411’s Instant Access 09.11.10: ROH Glory By Honor IX

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Aaron Hubbard, author of The Contentious Ten.
• Chris Lansdell, 411’s Games Editor and author of Elimin8.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

Special Challenge Match #1
Jay Briscoe vs. Kenny King
Match Result: Kenny King defeats Jay Briscoe with the Royal Flush.
Match Length: 7:33
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I was skeptical of the decision to split up the Briscoe Brothers into two separate singles matches, but I have to admit that this match somewhat justified that decision. This was a hot match to start the show, and on some level I respect the decision to let the Briscoe Brothers demonstrate that they can shine in singles matches. This wasn’t a remarkably memorable match, but it was certainly entertaining. I also applaud the decision to use the finish of this match to seamlessly segue into the next match on the card.
Hubbard: This was a good way to start the show, though I was kind of overwhelmed. Both men are capable of better than this and I just couldn’t get into it. King definitely deserved the win as he’s the hottest prospect of the four, so I was happy with that.
Lansdell: I was a little surprised that they chose to open with this, but I thought it did a fine job of warming up the crowd. Nothing spectacular, but high-paced and with King getting to bust out all his athletic stuff without going too far and overshadowing what Shelton would be doing later. Speaking of Shelton, there’s a dream match for Kenny King. Anyway I thought this and the next match played perfectly into the nascent Briscoes/ANE feud, with the score tied at 1. Next event we should get the reverse singles, then go to a tag match. Possibly do Briscoes and Daniels against ANE and Aries on HDNet before the tag match goes down. Nice little start.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***
Hubbard: **¾
Lansdell: ***¼
Average Match Rating: ***

Special Challenge Match #2
Mark Briscoe w/ Jay Briscoe vs. Rhett Titus w/ Kenny King
Match Result: Mark Briscoe defeats Rhett Titus with the Cut-Throat Driver.
Match Length: 9:25
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Having this second Special Challenge Match directly follow the first gave both matches the kind of cohesion that may have been lost if the matches had been separated on the card. In addition, having Jay Briscoe and Kenny King remain at ringside gave this match a different dynamic than the first match and ensured that the two matches were not unnecessarily similar. Unfortunately, Mark Briscoe and Rhett Titus simply weren’t able to work together as well as Jay Briscoe and Kenny King. The first match was fluid and dynamic, but this match seemed more disjointed and focused on setting up big spots. This wasn’t a bad match, but it wasn’t able to live up to the standard set by the first match. In the end, I have to feel like splitting these tag teams up into two singles matches produced two passable but ultimately mediocre matches, and the show as a whole probably would have been better served by booking one good tag team match rather than two middling singles matches.
Hubbard: This wasn’t much besides a lot of uninspired strike exchanges. I was thoroughly bored for most of it. Mark hit two or three nice moves, and the Cutthroat Driver is always nice to see, but it doesn’t change the fact that this was boring for most of it.
Lansdell: So we come out of a post-match brawl for the first bout and right into this one, which seems a bit forced but hey, we’ll run with it. I enjoyed this, and although a lot of people will say it just did nothing I can’t fully agree. Titus is not quite at the level that the other three in the feud are at, so he is always going to be a step behind in the ring. Mark was always going to get the win and hey, CUT-THROAT DRIVER. It’s like a Burning Hammer only slightly less awesome, but still enough to give this match * * * * * * * * * * *. What? I can’t do that? OK, **½.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Hubbard: *½
Lansdell: **½
Average Match Rating: **¼

