Collinsville, IL – July 23, 2010
Joe Dombrowski and Dave Prazak are on commentary.
MATCH #1: The Bravado Brothers vs. The House of Truth
Christin Able and Harlem Bravado start it off. Able uses his power to shove Harlem down. Harlem comes back with a headlock, an armdrag and a monkey flip .The crowd boos in hilarious fashion. Lance tags in and the Bravados use some brotherly double teams to work Able over. Thanks to his power, Able is able (ha!) to force Lance into the corner and tag Raymond. Unfortunately, Lance comes right back with a dropkick and the Bravados maintain control. Raymond fights back with some shady tactics and makes the tag. The HOT go to work on Lance in their corner. They even hit the elevated quebrada, which I’m pretty sure I told Raymond they should do. After a few minutes Lance makes a terrible comeback and tags Harlem. He unleashes some offense but can’t put Raymond away. They match breaks down and all four men are in the ring. Able tosses one of them to the floor (sorry I lost track) and then lawn darts the other one into the corner. House of Truth hits the inverted Rougeau Brothers move to get the win at 8:25. I’m pretty sure I suggested that move as well. Anyway, this was okay for an opener but House of Truth is clearly out of the Bravado Brothers’ league.
Rating: **
MATCH #2: Grizzly Redwood vs. Erick Stevens
Stevens is of course accompanied by Prince Nana, the leader of the Embassy. Nana talks trash about St. Louis, and then calls out the Grizz. Stevens shakes hands but tries a powerslam but Redwood escapes. Redwood tries a sunset flip but can’t execute it. He stomps on the feet, and then gets flattened with a shoulderblock. Redwood comes back with the littlest offense but Stevens is too strong. Nana also interferes, allowing Stevens to knock Redwood to the floor. Stevens pitches Redwood back-first into the ring apron and then rolls him back in the ring. He throws Redwood around some more, showing off his superior power. Redwood tries to come back with a Sleeper but Stevens powers his way out of it. Stevens locks on a swinging bearhug and Redwood escapes with a jawbreaker. Now Redwood is able to get in more of the littlest offense, including a victory roll for two. Stevens tries the Choo-Choo, but Redwood avoids it and hits a swinging DDT for two. A dazed Stevens rolls to the floor and Redwood tries a dive but gets caught in mid-air. Redwood slips out and pushes Stevens into the ring post! He then chases Nana, and when he tries a dive off the top rope, Necro Butcher comes in and cracks him with a chair for the DQ at 7:04. It seems a little silly that Stevens needed this much help beating Grizzly Redwood, but that’s what happened.
Rating: *½
MATCH #3: Necro Butcher vs. Rasche Brown
Necro and Stevens beat on Redwood until Rasche Brown comes out for the save. The jobber patrol comes out to try and break it up but they have no luck. There’s no opening bell and people keep trying to break them up so this isn’t really a match I think. They fight for awhile and Brown wins the battle but surely not the war.
MATCH #4: Pick 6 Match – (1) Roderick Strong vs. Colt Cabana
Cabana does some shenanigans before the match involving cameras and hugging. This is a Pick 6 match – shouldn’t he take it somewhat seriously? They start with some chain wrestling, with Strong going after the arm. Cabana tries going after the leg and it looks like tempers are starting to flare but Cabana is still just being goofy as he takes a powder. Back in the ring Cabana locks on a headlock. He hits a shoulderblock and switches it up to go after the arm. Strong escapes a hold and takes a powder. Back in the ring Truth Martini wastes little time in interfering to give Strong the advantage. Cabana ducks a clothesline and hits a double chop. Strong comes back and kicks Cabana in the gut and throws him to the floor. He works Cabana over, and then brings him back in the ring to hit a DDT for two. Strong can’t sustain an advantage though, as this match continues to go back and forth. Cabana hits the jabs, the Flying Apple and a clothesline for a near-fall. He secures a victory roll but Strong kicks out at two and proceeds to shut Cabana down with chops. Strong hits an enziguiri and a side slam for two. Cabana rolls that over for a two-count of his own. Strong then rings Cabana’s bell with a knee to the face. That looks like it legit caught him. Strong hits a kneelift and an enziguiri for two. He then locks on the Stronghold and Cabana reaches the ropes and then scores a rollup for two. Strong puts Cabana up on the top rope and kicks him in the head. Cabana reverses the momentum and hits a super gutbuster across the top turnbuckle for two. That’s new. Cabana goes for the Colt 45 but Strong slips out so instead he goes for the Bill Goat’s Curse. Strong kicks him off and the referee gets distracted long enough for Truth to hit Cabana with the Book of Truth (unbeknownst to Strong but knownst to us). That gives Strong the chance to hit the gutbuster and the Sick Kick to get the pin and keep his spot at 14:23. That was a decent back and forth showing, and I really like the idea of Truth helping Strong behind his back like that.
