The Glimpse:
The Forever Hooligans challenge ReDRagon for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship, plus the Women of Honor are in action.
The Action:
Match 1: Adam Page and Mike Sydal vs Tadarius Thomas and ACH
Winners: Tadarius Thomas and ACH
Sydal and ACH start it off, which means speed. ACH with a snapmare and Sydal stands up into a headlock, then backs him into his corner for Page to tag in. Double hip toss, a boot and a standing shooting star from Page for one. ACH reverses a whip and hits a Stunner, which TD follows up with a kick to the chest. TD with another pair of kicks to follow up. ACH is back in for a chop then TD is back in to hit a hangman’s clothesline for two. TD awkwardly lands a belly to back for another two. Page answers with a powerslam, but sells his hand, which was injured previously. ACH and Sydal are both in and Sydal hits a pair of dropkicks, then dodges and hits a neckbreaker. He tries a matrix dodge again on TD, but gets countered, only to answer that with a wheelbarrow bulldog. He kicks ACH on the floor then hits a moonsault down to him from the top. Back in, TD breaks up the pin. Page tries to help but gets tossed as Sydal locks in a Muta Lock. TD breaks it up and hits an enzuigiri, then ACH lands his cradle DDT and bridges into a pin.
Match 2: Scarlet Bordeaux vs Cherry Bomb vs Athena vs MsChif, Four Corners Survival
Winner: Athena via pinfall
This one is preceded by Veda Scott interviewing MsChif – Truth Martini and Scarlet interrupt. Truth is his un-subtle self and wants MsChif in the HOT. MsChif tells him in no uncertain terms to piss off. She leaves, Truth is upset. Scarlet says Chif isn’t hot enough anyway and Truth tells her she’s the fourth “mystery” girl in the match tonight. Scarlet breaks down crying, Truth eats one of her tears and she storms off. “Tears of a woman turn me on” comes out of Truth’s mouth. Whoever okay’ed this segment deserves a foot in the ass and a pink slip. Awful. AWFUL.
Scarlet is pensive and the girls adhere to the code of honor. Scarlet is quick to leave the ring so MsChif and Athena start it. MsChif goes right to the midsection then catches a kick, only for Athena to counter into a headscissors. Cherry Bomb tags herself in and Athena flips out of an arm wrench, but lands in a full nelson. The girls exchange quickly and Athena gets a rollup for one, with Cherry answering with her own. Cherry hits a dropkick which sends Athena into the corner for MsChif to tag herself in. Chif hits a facebuster for two. Cherry with a jaw breaker and wants to tag Scarlet who doesn’t really want to agree, but Chif drops Cherry and screams Scarlet clear off the apron. Cherry rolls her up for two. Cherry runs into a gut shot but clubs Chif and tags Athena in who explodes with a springboard cross body and a front handspring forearm into the corner.
Scarlet tags herself in and throws lollipop forearms at Chif in the corner, then windmills her. Scarlet cheers herself on and MsChif grabs a handful of hair and shows her how to actually deliver forearms. Chif hits a low knee in the corner and drags Scarlet to the middle; Athena breaks up the pinfall. Scarlet tags in Cherry while Chif yells at Athena. The sneak attack doesn’t work and Chif hits a northern lights suplex which Athena breaks up with a cartwheel knee. Athena heads to the top and Cherry meets her up there – Chif powerbombs Cherry, which superplexes Athena. Scarlet sneaks in to try pinning everyone, which is not at all legal. Scarlet throws a tantrum and backs up into an unhappy Chif. MsChif hits a double chokebomb and Cherry hits a missile dropkick on MsChif. Athena dives in with the O-Face (A diving, twisting stunner from the top) and pins Cherry Bomb.
Veda steps in to talk to MsChif about a change of strategy and why she lost. Veda stops her from leaving the ring and gets the Green Mist for her troubles.
Match 3: Pepper Parks vs Roderick Strong
Winner: Roderick Strong via submission
Parks starts with an arm wrench which Roddy gets the best of. Parks hits a chop and Roddy counters with a calf kick. Roddy delivers his own chop twice, but Pepper counters a backslide attempt into a neckbreaker for two. Roddy dodges an attack in the corner twice and chops away at Parks. Roddy hits a boot and an enzuigiri out of the corner, then scoops him up for a belly to back sideslam. Parks kicks out in two. Parks rolls to the apron and Roddy gives chase; Parks blocks the belly to back attempt on the apron. Strikes back and forth and Roddy runs into a big knee to the head, tumbling to the floor. Parks throws him right back in but Strong kicks out in two. Strong fights out of a fireman’s carry and hits a low superkick off a school boy. Roddy hits a jumping knee in the corner and elevates Parks to the top. Roddy wants a superplex, but Parks fights out twice. Parks hits a diving neckbreaker for two. The crowd rallies behind Strong, who lands a jumping knee and Death by Roderick, then transitions into a high angle Stronghold for the win.
Match 4: Forever Hooligans vs reDRagon (c), Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship
Winners: reDRagon via pinfall
The Wolves are on commentary and Richards talks the Hooligans up. Odd to hear acknowledgement of Edwards and Fish teaming together in Japan, but a nice touch.
