ROH – The Bitter End DVD Review

ROH – The Bitter End – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 4, 2006

Introduction

BG says: Steve Corino is the host of the video wire this time around. He’s going to finish off Homicide in Philadelphia in a Fight Without Honor. A clip is shown of Joe’s win over Danielson in Chicago. Joe wants a Steel Cage World Championship match the next time ROH goes to Chicago. Danielson isn’t wild about Joe’s fat sloppy Samoan challenge, and on the next video wire he’s going to prove why he’s the best. Corino hypes up the six-man tag to happen at ROH’s return to Boston, just so that it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle and replay Corino’s plastic bag attack on Homicide. Corino annoyingly talks like he’s watching dirty sex over the clips. Jimmy Rave caps off this video wire by declaring that the Embassy is done for. He berates Sal Rinauro and telling him that he’s out of his good graces if he doesn’t beat Bryan Danielson on the next video wire. Since we’ve seen Suffocation we know how that one went.

Joe starts out the show with some out of focus words for Bryan Danielson. They call Bryan the best in the world but he’s bested him. He brings out Nigel McGuinness as his dream tag partner against him. Nigel is excited to get back in the ring with Danielson. Joe also says he has a going away present for KENTA and his NOAH buddies. This puzzles NOAH wrestler McGuinness.

JZ says: Samoa Joe is here to talk about ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson. They will fight in a steel cage match about a month from now, but tonight they face off in a tag team match; Nigel McGuinness will be joining Joe. He also promises a going away gift for KENTA, since it’s his last night. Nigel looks troubled by Joe’s last partner.

MATCH #1: Christopher Daniels vs. Matt Cross

BG says: You can watch this match for free at ROHVideos.com. They lock up and Daniels grabs a headlock. Cross comes back with forearms and a dropkick. Daniels bails so Cross follows him out and hits a head scissors takedown on the floor. He hits the Flagpole Press and rolls Daniels back into the ring. He hits a springboard dropkick for 2. He puts on a chinlock and hits a leg lariat for 2. Daniels turns Cross inside out with a clothesline and hits a back bodydrop. He puts Cross down with a forearm and hits a backbreaker. He hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He puts on a chinlock but Cross fights out. Daniels comes back with an inverted lung blower and a powerslam for 2. Cross hits an enziguiri and a standing moonsault. He hits a DVD into a neckbreaker for 2. Daniels hits a blue thunder bomb and the uranage. He misses the triple jump moonsault and Cross hits him with a hurricanrana. Daniels bails so Cross follows him out with the Space Flying Tiger Drop. Back in the ring he hits springboard double stomp for 2. Daniels comes back with a DVD and the Angel’s Wings for the win. The finish felt tacked on but the rest of the match made Cross look like a million bucks.
Rating: **¾

After the match the Kings of Wrestling attack Daniels. The lay him out with the double big boot and Danger tries to make the save. Claudio pulls her off Hero and Hero clocks her in the face. They finish things off with the KRS-I on Daniels. Matt Sydal, Roderick Strong and Austin Aries make the save way too late to really be of any help.

JZ says: Dave Prazak and Jared David are the hosts, and Cross is wrestling in his first one-on-one match in Ring of Honor; his only other match was the six man mayhem back at Motor City Madness. Cross shows his agility early on and confounds Daniels. His flag pole splash on the outside is pretty cool. Back in the ring Cross maintains control and is looking pretty good here. Daniels comes back and goes to work on the back. You know what’s interesting? Allison Danger looks just like her brother. Anyway, Daniels hits a uranage slam and goes for the Best Moonsault Ever but Cross moves and hits a nice headscissors off the ropes. Daniels goes to the outside and Cross busts out some awesomeness in the form of a space flying tiger driver. A really nice looking sequence leads to a Death Valley Driver for Daniels and he follows it up with the Angels Wings to get the pin at 8:36. That was a fun opener and a really solid eight minute match that made me want to see more of Cross. I hope he catches on. After Daniels checks on Cross, the ROH World Tag Team Champions Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli storm in and attack Daniels. Danger tries to jump on Hero, but Claudio nips that effort in the bud. The fans throw some toilet paper and the champions hit the KRS-One. Austin Aries, Matt Sydal, and Roderick Strong all finally come out to help Daniels, but even though I know this is wrestling I have to ask what the FUCK took them so long?
Rating: ***

