ROH – Irresistible Forces DVD Review

ROH – Irresistible Forces – Chicago Ridge, Illinois – October 28, 2006

Introduction

BG says: ROH gives you two video wires for the price of one this time around. The first has Jim Cornette as host. He starts to introduce the rest of the wire but Shane Hagadorn runs out to tell Cornette that a former WWE superstar who has worked with Vince McMahon, Brock Lesnar and Hulk Hogan is at the building. Cornette takes offense and tells Hagadorn to figure out whom exactly it is. They show some clips of Delirious beating Sydal at the end of the Survival of the Fittest tournament. They will have a rematch in Dayton. Bryan Danielson lets us know that the sloppy Samoa Joe didn’t beat him in the tournament so their match in Chicago will not be for the title. Austin Aries and Roderick Strong want the tag titles back from the Kings of Wrestling and they’re going to take them back in Philadelphia. Cornette comes back to announce that since the Joe/Danielson match won’t be for the title and both of their matches have gone to a time limit draw their third match will have no time limit, no disqualifications and there must be a winner. If Joe beats Danielson he’ll be able to challenge for the title. Hagadorn runs out and introduces Zach Gowen to Cornette as the former WWE superstar. Cornette respects Gowen’s guts but not his attitude so he kills two birds with one stone by putting him in a match against another thorn in his side, Delirious.

The second video wire is hosted by the Briscoe Brothers outside a liquor store. Jay tells us what to expect on the wire and Mark tells us that today somebody is going to have to man up. They like to drink and then get in bar fights. This is seriously the most believable gimmick in all of wrestling. A clip is shown of Survival of the Fittest where Danielson attacked Joe with the title belt. You can watch Zach Gowen take on Delirious if you watch this video wire on ROHVideos.com or by ordering the Motor City Madness DVD, but it’s not available here. The Briscoes wrap things up by beating up Davey Richards and assuring him that no matter who he partners with he can’t beat them. They’re going to beat him in their upcoming singles matches as well. I’m going to make a rare video wire editorial by saying that I want to see Jay Briscoe feud with Roderick Strong for the FIP title all over ROH throughout 2007.

Jim Cornette starts the show by congratulating Steve Corino on trying to suffocate Homicide the night before. Delirious has been bugging him to so Cornette pays Corino off to take him out. Corino is happy to do it and he throws in a few threats at Homicide for good measure.

Brent Albright is angry that he lost to Christopher Daniels, but tonight losing is not an option. His opponent can either get out or tap out. His T-shirt says the same thing.

JZ says: Does anyone want to create a little website with all my star ratings for the reviews I’ve done (principally ROH, but TNA would be nice too)? Anyone who wants to do this would be compensated in some way of course. Just drop me an e-mail.

Commissioner Jim Cornette and Steve Corino open the show by bragging about what Corino did to Homicide last night. Cornette wants him to also take Delirious out.

Brent Albright cuts another generic wrestler promo, in which he starts off by saying his name, and ends it by saying the phrase that’s on his t-shirt. I think I’d like him if he was a silent assassin.

MATCH #1: Adam Pearce & Shane Hagadorn vs. Irish Airborne

BG says: Pearce and Hagadorn attack from behind before the bell. Dave and Jake fight back and dump their opponents to the floor. They follow them out with stereo Asai moonsaults. They slingshot Hagadorn into the ring and double-team him for 2. Pearce tags in but Dave grabs an armbar. Jake tags in and gets monkey flipped into a hurricanrana. Pearce hits a spinebuster and catapults Jake into a big boot from Hagadorn. Pearce hits a low blow and a double vertical suplex with Hagadorn. They hit a double neckbreaker for 2. Hagadorn tags in and hits a knee to the gut for 2. He hits a bodyslam and tags to Pearce. Pearce comes off the top with an elbowdrop for 2. Hagadorn tags in and gets hit with a neckbreaker. Dave tags in but Pearce had the referee distracted. Pearce hits a powerslam on Jake for 2. He goes to the eyes and tags to Hagadorn. They hit a guillotine elbowdrop for 2. Hagadorn hits a fireman’s carry slam and an elbowdrop for 2. Pearce tags in and hits a leg lariat for 2. Hagadorn tags in and gets hit with a double jump spin kick. Dave and Pearce tag in and the Irish Airborne take control. Pearce goes low on Dave but clotheslines Hagadorn by mistake. Dave dropkicks Pearce down and the Crists double-team Hagadorn. Pearce crotches Dave up top and dumps Jake to the floor. Hagadorn hits Dave with brass knuckles and Pearce hits him with a jumping piledriver for the win. Surprisingly solid opener here. After the match Cornette comes out and gives an abbreviated version of his usual speech.
Rating: **¾

