ROH 45 – Death Before Dishonor II: Part 2 – July 24th 2004
I really feel like I’m misleading you guys over what ROH shows to buy and which ones not to. Honestly, I rated last nights DBD2 Part 1 as one of the shows of the year, where as the general consensus goes so far as to suggest it’s even a show you can skip. The general opinion is that Reborn Completion offers something for everyone, where as I felt, aside from the Williams/Shelley match, it was a little lacking in terms of in-ring stuff. Obviously everyone’s entitled to their opinion, I’ve just noticed mine is starting to get a little different. But that’s not necessarily bad, I still enjoy ROH…and in the case of some shows, clearly I enjoy them more than others!
And onto tonight’s business, Part 2 of this year’s Death Before Dishonor event. This show is generally credited as not only the better of the DBD2 shows, but one of the best shows of the year. Much like Part 1, the card looks wonderfully solid, with lots to look forward to. Alex Shelley and Jimmy Jacobs wrestle again, and having recently rewatched their match at The Last Stand, I have high hopes. Doug Williams defends the Pure Title against Austin Aries, the Briscoes are in singles competition, with Mark against Low Ki and Jay against Homicide. Samoa Joe defends the ROH Title against hometown boy Colt Cabana, and the Main Event is a Chicago Street Fight – CM Punk and Ace Steel against Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer. Enough babble about the card. We’re in Chicago Ridge, IL. Hosts are Jimmy Bower and Mark Nulty.
Contender’s ring is the same as it was last night and at Reborn Completion. No backstage stuff over the DBD2 weekend, so it’s right into the action…
Rocky Romero vs Chad Collyer
Really interesting choice to open the show this, and it reeks of Chad Collyer’s early days with the promotion back in 2003 when we opened both Revenge On The Prophecy and Expect The Unexpected with Collyer vs Stryker. Romero picked up a big win at Part 1 by making Dan Maff tap out as he and Low Ki defeated Maff and Whitmer. He then joined the rest of the Rottweilers later in the night to disrespect Samoa Joe and the title belt. Expect Romero to get some wins now before being fed to Joe to further the Joe/Rotts angle. Collyer had a shockingly decent post-intermission match with Danny Daniels last night, and as such I’m mildly optimistic about this. Romero has Julius Smokes, Low Ki and Homicide in his corner.
Armdrags to start, with Romero arguing that Collyer pulled his (non-existent) hair. Collyer goes after Romero’s leg early, already thinking about the Texas Cloverleaf. They trade monkey flips out of a knucklelock, before Romero pulls Collyer into a headscissors. Collyer counters with a Cloverleaf attempt but Rocky grabs the ropes. Kick to the head from Romero as he uses his martial arts sh*t to bring himself back into the match. Jumping heel kick from Collyer, then a suplex for 2. Romero does RVD’s step-through reverse enziguri, then puts Collyer into the cross armbreaker. That softens up the arm, and Romero proceeds to work that mother over. He goes back to the armbreaker but again Collyer gets to the ropes. Bridging German suplex from Collyer gets 2. Romero scores with an armbar DDT and brings himself back into the ascendancy. Collyer tries for a victory roll but they trade roll ups until Collyer boots Romero to the floor. Collyer clotheslines him on the floor then sends him inside to avoid the rest of the Rottweilers. FLYING CROSSBODY from Collyer gets 2. He drills Rocky with a brainbuster for another nearfall. Cross armbreaker from Romero…but one more time Collyer makes the ropes. TEXAS CLOVERLEAF FROM COLLYER! Romero makes the ropes though. Romero blocks a dragon screw with a shot to the arm – CROSS ARMBREAKER! Collyer taps at 11:30. Romero is apparently destined for the Contenders Ring.
Rating - *** - And in the final analysis, it really was quite a lot like the Collyer/Stryker bouts from early 2003. The psychology wasn’t perfect (Collyer didn’t work the leg a great deal for the Cloverleaf…and forgot to sell the arm at points) but the crowd are it up, and when you’re the opening match, whipping them into a frenzy is far more important than having a technically perfect affair. Give me this kind of opener any day over the spotty fourway from DBD2 Part 1.
