Ring of Honor-We Don't Imitate...We Innovate (2002)

[The Final Countdown]

SHOW INDEX:
Pre-TV Era:
#1: 2/8/02: The Era of Honor Begins (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=600930&postcount=11)

#2: 2/28/02: Road to the Title (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=602115&postcount=19)

#3: 3/15/02: Crowning a Champion (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=603606&postcount=35)

#4: 3/29/02: Boston Massacre (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=604950&postcount=45)

#5: 4/12/02: Epic Encounter (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=606177&postcount=59)

#6: 4/26/02: Manhattan Mayhem (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=608211&postcount=75)

#7: 5/5/02: Driven (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=611949&postcount=83)

#8: 5/17/02: Testing the Limit (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=616138&postcount=91)

#9: 6/7/02: Death before Dishonor (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=619034&postcount=106)

#10: 6/23/02: Respect is Earned (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=622893&postcount=125)

#11: 7/7/02: All-American Honor (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=625933&postcount=142)

#12: 7/21/02: WrestleRave 2002 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=628956&postcount=156)

#13: 8/7/02: Submission Supremacy (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=633031&postcount=170)

#14: 8/21/02: Triple Jeopardy (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=635724&postcount=180)

#15: 9/4/02: Glory by Honor (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=639981&postcount=195)

#16: 9/18/02: Unscripted (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=643750&postcount=205)

#17: 10/7/02: Survival of the Fittest, Night 1 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=649237&postcount=218)

#18: 10/9/02: Survival of the Fittest, Night 2 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=654148&postcount=229)

#19: 10/23/02: Trick or Cheat (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=659283&postcount=246)

#20: 11/4/02: Round Robin Challenge (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=662741&postcount=268)

#21: 11/6/02: All Star Extravaganza (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=667091&postcount=286)

#22: 11/20/02: Thanksgiving Throwdown (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=671398&postcount=309)

#23: 12/2/02: Choose Your Destiny (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=674240&postcount=325)

#24: 12/5/02: War of the Wire (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=678673&postcount=346)

#25: 12/22/02: Final Battle 2002 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=686003&postcount=369)

#26: 1/8/03: Trios Tournament 2003, Night 1 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=689657&postcount=388)

#27: 1/10/03: Trios Tournament 2003, Night 2 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=693448&postcount=405)

#28: 1/22/03: Trios Tournament 2003: Finale (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=709556&postcount=419)

#29: 2/5/03: First Anniversary, Night 1 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=714525&postcount=426)

#30: 2/6/03: First Anniversary, Night 2 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=720114&postcount=435)

#31: 2/19/03: Enter The Dragon (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=724090&postcount=449)

#32: 3/3/03: Boston Massacre II (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=729738&postcount=464)(*summary only*)

#33: 3/4/03: Caged Collision (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=737259&postcount=476)

#34: 3/17/03: Proving Ground (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=743753&postcount=495)

#35: 4/7/03: Gateway to Greatness (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=748538&postcount=509)

#36: 4/9/03: Manhattan Mayhem II (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=754613&postcount=527)

#37: 4/21/03: Crowning a Champion II (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=763812&postcount=545)

#38: 5/6/03: Honorbound (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=774386&postcount=560)

#39: 5/8/03: Breakthrough (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=778243&postcount=575)

#40: 5/19/03: Golden Opportunity (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=784589&postcount=592)

#41: 5/21/03: A Prophecy Fulfilled (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=791349&postcount=612)

#42: 6/2/03: Death Before Dishonor II, Night 1 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=807507&postcount=644)

#43: 6/3/03: Death Before Dishonor II, Night 2 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=827732&postcount=663)

#44: 6/16/03: Steel Cage Warfare (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=883179&postcount=696)

#45: 7/1/03: The Hunt Is On (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=902123&postcount=735)

#46: 7/2/03: All-American Honor 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=922542&postcount=753)

#47: 7/7/03: The Hunt Continues (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=932157&postcount=772)

#48: 7/9/03: The Hunt Concludes (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=942988&postcount=783)

#49: 8/4/03: Summertime Slaughter (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=957340&postcount=804)

#50: 8/6/03: WrestleRave 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=970733&postcount=822)

#51: 8/13/03: Road To Glory (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=995984&postcount=835)

#52: 9/2/03: Glory By Honor II, Night 1 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1004798&postcount=865)

#53: 9/3/03: Glory By Honor II, Night 2 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1013021&postcount=882)

#54: 9/8/03: Round Robin Challenge II (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1023196&postcount=915)

#55: 10/6/03: Survival of the Fittest 2003, Night 1 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1041703&postcount=939)

#56: 10/8/03: Survival of the Fittest 2003, Night 2 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1051455&postcount=960)

#57: 10/19/03: Trick or Cheat 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1070165&postcount=986)

#58: 11/3/03: All Star Extravaganza 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1089515&postcount=1021)

#59: 11/5/03: Bloodlust (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1100227&postcount=1046)

#60: 11/12/03: Thanksgiving Throwdown 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1113770&postcount=1083)

TV Era:
12/8/03: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 1 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1117979&postcount=1108)

12/10/03: Final Battle 2003 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1132617&postcount=1138)

12/15/03: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 2 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1137949&postcount=1163)

12/22/03: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 3 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1144104&postcount=1196)

12/29/03: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 4 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1150699&postcount=1224)

1/5/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 5 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1158415&postcount=1257)

1/7/04: New Year's Nightmare 2004 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1190423&postcount=1281)

1/12/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 6 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1195098&postcount=1313)

1/19/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 7 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1204421&postcount=1337)

1/26/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 8 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1214310&postcount=1358)

2/2/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 9 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1232489&postcount=1386)

2/4/04: Second Anniversary Show (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1259677&postcount=1407)

2/9/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 10 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1269901&postcount=1451)

2/16/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 11 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1286307&postcount=1476)

2/23/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 12 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1300370&postcount=1493)

3/1/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 13 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1317510&postcount=1511)

3/3/04: Escalation (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1461281&postcount=1540)

3/15/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 14 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1471033&postcount=1562)

3/22/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 15 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1483713&postcount=1587)

3/29/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 16 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1507800&postcount=1608)

4/5/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 17 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1528954&postcount=1626)

4/7/04: Supercard of Honor (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1577018&postcount=1642)

4/12/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 18 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1582193&postcount=1663)

4/19/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 19 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1598351&postcount=1685)

4/26/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 20 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1615408&postcount=1702)

5/10/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 21 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1661216&postcount=1726)

5/12/04: Honorbound 2004 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1674473&postcount=1748)

5/17/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 22 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1677920&postcount=1774)

5/24/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 23 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1681950&postcount=1795)

5/31/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 24 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1683873&postcount=1819)

6/7/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 25 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1686795&postcount=1852)

6/10/04: Death Before Dishonor III (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1696029&postcount=1883)

6/14/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 26 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1698795&postcount=1917)

6/21/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 27 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1701011&postcount=1937)

6/28/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 28 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1708184&postcount=1955)

7/5/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 29 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1711090&postcount=1981)

7/7/04: All-American Honor 2004 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1714744&postcount=1999)

7/12/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 30 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1718767&postcount=2022)

7/19/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 31 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1721847&postcount=2043)

7/26/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 32 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1723433&postcount=2067)

8/2/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 33 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1725866&postcount=2090)

8/4/04: The Heat Is On (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1731783&postcount=2113)

8/16/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 34 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1732976&postcount=2135)

8/23/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 35 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1735022&postcount=2156)

8/30/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 36 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1736628&postcount=2178)

9/6/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 37 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1739058&postcount=2198)

9/8/04: Glory By Honor III (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1742417&postcount=2218)

9/13/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 38 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1744977&postcount=2247)

9/20/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 39 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1747916&postcount=2262)

9/27/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 40 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1749501&postcount=2278)

10/4/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 41 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1752248&postcount=2293)

10/6/04: Survival of the Fittest 2004 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1757307&postcount=2309)

10/11/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 42 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1760733&postcount=2341)

10/18/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 43 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1762462&postcount=2364)

10/25/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 44 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1767278&postcount=2383)

11/1/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 45 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1768488&postcount=2402)

11/3/04: Golden Opportunity II (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1772881&postcount=2421)

11/15/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 46 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1786407&postcount=2449)

11/22/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 47 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1788420&postcount=2467)

11/29/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 48 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1789438&postcount=2484)

12/6/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 49 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1796929&postcount=2504)

12/8/04: Final Battle 2004 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1806733&postcount=2519)

12/13/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 50 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1812517&postcount=2538)

12/20/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 51 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1832697&postcount=2557)

12/27/04: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 52 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1837861&postcount=2575)

1/3/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 53 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1838031&postcount=2584)

1/5/05: New Year's Nightmare 2005 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1838399&postcount=2595)

1/17/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 54 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1838615&postcount=2600)

1/24/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 55 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1838615&postcount=2601)

1/31/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 56 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1839057&postcount=2603)

2/7/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 57 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1839248&postcount=2607)

2/9/05: Third Anniversary Show (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1840047&postcount=2620)

2/14/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 58 (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1840762&postcount=2637)

2/21/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 59 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1841440&postcount=2648)

2/28/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 60 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1845920&postcount=2659)

3/7/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 61 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1849560&postcount=2679)

3/9/05: Best in the World (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1853682&postcount=2693)

3/14/05: Ring of Honor Wrestling, Episode 62 (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1869035&postcount=2724)





TITLE HISTORIES:

ROH World Championship:
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Champion #1: Christopher Daniels
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg

Defeated: Low Ki in a tournament final to crown the first champion
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 3/15/02

Title Defenses:
1. Christopher Daniels defeated Low Ki in Philadelphia, PA on 5/5/02
2. Christopher Daniels defeated Low Ki in a Steel Cage match in New York, NY on 6/7/02
3. Christopher Daniels defeated Samoa Joe in Philadelphia, PA on 7/21/02
4. Christopher Daniels defeated Samoa Joe and Low Ki in a Triple Threat match in New York, NY on 8/21/02
5. Christopher Daniels defeated Steve Corino in Philadelphia, PA on 9/4/02
6. Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles and Matt Sydal in a Three Way Dance in New York, NY on 10/9/02
7. Christopher Daniels defeated Colt Cabana in Philadelphia, PA on 10/23/02
8. Christopher Daniels defeated Spanky in New York, NY on 11/20/02
9. Christopher Daniels defeated Bryan Danielson in a Submission Supremacy match in New York, NY on 12/22/02
10. Christopher Daniels defeated Homicide in New York, NY on 2/5/03

Champion #2: Bryan Danielson
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielsonROHChampionship.jpg

Defeated: Christopher Daniels and Low Ki in a Three Way Dance
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 2/6/03

Title Defenses:
1. Bryan Danielson defeated Christopher Daniels in a Steel Cage match in New York, NY on 3/4/03
2. Bryan Danielson defeated Spanky in Philadelphia, PA on 3/17/03
3. Bryan Danielson defeated AJ Styles in New York, NY on 4/9/03
4. Bryan Danielson defeated AJ Styles in a Two Out of Three Falls match in New York, NY on 5/6/03

Champion #3: Austin Aries
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAriesROHChampionship.jpg

Defeated: Bryan Danielson
Location: Overland, MO
Date: 5/19/03

Title Defenses:
1. Austin Aries defeated Christopher Daniels in Philadelphia, PA on 5/21/03
2. Austin Aries defeated Bryan Danielson in New York, NY on 6/2/03
3. Austin Aries defeated Mr. Wrestling 3 in Philadelphia, PA on 6/3/03
4. Austin Aries defeated Low Ki in Philadelphia, PA on 8/6/03
5. Austin Aries defeated Low Ki in Philadelphia, PA on 9/3/03
6. Austin Aries defeated AJ Styles in New York, NY on 10/6/03
7. Austin Aries defeated Jerry Lynn in Philadelphia, PA on 11/3/03
8. Austin Aries defeated CM Punk in an I Quit match in New York, NY on 12/10/03
9. Austin Aries defeated Mark Briscoe in Philadelphia, PA on 1/7/04

Champion #4: Homicide
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/HomicideROH.jpg

Defeated: Austin Aries
Location: New York, NY
Date: 2/4/04

Title Defenses:
1. Homicide defeated Austin Aries in Philadelphia, PA on 3/3/04
2. Homicide defeated Nigel McGuinness in Atlantic City, NJ on 4/5/04
3. Homicide defeated Super Dragon in Philadelphia, PA on 5/12/04

Champion #5: Steve Corino
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorinoROH.jpg

Defeated: Homicide in a Dog Collar match
Location: New York, NY
Date: 6/10/04

Title Defenses:
1. Steve Corino defeated Low Ki in Philadelphia, PA on 7/7/04
2. Steve Corino defeated Homicide in an I Quit match in New York, NY on 8/4/04

Champion #6: CM Punk
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunkWorld.jpg

Defeated: Steve Corino, Low Ki and Homicide in Four Corner Survival
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 9/8/04

Title Defenses:
1. CM Punk defeated Steve Corino in Toronto, Canada on 9/27/04*
2. CM Punk defeated D'Lo Brown in Atlantic City, NJ on 10/6/04
3. CM Punk defeated KENTA in Pittsburgh, PA on 11/3/04
4. CM Punk defeated AJ Styles in New York, NY on 12/8/04
5. CM Punk defeated Christopher Daniels in Atlantic City, NJ on 1/5/05
6. CM Punk defeated Toshiaki Kawada in Philadelphia, PA on 2/9/05
7. CM Punk defeated Bryan Danielson in New York, NY on 3/9/05

*After this match, the ROH Championship was renamed the ROH World Championship.



ROH Pure Wrestling Championship:
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohpure.jpg

Champion #1: James Maritato
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritatoROHPure.jpg

Defeated: Spanky in a tournament final to crown the first champion
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 4/21/03

Title Defenses:
1. James Maritato defeated Spanky in Everett, MA on 5/8/03
2. James Maritato defeated Spanky in Philadelphia, PA on 6/3/03
3. James Maritato defeated AJ Styles in Philadelphia, PA on 7/9/03
4. James Maritato defeated Matt Sydal in St. Charles, MO on 8/13/03
5. James Maritato defeated Alex Shelley in New York, NY on 9/2/03
6. James Maritato defeated Kazarian in Philadelphia, PA on 10/8/03
7. James Maritato defeated Paul London in New York, NY on 11/5/03

Champion #2: Jerry Lynn
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JerryLynnPure.jpg

Defeated: James Maritato
Location: New York, NY
Date: 12/10/03

Title Defenses:
1. Jerry Lynn defeated James Maritato in Dayton, OH on 12/29/03
2. Jerry Lynn defeated John Hennigan in Philadelphia, PA on 1/7/04
3. Jerry Lynn defeated Ricky Reyes in New York, NY on 2/4/04

Champion #3: Bryan Danielson
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielsonPure.jpg

Defeated: Jerry Lynn
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 3/3/04

Title Defenses:
1. Bryan Danielson defeated Jerry Lynn in Richmond, VA on 3/29/04
2. Bryan Danielson and KENTA wrestled to a 30-minute draw in Philadelphia, PA on 5/12/04
3. Bryan Danielson defeated KENTA in a No Time Limit match in New York, NY on 6/10/04
4. Bryan Danielson defeated TJ Wilson in Philadelphia, PA on 7/7/04
5. Bryan Danielson defeated Samoa Joe in New York, NY on 8/4/04
6. Bryan Danielson defeated Samoa Joe in Philadelphia, PA on 9/8/04
7. Bryan Danielson defeated James Maritato in Atlantic City, NJ on 10/6/04
8. Bryan Danielson defeated Super Dragon in Pittsburgh, PA on 11/3/04
9. Bryan Danielson defeated Super Dragon in Charlotte, NC on 11/15/04
10. Bryan Danielson defeated Naomichi Marufuji in New York, NY on 12/8/04
11. Bryan Danielson defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in Atlantic City, NJ on 1/5/05
12. Bryan Danielson defeated Jerry Lynn in Charlotte, NC on 1/17/05
13. Bryan Danielson defeated Takeshi Morishima in Philadelphia, PA on 2/9/05
14. Bryan Danielson defeated Matt Sydal in Poughkeepsie, NY on 2/28/05



ROH World Tag Team Championship:
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ROHWorldTag.jpg

Champions #1: The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PunkROHTAG.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CABANAROHTAG.jpg

Defeated: The Spanish Announce Team and The Briscoes in a Triple Threat match
Location: New York, NY
Date: 6/7/02

Title Defenses:
1. The Second City Saints defeated Spanky and Paul London in Everett, MA on 7/7/02
2. The Second City Saints defeated The Spanish Announce Team in Philadelphia, PA on 9/4/02
3. The Second City Saints defeated The Briscoes in Overland, MO on 10/7/02
4. The Second City Saints defeated Austin Aries and Kazarian in New York, NY on 11/20/02

Champions #2: The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TrentAcidROHTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JohnnyKashmereROHTag2.jpg

Defeated: The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
Location: New York, NY
Date: 12/22/02

Title Defenses:
1. The Backseat Boyz defeated Jack Evans and Matt Sydal in Philadelphia, PA on 1/10/03

Champions #3: The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)(x2)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PunkROHTAG.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CABANAROHTAG.jpg

Defeated: The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere)
Location: New York, NY
Date: 1/22/03

Champions #4: La Revolución (Jose Maximo and Joel Maximo)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximoROHTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximoROHTag.jpg

Defeated: The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
Location: New York, NY
Date: 2/5/03

Title Defenses:
1. La Revolución defeated The Backseat Boyz in Philadelphia, PA on 2/6/03
2. La Revolución defeated The Second City Saints in New York, NY on 3/4/03
3. La Revolución defeated Jack Evans and Matt Sydal in New York, NY on 4/9/03
4. La Revolución defeated The Havana Pitbulls in New York, NY on 5/6/03

Champions #5: The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/RickyReyesROHTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/RockyRomeroROHTag.jpg

Defeated: La Revolución (Jose Maximo and Joel Maximo)
Location: New York, NY
Date: 6/2/03

Title Defenses:
1. The Havana Pitbulls defeated The Backseat Boyz in Boston, MA on 7/2/03
2. The Havana Pitbulls defeated La Revolución in a Ladder War in New York, NY on 8/4/03
3. The Havana Pitbulls defeated Tom Carter and Mike Quackenbush in Philadelphia, PA on 9/3/03

Champions #6: The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoeTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoeTag.jpg

Defeated: The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero)
Location: New York, NY
Date: 10/6/03

Title Defenses:
1. The Briscoe Brothers defeated La Revolución in Overland, MO on 10/19/03
2. The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Havana Pitbulls in Boston, MA on 11/12/03
3. The Briscoe Brothers defeated Jack Evans and Matt Sydal, The Havana Pitbulls and La Revolución in a Four Corner Survival match in New York, NY on 12/10/03
4. The Briscoe Brothers defeated Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in St. Charles, MO on 12/22/03
5. The Briscoe Brothers defeated Alex Shelley and James Maritato in New York, NY on 2/4/04
6. The Briscoe Brothers defeated Doug Williams and Claudio Castagnoli in New York, NY on 4/7/04
7. The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Stampede Bulldogs in Philadelphia, PA on 5/12/04
8. The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Stampede Bulldogs in Richmond, VA on 5/31/04
9. The Briscoe Brothers defeated Doug Williams and Claudio Castagnoli in New York, NY on 6/10/04
10. The Briscoe Brothers defeated John Hennigan and Roderick Strong in Atlantic City, NJ on 7/5/04
11. The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Motor City Machine Guns in New York, NY on 8/4/04

Champions #7: The English Elite (Nigel McGuinness and Doug Williams)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/NigelTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DougTag.jpg

Defeated: The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 9/8/04

Title Defenses:
1. The English Elite defeated The Briscoe Brothers in Toronto, Canada on 9/27/04*
2. The English Elite defeated The Motor City Machine Guns in Atlantic City, NJ on 10/6/04
3. The English Elite defeated Kazarian and Matt Sydal in Pittsburgh, PA on 11/3/04
4. The English Elite defeated The Motor City Machine Guns and The Briscoe Brothers in a Three Way Dance in New York, NY on 12/8/04
5. The English Elite defeated The Stampede Bulldogs in Atlantic City, NJ on 1/5/05

*After this match, the ROH Tag Team Championship was renamed the ROH World Tag Team Championship.

Champions #8: The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ShelleyTag.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SabinTag.jpg

Defeated: The English Elite (Nigel McGuinness and Doug Williams)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 2/9/05

Title Defenses:
1. The Motor City Machine Guns defeated The Briscoe Brothers in Ladder War in New York, NY on 3/9/05


Survival of the Fittest Tournament:
2002: Bryan Danielson
2003: CM Punk
2004: AJ Styles




Trios Tournament:
2003: The Rottweilers (Homicide, Low Ki and Ricky Reyes)
2004: The Rottweilers (Homicide, Low Ki and Ricky Reyes)
2005: Generation Next (John Hennigan, Kevin Steen and Roderick Strong)




Hunt for Honor Tournament:
2003: Low Ki
2004: CM Punk



Wrestling World Cup:
2004: United States (Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, Jerry Lynn, Matt Sydal, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)




Anniversary Awards Index: Click Here (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1280041&postcount=1474)

Unfulfilled prediction contest prizes (http://greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1577459&postcount=1644)








--


Before I begin, I want to send a special shout-out to the creators of the awesome 2002 mod, which I've edited slightly so it starts in February rather than April, so I can run ROH from day 1. Also, a big thanks to Wildfire1324, whose incredible NWA diary(s) were my primary inspiration in even attempting a diary.



http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg




“So, James, are you in?”

”Hell yes, I’m in. Let’s put together a wrestling promotion.”

--

My name is James Hill, and I’ve been a fan of pro wrestling my entire life. And when I say wrestling, I mean WRESTLING, not that cartoonish BS that guys like Hogan do. While all my friends were “Hulkamaniacs” growing up, I was a proud NWA fan. They could have their over-hyped pose-fests; I was all about watching guys like Ric Flair and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat tear the house down.

My wrestling obsession continued, and I devoured everything I could get my hands on. Tapes from all over the world, magazines and newsletters, you name it. During the spike in wrestling’s popularity in 1998, I happened upon a local wrestling radio call-in show, and decided to give my two cents. Evidently I knew my stuff, or at least did a good job of articulating my opinions, because I quickly developed a reputation on the show, to the point where my calls actually became an anticipated segment of the show. Once I graduated from high school, the producers of the show quickly hired me as a co-host. Talk about a dream job! I was getting paid to talk about something I’d loved all my life. My favorite aspect of the show was having the chance to interview various people involved in the business.

That’s where this story truly begins. During the spring of 2001, the legendary Ricky Steamboat was a guest on our show. I was beyond thrilled at the idea of simply meeting one of my childhood idols, but the reality was even better than I could have imagined. Once “The Dragon” and I started talking wrestling, we couldn’t stop. Hours after the show ended, Steamboat and I continued to discuss the current state of the business. We both lamented the fact that WCW and ECW had recently gone out of business, leaving the WWF as the only game in town. Vince McMahon may have been pleased, but it was clearly not good for the business as a whole. Vince’s idea of what professional wre….err, “sports entertainment” should be is simply not everyone’s cup of tea. And while there were still plenty of great Japanese promotions to follow, wrestling in North America was in sad shape from our point of view.

It was a great conversation, but I figured that’s all it would be: a conversation, two wrestling purists venting their frustrations. And so it was, for several months. But then, in late 2001, I received the phone call that would change my life forever.

“Hello, is this James Hill?”

“Yes it is. And who is this?”

“It’s Ricky. Ricky Steamboat. We met on that radio show earlier this year. I called up the station and asked them for your number. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mind. Was he kidding?

“Oh, no, not at all, Ricky. It’s great to hear from you. So what can I do for you?”


“Well, that conversation that we had really sparked something inside of me. I kept thinking about my own career, and how different it might have turned out if I was just getting started today. I never had the bodybuilder look or the catchphrases; all I had was my athleticism, and my drive to work at my craft. But in this era, would I even have the opportunity to do that? Basically, it’s now Vince’s way or the highway. Now, if you’ve done something to piss Vince off, or he just plain doesn’t like you, where are you going to go?”

“Well, there’s always Japan…”

“Yes, but even that’s not as lucrative an opportunity as it used to be. All Japan has been on a downward spiral since Baba died. Inoki’s fascination with that Mixed Martial Arts stuff is starting to hurt New Japan. And NOAH is still relatively unproven. Basically, no matter where you look, the wrestling business is slumping.”

“The business has seen better days, I agree. But what does that have to do with me, Ricky?”

“I’ll get to that James, just be patient. Anyway, like I was saying, our conversation earlier this year really got me thinking. I owe so much to the wrestling business. I had a wonderful career, and was able to take care of my family. But ever since I had to retire back in ’94, I’ve missed it, missed being a part of it. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the business had changed and moved in a different direction; that, in effect, the business I loved was gone, replaced by Vince’s idea of “sports entertainment.” But then, I met you. You’re what, 24 or 25?”

“21, actually.”

“OK, even better. You’re 21 years old, yet you told me about how much you loved my matches with Flair and Savage, and how much you missed that kind of wrestling.. And I spoke to so many callers on the show; most older, but some who couldn’t have been much older than you are. All of them said the same thing: they longed for the days when wrestling was wrestling, rather than that over-the-top stuff the WWF puts out these days. I said to myself, If people less than half my age miss the old days just like I do, then maybe not everything’s changed. From that day forward, I’ve had a goal in mind: to create a wrestling promotion of my own, and give those people what they want: great wrestling, with logical and believable storylines that don’t insult your intelligence.

“That’s great, Ricky, it really is. I know plenty of people who will be really excited to hear that. But I think you overestimate things. There are certainly those of us out there that love to watch great wrestling, and it has honestly been lacking since ECW closed down. But we’re a very small minority; peanuts, really, when compared to the audience of the WWF.”

“I realize that. I’m not talking about going head-to-head with Vince or anything. Heck, I don’t have that kind of money anyway. I’m talking about starting from the ground floor. Every great wrestling promotion, past and present, had to start somewhere. Even the WWF used to be a local group that never strayed outside the Northeastern U.S. We start small, and if we do a good job, maybe we eventually make some waves.”

“It sounds like you’ve really thought this through, Ricky. You obviously have a great mind for the business, and if you’re content with being a small-time independent promotion, at least to start with, I really think you could flourish. I’m honored that I played some small part in your decision. If you want, we can set up a return appearance on the show once you’ve got more of the details figured out, and we can get the word out to the diehards that listen to us. I’d love to help you out in any way I can.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Ricky replied, a smile in his voice. “The type of guys that I’m most interested in showcasing are the unproven, up-and-coming guys, and I don’t know near enough about the current independent scene to be able to pick those guys out, much less know how to use them to the best of their abilities. That’s where you come in.”

“Me? You want me to help you pick out a roster of indy guys?”

“No, not exactly. I want you to be my booker.”

My jaw hit the floor, and I was silent for several moments. Finally, I composed myself and spoke. “Ricky, you can’t be serious. I have no experience in the business, and…”

“The fact that you’ve never wrestled is a positive, not a negative. It means you won’t have a group of friends you’ll bring in and show favoritism to over everyone else. Or even worse, book yourself to look like Superman.”

“That’s fair. But why me? There has to be somebody out there that…”

“No, James, that somebody is you. All of my friends in the business are from my generation. I want someone younger, someone who can relate to a new generation while still hopefully putting out a product that will appeal to old-school fans as well. You’re exactly what I’m looking for. If you don’t want to do it, then I’ll understand. But give it some thought. I think you could be a natural.”

“I never said I didn’t want to do it. Booking a wrestling promotion has been a dream of mine for years. I just want you to be sure you’re making the right choice.”

“You can’t be sure of something until it happens. But I’m confident that you’re the right guy for the job. So, James, are you in?”

Like he even had to ask.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

Sick of sports entertainment? Ready for pro wrestling to make a comeback? Want an alternative to the mainstream? Then you’re in luck, because Ring of Honor is here to usher in a new era!

Pro wrestling legend and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat has created ROH in an effort to bring wrestling fans want they want to see—great in-ring action! ROH’s goal will be to emphasize the talent and athleticism of its competitors. Many of the greatest stars from around the independent circuit have been signed to compete at the first ever ROH show, The Era of Honor Begins, on Friday, February 8th, 2002, from the famed ECW Arena in Philadelphia.

The Arena has seen some of the greatest athletes and matches in all of pro wrestling over the last decade, and ROH will aim to continue that tradition. Let’s preview all of the matches announced for this historic show!