JZ says: Pearce and Hagadorn stall in the early going, while the crowd chants the name of their opponents. Dave Prazak and Jared David are the hosts, as per usual. The Crist brothers use some double teaming to outwit Pearce and Hagadorn, and then hit stereo Asai moonsaults on them to the floor. Pearce thinks he’s got them but Dave monkey flips Jake into a rana on Pearce in a cool spot. Cornette’s cronies take over with a low blow and other assorted dirty tricks. The brothers make a brief comeback but Hagadorn uses brass knuckles and Pearce hits the piledriver to get the win at 8:44. That was a decent enough opener. Of course Cornette has to come out after the match, and fans actually chant his name. He says stuff I don’t care about and we move on.
Rating: **¼

MATCH #2: Shingo vs. Roderick Strong

BG says: If this isn’t awe-inspiring then something is wrong with the universe. They lock up and Shingo powers Strong to the corner. Strong grabs a wristlock but Shingo counters and goes to work on the leg. He puts on a headlock and wins a shoulder tackle exchange. Strong hits a monkey flip and a leg lariat. He puts on an armbar and boots Shingo down for 2. He hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. He puts on the leggy nelson but Shingo gets to the ropes. Shingo comes back with a head-and-arm giant swing. He hits a back elbow and puts on a chinlock. He hits a makeshift powerbomb for 2. He hits a kneedrop for 2. He drops Strong on the top rope and kicks him to the floor. He hits the STO and puts on a crossface. Strong gets to the ropes. He hits a dropkick and a falcon arrow for 2. Wow that looked insane. Shingo retakes control and tries to start a chant for himself. He hits a back elbow and clotheslines Strong to the floor. He goes for a dive but Strong blocks it. Shingo hangs Strong on the second rope and hits him with a legdrop. Strong falls to the floor so Shingo hits him with a clothesline from the apron. Back in the ring he gets 2. He hits a clothesline in the corner but Strong catches him with the uranage backbreaker for 2. Shingo hits a hanging DDT off the second rope and a second rope kneedrop for 2. This guy loves the middle rope. He climbs up top but Strong cuts him off with a dropkick. He brings Shingo down with a superplex for 2. He puts on the Stronghold but Shingo gets to the ropes. Shingo hits a clothesline but Strong comes back with a big boot. Shingo rebounds with a lariat and the Last Falconry for 2. Strong hits an enziguiri and the gutbuster. They fight to the apron off of which Shingo DDTs Strong through a table. That could not have looked cooler than it did. No way. Back in the ring Shingo hits the Blood Fall for the win. Shingo is quickly becoming one of my favorites and Strong is of course already up there. This firmly established Shingo as a big heel in ROH and was a lot of fun in getting there.
Rating: ***½

Delirious cuts a promo telling us about asking Cornette for bigger matches. Cornette put him against Corino but even if he brings Jack Victory and the rest of his entourage to the ring he’s going to tap to the Cobra Stretch. He’s picking up momentum on his way to a match against Bryan Danielson for the title.

JZ says: Shingo returned to ROH in pretty strong fashion last night, defeating Jimmy Rave. A win over Roderick Strong as well would have to put him in the Top 5, or the Contender’s Circle (Ring?), or perhaps he’ll file a petition for a title shot. They do some cool mat wrestling to start and Strong gets the upper hand. Shingo fights back and this is a very give-and-take match in the opening minutes. Shingo takes control with his aggressive offense. Strong tries to make a comeback but Shingo is able to cut him off. Shingo gets the crowd to cheer for him, and then tells them to eat it. Every time Strong tries to comeback Shingo is able to stop him. Strong comes back with a superplex for two and goes for the Strong Hold but can’t put it on. Shingo no-sells a boot to the face and hits a lariat and a suplex for two. They fight over by the ring apron and Shingo is able to DDT Strong through the table in a sick looking spot. Back in the ring Shingo hits the Blood Fall to get the shockingly dominant victory over Strong at 15:28. That was a little better than Shingo’s match last night, and I look forward to seeing more from him.
Rating: ***¼

Delirious is backstage and excited to be in Chicago. Tonight he has the unfortunate duty of wrestling Steve Corino, the man Homicide promised to leave a birthmark on the face of. I think he promises to beat Corino tonight and then go on to defeat Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Title in Boston.

