411’s Instant Access: ROH Honor Takes Center Stage Night 1

Hey kids, I’m Scott, and this is 411’s Instant Access: ROH Honor Takes Center Stage Night 1. Instant Access is the companion piece to 411 Live Pay-Per-View Coverage and features immediate reaction to wrestling pay-per-views. The focus in Instant Access is on first thoughts and initial reactions instead of play-by-play with the goal of providing you with instant access to one two THREE writers’ thoughts on the show. Here’s the team for Honor Takes Center Stage Night 1:

• Scott Slimmer, author of Don’t Think Twice.
• Ari Berenstein, author of Column of Honor and, in all honesty, the IWC’s most respected expert on ROH.
• Michael Ornelas, author of 411’s ROH on HDNet Report.

Okay kids, enough with the explanations. Let’s get to the wrestling.

Grudge Match
El Generico vs. Michael Elgin
Match Result: Michael Elgin defeats El Generico with the 360 Powerbomb.
Match Length: 9:13
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Elgin really impressed me at the 9th Anniversary Show, and he continued to look like a rising star tonight. His power-based offense really is something of a rarity in ROH, and it will be interesting to see how well he can utilize it as he continues to work his way up the card. Generico once again proved the he can work a solid match with just about any opponent using just about any style, but I am somewhat disheartened to see him relegated to mid-card status (heck, curtain-jerkin’ status in this case) after his absolutely phenomenal year-long feud with Kevin Steen. I truly hope that Generico can regain some momentum and play as important a role in ROH in 2011 as he did in 2010.
Berenstein: Sound is good, stream is good, video looks solid and everything at Center Stage looks super professional. I’m ready to rock. Generico plays babyface so well and Elgin has quickly become one of my favorite of the newcomers to the promotion. This was a bit more composed but with less fireworks than their 9th Anniversary Show. I liked the play off the Oklahoma Stampede and that Generico was able to reverse it in this match. The Tornado DDT on the outside is always bonkers. That said, a masked man gimmick? Really Ring of Honor? Really? Come on now. So unneeded and I never enjoy interference in the opening match. Not a great way to start to the show, finish-wise anyway. Match was real solid until then.
Ornelas: After seeing the Top Prospect Tournament and other ROH events in 2011, I’ve been impressed by Michael Elgin. Generico is arguably the best babyface wrestler in the business right now. Elgin’s been put up tithe task of taking on veterans lately and he actually looks like he belongs. His strength spot in this match with not being taken over by the tornado DDT was impressive. I can only HOPE the masked man at the end was Kevin Steen. Good, but not very memorable opener. Elgin continues to look good. Generico is Generico, arguably my favorite Indy guy.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **½
Berenstein: **¾
Ornelas: **¾
Average Match Rating: **¾

Four Corner Survival Match
Homicide vs. Tommaso Ciampa w/ The Embassy vs. Colt Cabana vs. Caleb Konley w/ Truth Martini
Match Result: Homicide defeats Caleb Konley with Da Cop Killa.
Match Length: 9:22
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: ROH knows how to put on consistently entertaining multi-man matches, and this match was no exception. Homicide seemed motivated, Cabana brought his usual wackiness, and Ciampa and Konley seemed quite at home on iPPV. This was a great way to give Ciampa and Konley more exposure while keeping Homicide strong for future matches higher up the card.
Berenstein: I like that Nana and Martini are involved on the outside in the same match. Love Cabana running around with the Israeli flag. An average Four Corner Survival match because this became a tag team match and 4CS are less effective when that happens. Thank goodness for Cabana because everyone else was very bland in personality throughout this one. I thought Konley was solid, but Project Runway, errrr…Ciampa did nothing for me again. Finish was the best moment, with the three consecutive tope con hilos from Homicide and a devastating Cop Killer. Thought Konley would have been best used in the HOT, so to see him get demolished by Elgin was unfortunate.
Ornelas: I dug the veterans “initiating” Konley, so to speak, at the start of the match. Cabana was great in his role of wrestling circles around the competition. The gears switched when Ciampa got in and then the young guys took it to Homicide. Solid match formula, and a great way to get these young guys some experience. Konley was unspectacular but certainly not bad, but Ciampa was definitely the more solid or the young guys. Homicide tope con hilo series was a great spot, and the end following soon after made sense. Another solid bout, but another match that probably won’t make any “Best of” DVDs. Loved the post-match stuff with Truth and Elgin.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: **
Berenstein: **¼
Ornelas: **¼
Average Match Rating: **¼

