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The Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – July 14, 2012
Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino are on commentary.
MATCH #1: Rhett Titus vs. Mike Sydal
The lighting is very strange in this building. Titus is coming off getting stripped of the Tag Team Titles since Kenny King bolted for TNA so he certainly has cause to prove himself as a singles wrestler. They start with some chain wrestling and Sydal shows off his athleticism. Titus asserts his power advantage as the two go back and forth. He takes the first sustained advantage, hitting Sydal with a variety of moves, including a slingshot back suplex that makes no sense the way he does it. Sydal tries to come off the second rope with a cross body block but Titus slices him out of the air with a dropkick. Finally Sydal comes back with a chinbreaker, Trish Stratus’s old Matrix Move, and a neckbreaker. Sydal lands a hurricanrana and Miz Clothesline in the corner. He goes up top and misses, but perseveres and hits the Evan Bourne combo for two. Sydal goes for the Here It Is Driver but Titus avoids it and hits a knee to the midsection. Titus charges into a boot in the corner and Sydal tries a reverse rana to the floor but takes the fall himself and Titus follows afterward, gingerly. Sydal barely sells the sick looking bump he just took and hits a moonsault off the second rope. Back in the ring Sydal hits the double knees off the top rope for a two-count. Sydal goes up and tries a super rana but Titus drops him with a Snake Eyes. Titus hits a shitty IED and the Rhettribution to get the pin at 9:21. I really disliked that match, as Sydal was just doing his brother’s moves and not selling stuff he missed. Both guys were sloppy half the time, and anytime two guys do the “sweep the legs with his arms and go for a cover” spot I tune out.
Rating: *¾
Backstage – Mike Mondo cuts a promo on Jay Lethal, whom he lost to back at “The Battle of Richmond.” I have yet to review that show so I don’t know how the match was.
MATCH #2: “Battle of Richmond” Rematch – Jay Lethal vs. Mike Mondo
Corino announces once again that Lethal and Viscera are cousins. Lethal and Mondo start with some back and forth chain wrestling and wrestle to a standoff, and then they do it again. Yawn. Lethal hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick that sends Mondo to the floor. Mondo avoids a dive but Lethal stays in control. Lethal knocks Mondo back to the floor and this time connects on the dive. Back in the ring Lethal hits the hiptoss/dropkick combination for two. Mondo fights back with a snap mare driver for two. He takes control and sends Lethal to the floor. Mondo tosses Lethal into the barricade and then hits an axe handle off the apron. Back in the ring Mondo covers for two. Mondo starts going to work on the knee now, using a variety of holds to wear Lethal down. Lethal fights back with a flurry, showing no ill effects of the leg work Mondo has down. He hits the Lethal Combination for a two-count. Mondo catches Lethal with a clothesline in the corner and then slams Lethal down and hits a modified curb stomp for two. They get up and trade shots, and Mondo slips out of a suplex and appears to injure his knee while Lethal was going for the Lethal Injection. The match grinds to a halt. Mondo takes time to recover out on the floor and Jim Cornette makes his way out after a couple of minutes of nothing happening. Cornette tells the referee that if Mondo can’t continue the referee should award the match to Lethal. Mondo doesn’t like that idea and tells Cornette so before getting back in the ring. Lethal and Mondo trade punches now. Mondo tries to put Lethal on his shoulders but his knee buckles. Lethal hits the Lethal Injection to get the pin at 15:18. That was going along just fine until the silliness with the knee injury and Jim Cornette having to come out like he always does. They’re just trying so hard to get Mondo over and it feels very forced.
Rating: **½
Backstage – Jay Lethal has a few things he wants to say. Lethal says he has respect for Mondo after tonight, for competing through an injury. He offers Mondo a rematch any time.
