Reported by Ben Hagen of WrestleView.com
On Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 2:09 AM EST

Better Than Our Best 04.01.06 (Chicago Ridge, IL)

Match #1 – Six Man Mayhem: Ace Steel vs. Jack Evans vs. Matt Sydal vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jake Crist vs. Dave Crist

The opening minutes of this match sees some random pairings (with some nifty Steel offense on the Irish Airborne fellas) until about the five minute mark where Sydal, Evans, and Jacobs all attempt their top rope maneuver only to get cut off and placed in Doomsday positions by Ace Steel and the Crists. After a goofy section, Jack Evans moonsaults off the shoulders of Ace Steel onto the other four men on the floor. Moments later, Sydal fights off Jake and Dave (watch for the gorgeous drop kick catching Dave coming off the top rope), and Jack Evans pulls out a great looking dive onto a lonely Jacobs near the nine minute mark. He sneaks in moments later and forces poor Jake Crist (the recipient of both a back senton from Jacobs and a strange leg drop from Steel) to eat a 630. Flippy McFlippenstein takes it at 10:08.

This is a much better opener than the four corner survival that opened “Supercard of Honor" and one of the better attempts at this sort of match that I’ve seen. Contrived spots are the stuff of Scrambles and Six Man Mayhems, and this match is pretty chalk-full of them. Although I don’t care for the Doomsday battle of chops or the strange mess of offense Ace attempted off the second rope moments before the end, I wasn’t too bothered by much of anything here. Some pretty athletic stuff highlighted it, and each guy played his own part. Though Evans and Sydal were teammates in Generation Next, the leftovers of the Sydal vs. the other members rivalry kept them from working cohesively like Jake and Dave Crist did throughout. Jacobs’ role was minor yet still important as his tackling of Ace Steel at the end in order to protect Lacey provided the opportunity for Jack to slip in his finisher and make the necessary pin cover. Fun match: *1/2.

Match #2: Ricky Reyes vs. Delirious

Delirious knocks Reyes off the apron as he enters before sailing out with baseball slide. After brawling around ring side, the action goes into the ring for the first time where Ricky drills Delirious with a nice neckbreaker less than two minutes in. Ricky stays on offense aggressively until the four and a half minute mark where Delirious delivers a mule kick followed by Shadows Over Hell before the Bizarro Driver gets him a near fall. Delirious fights through a vicious combination near the end of the match, counters the Dragon Sleeper, and applies the Cobra Stretch for the tap out victory at 6:21.

I like Delirious a lot, and I’ve been enjoying Ricky Reyes too this year. Although I would have liked a few more minutes tacked on, this is really all it should have been. Delirious needed a win, and doing it in little time was really the best bet here. I’m glad Delirious got the win and all, but I’m wondering if they might have executed it a little better (though the crowd seems more than happy). With the little time they had, both men packed in as much as they could. We got angry Delirious, some aggressive domination from the Rottweiler, two near falls from both guys, and a satisfying ending (made better by Smokes attempting to distract the official). All the same, nothing much is worth noting and short matches like Jimmy Rave vs. Pelle Primeau (which isn’t even three minutes) are much better.: ¾*.

Match #3: Jimmy Rave / Alex Shelley / Masato Yoshino vs. Do Fixer

Yoshino fits right in with the Embassy as he makes the little pyramid gesture and participates in throwing the massive amounts of toilet paper hurled at the ring back into the crowd. Saito and Alex Shelley start things off and, as per typical the six mans on the last two shows, we get random pairings of fun stuff (Dragon Kid / Yoshino and Rave / Horiguchi) before the match progresses. Do Fixer isolates Yoshino and Alex Shelley for the next few minutes before Yoshino nabs Genki by the hair nearly eight minutes into the match in order to pull him to the Embassy corner. This allows Shelley to give him a good ol’ thumb to the eye. Given the newness of the Embassy / Yoshino connection, they work seamlessly as a team (not with as many eye popping double and triple teams as the Blood Generation unit, but still very entertaining and fun) isolating Genki and eliciting “H-A-G-E" chants from the crowd. About eleven minutes in, Horiguchi catches Shelley napping with a nice back elbow and manages to make it to his corner to tag Ryo who delivers a great belly-to-belly to Rave and a kick to Masato allowing Dragon Kid to take over the Blood Generation member with his patented Déjà vu. Shelley manages to escape Saito’s Fisherman Express moments later before delivering an incredible brainbuster for a near fall that sparks a series of really exciting exchanges between the two teams. Just after the fifteen minute mark, Yoshino escapes a springboard hurricanrana from Dragon Kid thanks to Shelley and manages to counter a Dragon Rana attempt by shoving Todd Sinclair into the ropes! Seconds later, Rave escapes a backslide attempt from Genki, decapitates him with a lariat, and nails Greetings from Ghana for the victory to a chorus of boos at 16:13. Beautiful