Tag Team Grudge Match
Grizzly Redwood & Ballz Mahoney vs. Erick Stevens & Necro Butcher w/ Prince Nana and Mr. Ernesto Osiris
Match Result: Erick Stevens defeats Ballz Mahoney with the Lighting Spiral.
Match Length: 7:47
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match just wasn’t working for me. I think the problem was that it wasn’t clear it this match was supposed to be a serious match or a comedy match, and the hybrid of both styles seemed random and confusing. I will admit that Ballz Mahoney can still wrestle far better that anyone expects, and I will always be amazed that a crowd can still start a rousing ECW chant after all that has been done to the legacy of ECW over the course of the last decade. Anyway, this was a thoroughly forgettable match, and it probably didn’t deserve a spot on the pay-per-view card.
Hubbard: This match happened? Okay, in all fairness, Ballz was super over, but I didn’t care about this and I don’t think anyone else is going to care about it tomorrow. It was competent and not as bad as I expected. The Lightning Spiral, even that slow of one, is also a great move, so I’m glad to see Stevens using it.
Lansdell: Can we keep Balls and Grizzly as a team and call them Chopped Balls? Or Balls and Wood? No? Fine, be that way. It was OK I guess. I had no idea that Balls could actually wrestle, but he certainly showed it here. I have absolutely no interest in watching Necro Butcher in the ring, and only marginally more in watching Grizzly, but it was fine. Didn’t offend me, was short enough and Grizzly didn’t take the fall which means the feud MUST CONTINUE [End Howard Finkel voice]. As an aside, Prince Nana’s little promo before this match was awesome. Balls? BALLS? I didn’t come to New York for BALLS! Minus a half star for Stevens botching a lightning spiral, but plus a quarter star for attempting it.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Hubbard: **
Lansdell: **¼
Average Match Rating: **

Double Chain Match
El Generico & Colt Cabana vs. Kevin Steen & Steve Corino
Match Result: Colt Cabana defeats Steve Corino with the Billy Goat’s Curse.
Match Length: 19:50
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I loved the beginning of this feud at Final Battle 2009. I loved the intensity that this feud had delivered on multiple occasions. I love the fact that Steen and Generico continually find new ways to raise the feud to another level. But it’s been nine months. That’s a hell of a long feud, and despite how much I’ve loved much of it, I kind of wish it would just end now. There is a difference between epic and painfully prolonged. However, given the fact that Steen unmasked Generico tonight, it seems clear that this feud will continue. My hope at the moment it that the final blow-off match will take place at Final Battle 2010, because I suppose it would be somewhat fitting for the feud to last a full year. As far as tonight’s match goes, I give a ton of credit to all four guys for doing everything in their power to deliver a brutal, old-school chain match. I probably would have given this match ***¾ or even ****, but I am going to knock it down to ***½ because of the fact that we missed a major chunk of the climax of the match due to technical difficulties. Some may claim that it’s not fair to penalize the wrestlers in this match for factors out of their control, but I’m rating the product that ROH delivered to me. This was not a one-time fluke problem. It happened multiple times tonight, and it’s happened in every ROH iPPV to date. ROH has some of the most talented professional wrestlers in the world, and they have the confidence to give their roster the freedom to put on great matches. Now it’s time for ROH to make sure that its fans can actually enjoy those matches without worrying about bush-league technical difficulties.
Hubbard: Okay, so we got ripped off the climax of this match due to the technical difficulties, which were a constant problem throughout the show. I’ve got to go on a mini-rant; this show didn’t live up to expectations in the ring, which is fine, that happens. But this technical BS HAS to stop. It’s unprofessional and it makes me regret spending my money and time to watch the product. Anyway, the match was fine up to the point where I couldn’t watch it anymore, and I liked that the finish involved Cabana and Corino, thus allowing this great feud to continue. And continue it did; Kevin Steen removed Generico’s mask, and then in one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen in quite some time, made an idol of sorts with the mask, a chair, and the blood of Corino. The crowd was vocally chanting “You Sick Fuck!” throughout this whole segment, and that sums it up.
Lansdell: Steenorino and Cabanerico, as I have christened them. Let me start by saying that there is no way Steenorino combine to weigh 469. That would make Corino about 170. I was all about this one, they were working some nice spots and is was as violent and bloody as a match like this should have been, with all the issues and such. Colby Corino being involved may have been annoying, but gutting the heels free of the chains was a nice idea, and then chaining Cabana to the ropes like that was an awesome visual Then…the stream died. For a good 3-4 minutes. When we came back Generico was fighting for his life and then we went right into the finish. A finish which saw Cabana somehow get free (it wasn’t clear how, he was out of shot) and powerbomb Corino on a chair before making him tap to the Billy Goat’s Purse. Just when you thought the feud would be over, they pull that. Generico STILL hasn’t got revenge and STILL hasn’t hit the brainbustaaaaaah, as when he tried it tonight he got unmasked. Yeah, they went there. A feud that has been ongoing for 9 months will continue, probably all the way to Final Battle. What else can they do to each other? I can’t rate the match down for the stream issues, but I can for the finish and Colt Houdini.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***½
Hubbard: ***½
Lansdell: ***½
Average Match Rating: ***½

