What’s All The Hubbub: ROH Final Battle 2009, Part 1

And here is the biggest show of the ROH Year, and arguably the biggest show in the company’s history, as it is their first iPPV. All of the major angles are set to culminate at this show, with the blood feud between Chris Hero and Eddie Kingston coming to a head, The Briscoes looking for revenge against The American Wolves, and Kevin Steen set to make an announcement after he and El Generico settle their rivalry with The Young Bucks. But the big draw is ROH World Champion Austin Aries putting his belt on the line against Tyler Black. Is Tyler’s time now?

Final Battle 2009
December 19, 2009
Manhattan, New York

The first big thing is the return of Larry Sweeny on commentary. Unfortunately, this would not turn into more bookings for the Sweet ‘n’ Sour One.

Claudio Castagnoli w/Prince Nana & Ernie Osiris vs. Kenny Omega vs. Rhett Titus vs. Colt Cabana
Claudio slaps Cabana with the glove and Titus puts his hands in his tights before offering it to Cabana, so Cabana uses the hand to pieface Claudio. Claudio shoves Titus down and Cabana and Omega double team him. They send the heels to the floor with atomic drops and fake out double dives before doing a do-se-do. Omega hits a rana on Claudio and charges him in the corner, Claudio tosses him over so he goes right into the Bermuda Triangle on Titus! Awesome! Cabana hits a headscissors on Claudio and sends him to the floor. Omega gets a roll-up for 2. Cabana goes to town on Titus with punches but hits the bionic elbow on Claudio, which allows Rhett to NAIL him with a dropkick. Omega saves Cabana from being pinned off a double suplex, then makes another save with a frog crossbody onto both men. Flying elbows and Flying Assholes for the heels. Cabana pulls out Omega’s Stop Sign, so Omega nails him with the enzugiri! Uranage gets 2 for Omega. UFO on Titus! Omega dropkicks Claudio in the head, DRAGON SUPLEX! JUST 2! Omega avoids a press gutbuster from Cabana but is in position for the SUPER SEX FACTOR! BILLY GOAT’S CURSE FOR TITUS! Claudio hits the bicycle kick on Cabana and hits the deadlift German Suplex to pick up a sudden win. The right guy won, but I’m not sure if that was the intended finish or if Omega missed his cue. Spiffy opener though.
Match Result: Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall
Match Rating: **3/4

Prince Nana hypes up his men for their match.

Bison Smith & Erick Stevens w/Prince Nana vs. Delirious & ???
Delirious comes out without a partner and gets clobbered by the big boys. Clothesline by Bison, Choo Choo by Stevens. Huge biel. Stevens throws Delirious into the crowd so Bison can dive on him. Pelle Primeau shows up and hits Stevens with Deja Vu and a Tornado DDT, then counters a press move with double knees. LARIAT by Bison kills him dead. Full-rotation German by Stevens. Bison drops him to the floor, and Bobby Dempsey is here! BOBBY BLOCK! Neckbreaker to Stevens, small splash by Deli and a big splash by Bobby! Bison tosses Deli outside and things start to settle into a traditional tag. The Embassy kind of hits a double shoulder tackle on Deli. Hot tag to Bobby. EXPLODER TO STEVENS! PANIC ATTACK! CANNONBALL! Bobby with a hilo on Smith, Deli with a hilo on Stevens! Stevens saves Bison from Shadows Over Hell, and the Embassy hits double clotheslines! Bison Chokeslams Bobby over Stevens knee and Stevens looks to be hurt pretty bad off of that. Bobby kicks out of that though. Back body drop. LARIAT! Only 2 for Smith! Bison tries to set up something and then gives up on it. RUNNING POWERBOMB! Dang! Impressive with Bobby’s size. Started hot but got boring and then sloppy.
Match Result: Bison Smith & Erick Stevens via pinfall
Match Rating: *

Fight Without Honor
Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Hero w/Shane Hagadorn & Sara Del Ray
Eddie attacks Hero before the bell. They brawl evenly until Hero kics him to the floor and then hits a dropkick through the ropes. Hero grabs a chain and wraps it around his head. Slam into the rail. Flash kick in the ring. He starts dragging him around by the chain and slams him into his boot, so Eddie screams “Fuck you!” Hero hits and elbow and a few headbutts, SLAP by Eddie, so he hits another Flash Kick. Hero hits a Rolling Elbow with the chain and returns the slap. SLAM on the chain! Hero tries a powerbomb but Eddie ranas him on the chain! Uranage on the chain! Eddie starts making a comeback, blocks an elbow and hits an enzugiri, NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB! Only 2. ROARING ELBOW by Hero get 2! The shirts go off, chops by Hero but more roaring elbows gets another 2. He’s overdoing it a bit. Hero gets a guardrail and almost gets suplexed on it, but counters and hits the Backdrop Driver. Hero sets the barricade on the second rope like a platform, they fight. OH MY GOD! FUCKING GANZO BOMB FROM THE TOP ON THE BARRICADE! Just…WOW! FUCK! Eddie’s fucking insane. That was fucking insane. What’s more insane is that ISN’T the finish. Death Blow misses, straight-jacket suplex! Lariat with the chain! Just 2. Del Ray hits a Capo Kick on Eddie, hits a few more kicks but takes the Capture Suplex! Hero’s got the Golden Elbow Pad, goes for the elbow but gets launched with the backdrop suplex! Eddie tries the Backfist but Hero counters with a low blow, Kiss of Death, LOADED ELBOW! 1…2…NO! Hero kicks out of 2 backfists so Eddie uses the loaded elbow pad to hit a roaring elbow to finish it. Hard to rate. The Ganzo Bomb ranks among the sickest things I’ve ever seen, but it really should have been the finish. It was entertaining and you could definitely feel the hatred though.
Match Result: Eddie Kingston via pinfall
Match Rating: ***

The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Nick and Generico wrestle a bit. Corkscrew armdrag sets up a dropkick for Nick. Steen and Matt tag in, Steen hits a few shoulder tackles but eats a dropkick as well. Matt offers a handshake but Steen slaps him (foreshadowing!) so Matt spits gum in his face. Kevin picks it up and spits the gum in Nick’s face. That should end the politeness. Steen knocks Nick off the apron so Matt knocks Generico off the apron, and Generico comes in so they can do the drop toehold/somorsault legdrop combo! Steen knocks Nick back down, SNOTTLE ROCKETS! Generico gets 2 off a leaping heel kick. Back body drop by Steen gets 2, so he bites Matt. Chop by Generico! OLE! Chop! OLE! Asai DDT by Matt and he tags Nick in. Nick dropkicks Steen to the floor, hits a spinning elbow and a springboard DDT! Only 2! Matt double stomps the arm of Generico and starts working heel (!) while Steen works the crowd into a frenzy. Generico tries to make a tag but the Bucks keep him in their corner. Double dropkick gets 2. Steen tags in and they try it on him, but he rolls through and hits a double clothesline! CANNONBALL! Nick tries to set up a sunset flip but gets DDTed through the ropes! Only 2. Matt trips up Steen but that gives Generico a platform to dive onto him! Pumphandle neckbreaker over the bad knee! Nick escapes a powerbomb and hits a spinning roundhouse kick. Steen avoids a corner knee by Nick but takes a doublestomp/inverted DDT combination instead. Steen comes back with a lungblower to hurt his knee some more. Normally that would be bad psychology, but Steen is using it to accentuate the injury. Tag to Generico, who gets a crossbody for 2. Nick hits the facebuster and goes to the apron but Steen snaps him down and powerbombs him on the apron! He runs into a superkick by Matt, who runs into an exploder into the buckles by Generico! Wheelbarrow facebuster by Matt gets 2! Nick takes out Steen with a dive, CORKSCREW ACE CRUSHER BY MATT! Springboard splash/moonsault combo! Steen shoves Generico out of the way of a dropkick and tries the Sharpshooter, Matt saves Nick and gets dumped to the floor. Nick tries to go after Steen but Steen moves, YAKUZA! HALF AND HALF! FROG SPLASH! ONLY 2! Steen can’t get the Package Piledriver and Generico gets knocked away, but Steen fights off the bucks. POWERBOMB! SHARPSHOOTER! Matt tries to save Nick but Steen spits in his face and Generico takes him to the floor. Steen moves Nick to the center of the ring but his knee gives out. Steen tries the piledriver but Matt superkicks him, MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! JUST 2! JUST 2! Can the Bucks come up with something nastier? YES! FOUR SUPERKICKS! DOUBLE SUPERKICK! STEEN IS DONE! WHEW, what a freaking match. Meeting and surpassing their awesome match at Aries vs. Richards. Classic tag formula plus state of the art wrestling. Then you have the added emotional edge of Kevin Steen’s injury that might force him into retirement. That’s a freaking match. It’s amazing on it’s own, but so much better after seeing their first epic at AVR.
Match Result: Nick & Matt Jackson via pinfall
Match Rating: ****3/4

