Far be it from me to question ROH's marketing skills, but do you really want a spoiler in the title of your show?
November 25, 2006
From Edison, N.J..
Your hosts are Dave Prazak and Jimmy Bower.
Julius Smokes is REALLY hyped for Joe & Homicide's match with the Briscoes tonight. This is pretty funny stuff as Smokes dubs them "Bo & Luke," and Homicide makes jokes about them fucking their cousins.
Opening Match: Brent Albright vs. El Generico.
Generico has grown a beard since the last time I saw him. Looks weird with his mask. Albright overpowers him early, but Generico flusters him with armdrags and a dropkick. Albright offers a congratulatory handshake and then yanks Generico into a T-Bone suplex. A gutwrench gets two, and Albright comes up with a weird sort of 619 with a knee strike. Generico hits a crossbody for two and blocks a clothesline charge. He hits a nice swinging DDT and a big boot in the corner. A small package gets two, but Albright catches him with the German Suplex and Half-Nelson Suplex into a Fujiwara Armbar for the win at 6:42. Pretty good squash to get Albright over while making Generico look respectable. *3/4
Top of the Class Trophy: Shane Hagadorn vs. Bobby Dempsey.
Dempsey attacks before Hagadorn can get his Taka duster off. The first time I saw Dempsey, I thought Sammy Hagar had really let himself go. Dempsey hits a corner cannonball, but Hagadorn grabs a pair of brass knuckles. The ref catches him and confiscates them, but Dempsey pulls out a second pair and smashes Dempsey in the head for the win at 2:15. 1/4*
Delirious vs. Jason Blade.
Huge pop for Delirious. Very basic match to start with Delirious grabbing a headlock and Blade using a lot of armdrags. Delirious grabs a Camel Clutch to work in some lighthearted cheating. He moves it over into a Gedo Clutch for two. Blade comes back with a kick and a T-Bone suplex for two. Delirious knocks him to the floor and hits a tope. Back in, Delirious press drops Blade and kicks him in the face as Prazak and Bower talk about bringing in new talent and how they can eventually make an impact like Austin Aries, CM Punk and Samoa Joe. Speaking of impact, Blade hits a nice tope con hilo. Back inside, he messes up a springboard, and Delirious gets two off his rope-assisted neckbreaker. Blade avoids Shadows Over Hell and thrust kicks Delirious for two, but Delirious rolls his cover over into the Cobra Stretch for the submission at 9:26. Decent squash. Outside of a few sloppy moments, Blade looked good – kind of like a toned-down Matt Sydal. If he can just cut out the miscues, he'll be a good addition to the roster. **1/4
Davey Richards talks about his year and how Austin Aries has become his biggest obstacle.
BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs (w/Lacey).
Jimmy hobbled his former partner BJ at Lacey's command back at "Gut Check." BJ hits the ring, and the brawl erupts immediately. The ref tries to interfere and gets tossed over the top to a big pop. BJ catches Jimmy on a pescado but makes the mistake of setting him down. Jimmy boots him and tosses him into the railing. They brawl all the way around the ring as the ref begins to stir. Jacobs hits a rana off the barricade and blows a kiss to Lacey. Jimmy charges but gets Explodered onto the steel entrance ramp. Ouch! BJ one-ups that with a powerbomb onto the barricade! Sickening! Back to the ring, Whitmer picks up a chair but gets speared. Jimmy pulls out a railroad spike and jabs it into Whitmer's forehead. There's one for the returning referee too. Jimmy uses Whitmer's blood as eyeliner. That's the weirdest twist on that spot that I've ever seen…also the gayest. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Whitmer gives Jacobs another Exploder and grabs the spike. He digs it into Jimmy's face in an image reminiscent of Magnum and Tully Blanchard. The ref tries to interfere, so BJ spikes him too. Whitmer chases Lacey around the ring and gets dropkicked by Jacobs. Whitmer takes a reverse rana but pops up and hits a lariat. They slug it out and then fall to their knees and continue to slug it out. Lacey hops in the ring and berates Jimmy for not getting up. She kicks Whitmer in the gut and slaps him drawing out Daizee Haze to attack her. Lacey runs to the back, and Daizee gets her first good look at the conditions of Jacobs and Whitmer and she freaks out. Given her reaction, it sounds like she switched from reefer to LSD, but the idea of even a veteran wrestler freaking out at the amount of blood is a great little booking touch. A bunch of guys come out of the back to tend to Whitmer and Jacobs. No match to rate, but it was an awesome brawl that makes me want to order the real match.
FIP Heavyweight Title: Roderick Strong vs. Shingo.
