This Saturday night, I will have the unique opportunity to leave my comfort zone and attend my first out-of-state wrestling show. While I am not a fan of the direction Ring of Honor has taken over this last year, I am intrigued by the concept of Survival of the Fittest. It is one of the most unique tournaments in professional wrestling, and this is probably my best (and possibly last) chance to see this tournament.

What I love most about what this tournament offers is the unpredictability. Ring of Honor takes 12 stars that are at various positions on the card and match them up against each other. Instead of going through various rounds, each of the six winners advance to the finals and the ending is a sometimes chaotic match with all kinds of upsets and different match-ups. In 2004, during the first ever Survival of the Fittest, Colt Cabana pinned then Ring of World champion Samoa Joe in what may still be the biggest upset in the history of the competition.

Speaking of the first ever Survival of the Fittest,  it came amidst the fallout of the Feinstein scandal and turned out to be the breakout performance of Austin Aries, a man who was only a couple months into his Ring of Honor career. Aries made it to the first finals, a trend he continued through the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Survival of the Fittest tournaments. Bryan Danielson is the man who would become the first winner after having an incredible ending sequence with Aries that would be the start of one of the finest rivalries in company history. Interesting to note that the 2009 version of this tournament comes the first week after the departure of Danielson.

Roderick Strong was a man who stepped up to the plate in the first half of 2005 by having great matches with Steve Corino, Samoa Joe, Alex Shelley, and CM Punk. Unfortunately, Strong wasn’t exactly picking up a lot of victories during this period.  That all changed in the 2005 version of Survival of the Fittest as Strong stepped up to the plate and beat Austin Aries, his partner in Generation Next at that time in another excellent final sequence. Strong was considered by many to be the MVP of 2005, and this was his first signature singles victory.

The next year exemplified just how unpredictable this tournament truly is. Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe would go to a 20 minute time limit draw. Davey Richards and Jimmy Rave, two man believed to be the favorites, lost in the first round. Two of the biggest singles stars in the company, Strong and Homcide, lost a tag team match to the Briscoes. At least Austin Aries got to continue his almost Susan Lucci like streak of making the finals but never winning. Delirious and Matt Sydal, two of Ring of Honor’s biggest underdogs, had a fantastic sequence to end the 2006 Survival of the Fittest. Sydal was primarily used in tag matches with his Generation Next teammates while Delirious was almost out of the company if not for a victory against Ricky Reyes over Wrestlemania weekend. In a year of unpredictability, it’s only Delirious came out of this tournament the winner.

In a sense, Ring of Honor took it’s biggest gamble by heading to the West Coast. Two nights before the chaos at the Cow Palace, Ring of Honor took Survival of the Fittest to Las Vegas. Chris Hero, a man who never seemed to be able to get any traction in the company, broke through in a big way by not only winning the whole thing but also eliminating the other five men. While there were no four star matches, I think 2007 is my favorite year because of how strong Hero was put over and the simple story the final told. To me, this entire tournament isn’t necessarily about having the best matches, but trying to actually put new guys over.

This leads into 2009. With new stars absolutely needed for Ring of Honor to continue its’ own survival, this might be the most important Survival of the Fittest ever. Perhaps this is a chance to elevate Kenny King or Kenny Omega over. These are two men that are highly regarded, but they haven’t won a lot of big time singles matches. Maybe Tyler Black can win this tournament and set up a world title match at Final Battle 2009, where he can once and for all take the championship he’s spent the last two years chasing. How about Claudio Castagnoli or Colt Cabana? Two guys who seem to have gone directionless the entire year. Maybe Chris Hero, Roderick Strong, or Delirious can win once again to give him something that no other Ring of Honor star can claim, being a two time winner of the biggest and most consistent tournament Ring of Honor has. Petey Williams and Rhett Titus might also win, but I’d prefer to not even think of that as a possibility.

What is needed almost as much as a winner is a clear direction, good matches, and clean finishes. No BS. Whomever is booked to win should do it in the cleanest way possible to establish that this is a wrestler who could possibly be the world champion. Even if King or Omega have to wait their turn, there needs to be the sense that these two are being elevated and might be the ones to win the belt in 2010. I guess you could say that while Survival of the Fittest might just be the name of the tournament, we’ll find out how fit to survive Ring of Honor really is.

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Jerome and Kevin discuss Ring of Honor. Yup, that sounds about right. 45 minutes summed up in three sentences.

