411 Video Review: Wrath Of The Racket

Once again thanks to RFVideo for sending me this tape. You can check out the tape
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The Second City Saints are backstage screwing around. Somehow Cabana ends up talking about Field of Dreams. Cabana and Steel run into Homicide and Julius Smokes. I still don’t understand a word Smokes says. Steel responds with: Zibbety bop. Smokes starts talking again.

AJ and Red are talking about their matches with the Briscoes and their upcoming match against the Prophecy. AJ and Red then talk about his knee when the camera goes off. Red runs into the SAT and they talk about his injured knee.

Fast Eddie and Don Juan v. Carnage Crew v. Special K v. SAT in a scramble match

Loc and Deranged start. Hyro and Deranged attack Loc to start. Deranged armdrags him twice. Loc kills him with a clothesline. Loc chops him and tries to press him but Deranged rakes the eyes. Loc comes back with a Saito suplex. Tag Jose and Fast Eddie. They do a sequence that leads to Jose chopping him. Jose dropkicks him and tags Masada. Don Juan is also tagged in. Masada boots him and they fight on the apron. Masada flips back in but gets atomic dropped. Masada rolls him up for two. Masada kicks him in the back and boots him. Masada with a Saito suplex but Joel comes in. Hydro and Joel go. Hydro gets a hurricarana but Joel gets a lucha style armdrag. Hydro eats boot and Joel gets a moonsault. Joel kills him with a lariat. Fast Eddie comes in and gets a hurricarana for two. Hydro flies in and kills him with a DDT. Don Juan comes in with a forearm. Deranged kills him with the Code Red. Loc gets a neckbreaker and sends him into the canvas. Carnage Crew kill Fast Eddie but Special K run in and beat on Loc with running knees. They hit him with a Demolition Decapitation. Joel runs in and chops Deranged. Deranged gets dumped on the apron and flies back in. SAT flip him over and he lands into the canvas. Don Juan hits a neckbreaker on Joel. Fast Eddie and Don Juan give him a double team neckbreaker off the top rope. Masada with an overhead suplex into the corner. Masada hits Don Juan with a neckbreaker. Carnage Crew goes for a side suplex but Joel stops and they hurricarana Masada off the top. Loc hits Deranged with a neckbreaker but gets Germaned by Hydro. Hydro goes up top but the SAT stop him. SAT hit him with the Spanish Fly but Fast Eddie and Don Juan saves. Fast Eddie does a moonsault into the crowd and Don Juan flies onto the apron. Deranged hurriacaranas Loc for the win thanks to Dixie’s help. ***1/2 Loc has some angry words for Special K.

I gotta say- that was one of the best scramble matches I’ve seen. It got a bit sloppy at points but for the most part it was very well put together and featured lots of fun and innovative spots.

Special K starts to rave when JIM CORNETTE comes out. Cornette on the scramble: What the hell was that? I felt like I was having flashbacks to drugs I haven’t even taken yet.

Cornette brings out what he calls the greatest tag team of all the time and DUNN AND MARCOS come out. They are the greatest tag team of all time so naturally they come and say they can rock the wrestling world LIKE A HURRICANE!~ Danny Maff and Chris Daniels come out to attack Dunn and Marcos. They hit Dunn and Marcos with a flapjack and rocket launcher. Cornette KILLS Dunn and Marcos with racket shots. Danger kicks them both in the balls. James E. Cornette is the newest member of the Prophecy.

BJ Whitmer is reflecting on his ROH career and his great 4 corner matches. Whitmer grew up an hour away from Dayton and he’s wanted to be wrestler his whole life. Tonight- his dream comes true.

Chet Joblonksi v. Nigel McGuiness for the #1 contendership to the HWA Title

Brock Duckman (Joblonki’s manager) comes out and puts both guys over.

