ROH TV Recap (12/21): Final Battle Fallout, Decade Of Excellence Tournament Begins, 6 Man Main Event

By Leon Milici

Ring Of Honor TV
Episode #274
Taped At The 2300 Arena In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The show opens with a video recap of Kyle O' Reilly defeating Adam Cole and capturing the ROH World Championship at Final Battle.

We are now inside the infamous 2300 arena. Known in a past life as The ECW Arena. These are the tapings that took place after Final Battle on December 2nd. This show features the start of a "Decades of Excellence" tournament. Where the winner will become the #1 contender to the ROH Championship. On commentary for this show are Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness. Nigel making news recently by departing ROH to join the WWE in their expansion and new title division in the UK.

New ROH Champ Kyle O' Reilly heads to the ring to start off the show. Kyle gets a "You Deserve It" chant from the philly crowd. He celebrates the fact that he is now champion. Says that the ROH title is the symbol for being the best, and that he is now the best wrestler on the planet. Kyle promises to defend the title with honor and integrity, just like Nigel McGuinness, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe did. Kyle says that after 11 hard years. That no one can take this moment away from him.

Adam Cole's music hits and he enters the stage. He tells O'Reilly, that he shouldn't be celebrating. That he should be apologizing. Cole says that he prepared for weeks to beat O'Reilly in a standard wrestling match. He is upset that it was changed to a street fight. States that as the reason he lost the title. Cole walks towards the ring with mic in hand. Calls O'Reilly's victory luck while the crowd chants "you tapped out".

Dalton Castle has arrived and joins the scene. He makes fun of Adam Cole's whining. He congratulates O'Reilly for becoming champion. Dalton wants to throw his peacock feathers into the world title picture. He calls himself a very dangerous man in the ring. Dalton brings up the fact that he pinned Adam Cole when he was world champion. Dalton says he has done the math, and that because he has a relative who is a math teacher. That it makes him half math teacher. He says his victory over Cole puts him in line for a shot at the ROH Championship.

Bobby Fish has now arrived on the scene. Fish heads to the ring to join O'Reilly and Castle. Bobby compliments his "brother" O'Reilly for living up to his promises and beating Adam Cole. He then throws his name into the conversation for a shot at the ROH Championship. An angry Adam Cole tells all 3 men in the ring. That he doesn't care what they think, and he doesn't care what the fans in attendance or watching on tv think. Cole promises to become a 3 time ROH Champion. As Cole starts to leave the ringside area. Kyle O'Reilly closes the segment by stating that he will die for his title. Wishes anyone good luck in trying to take it away from him.

Kevin Kelly at ringside hypes up The ROH Decades of Excellence tournament. Where the winner will get a shot at The ROH Championship on March 10th in Las Vegas. At ROH's 15th anniversary pay-per-view show. The concept is simple. Eight stars who debuted in Ring of Honor over a decade ago compete in the first-ever Decade of Excellence Tournament. It's kind of like a reward for the wrestlers who have been with ROH on and off in the last decade.

The tournament bracket appears on screen. This tv show will feature a 1st round match between Christopher Daniels and Mark Briscoe. The winner of that match will go on to face the winner between Colt Cabana and Chris Sabin. In the other part of the bracket. Jay Lethal will face Jushin Thunder Liger, and Jay Briscoe will battle BJ Whitmer. All the tournament matches will air on Ring of Honor television.

At the time of this taping, Nigel McGuinness was the storyline matchmaker for ROH. He is here at ringside on commentary with Kevin Kelly. He announces that he is changing tonight's original main event. That Adam Cole and The Young Bucks will now team against Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish and Dalton Castle.

Decade Of Excellence Tournament- 1st Round Match
Christopher Daniels w/Frankie Kazarian vs. Mark Briscoe

Two taped promos from each man air prior to this match. Christopher Daniels talks about being an ROH original, and how he wants to become ROH Champion. Mark Briscoe says "to hell with 10 years". That he has been with ROH for 15 years since 2002. He credits Daniels as someone who gave him guidance, and took him under his tutelage. Briscoe says that he is looking forward to fighting him in the tournament.

Both Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness put over Daniels and Briscoe's history in the company. Nigel talks about how much he was inspired by Daniels when he first came to ROH. How he watched everyone of his matches.

Evenly contested match between Daniels and Briscoe early on. A lot of mat wrestling. Mark introduces some of his signature "Redneck Kung Fu" offense into the match. Briscoe starts to beat down on Daniels in the corner. He gets the Philly crowd to count down his strikes in Spanish.

Kazarian gets involved by distracting Mark Briscoe. This helps Daniels get back in control of the match. He hits Briscoe with an STO as the show goes to break.... When the show returns, Daniels is still in control. He goes for his signature fallen angel moonsault but Briscoe counters by bringing up his knees at the last second. Both men end up taking each other down with double clotheslines.... With a break in the action, Kevin Kelly recaps the Briscoes-Young Bucks match at Final Battle. He even mentions the surprise video appearance at the end of the match, but does not mention "Broken" Matt Hardy by name.

