Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet
April 11, 2009
Commentators: Mike Hogewood & Dave Prazak
Report by: Adam Martin of WrestleView.com
– The Ring of Honor Wrestling intro hits.
– We see highlights of last week’s show. Tonight, new ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn will face off with Brodie Lee in the main event.
– Mike Hogewood and Dave Prazak give us a preview of tonight’s show. Hogewood noted the main event tonight was taped before Lynn captured the ROH Championship.
Kenny Omega vs. Austin Aries
Kenny Omega’s promo was goofy as hell and yet still entertaining. Austin Aries obviously has the stronger mic skills and shows it here. Hogewood and Prazak talked about how Aries was a vegetarian.
We get a loud “AUSTIN ASSHOLE” chant before the match starts. Aries slaps Omega’s hand away for the Code of Honor handshake. The crowd starts a “YOU TAPPED OUT” chant at Aries referring to last week. Aries with a quick takedown on Omega and moves around his body very quickly showing off. Omega with a headlock, shoulder charge, but Aries responds with two big arm drags into an arm lock. Omega fights to his feet and Aries takes him down with a big shoulder charge. Omega with an arm drag, drop toe hold and dropkick on Aries sending Aries into the corner with force. Omega taunts at Aries a bit. Aries pushes Omega away. Omega pushes back. Aries with a knee to Omega. Omega with a big kick to Aries’ face. Omega flips over Aries in the corner, flips over him from the opposite corner, attempts a dropkick, but Aries brushes it away and says not tonight. Lock up and Aries pushes Omega to the corner. Aries with chops to Omega in the corner. Omega with chops of his own to Aries.
Omega with a big body splash on Aries in the opposite corner. Omega then sends Aries to the outside over the top rope using a palm strike. Omega tries to springboard off the top turnbuckle, but Aries holds on to his legs and drops Omega’s face off the ring apron. Aries with a big knee strike to the head of Omega under the bottom rope on the outside. Aries returns to the ring and chokes Omega with his boot. Aries with a big elbow to Omega’s head, cover and Omega kicks out after two. Aries with a nerve hold over the shoulder of Omega. Omega breaks it up, but Aries comes back planting Omega and does his spinning elbow drop. Aries with a cover and Omega kicks out after two. Aries drags the face of Omega across the top rope. Aries drives his knee to the back of Omega a few times. Aries applies a unique submission on Omega over his neck and pulling up his leg. Aries breaks it driving his body across the neck of Omega. Aries attempts a Brainbuster, but Omega blocks it with shots to the gut.
Omega with a counter, misses a rollup, hits a kick to the gut and a kick to the head. Omega with sledgehammers to the chest. Omega with a high back body drop on Aries, rollup, Aries gets a shoulder up after two, another pin attempt and Aries again gets away after two. Omega then plants Aries’ face on the mat, covers and Aries kicks out after two. Omega puts Aries up on his shoulders, Aries jumps off, pushes Omega to the corner, misses a body splash, falls back into the ropes and Omega kicks him to the outside. Omega with a springboard moonsault from the top turnbuckle to the outside on Aries. Very impressive moonsault. Omega tosses Aries back in the ring, covers and Aries kicks out after two. Omega with kicks to Aries who is holding onto the ropes. Omega tries to put Aries on his shoulders, but Aries grabs the ropes to break it up. Omega with chops to Aries. Omega with big knees to Aries, puts him on his shoulders, Aries rakes the eyes, falls off, tosses Omega shoulder first into the steel ring post, Omega comes back out and Aries connects with a HUGE dropkick to the face of Omega. Aries with a big kick to the head, brainbuster on Omega, hooks the leg and gets the pinfall. Great opener.
Winner: Austin Aries
After the match, Austin Aries celebrates his win as the fans boo. They show a replay of the finish.
– Backstage, Kyle Durden is with Jerry Lynn. Lynn said he is excited to be in ROH and in a company that is just starting to get exposed. He said his opponent Brodie Lee tonight might be bigger than him, but it isn’t the first time he has been in the ring with a bigger opponent. Lynn said the bigger they come the harder they drop.
Ernie Osiris vs. Delirious
I’m loving “Dirty” Ernie Osiris. He had corn in his beard when he walked out.