MATCH #3: Samson Walker, Chris Silvio & Mohammad Ali Vaez vs. Tony Kozina, Shiloh Jonze & Adam Revolver
It’s the Job Squad versus the other Job Squad. Silvio and Jonze start the match. Jonze takes the first advantage and double-teams Silvio with Revolver. Silvio is able to get to his corner and tag Vaez. Revolver and Vaez go back and forth a bit. Kozina tags in, and it’s a good thing Vaez is over 18 or else that would be disrespecting Kozina’s position in the business, or something. Vaez gets dominated so he goes over and tags the monstrous Walker. Revolver tags in and Walker starts throwing him around. Jonze tags in and tries his luck with the big man but he gets clotheslined into oblivion. Kozina flies off the top rope with a cross body block but Walker catches him with a powerslam. The heel jobbers are in control now and they keep Kozina in their half of the ring. Walker especially works Kozina over despite the crowd heckling him. Silvio misses a big splash off the top rope and Kozina is able to make the hot tag to Jonze. It’s the proverbial house afire here and Jonze is flying all over the place. The match breaks down and Revolver and Vaez tumble to the floor. Walker tags back in and drills Jonze with a boot to the face. He then boots Kozina off the apron just for fun. Walker then ends the match with a Death Valley Driver on Jonze at 11:18. Walker stands out because of his size and power but the other guys show up every couple of months and do the job so why should anyone care?
Rating: *¼
Backstage – Kyle O’Reilly says that he didn’t tap out at “Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis.” He’s proud of disfiguring Cole’s face and sending him to the hospital. O’Reilly is also glad to be out of Davey Richards’s shadow. He says he’s going to take the TV Title from his former Future Shock partner. I like O’Reilly better as a heel.
MATCH #4: Kyle O’Reilly vs. TaDarius Thomas
This is Thomas’s DVD debut. O’Reilly gets on the house mic and reiterates that he did not tap out to Adam Cole. The crowd disagrees. See, if you want the crowd to care about someone new like Thomas, put them in the ring with someone like O’Reilly. They go back and forth a bit and Thomas gets to show off his agility as he avoids O’Reilly’s kicks. Thomas keeps pace with O’Reilly, keeping him down on the mat with an armbar. He shows off his kicking ability as well, seemingly surprising O’Reilly a little bit. O’Reilly cuts Thomas off with knee strikes and goes to work on him. Thomas eventually fights back and both men knock each other out. Referee Brian Gorie makes the count and they both make it back to their feet at the count of five or so. They trade strikes again and O’Reilly finds out that Thomas has a very hard head. Thomas hits a Sling Blade for two. He hits a powerslam for another two-count. O’Reilly fights back and they trade kicks, which ends badly for Thomas when O’Reilly hits a Regalplex for two. Thomas fights back and hits a kick to the head and a bridging dragon suplex for a near-fall. He hits another impressive knockout kick to the head but only gets two. Both men rise and they trade some more strikes. O’Reilly gets the better of it and hits a Saito Suplex for two. He locks on a Cross Armbreaker, but Thomas reverses it! O’Reilly reverses that to a Fujiwara Armbar and Thomas is forced to tap out at 12:16. He keeps the hold on after the bell just to be a dick, and when Tony Kozina comes out to talk sense into him, O’Reilly puts the armbar on him too! Thomas looked great in his debut and I think he’s a solid addition to the roster. I’d certainly like to see him face O’Reilly again.
Rating: ***¼
Backstage – BJ Whitmer reminisces about his history in Milwaukee and against Roderick Strong. Whitmer says tonight is about getting his job back in Ring of Honor.
MATCH #5: Special Challenge Match – Roderick Strong vs. BJ Whitmer
Strong gets on the house mic and notes that he was born in Wisconsin but his dad moved them down to Tampa when he was eight. He thanks his dad for that and tells him he loves him. That’s awesome. Strong and Whitmer go back and forth in the early going. Even though it’s been a while these two have definitely fought in ROH before so they do know each other’s style. Whitmer is wrestling like he’s got something to prove. He gets distracted by Martini on the floor and Strong makes him pay for it, dropping him face-first on the edge of the ring frame. Back in the ring Strong goes to work, wearing Whitmer down. Strong hits a dropkick for two. Whitmer fights back with an exploder suplex and both men are down. Back on their feet Whitmer unloads with a flurry of offense, including the vertical/Northern Lights suplex combination for two. Strong grabs a schoolboy rollup for two. Whitmer hits a spinebuster for two. Strong fights back with kicks and knee strikes. He hits a half nelson backbreaker for two. Strong lands a big gutbuster for another near-fall. Whitmer catches Strong in another exploder for two. He follows with a hard powerbomb but only gets a two-count. Whitmer hits the spinning neckbreaker and Perfect Plex combo but Strong kicks out. Strong avoids a boot to the face and repositions the referee, allowing Martini to whack Whitmer with the Book of Truth. One Sick Kick later and Strong gets the pin at 11:47. I really like having Whitmer back around and this was a good showing for him. These two have similar styles and they mesh really well together.
