411’s ROH on HDNet 100th Episode Series Finale Report 4.04.11

We’ve had a weekend full of wrestling, and tonight is the end of it all. We’ve gotten several Ring of Honor and Dragon Gate USA shows, WrestleMania, and several more from WWE tonight. This, however, is the end of Ring of Honor on HDNet, and they are going out with a bang! Tonight’s recap will have a little bit more energy than you’re used to from me because, well, I’m pumped from all the great wrestling I’ve seen lately.

We open with Hog and Prazak saying all good things must come to an end. They briefly discuss the history of this show before going into a sweet recap video of the past 2 year’s top moments.

Recap of the Honor Takes Center Stage from this past Friday and Saturday.

Nex on HDNett: TREMORS!! Clip of Kevin Bacon finding a face in the dirt and goin’ “Wat tha Hell?!” Sweetness.

The Kings of Wrestling make their way out with Sara Del Rey and Shane Hagadorn and we get a GREAT video recapping the journey of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli through the years in Ring of Honor.

Here comes Roderick Strong with Truth Martini. Video package for Strong as well, detailing his Ring of Honor career over the past year, starting with when he started developing an attitude towards Cornette and Tyler, and his alignment with The House of Truth.

Commercial!

Out come Jay & Mark Briscoe. I predict a video package. Aaaaand…..yup! They’re talking about being the standard of tag team wrestling in Ring of Honor while the screen shows them slaughtering various tag teams over the years.

Last but certainly not least, Davey Richards steps out of the curtain and is given the STREAMER TREATMENT in the ring. His HDNet video package is the most hard-hitting. What. A. Badass.

One last commercial break, presumably so they don’t have to cut out during the actual match. Still looking at a 30-35 minute contest here, so it’s all pretty forgivable.

Match #1: Davey Richards & The Briscoes vs. Roderick Strong & The Kings of Wrestling

Claudio & Mark start the match. Collar and elbow tie up gives Mark a clean break in the corner. another lock up and Claudio works the arm. Mark rolls through and gets a takeover on Claudio. Still grappling on the ground until Claudio gets the ropes. He gets to his feet and tags in Hero. Mark tags Davey. “Davey Richards” chants. Tie up and they trade waistlocks. Hero gets a takedown and has Davey’s arm. Davey rolls through but Hero powers him back down. Back up and Davey cartwheels through for an armdrag. He keeps the arm locked and goes to tag Jay, but Hero pulls him away. Hero goes for an early cover but gets two. Keylock from Davey, but Hero stomps his face. Back to their feet. They go for a lock-up but Hero gets the knee. Another. Tag to Roddy and he’s taking it to Davey. Wristlock from Roddy, but Davey rolls, bridges, and kicks him in the face! Davey tags Jay Briscoe in. Tie up and Jay gets a waistlock. Takeover from Roddy, head scissor and back up. Elbows to the neck of Jay and Strong tags Claudio. Uppercuts galore. Jay falls into the ropes and comes back with a rana! Throws Claudio into the turnbuckle and tags Mark. Mark gets a head scissor on the downed Claudio but Claudio goes for a horse collar. Ropes. Tag to Hero. Double big boot! Mark’s up at 2. Chops from Hero. Running wheel kick from mark gets two! Tag to Davey. Big dropkick on Hero! Throws him into Mark’s boot in the corner and tags in Jay. Chops from Jay. Irish whip and a dropkick gets 2. Eye rake from Hero and gets a tag on Roddy. Chops exchanged between Strong and Jay. Strong goes for the eyes and pins him for two. Dropkick from Strong sends Jay into the corner. Stomps to the head of Jay. Knee to the midsection after picking him up. Vertical suplex from the former champion gets two. Jay fights back with some chops and tags in his brother. Chops from Mark in the corner. Headbutt from Mark.He has a fishhook on Strong in the ropes. He breaks and Hero boots him. Chops from Strong. Strong goes for a back toss on Mark but Mark lands on his feet! Redneck Kung-Fu! Tag to Jay and a HUGE double team combo! 1…2…Strong’s out. Jay’s taking it to Strong! Sliding boot to the face! Pin broken up by Hero. Elbow from Strong and he tags out. Claudio’s in and goes for a big dropkick before taunting the crowd. Boooo! Jay tries to fight out of the corner, but Claudio gets uppercuts. Irish whip to the opposite corner. Downward spiral from Jay into the bottom turnbuckle! Tag to Davey! Double suplex from the Briscoes and a flying headbutt from Davey!! 1…2….no! Davey goes for a leg-chickenwing cloverleaf on Claudio!! Hero breaks it up with a boot! Tag to Mark Briscoe. Strikes and headbutts from Mark before tagging in Jay. The Briscoes flip Claudio with a throw and Jay tries the pin. Tag to Davey. Kicks to Castagnoli! Irish whip reversed but Davey goes for a handspring enziguiri! Caught!! UFO FROM CLAUDIO! Davey kicks out at 2! Tag to Hero. Dropkick to the downed Richards! He chokes Richards with his boot in the corner. Irish whip and a clothesline! Vertical suplex from Hero! Kickout at two. Hero has both arms behind Davey but Davey fights up and powers over! School boy gets 2! Chinbreaker from Hero and he tags in Strong. Shoulders to the midsection of Davey in the corner. Fireman carry gutbuster from Strong! 1…2…Mark breaks it up!

