The Bryan & Vinny Show is back today with tons to talk about including Vinny’s thoughts on Friday night’s ROH Final Battle PPV and a full review of what HAD to be the worst wrestling television show of the 80s, NWA World Championship Wrestling TV from December 21, 1985. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today with your weekend wrap-up, a look at all the shows from ROH to UFC, a bunch of news, phone calls and text messages and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA including news on Maria and Mike Bennett being written off ROH TV, Brock Lesnar’s return on Saturday night in a US Title match, UFC on FOX with some big upsets, more on the weigh-cutting summit, tons of questions and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Welcome to live coverage of ROH Final Battle, the company’s last major event of 2015. The show is available on traditional PPV starting at 9 PM EST, emanating from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to Dave Meltzer
We’re also looking for your thoughts on Wednesday’s NXT Takeover show and tomorrow nightt’s UFC on FOX shows.
Steve Corino is announcing the show under a mask as Mr. Wrestling III, doing a tongue in cheek pretending he’s not Steve Corino.
YOUNG BUCKS VS. ALL NIGHT EXPRESS VS. MARK & JAY BRISCOE FOR THE NO 1 CONTENDER SPOT
The All Night Express won with a Super One Night stand (combination superplex by Titus and blockbuster by Kenny King) on Mark Briscoe. The match was shorter than you’d think, all big moves and about 200 superkicks by the Bucks. The crowd early on booed whenever Titus & King would tag in as they only wanted to see the Bucks vs. Briscoes. Lots of dives, Matt & Nick both did 450s on Titus but King saved, there was a Meltzer driver in there as well. Crowd was really into it.
DALTON CASTLE VS. SILAS YOUNG
Young won again when Castle accidentally knocked down one of the boys, which distracted Castle, and Young used the TKO, called Misery, for the pin. Crowd was into the match. Match was solid.
Young after the match said I’ve already taken your boys and beaten you twice and told him to do the right thing and admit that I’m the real man. Crowd wasn’t happy with that. He didn’t and Young put the boots to him and told him to admit it. Castle refused and Young kicked him some more. Young brought in a chair. The boys each had a chair. He told Young to call him the real man or he’s going to sic the boys on him. The Boys were about to hit him with chair shots. Castle said, “You’re a man, but you’re a foolish man.” The Boys then turned on Young and Castle spun him around and slammed him. So they all reunited. They all posed together.
MICHAEL ELGIN VS. MOOSE
Elgin won clean with a burning hammer after crotching him. Both shook hands and raised each others hands when it was over. Before Elgin hit the burning hammer, he said, “Lethal, I’m coming,” talking about their match at the Tokyo Dome. The Dome match was mentioned several times with the idea that Elgin faces Lethal no matter what happens in the title match. Moose is still green but for a huge guy he was flying around. Elgin did some good power moves including a two German suplex spot. Moose did a plancha over the post and a couple of high dropkicks. No controversy on the finish.
Adam Cole did a promo on tape talking about triceps, elbow and shoulder surgery. Kyle O’Reilly said maybe Cole will go farther in the sport than me but this match isn’t about this. Cole said tha O’Reilly was a lesser version of Cole.
ADAM COLE VS. KYLE O’REILLY
This match was great. The finish saw O’Reilly catch Cole in the triangle, but Cole got his feet on the ropes and pinned him. O’Reilly attacked him after twice putting him in armbars. Crowd was chanting “O’Reilly” when this was over. Mostly O’Reilly doing all kinds of submissions and Cole escaping and hitting big moves including a number of superkicks. We may need a moratorium of those the rest of the night. This match had flying, submissions, kicks, knees, palms, a Frye-Takayama spot, dropkicks off the apron by O’Reilly knocking Cole off a chair.
ACH & MATT SYDAL & ALEX SHELLEY VS. CHRIS SABIN & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS & FRANKIE KAZARIAN
There were a few rough spots but overall this was really good. The story of the match was that Sabin would never get in with Shelley, even at the end they never had that spot. The finish saw ACH use the 450 on Sabin followed by Sydal doing the shooting star on him for the pin. Shelley had given Kazarian a DDT on the apron. At one time they lost the crowd but they got them back. Sydal is really good. Everyone in this match was. Sabin isn’t what he once was but after all the injuries he was still very good.
RODERICK STRONG VS. BOBBY FISH FOR THE TV TITLE
They did a total screwjob finish. Fish got Strong in a heel hook and Strong tapped out but ref Todd Sinclair was positioned badly and he didn’t see it. Fish got up and celebrated the win and fans chanted “You tapped out.” Strong gave him a flying knee to the chin and got the pin. This was a very well wrestled match from start to finish. The crowd was with it but not over the top with it. Strong had a lot of cool backbreaker type spots and Fish’s big spot was a falcon arrow off the top rope.
Veda Scott came out with Cedric Alexander. She wanted Nigel McGuinness to come out. She claimed Cedric Alexander was subject to unsafe working conditinos. The crowd was chanting “Shut the fuck up” at her. She announced an agreement was reached and a settlement was confidential but we’re happy with it and 2016 will see more of us. Alexander showed an expensive watch from a supposed settlement from ROH.
