By Chris Shore

ROH "Showdown in the Sun" Night 1
Aired Live on iPPV at GFL.tv
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl at the War Memorial Auditorium

The show started with the video and audio desynchronized with the video behind about 30 seconds. It made it impossible to figure out who this new team is. It got better just as the match started, but it was still about five to ten seconds behind...

1. The Briscoes vs. TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste). It's impossible to cover like this. You hear things happening and it draws you away from what is going on in the ring. The Briscoes won with the Doomsday Device...

Shore's Slant: The match looked fun and like the perfect opener, but it is very disconcerting to try and report on what you see while you are hearing moves occurring 10 seconds in the future.

They managed to get it to synch for a second, but it fell apart again. Jim Cornette was in the ring and introduced the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Adam Pearce. Pearce cut a promo about beating Adam Cole last night. Cornette pointed out Pearce won with a piledriver, which is illegal in ROH. Pearce said the sign last night didn't say ROH, it said NWA.

Adam Cole came out and said Pearce hit him with a low blow, but he was challenged, and learned he could beat Pearce if he had another chance. Pearce said they should do it now. Cole agreed. Cornette said he didn't have the authority to put the title on the line, but if they wanted to go, he could make it happen....

2. Adam Cole defeated Adam Pearce at 4:33. Pearce attacked at the bell. The synch problems got worse. Pearce went for the piledriver, but referee Todd Sinclair told him to stop. Cole tried to backdrop Pearce, but Pearce floated down and tried for a Sunset Flip. Cole dropped to his knees and pinned Pearce. Post-match, Pearce offered his hand and Cole shook it...

Shore's Slant: Fun, quick match that wasn't advertised. Pearce is a love him or hate him kind of guy. I think he's primarily a "Stone Cold" ripoff, but he does it well.

3. The All Night Express defeated The Young Bucks in a Tornado Tag Match at 8:26. Action started fast. ANX hit dual dives on the floor. The Bucks hit a double team dropkick on Rhett to make him go powder. The Bucks worked on King's neck with a combo neckbreaker. Titus stormed back in with a double clothesline. King hit an exploder suplex on Matt. Titus hit a Samoan drop on Nick for two.

The Bucks recovered and hit a double superkick on King and Titus. They both hit 450 splashes on ANX and both guys kicked out at two. Titus shoved Nick to the floor. King went for a Pele kick Matt, but Matt hit a superkick on him. Titus attacked from behind with a rollup victory. Post-match, Nick hit Titus with a chair on the knee that Titus recently injured. King grabbed the chair and chased off the Bucks...

Shore's Slant: Good match. It looks like a lot of these are going short for a "normal" ROH show because they have to do this again tomorrow at 1:00 ET. Not to kick a dead horse, but the tech problems are killing this iPPV.

Prince Nana, RD Evans, and Tomasso Ciampa came tot he ring, The stream froze as they tried to fix it. It worked...for two seconds and then fell behind again. Nana started speaking, and then instructions came across the screen to restart the feed. I did (it didn't fix the problem) and Evans had the mic when I came back.

Evans said the law offices had been served with a letter from ROH saying that if Ciampa didn't return the belt within 24 hours, all of the Embassy could be suspended. He said that they were already in Florida when the papers were delivered, so Ciampa didn't have it with him, but Osiris had been dispatched to retrieve it and Ciampa would have it to give Lethal at tomorrow's PPV...

4. Jay Lethal defeated Kyle O'Reilly to retain the ROH World TV Championship at 11:53. Ciampa brought a chair to ringside and made a big deal about sitting down to watch. They battled to the floor and up onto the stage where the fans were sitting. Lethal took a back bump on the stage. The stream froze and synched for a moment before falling apart again. O'Reilly hit a back superplex for two. The men traded blows and Lethal hit a superkick on a kneeling O'Reilly. He followed with the Lethal Injection for the win. Post-match, Lethal and Ciampa jawed. Lethal dared him to get in the ring, but Ciampa slammed his chair down and stormed off...

Shore's Slant: OK match. Lots of freezing for me so I didn't see much of it, maybe half. If the problem still persists after the intermission, I'll just mute it to keep from screwing me up.

***Intermission***

Back from intermission, the audio is not only behind, but now there are artifacts in it. Going silent the rest of the show. Times will be approximate because of it...

5. Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team defeated Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman in 10:13. WGTT attacked during the handshake. Haas was sent to the floor, and then Benjamin. Cedric went to dive on Benjamin, but Benjamin moved. Coleman tried to jump on Haas, but Haas tossed him onto the apron, where Benjamin hit a superkick.

WGTT worked in and out on Coleman using heel tactics. They used the "fake tag" gimmick at one point, but the ref made them switch back out. Coleman got the hot tag to Cedric after hitting a dropkick on both men. Cedric hit several kicks on both men and covered Benjamin. Haas made the save. Benjamin rolled to the floor. Haas took a dive into the corner from Coleman, and Coleman floated over and took out Benjamin on the floor.

Cedric hit a corner forearm on Haas and set him on the top. Coleman did his jumping hurricanranna and Cedric climbed up for a splash. Benjamin ran in and pushed Coleman into the ropes to knock Cedric onto the turnbuckle. Benjamin jumped tot he top and hit his throw for the pinfall victory.

Shore's Slant: Good match that managed to be different from the TV match. Alexander and Coleman got some good exposure here. Well, as much as anybody is getting with all these technical glitches.

The stream froze for close to five minutes. According to Twitter, it wasn't just me. When it came back on, there was a match already in progress. And yes, the audio was still screwed...

6. Mike Bennett (w/Maria) defeated Lance Storm in 15:00. The stream kept freezing and restarting, so I never got a fell for what was going on until almost ten minutes in when Storm hit a superkick for two. Bennett followed with a spear for two. He charged at Storm again, and Storm hit a drop toe hold and went to work on the knee.

Bennett made the corner and Storm tried to pull him out. Bennett held on and kick Storm in the face. He lifted for his finisher, but Storm slipped out and rolled him over for a single leg crab. Bennett fought and finally made the rope to cause the break. Bennett stood on the apron and rammed Storm into the buckle. He climbed up, but Storm met him and tried for a superplex. Maria held onto Bennett's leg to stop it.

Bennett punched out and hit a release side slam from the second rope for a great near fall. Bennett sold his frustration, but then hit the F6 for the win. Post-match, Bennett shook Storm's hand, but then jerked him over and hit another side slam before arguing with the announce team as he left...

Shore's Slant: Good match that I saw of it. Storm reminded everyone how well he can wrestle, and Bennett showed everyone he belongs. Wish I could have seen the whole thing.

7. Kevin Steen defeated El Generico in a Last Man Standing match in 24:00. Bobby Cruise tried to do ring introductions, but Generico hit the Yakuza kick, followed by an exploder suplex into the corner, and then a dive on the floor to start hot. Generico hit Steen in the gut with a chair and then threw a ton of them in the ring. They battled around the floor and Generico hit Steen with an extra set of ring ropes under the ring.

They battled back into the ring. Generico beat the hell out of Steen, but Steen came back and hit a suplex on a chair. He tried for a home run swing, but Generico caught the chair and they fought over it. Stend hit a Codebreaker with the chair, set it on Generico's head, then did a front flip leg drop.

Generico tried to fight back and Steen went crazy. He hit a rolling dive in the corner, followed by another one with the chair. He hit a powerbomb on the apron and they battled around the ring. Generico sat in some guy's lap that was ringside (inside the barricade) and Steen went for a superkick. Generico moved, and the guy got superkicked into the third row.

Generico followed with a yakuza kick, then whipped Steen to the stage where he hit another. They climbed onto the stage and Generico hit a driver. He dove off the stage and then dove off the railing for a tornado DDT. Steen rolled back in the ring, and Generico struggled to get a table out from under the ring. He finally succeeded and set it up on the floor.

Generico put Steen on the table. Steen popped off and slammed Generico into the post, then set him on the table. He ran back into the ring and did a front flip dive onto Generico and the table. Steen rolled Generico in the ring and setup two chairs facing each other. Generico punched him and hit the half-Nelson suplex on the chairs.

Generico hit Steen with one chair, and then tried to hit a brainbuster on the other, but Steen reversed into a driver onto the chair. Steen set a chair on Generico and climbed up. Generico hit a dropkick that caused Steen to crash through the timekeepers table.

Steen made it back in the ring and they traded blows. Steen flipped off Generico. Generico spit in his face and gave him the double bird. Steen bit Generico's finger, but Generico escaped and hit the brainbuster. Steen recovered and they both took chairs. They hit the chairs against each other twice, but on the third, Generico kicked him in the nuts.