Rating: **½
MATCH #5: The American Wolves vs. Generation Me
Before the match can begin, Max Buck (Matt Jackson) cuts a promo showing more charisma then he got to show in his entire previous ROH run, talking about how they’re superstars now in Orlando and are no longer the Young Bucks, but Generation Me. Davey Richards counters with his usual, and away we go.
Max and Edwards start the match. Edwards is all fired up so Max takes a quick powder. Back in the ring Richards takes Edwards’ place and we get first contact. Max slaps Richards in the face and takes another powder. Back in the ring he slaps Richards again and gets kicked in the gut so he goes to the floor again. Back in tags are made and now it’s Jeremy and Edwards locking up. Jeremy tries a slap but Edwards ducks it and unleashes a couple of chops. The Wolves now go to work, with Richards locking on a Texas Cloverleaf. Really? Jeremy backs Richards into his corner and tags Max, who stomps away in the corner. Richards comes back and makes a tag, and the battle spills to the floor, where the Wolves start dissecting Max with kicks. The Wolves continue the beating back in the ring; Richards hits a diving headbutt for a two-count. They continue to work Max over until he uses the referee for a distraction and kicks Richards in the junk. That allows Generation Me to take control.
They work Richards over just briefly before Richards grows tired of selling and he low bridges the ropes on Max, allowing Edwards to kick him in the back of the head. Edwards tags in now and hits a belly-to-belly suplex on Max, and then a running forearm in the corner and a vertical suplex. He goes up top for a missile dropkick and hits Jeremy instead of Max. He then hits Max with a running knee to the head for a two-count. Jeremy comes in illegally and they charge Edwards but both get dumped to the floor, and the Wolves follow them out with stereo dives. Back in the ring Edwards locks Max in the Achilles Lock and Max quickly gets to the ropes. Max rakes the eyes and tags Jeremy. The action is getting quite difficult to call at this point. Jeremy hits Edwards with a high cross body off the top rope for two. He then hits Edwards with an Ace Crusher for another two-count. He goes up top and Edwards kicks him in the face, and follows up with a superplex. Both men make tags and Richards and Max trade strikes and pinning combinations with the Fish out of Water spot. Richards absolutely blasts Max with an enziguiri and a back suplex for two. The match breaks down and Max is able to reverse a Tombstone Piledriver to plant Richards with the move for a near-fall.
Edwards and Jeremy tumble to the floor and Richards locks Max in the Ankle Lock! The referee has completely lost control, with all four men coming in and out of the ring at will. Richards once again locks Max in the Ankle Lock but Max kicks out of it and hits a reverse rana. Of course, Richards decides not to sell it but hit a big lariat first. A reverse rana is a crazy move not to sell. I know, I know, he sold it right afterwards, but I can still not like it. Jeremy and Edwards now trade forearms in the middle of the ring and wear each other out. Richards recovers to help Edwards with the assisted Alarm Clock and then the Big Wolf Combo for two. Outside the ring Richards throws Max into the barricade. In the ring Edwards goes for a back superplex on Jeremy but gets knocked down. Unfortunately for Jeremy Richards gets in the ring and hits a German Superplex! Edwards hits Jeremy with a double stomp to the back off the top rope but it only gets two. Max pulls Richards to the floor and rams him into the barricade. He then hits a twisting overhead stunner off the top on Edwards, and makes sure to have Jeremy (the legal man) make the cover. It only gets two, but that’s a really nice touch. It looks like Gen Me is going for More Bang for Your Buck but Richards breaks it up. They persevere and try More Bang for Your Buck again but Edwards catches Jeremy out of the air! Richards dumps Max to the floor and then the Wolves hit Jeremy with a super lungblower combo. Edwards then locks Jeremy in the Achilles Lock for the win at 21:24.
Richards gets on the mic after the match to beg the fans to cheer for Eddie Edwards. I know they’re trying to push Edwards, but they’re really just ramming him down my throat. He then goes off on about how some wrestling is fake but the American Wolves are real, or something. He also wants to wrestle Kenny Omega one more time. Anyway, the match was tons of fun, and I think Generation Me are much better heels than they are babyfaces, which is odd given their move set, but here’s the proof.
Rating: ****
MATCH #6: Tyler Black, Delirious & Jerry Lynn vs. Austin Aries & the All Night Express
Aries tries to cut a pre-match promo, but the babyfaces cut him off and charge the ring to start the match! Delirious is wearing his red gear tonight. Even so, the babyfaces get tossed to the floor, but then they avoid dive attempts and high five about it. They then hit simultaneous baseball slide dropkicks and take the fight to the floor. We settle back in the ring with Titus and Lynn, with the babyfaces firmly in control.
