Official ROH Discussion Thread

[gadge]

Nice stuff, DDD.

 

There's a buy TWO, get 1 free DVD sale on, until Thursday afternoon, which is a particularly good deal.

 

On a different note, ROH now only have a double shot in Toronto at the end of July between now and the next TV tapings at the end of August before they hit the regular markets again...

[Rave on Jimmy]

Nice stuff, DDD.

 

There's a buy TWO, get 1 free DVD sale on, until Thursday afternoon, which is a particularly good deal.

 

Which website/shop is this and is it in the uk?

[Catfish Jake]

Nice stuff, DDD.

 

There's a buy TWO, get 1 free DVD sale on, until Thursday afternoon, which is a particularly good deal.

 

Which website/shop is this and is it in the uk?

 

Erm, the ROH website!

[gadge]

Yeah, what he said. Just ordered 6 DVDs for just under

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

Nice stuff, DDD.

 

There's a buy TWO, get 1 free DVD sale on, until Thursday afternoon, which is a particularly good deal.

 

On a different note, ROH now only have a double shot in Toronto at the end of July between now and the next TV tapings at the end of August before they hit the regular markets again...

 

Thank you kind sir.

 

I must admit, the angle at the weekend with a gazillion AOFT members running in at the end of the cage match was the first time in ages I've thought "Ohhh, I can't wait to see that". Unfortunatly they followed it by stringing up Jacobs by his legs and intimating that the AOFT was finished. We'll see what happens I guess. As for the dearth of summer shows, if it helps get them onto a decent financial footing then I'm all for it.

 

Did you read the Gabe interview in Powerslam this month? A mixture of fact and fiction on his part. His comments about Cary seem to confirm that he's an odd bird (Cary that is, although the same description could be applied to Gabe). But Gabe's assertion that he was against running 40 shows a year all along seems a bit post hoc .

 

Buy 2 get 1 Free seems a bit tasty, I might have to take advantge of that

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

Wrestling at the Gateway

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

Southern Hostility

[air_raid]

Good review man, agree thoroughly with your views on Davey and its sad how ROH is less of an ensemble piece these days and would really suffer without Dragon, Nige and Aries.

 

Omega pins Rinauro with the release Electric Chair German Suplex (I think that

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

All Star Extravaganza IV

[gadge]

Injustice II - Edison, NJ 17.01.09

 

Before I go into any depth, I'll mention that this is the show which was scheduled to have Nigel McGuinness vs Austin Aries for the title, only for them to switch it up, leading to Nigel McGuinness vs Tyler Black in a one hour draw that only went 48 minutes amidst much controversy about the booking. If you're still interested, here's the review...

 

Brent Albright vs Rhett Titus is set up by a pretty bad show opening backstage segment also involving the not exactly famed acting of Grizzley Redwood and Alex Payne. The match itself is an acceptable opener, the result is never in doubt but the match is certainly not a squash, and Titus is developing into a guy capable of having a watchable competitive match. Albright wins with the half nelson suplex out of nowhere.

 

Four Corner Survival time for match 2. I wasn't desperate to see Virginia-area guys Sean Denny and Damien Wayne again, but I guess they were booked for the weekend, and their participation is solid. Delirious and Necro Butcher round the match out. Necro goes straight after Delirious around ringside, so Denny and Wayne get some ring time to themselves early on, and of course no-one is watching because Delirious and Necro are the ROH mainstays with the storyline going. Then, they switch round with Denny and Wayne going to the floor and Delirious and Necro moving into the ring.

 

Neither pair really interact much bar Necro blasting Denny with some punches, and the finish where Wayne takes Necro out for a bit by slingshotting himself over the ropes into a legdrop on the floor (which looks like it hurts Damien Wayne's ass mostly), and Delirious nails Denny with a Cobra Clutch suplex-Panic Attack-Shadows Over Hell combo for the pin. More watchable action.

 

The comes Austin Aries's explanation for turning on Tyler Black (fickle fans, etc) and the announcement he didn't want to main event a B show and would take his title shot when he wants. The promo is pretty good but not great, at least he takes time to punch Kyle Durden before he finishes. Of course, Tyler then comes out and volunteers himself for the title shot, which draws Jimmy Jacobs out for a 2-on-1 beatdown of Tyler. This is actually playing out fine, but somehow this then leads to...

