ROH Survival of the Fittest
24th of June, 2004
This event consists of 6 first round matches, where the losers of each round are eliminated and the winners go onto a six-man elimination match at the end of the night. The participants are ROH World Champion Samoa Joe, Jay and Mark Briscoe, Generation Next’s Alex Shelley, Austin Aries and Jack Evans, Homicide, Colt Cabana, John Walters, Trent Acid, Matt Stryker and “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson.
Main Event Qualifier: Alex Shelley vs. Mark Briscoe
This is probably my most looked forward to of the qualifying matches. The match is kept simple, but simple can work when done properly. Both men pick a body part and stick to it, with Shelley going to the neck and Mark to the leg. Now when body parts are worked, you have to make sure that the selling goes along with the match for it to make sense, and both men do that. This is shown in a major way from Shelley, when he does a neckbreaker across the knee, he does it over the good knee. Mark’s knee work is also great, as he does stuff like a Dragon Screw in the ropes and missile dropkick to the knee. Shelley’s undoing in this match is that he wants to get all tricky, and use moves like a 2K1 Ace Crusher (although it could be argued he was going for the 2K1 Bomb to continue to weaken of the neck) and Guillotine Legdrop to try and say “The knees fine” but Mark goes straight back to work to the knee. Shelley tries finishing with the Border City Stretch, but Mark is able to roll through to an attempted Texas Cloverleaf. Shelley blocks this, so Mark just rolls through to a Texas Cloverleaf Cradle for the win. A fine back and forth exchange to keep Mark fresh for the main event. ***1/4
Main Event Qualifier: Colt Cabana vs. Trent Acid
The main build in this match is to see what Colt’s new finisher is. This in the end makes it obvious that Colt is winning though. The comedy stuff at the start is nice, but once they get beyond that there isn’t much. The first move that the announcers question if it is Colt’s new finisher is an Avalanche Style Gord Buster. The problem that comes with seeing what new finisher Colt has is that it comes off as a squash. In the end it is revealed what Colt’s new finisher is, the Berenni Special (if I heard Mark Nulty right). It’s a roll up, and an awesome one at that. Some nice comedy stuff at the beginning, but beyond that, it’s just an extended squash. **
We’re supposed to get Austin Aries vs. John Walters, but Shelley gives him an ultimatum “You can step down, or we beat you down”. Walters selects the later, so Generation Next beat his ass with a chain. Josh Daniels is then bought out and then Austin Aries gets on the mic and wonders why Daniels isn’t a part of Gen Next. “But I figured out why….. because he’s a sucker” and then they beat down Daniels. So now we have a tag match, with the winner of the fall getting into the main event.
Main Event Qualifier: Austin Aries and Roderick Strong vs. John Walters and Roderick Strong
The faces go wild to start, but Generation Next are able to take over and beat on Walters. Aries really shines in this match with his heel work, as he holds Walters in the ropes with a choke and counts along with the ref. Gen Next’s game plan is simple, let Strong use his impact moves and let Aries do the flash moves. We also see a couple of the “face makes the tag but the ref doesn’t see it” stuff. This also follows the “ROH Tag Formula” as well once Walters tags out, in that each team trade signature moves in an attempt to finish the match. Walters is eventually taken out of the equation after hitting a Straight-Jacket Lung Blower, as Strong hits the Urban Legend. Daniels tries to Superplex Aries, but Strong powerbombs him down, and Aries finishes with the 450 while Strong is also down. A nice little tag match, that I’m sure people would go crazy for if they were to see it in WWE or TNA, but at the end of the day, this stuff is normal in ROH. ***
Main Event Qualifier: Homicide vs. Jay Briscoe
The build in this match is tremendous, as it’s different to all the other qualifying matches. They start it off with a methodical pace, and then slowly build to the finish. Homicide’s main focus in this match is the neck. His offence to work on the neck is tremendous, as he busts out a Piledriver and uses a Hammerlock Headscissors. One thing that The Briscoes do very well is play underdogs, and Jay does that very well in this match. Homicide’s neck work is also a very smart move, as it sets up for all three of his finishers, Cop Killa, Lariat and Grapevine STF (I bet a lot of you forgot about that one). Once they hit the near falls, they don’t go crazy with spots like the last match did, but they slowly build the violence and striking exchanges in between. One thing amazing about The Briscoes is how fluid they are in the ring for their age, and this shows as Jay just glides through the air with a Leg Lariat and hits it perfectly. He was 21 at this time. One problem about Homicide matches these days though is the J-Train interference, although it does get heat on Homicide. When Smokes grabs Jay’s foot for the second rope, Homicide is able to go through the sequence which beat Spanky, Avalanche Style Ace Crusher and Lariat, although knowing Jay, he has do fall on his head when taking a Lariat. And guess what the finish does? If you said pay off the psychology, you would be right. ***1/2
Post match Homicide and J-Train lay a beating on Jay.