Kevin Steen gives a very convincing and heartwrenching retirement speech. El Generico hugs him before he can thank him. Jeez, bit of a tear jerker moment for me as these guys really got their start when I started watching ROH.

And then.

“I HATE YOUR FUCKING GUTS!”

KICK TO THE BALLS! SICKENING CHAIR SHOT! Colt Cabana comes out and demands an explanation, and Steen just kisses him full on the mouth and walks out.

Amazing heel turn.

Pick Six Contender’s Match
Roderick Strong vs. Kenny King
First notable spot is King catching a drop toehold on Strong, which really shouldn’t be happening given their relative experience levels. He also knocks Strong down off a shoulder tackle. They trade leapfrogs, leaping heel kick by Strong. CHOPS! Kenny avoids a slingshot suplex and a pescado but Roddy takes him out with a clothesline from the apron. King comes back with a tumbleweed off the rail though. Nice. Vertical suplex to forearms by King. Leg lariat gets 2. Kenny hits a backbreaker (HA!) but misses the springboard legdrop. King hits a corner clothesline but takes too long to set up another one and gets kneed in the face! Roddy builds momentum and gets 2 off a uranage backbreaker! Dropkick gets 2. Kenny avoids the press gutbuster, forearm exchange leads to a spinebuster from King. Only 2. King avoids the Stronghold and the Gibson Driver, CAPOEIRA KICK! Big clothesline gets 2. Strong avoids the Royal Flush, hits an enzugiri to set up the back suplex on the apron. King gets his foot on the rope. He ducks another enzugiri and hits the spinning roundhouse kick. He puts Roddy up top, flips off the ropes, eats a boot, but hits a big enzugiri! ROYAL FLUSH! Roddy avoids the double knees and they completely flub a torture rack backbreaker. King avoids the Press Gutbuster again and gets a handful of tights for the sudden win. Not a bad match before the botch. Simple and nothing you wouldn’t expect from these two. However, the structure was good as it really made Kenny look good. Still, a bad omen for the second half.
Match Result: Kenny King via pinfall
Match Rating: **3/4

Alex Kozlov vs. Rocky Romero
This was originally supposed to be these two teaming to face Jack Evans & Teddy Hart, who had trouble making the show due. But I’ll get to them in a minute. Crowd wants Teddy for reasons unknown even to God. Kozlov does the strangest Pearl Harbor job ever where he sneaks up into an arm wringer. Chain wrestling leads to the monkey flips and bridge spot. Romero gets a spinning top headscissors and keeps the hold on for a second one! Cool. Kozlov starts showing some athleticism and then stops him with his hand! RUSSIA, RUSSIA! Dropkick to the knee by Romero! CUBA, CUBA! Hey, don’t we hate Commies? The wrestling world has turned upside down. Romero clings to the ropes like Spider-Man, Kozlov tumbles to the floor and Romero hits a dive. Back inside they trade chops and kicks, and Romero hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Romero leapfrogs and Kozlov hits a superkick to the back of the head! RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP! RUSSIAN DANCE KICKS! Romero dodges the last one and hits a headscissors but takes a drop toehold into the ropes. MEXICAN SURFBOARD IN THE ROPES! AWESOME! Rocky dodges the stinger splash and hits a huge flying knee! ROCKY HAS THE HAT! DANCING ROCKY! YES! Strikes and a springboard tornado DDT! Kozlov slides outside and ducks a dive, tosses Rocky into the front row, DIVE TO THE CROWD! Frog splash eats knees, mule kick by Romero for 2. SUPERKICK BY ALEX! Just 2. He goes up top but Romero goes up, DIABLO ARMBAR! Unfortunately, the bell keeper rings the bell before Kozlov taps, really tainting a good effort. I don’t know if I’m just in a good mood today or if I just wasn’t paying attention last time, but this was really entertaining. Shame about the finish. The announcers trying to justify it is also really pathetic. Just admit you screwed up, you know? Worked for Paul Heyman.
Match Result: Rocky Romero via “submission”
Match Rating: ***

