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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09/07/09 ROH on HDNet

Welcome back readers. We are starting out with an exciting match as we have the duo of Rhett Titus and Kenny King against the returning heroes of ROH, The Briscoe Bros. A great tag team outing as for the first time we see the Briscoes as a team on HDNet, but it’s the youngin’s that are showing their mettle. Diverting attention of both brothers, making sure that their opponent is in their corner, and even then securing their dominance by practically cutting off Mark from Jay for most of the match. I’ll paraphrase D’Lo Brown from the BTR radio show this week in that the true measure of a wrestler is not about when he enters the ring and runs roughshad over his opponent, but it’s when the wrestler can make his opponent look like he’s beating him when under “normal” circumstances it wouldn’t be so. The Briscoes have always been able to do that for other tag teams. All the way to the finish the team of Titus and King looked like they were always within a hairs chance of winning, but with the Doomsday Device, the brothers secure another victory.

American Wolves come out and run down the Briscoes Bros. from the entrance way. But just to show how great the tag division is, Steenerico comes out and practically throws the American Wolves in the ring. After a short beat down, a surreal moment occurs when the team of Steenerico faces off against The Briscoe Bros. with each team holding one tag team belt as the American Wolves yell from the ringside. A great feud just waiting to happen between those three teams.

Nigel interview segment as he’s asked about Lynn and Black. Such a great promo man is Nigel and I do hope that the scripted promos in the fed don’t leech any of his charisma away. Damn I miss the spiked hairdo. The lasting moments after Durden stated that Nigel never gives a clear answer was gold, akin to The Rock staring down Coachman.

Eddie Kingston is out and ready for some action. Hero’s music blasts in darkness but of course who comes out to disappoint is the one and only Shane Hagadorn. Sal Rinauro is beckoned out by Hagadorn and once he backs into Kingston, he kneels down to pray. One spinning backfist later and the match is over as quick as it began. Furthering the fans want to see Hero versus Kingston. They have been building this since July and really this may be stretching it a tad thin as these squash matches are beginning to become redudant.

Another squash match as Nigel McGuinness takes on Aaron Scott. Nothing against Scott, but to make your in ring debut against a former great ROH champion is surely a daunting task. “Kill The Jobber” chants sound off at the beginning of this match and that is pretty much what Nigel starts doing from the get go. A great showing of what Nigel can do and obviously supposed to be a warm up, a warm up that may not get to second gear as most of the internet community knows that Nigel, alongside Bryan Danielson, is going to the WWE in principle. But that doesn’t mean he can’t give us an entertaining match up against Aaron Scott and he does just that with a great showing of his catch and submission style. Aaron gets a few moments of offense as he gets a reversal on the former champ but Nigel quickly returns to the dominant position. Glimers of hope for the young Aaron Scott but it would be Nigel who gets the win with a… DDT? Seemed to be a botched spot as Nigel was clearly going for the Jawbreaker Lariat but Scott dropped his head to “avoid” it but at the same time it did get across that Nigel can finish off an opponent with any weapon from his arsenal so perhaps the point did get across.

Great video package shown for the main event of the night of Jerry Lynn going up against the upstart Tyler Black who seemingly is the choosen one to reign as next ROH world champion. We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but I have predicted before that before or even perhaps at Final Battle 2009, we’d see Black finally reach that brass ring and win the big one. As I am going to the Sept. 19th ROH show in Chicago, I can’t wait to see Danielson and Black hook it up one last time for the forseeable future. The match begins, and as so many others that these two men have had, technical savvy is the starting point.

Obviously the point to get across is that Tyler has matured in the ring and can get those elusive wins in the singles department. From a TV timeline, they are pushing that the win over Nigel is the first step, but that he has a ways to go to become a contender. I seem to remember a certain PPV match where he took then champion Nigel to the limit and really showed his potential in that match. At this stage though, the television crowd is just learning what Tyler Black bas shown fans over the last two years on DVD and on PPV. I would also like to point out that I feel the reason that some are down on Jerry Lynn is because we have seen the greatness that is Lynn and perhaps are a tad jaded and some feel that there is nothing new Jerry can show them. I’m not sold on that yet as I feel perhaps a heel Jerry Lynn could reinvigorate his character in ROH.

Great back and forth action as Jerry Lynn shows speed of men half his age mixed with respectable holds and counter holds by both competitors. You can almost feel the mood in the building change as both men really are beginning to pick it up a notch. Silently and almost as if to surprise the men in the ring,Nigel has come to ringside to not only join the spectators, but to issue out some opinions. The reasons are his alone, but it is clear that he means to make sure both men know what he’s thinking. The crowd seems to notice but at the same time can’t tear their eyes from the action in the ring. Each resounding two count earns more and more cheers from the crowd for either competitor, but it would see that while neither man wants to give up, they both don’t have much left in the tank. Turnbuckle bomb and right into the super kick but soon we see a glimor of Nigel’s plan as he puts Lynns foot on the rope for the count break. Even the kids in the front row seem to be pleading with Black to not take his eyes off of Lynn, but it could be too soon too late as Lynn gets a small package and the win. Great match to end the night and it would seem that Black and Nigel are going to have at least one face off before the ROH legend goes to the WWE. Thanks for reading folks.

