Reviews from Across the Pond – ROH Man Up!

While in my opinion Driven was the best ROH PPV in terms of pure match quality (although this could give it a run for it’s money) Man Up was almost without question the most infamous. Here’s why.

Taped from Chicago, Illinois, Dave Prazak and Lenny Leonard are your hosts, sticking to the colour scheme with black suits and red ties. They hype the show as the competitors for four-corner survival make their way to the ring. McGuinness interrupts as they hype the ROH World Title match, to announce his own World Title dream starts tonight. Because he’s in it to win it! A more unwelcome interruption comes from a mysterious masked man to scream about some sort of “AGE OF THE FALL!” A panicked Leonard screams for the opening video package. That was such a cool and unusual way to open a show.

Back from the video package, Castagnoli warns Chris Hero that he’s coming for him, and Larry Sweeney too. Sweeney comes down with Hero to brag about winning matches and making money. He gets silenced by cries of “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” from the fans, but composes himself to introduce Hero. He then offers to make Dave Prazak an addition to Sweet and Sour. Yeah, because once you’ve got Dave Prazak on board, you’re just unstoppable. Although Sweeney might have been being sarcastic, it’s hard to tell with him.

MATCH 1- FOUR CORNER SURVIVAL- NAOMICHI MARUFUJI VS NIGEL MCGUINNESS VS CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI VS CHRIS HERO

McGuinness and Marufuji wrestle a lightning paced sequence to kick off. Chris Hero is desperate to be tagged in, and Nigel obliges. It turns out all Hero wants to do is show off all the flips he can do. But then, so do a lot of the ROH undercard, so let’s not judge him. Marufuji tags in Castagnoli, so Chris bails to the floor. Instead Naomichi returns for a nice sequence with CC, including a springboard claw hold! Claudio retaliates with one of his own, so Naomichi has to kick low to get out. Marufuji tags in a reluctant Hero, who is able to stomp on Castagnoli. Claudio roars back with a European Uppercut, and once again it’s Chris Hero out to the floor. This allows the two Europeans in the match to slug it out with their continental uppercut, before going into a fancy trading of pinning combinations.

Hero blind tags McGuinness and hammers away at his former and future tag partner. A pair of standing sentons get two. Castagnoli comes back with a baaaaack body drop and then a leaping Europercut to the back. They battle to the floor, and Marufuji takes the opportunity to fly onto them with a tope con hilo! The fans want McGuinness to dive to the floor, but he one-ups them, soaring onto the Kings of Wrestling in the crowd! That allows McGuinness and Marufuji to fight it out in the ring. Marufuji is able to whittle McGuinness down, eventually taking him off his feet with a clothesline. Superkick! Shiranui! Chris Hero has to break it up. Rolling elbow by Hero! Castagnoli is in the ring down, dumping his foe with the Alpamare Waterslide. McGuinness breaks it up and lariats Castagnoli. Marufuji now breaks it up. McGuinness gets his handstand kick in the corner on the NOAH star, but Naomichi comes back by just stomping my countryman’s head into the mat. He heads up top but gets crotched. Tower of London! One, two, Hero breaks up the cover! Kravat Cutter out of the corner, and now it’s Chris heading up top. Double stomp! Castagnoli deadlifts him out of the cover and into a German Suplex! Two count! Giant Swing! I’d hate to take that move. European Uppercut! Two! Marufuji chops away at Double C, but gets caught in position for the Ricola Bomb. That’s blocked, and Marufuji gets the roll-up for two. Shiranui blocked, but NM still keeps control, hooking Claudio in the Tree of Woe. However, McGuinness crotches him on the ropes as he heads for the Coast to Coast Dropkick, and tries for his flying lariat. Marufuji ducks the first one, so Nigel nails him from behind. Lariat to Hero! Lariat to Marufuji! Diving Uppercut from Castagnoli! Ricola Bomb- but Hero squashes Todd! He’s pleased with himself, and is probably even more having got the Rolling Elbow to Castagnoli. After getting dumped with a bicycle kick though, the smile is wiped off his face. McGuinness hits the ring and lands the Jawbreaker Lariat, and that’ll do it! Phew, that was hectic!

