ROH 108 – Chi-Town Struggle – 24th June 2006
I don’t have a lot to say about tonight’s event. Throwdown was a solid show in that the big matches all delivered but there was little in between. If any of these matches hit the highs of KENTA/Strong from last night then I’ll be pleased, but I’m looking for a bit more top-to-bottom consistency from this one. Top of the bill is Danielson/Cabana III for the ROH Title, and since we’re in Cabana’s home town that could be fun. KENTA has Austin Aries and that promises to rock. There’s also McGuiness/Homicide for the Pure Title, an ROH vs CZW 6-man and some interesting undercard bouts like Joe/Delirious and Strong/Jacobs. Back at the Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge, IL are Dave Prazak and the improving Jared David.
ROH VIDEO RECAP (20/06/06) – See Throwdown (ROH 107) review for information. Available free at ROHVideos.com
The ROH students gloat that Shane Hagadorn lost his match last night. Shane still refuses to pick one of them as a partner and vows to find someone else as he wrestles Irish Airborne again tonight.
Colt Cabana talks about some of his more significant moments in his ROH career. He says he’s ready to become World Champion tonight. Long promo…shouty promo. Not such a good promo.
Shane Hagadorn/Trik Davis vs Irish Airborne
If Shane couldn’t beat the Crists last night with a huge man-beast as his partner, how is he going to do it with scrawny little Trik Davis as his partner? A guy who’s actually more of a jobber than him right now? Irish Airborne could secure more future bookings if they win again and go 2-0 for the weekend. Oh, and I found out what their finisher is called now thanks to watching a later show.
Dave Crist starts with Trik and is immediately springboard back flipping into another unique armdrag. Hagadorn gets trapped in a headlock by Jake. Dave comes in again with a springboard dropkick and sends Shane through the ropes. Davis takes the chance to hit a tope suicida on Dave. Running SOMERSAULT PLANCHA from Jake wipes out everyone. Hagadorn comes out on top in all of this and tries to use the ropes to pin Dave. It seems like the Hagadorn/Davis tandem have chosen to isolate TAFKA Lotus and they make quick tags as they look to wear him down. Crist eats bottom rope after being catapulted from the apron but finally he manages to flip over both opponents to get to his brother. Jake brings kicks for both men and gets 2 on Trik from a neckbreaker. Davis floats into a front butterfly but he gets lifted into the IRISH AIR RAID (Double Stomp DVD). The Crists win at 07:22.
Rating - ** - Better than last night, but I think with the roster ROH has, Trik is probably capable of a lot more and meshes size-wise with far more of the roster than Keith Walker does anyway. Credit should go to the Crists and Shane Hagadorn because both tag matches this weekend have been entertaining and fine ways to open the shows. I have no complaints when Shane is booked like this, whilst Irish are ready to bigger tests I’d wager.
The Embassy backstage. Alex Shelley is there but he’s injured (thanks to training with the Ghana World Cup team) so can’t compete tonight. His description of what the injury feels like is priceless. He’s picked Conrad Kennedy III to be his replacement tonight and team with Jimmy Rave instead.
