From JHawk's Beak: ROH Road to the Title

[Guest TSMAdmin]

From JHawk's Beak: ROH Road to the Title

by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins

 

They say good things come to those who wait, so I hope that holds true here. By the way, those of you who e-mailed me following SmackDown and never got a response, they changed our servers with no advance warning, and everytime they do that my inbox goes with the old server, so there you go.

 

When we last covered Ring of Honor, it was a Night of Appreciation for Eddy Guerrero. Prior to the main event, eight of ROH's finest put their hats into the ring for an opportunity to become the first-ever Ring of Honor champion. So on June 22, 2002, sixteen of the world's finest converged on the Murphy Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a series of four mini tournaments, with the winners moving on to next month's show to compete in an Ironman Match for the inaugural title.

 

Road to the ROH Title

June 22, 2002

from the Murphy Recreation Center in Philadelphia, PA

 

We begin with Low Ki receiving a pep talk from Mafia leading into the tournament because it's all about honor and discipline, which exemplify Low Ki.

 

Shots of Philadelphia lead into the opening montage of competitors in the tournament.

 

Your announce team is Steve Corino and Donnie B.

 

Block C Semifinal: Bio-Hazard vs. The American Dragon

 

Both of these men are graduates of the Texas Wrestling Academy, with this being Bio-Hazard's ROH debut. Bio-Hazard gets a kick in after the handshake (but before the bell) and starts pounding away. Snap mare followed a rolling neck snap from the middle rope for 2. Gutwrench suplex, but he misses an Asai moonsault. Dragon from behind, but Bio-Hazard works into a Northern Lights suplex for 2. Slap to the chest. And again. And conventional chops as they begin trading chops. Dragon with a running forearm. Goes for a German, but Bio-Hazard out of it...and he runs right into a clothesline. Corner whip, Bio-Hazard gets the boot up, but Dragon comes back with a swinging DDT. Inverted suplex, right into Cattle Mutilation, and Dragon advances via submission in 2:30. Short but sweet. *

 

Block A Semifinal: Paul London vs. Spanky

 

Last month, Spanky defeated London en route to winning the Texas Wrestling Academy gauntlet match. Spanky into a wristlock to start. London works out of it and reverses it. Spanky turns it into a Victory roll for a quick 2 count. Test of strength, and Spanky works it into a hammerlock. Into a wristlock, which London turns into an armbar. Monkey flip by Spanky, but London quickly with a drop toehold into a front facelock. Corner whip turns into a slingshot headscissors for London. Sequence of blocks until London gets a spinning heel kick to send Spanky outside the ring. Spanky slingshots back into the ring and gets an inverted suplex. Hard waistlock suplex for 2. Rudy Boy Gonzalez looks on from ringside. Crevatte by Spanky, but London forearms out of it. Spanky blocks a sunset flip and drops a knee. Spanky tunes up the band...and there's a huge kick to the face for 2. OW! Snap suplex into a floatover for 2. Trading forearms in the corner, then London gets a springboard flipping thingie. I think that's the technical term for it. Rana by Spanky, but he misses a leg lariat, and London gets a superkick! London up top, but he misses the shooting star press. Spanky sets up Sliced Bread #2, but London drops him groin first onto the top rope. Kick to the back of the head sends Spanky to the floor, and there's a no-hands somersault tope by London. Back into the ring, and a slingshot Asai moonsault gets 2. Spanky goes for a slingshot backdrop suplex, but London counters into a double chickenwing facebuster for 2. London up top again, but Spanky crotches him onto the top rope. Superplex attempt, London blocks, and both men tumble hard to the mat. Spanky is slow to cover for 2. Snap DDT by Spanky, and he's up top, but London superkicks him. Spanky kicks London down, misses a moonsault bodyblock, London misses his move, and Spanky with Sliced Bread #2 for the win at 9:56. Some have called this the show stealer. I wouldn't go that far, but it was good. ***1/2

 

Block C Semifinal: Jay Briscoe vs. "The Anarchist" Doug Williams

 