They do some mat wrestling to start. Joblonksi takes him down but McGuiness reverses but Joblonkski reverses that. They continue to trade and reverses holds. McGuiness with a forearm and Joblonksi hits a spinebuster for two. Joblonski chops him and hits a shoulderblock for two. McGuiness boots him and brings the European uppercuts. Joblonksi hits a T-bone suplex. They lock wrists and Joblonski wins. McGuiness counters out and armdrags him. McGuiness armdrags him again. Joblonski gets a hammerlock but McGuiness counters and gets a kick to the back for two. McGuiness with an STF but the hold is broken. Joblonski hits him with a clothesline but McGuiness stretches him again. McGuiness hooks a rear chinlock. Joblonski flips out and sends him into the turnbuckle. Joblonski chops away but McGuiness boots him. Joblonski with a fishermans Northern lights suplex for two. McGuiness with a rollup for two. Another pin attempt gets two. Joblonski drops him on his head for two. Joblonski misses a senton and McGuiness rolls him up for the win. This was a pretty good back and forth match. **1/4

The Field of Honor is coming soon!

“The Future” Chris Sabin v. Homicide (w/Julius Smokes)

Homicide takes him down and they lock up. Homicide gets a front facelock but Sabin reverses into a hammerlock. Sabin with a chinlock but Homicide grabs his arm and works on it. Sabin rolls out and works on his arm. Homicide goes to the ropes. Lockup- Homicide with a headlock. Homicide takes him down and gets three armdrags and holds on after that. Sabin armdrags Homicide and after being blocked on a backslide he armdrags him. Homicide gets a headscissors and Sabin powers out. Homicide chops him and headbutts him. Homicide forearms him and monkeyflips him. Homicide elbows him but Sabin blocks a tornado DDT. Sabin blocks an Ace Crusher and drops him down after having him in a firemans carry position. The crowd chants ‘Hail Sabin’. They trade forearms and Homicide hits a Yakuza kick for two. Homicide chops him and hits a dropkick. Sabin bails. Homicide goes for a baseball slide but Sabin moves out of the way. Sabin drops him on his face and hits the Shining Wizard for two. Sabin hits a running knee and a brainbuster for two. Sabin hits a top rope crossbody. Homicide with a drop toehold and he hooks the STF. Homicide chops him but Sabin ducks a clothesline and gets a neckbreaker. Sabin goes up top but Homicide crotches him. Homicide with a top-rope hurricarana for two. Homicide elbows him but Sabin comes back with a backbreaker for two. They trade sunset flips and Homicide ends up getting the Kudo Driver for the win. **1/2 Homicide calls Corino a pussy motherfucker on the way to the back.

This was disappointing as both guys are capable of so much more. I think Homicide was holding back a bit just because he was working another match. The fact that it was portrayed like Sabin had no chance also hurt the match a bit in my eyes. Still a solid outing between two workers.

Alex Shelley and Jimmy Jacobs v. The Second City Saints

HUSS! HUSS! HUSS!

Lockup- Steel pushes him back. Lockup- Steel gets a headlock. Steel takes him down and gets a headlock. Shelley reverses into a hammerlock. Shelley works on the arm but Steel trips him up and they meet in the centre of the ring. Lockup- Steel gets a hammerlock. Shelley with a headlock into a hammerlock and they continue to battle on the mat. Steel forearms him. Jacobs ties in and hits a bulldog. Jacobs with a headlock but Steel reverses into one of his own. Steel with a shoulderblock and Jacobs uses the POWER OF HUSS to twirl Shelley around. Flying forearm gets two. Steel with two chops and he nails him and tags Cabana. Cabana chops him but that “hurts the hands.” Jacobs HUSSES and gets a dropkick. Jacobs bites him and tags Shelley. They plant Cabana into the mat for two as Steel saves. Shelley with a dropkick for two. Steel nails Shelley in the back and then comes in with a springboard dropkick making him the face-in-peril. Steel works Shelley over as the commentators go over the Code of Honor. Shelley chops him and gets a mall package for two so Steel clotheslines the hell out of Shelley. The Second City Saints continue to work Shelley over. Cabana dances as they continue to beat on Shelley. Shelley comes back and does a neckbreaker/DDT to Cabana and Steel. Hot tag Jacobs who cleans house. Shelley/Jacobs boot them both and hit a running knee. Cabana KILLS Shelley with a vicious German suplex. Jacobs comes back with a hurricarana on Cabana. Steel hits the Spinal Shock from the second rope but Shelley saves. Shelley clotheslines him but Cabana saves. Shelley drops him down for two. A double team Colt. 45 wins it for the Second City Saints. ***

This was fine tag team wrestling and Jacobs’ HUSS gimmick makes any match he’s in that much better.

