Welcome back! You made it through another rotten weekend just in time for ROH on HDNet on Monday Night! Okay, fine, Monday isn’t the best day of the week, but the wrestling’s second to none, right? Right? Ah, hell. Moving on. Welcome back to InsidePulse. Last I checked, I am still Kyle Sparks, and this week, ROH’s preview page advertises a whopping FIVE matches. Of course one involves The Embassy and one is a Ten Minute Hunt event, so that’ll be about 5 minutes of wrestling combined, so it seems less promising in that sense. But hey, we get The Briscoes and the Kings in singles matches, so, win!
This week’s plugs are short, sweet and to the point. As always, a plug to Mr. Ricardo Rochetti. I wish I could link to his current 10 Thoughts, but as they go up around the same time as this recap, I don’t generally get that opportunity. I’d also like to take this opportunity to send a plug out to Will Pruett’s “The People’s Column,” which is a good read this week as usual.
Also, before I get started, I’ll answer the Trivia Question from last week that no one answered. Sad face. Clearly the readership is not quite there yet.
The question was: “Christopher Daniels and Roderick Strong met one-on-one only one other time in an ROH ring. What year was it, what was the show called, and what made it noteworthy?”
The Answer: They met previously at Battle of St. Paul, in April of 2007. THE match was special, as it was for Roderick’s FIP World Title, which he retained by beating Christopher Daniels by countout.
No more trivia until further notice. The beatings will continue until morale improves.
**We open going straight to the ring with The Embassy’s music playing! An opening round match in Tag Wars 2010. Shawn Daivari and Mr. Ernesto Osiris, with only Nana ringside. Nice.
Your Hosts are, as always, Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood.
**The Embassy (Shawn Daivari & Ernesto Osiris) vs. The Dark City Fight Club (Kory Chavis & Jon Davis)
Brief DCFC chant to start. The DCFC just destroy The Embassy contingent right off the bell, driving both to the outside, Davis on Osiris, Chavis on Daivari. Daivari is able to reverse a whip into the guardrail, but poor Ernesto is just getting killed. Davis breaks the count as Daivari comes back ringside for some reason, but goes back to the aisleway to lay a kick into Chavis. Davis misses a POOOOOOOOOOOUNCE into the barricade on Osiris as Daivari pulls him out of the way. Daivari rolls Davis back in for a one count, and continues to work on the shoulder with an arm wringer and a knee to the shoulder for two. Hammerlock into the corner and Osiris tags in. You know, it occurs to me that this may not be the strongest team that Nana could have assembled.
Another quick tag and Daivari hits a divorce court for two and continues with the armBAR. Davis tries to escape the only way he knows how (i.e. forearms to the face) but gets thrown outside. Daivari distracts Paul Turner and Kory Chavis as Osiris and Nana do a number on the outside. Osiris loses control briefly but goes to the eyes to regain it. Irish whip reversed and first clothesline misses, but a tilt-a-whirl powerslam with GUSTO puts Osiris down. Davis is in the wrong part of town though. Osiris tags, as does Davis, and Kory Chavis is a HOUSE OF FIRE.
Osiris over the top rope and a sit out blue thunder bomb for a long 2 on Daivari. Daivari reverses an irish whip and hits an enzugiri to stun Chavis, but runs into a Sky High bomb for 2, broken up by Osiris. Davis back in now pounding on Osiris, the DCFC in firm control. The double irish whip sort of works as Chavis plows over Osiris. A teased Chavis dive is broken up by Daivari who tosses Chavis. Osiris drops Davis with a missile dropkick but eats a big lariat for his trouble from Chavis, who in turn, takes a flying knee from Daivari. Osiris hits a crossbody off a blind tag and Davari adds a frog splash, but The Embassy still only get 2. DCFC chant as Osiris pulls up Chavis. Daivari goes to charge, but Davis comes back in with a POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUNCE and Project Mayhem (as I believe their elevated sit out powerbomb/neckbreaker combo is called) is enough for the three on Osiris.