AJ Styles vs. The Amazing Red
AJ Styles, who has wrestled mainly in Georgia in addition to a brief stint in WCW, is viewed by many as the next big superstar in professional wrestling, and he will no doubt be looking to live up to that reputation. But Amazing Red will not make it easy for him. Red, who is no stranger to fans in the Tri-State area, is one of the few people in wrestling today who may well be a more breathtaking high-flier than Styles. How will AJ adjust to the unfamiliar situation of wrestling an opponent faster and more agile than he is?

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark)
Tag team wrestling has fallen into a rut in recent years, but ROH hopes to change that. The Briscoes and Maximos are two of the brightest young tag teams in the world today. Each team feels that they are the future of tag team wrestling, but only one can prevail.

Homicide vs. James Maritato
At first glance, Homicide may appear to be nothing more than a brawler. Looks can be deceiving, however. While Homicide can certainly trade punches with anyone, he is also quite skilled at mat wrestling. His opponent Maritato, a former ECW Tag Team Champion, is renowned for his own grappling talent. Will Homicide attempt to match Maritato hold for hold, or will he attempt to turn the match into a slugfest?

Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Jack Evans is quite possibly the greatest aerial artist in all of professional wrestling today. At just 165 pounds, he’s accustomed to being the smallest man in the match. But against the 290-pound “Samoan Submission Machine”, Evans will be at a much greater disadvantage than normal. Will Evans’ unrivaled speed and quickness be enough of an edge for the Washington native, or will the power of Samoa Joe prove to be too much to overcome?

Spanky vs. CM Punk
Both of these athletes are rising stars with bright futures ahead of them. That’s about the only thing they have in common. Punk, a native of Chicago, is all business once the bell rings. Spanky is a talented wrestler (and how could he not be, after being trained by Shawn Michaels?), but he has been known to go out of his way to try and entertain the crowd rather than go for the victory. Will this penchant for goofing off cost him, or will his bizarre behavior throw CM Punk off of his game?

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Not content with just providing color commentary for the DVD release of the event, Corino will also be in competition. He is said to be less than pleased about his opponent, as he feels that wrestling Mamaluke is beneath him. Mamaluke may not have the credentials of Corino, but he’s no slouch; he and James Maritato held the ECW Tag Team Championships. If ‘The King of Old School’ takes his foe too lightly, he may be in for a rude awakening.

Low Ki vs. “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels
This match could headline any card in any promotion in the world, and ROH is proud to present it as the feature contest on ‘The Era of Honor Begins.’ These three are without question three of the most talented wrestlers in the world, and each wants to try and establish themselves as the top dog in ROH on Day 1.

Low Ki, a three-year pro, is well known for his heavily MMA-influenced wrestling style, featuring a variety of lethal kicks and submission holds. He is also a no-nonsense wrestler who takes the sport very seriously. He won the prestigious Super 8 Tournament last year, defeating Danielson in the process.

“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson is one of, if not the, most skilled technical wrestlers in the world. This graduate of Shawn Michaels’ Texas Wrestling Academy has quickly become a star in the independent circuit, but he suffered a major disappointment when he lost to Low Ki in the finals of the Super 8 tournament nearly a year ago. He will no doubt be looking to redeem himself here.

With nearly 9 years as a pro, Christopher Daniels is one of the most experienced wrestlers on the ROH roster. He has been a star all over the independent scene, and is also making a name for himself in Japan. He has won numerous championships all over the world, as well as the Super 8 tournament in 2000. Will "The Fallen Angel" be able to fend off his two younger opponents, or is Daniels' reign as arguably the top independent wrestler in the U.S. about to come to an end?

Only one of these three world class talents will be able to say that they were victorious in the feature bout of the first ever ROH show. Who will it be? Join us for The Era of Honor Begins to find out!




Prediction List:

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Spanky vs. CM Punk
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

[haloed]

Here's to the beginning of a great diary. This could be good.

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Spanky vs. CM Punk
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

[Chuck]

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
Assuming your booking for the future I am going to go with AJ... Red will be injured/not able to walk within 2 years

The SAT vs. The Briscoes
The essential tag team of ROH

Homicide vs. James Maritato
Time to build him up as your future

Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
All the love in the world for Jack Evans on my end won't stop Joe from killing him.

Spanky vs. CM Punk
Toughest call... I like Spanky better than CM Punk

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino

Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

[SasoreGatame]

Why are Joe and Punk on the first ROH card, when the both didn't debut until much, much later in the year?

Anyways, here's my predictions:
AJ Styles
The Briscoes
Homicide
Samoa Joe
Spanky
Steve Corino
Bryan Danielson

[darthsiddus2]

Spanky vs Punk will steal the show... I'm calling it now....... by the way I'm looking forward to this dynasty and I hope it doesn't die.

[ya_its_me]

Prediction List:

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Spanky vs. CM Punk
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

I'm smelling the makings of a good dynasty, you've got a reader.

[critical-23]

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
I love the Amazing Red's style but AJ has more tools in the box.

The SAT vs. The Briscoes
Since this is 2002, that also means that these are the Maximo Bros before WWE got their claws into them. The Maximos were a better team back then, so they get my pick here. But it will be a good match nonetheless.

Homicide vs. James Maritato
I a fan of Homicide since the first time I saw him face an opponent (can't remember who he was, though) and beat him with technical moves only. I saw a star then and I see a star now.

Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Too big, too strong, too much Samoa Joe.

Spanky vs. CM Punk
Straight edge, foo'!!!

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
No disrespect to Mamaluke who has a very underrated (hope I spelled that word right) submission game. But c'mon--it's friggin' Steve Corino!!

Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels
I am interested in seeing where you will go with this. Daniels is my pick because he was the first non-WWF/E wrestler that I have seen live and I was just blown away.

[The Final Countdown]

Why are Joe and Punk on the first ROH card, when the both didn't debut until much, much later in the year?

I didn't want everything to be just the same as it was in real ROH, hence why I started from the beginning. Punk and Joe aren't the only guys on my roster who weren't in ROH to begin with; Evans didn't debut until late 2003, and I've also signed a couple of people who were never even in ROH to my knowledge.

Thanks for all the comments/predictions guys! Glad to know I've got some people's attention. I've got all but the main event & show aftermath written up, so it should be posted later on today.

[Sarcasm]

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe
Spanky vs. CM Punk
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

Can't wait for the first show. The backstory looks promising. KUTGW. :cool:

[The Final Countdown]

Note that any part of the show that takes place backstage, or in any behind the scenes area, was not actually booked in-game. I obviously don’t have a TV or PPV deal, and the arenas I’ll be running at this point wouldn’t likely be fancy enough to have a JumboTron or some other form of a large video screen. So I don’t think it would make much sense to book something as a part of the show if the fans in attendance would have no way of actually seeing it. Instead, think of these backstage segments as DVD material. Just like real-life ROH, actually. If and when I eventually get a TV or PPV deal, this will change. Oh, and unlike actual ROH, my announcing team will have a ringside table.

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg

presents:

The Era of Honor Begins

February 8th, 2002

from The ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg

Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)

The camera opened on Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, standing backstage. Steamboat flashed an affable smile at the camera.

“Hello wrestling fans. I’m Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, and I’d like to thank you for purchasing The Era of Honor Begins. This is a big night for all of us here at Ring of Honor. I think the title of the event speaks for itself: this truly is the beginning of a new era in professional wrestling. Or so we all hope. We’ve put together some of the greatest talent in wrestling today, from established veterans like Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino and James Maritato, to the stars of tomorrow like Bryan Danielson, Low Ki and AJ Styles. I know each and every guy in that dressing room will go out tonight and give absolutely everything they’ve got. And I’m sure every single fan who paid for a ticket, as well as those of you who are watching this home release, will not be disappointed. Now, without further ado, let the Era of Honor begin!”




AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

If this match is any indication, ROH has a bright future ahead of it. The same could be said about both of these rising stars, who had a very good fast-paced contest that got the show off on the right foot. AJ was the crowd favorite at the beginning of the match, but by the end both men were getting their fair share of support.

At one point of the match, Red executed a spectacular suicide dive that knocked AJ back near the announcer’s table. As Styles regained his bearings, he inadvertently bumped into color commentator Steve Corino, who had gotten up from his seat to get away from the action. Corino took offense, and he and Styles got into a verbal exchange. No blows were exchanged, but Corino was still clearly upset. The match continued, and Styles showed an impressive feat of strength as he caught Red in mid-air during an attempt at a flying hurracanrana and turned it into his signature Styles Clash to pick up the victory. Styles helped Red up to his feet and the two men shook hands in a sign of mutual respect as the crowd cheered their efforts. As Styles left the ring, Corino stood up once again and the two had another stare-down before Alexis Laree eventually coaxed Styles back to the locker room.

Winner: AJ Styles in 18:30 with the Styles Clash




The SAT vs. The Briscoes

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

Each of these teams is comprised of a pair of brothers, and that was evident in the match as both teams displayed great teamwork. The match was fairly even, with neither team able to hold a sustained advantage. The turning point came when the Maximos attempted to put Jay Briscoe away with their Spanish Fly maneuver. Mark Briscoe came into the ring and shook one of the ropes, causing Jose Maximo to fall crotch-first onto the top rope. He then got underneath Joel Maximo and lifted him onto his shoulders, enabling Jay to connect with a Doomsday Device. From there Jay was able to put the match away with the J-Driller, securing the victory for the Briscoes.



Winners: The Briscoes in 10:43 with a J-Driller by Jay on Joel




Homicide vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

Homicide seemed intent on proving his ability as a mat wrestler, as he spent much of the early portions of the match exchanging holds and counter-holds with the veteran formerly known as Little Guido. He held his own in the exchanges, but never managed to gain control of the match on the mat. Homicide eventually grew frustrated with the stalemate, and started mixing in some brawling and roughhouse tactics. Maritato adjusted well to the change in style and came close to winning the match on more than one occasion, but Homicide picked up the win after leveling him with a vicious lariat.



Winner: Homicide in 13:24 with a lariat




Jack Evans vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Jack Evans was all smiles before the match began, interacting with the crowd and even doing a bit of break-dancing. Once Samoa Joe arrived, however, the fun and games were over. Evans tried his best to keep his distance from Joe and pick his spots, knowing that if Joe got his hands on him the match would be over in short order. Jack’s tactics worked for a bit, and Joe grew more and more agitated. Then Jack went for a Quebrada moonsault, and it was all over. Joe caught him in mid-air, and drove him to the mat with authority. The Samoan Submission Machine took out his earlier frustrations, punishing Evans for a bit before forcing him to submit with a Triangle Choke.



Winner: Samoa Joe in 09:29 with a Triangle Choke




“This is James Hill here, and it is intermission time at The Era of Honor Begins! I’m in the locker room of AJ Styles, who was very impressive in defeating Amazing Red in the opening contest tonight. But the match had an unexpected side-story: as you attempted to recover from a jaw-dropping dive by Red, you accidentally bumped into my broadcast partner Steve Corino. The two of you exchanged words, and I can tell you that Corino is not at all happy. He’s continued to harp on that incident all night, insisting that you intentionally went out of your way to disrespect him. What’s your take on all this, AJ?”

AJ shook his head in frustration before responding. “I don’t know what Corino’s problem is. I was busy enough with Red; I didn’t have the time or the energy to worry about him. All I know is he’s been complaining ever since tonight’s matches were announced. First he’s not happy about who he’s wrestling, and now he gets all bothered by a little accident. He got in my face and threw a tantrum like a little punk kid. He needs to grow up. But you know what? I’m not a hard guy to find. If he’s got a problem with me, I’ll be more than happy to go out there in that ring and settle things.”

--

Christopher Daniels looked into the camera with a smirk on his face. “I hear what everyone has been saying. ‘Chris, it’s time to pass the torch. You’ve had a great run on the independent circuit, but Low Ki and Bryan Danielson are the men who are destined to take the ball and usher in a new era.’ People have been throwing that ‘new era’ stuff around quite a bit lately. And they’re correct in one respect: tonight is indeed the start of a new era in the world of professional wrestling. But it will not be the Low Ki era, or the American Dragon era. No, we are about to enter the era of the Fallen Angel, the era in which I at long last realize my full potential. So if you think you've seen the best of Christopher Daniels: think again.”

--

Bryan Danielson nodded into the camera. “I’ve had the chance to catch some of what’s gone on so far tonight, and I have to say that Ring of Honor is off to a great start. But the best is yet to come. It will be an honor to step into the ring later on tonight with Low Ki and Christopher Daniels, two of the best wrestlers in the world. Daniels, I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve been all over the world, and done very well wherever you’ve gone. You’re great, but I’m confident that I’m greater, and I aim to prove it tonight. And Low Ki, don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten about the finals of the Super 8 tournament last year. That was supposed to be my biggest victory to date, yet I went down in defeat. I’ve been waiting for a shot to redeem myself, and tonight’s the night. Tonight, the American Dragon Bryan Danielson takes his first step towards superstardom.”

--

Low Ki fixed the camera with an intense stare and remained silent for several long moments before speaking. “Tonight, Ring of Honor revitalizes the sport of professional wrestling. Tonight, the best wrestlers in the world gather to showcase their skills. And tonight, Low Ki will prove that he is the greatest fighter in the world. American Dragon, Christopher Daniels, all you need to do is be…ready…”




Spanky vs. CM Punk

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CM Punk and Spanky are vastly different individuals, and it showed even in their ring entrances. Punk marched to the ring with a determined glare on his face, while Spanky strutted down the aisle and posed with the fans, taking quite some time to even get into the ring. Punk was none too pleased with Spanky’s laid-back attitude, and his anger only grew during the match itself. Whenever Spanky would get the upper hand on Punk, he would pause to appeal to the fans. Punk grew more and more frustrated with Spanky’s behavior throughout the match, and shouted at him to get serious and stop screwing around.

When Spanky was actually focused on the task at hand, this was a very competitive and exciting match. Spanky nearly got the win several times, only adding to Punk’s frustration. Finally, Spanky tried to use a superplex on Punk, but the ‘Straight Edge Superstar’ blocked it and put the match away with his devastating Pepsi Plunge. After the match, Punk berated the fallen Spanky, and even slapped him in the face several times.



Winner: CM Punk in 15:04 with the Pepsi Plunge




Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino

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With Corino competing, play-by-play man James Hill called this match solo. Throughout the earlier matches, Corino made it very clear that he felt it was an insult for him to even be put in the ring with Mamaluke. His attitude carried over into the match, as he taunted Mamaluke and attempted to humiliate him at every opportunity. Several times he patted his cheek in a sarcastic manner, and he would even occasionally pause to allow Mamaluke a free shot, only to react to the blow with an over-the-top expression of pain. The lack of respect nearly cost Corino the match, as Mamaluke was able to put together a sustained rally, catching Corino in some submission holds that seemed to have him on the verge of tapping out. Once ‘The King of Old School’ regained the advantage, he finally stopped playing around and got down to business. Shortly thereafter, the Old School Expulsion spelled the end of the match.



Winner: Steve Corino in 17:28 with the Old School Expulsion




Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels

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ROH promoted this as an indy dream match, and it lived up to the billing. For over 40 minutes, these three elite athletes engaged in a fierce battle of wills. Two of the men would form a brief alliance and incapacitate the third, only to quickly turn on each other in an attempt to score the victory. Low-Ki’s lethal kicks were on full display, as both of his opponents absorbed cringe-inducing shots on multiple occasions. Danielson preferred to try and pick up the win via submission, making sure one of his foes was disoriented before attempting to force a tap out on the third man. Daniels, the wily veteran of the match, picked his spots, trying to use his moxy to catch either of his opponents off guard and score a sudden pinfall.

Things continued on in that vein for the majority of the match, until an out-of-nowhere flying kick from Low Ki caught Christopher Daniels by surprise, sending him tumbling from the top rope and out onto the arena floor. Daniels immediately clutched his right leg in agony, and Low Ki and Danielson turned their attentions to one another.

They went toe to toe for an extended sequence. Danielson nearly won the match with his Cattle Mutilation submission hold, but Low Ki managed to reach the ropes and force a break. Danielson tried to press his advantage with a Dragon Suplex, but Low Ki broke the grip and dropped Danielson with a kick to the head. After a few more kicks, Low Ki locked on his Dragon Clutch submission, twisting Danielson’s neck awkwardly. Danielson was nowhere near the ropes, and it seemed inevitable that he would soon be forced to submit.

Suddenly, Christopher Daniels lunged back into the ring, moving like a man with two perfectly good legs. He approached from behind and blindsided Low Ki with a palm strike to the back of the head before tossing him through the ropes and to the floor. He pulled up a weakened Danielson and knocked him out with the Last Rites, getting the 1-2-3 before Low Ki was able to return to the ring.



Winner: Christopher Daniels in 43:44 with the Last Rites on Danielson




After the match, Low Ki reentered the ring and glared at Christopher Daniels, clearly angry with the Fallen Angel’s tactics. Daniels begged off with a smile, and asked for a microphone.

“Who, whoa, whoa, back up there Low Ki! Look, I know you’re angry that I outsmarted you and American Dragon, but this isn’t the time for fighting! This is the time to celebrate! Because the Era of Honor has officially begun, and I think I speak for every one of these fans here when I say that this was one hell of a debut show!”

The fans cheered enthusiastically in response to Daniels’ statement, and started an “ROH” chant. Daniels grinned and appealed to the crowd to chant louder, which they happily did. He turned back to Low Ki with a huge smile on his face.

“Low Ki, if you want a chance to get some revenge, I would be more than happy to give you a match any time, any place! But right now, I think it’s only right that we acknowledge the man who put all of this together: the legendary Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat!”

The fans chanted “Ricky! Ricky!” and Steamboat stepped out from behind the curtain and offered a brief wave to the crowd before retreating to the backstage.

“I have a lot of respect for Ricky Steamboat, and I know you do as well, Low Ki. We both know that Ricky was and is a man of honor and sportsmanship, and I think it’s only right that we should honor that by ending this first show with a handshake. What do you say?”

Daniels extended his hand to Low Ki, and the fans chanted “Shake His Hand, Shake His Hand!” Low Ki stared at Daniels, expressionless, before finally accepting the handshake, much to the crowd’s approval.

The approval turned to jeering moments later as Daniels yanked on Low Ki’s hand, pulling him closer and planting him with an STO. He put the boots to Low Ki until Bryan Danielson finally recovered enough to chase him off. Danielson helped Low Ki to his feet, and both of them glared at a retreating Christopher Daniels as the live show came to a close.



--




Steve Corino was sitting in a chair in his locker room, packing up his bags, as James Hill walked in. Hill opened his mouth to ask Corino a question, but Corino held up his hand to silence him.

“I know what you’re going to ask me, kid. Don’t bother. The fact is this: I am the most accomplished wrestler in this entire company. It should have been an absolute no-brainer for Steve Corino to be the headliner of this show. But when ROH contacted me, they asked me to do color commentary for the show. How in the hell do you book The King of Old School and not even give him a damn match? I had to insist that I wanted to wrestle, too, and what was the solution? ‘Well, Mr. Corino, how about a match with Tony Mamaluke?’ Are you friggin’ kidding me? And to top it all off, I go out there tonight and do what they asked, carrying you on my back during commentary, and what was my reward? AJ Styles completely disrespected me! I am a former ECW World Champion! What has AJ Styles ever done? He should have bowed down and kissed my boots, but no, he’s one of these next generation brats who thinks he’s better than everybody else, and he did not give me the respect I have earned! And you already told me what the kid said when you came back here and interviewed him during intermission. AJ, nothing would please me more than to get you inside that ring and give you the whipping that your stupid redneck daddy obviously never gave you! By the time I’m through with you, you will learn to respect your superiors.”

--




“Christopher Daniels, why on Earth did you tarnish that tremendous win with such a classless display?”

Daniels smiled and shook his head. “Well, young Jason…”

“It’s James, actually.”

“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, as I was about to say before you so rudely interrupted: I did what I did to send a message. When the ROH officials first got in touch with me, they stressed how things like ‘honor’, ‘sportsmanship’, and ‘respect’ would be important to the company. Steamboat’s influence, no doubt. But I ask you this: what did all of those attributes get Ricky Steamboat? As far as pure wrestling ability goes, Steamboat was every bit Ric Flair’s equal. So why did Steamboat only win one World championship, while Flair is universally regarded as the greatest of all time? The answer is simple: Flair didn’t let petty things like sportsmanship or trying to pander to those idiots in the crowd hold him back. He did whatever was necessary to succeed. So fools like Low Ki and Bryan Danielson can follow in Ricky Steamboat’s footsteps; I even encourage it. That will just make it easier for me to cement my place as the man to beat in Ring of Honor. You saw it tonight. When Low Ki hit me with that kick, I truly did tweak my leg. If either Danielson or Low Ki had been ruthless enough to come out to the floor and attack an injured man, they could have easily put me out of commission for the rest of the match. But instead, they just left me on the floor, and I was able to use the injury to my advantage by making it out to be far worse than it was, and striking when the time was right.”

“OK, but why did you offer that phony handshake to Low Ki? The match was already over; what did that attack accomplish?”

“There didn’t need to be a reason for it, Jonathan. Garbage like sportsmanship and fair play are things that losers create to feel better about themselves. Winners do as they please, whether the losers like it or not. When you’re the best, you play by your own rules. I am the best in ROH, so I answer to no one but myself. If you, Low Ki, the fans, or even that geezer Stemboat don’t like it? Too damn bad. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”



Quick Results:
AJ Styles over Amazing Red
Briscoes over SAT
Homicide over James Maritato
Samoa Joe over Jack Evans
CM Punk over Spanky
Steve Corino over Tony Mamaluke
Christopher Daniels over Low Ki and Bryan Danielson

haloed: 6-1
ya_its_me: 6-1
critical-23: 6-1
Sarcasm: 6-1

Chuck: 5-2
SasoreGatame: 5-2

[tizzyt]

nice... I'll be checking this out... Gotta love the beginning of ROH... Good first show... can't wait to see where you go with things

[The Final Countdown]

February 8th, 2002
11:04 p.m.

“Well James, you’ve just booked your first wrestling show. How does it feel?” Ricky’s voice brought me out of my daze, and I turned my attention away from my laptop and towards my boss.

“It’s pretty surreal, to be honest. It was such an odd experience to sit out there at the commentator’s table and watch my ideas come to life.”

“You’ll get used to it, I’m sure. I thought the show went very well, didn’t you?”

“There were certain things that didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped, but all things considered I think the show was a success.”

“I agree. Say, want to go grab a late-night snack? I don’t fly back home until tomorrow morning, and with the way my adrenaline’s running, I doubt I’ll be getting to sleep anytime soon.”

“Sorry, Ricky, but I think I’ll pass. I want to sort over my thoughts on the show while it’s still fresh in my mind. Plus we’ve got another show in two weeks, and pretty soon we’re going to be crowning our first champion.”

“Right. That’ll be the show after next, correct?”

“That’s the plan, at least.”

“So, have you decided who you want to put the belt on yet?”

“Not just yet. We have a really strong group of top-level guys, and I’m struggling to pick between them. I suppose it’s a good problem to have.”

“Of course. Well, I’m going to head out now. Don’t work too hard, James; we’re going to need you around here for years to come, and the last thing we need is for you to burn yourself out.”

I smiled in response, the idea of booking Ring of Honor for years sounding very good to me. “I’ll keep that in mind. Good night, Ricky.”

After Ricky left, I returned my attention to my laptop, and began putting together some notes on the show.

-I put AJ and Red in the opening spot, believing they could get the promotion off to a good start. I was right. They put on a very exciting match, and the crowd was very into it. AJ in particular looked very impressive, and the fans treated him like a true budding star. I hope he sticks around with us long-term, because he could be a heck of a building block for the future. Both of these guys are still very young, however, and it showed up in spots during the match. Even with Ricky’s pre-match guidance, they still had the occasional lack of psychology. I’m sure they’ll both become more polished in that area as time goes on.

-The fans didn’t react much to the Briscoes at first, due to a lack of familiarity. But they started to win them over as the match went on. Mark had a very good night, but all four guys did well. I think both of these teams will be cornerstones of our tag team division once we get it running.

-Homicide got a far bigger crowd reaction that I had anticipated, and it only increased during the match. He’s a very talented and unique wrestler, and I see big things in his future. Maritato was stellar on the mat as usual.

-Samoa Joe and Jack Evans was my only real let-down of the night. Joe is an absolute beast, and I thought the dichotomy of the much smaller Evans basically running for his life would entertain the crowd. But I was wrong. I guess since no one really bought Evans as a legit threat to win, they weren’t as interested. I’m also not so sure about the Triangle Choke as a finisher for Joe. Maybe I should talk to him about that.

-CM Punk and Spanky put on what I thought was the most entertaining match of the night aside from the main event. In retrospect, they probably should have been in the semi-main event spot. I think they did a very good job of establishing their differences, and it served to both produce an exciting match, as well as set things up for my future plans.

-Steve Corino performed well both as a commentator and as a wrestler. The bits of him disrespecting Mamaluke served their purpose well, as people are already itching to see someone beat the hell out of him.

-The main event went over very well. All three guys did a fantastic job. We needed to have a killer match to close out the show and send the crowd home happy, and this delivered. Bryan Danielson is a tremendous technical wrestler. If he can just put it together in the theatrical areas, the sky’s the limit for him. Low Ki has some of the hardest kicks in wrestling. I heard several fans near me groan at the impact of some of them. And what can I say about Christopher Daniels? Why the WWF has never signed this guy, I have no clue. There are very few guys in the world who are as well-rounded as he is.

Overall, it was a good debut show. The crowd seemed pleased, which is all that really matters in the end. But as any wrestling booker can tell you, there's no time to celebrate. Now, it was time for me to get to work on the follow-up…

[The Final Countdown]

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Ring of Honor burst onto the wrestling scene last week with The Era of Honor Begins, and the sold-out crowd at the fabled ECW Arena were treated to a spectacular night of wrestling action! Whether you were a fan of solid scientific wrestling, breathtaking aerial tactics, or hard-nosed brawling, if you saw The Era of Honor Begins, you were not disappointed.

Ring of Honor made a major splash on its inaugural card, and has a bright future ahead of it. As such, several wrestlers claim that they are the top dog, and the man who will lead the company going forward. However, only one can reign as the best of the best in ROH, and it will soon be time to find out just who that man is.

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Who will become the first-ever Ring of Honor Champion? We’ll find out soon enough, because on Friday, February 22nd, the Road to the Title begins!

ROH has decided that an 8-man, single-elimination tournament is a suitable way to crown the first champion. Based on their incredible performances in the epic triple-threat encounter that headlined the first show, Bryan Danielson, Christopher Daniels and Low Ki were all given spots in the tournament. There were also five singles matches on that show, so the winners of those matches have been granted the remaining slots.

One week from today, ROH presents Road to the Title, from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Both the quarterfinals and semifinals will be held on this night. Let’s take a look at the first round matchups:

Low Ki vs. CM Punk
Low Ki is not a happy man. First he saw Christopher Daniels snatch the victory from him at The Era of Honor Begins…and then, when he tried to show a bit of sportsmanship, Daniels threw it back in his face. Advancing in the ROH title tournament would no doubt go a long way towards appeasing him, but he’ll have his hands full with CM Punk in the first round.

Punk was victorious over Spanky on the first show, but was not at all pleased with Spanky’s carefree approach. If Punk wants a no-nonsense opponent, he’ll get his wish when he steps into the ring for this battle.

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
The record books will forever show that Bryan Danielson was pinned in the main event of the first show in ROH’s history. That is an unfortunate reality for the American Dragon, but he could make it a mere footnote if he can cement his name in another way: becoming ROH’s first champion.

Once Samoa Joe was able to catch up to the speedy Jack Evans, he showed just how destructive he can be. If he manages to fend off Bryan Danielson’s ground game, he could very easily plow right along into the semis.

Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels
‘The Notorious 187’ Homicide proved at The Era of Honor Begins that he is much more than just a brawler, as he matched accomplished mat technician James Maritato hold for hold. But stepping into the ring with Christopher Daniels, he must prepare not just for a great wrestler, but also one who will use any means necessary to get the win.

Christopher Daniels is riding high at the moment, albeit not without some controversy. Not everyone approves of his methods, but the fact remains that he scored the victory. He has the talent to defeat Homicide straight-up, but will no doubt bend or even break the rules if he senses an opportunity.

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles put on an aerial fireworks show with Amazing Red in the opening match of the last show, but equally as memorable was his confrontation with color commentator Corino. Styles declared afterwards that he would be more than happy to settle this conflict in the ring, and ROH matchmakers were obviously listening. One would think that the flashy Styles will attempt to keep to the air, but if the veteran Corino can keep him grounded, he could be in trouble.

