Ring Crew Reviews: ROH Best in the World 2011

• Relevant Storylines: Steve Corino is trying to go it straight and not be evil. ECW invades ROH but only brings Rhino with them. El Generico has never won a singles title in ROH. Four Way matches for tag titles are normally convoluted clusterfucks but this one has four very talented tag teams. The Briscoes have been here since Day One. And this is Davey Richards last chance to climb the mountain.

• Scheduled Card:
1. Colt Cabana vs. Tommaso Ciampa.
2. Special Challenge Match: Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal.
3. No Holds Barred Street Fight: Homicide vs. Rhino.
4. Special Challenge Match: Steve Corino vs. Michael Elgin.
5. ROH World Television Championship: El Generico vs. Christopher Daniels (c).
6. Four Way Elimination Match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship: The Kings of Wrestling vs. The All Night Express vs. The Briscoes vs. The World’s Greatest Tag Team (c).
7. ROH World Championship: Davey Richards vs. Eddie Edwards (c).

• Jim Cornette opens us and says this is the biggest crowd in ROH history and when combined with the PPV buyers, the biggest viewing audience for the company. Cornette says they are going to set the ring on fire but I don’t see an Onita match on the card.

• Colt Cabana vs. Tommaso Ciampa. TC is in The Embassy and undefeated. He’s accompanied by Prince Nana and Osiris. No shake due to Colt’s extended wind up delivery. TC gets a wristlock and Colt switches through all of it and gets an elbow. Cabana keeps trying to running off the ropes but T is cutting him off each time. They do some comedic miscommunication with Sinclair and Cabana gets a school boy for 2. Cabana with a sweep and torques the ankle. TC kicks him off but runs into some more tomfoolery from Colt who again rolls him up for 2. Nana is hanging out on the apron and so Colt stomps his hand to laughs. TC hotshots him and hits a running kick for 2. TC with a front facelock suplex for 1. TC tries some CLUBBINGBLOWS and stomps away in the corner. TC with a running knee strike in the corner and taunts the crowd to crickets. TC with more generic offense and goes to a chinlock. Cabana punches out and tries a Lionsault but falls into knee from TC. TC runs into a boot in the corner from Cabana. Cabana gives him Snake Eyes in the corner and hits some jabs and a Dusty elbow. Cabana with some double chops and a Mongolian chop. TC tries following behind him but eats a hip check. TC with an enzuigiri and a German suplex for 2 in the corner. Cabana blocks a couple of roll ups and turns into the Billy Goat’s Curse but TC gets the ropes. Cabana tries a tornado DDT but TC counters into an ugly powerbomb backcracker for the 3 at 6:59. First I’ve seen of Ciampa and hopefully he gets better because this was weak and got no heat even if Cabana got his usual cheers. Just a blah match all around. *1/4

• Special Challenge Match: Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal. Prematch, Kevin Kelly unfortunately gives us an unnecessary tidbit: “I love being showered with streamers.” No shake because Bennett is a dick. Lethal cups an ear and gets a “Randy Savage” chant from the crowd. Someone throws a Slim Jim at the announcers as Mike Bennett does the Macho spin pose to boos. Bennett drives him into the turnbuckle and we’re back to square 1. Bennett with a shoulderblock but tries a leap frog that Lethal avoids and chops him. Lethal with his own shoulderblock and again Bennett whiffs on a leapfrog. Lethal takes him down and hits a handspring dropkick for 2. Lethal with chops and a slingshot headscissors and follows with a suicide dive to the floor on Bennett. Bennett escapes by sliding him but his manager Brutal Bob gives Lethal a backbreaker ON THE APRON that the ref doesn’t see. How about letting him wrestle and Bennett manage? Bennett gives him a running clothesline off the apron and Lethal cuts the Perfect bump. Back in, Bennett hits some rights and a hanging vertical suplex for 2. Bennett goes to the anchor hold. Lethal tries to reverse but Bennett spins him back around and hooks it back in. Bennett: “Who can’t wrestle now?!” Fans: “YOU!” Lethal elbows out and avoids a charge in the corner and hits a flying burrito and a clothesline. Lethal with a handspring back elbow and a leg lariat off the second turnbuckle for 2. Lethal goes up top for the Macho elbow but gets distracted long enough by the manager for Bennett to cut him off. Bennett hits a superplex for 2. Bennett goes up top and whiffs on an elbow. Lethal with a superkick and the Macho elbow and that’s it for the 3 at 9:43. Bennett’s “fuck you” heat is still better than the lack of heat Ciampa generated and I liked the interference of Bennett’s cranky manager and knowing going up top wasn’t going to work. **1/4

