By Jason Powell

ROH Wrestling on SBG television affiliates
Taped in New York, N.Y. at Manhattan Center

[Q1] Kevin Kelly introduced the show from ringside and hyped Matt Taven vs. ACH for the ROH TV Title with the winner facing Mark Briscoe at Border Wars...

Kevin Steen made his entrance and received the streamer treatment and a big ovation from the crowd. Steve Corino entered the ring wearing a suit. He said Steen doesn't return calls so this is the way he had to confront him. Corino said Steen losing the ROH Title had to be a big blow to his ego, but the mission is intact.

Steen said Corino has done this for the last few months. Steen said he comes out to talk and Corino interjects with talk of his plan. He said it made sense when he felt ROH needed to be put out of its misery because of what someone else was doing to it, but he said he feels it's fine now just the way it is. Steen said his only mission now is getting another shot at the ROH Title.

Members of SCUM entered through the crowd and stood on the ring apron. Corino said he loves Steen like a brother, but he said the focus may need to change to someone else when it comes to who wears the ROH Title. Steen said he would follow Corino through hell. He said SCUM started as he, Corino, and Jimmy Jacobs and it made sense to him.

Steen said there is part of Corino's plan that didn't make sense to him, but he can adjust to things. However, the one part about his plan is "this motherf---er" (censored) right here" and pointed at Matt Hardy, who was one of the SCUM members on the apron. Hardy had a classic "who, me?" look. "How dare you!" Corino said. "How dare you disrespect Matt Hardy. Don't you ever raise your voice to Matt Hardy." Awesome.

Corino said that obviously he and Steen were not on the same page anymore so it's time for them to go separate ways. The other members of SCUM entered the ring. Steen said they could do it one of two ways. Steen said he could go backstage and they never cross paths again. Steen said they could also do what they were about to do and it would be something would all regret.

Corino said Steen knew he couldn't let him walk through the curtain, so it would be option two. Steen took a shot at Corino, but he was quickly outnumbered by SCUM members Hardy, Jacobs, Ryno, Rhett Titus, and Cliff Compton. Corino called them off and told the members to back away. "Jesus, do your work," Corino told Hardy, who performed a Twist of Fate on Steen...

Backstage, Veda Scott hyped the Border Wars iPPV and then a brief promo featuring Eddie Edwards aired...

Powell's POV: A good opening segment for regular viewers. However, they really could have used a big SCUM introduction segment to get over the new members. Perhaps it aired last week. As you may have noticed, I slacked off on the ROH TV reviews. Rather than go back and attempt to review all of those shows and fall even more behind in the process, I'm just picking up with this week's show with the goal of staying consistent going forward.

1. "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett (w/Brutal Bob Evans) vs. Roderick Strong. Mike Mondo joined Kelly on commentary. Kelly made a big fuss over Maria not being in Strong's corner this week while questioning where she was. The wrestlers fought to ringside early and Mondo stood up and jawed with Bennett.

[Q2] Later, Bennett went for a spear on Strong as Mondo stood up again. Bennett ended up spearing Mondo. As the wrestlers were back inside the ring, Bob Evans climbed onto the ring apron. Mondo recovered, pulled Evans down, and punched him. Mondo climbed onto the ring apron and snapped Bennett's neck over the top rope. Bennett stumbled into Strong's finisher to end the match.

Afterward, Mondo entered the ring and went after both wrestlers until security pulled them all apart... [C]

Roderick Strong beat Mike Bennett.

Powell's POV: An odd matchup since both wrestlers are heel. I don't know if they are trying to make Strong more likable heading into the ROH vs. SCUM feud or if this was as simple as setting up a future three-way match with Stong vs. Bennett vs. Mondo.

2. Tadarius Thomas vs. Jorge Santi. After a couple minutes of action, the members of SCUM hit the ring and attacked both wrestlers. Rhino Gored Santi and the crowd chanted "ECW" in response to the move...

Tadarius Thomas and Jorge Santi fought to a no-contest.

With SCUM in the ring, Corino took the mic and cut a promo. He said the mission remains the same - suffering, chaos, ugliness, and mayhem will destroy Ring of Honor. He said the fans should thank them because they destroyed Kevin Steen and now fans probably won't see his ugly face in ROH again.

Nigel McGuinness walked out of the entrance area and told Corino to shut his mouth. He said honor has been restored and SCUM is dissolving back into the grave they came from. Corino mocked the idea that they were dissolving because their numbers have grown.

