We open with a ten-bell salute to Eddy Guerrero who died suddenly a few days earlier. Longtime fans will remember that Eddy actually worked the first few shows of ROH, so this was more than just paying tribute to someone from another promotion. In fact, ROH's third show was also dedicated to Eddy.
Samoa Joe recaps his career in a long promo to sum up what it means to become the first ever Grand Slam winner.
Opening Match: Dunn & Marcos vs. Jason Blade & Kid Mikaze.
Marcos, who has blasphemously gotten a haircut, opens with Mikaze and gets a jackknife roll for two. Dunn gets the blind tag, and the RCE cleans house with doubleteams. AIR GUITAR! Both teams trade chops. The RCE go for the Electric Chair Senton, but Mikaze springboards in and takes out Marcos, turning the move into a Doomsday Device. Blade & Mikaze isolate Marcos and cut the ring in half. They show some nice stuff, including a Total Elimination, which should probably be their finisher, but it only gets two. Dunn & Marcos come back with the Demolition Decapitation, but Mikaze breaks up the pin and hits an inverted Samoan Drop. Blade and Mikaze go for an odd finisher where Blade Japanese Armdrags Mikaze off the top rope, but the RCE moves anyway. The assisted Sliced Bread #2 and Electric Chair Senton finish at 6:51. *3/4
We get a creepy-looking, digitally-enhanced still photo of Jimmy Rave giving Jade Chung the Pedigree in the parking lot at Vendetta. Ever see the pseudo-documentary movie The Last Broadcast. It reminded me of that. Anyway, that apparently put Jade out of wrestling for good.
Roderick Strong responds that he will get revenge on the Embassy, but Austin Aries wants him to set that aside so they can focus on becoming the #1 contenders for the tag titles.
Jimmy Rave (w/Prince Nana) vs. Davey Andrews.
Nana takes credit for putting Jade out of wrestling and promises more of the same for GenNext. Rave takes Andrews lightly, so Andrews takes him down with a waistlock off the handshake. He fires off a few chops, but Rave comes back and methodically knocks him around. Davey hits a springboard dropkick and locks in the modified Anaconda Vice (he was trained by Punk, after all). Jimmy cuts off a charge with a spear, though, and finishes with the Greetings from Ghana (the Pedigree) at 4:18. Just a squash to give Rave momentum toward "Steel Cage Warfare." *1/4
Colt Cabana is unapologetic for being successful. He says now that Homicide tried to cut out his tongue, it's personal. Ya think?! Good, serious promo from Cabana.
#1 Contender's Triple Threat: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Allison Danger) vs. Matt Sydal.
At this point in TNA, Styles is actually feuding with Samoa Joe on Daniels behalf, but Daniels still hates him. Sydal and AJ have been chummy over the past few shows, but both of the other guys blow Sydal off. That turns out to be a mistake as Sydal hits a double missile dropkick and hits a cannonball guillotine legdrop on AJ. AJ hits his dropkick off a leapfrog sequence, leaving Daniels and AJ as it should be. Finally, AJ and Sydal team up against Daniels, but the Fallen Angel is a crafty one and sends Sydal into AJ. He hits a nice Last Rites/uranage combo on both guys. The Arabian Press gets two, but Sydal makes the save. Sydal goes for a Reverse DDT on Daniels, but AJ springboards and hits his Quebrada DDT to knock both of them out. Convoluted, but fun. Sydal hits the standing moonsault on AJ and goes for the Revolution, but Styles counters to a super Styles Clash attempt. Daniels saves Sydal from that but takes a leg-drop cutter. AJ presses Sydal, but Daniels catches him in midair and hits a DVD. Daniels goes for the Iconoclasm but has to settle for the uranage AJ breaks up the Best Moonsault Ever and gives Daniels a Torture Rack Bomb. Daniels rolls to the floor, so AJ dives out on him. That creates a pile for Sydal, so he dives off with a twisting bodypress (and nearly brains himself on the apron). Back in, AJ counters a Sydal crucifix to a Styles Clash attempt, but Sydal counters that to a snap rana. Daniels makes the save, tosses AJ, and blocks the Here It Is Driver. The uranage and BME finish Sydal at 14:44. Daniels gets a title shot later tonight. Very TNA-ish match with big spots and reversals but very little story or transitions. **3/4
Claudio Castagnoli begs for another Pure Title shot in order to make Nigel McGuinness pay for making him bleed.
