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
Sunday, May 5, 2013
ROH Showdown in the Sun - Day #2 Review
Match 1: El Generico vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Jacobs comes out to kick off the show to address the crowd for his actions the previous night until El Generico comes out and goes after Jacobs as the bell rings! Night 2 is officially under way! For an impromptu contest, this was fun to watch and was short to the point. Jacobs tries to use the spike against Generico but is unable to connect and finally rolls up Generico for the win. Just a big surprise and quick win for Jacobs as Generico is again getting lost in this roster. Nice match to open up the show.
Winner: Jimmy Jacobs
Rating: **¼
Match 2: Cedric Alexander vs. Tommaso Ciampa
This was just a quick match to further Ciampa as an animal as he took care of Alexander in just a few minutes after Ciampa drives his knee into Alexander. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, Ciampa is ready for a bigger role in the company. Coleman puts his hands on Prince Nana which leads him to getting destroyed by Ciampa afterwards.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: *¼
Match 3: TJ Perkins vs. Fire Ant
Haven’t seen much Chikara so this is one of my first few times seeing Fire Ant and these two managed to put on a great little contest. The technical wrestling was there and the big moves were there to boot. Crowd wasn’t too much into the action but they did show their respect and attention still. With that being said, a pretty damn good match which suffered from time constraints. TJ picked up the win for ROH after the 450. The feud of ROH vs. Chikara continues.
Winner: TJ Perkins
Rating: **¾
Match 4: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
They showed a video clip of O’Reilly talking trash to Cole before the match and it was bad. It almost feels as if his character is so forced. Fortunately, the story is different with him in the ring. O’Reilly seems like a good fit as a heel but I strongly feel that Cole should have been the one to turn heel. For the amount of time given, they did a good job of using their strengths to fit the match. However, the action just seemed so slow for the talent given in the ring and the fun just wasn’t there for part of the match. Both the crowd and the commentators just didn’t even show that much interest. O’Reilly gets the quick win by pulling of the tights. Interesting to see where they go from here.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
Rating: **½
Match 5: Street Fight - The Young Bucks vs. The All Night Express
This is the second part of the Dual Duel matches for the two teams of the weekend. These two are a couple of my favorite tag teams in the business so a match with no rules or disqualifications should be a ton of fun. The intensity the two teams always bring is here and present with the crowd supporting all the action. The match didn’t go to extreme levels but went to the point where you could simply feel the feud in front of your eyes. A fun match for the weekend and definitely not the end of this feud. Bucks pick up the win after a big table spot and they leave Ft. Lauderdale with the big advantage.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Rating: ***¼
Match 6: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
This is a match that I just simply was not looking forward to and therefore, I had trouble investing in. It’s almost as if we have seen this match tons of times before and the action is pretty much the same that we’ve seen before. The wrestling was fine, the crowd was pretty hot, and WGTT were great in their roles as heels. But the problem arises when you feel like you’re watching a repeat of a match you’ve seen before. It also doesn’t help that this match followed the street fight and this match doesn’t seem as important. Briscoes retain after a quick pin. WGTT attack The Briscoes after the match as the feud continues.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: ***
Match 7: Eddie Edwards vs. Kevin Steen
Steen hasn’t lost a match since rejoining the company as he faces Eddie Edwards on the second show of the weekend. Crowd is somewhat split for both men and the action began quickly and stayed in the same gear throughout. I know I will get much hate for this but I feel like many of Steen’s matches are smoke and mirrors. He relies too much on flashy moves to make his matches interesting from a wrestling standpoint and this was a great example. I’m not saying this is a downfall for Steen but it becomes repetitive. However, that is not to say that these two pulled out a fun match that got the crowd set up for the final two matches. Steen is quickly moving up the ranks and a win here further proves it. Edwards is going downhill pretty fast and I really hope that ROH puts him in a better position soon.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: **¾
Match 8: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Roderick Strong
Before the match, Tommaso Ciampa comes out and after a few words with Lethal, Lethal accepts Ciampa’s challenge to put the belt on the line. In the ring, Lethal doesn’t really do wonders for me and I don’t think this match isn’t going to change anything on that. His matches are just so similar to each other to me and this one was just like any other I have seen from him. The technical wrestling was there and fun to watch but the pacing was just too slow for my liking. It felt like they were waiting for the time limit to near its end so Ciampa could get involved. Ciampa softly threw Lethal into a steel post where Strong finished Lethal off to win the second ROH Triple Crown. Decent match that lacked energy throughout. Strong should be an interesting champion and the feud between Lethal and Ciampa continues.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: **¾
Match 9: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Michael Elgin
This is the match that has managed to garner critical acclaim and rightfully so. From start to finish, this was one hell of a match. Whether it be the intensity, the kicking out, the kicks, the moves, or anything, everything felt important and all served its own purpose. If I’m correct, this is Elgin’s first shot at the championship and he definitely managed to impress. He is quickly becoming a huge star and this furthers my point. This is the last match for the ROH weekend and the crowd managed to keep their emotions heavily invested. This match just felt a little different from Davey’s other matches because he used storytelling and psychology instead of focusing of landing kick after kick. I’m not saying Richards was the prime reason for the excellence of the match but he definitely upped his game here and made sure to close out the weekend on a heavy note. Every big move and submission in this contest felt like it mattered. In typical matches for these guys and even the whole company, the moves of some wrestlers can be strongly diminished. In this case, Elgin slamming Richards into the barricade felt like it changed the match. Richards’ submission moves on Elgin had a significant impact and was also the prime reason to which Richards was able to land one final kick for the win. Go out of your way to see this match. A very inspiring wrestling match in a weekend full of overshadowing smoke and mirrors. I don’t have the words to describe the finishing sequence of this match. Just a beautiful performance by both. Definitely one in my top matches in Ring of Honor.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: *****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A weaker show than last night and also didn’t really do much to differentiate from it. However, the main event was incredible. Simply put, one of the best matches in recent memory. Seeing Elgin spit in the face of Davey Richards was so damn cool. Seeing Richards land one last blow to Elgin’s head was so damn cool. The whole match was just so damn cool and something fresh in a pretty stale show.
