Video Wire
Make sure you watch the October 29, 2008 Video Wire, as well as the November 4, 2008 Video Wire before watching this show. They cover the entire goings on leading up to this show, and it’s totally free.
Markham, Ontario
Bobby Cruise once again announces that all matches will now have a 20 count on the floor, and the crowd boos. That’s an interesting reaction.
MATCH #1: Jerry Lynn vs. Davey Richards
We’ve got a 20-minute time limit here. Richards is accompanied by fellow Sweet & Sour Inc. members Shane Hagadorn and Bobby Dempsey. Lynn immediately goes after the arm, and Richards kicks his way out of it. They do some chain wrestling and Lynn continues going after the arm. Richards responds in kind, but throws in some kicks as well. He also spits in Lynn’s face. Lynn dropkicks Richards to the floor and hits the somersault. He brings Richards back in and hits a cross body block off the top rope. Richards tries the D.R. Driver but Lynn avoids that. Lynn tries the Cradle Piledriver but can’t hit it. Richards finally takes Lynn down with a knee lift and he goes to work. He argues with the crowd, and when he tries a kick to the face Lynn grabs the leg and puts on the Sharpshooter. He rolls that over into a curb stomp. Richards recovers from that devastating move rather quickly and regains the control. He hangs Lynn backwards and upside down in the corner and hits a dropkick for two. Richards snap mares Lynn down and hits a running kick to the shoulder for another two. He once again tries the D.R. Driver but Lynn blocks it. Lynn makes the comeback with a back body drop, a dropkick, a running clothesline in the corner, and a top rope rana for two. They get back to their feet and Lynn tries the Cradle Piledriver, which leads to the Fish out Of Water spot. I hate that spot. Richards hits a chin breaker but then misses a kick. Lynn then runs right into the Alarm Clock, and Richards hits the D.R. Driver for the win at 8:47. It was pretty much exactly the same as every other Jerry Lynn match, which means it was a fine opener. I like that Davey Richards is getting a push now.
Rating: **½
MATCH #2: The Age of the Fall vs. Kenny King & Rhett Titus
Titus cuts a promo putting over how his partner gets as much tail as he does. He then answers the Age of the Fall’s open challenge to take on Brodie Lee and Delirious. This is an odd heels versus heels match. I like that Delirious runs toward the ring but Lee takes his time. King starts the match working over Delirious. Delirious is preoccupied with getting his hands on Titus. King hits a spine-buster, but when he celebrates Delirious goes to the corner and tags the big trucker Lee. ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness joins the commentary team. He’ll defend the title against Necro Butcher tonight. Meanwhile Lee is mauling King, who responds with a poke to the eyes. Titus gets tagged in and Delirious jumps into the ring momentarily to beat on his rival. Lee throws Titus around, and then Delirious officially tags himself into the match and rakes Titus’s back and chest. He knocks Titus to the floor, but he’s not paying attention so King knocks him down with a clothesline from the apron. King tags into the match and takes Delirious down, and then tags in Titus. They cut the ring in half nicely and keep the much larger Lee on the apron. Delirious of course eventually makes the comeback and tags Lee, who cleans house. He hits a Black Hole Slam on King for two. Delirious tags himself back in as Lee and King tumble to the floor. That leaves Delirious in the ring with Titus. Lee and King make it back in, and King is able to knock Lee to the floor. Delirious hits King with the Panic Attack and Shadows over Hall, but then opts to chase Rhett Titus to the floor. He goes all the way to the back and since he’s legal and Titus is out, King and Titus get the win by count out at 9:38. I think King could have gotten a pin on Delirious through some sort of chicanery, but I guess they wanted to have a count out to put over the rule change. The match was better than I thought it would be, but I think it would be better with Delirious and Lee as pure faces.