Steen seup for another home run swing with the chair, but Jimmy Jacobs ran out and stood between them. Generico took the advantage and hit a butterfly suplex. Jacobs handed Generico a chair, but reached in his coat pocket and pulled out the spike. He stuck Generico with it and then ripped his own shirt crazily. Steen gave Jacobs a chair and Jacobs knocked Generico out or a Steen win. Post-match, Steen and Jacobs celebrated together...

Shore's Slant: Great match that really needed sound. I could see the crowd going crazy, but couldn't appreciate the sound of it. It also left something missing with the heel turn from Jacobs. I assume we go Jacobs vs. Generico from here.

8. Davey Richards defeated Roderick Strong (w/Truth Martini) and Eddie Edwards in a Triple Threat Elimination Match for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in 21:30. All three men shook hands to start. Strong went right after both men, but was eventually knocked to the floor. He paced and paced while the other two duked it out until Davey locked on a cloverleaf. Strong ran in then and kicked Davey and worked strikes on both men.

Davey started punching back and they settled into rapid fire strikes on each other. Davey hit a cool looking sequence that saw him hit a bridging German suplex on Strong while also rolling up Edwards for a near fall. They ran the threeway strike gimmick again and Strong ended up sitting down. Eddie and Davey tried to kick him at the same time and he moved, so they kicked each other in the leg.

Strong knocked Eddie to the floor and went to work on Davey. He tried for his gutbuster, but Davey grabbed the legs and hooked on a leg lock submission. Eddie ran in and kicked Davey. Davey didn't break the hold. Eddie kicked him again. Davey still didn't break the hold. Eddie tried for a third time, but Davey grabbed his leg and twisted for the ankle lock to have both men in submissions at the same time. I think I threw up in my mouth a little.

Later in the match, Davey hit a superplex on Eddie and rolled through to hit another into the cross arm breaker. Strong grabbed Davey's legs and applied the Strong Bow. Eddie broke it up. They did a great looking combo with Edwards hitting a superkick on Davey to turn around and get a sick kick from Strong for two.

Richards hit a bridging German on Strong. Edwards broke it up with a double stomp from the top rope. He lifted Strong for a powerbomb. Davey ran under and turned it into a backstabber combo, but Davey sold the bump as well. Truth climbed up on the top rope. Eddie knocked him down onto Mike Elgin, who had just come out, and rolled up ddie for the elimination. Eddie Edwards was eliminated at 18:15.

Strong went to work on Davey, and set him on the top rope. He climbed up, but Davey knocked him down and hit another double stomp. Davey went back to the top, then jumped down on the apron and kicked Truth in the face. Davey hit a powerbomb with a bridge for two. He stood up and kicked a kneeling Strong for the victory.

Post-match, Elgin attacked Richards and hit his spinning powerbomb. Trutch climbed in the ring and cut a promo saying he would have a new World Champion in the House of Truth after tomorrow. Strong left the ring in disgust and Truth and Elgin left celebrating to close the show...

Shore's Slant: Good match that had a few too many gimmicks in it. Strong and Edwards kept Davey from calling all the spots and the match was more enjoyable for me because of it. The double submission was almost too much for me though. As was the fifth double stomp. Don't get me wrong, there were some very good uses of the triple threat, and overall it was an entertaining match.

What sucked was, of course, the technical issues. I don't know who is to blame, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day. ROH will take the blame for it, and there is plenty that is their fault to gripe about. Kevin Kelly only mentioned the technical issues twice in the first half of the show, and those were passing comments. ROH didn't tweet about it until two hours after the show had started, and the problems had been there from the first minute.

The ultimate insult was the message that went out saying they would make sure the replay tomorrow morning was error free. I'm sure those who chose a different outlet for entertainment will appreciate that, but what about those who gave up their Friday night for ROH? Don't they deserve more than just a good replay? Refunds should be coming for this travesty, and I hope ROH and GFL do the right thing. I'll be back tomorrow for the second day of Showdown in the Sun. Thanks for watching along with me, on delay, tonight.

Questions? Comments? Anyone, anyone? Let me hear from you. Email me at css3238@gmail.com or tweet me @TheShoreSlant with whatever is on your mind.

And read my first work of fiction: The Following Contest is a Dark Match available exclusively on ebook for all eReaders, smartphones, tablets, and PCs for only 99 cents.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: