Welcome to this week’s ROH TV report. We open with a look back at Border Wars when Team SCUM defeated Team ROH, meaning Steve Corino will now join Kevin Kelly in the announce booth. After the opening animation, we head inside the Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto where Corino is talking his way down the aisle and into the booth. I am very excited for this change. Corino vows that the end of ROH is near as the era of SCUM has begun and also guarantees SCUM will take home the world title. Kevin makes sure that he and Corino have no personal issues and Corino agrees. Time for the first match as we head to the ring.
Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Looks like Lethal is still hobbled from the injury he suffered at Border Wars. Lethal grabs the mic and says his injury was a mistake, and so was allowing Kevin Steen to take his place in the match. They don’t know where Steen lies, but Lethal stands with ROH. Corino sighs and moans about how much he hates Lethal as Jimmy Jacobs attacks Lethal and attacks the knee. The bell sounds and we are officially underway. They fight on the floor as Corino rips on Nigel, calling him unprofessional and asking if he ever made a good decision. KK wonders if Nigel regrets allowing Steen to compete at BW. Pretty basic stuff here as Lethal is selling the knee while on offense. Steen talks about the beginnings of SCUM and then calls Toronto stupid. Atta boy, Steve. Jacobs is able to block the Lethal Injection and starts working the knee again as we take a break. Hey kids, text ROH to “Today” for a Michael Elgin autograph picture! We are back and Jacobs is still in control. Lethal finally is able to build a comeback but he can’t capitalize due to the knee. After a quick slugfest, Lethal strings together some offense, including the Lethal Combination but his knee gives out on the Injection attempt, which allows Jacobs to hit Sliced Bread for the win. Wow, upset there but nice storytelling based off the knee injury. The Zombie Princess keeps SCUM rolling along as ROH suffers another tough loss. That was as solid as it comes, a nice open to the show.
After a break, Nigel McGuiness is in the ring with a major announcement. At Border Wars, Jay Briscoe proved he was a legit champion and Adam Cole showed he was a legit contender. Nigel is here to run through the list of title contenders. First up is Michael Elgin, who will wait for his shot patiently and then focus on destroying ROH in the meantime. So, next up are the American Wolves. On 6/22 at Best in the World in Baltimore…and before we find out, Briscoe hits the ring. Corino wants subtitles for Briscoe and I can’t disagree. Now Mark is out. He is tired of hearing Jay brag about he can whip everyone’s ass. He wants Jay to be humble as champion. Mark reminds Jay that he whooped his ass in his first ROH match. Jay issues a challenge to Mark for BITW, telling Nigel that they can bring the whole family to Baltimore. The crowd likes that idea. Nigel contemplates and then says he will think it over. There is a hefty fan in a Steen shirt that doesn’t look impressed. I am not sure what I think about this one. It is a cool hook for the match, but not sure how Mark has earned the shot. Break time.
Titus & Compton vs. Coleman & Alexander
Coming out break, SCUM is in the ring and the match ignites as soon as C&A hit the ring. Corino heard that Coleman banged up his shoulder at BW. C&A fly like they always do and Toronto is rocking. This crowd is already better than NYC, for sure. C&A are dominating the action as SCUM is all kinds of discombobulated. They finally get bobulated and go right at Coleman’s shoulder. They ding him up enough that he is down and out on the floor, drawing out some refrees. SCUM is now double-teaming Alexander as Coleman is helped to the back. Corino rips the Blue Jays and steals my heart. Before Coleman is behind the curtain, SCUM hunts him down and drags him back to ringside, where they run him into the post. Back inside, they keep alternating punishing Alexander. Amexander is hanging in and finally gets an opening to drop Compton with a facebuster. Coleman is again being escorted back, but he shrugs off the refs and staggers back to the ring. However just before Alexander can tag, Rhett stops him. Alexander kicks free and tags in Coleman. Corino is begging for one of his boys to punch Coleman in the shoulder. C&A have firmly wrested control away as ROH is looking for a much needed win. Welp, I spoke too soon as Compton snaps Coleman’s arm across the top rope, which allows Titus to catch him and drop him with a brainbuster for the victory. Another solid match with an injury angle woven throughout and I thought Coleman looked good when he forced his way back to the ring to help his partner. SCUM keeps on rolling.
Get your Elgin picture…text…now! Main event time is upon us, so let us head to the ring.
Adam Cole vs. Kevin Steen
Well, for many weeks we thought this was going to be the Border Wars Main Event but obviously Jay Briscoe messed those plans up. So, we get it here with no gold on the line. Corino thinks Steen has a lot of hate in his heart and then calls him a bad friend. He says Steen hung with ROH guys instead of attending Corino’s wedding. And the bombshell is that Cole attended the ceremony. He may want to kill ROH but that doesn’t mean he hates all ROH wrestlers. Steen is beating Cole all around the ring as Corino keeps stumping for Cole to join SCUM. Cole’s chest is bright red and now he may be dead as Steen wrecks him with a powerbomb onto the ring apron. That was fucking gross. And then he does it again, what the hell. How is Cole alive? My Lord, he does a third one. KK calls Steen one of the greatest wrestlers ever which leads to Corino making a Xavier joke. Poor Xavier. After an inadvertent distraction from Corino, Cole finally slows Steen down, targeting the left leg. After a break, Steen is trying to break Cole’s momentum, but the leg may be too banged up. Cole breaks up a slugfest with a knee but Steen is able to catch him on a charge and snap him down with a powerbomb. Cole recovers and continues to work the leg. The near falls start to pick up as things wind down and both men are on their last legs. Steen goes for the package piledriver, but the knee gives out. Steen has enough in the tank to block a figure four, but Cole comes right back with a Sharpshooter as Corino begs for the timekeeper to ring the bell and make history. He thinks Steen must hate losing in Canada too. KK no sells that like it’s the Spice Girls. Steen breaks free, hits a superkick and the F-Cinq for a near fall. Compton hits ringside but Steen slugs him down. Now Steen gets a Sharpshooter to a big pop, but is forced to break when Compton gets back on the apron. That gives Jacobs an opening to sneak in and slug Steen with a chain. Cole takes advantage with a bridging German suplex for the win. KK wonders if Cole saw Jacobs and the reply seems to show that he very well did know what went down. Very good main event that was hard fought and had some legit unpredictability involved. Cole needed a bounce back win and he gets it here, but the questions are building about his possible defection to SCUM. KK wraps us up and we are out.
That was a good hour of wrestling this week. It was nice to have the hot crowd back and the show stayed tight and focused. The march to BITW is officially on. Corino in the booth improves the show so much, and he and KK have smooth chemistry in the classic wrestling announce booth style. The big question now lingering is if we will see Briscoe battle Briscoe in Baltimore. Until then, take care and respect the code.
Original Publish Date: June 2013
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