Dark Pegasus Video Review: Ring of Honor – Road to the Title

Last time out, we saw Christopher Daniels reject the code of honor and recruit Donavan Morgan as his partner. This didn’t sit well with honorable guys like American Dragon and Low Ki. Also, the Amazing Red finally got revenge on his former allies, the Spanish Announce Team with a little help from WWE Intercontinental Champion Eddy Guerrero. Spanky also continued his dominance over the other guys from the Texas Wrestling Academy (Paul London & Michael Shane).

Most importantly, Daniels said that he would never face off with Ki again unless the title was on the line. But Ring of Honor didn’t have any titles — until now.

The tournament itself is a little different from what you might expect. Instead of your standard single elimination tournament, the 16 wrestlers are divided into four blocks. Each block is sort of a mini-tournament with the winner going on to the 4-way 60-minute IronMan Challenge at “RoH — Crowning a Champion.”

Ring of Honor — Road to the Championship (06.22.02)

From Philadelphia, Penn.

Your hosts are Donnie B. and Steve Corino

Opening Match: Block C: American Dragon vs. Biohazard.
Biohazard is from Shawn Michaels’ TWA. He attacks at the handshake and gets a flipping neckbreaker off the second rope. Dragon avoids a Quebrada but takes a Northern Lights Suplex. Biohazard lays in a series of chops that only serve to make Dragon mad. Dragon comes back with his own and drops Hazard with a swinging DDT. The Cattle Mutilation submission (Doublearm Chickenwing Bridge) finishes Biohazard at 2:28. Nothing special. 3/4*

Block A: Spanky vs. Paul London.
Of course, these two would go on to team up on Smackdown. Both guys are TWA graduates, but Spanky is undefeated in RoH. London and Spanky go through a series of nice counters as Corino runs through the rules of the code of honor. A London spinning wheel kick sends Spanky to the floor, and London fakes him out. Back in, Spanky gets a backdrop suplex for two. London tries a sunset flip, but Spanky counters with a knee to his head. A kick to London’s head wears him down farther. He comes back with a springboard twisting bodyblock and delivers a superkick. The Shooting Star Press misses, and Spanky goes for Sliced Bread #2. London crotches him and springboards into an enzuigiri. This time, London somersaults into a plancha on the floor. Back in, London springboards into a quebrada for two. He gets two more off a doublearm chickenwing facebuster. Spanky catches London going up top and crotches him. The spectacularly botch an avalanche brainbuster, and Spanky drops London on his face. Spanky gets a much nicer brainbuster and goes up. London catches him, but Spanky manages to wrench himself free and hit Sliced Break #2 for the win at 9:57. Not as great as you would think, given the reputations for these two. **3/4

Block C: Jay Briscoe vs. Doug Williams.
Winner gets American Dragon. Williams is an excellent mat wrestler from Great Britain. His style pretty much ensures that he won’t make it to the WWE, though. Think Regal. Williams starts schooling Jay in joint wrestling as Mark Briscoe comes down to ringside to encourage his brother. This is the first time the announcers mention that Mark is ineligible to wrestle because he’s only 17. Jay comes back with a dropkick and a series of snap suplexes as Mark looks on disapprovingly. Jay finishes his sequence with a sitout gourdbuster for two. Williams comes back with a flying knee and drops another knee off the top for two. Brisco takes advantage of Williams’ arguing with the referee and gives him a stacked powerbomb for two. A guillotine legdrop gets two more. Williams stifles him with a series of Regalish forearms and finishes with the Chaos Theory (Roll-through Geman Suplex) at 6:18. Mark condescendingly tells his older brother what he did wrong. **1/2

Block A: Jody Fleisch vs. Johnny Storm.
Winner gets Spanky. Both are members of the FWA, but I’ve only seen Fleisch before this thanks to his work in Michinoku Pro. Corino tells us that these guys have met over a hundred times, which isn’t surprising once you see their opening acrobatics sequence. Fleisch knocks Storm to the floor with an enzuigiri. They botch something, and Fleisch springboards into a Shooting Star Plancha on the floor. Back in, they exchange rapid fire nearfalls, and Storm catches Fleisch on the top and suplexes him back to the mat. It only gets two. Storm delivers a huracanrana off the top. They botch a handspring into a victory roll spot, so Fleisch has to cover with a rollup for two. Fleisch springboards into a roundoff DDT (Phoenix DDT), but they’re in the ropes. He tries it again, but Storm blocks. Storm tries to springboard off the top, but Fleisch is ready for him and counters his headscissors to a sitout powerbomb for the win at 7:01. Some amazing stuff here, but also some amazingly botched stuff. **

Block D: Prince Nana vs. Low Ki.
Nana bragged about winning the tournament on the last show, so Ki knocked him silly with an elbow. Nana jumps Ki upon his entrance and puts the boots to him. A suplex gets two. Nana avalanches him in the corner and hits a butt splash. He does it again and struts around admiring his work. Low Ki chops his way back, but Nana stomps him in the corner. Another butt splash in the corner quells Ki’s momentum. Nana delivers another splash and goes for a fourth butt splash, but Ki avoids and devastates Nana with an enzuigiri. DAMN, SHORTY! YOU GOT KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT!!! Nana is out, so Finnegan calls for the bell at 3:54. They cart Nana’s corpse out, and Ki moves on. 1/2*