 

Austin Aries vs Jimmy Jacobs vs Jay Briscoe in a three-way match, which is just odd. I'm tired of anything resembling handicap matches (must be all the WWE I watch...) and three-ways that basically play out as 2-on-1 are just as bad, if not worse. The action isn't dreadful, I guess. Briscoe actually gets the win, as Jacobs accidentally spears Aries and then gets rolled up for three. Because Jacobs and Aries aren't allowed to trust each other, either, see. This does nothing to help Aries or Jacobs look threatening to Tyler, who at this point is still looking as threatening to the main event level as anyone.

 

After everyone leaves from that match, ROH owner Cary gets Bobby Cruise to announce that due to the refusal of Aries to take his title shot and Black's non-title victory the previous night in Manassas, it will be Nigel vs Tyler for the World Title in the main event. The crowd likes that. The crowd also likes it when Prince Nana jumps into the ring, even though he just gets escorted out.

 

The road to the Caged Collision PPV continues as The American Wolves face Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens in a Lumberjack Strap match. Good filler match in the feud here. The usual problem with Lumberjack matches is that the match suffers due to bad working of any Lumberjack spots, but they do well to avoid that pitfall here. The other problem going in is that the Strong and Stevens team have only had a half hearted push and have been mixed with Brent Albright, when they actually look pretty damned good as a team. Stevens looks much better for the return of his mohawk. I know that sounds silly, but image is everything. The Wolves continue to get better as a team too, Eddie Edwards pins Stevens after a Larry Sweeney distraction allows Edwards to blast him in the head with a chair after Strong dived onto the mass of lumberjacks when they were whipping Davey.

 

Chris Escobar vs Grizzley Redwood features a couple of minutes of Grizzley's comedy spots, Escobar showing not a lot of anything, and then Bison Smith comes in from the crowd and destroys them both. I'll take that as a finish, thanks.

 

Bryan Danielson vs Jerry Lynn is your semi-main event, and a rematch from ASEIV conveniently reviewed by DDD directly above. Clips of that match air first, which looks great... funny how I really don't remember it at all. Maybe I'll rewatch it later. This match is a bit more Lynn-style than Danielson-style if you get that, the pace is good, and the action is crisp once again. This time round, Lynn gets the win after managing to not tap to the triangle choke or Cattle Mutilation, then pinning Danielson with a tornado DDT, clothesline, cradle piledriver combo for a convincing three count.

 

ROH World Title match: Nigel McGuinness vs Tyler Black

 

Right, where to begin... the crowd are very pro-Tyler and the fairly impromptu nature of the match gives them that potential title change feeling. There's certainly a major match atmosphere. They hit the floor almost immediately, with Nigel jumping Tyler at the bell and controlling to start, then attempting to walk out when Tyler turns the tables. Bryan Danielson comes out into the aisleway and puts a stop to that around the 6:00 mark, and Nigel heads back into the ring.

 

Usual Nigel title match stylings unfold from there, with a feeling out process, and Nigel working over Tyler's arm, which he does with more vigour and variation than usual. At 21:00, Nigel throws Tyler over the top rope and he crashes over the timekeepers table and across the chairs there, doesn't get up, and the referees eventually start to walk Tyler out. Nigel gets on the mic saying that's it, the match is over, and Tyler about-turns and things kick up a notch around 24:00. Then, at 29:00, just as Tyler is going for the Phoenix Splash, Jimmy Jacobs distracts the referee, and Austin Aries shoves Tyler to the floor and nails him with a brainbuster on the floor.

 

Mayhem then ensues as Jay Briscoe attacks Jacobs then Aries, Jerry Lynn runs in and nails Nigel with the cradle piledriver, the American Wolves jump Briscoe and Lynn, bringing out Albright, Strong and Stevens to attack them. As everyone brawls with everyone, Danielson comes out and orders everyone to the back, as this isn't what a ROH Title match should be about, only for Jacobs to jump him from the mass brawl. More dives follow, concluding with Danielson diving on everyone in the crowd. There's then an announcement that Todd Sinclair and Cary have agreed the match MUST CONTINUE~!

