Threemendous II
Date: July 31, 2009
Location: American Legion Post #308, Reseda, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Joey Ryan, Human Tornado, Chris Hero, Rick Knox, Chuck Taylor, Colt Cabana

This is the sixth year anniversary show from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and that means we should be in for a big card. The more PWG I see, the more fun I tend to have, though they did get better as time went on. This is still relatively early in their history so things might still be a bit shaky. Let’s get to it.

Colt Cabana and El Generico are in the back, with Cabana saying Generico’s English and Spanish are both terrible. Cabana tells him to cut a promo on someone who isn’t good, so -Generico stumbles through some very broken promos on Kenny Omega and Chuck Taylor. At Cabana’s prompting, Generico talks about wanting to relieve himself in their ears and eat their children. They both crack up as Generico says he thinks that was a muy good promo. Generico continues to be hysterical.

Cutler Brothers/Charles Mercury vs. LTP/Brandon Gatson/Johnny Goodtime

Before the match, LTP busts out an NES Track & Field Power Pad for a bit of a warmup. The Cutlers and Mercury work out a bit during their Big Match Intros as the fans certainly seem to like Goodtime. Gatson is described as a newcomer and Robinson has to be held back before the bell, which Excalibur describes as “engaging in some homoeroticism”. Dustin Cutler and Gatson start things off, with Dustin backing him into the corner to start the triple teaming.

A double shoulder drops Gatson as Joey Ryan does NOT want to talk about his title match in tonight’s main event. Gatson fights back with a corner clothesline and it’s Goodtime coming in for a basement dropkick to the side of Mercury’s head. Commentary goes into a variety of movie and book spoilers as LTP dropkicks Mercury into the corner for a running corner dropkick.

It’s back to Goodtime, who takes Brandon Cutler down for a slingshot dropkick to the side of the head. A quick low bridge sends Goodtime crashing out to the floor and the good guys are in trouble fast. Goodtime gets triple teamed, setting up Dustin’s chinlock as commentary talks about X-Men comics. Mercury drops a bottom rope knee before grabbing a reverse chinlock to keep Goodtime in trouble.

Goodtime kicks away and enziguris his way to freedom, allowing Gatson to come in and clean house. Dustin cuts off Gatson’s handspring elbow and the Cutlers chop away at Gatson in the corner. A slingshot cutter gets Gatson out of trouble, allowing Goodtime to dive onto Dustin (with a nasty crash). LTP springboards off Gatson’s back for the huge dive, setting up Gatson’s Sasuke Special onto everyone.

Back in and Goodtime Falcon Arrows Brandon Cutler….for no count as the referee says he isn’t legal. Excalibur: “What the h*** are you doing???” Eh ok point for a funny line. Goodtime hits a top rope double stomp to the back of Brandon Cutler’s head as everything breaks down. Dustin hits a heck of a swinging Downward Spiral on Gatson and Brandon plants LTP with a German suplex.

Everyone is down until it’s LTP getting up top, only to have his high crossbody caught by the Cutlers. One heck of a double fall away slam sends LTP flying but Goodtime dropkicks both Cutlers down. They’re right up though and grab a wheelbarrow Codebreaker combination, setting up a running spike Tombstone to finish LTP at 16:49.

Rating: B. This was the “let everyone go nuts” match and it worked very well as an opener. What mattered here was getting the fans even more excited for the show (granted not that hard around here) and they made that work very well. Fun match, even if it wasn’t exactly going by your classic textbook structure.

Scott Lost vs. Alex Shelley

Lost jumps Shelley from behind during his posing session and a chop puts him down again. Shelley manages a suplex though and starts cranking on the arm. That’s reversed into a broken up Scorpion Deathlock and Shelley shoulders him into the post. Shelley cranks on both arms before sending it into the post again. Back up and Lost manages a double stomp out of the corner to take right back over.

They chop it out until Shelley manages a kick to the head but Lost kicks him back as commentary makes NBA Jam references. Lost manages a spear on the floor and we hit the reverse chinlock back inside. Shelley gets dropped chest first onto the apron for one and we hit the bodyscissors to stay on said chest. That’s reversed so Shelley can slam Lost’s face into the mat a few times as the NBA references continue.

Shelley gets caught in a chinlock but manages to send him hard into the corner. A big kick to the head gives Shelley two but Lost is fine enough to crotch him on top. With Shelley still on top, he ties Lost’s arm around the buckle and armbars it back on the mat. That’s broken up with a gutbuster but Shelley is right back with a series of rollups for two each.

Another rollup sets up a cross armbreaker on Lost, which is reversed into a Sharpshooter. Shelley realizes he’s right next to the rope for the break and they’re out to the apron. Lost breaks up Sliced Bread and grabs a Stunner to put Shelley down hard. Back in and an elbow to the face gives Lost two more but Shelley kicks him in the head. An Air Raid Crash (Human Tornado: “That n**** dead.”) gets two on Lost and a reverse brainbuster drops him again. A frog splash gets two more but Shelley is right back up on top, where the second frog splash finishes Lost at 16:13.

Rating: B. These two beat on each other for a long time until Lost just couldn’t kick out anymore. Shelley is one of those wrestlers who can work with anyone and make it look good. Lost is someone who you don’t hear much about outside for PWG but he’s usually fine when he’s in the ring. Good match here, as the show is off to a great start.

Chris Sabin vs. Bryan Danielson

Before the match, Sabin compliments Danielson’s entrance music as the coolest in wrestling. They fight over wrist control to start with Danielson getting the better of things as commentary talks about the murder of Rikidozan. Sabin slips out of something like a chickenwing and grabs an armbar, which doesn’t get him very far. Danielson is taken into the corner for a clean break before Sabin’s headlock is called boring.

Sabin sends him to the apron for a legsweep (best strike in No Mercy so it works here too) to the floor, naturally setting up a dive. We hit the chinlock back inside before Sabin switches to something like a crossface. Some chops have Danielson reeling and a Vader Bomb elbow gets two. Sabin grabs an octopus hold on the mat but Danielson is back up with a kick to the chest.

More kicks have Sabin in more trouble and it’s time to work on the leg. That doesn’t last long as Danielson opts to rip at his face instead. Back up and Danielson wins a kick off, setting up a surfboard with a dragon sleeper (egads). With that broken up, Sabin slips out of a superplex attempt and ties Danielson in the Tree of Woe. A running dropkick and a running forearm rock Danielson again as he falls out.

Stereo crossbodies leave both of them down for a bit before it’s time to chop it out. Sabin snaps off a suplex neckbreaker but Danielson knocks him hard into the corner. A jumping knee rocks Sabin again and a springboard missile dropkick sends him down. With Sabin favoring his ankle (which Danielson might not have seen), Cattle Mutilation goes on but Danielson switches to the hard elbows to the face. After a rear naked choke doesn’t work very well, Danielson slaps on Cattle Mutilation again to make Sabin tap at 17:55.

Rating: B+. This was about two people beating on each other for a long time until one of them finally broke down. Danielson is a far bigger singles star than Sabin, but this wasn’t anything resembling an easy win. Sabin can go with just about anyone in the ring and he looked rather good here, even in defeat. Heck of a match here, as they beat each other up rather well.

Post match Danielson checks on Sabin, who has to be helped to the back.

Chuck Taylor vs. Colt Cabana

Taylor hides in the corner to start so Cabana sits down in another corner. Back up and Cabana drops the towel before Taylor grabs a headlock. Cabana sends him into the corner and seems to do the JYD Juke. Taylor backs off a bit and the fans are not pleases with his cowardice. A wristlock takes Taylor down….so he offers Cabana money in exchange for Taylor getting to slam him.

Then Taylor whips out an invisible grenade, which is too much even for Cabana. The grenade is sent outside and the pin comes out, meaning Taylor has to dive on it on the floor. With the grenade taken care of, Taylor goes back inside for a test of strength. Cabana easily takes over but some spit in the eyes lets Taylor take over for a change. With Cabana on the mat, he tries to give Taylor a hug but Taylor cranks on the leg instead.

Back up and Cabana sends him into the corner, allowing Cabana to get in some posing. Taylor misses a flip out of the corner and fakes an injury, allowing a small package to get two. Cabana: “SMALL PACKAGE!” Then he small packages Taylor and they roll around for a series of near falls.

The referee gets knocked down so Cabana sits on his back and kind of rides him into the corner. All three wind up in the corner for some rather suggestive thrusting. Taylor isn’t a fan so Cabana drops him with a right hand (Commentary: “Shades of Matt Classic right there.”) and a clothesline gets two. Taylor is right back up with a rollup and grabs the rope for the pin at 11:11.

Rating: C+. This was the weakest part of the show so far and even then it was completely fine. They went in a different direction here with the comedy (some of which was rather bad), as you probably guessed from the people involved. Cabana is capable of having a more serious match but go with what the people want, which is why he was on the show. Taylor was less than serious as well, but at least they didn’t go back to the grenade later.

Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards

They go straight to the strikes to start before running the ropes and trading leapfrogs. Strong ducks the big kick and they strike it out until the fight heads to the floor. Back in and Strong kicks him down for two before more chopping ensues. Richards kicks away to take over again and we hit the chinlock, followed by a running knee to the ribs. More strikes put Strong into the corner but he raises a boot to cut off a charge.

They forearm it out again until Richards hits a handspring kick to the head. The Texas Cloverleaf doesn’t last long so Richards kicks him down, only to get blasted with a dropkick. Strong picks him up and tosses him with a release suplex into a backbreaker for two. The Falcon Arrow gets the same and Richards is sat on the apron. Strong charges into a kick to the head and a missile dropkick sends him into the corner again.

Richards strikes away and gets two off a sliding clothesline. Strong is right back with a quick Stronghold but Richards crawls over to the rope. Back up and the tiger driver is blocked, allowing Richards to hit a pop up kick to the chest. A bridging German suplex gives Richards two and the Cloverleaf goes on again. That’s broken up so Strong kicks him in the head, setting up a gutbuster. Back to back Sick Kicks set up the tiger driver to finish Richards at 12:27.

Rating: B. This was another hard hitting match between two people who know how to do that style rather well. I’ve never been much of a Richards fan but he was doing his thing here well enough. At the same time, I wouldn’t have bet on Strong winning and it’s nice to see him beat someone in a match like this one.

Young Bucks vs. Two Skinny Black Guys

The Bucks’ Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line and the Guys are El Generico and Human Tornado. Matt and Tornado start things off as commentary talks about a bunch of wrestlers going to In And Out Burger (as you should). Tornado takes him down and works on the leg for a bit before it’s off to Nick instead. That doesn’t go well for Nick either, as Tornado steals his bandanna and poses a bit.

Generico comes in and gets headscissored down, setting up a dropkick into the corner. The rope walk sets up Nick’s rather spinny wristdrag as Generico can’t get anything going. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker puts Matt down though as Taylor complains about promotions not booking him. Tornado comes in for a no hands Scorpion Deathlock (that’s a new one) on Matt but he standing Sliced Breads himself out of trouble.

It’s back to Nick to slam Generico and the Bucks hit their stereo basement dropkicks. The fans turn on the Bucks, which has Excalibur rather surprised. As the fans suggest that the Bucks keep doing the same thing, they do the same thing with another double basement dropkick. Generico finally gets a boot up in the corner and the hot tag brings in Tornado (Fans: “LET’S GO BLACK GUYS!”) for the house cleaning.

Everything breaks down and the Guys stomp away in the corner and Nick gets kicked low, allowing a clothesline out to the floor. Tornado hits a big flip dive to the floor and Matt is down for a bit. Matt manages to shove the Guys into each other and a huge dive drops Tornado inside. Nick hits a top rope flipping Stunner for two on Generico as commentary tries to count knees.

Generico Michinoku Drivers Matt for two and more shots to the face leave everyone down again. Nick and Tornado strike it out until Generico gets low bridged to the floor. More Bang For The Buck hits Tornado for two, with Generico having to make the save. With Generico on the floor, Tornado gets his head kicked off but Generico runs back in with the corner brainbuster on Nick. Matt gets suplexed by Tornado, who dives over to pin Nick at 19:54.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of all action matches that you would expect and that is how it should have gone. Let the Bucks go out there and go nuts while Tornado and Generico get to do the same. It was four guys running around and hitting everything they could, which is what tag wrestling has become in modern times. Very exciting stuff here though, as everyone was getting to work their best style.

Respect is shown post match. Matt says that the Guys are the hottest tag team in the world right now and they beat the Bucks 1-2-3 here. The Bucks are still the champs, but the Guys have earned a title shot, which seems set for next month. After everyone else leaves, Chuck Taylor comes in to lay Generico out, saying he and Kenny Omega deserve the Tag Team Title shot. Taylor issues the challenge to face Generico one on one next month, with the winner getting the shot at the titles.

PWG World Title: Joey Ryan vs. Chris Hero

Hero, with Candice LeRae, is defending and this is Guerrilla Warfare, meaning anything goes. They strike it out with Hero getting the better of things and running Ryan over. A backsplash crushes Ryan and Hero talks trash to him in the corner. Ryan’s comeback is cut off rather quickly but he pulls Hero off the top. Now it’s Ryan hammering away for a change but Hero is out before even a one count.

Back up and Hero hits a Liger Bomb for two before sending him to the floor. A chair is wedged in the corner but Hero is sent into it instead in quite the irony. Hero is busted open as Ryan takes him back inside for some chain shots to the head. They’re right back on the floor with Hero scoring with an elbow to take over.

Back in and Ryan uses a trashcan to block another elbow, allowing him to wrap Hero’s arm around the post. The arm is sent into the corner and Ryan ties it behind Hero’s back for a slam. The tie starts to come loose though, meaning Ryan needs to hit him in the head a few more times. Hero manages a shot of his own, followed by a chair to the head to knock Ryan silly. Ryan is busted open pretty badly as well and Hero slides in a table.

Actually we’ll switch that to having it on the floor, with Hero taking too long to put Ryan on top. Back in and a trashcan shot knocks Hero silly again before Ryan brings in some chairs. They both go up but LeRae shoves Ryan down and hits a top rope double stomp to his back. Hero’s Blockbuster gets two and Ryan’s superkick gets the same. They head up again for a headbutt off until Ryan slams him down onto the chairs for two.

The Hero’s Welcome (Cross Rhodes) gets two more and now it’s Hero’s turn to grab the chain. The chain is wrapped around Ryan’s neck for a piledriver and another near fall, so Hero grabs an STF (with a cravate). Ryan manages to get out and hits a Psycho Driver before knocking LeRae down as well. Hero is fine enough to hit a dropkick through the ropes but misses a dive through the table.

That’s enough for two back inside but the superkick with the chain misses. Hero blasts him with the discus elbow for two more, then ties the chain around Ryan’s neck to hit a second discus elbow. With that and the third elbow getting two each, Hero chokes him out with the chain to retain at 43:20.

Rating: B+. This was long but didn’t feel like it was dragging, which is a heck of a trick for a match this long and violent. They beat each other up for a long time and there were times where I was buying the idea of Ryan getting the title. Hero felt like a monster out there though and it should take a special challenger/performance to beat him. Rather good stuff here and maybe the best thing on a stacked show.

Post match Hero brags about his win until Ryan says he promised to shake Hero’s hand no matter what. Hero brings out the best in him but he doesn’t like how Hero talks to the crowd. The fans aren’t happy with Ryan praising Hero but do applaud the handshake and the hug. Then Hero lays Ryan out to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. The more I watch of PWG, the more I get the appeal. They put on some incredibly entertaining shows, though you are not exactly going to be getting much in the way of storylines. Instead, this is all about one action based match after another and it was a three hour show that flew by. Check this out of you can find it, as it was one of the easiest shows to watch that I’ve seen in a long time.

 

 

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 29, 2022
Hosts: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the final show of the year and that means we’re going Best Of. It has been a pretty strong year for Impact, as there have been quite a few stars coming and going, along with some rather awesome matches throughout. We’ll also get the Year End Awards, which are often rather fun. Let’s get to it.

Note that I’ll be posting the full versions of the matches shown rather than the clipped versions in the broadcast.

Opening sequence.

The hosts bid us welcome.

From Hard To Kill.

Impact World Title: Moose vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey

Moose is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Cardona gets sent outside to start and Morrissey boots Moose down for an early two. Everyone winds up outside, with Moose powerbombing Cardona onto the apron. Back in and Morrissey hits some running splashes in the corner until Moose crossbodies him down. The middle rope chokebomb gives Moose two, with Cardona making the save. A bunch of Reboots rock the giants so Cardona goes up, meaning it’s a Tower of Doom for the big crash.

Moose takes Cardona outside for a hard whip into the barricade but here is Chelsea Green to dive onto Moose for a save. They head back to ringside where Morrissey runs them over and sends Cardona back inside. Cardona manages a Codebreaker to send Morrissey outside so Moose takes his place. For some reason Moose goes up top but gets shoved down hard through a table at ringside.

Someone sends in a prosthetic leg and Morrissey beats on Cardona with it. A quick Radio Silence gives Cardona two but he walks into a chokeslam to give Morrissey two. Cardona is right back up and hits a quick middle rope Radio Silence for another near fall. Moose is back in and gets rolled up for two but the referee gets bumped. Back in and Morrissey hits a powerbomb on Moose for no count so let’s bring in some chairs.

Moose hits Morrissey low for a breather and chairs him down, but Cardona is back in with chair shots of his own. Cardona gets caught by a chair shot from Moose though, drawing Green in to protect him. That lets Cardona get up and nearly chair her down again, only to have the replacement referee get bumped as well. The spear cuts Cardona down and the original referee counts the pin to retain Moose’s title at 15:57.

Rating: B-. This was about as good as it could have been as it was kind of hard to imagine a title change. Cardona was trying and they were going for the Cinderella story, but that is only going to get you so far when you have a dominant champion. Morrissey was just kind of there and this would have been a little more interesting as a one on one match, but it was still fine for a co-main event.

Also from Hard To Kill.

Knockouts Title: Mickie James vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Mickie is defending in a Texas Deathmatch, meaning Last Woman Standing, but a fall has to be scored to start the ten count. They lock up and go to the mat to start with James grabbing a very early rollup for two as the mind games are on. A hot shot cuts Mickie down and the Venus de Milo goes on, so Mickie taps out in a hurry to escape (that’s smart). It’s time to throw in some chairs (because doing that in the last two matches wasn’t enough) and Mickie manages to chair her across the back.

The golf club from earlier is brought out for a shot to Purrazzo’s ribs but she posts Mickie for a breather. They fight up the ramp with Purrazzo hitting a suplex on the stage, allowing her to roll an anvil case into Mickie’s face for the pin. Mickie is busted open but beats the count and they head back inside. A half crab sends Purrazzo to the ropes, which means nothing, but Mickie lets go and dropkicks her to the floor.

Mickie takes her chaps off so she can hit Purrazzo in the face with her braced knee. A table is brought in but Purrazzo sends her face first into it instead. It’s time for thumbtacks, because those are required these days. Mickie gets dropped onto the tacks for the loud screaming portion and some choking with the chaps are good for a submission. Purrazzo isn’t waiting on Mickie to get up and dives off the apron to take her down again.

Back in and Purrazzo gets smart by chairing Mickie in the legs over and over. For some reason Purrazzo goes up top, allowing Mickie to blast her in the head with a chair (though Mickie collapsing into the tacks takes away some of the positives). A Thesz press off the apron pins Purrazzo but here is Matthew Rehwoldt to help her up, which doesn’t count as cheating (I guess?).

Back in and Purrazzo hits the Queen’s Gambit through a table for the pin but Mickie is up at 8. Mickie is fine enough to grab a guitar….so Purrazzo hits her low, allowing Mickie to the Wrestlemania XXII finger lick. Ok then. The guitar hits Rehwoldt and the MickieDT plants Purrazzo for the pin. Just to be sure, Mickie covers her with a table and chair for the ten count to retain at 19:45.

Rating: B+. They got extra violent here and it played up their hatred, though the quick falls and submissions were a little strange (logical, but strange). Mickie retaining makes sense as you want your best going into the Royal Rumble, which really will be the best exposure the company has had in a long time. This was a heck of a fight and the right choice for the main event, though Last Woman Standing might have been a better call (as would dropping the finger lick thing, which was a weird callback).

We get our first award with Jordynne Grace winning Knockout of the Year. She’s rather proud of the hard work.

Here’s the Moment of the Year. From Rebellion.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Moose vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander is challenging and his son comes out with him in Alexander cosplay. They go nose to nose to start with Alexander taking him down for some knees to the ribs. The very early ankle lock sends Moose bailing out to the floor, where he yells at Alexander’s family. Alexander comes out after him and Moose gets in a cheap shot to take over for the first time. Back in and Alexander gets sent hard into the corner, where he ducks a chop and chops away.

That doesn’t work for Moose, who hits a heck of a dropkick to take over before dropping Alexander face first for two. They head outside again where Alexander gets in a posting, only to be sent hard into the barricade. Back in and Alexander snaps off a belly to belly suplex to put both of them down. Some running boots to the face rock Moose to send him outside again, setting up a running crossbody through the ropes to drop him again.

Back in and the C4 Spike is blocked so Alexander rolls ten straight German suplexes. Moose gets in a shot of his own though and the Sky High gets two. A pump kick staggers Alexander but he counters a crossbody into the ankle lock. The rope is grabbed so Alexander kicks him in the head, which just wakes Moose up. They chop it out until Moose hits a Rock Bottom for no avail. Back up and Alexander wins a slugout, setting up a C4 Spike for a very close two.

Another C4 Spike is blocked and Moose bites Alexander’s head. That’s enough to set up a top rope superplex for two more and Moose is frustrated. The spear is countered into a Styles Clash of all things and the ankle lock goes on. Moose rips the turnbuckle pad off to escape, allowing Moose to kick him low. Now the spear can connect for a VERY close two so Moose takes off the top turnbuckle as well. A buckle bomb into the exposed turnbuckle looks to set up another spear but Alexander cuts it off. The C4 Spike is enough to give Alexander the pin and the title at 23:50.

Rating: B. They got the result right, it came after a hard fought match, and Alexander is the champion as he should have been a long time ago. This felt like a pay per view showdown and Alexander won because he is the better man. Much like the previous match, I’m not sure how much drama there was here, but it was a great way to close up the show.

Mike Bailey is X-Division Star of the Year.

Kenny King isn’t happy with Bailey winning and wants to find out who Bailey really is. King is coming to Bailey’s home.

From Slammiversary.

X-Division Title: Trey Miguel vs. Ace Austin vs. Alex Zayne vs. Andrew Everett vs. Kenny King vs. Mike Bailey

Austin is defending and this is Ultimate X, with Everett taking the place of an injured Jack Evans. Tom: “This is the 47th Ultimate X match.” I don’t think that has the same zing that you think it does. It’s a big brawl to start with Bailey and Zayne clearing the ring so they can both go for failed climb attempts. With the two of them down, Miguel sends King outside and hits a big flip dive but has to cut Austin off.

Everett comes back in but Austin kicks Miguel and Everett down without much effort. Everything breaks down again and Everett German suplexes Miguel on the apron. The big dive drops the pile though and everyone is down on the floor. Back in and Zayne hits a running super hurricanrana on Everett, leaving us with Zayne vs. King. Bailey goes up but hits the Ultimate Weapon onto the pile instead of climbing, which doesn’t seem that bright.

A bunch of people go to the corner for a Tower Of Doom, with Miguel being smart enough to chill in the corner. Then he gives Zayne a super Canadian Destroyer, which doesn’t seem as bright as GOING FOR THE BELT. King, Austin, Miguel and Bailey all go up at the same time until Miguel and King are kicked down. Bailey and Austin hang on the top and slap away at each other but Everett goes above them, only to get headscissored down. Some kicks drop Austin as well and Bailey pulls himself up to win the title at 9:50.

Rating: C+. Ultimate X is one of those matches that sounds great on paper but it’s Impact’s version of the wacky ladder match: everyone does a bunch of stuff until someone shows enough intelligence to pull the belt down. Impact has been building towards Bailey winning for a long time now so this is about as good of an idea as they had. I’m not big on the guy, but at least it has been set up over the last few weeks.

The Motor City Machine Guns are the Tag Team of the Year.

From Slammiversary.

Honor No More vs. Motor City Machine Guns/Frankie Kazarian/Nick Aldis/???

Maria is back with Honor No More (Eddie Edwards/Matt Taven/Mike Bennett/Vincent/PCO). Aldis is billed as a former NWA World Champion. True, but you would think his two Impact World Title reigns might carry a bit more weight here. There is a mystery partner and it’s….Dixie Carter? Ah never mind as she’s here for a speech (shocking I know) and also to introduce…Davey Richards. Not a name I would have bet on, or one I wanted to see for that matter, but he’s a name from the past.

It’s a brawl to start with the Guns beating up the Kingdom until we settle down to Aldis suplexing Bennett. Vincent and Kazarian come in to slug it out before we get the battle of the Wolves. Well maybe in a bit as Edwards hands it off to Taven instead, meaning it’s a parade of beatings. Everything breaks down and Honor No More takes turns getting beaten up in a bunch of corners. Shelley finally gets sent into the corner for a bunch of running shots, setting up Vincent’s running Downward Spiral for two.

Taven’s moonsault sets up Just The Top for two but PCO’s De-Animator misses. Shelley fights out of the corner, including a double Sliced Bread to Vincent and Edwards, which finally allows the hot tag off to Kazarian. House is cleaned again before it’s off to Aldis for a bunch of right hands. Everything breaks down again and it’s the Dream Sequence to Edwards, followed by a big dive to Bennett. Taven busts out the Flight Of The Conqueror to take out the pile, leaving Edwards vs. Richards again.

Richards gets the better of things and grabs the dragon screw legwhip in the ropes. The top rope double stomp misses but Richards is fine enough to grab a leglock on Edwards. Everyone in Honor No More outside of PCO gets caught in a hold so it’s PCO making the save. A Vader Bomb gets two on Sabin but the PCOsault misses Aldis. The Michinoku Driver puts PCO down and Richards adds the top rope double stomp for two.

Maria gets up on the apron for a distraction but Traci Brooks (Kazarian’s wife) pulls her off for a right hand. Kazarian saves Traci from PCO and it’s a top rope Flux Capacitor to plant PCO for two. Cue Kenny King to go after Kazarian but D’Lo Brown makes the save with a heck of a Sky High. There’s a Low Down to make it worse and the Guns strike away at PCO. The Kingdom gets dropped as well and there’s the Cradle Shock to PCO….with Earl Hebner coming over the barricade to count the pin at 18:46.

Rating: B-. This was the wild match that the show needed as a big celebration of the company’s history. That is something that you have to have on a show like this and it worked well enough. It helps that the match was good, but this was all about the history and tradition and that was a success.

Joe Hendry thinks Moose is cantankerous, but if Moose wants to find him, just say his name. Say at Hard To Kill?

The Death Dollz are the Knockouts Tag Team Of The Year.

Bhupinder Gujjar is named The One To Watch In 2023.

From Impact, September 22.

Digital Media Title: Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Brian Myers

Myers is defending in a ladder match. Gujjar slugs away to start and hits a jumping knee to the face. A Samoan drop looks to set up the Gargoyle spear but Myers knees him out of the way. The first ladder is brought in but Gujjar dropkicks it into his face. Myers knocks him outside though and goes up for the title, only to be pulled down into a cutter.

Now the Gargoyle spear can send Myers into the ladder but the climb takes too long, as usual. The ladder is knocked into Gujjar and it’s time to bring in another ladder. Gujjar breaks that up and the other ladder is set up next to the first. They both climb with Myers being knocked off, only to come back up with a belly to back off the ladders.

