We are playing catch up on our ROH TV coverage today. Check back on Wednesday for Jason Powell's review of the latest ROH television show.

By Jason Powell

ROH Wrestling on SBG television affiliates
Taped in Providence, R.I. at the Convention Center

[Q1] Highlights from Steel Cage Warfare were shown... The opening video played... Kevin Kelly spoke about SCUM being gone from the company and was joined on commentary by Nigel McGuinness. Matchmaker McGuinness noted that there is no ROH Champion due to Jay Briscoe's injury...

1. Adrenaline Rush (ACH and Tadarius Thomas) vs. 3.0 (Scott Parker and Shane Mathews). ACH was caught with some tag moves by 3.0, but he fought his way out and tagged in Thomas. ACH checked back in and had a nice offensive flurry. He was caught in the heel corner again and they ended up double teaming him again. Mathews applied the Boston Crab, which Kelly said was Rick Martel's influence. Thomas ended up diving onto one 3.0 member, and then ACH performed a DDT on the other for the win... [C]

Adrenaline Rush defeated 3.0.

Powell's POV: A good fast-paced opening match that the live crowd was hot for. ACH really stood out in this one. Kelly did a good job of running down the background of 3.0, but I'd rather hear from the wrestlers heading into the match, assuming they have some promo ability.

Nigel McGuinness stood in the ring and said he was forced to strip Jay Briscoe of the ROH Title due to his injury. Nigel said it's the first time in history that the ROH Title has been vacant. He said it wasn't an easy decision to make, and he praised Jay Briscoe for what he's done for the company.

Nigel said the doctor told him that Briscoe wouldn't be able to wrestle for three to four months, which took the decision out of his hands. Nigel said he now had to determine the new ROH Champion. Nigel said that in three weeks the tournament to crown the new champion would begin and it would end in Philadelphia. McGuinness said that with SCUM out of the picture, they can rebuild ROH and restore the honor. Nigel said he plans to bring in some of the best tag teams in the world.

Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly's lousy music interrupted McGuinness. The tag champions walked to the ring and Nigel gave them the mic. Fish spoke about their Proving Ground match against Forever Hooligans.

[Q2] Fish told McGuinness they could throw the Proving Ground part out the window and make it an ROH Tag Title match. Kelly expressed surprise on commentary that the heel champions wanted to put their titles on the line. Fish told the fans that he didn't make that match for them.

The American Wolves headed to the ring. Davey Richards took the mic and said Fish and O'Reilly showed balls by putting the tag titles on the line against Forever Hooligans. Richards said he and Eddie Edwards are not in the ROH Title tournament because they are out to become ROH Tag Champions. He said they would be coming for the winners of the tag title match...

An ROH live event plug was shown for East Ridge, Tennessee... Tommaso Ciampa, Kevin Steen, and Michael Elgin hyped next week's television main event against The American Wolves and B.J. Whitmer... [C]

Powell's POV: Fish said he didn't put the tag titles on the line for the fans, but no one bothered to explain why the heel team would do this without provocation. It also would have been nice to get an angle involving the Hooligans since they're challenging for the titles rather than hearing from the Wolves.

Kevin Kelly hosted the Inside ROH and aired footage of Jay Briscoe venting about wanting to defend the title despite his shoulder injury. Kelly also set up footage of Michael Elgin saying he didn't want to be handed the ROH Title by default because he's the No. 1 contender. Elgin said the best isn't given anything.

Kelly spoke as the brackets for the ROH Title tournament was shown. Kelly said every match would be shown on television. Another Elgin promo was shown. Kelly hyped the Adam Page vs. Silas Young qualifying match... Another ROH live event plug was shown for Birmingham, Alabama...

Michael Bennett and Maria had a brief promo to hype the Bennett vs. Bob Evans match for next week's television show...

Powell's POV: There was a great musical selection for the bracket unveiling. It created a prestigious vibe. I also like the brief promos we're seeing to hype matches for next week's television show. ROH is giving away quality television matches and these brief promos give viewers even more incentive to make ROH a weekly viewing stop.

Ring entrances for the qualifying match took place. Q.T. Marshall watched from ringside and took the mic. He complained about the ROH fans being allowed to decide whether he got in the tournament.

[Q3] Page took the mic from Marshall and told Nigel to put Marshall in the qualifying match if it would shut him up. Nigel complied...

Powell's POV: That was a little too easy. Why not just book it as a three-way to begin with? Nigel basically said that they wouldn't be able to shut up Marshall if he didn't get his way, so he let him in the match. Apparently, filibustering actually works in ROH.

2. Q.T. Marshall vs. Silas Young vs. Adam Page in a three-way ROH TItle tournament qualifying match. Late in the match, they set up the tower of doom spot, but Young bit Marshall to break it up. Page went to the top and hit a cross body block on Marshall. He followed up with a great dropkick onto Marshall and back flipped in mid-air onto Young for a two count.

Later, Young hit a great combo on Page and scored a near fall. However, he missed a headstand into a moonsault when Page moved. Marshall pushed Page off the top rope. Marshall talked over to Young, who caught him in a small package for the win...

Silas Young beat Adam Page and Q.T. Marshall in a three-way to qualify for the ROH Title tournament.

Powell's POV: The finish was the only flat thing about the match. A good three-way. Young and Page continue to show great in-ring chemistry. The nice thing about the match becoming a three-way is that they didn't give away the Page vs. Young singles rematch following their last really good match together.

The ROH texting spot aired, then an ROH live event plug was shown... [C] Another ROH text plug was shown... Ring entrances took place for the ROH Tag Title match...

Powell's POV: Wow, Kyle O'Reilly has really improved his physique. That was the one thing missing from his game. This could be huge for him.

3. Red Dragon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) vs. Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov) for the ROH Tag Titles. The Hooligans worked up the crowd early with some big suicide dives onto their opponents. Kelly played up the possibility of the duo taking the ROH Tag Titles heading into the commercial break.

[Q4] [C] After the break, the Hooligans were clotheslining O'Reilly in the corner. Romero kept hitting the clothesline and left his partner hanging. They teased fighting, but made up with a hug. A short time later, O'Reilly hit an awesome running dropkick onto Koslov on the floor.

Later, Koslov put his Russian hat on and did his dancing kicks, which got a rise out of the crowd. O'Reilly had a good flurry a couple minutes later and performed an awesome suplex into a bridge on Romero for a two count. A "this is awesome" chant broke out briefly. The champions set up for their Chasing the Dragon finisher, but Koslov tripped up Fish, then Romero caught O'Reilly in a backslide for the win...

Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov defeated Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly to win the ROH Tag Titles.

Powell's POV: Another top notch television main event. ROH television is so much better with quality main event matches rather than just a bunch of throwaway matches. ROH TV has taken a big step forward in that regard. As I mentioned, I like the brief promos hyping the following week's television show. Now I would really like to see them amp up the character development. The Hooligans just won the tag titles and I can't even remember hearing them talk on ROH television. My memory is poor, but it's not like they've spoken enough that weekly television only (not ROH diehards) know who they are.

I really like the team of Fish and O'Reilly and I wish creative would have done a better job of setting up the switch from Proving Ground to ROH Tag Title match, but the main event was very good and the crowd was hot for the title change. I like the idea of doing the title during the first show taping of the night, as the crowd was hotter. Overall, a very good show.

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