Steve Corino feels that no one is showing him the proper respect, from ROH officials to AJ Styles. He insists that he is the biggest star in ROH, and demands to be treated as such. With a chance to become ROH champion, his complaints against the company should come to an end. But if he wants to prove his point to Styles, he’ll need to do it in the ring.

At the start of the night, eight elite wrestlers will stand. By night’s end, only two will remain. Who will earn the right to wrestle for the Ring of Honor Championship? The Road to the Title gets underway!

Prediction List:

Quarterfinals:
Low Ki vs. CM Punk
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino

Semifinals:
Low Ki/Punk vs. Danielson/Joe
Homicide/Daniels vs. Styles/Corino

[darthsiddus2]

now that is a top-notch card my friend. I don't have any picks for you!

[critical-23]

Low Ki vs. CM Punk
It's Low-friggin'-Ki. . .
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Mr. Small Package
Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels
As much of a 'Cide fan as I am--Daniels is on a roll.
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
Time's not right for AJ to go for the title just yet.

I am picking Ki/Daniels in the finals with Daniels winning. *crosses fingers*

[haloed]

I'll have to agree a 100% with critical-23.

[ya_its_me]

Great first show!

Prediction List:

Quarterfinals:
Low Ki vs. CM Punk
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino

Semifinals:
Low Ki vs. Joe
Daniels vs. Corino

Finals:
Joe vs. Daniels

Can definitely see Daniels as being the face (or should I say heel?) of your promotion.

[The Final Countdown]

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presents:

Road to the Title

February 22nd, 2002

From the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan

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Attendance: 707

The DVD opened with a graphics package highlighting each of the eight participants in the ROH title tournament.

ROH Championship Tournament Quarterfinals:
AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino
http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

In addition to this being a tournament match, it was also a personal matter. Before the opening bell rang, Corino mouthed off to Styles, telling him that he would beat some respect into him. AJ remained silent, but stared right back at Corino with no trace of intimidation.

As much as Corino would have loved to make an example out of Styles, he did not have the luxury. AJ proved that he belonged in the ring with the more experienced Corino, frustrating the veteran with his amazing athleticism. Whenever The King of Old School seemed to be getting the match under control, Styles would thwart his momentum with an incredible counter.

The fans were solidly behind Styles from the start, and their support for him only grew as he pulled off amazing move after amazing move. To his credit, Corino was never at a disadvantage for long. He wrestled a near-flawless match, but his only real mistake proved to be his undoing. He telegraphed a back body drop just a bit too early, and it was enough for AJ to adjust and hit the Styles Clash to advance into the semifinal round after a fantastic match. The crowd gave both men a standing ovation in appreciation for a great opening match. After he recovered, a furious Corino threw a tantrum, yelling at the referee and some fans around ringside.




Winner: AJ Styles in 16:16 with the Styles Clash


ROH Championship Tournament Quarterfinals:
Homicide vs. Christopher Daniels

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg

Homicide got a hero’s welcome in his hometown of New York. The majority of the crowd jeered Daniels, but there were a vocal minority who did cheer him on.

This was a surprisingly scientific encounter, given Daniels’ declaration to win by any means necessary. There’s no doubt that he is a very gifted wrestler when he chooses to show it, and this was on display during this match. Daniels had Homicide on the ropes, but the pro-Homicide crowd was able to get their hometown son’s adrenaline running, and he took control. Homicide seemed on the verge of scoring the biggest win of his career, getting very close near falls after an Ace Crusher and a lariat. He went for his lethal Cop Killer, but Daniels slipped out, landed on his feet behind Homicide, and abruptly deflated the crowd by beating Homicide with the Last Rites.




Winner: Christopher Daniels in 12:09 with the Last Rites


ROH Championship Tournament Quarterfinals:
Low Ki vs. CM Punk

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg


Before the match began, Spanky strutted down to the ringside area and joined James Hill and Steve Corino at commentary, much to their surprise. CM Punk was not at all happy to see the flamboyant young man, stemming from their match at The Era of Honor Begins. Spanky never moved from his seat, but Punk was still frequently distracted by his presence. Against an opponent the caliber of Low Ki, this was a recipe for disaster. Low Ki was in a surly mood thanks to Christopher Daniels, and Punk bore the brunt of his anger, receiving a wide variety of kicks. When Punk managed to stay focused and not obsess over Spanky’s presence, he made a respectable showing. In the end, though, it just wasn’t enough: Low Ki advanced in the tournament after driving Punk into the mat with the Ki Krusher ’99.




Winner:Low Ki in 11:24 with the Ki Krusher ’99


ROH Championship Tournament Quarterfinals:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Bryan Danielson felt that he had something to prove after suffering the pinfall in the main event of the first show. He didn’t back down an inch from his larger opponent, doing his best to wear Joe doing using his mat wrestling prowess. But Joe demonstrated that he has more going for him than just size and strength, as he showed surprising speed and quickness in escaping some of Danielson’s holds. Joe executed some submissions of his own, but the skilled Danielson managed to either escape or reach the ropes before any serious damage could be done.

Eventually, though, Joe got on a big-time roll, pummeling Danielson with a barrage of strikes and power moves. Danielson was hanging on by a thread, just barely kicking out after a huge powerbomb, and inching his way to the ropes while in the clutches of an expertly applied STF. Joe continued his dominance, and it appeared to be only a matter of time before his offensive force finished the American Dragon off.

Suddenly, Danielson caught the Samoan in an inside cradle, holding him down just long enough to pull off the victory. The fans cheered Danielson’s toughness in withstanding the assault, but Joe was not as impressed. The ticked-off big man attacked a weary Danielson after the match, giving him several hard kicks to the ribs and powerbombing him into the turnbuckle with frightening velocity. A horde of officials and event staff finally pulled Joe away, but the damage had been done, and Bryan Danielson’s tournament future appeared to be in serious jeopardy.




Winner: Bryan Danielson in 13:16 with an inside cradle

--


“James Hill here backstage with Christopher Daniels during intermission. That was an impressive victory, Chris, and even better, you beat Homicide straight up. Can we expect a similar result in your semifinal match against AJ Styles, or will you attempt to cut corners like you did at the first show?”

Daniels smiled and rolled his eyes at Hill. “Jerry, you just don’t get it, do you? I beat Homicide, just like I beat Low Ki and Bryan Danielson. How I get the win is of no consequence; all that matters is that my hand is raised. And rest assured, my hand will be raised one more time tonight. AJ Styles, many people have taken to calling you the ‘next big superstar’ in professional wrestling. And youth being what it is, I’m sure you’ve let all that hype go to your head. Listen well, kid: you’re out of your league. You may have somehow, someway defeated Steve Corino earlier tonight, but Steve Corino is not Christopher Daniels. I am the alpha male here in Ring of Honor, and absolutely nothing will prevent me from fulfilling my destiny: becoming the Ring of Honor Champion.”

Daniels turned away, seemingly finished speaking, but then turned back towards Hill and the camera. “Oh, and Styles: if you think that tramp Alexis Laree is going to be able to help you, think again. The Fallen Angel never goes in without a contingency plan.”

--

CM Punk stared into the camera, a glare on his face. “Spanky, I thought I’d rid myself of you back at the last show. But clearly I was wrong. I don’t know where the hell you get off showing up during my tournament match; the match I earned by driving your goofy ass into the mat with the Pepsi Plunge. But I can promise you this: I will not forgive or forget what you did to me tonight. You will live to regret the day that you cost CM Punk a chance to become the ROH champion.”

--

ROH Championship Tournament Semifinals:
AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Christopher Daniels

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg


Styles came into the match riding a big wave of momentum after his tremendous victory over Steve Corino earlier in the night, and the fans clearly wanted to see the up-and-comer prevail once again. For his part, Daniels was completely unaffected by the crowd’s adamant support of Styles, even sarcastically joining in during a “Let’s go AJ” chant.

For the second time in the night, AJ proved himself worthy of being in the ring against a much more experienced opponent. Daniels reached into his bag of tricks at various times, doing things like stalling on the floor, using the ring ropes for leverage, and sneaking in the occasional thumb to the eye when the referee’s attention was diverted. But Styles kept his cool and did not let Daniels’ tactics phase him. As the match continued, it seemed that nothing Daniels tried was completely effective. Styles just kept getting stronger and more confident as the match wore on, and the crowd could sense it, urging him on.

Daniels attempted to whip Styles into the ropes, but AJ showed his athleticism by springing off of the middle rope, leaping over Daniels and dropping him into the canvas with an inverted DDT. Believing that he had a chance to finish Daniels off and move into the finals, AJ ascended to the top rope.

Out of nowhere, a beautiful Asian woman emerged from the crowd and attacked Alexis Laree at ringside. This development distracted AJ Styles for just a moment, but it was a very costly hesitation. He attempted his leap, trying to put Daniels away with the Spiral Tap, but the added delay allowed the Fallen Angel to roll out of the way. After AJ’s high risk did not pay off, he quickly went down to defeat thanks to the Last Rites.




Winner: Christopher Daniels in 21:37 with the Last Rites


Daniels and the Asian woman left together as Alexis Laree glared at them, checking on Styles. As Styles left the ring and prepared to leave ringside, Steve Corino climbed onto the announce table and clapped, mocking him for his defeat. AJ made to charge at him, but Alexis and some officials held him back.


ROH Championship Tournament Semifinals:
Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg


Bryan Danielson was clearly the worse for wear after his post-match beating by Samoa Joe, as he had his ribs taped and was in obvious pain simply walking to the ring. Low Ki showed his respect for his opponent by shaking his hand before the bell rang, but once the match began he showed no mercy, targeting Danielson’s injured ribs with kicks and submission holds.

The American Dragon may have been in agony, but he wasn’t going to give up on his shot at becoming ROH’s first champion. He battled on courageously, earning the approval of the crowd with his gutsy performance. Danielson and Low Ki engaged in a fierce battle, both men using a mixture of submissions, strikes (kicks for Low Ki, elbows and European uppercuts for Danielson,) and the occasional quick ‘flash pin’ attempt, but neither man could put the other away.

After a Shining Wizard that left Danielson prone on the mat, Low Ki climbed to the top ropes, seemingly preparing his Phoenix Splash. But Danielson summoned a second wind and cut Low Ki off, crotching him on the top turnbuckle and scoring with a belly to back suplex off the top rope. Danielson tried a top rope maneuver of his own, a diving headbutt, but Low Ki moved and the Dragon ate canvas. Danielson staggered to his feet using the ropes for assistance, only to receive a Tidal Krush in the corner. Low Ki hoisted up a dazed Danielson and finished him off with the Ki Krusher ’99, punching his ticket to the final round. The live show ended with Low Ki helping Danielson up and shaking his hand, the two honorable competitors showing their respect for one another after a tough contest.




Winner: Low Ki in 25:14 with the Ki Krusher ’99


--


Steve Corino stormed towards the exit of the building at a brisk pace, James Hill trailing him.

“Steve, you’ve been quite evasive since your loss to AJ Styles in the opening match tonight. Your derisive applause after Styles lost to Christopher Daniels in the semifinals suggests to me that you aren’t quite happy about…”

“Not happy? Of course I’m not happy, you idiot!” Corino shouted. “AJ Styles pulled off the biggest miracle since the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympics! That punk kid isn’t even fit to lace my boots! He had no business competing in this damn tournament to begin with! Now, because of some fluke loss, I’ll have to sit and watch while someone else becomes the first Ring of Honor Champion. That title was supposed to be ‘mine’; it may as well have been custom-designed for my waist.”

“Nevertheless, Steve, you and AJ had a phenomenal match. Surely the standing ovation the crowd gave the two of you afterwards has to make you feel at least a little bit proud?”

“Why should I give a damn what those simpletons think? Their approval is absolutely worthless to me. All I care about is my status as the best wrestler in the world, and the bank account that comes along with it. The fans can go watch that match and talk about how great it was. All I’ll remember is the fact that AJ Styles robbed me of my birthright: being the first ROH Champion! And he will pay for it.”


--


Christopher Daniels and the vivacious Asian woman from earlier stood in his locker room, celebrating his advancement into the finals of the ROH Championship tournament. Daniels looked into the camera with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.

“What did I tell you, AJ Styles? I said that I had a plan, and it worked to perfection. I instructed this lovely lady to wait for an opportune moment and lay out Alexis Laree. I knew that you’d take your eye off the ball if she was in danger, and you played right into my hands. Kids; so predictable.” The woman laughed, and Daniels shared a smile with her before speaking again.

“As for the woman to my right: ROH, meet Gail Kim. But she doesn’t need any introductions to the higher-ups here, does she? When Gail first heard about the formation of Ring of Honor, she was very excited. Finally, a chance for me to be taken seriously as a wrestler, she thought to herself. And so she called up the ROH offices, hoping to receive a match on the first show. But what did these officials, supposedly interested in bringing back the honor and integrity to professional wrestling, tell this world-class female wrestler? Sorry, Gail, but ROH isn’t interested in fielding a women’s division at this time. When word got to me about this injustice, I extended the olive branch to Gail. If ROH wasn’t going to open the door for her, she could simply kick it down. She will work side-by-side with me, and establish herself as the most dominant female in ROH. And as we continue to rule ROH, eventually they will have no choice but to cave to our demands and create a women’s division, with Gail as the face of it.”

Gail smiled up at Daniels, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders before continuing on. “Gail will be an integral part of my movement to rule ROH, but it won’t stop with her. I will look to recruit more soldiers to my cause: people who think like us, who recognize that how you get the job done is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is results, ‘honor’ and ‘integrity’ be damned. And if anyone in ROH doubts that this is the truth, I will prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt on the next show, when I defeat Low Ki and become ROH Champion. How will you feel, Ricky Steamboat, watching me take that championship belt and prove that the ideals that you founded this company on are worthless? I will take great pleasure in…”

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the previously locked dressing room door was kicked open. Gail screeched and hid behind Daniels as Low Ki stepped into the room. Daniels took a defensive posture, preparing to defend himself from an attack, but Low Ki simply walked right up to him, coming face-to-face with the Fallen Angel without throwing a blow.

“Christopher Daniels, at the end of our triple threat match, you didn’t just attack me. You attacked everything that I stand for; everything that Ring of Honor stands for. This company was created to showcase the greatest wrestlers in the world, to give us a place where our skills would be appreciated. With one sneak attack, you ruined what should have been the dawn of a new age in professional wrestling. An age in which things would be decided in the ring, and the fans could appreciate the art of wrestling without having to deal with all of the B.S. But it’s not too late; ROH can still be the place that Ricky Steamboat envisioned when he created it. All that needs to happen is for me to defeat you, and become Ring of Honor Champion. I will carry that belt with dignity, and as champion I will bring to ROH the same class that Ricky Steamboat had. Christopher Daniels, you will not tarnish the reputation of ROH any further; I will not allow it. When it’s time to crown a champion, all you need to do is be...ready...because I will be coming at you with all of my might.”

Low Ki slowly backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off of Christopher Daniels. Daniels glared at him as Gail Kim rubbed his back soothingly, the tension in the room clear.



--

Quick Results:

AJ Styles over Steve Corino
Christopher Daniels over Homicide
Low Ki over CM Punk
Bryan Danielson over Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels over AJ Styles
Low Ki over Bryan Danielson

critical-23: 5-1
haloed: 5-1

ya_its_me: 3-3

[critical-23]

Arrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I missed one!!! But kudos on bringing in Gail Kim. KUTGW and cain't wait for the next show!

[The Final Countdown]

now that is a top-notch card my friend. I don't have any picks for you!
I thought it would be a killer card when I was putting it together, but a combination of two poor chemistry matchups (including my semi main event) and the crowd crapping all over any non-wrestling stuff added up to it actually not being as good as my first show, which shocked me. It was still good enough to boost my popularity though, so at least there's that.

And no worries about not doing picks. I welcome any and all feedback, picks or no. I'd even welcome any criticisms that people may have. Preferably constructive and not just "You suck", but I'll take what I can get.


Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Mr. Small Package

I chuckled when I first read this, seeing as how I knew that's EXACTLY how that match was ending. Get out of my head! :)

Arrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I missed one!!! But kudos on bringing in Gail Kim. KUTGW and cain't wait for the next show!
Well, AJ over Corino was supposed to be an upset, so don't feel too bad.

Gail was actually not my first choice as Daniels' valet: I tried to bring in Tracy Brooks, but she wanted way too much money. She would've made more per show than the guy she was managing! No thanks.

[The Final Countdown]

February 22nd, 2002
10:21 p.m.

"Something wrong, James? You look pretty bummed." I looked up and saw Christopher Daniels looking at me.

"Oh, just a little disappointed with how the show went, that's all."

Daniels raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why? It went pretty well."

I shook my head and sighed. "Pretty well isn't going to cut it. We need to be great if we ever want to get anywhere."

Daniels chuckled in response. "James, are you a baseball fan?"

"Yes, even though my Dodgers haven't won a playoff game in years." I replied, confused by the change in subject.

"OK, good. I'll put this in baseball terms then. Era of Honor Begins was probably a triple off of the wall, if not a home run, for a company of our size. Tonight's show was, say, a solid double. Could've been better, sure, but it still got the job done. Point is, not every show is going to be an instant classic. And I would bet that there will be shows that don't turn out as well as tonight's did, even. So, everything didn't go over exactly like you'd planned. It was still a successful show, overall. And, for my part, I apologize about the match with AJ. I'm just as disappointed with how that went as you are. But all any of us can do is just use it as motivation going forward. That's what I'm going to do: I'm going to do everything humanly possible to tear the house down with Low Ki next show."

I nodded and smiled, Daniels' talk cheering me up a bit. "Thanks, Chris. I think I needed that."

"Any time, Mr. Booker Man. Well, I'm going to get going. See you in a couple of weeks." The Fallen Angel, fast becoming arguably the franchise player of our new company, left me alone with my thoughts once again. I decided to take a fresh look at the way things went down:

-Before the show officially began, we had Spanky go over Jack Evans in a dark match. I figured if we were going to pay Spanky to come out for commentary during Punk's match, we might as well squeeze him into a match, too.

-In another pre-show segment, Steve Corino tried to get the crowd worked up with an in-ring promo. Despite Corino being one of our best on the mic, the crowd crapped all over this. It was a sign of things to come.

-I am a firm believer in having a great match to open up the show. I figured Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson would be the best match of the Quarterfinal round, so I had been planning on putting that on first. Corino had to talk me into giving he and AJ Styles the opening spot. It's a good thing I caved, because they were tremendous. Easily the match of the night, and it was probably even better than the triple threat that headlined our first show. Needless to say, we'll be coming back to this matchup down the road.

-Christopher Daniels and Homicide put on a pretty good match. Homicide was very popular with the New York crowd, and it added to the match. There were occasional spots in the match where the psychology seemed a bit off, though.

-Low Ki & CM Punk was just sort of there. I figured out all of the other first round matchups, and they were the two left over. They did not have very good chemistry in the ring.

-Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe had a good match, even if it wasn't quite as good as I had expected. The crowd HATED the post-match attack, though.

-As Daniels eluded to, his match with AJ Styles was extremely disappointing. I thought they might be the odds-on favorite for match of the night heading in, but instead it was a pretty big let-down. They just didn't seem to 'click', for whatever reason. I should take my share of the blame, too: the crowd hated the finish, with Gail Kim getting involved.

-Low Ki and Danielson ended the show on a positive note, thankfully. A fun match, even if it was completely outclassed by the opener. Of course, everything on this show was.

Daniels, and Ricky Steamboat before him, both seemed pretty adamant that this show, while not on par with our debut, was still a positive step forward for us. Maybe that was true, but I couldn't help but want more. I just had to hope out next show, on which we'd crown ROH's first champion, went more smoothly...

[ya_its_me]

Gah...3-3...

[The Final Countdown]

February 2002: News & Notes

-“Nature Boy” Ric Flair announced his impending retirement. Terry Funk also announced that he would be hanging up the boots, but as this is approximately the 145,678th time he has said this, it wasn’t considered quite as newsworthy.

-Big Dick Dudley (real name Alex Rizzo) passed away on Sunday, February 3rd, at the age of 34.

-Jim “Warrior” Hellwig announced he would be returning to the wrestling business. Tassel makers the world over rejoiced.

-Mitsuya Nagai won the vacant AJPW World Junior Heavyweight title, defeating Kendo Ka Shin.

-The WWF called up Randy Orton, son of Bob Orton Jr, from their developmental system.

-NJPW’s big PPV show on February 16th witnessed three title changes. Masahiro Chono became a 2-time IWGP Heavyweight champion, defeating lumbering oaf Giant Singh to win the vacant title. Koji Kanemoto and El Samurai captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team belts from Gedo & Jado. And finally, Tiger Mask IV won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight belt from Kazunari Murakami, who had himself won the previously vacated title earlier that same day during a TV taping.

-The WWF’s Smackdown brand held their No Way Out PPV on February 17th. Clearly they are planning for their future, as the main event of the evening saw Kevin Nash defeat The Rock, while Hulk Hogan was victorious over Chris Benoit in the semi-main event. There was only one title match: Raven retained the Hardcore championship in a four-way match that also included Tajiri, Spike Dudley and some guy named Brock Lesnar.

-Lita became a two-time WWF Women’s champion, winning the belt from Trish Stratus on the Feb 18th episode of Raw.

-Televisa dropped both AAA & CMLL Lucha Libre from their schedule.

-The WWF chose not to renew Scott Hall’s contract, which ran out at the end of the month.



((OOC: I find that keeping track of the goings-on in other promotions helps me become more immersed in the game world, so I thought I'd include the major happenings in a monthly set-up like this. Is this something I should keep doing, or would you rather I only post things that have to do with ROH?))

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

We began with eight. We're down to 2.

One week from tonight, on March 15th, 2002, Low Ki and "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels will go to war, and the stakes will be sky-high: the winner will live on forever in the annals of pro wrestling. Years from now, when wrestling historians discuss the legacy of Ring of Honor, the winner of this match will be the first name mentioned. Only one can become the first ever Ring of Honor Champion. Who will it be?

ROH will present Crowning a Champion on Friday night, March 15th, 2002, from the ECW Arena. Here is the full match line-up:

For the ROH Championship:
Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels
Bad blood has existed between these two since the end of our first show, The Era of Honor Begins. Each man has a very different viewpoint on what professional wrestling should be. Low Ki believes in the honor of combat, and is no doubt just the kind of man that ROH founder Ricky Steamboat would love to represent the company as its champion. Christopher Daniels, on the other hand, has a win-at-all-costs attitude; he will freely bend or even break the rules if he feels it will benefit him. Can Low Ki uphold the ROH ideals, or will Christopher Daniels prove that, as he claims, integrity and honor are overrated?

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson defeated Samoa Joe with an out-of-nowhere inside cradle to advance into the semifinals of the ROH title tournament. It was a very costly victory, though, as Samoa Joe brutalized him after the fact. Danielson asked for another match with Joe to try and exact some vengeance for the attack that sent him into his match with Low Ki at less than 100%. Joe, eager to prove that Danielson's victory was a fluke, quickly accepted the challenge.

AJ Styles & The Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes
After Steve Corino goaded him by sarcastically applauding following his semifinal loss to Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles challenged Corino to another match. Corino, however, declined the challenge, saying that he would exact his revenge on Styles only when "the time was right." Eager to compete nonetheless, AJ scrambled to find another match. He and Amazing Red gained a mutual respect for each other following their exciting encounter that kicked off The Era of Honor Begins, and so they agreed to team up and take on The Briscoes. AJ & Red may be the two most athletically gifted wrestlers in ROH, but will that athleticism be enough for this first-time team to defeat The Briscoes, or will the brothers' experience advantage give them the edge?

Spanky vs. CM Punk
After CM Punk defeated Spanky on the first show, he believed that he had put Spanky and his...peculiar behavior behind him. But Spanky showed up during Punk's tournament match with Low Ki, and Punk was clearly never able to fully focus on the match. Now, they will have a rematch. Punk will look to gain a measure of revenge on Spanky for distracting him. Who knows what Spanky's motivation is, but he will be there.

Homicide vs. Tony Mamaluke
Homicide may have lost to Christopher Daniels in the Quarterfinals of the tournament, but he looked very impressive in defeat, nearly pulling off the win several times. He will look to get back on the winning track against Mamaluke, who came close to making Steve Corino tap out on the first show.

Dan Maff vs. Steve Corino
Corino rejected AJ Styles' challenge, but he will still be competing on the show. Dan Maff is primarily a tag team wrestler, and so he has to be considered a heavy underdog in this match. But with a man as big and strong as Maff, one big throw could decide the match.



Prediction List:

Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (for the ROH Championship)
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
AJ Styles & Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes
Spanky vs. CM Punk
Homicide vs. Tony Mamaluke
Dan Maff vs. Steve Corino

[ya_its_me]

ROH Championship
Low Ki v Christopher Daniels

Samoa Joe v Bryan Danielson

Aj Styles & The Amazing Red v The Briscoes

Spanky v CM Punk

Homicide v Tony Mamaluke

Dan Maff v Steve Corino

[critical-23]

Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (for the ROH Championship)
I'm still staying with my original pick to win it all, even though the match itself will be awesome.

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Joe's looking for revenge and an angry Joe is a dominant Joe.

AJ Styles & Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes
Corino's going to get involved somehow.

Spanky vs. CM Punk
Punkster wil find a way around Spank's wierd personality and get the duke.

Homicide vs. Tony Mamaluke
'Cide despite the loss is the jack of all trades and therefore (unless you have plans for Tony Mamaluke which would be awesome by the way) should win simply because 'Cide is 'Cide.

Dan Maff vs. Steve Corino
I doubt AJ will interfere with this match so the King of Old School reigns supreme!


BTW, I don't mind the updates from around the world. You keep them short and simple and a lil funny (Quote: . . .and some guy named Brock Lesnar) so KUTGW.

[The Final Countdown]

Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (for the ROH Championship)
I'm still staying with my original pick to win it all, even though the match itself will be awesome.
I'm confused..you highlighted Low Ki and said you were staying with your original pick to win it all. But when you did your predictions for Road to the Title, you predicted that Daniels would eventually win the tournament. Is there a typo somewhere, or am I just missing something?

[ya_its_me]

critical-23: Cheater. :D

[haloed]

Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (for the ROH Championship)
I like both and both would be awesome champs but gotta go with Daniels.

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
I like Danielson to pull off another out from nowhere win.

AJ Styles & Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes
The Briscoes seem like they are set to be your top tag team at this point.

Spanky vs. CM Punk
Homicide vs. Tony Mamaluke
Dan Maff vs. Steve Corino

[critical-23]

I'm confused..you highlighted Low Ki and said you were staying with your original pick to win it all. But when you did your predictions for Road to the Title, you predicted that Daniels would eventually win the tournament. Is there a typo somewhere, or am I just missing something?

My bad. I'll edit that now. :)

[critical-23]

critical-23: Cheater. :D

Sorry all. . .I rushed my posts (have a pregnant wife with an addiction to the Sims and you'll understand my position here) and screwed up. But it's all fixed now!!! :D

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

BREAKING NEWS:

We are less than 24 hours away from Crowning a Champion, and the scheduled title match could be in jeopardy.

ROHWrestling.com can confirm reports that Low Ki suffered an injury to his right wrist last night while competing in a match for the East Coast Wrestling Association. The severity of the injury can not yet be verified.

Upon learning of this unfortunate incident, ROH officials contacted Low Ki with the offer of postponing the title match until a later date. However, Low Ki insists that he will not be accepting the offer, and will wrestle Christopher Daniels to determine the first champion in ROH history tomorrow night, as scheduled.

If Low Ki changes his mind between now and tomorrow night, we will be sure to update you here on ROHWrestling.com.



http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/low-ki.jpg
Will Low Ki be able to compete at Crowning a Champion?

[tizzyt]

That sucks.... What had the potential to be a 5 star match is brought down by an injury... well, look at the bright side... at least he wasn't mauled by a bear like someone was in my game (not from ROH, someone in IWS, I think)

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg

presents:


Crowning a Champion


March 15th, 2002


From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg


Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)


The DVD opened with Low Ki arriving at the arena. James Hill had been waiting for his arrival and approached him, cameraman in tow.

“Low Ki, there’s one thing on everybody’s mind heading into tonight: what is the condition of your wrist, and are you healthy enough to compete in the scheduled ROH Championship match against Christopher Daniels?”

Low Ki looked at Hill and nodded, taking a moment to think before replying. “My wrist is broken; it hurts like hell. This will be the most pain I have ever wrestled in. But I will wrestle Christopher Daniels tonight, and I will become the first Ring of Honor Champion.”