Rating- *** ¾- This one lazily followed the standard 4 Corner formula, but rose about the inherent limitations of doing that with some joyously fun, original sequences. It got the already hot Chicago crowd absolutely buzzing as well, so I think it deserves the high rating I gave it.

Bryan Danielson w/ pirate eye patch tells us about why he returned to take on Takeshi Morishima after the ROH Champion detached his retina in Manhattan. He says this has been one of the hardest times of his career, with his mother in tears and his sister yelling at him for putting the family through it. But when his Dad reminded him that this was the life he always wanted, he remembered that wrestling is his life. So tonight, Danielson will take the ROH Title from Takeshi Morishima, his passion driving through the eye injury. He might not be the Best in the World, but he’ll prove to everyone that he has more heart than anyone in the sport.

MATCH 2- 1ST MATCH IN A BEST OF THREE SERIES- ROCKY ROMERO VS MATT CROSS

This kicks off a one night best of three series, with Rocky Romero facing Matt Cross, and then the other members of the two factions meeting one on one. The Resilience lost a coin-toss, and thus will have to announce their opponents first. Pre match, the two stables talk strategy.

Romero and Cross go at it at a lightning quick pace, exchange overhand chops. Cross gets a flying headscissors but Rocky roars back with a boot to the face. Matt counters another flying headscissors into an inverted powerbomb, before faking him out on a dive to the floor. Eventually Cross is drawn to the floor, where he fires his foe into the ringpost. Flagpole Press from the ringpost to the floor! Back in, the cover gets two. Romero comes back with the Cross-Armbar, but Matt makes the ropes. A dropkick to the side of the head gives Rocky the time to asuka. Running knee, and now some kicks in the corner. He tries to elevate Cross out the corner, but the former gymnast lands on his feet and floors Rocky for a split-legged corkscrew press. Enzuiguri! Springboard Double Stomp! Standing moonsault! He heads up top, but Romero dodges another corkscrew press. German suplex, kick to the face, and RR picks up the win!

Rating- **- My Dad doesn’t like wrestling particularly, and takes every opportunity possible to make fun of me for watching it. It’s always light-hearted tomfoolery and never malicious, but he still just doesn’t get my fascination with this weird quasi-sport. However, he came into the room when I was watching this very match a couple of years, and caught the end of it. Suitably impressed by Cross’s flying across the ring and Romero’s nasty looking kicks, he genuinely said “I’ve got to admit, they’re pretty good athletes, aren’t they?” Thus, this match will always hold a special place in my heart. It was just a collection of well executed spots though, nothing more and nothing less- hence the ** rating and the long personal anecdote to extend the ratings section.

Austin decides to step into the ring next, so Davey Richards is sent into battle to counter-act him, after Roderick Strong opts against facing him.

MATCH 3- 2ND MATCH IN A BEST OF THREE SERIES- AUSTIN ARIES VS DAVEY RICHARDS

Davey believes he has finally figured how to stop Aries from escaping the head-scissors. He hasn’t, but does dodge the ensuing dropkick. Double A nails it eventually though. Richards comes back with a huracanrana and a hard kick to the chest, flooring Austin. The Resilience leader is sent to the apron, but knocks Richards down and slingshots back in with a senton. He calls for the brainbuster, but Davey snaps him down with a Northern Lights Suplex. Austin comes back with an STO and the Power Drive Elbow for two, a move Richards had earlier mocked. They battle to the top rope, where Davey is able to roll Aries all the way to the floor. DOUBLE AXE HANDLE OFF THE APRON! RICHARDS IS INSANE!

