Ring of Honor Wrestling on Sinclair
April 11, 2015
Redwood City, California
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Adam Cole
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
This week is a special “Supercard of Honor IX Showcase” edition of the show, highlighting the two main matches from the Supercard of Honor IX live event during Wrestlemania 31 weekend.
Ring of Honor Television Title: Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. “The First Generation Wrestler” Jay Lethal (c)
Code of Honor before the bell. Big reaction for Liger for his entrance. Liger takes Lethal down early with a headscissors. Lethal counters out into a side headlock, but Liger quickly with a pinning predicament for 2. Liger takes down Lethal again, applies a Rocking Horse, but Lethal gets underneath the ropes to force a break. Lethal goes outside to regroup. Back in, Lethal with a knee to the ribs and a series of back clubs. Lethal taunts the crowd, then hits a shoulder tackle. Lethal takes down Liger, but Liger uses his legs to spin Lethal over and down to the mat. Lethal then rolls outside to regroup again. Liger dares Lethal to get back in, then when Lethal does, Liger greets him with a knee to the ribs, a back club, a throat shot and a big chop. Lethal goes to run up the ropes for a crossbody, but Liger moves out of the way. Surfboard applied, then Liger adds a chinlock, but Lethal fights out of the hold. Lethal with a gut kick, then does the hiptoss & cartwheel, but Liger avoids the basement dropkick and wags his finger. Liger wraps up Lethal’s legs and applies a grounded Octopus. Lethal fights out, but Liger keeps the legs wrapped. Lethal tries to fight out, but Liger chops him down. Lethal finally slithers to the ropes to force a break. Another chop by Liger, but Lethal grabs the ropes and heads back outside to avoid Liger. Liger with a head of steam, but Lethal avoids a baseball slide and drives Liger into the barricade!
Lethal sends Liger face-first off the apron, then drives him again into the barricade. Back in, Lethal gets 2. Big chop by Lethal in the corner, followed by a jab. Lethal then chokes Liger with his boot. Liger fights back with palm strikes, but Lethal with a suplex for 2. Lifting Kondo Clutch applied by Lethal, then he breaks and hits a series of elbow drops for 2. Chinlock applied, crowd wills on Liger. Lethal then breaks and hits a leaping stomp. Back to the chinlock, crowd again wills on Liger, Liger gets to the ropes. Lethal sets up Liger and calls for Hail to the King, but delivers a snot rocket to Liger before he heads up top. Lethal goes for Hail to the King, but takes too much time. Lethal leaps off, but sees Liger getting his boots up and lands on his feet in mid-air. Lethal gets Liger to his feet, but Liger comes back with the Koppo Kick, both men down!
Strike exchange, then Lethal with a kick to the leg. Lethal goes for a powerbomb, but Liger counters it with an armdrag. Liger blocks an O’Connor Roll, but Lethal avoids the big palm strike. Liger blocks a Dragon, but Lethal blocks a German with a back elbow. Lethal calls for the Lethal Injection, but Liger goes off his blind side off the back handspring and hits the big palm strike! Running palm strike by Liger in the corner, then he heads up top with Lethal. Super Rana by Liger for a close 2. Liger heads up top and goes for a big splash, but Lethal gets his knees up! Inside cradle by Lethal for 2. Lethal Combination by Lethal for a close 2. Lethal is getting frustrated. Lethal heads up top and goes again for Hail to the King, but Liger rolls outside to get out of harm’s way. Lethal with a head of steam and goes for a tope suicida, but Liger avoids it, BRAINBUSTER ON THE FLOOR!!!
Referee begins his 20 count as both men are still down. Both then just barely get back in at the count of 19. Liger goes for the Liger Bomb, but Lethal counters it and goes for a pin attempt using the ropes, but the referee stops his count, catching Lethal. Lethal grabs the TV Title belt and goes to hit Liger with it, but Liger avoids the belt shot and hits a gut shot. Liger grabs the belt and goes to hit Lethal with it, but the ref stops him. This distraction allows Lethal to superkick Liger in the back of the head!
LETHAL INJECTION!! 1-2-3!
Winner and STILL Ring of Honor Television Champion: “The First Generation Wrestler” Jay Lethal by pinfall (Lethal Injection)
Lethal celebrates his title retention afterward. Liger gets to his feet and they adhere to the Code of Honor again as Lethal leaves. Crowd then gives Liger an ovation as he leaves.
Main Event for the Ring of Honor World Title: “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe (c)
Dueling chants for both men during the pre-match intros. Code of Honor before the bell as they go nose-to-nose. Chain wrestling early, Joe takes down Jay, gets 2. More chain wrestling, stalemate. Jay with a big forearm and an uppercut. Series of forearms by Jay in the corner, but Joe responds with a big chop and a series of jabs. Jay avoids a corner charge, hits a big boot, but Joe pops right up and hits an enziguri! Strike exchange, Joe gains advantage with rapid-fire slaps and an uppercut. Joe off the ropes, but Jay catches him with a dropkick. More uppercuts by Jay, but Joe blocks a suplex. Forearm and a jab by Jay, then he is able to get Joe over and hit a suplex. More dueling chants by the crowd. Jay peppers Joe with more jabs, then takes him down and applies a chinlock. Joe fights out and hits a series of forearms, but when he charges in, Jay pulls down the top rope and Joe’s leg gets caught in the ropes, injuring it. Joe rolls outside, Jay with a head of steam, but Joe catches him with a head kick! Back in, Joe with a series of chops and jabs to Jay in the corner. Running back elbow/enziguri combo by Joe in the corner. Snapmare, back chop, FK and a leg drop by Joe for 2, but he is continuing to favor his leg. Another strike exchange, Joe gains advantage with a spinning uppercut. Jay sent onto the apron, but hits a forearm. Jay goes to head up top, but Joe knocks him off with an enziguri. Joe with a head of steam, elbow suicida wipes out Jay!
Joe seats Jay in a chair against the barricade and sets himself up for the OLE Kick. Joe goes for it, but Jay THROWS THE CHAIR INTO JOE’S FACE!!! Jay with right hands and forearms, followed by a knee to the ribs and a big boot. Jay sends Joe into the barricade. Jay leaps off the apron, but Joe sweeps out his leg. Joe grabs Jay from the apron in powerbomb position and SWINGS HIM INTO THE BARRICADE!! Joe sends Jay into the barricade, then again seats him on a chair against the barricade. Joe charges in and this time hits Jay with the OLE Kick! Joe places Jay against another chair by the barricade and hits him with another OLE Kick! Back in, Joe gets a close 2. Joe with more jabs to Jay in the corner, then calls for the Muscle Buster. Joe sets up Jay for the Muscle Buster, but Jay blocks it. Joe with a headbutt, then goes for the Muscle Buster, but Jay slips out and hits the Hangman’s Neckbreaker, both men down.
Jay with right hands and jabs to Joe, then goes to lift him up, but Joe blocks it with a series of elbows. Headbutt by Joe, but Jay with a superkick, followed by a back suplex for 2. More uppercuts by Jay, then lifts up Joe, but Joe slips out and locks in the Kokina Clutch. Jay slips out by driving Joe into the corner. Joe misses a clothesline and Jay with a running forearm, followed by a rolling forearm for 2. Jay lifts up Joe and hits a Death Valley Driver for a close 2. Crowd wills on Joe. Jay goes for the Jay Driller, but Joe counters out with a back drop. Joe sweeps out Jay’s legs with a barrel roll, followed by a clothesline. Inverted atomic drop, big boot, back senton by Joe for another close 2. Joe goes for a powerbomb, but Jay blocks it. Jay with more forearms, but Joe catches him off the ropes with the snap slam for another close 2. Joe this time hits the powerbomb for 2, then quickly switches to his version of the Boston Crab. Joe switches to the STF, then locks Jay in a Crossface. Jay tries to reach the ropes, so Joe switches to a Fujiwara Armbar, but Jay gets his feet on the ropes to force a break. Jay fights back with more forearms, but then Joe with another round of rapid-fire slaps. Jay with another rolling forearm, but then Joe with another enziguri, both men down again!
“This is awesome” chants by the crowd. Strike exchange from their knees as they get back to their feet. Joe with more jabs, followed by a chest kick and a running knee to the chest. Jay avoids a corner charge, but Joe catches him off a charge with ST-Joe! Joe goes again for the Muscle Buster, but Jay fights it again. Joe tries again, but Jay goes onto the apron and hits a hot-shot!
Jay rolls Joe through a Sunset Flip attempt, JAY DRILLER!!! 1-2-3!
Winner and STILL Ring of Honor World Champion: Jay Briscoe by pinfall (Jay Driller)
Both men are still down afterward, then Jay finally gets to his feet as he celebrates his title retention. Joe then gets to his feet as the crowd chants “thank you Joe.” Both men adhere again to the Code of Honor and embrace in the center of the ring in a sign of mutual respect. Joe raises Jay’s hand, then presents him with the Ring of Honor World Title belt. They embrace again as the crowd chants “ROH” to close the show.