411’s ROH on HDNet Report (10.08.09): Honor Rumble (10.05.09)

The show starts with highlights of last week’s cage match between Brent Albright and Claudio Castagnoli. Mike Hogewood and Dave Prazak plug the Honor Rumble, which is a Royal Rumble match with tag teams.

Sonjay Dutt vs. Delirious w/Daizee Haze
Sonjay waits for Delirious to settle down after the ring bell, and then powers the masked man to the corner so he can do the Fargo Strut. Hogewood channels Gorilla Monsoon by telling Dutt to just wrestle after saying that Delirious was getting fired up when he “lost his mind”. Double standard much? They bust out the CRISS-CROSS and Deli hits a pair of armdrags, then does his chain wrestling to take Sonjay down and apply the Indian Deathlock. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s DELIRIOUS! Dutt gets the ropes, they grapple again and Sonjay hits a knee lift. He takes control with strikes until Deli does an STO (cause he’s been learning judo) and a hip toss (more judo) before applying the short-arm scissors! Two of my favorite wrestling holds and we aren’t even two minutes into the match! Sonjay escapes that but gets armdragged before sending Deli to the floor with a rana. Deli comes back in and Dutt ranas him to the floor again, Dutt goes outside and the Lizard Man sends him into the barricade. Delirious goes for his flip attack but Sonjay puts Haze in front of him, then pulls Deli to the floor and hits a clothesline.

Back inside, Sonjay hits a snap mare and rakes the face. He tries to take off the mask and hits a few corner thrusts but misses a punch. He pulls Deli back in the corner and misses again, and AGAIN, NEVERENDING STORY! He takes too long on a clothesline and Dutt hits a chop to the throat. He snapmares him again and chokes him with the tassels and then hits a running knee to the gut. Sonjay applies a neck wrench but Delirious fights with elbows, goes through the legs and hits a fireman’s slam and follows with a senton to the supine Indian. Deli hits an inverted atomic drop and a BAM! Lariat, sending Sonjay to the floor for a crossbody off the top rope. Dutt kicks out at two back inside and hits a jawbreaker, but runs into a back elbow, COBRA SUPLEX! 1…2…NO!

Sonjay avoids a crossbody, Deli blocks a clothesline, and Dutt sends Deli in the corner. Dutt hits a series of punches in the corner, Deli reverses a corner whip but that just lets Sonjay hit his seesaw kick in the corner. Dutt hits a springboard legdrop that snaps Deli’s throat on the top rope, and then he jumps through the ropes for a splash but his feet are on the ropes. Dutt argues with the referee and nearly gets rolled up, and we get a series of nearfalls before Deli hits a drop toehold and applies the Cobra Stretch. Dutt escapes by backing the Lizard Man into the corner, but he runs into a drop toehold into the buckles and eats the Panic Attack! He goes for Shadows Over Hell but Sonjay catches him with a diamond cutter! That was pretty. Dutt applies the Camel Clutch with tassels, and that gets the win. Dutt grabs Daizee by the hair and Delirious saves her. Wrestling logic dictates that Daizee will like Sonjay because he’s “rough” and will dump Delirious.
Match Analysis: Much better than their last match, as they did some comedy stuff and Dutt has grown more into his heel character. The work on the throat was nice and played into the finish, which made Sonjay look a) smart, and b) like a jerk. **1/2

Eddie Kingston says he’s not done with Chris Hero, because he’s still breathing. He feels sorry for his opponent tonight, because in every match, he thinks of Hero. So the injuries are nothing personal, and they can blame Hero. He practically begs Hero to come knock him out.

Eddie Kingston vs. Kyle Matthews
Eddie rushes into the ring and lights up Kyle with chops and hits an exploder. Eddie hits a forearm and chants “Hero!” over and over. Matthews tries to get some offence going to no avail. Kingston hits a vertical suplex and a double stomp as the crowd picks up the chant. Eddie fishhooks Kyle but misses a corner forearm, Matthews hits a chop but gets hit with another exploder. Backdrop Driver, Spinning Backfist, Slap the Porpoise.
Match Rating: Longer than the last couple of Kingston squashes, not much more entertaining. 1/4*

Mark Briscoe says he and his brother Jay Briscoe don’t raise the bar, they are the bar. Yeah, pretty much. Kevin Steen says he’s in the best tag team in the world, El Generico chimes in with “Numero Uno, Amigo!” Matt Jackson says he and his brother Nick Jackson are looking to prove themselves. Erick Stevens says he has common ground with his partner Brent Albright, who is taking him under his lat. The Dark City Fight Club say they want to be the best team in ROH, and if you don’t like it, they dare ya to do something about it. Davey Richards says being in The American Wolves is a way of life, and he and Eddie Edwards are the hunters, not the prey.