 

It's 34:00 gone by this point, and the rollercoaster ride booking at least then gives Tyler and Nigel the spotlight at the end. Lariats, London Dungeons, God's Last Gift, kicks to the head, and some highflying from Tyler and plenty of other potential conclusions come and go. Tyler misses a Phoenix Splash right on the 45:00 mark, which would have been a tremendous ending to a 45 minute draw. The actual end of the match comes when Nigel eats the turnbuckle powerbomb-kick to the face combo that polished him off the night before, but the bell rings at about 48:15 before Tyler makes the cover. The crowd is understandably annoyed, the announcement merely states "the time limit has expired" without referencing 60 minutes, and when Tyler pleads for five more minutes, Nigel teases accepting before bailing out. Nigel briefly resurfaces on commentary, which is unintentionally hilarious due to the post-produced nature of the the commentary.

 

This is actually a decent match for one of it's length. The use of booking to help fill the time can work well, and in fact I'd say it mostly does, though the actual finish is head scratching, as there's no sign of what it's aiming to achieve. Certainly, if this had been the night Tyler won the title, the rollercoaster ride would have been fitting and kept the storytelling options for the beginning of Tyler's reign wide open.

 

Overall, Injustice II is a watchable show that highlights how lethargic Full Circle was the night before. That said, the first few shows of the year are usually largely forgotten by the end of the year, and I can't see this one being much different. Thumbs in the middle.

Edited July 26, 2009 by gadgetboy

[gadge]

Toronto results from the ROH forum...

 

Night 1 -

 

A) Tyson Dux defeated Rip Impact in a match of two locals putting in a good showing for a pre-match

B) Alex Payne and Bobby Dempsey defeated The Flatliners (Asylum and Burns). The Flatliners are a regular Ontario tag team, have a great look and work well together.

C) Rhett Titus defeated a wrestler I was unfamiliar with.

 

Main show:

1) Sonjay Dutt and El Generico went to a 15-minute draw. This match was slow to start but picked up well and both guys interacted well with the crowd. It's nice to see Sonjay having fun.

 

2) Jay and Mark Briscoe defeated Super Smash Bros (Player Uno and Player Dos/Stupefied). Both teams were over and had a fun little match together. Not a crazy old Briscoes match but just right.

 

3) D'Lo Brown defeated Frankie The Mobster. Frankie seems like he should be in WWE developmental as he is all jacked up, had good crowd interaction on the way to the ring and was no good once the match started. This seemed to be the D'Lo show, and he talked about his match tomorrow (Gauntlet for title shot) and going to Champions Den after the show tonight.

 

4) Elimination match: Jimmy Rave, Joey Ryan, Bison Smith and Claudio Castagnolli defeated Necro Butcher, Colt Cabana, Brent Albright and Grizzly Redwood. Bision bloodied Grizzly and pinned him after a powerbomb. Colt quickly rolled up Bison for the pin.

Necro was eliminated by Jimmy Rave but then threw Rave out of the ring and beat him up in the crowd with Rave getting counted out. It was then Cabana and Albright against Claudio and Ryan. I believe the next order was that Albright was eliminated and then Castagnolli leaving Cabana getting pinned by Ryan after a distraction. Good first half of the match, slowed after Rave was elminated and then finished ok but this felt disjointed into two matches.

 

Intermission

 

Bret Hart came out after intermission saying it's great to be back in Toronto and to see fans coming out to see wrestling how it should be. Bret put over ROH saying it is the kinds of wrestling he grew up with. Short speech followed by handshakes with the crowd, everyone loved Bret.

 

5) Kenny Omega defeated Kenny King. These guys work so well together and are great young talents. I'd like to see both as ROH headliners. After the match Omega challenged Aries to a title match for tomorrow night.

 

6) Lance Storm and Kevin Steen defeated Chris Hero and Davey Richards. Storm and Steen were over huge as Canadians, and got a great reaction near the end of the match for double sharpshooters and another great reaction for finishing with the Hart Foundation clothesline. With his new gear (just tights) Hero looks like a large man in pretty good shape, a la Barry Windham. He is working great and should be a main eventer.