Matt Stryker v. Justin Credible

Lockup- Stryker armdrags him. Lockup- they trade waistlocks and hammerlocks and Credible goes into the ropes. Lockup- Stryker with a wristlock but Credible pulls the hair. Credible is working heel here and acts like Stryker slapped him. Lockup- and they go into the corner and Justin Credible stomps a mudhole. Stryker shows some fire and Credible bails. Credible gets into a shoving match with the ref. Credible goes on the mic and says he came here to show people how good he is and since he isn’t getting any respect- he’s leaving. Stryker follows him through the curtain and they brawl back into the ring. They trade chops and Credible goes flying onto the apron and into the guardrail. Stryker forearms him and sends him into the guardrail. They brawl into the crowd and on the outside. Stryker sends him into the ringpost and Credible gigs. Stryker chops him and forearms him. Credible blocks the Death Valley Driver and sends him into the corner. Credible sends him into the guardrail and slams him on the outside. Credible with an elbow for two. Credible goes to the chinlock. Stryker elbows out and sends him into the ringpost crotch first. Stryker forearms him and gets a back elbow and a clothesline. Credible boots him but he walks into a boot from Stryker. A quebrada by Stryker gets two. Stryker comes off the top but eats a superkick for two. Credible hits a crossbody but Stryker rolls through for two. Credible blocks the DVD but Stryker rolls him up for two. Credible blocks the DVD and hits That’s Incredible…for one?? Crowd didn’t like that one. Stryker blocks a second one but Credible blocks the DVD again. Stryker blocks a crucifix and hits the DVD for the win. ***

This was a good match but I don’t get all the hype it got. Is Justin Credible really that bad that any good match he’s in automatically deserves lots of praise and a rematch in November? I’m not knocking Justin- it’s just I heard this match get lots of hype when in the end it was simply a good match and nothing more.

Les Thatcher is with Christopher Daniels, Danny Maff, Jim Cornette and Allison Danger. Daniels cuts a promo on Amazing Phenomenon. Cornette cuts a promo explaining why he joined the Prophecy. Classic Cornette here.

Colt Cabana and Shelley are bragging about their win. Lucy hasn’t found out anything about the Field of Honor. The Second City Saints run into Sabin and pester him. Sabin won’t tell him about the Field of Honor. Cabana to Sabin: If you’re the future- tell me how many girls I’m gonna score with.

The Prophecy attack the SAT and Red during intermission and screw up Red’s knee.

Scoot Andrews v. Hotstuff Hernandez v. Slyk Wagner Brown (w/April Hunter) v. Michael Shane

