Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDnet
Taped in Philadelphia, PA

The show started with Austin Aries cutting a promo in the ring. Tyler Black came out to confront him, and Aries lit a fireball in his face.

Joe's Judgment: I'm a bit late tonight. Blame my roommate being late with dinner. I missed the actual fireball spot, but got in during the aftermath. Sorry.

Bryan Danielson's #3 moment of all time in ROH is Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima at Manhattan Mayhem II, in wich he suffered a detached retina and still wrestled for another fifteen minutes...

1. Kevin Steen and El Generico defeated the Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Player Dos) in 11:30. Dave Prazak asked Mike Hogewood if he was a video game enthusiast. Hogewood said he'd take on either Smash Brother in a game of Madden. I'd beat him. After some Generico lucha type stuff, Steen tagged in and beat the crap out of Dos. He locked him in a camel clutch and heeled it up like crazy.

Generico got a nearfall on Dos after a frontflip legdrop from Steen, with Uno breaking up the pin. Steen and Generico tried a double clothesline, but Dos dropped down, kipped up, and made a hot tag to Uno. Uno dropped Steen to ringside, and Dos dove onto him, getting tons of air as he is wont to do.

Generico got the advantage and went for a Yakuza kick, but missed, and Dos hit double knees to the head, then an Alabama slam/lungblower double team. Steen broke up the pin, though, and after a top rope walking tornado DDT, Steenerico hit their trademark moves, the Yakuza, package piledriver, and brainbuster, for the pin.

Joe's Judgment: Really really really good match. What I've seen of the Smash Brothers in other promotions I've liked, and these two teams have good chemistry together. It won't make any top ten lists, but this was one of the best opening ROH TV matches so far. Well deserving of the "this is awesome" chants it got.

Kyle Durden was backstage with the Embassy, who made fun of "Grizzly Wedgewood" and I guess hyped a beard vs. beard match.

2. Chris Hero defeated Bobby Dempsey in 3:20. Prazak mentioned that the two used to be members of the same stable, but I guess Sweet 'N Sour, Inc. is now a taboo word. Dempsey ate some kicks from Hero, not selling a single one. He got in a bit of offense via a headbutt, but then missed a cannonball, and Hero knocked him out with a couple elbows, then got the pin.

Post match, Eddie Kingston came out to the ramp, and said that Hero did a great job and that maybe Kingston should try and be more like him. Hero called him a thief while walking to the back.

The announcers hyped the main event and an interview with Jim Cornette next... [C]

Cornette was backstage. He said that he loved professional wrestling, not sports entertainment. He said that ROH was going to the top with him on HDnet, and that we should enjoy the ride...

3. "Skullkrusher" Rasche Brown defeated Sal Rinauro in 1:00. Hogewood said Sal was getting psychiatric treatment for his medical condition known as "being afraid of getting his butt kicked". Brown sent him into the turnbuckles one by one, then military pressed Sal and spun him around like that. Brown picked up Rinauro in a torture rack, and dropped him with a Burning Hammer for the pin.

Joe's Judgment: Rasche is a beast.

4. The American Wolves defeated Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong in 16:10. Richards and Danielson started. Hogewood talked about how if Danielson had ramped up his look a bit, he could have gone places, but that wasn't his style. So true. Strong and Edwards tagged in.

The Wolves dominated the first several minutes. Edwards in particular controlled a lot of the match. Richards tagged in, and went for his handspring enzigiuri, but Dragon caught him in the back and made the hot tag to Strong. Strong dominated with a sick one foot dropkick, then a chokeslam backbreaker for a nearfall.

The Wolves went right back on offense though. They locked on a single leg crab on Strong, and the Texas Cloverleaf on Danielson. The babyfaces hit a Hart Attack clothesline and Strong locked in a Boston Crab. Edwards got out, though, and then was promptly beaten with plenty of chops.

Richards entered the fray, and all four men knocked each other down with strikes. Danielson was left at ringside, and the Wolves beat on Strong and tried a Doomsday Ace Crusher. Danielson came out of nowhere to make the save, then dove at Richards as Strong gave Edwards a backbreaker, then a gutbuster. Davey grabbed the belt, distracting referee Todd Sinclair, and then hit a low blow on Strong. Strong kicked out of a powerbomb/lungblower combo, but fell prey to Edwards' elevated single leg cross crab and tapped out as Richards restrained Danielson. The Wolves left with their belts to close the show...

Joe's Judgment: Really, really, really good match. They told a decent story, and everything made sense. There's not a whole lot more you could ask for. It didn't feel like it went into fourth or fifth gear at all, but it didn't have to, it was nice just how it was. Great show tonight with two really good tag matches, and I'll see you guys next week.

Questions, comments, concerns? Wondering why I didn't refer to Danielson and Strong as the Hybrid Dolphins? Wondering what the Hybrid Dolphins even are? Email me at jtmathieson88@gmail.com.

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