Koslov and O’Reilly start off with a quick game of dodging one another then Koslov stops O’Reilly in his tracks, wanting a “Russia” chant. Strikes back and forth and Koslov hits a pair of low dropkicks. Now he wants a “Da!” chant, which is clever – The crowd isn’t having it. Romero tags in for a double team take down for two. Jawbreaker from O’Reilly and a tag to Fish who has a forearm exchange. Romero fires up for one last big hit and gives Fish a quick boop in the eyes. Romero outspeeds Fish and lands a hurricanrana, but Fish immediately answers with a series of kicks. Romero answers with a European uppercut and drops Fish in a flapjack. Koslov back in and some clothesline shenanigans in the corner. The Hooligans tease fighting one another then hug it out – This time is fun as hell. O’Reilly has had enough and runs into a double hip toss, then Fish runs into a double back elbow. Fish grabs the ropes and boots Romero, then tosses Koslov to the apron, who low bridges him. O’Reilly kicks Koslov off and hits a dragon screw in the ropes on Romero. Fish puts Koslov in a chair in the corner of the barricade and O’Reilly lands a running dropkick off the apron.
Back in the ring, Koslov kicks out at two. Fish boots Koslov into the corner and snapmares him back out, then lands a slingshot senton for one. Fish with a snap suplex and a tag to O’Reilly. Koslov kicks out of a knee drop at two then takes a kick to the back. Back from a commercial, O’Reilly still has Koslov in peril, hitting a head and arm suplex for two. Fish tags back in and drops Romero off the apron. Fish with a forearm in the corner, followed by O’Reilly for a tilt a whirl backbreaker and middle rope knee combination for two. O’Reilly grinds the face of Koslov then drags him to the corner for another tag to Fish. Quick belly to back and O’Reilly is back in as Koslov tries to fight back, landing a jumping DDT. Romero finally gets back in and hits about a dozen clotheslines on reDRagon. Rocky sends O’Reilly to the floor then tricks Fish to the floor. Romero primes up and hits a suicide dive on both Tag Team Champions.
Koslov is tagged back in and they hit a combination of a trip and springboard splash. Russian leg sweep out of Koslov and Romero tosses him his hat. Koslov hits his dancing Cossack kicks then a double stomp to the face of Fish for two. O’Reilly is sent into the barricade and more double team strikes from the Hooligans. Fish is taken up for the Contract Killer but his partner makes the save. Koslov absolutely demolishes O’Reilly with an enzuigiri and Fish gets popped with a Doomsday Device knee strike which O’Reilly breaks up again. O’Reilly drops Koslov with another kick and elbow then Romero takes him out. Fish lands a shin to the head of Romero, leaving all four men on the mat. O’Reilly and Romero get the tags and throw forearms back and forth. O’Reilly answers with his strike combination then blocks a kick attempt into his new transition to a Regalplex (I love this entire bit – so smooth). Koslov makes the save and forearms both men then takes a trio of kicks from the Champs. Fish hits Koslov with the running execution kick. Romero takes a Total Elimination but kicks out at two. O’Reilly takes Romero up for the brainbuster – Fish hits his kick and Romero Chases the Dragon. O’Reilly makes the pin.
The Reaction:
Speed, tons of kicks, well executed action. This is the midcard of ROH in pure match form. ACH should have gold by year’s end, hopefully in the form of the ROH TV Title. I don’t see ACH/TD wearing Tag gold in ROH this year. This was a quick one and Adam Page is kind of all over the place in the indies (physically, not as in “uncoordinated), so it’s hard to see a huge future for him aside from popping up occasionally. ACH is hugely over with the crowd already; he really is one of the biggest, most widely loves guys on the indy circuit.
Cute reactions from Scarlet who played her part well. I will hand it to the girls – Athena actually blind tagged herself in before the Tower of Doom spot (upon a second watch) so the right girls were involved in the fall. I will take it away from Caleb Seltzer – You don’t friggin CALL the Tower of Doom spot a “Tower of Doom”. Guy is such a goof. This was one of the best women’s matches I’ve seen in a long time. Everything was crisp, everything executed well. If WWE would let women wrestle like this (or fill their roster with women that could wrestle like this) it would add a dynamic they haven’t had in nearly a decade. Paige, please fix this. I’d be more than happy to see matches like this on a weekly basis, if only because that O-Face is an awesome move. As for the skit before the match, I can’t express my disdain for it in a concise enough manner without writing a whole damn article about it. The only bright side is Scarlet got to show some character; perhaps she’ll break from HOT at some point due to it.
Another instance of big back and forth action between a roster mainstay and a one-timer. Roddy offers a handshake afterwards – He’s made a quiet transition to face it appears. Great action back and forth, but I still feel that guys like Strong shouldn’t struggle this much against someone who has no roster spot. A bit of offense from Parks is fine, but Strong took a hell of a beating and won off an explosive comeback. Hard to complain when the wrestling action is so damn good, though.
Totally unrelated, but I love reDRagon’s entrance theme. The action is as intense as it gets when I can’t even type fast enough to keep up. The Hooligans should come back as often as they want – They’re that perfect combination of comedic and skilled. The balance of it is incredibly entertaining and doesn’t take away from the in ring action like many other “comedy” spots can. Richards points out that Chasing the Dragon used to be he and O’Reilly’s combination move, which is a nice bit to touch on as it enhances the personal animosity between the men. I won’t talk up how this leads into Supercard of Honor VII, as if you’re looking at this, you’ve likely read the many many reviews of it (Mine included, I hope!). If not, give it a go now.
The Preview:
None given on the show, but you’ll see Fish and Edwards on next week’s show – I should know. I was at the TV taping! Keep an eye for me near the right side of the entrance ramp for the next four episodes.
The Shill:
As always, if you like what you read here, let me know in the comments or on twitter @sbfantom. I sincerely would like to hear what people think and strike up some conversation!
