By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

Paul Fontaine is covering the ROH house show from Hopkins, MN – so I’ll be journeying from the land of underground lucha and impactful wrestling to cover tonight’s Ring of Honor wrestling broadcast. Two weeks ago, the company delivered one of the best TV shows of the year with the Jushin Liger vs. Jay Lethal and Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe World Title matches on it. Last week’s show featured the company’s newest cult hit Dalton Castle in a losing effort against Donovan Dijak, while War Machine won a squash, and Elgin won a surprisingly good match with Cedric Alexander.

The show starts with Kazarian and Daniels talking about how they’re here in ROH to prove that they’re the best in the business. Tonight, they have a chance to prove it for the tag titles. We see them struggle against the champions in two prior matches, while Daniels says it’s time to do something different. Kazarian says that they’re going to put on suits of armor, slay the dragon, and win the tag team titles. Kevin Kelly and King Corino run down tonight’s card – featuring a 4 Corner Survival match and the tag team titles. Kelly talks about how Corino’s son is being used against him by The Decade. Steve says his son is 18 and he hasn’t seen him since he moved out. Moose and his entourage lead the fans in doing the “Moose!” hand sign and chant his theme.

4 Corner Survival – BJ Whitmer vs. Will Ferrara vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Moose.

Everyone but BJ adheres to the code of honor, which apparently angers Veda. Moose and Will get into an argument and Moose fires back with a big dropkick. BJ tags in aggressively. The crowd chants “Jimmy Jacobs” at Whitmer while he pounds away at Ferrara. Ferrara darts off the ropes and Whitmer gets 2 off of a powerslam before an ad break.

We come back to BJ landing a knee to the gut on Will as he comes off the ropes. Ferrara gets a tag to Moose, who shoulderblocks BJ down. Caprice tags in while Moose hits a flying bodypress to Will. Caprice sends BJ and Will outside and moonsaults onto them before Moose does a flip dive to the pile. Wow. Moose is rough around the edges, but he is special. BJ avoids a spear with a boot and hits an exploder. Ferrara comes in and fights it out with BJ, who eats a Code Red.

Caprice and Will go at it and a one inch punch sends will into the corner for a no hands rana. Caprice dives across the ring and gets 2 before Moose can break it up. Moose gets a pop-up clothesline for 2. Spear to Caprice leads to Whitmer tagging himself in and stealing the pin. BJ calls Moose a big dumb bastard and wants a fight, but Veda tries to pull Moose away for another ad break.

Moose is gone, but BJ and Adam Page are mid-ring talking about ACH while his shirt is on a chair in the ring. Page talks about ACH falling short against Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, and how heart got him nowhere when he tapped out against Alberto El Patron. I like this deal because it makes those losses instantly matter more now than they did at the time.

He says ACH has no attitude, charisma, or heart and he’s squandered every opportunity he’s had. He grabs a Bic lighter and threatens to burn ACH’s shirt. ACH runs down, and has one of the best logos of any wrestler out there. He sends them packing in a fairly non-violent way over the top and gets a streamer display. ACH says that ACH is a brand that fans trust and that The Decade can’t slow down. ACH says he and Page were given the same chances, but Page passed on them to join The Decade and he took the chances. He had a chance to leave, but chose to stay because he loves it here. Whitmer tosses Page in and they go toe to toe for an impromptu match.

ACH vs. Adam Page

ACH dropkicks him down. BJ distracts ACH and Page gets a big lariat for 2.5. ACH sends him into the corner after countering a an Alabama Slam and sends Page down to the mat after he goes up top. ACH goes up, but BJ distracts him on the apron. Page picks him up off the top rope and gets the Omori Driver for the win. ACH is beaten down, but saved by Matt Sydal. Kevin says that this could be The Addiction last ride, so the main event is up next.

Clips of various New Japan shows and last year’s Global Wars shows air to hype up this year’s events. Clips of Elgin talking about War Machine a few weeks ago are shown and he says he has partners – the Killer Elite Squad. Corino says that he had coffee with Daniels and he asked him what they’d do if they didn’t win the titles, and he says he didn’t quite know. ReDRagon comes out and they also have a nice logo – these things result in ROH having some of the best shirts out there. Kevin Kelly says that if needed, they have standby matches ready if they’re needed. Bobby Cruise handles the big match introduction for each team, we get a tale of the tape, and a nice staredown before a break that includes Truth Martini talking about the importance of Super Beta Prostate.

 

The Addiction vs. reDRagon for the ROH World Tag Team Titles

Daniels and O’Reilly engage in a collar and elbow tieup before Daniels is backed into a corner. Kelly talks about Fish’s right knee being braced. Daniels armdrags Kyle down and Kelly talks more about how the damage was furthered by the KRD and that could cost them tonight. Fish tags in and gets a snap suplex, but eats a double team kick to the chest and rabbit lariat. Kazarian gets a dropkick and a 2 count. Hiptoss into a neckbreaker gets 1 for Kazarian while Kelly talks about how Fish is clearly limping. Kyle locks on an armbar over the ropes and Fish tags him in officially.

Corino says that Kazarian has an injury there and it’s braced, and relaying advice that Tully Blanchard told him about not covering up something too much because it could become an instant target. Fish gets a tope con hilo ala Eddie Guerrero for 2. Fish sweeps the leg while standing on the floor and O’Reilly gets a running kick to the back and gets a 2 count.

Fish lands some kicks in the corner to the stomach and a running elbow. Fish goes for an exploder, but Kazarian counters and gets a tilt a whirl flapjack. Daniels comes in and runs wild with a back suplex and a combo DDT/Flatliner. Blue Thunder bomb to Fish gets 2. Daniels sits him up top and gets the Iconoclasm for 2. Koji clutch is on, but Kyle saves for an ad break.

Daniels gets a running forearm change and Kaz gets a spinkick for 2. Kaz grinds away on the neck while Kelly runs down the next two weeks of TV shows. Kaz gets a funky sunset flip for 2, but turns it into a kneebar before O’Reilly locks on an armbar that Daniels breaks up with a BME. Kyle comes in and battles Daniels, but eats a high kick from Kaz. Daniels accidentally clotheslines Kaz, and winds up in a flying armbar before putting Kaz in a legbar at the same time.

reDRagon gets a billion moves in the corner on the challengers before Daniels comes in for a brief flurry before being stopped by a double team DDT/wheelbarrow suplex for 2. Daniels gets an STO and flying reverse calf branding off the top. Kyle comes in and Kaz gets a cutter, giving Daniels a 2 count. Double team pop-up powerbomb/neckbreaker gets 2 for the challengers.

Daniels gets some punches, but Fish takes him down. Outside-in DDT from Kaz hits, but Kyle runs wild on both men with kicks. The crowd chants “this is wrestling” while Fish and Kaz duke it out. Kaz gets suplexed into the buckles while Daniels tosses Fish to the apron and he dives onto Kaz on the floor while a KRD member is shown. A KRD member comes in and superkicks Kyle and acts upset before Kaz tosses him to the floor. Celebrity Rehab hits and The Addiction wins!

Fish unmasks the KRD guy as Sabin before The Addiction hit the former champs with the titles, busting Kyle open and leading to some pixellation. The Addiction and Sabin hold up red KRD masks to pay off that angle quite nicely. Fish says that they were champions for nearly 700 days, and this was the only way they could take the titles off of them. This was a very good show, with the main event being an absolute must-watch affair.

For a gallery with every screenshot taken for the show, just click here.