ROH Man Up PPV

[RedJed 0]

In some sort of salvation after watching the TNA ppv last night, I ordered the new ROH ppv right after it, and WOW - talk about night and day in comparison to Turning Point.

 

ROH outdid themselves once again, and in a good way. This show was right up there with Driven as one of the most solid ppvs of the year top to bottom. In some ways, it may have even been better than Driven, and thats saying alot. Every match here was entertaining as hell and pretty darn solid.

 

The opener was McGuiness v. Marifuji v. Hero v. Claudio - very solid opening match, probably around the *** 3/4 mark. Everyone showcased their talents completely. This is the best match I've ever seen Claudio, particuarly, work.

 

Then the show went to a three match series between No Remorse Corps-Resilience, which overall delivered. Romero/Cross was pretty much a spotfest, but still was fun (***), Richards/Aries was real good (*** 1/2), and the last bout of Strong/Stevens was all kinds of awesome (*** 3/4). The matches built well into the next one during this three match series. Incredibly entertaining.

 

Then went to Morishima/Danielson, match was way better than I had read it being, even with the weird finish. Solid **** for an extremely dramatic build, solid hard work from both, leading to a finish which was a little odd, but made sense to build things the way they have gone to currently. Danielson also cut a hell of a shoot-esque promo about his love of the sport earlier in the show that impressed me as well.

 

Then came the ladder match w/ Briscos/Steen and El Generico. WOW - insane all over the place match. Could see some not enjoying it as much as some because of the hardcore spot-tastic element, but I thought it was tremendous. Another solid **** effort here. The post-match angle was super strong as a whole w/ The Age of the Fall, it is too bad for whatever reason that ROH didn't air the whole after-match stuff, as the Jimmy Jacobs promo after they went off the air was one of the most memorable moments I've seen all year in wrestling (with Jacobs cutting a great promo while being covered in blood from one of the Briscos hung upside down above the ring). Regardless, the point got across here that this new faction meant business, and leads in very well into what will be ROH ppv #4 in January (which I can't wait to see).

 

Definately recommend everyone to check this out when you get a chance.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

You know, I didn't like this one as much as I liked Driven. Aries/Richards seemed pretty bland to me, but then again I've never really been too high on Aries. Every match of his I've seen (all of his TNA work, three of his matches upon returning to RoH, and a couple from before Generation Next) has been alright but not that great, and some his hand gestures actually take me out of the match. It's a weird complaint, and not even a big one, but just like how somebody who throws weak-looking offense but is technically sound bores me to death (and somebody who throws solid offense but is rough around the edges I can mark for), it's still there. Also, is it me, or does Matt Cross seem like he's about 7 years too late? He has the kind of offense that would have made him a huge star when ECW was still around, or when RoH and TNA were just starting to get off the ground, but he's just too showy with his flippity-floppity style to really matter that much anymore when most wrestlers have moved on from the pseudo-lucha style and into more of a hard-hitting pseudo-puro style.

 

The opening 4-Way Survival was fun, but at times (specifically early in the match) it seemed like Nigel was lost, which is very odd to say considering how high I am on him. The match was also further proof that if Chris Hero ever got bigger (physically, meaning much more muscle-mass) that he'd be a HUGE star in WWE. He's extremely charismatic, has the entire prick heel schtick DOWN, and is a very solid worker to boot. Hopefully he has a long career without having to resort to any "enhancements," because even if he never makes it to the national stage he's already going to be something of a legend. Claudo was the MAN in this match, and this has easily been the best match I've seen him in outside of the Cage of Death from Death Before Dishonor IV. Third Claudio match I've seen, and the best showing HE'S done yet (in my limited-viewing-of-RoH eyes). Marufuji was...there. The superkick he gave to Nigel when Nigel was crouching, though, was VICIOUS. The finish built perfectly to further the Claudio/Hero feud, as Hero cost Claudio the match via illegal tactics (Hero convincing the ref that he tripped over the rope instead of intentionally landing on him was GREAT, as was Claudio's face when he realized what happened), and then that led to Nigel hitting the rebound Lariat onto Claudio for the win.

 

I liked the idea of the NRC-Resilience Singles Challenge, but the matches, as I said earlier, were kinda...there. The best match of the three was definitely the last, and the last few minutes of Aries/Richards was very good (although I was bored by most of the buildup). Erick Stevens, for some reason, just feels like he has "it," you know? Unique look, solid offense, and is in the beginning of his career. Roderick Strong was BADASS with the different ways he'd stretch Stevens and work the back leading to the Gibson Driver. The top-rope Crucifix Powerbomb was FANTASTIC, as was Strong stretching Stevens around the ringpost pretty early in the match.

