ROH – Round Robin Challenge III, May 15, 2004, Lexington, Massachusetts

Review by Brad Garoon and Jacob Ziegler

Intro

BG says: This is the third annual Round Robin Challenge. The first one showcased three excellent matches between Christopher Daniels, Low Ki and Bryan Danielson. Last year Christopher Daniels returned to become the first winner of the Round Robin Challenge against Red and Paul London. This year things are different, as it will be a tag team affair and the ROH tag team titles will be on the line.

Alison Danger is backstage with Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer. She whines about the possibility of Christopher Daniels never coming back to ROH, but promises that Maff and Whitmer will win the tag titles tonight.

Sugar Sean Price is ringside before the show with Prince Nana, who’s been searching for the foundation of his Embassy. Apparently he’s found them and they are the Outkast Killaz. He tells them to leave the ring crew because he’s supporting them now. The Carnage Crew interrupts and thinks that the Killaz’ may have crapped in the bags. Nana takes offense to this and sets up an eight man tag match between the Crew and Dunn & Marcos v. Nana, the Killaz and a mystery partner. This segment was hilarious, intentional or not.

Colt Cabana does a PSA and wants to start Good Times Great Memories. CM Punk comes in and tells Colt to be serious. Punk notices that the camera is rollin’ so it’s promo time! He doesn’t
want Ricky Steamboat to be the referee for the Round Robin Challenge because, darn it, it just wouldn’t be fair.

JZ says: Ugh, another show beginning with a Prophecy promo. Allison Danger and Dan Maff are very upset; in fact their hearts are heavy due to the fact that Christopher Daniels is basically done in Ring Of Honor. But apparently he is still pulling the strings, because he gave them two clear objectives for the evening. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, now “YOU KNOW IT!” That has to be my least favorite catchphrase of all-time.

Now here’s Prince Nana recruiting the Outcast Killaz, and it has to be ruined by the ridiculous Carnage Crap Crew angle. Or is that the Carnage Crew Crap angle? However it goes, it stinks. It sets up and eight-man tag for later tonight. Goody.

Cabana doing a PSA for gingivitis is priceless. He starts to prepare for Good Times, Great Memories, in which “some midget” will be his guest, but Punk puts a stop to it. Punk then cuts a promo about how The Saints aren’t marketable or aren’t popular, but the fans disprove him by giving them a pretty good face pop when they come out for this first match.

MATCH #1: ROH Tag Team Title Match, Round Robin Challenge Match One – Dan Maff & BJ Whitmer vs. CM Punk & Colt Cabana

BG says: The Prophecy attack the Saints during their entrance and brawl outside. Whitmer and Punk wreck each other with chops. Punk gets a shining wizard on Whitmer but he rolls out. Maff tags in and beats on Punk with chops and a clothesline. Maff gets a back bodydrop on Punk. He goes for the cannonball but it’s intercepted by a Cabanaline. Maff breaks through a double clothesline and gets his own on both Saints. That was cool. The Saints try to walk out but Whitmer cuts them off. Whitmer gets a belly to belly overhead suplex on Punk into the crowd. Cabana nails a huge missile dropkick on Maff inside for 2. He catches Maff with a neat submission but gets bullldogged by Whitmer allowing Maff to get 2. Whitmer goes up and Punk throws him off. Danger comes in and attacks Punk so Lovey gets all creepy and talks about wanting to bang her. Maff spears Punk before he can hurt Danger. The Saints try to leave again but get caught by the Prophecy. They try walking out a third time but this time Steamboat cuts them off and brings them back to ringside. Maff dives onto both, throws Cabana in the ring allowing Whitmer to get the wrist clutch exploder for 3. This was basically a squash for the Prophecy, and would have been an effective one had the point been to make the Prophecy look great. Post match Punk and Cabana attack Steamboat. We cut to backstage where Maff cries tears of bittersweet joy. Back in the ring Punk legdrops Steamboat on an already broken table. Live reports said that it looked horrible, but it came across alright on tape.
Rating: **