Mindless Garbage

BG says: Jim Cornette and Shane Hagadorn come out to the ring. Hagadorn’s trophy is all broken. Cornette runs down the crowd so they cant for Homicide. He heard that Homicide got Konnan to back him up. Konnan gets a rather unfavorable reaction, which sparks audible arguments in the crowd. He loses the fans when he goes on a rant about immigration reform. There’s some loose relation between that and LAX but considering Homicide and Konnan are legal it doesn’t really work. Cornette responds to Konnan’s presence by making Shane Hagadorn the special referee in the Fight Without Honor. He changes the rules of the match by making it so that Homicide will get disqualified if he cheats but not Corino. Homicide must also pin Corino for a 10-count instead of three. Konnan and the Rottweilers finally cut Cornette off. Konnan drops a few N-bombs before calling Cornette racist over and over, claiming that Ricky Reyes hasn’t been getting booked because he’s Cuban. Cornette says it’s because Reyes sucks so a match gets made between Reyes and Hagadorn.

JZ says: Jim Cornette comes out with Shane Hagadorn and cuts the same boring, repetitive promo he’s been doing for months. After a few agonizing minutes, the Rottweilers (Homicide, Julius Smokes, Ricky Reyes, and a special appearance by Konnan) come out. I really don’t feel like recapping any of this. I will tell you that this leads to a match between Reyes and Hagadorn.

MATCH #2: Ricky Reyes vs. Shane Hagadorn

BG says: Hagadorn opens up with forearms before the bell. The crowd starts counting, hoping Reyes will win in under thirty seconds. Reyes kicks Hagadorn down for 2. Hagadorn blocks a blind charge and boots Reyes in the face. He hits a kneedrop for 2. Jimmy Bower gets in the commentary booth to complain how much Cornette’s policies remind him of WWE. Reyes puts on a leglock but Hagadorn gets to the ropes. He hits a knee to the gut and hits a swinging neckbreaker. He locks in the dragon sleeper and Hagadorn taps immediately. The crowd tells him not to let go and Reyes complies until the referee threatens to reverse the decision. I’d have preferred more of a squash for Reyes to be honest.
Rating: ½*

JZ says: The crowd chants “30 seconds” and then actually counts out loud. Man, sometimes Philly crowds are great. The commentators just talk about Cornette basically. Jimmy Bower comes into the booth to talk about the Cornette situation, and he takes a shot at WWE. Some stuff happens and Reyes locks on the dragon sleeper and gets the win at 3:33. I’m too drunk to care.
Rating: ¾*

MATCH #3: Four Corner Survival – BJ Whitmer vs. Colt Cabana vs. Pelle Primeau vs. Tank Toland

BG says: Toland isn’t really that much taller than Primeau, just a whole lot wider. Toland hurts Primeau’s hand during their handshake. He tosses Primeau clear across the ring but Primeau comes back with an armbar. Toland shrugs it off and continues to fling Primeau about. Toland tags Cabana in. Cabana lets Primeau put on a wristlock and feigns pain. He sits down to block an Irish whip and tricks Primeau into a wristlock. He tosses Primeau by his wrist and tags to Whitmer. Toland tags Primeau out and fights on the mat with Whitmer. They trade strikes and Primeau makes a blind tag. He tries to attack Whitmer but gets shrugged off and powerbombed into the turnbuckle. Cabana tags in and chops Cabana in every corner before hitting the Whirly Bird. Toland tags in and hits a fireman’s carry into a spinebuster. Whitmer tags in and Primeau catches him with a reverse hurricanrana for 2. Everyone comes in and gets knocked around by Cabana. Toland tags in legally and hits a Dominator on Primeau for 2. The crowd popped pretty big for that. Toland hits a big spinebuster for 2. Cabana hits the Flying Asshole on Toland but Whitmer takes him out with a running kneelift. Whitmer hits a German suplex on Toland and a suicide dive on Cabana. Primeau runs in the ring and hits a stunner on Toland before rolling him up for the win. Incredibly cute match that saw everyone embarrass Primeau but then forget about him long enough for him to slip in and pick up the victory. He surfs the crowd after the match. It’s time to give this guy something to do, and for those who say Primeau is too small to ever be credible don’t forget that Jimmy Jacobs used to be that skinny.
Rating: **½

The Briscoe Brothers are going to keep their tag team win streak going against Davey Richards tonight, even if he does bring Delirious with him. Mark tells Richards to man up and then walks out of the room in slow motion while showing off the huge gap in the front of his mouth.