Rating: 7/10
Jacobs comes out to kick off the show to address the crowd for his actions the previous night until El Generico comes out and goes after Jacobs as the bell rings! Night 2 is officially under way! For an impromptu contest, this was fun to watch and was short to the point. Jacobs tries to use the spike against Generico but is unable to connect and finally rolls up Generico for the win. Just a big surprise and quick win for Jacobs as Generico is again getting lost in this roster. Nice match to open up the show.
Winner: Jimmy Jacobs
Rating: **¼
Match 2: Cedric Alexander vs. Tommaso Ciampa
This was just a quick match to further Ciampa as an animal as he took care of Alexander in just a few minutes after Ciampa drives his knee into Alexander. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, Ciampa is ready for a bigger role in the company. Coleman puts his hands on Prince Nana which leads him to getting destroyed by Ciampa afterwards.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: *¼
Match 3: TJ Perkins vs. Fire Ant
Haven’t seen much Chikara so this is one of my first few times seeing Fire Ant and these two managed to put on a great little contest. The technical wrestling was there and the big moves were there to boot. Crowd wasn’t too much into the action but they did show their respect and attention still. With that being said, a pretty damn good match which suffered from time constraints. TJ picked up the win for ROH after the 450. The feud of ROH vs. Chikara continues.
Winner: TJ Perkins
Rating: **¾
Match 4: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
They showed a video clip of O’Reilly talking trash to Cole before the match and it was bad. It almost feels as if his character is so forced. Fortunately, the story is different with him in the ring. O’Reilly seems like a good fit as a heel but I strongly feel that Cole should have been the one to turn heel. For the amount of time given, they did a good job of using their strengths to fit the match. However, the action just seemed so slow for the talent given in the ring and the fun just wasn’t there for part of the match. Both the crowd and the commentators just didn’t even show that much interest. O’Reilly gets the quick win by pulling of the tights. Interesting to see where they go from here.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
Rating: **½
Match 5: Street Fight - The Young Bucks vs. The All Night Express
This is the second part of the Dual Duel matches for the two teams of the weekend. These two are a couple of my favorite tag teams in the business so a match with no rules or disqualifications should be a ton of fun. The intensity the two teams always bring is here and present with the crowd supporting all the action. The match didn’t go to extreme levels but went to the point where you could simply feel the feud in front of your eyes. A fun match for the weekend and definitely not the end of this feud. Bucks pick up the win after a big table spot and they leave Ft. Lauderdale with the big advantage.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Rating: ***¼
Match 6: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
This is a match that I just simply was not looking forward to and therefore, I had trouble investing in. It’s almost as if we have seen this match tons of times before and the action is pretty much the same that we’ve seen before. The wrestling was fine, the crowd was pretty hot, and WGTT were great in their roles as heels. But the problem arises when you feel like you’re watching a repeat of a match you’ve seen before. It also doesn’t help that this match followed the street fight and this match doesn’t seem as important. Briscoes retain after a quick pin. WGTT attack The Briscoes after the match as the feud continues.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: ***
Match 7: Eddie Edwards vs. Kevin Steen
Steen hasn’t lost a match since rejoining the company as he faces Eddie Edwards on the second show of the weekend. Crowd is somewhat split for both men and the action began quickly and stayed in the same gear throughout. I know I will get much hate for this but I feel like many of Steen’s matches are smoke and mirrors. He relies too much on flashy moves to make his matches interesting from a wrestling standpoint and this was a great example. I’m not saying this is a downfall for Steen but it becomes repetitive. However, that is not to say that these two pulled out a fun match that got the crowd set up for the final two matches. Steen is quickly moving up the ranks and a win here further proves it. Edwards is going downhill pretty fast and I really hope that ROH puts him in a better position soon.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: **¾
Match 8: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Roderick Strong
Before the match, Tommaso Ciampa comes out and after a few words with Lethal, Lethal accepts Ciampa’s challenge to put the belt on the line. In the ring, Lethal doesn’t really do wonders for me and I don’t think this match isn’t going to change anything on that. His matches are just so similar to each other to me and this one was just like any other I have seen from him. The technical wrestling was there and fun to watch but the pacing was just too slow for my liking. It felt like they were waiting for the time limit to near its end so Ciampa could get involved. Ciampa softly threw Lethal into a steel post where Strong finished Lethal off to win the second ROH Triple Crown. Decent match that lacked energy throughout. Strong should be an interesting champion and the feud between Lethal and Ciampa continues.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: **¾
Match 9: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Michael Elgin
This is the match that has managed to garner critical acclaim and rightfully so. From start to finish, this was one hell of a match. Whether it be the intensity, the kicking out, the kicks, the moves, or anything, everything felt important and all served its own purpose. If I’m correct, this is Elgin’s first shot at the championship and he definitely managed to impress. He is quickly becoming a huge star and this furthers my point. This is the last match for the ROH weekend and the crowd managed to keep their emotions heavily invested. This match just felt a little different from Davey’s other matches because he used storytelling and psychology instead of focusing of landing kick after kick. I’m not saying Richards was the prime reason for the excellence of the match but he definitely upped his game here and made sure to close out the weekend on a heavy note. Every big move and submission in this contest felt like it mattered. In typical matches for these guys and even the whole company, the moves of some wrestlers can be strongly diminished. In this case, Elgin slamming Richards into the barricade felt like it changed the match. Richards’ submission moves on Elgin had a significant impact and was also the prime reason to which Richards was able to land one final kick for the win. Go out of your way to see this match. A very inspiring wrestling match in a weekend full of overshadowing smoke and mirrors. I don’t have the words to describe the finishing sequence of this match. Just a beautiful performance by both. Definitely one in my top matches in Ring of Honor.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: *****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A weaker show than last night and also didn’t really do much to differentiate from it. However, the main event was incredible. Simply put, one of the best matches in recent memory. Seeing Elgin spit in the face of Davey Richards was so damn cool. Seeing Richards land one last blow to Elgin’s head was so damn cool. The whole match was just so damn cool and something fresh in a pretty stale show.
Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
ROH Showdown in the Sun - Day #1 Review
Match 1: Proving Ground - The Briscoes vs. Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste
We kick off the big weekend with The Briscoes! They face a team of Australians who earned their spot a couple months back at Rise + Prove. They come off as a very generic tag team but they were definitely able to impress with their huge array of moves. The crowd was impressed but they were basically a glorified punching bag for The Briscoes. Some cool spots here and there when ultimately, The Briscoes put a cap on them.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **½
Match 2: Adam Pearce vs. Adam Cole
Jim Cornette is out to interview Adam Pearce for whatever reason. NWA had a show last night where Pearce retained his championship against Adam Cole. Cole then interrupts Pearce and we now have an impromptu contest. Good action from the two with Cole getting a cool win after Pearce was going for a piledriver until the referee stopped it. Good win for Cole for the weekend.
Winner: Adam Cole
Rating: *¾
Match 3: Tornado - The Young Bucks vs. The All Night Express
This is their first of two matches for the weekend with tomorrow’s being a Street Fight. It seemed as if they wanted to save their energy and creativity for tomorrow. While this match did excite at some levels and some moments, it just fell short and came off as very underwhelming. The All Night Express get the first win after a very abrupt finish. Afterwards, The Bucks take out Rhett Titus and his injured knee. Decent affair that never got out of that first gear and suffered from the lack of time.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Kyle O’Reilly
I’ve been a bit critical of both these guys in the past for the fact that I feel that most of their matches come off as being recycled. However, this was a great opportunity for them to prove me wrong. Good match with excellent pacing but the attention was more drawn over to Ciampa who was standing out ringside. Another good match that suffered from lack of time as Lethal gets the clean win over the heel O’Reilly. Definitely expected more from the two but considering the position they were in, it was understandable. They most likely will have a better rematch down the line.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***
Match 5: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander
One of my first few times watching Coleman & Alexander as they face up against Haas & Benjamin. Not much to say about this match, decent action that never really got out of the first gear. Both Haas & Benjamin are very entertaining in their heel roles and the crowd really reacted well to them. Good match, just take it for what it’s worth. A match to get these guys on the card and show off the heel WGGT on iPPV.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: **¼
Match 6: Mike Bennett vs. Lance Storm
For those who don’t know, Lance Storm is a legend of the business who never really had any much charisma to break through that glass ceiling. Bennett isn’t necessarily the most technically sound wrestler but hopefully, he can pull out some unexpected stuff against Storm. Wrestling was heavy here and while Storm did show some rust in the ring, he still looked really good and very much in shape. Bennett was no slouch, he hung in there with Storm and both men really made the match lots of fun. Bennett picks up the strong win and drops him one more time after the match. Bennett is becoming a strong heel and big things should definitely be in his horizon.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Last Man Standing - El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
This is another match in their feud that will seemingly never end. Even still, it is a much anticipated match for the weekend and you can assure that they will put up one hell of a fight. However, knowing the severity of these types of matches, my interest is not as high as it was back in 2010. The action was not over the top but there were still times in which I had no choice but to cringe. They made every move count and you could simply feel the hatred and animosity between the two. It’s certainly a task that wrestlers have a hard time capturing these days. Jimmy Jacobs comes in at the end of the contest and decks El Generico in the face with a steel chair to help Steen secure the victory. The feud between Jim Cornette and Kevin Steen turns up a notch as Steen takes out his nemesis in El Generico. I’m glad that the action did not cross the line and remained within the borders of safe, albeit the table and chair spots. Steen is hot right now and his road to facing Davey Richards is becoming more clear and more exciting. Great match for the weekend a great way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ****
Match 8: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong
While the intensity of the rivalries has seemingly been cooled down between all three guys, this match is easily one of the most anticipated ones of the weekend. It reminds me of Cena vs. Triple H vs. Orton a few years back in 2008. The company’s top dogs going after the top prize. The big fight feel is present as the three guys go at it with elimination rules. Fantastic wrestling from the first half and especially from Richards. Richards is wrestling this match at a different rate from usual and adjusting to the added opponent nicely. That does not mean that Strong or Edwards or slouching, they both brought their top notch game and we had a match going as if we were on a swing. A very balanced out amount of exchanges from all competitors with Truth Martini & Michael Elgin causing a distraction which allowed Strong to roll up Edwards for the first elimination. Afterwards, Richards took out Strong after a huge kick to Martini to retain the title. Elgin then rushes the ring and destroys Richards as he challenges Richards the next day. As I stated earlier, very reminiscent to the WrestleMania XXIV triple threat and in a sense, ROH’s Big Bang main event back in 2010. The wrestling, the action, the crowd, the drama was all fantastic and the match didn’t overstay its welcome. A fine main event to close out the first show of the weekend.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: ****¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
ROH normally pulls out some great shows during these big weekends and this show is no exception. Fine wrestling from start to finish with a fantastic main event that sets up tomorrow’s main event with Richards vs. Elgin. While not as strong as last year, the show to kick off the weekend was a fun watch!