That’s good for a crash out to the floor, where Myers bridges a ladder onto the steps. A powerbomb drops Gujjar onto the ladder but he’s still able to make the save back inside. Myers low blows Gujjar on the ladder though and then gets creative by duct taping Gujjar to the ladder. That’s enough for Myers to go up and retain at 12:20.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty run of the mill ladder match, albeit one with a creative ending. Gujjar continues to look good enough out there, but there is still something missing that is keeping him from breaking through to that next level. I’m not sure if this feud warranted a ladder match, but at least they had a decent one.

Anthony Greene is coming.

Decay is ready to take the X-Division Title from Trey Miguel. Crazzy Steve gets his shot at Hard To Kill as well.

Josh Alexander is Male Wrestler of the Year. Like it could have been anyone else.

From Bound For Glory.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Josh Alexander vs. Eddie Edwards

Alexander is defending and Edwards sends Honor No More to the back. Both of their families are at ringside to make it more personal. They fight over a lockup to start as commentary breaks down the difference in the color of their gear. Edwards hits a chop, which is enough to make Alexander double leg him down and hammer away. Alexander knocks him outside for a breather before they switch places.

A slingshot dive drops Alexander for a change but he’s right back up with the crossbody to the back to send them both outside again. Back in and Edwards snaps off an overhead belly to belly before sending him right back to the floor. One might think they are filling in time here. The floor mats are pulled back, which takes long enough for Alexander to fight back. A German suplex from the apron to the floor is blocked so Edwards hits a Diehard Driver on the exposed floor.

Back in and Alexander seems to be favoring his leg and the Backpack Stunner takes him down. The half crab goes on but Alexander makes the rope. Back up and Alexander starts rolling some German suplexes, even going through the ropes and hitting another on the apron. That’s still not enough to break it up and they go outside with two more German suplexes, setting up another one on the ramp.

They head back inside with Alexander hitting a powerbomb onto the knee for two, only to have Eddie come back with Deep Six for two of his own. The Boston Knee Party is blocked and Alexander goes old school with a Styles Clash. Alexander puts on an ankle lock, which is broken without much trouble.

Edwards enziguris him off the top but the referee gets bumped. Cue Kenny King for a low blow before he is taken out by security, allowing a second referee to come in. The Boston Knee Party gets two on Alexander and a tiger driver gets the same, leaving both of them down. Alexander’s nose is busted but he comes up slugging, only to get rolled up for two. Another Boston Knee Party is blocked and the C4 Spike retains the title at 28:04.

Rating: B. Definitely a good match but this never hit that next level as it was bouncing pretty hard off the ceiling above it. Edwards is a strong challenger to Alexander and just like in the previous match, it felt like he should have won here instead of coming up short. What’s the point of Honor No More if Edwards loses in the biggest match the team has had? Anyway, solid main event, but I’m not sure if it was worthy of the final spot on the biggest show of the year.

Video on Eddie Edwards vs. Jonathan Gresham.

Video on Bully Ray vs. Josh Alexander.

And now, the Match of the Year. From Impact, December 8.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Mike Bailey vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander is defending and runs Bailey over with a shoulder to start. Back up and an exchange of shoulders goes nowhere so they run the ropes, with Bailey scoring off a kick to the chest. A knee to the ribs puts Bailey down as well but he’s right back with the bouncing kicks to send Alexander outside. There’s the big running flip dive to keep Bailey in control as we take a break.

Back with Alexander driving some knees into the back and cranking on both arms. Alexander gets two off a backbreaker but Bailey dropkicks his way out of trouble. The back is fine enough for the running corkscrew shooting star press for two on Alexander. Not that it seems to matter as Alexander is back up with some rolling German suplexes. The ankle lock is broken up in a hurry though and Bailey kicks the arm. An armbar stays on the arm and Alexander can’t get out, leaving Bailey to hit a poisonrana.

We take a break and come back with Alexander working on the back some more. The C4 Spike is countered into a hurricanrana for two and Bailey kicks him down. Bailey misses the Ultimate Weapon but Alexander still can’t hit the C4 Spike. They crash out to the floor and Bailey kicks him off the apron. The running moonsault to the floor drops Alexander again and they go back inside to slug it out. Both of them fall outside again and we take a break.

We come back again (over thirty minutes in now) with Bailey snapping the arm across the top rope. The Flamingo Driver is countered into a torture rack slam though and Alexander slaps on the ankle lock. With that broken up, Bailey gets his feet up in the corner, setting up the Ultimate Weapon. Bailey suddenly remembers that he is supposed to have a sore ankle though and they’re both down. Back to back kicks to the chest keep Alexander down and a third second sets up moonsault knees to the same chest. Bailey, WITH THE BAD KNEE, is fine enough to try the bouncing kicks, earning himself more rolling German suplexes.

We take another break and come back again with Alexander getting the ankle lock in the ropes. Since that doesn’t count, Alexander goes with the Angle Slam as we’re told that Eddie Edwards vs. Delirious will be moved to next week. Alexander misses a moonsault but is back up to catch Bailey with a super Angle Slam for another double knockdown. The ankle lock goes on again and Bailey can’t flip his way out. Alexander even gets a grapevine but Bailey manages to make the rope.

They both go up top as we have four minutes left in the hour time limit. Bailey knocks him off the top and hits the Ultimate Weapon for two more. Back up and Bailey kicks away, only to have the Flamingo Driver countered into a Styles Clash. The ankle lock goes on again, sending Bailey to the ropes again. We have a minute left and Alexander hits back to back C4 Spikes to retain at 59:50.

Rating: B+. Well that came out of nowhere. This was the long, epic style match that you do not see on television in any promotion save for once in a very long while. These guys beat each other up and if you ignore Bailey’s still absurd selling issues, it was pretty awesome. Alexander takes out another name and they even surprised me by not going to the time limit draw in the end. Bailey will probably be back, but for now this worked rather well as a big time surprise.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a heck of a show as Impact gets to hand pick their best material of the year. The good thing is there was quite a bit of awesome stuff to pick from in 2022 as Impact had a sneaky good year. I know they have a lot more to cover and they’re still Impact, but there is something to this company and they are worth watching if you get the chance. That was on display here and it was a very good use of two hours.

 

 

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Texas Till I Die
Date: April 3, 2022
Location: St. Jude Hall, Arlington, Texas
Commentators: Chris Russo, Sammy Cassel

This is from New Texas Pro, which as you might guess is a local Texas promotion which ran some events over Wrestlemania XXXVIII weekend. I’m not sure what to expect from this show but there are some talented names on the card. Shows like this can go in a few different ways and hopefully this one works out well. Let’s get to it.

As you might have gathered, I don’t follow the promotion so I apologize for not knowing plot or character points.

Hyan vs. Billie Starkz

For the #1 contendership to the Women’s Title. They hit stereo pump kicks to start and that means it’s already time for a standoff. Starks sends her outside and yells at a lot of empty seats, allowing Hyan to get back up for her own dive. Back in and Hyan rolls her down into a cravate for some knees to the face. A half crab with a boot on the back of Starkz’ head makes it even worse and it’s off to an armbar.

Back up and Hyan plants her with a Wasteland for two and we hit the chinlock. Starkz fights up and hits a kick to the head of her own. They slug it out for a double knockdown but Hyan blocks a third Amigo. Hyan hits a running knee in the corner to set up a Falcon Arrow for two but Starkz rolls her up for the same. A Gory Bomb and Swanton give Starkz two each, only to have Hyan pull her into something like a crucifix with both arms cranked back for the tap at 9:35.

Rating: C. Not bad for a starter and Hyan seems like a fairly polished star. Starkz is someone who has been around the indies for a bit now and has potential but still needs some work and experience to sharpen the edges. Not a great match, but they didn’t do anything horrible and it had enough energy.

Respect is shown post match.

Tag Team Titles: Fly Def vs. JJ Blake/Cam Cole

Fly Def (Warren Johnson/Zack Mason) is challenging. Mason drives Blake into the corner to start and it’s quickly off to Cole. Johnson dropkicks him down for two but Cole grabs a headlock takeover. Back up and Cole gets his neck snapped across the top to put him back in trouble, setting up a slingshot elbow for two. Cole gets launched into the corner, where Blake is fine enough to not tag in.

Blake is willing to come in for an assist on a double clothesline and a neckbreaker gives Cole two. Back up and Mason grabs a German suplex on Blake, who cuts him off with a quick front facelock. As you might have guessed, Mason powers over for the tag but the referee is distracted, meaning the beating continues (that will always work and I love it). A Demolition Decapitator (with a knee instead of an elbow) gets two on Mason and we hit the one arm camel clutch.

Mason finally fights out and kicks Cole away, allowing the hot tag off to Johnson to start cleaning house. A sitout bulldog gives Johnson two but Cole comes in to cut him off. Cole hits a frog splash for two and a not very good looking Big Rig gets a delayed two. Everything breaks down again and a pair of running shots in the corner rock Blake.

A spinning high crossbody into a top rope splash gets two with Cole making a rather last minute save. What looks to be a Tower of Doom winds up as a sitout powerbomb to Cole, leaving Blake to get caught in a Gory Bomb/middle rope Codebreaker (doesn’t work so well but nice concept) for the pin and the titles at 13:16.

Rating: B-. I like Fly Def, but this one went on too long and the champs were in over their heads. This needed to wrap up a few saves earlier and the extra stuff didn’t really make it better. The title change is nice and Fly Def was a good enough young team, but the lack of audience noise is making this show a bit weird to watch, especially in a longer match like this one.

ASF vs. Stephen Wolf

That’s short for Antonio San Francisco. Feeling out process to start as Wolf takes him down in a front facelock with commentary talking about Wolf recovering from a horrible neck injury/surgery. ASF slips out of a rollup for two and we’re up to a standoff. Another takedown attempt is cut off by a standing backflip flip from ASF so Wolf tries a springboard wristdrag….which gets so high that he gets his feet caught in some of the drapes above the ring.

You don’t see anything like that happen very often and since Wolf is fine, ASF slips out of a powerbomb attempt and kicks him to the floor. There’s the big running flip dive to drop Wolf on the floor but he’s fine enough to avoid a 450 back inside. The Death Valley Driver into the corner gives Wolfe two and we hit the chinlock. ASF slips out and hits a springboard Sling Blade, with commentary possibly implying that was a bit more flippy than necessary.

Back up and Wolf kicks him in the face, setting up a running shooting star press for two. ASF isn’t going to be outdone with a Death Valley Driver of his own into a basement dropkick. A series of strikes from ASF looks to set up a handspring but Wolf grabs a sliding cutter (cool) for two more. Wolf misses a moonsault though and the 450 gives ASF the pin at 10:03.

Rating: C+. They had a bit of time here and while this was a very indy feeling style match with a bunch of flips and dives, it was entertaining enough to keep me interested in two guys I have barely heard of before. For a ten minute match on this kind of show, it worked out perfectly well.

Commentary compliments ASF’s…..cover. That’s a pretty rare one. Respect is shown as well.

Cole Radrick vs. Aaron Mercer

Radrick has been decent in the few matches I’ve seen from him before. We get a bit of a tentative handshake and we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start and they trade some chops, with both of them standing still to maximize the shots. Mercer chops him so hard that blood is trickling down Radrick’s chest (dang) and a running kick to said chest gives Mercer two.

They head outside with Radrick being sent hard into the barricade to keep him in trouble. Back in and they strike it out with Radrick knocking him down for two of his own. Mercer gets knocked to the apron and grabs a triangle choke over the ropes. With that broken up, they slug it out again with Radrick getting the better of things until a running shot to the face cuts him off. Radrick gets caught with another right hand on the top and it’s Nigel McGuinness’ old Tower of London to give Mercer the pin at 8:10.

Rating: C. I’m still not big on the “you hit me and then I’ll hit you” stuff and there wasn’t much here besides that. I don’t know if Radrick was a bit tired after wrestling so much this weekend, but this didn’t exactly catch fire. Granted it doesn’t help when you are having a cold match in front of a small crowd so there is only so much that you can get going.

Post match Radrick grabs a mic and puts Mercer over. He thanks the fans for coming out and shakes Mercer’s hand, apparently finally getting to meet him.

Heather Monroe vs. Shazza McKenzie

This is McKenzie’s New Texas Pro debut. Monroe has a large fan (as in one she holds in her hand) and quite the feather boa so she’s more than a bit over the top. McKenzie cranks on the arm to start and takes it to the mat with an armbar. Monroe can’t get a Figure Four so McKenzie headlock takeovers her down. A running dropkick puts Monroe in the corner and a running shot to the face makes it worse.

Monroe is able to take her to the floor by the knee (egads) and makes fun of McKenzie’s face, which was damaged by Maven (yes that Maven, because there can be only one) over the weekend. Back in and something close to a dragon sleeper keeps McKenzie in trouble, setting up a running hip attack in the corner to make it worse. A double stomp to the back out of the corner gives Monroe two but McKenzie manages a knockdown of her own.

They’re both down for a bit, followed by a strike off. McKenzie ties her in the ropes for the rapid fire kicks to the chest and a high crossbody gets two. Monroe is fine enough to grab a half dragon suplex and a basement superkick connects for two more. They strike it out again until McKenzie hits a splits Stunner and goes up. The middle rope sunset flip is countered though and Monroe sits down and grabs the rope for the pin at 10:48.

Rating: C+. McKenzie is someone who feels like she should be ready to become a top star but never breaks through for whatever reason. You could definitely tell she had some more polish here than a lot of the other stars on the show and she did a nice job of putting over Monroe. Nice enough match here, and McKenzie still feels like she could have a lot of potential.

Six Shooter Challenge

This is a six person match with timed intervals, but a pin or submission can win the match at any time, even if everyone isn’t in yet. There is a two minute interval for the first two entrants and one minute intervals after that, with the winner gets a future title match. I’d assume six entrants but you never can tell with these things. At least it isn’t everyone at once though, with Max Heights (whose Lone Star Title isn’t on the line) in at #1 and Izzy James is in at #2.

Heights gets rolled up to start and bails to the floor for a quick breather. Back in and Heights gets some rollups of his own until he drops James pretty hard onto his shoulder. James pulls a springboard dive out of the air and grabs a Sharpshooter but Rudy Garza is in at #3 for the save. Garza snaps off Three Amigos on Heights, who is right back with a high crossbody to take both of them down. Sky de Lacrimosa (the Texas Chasinsaw, who has no chainsaw) with Cousin Otis, is in at #4 and knocks Garza out of the air.

There’s a Rock Bottom out of the corner to take out James but all three get on the monster. That doesn’t work very well and it’s Jerome Daniel Griffey (Dr. Sleep, who looks like an MMA fighter) in at #5 to go after Sky as well. Griffey gets to clean house and it’s a quadruple sleeper until T Ray is in at #6 to complete the field. It’s Griffey getting in Ray’s face, earning himself a quick T (F) 5 for two, with a group save needed.

Ray shrugs that off and sends them into the corner for some running clotheslines. A running hurricanrana drops Sky and a powerbomb gets two on Heights. Ray is knocked outside for a big flip dive from Heights, leaving Griffey to muscle Sky over for a suplex. Garza takes Griffey down but Ray is back in with a T5 to Garza….but Heights comes in to steal the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C. I liked the staggered entrances deal but yeah this was just another scramble match and nothing more. Heights seems like a good villain, but there is only so much to be gathered from a match with six people over ten minutes. T Ray felt like a good monster and Sky is probably going to be a threat to multiple people around here, but find a better way to showcase them than throwing everyone in at once.

Heights immediately runs off in a smart move.

Women’s Title: Raychell Rose vs. Willow Nightingale

Rose is defending and gets powered away to start. Nightingale’s headlock is broken up and they go to the grappling for a change. Back up and Nightingale flips to the middle of the ring for some quick dancing. Nightingale manages Two Amigos before the third is countered into a small package for two.

A fisherman’s buster plants Rose for two but she’s right back to work on Nightingale’s leg in the corner. The leg cranking stays on in the middle of the ring before a running knee in the corner rocks Nightingale again. Nightingale quickly fights out of a chinlock and scores with a heck of a clothesline for a double knockdown.

The clothesline comeback is on, setting up a spinebuster to give Nightingale two. There’s the Pounce into a Cannonball in the corner for two but Rose knocks her off the top. Rose’s spear connects for two but Nightingale knocks her off the top as well. Rose goes right back to the leg and a running knee to the back of the head (ala Adam Cole’s Last Shot) retains the title at 10:12.

Rating: C+. Nightingale is such fun to watch but she didn’t get to do as much of her thing here. She has so much charisma and it is so easy to like her so having her around helped a lot. Other than that, Rose was fine as a champion for Nightingale to go after, making this a perfectly fine title match.

Mysterious Q vs. Davey Richards

For a future New Japan Pro Title match. Feeling out process to start with Richards getting him down by the arm. An exchange of cradles gets two each and Richards takes a quick breather on the floor. Richards comes back in and kicks him down to set up the chinlock. With that not working, Richards kicks away at the arm before cranking away at it in various painful looking ways.

They head outside where Q cuts off the big kick to the chest, only to have Richards take out the leg again back inside. A running dropkick to the knee sets up the Figure Four, which Q turns over to send Richards to the rope. Richards is fine enough to kick him down again as commentary wonders why Q can’t get anything going. Back up and Q grabs a release German suplex, followed by the Q Cutter for a delayed two.

A dragon screw legwhip over the rope lets Richards go up, where he misses the double stomp. Richards instead grabs an Indian Deathlock to send Q bailing to the ropes again. They slug it out until Q’s handspring kick to the face is countered into an ankle lock. That’s broken up so Richards kicks him down and hits the top rope double stomp for two. A brainbuster gets two more so we hit the ankle lock again, which Q reverses into a cradle for the pin out of nowhere at 15:48.

Rating: B-. In case you were wondering, no, Richards has not gained the ability to show emotion or do much beyond striking people rather hard. I know he has an audience and some people are into this stuff, but I’ve never been a fan and Q didn’t get in much here, with even commentary acknowledging it. Q has a good look and some size, but this wasn’t a good showcase of him because of all the Richards dominance.

Respect is shown post match to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a show where the wrestling was pretty good for the most part but it was such a dry event that I was dreading watching most of it. Maybe it was the small crowd and venue, but there was almost nothing on here that would make me want to watch more from the promotion. There was no emotion here at all and it felt like a show that could be done better by other promotions. That doesn’t make it feel special, but rather just kind of there.

 

 

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Threemendous
Date: July 16, 2006
Location: Hollywood-Los Feliz JCC, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 350
Commentators: Disco Machine, Excalibur

So someone requested that I do this show…..oh seven or eight years ago now but I’ve finally gotten around to/remembered to do it. It’s back in the earlier days of PWG and I’m not sure if there is some kind of gimmick for the show. PWG has a history of some rather awesome show names and the tradition holds up in their earlier days too. Let’s get to it.

An unnamed man is in the ring and talks about how amazing it is for PWG to have been around for three years. He’s a bit hard to understand but he talks about fixing some problem and promises a special show tonight. Oh and buy concessions.

Disco Machine vs. Excalibur

Before the match, Excalibur talks (of course) talks about seeing some familiar faces around here but there are some people who might not know the history between these two. They have been together for a long time now and there have been questions about who is the better commentator. Excalibur says he can talk at length about absolutely nothing so he proposes a title match tonight: the winner earns the title of Best PWG DVD Commentator.

We get a guest referee who….is not named, which probably has something to do with the massive clipping that PWG releases have to do due to various rights issues. Commentary does let us know that the referee is named Patrick Hernandez. Good to know. Anyway they fight over arm control to start with Excalibur grabbing a top wristlock and flipping over. That’s broken up and it’s a standoff until Disco twists Excalibur’s fingers.

That’s broken up with a hiptoss and Excalibur drops some knees as the two of them talk about the referee allegedly being the inspiration for the Robin Williams movie RV. Disco gets red carded for a headbutt to the chest which lets Excalibur come back with a suplex for two. A catapult sends Excalibur outside for the big dive (which Disco said he didn’t know was coming) and they’re both down on the floor, leaving commentary to go over the company’s history.

Back in and Disco grabs a camel clutch before a suplex gets two. As Disco hits a backbreaker, commentary talks about airline experiences, including the lack of peanuts and package deliveries. Excalibur rakes the eyes to come back and grabs something close to a cobra clutch, setting up a German suplex for two. Disco chokes him to block a heart punch and a chokebreaker finishes Excalibur at 8:30.

Rating: C. I wouldn’t have bet on this having a definitive winner as it would have seemed destined to go to a draw. It wasn’t a match that meant much of anything as it was all about playing into the company’s history, which makes sense on an anniversary show. Excalibur never was much in the ring and he didn’t show me anything else here, but for a fun way to open the show and give the fans something to like, it worked well enough.

Ronin vs. Nemesis

Nemesis grabs a wristlock to start and armdrags him down, meaning it’s time to pose. Back up and Nemesis kicks him into the corner as the fans chant HELLO KITTY at Ronin in an old school callback. I mean, as old school as you can get in a promotion that is three years old. Nemesis sends him outside, teases the pose, and then misses a baseball slide.

Ronin gets in a shot to the ribs and sends him back inside for two off a suplex. Back up and Nemesis grabs a Cradle Shock for two and hammers away in the corner. What looks to be a running monkey flip out of the corner doesn’t go so well and Ronin is back with a swinging brainbuster for two. One heck of a lariat into a Death Valley Driver finishes Nemesis at 7:09.

Rating: C. Another just ok match here with two PWG regulars. The lack of story behind the match made it a bit difficult to get invested in what they were doing though, as they were just doing moves until someone won. Ronin has been on a lot of these PWG shows but has never really done much to get my interest up. Nemesis was just another guy here and while the match was watchable, it kind of came and went.

Top Gun Talwar vs. Colt Cabana

Cabana, who isn’t a very big guy, towers over Talwar. As a bonus, Cabana has two formal photos of some couples. Commentary says Cabana doesn’t know who they are, but that’s the pretty run of the mill for him. Then Talwar offers to fight from his knees….and seems to do a line of cocaine (commentary’s word). Cabana fights from his knees as well and scares Talwar outside, where he circles the ring on his knees.

Back in and they fight over wrist control as commentary talks about stabbing your leg after drunkenly staggering around your apartment. They lock hands and roll around until Talwar finally breaks out, leaving them to sit next to each other on the mat. Now it’s time to lay on each other for some near falls before Talwar’s rollup is countered with a crawl across the ring. Cabana sweeps the legs so Talwar winds up on all fours, where he crawls around with Cabana on his back. Yeah it’s that kind of a match people.

They tease a test of strength but Talwar stops to smell Cabana’s fingers. Now it’s a lockup with Talwar climbing the ropes without breaking contact. Said lockup stays on as they go outside, around the ring and through the entrance curtain. We can hear a bunch of stuff….and then the curtain is pulled back to reveal them having some tea. The referee grabs both of them by the ear and brings them back to the ring, where Cabana picks the ankle. The tease of a low blow is switched into a leg stretch, with Cabana talking until Talwar bites the fingers.

That’s not enough to escape so Cabana rocks them back and forth to make Talwar angrier. Back up and they gently slap it out (Excalibur: “Shades of Moe and Shemp.”) before heading outside again. Talwar is whipped towards the barricade but keeps running, only to trip over the steps. Cabana finds some resistance bands to tie around Talwar’s throat while getting in some exercise, only to have Talwar tie it around Cabana’s wrist.

The tug of war is on until Talwar pulls him in for a clothesline to take over. Back in and Talwar hits a spinning reverse DDT (the Chipolte) for two on Cabana as commentary makes fun of Ike Turner beating Tina Turner. Cabana misses the Flying Apple but counters another Chipolte into an inverted bearhug (meaning Cabana picks him up for a Tombstone and shakes him back and forth) for the win at 12:02.

Rating: C+. This match wasn’t for me and I’m not big on the comedy stuff, but they also didn’t do anything so stupid that it was ridiculous. Cabana doing his comedy stuff is his bread and butter and Talwar is one of those wacky guys who can make something like this work well enough. Not something I’d ever want to see again, but it could have been FAR worse.

Post match Cabana leaves and World Champion Joey Ryan runs in to beat up Talwar. A piledriver on the chair leaves Talwar laid out and Ryan brags about being the best PWG Champion of all time. The fans don’t like it, so Ryan piledrives Talwar on the chair again. Ryan wants Excalibur out here so here he is, just after Ryan hits a third piledriver on the chair. Good beatdown, but those sideburns make Ryan look like a joke rather than a serious guy.

Davey Richards/Kevin Steen/Human Tornado vs. Dynasty

Richards and company have Candice LeRae with them and the Dynasty is Chris Bosh/Scott Lost/Scorpio Sky, with Jade Chung. It’s a big brawl before (I think?) the bell and it all heads outside until the Dynasty is left laying. Back in and Davey kicks at Lost but the tiger driver 98 is blocked. Sky comes in to dance a bit so Richards shoulders him down as well. Tornado and Steen clear the ring with the Dynasty needing a breather on the floor.

After teasing leaving, the Dynasty comes back and slows it down a bit until we get to Tornado vs. Lost. A crossbody puts Lost down and his attempt at a low blow fails (that’s difficult to do). It’s off to Richards to strike away as commentary discusses why a low blow didn’t affect Tornado (I’ll let you figure that one out). Tornado comes back in for a dancing low blow on Scott and Bosh’s attempt at a low blow just hurts his hand. A leg trip takes Tornado down though and it’s Sky getting to stomp away in the corner.

Bosh and Steen (on the apron) exchange nipple twists before Tornado is sent face first into Sky’s rock hard abs. They certainly have some unique spots around here. Figure out if that is a good thing on your own. Sky heads outside where he gets beaten up by Steen and Richards, who have to be pulled off. Back in and Tornado gets elbowed in the face and Lost grabs a chinlock. Tornado fights up and this a neckbreaker, allowing the hot tag to Steen to pick up the pace. Richards comes in with a missile dropkick and it’s a German suplex for two on Lost.

Bosh and Steen slug it out but it’s right back to Sky to leg lariat Richards. With everyone else on the floor, Tornado hits a HUGE flip dive to wipe out the pile. Back in and Richards rolls Lost up for two but Sky takes Richards down with a jumping cutter. Bosh’s clothesline into a backbreaker gets two on Tornado and there’s a Stunner to Steen. That doesn’t work for Steen, who is back with a Rock Bottom to Bosh. Richards gives Sky a gutbuster and Lost has to break up a stretch muffler. Steen hits a great looking moonsault for two on Bosh but Sky clears them out and knocks Tornado silly with an implant DDT for the pin at 20:05.

Rating: B. Now this felt more like a PWG match as you had six guys in there starting off with a regular tag before going into the wild fight that it needed to be. The Dynasty looked like a team but since commentary isn’t about to offer any kind of insight into what is going on, they were just people who had somewhat matching gear. The other three were people who happened to be teaming together, as backstory or drawing people in isn’t exactly PWG’s strong suit.

Post match Steen grabs the mic and yells something at Richards that is kind of hard to understand but it doesn’t seem to go well. Richards grabs the mic and rants about a variety of things, including slipping in a gay slur. He seems ready for the Battle Of Los Angeles and is ready to take someone out. Steen appears to apologize to Tornado and they hug it out. I think that was a heel promo? Maybe?

Roderick Strong vs. TJ Perkins

Perkins is only 21 here and looks even younger than that. They start slowly with Strong tying him up, only to get pulled down into a cross arm choke. That’s reversed into the same thing from Strong. With that broken up, Perkins needs to tie his boot and Strong is nice enough to let him. Perkins wins a battle over wrist control but gets flipped over into an armbar. That’s reversed into a hammerlock from Perkins as the technical start continues.

Perkins fights out again and it’s another standoff, this time with Strong bailing to the floor for a seat in the first row. Back in and Perkins goes right back to the arm as commentary explains why it might not be great business for Strong to be a heel. Strong fights up and tries a kick to the ribs, which Perkins stops and spins around to drop Strong again. The front facelock goes on and is switched into a cravate as Strong can’t get anything going here.

