ROH on HDNet Report 11.22.2010 – Featuring: Davey Richards, Women of Honor, Kings of Wrestling

Reviews, Shows, Top Story, TV Shows

Welcome back to the Pulse, I am Kyle Sparks, fancy man about town, and this week on ROH on HDNet, we’ve got a lot going on!  Davey Richards, building towards his ROH World Title match at Final Battle, takes on Shawn Daivari of The Embassy!  The Kings of Wrestling learn their opponents for Final Battle!  Colt Cabana and Erick Stevens go at it to determine the #1 Contendership for the ROH World TV Title, and the Women of Honor will be in action as Daizee Haze takes on Sara Del Rey!  Great stuff, right?

So, let’s dive into the pool and start plugging away, shall we?

Reading is FUNdamental

*Ricardo Rochetti offers 10 Thoughts on ROH on HDNet.  Come to think of it..have you ever seen us in the same room at the same time?!

*Pulse Glazer‘s Monday Morning Backlash offers up thoughts on Survivor Series, wrestler grades, where WWE goes from here with John Cena, etc.

*For more Survivor Series responses, try here, here and check out the roundtable with those 20/20 hindsight glasses and see how wrong I was!

*Will Pruett also checks in with his Sunday random thoughts!  Thanks, Will!

*And finally, this week’s ROH on HDNet is brought to you by New Holland Brewing Company’s “Cabin Fever” Brown Ale, from Holland, MI.

Remember what I said, kids.  Support local and/or microbrewed beers.  But only if you’re over 21.

So now…on with the show.  HERE COMES THE RUSH!

**We open with a recap of Kevin Steen’s challenge to El Generico for Final Battle.  It should be absolutely insane, and I do not envy these men for what they are about to do to their bodies in NYC.

Your hosts, as always, are Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood.

**And right away, we’re to the ring!

Erick Stevens (w/ Prince Nana & Mr. Ernesto Osiris) vs. Colt Cabana – ROH World TV Title #1 Contender’s Match
Osiris is rather dressed down tonight.  Well, I guess the recession hits hard everywhere.  Cabana shakes Paul Turner’s hand pre-match and dances before a lockup.  Cabana backs Stevens into the corner and wackiness ensues, angering Stevens.  Stevens responds with a boot to the midsection and CLUBBERING forearms, follwed up with an arm wringer.  Cabana counters with one of his typical rolling european style counters into a near fall for 2, but grabs a surfboard on the kickout.  Stevens reverses and Cabana counters that with a butt butt.  Cabana simply toys with Stevens, before pulling back on the arm and adding a folding press for 2.  Cabana gets whipped into a corner, but counters a charge with a boot.  However, Stevens is able to catch Cabana with a samoan drop to take control.  Stevens really looks a lot smaller than when he debuted.  Cabana tries to fire back, but Stevens cuts him off with a series of locomotion knees to the midsection and a russian legsweep into a low abdominal stretch.  Cabana escapes and Stevens goes for a standing abdominal stretch but Cabana counters, and runs into a powerslam for 2.  Stevens presses the advantage with a stomp and a rear chinlock variant.

Cabana manages to break the hands but gets a series of strikes to the back for 2 for his trouble.  Stevens then locks in a reverse bearhug.  Cabana works up to his feet, and Stevens then runs him into a corner chest first and buries several shoulders to the back.  Stevens snap mares Cabana down and hits an Embassy Elbow for 2, before locking the reverse bearhug back in.  Honestly, I never cared for the reverse bearhug; it looked too much like a waistlock.  Cabana escapes with a couple of elbows, and is able to hit the asai moonsault bodyblock to put both men down.  Cabana fires off a couple of chops and ducks a clothesline, and Cabana flips, flops and flies for 2.  Stevens back up buries the shoulder in the midsection and poses allowing Cabana to slap him in the face.  Cabana hits a knee-assisted facebuster and a forward russian legsweep for 2.  Cabana goes up top, but Stevens pulls him off and decks him with a lariat for 2.  He’s angry, so he makes constipated faces at the crowd.

Stevens catches a Flying “Apple” attempt into a german suplex for 2.  Stevens charges him in the corner, and Cabana hits him with the apple coming out.  Cabana locks in the Billy Goat’s Curse as Nana and Osiris gets up on the apron to run interference.  Colt releases and Stevens catches him to go for the Doctor Bomb.  Colt, however, counters to a rollup for the 3 count!

