hear some romantic music as the Romantic Touch appears behind Veda. Touch smells Veda’s hair and says “Romantic Touch, XOXO.” Touch leaves, but when Veda begins to speak again, Michael Elgin comes in and grabs the mic from her. Elgin says that next week, he & Chris Hero have to co-exist because Matt Hardy & Mark Briscoe are watching Adam Cole & Jay Briscoe’s backs, but are you going to be watching my back? Or are you here for the same reason I am and that’s for the ROH World Title? See, my whole career, nobody has been there to watch my back and I have no doubt it will be no different, so Hero, stay out of my way.
Main Event in a Triple Threat Match for the ROH TV Title: Matt Taven vs. Jay Lethal vs. “The Sicilian Psychopath” Tommaso Ciampa (c)
No pre-match intros or Code of Honor as Ciampa goes right after both men as the bell sounds. Lethal with savate kicks to both men, then Taven with big boots to both Ciampa & Lethal. Ciampa then with forearms for both. Lethal with an enziguri to Ciampa, Taven with a superkick to Lethal, Ciampa with a clothesline to Taven, everyone is down. “ROH” chants by the crowd. Ciampa goes to the apron as he & Taven exchange strikes. Ciampa with a knee, then avoids a Lethal springboard dropkick. Taven then hits a springboard roundhouse, knocking Ciampa off the apron. Lethal sends Taven onto the apron, then knocks him off it with a springboard dropkick. Lethal then wipes out both men with 3 tope suicidas each on either side of the ring! Lethal is all fired up as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Lethal with a chop to Taven on the outside. Ciampa sends both men into the barricade, then pulls up the ring mats. Commentary mentions that Ciampa will be defending the TV Title in Europe in the coming months. Lethal stops Ciampa from suplexing Taven on the exposed floor, but Ciampa blocks a headscissors from Lethal and POWERSLAMS HIM INTO THE BARRICADE!! Taven with a gut kick to Ciampa, but Ciampa SNAP SUPLEXES TAVEN ON THE EXPOSED FLOOR! “This is awesome” chants by the crowd. Ciampa gets Lethal back in and gains a nearfall. We see Truth Martini head back out to ringside and joins commentary. Ciampa with right hands to Lethal, then catches him off a back handspring with a sliding dropkick. Ciampa drops the kneepad and hits the Running Knockout Knee in the corner! Ciampa with another one, then Taven with a slingshot dropkick to Lethal before Ciampa hits a third Knockout Knee! Taven with an enziguri to Ciampa, followed by a delayed suplex. Taven kips up, then goes for a springboard moonsault, but Ciampa gets his knees up. Ciampa goes for Project Ciampa, but Taven slips out and hits an Angels Wings variation, but Lethal breaks up the pinfall. Lethal & Taven exchange strikes and chops, then Ciampa with a boot to Taven. Lethal with a superkick to Taven, then Ciampa lifts up Lethal. Ciampa goes for the Air Raid Crash, but Taven hits the Cyclone Kick on Ciampa, causing Ciampa to hit the Air Raid Crash on Lethal at the same time, everyone is down. Martini constantly says on commentary that Taven did not fire him and he wants to get back to basics with Taven so he can regain the ROH TV Title. Lethal with a savate kick and goes for the Lethal Injection, but both Ciampa & Taven catch him off the back handspring. Lethal slips out of a double back suplex and hits a forearm to Taven, but Ciampa turns him inside out with a clothesline. Ciampa avoids a spin kick by Taven, Burning Hammer for a nearfall. Ciampa places Taven up top and goes up with him. Taven knocks Ciampa off, but Lethal crotches him. Lethal hits Ciampa with the Lethal Combination, then transitions right into locking in the Koji Clutch. Ciampa reaches the ropes to force a break. Lethal with a chop to Ciampa, then hits the Lethal Injection, but at the same time, Taven hits Ciampa with Air Taven. 1..2….CIAMPA KICKS OUT!!! Taven can’t believe it. Martini slides the Book of Truth to Taven, but Taven throws it back at him, saying he doesn’t need it. Martini goes onto the apron and he & Taven have words. Lethal dropkicks Taven from behind, knocking Taven into Martini and sending Martini to the outside. Superkick sends Taven to the outside. Lethal with an inside cradle on Ciampa, but the ref was looking at Taven & Martini on the outside and when he turns around, Ciampa gets free before a pin could be registered. Ciampa with the Knockout Knee, but Lethal kicks out! Lethal slips out of Project Ciampa, but Taven pulls down the top rope, sending Lethal to the outside. Taven goes to get back in, but Martini swipes at his leg, causing Taven to be tripped up.
Ciampa grabs Taven off the trip-up and hits Project Ciampa to retain the title.
Winner and STILL ROH TV Champion: “The Sicilian Psychopath” Tommaso Ciampa by pinfall (Project Ciampa)
Ciampa adheres to the Code of Honor afterward with Taven & Lethal, even though Lethal keeps saying he almost had Ciampa beat with the inside cradle. “That was awesome” chants by the crowd as we go to credits.