My first go round at live Ring of Honor action since Final Battle 2006. A big shoe to fill, to say the least, as ROH hits Long Island's venue, Sports Plus Entertainment Center. In the past, I tried to give as close to a blow by blow description of the matches. This time around, I didn't come out with the steno pad, and I tried to enjoy the emotion that transpires throughout the show.

The tag team pre show match was nothing to write home about, except when Bobby Dempsey pulled down his straps in a show of force after getting the "hot tag" from his partner Rhett Titus. I realized at that particular point that maybe even I have a chance to compete as a wrestler, because Dempsey has a bigger belly than I do. Titus won the match with a frog splash.

The singles match featured someone I have never seen before, announced as the "Patrick Swayze" of pro wrestling, Pepper Parks. Nothing really hit me during this match, except for Parks' rather lame attempts to get the crowd involved. It didn't work. Parks won the match with a cross body block off the top rope.

The opening match of the main show has Pelle Primeau taking on Kevin Steen. I was extremely impressed with the work done by the PWG competitor, "Mr. Wrestling" showed off some terrific moves. Steen hit a black hole slam in to a celtic cross combo on the smaller native of Nome, Alaska. He also hit a Muscle Buster shoulder breaker combination type move. I also saw a power bomb in to a over the head suplex throw on Primeau in to the turnbuckle that looked devastating. Steen finished off Primeau with a cradle piledriver that looked like a muscle buster before dropping him on his head, hard. I was very impressed with the big man's agility as well. I know this is Pelle Primeau, the consummate underdog, and practically half Steen's size, but for my first exposure to the PWG veteran, "Mr. Wrestling" impressed me.

The SHIMMER match had another contestant who I will comment on for the first time. Sara Del Ray competing against Daizee Haze. Del Ray is an intense combatant who took it to the Haze for the bulk of the contest. I was impressed with her hard hitting ability. However, Haze was a little too quick for Del Ray and won the match with a roll up off a power bomb in to a sunset flip combination. Del Ray was less than thrilled with the result, and the crowd was being incredibly stupid throughout this match. I found it entertaining to watch, a good chess game, to say the least.

Next up was Four Corner Survival. 2 newbies for me in this match. El Generico, who I saw first at Final Battle, Jason Blade, from previous shows on Long Island, Eddie Edwards, who I believe is also a NOAH competitor, and FIP Florida Heritage Champion Erick Stevens. Someone would need to explain to me why Stevens said "Choo Choo!" a couple of times during the match, and whether or not it's part of a gimmick. All I know is, by the time the match was over, I was sick of hearing the crowd keep calling for "Choo Choo!" Never the less, I was impressed with the tough man showing on the part of Edwards and Stevens, who took turns trying to chop each other down like cherry trees. It was intense seeing both of these men, and finding out how hard they could hit each other and have it echo throughout the event centre.

Stevens hit a very unique move, a german suplex off the top on Generico, and the bad landing by the Generic Luchador was worse for Jason Blade, because Blade was on the canvas taking the brunt of the force of Generico's suplex. It was scintillating to witness. Stevens won the mach with a powerbomb on Blade, and I was duly impressed with the tenacity shown by the FIP stalwart.

Austin Aries hit the ring, and put over the work of all the competitors. A fan called out that one of them, I think Eddie Edwards, sucks, and Aries challenged the fan if he could do any better to hop over the guard rail and try it out. He then pointed out that this idiot paid his money to come out and see them perform. I thought it was the most poignant words I have heard a ROH talent say at any of the Sports Plus shows I have attended. It showed probably how the talent thinks of the crowd at this venue, and how disgusted even I was with the crowd, when I heard during the 4CS match "let's go yankees" chants and "Boston sucks." I wondered if I was at a wrestling event, or a baseball game. Hence, I kept quiet for the bulk of the remainder of the show.

Aries names his faction, "Resillence", putting over the amount of times he's been beaten down, whether by partners, injuries, "promotional politics", (hello TNA?), or anything else, and he asks Stevens to join. Stevens says it'd be an honor. Strong comes out, and questions Stevens for the choice. Before any further dialogue, Romero and Richards of NRC come through the crowd, (nearly by me), and attack Aries and Stevens. Matt Cross hits the ring, and the action spills to the floor, where Cross hit a beautiful springboard plancha on to Richards, I think. I'm not certain, because my vantage point wasn't good to see the end result. It damn well looked good though as it took off.

Colt Cabana's final Long Island match in Ring of Honor was up next vs. Delirious. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not going to try and describe this match. It was too damn funny. It was a terrific match by both men, both men were hysterical, and Delirious won with a sit out off a sunset flip. Cabana put on a smiley face mask and a Delirious mask during this match, that's all I am going to tell you about it. This match ALONE is worth the DVD purchase, just to laugh at the antics of these two talents. Cabana was cheered and thanked for his work in ROH by the crowd, the one thing they did right all night, in my book. I would've liked to see a speech from Colt, but he walked the aisle, shook hands with the regulars, and walked off in to the sunset, and eventually, in to WWE. I only hope, for the better for his career. Best of luck Colt Cabana. You're one hell of a performer.

