Reviews from Across the Pond – ROH Battle of the Best

This was the first night of ROH’s second Japanese double shot. On paper, this is one of the strongest card the company has ever put out, even at six matches- Danielson-McGuinness, Strong-Richards, Saito-Aries, a Dragon Gate Six Man. But as we all know, wrestling doesn’t take place on paper…

From Tokyo, Japan, on the 13th September 2008. Dave Prazak and Lenny Leonard are your hosts.

Nigel McGuinness reminds us all that he is the World Champion. The Japanese people demanded a rematch between he and Danielson, and in ROH, the fans get what they want. The fans want a title shot, but Bryan has made it clear he only wants his final title shot on PPV, and McGuinness won’t let that happen until the Dragon has beaten everyone that Nigel has beaten on PPV. So tonight, he won’t get a world title match, but he will get a lesson in pro wrestling.

A loud and evil cackle can only mean one thing- Larry Sweeney! Sweet and Sour are open for business in Japan. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards fondly reminisce over sushi and geisha girls, but for Richards tonight the focus is on Roderick Strong. He ponders over ways he could injure the Messiah of the Backbreaker, and promises to prove he carried the No Remorse Corps.

MATCH 1- EDDIE EDWARDS VS YAMATO

YAMATO manages both to look deceptively innocent and yet gloriously sleazy as he makes his way down to ringside.

An early exchange of holds quickly turns into a slugfest, the two men trading forearms. Eddie gets a huracanrana and a high knee. Running forearm in the corner, followed up by a snap suplex for two. YAMATO comes back with an exploder suplex. Back elbow gets two. Another forearm exchange, which YAMATO comes out of victorious. Big slam. Vertical suplex for another two. Edwards is able to make the ropes after YAMATO locks him in a Boston Crab, but he’s dragged back into the middle in a Crossface. This time Eddie is just about able to drape a foot across. Double E is able to make his comeback, leaping off the top turnbuckle and nailing a Codebreaker. Springboard Moonsault for two. Backpack chinbreaker! Two count. YAMATO roars back with a Spear, and is able to counter a cover kick out into a Sharpshooter! Once again EE is just able to make the ropes. The Dragon Gate star heads to the top, but Eddie is there to meet him. They battle it out up there, and then… I think they botched a huracanrana, but it might have been deliberate. Anyway, Edwards hits the mat, YAMATO goes to the floor. YAMATO crawls back in time to make the cover, but only gets two. The American nails a superkick and a hard powerbomb for two. Another forearm exchange! Superkick from Edwards! 2K1 Bomb countered, Brainbuster from YAMATO! Two! Gallaria! Three!

Rating- ***- Almost the perfect opener- energetic and highly entertaining, without going overboard with any of the near falls or high impact manoeuvres. The botched super huracanrana took away from this for me a little, but this was still a top effort and a great way to kick off the show.

Oh dear, Roderick Strong wants to cut a promo. In his typically nasal whine, he accuses Davey Richards of ducking him by fleeing to Japan, so he’s had to follow him there. He promises to remind Richards why he always had to carry Strong’s bags in the No Remorse Corps.

MATCH 2- RYO SAITO VS AUSTIN ARIES

Saito frustrates Aries by being indecisive on a test of strength. Perhaps frustrating Double A even more is that Ryo eventually wins it. Aries picks up the pace with a pair of arm drags. Austin counters a headscissors with the usual. Neckbreaker for two. Last Chancery is locked it, but Saito squirms to the ropes quickly. The Dragon Gate star tries to send AA to the floor, but Austin hangs onto the ring apron and knocks Saito down. He tries to slingshot back in with a corkscrew press, but meets just knees. Double stomp from the top rope! Not the most high-tech of aerial moves a Dragon Gate wrestler has ever done, but effective nonetheless. Aries is hung in the Tree of Woe, and Ryo charges into him with a dropkick, earning a two count. Gutbuster for the same.

