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Csonka Reviews This Week’s ROH Free Throwback Matches

May 11, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
The Briscoes ROH TV - Mark Briscoe
8.8
The 411 Rating
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Csonka Reviews This Week’s ROH Free Throwback Matches  

Csonka Reviews This Week’s Free ROH Matches

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Tag Team Champions The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Murder City Machine Guns @ 34:20 via pin [****¾]
– TV Champion Jay Lethal defeated KUSHIDA @ 11:30 via pin [***½]
– Bryan Danielson defeated Kenny Omega & Tyler Black @ 13:00 via submission [***½]


The Briscoe Brothers vs. The Murder City Machine Guns (April 28th 2007 at ROH Good Times, Great Memories): The Guns stared out stalling, and being the biggest pansies on Earth, playing the cowardly heels very well. They even did a riff off of the Midnight Express routine, where Sabin kept retreating and hugging on Shelley, seeking his comfort. Shelley make the mistake of spitting water on Jay and daring him to fight, so the Briscoes work him over for a while, just brutalizing him for being a little asshole. The Guns finally take control when Shelley hits the spin kick, working over Jay with some incredibly done double team moves. Mark plays Ricky Morton as Shelley runs through his Chris Jericho tribute offense, leading to the Guns getting cocky and Jay getting the great hot tag and running wild. Shelley pulls him to the floor and takes him out, allowing Sabin to work over Mark in the corner as commentary discusses that Mark is just back from suffering a concussion. The Guns then hit dives on the Briscoes, and then took over, working double teams on Jay but Mark makes the save with some redneck kung fu, only for the Guns to work stereo submissions. The Briscoes isolate Sabin, leading to a great series of double teams. Sabin makes his own comeback, Shelley and Jay battle and Shelley then runs wild on both, heads up top and gets crotched, but Sabin in and takes out Mark; Shelley hits a German on Jay for 2. More double teams by the Guns follow but Mark breaks up the pin attempt. Sabin follows with an elbow drop for 2 and works the head scissors. Shelley returns, Mark then slams them together and Mark then hits a flying kick off the ropes. The moonsault press gets 2 as Shelley survives. The Guns fight off the doomsday with Sabin hitting a reverse RANA. The Guns hit a double team sliced bread for a great near fall. They both head up top and hit a double splash for the near fall. Mark stun guns Shelley and takes him to the floor, hitting a dive. Back in and Shelley fights off the Jay driller, but then runs into a death valley driver; Mark hits a shooting star press but Sabin makes the save. Mark crotches Sabin, Shelley makes the save and the Guns hit a doomsday missile dropkick. Shelley follows with the air raid crash but Mark kicks out. Shelley follows with shell shock, but Jay in for the save. Mark then cuts off the sliced bread, and hits the cutthroat driver but Shelley somehow kicks out! The Briscoes then hit Shelley with a cutthroat driver/leg drop combo and Shelley is finally finished. Tag Team Champions The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Murder City Machine Guns @ 34:20 via pin [****¾] I have not watched this match for years, but it may have come off even better than I remembered. This was laid out extremely well, worked at a great pace that never died down and the final 10-minutes or so kicked all the asses; this also happened at a time when the Briscoes needed challengers that not only felt like a threat, but that were also looked at as if they were on their level. This match was peak Murder City Machine Guns in terms of how crisp, clean and effortlessly their work came off here. The Briscoes were shitting out great matches during this time, but watching peak Guns is such a great thing and a reminder of how great they were. This was absolutely amazing and well worth going back to watch again.