Colt Cabana def. Erick Stevens in 9:05 via rollup.
Damn fine opener.  Won’t be mistaken for a main event anywhere in the world, as some like to say, but it was simply a quality opener between two guys who haven’t worked against each other that much, to my knowledge.  Stevens looked okay, but I’d nix the reverse bearhug as a point of future reference.  The only thing I’d have liked to see is why these two guys were chosen to be the potential #1 contenders to the TV Title, but that’s nitpicking, I’m sure. (**3/4)

**The Kings of Wrestling are NEXT!  After these MMA commercials!

**Back in the ring, Jim Cornette has Shane Hagadorn and the Kings of Wrestling.  They reiterate that they are willing to fight anyone non-title but want to make sure that any potential challengers are worthy.  Cornette announces that the Kings will fight The Briscoes in non-title action at Final Battle.  And the Briscoes have Mike (Papa) Briscoe in tow.  Claudio has already ripped off his shirt in…anger…?  Hagadorn is livid at Mike Briscoe for being there and threatens to sue.  The crowd helpfully instructs him to “man up.”  Meanwhile, Cornette reminds us that Hero KO’d Papa Briscoe months ago.  It seems that Papa Briscoe has “a legit civil suit against Chris Hero.”  The whole thing’s a little ridiculous (and Prazak agrees), but the Philly crowd seems to enjoy the ride.

Hero agrees to the match, and Jay essentially says the belts don’t matter, they just want a chance to get their hands on the Kings one more time.  As it turns out, Cornette has a contract right there.  As the Briscoes sign the contracts, the Kings helpfully air-write X’s intimating that the Briscoes can’t write their names.  Hilarity.  As Papa Briscoe signs, Hagadorn realizes something’s up, and sure enough, Cornette confirms.  It’s non-title action, but it’s 6 man tag action.  The Kings of Wrestling and Shane Hagadorn against The Briscoes and Papa Briscoe.  The crowd pops big, oddly enough, and as the Kings retreat, Jay gets on the mic again.  He basically says that they’ll take care of the Kings, and Papa Briscoe (who’s been whipping their ass since they were knee high to a pissant (Jay’s words)) will take care of Hagadorn.

Sara Del Rey vs. Daizee Haze
Sara delivers a forearm immediately and whips Daizee to a corner, but misses a coppo kick as Haze bails.  Back in, Daizee charges twice getting nowhere, but the third time ducks a clothesline into a tilt-a-whirl crossbody for 2.  A second one gets another 2, and Del Rey bails.  Daizee goes up top and misses the dive, but lands on her feet only to get mowed over by a clothesline.  Del Rey rolls her in first and lays in a couple of boots.  Del Rey goes for a powerbomb but Daizee rolls through and grabs a side headlock.  Daizee walks the ropes into a headlock takeover, and holds on as Del Rey makes her way to her feet.  Del Rey backdrops out of it, but Haze just grabs the headlock again for a couple of 1 counts.  Del Rey backs Haze into a corner and lays in a  couple of shoulders, before whipping her across.  Del Rey charges into a boot and Haze attempts a tornado DDT only for Del Rey to toss her off and hit a running yakuza kick for a series of 2 counts.  Prazak puts over how these two aren’t models who think wrestling would be “good for my career,” and he no more than finishes the sentence when Del Rey tosses Haze across the ring by her hair and just pounds away, adding a vertical splash for 2.

Del Rey ties up Haze in the ropes and heads out to the apron to pepper in kicks to the chest, but as she goes for a big punt, Haze catches the leg and hits a dragon screw over the middle rope, dropping Del Rey to the outside.  Haze goes for the dive this time, and hits it.  Del Rey rolls back in, and Haze hops up top again and hits a hurricanrana, sending Del Rey to the opposite corner.  Haze hits a monkey flip into a facebuster for 2 (it’ll make sense if you watch it).  Haze lays in a couple of chops, but Del Rey blocks an irish whip and just kicks her face off.  Del Rey goes to whip her in, but Haze reverses into a neckbreaker, and locomotes that into two more neckbreakers.  Haze hits the heart punch but misses the Yakuza Kick.  Haze is, however, able to catch Del Rey in a victory roll for 2.  Del Rey however is able to catch Haze with a couple of elbows and a variant of the saito suplex, sending Haze to the apron, where she catches Del Rey with a shoulder block and goes up top again.  However, Del Rey catches her and pulls her off into the Gory Special.  Del Rey actually holds onto it for quite some time, before Haze is able to pull an arm free and Del Rey responds by simply bending her in two.  Haze is actually able to pry a leg free and reverse into an octopus hold!  Haze turns it into a sunset flip for 2.  Great sequence.  Haze goes for a German Suplex, but gets backed into the corner, and Del Rey is able to hit the coppo kick and just utterly PLANTS her with a powerbomb for a long 2.  Del Rey goes to powerbomb her again, and Haze counters, and the bell rings!

The crowd…yeah, they’re not happy.  No “5 more minutes” chant, but still, they’re not happy at the draw.

Sara Del Rey NC Daizee Haze due to Time Limit Draw in 10:00.
Best free women’s match–possibly the best women’s match period–I’ve seen all year.  Rating probably would have been higher, because while everything was technically sound, the match kind of meandered, and there wasn’t really much of an overarching theme to it. (***1/2)

**Backstage, Kyle Durden is with Steve Corino.  Before Corino opens his mouth, I know it’s a win.  Corino is a control freak, and his plan to install Kevin Steen as the future of ROH has spiraled out of control.  Corino says that Steen is out of control and he can’t talk sense into him anymore.  Corino says that next week, he is going to save Generico’s life, because Steen…Steen is just crazy.  The two of them then turn and look at Kevin Steen, sitting quietly, pensively, off in a corner, wearing the Generico mask.  Love it.

