ROH – Reborn: Stage Two, April 24, 2004, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

ROH – Reborn: Stage Two, April 24, 2004, Chicago Ridge, Illinois

Review by Brad Garoon and Jacob Ziegler

Intro

BG says: Another show that Jake and I went to live. Driving back from this was much more pleasant because of the shorter ride and great feeling after watching what we thought to be a really solid show and a great main event. Time to see how it holds up on tape.

I also want to mention that upon reading my review for Stage 1 I realized that some of my PBPs are on the long side. This is because of a new method I’ve been using to do them. I like it because it’s easier for me. So I’m sorry if long PBP bothers you, but it just works better for me.

We start things off, as always, with Samoa Joe’s ring. But Joe isn’t in the building because he was burned last night, so Bryan Danielson has taken his place. Homicide, who will be facing Danielson tonight shows up and takes over the segment, beating up the ROH student in the ring. The two stay civil and Homicide tells Danielson that he’s pissed off because he isn’t the champion so he’s going to do anything it takes to win his match tonight. Danielson isn’t scared. This was the worst Samoa Joe’s Ring ever, just showing that you need Joe to pull off this thing.

Dave Prazak is in the back with Matt Stryker. Nigel McGuiness shows up and says Stryker was the better man last night and thinks he can beat Joe. Prazak talks about Chicago’s history in World title matches. Stryker said he’s climbed the ladder against guys like BJ Whitmer, Chad Collyer and Tom Carter (who’ve never meant anything in ROH’s main event) and then won the prestigious Field of Honor, and now he gets Joe. Stryker says that he’s going to work Joe’s leg because nobody ever has before.

Becky Bayless begs for Special K to call her and Jack Evans thankfully shows up and serves Becky. Yeah, that ruled.

JZ says: Wow, Brad wasn’t kidding when he said worst Samoa Joe’s ring ever. And fancy that, Joe wasn’t there. I said it in my review of Reborn 1, that I’m not intimidated by Bryan Danielson, and he can barely cut promos to boot. It just sounds so forced and unnatural. Danielson would be much better served if he were just a silent assassin type who never showed emotion. Homicide isn’t the best on promos either, but Danielson makes Homicide look like Ric Flair or something. Homicide is still looking for Joe, by the way.

Dave Prazak is interviewing Stryker about his match with Joe, and Nigel McGuiness comes in and puts him over. Gosh, what a great sportsman. I really like Nigel a lot.

Jack Evans serves Becky, which I think should become a recurring event on all ROH home releases. Maybe Evans could find the band Breaking Benjamin and serve them too. If anyone deserves to get served, it’s those guys.

MATCH #1: Ace Steel vs. BJ Whitmer

BG says: Another match in the Saints v. Prophecy feud, which has yet to have a match officiated by Ricky Steamboat. Pre-match the Briscoes attack Ace Steel and give him a spike Jay Driller, which I must say is a great tag team finisher. The Briscoes run down the crowd because they can’t be faces in the Saints’ home town of Chicago. The Saints come out and retake the ring and check on Ace. Punk sucks up to the hometown, comparing the tag main event tonight to other Chicago great matches like Hart v. Austin and Hart v. Hart in a cage. He’s setting the bar pretty high for himself there. The Briscoes drag him outside so Cabana moonsaults onto them and they brawl to the back. Whitmer demands the match start and so it does. Steel blocks a big boot to start but gets neckbreakered. Whitmer works the neck capitalizing on the Jay driller. The crowd is chanting loudly for Steel. Ace fights back but gets eyepoked and beaten down. Suplex by Whitmer gets 2. Whitmer throws Steel outside and rams him into the barriers. Back inside Whitmer gets a snap mare and kicks steel on the back for 2. Steel fights back but a neckbreaker by Whitmer gets 2. Whitmer grabs a chinlock and turns it into a Steiner Recliner but the power of Chicago is behind Ace and he fights out. Whitmer puts Steel on top and goes for a suplex but Steel fights out and gets a sunset flip powerbomb from the top. Steel gets a clothesline and hits a dropkick in the corner. He gets a slingshot splash for 2. Whitmer goes for an exploder but it’s reversed to a rollup for 2. Whitmer hits a big boot and a forearm, and finally Steel succumbs to the wrist clutch exploder for 3. Good stuff paying off the pre-match beat down and the match was way more fluid than Whitmer’s match from the night before. Post match Whitmer continues the beat down and pastes Steel with a chairshot to the head.
Rating: **1/2

JZ says: Wow, Ace Steel is getting amazing babyface heat, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise since it’s his hometown and all. The Briscoes come in and do a complete 180 from the night before, as they insult Chicago and turn full heel. They can do both heel and babyface, which is one of the things that makes them such a great tag team. Anyway, a big brawl breaks out, and Ace takes a sick looking spike Jay Driller, as if that move ever doesn’t look sick. Ace though, being the tough bastard that he is, wants the match to go ahead as planned. This continues the Prophecy vs. Saints feud, which would go all the way to July, and not have that many great matches until the big finale at Death Before Dishonor II Part 2 in Chicago. But that’s another review. Anyway, this match isn’t bad at all, but it was really short. Whitmer gets the wrist clutch exploder for the win at 6:09, and then gives Ace an unbelievably hard chair shot at the end. Whitmer scored two big wins over the Saints on consecutive nights.
Rating: **

MATCH #2: Delirious & Shawn Daivari vs. Masada & Justin Credible

BG says: Oddly enough this is the first and would end up being the only time that the Carnage Crew B-Team would team up in a straight 2-on-2 match. Delirious and Credible start things off. Credible puts Delirious to the mat to start and spits on him. Delirious hits a big forearm on Credible in the corner and taunts him. Credible gets the rolling suplexes for 2. Masada tags in and chops on Delirious. Alabama slam gets 2 for Masada and he tags in Credible. Credible calls Masada in and they hit a double team powerbomb backbreaker in the corner. Masada tags back in and takes out both Delirious and Daivari. Delirious kicks Masada out of the ring and he gets beaten up by Daivari outside. Daivari tags in and gets a forearm to the back of Masada for 2. Daivari tries to put Masada on top but gets knocked down dropkicked. Delirious tags in and cuts off the Carnage Crew tag. Delirious gets a huge knee on Masada in the corner for 2. Daivari tags in and gets a backbreaker and Steiner Recliner on Masada. Masada powers out and piggyback slams Daivari Delirious and Credible both tag in and Credible beats on Double D (Delirious and Daivari for those who couldn’t figure it out) and gets a 2 count on Delirious. Masada comes in and helps out. Daivari gets sent to the floor and Delirious takes a double backbreaker. Credible goes up but Daivari crotches him. Delirious catches Masada with an enziguiri and Daivari hits the Magic Carpet Ride on Masada. That carpet is a foreign object and could have asbestos in it, so where’s the disqualification!? Credible hits That’s Incredible on Daivari and a superkick on Delirious. Masada hits a cool backbreaker Delirious which is good enough for 3. Good solid midcard tag match.
Rating: **1/4

JZ says: Your hero and mine, Brian Gorie, is our referee. I described my feelings on Credible and Masada separately in the Reborn Stage 1 review, and this would be their first tag team match with just the two of them. They do pretty well as a team, as good if not better than Loc & Devito. Delirious is pretty entertaining and a pretty solid wrestler, and I haven’t seen much of Daivari, but I swear that Magic Carpet Ride move could get over huge. Anyway, these four put on a really solid match, and I’m always pleased to see solid matches from the undercard and lesser known guys. Masada gets the pin on Delirious after a cool backbreaker at 8:09.
Rating: **1/4

RING OF HONOR TOP 5:
1) Matt Stryker
2) Bryan Danielson
3) Homicide
4) BJ Whitmer
5) John Walters

MATCH #3: Chad Collyer vs. John Walters

BG says: This is a rematch from The Last Stand. Walters won but Collyer claimed he could beat Walters without the 3 rope break rule in effect. Live this match seemed to suffer from a quiet crowd, and in matches like this the transfer to tape is often kind. Cool mat stuff to start that ends in Collyer getting his arm worked on. Test pf strength goes Walters’ way after a monkey flip but Collyer catches him in a headlock. Walters grabs the arm and continues beating on it. Crucifix rollup gets 2 for Walters. A fan calls for blood and Walters tells him to go the fuck home. That was great live. Collyer gets a shoulderblock but a monkeyflip is reversed to an armdrag. They each fight to armdrag the other outside but break instead. Some nice psychology there, with both guys deciding its a safer bet to quit that than risk getting tossed. Drop toehold by Collyer but Walters catches him with an armbar. Walters grabs the legs and gets a cool submission but Collyer grabs Walters’ head and gets out. Collyer chops on Walters who returns the favor with European uppercuts. Walters gets a European uppercut to the back of the head and gets a sort of electric chair drop into a sitting million dollar dream type dealie with a legvice… these moves need names. Back bodydrop by Walters gets 2. Collyer fights back with a great dragonscrew into a Texas cloverleaf attempt but Walters makes the ropes. Collyer keeps working the knee and gets a leg submission that I also don’t know the name of but Walters makes the ropes. Collyer gets an Indian deathlock with some fighting and two counting goodness in it. Walters headbutts to escape. Collyer gets a shinbreaker and figure four. It gets a 2 count but Walters turns it over and Collyer makes the ropes. John Walters kinda looks like Hitler sometimes. Just sayin’. Collyer goes for another dragonscrew but Walters blocks and gets an Oklahoma roll for 2. Walters gets a lariat but his leg is too hurt to capitalize. Walters does the double knee dealie but doesn’t sell the knee! He gets a chinlock and Russian leg sweep for 2. Collyer rolls him up for 2. German suplex gets 2 for Collyer and another rollup also gets 2. Walters gets a vertical suplex followed by a tiger driver into the sharpshooter but Collyer makes the ropes. Collyer goes for another cloverleaf but Walters makes the ropes. Shinbreaker is reversed to a rollup by Walters for 2. He gets a schoolboy for 2. Collyer rolls Walters up and locks the legs for the 3 count. Really good action in this, much better on tape then live, but nobody was sellin’ nothing and that got annoying really annoying in a match like this.
Rating: ***1/4

JZ says: Walters becomes my hero by telling the fan who wanted blood to “go the fuck home.” The crowd responds with a chant of “You Got Served.” That’s absolutely right, if you don’t like it, don’t come. If all you want to see is the scramble stuff, order the Best of ROH Scrambles tape and watch that. If you want only the hard hitting stuff, get the best of Samoa Joe. But if you’re going to try and shit on Chad Collyer and John Walters, you should indeed take Mr. Walters’ advice. This match was really solid, but I’m not sure why Collyer went over. He’s only worked two ROH match since, and one was a 4 Corner Survival match that he didn’t even win. On the other hand, Walters was about to get a big push and has recently won the Pure Title from Doug Williams. Ah well, it was a solid match, and Collyer did a cool rollup to win at 12:38.
Rating: ***1/4

MATCH #4: Four Corner Survival – Nigel McGuiness vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Rocky Romero vs. Austin Aries

BG says: If my memory serves, this is the match that got the crowd super-amped up. Romero & Nigel start. Nigel starts things off by working on the ankle but Romero grabs an ankle lock to escape. Rocky returns the favor until Nigel rolls him off and gets a backslide for 2. Rocky turns it into a hammerlock and Nigel escapes like an Englishman. Big kick to the thigh by Romero. Nigel tags in Rave. Rave takes Romero to the mat and doesn’t let him up but Romero catches Rave in an armlock. Rave takes Romero down with a headlock but gets legviced on the mat. Rave tags out to Aries and the crowd digs it. Aries catches Romero with a nice back elbow off the second rope. Romero goes for something tricky and baits Aries into a crossface but he makes the ropes. Romero tags in Rave who gets Aries in a sleeper as Punk gives Lovey a lesson on commentary. Aries tags Nigel in who takes it to Rave with European uppercuts. Nigel gets all over Rave with fancy Johnny Saint stuff and gets 2, frustrating Rave who gets a takedown for 2 and the crowd goes absolutely insane. Aries tags Nigel out. Aries gets Rave in a unique submission (I’m going to take a submission name class, I promise) so Rave goes back to the headlock but Aries reverses. Rave reverses to another headlock and takes Aries down with it. Aries reverses to a headlock of his own and blocks the legvice with his hands. I dig that, blocking moves with your hands rules. Rave eventually gets the vice but Aries gets out and hits a great dropkick to a seated Rave. Rave gets another headlock and we see that he was busted open by the dropkick. Rave gets a shoulder block but Romero grabs Rave on the apron and wrecks his arm on the ropes. Aries nails a fisherman’s neckbreaker and attacks the arm. Rings of Saturn by Aries but Rave is in the ropes. Two Perry Saturn moves in a row by Aries there. I wonder who’s stealing from whom? Rocky tags Aries out and attacks Rave’s arm. Really cool hammerlock submission by Romero and he takes it into a pinfall for 2. Romero destroys Rave with a kick to the face for 2 and Rave is suffering. Romero tags Aries in and he works Rave’s arm. Aries with a cool rollup into an armbar but he gets to the ropes. Rave comes back with an enziguiri but can’t capitalize because he’s just been beaten the hell up. Rave tags Nigel in who destroys Aries with European uppercuts. Hammerlock pedigree by Nigel gets two but Romero breaks up the pin. Nigel suplexes Romero onto Aries for 2 but Rave breaks it up. Rave gets a superkick on Nigel. Aries brainbusters Rave for 2 (even though rave isn’t legal). Romero and Aries trade chops and forearms. Aries misses the discus lariat and Romero slaps him with a jujigatame. Nigel comes in and takes out Romero and puts an arm submission on Aries. Romero hits a huge kick to Aries while he’s in the hold and Rave nails Nigel with a shining wizard for 2 but Romero saves. Just a reminder, Nigel and Aries are still legal. Rave beats on Romero and gets an STO for 2 but Aries saves. Aries and Rave duke it out Aries gets a side Russian into an arm submission but Romero breaks it up. Rave fights with Romero and gets a backslide on him for 2. Romero has Rave in an arm submission but Aries comes off the top with a leg drop on Romero to break. Nigel slams Rave’s arm down and puts him in an arm submission and Rave taps as Aries and Romero were fighting elsewhere. No tags were made after I made the reminder so Rave wasn’t legal. The ending was bittersweet; Rave wasn’t legal but all the beating on him, in general and on his arm paid off in the finish. This was also non-stop action. Romero, who last night said he hated St. Paul, now declares he hates the Midwest in great subtle fashion.
Rating: ***3/4

JZ says: Well, this is an eclectic mix of performers now isn’t it? I certainly like all of these guys, but Punk and Lovey keep putting this match over as a Do Or Die match, trying to insinuate that the loser of the fall may not get future bookings and all that, but all four guys are still working regularly with the company as I write this, and one of them is actually a champion. But I don’t care much about stuff like that, because this match rocked, and the crowd correctly recognizes the awesomeness it brings. This would be Aries’ first main show appearance, but the crowd knows who he is, as he gets a huge babyface reaction. Then the crowd goes even crazier for all of the cool Johnny Saint stuff that Nigel busts out midway through the match. These guys just put on a wicked cool match, and Rave sold his arm really well, which played into the finish, with Nigel getting the win with an arm submission at 16:41. Mind you that was 16:41 that was never boring, and probably one of the best Four Corner Survival’s outside of the World Title version at the Second Anniversary Show.
Rating: ***1/2

MATCH #5: Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide

BG says: After seeing this live I was dreading reviewing it. This 30 minute match bored me to tears live, and the praise it got afterwards confused the hell out of me, so maybe I’ll be proven otherwise here on tape. I was going to half ass this PBP but since the review is late I’ll go full on for you. Homicide goes nuts on some fans pre-match and Punk, on commentary, says it’s OK because they’re from Indiana. Tell em’ Punk, Indiana blows. Danielson puts Homicide on the mat but he grabs the arm and gets up. Knuckle lock and Homicide vices his ankles around Danielson’s head but gets caught in a Boston crab. He makes the ropes. Homicide bails and throws a chair into the ring but Danielson is ready for him. Danielson follows him out so Homicide takes the high ground back inside. Danielson locks up Homicide’s arms and gets a suplex for 2 but Homicide holds on to the arms and gets the advantage. Shoulders Danielson’s gut in the corner and a legvice but he reverses out. Danielson segues into a leglock and turns it into a Mutalock and turns THAT over for a 2 count. Danielson pulls on Homicide’s face to a 4 count 3 times. Big knee to the face by Danielson and a shoulder block and bodyslam gets 2. Danielson puts on a noselock, yep a noselock, but Homicide gets to the ropes. Homicide takes Danielson down with a headlock and traps the arm but Danielson uses his legs to vice him. Homicide turns it into a leglock and digs his head into Danielson’s back. Homicide holds onto the leg but Danielson makes the ropes. That was an interesting segment. Homicide jaws with the fans some more. Danielson puts Homicide down with a surfboard but he rolls out and puts Danielson in the same hold. He powers out and gets to the ropes. Big strikes by Danielson but he gets caught with a back elbow and a 2nd rope kneedrop. Homicide gets a neckbreaker for 2. Homicide guillotines Danielson with the bottom rope and I’m watching the clock noticing that the match is 1/3 done. Homicide gets the chinlock but Danielson powers out. He gets some chops by in the corner and Homicide goes to the eyes to stop that. Homicide dumps him on the floor and goes for the tope but chooses not to and flips off the fans. Nice, but the heeldom was not to last. He throws Danielson against the rails outside and rams a chair into his neck. Homicide grabs the ring bell and nails Danielson with it as Punk talks about Savage hitting Steamboat with the bell (ooooooooooh, foreshadowing). Homicide goes to punch Danielson but comes up with steel and Danielson attacks the hand with a chair and then goes nuts on it (the hand that is). Ring bell to Homicide’s hand and Danielson is going nuts on him outside. Back in Homicide pleads for mercy so Danielson asks the crowd what to do. The crowd says to mess him up, so he obliges with a boot to the head and some European uppercuts. Indian deathlock by Danielson with pressure on the injured hand. He gets a two count and turns it into an armbar but Homicide makes the ropes. More hand slappy fun from Danielson but Homicide uses the injured hand for a chop and actually sells the hand. Danielson chops him down for 2 and goes back to work on the hand. The crowd starts chanting for both men even though Homicide has been trying his hardest to be a heel. Homicide gets an enziguiri and a dropkick to send Danielson outside. Homicide hits the tope, rendering all his heel work earlier useless because the crowd now loves him again. The match is 2/3 over. Back inside Homicide gets a bodyslam and goes to the top rope and sells the hand while making the cutthroat motion (awesome!), but misses the headbutt. Homicide blocks the discus forearm, Danielson blocks the Ace crusher, messes up the hand and hits the forearm. Danielson gets the airplane spin and slam which of course means it’s time for the dizzy diving headbutt but unlike the night before he hits it this time and gets 2. He goes up again but Homicide cuts him off, but the hand slows him down. Homicide gets a supercanrana, but he goes for the lariat with the weak arm so it’s blocked and we get a double clothesline. Both men get up at 9 and Danielson attacks with uppercuts. Forearm in the corner and a northern lights suplex gets 2 for Danielson. He gets a full nelson but Homicide gets out, only to get rolled up for 2. He stays on the hand but Homicide uses the good hand and a yakuza kick to get 2. Homicide goes up and gets cut off with a super duper plex and both men are done. Danielson gets a 2 count out of it. Homicide gets an awesome piledriver for 2. Wow, that was great. Homicide puts on the STF but its not on well because he is favoring his hand. Danielson makes the ropes. Homicide goes for the lariat again but it’s blocked and Danielson gets the cattle mutilation. His neck is messed up so he can’t keep it on. Homicide kicks out and goes for the cop killa. It gets reversed to a dragon suplex attempt but Homicide hits a low blow and a lariat for the 3 count. ARGH, he had to use the bad arm to finish the match, he just had to! Anyway, it was much better than I remembered it being and had a lot of good action and selling. On the other hand it was too long at 30 minutes making it kind of boring, and that whole using the injured limb to win the match thing bothers me. A 20 minute match between the two would probably be amazing.
Rating: ***1/2

JZ says: Ooooookay, here’s another in the rare series of disagreements between Brad and myself. We were both bored watching this live, but only one of us appreciates it on tape. I also have to take issue with Brad saying Homicide was trying as hard as he could to be a heel, when this is not really true. He’ll have some great heel moves, but then undoes everything by doing that damned tope anyway. When Homicide is 100% committed to being a heel, he is really, really good at it. Punk puts over what a great job referee Paul Turner is doing, and I have to agree with him. Anyway, this match bored me over and over again, as Lovey compares it to a chess match. What an apt comparison, as I was about as interested in this match as I would be watching two nerds play chess. Not that Danielson and Homicide are nerds, but, you know. Homicide gets the win at 29:46. It really should have been about 10 minutes shorter.
Rating: ***

INTERMISSION

BG says: In the back Rave and Evans wish Stryker good luck, and Prazak tells Stryker that Joe has not arrived yet and if he doesn’t show up they will award him the title by forfeit. Stryker doesn’t want it that way and he’s just gonna leave to focus. He doesn’t think Joe would bail. Collyer comes up and tells Stryker that he should hand the title to him if he beats Joe tonight because of all the wins he has over him. That was awkward. Never put Collyer in front of a camera again.

JZ says: I like that people wish the challenger to Joe’s title luck, but I don’t like that that person is Matt Stryker. Joe actually has not arrived yet, but Stryker is confident that Joe will be there. And that Collyer promo is really strange, and couple that with the above-mentioned fact that he has only worked one ROH match since this show makes it even weirder.

MATCH #6: Ricky Reyes vs. Danny Daniels

BG says: Who wants popcorn? I’m surprised this match made the tape. Danny Daniels gets an STO on Reyes and grabs a headlock. Reyes gets armdragged a bunch and bails. Daniels hits a baseball slide but I guess Ricky has anti-baseball slide spray on because he ignores it and trips him up. Daniels gets a drop toehold and knees Reyes a bunch. He gets a double stomp/senton combo for 2. Chops by Daniels as they flash to the back because they’re obviously as interested in this match as I am. Prazak tells us that Joe has arrived and has 15 minutes to get ready for the World title match. Sorta limits the time for the scramble match seeing as how live I don’t remember them saying it had a 15 minute time limit. Back to the action as Daniels gets a fisherman’s suplex for 2. Reyes gets a German suplex for 2. Figure four attempt by Reyes is reversed to a rollup for 2. Daniels gets a piledriver for 2. Daniels calls for the end and tries for the electric chair but Reyes fights out, hits a kick to the leg and gets a leglock for the win. This was nothing. I had the opportunity to look at Jake’s ratings for this match and the last one before I wrote this and saw that he gave this a higher rating than the last match. I may not love Homicide/Danielson as much as a lot of ROH fans, but I think we should all collectively slap the crap out of him for his glaringly incorrect opinion.
Rating: *

JZ says: This really wasn’t a good match or anything, but it wasn’t boring, and it was short, so I’m okay with it. Reyes got the win with a leglock in a mere 5:40.
Rating: **

MATCH #7: Tag Team Scramble – Dunn & Marcos vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley vs. Matt Sydal & Jack Evans vs. Carnage Crew

BG says: Shelley and Marcos start. Shelley gets all Michigan-British on Marcos’ ass and chops him up. He does stuff that doesn’t really work for me so Marcos arm drags out and rolls him up for 2. Yep, he armdragged him because the moves weren’t working for ME. Backslide gets 2 for Marcos. Leg lariat and 2nd rope clothesline by Shelley. Dunn comes in and Shelley spears him into Marcos. Shelley abdominal stretches the RCE at the same time, so Sydal enziguiris him. Sydal and Dunn playfight for a while until Loc comes in and kills Dunn. Jacobs comes in with a dropkick to Loc and the crowd loves him. Jacobs bites Loc’s hand but gets knocked down and chopped real bad. Loc tries to throw Jacobs’ head into the corner but he husses up. Dropkick to Loc’s knee and he stomps on his hand but gets caught with a back suplex. Evans comes in and he flips around until DeVito lariats the crap out of him. Evans kicks the Carnage Crew so Devito forearms the flippy out of him. He chops on Evans and gets some clotheslines into a northern lights suplex. The Crew beat up on Dunn and Marcos but Jacobs makes the save. The Michigan Militia tandemly attack the Carnage Crew. Jacobs and Shelley double team submission Sydal until Evans saves. Sydal takes out the Militia and Evans gets some flippy stuff on Jacobs but Marcos saves. Marcos gets a big DDT on Evans. Dunn gets a powerbomb on Sydal. Double team senton by the RCE on Sydal. No scramble match can be perfect and Dunn and Marcos do some crappy stuff with the stage dive to lousy up the match. Jack Evans goes for a dive but Loc stops him and powerbombs him onto everyone on the outside. Shelley gets a neckbreaker on Loc. Sydal gets a shooting star press onto everyone on the floor. DeVito moonsaults onto everyone. Evans, not to be outdone overcomes his powerbomb and dives onto everyone. Jacobs stops Evans from doing another dive and then gets caught by the Carnage Crew with the spike piledriver. Loc and Devito get pulled out and Evans, obviously mad that Jacobs stopped his reason for being, gets a 630 senton on him for the 3 count. Good action but nothing we haven’t seen a million times before. Post match Shelley turns on Jacobs and the crowd turns on Shelley. I think this would have been a great time to push both guys, but I’m just a recapper and all that. Not on the tape is DeVito nailing a fan with a chair by accident and then being a good guy by making sure he was alright.
Rating: ***

JZ says: It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of both Jimmy Jacobs and Alex Shelley, so this match has some mark-out value for me. I’ll talk more about them in a bit. CM Punk actually has the gall to badmouth the Ring Crew Express’ “We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore” tour. How dare he! Furthermore, how dare these eight talented competitors do the damned requisite “everybody dives” nonsense that EVERY scramble match has. They’re better than that. Jacobs sells like a champ in this match, and takes not only the Carnage Driver, but then a sick 630 splash from Jack Evans, who got the victory at 12:52. Eh, I liked it but didn’t love it. It really doesn’t make sense for Evans & Sydal to go over, as they are two guys who never teamed before or since, and they beat two established tag teams and another team that had teamed together before in ROH a couple of times. I understand they wanted to put Evans over, but would it kill them to give Dunn & Marcos a win for a change? After the match is the real story, as Alex Shelley totally turns on Jacobs, extending his hand to help him up, but then kicks him down instead, and throws his sweat on him. That was so great because Shelley didn’t totally destroy Jacobs, but totally disrespected him, which is even worse. The crowd totally ate this up, as Shelley got monster heel heat for it. Here’s the thing though about Shelley and Jacobs. Shelley is definitely way over as a heel and is a really good worker, but imagine if Shelley did this heel turn on someone like Matt Stryker (in any state but Ohio), and see how the crowd would care. The crowd cared because Shelley is a really good heel, but more so, they were pissed because he turned on Jimmy Jacobs. The crowd chants Huss very loudly as Jacobs gets up, and I’m not the only one who thinks this guy is good. I’m not saying that Shelley couldn’t have gotten over any other way, but I think fans need to acknowledge more how much Jacobs has assisted him in getting over time and time again.
Rating: ***1/4

MATCH #8: ROH World Title Match – Matt Stryker vs. Samoa Joe

BG says: Joe has a bandage on his face from the fireball the night before. No streamers for Joe tonight, how odd. Nobody gives Stryker a chance. In fact the crowd chants “Joe’s gonna kill you.” Big kick to the thigh by Joe starts this match off. Joe loses the bandage on a knuckle lock and is sporting a nice burn on his face. And by nice I mean gross, which I guess is not nice. Drop toehold and chinlock by Joe into a headlock. Stryker escapes and attacks the arm. Joe gets out and gets a half crab on Stryker. Joe gets a hammerlock and stays hard on the arm but Stryker makes the ropes. Joe stays on the leg with kicks but Stryker comes back with chops. Joe messes Stryker’s face up so he forearms back. Joe reverses a Stryker charge to a big STO and the crowd eats it up. He gets the chop/kick/knee combo for 2. They trade chops and Stryker gets the worst of it. Stryker is dirty so Joe washes his face a bit. Headbutt by Joe puts Stryker flat on his back. Joe starts looking pissed and destroys Stryker as they trade striking moves. He gets a sweeping kick so Stryker rolls out and Joe gets ready for the suicide dive. He gets it but lands hard and its ole ole time. Stryker blocks and attacks the leg. Joe dodges a clothesline and nails a superkick to put Stryker back in the chair. Ole kick whiffs but Stryker sells it anyway, because really, do you want to tell Joe he missed? Joe, displeased with the lame first ole kick, nails a second one. Back inside Joe gets a 2 count. He slaps Stryker around gets a back suplex and goes up. Stryker gets a suplex off the top on Joe, and wow that was quite a visual. Chops mess Joe up and Stryker chokes him with the boot in the corner. Running forearm gets 2 for Stryker. Sleeper by Stryker but Joe makes the ropes. He hangs Joe’s leg up on the top rope and attacks it but Joe fights back and destroys him. Stryker comes back with an eye poke. Surfboard Stretch by Stryker but Joe reverses out so Stryker hits the spike DDT for 2. He puts Joe on top and says its time for a DVD (not really picked up on tape, but I fondly remember this happening live) but Joe fights him off. Joe tries the muscle buster but Stryker blocks and gets a dragon screw from the top. He puts the ankle lock on but Joe rolls through. Stryker lock but Joe makes the ropes. Joe blocks the shinbreaker and hits knees, so Stryker grabs the leg and gets the big DVD for 2 in the first moment that the crowd thought he might win. He gets a backslide but Joe roles through and hits a huge lariat for 2. Stryker gets a shinbreaker and tries an ankle lock but Joe gets an enziguiri. One triangle choke later and Joe is still your ROH World champion. Good action and a neat sequence leading up to the finish but it was kind of a strange way to end it. This was built like Whitmer’s match against Joe back at Wrath of the Racket, but that was in front of Whitmer’s hometown. The Chicago fans either didn’t care or didn’t like Stryker so the heat was all behind the favorite in this one, not the underdog at all. In the back Joe asks the camera man where Homicide is and sends the message that he should meet him in the back.
Rating: ***1/4

JZ says: I love that the crowd chants “Joe’s gonna kill you.” Booking this match to happen anywhere besides Ohio seems kind of counter-productive, as crowds are apathetic to Stryker anywhere besides his home state. To his credit, Stryker gives it a game effort, and this match might have been better had the crowd actually believed he had a chance to win. Joe gives me ammunition for not liking the Ole kick by whiffing it pretty badly. Though as Brad said, I totally don’t blame Stryker for selling it anyway. Stryker actually is able to toss Joe off the top rope, and informs everyone that “it’s time for a DVD!” I now say that every time I’m going to watch a DVD, even if I’m alone. Shut up. Stryker then actually gets a very near-fall with a DVD, and the crowd collectively gasps. The finish kind of comes out of nowhere at 18:57, as Joe gets a submission with a triangle choke. Not a bad match by any means.
Rating: ***

Michigan Militia Breaks Up

BG says: In the back Alex Shelley sheds Jimmy Jacobs because he doesn’t like backpacks. I personally love backpacks and don’t know how I’d get around campus without one. I suppose a shoulder pack deal would work, but I just never got into those. Shelley says Generation Next is gonna be his night and he doesn’t want Jacobs hanging around.

JZ says: Here’s Shelley at his absolute dick best. I can understand why he hoes on Jimmy Jacobs (because Shelley is a dick of course, and thinks it’s Jacobs’ fault they lost), but I gotta agree with Brad about the backpacks. I mean, what did they ever do to him? This made Shelley into a super heel, and turned Jacobs into an awesome sympathetic babyface. Strangely, only one of them is getting the push.

MATCH #9: ROH World Tag Team Title Match – CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe

BG says: The Saints get streamer treatment. I bet Joe doesn’t like that at all. The crowd firmly hates the Briscoes. Punk and Mark start. Lockup sees Punk push Mark to the corner and give a clean break because he’s a “big babyface.” Mark puts Punk against the ropes and of course we don’t get a clean break from him. Mark beats Punk in a test of strength but Punk rolls him up for 2 and they trade 2 counts and armdrags. Punk stays on the arm and tags in Cabana. Jay comes in and gets tricked and tripped by Cabana, who rules ass. Big hurricanrana and armdrag by Cabana. He tweaks Jay’s neck and gets a back elbow for 2. Punk tags in and gets an assisted springboard senton. Big kick to Jay’s back for 2. Bodyslam for 2. Cabana tags in and they get funky with a double elbow drop. Cabana forgets he’s legal and goes out. The crowd laughs and he comes back in. Jay gets tripped up again into a pendulum double team submission as punk tags back in. Mark comes in and gets atomic dropped on Jay. The Saints do some crazy double teaming on the Briscoes and the crowd and myself love it. Knee in the corner and tiger backbreaker gets 2 for Punk. He hits the chinlock as Cabana and Mark jaw with each other. Punk turns it into a sleeper but Jay gets out and tags in Mark who hits the springboard dropkick. Jay chokes out Punk in the corner and Cabana slaps an unsuspecting Mark. Jay hits a nice dropkick and taunts the Saints as he tags in Mark. He gets double stomps and a kneedrop on Punk and an elbow for 2. Mark chokes Punk out with his shin and I wish I hadn’t watched the Reborn shows back to back because there’s entirely too much of that maneuver. Punk fights off both Briscoes but can’t make the tag. Jay tags in and chops away. He gets a sleeper but Punk fights out. Jay slams Punk down by the hair and gets 2. That’s always a great heel move. Mark tags in and they get the double team kneedrop for 2 but Cabana saves. Mark taunts Cabana and the Briscoes do a phantom tag. Mark tags back in and they double team on Punk. Punk gets obliterated in the corner by both Briscoes. Punk dodges both brothers and tags in Cabana who takes care of business with an Asai moonsault for 2 on both. He gets a double knee to Mark and a neckbreaker to Jay. He rolls up Mark for 2 right into a doomsday device attempt which gets all kinds of reversals and ends up with Punk baseball sliding Jay on the outside and Cabana getting hurricanrana’d by Mark for 2. Punk comes back with a Rico kick to Mark and a spike DDT for 2 as Jay comes off the top with a legdrop. Jay gets a DVD on Punk for 2. It’s doomsday device time but Punk reverses for an elevated powerslam which gets 2. Cabana sends Jay outside so its Pepsi Plunge time. Jay pulls Cabana out and Mark backdrops Punk off the top and hits a back kick. Everyone takes everyone out with big moves and all four men are down as the match becomes impossible to follow, in a good way. Cabana gets a neato move on Mark for 2 but gets Jay drilled as Punk gets Ace crushered off the top by Mark. The Jay driller gets 2. The Briscoes argue with the ref and Punk gets a rollup for 2 but Mark saves. The Briscoes put Punk up for a double superplex but Colt crotches Mark and Jay gets tossed off opening the door for Punk to hit the Pepsi Plunge on Mark (and a real nasty one) for the 3 count. NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!!! Great match that had a few awkward spots near the end but was still phenomenal and helped immensely by the super hot crowd. The Briscoes and BJ Whitmer beat on the Saints post-match until Steel comes back out with a chair and destroys Whitmer as the Briscoes flee. The Saints celebrate deservedly.
Rating: ****

JZ says: This was one of the most exciting matches I’ve seen in person, and I was really hoping for that to translate to tape. Thankfully, it does. Lovey signs off early, because he wanted to see this match as a fan, and Punk is of course otherwise occupied. In one of the funnier things I’ve ever seen Colt do (and I’ve seen a lot), he trips one of the Briscoes as they go to run the ropes. It may not sound THAT funny, but I laughed out loud. Cabana looks really good in this match, and at one point I was thinking that me might be even more over than Punk. The crowd helps makes this match, which was having no trouble being good by itself. Punk gets the pin with a wicked looking Pepsi Plunge at 19:48, and I must second Brad’s rating with the same. Whitmer tries to ruin the celebration, but Ace Steel comes back and takes his receipt with an equally sick chair shot on Whitmer. And the party is on.
Rating: ****

POST SHOW

BG says: Backstage Homicide finds Joe, whose face is covered. They step into the bathroom and Joe says for the cameraman to wait to see who comes out.

The Carnage Crew says they had a bad weekend because they lost and didn’t find out who crapped in their bags. Crap this crap that, this angle is crap.

Back to the bathroom door but we only hear the sounds of angry sex.

Punk says that the Saints are the best and tries to cut a serious promo but Colt cuts him off with a huge party and Good Times Great Memories and the whole locker room celebrating with the Saints. Punk is miserable as always. Cabana leads everyone in a round of we are the champions. The whole dynamic of the Second City Saints is great.

Back to the bathroom door, there are no sounds so the cameraman walks in to find both guys laid out cold. He calls for help and we be out!

JZ says: Brad covered this pretty well, but I gotta add that I again laughed out loud when Punk took that party favor in the eye. Colt is just hilarious and Punk as his straight man is equally good. Toss Ace in there, who can be either funny or serious, and you’ve got some serious goodness going on.

Brad’s MVP: Colt Cabana. All four men from the main event deserve it, but Colt was funny in addition to rocking wrestling-wise.

Jake’s MVP: Mark Briscoe, because I want to give it to one of them and I gave it to Jay two shows ago.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail Brad at [email protected]
E-mail Jacob at [email protected]

See you soon with our review of “Round Robin Challenge III!”

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The 411: BG says: Overall, a good solid show with a stand out main event tag and again no really bad matches. I'd have to say the Reborn weekend was a success. JZ says: I liked this show a lot too, and having been there live always gives it a special place in my heart. It wasn't quite as good as the previous night's show, but it nearly was, and the main event here is better. Great weekend for ROH, especially in light of all that was going on at the time.

Final Score:  7.2   [ Good ]