Rating: **¼
Grizzly Redwood is backstage to talk about being the littlest lumberjack or whatever. If WWE or TNA tried this it would be met with scorn and disdain, but ROH fans seem to be enjoying it for the most part. I mean, it’s not like Mitch Franklin was lighting the world on fire either, but I’m not really sure how a small, mediocre wrestler acting like a lumberjack is supposed to be entertaining.
MATCH #3: Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
Sweet & Sour is represented by Go Shiozaki and Eddie Edwards tonight. Oh give me strength. Shane Hagadorn cuts an amazingly boring promo, which Strong and Stevens thankfully interrupt and race to the ring to clean house on their rivals. Strong and Stevens are teaming for the first time here, I think. They start the match hot but Strong accidentally kicks Stevens in the head and Sweet & Sour take control. The bell rings all of a sudden out of nowhere. Stevens and Shiozaki wind up in the ring. The Sweet & Sour team takes control, working on Stevens both in and outside of the ring. Stevens takes quite a beating, as they focus on his arm and bend it all kinds of unnatural ways. He finally makes the comeback and tags in his former rival Strong. Strong cleans house on both opponents and calls Stevens in for some double teaming on Edwards. He tries a half-nelson backbreaker, which Edwards counters to a “high impact maneuver.†Is Michael Cole on commentary? Stevens dispatches of Shiozaki on the outside of the ring, but he makes it back in before they can pin Edwards. He tries the leg-trap powerbomb but Shiozaki knees him in the face and sends him to the floor. Strong now has to battle both Shiozaki and Edwards. Shiozaki hits the Go Flasher but Edwards breaks up the pin. Stevens hits Edwards with the Doctor Bomb but Shiozaki super kicks him before the pin can be made. Strong then takes out Shiozaki and locks Edwards in the Stronghold to get the submission victory at 9:09. That was a good chaotic tag match, and much more exciting than I was anticipating, since I’m usually bored with Shiozaki and Edwards.
Rating: ***
MATCH #4: Dog Collar Match – Jimmy Jacobs vs. Austin Aries
Jacobs insists that Aries put the collar on first, and then attacks him before he puts it on himself. He chokes Aries with the chain and hits him across the back with it. He tries to wrap it around his fist but Aries blocks it and hits an STO and an elbow drop. Aries tries to attach the collar to Jacobs’s neck but Jacobs goes to the floor to avoid it. Jacobs gets back in the ring first and resumes control on his nemesis. He goes to the top rope and Aries knocks him down and tries the Heat Seeking Missile. Aries has trouble maneuvering with the heavy chain around his neck, so Jacobs hits a dropkick and continues to use the chain as a weapon. Back in the ring Aries fires up and starts throwing chops and punches. He climbs up the turnbuckle to deliver more punishment, but Jacobs stops that with a shot to the nuts. Sinclair tries to put the collar around Jacobs’s neck but gets shoved off. Jacobs then uses the chain to wrap Aries around the ring post and cinches the other end of the collar around Aries’s hands, so he can’t move at all. The sadistic Jacobs brings in a steel and cracks it across Aries’s exposed back. He gets on the microphone to mock Aries, and throws referee Todd Sinclair to the floor. He continues to abuse Aries with the chair. Jacobs gets a little too close to Aries to taunt him, and winds up taking a Flair Kick to the groin. Aries unties himself and levels Jacobs on the skull. He then wraps the collar around his fist and punches Jacobs a few times, busting him open. Jacobs is finally attached to the collar now and Aries is working over his bloody forehead now. He tries a brainbuster but Jacobs avoids it and tries escaping to the floor. Aries follows him out and prevents Jacobs from leaving through the crowd. They have a tug of war in the aisle, as Jacobs is trying to retreat to the back. They go backstage and Tyler Black attacks and helps Jacobs beat Aries down. Back in the ring Black levels Aries with a super kick. Jacobs then sends Black back to the locker room. He hits a Contra Code but Aries kicks out at two. He tries to reintroduce the steel chair but Aries hits the chair with the chain. Hey once again play Tug of War, with Aries in the ring and Jacobs on the apron. Aries lets go and Jacobs crashes into the ring apron, giving Aries the perfect spot to hit the Heat Seeking Missile; nicely done. They head back to the ring and now Aries wraps the chain around the top turnbuckle and rams Jacobs’s head into it 10 times. Aries goes up for the 450 Splash, and he’s acting like he’s three minutes into the match. Jacobs pulls on the chain, knocking Aries down onto the top turnbuckle. He hits some mounted punches in the corner and lets his blood drip down on Aries’s face. Aries slips out and pulls the chain up into