By Paul Fontaine, WrestlingObserver.com
Adam Cole joins Kelly and Corino for commentary this week. Highlights of Chris Sabin’s debut and unmasking as a member of KRD take us into the first match.
Chris Sabin vs Kyle O’Reilly
Sabin exits through the crowd right after he’s introduced and then attacks O’Reilly from behind during his entrance. O’Reilly is wearing a bandage around his head as Kelly claims that his wounds from last week aren’t healed yet. Sabin beats on him outside the ring, tossing him into the ring barriers. He finally throws him into the ring after about 3 minutes and O’Reilly has recovered somewhat so Sabin bails. O’Reilly follows him out there and gets some payback. Kelly tells us that senior ref Todd Sinclair is out due to the injuries suffered last week at the hands of Tommaso Ciampa and that Ciampa has been fired from ROH.
Back in the ring and O’Reilly is working over Sabin’s arm to set up his armbar submission. Sabin asks for a timeout and then tries to get O’Reilly to adhere to the Code of Honor. He does not oblige. Sabin then spit on him and rolled out of the ring again. O’Reilly comes out after him but Sabin goes back into the ring and then hits him with a dive outside the ring as we go to break.
Back from break and Sabin’s still in control and he rips off the bandage and now Sabin working for a submission. Kelly plugs the codeline and I’ve been slagging these things but after last Sunday’s B&V show, I will not do it again. In fact I urge you to call this line, especially if you’re single and looking for a date. Screen cuts to black and white as the cut on O’Reilly is opened up. This show airs at 137 AM. Whatever. The blood isn’t even that bad.
O’Reilly takes over as the crowd chants O-REILLY! O’Reilly with an armbar but Sabin gets to the ropes. O’Reilly getting a taste of his blood and fired up. He follows Sabin to the top rope and tries to get the armbar but Sabin reverses and gets O’Reilly in a tree of woe and stands on his groin. “Illegal use of the ding-ding”, according to Corino. Sabin hits a springboard DDT for a 2. They trade kicks and chops to the YAY-BOO treatment. O’Reilly gets the better of it and ends up hitting the Nigel McGuiness clothesline and then a brainbuster for two. Sabin then tosses him out of the ring and he lands on his head.
Bobby Fish comes out to cheer on O’Reilly at this point and he’s really struggling to get back in the ring. The fans are even helpding him up. O’Reilly barely makes it in. They trade punches in another YAY-BOO sequence. This breaks into a hockey fight flurry of punches and O’Reilly gets the better of it, hitting a dragon sleeper. This brings out Christopher Daniels to distract the ref and he and O’Reilly break into a fight outside the ring. The ref is distracted, which allows Kazarian to run in and he and Sabin double-team O’Reilly. Sabin gets the win after an F5 into a sit-out powerbomb. I’m sure Sabin’s got a name for it but the announcers didn’t call it.
WINNER – CHRIS SABIN by pinfall
After a break Corino is putting over the upcoming series of ROH-New Japan shows, including an iPPV this coming Friday, which leads into some match announcements. On Friday:
– ROH All-Stars (Mark and Jay Briscoe, Roderick Strong, Rowe and Hanson) vs The Bullet Club (AJ Styles, The Young Bucks, Anderson and Gallows)
– ROH TV Title – Jay Lethal vs Tetsuya Naito
– Michael Elgin vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
– Cedric Alexander vs Kazuchika Okada
– ACH vs Shinsuke Nakamura
– Matt Sydal & Jushin Liger vs The Kingdom (Bennett & Taven)
Plus: Gedo, Kushida, Watanabe and more
A video recap of the issues between ACH and the Decade airs coming out of break and the announcement of ACH vs Adam Page as next week’s main event. That may be the match I was at live a couple weeks ago.
ACH/”Re-Bourne” Matt Sydal/Alberto El Patron vs “Mr. ROH” Roderick Strong/The Briscoes (ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe)
Patron gets a superstar reaction for his ring entrance here in San Antonio. I think this is his final match with the company. Briscoes were over as well but Patron was clearly the biggest star to this crowd.
ACH and Mark Briscoe kicked things off. They traded holds for a few minutes with ACH having the slight advantage. They tagged out to Sydal and Strong. They did more or less the same thing that ended with them shaking hands in the centre of the ring to THIS IS WRESTLING chants. They tagged out to Patron and Briscoe which drew CI CI CI chants followed by MAN UP. Patron kind of took control of the match at this point, getting a sustained advantage over Briscoe with a couple two counts. Briscoe eventually made the tag to Mark, which being an extended sell period for Patron.
Patron was finally able to tag in ACH after Strong had taken over for Mark. Some double-teaming from Sydal and ACH on Strong followed. Strong stopped the momentum with a backbreaker, which drew a RODDY chant. Both guys tagged out to Mark Briscoe and ACH. A little redneck Kung Fu allowed Mark to take over. Mark then went for a suicide dive on ACH outside the ring but he blocked it with his knees. This started a series of dives from all guys, which ended with Jay taking out everyone.
Back in the ring and it’s ACH and Mark Briscoe again. ACH went for a flying splash but Briscoe cut him in mid-air with a Lariat as they went to break. Back in and ACH is isolated in the opponent’s corner and Strong tags in. Another Code Line plug 1-800-885-4ROH. A free Women of Honor screen shot and some exclusive news on a huge ROH star signing a long term extension, either Jay Briscoe or Matt Sydal. Strong and the Briscoes still taking turns beating on ACH.
ACH turns around the momentum, hitting the double foot stomp to the back of the head of Jay, and tagging in Patron. Patron hits Strong with an ironic backbreaker and a big boot for a two. Patron distracted by Mark, which allows Strong to hit a double gut-buster for two. Jay tags in and takes over on Patron, getting a two off of a neckbreaker as we go to break.
Patron tags in Sydal and he hits a standing moonsault for two. Briscoe tags in brother Mark, who hits a flying elbow for two. Sydal gets the tag to ACH, who hits a flying DDT for two. Match breaks down at this point, with everyone coming in without tags but Strong pretty much running wild on everyone. Strong hits a superplex on ACH, followed by Froggie-Bo by Briscoe but Patron breaks up the pin.
Patron hits a double foot-stomp on Mark, who’s suspended between the ropes, but Jay breaks up the pin. Patron lays out Strong with a Superkick. Patron gets an armbar on Mark and Sydal heads to the top. He hits a shooting star press on Mark as Patron lets the armbar go. Then ACH nails a 450 splash on Mark for the pin.
WINNERS: ACH/ALBERTO EL PATRON/MATT SYDAL by pinfall
The announcers put this over as the biggest win of ACH’s career, which it probably is. All 6 guys shake hands after the match as Kevin Kelly gets in a final plug for Global Wars.