ROH on HDNet Recap
January 18, 2010
ECW Arena, Philadelphia
Commentators: Mike Hogewood and Dave Prazak
Report by: Anthony J. Valvo of WrestleView.com
We start the show with Kidd Russell’s music and then our commentators grace their presence on the television sets. Hogewood said that since the Pick 6 Contender Series began, we got five great matches (I actually agree there), but this last one in the series might be the best of them all. Prazak then announced that tonight it would be Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe. After that announcement, Hogewood told us that the first match tonight is going to be a grudge match between Delirious and Sonjay Dutt.
Match #1: Sonjay Dutt vs. Delirious (w/Daizee Haze)
Submission Match
Delirious does not wait for the bell and started to beat down Dutt. Dutt then hit a knee to the stomach of Delirious, but Delirious comes back with a clothesline and a set of suplexes. Delirious got Dutt back on his feet and hit a neckbreaker. Delirious attempted a Cobra Stretch, but failed to do so. Delirious still got the advantage thanks to a drop toe hold and a modified chicken wing. Dutt broke the hold and shoved Delirious out of the ring while he stayed in the ring to catch his breath. Delirious quickly grabbed a hold of Dutt’s legs, pull him out of the ring and chopped him! Delirious then got a headbutt in for good measure. Delirious then grabbed a hat off a kid and started to rub Dutt’s face with the hat. Dutt managed after that act to knee Delirious in the stomach, but failed a clothesline attempt as Delirious ducked out of the way. Dutt’s arm hit the ring post. Delirious twisted the arm and now we are back in the ring.
Delirious continued to work on the arm of Dutt inside the squared circle. Delirious then took Dutt down with an arm DDT and applied the armbar on Dutt. Dutt got back up just in time to land another knee to the stomach of Delirious and stomped him a bit at the corner. Delirious then whipped Dutt to another corner, but Dutt got out of the way from Delirious? attack and hit Delirious with the Bombay Boom (Pendulum Kick). Dutt then got a hold of Delirious? leg form the rope and did a Dragon Screw leg whip on him. Dutt then did a leg lock hold on the ropes. Dutt then did a springboard moonsault on Delirious? leg. Delirious continued to fight on, until Dutt picked him up and hit the shinbreaker. Dutt followed that up with another Dragon Screw leg whip. Dutt then applied the Half Crab on Delirious, but after a rope break the hold was broken. Dutt continued to focus more on the left knee by stomping on the knee a little bit. Dutt then did a snap mare takedown and teased the crowd by attempting to remove Delirious? mask. Dutt then tried (but failed) to do a back suplex and Delirious buckled his knee on the landing. So Dutt kicked the bad leg from behind. Delirious tried to use his head to gain the advantage (literally), but Dutt set up another one of those shinbreakers. However, Delirious counter this move with a roll-up (no count since it is a Submission Match). Dutt got of hold of Delirious and attempted a Standing Sliced Bread, but Delirious took Dutt down from the waist and finally applied the Cobra Stretch! Dutt rammed Delirious to the corner twice to break the hold. Delirious came back with a kick to the corner and attempted to do a high-risk maneuver. However, Dutt countered this by shoving Delirious to the outside of the ring! Dutt then goes outside and hit an ax punch and worked on Delirious? back by ramming it on the ring apron. Delirious then and goes back into the ring. Dutt still got the advantage by doing a Tarantula Stretch on the ropes. Delirious broke the hold and Dutt is out of the ring. After Dutt poked fun at a fan in the first row, Dutt got back in the ring and ripped a tassel off of Delirious? mask. Dutt then choked Delirious with a tassel.