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-So the big question is “What about Sunday?” Well, what about Sunday? For the last four months, this has been the event I’ve most looked forward to. Ring of Honor has fallen off a cliff and while going to AAW is a lot of fun, there’s nothing better then enjoying the best product possible. That’s pretty much how Dragon Gate USA has been promoted by Gabe Sapolsky. And when you buy 75 bucks for a front row ticket, that’s exactly what I expected.

-It began when the doors opened. What struck me immediately was the fact that there was a lobby. Having gone to ROH and AAW shows, you’re not really used to an enormous lobby area with all kinds of merchandise, the meet and greet, and special autograph session. In lieu of spending 40 dollars on autographs, I went to the “Highspots” table and grabbed some PWG DVDs that I’ve been meaning to grab.

-Around 4:30, FRAY began. I wish I could tell you that this match was ten different kinds of awesome but it really wasn’t. Arik Cannon got eliminated first and was treated like a jobber. Flip Kendrick started off hot, but when he started blowing spots left and right, the crowd lost interest. Hallowicked was the most popular and seemed to be working the hardest (He was the first one entered) so of course Johnny Gargano wins. Gargano didn’t show me a great deal. He reminds me of a combination Erick Stevens Rhino. I hope Gabe doesn’t desperately try and get this guy like he has Stevens and B.J. Whitmer.

Enough pre-show. Now we move to the reason you clicked on this link.

-Masato Yoshino vs. Dragon Kid- This felt a little better then the first match, but I’m sure part of that had to do with seeing them perform live. This was a great little opener, but I think these guys can still go just a bit farther. I also didn’t really understand the logic of having Kid win again since logic would dictate a third match to settle the score. ***1/2-***3/4

-Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw vs. Yamato and Gran Akuma- Considering three of these guys were the walking wounded, I can see why this match was something of a disappointment. This was not as good as the CHIKARA showcase, but it at least settled into a more traditional tag team match. Not a classic but pretty good under the circumstances. Akuma and Yamato also have to be two of the best heels going right now with their mannerisms and ability to get the crowd against them. Quack is also a good enough babyface with his facials that it makes up for Jigsaw’s inability to really do those types of things. Another odd ending as the babyfaces win. Yamato’s post-match attack seems to indicate he and Quack will settle the score at “Open the Freedom Gate.” **3/4-***

-Bryan Danielson vs. Naruki Doi- I know some people may not like what happened here, but I loved it. Kevin Harvey says this is a man who needs no introduction. Lights go out and Danielson just walks to the ring. This was fantastic and a very creative way of not having to play “The Final Countdown” and not have to play generic crap. The more time that goes by, the better this match becomes in my eyes. Because of Danielson, this was another match that didn’t have a breakbeck pace, but was more of a traditional wrestling match. I thoroughly enjoyed this since the crowd was way into it because of Danielson and Doi seems to get better every time I see him. I was surprised this wasn’t the main event, but considering what happened after the match, it does make sense. ****-****1/4

-Great promo by Bryan Danielson although I think certain people have gotten the message wrong. Bryan Danielson himself was not saying he was the best in the world. He was talking about how people have been chanting “Best in the World” and that they should continue supporting independent wrestling. He then brought up Davey Richards as a guy who fans could cheer for once Danielson leaves. “The Final Countdown” played for the last time… until September 19 for another leg on the farewell tour.

-During intermission, I got some autographs and we sat around. This intermission felt like forever.

-Brian Kendrick vs. CIMA- Not a bad match but not a great one. Kendrick is clearly trying to get his wind back, and I guess CIMA isn’t really the best singles wrestler these days. I would have liked to have seen a tag team match with these two because I believe it would have been better for everyone involved. I’m also a believer that the artist formerly known as Spanky’s legacy in Ring of Honor has become overblown. Not to say he’s a crappy worker, but there aren’t a lot of his matches that made me say “WOW!” ***-***1/4

-Shingo vs. Davey Richards- Oh my God. So many amazing aspects to this one. Shingo no longer having a mullet. The stiff shots. The chants. I know that I’ve said my match of the year is the Colony/F.I.S.T match from Anniversario Yang, but this could very easily take its’ place. This was just an incredible bout, almost a sequel to the KENTA vs. Davey Richards match from earlier this year. There were so many moments when I thought the match was over. I really need to see this on DVD before making this my match of the year, but it could very easily usurp Anniversario Yang. If you want a reason to order this Pay-Per-View, here it is. ****3/4-*****

-Davey calling out Bryan Danielson and turning heel on him? Awesome. Making his goal in DG USA clear by saying he wants the belt? Even better because it makes the title important and gives this organization a direction instead of just simply having great matches. While that’s a great goal to have, some angles are needed to keep people coming back.