MICHAEL BENNETT & MATT TAVEN VS. RAY ROWE & HANSON FOR TAG TITLES
Hanson & Rowe won the belts in 3:00. Bennett came in with a cracked rib and Taven may have blown out his knee, plus Bennett & Taven’s future in ROH was in question since they haven’t signed a new deal. Taven gave Rowe a spike piledriver off the middle rope to the floor before the match started. He came back and stopped selling that way too fast.
Taven was being helped out of the ring.
We just got word Taven has a right knee injury from he spike piledriver spot before the match even started. Until he’s examined there’s no word how serious it is, but it’s never a good time for such an injury and this is probably a really bad time.
JAY LETHAL VS. A.J. STYLES FOR ROH TITLE
Nigel McGuiness and Jerry Lynn are announcing the match. Lynn may be an angle.
Excellent match. Most of the match was Lethal working on Styles’ lower back. Styles took a lot of punishment. He took whips into the guard rail. Lethal did two topes but on the third, Styles did a springboard off the guard rail into an elbow. Lethal also threw Styles over the top rope through a table. Styles kicked out of the first Lethal injection. The finish came when Styles missed the Pele kick. After some reverses Lethal got out of the Styles clash, hit the Gotch piledriver and Lethal injection for the clean win. They pushed hard how he beat Styles using Jerry Lynn’s finisher right in front of Jerry Lynn, since Lynn’s finish was the Gotch piledriver.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today to talk all the news in wrestling and MMA, plus we’re joined by Steve Sims to talk the death of Lizmark and Adam Cole to talk tonight’s ROH Final Battle show, their version of WrestleMania, which you can check out on pay-per-view! A fun show as always so check it out!
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The go-home show leading to Final Battle was the second installment in the current series of Ring of Honor television episodes from the Nashville Fairgrounds. The focus was on building the pay-per-view and every match had some purpose in an upcoming PPV match. Jerry Lynn returned to ROH for an interview segment and a confrontation with ROH world champion Jay Lethal. After this show aired, ROH announced Lynn would also appear at Final Battle.
The show opened with the entrance of Adam Cole. The announcers, Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuiness, talked about Cole’s upcoming match at Final Battle against Kyle O’Reilly.
Adam Cole beat Corey Hollis
Cole began squashing him while showcasing a variety a moves like a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker and a shining wizard. Hollis made a comeback but Cole quickly cut him off. Though he was over with the crowd, the villainous Cole mocked some ringside fans. Hollis sidestepped an attempted superkick and used a schoolboy to roll up Cole for a nearfall.
Moments later, Cole hit a bicycle kick that they had teased earlier in the match. Hollis countered a suplex into a stunner then did a fireman’s carry into a spinebuster. Hollis jumped off the top rope and ate a superkick. Cole picked him up for a suplex into a neckbreaker for the pinfall. Afterwards, Cole remained in the ring to cut a promo. He promised to keep it short and said when he makes a promise he means it. He promised to beat O’Reilly at Final Battle and “end” him in Ring of Honor.
Last week on ROH TV, the show ended with three tag teams brawling. In a follow-up, Kevin joined Nigel (who is also the matchmaker in storyline) in announcing a three-way tag match at Final Battle with the Briscoes vs. Young Bucks vs. ANX.
Related to the tag team picture, the next match on the go-home show showcased War Machine as they readied to challenge the Kingdom on the PPV for the tag team titles.
War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe) beat the Washington Bullets (Jon & Trey Williams)
In an updated version of a Road Warriors squash match, Hanson and Rowe wrecked shop on the Bullets. They did power moves all over the place and manhandled their opponents. Rowe held one Bullet over his knee while Hanson jumped off the ropes with flying legdrop for the pin. War Machine looked impressive and menacing.
Before the next match, Mike Posey from “the hood” in Trussville, Alabama, marched to the ring with a posse. His five-person entourage included three dudes and two women. In doing a white rapper gimmick, Posey began rapping badly and dissing Dalton Castle. Poesy’s entourage encouraged his behavior.
Dalton Castle beat Mike Posey
The announcers talked up Castle’s return grudge match at Final Battle with Silas Young over who should rightly have custody of The Boys. Castle took most of the offense in this match with Posey. At one point, the entourage caused a distraction allowing Posey some offense. Posey dove off the top rope into the arms of Castle, who caught him and tossed him over the ropes on to the posse at ringside. Castle gave Posey his finish, the Bang-a-Rang, to score the pin.
In a post-match promo, Castle eloquently compared himself to the Aurora Borealis and vowed to kick Silas Young’s ass before calling him out right then. Instead of Silas confronting him, The Boys sauntered to the ring and confronted Dalton.