Jacobs’s groin. He once again tries the brain buster but Jacobs avoids it. Jacobs wraps the chain around Aries’s neck and locks on the End Time. Aries of course simply powers out of it, and then hits the running dropkick in the corner. He pulls Jacobs toward him and hits some chain-assisted knees to the head. He locks on the Last Chancery and Jacobs has no choice but to tap out at 18:12. You see, when Jacobs puts on his neck submission hold with the chain, Aries can power out in about four seconds, but when Aries does the same Jacobs taps out in less time than that. Obviously I understand putting the baby face over and all that, but Aries doesn’t seem to do much to help put his opponents over. I’m really starting to notice how Aries refuses to sell in a lot of instances; like would it kill him to once climb up to the top rope slowly after he’s been in a brutal match for 15 minutes? Even so, this match was many different kinds of awesome. I liked the beginning stuff when Jacobs wouldn’t put the chain on and I loved the brutality of the whole thing.
Rating: ****¼
MATCH #5: Grizzly Redwood vs. Alex Payne
If there’s any place to put this match it’s first after intermission, that’s for sure. ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness once again invades the booth. Redwood does his stupid stuff and Payne takes a quick powder. He comes back in and it’s more of the same from the littlest lumberjack. He tries a double ax handle off the second rope but Payne dropkicks him out of the air for a near-fall. A back elbow also gets two. Redwood avoids a charge in the corner and gets a rollup for two. Payne comes back with a body slam and then an elbow drop for two. Redwood tries to come back but Payne cuts him off with a stun gun for two. Payne then locks on an intense chin lock. Redwood escapes that and knocks Payne into the corner. He pulls his lumberjack straps down and chops Payne down for a two-count. Payne comes back with a chin breaker, and then Redwood keeps doing more little chops and stuff. He knocks Payne down to his knees and hits a running double axe handle to the chest and that gets the pin at 4:16. Why do no standout athletes enroll in the ROH Wrestling Academy?
Rating: ½*
MATCH #6: Three Way Match – Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black vs. Kenny Omega
Omega’s entrance stuff is so bush league. Black tries to convince Omega that they should work together against Danielson, but Omega resists as everyone just stands around for a bit here. Danielson offers Omega his wrist, so Omega takes it. That of course doesn’t last long and Black gets himself involved as well. Danielson is able to subdue both of his opponents and lock on a double Cattle Mutilation. The dominance by Danielson convinces Omega to join forces with Black, but when he declares himself a member of the New Age of the Fall Black takes exception. Black throws Danielson to the floor, and when he comes back in he picks up right where he left off. He’s able to isolate Omega and go to work on his legs. Black sneaks up behind Danielson and goes to work on him while Omega recovers. Danielson throws Black to the floor and then turns to Omega. Why would anybody fall for that Stop Sign nonsense that Omega does? It allows him to knock Danielson to the floor, and he hits a dive over the top rope to the floor on both opponents. Omega and Black get back in the ring with Omega in control. Once again that doesn’t last long, and Danielson gets back in the ring and dominates once again. Now he goes to work on Omega’s arm. Black recovers and dumps Danielson to the floor and hits a knee drop on Omega for two. Danielson tries a couple of times to get back into the ring but Black kicks him back down. He continues to work on Omega, who fires back with a series of right hands. Omega hits a couple of Polish Hammers and a leap frog bulldog. Danielson has recovered and comes back into the ring with a missile dropkick on Omega. He clotheslines Black to the floor and goes back to Omega. They do the Fish out of Water spot, but before they can go all the way up on the backslide Black hits an awesome quebrada on both of them. Danielson actually finishes the bridge with both men on him! A series of moves leads to Black and Danielson in the ring. Danielson counters God’s Last Gift but Black connects with a Pele Kick and then a Super Kick for two. Black goes up for the Phoenix Splash but Omega takes him down with a huge German Suplex. That knocks Black to the floor. Moments later Danielson hits the rolling elbow (busting him open pretty nasty) and the elbows to the face, and then locks on the Cattle Mutilation. Omega taps in short order at 14:18. I’ve seen people go pretty nuts for that match, and Omega in particular, but I didn’t see anything he did as being that special. He didn’t look out of place or anything; I guess I just don’t see what people sees in a guy with a name that horrible.
