It’s Monday, and you know what that means! It’s time for ROH on HDNet! If you get HDNet! Otherwise, you’re stuck with me! I am, as I have been for the last 28 years, Kyle Sparks, and I will once again be guiding you through this pile of concentrated awesome. Tonight we actually have 3 scheduled matches as the House of Truth takes on the Super Smash Brothers, the makeshift team of Grizzly Redwood and Andy “Right Leg†Ridge takes on The Embassy, and in our main event, the Kings of Wrestling defend the ROH World Tag Team Titles for the LAST time against the Briscoe Brothers! If you’re a tag team wrestling fan, this is going to be a great night for you!
So that said, let’s just dive right into the plugs, shall we?
Reading is FUNdamental
*Ricardo Rochetti. Know him. Love him. That is all.
*Pulse Glazer checks in with his Monday Morning Backlash, as per usual, with his grades from WWE Bragging Rights. The red pen can be a harsh mistress.
*Will Pruett‘s last column featured Bragging Rights predictions, but since those are a little outdated, I’ll just link to his excellent blog, here.
*Mark Allen returns with his great “This Week in the E†recap column. It’s not ROH, but hey, it’s still good reading. And you want to be well informed don’t you? Well? Don’t you?!
*And FINALLY, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the contest that InsidePulse is putting on to win a copy of WWE’s new Chris Jericho DVD!
And now…on with the show…HERE COMES THE RUSH!
**PREVIOUSLY ON ROH on HDNET – We start with a video package outlining last week’s ROH on HDNet broadcast that featured Tyler Black’s last ROH match, against Davey Richards, a tremendous matchup that may well be the Free TV Match of the Year. Find it, one way or another. You won’t regret it.
Your hosts, as always, are Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood.
**We open with The Embassy of Erick Stevens and the Necro Butcher (with Prince Nana and Mr. Ernesto Osiris, natch) on their way to the ring. Huzzah!
The Embassy (Erick Stevens & Necro Butcher) w/ Prince Nana & Mr. Ernesto Osiris vs. Grizzly Redwood & Andy “Right Leg” Ridge
This won’t end well for our plucky little babyfaces, I think. The heels jump them to start, and Stevens tosses Ridge. Grizzly tries to pound away in a corner on Necro and goes up for a 10 punch and even a bite, but Necro shoves him off and boots (foots?) him in the face to take over. Stevens tags in and meets a drop toe hold as Ridge tags in and fires off a couple of kicks that I think will probably only piss off Stevens. Sure enough, he reverses a whip but meets a couple of kicks and a running knee strike by Ridge to take him down for 1. Ridge continues to kick away but Stevens gets too close to his corner and Necro blind tags in. Stevens and Necro hit a phenomenal wheelbarrow lift/assisted uppercut/wheelbarrow suplex double-team combination for 2. Necro continues to control just tearing away at the face of Ridge and tagging in Stevens again. Stevens stomps away and fires off a big chop in a neutral corner and lays some running shoulders into Ridge in the Embassy corner before tagging in Necro again. After picking up Andy Ridge by the ears, Necro headbutts him in the back of the head to send him down again. An open hand strike to the chest drops Ridge again, and Necro goes for an airplane spin! Ridge escapes and fires off a kick but Necro blocks and hits locomotion chokeslams into a lariat! No cover though as he simply drags Ridge back over to the corner and tags in Stevens who locks on a reverse bearhug.
Ridge counters with a jawbreaker, but isn’t able to tag. Ridge rolls through a back suplex and tries to crawl through the legs to tag, but gets caught, but hits Stevens with an enzugiri and tags. Grizzly Redwood is a room of fire (not a house, get it? Get it?!), taking down Stevens with a hurricanrana for 2, broken up by Necro. Necro sends Ridge outside and runs him into the barricade. Redwood makes the tactical error of going for a top rope crossbody, only to be caught by Stevens who military presses him and throws him over the top rope into a Necro uppercut on the floor! Necro tosses Redwood’s carcass back into the ring for Stevens to hit Ghana-rea for the academic 3 count.
The Embassy (Erick Stevens (W) & Necro Butcher) def. Grizzly Redwood (L) & Andy “Right Leg” Ridge in 6:22 via Ghana-rea.
Well, this was just an extended squash. I’m surprised it got 6 minutes, even. The underdog faces got minimal anything, and it was just a showcase for The Embassy, which is peculiar given that a good portion of the group was just given “a break.” (*3/4)
**Backstage with Kyle Durden, Shane Hagadorn, Sara Del Rey and the Kings of Wrestling. Shane says of the Wolves, “I’d rather stand with Champions than chumps. Hero eloquently destroys the Briscoes, and Claudio forbids Durden to look at him as he speaks. Love it. Claudio promises that they will break the Briscoes tonight.
