Ring of Honor Wrestling on Sinclair
November 22, 2014
Lakeland, Florida (The Lakeland Center)
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
We see the usual intro, then the music of Michael Bennett hits as Bennett & Maria Kanellis make their way to the ring.
Bennett has a mic, then kisses Maria for a good while. Bennett finally says that ladies and gentlemen, please rise, thank you to the few, respectable people in Florida. If you didn’t realize, you are looking at the new Mr. & Mrs. Bennett. And in case you were wondering what is going on right now, this is what love looks like. And I’m sure a few of you are wondering, “what is love, I don’t understand?” Let me break it down in terms that you might understand, like you in the red shirt, sitting on your computer, playing Call of Duty and you’re like “Oh my goodness, I just got a 17-point kill!” That, that’s not love, that’s pathetic. Or you, Mr. Tie-Dye shirt, when you stand there and look at this hot dog that I’m about to eat, it just tastes so good that, that’s not love, that’s just being a moron. What love is, is what me and my beautiful wife have and the one thing we have to sollicify our love is the Title of Love. But, I have a little bit of an issue because you see, Nigel McGuinness, he makes all these matches for the World Title and the TV Title and the Tag Team Titles and the Title of Titles and the King of Titles and all these stupid titles, but he hasn’t made matches for the Title of Love. He doesn’t believe in love. However, you people are in for a treat because tonight, in Florida, the last leg of our honeymoon, I’m gonna open a challenge to anyone in the back who wants to face me for the Title of Love. If anyone feels like they are in love, come on down!
Romantic Touch’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Touch has a mic and says that if there is a challenger who should be fighting for the Title of Love, it is none other than I, the Romantic Touch. Michael Bennett, the honeymoon is over!
Bennett asks if Touch wants to challenge him for the Title of Love.
Touch says he wants that very bad.
Bennett calls Touch “Pepe Lapew” and says let’s do this.
Title of Love: Michael Bennett (c) w/”The First Lady of ROH” Maria Kanellis vs. The Romantic Touch
Code of Honor before the bell, with Touch kissing Bennett’s hand. Bennett with a gut kick and a right hand as the bell sounds. Another right hand by Bennett, then he stomps away at Touch in the corner. Touch reverses it and stomps away at Bennett in the corner. Another big right hand by Bennett, followed by a slam and an elbow drop for a 1 count. Touch with a clothesline, followed by a chop in the corner. Touch goes up & over Bennett in the corner, then hits him with the Snuggle Monkey Flip for a nearfall. Touch goes shoulder-to-shoulder on Bennett, then hits a snapmare, followed by a leaping kneedrop for a nearfall. Armbar applied by Touch on Bennett’s arm that has his elbow taped. Bennett comes back with a back elbow, but Touch with an armdrag to counter out of Bennett’s Anaconda Vice attempt. Bennett charges in, but Touch catches him with a dropkick for a nearfall. Bennett rolls outside to regroup as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Bennett blocks a suplex by Touch on the apron. Touch with a big boot that knocks Bennett off the apron. Maria checks on Bennett as Touch gets a head of steam, but Bennett pulls Maria in front of him as a shield, causing Touch to put on the brakes. Touch goes outside and Bennett shoves Maria into Touch. Touch dips Maria, then catches a Bennett kick, spins him around and hits him with an inverted atomic drop. Touch throws Bennett back in, but Maria grabs Touch’s foot while he is on the apron, allowing Bennett to nail Touch with a superkick. Bennett goes on the apron and nails Touch with the Box Office Smash on the apron!
Back in, Bennett gains a nearfall. Suplex by Bennett for a nearfall as Maria joins commentary. Chinlock applied by Bennett, crowd wills on Touch. Touch fights back, but Bennett with a knee to the ribs. Bennett runs into a back elbow and a boot by Touch in the corner. Bennett catches a kick by Touch, spins him around, but Touch nails him with a clothesline.
Bennett misses a clothesline and Touch with a flying shoulder tackle. Back body drop by Touch, then avoids the Pepsi Twist by Bennett and catches him with a belly-to-belly for a nearfall. Touch goes for a Crucifix Bomb, but Maria hops up on the apron. Distraction allows Bennett to charge at Touch, but Touch sees it coming and Bennett almost runs into Maria. Bennett & Maria make out again, but then Touch comes up from behind and rolls up Bennett for a nearfall.
Touch avoids a slap by Maria, but Bennett catches him with the Twist of Fate to retain the title.
Winner and still the holder of the Title of Love: Michael Bennett by pinfall (Twist of Fate)
Bennett & Maria celebrate his title retention afterwards as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial, we see video on Michael Elgin losing the ROH World Title to Jay Briscoe at All-Star Extravaganza VI in September.