Jimmy Jacobs vs Roderick Strong
Two men that lost big matches at last nights show. Roddy lost to KENTA in a hell of a main event, whilst Jimmy Jacobs put in the performance of his life and came close to an upset and taking the World Title from Bryan Danielson. Now both need to recover from high profile losses, and if Jimmy wins, surely he’ll position himself in the queue for a Tag Title match. The amount of phones/lighters being waved for his entrance tonight is amazing. People are still f*cking HUSSing though…
Roderick uses Lacey to wind Jacobs up, trying to follow the Code Of Honor with her and so forth. Jimmy hits the muti-rev headscissors which enables him to ground Strong and negate his powerful offence. He continues to avoid Roderick and repeatedly uses a headlock. Finally Strong escapes that with a back suplex backbreaker and immediately breaks out a harsh chop. Outside the ring he lands a few more savage strikes to Jimmy’s exposed chest. Jacobs comes out of the corner with a flying headscissors to leave both himself and his opponent reeling. Strong goes out so Jacobs goes after him with a tope suicida (better than Davis’ in the last match), then positions his head against the ringpost – exposed for the running dropkick from the floor. Roderick hits a ribbreaker then launchs Jimmy with a fallaway slam but Jacobs is slowly doing damage to his neck. BASEBALL SLIDE headscissors from the ring to the floor has Strong down again. Contra Code blocked and Strong boots Jacobs’ back, setting him up for another back drop backbreaker. JJ has to endure more chops but finally blocks one and nails an enziguri before getting 2 with a fisherman neckbreaker. He runs through Rod with a spear but that doesn’t put him away either. Roderick recovers by PRESS SLAMMING Jimmy into the turnbuckles! He prepares for another press slam – this time into the crowd – but Jacobs is able to roll free and look for a flurry of pinfalls until Strong drops him with the Gibson Driver. The Tag champion sets up for a super Death By Roderick, but Jacobs is able to lift him away from the corner for a DVD. Contra Code blocked again with ROLLING HALF NELSON BACKBREAKERS! STRONGHOLD! Jacobs taps at 15:02 – he’s done. Lacey still doesn’t want to follow the COH with Roderick.
Rating - *** - Totally fun match. It got more time than I was expecting but they worked well with it and produced a very well-executed match. Lots of nice cat-and-mouse style stuff here, with Jacobs the smaller guy, using his speed to negate the power and high-impact-move advantage of his opponent for as long as possible. There’s the added detail of back offence vs neck offence which further aided the rating.
Nigel McGuiness complains about an internet poll which says he’ll be the first of the three ROH champions to lose his belt. He vows it’s not the case, and says Homicide isn’t winning his first championship belt from him tonight.
Jimmy Rave/Conrad Kennedy III vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe
Embassy vs Briscoes, and you’d assume it’s the winner of this that moves to the head of the pecking order for another Tag Title Match (Rave/Shelley lost one at Weekend Of Champions Night 2, whilst the Briscoes were downed at Ring Of Homicide and Destiny). Obviously Rave is handicapped by teaming with someone he’s never faced before, and is coming off high-profile singles losses to Davey Richards. The Briscoes beat the Second City Saints last night, but ended the show by pissing off KENTA…which probably isn’t the best idea in the world.
The ring looks like sh*t, there’s crap all over it – Chicago went a little overboard with TP. Not a whole lot going on from the bell as first Mark/Conrad then Jay/Rave go through some basic hold-for-hold stuff. Rave ends up spitting in Jay’s face which earns him a bit of a beating from both Briscoes. CK3 gets clotheslined out and Mark goes to the top – SHOOTING STAR TO THE FLOOR! Jay thinks he’s going to get a dive in but Jimmy intercepts him with a clothesline. It is the Briscoe Bros that manage to isolate and attack Rave, putting over their power and efficiency as a team. It takes interference from Daizee Haze with a boot on the apron to Jay to turn the tables. Kennedy chinlocks Briscoe as Jimmy takes his time recovering on the apron but eventually he takes a running mafia kick. Tags all round and the Briscoes hit a guillotine leg drop/sidewalk slam combo on Rave for 2. CK3 in with the HAMMERLOCK LUNGBLOWER on Jay (and that’s the best he’s hit it so far). But the Briscoe ends up elevating him into a springboard spinning heel kick from Mark. Rave breaks the pin with a Crappy Wizard. PRESS SLAM DVD ON HIM! Mark has Conrad…CUT-THROAT DRIVER! Briscoes win it at 12:56.
Rating - ** - Despite the fact that Rave and the Briscoes are really good, and Conrad isn’t so bad either, this one never really got going. It was too slow to start and although it picked up at the end there wasn’t an real definitive structure, or indeed any moments of severe excitement to make it stand out. As a match it put over how good the Briscoes are as a team as they spent most of the match completely dominating their makeshift opposition, but in the end it seems like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to go the definitive squash route to put over the Briscoes…or a good match that makes everyone look good. In the end they really did neither and it found itself firmly stuck in ‘meh’ territory.
Delirious vs Samoa Joe
This match stems from the four corner in Detroit the previous evening, when Delirious pinned Jimmy Rave after Joe had incapacitated him – essentially stealing the win from Joe. As we keep saying now, Joe has two primary focuses now – finishing the war with CZW (he’s in ROH’s squad for Cage Of Death) and getting his World Title back. Beating Delirious after the Lizard Man has taken Dragon close for the belt in the last month should aid his championship push.
‘F*ck Scott Steiner’ – Chicago. Delirious exhausts himself by running around like a lunatic and he ends up running into Joe and falling over. Obviously it doesn’t take Joe long to establish complete control with his power advantage. Delirious does manage to land his series of clotheslines in the corner. He thinks about slamming Joe but the Samoan is just too big and he overwhelms Delirious again. The Samoan crab doesn’t make him tap so Joe switches to the STF, then the Crossface, but still no luck. Delirious bites Joe’s leg but still can’t get him up for a body slam and ends up squashed under his weight. STO SLAM gets 2, then Joe totally clears Delirious out with an overhead enziguri in the corner. Delirious blocks the running facewash…PANIC ATTACK! Joe hammers Delirious with forearms but the Lizard Man keeps coming back with clotheslines. The leaping lariat finally floors Joe, and it’s credit to Delirious that he’s got the totally pro-Joe crowd on his side. HOGAN/ANDRE BODYSLAM…COBRA STRETCH! Joe’s arm doesn’t drop for a third time and he rolls to safety. Delirious dropkicks the bad knee and goes to the top. He goes for Shadows but Joe KICKS HIM IN THE RIBS! SPINNING MUSCLEBUSTER! At 10:56 Delirious is pinned.
Rating - *** - Solid match from two guys you can usually rely on to do something entertaining. Like I said during PBP, kudos to Delirious for his performance. The crowd was completely pro-Joe during the introductions and it was his qualities as a performer that won them over and got them behind his underdog performance to stop the Hogan/Andre stuff totally falling on its face.
Necro Butcher comes through the crowd and makes like he wants a fight with Joe…but it was only a distraction for Castagnoli to chopblock the knee again. BJ Whitmer and Adam Pearce are quick, as usual, to run out for a ruck with the CZW chaps. Nate Webb is out next carrying a reel of barbed wire…and it’s hometown boy Ace Steel who finally evens the scores as Joe is wheeled away.
BJ Whitmer/Adam Pearce/Ace Steel vs Claudio Castagnoli/Necro Butcher/Nate Webb
One last inter-promotional brawl before the war to settle the score at Cage Of Death next month in Philadelphia. All six men will be representing their respective promotions in the cage match so this is a big chance to do one last healthy dose of damage before the big blow-off.
Steel reaps the benefits of being over in his hometown and leads the ROH squad in a 3-way bionic elbow attack. It’s noticeable that Whitmer is brawling with Necro, remember they’ve got a barbed wire match as well as Cage Of Death to prepare for. Lt. Commissioner Pearce takes Claudio into the crowd as Ace Saito suplexes Webb them rocks him again with a tope suicida. Butcher throws a chair into Whitmer’s face then drops him crotch-first over it as CZW get in some offence. Necro turns chairs back to back like the ROH guys have done so often to him…but Pearce grabs him for a SIDEWALK SLAM TO THE CHAIRS! That bump was beyond disgusting. Nate positions a table on the floor and it’s Steel that gets set up on it. LEG DROP FROM THE TOP THROUGH THE TABLE! I think that’s quite possibly Webb’s biggest spot in this whole feud. Adam picks him up…RUNNING POWERSLAM THROUGH A TABLE! Necro gets 2 on Whitmer with the Tiger Driver then grabs the reel of barbed wire. BARBED WIRE CROWN FOR BJ! CASTAGNOLI CHAIR SHOTS IT! Necro pins Whitmer at 07:49 giving CZW one more win – and adding more heat to their barbed wire match.