MATCH #3: Colt Cabana & Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro

BG says: Rave and Rinauro still come out to the Embassy music, even though Nana is gone and Rave seemingly made his peace with the group’s death back in Detroit. Jacobs and Cabana are getting along very well here, and Jacobs seems to have mellowed out quite a bit. Rave and Jacobs start. They lock up and Rave grabs a chinlock. Jacobs rolls him over for 2. Rave puts on the head scissors but Jacobs counters to a headlock. He hits a Manhattan drop and a clothesline. Cabana and Sal tag in and Cabana tricks Sal into a wristlock. Sal grabs a headlock but Cabana repeatedly finds creative ways to escape. He hits a dropkick and rolls him up for 2. Jacobs tags in and they hit a double hiptoss. Cabana drop toeholds Jacobs onto Sal for 2. Sal gets stuck between Jacobs and Cabana and Jacobs gets 2 after pushing Sal down with one finger. Cabana tags in and they hit a double Russian legsweep for 2. Jacobs tags in and hits an elbowdrop. Rave hits him with a clothesline from the apron and tags in. He rams Jacobs into the corner and spits on Cabana. Sal tags in and rolls Jacobs up for 2. He goes to the eyes and hits a tiger flip for 2. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. Rave tags in and hits a back suplex for 2. Sal tags in and hits a dropkick. Rave tags in and accidentally backdrops Sal. Cabana tags in and cleans house. He rams Sal’s head into Rave’s crotch and hits him with the Flying Asshole. Rave dodges it but Jacobs hits him with a spear for 2. Sal hits Cabana with a stunner and Rave follows up with the running knee for 2. Jacobs dumps Rave and hits the Contra Code on Sal. Rave hits Jacobs with a clothesline to the back but he comes back with a senton off the top. Cabana follows up with a senton and they both pin Rave for the win. Definitely the most fun match from Jacobs & Cabana in 2006 and a good showing from Rave and Sal as well.
Rating: ***

After the match Rave slaps Sal down and they walk to the back. Lacey wants to congratulate Cabana but he’s more interested in giving the credit to Jacobs. Jacobs gets on the microphone and tells Lacey he did it for her but she gives all the credit to Cabana. She then offers him a contract to officially join Lacey’s Angels after teasing that she wants a marriage proposal. Cabana seems relieved but he doesn’t want to be legally tied down. He brags about what he’s done to her behind closed doors but lets her know that he thinks she’s a bitch. He hates the way she treats Jacobs and admits that he’s beyond annoyed with her. He cuts off his ties to her so she commands that Jacobs attack him with a chair. Cabana tries to convince him to leave her too. He’s known him since he was 14 and knows the fans are ready to make him a star but he has to get away from Lacey. The crowd is wild for this stuff. Jacobs says that Cabana makes a lot of sense so he asks Lacey for a hug of good faith. Lacey refuses and tells Jacobs that she disgusts him, but she still wants him to take Cabana out. He starts crying so Cabana tries to get him out of the ring. Jacobs then crotches Cabana on the middle rope and stomps on his groin. He rams the heel of Lacey’s shoe into Cabana’s forehead until he bleeds. He tries to give Cabana’s ankle the BJ Whitmer treatment but Whitmer himself comes out and shoves Lacey down. Jacobs becomes concerned with her and they go to the back. Cabana’s face is disgustingly bloody and he complains that he can’t see. That was a really effective segment.