-The Young Bucks vs. Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi- What’s up with the Bucks getting shafted back-to-back nights? After the classic match we just saw, I’m not sure about ending the show with a silly ref bump and mist. If they wanted the Bucks to win this match and maybe have Saito/Horguchi retain their titles this way in November, I wouldn’t be as offended since it’s unlikely to be the main event. The action was good while it lasted, but I still feel like I’ve seen so much better from these two. ***3/4-****

Overall, I had a great deal of fun with this show. I think this is an easy recommendation to check out on Pay-Per-View or DVD. I think the fact that there were a couple more angles featured on this show and two huge four star matches made this better show as far as flow. I’m not going to say this was a better show yet because of the unique nature I saw both shows in.

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Hello everyone, welcome to the first ever edition of “This Week In Wrestling”, I’m your host Zane Thornsberry (former writer of “In the Raw”). Now, before we get rolling, allow me to explain how this unique piece will work. Each week, a few of my fellow writers, and I will give our views on the past week of wrestling (from start of Monday Night Raw, to the following week’s start of Raw). From time to time, a special guest’ll join me. This week’s edition will cover the big happenings from the month of June in four major places (WWE, TNA, ROH, and Japan). Before we get started, I’d like to Congratulate UFC World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar on his dominating win last night over Frank Mir. Lesnar probed that he is indeed, the real deal.

WWE:

• CM Punk became a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Jeff Hardy moments after Hardy won a hard fought ladder match with Edge. I’m very happy about this, due to Punk being someone WWE can put up as a role model for the kids. Not only that, but Punk has proven that he can cut it at the top of the WWE. His ring work is sound, his mic skills are impressive, and he’s over. The even better part of all of this is the fact that WWE seems to be turning Punk heel after all this time.
• The Randy Orton and Triple H feud is STILL going. Yeah, that’s all I have to say at this point.
• Tommy Dreamer captured the ECW Championship. Something I was not happy about. Not only do I dislike Dreamer, but I’d also prefer the title to stay on someone who can do something with it rather than remind people of an Indy that burned out.
• Edge and Chris Jericho became the Unified Tag Team Champions. I’m a fan of this move, but wonder what they’re going to do now that Edge is sidelined for a lengthy period of time. It’d be a shame to pull the strap off of Jericho and do a tournament, and on the other side I cannot think of anyone right now who would be worthy of replacing Edge.

TNA:

• TNA held it’s annual “Slammiversary” event, which this year was held in my home state of Michigan at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The main event was a King of the Mountain match pitting TNA World Champion Mick Foley against Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe. Kurt Angle won what I was told was a good match when Samoa Joe handed him the belt completely destroying the past six months of Samoa Joe’s storyline. While the action in the ring was solid, the booking leading up to it was not. At one point Jarrett said he doesn’t want to win the belt, he just wants Foley to lose it so he no longer has control. The reason Foley had control, is because he’s the Majority Shareholder, not because he had the belt. If Jarrett was telling the truth in his promo, then why didn’t he HELP the other competitors to win? Throw in Samoa Joe aligning with Main Event Mafia after he’s been trying to destroy them for months, and you’ve got one of the most ridiculous angle’s this year.
• While “Slammiversary” is being called Pay-Per-View of the year by some, that’s not saying much. While the wrestling might have been sound, the angles surrounding it were piss poor.

ROH

· Ring of Honor crowned it’s very first two-time World Champion in the form of Austin Aries. While he was not my first choice to have such an honor, it’s such a relief to get the belt off of Jerry Lynn that I can deal with it. Aries in 2009 has been a breath of fresh air. While I can’t describe what it is he does, he sure as hell does it well.