The winner moves on to face American Dragon later tonight. Williams is a very successful British wrestler making his ROH debut. Williams with a wristlock to start. Briscoe works into one of his own, but it's quickly reversed. Reversed again. Williams with a hiptoss for 2. Snap mare, but Briscoe evades a chinlock and gets a wristlock. Williams quickly into a leg hammerlock, and here comes Mark Briscoe to the ring to watch the action. Side headlock by Williams. Jay turns it into a headscissors as Mark yells at his brother. Williams kicks out of the headscissors and gets a headlock on. Into the ropes, shoulderblock, Irish whip, uppercut by Jay, and Jay goes for a leg, but Williams makes a sweet counter into a side headlock. Briscoe counters into a back suplex for 2. Dropkick. Rolling snap suplexes into a front-layout suplex for 2. Series of chops. Whip, reversal, high knee by Williams, corner whip, high knee. Williams up top, and he connects and gets 2. Briscoe with a power bomb for a very near fall. Top-rope legdrop for 2. Briscoe goes for the J-Driller, but it's blocked, so Jay turns it into a double underhook submission. Williams out of it, European uppercuts, and Williams into the Chaos Theory (rolling cradle into a German suplex) for the pin in 6:19. Some pretty good mat work here. ** Mark Briscoe leaves his brother with a look of disgust.

 

Block A Semifinal: Jody Fleisch vs. Jonny Storm

 

Two members of Britain's FWA make their debuts with the winner to meet Spanky later tonight. A lot of fast-paced movement that leads to a stalemate. Storm chokes Fleisch with his boot and kicks him to the floor, then dives onto him with a plancha! Back in, and Storm retains control, but Fleisch gets a Japanese armdrag, then kicks Storm in the back of his head to send him to the floor. Fleisch goes for a springboard plancha, but there's no Storm, as he enters from the opposite side of the ring but gets taken over with a poor looking backdrop. Fleisch flips Storm over the back, superkick, clothesline to send Storm to the flip, and off the top to the floor with a standing shooting star press! That makes up for that backdrop. Back in, Storm gets a sunset flip for 2, and it turns into a sequence of reversals for a sequence of 2 counts. That was one hell of a sequence. Corner whip, Fleisch springs to the top rope, and Storm takes him off with a top-rope belly-to-back superplex. Storm slow to cover and gets 2. Storm avoids a swinging DDT, slips on the rope, but recovers into a springboard rana for 2. Nice save. Corner whip, charge, dropkick by Flesich, and into a Victory roll for 2. Storm leapfrogs over Fleisch into a springboard huracanrana. Amazing stuff! Fleisch with a 720 DDT (a springboard tornado DDT), but gets blocked the second time. Storm goes for the leapfrog huracanrana again, but Fleisch counters into a power bomb for the pin at 7:00. Somewhat sloppy, but the stuff they did hit well more than makes up for it, I say. ***1/4

 

Backstage, Jerry Lynn has finished eating a banana, which causes the Christopher Street Connection to make their comments. Buff E: "I liked it better when it didn't have any skin on it." Yes, this got over.

 

Block D Semifinal: Prince Nana (w/Elax) vs. Low Ki

 

At A Night of Appreciation, Low Ki knocked Nana silly with a forearm smash during the announcement of the title tournament, leading to this match. Low Ki slingshots in, and Nana attacks with a double-axhandle to violate the Code of Honor. Nice vertical suplex, and he stomps away at Low Ki. Cornep whip, followed by an avalanche and a running BUTT bump. More axhandles and stomps. Chops in the corner. Low Ki tries to fight back but is stopped short. Nana with a headbutt. They start exchanging chops, but Nana kicks him down and gets another running BUTT bump. Low Ki is back up, and there are some hard chops. Nana reverses a corner kick and gets an avalance, but he misses the running BUTT bump, and Low Ki knocks Nana out cold with a roundhouse kick, causing John Finnegan to stop the match at 3:50. The best Nana match I've seen prior to the quick finish, although that's not saying much. * Nana eventually wakes up and is helped to the back.