JZ says: Everyone stalls to start, with Jacobs having some fun at the urging of Cabana; and we establish that Chicago likes Jacobs, and does not like Jimmy Rave. Rave soon takes advantage and utilizes a head scissors to great effect. Jacobs is able to make the tag to Cabana, and Rave tags out to Rinauro, prompting a “Rave’s a pussy” chant. Cabana easily outsmarts and embarrasses Rinauro, just as he did in their singles match back in August. Cabana and Jacobs use some good double-team maneuvers. Rave takes a cheap shot on Jacobs and tags himself back in. The former Embassy controls Jacobs for a while until Cabana is able to make the hot tag and clean house on both of them. It breaks down into a huge brawl and Rinauro is taken out. Jacobs hits a back senton on Rave and Cabana follows it with a moonsault and both men cover Rave to get the pin at 13:43. The match had a lot of stalling and goofiness, but it was entertaining and Jacobs and Cabana and Rave & and Rinauro showed good chemistry as a team.
Rating: ***

Jacobs goes to Lacey for a hug but she blows him off in favor of Cabana, who wants to give Jacobs his due. Jacobs gets on the microphone and tells her he got the win. She disagrees; she says that Cabana got the win. She continues to go on and on about Cabana while Jacobs is standing in the corner very upset. She offers Cabana a contract with Lacey’s Angels. He tells Lacey that she needs to know the difference between business and personal. He goes on to call Lacey a huge bitch, because she’s always mean to Jimmy Jacobs. He thanks her for the good times and the great memories. Jacobs brings a chair into the ring but Cabana tries to convince him that Lacey is a total bitch to him. He calls Jacobs the little sister he never had. He offers to take Jimmy out for a night on the town. Cabana gets the crowd to chant “drop the ho.” Jacobs asks Lacey for a simple hug as a sign of affection. Lacey refuses and screeches more orders at him. He picks up the chair and the crowd really wants him to “hit the ho.” He can’t do it though, so he and Cabana leave the ring. BUT WAIT! Jacobs crotches Cabana on the ropes and starts going to work on him! He uses Lacey’s high heel shoe to beat up Cabana. The whole time he’s reminding Lacey that he loves her. Jacobs really digs into his head with the heel. This is pretty high-brow stuff for Ring of Honor, as a few fans chant “we want BJ!” Whitmer does come out and he manhandles Lacey, causing Jacobs to go off. He and Lacey retreat to the back. Cabana is all bloody and says he can’t see. People say ROH doesn’t do sports-entertainment, but that segment was most certainly that. And you know what – it was pretty awesome. Both Cabana and Jacobs deserve major props for putting on a fairly long segment and it was never boring or forced. The evolution of Emo Jacobs has been one of the more quietly interesting things going on in ROH lately.

MATCH #4: Steve Corino vs. Delirious

BG says: Corino’s entrance music is beyond obnoxious, changing twice completely before he even comes through the curtain. Delirious freaks out at the bell and hits a crossbody for 2. Corino comes back with a leg lariat before ripping off a tassel and choking Delirious with it. Delirious hits a series of clotheslines but Corino stands strong. He hits an enziguiri and rolls Corino up for 2. He gets another roll up for 2. Corino puts on an abdominal stretch and puts his thumb up Delirious’s butt. Seriously, was that necessary at all? The crowd labels him appropriately. Referee Sinclair eventually blocks him from doing it and Delirious puts the thumb in Corino’s mouth. He hits a leaping clothesline and the Neverending Story clotheslines. He hits a bulldog for 2. Corino hits a back heel kick but Delirious bites his leg. Delirious hits a dropkick to the back and the Panic Attack for 2. He puts on the cobra clutch but Corino goes to the corner. Corino hits a DVD for 2. He hits the STO for 2. He hits a low blow and a clothesline for 2. He sets Delirious up top and punches him low. Delirious fights him off and hits Shadows Over Hell for 2. He puts on the Cobra Stretch as Adam Pearce and Shane Hagadorn come to the ring. Hagadorn distracts the referee as Corino hits Delirious with the Top of the Class Trophy for the win.

Referee Sinclair figures out what was up and reverses the decision. Cornette comes out and the crowd tells him to shut up before he starts talking. I guess they’re still reeling from the last few promos he cut in Chicago. Cornette asks Sinclair why he reversed the decision and he admits it’s because the fans told him that Corino used the trophy. Cornette reverses the reversal and threatens to fire Sinclair if he doesn’t raise Corino’s hand. The match was slow, plodding and featured an incredibly stupid finish to boot. The problem with Cornette’s end of the feud is that it isn’t what ROH is about. Beyond that it isn’t played up enough that Cornette thinks he’s doing what is right for ROH while simultaneously going against ROH’s principals. It just comes off as an ROH angle that relies on lazy WWE booking.
Rating: *½