Rating - ** - Some great spots packed into this brief brawl, and I loved the ending since it represented great booking. BJ was presented as ROH’s sacrificial lamb at Arena Warfare and the crown of barbed wire continues some of the biblical inferences arising from that. Plus the barbed wire element adds to the Necro/Whitmer match which is slipping under the radar amidst the excitement for COD. This match proved essentially that this feud now needs to end. It was still a good brawl but there’s only so many times you can watch the same combination of guys do the same spots. Let them finish it at Death Before Dishonor 4 and let Ring Of Honor move on.
INTERMISSION – Dave Prazak interviews the Briscoes. They’re not impressed with KENTA and warn him he needs to man up after getting involved last night.
Nigel McGuiness vs Homicide – ROH Pure Title Match
Homicide made a vow at the last Manhattan show that if he hadn’t won a title by the end of 2006 he’s quitting ROH. Now would be as good a time as any to deliver on that promise as he is rewarded for back to backs wins over Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli with a Pure Title shot. Last time he wrestled for this belt he fell off the top rope and knocked himself out (at the Weekend Of Thunder). Nigel is trying to prove he’s the best champion in the company, so a win over a wrestler who’s been in ROH since the first show will definitely add to the credibility of his reign. He also holds a clean victory over the Notorious 187 – he beat him in a really good but mostly now forgotten match at Midnight Express Reunion.
McGuiness taunts Homicide with the belt once too often and gets socked in the mouth. He whips Nigel to the floor…SOMERSAULT PESCADO! LARIAT NAILED! McGuiness kicks out at 2 but Cide’s almost desperation to win comes through still as he goes for a flurry of pinfalls. He picks at the champ’s arms next, drawing his first ropebreak with a Rings of Saturn. Headstand mulekick from McGuiness gets him some distance for the first time, and he follows up with a cobra clutch clothesline. Just like at MXR he starts working the arm, and it’s made worse when he’s able to block a tornado DDT attempt then floor Cide with a hammerlock DDT. Homicide tries to throw some chops but that just hurts the injury. McGuiness chinlocks him whilst standing on the bad arm and Cide takes ropebreak numero uno. He uses a cobra clutch next, although Cide totally steals the show by yelling ‘f*ck Queen Elizabeth’ whilst in the hold. McGuiness nicely changes up his own offence as he sets up for another keylock DDT then switches to a heel trip instead. BRIDGING wristlock…but it isn’t held for too long. Homicide goes to the top and uses his good arm to nail a top rope bulldog for 2. He hits an Ace crusher but that doesn’t get the job done either and the match spills through the ropes. Nigel gets the upper hand…suplex THROUGH the timekeepers table. That would’ve had a lot more impact coming before the ROH/CZW match. Homicide only just manages to beat the 20-count and get back in the ring. Tower Of London blocked and Cide goes to the sky with his FROG SPLASH! It’s the same referee that controversially ended his World Title shot at Destiny and Cide is getting increasingly frustrated with him again. TOWER OF LONDON for 2! Homicide winds up for his lariat but it’s Nigel who rolls off the ropes into the Rebound Lariat which gets another close fall. He attempts to headstand once more but Cide gives him a big Yakuza kick. As a count is administered they brawl into the aisle. Nigel tries to grab Homicide’s leg, and at 18 he randomly sprints to the ring…leaving the challenger to be counted out at 17:46.