The Dark City Fight Club (Kory Chavis (W) & Jon Davis) def. The Embassy (Mr. Ernesto Osiris (L) & Shawn Daivari) via Project Mayhem in 7:47.
This was a much better opener than I expected given these teams. The DCFC appear to be getting over as faces with the Philly crowd, and hey, it works for me. They’re big tough bruisers and every company needs a tag team like that. (**)
**Now we get a video package of The Briscoes’ shenanigans from last week when they fooled the Tag Team Champions. This sends us to Kyle Durden with the Briscoes. They make about as much sense as the Briscoes normally do. They’re great guys, as I’ve met them, but man, their interviews are an experience.
**Now back in the ring, we have Eddie Edwards’ Ten Minute Hunt! Tremendous! I have no idea who this kid is. He looks a little like Mike Mondo, but since his tights say “Freddie” I doubt it’s the same guy. Says his name is Jay Freddie from Watertown, NY. Eddie promptly calls him Frankie. I see what you did there.
**Eddie Edwards vs. Jay Freddie
Edwards hands Freddie the title belt to ask how it feels. Sure enough, Eddie decks him with the microphone and takes over. Eddie eats elbow off a corner charge but responds with a kick. Freddie however fights back with nice dropkick and a kneelift into a low dropkick. Prazak makes me happy by riffing off of “Frankie” into a Koko B. Ware reference (Bird, Bird, Bird), as Eddie hangs Freddie out to dry over the top rope and just drills him outside with a kick. Freddie counters a back suplex with a couple of nice kicks and a second rope hurricanrana, then adds a suicide dive for good measure! Freddie sends Edwards back into the ring and goes up top, but his missile dropkick gets reversed into a powerbomb and the achilles lock stomps for the ref stoppage.
Eddie Edwards def. Jay Freddie via Achilles Lock Stomps in 2:21.
This was what it was. This needs to start growing some legs soon or it could get ugly. Since they’re doing more with it on the “house show circuit” that tells me they’ll do more with it on HDNet soon. (*)
**Post match, we get a brief video package look at the Austin Aries/Delirious situation. They’ll go one-on-one NEXT!
**Back from MMA commercials, we reveal that next week it’ll be Tyler Black against Christopher Daniels in Non-Title action, and in a Butcher’s Rules grudge match, Necro Butcher will take on “Skullkrusher” Rasche Brown. Good news, everyone!
This segues into an interview with Rasche Brown backstage. Rasche’s intensity cannot be questioned, but some of his facials are a little iffy. But hey, if he’s doing “big, crazy, violent man,” it works, so who am I to judge?
**Austin Aries vs. Delirious (w/ Daizee Haze)
Delirious is out first, but Aries is out alone in street clothes, rubbing his throat. Something must have happened! Is there a doctor in the house?! Maybe he got some bad pipe tobacco…Aries whispers to cut the music as the crowd helpfully points out that he sucks. In his raspy voice, Aries explains that he had every intention of taking care of business, but he’s sick. He has a doctor’s note. Neither Delirious or Daizee look convinced, and even referee Bryce Remsburg looks suspicious. The crowd says it’s bull-you-know-what. Aries has a 3rd degree case of laryngitis. So Aries has found a suitable challenger!  His voice is getting better through the interview. Tremendous. Aries has a replacement. KENNY KING!
**Austin Aries Kenny King (w/ Austin Aries) vs. Delirious (w/ Daizee Haze)
The bell rings and Delirious goes nuts, as per usual. The crowd chants along in Delirious-ese. Lockup and King hits a knee to the midsection to start and takes advantage early. Chain wrestling sequence ends with King landing a right hand to maintain control, but taking a calf kick as he comes in off the ropes. Delirious I see has added a long red tassle to his usual green and black. Interesting. Big chop and the crowd wants to see another. The man from the Edge of Sanity obliges. Delirious can’t seem to keep focused on King as he keeps looking at Aries.
