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Post by Pariah on Jun 11, 2015 6:03:47 GMT -5
Wow! So much going on, as competitors try to earn a spot on the IWA roster... Really enjoyed the interactions involving Dr. Lano and SoCal Val on this show...
Huge congrats to The Batiri! Great seeing one of my favorite teams with some gold... And I'm truly looking forward to the upcoming Triple Threat to see which member of F.I.S.T. will win that guaranteed contract...
Galloway and Sabre Jr. had a superb match against Fox and PJ Black... Would've been impossible to pick the winner in that one... The challenge issued to Colt Cabana by Quackenbush at the show's conclusion was fun stuff as well...
Another excellent offering, my friend... Thank you for sharing!
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Post by cruefan68 on Jun 11, 2015 12:57:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments Crimson and Pariah. I was not expecting The Batiri to win there but it was a nice surprise courtesy of the dice. It also forced me to do something with F.I.S.T. for Final Battle BLUE and I figured with them losing the belts there might be some infighting. The three-way match between them will mark the debut for the Taylor and Gargano Evolve cards in my fed so I am looking forward to that. Using Galloway, Sabre, and Black for the first time on this show was a lot of fun.
Plans for the IWA are coming along nicely but I will be forced to make some tough roster decisions once Final Battle BLUE (CHIKARA) and Final Battle RED (ROH) take place.
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Post by Pariah on Jun 11, 2015 13:03:16 GMT -5
May I be so bold as to make a quick inquiry... Since they won the Campeonatos de Parejas, will that grant The Batiri automatic inclusion on the IWA roster?
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Post by cruefan68 on Jun 11, 2015 13:28:55 GMT -5
May I be so bold as to make a quick inquiry... Since they won the Campeonatos de Parejas, will that grant The Batiri automatic inclusion on the IWA roster? If they remain champions yes. They are going to face the Osirian Portal in a title match at Final Battle BLUE so the winners there will get guaranteed contracts and a spot in the IWA tag team title match at the debut show. That doesn't mean The Batiri wouldn't go to the IWA if they lose the belts it just means that I will have to make a roster decision on them. The dice will decide their fate in the match with the Portal. Thanks for the question, Pariah, I hope I cleared it up. This IWA thing has been really fun to put together. I'm hoping to have the next ROH show up soon. |
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Post by EpicDave on Jun 11, 2015 14:27:23 GMT -5
I am a big Throwbacks fan, so it was sad to see them go down. Loved the Dr. Mike Lano action throughout the show! Great stuff but a bitter ending with Fire Ant going down to defeat.
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Post by cruefan68 on Jun 11, 2015 22:37:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments Daytondave. I am a fan of The Throwbacks as well and I was shocked when they lost that match. The dice rule all, though, and can change plans but its all good. Glad you enjoyed the show and next up is action from Ring of Honor...
Ring of Honor - Red Armageddon - Hammerstein Ballroom - Manhattan, NY (Card #880)
1) Nigel McGuinness & reDRagon defeated Matt Sydal & Young Bucks:
With IWA talent scouts taking seats at ringside it was a great showcase for the stars of ROH and that was on full display in this exiting opener as Matt Sydal & Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) took on Nigel McGuinness & reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly). The opening sequence between Sydal and McGuinness was jaw dropping. Sydal countered a deep armdrag with a Shining Wizard but McGuinness ducked under and hit a short-arm lariat for a near fall. McGuinness and reDRagon then did a great job dominating the action as they got the heat on Matt Jackson for an extended stretch. That included O’Reilly scoring a submission chance with the cross Armbreaker he calls Armageddon. Fish was a real standout hitting key moves like the super falcon arrow and Flying Fish Hook. A wild finish saw Nick get the hot tag but he went for a whip into the ropes only to have McGuinness strike with the devastating Rebound Lariat to score the pin.