JZ says: The crowd humorously chants “you take steroids” at the abnormally sized Toland. Colt Cabana is in this match, and he slept in my basement last week. Toland abuses Primeau in the early going. Primeau is coming off a recent pinfall victory over Jimmy Rave in a six man mayhem match back in Detroit. I like Primeau but he needs to work on his facials; Toland had him up in a military press and he looked bored. Cabana finally tags in and he mocks Primeau as only Cabana can. After a few minutes of that, Whitmer and Toland are tagged in and the crowd is behind Whitmer big time. Not much happens and then Primeau gets in with Whitmer and takes a powerbomb to the corner. Cabana and Whitmer work together a bit (both are feuding with Jimmy Jacobs, who is not here tonight), and Cabana’s interactions with Primeau are great. Speaking of Primeau, everyone in this match takes turns beating on him. The match breaks down into a big brawl and Primeau hits the stunner on Toland and rolls him up to get the pin at 11:08. That was a tremendously fun four-way match and Primeau’s crowd surfing afterwards is great.
Rating: ***

The Briscoe Brothers are here to talk shit trash about the opponents for tonight, Davey Richards and Delirious. The slow motion was a bit much there, but the Briscoes are still pretty badass.

MATCH #4: Bryan Danielson & Jimmy Rave vs. Nigel McGuinness & Samoa Joe

BG says: Danielson and Rave toss the toilet paper thrown at Rave at Joe and Nigel during their entrance. Nigel and Rave start. Nigel works the arm so Rave begs off. Nigel puts on a headlock and goes back to the arm. Danielson tags in and puts on a chinlock. Nigel goes to work on his leg but Danielson kicks the face to escape. Joe tags in and Danielson immediately tags out. Jimmy Bower comes to the booth and lets us know that Konnan is lobbying for Jim Cornette to be released in a meeting with ROH brass backstage right now. Joe puts Rave on the mat and slaps the back of his head. Rave puts on a headlock and spits in Joe’s face. Joe slaps him down and casually dodges a crossbody. Joe hits a leaping knee strike and tags to Nigel. Danielson pulls Rave out of the way of the rebound lariat and Rave attacks Nigel from behind. Nigel hits the corner combo and fights Danielson off. He hits a short arm lariat on Danielson but gets double teamed when he goes for the handstand kick. Danielson tags in and distracts the referee while Rave chokes Nigel with the tag rope. Rave tags in and does the same. Danielson tags in and kicks Nigel to the floor. Nigel catches Rave with a forearm on the floor but loses his momentum back in the ring. Rave tags in and stomps the face for 2. Danielson tags in and double chokes Nigel with Rave. Bower comes back to the booth and says that Cornette is furious at Konnan going over his head and is going to respond. Joe gets the tag but the referee doesn’t see it and doesn’t allow it. Danielson hits the neck wrench suplex and puts on a cross armbreaker. Nigel gets to the ropes. Rave tags in and hits an elbowdrop. He puts on a crossface but Nigel gets to the ropes. Danielson tags in and distracts the referee so Rave can choke Nigel. Rave tags in and puts on a front facelock. Rave and Nigel knock heads so Danielson runs in and pulls Nigel to his own corner. Nigel hits Danielson with the Tower of London and tags to Joe. Joe cleans house and forces Rave to spear Danielson. He hits a big boot and a senton on Rave. Rave dodges the powerslam and hits a senton but Joe quickly grabs the choke. Danielson breaks it up with the diving headbutt. Nigel tags in and runs into a knee to the gut. Rave hits the running knee for 2. Nigel hits the handstand kick for 2. He puts on a hammerlock but Danielson breaks it up. Danielson dropkicks Joe to the floor but Joe crotches him on the top rope. Nigel hits the second rope lariat on Danielson but Rave rolls him up for 2. Nigel comes back with the rebound lariat for the win. Nigel really shined here and Rave and Danielson wrestled like they were a regular team. It wasn’t the kind of exciting match I expected from these four main eventers but it was actually a fantastic display for its spot on the card.
Rating: ***¼

After the match a fan throws toilet paper at Rave and he freaks out, going after the fan. Nigel gets on the microphone and tells Rave to act like a professional. He calls Rave the laughingstock of ROH.