Aries comes back with a Flatliner and the Power Drive elbow for a two count. Ryo slips out the back door of a brainbuster, but is sent to the floor, where Aries crashes into him with a Suicide Dive! Missile dropkick in the ring! He tries to get the corner dropkick, but Saito is able to block it. German suplex for two. Ryo heads up top, but Aries is there to meet him. They slug it out up there, with Saito sending Austin back to the mat. Splash gets two. Double A counters a Dragon suplex by backing his opponent into the corner, where he gets the dropkick for two. Last Chancery! Ryo battles out of that, and then blocks a Brainbuster with a knee, slipping Aries into the Dragon Suplex. He tries for a second one, but Austin lands on his feet, kicks Ryo in the head, and it’s Brainbuster, Last Chancery for the submission.

Rating- ***- Another good match, although both guys seemed to be holding something back. It just felt a little bit ordinary, if not at all bad.

Post match, Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black go on the attack. Austin briefly fends them both off, but the number game becomes too much, and Jacobs chokes his arch-enemy out with the End Time. Post match, JJ promises to create chaos in Japan.

The trios in the Dragon Gate six-man cut promos in Japanese. From what I can make out, they’re talking about how brilliant my reviews are, which is odd because in September 2008 I wasn’t writing them.

We go back to Respect is Earned II in Philadelphia, where Davey Richards defected from the No Remorse Corps to Sweet and Sour.

Back in Japan, Larry Sweeney interrupts the hype for tomorrow night’s card to remind the Japanese about how great America is. He then challenges Roderick Strong to get out here and meet his doom!

MATCH 3- DAVEY RICHARDS VS RODERICK STRONG

The action is fast and furious from the get go, both men trying for a dropkick at the same time and reaching a stalemate. Richards delivers a stiff kick to the back, so Roddy responds with a punishing chop. And some more! Davey decides to try and beat Strong at his own game, but that’s not going to work. Richards has more success with kicks in this strike based early stage. Strong sends his former stable-mate to the floor with a dropkick and tries to dive out onto him, but Davey dodges, and hits the ring just to fly out with a tope! He actually takes out most of the crowd rather than Strong, but it’s the thought that counts. Roddy comes back, suplexing Richards on the floor, then chopping him into the fans! Back in, he covers for a two count. The action returns to the floor, a Strong kneestrike sending Richards back into the fans. The NRC leader charges, but Davey gets out the way and Roderick meets nothing but barricade. Davey reintroduces him to it, dumping him chest first onto it!

Back in, Richards kicks Strong in the face. As you do. Baaaaaack body drop! And a back suplex too, for a two. Eventually Strong powers out of a bodyscissors and is able to dump Davey to the mat. The action spills to the raised entrance ramp, which Richards is dropped right onto with a back suplex! Roddy then charges right down the ramp, building momentum to clothesline Richards into the ring. Back inside the squared circle, Strong gets a leg lariat, shoulder breaker and slingshot suplex for two. Pump handle backbreaker! Two! Chops are doled out like soup at a… well, a soup kitchen. Davey puts his new nemesis on the top rope, and brings him crashing back down to earth with a superplex. Once again it’s back to the top rope, where Davey fights for a German suplex. After two attempts, he does get it. Powerbomb! Two. Texas Cloverleaf! Strong just makes the ropes. Missile dropkick from Davey, but Roderick won’t fall from a pair of clothesline. He does from an Alarm Clock though. Strong fires back with a front-back suplex, if that makes any sense, but the Sweet and Sour man gets his foot on the ropes from the resultant cover. Uranage Backbreaker! Reverse suplex! Two count only! Roderick tries to go aerial, but Richards meets him in mid air with a dropkick. A trio of simultaneous clothesline leads into a striking exchange, and then Davey’s attempt at a suplex sends both men spilling to the floor.

Quickly they return to the centre of the ring, slugging it out on their knees, then to their feet. Strong boots Richards square in the face, gets a gutbuster, and follows it up with another running boot to the face… for two. Richards secures a Cloverleaf, but Roddy rolls it into an inside cradle for two. Davey gets one of his own for two. Then another roll up by Strong for two. Backslide for two- but now a pair of Gibson Drivers! And that will do it!

Rating- ****- Woah, that was a lot better than I remembered it to be. A magnificently manly match, with some tough strikes, painful spots, and great selling as well. It could have done with having a touch more colour and pizzazz, but otherwise this was terrific.