Up next, Roderick Strong takes on Joey Ryan, but next week, Chris Hero goes one on one with KENTA! Kyle Durdan wants to know what Chris Hero’s thoughts are on Eddie Kingston, and Hero says it’s gone and buried. Hero spews a few catchphrases, calls himself the filet mignon of pro wrestling and KENTA is dead meat.

Yeah, he’s gonna get his head kicked in.

Joey Ryan w/Prince Nana vs. Roderick Strong
“There was a firefight!” Anyone else looking forward to All Saint’s Day? Oh, but Nigel McGuinness is out for a word. He says that Roderick cares more about what the fans think than the physical toll his opponents go through, or his own well being. The distraction allows Ryan to sneak attack him and control with forearms until he runs into a kick. Strong hits some chops and forearms but Joey hits a knee lift. He runs into a heel kick and Roddy sends him to the floor. They brawl on the floor and Strong drives him into the side of the ring and gets two back inside. Strong sets up Ryan for some more chops and hits a corner clothesline, but he runs into a dropkick to the knee. Rather than go after the injury, Ryan stomps at Roderick and chokes him on the ropes with a cravat. He whips Strong to the corner but runs into a kick to the gut and Roddy hits a crossbody for two. Joey hits a nice clothesline for two and applies a chinlock. Strong escapes but runs into a spinebuster that gets another two for Ryan. Ryan goes for the Mustache Ride but Strong counters it.

Strong hits a clothesline and a back elbow, and hits the forearm in the corner he was looking for earlier. A back suplex gets two for Roddy. Joey avoids a Half-Nelson Backbreaker but runs into the uranage backbreaker. Ryan fights off the Boston Crab, but eats a chop. He goes through the legs and hits the pumphandle exploder! Joey only gets two and goes for a neckbreaker, but Roderick hits a jackknife for two. Joey hits a spear and a neckbreaker for two. Strong whips him to the corner but misses an enzugiri, but not even the aid of the ropes can get three for Ryan. He butterflies the arms but Roddy hits a backdrop. Joey charges into the corner and Strong hits the enzugiri and a superplex for two. Strong hits the press gutbuster but Nana pulls him out, so he shoves Nana into the crowd. He goes to the apron and Joey hits a superkick, follows with a small package and that gets the win? Strong hits the sick kick post match and says he’s going after Nigel.
Match Analysis:Lame finish aside, this was pretty good. Roderick is always up for a good match and Ryan (who I’m not familiar with outside of knowing he’s a big star in PWG) looked like he deserved to be on TV this time. **1/2

ROH World Champion Austin Aries, who looks JUST like the guy laying in the center of the ring, is in the back with Durdan. He says he has a huge announcement. Apparently, the Austin Aries Lucky Lottery was a “success” and everyone enjoyed it, so next week, we’ll be treated to another one. Durdan says that certain members of the locker room felt it was rigged. Aries says other members of the locker room say it was legit, so it’s his people versus Durdan’s people, and Kyle has nothing.

We get a really sweet video package for KENTA to help plug next week’s show.

Tag Team Honor Rumble
Team #1 is Jimmy Rave and Ernie Osiris, The Embassy.

So why didn’t these get a chance to talk in the earlier promo? Hogewood and Prazak discuss the unluck of the draw for these first two teams. Both members of a team must be thrown over to eliminate the team.

Team #2 is Matt and Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks.

The Bucks want handshakes and that allows the Embassy to attack them and throw them to the apron, but they flip back in and Matt throws Nick into a double dropkick. The Bucks hit Osiris with a double hip toss, do stereo backflips and hit a double dropkick. Ernie gets thrown to the apron and Matt hits a knee strike, and a double superkick eliminates Ernie Osiris. Rave begs off until the timer goes off.

Team #3 is Jon Davis and Kory Chavis, The Dark City Fight Club.