Rating: 8/10
Sunday, April 14, 2013
WWE WrestleMania XXVIII Review
Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship - Daniel Bryan © vs. Sheamus
The opening match for the big show is once again for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus kicks Bryan and gets the win in 18 seconds. This was a glorified squash match and it was just ridiculous. Was definitely hoping for a really good match between two really good wrestlers. However, I can’t say I’m surprised. Here’s hoping for a better future after this for Bryan.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Kane
Before I get into this match, it should be noted that Kane gets the victory! It was really cool to see WWE’s most underrated guy get a win over Orton on the biggest stage. Anyway, this was a pretty good match at best and Orton put up a very serious effort against the bigger and stronger Kane. Kane reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, he isn’t the most entertaining guy to watch but he gets the job done efficiently and is the veteran that doesn’t get the attention he so rightfully deserves. Good back and fourth contest to come off the opening match with an awesome finish!
Winner: Kane
Rating: **¾
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Cody Rhodes © vs. The Big Show
Pretty cool story going into this match about Cody teasing Show for never having a big moment at WrestleMania. Couldn’t help but feel throughout the course of this match that this was a complete filler and maybe having the Money in the Bank match would have helped miles more. Alas, the match was decent for what it was with Show pulling out the big win to capture gold and capture a cool moment. Pretty interesting to see Kane & Show go over in consecutive matches over two former Legacy members.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve
This match will always be remembered for the stain that was on Menounos’ pants because this match was a dud. Your typical Divas match that just brought nothing to the table which is a shame considering they had a few good past matches.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
Rating: ¼*
Match 5: Hell in a Cell - The Undertaker vs. Triple H
The epilogue after the series of matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels continues here as Triple H gets another opportunity at conquering The Undertaker and The Streak. With Shawn Michaels as the guest referee and the contest being battled inside Hell in a Cell, this is easily one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Just the matches between Michaels and Undertaker, I don’t know where to begin with this one. Just a definite masterpiece in its own right. The ambiance, the production, the lowering of the cage, everything was done masterfully and the match already had its pace set before the bell even rang. Good action from the first few minutes before Hunter seemingly had his grasp on the match. He began to take The Undertaker out with a series of nasty chair shots to the dismay of Shawn who tried to stop the match to Undertaker’s refusal. Hunter calls back to WrestleMania XXVI by telling Undertaker to stay down. Shawn tries to get himself involved until Undertaker takes him out before being saved by Triple H. Good psychology and smart wrestling from the first half until the second half takes off with The Undertaker getting back into the thick of things and gives Triple H chair shots. Plenty of great spacing, kicking out, and spots from the match so far with Michaels dropping Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music in revenge. However, Triple H can’t capitalize and that even after bringing out the sledgehammer, The Undertaker and his streak is safe. After a grueling battle, Triple H tries to hit The Undertaker with one last shot through the sledgehammer to which The Undertaker catches the shot and caps off the match with a Tombstone. Everything worked, this match had so much hype that I didn’t think it would live up to it. However, I was wrong. Amazing action, Shawn was great in his role, and the whole match consisted of smart wrestling psychology. One for the ages. A definite end of an era.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *****
Match 6: Booker T, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, & Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
It’s Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy with the winner taking over both brands. This match feels like a complete filler but a much needed one at that to both give all these guys a spot on the card and to also ease the mood after the crazy match before this. Basic big tag team match with everyone getting their share of action and a few cool moves here and there. Ultimately, The Miz finishes off Zack Ryder and Team Teddy after Eve distracted Ryder. Eve then gave a low blow to Ryder afterwards.
Winners: Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
Rating: **½
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Chris Jericho
The WWE Championship has only changed hands twice on this grand stage since 2004. Before the match, John Laurinaitis declares that Punk will drop the title to Jericho if he gets disqualified. This has been a sensational and personal feud surrounding Jericho mocking Punk for his dysfunctional family and their addictions. With this, Jericho tries to get himself disqualified early on until realizing Punk won’t fall for his tricks. Jericho takes control of the match early on until the momentum quickly turns into a swing. Fantastic fundamental wrestling from the two, a breath of fresh air from what we’ve been watching tonight. However, considering that the feud is a very personal one, I was hoping that they would amp up the action just a bit. Even still, the reversals and submissions were just a joy to watch as Punk manages to make Jericho to submit using the Anaconda Vice. A cool showing from both men who manage to change the pace of the show with something different. The crowd may have not been reacting greatly to it, but they definitely showed their respect and attention to it.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 8: John Cena vs. The Rock
It is not time for the main event, the second WrestleMania main event without a world title on the line in the past three years. A match that is being billed as once in a lifetime, John Cena vs. The Rock. It’s a clash of two different generations as both men come out to special entrances under the night sky of Miami, Florida. This is one of the rare cases in pro wrestling where the hype was more than the match itself. The action in the ring wasn’t anything particularly special in the first half. They played things smart and used the crowd as a way to build anticipation and suspense for the latter half. It seemed as if they were trying to recreate The Rock’s showdown with Hulk Hogan. Although The Rock looked to be drained after the first half of the match, his will help kept him moving forward and the crowd was hot in turn. Great exchanges and close calls with both men hitting their main finishers. Sometimes, wrestlers milk this opportunity and make every pin come off as predictable and less exciting than the last. However, the spacing from both men was tremendous and while both men did not go for submission victories or pins constantly, it helped make each one special. In their case, less was more. After The Rock kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment by Cena, Cena tried capping off the match by mockingly doing a People’s Elbow on The Rock. Rock then hit a Rock Bottom to pick up the victory in front of his hometown. Great main event and a memorable contest to finish a memorable show. Rock winning only allows for a future rematch. Some may see this as an odd choice, but it makes sense in a financial standpoint. WWE took a look at the bigger picture and helped shape the future.
