First and foremost, a special thank you goes out to the colleagues of mine who shall remain nameless for allowing me this early christmas gift of going to ROH's Wrestlemania, Final Battle 2006.  It was an experience I will not soon forget, and for anyone who was unfortunate to not attend, and is a fan of wrestling, I suggest you pick this show up.  It was a tremendous show.

 

I knew this night was going to be big in RIng of Honor when the line outside the Manhattan Center was nearly a half a block long just to get in to the building.  Fortunately, the line moved pretty quick, and inside I went to the Grand Ballroom.  Wow. 

 

If anyone goes to this facility, and is not in the best of shape, like myself, DON'T TAKE THE STAIRS UP TO THE GRAND BALLROOM.  I am still panting for oxygen from that climb.  Anyway.  Arriving at the ballroom before 6:30, General Admission already had 5 or 6 rows filled up.  The place was nearly wall to wall people already, and it was still close to an hour before bell time.  ROH really did pull out the stops for this show, seating arrangement wise, but if you weren't fortunate enough to be in the first few rows of GA, then you had issues with line of sight.  I did the best I could, considering I had to stand the whole night, and standing, on my bad leg, is not a good thing.  So, please bear that in mind if you hear different things coming from me if you read other reviews, ok?  Thanks.

 

Moving on, some observations pre-show, a lot of Homicide shirts dominated the GA audience, I saw a Puerto Rican flag drape the barrier at ringside, and no student matches prior to bell time.  Odd, but this is ROH's big draw, so let's get rolling.

 

To start the show, Santa and his elfs come down throwing out tee shirts and various other goodies to the lucky stiffs in the seated sections around ringside. One of the elves looked like Sal Rinauro.  How sad I feel for him, from an Embassy lackey to an ROH lackey.  Where have you gone, Tony Mamaluke?  Santa should've worn bullet proof pants, though, because the angry Briscoe Brothers hit the ring and took out the elves and Santa Claus with some vicious maneuvers, way too fast to describe, but it was intense to say the least.

 

After a christmas wish by the Briscoes, in their unique fashion, they demand a rematch with the Kings of Wrestling in response to the garbage that ensued last night in Hartford, Connecticut.  No response from the KoW, and the Briscoes leave, apparently to go confront Hero & Claudio for an answer.

 

First up is the Four Corner Survival match involving Davey Richards, ROH World Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels, Jimmy Rave & El Generico.  For the occasion, Allison Danger broke out some new duds, a brownies outfit, and damn, did she look fine.  She even got a little naughty for the crowd, but let's not go further with that, now, please.  The crowd is hot on Jimmy Rave, as Generico and Richards started this contest.  It was my first time seeing the Generic Luchadore, and I was impressed with his ability, and his schtick is funny at times, but after the 10th "OLE!", it's time to get down to some brass ass kicking. 

 

Richards began on the offensive with Generico, but Generico fought back and thew Richards to the outside.  He was on pace for a suicide plancha, but when Richards darted back in side the ring, Generico flipped back through the ropes, and landed on his feet.  Very athletic.  Daniels comes in, and the back and forth action continues until the Generic one is tagged out by Jimmy Rave.

 

Rave and Daniels trade shoulder blocks until Rave tries to sucker Daniels with a forearm.  Daniels gets pissed, and starts the beat down on Rave on the canvas, to which Rave responds by bailing out of the ring, tagging in Generico back in to the match.  Richards also comes back in. 

 

KENTA's American protege uses Generico as a football with spine kicks, and a near fall ensues by Richards out of that exchange.  Daniels tags in, hits a slingshot moonsault from the top rope for 2 on Generico.  Following the move, Daniels sets up something else, but Rave low balls the ropes, sending Daniels to the outside, tags Generico, and then goes to town on Daniels on the outside of the ring. 

 

Bringing the Fallen Angel back in to the ring, the former Crown Jewel hits a Low Ki style double stomp for a 2 count, and then proceeds with an abdominal stretch to try and make the X Division Champion a little bit taller.  Daniels manages to counter out of it in to a death valley driver.  Richards comes back in, and hits a nice overhead belly to belly on the Atlanta native Rave. 

 

Generico comes back in, and gets a german suplex from Richards for another near fall for his troubles.  The near falls continue as Richards gets Generico with a 2 count off a tiger bomb.  Daniels comes in for Generico, and hits an STO in to the Best Moonsault Ever, but manages only a two count after the Generic Luchadore saves the pinfall.  Daniels then tries for Angels Wings on Richards, but Generico comes in, and hits a top rope springboard DDT for a 2 count on the Fallen Angel.  Very intense action all round.  Rave spent a lot of the middle of the match on the outside, seemingly hurt from the abuse he took early on.

