ROH on HD Net for 5/30/09

Written by Todd Hoster   |   Wednesday, June 03 2009

El Generico and Kevin Steen lost the ROH Tag Team Championship to The American Wolves in the main event of the 5/30 edition of ROH on HD Net

ROH on HD Net for 5/30/09

First off, I want to apologize for my absence last week and thank our managing editor/big bossman Jim Murphy for filling in for me so capably.  We’ve worked out a deal where I’ll get a bonus any time I have to watch another match involving Necro Butcher, so I don’t anticipate any more absences in the immediate future.
I’ll definitely be on hand for the big four way title bout next week between Austin Aries, Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black and champ Jerry Lynn.  Anyway, Hogewood and Prazak are in the house to call the action and we’re ready to go. They’re back with their suits—Prazak still looks like a guy who has never worn a suit before in his life. 

Rhett Titus cuts a promo—Titus’ skeevy Sean Michaels meets Val Venus sleazebag persona really amuses me.  He’ll have his hands full tonight against Roderick Strong.  Titus now billed as being from ‘The Temple of Lust’ which is clearly on the other side of the tracks from ‘Parts Unknown’.  Strong not quite as smooth on the mic as Titus, but he cuts a quick promo.  Hogewood puts over their divergent personalities. 

RHETT TITUS VS. RODERICK STRONG:

It cracks me up how Titus wrestles in his little white Chippendale dancer-esque bow tie.  Collar and elbow lock up, Titus grabs a wristlock by Strong counters and gets a takedown.  For you WWE fans, this is how pro wrestling matches started in the pre ‘sports entertainment’ era.  Titus recovers with a knee to the gut and gets a little too excited, showing the fans on one side of the ring the proverbial ‘pelvic thrust’ while Strong recovers. He turns around and Strong hits a slingshot shoulder block over the top rope—for those of you who remember old school AWA wrestling it’s like the finishing move that Rick Martel used to do only with a shoulder block instead of a body press.   Flair chop by Strong followed by a big dropkick for a near fall.  Burly backbreaker by Strong—I like how ROH puts over the backbreaker as Strong’s specialty.   Strong with some more Flair chops in the corner but Titus recovers with a knee to the gut.  Cool spot where Strong is in the turnbuckles, misses an enziguri attempt and then gets nailed by Titus with a powerbomb type move.  Titus then starts with what us MMA types call ‘ground and pound’ before he gets up to do some more thrusting.   Prazak still working at being a heel commentator, says you can’t get enough of Titus’ thrusts.  Hogewood puts him over as a pansy.  Strong recovers with a chinbreaker but Titus yanks him into the turnbuckles followed with a Stinger Splash.  Strong making a comeback with his Flair chops and hits a diving cross body block for a near fall.  Titus recovers with a neckbreaker as Titus starts to sell his injured back.  Titus whips Strong into the turnbuckle and telegraphs his Stinger splash but when he goes for the move his opponent bails out.  Back body drop by Strong, Titus sells his ‘injured back’.   Strong hits another backbreaker for a near fall.  Titus with a roll up and handful of tights for a near fall.  Enziguri into a gut buster followed by a leaping Brody boot type kick to the face by Strong for a three count.  Hogewood deadpans that he shouldn’t give his catchphrase with Titus involved lest people get the wrong idea but ‘slap the porpoise’.

WINNER:  RODERICK STRONG

Austin Aries cuts a promo, sort of a serious one by his standards talking about his training in the gym.  He then refers to himself as ‘possibly the greatest man who has ever lived’ which always cracks me up.  Aries says that there’s plenty of substance in ROH, but he brings style *and* substance.  Aries is such a great promo and equally as talented in the ring.
We’ve got some women’s action up next….

SARA DEL REY VS. DAIZEE HAZE VS. MSCHIF

I’m getting kind of sick of Daizee Haze too.  She reminds me too much of all the pothead girls I went to college with in Colorado.  MsChif, on the other hand, basically rules and is accompanied to the ring here by Jimmy Jacobs.  Del Ray throws Daizee out of the ring and goes to work with MsChif.  MsChif takes over on offense, hitting a standing moonsault and then displaying her insane flexibility as she goes into an octopus stretch submission from a head scissors and then reverses it without having her feet touch the ground.  Let’s see the WWE ‘divas’ do that.  Daizee Haze has apparently recovered and hits a missile drop kick to break up the submission attempt.   She then goes to work on MsChif and hits a bulldog variant until she gets powerbombed by Del Ray on top of MsChif for a near fall.  Now MsChif and Del Ray scrap outside of the ring—Daizee Haze goes for a splash outside of the ring but gets swatted away by the massive Del Ray.  She recovers quickly only to catch a face full of green Muta mist from MsChif.  Del Ray writhes outside of the ring while MsChif throws Haze into the ring.  She hits her ‘Desecrator’ finisher which is a funky DDT finish and gets the three count.

WINNER:  MSCHIF

Hogewood showed his lack of wrestling knowledge in that match as he acts like he’s never seen the green mist before.   Prazak should have evoked the name of the great Keiji Mutoh aka ‘The Great Muta’ here but didn’t.  Kyle Durden in the ring to interview MsChif and Jacobs and their future in ROH.  Jacobs cuts a promo on Daizee Haze, saying that MsChif will be ‘the missile in my army that takes out that harlot Dazee Haze’.  MsChif just screams before heading to the back. 

Now they’re doing a promo and video vignette with Tyler Black who puts over his youth and agility as the edge in the championship match.  ‘Runaway Train’ Erik Stevens up next.  Promo with Prince Nana and ‘Dirty’ Ernie Osiris, introduces Claudio Castagnoli as part of their stable. 