ROH World Television Championship Match
Eddie Edwards (Champion) vs. Shawn Daivari w/ Prince Nana and Mr. Ernesto Osiris
Match Result: Eddie Edwards defeats Shawn Daivari with the Achilles Lock.
Match Length: 7:55
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I know that Shawn Daivari has improved significantly since his days in WWE, but this former Heat Reporter still has significant difficulty watching a Daivari match without getting some wicked flashbacks of Jim Duggan squash matches. Anyway, I suppose this was a passable little match, but it was certainly nothing more. Like many of the matches that preceded it on the card, this was a forgettable match that probably should have taken place on free television instead of pay-per-view.
Hubbard: Eddie Edwards is over in New York, I’ll give him that. This was a match that was never in doubt and really could have been left off the card and it wouldn’t have hurt anything. It wasn’t the best way to start the second half, but they had to fit it in somewhere, I guess.
Lansdell: Why did we have what was basically an extended squash on a PPV, form two guys who could have done better in a promotion that normally knows better? The show could easily have done without this. Not that it was BAD, it all seemed to go OK but it was just…a nothing match with no heat and the crowd not really caring much. As with everything else that is just average, it gets a middle of the road mark.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **¼
Hubbard: **¼
Lansdell:**½
Average Match Rating: **¼

Battle of the Best
Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries
Match Result: Christopher Daniels defeated Austin Aries with a Super Angel’s Wings from the top rope.
Match Length: 12:56
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I had huge hopes for this match, and unfortunately those hopes were not met. I suppose you could argue that it’s always difficult to fulfill high expectations, but that’s exactly the standard to which I hold wrestlers as talented as Christopher Daniels and Austin Aries. After Aries pre-match promo, I was sure that these two guys were going to give us something special. Unfortunately, what they did deliver was a good-to-great match that still felt somewhat underwhelming. I definitely expected this match to meet the high standard set by Christopher Daniels and Kenny Omega at Death Before Dishonor XIII, but it really didn’t even come close. The most troubling part of this match is that it actually makes both Daniels and Aries seem less credible as potential title contenders. In particular, I think many of us will still mark every time Christopher Daniels gets a title shot, but he seemed far more likely a champion after Death Before Dishonor that he does after tonight’s show.
Hubbard: This really disappointed me. I knew the kind of match these guys could have, and when Aries cut his promo talking about how they often get lost in the shuffle, but tonight they would steal the show, I was pumped. And my excitement was not well-placed. Aries gave a fairly spirited performance, actually wrestling for once, but it was just too short. These guys should have gotten a half hour to work and give this show something else for it other than the Dream Tag and the Title switch. It was just a good match, unworthy of these two great talents. This was the match that made me decide to order the show, and it fell flat.
Lansdell: The last three matches of this show were the reason I bought it. Of the three this one was the one that everyone expected to be a slam-dunk classic from two guys who know each other so well and have wrestled many times before. Two masters of the craft showing the youngsters how it’s done. This was to be the ROH equivalent of Michaels vs. Taker. It wasn’t. There wasn’t anything WRONG with the match, it was just anti-climactic. Dare I say it, it even felt like a WWE-style match with the finish coming after an extended heat segment on the winner. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. It just wasn’t the classic I was expecting and really, what next for either man with the title picture seemingly lined up for the next several months?
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¾
Hubbard: ***¼
Lansdell: ***½
Average Match Rating: ***½

