Match 1: Eddie Edwards vs. Rhino
One full year ago, Edwards was main eventing the show against Chris Hero for the big one. Tonight, he is in the opening contest against Rhino. It just feels like ROH dropped the ball on Edwards after he lost the title and it is frustrating to see him wrestle these random matches like this. Rhino is a perfect fit for The House of Truth and the two pulled off a great opening bout here. Rhino looks to be in great shape and Edwards was great as usual. This should really come off as no surprise to anyone and of course, the Canada crowd was hot! Edwards rolls up Rhino to get the win and I am pretty confident this win for Edwards is going to be meaningless in a month.
Winner: Eddie Edwards
Rating: **¾
Match 2: The All Night Express & TJ Perkins vs. The Young Bucks & Mike Mondo
As expected, this match was jampacked with tons of action and tons of big moves. This was a great way to get everyone on the card and while I think it should have been the match to kick off the night, it was still great and the crowd absolutely loved it. Granted, the match was definitely sloppy at times but it is expected when you have six guys beating the living hell out of each other. Seeing all these guys land a massive array of kicks upon each other was such a joy to see. Creativity leads to a hot crowd and that is exactly what we got here. A fun match with The All Night Express & Perkins getting the big win. However, I just cannot seem to give this match a higher score considering all the hiccups they managed to make.
Winners: The All Night Express & TJ Perkins
Rating: ***
Match 3: Jay Lethal vs. Tommaso Ciampa
I expressed previously that I have no interest in this feud. Until now. These guys pulled out everything they had from start to finish in this match and it was one wild ride! Ciampa is riding a long undefeated streak and hopes to continue it here against Lethal. I know I shouldn’t be, but I was completely shocked to see that this match delivered and passed all my expectations. The crowd, the interfering Embassy, and the action and passion the two left in the ring was awesome. I have not seen too much variety from these guys but they definitely brought their A game here as the close falls and growing anticipation to a pin fall was very eminent. In most cases, I hate having interferences in matches but it was very fitting here and in all actuality, boosted the intensity of the match. Lethal nearly has Ciampa after the Lethal Injection until RD Evans pulls out Sinclair. Lethal hits Hail to the King. Ciampa kicks out. Lethal finally kills Ciampa after a crazy Lethal Combination to finally get the win and put an end to Ciampa’s streak. A great display of professional wrestling and maybe I am overrating this match, but I loved it. The show is off to a hot start. They did a nice job of showing their hate for each other before the match and they managed to pull off a roller coaster ride of a match which showed how badly they wanted to win. Good stuff.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ****½
Match 4: Lance Storm vs. Mike Bennett
Lance Storm came out to one of Chris Jericho’s songs. That is so damn cool! This match has managed to give off the big match type of vibe that that was not really there the last time around. Always amazed at the shape Storm is in with his age. I’m even more impressed to see him still go at it in the ring and this match is a great example. A better showing for the two here than the last time in Florida as the chemistry just meshed well better in this contest. They wrestled at a faster pace here and Bennett definitely went all out his this match here against Storm. Unfortunately for Bennett, bringing in a steel chair became his downfall as a distraction from Brutal Bob allowed Storm to hit him with a chair and nail a big kick for the win. Hate to see Bennett eat the pin but a cool Border Wars moment to see Storm celebrate in his hometown.