Rating: ***
Backstage – Silas Young puts over his “Last Real Man” persona. Young says that ROH begged him to be here, not the other way around. He also says that Elgin may be looking too far ahead at the “Next World Champ” chants, and he’s overlooking what’s right in front of him.
Elsewhere – Truth Martini and RHINO are looking forward to the rematch with Eddie Edwards tonight. Martini says last time was a fluke, and RHINO promises to rip Edwards in half with a GORE, GORE, GORE. No really, that’s what he said. Why wouldn’t you believe that?
MATCH #6: Special Attraction – Michael Elgin vs. Silas Young
Young has been in ROH off and on over the years. Elgin cuts a quick promo before the match, noting his desire to be the ROH World Champion. He also puts over Young, as the two have wrestled many times over the years in other promotions. Martini tries to add something but Elgin cuts him off and tells him to go to the back because he wants to do this one on his own.
Since these two know each other pretty well from other promotions they get into it right away. Elgin scores the first near-fall off a powerslam. He continues trying to use his power and Young comes back with his surprising (given his size) speed and agility. They take it to the floor and Young hits a somersault dive over the ropes to wipe Elgin out. Back in the ring Young hits a neckbreaker for a one-count. Young hits a Finlay Roll and tries the Peegee Waja Plunge but Elgin avoids it and German Suplexes Young into the top turnbuckle for a two-count. Elgin controls briefly and they go back to the floor. Young reverses a whip and sends Elgin into the barricade. Back in the ring the two rivals slug it out and Elgin wins that battle with an elbow for two. Young tries to fight up but Elgin powers him right back down. After a few minutes Young shows some fighting spirit and takes Elgin off his feet with the backbreaker/clothesline combination. That gets two. Elgin shoves Young back into the turnbuckles and tries a suplex but Young counters with a victory roll for two. Young kicks Elgin in the face and hits a Lionsault for two. Elgin fights back with some corner clotheslines and a Boss Man Slam for a two-count. He goes for a powerbomb but Young backdrops his way out of it. They take the fight over to the corner and Elgin delivers an impressive superplex for two. The crowd is jazzed as Elgin delivers a Buckle Bomb. Elgin tries the Spiral Bomb but Young counters it to the Angel’s Wings for a near-fall. Young hits the Finlay Roll and the Peegee Waja Plunge but Elgin kicks out! He goes to the second rope but gets clobbered with a clothesline on his way down. Elgin kicks him in the face and hits a Buckle Bomb and the Spiral Bomb for the pin at 17:42. That was lots of fun and Young looked good in losing. I hope ROH finds something for him to do. Elgin’s march toward his second title shot rolls on.
Rating: ***½
Truth Martini comes back out to announce Elgin as the winner. Martini gloats about it and tells Elgin to go ahead and go to the back. Elgin shakes Young’s hand before heading back. Martini then handles the ring introductions for RHINO.
