ROH on HDNet – Episode 072 – 30th August 2010
I believe the HDNet show is pre-empted next week (which on the week of an iPPV is devastating for ROH), making this the big go-home show for Glory By Honor 9. The scheduled main events for that iPPV are Black vs Strong for the World Title, Steen & Corino vs Cabana and Generico in a Double Chain Match and Kings vs Haas & Benjamin in a dream tag match. Hopefully all those three headliners are shilled to varying degrees here. The scheduled main event for the evening is Tyler vs Corino. Mike Hogewood and Dave Prazak are in Philadelphia, PA
Show opens with Tyler Black in the ring with Jim Cornette. The Executive Producer wants to know if the rumours are true that Tyler is leaving for the WWE. He talks about coming from begging places like ROH and TNA for a shot…to four years later being ROH Champion and having contract offers from all the major promotions in America. He confirms that WWE have outbid everyone else, and won’t show any loyalty to ROH considering how the ROH fans have treated him. He wants to take the belt with him to WWE so he can make more money once he's there.
Roderick Strong/Josh Raymond/Christin Able vs Andy Ridge/Jay Freddie/Mike Bennett
A number of firsts for ROH on HDNet here. It’s the first time Roddy has teamed with Raymond and Able as a House Of Truth 6-man unit on the TV show. It’s also the first time Mike Bennett has wrestled on the show. Right now he seems like just another jobber, but in 12 months time he’d be one of ROH’s most high profile wrestlers – for better or worse.
Able and Bennett start…with Mike standing up to the HOT man and slapping him across the face. He demands Strong and actually controls the ROH veteran for a full minute with hammerlocks and wristlocks. Ridge tags and uses his right leg to lay in a number of kicks for 2. Raymond blind tags and clobbers Right Leg from behind to put House Of Truth in charge. Josh and Christin hit the powerbomb senton combo to put Andy on the mat again. Freddie in hitting offence as generic as his tights…then walking into the Death By Roderick. SICK KICK beats Jay at 04:43
Rating - * - Bennett and Strong looked pretty decent. Everyone else…not so much. I suppose Ridge sold his beating pretty well. Raymond and Able were pretty sloppy, and Jay Freddie’s only involvement was taking the fall at the end. I wonder if, even at this point, Delirious and Cornette knew they had plans for Mike Bennett as he really got to look like the star of his team.
Roderick Strong points out that he’s undefeated since joining the House Of Truth. He is going to keep that streak rolling into Glory By Honor and all the way to the World Title.
In the back Kevin Steen and Steve Corino talk about how much they hate New York, Colt Cabana and El Generico. Steen vows to make the grotesque decapitated Generico head t-shirt a reality.
Colt Cabana says that their enemies only get the best of them in 2-on-1 situations (clearly forgetting he lost an Anything Goes Tag Match to them just a few episodes ago). But apparently he and Generico are looking forward to the Chain Match because it means their opponents can’t run, hide or play elaborate tricks or mind games. They have to stand up and fight…
Kings Of Wrestling vs Colt Cabana/El Generico
Although they were eliminated at the Block Final stage of Tag Wars 2010, Generico and Cabana did pull off a huge win over the American Wolves earlier in the tournament – the second time they’ve beaten the Wolves in 2010. If they can add a win over the reigning ROH Tag Champions to the list they must surely be in line for a title shot. On the Kings part, they need a win as they prepare for Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team.
It’s a rematch from Bluegrass Brawl to start with Colt Cabana and Chris Hero in the ring together. Much as in Louisville, Colt is able to outwrestle Hero, putting his team in charge for the early moments of this contest. Generico in with a nice counter to Claudio’s Pop Up Uppercut – landing a hurricanrana for 2. The Kings try a double team on the masked man only to be totally flummoxed by his multiple armdrag combinations. Finally Hero and Claudio manage to land a combo of boot strikes, using their power to get the advantage for the first time in the match. Elbow smash/Bicycle Kick combo gets 2. As does a Hart Attack Elbow. Claudio applies a basic bear hug, but he’s such a powerful guy he has no problem elevating Generico off the canvas whilst applying it. He still has plenty of strength left over to pull out the Big Swing Flash Kick combo straight afterwards too. KRS-1 blocked, and Generico takes Hero down with a ROPE RUN flying headscissors on his way to the hot tag with Cabana. Colt smashes Claudio’s arm against the ringpost, then ducks under an elbow from Hero to deliver a running clothesline for 2. Generico has recovered enough to join his partner for a YAKUZA KICK/FLYING ASSHOLE COMBO! But as they start to gain momentum Kevin Steen and Steve Corino appear on the entrance ramp with their chain…and Hero elbows a distracted Cabana for the win at 09:50
Rating - *** - Second week in a row that ROH have booked a strong, competitive match on the undercard of a HDNet episode. Maybe that’s something Delirious is looking to do more of now he’s in charge. I approve if that’s the way we’re going. These guys have worked each other a lot – and could obviously have a better match under different circumstances. But for it’s spot this was absolutely fine.