Jimmy Jacobs vs Alex Shelley
They came into ROH together at Wrestlerave 2003 with a stellar effort in a seemingly irrelevant fourway. They even teamed together at Wrath Of The Racket and Empire State Showdown. However, since then, though their paths have occasionally crossed, Shelley has left Jacobs behind on his road to the top of the card in ROH. He beat Jacobs at The Last Stand, then made him tap out again in a Six Man Mayhem at Reborn Stage 1. He finally turned his back on him at Reborn Stage 2, and went on to form Generation Next. At Part 1 Jacobs was part of the team that inflicted the first ever tag match defeat on GeNext (John Walters, Matt Stryker and himself defeated Jack Evans, Austin Aries and Rod Strong). Can he repeat that victory over Shelley now?
Jimmy Jacobs doesn’t look dissimilar to Austin Aries…Alex Shelley has wrestling tights not odd shorts on tonight. Mark Nulty is talking about college football as these two go back and forth. These guys know each other so very well. Their chaining is very pretty, until all of a sudden Shelley catches Jacobs in a cloverleaf with additional hammerlock. Armdrags from Jacobs, before he folds Shelley up with a unique stretch. Hurricanrana takes Shelley down again, as Jacobs is more than holding his own in the early going. Shelley guillotines Jacobs over the top rope then catapults him off the apron into the guardrail – ouch. Jacobs takes the knee off the top to the back of the neck, then gets put into a headscissors. Shelley slams Jacobs head into the turnbuckle, then rakes his eyes as he tries to no-sell it. Shelley gets a drop toehold into the buckles, then a double stomp to the back. Shelley lifts Jacobs into a neckbreaker over the knee, as he is piling all of his focus onto that weakness now. Slingshot elbow from gets Shelley a 2 count. Shortarm clothesline from Jacobs, and now both men are down. They slug it out until Jacobs fells Shelley with another clothesline. He drops his own knee to the back of the head and gets 2. He goes to the top for a tomahawk chop for another 2. Shelley blocks a crossbody – SWINGING Shellshock gets 2. Jacobs with neckbreakers over the knee, and both men are down again. Shelley blocks the inverted pedigree…SHELLSHOCK FROM JACOBS! 2 COUNT ONLY! Shelley blocks the Contra Code – CROSS LEGGED BRAINBUSTER FOR 2! They fight on the top rope…JACOBS NAILS THE DIVING SENTON SPLASH…BUT SHELLEY KICKS OUT! Shelley blocks the Contra Code again – CRADLE BACK SUPLEX…BORDER CITY STRETCH! JACOBS TAPS! 14:31 is your match time.
Rating - *** - I mildly preferred their The Last Stand match, although the conclusion to this one was far more exciting, and this one made Jacobs look a little more credible than the predecessor. What I didn’t like was, rather than use the extra time they get from January’s match, they just stalled and went through the motions for the first 5 minutes or so. It’s all well and good, but they’ve wrestled each other a thousand times, there’s only so many times the same crazy HUSS-chaining and Shelley innovation works for me. Still, again Shelley attacks the neck for his neck-punishing submission hold – I dig.
Shelley takes the stick to slag off Jimmy Jacobs some more. GeNext kick his ass until Ricky Steamboat comes out. This furthers his issue with the faction, and he brings out Matt Stryker and John Walters. Evans takes a pasting, we have a tag match.
Generation Next vs John Walters/Matt Stryker
John Walters’ issues with Generation Next rumble on I guess. He was in the 8-man tag since GeNext kicked his ass at Generation Next…and ended up tapping out to the Border City Stretch. He lost again at World Title Classic, and again at Survival Of The Fittest, but managed to get a measure of revenge by making Jack Evans tap out in a 6 man last night. Stryker is still all pissed because they made him bleed in Dayton at World Title Classic. GeNext are represented by Roderick Strong and Jack Evans.