Winner: Lance Storm
Rating: ***¼
Match 5: Adam Cole vs. Michael Elgin
The strong Border Wards card continues as two guys who are on the verge of breaking out go at it. The House of Truth’s Michael Elgin taking on Adam Cole. The crowd seems a bit tired after the last few matches but when needed, they definitely added a little boost to this match. The action is dominated early on by Elgin and looks to easily be in control the match. While the front half of the contest was pretty slow, it built a nice gateway for a very strong second half that Elgin managed to show off his unreal strength. After a last back and fourth exchange, Elgin hits his finisher to pick up the big win. Afterwards, Truth Martini mocks Adam Cole until Cole lands a nasty kick upon him. Elgin picks Martini up and walks him to the back with a reluctant look on his face. Strong contest that really blends well with the card.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: ***
Match 6: ROH World Television Championship - Roderick Strong © vs. Fit Finlay
It’s pretty surreal to see Finlay, a guy who I used to watch on WWE television growing up go against a Ring of Honor veteran on their iPPV. Finlay’s wrestling style may not be the flashiest, but it gets the job done and gives off an amazing story telling in the process. Strong was a perfect opponent for Finlay because he does a great job at adapting to different wrestling styles and he looked comfortable in his role with Finlay. The match was very methodical and while the crowd was quiet again, you can easily feel the sign of respect the crowd is displaying to Fit. Interesting wrestling from the two and pretty nostalgic to see Finlay in the ring and seeing him use his tactics in order to gain an advantage. However, Strong proved to be too much for Finlay as he picked up the big victory. The match was pretty good but way too long for my liking. Finlay receives a deserved standing ovation from the crowd afterwards.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: **¾
Match 7: ROH World Tag Team Championships - Fight Without Honor - The Briscoes © vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
The feel and ambiance that this match is so reminiscent of The Briscoes going against The Kings of Wrestling in Canada the year beforehand. An unbelievably hot crowd and the action started off hot with Mark Briscoe running out in hockey gear attacking WGTT. Right from the start, all four guys brought it and the crowd was eating up every second of it. Having this type of match at this stage of the show is definitely a big risk but it looks to be very rewarding considering how hot the crowd is and hopefully, that can transcend into the main event. Everything was working until the very end when Haas decided to bring out a towel which he sprayed with something that allowed him to knock out Mark Briscoe. This led to WGTT winning the belts. I can’t be making this up. The commentators and planted fans in the audience sell the towel as WGTT walk out as champs. I’ve seen some pretty stupid things in wrestling, but this one is near the top. This was such a fun and wild match that unfortunately, turned into something stupid simply because of an insanely stupid finish.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: **½
Match 8: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Kevin Steen
I like Kevin Steen. As a matter of fact, he is one of my favorite wrestlers in the game right now. I find his matches to entertaining, however, I feel like many of them are simply a case smoke and mirrors. This match can be used as evidence in the big main event that has been anticipated for months. One of Steen’s biggest drawbacks is his lack of athleticism. Going against Richards was going to be his biggest test physically in a long time and he looked like a mess. While he later revealed that he was sick for the match, he look downright exhausted and it became frustrating to see that he could hardly keep up with the more athletic champion. From start to finish, it almost felt to me that Richards was the fuel that kept the match going with Steen simply tagging along. I’m not saying Steen did not help in his role, I’m just stating the facts as Steen did not look physically prepared and as a fan, it was frustrating. The crowd loved the match, they were ridiculously on Steen’s side and Richards had no choice but to play the role of a heel and he looked right at home. His reign as the man has been pretty lackluster and I can only imagine the difference there would be had he been this badass heel like he was here. Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs both were out ringside with Jacobs in the corner of Steen as Corino sat down next to the commentators eerily with nothing to say. The two cranked the match up near the end with Steen finally hitting his Package Piledriver to capture the belt, ending the disappointing reign by Richards. Cary Silkin looks frustrated and refuses to hand over the belt to Steen as Corino later comes in to hug Steen alongside Jacobs to close out the show. A complete shame that Jim Cornette was not there to witness all this. I hate saying that someone carried another individual in a match but this was exactly the situation here. For all the praise this match gets, most of the credit should belong to Richards. The physical shape this man is in is impressive and it is a shame that he had to drop the belt to someone in the exact opposite shape. I understand the flow of hate that may come my way and I am willing to take it. Even still, I am glad to see Steen as champion and I expect a lengthy reign. The match was good but nowhere near lived up to its large expectations. Even still, it was a very fitting way to cap off the Canada iPPV.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Simply put, this show will be remembered for the main event. This is a shame considering how strong everything else was and how ROH managed to pull off a fairly consistent iPPV show from top to bottom, especially Lethal vs. Ciampa. Steen winning the belt will be the moment everyone remembers along with him hugging Corino at the end. But I think this show should be symbolized as how bad the booking of Richards as champion was. For the first time in his reign, he looked like a badass animal. This just comes off as a missed opportunity in so many ways. The company is heading in a different direction, only time will tell if it’s going the right way.
