The Celebrity Theater – Phoenix, AZ – Saturday, March 27, 2010
MATCH #1: TJP vs. Brad Allen
Allen shoves TJP down, immediately asserting his power advantage. They take it down to the mat and exchange holds and counters. Allen hangs on to the arm but TJP escapes and lands a quick kick. They lock up again and TJP hits a dropkick. TJP tries a couple of shoulderblocks but can’t take Allen down so he gets slapped right in the mouth. He hits a neckbreaker instead and a kick to the chest. He whips Allen to the far corner but Allen leaps up to the top rope and hits a turn-around cross body block for two. Allen then catches TJP in a powerslam for two. He continues on offense until TJP hits a cross body of his own. Allen rolls through and tries a fallaway slam but TJP grabs him in a schoolboy rollup for two; and then Allen plants him with the Side Effect. He hits a nice springboard senton for a two-count. He continues wearing TJP down and boots him to the floor. Back in the ring TJP suplexes Allen to the floor and both men go tumbling down. Back in the ring they trade pinning combinations for two-counts. TJP hits a superkick and an Ace Crusher. He goes up top and hits a beautiful 450 splash but Allen kicks out. Allen comes back and hits The Deal but TJP kicks out at two. He tries another one but TJP avoids it and goes for a Cross Armbreaker but Allen avoids it. TJP sticks with it and is able to trap Allen in the Figure Four Deathlock and Allen taps out at 9:22. That was a solid opener but would have been more engaging had TJP gone after the legs at all during the match before winning with a leg submission.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #2: The Young Bucks vs. Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw
Quack and Nick start it off and take it right down to the mat. They get up and the pace quickens; Quack knocks Nick to the floor with a back elbow. Jigsaw and Matt get in the ring and pick up where their partners left off. The masked man goes after Matt’s leg, locking on a half crab. Matt reaches the ropes to break the hold. Both men rise and trade holds very quickly. Jigsaw traps Matt in the Gory Special and then makes the tag to Quack for some double-teaming. Matt rolls to the floor so Nick enters the ring. Quack quickly monkey flips Nick to the floor and then wipes him out with a dive. Matt follows with a dropkick to take Quack down, and then Jigsaw dropkicks Matt down. This is getting quite difficult to keep up with. The Bucks take control of Jigsaw and wear him down with quick tags and double team maneuvers. After several minutes Jigsaw makes the hot tag and Quack is all over both Nick and Matt. The Bucks recover and throw Quack back to the floor and go back to work on Jigsaw. The match gets out of control as Jigsaw sends Matt to the floor and follows him out with a suicide dive. Nick and Quack go at it in the ring. Quack hits a release overhead German Suplex and then a superplex for two. Nick comes back with an Ace Crusher for two. The Bucks hit Jigsaw with the Worst Case Scenario for two. Matt hits Quack with Diamond Dust but only gets two. The action continues at a breakneck pace until Jigsaw traps Matt in the Jig N Tonic and Quack adds a double stomp to it to get the pin at 14:43. As with most Young Bucks matches it was all action and no story but everything flowed really well tonight and the action pretty much never stopped. The Bucks then cut one of those generic Indy promos about respecting their opponents and all that junk.
Rating: ***¾
MATCH #3: Shingo vs. Genki Horiguchi
Horiguchi is a member of the WARRIORS stable, and is accompanied by Gamma, Dragon Kid, and CIMA. Shingo is representing Kamikaze, and is accompanied by his own awesomeness. It’s funny that Lenny Leonard gives the big enthusiastic welcome before this match, because while it is third on the DVD it actually opened the PPV broadcast.