Winner: The Rock
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very reminiscent show to that of WrestleMania 24 with the atmosphere and matches themselves resembling each other. With that said, the show was very good and definitely lived up to the WrestleMania lineage. Things started off pretty slow until the three main matches came in to save the day and make this show something to remember. From a ratings standpoint, the show didn’t set the world on fire. However, the show managed to capture memorable moments for different reasons.
Rating: 7.75/10
The opening match for the big show is once again for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus kicks Bryan and gets the win in 18 seconds. This was a glorified squash match and it was just ridiculous. Was definitely hoping for a really good match between two really good wrestlers. However, I can’t say I’m surprised. Here’s hoping for a better future after this for Bryan.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Kane
Before I get into this match, it should be noted that Kane gets the victory! It was really cool to see WWE’s most underrated guy get a win over Orton on the biggest stage. Anyway, this was a pretty good match at best and Orton put up a very serious effort against the bigger and stronger Kane. Kane reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, he isn’t the most entertaining guy to watch but he gets the job done efficiently and is the veteran that doesn’t get the attention he so rightfully deserves. Good back and fourth contest to come off the opening match with an awesome finish!
Winner: Kane
Rating: **¾
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Cody Rhodes © vs. The Big Show
Pretty cool story going into this match about Cody teasing Show for never having a big moment at WrestleMania. Couldn’t help but feel throughout the course of this match that this was a complete filler and maybe having the Money in the Bank match would have helped miles more. Alas, the match was decent for what it was with Show pulling out the big win to capture gold and capture a cool moment. Pretty interesting to see Kane & Show go over in consecutive matches over two former Legacy members.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve
This match will always be remembered for the stain that was on Menounos’ pants because this match was a dud. Your typical Divas match that just brought nothing to the table which is a shame considering they had a few good past matches.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
Rating: ¼*
Match 5: Hell in a Cell - The Undertaker vs. Triple H
The epilogue after the series of matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels continues here as Triple H gets another opportunity at conquering The Undertaker and The Streak. With Shawn Michaels as the guest referee and the contest being battled inside Hell in a Cell, this is easily one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Just the matches between Michaels and Undertaker, I don’t know where to begin with this one. Just a definite masterpiece in its own right. The ambiance, the production, the lowering of the cage, everything was done masterfully and the match already had its pace set before the bell even rang. Good action from the first few minutes before Hunter seemingly had his grasp on the match. He began to take The Undertaker out with a series of nasty chair shots to the dismay of Shawn who tried to stop the match to Undertaker’s refusal. Hunter calls back to WrestleMania XXVI by telling Undertaker to stay down. Shawn tries to get himself involved until Undertaker takes him out before being saved by Triple H. Good psychology and smart wrestling from the first half until the second half takes off with The Undertaker getting back into the thick of things and gives Triple H chair shots. Plenty of great spacing, kicking out, and spots from the match so far with Michaels dropping Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music in revenge. However, Triple H can’t capitalize and that even after bringing out the sledgehammer, The Undertaker and his streak is safe. After a grueling battle, Triple H tries to hit The Undertaker with one last shot through the sledgehammer to which The Undertaker catches the shot and caps off the match with a Tombstone. Everything worked, this match had so much hype that I didn’t think it would live up to it. However, I was wrong. Amazing action, Shawn was great in his role, and the whole match consisted of smart wrestling psychology. One for the ages. A definite end of an era.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *****
Match 6: Booker T, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, & Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
It’s Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy with the winner taking over both brands. This match feels like a complete filler but a much needed one at that to both give all these guys a spot on the card and to also ease the mood after the crazy match before this. Basic big tag team match with everyone getting their share of action and a few cool moves here and there. Ultimately, The Miz finishes off Zack Ryder and Team Teddy after Eve distracted Ryder. Eve then gave a low blow to Ryder afterwards.
Winners: Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
Rating: **½
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Chris Jericho
The WWE Championship has only changed hands twice on this grand stage since 2004. Before the match, John Laurinaitis declares that Punk will drop the title to Jericho if he gets disqualified. This has been a sensational and personal feud surrounding Jericho mocking Punk for his dysfunctional family and their addictions. With this, Jericho tries to get himself disqualified early on until realizing Punk won’t fall for his tricks. Jericho takes control of the match early on until the momentum quickly turns into a swing. Fantastic fundamental wrestling from the two, a breath of fresh air from what we’ve been watching tonight. However, considering that the feud is a very personal one, I was hoping that they would amp up the action just a bit. Even still, the reversals and submissions were just a joy to watch as Punk manages to make Jericho to submit using the Anaconda Vice. A cool showing from both men who manage to change the pace of the show with something different. The crowd may have not been reacting greatly to it, but they definitely showed their respect and attention to it.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 8: John Cena vs. The Rock
It is not time for the main event, the second WrestleMania main event without a world title on the line in the past three years. A match that is being billed as once in a lifetime, John Cena vs. The Rock. It’s a clash of two different generations as both men come out to special entrances under the night sky of Miami, Florida. This is one of the rare cases in pro wrestling where the hype was more than the match itself. The action in the ring wasn’t anything particularly special in the first half. They played things smart and used the crowd as a way to build anticipation and suspense for the latter half. It seemed as if they were trying to recreate The Rock’s showdown with Hulk Hogan. Although The Rock looked to be drained after the first half of the match, his will help kept him moving forward and the crowd was hot in turn. Great exchanges and close calls with both men hitting their main finishers. Sometimes, wrestlers milk this opportunity and make every pin come off as predictable and less exciting than the last. However, the spacing from both men was tremendous and while both men did not go for submission victories or pins constantly, it helped make each one special. In their case, less was more. After The Rock kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment by Cena, Cena tried capping off the match by mockingly doing a People’s Elbow on The Rock. Rock then hit a Rock Bottom to pick up the victory in front of his hometown. Great main event and a memorable contest to finish a memorable show. Rock winning only allows for a future rematch. Some may see this as an odd choice, but it makes sense in a financial standpoint. WWE took a look at the bigger picture and helped shape the future.
