We open with a video package setting up our huge main event as the four title-holders face off the ROH All Star top contenders in an eight man elimination tag match that took place at Glory by Honor XII. That is followed by our opening animation before we head inside the Chicago Ridge Frontier Fieldhouse. Kevin Kelly & Steve Corino welcome us in and this entire episode will feature just one match, the eight man war: Champions vs. All Stars.
Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman vs. Adam Cole, Matt Taven, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
C&C enter first and KK tells us they earned this slot due to their dogged pursuit of the tag team gold over the last few months. Lethal is rocking our WSOP shirt this week and KK gets his plug in. He recently took a tough loss to Matt Taven, but is still considered a top contender here. And of course, Michael Elgin, a man who could be considered the uncrowned champion, rounds out the team. The tag team champs enter first for the other team, followed by Taven and finally Adam Cole. This is a really big spot for Taven as he is in there with ROH’s heavy hitters with a chance to really shine. Of course, he is accompanied by Truth Martini and the Hotties as usual. Cole has a pretty cool entrance now and a great swagger as heel champion. He just looks like a natural with that belt strapped around his waist. Corino wastes no time putting over Cole huge as usual. As he should be. KK runs through the rules as the champions pass the gold to the referee and we take a break.
When we return, Elgin and Cole are set to start things off, but Cole stalls and baits Elgin a bit, avoiding any contact. Cole never engages, quickly tagging out to Taven as Elgin makes an exchange with Lethal, who wants a piece of the TV champ. Lethal chops Taven right out to the floor, where he tries to regroup. A helpful graphic notes this match actually went 75 minutes and can be seen in full by ordering Glory by Honor XII at www.rohwrestling.com. Head over there, right now! Or stay, read this and then go order the full show! Hear Steve Corino be awesome! See Steve Wille dance like Elaine Benes! Fish and CA are in now and Fish grabs hold of a side headlock but CA makes a comeback and picks up a near fall. Looks like we are gonna see everyone featured in the first portion here as Caprice and O’Reilly duel now, ending with Caprice tagging Elgin back in. Ain’t no way I will be able to keep up with this one, so we will hit the highlights and I will again push you to the website to really enjoy the full version of this classic. Elgin hits a big delayed suplex and things break down a bit as take our second break.
After commercial, Taven is working over Elgin, kicking him in the face as Truth pops in on commentary to brag a bit. And now Cole finally steps in with Elgin beaten up a bit. Elgin quickly pops up and Cole bails to the floor, but Elgin cracks him with a baseball slide dropkick and then wipes out Taven and reDRagon as well. Corino has already landed digs on the Bears and Cubs. Good man. Elgin tries for the Elinginbomb on Cole but Taven makes the save. This champions team could make a pretty neat little stable. We clip ahead a bit as Lethal is battling Cole and KO and on the losing end of a stiff assault and a tender moment afterwards by Cole & KO. Lethal has officially become the face in peril as the champions start to pick him apart, including a nice double team by Fish & KO. Cedric tags in and he wipes out both tag champs and then takes Taven’s head off with a kick off the top rope followed by a super close near fall on Cole. KK reminds us that if anybody eliminates Cole here, they get a future world title opportunity. Things spill to the floor where bodies are flying all over the place and the fans have lost their minds, especially when KO hits his running dropkick off the apron. And as that goes on, Outlaw, Inc hops out of the crowd and assaults the tag champs. As everyone brawls, Taven flies out on to them all with a somersault senton. Fish is busted open. We clip ahead again to CA flying out into the pile with a somersault senton as well. Line of the night from Corino: “Lock up your women, Homicide just jumped the rail!” Officials come out to break things up and run OI out of the ringside area as Cole eliminates CA inside the ring to give the champions a 4-3 advantage. Things got testy though as Lethal prevented Elgin from forcing Cole to tap, keeping his own potential title shot in play. Break!