· I had the pleasure of attending the June 26^th event in Detroit, Michigan and was very pleased with the way the show went. The six man mayhem with Rasche Brown VS Austin Aries VS Joey Ryan VS Delirious VS Petey Williams VS Sami Callihan was surprisingly good, and it made for some fun Aries/Ryan interactions. The tag team main event was “epic”. Roderick Strong and KENTA VS American Wolves completely tore the house down. From the second the Wolves were in the ring, the crowd was full of life and was in the hands of the four men in the ring. I cannot even begin to describe how good this match was, but all I have to say is seek it out when it’s on DVD. The main event cage match with Tyler Black VS Jimmy Jacobs seemed to suffer due to the crowd being so pumped from the previous matchup. Nonetheless, Jacobs and Black gave it there all in a really good cage match. Once Tyler had won the match, 30-40 men dressed in black with scarves covering their faces stormed the ringside area. As they put the boots to Black, Jacobs proclaimed, “…Age of the Fall has just begun!!!” and was carried out of the arena by the horde of masked men.

Japan

• On June 13, 2009 tragedy struck the world of Professional Wrestling. In a tag team bout, Japanese legend Mitsuharu Misawa took a belly to back suplex and was knocked unconscious. Once Misawa was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead. Misawa was a one of the few true legends in this sport, having the most 5 star matches out of any other wrestler, and even formed his own company (Pro Wrestling NOAH) after splitting from All Japan. Taking over Misawa’s spot as President of NOAH is Akira Taue, one of the “All Japan Famous Five”. Misawa’s death brings a huge void to the world of Pro Wrestling, and he will truly be missed.

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Can you believe it’s June already? The first half of the year has brought a lot of quality moments in professional wrestling… and a whole lot of bad. This week, we’ll take a look at some of the best in a wide variety of categories. So let’s go to it.

Tag Team of the (half) Year- The Young Bucks

I know how well the American Wolves have done in Ring of Honor, but for me the best tag team are The Young Bucks. They’ve held the tag team titles of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla the entire. They made their east coast debut in CHIKARA at King of Trios. Then they were announced for Dragon Gate USA. Ring of Honor didn’t want to be left out of the party so they decided to book Matt and Nick Jackson. They’ve been successful in three of their matches while apparently having a great match with Steenerico in their one loss. The Bucks have had great matches with Davey Richards/Roderick Strong and the Motor City Machine Guns in PWG. Considering where they were less than 18 months ago, the Young Bucks have done a phenomonal job rising in the world of professional wrestling.

Runner-ups: 2- The American Wolves…3- Kevin Steen and El Generico

You might notice there are no WWE tag teams. Sorry, but if WWE can’t be bothered to care, then I don’t care either.

Most Improved Wrestler of the (half) Year: The Young Bucks

Two awards announced and another one for The Young Bucks. Just over a year ago, these two were in opening matches and just another pair of Hardy knock-offs. Now? They’re one of the better tag teams in independent wrestling and Dragon Gate tours have just made them all the better. Matt and Nick Jackson might improve tenfold by next year as well if they begin making more consistent east coast appearances.

Runner-ups: 2- Dolph Ziggler… 3- The Osirian Portal

Comeback of the (half) Year- Rey Mysterio

I made mention of this on the podcast, but Mysterio has been awfully good this year. From the Elimination Chamber to his feud with Chris Jericho, he’s already had an incredible year. Considering how bad his injury situation has been the last few years, it’s incredible to see him come back and have the kind of 2009 he’s having. I fully admit to writing this guy off and saying he should retire. I’m happy to say I was wrong.

Runner-ups: 2- Gabe Sapolsky… 3- Christian

Gabe goes from being fired by ROH to helping run a company that’s got two of the more anticipated shows of the year. He’s also gotten the company a Pay-Per-View deal, a beautifully designed website, and deals with a variety of independent companies now. Christian was in the purgatory of TNA. Now he’s back in WWE.

Non-wrestling Personality of the (half) Year- Jim Ross

Ever since I’ve started watching Smackdown on a regular basis, I’ve found new respect for Jim Ross. He is a Hall-of-Famer already, but he’s done a great job putting over what’s actually the good show in WWE these days. Yes, he’s been moved to color commenator, but he’s had a number of strong performances. Not to mention, he’s found a way to make Todd Grisham a better announcer. Award clinched.

Runner-ups: 2- Matt Stryker… 3- Teddy Long

Company of the (half) Year- CHIKARA

CHIKARA has been phenomenal this year. Revelation X got the company off to a great start with two excellent main events. King of Trios is probably the best weekend of wrestling this year. Their anniversary weekend has kept the company rolling, and I’ll have more on one of the matches in just a little bit. They claim to be the most fan-friendly company in professional wrestling. This claim has been validated in 2009 so far.

