A2Z Analysiz – ROH The Rise of Generation Next

Reviews, Wrestling DVDs

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~DISC 1~

MATCH #1: Austin Aries, Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs. Izzy, Dixie & Angeldust, Generation Next, 5.22.04

Strangely, part of this match is not a scramble, and the second half kind of turned into one. That’s okay because I really liked this match either way, and it shows how good Special K could be if they just ditched this ridiculous gimmick. Aries, Strong, and Evans work really well as a team, and everyone is hitting their spots well. Angeldust beginning the match in a neck brace is a nice touch. The end comes when Aries hits a 450 on one of Special K, Strong hits a backbreaker on another, and Evans hits a ridiculous 630 on the other for the triple pin at 7:57. I really enjoyed the match, and as Brad pointed out it was laid out really well to showcase the strengths of all six men, and two groups. They did that in less than 8 minutes, that’s really good booking.
Rating: ***1/4

MATCH #2: Alex Shelley vs. Hydro, Generation Next, 5.22.04

They start with some chain wrestling as the crowd supports both men. Shelley appears to have the upper hand but Hydro works hard to keep up with him. When the pace quickens the advantage goes to Hydro, and when they stay on the mat the advantage is Shelley’s. Jimmy Bower notes that Hydro has all the potential in the world, but that doesn’t leave any potential for anyone else to have. Shelley goes to work on the neck, trying to soften Hydro up for either the Shellshock or the Border City Stretch. They trade reversals back and forth as Mark Nulty irritates me with almost every word out of his mouth. Hydro goes for a pumphandle but Shelley escapes and hits the Shellshock. Shelley locks on the Border City Stretch and Hydro taps out at 7:30. That was a nice little sprint of a match and a good springboard for Hydro to start moving on to better things in ROH.
Rating: **½

MATCH #3: Generation Next vs. The Briscoes, John Walters & Jimmy Rave, Generation Next, 5.22.04

I love this match, okay, just wanted to get that out of the way. I like all eight of these guys, and this match did a wonderful job showing the strengths of each man, and really put everybody over. Generation Next was only a few hours old at this point, and this match really turned them into a solid force right out of the gate. The crowd was into it for most of the way, beginning when Rave and Walters came out to join the Briscoes. These guys all worked their asses off, and showed why they belong in ROH. Let’s take a look at each guy. Alex Shelley is one of the most innovative and technically sound workers in the business today. He can work babyface or heel, but he really shines as a heel, when he can be a total dick. Austin Aries is another incredible talent who can work all kinds of styles, and has already worked two main events with Bryan Danielson (though not as of this show). Roderick Strong is a really stiff worker who fits into a category with Samoa Joe, The Briscoes, Homicide, and the like in terms of his styles. He’s also the Messiah of the backbreaker. Jack Evans is an insane aerialist who can do things that no human being should be able to do. He is also improving in all areas of wrestling, and is reportedly eager to learn and is easy to teach. I’ve mentioned many times that Jay & Mark Briscoe are the best tag team in North America, and I stand by that. John Walters is an excellent technical wrestler, and is reminiscent of Bret Hart in style, and he also does the sharpshooter. Jimmy Rave is another solid grappler who had several good matches with AJ Styles, and could really shine with a solid push. That quadruple knee spot by Walters and the Briscoes was incredibly awesome. These guys went all out for 41:22, when Shelley got Walters to submit to the Border City Stretch. Giving the leader of the group the fall was the right thing to do.
Rating: ****1/4

MATCH #4: Alex Shelley, Roderick Strong & Austin Aries vs. Matt Stryker, John Walters & Jimmy Rave, World Title Classic, 6.12.04

It’s a little annoying that they started the 3-match gimmick between Alex Shelley and Matt Stryker and never finished it off. Granted I really like this six-man match, but the fact that Shelley challenged Stryker to two matches (he wouldn’t need a third), and then it was forgotten is a irritating. But at least we got a good match out of it, one that certainly would not involve Jack Evans. That guy is absolutely insane, and the thud of his body hitting the floor is disgusting. I don’t know how he came back to work the main event. Jimmy Rave has a lot on the line here, as he would be “fired” if his team didn’t win the match. Mark Nutly apparently doesn’t know who’s in this match, as he keeps referring to some guy named “John Walter.” Who is that Mark Nutly? I agree with Brad about the referee, and have often said that Todd Sinclair is one of the worst referees I have ever seen in a match. I don’t think he got to me as much as he got to Brad, but his screw ups are very noticeable and make me wonder how he can continue to referee matches while my striped shirt hangs in my closet unused. Sigh. And look, there’s Todd Sinclair looking RIGHT AT the face corner and then pretending to miss the tag. Where’s Paul Turner or Brian Gorie when you need them? The match is really quite cool, with all kinds of double and triple teams, and a great heat segment on Rave in the middle. Aries ends up getting the decision on Jimmy Rave with a beautiful 450 splash right into a Rings of Aries at 16:48. I could penalize these guys for Sinclair’s ineptness, but I’m feeling generous.
Rating: ***3/4

