100 Percent Fordified: Ring of Honor American Wolves – The Hunt Never Dies

Disc One

Elimination Match
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. Nigel McGuinness & Claudio Castagnoli
“All Star Extravaganza IV” – Philadelphia, PA – 12.26.2008

McGuinness and Jay start off trading holds. McGuinness tenaciously holds onto a cravate. Jay shoves him away and delivers a leg lariat. Richards tags in and fights Jay in a test of strength. He puts him in a seated parachute stretch. He releases when Jay gets to the ropes and tags in Edwards. Jay trips him into a front facelock. Mark gets in some shots when he tags in. He puts Edwards in a headscissors. Edwards get to the ropes. Mark chops McGuinness in his ribs to tag out. Edwards shoves him to the corner in a lock-up. McGuinness bails to the floor when Rihards tags in. Jay aggressively goes for a cross armbreaker but Richards gets the ropes. Mark comes in. Richards takes him to his corner so he and Edwards can get in some tandem strikes. Mark quickly back elbows Edwards and tags Jay in. McGuinness forearms Jay from behind. He and Claudio take turns picking Jay apart. Jay catches Claudio with a big boot for two. Mark comes in with a top rope elbow. McGuinness breaks his cover. The Briscoes go for a Doomsday Device. Richards pulls Mark down causing his knee to collide with the ring apron. Jay ducks Claudio’s Swiss Chin Music but takes Swiss Death. Edwards rolls up Claudio from behind, eliminating him and McGuinness at 10:26. Claudio and McGuinness angrily throw the timekeeper around before heading to the back. The Wolves work together on Mark’s injured knee. Mark fights off Richards. Edwards fails to knock Jay off the apron. Mark tags him in and he unloads with clotheslines. He kicks Edwards in a tree of woe and sends Richards face first into his crotch via a Complete Shot. Jay gets two on Richards with the Falcon Arrow. He follows up with a spinebuster and Edwards breaks the cover. He goes for the Jay Driller. Richards blocks and slingshots him into a forearm from Edwards. Edwards comes off the top with a knee across his throat. He gives Jay the Chin Checker for two. He goes for Die Hard but Mark attacks. A four man forearm battle ensues. Edwards kicks out Mark’s bad knee. He superkicks Jay into Richards’ German suplex for two. Mark stops them from delivering a Doomsday maneuver. He suplexes Richards off the top. Jay gives Edwards the Jay Driller for the pin and the win at 18:50. That was a good way to introduce the Wolves and get them embroiled in an issue right away. All six guys worked together really well and blended their styles together effectively. ***1/4

At “Final Battle 2008”, The Briscoes successfully defeated the NOAH duo of Kensuke Sasaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima. Right after, The American Wolves came out to finish the job they started the night before. They handcuff Jay to the ropes and do serious damage to Mark’s knee with a steel chair. ROH Tag Team champions Kevin Steen and El Generico run out to stop the beat down.

ROH Tag Team Championship – No Disqualification
Kevin Steen & El Generico (Champions) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
“7th Anniversary Show” – New York, NY – 3.21.2009

A wild brawl begins as soon as both teams are in the ring. Steen gives Edwards a cannonball senton and Generico yakuza kicks Richards. They regroup on the floor, so Steen tope con hilos after them. Richards is taken out on the floor. Generico makes sure to keep him at bay. Edwards’ head gets sandwiched with chairs and Steen legdrops him. Generico misses a flipping senton, landing on a pile of chairs. Edwards follows with a jumping knee strike. Richards gives him a tombstone onto the chairs. With him taken out, the Wolves go after Steen’s knee just like they did Mark Briscoe. Steen drops down the top rope to send them to the floor. Generico double jumps the ropes to somersault senton onto them. In the ring Generico looks to set up for a DDT. He changes his mind and tosses a chair at Edwards’ head. Steen gives Richards a pump-handle neckbreaker across his bad knee. Generico follows with a splash for two. He sets up a ladder in the corner. Richards gets whipped into it. Richards gets suplexed onto the ladder and Generico split-legged moonsaults onto him for two. Steen sets the ladder on the ropes with Richards on top. Edwards cuts off his momentum. Generico yakuza kicks Edwards in the corner. He goes for a springboard senton onto Richards, but he moves and Generico’s lands back first onto the ladder. Edwards pops him up for Richards’ Alarm Clock. Edwards nails him with a chair. Richards German suplexes him and Steen breaks the pin. Steen powerbombs Richards and belly-to-belly suplexes Edwards into the corner. Steen cannonball sentons them both at the same time. Generico uses a coast-to-coast dropkick to the kick the ladder into the Wolves. Steen sends Edwards through a chair with a pump-handle neckbreaker. Generico goes for a yakuza kick on the floor. Richards drop toe holds him head first into the guardrails. He shoves Steen off the top rope, causing him to crash knee first to the canvas. Richards abuses the knee with a chair before putting on a Texas Cloverleaf. Generico saves him. He accidentally hits Steen with a chair! Richards superkicks Generico to the floor. He misses a shooting star press, also landing on his knee. Steen uses the chair on Richards’ legs and applies a sharpshooter. Richards taps out at 16:29. That was a great, violent brawl. They started hot and heavy, never let up, and everyone had a significant role. I thought Richards getting his knee worked over was a very clever moment of retribution for the champions. I think this is better than most people give it credit for. ****

After the match, Steen gets busted open and his knee gets attacked again. The Wolves put Generico thrugh a table with a Doomsday Bulldog. This would lead to a Tables match for the belts a few weeks later. Speaking of…

ROH Tag Team Championship – Tables Match
Kevin Steen & El Generico (Champions) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
“ROH on HDNet Episode 11” – Philadelphia, PA- 4.10.2009