 

7) ROH World Title Match: Austin Aries retained over Nigel McGuinness, Jerry Lynn and Tyler Black. This seemed like just the main event for night 1 of a double shot. Good action with everyone feeling like they belong. It was distracting at first with two guys working in the ring and two guys brawling outside, and later a documentary was being shot in the crowd, but the home stretch was well done.

 

Really good show. People can say ROH isn't what it used to be, but judged on its own and current merits it is quite good. Regardless of whether they have their 2006 cult following, I am more concerned with the current quality and it seems to be there. It is still more cutting edge and savvy than most of what you will see in TNA or WWE and it gave the fans what they wanted.

 

Best match for me was Kenny King and Kenny Omega, worst match was D'Lo Brown and Frankie the Mobster.

 

The report into night 1 on PWinsider has quite a different opinion on some of the matches.

 

Night 2 -

 

Bobby Cruise announced that Nigel McGuinness is injured and won't be competing.

Couple of things of note:

The November 14 Toronto area return will be at the International Centre in Mississauga, a great place for it that I had thought of before. It's near the airport, its' accessible by transit and people traveling from throughout the suburbs or further can get there easily, especially on a Saturday. I've been there for conventions before and it's a good pick. I talked to Cary who said that they don't know where they'll be the night before.

Also, ROH was selling PWG DVD's this weekend, with the most recent stuff available. I'm behind on my ROH viewing and money was tight so I couldn't get much, but I've wanted to get PWG 99 and 100, as well as DDT4. I did so for a total of $45, a great purchase and I get to support both ROH and PWG by doing so.

Crowd looked to be at around 1000 both nights.

 

Pre-show:

A) Rip Impact defeated ? (sounded like Jay something, it said JS on his tights). This was a half-decent pre-show match. Not as good as Rip against Tyson Dux from last night, but decent enough to get the crowd warmed up.

 

B) Bobby Dempsey, Alex Payne and Andy "Right Leg" Ridge defeated The Flatliners (Asylum and Burns) and ? (sounded like Christian Page, but I sure hope that's not what it was). Fun six-man match, The Flatliners definitely deserve to be showcased. They're good power wrestlers like a 1980's tag team but they actually bump and sell. Ridge does some good flying, including a sweet dropkick.

 

Main Show:

 

1) Super Smash Brothers defeated Kevin Steen and El Generico. This was a fun match, although maybe not as solid as SSB against the Briscoes from last night, at least not initially. People seemed to like both teams but were more behinf Steenerico and seemed surprised at the finish. The pacing and booking of the match made SSB going over make sense to me, and makes them bigger stars for future Toronto shows and ROH shows in general. Good to see two teams from Montreal doing well together. Maybe Montreal is like Chicago from a few years ago as far as being a base for good young talent.

 

2) Frankie the Mobster defeated Bison Smith by DQ. Frankie was not all that impressive in his match last night and apparently someone told him as he put his working shoes on tonight. The crowd went from chanting "You can't wrestle" at him before the match to chanting his name at the end. He did some great power moves on Bison including an Exploder and also did a Tope Suicida on him. Frankie worked as the face with Bison working in him over, including throwing him into the crowd and Bison doing a running dive over the guardrail onto Frankie. I was right beside that and it was crazy to see with the size of both guys. For the finish, Frankie was in the corner and hugged Todd Sinclair to protect himself. Bison couldn't move him and chopped Sinclair which got the DQ and the crowd cheered for him as they always boo Sinclair. Tyson teased the Bisontennial on Sinclair afterwards but didn't do it.

 

3) Toronto Gauntlet: Match started with Jerry Lynn defeating D-Lo Brown. Sonjay Dutt was out next and Lynn defeated him as well. In the continuing parade of ex-TNA talent, Jimmy Rave was next, defeating Jerry Lynn. Rave then defeated Necro Butcher by count-out when Necro was almost back in the ring for the 20-count, and most of his body was in from 18 on, but his feet were tangled in the ring apron (from what I could see) so he still got counted out. The gauntlet up to this point had been quick and smooth, without dragging. Davey Richards was out next, and this match-up surprised me to have two heels in Rave and Richards going at it but Davey worked more or less as a babyface, without it to the point that he was pandering but certainly everyone was behind him. He was on fire and Rave was putting on a show putting him over, with Davey winning and getting a future title shot. Choosing between Richards continuing the great work with The American Wolves or starting a run at Aries' title is like having to choose between your children.

