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Boston, Massachusetts – 8.10.07
We start off backstage with the ROH World Tag Team Champions Jay and Mark Briscoe. Tonight they’ve got Kevin Steen and El Generico in a Boston Street Fight. They’re excited about having the opportunity to Man Up, or something to that effect.
Dave Prazak and Lenny Leonard are on commentary.
MATCH #1: Jack Evans vs. Davey Richards
Richards shows No Remorse by attacking Evans before the bell. He hits a running forearm and a hard lariat. He goes for the DR Driver but Evans slips out and unleashes a flurry of offense. Evans hits a headscissors and tries a springboard rana but Richards catches him with a Powerbomb. Richards locks on the Stretch Muffler and Evans reaches the ropes. He throws Evans to the floor and whips him into the barricade. He tries another whip but Evans jumps up on the guardrail and hits a spin kick to the face. Evans hits a twisting Vader Bomb for two. He hits a standing moonsault for two. Richards comes back by dropping Evans gut-first into the top rope. He works Evans over and jaws with the fans. Evans avoids a suplex and hits a Pele kick. He reverses an Irish whip and hits a super hurricanrana that sends Richards to the floor. He goes for the Space Flying Tiger Driver but Richards blasts him with a kick to the face. Richards only briefly stays in control, as Evans hits a springboard 360 elbow strike. Evans hits a flying knee strike for two. He hits the handspring elbow and a springboard spinning kick to the back of the head. Richards rolls to the floor and Evans follows him out with a Jack Evans special. Evans tries the 630 but Richards moves and goes for the DR Driver, and Evans reverses to a small package for two. Richards hits an enziguiri and a German Suplex with a bridge for two. He hits a straightjacket suplex for two. Evans comes back with another kick to the back of the head and a reverse rana for two! He goes up top again but Richards crotches him. Even so Evans is able to tie Richards up in the Tree of Woe and hit the double knees to the chest at. He goes back up top and Roderick Strong comes out to throw him off the top rope, giving Evans the DQ win at 11:18. This was a fun clash of styles and a good choice to open. The disqualification seemed a little silly but I see what they were going for.
Rating: **¾
After the match the Resilience comes out to battle the No Remorse Corps, not necessarily to save Jack Evans. Aries checks on Evans, who says he doesn’t need them and it’s time for him to get his own crew.
MATCH #2: Number One Contender’s Match – Lacey vs. Daizee Haze
The winner gets a shot at the SHIMMER Championship tomorrow night in Philadelphia. Haze is the aggressor early on so Lacey takes a powder. While Lacey is walking around ringside jawing with the fans, Haze hits a baseball slide, sending Lacey’s head crashing into the barricade. Haze beats on Lacey some more and then throws her back in the ring for two. SHIMMER Champion Sara Del Rey is watching from the entrance ramp. Haze continues working Lacey over, hitting a bodyslam and Lacey once again seeks refuge on the floor. Lacey may have been playing some possum though, because when Haze goes to the up top she goes up and drops her neck across the top rope. Now back in the ring Lacey goes to work on Haze’s back. She hits a spin kick to the face and follows up with a series of punches. She hits a Bubba Bomb and keeps the full nelson locked on. Then she switches it to the Royal Butterfly to mock Del Rey, and when she yells at the champ Haze is able to sneak in a schoolgirl rollup for two. Haze fights back with a lariat out of the corner and then a missile dropkick for two. They get up and exchange forearms, and Haze wins that battle. Lacey counters with a poke to the eyes and tries the Implant DDT. Haze counters the counter with a rollup for two. She hits a German Suplex with a bridge for two. She hits the Heart Punch and tries the Mind Trip but Lacey counters with a lungblower. Lacey then hits the Implant DDT to get the pin and the title shot at 8:09. That was serviceable.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #3: Pure Wrestling Match – Nigel McGuinness vs. Chris Hero
Hero is accompanied by Larry Sweeney, Tank Toland, Bobby Dempsey, and Sara Del Rey. No one knows Pure Rules like Nigel McGuinness knows Pure Rules. Sweeney says that he and Hero have come up with some addition Pure Wrestling “commandments” that they would like McGuiness to follow. They are ridiculous rules of course, like “thou shall not be British” and stuff like that. Needless to say, I don’t think those rules will be enforced.