Tables are legal in this match. The Wolves attack Generico and Steen in the aisle. Generico throws Edwards into the barricades a couple of times while Steen throws punches at Richards. He throws Richards into the barricades a couple of times as well. In the ring, Generico drop toe hold Richards into two of Steen’s flipping legdrops. Edwards jumps in to attack but gets taken down by Generico quickly. Steen gives him a couple sentons, then a third with Generico on his back. Steen pulls out a table. Generico throws both Wolves head first into it. Steen sets the table up into the corner back in the ring. Edwards dodges being thrown through it, but does get suplexed into another corner. Richards kicks out Steen’s knee. Edwards pops up Generico for the Alarm Clock from Richards. Richards German suplex to Generico does NOT break the table, unfortunately for them. Edwards drives Steen knee first through the table. The Wolves continue to damage up Steen’s knee while Generico recovers on the floor. Steen elbows them out of the corner just in time for Generico to come in with a double crossbody. He gives Edwards a Michinoku Driver. Generico walks the ropes to give Richards a tornado DDT. He then tope con hilo’s onto Edwards on the floor. Steen powerbombs Richards onto some table debris. Steen swanton bombs onto him, with Generico following after with a Superfly splash. Edwards breaks the pin just in time. Steen sets up two tables stacked onto one another outside of the ring. Steen teases a piledriver on the apron. Richards kicks his leg out to stop him. The Wolves give him a running forearm/enzuigiri combo in the corner. Richards misses a shooting star press. Generico dives through the ropes and DDT’s Edwards on the floor! He places Edwards on a table on the floor. Steen gives Richards a cannonball senton so Generico’s Superfly splash onto Edwards through the table goes uninterrupted. Steen puts Richards in the sharpshooter. Shane Hagadorn makes his way out, but Steen gives him a Package Piledriver right away. He sets up a table inside the ring and climbs the ropes. Richards shoves him off, sending Steen through the two previously set up tables. Generico yakuza kicks him and looks for the super brainbuster. Edwards however comes in to stop. The Wolves put Generico through the table with a Doomsday Ace Crusher for the pin and the titles at 15:11. That was a super hot, exciting main event. I thought it was weird that it wasn’t an elimination match where putting your opponent through your table was the only way to win, but they used the stipulation perfectly and got the audience more into the bout as it went on. A terrific match from the HDNet era that does not get the love it deserves. ***3/4

ROH World Tag Team Championship – 2 out of 3 Falls
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. Kevin Steen & Jay Briscoe
“The Homecoming II” – Chicago Ridge, IL – 4.25.2009

With both Mark Briscoe and El Generico on the shelf, their partners decided to take a shot at teaming together to win the tag team titles. Like the last match, everyone brawls at the beginning. Richards is bitten by Steen. Jay throws Edwards into the guardrails then into the ring. Steen gives him a cannonball senton. Jay hits a Gourd Buster for two. Edwards shoves Jay to the corner so Richards can tag in. Jay gives him a dropkick. Steen and Jay volley him between them with punches. Jay gives him a legdrop and Steen hits a senton. He tags in Edwards who quickly finds himself beaten down by the opposition. Richards blind tags in when Steen attempts an O’Conner Roll. Richards uses Jay to tie up the referee so Shane Hagadorn and Edwards can wear Steen down on the floor. They now take control of Steen in their corner. Jay gets knocked to the floor, so he decides to Cactus clothesline Edwards. Steen then puts Richards in the Sharpshooter. Edwards tries a missile dropkick, but Steen just catches him and puts him in the submission instead. He taps out at 10:54, giving Steen and Jay the first fall. The Wolves try to retreat to the back. Of course, Steen and Jay bring them back. Edwards sends Jay into the barricades. He gives Steen a dragonscrew leg whip in the ropes on his bad knee. The Wolves smartly tag that body part while Jay recovers. Steen catches Richards coming at him in the corner with a superkick. Jay tags in and gives him a spinebuster after disposing Edwards. Richards blocks the Jay Driller. He hits Sankakugeri to Jay’s lower block and tags in Edwards. Jay boots him and Edwards responds with a jump-up knee strike. He gives Jay the Chin Checker for two. Jay takes a German suplex and big boots Edwards right after. Steen and Richards tag in. Steen hits a DDT. Richards blocks the Package Piledriver with another dragonscrew. Edwards suplexes him onto his face. Richards hits a missile dropkick and applies the Cloverleaf. Steen taps out at 19:10, tying up the match at one fall a piece. Jay and Edwards fight on the floor while Steen and Richards go at it in the ring. Steen tries for the Package Piledriver but his knee buckles. Richards reapplies the Cloverleaf. Jay gives Edwards an apron spinebuster and saves Steen. Jay and Richards exchange strikes until Jay hits him with a short-arm lariat for two. He sends Richards to the floor with Edwards. Steen tope con hilo’s after them. In the ring Richards takes a Swanton Bomb and a splash but still is able to kick out. Steen and Richards lock Edwards and Jay (respectively in separate submissions). They spit at each other until they both release and Steen gives him a Package Piledriver. Edwards saves the match at the last minute. He low blows Steen while the referee is restoring order. Steen accidentally gives Jay a low blow. Edwards superkicks Steen away. He then superkicks Jay into Richards’ German suplex. Jay still kicks out. The Doomsday Ace Crusher puts Jay away at 24:34, giving the Wolves the win and the titles. This was so smartly worked. Each fall told a story that carried over into the next and they actually had the crowd buying this makeshift team as believable contenders. This is a supremely under-appreciated match. ****

ROH World Tag Team Championship – Submissions Match
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
“Manhattan Mayhem III” – New York, NY – 6.13.2009

The Wolves tease the challengers by getting in and out of the ring when they do the opposite. Eventually things start on the floor with Steen and Generico in control. Steen tope con hilo’s onto the Wolves. Richards gives him a chinbreaker and brings him in the ring. Steen avoids a missile dropkick and puts on the sharpshooter. Edwards makes the save. Generico disposes of Edwards than drop toe holds Richards for Steen’s flipping leg drop. Richards escapes Steen’s abdominal stretch and tags in Edwards. Steen and Generico volley Edwards with punches. Richards jumps in to even the score. Edwards brings Steen to his corner and legally tags Richards in. The Wolves both work over Steen’s knee that’s been hurt for months now. Steen fights out of a double suplex. He rolls forward and Generico crossbody’s in. He clotheslines Edwards to the floor. He runs the ropes and somersault sentons after him. Steen superkicks Richards to the corner and delivers a cannonball senton. He reapplies the sharpshooter. Richards makes it to the ropes. Generico yakuza kicks him into a half-nelson suplex. After a second yakuza kick he applies a sleeper hold. Edwards breaks it up. Steen rakes his eyes and tosses him to the floor. Generico gets pulled to the floor by Edwards. Richards does a shooting star press onto everyone. Generico gives Richards the Michinoku Driver back in the ring. Richards blocks his yakuza kick with a dragonscrew leg whip. Edwards brings Generico off the top with a huracanrana. Richards puts him in a Cloverleaf. Edwards tries stopping Steen, but Steen does successfully break the hold. He superkicks Edwards and puts Richards in the sharpshooter. Generico gets one on Edwards. They both get broken. Steen gets backdropped to the floor. Generico yakuza kicks Edwards and poises him for the top rope brainbuster. Richards hits Generico’s hurt knee with a ring bell. Edwards loosens Generico’s knee brace while Shane Hagadorn distracts the referee. He puts Generico in an Achilles Lock for the submission at 18:40. It was a very good match, but it felt like it was missing something. Although the stipulation was used well, it didn’t leave a lot of room for a lot of creativity. The ring bell shot and Hagadorn distraction took some of the wind out of my sails too. ***1/2

