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EVENT:
RING OF HONOR HOUSE SHOW
EVENT REVIEW BY:
Andrew Schumann
EVENT DATE:
Saturday, January 26, 2008
LOCATION:
Chicago Ridge Frontier Fieldhouse,
Chicago Ridge, Illinois |
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"The
title matches delivered spot on and gave everything in
the ring." |
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MATCH 1-DREAM
PARTNER TAG TEAM MATCH:
Austin Aries& Brian Danielson vs.
Jay Briscoe & Erick Stevens
At the last weekend of events in 2007 Stevens won the FIP
championship from Roderick Strong. Stevens then successfully
defended his belt against both Aries and Danielson. Aries
challenged Stevens for this tag team bout. All four guys
tried to take control of the match in the beginning. Stevens
was the first one to get an advantage with using his power
and size advantage. Aries regained control on Jay Briscoe
and isolating him for several minutes. Jay and Brian
Danielson traded attempts of a hip toss by blocking each
other for a couple minutes. Austin Aries and Brian Danielson
took turns in locking Jay Briscoe in an airplane spin for a
combined 45 seconds. Briscoe and Stevens regained control of
the match. Stevens was able to hit a shoulder block off the
top turnbuckle onto Aries off Briscoe shoulders. Danielson
took Stevens and eliminated him for a few minutes. Aries and
Danielson both rained down knees and elbows to the head of
Jay Briscoe. Danielson picked up the victory with a small
package on Jay Briscoe. With the victory Danielson and Aries
advanced to the Ultimate Endurance later on the show.
Star Rating: 3 stars out of 4. Both of these tag teams
aren’t usual partners. Both teams showed great chemistry
with each other. Aries and Danielson seemed to gelling while
the match was moving along. |
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MATCH 2:
Shane Hagadorn versus Pelle Primeau
Two more of the Ring of Honor’s wrestling school graduates.
These are probably right now the most experienced. Still a
very basic match from someone still new to the business.
Hagadorn and Primeau have feuded with each other seems like
since day 1 of their careers. Primeau hit a springboard
stunner onto Hagadorn to pick up a near fall. Hagadorn
picked the pinfall with the brass knuckles.
Star Rating: 2 ½ out of 4 stars. These two wrestlers had a
very basic match. It seems right now that Primeau is further
along than Hagadorn as a wrestler. |
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MATCH 3:
Chris Hero & Sara Del Ray vs.
Jigsaw & Daizee Haze
Right before this match Hero and Del Ray destroyed two local
jobbers. This brought out Daizee Haze on the microphone
saying that see respected Sara Del Ray but not Larry
Sweeney. Sweeney told Hero to attack Haze and Jigsaw came
down and attacked Hero setting up this match. This match was
an inter gender match. The opening minutes seemed that
everything Hero or Del Ray tried to do Haze and Jigsaw
seemed to be a step ahead. Hero eventually gained control of
Jigsaw and grounded him for several minutes. Jigsaw and Haze
regained control of the match with Jigsaw using Daizee as an
extension of his body knocking both Sara and Hero down. They
quickly retreated to the outside and Jigsaw followed up with
a rotating splash on both of them. Daizee was on the top
rope and waited for Hero to come back in and landed a head
scissors on him. Daizee then gained control of Del Ray and
nailed the heart punch. Daizee tried to connect with a snap
mare driver. Hero broke up the attempt and forced Daizee to
the outside. Jigsaw came back into the ring. Hero picked the
victory with a powerbomb neck cravat of the top turnbuckle.
Star Rating: 3 out of 4 stars. All four combatants put on a
great match. Del Ray and Haze always work well with each
other. Hero and Jigsaw put on one heck of a match. With
several great women workers I would like to see more inter
gender matches on future cards. |
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MATCH 4:
El Generico versus Claudio
Castagnoli
This match was a rematch from the finals of a tournament
they held last summer. The crowd was supremely behind both
wrestlers from the opening bell. El Generico is a high flyer
while Claudio uses his strength to the fullest degree.
Claudio early on started to work on Generico’s knee to
ground his aerial attack. Claudio used several dropkicks to
soften up the knee. Generico eventually was able to hit a
split legged moonsault to pick up a near fall. Claudio
locked on a giant swing clamping down on the knee to do more
damage to it. Claudio used several different submission
maneuvers on the knee. Claudio locked in the horse collar
and locked his leg with his own legs. Claudio tried several
times to hit his finisher and each attempt was reversed
Generico got some late momentum and picking up some near
falls. The match went to a time limit draw. The crowd wanted
5 more minutes. The wrestlers wanted the same thing but
after it not happening they shook hands. They both seemed to
gain a newfound respect for each other.