Obviously they start with some chain wrestling. Hero responds by showing off his athletic prowess. McGuinness locks on an armbar as the lights go out and a voice comes over the loud speaker talking about how Project 161 is real and is coming. Hero and McGuinness look confused and so are the fans. Then Hero tries to convince Todd Sinclair that when the lights were out McGuinness used all three of his rope breaks. They get back to the action and McGuinness once again locks on an armbar. Sweeney distracts the referee, allowing Hero to use the ropes to break the hold while not losing a rope break. Back in the ring McGuinness tries his British style and that leads to a Fish out of Water spot for a series of near-falls. Hero puts on a hammerlock and Toland places McGuinness’s foot on the bottom rope and the referee only sees the foot on the rope, so McGuinness is out a rope break. Bobby Cruise is then told to inform the people that McGuinness just wasted a rope break. McGuinness once again goes back to work on Hero’s arm. Hero uses his first rope break and takes another powder. Back in the ring Hero uses a closed fist behind the referee’s back and when McGuinness responds with one of his own the referee sees it and McGuinness loses another rope break. Hero hits McGuinness with a big knee to the face, sending him to the floor. Once again Hero distracts the referee, allowing Dempsey to hit an elbow drop. Hero goes back to the floor and exchanges strikes with McGuinness. Back in the ring Hero maintains control. Hero hits a bodyslam and a back senton for two. McGuinness fights back with a series of strikes, and then hits the kick to the back and clothesline combination in the corner for two. He sends Hero to the floor and whips him into the guardrail. Then he whips Dempsey into Hero, and Dempsey falls on top of him! Sweeney and Toland have to pull Dempsey off and Hero just makes it back to the ring in time. An invigorated Hero recovers and goes up to the top rope, but McGuinness counters with a Tower of London. Sweeney places Hero’s foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin and use Hero’s second rope break. McGuinness tries the Jawbreaker but Hero ducks and hits a rolling elbow for two when Sweeney puts McGuinness’s foot on the bottom rope again. It didn’t look like McGuinness was going to kick out, so why not win the match that way? Anyway, Hero locks on the Hangman’s Clutch and McGuinness has no rope breaks to use, so he gives up at 19:58. Hero and company executed some clever cheating and chicanery, but the portions in between the cheating were pretty dull. McGuinness gets some of his heat back by blasting Dempsey with a Jawbreaker Lariat while Toland runs away.
Rating: **½
Kevin Steen and El Generico are backstage getting ready for their Street Fight by having Generico lace Steen’s boots for him. Steen promises to put the Briscoes in wheelchairs by the end of the night.
MATCH #4: Six Man Mayhem – Jigsaw vs. Pelle Primeau vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Matt Cross vs. Brent Albright vs. Delirious
Primeau is the Top of the Class Trophy Holder. Edwards is sporting just about the most ridiculous haircut of all time. Albright and Delirious start the match. They run around the ring, so Primeau and Edwards get in the ring. They do some fast-paced back and forth, and then make tags to Jigsaw and Cross. They do much of the same and then Delirious tags himself in and the two masked men are going at it now. Albright tags in and Delirious wants to engage in a test of strength. The stronger Albright takes Delirious down and goes to work on the arm and elbow. Delirious tags Primeau, who hits a missile dropkick to no effect. Albright pitches Primeau to the floor, and then everyone goes after someone as the referee has completely lost control. Cross hits a dive on Edwards, Jigsaw, and Delirious on the floor. Primeau and Cross are first back in the ring. Cross takes Primeau out but then Edwards comes in and levels Cross with a powerbomb. Delirious replaces Cross as the action in this match is getting tough to follow. In all the madness Albright hits Edwards with a Half Nelson Suplex, and Delirious breaks it up and baits Albright into chasing him up the ramp and back to the locker room. Cross takes the opportunity and hits Edwards with the Shooting Star Legdrop to get the pin at 10:45. That was the usual scrambled egg match, but I’m glad someone besides Albright won.