**ROH is on tour! Go see them if they’re anywhere near you! If I thought I could get there, I’d try to go see the show Nov. 13th in Ontario as well to see Strong(c) vs. Daniels. But I’ll settle for being at Survival of the Fittest.
**Back from the MMA commercials, we see highlights of Daniels vs. Strong from 2 weeks ago, all the while pimping at the bottom of the screen the ROH World Title match in Canada on Nov. 13th.
The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno & Player Dos) vs. The House of Truth (Josh Raymond & Christian Able) w/ Truth Martini
Raymond and Uno start. Raymond forearms him to a knee and celebrates before grabbing a side headlock, which ends with Uno bowling over Raymond with a shoulder block and tagging in Player Dos. The SSB hit a double team drop toe hold/legdrop for 2. Raymond buries a knee to the midsection on Dos and tags in Able, who pounds away with punches and chops. Irish whip and Dos ducks a clothesline and hits a flying headscissors and a hurricanrana before Able tags in Raymond quickly who walks into a wheelbarrow roll up for 2 and a snap mare dropkick combo for 2 as well. Raymond is able to hit a dropkick to slow down Dos and tag in Able again. Able pops Uno to distract the official, but it doesn’t go anywehre just yet. Able counters something into what appeared to be a sort of STO. Could have been a screw up, hard to say. Raymond whips Able out and back into their corner into a shoulderblock on Dos and follows in with a high kick for 2. The HoT hit their powerbomb senton for 2. Able with a backbreaker and a second rope elbow for 2. Raymond in again, as the HoT go for a double team back suplex, but Dos rolls back out of it and goes Matrix style rolling through the double clothesline and springing up into a double enzugiri and taggin Uno. Uno cleans house culminating in a wild electric chair into a neckbreaker on Raymond for 2, and then a side suplex/fistdrop double team for 2. Player Dos tries a twisting top rope plancha to the outside but Able moves, sending Dos splattering to the ground and allowing the HoT to hit their double team wheelbarrow/top rope rocker dropper type combo (still unnamed, which irritates me) for the 3.
The House of Truth (Josh Raymond (W) & Christian Able) def. The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno (L) & Player Dos) in 5:28 via Wheelbarrow Combo.
This was just okay, and I think both of these teams have a better match in them. Nothing was actively bad, just short, as the HoT still isn’t really clicking with the Philadelphia crowd, and the SSB haven’t been around enough to really get something going either. Hard to say much more than that. (**)
**Now the same video package we’ve seen many a time for this Briscoes/KoW feud. A good package, and it appears to have been added to at least a little bit as the feud has gone on, but still, most of this we’ve seen a lot.
**Back from commercial, Homicide with a microphone! So, so, so, so happy to see him back, and there’s a lot of fresh matchups here for him.
**We flash back to 2 weeks ago, when Steen and Corino quit. Jim Cornette says he has contracts for both men to fulfill, and he has signed Steen and Corino to a CAGE MATCH against Cabana and Generico next week! In the immortal words of C. Montgomery Burns: Excellent.
**And now, it’s main event time! Unfortunately the Kings are out first, so I’m assuming this means the Briscoes jump them in their intro.
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli – C) w/ Shane Hagadorn & Sara Del Rey vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay & Mark Briscoe)
Aside from a little shoving to start, no early attack. Color me wrong. The Philly crowd demands that someone man up. I’m sure someone will. Hero and Mark Briscoe start. Lockup goes nowhere, but a second one sees Hero back Mark into the corner, but get it reversed on him. Hero shoves Mark who pops him one and Hero tags. Claudio slugs away, but Mark fires back and hits his spinwheel kick and tags in Jay who bowls over Claudio with a shoulderblock and the Kings decide to take a powder. Claudio and Jay back in the ring now as the legal men, and Hero slaps Jay in the back of the head as they circle and Claudio attacks. Claudio backs Jay into the corner and tags, and Hero lays in a couple of boots in the corner and lays in a series of elbows. Hero tries to hit his turnbuckle/boot ram but gets it countered. Claudio blind tags and the Kings hit their double team big boot but Hero gets taken off the apron by Mark, the Briscoes hit their side slam/top rope legdrop combo for a nearfall, and the Kings again are going to take a walk. Hero poses for the crowd, as, really, he does look in excellent shape.