JZ says: I haven’t missed Corino, but the crowd seems happy to see him back for some reason. I would advocate buying his Straight Shootin’ Series for a really great story about Tommy Rich. Corino puts on an abdominal stretch and inserts his thumb into Delirious’ butt. I’m not sure why he would do that. The crowd chants “you sick fuck.” Sinclair stops him from doing it, but I don’t see how it’s actually an illegal maneuver. Delirious comes back with the Roots clotheslines. Corino comes back with a Death Valley driver for two. He follows that with a nice STO for two again. Corino controls for a few more minutes but Delirious is able to come back and hit the Shadows over Hell for two, and then he locks on the Cobra Stretch. Adam Pearce and Shane Hagadorn come out and Corino uses the Top of the Class Trophy to hit Delirious in the face and score the pin at 15:44 of an unbelievably dull match. I do believe that is my least favorite Delirious match, and I don’t blame that on him. Todd Sinclair then for some reason reverses his initial decision and gives the win to Delirious. This brings Cornette out. He talks for a long time, but basically he just wants to reverse Sinclair’s reversal, and bullies him into doing so.
Rating: *¾

MATCH #5: Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries

BG says: They lock up but neither man can get the advantage. Daniels gets a headlock takedown but Aries counters to the head scissors. He puts on his own headlock but Daniels quickly escapes. Daniels hits a leg lariat but Aries comes back with a springboard back elbow. They trade headlocks and Daniels hits a hiptoss. He hits a monkey flip and blocks an attempt from Aries. Aries pie faces Daniels and gets a headlock takedown. Daniels dodges the seated dropkick but Aries dumps him to the floor. Daniels catches Aries outside and rams him into the barricade. He misses the Arabian press and Aries nails him with the Heat Seeking Missile. Back in the ring Aries hits a slingshot senton and an elbowdrop for 2. He works over Daniels’s arm and hits an armbreaker for 2. Daniels comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He hits a back suplex for 2. He hits a Samoan drop for 2. He hits a bodyslam but the Arabian press hits knees. Aries hits a roaring forearm and a slingshot splash for 2. He hits a springboard moonsault for 2. Daniels slams him to the mat by his head and hits a pair of clotheslines. He hits a blue thunder bomb for 2. Aries counters the Angel’s Wings to a hurricanrana. He hits the corner dropkick for 2. He climbs the ropes but misses a frog splash. Daniels misses the triple jump moonsault but hits the Flatliner and puts on the Koji Clutch. Aries gets to the ropes. Aries hits the STO and puts on the Rings of Saturn. Daniels gets to the ropes. He gets a backslide for 2. He blocks the stiff kick to the face and rolls Aries up for 2. He blocks the crucifix bomb but Aries hits the brainbuster for 2. He climbs the ropes but Daniels cuts him off. He hits a palm strike and follows up with the Angel’s Wings for the win. Like their last match this was technically solid but unexciting, but unlike the last match the finish here was fantastic and bumps this up.
Rating: ***½

JZ says: This is a rematch from Survival of the Fittest 2006 a few weeks ago, a match that Aries won. Aries goes to work on the neck first. Daniels is able to escape Aries’s holds and they do a nice back and forth sequence that Daniels ends up controlling. Aries winds up with the headlock and holds on tight. They do some more back and forth and Daniels once again gets the advantage, so the tempers start to flare. They fight to the floor, and Aries hits the heat seeking missile. Prazak reminds me that Aries also pinned Daniels in the tag team title match back at Gut Check, so a win for Daniels here would he very important. They continue to trade offense back and forth, with neither man gaining a decided advantage. Aries tries a frog splash but Daniels moves out of the way. Aries continues to work on Daniels’s shoulder. Aries tries for a brainbuster off the top but Daniels reverses it to an Angel’s Wings and he gets the win at 18:04. That was a really good back and forth contest and much more engaging than their match back in Cleveland. Both of these men want shots at the Kings of Wrestling with their respective tag team partners, so a win for Daniels here is significant for he and Sydal’s tag team title aspirations.
Rating: ***½

Intermission

BG says: Dave Prazak can’t get a word with Samoa Joe or Bryan Danielson at intermission. He does catch up with Shingo however and asks him why he used a table in his match. Honestly the table just happened to be there, it’s not like Shingo set it up or anything like that. Shingo admits he likes tables and hardcore wrestling. Strong walks up and starts a brawl with the surprisingly cauliflower-eared Shingo.