Hotstuff Hernandez and Shane start. Shane hammers away but Hernandez no-sells. Hernandez chops him down. Shane blocks a press slam but takes a lariat. Hernandez chops away at him but a blind charge hits boot. Shane hammers away but Hernandez keeps killing him. Shane ballshots him and hits a flying forearm for two. Shane tags Andrews. Brown tags in. Lockup- and they battle it out. Andrews with an armdrag but Brown responds with one of his own and holds onto the arm. Andrews chops away and gets a monkeyflip. Brown with an armdrag into an armbar. Andrews tags Hernandez. Brown and Hernandez trade chops. Hernandez hits a running lariat and a slingshot splash for two. Hernandez works on the arm and tags Andrews. Andrews works on the arm but Brown reverses into a headcissors. Andrews reveres into a leglock. Shane tags in and battles Andrews. Andrews drops him down for two. Brown tags Andrews. Brown with a headlock but Shane overhead suplexes out. Shane works on the arm. Shane tags Hernandez. Hernandez chops him down and hooks a camel clutch. Andrews tags in and works him over. A suplex gets two. Brown comes back with a knee and tags Shane. Shane hooks a chinlock. Andrews comes back and plants him into the canvas. A running knee gets two. Shane with a powerbomb for two. Hernandez is tagged in and gets taken down by Andrews. Andrews goes for a crossbody but Hernandez catches him and powerbombs for two. Hernandez with a bodyslam but Brown saves. Andrews ballshots him and Brown is tagged in. Brown with the Buff Blockbuster for two. Brown elbows him and gets a reverse headscissors. Andrews runs in with a chinlock on Brown and Shane runs in and Boston crabs Andrews. Brown misses a missile dropkick and Hernandez slams him into the mat. Andrews and Shane come in. Andrews blocks a sunset flip and goes for a neckbreaker- Hernandez runs in and hooks something on him. Brown comes off the top with a kick to all three. Brown misses a moonsault. Shane rolls up Hernandez for two. Shane is dumped to the floor. Brown gets dumped onto the apron and does an Asai moonsault to Andrews and Shane. Hernandez does a BIG MAN PLANCHA to the other three. Hernandez throws Brown back in and they slug it out. Hernandez gives him a Razor’s Edge. Shane hits a dropkick from the top rope. Hernandez spears Andrews. Hernandez blocks a superkick once from Shane but can’t block it twice. Andrews with a powerbomb at the same time Brown comes off the top onto Hernandez. Andrews hits Brown with the Force of Nature but Shane saves. Shane hits Andrews with a Fishermans DDT for the win.

These guys just didn’t click at all. Usually the 4-ways start out slow and then kick it into high gear at some point. This match started out slow and never got going at all. It seemed that the commentary was putting over Hotstuff Hernandez so I wonder why he didn’t pick up the win. *

Slim J v. Jimmy Rave with the winner getting an invitation to the Field of Honor

Rave outwrestles him to start. Slim reverses a chinlock into a hammerlock. Rave with an overhead suplex but Slim makes the ropes. Lockup- Slim with a monkeyflip into a scissors. Rave reverses into a front facelock and they continue to fight on the mat. Slim with a takedown headscissors and he takes him down via the hair. Slim with a headlock but Rave kills him with a clothesline. Slim bails. Slim ballshots him and they fight on the outside. Rave blocks a plancha by pushing him down. Rave chops him and gets a suplex for two. Rave chops him but Slim gets a vicious DDT for two. Slim kicks him in the head and gets a neckbreaker and a kick to the head for two. Slim hammers away but Rave gets an inverted DDT for two. Slim kicks him in the face for two. Slim with a neckbreaker and he ballshots him for two. Slim hammers away but Rave boots him in the head. Slim rolls him up for two. Slim reverses a powerbomb into a sunset flip for two. Rave hits him with the Shining Wizard for two. Rave with a vicious backbreaker and a bridge back suplex for two. Slim boots Rave and gets a double underhook DDT for two. Slim plants him with a head first suplex for two. Rave with a release German and he powerbombs him for two. Rave blocks an Electric Chair and a sequence leads to Rave hooking the crossface for the win. **1/4

