Siblings often have the best battles. The competition between kin brings a unique heat that can rarely be duplicated. Tonight on ROH Best in the World, two brothers clash for the penultimate belt. The ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe battles brother and former tag partner Mark Briscoe in the main event. Plus, Matt Hardy settles his score with Kevin Steen. All that and more tonight on ROH Best in the World!
We are live from Baltimore, Md. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino have the call for the first half of the show.
Match One: Mike Bennett (w/Maria Kanellis & “Brutal” Bob Evans) vs. BJ Whitmer
Match opens with a brawl. BJ Whitmer in control and he sends Mike Bennett outside. Suicide dive from Whitmer connects. Whitmer distracted by Evans and Bennett capitalizes by sending Whitmer into the apron. Clothesline from the apron by Bennett.
Back inside, Bennett sends Whitmer into the corner, but he crotches himself on the middle rope. Chop from Whitmer. Backbreaker from Whitmer gets a nearfall.
Bennett cornered and Whitmer stomping to hype himself up. Evans again gets involved. Bennett uses this to make some offense and gets a nearfall. Chops from Bennett followed by a suplex for a nearfall.
Sleeper in for Bennett. Bennett maintaining control with a dropkick. Whitmer now exploding with some offense. Powerslam in the middle of the ring. Running knee into a suplex combination gets Whitmer another nearfall.
Bennett gets bodydropped. Bob Evans attempts to get in the ring, but Whitmer sidesteps him. Exploder connects for Whitmer.
Winner by pinfall: BJ Whitmer
Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars
Match Two: Adrenaline RUSH vs. The American Wolves
Davey Richards starts with ACH. Chain wrestling leads to both men getting a few submissions in. Side headlock takeover from Richards. Both men kick and catch the kicks. The two men try to disengage with no issue and they do. Spinning back kick from Richards.
Eddie Edwards in with some brutal chops and mat work before Richards comes back in. ACH using his quickness to land a back elbow for a nearfall. Tadarius Thomas in and working. Both teams tagging out frequently to maintain control. Richards now working a leglock on Thomas. ACH tries to break it, which allows Edwards to come in and put extra torque on the hold. Thomas gets thrown by a German Suplex, but lands on his feet. Enzuigiri connects.
ACH and Edwards now in. ACH is on fire and he puts his team in firm control. American Wolves now working on a double team and they hit a superkick into a German Suplex combo for a nearfall. Richards roundhouses the chest of ACH over and over in the corner. Richards sits ACH up top, but ACH headbutts him away. Both teams exchanging offense. Richards now working on Thomas and hits a flying forearm splash in the corner. Suplex attempt leads to the men exchanging flying attacks to the outside.
Inside, after ACH clears out Edwards, he heads up top on a prone Richards. 450 Splash connects, but on the knees of Richards. Richards turns over the stiff ACH.
Winners by pinfall: The American Wolves
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Video package recaps the events that lead to this Adam Cole vs. Roderick Strong matchup.
Match Thee: Adam Cole vs. Roderick Strong
Lockup leads to a stalemate. Roderick Strong with the arm wrench and Adam Cole flips out into a wristlock and arm wrench of his own. Snapmare from Strong gets him a sleeper. Reset in the offense leads to another lockup. Monkey flip from Strong into a pinning position for a nearfall.
Cole takes control with some strikes, but Strong regains momentum and ties Cole in the tree of woe. Running splash into the abdomen of Cole. Chops from Strong and he is keeping Cole stationed on the mat. Unique backbreaker submission implemented by Strong. Schoolboy rollup for Strong gets a nearfall.
More of the signature chops from Strong. Neckbreaker from Cole gets a nearfall. Snap suplex into a pin for a nearfall by Cole. Cole now working the mat wit a sleeper hold. Strong fighting out with body shots. Strong sent outside after a snapping enzuigiri. Suicide dive puts Strong down outside.
Action back inside and Cole working the legs of Strong. Cole up top, but Strong meets him. Cole punches him away and tries a crossbody, but Strong with a huge dropkick counter that puts both men down. Both men working and Strong with a front suplex onto the top rope to get a nearfall.
Series of counters gets Cole an enzuigiri and a shining wizard for a close nearfall. Both men working for pins and Cole tries a Figure-Four Leglock. The hold is connected, but Strong works his way down to the bottom rope. Cole with a huge superkick and a shoulderbreaker for a close nearfall.
Strong on the apron and Cole looking to suplex him back in. Cole is pulled to the apron and both men start exchanging strikes. Strong with some brutal chops, but Cole with a superkick that puts Strong right through the table outside. Cole trying to help Strong back inside to continue the match, but Cole eventually just dumps him down with a smirk on his face. The referee’s count expires.
Winner by countout: Adam Cole
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Video package recaps the events that lead to this Michael Elgin vs. Tommaso Ciampa matchup.