The bell rings and Delirious goes crazy. Delirious chases Osiris outside and then back in. Delirious with a takedown and then tookt he shoe away from Osiris. Osiris with a shot to the corner on Delirious, but Delirious isn’t fazed at all. He does this a few more times and Delirious keeps coming back. Osirius rubs his armpit in the face of Delirious. Delirious grabs Osiris by the beard and tosses him across the ring. Delilrious with a neckbreaker into a knee, hooks the leg and Osiris kicks out after two. Osiris drops Delirious’ throat across the top rope and taunts to the fans on the ring apron. Osiris goes up top, jumps and Delirious catches him with a big headbutt to the chest. Delirious with many clotheslines to Osiris in the corner. Delirious with a leaping clothesline, cover and Osiris kicks out. Osiris with elbows to Delirious and then drives his head to the mat. Cover and Delirious kicks out after two. Osiris calls for a “bum rush” and Delirious hits him with a headbutt instead. Delirious with a huge kick to the head in the corner, goes up top and connects with his back splash from up top. Delirious with the cover and gets the pinfall.
Winner: Delirious
After the match, we see a replay of the finish.
– Backstage, Kyle Durden is with Brodie Lee and Jimmy Jacobs. Durden asks if Lee is concerned that Jacobs kicks people out of Age of The Fall as soon as they screw up. Jacobs said that is not the case and puts over the 6’10 trucker Brodie Lee. Jacobs said Lynn is one big boot away from retirement.
===COMMERCIAL BREAK===
Sara Del Rey & Sassy Stephie vs. Daizee Haze & Nevaeh
Nevaeh is “heaven” spelled backwards. Sweeney was all over Stephie during the video promo.
The bell rings and we start with Sara Del Rey and Daizee Haze. Haze with a takedown on Rey. Rey pulls Haze’s hair back, Haze breaks it up and drops a few knees on the arm of Rey. Rey with a knee to Haze, but Haze fights back with two big arm drags. Tag to Nevaeh who hits a snapmare on Rey. Nevaeh with a clothesline to Rey, cover, Rey kicks out and Nevaeh tags in Haze again. Rey overpowers both girls quickly. Haze and Nevaeh come back wrapping Rey’s arms around her and pulling her down. Haze with a rollup on Rey that results in a two count after Rey argued with Stephie in the corner. Tag back to Nevaeh who takes a big forearm from Rey and a big kick. Rey with a cover and Nevaeh gets a shoulder up after two. Rey with a fallaway slam on Nevaeh, cover and kick out after two. Tag to Stephie who hits a forearm over the back of Nevaeh. Rey runs in, pushes Nevaeh over and tags herself back in just as quickly as Stephie got in. We see a shot at ringside of Sweeney calling a fan outside after the show. Back in the ring, Stephie gets a tag and Nevaeh takes her down. Tag to Haze who clotheslines Stephie. Haze with a big elbow to Stephie and two clothesline takedowns. Rey attempts to throw Haze off the top rope. Haze kicks her away and then hits a dropkick on Stephie off the top. Haze with a heart punch to Stephie, kick to the head, cover and Rey breaks up the pinfall attempt. Rey comes in, lifts up Haze, Nevaeh kicks Rey to the outside and then hits a crossbody over her. In the ring, Haze hits Stephie with the Mind Trip snapmare, covers and gets the pinfall. That was a bit sloppy.
Winners: Daizee Haze & Nevaeh
After the match, we see a replay of the finish. Back live, Sara Del Rey screams into the camera that she didn’t lose that match.
It is main event time (with television time remaining).
Jerry Lynn vs. Brodie Lee
We get a quick handshake for the Code of Honor and the bell rings. Lock up and Lee pushes Lynn away to the corner with force. Lynn takes the back of Lee, Lee pushes Lynn to the corner, the ref breaks it up and Lynn runs away quickly. Lee with a kick to Lynn, attempts a powerbomb, Lynn counters away, Lee throws Lynn down, misses an elbow, Lee props Lynn up on the top rope and then walks away taunting him. Lee wants a test of strength with Lynn. Lee overpowers Lynn and pushes him to the corner. Lynn climbs up, is up top, jumps off and arm drags Lee. Lynn with a drop toe hold and dropkick on Lee. Lee moves forward with a big right hand to Lynn in the corner. Lee with a chop to Lynn. Lee with a scoop slam on Lynn, hits the ropes and misses a knee to the head. Lynn with a sunset flip attempt, Lee stays up, attempts a body splash, Lynn moves out of the way and Lynn hits a big dropkick to the face. Lee is able to fight back and kicks out of a pinfall attempt with force. Lee then tosses Lynn to the outside.