 

Flair did his promo talking about how he started coming into Toronto in 1976 after what The Sheik had done to the territory. He name-dropped Whipper Billy Whatson and the Tunneys. He also said that when he started coming to Toronto he didn't know how close it was to Niagara Falls and the women in Toronto would want him to marry them in Niagara Falls. He said that even though he was married he got married about 10 times in Niagara Falls during those times. He talked abobut selling out Maple Leaf Gardens and wrestling Undertaker at Wrestlemania in 2002. He put over the Ring Of Honor locker room, saying that backstage are some of the most sophisticated and decent young men in the business who live to wrestle for these fans. He put over the Ring Of Honor fans.

 

4) European Rules: Claudio Castagnolli defeated Brent Albright in the 4th three-minute round by roll-up. The Crowd didn't seem to like the rules, although I thought they worked well or had the potential to if the fans would accept them. The first round ended when Brent Albright was kicking it up on offence, and fans boo'd the rest period. In the second round Albright got a yellow card for a closed fist. After the bell, Claudio jumped Brent and then worked him over throughout the rest period, getting a yellow card for action after the bell. The third round was good, I can't remember if this is where Albright got a count from the ref and he almost wasn't up by 10, but I believe it was in this round. They had a 30-second rest period but were chomping to rip into each other when the bell rang for the second, which they did do. Things got rolling, eventually Rave ran in and distracted Albright and Claudio rolled him up. I think this match should have been on third.

 

Intermission:

 

5) Tyler Black defeated Tyson Dux. Tyson was getting great reactions here and worked well, looking like he should be a regular. Tyler is just so good and this match was great for making both guys look like stars. Black won with God's Last Gift, one of my favorite moves currently.

 

6) Colt Cabana defeated Joey Ryan in what was turned into a No Rules match. Colt is so entertaining and WWE missed the ball, but I understand how much pressure there is when you have to churn our Stan Kroenke skits. Anyway, this was a comedy weapons match, involving a hockey stick brought out by Nana, Colt wrapping Joey in Nana's scarf, and in one of the highlights of the night, Colt going backstage and coming back out with two bags of garbage in honor of the Toronto Garbage Strike and the Apocalyptic looking parking lot full of garbage at the Ted Reeve Arena. Big spot just before this in which Colt got Sinclair to do his Flying Asshole spot with him but Colt stopped and Sinclair went into Ryan on his own. The crowd finally cheered for Sinclair and gave him an ovation while Colt went to get the garbage. Fun match.

 

Austin Aries came out to do a promo, bragging over his accomplishment in winning the night before and debating over whether

 

Kenny Omega deserves a title shot. Omega came out and Aries debated it further, then saying he would give him a title match in Toronto, but not tonight as he is not ready and maybe a few months down the line. Omega started to respond, bring out Kenny King and Rhett Titus to beat down Omega, followed by the Briscoes for the save. Omega talked down Aries, then said let's start this match and it was the Briscoes and Omega against King, Titus and Aries (as listed in the program).

 

7) Kenny Omega and Jay and Mark Briscoe defeated Kenny King, Rhett Titus and Austin Aries. Really good match, King and Titus are such gold together, Aries is a great heel champ, Omega is a great young star and the Briscoes seem to be back in top form. Lots of the signature moves from everyone. At one point after Aries and Omega had ended up outside the ring there was a face-off and slug-fest with King/Titus against the Briscoes that was really heated. It all ended eventually with Omega pinning Aries. Fans really enjoyed this match with "This Is Awesome" chants. Hopefully this sets up Aries-Omega for November.

 

8) Chris Hero defeated Lance Storm in a great match. Tonight's show had felt slower, but this match showed what a great main event can do. Lance looked in great physical condition and really went for it here. His big spots were way over, including the springboard clothesline and Half Boston Crab. I would dare say that this may have been the biggest crowd support Lance has seen considering how much he wrestled as a heel, as compared to wrestling in his home country in front of the right crowd with the right opponent in a grudge match. Hero is on fire right now. Since he started wrestling in just short tights, his old outfits are now longer distracting and it is apparent what a large man he is. It feels a little like heel Barry Windham. Lance took an elbow shot late in the match and sold it great, he spun around and ended up facing my section, selling it like he'd been gooned beyond belief. He put over Hero clean. Storm then gave a very emotional promo about how he appreciated these fans from the bottom of his heart. The whole building was "Thank you Lance" and "Please don't go". He seemed choked up and said if this was last match it was great to have it for a company that still focuses on wrestling and that after busting his ass for 18 years it was great to be appreciated. This was a fantastic moment. And I will say as well, Thank You Lance.