 

Richards and Generico grapple for advantage in the center of the ring, and while doing so, the Fallen Angel goes up top for a splash off the rope and hits, nobody.  He recovers, hits a clothesline on Generico, but gets a handspring elbow from Richards for his efforts.  Richards then takes Generico and hits a sick t-bone suplex in to the turnbuckles for a 2 count.  Very stiff shots all throughout this contest.

 

Generico goes from a brainbuster on Richards, but Rave grabs Richards foot, causing Richards to fall head first in to the top turnbuckle.  Rave then puts Generico in to the ankle lock submission, and the tap out ensues for the victory.  A scintillating opening contest for the final show of 2006.

 

Rave takes the mike, says he will take respect from the fans and from the talent in ROH, and wants the ROH World championship.  Nigel McGuinness runs out attacking Jimmy Rave, wanting to fight.  Nigel slaps Rave across the face, but Rave bails to the chants of "you got bitchslapped."  Rave would hear that a lot tonight.

 

Adam Pearce and Shane Hagadorn are next out, and they dedicate this night to Pearce's mentor, James E. Cornette.  They also declare Homicide will not walk out of the building as the ROH World Heavyweight Champion.

 

This brings the music of the Rottweilers, and Julius Smokes comes out with protege Ricky Reyes.  Reyes goes after Pearce, and the match is on, Adam Pearce w/Shane Hagadorn in his corner vs. Ricky Reyes w/Smokes in his corner.  Reyes hits an early spinning neck crank on Pearce for a quick 2 count.  Hagadorn interferes to give the momentum back to Pearce, who hits a sick Arn Anderson spine buster on Homicide's stablemate.  Chants of "Repo Man" are heard throughout the Grand Ballroom.

 

Reyes recovers and hits a nice 2nd rope hurracanrana for a 2 count.  Smokes is on the outside making Pearce madder than hell throughout the match.  Pearce uses the singlet strap on his tights to choke out Reyes while the ref is not looking.  Reyes gets Pearce in a dragon sleeper, and Pearce is tapping out, but Hagadorn again has the ref distracted.  When Reyes complains, Pearce grabs a foreign object and kayoes the Rottweiler for the 1,2,3. 

 

Smokes comes in to challenge Pearce and Pearce and Hagadorn double team the Rottweiler braintrust with a spike piledriver.  Smokes is carried out to the back. 

 

Next up is the grudge tag team match of Jimmy Jacobs and Brent Albright vs. BJ Whitmer and Colt Cabana.  On a side note, I like how ROH mixes the entrance music for tag team matches to give both men their respective due.  Now back to business, Daizee Haze is out with Whitmer and Cabana, who attack Brent & Jimmy from behind, taking out Albright, and focusing their attention on the Emo Warrior.  Albright comes in, and the double team ensues on BJ Whitmer following the removal of Cabana from the ringside area.  Whitmer falls in a heap, Cabana comes back in the ring, and in a nice comedy piece, stops both Albright and Jacobs from swining, slaps Jacobs in the face, and bell rings Albright right on both eardrums. 

 

Cabana and Jacobs continue to fight outside the ring at a vantage point I can't see, but Albright is getting lit up by chops from Whitmer in the ring.  Jacobs gets tossed nearly to the dressing room, and is dragged back to the ring by Whitmer as Cabana draws his attention to Albright. 

 

In a usual insanity spot of all time by Whitmer and Jacobs, Whitmer suplexes Jacobs, but both men fall, mid suplex, over the top rope.  It looked like a train wreck just hit Grand Central these two guys falling over.  Jacobs had to get the worst of it, he was close to 8 feet in the air.  Soon after that trainwreck, the match begins to resemble a normal tag match, with Whitmer and Jacobs in the ring beating the holy tar out of each other.  Jacobs gets the better of it, tags in Albright, and they hit a nice double team drop kick on Whitmer, with Jacobs literally being thrown by Albright, feet first, at Whitmer's chest.

 

Whitmer takes a lot of abuse in the middle of this match, and any time he gets close to Cabana, Albright comes back and takes out the Classic one, keeping the match a textbook tag team slaughter.  Whitmer finally gets Cabana in following dropkicks to both Albright and Jacobs. 