Rating - ** - Storyline-wise I get where this one was going from, and there were some neat flashes of stuff. For instance - nice detail that McGuiness managed to bait Homicide into attacking him before it was read out that there’s a 20-count in effect for this match, meaning Cide (already in an unfamiliar match-type) wasn’t reminded of the count-out rule. Homicide’s desperation to win a belt, Nigel’s mockery of Danielson, the simmering hatred between Cide and the referee going back to Destiny were nifty too…but holy crap that was so very dull at times. Barring the first and last couple of minutes the fans seemed to be practically falling asleep. McGuiness’ work on the arm was all well and good but it never really went anywhere…and although I have no problem with the count-out finish because it fits with Nigel’s persona – I just had to sit through a whole lot of match for it and I don’t feel particularly rewarded. It’d be quite a (Chi-Town) struggle to watch this one again.
By this point you know what’s coming next. As the messy Chicago fans pelt the ring with garbage Homicide quits ROH for the 63rd time. That man throws more hissy-fits than a 6-year old.
KENTA vs Austin Aries
The summer of tour of KENTA which we shall dub the Go 2 Sleep Tour 2006 continues with a singles match with Austin Aries. These two definitely have very similar styles and this one has a lot of potential. It’s also a big chance for Austin to put himself on the map in Japan where he hasn’t made too many tours (although he has defended the Tag Titles in Dragon Gate). I really enjoyed Strong/KENTA from last night but it seems others didn’t enjoy it quite so much. After getting knocked out in New York and only getting mixed reviews in Detroit, can KENTA return to form and deliver another stellar display – and maybe earn himself a Tag Title shot by beating both champions in one weekend? Chicago is rocking the streamers for both men, and Aries is easily as over as KENTA is.
Both men offer clean breaks in front of a 50/50 split crowd. Finally Kenta abandons that idea and slaps Aries in the face, and naturally it doesn’t take Aries long to do the same thing. Kenta clearly hasn’t been watching his tapes though because Austin is able to escape the ground headscissors with the trademark low dropkick. Kenta tries to hit some big strikes but Aries takes him to the mat and dishes out the Power Drive elbow. Keeping Kenta on the mat seems like a sound strategy and he looks to do just that with a bridging camel clutch. Kenta finally manages to position Aries between the ropes…BIG KICKS…KNEE DROP across the back! He camel clutches Aries now, gripping straight across his face to make it a real b*tch of a hold. Aries goes for a sunset flip and gets a mean slap to the chops. Kenta shows he’s getting a taste for the ROH environment now as he launches his opponent into the steel railings. They have a BRUTAL strike duel…ending in TRADING MAFIA KICKS which Kenta wins. Aries takes a kick to the spine then a slingshot kick of disrespect. But that pisses him off so he pops up with big kicks to the spine himself, then the Slo-Mo Replay knee. MORE SLAP DUELS! KENTA KICKS…SHINBREAKER BACK SUPLEX BY ARIES! RUNNING DROPKICK for 2!
That was a phenomenal sequence. Kenta leaves Aries prone in the corner for a running knee strike…then the running DISRESPECT SLAP! Kenta gets 2 with a springboard missile dropkick, but Austin gets more near-falls with a slingshot corkscrew splash then a springboard moonsault. He blocks Kenta’s tornado guillotine by throwing him over the ropes…HEAT SEEKING MISSILE! Aries to the top but Kenta cuts him off with a jumping enziguri. It’s the Japanese competitor that gets caught in a tree of woe though, and Aries takes advantage with running dropkicks then an ELEVATED NECKBREAKER for 2. Kenta strings together a couple of suplexes but Aries isn’t quitting yet. Busaiku knee misses and Aries floors him with a running lariat. To the top rope…RUNNING SUPER FALCON ARROW! KENTA F*CKING RULES! Go 2 Sleep…COUNTERED WITH THE CRUCIFIX BOMB! The battle for leverage over the brainbuster/G2S until Austin hits the FACE KICK! BRAINBUSTER FOR 2! 450 SPLASH MISSES! BUSAIKU KNEE STRIKE! STRIKE COMBO! BUSAIKU KNEE! GO…2…SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Kenta wins at 20:49. He’s still unbeaten and has beaten ROH champions three shows running.