Shingo uses his power advantage to take control early on. Horiguchi comes back by going after Shingo’s heavily bandaged left knee. He tries a second rope moonsault but Shingo gets his knees up. Shingo hits a DDT and a leaping back senton for a two-count. He continues dismantling Horiguchi with strikes and suplexes. He hits a powerslam for a two-count and then locks on the Manriki. Horiguchi reaches the ropes and then fires back with some chops. He scores with a headscissors and then a tornado DDT. Shingo no sells that so Horiguchi hits him with a vertical suplex. An inverted DDT gets two. Horiguchi goes up top and hits a missile dropkick to the back. He hits another headscissors and tries a running dropkick in the corner but Shingo catches him with a powerbomb. Shingo hits a lariat in the corner and then lands Stay Dream but he can’t cover right way and Horiguchi kicks out at two. He tries Made in Japan but Horiguchi blocks it and they trade blows. Shingo hits the Pumping Bomber, but Horiguchi responds with an immediate Backslide from Heaven. It only gets two and Shingo responds by catching Horiguchi with the Death Valley Bomb and a Pumping Bomber. Finally he hits Made in Japan to get the victory at 10:07. That was squashy but spirited.
Rating: **¾
MATCH #4: Loser Leaves DGUSA – Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Evans & Jimmy Jacobs
Jacobs comes out to the floor to attack London and Kendrick but quickly gets beaten down. Evans comes out to join his partner and he’s flying all over the place. I’ve really missed Evans in ROH. The bell rings way late for some reason, as Evans takes London into the ring and hits a standing shooting star press for two. Kendrick gets back in the ring but Evans is able to control both of them easily. Jacobs rejoins the action and locks London in the End Time. Kendrick tosses Evans to the floor and then breaks up the End Time. He kicks Jacobs in the head, and London follows with one of his own. London and Kendrick are in control now, wearing Jacobs down in their half of the ring. As usual Jacobs takes amazing heat as London and Kendrick work to keep him away from Evans. Finally Jacobs slips out of a vertical suplex and makes the tag. Evans is flying all over the place with dropkicks. He sends both London and Kendrick to the floor and follows them out with the Space Flying Tiger Drop. Back in the ring Evans hits London with a springboard 450 splash but it only gets two. Kendrick comes back in and they successfully double-team Evans. Jacobs gets back in the ring and hits Kendrick with a Spear and then London with a rana. The referee has totally lost control. London comes back with the mushroom stomp on Jacobs for two. Evans cleverly turns a London suplex attempt into a Jacobs DDT. He hits London with a devastating standing corkscrew press (landing feet first, ouch) for a two-count. Kendrick and Evans tumble to the floor. London hits Jacobs with the inverted Tiger Suplex and then a kick to the face. He goes up top but Evans kicks him down. Evans goes for the 630 but London gets his knees up. So Kendrick gets in the ring with Jacobs and tries to bully him. He goes for Sliced Bread #2 but Jacobs counters with a Contra Code and Kendrick counters that with a kick to the face and an enziguiri. Kendrick then hits Sliced Bread #2 but Jacobs kicks out. He locks Jacobs in the Camel Clutch, and then lets it go. Kendrick feels like he could win this match at any time. Jacobs surprises him with a quick rollup for two, and then locks on the End Time. Evans runs interference on London and Kendrick taps his way to TNA at 10:44. That was easily the best match Jacobs and Kendrick were involved with each in DGUSA.
Rating: ***
MATCH #5: Hardcore Rules Match – Tommy Dreamer vs. Jon Moxley
Tommy Dreamer is in the ring with MMA gloves on for some reason. A cool fan tells Dreamer not to cry, and I second that idea. He’s a little more focused than Hart but it’s still a lot of rambling. The gist of his inane chatter is that he wants to face Jon Moxley in a Phoenix Street Fight, but he can’t call it that for some reason? Moxley is accompanied by Christina Von Eerie. Where did she come from?