MATCH #5: Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs. Izzy & Dixie, Reborn Completion, 7.17.04

Jimmy Bauer and CM Punk are our hosts, thank goodness. Punk wastes no time making fun of people, knocking Jack Evans’s ring gear (real interesting coming from a guy who wrestles in basketball shorts), and then addresses Mark Nutly’s inability to pronounce Colt Cabana’s name. Good for him. The match is really fun, and holy crap do I feel bad for Dixie having to take so many of Roderick Strong’s chops. Jack Evans looks good in this match – he’s getting better all the time. This match would be the debut of the awesome double team move in which Strong holds the man in the torture rack while Evans does a springboard off that guy’s chest into a moonsault onto the other guy. Crowd pops huge for that, and it should have been the finisher. Evans eventually does get a big 630 splash on Izzy to get the win at 9:00. Really strong opener. After the match, a big brawl ensues, and Becky Bayless is the last person from Special K standing alone in the ring with Gen Next. Bauer says it’s “not the first time she’s been with four guys.” Ouch, that’s just mean. But to be even meaner, Rod Strong gives Becky the Back Breaking Benjamin.
Rating: ***

MATCH #6: Austin Aries, Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs. John Walters, Matt Stryker & Jimmy Jacobs, Death Before Dishonor II Part One, 7.23.04

Generation Next is represented by Austin Aries, Jack Evans, and Roderick Strong, and are accompanied by their leader Alex Shelley. To combat Shelley, Walters, Stryker, and Jacobs announce that Ricky Steamboat will be in their corner! Jacobs and Evans start the match, and Evans actually controls with a series of armdrags. Keeping with the theme, Jacobs comes back with armdrags of his own. Walters gets tagged in, as does Strong. The armdrags continue, this time from Walters, and then he tags Stryker into the match. Strong tags Aries, and he immediately gets taken down. Aries comes back and goes after Stryker’s knee. Generation Next works Stryker over in their half of the ring. After a few minutes or abuse Stryker makes the tag to Jacobs and he’s Hussing up. Steamboat inadvertently distracts the referee, allowing Generation Next to triple-team Jacobs. Aries, Strong, and Evans all take turns working Jacobs over, keeping him away from his teammates. At one point Jacobs does make a tag but the referee gets distracted and doesn’t see it. Nulty says that the referee has “not assumed any tags,” which is quite false, he let Gen Next tag without seeing it several times. Finally Jacobs takes out all three opponents and makes a double tag to both Stryker and Walters. They clean house on Gen Next, executing a number of double-team maneuvers. Strong recovers and hits Stryker with a powerbomb, and Aries follows with a 450 Splash. Jacobs breaks up that pin with a Senton. Shelley interferes (which the referee sees) and grabs Walters from the floor, so Steamboat runs over and fights Shelley to the back. Evans tries a 630 but misses. Walters locks him in a nasty looking submission and Evans taps out at 16:47. Generation Next was the best thing to happen to ROH in 2004. This was a tremendously fun tag team match that managed to make everyone look good.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #7: Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs. John Walters & Matt Stryker, Death Before Dishonor II Part Two, 7.24.04