Caprice Coleman vs. “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
Elgin comes out not in wrestling gear, wearing a wifebeater and jeans. Commentary brings up Elgin being uncooperative with ROH and never seeing someone alienate a locker room like he has. “Elgin sucks” chants by the crowd. Code of Honor as the bell sounds. Coleman wants to get the match going, but Elgin does not want to come out of the corner. Elgin then lays down in the middle of the ring and Coleman doesn’t know what to do. Commentary brings up if Elgin losing the ROH Title affected his whole career. Elgin lays down again, but Coleman refuses to pin him.
Ring attendants come out and Elgin begins taping up his fists, daring them to get in the ring and take him to the back. Commentary says that Elgin is throwing his career as we go to commercial.
No Contest
Commercial
Back from commercial, we see video highlighting the Jay Briscoe-Adam Cole rivalry and their Fight Without Honor match for the Ring of Honor World Title at the Final Battle PPV on December 7.
Raymond Rowe joins commentary for our main event.
Main Event: “The War Beard” Hanson vs. “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles
Code of Honor before the bell. Hanson backs Styles into the corner and breaks clean. Styles with a front chancery, Hanson shoves him off. Styles goes for a shoulder tackle, but Hanson does not go down. Styles avoids Hanson in the corner and goes to the outside. Back in, Styles with a series of leg kicks, but then Hanson catches one. Hanson goes for a powerbomb, but Styles slips out. Hanson with a back elbow, but then Styles catches him with the Phenomenal Dropkick. Styles with a running leaping forearm in the corner, followed by a series of shoulders to the ribs. Hanson fights back with a series of back clubs, but then Styles with a running basement dropkick. Styles with an elbow to the back of Hanson’s head, followed by a running leaping kneedrop. Hanson fights back as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Styles rolls outside as Hanson has control. Hanson with a head of steam, but Styles avoids a tope suicida and Hanson crashes into the barricade! Styles goes back in and feigns a slingshot dive. Styles kicks Hanson off, but Hanson catches Styles off a moonsault and snake eyes Styles shoulder-first into the ringpost!
Hanson with back & chest clubs to Styles as he is draped across the apron. Back in, Hanson with a headlock punch to Styles as the crowd does dueling chants for both men. Styles comes back with chops, but Hanson catches him with a side slam. Series of chest clubs by Hanson, followed by a knee between the shoulderblades of Styles. Right hand by Hanson, followed by a series of stomps. Hanson sends Styles sternum-first into the turnbuckles, followed by a series of knees to the ribs. Styles fights back with gut shots and forearms, then a kick to the knee. Hanson knocks down Styles, then avoids the kip-up rana and hits a kitchen sink, but Hanson appears to have hurt his knee. Elbow drop and a running forearm drop by Hanson, then chokes him with his knee in the corner. Snapmare by Hanson, followed by a front elbow drop for a nearfall. More chest clubs by Hanson, followed by a running splash for a nearfall. Styles with a back bridge to avoid being pinned, but Hanson holds his arms down to get more nearfalls. Series of shots to the ribs of Styles by Hanson, followed by a gut shot as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Styles fights back with forearms to Hanson. Hanson misses a clothesline and Styles with more forearms. Hanson throws Styles into the corner and places Styles up top. Hanson goes up with Styles, but Styles blocks a suplex, slips out from underneath and sweeps out Hanson’s legs, sending Hanson face-first off the top turnbuckle. Hanson avoids a corner charge by Styles, but then Styles avoids a charge and hits Hanson with a dropkick. Styles is sent onto the apron, but hits Hanson with a forearm, followed by the springboard forearm.
Hanson slips off Styles’ shoulders, but Styles avoids the Spin Kick of Doom and hits another leg kick. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Hanson counters it with a flapjack. Tiger Driver by Hanson for a nearfall. Styles hot-shots Hanson across the top rope, but Hanson avoids a springboard and catches Styles with a spinning front slam for a nearfall. Hanson charges, but Styles catches him with a front chopblock. Styles with more leg kicks to Hanson, then takes him down and locks him in the Calf Killer, but Hanson gets to the ropes.
Styles goes for Bloody Sunday, but Hanson blocks it and hits a series of gut shots and back clubs. Hanson blocks a Tornado DDT by Styles, but Styles then this time hits him with Bloody Sunday for a nearfall. Styles hits Hanson with the Springboard 450 on Hanson’s injured leg, then locks him back in the Calf Killer, Hanson fights out with elbows. Hanson blocks another Styles Clash attempt, then a Sunset Flip attempt and hits a deadlift Fire Thunder Driver for a nearfall. Hanson heads up top for a moonsault, but Styles nails Hanson in the injured leg, crotching him on the turnbuckles. Styles tries to bring Hanson out of the corner, but Hanson fights out and hits a series of crossface shots. Styles then nails Hanson with the Pele Kick.
Styles brings Hanson out of the corner and nails him with the Styles Clash for the win.
Winner: “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles by pinfall (Styles Clash)
Styles celebrates his win afterward as the show closes.