Rating - **** - Another tremendous KENTA match as his tour of awesomeness goes on. Strong/KENTA from last night had more substance, but after a slow opening few minutes there were so many exciting flash-points here that make this one slightly better. I loved how KENTA gets more aggressive with each match now – as in, acting less like a celebrity guest star and more like a regular doing all he can to get to the World Title. Had they managed to eradicate a few awkward moments this would have edged into MOTYC territory. If you liked KENTA/Ki you’ll like this too.
The Briscoes hit the ring to put the boots to both Aries and KENTA, only for Roderick Strong to make the save and send them running for the hills. The Tag Champions and KENTA show respect to each other after a great weekend of matches.
Bryan Danielson vs Colt Cabana – ROH World Title Match
So Dragon beat Cabana in 5 minutes at The 100th Show because Colt had spent so much time brawling all over arenas with Homicide that he’d forgotten all his wrestling skill. He went to the bottom of the card (although seemed to wind up in the main event more often than not) to get some in-ring time and work his way back to another shot. He was on the winning team at How We Roll when he and Christian Cage beat Dragon and Chris Daniels, then finally earned another title shot by winning a four-way at Destiny. But this isn’t that match. He took that title shot in FIP at Impact Of Honor – and Danielson won that match only because the ref didn’t see Cabana’s feet on the ropes. Third time is a charm right? And is Dragon worn down after beating two challengers in one match last night?
Cabana is sporting an awesome Elvis-style jumpsuit to make his entrance. He seems fairly confident to begin with, strutting around the ring and playing to the fans. Dragon immediately kills the hometown buzz by applying a stranglehold then an elongated headlock – but the point is made that Colt has re-learned his wrestling skills as he comes up with counters to what’s thrown at him. Dragon goes for a quick backslide but Cabana kicks out – he’s lasted 5 minutes now. He offers Danielson a free grip of his arm and quickly twirls into a headlock when Dragon accepts. Danielson goes for a cross armbreaker, and when Colt resists it he just applies a shortarm scissors instead – love that sh*t! Cabana tries to get him to take the free wristlock again but this time Dragon is able to take him down and stomp the arm. He tries to play more goofy games like getting Danielson to look at the ceiling and such but the champion is able to hold onto a wristlock through everything until Cabana finally goes ultra-European and finds an escape. Dragon offers a free wristlock…then forearms him in the face! Colt goes to the apron but Danielson baseball slides him off it and he hits the ground with a thud. The champ stays on the challenger’s face, palm striking his nose and dropping knees across the forehead. He gets in Mexican surfboard position and even uses face-rakes to get Colt’s arms for it.
A few fans start a ‘same old sh*t’ chant so he immediately winds them up further by setting up for another surfboard. Colt grabs the referee to block it…and rather comedically points out he ‘has till 5’ to let go before getting dragged into the hold. They go to the ropes where again Dragon uses repeated clawing to the face in an attempt to set up for a superplex – until Colt goes to the face himself to block it and land a missile dropkick. He reels off a flurry of jabs and bionic elbows to keep his momentum going. The flying asshole finds the mark before Cabana takes both men to the floor with a crossbody block. ASAI MOONSAULT NAILED! Back in the ring Colt gets 2 with the tornado snap suplex, but Dragon counters the Colt 45 with a couple of Germans. They exchange roll-ups…CATTLE MUTILATION! Colt makes the ropes to a decent pop (considering how slow the match has been). Danielson has a back superplex blocked by Cabana throwing him into the turnbuckles…then hitting the ropes for his lariat which gets a 2. I still don’t buy that as a legit finisher. Colt 45 escaped again…ROARING ELBOW! MMA ELBOWS! Cabana escapes…MUTILATION PIN for 2! Colt refuses to quit and drops the champion with a cradle fishermans DDT. MOONSAULT for 2! Dragon crotches Colt which perfectly positions him for the back superplex. CATTLE MUTILATION! CROSSFACE CHICKENWING - Cabana counters to an inverted crab! CATTLE MUTILATION ON DRAGON! There’s Colt’s folding powerbomb which also finds a 2 because it’s just not a good finisher. MMA ELBOWS but Danielson escapes. LARIAT…COLT 45! DANIELSON CRADLES COLT FOR 3! 29:39 is your time.