Samoa Joe v. BJ Whitmer for the ROH World Title

Whitmer has a facemask on. The crowd chants for Joe. They lock wrists and Joe goes to the arm. Whitmer rolls out and works on the arm. Joe goes back to the arm. Whitmer rolls out and suplexes him and goes back to the arm. Joe takes him down and gets a half Boston crab that stretches the hell out of Whitmer. They lock wrists and trade kicks with Joe winning. Whitmer with a forearm and knocks Joe down. Whitmer forearms so Joe slaps him. Whitmer takes off the facemask and IT’S ON. They trade slaps with Joe winning but Joe misses a blind charge and gets chopped. Whitmer with a backdrop driver for one. Whitmer chops him twice and forearms him. Whitmer with a high knee but Joe plants him with a sidewalk slam. Joe chops him in the back and boots him. A big knee gets two. Joe chops him twice and dumps him down with a suplex. Whitmer bails. Joe brings the European uppercuts but Whitmer whips him into the guardrail. Whitmer whips him into another rail. Whitmer whips him into one more rail. Joe gets up and chops him. Joe chucks him into the rail. Joe makes him take a seat and it’s time for OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY!~ Joe kicks him right in the face and sends him into a chair and it’s time for OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY again. Whitmer rolls back in and Joe kicks his ass. Whitmer blocks the Island Driver and hits a superkick. Whitmer with a top-rope forearm for two. Whitmer does a suplex and a Northern lights suplex for two. Whitmer with a forearm and he kicks him in the back four times. Whitmer kicks him in the chest for two. Joe elbows out and knees the shit out of him. Joe hooks a triangle choke but Whitmer makes the ropes. Joe with a sunset flip and he uses the rolling cradle on Whitmer for two. Whitmer hits a suplex (dropping Joe right on his HEAD) for two. Whitmer with a BACKDROP DRIVER!~ for two. Whitmer with two knees to the head but on the third Joe hits an enziguri. Joe with a German suplex and a dragon suplex. A German wins it. This match was hard hitting and stiff- and was the usual goodness from Samoa Joe. And of course Whitmer was no slouch either. Even though everyone knew he had no chance in hell of winning he still had some great near falls. ***1/2

Cabana and Ace Steel are looking for Feinstein. They run into Nigel McGuiness but can’t understand a word he says. They blow off Dunn and Marcos and Cabana and Steel plan out movie scenes. Dunn and Marcos get tired of being picked on and point out that their the top tag team in Ring of Honor and they will rock them LIKE A HURRICANE!~ Cabana mocks Dunn and Marcos and Steel just stares at him.

AJ Styles and Homicide (w/Julius Smokes) v. The Prophecy (w/Allison Danger and Jim Cornette) for the ROH Tag Titles

At Expect the Unexpected AJ and Amazing Red defeated Daniels and Xavier to win the ROH Tag Titles and this is their first shot at getting the belts back.

Homicide trained Dan Maff and caused Maff to believe in honour and uphold the Code of Honour at all times. So at Epic Encounter he was less then pleased when Maff joined the Prophecy- the group hell bent on destroying the Code of Honour. At Death before Dishonour Homicide and Maff were on opposite sides of a four-way. After the match Maff spit at his former trainer rather then shake his hand.

Cornette to AJ: Hey Gomer- Goober says hi!