• No Holds Barred Street Fight: Homicide vs. Rhino. Homicide cuts a pro-NYC promo and says “Fuck Michigan” because Rhino is from Detriot. Rhino storms the ring and gets an early shoulderblock and hits the Snitsky taunt to a mixed reaction. He sends Homicide off who comes back with a flying headscissors that sends Rhino to the floor and hits a tope con hilo suicide dive. Cover gets 1. Rhyno comes back with a flapjack and a punt. Homicide rolls to the floor so Rhino tries a plancha but eats ringside mat and gets sent into the timekeeper’s table. That’s not going to feel good. Homicide teases a piledriver but Rhino counters to a backdrop through the table. Subtle “Rhino sucks” chant tries to get going but dies. Rhino tosses a ladder into the ring and Homicide comes back with shots and a bite. Homicide chases Nana for no particular reason and Rhino takes over and sends him into the barricade and ANOTHER SNITSKY TAUNT. Rhino hits him with the ladder and goes for a suplex. Homicide counters with a snap suplex onto the ladder. Homicide props the ladder up in the corner but gets tossed into it or more accurately near it by Rhino. He mostly lands in the ropes near the ladder and the fans give him hell and Rhino tells them to shove it and one female Rhino mark is the only one cheering him at the moment. Funny stuff. Rhino press slams him onto the ladder for 2. Homicide comes back with an eye gouge and drop toe holds Rhyno into the second turnbuckle to avoid the Gore. Homicide with a shoulderblock off the 2nd turnbuckle for 2. Rhino blocks the LARIATO and gets a nice piledriver for 2. “Fuck you, Rhino!” chant although he hasn’t done anything overly bad to deserve that hate at the moment. Rhino puts him up top but gets shoved off by Cide. Homicide goes for a splash but eats knee. Rhyno sets up the Gore but runs into a boot and a Diamond Cutter for 2. Cide rolls to the floor and gets a table. Crowd chants “WE WANT FIRE!” but I highly doubt that’s happening. Rhino cuts off Cide and sets up the table in the corner. Homicide hits some punches and flips off Rhino. Rhino comes back with a belly to belly suplex and preps the Gore again. He runs but Homicide counters to a sunset flip for the 3 at 10:19. This was just kind of there as far as hardcore matches go. If you eliminate Rhino’s hatred among the ROH fans, this was pedestrian but at least had some intensity an a press slam onto a ladder. **1/2 Post-match, Homicide weakly punches Nana but gets GORED through the table and now the fans cheer Rhino. HIT HIS MUSIC after another “Fuck you Rhino!” chant. Continuity FTW.

• Special Challenge Match: Steve Corino vs. Michael Elgin. So, the story here is that Corino is a recovering evil bastard and has been trying to right his life with the help of his sponsor Jimmy Jacobs. Corino wanted the also allegedly reformed evil bastard Kevin Steen to be able to appear but that got nixed. Corino gets the stick. “My name is Steve Corino and I am an evil person.” *Applause*. He says Steen wants another chance and introduces him because it turns out he’s in the balcony disguised as a fan. He tries to get in the ring but security, refs, Cornette and even Silk are out to object. Fans are chanting for “Mr. Wrestling!” and “Let him stay!” Cornette and Steen shake hands but send Steen to the back.

• Elgin sneaks in and tries to attack Corino who initially avoids but eats a slingshot shoulderblock to start. Elgin with some forearms in the corner and a chop to crickets. They slug out forearms and Elgin wins that one. Cornio comes back with a hammerlock assisted Downward Spiral and a leg lariat. Corino hits a chop and another and then smacks the shit out of Elgin but the crowd is quiet. I think they expended all their energy on Steen and are now recharging. Elgin with a pieface and Corino smacks him again. Elgin no sells again and hits some shoulders in the corner. Elgin whiffs on a Ho Train and Corino hits a Backdrop Driver. But Elgin NO SELLS. Corino tries a clothesline and Elgin stands stiff. Corino tries another and the same result. Corino twirls him around into an ab stretch and then shoves his thumb up Elgin’s ass. Elgin is pissed and runs toward him but Corino lowers the bridge to dump him. Corino tries a suicide dive but Elgin CATCHES HIM without missing a beat and rams him into the barricade a couple of times and then drops him with the fuckin’ OLKAHOMA STAMPEDE. That was awesome. Elgin rams him in the corner but runs into a couple of boots. Corino tries another Downward Spiral but Elgin counters to a bridged Northern Lights suplex for 2. “Lindsey Lohan” chant for some reason I’m sure. Elgin tries the Package Piledriver but Corino backdrops out. Corino tries a charge but lands in a turnbuckle and Elgin heads up top and hooks in a Boston Crab. That was cool but again crowd seems a bit dead. Elgin hits a pair of Ho Trains. He blocks a lariat from Corino but Corino switches to left hand and hits another. Corino tries something but Truth Martini trips him up. Jimmy Jacobs pulls Truth down only for Elgin to grab him. That allows Corino to school boy him for 2. Corino with a brutal knee strike. Elgin comes back with a TKO, superkick, and a brainbuster. Elgin refuses to go for a cover and hits a powerbomb for only 2. Elgin gives him a BuckleBomb and the spinning sitout powerbomb for the 3 at 8:31. That was certainly decisive. I love clean wins for heels and the story did much more for me here than any of the previous matches with Corino being unable to overcome the brick shithouse Elgin using a standard babyface repertoire (other than the thumb up the ass). You just know it’s going to lead to another heel turn for Corino. **3/4

