-From New York City
-Hosts are Kevin Kelly & Dave Prazak
-Match 1: All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) VS Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly
-O'Reilly immediately takes Titus down with a rolling armbar, but Titus counters with a rollup for two. O'Reilly hits a series of kicks and a legsweep on Titus. ANX catch O'Reilly on a dive attempt, so Cole throws himself on top of everyone to take ANX down. Titus uses a distraction from King to hit a teardrop suplex on O'Reilly for two. Titus whips O'Reilly into a King back kick for two. O'Reilly bates King into accidentally clotheslining Titus. O'Reilly dragonscrews Titus, which makes Titus dragonscrew King in a ridiculously contrived spot.
Cole gets in, and hits a slingshot DDT on King, spiking him on the ring apron. OUCH!. O'Reilly hits a butterfly suplex and a double-arm DDT on Titus, then springs off the apron with a missile dropkick, sending King into the barricade. Cole hits a top rope crossbody on Titus for two. Titus alley-oops Cole into the turnbuckles, and King follows up immediately with VICIOUS shotgun knees (think the Elijah Express). That gets two.
King hits a capture suplex on Cole for two, as O'Reilly makes the save with a double stomp. O'Reilly spikes King with a swinging DDT, then Titus hits a double knee drop on O'Reilly, then Cole hit a superkick on Titus to put all four men down. Cole hits a missile dropkick on King, then he and O'Reilly hit a double dropkick on Titus, who is locked in the Tree of Woe. Cole & O'Reilly go for a double team on King, but Titus low-bridges Cole and hits a beautiful dropkick on O'Reilly. ANX finish O'Reilly with a powerbomb/block buster combination. Tremendously fun opener. Really put both teams over as future players in the tag team division.
-Kevin Kelly reads a letter that basically states that RoH is washing their hands of Steen VS Generico, and that, according to them, it will be taking place after Final Battle is over.
-Match 2: Scientific Match: TJ Perkins VS Colt Cabana
-No special rules for this "scientific" match. Perkins used to wrestle as Puma. I remember seeing him under that gimmick on a TNA PPV or two. Cabana sends Perkins into the ropes, and Perkins hangs out in between the 2nd and top rope. Cabana fakes out Perkins, but ends up taking a flying headscissors when he tries to slam Perkins. Cabana gets Perkins on a no-hands surfboard. Cabana wins a fight over a wristlock.
Cabana laughs when Perkins tries a shoulder tackle. Series of reversals leads to Cabana locking in the Billy Goat's Curse. Another series of counters ends with Cabana getting a sunset flip for the pin. Good, fun match while it lasted. I'd like to see more of Perkins.
-Match 3: Sara Del Ray & Serena Deeb VS Daize Haze & Awesome Kong
-Serena was last seen as part of CM Punk's Straight Edge Society in WWE. Kong was going to be running through the WWE divas division this year as Kharma, but then she got pregnant.
Haze hits Del Ray with some chops, and gets a crucifix for two. Deeb gets in and prevents Haze from tagging Kong. Deeb's presence draws a "CM Punk" chant. Del Ray catches Kong napping on the apron with a boot, and Deeb hits a gutbuster on Haze for two. Heels keep preventing Haze from making the tag. Haze gets out of the Tree of Woe with a Diamond Cutter on Deeb. Kong finally gets in. Kong hits the Implant Buser on Del Ray for two. Deeb gets taking out by the faces. Del Ray drops Kong with a kick to the head. Del Ray hits the Royal Butterfly powerslam on Haze, but that only gets two.
Del Ray hits Haze with a piledriver, but Kong makes the save. Deeb spears Kong, allowing Del Ray to hit a second piledriver on Haze for the pin. Good, but needed more Kong.
-Kelly & Prazak note that Eddie Edwards lost the RoH TV title to Christopher Daniels at the last set of RoH on HDNet TV tapings.
-Match 4: Sonjay Dutt VS Eddie Edwards
-Dutt is filling in for Kenny Omega. Dutt immediately gets a modified surfboard submission. Dutt feigns going for a handshake, slaps Edwards across the face, then slides under the ring. Dutt sneaks behind Edwards, but gets caught with a STIFF chop. Dutt drapes Edwards' throat across the bottom rope, and hits a lionsault onto Edwards' back. Dutt takes Edwards outside and rams him into the barricade. Dutt lays Edwards across the barricade, and hits a springboard legdrop.