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Jerome Cusson and Kevin Ford get right into some WWE discussion before talking a ton of Ring of Honor news and notes.  They talk about the possible futures of Larry Sweeney and Brian Kendrick. A fun show so please download and give it a listen.

Also, please consider sending us feedback at our new e-mail address: prowrestlingponderings@gmail.com

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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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Kevin and Jerome are back for more shenanigans. This week, Qumar Zaman joins them to discuss his thoughts about the Chicago show from Saturday. The WWE’s formerly secret Pay-Per View also discussed, and we also end things on a bit of a down note. But there’s still more than enough to enjoy. Click on and listen.

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As many of you who listen to the podcast know, I’ve become fairly frustrated with the direction of Ring of Honor. I did feel that their final Pay-Per-View deserved some sort of coverage since most of them have been of excellent quality. And really, the trailer showcasing the highlights of the main event are what convinced me that this show was worth watching. So all that being said, let’s get to the show.

Taped from Houston, Texas

Hosted by Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak (Nigel McGuinness pops in for the first two matches)

Colt Cabana vs. Ace Steel

Analysis: For those who don’t read my Smackdown recaps, I don’t do play-by-play or star ratings. I was shocked by the amount of time this match got relative to what everything else was getting. The match contained a long stall session and some alleged comedy which I did not laugh at. I did not like this match for a lot of reasons. This isn’t a great way to open the Pay-Per-View. I’d have rather seen this cut and maybe seen some sort of Cabana promo. Colt wins eventually by submission after the Billy Goat’s curse.

Time/Winner: 9:27/Cabana

Jimmy Jacobs cuts a rather uninspired promo about his upcoming match with Necro Butcher. Amazing to think two years ago, he cut two of the greatest promos back-to-back during Wrestlemania weekend. So sad.

Kevin Steen & El Generico & Jay Briscoe & Magno vs. Chris Hero & Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards & Incognito

Analysis: Incognito and Magno are two wrestlers from the AAA wrestling promotion. I have no earthly idea what they were doing in the match since their ring time was minimal. The action itself wasn’t inherently bad, but too short to tell a good story. You’ve got eight guys, and there wasn’t enough time to get everyone proper time. They showed a video package of The American Wolves/Steeneric, but it was barely addressed. For some reason, there was even a ref bump. LAME. Eventually Briscoe sets Edwards up for a Jay Driller and Magno plays Mark for the Super Jay Driller and victory for the babyfaces. That ending made the least possible sense. Instead of a good old-fashioned heel beatdown to further any issues, we get a quick cut-a-way. A theme of the night that led to battle fatigue by the end of the night.

Time/Winner: No time due to the bell ringing and my starting the stopwatch earlier due to a brawl/Steen & Generico & Briscoe & Magno

Jimmy Jacobs vs Necro Butcher (Fight Without Honor)

Analysis: Considering the heat between these two guys, this should have been one of the main events. If you look at the history of Fights Without Honor, they’re all either at or near the main event. I literally almost forgot about this match about the end. This was a slow, plodding brawl that went into the crowd. Unprotected chairshots were also featured and I wondered if anyone would ever learn. I did the teasing of the table spot where Jacobs eventually tossed Necro onto the non-table side. Both guys gigged (in the third match????) The ending was Necro using the Tiger Bomb on a pile of chairs for the victory. Okay brawl but these two are capable of so much more. They really needed more time and a better angle surrounding it.

Time/Winner: 14:39/Necro Butcher

Bryan Danielson cuts a promo in front of a window. Now I only took two years of television production, but even I could tell you that shooting someone with windows in the back during daylight is a dumb idea. This makes ROH look so bush league, and this is the low point for the night.

Video package showcasing the rivalry between Claudio Castagnoli and Brent Albright. This of course leads to…

Brent Albright vs. Castagnoli vs. Blue Demon Jr.

Analysis: Yeah, adding NWA champion (Hmmm… and which ROH booker is closely associated with the NWA?) Blue Demon Jr. makes sense. He doesn’t add anything of consequence to a feud that’s basically pretty lame to start with. For some inexplicable reason, tags are now necessary in three way matches. Huh? Did we take a time machine back to Starrcade ’95? Least WCW could use the excuse that these types of matches were pretty rare. This is inexcusable. Despite the fact that we have a feud here, it only goes about five minutes. Much of the match is also between Claudio and Demon. Scratch what I said earlier. This was the lowlight of the show for sure. We even get some interference from Nigel McGuinness, since he was laying at ringside after being attacked by Claudio while cutting a promo.

Time/Winner: 5:45/Brent Albright

You might notice that this review has something of a breakneck pace. This is to convey just how freaking chaotic the show was. I was almost begging for a commercial break of some sort to get a breather. This show was like a bad whiplash.