Bryan Danielson comes out to address the crowd, but he can't be heard over the dueling chants. He doesn't think it's fair for Daniels to have to wrestle twice, so Danielson is going to wrestle Azrieal to even things up a bit.
Bryan Danielson vs. Azrieal. Allison Danger joins commentary to complain that Danielson seems to be taking the title match as a joke. Well, I don't know about that, but he's certainly treating this match as a joke. Danielson completely no-sells Azrieal's early moves. Azrieal gets a flurry of offense, but Danielson brushes him off. Azrieal tries some chops and hurts his own hand. The double-stomp misses, and Danielson finishes with the Cattle Mutilation at 5:55. Not surprisingly, Azrieal would be gone a few months later and never really reached his potential in ROH. Danielson looks like an arrogant asshole, though, which was the whole point. 3/4*
Grudge Match: Homicide (w/Julius Smokes & Grim Reefer) vs. Colt Cabana.
Big staredown to start before they slug it out Austin/Rock-style. Cabana grabs a fork, but Homicide bails. Reefer provides a bit of a distraction, allowing Homicide to get back in the match. Homicide backdrops Cabana to the floor and hits a tope con hilo. They choke the life out of each other. Colt: "YOU MOTHERFUCKERRRR!" Colt knocks down Smokes and steals his bat. Homicide jumps Colt from behind before he can put it to use, though. Back in, Colt hits a powerslam and sets up a chair in the ropes. Homicide reverses, though, sending Colt's head into the chair. Homicide grabs his fork and starts jabbing it into Colt's forehead. Colt is busted open pretty good here. He starts to come back, but Homicide kicks him in the nuts to cut that off. Homicide goes up but takes too long jawing with the fans, and Colt is able to toss a chair into his face. Colt hits a lariat, but Homicide goes low again and hits his own lariat. It only gets a one count, and Cabana no-sells another one. They both no-sell lariats before hitting each other and knocking each other out with clotheslines. Cabana reverses the Cop Killa to a Colt .45 attempt, but Homicide reverses that to an Ace Crusher attempt. Colt shoves out of *that* and hits a schwein neckbreaker. Colt grabs a pipe and tries to take Homicide's eye out with it, so Smokes and Reefer interfere. Colt goes up, but one of the Rottweilers grabs him long enough for Homicide to recover and hit an ACE CRUSHER THROUGH A TABLE! The Rottweilers toss Cabana in the ring. Homicide only gets two, but he doesn't care because he grabs a bent coat hanger and chokes Cabana into unconsciousness at 19:35. Homicide continues to strangle Cabana as Prazak goes crazy calling for help. Finally, some ROH students come out and pull Homicide off of him. Good brawl, but the best is yet to come. ***1/4
Christopher Daniels tells Bryan Danielson not to take him lightly just because he doesn't hate him as much as he hates Joe or Punk. Odd, because the feud with Danielson actually stretches back to the very beginning of ROH.
A brief, choked-up tribute from Gabe to Eddy Guerrero for helping build ROH in the early days.
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Milano Collection AT.
Prazak and Leonard discuss whether Milano is from Italy or Japan, putting over the absurdity of the gimmick. Very exhibitiony match to start. Claudio hits his European Uppercut to the back and then the rolling uppercut in the corner. Milano hits his running dropkick from all the way across the arena. Claudio tries to slingshot himself in, but Milano cuts him off with an enzuigiri. Milano ties him up in the ropes and hits a flying dropkick. He hits a Tornado Armbar DDT, and they chop it out. A nice senton gets two for Milano, but Castagnoli comes back with the Matchkiller (Swinging X-Factor). Claudio gets two off a diving elbow, but Milano Matrixes to duck the roaring elbow and hits a nice quebrada into a senton. He calls for the AT Lock, but Claudio avoids. Claudio tries the Ricolabomb, but Milano reverses that to an arm snap and finishes with the AT Lock at 12:49. Kind of an upset there, considering Claudio is in a big feud for the Pure Title. **1/2
Tag Title Contender's Match: Samoa Joe & Jay Lethal vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong.