Edwards crotches Dutt on the top rope, and hurricarans him off for two. Dutt counters the Achilles' Lock with a small pacakge for two. Edwards hits a backpack chinbreaker for two. Dutt hits a Rey Mysterio-esque springboard splash for two. Dutt spikes Edwards with a DDT, and follows up with a standing shooting star press for two.
They trade superkicks before Dutt runs into a huge lariat, and that gets two for Edwards. Edwards hits a double stomp to the back, a big powerbomb, and the 2K1 Bomb for the pin. Good undercard match, even though it had an obvious outcome, they were able to keep the crowd with them.
-Interview time with Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team during intermission. I skip this, but stop for a really sweet video for Steen VS Generico:
-Mike Bennett (w/Brutal Bob Evans) comes out to ringside to watch the next match. Crowd taunts Bennett by chanting "who are you?".
-Match 5: RoH TV Champion Christopher Daniels VS Homicide (w/Julius Smokes)
-First few minutes see no clear advantage. Daniels hits an Arabian Press to the outside on a standing Homicide. Homicide plays homage to Eddie Guerrero with the Three Amigos. Homicide hits a tope con hilo, and Smokes does a happy dance. Homicide hits an exploder suplex with a bridge for two. Homicide hits a flying knee off the second rope to the back of the neck for two. Daniels avoids the Cop Killer and hits a urinage. Homicide avoids the Best Moonsault Ever. Ref gets sandwiched in the corner. Homicide tosses his shirt at Daniels, then hits him with an Ace Crusher when Daniels catches it. That gets the pin. Match was OK. A lot shorter than I was expecting.
-Mike Bennett rubs Daniels' face in the loss afterward.
-Match 6: The Briscoe Family (Jay, Mark, & Papa Briscoe) VS RoH World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli) & Shane Hagadorn (w/Sara Del Ray)
-Hero chops Jay, then immediately shoves Papa Mike off the apron. Jay holds Hero, and Papa chops him. Mark gets tagged in, and the Briscoes hit a double shoulder tackle for two. Hero holds Mark for a Hagadorn chop, but Mark moves out of the way. Claudio gets his chest opened up by a chop from Mark. Briscoes chop CC some more, and hit a double team beal. KoW toss Mark into the air.
Jay no-sells some Hagadorn offense, then tags in Papa. Papa kicks Hagadorn out of the ring. Papa shocks everyone by hitting a flying headscissors on CC for two. Del Ray pulls Papa off the cover and tries to kick him, so Papa grabs and kisses her. The ref then ejects Del Ray from ringside. Mark becomes the face-in-peril. Mark dives into a European uppercut from CC for two. Hero accidentally elbows Claudio, allowing Mark to make the tag.
Jay drops Hero with a big boot for two. Hero hits a big kick on Jay. CC hits a pop-up European uppercut for two. Double clothesline drops both CC and Mark. KoW and Briscoes lay each other out, then Hagadorn kicks Jay in the nuts, prompting Papa to spear Hagadorn and pound away. Briscoes hits dives on KoW. Hagadorn stops Papa from diving himself, and Hero lays Papa out with a roaring elbow. KoW go for the KRS-1 on Papa, but Mark spears CC. That leads to the Briscoes hitting the Doomsday Device on Hagadorn for the win, with Papa delivering the clothesline from the top. Fun match that didn't wear out the crowd before the main events.
-Match 7: Ring of Honor World Championship: Roderick Strong [c] (w/Truth Martini) VS Davey Richards
-Feeling out process to start. Richards locks in a modified surfboard, but when he tries to turn it into a pin, Strong locks in the hold himself. Richards lands a couple kicks, and goes for Konnan's old Tacquila Sunrise submission, but Strong makes it to the ropes. Richards continues to work on Strong's arm. Richards locks in a chimera, but Martini puts Strong's foot on the bottom rope. The match spills to the outside, where Strong finally gains control.
Richards hits a couple slaps, but walks into a leg lariat for two. Strong wins a strike exchange, and drops an elbow for two. Strong counters a handspring with a basement dropkick. Richards sends Strong outside, and hits a tope con hilo which puts himself in the crowd. Richards hits a high-angle suplex for two. Richards hits the Alarm Clock. I love that move. Richards hits a diving headbut for two.
Strong hits a big boot, enziguri, and a Falcon Arrow for two. Strong hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two, then locks in the Stronghold, but Richards makes it to the ropes. Richards wins a kick (Richards) and chops (Strong) exchange in the corner. Richards hits a German suplex for two. Richards hits a belly-to-back superplex, then a lariat for two. Richards hits a buzzsaw kick for two. Richards locks in an anklelock. Martini distracts the ref as Strong taps. Richards KO's Martini, then hits a shooting star press for two.