Delirious does still manage to introduce him to 2 corners before King reverses the third, but Delirious shrugs it off and reverses an irish whip. King puts on the brakes and calls time out. Just make sure you have one left. You don’t want to pull a Chris Webber. Delirious breaks up the conference and chases Aries and ducks a Kenny King clothesline attempt but rolls back into the ring only to nearly get caught in the Coronation. Delirious ducks another clothesline and hits a baseball slide and gets his hands on Aries to a big pop before King breaks that up sending Delirious into the guardrail. I find it utterly hilarious that Kenny King was a guy WWE totally rejected in favor of a guy like Shelton Benjamin who had half the personality and is now no longer with the company.
King rolls Delirious back in and rains down punches in the corner for 2. Snap suplex and he floats over for mounted forearms, but missed his bottom rope springboard legdrop. Delirious hits an atomic drop but misses a charge. King charges but meets boot, and Delirious rolls through on a top rope dive and hits a headbutt to the midsection. King tries to clear Delirious in the corner and takes another one. A third off an attempted King dive has the Pretty Boy Pitbull in trouble. Short Downward Spiral gets 2. Cross legged brainbuster countered, and King just throws Delirious down headfirst to the mat and hits the Savage necksnap.
King however misses a springboard crossbody and Delirious locks in the cobra stretch! Aries blows smoke in Delirious’s eyes, and Delirious has had it. He grabs Aries up to the apron, but eats the running double knees to the back, once known as the Elijah Express in another company and gets schoolboyed for the three!
Kenny King def. Delirious via Shotgun Knees in 7:46.
Another damn fine match. It’s like ROH has seen every one of these complaints I had about wrestling vs. promo packages, etc. It told it’s story well, advanced a longstanding angle, and had some good action to boot! That’s all I can ask. (**1/2)
**After a brief foray to the studio and a more brief video package to hype Black vs. Daniels next week, we cut right to the ring! Claudio Castagnoli, Shane Hagadorn and Sara Del Rey make their way out. Hagadorn gets on the mic and says tonight is the last time that the Briscoes will be in the ring with the Kings of Wrestling. I’m hesitant to believe that.
**Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jay Briscoe
Jay rushes the ring immediately and it’s lights-out top speed action from the word go as Jay sends Claudio outside with the Cactus Clothesline and takes control on the floor. Hagadorn stops Jay as he tries to get back in the ring giving him pause long enough to allow Claudio to hit a bicycle kick to knock Jay off the apron into the guardrail. Claudio sends Jay back in and hits a european uppercut. Mounted forearms and a legdrop for 2. Claudio with a knfe edge chop and a bulldog out of the corner and he poses again.
Elbowdrop gets 2, and Claudio hooks in a stretch plum variant. Jay elbows out but runs into a powerslam (or if you’re Michael Cole, a scoop slam) for 2. The two exchange strikes but Claudio just drills Jay with a bicycle kick for 2, and then a deadlift gutwrench suplex for 2. Claudio follows that up with a great bridging german suplex for 2. Well, it figures the Swiss wouldn’t do it justice. Claudio whips Jay into the corner and hits a running european, as this has been ALL Claudio. European uppercut and a series of forearms, as Jay pushes off a little, caushing Claudio to respond with a leaping forearm and an attempt at a gutwrench superplex. Jay fights him off, and blocks two Claudio charges and hits a crossbody to shift the momentum. Series of forearms and a dropkick and Claudio is reeling. Corner charge, a corner whip with another corner charge and the running yakuza kick by Jay gets 2. Death Valley Driver reversed, but Claudio comes in off the ropes and gets caught in it anyway for a long 2.
Hagadorn on the apron gets a boot to the head by Jay Briscoe for his trouble. The distraction naturally allows Claudio to take control with a big clothesline, but Jay counters the Riccola Bomb with a backdrop and a Malenko/Guerrero sequence results in Jay being on top for the pin!
Jay Briscoe def. Claudio Castagnoli via jackknife pin in 7:13.