Daizee Haze is now at the ring apron and this caught the eye of Dutt. Dutt looked at her and then shoved her off the ring apron, with Haze landing on the floor (let’s see a Diva do THAT)! Of course, this set Hogewood off because no one should lay hands on a woman (I agree to that by the way). Dutt then nailed Delirious with a modified reverse piledriver (at least I am calling it that). Dutt put Delirious on corner and set up the elevated cradle neckbreaker (known as the Indian Summer) and hit the spot well. But NO! Dutt is not done yet! Dutt comes back to the ring with a chair and was about to hit Delirious with it. But the referee grabbed hold of the chair and took it off of Dutt. Haze is up on the top rope and as Dutt turned to look at her she was in the air and hit Dutt with a Missile Dropkick! Delirious is back on his feet and executed the Released German Suplex and then this happened?.
Finish: Delirious put a Camel Clutch Hold on Sonjay Dutt, which caused Dutt to top out almost immediately.
Winner via Submission: Delirious
Grade: B.
After the match, Delirious and Haze celebrated at the entrance ramp.
Later today: Tyler Black/Colt Cabana vs. Austin Aries/Kenny King
We then go to an Austin Aries video segment taped I believe from last month’s Final Battle 2009 because he was bloodied when he had the microphone. He told Jim Cornette no matter who you put in line for a title match (Kenny Omega, Davey Richards, Colt Cabana, and Tyler Black) the same result would occur. Aries continued when he said no matter if he is battered, bloodied, or bruised that the result will be the same. That is the ROH World Title is in the hands of the Most Valuable Vegetarian. He admitted that Tyler Black tried to reach the top of the mountain and gave Aries a good fight for sixty minutes. However, the result was a draw and Aries declared himself still as ?The Greatest Man That Ever Lived?. He called out Cornett again, and told him to line up the Pick 6 contenders. Aries said none of them will win the title, then he kissed the title and left the area.
Next Match: Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
We have a taped segment in which the Briscoes argued a bit about who was better and laid some ground rules. Mark said don?t hit him in the knee and Jay said don?t hit him in the nuts. They agreed to no nuts, eyes, or knee cheap shots. The winner of the $2500 bought the beer after the match was over.
No ring entrances, so let’s get to the next match
Match #2: Jay Briscoe (in black shorts) vs. Mark Briscoe (in red shorts)*
Pick 6 Contenders Match (not sponsored by Pro Wrestling Illustrated)
* – I used the trunk colors so I would not be confused with which whom was attacking whom.
After the Code of Honor was in place, then match began.
Both men started with a tie-up, and Jay took down Mark. We got another tie-up, this time with Jay and Mark both exchanging takedown tactics. Jay ended the exchanges with a waistlock takedown. Jay then got in a headlock, but Mark broke the hold and both men are up on their feet. Jay regained the advantage with a twist of the arm, but countered the hold with an overhead arm takedown into an armbar. Mark then broke the armbar and did a fireman carry. Mark then worked on the arm of Jay. Jay got back up and did a hiptoss on Mark to break the hold and both men are up on their feet again. The brothers then tested their strength with a knucklelock. Both attempted to takedown the other, but they still held on to the hold (which was pretty impressive). Jay then concluded that test and a headlock, but Mark got a hold of the ropes and the hold was broken. Mark then applied a headlock on Jay while taking him down onto the middle of the ring. Mark broke the hold, ran off the ropes and hit a leg lariat on Jay (which staggered him). Jay regained momentum with a chop, a head scissors takedown, and an elbow. Jay attempted to win by pinfall, but failed as the ref only counted two. Jay chopped his brother once more, and then chopped him for good measure off the corner. This triggered Mark a little bit, as he started to go back and forth with chops and punches. Jay whipped Mark and took him down again after the exchanges. Jay got off the ropes and hit a low dropkick on Mark, who was in a seated position. After a cover (but no victory), Mark got back up on his feet and both men again exchanged punches. Jay then hit Mark with a dropkick, but could not execute the suplex as Mark countered this into an attempted full nelson hold. Jay escaped and ran to the ropes and Mark caught him and delivered a Saito Suplex. Mark got to the corner and gave Jay a chop. Mark then hit a suplex in the ring and got Jay back on his feet. Mark then chopped Jay, then followed it up with a Gutwretch Suplex and a senton! Mark tried to win via pinfall, but did not get the count by the referee.