This is to determine a #1 contender for the "Dear God, Please Get the Titles off Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke Challenge" at Final Battle 2005. Lethal and Strong exchange counters to start. Odd. I would have thought they'd try a little posturing to establish some clear face/heel roles. Doesn't hurt the match much, though. GenNext unloads some nice doubleteam maneuvers, including a Hart Attack, on Lethal. Lethal avoids Aries' roll and hits a spinebuster. Joe gets the semi-hot tag and destroys Aries. Everyone switches roles as Aries gets caught in the wrong corner. Joe and Lethal team up for their hanging Facewash. Roderick breaks up a pin, pissing off Joe. He breaks up another one, so Lethal spits a loogie in his direction. Lethal gets cute with a back handspring, and Aries takes his head off with a clothesline. Roderick gets a semi-hot tag now. Aries breaks up the Coquina Clutch, and Strong hits a backbreaker. Lethal hits Strong with the diving headbutt, but Aries breaks up his pin with a double ax-handle and pulls Strong to the corner to make a tag. Joe makes the save now and pulls Lethal to *his* corner. Joe blocks the crucifix bomb at first, but Roderick jumps in and dropkicks Joe in the face, allowing Aries to complete the move. Lethal comes in, but Strong hits him with a pair of backbreakers, setting up a frogsplash (á la Eddy) from Aries at 17:24. After the match, Jimmy Rave attacks Strong in the aisle and gives him a Greetings from Ghana on the platform. Aries is pissed at the referees for allowing it to happen, but the ref says, "Hey, I was in the back." The funny thing about that is once they get to the back, they find Matt Sydal strung up from a ladder. How did the ref miss that one?! Anyway, this match is dull for about 13 minutes before kicking into high gear and saving itself. ***
ROH World Title: Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Allison Danger).
This was the opening leg of the Round Robin Challenge, Ring of Honor's second ever show. Sadly, that match was overshadowed by the MOTYC later in the night from Danielson and Low Ki. Nice moment as Daniels blesses the belt before the match. He also refuses a handshake, which is funny because the context has completely changed from 2002, making Danielson seem like a jerk for demanding a handshake. Lots of jockeying early, with neither man getting a clear advantage. Danielson backs Daniels into the corner and lays in some chops. He stops to talk trash, so Daniels gets in a few of his own. Danielson gets out of a headscissors and slaps the top of Daniels' head to mock him. There's actually a pretty good match going on, but you'd never guess that from the fans' chants of "take your shirt off." Remember, these are the "smart" fans who hate Vince for things like the Diva Search contest. Danielson puts on a side Indian Deathlock and segues to a Butterfly Lock. Danielson holds onto the hold a bit too long for Allison Danger's tastes. Danielson rips at Daniels' nose and reminds the ref he has until five. The bandage from Samoa Joe's attack a few weeks earlier falls off Daniels' head, and the blood starts to trickle again. Danielson bites at the wound and spits the blood out at the fans. Daniels comes back with a desperation enzuigiri. A kneelift sends Danielson to the floor, and the challenger follows him out with the Arabian Press. Back in, Daniels hits a flying crossbody. ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Danielson blocks the O'Connor Roll but runs right into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Dragon hits a flying uppercut and a swandive headbutt. ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Dragon hits the Finlay Roll and goes up, but Daniels catches him with the DVD. ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Dragon kicks out, but Daniels segues to the Koji Clutch! Great bit of wrestling as Dragon reaches for the ropes and Daniels uses his free leg to block him from extending the arm. Dragon settles for getting his foot on the bottom rope instead. CATTLE MUTILATION! Daniels makes the ropes, though. Dragon slaps him around, triggering a slugfest. Danielson tries to end it with a rolling elbow, but Daniels ducks and hits the uranage. BME! ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Daniels charges and gets crotched on the ropes. SUPERPLEX! DRAGON SUPLEX! ONE, TWO, THR-NO! Daniels kicks out, but Dragon floats through to CATTLE MUTILATION! Daniels rolls through and fights off the CFCW. Dragon drops that and kills Daniels dead with a rolling forearm (according to rumor, knocking Daniels out legit). That gets the win at 29:35. On par with Danielson's match with Roderick Strong at "This Means War." The crowd, which seemed to be interested only in getting itself over and jawing with Danielson, was hooked on every move by the end, and that's a better testament to the match than star ratings. But since that's what I do. ****
In the back, Samoa Joe blows off the loss, saying they'll be back, but Jay Lethal leaves in disgust. Hmm.
Another brief clip of the fans chanting "we will miss you" to Eddy and we're out.
The 411: Another show, another great title defense for Danielson. Thankfully, it came at the right place and time because the undercard doesn't really have anything to recommend from a wrestling perspective. "A Night of Tribute" is not as good as many of the shows that surround it, but it's still good enough to get a recommendation.