Rating: 7.75/10
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
ROH Unity Review
Match 1: The All Night Express vs. Roderick Strong & Michael Elgin
The title of the show is very appropriate as we are set for a huge night of tag team action in the latter part of April! This is the first time ever these two teams will be colliding and they have the chance to get the show going at their pace. Michael Elgin has blossomed into an absolute star of the company and his strengths were on display early and often here. Great back and fourth action with everyone playing their roles nicely. Rhett Titus was the weak link of the match as he is returning from a knee injury while Kenny King is the guy that is trying to get the crowd energetic and in turn, give his side the momentum needed. Conversely, Roderick Strong is seemingly looking out for mainly himself and that shows when he apparently injures his knee near the end of the match which lets the referee not see that Elgin has Titus ready for a winning pin. This allows The All Night Express to capitalize and pin Elgin for the win. Elgin & Strong are visibly upset with each other and have a very heated conversation afterwards until Truth Martini breaks it up. I love when tag team wrestling is done right and this is a prime example. Everyone playing their roles properly with great action throughout.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***¼
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Mike Sydal
Mike Bennett comes out before the match with Maria to do the routinely heel shtick before Mike Sydal interrupts and we have an impromptu match tonight between these two. I must say, for a glorified squash match, this was pretty fun to watch. Bennett is that great new heel that the company really needs and his interactions with the crowd are wonderful. Plus, he has Maria by his side to help boost some heat. Bennett gets the convincing win and continues to make out with Maria after the match.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¼
Match 3: The Young Bucks vs. The Bravados
The Bravado Brothers are returning from their Ring of Honor hiatus after months in a Pro Wrestling Noah Dojo against arguably the best tag team in the business. It is incredible to see how much The Bravados have improved, they look more confident in the ring and are managing to pull off extremely athletic and innovative moves in the ring. Keeping up with the fast Bucks is no easy task but these guys pulled it off. They went from being scrubs of the company to getting huge support from the fans as they defeat The Bucks here in a shocking manner. The Bravados are a cool representation of the company. They didn’t light the company on fire in their early stint but after learning and improving, they are poised for a much stronger future. A big win against The Young Bucks is a great start. Bucks get the attention for being a fantastic team, but it was The Bravados who stole the spotlight tonight.
Winners: The Bravados
Rating: ***¼
Match 4: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen & Jimmy Jacobs vs. El Generico & BJ Whitmer
Whitmer is a very fitting choice of partner for Generico considering the history between he and Jacobs. This match quickly gets turned from a regular tag match to a no disqualification match after Jim Cornette made the call via cell phone call to Todd Sinclair. That was really stupid. Anyway, this is the third year in a row that ROH has held a big no disqualification tag team match in April for a Chicago show. Unlike the last two, the guys put an emphasis on fighting each other and going for the win instead of simply beating the hell out of each other with a bunch of weapons. While the action did get chaotic, it did not get to the point where any cringing was necessary. It was just a fun match with lots of action and lots of cool spots. Although I was expecting much more, they managed to pull off a very enjoyable match that served its purpose and played the role of being a great transition into the big matches. Generico & Whitmer pick up the win after Whitmer slams Jacobs through a table off the top rope. The biggest gripe I just have with this match was Generico & Whitmer getting the win. It makes Steen come off as a weaker foe for Richards and this is so close to Border Wars.
Winners: El Generico & BJ Whitmer
Rating: ***½
Match 5: The Colony vs. Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, & TJ Perkins
I have not seen much from these Chikara guys but am definitely looking forward to this match. The match is going by Chikara’s Trios rules in which you can have a partner enter the match by simply rolling out of the ring. A simple, yet innovative rule to increase action. The crowd is somewhat split for both teams and you really get that sense of war from this match. A feeling the company is trying to convey through this event. Off the bat, I am definitely impressed by the communication and how well they complement each other. This is also the first time the ROH team is teaming together but they are already definitely showing their abilities to work well with each other. While the action sometimes fell into a cluster on occasion, it was still tons of fun to watch and the crowd was easily into the action. Tons of cool creative spots with the crowd eating it up on the way. Team Chikara gets the win after the Chikara referee does not see Perkins pinning a member of The Colony which eventually led to The Colony switching the pin over Perkins. A tainted win by Team Chikara which Cark Silkin gets very upset over. Nonetheless, that was a fun match which could have been tons more special had it gone on a bit longer.