Walters and Stryker charge the ring and unleash some well timed double team maneuvers on both opponents, sending them to the floor. Steamboat throws Strong back in the ring, and Stryker takes control of his arm. Walters also works on the arm, but Strong is able to make the comeback on him and hit the gutbuster and a kick to the chest. Evans tags in and the crowd chants “you are white!” He uses his incredible agility coupled with Strong’s strength to wear Walters down. This goes on for many minutes. Finally Walters hits a simultaneous lungblower and makes the tag. Stryker takes both Strong and Evans down. He hits Evans with a powerslam for two. He hits a Thesz Press but misses a Lionsault. That gives the Gen Next duo the chance to hit Ode to the Bulldogs but Stryker kicks out! Moments later Strong gets tagged in and Stryker pitches him to the floor. Walters gets tagged and with Stryker they hit Evans with a doomsday lungblower. The referee won’t count a pinfall or ask for a submission on Evans because he’s not the legal man. Meanwhile Stryker puts Strong in the Stryker Lock. Shelley is able to interfere and break up the Stryker Lock. Steamboat chases him towards the back and Austin Aries comes out to blindside Steamboat. In the ring Strong hits Walters with a Spinal Shock to get the pin at 10:48. That was pretty entertaining, and I forgot how awesome a team Strong and Evans were.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #8: Austin Aries vs. CM Punk, Glory By Honor III, 9.11.04

They start off trading arm holds, with Punk taking the early advantage. Aries briefly fights back but Punk tenaciously hangs on to the arm. He tries to escape a headscissors with his dropkick but Punk had that move scouted and he goes right back to work on the arm. Finally Aries escapes the arm hold and hits a dropkick to the face, and then another one. Aries tries the IED but Punk moves out of the way. Punk rolls to the apron and Aries knocks him down. Aries dropkicks Punk into the barricade and then follows Punk to the floor. He kicks Punk in the ribs and throws him back in the ring. He tries the slingshot senton but Punk gets the knees up and goes right back to the arm. Punk dropkicks Aries to the floor and tries a slingshot dive but Aries moves and Punk crashes into the guardrail. Aries knocks Punk back to the floor again and follows him out with a twisting slingshot plancha. Back in the ring Aries hits a big elbow drop for a two-count. Aries goes to work on Punk’s ribs. He hits a Perfect-Plex for two. Punk tries to fight back but Aries cuts him off with a DDT for two. Aries hits an elevated stunner for another near-fall. Punk finally fights back with a missile dropkick of all things. They get back to their feet and Punk hits an enziguiri for two. Aries blocks a Shining Wizard and then Punk goes right back to the arm. He locks on a submission and Aries reaches the ropes. Aries fires back with a gutbuster. He then hits the Power Drive elbow, with his injured arm by the way. He hits a brainbuster but Punk kicks out at two. He goes up for the 450 but Punk cuts him off. Aries tries a sunset bomb but Punk rolls through and hits the Shining Wizard. Punk hits Welcome to Chicago and locks on a Fujiwara Armbar. Aries gets the ropes and moments later the referee takes a bump. Roderick Strong and Jack Evans of Generation Next come out to attack, and Ace Steel runs out to make the save. With Steel distracted by Strong and Evans, Alex Shelley comes out to interfere. From out of nowhere Steve Corino arrives to make the save. Aries gets distracted and Punk rolls him up for the pin at 18:55. A majority of that match was Punk working the arm, and then the finish was silly and the cameras didn’t even catch the pinfall.
Rating: **¼

MATCH #9: Alex Shelley, Austin Aries & Jack Evans vs. CM Punk, Ace Steel & Jimmy Jacobs, Gold, 10.15.04

Alex Shelley and Austin Aries both get mic time before the match, disagreeing over who will get the title shot at Joe. Jimmy Jacobs comes out as the mystery partner, and he’s clearly over since the crowd is HUSSING rather vocally. Jacobs of course is replacing Steve Corino, who couldn’t make it. That Steve Corino, always helping out the young guys. Aries then tries hitting on Tracy to get in CM Punk’s head (or Tracy’s pants), but she promptly slaps him. Good for her. Bauer and Nulty talk about the CM Punk versus Ricky Steamboat Feud of the Year Candidate. We’ll see about that when Brad and I reveal our awards after we review Final Battle 2004. This was a really fun match to watch live, and it holds up pretty well on tape, though again would have benefited from being just a tad shorter. Ace Steel has been doing a sick dropkick in the corner lately, and it hasn’t looked sicker than when he does it to Jack Evans here. Jimmy Jacobs apparently does the spear now, and it looks pretty cool when he does it to a guy like Evans. Jacobs of course takes the heat for a while in this match, because he sells like a champion. He eventually gets the Ricky Morton hot tag to CM Punk, ensuring that he won’t be getting any swirlies tonight. It’s too bad that the camera missed Aries’ dropkick on Tracy, because it was nasty looking and totally surprising, and the match picked up a lot of heat from it. Bauer calls Aries “Mr. Velocity,” which is pretty funny if you think about it. Shelley and Aries continue their power struggle during the match, and I wish Shelley could have been on every show to continue this angle a little better. Jimmy Jacobs hits a really neat combo, giving the Contra Code to Shelley and landing with a splash on Aries. Rod Strong tries to interfere, but Steamboat takes care of him, and Punk ends it with a reverse Pepsi Plunge for the victory at 32:24. Really good tag team action and the crowd goes home happy. Jacobs jumps on Steamboat in celebration, perhaps forgetting that a back injury ended Steamboat’s career. Shelley is screaming something about La Parka on his way out, as Jacobs, Steamboat, Steel, and yes, even CM Punk stand in the ring HUSSING. Awesome.
Rating: ***3/4