These two are so angry at each other that they start off by fighting over a waistlock. I know that when I want to fight someone in a hardcore match, I immediately go for a waistlock. Even Leonard is kind of like “WTF mate?” They finally start trading chops and strikes. Moxley scores a knockdown with a leg lariat. He literally takes a bite out of Dreamer and then works him over with forearms. Dreamer comes back with a bulldog and a clothesline to send Moxley to the floor. He then dropkicks him off the entrance ramp and wipes him out with a senton. Dreamer pretty much moves at half speed. He grabs the ring bell and rings it on Moxley’s nuts, and then spits water in his face. He takes the fight through the crowd and uses a fan’s crutch as a weapon. They fight out of Leonard’s line of sight for a bit. Back at ringside Dreamer hits a vertical suplex. Dreamer heads back to the locker room and comes out with a couple of garbage cans. He hits Moxley over the head with them. Back in the ring Dreamer goes up top with the can but Moxley knocks him down and drills him in the head twice with the can. Moxley hits a superplex and then a clothesline for two. Dreamer has been busted open. Moxley locks on an STF. Dreamer reaches the ropes. Moxley then puts the miss in missile dropkick and Dreamer locks on a Texas Cloverleaf. This time Moxley reaches the ropes. Dreamer responds with a hard clothesline for a two-count. He goes outside the ring and gets a chair. It backfires though, as Moxley is able to drop toehold Dreamer into the very same chair. Dreamer comes right back with a spinebuster and then hurls Moxley’s head back into the chair. Von Eerie breaks up the pin and Dreamer attempts to piledrive her but the referee stops him so Dreamer punches him. The girl then foolishly slaps Dreamer, and takes the safest looking piledriver of all time (likely because of her Mohawk hair style). YAMATO comes in from behind and tries to choke Dreamer but he gets dumped to the floor. Shingo comes in and hits Dreamer with the Death Valley Driver. Moxley rolls over to make the cover but only gets two. Dreamer comes back with a piledriver for two. They reverse each other a couple of times until Moxley hits Dreamer with a DDT on the steel chair to get the pin at 12:31. The interference from YAMATO and Shingo brought the match quality up by sheer force of their levels of awesome, which is fortunate because the match on its own was pretty dull and plodding. Can Tommy Dreamer please go away now?
Rating: **
MATCH #6: Open the Dream Gate Title Match – YAMATO vs. Susumu Yokosuka
YAMATO has been the champion since 3.22.10 and this is his first defense. Yokosuka is a former champion, having held the title for 214 days in 2006. They start off cautiously with some chain wrestling. That doesn’t last too long before they get aggressive and start trading strikes. Yokosuka wins the first battle and clotheslines YAMATO to the floor. Back in the ring Yokosuka goes to work. He uses a rear chinlock but YAMATO escapes by raking the face. Yokosuka comes right back with Jumbo no Kachi! YAMATO appears to be out but Yokosuka doesn’t cover him. He pays for it when YAMATO locks on a triangle choke, but Yokosuka makes it to the ropes and rolls to the floor. YAMATO follows him out and goes after the arm. That’s good strategy since it aims to take away the Jumbo no Kachi! Back in the ring YAMATO continues working the arm. Yokosuka briefly grabs a Choke Sleeper but YAMATO kicks him low to escape, and Yokosuka responds in kind! Obviously the referee saw neither. Both men get to their feet and Yokosuka hits an exploder. YAMATO responds with one of his own. They each give each other one more and then both men are down again. YAMATO gets up first and goes up top, but Yokosuka pops up and joins him up there to hit a super exploder, which only gets two. Yokosuka tries Jumbo no Kachi! but YAMATO blocks it and hits a running boot to the arm. YAMATO hits a forearm to the face but Yokosuka comes back with a low dropkick and then slams YAMATO’s knees into the canvas. Yokosuka locks on a Figure-Four Leglock and YAMATO barely makes it to the ropes. YAMATO counters a powerbomb into an armbar and then takes Yokosuka down to the mat with a Fujiwara Armbar. Yokosuka makes the ropes. YAMATO hits a running forearm in the corner and puts Yokosuka up on the top rope. Yokosuka reverses with a super Death Valley Driver. YAMATO no-sells it and they trade forearms. They continue to trade strikes and Yokosuka wins the battle with a Jumbo no Kachi! for a two-count. YAMATO comes back with the Choke Sleeper, and Yokosuka counters it to a Death Valley Driver! Yokosuka tries to capitalize with Jumbo no Kachi! but he can’t put much behind them. YAMATO viciously attacks the arm, but Yokosuka summons the strength for another Jumbo no Kachi! but YAMATO kicks out at two! Yokosuka hits Mugen but YAMATO once again kicks out at two. He goes for another Mugen but YAMATO slips out and locks on the Choke Sleeper. YAMATO turns it into a release German Suplex, and then locks on the Choke Sleeper again. He hits the sleeper suplex but Yokosuka kicks out at two. He kicks Yokosuka in the head and hits a brainbuster for another two-count! Finally the champion hits Galleria to get the pin and retain the title at 21:42. I liked YAMATO focusing on the arm and they did some cool spots around that. But then he’s able to hit the move, twice, right at the end of the match, after previously not being able to execute it at all. I also get annoyed when guys no sell stuff like Super Death Valley Drivers, but I understand it’s a style thing or whatever. Other than all that this was still an excellent match and they had the crowd with them.