2) Evolve Offer Match: Timothy Thatcher defeated Jon Davis:
Evolve owner Gabe Sapolsky was at ringside for this Offer Match from his promotion pitting rising star Timothy Thatcher against the double tough Jon Davis. Both men adhered to the Code of Honor to start out and Thatcher went on a nice offensive using the Cross Armbreaker and London Bridge Falling Down, a backdrop ending in a European Uppercut. Davis struck back with some big clotheslines and hit his finisher, 3 Seconds Around the World, for a big near fall. This built into a great bout that ended when Davis missed with a springboard moonsault and Thatcher trapped him in the Rocking Chair Surfboard. Davis had nowhere to go and was forced to tap out giving Thatcher the victory via submission.
The two were about to adhere to the Code of Honor post-match when “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” Kevin Steen hit the ring. Thatcher alertly bailed out but Davis remained to confront Steen. Grabbing the mic away from the ring announcer the belligerent Steen demanded to know why he wasn’t booked on the card. He ignored the presence of Davis and verbally tore into ROH promoter Cary Silkin who was seated at ringside alongside Sapolsky. Silkin tried to reason with him but Steen would have none of it and he turned and decked Davis! The sucker punch left Davis in a bad way and Steen proceeded to toss him out of the ring. He then jumped out and got in the face of both Silkin and Sapolsky before giving Davis a power bomb onto the ring apron! LOW officials rushed down to remove Steen who left on his own as an angry Sapolsky argued with Silkin over the actions of Steen. Davis had to be carried out on a stretcher and is said to be out of action indefinitely.
3) Forever Hooligans defeated War Machine:
The Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & “Mr. Azucar” Rocky Romero) took on the tough challenge of War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe) in tag team action. It was a brutal bout with some stiff strikes thrown on both sides. The Hooligans looked to have it won when they hit the Contract Killer on Rowe but Hanson was able to make the save. Hanson was a real force in this bout taking the fight to both of the Hooligans. At one point he laid out Koslov with a power bomb and cartwheel lariat to set up him and Rowe executing War Machine, a side slam and top rope legdrop combo. Romero was late in making the save but Koslov got his shoulder up just before the three count. The wild bout ended when Koslov surprised Hanson with the Soviet Strike, a superkick, to score the pin.
4) Tyler Black defeated Cedric Alexander:
The popular Cedric Alexander, one-half of C & C Wrestle Factory along with Caprice Coleman, took on Kings of Wrestling member Tyler Black. It was a determined Black hitting the ring for this match as IWA scouts looked on. Black was upset over his performance at Survival of the Fittest where he lost to Rhino in a match that saw So Cal Val indirectly involved. Val, who is rumored to have been signed to a managerial contract with the IWA, was not on hand here. Black was dominate in the early going including hitting both God’s Last Gift and the spectacular Phoenix Splash for big near falls. Alexander barely kicked out of the latter and not long after it was a second execution of God’s Last Gift by Black that resulted in him scoring the pin. It was an impressive win for Black who adhered to the Code of Honor with Alexander post-match.
5) American Wolves defeated AJ Styles & Austin Aries by DQ:
Feature tag team action saw the American Wolves (Davey Richards & “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards) take on a unique pairing in former ROH Heavyweight champion AJ Styles & “A Double” Austin Aries. This match was off the charts and had the crowd jumping out of their seats. The exchanges between Richards and Styles were just amazing with both using their quickness to counter each other. Aries may have been the best performer in the match including scoring a near fall on Edwards after hitting the Brainbuster. An attempt at the 450 Splash backfired, though, and Edwards followed nailing Aries with a missile dropkick for a near fall. Richards was on point nailing Styles with the Alarm Clock, a pop-up lifting kick to the midsection, and delivering the multiple suplex assault. Styles was busted open late into this one forcing Aries to work extra hard. The finish was controversial as Richards had Aries pinned after a superplex but Styles broke it up by coming off of the top rope with the Spiral Tap. The referee then called for the bell giving the American Wolves the win via disqualification as top rope pin saves in tag team matches are illegal under LOW rules. There was some tension post-match before both teams agreed to a rematch, sanctioned by ROH promoter Cary Silkin, at Final Battle RED (Card #890 in Baltimore, MD) where only the winning team will receive guaranteed contracts with the IWA.