ROH World Tag Team Championship
The American Wolves © w/Shane Hagadornvs. Jay & Mark Briscoe
Eddie Edwards is coming back from an elbow injury and gets some adulation from the crowd. Mark starts the match, which makes sense as these guys injured his knee at Final Battle 2008. Mark and Eddie trade kicks to the back. Mark seems content just to wrestle with Davey Richards though. Richards gets the Kimura early and Mark turns it into a pin. Jay and Eddie are in and Eddie kicks Mark from the apron to the floor. Jay goads Davey into trying a shoulder block, and then takes out Eddie! The Briscoes hit Davey with the football tackles. Things break down, double boots by Davey and Jay but Jay hits a dropkick. Eddie hits Jay with a kick, Mark hits the Exploder and Jay hits a kick. Mark hits a senton for 2. Vertical suplex sets up the figure-four headscissors. Eddie tosses a kick to Davey and hits an enzugiri, and Davey hits a dragon screw in the ropes. The Wolves target the knee, but Mark hits an ace crusher. These guys are really taking every chance to knock out the illegal partner. Jay takes out Davey with a superkick and Eddie with a spinebuster. Eddie seems to have aggravated his elbow as Davey kicks Mark into the crowd. It’s all a ruse to set up the assisted Alarm Clock and the Superkick German though. It only gets 2. Eddie does push-ups and Davey hits Jay with a chair. He follows up with a series of strikes in the corner and a Northern Lights for 2. Jay comes back with the DVD on Eddie. Karate Mark goes to town and then hits a Northern Lights on Davey for 2. Eddie pulls Davey to the floor but that sets them both up for a dive. Eddie saves Davey from being pinned by an iconoclasm. The Wolves try to set something up but Jay hits Eddie with a reverse STO into the buckles and Mark this Davey with a flying sidekick. Sideslam/legdrop combo gets 2. Davey avoids the Jay Driller and sets up Jay to get hit by an enzugiri from Eddie. Edwards hits a few more inside and hits the Backpack Stunner. Mark makes the save. Davey takes out Mark, Jay keeps fighting them off and the Wolves hit more enzugiris. Eddie and Jay are standing on the top, FRANKENSTEINER! Kick by Davey, and he hits the DR Driver. Jay kicks out of all that. Whatever. Eddie puts Jay in the Half Crab, Davey puts Mark in the Cloverleaf. The Briscoes get small packages to counter. Assisted Alarm Clock. Enzugiri superkick combo. POWERBOMB/LUNGBLOWER! Jay stills kicks out. Bullshit. Half crab by Eddie again. The Wolves go for Doomsday but Mark hits a super exploder on Davey. German for Eddie, no sold and he hits a boot. Lariat gets 2. Superkick. Enzugiri. Double superkicks. Davey with the save. Eddie survives the Jay Driller, but it’s so far one of the least ridiculous false finishes. Doomsday Device finishes it. The Briscoes are six time champions, and the Wolves are buried. They tried for an epic that wasn’t really there. I didn’t like this very much at all. Boring for most of it and overdone for the final stretch.
Match Result: Jay and Mark Briscoe via pinfall
Match Rating: **1/2

But then things get epic. Claudio distracts the Briscoes as Chris Hero sneaks in through the crowd. ROLLING ELBOW FOR JAY! KRS-1 FOR MARK! The KINGS OF WRESTLING are BACK! This was awesome.

The 411: I deliberately put this part of the review separate from the review of the unscheduled match between Teddy Hart and Jack Evans and the World Title Match between Tyler Black and Austin Aries. Partly because the recap for the main event is about a page and a half by itself, and partly because this is the show that is covered on the main feature of the DVD, on Disc 1. The match between the Bucks and Steenerico is must-see, as is the heel turn. But the show as a whole is really weak without that match.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]