Titus recovers briefly and tags out to King, but he gets worked over in the wrong corner as well. King fights back with a jawbreaker on Delirious and tags out to Titus, but he still can’t get anything going. Black slams him and stomps the face. King gets tagged back in and he backs Lynn in to the corner. He and Titus hold him there while Aries sneaks in with the IED. Now Aries and the ANX take over on the veteran Lynn. I just realized that four of the fourteen ROH World Title reigns are represented in this match. Meanwhile Aries, King and Titus work Lynn over. They effectively double and triple team him to wear him down. After several minutes of abuse Lynn makes the hot tag to the champion. Black is all over Titus, hitting Paroxysm for two. Titus fights back with a dropkick for a near-fall. Black comes back and has to fight off both King and Titus, and he does so admirably. Aries comes in as well and Black hits him with the F5 and then tags Delirious, who hits Shadows over Hell for two. The other four men are brawling on the floor while Delirious locks Aries in the Cobra Stretch. Aries escapes but then falls victim to mounted punches. Titus tries to break it up but Delirious ranas his way out of it. Delirious then catches Aries coming off the ropes with a headbutt to the midsection. The referee has totally lost control. Aries counters a Panic Attack and kicks Delirious in the head, then locks him in a Cobra Stretch. He gets distracted by Daizee Haze though, and Delirious capitalizes with an inside cradle for the pin at 15:45. That was pretty standard six man tag fare.
Rating: **½
MATCH #7: Grudge Match – El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
Aries kidnaps Haze on his way to the back, and as the brawl continues, Kevin Steen comes out to try and weaken Black before their World Title match tomorrow night in Chicago. El Generico comes out to thwart Steen and the match is on! It immediately spills to the floor and Generico is firmly in control. Steen fights back with punches and they slug away at each other. Generico hurls Steen into the barricade. Back in the ring Generico hits a split-legged moonsault for two. Steen fights back and hits the flipping legdrop to the back of the neck. He continues to work Generico over, but runs into a back elbow in the corner, and then gets suplexed into the turnbuckles. Generico gets two off that, and then the battle spills to the floor again. Steen is able to grab Generico and powerbomb him Hard against the edge of the ring frame! That looked nasty. Generico more or less shrugs it off and throws punches, but Steen wisely rams his back into the ring post to resume control. Back in the ring Steen continues to work Generico over. He hits a couple clotheslines in the corner, and then Generico pops up out of nowhere and hits a running Yakuza kick. I wish he sold better. He then knocks Steen off the apron with another one, and misses an Arabian Press but they sell it like he hit it.
Steen tries bailing out, but Generico catches him and hits a DDT on the entrance ramp. Back in the ring Generico charges into an elbow but then drills Steen with a Michinoku Driver for two. Steen fights right back with a superkick and a gutbuster. He goes up and hits a Huge Moonsault for two. He then hits a pumphandle suplex for another near-fall. He goes up top and Generico decides to stop selling and heads up for a superplex. Steen bites his way out of it and hits a super fisherman buster but Generico kicks out again! He tries the Package Piledriver but Generico slides out of it and they trade kicks to the face. Generico wins that battle with a Brainbuster but Steen kicks out at two. He charges but gets powerbombed. Steen goes up top for the Swanton but Generico gets his knees up. Generico then hits another running Yakuza kick and two half nelson suplexes. He sets Steen up on the top rope and goes for a super brainbuster but Steen pushes him off, so instead he kicks him in the face again, sending Steen crashing to the floor. Steen goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair and throws it at Generic’s head for the DQ at 16:08.
Steen grabs a steel chain and assaults everyone in sight with it. Generico commandeers the chain and hurls Steen to the floor with it. More officials and jobbers come out to break it up as Steen bails through the crowd. Generico follows Steen and they continue the fight. He sets Steen on a table and then climbs on some scaffolding and leaps off with a splash. I’d say Generico won this battle. The match was a fun brawl and the crowd was into it. However, I know this was all about “hate,†but some of the no-selling was overly ridiculous, and that kept it from becoming a great match rather than a fun one.
Rating: ***¼
MATCH #8: The Kings of Wrestling & Sara Del Rey vs. The Briscoe Brothers & Amazing Kong
This is the first time women have ever wrestled in the main event of a ROH show. Speaking of the women, they’re going to start this match. False alarm; Hero tags himself in and Kong doesn’t bother to tag out. Before any contact is made, Castagnoli tags in and kicks Kong in the midsection to take her down. Del Rey tags in and she goes to work with kicks. Kong fights back with chops and a Vader takedown. She tags Jay and Del Rey runs to the corner and the Kings and Queen regroup with Shane Hagadorn on the floor. Unfortunately for them, the Briscoes and Kong are having none of it and it turns into a big brawl on the floor. Back in the ring the brawl continues; the referee should really get control of this match. The Briscoes and Kong work over both Castagnoli and Hero until some clever triple teaming gives Team Royalty the advantage on Mark.