The chop off goes a bit better for Strong, who manages to hit his first backbreaker. We hit the full nelson with Strong’s legs, followed by a less painful looking (for both of them) camel clutch. A torture rack backbreaker drops Perkins again but Strong pauses to yell at the fans. Strong hits a suplex for two and then slams him on the apron to make it worse. Back in and Strong ties their legs together and pulls on the arm for a rather nasty looking hold.

Perkins gets out and avoids a charge in the corner, setting up a high crossbody for two. Strong is back with an enziguri into a Falcon Arrow for two more but Perkins pulls him into a cross armbreaker. With that broken up, Strong hits the fireman’s carry gutbuster into the Sick Kick into the tiger driver for….two, in quite the kickout. Not that it matters as the Strong Hold makes Perkins tap at 18:56.

Rating: B. This is the kind of match that would fit in PWG or Ring Of Honor as they kept it straight and went with one move after another until Strong, the bigger star, got the win. That is all you needed to do here and it was the lengthy match that didn’t feel boring or long despite getting a lot of time. Good stuff here as both guys are always worth at least a look.

Kings Of Wrestling vs. Cape Fear

That would be Claudio Castagnoli/Chris Hero vs. El Generico/Quicksilver. This is announced as impromptu, but there is no story given for why it was thrown together. Hero and Generico start things off with the fans WAY behind the Kings. Generico works on the arm but Hero cravates him down and it’s off to Quicksilver vs. Castagnoli. Some leg cranking has Quicksilver in even more trouble but he’s back up with a hurricanrana for two.

Hero comes back in and has to counter a monkey flip so it’s right back to Castagnoli to clothesline Generico. This time it’s Generico grabbing a hurricanrana of his own and Castagnoli is frustrated. Hero comes in without a tag and the Kings chop each other by mistake. Generico sends them outside for some dives as Castagnoli is busted open bad (via a gash from the previous night).

Back in and Hero makes a blind (but not deaf) tag to take Generico down. Hero chops him in the throat and Castagnoli adds an uppercut for two. A gorilla (appropriate) press drop onto the turnbuckle has Generico in more trouble and Hero comes in for a dropkick for two. Generico finally manages to armdrag Castagnoli into Hero and a flip over allows the hot tag to Quicksilver.

A middle rope spin into a Black Widow has Hero in big trouble as Generico hits a heck of a dive onto Castagnoli on the floor. Hero falls over to the ropes and suplexes Quicksilver down hard for the break. It’s back to Generico, whose corner run tornado DDT is countered into an uppercut from Castagnoli for two more.

Hero ducks the Yakuza Kick and hits Generico with one of his own but back to back dropkicks take him down. Castagnoli gets taken down by a hurricanrana on the floor and a brainbuster gives Generico two on Hero. That’s too far for Castagnoli, who LAUNCHES Quicksilver into some chairs at ringside. Back in and Hero flips Generico into a powerbomb from Castagnoli (cool) for the pin at 20:48.

Rating: B. This got going near the end but there were some long stretches of dull to get there. Generico is someone who can work well with anyone but the Kings were much better as a team. Good match here and it ate up a lot of time, though it never reached that point of being a classic or into a higher gear.

PWG World Title: B-Boy vs. Joey Ryan

Ryan is defending in a Battledome, meaning a TLC match inside a cage (though you win via pinfall/submission). The weapons are already in the cage and Ryan goes for the climb at the bell, only to have B-Boy throw a chair at the wall to cut him off. Ryan’s elbows are broken up and cut off with a single elbow to the face, followed by a heck of a kick to the chest.

There’s a clothesline to drop Ryan again and Excalibur gets in a jab at Konnan for some reason. Ryan gets blasted with a chair to the head and the blood is flowing early. The blood works well for B-Boy, who sends Ryan face first into the cage. Back up and Ryan sends him into the cage for a change (and his first major offense) to bust B-Boy open as well.

Ryan snapmares him down, sits in a chair, and grabs the chinlock to slow things down a bit. With that broken up like a drop toehold should be, Ryan drop toeholds him into the chair to make the bleeding even worse. A chair to the face lets Ryan grab a ladder, which is slammed back with a chair. Some ladder shots to the face have Ryan in more trouble and another shot takes out a cameraman.

The chairs are piled up for a Death Valley Driver to give B-Boy two more but the referee gets bumped. Therefore, Ryan tapping to B-Boy’s Crossface means nothing, allowing Ryan to come back with a spinebuster onto a chair for two. The table is set up near the corner and a superbomb through it gives Ryan two of his own. Ryan slaps the referee for the slow count so they slug it out (just go with it) until Ryan sends him into the cage over and over.

A Go To Sleep connects but there is no referee again. A second referee slides in to count two before checking on the bloody original referee. Ryan and B-Boy fight to the floor (escape doesn’t matter in this match) with B-Boy getting the better of things by throwing Ryan into the chairs. A cheap shot slows B-Boy down but he gets in a low blow. A double stomp onto some chairs keep Ryan in trouble as they have been on the floor for a good while now.

Ryan is back with a low blow and they climb the side of the cage until Ryan elbows him down through the table at ringside. Back in and B-Boy fights back and puts Ryan on a ladder, setting up a top rope cutter for the double knockdown. A VERY delayed cover gets two so B-Boy puts Ryan’s head through the ladder rungs. With a chair over Ryan’s head, B-Boy goes to the top of the ladder and double stomps down onto the chair.

Since Ryan is done, Scott Lost runs in to beat down B-Boy, including a Vertebreaker onto the pile of chairs. B-Boy is up at two so here is Human Tornado to take out Lost. Scorpio Sky and Chris Bosh run in to beat on Tornado so Kevin Steen, Davey Richards and Excalibur run in to clear some of them out. Everyone fights at ringside and Tornado sets up a table in the ring.

Tornado goes up top but flip dives onto the pile at ringside instead of moonsaulting onto Ryan through the table. B-Boy goes up top for a Superfly Splash through Ryan through the table for two (with the fans popping BIG for the near fall). With both of them down, Jade Chung comes in but Candice LeRae is right there to take her out. Ryan sends LeRae into the cage so B-Boy hits him with a chair. Chung makes the save this time so B-Boy gives her a GTS. That’s enough for Ryan to pour something on a cloth to smother B-Boy and knock him out to retain the title at 34:47.

Rating: C-. I don’t often get to say this, but you could have easily cut half of this off and had a better match. This was A LOT of filler, plus all of the insanity at the end. It doesn’t help that Ryan isn’t very good in the ring and seems to be more about reputation than anything else. The brawling was good but I was checked out about halfway through and just wanting this to end. B-Boy was ok here but he didn’t exactly feel like a top star. Good enough match, though its flaws are really bad.

We’re off the air with the ring announcer only getting to AND STILL.

Overall Rating: B-. This show hit a nice stretch near the middle but the main event didn’t work and the first few matches weren’t exactly great. Maybe this is just too early in its history, but the show didn’t have me wanting to race out to see more PWG. While it certainly isn’t a bad show, there is almost nothing on here that blew me away. Maybe jumping ahead a bit will help, but this was closer to mediocre than good.

 

 

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WrestleCon: USA vs. The World
Date: April 2, 2022
Location: Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Veda Scott

This is about as obvious of an idea as you can get: take a bunch of wrestlers from WrestleCon weekend and put them in a bunch of matches, one country vs. the rest. This show has a tendency to be one of the weaker of the WrestleCon offerings but there are some talented people on the card. Let’s get to it.

Warrior Wrestling Lucha Libre Title: Sam Adonis (USA) vs. La Hiedra (World) vs. Mr. Iguana (World) vs. Golden Dragon (World)

Adonis is defending and this is one fall to a finish. Iguana jumps on Adonis’ back to start, allowing Dragon to hit a superkick. Hiedra goes after Iguana, who fights her off using the magic of his hand puppet. Adonis is back in with a Death Valley Driver as Scott tries to figure out if an iguana is a reptile or an amphibian. Dragon comes back in to clear the ring so Hiedra armdrags him to the floor. Back in and Adonis shrugs off Hiedra chops before dropping her with one shot.

That just earns him a low blow into a DDT, setting up a low bridge to send Adonis outside. Using Iguana as a helping hand, Hiedra walks the ropes to dive onto Adonis for the big crash. Back in and Iguana headscissors dragon down but gets caught with a slingshot reverse suplex for two. Adonis comes back in but Hiedra breaks up a superplex by turning it into a Tower of Doom. Iguana catches Dragon with a spinning DDT but Dragon counters a super hurricanrana into a sitout powerbomb for two of his own. Adonis is back in with a kiss and punch to Hiedra, followed by a 450 to Dragon to retain the title at 8:03.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of lucha four way that you start a show with to crank up the energy and that is what they had here. Adonis is a rather good heel that you want to see get taken down but he escapes with the title while being quite the despicable person. Iguana seems to be quite the popular gimmick star and Dragon is a smaller luchador who should be fine. Hiedra did her stuff quite well too, making this a rather fun opener.

USA – 1
World – 0

Jessica Troy (World) vs. Rachael Ellering (USA)

They shake hands to start and we’re ready to go, with Ellering taking her into the corner without much trouble. With that not being to her liking, Troy takes it to the mat for an armbar and the grappling begins. With an assortment of cranking not working, they get back up, this time with Ellering casually tossing her with a release gutwrench suplex. Troy pops back up and hits a springboard wristdrag out of the corner, setting up some running knees for two.

Back up and Ellering snaps off some chops, which has the fans rather pleased. Troy gets sent into the corner for two as the beating is on. The backsplash gives Ellering two and she might be getting a bit frustrated. Back up and Troy avoids a charge and hits some running shots in the corner, setting up a top rope tornado DDT for two. It’s time to go after Ellering’s arm, including what looked to be a Shayna Baszler style stomp.

The cross armbreaker is blocked though and Ellering is back with a spinebuster for two as the pace is picking way up. Troy grabs a Codebreaker onto the arm and they’re both down again. They strike it out (with Troy wisely staying on the arm) until Ellering has to roll her way out of a Fujiwara armbar. Troy slaps it right back on and cranks even more but this time Ellering sends her outside. Back in and a swinging Boss Man Slam gives Ellering two, leaving her rather annoyed. A powerbomb is countered into another Fujiwara armbar but Ellering counters the counter into a cradle for the pin at 15:00.

Rating: B. Oh yeah this worked rather well and came off as a star making performance from Troy. Both women were working hard here and they had a story with Ellering as the powerhouse and Troy trying to take her down piece by piece. I got pulled into this one and it was a heck of a match which might even be hard for the rest of the show to top. Check out more Troy, as she seems rather good.

USA – 2
World – 0

Davey Richards (USA) vs. Mike Bailey (World)

Respect is shown before the match and they go straight to the mat grappling. The test of strength fight goes on with both of them being flipped over. Richards starts cranking on the arm and chokes a bit, with Bailey flipping backwards into a choke of his own. Bailey cranks on the arm until Richards gets to the ropes and kicks Bailey’s arm into it to take over. A kneebar over the ropes has Bailey in trouble, though the idea of Bailey selling anything on his knee is hilarious.

Back in and Richards grabs a modified Tequila Sunrise to stay on the leg, followed by the hard kicks to the chest. They slug it out until Bailey hits his rapid fire kicks (I knew it) and sends him outside for the dive. More kicks set up the running corkscrew shooting star press for two on Richards but he’s right back up with another leglock. The rope is eventually grabbed so they head to the apron for kicks to the chest.

Bailey gets dragon screw legwhipped in the ropes, but is right back up with a standing moonsault knees to the chest because MIKE BAILEY DOES NOT SELL KNEES EVER BECAUSE THIS IS FREAKING DUMB! Bailey goes up top so Richards joins him for an exchange of headbutts and a top rope superplex brings Bailey back down. Back up and they slug it out, with Bailey firing off more kicks.

Richards pulls one into an ankle lock, which is probably just going to recharge Bailey at this point. With that broken up, Richards hits a top rope double stomp for two, followed by a brainbuster for the same. The ankle lock is broken up and Bailey sends him into the corner for…..bear with me….a double spinning kick to the face, setting up the Ultimate Weapon (shooting star knees to the back) for the pin on Richards at 14:35.

Rating: D. That’s as high as I can go and yes I’m sure I’ll get a lot of eye rolls. I understand the idea of getting your stuff in and MOVEZ but this was a total waste of Richards’ time. He spent the better part of ten minutes working the leg and Bailey is literally up flipping and bouncing around with no trouble or issues whatsoever. Bailey was around multiple times during the week and this might have been the best selling job he did, at least in matches I’ve seen. This was dumb and I feel bad for wasting my time on it.

USA – 2
World – 1

Caleb Konley/Flip Gordon/Gringo Loco (USA) vs. Aeroboy/Arez/Aramis (World)

Gordon and Aeroboy start things off with Aeroboy taking him to the mat for a quickly broken headscissors. Gordon counters a headscissors but gets hurricanranaed down. Aramis comes in so Gordon bounces around with a series of nipups. It’s off to Loco for more flipping but he gets sent outside rather quickly. Arez and Konley come in for an exchange of takedowns and, believe it or not, flips.

A kick to the head drops Konley so it’s Loco coming in, only to get hurricanranaed. Aeroboy comes back in to grab a running cutter as everything breaks down. We settle down to Gordon suplexing Aramis for two and handing it back to Konley for a belly to back. Gordon grabs an STF (Submit To Flip) and his partners grab holds of their own. With that broken up, Aeroboy gets caught in the wrong corner for the triple teaming. Everything breaks down and the World team all hit dives to the floor.

Back in and a double stomp into a Swanton gets a triple cover near fall on Konley, with Loco making the save. The Americans are back up for their own series of dives, including Loco hitting a step up flip dive to the floor. Aramis hits his own flip dive to drop the pile but Gordon kicks him right back down. Back in and Gordon misses a 450, setting up a torture rack powerbomb to give Aramis the pin (as his partners get their own covers at the same time) at 14:56.

Rating: C+. This was the kind of six man insanity that you would expect from a lucha show. The World team looked great and were flying around as well as you could ask them to. Gordon continues to be someone who seemed ready to break through to the next level but it never exactly did. Konley is a good hand anywhere he goes and Loco is rather good as a high flier. Fun match and that’s what it was supposed to be.

USA – 2
World – 2

WorkHorsemen (USA) vs. Extreme Tiger/Bandido (World)

Tiger takes Henry down to start and gets a middle finger for his efforts, which will certainly help American and Mexican relations. Henry takes him down by the leg but gets pulled into a surfboard. That’s broken up as well and they spin up to a standoff. Tiger snapmares him into the corner and Henry is looking a bit frustrated. They go chest to chest before handing it off to Bandido and the bigger Drake.

Bandido gets shouldered down but he’s back up with a flip to annoy Drake a bit. Back up and Drake jumps over Bandido for a change, setting up a hurricanrana to stun the fans. Drake gets sent outside though and it’s Henry coming in to chop at Tiger. Back in and Drake grabs a chinlock for a bit before unloading with chops in the corner. A Shining Wizard gives Henry two but Drake misses the Vader Bomb, allowing the hot tag to Bandido.

That means a top rope twisting dive onto the Drake and Henry, setting up a running hurricanrana to Henry. Tiger comes back in and spins Henry around in a Tumbleweed for two but Drake runs Tiger and Bandido over with a double clothesline. Henry dropkicks Tiger into a belly to back suplex and Bandido’s 21 Plex is broken up. Instead, Bandido grabs a pop up cutter on Henry before chopping it out with Drake. For some reason Drake goes up and Bandido gorilla presses him down (because of course he can do that), setting up the 21 Plex for the pin at 16:08.

Rating: B. This was a nice mesh of two styles as you have the old school southern style team with Drake and Henry (or close to that style at least) against the lucha team. It worked well here, as Bandido’s strength continues to be nothing short of uncanny. Good match here and I was getting more into it than I expected by the end.

World – 3
USA – 2

Calvin Tankman (USA) vs. Big Damo (World)

This is a hoss fight, with Tankman from MLW and Damo being better known as Killian Dain. They go with the power lockups to start and neither get anywhere. The running shoulders don’t work either so Damo kicks him in the ribs for some more success. Back up and Tankman hits a flying shoulder to put Damo on the floor, meaning it’s time for a strike off. They head back inside, where Tankman forearms him into the corner.

Damo is right back with a running dropkick into another corner, setting up the neck crank. Tankman fights up for a slam into a splash for two but Damo hits a running crossbody for the double knockdown. Back up and Damo knocks him into the corner, only to miss another Vader bomb. Tankman scores with a spinning back elbow, setting up the Tankman Driver (over the shoulder piledriver) for the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C. They went with the simple and classic idea here of having two big men beat on each other until one of them couldn’t get up. Tankman is a huge guy but moves very well, while Damo is more of your big pounding brawler. It wasn’t a great match but it was a fun one and that is enough to work.

USA – 3
World – 3

Rev Pro Cruiserweight Title: Michael Oku (World) vs. Rich Swann (USA)

Oku is defending and the fans are split to start. Swann grabs a quickly broken headlock and sticks the landing on a hurricanrana for a standoff. Oku’s headlock works a bit better and he runs Swann over to take control for the first time. Some stomping in the corner sets up a chinlock, which is broken up just as quickly. Swann hits a running dropkick to rock the champ as a NEW CHAMP/OLD CHANT chant off begins.

A running kick to the back of the head gives Swann two and it’s off to something like a seated abdominal stretch. They head outside with Swann putting him in a chair and running around the ring for a boot to the face. Swann tries to do it again but this time gets cut off with a dropkick. Oku can’t follows up and gets chinlocked back inside, which of course triggers the comeback.

A jumping DDT drops Swann and a missile dropkick gets two. Swann kicks him back down and hits a rolling splash for two but the middle rope 450 misses. There’s a springboard moonsault to give Oku two and the half crab (his signature) goes on. Swann bails out to the floor so Oku is right after him with a running flip dive.

Back up and Swann kicks him down from the apron, followed by a spinning kick to the face back inside. They slug it out until Oku hits a spinning kick to the head into a Codebreaker. A frog splash gives Oku two but Swann is fine enough to pull him off the top. Swann loads up a missile dropkick but dives into the half crab for the tap to retain Oku’s title at 19:34.

Rating: B. Main event worthy match here between two bigger names. Oku is someone who has done rather well in the times that I have seen him, even if the half crab is a bit of a stretch as a major finisher. Swann is going to give you a good match no matter what he is doing so they set this up well and then paid it off even better.

World – 4
USA – 3

Respect is shown post match. Oku grabs the mic and thanks Swann for the match while getting the fans to thank him as well. Swann says if someone has heart like Oku, it doesn’t matter where you’re from because you can inspire people with professional wrestling.

Overall Rating: B. Mike Bailey’s no-selling nonsense aside, this was a rather good show and a lot better than I would have bet on. The previous USA vs. the World was little more than a “well, if I have nothing else to do” show but this had multiple matches that pulled me in and got me interested. They put on a good show here with a minimal concept behind it and that’s impressive, so nice job.

 

 

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Cemetery Gates
Date: March 31, 2022
Location: Fair Park, Dallas Texas
Commentators: Sam Leterna, Veda Scott

This is from Glory Pro Wrestling out of St. Louis, Missouri and part of Game Changer Wrestling’s Collective as part of the Wrestlemania Weekend festivities. Every year you will see some promotions show up over the weekend for the big weekend and put on a bit of a showcase event. That is the case again, as we have another show with a pretty weird name. Let’s get to it.

As usual, I have no idea what is going on here with regards to storylines, characters etc., so if I miss anything major, I apologize in advance.

Also, this show is available for free on the company’s YouTube page if you want to see what they have.

Myron Reed vs. Shane Sabre vs. Danny Jones vs. Carlos Romo

Reed is a longstanding MLW star, Jones is now in NXT UK and this is one fall to a finish. Romo fires the crowd up to start and everyone is outside in a hurry. Reed takes down Romo and Sabre but gets suplexed by Jones. Back up and Romo leg lariats Jones and hits Sabre with a swinging suplex.

Neither Sabre nor Romo can superplex Jones so they both try at the same time. With that not working either, they launch Reed into a super hurricanrana because JONES MUST BE BROUGHT DOWN. Romo ties up Jones’ legs and dragon sleepers the other two at the same time because that’s something that would happen in a fight. With that broken up, Jones pulls all three of them into a submission each, though he’s nice enough to go one at a time.

Romo DDTs Sabre for two and Jones piledrivers Sabre onto the apron for what should be a knockout. I mean it won’t be, but it should be. Jones chokes Romo on the apron but Reed gets a running start for a super cutter to drop Romo again. Back in and Jones sleeper suplexes Reed but gets caught by Romo’s springboard cutter for a close two. Romo misses a moonsault and gets taken down by Sabre’s slingshot spear. Reed grabs Sabre with a springboard cutter into Captain Crunch (White Noise) for the pin at 8:23.

Rating: C+. The best thing here is that they kept if fast paced and didn’t have so many wrestlers in there that you lost track of what was going on. They kept things moving here and it’s a great way to start the show off. I liked what we got here and Romo stood out, while Reed had a bit of star power for a bonus. Nice opener here.

Midwest Territory Title: Tootie Lynn vs. Janai Kai

Kai is challenging and has been on AEW a few times. They fight over arm control to start until Lynn grabs a headlock takeover. Kai fights out and kicks her in the back before pounding away to take over. Arm cranking ensues but Lynn is back up with an enziguri and a middle rope crossbody connects for two. The strike off goes to Kai and she grabs something like Nightmare on Helm Street for two. Back up and they strike it out again until Lynn pulls her down by the arm and flips over with the armbar ala Tommaso Ciampa for the tap at 7:41.

Rating: C. Not bad here from two women I haven’t seen much of before. What matters is that they had something going with Kai’s striking against Lynn going for the grappling and submissions. That might not be a great or detailed story, but it’s better than nothing and more than you get on a good number of shows these days.

Jake Something vs. Max The Impaler

A big forearm drops Max to start but Something gets run over and slammed down without much trouble. Something hits something like a Thesz press (minus the press) out of the corner and a heck of a right hand gets two. Back to back suplexes set up back to back to back clotheslines, the latter of which just fire Max up (might not make sense but a lot of things in wrestling don’t).

An exchange of clotheslines doesn’t go to anyone until Max runs him over with a clothesline. There’s a spear for two more on Something but he’s back up with a hard forearm to the back of the head. A sitout powerbomb gets two on Max, who comes right back with a spinebuster for two more. Back up and a spear misses for Max, setting up a Boss Man Slam to give Something the pin at 9:34.

Rating: C+. They beat each other up rather well here and it was a nice hoss fight throughout. Something is someone who a good look and some nice power, but my goodness that is one of the most indy wrestling names you will ever see. Fix that and he might go somewhere, but it sounds like a joke that has gone on way too long. Max is a pretty good power brawler as well and could fit in somewhere one day.

Tag Team Titles: Alpha Omega vs. Fly Def vs. Technical Difficulties vs. The Hustle And The Muscle

That would be Camaro Jackson/Kenny Alfonso vs. Warren Johnson/Zack Mason vs. Moses The Deliverer/Rahim de la Suede vs. Karam/Xavier Walker (defending) and I’m going to be lost about ten seconds into this. Thankfully commentary says the same so I’m not alone. Fly Def are from Reality of Wrestling and trained by Booker T. The champs come out to Voodoo Chile and I have some Nitro flashbacks.

It’s a brawl to start as this does not seem to have tags, thereby negating the TAG part of TAG TEAM. Hustle and Muscle clear the ring to start but Technical Difficulties gets together to take Walker outside. Fly Def is back up with a big dive onto the pile but then it’s Alpha Omega getting to clean house.

That doesn’t last long either as everyone gets a quick burst in before Fly Def clears the ring again. Alpha Omega breaks that up and calls Technical Difficulties inside for the showdown. Fly Def breaks that up but Mason is sent outside, leaving Johnson to get pounded in the corner by de la Suede. Hustle and Muscle are back in though and a spinebuster to Mason retains the titles at 7:01.

Rating: C+. What do you say about something like this? It was eight wrestlers flying around and getting in whatever they could without much time to spare. This was the equivalent of a scramble match on this show and it did about as much: offer some entertaining spots and pop the crowd by never stopping. It was fun for what it was, but these matches are going to bleed together and then be forgotten pretty quickly.

We recap Allie Katch vs. Laynie Luck. Katch cheated to survive against Luck but got disqualified anyway. Luck is here for revenge plus a cleaner win.

Laynie Luck vs. Allie Katch

Submission match with No DQ, meaning no rope breaks. Luck goes for the legs to start and gets nowhere so it’s a dropkick to put Katch down instead. Back up and Katch grabs a quick backbreaker, only to get pulled into a Fujiwara armbar. That’s countered into a DDT but Luck is back with a sunset flip, which she rolls over into an STF. Katch is right out of that as well and hits a seated senton out of the corner.

They head outside with Katch not being able to hit a powerbomb but blocking another armbar. Back in and Luck grabs a sick German suplex into a guillotine choke. That’s broken up as well so Luck switches to a Regal Stretch (complete with the arm trap). Katch bites her way to freedom and takes it outside again, this time for a piledriver on the floor.

They get back inside where Luck (completely fine less than thirty seconds after a piledriver on the floor) hits an enziguri, setting up another STF. Another bite of the hand breaks that up so Luck tries a Boston crab. Katch has to get creative by grabbing the referee for the break, setting up her own Boston crab. With the rope break meaning nothing, Katch puts the Boston crab on again in the ropes to make Luck tap at 11:09.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this of this one as some of the holds were broken way too fast and a piledriver on the floor having no effect was a bit ridiculous. Katch having to cheat over and over again was a way to tie things into their backstory so at least there was a logic there. At the same time, Luck showed some promise here and there, but it just wasn’t that interesting most of the time.

Grindhouse vs. No Remorse Corps

Grindhouse is better known as the Besties In The World (Davey Vega/Matt Fitchett) and the Corps is Davey Richards/Rocky Romero, who were quite the Ring of Honor team way back when. Richards grabs a test of strength with Vega to start before twisting around into a wristlock. That’s reversed into one from Vega, which is broken up with a twist of the arm.

After the standoff, the fans demand and receive Romero, who trades wristlocks with Fitchett. Romero gets in a hurricanrana but Vega tags himself in for a cheap shot. That’s fine with Romero who starts the Forever Lariats, which are cut off by a well timed kick to the head. The double teaming is on in the corner with Fitchett grabbing an armbar and Vega stomping away.

A Grindhouse double team doesn’t work as Romero hits a standing Sliced Bread, allowing the hot tag off to Richards. Stereo rollups get two each on Grindhouse, followed by a leglock to Vega and an ankle lock to Fitchett, again because Davey Richards is apparently a genius. With that broken up, Romero is brought back in for some charges in the corner.

Richards adds a top rope knee to give Romero two but Fitchett is back up for the save. A running knee/kick combination in the corner gets two on Romero but Richards makes Vega DDT Fitchett, because that’s how wrestling works. Richards blasts Vega with a lariat and Moustache Mountain’s torture rack/top rope knee combination is enough for the pin at 12:29.

Rating: C+. Richards’ dominance aside, this was a hard hitting enough tag match with Grindhouse being overwhelmed by a better team. I’ve seen Grindhouse in their previous incarnation before and that was a lot more fun, leaving them as a not exactly unique team here. The Corps isn’t my favorite team, but they are pretty good at this style.

We recap Dan The Dad vs. Kody Lane (set to My Way by Limp Bizkit for a chuckle). Dad is a family man who likes being a good guy while Lane is messing things up. Therefore, it’s Loser Leaves The Neighborhood. That’s a unique one.

