The Pay Per View wins with Dave Prazak welcoming us to Chicago and ROH. Thanks Dave, good to be here. Erick Stevens, Matt Cross, and Delirious hit the ring during Prazak’s introduction and call out the No Remorse Corps of Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, and Rocky Romero. Delirious’s promo in his own language leads us to the entrance video, which is all highlights setting up matches later tonight.
Match 1: The No Remorse Corps of Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, and Rocky Romero vs. Delirious and The Resilience of Matt Cross and Erick Stevens
The Resilience and Delirious take control early, forcing the NRC to retreat. The match then officially begins with Del and Davey. That doesn’t last long as the faces take the heels out of the ring, with Delirious’s senton being the culmination of that sequence.
Back in and Delirious and Romero have an exchange, with Delirious getting the worse of it. Delirious is immediately worked over. The heel work over is fast paced and keeps the crowd involved, while drawing heat for the NRC.
Delirious makes the hot tag and all three members of the face team take control off of Stevens power. A corner charge combination by the faces and they are firmly in control, but can’t get the win. Matt Cross hits a Sasuke Special to the floor, leaving Stevens and Roderick Strong alone in the ring. Stevens controls, but the NRC manage to use numbers to counter and it’s yet another melee in the ring.
Although the NRC were mostly dominated in this match, they begin to use superior double teams, set up by their leader Roderick Strong, to take control of their opponents. Tough though they may be as a unit, the NRC are still no match for Stevens strength.
Another melee ends in a Shadows Over Hell by Delirious followed by a pretty Shooting Star Press by Cross, but that’s broken up. Better teamwork by the Resilience and Delirious and these break ups could be avoided. A sky twister press by Cross is actually kicked out of, which is just downright stupid. That move is far too flashy to be only a near fall.
Romero recovers with some kicks and Davey Richards hits the DR Driver (double arm brainbuster) on Cross, who takes the pinfall loss.
The NRC defeat Matt Cross, Erick Stevens and Delirious (Pin, Davey DR Driver on Cross, *** ½)
A very fun spotfest that still managed to tell its story. The lack of teamwork and leadership in the Resilience was evident in the fact that their pins were constantly broken up. Roderick Strong also initiated most of the NRC’s double teams and totally took out Delirious, allowing for the NRC to eek out the win. The Resilience clearly closed the gap here, however, with Stevens especially looking great.
Post match Austin Aries hits the ring to stop a NRC beat down while the announcers put over that he can’t be doing this. Aries announces his freedom from TNA and signs a ROH contract in the ring stating “This is ROH, I am Austin Aries, and We Are Wrestling.†Intense promo with great heat.
The Briscoes give a southern drawl “man up†promo and a ROH in Japan promo video airs with sound bites from different ROH wrestlers about Japan.
Match 2: Matt Sydal vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Last Pay Per View, these two teamed to battle the Briscoes. Sydal blames Claudio for their loss, setting up this match. A highlight video for both men airs while Claudio gets the crowd involved with some Heys and the Hey Waive.
The begin with a big lucha sequence based around arm drags, showing some very cool stuff. Sydal has a speed advantage, but not by much, and Claudio is far more powerful. Claudio uses his power to control.
Claudio hits the giant swing, using his power to good effect as Sydal has been entirely on the defensive. Claudio thinks Sydal is worn down enough to hit the ropes, but that fails as he is deposited outside the ring and hit with a big Sydal dive. Sydal attempts control by keeping the pace up, but Claudio, as soon as he gets his hands on Sydal, plants him face first.
They begin to go back and forth, trading control based on speed and power. Claudio keeps trying a bicycle kick, but Sydal continually has a counter, including a beautiful cradle DDT. Sydal goes up to finish after this, but eats a step-up enziguiri and Claudio finally hits the bicycle kick, but that only gets two. A running European uppercut, but that also gets two. Claudio has worn Sydal down enough now that he can use his speed to add momentum to his power.
Claudio goes for the kill with a powerbomb, but Sydal counters into a hurricanrana. Claudio then goes for another powerbomb, knowing what’s coming; he’s got enough strength left to roll through the move into a pin and get the three.
Claudio Castagnoli defeats Matt Sydal (Pin, Sunset Flip, *** ½)
An intelligently and crisply worked power vs. speed match with the twist of all the counters being learned from by Claudio and his speed being nearly a match for Sydal’s leaving poor Matt without much to turn to. Still, this was a very good lucha based match and with some actual selling might have cracked ****.
Post match Larry Sweeney invites Sydal to join Sweet ‘n Sour, Inc. Sydal accepts, attacking Claudio. Sweeney is fantastic in this role.