Back in the ring, Davey hits a backbreaker and stops to taunt the rest of the Resilience. Aries flips out a back-suplex but can’t get a German variant. Kicks from the future world champion. Forearm exchange, which Aries gets the better of to sent his opponent to the floor. Suicide Dive! Very few execute that better than Austin Aries. Back in, a slingshot corkscrew press gets two. Lionsault for the same. Richards springs back with a Handspring Leg Lariat, and drops Austin with a Butterfly Suplex for two. Aries catches another kick and converts it into a back suplex for two. 450 Splash? No! Richards meets him with a kick to the head and joins him on top. He gets knocked down, but he gets up again, Austin’s never gonna keep him down. Top rope German suplex! But still only two! Next he tries for the DR driver, but Austin just forces him back into the turnbuckles and fires away. Corner dropkick misses, running forearm and clothesline doesn’t for Davey. DR Driver countered again, this time into a backslide for two. Kick to the head! Brainbuster! 450 Splash! One, two, three!

Rating- *** ¼- Ah, now this was better. An intense, well paced match that built logically to a satisfying, high octane conclusion. I actually much prefer this asshole Davey Richards to the super serious one that everyone masturbates over today, and he and Double A have always had good chemistry.

So it’s Resilience 1-1 No Remorse Corps, meaning these two are going to fight it out with the series on the line…

MATCH 4- DECIDING MATCH IN THE BEST OF THREE SERIES- RODERICK STRONG VS ERICK STEVENS

Chops are thrown from the outset. Stevens powers Strong into the Oklahoma Stampede for an early two count. Back suplex for the same. Slam, and Erick drops the elbow. Release belly to belly suplex, and Strong stumbles to the floor. He threatens to head up top, but the experienced Roderick takes the opportunity to back suplex Stevens onto the apron! Nasty. The NRC leader follows it up by sending Stevens into the fan barricade and crushing the ribs against the ring post. Back in the ring, RS sends his opponent flying across the ring with a Fallaway Slam. He follows it up with a backbreaker, of which he is supposedly a messiah. Jesus on the other hand, was the messiah of God. So I think Jesus wins this one. But could he beat Bryan Danielson?

Blasphemy aside, Stevens roars back with the Choo-Choo, and then the TKO for two. Roddy gets himself some breathing space with a chinbreaker, before dropping him with a weird falling-slam thing. Stevens launches Strong into the air and catches him on the way down with a powerslam. Doctor Bomb? Nope, Roderick beats away at the thighs to get free. Gutbuster! Pump Handle Driver! One, two, not three! Strong tries for the Gibson Driver, but Stevens powers out and initiates a chop exchange. Roddy breaks it up with a forearm but another Gibson Driver attempt fails, and Erick sends his foe flying with a release German suplex- only for Strong to fighting spirit back up. Happily, he pays for using a spot like that in a match with so little on the line, as Stevens dumps him with a Pump-Handle bomb for two. Now will the Doctor Bomb work? No, it won’t, as Strong backs Stevens into the corner and rakes the eyes. They head up top, where Roddy hoists Erick up into a Superplex. Stevens no-sells but takes a boot to the face and a half-nelson Backbreaker for two. Aries urges his stable-mate on as his former tag partner leads Stevens up top. Gibson Driver all the way down to the mat? No! Stevens fights free of it… powerslam off the top rope! But still just two! Now it’s Erick trying for top rope variants on moves, going for a top-rope powerbomb. That doesn’t work either, Strong fighting free- and getting a Splash Mountain Powerbomb off the top rope! Then a Gibson Driver! And finally the three count!

Rating- ***- They went for the high-impact manoeuvres from the get-go, which was entertaining but took away some of the structure and flow from the match. I also hate fighting spirit no-selling in all but the most important of encounters. Bags of intensity though, and you could tell these two would have some classics in the future.

ROH then pulls a TNA and cuts away way too soon from the aftermath, instead opting to head for Hartford, Connecticut. Delirious annoyed Adam Pearce in a 4-Corner Survival that also included Nigel McGuinness and BJ Whitmer. McGuinness picked up the victory, but the real story came after the match, when BJ Whitmer officially aligned himself with Brent Albright & Adam Pearce, forming the Hangman 3. To put an exclamation point on it, they stabled Delirious’s mask to his face.