Rating: **
MATCH #5: The Resilience vs. No Remorse Corps
Austin Aries and Erick Stevens are representing the Resilience, while Roderick Strong and Rocky Romero are representing the No Remorse Corps. Aries and Strong start the match, but Strong looks wary of locking up with his former tag team championship partner so he has Romero start the match. This is a preview of tomorrow night’s street fight. Aries and Romero go back and forth, but Aries seems to have a counter for everything Romero tries. The match quickly breaks down when Aries goes after Strong outside the ring and Stevens and Romero come over to join the fight. Referee Todd Sinclair tries to get Stevens back in his corner but all four men just continue brawling. Strong and Aries are back in the ring and Strong hits a low blow to take advantage. Romero comes in now and continues to work on the former ROH World Champion. After several minutes Aries makes the hot tag and Stevens is a house afire all over everybody. Strong interferes from the apron to distract Stevens, and then Romero knocks him down with a flying knee to the chest. Romero makes the tag and Strong goes to work on Stevens. He hits a dropkick to the face for two. A few moments later Stevens grabs Romero out of the air with a powerslam and makes the tag. Aries is focused on Strong, but he’s able to thwart Romero as well. He sort of hits Romero with the IED and then Stevens hits a double Choo-Choo. Stevens slams Romero down and then Aries goes up for the 450 but Strong knocks him down so Stevens throws Strong to the floor. Romero hits Stevens with a springboard tornado DDT for two. Strong and Romero double-team Stevens and Aries comes in to break up a cover. All four men are brawling in the ring now, until Strong throws Stevens to the floor. Romero takes Aries off the top rope with the Diablo Armbar, but Aries counters with a rollup for two! Aries gets a backslide for another two-count. He lands a kick to the head and a brainbuster and then goes up top. Aries completes the Joe Killing Combo to get the win at 18:05. The No Remorse Corps attack after the match, but Jack Evans runs out and makes the save. The match was decent but it didn’t seem like these two teams were really in a blood feud with each other.
Rating: **½
Backstage Shane Hagadorn is talking about how much he has learned from Adam Pearce. He makes some cryptic comments about the “calm before the storm.”
MATCH #6: Bryan Danielson vs. Matt Sydal
It’s Daniel Bryan versus Evan Bourne! Larry Sweeney gets on the microphone and complains that Danielson took Sydal’s share of the $10,000 from the eight-man tag team match at Race to the Top Tournament Night Two. He says that since Jay Briscoe walked out on them it should be split three ways. Danielson says that he put their money in the bank so that it could gain interest and they could have a retirement fund later in life. Sweeny is upset, so Danielson makes a deal. If Sydal beats him, he will give Sydal his share of the money, but if Danielson wins then he gets both shares. Sweeney agrees, but only if Danielson goes double or nothing.
Danielson takes Sydal right down to the mat with an arm submission and Sydal reaches the ropes. Sydal comes back and uses his speed to send Danielson to the floor. Back in the ring they trade strikes and Sydal hits a running double knee strike for a two-count. Sydal hits a slingshot dropkick to the chest, but Danielson comes right back by going for the surfboard and Sydal reaches the ropes. Danielson hits a European Uppercut and a headbutt to the side of the face. He slingshots Sydal into the bottom rope and gloats about it. He then successfully locks Sydal in the surfboard but can’t coax a submission. Danielson stays in control, using a variety of strikes and submissions. Sydal comes back with a flurry but pretty much gets brushed aside. He knocks Danielson to the floor and then wipes him out with a dive. Back in the ring Sydal goes up top but gets swatted out of the air with a dropkick. Danielson charges but runs into a leg lariat by Sydal for two. Sydal goes for his trademark combination but Danielson hits a running kick to the chest. Danielson hits a German Suplex with a bridge for two, and then locks on Cattle Mutilation but Sydal reaches the ropes. He puts the miss in missile dropkick and Sydal hits a standing moonsault for two. Danielson comes back with a rolling elbow for two, and then hits the elbows to the side of the head. Sydal escapes and hits the Here It Is Driver but Danielson kicks out at two. He tries the Shooting Star Press but Danielson gets the knees up and then locks on a triangle choke with elbows to the head and the referee calls it at 16:39. Everything was well executed but at times felt like an exhibition for Danielson. Leonard announces that Danielson will challenge for the ROH World Title later his month in New York City at Manhattan Mayhem II. Sweeney and Sydal yell at each other but make up in the end.