JZ says: All four of these guys have wrestled in various singles matches over the years. I like that Rave volunteered to be in this match because he wants to get back on track since he’s been on a losing streak and directionless since Nana left. Nigel outwrestles Rave to start, so he tags out to the ROH World Champion. Jimmy Bower comes in the booth just as Danielson and Joe are about to lockup so Danielson bails. He comments on the chaos in the locker room and apologizes for Cornette’s behavior. For some reason Konnan is in a meeting with ROH management. Meantime there is a match going on involving four people pretty high on the card. Bower is back AGAIN to talk about Cornette. Rave spits in Joe’s face and then doesn’t back down. Joe takes him down and tags in Nigel. Danielson continues to avoid Joe. Nigel is able to take out both of his opponents single handedly. Rave and Danielson then commence the cheating to take advantage of Nigel. Bower comes back AGAIN to talk about Cornette. Joe makes the tag but the referee doesn’t see it and the heels continue to be on offense. Nigel finally comes back and hits the Tower of London and makes the hot tag to Joe, who kills Rave right away. Rave tries a senton but Joe grabs him in the choke in an awesome spot. Danielson breaks it up. Nigel LEVELS Danielson with the clothesline and Danielson rolls to the outside. Unfortunately for him Samoa Joe is waiting there to kick his ass. Back in the ring Nigel hits Rave with the lariat to get the win at 18:55. That started slow but picked up nicely and had a really good last five minutes or so. A fan throws toilet paper at Rave and he gets super pissed and goes after the fan. Nigel gets on the microphone and tells him that he should act seriously if he wants to be taken seriously. Nigel calls him the laughing stock of the company.
Rating: ***¼

MATCH #5: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Davey Richards & Delirious

BG says: Jim Cornette and the Briscoes come out for more promo time. He announces that Hagadorn is injured and can’t referee the main event. Since he can’t get the referee he wants he cancels the main event and fires Homicide. He says Homicide will never be in ROH as long as he is commissioner. Well that line never works well for the person who says it. Konnan and the Rottweilers come back out. Konnan gets on the microphone and reveals he had a meeting with the owner of ROH. ROH brass decided that ROH is about what the fans want so he asks the fans whether they want Homicide or Cornette to stay. The crowd chooses Homicide. Homicide lets Cornette know that he’s fired and security drags him out of the ring. This was performed like an elementary school play and was carried out with as much importance with the McGuinness promo that preceded it, but at least I don’t have to watch Cornette for the foreseeable future.