Block D: The Amazing Red vs. Xavier.
Winner gets Low Ki. Xavier is actually undefeated at this point. He tosses Red across the ring and mocks him. Red comes back with a tornado DDT and a somersault plancha to the floor. Xavier catches Red in the middle of a corkscrew bodyblock and turns it into a powerbomb. Red tries a huracanrana, but Xavier handsprings off the ropes and knocks Red down with an enzuigiri. Red catches him with an enzuigiri of his own and gets two off a Sunset Bomb. Xavier misses a 450 splash, and Red springboards into a DDT for two (think Mysterio vs. Guerrero ’97). Xavier catches Red going up and goes for Splash Mountain, but Red shimmies to safety. Red avoids a quebrada and hits a spinning kick to Xavier’s face. That sets up the Phoenix splash and a Red Star Press for the win at 4:21. **

Block B: Christopher Daniels (w/Simply Luscious) vs. Scoot Andrews.
A slugfest erupts early, and Andrews gets an inverted powerbomb neckdrop. Daniels drops Andrew with a swinging neckbreaker. He goes for a bulldog, but Andrews turns and slams him down. Andrews goes for the Force of Nature, but Daniels slips out. Scott blocks an STO and gets a Tigerbomb for two. Scoot charges in haphazardly and runs into an STO. Daniels drops him with a uranage and finishes with the Best Moonsault Ever at 2:29. About as good as you can get in two and a half minutes. *

Block B: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn.
Winner gets Christopher Daniels. Fans of early TNA will be used to this one by now. AJ was not yet AJ F’n STYLES yet, but he still had a reputation as one of the most exciting wrestlers on the planet. Nice flippy-flop stuff off a series of armbars to start. They do it again, but this time both men go for an armdrag at the same time and wind up hurting each other’s arms. I always wondered why no one did that spot. Lynn takes the advantage by grounding AJ and hitting a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker for two. The announcers actually put over NWA:TNA. I’d like to hear that one today. They also mention Jerry Lynn’s problems staying in any promotion for an extended period of time. Lynn belly-to-bellies AJ into the turnbuckle. I love turnbuckle spots. It only gets two, and AJ slips out of a Vertebreaker and hits a thrust kick to take the advantage back. AJ blocks a suplex and reverses to a neckbreaker for two. AJ blocks a DDT and goes right after Lynn’s arm that was injured early in the match. Who says AJ didn’t have psychology? Lynn makes the ropes to break a cross armlock, but AJ takes him down with an armtwist and locks in a hammerlock. AJ makes the mistake of going for a sunset flip and takes a legdrop on the back of the head. AJ goes right back after the arm, but Lynn blocks the jujigatame. AJ hits his quebrada DDT instead and calls for the Styles Clash. Lynn blocks, and they take turns reversing each other until Lynn hits an enzuigiri. They go into the Malenko/Guerrero sunset flip reversal sequence, and Lynn nearly KILLS AJ with a Bridging German Suplex for two. A Torndado DDT gets two more for Lynn, but he runs into a Cradle Neckbreaker for two. AJ hits a Twisting Senton, but it only gets two. Lynn blocks something and SPIKES him with a DDT. An F5 gets two for Lynn, but AJ pops up and hits the Styles Clash immediately for the win at 15:30. I would have liked to have seen the armwork payoff in some form. I suppose you could argue that Lynn never went for the Cradle Piledriver because of it, but that’s pretty thin. As it was, it was a good ECW-ish match. Not their best, but certainly not bad. ***1/4

Block A Finals: Spanky vs. Jody Fleisch.
Winner moves on to the title match next month. Lots of quick armdrags and reversals until Jody goes for a springboard move, and Spanky crotches him on the top rope. Back in, a Spanky brainbuster gets two. A backdrop driver gets two more. That’s really more of a later in the match sort of move. Fleisch counters Sliced Bread #2 and tosses Spanks to the floor. He tries a springboard moonsault off the top and takes out the railing. Back in, he goes for an SSP but has to land on his feet because Spanky moves. He misses a springboard crossbody twist, and Spanky finishes with Sliced Bread #2 at 5:15. I admire Fleisch’s athletic ability, but this was too short and way to spotty to be anything special. Spanky earns the first birth in the Ironman Challenge. *3/4