Rave stays on the apron while the DCFC clean house, and they hit Matt with a Hart Attack Leg Lariat. Nick tries a springboard crossbody but gets tossed into a powerbomb/neckbreaker. Rave tries to get some offense on, so Chavis hits a corner clothesline and Davis hits a sidewalk slam. They go back to pummeling the Bucks until the timer runs out.

Team #4 is Kenny King and Rhett Titus.

They take their time getting into the ring and Rave nearly tosses King over. Rave tries to fight them off but Titus hits an inverted atomic drop and Kenny hits a clothesline. They do a manly handshake and go after the DCFC, working with the Jacksons to try and eliminate them. Stand battle royal “trying to look like we are gonna toss them over” takes place until the timer hits zero again.

Team #5 is Brent Albright and Erick Stevens.

Business picks up as the new guys team up on King and Titus before eliminating Jimmy Rave. They turn around and stare right at the DCFC. HOSS FIGHT! HOSS FIGHT! HOSS FIIIIIIIIIGHT! Not really, because King and Titus go after Stevens and Albright while the Bucks go after the DCFC. That was actually a well booked spot. Everyone brawls and Titus barely avoids elimination as the scary voice counts us down once more.

Team #6 is Kevin Steen and El Generico.

Generico soars in with a crossbody on Stevens and Titus. The Bucks hit simultaneous dropkick that eliminate the Dark City Fight Club. Matt goes after King but gets crotched, and Rhett Titus hits a dropkick to eliminate Matt Jackson. DCFC go after Matt, so Nick hits a dive to eliminate Nick Jackson and help out his bro. Hey, brotherly love! Who knew? The Bucks and the DCFC brawl on the floor and it’s time for another entrant.

Team #7 is Jay and Mark, The Briscoes.

The Briscoes go after whoever is in the way as Brent eliminates Rhett Titus, but Kenny King eliminates Brent Albright. Stevens charges after Kenny but goes on the ropes, and King hits a spinning roundhouse kick to eliminate Erick Stevens. But now the Briscoes and Steen and Generico decide to work against him. They all get in a free shot and Steen hits a Codebreaker, and Generico hits a big boot to eliminate Kenny King. The Rivals get into a shoving match until the timer goes for the last time.

Team #8 is Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, The American Wolves.

Not surprisingly, the two teams stop fighting to focus on the Wolves. Steen and Generico take Richards and the Briscoes take Edwards, but eventually they just have a three-way brawl. Generico tastes the Alarm Clock, but Jay and Steen hit superkicks on the Wolves. They trade forearms in the center of the ring but Jay hits a spinebuster, but he makes the mistake of falling in the corner and eats Generico’s yakuza kick! Mark takes out the masked man with an ace crusher, Richards hits a knee but runs into the Exploder Suplex. Richards has fighting spirit and tries it again, but a second exploder keeps him down. Edwards takes out Mark with a flying knee. Steen almost tosses Edwards but Sara Del Ray is there to try and help out. The referees get on her case and miss Davey getting thrown over, so he sneaks back in and eliminates Kevin Steen and El Generico.

The Briscoes and the Wolves brawl and Jay hits a reverse STO into the turnbuckle on Davey. He goes to the second rope but Edwards hits an enzugiri to eliminate Jay Briscoe. The Wolves double team Mark and Edwards hits a superkick. Davey hits a spinning kick to the gut and runs for a clothesline, but Mark ducks and Jay pulls the ropes to eliminate Davey Richards. Eddie almost dumps Mark but Mark holds on and hits a springboard superkick. Mark uses Redneck Fu and they try to toss each other out, Eddie stays on the apron but Mark hits an enzugiri to eliminate Eddie Edwards and win the match for the Briscoes.
Match Analysis: Battle Royals are hard to rate, but I enjoyed this. It did what it was supposed to do; show off the depth of the tag team division. The Bucks and DCFC look to continue their feud and presumably King and Titus and the DCFC will face Albright and Stevens at some point. The Embassy was entertaining as losers. But not surprisingly, it was the three-way rivalry between the Wolves, the Briscoes, and Steenerico that was the highlight of the match. If they are to be ROH’s version of the Dudleys-Hardyz-E & C rivalry, they are doing a good job of it. ***

Solid episode. Nothing amazing, but nothing awful either. Check it out if you have nothing better to do.