Match Four: Michael Elgin vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Brawling start between the two leads to a stalemate. Lockup leads to the old-fashioned test of strength. Both men going at it with headbutts. Michael Elgin pounding away and he goes to a delayed vertical suplex on Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa reverses it into on of his own and brings Elgin down after a while. Elgin cornered, but he hits a sidewalk slam on Ciampa for a nearfall.
Crossface in for Elgin. Ciampa struggles and rolls Elgin over for a nearfall. Elgin looking for a suplex and he gets a delayed vertical suplex of his own that lasts a minute. Nearfall for Elgin.
Ciampa locks in a side headlock and elbows the back of the head. The two men exchanging strikes and counters. Clotheslines and strikes exchanged and it leads to both men clotheslining each other to the floor.
Chops being exchanged between the two. Elgin gets the advantage, but Ciampa picks him up and rams him into the barricade. Mat is ripped up and Ciampa attempts a suplex on the exposed floor, but nothing doing. Ciampa inside and he tries a suicide dive, but he runs into a forearm from Elgin. Elgin takes him and suplexes him onto the exposed floor.
Elgin inside and Ciampa gets to break the count. Elgin drags him back outside and powerbombs him into the barricade. Elgin up top and he hits a corkscrew senton for a nearfall. Kryptonite counter by Ciampa gets a nearfall.
Elgin cornered, but he gets an elbow up. Ciampa just fights through it with strikes and stomps. Elgin put up top and Ciampa puts him on his shoulders. Samoan Drop from the splash gets Ciampa a close nearfall.
Offense exchanged leads to Elgin getting a suplexslam for another nearfall. Ciampa on the apron and Elgin going up top. Spinning backfist from Elgin puts Ciampa on jelly legs. Deadlift suplex attempt misses and Ciampa hits a powerbomb. Yet another close nearfall.
Ciampa and Elgin on the apron. Kryptonite across the apron by Ciampa. Project Ciampa attempt inside misses. Elgin powerbomb gets countered into a triangle choke by Ciampa. Elgin powerbombs out and nails Ciampa with a lariat. Rainmaker lariat puts Ciampa down once again.
Winner by pinfall: Michael Elgin
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Post-match, RD Evans, who joined Kevin Kelly on commentary, brings out QT Marshall. QT Marshall comes out and looks to pick up the scraps, but both men come to beforehand to prevent any attack.
Video package details wrestlers picking between ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe and his brother Mark Briscoe in tonight’s main event.
We hit intermission to hype tonight’s main event.
Nigel McGuinness joins Kevin Kelly for the second half of the show.
Match Five for the ROH Television Championship: Matt Taven (c) (w/Truth Martini) vs. Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Matt Taven immediately takes it outside, taking out Jimmy Jacobs. Jay Lethal then tosses Taven into the barricade and works on Jimmy Jacobs. Running dropkick smashes the head of Jimmy Jacobs into the barricade. Taven gets his head smashed into the apron by Jacobs.
Action trickles back inside. Lethal working Taven from corner to corner. Huge chops from Lethal. Missile dropkick up top for Lethal connects. Death Valley Driver connects for Lethal for a nearfall.
Jimmy Jacobs inside and he sneaks up on Lethal. Hurricanrana from the top gets Jacobs a nearfall. Enzuigiril by Taven on Jacobs. Jacobs is Tiger Bombed on top of Lethal for a nearfall. Offense exchanged and Jacobs tosses Taven outside, but misses a flying attack. Nearfall inside for Taven
All three men have taken each other out. Three get up and strikes are ping-ponged back and forth. Jacobs takes Taven out with a DDT. Lethal then takes out Jacobs. Lethal with a huge neckbreaker on Taven and he heads up top. Flying elbow drop connects, but Jacobs breaks it up.
Jacobs goes for another reverse DDT, but Lethal throws him out. Missile dropkick on Taven outside. Action back inside and Truth Martini and the Hooplah Hotties getting involved. Lethal rips the top off of one, while the other gets Jacobs on her shoulders. She gets superkicked by Lethal. Taven sneaks up and gets a pin.
Winner by pinfall and still ROH Television Champion: Matt Taven
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Match Six for the ROH Tag Team Championships: reDRagon (c) vs. SCUM vs. C&C Wrestle Factory
C&C Wrestle Factory immediately goes after SCUM. reDRagon picking up the scraps. Both teams then double up on SCUM to send them outside. reDragon allows Cedric Alexander to take out SCUM with a flying attack, but then spinning back kick the stomach of Caprice Coleman. reDRagon soon sent out as SCUM reenters.
Action finally resettles and Rhett Titus working on Caprice Coleman inside. Titus holding the armbar on Coleman, then follows with a big boot. Cliff Compton tagged in and the two attempt to double team Caprice Coleman, but he nails both with a dropkick.
Cedric Alexander in and an all-out brawl between the three teams begins once again. C&C Wrestle Factory eliminate both teams with a double-team attack. Running dropkick on the cornered Kyle O’Reilly. Cedric Alexander with a brainbuster, but Bobby Fish runs in and punts the head of Alexander. Fish drapes the arm of O’Reilly over Alexander.