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black
“ROH on HDNet Episode 15” – Philadelphia, PA – 5.29.2009

Danielson and Richards start out. Richards hits the floor when he becomes frustrated that Danielson outwrestles him. Black tags in. Richards backs him to the corner and tags in Edwards. Black backdrops him. Danielson kicks Edwards in the mid-section. He kicks out Edwards’ leg. He’s able to move out of the trajectory of Danielson’s chest kick. Danielson does however connect with some kicks and both men tag out. Black stomps on Richards’ chest. Danielson digs at Richard’s face while trapping the back of his legs in his own. Black gets backed to the corner and Edwards gives him a couple of headbutts. Black wins a chop exchange with him. Danielson puts Edwards in a Romero Special and Black dropkicks him in the chest. Danielson ties up Richards legs. He dropkicks him to the floor when he escapes. Edwards trips Danielson when he hits the ropes. Black does the same to Edwards. He holds the Wolves together so Danielson can suicide dive after them. In the ring, Richards turns the tide by catching Danielson mid-air with a dropkick. The Wolves keep control until Danielson manages to dropkick them both. Black immediately sends them to the floor and lands a tope con hilo. Black nails a springboard clothesline on Richards for two. He misses a quebrada, but does hit a standing shooting star press for two. The Wolves hit him with a forearm smash/enzuigiri combo in the corner. Richards missile dropkicks him for two. Danielson missile dropkicks Richards while Black pitches Edwards to the floor. Black helps Danielson with a chest kick. Danielson gets thrown out. Edwards and Richards hit a back breaker/powerbomb combo on Black. Danielson breaks the cover. He is unable to fight the Wolves off by himself. Black helps him out by delivering an enzuigiri to Richards. Danielson puts Edwards in the Triangle Choke. Meanwhile Black buckle bombs Richards into a superkick. Richards gets the ropes to break the cover. Danielson stomps Richards head in. He forearms Edwards off the apron which shakes the ropes and breaks Black’s balance on the top rope. Black gets in an argument with Danielson. Edwards trips Danielson and brings him to the floor so Richards can roll up Black for the pin at 18:26. Man did that finish seemed forced. They looked past this match to another Danielson/Black singles match, which is great for that match, but sucks for this match. The action felt like everybody was on auto pilot or purposefully holding back, which thankfully for these four still means a solid effort. It just was not a very satisfying follow up to their awesome bout from “Tag Title Classic.” ***

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. Up In Smoke (Cheech & Cloudy)
”ROH on HDNet Episode 23” – Philadelphia, PA – 6.20.2009

The Wolves attack before the bell. Up In Smoke come back with stereo headscissors. They dropkick the Wolves to the floor. The Wolves avoid stereo pescado’s. The Wolves beat up Up In Smoke on the floor. They continue to beat down Cheech inside the ring. Cheech escapes their grasp and tags in Cloudy. Cloudy flies in with a top rope dropkick to Edwards. Richards nails him with a sole butt, and Cloudy hits him with an enzuigiri. Cloudy eats the Alarm Clock. The Wolves hit a powerbomb/back cracker combo. Edwards turns Cloudy in the Achilles Lock for the submissionn at 2:00. A picture perfect squash. ¾*

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe)
“The Final Countdown Tour: Chicago” – Chicago Ridge, IL – 9.19.2009

A slugfest start things out. Jay Cactus clotheslines Richards out. Mark suplexes them both. Edwards takes the Redneck Boogie for two. He gets mowed down by tandem shoulder tackles and kicks out of that as well. He gives Jay a chinbreaker and tags in Richards. Jay back elbows him down right away. Mark ends up in the Wolves corner. Richards tosses him out and distracts Jay so Edwards can get in some shots on the floor. It’s not long until he evades some offense and tags Jay back in. Jay superkicks Edwards and gives Richards a Death Valley Driver for two. He turns into a missile dropkick and now the Wolves isolate him. He escapes by giving Richards a spinebuster and falling backwards into Mark’s tag. He dropkicks Richards and spinwheel kicks Edwards. He throws some Redneck Kung-Fu to send Richards out. He gets two on Edwards with a brainbuster. Mark brings him down from the second rope in an Ace Crusher. Richards comes in and hits the Damage Reflex. Edwards gives Mark a dragonscrew leg whip in the ropes. Richards clotheslines Mark into a cradle pin for two. Edwards then gives him a super Frankensteiner. Richards puts him in a cloverleaf. Jay fights off Edwards and goes to attack Richards. That leads to everyone being knocked down. Jay looks for the Jay Driller on Edwards. He gets popped into Richards’ alarm clock two. He kicks out of a powerbomb/back cracker combo, so Edwards puts him in an Achilles lock. Mark kicks him off. Edwards accidentally superkicks Richards. Jay gives Edwards the Jay Driller. Richards breaks the count just in time. Edwards then gets taken down with the Doomsday Device. Richards dropkicks referee Paul Turner to retain the belts. He gets disqualified at 18:11. This was a lot moves with little selling and a crummy finish. Certainly not the best outing from either team, though watching them beat each other up is pretty fun. ***1/4

ROH World Tag Team Championship – Ladder War II
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
“Glory By Honor VIII: The Final Countdown” – New York, NY – 9.26.2009