Non-Title Tag Team Dream Match
The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The Kings of Wrestling w/ Shane Hagadorn
Match Result: Claudio Castagnoli defeats Charlie Haas after a top rope loaded elbow shot from Chris Hero.
Match Length: 20:42
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was the match that I was most looking forward to tonight, and it was the one match on the card that actually managed to meet my expectations. It didn’t exceed my expectations, and it could have been better, but it was definitely a match that I was happy to have paid to watch. After seeing Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas squandered by WWE for years, it was a joy to watch them perform to the fullest of their abilities. Haas looked better than he has in years, but Benjamin was the real star of the match. His natural athletic ability has been well documented, but tonight he performed with the kind of enthusiasm that he so often lacked in WWE. I applaud the decision to make this match a non-title match, because that definitely allowed for the possibility that Benjamin & Haas would pick up the win. However, I also agree with the decision to let Castagnoli & Hero weasel out with the cheap victory. They proved that they can go move-for-move with the self-proclaimed World’s Greatest Tag Team, but they now have even more heat for taking the easy way out of a great match. I’m not sure if we’ll ever see Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas in ROH again anytime soon, but after tonight’s performance I think it’s clear that they would both be welcome additions to the ROH roster.
Hubbard: This both exceeded and failed to live up to my expectations. Haas and Benjamin looked great, I’ve never seen Haas look so good. There were some great spots in here and they really worked the crowd into a frenzy. I LOVED the catapult into a Samoan Drop spot, and the tease of the KRS-1 shifted into the tease of the Leapfrog Attack that the WGTT are known for. However, just as the match broke into fourth gear…it ended. And cheaply. I love these guys as talents, and the Elbow Pad is a good gimmick, but would it have hurt to give the Kings a clean win? Also, the post-match depantsing was something I didn’t need to see. Good match, deflating ending.
Lansdell: When I heard that KOW-WGTT was going to happen, I actually wondered if the Wolves wouldn’t have been better opponents. That was before I knew that Davey was heading to Japan. I’m a fan of the Kings, and Haas and Benjamin in ROH could be awesome. The match started slowly but worked its way up through the gears smoothly and wonderfully, with tag team spots and trademark moves aplenty. I even got to see one of my favorites in the Haas of freakin’ Pain! And then? Then the stupid fucking elbow pad. I could have lived with the manager-on-the-apron bit to get the hold broken if the Kings had then won somewhat clean. But for shit to go down like that with these two guys, the biggest names on the card…it pissed me off. I did enjoy the elbow drop to Hagadorn’s balls, although I wish they had left his pants on to do it. Was this good? Absolutely? Could it have been better? Absolutely.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****¼
Hubbard: ****
Lansdell: ****
Average Match Rating: ****

No-Disqualification Match for the ROH World Championship
Tyler Black (Champion) vs. Roderick Strong w/ Truth Martini
Match Result: Roderick Strong defeated Tyler Black with the Sick Kick.
Match Length: 15:00
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This match was confusing, confounding, and underwhelming. I know it’s unfair to compare any championship match to the absolute five-star classic that Tyler Black and Davey Richards put on at Death Before Dishonor XIII, but I would have liked for this match to at least come close to the high standard that we all have for ROH main events. I also understand that ROH was in a difficult position due to Tyler Black signing with WWE, and I have to believe that Black would have retained the title under different circumstances. However, that being said, I still can’t believe that Roderick Strong is now the ROH World Champion. I like Strong, I really do, and I know that he’s an extremely talented professional wrestler. The problem is that I just don’t think he’s a credible World Champion. Sometimes, when you book a guy as a screwed-over loser for long enough, he actually does become a screwed-over loser rather than a credible title contender. Even more troubling is that fact that whether Strong holds the belt until Final Battle 2010 or whether the title is hot-shotted to another champion, Davey Richard’s championship match and potential title win will seem a bit cheapened by the fact that he’ll be facing a lame duck champion.
Hubbard: I have a feeling that this match is going to polarize people. I wasn’t too big on the Terry Funk stuff with Truth Martini and The House of Truth, but they obviously had that booked before Tyler decided to go to WWE and mess up their booking schedule. However, Black gave a great performance in this match, reacting perfectly to the fans boos, and applying the STF-U just to piss them off. The action was fast paced and executed very cleanly. It got a little bit ridiculous at the end as they pretty much killed Black’s finishers, but he’s leaving, so it was understandable. Two great counters put this over the top for me; Roderick countering God’s Last Gift by suplexing Tyler across his knees (which he nailed) and the counter of the Tree of Woe Doublestomp into the Boston Crab. A huge flurry of offense lead to Strong’s long overdue title win, and it got a nice pop. Obviously, this isn’t a patch on Richards-Black but it was exactly what I expected and wanted from the match. I also loved the ending, with Roddy offering a handshake and Black flipping him off, before Homicide made his return to fill Tyler’s spot in the main event scene. It will be interesting to see where Roddy goes from here; does he still need Truth since he finally won, and pretty much by himself? Is he a face or a heel? We’ll see.
Lansdell: I was sure they’d add a third person to this match, since having two heels work the main on a PPV seemed pretty weird. I was right. For one thing I hated the finish of this, as Roddy botched the two fireman’s carry moves and the pin seemed to come out of nowhere and very early. I did like Tyler’s reaction, flipping everyone off and walking away instead of giving respect, but what happened next annoyed me a great deal. The crowd was behind Strong and always before in ROH a new champion is given his time to shine. Not getting the rub from the outgoing champ is one thing, but to have a returning Homicide crash the celebration in the city where he is most over just seemed really disrespectful to me. Look I know it plays into the “ROH hates me” story that Strong has going on, but these title celebrations normally kill kayfabe dead. After hating on Tyler all night the fans were thanking him until he flipped them off. Wonder if Cornette had anything to do with it? Anyway, another anti-climactic ending on an anti-climactic card. Good thing it was only $15…
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¾
Hubbard: ****
Lansdell: ***
Average Match Rating: ***½