Rating: ***¼
Austin Aries is backstage to cut a promo, and it looks like the camera is on the floor and he’s staring down into it. Why would there be a camera on the floor?
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MATCH #7: ROH World Title Match – Nigel McGuinness vs. Necro Butcher
McGuinness has been the champion since 10.6.07, and this is his twenty-eighth defense. Before the match can get underway the ROH World Champion gets on the microphone with something to say. He mentions Necro’s serious leg injury, and his own eye injury. He offers to not kick Necro in the leg in exchange for Necro not punching him in the face. I think the crowd would like to see Necro punch McGuinness in the face. We’ll see what happens. The champion starts off chain wrestling, where he obviously has the advantage. Necro is able to hold his own though, getting a few hip tosses and a leg sweep. McGuinness complains to the referee that Necro punched him, and then goes over and kicks him in the knee. That just fires Necro up and he rams McGuinness’s head into the turnbuckle ten times, and they head out to the floor. Necro uses the ring bell as a weapon. He tries to bring a chair to the ring, but the referee confiscates it and that gives McGuinness the chance to go back to the injured knee. Necro comes back with punches and a head butt, and once again the champion goes to the floor. He grabs the belt and rolls back into the ring with it. When the referee takes it away McGuinness kicks Necro right in the sack, but it only gets a two-count. The champion tosses Necro to the floor again and follows him out. Necro reverses a whip and tosses McGuinness into the barricade. He sets up two chairs back to back and goes for a backbreaker, but McGuinness blocks it and whips Necro’s leg into the guardrail. McGuinness then hits him with the ring bell a couple of times. Necro makes it back to the ring at 18, and McGuinness gets a near fall. The champ rolls back to the floor and grabs a chair. The referee takes that away, and McGuinness hits the Tower of London from the apron through the back to back chairs. I’m not sure why he needed to distract the referee to do that. It’s really sad to see the Tower of London mean nothing anymore. McGuiness puts on an ankle lock and Necro makes the ropes. Necro surprises the champ with a small package for a very close near-fall. McGuinness responds with a lariat for two. He tries the Jawbreaker but Necro blocks it with a punch to the face and hits a Tiger Driver. Before the pin can be counted the Age of the Fall run out to attack Necro, giving him the disqualification win at 11:17. I know the DQ has been a bit of a touchy subject with many ROH faithful, but this is really no big deal. If they had done a DQ during something like Nigel McGuinness versus Bryan Danielson at Sixth Anniversary Show then I can see being upset, but for this match I don’t think it’s wrong. That being said, the match seemed to move in slow motion and never went anywhere. I blame Necro’s injury on that more than anything, so I’d like to see them have another match down the road.
Rating: **
Before the Age of the Fall can do too much damage we hear the music of Kevin Steen & El Generico, the ROH World Tag Team Champions. They run the bad guys off, and make nice-nice with Necro Butcher. Steen then calls out the Briscoes, and it’s time for the main event.