Dan The Dad vs. Kody Lane

No DQ. Dan charges in and slugs away as we hear about him not being happy with Lane leaving beer bottles on his lawn. They fight to the floor and the ladder is brought out, with Lane being sent into it for the crash. A trashcan shot gets Lane out of trouble though and they head back inside so Lane can stomp away. Dan dropkicks the knee out and goes for a Figure Four, which is kicked into the ladder in the corner. Back up and Lane kicks him in the face, setting up a backsplash for two.

Veda suggests that the two of them take a lesson from Sesame Street as Dan is sent outside, where he avoids a dropkick through the ropes. Back in and some chair shots to the back make Dan scream but he fights up and strikes away. A floatover DDT plants Lane and a hanging Downward Spiral onto an open chair gives Dan two. Land low blows his way out of a powerbomb though and a Jay Driller onto a ladder gets two more. A Lionsault hits ladder though and Dan crushes Lane’s leg in said ladder, setting up a Figure Four to make Lane tap at 10:19.

Rating: C+. I liked this more than I expected to and I could go for seeing some of the build to the match. Neither are exactly great in the ring but they had a story that made sense and built up well enough. The leg stuff was fine and Lane giving up because Dan wasn’t going to stop no matter what made sense. Nice stuff here with a unique story.

Josh Alexander vs. Warhorse

Feeling out process to start with Alexander breaking up an early headlock. It’s way too early for Alexander’s C4 Spike as he gets tossed outside for a double stomp to the back. They head back inside with Alexander hitting a rolling Death Valley Driver but Warhorse chops away in the corner. For some reason Warhorse turns his back on him though and Alexander gets in a leg dive to the mat so cranking can ensue.

Back up and they slug it out until Alexander rams him head first into the buckle. This has no effect on Warhorse for Warhorse reasons so it’s a flying forearm to drop Alexander. A flying forearm lets Warhorse go up top but Alexander rolls away before anything can launch. Warhorse takes him down by the legs though and the Sharpshooter goes on, sending Alexander straight to the ropes.

They head to the apron and slug it out with Alexander hitting a World’s Strongest Slam. Warhorse is right back up with a heck of a suicide dive, which shouldn’t be much of a surprise in his case. Back in and Alexander pulls him out of the air for an ankle lock, sending Warhorse over to the ropes. Alexander gets caught in the corner for an Alberto double stomp and a near fall. A top rope superplex drops Warhorse but he pops back up with a spinning kick to the face. Back up and Alexander hits him in the back of the head with a forearm, setting up the C4 Spike for the pin at 16:01.

Rating: B. Some of the no selling here was ridiculous but it was one of those matches where it was about giving us a cool pairing and letting Alexander continue to shine. He is one of the better stars outside of WWE and AEW at the moment and it is always cool to see him. Warhorse is a ball of energy so it is fun to see him as well, meaning this was a pretty nice pairing.

Crown Of Glory Title: Mike Outlaw vs. Brian Keith

Outlaw is defending the promotion’s top title. Feeling out process to start with Keith grabbing a headlock takeover, which is broken up for a bit of a frustrated standoff. Back up and Outlaw gets two off a rollup but gets kicked in the face to put him in trouble for the first time. Keith kicks him down again and starts stomping away in the corner as the control is on. Outlaw loses a chop off and Keith grabs a chinlock to keep him down.

Outlaw fights up and grabs a suplex for two, only to get caught in the chinlock again. That’s broken up again as well so Keith hits a fireman’s carry backbreaker for two. A tiger driver gets the same but Outlaw fights his way off the top. Outlaw, still on top, lifts Keith up (off the mat) for a swinging superplex into a release suplex for a heck of a sequence but only a near fall.

Keith gets dragon screw leg whipped and Outlaw slaps on a half crab, with Keith bailing over to the rope. They slug it out again until Outlaw grabs a Stunner, with Keith hitting a quick enziguri. Outlaw goes for the leg again but Keith powers up, only to get caught in a rollup to retain the title at 14:34.

Rating: B-. Not exactly a great match here but they did well enough and it felt like a title match. I’ve seen a bit of Keith before and he was good enough to make me think the title might be in jeopardy. I didn’t get much out of Outlaw, but he had a nice look and worked well, making him seem like someone who could be a top star in a smaller promotion like this one.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty good show here, though nothing that you need to rush out to see. I’ve only heard a bit about Glory Pro before and they did well enough. It might not be a great show, but it was a fine way to spend about two hours, especially when it was free on YouTube. I could go for seeing some one of their regular shows, especially some of those Dan The Dad promos. Not too bad at all and that’s always a nice surprise.

 

 

 

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Zombies Shouldn’t Run
Date: August 6, 2005
Location: Hollywood Los Feliz JCC, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 300
Commentators: Disco Machine, Excalibur

It’s back to PWG as I continue my efforts to go through my pile of downloaded shows. This is a show from a rather long time ago but you are probably going to know a lot of the people on this show. That can make these shows that much more fun as I have no idea what to expect here. Let’s get to it.

Keep in mind that I know very little about the promotion so I’m sorry for missing any plot or character details.

Note that the DVD release has commentary but this is a digital download and unless I’m missing something really obvious, the commentary track is not available here.

We open with Hardkore Kidd (better known as Carlito’s enforcer Jesus in 2004) and his manager El Jefe in the ring for a chat. Kidd is glad to be back after a year away and welcomes us to Pro Wrestling Orangutan. Kidd reminds us that he is his hero, which it even says on his business card. He wants to face anyone tonight, even a tag team. Jefe tries to count it down in Spanish but can’t quite make that work. We’re clipped to someone answering his challenge and the match starting, possibly because of a music issue.

TJ Perkins vs. Hardkore Kidd

El Jefe is here with Kidd and Perkins hits a missile dropkick to start fast as we get the opening bell. A hurricanrana gets Perkins out of a powerbomb and he lays in the ropes, as is his custom. There’s the big suicide dive to the floor as Perkins already has a bloody nose. Back in and Perkins hits a top rope hurricanrana but gets caught with a gutbuster to put him in trouble. A Jeff Hardy double legdrop gives Kidd two and a top rope headbutt low blow has Perkins hurt in a different way.

The fans inquire about their pizza as this is suddenly an FBI match in ECW. Perkins is back up to put him in the Tree of Woe for a running basement dropkick. Kidd pounds him right back into the ropes, where Jefe gets in some choking like a good boss. There’s a side slam for two on Perkins but he kicks Jefe down and hits an inverted Swanton for two of his own. A rather complicated leglock has Kidd in trouble, only to have him reverse into a double arm crank.

With that let go, Kidd hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker as he seems to focus on the back more than anything else. Perkins gets out and sends him to the floor for a baseball slide into the chairs but Kidd is right back up. A Jefe cheap shot gives Kidd two back inside and it’s time to slap/chop it out. Kidd misses a charge into the corner and Perkins hits a heck of a springboard tornado DDT. A top rope hurricanrana is countered into a sitout powerbomb to give Kidd two but another slingshot headbutt it cut off by Perkins’ raised boots. Perkins adds a 450 for the pin at 10:46.

Rating: C. This was a rather indy match as it felt like one guy can do a move and then the other would shrug it off and do one of his own. That doesn’t make for the best match but they did get somewhere with Kidd working over the back most of the time. Perkins would get a lot better, though you could still feel a lot of the inexperience and indy style on him here.

Rocky Romero vs. Davey Richards

We get Big Match Intros and Romero is incorrectly identified as Ricky Reyes (another wrestler). You know that gets a YOU F***** UP chant, followed by a RICKY chant. Neither can hit a big kick to the head to start so they trade arm control instead. Romero gets the better of it but gets reversed into a cravate, which feels rather appropriate for a show like this.

We hit the test of strength, with Richards taking him down and the fans shouting MERCY. The grappling continues with Richards getting the better of things off of some headbutts. That doesn’t do much to Romero, who is right back with an anklescissors to slow Richards down a bit. Richards breaks that up and ties their legs together, setting up a rip at the face. Back up and they get a bit more serious (yes in a Davey Richards match), with Romero taking him down and kicking him between the shoulders.

The surfboard goes on for a bit, only to have Richards come back with a snap suplex. Richards grabs the chinlock but since that’s a bit boring, it’s another kick for another two. Another chinlock, this time with a knee in Romero’s back, doesn’t last long either as Romero is up and kicking away again. They do the big serious strike off with Romero getting the better of things but collapsing as well.

Romero hits running double knees off the apron to drop him again, setting up the slap off back inside. Something like an Octopus hold has Richards in trouble but he grabs the rope without much effort. That earns him a running kick to the chest and they’re both down again. Richards’ cross armbreaker sends Romero over to the ropes and it’s another double breather. A quick rollup gives Romero two and a hurricanrana is good for the same.

Richards is back with a tiger suplex for two more and, say it with me, they’re down again. Romero gets snapped down into a Fujiwara armbar but rolls his way to freedom. That’s fine with Richards so he’s right back with the Fujiwara, sending Romero straight back to the ropes. Back up and Romero grabs a guillotine choke, which is countered with kind of a suplex. The guillotine goes on again and Richards is count at 18:39.

Rating: B. It was definitely a match with the two of them working each other over until one of them was done, though they took their time getting there. At the same time, it felt like they were draining each others’ energy bars, which tends to be the case in a match like this. The good thing is that they did pull me into the struggle and that is the point of something like this. Hard hitting match, but very much the indy style if that makes sense.

Here are Excalibur, Ronin and Disco Machine for a chat. They are here because they are starts and want Kevin Steen to win the PWG World Title tonight. Steen is so focused on his match that it is time to bring in some extra help, which is apparently Ronin (or Hello Kitty according to the fans). On top of that, their scheduled opponents, Los Luchas, aren’t here tonight so cue So Cal Val to introduce their new opponents.

Ronin/Excalibur/Disco Machine vs. Gunning For Exciting Hookers

That would be Gunning For Hookers (Top Gun Talwar/Hook Bomberry) and Mr. Excitement. Before the match, Talwar takes off his thong (over his singlet) and throws it to the crowd. Talwar beats Hook in a game of Rock Paper Scissors to earn the right to start and seems to make various sexual gestures. For some reason Hook starts with Ronin instead, showing that Rock Paper Scissors is worthless around here (bunch of crazy people).

Hook takes Ronin into the corner and then takes him down as this is one sided so far. Back up and Ronin drives him into the corner for a heck of a chop, only to charge into some raised boots. That’s enough for Ronin to bail to the corner and it’s off to Talwar vs. Disco. The test of strength is teased but Disco seems worried about the Dangah Zone (as it says on Talwar’s singlet). The test doesn’t last long as Disco’s head winds up on Talwar’s chest, which shoves him away.

An exchange of headlocks doesn’t go anywhere so Disco takes him down into a rollup for two. Excalibur and Excitement come in for the third singles section of the match and they start with the forearm off. A spear down sets up some right hands to keep Excitement down so Talwar dives in for the save. Excalibur is sent outside and into a wall but is sine enough to send Excitement into it as well.

Something like a World’s Strongest Slam on the floor plants Excitement as Ronin beats up Talwar inside. Disco comes in for his gyrations (like a guy named Disco isn’t going to gyrate) before it’s back to Ronin for two off a snap suplex. We hit the reverse chinlock for a bit before Disco can come in for a kneeling cover. Ronin (draped in the HELLO KITTY chants) elbow Talwar but Hook comes in (sans tag) with a missile dropkick to put Ronin down.

The hot tag brings in Hook, who comes in with Excitement to start cleaning house. Everything breaks down until Hook starts hammering on Disco. Excalibur comes back in to German suplex Hook so it’s Excitement coming in to throw some (exciting) suplexes of his own. Excitement and Ronin slug it out with the latter getting the better of things, meaning Talwar has to make another save. Talwar powerbombs Ronin (prompting an exchange of swears) for two more before Disco chokebreakers Talwar for the pin at 16:41.

Rating: C. This was more long than it was good and that is not the best way to go. You can only get so much out of six people doing pretty basic stuff to each other until the ending and that was the case here. There were a few good enough moments, but I never got into it as Excalibur and Ronin (along with Hook) are just people with names and nothing but their clothes to make them stand out.

Post match Excalibur says Ronin proved himself and might be able to join the team. Excalibur is so impressed that he will NEVER call him Hello Kitty again.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Joey Ryan

Ryan looks rather young and is billed as the Technical Wizard. On the other hand, Castagnoli is still a rich guy with hair and sideburns. Castagnoli takes him down without much trouble and grabs a headlock but Ryan switches into a wristlock. They fight over control of said wristlock before trading cravates with Castagnoli getting the better of things. Some rolling arm cranking has Ryan in trouble and Castagnoli spins around to work on the arm even more.

A rather delayed suplex (the fans eventually stop counting) drops Ryan again as this is one sided so far. Ryan finally gets in a shot of his own and chokes on the rope, setting up a suplex for two. More choking on the rope ensues and Ryan hits a neckbreaker onto the knee. A dropkick mostly connects to give Ryan two but a tornado DDT is countered into a pop up uppercut. The slugout goes to Castagnoli and he sends Ryan outside, setting up a running uppercut.

Back in and a top rope uppercut gives Castagnoli two but the Riccola Bomb is countered into a crossface chickenwing. Some rolling German suplexes into a fisherman’s suplex gives Ryan two and he’s a bit stunned at the kickout. Castagnoli is back with something like a reverse TKO but gets caught on top, with Ryan hitting a super swinging neckbreaker for two. Back up and some big uppercuts put Ryan on the floor, with Castagnoli shoving the referee away like a schnook. Ryan throws the powder in his eyes and it’s the crossface chickenwing for the tag at 14:16.

Rating: C+. The match was ok, but at the end of the day, Ryan just isn’t very good in the ring. I know the technical wizard thing seemed to be more of an evil joke but this was just another Ryan match: he can do the basics well enough, but there is nothing to him that makes me want to see anything he does. Castagnoli is very good as usual, though he didn’t have much to work with here.

Christopher Daniels vs. Chris Hero

Daniels is TNA X-Division Champion but this is non-title. Before the match, Daniels says he has just about had it with this company, because they are taking him for granted. Why isn’t HE getting a Heavyweight Title shot? Every month he comes into this oven that pretends to be an arena and face people like El Generico. Who is next? Davey Richards? Hook Bomberry? Daniels even remembers beating Hero before, so why are we doing this again?

Actually, what has anyone done to deserve a title shot? The free shots end right now, meaning this title isn’t on the line until someone shows they are worthy of his title. Hero grabs the mic and says excuse me Mr. Overpronounciation. He’s fine with proving himself here in a non-title match, as long as he gets a title shot once he wins here. Hero brags about his 93 minute match and promises to win here before winning the title next time.

We finally get to the bell and the fans seem rather split to start. Daniels hits the stall button and goes to stretch in the corner, as the fans aren’t as pleased with him as they just were. Daniels: “ARE YOU AGAINST STRETCHING??? Do you want me to pull a hamstring???” Hero stretches and the referee asks him if he’s ready. Hero: “What would you do if I said no?” An early (as in two minutes in) armdrag takes Daniels down, with a fan telling Hero to watch the hair.

More armdrags have Daniels frustrated and it’s time for another standoff. Three more armdrags send Daniels bailing out to the floor as they’re doing a nice job of building so far. Back in and Hero cravates him down into a wristlock, sending Daniels over to the ropes. A hair pull gets Daniels out of another wristlock so Hero tops it with a top wristlock instead. Again that means a shout of a hair pull from Daniels, which actually has the referee admonishing Hero.

This time it’s Daniels trying an armdrag but getting countered into a cravate instead. Some cradles give Hero two each and we’re right back to the armbar. Hero tosses him over the top and out to the floor in a big crash, setting up a slightly bigger dive. Back in and Hero changes things up a bit with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, only to get neckbreakered across the top to put Daniels in control for the first time.

A basement dropkick gives Daniels two and an elbow to the face gets one, making me wonder how absorbing punishment works around here. Back up and Hero hits a quick dropkick, only to get taken down by a neckbreaker. Frustration is starting to set in so Daniels grabs a chinlock to blow some off. With that not working, Daniels grabs a Crossface, again sending hero over to the ropes.

Speaking of the ropes, Daniels puts him on top, only to get shoved down. Hero nails the top rope dropkick and they’re both down for a needed breather. The comeback is on with Hero striking away and snapping off a powerslam for two. Daniels is right back up with a Death Valley Driver but Hero gets his foot on the rope….which Daniels shoves away so the referee counts the pin at 18:56.

Rating: B. I wasn’t wild on the ending, but it does open up the door for a rematch while keeping Hero looking strong. This took its time and was telling a story of Daniels trying to break Hero down but not being able to finish him while Hero took his time and kept amping up his offense throughout. I dug this one and you can see what people liked about Hero so much here.

Super Dragon vs. Quicksilver

Dragon takes him down and starts working on the leg, which is broken up rather quickly. That’s fine with Dragon, who takes it to the mat to pull on the neck and leg at the same time. They go to the exchange of front facelocks until Dragon gets back to the leg. Quicksilver’s arm crank is countered into Dragon kicking him in the head as this is pretty one sided so far. A headlock takeover drops Quicksilver again, giving them a not exactly well earned round of applause.

Quicksilver gets a headscissors as this is a rather slow technical off to start. Back up and Dragon is sent to the floor for a huge dive, leaving fans wondering if the two of them would like Cheetos. They get back inside (Dragon and Quicksilver, not the fans) with Quicksilver knocking Dragon down for two and then seeming to slowly kick dirt on him.

Something like a Phenomenal Forearm is slapped out of the air and Dragon strikes away in the corner. Quicksilver is sent outside for a beating from Dragon, including a rather hard posting. Back in and a figure four necklock keeps Quicksilver in trouble but he manages to lose a slugout. Dragon starts cranking on the leg before switching to a full nelson with the legs. After cranking away, Dragon sends him outside again, only to follow him with a headlock instead of a dive.

Back in and Dragon stands on Quicksilver’s crotch in the Tree of Woe, followed by a not so great Figure Four. A grab of the rope breaks that up and Quicksilver gets in a shot of his own for the double knockdown (they like those around here), setting up a falling forward cutter for two on Dragon. The springboard clothesline gets the same as the comeback is at full speed. Quicksilver puts Dragon on top but gets shoved down, setting up a heck of a top rope backsplash for two.

A tiger suplex gets the same and it’s another double knockdown. This time it’s Quicksilver sending him into the middle buckle and a headscissors driver out of the corner (that looked nasty) for a rather near fall as this keeps going. With nothing else working, Quicksilver takes him to the apron for a top rope sunset bomb out to the floor, leaving them both down again.

Dragon is out so Quicksilver slaps him a few times and takes it back inside…for two. They fight up top with Quicksilver grabbing a Black Widow up there, which is reversed into a heck of a super backbreaker for another near fall as this is getting a good bit ridiculous. A Razor’s Edge flipped down into a piledriver is finally enough to finish Quicksilver at 24:41.

Rating: B-. I really, really could have gone for the commentary here as it felt like a match with a big story behind it. This felt like two people who hated each other getting their chance to beat the fire out of each other. It only worked to a certain degree as the match went too long and the kickouts were pretty ridiculous by the end. I got the emotion, but the details (which were probably recorded on a track I can’t get) would have helped it a lot.

Here is So Cal Val, apparently the commissioner, who says we need a co-commissioner around here to deal with Joey Ryan. This brings out Dino Winwood (a large man in a white coat whose name I had to find elsewhere as his entrance, and name, are cut off), but here is Ryan to lay him out. The piledriver is broken up though and Winwood hits a Death Valley Driver. Winwood promises to not be your normal commissioner and poses with Val.

Tag Team Titles: Arrogance vs. Two Skinny Black Guys

That would be Chris Bosh/Scott Lost vs. El Generico/Human Tornado and the titles are vacant coming in. Before the match, Arrogance seems to hold a raffle for some boots, won by a rather large fan. With that out of the way, Bosh explains that Lost lost the Tag Team Titles last month because a certain woman wore him out. Tornado and Generico are given the chance to walk away now but then get jumped to start fast.

Stereo dropkicks put Arrogance on the floor, allowing Generico to tease a dive before landing back inside. We officially start with Generico armdragging Lost a few times, with the third going into an armbar. Tornado comes in for a hurricanrana into the corner and an enziguri connects for two. It’s already back to Generico, who gets to chop Bosh for a change. The diez punches in the corner look to set up the Helluva Kick but Bosh gets a fist up for a well placed low blow.

A dancing fist drop lets Lost come back in and grab a chinlock, followed by Bosh grabbing one of his own. Generico punches back up but Lost trips him from the floor before that can get anywhere. In case that wasn’t enough, Bosh whips Generico through the chairs and rams his head into the wall over and over. Then he breaks the count and does it again for a bonus. Back in and Lost misses a heck of a charge into the post, allowing Bosh to miss a charge so Tornado can get the hot tag.

A bigger than expected Pounce drops Lost and Generico adds a moonsault as Lost is caught in the ropes. There’s the big dive to take Bosh down again and Tornado adds a heck of a dive of his own. Back up and Generico gets posted, leaving Tornado to hit a reverse DDT onto the knee to drop Bosh. Tornado dives into a backbreaker though and Lost comes off the top…with an umbrella for an elbow drop.

Lost grabs a double Sharpshooter of all things, which is kicked away due to reasons of that can’t last long. Generico and Bosh go up, with Generico backflipping out of a superbomb and hitting the Helluva Kick. Lost blocks the tornado DDT though and it’s a northern lights suplex into a backbreaker for two more, with Tornado making the save this time. One heck of an implant DDT drops Lost but Bosh makes another save. Generico suplexes Bosh into a sitout powerbomb and everyone is down again. Back up and Tornado suplexes Lost, setting up the brainbuster to give Generico the pin and the titles at 16:47.

Rating: B. This did a better job of building things up, though the ending could have been better. What mattered here was having Generico and Tornado hang in there against the more established team and come away with the titles anyway, which told a nice story. It’s no classic, but Generico and Tornado should make for some fun champions.

PWG World Title: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Steen

Styles is defending and Steen is better known as Kevin Owens. Steen wastes no time in hammering away to start and the trash talk is on in a hurry. Some slow kicks take too long though and Styles knocks him to the floor for the big dive. Styles forearms away on the floor, setting up the drop down into the dropkick back inside. Steen has to fight out of a chinlock, meaning Styles reverses it into a headlock for a change.

A Muta Lock makes it even worse for Steen before it’s off to a regular leglock. Back up and Steen cuts him off in the corner, setting up a quick choke on the ropes. Steen hammers on the back in a variety of ways before getting back to the choking. A neckbreaker gets two but Styles nips up into a hurricanrana. That just means a drop toehold from Steen, setting up the running flip legdrop.

The fans get into a MR. WRESTLING (Steen’s nickname)/IS OVERRATED dueling chant as Steen chokes in the corner again. Styles manages a springboard moonsault into the reverse DDT and it’s time to chop it out on the floor. Back in and a belly to back suplex gets two on Steen, who is right back with something like a Samoan drop.

This time it’s Styles grabbing a neckbreaker for two more before going up top, but Steen pulls the referee onto him to bock a 450. Steen is back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster into a moonsault for two but Styles Peles him on top. The Styles Clash is loaded up, only to have Steen reverse into a cradle with a grab of the rope for the pin and the title at 19:00.

Rating: B. Another good one here, though the ending felt a bit rushed this time. The good thing is Styles could get a solid match out of anyone, with Steen being more than capable of doing the same. The title change felt big, as Steen cheating to get the title is the right way to go for him. Styles is on to bigger and better things in TNA so letting Steen get the nice rub here is as good of a way as you can go. Nice main event, though I don’t know if it was bigger than the rest of the card, which isn’t a good feeling.

The show ends less than ten seconds after the bell.

Overall Rating: B+. This took some time to get going but the solid action in the bigger matches was more than enough to carry things. You can tell that the promotion is still at the point where it is getting hot and there are already things going on to make it feel important. It’s definitely giving off more of a fun vibe and while commentary would have helped, I got enough of the idea to have some fun here. Good show, and I’m glad I have a large stack of the DVDs/downloads to go through.

 

 

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WrestleReunion VI
Date: January 28, 2012
Location: The Westin Los Angeles Airport, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 900
Commentators: Excalibur, Marty DeRosa

I’m not completely sure on the name of this show as I’ve seen it as both WrestleReunion VI and Pro Wrestling Superstars: Los Angeles but I’ll take the one with Roman numerals. As you can probably guess, it’s a big time indy reunion show featuring a bunch of wrestlers from years past, which can make for some interesting matchups but often some lackluster performances. Let’s get to it.

Here are Mick Foley and Mike Tyson to open things up so there is certainly some star power. Foley talks about his history with Tyson and mentions being a guest referee tonight. Now usually he promises to call a match right down the line and tonight he’s refereeing the New Age Outlaws vs. the Steiner Brothers. This time though Foley needs our help “because Rick Steiner has never liked me and Scotty is out of his f****** mind.” I’ve been watching Mick Foley for about thirty years and I don’t think I can remember three times I’ve heard him use an F bomb. I mean he’s right, but it’s rare.

Usually he’s going to get physically involved, but tonight he isn’t crazy enough to do that. This time though, he has Mike Tyson watching his back so he’s safe to head to St. Louis for the Royal Rumble (that gets a heck of a pop). Tyson takes the mic and talks about various wrestlers he likes, including Billy Graham and Sid Vicious. I really can’t make out most of what he’s saying, but that’s Tyson for you.

We get our first commentary and…..well actually Excalibur is quite good at this kind of show so it should be fine.

Arik Royal vs. Adam Page

This is one of the things I love about watching old shows because Page is 21 years old here and absolutely nothing. Excalibur tells DeRosa to calm down a bit and save some energy, which makes me chuckle for reasons of the future. The bigger Royal goes after the arm to start as commentary actually talks about something interesting, with a discussion of the pressure of having to follow Foley and Tyson.

Royal hits a headscissors into an armdrag but misses the backsplash, allowing Page to miss a standing shooting star. We get a standoff for a bit until Royal nails a spinwheel kick. Royal goes up but dives into a dropkick to the floor. Page tries a running shooting star off the apron and hits Royal’s chest with his head for a nearly terrifying landing. Page takes his necklace back and goes inside…..but we’ve got VADER. I think we’ll call this a no contest at about 4:00 as this is going to be a massacre.

Rating: C-. The ratings are going to be a little bit lighter this time around as this is a one off legends show and not about the match quality. I’ve seen Royal before and he did fine in both matches so he seems to have a little something going for him. Then there’s Page, who would go on to become a huge star on national television. That’s one of the things I love about watching a show like this: seeing someone who is nothing here but would go on to bigger things. Not much of a match of course, but VADER, so we’re fine.

Royal jumps Page post match….and then decides to go after Vader. Well maybe that’s why Page became a bigger star. Vader runs him over so Page tries to come in for a German suplex. Excalibur: “ARE YOU ANTONIO INOKI PAGE???” Destruction ensues but Royal gets up to help double team Vader in the corner.

A double suplex isn’t happening though and Vader mauls Royal again. Royal manages to trap Vader’s arms so Page can go up….but then Vader breaks free and hits Royal in the head. Page gets caught on top and it’s there’s a Vader Bomb. Royal gets chokeslammed and Page gets powerbombed as the Vader stuff went on a good bit longer than the match itself.

New Age Outlaws vs. Steiner Brothers

The only meeting ever here, with Mick Foley (“The hardcore legend and friend of Mike Tyson!”) as guest referee. Road Dogg does his usual stuff and hands it off to Billy Gunn to take it home. Gunn: “IF YA SMELL……” Hang on because that’s not right. Gunn knows he screwed up so let’s try it again. Gunn: “AND THAT’S THE BOTTOM….” No again, but he gets it right on the third time. You can tell he’s serious here too because he’s in the Kip James trunks. Then we get very serious because Scott Steiner grabs the mic and drops his first homophobic slur of the night.

