What’s All The Hubbub: ROH Clash of the Contenders

Clash of the Contenders
Collinsville, Illinois
October 9, 2009

We start with highlights of Glory by Honor VIII, both the farewell main event of Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness and the Ladder War between The American Wolves and Kevin Steen and El Generico. This segues into a promo by a depressed promo by Kevin Steen, where he is blaming himself for the lack of recent success for the tag team. He says that he and Generico were made for tag team wrestling, he’s been relying on him for so long and he only hopes that he can pull out a win against Roderick Strong. Great promo, especially in context of the overall Steen-Generico story arch.

Dave Prazak is pulling announcer duty, amusingly enough. Jim Cornette comes out and, in many more words than this, says that Ring of Honor is going to give the fans the best wrestling that fans can see, because that’s what the fans paid to see.

Roderick Strong vs. Kevin Steen
These guys start with basic wrestling and leapfrog stuff, until Strong gets aggressive with a stiff heel kick, barrier rams, and of course, CHOPS. Steen comes back with a missile dropkick and the Cannonball, then tries to get a pin off a scoop slam, which you never see anymore. Things start devolving into a slugfest and then Roddy hits a Falcon Arrow on the big man. Steen plants him with a DDT from the apron for a nearfall, heads up top but Roddy hits a flying enzugiri. More slugging, which Steen gets the better of, SWANTON EATS KNEES! Strong hits another stiff enzugiri but runs into a press powerbomb and gets put in the Sharpshooter. Roddy gets the ropes and Steen’s back gives out when he tries a Package Piledriver, PRESS GUTBUSTER BY STRONG! Damn that’s impressive on the big man. Steen survives the Stronghold and hits the Package Piledriver, but his nagging knee injury stalls his pin and Strong rolls him with a crucifix for the victory. Kevin Steen, as a character, was out of it and that made him a sympathetic face. That, combined with big moves and stiff shots, made this match.
Match Result: Roderick Strong via pinfall
Match Rating: ***

Nicole Matthews vs. MsChif
MsChif makes a point of screaming at several points and Nicole actually says, “Stop screaming at me!” Prazak says Matthews wrestles like Lacey and he’s not kidding. Her offense is impacting and she has a good bitchy sort of personality. It’s a MsChif match so there’s some sick stretching of the flexible one. Fisherwoman’s Suplex gets 2 for Nicole, as does an awkward German Suplex. The Desecrator gets the pinfall. It was Manami Toyota vs. Akira Hokuto at 1/4 speed.
Match Result: MsChif via pinfall
Match Rating: *3/4

The Ring of Honor World Champion Austin Aries comes out for the Austin Aries Lucky Lottery. He mocks the fans, draws out the drawing process, and gets Daizee Haze. Aries says she got lucky, and if Delirious wasn’t standing there, he’d wrestle her right now and she’d get lucky again. Delirious cuts a mostly coherent promo where he says he wants to wrestle Aries. Cornette comes out and says that Aries is as full of shit as a Christmas Turkey. He says Aries is the champion and represents Ring of Honor, so he should have some honor, and makes a match between Aries and Delirious.

Claudio Castagnoli cuts a promo in German to a large room containing….Ernie Osiris.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ace Steel vs. Petey Williams vs. Colt Cabana
Claudio slaps all three men in the face with the glove to start. This leads to a comedy match where the Second City Saints abuse Claudio, and Petey tries to get in on the fun like an annoying kid brother. Triple bionic elbows take Claudio out so the babyfaces can do a half-dozen roll-ups. Petey and Ace try the bridge sequence and Cabana karate chops them. Claudio starts to dominate until Cabana hits the Flying Apple on him and then moonsaults onto both Petey and Steel. Claudio does the awesome no-hands airplane spin on Cabana, but some unintentional teamwork leads to a clothesline/Russian Legsweep combo from Petey and Steel. Petey hits Steel with a pair of gamengiris but Steel hits the implant DDT for 2. Petey hits a slingshot codebreaker on Claudio, CANADIAN DESTROYER for Cabana! Claudio actually grabs referee Todd Sinclair’s hand to keep him from counting to three. Claudio sends Ace into a dropkick on Petey and hits a release Riccola Bomb on Ace to get the win. Harmless fun.
Match Result: Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall
Match Rating: **1/2

Kenny King and Rhett Titus cut a very solid promo hyping up their physical attributes and talking down The Young Bucks, their opponents for the night.