Richards tells the Briscoes that he’s going to kick them in the balls as he shakes their hands. Mark and Delirious start. Delirious freaks out and the bell and tags out. Richards hits an armdrag and panders to the crowd. Richards and Mark lock up as Bobby Cruise asks somebody to move their car on the microphone. So bush league. Mark grabs a wristlock, which Richards escapes by kicking the shoulder. Delirious tags in, runs around the ring and then tags out again. Mark and Richards knuckle up and Richards puts on a wristlock. Mark counters a chest kick with a dragon screw and tags to Jay. Jay stays on the leg and dropkicks the face. Mark tags in and goes back to the leg. Jay tags in and they clobber Richards down. Mark tags in but Richards fights them and tags to Delirious. Delirious rams Mark into Jay and then dropkicks Mark into Jay. Bobby Cruise distracts the crowd again with his car talk. Delirious hits the Neverending Story clotheslines and a bulldog on Mark for 2. Jay tags in and hits a big boot. He hits a hurricanrana for 2. Mark tags in and they hit the double hiptoss for 2. Mark hits a vertical suplex for 2. Jay tags in and blatantly calls a dropkick. And wouldn’t you know it he then hits a dropkick and puts on a chinlock. Mark tags in and hits a double jump senton for 2. He hits a gutwrench suplex and a kneedrop for 2. He hits the yelping springboard splash for 2. Jay tags in and they hit the double shoulder tackle. Delirious rolls Jay up for 2. He hits a chinbreaker and tags to Richards. Richards hits a big boot on Mark and follows him to the floor with a suicide dive. Delirious tags in and hits something on Jay off camera for 2. He hits a soccer kick and goes for the Cobra Stretch. Jay fights away but Delirious hits him with the Panic Attack. Mark counters Shadows Over Hell to the uranage suplex. Richards hits Mark with the handspring kick and Jay with a capture suplex. Jay hangs him on the top rope but Delirious catches him with Shadows Over Hell. Delirious puts on the Cobra Stretch and Richards puts the Stretch Muffler on Mark. Jay gets to the ropes. Delirious tags in legally and runs into a DVD. Mark powerbombs Richards into a neckbreaker from Jay. Jay grabs the legal Delirious and the Briscoes hit him with the spike Jay Driller for the win. The stuff with the car was incredibly unprofessional and took the crowd out of the match. Add that to the audible calling of moves and the off camera near falls and you’ve got amateur hour. The rest of the match was okay but not enough to make up for the technical faults.
Rating: **½

JZ says: Cornette comes out with the Briscoes and cancels the main event for tonight. He also fires Homicide. This brings Homicide and Konnan out to absolutely no pop. They turn it around and fire Cornette. This was such a poorly acted and ill-conceived segment that it made Ring of Honor look bush league, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. Jay cracks me up by asking “how da hell do dey fire da commissioner?”

Now we actually do have a match here, as Davey Richards faces the Briscoes in tag team action for the fourth time with the fourth different partner (KENTA, Matt Sydal, and Homicide being the other three). The Briscoes have won each tag team meeting, but Richards beat them both in singles matches last weekend in the Midwest. Ring announcer Bobby Cruise announces that someone’s lights are on in the parking lot. What are they, at a flea market in front of 30 people? The beginning here is lots of stalling. The Briscoes take it to Richards for a few minutes until a hot tag to Delirious is made. Bobby Cruise once again makes an announcement about the car. He gets some moves in before the Briscoes take over once again. Richards then makes a hot tag and more stuff happens. Delirious tries Shadows over Hell but takes a suplex instead. Richards is able to take both Briscoes down. Delirious is back in now and he hits the Shadows over Hell and puts the Cobra Stretch on. Richards pouts the Brock Lock on the other Briscoe but one of them reaches the ropes. Richards gets tossed to the floor and Delirious eats a Spike Jay Driller and the Briscoes get the win at 16:02. That never really went anywhere.
Rating: **¼

INTERMISSION

BG says: Lacey talks about how nauseous Cabana makes her now. She’s going to use all her resources to take him out. Daizee Haze confronts Lacey for her actions the night before and challenges her to a match.

JZ says: Lacey is here to bitch about Colt Cabana. She threatens him and Daizee Haze comes out and wants to know why Lacey has been so mean to her. She challenges Lacey to a match, and Lacey says she’ll do it anytime.

MATCH #6: ROH World Tag Team Title Match – Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong

BG says: The Kings make a point of stating that the CZW tag titles are not on the line here. Aries and Strong attack before the bell. They hit forearms in the corners and lay in mounted punches. Hero bails so Aries hits him with the Heat Seeking Missile. Strong monkey flips Claudio to the floor and follows him out with a dive. Back in the ring Strong hits Claudio with a bodyslam for 2. Aries tags in and they hit the Hart Attack for 2. Strong tags in and hits a dropkick for 2. Aries tags in and hits the corner elbow. He puts on a front facelock but Claudio goes to the eyes to escape. Hero tags in and walks into the wrong corner. Strong tags in and hits a back suplex for 2. Aries tags in and hits a slingshot elbowdrop. He hits a hammerlock DDT and keeps the hold on. He rolls Hero up for 2. Strong tags in and puts on the leggy nelson. He changes to a headlock but Claudio runs in and the Kings hit a double back suplex. Claudio tags in and the Kings make a wish. Claudio hits a bodyslam for 1. He distracts the referee as Hero chokes Strong with the tag rope. Hero tags in and they hit a double vertical suplex for 2. Claudio tags in and puts on an abdominal stretch. Hero gives him extra leverage but Strong hits a hiptoss to escape. Hero tags in and hits a dropkick. He hits a springboard axe handle and tags to Claudio. Claudio puts on a chinlock and tags to Hero. Hero hits an atomic drop and tags to Claudio. Strong dodges the double big boot and tags to Aries. Aries hits a top rope clothesline on both opponents. He hits an armdrag on Claudio and a slingshot splash on Hero. He misses a springboard moonsault but hits a back suplex on Claudio. He hits the corner dropkick for 2. Strong hits a slingshot shoulder tackle and the challengers hit a double backbreaker. Hero hits a vertical suplex on Aries and Claudio follows with the Alpamare Waterslide. He hits a diving European uppercut for 2. Strong hits a tiger driver on Hero and the gutbuster on Claudio. He hits the Sick Kick on Claudio for 2. Strong hits a powerbomb on Claudio and spears Hero to the floor. Aries climbs the ropes but Claudio hits him with the briefcase for 2. Hero tries to attack with the briefcase but Aries grabs it and beats Hero and Claudio down with it, drawing a disqualification. The match was rather dull and the finish was stupid, and that’s really all I have to say about this.
Rating: **¾

JZ says: Hero & Castagnoli have been champions since 9.16.06, and this is just their second defense. Aries & Strong start out on fire, since this is their first shot to win the belts they made into World Titles back. Aries and Strong dominate in the early going, and Hero is over exaggerating his selling tonight. The Champions cheat to regain the advantage, and start going to work on Strong. Aries tags in and gets a few moves until the Champions take over for a minute. The referee loses control and everyone is hitting big moves on everyone. Castagnoli uses the Halliburton again but Aries is able to kick out. Hero brings the briefcase in the ring and Aries winds up using it instead, drawing the DQ at 16:55. Seventeen minutes of mostly dull for THAT finish? They fight outside the ring for a while after the match.
Rating: **½

MATCH #7: KENTA vs. Matt Sydal

BG says: They lock up and Sydal grabs a leglock. He puts on an armbar but KENTA comes back with a roll up for 1. KENTA opens up with kicks and hits a big boot. Sydal ducks a kick and hits a hurricanrana. He hits a dropkick for 2. He gets a headlock takedown and hits a legdrop for 2. He hits a dropkick in the corner and chops KENTA down. KENTA kicks Sydal in the corner and hits one to the chest for 2. They fight over a suplex, which Sydal hits for 2. He puts on a bow and arrow lock but KENTA comes back with more kicks. He hangs Sydal over the top rope and comes off the top with a kneedrop. He kicks the back for 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Sydal gets to the ropes. They trade forearms and Sydal goes down. KENTA puts on a chinlock but Sydal comes back with an enziguiri. KENTA slaps him across the face and hits the afterthought kick. Sydal goes to the floor so KENTA follows him out and rams him into the barricade. Back in the ring KENTA gets 2. He puts on the camel clutch but Sydal gets to the ropes. KENTA hits a bodyslam and puts on a Boston crab. Sydal gets to the ropes. He hits a leg lariat and a leaping clothesline. He hits the Slice and dumps KENTA to the floor. He climbs the ropes and dives onto KENTA with a moonsault. Back in the ring KENTA hits a big boot that pushes Sydal down onto his neck. KENTA hits a springboard dropkick for 2. He kicks the chest for 2. Sydal hits a standing moonsault for 2. He sets KENTA up top and brings him down with a hurricanrana. He hits the pumphandle piledriver for 2. He hits a double stomp but misses the shooting star press. KENTA hits a back heel kick and a butterfly suplex into the corner. He hits a turnbuckle powerbomb and the tiger suplex for 2. He hits a sit out powerbomb for 2. He hits the Busaiku knee kick for 2. Sydal counters Go 2 Sleep with a hurricanrana for 2. He hits a clothesline in the corner and climbs the ropes. KENTA catches him with an Ace Crusher on the way down and hits Go 2 Sleep for the win. I’ve always thought this was a strange choice for KENTA’s final match, especially given that he beat Sydal without much trouble. Sydal did dominate the early portion of the match but never got a good string of offense in following that. The match was the best of the show so far but falls more toward the way of his match against Richards rather than his match against Danielson, quality wise.
Rating: ***½