 

Cabana goes in to Dusty Rhodes mode with bionic elbows, and fists a fury, but it backfires briefly.  Only briefly, as Cabana regains momentum with bionic elbows a plenty for a near fall.  He then goes with literally, there's no other way to say it, but ass smacks in the corners on both men.  He then grabs Jacobs in the middle of the ring, and taunts about taking out his family jewels.  Albright saves Jacobs from a fate worse than death, and Jacobs returns the favor with a nasty spear on Cabana for a 2 count.  Whitmer powerbombs Jacobs in to the turnbuckles for a 2 count, and then the faces set up Jacobs for a doomsday device, but it's missed.  Jacobs then hits sliced bread #2 (sorry, Spanky), on Colt.  Then he goes and hits a nice spinning head scissors on Whitmer.  Whitmer is out of the contest for the moment.  Albright grabs Cabana and hits 5 german suplexes in a row, to the chants of "You're not Benoit".  A senton off the ropes by Jacobs gets the three count on Cabana.

 

Just before the three, I missed a move that BJ took, when he was apparently powerbombed through a table by Jacobs.  I was writing when it happened.  But the crowd went nuts, and after the match, chanted thank you BJ to Whitmer for taking such a nasty bump. 

 

I glanced toward a break in the curtain where I was and saw the briefcase and the familiar silhouette of the Swiss man member of the Kings of Wrestling, Claudio Castagnoli.  Something's up soon.

 

Bobby Cruise notes that the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom is sold out for the 2nd time in a row for Ring of Honor, and because of the fan support, more regular dates will be booked at this site.  Next time out is Feburary 16th, a friday night, night one of the Fifth Year Festival.

 

As I predicted, here comes the former ROH World Tag Team Champions, the Kings of Wrestling.  They are accompanied by a man in a suit who I have not seen before live, but recognize from myspace.com, it's "Sweet & Sour" Larry Sweeney.  Hero introduces Sweeney as "his personal agent", someone who will take Chris Hero to the top of the mountain.  Hero says he had a plan for Claudio's farewell, but mentions the challenge made by the Briscoes, and that the KoW are ready to "man up."  Out comes the Briscoes and the match is on.

 

Remember, ladies and gentlemen, I can't tell the Briscoes apart when I see them from the third row, if you think I can do it from where I was tonight, well....

 

Hero is attacked from behind as the match begins, and after taking out Claudio, a double team slam on Hero brings the bell ringing, and the match officially starting.  The Briscoes hit hard on the outset with a plancha off the ropes on Claudio, and a drop kick off the ropes on Hero, as well as a double team spin kick on the superman of the indy scene, Chris Hero. 

 

The Briscoes continue with multiple near falls on both men, with a 2nd rope spinning splash and fisherman style bridge suplex.  The KoW recover, and get a Briscoe in the piledriver position, only to be drop kicked in the stomach by Hero.  Hero also hit a samoan drop slam, followed by a spinning plancha for a 2 count.  Claudio hit a nice spine punch for 2.  Hero hit a nasty fallaway slam for a 2 count.  The crowd was not in to this match as much as they probably should have been.  Claudio hit a british bulldog style delayed suplex for a 12 count, and man it looked textbook.

 

A Briscoe brother got a near fall on Chris Hero with a fisherman's brainbuster suplex.  Hero recovrered with a chicken wing submission move that the Briscoes broke out of .  The KoW tried a double team suplex, but got DDTs for their efforts.  An STO on Hero got a near fall of a 2 count.  The Briscoes then hit a sick combo on Claudio, a hurracanrana off the shoulders of one member who is sitting on the top rope, followed by a frog splash, but its only for a 2 count.  Claudio recovers, and manages to perform a double giant swing, swinging both members of the Briscoes around the ring like a top for a 2 count. 

 

More near falls, almost too many to count, the action was fast and furious, from power bombs to crucifix powerbombs, to a bulldog off the top rope following a nasty kick to the face, and an a sick combo of an enziguri by Claudio, in to a superplex, and a top rope splash by Hero, only for a 2 count. 

 

All 4 men are down near the end of the match when Sweeney hits the apron.  Claudio grabs the briefcase and knocks out Hero by mistake?  A splash leg drop combo off the top ropes by both Briscoes gets the 3 count on Hero for the win. 