Claudio back in again with Mark, and Claudio just unloads in the corner before whipping him across only for Mark to dodge the charge and hit a running knee. Mark with a vertical suplex for 1, and tags Jay. The Briscoes beal Claudio out of the corner, getting tremendous elevation on it, and Jay hits a charging corner clothesline into a snap mare and a sliding strike for 2. Jay and Claudio exchange forearms and Claudio sends Jay into the corner, but Jay lifts Claudio to the apron and hits a slingshot plancha to the floor, but on the Kings side of the ring. Hero moves over to investigate but Mark takes him down and Mark hits his running top rope hilo to take out Hero. Now it’s in Briscoes territory, as the brawl continues on the floor, Jay vs. Claudio and Mark vs. Hero. Jay throws Claudio in and hits a nice gourdbuster for 2. Forearm trade ends with Claudio ducking a forearm and hitting a gorgeous springboard european allowing him to tag Hero. Hero charges with an elbow but gets one to the midsection instead and gets rammed into the middle buckle Downward Spiral-style. Mark tags in and lays in a couple of headbutts sending Hero to the apron. Back in, Mark runs Hero into the buckle and lays in an open hand strike and a club to the back. Hero counters an exploder suplex into almost a Regalplex, but no cover as Hero recovers. Draped over the 2nd rope, Del Rey slaps Mark, and referee Paul Turner ejects Del Rey. The way they pimp Del Rey, I’m shocked she didn’t just cold cock Turner. It kind of would have fit her character. In any event, Hero gets irish whipped into an elbow strike on Mark, and Claudio delivers a ridiculous series of forearms to Mark. Big european uppercut sends Mark sailing into the Kings’ corner, allowing Hero to tag in. Hero hits an elbow to the chest for 2 and a senton for 2.
Mark throws some desperation punches and gets a sunset flip but Hero is able to tag and Claudio drills him with a diving european for 2 before locking in a horse collar submission. Back up, Claudio lays in a european uppercut and whips Mark to a neutral corner. Mark gets a boot up on a blind charge and hits a neckbreaker putting both men down. Mark is unable to tag however, as Claudio catches him and runs him back into the Kings’ corner tagging Hero who decks Mark with another elbow. Hero pounds away but Mark fires back only to walk into a stiff elbow, sending him back into the corner. Claudio back in and the Kings go for a double big boot but Mark blocks and tries to dive for a tag allowing Claudio to catch him and Hero to just drill him with a Hart Attack elbow for 2. Claudio tries again and gets 2 again. Claudio sends Mark outside to the waiting Hero who tees off on Mark a couple times and sends Mark back in, where Claudio covers for 2, before going back to the horse collar. Mark reaches the ropes. Hero back in again, and fires off a chop and a series of knees. Hero sends Mark outside, where Claudio adds a suplex on the floor, as Hero taunts Jay. Hagadorn even gets in a shot or two.
Back in, the Kings tag again and execute a wishbone on Mark. Mark fires back with a couple desperation rights, but Claudio hits a european uppercut and puts up Mark in the UFO but only gets 2! An angry Claudio tags in Hero, and the Kings hit a double team lift for 2 off a Hero folding press. The Kings bait Jay in, but Mark ducks a Hero elbow and hits a saito suplex on Hero. Mark rolls under the charging Kings and tags! Jay hits a double crossbody and a series of clotheslines and a superkick on each man, before laying a big dropkick on Hero and a charging clothesline to send Hero out. Jay goes for his death valley driver but Claudio counters, only for Jay to hit the Jay Driller for a 2 count broken up by Hero. Mark back in now starts hitting the thrust strikes to Hero and tosses him again, as the Briscoes signal for the Doomsday Device. Claudio goes up, but Hero crotches Mark allowing Claudio to slide out and hit a release german. Hero distracts the official as Hagadorn tries to hit a piledriver (nice nod to Adam Pearce), but Jay backdrops out of it and is about to unleash hell on Hagadorn, when Shane knees him low, allowing Claudio to pin Jay!
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli (W) def. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay (L) & Mark Briscoe) in 18:22 via low blow.
Really good tag match. Really bad ending. Briscoes/Kings is always good stuff, and this was no different. But that was a horrid ending, so that definitely affects things. (***1/4)
**Post match, Papa Briscoe is in the building! Papa Mike Briscoe hits the ring and is just laying in the shots on Hagadorn and choking him like it’s going out of style! The Kings drag Hagadorn out of there, and look to leave, when Papa Briscoe gets on the mic! He pretty much says he won’t let a “little peckerhead” like Hagadorn interfere. Well, that was kind of…anticlimactic. The Briscoe family celebrates in the ring, as we fade out and promote next week’s cage match. Be here for it!
**Let’s add up the numbers. On a 50+ minute show, there was 30:12 of wrestling. Technically, there was more wrestling than last week, but it wasn’t of the same quality. However with the announcement of the cage match next week and the return of Homicide, ROH continues to be must-see TV for wrestling fans. This week’s a B- kind of show. Could have been better, but ROH is like pizza. Even when it’s bad, it’s good.
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!
