Ring of Honor on HDNet
October 18, 2010
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Report by: Enzo Mendicino of Wrestleview.com
The show opens up with a video package. It starts with Tyler Black winning the ROH World Title, then segues jarringly to Tyler Black threatening to show up on “another network” with said title, before claiming that when he left, he would take the belt with him. From there, we go to Roderick Strong FINALLY winning the ROH World Title in NYC, and Tyler Black responding with the two finger salute to the crowd. Tyler’s use of the “You Can’t See Me” taunt and the STF in that match was brilliant.
Jim Cornette is in the ring. Just moments before the cameras rolled, apparently there was an altercation in the back with Tyler Black and Davey Richards. Apparently Tyler took some exception to an interview Davey was cutting backstage, intimating that Tyler was ducking him and the two needed to be separated. Davey has now demanded that he get to talk to Tyler face-to-face in the ring tonight. Davey wants one more shot before Tyler leaves ROH, as Mike Hogewood informs us.
Davey proceeds to say it to Tyler’s face just like he wanted to. Davey demands that Tyler be a man and give him one more match. Before Tyler can respond, Philadelphia informs him that he, in fact, sold out. Tyler seems shocked that Davey “…turned down cash and chose competition.” Two, three years down the road, Tyler says the marks might call Davey the best wrestler in the world, but Tyler will be the richest. Davey then offers to pay Tyler Black any amount of money he wants to get him in the ring tonight. After Davey intimates that Tyler lacks a certain pair of reproductive items, the shoving match is on and Tyler accepts.
Cornette tells Tyler to go to the back and get ready, tells the production truck to get a video package or do whatever they have to in order to kill time, because he’s giving Tyler and Davey the entire show, no titles, no money, just personal satisfaction. As Mike Hogewood suggests that this could be the biggest match in the history of ROH on HDNet, we head to the typical HDNet MMA commercials, and a promotional video for ROH on tour in November.
In Detroit we will see Survival of the Fittest 2010. 8 of 12 names announced so far. Colt Cabana, Grizzly Redwood, Rhett Titus, Kenny King, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, El Generico and Kevin Steen.
A re-air the promo for Death Before Dishonor VIII.
A video package detailing the Kings of Wrestling/Briscoes feud that will apparently culminate in a match at Final Battle 2010.
Match #1: Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards
Tyler gets a couple of black streamers, but Davey charges and a slugfest to start. Strikes in the center of the ring, and Tyler whips Davey off, but misses a dropkick. Davey hits the ropes but Tyler rolls through and hits the dropkick, sending Davey outside, where Tyler follows with a baseball slide and a top rope tope less than a minute in! ON the outside, the two trade chops. Can’t imagine that’s a good idea for Tyler, but he maintains control by sending Davey into the barricade. Hogewood makes me happy by saying that ROH has standby matches available if this ends soon enough. I’m glad they recognize that this is “real,” in that sense. Back in the ring, Tyler chokes away and scoop slams Davey. He goes for his stomp but Davey sits up, so Tyler kicks him in the back and stomps him for 1. In the corner, Davey fights up with shots to the midsection as Tyler continues to pound away, eventually kicking him down and stomping away before Todd Sinclair breaks it up.
Tyler unloads a chop in the corner and whips Davey across but misses a charge allowing Davey to ram him into the opposite corner and then hit a low bridge when Tyler charge. From there Davey just UNLOADS with a running kick from the apron. Down off the apron, Davey controls on the floor with huge kick after huge kick around every side of the ring. Back in the ring, Davey fires away with more kicks and hits the charging back elbow for 1. Davey then grabs a rear chinlock, laying in crossfaces as Tyler works his way up and transitioning into a Japanese Strangle Hold with the knees in the back. Tyler flips over into a strangle hold of his own. Davey gets up and counters with a snap mare variation and another big kick to drop Tyler for 2. Davey rips off the back suplex for 2 and then grabs a headscissors.
Davey then transitions the headscissors into an arm capture sharpshooter. Tyler rolls through to alleviate the pressure and gets his shoulders pinned down for 2. Davey hits a singular kawada style kick and a snap mare followed by another big kick to the back. The two again trade strikes in the center, as Hogewood discusses Davey having a size disadvantage. I don’t know if that’s entirely true. The two are fairly close in weight, Davey’s just 6 inches shorter or so. Davey goes to run the ropes but Tyler follows him in and catches him from behind in Peroxysm prompting Davey to roll to the outside. Tyler follows him out and hits a vertical suplex on the floor as Sinclair’s count continues. Tyler just stands on the face of Richards and lays the bad mouth on him. Back in the ring, Davey fires off a chop in desperation, but Tyler backs him into the corner and lays in a shoulder. Tyler adds a back elbow as his style seems much slower. Almost…WWE main event style. He winds up Davey and hits a forearm and an elbow, before taking down Davey for 2. Tyler keeps striking but Davey starts to shrug it off and the two just exchange slaps before Tyler decks Davey with a superkick for 2.
Tyler winds up the indian deathlock and falls back with the hold applying pressure. He repeats the move with some great facials. It’s interesting to see how much cooler heel Tyler is than face Tyler. Davey makes the ropes to break the hold, and as Tyler has words with Todd Sinclair, Davey recovers with a chop. Again, the two face off in the center of the ring, and we get the “Boo”/”Yay” strikes. Davey lands on his feet out of a back suplex and low bridges a charging Tyler again, sending him to the apron with a kick sending him to the floor and OH DEAR GOD. Davey went for his tope con hilo but barely rotated at all, and didn’t make it to the crowd. He hit the guardrail head and neck first. It’s not the worst I’ve seen him take, but it’s up there.