JZ says: This one will be relaxed rules due to all the no-contests between The Prophecy and The Second City Saints. They do the usual big brawling stuff to start, just like every other match they’ve had so far. Punk takes an absolutely sick suplex on the floor from Whitmer. Lovey says a little too much about his desires toward Ms. Danger. Mark Nolte, making his debut on commentary, calls Punk & Cabana the “Second City Angels.” Don’t worry fans, this guy gets WORSE. I think he is my #1 enemy right now. Steamboat makes his presence felt, forcing the fleeing Saints back to the ring, where BJ gets the wrist clutch exploder at 7:06 for the victory and new tag team champions. This was really short and mostly a brawl, and even mostly a squash for Maff & Whitmer. It’s amazing that between four guys I like (I am growing to like Maff), they can have a series of matches that I just don’t care about. Steamboat celebrates with the Prophecy, which doesn’t really make any sense, since The Prophecy’s entire gimmick is screwing tradition and respect, but whatever, he’s feuding with The Saints. To hammer that point home, Punk & Cabana beat up Steamboat and put him through a table. Now why wouldn’t Maff & Whitmer save him? Oh, because Maff is too busy crying in the back. If it was the beginning of a long, dominant reign that’d be one thing, but, well, we’ll get to that later.
Rating: *1/2

Ring Of Honor Top Five
1) Homicide
2) BJ Whitmer
3) Bryan Danielson
4) Matt Stryker
5) Nigel McGuiness

MATCH #2: Alex Shelley vs. Matt Stryker

BG says: This is a rematch from January and is the first match in a best of 3 match series. Shelley only signed on for 2 of the matches, saying he could win 2 straight. That’s a pretty bold move considering he lost the January match. The crowd is solidly behind Shelley and hates Stryker, which is pretty much par for the course in Boston. Shelley gets a leglock but Stryker makes the ropes after some chain wrestling. Stryker gets a sweet submission but Shelley fights out. Stryker gets a side Russian leg sweep into an octopus like submission. Shelley gets a crossface and octopus stretch of his own but Stryker makes the ropes. Snap suplex gets 2 for Shelley. Legdrop gets 2 for Stryker. Stryker hits the rolling Germans but Shelley headbutts and switches out into another submission. Stryker makes the ropes. Bridged German suplex gets 2 for Stryker. Shelley does some cool stuff into an inverted DDT for 2. I wish there was a way I could call these exchanges. Stryker stretches Shelley, but he escapes. Enziguiri by Shelley dazes Stryker. Shelley tries a lariat but it’s reversed and it’s TIME FOR A DVD. Shelley rolls out so Stryker rolls him back in and gets 2. Stryker channels the unibrow and goes for another DVD. It gets reversed but Stryker gets the Strykerlock. Shelley makes the ropes. Shelley gets a really unique cover for a very strange 3 count, and it’s over just like that. Not quite as good as the January match, being so short and having such an abrupt finish, but it was a fun little match none the less.
Rating: ***

JZ says: Have I ever mentioned that I’m a big Alex Shelley fan? Well, I am, so there. Apparently I’m not the only one either, as the Lexington crowd gives Baby Bear some man-sized Baby Face heat. Stryker, a supposed babyface, is greeted with chants of “Stryker sucks.” They’ve never liked him on the East Coast. Stryker, white bread as he is, is a solid technical/submissions wrestler, and Shelley is one of the better technical wrestlers working on the Indies today. I really liked their match in January at “The Battle Lines Are Drawn,” which was the first ROH match I ever saw live (for you trivia buffs). Shelley did only sign for two matches in a best of three series, which unfortunately never concluded (this was actually the only one-on-one match of the series they would have). Signing for only two matches is a harbinger of the arrogant, dick heel that Shelley had been building towards and would completely reveal on the next show. But that’s another review. This match is going along nicely, with some fun chain wrestling, until Shelley gets a really neat roll-up for a quick 3-count at 7:00. It seemed almost like that wasn’t supposed to be the finish the way the referee counted, and it seems like after getting almost 15 minutes in January they would get more than 7 here. Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
Rating: ***

Gary Michael Capetta with The Briscoe Brothers

BG says: Gary Michael Cappetta is backstage with the Briscoes. Jay fires Jim Cornette as manager, saying they’ve already taken all the knowledge they need from him. He says they’ve beaten everyone and they’re going to beat the Prophecy too.

JZ says: Cornette gets fired, which means he likely won’t be back in ROH, which is a shame. He still can be an asset to any company I think. The Briscoes, great tag team as they are, aren’t really that great at promos. But I forgive them, because they’re the best tag team in North America.