MATCH 5- ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP- TAKESHI MORISHIMA VS BRYAN DANIELSON

As an aside, Morishima has apparently promised not to target the patched eye of Bryan Danielson. We’ll see how long that promise lasts.

Danielson goes right on the attack, firing off forearms at Takeshi. Morishima roars back, battering the challenger right out the ring. Bryan tries to sweep the leg of Takeshi, but it isn’t going to work. Running boot in the corner from the NOAH representative! The action spills out to the floor, where Danielson is sent hurtling into the guard-rail. Takeshi sits him on a chair by the barricade, and then crashing into him with a running hip attack. Morishima bundles Bryan back in the ring, but idiotically turns his back, allowing Danielson to rally. Suicide dive!

Back in the ring, Bryan rattles off forearms, and then a flying leg lariat for two. He tries for a missile dropkick, but Takeshi counters it into a powerbomb- which is in turn countered into a Triangle Choke! The champ has to just use brute force to make it to the ropes, but of course he has till five. Bryan can’t quite elevate Takeshi for a Mexican surfboard, but is able to hoist him into a Bow and Arrow submission. Morishima counters by just rolling onto him for two. Danielson attempts a roll-up, but this time the counter is Takeshi sitting on his hand. And then another boot right to the face! He tries for a lariat, but Danielson ducks and clasps on a sleeper hold. It stays on for quite a while, but eventually Morishima powers out of it. Bryan sets the champ on top, and follows him up there. Super back suplex! Woah! One, two, not three! Elbows to the head! Morishima won’t give up, so Bryan transitions into a Tiger Suplex for two, and then Cattle Mutilation! And what a superb sequence of offense! Stomps to the face! Triangle Choke with elbows! Which Morishima counters with a powerbomb! Lariat! Bryan nearly span out of his boots! Still only two though. Backdrop Driver! A one, a two, but Bryan sticks a foot on the ropes! Takeshi comes charging with a corner clothesline and removes Danielson’e eyepatch. Bryan does get a small package, but Morishima kicks out and lands the backdrop driver. Strikes to the eye! Paul Turner has to stop the massacre.

Rating- *** ¾- An absorbingly brutal encounter. The atmosphere was electric, the fans sensing a title change, and Bryan picked his offence perfectly to rally them. Of course, Morishima played the monster heel role perfectly. It was a little rushed, but still a terrific title defence.

And now… it’s time!

MAIN EVENT- ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER WAR- THE BRISCOES VS EL GENERICO & KEVIN STEEN

The Briscoes get things off to a violent start by launching a ladder in the general direction of Steen & Generico. This triggers a massive brawl around ringside and into the crowd. Steen slams Mark Briscoe into a row of chairs as Jay decimates Generico with a chair shot. The masked man responds in kind. Meanwhile, Steen and Mark slug it somewhere else in the Chicago crowd. Jay sends Generico head over heels into the chairs. Steen slams a chair into Mark’s face. Generico does the same. Already this is quite violent. Kevin Steen lightens the mood by munching some popcorn. Generico brings it back down again with another vile chair shot. Mark lands an impressive springboard ace crusher off the guardrail onto Steen, before preventing Generico from climbing the ladder.

A bloodied Jay and El Generico battle it out in the ring. Mark enters for a slam and a knee drop to his nemesis, but gets sent head first into the ladder! Generico scales the ladder, only for Briscoe to pull him down and hit a front suplex. Now he ascends, but Steen saves and tries for the Package Piledriver. Briscoe counters yet can’t get the Jay Driller. In the end, Kevin wins the exchange and tries climbing, but Mark flies in with a missile dropkick to knock him down. He now tries to grab the belt, prevented by Steen latching on to the leg. He is able to take Mark to the apron, before crashing the ladder into his skull, knocking him down to the floor. Mark is eventually able to get back in the ring and fend off both men. Jay joins him, double hip-tossing El Generico into a ladder propped up in the corner. It bends the ladder out of shape, but Jay Briscoe is still insistent it can be used as a weapon as they grab another land. That backfires on him though, as Steen sends Mark to the floor and gets a hold of the new ladder Jay is climbing, tipping it over, taking Jay smashing into the broken ladder in the corner! The fans start up a “this is awesome” chant, which is quickly drowned out by groans as Steen back suplexes Jay onto the working ladder and boots Mark Briscoe in the testes.