I’m curious why this match doesn’t get more press. How does it get lost in the shuffle when it is just as good as (or at least nearly as good as) the other six man tags from the triple shot? Eh, who knows. Regardless, it actually brings just as much to the table as the “heel" team in this case is much more heelish than the Blood Generation teams the previous nights (more than just opportunistic . . . more sleazy). And everyone plays their parts well. The Do Fixer team is obviously quite good and manage to pull out a performance just as nice as the one the previous night. Shelley really brings the goods as one would expect, Yoshino acts as a team director in some cases because of his knowledge of Do Fixer and the Dragon Gate rules, and just when I forget that Rave is in the match he pulls out an incredible burst of offense or a sell job (such as clutching his jaw in pain and anguish after a drop kick) that makes me appreciate him all the more. I thought there would be some awkward stuff here as in the Styles / Sydal vs. Do Fixer match from Dragon Gate Challenge, but there is pretty much zero awkward here. The only time I got a little critical is after Yoshino’s kick out of a German suplex where it is obvious he’s looking for Dragon Kid so he can take the hurricanrana. But that’s being overly picky. Very enjoyable match that may turn out to be the best match on the card: ***1/4.

Match #4 – Four Corner Survival: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Jimmy Yang

Jimmy Yang and Christopher Daniels start things off with some okay stuff, but nothing really special. A few minutes in, after an awkward exchange of arm drags, Yang tags in Samoa Joe to mucho applause. He and Daniels square off a bit before Joe nails his inverted atomic drop. When gaining momentum to come back with a flying boot, Daniels manages to quickly tag Styles. Thus we get Styles and Joe in an ROH ring for the first time in a long while a little over three minutes in. After taking some stiff kicks to his legs, Styles trips up Joe with a nice sweep kick before tagging in Daniels. The three men isolate Joe until the seven and a half minute mark where Joe catches Styles on a springboard with a high kick to the gut (well, in theory). For the next several minutes Yang and Joe isolate Styles (though Jimmy dickishly tags Daniels when the Fallen Angel would rather get the tag from AJ). Joe tags in at around the eleven minute mark and, after throwing some nice kicks, catches an enziguiri to the head which allows the tag to Daniels. The match breaks down from here and, though Daniels and Yang are the legal men, Joe and Styles enter the fray several minutes later just for kicks. Jimmy gets taken out of the picture after catching an enziguiri to the face leaving an opening for Daniels to apply the Koji Clutch to Samoa Joe. Styles breaks it up, and we get a cute dance sequence between those two before Joe intercedes. Daniels gets dumped to the floor near the end and the former ROH champ catches Styles with a boot while sitting on the top turnbuckle. Muscle Buster? Yup. Joe takes it at 18:28.

This match is fun enough even with the trashing of the tag system later on. I’m not sure what the deal has been lately on these shows with abandoning tag rules, but I guess it is something I’m going to have to get used to given the following match. The only problem I have with this is what sort of deduction I give it for breaking down into an anyone-pin-anyone situation. It isn’t that the referee forgot. Yang and Daniels were the legal men for quite a while and were isolated together for quite sometimes before Joe and Styles just decided to enter the ring and start pinning people. Eh, go figure. I hate star ratings. The point here is that Samoa Joe is the best wrestler on the planet and no matter the legal man rules, he shows why here. His ability to work all sorts of matches all combine here into a great performance. Yang was capable. Daniels was fine. Styles brought some energy. But Joe made this match watchable. From getting triple teamed by all three guys to brushing off a Daniels shoulder block to kicking the holy hell out of Styles only to be toppled by a bicycle kick, Samoa Joe brings this match together. And when he’s not in the ring, it suffers. The interaction of the other wrestlers is not necessarily bad, but the quality of action and intensity and . . . all that . . . goes up about three or four clicks when the former ROH Champion enters the fray.