• Post-match, Elgin and Truth work over Jimmy Jacobs and Corino. Elgin gives Jacobs a powerbomb but KEVIN STEEN HAS COME OUT! Steen gives Elgin a flapjack powerbomb. Truth hits him with The Book of Truth but Steen no sells and gives him a superkick. The ROH Officials are back out to throw Steen out. Corino says he deserves a chance to be heard. Steen gets the mic and says that for months he’s just wanted a chance to stand in the ring and apologize. He says he has just one thing he wants to say to everyone, “My name is Kevin Steen and FUCK RING OF HONOR!” He lays out Jimmy with the mic and gives Corino the Package Piledriver before the officials drag him out again. Steen then bodysurfs to the back on the hands of the security. The Attempted Rise and Fall of Kevin Steen has been the most entertaining thing on the show so far.

• The refs and attendants continue to check on Steve Corino as Kevin Kelly goes into serious mode and gives the backstory on how everyone hated Steen in the back and mentions how Grizzly is one of the first ones out to check on Corino. He says they use to tag but Grizzly never trusted him and no one did and now we’ll probably never see Steen in ROH again. A+ job by Kevin Kelly selling the kayfabe gravity of the situation. And now it’s intermission time.

• They play the awesome Davey-Eddie video package that includes Davey hesitating and then congratulating Eddie on his title win, Davey getting shoved into Eddie during their WGTT match, and Davey saving Eddie at ROH Supercard of Honor VI even though Eddie didn’t want it.

• We also get the massive video package for the 4-way tag bout and Daniels turning on Generico.

• ROH World Television Championship: El Generico vs. Christopher Daniels (c). CD jumps before the bell and hits some chops and a leg lariat and taunts to boos. Daniels is great as an arrogant dick which he unfortunately doesn’t get to portray enough. CD sends him around the ring into the turnbuckles before Generico puts the breaks on and counters. Generico with some chops and an up and over and goes for a moonsault press but CD ducks so Generico lands on his feet. Generico hits a trio of arm drags and CD takes a breather. Awesome sequence with Generico just a step ahead. Generico hits a baseball slide dropkick to follow and some chops on the floor and sends CD into the guardrail. Generico makes fun of a girl in the crowd for wearing an ECW shirt and then pantomimes to some in the crowd that she swallows until CD cuts him off and rams him into the guardrail. CD tries again but Generico runs up the barricade and moonsaults back onto CD. Nice. Generico sends him into ringpost shoulderfirst and CD begs off and offers a shake. Generico sucks him in and smacks him in and then tries then espanol mounted punches in the corner. CD cuts him off with a choke and a hotshot and a clothesline. Good counter stuff by CD. CD chokes away in the corner and hits a reverse Bossman attack and then hits the Jeff Jarrett taunt. “Fuck TNA!” chant. Awesome. Generico tries coming back but eats a drop toe hold and a knee strike. CD calls for a slingshot 450 but instead slingshots back in and just chokes Generico. CD mocks the crowd and chants for himself, “I still got it!” but no one agrees. CD is the man. He dumps Generico and gives himself a hand. Generico comes back with a sunset flip for 2. CD cuts him off with a throat strike and bulldogs Generico into the ropes and then chokes him repeatedly with a headscissors. CD taunts more and then covers for 2. CD goes to the chinlock. Crowd chants for Generico as he powers out only for CD to pull him own by the mask. CD goes to the head and arm choke. Generico runs into a bodyslam and an Arabian press for 2. CD with chops in the corner and tells someone to “Shut up, fatty!” in the crowd.

