100 Percent Fordified: Ring of Honor 11th Anniversary Show

Chicago Ridge, IL – 3.2.2013

Championship Rundown
ROH World Champion: Kevin Steen
ROH Television Champion: Adam Cole
ROH World Tag Team Champions: The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe)

Commentary is provided by Kevin Kelly and Caleb Seltzer.

ACH vs. Silas Young vs. QT Marshall vs. Tadarius Thomas vs. Adam Page vs. Mike Sydal

Barrister RD Evans is in Marshall’s corner. ACH and Page go back and forth to start. ACH takes him down with a headscissors. Thomas tags in and gives Page a Death Valley Driver onto ACH’s knees. Young sends ACH to the floor. Thomas throws some kicks before also being sent out. Sydal O’Conner rolls Young for two. He kicks Young in the head after blocking the Pee Gee Waja Plunge. Marshall attacks Sydal as well as Page on the apron. ACH gives Marshall a Frankensteiner. Thomas kicks Marshall into double knees from Sydal. Page does a standing shooting star press off the apron and onto Marshall. ACH dropkicks Young to the floor. Evans trips ACH to stop a potential dive. Thomas hits a Sasuke Special onto Marshall, Young, and Page. Sydal moonsaults on to all of them. ACH baseball slide dropkicks Evans before hitting Air Jordan. Young suplexes Evans onto everybody! In the ring ACH hits an Ace Crusher on Marshall. Marshall then kicks him off the top rope. Marshall kicks Page’s hurt hand before giving him a waterwheel slam. Thomas drops him with the Slingblade. Sydal breaks the cover. He gets two on Thomas with a standing moonsault. Young rolls through Sydal’s crossbody attempt. Hemisses the Pee Gee Waja Plunge. ACH catches him with the Cram for the Exam for the pin at 7:02. This was a hot, fun, crazy opening match in which everybody got a moment to show off. I am beyond thrilled ACH was the one to get the win as he and Thomas have the most upside of the competitors involved. Young and Page should be ROH regulars by now also. **¾

Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander vs. S.C.U.M. (Steve Corino & Jimmy Jacobs)

Coleman and Alexander attack S.C.U.M. right away. Alexander and Corino fight on the floor. Coleman moonsaults on to Corino. Jacobs misses a baseball slide. Alexander tope con hilo’s onto S.C.U.M. Jacobs takes a Total Elimination variant back in the ring. A leg drop Hart Attack gets them a two count on Corino. Corino takes two back-to-back slingshot sentons. He baits Coleman into a boot. Jacobs tags in and is caught with a spinebuster. He is then sent into a forearm and a springboard elbow drop from Alexander. Corino clotheslines Coleman from the apron after he misses an elbow. This allows S.C.U.M. to take control of him in their corner. Coleman escapes when he drops Corino with a snapmare driver. Alexander comes in with a springboard clothesline to Jacobs. He follows with a kick to the side of the head and the IED. He gets two with a backbreaker. Coleman fights off both members of S.C.U.M. Coleman and Alexander give them double Northern Lights suplexes. Jacobs spears Coleman on the apron while Corino turns Alexander inside out with a clothesline. Corino helps Jacobs out with a standing Contra Code on Alexander. Corino’s Sliding D only earns a two count. Alexander gets two on Jacobs with a top rope leg drop. C&C go for Overtime. Coleman pulls off the Frankensteiner but Jacobs gets his knees up to block Alexander’s moonsault. He takes out Coleman with a loaded punch. S.C.U.M put Alexander away with a spike piledriver at 8:33. I see a lot of mileage in C&C so it is a little disappointing to see them lose. Then again, they put in a solid effort and got to look really formidable even in a loss. I hope to see them with the belts sooner rather than later. Jacobs and Corino winning via nefarious means is also played out at this point. **¾