When we return, Lethal is again battling Taven but is distracted by both hotties, and Scarlett delivers an intense kiss. Lethal shrugs that off and hits Lethal Injection and then heads up top. Then, Casey Ray comes over and trips up Lethal on the top rope and the two battle up there until Taven comes over and kicks Lethal in the head, sending both Lethal and Casey flying off the top and though a table at ringside. Bananas. As the carnage is reviewed, Caprice starts to work over Taven inside the ring, picking up a couple of near falls. Casey is carried to the back, but Lethal is still down and being checked on. As Taven looks to have Coleman beat, Cole comes in and yells at him to get out of the ring and let him do the honors. Cole hits the Florida Key and Coleman is gone, leaving the All Stars in a 4-2 hole. Lethal is still down, so the champions all pounce and beat on Elgin, taking advantage of the steep numbers game. Corino wants Lethal dragged out because “if the horse is dead, we make glue out of him”. This guy. This is some kind of guy. Nigel is out and checking with Lethal as KK is starting to think the champions are going to sweep this one. Elgin is valiantly fighting off KO and anyone else that gets in his way, legal or not. Elgin almost picks up a near fall on KO but the save is made by Fish. We are officially at the 47 minute mark now. Fish again saves KO and hooks on a sleeper but Elgin powers out and keeps fighting off anyone that interferes. This is a great showcase for Elgin as he just keeps fighting the odds and beating the piss out of guys. Elgin smacks KO with the spinning backfist for his first elimination. Time for a commercial.
As we come back, Elgin takes Cole over with a deadlift superplex. Lethal is being forced to the back but he is refusing to go to the locker room, breaks free and makes it to the ring apron. Nigel is in on commentary and thinks Lethal is OK and is moving fine, so he will be allowed to continue. Elgin makes the tag and Lethal is a house of fire, knocking Fish outside and following him with a tope. Ditto for Cole. Ditto Ditto for Taven. Truth eats it as well and tumbles to the floor. Back inside, Lethal flips Taven over into a Cloverleaf but Taven is able to tag in Cole. Cole hits a superkick to the seated Lethal and drops him with a neckbreaker for the elimination. Cole has picked up all three victories thus far and Elgin is in a deep 3-1 hole. Elgin quickly strikes and forces Taven to tap out to the crossface, drawing a bit closer at 2-1. We are now at the 55 minute mark but we clip ahead again with Fish and Elgin trading blows. Elgin shows off his power by taking out both men with a fallaway slam, followed by a backfist and bucklebomb to knock Fish out of the match. KK notes that this is the first time Fish has been defeated in ROH. And with that we have a one on one showdown as we cross the 60 minute barrier. Both men have eliminated three others and if Elgin wins he will get that title shot.
After commercial, the now singles match is on with Cole in control. Elgin battles back and hits a pair of German suplexes for near falls. After a clip, Cole is out on the floor but meets Elgin with a kick to the head to rattle the big man. The clipping continues as Elgin is again hulking up, leading to a mammoth clothesline that wrecks Cole and sends him twirling through the air. Another clip takes us to a Cole figure four but Elgin fights free. Corino says he may be “the second color commentator to have a heart attack this year.” Cole gets the ropes to break an Elgin crossface and then shakes off a bucklebomb to reverse an Elginbomb but is cracked with a huge backfist instead. We are now past the 71 minute mark. This has been a war and all eight men really looked good in it. Cole takes Elgin off the top with a hurricanrana and follows with a Canadian Destroyer but Elgin kicks free at the last moment. These two guys must be completely exhausted. Elgin props Cole on the top rope, where the two battle back and forth. Elgin fights him off for good and hits a super powerbomb for the win! What a great finish and a huge win for Elgin, who is now officially the number one contender for the ROH World Title. Fantastic match as Elgin battled all the way back to overcome some major odds and win the match.
As Elgin and Cole are both being tended to, Jay Briscoe stalks to the ring with a bag in his hand. Briscoe nails both men with the bag and then asks how ROH can have Champions vs. All Stars without the Real World Champion. He opens the bag and reveals a custom Briscoe World Title. He poses with his strap as we fade out. That felt a bit forced, but it pushes the storyline well enough.
Go watch this. See you next week and as always, take care and respect the code.
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