WrestleMania Weekend: ROH Take No Prisoners LIVE PPV Report
Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 04.07.2009
The first ever ROH PPV to hail from Houston features Jerry Lynn's first ever ROH World Title defense plus more KENTA and Nakajima badass-ery!
Bobby Cruise started the show off informing this was a PPV broadcast and that there would be a match change due to a medical issue.
Colt Cabana prepares to face his old stablemate, Ace Steel.
First match was a collission of the Second City Saints, Ace Steel vs. Colt Cabana . . . both back in ROH after brieft stints working for WWE. This was much more like a Colt Cabana match than the bout with D'Lo the night before. The fans chanted for Colt and Steel to check the top rope after last night's accident. Eventually, Steel and Cabana took a timeout to shake and test out the ring ropes. Awesome! Some decent back and forth action for about 10 minutes, and Colt pulls out the submission victory with the reverse Boston Crab. Seeing Colt and Steel wrestle live was awesome.
Next up was Rhett Titus vs. Bushwhacker Luke Williams. I mean I thought putting Luke in a pre-show match last night was fine, but putting him on the actual PPV card was a little weird IMHO. Titus does work the gimmick well and plays a good heel. Match was pretty short and Titus schoolboys Luke for the win.
The team of Magno, Jay Briscoe, and El Generico watch on as their tag team partner, Kevin Steen, takes care of business in the ring.
Chris Hero & Incognito & The American Wolves vs. ROH Tag Team champions Kevin Steen & El Generico & Magno & Jay Briscoe. Let's hope the ring doesn't fall apart again for this one. Hero was wearing his newer outfit after wearing classic Hero attire the night before. This was a hot little eight-man tag, went about 15 minutes. The American Wolves are a great team, and I hope they win the tag team titles from Steen and Generico. Richards definitely deserves it after his performance against KENTA. Match ends when Jay Briscoe comes in and cleans house, getting the pin after hitting the Jay Driller on Chris Hero.
Jimmy Jacobs has bad intentions for the Necro Butcher.
No DQ Match: Jimmy Jacobs vs. Necro Butcher
This was billed as a No DQ match. This one got pretty sick and they pulled some nasty bumps. They set up a table and it looked like Necro wanted to superplex Jacobs off the top rope into the table set up on the ring apron and the guard rail. It seemed like Necro was seriously hurt after that bump, but Jacobs had the officials drag Necro back into the ring so Jacobs could get the pinfall, but Necro kicked out and the brawling continued! Jacobs was able to reverse it and they both fell to the floor off the top rope. Ugh. The table did come into play with a Death Valley Driver from Necro through the table on Jacobs. Jacobs locked in the guillotine choke submission, but Necro refused to tap and lifted Jacobs up into a sick Tiger Driver '95 onto folded chairs in the ring to get the 3 and the win. Jacobs was a bloody mess and after the match and looked pretty stunned and received a standing ovation. This was a brutal brawl and fun to watch, but very sick and nasty as well. Some of those spots, yikes. Necro however has really become a strong fan-favorite in ROH. He's a brawler, but he still knows his way around the ring.
Necro Butcher before he DVD's Jimmy Jacobs to a table from Hell.
Nigel McGuinness came out in casual clothes because his scheduled tag team match with Claudio against Blue Demon Jr. and Brent Albright has been changed. Nigel gave a serious speech explaining how his body has been battered and abused after upholding the greatest title in all of wrestling for 17 months. Nigel also says if anyone has a problem with that, they can have a chat with him outside after the show. Claudio comes out and he isn't happy that Nigel isn't fighting with him. Nigel apologizes and wishes Claudio luck. Nigel turns to leave, and Claudio does the dastardly heel beatdown! Claudio brings in a non-folding chair from the floor and nails Nigel with it. Brent Albright rushes out to attack his rival, Claudio. This is followed by Blue Demon Jr. to start the triple threat match.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Blue Demon Jr. vs. Brent Albright
They wrestled this apparently under tag rules. Some back and forth action. Blue Demon did his numerous versions of the spinning headscissors on Claudio including one to the outside on the floor. Match was fairly short and felt like it could've gone a lot longer though. Albright gets the clean victory with a German suplex, getting a measure of retribution from the previous night. I was excited about seeing Blue Demon Jr. in ROH, but it felt like he only got to do the bare minimum in the matches this weekend.
Kozlov and Strong uphold the Code Of Honor.
Alex Kozlov vs. Roderick Strong
Kozlov definitely won some fans over after his performance the night before in the awesome match with Bryan Danielson. Fans were even chanting for RUSSIA! Kozlov oozes charisma and he's a great worker. He's got a character and a gimmick and ROH could definitely use him for TV. One of the better singles matches of the night, and Strong locks the Stronghold submission for the victory. Fans chanted for Kozlov to "Please come back!" Hopefully he will.
Danielson prepares for another ROH World Title match.
ROH World Title Match: Jerry Lynn(c) vs. Erick Stevens vs. D'Lo Brown vs. Bryan Danielson
Well D'Lo beat Colt Cabana the night before, so I guess his being in this match is OK. This was your fairly basic, thrown together ROH four way, nothing really special here. You kind of had the feeling Lynn wasn't going to win, and it didn't really get a lot of time either. The finish came with Lynn hitting Stevens with the piledriver for the pinfall to retain his title. So it looks like Lynn is holding the title for now. As for as ROH world title matches go, this one was pretty disappointing. I think booking some sort of tag match variation with Lynn and Danielson would've been better.