We get a few F bombs to the fans and it’s time to go. Actually hang on because Foley realizes that he’s in over his head here and says he’ll be cowering in the corner. Billy and Scott finally get things going with Scott unloading in the corner. Well at least hitting some slow knees to the ribs. Billy fights out of the corner by punching Scott in the face and it’s off to Dogg. Rick comes in with a double clothesline though and we get the old Steiner Brothers pose.

The Outlaws bail to the floor (Wouldn’t you?) until we settle down to Rick biting Dogg’s pants in the corner. That’s enough to send Dogg outside to ring the bell because he isn’t standing for Rick’s tongue going…..uh, somewhere. Dogg: “I’m not saying we can’t have a drink later and talk about it, but in here, I’m not standing for it!” Ring announcer: “Ladies and gentlemen, referee Mick Foley has just informed me that he is authorizing tongue in the a** for this match!”

We settle back to Rick backing Billy into the corner, with Gunn’s trunks coming down a good bit in the process. Gunn gets in a right hand but misses a charge in the corner, allowing Rick to bite him right in the middle of the back of the trunks. That sends Gunn over to grab Dogg around the waist, giving us the expected reaction. It’s off to Dogg, who wants Scott for no logical reason. He has to stay with Rick, who he drives into the Steiner corner so Scott can come in for some shots to the ribs. Well he got what he wanted.

Dogg’s bouncing punches manage to put Scott down for two, with the fans saying YOU STILL GOT IT. I’ll let you figure out which one they’re talking about. Scott is back with a spinning belly to belly suplex and Rick gets in some choking from the apron. Foley: “MIKE TYSON FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHERE ARE YOU???” Scott suplexes Dogg and goes into the pushups, earning a cheer despite not being so nice earlier in the night.

Rick slaps on the crossface of all things as Marty gets his Mike Tyson history wrong (by saying that Mike Tyson called Steve Austin “Cold Stone” on Raw when it was at the Royal Rumble). Dogg fights up and gets the hot tag off to Gunn for some house cleaning. The belly to belly cuts that off and it’s time for Scott to get in Foley’s face. That means Mr. Socko…..who goes flying after a single Scott glare. The distraction lets Gunn hit the Fameasser for a pretty fast three at 11:32.

Rating: C. All things considered, this was not half bad whatsoever. They were actually working a bit and while of course it wasn’t great (they’re old and mainly retired), they did some goofy stuff to bridge the gap. The Foley being scared stuff helped a lot and I liked it well enough. For a one off dream match, I’ve seen far, far worse.

Post match Rick finds Socko and has some Alex flashbacks (look it up).

Colt Cabana vs. Fit Finlay

Under World Of Sport (British) rules and a fan who won an auction gets to handle the introductions. There are three five minute rounds and you can win by pin, submission or knockout. There are no closed fists allowed either, which probably won’t make that much of a difference but it’s certainly a rule. Another fan gets to be Cabana’s corner man but Cabana says we’re about two minutes away. The referee goes over the rules, with Cabana asking if a kick low is legal (Cabana: “WHAT ABOUT A KICK TO THE D***?”).

We get the bell to start the first round, as commentary still hasn’t actually explained the rules here. Finlay grabs Cabana’s leg so Cabana bails into the corner in a hurry as commentary explains the idea of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A shot to the face rocks Cabana again and the corner man has to check on his face.

That seems to be ok so Finlay takes him down into a toehold. Finlay grabs a nerve hold and ribs at Cabana’s face because he’s kind of an awesome villain. Back up and Finlay starts in on the arm, with commentary almost calling Finlay a grizzled young veteran (like that would ever work for a UK wrestler). Cabana finally comes back with a headlock takeover and one fan calls it boring. Round one ends but Cabana doesn’t want to let go of the headlock that he worked so hard to get in the first place.

After the corner man gives Cabana some water and towels him down, we’re ready to go with round two. Some uppercuts rock Cabana as Excalibur says he suffers from knowitallism. Finlay stomps on the fingers and kicks him in the face before sending Cabana outside for a needed breather. The corner man adds some slaps (despite NOT being in the corner) and we get some Cabana sneering. Finlay heads outside to yell at a fan so Cabana tells the corner man to slap Finlay in the face.

Thankfully that isn’t going to happen so Finlay doesn’t get to do something so horrible that I can’t come up with a good metaphor for the level of violence. Back in and Finlay hits some elbows to send him outside, setting up a whip into the barricade. They get back inside for some arm cranking/stomping into a keylock to keep Cabana down. The round ends with Finlay evening things up by not letting go of the arm either, which does not seem good for Cabana either.

Finlay goes extra evil by jumping Cabana during his meeting with the corner man. The Fujiwara armbar goes on to start the third round but Cabana fights up. That earns him an arm first whip into the corner and it’s back to the armbar with a knee in the shoulder. A Jake Roberts short arm clothesline sets up the running seated senton but Cabana reverses into a sunset flip for a creative counter. The Flying Apple (which might not have been named yet) connects but it’s too early for the Billy Goat’s Curse. Finlay kicks him shoulder first into the post and then does it again for a bonus. The Celtic Cross finishes Cabana at 15:16.

Rating: C. This didn’t really feel like some kind of special British match as it was really just Finlay working the arm and the a regular finish. The rounds didn’t change much either and I was a bit disappointed with the whole thing. It was fine as a regular match, but they seemed to be going for something special here and it just wasn’t there.

7OH!4 vs. Unholy Alliance

7OH!4 is Caleb Konley/Cedric Alexander, with commentary saying they are the next CM Punk/Colt Cabana or Motor City Machine Guns. Eh they were names but hold on a second there. The Alliance is Tajiri/Mikey Whipwreck, former ECW Tag Team Champions but unfortunately minus James Mitchell/Sinister Minister. Konley grabs a wristlock on Mikey to start but he’s right back with a hiptoss into a headscissors despite not being the size of a guy you would expect to use a headscissors.

We hear about some rookie named Zack Ryder to come out of Mikey’s school as Tajiri comes in to a rather big reaction. Tajiri misses a swinging kick to Alexander’s face so it’s a hammerlock to take Alexander down instead. Back up and Alexander’s headlock doesn’t work and Tajiri starts firing off the kicks to the arm. Mikey comes in to pick Alexander up so Tajiri can nail a dropkick to the face. There’s a double gutbuster to Konley and stereo kicks to the head have him on the floor as the fans are rather pleased.

Mikey’s slingshot dive takes out both of them and the referee begins a rather slow count. Tajiri however won’t dive so Mikey comes back in and gets enziguried into a Downward Spiral for two (with Excalibur getting in the beta version of combiNATION, because I can’t escape the thing). Konley grabs the cravate to hold Mikey down for a bit, followed by the basement clothesline to give Alexander two. Tajiri spits at Alexander (with commentary thinking it’s Konley) and it’s a double Russian legsweep to drop Mikey for two.

Hold on though as Tajiri comes in to….pull Mikey’s pants up and then head back to the apron. Well at least he’s polite. Embracing the power of raised pants, Mikey superkicks Alexander (THE PANTS WORKED!) and it’s back to Tajiri to clean house. Everything breaks down and Tajiri’s superkick gets tow on Konley. Mikey snaps off a pretty nice Frankensteiner on Alexander and a low makes it worse. The referee checks on Alexander and Tajiri mists Konley, setting up the Whippersnapper for the pin at 10:19.

Rating: C+. I know Mikey and Tajiri were a big deal in the dying days of ECW but they were a rather nice team who still looked good here. You don’t get something like that very often and it was fun to see them working so well. Alexander and Konley were still really young here so losing to a team with some credibility, even if it was twelve years old at this point, was fine. Pretty good match here too so well done on a little surprise.

Demus 3:16 vs. Mascarita Dorado

Minis match and Dorado is better known as El Torito. Demus is a good bit bigger and is probably about Rey Mysterio size. A wristdrag takes Demus down to start and frustration is already setting in. Demus knocks him down without much effort so Dorado starts rolling around as we hear about the WWF Light Heavyweight division. Dorado pulls him into the cross armbreaker but Demus powers him up with ease because the size difference is a bit much here.

Back up and a rather spinning headscissors sends Demus outside, setting up the big suicide dive. Dorado manages to throw him back inside for a fireman’s carry, which is a little more impressive than you might think. A fireman’s carry slam sets up a moonsault but the second moonsault only hits raised boots. Demus grabs a tilt-a-whirl into a Dominator (cool) and there’s a giant swing to send Dorado down again. They head outside with Dorado being dropped onto the timekeeper’s table and Demus takes him back in for a pop up powerslam.

There’s a heck of a toss as Excalibur talks about Wolverine debuting back in the 1960s. Dorado bounces up out of the corner with a double springboard headbutt, followed by a crazy spinning (as in he spins around Demus about ten times) into a headscissors to the floor. That earns the HOLY S*** chant, setting up the top rope hurricanrana to take Demus down again. Back in and a top rope hurricanrana, with Dorado landing on his feet because, sets up another very spinning hurricanrana into a small package for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: C+. Yeah this was fun and Dorado is one of those things that has to be seen to be believed. He can do all kinds of stuff out there and makes it look easy, which is about as cool as you can get. Demus was a good target for Dorado as he is so much bigger, allowing Dorado to do all of his spots out there. Throw in getting in and out fairly fast and this was a lot of fun. Not great, but it was the kind of match that fit in perfectly on a show like this.

Dorado having a salsa version of the Mission Impossible theme makes it even better. The fans throw in the money so Dorado slaps him in the face with a dollar. That might seem rude, but Demus picks the dollar up and, ahem, cleans himself with it so Dorado is better….I guess?

Tommy Dreamer vs. Kevin Steen

Street fight and for you younger people, Steen is better known as Kevin Owens. The fans seem split here and it’s an exchange of hammerlocks to start. Dreamer’s shoulder bounces off of Steen (Steen: “IN YOUR DREAMS!”) and it’s time to hammer on Dreamer for a bit. Steen drop toeholds him down and hits the flipping legdrop to the back of Dreamer’s head. Back up and Dreamer kicks him low in the corner to send Steen outside, setting up the running flip dive off the apron.

A bottle of water to the head rocks Steen again but Dreamer gets crotched on the barricade because Dreamer spends too much time pointing at the crowd (as Dreamer tends to do). They brawl through the crowd and Steen hits him over the back with a well stolen crutch. Dreamer gets taken up onto a camera table and gets knocked down onto (not through) another table in a big crash. Back into the crowd with Dreamer hitting him in the head with a Steen DVD.

Dreamer sends him into the barricade and then heads backstage to grab the usual assortment of weapons. A hockey stick to the back rocks Steen again and there’s….something made of wood over Steen’s head. Dreamer gets sent into a plastic tray in the corner and Steen hits him in the knee with a stick. The Sharpshooter goes on (because Steen is Canadian) but is broken up in a hurry. Dreamer misses a charge into the post so Steen puts a stop sign over him to set up the Cannonball, which is not the brightest move in the world.

That lets Steen tie him in the Tree of Woe and this isn’t going to end well. Indeed, as Steen hits a running dropkick to a chair in the face. Commentary starts making Steven Segal references as Dreamer catches him on top with a superplex. Dreamer wins the big slugout so Steen goes low in a smart move. The Even Flow gets two but Dreamer catches him on top to break up a moonsault.

Now it’s Steen in the Tree of Woe so Dreamer can hit him low with a stick. There’s the running basement dropkick to drive a stop sign into Steen’s face and now it’s time to grab a piece of barricade. That takes too long though and Steen superkicks him off the apron. The fans want to see someone use a hammer but they settle for Dreamer kicking a rope for a low blow. With nothing else working, one of the fans gives Dreamer a HUGE hammer, which he uses to crush the bell between Steen’s legs. Steen is fine enough to shove Dreamer onto the piece of barricade inside and a Swanton finishes Dreamer at 19:24.

Rating: B-. This was a pretty hard hitting street fight, though it did run a good bit longer than it should have. What mattered here was the idea of the old hardcore legend vs. the new breed and that worked out rather well. I’m not wild on these matches most of the time but this one was pretty fun, which is about all you can hope for in this kind of a situation.

Post match Steen is ready to say something to Dreamer but Raven runs in to hit Steen low and DDT Dreamer for old times’ sake. Steen to Raven: “You’re a f****** a**hole!” Steen to Dreamer: “Thank you.”

Intermission, which is cut from the video.

Roderick Strong vs. Jake Manning

Manning is an adult Manscout and comes out to a John Cougar Mellencamp song, which I believe was used in the Waterboy. After Manning gives the referee some lessons on how to properly call a match, he takes Strong down to the mat for a headscissors. They grapple on the mat for a bit with Strong getting the better of things but that is broken up in a hurry. Manning takes him back down by the arm as commentary talks about how it might be difficult to find footage on Manning, who rarely leaves the southeast.

Strong is back up with a shot to the face and unloads with the chops in the corner. A belly to back suplex sets up a chinlock on Manning but he’s right back up with a kick to the face. Manning drops an elbow for two and drives Strong into the corner for the choking. They head outside with Manning sending him into the apron for two, setting up the next chinlock. That’s broken up as well and they go with a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls each. Strong is back up with a dropkick and they’re both down for a breather.

It’s Strong up first with a bunch of running forearms into a belly to back suplex for two more. Manning comes back with an (oddly appropriate for reasons that I can’t figure out) airplane spin. Strong isn’t having that and hammers away but Manning is right back with a backbreaker into a Downward Spiral for three. Only two of them count though due to the foot being on the rope though, meaning Strong can come back with an enziguri. The Angle Slam gets two and it’s the backbreaker into the Sick Kick to finish Manning at 11:04.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that I like to see on a show like this, as Strong is a much bigger name than Manning but they went back and forth well enough here to make you believe that Manning could pull it off. The match worked well as Strong can have a good match against anyone and Manning held up his end despite being known for little more than his gimmick. Good stuff here, with a nice battle of the generations.

Davey Richards vs. Harry Smith

That would be Davey Boy Smith Jr., freshly released from WWE, and this could be interesting. They go with the technical exchange to start (shocking I know) with Richards getting him down into a modified surfboard and rolling him up for two. That’s broken up for a standoff and they lock up, with Smith absolutely towering over Richards. It’s back to the mat with Smith grabbing a short armscissors and rolling him around a bit.

That’s reversed into something like an Indian Deathlock from Richards to crank on the leg. Make that a Muta Lock with commentary thinking Richards would do well at Subway. Smith slips out and cranks him down by the arm, setting up a full nelson. That’s broken up as well as Richards rolls out with an armdrag, only to get pulled into a spinning belly to belly for two. More arm cranking has Richards down again but he sends Smith to the floor. There’s the running kick to the chest from the apron, setting up the suicide dive.

Back in and a missile dropkick sends Smith into the corner. It’s time to start working on the leg, with Davey kicking away and grabbing a Trailer Hitch. Richards stomps on both knees at once and it’s a dragon screw legwhip into a half crab. Now it’s an STF as the fans start shouting various things. Smith fights up and kicks him into the corner, setting up a powerslam for two.

Smith crotches him on top and grabs a delayed superplex for a slightly delayed near fall. A superkick and a powerbomb give Smith two more each but Richards kicks him down again. The top rope double stomp gets two and we hit the ankle lock. That’s broken up with a roll into the post, allowing Smith to grab a cross armbreaker. Richards rolls into another ankle lock, which Smith reverses into one of his own.

The grapevined version is countered into a Sharpshooter, which Smith reverses into his own Sharpshooter. Smith grabs a small package for two but Richards BLASTS him with a knee for the same. Back up and Smith tries a powerbomb but Richards reverses into a sunset flip. Smith sits down on it ala his dad against Bret Hart, only to have Richards slip out into a cradle for the pin at 17:26.

Rating: B. It was good action throughout and Smith looked good in defeat, but egads I had forgotten how hard it is to get invested in a Richards match. He is so ultra serious all the time, though at least he wasn’t doing his “get kicked in the head and scream a lot without selling anything” and writing it off as strong style. This got the crowd going and I certainly didn’t hate it though, which is some high praise for a Richards match.

Post match Richards says he can’t believe the people up north let Smith go. Richards talks about the similarities between the two of them, including idolizing the same people growing up. Respect is shown and Smith says it’s better to hear these fans chant his name instead of Michael Cole every Monday night. Wrestling will always be #1 for him, even if he jumps into MMA (which he didn’t).

El Generico/Great Sasuke vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are actually young here and come out to MMMBop, which is rather frustrating. Matt does the Randy Savage finger spin and Nick parodies the Spinarooni (there’s your 90s reference). The fans go NUTS for Generico and it’s a shame that he retired so soon after this. You know Excalibur is right there with all of the Sasuke history because this is his thing.

Generico reveals a half Generico/Sasuke mask and takes Nick down to start. An exchange of wristlocks goes nowhere so Nick drives him into the corner and starts in on the arm again. We hear about how completely and utterly amazing the Bucks are as Sasuke comes in to headlock Nick. Some kicks to the ribs have little effect on Sasuke (the only time Sasuke and Rick Rude will be compared), who elbows Nick in the head. Generico comes back in and gets taken into the corner so Matt can talk a lot of trash.

A few quick armdrags have Matt in trouble as we hear about Sasuke making a documentary about mouthwash (or something). Generico hammers away on Matt in the corner and fires off chops against the ropes for a bonus. Matt is back with the headscissors to hold Generico in place, allowing Nick to kick him in the mask and into the barricade. Back in and Matt laughs at Generico, setting up the slow motion stomping.

We hit the front facelock until Nick comes back in for some shots in the corner. A handspring rake to the back sets up a slingshot hilo as Excalibur talks about how the Young Bucks have a supernatural feel for the DMZ on the thirty third parallel in the ring. Generico rakes the Bucks’ chests to escape but it’s still too early for the tag. Matt’s waistlock keeps Generico in trouble but he manages the exploder suplex into the corner.

That’s enough for the hot tag to Sasuke to clean house as everything breaks down. Sasuke dropkicks Nick through the ropes and Generico hits the big running flip dive to crush Matt. Back in and a Blockbuster gets two on Matt and Sasuke takes a LONG time to go up for a Ram Jam (from The Wrestler), allowing Matt to roll away. The Bucks take turns kicking Sasuke in the back of the trunks but it’s back to Generico for the Blue Thunder Bomb to Nick.

The Helluva Kick is broken up but Nick kicks Matt in the head but mistake. Sasuke crushes Nick with a springboard missile dropkick, only to have Nick low bridge him to the floor. A wheelbarrow faceplant gives Matt two on Generico and Risky Business gets the same. More Bang For Your Buck is countered into a half and half suplex and Sasuke is back with a powerbomb to Nick. Matt superkicks Sasuke though and everyone is down again.

Nick comes back in to knee Sasuke off the apron but Generico sends Nick’s kick into Matt’s head. You know the Bucks aren’t selling that though and it’s a double superkick into the assisted Tombstone for two on Generico with Sasuke making another save. Nick misses a moonsault and Sasuke hits a big flip dive onto Matt on the floor. That gets the fans back into it and Generico’s Swanton gets two on Nick. Now the Helluva Kick can connect to set up the brainbuster onto the buckle to finish Nick at 21:12.

Rating: B. This was better than I was expecting and it was nice to see the Bucks actually lose for a change. You don’t usually see the dream team beating the regular partners so this was quite the surprise. It really is a shame that Generico retired, as he is quite the star. You can see how influential he was too, as a lot of people would copy his style, almost down to the move at times.

Wrestle Royal

20 man Royal Rumble and Ken Shamrock is a ringside enforcer. Matt Classic (I hear Colt Cabana is a big fan) is in at #1 and Lanny Poffo is in at #2 for one of the most unique matches I can remember seeing in a long time. Commentary makes it clear that entrants will be STRICTLY timed, after an apparent issue last year. Classic slowly hammers away at the back and grabs a claw but misses the bottom rope splash. Poffo actually manages the moonsault (not bad for 57) and goes for the mask.

Rock Riddle (the original Mr. Wonderful, who I’ve never actually seen wrestle) is in at #3 as we seem to have 90 second intervals. Riddle doesn’t actually get in the ring as Classic and Poffo continue their slow motion fighting. The timing is already a bit off as Carlos Colon (The Youngster!) is in at #4. Colon gets to hit both guys in the head as commentary continues its running joke of Classic feuding with every old wrestler ever. Riddle finally comes in (I wasn’t betting on the flower print gear) for a few shots of his own as Gangrel is in at #5.

Brawling continues as Gangrel (getting a rather strong reception) bites Poffo in the corner. The clock is even further all over the place as Jesse Hernandez is in at #6. Classic gets beaten up some more but gets choked in the corner by Gangrel. Mando Guerrero is in at #7 and gets quite the reception as he beats on Classic. They finally start teasing some eliminations (and no you cannot expect any kind of serious quality out of this) until Kevin Sullivan is in at #8.

Stick shots abound until Colon headbutts the stick out of Sullivan’s hands. Colon stabs Sullivan in the stomach with said stick and then beats Gangrel in the back. Piloto Suicida (still active today) is in at #9 as the ring is really getting full. The rapid fire entrances (now barely at a minute) continue as Tommy Dreamer is in at #10 (OF COURSE Dreamer is working twice) to hammer on Gangrel as commentary talks about how these two are some of the youngest in the match. Everyone is still in as Dreamer beats on Classic, apparently as payback for all of those boring Madison Square Garden main events.

Robbie E., the reigning TNA TV Champion, is in at #11 and promises to become the youngest ever winner of this match. Then Dreamer tosses him in a hurry for a funny bit. Virgil (to Ted DiBiase’s music) is in at #12 as Poffo, Colon and Guerrero were all put out somewhere. Greg Valentine, coming out to Sharp Dressed Man of all things, is in at #13. Classic is doing Hindu squats as Sullivan hits Suicida with the bell. Valentine has Dreamer in the Figure Four as Gangrel drops elbows.

Konnan is in at #14 to go after Sullivan, with commentary (thankfully) bringing up the Dungeon of Doom. Dan Severn is in at #15 and this could be interesting. Gangrel goes after Severn in a hurry as the ring is too full again. Jimmy Hart, with a lot of padding, of all people is in at #16 and wisely walks around the ring for a bit.

Godfather, with his ladies, is in at #17 and Gangrel eliminates himself to join in. Hart was eliminated off screen and Brutus Beefcake is in at #18 (dang I miss that theme) and goes after Valentine to ruin the Dream Team reunion. Bradley Ray Schreak (an auction winner) is in at #19 as Sullivan is out. Beefcake grabs the sleeper on Schreak as Suicida is out. Schreak gets a haircut, including with the big scissors, as Severn gets rid of Virgil. The match completely stops for the haircut until Schreak wakes up and panics over his hair being gone.

That’s enough for an elimination and it’s Raven in at #20 (with Dreamer waiting on him) to complete the field. The final grouping is Classic, Dreamer, Valentine, Konnan, Severn, Godfather, Beefcake and Raven. Hang on though as Raven doesn’t want to get in, only to have Kevin Steen come out and jump him from behind. Steen throws Raven in for a DDT from Dreamer, who tosses Raven without much trouble. Dreamer, ever the genius, jumps out to beat on Raven some more and beats him to the back with Steen. Classic is eliminated and there goes Konnan.

We’re down to Severn, Valentine, Beefcake and Godfather (I love indy wrestling) but Shamrock distracts Severn, allowing Valentine to toss him. Severn pulls Valentine out and we’re down to two. The Ho Train misses Godfather but he low bridges Beefcake out for the win at 23:12.

Rating: C. Fun. What other word is there to describe something like this? They weren’t trying to do anything serious here and it was all about having people get a quick payoff and come out to a pop. It worked at the Gimmick Battle Royal in 2001 and it works at any show like this. I had a good time with it and that’s the entire point of this kind of match. It’s a lot of fun, and well done on doing what they should have.

The women come in to dance with Godfather, who hits his catchphrase (while clearly having a blast) to wrap up the night.

Overall Rating: B. I’ve seen a good number of these reunion style shows and this was one of the better ones, with a nice mixture of old vs. new and some legends matches thrown in there as well. They had some big names included and while they might have had a better option as the main event (though it did fit the reunion theme), this was a lot of fun. It’s longer than it needs to be (at nearly three and a half hours, not counting intermission), but I had a good time with it and that is entirely the goal with something like this.

 

 

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Evolve #1
Date: January 16, 2010
Location: Rahway Events Center, Rahway, New Jersey
Attendance: 500
Commentators: Leonard F. Chikarason, Lenny Leonard

So a good chunk of the Evolve library has been put up on the Network and since the whole thing is being blown up for the sake of Peacock sooner than later, I figured I would take a look at one of their shows. This is the promotion’s debut event so there is not likely to be much in the way of storylines. Let’s get to it.

Kyle O’Reilly is warming up when Davey Richards gets annoyed at the cameras. They’re here to film everything for a documentary but Davey and manager Tony Kozina throw them out anyway. Davey Richards being really serious? Stunning indeed.

Akira Tozawa and Kota Ibushi have a chat that I can’t understand.

Opening sequence, mainly featuring clips from Full Impact Pro.

Various people talk about why they wrestle, with one of them saying he would be dead if he didn’t.

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Bobby Fish

O’Reilly has Tony Kozina with him. They trade kicks to the legs to start and then fight over the wrist, which the fans appreciate. Back up and Fish nails a dropkick and avoids a charge to send O’Reilly shoulder first into the rope. The big dive takes him down and it’s back inside for a t-bone suplex to send O’Reilly flying again. A top rope headbutt gives Fish two but O’Reilly knees his way to freedom. O’Reilly is back with the rolling butterfly suplexes for two of his own and it’s time to trade the hard kicks.

Fish kicks him down into a cross armbreaker, sending O’Reilly straight into the ropes. More big kicks rock O’Reilly but he counters one into a reverse fisherman’s suplex for two of his own. Fish hits a superkick but walks into a discus lariat for the double knockdown. O’Reilly is back up with a tornado DDT for no cover so Fish grabs a Falcon Arrow for his own two. Back up and O’Reilly hits another tornado DDT into a brainbuster for the pin at 6:35.

Rating: C+. This was a good way to start things off as it was all action and the kind of match that an audience like this would appreciate. If nothing else, it was bizarre to see these two looking so young but that’s the point of an opener like this. It was a hard hitting indy style match and that’s what it should have been in this spot.

Chuck Taylor vs. Cheech

No transition between the match and no entrances, which makes the show move a lot faster. Cheech was a regular on the independent scene around this time and Taylor would get more famous later on. This is an official qualifying match for the Evolve singles division. They start fast with Cheech hitting a shoulder but Taylor sidesteps a dropkick.

Cheech takes him down without much trouble and grabs something like a Sharpshooter where he sits down on the leg rather than pulling it back. That lets him get in some posing until Taylor makes the rope and comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. A headscissors has Cheech in trouble and an overhead belly to belly sends him flying. Cheech is right back up with a moonsault press for two but Taylor hits a dropkick for the same.

The Awful Waffle is broken up and Cheech grabs some rollups for two each. Cheech superkicks him into the corner and hits a running kick to the face, followed by a 619 from the floor. Back in and Chuck hits his own kicks to the face, only to get caught with a spear. A running elbow in the corner drops Cheech for two and the Awful Waffle finishes Cheech at 6:29.

Rating: C-. It was energetic but this was every stereotype of an indy match you can find. They were doing everything they could all match with no selling and one spot after another. I know that’s the style that they want to have around here but it would be nice to see someone stop for a few seconds just to let something sink in for a change.

Post match Chuck is asked about his win and doesn’t like the idea of having to win a qualifying match. Vengeance is coming.

Ricochet vs. Arik Cannon

Cannon is an indy mainstay and RICOCHET HAS HAIR! LIKE SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR!!! Ricochet flips out of a wristlock to start so the bigger Cannon runs him over with a shoulder. A headscissors sends Cannon to the floor and Ricochet hits the cartwheel flip dive. Back in and Cannon nails a suplex into the corner but Ricochet takes him down for two off a quick rollup.