Walters and Stryker brutalise Evans, then bring Strong in on the fun. DOUBLE KNEE GUTBUSTER from Walters, and Stryker sends Strong to the floor. Walters and Strong are legal and he attacks Rod’s arm to start with. Strong catches Walters out of the corner and drills him with a double knee gutbuster of his own. Evans scampers in with rubbish elbows and a suplex. ‘You are white’ – Chicago. Somersault senton, followed by a standing corkscrew moonsault. Stryker occupies the ref like a fool as Strong flips Evans into a somersault splash for 2. Strong spits on Steamboat to get him into the ring whilst he chokes Walters against the ropes. Stalling vertical suplex from Strong, before he tags Evans in again. Gourdbuster from Evans, then a handspring elbow.Fisherman’s buster gets Evans another 2 count before he brings Strong back in. He surfboards Walters before slamming his face into the mat. He holds Walters open for a double boot from the flying wigger. Walters off the ropes – DOUBLE LUNGBLOWER on Strong and Evans! Hot tag to Stryker and he gets 2 off a jumping heel kick to Evans…then with a powerslam as well. Thesz Press but Stryker follows it up with a lionsault which misses. Strong torture wracks Walters – AND EVANS SPRINGBOARDS OFF HIM INTO A MOONSAULT ON STRYKER! Strong is legal as Stryker heaves Evans onto his shoulders FOR WALTERS TO GIVE HIM THE LUNGBLOWER! Walters puts his headscissors crossface on Evans…as Stryker puts Strong in a Strykerlock. Steamboat and Shelley are playing kisschase around the ring…until Austin Aries turns up to attacking the Dragon. Strong goes upstairs to drop the SAVAGE ELBOW on Walters! SPINAL SHOCK ON WALTERS! GeNext take the win at 10:45.
Rating - ** - It was a cleverly reworked version of the tag opener from Reborn Completion, where Strong and Evans worked their stuff not around the spotty Special K guys, but the technical wrestling skills of Walters and Stryker. It was just as effective, although equally as shallow I felt. Still, Evans and Strong really do pop the crowd with some of their double teams – I’d just like to see them maybe try something a little more challenging now. I liked the set up for Shelley and Aries to attack Steamboat though, that was a cool visual that made the end of the match much cooler.
Matt Sydal vs Trent Acid vs Shawn Daivari vs Delirious vs Great Kazushi vs Danny Daniels
Remember, Trent says he’s the king of the multi-mans, so he has to win here to prove this, otherwise his win last night in the fourway will be utterly meaningless. Sydal and Delirious were two of the losers in that match, and will surely be out not only to cement a spot in ROH but to get revenge for that. Daniels was impressive against Chad Collyer last night so I won’t complain about his presence. This is Daivari’s last appearance with the company before he heads to WWE development. Kazushi is actually making his second appearance in ROH, as he’s Kazushi Miyamoto, who appeared as part of the AJPW contingent at Final Battle 2003. There, he and Tamiaoki Honma put on a fun tag match with CM Punk and Colt Cabana. Now he’s back working a Muta-impressionist gimmick, which he’s also worked in NWA-TNA.
Daniels and Delirious, and Daniels uses his strength advantage in their exchanges. The fans want Acid apparently…weird. Not as weird as Delirious though, as he starts roaring at Daniels. Swinging headscissors out of the corner from Delirious, as in come Kazushi and Daivari. MIST from Kazushi…GUM from Daivari! They run some near misses, before Daivari almost drives Kazushi through the mat on a roll up. Acid in…and Sydal flies in with a hurricanrana for 2. Kazushi clotheslines Daivari on the floor, but Acid doesn’t get to do his Asai moonsault. Sydal with a spinning heel kick on Daniels, who comes back with a torture wrack backbreaker. Delirious and Sydal play volleyball with Daniels, then Sydal DDT’s him into Delirious’ knees. Sydal kicks Delirious but Daivari gets a knee up from an Asai elbow drop attempt. Springboard swinging DDT from Acid to Kazushi. Delirious DIVES OFF THE APRON with a headscissors on Daivari. HEAD DROP cradle back suplex on Acid from Daniels. Kazushi and Daniels tee off on each other until Delirious just jumps onto both of them. Sydal goes upstairs but gets caught by Daivari. Acid joins them…ACID SUNSET FLIPS SYDAL INTO A GERMAN SUPERPLEX ON DAIVARI! PUMPHANDLE DRIVER FROM DELIRIOUS TO ACID but Daniels makes the save. SPINNING PILEDRIVER ON DELIRIOUS! KAZUSHI WITH GREEN MIST ON DANIELS! Sydal arrives with his INVERTED ROCKER DROPPER on Kazushi. Daivari heaves Sydal and Delirious up for a DOUBLE DEATH VALLEY DRIVER! INVERTED BRAINBUSTER gets Acid the win at 08:43.