6) LOW Tex-Arkana Television title: Roderick Strong defeated One Man Gang to win the title:
House of Truth member Roderick Strong, accompanied by his manager Truth Martini, attempted to become a two-time LOW Tex-Arkana Television champion as he took on the 495-pound One Man Gang. With his manager Captain Lou Albano still out of action courtesy of Andre the Giant, OMG was in the unfamiliar situation of having to deal with a manager like Martini on the outside while attempting to defend the title. Strong had a serious game plan going in as despite giving up nearly a foot in height and nearly three-hundred pounds in weight he used his quickness to frustrate the champion. Considering OMG has gone to several time limit draws as champion it looked like Strong tried to wear him out early. A delivery of the Sick Kick resulted in a near fall before OMG took over on the outside. The big man took Strong down and went for the 747 Splash but he rolled out of the way. That was the turning point as Strong followed with a nice offensive before coming off of the top rope with a Flying Bodypress to score the pin. It was a shocking finish as OMG lost the belt and Strong became a two-time champion. A jubilant Martini handed the belt to Strong who defied the odds in beating his massive opponent for the championship.
7) ROH tag team titles – Triple Threat Match: Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas© defeated Bad Influence and Kings of Wrestling to retain the titles:
The intense rivalry between defending ROH tag team champions Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, known as “Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team”, and their challengers Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) and the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) was on full display in this Triple Threat Match. It was one fall to a finish meaning that the first team to gain a pinfall or a submission would leave with the titles. In addition it was announced by ROH promoter Cary Silkin that the winning team would receive guaranteed IWA contracts and go on to represent ROH against CHIKARA in the crowning of the first IWA tag team champions during WrestleCade IX weekend so the stakes were extremely high. Tyler Black accompanied the KOW to ringside but was sent to the back by the referee in order to prevent outside interference. All three teams were in fine form and the SRO crowd witnessed a tremendous battle in what was essentially the last ROH tag team title match under the LOW banner. A great mid-match sequence saw Daniels and Hero continue their torrid rivalry and it was the “Fallen Angel” hitting Last Rites and then locking on the Koji Clutch. He and Kazarian then combined to hit the Lariat and Chop Block Combo on Hero for what looked to be a sure pin but Benjamin broke it up. The finishing sequence saw Haas gain the upper hand on Daniels and amidst a chaotic free-for-all he pinned the “Fallen Angel” after hitting a third T-Bone Suplex. It was a huge win for Benjamin & Haas who will be remembered as the last ROH tag team champions, receive the IWA contracts and go on to the tag team championship match during WrestleCade IX weekend.
●Following the tremendous tag team title match the ring attendants were removing the tag ropes and preparing for the main event when Kevin Steen suddenly made his way back out to ringside. He grabbed one of the men and power bombed him right through the timekeeper’s table while the rest ran off. Cary Silkin shouted at Steen to stop but he grabbed the mic and made his way into the ring. Steen was still angry over not being booked on the card and said that Michael Elgin, who defeated him in the Survival of the Fittest finals, did not deserve to be in the ROH Heavyweight title match. Silkin bravely made his way onto the ring apron but Steen told him if he took another step he would regret it. A second mic was handed to Silkin and he told Steen from a safe distance that he had crossed the line and he had no choice but to suspend him indefinitely, including voiding any potential IWA contract offers. Steen was livid and was going to go after Silkin when suddenly El Generico hit the ring to chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole!” setting off a wild scene.
Generico grabbed the mic that Steen had thrown to the mat and proceeded to bring up their past history, as both friends and enemies, and said that there was a way out of this. Steen looked confused as did Silkin and Generico said that there was no way Steen was going to get off that easy with a suspension. Silkin demanded to know what Generico was talking about and he said that Ring of Honor is about honor and Steen’s’ actions injuring Jon Davis and the ring attendant were dishonorable. He said that the only way to settle this was with a Fight Without Honor and since Davis was unavailable he would take his place. The crowd cheered wildly as Generico then issued the challenge for the Fight Without Honor at Final Battle RED (Card #890 in Baltimore, MD). Steen readily accepted and Silkin, knowing that his attempt to void an IWA contract offer was nullified if such a match took place reluctantly signed off on it. The winner of the Fight Without Honor would receive an IWA contract as per the rules for Final Battle RED set forth by LOW Commissioner Charlie Cox where the winners would be given guaranteed contracts with the new promotion.