I like how the women are interacting with the men in this match and it seems totally natural. Mark gets worked over for a number of minutes, and Castagnoli even busts out a Bronco Buster of all things. Finally Jay gets the hot tag and Dombrowski says it’s on now. Jay is a house afire, sending Hero to the floor and using Del Rey to hit Castagnoli in the nuts. He hits a Death Valley Driver but Castagnoli kicks out at two. Team Royalty recovers and the match breaks down again. Jay has no problem knocking Del Rey on her ass, and then he tags Kong. Del Rey tries to make a tag, but neither of the Kings wants anything to do with her. Kong dismantles Del Rey, hitting the Implant Buster but the Kings break up the pin. They try to double team Kong but that doesn’t go so well for her. The Briscoes comes in and send the Kings to the floor. Del Rey rolls Kong up for a close near-fall. Hero comes back in and tries to knock Kong out but he can’t quite do it. The action is coming from all over the place and is getting tough to call. Hero drills Kong with a rolling elbow but she kicks out. He goes for another one but Kong hits one of her own and then the spinning back fist. The Briscoes take Castagnoli and Del Rey out, and Hero is stuck against three-on-one odds. Kong hits a splash off the second rope but the cover gets broken up. The battle spills to the floor and Kong hits a cross body off the apron to wipe everyone out! Back in the ring the Briscoes go for the Doomsday Device on Hero but Del Rey breaks it up. Hero hits Jay with an elbow strike, and then the Kings hit their own version of the Doomsday Device (with a European Uppercut). They go for KRS-One but Mark breaks it up and Jay rolls Hero up for the win at 23:23. That was a little bit long but they all did great work, and it was cool to see women mixing it up with the men in the main event.
Rating: ***¾
BONUS MATCH: AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. The Briscoe Brothers, The 100th Show, 4.22.06
The Briscoes try to attack right away but Styles and Sydal were ready for them and thwart the recently returned brother duo. Styles and Jay start the match proper, and it doesn’t take long for Styles to hit the big dropkick. Jay fights back with a couple of forearms and makes the tag. Mark tries a springboard dropkick but Styles avoids it and makes a tag. Styles and Sydal double team Mark for a two-count. Mark blocks a knee strike and unleashes a vicious chop on Sydal. Jay tags in and they hit the double shoulder tackle for two. The Briscoes work Sydal over in their half of the ring now. Sydal comes back with a headscissors and a dropkick on Jay, and then tags out. Styles hits a bodyslam and a knee drop. The Briscoes quickly take over and work on Styles. Styles comes back with the surprise rana on Mark, sending him to the floor, and then knocks Jay off the apron. Sydal then joins him for stereo dives to the floor. Back in the ring Sydal tries a sunset flip but Mark rolls through and hits Styles low. Jay then comes in and the Briscoes throw Sydal up in the air and he crashes down to the mat. The Briscoes now use some heel tactics (remember when they did something different?) to work Sydal over. After several minutes Sydal makes the comeback and the tag. Styles is a house afire, hitting the flipping inverted DDT on Mark and the German Suplex /Facebuster combo on Jay. He goes for the Styles Clash on Jay but Mark breaks it up. An angered Styles grabs Mark and tags Sydal, and they hit the Skull and Bones for a two-count. Then they hit a nasty double-team neckbreaker on Jay. Mark and Styles battle on the floor, and Mark throws him into the guardrail. Sydal tries a headscissors but Jay reverses it and puts Sydal in perfect position for an awesome springboard Doomsday Device but Styles breaks up the cover. Jay obliterates Styles with a Yakuza Kick. Sydal comes back with a kick to Mark’s head, and then avoids the Jay Driller and hits a standing moonsault. Mark hits Sydal with a forearm to the back of the head from the apron, and the Briscoes hit the Spiked Jay Driller to get the pin at 12:42. That was short and sweet and had tons of action. It reminds me of when the Briscoes weren’t boring to watch.
Rating: ***¾
Video Wire
The Pulse: The main event and the American Wolves versus Generation Me matches make this a recommendable DVD. Also, some may enjoy the Steen versus Generico match more than I did, so that makes three matches worth watching on this show. Throw in a good bonus match and an easy undercard to sit through, and you’ve got another solid outing from ROH. You can pick up this DVD Right Here.