They trade strikes in the corner until Cannon drops him with a right hand into a brainbuster for two. Ricochet can’t hit a tornado DDT as Cannon reverses into a swinging brainbuster for another near fall. Back up and Ricochet kicks him in the face, setting up a 630 for the pin at 4:01.

Rating: C. Ricochet got to showcase himself a bit here but Cannon was dominating most of the match. That being said, Ricochet wasn’t exactly intimidating with the hair and not exactly filled out physique. Then again he was in his early 20s here and had a long way to go. Not a bad match, but they were flying through it so fast that it could only go so far.

Post match here’s Chuck Taylor to say that he’s from the south where they don’t believe in evolution. He’s into creationism so he’s here to create. The challenge is on, with Ricochet saying let’s do it now but Taylor walking off.

Silas Young is with Jimmy Jacobs and talks about what they want to do around here. Another wrestler (who might have been a very young Adam Cole) comes in to tell Jimmy that his match is coming up, which Jimmy does not seem to appreciate.

Brad Allen writes MOM on one set of wrist tape and MAC on the other, both with some crosses surrounding the names.

Dark City Fight Club vs. Aeroform

The Club is Jon Davis/Cory Chavis and were around the indies for years without ever making it to the big time. Aeroform is Louis Lyndon/Flip Kendrick, another team who would hang around for years. The smaller Aeroform starts fast and hits a double dropkick for two on Chavis. Back up and Chavis blasts Kendrick for two, setting up a modified Hart Attack (side kick instead of a clothesline, which Harlem Heat called the Big Apple Blast). Lyndon gets double teamed down as tags just seem to be a suggestion here.

Davis misses a charge in the corner and Lyndon gets over for the hot tag to Kendrick to clean house. Everything breaks down (Was it ever together in the first place?) and Lyndon has to avoid a brainbuster onto the apron. A springboard DDT Plants Davis and a 540 Spiral Tap gets two with Chavis making the save. Back up and Davis Pounces Kendrick, leaving Lyndon to take Project Mayhem (double hiptoss into a sitout powerbomb/neckbreaker combination) for the pin at 6:25.

Rating: C-. I really wasn’t feeling this one as it was just a mess with a bunch of flips vs. a bunch of power stuff. That isn’t quite thrilling stuff but it’s a basic formula that can work in most cases. I know tag team wrestling has basically devolved into two on two matches with tags just kind of being a detail but a little lip service to the idea that they still matter would be nice every now and then.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Niya

Mercedes is introduces as the WSU (Women Superstars Uncensored) World Champion but this seems to be non-title. Niya didn’t seem to wrestle very long and Martinez chops her into the corner to start. Some rolling suplexes set up a fisherman’s buster to finish Niya at 1:11. Yep Martinez is still awesome.

Post match, Martinez says she is here to fight men and women because she is here to evolve.

Brad Allen vs. Silas Young

Allen starts fast with a dropkick to knock Young into the ropes, setting up the big dive to the floor. Back in and Allen misses a high crossbody out of the corner and it’s time to chop it out. Allen gets the better of it and hits a springboard flip dive for two, followed by a gator roll to send Young outside. That means a DDT on the floor to drop Allen for a change, followed by a knee drop for two back inside.

A rolling elbow into a basement clothesline gives Young two more and frustration is setting in early. Allen uses the delay to grab a neckbreaker, followed by a slingshot Swanton for two more. Young gets flipped backwards onto the apron and then the floor, setting up a big moonsault from the top. That sounds good in theory, but Young dropkicking him out of the air made it a bit worse.

That’s good for a nineteen count and then two more for Young back inside. Young is even more frustrated and starts kicking Allen in the head. A hard clothesline gets two but Young misses a springboard moonsault, allowing Allen to hit a springboard spinning high crossbody for two of his own. Allen catches him in the corner and hits a swinging Downward Spiral for the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C+. I liked this a bit better as they had some more time and even sold a thing or two. This was a good deal slower than the previous matches and that’s a smart change after everything else has been so fast paced. It’s no classic or anything but Allen made a bit of an impression and you could see the potential in Young, even if he had to change a lot to become a star. Now why did Allen not have the writing on his wrist tape?

Post match, Allen says he has been fighting for this chance for his entire career and thanks Evolve for the chance. And his mom too. Allen goes to leave but comes back to say he wants Chris Hero at the next show.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Ken Doane

That would be Kenny from the Spirit Squad. The much bigger Doane shoves him down with ease to start and unloads in the corner but Jacobs is right back up with some stomping of his own. A small package gives Jacobs two but his guillotine choke is broken up in a hurry. Doane ties him up in the ring skirt and hammers away for two back inside. Jacobs’ shoulder being up earns him another beating and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Doane trips him down again with a slingshot elbow getting two.

The chinlock goes on again and the fans think this is awesome. As I try to figure out if that is sarcasm, Jacobs breaks out and hits a quick clothesline. Doane’s slam and running forearm can’t keep Jacobs down so he whips Doane hard into the corner. Some stomps to the ribs get two but Doane is back up with a heck of a spinebuster for two.

A hanging DDT out of the corner gives Jacobs two but the Contra Code is countered into a bridging German suplex to give Doane two more. Doane’s guillotine legdrop (that always looked good) is enough for the pin at 10:07. Hold on though as Jacobs’ foot was on the ropes and TOMMY DREAMER (HOW IS HE ON EVERY SINGLE SHOW EVER???) comes down to point out the referee’s mistake. The match is restarted and Jacobs grabs the guillotine choke for the fast tap at 10:51.

Rating: C+. Doane is someone who was crippled by a horrible gimmick but he was completely watchable once he got away from the nonsense of the Spirit Squad. I’ve never been a Jacobs fan but he was doing a nice underdog deal here, which is more than I would have bet on. Nice match and that’s nice to see.

Post match Dreamer gets in the ring to say he’s back (When did he ever leave?). He walked away from something that he loved but he would never walk away from being in the wrestling ring. He thanks everyone for trying to live their dream and letting him live his. It was his dream to have a midcard match on an indy show restated? Get better dreams. Dreamer goes to leave but Jacobs says hang on a second (it has been a full thirty seconds since Dreamer got some praise).

Jacobs thanks Dreamer for promoting the show but won’t thank him for helping him win his first Evolve match, because Jacobs doesn’t need it. He is choosing to stand alone in Evolve and wants to know why Dreamer is here. Is it because he needs that one more minute in the spotlight? Jacobs wants that look off of Dreamer’s face because he has seen it for the last fifteen years. Dreamer takes his jacket off but Jacobs doesn’t need approval from a washed up has been. Dreamer is just here to have fun though and isn’t even being paid, so he jumps Jacobs. The fight is on with Dreamer getting the better of it because reasons.

Davey Richards is still warming up.

Ken Doane leaves the rest room with his bag over his shoulder and rants about how he is tired of being treated like this everywhere he goes. He storms off.

Chris Dickinson vs. Johnny Gargano

Gargano has long hair for a weird look and has only been wrestling for about five years. Dickinson takes him into the corner to start but Gargano is back with an enziguri into a running clothesline. An Ace Crusher gives Gargano two and it’s time to start trading cradles for two each.

Gargano gets something like the Rings of Saturn but it’s broken up for an exchange of strikes to the face. They’re both knocked to their knees with Gargano blocking a big kick to the ribs. Dickinson is right back with a Falcon Arrow for two and an elbow to the face gets two more. The knee pad comes down but Gargano catches him with a running DDT. There’s the Lawn Dart into a full nelson spun into a faceplant to finish Dickinson at 6:04.

Rating: C. This is one of the best parts about watching a show like this: seeing future stars as absolute nothings who are mainly there to fill in a spot on the card. Gargano looked a little odd with his longer hair but managed to keep his calm against the bigger and more athletic Dickinson. Good enough match here but another short one.

Post match some people show up to the VIP area and Gargano is rather pleased to see them. Again: NAME THESE PEOPLE.

TJP vs. Muneori Sawa

They trade some kicks to start with Sawa taking him to the mat for a quick trip to the rope for a break. A snap German suplex sends TJP flying but he’s right back with a rollup into a standoff and applause. Sawa can’t get the arm so he takes TJP into the corner for a kick to the chest. More rapid fire strikes connect but Sawa misses a running boot. Not that it matters as he takes TJP down by the leg and headbutts away at the knee, followed by an elbow to the ribs.

TJP is right back with a cross armbreaker, sending Sawa straight into the ropes for the break. Some kicks to the arm keep Sawa down but he’s back up for an exchange of strikes to the face. They slug it out from their knees until Sawa pulls him into a kneebar. The rope is grabbed so it’s a dragon screw legwhip, only to have TJP pull him into a cross armbreaker for the break. Back up and TJP’s leg is fine enough to fire off kicks, setting up another cross armbreaker. That’s reversed into a rollup for two and Sawa nails a Shining Wizard for two more. The Octopus goes on and TJP taps at 9:18.

Rating: B-. I’ve always liked TJP and that was the case again here. They were tearing it up with the submissions and holds, which made for a heck of a showcase. That’s the kind of thing you can always go with and it was great to see here. I don’t think I have ever seen Sawa before so it was cool to have someone fresh but still fun to watch. Good stuff here.

Adam Cole narrates his talk with Tommy Dreamer and promises people will remember him. So yeah the guy who looked like Adam Cole earlier was in fact Adam Cole.

Team Frightening vs. Akuma’s Army

That would be Frightmare/Hallowicked/Mike Quackenbush vs. Brodie Lee/Gran Akuma/Icarus and these guys are from Chikara. Mike takes Icarus down by the arm to start and that goes nowhere as commentary tries to explain the story here, which is as much of a downward spiral as you can get. Icarus slips out of an Octopus attempt and it’s quickly off to Hallowicked vs. Lee for an exchange of shoulders.

Hallowicked snaps off a running hurricanrana and brings Akuma back in, with Hallowicked taking him down with a spinning armdrag. It’s back to Icarus so Akuma gets in a cheap shot from the apron but a series of kicks from the ring and apron rock Akuma in a hurry. A victory roll gets two on Icarus and it’s back to Lee for a heck of a powerbomb. Frightmare gets knocked off the top and Lee pulls him back over the top for two.

Akuma comes back in and Frightmare uses him as a launchpad to hurricanrana Lee. The hot tag brings in Hallowicked, who charges into Lee’s swinging Boss Man Slam. The pace picks up and Akuma hits some double knees to the chest for two on Frightmare. Mike comes in for a super hurricanrana into a Swanton with Frightmare adding a standing moonsault for two on Akuma. Frightmare snaps off a tornado DDT to Lee and the Rydeen Bomb (Sky High) finishes Icarus at 11:34.

Rating: C+. This was another fast paced and entertaining match, though egads trying to figure out what the backstories in a Chikara match is harder than something that is very complicated. It was a nice addition on the show from an energy perspective but the costumes and characters do feel completely out of left field here. Pretty high energy match though and that’s all you can ask for out of a showcase.

The documentary filmmaker consoles TJP but then runs away when she realizes she is on camera.

Davey Richards vs. Kota Ibushi

Kyle O’Reilly, Tony Kozina and Michael Nakazawa are here. They waste no time in going with the hard strikes to the face with Ibushi knocking Richards out to the floor. Back in and Ibushi strikes away in the corner until they head to the apron where Richards snaps him down onto the apron. Richards starts in on the arm with a hammerlock suplex into a flipping over hammerlock.

There’s a stomp to the arm, followed by a modified Tequila Sunrise. Richards goes up top but Ibushi is right up there, only to get taken down by a flying armbar. Ibushi fights up with forearms to the face, with Richards seeming to enjoy them as usual. More cranking to the arm ensues and they both go to the apron. A fight over a superplex to the floor is broken up with Ibushi knocking him outside. That means the big moonsault can connect, followed by more rapid fire strikes into a standing moonsault for two.

Richards shrugs them off and hits his own missile dropkick, followed by the handspring kick to the head for two more. A cross armbreaker is broken up in a hurry but Ibushi flips out of a superplex attempt. The rapid fire kicks just wake Ibushi up more and it’s the double moonsault for two. Ibushi goes up but Richards catches him with the release German superplex. Running kicks in the corner rock Ibushi again and a big kick to the face gets two.

Ibushi rolls out of a kimura and snaps off the poisonrana, only to get blasted with a running clothesline. More strikes set up another running clothesline and the DR Driver gets two on Ibushi. They head up top for the exchange of headbutts and Ibushi knocks him down. The Phoenix splash misses and Richards knocks him down for a shooting star press. The Kimura makes Ibushi tap at 18:13.

Rating: B. It was very hard hitting and a very strong style match, but my goodness I had forgotten how annoying Richards could be. The ultra serious and hard hitting/striking stuff gets old fast and it did here again. There is something that seems so ridiculous about being hit in the face and just screaming at someone but that is almost all Richards would do. Good match for the style they were wanting, but I wouldn’t be complaining that this was Richards’ only Evolve match for about three years because of his new deal with ROH.

Brad Allen talks about how he signed with WWE and his mom was killed in a car wreck the next day. Egads that’s rough.

Johnny Gargano, Jimmy Jacobs and the VIP people from earlier try to get Silas Young to go out on the town with them. Young agrees, but gets a phone call as they leave to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the definition of a promotion where if you like it you’ll like it and if you don’t like it you won’t. That might sound really simplified, but there is not going to be much of a middle ground on this stuff. It was a VERY similar style throughout with a good chunk of the roster using a bunch of kicks to the chest/head and submission holds. You know what you are getting here and if you like that style then you will enjoy it, but if that is not your thing, this is not likely to change your mind. The show is far from bad and nothing is overly terrible, but it very well might not be your style.

Ring of Honor vs. SCUM
Date: 2012, 2013

So over the last few weeks, I’ve bought a ton of DVDs and video downloads from Highspots as they had a crazy sale with everything in both categories at 50% off. They had a ton of cheap stuff included, including this 3 disc, nine plus hour set which I couldn’t pass up for $5. SCUM was a heel faction in ROH and the set is the major matches, angles and promos from the story. Let’s get to it.

I’ve never seen any of this as I wasn’t watching ROH at the time so I’m coming in mostly blind. I’m only going off what they show me here. Also for the sake of simplicity, all dates are the broadcast dates rather than the dates the matches were taped.

Disc 1

From Border Wars 2012 (May 12, 2012).

We see the end of Kevin Steen (Owens) challenging Davey Richards for the World Title. They beat the heck out of each other and Owens spat at him a lot but got caught in an ankle lock. That was reversed with a roll into an exposed buckle and the package piledriver gave Steen the title after about 4:30 shown of 24:27.

Post match, ROH boss Cary Silkin can’t bring himself to present the World Title to Steen so he hands it to the referee and walks away instead. Owens’ friend Jimmy Jacobs celebrates with him and commentator Steve Corino gets inside as well. The jacket comes off and Owens is ready to fight again but Corino hugs him for a big surprise, though Corino didn’t seem to do anything until after the match.

From ROH TV, June 2, 2012.

Here’s Kevin Steen, with Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino, for a chat. Corino cuts off Kevin Kelly and says that it’s about time the junior member of the commentary team got to talk. He introduces Steen and handles the interview with the new champ. Eighteen months ago, Silkin tried to kill Steen’s career but now he has to call Steen if he wants to book the World Champion.

Steen looks at the title and says he promised this would happen six months ago. Steen: “LOOK HOW SHINY IT IS!” Corino talks about how Steen has shows him evil is the only way to go and Steen talks about how he’s going to decide which appearances he makes. Of course he’ll go to the health and fitness expo, plus the affiliate dinner where the World Champion is expected to appear. He’ll dress to the nines and tell all of those people what they really need to hear about Jim Cornette.

Cue Cornette, who doesn’t want Steen anywhere near that meeting and promises Steen won’t be the World Champion by then. Cornette wanted Corino to keep Steen from winning the title and then he hugged him! Just for that, Corino is fired from doing DVD commentary. Corino blames Cornette for putting him out of the ring in the first place and rants about how Cornette made him sign some horrible contract.

Cornette calls Steen a cancer to this company who does nothing to his image. He’ll find someone who can take the title from Steen and there are a lot of people who want a shot at Best in the World. Cue Davey Richards, with Kyle O’Reilly, to say he’s sick of being lumped in with Camp Cornette. Before Cornette can say anything, Davey cuts him off to say that he’s here to fight for himself. Davey admits Steen was the better man in Toronto, which Cornette says is the problem. It is a problem, but it’s Cornette’s problem.

At Best in the World, Davey wants the two best to fight for that title. If Cornette won’t give him the title match, Davey is beating Cornette up instead. Steen and company leaves as Cornette makes the title match, which is Davey’s final shot at the title. Davey is coming for the title for himself and Steen’s worst nightmare begins in New York City. This was longer than it needed to be but it set up the next title match and showed you who was where.

From The Nightmare Begins (June 15, 2012).

Steen comes out for a match but first, Cornette rants about how Steen recently lost the company a potential sponsorship. Kevin has the fans chant MR. WRESTLING and makes sure Cornette hears it. Cornette gets in the ring and says Steen doesn’t deserve to be called Mr. Wrestling (he doesn’t even wear a mask).

Steen brings up the dinner with the sponsor and doesn’t get why saying the sponsor’s wife was more wrinkly than a puppy or threatening to eat the sponsor’s face were bad ideas. Cornette talks about how someone has to defeat Steen and every time he wrestles in a singles match, the title is on the line. Steen says Cornette will die before someone takes the title from him because he’s the World Champion.

Ring of Honor World Title: Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards

Date: June 15, 2012

Location: Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, West Virginia

Commentators: Jim Cornette, Steve Corino, Kevin Kelly

Steen is defending and Jimmy Jacobs is at ringside. Jacobs goes for the trip from the floor to start so Eddie dives on him early on. A low bridge puts Steen on the floor but he trips Steen onto the apron. The apron bomb is countered with a hurricanrana but a fall away slam sends Eddie into the barricade (Corino: “I was hoping he’d hit a fan.”).

They fight up the aisle with Eddie being sent into the barricade again, right in front of some Hooters girls. We look at commentary as Cornette rants about how Steen is destroying everything the company is building. Steen fishhooks Edwards’ face to freak Cornette out again and they head back inside. The beating continues as Corino and Kevin Kelly get in an argument on commentary.

We seem to go to a commercial as commentary stops with Steen choking in the corner. Commentary pops back in as Steen cuts off a comeback attempt. The chinlock goes on with Steen saying it’s straight out of the 1980s. Corino: “If we had been around in the 80s, there wouldn’t have been a Midnight Express!”. Eddie fights out and hits a missile dropkick for two as the fans start getting behind the comeback.

Steen gets sent outside for a suicide dive and a middle rope Codebreaker (called the Boston Knee Party here) gets two. The pop up powerbomb gives Steen the same and the Sharpshooter goes on. Eddie makes it to the rope so Steen gives him a Randy Orton hanging DDT.

The Cannonball misses so Eddie drops a top rope double stomp for two. Steen bails to the floor and Edwards follows, earning himself a spinebuster through the announcers’ table. Back in and they trade superkicks but Steen reverses a Backpack Stunner into a sleeper suplex. The F Cinc (F5) retains the title at 16:17.

Rating: B. They were getting somewhere here, even though the title wasn’t exactly in danger. Edwards is a former World Champion who won the title in a surprise so it wasn’t completely out of the question, but Steen isn’t losing the title in his first major defense. Having Steen run over former World Champions makes him seem all the more dangerous and gives Cornette something else to rant about.

Post match, Steen spits in Cornette’s drink for a bonus.

From ROH TV, June 23, 2012.

Kevin Steen/Jimmy Jacobs vs. Davey Richards/Kyle O’Reilly

Date: June 23, 2012

Location: Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness, Steve Corino

Richards jumps Steen before the bell and the brawl starts on the floor. Richards kicks away at Jacobs and takes him inside but has to save O’Reilly from an apron bomb. A suicide dive sends Jacobs into the barricade as Richards is basically fighting on his own so far. Back in and Richards hits a top rope double stomp to Steen, setting up the ankle lock. That’s broken up and it’s Steen hitting the pop up apron bomb to break Richards in half.

We take a break (for some reason with the commercial footage not shown) and come back with Steen sending Richards into the barricade. Things settle down into a regular tag match with Jacobs hitting a springboard elbow to O’Reilly and grabbing him by the ear. It’s back to Steen for a backsplash to stay on the ribs but O’Reilly grabs a rollup for two.

Richards comes back in without a tag for a double clothesline and it’s time for the kicks in the corner. A big kick drops Steen and we hit the ankle lock. Jacobs makes the save with a guillotine choke but O’Reilly makes a save of his own. O’Reilly and Jacobs fight to the floor with Richards joining them.

Steen hits the big running flip dive to take all three of them out. Not to be kept down, Davey pops up with a t-bone suplex to Steen on the apron. Steen is back up and kicks the rope into a low blow on Richards but the other two knock Richards and Steen onto the timekeeper’s table. Jacobs drives O’Reilly through the table though and that’s a double DQ at 12:37.

Rating: C. This was your wild brawl style main event and that’s what it should be. We’re coming up on Best in the World and there is no reason to have Steen or Richards lose a fall here. That being said, having Richards take Jacobs out for a pin here would have been fine, but what we got here was good enough.

Post match the brawl stays on with Steen taking out a referee until security breaks it up.

From Best in the World 2012 (June 24, 2012).

Ring of Honor World Title: Kevin Steen vs. Davey Richards

Date: June 24, 2012

Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York

Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly

Steen is defending and anything goes, including Steen’s package piledriver. Hold on though as we need to hear from Corino, meaning the ECW chants are out in full force. Corino says he is an evil man but you are seeing the era of KILL STEEN KILL. He’s going to be out there giving Steen the proper representation that he deserves, unlike Jim Cornette. Cue Cornette to say Corino can do commentary, but Cornette will be sitting at ringside as well.

We’re not ready to go yet though as Kyle O’Reilly comes out to complain about the fact that he’s not in Davey’s corner. Apparently Davey didn’t like O’Reilly’s match against Adam Cole. Well Adam Cole is getting stitches so he’s here to stab Richards in the f****** eye. He hates Steen but respects Davey but he’s no one’s lackey. Corino: “Does he kiss his boyfriend with that mouth?” O’Reilly flips the fans off and leaves, much to Richards’ chagrin.

Steen bails to the apron to start so Richards knocks him through the timekeeper’s table. A running boot against the barricade hits Steen and Richards whips him into it again. Davey has to deal with Jacobs though and it’s a pop up apron bomb to drop him cold. Steen rips off the barricade covers and buries Richards under them, setting up the frog splash off the apron. They go inside with Steen’s Swanton hitting raised knees (yelling at Cornette might have something to do with it) but he’s right back with a hanging DDT for two.

Just to be a bit more evil, Steen goes outside again and superkicks the ring announcer, allowing Richards to hit a suicide dive. Cornette and former boss Cary Silkin help the announcer to the back as Richards suplexes Steen on the apron. The fans want fire but have to settle for Richards hitting a top rope double stomp through the announcers’ table. Cornette is back and panicking as Richards sends Steen back inside for another double stomp and a near fall.

Richards throws in a couple of chairs and then adds two more, including the one Cornette was sitting in. Steen gets in a chair to the head though and the Cannonball onto the chair onto Richards gets two. The chairs are piled on top of Richards but he gets up before the Swanton can launch. A top rope superplex onto the chairs gets two on Steen so it’s table time.

Richards loads him up on top again but gets reversed into a spinning fisherman’s superplex through the table for two more. Cornette is selling the heck out of this as he panics over the near falls. Steen steals the mouthpiece and puts it in his own mouth but takes too long setting up the chairs. That earns him a German suplex onto the two open chairs and they’re both down again.

With nothing else working, Richards grabs a chain and wraps it around his boot for some Kawada kicks. Steen spits at him so it’s the big kick to the head, with the chain, for two more. The referee gets bumped and Davey busts out a ladder. Steen grabs a quick F Cinc (Corino: “WE NEED A REFEREE! WE NEED A REFEREE!”) so here’s another referee for a slow two.

That earns the new referee a package piledriver as the fans think this is awesome. Richards grabs a Jay Driller onto the ladder but there’s no referee, even as the fans count to twenty. The referee is thrown back in but Jacobs gets in and busts out his spike. That brings Cornette in to take it away, which brings in Corino to kick him low. Richards suplexes Jacobs onto the ladder in the corner but Steen stabs Richards low. The package piledriver retains the title at 21:20.

Rating: B+. This was a wild fight and while I’m rarely a fan of Richards, I got pulled into the story here and that’s a hard trick to pull. They made me believe that they might do a title change here and the story they were going with, of Richards having no friends because of his obsession and being overcome by the numbers, worked really well. I was rather surprised by this and they beat the heck out of each other.

Post match, Corino announces Steen the winner by clean pinfall. Steen says cut the music because he’s waited a long time to close a New York City show as World Champion. He can’t stand hypocrites and there aren’t many bigger hypocrites than Cornette. We’ll come back to that, as Steen needs to talk about Eddie Edwards (seems like he said the wrong name as he is talking straight to Richards) because he has been working a long time to face Richards in a title match like this.

The most hypocritical people in wrestling are the fans (that makes them cheer louder) because they cheered when El Generico got rid of him at Final Battle 2010. That brings up the OLE chants but Steen cuts them off by saying he came back six months later and the fans cheered him all over again. If you need even more proof of the hypocrisy, what about fans buying tickets to an ROH show and then chant for Brian Danielson and CM Punk. Like they even remember this company!

These people like turning on former World Champions like Nigel McGuinness and Tyler Black, but they can’t turn on Steen because he doesn’t care about any of them. He’s going to be the final ROH World Champion because they’re killing this company. So f*** this company and f*** New York City. I guess this was designed to make the fans boo Steen, but I’m not sure how well that is going to work.

From ROH TV, August 11, 2012.

Kevin Steen/Jimmy Jacobs/Steve Corino vs. Jay Lethal/All Night Express

Date: August 11, 2012

Location: Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly

The Express are World Tag Team Champions Kenny King/Rhett Titus and Lethal has been asking for a shot at Steen. It’s a brawl to start with Lethal and Jacobs staying in the ring as the other four fight outside. Lethal’s basement dropkick connects but Corino throws Lethal to the floor. Titus comes in for a jumping elbow to Corino so it’s off to King vs. Steen for a change. The good guys clear the ring but head straight to the floor to keep up the fight. That lets Steen throw King into the barricade as Titus gives Corino a slingshot belly to back suplex.

We settle down to a regular tag match with Titus splashing Corino for two and King adding a suplex. Titus’ slingshot shoulder gets two and we hit the chinlock. That doesn’t last long so it’s back to King, who gets his neck snapped across the top by Jacobs so the villains can take over.

We take a break and come back with Steen planting King and sending him into the evil corner. Corino pulls on King’s ears (that’s just cruel) and kicks out of King’s sunset flip at two. It’s off to Lethal for the house cleaning, including a neckbreaker/DDT combination to Jacobs and Corino. Steen misses a clothesline and Lethal suicide dives onto Corino. Back in and Titus drops Steen, setting up the Hail to the King top rope elbow for two on Steen with Corino making the save.

A Downward Spiral plants Lethal and we hit the parade of secondary finishers. Lethal hits the Lethal Combination on Steen and everyone is down. The Lethal Injection is broken up and Jacobs hits the Contra Code (Sliced Bread) on Lethal. Steen’s Swanton gets two so Jacobs pulls out the spike, only to walk into the Lethal Injection for the pin at 12:16.

Rating: B-. Fine enough six man main event here and that’s all it needed to be. They had a nice, longish match here and it gives Lethal some momentum towards what is likely going to be a World Title shot. It’s fine to beat someone like Jacobs as he is the glorified lackey of the team, so everything is fine from all of this.

Post match Steen and company beat down the Express, including a suplex to put King through an open chair. Jacobs and Corino hold up the Tag Team Titles.