Block C Finals: Doug Williams vs. The American Dragon.
Now this should be good. Both guys wrestle more of a grappling, British style of wear down holds instead of insane spots. It’s for this reason that I keep thinking of Dragon as British despite the fact that he has “American” right there in his name. The first five minutes are back and forth, exchanging exotic wrestling holds. Williams has an ever-so-slight advantage, including a Mexican Spider Hold and a Gory Special from which he simply slams Dragon back into the turnbuckle. He makes the mistake of coming off the top, though, and Dragon catches him with a dropkick on the way down. Dragon goes to work on his leg with a Dragon Screw and stepover toehold. They roll to the floor, and Williams suplexes Dragon from the apron to the floor. Back inside, Williams blocks a German Suplex and spins him around the ring with a rolling cradle. A Tornado DDT gets two. Williams lays in a series of uppercuts until Dragon reverses one and delivers a neck crank suplex. They get up and knock each other silly with forearms. Dragon wins the battle and hits a DIVING HEADBUTT off the top. Williams avoids a corner charge and rolls through to the CHAOS THEORY! ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Dragon stops short and kicks Williams upside the head with a roundhouse kick. That sets a SUPER BELLY-TO-BACK SUPLEX! ONE, TWO, THRE-NO! Dragon goes for Cattle Mutilation, but Williams’ biceps are just too big. Doug is able to counter easily into a Reverse Gutwrench suplex and finish with a 3/4-Nelson Rollup at 13:36. Williams moves on to the Ironman finals in a bit of an upset. ***1/2

Block D Finals: The Amazing Red vs. Low Ki.
Red takes a bit of a cheapshot at Ki, triggering a big martial arts Jedi duel that pops the crowd big time. Ki comes out of it with an overhand knucklelock and uses his forearms to rattle Red’s head. Red tries to kick his way back but, of course, that’s Low Ki’s game. Red manages to sweep the leg and hit the Red Star Press early, but it only gets two. OFF COMES THE DOO RAG! His fro looks disturbingly like Kyle’s from South Park. Low Ki hits him with a Rolling Koppou kick but runs right into a missile dropkick. Red tries to sunset flip him, but Ki kicks him right in the chest. Red avoids a Tidal Wave kick, but Ki makes up for it with another Koppou kick that sends Red spilling to the exposed floor. Back in, Ki kicks him like a scalded government dog, but Red comes back with a Tornado DDT and returns the favor by kicking Ki to the floor. Red builds up steam for a tope, but Ki jumps up and knees him right in the grill. Gotta love that. Ki lifts him up in a Ki Krusher, but Red rolls him into a small package. That gets two. Ki lifts him up again, but this time Red counters to a sloppy huracanrana. Looks like Ki was thinking of an Electric Chair Drop. Ki avoids the Infrared. He blocks another reverse huracanrana and cradleslams Red into the turnbuckle. Back in, Ki misses the Stardust Press, and Red knocks him off the turnbuckle with a spinning enzuigiri. Ki blocks a huracanrana and reverses to a SUPER KI KRUSHER! REDRUM! REDRUM! That’s enough for the win at 11:13. Low Ki moves on. I won’t go so far as to call it a “legendary” match or MOTYC, but it definitely was exciting. ***1/2

Block B Finals: Christopher Daniels (w/Simply Luscious) vs. AJ Styles.
This is for the final spot. Back in 2002, this was a relatively fresh match-up. I know. It’s hard to believe. They go through a long mat battle over armlocks/armbars. Daniels blocks a kick and rolls AJ up for two. Daniels dominates the mat battle for the most part, so AJ takes it aerial with a dropkick. Daniels goes back to the ground game with a 3/4-Nelson. He continues to dominate until AJ hits a kip up rana and a Tiger Wall Flip. To the outside, AJ hits a corkscrew plancha as Simply Luscious looks on. They fight on the apron, and Daniels kicks him in the nuts. “Honor, my ass!” To follow up, he knocks AJ into he railing, busting him open. Daniels beats him all around the ring, working the cut even more. Back in, a flapjack gets two. AJ rolls out of the way of a quebrada, though, and drops Daniels right on his bald head with a Brainbuster DDT. To the apron, AJ returns the low blow, setting up Daniels for a guillotine quebrada back into the ring. Suddenly, Daniels hits a Flatliner out of nowhere and locks in the Koji Clutch. AJ manages to roll him onto his shoulders, forcing Daniels to release the clutch. Daniels hangs AJ on the top rope and drops a guillotine legdrop on the back of his head. That gets two. AJ fights back and hits an enzuigiri. A snap suplex gets two for AJ. He gets a German Suplex and rolls through into a front face suplex. AJ blocks a Flatliner, but Daniels counters into an STO. AJ runs into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Daniels goes for the Best Moonsault Ever, but AJ crotches him and goes for the Styles Clash. Daniels counters through into an Anklelock, then into a legscissor anklelock. They go into a series of quick nearfalls, and AJ goes for the Quebrada DDT. Daniels counters to the LAST RITES for the win at 21:45. Highly entertaining stuff, and on par with what they did in 2005. Daniels moves on to the Ironman Challenge against Spanky, Low Ki, and Doug Williams. ****

J.D. Dunn

The 411: The semi-final matches were just filler, and had they been cut out, this would have been a better wrestling card. In the long run, I understand trying to fit as many big names in there as possible so the tournament is more prestigious, but an hour of squashes gets to be a little much. Once the finals round kicked in, though, it was some high quality entertainment. I love the Daniels as rebel without honor angle too. And, of course, with Low Ki and Daniels both in the Ironman, it should be a very interesting match next month… …but that's another story. Mild thumbs up here.

Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]