Main Event Qualifier: “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Jack Evans
Much like Cabana vs. Acid, this is a squash, but in this one, Evans is stretched in ways the human body shouldn’t stretch. I can’t give the submissions a name, but Evans leg is stretched over his head a couple times. Evans tries a few come backs, but Danielson is too strong for him. In the end, Evans does get some offence in, with some kicks and then a Springboard Corkscrew Moonsault. Evans hits another one in the ring for 2, but he’s just living on borrowed time, and Danielson knocks him down with a European Uppercut. He then locks Evans in the most vicious Boston Crab ever seen in wrestling, which can be viewed below and needless to say, that ends the match. Yes it was a squash, but Danielson’s submissions kept it interesting enough. **
Main Event Qualifier: Samoa Joe vs. Matt Stryker
Joe’s title isn’t on the line tonight, but he’s in this to prove that he’s truly the best ROH has to offer. A comment at the start of the match from a member of the crowd even makes Joe laugh “You’re not even the best Matt Stryker I’ve seen today” referring the Matt Striker in ECWA. This could be viewed as a squash once again, but Stryker gets more offence in than Acid and Evans did. The match also follows the same story as Shelley vs. Stryker from RRC 3 did, in that no matter what he does, he just gets cut off at every turn. This is most evident when Stryker tries for a German, but gets nailed with an Enzuguri. Stryker manages to hit the DVD, but can’t get the pin. A Superplex also doesn’t get the job done. Another DVD attempt is blocked into Joe’s awesome leg sweep and into the Island Driver for the win. Not on par with Reborn: Stage 2, but pretty damn good for a 9 minute match. ***
The main event is now set, Mark Briscoe vs. Colt Cabana vs. Austin Aries vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe. I feel a MOTYC on the horizon.
CM Punk now comes out to confront Joe and asks when his rematch is, but the lights go out and a spotlight is shown on Homicide in the bleachers, holding the ROH Title he stole from Joe. Joe quickly runs into the crowd and they brawl. One sign that shows you watch too much ROH is when you mark out for Smokes saying “Cock Sucker” and that’s what I do.
Joe then cuts one great promo, perhaps the best I’ve seen from him. If WWE signs him, they better just not stick him with another Samoa gimmick, because Joe has the ability to be a star, just like guys like Punk, Shelley and Sexxxy Eddy.
ROH Tag Titles, Scramble Match: CM Punk and Colt Cabana vs. Ring Crew Express vs. Special K vs. Carnage Crew
Punk decides to let Cabana rest up for main event. “If it wasn’t for that referee wearing the shirt, I wouldn’t be able to tell who the ref is and who the wrestlers are” – Punk. This is nothing but the three teams trading spots while Punk sits on the apron for 5 minutes. Lethal (Hydro) hits the Ring Crew Express with a Double Dragon Suplex, then Punk kicks him out of the ring and gets the pin in awesomely cheap fashion. The recap speaks for the match. Ã??Ã?á¾*
Post match Punk cuts a great promo as usual, saying he expects the same lacklustre competition from Ricky Steamboat
Lethal wants Punk, but Punk refuses, until Lethal calls him a pussy and we get an awesome facial expression from Punk.