Mark then kept Jay on the ground and applied a Figure Four head scissors hold. Jay struggled for a while, but managed to grab the ropes and the hold was broken. Both men are back up and exchanged more shots. Mark thought he had the advantage, but Jay drives Mark onto the second turnbuckle. Mark then falls outside the ring (thanks to Jay foot-shoving him) and Jay then hit a beautiful Suicide Somersault to the outside! Jay then clubbed Jay in the back and the put him back in the ring. Jay then attempted to go high-risk, but Mark got back up and hit a dropkick while Jay was in the air! Mark got off the corner hit a forearm. Mark then hit a nice belly to belly suplex and attempted a pin cover.
Mark then applied a submission hold (body scissors and chinlock combo). Jay got a hold of the ropes and the hold was broken. Mark let Jay get up and he chopped him. Jay then did the same. After a few sequenced counters, Mark drilled Jay with a Fisherman’s Suplex. Jay left the ring and not even a moment later Mark got to the top turnbuckle and hit a top rope somersault on Jay! Now both men were on the floor! The brothers then got back up and beat the tar out of each other, ignoring the referee’s count. They continued to fight on the ring apron, but?.
Finish: The referee counts to 20 (in ROH, it is a 20 count from outside the ring, not like the 10 in the other companies) and called this match a double countout draw
But WAIT!!!
Executive Producer Jim Cornette is in the ring with a mic in his hand. I sense something excellent here. Cornette then told the Briscoes (who were verbally yelling at each other) to hold on for a second. Cornette then said the referee’s decision is final, but he will give the Briscoes a choice! The Brisoces can either take the draw (which Cornette said is like kissing your brother) or give him a thumbs-up to continue the match until we get a winner. The Briscoes gave Cornette the tumbs-up and Cornette declared that the match will continue! I am starting to like Cornette in Ring of Honor!!
Briscoes match continued?
The brothers slug it out once more. Mark then ran into a perfectly placed elbow by Jay. Jay hit a combo of punches and boots. Mark then got a shot while Jay was on the top rope. Mark ran to the corner and Jay destroyed him with a second rope facecrusher!! After a failed pin cover, Jay set up the Jay Driller. Mark escaped but Jay clubbed him in the back. Mark escaped further damage and did a backslide on Jay but only got a two count from the referee in charge. Jay then hit the Superkick, which back Mark into the corner. Jay charged the corner, but Mark got a boot onto Jay’s face. Mark then executed the Dragon Suplex and attempted a cover. Jay got up and we got our?..
Finish: Jay Briscoe rolled up Mark Briscoe for the three count and thus clinched a spot in the Pick 6 bracket.
Winner via Pinfall: Jay Briscoe
Grade: B+
The Briscoes then fought with words for a moment. However, Jay promised to spend his $2500 prize money on their favorite beverage. Mark agreed and the showed signs of sportsmanship at the end of this. From my view, that was a nice battle here.
Last Week, Erick Stevens teased us all by turning heel during the No Disqualification match between Necro Butcher and Joey Ryan. In case you did not read my ROH recaps (and you should because they are the most viewed on Google), Stevens chased Ryan out of the ring, but Stevens clubbed Necro with a chair! With that, Erick Stevens is the newest member of The Embassy!
Next: Prince Nana introduces Erick Stevens
ROH in Los Angeles Promo! Also on the card will be Kevin Steen vs. Human Tornado.