 

Jerry Lynn is jamming to some tunes when Xavier introduces himself. He lets Xavier take a listen.

 

The SAT apologize to The Amazing Red for their past difficulties and wish him luck.

 

Block D Semifinal: Xavier vs. The Amazing Red

 

Xavier tosses Red across the ring with a Beell. Red kicks Xavier out of the ring and flies out of the ring onto Xavier. Back in, and Red gets some chops in the corner. Backflip, but Xavier catches him and power bombs him down to the mat. Knee strikes into the corner. Red avoids a pumphandle slam and gets in a rana, but Xavier flips up and hits a spinwheel kick. Red with an enzuigiri to the face, then he gets the sunset bomb for 2. Xavier comes back with a pumphandle into a face-first suplex for 2. Xavier misses a 450 splash, then Red springboards off the top and backflips into a DDT for 2. Wow! Red up top, but he's caught. Xavier goes for a splash mountain, but Red blocks it. Red comes off with a spinning enzuigiri to the face, then it's Infrared, Red Star Press, pin at 4:27. Fun stuff there. *1/2

 

Xavier walks to the back when Christopher Daniels bitches at him because he felt Xavier had the best shot of beating Low Ki. So he turns to Red and tells him that if he doesn't beat Low Ki, he'll have hell to pay. Xavier tells him to get ready for Low Ki...or Red.

 

Sheldon Goldberg introduces Sumie Sakai to Scoot Andrews.

 

Block B Semifinal: "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels vs. "The Black Nature Boy" Scoot Andrews

 

This one was signed after a verbal altercation during the announcement of the tournament, as Andrews issued the challenge. Daniels grabs the stick. He has had to deal with the discrimination of ROH against him, but he had a epiphany...he'll lead a great group of athletes to help kill off Ring of Honor. So the first member of the Prophecy is (drumroll please)...Simply Luscious. Scoot quickly hits the ring, but gets jumped as he slides in. Inverted power bomb by Andrews, and a nice dropkick for a quick 2. Daniels with a short knee to the midsection, followed by a neckbreaker. Daniels with some jabs, but Scoot counters a bulldog into almost a Russian legsweep and gets 2. Scoot goes for the Force of Nature, but can't get it, but he is able to hit a tiger bomb for 2. Andrews charges, but Daniels catches him and takes him down with an STO. Triple Jump Moonsault, and Daniels gets the pin in just 2:27. Too short to mean anything. 1/2*

 

Simply Luscious has the mic, but the crowd won't let her talk. A mock slap to Scoot's face, and Luscious begs for a right hand, but Scoot won't hit a woman...so he calls out Sumie Sakai.

 

Simply Luscious (w/Christopher Daniels vs. Sumie Sakai (w/Scoot Andrews)

 

Sakai with a waistlock, but Luscious into a Victory roll for 2. Backslide by Sakai for 2. A couple of dropkicks, and a bodyslam for 2 as Corino goes into Lawler mode. Sakai goes for a rana, but Luscious counters with a sitout power bomb for 2. Stomping away in a corner, but Sakai hits the top rope on a corner whip and take her down with a flying dropkick. Another dropkick for 2. Luscious blocks a suplex and gets one of her own for 2. Sakai coming back with chops, and into an abdominal stretch. Sakai releases, barely gets a bodyslam, and hits a moonsault for the pin at 3:23. Not bad considering the length of the match. 3/4*

 

Block B Semifinal: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn

 