A Jimmy Rave introduction video is next as he challenges Morishima. It’s a shame he’s going to be wasted in TNA. He’s got real talent that’s going to be wasted.
Match 3: BJ Whitmer vs. Naomichi Marufuji
Mat work starts and Maru is using his speed to control that. Whitmer then picks it up and they do a stalemate sequence. Whitmer with a leg lariat and dive then shows he can match the NOAH star’s best, surprisingly.
Marufuji back in the ring sees he cannot simply physically outmatch Whitmer, so he uses his head and takes BJ out with a basement dropkick and springing DDT to the apron.
Back in the ring, Marufuji attacks the arm of Whitmer, but doesn’t stay on it, instead going back to the head of the resilient Whitmer. This allows Whitmer to recover and hit a superplex. Whitmer refuses to stay down and begins striking on Marufuji.
Marufuji goes back after the head for control again, hitting a German suplex and facebuster. They begin countering each other, but Marufuji is just too intelligent for Whitmer and remains a step ahead, even on power exchanges like lariats where Whitmer should have an advantage. Marufuji hits the Coast to Coast dropkick when Whitmer tries to go up top, showing Marufuji can counter anything Whitmer throws at him. More counters, a Shiranui, and this one is done.
Marufuji defeats BJ Whitmer (Pin, Shiranui, ***)
Good match where Whitmer was out to show he could match brawn with Marufuji who quickly realized he could decimate Whitmer by thinking one step ahead, then did so. Marufuji looked great.
Becky Bayless is in the crowd doing hype.
Match 4: Pelle Primeau vs. Brent Albright
Squash. Half-nelson suplex. Press slam into a crowbar and Albright wins.
Albright defeats Primeau (Submission, Crowbar, *)
Fun squash that made Albright look like a monster.
A highlight video of all the greats who appeared in ROH plays.
Match 5: ROH World Tag Team Title Match: Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Kevin Steen and El Generico
The Briscoes are wildly over. Jay dominates Generico early with power for a bit while Generico counters with his speed and gets Steen in. Steen and Mark begin to go at it and the Redneck Kung Fu works so the Briscoes get the advantage, following with double teams. Neither team can control for long, though, and they battle back and forth until a short heat segment on Jay.
Jay is able to fight back alone without any assistance and strangle the Briscoes (faces) begin a heat segment on Generico. That doesn’t last long either and both teams brawl, with a dive from Mark and a Cactus clothesline from Jay taking out the challengers. The Briscoes toss Generico into an open area in the crowd and he lands on a bunch of chairs. Steen then powerbombs Mark into the same section after spearing Jay into the barricade. Steen stands alone.
Back in the ring Steen and Jay battle with forearms. Steen gains control there and goes for the finish, but Mark stops it, until Generico takes him out, then Yakuza kicks Jay. A swanton bomb by big Steen gets two and Jay will not stay down. Steen goes for the package piledriver finisher again, but Mark stops him, eating a DDT in the process. Mark, however, nails a double stomp through a table on Steen. A spike Jay Driller later and it’s over.
Jay and Mark Briscoe defeat Steen and Generico (Pin, Spike Jay Driller, *** ½)
The heat segments here are a bit weird, with the faces going at one on Mark for no real reason, and there are some very big spots here, but they build well at least. They didn’t go full overkill here, but this was rather hectic and lacking in story.
Kevin Steen attacks the Briscoes with a ladder post match.
Sweeney backstage cuts a promo with Chris Hero and Matt Sydal. Tolland meanwhile tortures fat Bobby Dempsey. Sweeney is fantastic as a heel manager.
Match 6: ROH World Title Match: Takeshi Morishima © vs. Jimmy Rave
Morishima goes after Rave immediately. Rave is dominated, but a spear gets him his first offense. False hope as he is immediately caught with a belly-to-belly suplex after and Morishima hits a huge missile dropkick. Rave hits another counter and gets the Heel Hook, but Morishima gets the ropes. Rave tries to press his advantage and gets a Bossman slam and big lariat. Backdrop driver on Rave and its academic.
Morishima defeats Jimmy Rave (Pin, Backdrop Driver, **)
Fun squash that put Morishima over as a beast.
Adam Pearce and Shane Hagadorn discuss need. This comes to Whitmer who needs the acceptance of fans and what that’s cost Whitmer, with his recent losing streak. Pearce walks up to Whitmer and punches him, then he and Albright walk away. That was strange.