No Holds Barred
BJ Whitmer vs. Charlie Haas

Haas tries to jump Whitmer in the aisle, but Whitmer comes out prepared. He sends Haas into the barricades a few times before bringing him into the ring. He utilizes a trash can to do damage to Haas’ head. He jabs Haas in the stomach and crotch with a ladder. Whitmer then hits the ladder with a steel chair into Haas’ groin. He props up a ladder between the ring apron and barricades. Haas attacks and backdrops Whitmer onto the barricade. Haas then does some damage to Whitmer’s back with the ladder. He then sends Whitmer face first into the ladder in the corner. Cheeseburger, the student Haas assaulted at “Honor vs. Evil” comes out to distract Haas. After that, Haas and Whitmer trade shots to the head with baking sheets. Haas wins the exchange by clobbering Whitmer with a trash can lid and putting him through the previously positioned table via belly-to-belly suplex. He’s unable to get the pin when bringing Whitmer back in. This causes Haas to place the ladder onto Whitmer and repeatedly wallop him with a chair. He sends Whitmer head first into a chair set up in the corner. He then brings a table into the ring, looking to suplex him off the top rope through it, just like he did at “Final Battle 2012.” He does it, but thankfully the landing is on his back instead of his head. Whitmer kicks out. Haas props up a ladder on top of two chairs. He goes for the Olympic Slam. Whitmer blocks and gives Haas and exploder suplex onto it! Haas kicks out. Whitmer drives his knee into Haas’ head until the referee calls for the match at 12:03, giving Whitmer the win via ref stoppage. They used the weapons effectively but something didn’t feel right. It seemed like Whitmer came back too easily after being worked over so viciously and for a somewhat lengthy period. Considering this was the final match between these two, it fell short of expectations and had a pretty weak finish. I mean seriously, a ref stoppage in a No Holds Barred match? Whatever. **½

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov)

The former No Remorse Corps members (Richards and Romero) start off. Romero hits a dropkick before a little dancing occurs. Richards leans back to kick him in the shoulder, ending with a hip swivel. A Lucha exchange ends with Richards hitting his own dropkick. Romero begs for forgiveness to block a charge. Romero tries baiting him into a kick but Richards is smart enough to see it come. The Wolves light him up with strikes. Koslov runs and falls victim to an atomic drop and chest kick. The Hooligans get sent to the apron, kicked off, then followed with suicide dives. Edwards takes over on Romero. Romero rakes his eyes and tags out. Koslov gets his knee kicked out and eats a chest kick for two. Romero kicks Edwards from the apron. Koslov holds him over his knees so Romero can come in with a springboard knee strike. Romero takes out Richards on the floor so he and Koslov can wear Edwards down. Edwards is able to escape by powerbombing Romero onto Koslov. Richards comes in with a top rope dropkick to Koslov. They kick each other in the face. Richards hits the Damage Reflex for two. Koslov misses a corner clothesline. Richards locks Romero up and Northern Lights suplexes Koslov for another two count. He has the same result with a German suplex. Koslov reponds with an enzuigiri. A few kicks and a stomp to the face gets Koslov two. He throws Romero boots fdirst into Richards in the corner. Romero gives him a top rope knee strike across Koslov’s knee. Edwards breaks the pin. Edwards slips out of some tandem offense. He knocks down Romero and superkicks Koslov. Edwards gives him a Code Breaker. He superkicks Koslov into Richards’ tombstone piledriver for two. Edwards and Richards both come off the top with double stomps to Koslov. Romero makes the save and is then sent back out. He crotches Richards on the top rope while Koslov tilt-a-whirl DDT’s Edwards. Romero gives Richards a skyscraper Frankensteiner off of Koslov’s shoulders, only for Koslov to follow with a frogsplash. Richards kicks out. Koslov takes the Alarm Clock. Richards kicks Romero from the apron. Edwards and him give Koslov a powerbomb/flying back cracker combo for the pin at 15:40. This was certainly a fun match given it’s novelty and the competitors, but this certainly didn’t reach the premium pedestal one would expect to put it on. Sure, it was competent and the ending stretch was great, but it never really reached a dream match or “must see” level I think people wanted and anticipated. Richards and Romero didn’t even have the amount of tension or interaction given how much they built up their history before this contest. This was an above average tag encounter but nothing really memorable. ***½

2 out of 3 Falls
Michael Elgin vs. Roderick Strong

Strong puts on a wristlock. Elgin reverses and the pressure causes Strong to grab the ropes. A shoving match ends with Strong delivering a jumping knee and some forearm strikes. Elgin blasts him with a Backfist before hitting the Buckle Bomb. The Revolution Bomb puts Strong down at 2:00, giving Elgin the first fall. The second fall begins with Elgin punching Strong around ringside. He sends Strong shoulder first into the barricades. Strong fails to powerbomb him off the apron. He does however suplex Elgin onto the floor. Strong works over Elgin’s midsection and back in the ring. Strong sends him to the corner with a leg lariat after being punched. Elgin uranage’s Strong out of the corner. He comes off the top with a shoulder tackle. He hits the Boss Man Slam for two, then applies a crossface. After a short exchange, Elgin gives him a torture rack backbreaker for two. Strong fights out of a Buckle Bomb. After some shots in the corner Strong gives Elgin a half-nelson suplex. Strong rolls him into a superkick. Elgin boots him out of the corner. Strong gives him a backbreaker on the top rope. The Orange Crush Backbreaker evens up the bout at one fall each at 11:27. Strong throws a bunch of knees in the corner before hitting Death by Roderick for two. Strong goes for a crucifix pin. Elgin rolls him up into a corner Death Valley Driver. Elgin elbows Strong off the top. He grazes Strong with the tumbleweed senton for two. Elgin has the same result with a pair of German suplexes. He tries deadlifting him in from the apron for a suplex. Instead Strong carries him out for a powerbomb. Elgin lifts him up for a powerbomb and gets two. He reapplies the Crossface. Strong taps out at 15:34, making Elgin the winner two falls to one. Oddly enough I thought the Final Battle match was better, even with a not so great finish. The crowd wasn’t nearly as receptive here as they were in that match and the quick first fall made the finish fairly obvious. I was hoping Elgin would look like more of a monster but was more so portrayed as someone rising to Strong’s level after that initial fall. Both guys can do better. ***