Roddy tags Claudz. Goozle!! Davey rolls through the choke slam attempt into an ankle lock! Strong breaks it up and Claudio gets the choke slam! 1….2……no!! Tag to Hero. Claudio holds Richards so Hero can get a boot. Senton from Hero. 1…2…kickout from Richards. Stretch plum from Hero. Jay superkicks Hero off and Davey goes for a tag, but Hero grabs him and throws him to the floor. The ref fends off Jay while Del Rey, Claudio, and Strong mug Richards on the floor. Strong throws him into (but not through) the table and then rolls him in the ring. Claudio covers for 2. Richards fights back, runs the ropes, but eats a lariat from Claudio! 1….2…no! Tag to Hero. Body slam from Hero and a double team powerbomb from the Kings! 1….2….Mark Briscoe breaks the pin attempt again! Hero locks in Davey’s leg and tags Strong. Strong brings it to Davey with some stomps. Forearms from Strong is enraging Richards. They trade strikes and then Davey gets his handspring enziguiri!! Davey tags BOTH Briscoes and the match has broken down! Double back drops on the Kings! Double whip on Hero and a duo of three point stances. Double superkick on Claudio! DVD from Jay and a frog elbow from Mark!! 1….2……CLAUDIO KICKS OUT!! Mark perches Claudio up top but he fights his way down. Mark jumps off the second rope but gets caught in a backbreaker! Claudio tags in Hero. Top rope lionsault from Hero gets 2 on Mark. Chop war! “Man up” chants. Mark gets a rebound forearm off the corner. Hero retaliates with a rolling boot!! Claudio’s in and the Kings get another double powerbomb on Mark! Strong takes it to Jay on the outside. Mark dodges a moonsault from Chris. Iconoclasm from Mark inside the ring on Hero and he tags in Davey. Davey is kicking and striking the crap out of Hero. Perched up top and Davey’s looking for a superplex. Claudio tried to interfere but Davey hit it anyways! Hero kicks out at 2. Strike from Davey, boot from Hero, ROLLING ELBOW! GAHH!!

Everyone hits a big move, Davey went for a suicide dive but ate an elbow from Hero. Elbow on Mark, Backdrop driver from Davey to hero. 1…2….Strong breaks it up. Claudio lifts Davey and tosses him into a flying knee/rolling elbow combo. 1…2…Mark breaks it up!! Things go to the outside. Flipping senton over the topp to the floor from Jay!! Mark goes up top but Del Rey tosses him off. Del Rey goes to whip Mark into Claudio but he reverses it! BICYCLE KICK TO DEL REY!! Mark, now up top, hits a flipping senton off the top rope to the floor! He lands in the crowd! Inside the ring, Alarm Clock from Davey to Strong! LARIAT! 1….2….no!!! Series of reversals and a superkick from Strong! Gibson Driver! 1…2….Strong turns it into a stronghold! Davey’s out and he has the ankle lock! Hagadorn tries to break it up, but Davey approaches him. Martini in with the Book of Truth! Davey ducks and he gets Hagadorn! Davey tosses him to the outside! Strong goes for a school boy! 1….2…..no! Davey crosses Roddy’s legs and gets another ankle lock!!! HE TAPS!!!

Result: Davey Richards & The Briscoes via pinfall @ 26:13.
Rating: ****1/4
My thoughts: Wow. What a match. Too much action to call at times, all six men went hard, and a great way to end the series! No one was the weak link here, and nothing stood out as unrealistic for a wrestling match. And it was precisely that: a WRESTLING match. It was sports, it was entertainment, but it wasn’t sports entertainment—it was wrestling.

We end with the same recap of the show’s history from the start.