“Surely you realize that Christopher Daniels will target that wrist at every opportunity. If you’re in so much pain before the match has even begun, why did you refuse the postponement offered by ROH officials?”

Low Ki took on a look of fierce determination. “I vowed to be the standard bearer for ROH. To me, ROH represents many things, and one of them is pride. I am a proud warrior, and if I were to accept a postponement, I would be conceding defeat. A warrior does not back down when he has an injury; a warrior stands and fights until he cannot fight any longer. I will either win the battle and become Ring of Honor Champion, or I will go down fighting.”


--


AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) and The Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

AJ Styles and color commentator Steve Corino had a lengthy stare-down before the match began, but Red, Alexis Laree and referee Marty Dugas intervened before it came to blows. Corino was never far from AJ’s mind, though, as he looked his way more than once during the match.

For two wrestlers teaming together for the first time, Styles and Red worked surprisingly well together. Their styles complemented each other well, and they joined together for some impressive double team moves. But the Briscoes, who have obviously been around one another since childhood, were not to be outdone when it came to teamwork. After Red missed with an aerial move, the Briscoes managed to wear him down, keeping the young high flyer near their corner and making frequent tags. The Briscoes worked over Red for a rather lengthy period of time, getting several near falls, but Red kept the match going with several kick-outs just before the three-count. The fans urged Red on, hoping to see him tag in the fresh Styles.

When Jay Briscoe tried to finish Red off with the J-Driller, Red managed to wiggle free, make a desperate lunge for his corner, and tag in AJ. The fired-up Styles took care of things from there, fighting off both Briscoes before finishing Mark off with the Styles Clash.


Winners: AJ Styles and The Amazing Red in 13:20 with a Styles Clash by AJ on Mark Briscoe


As soon as the bell rang signifying the end of the match, Steve Corino swiftly got up from his seat at the announce table and rushed into the ring, bringing his chair with him. An unsuspecting AJ Styles turned around and was met with a vicious shot to the head from the chair. Amazing Red tried to come to his partner's aid, but Corino jabbed the edge of the chair into his ribs, gave him another shot across the small of the back, and tossed him through the ropes and onto the floor. With Red now out of the picture, Corino returned his attention to Styles, who was struggling to return to his feet. Corino sized his target up, and as soon as AJ got up, he received a second brutal shot to the skull, this one busting his forehead wide open. A bevy of officials and event staff swarmed to the ring to stop the assault. Corino, having done what he set out to do, laid the chair down and casually sat on the top turnbuckle, allowing the group to attend to Styles.

After the officials made sure Corino would not impede them, Red and Alexis Laree each wrapped one of AJ’s arms around their shoulders, helping their dazed and bloody comrade back to the locker room. Corino remained in the ring for the next match.


Dan Maff vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DanMaff.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

The fans were not happy with Steve Corino after his assault on crowd favorite AJ Styles, but their minimal support of Dan Maff indicated that they didn’t give him much of a chance of pulling off the upset.

Maff tried to utilize his strength advantage, but Corino neutralized it with his wrestling skill and clever tricks. The King of Old School dictated the pace the entire match, and he made sure to taunt the hostile crowd with his dominance whenever possible. After disabling Maff with the Old School Expulsion, he even went so far as to pull his shoulders off of the mat just before what would have been a 3-count. He paused to revel in the crowd’s boos some more before showing impressive strength in lifting Maff’s large frame off of the ground and driving him into the canvas with a Northern Lights bomb. Even though Corino only used one arm on his pinfall attempt, Maff was in no shape to kick out.

After scoring the victory, Corino slowly left ringside, taking the blood-stained steel chair with him like a trophy.


Winner: Steve Corino in 12:17 with a Northern Lights bomb


Spanky vs. CM Punk

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg

While Spanky would still pause for the occasional bit of showboating, he seemed to be more focused on the task at hand than he was in the first match between these two. It made for a much rougher time for CM Punk, who seemed to be caught off-guard initially by Spanky’s more serious approach.

Punk may have been thrown by the change, but he did adjust to it as the match went on. He controlled much of the middle portion of the match, but couldn’t quite put Spanky away.

After withstanding a good deal of Punk’s offensive arsenal, Spanky ducked a lariat attempt and connected with a superkick to Punk’s jaw that nearly ended the match. Showing continued focus, Spanky did not waste any time dancing or posing, instead going right for his patented Sliced Bread #2.

The referee wasn’t in position to see it, but as Spanky sprung onto the turnbuckle to attempt his finishing maneuver, one of the ringside photographers subtly yanked on his foot. This caused Spanky to lose his footing and crotch himself on the top turnbuckle. CM Punk capitalized on this opening, picking up the win with the Pepsi Plunge.

Punk and the supposed “photographer” hugged after the match and left ringside together, revealing that they were in cahoots.


Winner: CM Punk in 13:49 with the Pepsi Plunge

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/cabana.jpg
Who is this man, and what is his association with CM Punk?


Intermission began inside the locker room of Christopher Daniels, with the Fallen Angel and Gail Kim. Daniels had a disbelieving smile on his face as he looked into the camera.

“Low Ki, I’ve known you were a fool for some time now. But even I had no idea just how far your stupidity runs.”

Daniels shook his head, letting out a laugh. “Remember what I said at The Era of Honor Begins? I said that the values you hold so dear, things like honor, integrity and pride, are worthless garbage that will only hold you back. Just like they did to Ricky Steamboat. If he’d put less stock in those foolish values of his and realized that winning is the only thing that matters in the end, he may have become the greatest of all time. Instead, his pride and integrity became shackles that prevented him from realizing his full potential.
“And Low Ki, you’re even worse. You’re going to walk out there tonight and try and defeat me when you’ve got a broken wrist? Even Steamboat wouldn’t have been stupid enough to turn down a postponement if he’d had an injury. But you, you’re so obsessed with this ridiculous notion of upholding your honor that you are going to waste your shot at becoming ROH Champion. And when all is said and done, people won’t remember this night as the night that Low Ki “courageously” tried in vain to fight through an injury. No, tonight, March 15th, 2002, will forever be remembered as the night that the legacy of “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels truly began to be forged.”


--


“James Hill here with CM Punk. Punk, I’ll get right to the point: who was that phony photographer, and what is his relationship to you?”

“He is none other than Colt Cabana. He is my tag team partner, and even though he may not be straight-edge like me, he’s also my closest friend in the world. We both grew up in the Windy City of Chicago, and we both broke into the sport of professional wrestling together. He has come here to Ring of Honor so the two of us can show the wrestling world how a couple of Chi-town boys do things. Now that the Second City Saints are united here in ROH, the time for fun and games, the time for dancing and posing, it’s all at an end. Because we mean serious business, and…”

The sound of the locker room door opening could be heard in the background, but the camera remained focused on CM Punk, as well as James Hill standing beside him. As Punk and Hill both looked to the door, the camera captured their reactions to whoever had just opened the door. Hill had a look of bewildered amusement on his face, while Punk’s disgust was clearly visible. Slowly, the camera turned to face the newcomer.

Standing near the door was Colt Cabana, but his photographer’s outfit from earlier in the evening was gone. He was now wearing normal attire…with one notable exception: the comically oversized orange cowboy hat on his head. As Cabana approached, Punk stood up to look him face to face.

“I thought you understood that this is serious—“ Punk began, but Cabana cut him off.

“Check it out, Punker—I found this just lying around back here. I can’t believe someone would discard a beauty like this! It’s funny, because it’s bigger than a normal hat.” Punk closed his eyes and blew out a deep breath.

“Colt…just…” Punk never finished that sentence. He kept stuttering and mumbling to himself while Cabana walked right up to the camera and modeled his strange fashion accessory.

--


Homicide vs. Tony Mamaluke

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg

CM Punk came out and joined James Hill at the announce table after intermission, saying it was time the ROH fans heard some “unfiltered, unbiased, Straight Edge commentary.”

Both of these men were eager to try and get back on a winning track after suffering victories, and they each turned in a solid effort in this match. Homicide was usually in control of the action, but now and again Mamaluke would catch him in a submission hold that would temporarily turn the tide. After Homicide would escape the hold, though, he would regain the advantage soon thereafter.

Homicide looked to finish the match with the Cop Killer, but Mamaluke fought it off and took the Notorious 187 to the mat with a Fujiwara armbar. Homicide fought off the pain and inched his way to the ropes, forcing a break. Right after releasing the hold, Mamaluke forced Homicide back to his feet and whipped him into the ropes. No one will ever know what Mamaluke was intending to do, because Homicide stunned him with a stiff lariat and got the pinfall.


Winner: Homicide in 21:06 with a lariat


Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

These two stared a hole through each other before the bell rang, each man furious with the other for the events that transpired at Road to the Title.

Joe was determined to not just even their head-to-head score at one victory apiece, but do it swiftly and convincingly. He impatiently tried some high-impact power moves just a few minutes into the match. His impatience was a mistake, though. Danielson was able to avoid Joe’s attempts and take control of the match with a more methodical mat wrestling approach.

Once Joe calmed himself and stopped trying to put the match away prematurely, the match was more or less dead even. Danielson continued to use his technique to try and wear the big man down, while Joe showed his own grappling ability with some expert counters.

As both men tired, Joe was able to reintroduce his big moves with some success. But unlike the first match between these two, he never dominated for a long stretch of time. This time around, Danielson was never on the receiving end for long, coming up with some clever counters to keep Joe from getting on a significant roll.

Danielson seemed to be near a victory with a series of hard elbows to the head. After four shots, Joe slightly staggered backwards. The American Dragon tried to complete the combination with a rolling elbow strike, but Joe blocked the elbow and locked Danielson in a rear naked choke. Danielson tried to squirm free, but Joe had too firm a grip and soon had him down on the mat. Nowhere near the ropes, Danielson looked to be on his last legs, but the bell suddenly rang. The ring announcer informed the crowd that the 30-minute time limit had expired. An irate Joe shoved the referee down and gave an unconscious Danielson a few parting shots before storming off.


No Contest due to expiration of the 30-minute time limit


Before the introductions were made for the main event, ROH President Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat was introduced to the crowd to a nice ovation. Steamboat had the ROH Championship with him in order to present it to the new champion at the conclusion of the match.


ROH Championship Tournament Finals:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg

It was clear from the opening bell that Low Ki’s broken right wrist would be a major problem. Whenever he tried to make use of the arm, he would wince in obvious pain. He still had two healthy legs, however, so he relied on his repertoire of kicks even more heavily than usual.

Christopher Daniels has made it clear that he will stop at nothing to achieve success in ROH, so it came as no surprise that he targeted Low Ki’s injured arm. He tried many times to make Low Ki submit with holds that targeted the arm, but Ki courageously refused to quit.

Even with Low Ki’s debilitating injury providing a built-in advantage, Daniels still broke the rules frequently. He did not hesitate to slip in an illegal tactic if the ref was not in a position to notice it. When Low Ki managed to string together several nice kicks, Gail Kim climbed onto the ring apron to break his concentration.

The fans wanted to see Low Ki fight through the pain and pull off the victory, but they seemed to feel that the broken wrist would be too much for him to overcome, so they grew more and more subdued as the match progressed. They briefly came to life when Low Ki kicked out of Daniels’ Angel’s Wings maneuver, but Daniels soon finished off his wounded foe with the Last Rites.


Winner and New Ring of Honor Champion: Christopher Daniels in 38:06 with the Last Rites


As soon as the bell rang, Gail Kim slid under the ropes and jumped into the arms of Christopher Daniels, who hugged her in celebration. They paraded around the ring, basking in the disappointment of the fans. Ricky Steamboat slowly stepped between the ropes, the ROH title in his hands. Daniels shouted at Steamboat to present him with the championship, but Steamboat was paying no attention to the new champ. He stared down at the belt with a frown on his face for several long moments, before slowly extending his hands towards Daniels. Daniels seized the belt with a none-too-gentle tug, and hoisted it high into the air. He then handed it over to Gail, who strapped it around his waist as the live show came to an end.


--


Steve Corino sat in his locker room, still holding the blood-stained chair from earlier. He flashed a devious smirk at the camera.

“AJ Styles, what happened to you tonight was entirely your fault. If you had just showed me even the slightest bit of the respect that I have earned, all of this could have been avoided. But no, you just HAD to try and show me up, didn’t you? And THEN, you turned around and pulled off the biggest fluke victory in the history of this sport when you beat me in the ROH title tournament. Ricky Steamboat should have been handing that belt to ME tonight, not Christopher Daniels. But you ruined that, punk. And THEN you had the audacity to call me out for another match? I’m not some no-namer who can be bossed around, Styles: I wrestle who I want, when I want. The sooner you and the ROH officials get that into your thick skulls, the better.”

Corino paused and held the chair up closer to the camera. “AJ, I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Hopefully the dents and the blood on this chair have helped you to realize that Steve Corino is a man who demands respect, and if you don’t give it to him willingly, he will beat it into you. If you’ve gotten the point, this can end here and now. But if you don’t get—“

Corino cut off abruptly as AJ Styles, bandaged forehead and all, charged into his locker room. Styles lunged at Corino and tackled him to the ground. A full-scale brawl broke out as both men traded punches on the floor. Hearing the commotion, a horde of staff and wrestlers rushed into the room. It was a struggle, but they managed to pry the two rivals apart. Both Corino and Styles shouted at each other, and had to be held back as they tried to resume their fight.


--


Christopher Daniels and Gail Kim were about to exit the arena when James Hill caught up to them.

“Christopher Daniels, first of all, congratulations on becoming the first-ever Ring of Honor champion.”

“Why thank you, Jeffrey.”

“But that aside, there are still several things that—“

“Excuse me for just a moment.” Daniels smiled at Hill before handing the ROH title to Gail Kim. “Hold that for me, would you, my dear?”

Gail accepted the belt with a smile, and Daniels turned his attention back to Hill. “Now, where were we?”

“Well, I was going to ask you if you’re truly proud of this victory. We all know that Low Ki was at far less than 100% tonight, and—“

Hill fell silent as Daniels held his hand up. “Yes, yes, I know. Everybody here tonight wanted Low Ki to be the first Ring of Honor champion. They wanted him to prove that guts and determination trump smarts and ruthlessness. Sadly for all of you, that is not the case. And now that I’ve defeated Low Ki, all of you will begin to line up and make excuses for him. ‘Oh, Low Ki had a broken wrist.’ ‘Oh, that no-good Christopher Daniels broke the rules.’ Guess what? I won, Low Ki lost. I’m the ROH champion, he’s not. End of story.”

“But that isn’t truly the end of the story, because after your win, Ricky Steamboat seemed rather reluctant to present you with the title. What did you think about that?”

Daniels laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure it was very difficult for Ricky to hand that belt over to me. And who can blame him? It must have been hard for him to watch me come into his own company and prove, right to his face, that all of those precious values that he puts on such a pedestal are worthless. You know that it has to eat Steamboat alive seeing all of the honors currently being bestowed upon Ric Flair as he approaches his retirement. No doubt he’s saying to himself, ‘If only I’d been willing to win at all costs like Flair, that could have been me.’ And Steamboat and Low Ki, they’re two peas in a pod. All Low Ki’s honor and pride did was make him throw away his shot at greatness. In 15 or 20 years, Low Ki will be in the exact same position that Ricky Steamboat is in now. He’ll think back on this date and say to himself, ‘If only I hadn’t been so foolish. If only I’d accepted the postponement, rather than letting my pride get in the way, maybe I could have been the greatest wrestler of my generation.’ But as we all know, Low Ki’s got more guts than brains, and I was all too happy to capitalize.”


“Well, Chris, be that as it may. Now that you’re the champion, you’ll be faced with some stiff challenges. You know that every single wrestler on the ROH roster will be gunning for you. Who do you think will pose the most immediate threat to your title?”

Daniels smiled and shrugged. “It really doesn’t matter. They can all line up and take a number. I will not just be the first ROH champion; I’ll also be the greatest one. I will take this belt, and this company along with it, and raise it to heights that Ricky Steamboat and Low Ki couldn’t even dream of. Whether you like it or not, it’s a fact: the Christopher Daniels era has officially begun, and pro wrestling will never be the same again. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”

Quick Results:

AJ Styles & Amazing Red over the Briscoes
Steve Corino over Dan Maff
CM Punk over Spanky
Homicide over Tony Mamaluke
Bryan Danielson drew with Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels over Low Ki to win the ROH Championship

critical-23: 4-1-1
haloed: 4-1-1
ya_its_me: 4-1-1

[The Final Countdown]

March 15th, 2002
11:22 p.m.

I popped the Advil into my mouth and chased it down with a gulp of water. What a day, I thought to myself as I rubbed my hand on my forehead, trying to make the pounding in my head go away.

If Road to the Title was a double, as Christopher Daniels said, then Crowning a Champion was a pop-fly at best.

-In a pre-show dark match, Colt Cabana went over Jack Evans. I figured we may as well get Cabana some ring time since he would be showing up during the Punk-Spanky match. Jack Evans is very much a work in progress, but there’s no denying that he can pull off some amazing acrobatic stuff. Hopefully, given time, he can blossom into a more well-rounded wrestler and become an impact player for us in the future.

-AJ, Red & The Briscoes got the main show off to a good start. AJ really shined yet again; that guy has star written all over him. Hopefully his ascension will coincide with our own. The Briscoes are a great team. The only real knock on them right now is their lack of familiarity among the crowd, but hopefully their solid ring work will get them over before too long.

-Corino over Maff was pure filler; simply a showcase for Corino. Maff and Monsta Mack should be involved in our tag division once we get it up and running, but I figured I’d give Maff a match to introduce him to the audience before that.

-CM Punk and Spanky had another solid match. But it didn’t go over quite as well as their match at The Era of Honor Begins, which was my fault. The fans did not like Colt Cabana getting involved in the finish. It seems I’ll need to try and cut back on dirty finishes in the future. I won’t get rid of them entirely, though; unclean finishes will still have a place in ROH. I’ll just need to pick my spots and be more selective with where I use them.

-Homicide and Mamaluke continued the 3-match string of good but not great matches. I’ve seen Homicide as a future major player for us since the beginning, and that hasn’t changed. Mamaluke I wasn’t as sold on, but he’s had two pretty decent outings. He may never be a headliner for us, but I could see him remaining a solid mid-card guy long-term. Plus we could always pair him up with James Maritato.

-Match of the night went to Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. This was very good, and closer to the quality I had in mind when I put these two together. It wasn’t as good as the triple threat from the first show or Styles/Corino from the second, but still a very good match. I look forward to seeing more from them in the future.

-I admire Low Ki for trying to work through that broken wrist; I really do. But I should’ve used my head and rescheduled the match, or at least modified the original plan and not had them go for close to 40 minutes. But he insisted he could pull off the match as planned, and I chose to let him try. It became obvious as soon as things got started that there was no way it was going to happen. Christopher Daniels did his best to improvise, switching from the faster-paced match they had planned and instead kayfabe working on Ki’s injured arm, but nothing could have saved this match. It quickly fell apart, particularly during the middle portions. It’s a shame that the first title match in our history was such a let-down. Hopefully it won’t be an ill omen.

“Sorry about the match, James.”

I finished off my notes and turned my attention to Low Ki, who had his head bowed, frowning.

“It’s OK, Ki. I appreciate that you tried your best, despite all the pain you were in. I should’ve known better than to have you even attempt it; it’s my fault.”

The words seemed to have no effect, as his mood hadn’t changed. “I promise that I’ll make this right. Put me and Daniels in there in a rematch on the next show, and—“

I cut him off with a shake of my head. “Nope, no rematches just yet. I know where I want things to go, but you’re not stepping foot in that ring again until your wrist is 100%.”

Ki made to argue that he would be fine, but a new voice caught both of our attention.

“Nice job out there, Ki. You really tore the house down.”

The obviously sarcastic voice belonged to Dan Maff. The big man slowly approached and got in Low Ki’s face.

“You sure earned that paycheck tonight, boy. With a couple more main events like that, this place will be right up there with the WWF. Good thing they’re giving you the big push instead of me.”

“You know what, Maff? You’re right; you did have the better match tonight. So kudos on being carried to a decent match by one of the best in the world. But you and I both know that if I’m 100%, there’s no comparison between us.”

“Is that right? Well, why don’t we see how well you can work with two bad arms?”

Realizing that this was about to take a turn for the worst, I stepped in between the arguing wrestlers. “Back off, Maff. I threw you a bone by booking you tonight; don’t make me regret it.”

“Oh, piss off, kid. You’re, what, 150 pounds soaking wet? Don’t push me.”

My headache only getting worse, I was not in the mood to put up with this. “Fine. Take a swing at me if you like. And when you're done, go ahead and walk out the door. Don’t bother coming back, either. You’re a mediocre wrestler to begin with. If you’re going to cause problems to boot, well, I think ROH can do without you.”

Maff took a step in my direction, but a number of his fellow wrestlers had stopped by to figure out what all the shouting was about, and they stepped in front of me protectively.

Samoa Joe got in Maff’s face. “You heard the man, Danny. Why don’t you head out before you dig yourself a bigger hole?”

Maff glared at Joe briefly before turning and heading for the exit, muttering to himself.

“Thanks for sticking up for me, boss. I don’t think I could’ve done much to defend myself with just one good arm. Maff’s more than double your weight; you really stuck your neck out for me.”

I smiled and shrugged in response to Low Ki’s thanks. “It was nothing. Just looking out for one of my top stars. I’m going to get going now; I have a killer headache. Rest up, Ki.”

After saying my thank yous to the rest of the boys who had likely saved me from a pretty severe beating, I headed out.

What a crazy night. Welcome to the strange world that is professional wrestling.

[TribeWarpath]

Really enjoying your take on ROH, KUTGW.

[TheBrockLock]

I'm loving this diary. It's a shame the grades aren't what you want but you make roh seem exactly how it should be, it's exactly how I see it being run in the early days.

[tizzyt]

Really good show.... I've got to get some more predictions in, instead of just reading shows and not commenting... I'm a horrible reader.. lol

[ya_its_me]

So...what's going to happen with Maff now?

[The Final Countdown]

Really enjoying your take on ROH, KUTGW.

I'm loving this diary. It's a shame the grades aren't what you want but you make roh seem exactly how it should be, it's exactly how I see it being run in the early days.

Thanks for both of these comments! Good to see a couple of new faces. Well, since I've only been doing this for a little over a week, I guess everyone's a new face, really...you're just new(er) faces. And yeah, each of the last two cards hasn't gone exactly as I've planned, thanks to chemistry/injury/cheap finish issues. Hopefully the next show can go off without so many problems.

Really good show.... I've got to get some more predictions in, instead of just reading shows and not commenting... I'm a horrible reader.. lol
Predictions are more than welcome, obviously, but I won't hold it against you if you don't do them. Some people just don't like submitting predictions, which is cool. Any form of feedback is much appreciated, whether it be predictions or whatever.

So...what's going to happen with Maff now?
I canned him. When I first saw that there had been an incident after the show, I figured "Great, just pile it on after this failed show", but it wound up being a major positive: since I chose to overreact and fire Maff for starting the fight, Low Ki now has Loyalty to me.:D

I'm finalizing my plans for the next show and should be running it in-game within the next couple of hours, so expect a show preview & predictions list sometime today.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

Fans in the Manhattan and Philadelphia areas have already been able to experience Ring of Honor up close and personal. Now, it's time for wrestling fans in the Boston area to see just what ROH is all about!

One week from today, on Friday, March 29th, ROH will present Boston Massacre, from the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts. Here is a preview of the great night of wrestling action coming to Boston:

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
The issue between these two stems back to the very first match in ROH history, when Steve Corino felt AJ Styles disrespected him. Things have only escalated from there, and after Corino's brutal assault with a steel chair that busted Styles wide open, plus the brawl in the locker room after the show had ended, ROH officials hope that this heated issue will settle down once the final bell rings in this match.

The Amazing Red vs. Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels is on top of the world after defeating Low Ki and becoming the very first ROH champion. Upon being told of this upcoming non-title match with Red, Daniels arrogantly proclaimed that he would win with no trouble whatsoever. Some may argue that Daniels has earned the right to be confident, but if he underestimates the exciting young flier, he may be ripe for an upset. Red is certainly preparing as hard as he ever has, because a victory over the ROH champion would all but guarantee him a title shot in the near future.

Spanky vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky seemed to be on the verge of scoring the win against CM Punk at Crowning a Champion, but a debuting Cabana ruined that with his outside interference. Now, Spanky will get a chance to make Cabana pay. But considering that Cabana appears to be a rather comical individual, much like Spanky, perhaps this match will be more entertainment than action.

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
The American Dragon has spent the past couple of shows locked in a war with the powerhouse Samoa Joe, in an issue that seems to be far from resolved. But he will need to make a major adjustment for Boston Massacre, as he will be competing against the much smaller James Maritato. Danielson is regarded by some as the best technical wrestler in the world, but Maritato is an expert technician as well. This is sure to be a superb display of mat wrestling from two of the finest grapplers in the world.

Monsta Mack vs. Samoa Joe
Following his partner Dan Maff's recent departure from ROH, Monsta Mack will attempt to go it alone. He will be in for a very rough debut, as Samoa Joe has been a very angry man for the last month or so. Joe will look to steamroll past Mack and send a statement to Bryan Danielson.

Jose Maximo vs. CM Punk
One half of the S.A.T., Jose Maximo will try his hand at singles action as he squares off with the Straight Edge Superstar, CM Punk. Punk will look to continue his winning ways against a man he may be seeing a lot more of down the road once ROH's tag team division gets into full swing.

Prediction List:
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
The Amazing Red vs. Christopher Daniels
Spanky vs. Colt Cabana
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Monsta Mack vs. Samoa Joe
Jose Maximo vs. CM Punk

[tizzyt]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
I sense some Old School trickery here

The Amazing Red vs. Christopher Daniels
Wouldn't make much sense to job out the champion right after winning the title

Spanky vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky will get the best of Colt and his tomfoolery

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
The American Dragon will destroy Guido

Monsta Mack vs. Samoa Joe
JOE'S GONNA KILL YOU!

Jose Maximo vs. CM Punk
I don't see Punk losing any steam yet, maybe an appearance by "Crazy" Ace Steel?

[TheBrockLock]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
Just becuase Steve is a monster

The Amazing Red vs. Christopher Daniels
Title or non title Daniels destroyes Red
Spanky vs. Colt Cabana
Colt's new, he could use a win.

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
He is the father of ROH, he is not gonna lose here.

Monsta Mack vs. Samoa Joe
I would says Joes gonna kill you but Tizzyt beat me too it, that sneaky SOB

Jose Maximo vs. CM Punk
Punk has the newer hotter tag team right now.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Boston Massacre


March 29th, 2002


From the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts


Attendance: 141


The DVD opened in the locker room of Christopher Daniels. Daniels was relaxing on a comfortable-looking couch, the Ring of Honor championship to his left and the lovely Gail Kim to his right. He smiled into the camera before speaking.

“Hello, Ring of Honor fans, and welcome to the DVD release of Boston Massacre. Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Christopher Daniels, and I am the Ring of Honor champion. That means that I, along with Gail, call the shots around here. Many challengers will try and knock me from my perch, but one by one they will discover the same thing that Low Ki did: The Fallen Angel is the best wrestler of this generation, and I will stop at nothing to prove it.
“It begins tonight, with The Amazing Red. I’m sure Red has been psyching himself up for this match, thinking that he’ll score the biggest victory of his life, and earn a shot at the ROH title in the process. Well, just because this is a non-title match, do not make the mistake of thinking that Christopher Daniels isn’t prepared. In case you haven’t noticed, I am currently undefeated in Ring of Honor, and I do not plan to taste defeat anytime soon. So Red, take your best shot. Who knows, maybe you can manage to catch lightning in a bottle. But I seriously doubt it. All that high-flying, death-defying aerial stuff that you do won’t mean a thing when you step into the ring with me. I am the elite, I am the best of the best, and no one in ROH is man enough to stop me. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”


Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

CM Punk was once again with James Hill at commentary, and it seems that he will be filling Steve Corino’s shoes as the permanent color commentator—when he’s not wrestling himself, at least.

Both of these athletes are tremendous mat wrestlers, and they put on a good display of holds and counter-holds that any fan of scientific wrestling would surely appreciate. The more experienced Maritato more than held his own on the mat with the younger Danielson. The fans were clearly behind Danielson, but Maritato earned some support as well with his performance.

