ROH on HDNet
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (ECW Arena)
May 2, 2009
Commentators: Dave Prazak & Mike ?Slap the Porpoise? Hogewood
Report by: Josh Boutwell of WrestleView.com
Well, I guess it’s time to slap the porpoise once again! The show opens with the ring announcer introducing the new ROH ?Ambassador?, Ric Flair! Flair gets a great reaction from the fans and makes his way down to the ring, styling and profiling the whole way! Ric grabs the microphone and he talks about ROH on HDNet and the Nature Boy being in the same building on the same night. Ric says that the thought process of him leaving professional wrestling is just not going to happen. He says when ROH called him, he didn?t even blink because it’s perfect for him. He put over ROH’s owners and the young talent in the ROH lockerroom putting over how there might be a Shawn Michaels or a Ric Flair or even a Triple-H (which got boos) in that lockerroom. Ric says it’s about the growth of professional wrestling and puts over how hard the ROH guys work, and he says he’s honored to be in ROH as the Ambassador. He puts over Jerry Lynn as World Champion and welcomes him out to the ring. Lynn comes out and shakes Ric’s hand. Ric congratulates Jerry on winning the belt and says the ?to be the man, you have to beat the man? line and says right now Lynn is the man. Lynn thanks Cary Silken (ROH owner) for giving him the chance to show everyone he still has what it takes and even thanks Ric, and talks about how Ric had a major car accident in 1995 the night before he and Ric faced off for the first time yet still got into the ring with him. Jerry says it was hard winning the belt but he knows he will have to work twice as hard to keep it. Austin Aries interrupts them and says he wants a shot at the ROH World Title. He says he respects both Ric and Jerry but before either Ric or Jerry were in ROH he was the man. He says he backed up his walk and he backed up his talk when he was the Champion. He tells Lynn that he’s coming for Lynn’s title and he says tonight in the Main Event he’s going to prove he’s the man when he destroys Roderick Strong. Ric says he likes Aries? attitude and he says he hopes Aries can back up all his talk tonight.
Hogewood & Prazak put over the Main Event for tonight and then we go right into the first match of the night.
Chris Hero w/Shane Hagadorn & Sara Del Ray vs. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega is weird as hell. Kenny offers a handshake before the match but Hero kicks it away. No Code of Honor tonight. They lockup and Hero gets a waistlock in and then trips Omega and puts Omega in a wristlock, but Omega counters into one of his own. Hero rolls through and then puts his foot in between them and reverses the wrist lock. Omega counters with a leg trip and then transitions into a chancery, but Hero dead lifts him up and locks him in an armbar. Omega counters with a head scissors but Hero pushes him off and then cinches in that armlock. They stand to their feet and Omega counters the armlock by walking up Hero’s body and then putting him in a side headlock. Hero pushes him off and then puts him in a wastlock and then snapmare takeover. Hero and Omega run the ropes and then Omega hits an arm drag followed by a dropkick that sends Hero to the floor! Omega then hits a gorgeous somersault plancha over the top onto Hero on the floor sandwiching Hero into the guardrail! Omega rolls Hero back into the ring and hits a Flying Cross Body off the top! Omega then hits the La Magistral Cradle on Hero! 1..2?.NO Hero kicks out! Omega attempts to whip Hero into the corner but Hero reverses it. Hero then charges at Omega in the corner but he somersaults over the back of Hero and then goes for a springboard Asai Moonsault, but Hero moves out of the way and Omega lands on his feet. Hero then slams Omega’s head into the mat by the hair and then throws Omega through the ropes to the floor. Hero then hits a vicious running Yakuza Kick through the ropes to the floor! Hero tosses Omega back into the ring and charges at Omega in the corner but Omega gets a boot up and then gets it up one more time, but the third time Hero blocks it and hits a nasty back elbow. Hero attempts to whip Omega into the opposite corner but Omega reverses it and then hits a running back elbow of his own. Omega then goes for a Running Bulldog but Hero counters with an elbow strike. Hero then comes off the ropes but eats an Enziguri from Omega! Omega then hits a Dragon Suplex! 1?.2?NO Hero kicks out! Omega says it’s over and picks Hero up for the Electric Chair but Hero blocks it as Sara Del Ray gets up on the apron and distracts Omega & the referee. Hero then loads up his elbow pad and hits the Rolling Elbow! 1?2?3 and it’s over!