Post match, Strong promises to win tomorrow night’s battle of the chops with Kensuke Sasaki.

Bryan Danielson is fine with going through everyone McGuinness has beaten on PPV to win the title, but tonight, the Japanese fans want to see them go one on one, in a wrestling match. And there is nobody better at wrestling than Bryan Danielson.

MATCH 4- BXB HULK, NARUKI DOI & MASATO YOSHINO VS EL GENERICO, DRAGON KID & SHINGO

I can tell this is going to be easy to recap.

Dragon Kid and Masato Yoshino start slow, but the action inevitably speeds up quickly, the masked man getting the better of things with a flying headscissors. Shingo and BxB Hulk go at it with much more intensity. Dragon Kid becomes your fan favourite in peril, Hulk slamming him and dropping the leg. Naruki Doi and Yoshino punish him with a drop toe hold-dropkick double team. Kid fires back with some kicks and makes the tag to Shingo, who drops the first on Hulk. Back suplex, and a senton follows up. In comes Generico to nail a backbreaker, and then Dragon Kid uses Shingo as a base to swing around, booting Hulk down in the process.

Hulk gains some traction against Generico, kicking him into the wrong part of town. Doi snapmares him down and tries to tears off the mask, but he can’t quite do so. Everyone takes turns crashing down across the arm of Generico, Yoshino putting the exclamation on with a pinpoint flying double stomp. Hulk lies him across the second rope, and Doi flies in with his trademark swanton, bringing him down to the mat. He tries for a suplex, and despite the best efforts of Generico eventually gets it. Naruki & Masato try for some double-teaming, but the luchador fights them off, creaming Yoshino with a high crossbody. Tornado DDT to Doi! Tag to Shingo! He promptly mows down everyone, just dumping Doi with an exploder suplex. Dragon Kid adds his multiple rotation headscissors, and synchronises with Generico for dual moonsaults onto Doi & Yoshino! I can sense I’ll lose track of the action very soon…

BxB Hulk botches a springboard manoeuvre, but recovers the situation with a uranage and standing corkscrew moonsault for one. Forearm exchange, which Shingo surprisingly struggles with. He has more success with power moves as the match starts to break down. Dragon Kid nails a beautiful springboard huracanrana on Doi, and counters a suplex into a stunner. He tries for another rana, but Naruki holds him down and Yoshino follows up with the dropkick. BxB Hulk springboards in with a spinning wheel kick for two. Flapjack-facebuster combination gets two. Generico boots Doi as he tries to heads up top, and Kid ranas Doi off the shoulders of Shingo, who is perched on the top rope. Generico adds a moonsault for two. Top Rope Death Valley Driver from Shingo! Yoshino has to make the save. Yakuza Kick from Generico to Yoshino, but a split leg moonsault meets knees, and Masato gets a tilt-a-whirl inverted DDT for two. Pump handle slam from Hulk, and Generico breaks up the cover. He gets punished for that with a powerbomb-neckbreaker combination, but still only two. Moves are hit at a speed I just can’t recap, as the Generic Luchador is decimated. Shingo to the rescue though, driving Masato down with a powerbomb. Kid gets a swinging DDT, but gets caught with Doi Fives! Once again Shingo has to carry the load, dropping Yoshino with a lariat. Dragon Kid adds a spike huracanrana, but it’s still just a two count! Generico adds a brainbuster, but still only two! A second one! Finally three!

Rating- ****- Mostly, this was the typically fantastic, crisp, fast paced Dragon Gate match, and I liked the way it actually followed a more traditional wrestling build of slower start, quickening middle, and frantic finishing stretch. It just had the occasional moments of sloppiness though. The additional story with Generico and Kid taking a beating and Shingo just fighting right through pushes back into the four star range.

Quick recap of all of Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson’s previous matches.