Oh, a rating. Eh I’ll ring it up at **1/4.

Match #5 – ROH Tag Team Title Match: Roderick Strong / Austin Aries vs. Blood Generation

Doi and Strong start the match with some solid counter wrestling before Aries and CIMA get tagged nearly three minutes in. These two trade some mat holds of their own before Generation Next attempt to isolate CIMA after a dropkick from the former ROH Champ. Around six and a half minutes in, Roderick lifts CIMA for a vertical suplex and holds him for about a minute before dropping him *sigh*. Anyway, shortly thereafter, CIMA ends up making the tag to Doi. At the nine minute mark (or shortly before) the Blood Generation team hits stereo dives onto Generation Next with CIMA’s some how managing to bust up the nose of Aries (looking at it in slow motion, his left hand must have hit him because I can’t seem to see any other possible way). Regardless, Blood Generation isolate Aries (even though he isn’t the legal man . . . um, yeah) with what is probably the best part of the match: heelishly working over his face and pulling out some good offense. A little over fifteen minutes in, after a great back suplex to CIMA, Aries makes the tag to Strong which sparks a series of chaotic and often awkward nearfalls. Near the end of the match, Aries and Strong nail a top rope drop kick / powerbomb combination which sets up CIMA for the half-nelson back breaker and a 450 splash. Generation Next takes it at 20:20.

This match is so wildly overrated it isn’t even funny. Now call me Tag Team Nazi, I really don’t care. But when a match that is all over the place with legal man rules (Aries isn’t even the legal man when he’s isolated, Doi would make a cover and then just walk out onto the apron during their control segment, and never mind the tornado rules that seemed to come into effect later in the match), there is something wrong. Like I’ve said before, there is no “Dragon Gate Rules" excuse here. If Dragon Kid and Genki could follow the rules back at Dragon Gate Challenge so perfectly, I fail to see why excuses should be made for Blood Generation or Generation Next. Add to that that a lot of the exchanges near the end were rife with miscommunication and awkward moments (I mean a lot, not a little), and I’m not entirely sure why the hell some people want to pimp this as the best tag match in ROH history. Quite plainly, it isn’t. Now, legal man garbage aside, there are times this is an exciting title match with a ton of really cool looking stuff and nifty little effects. So if you’re unlike me and just love a lot of flashy looking stuff no matter how awkwardly it may be set up or how little sense it makes, then this is probably your bag. The opening portions are good (maybe great), but it suffers the same as The Second City Saints vs. Briscoes match from the very first Chicago show. The legal man stuff is ridiculous, and the Generation Next team looked lost at several points. It is still a fun match, but it is so far below the other GN and Blood Generation matches in this series it isn’t even funny. Not one giggle even. Is this awesome? No, Chicago Ridge, sadly you’re wrong. Entertaining match at times, but too sloppy, awkward, and brainless to be a good one: **1/4.

I have no idea about that rating either. Maybe it deserves lower. Oh well.

Match #6 – ROH World Title Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Lance Storm

Danielson attempts his trademark dropkick after escaping a wristlock nearly two minutes in, but Storm backs off to avoid it. He’s been “studying" apparently (or has just seen . . . um, a Bryan Danielson match). Anyway, these two keep it really solid with some nice looking mat work (broken up with spurts of high impact offense and strikes) leading to a fabulous Half Crab from Storm nearly eleven minutes into the match. Danielson rolls to the outside, but Lance follows him, attacking the scarred chest of Danielson with chops before continuing his offense in the ring. A few moments later, however, the champion catches the challenger napping on the ropes and nails a great forearm smash sending Storm flipping over the ropes to the outside. Dragon controls him for several minutes (though Storm teases little spurts of offense). Fifteen minutes in, Danielson locks in the Mexican Surfboard. He drops Storm back his knees while maintaining the hold and just tears away at the challenger’s face. An enziguiri nineteen minutes in from Lance Storm evens the match up and a leg lariat moments later and a Tiger Driver each earn him a near fall. Danielson is far from done, however, as he gets in sprinkles of offense himself (including a great looking powerbomb with a bridge). Storm fights off a Regal Plex and Chicken Wing attempt from the champion and manages to nail a super kick for a near fall. The match remains back and forth from here on out. Danielson counters out of the Half Crab again with the same roll up he beat Strong with the previous night. Though Storm kicks out, Dragon’s tenacity shows through as he struggles Lance through a Tiger suplex and rolls through with Cattle Mutilation for the tap out victory at 26:23.