The night before, Edwards broke his elbow in a street fight with Kevin Steen. His right arm is almost totally encased in a cast. Things spill to the floor very quickly. Steen and Generico end up dishing out punches to Edwards back in the ring. Generico keeps Richards from entering the ring. He rams a ladder into both Richards and Edwards’ mid-sections. Steen props a ladder between the barricades and the ring apron. The Wolves both get hit with ladder again. Generico begins to climb for the belts. Richards hits him with a chair to stunt his progress. He drop toe holds Edwards. Steen does a ladder assisted front flip leg drop onto Edwards’ head. A ladder is propped up against the ropes. The Wolves backdrop Generico onto it. Shane Hagadorn produces a pair of handcuffs. The Wolves use them to tie Steen’s hands behind his back. A table is set up in the corner. Generico comes in with a crossbody and fights off both Wolves by himself. Richards gives him the Alarm Clock. Edwards superkicks him into Richards’ German suplex, putting Generico through the table. Richards ties a chain around his boot. Edwards holds onto Steen while Richards throws Kawada Kicks at him. He then chokes Steen with the chain.Steen kicks Richards in the groin. Edwards begins to climb the ladder. Steen rams the ladder twice so that it tips over. Generico yakuza kicks both Wolves in opposite corners. He retrieves the key from Hagadorn and frees Steen from the handcuffs. The ladder is propped up once again, but this time a table lay on either side of it. Steen puts a table on top of the previously set-up ladder on the ring apron and barricades. Steen tries to powerbomb Richards on it. Richards escapes but takes Generico’s Michinoku Driver. The ladder that was once set up is now on the ropes, and Steen gives Edwards a spinebuster onto it. They place the Wolves on the two tables. Richards pushes Steen and Generico off the ladder and onto the ropes. Steen uses a chair to stop Richards from climbing. Richards tornado DDT’s Steen through the timekeeper’s table. He climbs the ladder again. Generico sunset bombs him through one of the two tables. Generico and Edwards climb up. It looks like Generico wants a brainbuster. Edwards counters with a back body drop that sends Generico through the other table and causes Edwards to tumble to the canvas. Edwards brings in the larger orange ladder from the aisleway. Generico dives through it, landing onto Richards on the floor. Steen climbs the ladder. Edwards shoves the ladder. Steen crashes through the table and ladder contraption that was set up earlier in the match! Edwards and Generico climb opposite sides of the ladder. Richards hits Generico with a chair, causing him to fall backwards with his bad leg stuck in one of the ladder’s rungs. Edwards put that leg in an Achilles Lock. Richards climbs up from behind Edwards and grabs the titles to win the match at 23:55. This was never going to be as good as the first Ladder War, but holy crap did these guys kill each other nonetheless. Eddie Edwards turned into a hero fighting through his elbow injury to compete in such a grueling match, but the dynamic of the teams remained in tact despite that. They also kept the spots pretty dissimilar from the first Ladder War so they get creativity points too. Certainly the most appropriate way to blow off the feud and a fine successor to the historical first bout. ****

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. Bryan Danielson & Roderick Strong
“ROH on HDNet Episode 33” – Philadelphia, PA – 9.10.2009

Danielson and Richards start off. Just like in the match where Danielson teamed with Tyler Black, Richards hits the floor in frustration when Danielson gets the best of him. When he comes back in they reach a stalemate. Richards shoves him. Danielson throws a kick which Richards backs away from. Richards and Strong tag in. Strong goes for some quick pin attempts. Edwards kicks him in the stomach. Strong comes back with a leg lariat for one. Danielson and Strong double suplex him. Danielson goes for a boot on Edwards in the corner. Richards catches him with an enzuigiri instead. Edwards elbows Strong off the apron. He then comes off the second rope with a Code Breaker to Danielson while Richards tornado DDT’s Strong on the floor. Edwards does some damage to Danielson on the floor before bringing him back in the ring. Danielson gets beaten down as Strong recovers. Danielson stops Richards’ Damage Reflex by dropkicking him in the back of the head. Strong comes in a house of fire. He immediately knocks Edwards off the apron before attacking Richards in the corner. He nails a beautiful dropkick. He slams Edwards, then Richards onto Edwards for two. He also gets two with a half-nelson backbreaker. Strong gets sandwiched by the Wolves in the corner. Richards gives him a missile dropkick for two. Edwards goes for the Achilles Lock. Danielson instead brings him down in the Cattle Mutilation. Before he can put that on, Richards grabs his leg and puts on a Cloverleaf. Edwards puts Strong in the Achilles Lock simultaneously. They both get the ropes. Strong and Danielson each attack Edwards in the corner. They hit the Hart Attack. When Edwards kicks out, Strong locks on the Stronghold. Danielson puts Richards in a sleeper to stop him from making the save. Strong turns Edwards into a cradle for two. Richards fights off Danielson. Edwards pops him up for the Alarm Clock. A series of moves renders all four men down on the mat. Richards Cactus clotheslines Danielson to the floor. Edwards gives Strong the Chin Checker for two. The Wolves set up Strong for a Doomsday maneuver. Danielson shoves Richards to the floor, missile dropkicks Edwards, then suicide dives onto Richards. Strong gets two on Edwards with a Backbreaker. He then gives him the Death by Roderick and a Sick Kick. Edwards gets his foot on the ropes to stop Strong’s pin. Richards distracts the referee with a title belt. While he’s disposing of it, Richards low blows Strong. The Wolves hit him with a powerbomb/back cracker combo, but Strong kicks out. Edwards applies the Achilles Lock and Strong taps at 16:39. To me this match was all about the Wolves and Danielson putting them over strong before heading to greener pastures. Strong was a pretty big focal point too, and even though the finish was kind of annoying, I thought they did a great job building up three guys who would be future World champions while Danielson also got to get in some of his traditional offense. ***3/4

Disc Two

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
”ROH on HDNet Episode 35” – Philadelphia, PA – 9.11.2009