We have an in-ring segment (wow) with Prince Nana on the mic. Nana is with Joey Ryan and Ernesto Osiris. Nana wanted the attention from all the stinking boys and girls at the arena. Nana wanted the fans to show respect towards the ?Ghanaian Express Freight Train?. Nana then presented to the crowd the NEWEST member of The Embassy?Erick Stevens! Erick Stevens walked to the ring with The Embassy’s theme music. The ROH student is in the ring while the promo was cut. Uh-oh, this is not going to be good. Mike Hogewood said the student’s name is Harlem Bravado. The Embassy did the post of the faction and now Nana, Ryan, and Osiris left the ring.
Match #3: Erick Stevens (w/Nana, Ryan, and Osiris) vs. Harlem Bravado
They did the Code of Honor, but Stevens did not release the handshake and threw Bravado overhead with a released belly to belly suplex. Bravado is at the corner and Steven laid him out with a ?Choo Choo? clothesline! Steven then did a hanging clothesline which made the student flip and hit the canvas. And finally, it is time for Mike Hogewood to Slap His Dang Porpoise?
Finish: Erick Stevens destroyed the student with a Doctor Bomb! Stevens wins via pinfall.
Winner via Pinfall: Erick Stevens
Grade: D-
We then got yet another clip of the Final Battle 2009 main event between Austin Aries and Tyler Black. Black was on the mic after that epic 60 minute draw and told the viewers that he had Aries? blood on his hands. For 60 minutes, Black went toe-to-toe with Aries. Black then Aries may be ?The Greatest Man that Ever Lived? for retaining the title but the bottom line was that Black is 23! Black only had to prove to himself that he can be the next ROH champ. Black said he will get better after that match and he will be the champion soon! Wow, Black may be improving as a wrestler, but his promo was bad!
And ladies (hey, I think they read this as well) and gentlemen?.YOUR MAIN EVENT!!!
Match #4: Tyler Black and Colt Cabana vs. Austin Aries and Kenny King
By the way, Hogewood said ?Black and Cabana? is his Dream Team. Take it as you want. Austin Aries got streamers, and I think it is because he is the ROH Champion. The champs get special treatment (unless you are Jerry Lynn from that June 6, 2009 show, huh).
After the Code of Honor (and some brief exchanges of words), the match began.
Colt Cabana and Aries start the match. Cabana began the match by twisting Aries? arm. Aries responded by when he escaped the hold and set up a headlock. Aries then did a shoulder tackle on Cabana. As Aries went off the ropes, Cabana caught Aries with his legs and catapulted Aries. Cabana with a punch, then Cabana tagged in Tyler Black. Aries then ran away from the pressure of Black and immediately tagged in this partner, Kenny King. Cabana (not the legal man) laid out King with an armdrag and worked the arm as Black went up top. Black then did an ax punch to King’s arm off the top rope. Colt is tagged and Colt did a corner ax punch to King’s arm, but did this from the bottom turnbuckle. After a cover (only a one count from the ref in charge), Cabana got a hold of King’s arm. Cabana teased King a bit by thinking that King was close enough for a tag to Aries. Cabana then whipped King and King collided with Aries. Aries is tagged in and clubbed the arm of Cabana. Cabana responded with a couple of hip toss takedowns (one each for Aries and King) and both heels collided for yet a second time!
Black and Cabana worked as a team when they hit a clothesline. Cabana took King over the top rope, but Aries held onto the ropes when Black tried to send him over. King and Cabana were back inside the ring and Black is tagged in the action. Black then stomped on the prone King. Black picked King up and hit the bodyslam. He then choked King with his boot and took out Aries temporarily. Black runs to the ropes, where Aries then grabbed a hold of Black’s leg and took Black out of the ring. Aries set up to whip Black to the ring barricade, but Black reversed that and whipped Aries to the barricade (which Aries landed upside-down). Black then did a springboard lariat on King and attempted the pinfall victory. King’s head then met Cabana’s elbow, and after a tag Cabana started punching away on King. Cabana then attempted a springboard moonsault, but it was Aries grabbing the legs of Cabana. Cabana landed awkwardly after that tactic by Aries.
