Match-by-match results and television rating of this edition of ROH Television.
Show: ROH Television
Date: January 3, 2016
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Commentary: Kevin Kelly & Mr. Wrestling 3 (Steve Corino)
Reported By: Jacob Gilbert
TV Rating:
1. ROH TV title: Roderick Strong def. Stevie Richards.
2. Caprice Coleman def. Will Ferrara.
3. Jonathan Gresham def. Cedric Alexander.
4. Michael Elgin def. Donovan Dijak.
From Philadelphia:
Kevin Kelly is joined this week by Mr. Wrestling 3 (Steve Corino under a hood) on commentary, so Corino gets around the stip barring him from commentary. For now.
1. Ring of Honor TV title: Roderick Strong vs. Stevie Richards.
Last I heard, Richards had finally won a title, as champion of the now-defunct Extreme Rising promotion. It was brought up that he's now into yoga, and is an instructor for DDP Yoga. Another disciple of Diamond Dallas Page is what he is now. Cool. Billed as hailing from Philly (though when he was with WWE, Richards was announced as being from Wallingford, CT), Richards had the crowd behind him as they booed Strong, who is turning heel. Good opener. Like everyone knew who was winning, but Richards made it look like he had more than a puncher's chance. Twice, after hitting Steviekicks (Superkicks), MW3 claimed Richards owed the Young Bucks for those kicks. Oh? Everyone else uses them, jackass. An assortment of backbreakers couldn't finish Richards, but Strong finally put him down with a Baisuke knee strike.
Winner: Roderick Strong.
Post-match: Bobby Fish came out for an impromptu Fish Tank, sans Kyle O'Reilly.
After the break, Fish played still footage on the jumbotron of Strong tapping out at Final Battle. Strong denied it and left.
2. Caprice Coleman vs. Will Ferrara.
Rematch from 2 weeks ago, and this time, it's no-DQ. They got back to the spot where the last match ended, with the dueling chairs, but this time the match continued. Coleman hit the Trinity, the last one sending Ferrara to the turnbuckles, where a chair was lodged in place. Inevitably, because this is the former ECW Arena, a table came into play. Ferrara attempted a superplex, but was blocked and he tried to brace himself, standing on the mat. However, he was right in the path of the Skysplitter, and ate the wood.
Winner: Caprice Coleman.
Prince Nana was at the foot of the ramp, applauding.
3. Cedric Alexander vs. Jonathan Gresham.
You'd think this would be a squash. Nope. Alexander didn't dominate. Gresham locked on an abdominal stretch, so Veda Scott got on the apron. Gresham released the hold, and confronted the legal weasel. Alexander came back and hit the Lumbar Check, but went to a nonchalant cover without hooking the leg, and it cost him, as Gresham rolled him up for the upset.
Winner: Jonathan Gresham.
No Inside ROH this week.
4. Michael Elgin vs. Donovan Dijak (w/Truth Martini).
ROH champ Jay Lethal joined the announcers. Jerry Lynn came out briefly to congratulate Lethal on beating AJ Styles at Final Battle, then left. Decent main event, but, based on recent events, it seems that for all of his success, Dijak would be better without Martini. He had Elgin in trouble, but couldn't close the deal. Elgin hit the dead lift German suplex for 2. Gordon Solie would've loved to have called that, were he still with us today. Chokeslam-backbreaker gets just 2. Powerbomb countered, and Elgin hit one, then lifted Dijak back up for the Elginbomb. Good night!
Winner: Michael Elgin.
