Wednesday, 6 July 2011
ROH Final Battle 2010- New York, NY 12/18/10
1. The All Night Express vs. Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole
***3/4
When it comes to opening matches in 2010 this has to be pretty damn high on the list of the best! They cram a fuck load of action into the 10 or so minutes they have. Cole & O'Reilly shine real big in this one with King & Titus being more than complimentary at putting them over. The spike DDT on the ring apron to Kenny King by Kyle O'Reilly is one of the sickest apron bumps I think I've ever seen and both teams show us incredible double team combos. The pickier amongst us would probably complain about the lack of a clear cut legal man and too many guys being in the ring at the same time but honestly, if you weren't completely carried away by the action then matches like this in general are probably not for you.
2. TJ Perkins vs. Colt Cabana
***
Whilst very technically sound and no doubt a fine exhibition of both mans skill this match just didn't get enough time to really get things going. It finally starts to get hot and then bang! Its over! Still for the 10 or so minutes they had they sure as hell made the best of it with hold for hold exchanges that at times were crisp and masterful. With an extra 5 minutes this could have REALLY gone somewhere great.
3. Amazing Kong and Daizee Haze vs. Sara Del Rey and Serena Deeb
***
Credit where credit is due - this was a good match. I'm not really into womens wrestling but they put on a pretty decent match built around the hot tag to Kong. All of them were on their game in this one and there several good false finishes. The crowd was once again hot and into this one.
4. Eddie Edwards vs. Sonjay Dutt
***1/2
As I said in my review of Tag Title Classic II (the show the night before Final Battle 2010) I mentioned how fresh and motivated Sonjay Dutt appeared and in this match he gives us another good performance. Eddie Edwards however is on a serious roll and I mean career high kind of stuff here. The NY crowd pops HUGE for him and he gets the biggest response of anybody or anything from the show so far. As for the match itself, well it was packed with good back and forth action and I have to say I was glued to it throughout. The length was about right for its place on the card and I for one would like to see a rematch with some more time in the future.
A promo video for Haas & Benjamin airs which includes a short interview conducted by Jim Cornette in which Wrestlings Greatest Tag Team announce that they will call ROH home in 2011. This was the usual slick production job by HD NET.
5. Christopher Daniels vs. Homicide
***
Mike Bennett is out with Brutal Bob to observe this one. This will be the second IPPV in a row that Chris Daniels has had the dubious honour of being involved in a "disappointing" match that "didn't meet expectations" (remember his match against an unmotivated Austin Aries from Glory By Honor IX?). Those phrases are in quotes because of course opinions are subjective and therefore for what some find disappointing other may love or may just think is ok. The latter is pretty much what I think of Homicides ROH run at this point. He's still getting over an injury but is quite clearly working to the best of physical limitations out there. It's Daniels though that makes the match more than just average as he continues his incredible run of quality matches in ROH. The action in this one is at a bit of a slower pace which seemed to lose the crowd after the initial buzz from the entrances. The finish I thought was a bit out of nowhere but I guess it suits who went over.
Post match Bennett grabs the TV title and tells Daniels "that was a real impressive win bud". What a nob...
6. The Kings of Wrestling and Shane Hagadorn vs. Jay, Mark, and Mike "Papa" Briscoe
***1/2
I remember watching this live and going in with the presumption that Papa Briscoe would only be a bit player and that it would be a small bit at that. For some reason the NY crowd boo the Briscoes, maybe it's because Papa Briscoe has no record of 5 star classics in his back catalogue or maybe it's because they're expecting a lame and gimmicky match. And then 5 minutes into the match Papa Briscoe hits Claudio with a hurricarana to a massive pop and big "holy shit!" which seems to change the fans opinions (at least vocally anyway). They build well to Papa Briscoe getting his hands on Shane Hagadorn for the hot tag in a very old school way and being as 2/3rds of the participants in this match are The Briscoes & The Kings of Wrestling of course it still a good match. I loved the fact that, because he's a redneck, Papa Briscoe uses the stunner. Fun match and nowhere near as gimmicky as one would expect.
A promo video for Davey Richards path to the title airs. Damn good stuff right there!
7. ROH World Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards
****1/2
There is no doubting that this is as hard hitting and technically sound as any ROH World Title match in history however in my opinion it's just that little bit away from being a true classic. Why you might ask? Well it is largely to do with the matches structure - there's just too many false finishes. I don't normally get bothered by this kind of thing as I'm more than happy to look past it and be swept away and wowed by it all however even I was beginning to think it was silly how much of a superman Davey Richards was turning out to be. It could be though that the half dozen or so false finishes in the second third of the match weren't supposed to be edge of your seat near falls and it's merely the crowds reactions by being so sucked in that added more emphasis to them. If that's the case then fair enough, it wasn't overkill after all.
As for the action itself, well it’s the standard Davey vs. Strong affair but this time round it's more about the submission holds and less about the strikes. I don't know about you but I loved how strike orientated their match from Pick Your Poison was and I was little disappointed they didn't go too much down that route again but hey I'm sure people would complain if they put on the same match again so that's fine. Davey works over Strongs arm enabling the cross armbreaker & kimura to be potential finishers. Half way through the match though Davey abandons that tactic and they basically knock the crap out of each other with stiff strikes and power impact moves. The last 5 minutes were so absolutely classic with Davey being suplexed through the ringside table then Gibson driven (or drivered?) on the floor before being tossed right on the laps of some people on the front row in order to gain Strong the count out victory. That was a great scene! The Davey having the concussion thing was either unfortunate or a really convincing work as he just gives up the ankle lock he has on Strong and collapses. Post match Davey had blood coming out his right ear and it's really hard to tell if it's a work or a shoot. Sign of a good angle I guess! Anyways, regardless of all my criticisms earlier this is still a great match and well worthy of your hard earned cash. If the following didn't sell the DVD for you then this match will!
8. Unsanctioned Fight Without Honor: Kevin Steen vs. El Generico
****3/4
When it comes to wrestlings top feuds in 2010, at the very top of that list has to be this one - Kevin Steen vs. El Generico. Whether its promos, matches or angles this feud, which also encompassed Steve Corino and Colt Cabana respectively, just built and built and built to this point. As with all the important ROH matches, it really could have gone either way despite Steens vow to leave ROH if he lost as he was arguably the most must see part of ROH in 2010. This match was very brutal including blood, ladders, tables and of course chair shots. I do think that this probably wasn't as violent as the Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies 2 tag match or maybe even the Double Dog Collar Match from Glory By Honor IX however this was ALL about the story. They used the ladder because it represented their participation as a team in both Ladder Wars, they both went for each other’s finishers and they even pulled out the chair from Glory By Honor. There's some extremely good false finishes in this one because, unlike the previous match where moves had been kicked out of before in many matches, these moves had been very protected in ROH. Of course the real story telling is in the actual finish itself. An undoubted ROH classic match that should be seen by all!
Post match Steen tells the fans to fuck off before leaving the ring despite them chanting "THANK YOU STEEN".
Roderick Strong is arguing backstage with Truth Martini because he finally realised Truth was interfering in his matches. "Now I look like a fuckin' idiot" - Roderick Strong 2010.
*SUPER DUPER BONUS CONTENT*
Kenny King Raps - Really he does! About ANX and stuff too!
Final Battle Teaser - This is from HDNET and a nice little 30 second snippet
Final Battle 2010 will be remembered for many reasons. The conclusion to the Kevin Steen vs. El Generico feud, the brutal ROH World Title match where the question was asked if Davey Richards would finally step up to the next level and fulfil his dream, The NY crowd actually turning on The Briscoes - a team notoriously well supported. But it doesn't end there, Final Battle 2010 is right up there with the very best shows of the year. It's just solid top to bottom with nothing getting less than a "good" rating from me. The main events are phenomenal and are worth going out of your way to watch but those aside, every match has its own strong merits. Highly recommended!
9.5/10
Sunday, 26 June 2011
ROH Tag Title Classic II- Plymouth, MA 12/17/10
1. Kenny King vs. Adam Cole
***
What a fine opener we have here from two of ROHs best young talents! This is balls to the wall action for 10 minutes with both Cole and King showing us some pretty nifty manoeuvres. They go at a pace too and the crowd's into it too which is always a plus. Good opening match.
2. Colt Cabana vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett
**3/4
First of all I'd just like to say that if Mike Bennetts shtick is intentional then he's probably got one of the best gimmicks ROH has seen in a long time. Imagine this, a guy who's not bothered about flashy moves to please the fans so much so that the fans hate him for it. It's great it really is, and to see him in the ring with a guy such as Colt Cabana, who is such a good performer that he can get anybody over, makes for something entertaining to watch. The match was perhaps a little too short but they accomplished what needed to be done and the finish made total sense. Expect big things from Bennett in the future.
Earlier, Andy "Right Leg" Ridge cuts a promo on the Trial Series and his upcoming match against Christopher Daniels. He's going to prove to everyone that he belongs in ROH. Kid, you might just do that yet!
3. Ring of Honor Trial Series Match #5: Andy “Right Leg” Ridge vs. World TV Champion Christopher Daniels
***
Finally, a Trial Series match which wasn't just basically a squash! This is the kind of match I was expecting all of the Trial Series matches to be - the vet outwits the newcomer but the newcomer has plenty of tricks in his bag to even it up (the crowd actually are shocked when Daniels goes for the BME and Ridge grabs his foot out of nowhere to stop him!). Daniels didn't treat Ridge as anything but his equal and that came across in their exchanges. Despite the Trial Series being a failure (in my eyes anyway), this match on its own merits proved that Ridge could indeed fit into the ROH roster.
Post match Daniels gets on the stick and puts over Andy Ridge. He's a class act that Daniels feller.
4. Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Kevin Steen and Steve Corino
***1/2
A very different match from the one they had back at Pick Your Poison but good nonetheless. It's great to see The Briscoes and Steen/Corino put on a dramatic tag match without doing too many signature moves or finishers. Everybody played their role well and realistically it didn't matter who won so long as Steen was protected. Job well done all round.
Earlier, Grizzly Redwood cut a promo backstage stating how worried he is about getting in the ring with Rhett Titus, Ricky Reyes and the man he's most worried about...Dark Generico!
5. Four Corner Survival Match: El Generico vs. Rhett Titus vs. Grizzly Redwood vs. Ricky Reyes
**
For the most part, this was a kind of breather for the crowd. The match built around everybody avoiding Generico and was pedestrian at best up until the point Generico was involved. It kicked into higher gear once he got involved.
