By Chris Shore

ROH on HDNet
Taped in Lexington, Kentucky.

[Q1] Jim Cornette hyped the Holiday Gauntlet match by explaining eight men would be drawn out of a hat of 16 to compete for $10,000…The opening video aired and Mike Hogewood and Dave Prazak welcomed us to ROH on HDNet…The setup a video that recapped Final Battle…[C]

The rules for the Holiday Gauntlet were explained and a young woman brought out the big ceremonial check. The first wrestler drawn was Jay Brisco. The second wrestler was Steve Corino…

1. Jay Brisco defeated Stever Corino in a Holiday Gauntlet Match at 5:47. They shoved each other after a clean break, and then had a shoulder block collision. They argued and then and several more collisions before Jay ducked a clothesline and won the shoulder block challenge. Corino reversed a whip to the corner and hit a chop.

Jay looked at him like he was crazy and Corino hit the STO. It looked like they botched a lift and Corino locked on the abdominal stretch. Corino checked Jay's oil twice and Jay reversed into his own abdominal stretch. He threatened to check the oil and the ref stopped him, allowing Corinio to roll up for two.

[Q2] Corino went for the Emerald Dream, but Jay ducked and hit Corinio's injured arm and rolled him up for the pinfall victory. Post-match Corino hit a knee lift on Brisco before finally leaving the ring. Entranct number three was Christopher Daniels. Daniels ensured Jay had recovered from the post-match assault before they started…

Shore's Slant: Decent opener. Corino has never done it for me, and now he's old. Still, Jay did most of the work and this had a good flow to it.

2. Christopher Daniels defeated Jay Brisco in a Holiday Gauntlet Match at 5:31. Daniels took quick control and worked the abdomen of Jay. Jay hooked two school boy rollups, but Daniels hit a front suplex to retake control. Jay escaped a rest hold and hit a superkick. He hit a death valley driver and a Russian leg sweep into the turnbuckle. Jay went for the Jay Driver, but Daniels reversed into the Angle's Wings for the pinfall victory. Rhett Titus was the fourth person selected. He hit the ring and they started immediately…

Shore's Slant: Another good but not spectacular match. Brisco was starting to get gassed by the end, but he held his own very well.

3. Christopher Daniels defeated Rhett Titus in a Holiday Gauntlet match at 5:39. Daniels hit a heel kick as Titus ran in. Titus came back with a drop kick and worked Daniels in the corner and on the ropes. Daniels escaped a splash in the corner and hit an insaguri kick. Titus rolled to the flor and Daniels followed. Titus hit a big boot and rolled him in the ring. He covered for two and went to the top. He jumped off and Daniels hit a Rock Bottom. Daniels followed with the BME for the win. Davey Richards was the fifth man out…[C]

Shore's Slant: An OK match. Daniels has to go again with Richards, so he spent a lot of that match resting up. Titus did not look good there. A lot of it was Daniels resting, but that's not a way to help one of your young stars. And Davey Richards wrestling reminds me that ROH doesn't work like WWE. No way we see an "injured" wrestler on TV after his injury regardless of taping schedule.

4. Davey Richards defeated Christopher Daniels in a Holiday Gauntlet match at 5:44. Richards went right to work, but Daniels hit many moves too. They went rapid fire back and forth with moves. Daniels locked in a kogi (sp?) lock. Richards made the ropes and hooked an Ankle Lock. Daniels escaped and setup for the BME. Richards moved and hit the Alarm Clock and followed with a huge kick to the head for the win. Claudio Castagnoli was the sixth man out…

5. Davey Richards defeated Claudio Castagnoli (w/Sara Del Ray and Shane Hagadorn) in a Holiday Gaunlet match at 5:37. Richards attacked Claudio on the floor to start. He rolled Claudio in the ring and Claudio hit a kick as Richards crawled in. Claudio put on a clinic of power moves and went to the top. Davey ran up and they battled. Claudio knocked him down three times, but Richards hit a superplex the fourth time for two. Claudio kicked out and Richards hooked the ankle lock.

Cluadio escaped and reversed the handspring kick into the UFO for two. He lifted for the Riccola bomb and Richards rolled down for a surprise win. Chris Hero was the seventh man out…

[Q4] 6. Davey Richards defeated Chris Hero in a Holiday Gauntlet match at 6:22. Hero attacked immediately and hit a big kick for two. Davey grabbed him and hooked the Cloverleaf, but Hero made the ropes. Hero choked him on the ropes and Hagadorn took a cheap shot. Hero tried for a Cloverleaf, but Richards reversed into an ankle lock.

[Q8] Hero made the ropes and hit his rolling elbow and a running powerbomb for two. Hagadorn distracted the ref and Hero put on the loaded elbow pad. He missed the elbow that time and Richards rolled him up for the surprise victory. Post-match Richards dragged Hagadorn in the ring and started to attack him. Hero hit the loaded elbow on the back of the head and knocked Richards out. Roderick Strong was the last guy out. He hit the ring immediately…

7. Roderick Strong defeated Davey Richards to win the Holiday Gauntlet at 2:54. Strong covered immediately but Richards kicked out. Strong mounted him for punches and Richards woke up. They traded blows and Richards whipped Strong to the corner and charged. Strong moved and hit his gutbuster for two. Richards came back and hooked the ankle lock, but String escaped and hit two kicks to the head for the victory…

Shore's Slant: I tried to comment on each match but there was no break. Richards head has taken quite the beating in the last two ROH events. I don't know if this is the best idea as it gives him a Benoit type of feel. Maybe it's just me. The action in all of these matches was very good and the whole concept is a lot of fun. I'll have more to say tomorrow in the hitlist. Thanks for reading and join me for Monday Night Raw next.

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

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