Winner: Chris Hero via pinfall (Rolling Elbow)
In the back Kyle Durden is with Roderick Strong and he puts over Strong’s recent tour of Japan. Strong says it feels great to be on HDNet but tonight isn?t about him, it’s about what Aries has been saying about him. He puts over their past as a tag team and friends, but he says Aries doesn?t respect anyone so it’s not just about beating Aries it’s about making him respect Strong.
They show highlights of a few weeks ago when Brodie Lee attacked Necro Butcher when he was facing Jimmy Jacobs.
Brodie Lee w/Jimmy Jacobs vs. Necro Butcher
Oh God I?m sure this match is going to be a mat classic. Brodie Lee makes Sid Vicious look like Bret Hart. Necro brings out a chair with him and hits himself in the head repeatedly before the match. Jimmy is complaining from ringside about the chair. Necro kicks off the match by hitting a somersault plancha off the ring apron onto Brodie on the floor. Necro then throws a chair at Brodie and then wraps it around Brodie’s neck and slams him against the ringpost. Necro then chases Jimmy around the ring and Brodie goes for a clothesline, but Necro ducks and throws the chair at Brodie again! Necro then throws Brodie around the ring until Jimmy attacks Necro from behind. This allows Brodie to hit him with a big right and then a Black Hole Slam on the entrance ramp. So is this supposed to be a No DQ Match? Brodie picks Necro up and rolls him back into the ring. 1?2?no Necro kicks out. Brodie hits a European Uppercut on Brodie and then chokes Necro on the ropes and Jimmy punches Necro. Brodie pokes Necro in the eyes and then hits another European Uppercut. Brodie whips Necro into the corner and charges but Necro moves and lights up Brodie’s chest with chops and punches to the face as well. Necro then goes for a Bulldog but Brodie pushes him off and hits two Big Boots for a nearfall. Brodie picks Necro up but Necro pushes Brodie into Jimmy Jacobs who was standing on the ring apron and rolls Necro up! 1?2?3!
Winner: Necro Butcher via pinfall (rollup)
After the match Necro backdrops Brodie over the top to the floor and then Jimmy throws a chair at Necro but he catches it and then sits in it in the ring.
The ?Buzz Words? this week from Erick Stevens are powerful, aggressive, intense, unstoppable, and a runaway train. Wasn?t that the same a few weeks ago?
Erick Stevens vs. Sal Rinauro
Sal with a slap before the bell but then Stevens hits a powerslam and then a German Suplex. Stevens then hits the Choo Choo in the corner on Sal followed by a huge Lariat. Stevens then hits the Doctor Bomb for the pin.
Winner: Erick Stevens via pinfall (Doctor Bomb)
They show highlights of the Tyler Black vs. Bryan Danielson from last week and they will have a #1 Contenders Match next week plus Nigel McGuinness will speak.