Post match Steve Corino stops Generico from package piledriving Grizzly Redwood. He gets on the mic and offers Generico another chance to get out of Final Battle as long as he unmasks. Corino says the people want to see Generico get murdered and it's their fault Steen did what he did. Generico teases unmasking before yakuza kicking Corino and then battering the crap out of him. ROH students are out to break it up and then Corino walks away repeating "I tried to help you" over and over again. REALLY good segment and yet even more awesome build to THE definitive ROH feud in 2010.
6. Kyle O'Reilly vs. TJ Perkins
***1/2
A completely different match to pretty much anything I've seen in ROH in 2010. This was a mix of MMA, amateur wrestling and pro wrestling and was just impossible to not be glued to. TJP has come a long way since his days as PUMA and his earlier visits to ROH and here he's against a youngster with a very complimentary style. This match is worth going out of your way to see just because of how different it is.
7. Non-Title Challenge Match: ROH World Champion Roderick Strong vs. Sonjay Dutt
***1/2
This show has been ridiculously solid so far and this match adds to that fact. I was not a fan on Sonjay Dutts previous ROH run but here as a face he seemed refreshed and revitalised and at times was a joy to watch. Strong looked really good in this match and they had an even contest without losing any of Strong’s credibility for the night afters IPPV. Fun match.
8. World Tag Team Title Match: The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
****3/4
Sometimes matches can suffer from too much hype. Now given this shows title is Tag Title Classic II, you will have a certain expectation level for this match before it even begins. I kept it out of mind throughout and was delighted by what a great match this was. There's literally so many good moments in this match that I can't really recap and do the rest of the match justice, it's just a great tag match filled with drama and loads of edge of your seat near falls. They pull out pretty much every trick in both their arsenals and the crowd eat up every second of it. An absolute must see match and big reminder of two things... 1) When it comes to the top three US promotions - ROH does tag team wrestling in ways the other two could only dream of and 2) The Kings of Wrestling may have been the most consistently good tag team in all of wrestling in the year 2010.
*SUPER DUPER BONUS CONTENT*
Steven Corino and Kevin Steen talk Final Battle - A 3 and a half minute conversation between these two which adds yet EVEN MORE intrigue to the Final Battle Fight Without Honor between Kevin Steen and El Generico. Nice little bonus feature.
Tag Title Classic II is an easy show to rate. There's not one bad match on this show and the majority of it ranges between good - excellent plus there's a tonne of build towards the following nights IPPV which is all really good. It's a must buy for the main event but the whole card is worth checking out and it's a total breeze to sit through. One of ROHs most consistent cards of 2010 that has not broken the tier of top shows just because there was only 1 real big standout match on the show but that's by no means a bad thing. Buy the DVD!
8.5
Thursday, 16 June 2011
ROH Fate Of An Angel II- Mississauga, Ontario 11/13/10
1. Bobby Dempsey & Grizzly Redwood vs. The House of Truth (Michael Elgin & Zach Gowen)
*1/2
Oh this is not a good way to start a show! This was heatless for the most part and awkward feeling with no real rhythm. The only parts the crowd were really bothered by were the first confrontation between Elgin & Dempsey and the odd moment where Elgin threw Grizz around. Nobody was done any favours by this one and even more puzzling was the decision on who went over.
Post match Michael Elgin has had enough of Zach Gowen so he takes him out with an UMAGE-esque butt bump in the corner. I guess that's bye bye Gowen from the House of Truth.
2. Trial Series #4: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Mark Briscoe
**
Essentially this was an elongated squash but unlike the Reyes match, at least Mark Briscoe made this one entertaining. There's a fun sequence where Ridge gets dragged round all 4 sides of the ring and receives some of the loudest chops I've heard in quite a while! His chest begins to bleed and after some more chops in the corner, it goes all Joe vs. Kobashi. Yikes! Ridge did get some offense in and Mark Briscoe was more than complimentary, trying to make each one look as good as possible. Ultimately, much like the other trial series matches this did little to "make" Andy Ridge but the snippets of offense he gave looked impressive and it appears on the surface that his style would fit nicely with the ROH style.
3. Sara Del Rey vs. Jamilia Craft
*1/2
This was a shorter match than I was expecting and almost a squash. Craft shows glimpses of being interesting while Del Ray continues to prove why she's one of the top female wrestlers on the US indies. Ultimately there's not much to say about this one, stuff happened and then it ended. At least it was short.
4. World Tag Title Shot On The Line: Colt Cabana and El Generico vs. The All Night Express
***1/2
Interesting dynamic with the Cabana/Generico team in this match as El Generico has metamorphized into dark Generico and is nothing like what we're used to. He's overly aggressive and doesn't pander to the crowd which is great to show how focused he is on Kevin Steen and Final Battle. I'd like to say at this point that the ANX were a treat in this match. They both can have fun with Cabana, know how to get some good heat on a guy and pulled out some nice moves and combos towards the finish.
5. Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole vs. The Bravado Brothers
***1/4
This was quite the showcase for Cole & O'Reilly. Sure, The Bravados were not bad at all, even getting some great heat from the fans at times, but I don’t feel they got enough chance to really show us what they can do. It must be said that Paul Turner did a horrendous job keeping the match from losing track of who was legal, so much so that Kevin Kelly was shouting at him on the DVD. There's something to be said for just sitting back, being a fan and just getting lost on the match but at times this match was on the verge of becoming a bit of a clusterfuck. As it stands though, Cole & O'Reilly once again proved why they are one of if not THE hottest prospect in ROH.
6. Grudge Match: Homicide vs. Jay Briscoe
***1/2
The crowd is into Homicide HUGE! It has to be said that whilst that was still a good match, when you look at this on paper perhaps this could be considered slightly under par. The match has a good pace and is largely all about the back and forth action without much resting. The finish was a nice homage to the late Eddie Guerrero.
7. ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Kevin Steen & Steve Corino
***3/4
This was everything I expected it to be - a darn hard fought contest in a match that's incredibly simple but worked so well. Steen does a good job of crapping all over the crowd who would probably have partly been on his side due to his Canadian origins. It's Steen & Corino who take control over Hero early on and then later on in the match the Kings work over Corino but the match only really kicks into a higher gear when they begin building to the finish with several very close nearfalls. Credit where credit is due, Steve Corino belonged in this match just as much as the other guys. I know a lot of people don't think he's got it anymore, but here he shows that he can still go!
Of course, after the match Dark Generico runs out to attack Steen only to be held back security goons (or ROH students - whatever you wanna call them). He finally breaks free but then gets restrained again as Bobby Cruise announces that both men cannot engage in any physical contact before Final Battle or be within 50 feet of one another....oh and that their match at Final Battle will be a FIGHT WITHOUT HONOUR!
Backstage Roderick Strong is with Truth Martini where together they cut a promo stating tonight Christopher Daniels will discover what he's got left in the tank - it's running on E! An ok promo.
8. ROH World Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Christopher Daniels
***3/4
This was a really difficult match to rate. Why? Well I appreciate that they wanted to go out there and give an epic main event title match (and in some regards they did that) but the first 10 minutes or so were not paced well and as a result they lost the crowd. So much so that later on they're kicking out of each others finishers and rather than the rumble and cheering the ROH faithful usually provide, instead we get a mild "meh" from the crowd. The biggest pop from the crowd during the entire match is when Strong shouts at some loud woman in the crowd "SHUT UP SLUT" and for that he's met with a "that was awesome!" chant. It honestly seems at times though that the crowd like Chris Daniels, but don't want him to win the title in fact they really don't support either man particularly. However it's not all doom and gloom and actually, after the initial 10-15 minutes are out of the way the match tells a fairly good story and there are some awesome moves from both guys being pulled out of the bag for this one. They tried so hard to get the crowd back but unfortunately, short of actually killing each other nothing would have sufficed. A good match nevertheless.
*SUPER DUPER BONUS CONTENT*
10 Questions with Steve Corino - A great little addition to the DVD. Corino with Kevin Steen answer a whole bunch of random questions such as
- who's your favourite ROH wrestler?
- who's the best wrestler you've defeated?
- who's the hottest lady in pro wrestling?
- what's your least favourite city?
- would you ever wrestle a bear?
What an odd show to put a score on this one is. On the one hand nothing jumps out as spectacular or must see and there's a few matches not even worth watching however all that is outweighed by the large portion of the show that's solidly entertaining and moves storylines along well. For some reason both Paul Turner and Todd Sinclair had issues keeping an eye on who the legal man was which is made even more odd by their usual high levels of competency. In conclusion I'm still bumping this release up by .5 just for the bonus content which was such a cool little inclusion that I hope they do it more often.
7/10
*1/2
Oh this is not a good way to start a show! This was heatless for the most part and awkward feeling with no real rhythm. The only parts the crowd were really bothered by were the first confrontation between Elgin & Dempsey and the odd moment where Elgin threw Grizz around. Nobody was done any favours by this one and even more puzzling was the decision on who went over.
Post match Michael Elgin has had enough of Zach Gowen so he takes him out with an UMAGE-esque butt bump in the corner. I guess that's bye bye Gowen from the House of Truth.
2. Trial Series #4: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Mark Briscoe
**
Essentially this was an elongated squash but unlike the Reyes match, at least Mark Briscoe made this one entertaining. There's a fun sequence where Ridge gets dragged round all 4 sides of the ring and receives some of the loudest chops I've heard in quite a while! His chest begins to bleed and after some more chops in the corner, it goes all Joe vs. Kobashi. Yikes! Ridge did get some offense in and Mark Briscoe was more than complimentary, trying to make each one look as good as possible. Ultimately, much like the other trial series matches this did little to "make" Andy Ridge but the snippets of offense he gave looked impressive and it appears on the surface that his style would fit nicely with the ROH style.
3. Sara Del Rey vs. Jamilia Craft
*1/2
This was a shorter match than I was expecting and almost a squash. Craft shows glimpses of being interesting while Del Ray continues to prove why she's one of the top female wrestlers on the US indies. Ultimately there's not much to say about this one, stuff happened and then it ended. At least it was short.
4. World Tag Title Shot On The Line: Colt Cabana and El Generico vs. The All Night Express
***1/2
Interesting dynamic with the Cabana/Generico team in this match as El Generico has metamorphized into dark Generico and is nothing like what we're used to. He's overly aggressive and doesn't pander to the crowd which is great to show how focused he is on Kevin Steen and Final Battle. I'd like to say at this point that the ANX were a treat in this match. They both can have fun with Cabana, know how to get some good heat on a guy and pulled out some nice moves and combos towards the finish.
5. Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole vs. The Bravado Brothers
***1/4
This was quite the showcase for Cole & O'Reilly. Sure, The Bravados were not bad at all, even getting some great heat from the fans at times, but I don’t feel they got enough chance to really show us what they can do. It must be said that Paul Turner did a horrendous job keeping the match from losing track of who was legal, so much so that Kevin Kelly was shouting at him on the DVD. There's something to be said for just sitting back, being a fan and just getting lost on the match but at times this match was on the verge of becoming a bit of a clusterfuck. As it stands though, Cole & O'Reilly once again proved why they are one of if not THE hottest prospect in ROH.
6. Grudge Match: Homicide vs. Jay Briscoe
***1/2
The crowd is into Homicide HUGE! It has to be said that whilst that was still a good match, when you look at this on paper perhaps this could be considered slightly under par. The match has a good pace and is largely all about the back and forth action without much resting. The finish was a nice homage to the late Eddie Guerrero.
7. ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Kevin Steen & Steve Corino
***3/4
This was everything I expected it to be - a darn hard fought contest in a match that's incredibly simple but worked so well. Steen does a good job of crapping all over the crowd who would probably have partly been on his side due to his Canadian origins. It's Steen & Corino who take control over Hero early on and then later on in the match the Kings work over Corino but the match only really kicks into a higher gear when they begin building to the finish with several very close nearfalls. Credit where credit is due, Steve Corino belonged in this match just as much as the other guys. I know a lot of people don't think he's got it anymore, but here he shows that he can still go!
Of course, after the match Dark Generico runs out to attack Steen only to be held back security goons (or ROH students - whatever you wanna call them). He finally breaks free but then gets restrained again as Bobby Cruise announces that both men cannot engage in any physical contact before Final Battle or be within 50 feet of one another....oh and that their match at Final Battle will be a FIGHT WITHOUT HONOUR!
Backstage Roderick Strong is with Truth Martini where together they cut a promo stating tonight Christopher Daniels will discover what he's got left in the tank - it's running on E! An ok promo.
8. ROH World Title Match: Roderick Strong vs. Christopher Daniels
***3/4
This was a really difficult match to rate. Why? Well I appreciate that they wanted to go out there and give an epic main event title match (and in some regards they did that) but the first 10 minutes or so were not paced well and as a result they lost the crowd. So much so that later on they're kicking out of each others finishers and rather than the rumble and cheering the ROH faithful usually provide, instead we get a mild "meh" from the crowd. The biggest pop from the crowd during the entire match is when Strong shouts at some loud woman in the crowd "SHUT UP SLUT" and for that he's met with a "that was awesome!" chant. It honestly seems at times though that the crowd like Chris Daniels, but don't want him to win the title in fact they really don't support either man particularly. However it's not all doom and gloom and actually, after the initial 10-15 minutes are out of the way the match tells a fairly good story and there are some awesome moves from both guys being pulled out of the bag for this one. They tried so hard to get the crowd back but unfortunately, short of actually killing each other nothing would have sufficed. A good match nevertheless.
*SUPER DUPER BONUS CONTENT*
10 Questions with Steve Corino - A great little addition to the DVD. Corino with Kevin Steen answer a whole bunch of random questions such as
- who's your favourite ROH wrestler?
- who's the best wrestler you've defeated?
- who's the hottest lady in pro wrestling?
- what's your least favourite city?
- would you ever wrestle a bear?
What an odd show to put a score on this one is. On the one hand nothing jumps out as spectacular or must see and there's a few matches not even worth watching however all that is outweighed by the large portion of the show that's solidly entertaining and moves storylines along well. For some reason both Paul Turner and Todd Sinclair had issues keeping an eye on who the legal man was which is made even more odd by their usual high levels of competency. In conclusion I'm still bumping this release up by .5 just for the bonus content which was such a cool little inclusion that I hope they do it more often.
7/10
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
ROH Survival of the Fittest 2010 Disc 2 - The Best of Nigel McGuinness
1. Takeshi Morishima vs. Nigel McGuinness- Undeniable 10/6/07
****
Ah yes, this is THE Morishima vs. Nigel match! A well built tale of the man who EVERYBODY wants to win the title but he just can't derail the monster champion, even after two previous attempts. Both Nigel and Morishima are on their game here and it's quite clear they don't mind knocking the living shit out of each other. As you can expect from probably every match on this DVD, there are A LOT of lariats. That plays well into this match though as Morishima is just a beast so every lariat he throws is deadly anyway. The match is worked at quite a pace for these two, bearing in mind the more technical nature of McGuinness's usual matches but that works well though with the stiff style as they batter one another and neither man really takes charge for long periods of time. It almost boils down to a stale mate and that's shown well with the fighting spirit spots. The crowd were RED HOT for this one as Nigel's their boy and my god do they wanted him to win here!
Several very believable false finishes including a spot where 'Shima nails a backdrop driver only for Nigel to pop up and hit a jawbreaker lariat that had SO many people in the crowd standing and counting along with the ref that it reminded me of older ROH classics such as Aries vs. Joe from Final Battle 2004; that moment when the crowd were counting along after the 450 from Aries and the rush from the urgency of the scenario mixed with the audiences reaction is exactly what wrestling is about.
But here's something to debate, I've long sang the praises of the first Morishima vs. McGuinness match from Fighting Spirit as being their best encounter. After a few years gap and a rewatch this match is better than I remembered but still not quite as good as the one from Fighting Spirit in my opinion.
Post match, American Dragon Bryan Danielson comes out to piss all over Nigel’s celebration which causes Aries to try and brake up the situation. This leads nicely into...
2. Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries- Rising Above 12/29/07
*****
What an atmosphere! This is a prime example of the amazing atmosphere ROH shows can create and it's especially fuelled by the New York crowd beginning to turn on Nigel. It starts off innocently but after only a few minutes one of THE sickest spots I think I've ever seen occurs as Aries hits the heat seeking missile from behind on an unaware Nigel McGuinness. His head goes straight into the top of the guard rail and you can see up close the large and deep cut right over his eye. Yikes! He then can't stand up straight and proceeds to stagger everywhere due to the prevalent concussion. What an extra dimension to the match that adds! But that aside, this is an all out classic war of attrition. Technical wrestling with a lot of high impact moves is a staple of the ROH style around this time and this match maybe one of its finest examples. There's SO many dangerous moves in this match...the tower of London off the apron to the floor, the lariat off the top rope which flips Aries TO THE OUTSIDE rather to the inside, the brainbuster on the freakin' guardrail plus loads more! The crowd come UNHINGED at times during this match, case in point the brainbuster/450 combo by Aries, the lariat block and counter and the Horns of Aries all points where the crowd had now fully turned on Nigel and were aching for a new champion! Nigel’s final lariat is sickening, poor Aries lands like a sack of potatoes right on his head and neck!
One of the best ROH matches ever and a personal favourite of mine!
3. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson- 6th Anniversary Show 2/23/08
****1/2
So here we are only a few months down the line from the previous match and we're back in New York with Nigel still trying to stay face, despite a now larger portion of the crowd booing him, facing Bryan Danielson in their first meeting with Nigel as champion. Coming into this Dragon had promised to not strike Nigels head as he was still recovering from his concussion and Dragon is kind of still recovering from his detached retina. After about 10 minutes of counter hold wrestling Nigel takes a somewhat dubious back suplex and is pissed off that it's close to his head so in turn decks the referee after the ref insists there's nothing he can do about it. This REALLY annoys the crowd as Dragon is declared winner by DQ.
Nigel's about to walk off when Aries, Strong, Steen and Delirious block his exit and threaten to do him over if he doesn't get back in the ring and restart the match. Of course he does and then the match is really on but now Nigel has fully turned on the fans. To be fair to Nigel, I'd have turned on them too as, being the xenophobic lot the NY crowd are, they earlier began chanting USA USA at him, you know just because he's not American. It's this little bit of storytelling early on that adds a tonne of extra heat to the match (like it needed any!) which is just filled with drama. From Nigel working on Dragons arm for the London Dungeon to Nigels head being busted open and Nigel even putting Dragon in his own Cattle Mutilation submission, this is one of ROH's all time greatest matches. Dragon keeps to his word and hesitates striking Nigels head multiple times such as the MMA elbow spot and you can't help but think at that time that ultimately it will cost him but then for a solid 5 minutes every submission hold and move Dragon does has that urgency and feeling that the match is about to end. The crowd can be heard getting quieter as they get burnt out from cheering so much. Eventually Nigel commits the ultimate sin and goes for Dragons eye just to add even more heat to his heel turn.
4. Nigel McGuinness vs. Kevin Steen- Northern Navigation 7/25/08
****1/4
There's some good heat going into this one simply because it's ROHs first show in Canada and Kevin Steen is getting his second ROH World Title opportunity in what is pretty much his backyard. His first attempt ended with Nigel cheating to win so it's setup perfectly for his revenge.
To begin with it's all very feel good with Steens natural humour coming through as he messes up the champs hair then mockingly walks out of the way of a jawbreaker lariat attempt whilst looking at his pretend watch. It ends quickly though as Steen takes pretty nasty looking a slam on the apron. Seriously that sort of thing just looks SO painful! Nigel, being the methodical tactician that he has evolved into at this point, is a joy to watch as he works over Steens back. Steen however, is in best match of his career mode here. His comebacks just give us snippets of hope and he's clever in that he really saves all his best signature for his big comeback at the end whilst drop feeding us one or two moves here and there throughout the heat section. The ending sequence goes on for a long time and I think it's one of those almost overkill finishes where both guys literally use everything but the kitchen sink on each other but if you can put that aside it's a hell of a ride. Still this remains one of Steens top matches in ROH.
5. Nigel McGuinness vs. El Generico- Age of Insanity 8/15/08
****
Playing off the previous encounters between Nigel and Kevin Steen we now get Steens tag team partner El Generico getting a ROH World Title shot and he duly delivers a very good performance in this one. Nigel is merciless in his attack on Genericos arm and in turn Generico sells it like his life is on the line. The crowd, whilst behind Generico, certainly didn't seem convinced that this would be anything more than another token title defence but due to the hard work of both men they were sucked into every near fall towards the end. They even took a nod towards the crowd feelings by having Nigel fully underestimating Generico in the opening minutes of the match and of course Generico made it known that he is a real force to be reckoned with. A very good match and one those great hidden gems that not many talk about anymore.
