Dot Net reader Scott Decowski attended the Ring of Honor television taping in Chicago Ridge, Ill. on Saturday and sent the following report.

I've been going to ROH shows at the Frontier Feildhouse in Chicago Heights since 2005 and for this TV taping I'd say there were about 1/4 more fans in attendance than usual. Two much bigger cameras than usual and a much better looking sound system were present to make it actually look like money was invested into this taping. The crowd was hot as a Chicago crowd can get whose enthusiasm was slowly killed by long delays between matches.

Lots of CM Punk "Best in the World" shirts where in attendance as one might expect in Punk's old stomping grounds but only twice during the show did the whole arena get a CM Punk chant going. Former WWE Diva Maria sat in front of the production area and watched most of the show with what looked like Charlie Haas's family including young daughter for most of the show.

Jerry Lynn was also seen running around in the back area. In the middle of the show an intermission was announced as any ROH show has but it was so stupid to have an official intermission when the time between each match was an official intermission.
 
Jim Cornette came out and asked the crowd to keep it PG as this was broadcast television which got far more laughs than boos. It also never was a problem as the fans kept their chants clean throughout the show. Cornette also explained why they picked Chicago to be the first city to tape at. It's obviously because Chicago fans are very forgiving and their patience would truly be tested here tonight.
 
The first countdown they did to start the show was red hot with the arena going nuts to Kevin Kelly's intro. This was when Kelly's mic did not work properly cutting out in mid sentence and causing a "This is awkward" chant. Despite the audio problems and long delay to start, the crowd was very loud to start the show. Kevin Kelly's retake with the mic went smoothly with the crowd keeping the noise level up. By the time the second and third countdown was attempted much later in the show the crowd was very much subdued from sitting on their hands so long.
 
Grizzly Redwood vs. Tony Kozina was the first match of the night. Could've fooled me and told me they were midget wrestlers as both men are very short. Redwood had a unique spot with Kozina sitting backwards in the turnbuckle and Redwood chopping his back repeatedly. The finish came with Redwood rolling through a top rope huracanrana from Kozina into a pinfall. Davey Richards stood well behind me during this match and watched the whole thing. It was the only time I saw Richards come out from the back to watch anything.
 
Nigel McGuinness (aka Desmond Wolfe from TNA) was introduced as the color commentator for the tapings. Nigel got a great reaction from the crowd with a few welcome back chants. Nigel briefly thanked the fans and said he was excited to be back in ROH. Nigel's first job was to film the first of four ask the crowd segments. Nigel would ask a fan who would win the main event of the taping near the entrance area. The first fan question was re-taped because Nigel called Haas and Benjamin "World's Greatest Tag Team" and Not "Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team."
 
Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly vs. the Bravado Brothers was next. The Bravados put on some weight since I last saw them and actually look like pro wrestlers now complete with fake tan which can only help the Bravados. The Bravados had control of the match early working a heel style until the hot tag came. Cole and O'Reilly took over after the hot tag working in multiple tag moves that came too fast to remember until they got the one two three. Very solid tag match with no complaints, Cole and O'Reilly fit right in with the Motorcity Machine Guns and Young Bucks (Generation Me) in terms of style.
 
Kings of Wrestling (w/Shane Hagadorn and Sara Del Rey) vs. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas for the ROH World Tag Team Titles in the first TV Taping Main Event. Claudio Castagnoli's gimic of "aaaaaa" is usually way over with the Chicago crowd, but for whatever reason he got little reaction tonight. Shelton was quickly cut off from Haas as the Kings worked him over for the majority of the match. Haas got the hot tag and went suplex crazy hitting a T-bone and a German suplex on the Kings. The Kings regained control briefly hitting the giant swing into the dropkick to the face. When Hero went for the elbow, Haas reversed setting up Benjamin and Haas' leap frog double team move in the ropes. This was followed by Haas and Benjamin hitting the Hart Attack (elevated spinebuster and Clothesline combo) for the win. Solid match from these two teams but it won't light the tag team world on fire.
 
Nigel filmed another fan question with "Who will win between Jay Lethal and El Generico." After the usual long wait Haas and Benjamin came out and cut a promo with Cornette. Nothing special just furthering the story between the Briscoe's and Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. Odd placement considering Haas and Benjamin just wrestled in the last match only to put shirts on and cut a promo.
 
Mike Bennett (w/ talentless generic coach looking guy) fought Jimmy Jacobs (w/ Steve Corino). Bennett looks like he could be a star, but he doesn't wrestle like one. The Handshake was the main story of this match as Jacobs was encouraged to stay clean by Corino. After a short back and forth match without much to get excited about, Bennet hit a sit down Rock Bottom (or Matt Hardy's Side Effect) to win the match. Afterwards Bennett made Jacobs once again shake his hand which Jacobs did begrudgingly at the behest of Corino.
 