After a nice back-and-forth exchange, Maritato floored Danielson with a Sicilian Slice that got a near-fall. The former ECW tag champion climbed to the top rope and tried a flying variation of the maneuver, but Danielson caught him in mid-flight with a European uppercut to the jaw. The American Dragon wasted no time in locking on the Cattle Mutilation and scoring the submission victory.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 15:51 with the Cattle Mutilation


As Bryan Danielson made his way back towards the locker rooms, Samoa Joe came to the ring prematurely for the next match. They met in the aisle, and stopped to stare each other down. Joe was very vocal, and while the cameras couldn’t make out his words, it was clear from his movements and hand gestures that he was referencing the end of their match at Crowning a Champion, where Joe had Danielson locked in the rear naked choke as the time limit expired. Danielson didn’t back down, and his body language seemed to suggest that he would be more than willing to fight Joe once again. After a tense stare-down, Joe finally moved on, but not before bumping The American Dragon none-too-gently with his shoulder.


Monsta Mack vs. Samoa Joe

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Monsta Mack may be a match for Samoa Joe in terms of size, but Joe demonstrated from the opening bell that they are worlds apart in every other definable category. The Samoan Submission Machine manhandled Mack for the entirety of the match, pummeling him with hard strikes, stretching him with submissions, and even lifting the big man in the air for some power moves. After dropping Mack on the back of his head with a huge powerbomb, Joe mercifully put his victim out of his misery with a Rear Naked Choke.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 09:35 with a Rear Naked Choke


Spanky vs. Colt Cabana

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Colt came to the ring wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses, much to his partner CM Punk’s dismay. Punk got up from his seat and yanked the glasses off, throwing them into the crowd.

Cabana and Spanky seemed to be speaking the same language; both men would seamlessly transition from athletic competition to comedic entertainment without skipping a beat. Spanky pulled off a convincing impression of CM Punk, which the color commentator was less than pleased with. Cabana seemed to take Spanky’s name quite literally, as after knocking him to the mat with a lariat, he actually gave him a few spanks to the butt. Punk put his head down on the announce table, disgusted.

While both Cabana and Spanky may love to entertain, they are still competitors. As the match went on the comedy fell by the wayside as both men went for the win. The match could have gone either way, but Cabana ultimately prevailed with the Colt 45.


Winner: Colt Cabana in 15:26 with the Colt 45


After the match, Colt Cabana motioned for CM Punk to enter the ring. Colt reached into his tights and Punk smiled, believing that his partner was pulling out an object to beat Spanky with. His happiness disappeared when he saw that Colt had actually pulled out a second pair of oversized sunglasses, which he tried to convince Punk to wear. Punk slapped the glasses out of Colt’s hand, and shouted at him to get serious. Punk proceeded to put the boots to the fallen Spanky. After standing to the side and observing the beat-down for a few moments, Colt shrugged his shoulders and joined in, helping his partner beat on Spanky until officials and staff chased them off.


--


“James Hill here at intermission with AJ Styles. AJ, your problems with Steve Corino escalated to another level at Crowning a Champion, when he ambushed you with a steel chair after your match, causing you to bleed profusely. Tonight you get a shot at retribution, as you and Corino will go one on one in the main event. What’s your mindset?”

“What’s my mindset? It’s simple; I’m here to shut Corino up and get him off my back. You know, he keeps saying that I’m some punk kid who doesn’t show respect to people, him especially. But he’s wrong. If somebody deserves my respect, I’ll be happy to give it to them. But Corino, he hasn’t done anything to earn my respect. First he freaks out when I accidentally bump into him during my match at The Era of Honor Begins. Then, after I beat him fair and square at Road to the Title, he taunts me when I lose later in the night. And like you said, at Crowning a Champion, he attacked me from behind with a chair.”

AJ paused and pointed to his forehead, emphasizing his scarred-over flesh. “Tell me, Corino, how does sneaking up on somebody and bashing ‘em in the head with a chair make you a guy that deserves respect? To me, that just makes you a coward. If you want my respect, stop whining about it and earn it in the ring. But if I go out tonight and beat you for the second time in a row, maybe YOU’LL learn to respect ME.”


--


Jose Maximo vs. CM Punk

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg

Colt Cabana filled in for his partner Punk on color commentary during this match.

Jose & his brother Joel may become cornerstones of ROH’s tag division once it gets going, but neither of them have much experience as singles wrestlers. Punk used this fact to his advantage, keeping the pressure on Jose for the duration and never allowing him the breaks in action that he would normally get in a tag team match.

Maximo lacks singles experience, but he is still a tremendous young athlete. He was able to hold his own against Punk, and very nearly won the match after an innovative swinging belly to back suplex. Jose tried to press his advantage with a hurracanrana, but Punk shoved him away and scored with a Shining Wizard. Jose managed to kick out, though, and a frustrated Punk scaled the turnbuckles. Jose recovered in time to cut Punk off and shake the ropes, causing him to lose his balance and crotch himself on the buckle. Jose attempted to put Punk away with a one-man version of the SAT’s patented Spanish Fly, but the Straight Edge Superstar fought it off and instead picked up the win for himself after the Pepsi Plunge.


Winner: CM Punk in 13:46 with the Pepsi Plunge


The Amazing Red vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg

As soon as the opening bell rang, Red charged full-speed at Daniels and stunned the ROH champion with a spinning heel kick. Red did not let up, throwing everything he had at The Fallen Angel in an effort to score a quick pin-fall. Daniels was clearly not expecting such an immediate offensive flurry, as he had no answer for Red’s breakneck pace in the early going. The all-out strategy nearly paid dividends, as Red got multiple near-falls early in the match.

The champ was finally able to get into the match when he used a running Red’s own momentum against him with a Blue Thunder bomb. From there, Daniels was able to slow the pace of the match down, as he kept Red grounded for several minutes. But when Daniels tried for his own aerial move, a quebrada moonsault, Red rolled out of the way.

Daniels just barely got his shoulders off of the mat after a Red Star Press, and Red tried to follow up by leaping onto Daniels’ shoulders in a victory roll position. The ROH champion managed to fight him off, and Red wound up hopping off and landing on his feet right in front of his opponent. Daniels saw an opportunity and snatched it, driving Red to the mat with the Last Rites to keep his momentum going.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 18:22 with the Last Rites


AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Steve Corino brought the dented and blood-splattered steel chair from Crowning a Champion with him, and used it to taunt AJ Styles as they stood in center-ring prior to the match. AJ simply glared at him in response.

This was a much more physical and intense match-up then the first bout between these two. The athletic talents of AJ Styles and the ring smarts of Steve Corino were still on display, but there were plenty of punches thrown as well.

Corino attempted a piledriver, but Styles showed his ring awareness by back bodydropping The King of Old School over the top rope and onto the floor. AJ pounced, executing a picture-perfect somersault plancha to the floor. On his way down, however, Styles landed on his left knee awkwardly.

Styles’ mishap did not go unnoticed by Corino. Being the savvy veteran that he is, Corino adjusted his game plan, focusing on the left knee from that point forward. He went after the weakened knee with everything from spinning toeholds, to single-leg Boston crabs, to figure 4 leglocks. But Styles showed tremendous tenacity, refusing to quit no matter how much damage his rival inflicted on his knee.

Corino kept to his strategy, but Styles fought on. When Corino ran off the ropes, AJ managed to catch him with a discus lariat that caused him to flip over and land on his stomach. Ignoring his pain, Styles went on a roll, trying to win the match while he had an opening. In particular, a Tornado DDT and a frog splash nearly finished the match off. Corino hung around, though, and AJ’s injured knee eventually caught up to him. When he lifted Corino into the air for a brainbuster attempt, his knee buckled under the weight. Styles struggled back to his feet, only for Corino to take his wheels out with a chop block to the knee. After a couple of kicks to the knee for good measure, Corino put a game Styles away with the Old School Expulsion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 25:23 with the Old School Expulsion


Alexis Laree helped AJ Styles stagger to his feet. They prepared to exit the ring, when Steve Corino smashed the dented steel chair into AJ’s injured knee. Alexis tried to protect her fallen friend, but Corino pie-faced her down. After kicking the protesting referee in the gut and chucking him over the top rope, Corino once again brought the chair down on Styles’ knee. Corino was merciless, slamming the chair into the knee several more times before finally relenting. AJ screamed and writhed in agony, while Corino shouted down at him, “Do you respect me yet?!” The Amazing Red sprinted out to the ring, with a group of staff and medical personnel following close behind. Corino slunk out of the ring before they arrived, taking the chair with him. Red, Alexis Laree and the others attended to the injured Styles as the live show ended.


--


Ricky Steamboat was irate. He marched with purpose towards the locker room of Steve Corino, not even bothering to knock on the door. Corino turned around at the sound, a casual look on his face.

“Well, if it isn’t “The Dragon” himself. What can I do for you, old man?”

Steamboat stared at Corino, disbelief on his face. “Are you serious? Do you really not know why I’m here?” he spat out.

“Enlighten me.”

“You assaulted a defenseless man with a steel chair!”

Corino shrugged. “Oh, that? I just had to teach a punk kid a little lesson in respect. No big deal. Hopefully he got the message this time, because—“

“Enough!” Steamboat shouted. “I created Ring of Honor because I was sick and tired of cowards taking the easy way out, and not acting like men! This is supposed to be a place where the greatest wrestlers in the world come together and put on great matches, and carry themselves with pride and dignity! There is no place in ROH for the kind of stunt that you pulled out there tonight!”

“And what’re you gonna do about it, Steamboat? It’s no secret that I’m the biggest star you’ve got. Whether they love me or they hate me, people pay to see me up close and in person. Face it; you need me.”

Steamboat shook his head. “You’re a great wrestler; I won’t deny it. That's why I tried to allow you and AJ to settle your problems in the ring. But I cannot allow an act like this to go unpunished. Consider yourself suspended until further notice.”

The look of indifference that had been on Corino’s face vanished, replaced by shock and outrage. “EXCUSE ME?! You think you’re going to suspend me?! I don’t think so! We have a binding agreement! If you even think about trying to keep me out, I will sue you for everything you’re worth! Don’t push me, Steamboat, I’m warning you!”

Officials had to restrain Corino from going after the ROH founder. He continued to rant and rave until he was led out of the building.


Quick Results:
Bryan Danielson over James Maritato
Samoa Joe over Monsta Mack
Colt Cabana over Spanky
CM Punk over Jose Maximo
Christopher Daniels over The Amazing Red
Steve Corino over AJ Styles

TheBrockLock: 6-0

tizzyt: 5-1

Congrats to TheBrockLock on being the first person to have a perfect show.

[The Final Countdown]

March 29th, 2002
10:38 p.m.

“How did I do? Did I sell the leg enough?”

“It was fine, AJ. You and Steve told the story I was aiming for.”

“Yeah? The fans didn’t seem to go for it.”

I smiled ruefully and shook my head. “They’re picky. But despite that, I still feel that angles are a necessary aspect of our company. If we did nothing but straightforward wrestling matches, things would get bland pretty quickly.”

AJ Styles nodded his head in agreement. “Yup, I think so too. Hopefully our fans will realize that pretty soon. So anyway, have you figured out when I’ll be coming back?”

I shook my head. “I have a vague idea, but I’m not 100% certain yet. It definitely won’t be on the next show, though. It’s just like they say; the middle part of a story is the hardest to tell. I know how I want things to end with you and Steve; it’s just a matter of figuring out how we’re going to get there.”

“Well, alright. I guess you can just gimme a call when you’ve got all the details worked out?”

“Sure thing, AJ. Once I’ve got the whole thing finalized, you’ll be the first to know.”

AJ nodded his acceptance before saying his goodbyes, and I sat back in satisfaction. Even with two of our best workers having off nights, I still felt that the show had been a success.

-The normally excellent Bryan Danielson had a bit of an off night, unfortunately. But he and James Maritato still had a nice match full of crisp mat wrestling. I’d like to see what these two could do when Danielson is at the top of his game, so future matches are a definite possibility.

-After firing his partner Dan Maff, I didn’t see much in the future of Monsta Mack. I figured I’d at least give him a shot, and gave him the match with Samoa Joe to give him a chance to impress me. He didn’t. All I asked him to do was sell Joe’s ass-kicking, and he did a rather poor job of it. Just like his partner Maff, Mack is about to become a one-and-done member of ROH.

-Spanky and Colt Cabana had a good match. They both have very goofy characters, so that obviously played into the match, but they did a nice job of transitioning into a more serious match towards the end. Now it’s time for the odds to be evened up in Spanky’s battle with the Saints.

-I don’t think anybody really bought Jose Maximo as a serious threat to beat CM Punk in a singles match, but they had an OK match regardless. I’m looking forward to getting our tag team division established soon, so guys like the Maximos and the Briscoes can become a more important part of our shows.

-Christopher Daniels vs. Red was basically just a filler match to hold Daniels over for this show, but it was a very good match regardless. Despite the loss, I think Red exits the match looking stronger than he did coming into it. That’s the mark of a great champion.

-Steve Corino was really off of his game, sadly. As a result, the main event wasn’t all it could’ve been. It was still very good, but not up to the standard established by their first match. Oh well. Hopefully things will go more smoothly in the latter match(es) of the feud.

After two straight shows that didn’t live up to my own expectations, it was a relief to feel like things had gotten back on the right track. We at least equaled The Era of Honor Begins, and if Corino had brought his usual performance, we would’ve surpassed it.

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: March 2002

-Japanese TV network Nippon TV removed Pro Wrestling NOAH’s show, NOAH Di Colosseo, from their schedule.

-NJPW’s vacant IWGP World Tag Team Championships were claimed by the odd couple of Yuji Nagata and Giant Singh, who defeated Tenzan and Nishimura to win the belts.

-Genichiro Tenryu and Abdullah The Butcher retired from active wrestling.

-AJPW held their annual Champion’s Carnival tournament. “Dr. Death” Steve Williams won, beating Bryan “Wrath” Clark in the finals.

-Jushin “Thunder” Liger and Tiger Mask IV captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag titles from Kanemoto & El Samurai.

-Ric Flair officially retired from active in-ring competition, and was quickly named the new color commentator for RAW, where he works alongside Jim Ross.

-The WWF presented Wrestlemania 18 on Sunday, March 31st. There were a whopping 7 title matches, including Chris Jericho retaining the Undisputed Championship over Kurt Angle in the main event of the evening. The…bizarre tag team of Chris Benoit and Goldust won the vacant Tag Team championships.

[critical-23]

-Genichiro Tenryu and Abdullah The Butcher retired from active wrestling.
-Ric Flair officially retired from active in-ring competition, and was quickly named the new color commentator for RAW, where he works alongside Jim Ross.

In the real world these retirements would last for like a few months, lol.

[tizzyt]

In the real world these retirements would last for like a few months, lol.

weeks maybe for Abby... that cat is like Terry Funk, always retiring

[Ping von Erich]

That's one thing I'd love to see added to TEW, the ability for people to unretire. It happens so often in the real world both in Japan and the US (add to the four mentioned above Mick Foley) it makes sense to make it a function of the game.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

For years, Missouri was a wrestling hotbed. St. Louis was one of the hottest territories of the National Wrestling Alliance, and was the site of countless showdowns for the NWA World championship. Legends like Ric Flair, Harley Race and Lou Thesz all competed in the region.

Now, Missouri will experience the next generation of wrestling legends—the rising stars of Ring of Honor. ROH will make its Midwest debut on Friday, April 12th, with Epic Encounter.

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
After his broken wrist kept him out of Boston Massacre, Low Ki will be back in action at Epic Encounter, as he tries to redeem himself against the man who capitalized on his injury in the finals of the ROH title tournament, Christopher Daniels. But is Low Ki fully healed, or is his pride causing him to return to the ring prematurely?

Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe have their own issues, dating back to Danielson’s out-of-nowhere victory over Joe in the quarter-finals of the ROH title tournament. Joe felt the victory was a fluke, and attacked Danielson after the match. A rematch and subsequent 30-minute time limit draw did nothing to settle the bad blood. Both men will be gunning for each other in this tag match.

But how will the two teams coexist? Low Ki and Danielson may have shaken hands after their semi-final tournament match, but Danielson could possibly have some lingering resentment over the loss. And after Samoa Joe settles his issues with Danielson, one would think winning the ROH title would be right at the top of his list. Will he be able to work cohesively with the man who holds what he desires?

Spanky & ??? vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk & Colt Cabana)
Spanky has had his problems with both members of the Saints, and they’ve used their strength in numbers to punish him over the last two shows. Now, ROH officials will give him a chance to even up the odds. But who will Spanky choose to team with him? Or, perhaps more to the point, is anyone in ROH peculiar enough to actually agree to be his partner?

Homicide vs. Christian York
Christian York, along with frequent tag team partner Joey Matthews, will try to reign supreme in the ROH tag team division, but York will make his debut in singles competition. He will have his hands full with The Notorious 187 Homicide, who is quickly establishing himself as a rising star to watch in ROH.

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
The debuting Kazarian has no shortage of confidence—in the past, he has referred to himself as ‘The Future.’ Nothing less than immediate success will satisfy this brash young star who has cut his teeth on the California independent scene. Jack Evans will look to spoil the debut with his amazing agility.

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Mamaluke and Maritato are very familiar with one another—they are frequent tag partners, and they even held the ECW World Tag Team Championships. But each man has an 0-2 record thus far in ROH, and is anxious to turn things around. They have agreed to try and take out their mutual frustrations against one another. One of them will manage to break their winless streak, but how will the loser react?

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal
The Amazing Red came tantalizingly close to defeating ROH champion Christopher Daniels at Boston Massacre. He was not successful, but his tremendous effort proved that he could be an upper echelon member of the ROH roster. Red will look to follow up his tough defeat with a victory over Matt Sydal. Sydal, a local St. Louis-area wrestler, has only been wrestling professionally since 2000, but his impressive agility already has some independent wrestling followers noting him as someone to watch in the future.

Prediction List:
Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints
Homicide vs. Christian York
Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal

[The Final Countdown]

That's one thing I'd love to see added to TEW, the ability for people to unretire. It happens so often in the real world both in Japan and the US (add to the four mentioned above Mick Foley) it makes sense to make it a function of the game.
Just for the heck of it, I may go into the editor a few months down the road and un-retire Funk and Abby, just to see what happens.

[tizzyt]

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe

Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints
I don't wanna give a prediction on the match, though I will... but my guess for the mystery partner is Paul London, of course.. and what a fantastic match that would be.... I'm salivating at the thought of it

Homicide vs. Christian York

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal

[ScottMulhern]

Hi, I'm really enjoying the Dynasty, thought I'd wade in with some predictions.

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
I'm going for Low Ki and Danielson here, Low Ki'll get the win on The Fallen Angel
.
Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints
Spanky win get his win back to keep the feud going. I'd love to see Paul London in as his partner.

Homicide vs. Christian York
Homicide's a bad ass.

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
Not really a Kaz fan in real life, but it's his debut so I think he'll get the win here.

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Difficult one, I tossed a coin.

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal
Red gets the win despite a good showing from Sydal.

Keep up the good work.

[TribeWarpath]

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
Joe steals pin following blind tag with Daniels. Joe lets Daniels know he's coming for him next.

Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints
My prediction is also London as mystery partner as it seems the most logical.

Homicide vs. Christian York
I wonder if York has ever been a cop?

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
Kaz to impress

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Mamaluke should have no chance.

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal
Sydal to give Red a run for his money, but come up just a bit short.

[darthsiddus2]

Prediction List:
Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe

Match could go either way but with the added bonus of The Church Daniels and Joe will win

Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints

again this match could go either way but I'm leaning towards the Second City Saints although this should be a 5* quality matchup

Homicide vs. Christian York

Sorry but Homicide is the obvious winner...... making York the jobber hhehe

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
I don't know why but I see Kaz winning here

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato- Draw........ monster swerve anyone? hahaha

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal
Red may be the new Rey Mysterio but his injuries prevent his full potential so I'm going with Matt Sydal

[ya_its_me]

Prediction List
-----------------

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson v Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
- Random pick, could go anyway like what siddus said.
Spanky & ??? v Second City Saints
-Big debut from someone, don't know who.
Homicide v Christian York
- Can't go wrong with the Notorious 187.
Jack Evans v Kazarian
- Random pick.
Tony Mamaluke v James Maritato
- Random pick.
The Amazing Red v Matt Sydal
- ROH is about to go AirBourne. :D

[critical-23]

Low Ki & Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe
Ki and Danielson would be more of cohesive unit because Danielson has more honor (so far in this diary anyways). Daniels would probably walk out on Samoa Joe.

Spanky & ??? vs. Second City Saints
SCS are the more established team, as this is 2002. Although, with the all-mighty Editor of Life, you could probably change certain aspects of the game.

Homicide vs. Christian York
Between York and Matthews, JM is the workhorse of the team. Too bad that York has to face 'Cide who is on a roll.

Jack Evans vs. Kazarian
The Future is now!!! Sorry, but yeah I'll give Suicide before the injur--err, Frankie Kazarian the duke.

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Way back in the real 2002, Mamaluke defeated Maritato and I thought that was a bunch of BS. Maritato would wack 'im and make it look like an accident!!

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal
Hopefully, in your world, Red can stay healthy enough to reach his full potential. Sydal's is still in the early stages of his career. Either way, the match will be a great one.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Epic Encounter


April 12th, 2002


From the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri


Attendance: 127


“Hello fans, this is James Hill welcoming you to the DVD release of ROH’s debut show in the Midwest, Epic Encounter. I am with Low Ki and Bryan Danielson, who will team up in tonight’s main event, where they will take on Samoa Joe and the ROH champion, Christopher Daniels. Low Ki, it’s common knowledge that you suffered a broken wrist about a month ago. We all saw what happened when you attempted to fight through the injury at Crowning a Champion. In retrospect, do you regret that decision?

Low Ki held his arm up to the camera to emphasize the injured wrist. “It is always hard for a warrior to back down from a battle, whether he is completely healthy or not. As a result, I refused the postponement offered to me by ROH, and entered the title match at less than my full capacity. Some people, Christopher Daniels included, felt that I was foolish to do so. But even though I may have lost the match, I do not regret my decision. If I had allowed the match to be postponed, I would have regretted it. Even if it had led to me becoming the first ROH champion, it would have been a hollow victory for me. I would rather do battle and lose than win after a retreat.”

“And what about tonight? Has your wrist fully recovered, or could you be rushing back into action earlier than you should be?”

“I am ready to go to war. Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe will not step into the ring with a wounded man; they will step into the ring with Low Ki at his best.”

“But will you be able to work together with Bryan Danielson? You two have had two fierce battles so far in ROH; first, in the triple threat match at The Era of Honor Begins, and second, in the semi-finals of the ROH title tournament. Will you be able to put those past encounters behind you?”

Bryan Danielson stepped forward to respond to this question. “James, the answer is yes. Low Ki and I have gone toe to toe in the past, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we do again in the future. But we both have a mutual respect for each other. If you remember, when Christopher Daniels cheap-shot Low Ki after the three-way at Era of Honor Begins, I came to Ki’s aid. And after he got the better of me in the tournament, I had no problem shaking Low Ki’s hand. I have a lot of respect for Low Ki, and I’ll have no problem teaming with him tonight. The question you should be asking is this: how will Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels coexist? Daniels will stop at nothing to achieve his own goals, and who says Joe won’t turn on Daniels if he thinks it could help him get an ROH title shot?”

“Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, all you need to do is be…ready…

--

After the Second City Saints made their way to the ring for the opening match, Spanky was introduced. He walked out to the ring alone, microphone in hand.

“So, I bet everybody here’s just dying to know who the Spankmeister chose as his partner. Well, against opponents like this, I knew I needed to find someone I could trust. Someone who knows me like the back of my hand. Someone who would know what I was thinking without me having to say a word. And boy, did I ever find him! Gals and Pals, give it up for the one, the only… Bushwhacker Butch!”

http://media.photobucket.com/image/Bushwhacker%20Butch/altreel/Wrestlers/Bushwhacker_Butch.jpg

Butch Bushwhacker-stomped his way down the aisle and entered the ring. He did the familiar stomp around the ring, and Spanky joined in. As they passed the Saints’ corner, Colt Cabana joined in the march. CM Punk’s jaw dropped open as he watched the spectacle in disbelief. After another loop around the ring, they wound up back near Punk's corner. Punk put an end to the silliness with a Shining Wizard to the head of Butch. He rolled the fallen Bushwhacker to the floor with his foot, and Spanky retreated to a vacant corner.

“Well, shoot! I bet you’re feeling real proud of yourself, Punky! Good thing I brought a backup. Paul London, come on down!” Spanky said in his best Bob Barker impression.


Spanky and Paul London vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg

Spanky went outside the ROH roster and brought in London, a fellow Shawn Michaels protégé. It appeared to be a good decision, as they exhibited very good teamwork. Their similar fast-paced wrestling styles complemented each other very well, and they pulled off some impressive double-team moves.

The Saints were not to be outdone, though. They did a good job of making frequent tags so the man in the ring was fresh. Whenever London & Spanky would start to build some momentum with their speed, the Saints would manage to tag out and get the weary man out.

Despite their differing styles, these two teams are quite evenly matched, and neither team ever looked particularly dominant. Towards the end, Cabana caught London in mid-air during a moonsault attempt, and turned it into a shoulderbreaker. He tried to follow that up with his patented Colt 45, but London broke the grip and countered with an armdrag. He made the tag out to Spanky, who stunned Colt with a superkick and dropped him with the Sliced Bread #2. London cut Punk off, preventing him from making the save, and Spanky finally got a measure of revenge on the Second City Saints by scoring the pinfall.


Winners: Spanky and Paul London in 15:36 with a Sliced Bread #2 by Spanky on Colt Cabana


Jack Evans vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

The debuting Kazarian had no shortage of confidence, taunting the young high-flyer Evans before the match began. But along with that confidence is great wrestling ability, as Kazarian proved during the match. Rather than doing his best to win the match, though, Kazarian seemed to be more interested in showcasing himself and his talents. He would hit Evans with a nice move that most other wrestlers would follow with a pinfall attempt, but Kazarian would choose to show off instead.

The fans disliked Kazarian’s ****y attitude, and rooted for Evans. Jack gave an admirable effort, and pulled off some impressive aerial maneuvers that temporarily derailed Kazarian. In the end, though, the newcomer picked up the win in his debut with the Wave of the Future.


Winner: Kazarian in 10:11 with the Wave of the Future


Homicide vs. Christian York

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristianYork.jpg

Tag team specialist Christian York attacked Homicide before the opening bell, hoping to get the jump on his foe. He managed to get the early edge, but The Notorious 187 turned things around by blocking a lariat and dropping York with an Ace Crusher. Homicide took control of the match from there, frustrating York with a mixture of technical wrestling and brawling tactics. York would manage to pull off brief offensive flurries, but each one was short-lived. After narrowly reaching the ropes to break Homicide’s STF, a worn-down Christian York fell victim to a hard-hitting lariat.


Winner: Homicide in 13:03 with a lariat

--

Intermission opened backstage, where Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, and Gail Kim were all standing in the hallway outside a locker room.

“Low Ki, your continued foolishness amuses me to no end,” Daniels said. “Not only did your pride make it easier for me to become the ROH champion, now it’s causing you to rush back prematurely in some misguided attempt at redemption. You may claim that you’re 100%, but I don’t buy it. For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. Because if you’re not, I will go after that wrist again, and put you back on the shelf—permanently.
“And I know what some people are saying—there’s no way Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe can possibly work together. But we will prove you wrong. Because Samoa Joe knows that I hold the powerhere in ROH, and if he cooperates with me tonight, I will be more than happy to grant him an ROH title shot.”

As Daniels finished talking, Samoa Joe’s face turned stony. He reached out and grabbed the champ by the shoulder, roughly turning him so they were face to face. The big man glared at Daniels before speaking.

“You will grant me? No, Christopher Daniels, you will not grant Samoa Joe anything. If I want something, I don’t sit back and wait for it. I take it. I want that ROH title that you’ve got that little skank holding right now. And rest assured, Chris, that when the time is right, I will take it. Right now, my focus is on proving that Bryan Danielson’s victory over me was a fluke. And if you stay out of my way and let me take care of that tonight, maybe I’ll let you walk out of there in one piece. But if you get in my way, I will not hesitate to give you a small taste of what’s in store for you if you’ve still got that ROH title when I come looking for it. And that…” Joe sneered, “is the gospel…according to the Samoan Submission Machine.”

--

The Amazing Red vs. Matt Sydal (w/Daizee Haze)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg

The relatively unknown Matt Sydal may be green, but he has the athletic talent to make a serious impact in the wrestling business. He was able to match Red’s lightning-quick offense step for step, something very few wrestlers in the world are capable of. In addition, Red seemed a step off of his game, as the timing of some of his moves was a bit off. Sydal used that against him, and came close to scoring the upset on more than one occasion. A breathtaking standing moonsault by Sydal brought the crowd to its feet in appreciation, but Red managed to kick out. Sydal gave a great effort, but the Code Red finished off a short, but incredibly action-packed, matchup.


Winner: The Amazing Red in 07:03 with the Code Red


Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

These two frequent tag partners shook hands before the match began, signifying that this was not about hatred or hostility, but rather mutual frustration and the desire to put together some positive momentum. The more experienced Maritato took control of the match early, controlling Mamaluke on the mat with his grappling skills. Mamaluke is no slouch when it comes to chain wrestling, though, and before long he was matching his partner hold for hold.

Both men are well versed in submission wrestling, and the bulk of the match reflected that. A good chunk of the match was spent on the mat, as both men applied various holds in an attempt to force a submission. As the match passed the 15-minute mark, however, the intensity kicked up a notch as Maritato slugged his partner in the face with a solid right hand. This set off a brief slugfest, each man trying to outlast the other and break his winless streak.

Maritato got the better of the mini-brawl, and seemed to be on the verge of finishing his partner off. He lifted Mamaluke up for a brainbuster or vertical suplex, but Mamaluke shifted his weight and landed on his feet behind his partner. From there, Mamaluke locked his stunned partner in the Sicilian Stretch and got a submission in what many would consider a bit of an upset.

After the match, Mamaluke helped his partner to his feet, and offered him a handshake. Maritato was visibly frustrated at the close loss, but accepted his partner’s handshake,


Winner: Tony Mamaluke in 20:26 with the Sicilian Stretch


Low Ki and Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Gail Kim) and Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Before the match began, Low Ki and Bryan Danielson talked strategy in the corner. Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe, on the other hand, did no strategizing whatsoever. The tense atmosphere from their earlier backstage vignette carried over, both prior to and during the match.

Danielson and Joe started the match off, and picked up right where they left off at Crowning a Champion. They exchanged wrestling holds to start with, but Joe ended that in a hurry with a devastating headbutt. He took advantage of a reeling Danielson, pummeling him with a barrage of strikes before switching to submission holds, trying to force the American Dragon to tap out.

After countering a rear naked choke attempt with a standing switch, Danielson ended Joe’s dominance with a belly to back suplex, and wisely made the tag to Low Ki. Joe got up to his feet and was ready to trade blows with him, but Christopher Daniels tagged himself in from the apron, much to Joe’s displeasure. The Fallen Angel immediately went for Low Ki’s wrist, determined to find out for himself if Low Ki had truly recovered. Low Ki answered the question emphatically, using the arm freely and showing no traces of discomfort as he battered the ROH champion.

Low Ki and Danielson were true to their words from earlier, as they worked together as a cohesive unit throughout the match. Conversely, Daniels and Joe were constantly at odds. They tagged out far less frequently then Danielson and Low Ki, as they each tried to win the match almost single-handedly. This led to more than once instance of a winded Daniels or Joe being dominated by a fresh opponent. Even when they made tags, it was clear from their body language that they wanted nothing to do with each other.

Low Ki had Daniels in an octopus stretch, and Joe came in to grudgingly break it up. He did so, but was then knocked through the ropes by Bryan Danielson, who tackled the big man after a running start. The momentum caused Danielson to fall out of the ring as well. Rather than returning to their corners after they recovered, the two rivals started battling on the floor, neither man giving an inch as they engaged in an intense showdown.

This left Low Ki and Christopher Daniels alone in the ring. Daniels had by this point accepted that Low Ki’s wrist was fine, and modified his strategy accordingly. After knocking Daniels down with a stiff kick to the head, Low Ki went to the top rope, but Daniels recovered in time to cut him off with a palm strike and bring him back down to the canvas with a cross-arm Iconoclasm. The champ tried to follow this up with a double-jump moonsault, but Low Ki rolled out of the way. A fired-up Ki took advantage of the miss, finishing Daniels off with the Ki Krusher ’99 and handing the ROH champion his first loss in the promotion’s brief history.


Winners: Low Ki and Bryan Danielson in 31:14 with a Ki Krusher ’99 by Low Ki on Christopher Daniels


Quick Results:
Spanky and Paul London over CM Punk and Colt Cabana
Kazarian over Jack Evans
Homicide over Christian York
The Amazing Red over Matt Sydal
Tony Mamaluke over James Maritato
Low Ki and Bryan Danielson over Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe

ScottMulhern: 6-0

ya_its_me_: 4-2
critical-23: 4-2

TribeWarpath: 3-3

tizyt: 2-4
darthsiddus2: 2-4

Congrats to the new kid on the block, ScottMulhern, for becoming the 2nd person to record a perfect score!

[darthsiddus2]

and that's why I don't do predictions hahaha

[The Final Countdown]

April 12th, 2002
10:32 p.m.



“You looked good out there, Ki. No lingering pain in the wrist, I hope?”

Low Ki shook his head in response to my question. “Nope; I feel great. Good as new. I still say I could’ve worked at Boston Massacre.”

“I know, I know. But I didn’t see any need to rush you back out there.”

“Well, since I proved that I’m good to go, we can move forward with my program with Daniels, right?”

“Yes, of course. I put this tag match together primarily so I could be sure you were physically ready to work a singles match. Now that you’ve passed the test, we can set up that rematch you both have been anxious for.”

“Good. I know Chris and I will make up for our first match.”

“I have no doubt.”

Our conversation finished, Low Ki headed off, and I paused to reflect on the show we’d just completed.

-The pre-show saw a bit of history, as we had the first women’s match in ROH history. Gail Kim went over Daizee Haze in a match that the crowd did not react well to. I don’t regret booking the match, though. I think both ladies have the potential to develop into solid female wrestlers, but that can only happen if they get the chance to work. I don’t plan on introducing a legit women’s division any time soon, but I will probably give the ladies more pre-show matches in the future.

-The opening match between London & Spanky and the Second City Saints was OK, but a bit of a disappointment. I figured it’d at least live up to, if not surpass, the singles matches Spanky’s been having with the Saints, but that didn’t happen. This was mainly due to the performance of Spanky, who was really off his game.

-Kazarian’s debut match against Jack Evans was a real let-down. I’m not really sure what went wrong here. Maybe Kaz isn’t quite as good as I’d thought. I was originally planning to put him into a major storyline starting on the next show, but I decided to hold off on any future plans for Kazarian until he turns in a better performance than he did tonight.

-Homicide and Christian York was fine for what it was. Homicide got another win and kept his momentum going, while York got a little face time before he and Joey Matthews had their first tag match. This was actually a bit better than the tag match that opened the show, and was even on par with the main event, which I certainly did not see coming.

-Matt Sydal is pretty much unknown to anyone who doesn’t live in the St. Louis area. I do happen to be an STL resident, and I’ve been pretty impressed with his development. I think he has a bright future, and I hope to slowly but steadily elevate him. It’s important to let the fans get to know him a bit before giving him any kind of significant push, though. He and Red had an OK match, but Red was a bit off. I don’t know if he was just coasting through or what, but it wasn’t anywhere near the kind of effort that he’s capable of.

-Tony Mamaluke’s upset over James Maritato was supposed to be the beginning of a program between the two partners. But unfortunately, they aren’t nearly as good wrestling against each other. They make a good team, but there was just no chemistry to speak of with them on opposite sides of the ring. Thankfully, the begrudging post-match handshake that was supposed to plant the seeds for a rivalry can instead be used to get them back on the same page, and move forward with them as a tag team.

-The main event tag match was decent, though not the kind of quality I’d expected from 4 guys of that caliber. Most importantly, Low Ki proved to me that he’s ready to resume his program with Daniels. We also continued the Danielson/Joe feud, and even established some tension between Joe and Daniels that we can turn into a future program if we choose. The match may not have been top-notch, but it got the job done.

There was nothing spectacular about this show, but there wasn’t anything that bombed either. It served its purpose in furthering some of our main feuds, and it wasn’t a bad debut show in the Midwest.

[The Final Countdown]

Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Mamaluke should have no chance.



Tony Mamaluke vs. James Maritato
Way back in the real 2002, Mamaluke defeated Maritato and I thought that was a bunch of BS. Maritato would wack 'im and make it look like an accident!!

I agree; I'm definitely more of a Maritato fan. If this had been intended as a one-off match, he'd have won for sure. But, as I said in the wrap-up, this was supposed to be the start of a feud between the two, which would have ultimately been won by Maritato. But Awful chemistry scrapped that, sadly.:(

and that's why I don't do predictions hahaha
Well, don't feel too bad. Both tag matches could have been considered toss-ups, and Mamaluke over Maritato was an upset. I'm much more surprised that someone managed a 6-0 than I am that two people went 2-4. If you don't want to do predictions, though, that's cool. But an occasional comment would still be much appreciated.:)

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


BREAKING NEWS:


After Steve Corino's vicious post-match assault of AJ Styles at Boston Massacre, Ring of Honor president Ricky Steamboat confronted Corino and informed him that his actions would result in a suspension. A furious Corino responded with threats of legal action against ROH. Corino was not offered a booking on the next ROH show, Epic Encounter, as the members of the ROH front office tried to determine the best way to proceed.

ROHwrestling.com can report that a compromise has been agreed upon by both parties. The ban on Corino has been lifted, and he will return to active competition at ROH's next show, Manhattan Mayhem, on April 26th. In exchange, Corino has paid a fine for an undisclosed amount, and has agreed not to pursue any legal action against ROH for breach of contract.

Mr. Steamboat is said to be very reluctant to allow Corino to return, but the other members of the ROH front office apparently convinced him that this was the best solution.


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/13.jpg
The controversial Steve Corino will return to action at Manhattan Mayhem.

[ya_its_me]

I'm smellin' something big here storyline-wise, don't know how the whole thing will go down but I think it's going to be epic. Go get that next card up!

[critical-23]

I'm smellin' something big here storyline-wise, don't know how the whole thing will go down but I think it's going to be epic. Go get that next card up!

I agree there. Get it up or I'll make sure Ki has another "accident"!!

[The Final Countdown]

I agree there. Get it up or I'll make sure Ki has another "accident"!!

Uh oh--that would not be good. :eek:

I'm actually just about to run the show in-game. So I'll get the preview up either tonight or tomorrow.

[Macca316]

have to salute you on a simply epic ROH diary grats for making a hyper enjoyable diary.... cant wait for the next results

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg



Ring of Honor's recent debuts in New England and the Midwest were successful by all accounts. Now, ROH returns to the Big Apple with Manhattan Mayhem, on Friday, April 26th.

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
What will it take to settle the issue between the Samoan Submission Machine and the American Dragon? Evidently a half hour won't do it, as nothing was settled in the 30-minute time limit draw back at Crowning a Champion. They will be competing in the final match of the evening this time around, which means they'll have a one hour time limit. Will Samoa Joe reassert his dominance, or can Danielson weather the storm yet again?

The Amazing Red vs. Steve Corino
As soon as Red heard about Corino's impending return, he was on the phone with the ROH office demanding the first crack at the King of Old School. Red and AJ Styles have developed a mutual respect for each other, and Red was enraged by Corino's assault with the chair at Boston Massacre. Red will look to avenge his injured friend, while the brash Corino would certainly revel in putting Red on the disabled list right alongside Styles.

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)
ROH has officially announced the creation of the ROH Tag Team championships, which will be decided in the near future. Over the next several shows, there will be a total of three qualifying matches, with the winning team from each match advancing on to a triple threat match. Whichever team wins the triple threat will become the first-ever ROH Tag Team champions.

Maritato and Mamaluke engaged in a singles match against each other at the last show, but a post-match handshake seemed to solidify them as a unit going forward. They are arguably the most decorated tag team in ROH, as they are former holders of the now-defunct ECW Tag Team championships. The Saints, meanwhile, are still smarting from their loss at the hands of Spanky & Paul London. It was a tough loss, but a victory here would do wonders for their momentum.

Paul London vs. Christopher Daniels
London's ROH debut was a rousing success, as he and Spanky were victorious against the Second City Saints. Now, London will make his singles debut, but he'll have his back against the wall. Christopher Daniels is furious; first, Low Ki pinned him in tag team action at Epic Encounter. handing the champ his first loss in ROH. Then, as a result of that victory, Low Ki was named the #1 Contender to the ROH championship. Daniels will look to take out his frustrations on the newcomer London in this non-title contest.

Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe
Low Ki proved that he is 100% recovered physically, pinning Daniels and earning another chance at the ROH title. His title shot is rapidly approaching, but he had better not look past Mark Briscoe. Mark may wrestle primarily as a tag team with his older brother Jay, but he would love to make a statement by scoring the biggest victory of his young career.

Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries
One of the chief goals of ROH is to showcase the next generation of wrestling superstars. In that vein, ROH has scoured independent promotions the world over in search of hot young talent. Austin Aries is just such a wrestler; he's only been competing since late 2000, but he has already shown incredible promise. The Milwaukee native will look to impress in his debut, but Joel Maximo could prove to be too tough a challenge for the newcomer.

Prediction List:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
The Amazing Red vs. Steve Corino
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. Second City Saints
Paul London vs. Christopher Daniels
Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe
Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries

[Macca316]

Prediction List:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
The Amazing Red vs. Steve Corino
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. Second City Saints
Paul London vs.Christopher Daniels
Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe
Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries

My first time making predictions on your fine diary be gentle with me :)

[TribeWarpath]

Prediction List:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Draw as the time limit is reached again

The Amazing Red vs. Steve Corino
Corino to lay out Red causing Styles to make a save just a bit too late

James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. Second City Saints
F.B.I. wins causing a rift between Punk & Cabana

Paul London vs. Christopher Daniels
London should do well, but still not enough

Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe
#1 Challenger to Daniels needs to win

Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries
Aries takes it

[Macca316]

Prediction List:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Draw as the time limit is reached again


Now why didn't i think of that..... its most likely whats gonna happen. maybe build up to an iron man match.... draw 5 min overtime that right there is indie wrestling gold

[The Final Countdown]

Now why didn't i think of that..... its most likely whats gonna happen. maybe build up to an iron man match.... draw 5 min overtime that right there is indie wrestling gold

Not too late to change your pick if you want. I most likely won't be posting the show until Wed or Thur, so feel free to go back and edit your picks anytime you like up until the show is posted.

[critical-23]

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
I'm calling time limit draw unless yo have other plans.

The Amazing Red vs. Steve Corino
As much as I love Red, Corino is an @$$ and beating down Red will be a shot at AJ Styles.

James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. Second City Saints
Although the Maritato/Mamluke combo is more likely to win because of ECW, btu ECW is dead and gone and SCS could be on the rise.

Paul London vs. Christopher Daniels
ROH champion gets a well-earned victory here.

Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe
'Ki destroys Briscoe.

Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries
Joel Maximo is more of a tag team wrestler and you have yet to bring in Roderick Strong so Aries gets the win.

[Macca316]

Not too late to change your pick if you want. I most likely won't be posting the show until Wed or Thur, so feel free to go back and edit your picks anytime you like up until the show is posted.

ahh no dont say that lol your all trying to trick me..... trick me i say

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Manhattan Mayhem


April 26th, 2002


From the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/hammerstein.jpg


Attendance: 988


The DVD opened with a close-up shot of a severely scarred forehead. The camera slowed zoomed out to reveal the face of Steve Corino, sporting a wide grin.

“I’m baaaaaaack. Miss me, Ring of Honor? Of course you did. It only took one show without me for the bigwigs to realize that an ROH without Steve Corino is an ROH absolutely no one is interested in. And after all that big talk from Ricky Steamboat about how there was no place in ROH for that kind of stunt, here I stand. Oh sure, he tried to save face by throwing a small fine at me. But for a star like me, any fine ROH can dish out is chump change. The simple fact is, Ring of Honor caved because they need me. Steamboat can get his panties in a twist about my conduct all he wants to, but he will have to learn to live with it, because the King of Old School puts asses in seats.

“But Steamboat isn’t the only one who seems to have a problem with the lesson I taught to AJ Styles. His little buddy Amazing Red actually challenged me to a match tonight. Red, I don’t know if your brain is all out of whack because of the onset of puberty, or if you’re just out of your mind, but you’re making a huge mistake. Boy, you’re stepping into the ring with a man tonight. Not just a man; a king among men. You may think you’re going to go out there tonight and make your gimpy buddy AJ Styles feel better by beating me, but it’s not going to happen. I sure hope you’re insured, Red, because after tonight, you’re going to need a hospital bed right alongside AJ. Heck, I’ve got money to spare; maybe I’ll reserve the bed for you. Then you and AJ can lay back, eat that crappy hospital food and observe as Steve Corino proves beyond all doubt that he is the franchise player in Ring of Honor.”

--

Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

Fresh off of being named the #1 contender to Christopher Daniels’ ROH title, Low Ki was determined to stay strong heading into his title shot. He was all over Mark Briscoe from the opening bell, punishing him with strikes and stretching him with submissions. Briscoe did his best to fight back, and did catch Low Ki with some flashy moves that temporarily slowed him down. But Mark is not accustomed to singles wrestling, and could not turn back the motivated Low Ki for long. The #1 contender ended Mark’s brief flurry with a devastating buzz-saw kick to the head, and kept his momentum rolling by forcing Briscoe to submit to the Dragon Clutch.


Winner: Low Ki in 10:08 with a Dragon Clutch


Joel Maximo vs. Austin Aries

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

ROH Champion Christopher Daniels showed up unannounced and joined James Hill and CM Punk at the commentator’s table for this match. He would not respond to inquiries about his purpose, but he did seem rather interested in the debuting Aries.

Despite his inexperience, Aries was very impressive in his debut match. He controlled Maximo for the majority of the match, showcasing a nice blend of speed and mat wrestling. Maximo did capitalize on a missed quebrada moonsault and control the match briefly, but when he tried to whip Austin off the ropes, Aries regained control with a crucifix that dropped Joel on his head. One 450 Splash later, Austin Aries made his debut a success.

As Aries celebrated his victory, Christopher Daniels left the commentator’s table and approached him. They left ringside together, locked in conversation the whole way.


Winner: Austin Aries in 09:01 with a 450 Splash


ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke vs. Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg

Maritato and Mamaluke showed no ill effects from their singles match against each other at Epic Encounter. They worked together very well throughout the match, displaying the same teamwork and continuity that helped lead them to the top of the tag team scene in ECW.

The Saints seemed to have regrouped after their loss to Spanky and Paul London. They got off to a great start when Punk scored with an early double under-hook backbreaker on Mamaluke. Punk and Cabana isolated Mamaluke from his corner and worked him over, until he managed to answer with a swinging neckbreaker and subsequently make the tag to James Maritato.

The loss to his partner must have really motivated Maritato, because he was on fire. He took the fight to both members of the Saints, tying them up in a variety of intricate submission holds.

Maritato nearly won the match for his team with the Sicilian Slice on Punk, but the straight edge grappler had the ring awareness to get his foot on the bottom rope. Maritato let his temper get the best of him by arguing with the referee, which allowed a weary Punk to tag in the fresh Colt Cabana. Maritato did not relent, going right after Cabana, but “Classic” slipped out of the Italian’s submission attempts and floored him with a DDT. Colt wisely knocked Tony Mamaluke off of the apron before turning his attention back to Maritato, who he finished off with the Colt 45.


Winners: Second City Saints in 13:44 with a Colt 45 by Colt Cabana on James Maritato

--

“This is James Hill, and it is intermission time here at Manhattan Mayhem. I am in the locker room of ROH champion Christopher Daniels, who suffered his first loss in ROH competition at the last show thanks to Low Ki. As a result, Low Ki has been granted a shot at the ROH title. Chris, you may have defeated Low Ki at Crowning a Champion, but he was far from 100%. With Low Ki back and firing on all cylinders, are you worried that you may lose the title in your very first defense?”

Daniels shared a look with Gail Kim before turning back to Hill. “Yes, Low Ki pinned me at Epic Encounter. But he did so in a tag team match. When Low Ki gets his title shot, there will be no Bryan Danielson there to help him, nor will there be an out-of-shape buffoon like Samoa Joe to weigh me down like some albatross. It will be Low Ki versus Christopher Daniels, one-on-one. Just like at Crowning a Champion. And we all know what happened there, don’t we? The simple truth is, I underestimated Low Ki on the last show. I didn’t believe that he was fully recovered, and it cost me. But I will not make that mistake again. Low Ki, I will be fully prepared for you. And just like at Crowning a Champion, I will prevail, by any means necessary.”

“Moving on to tonight: why did you show up during the match between Austin Aries and Joel Maximo, and what did you and Aries talk about after the match?”

Daniels shook his head, smiling slyly. “That is none of your concern, Jonah. My conversation with young Austin Aries is my business.”

“Well, then how about your in-ring business tonight? You’ll be facing Paul London in a non-title match. Are you fully focused on this match, or are you already looking ahead to your upcoming title defense?”

“I am not a simpleton.; I can multitask. The wheels are already turning for the match with Low Ki, sure, but I am not overlooking Paul London. I’m sure London has some grandiose idea that he’ll make a name for himself at my expense tonight. But it will not happen. Christopher Daniels will not be defeated twice in a row. I will put Paul London in his proper place, and then, by hook or by crook, I will defeat Low Ki and retain my Ring of Honor championship. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”

--

Samoa Joe looked into the camera with a savage glare on his face. “Bryan Danielson, people call you the American Dragon. Some people consider you, pound-for-pound, the greatest wrestler in the world. But the fact is, you are no match for Samoa Joe. I am the biggest badass in ROH. The ROH title tournament was supposed to be my chance to prove it, but that was ruined thanks to your puny ass. We had our rematch, and I was well on my way to proving that it was a fluke. I had you gasping for air, trying merely to survive. If that 30-minute time limit hadn’t expired, I’d have choked you out for the world to see. You may have been saved by the bell last time, but that won’t happen tonight. I have one whole hour to punish you. I’m going to take my time, and after I’m finished with you, there will be no doubt that Samoa Joe is the baddest son of a ***** in pro wrestling.”

--

The Amazing Red (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Red was accompanied to the ring by AJ Styles’ frequent sidekick, Alexis Laree. He showed more fire and intensity than usual, as he tried not just to beat Steve Corino, but also to inflict some punishment on him. Corino was baffled by Red’s frenetic offense at the start, and it seemed like Red might dominate for the duration. After a desperation eye poke, Corino rolled to the floor to try and gather his bearings, but Red would have none of it, following Corino out to the floor with an incredible pescado.

Corino tried to crawl away, but Red attempted to stalk his prey. The cagey Corino had a trick up his sleeve, however. While still on his back, he moved into a strategic position, and grabbed Red by the pants. He yanked, and Red’s skull collided with the ring post with a sickening thud.

After rolling the dazed Red back into the ring, Corino continued his assault. The King of Old School was merciless once he got the upper hand, pummeling Red with closed fists and other roughhouse tactics. Red was on the receiving end of a considerable amount of punishment, but he was not finished quite yet. When Corino lifted Red up for a Northern Lights Bomb, the young flier used his agility to counter the move with a headscissors takedown. Red momentarily kept Corino on his heels with a spinning heel kick and a hurracanrana, and capped his 2nd wind with the Red Star Press.

Corino managed to get his shoulder up, though, and ended Red’s resurgence with a knee to the gut that doubled him over. Corino quickly pounced, not giving Red another chance at a comeback as he put him away with the Old School Expulsion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 17:38 with the Old School Expulsion


After the match, Steve Corino asked for a microphone.

“Well, I guess it’s official: The King of Old School is back in business!”

The crowd reacted by booing Corino, who smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Hey, it’s OK. You don’t have to like me; you just have to respect me and my accomplishments. Otherwise, you might wind up like AJ Styles.”

The booing intensified, and Corino’s smile grew wider.

“You don’t like that? I bet you’d like it if AJ Styles ran down here right now and beat the hell out of me, wouldn’t you?”

The boos turned to cheers, but Corino shook his head.

“Sorry, nimrods, but as much as you might wish it, Styles isn’t here tonight. He probably won’t be back for a while, I’d imagine. But I’m sure he’s paying close attention, and he saw his little buddy Red come up just a bit short tonight. And he’s also going to see this: I’m going to show my respect for Amazing Red, and shake his hand."

Corino lifted a motionless Red off of the mat and shook his limp hand, before kicking him in the gut and dropping him with a second Old School Expulsion. The jeers reached a fever pitch, and Corino seemed to revel in the crowd’s reaction.

“Oh, and don’t think I forgot about you, Ricky Steamboat! Here’s to you and your pride and dignity, old-timer!”

Corino lifted Red up, and gave him a 3rd Old School Expulsion. Having proven his point, Corino sauntered to the back as Alexis Laree and ref Martin Dugas checked on Red.


Paul London vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg

The relatively unknown Paul London was not intimidated in the least by the ROH champion’s years of experience. He brought the fight right to Daniels, and more than held his own against his more experienced opponent.

London surprised Daniels with a couple of early near-falls after a victory roll and a schoolboy roll-up. Feeling the upstart beginning to build some momentum, Christopher Daniels kicked it into high gear, stopping London in his tracks with a Blue Thunder bomb. London kicked out, but Daniels kept the pressure on, trying to wear down his youthful foe with a bow & arrow submission. London escaped the hold, but Daniels kept right on going, throwing some of his best offense at him in an effort to win the match in a convincing fashion.

The Fallen Angel got near-falls after a Northern Lights suplex and an STO, and his body language became more confident as he felt the victory within his grasp. He hoisted London up and put him on the top turnbuckle, giving him a palm strike to the face as a set-up for the cross-arm Iconoclasm. But London stunned the champ with a kick to the face, and drove him to the canvas with a Tornado DDT. Daniels staggered to his feet after a near-fall, only to have London knock him right back down with an impressive backflip dropkick. Daniels recovered, but London had another innovation to unveil: he hooked both of the champ’s arms behind his back in a double chicken wing, lifted him into the air, and drove him face-first into the canvas.

London scaled the ropes, looking to put the finishing touches on the match. He executed a picture-perfect Shooting Star Press, but there was just one problem: Daniels rolled out of the way in the nick of time, and London crashed and burned. After getting to his feet, Daniels hooked London in a Dragon Sleeper position, but rather than going for the submission victory, Daniels used the hold to pull London to his feet. The Last Rites followed, and Christopher Daniels won the non-title match, but Paul London won many fans with his performance.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 14:32 with the Last Rites


Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Mindful of the 30-minute time limit draw in their last match, both men wrestled a patient match in the early going, clearly settling in for a long night. They had a nice scientific encounter, with Joe showing great skill in keeping up with a mat wrestling expert of Danielson’s caliber. Neither man could gain a significant edge for quite some time, as they had a stalemate of a technical wrestling exchange.

Joe ended the deadlock by using a charging Danielson’s own momentum against him with a powerslam. Joe got into a groove, punishing Danielson with kicks to the ribs and going after his arm with a cross armbreaker. The Samoan powerhouse looked to put an exclamation point on things with a powerbomb, but Danielson wiggled free and took his large opponent down to the mat. The American Dragon resumed his mat wrestling approach, trying to push the big man past his threshold with a marathon match.

Danielson tried to keep his rival on the mat with a side headlock, but Joe showed his power by getting back to his feet with Danielson still holding onto the headlock. Joe flung him off, and dropped him with a nice flying knee strike to the face that nearly ended the match. Even after Danielson kicked out, Joe kept coming at him. He worked Danielson over with more strikes to the ribs and back, before turning him over with a Boston Crab. Joe sat back deep, putting the bulk of his near-300 pound frame on his opponent’s lower back. Danielson cried out in pain, Joe’s weight doing serious damage to his lower body. It was a struggle, but the American Dragon eventually managed to crawl towards the ropes and force a break.

Sensing that he had Bryan weakened, Joe went for the kill. He lifted his foe up for his Muscle Buster, but a desperate Danielson broke his grip and landed on his feet, surprising Joe with the same move he used to win their match at Road to the Title, an inside cradle. Danielson nearly got another out-of-nowhere win, but Joe kicked out just in time. Joe got back to his feet, furious that history had almost repeated itself. He made a beeline for Danielson, intent on pulverizing him, but his slippery foe had other ideas. Danielson dodged Joe’s attempt at a tackle, and the Samoan collided with the turnbuckles. Danielson went for another sudden pinfall, trying to hold Joe’s shoulders down with a schoolboy roll-up, but Joe used his legs to kick out.

Danielson tried to put another submission hold on Joe, but the Samoan rolled right through it and popped up to his feet, fired up. He stood in center ring and drew the proverbial line in the sand, challenging Danielson to a face-to-face. Danielson obliged, and the two exchanged blows. Joe targeted the weakened ribs of Danielson with kicks, while Bryan fired off several stiff elbows to Joe’s head.