Generico chucks a ladder into the back of Jay and then lies him on top of it. Split legged moonsault! Meanwhile, Steen has draped a ladder between the barricade and the ring apron. He tries to powerbomb Mark from the ring through the ladder but the younger Briscoe slips out of it, necessitating a save from Generico. Jay in turn hits the ring, only to have another ladder flying into his back, and then his head, trapping him in between a ladder and the turnbuckles. Running Yakuza Kick! And then Steen powerbombs Mark onto the draped ladder! What can stop Steenerico from grabbing the belts? A fiery Jay Briscoe shoving Generico into the ladder Steen was climbing, that’s what! German Suplex from Jay to Generico! “ROH” chants! I can’t say I disagree with that statement. Jay takes both his foes out with the ladder, Mark adding a missile dropkick to Kevin. Exploder Suplex to Generico onto the ladder lying against the ropes! Jay hoists Steen up- Death Valley Driver onto the ladder! Mark grabs El Generico and steals his Brainbuster! He then puts a ladder on top of him and heads up top- Shooting Star Press on the ladder and Generico! And Jay Briscoe flies out to the floor, leg-dropping Steen through the time-keeper’s table!

Mark Briscoe tries to climb the ladder, but it’s too wobbly, and with a last ditch effort Generico is able to shove the ladder out from underneath him. Jay demands the maintenance ladder, which is huuuuuge, and the crowd surf it over to him. Jay gets Generico on his shoulders, and Mark flies under the massive ladder to make it a Springboard Doomsday Device! Both Briscoes ascends the ladder, but with another, smaller ladder Steen saves the day, before setting up the ladder between the maintenance ladder and the turnbuckle. He tries to powerbomb Mark through it, but he flips out and nails a pair of superkicks. Mark tries to climb fucking big ladder, but Steen seizes him- Package Piledriver through the Ladder! And now Generico is climbing! But Jay launches a ladder into him! He gets dragged back down as Briscoe props another ladder between fucking big ladder and the turnbuckles. Generico snatches him up and tries for a brainbuster, but Jay counters- Jay-Driller through the ladder! Steen’s now climbing! In response, so does Jay! They fight it out up top! They’ve both got a hand on the titles! More punches! And it’s Steen taking the plunge! And Jay getting the belts! The Briscoes retain the titles!

Rating- **** ¼- A thing of brutal beauty! This had a lot of spots, but they weren’t just thrown out there randomly- it was logical that they’d go balls to the wall given the hatred between the two teams, but the match still ebbed and flowed tremendously well. A phenomenal effort from both teams, and a fitting end to a feud that was probably the best thing in wrestling in the rather depressing Summer of 2007. Not quite the match of the year, but close. Very close.

Kevin Steen shoves Generico down in frustration post match. But the celebrations don’t last long for the Briscoes… because somebody’s screaming. Fans in balaclavas goad the Briscoes from ringside… and here come Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs! They stare down the Briscoes, until the Necro Butcher hits the ring, barbed wire wrapped around his first. The trio destroy the Briscoes as Lacey watches on in satisfaction as the PPV abruptly fades to black.

Why abruptly? Because what happened next was the Age of the Fall tying Jay Briscoe to the thing that held the belts in place during the Ladder match, and hoisting him high into the air. Jimmy Jacobs cut a promo announcing the formation of the stable as blood poured from Jay’s head all over his coat. This was such a gory scene that it had to be excised from the PPV.

So then, that’s what happened during the PPV, but afterwards we got bonus matches!

BONUS MATCH 1- TOP OF THE CLASS TROPHY- MITCH FRANKLIN VS ALEX PAYNE

THIS IS THE MATCH WE ALL CAME TO SEE! The Chicago crowd continue their tradition of adoring Alex Payne for no discernible reason. Mitch Franklin was always my favourite trainee. Who was yours?