Women of Honor Match
Sara Del Rey & Serena Deeb vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto & Ayumi Kurihara
Match Result: Hiroyo Matsumoto defeats Serena Deeb with a Back Drop Driver.
Match Length: 10:00ish (yeah, I forgot to start my stopwatch)
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: The Women of Honor match on the 9th Anniversary Show was a joke and a disgrace, but this match went a long way to rectifying the situation. I could honestly watch Sara Del Rey wrestle all day, and I’m so glad to see Serena in a position to actually wrestle rather than simply be sober eye candy. This was a fun match that did a great job of setting up tomorrow’s SHIMMER tag team title match.
Berenstein: Hey the women got more than four minutes this time! It paid off with a very good match. Sara Del Rey is an awesome bully heel and I am not afraid to announced that I am in love with Ayumi Kurihara. She can flat-out go and her offense is sick. Awesome finish that peaked at the right time. The Joshi contingent winning was the right move to set up the SHIMMER Tag Title match tomorrow afternoon.
Ornelas: Damn! Japanese chicks can GO! Loved Kurihara’s offense when she got in the match. Her high crossbody to the floor was fun too. Deeb was definitely the weak link here in my opinion, but she was great at taking offense. The right team went over since they have the title shot tomorrow against Haze and Nakagawa. Great encounter here, but a little flat in the middle.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***
Berenstein: ***¼
Ornelas: **½
Average Match Rating: ***

Tag Team Challenge Match
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly
Match Result: Jay Briscoe defeats Adam Cole after a Springboard Doomsday Device.
Match Length: 13:17
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: The first three matches on the card were all solid, but this match took the show to a whole new level. Cole & O’Reilly have been garnering rave reviews as of late, and there are few better ways to showcase their talent than by putting them in the ring with one of the greatest ROH tag teams of all time. Some tag team in the Briscoes position would have been tempted to try to upstage Cole & O’Reilly, but instead Jay and Mark chose to subtly and skillfully lean just far enough into heel territory to allow the crowd to really get behind Cole & O’Reilly. The combination of Cole & O’Reilly’s in-ring innovation and the Briscoes nuances performance made this match a great showcase of both action and storytelling.
Berenstein: Mixed reaction for The Briscoes in Atlanta, but we’ll see if that carries along for this match and future shows; it all depends on how ROH executes the storyline. Mixed messages from Jay & Mark too since they followed the Code of Honor in this one but Jay kept pulling Cole and O’Reilly off the apron. This was exactly what I expected from a Briscoes vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole match and it was excellent. The Cole / O’Reilly double teams are just out of this world and I loved the twist on the Butterfly Suplex series. Briscoes break out a rare springboard variation of the Doomsday Device for the win. The post-match brawl with ANX and Briscoes was well done but was missing the extra added level of craziness of their Manhattan Mayhem IV post-match fiasco where they were bashing each other into guardrails and King dived from the top turnbuckle onto Jay & Mark. The fans didn’t know at first how to react and then about half of them chanted “F**k the Briscoes” to end the scene.
Ornelas: Just the next step on Cole and O’Reilly’s road up through the ranks in the Ring of Honor tag division. I always though O’Reilly was the stand-out of that team, but after tonight, I’m really reconsidering Adam Cole. The young duo looked GREAT here tonight, and I’m excited to see how they fare against Hero and Claudio tomorrow since those two are on a whole different level. Only problem with this match was that the wrong team won, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the match.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ***¾
Berenstein: ****
Ornelas: ***½
Average Match Rating: ***¾

Final Battle 2010 Rematch
Roderick Strong w/ Truth Martini vs. Davey Richards
Match Result: Davey Richards defeats Roderick Strong with a top rope superplex / Falcon Arrow / Ankle Lock combination.
Match Length: 27:09
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: I was interested to see how well Roderick Strong would adapt to his new role sans championship, so of course I was pleased to see that he and Davey Richards could steal the show even without a title being on the line. Some critics will claim that this was an over-the-top spotfest with inconsistent selling, and maybe that’s true. But maybe that’s exactly the kind of match that we want to see from these two guys. There were stiff shots throughout, high impact moves and counters to high impact moves, and a heck of a lot of really long two counts. Was the psychology rock solid throughout? Maybe not. But like I said, in this case I’m not sure that even matters. What matters is that this match was an awe-inspiring spectacle that whipped the fans into a frenzy, and I for one enjoyed it immensely. I was also glad to see Richards pick up the win, because I’d like to see him stay near the top of the card and eventually win the ROH World Championship. With Eddie Edwards as the current champion and the incredible story that could be told with Davey challenging Eddie, I hope that Richards returns to the title scene sooner rather than later.
Berenstein: It’s Davey Richards versus Roderick Strong, you can count the number of bad matches they’ve had in ROH and other promotions with zero hands, because they’ve never had a bad match. This rub with this one was in the subtlety and the selling-the bicep for Strong and the head and back for Richards. Davey getting a bloody mouth was a blessing in disguise for the drama at the beginning of the match. Some of the kicks and chops were so unbelievably hard, while some than missed or had a bit of air to them were improvised and adjusted. Well booked finish with Richards sinking in the ankle lock and negotiating back into the hold after Strong missed his opportunities to turn it around. Still, I liked the Final Battle 2010 bout just a hair more because of the drama and implications of it being a championship match.
Ornelas: Fewer ridiculous superman kick-outs here. That’s all I wanted. I really was disappointed with their Final Battle encounter because it was too unrealistic for professional wrestling and this was much better. The kick-outs here were balanced both in time and distribution between competitors. I knew Davey was going over here, but it was a hell of a ride!
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****¼
Berenstein: ****
Ornelas: ****½
Average Match Rating: ****¼