Winner: The Rock
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very reminiscent show to that of WrestleMania 24 with the atmosphere and matches themselves resembling each other. With that said, the show was very good and definitely lived up to the WrestleMania lineage. Things started off pretty slow until the three main matches came in to save the day and make this show something to remember. From a ratings standpoint, the show didn’t set the world on fire. However, the show managed to capture memorable moments for different reasons.
Rating: 7.75/10
Friday, March 22, 2013
ROH 10th Anniversary: Young Wolves Rising Review
Match 1: The All Night Express vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Before I get into this, it should be noted that the overall visual quality has improved dramatically and it looks fantastic. Good too see The All Night Express back and the crowd is really loving this one. Great action to start off the show with just a little bit of ring rust shown by Rhett Titus who had his leg being targeted. Good psychology, fun action, and just a fitting match to open up the night as The All Night Express pick up a win in their big return.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Homicide
Mike Bennett is like a WWE wrestler wrestling in an ROH ring, his style is methodical and isn’t really flashy. With that being said, going against someone like Homicide isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire. The action definitely slowed down from the past match and it was just hard to get into the action. Homicide is just all over the place these days and his sluggish wrestling abilities didn’t tie well with Bennett. Maria causes a distraction which leads to Bennett rolling up Homicide for the win.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¾
Match 3: The House of Truth vs. TJ Perkins & Amazing Red
The heat between The House is starting to shape up and it’s becoming more intriguing each time. This is a battle between two teams of strength against speed. They managed to work their styles together nicely and the action was nonstop and relentless from the beginning. The announcers did a great job of putting over the two teams as the match never really had a clear winner. However, The House get a big win and hopefully for them, things have become a bit more stable.
Winners: The House of Truth
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Tommaso Ciampa
ROH has done a nice job of building up both these guys and the match as a whole. They’re finally making the title feel important and having these two go at it is a great representation of it. The announcers quickly note that there is a 15 minute time limit to the match which basically spoils where this match is headed. Slow and decent action to start things off until the final few minutes where both men finally turn it up a notch and end on a strong note as the bell tolls for an expiration on the time. Good match, nothing out of the ordinary. Things definitely dragged from the start and when they finally got going, it all just seemed too late. However, this was a nice way to build up for bigger things in the future.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **¾
Match 5: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. The Young Bucks
It’s almost as if we’ve seen every combination of that tag teams in Ring of Honor. And it’s almost as if we’ve seen this match tons of times. A good tag match to say the least, standard action we’ve become accustomed to seeing from these guys. Even still, the action was fast and furious and it was fitting for The Briscoes to pick up the big win. They both give hugs to Cary Silkin afterwards. Just completely underwhelming and with the stage that this is, I was really hoping for a much better battle. The crowd, the announcers, and even the wrestlers for that matter didn’t manage to give this match the credibility it needed.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **¾
Match 6: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Kevin Steen is quickly increasing himself in the ranks in Ring of Honor and he looks to take care of Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino pleading him to stop. Jacobs sets the mood early on by revealing that he will be fighting Steen in his Age of the Fall outfit, a nice touch. As expected, this was a nasty brawl but thankfully, the violence was taken down a notch from Steen’s last matches against the likes of Generico and Corino. However, blood still played a crucial factor in the match when Jacobs stabbed Steen in the latter stages of the match. This prompts Steen to smile and retaliate with a spike of his own to Jacobs and finally, tossing him onto two chairs for the finish. I really hope they end these types of matches. As much as I enjoy them, I just can’t watch them anymore knowing the risks they are going through. The blood was cool but I don’t think it was justified, a good match and a good way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
There has been much controversy over this particular match and it closing out the show. However, I think it’s a perfect fit as we get to see a mix of two veterans and two young guys on the rise. This match was exactly what you could simply imagine it to be, four guys going at it full speed with tons of kicks, chops, and cool submissions. Oh, and a bunch a kicking out. Did I mention there was a ton of kicking out? Because this match was nearly more than half an hour long and while the action was fun, it just seemed unnecessarily long. The crowd didn’t really seem too interested in this match closing out the show and particularly gave heat to Davey Richards. The exchanges between Richards and Edwards was very entertaining and only increased the heat between them that had been seemingly lost. With that being said, the biggest highlight of the match was definitely Adam Cole pinning the champ! After all the kicking out and all the big spots, Adam Cole getting an upset pin on Richards was a cool sight. The crowd was definitely surprised and it was definitely a fitting way to end the match. While I enjoyed the match, the action got repetitive and the match just got hurt through its long duration.
Winners: Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another good effort from Ring of Honor on iPPV. Still, not a strong show that the company needs badly. The flow to the show worked and the main gripes simply come from the variety and strength of the matches. In some ways, it felt as if I was watching the same thing over again and it becomes a huge reason for me to switch over to another wrestling promotion. While the main event was a great way to celebrate the company’s anniversary, it definitely overstayed its welcome and in some sense, diminished the quality of the match itself. With all this being said, I am very happy that the company has lasted this long and I am hopeful to see it around for another ten years.
