ROH Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2- Chicago Ridge, IL 4/24/10

1. "Skullkrusher" Rasche Brown vs. Sami Callihan
**
I havent seen much of Sami Callihan before and I must say I think he's got real potential. What he does here isnt flashy but in terms of what the match was focused on he certainly showed some intelligence with his offense. Naturally we should all live in fear of the Skullkrusher and if you need to know why I suggest you take a good hard look at Callihans chest mid way through this fine opener.

As were on the topic of Brown, I'd like to voice my opinion on the lack of real genuine monsters in ROH. With Brown gone it would be nice to see ROH bring in somebody like a Brent Albright who if booked in the right way could be an absolute beast (im no Albright fan by the way, I'm using him as an example of sombody with decent size for the role).

2. The Dark City Fight Club vs. The Bravado Brothers
**1/4
It's hard to talk about this match and keep it spoiler free. All I can say is I love the pounce and I think that The Bravados could be a great little face team if they get the opportunity. The finish was suprising to me and it's certainly something I hope to see again. The DCFC do good looking power moves but I find them bland when put against the top teams like the Briscoes.

3. Non Title: ROH World TV Champion Eddie Edwards vs. The Metal Master
***
Nice match that showcases a little of what both can do. Edwards is good and Metal Master holds his own but at times both seem a little off. That doesnt affect the match though as these guys worked hard.

4. The House of Truth vs. Erick Stevens & Shawn Daivari
*1/2
At this point I almost loathe seeing anything involving the Embassy. They have become a total joke and I for one always feel like skipping their matches on DVD releases. The team on Stevens & Daivari are what you expect from two guys thrown together. HOT are ok but for me are missing that special something. The match is watchable but basic andt he finish is crappy. Possible WMOTYC

5. Pick 6 Series: (4) Davey Richards vs. (1) Roderick Strong
****1/4
As strange as this is we go from possible worst match of the year to possible midcard match of the year. This had a main event feel and both Richards and Strong went out there beat the hell out of each other full tilt, no stopping, ro rests, just balls to the wall action. People will debate the finish but in my opinion that's irrelevant because of how hard these guys worked. Honestly this match is just rediculous and you NEED to see it.

6. Petey Williams vs. Rhett Titus
**3/4
A decent mid card match that to me shows how far Rhett Titus has come on in recent times. Williams seems to be working in a class lower to that of the night before when he faced Chris Hero but that's not to say he's calling it in. The action is fine but nothing spectacular.

7. Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Austin Aries and Kenny King.
***3/4
Pretty good tag team affair here. What's great about watching this is how much of a good team Aries & King are. The Briscoes are awesome as per usual and this match had some good dynamics as going into this Aries,King & Titus were having issues.


8. ROH World Title Match: Tyler Black vs. Chris Hero
****
Truly a very good world title match that's shows that Black is worthy of the strap he carries. Whilst both mens styles are very different they mesh very well here. Hero's elbows seem to knock Black out nearly everytime which is just awesome as Hero is literally more like a boxer these days but he does have a trick or two up his sleeve (no pun intended) in this match. Well worth a watch if your tempted.

9. Come-As-You-Are Street Fight: Kevin Steen & Steve Corino vs. Colt Cabana & El Generico
****
What an absolutly sick brawl this was. Everything and the kitchen sink in what is one of ROH's better brawls in its history. Some of the things they did in this match were different and inventive. The finish is just one of the sickest things you'll see in wrestling.

So 3 matches **** or over plus 2 at *** or over. That's pretty good going and ROH continues its roll over very good - great shows. Im giving this one a slightly lower rating than Pick Your Poison just because several of the matches in hindsight are completly forgettable and that hurts the overall card. What is good is the shows pacing and I didnt find myself losing interest.
7.5/10