Since the wrestlers make the rules in FIP, Strong decides to make tables legal since Shingo likes to put him through tables so much. He suckerpunches Shingo with the mic. Shingo takes over on the floor, but Strong hits a pair of clotheslines and a Falcon Arrow. Shingo comes back with a swinging sleeper and drops Strong's throat on the top rope. They exchange waistlock counters, and Shingo goes low. The announcers can't decide if that's legal or not, given the legality of tables and chairs. Shingo hits his STO into a modified Anaconda Vice. He drops that and wedges a chair in the corner. Strong charges but goes headfirst into the chair. They head to the apron where Strong blocks a DDT and hits a sort of released backdrop on the apron. He follows Shingo to the floor with a clothesline. I should point out that there is a fan wearing a Captain America shirt in the crowd, which is infinitely cooler than a Green Lantern shirt. Strong crotches Shingo on the railing and hits a clothesline. Back in, Shingo hits a Saving Grace (reverse DDT) and goes up. Strong catches him with a superplex, but Shingo no-sells and hits a corner clothesline. Roddy blocks a second one with a uranage backbreaker, though. Shingo avoids the Stronghold and levels Roderick with a lariat for two. He hits a rope-assisted DDT into a chair for two. You know, Shingo has to be the only star I know that uses D-Von Dudley as a moveset template. Strong suddenly roars back with a press gutbuster and a Tiger Driver on the chair for the win at 10:45. I'm not a big Shingo fan, but he worked well with Strong here. Strong continues to look good, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one to unseat Homicide in 2007. (Edit: Well, clearly that prediction didn't turn out well.) ***
ROH World Tag Titles: Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal (w/Allison Danger).
The Prophecy looks positively tiny in there with the Kings of Wrestling. Daniels eschews a handshake from Castagnoli in a nice little play on history (Castagnoli was the first to get a handshake from Daniels but turned his back on ROH in the same night). Daniels opens with a series of armdrags and mocks the Kings' pose. Daniels and Hero exchange wristlocks and headlocks, giving Hero the chance to jaw with the crowd and look for approval from his partner. I know Claudio was the one that caught the eye of the WWE, but I think Hero's future is just as bright. He slaps Daniels right in the face and runs away. Sydal confounds the Kings with his quickness, and Daniels sends them to the floor. Daniels presses Sydal out on them, and the Prophecy isolates Hero as the match settles into the traditional format. Castagnoli blind tags himself in, though, allowing him to jump Daniels from behind. Now Daniels plays face-in-peril. The Kings work in a Rockers-ish series of doubleteams, but they stop to pose, and Daniels hits Claudio with a clothesline. Sydal gets the hot tag and headscissors Claudio. He works in a really cool leap into a standing position on Claudio's chest and then finishes the move with a DDT. The crowd loves that one. Daniels tags back in and takes both Kings down with a clothesline. The Iconoclasm sends Claudio rolling to the floor, and Daniels hits the BME on Hero. He's not legal, though, so the referee refuses to count. Daniels knocks Claudio out with an Arabian Moonsault. Hero and Sydal dive out on them for a big trainwreck spot. The Kings go for a Doomsday Device, but Daniels rolls up Hero to counter. The fans thought that was it. They hit the Hero's Welcome on Daniels. ONE, TWO, THRE-NO! Sydal dives in to make the save, but Daniels is out of it. Sydal goes for the SSP, but Claudio meets him with a European Uppercut and calls for the KRS-One. They toss Sydal up in the air, but Daniels spears Hero in mid-move, and Sydal flips into a Dragonrana on Claudio for the win and the titles at 22:49. The ending is truly a sight to behold. HUGE pop for the Prophecy win too. Daniels lays out an open contract so they can prove that they are the best. It was slow and clunky in spots, but it had a good, solid formula and a huge finish. ***1/2
The Briscoes consider the Prophecy targets now but say they have to get rid of Joe & Homicide first.
Nigel McGuinness vs. Jimmy Rave.
This actually has a bit of a backstory. Rave finally snapped because of the whole toilet paper thing and went after the fans. Nigel lectured him about professionalism, and so we get this match. Jimmy actually manages to match Nigel hold-for-hold. Jimmy grabs a headlock as the fans chant "awkward silence." Nigel comes back with an armbar and a Hammerlock STO. Yeeowwch! He one-ups it with a sort of Mutalock on Rave's arm. Rave stalls in the corner before hitting an STO into a backbreaker. He headscissors Nigel for a bit before using him as a football sled. Jimmy "The Anvil" Rave? Nigel comes back with a lariat and hits a rope-assisted forearm drop. He ties up Jimmy in a hanging hammerlock to work that arm a big more, but he can't hold Jimmy up long enough to get the submission, and Jimmy is able to hit a spinning neckbreaker. Nigel blocks the Pedigree but takes a knee to the face for two. A running uppercut sends Rave to the apron, and Nigel snaps the top rope right back into Jimmy's face. Jimmy slams Nigel's back on the apron. He tries to toss Nigel back in, but Nigel bounces himself off the ropes and hits a rebound lariat. Another lariat gets two. The Tower of London gets two, which is a bit much for Rave. Rave avoids another flying lariat and hits a Tornado DDT. They trade thrust kicks, and Rave gets a spear. The Pedigree only gets two (because this is an alternate universe from the WWE). Rave spears McGuinness again, but Nigel bounces off the ropes and hits the lariat at 19:40. Nigel had a decent gameplan, but Rave still looks lost to me, both as a character and a wrestler. There was some decent stuff, but there were also long patches of boredom. Nigel offers a handshake, saying he doesn't think Rave is a joke, and then tosses a roll of toilet paper at him as a rib. Jimmy REALLY takes it badly, but I don't blame him. Nigel begs Rave to take another swing at him, but Christopher Daniels runs down and tells them to break it up before things come to blows again. Tack on a 1/4* for the post-match jousting. **1/4
Austin Aries vs. Davey Richards.
Aries defeated Richards at "Glory by Honor V" and then again in the tag match at "Honor Reclaims Boston," so Richards is after some revenge. They open by countering all of each other's usual moves. Richards avoids the dropkick out of a headscissors, and Aries blocks the headstand kick and the handspring spinkick. Aries actually hits a handspring elbow of his own, surprising everyone, and knocks Richards into the crowd barrier. The Pendulum Elbow misses, and Richards kicks at Aries' arm and mocks Aries Pendulum Elbow pose. Richards continues to work the arm in between suplex attempts. Aries comes back with a missile dropkick and the corner dropkick (which Richards starts to sell before he gets there). He runs through his usual, including the slingshot rolling splash and a quebrada, but Richards hits the handspring kick. A Tornado Divorce Court leads to a reverse armlock. Aries shows FIGHTING SPIRIT by no-selling some kicks. Richards also shows FIGHTING SPIRIT by no-selling a kneebreaker and backdrop. They both show FIGHTING SPIRIT by no-selling clotheslines, but Aries ends all of that with a Crucifix Bomb for two. Richards roars back with a hammerlock DDT. ONE, TWO, TH-NO! Aries kicks him in the head and hits a brainbuster, but Richards kicks out. The 450-splash misses, and Aries charges right into the post. Richards bends Aries' arm back in a hammerlock and scissors his body so he can't reach the ropes. Aries has to tap at 17:10. The intensity and psychology were there, but I'm not a big fan of the style, and the match had very little flow to it. ***
Lacey is disappointed that Jacobs wasn't able to cripple BJ Whitmer. She also warns Colt Cabana and Daizee Haze to stay out of her business.
Falls-Count-Anywhere, Elimination Street Fight: Samoa Joe & Homicide (w/Julius Smokes) vs. The Briscoes.
Last time these two teams got together, Mark did his crazy SSP off the top of a truck. Joe & Homicide clear the ring and hit stereo topes. The Briscoes make the comeback and return the favor with stereo dives. Well, that just pisses off Joe and Homicide, so they work in the Camel Clutch/dropkick sequence. Joe takes Mark into the crowd and gives him a Giant Swing, taking out chairs with Mark's head as he swings. Homicide is killing Jay on the other end, but we don't have light over there. The lighting guy shows up just in time to see Joe & Homicide give Jay a Conchairto. Funny spot as Joe dons a hockey helmet and "checks" Jay into the boards. What's that all aboot?! Joe hits the Olé kick, but Mark has recovered and scales the entrance architecture. Oh, this can't be good. He hits a SHOOTING STAR PRESS off the top of the entryway! Even Julius Smokes can't believe that one. Mark lays a chair on Joe and moonsaults him as Jay and Homicide make their way back to the ring. Homicide gives Jay an Ace Crusher for two. Jay comes back with a Falcon Arrow, and Mark springboards in for a Decapitation-style kneedrop. Joe has recovered, though, and hits the powerbomb on Jay. Homicide readies for the lariat, but Mark reverses to a uranage, planting Homicide on his head. On the outside, Jay elbows out of the Coquina Clutch. Smokes lights up a cigar and hands it to Homicide who puts it out on Mark's wrist! He kicks Mark square in the nuts and readies for the Cop Killa, but he waits for Joe to get in position…MUSCLE BUSTER & COP KILLA! Both Briscoes are eliminated at 12:43. Well, that kind of ruins the stipulations. The match was good while it lasted, but it was way short for a main event, and lacked the epic quality I was hoping for. Good, but not as good as Motor City Madness, and certainly not up to their capabilities. ***1/2
The 411: I'm torn on this one because it does have the two great tag team matches. There are better and more intense matches between Joe/Homicide and the Briscoes, though, and the title match didn't mean much in the long run. The Whitmer/Jacobs brawl was pretty good, though, and probably earns this a lukewarm recommendation. Call it a very mild thumbs up, but it's not a show you have to go out of your way for.