6. Nigel McGuinness vs. Roderick Strong- Driven 2008 9/19/08
****
How can I say this without sounding negative...this is the same match as previous one but with a few tweaks and Roderick Strong taking El Genericos place. It's still very good though and for a lot of the same reasons as the previous match (crowd not buying Strong as a viable new champion but being convinced etc) yet this seemed to have a finish more akin to the Steen match in that it went to OTT levels. I found it quite amusing that after the Tower of London to the floor (and all the lariat near falls preceding that) the crowd just gave a normal kind of cheer whereas right near the end where Strong uses the Gibson Driver for the first time and crowd come unhinged! The extremely late kickout really helped too and had everybody on their feet chanting "THAT WAS THREE!", "THAT WAS THREE!".
7. Nigel McGuinness vs. Naomichi Marufuji- Final Battle 2008 12/27/08
***3/4
Whilst a shade behind their previous 2006 meeting, this was still a very good match. Marufuji and Nigel seem to have this chemistry together that means they can just go out there with an amount of time and put on a really good back and forth match. There isn't too much of a story here but they build up to each of the big spots well enough making several attempts throughout the contest. It was also good to see Nigel not use too many lariats...after 2 and half hours of LARIATS it gets a bit samey and that's coming from a big Nigel fan. The crowd was nice and hot for this and of course the Hammerstein looked amazing rammed with ROH fans. It's not a classic but certainly worthy of a viewing.
On first glance this DVD had a bit of an odd match listing but after getting into it, it appears the DVD is almost split in half. On one hand you get the epic matches where Nigel is kind of almost dead even with his opponents and then you get the other matches where they follow almost the same pattern with Nigel commanding whilst working a body part, fighting off a few comebacks and then going into a mega (and sometimes overkill) finish. There's no doubt that this isn't a necessarily a very best of (unlike the Tyler Black disc that came with Salvation that could be argued to contain his best matches) but it does contain some of his very best matches and some very good matches.
For me they omitted
-the first match vs. Marufuji from GBH V Night 2 (it was better than their Final Battle 2008 encounter)
- Vs. Tyler Black from Take No Prisoners
- Vs. Jimmy Rave from Fifth Year Festival: Finale
- Vs. KENTA from 7th Anniversary
Also you could argue that the inclusion of another Danielson match form Unified, Driven or Rising Above 2008 could have been included but I can understand the choices that were made as they involve some current ROH talent whilst the other matches are just outright classics.
9/10
****
Ah yes, this is THE Morishima vs. Nigel match! A well built tale of the man who EVERYBODY wants to win the title but he just can't derail the monster champion, even after two previous attempts. Both Nigel and Morishima are on their game here and it's quite clear they don't mind knocking the living shit out of each other. As you can expect from probably every match on this DVD, there are A LOT of lariats. That plays well into this match though as Morishima is just a beast so every lariat he throws is deadly anyway. The match is worked at quite a pace for these two, bearing in mind the more technical nature of McGuinness's usual matches but that works well though with the stiff style as they batter one another and neither man really takes charge for long periods of time. It almost boils down to a stale mate and that's shown well with the fighting spirit spots. The crowd were RED HOT for this one as Nigel's their boy and my god do they wanted him to win here!
Several very believable false finishes including a spot where 'Shima nails a backdrop driver only for Nigel to pop up and hit a jawbreaker lariat that had SO many people in the crowd standing and counting along with the ref that it reminded me of older ROH classics such as Aries vs. Joe from Final Battle 2004; that moment when the crowd were counting along after the 450 from Aries and the rush from the urgency of the scenario mixed with the audiences reaction is exactly what wrestling is about.
But here's something to debate, I've long sang the praises of the first Morishima vs. McGuinness match from Fighting Spirit as being their best encounter. After a few years gap and a rewatch this match is better than I remembered but still not quite as good as the one from Fighting Spirit in my opinion.
Post match, American Dragon Bryan Danielson comes out to piss all over Nigel’s celebration which causes Aries to try and brake up the situation. This leads nicely into...
2. Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries- Rising Above 12/29/07
*****
What an atmosphere! This is a prime example of the amazing atmosphere ROH shows can create and it's especially fuelled by the New York crowd beginning to turn on Nigel. It starts off innocently but after only a few minutes one of THE sickest spots I think I've ever seen occurs as Aries hits the heat seeking missile from behind on an unaware Nigel McGuinness. His head goes straight into the top of the guard rail and you can see up close the large and deep cut right over his eye. Yikes! He then can't stand up straight and proceeds to stagger everywhere due to the prevalent concussion. What an extra dimension to the match that adds! But that aside, this is an all out classic war of attrition. Technical wrestling with a lot of high impact moves is a staple of the ROH style around this time and this match maybe one of its finest examples. There's SO many dangerous moves in this match...the tower of London off the apron to the floor, the lariat off the top rope which flips Aries TO THE OUTSIDE rather to the inside, the brainbuster on the freakin' guardrail plus loads more! The crowd come UNHINGED at times during this match, case in point the brainbuster/450 combo by Aries, the lariat block and counter and the Horns of Aries all points where the crowd had now fully turned on Nigel and were aching for a new champion! Nigel’s final lariat is sickening, poor Aries lands like a sack of potatoes right on his head and neck!
One of the best ROH matches ever and a personal favourite of mine!
3. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson- 6th Anniversary Show 2/23/08
****1/2
So here we are only a few months down the line from the previous match and we're back in New York with Nigel still trying to stay face, despite a now larger portion of the crowd booing him, facing Bryan Danielson in their first meeting with Nigel as champion. Coming into this Dragon had promised to not strike Nigels head as he was still recovering from his concussion and Dragon is kind of still recovering from his detached retina. After about 10 minutes of counter hold wrestling Nigel takes a somewhat dubious back suplex and is pissed off that it's close to his head so in turn decks the referee after the ref insists there's nothing he can do about it. This REALLY annoys the crowd as Dragon is declared winner by DQ.
Nigel's about to walk off when Aries, Strong, Steen and Delirious block his exit and threaten to do him over if he doesn't get back in the ring and restart the match. Of course he does and then the match is really on but now Nigel has fully turned on the fans. To be fair to Nigel, I'd have turned on them too as, being the xenophobic lot the NY crowd are, they earlier began chanting USA USA at him, you know just because he's not American. It's this little bit of storytelling early on that adds a tonne of extra heat to the match (like it needed any!) which is just filled with drama. From Nigel working on Dragons arm for the London Dungeon to Nigels head being busted open and Nigel even putting Dragon in his own Cattle Mutilation submission, this is one of ROH's all time greatest matches. Dragon keeps to his word and hesitates striking Nigels head multiple times such as the MMA elbow spot and you can't help but think at that time that ultimately it will cost him but then for a solid 5 minutes every submission hold and move Dragon does has that urgency and feeling that the match is about to end. The crowd can be heard getting quieter as they get burnt out from cheering so much. Eventually Nigel commits the ultimate sin and goes for Dragons eye just to add even more heat to his heel turn.
4. Nigel McGuinness vs. Kevin Steen- Northern Navigation 7/25/08
****1/4
There's some good heat going into this one simply because it's ROHs first show in Canada and Kevin Steen is getting his second ROH World Title opportunity in what is pretty much his backyard. His first attempt ended with Nigel cheating to win so it's setup perfectly for his revenge.
To begin with it's all very feel good with Steens natural humour coming through as he messes up the champs hair then mockingly walks out of the way of a jawbreaker lariat attempt whilst looking at his pretend watch. It ends quickly though as Steen takes pretty nasty looking a slam on the apron. Seriously that sort of thing just looks SO painful! Nigel, being the methodical tactician that he has evolved into at this point, is a joy to watch as he works over Steens back. Steen however, is in best match of his career mode here. His comebacks just give us snippets of hope and he's clever in that he really saves all his best signature for his big comeback at the end whilst drop feeding us one or two moves here and there throughout the heat section. The ending sequence goes on for a long time and I think it's one of those almost overkill finishes where both guys literally use everything but the kitchen sink on each other but if you can put that aside it's a hell of a ride. Still this remains one of Steens top matches in ROH.
5. Nigel McGuinness vs. El Generico- Age of Insanity 8/15/08
****
Playing off the previous encounters between Nigel and Kevin Steen we now get Steens tag team partner El Generico getting a ROH World Title shot and he duly delivers a very good performance in this one. Nigel is merciless in his attack on Genericos arm and in turn Generico sells it like his life is on the line. The crowd, whilst behind Generico, certainly didn't seem convinced that this would be anything more than another token title defence but due to the hard work of both men they were sucked into every near fall towards the end. They even took a nod towards the crowd feelings by having Nigel fully underestimating Generico in the opening minutes of the match and of course Generico made it known that he is a real force to be reckoned with. A very good match and one those great hidden gems that not many talk about anymore.
6. Nigel McGuinness vs. Roderick Strong- Driven 2008 9/19/08
****
How can I say this without sounding negative...this is the same match as previous one but with a few tweaks and Roderick Strong taking El Genericos place. It's still very good though and for a lot of the same reasons as the previous match (crowd not buying Strong as a viable new champion but being convinced etc) yet this seemed to have a finish more akin to the Steen match in that it went to OTT levels. I found it quite amusing that after the Tower of London to the floor (and all the lariat near falls preceding that) the crowd just gave a normal kind of cheer whereas right near the end where Strong uses the Gibson Driver for the first time and crowd come unhinged! The extremely late kickout really helped too and had everybody on their feet chanting "THAT WAS THREE!", "THAT WAS THREE!".
7. Nigel McGuinness vs. Naomichi Marufuji- Final Battle 2008 12/27/08
***3/4
Whilst a shade behind their previous 2006 meeting, this was still a very good match. Marufuji and Nigel seem to have this chemistry together that means they can just go out there with an amount of time and put on a really good back and forth match. There isn't too much of a story here but they build up to each of the big spots well enough making several attempts throughout the contest. It was also good to see Nigel not use too many lariats...after 2 and half hours of LARIATS it gets a bit samey and that's coming from a big Nigel fan. The crowd was nice and hot for this and of course the Hammerstein looked amazing rammed with ROH fans. It's not a classic but certainly worthy of a viewing.
On first glance this DVD had a bit of an odd match listing but after getting into it, it appears the DVD is almost split in half. On one hand you get the epic matches where Nigel is kind of almost dead even with his opponents and then you get the other matches where they follow almost the same pattern with Nigel commanding whilst working a body part, fighting off a few comebacks and then going into a mega (and sometimes overkill) finish. There's no doubt that this isn't a necessarily a very best of (unlike the Tyler Black disc that came with Salvation that could be argued to contain his best matches) but it does contain some of his very best matches and some very good matches.