Star rating: 4 out of 4 stars. This match just about stole
the night. Hopefully they will be more matches in the future
between these guys. They left everything in the ring. |
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MATCH 5:
Joey Mercury versus Mark Briscoe
Joey Mercury wasn’t supposed to be on the card for the
event. Joey was filling in for the Necro Butcher who
couldn’t make the event due to a prior commitment. This
match was short and basic. Mark and Joey had a very fast
paced open to the match. Joey was the first one to gain an
advantage. Joey was able to hit a compact DDT onto Mark.
Mark rebounded from the move hitting several punches. Joey
proceeded to dump him outside several times. Mark came right
back in every time and land more shots. Mark placed Joey on
the top turnbuckle. Mark was able to nail a springboard ace
crusher and followed it up with the shooting star press for
the victory.
Star Rating: 2 ½ out of 4 stars. This was their first ever
meeting in their careers. They put on a solid match. The
Briscoes have shown that they’re solid singles wrestlers at
the same time great tag team wrestlers. |
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MATCH 6-DOG COLLAR
MATCH:
Delirious vs. Adam Pearce
The match stipulation came from the events of the last time
in town. Pearce took and hanged Delirious with a chain. This
feud has boiling over the last several months. This match
was a straight brawl with each of them using the chain to
their advantage. Delirious was the first one to use the
chain to inflict damage onto Pearce. Delirious hit a
flipping senton press onto Pearce on the outside. Pearce
regained control of the match and using the chain. Delirious
proceeded to pull on the chain and ram Pearce’s head into
the ring post several times. Hagadorn came back out and
tried to interfere on Pearce’s behalf. Delirious spewed mist
into his eyes. Delirious picked up the win with a cross body
block that sent Pearce through a table.
Star Rating: 2 ¾ out of 4 stars. The dog collar match lived
up to expectations of being a brawl from the beginning. The
only thing is that I would have liked to seen it go a little
longer. This match probably has expanded Delirious character
into the more unstable and never now what’s going to happen. |
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MATCH 7-ULTIMATE
ENDURANCE ROH TAG TEAM MATCH:
Aries & Danielson vs. Romero &
Richards vs. Albright & Whitmer vs. Jacobs & Black ROH Tag
Team Champions
This match for Ring of Honor is their premiere tag
team championship bout. There are three pinfalls. The first
fall was a scramble, second fall was an I quit and finally
normal tag team match. All four teams took several minutes
to attack each other to get the first pinfall. Everyone was
fighting all over the ringside area. The shock of the night
happened when Davey Richards pinned Tyler Black after a
German suplex and floating over. This guaranteed that we
will have new tag team champions. Whitmer and Albright
grabbed hold of Danielson and started working over his knee.
They focused on his knee for several minutes. At one point
Danielson locked Whitmer into a triangle choke, Albright at
the same time locked in the Fujiwara armbar on Romero and
same time Richards locked in the Texas cloverleaf on Aries.
The crowd was silent for a little bit after the bell
sounded. Whitmer and Albright were eliminated after Whitmer
quit to the triangle choke. It just left two teams left
Aries and Danielson and Richards and Romero. The crowd was
starting to believe that the team of Aries and Danielson
could walk out the building with the titles. The fatigue was
setting in on all four of the wrestlers but they still put
on one last fall. Aries and Danielson was again combined
elbows and knees onto Richards. Davey Richards picked up the
final victory with rolling up Aries to win the tag team
titles. The crowd was thanking Danielson for his hard work.
Star Rating: 4 out of 4 stars. This match stole the night.
After the defending champions were eliminated first. The
other teams pulled out all the stops to win the titles. This
is what tag team wrestling should be in the WWE. |
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MATCH 8-ROH WORLD
TITLE MATCH:
Nigel McGuinness(c) vs. Roderick
Strong
This match was made official after Strong made a challenge
for the belt after last Chicago show. Nigel McGuinness went
to work on Strong’s arm early try to eliminate Strong’s
chops and back breakers. They exchanged several hard chops
early and often. Strong took Nigel outside and started to
work over his back. Every time Strong hit a back breaker it
seemed that Nigel responded with a lariat. This was just a
hard-hitting main event. Strong picked up several near falls
after landing the Gibson driver and the kick to the face.
Nigel picked up Roderick and placed him on the ropes and
nailed a diving lariat and knocking Roderick off. Roderick
responded by dropping Nigel back first on the ring apron.
Nigel was able to hit the tower of London for a near fall.
Nigel finally picked up the victory with the jaw breaker
lariat.
Star Rating; 3 ½ out of 4 stars. Roderick Strong keeps
showing that he has the goods to deliver as a champion.
Nigel finally healthy put on a great show. I hope that there
are several more bouts between the two. |
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EVENT
RATING:
The title matches delivered spot on and gave everything in
the ring. El Generico and Claudio Castagnolli match was
outstanding I wish they would have given us a decisive
winner. After changing the event last December. Ring of
Honor came to town and truly left everything in the ring. |
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Photo ©
2008 Ring of Honor
Article © 2008 Alternate Reality, Inc. |