Rating: ***¾
MATCH #7: Dragon Gate Six Man Tag Match – BxB Hulk, Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino vs. CIMA, Gamma & Dragon Kid
The WARRIORS team is accompanied by Genki Horiguchi. I don’t expect to be able to call much of this one. Kid and Yoshino start it off. As predicted, the two faster men in the sport live up to that moniker. Gamma tags in and the action is coming at a fast pace. Hulk and CIMA tag in and Hulk grounds the veteran. World-1 takes first control of the match, wearing CIMA down in their half of the ring. CIMA comes back and tags Kid back in. Yoshino tags in and the WARRIORS go to work on him. That doesn’t last long before World-1 goes to work on CIMA, and then WARRORS take over on Doi. No one has gained a sustained advantage yet. Gamma utilizes the Sweet Angel’s Kiss on Hulk, and then boots him in the face. That actually leads to WARRIORS controlling the Open the Freedom Gate champion for several minutes. While the referee’s back is turned, CIMA and Kid hold Hulk’s legs apart and Gamma bashes him in the nuts with a kendo stick. Hulk fights back with kicks and makes the hot tag to Doi. Gamma immediately blasts Doi in the face with the kendo stick. Doi gets control of the stick behind the referee’s back and uses it expertly all over Gamma’s body. Kid and Yoshino tag in and go back and forth. Doi comes in and takes his shots at Kid. The World-1 trio keeps Kid isolated and work over his arm. After several minutes of heinous abuse, Kid is able to make the tag. CIMA comes in and the WARRIORS take control. Kid hits Yoshino with Déjà vu and then hits Yoshino with the Bermuda Triangle. Gamma and Doi slug it out now and Doi seems to win the battle but Gamma responds with an enziguiri. Gamma blocks Doi 555 and hits a dropkick to the face. He hits a powerbomb but Doi kicks out at two. Yoshino and CIMA end up in the ring. They battle it out and Yoshino hits Sling Blade for two. Yoshino then locks on From Jungle. Kid responds by trapping Hulk in the same move. Yoshino and Kid trade chops and then all six men wind up in the ring. Kid hits Hulk with a nasty tornado DDT but Yoshino breaks up the cover. CIMA tries a coast to coast dropkick but Yoshino avoids it and hits the dropkick senton combo. How is Leonard keeping up with all this? Hulk hits Kid with a Michinoku Driver for two. CIMA hits Yoshino with the Perfect Driver for two. WARRIORS hit Yoshino with a triple dropkick. Doi comes back in and hits CIMA with the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Yoshino then rolls CIMA up for a two-count. Hulk comes in and hits CIMA with EVOP for two. Hulk goes up top but Gamma stops him and CIMA hits Venus. They prepare for the super-duper rana but Hulk avoids it. Gamma brings the kendo stick back in and uses it right in front of referee Bryce Remsburg, who does nothing. Kid then hits Hulk with a super-duper reverse rana, and Gamma follows with a regular reverse rana, and then Kid hits the Ultra Hurricanrana but Hulk kicks out at two! Kid hits Yoshino with Bible but it only gets two. Yoshino comes back with Lightning Spiral for two! World-1 focuses on Gamma and hit a Super Sling Blade but it only gets two! Hulk hits a series of kicks to the head for another two-count. Doi hits Gamma with Doi 555 and the Bakatare Sliding Kick. Yoshino follows up with the Lighting Spiral. Amazingly Gamma kicks out again! Yoshino hits Torbellino and then locks on Sol Naciente. Hulk runs interference and Gamma passes out at 27:24. That was an amazing match that will probably score some Match of the Year votes. Gamma took one hell of a beating there. The action was nonstop and outside of Hulk slipping that one time (which I don’t hold against him, it happens), everything was hitting right on.
Rating: ****½