For me they omitted
-the first match vs. Marufuji from GBH V Night 2 (it was better than their Final Battle 2008 encounter)
- Vs. Tyler Black from Take No Prisoners
- Vs. Jimmy Rave from Fifth Year Festival: Finale
- Vs. KENTA from 7th Anniversary
Also you could argue that the inclusion of another Danielson match form Unified, Driven or Rising Above 2008 could have been included but I can understand the choices that were made as they involve some current ROH talent whilst the other matches are just outright classics.
9/10
Sunday, 5 June 2011
ROH Survival of the Fittest 2010 - Dearborn, MI 11/12/10
1. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Colt Cabana vs. Rhett Titus
**1/2
We kick off the show with a decent opener that sees Cabana up to his usual tricks of really getting the crowd involved by way of comedy and Titus playing the aggrieved heel quite well. It's a short match with a fitting finish based on who went over. Nothing wrong here.
Backstage Grizzly Redwood tells us nobody's more ready than he is for SOTF. He's rudely interrupted by Claudio Castagnoli who squares up to him and literally overshadows him.
2. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Grizzly Redwood
**1/2
Another short match that ultimately served its purpose. They got over the fact that Claudio's a huge monster and the offense that Grizz got in was smart and therefore didn't make Claudio look weak or stupid in anyway. These two seems to have a little bit of chemistry together and I'd be interested in seeing what they could do with 10-12 minutes.
3. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Kevin Steen vs. Kyle O’Reilly
***1/2
These two met in a tag match Allied Forces and the chemistry they had carries over into this match. Steen’s right on form here and O'Reilly plays his role as the plucky youngster who refuses to stay down well. The arm work by O'Reilly all made sense however it didn't derail Steen from hitting a one armed package piledriver. The finish was also very fitting.
Post match Corino gets on the mic and Steen goes nuts at a guy ringside wearing an El Generico mask. Corino is gold on the mic and he really does a great job of reminding us how much Steen wants to destroy El Generico and that Final Battle is only one month away! And of course the promo leads us straight to...
4. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Steve Corino vs. Adam Cole
***
Much like the previous match it seems these two carried over their previous chemistry from Allied Forces, only they had less time to play with. I feel Cole was kind of overshadowed in this match by the heel duo just because their antics were superb! When Corino's holding onto ref Todd Sinclair to avoid a sunset flip attempt and Sinclair pushes Corino away, Kevin Steen grabs the mic and, I quote, says "Todd if you ever lay your hands on Steve again I WILL RAPE YOU!". Classic! Then he proceeds to commentate on the rest of the match much like he was doing on HDNET. This was a nice touch, I like many others haven’t seen much of the HDNET product so for something to crossover like this it's pretty cool. The right guy totally went over here too in my opinion.
Post match El Generico returns! Clad in a plain black mask and long trench coat he attacks both Steen and Corino but gets derailed and then, in a sick moment, Steen Michinoku Drivers Generico off the apron through a table. Great, great visual there! Steen grabs the stick and in a really quiet and twisted sounding way sings ole' ole'. What an awesome little segment to add to an already classic feud!
5. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Chris Hero vs. Eddie Edwards
***1/2
They certainly brought the pace of the card down a bit with this one which was a nice change. It's funny to think these guys put on a 12-15 minute match without really doing any of their signature moves. There's a very scary spot where Edwards does a tope suicida through the ropes, half over-shoots Hero with all his momentum and lands pretty awkwardly much like he did when he broke his elbow in 2009.
6. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Kenny King vs. El Generico
**
This match was all about Generico fighting the odds after Steen’s assault earlier but for my liking there just wasn't enough from Generico here. I'm not sure if that was done to give the spotlight to Kenny King or just because they didn't get much time but either way I consider this to be a bit of a disappointment. The booking though does make total sense.
Outside, Homicide cuts a promo on his upcoming match against Andy "Right Leg" Ridge. He's mad that he's not getting his title shot tonight and I get the feeling poor old Right Leg is gunna get it bad!
7. Trial Series Match #3: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Homicide
**
Whilst not horrendous this seemed all too familiar with the match Ridge had against Reyes. Homicide just owned him throughout and Ridge didn't really get much chance to shine. What they did do in there was ok and more justified given Homicides push for the World Title however if the rest of the trial series is going to be like this Andy Ridge is not going to get over in ANY way what so ever.
Backstage Truth Martini talks in riddles about who comprise the House of Truth team for their upcoming match.
8. Christopher Daniels and Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Truth (ROH World Champion Roderick Strong, Michael Elgin & Zach Gowen w/ Truth Martini)
***1/4
They had two objectives in this match; Hype the following night World Title match between Strong and Daniels and get Michael Elgin over. They managed to accomplish both of these well enough although they could have played up Strong not wanting to get his hands dirty with Daniels a lot more than they did and I think their dynamic going into the next nights match could have benefitted from it. Kevin Kelly and Dave Prazak did a very good job of putting over Elgin as a monster and Elgin duly delivered there. The match is good but nothing blow away and I got the feeling when the faces made their comeback that the tide would change again and the match would therefore be longer.
9. Survival of the Fittest Elimination Match Finals: Features the winners of the six qualifying matches
**3/4
The first elimination made total sense and certainly gave the match an edge as it began. From there though, the match seemed to bomb. The crowd, who had been reasonably hot all night, were now completely silent for the second elimination. It could be due to two of the finalists teaming together and not really wowing the crowd with much. The third elimination is met with polite applause at best and although it's the same guy getting all the pinfalls which is surely building to something exciting, the crowd are just really not that fussed. When one of the remaining three competitors has to leave due to injury, the match picks up and so do the crowd. The fourth elimination happens due to the injured party returning (as we all knew he would) and from there we get the finishing stretch which has, traditionally been the highlight of any Survival of the Fittest match. However unlike the epic performances of Danielson & Aries and even Black & Strong from 2009, the final two get about 3 minutes one on one which just ends up being a big disappointment. A lacklustre main event to say the least.
Well this one isn't that difficult to rate; it's a straight up middle of the road and distinctly average ROH show that contains nothing horrific but nothing amazing or any noteworthy matches. However, this show is good in terms of consistent story telling for the ongoing feuds and issues in ROH. They added to Daniels and Strong, Steen and Generico whilst continued to push younger talent such as Cole & O'Reilly and Michael Elgin. The crowd were pretty good for the most part but that main event killed them off to an extent and I bet a fair amount of them were less than impressed when they left the show that night. The show also went by ridiculously quickly - 7 matches done in 90 minutes on a 9 match card, some of which could have really got better with more time. Nevermind! ROH did well to include a bonus disk of The Best of Nigel Mcguinness which of course turns this average, skippable show into at very least a recommendation.
It seems that once again Survival of the Fittest just doesn't produce a good show despite being an interesting idea. Maybe it's time ROH dropped it in favour of an annual Race To The Top Tournament.
6/10
**1/2
We kick off the show with a decent opener that sees Cabana up to his usual tricks of really getting the crowd involved by way of comedy and Titus playing the aggrieved heel quite well. It's a short match with a fitting finish based on who went over. Nothing wrong here.
Backstage Grizzly Redwood tells us nobody's more ready than he is for SOTF. He's rudely interrupted by Claudio Castagnoli who squares up to him and literally overshadows him.
2. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Grizzly Redwood
**1/2
Another short match that ultimately served its purpose. They got over the fact that Claudio's a huge monster and the offense that Grizz got in was smart and therefore didn't make Claudio look weak or stupid in anyway. These two seems to have a little bit of chemistry together and I'd be interested in seeing what they could do with 10-12 minutes.
3. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Kevin Steen vs. Kyle O’Reilly
***1/2
These two met in a tag match Allied Forces and the chemistry they had carries over into this match. Steen’s right on form here and O'Reilly plays his role as the plucky youngster who refuses to stay down well. The arm work by O'Reilly all made sense however it didn't derail Steen from hitting a one armed package piledriver. The finish was also very fitting.
Post match Corino gets on the mic and Steen goes nuts at a guy ringside wearing an El Generico mask. Corino is gold on the mic and he really does a great job of reminding us how much Steen wants to destroy El Generico and that Final Battle is only one month away! And of course the promo leads us straight to...
4. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Steve Corino vs. Adam Cole
***
Much like the previous match it seems these two carried over their previous chemistry from Allied Forces, only they had less time to play with. I feel Cole was kind of overshadowed in this match by the heel duo just because their antics were superb! When Corino's holding onto ref Todd Sinclair to avoid a sunset flip attempt and Sinclair pushes Corino away, Kevin Steen grabs the mic and, I quote, says "Todd if you ever lay your hands on Steve again I WILL RAPE YOU!". Classic! Then he proceeds to commentate on the rest of the match much like he was doing on HDNET. This was a nice touch, I like many others haven’t seen much of the HDNET product so for something to crossover like this it's pretty cool. The right guy totally went over here too in my opinion.
Post match El Generico returns! Clad in a plain black mask and long trench coat he attacks both Steen and Corino but gets derailed and then, in a sick moment, Steen Michinoku Drivers Generico off the apron through a table. Great, great visual there! Steen grabs the stick and in a really quiet and twisted sounding way sings ole' ole'. What an awesome little segment to add to an already classic feud!
5. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Chris Hero vs. Eddie Edwards
***1/2
They certainly brought the pace of the card down a bit with this one which was a nice change. It's funny to think these guys put on a 12-15 minute match without really doing any of their signature moves. There's a very scary spot where Edwards does a tope suicida through the ropes, half over-shoots Hero with all his momentum and lands pretty awkwardly much like he did when he broke his elbow in 2009.
6. Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match: Kenny King vs. El Generico
**
This match was all about Generico fighting the odds after Steen’s assault earlier but for my liking there just wasn't enough from Generico here. I'm not sure if that was done to give the spotlight to Kenny King or just because they didn't get much time but either way I consider this to be a bit of a disappointment. The booking though does make total sense.
Outside, Homicide cuts a promo on his upcoming match against Andy "Right Leg" Ridge. He's mad that he's not getting his title shot tonight and I get the feeling poor old Right Leg is gunna get it bad!
7. Trial Series Match #3: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Homicide
**
Whilst not horrendous this seemed all too familiar with the match Ridge had against Reyes. Homicide just owned him throughout and Ridge didn't really get much chance to shine. What they did do in there was ok and more justified given Homicides push for the World Title however if the rest of the trial series is going to be like this Andy Ridge is not going to get over in ANY way what so ever.
Backstage Truth Martini talks in riddles about who comprise the House of Truth team for their upcoming match.
