411’s ROH on HDNet Report 07.15.09: Episode XVI (07.11.09)

We see the finish of the last episode of ROH, where “miscommunication” led to Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black losing their ROH Tag Team Title Match to the American Wolves. After that match, we got a brawl between the two, meaning that the issue will have to be settled at some point. This is good news for all fans of quality wrestling.

Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood welcome us to THE Ring of Honor. They basically say what I just said, but the Hog introduces the next match.

Flag Match: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright
Claudio is VERY European. I’m not even Swiss, but I want his robe. He spends the early part trying to bail outside the ring to get the flag (NO POLES!), but Albright puts a stop to that with a German Suplex. Brent keeps whaling at CC, even hitting a European Uppercut before clotheslining him to the floor. He charges into the guardrail when Claudio moves, and CC hits a bicycle kick. He goes to get the Swiss flag, and kicks the American Flag first. Awesome. CC hits a gutwrench suplex onto the ramp, and moves the barricade over to block Albrights return. Also awesome. They trade forearms before Albright leaps off a chair and over the rail with a clothesline. They brawl for a bit before Brent hits a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. Albright gets his flag, but Claudio almost gets into the ring to win the match. Brent stops him and throws him into the rail. They brawl some more before CC goes to the eyes, but when he tries a second gutwrench suplex, Albright back body drops him. Claudio goes low and throws Brent inside, and then uses the American Flag as a towel (in his armpits) and as a handkerchief. He throws the flag into the crowd, but Albright hits a dropkick through the ropes and a pescado. He gets the flag and lunges into the ring, but CC grabs him in a wheelbarrow and slams him into the rail. They brawl across the buckles before Claudio jumps in the ring, but he doesn’t have the flag. Brent returns the armpit favor with the Swiss Flag, grabs his flag and hits a crossbody into the ring to win the match. CC throws a royal fit as Albright waves Old Glory around.
Match Analysis:Aside from Hogewood laying on the whole patriotism act on a little thick (He makes Ross sound unbiased), this was a rather enjoyable match. The modified rules allowed them to brawl around and do some cool spots, but the finish was just as ridiculous as a pole match. Pretty good, all things considered. **1/4

Kyle Durdan is in the back with Roderick Strong and Jay Briscoe. They’ve had a couple of REALLY good matches lately and this is the rubber match. They wisely let Jay do most of the talking.

D-Lo Brown decides not to cut a promo.

D-Lo Brown vs. Alex Payne
Hmm…wonder how this will go? Crowd is behind D-Lo. Payne wants a handshake, D-Lo obliges, but Payne is smart enough to roll under a cheap clothesline and hit a flurry of offense. He ducks a second clothesline and mocks D-Lo’s headbanging, but D-Lo fakes a third clothesline and catches Alex by the throat when he rolls again. He tosses him in the corner, but Payne moves out of the way and hits some more punches. He hits the ropes and Brown gets a military press into an Ace Crusher. Brown hits a corner clothesline and an exploder before hitting a BEAUTIFUL shining wizard. Sugarfoot hits a blockbuster for a nearfall, but he leaps into Sky High. A prawn-hold powerbomb finishes the match for D-Lo. SLAP THE PORPOISE!
Match Analysis:It was a squash, but they told a good story at the beginning and Brown busted out a couple of cool moves. Alex didn’t look incompetent, just out matched, and that’s how you SHOULD look after a squash. *1/4

Eddie Kingston is in the back, and Durdan asks him one question: Why does he hate Chris Hero. Eddie says that every real wrestler wants to work for ROH, but says that Hero plays politics and kept him out of the company. He says he won’t kill Hero, but he will cripple him mentally, emotionally and physically. Why is Eddie a great promo? Because he says everything with total conviction, and even if the storyline is a bit preposterous, he makes you believe it. WWE could use guys like him.

We get hype for Jerry Lynn, Erick Stevens and Kenny Omega vs. Kenny King, Rhett Titus and Austin Aries. That’s up next, but WAIT!

Colt Cabana is here with “The Art of Professional Wrestling”. Brent Albright is here with him. Colt considers himself an artist, and he considers Albright a meathead. They shill merchandise. This is a GREAT way to use Cabana.

Hype for the Toronto shows, where Bret Hart and Ric Flair will be appearing. I’m sure Lansdell will give you all of the riveting details. Jerk.

Another look at the Wolves vs. Black Dragon match from two weeks ago. Black Dragon should have stayed a team. Their finisher could be called “Acid Breath”. 50 points to whoever gets that. Two weeks from now we will get Danielson vs. Black III.

We get another look at how Austin Aries became champion a month ago.

Austin Aries, Kenny King & Rhett Titus vs. Jerry Lynn, Kenny Omega & Erick Stevens
No intros (because Lynn was still champion), but we do get a shot at the belt. Lynn wants Aries, but Aries backs off. The two Kennys start the match off for us. If I had to guess, Titus takes the pinfall in this. Nevermind, Aries decides to start the match now. Lynn wants back in, but Omega manages to convince him to stay. Omega grabs an arm wringer but Aries schools him with counters. Aries lets Titus in, and they trade counters for a bit before Omega hits a spinning wheel kick. King tags in and takes Omega down before laying into him with punches. Titus and Aries attack Omega in the corner, but he leaps over King and tags in Stevens. King takes the fight to Stevens but runs into a headbutt. Erick fights off Aries and then bulldozes over King with a shoulder block. Stevens chops King and tags in Lynn. Lynn hits a drop toehold and Stevens hits an elbow drop, and that gets two for Lynn. Lynn hits a flying back elbow for another two. Aries trips up Lynn on the outside and King goes to a choke. Aries tags in and does soem damage, and lets Titus choke Lynn. Lynn comes back with chops though, and Aries decides he’s had enough and tag back out to Titus.