At any rate, back in the ring, Davey charges at Tyler in the corner, but Tyler gets the boot up. Davey responds with a boot of his own. The two exchange slaps, and Davey hits his handspring enzugiri off an irish whip for 2. Philly declares this “awesome.” Davey signals for the DR Driver but Tyler backs him into the corner and lays in a few elbows. Davey counters a corner whip and hits a lifting powerbomb into a Texas Cloverleaf! Black gets to the ropes, however. Davey gets a smile though as Tyler crawls over to him, seeing his prey. Davey lays in two big kicks and slashes the throat before going for a third but getting rolled up and booted in the head by Tyler! Davey charges, but Tyler rolls through with an O’Connor Roll and throws Davey over the top rope out of the back suplex position to get himself some recovery time and breathing room.
Back outside, Tyler sends Davey into the guardrails again and hits his springboard moonsault off the guardrail. Now we’ll roll Davey back in where Davey crawls to a corner to get himself to his feet. Tyler goes for his charging kick as Prazak asks if it’s “vintage Tyler Black” coming up. Davey lifts him to the apron outside, but Black hits his jumping enzugiri, a springboard clothesline and the F5 for 2. Let’s go Davey chant, as Tyler puts him in position for the Phoenix Splash. Davey gets to his feet and cuts him off. Both men up on the corner, as Davey goes for a super back suplex, but Tyler knocks him off with elbows. Davey charges in again with a running forearm and goes up for it again. Tyler counters this time by going to the eyes and then elbowing Davey off. This time, Davey goes for the pop up super german, but Davey lands on his feet. Davey hits the alarm clock, but Tyler shrugs it off hitting a kick of his own, Tyler hits a reverse rana, but Davey has FIGHTING SPIRIT and hits the running clothesline to send Tyler on the Jannetty Sell, and keep both men down.
With both men on the apron, Davey fires off a kick, Tyler responds with a punch. They repeat and Davey responds with a rough series of kicks drawing big cheers from the crowd. Davey hits a suspended DDT from the top rope to the ring apron (which is apparently also steel, re: Hogewood and Prazak). Is anything in a wrestling ringside area NOT steel? Sinclair’s count is up to 15 as Davey recovers in the ring. Tyler teases leaving before rolling back into the ring at 19. Davey hits a saito suplex for 2, then a buzzsaw kick and a german suplex for 2, as the commentators speculate on what Tyler’s new name will be. Prazak suggests “Blackie McTylerson.” Classy. Davey misses the Shooting Star Press, allowing Tyler to hit the Buckle Bomb/Superkick combo for 2!
Tyler now locks up the Texas Cloverleaf—a move that works much better for Tyler with his longer arms and legs—but Davey is able to counter into a small package for 2. Tyler charges into a boot, and then another, but Davey ducks a kick and winds up getting alarm clocked into a superkick! Tyler follows it up with God’s Last Gift for a long 2. Tyler looks to go back up again for the Phoenix Splash, but Davey counters again. The two trade strikes on the buckle until Davey gets hung up in the Tree of Woe. Black adds a series of chops to the midsection and adds the double stomp into the Van Terminator for another long 2.
The crowd again chants Davey Richards as Tyler goes up again. Phoenix Splash hits knees, and Davey charges into a boot and a superkick, but Davey hits a discus lariat and the DR Driver for 2.75! Davey hits the Buckle Bomb now, and a buzzsaw kick, and then God’s Last Gift on Tyler for 2! Back into the Cloverleaf and Black taps!
Winner: Davey Richards
Post-match, the crowd thanks both men as Prazak and Hogewood put over Black. Davey does no such thing, getting on the microphone and telling Black to get Vince to go sign his paychecks and that if any of his boys want real wrestling, then they should come down to Philly, to Ring of Honor before leaving to cheers.
Enzo’s Thoughts
What can you say? Honestly, it wasn’t quite as good as as their match at Death Before Dishonor VIII, but what can be? That had the title on the line, the sense of anticipation, the big fight feel, and everything. It was a phenomenal match, right up there with the Free TV Match of the Year candidates. I would have appreciated more work on the back leading into the submission, but I guess given the sheer force of most of Davey’s kicks, that will suffice just as well. Most of his selling issues didn’t really come into play, and the crowd was white hot for it. I appreciated that Tyler appeared to work the match at a slower, more WWE-like pace—or so it seemed—and he looked so natural in the heel position, one almost wonders why ROH turned him heel. Regardless, best of luck to Tyler Black (now Seth Rollins) in WWE.
Let’s add up the numbers. On a 50+ minute show, there was 27:16 of wrestling. It was great, great wrestling, and next week, we get a ROH World Tag Team Title match with the Briscoes and the Kings of Wrestling. Gotta love it. This week’s show has to be an A-, because I’d have hoped the match was longer, but that’s about it. Despite that, the little things were done very well tonight, and I appreciate them.
As always, thanks for reading, never hesitate to hit me up with any comments questions or anything else and I hope to see everyone next week!
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