Jay Lethal vs. El Generico for the ROH Television Title was next as the second taping main event. These two had a solid match but announcing five and two minutes left in the match made the time limit draw seem obvious as it always does in these situations. Despite that fact the crowd was very into the match with "This is Awesome" and "This is Wrestling" chants heard through out the match. The first fifteen minutes ended and both men pleaded with Cornette for 5 more minutes. Cornette responded with you got about 3 minutes use them, so naturally Lethal and Generico fought for about FIVE more minutes not three.

The restart started with Lethal and Generico exchanging fast punches with the crowd at its hottest its been all night. Lethal hit the Lethal Injection (Elevated back Neckbreaker) and big macho elbow off the top rope for near falls. Generico tried to get the turnbuckle brainbuster on Lethal after the last kickout only to get reversed into the Lethal combination (backbreaker into the flatliner) for the win and New ROH Television Champion.
 
For the next two matches, several of us fans noticed Nigel leave the commentating duties and Steve Corino taking his place. Nigel did return for the Richards vs. Strong World title match but until then it was Corino sitting in as color commentator.
 
Mike Sydal (the brother of Matt Sydal aka Evan Bourne) fought Ernesto Osiris of the Emybassy. Quick throwaway match with Embassy interference leading to a roll up ending.
 
Another fan question bit was filmed with Kevin Kelly asking a fan who would win the World Title match between Richards and Strong. Cornette then came out with the Briscoes to cut a promo on their match with the All Night Express. The Briscoes cut a very un-PG promo throwing in plenty of damns, hells, and bitches to make me question how much of the promo could actually make air. The Briscoes used to be one of the most over acts in ROH at Chicago Heights but I guess their heel work has gotten over as they mostly received boos.
 
Tommaso Ciampa (w/ Prince Nana) fought Andy Ridge. Nothing more than a smash match for Ciampa who continues to impress me with his in ring work depsite his unimpressive physical look. Ciampa won with knees to the back from a powerbomb positions. A Powerbomb to the knees if you will.
 
Third Main Event Taping was next for the ROH World Title Davey Richards vs. Roderick Strong (w/ Truth Martini). Richards was sporting a new silver robe for entrance attire and was very energetic unlike the fans who looked very tired by this point. Richard's enthusiastic entrance got the crowd up again for what turned out to be the best match of the night. Very fast paced, aggressive style match with both men transitioning from moves to submission quickly throughout the match without a lot of downtime.

Truth Martini got his interference in early after Richards hit a suicide dive to the outside. Back in the ring Strong and Richards hit well over ten stiff kicks and slaps a piece to each other before exchanging signature moves and near falls. Strong did his mafia kick and and knee gutbuster, Richards focused on the leg of Strong attempting multiple ankle locks through out the match. In the end, Richards grapevined the leg while applying the ankle lock for the submission win. Great match but I wouldn't say better than Richard vs. Edwards from Best in the World.
 
It was somewhere in this break that a Sinclair Broadcast production guy gave a speech thanking the fans for being so patient and supporting ROH tonight. He said when they discussed where to tape our first show, Chicago was our only choice. This softened the blow of the long delays somewhat as it showed that the production staff knew of their shortcomings tonight. Fans around me where asking how bad a Philadelphia or New York crowd would of crapped all over the show by now.
 
The fourth show taping began with the final fan question segment, "Who will win between the Briscoes and the All Night Express?" With again a long wait, the final main event finally started with the Briscoes vs. the All Night Express. Rett Titus of the ANX is another guy who is bulking up since I last saw ROH and looks the better for it. Solid work from both teams early with multiple tag team moves hit. The finish came when Mark Briscoe kicked Titus below the belt while the ref was distracted then got a small package for the one, two, three.

The Briscoes celebrated like Heels while ANX pleaded their case to the refs. This got the Briscoes upset which caused a post match scuffle with ANX. Security rushed to the ring to separate the teams. Cornette came out and said with the way the match ended, neither team was going to be number one contenders to the Tag Titles. Weak ending to what was a good tag match.
 
Eddie Edwards vs. Michael Elgin (House of Truth) was announced as the final match, but my patience was gone at that point of the night. I left just before midnight wondering why Edwards vs. Elgin was left to close the show. 
 
Overall, the actual wrestling matches we got were very entertaining but the gaps between matches really killed the crowd. Going twenty minutes between matches is very questionable and hopefully something ROH can get right before the next set of tapings. I do commend Cornette coming out multiple times during the show thanking the fans for their patience and their support through out the night in dealing with their audio and technical issues however. This again showed that ROH officials were very aware of their problems.

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