We open up this week’s show with a look back to a week ago, when Chris Hero pinned Adam Cole in a tag team match to earn a World Title shot against the champ. After our opening animation, we head inside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh one last time, and Kevin Kelly welcomes us to the show. KK reminds us that Hero is the top challenger for the world title at the 12th Anniversary Show. He is joined by Steve Corino and Roderick Strong, who is sitting in for our opening bout.
Andrew Everett vs. Cedric Alexander
Corino tells us that he has known Everett since he was nine years old and now he is all grown up and ready to go. This match underwent many permeations thanks to travel woes and injuries, but here we are with two young guys looking to make a serious mark as singles stars in ROH. The two feel each other out as Corino questions Roddy’s presence in the booth and he confirms he is scouting on behalf of The Decade. He reminds us that he is the measuring stick of ROH. Everett keeps CA off balance and after a series of reversals, we get a reset. KK thinks Everett is a cross between Roddy and Jack Evans. Roddy puts Everett over but says he is not sold on CA just yet. CA eats a boot on a charge to the corner and then is sent to the floor via arm drag. He slides back inside and is able to dropkick Everett down to the floor. CA follows him outside and they brawl for a moment as we head to break.
When we return, CA plants Everett with a shoulderblock before locking in a rear chinlock. Corino and Roddy discuss whether or not Roddy has truly earned the respect he deserves based on his time in the company and believes people are going to really miss him when he is gone (I know I will). CA sends Everett flying up and over with a huge back body drop and gets a near fall. He follows with a kick to the back of the head for another two count. Everett battles back and the two trade kicks until CA cracks him with an enziguri. Everett slips out of a roll up and dropkicks CA to the floor. The crowd starts to rally the young man and he rewards them with a bananas springboard moonsault down into CA. He got some crazy height on that one, spot of the night easy. And he came up clean too. Everett dumps CA inside as the crowd is now fully behind him. He picks up another near fall as Roddy uses this as proof behind his claims against CA. CA comes back with a spinning modified TKO for a very close near fall. CA goes to the apron and springboards in, but Everett sticks his arm out, catches him and rolls through into a pin attempt. CA survives and gets another two count as Roddy says that reminded him of “the late, great Austin Aries”. The two trade some blows before both end up on the top rope, where CA batters him before loading up a superplex, but Everett blocks and sends CA to the mat face first. Everett resets himself and hits wild rotation splash, landing the top of his head into CA’s knees. CA pops up and drills Everett with a backbreaker for the victory. Corino brings up the obvious correlation to Roddy based on the finish. Roddy is somewhat impressed, but doesn’t think his backbreaker matches up. This was a really fun match for these two to steal the show, and the crowd gives them a “This is Awesome” streamer bath after the bell. Roddy tosses a water bottle at CA and then storms off. Everett’s moonsault to the floor was pure awesome.
When we return from commercial, we go back two weeks to see the House of Truth crumble, or as KK puts it: “The Night the Hoopla Died,” And with that, it is main event time.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Kevin Steen
KK tells us that Bobby Fish is in Japan, so KO is on his own tonight. He also reminded us earlier that Cliff Compton vowed to show up tonight to take a run at Steen. They shake hands as Corino notes that both of these men are from Canada, and manages a nice dig at Quebec along the way. KO works over the arm a bit until Steen is able to work free using a kip up (!) followed by a pair of armdrags and capped by a crucifix pin attempt for two. After some more back and forth, Steen ends up seated in the ring but instead of coming in hard, KO gives him a love tap in the grill. In response, Steen pops up and smacks KO across the mug, knocking him out to the floor. The fans are red hot here. Steen follows him out and beats KO all around ringside, leading to the Corino line of the night: “I think he kicked him in the ding ding.” KO slips free from the apron powerbomb and scampers back inside. Steen maintains control, planting KO and dropping onto him with a senton for two. As Steen picks up KO, we head to break.
Back from break and Steen is still working over KO. Corino puts over Steen’s deceptive speed in the ring, which is a valid point. KO comes back with some blows to the side of the head and then takes Steen down with a legsweep. I really like KO, but his strikes look awfully soft, especially in person. He needs to start laying them in just a bit harder. KO shoves Steen back into the corner and talks some trash in between blows. KO hits a single arm DDT but only gets a one count. He rolls Steen over and grabs a key lock as the fans rally Steen to his feet. Steen is run into the corner, but the big man bounces out with a big lariat to slow KO down. Steen back drops KO to the floor, but KO lands on his feet and is able pull Steen out and run him into the ring post. He tries to run down the apron and dive into Steen, but eats a boot and stumbles right into the grasp of Steen, who busts him with the apron powerbomb. Back inside, Steen heads up top and hits a senton bomb for a near fall. KO tries for a guillotine choke, but Steen runs him back into the corner to bust it up. With KO slumped in the corner, Steen gets a running start and tosses his hefty frame into the lap of the tag team champion. KO wriggles out of the F-Cinq, slides to the mat and locks Steen in the Armageddon, but Steen gets his foot on the rope to break. KO is hurting, but is able to hit a running knee in the corner, followed by kicks to the head for a near fall. KO props Steen up on the top rope as KK tells us we will be in Philadelphia next week with action from the 12th Anniversary Show. KO hammers on Steen up top, but Steen retaliates by biting his face and taking him to the mat with a big super swinging neckbreaker. As both men recover, we take our final break.
After the ads, Steen is up and walking around the ring as KO recovers. As Steen ambles over, he notices that KO’s mouth guard has popped out of his mouth. And in possibly the grossest moment in ROH history, Steen puts the guard in his own mouth. Gross. Steen tries to pick up KO, but KO wriggles free and again hooks in Armageddon. Steen fights free and once both men are up, he catches KO on a charge and hits a pop up powerbomb. He catches KO on the rebound and hits the package piledriver but KO gets his foot on the rope to make the save. Wow, I bit on that and I have already seen this match. Cliff Compton has arrived! He is in the crowd and calls out Steen, who rolls to the floor and gets in his face. KO takes advantage, runs the apron and flies off with a dropkick into Steen. Back inside, KO hits Ax and Smash (BEST MOVE NAME EVER!) for two and then turns Steen over into Armageddon once again. Steen again slips free and turns KO over into the sharpshooter, wrenching it in until KO taps out. That was a damn good match, one I liked a whole lot better on second viewing.
Steen calls out Compton, who hops the rail and forces his way into the ring by beating on some security guards. Madness ensues as Steen hits an F-Cinq on one referee while Compton plows through the rest. Compton finally makes it into the ring as security follows. They get dumped to the floor as well, but Compton walks right into Steen, who hoists him up and chucks him outside with an F-Cinq. Steen puts on Compton’s hat and heads to the floor, where he keeps the beating going, chucking Compton into the barricades. Compton finally gets a reprieve with a low blow as Corino name drops Power Uti. Compton puts Steen on a table and heads up to the top rope and comes flying off with a big splash. As both men are wiped out, we close up shop for the week.
No complaints here this week. We got two hot matches, a rocking crowd and a really good brawl to close out the show. Farewell Pittsburgh, it has been fun reliving Royal Rumble weekend over the past few weeks. See you in Philly and until then, always respect the code!
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