8. Christopher Daniels and Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Truth (ROH World Champion Roderick Strong, Michael Elgin & Zach Gowen w/ Truth Martini)
***1/4
They had two objectives in this match; Hype the following night World Title match between Strong and Daniels and get Michael Elgin over. They managed to accomplish both of these well enough although they could have played up Strong not wanting to get his hands dirty with Daniels a lot more than they did and I think their dynamic going into the next nights match could have benefitted from it. Kevin Kelly and Dave Prazak did a very good job of putting over Elgin as a monster and Elgin duly delivered there. The match is good but nothing blow away and I got the feeling when the faces made their comeback that the tide would change again and the match would therefore be longer.
9. Survival of the Fittest Elimination Match Finals: Features the winners of the six qualifying matches
**3/4
The first elimination made total sense and certainly gave the match an edge as it began. From there though, the match seemed to bomb. The crowd, who had been reasonably hot all night, were now completely silent for the second elimination. It could be due to two of the finalists teaming together and not really wowing the crowd with much. The third elimination is met with polite applause at best and although it's the same guy getting all the pinfalls which is surely building to something exciting, the crowd are just really not that fussed. When one of the remaining three competitors has to leave due to injury, the match picks up and so do the crowd. The fourth elimination happens due to the injured party returning (as we all knew he would) and from there we get the finishing stretch which has, traditionally been the highlight of any Survival of the Fittest match. However unlike the epic performances of Danielson & Aries and even Black & Strong from 2009, the final two get about 3 minutes one on one which just ends up being a big disappointment. A lacklustre main event to say the least.
Well this one isn't that difficult to rate; it's a straight up middle of the road and distinctly average ROH show that contains nothing horrific but nothing amazing or any noteworthy matches. However, this show is good in terms of consistent story telling for the ongoing feuds and issues in ROH. They added to Daniels and Strong, Steen and Generico whilst continued to push younger talent such as Cole & O'Reilly and Michael Elgin. The crowd were pretty good for the most part but that main event killed them off to an extent and I bet a fair amount of them were less than impressed when they left the show that night. The show also went by ridiculously quickly - 7 matches done in 90 minutes on a 9 match card, some of which could have really got better with more time. Nevermind! ROH did well to include a bonus disk of The Best of Nigel Mcguinness which of course turns this average, skippable show into at very least a recommendation.
It seems that once again Survival of the Fittest just doesn't produce a good show despite being an interesting idea. Maybe it's time ROH dropped it in favour of an annual Race To The Top Tournament.
6/10
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
ROH Richards vs. Daniels- Chicago Ridge, IL 10/16/10
1. The All Night Express vs. Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly
***1/2
Wow what an opener here! Some really nice looking action in this one and it's apparent that despite being a fairly new team that Cole & O'Reilly will be one to watch in the future. ANX however are clearly on a roll and are on the cusp of being on that higher level they've worked so hard to reach. Surely ANX will get a tag title reign in 2011.
2. Trial Series- Match #2: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Ricky Reyes
*1/2
This right here is how NOT to put over a young kid trying to make his name. Reyes dominates most of the match and the little offense Ridge does get in is not enough to make him standout. What a far cry from his match against Cabana from the night before.
Post match Reyes craps all over Ridge but Ridge superkicks him out cold. This might have worked had Ridge not been almost squashed.
Daizee Haze cuts a promo for her upcoming match putting over Jamilia Craft, he prized student.
Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole are outside and cut a good promo that, despite their loss; they have a bright future to come!
3. Daizee Haze and Jamilia Craft vs. Lady JoJo and Neveah
**
Not sure if I enjoyed the match but I sure as hell enjoyed the "fan" calling Lady JoJo and Neveah whores and asking them to show him their pussies as they made their way to the ring. Then when the match starts I swear a few fans are chanting "SALTY FANNY". Tremendous! Unlike the previous singles match between Haze & JoJo the night before, this was actually ok and fairly watchable. They kept the pace up and the match was about the right length. Would be interested in seeing Neveah in ROH again not only can she seemingly work but she has the look too.
Backstage the ANX cut one of their stylish promos in front of a massive sheet of tin foil. Seriously ROH WTF is that backdrop?
4. Kevin Steen vs. Homicide
***1/4
These two seem to have some decent chemistry together and it's apparent in the exchanges of words between the two of them that occur throughout the match. Calling each other PUTA and there's a fun moment when a fan tells Steen he sucks only to have Steen reply with "Your momma sucks me really good" then "But not as good as your dad" with a quick "On his face baby, all over" to complete the serving of aforementioned fan. But that isn't even the best part of Steen’s performance...oh no! He tries to throw a metal ROH sign in the ring but it won’t go in and after a few attempts he goes nuts elbow dropping it and snot rocketing all over it. The man is just crazy and boy does he show it! Homicide holds his own but he's kind of overshadowed by the unstoppable entertaining monster that is Kevin Steen circa 2010. Perhaps slightly under par baring in mind who's involved but then again Homicide was injured at this point.
5. The Metal Master vs. Mike Mondo
**3/4
Considering this match was shown just as the bell rang I thought this would be another bland match which seems to be the staple of these two on ROH cards. However there was a tonne of hard work and a lot of nice action to be found here. Mondo actually looked quite good against the competent Metal Master...it's just a shame he's missing that ingredient of a character the crowd can get into it at this point.
6. Non Title Elimination Match: The Kings of Wrestling vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe
****
What can you say about the KOW vs. The Briscoes in 2010 that hasn't been said before? This time round it's elimination rules and once again they manage to mix it up so it's not the same match that's been seen before. The pace they work is ridiculous, seriously it's a damn fast paced match with no rest holds what so ever - just full steam ahead. I'll be honest though...I had predicted most of the matches happenings until the finish and it was at that point I felt they could have had at least 5 more minutes.
Backstage a shit load of people are trying to put Kevin Steen into his straight jacket. Steen's kicking off at everybody and screams at Cabana that he will kill him in front of his parents, eat his corpse and dance on his grave. Scary stuff and Steen’s delivery is brimming with conviction.
7. I-Quit Match: Steve Corino vs. Colt Cabana
****
Quite the dramatic brawl we have on our hands here. I think having Steen wrapped up in his straight jacket at ringside really gave this match an extra dimension and that little extra edge. Some crazy stuff in this match including a smashed up bottle, chair shots, a table spot and a finish which reminded me of a certain I Quit cage match from 80's NWA. For fans of the Steen vs. El Generico feud this match is a must see.
8. Six Months In The Making: Davey Richards vs. Christopher Daniels
****3/4
There comes a time once in a while when a match just goes perfectly. The action flows perfectly, the story flows perfectly, even the execution of moves is top notch. This match is all of that and more! Both guys are on their game at its highest level and they deliver some fantastic action and some compelling false finishes. In a year when ROH has had several great matches it's difficult to decide truly how great this is in comparison. For me it's second only to the original Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards match from Death Before Dishonor VIII.
Daniels grabs the mic after the match and cuts a heartfelt almost teary eyed promo saying that was the match he wanted to have that would prove to not just the world but to himself that he's one of the best. Davey suggests that they should do this again and the crowd pops accordingly.
Backstage Davey cuts a promo putting over Daniels and stating Final Battle will be his night.
There's also a selection of promos from several participants involved in the 2010 Survival of the Fittest the best of which being Claudio’s that sees him walking around backstage asking random people who is going to win Survival of the Fittest.
Richards vs. Daniels is simple enough to recommend on the strength of the main event however looking beneath that the rest of the card is pretty solid apart from one or two matches not being of interest to many and those are kept pretty short so it doesn't ruin what is one ROH's better releases in 2010. The final three matches make for a very fun last half of the DVD.
8.5/10
***1/2
Wow what an opener here! Some really nice looking action in this one and it's apparent that despite being a fairly new team that Cole & O'Reilly will be one to watch in the future. ANX however are clearly on a roll and are on the cusp of being on that higher level they've worked so hard to reach. Surely ANX will get a tag title reign in 2011.
2. Trial Series- Match #2: Andy "Right Leg" Ridge vs. Ricky Reyes
*1/2
This right here is how NOT to put over a young kid trying to make his name. Reyes dominates most of the match and the little offense Ridge does get in is not enough to make him standout. What a far cry from his match against Cabana from the night before.
Post match Reyes craps all over Ridge but Ridge superkicks him out cold. This might have worked had Ridge not been almost squashed.
Daizee Haze cuts a promo for her upcoming match putting over Jamilia Craft, he prized student.
Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole are outside and cut a good promo that, despite their loss; they have a bright future to come!
3. Daizee Haze and Jamilia Craft vs. Lady JoJo and Neveah
**
Not sure if I enjoyed the match but I sure as hell enjoyed the "fan" calling Lady JoJo and Neveah whores and asking them to show him their pussies as they made their way to the ring. Then when the match starts I swear a few fans are chanting "SALTY FANNY". Tremendous! Unlike the previous singles match between Haze & JoJo the night before, this was actually ok and fairly watchable. They kept the pace up and the match was about the right length. Would be interested in seeing Neveah in ROH again not only can she seemingly work but she has the look too.
Backstage the ANX cut one of their stylish promos in front of a massive sheet of tin foil. Seriously ROH WTF is that backdrop?
4. Kevin Steen vs. Homicide
***1/4
These two seem to have some decent chemistry together and it's apparent in the exchanges of words between the two of them that occur throughout the match. Calling each other PUTA and there's a fun moment when a fan tells Steen he sucks only to have Steen reply with "Your momma sucks me really good" then "But not as good as your dad" with a quick "On his face baby, all over" to complete the serving of aforementioned fan. But that isn't even the best part of Steen’s performance...oh no! He tries to throw a metal ROH sign in the ring but it won’t go in and after a few attempts he goes nuts elbow dropping it and snot rocketing all over it. The man is just crazy and boy does he show it! Homicide holds his own but he's kind of overshadowed by the unstoppable entertaining monster that is Kevin Steen circa 2010. Perhaps slightly under par baring in mind who's involved but then again Homicide was injured at this point.
5. The Metal Master vs. Mike Mondo
**3/4
Considering this match was shown just as the bell rang I thought this would be another bland match which seems to be the staple of these two on ROH cards. However there was a tonne of hard work and a lot of nice action to be found here. Mondo actually looked quite good against the competent Metal Master...it's just a shame he's missing that ingredient of a character the crowd can get into it at this point.
6. Non Title Elimination Match: The Kings of Wrestling vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe
****
What can you say about the KOW vs. The Briscoes in 2010 that hasn't been said before? This time round it's elimination rules and once again they manage to mix it up so it's not the same match that's been seen before. The pace they work is ridiculous, seriously it's a damn fast paced match with no rest holds what so ever - just full steam ahead. I'll be honest though...I had predicted most of the matches happenings until the finish and it was at that point I felt they could have had at least 5 more minutes.