Rating: 6.5/10
Before I get into this, it should be noted that the overall visual quality has improved dramatically and it looks fantastic. Good too see The All Night Express back and the crowd is really loving this one. Great action to start off the show with just a little bit of ring rust shown by Rhett Titus who had his leg being targeted. Good psychology, fun action, and just a fitting match to open up the night as The All Night Express pick up a win in their big return.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Homicide
Mike Bennett is like a WWE wrestler wrestling in an ROH ring, his style is methodical and isn’t really flashy. With that being said, going against someone like Homicide isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire. The action definitely slowed down from the past match and it was just hard to get into the action. Homicide is just all over the place these days and his sluggish wrestling abilities didn’t tie well with Bennett. Maria causes a distraction which leads to Bennett rolling up Homicide for the win.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¾
Match 3: The House of Truth vs. TJ Perkins & Amazing Red
The heat between The House is starting to shape up and it’s becoming more intriguing each time. This is a battle between two teams of strength against speed. They managed to work their styles together nicely and the action was nonstop and relentless from the beginning. The announcers did a great job of putting over the two teams as the match never really had a clear winner. However, The House get a big win and hopefully for them, things have become a bit more stable.
Winners: The House of Truth
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Tommaso Ciampa
ROH has done a nice job of building up both these guys and the match as a whole. They’re finally making the title feel important and having these two go at it is a great representation of it. The announcers quickly note that there is a 15 minute time limit to the match which basically spoils where this match is headed. Slow and decent action to start things off until the final few minutes where both men finally turn it up a notch and end on a strong note as the bell tolls for an expiration on the time. Good match, nothing out of the ordinary. Things definitely dragged from the start and when they finally got going, it all just seemed too late. However, this was a nice way to build up for bigger things in the future.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **¾
Match 5: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. The Young Bucks
It’s almost as if we’ve seen every combination of that tag teams in Ring of Honor. And it’s almost as if we’ve seen this match tons of times. A good tag match to say the least, standard action we’ve become accustomed to seeing from these guys. Even still, the action was fast and furious and it was fitting for The Briscoes to pick up the big win. They both give hugs to Cary Silkin afterwards. Just completely underwhelming and with the stage that this is, I was really hoping for a much better battle. The crowd, the announcers, and even the wrestlers for that matter didn’t manage to give this match the credibility it needed.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **¾
Match 6: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Kevin Steen is quickly increasing himself in the ranks in Ring of Honor and he looks to take care of Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino pleading him to stop. Jacobs sets the mood early on by revealing that he will be fighting Steen in his Age of the Fall outfit, a nice touch. As expected, this was a nasty brawl but thankfully, the violence was taken down a notch from Steen’s last matches against the likes of Generico and Corino. However, blood still played a crucial factor in the match when Jacobs stabbed Steen in the latter stages of the match. This prompts Steen to smile and retaliate with a spike of his own to Jacobs and finally, tossing him onto two chairs for the finish. I really hope they end these types of matches. As much as I enjoy them, I just can’t watch them anymore knowing the risks they are going through. The blood was cool but I don’t think it was justified, a good match and a good way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
There has been much controversy over this particular match and it closing out the show. However, I think it’s a perfect fit as we get to see a mix of two veterans and two young guys on the rise. This match was exactly what you could simply imagine it to be, four guys going at it full speed with tons of kicks, chops, and cool submissions. Oh, and a bunch a kicking out. Did I mention there was a ton of kicking out? Because this match was nearly more than half an hour long and while the action was fun, it just seemed unnecessarily long. The crowd didn’t really seem too interested in this match closing out the show and particularly gave heat to Davey Richards. The exchanges between Richards and Edwards was very entertaining and only increased the heat between them that had been seemingly lost. With that being said, the biggest highlight of the match was definitely Adam Cole pinning the champ! After all the kicking out and all the big spots, Adam Cole getting an upset pin on Richards was a cool sight. The crowd was definitely surprised and it was definitely a fitting way to end the match. While I enjoyed the match, the action got repetitive and the match just got hurt through its long duration.
Winners: Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another good effort from Ring of Honor on iPPV. Still, not a strong show that the company needs badly. The flow to the show worked and the main gripes simply come from the variety and strength of the matches. In some ways, it felt as if I was watching the same thing over again and it becomes a huge reason for me to switch over to another wrestling promotion. While the main event was a great way to celebrate the company’s anniversary, it definitely overstayed its welcome and in some sense, diminished the quality of the match itself. With all this being said, I am very happy that the company has lasted this long and I am hopeful to see it around for another ten years.