World Tag Team Title Match
The Kings of Wrestling (Champions) w/ Shane Hagadorn vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Match Result: Charlie Haas defeats Claudio Castagnoli with the Haas of Pain.
Match Length: 22:58
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: Yes, this was a great match. Yes, it saw the crowning of new ROH World Tag Team Champions. And yes, it was the kind of match that almost any professional wrestling fan could enjoy. But I’ll always have a special affinity for this match because of the three years I spend covering WWE Heat. I saw Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas toil in near obscurity, and week after week it was obvious that they had so much more to offer. This industry has wasted talented stars on numerous occasions, so it was wonderful to finally see two immensely talented wrestlers find a way to find success on their own terms. Benjamin and Haas definitely add a new dimension to the ROH tag team division, and I still maintain that they’ve done an admirable job of incorporating just enough of the WWE style into their matches to maintain the continuity of their in-ring identity as a team. Having Benjamin and Haas win the titles opens up a whole new set of enticing tag team matches, the first of which takes place in just about twelve hours.
Berenstein: Both teams are wearing Royal Blue tights…how can we tell KOW and WGTT apart? Two teams very well suited for each other and the result was another great effort from both in this one. Amateur wrestling in the beginning from Shelton was awesome plus I loved his confidence. This is a match where the subtleties of actual tag team strategy emerged and blossomed, like rolling away from an opposite corner, holding the man down, cutting off tags, etc. The chokeslam counter roll and then chokeslam was impressive. Paced well if perhaps a bit slower than usual ROH style but that’s not a bad thing necessarily because the story unfolded well and it meant more for the faster paced comeback (and that was wicked cool). The double Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team Move was fun. Decision to go with the new champs was great and finally for the golden elbow to backfire on them pays off that bit of ROH history. Hell of a finish.
Ornelas: Hard to follow Davey/Roddy, but it did what it could. All four men are great and gave us a match befitting of the men involved. The double leapfrog axe handle spot was great. The ending was even better! Really hard to rate given its placement on the card. Rating subject to change once I rewatch it some time.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****¼
Berenstein: ****
Ornelas: ****¼
Average Match Rating: ****¼

ROH World Title Match
Eddie Edwards (Champion) vs. Christopher Daniels (World Television Champion)
Match Result: Eddie Edwards defeats Christopher Daniels with the 2K1 Bomb.
Match Length: 30:09
Match Analysis:
Slimmer: This was a great match that suffered just a bit from following two (or maybe even three) consecutive four star matches. We joke about WWE often booking a Divas match between their two big title matches, but this card demonstrated why that might not be such a bad idea. I certainly don’t think anyone would complain about having such an abundance of high-quality matches on a single card, but the live crowd just seemed spent by the time they got to this match. This match probably had the best psychology of the evening, but its in-ring action was surpassed just a bit by the previous two matches. With all of that being said, I am definitely happy to see Edwards retain the title. The ROH World Championship simply doesn’t lend itself well to hot-shot champions, and Edwards deserves to be more than simply a transitional champion. Of course, the most interesting aspect of Edwards retaining tonight may be the fact that we will now see the ROH World Champion face off against the ROH World Tag Team Champions tomorrow afternoon. As if that match was enticing enough already…
Berenstein: New music for Edwards–eh, not a big fan of that call to change it. Richards and Edwards shared The Wolves’ music and I think it would have helped garner a larger reaction for his entrance. Though he gets plenty of “Eddie Edwards” chants. Both men are pretty over actually. Good stuff. Daniels was on fire to begin the match, stopping Edwards’ reversals (and there were some fabulous ones throughout the match) and finding early roll ups but Edwards showed fire and was undeterred. His chops are almost as loud and sick as Roddy Strong’s. The Uranage through the table was a WOAH moment! Beat that Rock! (Only kidding friends, only kidding…) Daniels had an awesome moment of improv when the fans chanted “F**k TNA” by holding the ROH Title belt up in the air…great bit of timing. Good for him to play the heel role (not an official turn) given the circumstances. The powerbomb reversal to the Angels Wings was aces. The reversal sequence into and out of the Achilles Lock was beautiful (with the kicks to the head from each). Then Super 2K1 Bomb to 2K1 Bomb with pinfall? Get serious! That was outasight. This hits four stars by the grit of its teeth and hard effort despite a tiring crowd (though they were there for this match when it counted). Daniels walking out of the Code of Honor was an excellent new wrinkle in his road to a heel turn, with echoes of the first ROH event. Fantastic and heartfelt babyface promo to end the show from Edwards.
Ornelas: These guys knew what they were following. This match got off to a more aggressive start than the other matches post-intermission, and that certainly helped it. Table spots also usually help matches stand out. These guys had a match very different than the past few they’ve had together, and that’s a great thing. The match lulled a little in the middle, but it picked back up for sure. Also: KOBASHI CHOPS!! that ending sequence was killer! Defeating Daniels here just cemented Eddie as the top dog, if holding the belt didn’t already indicate that….Well damn, I think that was just as good as Davey/Roddy.
Match Rating:
Slimmer: ****¼
Berenstein: ****
Ornelas: ****½
Average Match Rating: ****¼

Final Thoughts

Match of the Night:
Slimmer: Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards (****¼)
The match that kicked off the second half of the show also proved to be an almost impossible act to follow. The action in each of the three final matches was incredible, but the fact that the crowd was molten for this match gives it a slight edge in my book.
Berenstein: Take Your Pick
There were FOUR, count ’em FOUR four-star matches tonight: Briscoes vs. Cole / O’Reilly, Richards / Strong, KOW vs. WGTT and Edwards / Daniels (and I may be underrating Richards / Strong). Any one of them could qualify based on your tastes. I hate to take the easy way out, but I can’t decide the best match, but my favorite would be The Briscoes vs. Cole & O’Reilly because of their innovative offense and The Briscoes’ gaining new depth from the burgeoning heel turn.
Ornelas: Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards / Eddie Edwards vs. Christopher Daniels (TIE) (****½)
It was to be expected that Davey and Roderick would tear it down, and they did just that. It was less expected that Eddie and Daniels would match them. I wish we could have gotten the Davey/Roddy match in December. And Eddie has arrived officially in ROH with his main event performance tonight.

Trash of the Night:
Slimmer: NONE
What the hell could you even try to call trash on this card? Seriously, I even enjoyed the Homicide match, and that hardly even happens these days.
Berenstein: A “masked man” comes to ringside during El Generico vs. Michael Elgin.
Get out of here with that BS. Unless it turns out to be Kevin Steen, there is no need for a masked man angle and the interference at the finish of what was a solid match between Generico and Elgin. This was like something out of the Adam Pearce ROH booking playbook, and well, that about says it all.
Ornelas: NONE
No trash here tonight!

Final Analysis:
Slimmer: Four solid matches in the first half, one of which was a balls-to-the wall tag team match that flirted with four stars. Three stellar matches in the second half, each of which was almost certainly four stars or higher. Stiff shots, nuanced performances, top-notch women’s action, and proof positive that tag team wrestling is not a lost art form. Hell of a show, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.
Berenstein: I was kind of wondering what was up with this show after the first two matches which were average or below average. However, ROH righted the plane big time after that with a fantastic women’s tag match (Kurihara!). Then they rode out the show with four consecutive **** star matches, which is just amazing to think about-that kind of consistency and in-ring quality, not to mention storytelling for those matches. I felt going into the Tag Title match that maybe it wasn’t the right time for the switch, but the finish worked and the celebration was very heartwarming. Eddie Edwards lived up to the pressure of his first championship match. Plenty of smaller stories progressed, such as movement in The Briscoes’ and Daniels’ heel turns, setting up the SHIMMER Tag Titles match for tomorrow, etc. My stream was solid all night except for the occasional audio crackle and a video blip or two, but most importantly it never died or even slowed down. Excellent show and ROH fans don’t have to wait long until the next one.
Ornelas: Show opened with several solid matches, but nothing I’ll remember in a year from now. The masked man that cost Generico his match is all I’m really excited about from the first half-hour of the show. The Japanese women impressed me while the Americans brought it to them. The show finally picked up with the tag team battle fought between Cole & O’Reilly and Jay & Mark Briscoe. The first half by itself was a **1/2 show, but the second half is where things got good. They got GREAT. First, we had the Final Battle rematch between Davey and Strong and it was everything the first one should have been. The tag title match did its best to follow Davey/Roddy and almost matched it in quality! I loved the Kings’ reign, but the title change just hit the “refresh” button on Ring of Honor’s tag team division. And it means Haas & Benjamin are ROH wrestlers for the foreseeable future (which we already knew, but this cements the sentiment). And then for the main event…wow. Those two guys went out there and put on a match much different from their prior encounters and re-stole the show. Second half of this show was *****, and that brings the full show rating up significantly (it’s not just averaging the two halves).

Verdict:
Slimmer: ****¼
Berenstein: ****¼
Ornelas: ****½
Average Verdict: ****¼