[gadge]

Motor City Madness 2009 - Detroit, MI 30.01.09

 

Two of the pre-show matches are on the disc as bonuses, Kenny King beats Alex 'Sugarfoot' Payne in about five minutes in what was nothing more than the warm-up match it appears, and Irish Airborne vs Grizzley Redwood and Andy 'Right Leg' Ridge barely even begins before Bison Smith destroys all four men. Total DVD time allocated to bonus matches: less than 8 minutes. Pointless.

 

Bryan Danielson vs Rhett Titus gets us going properly. A recent DDD review here brought up a point along the lines of such a match not really offering the younger wrestler a chance to prove themselves, as someone like Danielson could carry a broom to a good match. Well, if as a young wrestler you're going to move up the card, you're bound to end up facing better wrestlers, and it has to help you if management know you're not going to be the weak link in a more major match.

 

Anyway, this is A LOT of fun. Lenny Leonard gets bonus points for mentioning very early on that Danielson lost both his matches on the ROH's opening weekend of 2009, and therefore has something of a point to prove, while it may provide 'Addicted To Love' with an opportunity. Early going is more about Titus doing his usual schtick, and the crowd dying for Danielson to indulge them with a 'Sexy Party'. Titus turns an armbar into something rather disgusting, while Danielson finds cool ways to stretch the parts of Titus that Titus really doesn't want stretched. Much like his match with Brent Albright on the previous show, Titus gets his fair share of time in control of the bout, which is certainly not a squash. That said, there's no way Danielson is losing, and eventually Titus annoys him to the point he indulges the crowd in a Sexy Party en route to a victory with the elbows into Cattle Mutilation. Good stuff from Titus here in what was a really enjoyable opener.

 

Rather worryingly for the top of the card, Austin Aries is next out of the gate. He interrupts Silas Young's entrance to cut a good promo ending in "if you get injured here, I'll take good care of your wife and kid for you" which causes Silas to completely snap in the early going, though once he regains control, Aries dominates most of what is a solid undercard encounter, scoring the victory with the brainbuster into the Last Chancery.

 

Necro Butcher vs Brodie Lee is punches, kicks, headbutts, then a double countout, then a 3-on-1 beatdown when Jimmy Jacobs helps Brodie then Delirious comes and joins in too. So we continue...

 

Jimmy Jacobs and Delirious vs Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens follows straight on from that. The southern tag formula is followed to the letter here, the Age of the Fall team begging off early, getting beaten up for a bit, then taking control before falling in the end when Erick Stevens pins Delirious after a big boot/powerbomb combo. After a good victory in Four Corner Survival the previous show, Delirious looks weak here cowering in the early going then being scared of Jimmy freaking Jacobs after taking the fall. Strong and Stevens take some momentum into Caged Collision. Not much heat for the main part of this match, which wasn't particularly good to be honest.

 

Claudio Castagnoli vs Brent Albright - At the point of watching this match, I'd already seen two bouts between them on the TV show, neither of which was anything special. This match is longer, and worse for it. It starts out okay, with chain wrestling between the men who once upon a time looked like future headliners, say during their title shots vs Takeshi Morishima in consecutive nights in August 2007. Then, Albright starts taking bumps from the ring to the floor that get funnier every time. The one where he almost decapitates himself on the ropes is a highlight, along with his miserable attempt to take a DDT on the ring apron.

 

We head towards the relief that is the end when Larry Sweeney comes out on the stage to watch, and Albright is almost distracted, but manages to counter Claudio's attempt at a pop-up European Uppercut into the Crowbar. For no reason I can decipher, he refuses to let go when Claudio gets to the ropes, and is DQed even though Claudio taps just before the five count. That controversy is the motivation behind their TV feud. Not exactly an encouraging sign...