ROH Television Championship
Adam Cole vs. Matt Taven

Truth Martini is in Taven’s corner. Matt Hardy is on commentary, and reminds us that he will face Adam Cole tomorrow night for the TV title after this “afterthought of a match.” Taven wastes some time on the floor when Cole gets the best of him. Cole gives him a Manhattan Drop and a neckbreaker when he comes back in. Taven sends him to the apron. Martini distracts Cole so Taven can dropkick him to the floor. Taven looks for a suicide dive but gets caught with an enzuigiri. Martini stops Cole’s springboard move and Taven clotheslines him back to the floor. Cole shoots him into the barricades. He chases Martini, baiting him into a spinwheel kick from Taven. Back in the ring Taven gets two with a backbreaker. He follows up with a twisting second rope senton. He gets two with an enzuigiri. Cole mounts a comeback. He gives Taven a Death Valley neckbreaker over his knee for two. Taven snaps Cole’s neck across the top rope. He comes off the top but gets caught mid-air with a dropkick. Cole goes for a brainbuster. Taven blocks it with a neckbreaker for two. Cole drives him into the canvas with a sunset bomb. After a German suplex he hits a Shining Wizard for two. Taven ducks a second Shining Wizard. He then hits a springboard enzuigiri for two. Cole wipes out Taven on the apron with a slingshot DDT! He misses a high crossbody. Cole manages to recover and applies a figure four leg lock. Taven gets the ropes. With Martini’s help he gets in an O’Conner Roll for two. Cole breaks a waistlock and hits an enzuigiri. Martini cracks Cole in the back with the Book of Truth. Taven then drops him with an Arm Trap Headlock Driver for the win and the title at 13:34. Nobody was expecting this victory which made it a little sweeter. Taven does not have the crowd’s attention yet, and I don’t think giving him the belt is really going to elevate him, but I’m willing to see if he’s capable to rise to the occasion. Matt Hardy’s shocked reaction is awesome. The match was well worked and I hope this means Cole will now be pushed into the upper echelon. ***

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish)

Mark ducks O’Reilly’s kick, leapfrogs over him and nails a spinwheel kick. Fish backs Jay to the corner. Jay blocks a boot and throws some jabs. He knocks Fish down with a running boot. Mark gives him a fist drop. The Briscoes pummel Fish in the corner. Mark gets two with a brainbuster. He tries out some Redneck Kung-Fu. Fish knocks him down with a chest kick. reDRagon throw some double team offense Mark’s way. Fish hyperextends Jay leg on the floor and shoves Mark into the barricades. reDRagon target Jay’s hurt leg while Mark recovers and waits on the apron. O’Reilly boots Mark to the apron. O’Reilly goes to dropkick Jay into the barricades. Jay catches him mid-air with a clothesline. Mark dropkicks Fish through the ropes. Jay tags Mark in. He throws Redneck Kung-Fu at Fish. O’Reilly gets a taste when he comes into the ring. Mark gives Fish a fisherman’s buster. He catches O’Reilly with a rolling Death Valley Driver and Fish with an exploder and half-nelson suplex for two. Mark brings Fish off the top with a modified Iconoclasm. Jay gives him a frog splash for two. Fish sends Mark tot he apron and O’Reilly dropkicks him off. reDRagon give Jay a Total Elimination for two. Mark shoves Fish off the top rope. The Briscoes give O’Reilly the Doomsday Device onto the floor! Jay does the deal on Fish with a Falcon Arrow. Mark’s Froggy Bow only gets a two count. O’Reilly and Mark fight on the apron. Fish suplexes Mark to the floor! Jay hooks O’Reilly for a super Jay Driller. Fish puts him on his shoulders and O’Reilly hits the Doomsday Device. Jay kicks out. Chasing the Dragon puts Jay away at 15:13, making reDRagon the new tag team champions! I’m really happy that the belts changed hands here, as I never thought the Briscoes needed the belts again. Simply put, reDRagon got a chance to out wrestle the best team in the company and really establish themselves. I hope they get a worthwhile reign and a chance to showcase their personalities. ***½