From Death Before Dishonor 2012 (September 15, 2020).

We see Corino and Jacobs defeating Charlie Haas and Rhett Titus for the vacant Tag Team Titles after King left the company over a contract dispute. That’s not mentioned here, along with why Haas is in the match or why the titles are vacant.

From Killer Instinct (October 6, 2012).

We see the end of Steen vs. Lethal with Steen spitting on Lethal’s mother, sending Lethal into a rage. The beating was on and the match was thrown out as a result. Steen storms off as Cornette tries to calm things down. The fans are TICKED as Lethal beats on things with a chair. Lethal leaves through the crowd but comes back in and threatens to murder anyone who spits on his mother. Of note: Corino was wearing a jacket that said SCUM, though there has been no mention of the name or what it means yet. For a DVD about Ring of Honor vs. SCUM, that might be an important detail.

Post show, Lethal is ticked off in the back and throws Cornette over a table, writing him out of the promotion. Lethal storms off as Cornette is checked on.

From ROH TV, December 15, 2012.

Steve Corino vs. Jay Briscoe

Date: December 15, 2012

Location: Rostraver Ice Gardens, Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Caleb Seltzer

Street fight as I guess the Briscoes are chasing the Tag Team Titles. Corino comes to the ring in a suit and the team is officially named SCUM. Kelly confirms that SCUM is defending in a three way tag match at Final Battle against the Briscoes and Caprice Coleman/Cedric Alexander. They fight to the floor in a hurry and Jay hits him in the face with a drink. A whip into the barricade gives Corino a breather and it’s time to fight over a table. Jay punches him down though and it’s a double stomp to put Corino through the table.

Back from a break with Jay hitting him in the head with the bell and wedging chairs in the corners. Cue Jimmy Jacobs for a distraction though and Corino gets in a right hand with a roll of quarters for two. Mark Briscoe comes out to drop Jacobs and here’s a wheelbarrow full of chairs for a bonus.

As Mark beats on Jimmy a bit more, Corino sends Jay into a chair in the corner. Corino slams Jay onto the pile of chairs and it’s time to bring in another table. A suplex onto an open chair gives Corino two (and Jay a rather sore back) but you don’t do that around here, as Jay gives him a Death Valley Driver onto two open chairs. Mark comes back out with a piece of barricade but Jacobs hits him low.

The distraction lets Corino suplex Jay through a table, because a Death Valley Driver onto a chair is a thirty second injury. The barricade is bridged between the chairs but Corino takes too much time and gets top rope superplexed onto the barricade. Fans: “HOLY (MOSTLY) CENSORED!”. Alexander and Coleman come down to brawl with Jacobs and Mark as Jay gets the pin at 17:53.

Rating: B-. The violence was good but at the same time, there was so much going on and the big spots were getting a little ridiculous by the end. I know they’re building up to the big title match, but how much sense does it make to have a major street fight on the go home show to a pay per view? It was violent, but it didn’t make the most sense.

Post match here’s Steen, holding El Generico’s mask. He talks about Generico beating him at Final Battle 2010 to get rid of him from Ring of Honor. Since then, Steen has returned and become World Champion. That isn’t enough to make the feeling go away because he realized that he and Generico are destined to fight forever. Steen starts rocking back and forth as he says he isn’t scared of a ladder war with Generico. He goes to the floor to yell at Kevin Kelly for being worried about what would happen to Generico and Steen two years ago. Back in the ring, Steen promises to leave Final Battle either as champion or as a corpse.

From Final Battle 2012 (December 16, 2012).

We see the end of Jay Lethal defeating Rhino. Commentary suggests that SCUM hired Rhino to take Lethal. Corino grabs the mic and says he dated Lethal’s mom. Lethal used to carry Corino’s bag and Corino respects him, but Lethal isn’t messing up SCUM. Cue Jacobs from behind and the double teaming is on. Rhino gets up to Gore Lethal so Corino can shout that Lethal will never be in the main event.

Also from Final Battle 2012 (December 16, 2012).

We get some highlights from the Ladder War between Steen and Generico. They beat the heck out of each other and destroyed a bunch of ladders, including a package piledriver to put Generico through a bridged ladder. Steen won (and it’s a newly designed title) because Generico was mostly dead.

From ROH TV, January 23, 2013.

Nigel McGuinness is in the ring, surrounded by security, and brings out Jay Lethal and Kevin Steen for a chat. Lethal is surprised that Steen came out here but isn’t surprised that he came out here with his lackeys (including Rhino, who has joined the team). He wants another title shot but Corino thinks Lethal’s mother would have raised him better than that. It was Lethal’s father who threw a drink on Steen to set everything off.

Steen takes the mic from Corino but Lethal calls him a vile human and disgusting human being. For some reason, Steen wants to destroy the company because of some grudge but Lethal is more about honor than anyone else. If Steen wants to destroy everything, he has to beat Lethal, or he isn’t s***. Jacobs and Corino say it isn’t happening but Steen heads to the apron and says he accepts.

Video on Lethal vs. Steen, which is Ring of Honor vs. SCUM. During the buildup, Steen even prevented SCUM from beating Lethal down because he was much happier now that Jim Cornette was gone. Who got rid of Cornette? Jay Lethal of course. Steen decided he cared about this company but Lethal didn’t buy any of it.

From the 11^th Anniversary Show (March 2, 2013).

Ring of Honor World Title: Kevin Steen vs. Jay Lethal

Date: March 2, 2013

Location: Frontier Fieldhouse, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Caleb Seltzer

Steen is defending and there are no seconds. They slug it out immediately and the fight is on the floor in a hurry. Steen gets whipped into the barricade but comes back with shots to the face. That earns him another shot into the barricade as they keep going around the ring. This time it’s Lethal going into the barricade so Steen can send him inside. A quick dropkick gives Lethal two and another sends Steen into the corner as he can’t do much when they get down to the wrestling.

Lethal’s basement dropkick gets two and he sends Steen to the apron for a triangle dropkick. Two suicide dives connect but the third is countered into the apron bomb to give Steen his first control. Steen crotches him against the post and the taunting is on in a hurry. Choking on the rope gets two but the Swanton hits raised knees. A Backstabber drops Steen for two but he’s right back with the pumphandle brainbuster onto the knee for the same.

The Cannonball misses though and Lethal grabs a belly to back neckbreaker for two more. The ref gets bumped and, of course, the Lethal Injection connects two seconds later. Cue Jacobs and Corino to beat Lethal down, including a spike cradle piledriver to give Steen two. Jacobs decks the referee again but here’s Nigel McGuinness to cut Corino off. Nigel scares Corino to the back and Lethal kicks Jacobs to the floor.

That leaves Lethal and Steen to slug it out until Lethal hits a pair of scary looking release dragon suplexes for two. Steen’s pop up powerbomb gets the same but Lethal is right back with a Koji Clutch to put Steen in real trouble. A rope is grabbed so they head to the apron and it’s the F Cinc through the announcers’ table to destroy Lethal again.

Lethal is on the way back in and beats the count despite Jacobs grabbing his leg. The package piledriver gives Steen two and he tells Jacobs to get out of here. A heck of a clothesline blasts Lethal and they’re both down again. Lethal heads up top and hammers Steen down but Hail to the King is broken up. Instead, Steen grabs a Brainbusterrrrr (or however El Generico spelled his version onto the top turnbuckle) to retain at 20:47.

Rating: B. This was a good job of giving us a big showdown for the title and advancing Steen’s issues with SCUM. Steen is turning into the anti-hero and that could make for some interesting material going forward. On the other hand, Lethal has gone from some young guy who feels in over his head to someone who feels like a serious challenger to the World Title. Good match here and it felt like the major fight they were shooting for the whole time.

Post match Steen looks calm but here are Jacobs and Rhino to take out Lethal again. The Briscoes run in for the save but get taken down as well. Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander run in as well but here’s former ROH star Jimmy Rave, in a SCUM shirt, to take care of them as well. Now it’s BJ Whitmer and Rhett Titus coming in with the former going after Rave. Titus dropkicks Whitmer though and reveals his own SCUM shirt.

Michael Elgin comes in this time and goes after SCUM but Cliff Compton (Domino of Deuce N Domino) with powder to blind Elgin. Steen gets up and looks confused as Elgin is handcuffed to the corner. We’re still not done as the Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) run in to fight SCUM but the numbers get the better of it and the team starts tying everyone to the ropes. Adam Cole comes in (looking about 14 years old) and can’t do much either.

Matt Hardy comes in and he’s SCUM too as the huge beatdown continues. Steen is down on the floor watching now (he hasn’t done anything physical since the match ended) but Corino grabs the mic to say evil is here. This is the evolution of SCUM and the destruction of Ring of Honor. Corino praises Steen as the King of SCUM, Ring of Honor and professional wrestling because the vision has always been the same: bring suffering, chaos, ugliness and mayhem (the first time the acronym has been explained on the DVD) to this company.

They hold up an ROH banner as Steen gets in the ring and Corino introduces the (several) new members. Jacobs pulls out his spike and stabs the banner, which is torn to pieces. Corino declares war on ROH but it won’t last long because tonight, honor has died. The team poses, with Steen looking on from the side, to end the show after a very big and very long angle.

Disc 2

From ROH TV, March 16, 2013.

Nigel McGuinness is in the ring with a bunch of the roster on the apron. Nigel, holding the torn banner: “S*** just got real.” It’s time for ROH to fight because SCUM has started a way. They are still united and still believe in this company. Steve Corino said three things: SCUM will go down in history as the company who killed Ring of Honor, that there are no credible contenders to Kevin Steen and that honor is dead. Look at all of these people around the ring and you’ll know honor isn’t dead.

There are plenty of credible contenders, like Adam Cole, who will be getting a World Title shot. He has defended the TV Title with honor and next week he’ll be facing Matt Hardy with the winner getting a TV Title shot. Then there’s BJ Whitmer, who is getting a title shot as well. As for Jay Lethal and Michael Elgin, they can face off at Supercard of Honor with the winner getting a title shot. Roderick Strong jumps up on the ropes but Nigel says this isn’t the time for fun and games. They’ll talk about this in the back.

That brings him to the Briscoe Brothers, who are the pioneers around here. Mark Briscoe is getting a title shot in two weeks in Ashville, North Carolina. Then there’s Jay Briscoe, whose arm is in a sling. He gets in the ring and says he’ll fight with one arm if he has to though because he only needs one chance. Nigel grants him the title match at Supercard of Honor. As for tonight, SCUM is banned from the building, but that will change next week. The roster gets in the ring and Nigel says they aren’t running and hiding from SCUM.

From ROH TV, March 23, 2013.

Veda Scott (lawyer/manager) and Grizzly Redwood (short guy with a big beard) are in the ring to interview Mike Mondo, who has been out of action with an injury for four months. Mondo was supposed to be out for a year and cut that down for four months because he’s in Beast Mode every day. He has no fear….and here’s SCUM to beat the guys down. Corino asks if this is what Nigel wanted as Compton grabs Veda.

BJ Whitmer and some other wrestlers come out but Corino says Compton will end Scott if they take one more step. Nigel can come out here to talk face to face, because Corino wants a SCUM show next week. Nigel does come out and makes ROH vs. SCUM next week, so prepare for h***.

From ROH TV, March 23, 2013.

We see the end of Matt Hardy vs. Adam Cole, with Hardy pulling the floor mats back but having the Twist of Fate countered into a suplex. Rhino Gored Cole down so Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman ran in for the DQ.

The big brawl is on with both factions running in for the fight.

From ROH TV, March 30, 2013.

Here’s Kevin Steen to get things going but Jay Briscoe, still in a sling, cuts him off before anything can be said. Briscoe talks about how this company has been his life for eleven years and now SCUM is talking about wanting to kill it. That sounds like threatening his livelihood and that isn’t a good idea. Before Steen can say anything, here’s Corino to say how dare Briscoe disrespect the World Champion.

Briscoe wants to hear from the champ himself so Steen says he’s glad both Briscoes are getting the title shot. Steen: “In New York City, we’ll see who the b**** is, b****.” Steen leaves and Corino laughs at Briscoe, who pulls out a metal rod. Corino realizes no one else is here so SCUM comes in….and we take a break.

From ROH TV, March 30, 2013.

Date: March 30, 2013

Location: Frontier Fieldhouse, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

Commentators: Caleb Seltzer, Kevin Kelly

This starts with Coleman and Alexander running in to save Briscoe so maybe we’re getting the full episode here. Coleman takes Titus into the corner to start and Alexander springboards in with an elbow for two. Cedric fights out of the SCUM corner but Compton pulls him down for a crotching against the post. Titus drops him ribs first across the top rope so Compton can hit a top rope elbow to the back. A boot scrape in the corner has Alexander down and it’s off to a chinlock.

That’s broken up though and Cedric gets in a shot to the face, allowing the roll into a hot tag to Coleman. We take a break and come back with Titus breaking up a dive but tossing Coleman over the top….right onto Compton. Well to be fair, they haven’t been partners that long. Coleman’s guillotine legdrop gets two but cue Jimmy Rave to shove Cedric off the top (for a NASTY landing on the apron. Jimmy Jacobs comes out and slips Compton some powder to blind Coleman and Titus adds a dropkick for the pin at 10:11.

Rating: C-. This was fine and a good example of how SCUM can cheat to win with the numbers advantage. It’s not like Alexander and Coleman lose anything after this much cheating. Not a good match but Coleman and Alexander were a good team when they got to face the right opponents. I’m not sure they had that chance here.

From ROH TV, March 30, 2013.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Mike Mondo

Date: March 30, 2013

Location: Frontier Fieldhouse, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

Commentators: Caleb Seltzer, Kevin Kelly

Sweet goodness this company loves alliteration. This picks up right after the previous match as well with Mondo running in for the save and the bell ringing. Mondo fights off Rave and avoids a dive from Jacobs, setting up a running corkscrew dive of his own. Back in and Jacobs gets in a kick to the face but Mondo catches him on top and unloads with kicks to the ribs.

We take a break and come back with Jacobs catches him on top but getting headbutted right back down. Jacobs knocks him down from the top to the floor though in a big crash. A running elbow from the apron to the….well some part of Mondo but it worked anyway. Jacobs puts him in a chair and hits a suicide dive to crush them both. Mondo is right back up and trips Jacobs off the apron.

Back in and Jacobs flips out of what looked like a tiger bomb and grabs a guillotine choke. That’s reversed with a northern lights suplex but Jacobs is right back with the guillotine. Mondo breaks that up and blocks the Contra Code so they go to an exchange of rollups with Jacobs grabbing the rope for the pin at 10:07.

Rating: C. Mondo is someone that Cornette raves about as an underrated talent but there is only so much that you can get out of him when he used to be in the Spirit Squad. He looked good here, but Ring of Honor isn’t supposed to win these matches. What we got was good enough though and Mondo looked solid even in defeat.

From ROH TV, March 30, 2013.

Corino presents Inside SCUM (instead of Inside ROH), starting off with a look at Rhett Titus. ROH has overlooked Titus several times now and he has no faith in the company. He’s found acceptance in SCUM though and that’s to their benefit. Then there’s Cliff Compton, who has never gotten a chance in ROH because Cornette wouldn’t give him a chance. It was always next time, but now it’s his time.

Next up is Jimmy Rave, who has been very successful in ROH and has beaten his personal demons so he can be back where he belongs. Matt Hardy has been screwed over by ROH despite his star power. Eight years ago, Matt yelled RING OF HONOR on Monday Night Raw but he still can’t get any respect. These men plus the rest of the group are wrestling’s worst nightmare and on April 5, Steen is defeating Jay Briscoe like he does to everyone else.

We go to Steen, who says he doesn’t care about what SCUM is planning. What matters to him is Steen vs. Briscoe at Supercard of Honor. Steen knows how tough Briscoe is….and Corino says get the camera back on him to wrap it up in a hurry. Corino yells at the production staff for playing the wrong music.

Steve Corino/Matt Hardy/Rhino vs. Jay Lethal/BJ Whitmer/Michael Elgin

Date: March 30, 2013

Location: Frontier Fieldhouse, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

Commentators: Caleb Seltzer, Kevin Kelly

Apparently Corino is replacing Steen here because the team is already 2-0. Corino is wrestling in a suit and tapes his wrists on the way to the ring. With the other four fighting on the floor, Corino stops to offer Lethal a SCUM shirt, which goes as well as you would expect. Lethal even takes Corino’s glasses off to stomp on them, which is rather evil indeed. Elgin and Hardy take their places in the ring and the delayed suplex drops Matt. Now it’s Lethal coming in with a handspring elbow to rock Rhino and a springboard missile dropkick gets two.

Back from a break with Lethal hitting a suicide dive to take out more members of SCUM who aren’t involved in the match. The numbers game starts getting the better of the ROH guys and it’s time to zip tie Elgin and Lethal to the ropes. That leaves Whitmer to get triple teamed but he somehow gets in a spinebuster to Rhino. An exploder suplex sends Rave flying but a Corino distraction lets Rhino hit the Gore. Matt adds the Twist of Fate for the pin at 11:40.

Rating: C. This was more of an angle than a match and that’s not a bad thing. The whole show has been about SCUM dominating and taking over the company even more than they already had and that’s what they did here again. It was a nice brawl while it lasted though and Lethal continues to look like a star, which is the secondary point of the whole thing.

Post match Lethal and Elgin get loose and fight SCUM off. Jay Briscoe comes out and promises he’ll lose the sling while Steen loses the belt.

From Supercard of Honor VII (April 5, 2013).

Date: April 5, 2013

Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York

Commentators: Caleb Seltzer, Kevin Kelly

It’s Compton/Jacobs/Rave/Titus/Rhino with Corino sitting in on commentary. This is an impromptu match after SCUM attacked Lethal and Elgin to break up their #1 contenders match. The big brawl is on before the bell with ROH getting the better of things to start. Everyone brawls on the floor with Seltzer snapping on Corino early on.

We finally settle down to Rave slugging Mondo into the corner so the villains can take over. Rhino hits the running shoulder in the ribs and Titus rubs Mondo’s face in the mat. Corino goes into a rant about how horrible the ROH guys are, including calling Cedric and Caprice the “black version of the Midnight Rockers.” Titus sends Mondo into Compton’s boot and we get a DEUCE WAS BETTER chant. This is likely the only time Deuce has ever received a chant in wrestling history.

Mondo slips between Rave’s legs, realizes he’s gone to the wrong corner, and rolls over to the right corner for the tag to Whitmer. Everything breaks down for a bit with the Factory hitting stereo dives, followed by Briscoe hitting a big springboard flip dive for a bonus. Titus beats on Whitmer and hits a running Fameasser from behind. Compton gives Caprice a Falcon Arrow but Cedric kicks him down. Corino: “HE’S A MOVE STEALER!!! HE STOLE THAT FROM STRONG!!!”.

Jacobs gives Cedric a Pedigree but gets dropped by Mondo. Rhino runs Mondo over but Briscoe shotgun dropkicks him into the corner. They’re taken down as well, leaving us with Whitmer sending Rave to the floor for a heck of a suicide dive. Corino gets off commentary and slaps Seltzer, so Whitmer makes the save.

Whitmer goes after Corino but gets grabbed by Rhino and Jacobs. He’s fine enough to spit at Corino but Titus comes back in for a dropkick. That’s enough for Whitmer to be cuffed to the rope and Jacobs throws powder in Mondo’s eyes. Corino gets back on commentary as Coleman hits a nasty piledriver on Rave. Rhino Gores him down though and Coleman is done at 11:14.

Rating: C+. This got better at the end and they were smart to keep it a little shorter. A big ten man match like this can get a little long winded at times so it was a good move to make it feel like a TV match. SCUM continues to dominate, but at some point ROH is going to have to pick up an important win.

Post match Corino brags about how awesome they are and promises to win their other matches tonight.

From Supercard of Honor VII (April 5, 2013).

We see the end of Kevin Steen vs. Jay Briscoe for the World Title, with the Briscoe family and some ROH wrestlers coming out to prevent SCUM from interfering. Briscoe kicked out of the package piledriver and here’s SCUM for the big brawl in the aisle. Matt Hardy snuck in from the other side but Steen broke up the Twist of Fate and threw him outside.

Steen kicked out of the Jay Driller and Nigel McGuinness is LOSING IT on commentary. Jay fought out of the Crossface and hit another Jay Driller to win, with Nigel literally jumping around ringside in celebration before coming back to commentary. Of all the things on this set, they couldn’t air THIS match in full? The set is looking to be close to ten hours long and you cut the major turning point? After airing the ten man tag in full? Weird choice there.

Post match Jay’s dad, his brother, Nigel and others got in the ring to celebrate. Jay grabs the mic but Steen gets back up and, after listening to the THAT WAS AWESOME and THANK YOU STEEN chants, drops the mic and shakes Jay’s hand. Steen leaves and Jay says tonight, SCUM dies and honor lives.

From ROH TV, April 20, 2013.

Here’s Steen for a chat, but first we need some THANK YOU KEVIN chants. Corino cuts him off though, saying Steen hasn’t been around for a bit so this is how they have to talk. He knows how hard it was to lose the World Title but the mission to kill Ring of Honor is still intact. Steen says Corino has been talking about the plan for over a year but now that Jim Cornette is gone, Ring of Honor doesn’t need to be put out of its misery. Right now, the only mission in Steen’s head is getting another World Title shot.

Cue SCUM to interrupt to surround the ring, as Corino suggests that it’s time for a new star of the team. The camera pans over to Matt Hardy but Steen says he’ll follow Corino through a lot. One part that he can’t get behind though is this mother ****** Matt Hardy. That’s too far for Corino so maybe it’s time he and Steen go their separate ways. SCUM gets in the ring and Steen says there are two ways they can do this.

Either they can walk away, or the people in the ring can start something they’re going to regret. Corino picks option two so the fight is on in a hurry. Hardy is held back by Corino as the beatdown is on, drawing out security and referees for a failed save attempt. Corino tells SCUM to step back and tells Matt to do his work. That would be a Twist of Fate and Steen is left laying. They had been building that for a long time so the turn not only makes sense but has been well set up. Nice job.

From ROH TV, April 20, 2013.

We see the end of Jorge Santi vs. Tadarius Thomas as SCUM runs in for the big beatdown. Corino says that the mission is still the same, even without Steen. After what happened earlier though, you’ll probably never see Steen again so it doesn’t matter anyway. Cue Nigel McGuinness to say Corino should shut up because SCUM is dissolving into the grave. Corino says he created and destroyed Steen so the mission continues.

Nigel brings out Jay Lethal and Michael Elgin and tells them to get out of the ring. Corino: “You don’t tell god what to do Nigel.” They do need the World Title back, so his spiritual son will become the next and final Ring of Honor World Champion. Corino is willing to sweeten the pot though: if the team gets one shot and loses, he’ll leave Ring of Honor. He knows Nigel won’t accept it though because he remembers Nigel as World Champion. The truth is that Nigel thinks a lot of himself and didn’t know why the fans booed him when he was World Champion.

Nigel shrugs that off and makes the match: Elgin/Lethal vs. any two members of the team at Border Wars. If SCUM wins, they get the World Title shot but if ROH wins, SCUM is done. Corino: “No deal.” He wants one more thing: if SCUM wins, he gets the vacant commentary spot next to Kevin Kelly, completely uncensored. Nigel takes off his jacket, slowly gets in the ring, and says he’ll see Corino at Border Wars. Corino says he’ll see him next week.

From Border Wars 2013 (May 4, 2013 in Toronto, mislabeled as March 30, 2013 in Chicago on the DVD).

Michael Elgin/Jay Lethal vs. Cliff Compton/Jimmy Jacobs

Date: May 4, 2013

Location: Ted Reeve Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

This is immediately after SCUM interfered in a BJ Whitmer vs. Rhett Titus I Quit match so we start in a hurry with Titus still zip tied to the top rope. Lethal superkicks him before the four people actually in the match head outside where Elgin chokes Compton with a chair. SCUM gets beaten up some more as Titus is finally cut away from the ropes. Compton gets sent hard into the barricade and Elgin adds a running boot to send him into the crowd.

We finally settle down to Lethal vs. Jacobs in the ring for a chop off with Lethal getting the better of it. Elgin comes in for the very delayed vertical suplex on Jacobs, holding him up for 38 seconds, doing some squats, and then suplexing him down after another nine seconds. Lethal comes in for his hiptoss into a basement dropkick but Jacobs gets smart by going to the eyes.

It’s back to Compton, who is taken straight down by the handspring elbow. Elgin suplexes the much bigger Compton as well and holds him up, with Lethal adding his own delayed suplex on Jacobs for a nice visual. A backsplash gets two on Elgin but Compton knees Lethal in the face. It’s still too early for SCUM to take over though as Elgin tags himself in for a torture rack neckbreaker on Compton.

Everything breaks down again and Lethal hits a suicide dive on Jacobs, only to come up holding his knee. Elgin plants Compton with a spinning Boss Man Slam but Elgin goes outside to check on Lethal. Nigel goes over as well as SCUM demands they be awarded the win. Elgin is ready to fight n his own and throws Jacobs and Compton down. Jacobs gets powerbombed into Compton in the corner and it’s a Samoan drop to Compton with a fall away slam to Jacobs at the same time (that’s insane).

Back up, Compton gets in a shot in the corner and the clubberin is on (Corino: “YOU ASKED FOR IT! YOU ASKED FOR IT!”). Jacobs hits a DDT and mocks Elgin’s lack of a partner. Compton drops a leg and grabs a headscissors but Elgin stands up and tosses him to the floor. It’s back to Jacobs for a sleeper and Compton comes back in, meaning Elgin German suplexes Compton while dropping Jacobs onto his back for the three way knockdown.

Cue Kevin Steen to stand on the apron but Elgin won’t tag him. Nigel tells him to do it so Elgin goes with it. House is cleaned in a hurry, including back to back Cannonballs. There’s the apron bomb to Jacobs and Elgin’s buckle bomb makes it worse. Compton breaks up the Elgin Bomb so Steen gives him the pop up powerbomb (more like a spinebuster here but close enough). The package piledriver is loaded up on Compton but Jacobs grabs a fast rollup to pin Steen at 20:08.

Rating: B. This felt a bit like the Outsiders vs. the NWO at Bash at the Beach 1996 for a bit with the injury, though it was quite the different ending. You knew they weren’t going to have ROH win here as they can’t go with the faces winning with a 3-2 advantage. Steen taking the fall makes things even worse for him as they can now blame him for not getting rid of SCUM, thereby allowing him to need to do even more to redeem himself. Good match here though and it felt big, even though it was on the first half of the show.

From ROH TV, May 18, 2013.

Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jay Lethal

Date: May 18, 2013

Location: Ted Reeve Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino

Jacobs sends the bad leg into the apron and we start in a hurry. Lethal slugs away with right hands to get a breather, only to have the knee sent into the barricade. They get inside for the first time with Jacobs staying on the leg (well duh) as Corino declares that Lethal is in fact an African American. Lethal manages a basement dropkick for two so Jacobs starts crawling around to make Lethal chase him. That works just fine for Lethal, who grabs a DDT.

The Lethal Injection takes too long though and Jacobs ties the leg in the rope to stomp away. Back from a break with Lethal caught in a leglock. That’s broken up in a hurry though and Lethal hammers away. Jacobs is right back with a DDT on the leg but the Figure Four is quickly countered. Lethal chops away but the leg gives out on a superkick attempt. The Lethal Combination works though but the Lethal Injection doesn’t work either. Jacobs hits the Contra Code for the pin at 12:26.

Rating: B-. The story was right there throughout and that’s always a good thing to see. It gives SCUM another win and Lethal stays safe, with the bad leg costing Lethal in the end. This was a fun one and while I’m not usually big on Jacobs, he was nearly perfect in his role here. Lethal is looking more and more like a star every time though, and that’s going to serve him well in the future.

