10 Thoughts on ROH on HDNet 11.01.2010 feat. Eddie Edwards, Sara del Rey, and Main Event Cage Match

Reviews, Shows, TV Shows

OK, my dozens (AND DOZENS) of readers, this time, it was NOT my fault! Imagine my dismay last night as I finished my 10 Thoughts and hit “Submit for Review” at about 11:30 PM, only to get a WordPress failure . . . and then this morning, getting back on WordPress and expecting the column to have been saved, only to learn that it wasn’t. Huzzah!

Look on the bright side – the delay has given you plenty of time to check out Kyle Sparks’ superior review of last night’s ROH offering. If you haven’t done that yet, quite frankly, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

1. After the opening video package, I was expecting to have the Kings of Wrestling interfere in Eddie Edwards’ TV Title match. I’m for clean finishes as much as anyone, but I wouldn’t have minded that, since I like the prospect of a Wolves-Kings feud enough to see it developed on TV.

2. The abrupt finish to the Edwards-Rhett Titus TV Title match, while not the fault of either guy, took the air out of what was shaping up to be quite a good match. Edwards continues to impress, and I always enjoy it when Titus gets a chance to look strong and less like a joke.

3. I’m happy to see that it looks like the TV Title will be defend more frequently now that Edwards has broken away from Shane Hagadorn. It allows Edwards to continue to build credibility, it gives whoever his opponents might be something to do, and it ensures we’ll get a decent match on a semi-regular basis. Everyone wins!

4. I’ve found Colt Cabana to be a little over-the-top in his serious promos during his participation in the feud between he and Generico against Steen and Corino, but I thought tonight his delivery was great, and he did a really good job of putting over Generico’s heart. Very solid promo.

5. I know they added highlights of last week’s match to the Kings of Wrestling-Briscoe Brothers video package, but it sure feels like we’ve seen that video too many times recently. I know they’re building to the Six-Man (with Papa Briscoe and Hagadorn) at Final Battle, but hopefully they won’t play the video so frequently between now and then.

6. While I’m not a huge fan of Sara del Rey’s squashes (not that they’re not good, but just that they didn’t seem to lead anywhere), this one wasn’t half bad. Del Rey showed some diverse offense, and Rachel Summerlyn took her beating like a champ. Plus, del Rey’s post-match demand for a real challenge leads me to believe this actually IS going to lead somewhere.

7. Kevin Steen berating Generico’s mask after stealing it was awesome. Steen putting on Generico’s mask and “impersonating” him was a little too hokey, and therefore not nearly as awesome.

8. The main event didn’t top these guys’ amazing street fight (frankly, I didn’t expect it to), but it was still worthy of an ROH TV main event. They did a nice job of trading the momentum back and forth, we got the brutality we’ve come to expect from these guys, and the finish (the Crossface/fork to the head combo on Cabana) provided a nice visual.

9. The post-match work was good as well. Steen was fantastic taunting Generico from inside the cage, and Generico really sold the frustration nicely. It made me believe that Corino and Steen have really sent Generico over the edge.

10. Pretty good show overall. There was nothing that blew me away, although I think the TV Title match could have if they hadn’t had to rush to a finish, but everything was perfectly acceptable. Not ROH’s best effort, but not a bad hour if you’re trying to get your wrestling fix.