 

Claudio grabs the mike, and says he's sticking around a little while longer, and the KoW are going to raise hell in 2007.  Chants of Thank you Claudio ring throughout the ballroom.  Sweeney grabs the mike, and says he and Chris Hero have plans in 2007 and they don't include him, so he should pack up and go.  Claudio asks Sweeney if he thinks Chris Hero is going to choose him over the most money making man?  Hero shakes Claudio's hand, and then walks out with Sweeney.  Claudio looks dumbfounded as "Mama Said Knock You Out" plays while the crowd chants something obscene in the direction of Chris Hero.

 

Claudio is stunned in the ring, and stands with Joe as he enters, putting his hand on his shoulder.  Joe tells Claudio, we are not friends, and Claudio quickly gets out of dodge to avoid anything further.

 

Joe is over big with the crowd, says he is sorry he cannot compete, and for 2/16, he puts up a challenge to anyone from NOAH.  Bring Marufuji, bring Morishima, bring Mitsuhana Osana, he's ready for a fight on 2/16.  Nigel comes out, and says if nobody shows up from NOAH, Nigel will come out on 2/16 to kick Joe's fat ass.

 

Rave comes out and attacks Nigel, forcing Joe, following a nice bitchslap to Rave, (that's 2 for the night on Jimmy) to suggest a match with Nigel & Rave right now.  Joe then turns to Nigel, and tells him to get out of the way.  Nigel reluctantly, and slowly departs the area. 

 

Now we hit intermission.  Before the show, I got my hands on Sacrifice 06 and Destination X 06 from TNA as well as the Kane internet exclusive action figure.  Am I lame or what?  Ah hell, it's christmas. 

 

Rave & Nigel are next, as Rave begins the match by attacking Nigel from behind during the code of honor.  Nigel tries to work on Rave's arm, but Rave follows by slapping Nigel across the face.  A lot of that going around tonight.  Nigel flips and hits 2 sick euro uppercuts on Rave, and then from that exchange, Nigel is the victim of a sick STO on the apron by the Atlanta native who is pulling yeoman's work due to the injury to Samoa Joe. 

 

Back and forth action resume with Rave getting the better of the two men, along with multiple near fall attempts.  This match was noticeably slower than the others in the card thus far, and we obviously know why.  Nigel manages to pretzel Jimmy's arms in a submission move, but Rave breaks it, and spears Nigel all the way to the outside.  Rave hits a knee to the head from the apron on McGuinness and drags him back in to the ring for a knee in the corner, followed by a spinning neck breaker for a 2 count.

 

A sick kick to Nigel's chops got a 2 count for Rave as well.  Rave goes for his pedigree which is reveresed in to a handspring elbow and a clothesline by Nigel for a 2 count.  Nigel then chops Rave down with a kick to the knee and chop to the chest for a 2 count.  A clothesline by Nigel gets another 2 count.  His finisher, the top rope neckbreaker is hit by McGuinness, but Rave kicks out a 2.  He recovers and hits a nasty tornado ddt off the ropes on Nigel for a 2 count.  Rave then hits the pedigree but Nigel gets up at 1, and Rave looks like he has seen the ghost of Hulk Hogan. 

 

Rave manages to switch an attempt at a tilt o whirl in to a nasty cross face that Nigel barely breaks out of.  Rave hits an atomic drop, Nigel goes for the handspring clothesline again for a 2 count.  Nigel tries the finisher again and its blocked, but then he hits the top rope neckbreaker on Rave while on the apron.  The Brit drags Rave in and only manages another 2 count.  He then goes for the crotched clothesline from the top and gets another 2 count.  Nigel is losing his mind. 

 

Nigel tries for the handspring clothesline again and its reveresed into Rave's new anklelock, and Nigel taps.  The crowd cheers for Rave's win, and then chants, "You Still Suck."  Rave grabs the mike, and says now that he's shown the world what he can do, on 2/16, he wants the winner of the world title match.

 

Next up is the Dragon Gate Rules six man tag between Aries, Strong & Delirious vs. Shingo, ROH World Tag Team Champ Matt Sydal and CIMA.  It's funny how CIMA and Shingo could be facing Sydal for the titles in Hartford on friday, and are teaming with him on saturday.  I guess it's legit with the connections in Dragon Gate.

 

It appeared throughout this match that a lot of times the rote habits of tagging continued, causing the crowd to say "stop the tagging" repeatedly.  The action in this match was also nearly too fast to describe.  The usual comedy with Delirious before the bell, but surprisingly, the man playing the anthesist was CIMA.  This was my first time seeing CIMA, obviously.  He was good in the times I saw him during the match, but I was not as impressed with him as I was with KENTA when I saw him back at Time to Man Up.