AJ and Homicide rush the ring and clean house. Homicide goes after Maff as Daniels and AJ brawl. Maff and Daniels get whipped into each other. AJ and Homicide both do topes to the outside. Cornette is in shock. Homicide chairs Maff. Cornette and Danger collide and they do the old rowboat sequence. Styles and Homicide beat on Daniels. Homicide throws Daniels and tags Styles. Styles with a forearm and he dropkicks him. Styles with a bodyslam and he drops a knee. Tag Homicide. Homicide kicks him and suplexes him for two. Daniels rakes the eyes and brings in Maff. Homicide armdrags him and tags Styles. Styles forearms him and gets a powerslam for two. Maff sends him into the mat and tags Daniels. Styles kips up and hurricaranas him. Tag Homicide. Homicide chops him and they double backdrop Daniels. Homicide hooks a chinlock and tags Styles. Styles with a suplex for two and tags Homicide. Homicide boots him and gets a wheelbarrell suplex for two. Dangers nails Homicide from behind. Homicide goes after Danger and Maff suplexes him. Maff boots him and knees him in the head. Maff drops down on him for two. Maff chokes him but Maff misses the cannonball. Homicide bootscrapes him but Maff comes back and tags Daniels. Daniels stomps away and Maff chokes him as Homicide becomes the face-in-peril for the match. Daniels with a leg lariat for two. Tag Maff. Maff and Daniels double team Homicide. Maff with a running clothesline and a cannonball. Maff headbutts his groin for two. Tag Daniels. Maff and Daniels flapjack Homicide for two. Daniels with an abdominal stretch and uses Cornette’s racket for leverage. Cornette: I didn’t do nothing! Leave me alone- I’m busy! Ref kicks it away and Homicide armdrags Daniels. A blind charge by Homicide eats boot. Daniels tags Maff. Maff elbows him and bites his foot. Danger gets her shots in. Daniels comes in. Homicide hammers away but gets taken down into a submission. Maff blocks Styles from making the save. Homicide makes the ropes. Maff slams him and the Prophecy goes for the Rocket Launcher but it misses. Hot tag Styles who cleans house. Discus clothesline to Maff gets two. Maff comes back with a German. Maff blocks a Styles Clash. AJ blocks a rollup and an awkward suplex leads to an inverted DDT for two. Daniels hits AJ with the Blue Thunder Driver for two. Daniels takes out Homicide and plants him with a urinage. Double jump moonsault gets two. AJ boots Daniels but AJ does a flip kick into Daniels for two. Maff with a bearhug into a jawbreaker and they do the Rocket Launcher for two as Homicide comes in. Katie bar the door it’s a pier-4 brawl. Homicide with a top-rope Ace crusher to Daniels for two. Homicide ducks an enziguri and hooks the STF but Maff saves. Maff elbows him and boots him. Maff gets a half nelson suplex for two. Daniels throws AJ into a guardrail. Homicide clotheslines Maff out and Smokes gets into it. Homicide goes for his CRAZY TOPE but hits Smokes instead of Maff. Homicide chucks Maff into the rail. Daniels blocks the Kudo Driver and hits the Angels Wings but Styles saves. Daniels with a jawbreaker and he rolls Styles up for two. They trade rollups and the ref is bumped. Cornette chucks the racket at Daniels and he takes a swing and misses. Styles gets the Styles Clash on the racket and it’s over. ***1/2

These guys just work so well together that you know anytime they’re in the ring together- you’re gonna get a good->great match. This was a lot of fun and it was cool seeing the Prophecy incorporate moves that the Midnight Express did back in the day. It’s a shame they didn’t let AJ and Homicide get a run with the belts- they work well together.

Cornette shakes AJ and Homicide’s hands. Daniels and Maff have a conniption over this since the Prophecy don’t shake hands. Cornette and Daniels get into it. Daniels and Maff beat up Cornette. Amazing Red saves with racket shots but Maff takes out his knee and Red goes down. Joe runs in and beats up both guys. Cornette shakes the hands of Joe and Red.

Cornette gets on the mic as a loud ‘R-O-H’ chant goes up. Cornette admits that he was wrong and puts over ROH and the fans.

Homicide and Julius Smokes are backstage- they have words for Corino calling him a pussy. Smokes has some words with Corino that desperately need a translator.

Joe puts over BJ Whitmer for pushing him to the limit. But he isn’t the champ- Joe is. Joe talks about all the sacrifices people make to beat him yet still can’t do it. He talks about his match against Punk in Connecticut and then talks smack about Daniels.

Steve Corino talks about how last time his safety was in danger at ROH and brings up the riot that was in February. He cuts a promo on Homicide and gets pissed at him for making this feud personal. He mocks the Internet fans and accepts Homicide’s challenge for August 16th. He talks about all the money he makes in Japan and how no one gives a crap about Homicide. After their match Homicide is gonna sit there and wonder: Was it worth it?

Cabana and Steel have found Rob Feinstein and he wants to know about the Field of Honor. Cabana is invited and this is the greatest day of his life. Someone takes out Lucy and leaves a message: Rust never sleeps.

The Bottom Line- While there are no MOTYC- the tape features a bunch of consistently good matches and Jim Cornette’s appearance makes the event a lot of fun to watch. And the backstage skits with Cabana are hilarious. There’s only one bad match on the tape and everything else is worth checking out.

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Once again-you can check out the tape here-

http://www.rfvideo.com/merchant/index.cfm?action=moreinfo&id=8044