Main Event
?Messiah of the Backbreaker? Roderick Strong vs. Austin Aries
Strong and Aries respect the Code of Honor before the match and then they lockup. They push each other into the ropes and then clean break and lockup again. Aries with a waistlock takedown but Strong blocks it and they stand up again. Aries with a side headlock and then he transitions into a wristlock, but Strong cartwheels out of it into a wristlock of his own. Aries rolls through and then hits an elbow drop onto Strong’s arm. They lockup again and Strong gets the side headlock this time and then Aries pushes him into the ropes and Strong hits a shoulder block. Aries then leapfrogs Strong and hits two arm drags. Strong comes back with a headscissors but Aries handstands and then hits a dropkick. Aries with elbow strikes in the corner and then a knife edge chop. Roderick goes for one of his own but Aries avoids it. Aries offers another handshake but chops Strong instead. Strong goes for a chop of his own but Aries ducks and slides out to the floor and celebrates. Strong hits a big running forearm off the apron onto Aries on the floor and then tosses Aries into the guard rail! Aries again avoids a chop from Strong but Strong throws him into the guard rail again. Again Aries avoids a chop from Strong and then rolls back into the ring. Roderick with a forearm from the apron but Aries comes right back with a dropkick to Strong’s legs sending him off the apron to the floor. Aries then hits a Flying Double Axe Handle Drop off the top onto Strong on the floor! Aries then lays Strong on the apron and hits a running knee strike and rolls Strong back into the ring for a one count. Strong finally hits a chop this time to the face on Aries, but Aries grabs Strong by the tights and throws him through the ropes to the floor. Aries then tosses Strong into the guardrail and then back into the ring. Aries stands on Strong and hits the Pengelum Elbow Drop for a nearfall. Aries whips Strong into the corner but he hits backkick followed by a springboard cross body for a nearfall. Aries then comes back with a forearm and then he rakes Strong’s eyes over the top rope. Aries whips Strong into the corner and then charges at him but Strong gets his boot up. Aries catches the boot but Strong nails him with an Enziguri. Strong lights up Aries with nasty chops but Aries comes back with a knee. Aries attempts to whip Strong into the ropes but he reverses it and hits a dropkick for another nearfall. Strong with more sickening chops in the corner and then he whips Aries into the opposite corner and hits running forearm followed by a backbreaker! 1?.2?NO Aries kicks out! Strong picks Aries up in a firemans carry but blocks it and pushes Strong to the floor and then hits the Heat Seeking Missile through the ropes to the floor! Aries rolls Strong back into the ring and then hits the slingshot corkscrew splash for another nearfall. Strong comes back with a Half Nelson Backbreaker for a nearfall of his own! Strong kicks Aries in the back and then lights up Aries chest with more chops. Strong charges at Aries in the corner but Aries hits an elbow, but then Strong hits another Enziguri for a nearfall. Strong goes for a Yakuza Kick but Aries rolls him up and then hits several knee strikes to the top of the head right into the Front Chancery! Strong is able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Aries then hits nasty forearms in the corner and then bites him! Strong then chares Strong int eh corner but Strong catches him and hits a gutbuster followed by a Running Front Kick and then he locks Aries in the Boston Crab! Aries fights it and is able to grab the ropes. Strong holds onto the legs and drags him to the center, but Aries fights it still. Aries finally uses his legs to send Strong to the floor. As Strong started to climb back into the ring Aries dropkicks him and then goes for the Brainbuster but Strong blocks it and hits a double leg takedown and locks in the Boston Crab again! Aries again gets to the ropes to break the hold. Strong goes for the Tiger Bomb but Aries counters with a hurricanrana and then a big forearm. Aries attempts to put Strong in the Boston Crab now but Strong rolls him up! 1?2?NO Aries kicks out and then kicks Strong in the head. Aries finally hits the Brainbuster! 1?2…3 and it’s over!
Winner: Austin Aries via pinfall (Brainbuster)
After the Main Event both Danielson and Black put over their match for next week with promos.
Final Thoughts
Another solid show from Ring of Honor. Some really good wrestling tonight and they set up an eventual match between Lynn and Aries.
The opener between Omega and Hero was very good. Omega is athletic as hell and Hero is always entertaining.
The Necro vs. Brodie match was about as good as expected. Brodie is horrible and Necro did his best with him but Necro isn?t exactly a mat technician himself.
Erick Stevens has always been boring to me and I?ve never liked him so them having him squash Sal definitely wasn?t going to help me like him.
The Main Event was great as it always is in ROH. I love Strong and all his variations of backbreakers and chops and Aries is one of the more entertaining wrestlers in ROH, but the ending was just a little to anti-climatic for me. The fans were really dull again this week as well.
Overall another good show. I really wish they would build towards their PPV’s though with something.