Strong hits a half-nelson backbreaker, using the top turnbuckle instead of his knee. Strong drops Richards through the announce table, then hits a Gibson (Tiger) driver on the floor, then tosses him into the crowd, hoping for a countout win. If you're counting on a guy being out for a 20 count, why wouldn't you go for the pin? Richards barely makes it in at 19. Strong immediately hits Death From Above, a Gibson driver, and the Stronghold.
Richards counters the Stronghold into an anklelock. Strong counters that into a heel hook. Richards turns THAT into a Texas Cloverleaf. Strong counters AGAIN into a Labelle Lock, and Richards turns that into a rollup for two. Richards hits a Gibson driver for two, then applies an anklelock. Richards suddenly lets go of the hold, and looks dazed. Strong hits a Death From Above backbreaker and a Sick Kick for two. Strong hits another backbreaker, superkick, and another Sick Kick for two. Strong applies a Stronghold variation (a Lion Tamer), and Richards is out. Roderick's "I can't believe I won" look after the bell is tremendous.
Some questionable psychology aside, this was suitably epic for a main event at RoH's WrestleMania. Well worth seeing if you haven't, although if you know both wrestler's styles, I don't think you're getting anything new out of them. A ring announcement is made to give them some time as Richards may have a concussion. Richards' look after he's told he lost is heartbreaking.
-Match 8: Unsanctioned Fight Without Honor Mask VS Career: Kevin Steen VS El Generico
-Steen uses part of the theme from SAW in his entrance music. Generico hits a Yakuza Kick to send Steen outside, then follows up with a running swanton over the top. Generico attacks Steen with a chain. Steen is busted open. Generico grabs a table, and uses it to hit Steen in the head. Generico grabs a ladder. Steen powerbombs Generico onto the corner of the apron. Steen uses his blood to pain his own arm...and then licks it off. This draws a justifiable "you sick fuck!" chant.
Steen buries Generico under some barricade covers, then hits a frog splash off the ring apron. Steen grabs a whole section of the barricade and tosses it at Generico, but he misses. Generico throws the ladder at Steen's head. Steen backdrops Generico onto the ladder as it's rested on the ropes. Steen paints in his own blood on Generico's back, and goes after the mask.
Steen tosses Generico in the air, and catches him with a powerbomb on the way down. Steen gets Generico down in the corner, sets a chair in front of his face, and hits a cannonball. Steen gets the mask partly ripped open. Generico tries a chairshot, but Steen hits a double-knees code breaker, driving the chair into Generico's face, which busts him open. Steen tastes Generico's blood. I hope for their sakes, neither one has AIDS.
Steen works Generico over and tries to bodyslam him onto the standing edges of the ladder, but Generico counters, and steals his idea. Generico hits a half-nelson suplex on the ladder. Steen blocks a Generico dive with a barricade cover. Steen powerbombs Generico into the barricade. Steen bridges the guardrail and the ring apron with the ladder and sets a table on top of it. Generico dives between the table and the ladder, hitting Steen with a tornado DDT on the way down.
Steen sets a chair in seated position in the ring and goes for a package piledriver, but Generico counters into a half-nelson suplex through the chair, and follows up with a brainbuster for two. Generico rocket launches Steen off the top, through the table that was standing on the ladder. Generico hits Steen with a package piledriver for two. Generico hits a brainbuster on the apron, and Steve Corino makes the save for Steen.
Corino lines Generico up for a chairshot, but Colt Caban chases Corino away, and hits Steen with the chair. That gets two for Generico. Generico accidentally kicks the ref and knocks him off the apron. Steen hits a kick to the nuts and a package piledriver for two. Steen attacks the ref for not making a three count. Steen hits another package piledriver on a seated chair for two, as a third ref slides in to make the count.
Steen goes for the turnbuckle brainbuster, but Generico fights out, hits a Yakuza Kick, and a turnbuckle brainbuster for two. Generico grabs a chair. Steen holds out Generico's original mask and begs Generico not to hit him. Generico takes the mask back, throws it down, and pastes Steen with a chairshot for the pin. Had some slow parts, but as a blowoff to a year-long feud, it was very satisfying.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Another really good show, especially the opener and the two main events. RoH has apparently gotten a lot better at not burning their crowds out with big move after big move, instead saving it for the main events.
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