Really good match, may be the best of the night according to one’s mood (though I still really love the 6 man tag). Lance Storm looks excellent (better than I’ve ever seen him), and Bryan Danielson looks like a great champion putting him down cleanly. The ending sequences looked fantastic. It isn’t quite as good as the Shelley defense at “Arena Warfare" or the Rave and Strong matches from this series, but parts of it have a sophistication to them that none of the other three matches had. Storm’s experience shows through any minor awkward moments and he shows more fire than I’ve ever seen him display. Though the match dragged a bit in portions, and Storm had to borrow offense from Lynn in order to create a believable near fall opportunity, if it worked . . . then it’s all good. If you buy this show for any reason (other than to see a fun 6 man tag match), but it for this match: ***1/4.

Match #7 – Chicago Street Fight: Homicide vs. Colt Cabana

Unlike their previous matches, Homicide and Cabana managed to just stare at each other before Cabana lays in with some great looking punches. Both guys keep things pretty basic for the first several minutes of the match until about the five minute mark where Colt manages to pry a coat hanger from Homicide and tries choking him to the mat. The Notorious 187, sends Cabana outside, however, and follows up with a Tope Con Hilo that lands him in the front row. After eating a tornado DDT onto a ladder and a splash through a table, Cabana gets pitched outside about ten minutes in while Smokes and Homicide attempt setting up a flimsy barbed wire board in the ring. Both men tease using the barbed wire, but a slug fest moments later leads to Cabana forking Homicide in the forehead after avoiding a drop kick. After the eighteen minute mark (shortly after Cabana splashes rubbing alcohol into Homicide’s face), the Notorious 187 escapes a Colt 45 attempt, sends his boot to Cabana’s junk, and proceeds to convince the crowd to throw their chairs into the ring. With the ring covered in chairs, Cabana delivers a nice looking superplex that earns him a near fall nearly twenty-one minutes in. Homicide counters a second attempt into an awkward Pepsi Plunge for a near fall before earning a second near fall with a hard lariat. Hereafter, Smokes attempts to interfere, but gets tied up in the corner by Cabana using his wrist tape (okay). In the closing stretch, Cabana sets up a table in the ring, struggles to nail a nice looking Super Bomb before delivering the Colt 45 for the pinfall victory at 26:34.

This was enjoyable for the most part. A lot of the punching looked good (though some came off as pretty goofy), and Cabana’s forking looked brutal. I loved how they teased a lot of stuff they never really ended up using (the barbed wire board, the bottle of Drano, etc.). Homicide’s reaction to the rubbing alcohol was brilliant as well. Even so, I was a bit disappointed with this match. The hatred still felt there, but this feud was really in its height when Homicide was busy killing Cabana rather than taking his offense. This “revenge" match for Cabana just didn’t feel as satisfying as I wish it could have been. The set up to some of the spots just took too long, could have looked better, and just didn’t pay off as nicely as they could have. Some duck tape would have been nice to use on Smokes rather than wrist tape (which wouldn’t have held a squirrel in that corner). The chair riot felt pointless (only a way to try and pump up the crowd or offer some irrelevant parallel history to the previous Chicago street), and the crowd sadly didn’t feel as pumped up as I would have liked to see them. The previous Chicago Street fight felt like it delivered much more than this in my opinion. It felt a bit too long for me, and I was more happy that it was just over at the end rather than being happy to watch Cabana get his big victory over Homicide. I prefer their Ghetto Fight at Fourth Anniversary Show match and potentially their 11/19 match. Still, a decent affair: **1/2.

Closing Comments
Just like “At Our Best" which did NOT see Ring of Honor at its best, “Better Than Our Best" ends up disappointing as well given the title. It is a good show (with two great matches), but is the worst of the triple shot as “Dragon Gate Challenge" and “Supercard of Honor" deliver far more than this does. Even so, it is worthy of a pick up as some might enjoy the Street Fight and the Tag Title match more than I did. We’ll see if ROH is able to close out this Milestone Series with a show as worthy as the first two triple shot shows.