It is interesting to note that Generico defeated Steen in the first ever Fight Without Honor held under the LOW banner in this very building, the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, NY (Card #601), and that Steen is also 0-2, having also lost to Adam Cole in one, in the ROH specialty match.
8) ROH Heavyweight title: Michael Elgin defeated Adam Cole to win the title:
More history was made in the main event as the “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin became a two-time ROH Heavyweight champion as he defeated Adam Cole to regain the title. It was Cole that ended the first title reign of Elgin by defeating him in Rahway, NJ (Card #860) and after that loss Elgin was focused on regaining the title. That included an impressive performance in winning the Survival of the Fittest event to earn this rematch. Cole was looking good early as he took Elgin apart including using the German suplex several times. For as good as Elgin looked in winning Survival of the Fittest he looked the opposite here and for a stretch it looked like Cole would go on to retain the title. Then it happened. As a confident Cole sent Elgin into the ropes he bent over to deliver a back bodydrop only the powerful Elgin was prepared with a counter. He grabbed the arms of Cole and turned him over into a Backslide to score the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Elgin regained the title and put the arrogant Cole in his place on this night. Cole was frustrated afterward as he reluctantly engaged in the Code of Honor with the new champion. Elgin then hoisted up the title belt and paraded around the ring as others, including El Generico and the American Wolves, joined him in the victory celebration. ROH promoter Cary Silkin then made the announcement that the two would have a rematch at Final Battle RED (Card #890 in Baltimore, MD) with the winner going on to represent ROH in the crowning of the first ever IWA Heavyweight champion during WrestleCade IX weekend.
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Post by Pariah on Jun 11, 2015 22:52:37 GMT -5
Thatcher did a great job winning the Evolve Offer Match, but the real noise was made by Kevin Steen... It would seem that Wrestling's Worst Nightmare is looking to make good on his moniker!
I don't know if I could pick a favorite moment, as this entire show ran like a highlight reel... Love the tag team combo of Styles & Aries... Even though they lost via DQ, I think they sent a message to everyone, including the Wolves... The controversial ending will certainly make for a dynamic rematch...
Great results all-around in the three title matches on the card... Roddy Strong was impressive, defeating the much larger One Man Gang for some gold... WGTT guaranteed themselves a spot on the IWA roster... And 'Unbreakable' Michael Elgin won the ROH Heavyweight title for the second time... Great work!
WrestleCade IX is almost upon us... And I couldn't be more excited!
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Post by cruefan68 on Jun 12, 2015 12:50:19 GMT -5
Thanks Pariah, I love the highlight reel comment. This was one of the more epic ROH shows I have rolled out if I do say so myself. It feels like both CHIKARA and ROH are going out with a bang building to the debut of the IWA.
The Kevin Steen deal actually came about because I didn't book him on the show and Thatcher-Davis actually rolled a "12" on the Code of Honor post-match so I figured why not have Steen wreak havoc. After I wrote that up I came up with the idea to maybe have El Generico, who i also didn't schedule for the card, confront him based on their past history. It also sets up a possible Steen-Davis rivalry down the line.
WrestleCade IX in Las Vegas is now twenty cards away so I hope you will enjoy the ride. Next up will be an edition of LOW All-Star Wrestling which I hope to have posted sometime this weekend.
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Post by Crimson Cross on Jun 13, 2015 7:35:03 GMT -5
That is cool to see Roderick Strong win gold, plus WGTT retaining is solid stuff. Cool to see Thatcher win, but I really liked that heated confrontation between Jon Davis and Kevin Steen, awesome stuff...
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Post by EpicDave on Jun 13, 2015 23:45:36 GMT -5
Outstanding card from top to bottom. Steen doesn't need to waste much time with a nothing-happening putz like Jon Davis- he needs to set his sights higher. Roderick Strong will represent Tex-Arkana with honor. The two title matches were nothing short of awesome. Great work!
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