After the match KENTA thanks ROH and the fans for his run with the company. Samoa Joe comes out and says that when KENTA debuted in ROH he didn’t think much of him. He says that during his stay in ROH he’s learned that KENTA is one of the world’s finest competitors. He asks KENTA to take a message back to NOAH. He says the message is being given so that guys like Takeshi Morishima and Kenta Kobashi will know he means business, and it’s a big old slap across the face. KENTA fights back and there’s an immediate pull-apart brawl. Why is it that on the last show the Kings of Wrestling beat Allison Danger forever without anyone doing anything but when two men are fighting a relatively fair fight it gets broken up without hesitation? Strange policy.

JZ says: They do some mat wrestling on the mat to start. This will be KENTA’s last match in ROH for a good long awhile, as he won be able to come back until later than October. Sydal actually controls the early portion of the match. KENTA comes back and lands some kicks that are truly without ruth. They trade control back and forth, with KENTA finally taking the decided advantage. Sydal tries to fight back but KENTA is able to stay on offense, even outside the ring where he delivers some vicious kicks. Sydal eventually does take control and throws KENTA outside and hits a nice moonsault on him while Christopher Daniels plays cheerleader for his tag team partner. KENTA comes back with more kicks. Sydal comes back and hits the standing moonsault and a nice rana off the top. He hits the Here It Is Driver for two. He tries the Shooing Star Press but KENTA moves and hits a butterfly suplex into the turnbuckle. He takes a powerbomb into the turnbuckles too, and then a German Suplex that gets two. KENTA tries the Go 2 Sleep but Sydal counters it into a headscissors. Sydal tries to hit a move off the top rope but KENTA hits an Ace Crusher out of the air and follows it with Go 2 Sleep to get the win at 16:45. KENTA hit almost nothing but kicks through the whole match, but Sydal was really game and it turned into a pretty good, but not a great, match. Since this is KENTA’s last match in ROH for quite some time, he gets on the microphone and thanks the fans and ROH. This brings out Samoa Joe, who initially seems angry but then makes his peace with KENTA and the crowd chants his name. Then Joe asks KENTA to deliver a message to NOAH, and slaps him in the face.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #8: Fight Without Honor – Homicide vs. Steve Corino

BG says: A pretty cool video hyping the Fight Without Honor is shown. Two things come to mind. One is that ROH has gotten much better at making these pre-match videos and the other is that those early ROH shows look terrible in clip form in these videos.

Fights Without Honor tend to end feuds for good so it’s pretty safe to say that this is the last time we’ll ever see this match in ROH. They stare each other down for a long time before locking up. Homicide hits the Bad Slap and they lock up again. Corino slaps Homicide back and mocks him. Homicide sends Corino to the floor and follows him out. Corino tosses Homicide over the barricade and they fight to the bleachers. Homicide throws a trashcan at Corino. He rams Corino’s head into the wall. Corino suplexes Homicide on the floor. Homicide tosses chairs onto Corino’s head and drags him back to ringside. He rams Corino into the barricade and J-Train hits him with a back rake. Homicide goes after Corino’s corner men and rolls Corino back into the ring. He hits the Three Amigos and climbs the ropes. Corino catches him with a tennis racket shot to the face on his way down. Homicide bleeds and bails so Corino goes after him and digs his nails into the cut. He throws a trashcan at Homicide’s head and chokes him with duct tape. Homicide puts a ladder into the ring and hits Corino with the trashcan. He puts the ladder in the corner and hits Corino with a chair. Corino backdrops Homicide onto the ladder and chokes him on the middle rope. He puts on a cobra clutch but Homicide comes back with a swinging DDT. He gets the fork from J-Train and rams it into Corino’s ear. That is so gross. He tosses a chair at Corino’s face. Corino grabs a barbed wire baseball bat and rubs it on Homicide’s forehead. Homicide gets the bat and hits Corino in the face with it. He stomps it onto Corino’s ear and brings out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He pours it into Corino’s cuts and sets up a table at ringside. They fight to the floor where Homicide uses Corino’s ear injury to put him on the table. He climbs the ropes and puts Corino through the table with a splash. Back in the ring Homicide hits Corino with the trashcan and sends him to the floor. Corino throws a chair at Homicide’s face and hits a low blow back in the ring. He uses a broken piece of table to open Homicide’s wounds but Homicide comes back with a chair shot. Corino hits a bodyslam and climbs the ropes. Homicide slaps him and slams him off the top. Corino hits the northern lights bomb for 1. He hits a lariat for 1. He hits a stiff kick to the back for 1. He hits the Old School Expulsion but Homicide comes back by going after the ear. Corino hits the STO for 2. He hits a pair of chair shots but Homicide comes back with the Ace Crusher for 2. They trade strikes and Homicide hits the Bad Slap. The Briscoes come out and hit a cheap shot on Homicide. Corino capitalizes with a DDT for 2. Corino sets up a table in the ring and climbs the ropes. Homicide cuts him off and hits a super DDT through it for 2. He hits the lariat for the win immediately after. This was long, dull and heatless. It was very violent and obscenely gory but had no fire. Much like Cornette’s expulsion from the company this felt way too run of the mill and not special at all.
Rating: **½