The winner here meets Daniels. This predates the Lynn-Styles NWATNA feud by about a week or two, as TNA's debut show was just three days prior to this. Lockup, nothing doing. Wrestling sequence with Lynn getting an armbar. Wristlock by Styles, reversal, another reversal, and Lynn into a couple of armdrags before hooking an armbar. Exchange of hammerlocks. Leapfrog sequence, a series of ducks and counters, and each man blocks the other man's armdrag attempt, and they hurt each other's arms. Lynn with a headlock. Thrown off, shoulderblock. Exchange of punches. Lynn with a headlock, thrown off, clothesline for 2. Lynn hooks in a bow-and-arrow, but Styles breaks it into a cover for 2. Series of forearms by Lynn. Styles with some kicks and chops, but Lynn gets a spinning backbreaker for 2. Corner whip, reversal, into a series of reversals that gets stopped by some Lynn forearms, then Lynn suplexes Styles into the turnbuckles for 2. Lynn with a form of the Gory Special, but Styles quickly recovers and gets a superkick for 2. Corner whip, Lynn with an elbow, and into a bulldog for 2. Lynn goes for a DDT, but Styles hooks the rope to block it. Styles with a single-arm DDT, and he hooks in a cross armbreaker. Lynn reaches the ropes. Styles continues to focus on Lynn's left arm in an attempt to prevent Lyyn from getting in the Cradle Piledriver. Into a hammerlock. Lynn to the ropes to force a break. Chops and kicks by Styles. Counter sequence in the corner ends with Lynn getting a slingshot legdrop. Styles blocks a suplex and gets a suplex into a reverse neckbreaker for 2. Styles goes into another cross armbreaker. He can't quite hook it, so he starts punching Lynn instead. Asai inverted DDT for 2. Lynn backdrops Styles to avoid a Styles Clash. Power bomb, countered, and Styles eventually lands an enzuigiri. Lynn with a sunset flip, leading into a series of reversals for near falls, ending with Lynn hitting a German suplex. Corino: "The fans are the big winners in this match." Lynn comes off with a spinning DDT for 2. Styles catches Lynn running in and hits a fireman's carry into a backbreaker for 2. Styles up top, but Lynn crotches him. Lynn follows him up, Styles tosses him off, and the Spiral Tap only gets 2. Styles charges, but Lynn takes him down with a DDT, then a fireman's carry into an Ace crusher gets 2. Styles slips out of a cradle piledriver and turns it into a Styles Clash for the pin at 15:21. Excellent match, and the first of the night to be pretty heavy on the psychology as well. ***3/4

 

Dunn and Marcos are in the ring to claim they're the top tag team in Ring of Honor, and that brings out Da Hit Squad for the beatdown. I'd call this an extended squash if this were actually a match. Clip to a double Ace crusher, and then it's the Burning Hammer by Mafia to end the beating. They want it known that DHS is really the hardest hitting tag team in ROH and put the promotion ever, but in come Divine Storm to claim they are the best tag team in ROH. Quiet Storm tells them "You ain't shit" to be the first person in ROH history to curse over the PA, and in comes the SAT to claim they are the best tag team in ROH. This starts a three way brawl that resembles a lucha spotfest with DHS power moves thrown in. Quite fun, but quite unnecessary. And now the Christopher Street Connection (w/Allison Danger) decide they want to join the party. The CSC kiss in the ring, and the Natural Born Sinners run out to beat them down. The Sinners then give Danger a spanking before Homicide takes Buff E down with a Cop Killer...and here comes The Carnage Crew. How many people did we have to thrust into a meaningless brawl just to justify having them in the building? The Sinners are busted open, and we clip to DHS taking the Crew down. Clip to DHS and the Sinners double teaming H.C. Loc, and they rip off the Dudley Boyz and bring out the tables...and we clip to a sitout power bomb through a table that finally brings this segment to an end...BUT WAIT! DHS once again claims to be the best team in ROH, but the Sinners take offense to that. Can one stupid comment end an alleged friendship? The Sinners claim to be the best tag team in Ring of Honor, and they leave the ring. Follow the Sinners to the back, and Low Ki questions what they were thinking. DHS comes back through the curtain, and Low Ki leads them to the locker room...then tells the cameraman that "this is familiy business", so we don't get to see the aftermath. OK, that was entertaining and it helps establish the tag team division, but after over an hour and a half you start becoming numb to this sort of segment.

 

Block A Final: Spanky vs. Jody Fleisch

 

Arm wringer by Spanky to start. Reversal. Another reversal. Into a flip floppy sequence that leads to each man getting armdrags and Fleisch getting a roll up for 2. Spanky into a hammerlock. Fleisch tries to snap mare out of it, but Spanky hangs on. Another flip flop segment leads to Fleisch sending Spanky out of the ring. Fleisch goes for a dive, but Spanky kicks the rope as Fleisch lands on it to cause the crotch shot. Brain buster by Spanky for 2. Into a crevatte. Hard back suplex for 2. Fleisch punches back, but Spanky goes for Sliced Bread #2. Fleisch counters and sends Spanky to the floor, then does a springboard moonsault that takes out Spanky and the guardrail. Into the ring, Fleisch with a shooting star press, Spanky moves, Fleisch lands on his feet...rana into a sunset flip for Fleisch for 2. Fleisch goes for a 720 DDT, but Spanky counters into a magistral cradle for 2. Spanky quickly gets in Sliced Bread #2 for the pin at 5:13. Short but energetic affair. **1/4

 

Block C Final: Doug Williams vs. The American Dragon

 

Dragon with a headlock, but Williams takes him down right away. Williams with a headlock, and Dragon turns it into an arm wringer takedown. Williams goes for a single-leg, but Dragon counters with an enzuigiri. Williams into a standing wristlock. Dragon breaks with a snap mare and goes for a chinlock, but Williams bridges out of it and goes back to the wristlock to a great pop. Some more mat work as Williams keeps finding ways to go back to the wristlock. Williams takes Dragon down into a form of an Indian deathlock. Dragon out of it and into an armbar. Dragon into a headscissors. Williams rolls out of it and floats into a front facelock. Dragon out of it and into a toehold. Williams kicks out of it, but Dragon takes Williams down with a judo throw. Tieup, and Williams goes into a bodyscissors, and then he goes into some sort of submission move that has Dragon looking like a crab. I have no idea what that's called. Williams into a form of an abdominal stretch where both arms are hooked. Dragon gets out of it, but he can't hook the rolling cradle. Irish whip, Williams catches Dragon in midair and hooks in a backbreaker submission. Into a bow-and-arrow. Hammerlock with a front facelock, and into a suplex for 2. Williams into a form of the Gory special, and he rams Dragon chest first into the turnbuckle. European uppercut. A couple of running high knees, and Williams up top...and Dragon catches him coming down with a dropkick to the midsection. Dragon with a dragon screw leg whip, and into a stepover toehold. Into a leg scissors. Williams tries to reverse it, but they roll out of the ring and Dragon maintains the hold. Back into the ring goes Dragon, but Williams counters a suplex by suplexing Dragon out to the floor. That's the first time I've ever seen that done properly. Back into the ring. A series of counters leads to Williams getting a version of the Kiwi Roll for 2. Corner whip leading to a series of counters, and Williams gets a swinging DDT for 2. European uppercuts. Dragon with a front facelock suplex. Trading European uppercuts and forearms until Dragon gets in a boot to the face. Front facelock suplex. Dragon up top...diving headbutt for 2. Chops. Corner whip, but Williams avoids a charge and hits the Chaos Theory for 2. Dragon with a superkick and a roundhouse kick. Placing Williams up top...belly-to-back superplex and a slow cover for 2. Williams counters the Cattle Mutilation into a form of the Ocean Cyclone suplex, then rolls over into a cover for the pin in 13:37. Quite the matchup here. ***3/4

 

Block D Final: The Amazing Red vs. Low Ki

 