MATCH #3: The Embassy (Prince Nana, The Outcast Killaz & Josh Daniels) vs. The Carnage Crew & The Ring Crew Express

BG says: Alright, rock on, Josh Daniels rules. Loc and Oman start things off. Oman gets an armdrag on Loc. There’s some cool stuff between the two until Loc gets an enziguiri on Oman. Loc tags DeVito in and the Carnage Crew double team Oman. DeVito gets some stiff forearms on Oman. Santiago tags in and doesn’t want to wrestle DeVito, rather asking for one of the Ring Crew instead. Marcos tags in and wants a test of strength. He turns it into a backslide and gets 2. Dunn tags in and the Ring Crew play guitar with Santiago until Nana tags in. He beats on Dunn but gets armdragged. Daniels tags in, blocks an armdrag and gets a clothesline. Chops by Daniels and Diablo tags in. Seated dropkick by Diablo gets 2. Diablo reverses an axhandle to a suplex for 2. Nana tags in and charges Dunn a bunch with his ass. Oman tags in and gets a face plant. Marcos runs in and beats on the Embassy but gets forearmed down by Daniels. Daniels chops the Carnage Crew but gets Carnage-plexed. The Killaz double team Loc. Everything breaks down and Nana gets a neckbreaker and senton on DeVito. Dunn gets the Gory bomb on Oman. Dunn and Marcos stage dive onto everyone outside. Loc and Oman chop on each other, and Loc gets a gutbuster while DeVito gets a top rope legdrop. Loc nails a powerbomb and DeVito gets a lariat for the 3 count. This would have worked better as a scramble match, but I kinda liked the finish so that’s my rating.
Rating: **1/4

JZ says: Okay, Josh Daniels is cool, and he kicks ass in this match. Unfortunately, the match just isn’t good. It’s centering all on who crapped in the Carnage Crew’s bags, in one of the smelliest storylines in ROH history. Loc & DeVito just annoy me to no end, with their work and their promos. The Killaz aren’t bad at all, but are treated mostly like jobbers, which is too bad. Nana isn’t a good wrestler, though he is good at promos. Dunn & Marcos I like a lot, but they’re playing second fiddle to the Carnage Crew, which only makes me dislike them more. Anyway, a bunch of stuff happens, people do some more stuff to each other, and Oman Tortuga gets pinned after the Carnage Crew destroys him at 8:04. Just mindless filler stuff to delay the revelation of the Carnage crappers.
Rating: *3/4

MATCH #4: Ricky Reyes vs. ROH World Champion Samoa Joe – Non-Title Match

BG says: This was billed as Joe v. a mystery opponent. The opponent was to be the man who turned out the lights at Reborn Stage 1, allowing Homicide to fireball Joe’s face. J-Train gets on the mic and introduces Ricky Reyes as the newest member of the Rottweilers. GMC comes out and tells Homicide to go the back. Homicide rushes to the back but brawls with Joe on his way to the ring. Reyes grabs Joe at ringside and pulls him into the ring. The match starts with Reyes kicking on Joe, who’s already dazed. I protest, Joe must be in top form! Homicide gets dragged to the back as Reyes gets a leglock on Joe. Joe makes the ropes and Lovey tells us that both Havana Pitbulls have joined the Rottweilers. Reyes kicks Joe a bunch until he fights back with forearms. Reyes gets a big kick to Joe’s back and forearms the face. Reyes hits the sleeper and some forearms. He punches Joe’s head, but he’s Samoan and all so that goes bad for Reyes. People need to learn, it says “Samoa” right in Joe’s name! They slap each other and Joe catches Reyes out of the corner with the STO. NOW the crowd wakes up and chants for Joe. He gets the chop/kick/knee combo for 2. Joe beats the crap out of Reyes who tries to do the same to Joe, but comes up short. Reyes goes to the eyes and gets the advantage. He goes for boot scrapes so Joe rearranges Reyes’ face with a slap to end all slaps. They go outside and Joe gets a pair of Ole kicks. Back inside Joe gets two bodyslams but a third is reversed to a triangle choke. Joe gets the ropes. Reyes gets a huge DDT and backdrop suplex for 2. Joe gets a cool legsweep into a powerbomb for 2, and since it’s Joe he catches Reyes off the kickout with the STF. Reyes makes the ropes and flicks off the crowd at the same time. Now that’s a quality heel my friends. Joe goes for the Island driver but Reyes gets a sleeper. Joe pushes Reyes off and gets a big lariat for 2. Joe slaps Reyes out of consciousness and nails the island driver for 3. Scrap all the talk I had here originally, this match deserves the rating I gave it.
Rating: ***1/2