Runner-Ups: 2- WWE Smackdown… 3- PWG

Smackdown might have been number if not for the general crappiness of the shows before the draft. Also, there was far too much interaction with RAW as well. PWG has put on four very good shows as well, making this the easiest category to choose the winners.

Wrestler of the (half) Year- Chris Jericho

At the end of 2007, Chris Jericho made a decision to come back to WWE. I looked at him and just asked why he would bother coming back. Up until around the spring of 2008, I kept asking myself this question. Then his feud with Shawn Michaels began, and I finally understood. Ever since the heel turn, Jericho has been the best performer in professional wrestling. Better than Bryan Danielson. Better than Austin Aries. Better than anyone else. If you don’t at least appreciate what this man is doing, you really aren’t a wrestling fan.

The fact that he’s been having an excellent matches is only part of the story. His promos are cold, calculating, and deliberate. He finds new ways to anger the fans through the trusty use of a thesaurus. Jericho is also able to circumvent much of the incompetence in the back and with the writers by helping to book his own angles.

Runner-ups: 2- Austin Aries… 3- Nigel McGuinness

Match of the (half) Year: F.I.S.T (Icarus and Chuck Taylor) vs. The Colony (Soldier Ant and Fire Ant)- Aniversario Yang

I know that these four individuals aren’t the best workers in the world. I understand that there are guys with way more experience, but these four individuals provided one of the most emotionally charged matches I’ve seen in quite some time. The story was so simple. F.I.S.T were the hated heels. The Colony were the plucky underdog babyfaces. To fully appreciate this match, I think you almost need to watch the last year or so of shows since this featured a slow burn and a number of matches.

The heat was turned up in February when F.I.S.T decided that they wanted to be one of the best trios in CHIKARA. In a qualifying match for King of Trios, the dastardly heels attacked the three ants during the entrance. In the end, Chuck Taylor also ended the career of Worker Ant by hitting his finisher, the Awful Waffle, on the floor.

After winning King of Trios, the feud was re-ignited at the April shows to the point where a mask vs. hair match was made to finally settle the score.

If you have not yet gotten a chance to see the match, I could not recommend the DVD more. Anthony Perillo reviewed the show and gave the match ****1/2. It’s hard to disagree, and I would consider giving it the full monty.

This has been the best of 2009. Next week, we’ll look at the worst of 2009. WWE RAW will be mentioned quite a bit.

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Hello all. As you can see, my name’s Matt Winton. And if you don’t feel like checking out the profile, I’m the resident PWG reviewer/columnist around here. However, I’m trying to help Cusson out, and taking the reigns of reviewing the ROH on HDNet shows. Some points of warning though:

1. I don’t have HDNet. The way I watch these shows are when they are posted on YouTube at this address: http://www.youtube.com/user/ROHBrazilThey are never posted until the Tuesday or Wednesday AFTER the show is aired, so these will pretty much be a week behind every time. And I don’t have Cable or DSL, so no, I can’t just torrent the shows sooner. So bare with me and try to have some patience.

2. Since I’m watching it on YouTube, my match times might be different from those in other reviews. I don’t have to watch commercials. I go from bell to bell in the time I’m provided on the video.

3. I have only read the reviews/reports of the prior 10 ROH TV shows. If I miss something on a current show that ties into a prior episode, forgive my lack of memory. I just won’t be able to remember the words as much as I (or any of you) would probably remember the visual memories from past shows.

4. I’m new to reviewing so it might take a while to find a groove for myself. Comments, ideas and opinions are absolutely recommended. What’s the point of doing this if I don’t tailor it to what the readers want?

That’s all. Onto the show!

Cool opening little montage, it’s just a little difficult to see some things. Prazak and Hodgewood start us off with a little hype for the Tag Team Title Tables Match with El Steenerico vs. The American Wolves.

Rhett Titus puts entirely too much grizzle into his voice, but hey, I’d rather have too much effort than too little. He says Strong has never broken a back like his. Yeah, that’s probably gonna change pretty soon.

Strong says Titus isn’t addicted to love, he’s addicted to punishment. He says he’ll teach Titus a new catchphrase: Only the Strong survive. I always wondered why he didn’t use that as a catchphrase all the time. It’s cheesy, but it works.