After the match Homicide gets on the microphone and talks about his feud with Corino. He wants retribution for Corino trying to kill him with a plastic bag a few shows ago. In Mexico when someone wins a feud they shave their opponent’s head and he wants to do that to Corino. Corino grabs the microphone and blurs the lines kayfabe and makes racially charged comments at Homicide. He then changes his tune and calls Homicide the toughest guy he’s ever faced and starts shaving his head for him. Homicide finishes the job. That was… um… weird. In the end they shake hands and go home happy.

JZ says: The video package tries to trick me into thinking that I want to see this match, but I won’t be fooled! This feud has been going since Corino made his ROH debut in October of 2002. I don’t understand Corino’s mask. It’s not too long before this one spills outside and the brawl is on. They fight outside the ring some more. Homicide beats on Corino for a while, and also beats on referee Mike Keener and Ricky Landell, two of Corino’s associates. Corino ironically uses a tennis racket as a weapon. Homicide is bleeding from the head. Homicide gets the fork out and abuses Corino’s ear. A barbed wire baseball bat comes into play now and Homicide uses it to keep working on the ear. Homicide then pours rubbing alcohol on the ear. Ouch. The Briscoes come out and nail Homicide with the tennis racket. Corino sets up a table. Corino ends up going through it and then takes a big lariat and finally that’s over at 26:42. That was insanely long and never once got interesting. Thankfully the feud is finally over. Homicide gets on the microphone as Julius Smokes yells something about OJ Simpson for some reason. He wants to shave Corino’s head. Corino then gets on the microphone and talks about things that don’t mean anything and then agrees to let Homicide shave his head. The crowd cheers for some reason. That was just weird.
Rating: *½

Aftermath

BG says: Colt Cabana says what everyone is thinking about how Jimmy Jacobs dresses. He’s mad that after giving him his friendship Jacobs double-crossed him. He doesn’t care how much money Lacey has because she’s not going to do to him what she did to BJ Whitmer. Speaking of Whitmer he joins the party and talks to Cabana in a way that nobody has ever talked to anyone in real life and offers him his support.

The DVD ends with the crowd chanting for Corino (why?) and him somberly leaving the ring.

JZ says: Colt Cabana is pissed at Jimmy Jacobs for double-crossing him the last time ROH was in Chicago. They were just starting to become a good tag team too. He forms an alliance with BJ Whitmer, who also has problems with Jimmy Jacobs.

Back to the arena the fans are chanting Corino’s name for some reason. Sure, he just had a bad match with a weird post-match angle, let’s cheer the guy.

MVP

BG says: I’m going with Nigel McGuinness for being a standout star and outshining both Joe and Danielson in the dream partner tag match.

JZ says: I’ll give it to the underdog Matt Cross, who looked really good in his opening match with Christopher Daniels.

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 BLACK FRIDAY FALLOUT!