Danielson slumped to one knee after a particularly hard kick to the ribs, and Joe lifted him up for the Island Driver. Danielson once again broke free, though, landing on his feet behind Joe and dropping him on his head with a Dragon Suplex. Joe kicked out, but Danielson adapted, bridging forward to slap on the Cattle Mutilation.

Joe was able to maneuver his lower body and get one leg across the ropes, but the length of the match seemed to have taken its toll on the big man. He was slow to get back up, gasping for air. Danielson recognized Joe’s exhaustion, and went right for him. He staggered Joe with a leaping elbow to the head, and pelted him with more elbows. He tried a rolling elbow, but in a repeat of their match at Crowning a Champion, Joe blocked the strike and tried to catch his foe in a rear naked choke. The fatigued Samoan was not able to cinch the hold in, though, and Danielson dropped him onto his stomach with a drop toehold. Danielson floated over and gave Joe a few knees to the head before once again applying the Cattle Mutilation. Joe was not in any position to go for a rope break, and seemed to be just about out of gas. Just when it seemed like Danielson would gain his second victory over Samoa Joe, the bell rang. The ring announcer declared that the 60-minute time limit had expired, resulting in another draw. A frustrated Danielson released the hold, and after a few moments, Joe slowly stood up. The two exhausted rivals stared each other down, clearly not satisfied that there had not been a decisive winner yet again.


No Contest due to expiration of the 60-minute time limit


Quick Results:

Low Ki over Mark Briscoe
Austin Aries over Joel Maximo
Second City Saints over James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Steve Corino over The Amazing Red
Christopher Daniels over Paul London
Bryan Danielson drew with Samoa Joe


critical-23: 6-0

Macca316: 5-0-1

TribeWarpath: 5-1

critical-23 picks up the 3rd perfect show. I wondered whether the 60-minute time limit draw might have been a bit obvious. I guess it was.

[critical-23]

critical-23 picks up the 3rd perfect show. I wondered whether the 60-minute time limit draw might have been a bit obvious. I guess it was.

Well, your booking is kinda predictable and i don't mean that in a bad way. You might need to mix up either your booking or your pre-match write-ups so's you don't give away your ending. Just a lil thought.

[Macca316]

for my first set of predictions going 5 - 1 wasn't bad lol

but very good show mate

[The Final Countdown]

April 26th, 2002
11:04 p.m.

I watched with a mixture of amusement and concern as Samoa Joe downed the water bottle in one huge gulp.

“You alright, Joe?”

He nodded and let out a deep breath.

“Yeah, I’m better now that I’m starting to catch my breath.”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I should’ve known better than to ask you to go for an entire hour. It was a mistake on—“

Joe dismissed me with a shake of his head. “Don’t give me that. I wanted to do this hour draw. It was the right direction for the program to go. I’m just sorry we didn’t quite deliver the classic we had in mind.”

I nodded my head, ruefully. “Well, it wasn’t all your fault. You may have been gassed, but Bryan was really off, anyway. Honestly, with all the things that went wrong, we’re lucky the match was as good as it was. Now we just go back to the drawing board.”

Joe nodded his agreement before going off to change out of his wrestling attire. I settled in to jot my reactions down.

-Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe was a good opening match. Low Ki was kept strong heading into his title match, and Mark got some ring time. It wasn’t a classic or anything, but it was solid.

-Austin Aries’ debut against Joel Maximo didn’t go down quite as I’d hoped. It wasn’t terrible, but I’d have liked it to be a bit better. I have big plans for Aries, so I hope he’s got better matches in his future.

-Colt Cabana was a bit off his game, which hurt the Second City Saints’ match against James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke. But Maritato turned in a nice performance, which helped counteract that. Another decent match.

-Steve Corino and Amazing Red put on the match of the night. The match would have worked well as a stand-alone, but the added Corino/Styles backdrop made things even more interesting. Corino’s ****y persona is really effective; hopefully this will result in a hot end to his feud with AJ.

-Paul London made a nice showing for himself in his first singles match. Just like his match with Red, Daniels both helped to elevate his opponent, and kept himself strong at the same time. I think Daniels has to be considered our MVP at this point.

-The 60-minute draw between Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe was, like Joe said, not the classic we all had been hoping for. It was actually the worst of their 3 matches up to this point. Part of that is on me; I should have recognized that Joe would get winded. He was pretty much running on empty by the end of the match. Equally troubling was the performance of Danielson. He didn’t run out of energy; he was just really off of his game. His timing seemed off, and his execution was imprecise at times. Given all of these problems, I’m not too upset with the quality of the match. It was still markedly better than the title match between Daniels and Low Ki at Crowning a Champion, at least.

A decent show, overall. Corino/Red and Daniels/London were worth the price of admission, and nothing on the show was terrible.

[The Final Countdown]

Well, your booking is kinda predictable and i don't mean that in a bad way. You might need to mix up either your booking or your pre-match write-ups so's you don't give away your ending. Just a lil thought.
I appreciate this comment. I had actually wondered whether or not some of the match previews were more revealing than I wanted them to be. Now that I know it's not just my imagination, I'll take a closer look at them in the future.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


On March 15th, 2002, a champion was crowned. On that date, Christopher Daniels wrote his name in the history books by becoming the first Ring of Honor champion, defeating Low Ki in the finals of an 8-man single elimination tournament.

Daniels may have won the title, but he is about to discover that that was the easy part. Every member of the ROH roster will be gunning for a shot at the title, and it starts on Sunday, May 5th, when Christopher Daniels makes his first defense of the championship at Driven.

For the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki
Christopher Daniels was on top of the world prior to Epic Encounter. Not only was he the first ROH champion, he had also not tasted defeat inside of an ROH ring. That changed on April 12th, when Low Ki pinned him in tag team action. By virtue of that victory, Low Ki was granted the first shot at Christopher Daniels’ ROH championship. Unlike at Crowning a Champion, Low Ki will be completely healthy heading into this matchup. He feels that Christopher Daniels is a disgrace to the ROH championship and what it represents, and will look to “free” the championship by defeating Daniels and going on to defend the title with honor and dignity. Will Low Ki accomplish his goal, or will the Fallen Angel live to defend the championship another day?

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
Bryan Danielson’s problems with Samoa Joe are far from settled, thanks to a pair of time-limit draws. But with Joe honoring a prior commitment that will prevent him from competing at Driven, Danielson will put that issue on the back burner temporarily. The American Dragon will step into the ring with Tony Mamaluke. Mamaluke recently pulled off an upset victory over his more experienced tag team partner, James Maritato, one of the finest technical wrestlers in the world. He’ll attempt to accomplish a similar feat at Driven.

Air Paris vs. Steve Corino
Air Paris is no stranger to AJ Styles. The two young men cut their teeth wrestling each other in the early stages of their careers, before eventually forming a tag team in the dying days of WCW. So it should come as no surprise that when ROH contacted Paris about joining the company, one of his first requests was to be given a match with Steve Corino. Styles is still on the injured list thanks to a vicious assault with a steel chair by Corino back at Boston Massacre, a fact that Corino gloats about whenever possible. Paris, like the Amazing Red before him, will try and get some retribution on behalf of Styles. But the King of Old School will not go down easily.

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
Spanky and Paul London vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)
Spanky and London, fellow graduates of the wrestling school run by Shawn Michaels, got off to a good start as a tag team in ROH by defeating the Second City Saints at Epic Encounter. Now they look to join the Saints in the triple threat match that will determine ROH’s first tag team champions. Standing in their way are the Briscoes, one of the most promising young tag teams in pro wrestling today. Spanky and London may have momentum after their victory, but the Briscoes have more experience as a team. Can Spanky and London overcome that disadvantage, or will the Briscoes’ years of experience prove to be too much?

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews
Homicide has been on quite a hot streak. His win-loss record rivals anyone on the ROH roster. One of his victories was over Christian York at Epic Encounter. Now, York’s tag team partner Joey Matthews will have his turn against the Notorious 187. Can Homicide continue his winning ways, or will the lessons learned by Christian York help his partner Matthews derail the momentum of the master of the Cop Killer?

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries
Jose Maximo’s brother Joel fell victim to newcomer Austin Aries at the last show, Manhattan Mayhem. Aries made quite the first impression, even catching the eye of ROH champion Christopher Daniels. Aries obviously wants to keep the buzz going, but Jose Maximo has other ideas. The Maximos will be a fixture in the ROH tag team division, but Jose would look to gain some confidence in this singles encounter.

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian
Matt Sydal may not have much experience, but he clearly has considerable raw talent and athleticism, and loads of potential. Sydal had a very impressive debut at Epic Encounter, matching the speedy Amazing Red step for step. Kazarian also made his ROH debut at Epic Encounter, defeating Jack Evans. He was not shy in gloating about it either, telling anyone who would listen that he is “The Future” of Ring of Honor. Both of these young athletes should have bright futures in ROH and wrestling in general, but only one can leave Driven with his hand raised.


Predictions List:

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
Air Paris vs. Steve Corino
ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. Joey Matthews
Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries
Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian



((OOC Note: In case anyone noticed, I decided not to do an "Around the wrestling world" post for April. Pretty much nothing of note happened in the month, so I didn't think it was needed.))

[Macca316]

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
Air Paris vs. Steve Corino
ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes
Homicide vs. Joey Matthews
Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries
Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

Ki will get a measure of revenge and take the belt from Daniels.

i only said the briscoe's cos i can see punk interfering and costing spanky.

[ya_its_me]

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki
- Still think that the Fallen Angel's going to be the top guy for you in ROH for awhile.
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
- Cattle Mutilation and it's over!
Air Paris vs. Steve Corino
- Welcome to squash city: population Air Paris.
ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes
- I could see you giving a big push to Spanky & London, so they're my picks.
Homicide vs. Joey Matthews
- 187 FTW, Matthews ain't got a chance.
Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries
- Maximo's more of a tag wrestler right?
Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian
- Just cause Sydal didn't win yet, yet Frankie did.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Driven


May 5th, 2002


From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg


Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)


“This is James Hill, welcoming you to the DVD release of ROH’s Driven. I’m here with Low Ki, who tonight will challenge The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels, for the Ring of Honor championship. Low Ki, it’s a big night for you. You’ve stated that you think Christopher Daniels has besmirched the ROH championship, as well as Ring of Honor itself, with his conduct. If you can take the championship away from Daniels, in his first defense no less, it would deal a huge blow to the Fallen Angel.”

Low Ki nodded in agreement. “You’re right, James. Christopher Daniels is a disgrace to Ring of Honor, and it makes me sick to my stomach to see him carrying around the ROH championship. So tonight isn’t just about Low Ki winning the ROH title; it’s also about taking the belt away from the undeserving grasp of Christopher Daniels, and humbling him and his huge ego.”

“Christopher Daniels pinned you to win the championship in the first place, but you were trying to fight through a broken wrist. How big a difference maker will it be for you to know that you are entering this match at 100%?”

“I will not use my injury as an excuse. I competed, and I lost. Whatever else I might think of Christopher Daniels, he was the better man on that night. But tonight, it will be a different story. Tonight, Low Ki will not be denied. Tonight, Low Ki restores the Honor to Ring of Honor.”


ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
Spanky and Paul London vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

Both teams knew the high stakes of the match, resulting in all four athletes going full-speed from the opening bell. The early minutes of the match saw fast paced, back and forth action, with neither team gaining a significant advantage. The Briscoes tried to utilize their superior tag team experience with quick tags and double team moves, but Spanky and London always answered right back with nice teamwork of their own.

After driving Jay Briscoe into the mat with a waffleface, Paul London attempted to finish him off with a high flying move. But he failed to consider his close proximity to the Briscoes’ side of the ring, and Mark Briscoe made him pay for it by shoving him off of the top rope. London crashed to the canvas, and the Briscoes took control of the match. They hit London with a barrage of double team moves, including a back suplex/neckbreaker combo and a variation of the Hart Foundation’s old Hart Attack, but London fought on. Jay tried to end the match with his patented J-Driller, but London blocked it, sent him into the turnbuckle with a slingshot, and made the tag to his partner Spanky.

Spanky went on a tear, keeping the Briscoes on their heels with his speed and savvy. After scoring with a top rope hurracanrana on Mark, Spanky seemed to be on the verge of winning the match for his team. He hooked Mark in a cravat in preparation for the Sliced Bread #2, when CM Punk got up from his seat at the commentator’s table. Spanky ditched the Sliced Bread attempt to focus on Punk. Punk didn’t move any closer, but his presence was still felt. The Briscoes capitalized on the distraction, dropping Spanky with a double DDT and finishing him with a springboard Doomsday Device, Jay Briscoe preventing Paul London from making the save.


Winners: The Briscoes in 12:57 with a springboard Doomsday Device by Mark on Spanky


Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Kazarian began to jaw with the crowd at the start of the match, but Matt Sydal quickly put a stop to that by charging across the ring and knocking him down with a leg lariat. Sydal came right at Kazarian in an attempt to gain a quick victory. He hit ‘The Future’ with several light heavyweight staples, including a swinging Frankensteiner and a sunset flip, both of which resulted in near-falls. Kazarian was reeling, but he turned things around by countering an attempted bulldog with a wheelbarrow suplex. Kazarian pressed his advantage, punishing his young foe with a swinging neckbreaker and diving legdrop, among other moves. He took Sydal up to the top rope, intending to finish him off with his devastating Flux Capacitor, but Sydal knocked him off with a series of blows and wowed the crowd with a Cancun Tornado. After Kazarian kicked out, Sydal looked to follow it up with a victory roll, but Kazarian turned it into an Electric Chair drop. ‘The Future’ quickly exploited his counter with the Wave of the Future, which was enough to help him improve to 2-0 in ROH.


Winner: Kazarian in 07:39 with the Wave of the Future


Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoeyMatthews.jpg

Joey Matthews tried to jump Homicide before the match officially began, but the street-smart Homicide sensed the attack coming and fought him off. Homicide made Matthews pay for the attempt by punishing him with a series of hard lefts and rights to the skull. A dazed Joey slumped down in a corner, but Homicide did not let up, raking his boot across Matthews’ face with a face wash before running the ropes and bringing his body weight down onto Joey with a senton in the corner. Homicide continued to dominate Matthews, shifting to technical wrestling. He bent Matthews’ right arm at an awkward angle with a Fujiwara armbar, nearly getting the submission before Joey inched his way to the ropes. Homicide did not let up, driving Matthews’ neck into the mat with a piledriver. Matthews kicked out of a pin, but Homicide kept the offense coming, getting another near-fall with an Ace Crusher.

It looked like Homicide was on his way to a dominant victory, but Matthews did finally get going approximately 10 minutes into the match. He blocked a Yakuza kick and wrenched Homicide’s knee with a dragon screw legwhip. Most of Matthews’ offense from that point on focused on the knee. He went after the knee with kicks and submissions, keeping Homicide grounded for a bit. This strategy was effective for a few minutes, but eventually Homicide broke free and regained his vertical base. The match went back and forth for a few more minutes before Homicide was successful in his second try at a Yakuza kick. The blow to the jaw softened Matthews up enough for Homicide to finish him off with his lethal finishing move, the Cop Killer.


Winner: Homicide in 17:19 with the Cop Killer


Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Austin Aries, fresh off of his successful debut against Jose’s brother Joel Maximo, entered this match with an even greater sense of confidence than he had in his debut. He may have even been a little overconfident, as he appeared to be taking Jose Maximo lightly at the start of the match. He seemed more interested in showing Jose up, which proved to be a mistake. Jose used Aries’ swagger against him, catching Austin off-guard with a string of impressive moves. He nearly won the match with an overhead pumphandle suplex that drove Aries’ face into the canvas, but Aries got his shoulder up. The close call must have caught Aries’ attention, because he was all business after that. He ended Jose’s momentum with a beautiful dropkick to the jaw, and wore him down with a deathlock submission. Maximo tried to fire back, and briefly took the upper hand after a Japanese arm drag, but Aries quickly answered back with a couple of hard forearms to the chin. Austin doubled Jose over with a boot to the gut before finishing him off with a brainbuster.


Winner: Austin Aries in 10:07 with a brainbuster

--

“It’s intermission time here at Driven. I am backstage with the Notorious 187 Homicide, who had his hand raised in victory yet again earlier on tonight. Homicide, you’ve been on quite a roll so far in ROH. The only man to have defeated you is the ROH Champion, Christopher Daniels. Other than that close loss to the eventual champ, you’ve gotten the best of everyone Ring of Honor has put in your path. I don’t know if you read the message boards at ROHwrestling.com, but many of the fans there are pointing to you as the hottest rising star in the company. How do you feel about that?”

“Jim, it’s cool that some of the fans are backing me. But in the end, the only person I can count on is me. That’s how it’s always been. Growing up, I didn’t have anybody’s support. All I had was me. The fans can cheer for me if they want, or talk about me on the Internet, but if I stop winning, then all of that goes away. And so does any chance at some day becoming the ROH champ. So I’m going to keep…”

Homicide was interrupted in mid-sentence by a new arrival: Kazarian. “Woah, woah, woah! Are you two kidding me? Did I just hear James Hill call Homicide the ‘hottest rising star’ in Ring of Honor? Get real! The geeks on the message board might support this thug, but it’s obvious to anyone with a functional brain that Kazarian is the man to watch around here. This is only my second show, and I’ve already proven that I am the man who will take Ring of Honor to the promised land! ‘The Future’ isn’t just a cool nickname; it is the truth. I AM The Future of this company. Homicide, if you acknowledge that fact right here & now, I’ll let you stick around for the ride. If you don’t…well, I guess I’ll have to write you out of ROH’s future."

Homicide stared at Kazarian and shook his head. “I hear a lot of big talk comin’ out of your mouth. The Future of Ring of Honor, you call yourself. That’s a pretty damn bold thing to say. How about you back it up?”

“Have you not been paying attention? Just ask Jack Evans and Matt Sydal if I can back—“

“Yeah, yeah, I know; you’re 2-0. But, all props to Jack and Matt…but they ain’t the Notorious 187. The way I see it, you haven’t beaten anybody of my caliber yet. So why don’t we go out in that ring next time and see just how great ‘The Future’ really is?”

Kazarian smirked at Homicide’s challenge. “You want it, you got it. But be careful what you wish for. I just may prove that The Future…is now.”

--

Air Paris (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AirParis.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Air Paris was fired up at the beginning of this match as he looked to get some revenge on behalf of his friend AJ Styles. He brought an aggressive approach, going after Corino with punches and kicks rather than his usual athletic wrestling style. Corino seemed a bit thrown off by this roughouse style, as it took several minutes for him to come up with an answer. He tried to roll to the floor to create some separation, but Paris grabbed onto Corino’s leg and prevented him from escaping. Paris backed Corino against a corner and repeatedly stomped him in the midsection before trying some kind of running attack in the corner. Corino slipped away, though, and Paris collided with the turnbuckles at full force.

Steve Corino excels at capitalizing on openings, and he did so here. After Paris’ miss, Corino took control of the match. He spent several minutes sapping Paris’ energy with mat wrestling. Paris did break out of Corino’s grasp, countering a side headlock with a go behind into a belly to back suplex, but Corino wasted little time in cutting him off before he could put together another significant rally. He caught Paris with a knee lift, and resumed his methodical wear-down tactics.

Corino had the match firmly in his control, and he knew it. He got the crowd riled up while dissecting Paris, taunting them and mocking their chants. Paris briefly gave the crowd something to cheer about when he connected with an enzuguri, but Corino ended their enthusiasm when he caught a running Paris with an overhead belly to belly suplex. After some more crowd-displeasing domination, Corino put Paris away with the Old School Expulsion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 17:07 with the Old School Expulsion


After the match, Steve Corino rolled out to the floor and grabbed a microphone.

“Well, well. AJ Styles has now sent two of his buddies after me, and I’ve beaten both of them. Sorry, AJ, but I guess your little friends just don’t have what it takes to bring down The King of Old School. Maybe you should try and get your revenge yourself—if you want me to take care of your other leg. But since I knew you wouldn’t be showing your face tonight, and I also knew that I would beat that goon Air Paris like a red-headed stepchild, I took the liberty of planning a special surprise for after the match. Excuse me.”

Corino reached underneath the ring, and pulled out a steel chair. He rolled back into the ring, bringing the chair with him. He held the chair up on display, and the camera zoomed in on it. The closer view made it clear that it was the same bloodied, dented chair that Corino had used on AJ Styles in the past.

“Look familiar, AJ? I figured that, since Air Paris was so concerned with trying to get some payback for the times I introduced you to this chair, it would only be fitting if I let him sample our little steel friend for himself.”

Corino raised the chair above his head, preparing to bash Air Paris in the head with it. Suddenly, AJ Styles bolted out from the dressing rooms and charged the ring. Dressed in street clothes, Styles clearly had not been expecting to get into a physical altercation, but he nevertheless came to the aid of his occasional partner, taking Steve Corino down with a double leg takedown. Styles got into a mount position and started wailing away, peppering a stunned Corino with a flurry of fists to the face. Corino managed to break free and scurried away, retreating in the face of AJ Styles’ wrath. Styles picked up Corino’s chair, looked at it with disdain, and threw it over the ropes and out into the aisle, nearly hitting Corino. Styles and Alexis Laree helped Air Paris regain his bearings, being sure to keep an eye on the devious Corino in case he tried something.


Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg

Bryan Danielson showed no ill effects from his grueling 60-minute time limit draw less than two weeks previous. He and Mamaluke had a nice catch-as-catch can exchange early on, matching each other hold for hold. Mamaluke looked like a match for Danielson at first, but Danielson rocked him with a European uppercut quickly followed by a running dropkick. From there, Danielson showcased his submission expertise, stretching the young Italian with a bevy of unique, visually impressive submissions, highlighted by a surfboard/chinlock combination.

Mamaluke gutted it out through Danielson’s submissions, and managed to turn the tide when he caught a charging American Dragon with a boot to the face. Mamaluke took control of the match for a bit, showing some slick holds of his own. He couldn’t keep a wrestling savant like Danielson on the mat for long, though, as Bryan seamlessly turned a Mamaluke neck lock into a cross armbreaker of his own.

Danielson had Mamaluke tied in knots for the majority of the match, though Tony would slip in an occasional counter-hold. Danielson thought he had the match won with a top rope belly to back suplex, but Mamaluke got his shoulder off the canvas just before the three count. A frustrated Danielson went for a Dragon Suplex, but Mamaluke countered it with a drop toehold, and floated over into a side headlock. Mamaluke thought he had a firm grip on Danielson, but the American Dragon proved him wrong by rolling through to break the hold and promptly cinching in the Cattle Mutilation. Mamaluke struggled to try and break free, but Danielson had the hold applied too well, and the ropes were a long way off. Mamaluke soon had no choice but to concede defeat and submit.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 20:40 with the Cattle Mutilation


ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Low Ki (Challenger)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg

Daniels and Low Ki had an intense staredown before the match began. Daniels talked some trash, but Low Ki did not react to it at all. He simply stared at the Fallen Angel, his facial expression the very picture of determination.

Low Ki may have been determined to take the title, but that didn’t prevent Christopher Daniels from catching him by surprise in the early going with a sudden left jab. The blow stunned Low Ki, and Daniels took charge. He tried to sap all the energy out of his challenger with basic but effective holds such as a side headlock and a leg scissors. Low Ki broke free from Daniels and teed off on him with a succession of chops and kicks. Sensing that Low Ki was putting together some momentum, Daniels bailed out to the floor to try and throw him off of his game. Low Ki showed great patience in not following Daniels out to the floor, instead standing in the center of the ring and awaiting Daniels’ return.

When Daniels stepped back into the ring, Low Ki immediately met him with a rolling koppo kick that had the champion seeing stars. Low Ki kept it up, punishing Daniels with more kicks before applying a cross armbreaker. Daniels forced a rope break and returned to his feet, only to have his clock cleaned by a jumping high kick. Believing that he had Christopher Daniels reeling, Low Ki ascended the turnbuckles, likely looking for a Phoenix Splash. However, Daniels was not out of it just yet, as he popped up, crotched Low Ki on the top rope, and brought him off of the buckle and down onto the mat with a hangman’s neckbreaker.

Daniels worked Low Ki over, targeting the challenger’s neck with a bow & arrow submission. Low Ki escaped the hold, but Daniels gave him no time to regroup, knocking him to the canvas with a palm strike to the face. Daniels went right back to another submission, turning Low Ki over and applying pressure to his lower back with a Texas Cloverleaf.

Daniels softened Low Ki up for a few more minutes before attempting to hit the Angel’s Wings, but the challenger countered with a back body drop. Daniels popped right back up and charged at Low Ki, but ran right into a perfect Shining Wizard that nearly brought a title change. Low Ki kept on the offensive, hitting the Fallen Angel in the face with a baseball slide dropkick and tying him up with a bridging deathlock submission. After escaping, Daniels tried to crawl away, propping himself up in the corner. Low Ki did not let up, rocking the champ with a Tidal Krush and hooking him into position for the Ki Krusher ’99.

At that point, Gail Kim hopped onto the ring apron, distracting the referee. Low Ki connected with the Ki Krusher, but Gail had the ref’s attention. With the ref’s back still turned, Austin Aries snuck into the ring, kicked Low Ki in the back of the head to break up the pin, and drove his neck into the canvas with a brainbuster. Daniels crawled on top of Low Ki, and the ref turned around to make the count, but Low Ki just barely kicked out. Daniels looked up at the ref in disbelief as the crowd responded, cheering the challenger on in hopes he could overcome the odds. Low Ki seemed to respond, catching Daniels with several kicks before trying for a second Ki Krusher ’99. Daniels managed to slip out behind him, though, and retained the title after hitting the Last Rites.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 34:38 with the Last Rites.
Christopher Daniels made defense #1 of the ROH Championship.

--

Christopher Daniels, Austin Aries and Gail Kim were all celebrating backstage when James Hill approached.

“Well Christopher Daniels, I tried to interview you both before the show and during intermission, but you were holed up in your dressing room all night. And now I guess we know why; you three were formulating a plan to screw Low Ki over and make sure he didn’t take the ROH Championship away from you in your very first title defense.”

Daniels laughed. “Relax, Jessie; you sound pretty angry. The fans in the crowd seemed pretty upset, too. And we’re real sorry about that, aren’t we, Austin?” Aries laughed heartily as Daniels slapped him on the back before continuing.

“At Manhattan Mayhem, you asked me what Aries and I discussed after his debut match. Well you see, I’m a smart man, Hill. I do my homework. And so I knew all about the hype surrounding Austin Aries before he even stepped foot into an ROH ring. I said it back at Road to the Title: I would be looking for soldiers to add to my cause. When I heard all of the praise being thrown Aries’ way, he caught my attention. So I got myself a front row seat for his ROH debut. We all saw then and there that he had the skills to get the job done. But I needed to feel him out; make sure that he would do whatever it takes to succeed. And after our little conversation, I became convinced that Austin Aries would make be an ideal fit for our crusade. Aries has all the potential in the world. All that he needs is a little guidance. And that is where the Fallen Angel comes in. I will take this young man under my wing. I will groom him, I will teach him everything that I know, and when the time is right for me to step down and fade into the sunset, I will hand the reigns over to Austin Aries.”

“So you’ll teach Austin Aries how to cheat and spit in the face of the ideals that this company was founded on?”

Daniels rolled his eyes. “Have you learned nothing? I do not give a damn about morals, honor, dignity, or any of that other crap. I’m not Low Ki. And I ask you this, Hill: whose approach has been more successful so far? You don’t even need to answer that, because we both know the answer. And the fact is, I—“

Christopher Daniels stopped speaking when the door to his locker room opened. ROH President Ricky Steamboat stepped into the room, an angry look on his face.

“You’re feeling pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you, Daniels?” Steamboat asked. Daniels smiled and patted the ROH Championship that was draped on Gail Kim’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Steamboat, I am, actually. I did just retain my championship, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah, and both of those two had to help you do it,” he replied, pointing to Gail and Aries.

“Well, I won, didn't I? And last time I checked, I’ve beaten your chosen one, Low Ki, twice now in ROH title matches. So I guess you’re going to have to try and find somebody else to take this belt off of me.”

Steamboat smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Chris. You’re right; you’ve beaten Low Ki twice now. But the first time, he tried to battle through an injury. And I don’t even need to go into what happened tonight. So I’ve decided Low Ki deserves one last shot at the title. And he will get it, but to ensure he gets a fair shot, I’m going to add a little stipulation on to it. There will be no Gail Kim, no Austin Aries: just Christopher Daniels and Low Ki, locked inside of a steel cage. Prepare yourself, champ.”

The earlier party-like atmosphere vanished from the room. Daniels, Aries and Gail looked upset as Steamboat left, closing the door behind him.