Richards mows down Nick with a shoulder block. Nick responds with a few armdrags. He and Matt work over Richards’ arm. They double hip toss him into tandem dropkicks. Matt pops up Nick for a dropkick that sends Edwards to the floor. The Bucks hit the Wolves with stereo pescado’s. In the ring, the Wolves pick up the aggression and isolate Matt. Matt escapes when Edwards accidentally gamengiri’s Richards. Richards boots Nick but Nick takes him to the floor. He tags in and hits a slingshot X-Factor onto Edwards. He rolls back for a moonsault off the apron onto Richards. Nick gets two separate two counts on Edwards, one with a missile dropkick and one with a tornado DDT. Edwards pops him up for the Alarm Clock. Nick ducks it and he hits Edwards. Matt spears Edwards. The Bucks hit a standing moonsault/springboard splash combo for two. They go for More Bang for Your Buck. Richards shoves Nick off the top and Edwards gets his knees up to block Matt. He gives him a Code Breaker. Richards follows with a tombstone piledriver for two. Matt blocks a Doomsday Device by spiking Edwards in a reverse huracanrana. Nick brings Richards off the top rope and to the floor. He knee strikes Edwards in the corner and suicide dives after Richards. Matt drops Edwards with a tumbleweed Ace Crusher for two. More Bang for Your Buck on Edwards would get them the win but Richards dives in at the last minute. He hits the Damage Reflex on Nick. Matt superkicks him twice. Edwards pops him into the Alarm Clock. A powerbomb/back cracker combo get them two. Edwards immediately puts on the Achilles Lock. Nick tries to springboard in. Richards stop him and hits the DR Driver. Edwards taps out at 12:13. My God what a fun sprint that was. Both teams moved a mile and minute and looked totally amazing. The selling coming and going and no real cohesion keeps this from being truly great, but I implore you to check this match out. ***3/4

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe)
“Final Battle 2009” – New York, NY – 12.19.2009

Mark and Richards lock-up. Edwards blind tags in so Mark suplexes Richards away. Mark snapmares him into a back kick. Richards tags back in. He and Mark go at it on the mat. When they reach a stalemate they tag in their partners. Edwards kicks Mark off the apron for funsies. He drives Jay to his corner so Richards can tag in. Jay boots Edwards off the ropes. The Briscoes then double shoulder tackle Richards. All four fight in the ring. The Briscoes take control of Edwards. Mark gets his leg dragonscrewed in the ropes. Jay finds his way into the ring and fights off both Wolves. He gives Edwards a spinebuster for two. Richards kicks Mark into the crowd. He and Jay have a strike exchange back in the ring. Edwards pops Jay up into the Alarm Clock. He superkicks Jay into Richards’ German suplex for two. Edwards does show push-ups to show his previously injured elbow is feeling fine. Mark makes his way back to the ring, so Richards whips Jay into the barricades, digs a chair into his arm, and chokes him with a fans flag. Jay finds himself trapped in the Wolves corner until he catches Edwards with a Death Valley Driver. Mark throws a flurry of strikes at Richards before hitting a spinwheel kick. He throws Redneck Kung-Fu at Edwards. Mark gives Richards a Northern Lights suplex for two. The Wolves get to the floor and Mark tope con hilo’s after them. Mark sets up for a second rope Ace Crusher on Richards. Mark instead brings him down with an Iconoclasm and Edwards breaks the pin. Jay sends Edwards into a second rope turnbuckle with a Complete Shot. The Briscoes hit Richards with the Sidewinder for two. Richards drop toe holds Jay into Edwards’ gamengiri. This allows the Wolves to once again take control. He kicks out of a super Frankensteiner and DR Driver. Edwards puts him in an Achilles Lock. Mark tries to save but Richards puts him a cloverleaf. The Briscoes escape their holds by small packaging the Wolves. Jay takes the Alarm Clock. He kicks out of a powerbomb/back cracker combo. Edwards reapplies the Achilles Lock. Jay gets the ropes. The Wolves set Jay up for a Doomsday move. Mark suplexes Richards off the top. Jay slides off Edwards shoulders and nails a lariat. Mark takes down Richards on the floor as Jay gives Edwards the Jay Driller. He kicks out. The Briscoes then put him away with the Doomsday Device for the win and the titles at 22:51. I don’t know, I never could sink my teeth into this. It felt a little long, the moves didn’t mean a ton, and the crowd kind of sat there. They only popped for the title change which one could argue did not need to take place. ***

#1 Contenders for the ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
”ROH on HDNet Episode 46” – Philadelphia, PA – 1.8.2010

Richards and Matt start off. Matt ducks a kick and takes Richards to the mat. They trade a few pins before Matt dropkicks him to the floor. Matt assists Nick in dropkicking Edwards to the floor. Edwards and Nick each throw dropkicks. They slap each other in the face. Nick drop toe holds him into a slingshot legdrop from Matt. Nick uses the ropes to deliver a neckbreaker and Matt hits a slingshot senton for two. The Bucks work over his arm for a bit. Edwards backs Matt to the corner so Richards can tag in. The Wolves take him down with a pair of back elbows. Matt backdrops Edwards out of the corner. Nick hits a dropkick before trading forearms. Richards blind tags in and catches Nick off guard with a chest kick. Nick counters his Damage Reflex with a dropkick. Matt nails a flying back elbow. He crotches Edwards on the top rope. Richards tries a powerbomb but gets thwarted with a sunset flip. Edwards comes off the ropes with a Code Breaker. Richards gets two with a tombstone piledriver. Nick prevents him from hitting the DR Driver. Edwards pitches Nick to the floor. The Wolves keep Nick out of the way while working over Matt. Nick fights back by sending Richards into the barricades and suplexing him on the floor. Richards however is able to pull him off the apron before Matt can tag him in. Nick does however catch Richards with a slingshot X-Factor, rolling back and moonsaulting onto Edwards on the floor right after. Matt legally tags Nick in. He crossbody’s Richards for two. He dropkicks Edwards off the apron and hits a quesadora Ace Crusher on Richards. Matt spears Richards to stop the Alarm Clock on Nick. The Bucks get two with a springboard splash/standing moonsault combo. Edwards gamengiri’s Nick as he comes into the corner. He dragonscrew leg whips Matt’s leg in the ropes. Matt is able to come back with a tumbleweed Ace Crusher. Edwards drops him face first. Richards delivers a missile dropkick for two. Nick holds onto Richards’ leg from the floor. This allows Matt to sneak up and spike him in a reverse huracanrana. Edwards thwarts More Bang For Your Buck. Richards German superplexes Matt. With Edwards they hit their powerbomb/back cracker combo. Edwards then puts on the Achilles Lock. Richards puts Nick in a Cloverleaf. They roll up the Wolves to escape. Matt takes the Alarm Clock. Edwards accidentally superkicks Richards. The Bucks superkick them both and clothesline Edwards to the floor. Richards takes More Bang For Your Buck but Edwards saves him just in time. Nick sneds him back to the floor but this time follows with a tope con hilo. Richards kicks Matt in the head a few times. He tries the DR Driver. Matt counters with a jackknife pin, getting him the victory at 18:57. I swear this was a lot like the Briscoes match that proceeded it but with the Bucks in their place. It didn’t compare to their first bout either, but by the end got pretty exciting. I just wish it was more inspired and not a rehash. ***1/4