King then tagged Aries in the match and Aries hit a top rope forearm on Cabana. After a cover, Aries raked the eyes and back of Cabana. King then did a neck snap on Cabana from the ropes. King then punched Cabana for a moment and Aries is back in the action. King positioned Cabana on the corner and Aries leaped over King and landed on Cabana. With Cabana down, Aries delivered a corkscrew elbow and attempted a cover. Aries then worked on Cabana’s arm for a moment, and then tagged in King. King then hit a springboard leg drop and attempted a cover. King then put Cabana to the corner and gave him the boots. King then ran back to Cabana and hit a corner splash! King then clotheslined Cabana and danced a little bit (big mistake). Cabana regained the advantage after the taunt and hit the running forearm. Aries was tagged back in the ring and Aries prevented a tag to Black. Cabana then hit the inverted atomic drop on Aries and Black is in the action. Black then punched Aries and then hit two back body drops (one on each opponent). Black is up on the ropes for a springboard tactic, but King shoved Aries away and caught him for an attempted Royal TKO. Blacker countered this into a pretty nice looking DDT! King is on the floor and Aries asked if he was alright. Out of nowhere, Cabana does a springboard moonsault on both men! Now with both heels on the floor, Black few over the top rope, did a flip, and landed on the team his opponents.
Black then placed Aries in the ring and failed to secure the pinfall victory. Black set up Aries for the Buckle Bomb, but Aries countered the signature move with a Hurricanranna. Aries turned his back on Black, so Black went for a rollup. After only a two count from the referee, Black then kicked Aries. Cabana is now in the ring and hits the patented Butt-Butt. Black then hit the running forearm and Black whipped Aries into yet another Butt-Butt by Cabana. Cabana attempted the Colt .45, but King got Aries out of the way and did a handstand kick on Cabana to end the momentum. King then lifted Cabana up and hit the Spinebuster. Aries is tagged in and King threw him onto Cabana (known as the Rocket Launcher to you fans that referenced my work on Wikipedia). Aries thought this matched ended after the cover, but the ref only counted two! Cabana is then at the corner. King hit Cabana with the double running knees and Aries hit the IED. Aries then applied his submission finisher known as Last Chancery. Black stomped on the stomach of Aries to break the hold. Black and King then attack each other. King then did a handstand kick onto Black, but Black no sold the kick and took King out with a kick. Black lifted Aries up and hit the Buckle Bomb! King blocked the superkick attempt, and Aries and King attempted to take Black out with a Double Team Spike Piledriver. However, Cabana got a hold of King and did a back body drop. King landed near the ropes, which caused Aries to fall off the top turnbuckle. Colt then clubbed King in the back and it is all over?
Finish: Colt Cabana hit the Colt .45 on Kenny King and secured the pinfall victory while Tyler Black held Austin Aries out of the ring.
Winners via Pinfall: Colt Cabana and Tyler Black
Grade: B
Quick Results (to those that did not want to read 3,702 words)
Delirious def. Sonjay Dutt via Submission
Jay Briscoe def. Mark Briscoe via Pinfall to secure a spot in the Pick 6.
Erick Stevens def. Harlem Bravado via Pinfall.
Colt Cabana and Tyler Black def. Kenny King and Austin Aries via Pinfall.
Erick Stevens? Doctor Bomb make Mike Hogewood slap his porpoise!
Overall Results:
Look, because of my column (From the Desk of Mr. V) I watch all six wrestling shows each week. I am not name-bombing when I say this but it was quite refreshing to see actual professional wrestling in a show. Ring of Honor provided the viewers with four matches and three of them were actually pretty good (one was a squash thus why it was not graded higher).
For the non-wrestling stuff, it was not bad. We got Aries and Black’s promos after the match in last month’s Final Battle and Aries presented himself very well in that promo. He is STILL the ROH Champ and he plays the role very well. I currently have no problems if they keep the title on him for a very long time.