The Briscoe Brothers vs. The House of Truth w/Truth Martini
Josh Raymond immediately endears himself to me by celebrating after a lock-up. YAY for Owen Hart references! And then he chain wrestles into an eye poke. Yep, he’s awesome. Chris Hero does an AWESOME Jay Briscoe impression while talking about Christian Able’s fishnets. Big biel by the Briscoes, who continue to dominate until Martini prevents a springboard move by Mark. HOT gets some steady offense on Mark, with Able flipping off Jay for good measure. Raymond loudly exclaims “We’re winning!” These guys are great. An innovative choke (yes, you read that right) sets up double dropkicks and MORE celebrating by Raymond! Mark is about to make the hot tag but Truth YANKS Jay off the apron! A double flatliner sets up Able powerbombing Raymond onto Mark. Jay should have broken that up to really sell the danger. Mark hits the exploder and makes the tag and Jay goes to town on the House of Truth. Raymond celebrates his way into a spinebuster! DAMN! HOT makes a bit of a comeback with Raymond hitting a moonsault into the crowd and Able nearly pinning Jay with a cut-throat Regal Plex. Martini saves Able from being pinned by a Super Ace Crusher, Raymond tags in and hits sort of a shooting star headbutt. Truth saves Raymond from a Cutthroat Driver/Legdrop combo and Able sends Raymond into a backflip DDT for a nearfall. Martini takes a Flair Corner Bump and Raymond jobs to the Spike Jay Driller. Typical good Briscoes match made much better due to them having opponents who brought innovative offense and vibrant personalities. Good breakout match for the House of Truth, whose ROH run would unfortunately be all too brief.
Match Result: The Briscoe Brothers via pinfall
Match Rating: ***1/4

Kenny Omega cuts a completely idiotic promo where he compares himself to Little Red Riding Hood because Davey Richards killed his grandma. There’s a fine line between goofy and stupid. This was stupid.

Davey Richards w/Shane Hagadorn vs. Kenny Omega
Hot start with double big boots leading to a forearm exchange and they both avoid kicks. They get more cautious with chain wrestling, which leads to an extended headlock by Omega. Roll ups lead into a surfboard exchange and Omega goes back to the headlock. Davey shrugs off a shoulder tackle and starts kicking Omega. Omega comes back with a monkey flip and a roundhouse kick that sends Davey to the floor. BERMUDA TRIANGLE! Davey dropkicks Omega when he tries a crossbody and then boots him into the audience! He targets the ribs with a body scissors but gets bored and starts throwing out crossface forearms before sticking Omega with a snap suplex. Omega comes back with the Stop Sign Enzugiri and a Rocket Punch before getting two off a moonsault. He avoids a superplex so Davey just pulls him down into a modified Alarm Clock. Omega survives a diving headbutt and then grabs the ropes before Davey can apply the Texas Cloverleaf. Kicks from Davey, slaps from Omega, Omega tries the Stop Sign again but Davey just swats his hand away and hits the spin kick to the ribs. Omega comes back with the dropkick to the knee and the leapfrog bulldog. Or Bullfrog if you have my sense of humor. An extended strike exchange leads to a great nearfall for Omega off the 2K1 Bomb. DYNAMITE SUPLEX TO THE FLOOR BY DAVEY! Back in the ring, Davey gets the Handspring Enzugiri for 2. Omega goes for Super Croyt’s Wrath but Richards blocks and (eventually) gets the full rotation German Superplex. Running spin kick! German Suplex! Only 2! CLOVERLEAF! Omega gets the ropes, KAWADA KICKS! Omega finally catches a break by lifting the knees when Davey tries the Shooting Star Press. INVERTED RANA! DRAGON SUPLEX! JUST 2! OH, this is ROCKIN’! Omega decides to follow up with the Hadouken but gets kicked in the face, then follows up with a very pathetic Hadouken that is slathered in the sauce of weakness. Davey counters Croyt’s Wrath into the Cloverleaf. Omega counters to an inside cradle, ONLY 2! ALARM CLOCK! LARIAT BY DAVEY! He tries the DR Driver but Omega avoids it and gets a flukish small package for the upset win. Oh, you want to see this. Some minor issues like the rib work going nowhere and Omega’s embarrassing Hadouken aside, this was awesome. It felt like something Benoit and Jericho would have done in the mid-90’s. Total show-stealer.
Match Result: Kenny Omega via pinfall
Match Rating: ****1/4