Rating: ***
MATCH #7: ROH World Title Match – Takeshi Morishima vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Morishima has been the champion since 2.17.07 and this is his thirteenth defense. Castagnoli tries an armdrag and a dropkick to no effect, and then Morishima knocks him down. Back on his feet Castagnoli tries a suplex but that goes nowhere. Morishima goes for the Back Drop Driver but Castagnoli avoids it and hits the Bicycle Kick to send the champ to the apron. Castagnoli tries a sunset bomb, and moves out of the way when Morishima tries to sit on him. He hits an elbow drop off the apron and then whips the champion into the barricade. Back in the ring Castagnoli gets a two-count. Castagnoli then executes an impressive Giant Swing for two! He signals for the Ricola Bomb but Morishima blocks it and hits a side slam. Morishima goes to work now, using his girth and agility to control the action. The winner of this match gets to defend the title against Brent Albright tomorrow night. After several minutes Castagnoli fires back with a series of European Uppercuts. A dropkick sends Morishima to the floor and Castagnoli follows him out with a suicide dive. Back in the ring Castagnoli hits a top rope elbow drop for two. The challenger hits the Alpamare Water Slide for a close near-fall. Morishima comes back with a big kick to the face and a series of slaps to the face. He throws referee Sinclair out of the way but thankfully doesn’t get disqualified. The champ goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for two. Castagnoli comes back with a springboard European Uppercut and then tries the Ricola Bomb but Morishima drops back on his chest for a two-count. Morishima hits a big lariat for a two-count. He goes for the Back Drop Driver but Castagnoli blocks it again. Morishima goes up top again and this time Castagnoli joins him and hits a superplex! He hits a couple of European Uppercuts and then a Ricola Bomb for one of the closest two-counts you’ll see. Castagnoli charges at Morishima but takes a big lariat and a boot to the face for a near-fall. He then ducks a clothesline and hits Morishima with a release German Suplex and a European Uppercut for two. Morishima fights back with a butt-butt and a lariat for two. He then finishes Castagnoli off with the Back Drop Driver at 15:30. The crowd was pretty hot all the way through that match and that gave a really good power match the electricity it needed.
Rating: ***¾
Brent Albright is backstage talking his title shot tomorrow night in Philadelphia. He says he scouted Morishima during his match tonight, and that gives him the advantage.
MATCH #8: Boston Street Fight – The Briscoe Brothers vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Even though Generico is a heel he makes sure to walk around ringside high-fiving everybody. Steen and Generico meet the tag team champions in the aisle and the fight is on. Prazak and Leonard decide that since it’s unsanctioned and dangerous, they don’t have to do commentary, and thus neither do I, but I’ll be back for the finish.
After some inhumane beatings suffered by all four men, Steen slips out of a Jay Driller, kicks Jay in the balls, and hits the Package Piledriver on a ladder to get the pin at 22:12. That was an absolutely insane brawl that may have shortened the careers of everyone involved. It was brutality at its finest. Steen promises that they will be taking the belts in the steel cage match in two weeks in Hartford.
Rating: ****¼
The Pulse: The undercard is nothing special but the last three matches are worth watching, especially the last two (Danielson vs. Sydal is more a curiosity). Steen, Generico, and the Briscoes all went out of their way to beat the crap out each other and it made for a hot main event. The fans were also really into Claudio Castagnoli, which made the World Title match tons of fun.