Payne and Franklin do a nice, basic little match, as you’d expect. Franklin springboards off Sugarfoot’s back and lands a leg-drop, then twists out of a gut-wrench suplex and into a sleeper. Payne counters with little finesse, just driving Mitch into the turnbuckles. Slugfest is won by Sugarfoot. Flying knee in the corner! Fisherman’s Suplex gets two. Alex charges into a boot in the corner though, and Franklin flies out with a huracanrana. A wheelbarrow facebuster is enough for the win. No rating. Post match, Payne is gracious in defeat, and admits that Mitch was the better man tonight. Aaaah. That’s what’s great about the ROH trainees; they’re all so gracious and humble. Except for Rhett Titus. And Ernie Osiris. Fuck them.

BONUS MATCH 2- LACEY & SARA DEL RAY VS AWESOME KONG & DAIZEE HAZE

This is quite the little dream match. Kong is dangerously close to usurping Alex Payne in the hearts of the Chicago crowd. Tense handshake between Kong and Del Ray- you can feel the disdain!

The Haze and the Death Ray start things off, Daizee with an early cradle for an early two count. Del Ray catches Haze off a charge and lands a series of backbreakers, before bringing in Lacey. Haze runs through her with some basic strikes, and here comes Kong! And here comes Del Ray! Sara shows admirably little fear. I would have pissed myself at this point. Kong crushes her with a clothesline and a big splash for two. Avalanche! Kong covers with just one foot, but it only gets two. Del Ray tries to dropkick Kong off her feet, but is unsuccessful. She has to physically drag her down with a snapmare, and clasps in a cross-arm breaker. Crossbody off the second rope gets two, and it’s a tag to Lacey. Lacey doesn’t do very well. Clothesline! Tag to Daizee, who wants to get her hands on her nemesis. Big slam, but Del Ray grabs the hair as she bounces off the ropes, and that allows Lacey to take control.

Del Ray dominates when tagged in, a snap suplex getting two. Daizee gets a flash roll-up for two, but it doesn’t signal a turning tide. Del Ray whips Lacey into a big boot for two. Inverted powerbomb gets two. Back in comes Sara, and the rulebreakers make a wish on the legs of Daizee Haze. Funky alternative submission! Gory Special, which Del Ray then transitions into a roll up for two- but Haze powers out of it and into a facebuster! She can’t quite make the tag to Kong though. Victory Roll, and now here comes Kong! She obviously massacres everyone, including Haze, launching her onto Del Ray and Lacey on the floor! Back in, a sit out powerbomb from Kong gets two. Backfist! Amazing Press! Only two! Lacey makes the save, which personally I wouldn’t have done. Kong casually backfists her face in. Del Ray takes advantage of the distraction with a roll up for two. Big forearm for the same, Kong grabbing the ropes. German Suplex? Of course not; Kong is unmoveable, and lands the Angel’s Wings for two. Del Ray fights back with a kick to the head, and A GERMAN SUPLEX! Impressive! Still only two though.

Lacey reluctantly enters the ring to provide assistance, but Kong just takes out both of them with a big clothesline. Powerbomb to Lacey, and Haze follows up with a top rope splash for two. Kong and Del Ray brawl to the floor as Daizee gets the Mind-Trip in the middle of the ring! One, two, three!

Rating- *** ¾- Superb, old-fashioned tag match. Usually these SHIMMER showcases fall flat because the gulf in quality between the competitors is too wide, and the matches are too short anyway, but here we had four bona-fide terrific wrestlers being given time to put on a memorable match, and they delivered in spades.

BONUS MATCH 3- THE YRR VS THE HANGMAN 3

It’s interesting to see Kenny King as nothing more than a glorified jobber here, knowing that in the future he would be a key part of the ROH roster.