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) (Champions) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
“From The Ashes” – Phoenix, AZ – 3.26.2010

Mark and Richards start off. They reach a stalemate and tag out. Jay gets Edwards in an arm wringer. Mark tags in and hits a spinwheel kick. Jay chops him up in the corner. He elbows Richards off the apron and boots Edwards in the face. Edwards headbutts Mark and tags in Richards. He nails a clothesline and forearms Jay off the apron for a measure of revenge. After a forearm exchange he hits the Damage Reflex. Jay gives him a spinebuster illegally. Jay tags in. He tries fighting off the Wolves himself but gets his leg jacked up by a dragonscrew in the ropes. Jay finds a moment to tag out by using a chinbreaker. Mark fights off the Alarm Clock and throws Richards’ foot into Edwards. A fisherman’s buster on Richards only gets him a two count. Everybody fights on the floor. Edwards superkicks Jay into Richards’ German suplex, which sends him into the crowd. Mark dives onto them both. In the ring he missile dropkicks Edwards for two. The Wolves successfully hit him with the Alarm Clock. Jay is still recovering as the Wolves beat Mark down. Jay makes it back in to get Mark out a Cloverleaf from Richards. He gives Richards a Falcon Arrow and its clear his knee is still hurt. Jay legally tags in and mows down the Wolves with clotheslines. He drives Edwards into Richards’ crotch with a Complete Shot. Richards slingshots him into Edwards’ gamengiri. Edwards hits a running knee strike for two. Jay escapes the Die Hard but takes a Codebreaker. Mark comes in and gives Edwards an Iconoclasm. Edwards enzuigiri’s Mark to the corner where Richards gets in a forearm smash and yakuza kick. He gets two with a German suplex. Mark fires up after taking a superplex. He throws suplexes Richards twice onto his head. Everybody gets knocked down. Richards enzuigiri’s Jay. The Briscoes hit him with stereo boots for two. A Decapitation Elbow has the same result. Jay takes the Alarm Clock. Edwards superkicks him into Richards’ German suplex for two. Jay goes for the Jay Driller on Edwards. Richards missile dropkicks Jay to stop that, then tope suicidas onto Mark, flying into the crowd with his momentum. In the ring Edwards Avalanche huracanrana’s Jay. The powerbomb/back cracker combo lead to the Achilles Lock. Jay gets the ropes. The Wolves set up Jay for a Doomsday move. Mark brings Richards off the top with a springboard Ace Crusher. Jay comes off Edward’s shoulders with a reverse huracanrana. He gives him the Jay Driller for two. The Briscoes put Edwards away with the Doomsday Device at 26:23. They actually changed up the repertoire from their previous encounters, especially down the stretch, and it felt like the two best teams in the company were fighting for really important belts. There’s the little annoyances that come in all their matches, but by and large this was a great way for them to main event the first Mania show of that weekend. ***3/4

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis & Kory Chavis)
“Pick Your Poison” – Dayton, OH – 4.23.2010

Richards has difficulty taking Davis off of his feet. Davis mows him down with a big shoulder tackle. Edwards and Chavis tag in. Edwards ducks a punch and gets in a couple of chops. Chavis backdrops him out of the corner. Edwards slides through his legs and hits a dropkick. The Wolves back elbow Chavis and Richards forearms Davis to be a dick. Davis kicks Richards to interrupt his reverse figure four. Chavis tags him in. Richards shoves Davis to the corner so Edwards can tag in and throw a series of headbutts. The Wolves keep Davis in their half of the ring. He catches Richards with a powerslam and forearms Edwards to the floor. Chavis drops an elbow on Richards for two. Davis gives him a back suplex for the same result. Richards kicks out of a legdrop/backbreaker combo. He and Davis trade strikes. Richards kicks him in the chest a few times, but gets dropped with a Rydeen Bomb right after. Edwards breaks the cover. Davis comes to help out his partner and ends up being kicked in the face. Richards dropkicks Chavis into an enzuigiri from Edwards. Richards spinwheel kicks Chavis before finally tagging out. Edwards ducks Chavis’ offense and suicide dives onto Davis. Back in the ring he huracanrana’s Chavis and superkicks Davis. He enzuigiri’s Chavis for a two count. Richards tornado DDT’s Davis on the mat. He also dragonscrews Chavis’ legs in the ropes. The Wolves do more damage to his leg before Edwards puts on the Achilles Lock. Richards misses a pescado on Davis and gets thrown into the crowd. He gives Edwards 3 Seconds Around the World. Edwards chops up Davis. The DCFC give him a leg lariat variation of the Hart Attack. Richards makes the save. Richards hits the Damage Reflex on Davis. Chavis spins him out into a side slam. Edwards kicks him in the chest. Davis POUNCES (period) Edwards to the corner, leaving all four men laying. Edwards and Davis trade strikes as they come to their feet. Davis gives him a powerslam and a running knee strike. The DCFC hits a modified Total Elimination for two. They set up for Project Mayhem. Edwards gives Davis a Frankensteiner and Richards attacks Chavis. Edwards pops Davis into the Alarm Clock. They throw stereo kicks at Davis’ head for two. Edwards then turns him into the Achilles Lock. Richards gives him a diving headbutt while the hold is still on. Davis taps out at 16:15. This was a very welcome breath of fresh air on this compilation. This felt totally different from the Wolves other matches, mostly because they were dealing with guys bigger than them so they had to rely on their submissions moreso than suplexes and whatnot. It also felt like a big win for the Wolves because of the size disadvantage. It’s a total shame that the DCFC were not used more prominently in ROH. ***1/2

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. Roderick Strong & Christopher Daniels
”ROH on HDNet Episode 64” – Philadelphia, PA – 5.21.2010