JZ says: Dave Prazak and his ridiculous hair say that both Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson don’t want to comment on their main event match tonight. Shingo comes out and Prazak asks him why he had to use tables, and he said he liked them. That brought Roderick Strong out and he got in Shingo’s face and brawled with him. That rematch should be cool.

MATCH #6: Brent Albright vs. Trik Davis

BG says: You can watch this match for free at ROHVideos.com. Albright puts Davis on the mat to start. He puts on a wristlock and slams Davis to the mat again. Davis armdrags out of Albright’s grip and hits a hurricanrana. Albright uses a handshake to suplex Davis across the ring. He hits a nasty clothesline for 2. Davis hits another hurricanrana and a head scissors takedown. Albright cuts off his momentum with a back elbow for 2. He hits a delayed hammerlock suplex and snaps Davis’s arm against the mat. He asks if Davis is the best ROH has, which is silly considering he’s been in ROH for almost as many shows as Davis has and it’s only his second match. He hits a powerbomb for 2. Davis blocks a blind charge and hits a springboard Shiranui for 2. Albright comes back with a German suplex and a half nelson suplex. He locks in the Crowbar and Davis taps. Fun little squash there.
Rating: *¾

JZ says: This is just Albright’s second night with the company. He dominates early on with a hammerlock. Every time Davis tries something Albright will have none of it. What I like about Albright is that he does have the size to no-sell for Trik Davis. Davis makes a brief comeback but Albright knocks him back down. Albright continues the beating as the crowd awesomely chants “whoop that trick!” Albright finishes with the crowbar at 5:20. That was pretty much a squash, so I don’t see what the crowd is so jacked up about. I mean, if he had just gone 15 minutes with Jay Briscoe and it was awesome then I’d be excited too, but it was 5 minutes with Trik Davis.
Rating: *½

MATCH #7: Jay Briscoe vs. Matt Sydal

BG says: They pander to the crowd a bit after the opening bell. Jay is massively over, although the commentators seem to only be able to hear the girls screaming for Sydal. Jay attacks Sydal from behind but Sydal comes back with a roll up for 1. He hits a kneelift but Jay hits him with a leg lariat. Jay hits a hurricanrana but Sydal dumps him to the floor and follows him out with a big dive. He rams Jay into the barricade and rolls him back into the ring. He hits a legdrop for 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Jay gets to the ropes. Sydal hits a clothesline in the corner and a high-momentum slingshot dropkick for 2. He climbs the ropes but misses the cannonball legdrop. Jay stomps him down and hits a dropkick. Sydal gets a roll up for 2. Jay hits a back elbow for 2. He suplexes Sydal like he’s nothing for 2. He hits a nasty forearm sending Sydal to the floor. He follows him out and they brawl. Back in the ring Jay hits a snap suplex. Sydal blocks a blind charge and slips out of a military press to hit a DDT. They trade forearms and Sydal hits a leg lariat. He hits the Slice for 2. He hits an enziguiri but Jay comes back with a big boot. Sydal tosses him to the floor and follows him out with a moonsault off the top. Jay rams him into the barricade and gets back into the ring. The crowd counts Sydal out and celebrates Jay’s fake victory. What is Jared David thinking when he says Sydal is the favorite here? Jay hits a DVD for 2. He hits a bodyslam and climbs the ropes. A big splash hits knees but so does Sydal’s standing moonsault. A second attempt connects for 2. Sydal sets Jay up top but a hurricanrana is blocked. Jay hits a super facebuster but a clothesline is countered to a roll up giving Sydal the win. This was absolutely phenomenal if you ignore Sydal recovering so quickly from a killer move like the super facebuster to counter anything Jay had for the win. Mark runs out and starts beating on Sydal until Richards makes the save and their match starts.
Rating: ***½