JZ says: GMC tries to get Homicide to the back, but Joe pretty much doesn’t care as he and Homicide come brawling from the back. Homicide also tried to go after GMC – how dare he! This would be the debut of Joe’s current “The Champ Is Here!” entrance music. Hey, Cena, you know why Joe can have that in his music, and why he can say it? Because he actually IS the champ, he has a belt. You don’t, so stop saying it until you get one, jerk. Anyway, it’s Ricky Reyes in this match, as the guy who turned the lights out in St. Paul, and Joe is understandably pissed at him, which necessitates this being a grudge match with no Code of Honor. I like both Joe and Reyes, but this match just didn’t quite get untracked. It wasn’t bad by any means, just a little bland. Joe hits both one of the hardest kicks to the chest I’ve ever seen followed by the hardest slap in wrestling history, straight up. Then Joe whiffs huge on the Ole Kick, thus reminding me why I can’t stand that move. Joe gets the win with an Island Driver at 9:53.
Rating: **3/4

MATCH #5: ROH Tag Team Title Match, Round Robin Challenge Match Two – Mark & Jay Briscoe vs. Dan Maff & BJ Whitmer

BG says: The Saints come out pre-match and Punk gets on the mic. They want The Briscoes to win this match so that they can win the belts back at the end of the night. Alrighty. Punk gets in Jay’s face during his entrance and then leaves. Whitmer and Mark start us off. Armlockery in the early going until Whitmer goes to the eyes. Maff tags in and pounds on Mark. Jay tags in and trades strikes with Maff. Both men get knocked down. Whitmer and Mark come in, trading strikes and headbutts until Mark gets a suplex and tope. Jay and Maff fight until Maff gets a giant German suplex. Jay rolls out of the ring but gets tossed back in by Whitmer. Jay was busted open outside and Maff works on the cut. This looks like a paper cut by Jay Briscoe standards. Whitmer tags in and chops away on Jay. Back elbow gets 2 for Whitmer. He gets some headbutts and Maff tags in. He smacks Jay around and goes to the eyes. Jay nails a Yakuza kick and tags in Mark who gets a springboard forearm on Maff. Mark hits a leg lariat on Maff totally botches springboard something on Whitmer. Whitmer does his best to cover up by working Mark’s stomach and making me happy. Outside Maff hangs Mark up on the rail. Chair to the back of Mark, right in front of the ref who does nothing. Back inside Whitmer beats on Mark and tags in Maff. Maff works the midsection and tags in Whitmer. Whitmer kicks Mark in the gut and tags in Maff who gets a senton for 2. Whitmer tags back in and the Prophecy gets a double suplex for 2. Whitmer puts on a seated abdominal stretch that ends in tragedy as it seems like Mark just totally doesn’t have it together anymore. Maff thankfully beats the crap out of Mark on the outside. To say Mark deserves it is cold, but I’m getting antsy. Back in Whitmer gets 2. Mark gets all kinds of beaten up in the corner and a Maff cannonball gets 2. Tag to Whitmer leads to a double team gutbuster on Mark. He puts Mark on top but the superplex is blocked allowing Mark to get the sunset flip powerbomb and THANKFULLY tags in Jay. Maff comes in but Jay’s on fire and destroys the Prophecy with huge moves and gets a falcon arrow for 2. Jay driller is blocked but Whitmer gets double stomped by Mark. Maff gets a half nelson suplex, but the Prophecy goes for a clothesline combo allowing Mark to get a rollup for the 3. This was so lethargic and Mark was just botching stuff left and right. The mistakes themselves are forgivable because they were covered up nicely, but Mark seemed completely out of it and Jay just didn’t seem to care. Maff & Whitmer are the shortest reigning champs ever, which I guess serves them right for Maff crying.
Rating: *3/4