Edwards mows down Daniles with a shoulder block. He gets two with a suplex. Daniels responds with a leg lariat. Strong tags in. He elbows Richards on the apron and rolls Edwards into a Tornado Clutch for two. They each snap off some armdrags and boot each other in the face. Richards and Daniels tag in. They control one another by the arm. They trade pin attempts until Richards kicks him in the chest. Edwards grabs Daniels from the apron. Richards throws a series of shoulder blocks to his mid-section in the corner. The Wolves knock Strong off the apron and go to work on Daniels’ leg. Daniels gets his boot up to avoid Edwards’ corner charge. Strong throws chops and forearms upon tagging in. Strong and Daniels show shocking good team work by making frequent tags. In fact, Edwards has to poke Strong in the eyes to sneak in a tag. Strong immediately dropkicks Richards for two. Richards holds Strong by his foot so Edwards can enzuigiri him from the apron. He pitches Strong to the floor so Edwards can slam him on the mats. He ties up Daniels and the referee so that it goes unnoticed. Strong is able to give Richards a Gourd Buster and tag in Daniels after a few minutes. Daniels elbows Richards to the floor. He drops Edwards with an STO for two. A Death Valley Driver also gets him two. Richards enzuigiri’s him from the apron as Edwards forearm smashes him. Richards nails a missile dropkick. Edwards tries for the Archilles Lock. Daniels kicks him away. Richards dragonscrews his legs in the ropes and kicks it out. Edwards gets the submission hold on. Richards adds in a diving headbutt. Strong breaks the hold and gives Edwards a backbreaker. Strong knees Richards in the stomach. He also gives him a backbreaker for two. Death by Roderick only gets him two as well. Richards throws kicks at Strong against the ropes. He hits the Damage Reflex and Strong kicks out. Edwards and Richards throw kicks to knock Strong back down. Daniels breaks Richards’ pin attempt and palm strikes Edwards out. Strong enzuigiri’s Richards and tags in Daniels. He drops him with a Blue Thunder Bomb. He and Richards fight for a move. Richards gets it by applying an ankle lock. Daniels escapes. After a strike exchange, Richards hits the Alarm Clock. Daniels drops him with a uranage and calls for the BME. Edwards stops him. Strong pescado’s onto Edwards after Daniels knocks him to the floor. Richards German superplexes Daniels for the pin at 18:47. I actually loved that Richards’ German superplex won a match. Hell, it’s pretty devastating, so why not? Strong and Daniels really surprised me with how well they worked as a team. Of course, the finish also played nicely into Daniels and Richards’ inevitable singles encounter. ***1/2

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
“Hate: Chapter II” – Collinsville, IL – 7.23.2010

Matt slaps Richards and goes to the floor. Richards backs Matt into the ropes, and Matt slaps Richards again. Richards hits a sole butt and Matt goes back to the floor. Edwards and Nick tag in. Edwards chops Nick a few times. The Wolves hit a back elbow on Nick, and Edwards knocks Matt off the apron. Richards applies an elevated cloverleaf on Nick, and Edwards pulls back on Richards to applies more pressure behind the ref’s back. Matt beats down Richards in their corner, and The Bucks both choke Richards. Richards gets up and headbutts Matt. Richards tosses Matt to the floor where Edwards throws Matt into the guardrail. The Wolves double team Matt on the floor while the referee is busy with Nick. The Wolves continue their onslaught back in the ring. Matt low blows Richards and tags in Nick. Nick throws Richards into a guardrail then back into the ring. The Bucks look to have turned the match in their favor, but Richards quickly kicks Nick in the chest while Nick is on the floor. Richards flips out of suplex from Matt, and Edwards kicks Matt in the back from the apron. Edwards tags in and hits an overhead suplex on Matt. Edwards goes up top and hits Nick with a dropkick. Edwards hits a running enzuigiri on Matt for two. Edwards send The Bucks to the floor and the Wolves hit stereo dives onto them. Edwards tries the Achilles lock on Matt in the ring, but Matt rakes Edwards’ eyes. Nick hits a moonsault onto Richards on the floor and springboard onto Edwards for two. Matt goes up top and Edwards catches him with a flying boot. Edwards hits a superplex. Richards tags in and trades blows with Matt. Each guy trade pin attempts with no avail. Richards nails Matt with an enzuigiri and a side suplex for two. Edwards gives Matt a lungblower. Richards sets up Matt for a tombstone, when Nick comes in and nails both Wolves with hard superkicks. That reverses the tombstone, and Matt drops Richards with it for two. Edwards takes Nick to the floor and Richards applies an ankle lock on Matt. Nick enzuigiri’s Richards, and Edwards hits an enzuigiri on Nick. Matt gives Edwards a standing shiranui. Richards goes back to the ankle lock on Matt. Matt escapes and gives Richards a reverse huracanrana, but Richards pops up and turns Matt inside out with a clothesline. Nick and Edwards exchange forearms. Edwards and Nick trade kicks. The Wolves hit the Alarm Clock, and a superkick/German suplex combo for two. Richards throws Matt into the guardrail. Richards runs in and German suplexes Nick off the top rope. Richards hits a sole butt and Edwards double stomps Nick on the back for two. Matt pulls Richards to the floor. The Bucks hit a tandem superkick on Edwards and Nick hits a somersault senton onto Richards on the floor. Matt hits Edwards with a tumble weed Ace crusher for two. Richards throws strikes at both members of The Bucks. Matt superkicks Richards twice. Edwards stops The Bucks from hitting More Bang For Your Buck and the Wolves hit a flying lung blower/powerbomb combo on Nick. Edwards then turns Nick into the Achilles Lock for the submission at 19:24. This was a great, hard hitting tag team match that was just as good as their initial HDNet encounter (if not better). Both teams threw out some of the best stuff they had, while also modifying it to make the match more unique. I appreciated the variety and the action both teams provided, and it was neat to see the Wolves playing the babyfaces and the Bucks playing the heels. I think I actually prefer these roles instead. ***3/4

The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. The Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Player Dos)
”ROH on HDNet Episode 73” – Philadelphia, PA – 7.17.2010

