I am certain you will see full blown results in the near futrue from colleagues of mine that have the resources to give them to you. Here are the results from where I sat:
In a Fight Without Honor, Low Ki defeated Jay Lethal. Lethal came out, demanded Low Ki. Julius Smokes wanted Low Ki reinstated in to ROH if he defeated Lethal tonight. Lethal kept demanding Low Ki, who ended up coming through the crowd, and following a very hard fought match that saw Lethal get busted open pretty good, Ki got the win with a double stomp on to a chair laying on top of Lethal's guts from the top rope.
Austin Aries defeated Azrieal with a 450 splash. There were a couple of times during this match that I thought Azrieal botched a move. Aries had a new look to him, a haircut, more clean shaven, a bit of a surprise, and he didn't come out to Personal Jesus, by Depeche Mode. Another surprise. However, Aries talent, not a surprise, at all.
In the ROH Pure Title Match, Nigel McGuiness successfully retained over Roderick Strong. This one was boring from the word go. McGuiness as Pure Champ does not work in my eyes. Strong was on the receiving end of some significant punishment, but Nigel did very little to make it seem effective to the crowd. The crowd did not like this match, whatsoever, from bell to bell. Nigel won with a stunner from the top rope.
ROH is returing to Sports Plus on November 19th, with Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Roderick Strong & Austin Aries already signed for that card.
Colt Cabana defeated Homicide by DQ after 'Cide clocked the Classic one with a chair. How's that for a tongue twister? Following the match, the Rottweilers, 'Cide, Smokes, Ricky Reyes and Low Ki attacked Cabana, who got the save from Samoa Joe. Joe ends up clocking Smokes in the head with a chair, and that's virtually it for the bald guy without the ball bat and the Bernard King jersey. During this match, Smokes took his shirt off to fan Homicide, and half the crowd nearly died of disgust. Low Ki does a promo after the attack on Cabana and the save on Joe, claiming that the ROH champions are nothing without Low Ki, and that the real champ is back in ROH. As Joe is about to hit the ring to attack Ki, Jay Lethal returns, with a bandage on his head, and we're off in to chapter 2 of the Fight Without Honor.
In the 2nd half of this brawl, Jay Lethal gets the dupe over Low Ki with a dragon suplex off the top rope. Smokes was out briefly with Ki during this one, and Samoa Joe stayed out in Jay Lethal's corner. The other Rottweilers tried to get involved, but Joe played blocker, and then eventually got some more help from Colt Cabana to allow Lethal to focus on the task at hand and get some final revenge on Low Ki.
In a BONUS match, if you can call it that, Davey Andrews defeated Eric Matlock. Yawn.
In the Four Corner Survival, Samoa Joe defeated Ricky Reyes, BJ Whitmer, and Adam Pearce. Pearce wanted desperately to be Ric Flair, and he said some things that I can't say here, but let's just say it was insulting, to him, in every way possible. Joe wins the match with the Kokino Clutch on Whitmer, after muscle busting Ricky Reyes straight through the mat, figuratively speaking. Joe then cuts a promo, this is the first time I have ever heard the man speak, claiming he will be the greatest ROH Grand Slam Champion of all time, saying that since there has been so many promises made tonight, here's another one to BJ Whitmer. The Samoan Submission machine is coming for the ROH tag team straps. He ended his promo with a tremendous line. "I am Samoa Joe, and I am pro wrestling." Could be true. In my eyes, it probably is.
In an absolute chess match of epic proportions, the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson returned to ROH and captured the World title from James Gibson. This one was back and forth from the word go, but Danielson worked on Gibson's arm, basically nearly twisting it off. He won the match via submission with an armbreaker type move I couldn't describe to you because my vision was limited from where I sat. Danielson though showed how tough he really is, taking a suplex to the floor from Gibson, and kicking out of the tiger driver, along with not submitting on two separate occasions to Gibson's submission finisher. It was a pure chess match. Human chess to the limit, and kudos go out to both men. I know now why Bryan Danielson is talked about so much in the indies. He is that good. He reminds me of Dean Malenko, a man who can twist a body in to proportions not allowed by human anatomy.
Danielson cut a victory speech, putting over James Gibson as World champion, and then claiming holding the ROH title is like having wrestling freedom, and he would defend the title like a man, to anyone who comes down the pike. He claimed that this title had been used by its past champions to step to the major leagues, which the fans replied, "sell out." Danielson said if that was a sellout, then I'm the biggest sell out of them all. Danielson also stated that he would not jump from ROH while champion, and he would remain in ROH to continue to bring prestige to its championship.
And lastly, AJ Styles defeated Jimmy Rave in the Anything Goes Finisher match when Styles hit the Styles Clash from the top rope through a table. Rave had some good shots in this one, as Nana sent the entire locker roomn practically after Styles, a flurry of masked men tried to stop the momentum of the X Division Champion in TNA, (nice touch by AJ wearing the title to the ring), but in the end, Mick Foley, in Styles' corner, took out Nana allowing Styles to get the dupe. Foley then cut a promo saying good bye for now from ROH, and that he would see everyone soon.
Remember the stipulation, Styles forces Rave to not be able to use the Rave clash in ROH as a result of this victory. During the promo that Foley cut, Nana tried to get up on numerous occasions, only to be kicked back down by Foley, and then, to end it all, Nana gets thrown out of the ring, and Foley drops an elbow on the floor from the apron on the African native manager, ala Cactus Jack. A little ECW flavor to end the show.
Another absolutely tremendous show from ROH. I am hooked. Big time. I picked up July 9th's Escape from New York show, and I am picking up GBH IV when it comes out. I am very impressed by the performance of these combatants, and I can't wait to see them compete again in November. Lastly, they signed a match for November already, a rematch from tonight, Colt Cabana vs. Homicide, NO DQ, there must be a winner.
Take care, everybody. Drop me a line at KLAC1102@aol.com if you want to discuss this.
Kimosabe, Sumo!?!?!??