JZ says: The Saints protest the officiating of the first match, and they challenge Ricky Steamboat, who apparently has been taken to the hospital. They really hope that the Briscoes win, and they promise to win the belts back tonight if they do. Then the match starts. Now, you might think that when the company centers an entire show around the Round Robin Challenge concept, the guys might all bust ass to make the three matches really good, but that didn’t happen here. Brad’s assessment of the Briscoes is right on, as they just didn’t seem to care, even though they were winning the titles (albeit briefly). Maff & Whitmer do their best to hold the match together, but it continues to have train-wreck qualities no matter how hard they try. The Briscoes get the win with a rollup at 13:24. I liked the match a little more than Brad, but not much. I guess Maff’s tears were all for naught. And another thing, the commentators made a point to address that only the Prophecy vs. Saints match would have relaxed rules, yet the rules in this match were extremely relaxed. Consistency please.
Rating: **1/4

Intermission

BG says: GMC is backstage with Spanky. Spanky’s glad to be back. He’s just gonna cross his fingers as it pertains to Homicide. Go get em Spanky!

SSP is in the Prophecy’s locker room. Danger is pissed off and screams a lot. Maff tells her to be quiet and seems depressed. Whitmer tries to motivate him but it isn’t happening. Danger makes a reference to getting some retribution and they kick SSP out when he asks too many questions.

JZ says: Nice to see Spanky back, I wish he could come back on a more regular basis, he can have good matches with just about everyone and is just entertaining. Plus, he liked “Mean Girls.”

More Prophecy promo work, same old stuff as always. Am I more annoyed with the Carnage Crew or The Prophecy? Well, Carnage Crew for now, and since the Prophecy have gotten a lot cooler on the shows after this, I’ll forgive them.

MATCH #6: Josh Daniels vs. Dixie

BG says: Angeldust is STILL selling his injury from At Our Best, two months before this. Two Josh Daniels matches on a show is definitely something I dig. Daniels puts Dixie down and gets a headlock. Dixie fights out and gets a headlock of his own. Daniels gets a legvice on Dixie, who gets out and grabs another headlock. Dixie pounds on Daniels some and gets a back elbow and dropkick to the face. Dixie pounds on Daniels in the corner. Daniels dodges a charge and takes over with a forearm in the corner for 2. Ox Baker of all people shows up at ringside and yells that he can help Dixie. Daniels nails Dixie with a backdrop for 2 but Ox distracts the ref and pulls Dixie out of the ring. Daniels pulls Dixie back in and gets a chinlock. Dixie gets an enziguiri for 2 and a flying elbow for 2. Daniels blocks a clothesline and gets a German suplex
for 2. Nana yells at Ox. Dixie reverses a full nelson to a rollup for 2. Another rollup gets 2 for Dixie. Daniels gets a fisherman’s buster for 3. I was hoping that this was going to be built around putting Daniels over big, but Dixie got a ton of offense and it seemed more about the ridiculous Ox Baker angle that I believe we’ll soon find goes nowhere. On the bright side, the seeds were planted for what could be a legendary Ox Baker v. Prince Nana feud.
Rating: *3/4

JZ says: What the hell is Ox Baker doing in this match? I don’t think he’s playing a confused, crazy old man, I think he actually is one. Whatever he’s doing, it totally takes away from the match, which could have been a nice little addition to the card, and a pretty good after-intermission match, which are historically kind of weak. Ox Baker continues to suck around ringside, as Lovey wonders aloud, “did someone actually book this?” Maybe not, Ox could just be lost. Daniels gets the win at 4:53 with a fisherman’s buster. Daniels deserves better than this. A Nana vs. Ox feud might actually be perversely entertaining.
Rating: *1/2

MATCH #7: Six Man Mayhem – Roderick Strong vs. Izzy vs. Hydro vs. Masada vs. Trent Acid vs. John Walters