The crowd starts a "You killed Nana" chant. Left hand by Red to start, and that just made Ki angry. Ki with a kick to the leg. Spinning back kick by Red. Martial arts sequence ends in a stalemate to a HUGE pop from the Philly crowd. Knucklelock into a corner, and Low Ki takes Red down with a headlock. Low Ki blocks a series of kicks, takes Red down with a dragon screw, and then a kick to the chest. Red counters a kick with a legtrip, and quickly hits a Red Star Press for 2. Chops in the corner. Flying reverse neckbreaker for 2. Kick to the mouth. Forearms and chops. Red is flipped over by Low Ki and lands on his feet, but Low Ki hits Red with a koppo kick. Chops by Low Ki. Corner whip, handspring, and Red catches Ki coming in with a dropkick. Ki backdrops Red onto the apron, Red tries to fight back, but Ki drapes him over the ropes and kicks him in the chest. Hard to describe that one accurately. Red avoids a version of the 619, but can't avoid a handspring kick and falls into the guardrail. Low Ki rolls Red back into the ring and covers for 2. Headbutts. Hair slam for 2. Ouch. Red counters a tilt-a-whirl slam with a DDT. Low Ki to the apron, and Red dropkicks him off the apron and charges...only to get met with a knee to the face. Low Ki back in, and he covers for 2. Ki goes for the Ki Crusher, but Red turns it into a small package for 2. Wow! A series of counters ends with Red countering an electric chair with an inverted rana. Low Ki avoids the Infrared. Another counter sequence, European uppercut by Low Ki, and a Ki Crusher into the top turnbuckle. Red falls to the floor as the crowd chants "Holy shit". Ki rolls Red back into the ring. Red avoids a Phoenix Splash, Low Ki rolls through it and gets a kick in, but Red gets a spinwheel kick to the face. Up top for a rana, but Low Ki turns it into a top-rope Ki Crusher for the pin in 11:16. The crowd was way into this, and this was quite the energetic affair. ***

 

Postmatch, here comes Brian XL to chastise Red for losing the match as the crowd chants "L'il Bow Wow". Cheap spinwheel enzuigiri, followed by a form of the Northern Lights Bomb. He goes up top, but that brings out the SAT to hit the Spanish Fly. It's nice that they played off of the minifeud from the first three shows, but this felt out of place with this show.

 

The Natural Born Sinners are backstage to challenge DeVito and Loc to ROH's first-ever Bunkhouse Match. Bring your chairs and hubcaps, because they're bringing everything...including a first aid kit.

 

Block B Final: Christopher Daniels (w/Simply Luscious) vs. AJ Styles

 

Before the match, we cut backstage to XL yelling at Divine Storm for not helping him out, but since he disrespected Eddy Guerrero at A Night of Appreciation, why should they help him?

 