From ROH TV, May 18, 2013.

Adam Cole vs. Kevin Steen

Date: May 18, 2013

Location: Ted Reeve Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino

Feeling out process to start but Cole forearms his way out of the corner. Steen runs him over without much effort and a headbutt drops Cole in the corner. They head outside with Cole missing the slingshot dive and getting sent into the barricade for more pain. Three straight apron bombs look to end Cole (Corino: “WHERE IS THE TWENTY COUNT???”) but Steen goes after Corino instead, allowing Cole to dropkick the knee (because you can be up forty five seconds after three apron bombs) and we take a break.

Back with Cole kneeing him in the face for two but Steen slugs away. The knee holds up well enough for a powerbomb for a very delayed two and they’re both down. Cole gets up with a nasty German suplex into a Shining Wizard but the Figure Four is blocked. Instead it’s the Sharpshooter (you can imagine Corino’s reaction), sending Steen straight to the rope. The F Cinc gets two so here’s Compton, who is quickly dispatched. Steen grabs the Sharpshooter but another Compton distraction lets Jacobs come in with a chain shot (which Cole clearly sees). Cole’s Florida Keys (arm trap German suplex) is good for the pin at 14:00.

Rating: C. The three straight apron bombs being just a moment in the middle of the match wasn’t a good idea but at least they did something else near the end. Cole is someone else who is starting to rise up the ranks and that’s a great thing to see. Ring of Honor is the kind of place that needs to develop new talent in a hurry and that’s what they seem to be doing here. Nice match, but not exactly great.

From ROH TV, May 25, 2013.

Nigel McGuinness is announcing the Best in the World main event when Steen comes in to ask about his rematch for the World Title. That won’t be anytime soon after Steen messed up at Border Wars so maybe he’s still working with SCUM. Steen says not exactly, and offers to fight all of them in exchange for a title shot. Nigel agrees, but Steen has to beat them all.

From Dragon’s Reign (May 11, 2013)

Rhett Titus runs out and interrupts a match between two guys making their in-ring debuts for the company (one of which is future World Champion Dalton Castle). Cue Steen in a hurry and we’re ready to go.

Kevin Steen vs. Rhett Titus

Date: May 11, 2013

Location: Rostraver Ice Gardens, Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino

Steen slugs away and sends Titus to the floor before the music even stops. Titus is sent into the barricade a few times and there’s a Cannonball to make it worse. The fans are WAY into Steen here but the delay lets Titus get up and send him into the barricade to even things up a bit. Owens is right back up with a pair of crotches against the post, drawing a YES chant.

The apron bomb is countered with a ram into the barricade though and they head back inside. Titus whips him into the corner but Steen is right back with a backsplash. That doesn’t get him very far though as Titus sends it back into the corner and kicks Steen’s head against the post. It’s time to choke on the ropes but Steen kicks him away. After relieving his nose on Corino, Steen gets taken back down for a double arm crank.

Steen fights up and runs him over again though and the Swanton gets two as the audio and video are a little out of sync. Titus is back with the running jumping Fameasser (ala Kenny Omega) for his own two. A frog splash to the back gets two more but Steen is back with the pop up powerbomb for the same. Neither of Steen’s finishers can hit and he almost runs over the referee, allowing Titus to kick him low for two. Steen crotches him in the corner (that’s three for Titus) and gets in a low blow of his own. The package piledriver finishes Titus at 13:46. Corino: “THIS MATCH IS UNDER PROTEST!”

Rating: C. They’re doing an interesting idea here with Steen having to run through the entire time. It’s been done before (Big Boss Man vs. the Heenan Family comes to mind) but that doesn’t mean it’s a boring idea. Steen had to start somewhere and Titus is a low enough name to have Steen run through him in a hurry.

Post match Steen leaves but comes back in for another low blow and package piledriver.

From Relentless (May 18, 2013).

Corino interrupts an announcement and tells the people to let everyone know about this: Matt Hardy is getting his World Title shot on June 23 at the TV tapings in Baltimore. That’s not all though because Corino wants to go all in. At the TV tapings: five members of SCUM vs. five members of Ring of Honor. If ROH wins, SCUM is gone, but if SCUM wins, Corino runs Ring of Honor. Twelve years ago he helped kill a company and now he’s going to do it again.

From Relentless (May 18, 2013).

Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Date: May 18, 2013

Location: Greater Richmond Convention Center, Richmond, Virginia

Commentators: Joe Dombrowski, Steve Corino

They slug it out in the aisle to start with Steen whipping him into the barricade. More whips into the barricade ensue and they head inside for the opening bell. A clothesline takes Jacobs right back outside and there’s another whip into the barricade as Corino makes fun of French. Back in again and Jacobs busts out a chain to choke away and that’s a DQ at 1:02.

Post match security comes in but Steen gets up and wrecks Jacobs again. Steen swings a chair at everyone before saying he knew this is how it would wind up going. Jacobs is FINALLY ready to be a man so let’s do this again, No DQ. The referee grabs a phone and hears from Nigel McGuinness that we’re restarting the match. Steen goes outside to beat up the interfering Rhett Titus and there are some shoes to Jacobs’ head.

Jacobs gets in a low blow with the rope though and there’s a spear on the apron (Joe: “That’s the hardest part of the wrestling ring!” I didn’t realize that line was that old.). Back in and Jacobs stomps and elbows at the ribs before ripping at the eyes. Jacobs chokes with the chain as Corino shouts about breaking up with Steen. The choking is broken up and Steen takes it to the floor for the apron bomb.

The Swanton gets two but Jacobs is back with a springboard cutter for two. A quick Contra Code onto a chair gives Jacobs two so he unloads with the chair and grabs a piece of the barricade. That takes too long though and Steen gets in a chain shot, followed by the F Cinc for two. Corino: “YOU CAN’T WIN WITH THAT MOVE ANYMORE STEEN!” The package piledriver is reversed with Steen’s head bouncing off of the barricade but Jacobs can’t hit a chair shot. Instead Steen kicks him low and hits the package piledriver onto the barricade for the pin at 14:55 (counting the break between falls).

Rating: C+. They had a good brawl here and the No DQ deal made it better. You can only get so much out of a big name like Steen vs. someone like Jacobs on its own so adding the stipulation helped. If nothing else, this made me want to see Steen FINALLY get his hands on Corino, which has to be coming at some point in this right?

Post match, Steen hits the F Cinc onto an open chair and blows a kiss to Corino.

Disc 3

From Honor in the Heart of Texas (June 1, 2013).

Michael Elgin/BJ Whitmer vs. Rhett Titus/Jimmy Jacobs

Date: June 1, 2013

Location: San Antonio Shrine Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas

Commentator: Kevin Kelly

Anything goes and Texas Tornado rules. The fight starts outside before the bell, as you probably guessed. Elgin is whipped into the barricade but Whitmer rams their heads together to slow them down. Jacobs gets thrown into the trash as Whitmer and Titus fight on the other side of the building. Kelly: “This one is not Funk and Brisco!”. Well maybe Funk but probably not Brisco.

Elgin throws Titus onto a table, sending it sliding across the floor in a cool visual. A chair to the ribs hunches Jacobs over and Elgin backbreakers him onto said chair. They actually head to ringside for a change with SCUM getting Elgin alone for a double delayed vertical suplex. Elgin pops back up (I’m as surprised as you are) and this time it’s Elgin and Whitmer hitting a delayed vertical suplex of their own for a pretty nasty crash.

Whitmer grabs the exploder suplex on Jacobs and Elgin launches Titus into the corner for two. Titus is back with a dropkick to Whitmer and Jacobs dives over the top to take Elgin down again. That doesn’t last long as Elgin slingshots back in with a back elbow to Jacobs but Titus scores with a discus lariat.

We get another Titus vs. Whitmer showdown with Whitmer planting him off a powerslam. A Downward Spiral/DDT combination takes SCUM down and Elgin is back in to make it even worse. There’s a pump kick to Titus and Elgin powerbombs Jacobs onto Whitmer’s knees for two. Elgin gets crotched on top though and an assisted splash gets two on Whitmer. Titus heads outside to pull back some mats but Elgin breaks up a piledriver on the concrete.

The apron superplex brings Titus back in for two with Jacobs making the save this time. Jacobs grabs a middle rope springboard cutter on Elgin, who pops back up for a spinning backfist. The buckle bomb connects but the Elgin Bomb is countered into a guillotine choke. Whitmer is back in for the save and fisherman’s suplexes Jacobs for two more. Elgin plants both of them for two as frustration is setting in again. The buckle bomb hits Jacobs again but here’s Steve Corino with a chain. Mark Briscoe comes out with a cowbell for the save but Titus gets the chain. Whitmer kicks it away, only to get rolled up for the pin at 19:35.

Rating: B. I got into this more than I would have expected to and that’s a good thing. This was a lot of action throughout the match and while the interference was a bit annoying, that’s what SCUM would do in this situation. Solid match here and the rules played into it well. I could go for more of stuff like this, as the wild brawling feels more appropriate for this feud.

From some undisclosed show.

Nigel McGuinness talks about how serious this is and how Ring of Honor has their chips in with the best of it. Ring of Honor isn’t dying on June 23 because it’s only SCUM’s final chapter. The match is officially on and it’s going to be Steel Cage Warfare. Honor lives mother******.

From Ring of Honor TV, June 8, 2013.

Here’s SCUM to interrupt….well nothing actually but commentary isn’t pleased anyway. Steve Corino talks about all of the mistakes made around here in the last eleven years with all of the people coming and going. Corino blames Nigel for not giving Matt Hardy the World Title shot but Matt will be World Champion anyway. Why weren’t Cliff Compton, Jimmy Jacobs and Rhett Titus in the #1 contenders matches? Nigel takes off his headset but Corino talks about how he should have sued ROH after Border Wars. That’s enough for Nigel to get up and Corino promises to sue if Nigel does anything.

From Live And Let Die (June 8, 2013).

Kevin Steen is in the arena before the fans come in and interviewer Veda Scott asks what the Ring of Honor locker room thinks about him now. Steen says he doesn’t really care because this company makes money off of his name. He is this company but here’s SCUM to interrupt. Corino shouts something I can’t make out as Steen grabs a chair. Some referees (in street clothes for a rare visual) get ready to break it up but Compton wants to fight Steen right now. Cue Jay Lethal, BJ Whitmer and Michael Elgin to even things up as Compton talks enough trash to get a fight going.

Kevin Steen vs. Cliff Compton

Date: June 8, 2013

Location: Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio

Empty arena match. They head outside early on with both guys being whipped into the barricade. Steen chokes away but nearly gets in a fight with Whitmer, allowing Compton to get in a cheap shot. That doesn’t seem to bother Steen, who whips him HARD into the barricade. They go beyond the barricade with Steen getting backdropped onto some open chairs. Steen pops back up for a kick to the ribs and a big toss through the chairs (how rude to people who set those up).

Some chair shots to the knee keep Compton in trouble but Steen would rather dive onto SCUM than follow up. They get inside for the first time with Compton getting in a cheap shot. Corino throws in a chain so everyone else starts brawling at ringside. There’s the F Cinc onto a chair but Matt Hardy comes in to jump Steen and give Compton the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C. This is the kind of different action that I was hoping for on this thing. It actually felt different and that’s what this has been needing. It was actually unique for a change and the lack of commentary made it more realistic. Given how SCUM comes and goes at will, there is little reason to believe that something like this wouldn’t break out at some point. Not a great match, but it was entertaining enough with the special atmosphere.

SCUM just leaving by walking outside feels so indy. Lethal, Whitmer and Elgin say they came out here to see which side Steen was on and don’t seem pleased by the results. A distraught Steen sits in the ring.

From Live And Let Die (June 8, 2013).

Kevin Steen vs. Rhino

Date: June 8, 2013

Location: Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio

Commentator: Kevin Kelly

At least this one is scheduled. Steen shoulders him down to start and Rhino is sent outside in a hurry. They both wind up outside with Steen being sent into the barricade and suplexed on the floor. Some right hands get Steen out of trouble and there’s the flip dive off the apron to drop Rhino again. They get back inside with Rhino hitting a spinebuster for two, followed by the knees to the chest.

The bodyscissors goes on and Rhino even rolls him backwards for two. Back up and Steen gets in a shot to the face for a double knockdown. Steen’s dropkick into a middle rope dropkick sets up the Cannonball for two. Steen is surprised by the kickout so he hits the Swanton for two more. Instead it’s a Gore to Rhino for a change and the F Cinc is enough to give Steen the pin at 8:05.

Rating: D+. I wasn’t feeling this one as Rhino was treated as the monster of the team earlier in the year and now he’s beaten clean in eight minutes. That’s quite the short match and it doesn’t make it seem like Steen had to work too hard to pull off a win here. It’s not the worst, but it felt like a low level challenge instead of some big threat.

Post match here’s Matt Hardy to take Steen out, setting up the following.

From Live And Let Die (June 8, 2013).

Mark Briscoe vs. Matt Hardy

Date: June 8, 2013

Location: Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio

Commentator: Kevin Kelly

Hardy is in a #1 contenders match at Best in the World while Briscoe is in the World Title match at the same show. Briscoe comes in to jump Hardy and start in a hurry. Matt tries to hide on the floor so Briscoe posts him and goes up top. Corino throws in the microphone and then shoves Briscoe off the top, allowing Matt to hit the Side Effect for two. There’s a swinging neckbreaker to take Briscoe down again so we get the MAN UP chants.

The sleeper/chinlock goes on for two arm drops but Brisco powers up again. That just earns him a trip from Corino and Matt’s neckbreaker gets two more. Mark is up again and this time pulls Corino off the middle rope, meaning it’s time for Red Neck Kung Fu. Some chops to the head get two and a top rope version drops Matt again.

Rating: C. It worked well enough while it lasted and at least Briscoe didn’t lose clean on his way to a World Title shot. They’re getting into a pretty standard formula with SCUM though and that’s not going to work out all that well in the long term. The good thing is that the long term is likely finishing in less than two months, though I’m starting to roll my eyes every time it’s more interference for the SCUM win.

Post match the beatdown is on so Steen makes the save. As has been the case before, let’s go straight to the next match.

From Live And Let Die (June 8, 2013).

SCUM vs. Michael Elgin/Jay Lethal/BJ Whitmer

Date: June 8, 2013

Location: Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, Ohio

Commentator: Kevin Kelly

Anything goes and it’s Jimmy Jacobs/Cliff Compton/Rhett Titus for the team. It’s a brawl to start as the ring announcer tries to get the entrances. SCUM hits a triple suplex but the ROH guys are right back up for the delayed triple verticals. It’s already time to go outside with Lethal suicide diving onto Jacobs. Elgin beats Compton up the aisle as Corino is losing his mind at ringside.

Compton fights back near the entrance as the other four brawl nearby. Lethal and Jacobs finally get back in the ring but Titus makes the save and clotheslines Lethal outside. Titus walks into Whitmer’s suplex but here’s Compton to take him down in a hurry. One heck of a discus forearm sends Compton off the apron and his partners can’t quite catch him. Jacobs can’t hit the Contra Code off the apron to Elgin but they fall onto the pile anyway.

Back in and Jacobs hits the middle rope cutter on Lethal before going up top. A top rope backsplash….is pulled out of the air by Elgin. That’s just insane power and sets up a powerbomb for two with Titus and Compton making the save. Elgin doesn’t like that and suplexes both of them at the same time.

Jacobs comes back in with a chair to Elgin, followed by a reverse hurricanrana to Whitmer. Lethal is back in with a Downward Spiral/DDT combination to Jacobs and Titus. The Lethal Injection to Compton is broken up with a chair to the back though and Compton hits an F6 for the pin at 9:21.

Rating: C-. The action here worked but these matches are starting to bleed together. There’s only so much that can be gained from all of these matches that you see with some combination of the same handful of ROH guys vs. the same SCUM soldiers. They’re not bad matches, but I feel like I’ve seen these things time after time now.

Elgin is TICKED about the loss.

From Best In The World 2013 (June 22, 2013).

We recap Kevin Steen vs. Matt Hardy. Steen got thrown out of SCUM as Steve Corino seemed to be willing to get rid of him now that Hardy was here. Steen has tried to help in the war against SCUM but hasn’t quite pulled it off yet. He has to beat everyone in SCUM to get his title rematch and this is his big showdown, though he is still somewhat untrustworthy.

Kevin Steen vs. Matt Hardy

Date: June 22, 2013

Location: Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly

Steve Corino is here with Hardy and rants about how Baltimore loves false heroes. Hardy on the other hand is an icon and has over 800,000 Twitter followers. Corino yells at some fans and they throw toilet paper back at Hardy. We get the full intro from Corino, including saying that Hardy is a beautiful man. Steen’s entrance gets a ton of streamers but hang on because he wants this to be No DQ. Nigel says game on and Steen accuses Matt of being the bigger coward of the Hardy brothers.

We’re on in a hurry with Steen pounding him down in the corner, only to have Hardy pull the referee in front of the Cannonball. That’s enough of a distraction so Hardy can start working on the leg. Steen uses the good leg to kick him to the floor, allowing Steen to yell at a fan before chopping Matt against the barricade. Some crutch shots to the back have Matt in more trouble and Steen picks up a sign in his name to punch Hardy.

There’s a crotching against the post as the fans are WAY into Steen here. Hardy finally sends him back into the barricade and it’s time for a trashcan inside. A pair of neckbreakers plant Steen but he sends Hardy hard into the corner for the Cannonball. The Cannonball into the trashcan into Hardy gets two and it’s time to set up a table at ringside. That takes too much time so Hardy grabs the Side Effect for two more.

Steen fights back on the apron, drawing out Jimmy Jacobs to get rid of the table before a package piledriver can connect. Instead, Jacobs gets powerbombed onto the apron so here’s Compton to chair Steen down. Back in and Hardy hits him in the face with a ladder but Steen grabs a Codebreaker to send the ladder into Hardy’s face for two.

Thankfully that hurts Steen’s knee and the delay lets the Twist of Fate give Hardy two more. The low blow into the F Cinc drops Hardy for another near fall. Matt gets in his own low blow this time, setting up the Side Effect onto a chair. Compton throws in some more chairs and it’s a Twist of Fate through said chairs to finish Steen at 14:10.

Rating: B-. This felt like a big match though Steen losing feels rather flat. At the same time though, Hardy was kicking out of Steen’s big stuff so it does give him some credibility rather than just coasting on his reputation. Steen’s path forward almost has to lead to the big save in Steel Cage Warfare, but you never can tell around here. That’s a good thing too, especially in this situation.

Post match the beatdown stays on and no one comes out for the save.

From Ring of Honor TV, July 6, 2013.

We see a clip of Jay Briscoe after he survived against Mark Briscoe at Best In The World.

Nigel is in the ring and talks about how Best In The World reminded him why he loved this business. You had two people who helped build this company fighting to determine who was the best man. They did everyone proud (Kevin Kelly: “Amen.” Steve Corino: “Shut up.”) but the question now is how much do you have left.

The point is that both Briscoes are banged up with Jay having hurt his shoulder and Mark having suffered a concussion (Kelly to Corino: “Stop clapping.”). Therefore, Mark is out of Steel Cage Warfare, meaning we need a replacement. The fans want Steen….and here he comes, much to Corino’s fear. Steen gets straight to the point: put him in Steel Cage Warfare.

Nigel isn’t sure because he’s not wild on trusting the man who started SCUM in the first place. Steen is here for payback and to beat them up so now he can finish this. Steen: “So grow a pair and put me in the G** d*** match!” Cue SCUM to go after Steen so here are BJ Whitmer, Michael Elgin and Jay Lethal for the save. Security breaks it up as Corino looks worried.

From Ring of Honor TV, July 20, 2013.

SCUM is in their limo, as paid for by Hardy, on their way to the arena. They are ready to pay him back for everything by making him World Champion. They’re closer to him than his own brother.

We see SCUM arriving at the arena with Matt offering to buy pro-Steen signs and cutting promos on fans. Corino: “IMAGINE THE DRUGS YOU CAN BUY WITH EIGHTY BUCKS!” The fan won’t budge so Rhett Titus rips it up for him.

Ring of Honor World Title: Jay Briscoe vs. Matt Hardy

Date: July 20, 2013

Location: Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Commentator: Kevin Kelly

Briscoe is defending with a bad shoulder and Corino is here with Hardy. Corino handles Hardy’s introductions, including saying he can walk on water. They lock up to start with Matt wisely going after the shoulder but Briscoe stomps him down in the corner. The bad shoulder goes into the post a few times though as Matt is showing the brains early on. Briscoe tries to slug away but gets caught in the Twist of Fate for two. Matt hits the hammerlock and we take a break.

Back with Jay hitting the forearms and nailing a dropkick but not being able to follow up. A superkick drops Hardy for two and the hangman’s neckbreaker is good for the same. The Jay Driller is broken up though and Matt grabs another Twist of Fate for another two. They go outside with Hardy sending him into various things for two back inside. Jay breaks out of the double underhook choke though and hits a very quick Jay Driller for a near fall.

A bunch of stomps to the leg in the corner have Hardy in more trouble so the referee pulls Briscoe off. That lets Hardy take off his boot for a shot to the head and two of his own. Two more Twists of Fate give Hardy two more and he can’t believe the kickout. The double underhook choke goes on but Briscoe is out in a hurry. Hardy takes his sweet time going up top and a belly to back superplex gives Jay two. They slug it out and the Jay Driller is countered into the Twist of Fate, which is countered into a small package to retain the title at 18:45.

Rating: B. They came as close to epic as you can get in this situation and that’s a good feeling. Matt taking the fall is a big deal as Briscoe gets to establish himself a little bit more. Briscoe hung in there against a legend and even got the pin after surviving several finishers. It felt big and that’s what they were going for so well done.

Post match here’s Rhino to Gore Jay, drawing out Mark Briscoe for the save. ROH and SCUM come out for the brawl with the latter using zip ties to tie ROH to the ropes. Corino puts the title around Hardy and the already concussed Mark takes a pair of Conchairtos. Matt Pillmanizes Jay’s shoulder, which is treated as a bigger deal than the Conchairtos. Corino promises to burn ROH down to end the show. Steen was notably absent for the save.

From ROH TV, July 27, 2013.

Long video on the history of SCUM and how we got to this match. No one on Team ROH really trusts Steen, but they know he’s their only chance.

Team ROH vs. SCUM

Date: July 27, 2013

Location: Du Burns Arena, Baltimore, Maryland

Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Steve Corino

ROH: Michael Elgin, Jay Lethal, BJ Whitmer, Kevin Steen

SCUM: Rhino, Cliff Compton, Jimmy Jacobs, Rhett Titus

It’s Steel Cage Warfare with everything on the line. If SCUM wins, Steve Corino runs ROH but if ROH wins, SCUM disbands. The match is WarGames with one ring and under elimination rules. Two men are in for five minutes, then SCUM gets a two minute advantage. Then it is back and forth entrants every two minutes until one team is completely eliminated. Before the match, Corino mentions that Steen had flat fires and couldn’t be here for the save last week, but Kelly realizes there is no way Corino would have known that without having something to do with it.

Jacobs and Whitmer start things off and immediately slug it out until Whitmer headscissors him into the cage. Whitmer shrugs it off and sends Jacobs into the cage over and over as Corino is being way closer to neutral than you would expect. The exploder suplex gives Whitmer two and he rakes Jacobs’ face into the cage.

Titus makes it 2-1 so Whitmer is waiting on him with some weak looking clotheslines. Whitmer sends him into the cage a few times and we take a break (feels so wrong in a match like this). Back with Whitmer being stomped down in the corner until Elgin is in to tie things up. Elgin suplexes both of them at once and then throws them both at once as the power is on full display. There’s the delayed vertical suplex to Jacobs but Elgin just sits him down for a whip into the cage instead.

Compton makes it 3-2 and he throws powder in Elgin’s eyes. SCUM busts out the zip ties to tie Elgin to the cage so Whitmer is triple teamed. The spike piledriver gets rid of Whitmer so here’s Lethal to take his place with a chair. House is cleaned and Lethal is smart enough to untie Compton so the comeback is on. Titus gets crotched on top and we take a break. Back again with Rhino (MATT HARDY ISN’T IN THIS???) completing SCUM and it’s a Gore to Elgin. Rhino Gores Titus by mistake and it’s a Lethal Injection to get rid of Rhino in about thirty seconds. Corino: “THAT WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN! THAT WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN!”

Lethal goes Savage with a top rope ax handle for two on Compton. Elgin throws Jacobs onto the cage but he bounces off with a back elbow. Steen is in to complete Team ROH but Matt Hardy (at least he’s here) jumps him from behind and sends him into the cage. The door is left open though and everyone fights to the floor with Steen fighting back up without much effort. ROH takes over as Corino is wondering about the lack of disqualifications.

A table is slid into the cage as everyone keeps brawling on the floor. Elgin side slams Compton through a chair and the table is set up in the corner. Lethal is left alone with Titus and Jacobs with a backflip cutter dropping Titus for the elimination. So it’s Lethal/Elgin/Steen vs. Compton/Jacobs, though Hardy is here too. Hardy gets whipped into the barricade again (they like that around here) and Steen gives him a crutch between the legs. Jacobs chairs Lethal in the back and hits a spear through the table. Compton steals the pin to get rid of Lethal and it’s back to 2-2.

Steen gets back in to send Compton into the cage and we take another break. Back with Jacobs hitting the Contra Code on Steen but Elgin sends Jacobs into the cage. Compton climbs the cage for some reason and gets super sitout powerbombed down to give Elgin the pin, leaving us with Elgin/Steen vs. Jacobs. Corino gets in the cage and throws a fireball at Elgin to give Jacobs the pin.

Hardy comes in with a Twist of Fate to Steen and Corino has a briefcase. Corino opens it up to reveal lighter fluid and a bunch of matches with Jacobs even trying to call this off. Hardy holds the referee back as Corino lights the match. Cue Nigel McGuinness to stop Corino and take him down with a lariat. Steen saves Nigel from the Twist of Fate and gives Matt the package piledriver. Another package piledriver ends Jacobs to finish SCUM at 25:47.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t very good actually and I was kind of disappointed. After over a year of buildup, you kind of expect a lot more than ROH only being in any kind of danger in the last minute. Nigel laying out Corino was a great moment but why in the world did SCUM not put Hardy in there? Over Rhett freaking Titus?

Anyway, it wasn’t a bad match, but they really didn’t do a great job of setting up the drama. I can understand why they didn’t want to go with one fall to a finish here, but the elimination didn’t leave a ton of drama in the end. Steen getting the final fall worked, though he never even got his hands on Corino after everything that happened between them. What we got was good, but I was expecting an epic fight and only got a pretty good one.

The celebration is on with Adam Cole of all people coming out to watch as Nigel hugs Steen to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. It’s kind of hard to give an overall rating to something nearly nine and a half hours long, though I do it every year with Wrestlemania so it’s not completely foreign. This worked well in that it showed a complete story (keep in mind that there is a difference between everything there is to know and everything you need to know) and made me want to see how it was going to end. You knew SCUM would go down in the grand finale, but they did a decent job of making me want to see it happen.

The problem though is the story is only so good. The ending cage match is a big deal but once that was announced, a lot of the time was spent killing time until they reached the match. Once Steen was thrown out of the group, the story kind of stopped evolving and it was little more than “SCUM attacks, ROH can’t fight back, we build up the cage match”. That gets a little tiresome, especially when Steen’s fight through SCUM didn’t wind up going anywhere.

Overall, it’s worth checking out if you haven’t seen the era before (as I hadn’t), but it’s not something that needed to be nine hours. They EASILY could have cut out a handful of matches and trimmed this down by at least an hour and a half, but for the price I paid for it ($5, albeit in a huge sale), I really can’t complain about it whatsoever. It’s an interesting sit, but I wouldn’t watch the three discs back to back to back.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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