 

Danielson/Morishima was better the second time I watched it. I'm starting to see why everybody's all over AmDrag's balls, when before I just thought he was kinda overrated. Between this match and the one with Nigel at Driven...oh my. Danielson = money. And Morishima was PERFECT showing frustration after TWO Backdrop Drivers before going for AmDrag's eye. I also love how built-up Danielson's small package is, considering how basic of a move it is. And the combination of the Triangle Choke and the MMA elbows (which do look pretty weak, you have to admit, but would be too dangerous to do otherwise) was beautiful. This match was just great, no if's, and's, or but's. Not as great as Nigel/AmDrag from Driven, but close.

 

And then the MotN, Briscoes vs. Steenerico. Kevin Steen is just a brutal asshole, Generico is such a bump-monkey, and the Briscoes are just so damn solid all-around...it was near-perfect. There was only two spots that took me out of it, which is low for a ladder match where contrived spots are the norm: one was when Generico was going for the belts and Jay set up the ladder between the corner and the HUGE ladder (after Steen hit the Package Piledriver on Mark on the other ladder set up in the other corner), it took Jay a little too long to set it up, and Generico - to his credit - played up all of the wear-and-tear from the prior 20-minutes by constantly grabbing his back, but it did seem like it took a little too long; the other was, of course, the TNA moment where the belts were stuck, but Steen covered by climbing back up after taking the bump onto the broken ladder a minute earlier. Those two detractions didn't hurt much, because the greatness of everything else was THAT GREAT. THIS is how you do a violent ladder match, TNA: you don't need a million table spots (this had ONE, and it was very basic, and one of the few lowlights of the match), you don't need a ton of blood (I do believe only Jay was bleeding, and it looked like it happened hardway on the side of his head), you just need a few over people that can bust their asses and deliver.

 

The introduction of Age of the Fall was solid, too. Tyler Black's Small Package Driver is a SICK variation on the Fisherman's Buster, and Jacobs using his cane to just smack the shit out of Mark and Jay was good. The hanging of one of them by the apparatus they hang the belts with was EVIL, and a great way to end the show.

 

Also, Adam Pearce cuts solid, almost Raven-like promo's. And Delirious rules.

[Hawk 34 0]

I really enjoyed this show. Everything Laz said about the ladder match was pretty spot on and I really dug how they cut out the promo (it'll be on the DVD) because the PPV's are designed for a different audience and leaving at that precise moment of Jay getting strung up was perfect. That's something TNA struggles with in a big way, knowing how to present and close moments. I wasn't all that enthralled by the first two matches of the series but I've never been a Cross fan and I'm not sad to see him out of ROH. I'm a mark for Heel Davey and Roderick is just a brutal asskicking machine quite often. This was my first real favorable match of Stevens.

 

Nigel is probably my favorite current wrestler right now but I'll agree that he didn't really fit in during the 4 Way. That match was the Hero and Claudio show but they usually steal the spotlight all the time so it's nothing new. Marufuji was really wasted here, I felt. I don't know what else to say about Bryan Danielson. Talk about a guy that was 25 years too late.

[CheesalaIsGood 0]

A great show all around.

 

The 4 way did what an under card match with that many guys involved should do. 1: Put Nigel over for his title shot 2: Don't have Marufuji lose (though I agree you could have put anybody else in there, but a NOAH presence doesn't hurt) 3: Continue the Hero/Claudio feud. ***

 

The best of 3 worked pretty well all around and for once I got into a Roderick Strong match. Cross got about as much as he could with his sudden loss. Aries gave quite a bit to Davey even though there was no way Aries jobs which was fine. Overall I guess you kind of have to look at all three matches together to really get the whole picture. Probably my favorite chapter of this feud even though I was really into the feud that much. ***3/4 for everything

 

I think I heard "Gimme Back My Bullets" four or five times in the 2 hour show. Ugh. Not that I dislike the song... but come on.

 

Good stuff from AmDrag and Morishima. Not sure about making a reference to a match that DIDN'T take place on a ROH PPV but whatever. At least I was up to date, but I could see a lesser involved fan being clueless as to "when the hell did THIS happen?" Wow, that back Superplex just DUMPED Morishima on the back of his head. ****1/4 I'm not as weirded out by the finish as it planted the seeds for a rematch that I am looking forward to seeing.