MATCH #8: ROH World Tag Team Title Match – Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe
Steen and Generico have been the champions since 9.19.08, and this is their first defense. These two teams had quite the feud in 2007. They wrestled in six tag team matches: a victory for the Briscoes at Fifth Year Festival: Philly, a tag title retention for the Briscoes on the Driven pay-per-view, a non-title win for Steen and Generico in a street fight at Death Before Dishonor V Night Two, a successful title defense in a steel cage for the Briscoes at Caged Rage, another one in a two-out-of-three falls match at Manhattan Mayhem II, and a final successful title defense in a brutal ladder war at the Man Up! pay-per-view. So the Briscoes are up 5-1 lifetime coming into this match. Even though both teams are ostensibly baby faces at this point, the bad blood is still there. Mark and Generico start the match off very aggressively. Generico takes Mark down and celebrates, giving Mark the chance to tag Jay, who comes in with a big kick to the face. Steen gets tagged in and he and Jay slug away at each other. The champions eventually take control on Jay. Steen uses him as a battering ram to knock Mark off the apron. He then back drops Jay to the floor. Before he can dive on him Mark grabs the leg, so Generico hits a dive on Mark. The champs make frequent tags to hang on to the advantage, cutting the ring in half. Mark enters the ring illegally to hit an exploder on Generico. They go to the floor, where Mark throws Generico face first into the guardrail and then hits a suplex. Paul Turner needs to get control; Mark’s not even the legal man! He soon is though, and now the Briscoes take over on the Generic Luchador. Generico comes *this close* to making the tag but the Briscoes thwart him. They’re doing a good job being heels tonight. Generico finally makes the hot tag and Steen is cleaning house. He tags Generico back in, but Mark counters his cross body attempt with a dropkick. Jay gets tagged in and military presses Generico into a Death Valley Driver for two. Steen tries to interfere but Jay throws him to the floor and hits Generico with a Falcon Arrow for two. Jay puts Generico in the Stretch Plum but can’t coax a submission. Steen tries to come in again but eats a super kick. Jay nails Generico with a lariat but it only gets two. He misses a guillotine leg drop and Generico makes the tag. Steen tries the Swanton and Jay gets the knees up. Jay goes for the Jay Driller but Steen blocks it and locks on the Sharpshooter. Mark sidesteps Generico and sends him to the floor. He tries to break up the hold with forearms and a kick to the face but Steen refuses to break it, even spitting in Mark’s face! Befuddled, Mark doesn’t even see Generico get back in the ring and obliterate his face with a Yakuza Kick. Mark is able to springboard over Generico back into the ring with a kick to Steen’s face to finally break the hold. He goes up to the top rope and Steen makes the tag to Generico. He motions for the super brain buster but Jay breaks it up and puts Generico on his shoulders. They go for the Doomsday Device but Generico rolls Jay into a victory roll and the champions retain the belts at 16:27. That match just got more and more awesome as it went along, and they’re still fighting each other after the bell. Both teams got a significant amount of offense on each other and everybody looked awesome. The finish perfectly leads into a rematch, and if the Briscoes go all-out heel between now and then it should be awesome.
Rating: ****
We cut to outside the building where Kyle Durden catches up with Ernie Osiris. Apparently Osiris lost a match earlier tonight so he got a pay cut and now has no money to get home. I truly don’t understand what that sort of gimmick is supposed to accomplish. Meanwhile, Sweet & Sour Inc. beat on Erick Stevens in the lobby until Roderick Strong makes the save.
Jimmy Jacobs is in another corner of the area, bloody but not broken. He says that the only reason he tapped out is to save himself for the upcoming “I Quit†match. He promises pain for Austin Aries.
The Pulse
Two out of eight matches reached four stars or higher, so that’s an automatic recommendation to buy this DVD. At a brisk two-and-a-half hours, the show just flies by. The Aries versus Jacobs match was pretty sick, and it will likely get sicker for the “I Quit†match in Chicago. The main event was awesome, and a couple of matches on the undercard over-performed, so I would have to deem this show a huge success.