NEXT WEEK – Technically in 2 weeks when the show returns, Austin Aries will face Delirious in a Lumberjack Match. Should be fun…
Eddie Edwards vs Mike Sydal – Ten Minute Hunt
This is the second time we’ve seen Mike on HDNet – and this time Prazak even promotes him as the brother of Matt ‘Evan Bourne’ Sydal which can only be good for both ROH and the kid himself.
Sydal is too busy air guitaring to see Eddie Edwards’ hitting him with the microphone coming. What is this kid, Dunn & Marcos? He does the splits then gets KICKED IN THE FACE ! ACHILLES LOCK! Sydal taps out in a mere 00:36
Rating - N/A - I sort of want this Ten Minute Hunt feature to go somewhere now. Like maybe Rasche Brown coming out an answering one. Or at least a step up in competition to where Edwards actually has a competitive match to go with the fun gimmick
Jim Cornette has found a solution to Roderick Strong’s concerns with the ROH officiating ahead of his match at Glory By Honor, and HIS concerns about the rest of the House Of Truth getting involved now Tyler has demanded it be No DQ. So he’s appointed a special guest ringside enforcer to ensure fair refereeing AND a fair fight…the legendary Terry Funk. We cut to a promo from the Funker who rambles like an absolute loony tune about coming to New York. I love him!
Tyler Black vs Steve Corino
At Buffalo Stampede 2 we saw Tyler beat the ‘legend’ clean – although Corino’s main mission that night was to soften Tyler up and get a scouting report on him ahead of Kevin Steen’s big ROH Title Match. Tonight Corino has nothing on his mind other than beating the champ, and getting some momentum going into the Double Chain Match next weekend.
Todd Sinclair has to confiscate the chain from Corino before the match which is quite funny. Corino end up using that as a distraction to attack the World Champion before the bell. Continuing his aggressive approach, he drags Black to the floor and starts flinging him into the rails. Tyler fires back as Corino looks for an ill-advised tope, kicking him in the face then getting a running start so he can land a somersault plancha. Steve goes to the tried and trusty rule-bending to take control back – choking Black on the ropes then backing off to allow Kevin Steen to mock the World Champion. Hog is absolutely fascinated by Steen’s ringside antics by the way. For the first five minutes the only time he says ANYTHING is to pass comment on what Mr Wrestling is doing at ringside. In the ring Corino gets 2 with an STO before pausing to yell at a few kids in the crowd. You stay classy Steve. He avoids a Tyler Black dropkick, celebrates that fact heartily…then walks into the dropkick anyway. CHAOS THEORY back suplex variant gets Tyler a 2, as does the Black Star Press which he barely connects with. Springboard Lariat scores…but he can’t get his hefty opponent up for the Buckle Bomb. Corino BLASTS him with a lariat, then hits the Eternal Dream for a close nearfall. For the second time in the match he tries to use the chain…and then pulls out a fork when the referee confiscates it. SUPERKICK to block the fork, then the BUCKLE BOMB! SUPERKICK! Tyler wins at 09:05
Rating - *** - I’m not entirely sure this was supposed to be a comedy match, but it had me laughing all the way through. Steve Corino (with assistance from Steen and Hog) was absolutely hilarious here. His knowingly cliché’d heel cheating was entertaining, as were his CONSTANT smarky comments and mean jibes at fans hurling abuse at him. I think this match was taped before the Black/Cornette segment we saw at the start of the show tonight because the crowd were WAY too into Tyler considering he opened the show by saying he wants to hold the ROH Title hostage.
Kevin Steen clambers in to try and get some revenge for losing in Chicago at Salvation…and joins with Corino in putting a chain-wrapped beatdown on the World Champion. Cabana and Generico make the save with their own chain and we get ROH on HDNet’s one millionth pull apart brawl. In the midst of that Roderick Strong runs in and gets into a fist fight with Tyler Black as the show goes off the air.
Tape Rating - *** - Strong go-home show ahead of the iPPV, so it’s a real shame they couldn’t run it next week and stand a chance of drawing some legit buys. The start of the show, with Tyler announcing his intention to leave ROH with the belt absolutely raises the stakes for the ROH Title Match at Glory By Honor – as does the Terry Funk announcement. The Steen/Generico feud was featured throughout the episode and there were plenty of mentions of Kings/WGTT too. The match content was half-decent as well. Nothing great but two solid contests hidden amongst the ppv hype stuff.