Uno and Richards trade shoulder blocks until Uno takes Richards off of his feet. He gives Richards a backbreaker and Edwards a leg lariat to send them to the floor. The Smash Bros. land stereo tope suicida’s on the Wolves. They hit their signature side slam/springboard reverse DDT combo for two. Richards fights off both Smash Bros. He kicks Dos in the chest from the ring apron. Edwards trips Uno from the floor so that Richards can sneak in a missile dropkick. Edwards clotheslines him for two. Uno gives him a chinbreaker. He and Dos get two with a standing moonsault/fist drop combo. Uno gets double stomped in the back by Edwards. He gets beaten down by the Wolves until he catches Richards with a modified Complete Shot. He rolls Edwards into Dos’ headbutt from the apron. Dos crossbody’s Edwards upon being tagged in. He catches them both with simultaneous Pele kicks. He DDT’s Richards for two. Dos Dragon suplexes him for another two count. Edwards stops Dos from hitting a standing B13 on his partner. Uno drops the top rope to send Edwards to the floor and moonsaults after him. The Smash bros. hit FATALITY on Richards. Edwards makes it back in to break the cover. They set up Richards for another double team. Edwards missile dropkicks Dos and kicks Uno to the floor to stop that. He gives Dos a running chest kick for two. Edwards blocks his huracanrana and tries for the Achilles Lock. Dos kicks him away and rolls Edwards up for two. He pops Dos up for Richards’ Alarm Clock. The superkick/German suplex combo gets them two thanks to Uno making the save. Richards throws Uno out. Dos spikes Richards on his head with a reverse huracanrana. Uno Falcon punches Edwards and gives him a half-nelson suplex for two. Dos misses a frogsplash. The powerbomb/back cracker combo gets two, so Edwards puts him in the Achilles Lock. Dos taps at 10:23. This would have been a lot better were the Smash Bros. taken more seriously in ROH. It was a fun exhibition that really shows how foolish ROH was to drop the ball with them. Point proven: these two teams would have an exceptional match a year and a half later in PWG. Oh crap, I just fed the PWG trolls. **3/4

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) (Champions) vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
“Tag Title Classic II” – Plymouth, MA – 12.17.2010

Both Sara Del Rey and Shane Hagadorn accompany The Kings. Claudio and Richards vie for the advantage. Claudio backs Richards to the corner and tags in Hero. After reaching a stalemate with Hero, Richards tags in Edwards. Claudio tags in and takes him down with a shoulder block. Edwards hits him with a hip toss and dropkick. Claudio regroups on the floor. Claudio comes back in and lights up Edwards with uppercuts. Edwards comes back with some chops and Claudio again regroups on the floor. Richards looks anxious to fight. He tags in and hits a double back elbow with Edwards for one. Richards delivers a running kick to the chest and Hero breaks the count. Edwards misses a chop allowing Claudio to throw him face first into a boot from Hero. Richards becomes antsy as he watched Edwards be beaten down by the Kings across the ring. Edwards escapes their beating by taking Hero down with a huracanrana, superkicking Claudio, and giving Hero an enzuigiri. Richards tags in and hits Hero and Claudio with kicks. Richards escapes a German suplex. He hits a running forearm and knee strike to Claudio. Richards follows with a top rope dropkick for two. Edwards nails a flying knee strike to Cladio. Hero dropkicks Edwards to the floor. Richards headbutts Hero away as he waits on the top rope. Claudio catches him as he comes off the top rope and Big Swings him into a dropkick from Hero for two. Hero brings Richards to the floor and kicks his head into the guardrail. Hero pis him for two. Edwards chops Hero in the back to break a half crab. Claudio and Hero now isolate Richards from his partner. Richards leg becomes the Kings’ target. Richards ducks an elbow allowing Edwards to kick Hero from the apron. Edwards tags in. He kicks Claudio from the apron on the floor. He comes into the ring with a crossbody to Hero for two. Edwards comes off the second rope with a Codebreaker for two. He transitions into a half crab. Claudio breaks the hold. Edwards sends The Kings to the apron. The Wolves knock them down with stereo kicks and follow up with suicide dives. Richards kicks Claudio in the face on the apron. Edwards double stomps Claudio on the apron. Hero boots Richards and Richards responds with a sole butt. Edwards double stomps Hero in the back. The Wolves nail tandem kicks to the head and Claudio breaks the count. Claudio hits Edwards with Swiss Chin Music for two. Claudio and Edwards exchange boots. Claudio hits a pop-up European uppercut and Richards breaks the count. Richards lights up Claudio in the corner with kicks. Claudio knocks him and Edwards down with clotheslines. Edwards hits an avalanche huracanrana on Claudio. Richards springboards into Claudio’s U.F.O. Richards sunset flips to avoid a Ricola Bomb for two. Richards rolls Claudio into an ankle lock. Hero breaks it. Claudio stops Richards on the top rope and brings him down with a superplex. Hero hits a top rope moonsault and Edwards breaks the pin. Hero superkicks Richards for two. Hero hits a rolling elbow and a cradle suplex and again only gets two. Richards and Hero exchange strikes. Hero hits a boot. Richards hits a rolling clothesline for two. Edwards delivers a tiger suplex to Hero. Hero lands a big boot. Richards sends Hero to the floor, but then gets cut off by a boot from Claudio. Edwards clotheslines Claudio to the floor. Edwards hits Hero with two superkicks and lands a suplex for two. The Wolves hit a double team alarm clock on Hero. They follow up with the superkick/German suplex combo and Claudio breaks the count. Edwards and Richards hit a lungblower/powerbomb on Hero for two. Hero blocks a 2k1 Bomb and hits a rolling yakuza kick for two. Hero then hits the Death Blow for two. Edwards tries a few roll-ups and only gets two. Hero tags him with a three rolling elbows. That gets Hero the pin at 36:15. This was a very good tag team match. At the same time, there absolutely no reason this match had to go this long. The length made for lots of superfluous action and way too many nearfalls. After awhile, I completely lost any sense of drama this match had. That being said, the fans loved it, and it’s quite possible most of you will enjoy this more than I did. I just think if you cut the time in half, you could have had a more concise, enjoyable match. While this was an enjoyable match overall, this to me had nothing particularly memorable and shouldn’t be labeled a “classic”. ***1/2

The Kings continue their attack after the match. The Wolves make a comeback and chase them off. Davey Richards of course cuts a very self-indulgent promo to end the show/DVD.

The 411: This is one of those sets where the vast majority of the matches are really good, but do end up being pretty similar. It’s pretty evident if you watch it in marathon mode. That is not me taking away from the quality of the matches, but rather as a warning that if you’re interested in the set to watch it in increments rather than all at once. The matches with Steen & Generico make this an easy recommendation and there's plenty of other quality stuff on here. If you don't have a lot of these matches in your collection, it's worth picking up. You can pick up this DVD from Ring of Honor's store. You can check out all of my ROH, DGUSA, and other reviews over at the 100% Fordified blog.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]