Erick Stevens cuts a promo.  Sami Callihan cuts a promo.  Both guys could use gimmick upgrades.  Stevens is really doing the same gimmick as longtime Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling competitor Rufus R. ‘Freight Train’ Jones, only he’s a ‘Runaway Train’.   Callihan’s gimmick is that he’s mentally unbalanced and looks like a cross between Raven and a ‘Misfits’ era Glen Danzig only not as bulky.   Both guys are competent on the mic and solid workers and in all fairness finding a good gimmick is something of a ‘trial and error’ process.  Mark Callaway went through a number of unspectacular gimmicks early in his career, but that “Undertaker” thing has worked out pretty well for him in the WWE.  Hogewood says that Stevens is the favorite in this match, but I’m not sure which sportsbook takes action on ROH Wrestling.

ERICK STEVENS VS. SAMI CALLIHAN

Callihan locks up quickly but Stevens responds with a shoulder block and goes to work on his opponent.  Flair chop by Stevens, Callihan with a double ax handle that just makes him mad.  Head butt by Callihan as the announcers put over Callihan as little more than a jobber.  Granted, Stevens is going over here but not sure why you’d do that and particularly if Stevens is going to give him a fair amount of offense.  Satellite interview coming up after this match with the great Nigel McGuinness, who is one of the reasons that the SAVSCI staff still watches pro wrestling.  Bryan Danielson may have the better technical skills, but as far as the ‘total package’ of pro wrestling encompassing working ability, interview skills and good old fashioned charisma McGuinness may be the best pro wrestler in the world at the moment.  Anyway, Stevens goes for a suplex but Callihan blocks it.  Callihan with the koji clutch but Stevens makes the ropes.  Stevens then slams Callihan into the ropes and hits the freight train or whatever he calls his version of the ‘Stinger Splash’ and immediately follows up with a clothesline that sets up his ‘Doctor Bomb’ finisher (named after the great Steve ‘Dr. Death’ Williams) and gets the pinfall.

WINNER:  ERICK STEVENS

Hogewood promises an interview with Ric Flair next week which probably won’t happen now he’s back in the WWE.   Nigel looking even more like a Public Image Limited era Johnny Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) than usual.  Gives his capsule handicap of next week’s championship four way.  Calls Bryan Danielson a ‘clamdigger’ but then says that if you were going to place a bet on the outcome he might be the best choice.  Again, I’d like to know which sportsbooks take Ring of Honor action.  Calls Tyler Black ‘Tylenol Black’—says his high flying puts him at risk.  Aries also a good bet.  He then talks about ‘Old Geritol’ Jerry Lynn—says that Lynn deserves props for being the only man who could beat him after 18 months as champ.  Hogewood asks Nigel if ‘he has any message for the fans’.  Nigel says that he has a number of messages for the fans, many of which can’t be broadcast on television.  Nigel says that he’s coming back to take his spot in pro wrestling history whether the fans like it or not.

Main event up next—a tables match between Kevin Steen/El Generico and the American Wolves for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. 

KEVIN STEEN/EL GENERICO VS. THE AMERICAN WOLVES

Wolves jump the champs as they’re making their way to the ring and the action begins.  Right now Steen and Generico getting the best of the out of the ring brawling.  To the credit of both teams they’re as equally adept in a brawling style as they are in a more technical match.  Finally we’re in the ring as Steen and Generico doubleteam Davie Richards.   Lot of high impact double team moves by the champs on Richards while Edwards recovers outside of the ring.  Steen goes under the ring for a table which clearly pleases the crowd.  Both Wolves get slammed into the tables which brings about an ‘Ole’ chant from the crowd.  More doubleteaming by the champs until Richards drags Generico out of the ring and sends him to the barricade.  Richard clips Steen’s injured knee which sends him to the canvas while the Wolves hit a superplex/German suplex combination on the table.  Edwards drops Steen knee first through the table.  Now Richards goes for a figure four leglock on Steen’s knee as his partner gets another table.   Steen bravely tries to fight off both Wolves while Generico remains on the arena floor.  Crowd starts another ‘Ole’ chant hoping to encourage Generico.  It may have worked as he hits the ring with a big top rope splash on both Wolves for a near fall.   Generico hits a tornado DDT off the top rope on Richards followed by a somersault splash out of the ring on his partner.  Steen hits a powerbomb on the table followed by top rope splashes by himself and Generico for a near fall but Edwards makes the save.   The champs stack two tables on top of one another outside the ring and this doesn’t bode well for the Wolves.   Steen goes to powerbomb Edwards through the table but Richards clips his knee.  The Wolves hit a series of Stinger splashes into the corner before getting some more tables.  Edwards misses a shooting star press and Generico hits a sick diving DDT outside of the ring.   Generico makes like Mil Mascaras, only out of the ring as he puts Edwards through the table.  Back in the ring, Steen puts the sharpshooter on Richards.  Here comes Shane Hagendorn who gets caught immediately with a package piledriver by Steen.  Steen then places Richards on the table in the ring and climbs to the top rope, but Richards recovers and pushes Steen off the top onto the floor.  Generico sets Richards for a superplex through the table but Edwards makes the save.  The Wolves then hit a top rope bulldog through the table for the pinfall and the championship victory.  Your new tag team champs—The American Wolves.

WINNERS:  THE AMERICAN WOLVES

The Wolves celebrate with the belts in the ring as the show ends.  

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