BG says: This is Rod Strong’s main show debut after strong (he he) showings on showcase and convention cards at Glory by Honor 2 and At Our Best. Walters and Hydro start. Cool stuff leads to a Hydro hurricanrana getting blocked into a crazy submission by Walters. Hydro rakes the face to escape. Great stuff by the 2 but it ends in an IRM. Acid and Masada come in and Masada gets a dropkick but can’t land a punch. Acid gets a roaring elbow. Strong and Izzy come in and they do stuff until Strong gets pasted with the moonkick by Izzy. Strong gets an Alabama slam and backbreaker bomb for 2, but it’s broken up. Masada comes in and he and Strong double team Izzy. Acid comes in, kicks Masada and Walters and gets a tornado DDT on Strong. Hydro kills Acid with a lariat. Masada gets a modified Uncle Slam on Hydro. I start having a problem keeping up with the pace of the match here. Walters squares off against both Special K boys, and the results rule. Izzy snapmares Walters a bunch and kicks him in the face. Hydro comes in for Izzy and back suplexes Walters. Nolte starts throwing Greco-Roman onto random moves, just to drive me crazy I think. Special K beat on Walters, and Izzy gets a backdrop for 2. Walters electric chair drops Hydro and full nelson slams Izzy onto him. At this point things get crazy and I quit dong play-by-play. Needless to say there are some great spots in this and it’s a really fun watch. The beginning is kind of slow but it gets nutty by the end. Oh yeah, Walters wins with a super dominator on Izzy, because this show is in Boston.
Rating: ***

JZ says: Hey, Trent Acid, what the hell have you ever done? A short ROH Tag Title reign, and some pretty good brawls with Homicide, and you think you can act like you’re invincible. Acid basically refused to sell for anyone in this match, or even take moves from anybody. You took away my enjoyment of a match with five other guys that I like, so for that, you are on my list. The rest of the match is pretty typical six-man mayhem stuff, which is pretty fun. Walters gets great heat because it’s Boston, of course. Resident idiot Mark Nolte notes that Becky Bayless is “one Twinkie away from Tammy Sytch.” Now, feelings on Becky Bayless aside, that’s just an incredibly mean thing to say. Plus Nolte is one moustache away from Ox Baker, so there. Lovey even gets in on the Becky-bashing, calling her a slut. Well, spade is a spade and all that. Annnnnnyway, aside from Acid, the rest of the five guys work a pretty solid match with some sick stuff going on, particularly one bump Masada takes from Hydro. Walters gets the hometown win at 12:31. It would have been higher if Acid wasn’t such a dick.
Rating: **1/2

MATCH #8: Spanky vs. Homicide

BG says: The crowd is just nuts over Spanky. Homicide’s Kill Bill intro rules. Homicide gets distracted by some fans in the beginning. Knucklelock goes Homicide’s way as he grabs a front facelock. They trade armdrags and Spanky grabs an armbar. Homicide armdrags out but Spanky rolls through and keeps the armbar on. Spanky goes to the hand and plays to the crowd with finger biting. Spanky gets a dropkick so Homicide bails and grabs a chair. Spanky throws it to Homicide’s face. I don’t know when the DQ rule got lifted from ROH, but I DON’T LIKE IT! Spanky follows Homicide outside and backdrops him on the floor. Back inside Spanky gets a crossbody for 2. Rollup gets 2 for Spanky. Backslide gets 2 for Spanky. A charge gets blocked and Spanky eats a second rope kneedrop. Homicide gets two neckbreakers for 2. Homicide gets an octopusish submission, working the hand as well. Spanky gets to the ropes. Sleeper by Homicide but the power of Boston gets Spanky out of that mess. Homicide gets a belly to belly overhead suplex for 2. He headbutts Spanky, which works because for once Homicide isn’t wrestling Joe. Spanky gets some forearms but Homicide gets a t-bone suplex for 2. The crowd chants for Spanky and Homicide loses it. Homicide hits the piledriver but it only gets 2 because he didn’t hook the leg. The crowd keeps chanting for Spanky causing Homicide to go kuhrayzee. Homicide gets a bodyslam and goes up but gets caught with an enziguiri sending him to the floor. Spanky goes to the top and flies onto him on the floor. Homicide tries to kill Spanky with a chair shot but the ref grabs the chair. This allows Spanky to give Homicide the Sliced Bread #2 on the floor using the ref as a post. Well, that ruled. Back in Spanky goes up and gets a missile dropkick and a lariat for 2. Homicide gets a tiger driver for 2. Spanky gets a faceplant for 2. He goes up but Homicide catches him and gets a double underhook suplex off the top for 2. The crowd chants for Spanky and results do not vary. Homicide bodyslams Spanky again and he goes up and again and misses the diving headbutt. Homicide’s sleeper gets chinbreakered. He gets a Yakuza kick but Spanky gets a superkick for 2. Spanky goes for the Slice but Homicide pushes out. Copkillah gets reversed to a victory roll for 2. Spankyziguiri gets 2. Spanky goes up but Smokes tries to pull him down. Spanky kicks him down and hits the flying elbow for 2. He gets the Slice but it only gets 2 as the ref gets pulled out by Smokes. Spanky dives onto J-Train and then goes up but gets caught by Homicide who gets the top rope Ace Crusher. Homicide gets the lariat and that’s enough for 3. This started slow but got super cool by the end. I wish Spanky would come back. And yes, this was just as good as Homicide’s match with Brian Danielson from the month before, for those who asked. It was built around Homicide’s strengths. Also, he actually, you know, stayed heel in this one. Post-match Homicide gets on the mic and says J-Train should always wear a shirt. Okay he didn’t say that but he should have. He calls out Joe and says he doesn’t want to wait for his title shot next week. Joe comes out but gets triple teamed by the present Rottweilers. Homicide and Ricky piledrive Joe. Now that’s how you beat down a big man.
Rating: ***1/2

