ROH House Show Results 07.25.09 – Toronto

Credit: Jeff Lam & WrestlingObserver

Just got back from ROH’s second show in Toronto in a row. Tonight was definitely much more solid in terms of quality matches. Last 3 matches were a really good way of ending the night. I talked to one of the ring crew members before the show, and he confirmed that Nigel was brought to the hospital last night after the show. Show again opened with some bonus matches, my apologies as I didn’t get the names of a few of the wrestlers.

Pre-Show Matches:
(I joined this one in progress)

Bobby Dempsey, Alex Payne, 3rd guy b. Flatliners + some dude

Main Card:
-Announcer came out to same that Nigel McGuinness couldn’t perform tonight as he wasn’t medically cleared to go.

The Smash Bros. b. Kevin Steen & El Generico
-comedy match with some fun spots. Uno got the pin on Steen for the win. Both teams played babyface.

Frankie the Mobster b. via DQ Bison Smith
-Uneventful match. Frankie won the match by DQ after Bison hit the ref Todd Sinclair. Bison worked heel, but crowd popped for him when he went for Sinclair.

First Annual Toronto Gauntlet Match for a future title shot:
-Started with Jerry Lynn and D-Lo Brown. Lynn pinned D-Lo. Sonjay Dutt then enters for some fun spots. Lynn eliminates Dutt after hitting cradle piledriver. Jimmy Rave enters and the crowd shits on him almost literally. At least a dozen rolls of toilet paper are thrown into the ring. Rave pins Lynn after hitting a neckbreaker on him. Necro Butcher enters and is eliminated later with Prince Nana of The Embassy helping. Finally Davey Richards enters and wins the match after hitting the kimura on Rave. Overall match was really good, and was worked at a better pace, as compared to the 8-man tag last night.

-Ric Flair came out to make a speech. He spoke longer than Bret did yesterday and the crowd ate it all up. Talked about sleeping with many women in Niagara Falls and also Toronto. Thanked the people for appreciated true wrestling and ROH for letting him come. Reminded the crowd how much he loved Canadian women. Awesome.

Claudio Castagnoli b. Brent Albright
-EUROPEAN RULES. Crowd shat on this match because of the complicated rules. There was supposed to be ten 3 minute rounds or something. There were also yellow flags and red flags. Majority of people didn’t understand what was going on. Claudio won with help from Jimmy Rave who ran in. Post-match, the rest of the Embassy came to beat down Albright, but Colt Cabana, Necro Butcher, and Grizzly Redwood made the save.

Intermission

Tyler Black b. Tyson Dux
-Dux was replacement for Nigel who couldn’t fight. Really great match, would have been phenomenal but went short. Black took it real easy compared to last night with all the kamikaze moves. Dux really over with the crowd as he’s from the area. Both played babyface though.

Colt Cabana b. Joey Ryan
-Colt cuts a promo on how Ryan won the 8-man match last night. Convinces Sinclair to make the match a NO RULES match. Didn’t go too crazy with the plunder. Story of the match was Ryan and Prince Nana constantly messing with the ring announcer’s chairs and table, with Colt constantly helping out the announcer. Chants of “He’s got manners”. Cabana became the hero of the night when he ran to the back to get bags of garbage (presumably from all the garbage outside) and used them as weapons, mocking Toronto’s garbage strike. Went over huge. Chants of “Garbage strike”.

Austin Aries comes out to address Kenny Omega’s challenge last night. Teases that he’s going to give him the match in Toronto… but not tonight. Rhett Titus and Kenny King run in to help Aries beatdown Omega. Briscoes run in to make the save. Impromptu 6-man Tag.

Kenny Omega, Briscoes b. Austin Aries, Rhett Titus, Kenny King
-Really great match. Most of the action kept in ring. Omega got the pin on Aries after a quick roll-up.

Chris Hero b. Lance Storm
-Match of the night. Crowd was red hot for Storm. Lots of mat wrestling and chain wrestling throughout. Excellent technical match, the 2 worked great together. Hero got the win after use of a foreign object.

Lance made a speech afterwards thanking the crowd for coming out. Said IF this was his last match ever, then he was glad it was here with ROH and with the Toronto crowd. He was happy that people still appreciated what true prowrestling was. Huge pop throughout, and great way to end the night.

2 great nights of wrestling for Toronto. Night 2 was definitely more fun.