The Hangmen do not take kindly to Kenny King’s refusal of a handshake, and go right to work on the YRR. Rance takes Whitmer off his feet with a huracanrana but leaps right into a powerslam. In comes Albright with a butterfly suplex, and then he knocks King off the apron. Snap suplex and a standing senton from the former Gun for Hire. Brent nails a high knee from the second rope, forcing Double K to break up the pin attempt. Rance comes back with an enzuiguri- tag to Whitmer, tag to King! King is a house of fire, taking down both men. He tries for a springboard, but unfortunately slips off the apron, and Whitmer lands a vertical suplex. Kenny nails a chin-breaker and tags in Rance, who charges right into a Whitmer elbow. King tries to rescue the situation but Albright pounces on him. The Hangmen decimate Chasyn Rance, and a Double Alabama Slam finishes.

Rating- **- Solid little tag match. The teams gelled really well together, and it made for a fluid encounter, aside from Kenny King’s little slip. I wonder what happened to Chasyn Rance? While King flourished, Chasyn was a perennial jobber in ROH, and I don’t think he’s appeared since about 2009. It’s a shame, because here at least he didn’t look significantly better or worse than King.

Post match, the Hangmen send Shane Hagadorn to get a microphone, but he trips and falls through the ropes. The Manservant receives a bitchslap, and admits he deserved it. When they do get a microphone, Whitmer turns on the people, saying he nearly crippled himself for them, but all it took was Adam Pearce to open his eyes. Although he isn’t here tonight, it’s not going to stop the Hangmen 3 from telling the fans who they are. Brent Albright, BJ Whitmer and Adam Pearce, they are the Hangmen 3!

Once they’ve made their way to the back, Bobby Cruise introduces Jack Evans! He ambles around the ring aimlessly, until Tyler Black hits the ring and goes right on the attack! Impromptu match!

BONUS MATCH 4- JACK EVANS VS TYLER BLACK

Black crushes Evans in the corner with a flying forearm and drops him gut first across the top rope. Jack comes back with a spinning heel kick off the top rope, and a handspring elbow sends them both spilling out to the floor. But here comes Jimmy Jacobs and the Necro Butcher! Butcher hurls a chair at Jack to knock him off the top ropes, and Jacobs joins in the attack, his coat still covered in Briscoe blood. The Irish Airbourne hit the ring with steel chairs to even the odds and send the AOTF scurrying out the ring. Dave Crist wants to FIGHT! He’s INTENSE! And Evans flies out onto all three men with a 450! New match!

BONUS MATCH 4.5- JACK EVANS & THE IRISH AIRBOURNE VS THE AGE OF THE FALL

The Irish Airbourne double team Black in the ring but get punched down by the Necro Butcher. He seizes both Jack Evans and a steel chair, slamming the Vulture onto it as Tyler Black wipes out the Airbourne with a flip dive. Butcher and Evans head into the crowd, where the Psychopath drowns poor Jack in a sea of chairs. Evans fights out from underneath them and hammers away, before ascending some audio equipment and leaping onto his new foe! Meanwhile, Jacobs, Black and the Irish Airbourne are battling it out in the ring, almost forgotten. Necro wraps Jack up in the ring mats and kicks the shit out of him. Evans soars back with a springboard missile kick off the barricade. Necro flies into a chair in the corner, but gets out the way of an Evans somersault, sending the Elastic Man crashing into the barricades. Back in the ring, two chairs have been set up back to back. Jacobs and Black are set to the floor, and The Irish Airbourne help lie Butcher across the rim of the chairs. Jimmy restrains Evans long enough to stop him from jumping off the top rope and driving Butcher through them. Necro himself heads up top- backbreaker across the chairs! Nasty! Jacobs locks the end-time in on Dave Crist, while Jake is dumped by Black with God’s Last Gift. Necro nails the official with a big punch, and the match is thrown out. The real winners here are obvious though.

Rating- *** ¼- Wild, all over the arena brawl with a genuine feeling of spontaneity. It would have been more effective had their been a long feud between the two sides, or if the Irish Airbourne were anything more than jobbers to the stars at best, but it was a quality fight in it’s own right.