MATCH #10: No DQ Match – Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. CM Punk & Ace Steel, Weekend of Thunder Night 2, 11.6.04

I’m going to say something about a match involving CM Punk that I haven’t said in a while – it sucks. It’s long, it’s boring, and it’s nothing but spots that sometimes hit and sometimes don’t hit. Jack Evans brings a ladder out and for some reason joins the match, and Punk and Steel treat him as such. It’s a no-disqualification match and all, but this is ridiculous. Everyone is lethargic and seemingly apathetic towards what they are doing. The match runs a ridiculously long 19:57, and Punk and Steel get the meaningless win (well, it was really probably so that Punk could get his heat back from losing to Aries the night before). Real bad. The post-match stuff is pretty bad too, as Foley and Punk just try to make jokes, and I’m honestly surprised that I’m not entertained by this because these are two of my favorite promo men ever. You know what else? Foley bitches and cries about Flair not putting him over in his book, but all he ever does is shit on Heidenreich and Gene Snitsky. I’m not saying Heidenreich and Snitsky are good workers on anything, but it’s the same principle. And what if Foley comes back to work with these guys, how are they going to feel about that? Bad form, Mick, bad form. Punk says he isn’t leaving until Joe comes out.
Rating: *3/4

~DISC 2~

MATCH #11: Jack Evans vs. Alex Shelley, Third Anniversary Celebration Pt. 3, 2.26.05

I don’t blame Evans for not siding with Alex Shelley either. Aries is the champ, the only guy Shelley’s beaten is Jimmy Jacobs. Well, that’s not true at all, but Aries is still the champ. Mark Nutly has to explain to Jimmy Bower who Aaron Burr was. This is the third guy to kick the crap out of Evans in the last two nights, for those of us keeping score at home. Then I become angry when 60 seconds after I wrote that Nutly says “for those of us keeping score at home.” D’oh. Shelley casually avoids Evans, who goes sailing over the top rope in an awesome spot. Nutly gets in a funny line by noting that Shelley lost to Punk last night and beat Jimmy Jacobs in New Jersey, “but eh, ya know.” This is only Evans’ second singles match in ROH. Well, if they’re not counting six man mayhems or four corner survivals, which should technically be considered singles matches. Why am I thinking about this so much? Evans is getting some offense in, unlike his other singles match against Bryan Danielson in which he got none. The crowd is cheering for Alex Shelley more than they have so far in this face turn, so he’s gotta be doing something right. Shelley gets the win with a sick submission at 13:47. That was a super fun match, with both guys looking good and no domination from Shelley. Evans just keeps getting better the more he wrestles. Aries and Evans take Shelley out after the match, explaining his absence in the month of March.
Rating: ***1/2

MATCH #12: ROH World Championship Match – Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley, Manhattan Mayhem, 5.7.05