Rating - ** - So close to getting an extra star, but when push came to shove, the opening was just a tad too messy for me to give 3* to. Still, this is an enjoyable little shindig, which again showed you don’t need to jump into the front row to put on a fun spotfest. They raced through this one so quickly…and I’d say almost too quickly. I felt Kazushi, Daniels and Daivari could’ve been anyone and the result would’ve been the same, they really were under-utilised. Nowhere near RRC3’s magnificent 6MM, nor even World Title Classic’s…but worth checking out.
Doug Williams vs Austin Aries – ROH Pure Title Match
Williams’ second defence of the Pure Title, and once again he’s pitted against a GeNext member. He’s dispatched Aries’ stablemate Alex Shelley twice now, and now faces Austin himself, who’s still riding the high following his fantastic battle with Bryan Danielson at Survival Of The Fittest. In fact, next show he faces American Dragon in a 2/3 Falls match, can he take the Pure Title on his way into that?
Rather than shake hands, Aries punches Williams in the face. Williams fires back with a right hand of his own…and the ref only saw Doug’s – that’s a warning to him. One more and he loses a ropebreak. Williams works over Aries’ arm early, and that eventually forces him to take his first break. Aries punches Williams in the face again behind the ref’s back. Doug fires back with a right hand again, and the ref strips him of a rope break as a penalty. Williams is pissed off now, and he goes back to work on Austin’s arm. Aries breaks an armbar with a dropkick, but he’s feeling his arm now. Aries hangs Doug over the top rope, then dives over them into a guillotine. One armed slingshot hilo, then an elbow drop for 2. Aries drops a neckbreaker over the knee and holds on with a submission, and clearly, like Alex Shelley previously, he’s going to work over Doug’s neck. MutaLock from Aries, and that’s putting still more pressure on the neck. Williams has to take his second rope break to escape that. Williams is sent to the floor – CORKSCREW PESCADO FROM ARIES! They continue to beat the crap out of each other on the floor, with Williams ramming Aries’ shoulder into the ringpost. Aries charges Doug in the corner and gets a Japanese armdrag into the buckles. Doug raises a knee into Aries’ face for 2. Doug high knees Austin’s shoulder, then goes upstairs – BOMB SCARE INTO THE SHOULDER! Willliams with a bridging hammerlock, and Aries uses his second rope break to escape the hold. Sidewalk slam from Aries gets 2. STO knocks Doug down, but he misses the spinning elbow drop and hurts his arm some more. Roaring elbow drops Williams, but he can’t cover right away because of the injury. Doug stretches Aries out again and forces him to use his final break to free himself. Aries is taken to the top rope and he drops Aries’ arm across the top rope…and that sends him to the floor. He comes back with a top rope guillotine. Williams cuts off a 450 attempt…FUJIWARA ARMBAR IN THE ROPES! Aries taps out at 14:14.
Rating - *** - It’s a solid technical bout, but at under 15 minutes, it never has the time needed to develop and become something really exciting. I loved the way Aries sold his arm injury – hitting all his usual offence, then paying the price for it as a result. It’s been a good weekend for Doug Williams, although neither match was given the chance to become a classic. I love the way Williams’ defences are experimenting with the Pure Title rules. Twice now he’s won with submissions in the ropes, and we saw Aries utilising the no closed fists rule to his advantage earlier in the contest. It’s something unique not only to ROH, but to wrestling in general and it’s nice to see them start to demonstrate that.
Mark Briscoe vs Low Ki
This is a dream match for Mark Briscoe. Way back at Beating The Odds in 2003, when the Briscoes made their return from a mini-absence from the company, he was originally scheduled to wrestle Ki…but it ended up being BJ Whitmer. Now he gets his chance, and there’s an angle behind it and everything. Mark has heat with the Rottweilers from Reborn Completion when Homicide fireballed him in the face…then his brother got a kicking from Homicide, Smokes and the Havana Pitbulls as he tried to save Joe. This is Low Ki’s one-on-one match in ROH for almost a year (since the Dan Maff match at Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies). How does his heel style translate? Smokes, Homicide and Romero are in his corner.