ROH World Championship
Kevin Steen vs. Jay Lethal

The Code of Honor is waived as we start with punches thrown by both parties. The fight spills out to the floor. Both guys send each other back first into the barricades. Lethal drop toe holds Steen on the middle rope and dropkicks him from the floor. He gets a nearfall with another dropkick back in the ring. He dropkicks Steen off the apron and follows with a suicide dive. Steen powerbombs Lethal onto the ring frame. He delivers a senton splash for two. Lethal throws some strikes but gets caught with a DDT. Steen goes for a Swanton. Lethal gets his knees up to block. Lethal follows that up with a back cracker. Steen gives him a neckbreaker across his knee. He misses a Cannonball Senton. Lethal suplexes him into a neckbreaker for two. Steen sets up for the F-Cinq. He accidentally knocks referee Todd Sinclair down. He releases Lethal when he notices. Lethal hits the Lethal Injection. Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino run in to attack Lethal. They give him a spike piledriver. Corino places Steen on top of Lethal. Lethal kicks out, so Jacobs drops an elbow on the referee. Nigel McGuinness runs out to stand up to Corino. After they go to the back, Jacobs tries to attack Lethal. Lethal enzuigiri’s him to the floor. Steen and Lethal engage in another slugfest. Steen takes two Dragon suplexes and still kicks out. Steen powerbombs him for two. Lethal superkicks Steen five times in the corner. He hits the Lethal Combination. Hail to the King only gets a two count, so he puts on a Koji Clutch. Steen gets the ropes and to the apron. Lethal follows up and ends up taking hte F-Cinq through the timekeeper’s table! Jimmy Jacobs grabs Lethal’s leg to try and get him counted out. Lethal makes it back in. Steen gives him the Package Piledriver right away. Lethal kicks out! Jacobs gets on the apron. Steen tells him to go away. Lethal shoves Steen into Jacobs for an O’Conner Roll. Lethal’s superkick and Steen’s clothesline bring both men down. They fight up to the top rope. Steen crotches Lethal and brings him down with the top rope brainbuster! That’s enough for Steen to retain the title at 20:47. If Steen adds that move to his repertoire I’d be more than happy. Anytime someone “Mega Man’s” a former rivals move I dig it. I thought the story of S.C.U.M. perpetually trying to help Steen was great; it made Lethal look like a fighting challenger and got the crowd more into the bout. It’s an occasion where the storytelling benefited the match rather than overtake or harm it. By far the best match on the show and a great way to showcase Lethal’s new attitude and that Steen has turned a new leaf as he previously stated on the TV show. ****

Rhino spears Lethal right after the match. Jacobs joins in. The Briscoes come out to save him. They get taken out, so Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander make their way out. From the crowd Jimmy Rave of all people runs in with a S.C.U.M. shirt on! He sends Coleman and Alexander out. BJ Whitmer and Rhett Titus come out. Whitmer starts fighting Rave, then Titus takes him out. He reveals that he too is a member of S.C.U.M. Michael Elgin disposes of Jacobs. Cliff Compton runs in from the crowd and throws powder into Elgin’s face! S.C.U.M.’s number grows by one more. Steen looks on with title in hand. Elgin gets handcuffed to the ropes which brings out the American Wolves. Mark Briscoe has also been tied to the ropes. The Wolves taken care of. Adam Cole lends a hand. Matt Hardy comes out to attack Cole. What we think is just an attack of a rival turns out to be a little more than that – Hardy has also joined up with S.C.U.M. With the newest incarnation of S.C.U.M. standing tall, Corino informs the ROH crowd that evil is here. Jimmy Jacobs stabs and S.C.U.M. rip apart an ROH banner in the middle of the ring, throwing it on top of Lethal. Corino declares war has been declared and that Honor has died tonight. As everyone in S.C.U.M. poses mid-ring, Steen looks on from the side confused and possibly conflicted.

The 411: The biggest thing this show has going for it is the main event and some historical context: celebrating it's 11th year, two title changes, and the beginning of the big overarching angle for the rest of the year. The card by and large is solid delivering where you'd expect and falling short in other cases, but not short enough to take away much from the bigger picture. You might expect better from such a big show, though I still give it a slight recommendation. You can pick up this DVD from Ring of Honor's store. You can check out all of my ROH, DGUSA, and other reviews over at the 100% Fordified blog. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well!

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]