Claudio Castagnoli, a man in virtual limbo from where I sit, met ROH World tag team champ Jay Briscoe in the next match. His brother Mark accompanied him to ringside. Mark was not cleared to wrestle due to the concussion from the botched shooting star press. I gotta find the footage from that to see the move, and I'll explain why in a minute. It was the typical hard hitting contest from both men, but Claudio had most of the upper hand in this one, and got the win with a reverse death valley driver. Following the match, Claudio said since he won, and he's a former champion, he should get a shot at the belts with a partner of his choice. Mark took the mike, and said, when I'm cleared, you got it. He didn't sound very good on the mike. I don't know if it's character or legit, but it did sound different from what I have heard in the past.

Steen & El Generico hit the ring and also demanded a title shot at the Briscoes. An argument ensued that resulted in Steen hitting Mark in the back of the head. Mark dropped like a stone. Jay was still reeling from the effects of the match and wasn't much of a part in the post match activities. Eventually, as the talents left the ring, they ended up brawling up the ramp, Steen & the Luchador against Jay & Claudio. Mark was helped to the back by staff.

Next up was an absolute war between Brent Albright and former ROH World Champ Homicide. I just got Final Battle 2006 on DVD. 'Nuff said. This one got in the crowd quick, and my vantage point was not good, except of course when Albright suplexed Homicide on to the chairs in the crowd about three rows from me. Smokes was ejected for interfering and knockin' some whoop ass in to the former Gunner Scott. 'Cide hit three amigos, and then as he went for the frog splash, Albright got up, only to get shoulder blocked through the ropes and through a table at ringside in the process. However, the tables turned, literally, and Albright won the match with a half nelson suplex. Homicide's shoulder still has to be killing him from what I could see. Shane Hagadorn came out, and attacked Homicide, claiming it was on behalf of Jim Cornette and Adam Pearce. Hagadorn does his damage, leaves, but is brought back out by Smokes, who sets up with the 187 for a nice little spike piledriver on the chair for the top of the class trophy holder. Someone's gonna have one hell of a headache in the morning. Looks like the Notorious one got a pound of flesh in consolation, even though he lost the match.

After intermission, by the way, Long Island hosts ROH one more time on July 27th, Shingo took on Jack Evans. Trying to describe a Jack Evans match is not easy. He's too damn quick with the moves. I don't like the breakdancing in the beginning, but the gymnastic style of his combat is definitely something to see. Evans hit a sick somersault plancha off the ropes on to the floor on Shingo, and won the match with the 630 splash. The crowd, again, kept at Shingo about the mullet. I know it's a dumb haircut, but jeez.

Next up was the six man elimination match. Resilience didn't give the NRC much chance to get loose, as they attacked at the bell. I have to be honest here. I was falling asleep in the corner of the GA seats during this match. I know NRC won 3 falls to none. I know Romero eliminated Aries with a german suplex in to a bridg to complete the shutout. I don't remember how the other two were eliminated. I was kind of surprised that NRC pitched a shutout here. Strong began strangling Aries with tape after the match, but Delirious of all people came out to make the save with the sign from Section C to use as a weapon. It was funny to see that marker cocked and loaded and ready to use in the ring, instead of trying to direct traffic. I'm sorry, guys, I just ran out of gas for this match.

Last, the tag team main event. First off, Morishima is a big boy. Damn, he's huge. Second, Larry Sweeney gets some rotten heel heat for being so damn obnoxious. Third, Tank Toland, does he have a role somewhere? He looked like Sweeney's lackey. Fourth, Hero gets the heel heat because he's just Hero. He's a hell of a talent, but he's got too much attached to him, and the skills he possesses are not on display here, and that's an issue that needs to be addressed. Nigel pinned Hero with the jawbreaker Lariat after a hell of an intense contest that saw a ton of clotheslines take out everybody, WIlliams take a pounding from both Hero and Morishima, Nigel get worked on pretty good and had some nasty staredowns with the champ, and the champ seemingly being impervious to pain. I saw him get chopped down like a cherry tree and not move. It was scary to see how dangerous this guy appears in the ring, and that term is used in its literal sense. I commend WIlliams for being able to suplex Morishima, as he, like I said before, looked huge. Williams, I remember, from the Crowning a Champion DVD, looked good in his return to ROH, and if they so chose, Nigel and Williams would give the Briscoes fits for the tag gold when the time comes. It was a good main event, not great, but definitely worth while to watch.

All in all, it was a very pleasant show to witness. One quick note. I am not trying to insult the crowd behavior of anybody specifically. I just believe that, after being at the Final Battle 06 show, and seeing how the talent responded and the crowd responded in kind, and now being back at my home base on Long Island, I believe the crowd may be a problem that could eventually kill this venue all together. You can't expect top notch performances from these talents when the crowd is single handedly trying to make themselves bigger than the product in the ring. It just don't work that way. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't have enough information to make a full blown judgment, but the facts remain. When I came out of Final Battle, I was jazzed up for hours on end that same night, as a result, you guys got a column and a half out of me. Tonight, I was pleased with what I saw, but I wasn't jacked up like I was back in December. And I don't blame the talents. I blame the crowd for being stupid as a whole. The actions of a few ruin a good time for the bulk of the paying customers that come to ROH. I only hope my fear doesn't come to fruition and they stop doing shows on Long Island. It's bad enough I have to wait till July for another one.

Anyway, that's the review. Longer than I had expected. Hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a line at my myspace, www.myspace.com/mikesiciliano. See ya.

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