Winners: The Colony
Rating: ***¾
Match 6: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Team Ambition
I love WGTT as heels, they play their roles so nicely and the crowd just eats it all up. Them facing Team Ambition is perfect for the night as Kyle O’Reilly is slowly becoming a heel. The only unfortunate part is how bad O’Reilly is at cutting promos and with his body language. It becomes embarrassing to watch him try to gain heat. The main problem I have with both sides is how many of their matches are hard to differentiate from each other. Watch one match and essentially, you have seen them all. I was pleased to see that this match not only was different, but simply felt different from the rest of the pack. This may be due to the drastic change in characters but the action just had a nicer flow to things. It was definitely a longer match but it never felt like the match was dragging. WGTT pick up the victory after miscommunication between Richards & O’Reilly throughout the match. O’Reilly basically left Richards to the pack of wolves during the match and later, accidentally pushed Richards. This all eventually led to Shelton Benjamin getting the pin on O’Reilly. Good match with a good win for WGTT. The right team definitely won here as O’Reilly gets ready for his heel turn and Richards gets ready for his match against Adam Cole.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: ***½
Match 7: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. Jigsaw & Hallowicked
This is the big finish to the ROH vs. Chikara weekend as The Briscoes look to successfully defend against Team Chikara after ROH suffered a tough loss earlier. Action between the two teams was stiff early and throughout with no team getting the real upper hand. Their styles complement each other nicely and the crowd is loving the fighting. They tried to separate this match from all the other tag matches that occurred earlier on and I feel like they were pretty successful in doing so. A match at a faster pace with more big moves instead of a methodically paced match. This works considering the tone the main event is set at. After guys come out to support each team, The Briscoes pull out the big win and retain to avenge ROH’s loss earlier in the night. Big show for the company that really needed something interesting to pull them out of this jam they are stuck in. The Briscoes picking up the big win at the end of the night prove that they are indeed the top tag team in independent wrestling and they still have bigger things on the horizon. Interesting to see where this whole feud goes after both sides celebrate at the end. It feels like a feud that could have a been so much more. It simply feels like a big missed opportunity.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: ***¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The show felt fresh and something different, exactly what the company was lacking. The idea of this show was to not only display this huge ROH vs. Chikara feud, but also push Border Wars. It should easily be one of the biggest shows in company history. This was a great way for the company to push the stars and the show on the way there.
Rating: 7.75/10
The title of the show is very appropriate as we are set for a huge night of tag team action in the latter part of April! This is the first time ever these two teams will be colliding and they have the chance to get the show going at their pace. Michael Elgin has blossomed into an absolute star of the company and his strengths were on display early and often here. Great back and fourth action with everyone playing their roles nicely. Rhett Titus was the weak link of the match as he is returning from a knee injury while Kenny King is the guy that is trying to get the crowd energetic and in turn, give his side the momentum needed. Conversely, Roderick Strong is seemingly looking out for mainly himself and that shows when he apparently injures his knee near the end of the match which lets the referee not see that Elgin has Titus ready for a winning pin. This allows The All Night Express to capitalize and pin Elgin for the win. Elgin & Strong are visibly upset with each other and have a very heated conversation afterwards until Truth Martini breaks it up. I love when tag team wrestling is done right and this is a prime example. Everyone playing their roles properly with great action throughout.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***¼
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Mike Sydal
Mike Bennett comes out before the match with Maria to do the routinely heel shtick before Mike Sydal interrupts and we have an impromptu match tonight between these two. I must say, for a glorified squash match, this was pretty fun to watch. Bennett is that great new heel that the company really needs and his interactions with the crowd are wonderful. Plus, he has Maria by his side to help boost some heat. Bennett gets the convincing win and continues to make out with Maria after the match.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¼
Match 3: The Young Bucks vs. The Bravados
The Bravado Brothers are returning from their Ring of Honor hiatus after months in a Pro Wrestling Noah Dojo against arguably the best tag team in the business. It is incredible to see how much The Bravados have improved, they look more confident in the ring and are managing to pull off extremely athletic and innovative moves in the ring. Keeping up with the fast Bucks is no easy task but these guys pulled it off. They went from being scrubs of the company to getting huge support from the fans as they defeat The Bucks here in a shocking manner. The Bravados are a cool representation of the company. They didn’t light the company on fire in their early stint but after learning and improving, they are poised for a much stronger future. A big win against The Young Bucks is a great start. Bucks get the attention for being a fantastic team, but it was The Bravados who stole the spotlight tonight.