Ki slaps Briscoe in the face rather than shake hands. They chain a little, with a few bits of Ki stiffness mixed in. Ki tries to take it to the mat but gets outwrestled like a twat and bails. He comes back in and gets sent to the floor again with a reverse elbow. Ki distracts the ref and Smokes shoves Briscoe off the top rope. Ki leapfrogs Mark and fakes a knee injury. He throws the ref at him – SPRINGBOARD ENZI! Muta elbow drop for 2. A stiff kick to the spine gets 2 as well. Ki snaps Briscoe’s neck against the top rope then plants him with a suplex. TOP ROPE double stomp to the ribs and Mark Briscoe is in trouble. He front suplexes Mark over the ropes then destroys him with a kick to the chest. Briscoe tries to fight back but gets a dropkick in the face. Low Ki almost kicks Mark’s head off after that. Spinning heel kick from Briscoe. He clotheslines Ki in the corner then dropkicks him in the face. Ki blocks a German – FISHERMAN’S BUSTER from Mark! Low Ki rakes the eyes to escape the Cutthroat driver, then drops him with a back suplex. Mark blocks the Dragon Clutch, then ducks the springboard enziguri. Electric chair drop from Briscoe gets 2. Mark tries to roll Ki up – DRAGON CLUTCH! Briscoe escapes with a snapmare, ducks an enzi – GERMAN for 2. Briscoe again goes for the Cutthroat Driver but Smokes throws a chair into the ring. Smokes cheapshots Mark – TIDAL KRUSH! DRAGON CLUTCH and Mark taps at 16:40.
Rating - ** - I appreciate what Low Ki did out there. He denied the fans everything about his wrestling that made him so entertaining. He had to do it because he’s still so over as a face…however, it meant the match was dreadfully poor for the first 12 minutes. Ki sold little, expended little energy, and basically just kicked and punched Mark for 10 minutes, let the younger Briscoe get a few moves in then win anyway. The quicker he gets over as a heel the better, because wrestling to negate the fans cheering for him like this sucked. I see the logic, but it doesn’t mean I enjoyed the match. I could do with out the Rottweilers (especially Julius Smokes) cheating in every match too.
Ki gets on the stick as Romero and Smokes hold Mark Briscoe prone. He says Mark didn’t earn his respect so he slaps him in the face.
It’s Homicide vs Jay Briscoe next, but my copy is jumpy, and eventually freezes partway through the match. Homicide eventually got the win with his lariat. Apparently we can clock it in at around the (***) mark, much like the Survival Of The Fittest match. I’ve got a replacement on order, so when it comes I’ll update this accordingly.
Samoa Joe vs Colt Cabana – ROH World Title Match
Cabana earned this match by pinning Joe with a sunset flip in the Survival Of The Fittest final. He has since proclaimed himself to be the king of the roll up, and it’s a long-held myth in ROH that Joe is susceptible to the quick roll up. He lost to Homicide at Scramble Madness with a roll up, and was pinned by Dan Maff at Night Of The Grudges in similar fashion. Cabana has proved his prowess in the roll-up arena, pinning Trent Acid and Samoa Joe with them at SOTF…and winning the second fall of last nights 2/3 falls match by pinning Jay Briscoe with one. Joe for his part has to be battered after his brutal title defence against Homicide last night.
Cabana throws himself a streamer before the match – funny. Cabana goes for a scoop slam and gets forearmed in the face. He’s up for this though, and comes right back into Joe’s face. Neck ringer on the mat from Cabana gets a nice pop. Joe avoids the jumping ass butt and shunts Colt out of the ring. Cabana headbutts out of a test of strength but gets caught in a (messy) STO slam out of the corner. Cabana avoids the chop/kick combo and schoolboys Joe for 2. Bootscrapes from Joe, then the brutal running facewash which sends Colt outside again. Cabana tries to come back in and gets kneed in the head. He goes to the top and gets b*tchslapped. Joe plants him with a back suplex for 2. Chinlock from Joe, and when Cabana escapes Joe goes low to keep him down. Half crab from the champ with extra cranking that forces Cabana to grab the ropes. He kicks and slaps at Cabana’s back, but Colt comes back with right jabs. Double knees in the corner from Cabana, then a slam. He goes to the top but gets caught and SHOVED into the aisle! Joe follows him out and sends him into the guardrails. Joe prepares for the Ole Ole Kick…but Cabana blocks with a chair shot! He beats Joe into the chair – OLE OLE KICK FROM CABANA! Back inside where Joe spikes Cabana with a powerslam for 2. An ENORMOUS lariat almost puts the challenger away. Scoop slam from Cabana, before he goes upstairs again. Joe avoids the frog splash but Cabana lands on his feet and hits a back suplex for a 2 count. Cabana goes back to the top – FROG SPLASH…2 COUNT! Colt comes in off the apron…sunset flip INTO AN STF! E HONDA SLAPS FROM JOE…ENZIGURIS! Cabana gets up again – CHOKE…CABANA ROLLS UP OUT OF IT – ANOTHER 2 COUNT! LARIAT FROM JOE…FOR 2! Joe forearms Cabana out of the corner…STANDING MUSCLEBUSTER! That finishes Cabana off at 17:28.