King sneaks in but eats a backdrop, and Titus runs into a press slam from Stevens. Lynn tags out to Omega and hits a hilo onto King Titus. Omega looks to follow it up with a top rope move, but Aries sneaks in and snaps his throat off of the top rope. Titus hits a few moves on Omega, including a flying knee for two. He tags out to Aries, who hits a sidewalk slam for two. He follows up with the Pendulum Elbow, and that gets two as well. Some prick busts out the “S.O.S.” chant usually reserved for John Cena. Aries slams Omega into King and Titus’ boots, and tags out to King. Omega fights back but eats a spinebuster, which gets two for King. King tags to Titus and holds Omega so that Titus can hit a double knee drop to the stomach. Titus gyrates but gets STOPPED, and Omega hits an enzugiri. Titus tags out to Aries, who knocks Stevens off the apron with a forearm. Lynn ducks it but the result is still the same. Aries hazes Omega but Omega counters a Brainbuster to an inverted atomic drop and make the tag to Lynn.

Aries tags out to Titus, who eats a flying clothesline from Lynn. He takes out King and DDTs Titus, but Aries breaks up the pin. He bails again and that allows King to hit the double knees and smash Lynn’s face on Titus’ knee. Titus covers but only gets two. Lynn fights them off and tags in Stevens, who hits a double shoulderblock on King Titus. He whips them into a buckle, but Aries stops the Choo-Choo with a clothesline. He hits the IED, but when he goes for the Heat Seeking Missile, Lynn catches him for the Cradle Piledriver. The lackeys save Aries, but Omega leapfrogs Lynn and hits a double facebuster on King Titus. Omega jumps to the ropes and hits an Asai Moonsualt onto King Titus. He throws Titus in the ring, and Lynn wants the Cradle Piledriver, but Aries breaks it up with a shot from the belt. He struts for a bit but avoids the Choo-Choo from Stevens, which hits Titus instead. Stevens lifts Titus up and clotheslines him in mid-air to get the win. Aww, no Doctor Bomb?
Match Analysis:Better to watch the match for yourself, because there was a lot going on. Stevens may have got the win, but he continues to look like a goof. The match was more about furthering the rivalry with Aries-Lynn then about having a good match. The problem is that ROH used to have a good match anyway. **

We get another look at how The American Wolves won their titles from Kevin Steen & El Generico. Next week, Steenerico teams with KENTA to take on the Wolves and Chris Hero. Very nice.

We get to see the finishes from the earlier matches between these two. This hold promise.

Jay Briscoe w/Mark Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong
Handshake without incident as this is a friendly rivalry. They wrestle around on the mat for a bit, even teasing the Flair-Steamboat sequence but skipping the bridge up. Roderick grabs and arm wringer, but Briscoe revereses into a front facelock. Roderick gets the armbar back, but Jay throws him off. Roddy leapfrogs over Jay twice but gets caught with a hurracanrana. Jay hits an armdrag and keeps the armbar, but Strong does some counters to escape. They dodge and weave before Briscoe hits a back elbow, but Strong nails him with a leaping heel kick for a nearfall. Roderick wins a forearm fight and lays into Jay with chops and a few corner thrusts. Briscoe runs into a back elbow but swats away a dropkick, and Jay returns a chop before getting two off of a dropkick. Jay gets a corner clothesline and a snap mare, and then boots Strong in the head. That gets two, and they trade chops. Jay stops that with a knee to the gut and tosses Roddy to the apron, but Strong slams his head into the top turnbuckle and hits a slingshot crossbody for two. Roderick hits a chop and a dropkick, and then a corner forearm. He hits a corner clothesline, but Briscoe counters the follow-up discus clothesline with a flatliner into the middle buckle for two, and the storytelling is not lost on Prazak.

Roddy gets the advantage with a boot to the face. An enzugiri allows him to hit the slingshot falcon arrow for two. Briscoe avoids the gutbuster but Roddy gets a crucifix for another nearfall. Briscoe hits a big spinebuster for two. Jay gets tossed to the apron, and Strong clocks him with another enzugiri when he goes up top. Strong looks to go for something off the apron but Jay avoids it and hits the big boot. He throws Roderick in and hits a crossbody for two, and then applies a North-South Choke. Roddy gets out with knees and hits a stun gun. The uranage backbreaker gets two for Strong, and he goes for the Stronghold, but Jay counters to a pinfall for a nearfall. Roderick settles for the press gutbuster, but Jay prevents the Sick Kick with a big boot. Strong wins a chop war but Briscoe hits the Death Valley Driver for two. Roderick counters the Jay Driller but eats a stiff clothesline. Jay gets two off of that, and applies the Stretch Plum. Strong rolls him forward for a nearfall, hits a second press gutbuster, GIBSON DRIVER! FOR TWO! Roderick gets the Stronghold on, and Briscoe taps out.
Match Analysis: Very solid TV Main Event. These guys complement each other very well. Jay may have tapped out, but he did kick out of the Gibson Driver, which doesn’t happen very often, so I’m cool with it. Apparently some people found this lackluster, but this was FAR from the worst Main Event that ROH has had. ***

Nigel McGuinness wishes to have a word with us. He says things have changed with Aries as champ, but he’s coming back and things will change again. Sort of an anticlimactic end to the show.

This was a good show. It didn’t have any “Blow-You-Away” matches, but Danielson vs. Black III is supposed to be MOTY material, so I don’t mind waiting. If you see it, you won’t regret it. If you miss it, you won’t regret it either.