Backstage a shit load of people are trying to put Kevin Steen into his straight jacket. Steen's kicking off at everybody and screams at Cabana that he will kill him in front of his parents, eat his corpse and dance on his grave. Scary stuff and Steen’s delivery is brimming with conviction.
7. I-Quit Match: Steve Corino vs. Colt Cabana
****
Quite the dramatic brawl we have on our hands here. I think having Steen wrapped up in his straight jacket at ringside really gave this match an extra dimension and that little extra edge. Some crazy stuff in this match including a smashed up bottle, chair shots, a table spot and a finish which reminded me of a certain I Quit cage match from 80's NWA. For fans of the Steen vs. El Generico feud this match is a must see.
8. Six Months In The Making: Davey Richards vs. Christopher Daniels
****3/4
There comes a time once in a while when a match just goes perfectly. The action flows perfectly, the story flows perfectly, even the execution of moves is top notch. This match is all of that and more! Both guys are on their game at its highest level and they deliver some fantastic action and some compelling false finishes. In a year when ROH has had several great matches it's difficult to decide truly how great this is in comparison. For me it's second only to the original Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards match from Death Before Dishonor VIII.
Daniels grabs the mic after the match and cuts a heartfelt almost teary eyed promo saying that was the match he wanted to have that would prove to not just the world but to himself that he's one of the best. Davey suggests that they should do this again and the crowd pops accordingly.
Backstage Davey cuts a promo putting over Daniels and stating Final Battle will be his night.
There's also a selection of promos from several participants involved in the 2010 Survival of the Fittest the best of which being Claudio’s that sees him walking around backstage asking random people who is going to win Survival of the Fittest.
Richards vs. Daniels is simple enough to recommend on the strength of the main event however looking beneath that the rest of the card is pretty solid apart from one or two matches not being of interest to many and those are kept pretty short so it doesn't ruin what is one ROH's better releases in 2010. The final three matches make for a very fun last half of the DVD.
8.5/10
Monday, 23 May 2011
TWC: International Showdown - Coventry, UK March 19th 2005
TWC: International Showdown - Coventry, UK March 19th 2005
Ah yes the legendary UK Indy super show ran by the now defunct Wrestling Channel. I was part of 3,400 in attendance for what was a great night of wrestling of all styles as well as a rare chance to see some of the top US and UK indy names on the circuit at the time.
Disc 1
The DVD begins with a nice promo by Johnny Storm hyping his match and it’s good enough to make one interested to see his match. Jobs a good'un.
1. Petey Williams v Chris Sabin v Johnny Storm v Spud
***1/2
This was billed an X division style high flying match and they pretty much delivered on that. Fast nonstop action which mostly was slick and tightly worked. If you've seen one of these matches before then you'll know what to expect. Everybody worked hard and was good to see the Brits on the same level as Sabin & Williams and yes does include Spud! Perfect match to open a show like this.
We get a quick post match interview with Spud. It's so quick I don't remember what he says and that should tell you how good it was.
2. World of Sport Match: Steve Grey v Mal Sanders
***
It probably goes without saying that a lot of fans had little to no interest in seeing two old gits go at it World of Sport British Rounds style hence the "Holy SHIT!" chant when they lock up for the first time and Sanders puts Grey in a headlock. Within two rounds though they change a lot of people’s opinions as they both still can move well and build the match around extremely technical wrestling. You can tell they're into it just by looking at the people facing
the hard camera...all of them are pretty glued to the action even if they are pretty quiet.
Apter's Alley
Bill Apter comes to the ring to give an outstanding contributions award to a special somebody. He is interrupted by Greg Lambert, FWA heel manager extraordinaire. Lambert and Apter have a nice little rebuttal on the mic until Lambert informs us that he is choosing the award recipient which is none other than FWA Champion "The Showstealer" Alex Shane. Shane pops out a few good insults at the crowd such as "Tonight at the after show I will be with not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but 5 actual real women while you lot will be at your mum and dad’s house in your bedrooms jackin' off over WWE Divas in the Caribbean". Classic! Shane grabs the award from Apter and is
incensed that it has Foleys name on it.
This brings out the Hardcore Legend to a massive pop. Mick has lots of respect for Apter and decides to tell us that Apter filmed his wedding video in 1991...ok. Then Apter starts doing a cookie monster impression upon request from Foley. How strange...Alex Shane interrupts and calls Foley "old, fat, washed up, crippled piece of shit" to his face. WOW! That was TREMENDOUS! Foley agrees on all point but he's pissed that Shane interrupted him in the middle of a CHEAP POP! Foley suggests that Shane leaves before he gets his ass whipped and of course he cowers away as the fans give him a tonne of heat. Foley says he's done it all in his career but he's never left the ring to the strains of the cookie monster wishing him "have a nice day". How bizarre. Foley
leaves but Alex Shane hops the rail and low blows Bill Apter. He wishes Foley a nice day and laughs maniacally. The Mickster runs down and the heels bail.
It was quite a long segment but was extremely good at giving Foley a purpose to be at the show as well as giving Shane so heat with the crowd for his match
later on.
3. Samoa Joe v CM Punk
****
Certainly whilst not quite up to the lofty standards set by their infamous trilogy of matches in ROH this is still quite a gem of a match. Imagine a compacted version of the trilogy done in a more exhibition style and you get this match. Punk tries his headlocks and the rope a dope tactic but here he plays very subtle heel as demonstrated when he slaps Joe right in the face when they go to break on the ropes. His arrogant and cocky demeanour afterwards worked nicely into the match. Both of them manage to pull out some tricks not seen in their previous meetings which gives this match its own identity when put up against their other encounters. They also do well to get the crowd into it as at the start only about 50% seemed lively for them due to the Mick Foley segment being right before the match. Fans of the infamous trilogy should seek this match out.
Disc 1 Bonus Material
I was wondering why they split the show over 2 discs when on its own it could have probably fit onto one. Then I checked out the bonus features...
Jack Xavier/Aviv Mayaan/Ross Jordan v Mark Sloan/Stevie Knight/Stixx
**
Not much to say about this one really. It was just bland and inoffensive throughout and nobody particularly did anything to stand out. Meh.
Q&A Session with Mick Foley
Some funny questions get asked here including "When are you going to knock out that leather faced fuck Ric Flair?". Classic! There's a fair few ECW questions as well as the odd weird one such as "coke or pepsi?". As random as it gets yet a totally fascinating 21 minutes.
Q&A Session with CM Punk
A pretty good watch here with all kinds of interesting and retarded questions being thrown Punks way. At around 14 minutes this was just long enough to not be too short but leaves you wanting more.
International Showdown Music video
Basically this is a load of highlight action clips from each match to a generic rock track. Meh...
Exclusive Backstage Footage
Really good montage of backstage footage mixed with bits of promos from a lot of the roster. You get to see behind the curtain literally as there's plenty of shots of wrestlers going out and coming back from the ring. It even has footage of Bill Apter putting Johnny Storm in a figure four leglock backstage. ACE! 7 minutes of goodness.
Disc 2
4. Doug Williams, James Tighe and Scorpio v Mitsuhara Misawa, Tiger Emperor and Yoshinari Ogawa
***1/4
Wow this is apparently the first time in over 30 years that any Japanese talent from any of the big companies has competed on British soil! Incase you don't know - James Tighe is a UK indy talent and Tiger Emporer is Kataro Suzuki in a mask. The match did very little for me until it kicked into gear towards the end. Scorpio is just kind of there as is Ogawa. Tighe does ok for himself but doesn't really stand out too well which is the complete opposite of Tiger Emperor who really pulls out a good performance. The crowd pops big for every Misawa interaction but of course he doesn't really do much...even for Misawa. Doug Williams is clearly the big favourite and he dully delivers. It's a strange match that just saw everybody do stuff until they went home. You could say it gave everybody time to "get their shit in" but a lot of the stuff was so pedestrian at times it just felt ordinary and slightly uninteresting. But credit where credit is due they certainly turned it around when it came time to go home with several exciting nearfalls. Without Tiger Emperor and Doug Williams this match would have been pretty dull.
Backstage Scorpio, Doug Williams and James Tighe get interviewed about their match. It's a generic promo...nothing to write home about.
5. Raven’s Rules match: Alex Shane v Raven
***3/4
Before the match starts Raven cuts a two or three line promo where he gets in all his catchphrases and a cheap pop. Jobs a good'un! What a good brawl these two have. It's that classic ECW style affair with the brawl going literally all over the building, blood, balcony spots and a dog pony show. The heat for Alex Shane is massive and rightfully so due to his appearance earlier on. I think one reason the fans are SO into this is because Raven beats and beats and beats of Shane and it's exactly what they want to see. The finish is erm...difficult to talk about without giving anything away. It's one of those things which normally would be totally stupid but given the circumstance...why the hell not!?!?! Feel good stuff going on here.
Post match Raven and Foley put on a puppet show with Mr Socko and another sock...seriously. Then they have a cheap pop-off where they keep on name dropping
Coventry. An odd if slightly humorous end do to a good bloody brawl.
Backstage Christopher Daniels is interviewed about his upcoming match. He's literally just won the X division title from Styles 6 days previously at Destination X in an Ultimate X match and he states it's not going ANYWHERE. Nice promo.
6. TNA X-Division Title Match: AJ Styles v Christopher Daniels.
****1/2
WOW seriously this is the BEST match between these two I have ever seen anywhere! Everything just flows so well as both guys are on their top game and the crowd is RABID for them. The matches pace is rapid and there's not a moment of dullness or a lull in excitement. They even do a great job of keeping the crowd guessing as to who's going to win, after all you would think an X Division title match overseas will have an obvious outcome but here, it's far from the case, as Styles is the former champion and TNA had a great relationship with The Wrestling Channel so it certainly all up for grabs. A lot of the crowd are on their feet for the last 5 minutes of the match which is a hell of an achievement with a crowd of 3,400 at an indy show.
Disc 2 Bonus Material
Alex Shane cuts a decent promo about his upcoming rematch with Raven. He's not shaved or slept since International Showdown...god knows what else he hasn't
done since then!
Raven vs. Alex Shane II - FWA War at the Shore
**1/2
This took place just one week after International Showdown and whilst there's no doubting that it's a considerable step down from their previous encounter it's by no means horrible. The match follows a similar formula - brawl everywhere, get some heat then a dog and pony show finish. There's a fun spot where they brawl over to a serving hatch and Raven picks up two Chuppa Chups lollypops, sticks them straight into Alex Shanes eyes then gives them to two little
kids stood behind him, classic! It's such a shame the Morecambe crowd are so odd...it seems like there's just kids shouting over each other all the time and no real chanting or clapping really occurs. Nevertheless it was an ok brawl.