With Dalton distracted by The Boys and their newfound attitudes, Silas attacks him from behind and gives him the Misery finisher to leave Castle down and out. The Boys raised the hands of Silas and acted as if their time with the “Last Real Man” truly has transformed them, creating another layer to the drama that will play out at Final Battle.
In an in-ring interview segment, Kevin Kelly brought out Jerry Lynn. Kelly asked Lynn about his recent surgery and Lynn thanked the fans for their support during his recovery. Kevin brought up the upcoming ROH world title match at Final Battle and asked for Jerry to predict a winner.
Though he tried to avoid directly answering the question, Kelly pressed him while Lynn dodged the question putting over both guys in the process. Cue House of Truth theme music and Jay Lethal emerges carrying his ROH world title belt while also accompanied by Truth Martini and Taeler Hendrix.
Lethal confronted Lynn, who offered a friendly handshake. Lethal no-sold the handshake and said he was out there for one reason, which was he really wanted to hear the answer to the question. Lethal instructed Lynn to “turn your hearing aid up because he asked you a question.”
The expression on Lynn’s face immediately changed. Lynn said he knew Lethal and his family for years.
“You are not the Jay Lethal that I knew back then,” Lynn said. “You’re an arrogant prick!”
Lynn then basically said that overconfidence would be Lethal’s downfall and AJ Styles will beat him to become the champion. The crowd chanted for AJ in response. Lethal ordered the audience to shut up before saying Lynn and everybody else blindly follows AJ and Lethal said he “don’t give a damn” what Lynn thought. He threatened to kick Lynn’s ass.
Lynn countered by bringing up he has known Lethal’s parents for as long as he has known Lethal. Lynn said Lethal wanted to make them proud, but by attacking him they would be ashamed instead. Lethal thought it over for a moment before snapping.
Lethal yelled at Lynn saying he was standing in the ring with the ROH champion and claimed he was the greatest wrestler in the world. Lethal shouted about climbing a ladder this past year to get where he is while AJ only climbed a step stool. With just a touch of trepidation in his voice Lethal continued screaming about AJ being pushed to the main events and the title picture unfairly.
Lethal went on to say he would not attack Lynn because he needed Lynn healthy so Jerry could console AJ when Lethal beats him at Final Battle. Lethal said that is when AJ will learn Lethal himself is the greatest just like he claims. Before storming off, Lethal concluded with the proclamation, “I am professional wrestling.”
Following an announcement of Moose vs. Michael Elgin being signed for Final Battle, a video package highlighted their feud. Their story is they both want a shot at the ROH world title and each stands in the other’s way on their journey to a title shot.
Alex Shelley came to ringside to provide guest commentary for the main event tag match. They quickly recapped the scene from last week in which Shelley unveiled himself as the mysterious masked character that had been causing grief for Chris Sabin and the Addiction. Shelley is set to team with Matt Sydal and ACH in a six-man tag match at against the Addiction at Final Battle.
Matt Sydal & ACH beat Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Trent Baretta)
Sydal and Romero start slow but quickly picked up the pace with Sydal executing a monkey flip and later a hurricanrana on Romero, who begged off. ACH and Baretta squared off. At one point, ACH did a backflip then immediately sprung up with a dropkick.
After a commercial break, Roppongi Vice were in control with Romero getting heat on Sydal. ACH came in off the hot tag. He does a crossbody off the top, an enzuigiri on Romero and catches Baretta on the outside with a soccer kick. ACH then runs across the ring, springs off the middle rope with one foot and does his crazy flip dive over the ropes to the outside.
Romero and Baretta cut off ACH with a series of great double team moves. Sydal makes a bling tag only to get caught with sliced bread from Romero. However, ACH jumps off the top with a double foot stomp on Romero. Sydal and Baretta exchange strikes with Sydal gaining the advantage. Romero jumped in to make the save for Baretta and ACH jumps in to make the save for Sydal moments later.
ACH did a handspring over the ropes into a dive on the floor. Sydal went for the shooting star press but Baretta got his knees up. Roppongi Vice went for their finisher. As Romero did a springboard off the top rope, ACH flew in out of nowhere off a springboard to wipe out Romero. Sydal executed a code red on Baretta to score the pin.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez returns today with a packed show! Notes from WWE Takeover on Wednesday night, tons of MMA and wrestling news notes with Dave Meltzer, then Jay Briscoe joins us to talk ROH FINAL BATTLE on PPV this coming Friday night! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today with special guest, ROH WORLD CHAMPION JAY LETHAL to talk tons of different topics including this Friday night’s ROH Final Battle show on pay-per-view! Also, Raw ratings from Monday, Roman Reigns, NXT Takeover with NO SPOILERS and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today with special guest MICHAEL ELGIN to talk the ROH PPV this coming Friday night, his match with Moose, New Japan, turning his career around in 2015 and more, plus all the news on Raw, Roman Reigns and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive returns today with our first show of the week talking Raw tonight, TLC, UFC, the weekend news and more! Plus, Ray Rowe of ROH shows up to talk WAR MACHINE, this weekend’s ROH Final Battle PPV and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!