Nigel said he had a couple boys in the back and all the leverage in the world. Jay Lethal and Michael Elgin walked out on Nigel's cue. Nigel told SCUM to get out of the ring. Corino asked if he was being asked or told. When Nigel said he was telling Corino, Corino responded by saying that you don't tell God what to do.

[Q3] Corino said they do need the ROH Championship. He said that his "spiritual son" will become the next ROH Champion and the last ROH Champion. Nigel said there will never be another member of SCUM as ROH Champion "because none of you wankers deserve a shot."

Corino said he would leave ROH. He asked the people if they wanted him to leave. The fans cheered yes. Corino said he would go, but they have to get a shot. He said that he will leave ROH and wrestling if they are unsuccessful. Corino said NIgel is a pathetic piece of garbage and a bitter man.

Corino said the fans used to boo Nigel when he was the champion. He said Nigel sat in the back and complained about how he busted his ass and the people didn't appreciate it. Corino said he watched "that stupid documentary and it's a piece of shit" (censored).

Nigel gave Corino the match - Elgin and Lethal vs. any two members of SCUM. Nigel said that if SCUM wins, they can pick one member for an ROH Title shot, but if they lose then Corino is out of ROH forever. "No deal," Corino responded. He said he wants his spiritual son to get an ROH Title shot, but Nigel has to do better.

Corino said there's an empty seat next to Kelly on commentary due to "an unfortunate accident (Corino attacked Caleb Seltzer). Corino said that if his team wins, then he gets to sit on color commentary every week and speak the truth. "Do you have the British nuts enough to agree to something like that, Nigel?" he asked.

Nigel took his jacket off. Corino told him nothing good can come from Nigel taking his jacket off. Nigel, Lethal, and Elgin stood on the ring apron and eventually entered the ring and faced off with the five SCUM members. "Corino, I will see you at Border Wars," Nigel said. Corino corrected him and said they would see him next week...

Powell's POV: I have serious concerns whenever I see a roster splitting faction war. It's not a full fledged split, but the faction is getting a ton of predictable television time in that I suspect at least 95 percent of the television audience has seen the formula of the heel faction interrupting matches and big beatdown angles. Corino is doing a very good job on the mic and I am all for him becoming the regular color commentator. His schtick of treating Hardy as a deity is one of the funniest and, more importantly, heat generating bits in pro wrestling right now.

Kevin Kelly hosted the Inside Ring of Honor segment. One of the things he previewed was "whether the war is over between ROH and SCUM." Um, considering that most of the show has been about that, I think viewers already know the answer. Anyway, the segment featured The Briscoes talking backstage. Jay Briscoe said honor isn't going anywhere. Jay said he thought he and Adam Cole were cool, but he will see him at Border Wars.

ACH spoke backstage about his TV Title match. He spoke about beating Matt Taven in a Proving Ground match in North Carolina to earn the match. The next segment featured Mark Briscoe commenting on his TV Title match at Border Wars. He said he was born to be the ROH TV Champion. He said he would rather face ACH because Matt Taven "probably has something" due to his relationship with Truth Martini. Mark said he caught something from a tractor a few years back.

The next segment featured Kelly hyping the Karl Anderson vs. Michael Elgin match for the Border Wars pay-per-view. Kelly ran through Anderson's credentials. Kelly then said fans were questioning whether the war between ROH and SCUM is over. He said we will learn more about that situation next week...

[Q4] [C] 3. Matt Taven (w/Truth Martini, Hoopla Hottie) vs. ACH for the ROH TV Title. Mark Briscoe sat in on commentary. Before the break, ACH performed a baseball slide kick to Taven on the floor and then performed a wild running springboard move off the middle rope to the outside. Briscoe raved about it on commentary. [C]

After the break, Taven came back with a hanging neckbreaker off the ring apron to the floor. Taven sold it on the mat and got back inside the ring to break the 20-count. Back inside the ring, Taven set up for a DDT, but ACH spun away and got a two count.

ACH went on a roll and the Hoopla Hottie stood on the ring apron and distracted the referee. Meanwhile, Truth tripped ACH as he ran the ropes, and then Taven performed his impressive finisher for the three count. Kelly hyped that it will be Taven vs. Mark Briscoe for the ROH TV Title at Border Wars...

Powell's POV: A good main event, though obviously light on star power in the ring. That said, ACH has real potential and Taven is quickly growing on me as the ROH TV Champion. The less we hear of Truth Martini's bad sexual innuendo the more I will like the Taven and Truth pairing. The Hoopla Hottie? Ugh. Overall, the SCUM vs. ROH story was a bit overwhelming because it was all so close together during the show, but it was all logical as they set the stage for Steen feuding against them, and the matches that Nigel and Corino set up.

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