MATCH #7: “Border Wars” Rematch – Eddie Edwards vs. RHINO
They lock up fiercely to start and RHINO asserts his power advantage. RHINO is in great shape by the way. He continues to abuse Edwards and thwart his early attacks. The action spills to the floor and RHINO drops Edwards’s face on the edge of the ring frame. Back in the ring RHINO continues to press the advantage. RHINO keeps Edwards on the mat, using a body scissors to wear Edwards down. After several minutes Edwards is able to go for the Achilles Lock but RHINO kicks his way out of it. RHINO then levels Edwards with a spinebuster for a two-count. He goes up top and hits a Superfly Splash, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do. That gets another near-fall. RHINO goes back to the top but this time Edwards knocks him down with a big knee strike. Edwards hits a superplex and both men are down. They rise to their feet and Edwards wins a strike battle. Edwards dumps RHINO to the floor and wipes him out with a suicide dive. Back in the ring Edwards hits a Shining Wizard for two. Edwards hits an enziguiri and a release German Suplex. He goes up top and hits a double stomp to the back for a near-fall. Edwards then puts on the Achilles Lock and RHINO reaches the ropes. RHINO hits a belly-to-belly suplex and sets up for the Gore. Edwards avoids it with a kick to the face and a rollup for two. He then reapplies the Achilles Lock. Truth Martini gets in the ring and Edwards breaks the hold to put Martini in it and then superkicks him. Edwards then turns around right into a Gore. RHINO gets the pin at 13:42. That was decent enough but the finish was a bit of overkill just to protect Edwards.
Rating: ***
Backstage – Roderick Strong is drinking a beer to celebrate his win. Strong says his focus is on the ROH World Title. He says he will get the title back even if it means taking it from Michael Elgin.
Elsewhere – Truth Martini and Michael Elgin are celebrating Elgin’s win. Martini is speaks in terms of “we,” but Elgin reminds him that HE won the match. Elgin promises that if Kevin Steen holds the title much longer he will be the one to take it from him.
Elsewhere – ROH World Champion Kevin Steen and Jimmy Jacobs are getting ready for their main event tag team match. Both Steen and Jacobs have storied histories with the Briscoes in ROH lore. They don’t seem too worried about the match.
MATCH #8: Tag Team Main Event – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kevin Steen & Jimmy Jacobs
All four men start the match in the ring and it’s a big slugfest. The Briscoes clear Steen from the ring so they can double-team Jacobs. Mark hits the rope-walk elbow drop for two. The Briscoes continue to dominate Jacobs, so Steen illegally enters the ring and pitches Mark to the floor. Steen then hits Jay with an Orton DDT. Now the World Champ and Jacobs have control on Jay. After a brief period of control Mark gets a hot tag and starts throwing out Redneck Kung Fu. Mark goes up top and Jacobs knocks him down on top of a camera man! I hope it wasn’t Mike Z! Everyone goes to the floor now and the referee has completely lost control. The bell rings at 5:34, and presumably both teams have been counted out. The ring announcer confirms that suspicion, but the teams continue to brawl. Jim Cornette comes out and restarts the match as an anything goes match.
The brawl continues as I wonder why they didn’t just book anything goes in the first place. Jay and Mark are dominating, throwing Steen and Jacobs around ringside and using various weapons to their advantage. Jay throws Jacobs back in the ring and delivers a Death Valley Driver onto a steel chair! Steen pulls Jay off the cover and powerbombs him on the edge of the ring frame. Mark hits Steen with a uranage suplex. He sets up a chair but Steen is the one who takes advantage, hitting a pumphandle neckbreaker for a two-count. Steen and Jay slug it out now, but Jacobs and Mark quickly get back into the fray as well. Mark charges into Steen but gets powerbombed. Jacobs and Mark then brawl to the back, leaving Steen and Jay in the ring. They trade counters and reversals, and Steen hits the F-Cinq for two! Steen sets up a table as Mark appears in the balcony! Jay puts Steen on the table and Mark jumps off the balcony with a splash! That was insane. Jacobs is back in the ring with a spike but Jay avoids it and hits the Jay Driller for the pin at 7:55. That was fun enough for what it was, but it would have been way better had they just done anything goes from the beginning.
Rating: ***
Steen attacks both Briscoes with the World Title belt after the match, much to Jim Cornette’s dismay. Rhett Titus comes out to make the save, beginning his “I’m sorry your partner left for more money, here’s a singles push” push.
The Pulse: After the third match this show settled into a nice groove and had some good matches featuring established and new talent, which is always nice to see. TaDarius Thomas and Silas Young in particular looked good and I’m anxious to see more of them going forward. Nothing on this show was amazing, but for a standalone show that didn’t get a lot of hype, this one is certainly worth picking up. You can purchase it at the ROH Shop.