Shoving match to start. Waistlock reversals, hammerlock reversals, and Styles gets a fireman's carry takeover for 2. Front facelock by Styles, but Daniels rolls him over for 2. Styles into a wristlock, then into a hammerlock. Daniels rolls over into a hammerlock of his own. Waistlock reversal sequence. Daniels goes for a magistral cradle, but Styles holds on with a headlock. Hammerlock with a front facelock. Daniels counters, blocks a knee strike, then rolls Styles over for 2. Headscissors by Styles. Styles with some forearms while still in the headscissors, but Daniels floats out of it and into a cross facelock. Side headlock, and Styles rolls Daniels over for 2. See, the headlock is more than just a resthold. Daniels with an armdrag into an armbar. Styles out of it, and he gets a dropkick, followed by an armdrag takedown into an armbar. Daniels counters, but he can't get the Last Rites, so he goes into a front facelock. Styles out of it with a legtrip and going into a half nelson. Into some sort of leg submission that I don't have a name for, and he turns it into a cover for 2. Daniels into a front facelock. Side headlock. Shoulderblock. Drop toehold into a cross facelock. Throw-off, shoulderblock, Styles with a modified rana, and he kicks Daniels in the corner. Daniels with a chop and some forearms, but Styles backdrops Daniels onto the apron and dropkicks him to the floor. Tope con hilo, and both men are on the floor! Styles rolls back in. Styles catches Daniels coming in, but Daniels drags him back to the apron. They exchange blows until Daniels gets a low blow and reenters the ring. A running forearm to the back knocks Styles off the apron. Styles is busted open from hitting the guardrail. Daniels rolls Styles back in. Overhand right. Into the turnbuckle, and it's apparent that Daniels is focusing on trying to open the cut on Styles' forehead. Out to the floor, and Daniels rams Styles' head into the guardrail. Back into the ring. Kneedrop, and a series of punches to the open wound. Nice flapjack by Daniels for 2. Whip, reversal, Daniels with a kick to the chest. Asai moonsault, but Styles rolls out of the way. Styles blocks a suplex and takes Daniels down with a brain buster. Running fistdrop, and Daniels falls to the floor. Trading punches on the apron, and a shot sends Daniels into the ring. Slingshot legdrop by Styles for 2. Series of punches, but Daniels takes him down with an STO-like maneuver and hooks on a nice submission move that I have no name for. Styles is able to turn Daniels onto his shoulders for a 2 count. Daniels drops Styles onto the top rope and hits a flying legdrop for 2. Falcon arrow by Daniels for 2. Styles ducks some clotheslines and hits an enzuigiri to the temple. Spinning clothesline. Powerslam for 2. German suplex followed by a face-first suplex for 2. Chop. Daniels ducks a clothesline and takes Styles down with an STO. Daniels goes for a triple jump moonsault, but Styles shakes the ropes to knock him off. Styles puts Daniels on his shoulders and takes him down with a DDT for 2. Styles Clash is countered into an ankle lock. Daniels turns it into more of a leg scissors. Styles tries to counter with some kicks to the back. Daniels into an inside cradle for 2. Backslide by Styles for 2. Series of counters for a series of two counts. Styles tries for an Asai inverted DDT, but Daniels counters with Last Rites for the pin in 21:47. I you don't like mat wrestling then you might not like the first eight minutes or so, but most of you should find that to be a kickass match once they get past the halfway point. ****1/4 Postmatch, Daniels teases the handshake but pulls it back. He has the stick, and he told everybody he'd make the finals, and he's going to win the title.

 

Donnie B is in the ring to make a huge announcement, which is...Daniels grabs the stick to claim the announcement is "The Code of Honor is a farce." Daniels once again prevents Donnie B from making the announcement, but in comes Spanky. Spanky says the announcement is that people want Daniels to shut up and hits him with a right hand, and Donnie B announces the debut of High Impact TV will be in September.

 

John Finnegan asks for Doug Williams and Low Ki to join Spanky and Daniels in the ring, because they'll be wrestling for the ROH Title next month. The belt is supposed to be unveiled, but Daniels immediately tries to steal the belt. Low Ki punches Spanky, and we've got a four way brawl. Finnegan hightails it with belt still unshown as the brawl continues. Low Ki locks the Dragon Clutch onto Daniels, and Daniels is tapping out! The locker room empties in an attempt to get Low Ki to release the hold. Corino: "Low Ki can't win the title if he's in jail for murder!" Low Ki holds on for around three minutes or so before they finally get the hold broken.

 

Backstage, AJ Styles cuts a promo for his July 27 match with Adam Jacobs and David Young, then says he didn't shake Daniels' hand because he's a professional.

 

Rudy Boy Gonzalez is looking for Simply Luscious.

 

Spanky has found American Dragon, and he's bragging about being in the finals. That should prove that internet poll or no internet poll, Spanky is the best wrestler from the Texas Wrestling Academy. Dragon challenges Spanky for a best of three falls match for August 24 in Wakefield, Massachusetts.

 

The Carnage Crew beat up some people helping to tear the ring down in order to send a message to the Natural Born Sinners.

 

We're outside the Murphy Rec Center, and the cameras have spotted Steve Corino and Simply Luscious making out. Corino: "Thanks Rudy Boy."

 

And we're out.

 

And what a freaking show. That's what, six matches at three stars or better in a three hour timespan? And that covers a multitude of ring styles. And none of the crap like redneck triathalons and 80-year-old women getting bodyslammed to the canvas like those other guys.

 

Next time: Crowning a Champion, featuring my pick for 2002's Match of the Year.

 

Have a comment about this show? Have a recipe for fluffy French toast? Send them to me here.