Winners: The Bravados
Rating: ***¼
Match 4: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen & Jimmy Jacobs vs. El Generico & BJ Whitmer
Whitmer is a very fitting choice of partner for Generico considering the history between he and Jacobs. This match quickly gets turned from a regular tag match to a no disqualification match after Jim Cornette made the call via cell phone call to Todd Sinclair. That was really stupid. Anyway, this is the third year in a row that ROH has held a big no disqualification tag team match in April for a Chicago show. Unlike the last two, the guys put an emphasis on fighting each other and going for the win instead of simply beating the hell out of each other with a bunch of weapons. While the action did get chaotic, it did not get to the point where any cringing was necessary. It was just a fun match with lots of action and lots of cool spots. Although I was expecting much more, they managed to pull off a very enjoyable match that served its purpose and played the role of being a great transition into the big matches. Generico & Whitmer pick up the win after Whitmer slams Jacobs through a table off the top rope. The biggest gripe I just have with this match was Generico & Whitmer getting the win. It makes Steen come off as a weaker foe for Richards and this is so close to Border Wars.
Winners: El Generico & BJ Whitmer
Rating: ***½
Match 5: The Colony vs. Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, & TJ Perkins
I have not seen much from these Chikara guys but am definitely looking forward to this match. The match is going by Chikara’s Trios rules in which you can have a partner enter the match by simply rolling out of the ring. A simple, yet innovative rule to increase action. The crowd is somewhat split for both teams and you really get that sense of war from this match. A feeling the company is trying to convey through this event. Off the bat, I am definitely impressed by the communication and how well they complement each other. This is also the first time the ROH team is teaming together but they are already definitely showing their abilities to work well with each other. While the action sometimes fell into a cluster on occasion, it was still tons of fun to watch and the crowd was easily into the action. Tons of cool creative spots with the crowd eating it up on the way. Team Chikara gets the win after the Chikara referee does not see Perkins pinning a member of The Colony which eventually led to The Colony switching the pin over Perkins. A tainted win by Team Chikara which Cark Silkin gets very upset over. Nonetheless, that was a fun match which could have been tons more special had it gone on a bit longer.
Winners: The Colony
Rating: ***¾
Match 6: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Team Ambition
I love WGTT as heels, they play their roles so nicely and the crowd just eats it all up. Them facing Team Ambition is perfect for the night as Kyle O’Reilly is slowly becoming a heel. The only unfortunate part is how bad O’Reilly is at cutting promos and with his body language. It becomes embarrassing to watch him try to gain heat. The main problem I have with both sides is how many of their matches are hard to differentiate from each other. Watch one match and essentially, you have seen them all. I was pleased to see that this match not only was different, but simply felt different from the rest of the pack. This may be due to the drastic change in characters but the action just had a nicer flow to things. It was definitely a longer match but it never felt like the match was dragging. WGTT pick up the victory after miscommunication between Richards & O’Reilly throughout the match. O’Reilly basically left Richards to the pack of wolves during the match and later, accidentally pushed Richards. This all eventually led to Shelton Benjamin getting the pin on O’Reilly. Good match with a good win for WGTT. The right team definitely won here as O’Reilly gets ready for his heel turn and Richards gets ready for his match against Adam Cole.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: ***½
Match 7: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. Jigsaw & Hallowicked
This is the big finish to the ROH vs. Chikara weekend as The Briscoes look to successfully defend against Team Chikara after ROH suffered a tough loss earlier. Action between the two teams was stiff early and throughout with no team getting the real upper hand. Their styles complement each other nicely and the crowd is loving the fighting. They tried to separate this match from all the other tag matches that occurred earlier on and I feel like they were pretty successful in doing so. A match at a faster pace with more big moves instead of a methodically paced match. This works considering the tone the main event is set at. After guys come out to support each team, The Briscoes pull out the big win and retain to avenge ROH’s loss earlier in the night. Big show for the company that really needed something interesting to pull them out of this jam they are stuck in. The Briscoes picking up the big win at the end of the night prove that they are indeed the top tag team in independent wrestling and they still have bigger things on the horizon. Interesting to see where this whole feud goes after both sides celebrate at the end. It feels like a feud that could have a been so much more. It simply feels like a big missed opportunity.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: ***¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The show felt fresh and something different, exactly what the company was lacking. The idea of this show was to not only display this huge ROH vs. Chikara feud, but also push Border Wars. It should easily be one of the biggest shows in company history. This was a great way for the company to push the stars and the show on the way there.
Rating: 7.75/10
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