MATCH 5- BRYAN DANIELSON VS NIGEL MCGUINNESS

As you may expect, this is a very mat-based match, the two men trading holds and counter holds for much of the match. This slowly escalates into some hard strikes, but it takes a lot longer than your usual ROH match for the big moves to come out. The tide switches several times, but it’s McGuinness dominating as the pace picks up, battering Bryan with chops and smacking into him with a running European Uppercut. Danielson flies back with an enzuiguri and lands a butterfly suplex for two. Missile dropkick sends the ROH Champion to the floor. A suicide dive is blocked though, and Nigel is able to convert it to a natty Tower of London from the ropes to the floor! Cover gets two. McGuiness fluidly transitions into the half crab, but Bryan just about makes the ropes.

Danielson blocks a Jawbreaker Lariat with a rolling elbow and unleashes a flurry of strikes to McGuinness. German suplex for two. The champ rolls through Cattle Mutilation, but that just leaves him prone for the elbows to the side of the head! This leads into another Mutilation attempt, but Nigel twists it nicely into the ropes and drops Danielson with the Tower of London. Strike exchange, and then Bryan Danielson finds himself straddling the top rope, in prime position for a top rope lariat from McGuinness! A regular lariat is dodged, and Bryan gets a rolling prawn hold for a two. Uppercut exchange! Pinning combination exchange! What will the exchange next? Money? Hugs? It turns out it’s single leg takedowns, but Danielson goes against the flow and hooks an inside cradle for the three count!

Rating- *** ½- I think this is the first time tonight that I wished there was a boisterous American audience watching, because this felt cold and emotionless at times, especially compared to some of their other matches. Of course, it’s Danielson-McGuinness, so it was always going to be technically superb. It just lacked that intangible. I must admit, this wasn’t quite my thing, because it very much had that almost ancient Greek feel of pitting man against man, which isn’t why I watch wrestling. I appreciate what they did out there though.

Post match, Danielson talks about his match with Yoshinobu Kanemaru tomorrow night, and implores the fans to support both him and ROH tomorrow night.

MAIN EVENT- RELAXED RULES- ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS- THE AGE OF THE FALL VS THE BRISCOE BROTHERS

The Age of the Fall attack the Briscoes on the ramp to get this one off hot and heavy. Of course, the ‘rasslin rednecks aren’t having that, and as Jay and Tyler brawl into the crowd, Mark dumps Jimmy on the ramp with a belly to belly. Soon all four men are in the crowd, fighting it out with chairs and punches. Jimmy gets crotched on the barricade, and Jay is able to hotshot Black against a railing. Jacobs continues to take some punishment, being hurled straight through some chairs. The Briscoes then team up to drop Tyler Black right on the concrete floor in the crowd! This draws “ROH” chants from the Japanese fans, which is nice to hear.

The action finally returns to the ring, where the Briscoes send the AOTF leader flying with a double hip toss. Spear from Mark, running boot by Jay. Leg drop-side slam combo gets two. They try for the Springboard Doomsday Device, but Black is able to drag Mark down to the floor and slam him. He and Jay slug it out mid-ring. Black gets the Pele Kick, and the Paroxysm gets two. The elder Briscoe is hung in the tree of woe, bleeding from the forehead. Double dropkick! Just two though. Mark Briscoe threatens a comeback, so Jacobs spears him to the outside. Powerbomb-Contra Code to Jay, but it still just gets two! Mark springboards in and catches Tyler with a Missile Dropkick. Exploder Suplex for Jacobs! Splash Mountain Powerbomb, and Jay adds in a neckbreaker on the way down to Tyler. Cutthroat Driver for Jimmy! One, two- no! Mark is pulled to the floor by Tyler, and powerbombed into the seats in the crowd! Briscoe takes Jacobs up top for a Jay Driller, but JJ blocks it, slipping down to the mat. Tyler shoves Jay down to join him, and he’s locked in the End-Time! Tyler then stops Mark from making the save, and it’s enough for an AOTF victory!

Rating- ** ½- Underwhelming main event. Out of context it was actually a damn fine brawl, but we saw so many of them between these tandems in various different forms that they lost their impact. It was also on the short side for a main event tag title match. You can’t fault the tandems for getting the crowd into it though.

Post match, Jacobs promises to become the ROH World Champion the following night.

