Random Ring of Honor Matches #3

Random Ring of Honor #3

-KENTA VS Davey Richards (Fight of the Century 8/5/06)

-This is a pretty infamous match. Richards is Chris Benoit clone #345,667,632 and current RoH World Champion. At this point in time, Richards is KENTA's "American Protege".

The two exchange counters and really stiff kicks for the first few minutes. They go outside and exchange more kicks. KENTA hits a running kick to the face to send Davey over the guardrail. KENTA hits a big kick for two, then locks in a camel clutch. More stiff kicks for Davey after he escapes, and KENTA locks in a bodyscissors. Davey comes back with a running powerslam and 2nd rope legdrop for two. Davey gets a capture suplex to send KENTA to the floor, and follows up with a suicide dive. Davey gets a kick combination and a German suplex for two.

After some more big kicks and Davey dropping KENTA on his head, KENTA springboards right into a powerbomb from Davey, who then locks in a stretch muffler, but cannot get the submission. The two then apprently decide that selling is overrated, partiularly KENTA. KENTA gets a tiger suplex for two. Davey comes back, but shooting star press hits KENTA's knees, and a running kick gets two. Davey counters Go to Sleep into a crucifix for two, but Go to Sleep does finish soon after for KENTA.

Crowd goes nuts like they just saw an instant classic, but I can't say I agree, as it was a lot of kicks to the chest with some moves sprinkled in here and there. On the plus side, there weren't any finisher kickouts, which usually annoy me. KENTA & Davey supposedly got some heat on them for going all out and trying to show up the Samoa Joe/Bryan Danielson main event from later that night.

-Ring of Honor World Championship: Takeshi Morishima [c] VS Bryan Danielson (Manhattan Mayhem II 8/25/07)

-Danielson lost the RoH title to Homicide at Final Battle 2006. Homicide lost it shortly after that to Morishima. Morishima, while pretty average size for a wrestler, was able to be a "monster" in RoH because he was a legitimate heavyweight, and almost the only one on the roster. Danielson spends the first few minutes going for leg kicks. Morishima comes back with clubbing blows, at one point detaching Danielson's retna in his left eye. I don't know how the fuck he kept going after that. Especially since everything Morishima does for a while is a blow to Danielson's head. Kick exchange is won easily by Morishima, and he sends Danielson to the outside. Morishima does his own version of Samoa Joe's Ole Kick and follows up with a running butt bump to the face. Danielson is clearly in agony as he clutches at his eye.

Danielson avoids another running kick and pushes Morishima over the barricade, before following him into the first row with a springboard dive.Danielson drapes Morishima's leg over the barricade and smacks it with a chair, somehow not drawing a DQ. Morishima just shrugs off a missile dropkick, then stops Danielson's momentum cold with a wicked clothesline. Morishima goes for his finisher, the backdrop driver, but Danielson counters into a cover for two. Danielson gets a leg lock, but Morishima fights out, hitting a release German suplex and a sambo suplex for two. Danielson tries leg locks and flash pins, but cannot put Morishima away.

Morishima counters a sunset flip with a sitdown splash for two. Danielson throws everything he has at Morishima, trying to KO him with elbows and stomps to the face, then locking in Cattle Mutiliation. Morishima escapes. Morishima squashes Danielson when he tries a belly-to-back suplex from the top. Vicious clothesline spins Danielson like a helicopter blade, and backdrop driver gets the pin for Morishima to retain. Really good match. More than a little uncomfortable at times with Danielson being obviously injured, and Morishima repeatedly striking him in the injured area.

-Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship: Ladder War: The Briscoe Brothers [c] VS Kevin Steen & El Generico (Man Up 9/15/07)

-Champions don't even make it to the ring before the fight starts. The teams pair off and fight into the crowd. All four take several unprotected chairshots to the head. Jay Briscoe is busted open by one of the chairshots. Generico finally tries to climb, but Mark Briscoe hits an Ace Crusher off the barricade to Steen, then stops Generico from climbing. Cool spot as Generico has a hold of the ladder, but Mark punches him down. As Generico falls, the ladder ricochets off the ropes, into Mark's face. Steen stops both Briscoes from climbing the ladder, then calls Generico into the ring to do the climbing. The Briscoes cut him off, and a double team beal toss, sending Generico into the ladder, nearly breaking it in half.