• Generico comes back with clotheslines and dumps CD. Generico follows with the no hands flip splash to try and get some momentum going. Back in, Generico goes up top and hits a crossbody for 2. Generico hits the Blue Thunder bomb for 2. Generico tries a half nelson suplex but Daniels sends him off and gets the Downward Spiral and transitions into the Koji Clutch. Crowd is surprisingly not buying that as a finish. Generico makes the ropes. Generico gets a jawbreaker, enzuigiri, and tries the Angel’s Wings but Generico backdrops out. Generico with a head of steam but runs into the Last Rites for 2. They slug it out but CD hits repeated headbutts. They counter each other’s signature moves until CD hits a palm strike and Generico hits a yakuza kick. More counters. CD with more palm strikes in the corner but Generico no sells and hits another yakuza kick and a Brainbuster for 2. Amazing sequence. Crowd getting into the false finishes. Generico puts Daniels on top and hooks him in the Tree of Woe. Generico hits a fucking SENTON COAST TO COAST FROM THE ADJACENT RING POST. Cover gets 1, 2, but CD gets his foot on the ropes. CD rolls to the apron and Generico follows. Generico teases a brainbuster on the apron but CDbcounters, gouges the eye to counter and shitcans Generico all the way to the floor and into the barricade and then hits a brainbuster on the damn floor. YES! CD gets the belt and says he’s talking a walk and wants Sinclair to count out Generico. CD puts on his belt and prepares to have his hand raised. Generico slides back in after a long count and CD can’t believe it. “YOU SONOFABITCH! YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE FLOOR!” Generico comes back with an overhand chop that CD no sells and throat slams Generico down. CD wants the BME with the belt on but Generico gets the boot up to counter! Generico with a yakuza kick in the corner and puts CD on top. Generico preps and hits the BRAINBUSTAAAAAA. Cover gets 1, 2, 3 and NEW TV CHAMP EL GENERICO at 19:31. Generico pulls the TV belt away from the cold, dead hands of Daniels and celebrates to a huge pop. Awesome match. If this indeed is Daniels’ last match in this run before he goes back to TNA, he will be missed but that was a helluva of a performance from both guys. I’m not sure what more someone could want from this match. ****1/2

• Four Way Elimination Match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship: The Kings of Wrestling vs. The All Night Express vs. The Briscoes vs. The World’s Greatest Tag Team (c). Anybody can tag anybody to get in the ring and if you get a pinfall, you get to pick who gets in the ring next. If you like promos and haven’t seen The Briscoes Day One promo for hyping this match, you really should.

• Champs get to pick who they start against an Haas wants to start with Rhett. Haas gives a fan his bandana and raises him up for cheers. Haas overpowers Rhett early and after an up and over clips his knee and grapevines Rhett’s leg. Rhett counters out and goes to an ab stretch. Haas hiptosses out. Rhett tries a slingshot sunset flip but Haas sidesteps and Rhett eats knee. Cover gets 2 as Rhett tags in Kenny and Haas tags in Shelton. “This is racist!” chant briefly. Shelton gets a shoulderblock but runs into a Bluechipper dropkick from King. This is the ultimate slow burn pace, 5 minutes in and they haven’t done much. Shelton grabs a headlock and Kenny switches to his own. Shelton tries a back suplex but Kenny stays on the hold and takes down Shelton. King ducks Shelton’s spinning mule kick and Shelton avoids the handspring Pele. Kenny flips out of a German suplex attempt to land on his feet. He follows Shelton into the corner but eats a crossbody and there was some obvious miscommunication on that move. That was great counter-wrestling until the mild botch. Haas in and Shelton slams him over Haas’s knee for 2. King cuts off Haas with a throat thrust and knocks the Briscoes off the apron but apparently that wasn’t counted as a tag. Claudio blind tags in to HEYYYYYYYY and teases a Big Swing on King just to deny and then flip off the crowd. Claudio does the same with a European uppercut and goes to a side headlock instead. Dick. King tries powering up but Claudio stays on the hold. Hero in and they hit the double big boot and taunt. Cover gets 1. The Briscoes try attacking King from behind but again he knocks them off the apron. Kenny tags in Rhett. They get a monkey flip/dropkick combo for a 1 count. Kenny back in. Atomic drop/clothesline combo for 2. Rhett in with a short arm clothesline for 2. We’re over 10 minutes and the Briscoes haven’t been in the match yet. Claudio gets the tag in and hits the European uppercut this time to a pop and teases doing the Hogan pose but denies and drops a leg for 1. Claudio stays on the neck vice and works Rhett’s ruptured eyedrum. Kevin Kelly reads a fucking twitter message from a fan talking about how “dem boys [The Briscoes] r makin’ me an alcoholic.” Let’s just forget that every happened and not do it again.

• Claudio shoves Rhett into the Briscoes corner and they beat the shit out of him. Jay tries to hit Haas as well but he shitcans him and follows with a plancha. I don’t know how Claudio is no longer the legal man as I didn’t see a tag but I’m not sure I really care that much. Rhett ducks a clothesline and follows with a flip splash on those on the outside. Mark Briscoe threatens one as well but the Kings jump him. He fights them off and gets a moonsault off the top rope on everyone. King gets a head of steam but runs into a yakuza kick from Hero. Hero flies to the floor with a Fosbury Flop. King tries something but Claudio cuts him off. HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. Claudio teases a gutwrench to the floor but Shelton hits the pop up top rope superplex on both to a big pop. He poses but the Briscoes are in and jump him from behind. They take him down with a double shoulderblock. Mark in with a top rope fistdrop for 2. Mark with a few headbutts and tags in Jay. He hits the trip dropkick for 2. Jay goes to a chinlock. Jay switches to the BLATANTCHOKE. Hero tags in from behind and drags Shelton to their corner. They do the banana splitter a few times with quick tags. Claudio goes to a rest hold. We’re 20 minutes in and not even close to a pinfall. Shelton powers up but Mark tags himself in to work over Shelton. Mark gets a vertical suplex after a struggle for 2. Shelton gets the tag to Haas and hits has clotheslines and German suplexes for the Briscoes. He gets a head of steam but Rhett blind tags himself in. Rhett clotheslines Mark to the floor and hits a float over Fameasser. Mark tries a sunset flip but Rhett counters it into a Northern Lights and that was badass. Rhett has forearms for both Briscoes but runs into a uranage suplex from Mark. Rhett no sells but eats a Ho Train from Jay for 2. The Briscoes with Ho Train dropkick combo but Kenny breaks up the cover and shitcans Mark to the floor. Kenny eats a yakuza kick from Jay. Mark back in and the Briscoes hit a AwesomeBomb/neckbreaker combo for 2. Rhett back in and counters the Doomsday Device with a victory roll but gets broken up. The Briscoes hit a superkick/Falcon Arrow combo for 2. Kenny in and hits an enzuigiri on Mark but eats a kick from Jay. Kenny fights him off to hit the Elijah Express in the corner. Kenny also hits the Bossman slam backbreaker and Rhett follows with a kneedrop off the 2 and the Briscoes are done at 24:17.

• Didn’t see that elimination coming. The match basically stops so the Bricsoes can go to the back and the fans change “Na na na…” all the way to the back. Titus wants Claudio in the ring. Claudio wants a truce so Hero can jump him from behind but Rhett sees it coming. Kenny in but the Kings avoid the confrontation and Hero “tags” in Shelton with a stiff chop. Shelton eats a clothesline in the corner and a spinkick for 2. Shelton and Rhett slug it out. Shelton whiffs on a dropkick as Hero tags himself in and hits a senton for 2. Hero slams him into Claudio’s boot and Claudio hits a double ax handle off the top and goes to the Camel Clutch. Shelton stands up out of it and hits the Electric Chair on Claudio. Claudio prevents the tag to Haas and brings in Hero who gets a kick for 2. Hero with a basement dropkick for 2 and tags Claudio back in. Shelton counters with a back elbow in the corner and shitcans Hero and hits the spinning mule kick on Claudio and leaps for the tag. But NO HAAS because Hero pulled him off the apron. Always a cool spot. Claudio with a European uppercut and tags in Hero. Shelton avoids their stuff and tags in Kenny who hits a flurry of clotheslines. He and Hero botch the transition and repeat it so Kenny can flip over and hit an STO and a standing moonsault for 2. Claudio jumps him from behind but runs into a spinebuster. Hero tries a spin pump kick but gets caught in a beautiful leg capture Northern Lights suplex for 2. Rhett in with a big boot and a dropkick on Hero for 2. Hero cuts him off with a ROARINGELBOW and a Batista kick for 2. Claudio in and they hit a hiptoss flapjack for 2. Claudio tries a Ricolo Bomb but Rhett counters. The ANX hit a crisp powerbomb/blockbuster combo but Sara Del Ray is distracting the ref. Hero in with the loaded pad and hits the LOADEDROARINGELBOW on Rhett and Claudio covers and the Express are eliminated at 34:34.

• Haas rips the loaded pad off Hero’s elbow and tosses it into the crowd. Haas then knocks Hagadorn off the apron. Hero with the elbow on Haas for 2. The Kings work some quick tags putting the boots to Haas. Haas fights off a combo and hits a German suplex on Hero. He makes the tag and Shelton is in with right hands. Shelton with a Samoan Drop and a Stinger Splash on Hero. Shelton with a bulldog off the top but Claudio breaks up the pin. The Kings try a double backdrop but Shelton counters to a double DDT. Crowd isn’t buying all of these as false finishes and seemed to have lost some momentum after the ANX were eliminated. WGTT hit the double team Bossman attack and Haas hits the Angle Slam to a pop but Claudio breaks it up. Haas shitcans him but runs into a spinning pump kick for 2 from Hero. Claudio in and goes to the SUPER BADASS UFO but only gets 2. Claudio dumps Shelton and goes to the Big Swing. Hero comes in with the basement dropkick combo but Shelton breaks it up at 2. Haas counters the KRS with a headscissors. Shelton in and they hit a double team Alabama Slam and that’s it for the 3 at 40:11. That’s it? A double spinebuster? That finish doesn’t work for 40 minutes of build. The match was fairly well executed for being over half an hour of isolated heat segments with little rhythm before cut offs or tags to other teams, which is usually how these go. They aren’t so much tag matches are they are four way dances. But I can’t help but feel that the wrong team went over just based on sheer reactions. Going in I would have put the ANX at the bottom of the four, but they were perhaps the most impressive team in the match and are clearly set up as immediate repeat contenders. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. It’s good but not great. ***3/4

• Post-match, The Briscoes come out with chairs and lay out the champs. The KOW watch on but the ANX come out and run them off with pipes and a kendo stick.

• ROH World Championship: Davey Richards vs. Eddie Edwards (c). In addition to the pre-match video, there’s also a package on YT for this that is worth tracking down. Here. We get the handshake to start. Dueling chants that are pro each wrestler. Clean break off a lock up that goes nowhere. Another lock up and Eddie tries chopping rather than giving the break. Davey ducks but tries a kick that Eddie blocks. They trade wristlock reversals and Eddie goes for the half crab and Davey goes for the anklelock but it’s a stalemate. They each do the bridge spot. Eddie with a snapmare and a kick to the back and Davey no sells and does the same. They slug it out with chops and forearms. Davey gets another snapmare and a running kick to the chest and WOOOOOOOOOOO that hurt just watching. Davey with a snap suplex for 1 and hooks in the Tequila Sunrise Cloverleaf of Doom. Eddie gets the ropes. Eddie with up and over out of the corner and gets a roll up for 2. Eddie with a fireman’s carry facebuster for 1. Eddie with a chop and a gutwrench suplex for 2. Eddie hooks in the ab stretch but Davey gets the ropes. Eddie with a chop and a front kick for 1. Eddie with some stiff headbutts and chops in the corner. Eddie tries a charge but gets backdropped to the floor. He ducks a kick from the apron but Davey tries again and this time hits the stiff kick to this chest. Davey comes flying out with a suicide dive. Back in, Davey hits a missile dropkick off the top but runs into a boot. Eddie is up top and tries something but gets pulled over into another kick by Davey for 2. They counter more charges but Eddie gets a handspring gamengiri and tries the Backpack Jawbreaker but Davey catches him and tries to hook in the armbar. Eddie fights off so Davey goes to the Fujiwara armbar. Eddie fights it off so Davey gets a Northern Lights suplex for 2 and then transitions immediately into the Kimura. Eddie manages to get the ropes though. Davey gives him about five kicks in the corner and puts Eddie on the top. Eddie tries fighting him off with headbutts but Davey headbutts him back a bunch and gives him an enzuigiri and another headbutt a top rope BRAINBUSTER and rolls immediately into Juvy Driver and locks the armbar back in. Amazing stuff, especially the pace all in here. Eddie stacks him up and rolls him over into the half crab. Davey powers up to one foot and smacks Eddie away and rolls him into the armbar again. Eddie escapes so Davey rolls him up for 2. Davey gets sent off and tries the Damage Reflex but jumps into a back suplex facebuster. Eddie gets the Elijah Express. Davey tries to no sell and hit the Alarm Clock but Eddie catches the leg and switches to a leg capture Fisherman Buster for 2. Just great counters of signature spots with other signature spots. Eddie with chops in the corner. Crowd is up in arms over who to cheer for. Eddie tries a whip but Davey kicks the bad arm. Eddie goes up top and hits the top rope Codebreaker. He tries a LARIATO but Davey grabs the arm and hooks in the FLYING ARMBAR TAKEDOWN. Eddie manages to escape and go to the CURB STOMPS! YEAH! Davey no sells and hooks the armbar back in. Eddie again goes to the curb stomps. Davey rolls to the apron and Eddie kicks him to the crowd and follows with a moonsault off the apron but appears to injure the leg on the landing.

• Back in, Eddie hits a missile dropkick but the leg is too bad to go for an immediate cover. Eddie with a Tiger Suplex and bridges the cover WHILE SELLING THE LEG! Alright, alright, that’s incredible selling. Eddie tries a suplex but Davey blocks. They slug it out with forearms and Davey hulks up and comes back with a flurry of strikes. Davey gets a head of steam but runs off into a leg lariat from Eddie. They both roll to the apron. They jockey for a suplex and Eddie gives him a STIFFFF superkick and a 2K1 BOMB ON THE APRON! Davey struggles to the apron at the count of 16 and Eddie superkicks his ass back to the ringside table. Eddie comes flying back out with a DOUBLE FOOT STOMP OFF THE TOP THROUGH THE TABLE! After a long count, Eddie hits another double foot stomp to Davey’s back for 2. Davey crawls to the apron and Eddie tries a kick but Davey catches the leg. He hesitates and Eddie shouts at him to DO IT and Davey does the Dragon Screw legwhip in the ropes. While Eddie is still tied up in the ropes, Davey gives him a double foot stomp to torque the leg even further and hooks in the ankle lock. Davey stays on the leg and Eddie gives him an enzuigiri to escape. Cue the dueling chants again. Davey puts Eddie up top and hits a whole bunch of headbutts and hits the top rope overhead release German suplex that sends Eddie all the way to the other corner. Davey hits a running forearm and a stiffkick and a German suplex for 2. Davey gets the throat slash and hits a Wild Bomb for 2 and immediately switches to the ankle lock. Eddie rolls under and switches to his own ankle lock. Eddie pulls him back and grapevines the leg. Davey rolls it over to his own Indian deathlock. They both roll to the same apron AGAIN and I’m getting kinda tired of that spontaneous roll to the same apron transition. Davey sets up a piledriver but Eddie fights if off. Davey responds with kicks and Eddie ducks one and Davey eats ringpost like in their first match. They both climb to the same top rope and Eddie shakes off a headbutt and gives Davey a Dragon Screw legwhip on the top rope. Davey recovers and tries a TOP ROPE POWERBOMB but Eddie reverses to a rana. Eddie with a LARIATO and a Wild Bomb for 2. Eddie with another LARIATO and a crucifix roll up for 2. Eddie with a 2K1 Bomb and rolls Davey into the half crab. Davey rolls him over and tries to kick him off but Eddie switches to the Texas Cloverleaf. Davey powers out but gets rolled up for 2. Davey with a Saito suplex out of desperation. They both struggle to their feet and Eddie hits one as well. They both get up at the same time and go head to head with forearms and kicks and chops. Davey with a spinkick and a LARIATO for 2. Davey with a series of strikes and a LARIATO for a 1 count. Looks like its time for Strong Style finish. Davey gets pissed and hits about five headkicks for 2. Eddie with 2 straight superkicks and an enzuigiri for another 2. In a moment reminiscent of Flair/HBK, Davey whispers to him, “You’ll always be my brother” and then hits the RUNNING STIFF AS SHIT KICK TO THE FACE for the 3 to become new champ at 36:01.

• Awesome, extraordinary match in a ton of ways but I have a couple of minor quibbles. I don’t like that finish for Eddie as it basically shows him running out of gas and willpower to a better conditioned, harder hitting Davey when for so much of the match they were laid out as so evenly matched and congruent equals in every way and THAT’s why it was so good. The brilliance of the HBK/Flair finish was not just that Shawn showed love for Flair in whooping his ass, but that it perfectly matched the story in that Flair was a guy striving to be great but coming up short due to father time and a better opponent and ultimately wanting to be finished and his opponent/friend having so much regret about it. But unlike that match, Davey’s and Eddie’s styles and abilities complement each other so well and are almost mirror images that it’s a shame one guy had to so decisively “take him behind the barn and put him down” to borrow a phrase from Shawn Michaels/Triple H about Flair. You even had Davey hesitating to go after Eddie’s leg and Eddie demanding that he go after it by smacking him in the face but we’re already seen that Eddie at his best can match Davey so why are they playing it like Davey is holding back? He shouldn’t be regretful; he should be too exhausted and lucky to be contemplative. Why not instead use the finish from Triple H/Stone Cold 3 Stages of Hell where they both collapse and one guy just happens to land better? I figure I’m going to be in the minority with that view of the finish, but I think it’s too decisive considering how competitive and back and forth both of their matches were as it basically ends the “feud” and gives little reason for a rematch. ****3/4

• Post-match, they both take a while to recover and Eddie is completely out of it and in a nice symmetrical moment Eddie puts the title around Eddie’s waist.

• ***Bonus Match Review from ROH on HDNet on 4/26/10: Final of ROH World Television Championship Tournament: Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards.*** Note, this match is from a ROH on HDNet compilation DVD and not on this show. Hagadorn is “representing both competitors.” Davey gets the biggest pop and Prazak is playing up how overlooked Edwards is typically. Collar and elbow goes nowhere and gets a clean break. Prazak plays up how they are on somewhat of a losing streak as a tag team and speculate about their future as a team. Another clean break off a lock up. Davey gets a shoulderblock but runs into an armdrag. They both block kicks and go for a dropkick at the same time and it’s a stalemate. Davey does the bridge spot on the lock up and then Eddie does it. Davey gets a top wristlock out of the test of strength and goes to a chinlock. Eddie switches to an arm wringer but Davey handsprings out and switches to a top wristlock. Eddie kips out and switches back to the arm wringer. Davey rolls through and hits a dropkick. Nice even sequences so far. Davey with a clothesline and chants for the “American Wolves” and hits a snap suplex for 2. Davey goes to the triangle choke. Eddie rolls over to get the ropes. They exchange forearms and Davey goes for the handspring dropkick but eats a dropkick from Eddie. Nice cutoff. Eddie with a Benoit clothesline for 2. Eddie goes to the chinlock. Davey flips out of a suplex and gets a dropkick. Mike Hogwood really sucks on commentary and is actually distracting from the match as he asks Prazak, “Is this a match where you do anything to win?” Eddie backdrops Davey to the apron. Davey avoids a suplex and slingshots back in and suplex himself and Eddie ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR! Now, THAT is a suplex. I’ve seen that move less than five times and every time looks brutal as hell.

• They both recover to the apron and hit bit boots on each other. Davey gets the Alarm Clock and kicks Eddie to the floor. Davey goes back in and comes flying back out with a TOPE CON HILO SUICIDE DIVE! This is getting seriously awesome. Back in, Davey hits some stiff kicks to Eddie’s chest and this time gets the Damage Reflex for 2. Davey tries a German but Eddie elbows out. Davey comes back with a combo and a Northern Lights for 2 and switches immediately to the kimura but Eddie manages to get the ropes. Eddie armdrags out of another suplex attempt and gets a belly to belly throw to cut off Davey. Eddie with a forearm in the corner, snap suplex, and a double foot stomp dropkick that sends Davey to the floor. Eddie follows out with a suicide dive. Back in, Eddie goes up top but rolls through. He gets a fireman’s carry facebuster for 2. They reverse standing switches. Davey goes for the running forearm but eats a boot and a Codebreaker off the top from Eddie. Eddie with a back suplex facebuster for 2. Eddie puts Davey up top. They headbutt each other until Davey hits a massive flurry of palm strikes. Davey tries the MDK Bomb but Eddie blocks. Davey tries again but eats more headbutts from Eddie. Davey comes back with a pop up top rope release German suplex and NOW the fans are back in it. Davey hits a yakuza kick in the corner and a running forearm and another German suplex for 2. Davey with a standing enzuigiri and goes to the armbar. Eddie stacks him up and goes for the Rampage slam but instead places Davey on the top. Eddie gives him the top rope Frankensteiner and a WILD BOMB for 2. Eddie then rolls him into the half crab. Davey powers up and switches back to the armbar. Eddie stacks him up and gets a roll up for 2. Davey hits the Alarm Clock but Eddie no sells and gives him a superkick which Davey non sells. Davey flips out of a suplex but eats another superkick and a German suplex which AGAIN Davey no sells and comes back with a LARIATO. Both are down. For some reason, they both are on the apron. They slug it out and Davey wins with kicks but Eddie ducks and Davey kicks the shit out of the ringpost. Eddie then gives him a kneebreaker on the apron to mild boos. Hmm. Davey tries wrenching the arm over the top rope but gives away him leg and eats a Dragon Screw legwhip into the ropes. Eddie hits the double foot stomp off the top for 2 and switches back to the half crab. Davey escapes and avoids a charge in the corner. Davey heads up top and gets a missile dropkick onto Eddie’s arm. He heads up top again and gets a beautiful SSP that gets 2. Davey tries the Kimura but gets rolled up for 2. Davey switches to the armbar but Eddie escapes and counters to the half crab and Davey taps at 20:01. Great back and forth match. One of my few complaints is the repetitive reversals and set ups on the top rope moves. It took them about 30 seconds for Davey to hits that pop up German. The selective no selling is always one of those half full/half empty issues and you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t so we’ll call it a wash on that. Everything else is fantastic, especially the opening 10 minutes and structure of the match with counter/finisher/counter/different finisher down the stretch. ****1/2

• Post-match, they tease dissension as Davey grabs the belt but only to put it around Eddie’s waist.

The 411: Excellent show. As if they don't have enough great shows and talent to go around, ROH seems to be getting even better and hitting quite the stride lately. The undercard could be better. But ANY show with two ****+ matches gets an easy and immediate recommendation.
Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]