 

Delirious and Sydal start the match to the BAH BAH BAH BAH BAH chants from the crowd, and the place is electric.  Gotta give this Manhattan Center crowd credit.  They were ready for action tonight.  Delirious and Sydal went counter for counter for a few moments out to the floor, bringing Strong and Shingo in to the match.  Both men have a history going back to TTMU, so there should be some good set up here.  Shoulder blocks are traded until Strong chops Shingo nearly back to Texas.  CIMA comes in, wants Aries, and they lock up in a test of strength.  During this exchange, I noticed Delirious eating streamers.  Beautiful.

 

A lot of aerial artistry by CIMA off the test of strength, which CIMA won with a heel trip.  All 3 members of the Dragon Gate team got victimized as the match progressed by a spinning plancha on the floor by Aries.  Strong continued his chop fest on CIMA, and a double team kick was performed nicely by Delirious and Strong on CIMA.  CIMA proved he could take it, as well as dish it out in this match. 

 

Another double team saw Delirious suplex CIMA and Aries hit a plancha from the apron for a two count.  A terrific combination of moves ensued when CIMA was in a slingshot position from Strong, Delirious hit an elbow while CIMA was upside down, Aries hit a forearm when Strong slingshotted him in to his partner, and then Aries then jumped over Strong and hit a leg drop, with CIMA still in the slingshot position.  All that for another 2 count.

 

CIMA performed a sick double team move by himself on Strong and Delirious hitting a Low Ki style double stomp from the CANVAS, not from the ropes, for a lot of damage.  Shingo hit an inverted death valley driver on Aries for a 2 count, and the action, like I said, was way too fast for me to get everything down.

 

Aries got slammed by CIMA, and then got a leg drop from the 2nd rope by Sydal for a 2 count.  Shingo hit Aries with a splash and CIMA hit a double stomp for another 2 count.  A triple team maneuver by Sydal, Shingo & CIMA cultivated with Sydal hitting a standing shooting star press off Aries back on to Aries himself for a 2 count. 

 

Aries got a lot of punishment here.  Sydal hit a drop kick that snapped Aries head back while he was in the corner.  A fisherman's suplex by Sydal only got a 2 count.  A double team attempt by CIMA and Shingo was countered by a handspring high cross body block on both men by Aries. 

 

A back suplex by Shingo was countered in to a head scissors by Delirious.  A triple team ensued on CIMA in the corner for only a 2 count.  Delirious got Shingo in the corner and hit 15 forearm shots in a row, only to have the 16th stopped.  Sydal hit a moonsault to the floor on one of his opponents, I couldn't see which.

 

CIMA got Aries in a nasty leg lock, and then proceeded to suplex Delirious, WHILE STILL HOLDING Aries in the leg lock.  Aries was screaming in pain.

 

More near falls on both sides of the coin, I am telling you, I can't describe how much action there was in this match.  Strong used Shingo as a football, that kick looked sick.  Aries tried a sunset flip, and Sydal countered it in to a piledriver that was just as sick.  I thought Aries & Strong & Delirious won when Strong hit Sydal with a nasty backbreaker, Delirious hit a splash from the top, and Aries hit the 450.  It was only a 2 count.  Shingo was caught in a chickenwing submission by Delirious, but got saved by his teammates.  Delirious took a reverse piledriver and barely kicked out at two, but this war ended with what appeared to be a reverse muscle buster piledriver by CIMA for a 3 count on Delirious.

 

It was amazing to watch, and I did not give this match justice.  I mean it.

 

CIMA took the mike, says he loves ROH, and see you in 2007. 

 

The main event is up next.  Questions abound.  How is 'Cide's shoulder?  Is Smokes coming out?  What about Pearce and Hagadorn? 

 

Homicide out first, alone.  Danielson follows.  Homicide has his shoulder taped, and a bandage near his tricep.  Not too much of a work here, folks. 

 

At the code of honor, Danielson flips Homicide off, and here we go.  Homicide and Danielson lock in a test of strength, and I notice immediately Homicide grimacing with the pain on his shoudler.  More back and forth human chess takes the first portion of this match, headlocks and head scissors exchanged, feeling each other out.  Danielson is playing mind games with Homicide, trying to take him out of his game.

 

A nice chain combination of moves by both men, and I noticed specifically at first, Danielson was not going for Homicide's shoulder that was bandaged.  That quickly changes as Danielson goes for the bum arm, which Cide counters quickly, but ends up in a surfboard maneuver, which had to absolutely kill 187's arm.  Dragon hits a Tully Blanchard slingshot suplex for a 2 count.  He continues his relentless work on the arms and shoulders of Homicide. 