Rating: 6.5/10
Sunday, February 17, 2013
WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 Review
Match 1: WWE Championship - Elimination Chamber - CM Punk © vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth
Surprised that this is the match they decided to kick off the show with. Had a gut feeling that they were going to close out the night with Punk. Michael Cole quickly notifies the audience that in its ten year existence, the Chamber is a high risking way for titles to change hands. Only three champions have retained inside the Chamber. Taking the fact that this was the opening contest of the night, the match served its role brilliantly. It was great, had a nice flow, and had the crowd going. The match also made sure to not overstay its welcome and not steal the show to tale away the flame for the rest of the night. Every man in the match was over and looked good. The eliminations weren’t sudden and for good reason, they take away the idea of putting men over inside the Chamber. Punk and The Miz were the final two and Punk hit the GTS to retain. Great match and a great win for CM Punk.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Beth Phoenix © vs. Tamina Snuka
Beth Phoenix is having a pretty damn good reign and it continues here tonight against Snuka. Hard to believe that a Divas match would be a really fun roller coaster but these two managed to pull off an impressive showing. The two look really great in the ring and Phoenix is starting to get really over as a Diva. She wins by hitting a Gland Slam.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: *¾
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Daniel Bryan © vs. The Great Khali vs. The Big Show vs. Santino Marella vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes
So with this, we will be getting John Cena vs. Kane in the main event. On paper, this match looks to be another fantastic Chamber match as Bryan looks to defend and retain his belt for only the fifth time in the Chamber’s existence. The booking of this match was absolutely brilliant. From getting Khali out of the match quickly, to having Show destroy Bryan inside his pod, to Rhodes elimination Show, and to Marella nearly pulling off the Milan Miracle Part II. The drama, action, and excitement was definitely through the roof and the crowd really enjoyed this one more than the one earlier. Bryan makes Marella tap out to retain. Sheamus later comes out after the match and takes out Daniel Bryan. Things are getting interesting.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****
Match 4: United States Championship - Jack Swagger © vs. Justin Gabriel
This was basically just a simple squash match to kill some time and put a quick spotlight on Swagger. Nothing special, served its purpose finely. Gabriel has a lot of talent and probably deserves better. Too bad he ran into the push that is Jack Swagger.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Rating: ½*
Match 5: Ambulance - John Cena vs. Kane
This has to be one of the oddest feuds in recent memory. It also happens to be the marquee match of the night. This is the first Ambulance match in over ten years and it’s John Cena trying to overcome the hate against Kane. The crowd is pretty hot for this one and both men take the fight around the arena and really go at each other. Surprised to see Cena take some big bumps before his match against The Rock including getting a Chokeslam through the table. However, the seriousness of the match took a toll when Cena took a microphone and asked Booker if he was apart of his top five. I understand that they’re just trying to have some fun, but I really felt like it took a lot of the drama. Cena eventually gained the victory after delivering a cool Attitude Adjustment to Kane off the ambulance. Decent match and a fitting way to end the last PPV before WrestleMania. As much as one of the Chamber matches would be great to close out the night, Cena needs to stand tall before going up against The Rock.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Had high hopes for the show that just weren’t realized. While the Chamber matches were great, it just simply wasn’t enough to give the PPV that extra push. I understand that the objective of this show is to simply create more buzz for the next one, however, it shouldn’t be an excuse for a PPV to finish so poorly.
Rating: 5.75/10
Surprised that this is the match they decided to kick off the show with. Had a gut feeling that they were going to close out the night with Punk. Michael Cole quickly notifies the audience that in its ten year existence, the Chamber is a high risking way for titles to change hands. Only three champions have retained inside the Chamber. Taking the fact that this was the opening contest of the night, the match served its role brilliantly. It was great, had a nice flow, and had the crowd going. The match also made sure to not overstay its welcome and not steal the show to tale away the flame for the rest of the night. Every man in the match was over and looked good. The eliminations weren’t sudden and for good reason, they take away the idea of putting men over inside the Chamber. Punk and The Miz were the final two and Punk hit the GTS to retain. Great match and a great win for CM Punk.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Beth Phoenix © vs. Tamina Snuka
Beth Phoenix is having a pretty damn good reign and it continues here tonight against Snuka. Hard to believe that a Divas match would be a really fun roller coaster but these two managed to pull off an impressive showing. The two look really great in the ring and Phoenix is starting to get really over as a Diva. She wins by hitting a Gland Slam.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: *¾
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Daniel Bryan © vs. The Great Khali vs. The Big Show vs. Santino Marella vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes
So with this, we will be getting John Cena vs. Kane in the main event. On paper, this match looks to be another fantastic Chamber match as Bryan looks to defend and retain his belt for only the fifth time in the Chamber’s existence. The booking of this match was absolutely brilliant. From getting Khali out of the match quickly, to having Show destroy Bryan inside his pod, to Rhodes elimination Show, and to Marella nearly pulling off the Milan Miracle Part II. The drama, action, and excitement was definitely through the roof and the crowd really enjoyed this one more than the one earlier. Bryan makes Marella tap out to retain. Sheamus later comes out after the match and takes out Daniel Bryan. Things are getting interesting.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****
Match 4: United States Championship - Jack Swagger © vs. Justin Gabriel
This was basically just a simple squash match to kill some time and put a quick spotlight on Swagger. Nothing special, served its purpose finely. Gabriel has a lot of talent and probably deserves better. Too bad he ran into the push that is Jack Swagger.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Rating: ½*
Match 5: Ambulance - John Cena vs. Kane
This has to be one of the oddest feuds in recent memory. It also happens to be the marquee match of the night. This is the first Ambulance match in over ten years and it’s John Cena trying to overcome the hate against Kane. The crowd is pretty hot for this one and both men take the fight around the arena and really go at each other. Surprised to see Cena take some big bumps before his match against The Rock including getting a Chokeslam through the table. However, the seriousness of the match took a toll when Cena took a microphone and asked Booker if he was apart of his top five. I understand that they’re just trying to have some fun, but I really felt like it took a lot of the drama. Cena eventually gained the victory after delivering a cool Attitude Adjustment to Kane off the ambulance. Decent match and a fitting way to end the last PPV before WrestleMania. As much as one of the Chamber matches would be great to close out the night, Cena needs to stand tall before going up against The Rock.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Had high hopes for the show that just weren’t realized. While the Chamber matches were great, it just simply wasn’t enough to give the PPV that extra push. I understand that the objective of this show is to simply create more buzz for the next one, however, it shouldn’t be an excuse for a PPV to finish so poorly.
Rating: 5.75/10
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