-Roderick Strong vs. Rhett Titus-

ONE STREAMER FOR STRONG! He must be proud. Lock up, Titus grabs a wrist lock. Cartwheel out by Strong, grabs a wrist lock of his own. Immediately transitions to a Headlock Takedown. Titus with a Head Scissors and he thrusts. Gross. Strong kips up and out, ends up hitting an Arm Drag on Rhett Titus. Titus tosses Strong out of the ring and look, there’s more thrusting. Too much, though, as Strong springboards himself into the ring with a Shoulder Block. Chop, Dropkick. Strong hits his first Back Breaker for a 2 count. Another chop by Strong. Tries to Irish Whip Titus but gets blocked, hits another chop. Tries again, but Titus raises a knee and whips Strong into the corner. Strong goes for his Enziguri but Titus ducks it, throws his legs into the ropes, and hits an X-Factor. That was pretty damn nifty, to be honest. Strong gets mounted with some punches. They exchange punches and chops, which Titus gets the best of. Body Slam and Titus drops a knee for a 2 count again.

Strong cuts him off with a Jawbreaker and a forearm, but gets pulled by the tights headfirst into the middle turnbuckle. Rhettski hits a Stinger Splash, sans WHOO, and then a high knee. Small rest spot that Strong fights out of with a chop and stumbles to the corner. Titus charges but gets a back kick, followed up quickly by a Turn-Around Springboard Crossbody by Roderick Strong for a 2 count. Titus takes back over and cuts Strong off with Swinging Neckbreaker. Takes too much time again and misses a charge. Strong fires off two Clotheslines in the corner, and hits a Back Body Drop. Strong hits some more chops but is cut off by an eye rake by Titus. Strong reverses an Irish Whip and hits the Urinage Backbreaker. Gutbuster reversed into an O’Connor Roll for 2. Titus hits a Modified Rocker Dropper. ENZIGURI IN THE CORNER BY STRONG! Gutbuster! CHARGING KICK! Oh, you better believe that’s 3 at 6:54. **1/4 It wasn’t always the best of matches, as Titus’ offense is slow and plodding, but that’s meant to highlight Strong’s more explosive offense, so it’s forgivable and pretty appropriate. And Prazak totally snubbing Hodgewood’s “YOU’RE a nagi” joke was pretty great, too.

-More hype for the Tag Title match tonight, as well as World Title hype for next week’s show with Jerry Lynn vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries. It’s odd how they have the moving visuals, but really, only Aries moves. The rest just stand and pose for the duration. Lynn’s non-moving reminds me of Strong’s moving photo on PWG’s 2006 Battle of Los Angeles.-

Aries gets a little video vignette to hype himself up. He’s a great heel, but his grossness is hard to get over at times. Maybe it’s because I hate a man with a mustache. Almost as much as I hate a woman with a mustache. That’s probably it.

-Non Title Match: Sara Del Ray vs. MsChif vs. Daizee Haze (c) w/ Jimmy Jacobs-

Oh hell, a women’s match. I’m not misogynistic or anything so extravagant, it’s just difficult for me to get into a women’s match. I love the fire and effort but none of these women interest me. I’ve heard, though, that Sara Del Ray can bench press 200 lbs. with her vagina. So who am I to judge?

MsChif screams at Del Ray and makes me laugh. Apparently it’s only funny to me though, as Del Ray kicks MsChif in the chest and tosses Haze to the outside. 200 lbs. folks. Think about it. MsChif takes Del Ray off guard with a Drop Toe Hold and Standing Moonsault to the back. Octopus Stretch by MsChif, which Haze breakers up with a Dropkick. That was actually pretty sweet, flowing right into a Crucifix cover for 2. Haze hits a Modified X-Factor out of the corner. And Del Ray grabs her by the throat, slams her down onto MsChif. And… doesn’t even bother to break up the count. That was awkward. Haze kicks Del Ray to the outside and goes up top… Springboard Cross Body to the outside onto Del Ray. Sort’ve. I mean, it hit her shins or so. MsChif with the MIST and tosses Haze back in, Desecrator, it’s ove at 2:39. 1/2* The spots were nice, but it’s impossible to get connected to the wrestlers with such little time. People complain about that with WWE and TNA matches, myself included, it’s only fair to make the same criticism of an ROH match like that.