ROH TV Champion Jay Lethal vs. KUSHIDA (War of the Worlds – May 5th 2014): They worked a really well done back and forth opening stretch, designed to showcase KUSHIDA, who was mirroring Lethal’s movements and signature stuff. Lethal looked to make this a dirtier match, they went to the floor but Truth Martini distracted KUSHIDA, allowing Lethal to hit a series of dives. Lethal took the heat, slowing the pace. KUSHIDA slowly fought back with kicks, and then fired up with strikes and a standing moonsault for 2. Lethal countered the top rope moonsault with the knees and rolled KUSHIDA up for 2. KUSHIDA then cut off the lethal injection with a dropkick to the face; he then followed with a great swanton to the floor. Back in and hit the dropkick and tornado DDT but Martino pulled out the ref and then got tossed to the back. KUSHIDA up top, hits the double axe handle but Lethal fired back with the lethal combination for the near fall. Lethal up top, cut off by KUSHIDA, who then hits the SUPER RANA for a great near fall. They traded strikes and kicks, KUSHIDA looked for the lethal injection, but ate a superkick and was then put away with the lethal injection. Jay Lethal defeated KUSHIDA @ 11:30 via pin [***½] This was a very good match. The crowd was really rough early on, but both guys worked really hard and were able to get them into the match. Truth Martini got involved, and then got the boot to the back, so things were even. I loved KUSHIDA trying to steal some of Lethal’s moves; it was a fun part of the match. I thought that these guys worked well together, and won over a rough crowd, so much credit to them both. At the time, many people still saw KUSHIDA as just a tag guy and doubted that he could be an effective and consistent singles performer, but he proved that he had a lot to offer as a singles here. Looking back, this was a really raw KUSHIDA, one that didn’t focus on the grappling and hover board lock; it’s like watching a completely different performer than the one he’s evolved into in just three years. Lethal was just about to hit his hot run of matches and ruling over ROH.

Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black (ROH Bound By Hate – November 2008): Omega tried to grapple with Danielson, which failed. Black then got involved, but Danielson ran wild on both hitting kicks and knee strikes and then locked a double cattle mutilation. Black and Omega argued, and then looked to double team Danielson, hitting a suplex. Black then tossed Danielson to the floor, but was quickly taken out by Omega. Danielson returned to light up both with uppercuts, and then worked the surfboard on Omega and then targeted the knee. Danielson is so smooth here, working on a completely different level than the other two, with great in ring control not jut in offense, but in presence. Danielson and Black are sent to the floor, and Omega follows with a great dive; he rolls Black back in and hits the dropkick for 2. Omega and Black work through some fun and athletic counters, but Danielson returns and tosses Black to the floor. Danielson then starts to work the arms, mixing in a little world of sport like work. He then followed with kicks to the back, but Black returned to cut Danielson off and tossed him to the floor. Black looked to take control, grounding Omega and stomping on his face. Omega fires up with rights, and then forearm strikes and the leg lariat; Danielson then wipes him out with a missile dropkick and then tosses Black to the floor. Danielson then hits the butterfly suplex into the arm bar. Omega escapes with a roll up, as they look to do the double bridge spot, Black hits the lionsault; Danielson then bridges up both men as it breaks down Black hits the buckle bomb and running boot for 2 on Danielson. Danielson escapes God’s last gift, but Black hits the superkick for the near fall. Black up top, but Omega runs up and hits a release German superplex; Danielson then escapes the one winged angel, hits the rolling elbow, rains down with elbow strikes and locks in the cattle mutilation for the win. Good night young Kenneth.Bryan Danielson defeated Kenny Omega & Tyler Black @ 13:00 via submission [***½] Watching this match was completely fascinating; Omega and Black surely showed flashes of being really good wrestlers and more than held their own, but much like KUSHIDA in the previous match, they were nowhere near where they would end up. Danielson was simply on another level, everything he did looked effortless, clean and he just had command of every aspect of the match. While a bit too slavish to the typical triple threat formula, this was a very good match that kept the crowd the whole time and despite Danielson coming off as THE STAR of the match, Black and Omega both did well and got their chance to shine.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

8.8
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
This batch of retro ROH matches is a ton of fun, clocking in at just around an hour and including a classic between the Guns & The Briscoes, it’s well worth your time.
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