Richards cuts a very angry promo outside the arena post match. He says he’ll get his win back from Omega and then get a twin brother for his ROH Tag Team Championship in the World Title

Kenny King & Rhett Titus vs. The Young Bucks
Total domination by the Bucks until Nick tries the dive over a split-legged Matt. Rhett trips Nick up and King swings Matt into the guardrail in a nice spot. King flubs his bottom rope legdrop while Rhett connects with a splash. Matt hits a wheelbarrow facebuster and is selling exhaustion five minutes into the match. Oh-kay. Titus does a cool spot where he hits a standing blockbuster on Matt that bends him over King’s knees. Odd spot as Nick distracts the referee while Matt pulls Titus in the way of King’s double knee attack. Nick comes in and hits a few kicks, Matt’s already got his wind back and hits the Neck & Backbreaker. So you’re exhausted in five minutes but get your wind back in ten seconds? Whatever. Matt sends Nick into a dropkick on King, Rhett hits him with dropkick, spear by Matt takes out Titus, and King counters a springboard splash into the Royal Flush. Matt gets dropkicked to the floor. Nick gets hit with an enzugiri. SUPER SEX FACTOR! Matt no-sell’s King’s capoeira kick and hits a superkick. Rhett gets a blind tag before King takes More Bang For Your Buck and rolls up Matt for the pinfall. This match was like a sparkler stick. It’s fun while it lasts, but you forget about it right after it’s over.
Match Result: Rhett Titus & Kenny King via pinfall
Match Rating: **3/4

Tyler Black vs. Chris Hero
Black is coming back from neck surgery, so Hero goes right to work on the neck with elbows. Nice spot as Black bridges up after being snapmared and hits one of his own, then just smothers Hero with kicks, stomps and punches. Be aggressive, B-E aggressive! Nice subtle spot as Black hurts his neck just attempting an O’Connor Roll. He backdrops Hero to the floor, misses a moonsault but lands on his feet, and Hero STICKS him with an elbow and Black ricochets off the rail! Awesome. Hero follows that up by dropkicking through the ropes and sending him into the barricade, and then just chucks Black into the crowd. MORE awesome! Shane Hagadorn gets in a few shots. Hero hits a few flash kicks and then jumps on the apron from the floor for another flash kick. Hero hits an elbow and then just avoids a punch as Tyler tries to fight from his knees. Excellent. Hero gets distracted by the fans and Black drives him into the corner and sets him up top, but Hero rakes the face and comes flying out with a back elbow. Hero gets cocky and Black fires back with kicks before hitting the Pele. Black fakes a cross-corner whip and just drop toeholds Hero into the turnbuckles. Corner stomps, Black looks to try the corner forearm on Hero but just baseball slides into Hagadorn instead. SSSP gets 2 for Black, but Hero counters the Bucklebomb and rolls Black into an elbow for 2. More elbows and Black just crumbles before kicking out. Black does the Macho Throat Snap AND the Macho Elbow Drop. Ooooooo YEAH! Black lets Hero miss a flash kick and stalls on a superkick when Hero ducks, RIPCORD ELBOW! Only 2! Black comes back with the enzugiri and flying clothesline, Hero avoids the Buckle Bomb, Black avoids the Liger Bomb, kicks Hero in the back of the head, BUCKLE BOMB! ONLY 2! Hero connects with the Rolling Elbow but takes too long to set up the Death Blow and Black hits God’s Last Gift to get the victory. Crowd wasn’t really into it, but it was a very good babyface-heel fight.
Match Result: Tyler Black via pinfall
Match Rating: ***1/2