Aries.
KENTA is going to kill you.
Tyler Black & KENTA vs. Austin Aries & Katsuhiko Nakajima
Here we go! Aries has really embraced his new character and he goes it great. What's sad is we can't see the pendulum elbow drop anymore since the crowd refuses to cheer for Aries. Crowd was once again super hot for KENTA. Nakajima brought the hate and the kicking/striking segments that broke out between KENTA and Nakajima were loud, intense, and sickening. Tyler at the end finishes off Aries to get the pinfall with the package piledriver. Awesome tag team match and main event that made up for most of the rest of the show. I'd call this one about ****.
Black and KENTA are victorious at Take No Prisoners.
As far as ROH shows, this one didn't hold a candle to Supercard of Honor IV. This was a PPV card, and it felt like they could've executed this one a little stronger. There were a few good, little matches but besides the main event nothing felt truly awesome. The title match could've been a lot better. Demon Jr. could've done something more of note as well since these were his first two appearances in ROH.
Still compared to WrestleMania, the best matches you saw this weekend besides HBK/Taker were on the ROH shows. And I'm not trying to be an anti-WWE indy mark for saying this. ROH just gave us some fun straight-up wrestling matches and the superior title matches.
Great PPV! I'm sure 17 out of the 19 people who ordered it, where extremely happy!
And let me say, any promotion that in it's review, has "I hope the ring doesn't collapse like last time" is obviously going places!
Posted By: HHH (Guest) on April 07, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Looking forward to getting a chance to see this. Plenty of anti-ROH comments now so I won't be surprised to see them fill up right about now
Posted By: Guest#8912 (Guest) on April 07, 2009 at 07:39 AM
Is Necro Butcher trying to be a Sandman wannabe?
Posted By: Michael (Guest) on April 07, 2009 at 09:37 AM
Sandman wishes he could be Necro Necro is more hardcore than sandman could dream of and atleast he doesn't show up at every show drunk out of his mind
and HHH please that joke was horrible
now why don't you go under your under 50 names here on 411mania make stupid comments and continue to waste
your life
Posted By: random (Guest) on April 07, 2009 at 11:35 AM
You're trying to tell me Necro was not influenced by The Sandman's act?
Posted By: Michael (Guest) on April 07, 2009 at 12:21 PM
HHH, its funny because no one has ordered the show yet because it hasn't aired. The PPV will air at a later date. They were taping the show that night for PPV.
Posted By: Jeffrey Harris (Registered) on April 07, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Necro is really nothing like Sandman at all besides that they are both hardcore brawlers. Sandman's whole thing was coming out to Enter Sandman, drinking beer, the smoking and what not. Necro Butcher is totally different.
Also, they had an accident on the first night. Just like Hart Foundation vs. The Rockers. But they made it work and they still had a good match out of it.
Colt Cabana and Ace Steel just made a great comedy bit out of it. Comedy is Colt's whole gimmick.
Posted By: Jeffrey Harris (Registered) on April 07, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Well, i give credit to HHH for actually forming a funny anti-ROH comment. I do question why he chooses to rip on Indy Promotions when he should concentrate on delivering in the main event at Wrestlemania.
You really have to wonder about his priorities.
Posted By: the dude (Guest) on April 08, 2009 at 01:10 AM
I'm sorry, but what was funny about HHH's unfunny, stupid joke?
Posted By: Jeffrey Harris (Registered) on April 08, 2009 at 02:45 PM
You were a total tool both nights. Everyone in the front row hated you, myself included.
Posted By: CMG (Guest) on April 09, 2009 at 12:40 AM
Thank you CMG, now go have some cake.
Posted By: Jeffrey (Registered) on April 09, 2009 at 03:33 AM
Well, it wasn't outright funny. But it was a decent satire. It wasn't as outright stupid as most. It had it's stupid hidden away.
Posted By: the dude (Guest) on April 09, 2009 at 04:33 PM
" HBK/Taker were on the ROH shows. And I'm not trying to be an anti-WWE indy mark for saying this. ROH just gave us some fun straight-up wrestling matches and the superior title matches. "
Your not lying about that bro, I live in Houston, I sat 2nd row for the PPV and 10th row for Supercard of Honor IV the night before & the wrestling was superior too what I saw from my 3rd row seat at Wrestlemania...funny I paid $1,600 to a ticket agent for that 3rd row seat and only spent $20 on SoH IV and $50 on the Take No Prisoner's
Posted By: ExodusAoA (Registered) on April 09, 2009 at 05:54 PM
CMG, I remember you too. Both nights you acted like such a pompous, high and mighty smark who couldn't seem to enjoy the show. Chants have become part of a wrestling show. If you didn't like the chants my friend Jeffrey and others were chanting, maybe you should have stayed home and waited for the show to come on DVD so you can watch the show on mute so we won't annoy you with such classic chants as "We want cake" or "Check the top rope." You're what's wrong with entertainment. You take everything too seriously. Wrestling is meant to be enjoyed.
In the words of Jeffrey "The Vile One" Harris, "Go have some cake." Then choke on it.
Posted By: Jason Elliott (Guest) on April 10, 2009 at 02:49 PM
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