Mark Briscoe tries to climb a second ladder, but Steen tips it, sending Mark into the first ladder, officially destroying it. Mark no-sells a couple superkicks, so Steen kicks him in the nuts. Steen & Generico wipe out the Briscoes with Generico hitting a running Yakuza kick on Mark, driving a ladder into him, then Steen powerbombs Jay over the top, onto a ladder that was bridged between the barricade and the ring. Steen almost makes it to the belts, but Mark manages to push Generico into the ladder, knocking him down. Jay tosses Genrico into one ladder with an exploder suplex, then hits Steen with a Death Valley Driver on the edge of another ladder.

Mark hits a shooting star press on Generico who is laying under a ladder, then Jay hits a flying legdrop to the outside on Steen, which drives him through a table. The ladders they have been using are too beat up to climb, so Jay calls for a maintenance ladder, which is what WWE uses in their ladder matches. Briscoes hit a springboard Doomsday Device on Generico, with Mark diving through the open legs of the ladder. Steen sets up a ladder to bridge the big ladder and the turnbuckle, and ends up hitting a package piledriver on Mark to put him through it. As Generico struggles to get the belts, Jay Briscoe does the same in the opposite corner, then drives Generico through a ladder with the Jay Driller.

Jay and Steen fight at the top of the big ladder, and Jay wins it, sending Steen into the corner and what's left of the ladder that lays there. That looks to be the finish, but Jay...just...can't...get...the belts down. Steen tries climbing the ladder, but Jay punches him down, and finally frees one belt to give the Briscoes the win. Partially blown ending aside, this was a great car wreck. It was such a car wreck, that it led to RoH asking the wrestlers to town it down a bit, and instituting fines for unprotected chairshots to the head. RoH also said that this would be the first, last, and only Ladder War they'd have, but that proved not to be the case.

-Bryan Danielson VS Takeshi Morishima (Glory by Honor VI Night 2 11/3/07)

-Morishima lost the RoH World title to Nigel McGuinness the previous month. Danielson, pissed off that when the two had their rematch after Manhattan Mayhem II Morishima said he would not go after Danielson's injured eye, then went ahead and focused on it, jumps Morishima before he even gets into the ring, hitting a dive over the top onto him. Danielson puts a chair on Morishima's head, then stomps on it. Danielson topples the timekeeper's table over to try to throw it at Morishima. Danielson goes after Morishima's eyes.

Once they get into the ring, Morishima takes over, dumping Danielson on his head, then working him over with kicks, strikes, and a cartwheel avalanche. Morishima takes the fight to the outside. Danielson manages to dump Morishima into the first row, and follows with a springboard clothesline. Danielson gets a hold of the timekeeper's hammer, and digs it into the eye of Morishima. Morishima counters that with a Backdrop Driver out of nowhere onto the floor. Danielson is busted open. Twice Morishima knocks Danielson off the ring apron into the barricade, but the third try is countered with a shoulder to the gut, and a sunset flip for two.

Danielson counters a Backdrop Driver, and after Morishima no-sells three roaring elbows, Danielson dropkicks Morishima's knee, lands a series of kicks, a series of elbows, then a German suplex for two. Danielson tries to kick Morishima's head in then locks in a triangle choke, but Morishima powers out of it. Morishima goes after the injured eye, so Danielson hits him with a low blow, then starts stomping on his nuts, only stopping to throw the referee down to draw the DQ. Danielson keeps stomping on Morishima's nuts, and floors a couple wrestlers who come in to stop him, allowing Morishima to escape.

Really good match that told the story of Danielson desperately trying to get revenge on Morishima, but being physically overmatched.