Aries has been the Champion since 12.26.04, and this is his thirteenth defense. These two know each other well from their days together in Generation Next. They start with some chain wrestling, which both men excel at. Aries takes the first advantage. He goes for the leaping back elbow off the second rope but Shelley catches him in a hard release German Suplex. Shelley then blows a snot rocket just to be a dick. He hits double knees to the chest in the corner and stomps away. Shelley actually uses Waste Land, about five years before Wade Barrett hit TV. He follows that with a slingshot elbow drop for two. Aries tries seeking solace on the floor but Shelley lands a corkscrew plancha to wipe him out. Back in the ring Aries slingshots over Shelley, and then Shelley stands there and waits for Aries to run off the rope and snap his neck off the top rope. That was awkward. Aries starts going to work on the neck now, which is good strategy given his finishing moves. He goes for the Brainbuster but Shelley counters with the Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Credenza. Shelley goes up top but Aries pulls him down with an elevated neckbreaker. Aries locks on the Last Chancery. Shelley won’t quite so Aries releases and drops a knee on the back of the neck for a two-count. Aries continues focusing on the neck. He hits the slingshot twisting body press for two, but when he tries the quebrada Shelley gets the knees up. Shelley hits an enziguiri and a clothesline. He bodyslams Aries and goes up top for a Frog Splash! That only gets two. Shelley then locks on the Border City Stretch but Aries breaks it and puts on the illegal Fish Hook. They counter each other a handful of times and Shelley reapplies the Border City Stretch! Aries bites his way out of it. Shelley tries a superkick but it gets caught and Aries hits the shinbreaker / belly-to-back suplex combo. The Champ hits the IED and then two more for a two-count. Aries hits the Finlay Roll but misses the 450 and Shelley lands the Superkick. Shelley then hits the Shellshock for a near-fall. He hits a TKO, a tornado DDT, and another Shellshock but Aries rolled to close to the ropes and he grabs one before the referee can count three. They fight over a Brainbuster and neither guy hits it. Aries instead lands a hard forearm and the Joe Killing Combo to get the pin and retain the title at 19:33. This is a bit of a forgotten gem in the ROH cannon, as this one was filled with creative reversals and counters based on how well these two knew each other. The match flew by and was a great showcase for the best of Alex Shelley, an underrated contributor in ROH lore.
Rating: ****

MATCH #13: Roderick Strong vs. Alex Shelley, New Frontiers, 6.4.05

We get a clip of Shelley dismantling Generation Next from The Final Showdown (5.13.05) to open things up. These two had a killer match on that show; let’s see how the rematch stacks up. Austin Aries comes out before the match can really start though, sporting some ridiculous new facial hair. He and Shelley verbally spar, and Shelley reveals that Aries has a bad neck, which means trouble since Spanky’s finisher is all about the neck. Aries denies it of course. The match starts proper with some brawling outside the ring, which is quite different from their prior match. They really spend a lot of time outside the ring; maybe a little too long. Shelley dominates for quite a while before Strong does what he does best – backbreakers. They have a really good match, much like the last one they had, and Strong gets the win with the half-nelson backbreaker at 20:02. Aries comes back out and goes after Shelley’s back with a pipe of some kind and Strong puts on that NEW submission hold, AKA the Boston crab.
Rating: ***1/2

MATCH #14: Austin Aries, Roderick Strong & Matt Sydal vs. Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave & Abyss, Redemption, 8.12.05

Daizee Haze coming out with a big flower really kind of ruins the coolness of Generation Next. This is Abyss’s first match in ROH. Strong and Rave start it off. Abyss looks HUGE in here against Sydal. This one’s moving about a mile a minute. Aries’s power drive elbow is probably my least favorite move in wrestling right now. The Embassy cheats like crazy and Gen Next does all their high impact stuff. A big brawl breaks out and Aries pins Rave with the 450 at 16:50. Wow, I didn’t type much about that match because I was too busy watching all the coolness. Matt Sydal has now earned a spot in Generation Next. Abyss doesn’t care though, as he hits him with a huge black hole slam.
Rating: ***3/4

MATCH #15: No DQ Match – Austin Aries, Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs. Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave & Abyss, Buffalo Stampede, 10.15.05

This one starts off as a big brawl on the floor. Evans takes a really scary bump from Abyss inside the ring. The Embassy takes control of Evans while holding Strong and Aries outside the ring. Evans takes the skull fucker on a wooden chair. Aries and Strong bring out a ladder and nail Abyss in the face with it. Gen Next takes control and the brawl just goes on. We even get a picture-in-picture so that we can try to follow everything. There’s some steel cage like structure hanging around in the arena, which makes for a nice prelude to Steel Cage Warfare quite honestly. Evans gets on top of one of these batting cages and gives Abyss the 630 through a table. A few minutes later Shelley gives Roderick a pretty sick Shell Shock off the apron through a table. That leaves Rave and Aries as the only legal men standing in the match, so Nana takes this chance to interfere. Jade comes in and gives him a low blow, much to the delight of the crowd. Aries gives Rave the fireman’s roll onto the ladder and begs the crowd to cheer for him before taking a sick bump on the ladder, allowing Rave and Nana to put the ladder on top of him to hold him down for the three count at 17:54. The beginning and ending portions were hot, but the middle was a little dry. That finish rules though, so that bumps the match up a little bit.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #16: Austin Aries, Jack Evans, Matt Sydal & AJ Styles vs. Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave, Abyss & Prince Nana, Vendetta, 11.5.05

The Generation Next and AJ Styles team has two girls while The Embassy have none. I don’t think that’s fair. I love that the winners of this match will get the advantage in Steel Cage Warfare. Matches with stuff on the line make me happy. The babyface team dominates Rave to start, with lots of tags and teamwork. Aries knocks all the heels down except for Prince Nana, and Aries begs Rave to tag him. That’s cool. It turns into a melee involving everyone except Nana, who avoids all confrontation. The babyface team continues to dominate, with the Embassy getting almost no offense. You know what that means. Nana finally interjects himself and knocks Evans off the ropes, and then Abyss clobbers him. Now Evans is the babyface-in-peril. Shelley bends Evans in unnatural positions, of course. Nana finally tags in after Evans has been beaten up for a long time. Evans finally makes the hot tag to both Sydal and Aries, which shouldn’t be considered legal. It’s one or the other, man! The whole thing breaks down and Gen Next regains control. Abyss brings a table into the ring and threatens to put Evans through it. Abyss then kills everyone, because he’s awesome. In the confusion through, AJ sneaks up behind Abyss and gives him a German Suplex through the table. Aries looks to legitimately be trying to steal Sydal’s spotlight. Nana grabs Daizee Haze, so Aries and Sydal go after him, and Daizee nails them both in the nuts. Jade Chung tries to interfere, but Daizee hits the Daizee Cutter on her. I called that happening the night before, by the way. Shelley hits the Air Raid Crash on Aries while Rave debuts his new finisher, the Pedigree, on Sydal to get the dual three-count at 20:05. That was a super hot tag team match with the right team going over and a necessary heel turn to nicely put the pieces in place for Steel Cage Warfare.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #17: Steel Cage Warfare – Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave, Abyss & Prince Nana, Steel Cage Warfare, 12.3.05

Jimmy Rave starts for the Embassy, while leader Austin Aries starts for Generation Next. This is elimination rules, and the Embassy will have the one man advantage due to their victory back at Vendetta. My wrist is killing me, so my commentary on this match will be very light. Alex Shelley is the third man out. Matt Sydal comes out five minutes later. Abyss comes out to give the Embassy a huge advantage. Aries and Sydal take a royal shitkicking until Roderick Strong comes out and it’s three on three. Sydal takes a Black Hole Slam and Greetings From Ghana and he’s the first man eliminated. Prince Nana is next out, and the Embassy gets a four on two advantage now. Aries and Strong are just getting dominated. Jade Chung comes out with a bandage on her face and Nana chases her. Evans comes out and the first thing he does is take a sick bump off the cage and land on his head. Evans and Aries Skip a Generation off the top of the cage and Abyss is eliminated. That was cool. Shelley gives Evans the Air Raid Crash off the second rope to eliminate him. We’re down to Aries and Strong versus Nana, Shelley, and Rave. Nana goes for the big ass to the face on both Strong and Aries but winds up hitting Rave and Shelley instead. This allows Strong to kill Rave with backbreakers and make him tap to the strong hold at the same time Aries pinned Shelley. This leaves Nana alone with Strong and Aries. 450 splash by Aries gets the pin on Nana and Gen Next wins at 41:36. That match was booked really well, with the guys coming out in the right order and everyone getting their revenge in the right ways. However, it would have benefited tremendously from having shorter intervals, as it definitely felt long in spots. But this was the best way to blow off this feud and I enjoyed it immensely. Even Jade Chung gets revenge on Jimmy Rave, using him as a footstool in the celebration. They celebrate at the top of the cage in a cool image.
Rating: ****

The Pulse: This is yet another awesome set put together by the fine folks at Ring of Honor. This one in particular takes me back to the time when I was first getting into watching Ring of Honor, so it was a really fun trip down memory lane for me. There are a couple of dull matches but for the most part the selection is really good and features a variety of ROH talent from 2004-2005. You can and should purchase this DVD from the ROH Shop.

I grew up and now I write for Inside Pulse. Oh, and one time I saw a blimp!