CM Punk vs. Jay Lethal
This is all a part of Lethal’s slow push, although they were lucky it didn’t do more harm than good. Punk does some nice stuff like tying Lethal up in his wifebeater, but they do the ‘pulling up the opponent’ spot seen in Cena vs. Taker. The match is also too long, as the same thing could’ve been achieved in a 10-12 minute sprint. Lethal is able to hit a head drop Dragon Suplex for a near fall, but ends up being rolled up for the win. Luckily Lethal’s matches where he was trying to prove himself got a lot better, as this was long and made him look like a jobber. **
Survival of the Fittest: Mark Briscoe vs. Colt Cabana vs. Austin Aries vs. Homicide vs. “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
There are many issues in this match, and it seems we’ll start with the major one, Joe vs. Homicide, but Mark jumps Homicide because of what he did to his brother. The first part of the match starts with a big feel out process, with offence being traded before everyone takes their shots at Mark. Homicide vs. Joe is teased at times, but Homicide just tags out. Aries is able to get the advantage on Joe, with some armdrags, a dropkick and the Crucifix Bomb, but Joe kills him with a spinebuster after Aries showboats. Once Mark plays the face in peril if you will, everyone just takes shots at him, with Danielson doing something different to everyone else, working Mark’s legs. When the match breaks down, Joe destroys everyone until Danielson dropkicks him down and hits Mark with a Tope Suicida. Aries takes them out with his Corkscrew Pescado, and when Cabana is ready to hit the Quebrada, Joe charges at him, so Cabana slingshots in with a sunset flip to eliminate Joe in a major upset and do what Punk couldn’t do in 60 minutes. Cabana gets too cocky too quick by claiming he’s “the champ” to Homicide and gets dumped with a Lariat and finished with a Shooting Star Press from Mark, but it really doesn’t matter, as pinning the ROH Champion pretty much means an assured title shot. Mark and Homicide then trade offence, with Homicide nailing a Piledriver to weaken Mark’s neck even more. Mark is able to catch Homicide with a German Suplex for the pin, but due to his neck, his shoulders were also pinned to the mat, so both are gone.
Now it’s time for the Old Guard of ROH to face the New Guard (even though Danielson is younger than Aries). Danielson starts by schooling Aries on the mat, pretty much saying “You may have taken other guys’ spots, but you’re not taking mine”. Aries finds an opening to hit his roll through-back elbow from the middle rope, but that stuff isn’t working with Danielson and he just dropkicks Aries in the back on the way down. Aries is finally able to get some real offence in, as he catches Danielson on the top with a springboard enzuguri and Danielson gets caught in the ropes, so he adds a dropkick to the back for good measure. Aries now just has to keep on Danielson and he can take this home. He hits his Slingshot Splash and hits a suplex from the apron, much like from Benoit vs. Sasuke J-Cup 94.Aries has learnt from earlier with Joe, and even though a suplex to the floor hurts a little more than the Crucifix Bomb, but the principle is the same, don’t follow up and you won’t win. And he makes sure to follow up by dropping a Cactus Jack elbow. Aries with a backdrop and tries for the 450, but Danielson moves and nails Aries with a European Uppercut and then with a vicious Lariat for 2.
He lifts up Aries and hits the Dragon Suplex for 2 and rolls right into Cattle Mutilation, but Aries is able to bridge out into the Fishhook of Doom and then into the Rings of Aries. But Danielson is able to avoid it being locked in properly at any time so he can get to the ropes. Aries is able to nail a Brainbuster after a bit of a fight, but once again the 450 is hit, this time with Danielson getting the knees up. Danielson then delivers the most vicious bodyslams in wrestling history, and does quite a few of them. Aries is able to fight back with forearms, but Danielson cuts him off with a rolling forearm. Danielson goes back to work with the body slams. Aries reverses a slam to a cradle for a big near fall, but that’s all he gets. Danielson Bearhugs Aries, and locks him in a version of the Bearhug Crab he put Evans in earlier to pay off the bodyslams and to get the win. The portion of the match before Danielson/Aries was great, but once we hit the final part, it turned this bad boy MOTYC. ****1/2
Aries and Danielson also had nasty gashes on respective parts of their face and those pictures can be viewed below.