 

The Main Event: Just plain fucking crazy. Loved every second of it as I love spot fests. Great blow off to this feud. Great start of another feud. A little mystery with Steenerico teasing a break up. Just great stuff all around. Not too sure about the TNA comparison with the belts getting stuck. Steenerico did a great job of covering up so it could have been worse. It isn't like the belts just fell down into the waiting arms of Petey Williams. ****1/2

 

Great show even if I put it a (very) slight notch below Driven.

 

[Guest Jearan]

Interesting, a positive review that is not attacked by hoardes of whiny goth boys... who knew it could happen on TSM. What you wrote is certainly questionable, putting down TNA with it's best PPV of the year, and then putting over ROH... but let's forget about this for a moment. Here's the generic reply you should have received from TDG:

 

 

Most phoned in, underwhelming, and just boring ppv EVER. What a waste of money this was. Other than the X match, this sounds like a truly horrible fucking PPV. It was easily ROH's worst ppv of the year, I will say that much. Their hands were tied a bit with the main event, but that should have been an excuse to really do something out of left field to at least make the last part of the show come off somewhat memorable. As I said before, as much as I am not a fan of his, having X make an appearance would have at least been a bit of a surprise. Nothing was worth whatever the PPVs cost. I didn't even bother watching a stream of this show, and I'm glad that I didn't now. As far as the PPV goes, the only thing I cared about was X match, and I dunno how I feel.

 

Oh man ROH, ROH, 2005 seems so far away. 2005, the year that ROH looked promising, fresh and exciting, now we're finishing 2007 and heading into 2008, and ROH seems boring, stale and washed up. I haven't legit watched ROH for over a month, just read the reports and fast forward through the shows. Where did it all go wrong? HOW did it all go wrong?

 

There's times I feel that ROH is nothing more then a loud mouth Indie promotion, but even then, there's Indies out there that deliever each and every week/month (CHIKARA). X smelt like nothing more then a cheap buy rate pop that an Indie show would do to bounce the ticket sales up a little bit. I even remember someone posting here a few months back that X should leave the American Wrestling Business alone and stay at home for his own good'.

 

The only good thing ROH has going for them at the moment is X, that's the only thing I can managed to watch every week during my fast forward expedition. Who's booking it?

It's so different from anything else that it has to be someone else booking it, its clear, concise and simple.

 

I'll download this PPV to see how much of a train wreck it really was.

 

Sad sad sad ROH.

 

Either you do a spectacularly funny impression of being a fucking moron, or you ARE a fucking moron beyond belief. Why does that seem familiar... holy shit, it's former magazine editorial writer X! Ah, okay, ROH has invaded TSM, it all makes sense now.

 

ROH wrestlers are rejects WWE wouldn't sign anyway.

[Jingus 0]

You fucking troll. If you want to mindlessly clutter up the TNA folder with blind fanboy rants about the crappiest PPV in months, that's your business, but don't drag it into other sections of the board.

[Garth 0]

Enjoyed this show top to bottom. May have been the best two hours of wrestling I've seen in a long, long time.

Before watching this I'd never seen Stevens wrestle, he throughly impressed. I'm glad ROH aren't dropping him and he's having his match with Aries soon. A strong showing there could do wonders.

 

The opening 4 way could have gone all night and I wouldn't have minded. I'm high on all four of the men involved. Claudio and Chris Hero may well be my two favorite wrestlers at present.

 

Morishima/Danielson was all kinds of wonderful. I loved the story that Morishima had promised not to go after his eye, but after he couldn't put Danielson away after so long he had to resort to the cheap tactics to win the match. Good stuff.

 

The Ladder match doesn't really need any further elaboration, a joy to watch. I don't feel the belt bungle at the end hurt the match at all. Look at it this way, hard fought match and the belts are on tight. Whichever Briscoe it was is throughly worn down, he has kayfabe reason not to be able to get them off immediately. I thought it was a nice little unintentional extra.

[The Flamboyance 0]

Just finished watching this. It was damn good. I think I liked Driven better, but a second viewing of this might change my mind. You guys pretty much said anything I would have said in regards to the show so there's no need for another long post. I'll just say a few things. I Loved the Danielson promo. The finish to Roddy vs Stevens was AWESOME. The Jay Driller through the ladder was disgusting.

 

To wrestling fans who are missing out, you're really doing a disservice to yourself by not checking this show out.

[JHawk 0]

Interesting, a positive review that is not attacked by hoardes of whiny goth boys... who knew it could happen on TSM. What you wrote is certainly questionable, putting down TNA with it's best PPV of the year, and then putting over ROH... but let's forget about this for a moment. Here's the generic reply you should have received from TDG:

 

I don't remember anything in his post that was anti-Bound for Glory.