Post match Raven cuts a short promo putting over the crowd and then we get a short music video of highlights from the match.
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles - Irish Whip Wrestling Supershow March 20th 2005
****
Quick pre-match promo by Daniels denying the crowd a chance to see the X Division title being defended especially of in such a low class country like Ireland. The crowd give him so much justified heat for that. As for the match itself, it was a more traditionally formulaic version of the previous evenings encounter. The crowd whilst a lot smaller in numbers were pretty hot throughout and reacted well to Daniels heel tactics as well as Styles’ fiery comebacks.
It's no MOTYC but certainly worth a viewing.
After reading all of that you probably have come to the same conclusion I have...as a package the DVD set of TWC: International Showdown of crammed! If you like the sound of what's on offer then don't hesitate to pick up a copy. The show itself is well rounded featuring some great matches and they really went out of their way to provide some unique and interesting bonus features.
8/10
Ah yes the legendary UK Indy super show ran by the now defunct Wrestling Channel. I was part of 3,400 in attendance for what was a great night of wrestling of all styles as well as a rare chance to see some of the top US and UK indy names on the circuit at the time.
Disc 1
The DVD begins with a nice promo by Johnny Storm hyping his match and it’s good enough to make one interested to see his match. Jobs a good'un.
1. Petey Williams v Chris Sabin v Johnny Storm v Spud
***1/2
This was billed an X division style high flying match and they pretty much delivered on that. Fast nonstop action which mostly was slick and tightly worked. If you've seen one of these matches before then you'll know what to expect. Everybody worked hard and was good to see the Brits on the same level as Sabin & Williams and yes does include Spud! Perfect match to open a show like this.
We get a quick post match interview with Spud. It's so quick I don't remember what he says and that should tell you how good it was.
2. World of Sport Match: Steve Grey v Mal Sanders
***
It probably goes without saying that a lot of fans had little to no interest in seeing two old gits go at it World of Sport British Rounds style hence the "Holy SHIT!" chant when they lock up for the first time and Sanders puts Grey in a headlock. Within two rounds though they change a lot of people’s opinions as they both still can move well and build the match around extremely technical wrestling. You can tell they're into it just by looking at the people facing
the hard camera...all of them are pretty glued to the action even if they are pretty quiet.
Apter's Alley
Bill Apter comes to the ring to give an outstanding contributions award to a special somebody. He is interrupted by Greg Lambert, FWA heel manager extraordinaire. Lambert and Apter have a nice little rebuttal on the mic until Lambert informs us that he is choosing the award recipient which is none other than FWA Champion "The Showstealer" Alex Shane. Shane pops out a few good insults at the crowd such as "Tonight at the after show I will be with not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4 but 5 actual real women while you lot will be at your mum and dad’s house in your bedrooms jackin' off over WWE Divas in the Caribbean". Classic! Shane grabs the award from Apter and is
incensed that it has Foleys name on it.
This brings out the Hardcore Legend to a massive pop. Mick has lots of respect for Apter and decides to tell us that Apter filmed his wedding video in 1991...ok. Then Apter starts doing a cookie monster impression upon request from Foley. How strange...Alex Shane interrupts and calls Foley "old, fat, washed up, crippled piece of shit" to his face. WOW! That was TREMENDOUS! Foley agrees on all point but he's pissed that Shane interrupted him in the middle of a CHEAP POP! Foley suggests that Shane leaves before he gets his ass whipped and of course he cowers away as the fans give him a tonne of heat. Foley says he's done it all in his career but he's never left the ring to the strains of the cookie monster wishing him "have a nice day". How bizarre. Foley
leaves but Alex Shane hops the rail and low blows Bill Apter. He wishes Foley a nice day and laughs maniacally. The Mickster runs down and the heels bail.
It was quite a long segment but was extremely good at giving Foley a purpose to be at the show as well as giving Shane so heat with the crowd for his match
later on.
3. Samoa Joe v CM Punk
****
Certainly whilst not quite up to the lofty standards set by their infamous trilogy of matches in ROH this is still quite a gem of a match. Imagine a compacted version of the trilogy done in a more exhibition style and you get this match. Punk tries his headlocks and the rope a dope tactic but here he plays very subtle heel as demonstrated when he slaps Joe right in the face when they go to break on the ropes. His arrogant and cocky demeanour afterwards worked nicely into the match. Both of them manage to pull out some tricks not seen in their previous meetings which gives this match its own identity when put up against their other encounters. They also do well to get the crowd into it as at the start only about 50% seemed lively for them due to the Mick Foley segment being right before the match. Fans of the infamous trilogy should seek this match out.
Disc 1 Bonus Material
I was wondering why they split the show over 2 discs when on its own it could have probably fit onto one. Then I checked out the bonus features...
Jack Xavier/Aviv Mayaan/Ross Jordan v Mark Sloan/Stevie Knight/Stixx
**
Not much to say about this one really. It was just bland and inoffensive throughout and nobody particularly did anything to stand out. Meh.
Q&A Session with Mick Foley
Some funny questions get asked here including "When are you going to knock out that leather faced fuck Ric Flair?". Classic! There's a fair few ECW questions as well as the odd weird one such as "coke or pepsi?". As random as it gets yet a totally fascinating 21 minutes.
Q&A Session with CM Punk
A pretty good watch here with all kinds of interesting and retarded questions being thrown Punks way. At around 14 minutes this was just long enough to not be too short but leaves you wanting more.
International Showdown Music video
Basically this is a load of highlight action clips from each match to a generic rock track. Meh...
Exclusive Backstage Footage
Really good montage of backstage footage mixed with bits of promos from a lot of the roster. You get to see behind the curtain literally as there's plenty of shots of wrestlers going out and coming back from the ring. It even has footage of Bill Apter putting Johnny Storm in a figure four leglock backstage. ACE! 7 minutes of goodness.
Disc 2
4. Doug Williams, James Tighe and Scorpio v Mitsuhara Misawa, Tiger Emperor and Yoshinari Ogawa
***1/4
Wow this is apparently the first time in over 30 years that any Japanese talent from any of the big companies has competed on British soil! Incase you don't know - James Tighe is a UK indy talent and Tiger Emporer is Kataro Suzuki in a mask. The match did very little for me until it kicked into gear towards the end. Scorpio is just kind of there as is Ogawa. Tighe does ok for himself but doesn't really stand out too well which is the complete opposite of Tiger Emperor who really pulls out a good performance. The crowd pops big for every Misawa interaction but of course he doesn't really do much...even for Misawa. Doug Williams is clearly the big favourite and he dully delivers. It's a strange match that just saw everybody do stuff until they went home. You could say it gave everybody time to "get their shit in" but a lot of the stuff was so pedestrian at times it just felt ordinary and slightly uninteresting. But credit where credit is due they certainly turned it around when it came time to go home with several exciting nearfalls. Without Tiger Emperor and Doug Williams this match would have been pretty dull.
Backstage Scorpio, Doug Williams and James Tighe get interviewed about their match. It's a generic promo...nothing to write home about.
5. Raven’s Rules match: Alex Shane v Raven
***3/4
Before the match starts Raven cuts a two or three line promo where he gets in all his catchphrases and a cheap pop. Jobs a good'un! What a good brawl these two have. It's that classic ECW style affair with the brawl going literally all over the building, blood, balcony spots and a dog pony show. The heat for Alex Shane is massive and rightfully so due to his appearance earlier on. I think one reason the fans are SO into this is because Raven beats and beats and beats of Shane and it's exactly what they want to see. The finish is erm...difficult to talk about without giving anything away. It's one of those things which normally would be totally stupid but given the circumstance...why the hell not!?!?! Feel good stuff going on here.
Post match Raven and Foley put on a puppet show with Mr Socko and another sock...seriously. Then they have a cheap pop-off where they keep on name dropping
Coventry. An odd if slightly humorous end do to a good bloody brawl.
Backstage Christopher Daniels is interviewed about his upcoming match. He's literally just won the X division title from Styles 6 days previously at Destination X in an Ultimate X match and he states it's not going ANYWHERE. Nice promo.
6. TNA X-Division Title Match: AJ Styles v Christopher Daniels.
****1/2
WOW seriously this is the BEST match between these two I have ever seen anywhere! Everything just flows so well as both guys are on their top game and the crowd is RABID for them. The matches pace is rapid and there's not a moment of dullness or a lull in excitement. They even do a great job of keeping the crowd guessing as to who's going to win, after all you would think an X Division title match overseas will have an obvious outcome but here, it's far from the case, as Styles is the former champion and TNA had a great relationship with The Wrestling Channel so it certainly all up for grabs. A lot of the crowd are on their feet for the last 5 minutes of the match which is a hell of an achievement with a crowd of 3,400 at an indy show.
Disc 2 Bonus Material
Alex Shane cuts a decent promo about his upcoming rematch with Raven. He's not shaved or slept since International Showdown...god knows what else he hasn't
done since then!
Raven vs. Alex Shane II - FWA War at the Shore
**1/2
This took place just one week after International Showdown and whilst there's no doubting that it's a considerable step down from their previous encounter it's by no means horrible. The match follows a similar formula - brawl everywhere, get some heat then a dog and pony show finish. There's a fun spot where they brawl over to a serving hatch and Raven picks up two Chuppa Chups lollypops, sticks them straight into Alex Shanes eyes then gives them to two little
kids stood behind him, classic! It's such a shame the Morecambe crowd are so odd...it seems like there's just kids shouting over each other all the time and no real chanting or clapping really occurs. Nevertheless it was an ok brawl.
Post match Raven cuts a short promo putting over the crowd and then we get a short music video of highlights from the match.
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles - Irish Whip Wrestling Supershow March 20th 2005
****
Quick pre-match promo by Daniels denying the crowd a chance to see the X Division title being defended especially of in such a low class country like Ireland. The crowd give him so much justified heat for that. As for the match itself, it was a more traditionally formulaic version of the previous evenings encounter. The crowd whilst a lot smaller in numbers were pretty hot throughout and reacted well to Daniels heel tactics as well as Styles’ fiery comebacks.
It's no MOTYC but certainly worth a viewing.
After reading all of that you probably have come to the same conclusion I have...as a package the DVD set of TWC: International Showdown of crammed! If you like the sound of what's on offer then don't hesitate to pick up a copy. The show itself is well rounded featuring some great matches and they really went out of their way to provide some unique and interesting bonus features.
8/10
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