Rating - *** - Such an intelligent match from both men, and really an example of why Samoa Joe is one of the best wrestlers out there today. After his battle with Homicide last night, he could really be excused for phoning this one in…but it’s Joe we’re talking about. What we got was a tremendous contest, where they played on Cabana’s comic aloofness and gritty hometown underdog status to draw the fans in. He tested the roll up theory and it failed…he stole Joe’s moves and that failed. In the end Samoa Joe was just too hard-hitting for Cabana to withstand. One of the most underrated matches of the weekend, and possibly of Joe’s title reign.
The Rottweilers charge the ring after the match and attack Samoa Joe again. Jay and Mark Briscoe come out to make the save, getting revenge for the actions of the Rotts during their singles matches earlier. Joe stands on the turnbuckles and holds the belt in the air…point made. Ki mouths ‘you can’t beat me Joe’ as he backs off…that match has to happen. Joe has to fit a Ki defence into his title reign to etch his legacy as the best in ROH history. He shakes Cabana’s hand before leaving as well, which was a nice touch because I really liked their match.
Allison Danger struggles out to the ring in a neckbrace, clearly injured after the Cop Killa Homicide gave her last night. She blames Maff and Whitmer for her injury (which is fair) and brings out the weapons for the Chicago Street Fight. We’ve got tables, ladders, barbed wire boards…oh dear this could get ugly. The fans are SO hyped for this…the Main Event of the DBD2 weekend.
Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer vs CM Punk/Ace Steel – Chicago Street Fight
I went over their feud history in the ‘east coast finale’ of their feud back at Reborn Completion in their disappointing Falls Count Anywhere match. In fact, I’d use ‘disappointing’ to sum this whole feud up. Since the really decent 6 man at Battle Lines Are Drawn, the whole issue has been largely forgettable. The matches have pretty much consisted of dull crowd brawls, with the odd high spot. The best match thus far is the Saints’ Tag Title defence at Generation Next, and that only got to 3*. However, clearly these guys have plans to crank up the violence even further tonight judging by the weapons we’ve got at ringside. Can they provide us with something memorable now? Everyone’s in street clothes for this, with Maff and Whitmer in CM Punk shirts, and Ace Steel’s shirt bearing a particularly funny message for BJ.
The Saints get streamers and the crowd are so loud you can’t even hear the intros. Punk and Steel occupy the ring and Maff and Whitmer are a little hesitant to enter. Finally they pull the Saints out and we’re underway with a brawl on the floor. Maff and Whitmer isolate Steel and keep Punk on the floor. Punk drags BJ out and slings him into the railings. HEAD DROP sambo suplex from Punk to Whitmer…then he dives onto Maff with a plancha. Ace goes for a tope but BJ smacks him in the head with a chair. The Saints are bleeding already as they get battered on the floor. Maff and Whitmer take off their belts and start flogging their opponents. Ace seizes a belt and starts slapping Maff and Whitmer with it as Punk is draped over the ropes bleeding everywhere. Back to the outside and it’s time for more trips into the guardrails. BJ sends a table into the ring whilst Punk and Steel slam Maff’s head into the rail. Punk heads into the crowd for a running crossbody on Maff. Steel and Maff are in the ring as Punk brings some weapons in. Punk holds a chair over Maff’s face which Ace dropkicks violently. Maff’s head gets sandwiched in the ladder AND ACE SMACKS IT WITH A CHAIR! Punk with bootscrapes on Whitmer in the corner. Maff is on the floor bleeding as the Saints wedge a table under BJ’s jaw! Ace holds a chair over his face…AND PUNK SLAMS A LADDER INTO IT! YOU SICK F*CK! Whitmer is now bleeding as well, but Punk is merciless, hitting him around the ring with a belt. He brings the barbed wire 2x4 into the match…and NAILS Maff in the back with it. Whitmer got hit in the arm with the barbed wire somewhere as well. Whitmer takes the 2x4 from Punk AND USES IT TO RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP HIM! Maff blasts Punk in the bollocks with the barbed wire. BJ snapmares Steel over, and he suffers the same fate.