MsChif gets a post-match pro-… nope, Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs says the Age of the Fall is about accomplishments, not goals. It’s women’s goals to win the SHIMMER Title. It’s MsChif’s accomplishment. He says he wants to go after the Harlot named Daizee Haze. MsChif screams, leaving me wishing I hadn’t listened to this on headphones. Damnit.

Even more hype for the Tag Title Match this week and World Title Match next week. Tyler Black this time.

There’s no W in H-O-R-R-O-R? Shit. Callahan has a plan that involves a gravy train and biscuits for wheels. Yikes. Going by promos alone, I wish I could give Callahan more of a chance to win. I mean, he can SPELL!

-Erick Stevens vs. Sami Callahan-

Elevators and two story gravy trains, Hodgewood? Really? Callahan grabs a Headlock but Stevens pushes him off, drops him with a Shoulder Tackle when he comes back off the ropes. I love that Callahan is pumped to get the match ready, as opposed to being afraid of Stevens. He’s gonna lose, that’s a given, but he’s not afraid that’s for sure. Hiptoss by Stevens. Body Slam and Elbow Drop by Stevens. CHOP! Hammer to the back of Stevens but it’s basically no-sold. Callahan tries to avoid, brings Stevens’ head into the middle turnbuckle. Eye rake, Snapmare…. lick? Well, whatever it was, Stevens most certainly did not like it and grabs him by the throat. Callahan gets out, Stevens goes for a German Suplex but that ain’t happenin’. Goes for an O’Connor Roll, but Callahan holds onto the ropes and Stevens rolls backwards and onto his knees. CHARGING CLOTHESLINE TO STEVENS! 2 count. I’ve always liked that Clothesline variation. Koji Clutch by Sami Callahan! Stevens gets the ropes to break it. Charges Stevens in the corner with a forearm and backrolls out but Stevens charges and DRIVES Callahan into the opposite corner. CHOO-CHOO Clothesline! Callahan stumbles out and takes a stiff Lariat. Great sell by Callahan. Dr. Bomb by Stevens! 1-2-3! Over at 2:50. 3/4* This would’ve been a fine squash, except Callahan got an even amount of offense in. Stevens is just bigger and stronger. The outcome was never in doubt, and these two never did anything to make you think otherwise. So why not just make it a total squash to put Stevens over? They’re not doing anything with Callahan. Whatever.

Next week: Special interview with Ric Flair.

We get into a history and backstory for El Steenerico vs. The American Wolves. Wolves put Generico through a table with a Doomsday Ace Crusher, while Steen put Shane Hagadorn through a table with a Powerbomb. Advantage: American Wolves.

-ROH World Tag Team Title TABLES ARE LEGAL Match: El Steenerico (c) vs. The American Wolves-

If you think you’re getting real Play By Play on this match, you’re crazy. I’ll do as much as I can. The Wolves attack Steenerico before they even get an introduction. Awesome split screen as they follow both Generico vs. Edwards and Steen vs. Richards. It’s hard to follow, but I like the option of getting to choose what I watch, as opposed to just whoever they feel like putting on video at the moment. Steen and Generico start teaming up on Richards as the crowd chants “We want tables!” Steen hits TWO Flipping Leg Drops to the back of Richards’ head. Intensity! Edwards tries to save, but just ends up getting worked over by Steen and Generico, himself. Two Sentons to Edwards by Steen, followed by the BACKPACK Senton+ Generico! Love that. Steen brings out the first table. Generico throws Richards head first into it. Then throws Edwards head first into the table as well! Prazak is so mean to Hodgewood. I can only imagine their pre-show talks.

Prazak: So, since I’m a heel, it’d be good for me to just rip you down and talk trash to you anytime you open your mouth. Or I’ll just completely ignore you. Either way.

Hodgewood: Oh! We’re starting now?