JZ says: Yes, Spanky absolutely needs to come back. I don’t want to see him languish in TNA. I mean, he does cool stuff like using the ref for a Sliced Bread #2 on the floor, and I echo Brad’s sentiment on its rulingness. As hard as I was on Homicide for his last match with Bryan Danielson, I’m going to praise him in this match. He worked heel all the way through, and did a really good job of it. He’s finally getting the crowd to boo him, which for the ROH fans who think it’s cool to cheer the heel that’s quite the accomplishment. The action in this one is pretty good too, it starts off slow but picks up as the match goes on and results in a pretty whip-ass match by the end. Homicide finishes things off with a lariat (which I feel compelled to note is the same finisher as John Bradshaw Layfield) at 16:18. Shorter match + Homicide being a good heel = successful return. Joe comes down after the match and takes a royal ass kicking to put heat on their title match the following week in Philadelphia. I’ll make you all wait ‘til that review to find out just how much I liked it.
Rating: ***1/2

MATCH #9: ROH Tag Team Title Match, Round Robin Challenge Match Three – CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs. Mark & Jay Briscoe

BG says: Here we go again. Let’s hope for a repeat in match quality from the last show. They do real ring introductions for this title match, which makes me realize that they didn’t do it for the other tag title matches this evening. Punk and Jay start. Punk bars the arm but Jay goes to the ropes. Punk gets fancy with the armwork (I’m impressed) and gets Jay down for 2. I’ve got to say, I want to see a Punk v. Jay match after just those few minutes. Mark tags in and ArmbarMania continues until Punk goes to the eyes and tags in Cabana. Mark hits a Stinger Splash that couldn’t have felt more random. Mark gets the legscissors on Cabana, but he escapes. That’s a clichй sequence but Cabana changed it up nicely. Jay makes the blind tag and we get the assisted legdrop. Punk gets a cheap shot on Jay but he’s un-phased and hits a snap suplex for 2. Punk tags in and so does Mark with a springboard clothesline. Mark’s hurting and tags out again. Cool. Backdrop by Jay gets 2. Cabana tags in and gets a headlock for 2. Mark tags in but gets gutbustered. Punk tags in and works over the midsection. Delayed vertical suplex by Punk gets 2. Really, really delayed. Cabana tags in and the Saints double stungun Mark. Cheating by the Saints leads to Mark getting abused and Punk getting the illegal tag. Tags in and out with much working over of Marks midsection by the Saints makes me happy. Cabana tags in and won’t let Mark get the tag. Cabana stretches Mark in varying degrees of ouchiness. Punk gets the illegal switch and continues the stretchery. Meanwhile, at camp Briscoe, Jay’s hot headedness is screwing the Briscoes. Mark and Punk trade chops but the tag is cut off with a drop toehold. Back in the Saints’ corner Cabana tags in and beats on Mark. Mark gets a sunset flip for 2. Cabana gets back up, beats on Mark and tags in Punk. Punk gets the abdominal stretch, and since Todd Sinclair is a moron the Saints get some good ol’ fashion illegal assistance going. Sinclair kicks off Cabana’s aid and Mark armdrags out only to get cut off from the tag again. Mark outsmarts the Saints and Punk gets sent outside. Cabana gets springboard dropkicked and Mark FINALLY gets the tag. Jay kills Cabana with clotheslines and kicks and gets 2. He hits a leg lariat on Cabana and a tope on Punk outside. Back in the ring Mark beats on Cabana. Mark gets an ax kick the rollup that beat the Prophecy. This match isn’t lame so it only gets 2. Cabana gets doubleteamed by the Briscoes in the corner. Doomsday device attempt gets fouled as Mark gets crotched and Cabana rolls up Jay with a shining wizard attempt and Punk gets the 2 count. Jay fights them off and gets 2 off of a Yakuza kick on Punk. A tiger suplex by Punk is rendered useless when Mark gets a shooting star press on the bridged Punk. Mark can’t cover because he’s hurting so bad. He finally goes for a pin but Cabana pull Dumbass Sinclair out of the ring. Punk tries the Pepsi plunge but Mark knocks him out of the ring. He tries to crossbody Cabana back in the ring but gets gutbustered. Cabana goes up and gets a frog splash for the pin. I actually liked this better than the Reborn Stage 2 match. It was structured completely differently, based more around cutting off the ring and beating on Marks ribs. The match ended in the Saints’ favor because Jay was too hot-headed and Mark’s ribs were worthless. That said, this would have gotten an even higher rating, but Mark wasn’t legal. That bothered me because this match was based totally around Jay not being able to get the tag, and when he finally did Mark got pinned anyway. Todd Sinclair made an enemy on this day for his lousy officiating. Post-match Maff and Whitmer attack the Saints as the Briscoes try to save. After much action, Punk is the only one left in the ring. He’s confronted by Steamboat, who beats him up and even hits the crossbody off the top!
Rating: ****