More brutality ahoy, as Maff brings the barbed wire board into play. Punk blocks a suplex because he doesn’t want to taste the wire. He goes for a tornado DDT…BUT WHITMER THROWS HIM INTO THE BARBED WIRE! He sets up for an Exploder, but Steel makes the save. Maff moves the board so Whitmer doesn’t get suplexed into the wire. Maff sets the board up in the corner…but almost gets elbowed into it by Punk. Punk in front of the board now…AND MAFF CANNONBALLS HIM ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT! F*CKING HELL THAT’S SICK! Steel sets the remnants of the board up again…AND WHIPS MAFF THROUGH IT! TIGER DRIVER on Maff for 2. Everyone has a chair all of a sudden…and the ex-Prophecy swing first! NO SOLD by the Saints…and now it’s their turn to swing. Still no-one goes down…and Maff and Whitmer start chopping each other for extra kicks. Maff has broken a chair over Punk’s head…AND THE SAINTS WAFFLE MAFF AND WHITMER AGAIN! Everyone goes down, that’s four broken chairs, and this is completely crazy stuff. Maff and Whitmer go for more chairs…AND EVERYONE IN THE CROWD DECIDES TO HELP THEM OUT. CHAIR THROWING RIIIIOOOOOOT! The ref is buried in the ring…and chairs are all over the place! The four men wade ankle-deep in chairs to continue the fight. PUNK TAKES A HEAD DROP HALF NELSON SUPLEX INTO THE CHAIRS! HE NO SELLS IT…AND GIVES MAFF A GERMAN SUPLEX IN RESPONSE! On the floor Maff bridges a ladder over the aisle and dumps Steel on it. BJ goes to the top BUT PUNK THROWS HIM BACK INTO THE CHAIRS! Steel places Maff on the ladder…AND PUNK FROG SPLASHES FROM THE TOP ROPE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR! Punk and Maff are DEAD! Ace and Whitmer are back in the ring, with BJ laid out on the table. He meets Steel at the top…and he wants the Super Exploder! Ace blocks…TOP ROPE TOMBSTONE THROUGH THE MOTHERF*CKING TABLE! DANGEROOOOUUUUUS! That’s enough and the Saints finally win at 27:42.
Rating - ****1/2 – On a level with the Corino/Homicide matches as some of the most violent stuff ever in ROH. The chair-throwing incident was wild, and the rest of the match was complete with some of the most insane spots I’ve ever seen. Each man deserves a medal for his bravery in this one, as all four of them risked serious injury multiple times during that. I feel bad about dissing the feud in the intro now, because these four just left everything they had in the ring for myself and every other ROH fan. I’m with Chicago – ‘Thank You’.
Everyone is on their feet applauding that (in fairness, all their chairs are in the ring, they don’t have a choice) but damnit these guys earned their standing ovation. Generation Next run in to beat on the Saints. Cabana comes out and tries to save…but he gets beaten down as well. This brings out Ricky Steamboat, but dear lord he takes a pasting too. Death Before Dishonor 2 ends with GeNext standing tall. Lookout for the Saints/GeNext feud readers!
Tape Rating - *** - Much like last night’s show in that it’s so wonderfully solid. There’s nothing bad on this whole show. There’s the disappointment of Mark/Ki…but that only drops as low as 2*. It’s not quite as solid as Part 1, where only one match went that low, and that enjoys two 4* matches. However, what it does boast is the match of the weekend in the crazy Street Fight Main Event. The ROH Title match is smart, Doug Williams puts in another fun Pure Title defence, the Romero/Collyer opener surprises everyone, and the spotfest is good too. Get both nights of the DBD2 weekend…you won’t regret it.
Top 3 Matches
3) Doug Williams vs Austin Aries (***)
2) Samoa Joe vs Colt Cabana (***)
1) CM Punk/Ace Steel vs Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer (****1/2)
Top 5 Death Before Dishonor 2 Weekend Matches
5) Doug Williams vs Austin Aries (*** - Part 2)
4) Samoa Joe vs Colt Cabana (*** - Part 2)
3) Samoa Joe vs Homicide (**** - Part 1)
2) CM Punk/Colt Cabana vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (**** - Part 1)
1) CM Punk/Ace Steel vs Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer (****1/2 - Part 2)