JZ says: Sydal has fought against the Briscoe Brothers in tag team competition on a number of occasions. Briscoe outsmarts Sydal in the early going, as Sydal concerns himself with the fans’ reaction. This one starts off pretty fast, with both guys hitting some big moves early on and moving at a really fast pace. Briscoe goes to the floor and Sydal hits a big dive on him, much to the fans’ delight. Back in the ring finally and Sydal is in control. He misses a cannonball move and Briscoe takes control. Briscoe tries a military press but Sydal turns it into a DDT and both men are down. Briscoe gets knocked to the floor and Sydal hits a beautiful moonsault. They do an awkward countout spot that I don’t entirely understand, but Briscoe makes me forget it with a sick Death Valley Driver for two. He goes for a big splash but hits knees. Sydal tries the top rope belly-to-belly but Briscoe drops Sydal on his face instead. A really cool cradle spot leads to Sydal getting the pin at 14:45. That was a really fun match mostly due to Briscoe, but Sydal did some really cool stuff. Mark Briscoe and Davey Richards run out and start brawling, and that segues right into their scheduled match.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #8: Davey Richards vs. Mark Briscoe

BG says: They lock up and Mark hits a cheap shot. Mark is in full-blown The Hills Have Eyes mode here. He gets a headlock takedown but Richards comes back with an overhead suplex. Richards opens up with kicks for 2. He hits a snap suplex for 2. He hits a bodyslam and a kneedrop for 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special for 2. Mark comes back with a bodyslam but misses a slingshot double stomp. He hits a running knee from the apron and connects with the slingshot double stomp for 1. He hits a gutwrench suplex and a kneedrop for 2. He puts on a chinlock but Richards fights out. Mark hits a Samoan drop for 2. He hits an overhead suplex for 2. He puts on a chinlock but Richards fights out and hits an armdrag. He hits an enziguiri and a springboard missile dropkick. He kicks Mark down and hits a northern lights suplex for 2. A really awkward sequence follows. Mark hits a head-and-arm suplex and a side suplex for 2. He goes for a springboard move but Richards catches him with an armbar on the way down. Mark escapes but Richards flips back into it. Mark gets to the ropes. They trade strikes and Richards tosses Mark up into a kick. They clothesline each other down. They trade forearms and Richards hits the STO. He climbs the ropes but Mark crotches him and brings him down with the springboard Ace Crusher for 2. He climbs the ropes but Richards cuts him off and hits a German superplex. Mark had a rough landing on that one. It gets 2. Richards hits a DDT and locks in the 14:59 hammerlock for the win. There was a lot of effort and stiffness in this but some peculiarity kept it from reaching its full potential.
Rating: ***¼

An advertisement plays for FIP’s Second Year Spectacular DVDs. I reviewed those on this site so you should read that and then maybe pick up those DVDs.

JZ says: They brawl for a few minutes before the bell officially rings. Jimmy Bower invades the booth to tell the story about how Mark got his teeth knocked out and got revenge on the guy by hitting a shooting star press off the roof of the bar. Richards dominates the early going with kicks and suplexes. Mark takes over and goes to work for a few minutes before Davey makes the comeback and they’re both just killing each other with suplexes. Richards attacks the arm and locks on the Fujiwara armbar. They get up and clothesline each other and both men are down. Richards comes back and goes up top but Briscoe knocks him down. Briscoe then goes up top and tries something, but Richards gets a sick German suplex out of it instead. Richards gets aggressive and locks in a submission hold called 14:59, and that gets the win at 14:46. That wasn’t quite as good as the previous match, but as with all things Briscoe it was pretty damn good. Richards has beaten both Briscoes on consecutive nights.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #9: No DQ, Must Be A Winner, Non-Title Match – Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