Winners by pinfall and still ROH Tag Team Champions: reDRagon
Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Video recap of what lead to Matt Hardy vs. Kevin Steen.
Steve Corino gives Matt Hardy his introduction. Kevin Steen requests that Nigel McGuinness make this match no-DQ. McGuinness agrees and we are rolling.
Match Seven: Kevin Steen vs. Matt Hardy
Brawling start between the two. Kevin Steen beating Matt Hardy down in the corner. Hardy pulls the referee in front of him and chop blocks the knee of Steen. Hardy working the leg. Steen turns the tide with a powerbomb.
Hardy moves outside and Steen follows. Huge chop across the chest of Hardy. Hardy tossed into the barricade. Steen unloads on Hardy with a crutch, then crotches him on the steel post. Steen again looking for offense, but Hardy yanks him back against the barricade and slams the head into the steel over and over.
Action moves inside. Steve Corino hands Hardy a trashcan and Hardy obligingly uses it. Steen fighting back with strikes, but Hardy turns it around with a neckbreaker. And another. Hardy goes for a moonsault, but lands on his stomach. Steen has Hardy cornered and he hits a cannonball splash. Steen lays the trashcan over Hardy and hits another cannonball or a nearfall.
Steen puts a table outside. Hardy up on his shoulders, but Rhett Titus makes his way in. Steen with the Tiger Bomb to put Titus down. Hardy hits Steen with two Side Effects. Action moves to the apron. Hardy looking to get the Side Effect through the table. Steen turns the tide and looks to get Hardy through the table, but Jimmy Jacobs moves the table. Powerbombs on Jacobs on the apron. Hardy gets the same treatment.
Cliff Compton comes from behind and obliterates Steen. Hardy now in control. Hardy rams a ladder into the face and back of Steen. Steen with a F-Sinq after a jawbreaker on the ladder, but only a nearfall.
Compton slides a chair in. Hardy sets them seat to seat. Twist of Fate across the chairs by Hardy.
Winner by pinfall: Matt Hardy
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
SCUM proceeds to beat down Kevin Steen post-match.
The Briscoe family is interviewed and the hype begins for our main event.
Match Eight for the ROH World Championship: Jay Briscoe (c) vs. Mark Briscoe
The match starts with no Code of Honor, as Jay refuses his brother’s handshake.
Lockup leads to a stalemate. Arm drag from Mark connects. Reset in the action gets us another lockup. Grappling exchange leads to Mark grabbing a front headlock. Jay disengages and the action once again resets. Northern Lights Suplex from Mark and Jay still struggling. Arm wrench is countered out of by Jay.
Both men still feeling each other out. Snapmare into a sleeper by Mark is countered into a front headlock by Jay. Both men looking to strike and grapple, but they know each other all too well.
Fireman’s carry slam from Mark is followed by an uppercut by Jay. Jay muscles Mark back into the corner. Lockup once again. Jay slung outside by Mark, who follows up with a baseball slide kick. Mark unloading with strikes and chops to his brother. Jay seated in a chair and Mark backs off, but Jay follows with a huge boot to the chin. Jay looks to bring more offense on the outside, but Mark with a suplex across the apron.
Inside, Mark looking to unleash his signature “Redneck Kung Fu.” Jay using a standard boxing attack to keep his brother away. Jay takes control with strikes. Backdrop by Jay, but Mark lands on his feet. Jay follows with a cracking superkick and a discus forearm. Mark sent into the corner and he flies over to the apron. Mark heads up top, but Jay ducks the attack and is able to land an STO on the second turnbuckle. Jay up top, but Mark gets him down. Jay goes for another superkick, but Mark nails an enzuigiri. Vertical suplex followed by a side suplex for Mark earns a nearfall.
Jay moves outside to regroup. Mark follows and the two have a strange moment where they help each other put up a table. Mark heads to the opposite side and the two begin to slug it out.
Action moves inside. Jay with a big boot and a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Jay in the driver’s seat. Jay Driller blocked by Mark, as he sits down. Discus forearm is ducked out of by Mark for an Exploder. Mule kick lands. Jay put up top and Mark arm drags him down for a nearfall.
Jay put on the apron. The two slug it out and Jay gets put down on the table. Mark heads up top and hits the Froggy Bow through the table. Action slowly trickles inside and Mark hits the Froggy Bow inside for a close nearfall.
Jay up on the shoulders of Mark. Mark hits a sort of Death Vally Driver that drills Jay. Jay barely kicks out. Jay sat up top and Mark looking for the same thing. Jay rakes the eyes and the two stand in the middle of the ring. Mark landing kung-fu strikes over and over. Jay with a kick to the stomach. Jay Driller connects. Mark kicks out.
Lariat puts Mark down. Another Jay Driller converts. Mark again kicks out. Jay unloading strikes. Mark picked up once again on the Jay Driller.
Winner by pinfall and still ROH World Champion: Jay Briscoe
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
The Briscoe family hits the ring to look after both men. Both men down as we fade to black.