JZ says: Ah, four of my favorite wrestlers in a main event, hopefully making up for the general mediocrity of the other Round Robin matches and the rest of the card (excluding Spanky vs. Homicide of course). Mark’s ribs are all messed up from the earlier match, and the Saints take full advantage of it, as the heat sequence on Mark is great, and really makes the crowd rabid to see Jay get tagged in. Once again, Brad is right, as Todd Sinclair must be one of the worst referees in wrestling history. I can’t think of one match that he did a really good job in; he always looks clueless and often screws up. This match though is really good, but I don’t like it quite as much as the Chicago match, mostly because the Chi-Town match had insane heat. Cabana got the pin with a froggy splash at 19:14. The Prophecy attack after the match, but Steamboat makes a dramatic return from the hospital to give Punk a cross body off the top rope. Hell yeah Steamboat.
Rating: ***3/4

Post Show

BG says: Backstage Alex Shelley tells Stryker to kill himself rather than fight him. He’s going to beat him in two straight matches with no need for a third. He’s got a big surprise for Generation Next. They call for cut and Shelley walks out with Roderick strong, asking about his backbreakers. The plot thickens.

Danger and Whitmer try to motivate Maff, telling him that ROH brass have to give them a shot because they pinned the Saints tonight. Maff says he hates Whitmer but he’s going to win those belts back for the Prophecy. This promo was actually the beginning for the current Maff/Whitmer/Danger angle that is going now.

JZ says: Shelley’s promo is a little disturbing I must admit. He reiterates that he won’t need to sign for a third match. Or even compete in a second, as it turns out. He and Roderick Strong walk off together talking about backbreakers. I wish I could meet someone in class and just walk off together talking about backbreakers.

MORE Prophecy stuff. Holy crap I’m glad they finally killed that stable (though not as of this show).

MVP

BG says: Mark Briscoe for coming back from an embarrassing match against the Prophecy and making up for it with a great performance in the main event.

JZ says: Homicide, for working like a true heel and having a much better match because of it.
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E-mail Brad at [email protected]
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See you soon with our review of “Generation Next!”

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The 411: BG says: This show was based around the Round Robin Challenge, which failed to entertain me outside of the main event. I barely noticed the three title changes, and would totally write off the whole thing if it didn't occur to me that the awesome Maff/Whitmer storyline going now stems entirely from their tag title win and loss. That said, with Joe/Reyes only rocking on the stiff-fest level, most of the show up until Homicide/Spanky is strict fast forward material. Get this one for the main event and a solid marquee match and ignore the rest. JZ says: The last two matches are very good (but not great), and the rest is a total pass. Easily the worst Round Robin Challenge ever, and frankly one of the most underwhelming ROH shows I've ever seen. Thankfully, the next couple of shows more than make up for the mediocrity of this one.

Final Score:  5.2   [ Not So Good ]