Tuesday, February 4, 2014

ROH Charm City Challenge Review

A surprise World Title Match highlights ROH's return to Baltimore!



ROH Charm City Challenge
Baltimore, Maryland 10/5/13

1.) Adam Page vs. Eddie Edwards: ***

This is probably Adam Page's biggest test to date as he takes on the former ROH World Champion. A very solid. Pretty much the perfect opener. Edwards gets the win and Page has a good showing.

2.) Four-Corner Survival - Tadarius Thomas vs. Antonio Thomas vs. Caprice Coleman vs. Roderick Strong: **3/4

A very random group of guys for a Four-Corner Survival. We also have two guys with the last name of Thomas. Pretty average for a Four-Corner Survival. Their were one or two rough points but other than that, it was fine. Roderick Strong picks up the win.

After the match, Veda Scott (who was on commentary for Four-Corner Survival) cuts a promo about how Steve Corino should be back at the Broadcast Table where he rightfully belongs, but the entrance of Outlaw Inc. scares Veda off...

3.) Outlaw Inc. (Homicide & Eddie Kingston) vs. BLK Out (Ruckus & BLK Jeez) : **1/2

The original opponents for Kingston & Homicide were the Monster Mafia of Josh Alexander & Ethan Page, but they had troubles at the Canadian/US Border and couldn't make it. BLK Out from CZW are their replacement. It was an ok match. I think they're familiarity with each other (Kinston's a former BLK Out member) helped, but when Kingston & Homicide went for their tag team finisher at the end, it was botched, and it looked bad. It was going fine until that moment. Hurt the match for me, personally.

Up next we have a special in-ring promo from ROH World Champion Adam Cole. He talks about how Jay Briscoe has been barred from ROH events until Jay is medically cleared, but is interrupted by Roderick Strong. He calls out Cole for being a coward during their Ringmaster's Challenge at Road To Greatness: Night 2, and also says that he and Cole are 3-3 in singles matches in ROH. He wants a World Title Shot tonight! Cole tells him to get in line, but Strong says he already went to Nigel McGuinness and the match has been made, but with a No DQ/No Count Out Stipulation so that Cole doesn't try to run away from a title defense. A brawl breaks out and it's quickly broken up.

4.) ROH World TV Title - Matt Taven (with Truth Martini) vs. Cedric Alexander: ***1/4

A pretty good World TV Title Match. Cedric has been really stepping up his singles games in ROH and elsewhere (PWX) and matches like this show that. The interference from the Hoopla Hotties and Truth Martini hurt the match for me. Despite that, the action was still good and it made for a fun match. Taven retains the TV Title.

5.) ACH vs. Kevin Steen: ****

This is a first time ever match. Basically the mini-story here is that Steen is really annoyed at ACH because he's always running his mouth and never shuts up. These two had a really entertaining match. I'd say it was better than the match they would go on to have two weeks later at PWG Matt Rushmore. Pretty fun match on the whole. Steen would eventually pick up the win.

6.) Trial Series Match #3 - Jimmy Jacobs vs. Michael Bennett (with Maria Kanellis): ***1/2

Jacobs comes into this match 1-1 in his Trial Series. I can't believe I'm saying this, but for the second show in a row, we have another great Michael Bennett match. He & Jacobs worked really well and had a very good match here. Jacobs even stole one of Maria furry boot covers and put it on himself, calling back to his earlier "Huss!" days in Ring of Honor. In the end, Bennett would pick up the win, putting Jacobs in the hole at 1-2.

7.) ROH World Tag Team Titles - reDRagon vs. "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin & Jay Lethal: ***3/4

Caprice Coleman is out on commentary, and I should say that he was quite entertaining. He also did a great job of putting over the story of he & Cedric trying to get "one clean shot" at reDRagon. Kind of random that two singles guys are getting a World Tag Team Title Shot, but since these four are on opposing sides for the upcoming Champions vs. All-Stars Match, it makes sense. A very solid title match. It was slow at the start, but it picked up to the point where it got very good (actually, the match got better any time Elgin was in the ring). Fine stuff here. Outlaw Inc. was also out in the crowd watching the match, taunting reDRagon at various points. Despite this distraction, Fish & O'Reilly retained their titles.

8.) ROH World Title - No DQ, No Count Out - Adam Cole vs. Roderick Strong: ****1/4

Kevin Steen is out on commentary. Yay! I'd have to say that out of all the matches these two have had, both in 2012 & 2013, this was probably their best match. Really good stuff here. Cole took a massive amount of punishment but never succumbed to defeat. Both guys really hit each other with a lot of hard hitting stuff. I wish they would have played the up the No DQ Stipulation a bit more, but what they did worked very well. Adam Cole would eventually pick up the win and retains his World Title for the second time in the span of one week.

After the match, Steen left the commentary table to confront Cole, but Michael Bennett came out and the two beat down Steen until Michael Elgin came out for the save to close the show.

Overall: 8.25/10

This was a really good show. I think it's one that snuck up on a lot of people and proved to be one of more entertaining live events of the year. The first half was decent, but the second half really lifted this one up to a higher. Cole/Strong had a great World Title Match, Steen/ACH was a lot of fun, the World Tag Team Title Match was pretty much what you'd expect (given the guys involved), and the Bennett/Jacobs match, I think, surpassed most people's expectations. A great show overall.

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