Jerry Lynn cuts roughly the same uninspired mediocre promo he’s cut for the last 15 years. Yes, we know you’ll work hard. We know you deserve the world title. Now how about sounding more inspired or showing just a twinge of emotion.

Strong vs. Alex Koslov (International Challenge)

Analysis: After crossing the desert of crap that was the show so far, this was like a big pond of water. Sadly, it was still too short, but the action was excellent. Roderick is an awesome babyface and Koslov is a great heel. That was basically this match in a nutshell. Fairly simple concepts that had been blown pretty badly up to this point. Nice finishing sequence as Roderick hits a yakuza kick. Then he applies the stronghold leading to the tap-out win. Alex Koslov is world’s better than Vladimir. Only real complaint was Dave Prazak and Lenny Leonard talking about CMLL and AAA. Stick to ROH guys. I assure you a good portion of the audience could give two craps what faction Koslov is in AAA, even if he’s associated with former No Remorse Corps. member Rocky Romero.

Time/Winner: 7:40/Roderick Strong

Jerry Lynn vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Erick Stevens vs. D-Lo Brown (ROH World Championship)

Analysis: What a throwaway. Here you’ve got the ROH world title being defended. Plus, it’s Jerry Lynn’s first title defense. I think this should be a huge deal, but instead it’s four corner survival. Also, despite the fact that D-Lo is a much better babyface, he gets to play heel. There wasn’t anything all that bad, but Lynn winning a nine minute match isn’t a good way for his title reign to begin. Not a whole lot of organization as it became a clusterfrick early and pretty much remained that way for the duration

Time/Winner: 8:42/Jerry Lynn

Tyler Black cuts a promo that was slightly better than the one from last week’s videowire. Seriously, this is the one guy in the company who needs someone to help with promos. Isn’t that the booker’s job? That’s one of Pearce’s greatest strengths as a performer. Shouldn’t there be some improvement in the promo department? I sure as heck ain’t seen it.

KENTA & Tyler Black vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Austin Aries

Analysis: I know some people have given this four stars, but I just don’t see it. Believe me. This was easily the best match on the show, but I can’t give it anything higher than about three-and-a-half stars. Austin Aries has turned into one of the best characters in the company, but his act didn’t really make sense in the context of what this match should have been. Nakajima and KENTA had some really awesome sequences throughout this match. I especially liked the kickfest that took place at the beginning. Nakajima and Aries didn’t even make sense as partners since Aries wrestled as a heel while Nakajima wrestled… like a guy who likes to kick. Last five minutes of this match need to be seen to be believed with all the wacky moves they did. Finish is Black hitting God’s Last Gift on Aries for the victory. Not a whole lot of story in this match either but I enjoyed a great deal for the most part.

Time/Winner: 22:14/Tyler Black & KENTA

Final Thoughts: I was hoping ROH would take this last opportunity on Pay-Per-View to go out with a bang. Instead, I believe they went out with a bust. Not only was this the weakest of the Pay-Per-Views but the breakneck pace made me completely disinterested in the second hour. I did enjoy the main event for the most part, but I don’t think this is worth 15 bucks.

The sad part is what I’ve seen from ROH recently has impressed me. Their two most recent television main events are probably the best you could possibly get from free television, and KENTA/Nigel is one of the best matches in 2009. The live reports have been encouraging and attendance still appears to be good for the most part. I think ROH is starting to stabilize, but they need to step back and get away from Pay-Per-View right now. It’s obviously not a great source of revenue and because of the lag, storylines might be wrapped up by the time the Pay-Per-View airs. Hopefully, ROH comes back to Pay-Per-View in 2010 with a game plan… and maybe a live presentation?

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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.

Black says this match is made for him, as he’s quick, agile and unpredictable. He’s younger. I love the fact that he’s a face, but he points out a very real advantage that he has in being younger, less injury addled, etc. He really puts over how much he wants to win the World Title, and how big it would be for her career.

Embassy promo. Nana pimps Bison Smith and Jimmy Rave while Ernie Osiris just looks like he’s picking meal worms out of his beard. I would be too. Jesus that thing is out of control. Nana also brings in his associate, Claudio Castagnoli who speaks some European. Not only is he “Very European” by The Embassy is “Very International”. Nana speaks in… Ghanish? I think they should have Osiris taking a bath in a lake like the homeless guy in Happy Gilmore. Just a thought.

A BLACK KID AND A MEXICAN KID! Well… that was random.

According to Erick Stevens, his express just keeps on rollin’. Mr. Sami Callahan is on the tracks. CHOO CHOO! Or something.

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.

Right now: Nigel McGuinness. His rehab is no one’s business but his own. He doesn’t want anyone to know when he’ll be back. He wants to surprise everyone. Says everyone in the 4-way Title Match next week is a great competitor. Does he like the way Bryan Danielson “goes to the beach, digs up harmless animals, takes them home and kills them? No.” That was awesome. The rest is building the competitors up while still being a heel. It’s good heel work by Nigel.

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, ok, and what’s that again? A… gimmick? Right?

Prazak: Yeah… gimmick… shut up Hog.

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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