Match 7: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness
The winner here is the number one contender. Full entrances and the crowd is rabid, particularly for Danielson, except my girlfriend who was heartily behind Nigel.
They begin with heavily competitive mat work that really puts this over as an athletic competition. Danielson is better on the mat, but Nigel is more explosive.
They shake hands and Danielson follows that up with a slap, getting an immediate advantage out of it and attacking Nigel’s back and head. Danielson controls, but runs into a mule kick out of a headstand, again showing Nigel’s explosiveness. Nigel hits the divorce court and then fights for an arm submission, which he locks in. Smart, attacking Danielson’s hurt shoulder.
Danielson’s mat advantage shines through though and he uses a stranglehold while attacking Nigel’s back. This makes sense since Danielson finishes with elbows to the head as a knockout, or the Cattle Muttilation which puts pressure on the arms and back. Nigel counters the stranglehold finally, with a lariat, using his one big advantage to keep in the match.
Nigel takes the fight to Dragon outside, striking, but Danielson throws a chair and table at McGuinness so that he isn’t overmatched by Nigel’s heavy hands. He attempts to throw Nigel in, but Nigel rebounds with a lariat and knocks Danielson into the front row. Nigel, sensing that big moves are his only chance hits a dive on Danielson into the crowd.
Nigel, again on the outside tries a running European, and again is countered. Dragon then suplexes Nigel on the guardrail, hurting Nigel badly. Nigel’s big risks worked, but in thinking he had Dragon more worn down than he did, he left himself open to a counter that badly hurt his chances of victory.
Danielson attacks the back inside and locks in the crossface. He rubs Nigel’s face in the mat, stopping to let the ref know that he has ‘til 5. Danielson methodically picks apart Nigel’s back and head.
Danielson begins slapping Nigel, which angers Nigel enough for him to fire back with a lariat, showing his explosiveness still makes him dangerous. Nigel finally hits a running European uppercut and he’s right back in the match, following with a superkick and lariat.
Nigel then tries to lift Danielson to the top for a Tower of London, but his back acts up and Nigel is unable to connect. Danielson takes control off of that, his previous damage stopping Nigel’s momentum. Danielson gets caught on the top, but hits diving sunset flip. A series of counters ends in Nigel hitting a desperation powerbomb and he locks in a half-crab out of desperation, trying to wear down Danielson before he is overwhelmed.
Nigel again tries the headstand, but Danielson dropkicks Nigel in the face and hits a back-to-back superplex. Danielson goes straight to the crossface chickenwing, but Nigel will not tap and pushes Danielson back into the corner. He reverse suplexes Danielson onto the ropes for a Tower of London, hurting his back, but finally managing to keep Danielson down. He is unable to capitalize and the ref applies the ten count.
Both men get up and Nigel controls. He hits the seated top rope lariat on Danielson, pulling his arms away from the ropes, but Danielson still manages to get his leg on the ropes, then hugs the ropes in exhaustion. Danielson won’t release and hits an enziguiri and both are down again.
They rise, head to head and strike each other, all other avenues having been exhausted. They begin headbutting each other, and Danielson starts bleeding. Nigel lariat, but the jawbreaker variation is countered. A Tiger Suplex leads to a Cattle Mutilation, which Nigel counters to a pin, but Danielson rolls through that with MMA elbows. Cattle Mutilation is in again and Nigel is out cold. The ref stops the match and Danielson wins.
Bryan Danielson defeats Nigel McGuinness (Ref Stoppage, Cattle Mutilation, **** ¾)
So close to ***** it hurts. Every move was fought over from the start so everything counted, adding a layer of desperation. Danielson’s attack was focused here. He wasted nothing, attacking the back and head. Nigel had a fighting chance early, hitting Danielson with a lot of big moves, but big moves leave big openings and Danielson wore out Nigel, hurting the back badly. That ultimately hurt Nigel badly, as Danielson was able to beat on a near helpless Nigel until the desperation Tower of London finally evened things up a bit. From there it was Danielson’s counters to Nigel’s strikes that told the story, and Nigel was so worn out that Danielson, even taking it to Nigel with strikes, won the headbut exchange and was able to lock in his major maneuvers in a series (with a struggle, of course) to earn the victory. There is a point after Nigel hurts his back where he doesn’t sell it for a few minutes. This is the only small flaw in an otherwise perfect match. Match of the Year.
Danielson asks who the best is and the crowd chants that he is. Nigel is back up and they shake hands as the Pay Per View ends to “Thank you both†chants.
Three *** ½ matches, another *** match, and the Match of the Year thus far for $10-15. What are you waiting for? Order it!