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The Kings of Wrestling (****¼)
This was the one match on the card that met my high expectations, and it is the one match on the card that I will truly remember. This was a masterful example of what true tag team wrestling can be, and I hope that WWE was watching so that they know what their roster can do if simply given the chance to shine.
Hubbard: Tyler Black vs. Roderick Strong (****)
This was about on par with the tag team dream match, but it actually had a good finish, so it gets the nod from me.
Lansdell: The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The Kings of Wrestling (****)
Even the finish couldn’t ruin it. It might not have lived up to what I wanted, but it was still pretty damned good.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: Grizzly Redwood & Ballz Mahoney vs. Erick Stevens & The Necro Butcher (**)
I just didn’t get this match, and it didn’t work for me at all. This was a middling television match that struggled to find any sort of identity, and it had no place on pay-per-view.
Hubbard: Eddie Edwards vs. Shawn Daivari (**¼)
Eddie Edwards vs. Shawn Daivari. I may have rated Briscoe vs. Titus lower, but this match just screamed “Why is it even on this show?” It was a better match, but it didn’t have a Cutthroat Driver. Ergo, it was a bigger waste of time.
Lansdell: Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries (***½)
Just because it could have been so, so much more.

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: I was blown away by ROH’s last iPPV, Death Before Dishonor XIII. I suppose that gave me unrealistically high expectations for this show, so maybe it’s my own fault that I was somewhat disappointed. However, there were no terrible matches on the show, there was no atrocious or mindlessly pointless booking, and there was one incredibly fun and memorable tag team match. I was happy to have paid $14.95 for this show, but I’m still disappointed that this show was really only worth about $14.95 instead of $44.95 as Death Before Dishonor was.
Hubbard: I actually want my money back. Only the main event really met my expectations and left me satisfied with what I saw. There was good wrestling, but there’s supposed to be GREAT wrestling. That’s what ROH sells. If they don’t deliver, I’m not happy. Beyond that, it was absolutely frustrating to watch (and recap in my case) this show because of the technical difficulties. The matches were fine. But only fine. The production was terrible.
Lansdell: There’s a reason ROH charges only $15 for these shows. Although as usual the actual wrestling could not be faulted (though it could certainly have been better) the production and presentation were abominable. The stream cut out several times, and at a few point during the last 2 matches you could hear someone backstage (sounded like Aries) giving production instructions and getting quite pissed off about something. That’s without mentioning the issues they had with mic levels all night. The show wasn’t even that good by ROH standards, which hasn’t helped. Thumbs slightly trending down, and mostly due to the stream problems.