Steen sets a table up in the corner, and almost whips Edwards through it. Edwards slides to a halt, though and charges at Generico only to take a nice Exploder Suplex into the opposite corner Turnbuckles. Richards surprises Generico, though, bringing him to the outside and tossing him into the guard rail. Steen goes for a Powerbomb through the table! NO! Richards slips out and dropkicks Steen’s bad knee. Generico back in, Brainbuster! NO! Richards slips out of that, too. Generico hits the ropes, but Edwards is back in and he pushes Generico up… HUGE kick to the chest by Richards! GERMAN SUPLEX/SUPERKICK COMBO SENDS GENERICHO THRO-… against…. THE TABLE! Yeesh, that must not’ve felt good. SHINBREAKER TO STEEN THROUGH THE TABLE! Freaking beautiful. Crowd chants “You still suck!” and “Mr. Wrestling!” Steen is trying to fight back but his knee is screwed right now. Richards goes for the Figure Four, well, no, that’s not true. He just wanted the crowd to think he was going for it. OK. Another table in the ring, and again it’s set up in the corner. Steen fights back in the corner, through out elbows to knock Edwards and Richards back, and there’s Generico! He climbs the turnbuckles and comes off with a Crossbody to both men! He’s fired up!

Edwards charges but gets DRILLED with a Michinoku Driver. That always looks so brutal from that set up. Tornado DDT to Richards! FLIP DIVE TO EDWARDS OUTSIDE! THUD! Ow, Edwards totally didn’t catch him. WOW! Richards charges and gets tossed up and turned around into a STRONG Powerbomb through a table. That looked really slick. Steen and Generico go up top… STEEN-TON! SPLASH! ONE! TWO! THR- NO! Edwards with the save! Steen is still really hurting with his knee. Steen brings out yet another table, and sets it up on the outside. Another table stacked on top of the first. Oh boy. Edwards tries to slide back into the ring to get away. That’s a first. OH! Just a really subtle sick kick by Generico. Powerbomb off the apron by Steen! NO! Richards Dropkicks Steen’s knee! NAILS Generico with a kick! Richards charges in twice with a forearm to Steen in the corner! Combination Forearm/Enziguri in the corner! Edwards slides a table into the ring. SHOOTING STAR PRESS BY DAVEY RICHARDS! MISSED! Edwards sets yet another table up on the outside. GENERICO DIVES BETWEEN THE BOTTOM AND MIDDLE TURNBUCKLES ON THE OUTSIDE ONTO EDWARDS! TORNADO DDT! I actually got to see that move live the first time Generico ever busted it out, I do believe. PWG’s Hollywood Globetrotters in March 2006. It’s still just as jaw dropping as it was then. The momentum of the match just got 180′ed. Generico sets Edwards up on the single table outside. CANNONBALL by Steen to Richards inside the ring! SPLASH THROUGH THE TABLE TO EDWARDS! The crowd is, shall we say, jacked. Steen has Richards in the Sharpshooter in the ring! Hell. There’s Hagadorn. Package Piledriver to him! Richards is firing himself up… BUT GETS NAILED WITH A SUPERKICK BY KEVIN STEEN! Steen sets him up on a table in the ring. Oh dear God please hit this Moonsault. NO! DAVEY PUSHES HIM OFF THE TOP ROPE THROUGH THE STACKED TABLES ON THE OUTSIDE! Steen is dead! GENERICO IN WITH A YAKUZA KICK ON RICHARDS! He’s setting him up for a Brainbuster through the table now! Doh, low blow by Edwards dashes those dreams. Edwards has him up… DOOMSDAY ACE CRUSHER THROUGH THE TABLE!  ONE! TWO! THREE! It’s over at 15: 19. New World Tag Team Champions! Hodgewood: “Well, that has to be a disappointment to the former Champions.” No shit? **** Great match. All the table spots were built up to, and the only two that were close together were the Steen through stacked tables, and the Doomsday Ace Crusher, which was the finish and thusly totally acceptable. I had a blast watching this, and it really put the Wolves over as there was a low blow, so there was cheating, but they still absolutely won convincingly and they were the better team that night, no doubt about it.

The show ends with a final hype for the 4-Way ROH World Title Match next week. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Final Analysis:The first half of the show was serviceable with a good opener in Strong vs. Titus, but the 3-way women’s match and Stevens vs. Callahan weren’t too hot. I liked the vignettes with Aries and Black, and they hyped the hell out of the next show, so that added to the show. I don’t say it’s really important, though, as it only serves to get the people hyped for the Main Event… who were already going to watch the show anyways. It adds to the show, but not necessarily the product, if that makes sense. Then we hit the Tables Are Legal match for the ROH Tag Team Titles and it closed the show out in style big time. Big TV Moment, as well, with the first title change to be seen on TV. Overall, I liked this show and had a fun time watching it.

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