As for Tyler Black, I don?t think he is ready. I can honestly think of five other ROH talents that should be the champion before Black. In my views, you should be rewarded with a title if you are good in all aspects. Black has strong tactics, but still needs a bit more seasoning and REALLY needs to improve on the mic. Like he said, he is 23 years old and has PLENTY of years ahead of him. I expect him to still be in the title picture, but if he gets the title ahead of some better wrestlers then I would be disappointed.
The way Prince Nana introduced us to Erick Stevens reminded me of old school wrestling when a heel manager builds up someone who obviously needed help. Prince Nana is the best manager in the business, but that is not saying much since other companies don?t use the heel manager anymore.
No Kyle Durden, moving on?
Now, with the wrestling I was very satisfied. It was not a show in which I would say is the best, but it was a strong offering.
If this was the way Delirious and Sonjay Dutt ended their feud, then I must say it was a great way to end it. In my opinion, Delirious needed the win since he won a Pick 6 match a few weeks ago. As for Sonjay Dutt, his part in the story was brilliant. Both men earned a good grade in my book because I was real impressed with the back and forth action and not until the ending we did not know who would win. As for the ending, it could have been a bit better. I won?t complain on that, since for an opening contest it was very good.
The Briscoes match was very good for all but the last few seconds. But for a brother vs. brother match, I was pleased. Their promos said ?No shots to the nuts, eyes, or Mark’s knee?, and that was a promise kept. The chemistry in the ring was perfect, and I loved how they let the match continue until there was a winner. Both brothers have nothing to be ashamed about. Jay is in line to fight for the ROH World Title and Mark still shares the ROH Tag Team Titles with Jay. The viewers won with this battle. No feud was needed here, and we got a great wrestling match.
Erick Stevens as Nana’s Freight Train is something that is very interesting. I was not really into Stevens? face character and I think this swerve to join the Embassy was the best thing for him. His match was an utter squash, but I think this was the best squash I have seen since Skullkrusher Rasche Brown took out a couple jobbers.
The main event was good, but in my opinion I enjoyed the Briscoes match better. Kenny King and Austin Aries were a solid heel team. I think the chemistry there was great. Colt Cabana had some great energy in him, and he executed his move very well. I still strongly believed that Colt got a raw deal in the WWE. Again, I don?t see the fascination with Tyler Black. I thought he was the worst out of the four, but it is not a bad thing. Black did the least to improve his stock in the company. Right now if Black won the title, that could be trouble for ROH.
So, what is my overall grade for this? With a good in-ring segment from the Embassy and witnessing some great wrestling, I would have to say that it earned a?
Overall Grade: B (hovering to a B+)
-Mr. V’s Pick Three-
Wrestler of the Night: Jay Briscoe
He was great in his match with his brother. I always enjoy a good brother vs. brother match, and Jay came out as the winner. So not only Jay gets a shot at the ROH Title one of these days, but he earned himself some beer money!
Disappointment of the Night: Tyler Black
For someone that is being deemed by many Ring of Honor fans as ?The Next World Champ?, I just don?t see it. Sure, I enjoy most of his work (especially against Bryan Danielson months ago) but the fact was that he did not tonight to prove why he should be the next champ. Had he pinned Aries in the tag match I would think otherwise. But it seemed to me that Colt Cabana got the majority of the offense in and performed way better than Black.
Surprise of the Night: Daizee Haze
This is no joke. I never thought after Dutt shoved her out of the ring that she would get back up to the top turnbuckle minutes later and drill Dutt with a missile dropkick! Let’s see a WWE Diva do that without blowing a knee out!
Well, that does it for me tonight. I wish you all a pleasant week and I thank you for reading this recap. I will provide another one for you sometime over the weekend. Take care everyone!!
E-mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com
Facebook: Anthony J. Valvo (Pittsburgh, PA)
Thanks for reading and I will be back on Thursday with my 1st Anniversary of ?From the Desk of Mr. V.
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