MMA / LAW

ROH Report for Feb. 17 - Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Brian Campbell / February 17, 2013 - 12:31pm

Tadarius Thomas is in the back with Veda Scott and gets interrupted by QT Marshall, who says Barrister RD Evans is overseas handling his business ventures. Thomas cuts him off saying he does his talking in the ring and exits stage right. Marshall then says he’s going to win the Top Prospect Tournament and then win the Ring of Honor Television Title at the 11^th Anniversary Show.

[Match #1]: Top Prospect Tournament Round 2: Tadarius Thomas vs. QT Marshall

After the Code of Honor, Marshall gets the upper hand and showboats to Thomas and the crowd while Truth Martini, who has joined the broadcast team, tells Kevin Kelly that he can play with his balls if he wants. Thomas comes back with a slap, and hits a capoeira kick which stuns Marshall, but not for long, as he fights back to gain control, but takes a backdrop to the floor. Thomas follows him out and cartwheels off the apron in a cool spot, but ends up getting rammed into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Marshall in in control, hitting a scoop slam and a pair of elbow drops as Martini references a circle jerk for some reason. Thomas reverses an Irish whip attempt and lands a cartwheel kick to Marshall’s head, followed by a spinning back kick to the gut and another capoeira kick. After a Pele kick and hanging clothesline, Thomas gets a 2. Marshall is back up and hits a backbreaker followed by a powerslam for 2 and goes for his God’s Gift finisher, but Thomas blocks the attempt, hits yet another capoeira kick and a dragon suplex for the win.

Winner [via pinfall]: Tadarius Thomas (5:10)

They show a video of BJ Whitmer doing a public appearance at a local car dealership when Charlie Haas shows up saying the appearance should be his. As expected, they brawl, with Haas landing some stiff looking punches. It spills to the parking lot as Whitmer gets thrown through a car window and slammed in a door by Haas. The scene ends with Whitmer taking an Angle Slam onto the car and windshield of a car.

[Match #2]: Nick Westgate & Brian Fury vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander

Alexander and Westgate are in at the start, and the two don’t have much interaction outside of Alexander hitting a dropkick before Coleman is tagged in. The two hit a couple of double team moves, including a Hart Attack, but with a leg lariat instead of a clothesline, and a dropkick to the knee and a legdrop. Westgate and Fury bail to the floor and Coleman hits a beautiful springboard crossbody to both men.

Rhino hits the ring and turns Alexander inside-out with a Gore as the rest of S.C.U.M. hit the ring and the ref calls for the bell for the DQ.

Winner [via disqualification]: Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander (1:01)

Corino, dressed in a suit and looking like a crooked insurance salesman, says evil is coming and that everyone is warned. He then says Ring of Honor will die at the 11^th Anniversary show and that the crowd will hail Ring of SCUM.

Veda Scott is in the back with Silas Young, who cuts a generic heel promo on Matt Taven, but it’s worth noting how much of a sleazeball this guy looks like. He actually kind of reminds me of Rick Rude a little bit, at least in the looks department. I have no idea how this guy is only 26 – he looks 45.

[Match #3]: Top Prospect Tournament Round 2: Silas Young vs. Matt Taven

Before the match, Martini says ‘everyone should take their pants off because it’s time to get off.’ Classic. Kelly tells Truth that some of his inflammatory comments won’t make it past censors.

Bit of a sloppy start as we see a side-headlock by Young, and as Young goes to roll out of a headscissors and into a single-leg Boston crab, he doesn’t quite get over smoothly. After getting it on the second try, Taven hits the ropes and goes to leapfrog Young, and it looked like Young was supposed to catch him, but both men crumble before Young regains his footing. Young takes control with a clothesline and goes to send Taven into the ropes, but gets reversed and eats a sloppy bicycle kick which sends him to the floor. Taven follows him out and jumps off the apron only to get caught with a powerslam to the floor – great spot.

After a 2 count, Taven is sent into the corner, but works his way out to the apron, where he gets caught by Young with a kick and a kneelift, which drops him to the floor. Young heads out to the apron, but Taven gets back in the ring and lands a Disaster kick, sending Young now to the floor. Taven heads out and lands a moonsault from the second rope, which gets Martini excited, saying he ‘just got a chub.’ Both men back in now, and Taven misses his Air Taven frogsplash off the top before Young hits a backbreaker, but misses a clothesline, allowing Taven to get a quick schoolboy for the win.

Winner [via pinfall]: Matt Taven (5:47)

We go Inside ROH, and see clips of Matt Hardy vs. BJ Whitmer from ‘Defy or Deny 2’ in Milwaukee. After a pair of Twist of Fates to Whitmer, Hardy locked on a submission to Whitmer’s injured neck, which prompted Rhett Titus to throw in the towel. Hardy then tells Nigel McGuinness that he wants a TV Title match. Adam Cole comes out, they brawl and Hardy eventually leaves with the title.

McGuinness is cutting a promo about the tag team titles and is interrupted by, guess who, Charlie Haas. He says things, no one cares. He says he wants a tag title shot so badly that he is willing to break up World’s Greatest Tag Team if they lose. I guess they needed an out for this angle with Shelton Benjamin leaving.

The Briscoes cut a promo on all of their competition, and say they are the best tag team in the world.

[Main Event]: Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Jacobs is on his bicycle at the start, running away from Lethal and bailing to the floor. Jacobs misses a chop against the ringpost and the two head back in, where Lethal lands a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Jacobs catches Lethal with a headscissors from the inside to the floor, which sends Lethal into the guardrail. Jacobs then grabs a chair and sits Lethal in it but misses a suicide dive through the ropes as he crashes into the empty chair as we head to commercial. Back from break, both men are in the ring with Jacobs in control, which doesn’t last for long. Lethal catches him coming off the ropes with a boot and an inverted DDT, followed by the Lethal Combination for 2. Lethal hits a superkick and goes for the Lethal Injection but is caught with a backcracker and Sliced Bread No. 2 for a near fall. Jacobs puts Lethal on the top and follows him up, but gets sent off as Lethal drops down, hits a Death Valley Driver and then the Hail to the King top rope elbow for the win.

Winner [via pinfall]: Jay Lethal (5:34)

After the match, S.C.U.M. hits the ring, followed by Caprice and Coleman and they brawl, before Kevin Steen comes out and stops the rest of S.C.U.M. from attacking Lethal.

My Thoughts

This was an alright show that seemed to have a lot of filler. The matches were OK, though I had higher expectations for both Top Prospect tourney matches. I predicted Thomas to win the tournament, but now I’m not so sure - Taven could easily win. It’s a little odd to me that there are no heels in the finals though. Young looked good and hopefully he is a part of ROH’s plans moving forward. Regardless, Thomas-Taven next week should be worth the price of admission.

Announced For Next Week

Finals of the Top Prospect Tournament – Tadarius Thomas vs. Matt Taven.

Announced Card for 11th Anniversary Show

ROH World Title Match – Kevin Steen vs. Jay Lethal

ROH Tag Title Match – The Briscoes vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly

ROH TV Title Match – Adam Cole vs. Winner of Top Prospect Tournament

2-Out-of-3-Falls Match – Michael Elgin vs. Roderick Strong

S.C.U.M. vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander