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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: El Generico – Ole! Ole! – Disc 2
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Tokyo Summit
Tokyo, Japan
September 14, 2008
El Generico vs. Taiji Ishimori
Ishimori is someone I’ve needed to watch more of for a long time.
The fans were very behind Generico. Generico worked over Ishimori after cutting him off with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Ishimori came back and hit a moonsault to the floor. Generico seemingly set up for the Overly Complicated Powerbomb, but it ended up being the rare Overly Complicated Driver. They started going back and forth after that. They traded some big movez and nearfalls. Ishimori hit a few big movez in a row and then finished Generico with a Superstar Elbow.
This was a fun match with some good spots and sequences. It never really came together completely though, and that it holds it back from being very good or better.
Match Rating: ***1/4
Proving Ground – Night 2
Orlando, Florida
February 27, 2009
El Generico vs. Bryan Danielson
The infamous hugging sequence happens before the match. Also, remember when D’Low Brown got his first shot at the ROH World Championship? That was this show. Dragon cut off Generico very early and dominated the match for a while. The match easy to watch but not particularly interesting. Generico finally came back after a tope con HELLO. They started going back and forth quickly enough. Generico escaped from the triangle and hit a couple of yakuzas. Dragon came back and applied Cattle Mutilation. Bison Smith came down to the ringside area. Dragon wiped him out with a tope suicida. Generico then hit a yakuza and the turnbuckle brainbuster: 1…2…3!
This match was very enjoyable throughout. If they started heated up the match earlier and were allowed to get into that final gear, we would have had something truly special. As it stands now, it’s just another very good match in each man’s career.
Match Rating: ***3/4
The Omega Effect
Mississauga, Ontario
November 14, 2009
El Generico vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
Nakajima briefly worked him over. Generico hit a very telegraphed dive. Nakajima just standing there waiting for it strained credulity The match felt rather flat, but Generico then nailed him with an awesome Michinoku Driver. They went back and forth for a while. Generico hit a ton of offense, but Nakajima reversed a brainbuster into one of his own. Generico did eventually hit the brainbuster, but Nakajima kicked out. Nakajima hit a diving knee drop and two big kicks for a very weak nearfall. Nakajima hit a bunch of superkicks while Hero pointing out that Nakajima hurt his leg and shouldn’t be able to do it. Nakajima then awkwardly ended the match with a bridging German.
This match started out only fine, heated up, and then pretty much fell apart in the final two minutes.
Match Rating: **3/4
ROH on HDNet #63
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
El Generico vs. Tyler Black
Tyler had control early on, but Generico came back with a tope con hello. They quickly started going back and forth. They were busting out a ton of stuff. Generico called for the Yakuza, but Kevin Steen attacked him. Generico won via disqualification.
Steen went for Generico again, but Tyler gave him a superkick.
This match was light and easy to watch. It felt like an undercard PWG match where the guys are trying to steal the show. The lack of finish brings it down though.
Match Rating: ***1/4
Salvation
Chicago Ridge, Illinois
July 24, 2010
El Generico & Colt Cabana vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie “Eddie Edwards” Edwards)
This was a part of the 2010 Tag Wars. Generibana had a fair amount of success early on. The Wolves eventually cut off Generico and worked him over. Colt eventually made a hot tag. Generico recovered and took out EEEE with a dive. The teams traded control for a while after that. Really thought we were close to the end after the Colt hot tag. It certainly would have made the match better. The teams then went back and forth to hopefully end the match. Generico killed Davey with a turnbuckle brainbuster as Colt made EEEE tap out to the Billy Goat’s Curse.
The quality of this match fluctuated a bit too much for my tastes. Nothing about it was truly exciting and they ended up going too long.
Match Rating: **3/4
SoCal Showdown
Los Angeles, California
January 28, 2011
Roderick Strong(c) vs. El Generico [ROH World Heavyweight Championship]
Generico had just concluded his Kevin Steen feud a month earlier.
Roddy cut off Generico after a few minutes. Generico came back after a yakuza and a tope con HELLO. Roddy fought back and nearly had the match won with the Strong Hold. Generico planted him with the Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Generico got a Strong Hold of his own. Roddy reversed it into a LeBell Lock. Roddy overwhelmed him with big strikes. Roddy hit a yakuza and the Orange Crush Backbreaker: 1…2…NO! Generico fought right back and got a great nearfall with a brainbuster. Roddy resorted to using the belt to hit Generico. He then finished him with a Sick Kick/Gibson Driver combo.
This match featured all the trappings of the ROH mindset regarding main events at the time, but it was much better executed than matches like The Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves. The match definitely is long for the sake of long with nothing in the first ten to twelve minutes meaning much in the grand scheme of things. They turned it down the stretch to salvage it though…only for the finish to throw away a lot of the goodwill they got back. I don’t know. I might be overrating this one a tad.
Match Rating: ***1/4
Manhattan Mayhem
New York City, New York
March 19, 2011
El Generico vs. TJ Perkins
TJP tore it up on numerous occasions for Ring of Honor in 2011-2012. ROH could never figure out how to use him though because they are incompetent.
This match was delightful. They just did a ton of cool movez and sequences. There was also a great unintentional comedy moment when Kevin Kelly had to ask Dave Prazak who Bryce Remsburg was. TJP hit the Detonation Kick but then had his tope suicida reversed into an APRON BRAINBUSTER: 1…2…3! His head got PLANTED on the apron.
ALL WRESTLING SHOULD BE DONE THIS WELL!
Match Rating: ***1/2
Honor Takes Center Stage – Chapter 2
Atlanta, Georgia
April 2, 2011
We saw footage of El Generico defeating Roderick Strong. He was mauled after the match though. Colt Cabana tried to make the save, but he failed. Christopher Daniels showed up and turned on Generico/Cabana! He fell for the Book of Truth! Roddy put Generico through a chair.
Revolution: USA
Dearborn, Michigan
May 6, 2011
El Generico vs. Roderick Strong (w/ Truth Martini) [No Disqualification]
Roddy attacked him from behind before the match and immediately got control. Generico fought back after hitting a moonsault off a barricade. Roddy cut him off again though. They started going back and forth after Generico hit him with a chair. Roddy cut him off yet again after an apron backbreaker. Generico finally made his (for real) comeback. Generico avoided a Book of Truth shot. Back and forth action. Roddy used a chair for a gutbuster and then hit an awesome Sick Kick! Strong Hold! Generico survived and then introduced a table into the match. Generico gave Roddy a splash through the table: 1…2…NO! Generico avoided Elgin’s interference and then gave Truth a yakuza. Generico had Roddy finished with a brainbuster, but Elgin pulled out the ref. Christopher Daniels then attacked Generico. Colt Cabana saved Generico from being put through a table. Generico wiped out the HoT with a tope con HELLO! Generico seemed to be setting up for an avalanche brainbuster through a table, but Roddy gave him a low blow. Urinagi backbreaker through the table: 1…2…3
This started out weak and slow, but the final ten minutes or so redeemed it a great deal. The first half of the match arguably shouldn’t have happened at all considering this was just a middle chapter-of-a-feud match with an unsatisfying finish. Keep it short and simple. Just get right to the good stuff.
Match Rating: ***
Best in the World
New York City, New York
June 26, 2011
Christopher Daniels(c) vs. El Generico [ROH Television Championship]
I haven’t seen this match since I first saw the show in 2011. I am quite excited for it!
Generico had the early advantage. Daniels cut him off in a fairly nondescript manner and then did some Jeff Jarrett mannerisms. Daniels worked him over in a rather uninteresting manner. Generico eventually low-bridged Daniels to the floor and then hit the tope con hello! By the way, Daniels is basically trying to do as little as possible in this match. Daniels cut him off again in the most unspectacular manner. Generico repeatedly went for the brainbuster, but Daniels kept blocking it. Generico finally hit the yakuza/brainbuster combo. Generico hit the coast-to-coast, and Daniels had to grab the ropes to save the title. Daniels came back and hit a suplex on the floor. Daniels foolishly thought that there was no way that Generico could recover from that. He actually put the belt around his wait to signal his victory. Naturally, Generico got back into the ring before the ten count. Daniels acting like Generico shouldn’t have survived is perfectly fitting with his character. ROH trying to make us believe that it was a legit possibly is so fucking stupid after the stuff Generico went through for his feud with Steen. Daniels went for the BME with the belt on his waist, but Generico blocked it. Yakuza. Turnbuckle Brainbuster: 1…2…3
For a company that has a long history of incredibly ambitious matches under-delivering, it’s interesting to watch a very simple/unambitious match over-delivering. Daniels got away with doing the very bare minimum to get a match over here. He did nothing creative in the ring whatsoever, but he maximized a handful of character beats to get the crowd to rally behind Generico. That is absolutely to be admired, but I was genuinely taken off guard how little in-ring stuff he wanted to do. I enjoyed this match, but I didn’t think it was great at all.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Watch El Generico matches for free!
Recently released: Sami Zayn vs. Alex Riley
El Generico vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Nick Jackson vs. Jigsaw [One of the best Chikara matches ever]
El Generico vs. PAC [2012]
El Generico vs. PAC [2007]
El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. Super Dragon & Excalibur
El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. The Young Bucks
El Generico, KENTA, & Kevin Steen vs. Chris Hero & The American Wolves
El Generico vs. Davey Richards
El Generico vs. Samuray del Sol
El Generico & Twiggy vs. zombies
El Generico vs. Big Van Walter
El Generico & Paul London vs. Jake Manning & Joey Silvia