BG says: Joe couldn’t beat Danielson at Survival of the Fittest so he didn’t get a shot at the title here. However, if he wins here the general idea is that he will get a shot. Joe starts the match off with a suicide dive before Danielson can get into the ring. He rams Danielson into the barricade and slaps him down. He throws a chair at Danielson’s leg and rams that leg into the barricade. Back in the ring Joe hits a running forearm. He hits the Big Joe Combo for 2. Danielson avoids the face wash but Joe grabs a chinlock. Danielson escapes and then opens up with European uppercuts. He hits an armbreaker as the commentators talk about Danielson wrestling more aggressive because he can’t hide behind the time limit. That’s a really nice touch. Danielson stomps on Joe’s elbow and wrist at the same time. Yeah, picture that. He goes to the eyes and hits a second rope axe handle. He hits another for 2. He goes the eyes again but Joe blocks the axe handle with the STJoe. Joe hits a Manhattan drop but Danielson avoids the big boot. Joe bails but sweeps Danielson’s legs on the apron. He giant swings him into the barricade and hits the Ole Kick. Danielson goes into the crowd to avoid a second Ole Kick and Joe follows. Danielson hides behind the hard camera scaffold and hits Joe with a chair. He chokes Joe with the chair but Joe returns fire by setting Danielson on a trunk and rolling it into a garbage can. He hits Danielson with a broomstick and dumps him into a trash bin. Danielson whips Joe into the wall and drops a case of bottled water on him. He slams Joe’s hand onto the trunk and hits him with a fan. He tries to choke Joe with some guy’s jacket but Joe comes back with a big boot over the barricade. Back at ringside Danielson grabs a club and beats Joe’s arm and shoulder with it. He puts on the crossface chicken wing with the club and Joe goes down. The referee raises Joe’s hand and it drops twice but he pumps himself up and bites Danielson’s hand to escape. The referee tries to take the club away and Danielson accidentally tosses it to the floor. Stupid cheating referee. Danielson goes to the eyes but Joe catches him with a powerslam for 2. Danielson drops the unprotected elbows but Joe catches him with a powerbomb for 2. He puts on a crossface but Danielson rolls back for 2. Joe hits some unprotected elbows but Danielson goes to the eyes to stop it. He gets a roll up for 2. He gets a backslide for 2. Joe hits an enziguiri but Danielson catches him with the Cow Killer and rolls him up for 2. He pulls off the referee’s belt and whips Joe with it. He wraps the belt around his wrist but jumps into a kick from Joe. Joe gets a hold of the belt and whips Danielson around the ring. He hits a knee strike but Danielson goes low. Danielson gets a roll up for 2 but Joe grabs him with the belt and uses it to choke Danielson out for the win. This was a fantastic brawl which I thought was every bit as good as their draw and in a completely different style.
Rating: ****

Joe gets on the microphone and does his usual shtick before challenging Danielson to a steel cage match for the title when ROH returns to Chicago.

JZ says: Joe wastes no time in getting this match underway. He goes right after Danielson on the floor and abuses him with kicks and Three Stooges tactics. Back in the ring Joe is still in control. Danielson tries to avoid Joe and then is able to grab onto Joe’s arm and go to work on it. Joe tries to make a comeback but Danielson avoids a running boot and goes right back to work. Outside the ring Joe is able to sweep Danielson’s legs out from under him and he hits a swinging powerbomb into the guardrail. Joe goes for the Ole Kick and Danielson tries to escape through the crowd. They fight outside the ring for a while and when they go back in Danielson uses a Billy club to beat on Joe and apply the cross-face chicken wing. Joe fights back and hits a few big moves but Danielson comes back with a series of pinning combinations. He then goes for the Cattle Mutilation and tries to pin Joe out of it but only gets two. Danielson then removes Todd Sinclair’s belt and whips Joe with it. Joe takes the belt away and gives Danielson a taste of his own medicine, and even lock on the Choke with the belt. Danielson escapes it but Joe puts it right back on. This time Danielson’s arm drops three times and Joe has cleanly defeated the ROH World Champion in a non-title match at 21:34. That was pretty good, but I think it lacked urgency since the title was not on the line and there was no time limit. However, I see why they did the gimmick, the match itself was good, and it sets up for a rematch down the line so it’s all gravy.
Rating: ***¼

Aftermath

BG says: Jimmy Bower spots Jimmy Rave sitting on the bleachers but he doesn’t want to talk to the camera. Sal Rinauro asks Rave if he’s ready to go but Rave thinks he’s better off alone. That was the last we ever saw of Sal Rinauro.

A bandana-masked man stands staring at the camera as we are warned that the Revolution is coming. Smells like Konnan to me.

JZ says: Jimmy Rave is sitting up in the bleachers being distraught. Sal Rinauro comes up to him and Rave says that he’s better off alone.

The revolution is coming…

MVP

BG says: Samoa Joe gets it here. We all know that Joe is great at brawls and he was the driving force behind an amazing one against Danielson on this show.

JZ says: Colt Cabana, Jimmy Jacobs, and Lacey all get it for doing a segment that no one else in the company could have pulled off.

You can pick up this show, as well as all other ROH shows at ROH Wrestling Dot Com.

Coming soon will be our review of HONOR RECLAIMS BOSTON!