Lee picks up Lynn and hits a big uppercut. Lee tosses Lynn back inside and chokes him on the second rope. Lynn attempts a crossbody that Lee counters into a powerslam, cover and Lynn kicks out after two. Lee with a big headbutt to Lynn followed by a backbreaker. Lee keeps Lynn across his knee and stretches Lynn. Lee tosses Lynn down, covers and Lynn kicks out after two. Lee applies a chinlock on Lynn. Lynn with elbows, hits the ropes, but Lee hits a big elbow to the lower back. Lee does this a second time. Lynn hits the sunset flip, but Lee powers out and Lee hits a Michinoku Driver. Cover and Lynn kicks out after two. Lee then grabs Lynn and tosses him to the outside. Lee looks to hit a powerbomb on Lynn on the outside, but Lynn counters and back body drops Lee across the floor. Lynn gets back up on the ring apron, runs across, jumps, Lee catches him and drives Lynn’s back into the steel ring post. Lee then tosses Lynn into the ring barricade with force. Jimmy Jacobs walks out and he gets in a cheap shot on Lynn.
Lee tosses Lynn back in the ring and tosses him with force into the corner. Lee with a huge right hand to Lynn in the corner. Lee then applies a bearhug on Lynn after Lynn came off the ropes and jumped at Lee. Lynn does his best to fight out. Lee then drops Lynn down in the corner, attempts a big boot, but Lynn moves out of the way. Jacobs yells at Lee for screwing up on the outside. Lynn with one clothesline attempt, Lee stays up, a second, Lee stays up and the Lynn hits a big huracanrana off the ropes finally taking Lee off his feet. Lynn with a boot in the corner to Lee followed by a missile dropkick. Lee falls to the outside, Lynn hits the ropes and then leaps over the top rope taking him out. Jacobs is upset after seeing Lee get taken out once again. Lee gets back in the ring and Lynn hits a leg drop as he peaks in through the middle ropes. Lynn with a TKO on Lee, cover and Lee finds a way to kick out after two. Lynn goes back up top, Lee hits him with a shoulder.
Lynn stays up, Lee jumps up, grabs Lynn and hits a Butterfly Superplex. Cover by Lee and Lynn gets a shoulder up after two. Lee with a big spinning side slam on Lynn, covers and Lynn still kicks out. Lee looks frustrated when Lynn gets in a small package pin on Lee and gets the win.
Winner: Jerry Lynn
After the match, Jerry Lynn rolls out of the ring and the referee raises his arm. In the ring, Jimmy Jacobs is upset and is yelling at Brodie Lee. We then see a replay of the finish. We then see Lynn heading up the ramp to the back as we conclude the night of matches.
Next Week: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright.
Final Thoughts
Tonight was a strange batch of matches. We had a solid opener, a comedy match, a sloppy women’s tag and a main event where a veteran had to do all the work just to make it look decent.
Austin Aries vs. Kenny Omega was a very solid match and actually had a good pace unlike 90% of ROH matches that seem to go 55 mph. Aries is such a good heel and is being used way better by ROH. TNA really dropped the ball with him in every aspect. It was entertaining when the fans in attendance started an “AUSTIN STARR” chant and he would simply smile and reply, “That’s right, I am a star.” Aries’ dropkick in the corner is one of the most impressive setups in wrestling today. Omega looked very solid in this match too and his moonsault to the outside looked great. Easily match of the night for the show.
“Dirty” Ernie Osiris is quite the character. Actually, so is Delirious. By themselves they are fine, but these gimmicks just clash too much. Thankfully the match was kept rather short. Delirious has a very stiff style that works for ROH though.
The women’s tag team match featuring Sara Del Rey & Sassy Stephie vs. Daizee Haze & Nevaeh (which is “heaven” spelled backwards – props for creativity I guess) was rather sloppy. Daizee Haze is very solid in the ring and has abs that would make John Morrison jealous. I like Sara Del Rey’s character and she works a great heel routine. The other girls just looked incredibly out of place once they got in and there were too many sloppy spots. Probably not a good idea for ROH to book tags like this with more inexperienced girls. It has potential, but not right now.
As for the main event, I sure had my reservations about Brodie Lee after reading some of the things Josh Boutwell said in his ROH recap last week at this link. While he certainly isn’t the worst big man wrestler I’ve ever seen, he is still pretty green and it took everything from Jerry Lynn to make this match watchable let alone a main event. Lynn has a great comeback style and the small package finish worked in this scenario. I question putting this on last, but it was a nice way to build up Lynn as the veteran on the roster and now the new ROH World Champion.
Final Opinion: I was not a fan of the organization of the card tonight. Just a weird mix of matches. This is bound to happen though and they can’t knock it out of the park every week. I will say that the shows are progressing nicely and I’m interested to see where things are at a few months from now. Aries vs. Omega was easily the match of the night and the main event was fun for what it was. Next week featuring Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright should be fun and they at least book one match that keeps you intrigued.