 

Homicide manages to turn the tide with the three amigos, but before he could go for the frog splash, Pearce and Hagadorn hit the ring, and spike piledrive Homicide.  The bell rings, the crowd is screaming, and we're about to have a DQ win for Homicide, when Todd Sinclair says there is no way that this match is ending in a DQ.  Restart it.  The crowd goes nuts. 

 

Homicide hits an overhead belly to belly on the Dragon for a 2 count.  Dragon counters with 2 armbreakers on Homicide's bum shoulder.  He goes for a submission on the arm, but 'Cide hits the ropes to break the hold.  Dragon then turns Homicide in to a pretzel with another arm submission maneuver, I can't even describe it, just lets say the arms are not supposed to bend the way they did.

 

Dragon hits the top rope, and goes for a splash, but its countered in to a neckbreaker.  Homicide then suplexes Dragon out to the floor.  Ouch.  Cide goes for his patented suicide dive, and the vantage point is gone momentarily.  He hit it, I can tell from the crowd reaction.  Homicide begins working on Dragon's shoulders, as it is public knowledge Dragon has a bum arm as well.  Homicide tries an arm submission off the top ropes, literally, but Dragon breaks the hold. 

 

Dragon hits an elbow off the 2nd rope, and then proceeds to hit a top rope headbutt on to the shoulder of Homicide for a 2 count.  The crowd screams, "You're not Benoit."  Danielon hits a german suplex for a 2 count, and another armbar submission that is broken by the ropes. 

 

A slugfest ensues, and Homicide wins it by spearing Dragon to the outside.  Dragon recovers, and then proceeds to hit Cide with a suicide dive of his own, literally almost in to the third row.  I couldn't see the exact course of action here, but they end up back in the ring, where Danielson hits a drop kick off the top rope.  Dragon tries for a superplex which is reversed for near falls by both men. 

 

Danielson then gets Homicide back on the top rope, and hits a nasty back superplex for a 2 count.  It was high up there.  Danielson then hits multiple elbows to Homicide's shoulder, and then chicken wings it for a submission move.  Homicide almost drops his arm three times, and literally stops the ref from ringing the bell WHILE STILL IN THE HOLD, and makes the ropes for the break.  The 187 manages to get Dragon in an STF, that is broken, as well as yet another armbar submission.  Both men were adamant on making sure the other one doesn't leave with two arms attached to their bodies. 

 

Homicide went for the cop killa, but it's countered in to 3 cattle mutilations, for an eternity it appears Homicide is in this move, but he doesn't tap.  Homicide manages to counter the third cattle mute into a slam by walking the turnbuckles for a 2, and then hit the cop killa for what I have to believe is a 2 7/8 count. 

 

Homicide is losing his cool and goes for the ring bell.  The crowd pleads with him to not use it.  Danielson grabs the chance, low blows Homicide while the ref doesn't see it, and small package.  1,2, but Cide kicks out.

 

Homicide then hit, what I thought was a clothesline, but could've been an STO, and got the three count to be crowned the NEW ROH World Heavyweight Champion.

 

The locker room empties, with Joe, Roderick Strong and BJ Whitmer leading the pack to celebrate with Homicide and Smokes, who came out after the match was restarted.  I should note that to get Pearce and Hagadorn out, Smokes threw one beautiful looking drop kick on Scrap Daddy.  Anyway, back to the business.  Dragon holds the belt one last time in the corner on the apron sitting down in disgust, gets up, gets in the ring, says nothing, hands the belt to Homicide, shakes his hand, and walks out of the arena. 

 

The show ends with the crowd going nuts, and Homicide putting over the fans for this win, saying he's off to party "all night long."

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been to a considerable amount of ROH shows.  This was the best I have ever seen.  Even with my poor vantage point, this show was terrific.  I recommend you buy this DVD because my review just doesn't cut it.  I tried, I really did.  But, you need this show in your collection, people.  I mean that sincerely.

 

Special hello goes out to my two buddies I met up with on the train home to Long Island, hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me to write this thing.  It's now 3:10am.  I am going to sleep.  I will be motionless tomorrow because my leg feels like it weighs 100 pounds. 

 

I await your comments at my myspace, http://www.myspace.com/mikesiciliano.  Or drop me an email at Klac1102@aol.com.

 

Thanks for reading.