Meanwhile both men are back up now. Mark Briscoe hits a flurry of offensive moves on Daniels. A Urinagi, running dropkick, flying chop and a mule kick. He covers Daniels and gets a near fall on him. Daniels battles back, hits a blue thunder bomb, and then follows that up with a springboard moonsault. That nets Daniels a close fall on Briscoe. Christopher Daniels then attempts "The Best Moonsault Ever" but Briscoe gets out of the way. Both men start brawling and head to the outside of the ring. Mark Briscoe gets the better of Daniels and knocks him down. He then heads to the ring apron and in Cactus Jack fashion. Leaps off with a bang bang and lands an elbow drop on Daniels.

The battle now continues inside the ring. Mark Briscoe hits the death valley driver as a set up to his "Froggie Bow" elbow drop. He leaps from the top but Daniels moves out of the way. Christopher picks up a fallen Mark and hits the angel's wings on him. Daniels covers Briscoe and pins him for the victory.

Christopher Daniels defeats Mark Briscoe by pinfall to advance to the next round of The Decade of Excellence Tournament

Christopher Daniels and Mark Briscoe shake hands after the match.

Caprice Coleman w/The Rebellion vs. Lio Rush

The former Cabinet takes the mic prior to this match. They are protesting ROH and have an open invitation to anyone who wants to join The Rebellion. Kenny King says that their group wants Lio Rush to see things their way and join them. Lio takes the mic away from Kenny King. He tells The Rebellion that they don't know who he is. That they wouldn't know him, even if Wikipedia bit them in the butt. Rush says that he stands for honor and integrity. Caprice Coleman takes the mic and says that he now understands why no one ever gives Lio Rush a microphone. Caprice tells Lio that he misjudged him. That Lio Rush is simply a wrestler that will use Ring of Honor to gain fame and then leave, the first chance he gets. Caprice then goes on a comical rant about being arrested and then escaping from jail. How someone left the door open and how he has now returned to the 2300 arena to beat up Lio Rush. How Lio is going to end up being mad at the guy who left the gate open.

Blink and you will have missed this match. Within just a minute, Lio Rush rolls up and pins Caprice Coleman.

Lio Rush defeats Caprice Coleman by pinfall

Rhett Titus and Kenny King immediately run into the ring and attack Lio Rush. The Rebellion beats him down. Jay White and Donovan Dijak run out to make the save. The Rebellion then escapes from the ring.

A promo airs by The Kingdom. They talk about becoming the first ever ROH Six Man Champions. They brag about their victory and put the company on notice.

Ring Of Honor TV Main Event
The Bullet Club (Adam Cole & The Young Bucks) vs. Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish & Dalton Castle w/The Boys

As the Bullet Club makes their way to the ring. Kevin Kelly once again brings up the "pirated video" that aired after the Bucks match at Final Battle. Says that the video was delivered by a "very broken individual"... Once again not naming Matt Hardy on TV yet..... Nigel McGuinness talks about the recent ROH tour in London and how Dalton Castle hit it off with his mother. How Castle was very popular with her.

An all out brawl to start this six man match. The action heads to the outside and ends up with Kyle O'Reilly standing strong. Flying off the apron with a high knee on Adam Cole.

O'Reilly traps Cole in a submission hold using the ring ropes. The Young Bucks come to Cole's rescue with a double superkick on Kyle. They then invite Castle and Fish to a superkick party.

The Bullet Club now sets up in ring with their terminator spot. An homage to their Bullet Club brother Kenny Omega. Cole and The Bucks leap onto their opponents with suicide dives. They then triple apron power bomb Castle, O'Reilly and Fish. Adam Cole brings O'Reilly into the ring and goes to work on him. He puts O'Reilly in a camel clutch. The Bucks run full speed and pretend to be setting up double kicks to O'Reilly's head, but instead they kiss Adam Cole.

Back from the last commercial break. The Club is still in control. Just as O'Reilly begins to rally and looks to make a tag to his partners. They are knocked off their apron and wiped out by Adam Cole and Matt Jackson. Cole and Jackson mockingly offer to tag in from O'Reilly's corner. Kyle gets triple teamed now by The Bullet Club. Gets hit with several assisted superkicks. Then Nick Jackson leaps off the top rope onto O'Reilly, who is being held up by Cole and Matt Jackson. Despite all the damage that O'Reilly has taken. He is able to kick out of the Young Bucks pin attempts. Kyle fights back and tags in Dalton Castle. Castle hits consecutive german suplexes on Cole and The Bucks. O'Reilly and Fish join him in hitting a triple german suplex simultaneously on The Bullet Club.

Final moments of the match.... All 6 men are involved in a frantic finish. Lightning quick sequences between The Bucks and RedDragon. While Castle and Cole battle to the outside. The Bucks win the exchange with O'Reilly and Fish. Nick Jackson attempts to leap onto a fallen O'Reilly but gets caught in a triangle choke submission. Adam Cole tries to make the save for Nick but he is intercepted by Bobby Fish. Matt Jackson attempts to save his brother from the triangle choke but Castle intercepts him. Dalton hits the Bang A Rang on Matt. Nick Jackson can't escape O'Reilly's grasp and is forced to tap out.

Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish & Dalton Castle defeat Adam Cole & The Young Bucks

The winning team here celebrates their victory in ring. As the show comes to an end. Kevin Kelly hypes next week's show. Which will be a Best of 2016 show, that will feature highlights from ROH's Reach for The Sky tour in London earlier this year.

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