In a fantastic little moment post match, a fan berates Necro for selling out to the Age of the Fall. Butcher responds with “those guys are my friends” in his slightly sad, southern drawl, to which the fan claims that the AOTF are using him. And, as it turns out, they were using him, so yay for the fan. Anyway, good to see a fan genuinely contributing to the show rather than just trying to think up of clever little chants or masturbating furiously to Davey Richards. Not that there’s anything wrong with masturbation, or Davey Richards. Although the Reverend D-Von would disagree with the former. I’m going off topic.

BONUS MAIN EVENT- DELIRIOUS VS MATT SYDAL

This was the final match in the ROH career of Matt Sydal, as Larry Sweeney sold his contract up the river to Vince McMahon. He would of course reappear in the WWE a few months later, as the plucky, clean-cut Evan Bourne.

Delirious cuts his usual, barely-intelligible pre match promo, and offers a handshake. Sydal agrees, and then boots him in the gut. This backfires on him, as the manic masked man shoulder blocks him to the mat. Sydal bails to the floor. Delirious dares to put his hands on Larry Sweeney, forcing Matt to go on the attack. That doesn’t last though, as the Incoherent one heads onto the apron, runs away from Sydal, and then leaps off onto Sweeney on the floor! Back in the ring, a back suplex gets two for Delirious. Back senton continues the run of moves with back as the prefix. Sydal flies back with a basement dropkick that sends Delirious to the floor, and a huge flip dive wipes out the masked man!

The action returns to the squared circle, where Matt gets a running back drop. He targets the tassels of Delirious, which goes too far in my opinion. Bow and arrow submission! Delirious reaches to the ropes. Missile dropkick by Sydal sends Delirious hurtling into the corner in a seated position. Matt asks for a bottle of water from Sweeney, and spits it all over his opponent! Corner clothesline follows up, but Delirious counters a high crossbody with a headbutt to the mid-section. Sydal crashes into the masked man with a trio of forearms, but Delirious just rolls back with some clotheslines and a leaping lariat. He TKO’s Sydal right into the ropes, tangling up the future WWE ‘star’ before he collapses to the floor. Suicide senton by Delirious! Delirious bangs on the barricades to fire up the crowd, which Sweeney brands “illegal noise creation.” He also tries saying that Delirious’ use of a hat to throw at Sydal constitutes a “foreign object,” before throwing streamers at his foe, which float harmlessly to the floor. I think someone’s getting hilariously desperate.

Meanwhile, in the match, Delirious hip-tosses Sydal into the turnbuckles and hits the Bizarro Driver for a two count. Sydal comes back with the Here-It-Is Driver, but that also gets just two. Trouble in Paradise! Sydal can foresee his future! Delirious drop-toe-holds Sydal into the bottom turnbuckle- Panic Attack! Shadows over Hell is countered with a dropkick, and both men are down. Sydal gets the better of the next exchange and sets his opponent on the top rope, but can’t get a huracanrana. Shadows over Hell! Two! Cobra Stretch is blocked, and Matt flips into an inverted DDT variant for two. Matt heads up top- shooting star press! No! Delirious rolls out the way but he lands on his feet! The lizard-man fights back with some boots though and heads up top, but this time Sydal gets the huracanrana! Shooting Star Press! Very close near-fall! Sweeney is absolutely livid, and has the temerity to shove Todd Sinclair, so the portly adjudicator pushes the super-agent onto his rear end! Sydal and Delirious head up top, and Matt gets hurled right out to the floor. Sweeney provides a distraction for Delirious to chase, and this allows Sydal to get a roll-up for two. Alabama Driver for two! Delirious comes back with the Cobra Clutch suplex for two, and now into the Cobra Stretch! Sydal coughs and splutters, but does make the ropes. Chemical Inbalance II! And that will do it!

Rating- ****- What a great, unfairly forgotten match. It was never going to attract as much attention as the Ladder War, and in terms of farewells was nowhere near as emotional as Samoa Joe’s or Colt Cabana’s, but in it’s own right this was tons of fun, with a succession of razor-sharp near falls and the goofy exploits of Larry Sweeney on the outside. A fitting farewell to a relatively unappreciated talent.