And to finish us off, we see some of the bigger spots from the night’s action. But that’s not all this DVD contains! There’s also some funky bonus features, like…

FIP FLORIDA HERITAGE CHAMPIONSHIP- SAL RINAURO VS DELIRIOUS- FIP DANGEROUS INTENTIONS 2008

Delirious goes typically mental to start, sending Rinauro to the floor in panic. The fans brand him a chicken, so he threatens to take the title and walk out of Florida. Of course, he doesn’t follow through on that threat. Just once, I’d like to see someone actually walk out, or stay in the ring for hours and hours until the fans shut up. Anyway, Delirious joins in with the chicken taunts, much to Rinauro’s chagrin. The taunts morph into accusations of him being a nugget. Then, to compound his misery, his microphone doesn’t work. He reminds us he is in fact the Florida Heritage Champion, not a nugget. Now he’s named a Chicken Salad. And then Delirious steals the title. Not a good night to be Sal.

Anyway, to some wrestling. Delirious gets hip-tosses and arm drags, before shoulder-tackling Rinauro back to the floor. This time, we have a chase, which the masked man gets the better of as they re-enter the ring. Rinauro finally gets some offence with a chin-breaker. Textbook dropkick for two. Delirious tries for a sunset flip, but Sal blocks it with a fist to the face. Another fist drop keeps Delirious down long enough for Rinauro to work in some gyration, but the insane one comes back with some headbutts to the sternum. Enzuiguri! Flying clothesline! Choke slam of all moves! Just two though. Sal goes face first into the turnbuckle, and that sets him up for the Panic Attack! Shadows Over Hell! But here come Rinauro’s friends in the YRR! Kenny King holds Delirious in position and Sal charges, but ends up hitting his own stable-mate! Roll up by Delirious! Just two! Rinauro is back-body dropped onto the rest of the YRR, and then Sal leaps right into the Cobra Stretch! Kenny King causes a distraction again with the title belt, but that just allows Delirious to choke slam Jason Blade! Rinauro is able to spring off the ropes with a spinning kick to the head though, and Sal retains the title! It’s a hollow victory for the YRR though, as the fans chant “still a chicken!”

Rating- ** ¾- Lovely, innocent match, with some goofy comedy and well-built spots. Not exactly a thrill a minute, but very enjoyable indeed.

MSCHIF VS AMAZING KONG- SHIMMER VOL. 9

The crowd chant “MsChif’s gonna kill you!” pre-match, which amuses. The lock up is fairly intense to say the least, the green-haired lunatic ascending to the top rope while still tied up, before dropping down and driving Kong’s head into the turnbuckle. Flying headscissors! Drop-toe hold! She tries for a Boston Crab, but she struggles to lock it in, and Kong kicks her off. Leg drop! Two! Chops to the chest, and then a big running clothesline right against the ropes! The action spills to the floor, where MsChif is sent into the barricade a pair of times. Back in, Kong tries for a slam, but MsChif spins into a sleeper! It works for a little while, but soon Kong just grabs her opponent by the hair and drags her to the mat.

MsChif flies back with a spinning DDT. Cover for two. Kong misses an avalanche into the corner and forearms her down in the corner. Panic Attack! She tries for the Desecrator, but Kong just powers her up, and into the most astonishingly vile Torture Rack I think I’ve ever seen. She heads up top, but MsChif meets her there, trying for the top rope DVD. Of course, that doesn’t work, and she falls to the mat. Missile dropkick by Kong! Oh my god! And then a top rope splash! How can I send flowers to MsChif’s family? Wait, she kicked out! MsChif bravely battles back from beyond the grave, nailing a Tornado DDT! This sends Kong to the floor, and Chif flies onto her with a high crossbody! Back in, a standing moonsault gets two. But then Kong just lariats her out of her boots! Angel’s Wings! Two! JUST STAY DOWN, MSCHIF! Sit out powerbomb! Two count! Roaring elbow from MsChif, and a weak looking inside cradle gets two. She charges into a spinning backfist though, and another sit out powerbomb mercifully ends things. Wow.

Rating- *** ¾- That rating is for the match as a whole, as it had occasional logic gaps on MsChif’s part, and at times it veered dangerously close to spotfest territory. But what a five star massacre! Unless Kong is a lot gentler a worker than she looks in the ring, MsChif deserves a medal. In fact, she deserves two medals.