**Another “Prodigy” Mike Bennett vignette.  It’s really rare to see Cary Silkin on camera, and that speaks volumes of what they want to do with him.  Could be fun.  But I’m sorry, as great as Bennett looks, “Brutal” Bob Evans just looks stupid.  The poor-man’s Micky (Rocky’s trainer) getup?  The swisher sweet cigarello in his mouth?  Really?

**Next week…Butcher’s Rules…Necro Butcher vs. Homicide.  Oh…oh my.  There will be blood.  I’m sure of that.  Now…back to the ring!

Shawn Daivari (w/ Prince Nana & Mr. Ernesto Osiris) vs. Davey Richards
Davey gets an odd girly pop when he removes his shirt.  That’s…new.  Davey Richards chant to start.  Off the handshake, Daivari spits his gum at Davey.  That…won’t end well.  Davey grabs a wristlock off the lockup, and Daivari counters to a wristlock of his own.  Davey kips up and counters eventually with a dropkick, and grabs a side headlock for two 2 counts.  Daivari shoots him off and a shoulderblock goes nowhere.  A second one goes nowhere.  Nor does a third.  Daivari piefaces him, and Davey responds with a series of kicks, and rope running culminates with Daivari bowling over Davey to send him to the floor.  Back in the ring, Daivari adds in a chop and a series of stomps before choking in a corner right in front of Prince Nana who lays in the smack talk.  Davey grabs the ropes on a  charge, sending Daivari to the apron.  A running kick to the back sends him to the floor, but Daivari moves out of the way of a baseball slide and goes to send Davey into the guardrail, only to have Davey reverse and follow up with a kick to the face, sending Daivari into the front row.  Back in the ring, Davey presses the advantage with a chop and a corner whip.  Daivari reverses but Davey catches him with a boot and goes for a tornado DDT, only for Daivari to block the move and toss Davey to the outside where Nana and Osiris lay the boots to him.  Nana tosses Davey back in for 2.  Daivari sends Davey on the Bret Hart Corner Whip(tm) for 2.  Daivari keeps trying to work the back, and the two exchange strikes until Davey hits the ropes and runs into a (botched) tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2.

Daivari grabs a reverse bearhug, but Davey fights back to his feet and throws in a kick.  Davey hits the ropes and Osiris trips him up (I thought referee Todd Sinclair saw it, but apparently not).  Daivari whips Richards to the corner only to have him roll to the outside and punt Osiris.  A series of rollups sees Davey grab an ankle lock.  Daivairi kicks himself free and backdrops Davey to the apron off a charge, only for Davey to answer with a kick to the head.  Nana tries to take Davey off the apron, but Davey knocks him down and adds a missile dropkick.  Davey adds his corner forearm and a diving headbutt for 2.  Action’s starting to come hot and heavy now.  Daivari blocks a German suplex and reverses, but Davey throws in a couple of elbows and goes to run the ropes but Daivari answers with a knee to the gut and hits a German suplex of his own, and transitions into Rolling Germans!  Four of them, the last being a release German for 2.

The crowd continues to chant “USA,” oblivious to the fact that both wrestlers are from the United States.  Daivari slams Davey, but gets knees off a frog splash attempt.  The two men fight to their feet and exchange strikes, only for Daivari to cut off Richards.  Davey hits his enzugiri but Daivari ducks a strike and hits a lungblower for 2.  Daivari grabs a fireman’s carry, but Davey counters into a victory roll into an ankle lock.  As Daivari crawls towards the ropes, Davey switches to the Cloverleaf for the tap out!

Davey Richards def. Shawn Daivari in 11:02 via Cloverleaf.
Shawn Daivari looked like a million bucks out there.  Davey was his usually solid self, The Embassy interfered just enough to help Daivari overcome the perception that he was nowhere near Davey’s league, and Daivari took the ball and ran with it.  Just great stuff, especially for free TV, but we’re getting used to that on HDNet. (***1/2)

**Davey gives the belt motion to the crowd as we see graphics for Final Battle 2010.

**Next week, Mike Bennett debuts on HDNet, and Homicide vs. Necro Butcher in a Butcher’s Rules Match!  Oh, I am SO there.

**Let’s add up the numbers. On a 50+ minute show, there was 30:07 of wrestling.  There wasn’t any one blowaway match, but as a whole from top to bottom, everything was just tremendous.  Final Battle continued to build with the…well…odd inclusion of the 6-man tag match, a great Steve Corino interview, and I really don’t have enough good stuff to say about the show.  If you can see it somewhere, definitely take the time to do it.  Great stuff and the best women’s match you may see all year.

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!

Kyle Sparks got his Bachelor's Degree from Western Michigan University in public relations, and lives comfortably in Michigan with his beautiful wife. Interests outside of wrestling include football, music, acting and writing (about either sports or politics) at his blog The Big Lounge.