 

Jerry Lynn vs Tyler Black features two guys without a loss between them in 2009 despite their opposition being Austin Aries, Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness. Not an easy match to predict an outcome, then, even without anything on the line. The match starts out quite slowly, and with two fan favourites, the crowd aren't sure who to cheer for. Then the pace starts to pick up, and the crowd get into the action. Old man Lynn shows Brent Albright how to take a DDT on the ring apron. Both guys get to their big moves as they hit top gear - an Air Raid Crash from Lynn springs to mind - and the crowd are rabid. "One minute remaining in the 20 minute time limit, less than one minute." The crowd deflates, both guys try to find something out of desparation, but the crowd are chanting "five more minutes" even before the final bell rings. Excellent athletic match to reignite the crowd after three iffy bouts.

 

Nigel McGuinness vs Jay Briscoe - non title - Nigel has his right arm taped here. It's noticable that they've stopped saying how Nigel is getting stronger with every match as champion. Jay is pissed about not getting a title shot, according to a promo earlier on, and is all fisticuffs and fire to start, but then when Nigel takes control Jay gets his arm picked apart, just like pretty much all Nigel's opponents. When Nigel finally hits a lariat, using his untaped left arm, he comes up struggling with that arm too. Jay thinks he's going to get the win with the Jay Driller, but the foot is on the ropes and Nigel hits the jawbreaker for the three quickly afterwards. He doesn't look like a winner massaging his taped arm afterwards, though. Nigel is clearly fucked. The match was alright.

 

Kevin Steen and El Generico vs The American Wolves - ROH World Tag Team Title Match

 

A worthy, almost 20 minute main event. The first half is mostly built around Steen and Richards trying to out-dick each other, which is proven to entertain. The Wolves get better as a team, with Richards doing the stuff you notice and Edwards going about his business in the background. Generico gets to take the Wolves beatdown, as you'd expect, before Steen flies out of the blocks when he takes the hot tag. Things really build nicely, though the last minute is a bit of a letdown as Sweeney's attempt to interfere is stopped by a stumbling, bumbling Brent Albright, and then the Wolves misfire with Sweeney's boot and Edwards gets nailed with it for the pin. Real good stuff here though, in a match that's really a precursor to these teams' feud.

 

The DVD ends with Jerry Lynn cutting a short promo to "throw out there" the idea of a no time limit match with Tyler. Yes please.

 

There's a big chunk of midcard dross that's very skippable, but overall the opening match, Aries' stuff in match 2, Tyler and Lynn's blinder and the main event make Motor City Madness 2009 a thumbs up show from me. Thankfully, it's time for the PPV and the end (finally) of the Albright/Sweeney feud next.

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

Seven months into 2009, I finally finish 2008's shows....

 

Final Battle 2008

Edited July 26, 2009 by Dearly Devoted Dexter

[gadge]

A pretty fair review of the show there DDD. It was nice to see ROH ending the year resembling something good and hot and with a big crowd. The line about Cary saying "I like Jerry Lynn!" almost made me fall off my chair, so thanks for that

 

EDITED to add some news...

 

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING Returns To Monday Night!

 

"For years now in the United States, Monday night has been considered THE night for professional wrestling, and Ring of Honor is now poised to continue that tradition. Together, ROH and HDNet are very happy to announce that effective Monday, August 17th, the acclaimed

Edited July 27, 2009 by gadgetboy

[Dearly Devoted Dexter]

The line about Cary saying "I like Jerry Lynn!" almost made me fall off my chair, so thanks for that

 

As the rat said at the end of the first Turtles movie, "I cracked a funny!"

 

The move to Monday's isn't a bad idea - presumably they think they can bootstrap a few viewers from either side of Raw? Can't hurt to give it a shot.

 

While I'm making references to films, I saw a photo of Bret Hart on the main page - he looks like the evil painting in Ghostbusters 2!!!

 

Due to a brisk bout with insomnia, and having finally finished watching 2008's shows, here my top 20 matches of 2008. I stand by the order of the top 5, but arrange the rest to suit to taste....

 

1) Brian Danielson vs. Tyler Black

Edited July 29, 2009 by Dearly Devoted Dexter