Truth be told, I may have remembered the match time incorrectly. This whole show was wall-to-wall action, and this match segued into the next so quickly that it almost made my head spin. As to the match itself, this was solid stuff, as you’d expect from these two. Great reversal sequences, Jay really got to show off big time, and Claudio was his usual strong self. (**3/4)
**Post match, Chris Hero comes in, and the Kings hit the KRS-One on Jay Briscoe, but here comes Mark! So many bells that I’m only marginally sure which one actually started the match.
**Chris Hero vs. Mark Briscoe
Just like last match, Mark starts off very fast, with a series of strikes and headbutts in the corner on Hero. Mark with a vertical suplex and rolls through with mounted punches, prompting Todd Sinclair to break it up. Mark is borderline heeling it up here, but the crowd doesn’t care at all. Hero puts on the breakes and rolls outside, but Mark flies with a no-hands plancha onto all four people ringside. He goes to throw Hero back in but eats a a baseball slide coming in. Hero goes for another but misses sliding outside where Mark Briscoe greets him with a suplex and a chop before Hero rolls in and begs off.
Mark responds by pounding away again. Sinclair has to pull Mark off Hero, who takes the opportunity to hit a modified neckbreaker sending Mark outside. The two of them trade blows outside, but Hero one-ups Mark with a rebound elbow strike before rolling back into the ring to recover. Mark comes in, and Hero meets him, but Mark is back up immediately, but Hero puts him down with a modified Regalplex. Hero hits his charging forearm in the corner, and whips Mark corner-to-corner and hits another one, before locking in the cravate and delivering repeated knee strikes and a dropkick for 2. Mark fights back with headbutts but Hero cuts him off with an elbow. He fights back again and Hero puts him down again, as the blows are starting to take their toll.
Hero with a couple of chops as the crowd lets him know that he sucks in case he forgot. Mark fights out of the corner, but Hero just drops him again with an elbow for 2. Hero tosses Mark, who Claudio decks with a european uppercut as Hero runs distraction. Mark blocks a turnbuckle blow and Hero just DECKS him with an elbow for a long 2. Scoop slam by Hero, who mocks the crowd before going up for a moonsault which he promptly misses. Hero rolls to the corner, but Mark blocks the boot and hits a thrust. Corner charge and a corner whip into a back body drop. Hero reverse an irish whip but puts his head down and on the rebound Mark hits a spinwheel kick and a brainbuster for 2.
Mark goes for the Cutthroat Driver, but Hero escapes and blocks a leaping enzugiri and hits an elbow strike. Mark gets a shot in on Hero and sends him off the top rope Iconoclasm-style for 2. Hero hits a couple of elbows and chain wrestling sees Hero win it with a BIG roaring elbow and a Liger Bomb for a LONG 2. The crowd instructs Mark to man up, as Sara Del Rey runs distraction. Hero has the golden elbow pad, but Mark counters! Hero goes for the Deathblow, but Jay is back, running distraction, and Mark gets the backslide for three!
Mark Briscoe def. Chris Hero via backslide in 9:50.
Lots of great nearfalls, angle advancement and I am a total Hero mark, so I loved this. Mark’s selling issues and the iffy ending drug this down a little bit, and still not on par with some of their best main events, but certainly damn good. (***)
**Post match, the Kings take their leave as we cut to a video package promoting ROH as having the Best Tag Team action in the world and OH MY GOD. At Glory by Honor IX in New York City, the Kings of Wrestling will take on Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin! I am so 100% on board with this that it’s not even funny. As soon as both guys were available it became a dream match, and ROH is wise to strike while they can on the biggest audience they can muster (that is, iPPV).
Let’s add up the numbers. On a 50+ minute show, there was a WHOPPING 34:46 of wrestling. I’m speechless at that, and it made live recapping a PAIN IN THE ASS. I’m not rich enough for DVR. The things I do for you people. This was about everything I could have asked for out of this show. No one match was blowaway phenomenal, but everything was solid at worst. This is a good show to show off to people just why we dig ROH. Only down shot was that this one was VERY tag division focused. No Black, no Steen, no Richards, no Generico. That hurt things, but still a great show. Definitely worth your time to check out.
As always, thanks for reading, never hesitate to hit me up with any comments questions or anything else and I hope to see everyone next week!