Rating - *** - I liked the closing stretch but for a main event World Title match I was bored to tears for long periods. The whole story of the match seemed designed to absolutely kill any heat from the crowd that may have come along. Literally the first thing that happened in the match was Dragon trying to apply a strangle(rest)hold. They continued to meander along at a snails pace – and for most of it wasn’t even an even contest, merely Danielson wrestling circles around Cabana, when the whole story of the rematch is that Colt has managed to regain his wrestling skill so he won’t lose in 5 minutes. Admittedly the last five minutes were hot as Colt seemed to have ridden out everything the champion could throw at him, but in the end he succumbed to another flash pin. Remember in 2004 when he was the master of the roll-up? Well, I think Dragon had taken that crown from him. If you an stick long periods of mat-wrestling out then the pay-off in the last few minutes is good. But they took a hell of a long time to get there so if it’s not your thing then you might hate this match.
The Briscoes (including Mark in an old school SAT/Amazing Red shirt) reminisce about their weekend. They laid out Aries and Strong again…and tell KENTA he has to man up.
The students laugh at Hagadorn for losing both matches this weekend. He leaves to find cooler people to hang out with. Considering he just walked away from Bobby Dempsey that shouldn’t be hard.
Insert random clip of the locker-room singing ‘happy birthday’ to Adam Pearce to end…
Tape Rating - *** - In truth…Throwdown had better matches. Although Aries/KENTA was better than Strong/KENTA, last night’s show also had the World Title triple threat and an exciting four way bout too. Tonight didn’t have a “bad” match on the card. But there’s only really one match that really stood out at all, and two of the marquee bouts (McGuiness/Homicide and Danielson/Cabana) really fell flat. It’s a solid show and I can’t drop it below 3* because that doesn’t reflect fairly on the undercard quality of matches like Strong/Jacobs or Joe/Delirious…but unless you’re a super-huge KENTA fan or a completist like myself, there’s no real need to rush out and buy either one of this weekend’s DVD’s.
Top 3 Matches
3) Bryan Danielson vs Colt Cabana (***)
2) Roderick Strong vs Jimmy Jacobs (***)
1) KENTA vs Austin Aries (****)
Top 5 Throwdown/Chi-Town Struggle Weekend Matches
5) Roderick Strong vs Jimmy Jacobs (*** - Chi-Town Struggle)
4) Bryan Danielson vs Jimmy Jacobs vs BJ Whitmer (**** - Throwdown)
3) Delirious vs Jimmy Rave vs Davey Richards vs Samoa Joe (**** - Throwdown)
2) KENTA vs Roderick Strong (**** - Throwdown)
1) KENTA vs Austin Aries (**** - Chi-Town Struggle)
And since this was the last show in June meaning we’re now halfway through 2006
2006 First Half Top 10 Matches
1) Bryan Danielson vs Roderick Strong (Supercard Of Honor)
2) Do Dixer vs Blood Generation (Supercard Of Honor)
3) Chris Hero/Necro Butcher/Super Dragon vs Samoa Joe/BJ Whitmer/Adam Pearce (The 100th Show)
4) Blood Generation vs Generation Next (Dragon Gate Challenge)
5) Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuiness (Weekend Of Champions Night 2)
6) KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji vs Bryan Danielson/Samoa Joe (Best In The World)
7) Roderick Strong/Jack Evans vs Jay Briscoe/Mark Briscoe (Best In The World)
8) Bryan Danielson vs Jimmy Rave (Second Anniversary Show)
9) Austin Aries/Roderick Strong vs Bryan Danielson/Jay Lethal (Tag Wars 2006)
10) Bryan Danielson vs AJ Styles (Dissension)