Quick Results:
The Briscoes over Spanky & Paul London
Kazarian over Matt Sydal
Homicide over Joey Matthews
Austin Aries over Jose Maximo
Steve Corino over Air Paris
Bryan Danielson over Tony Mamaluke
Christopher Daniels over Low Ki to retain the ROH Championship


ya_its_me: 6-1

Macca316: 5-2

[critical-23]

Missed out on voting but Daniels vs Ki in a cage? That match, oh my God! TFC, that match. . .that match. . .Oh my God!! (btw, I was doing my best Roger from American Dad! famous line from the first season. . .sorry it didn't go over to well tee-hee!!)

[The Final Countdown]

May 5th, 2002
11:04 p.m.

“Nice match with Mamaluke tonight, Bryan.”

Bryan Danielson smiled at my compliment. “Thanks. I was pretty pleased with it, too. I just wish I could’ve performed that well in my match with Joe on the last show.”

I shrugged. “Well, you’ll have a chance to rectify that in a couple of weeks.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I talked to Joe, and he is too. Our next match is going to be at least as good as our 2nd one, if not better.”

“Sounds good to me.”

After exchanging some small talk for a few minutes, Danielson left, and I jotted down my thoughts on the show.

-The opening tag match was decent, but the fans disapproved of the ending, which saw CM Punk cause a distraction from the floor. The Briscoes now move on to the triple threat match that will decide the first-ever ROH tag champs.

-Kazarian had another disappointing match, this time with Matt Sydal. I still think that the guy is a good worker with a bright future, but sooner or later he’s going to have to deliver in the ring for me to make him a significant part of the show. Preferably sooner.

-Homicide and Joey Matthews had a solid match. Homicide has become pretty bankable in terms of putting on an entertaining mid-card match. With that in mind, I’m putting him into a program with the struggling Kazarian. Hopefully Homicide can help Kazarian strut his stuff.

-Austin Aries also had a pretty solid match, considering Jose Maximo isn’t really accustomed to wrestling as a singles. After only two matches for us, Aries is already in a very high-profile position in the company, as he aligned himself with Christopher Daniels later in the show. I’m crossing my fingers that he’s ready for the exposure.

-Arguably the hottest match of the night was Steve Corino and Air Paris. It wasn’t the most well executed match of the show, but Corino really knows how to get the crowd involved. The guy’s a heat magnet.

-Bryan Danielson and Tony Mamaluke delivered what I’d consider the match of the night, at least from a workrate standpoint. Danielson was really motivated to make up for his off night on the previous show, and it showed, as he looked good in this match. I’m just sort of spinning my wheels with Mamaluke and his partner Maritato at this point; after terrible chemistry ruined a planned singles feud between the two, I’m not really sure what direction to go with them.

-Christopher Daniels and Low Ki went a ways towards redeeming themselves of their lackluster match in the finals of the title tournament. This match was markedly better than that one, thanks largely to the fact that Low Ki wasn’t trying to work through a nagging injury. This still wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped, though. I’m convinced these two can do better. I’ll cross my fingers and hope they really blow the roof off inside the cage next month.

Another good show overall. Not a blockbuster, but it was good enough to help build our reputation, all things considered.

[The Final Countdown]

Missed out on voting but Daniels vs Ki in a cage? That match, oh my God! TFC, that match. . .that match. . .Oh my God!! (btw, I was doing my best Roger from American Dad! famous line from the first season. . .sorry it didn't go over to well tee-hee!!)

Glad you're excited. :) Hopefully the match will live up to your (and my) expectations. I think I may have figured out one aspect of my booking that held their most recent match back, so hopefully the cage match will be the best of the three. :crossfingers:

Also, I'm sure it's obvious by now that Christopher Daniels is assembling a stable. Problem is, I can't decide on a name. I'm considering just using the name of his real-life ROH group, The Prophecy, but I'm open to suggestions if anyone thinks they have a better idea.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


After two straight time limit draws between Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe, ROH officials have decided that it’s time for things to be settled between the two. It will happen on May 17th, as Danielson and Joe will do battle in a match with no time limit at ROH’s Testing the Limit, at the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts.

No Time Limit:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
This will be the fourth encounter in this rivalry. Danielson holds the only victory in the series to this point, pinning Joe with an inside cradle at Road to the Title. But Joe felt that it was a fluke victory, which led him to brutalize the American Dragon after that match. A battered Danielson then lost to Low Ki later that night in the semi-finals of the tournament. There has been bad blood between Danielson and Joe ever since, as both men feel that the other cost him a chance to be the first ROH Champion.

Two subsequent matches have both gone the distance. Joe appeared to be on the verge of choking out Danielson at Crowning a Champion before the 30-minute time limit expired. In Match #3, at Manhattan Mayhem, Danielson had a worn-out Joe trapped in the Cattle Mutilation, only for the one hour time limit to run out.

That will not happen this time, as Danielson and Joe will have all the time in the world to determine a winner.

Air Raid (AJ Styles & Air Paris) vs. Steve Corino & ???
AJ Styles is back. The ‘Phenomenal’ young athlete reappeared at Driven, saving his occasional partner Air Paris from a steel chair assault by Steve Corino. Now, Styles will return to competition, renewing his rivalry with Corino in a tag team contest. Styles brings Air Paris with him; a logical choice, considering their familiarity with each other. But whom could Corino be teaming with? His smug, disrespectful attitude tends to alienate his peers, so it is hard to imagine anyone who would be willing to watch his back.

Homicide vs. Kazarian
During intermission at Driven, Kazarian took offense to James Hill referring to Homicide as the ‘hottest rising star’ in Ring of Honor, as he claims to be The Future of the company. Homicide responded by challenging The Future to a match, and Kazarian was quick to accept. Homicide has been on a tear, racking up wins in ROH. Kazarian is 2-0 thus far, but he has yet to wrestle someone with Homicide’s credentials. How will he fare against a more formidable opponent?

Low Ki vs. Austin Aries
To say Low Ki is angry with Austin Aries would be quite the understatement. Low Ki was seemingly about to win the ROH Championship from Christopher Daniels before Aries interfered. ROH President Ricky Steamboat has granted Low Ki another title match, this time in a Steel Cage so as to keep Aries and Gail Kim from getting involved. But before Low Ki has another shot at the brass ring, he’ll have a chance to get his hands on Aries. Christopher Daniels may not be booked on the show, but you can bet he’ll be watching with great interest when his protégé locks up with the #1 Contender.

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
The S.A.T (Jose & Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews
The time to crown ROH’s first tag team champions has almost arrived. But before we arrive at that point, there’s still one spot in the match to fill. The S.A.T and York & Matthews will try to join the Second City Saints and The Briscoes, who have already qualified. These may be the two most experienced teams in ROH, but there’s only room for one of them in the title match.

Paul London vs. CM Punk
London and his tag team partner Spanky are none too happy with Punk after he distracted Spanky long enough to cost them their tag team title qualifying match against The Briscoes. Now, London will try to defeat Punk in singles action and derail the Saints’ momentum heading into the tag team title match.


Predictions List:
No Time Limit: Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
Air Raid (AJ Styles & Air Paris) vs. Steve Corino & ???
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Low Ki vs. Austin Aries
ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match: The S.A.T (Jose & Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews
Paul London vs. CM Punk

((Happy Easter, to those of you celebrating it!))

[ECWRulz32]

I have the very first RoH show and yours is an intresting take on it, I am enjoying Daniles charcter and Low Ki and your pushing Aries which is great, and Styles is excellent. You are using your roster very well. Kudos man if i only had tew lol i still stuck in EWR.

[The Final Countdown]

I have the very first RoH show and yours is an intresting take on it, I am enjoying Daniles charcter and Low Ki and your pushing Aries which is great, and Styles is excellent. You are using your roster very well. Kudos man if i only had tew lol i still stuck in EWR.
Glad you're enjoying things so far! And I know where you're coming from with being stuck with EWR--I had never played TEW until a friend decided to buy TEW08 for me as a birthday present. Now I'm hooked. I knew TEW would be far more advanced and intricate then EWR; I just didn't realize how MUCH better it would be.

[ya_its_me]

No Time Limit: Bryan Danielson v Samoa Joe
-I'm thinking Joe's going to come into this one fresh and more concentrated for the match.

Air Raid v Steve Corino & ???
- Could see you pushing Styles past Corino.

Homicide v Kazarian
- Cuz' it's frickin' Homicide.

Low Ki v Austin Aries
- Interference with the champ will swing this one towards Aries.

The SAT v Christian York & Joey Matthews
- Maximos FTW.

Paul London v CM Punk
- Spanky interference helps out his partner get past Punk.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Testing the Limit


May 17th, 2002


From the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts


Attendance: 187


“Hello, Ring of Honor fans, and welcome to the DVD release of Testing the Limit. I’m backstage with Samoa Joe, who will be competing in tonight’s main event against Bryan Danielson. Joe, after a sudden pinfall by Danielson in your first encounter, you two have wrestled to back to back time limit draws. But time will not be a factor tonight, as there will be no time limit in your match. Your thoughts?”

“My thoughts? James Hill, my thoughts are simple: tonight is the night that Samoa Joe finally, FINALLY proves that he is the most dominant force in Ring of Honor. I should have been ROH Champion. Instead, Bryan Danielson had the luckiest night of his life, and managed to pick his broken, battered carcass off of the mat just long enough to pin my shoulders to the mat with that damn small package. He stole my spot in the semi-finals, but he paid dearly for it. Because after the match, I made sure that Bryan Danielson wouldn’t become ROH Champion, either.”

“That you did. But that was just the beginning of your problems with Bryan Danielson. You seemed to be choking the life out of him before the 30-minute time limit expired at Crowning a Champion, yet at Manhattan Mayhem, the roles were reversed. You seemed to hit the wall and run out of gas, and Danielson capitalized by locking on the Cattle Mutilation. It looked to me like you were just about to tap, but…”

Joe glared daggers at Hill, who stopped talking immediately.

“I was about to tap? Me? Think again. I made a mistake in that match by playing around with Danielson, instead of finishing him off when I had the chance. And believe me, I could have finished him more than once. But I didn’t, and yeah, I got tired. But no way in hell would I ever tap out. Ever. Had the time limit not run out, I would have escaped that Cattle Mutilation, gotten my 2nd wind, and had Danielson screaming for mercy in no time. And tonight, that is just what will happen. Bryan Danielson will leave this arena tonight a broken man. And Samoa Joe will leave this arena tonight with a monkey off his back, his sights set on one goal, and one goal only: to become the next Ring of Honor Champion.

--

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:
The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York and Joey Matthews

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristianYork.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoeyMatthews.jpg

These are perhaps the two most experienced teams in Ring of Honor, and both teams demonstrated their experience in this match. Both teams worked well, making timely tags and making sure that neither team member was stranded long enough to tire out. Things continued on in that matter for almost the entire match, neither team making any major mistakes.

Things seemingly shifted when Joey Matthews made a blind tag and caught an unsuspecting Jose Maximo with a diving forearm to the jaw. Matthews & York nearly put Jose away with a double DDT, but Joel made the save. Joel knocked York to the floor, enabling Jose to tag out. With York out of the equation, the S.A.T punched their ticket to the title match with their jaw-dropping Spanish Fly.


Winners: The Spanish Announce Team in 12:13 with the Spanish Fly by Joel Maximo on Joey Matthews


Paul London vs. CM Punk

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg

Paul London was out for revenge after a distraction from CM Punk cost London and Spanky their Tag Team Title qualifying match. He got off to a hot start, throwing Punk off of his game with an extremely fast-paced offensive attack. London got more than one near-fall during his early barrage, but Punk weathered the storm and turned the tide after a double under-hook backbreaker (or, as he calls it, the Welcome to Chicago, Mother[expletive]). Punk went on a roll after that, dominating London by keeping him grounded and preventing him from utilizing his speed and aerial ability. The Straight Edge Superstar was a fraction of a second away from a three count after a hammerlock DDT, but London narrowly got his shoulder up.

London may have kicked out, but he appeared to be on his last legs. Punk knew he had London reeling, and looked to finish him off. He lifted London into the air, but London slipped out, landing on his feet behind Punk. London stunned Punk with a rolling prawn hold, which kept him on the mat just long enough to end the match.


Winner: Paul London in 13:07 with a rolling prawn hold


Homicide vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Kazarian believes that he is the Future of ROH, and he made sure to let the fans know it with his ****y demeanor. Homicide was not impressed with Kazarian’s preening, and let him know it with a Yakuza kick to the face. Homicide did not let up, keeping Kazarian from getting warmed up by using his technical wrestling know-how. The Notorious 187 frustrated The Future with his grappling skills, but Kazarian eventually broke free by sending Homicide face-first into the middle turnbuckle with a drop toehold.

Kazarian went on a bit of a roll, controlling Homicide with basic wear-down holds before shifting to more of an aerial attack. He was looking very impressive, but a missed springboard legdrop opened the door for Homicide. Homicide threw another wrinkle into his attack, coming at Kazarian with a brawling attack. He drove The Future’s head into the mat with a piledriver, and applied an STF.

Kazarian was not ready to admit defeat just yet, though. He reached the ropes, and got himself back into the match with a timely poke to the eye. After another rally, Kazarian went for his patented Wave of the Future. However, Homicide blocked it and sent Kazarian into the ropes before running off of the opposite ropes himself. He caught Kazarian dead-on with a hard-hitting lariat to the jaw, and three seconds later, The Future suffered his first defeat inside an ROH ring.


Winner: Homicide in 19:05 with a lariat

--

“It’s intermission time here at Testing the Limit. And while the fans in attendance stretch their legs and visit the concession stands, I am backstage with the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Bryan, after several exhausting showdowns between you and Samoa Joe over the last few months, things will finally come to a head tonight.”

“That’s right, James. We’re finally going to settle this thing here tonight, and I cannot wait. Samoa Joe likes to complain about my “fluke” victory at Road to the Title, but the truth is that I beat him fair and square. Joe is like the schoolyard bully; when someone gets the better of him, he doesn’t know how to handle it. So rather than accept his defeat like a man, Joe decided to attack me after the match, and all but ruin my chances of winning the tournament.
“We’ve had two rematches since then, each one going to a time limit draw. Like you said, James, each match has been exhausting. Being in the ring with someone the caliber of Samoa Joe takes a toll on you. It will be a sense of relief to put this rivalry behind me after tonight.”

“Speaking of which, I spoke to Samoa Joe at the beginning of the night, and he declared that he would leave you broken and battered after tonight before setting his sights on the ROH Championship. How do you feel about Joe seemingly looking at you as a stepping stone?”

“Joe isn’t the only one with a desire to become Ring of Honor Champion. There’s nothing I’d like more than to represent this company, and give that belt the respect and the dignity that it deserves. And just like Joe, I plan to reign supreme tonight, and after that, go after whoever walks out of that cage with the ROH title, whether it be Christopher Daniels or Low Ki.”

--

Low Ki vs. Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Low Ki had a look of complete determination on his face from the moment he stepped out from behind the curtain. He was eager for payback on Austin Aries, who arguably cost him the ROH Championship at Driven. Aries seemed rather tentative in the face of Low Ki’s wrath, and with good reason. Aries tried to stall at the beginning of the match, but Low Ki was having none of it. A solid kick to the side of Aries’ head scrambled his brains, and Low Ki never looked back. He took out his anger on Christopher Daniels’ protégé, punishing him with brutal kicks to the head. Aries did manage to slip in a couple of moves occasionally, but his offensive bursts were very short-lived. A particularly hard kick busted Aries’ forehead open. The blood trickling down into his eyes and clouding his vision, Aries swung his fists blindly in a fruitless attempt to connect with Low Ki. The #1 Contender measured his prey before connecting with a solid Shining Wizard that sent Aries to the mat in a heap. After inflicting some more pain on Daniels’ defenseless recruit, Low Ki mercifully ended the slaughter with the Ki Krusher ’99.


Winner: Low Ki in 09:39 with the Ki Krusher ’99


After the match, Gail Kim entered the ring to check on the bloodied Austin Aries. She began wiping some of the blood off of his face, but stopped in her tracks when Low Ki slowly approached. Low Ki slowly but surely marched up to Aries, and Gail bailed out to the floor. Ki watched stoically as Aries struggled up to his feet, and as soon as Aries turned around, he struck him with another brutal kick to the head. The vengeful Low Ki was not done yet; he pulled Aries to his feet and planted him with a 2nd Ki Krusher ’99. Gail watched in distress as Low Ki left, leaving a bloodied Aries in his wake.


Steve Corino made his ring entrance amidst the jeers of the crowd. He sneered at the reaction before grabbing a microphone.

“Thank you so much for that warm welcome, Boston. Oh, wait, this isn’t even Boston. Where the hell are we? Everett? Wow, it’s a real thrill to compete in front of such a prestigious, high-class audience. And I’m sure all of you jackasses are just praying that I’ve come here tonight without a partner. You figure that if I’m alone, AJ Styles and his little buddy Air Paris will be able to “beat some humility into me.” Well, so sorry to disappoint, but not everybody is naïve enough to try and do things Ricky Steamboat’s way. I’m not the only one out there who realizes that the only way to teach these young punks a lesson is through brute force. So, I’m real sorry to disappoint everyone who wants to see me get my ass kicked tonight, but The King of Old School is not alone. Without further adieu, my tag team partner…CW Anderson!”


Air Raid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino and CW Anderson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AirParis.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg

Styles challenged his rival Corino to start the match off against him, and Corino seemed to be going along with it, only to duck out and allow CW Anderson to start, much to the crowd’s displeasure. No one would dispute that CW is the best brawler of the four, and he utilized that part of his game against Styles early on. AJ wouldn’t be held down for long, though; he dodged a lariat attempt with a forward roll, and knocked CW down with a picture-perfect dropkick to the jaw.

Air Raid attempted to isolate CW in their half of the ring and wear him down with their superior speed, and it worked for a bit. But CW caught Air Paris with a big left hand to the face, and tagged in Steve Corino

Corino took advantage of his partner’s haymaker, doing a number on Air Paris while simultaneously taunting AJ Styles, who glared at him from the apron with hatred. Perhaps Corino was too preoccupied to fully focus on the task at hand, because Air Paris stunned him with an enzuigiri and made the tag to Styles.

A fired-up Styles took the fight to Corino, tagging him with closed fists before dropping him with a discus lariat. Corino tried to crawl away, but AJ kept at it, stomping him in the gut repeatedly before once again pummeling him with punches, his fists colliding with Corino’s skull over and over again. After enduring AJ’s assault, Corino managed to create some separation after landing a desperation low blow outside of the referee’s line of sight. Eager to recuperate, Corino tagged in CW Anderson.

CW worked Styles over for a bit with some power moves, but AJ cut him off with a Pele kick and finished him with the Styles Clash, Corino too dazed to make the save in time. Corino helped CW to the back slowly, staring a hole through AJ Styles the whole way.


Winners: Air Raid in 15:59 with a Styles Clash by AJ Styles on CW Anderson


No Time Limit:
Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Interestingly, despite there being no time limit in this climactic battle between Danielson and Joe, they actually wrestled a much quicker pace this time around. Neither man seemed interested in a marathon, hour-long match, and this was reflected by each competitor going for bigger moves much earlier than in their previous match. But, having wrestled three matches against each other in recent months, Danielson and Joe had grown very familiar with each other’s wrestling styles, as evidenced by the string of holds, counter holds, and counters of counters that constituted much of the early minutes of the match.

After an extended stalemate sequence, Danielson blocked Joe’s attempt at a boot to the face, and locked the big man up in a capture suplex. The American Dragon knew that he had stunned Joe with the throw, and looked to capitalize by applying his dreaded Cattle Mutilation submission. However, going back to the familiarity that has developed after multiple encounters, Joe felt the hold coming and managed to slip away, rolling out to the floor.

The separation didn’t last long, as Bryan Danielson followed his foe to the arena floor with a suicide elbow smash through the 2nd rope. Danielson heaved the big man back into the ring and tried to follow up with a diving headbutt, but Joe rolled out of the way just in time. Danielson crashed to the canvas, and Joe took control of the match. He exerted his will on Danielson with several high-impact power moves, including a fold-up powerbomb that very nearly ended the match. After Danielson absorbed some more punishment, Joe flashed his submission skills, clamping on a nice cross armbreaker that had the American Dragon screaming in pain.

Danielson wriggled free of the armbreaker, but Joe wasn’t about to let him catch his breath. Joe dumped Danielson on his head with a belly to back suplex that would have looked right at home in an AJPW ring, and fired off several hard kicks to the back, ribs and head. As Danielson tried to recover, Joe began taunting him, shouting “Is that all you got?!” Danielson struggled to his feet, only to have Joe all but cave his skull in with an enzuigiri. Joe mocked a prone Danielson before lifting him up for the Muscle Buster.

However, Bryan Danielson still had some fight in him. He fought his way out of the Muscle Buster, rocked Joe with a series of elbows to the head, and dropped the big man right on his neck with a Dragon Suplex. Joe got his shoulders up during Danielson’s bridging pin, but the Dragon was not deterred, as he swiftly bridged forward into the Cattle Mutilation.

Danielson kept the hold on for as long as he could manage, but eventually his weakened body gave out and he could no longer maintain the bridge. He nearly salvaged the situation when he used the hold to roll Joe over into a pinning attempt, but the tired Samoan had the wherewithal to get his left shoulder up off of the mat.

Joe staggered to his feet, and Danielson looked to connect with a rolling elbow smash. Joe blocked the strike, though, and drove Danielson into the mat neck-first with a release German Suplex. Danielson kicked out of a follow-up pin attempt, much to Joe’s shock. The shock turned to determination, and after several more hard kicks, Joe spiked his opponent with the Island Driver. A battered Danielson had nothing left, and Samoa Joe scored the decisive win he had been craving.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 29:03 with the Island Driver

--

James Hill stood backstage with Low Ki. Traces of Austin Aries’ blood were visible on Low Ki’s white wrestling pants, as well as on various parts of his body. Hill regarded Low Ki warily before speaking.

“Low Ki, after the conclusion of your match with Austin Aries tonight, you showed a side of yourself that I’m not sure any of us knew existed. You have always been an intense competitor, but I don’t ever recall seeing that intensity spill over into a post-match attack, as it did tonight. What happened out there?”

“I have always prided myself on being a sportsman, who would never strike a wounded foe after the battle had ended. But Austin Aries and Christopher Daniels, they’ve awakened something inside of me. You say you didn’t know that this side of me existed; well I didn’t know it existed, either. But you know what? Sometimes, you must be ruthless in order to win the war. I taught Austin Aries a lesson tonight that he will never forget, and he will surely think twice before he interferes in Low Ki’s business again. And Christopher Daniels, wherever you are, I know you’re paying attention. I know that you have seen the damage I have done to your protégé. THIS is the man that you will step into that steel cage with. Christopher Daniels, in your desperate attempts to hold onto that Ring of Honor Championship, you have doomed yourself to destruction. You have unleashed a new Low Ki, a man hell-bent on not simply taking that belt away from you, but also on punishing you for all that you have done. You will beg for mercy before I am done with you. And I will not grant it. Christopher Daniels, the end is near for you. And all you need to do is be…ready…”



Quick Results:

The SAT over Christian York & Joey Matthews
Paul London over CM Punk
Homicide over Kazarian
Low Ki over Austin Aries
Air Raid over Steve Corino & CW Anderson
Samoa Joe over Bryan Danielson in a No Time Limit match

ya_its_me: 5-1
Thanks for predicting, yim (can I call you yim?) A prediction-less show would’ve had me pretty worried about people’s interest in this thing.

Also, something I’m going to throw out there: would you guys like me to continue with my post-show “wrap up” backstage posts, where I use the avatar to sum the show up from a non-kayfabe point of view? Not sure if they help the diary by giving a sense of how things went, or if they hurt it by possibly slowing me down.

[ya_its_me]

YIM's good, find it funny how the show's attendance was 187.

And it's up to you what you want to do with the post-show writeups, personally I'd drop the whole post write-up thing and just add little notes after the matches like what I do. But once again it's all up to you. And like you and tizzyt said in WCW: PFTA, just because people aren't leaving comments doesn't mean they're not reading, just checked my view count today and I'm pushing 1000 with only 2 full pages.

EDIT: Make that over 1000 :D

[critical-23]

Thanks for predicting, yim (can I call you yim?) A prediction-less show would’ve had me pretty worried about people’s interest in this thing.

Also, something I’m going to throw out there: would you guys like me to continue with my post-show “wrap up” backstage posts, where I use the avatar to sum the show up from a non-kayfabe point of view? Not sure if they help the diary by giving a sense of how things went, or if they hurt it by possibly slowing me down.

My bad for being away a lil bit. The civilian life sucks big time and it sucks even worse trying to keep up with your diary but shall persevere (hope I spelled that right.)!!! Anyhoo, I kinda like the post-show wrap-up and all of that. KUTGW and get that next show up ASAP!

[The Final Countdown]

YIM's good, find it funny how the show's attendance was 187.
Heh; I didn't notice that. An omen, perhaps? :)


My bad for being away a lil bit. The civilian life sucks big time and it sucks even worse trying to keep up with your diary but shall persevere (hope I spelled that right.)!!! Anyhoo, I kinda like the post-show wrap-up and all of that. KUTGW and get that next show up ASAP!
No worries. You've left some form of feedback for virtually every show I've run so far, so I can hardly complain.

I think I'll stick with doing the post-show wrap-up, at least for now. Now that I think about it, that's actually the easiest part of the diary for me to write. The thing that seems to take the most time, actually, is the show preview. Lately it's been taking me several days to do that; longer than the shows themselves, which makes no sense.

Anyhow, off to lounge around for an hour or so before the Canucks' playoff opener kicks off. Hopefully I'll get the wrap-up and monthly news & notes posted tomorrow. After that, it's steel cage time.

[ya_its_me]

Heh; I didn't notice that. An omen, perhaps? :)


Nah, it just means pick Homicide on each prediction list. :p

[The Final Countdown]

May 17th, 2002
10:37 p.m.


I entered the dressing room, searching for two workers in particular. As luck would have it, they were standing right next to each other: Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe were secluded in a corner of the room, discussing something quietly. They broke off their conversation as I approached.

“Hey, guys,” I began, “how are you doing?” They both confirmed that they were fine, and I moved on to the purpose of my locker room visit.

“I just wanted to personally apologize for tonight. I should’ve known that No Time Limit wasn’t a catchy enough stipulation to make up for the fact that this was your fourth match in recent memory. I sort of set you guys up to fail, and I’m sorry about that.”

Both Joe and Danielson seemed taken aback at my apology. A booker apologizing to anyone for anything is a pretty foreign concept, so I guess I can understand why they were so surprised. Danielson broke the brief silence.

“Don’t worry about it, boss. This was our first match against each other in the New England region, so I was as shocked as you were that the fans here weren’t into it.”

Joe nodded his agreement before asking a question.

“So, does this match change your booking plans, or are you still going to put me in a program for the title?”

“You’re still getting your title program, don’t worry.”

“Gonna give me the strap?” Joe asked, grinning.

“We’ll see,” I replied noncommittally, smiling back. With my business in the locker room done, I said my goodbyes and headed back to my hotel room in order to record my thoughts on the show.

-Gail Kim went over Alexis Laree in the pre-show. A sub-par match, but again, I’d like to give the girls some ring time in front of a live crowd when possible.

-The S.A.T and York/Matthews put on a rather bland match. Not terrible, but not all that good either. I was expecting more, given the experience of both teams. Jose Maximo stood out with a nice performance, but it wasn’t enough to raise the match above mediocrity.

-CM Punk had a major off night, and it really hurt his match with Paul London. It was on par with the opening tag match, as a rather mediocre, forgettable match.

-Homicide’s string of solid undercard matches continued, and Kazarian finally put out a decent performance. Still, the match fell a bit short of my own expectations. I was hoping for a very good match; instead, it was another match of about the same quality as Homicide’s usual matches. I look forward to seeing what Homicide does when he’s working with our upper-echelon guys on a regular basis.

-Low Ki vs. Austin Aries accomplished exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted to showcase Low Ki heading into his big cage match with Christopher Daniels, as well as give Aries some work against a top-flight performer. The post-match attack was especially well received. It may have been the most positive reaction we’ve gotten for a non-wrestling segment so far, thanks to Low Ki’s ability to come across as menacing.

-Air Raid vs. Corino & CW Anderson had arguably the hottest crowd reactions of the show. Corino & Anderson seemed to have great natural chemistry working as a team. In addition to that, both Styles and Corino had great performances, and any time they interacted during the match, things really picked up. Air Paris had a bit of an off night, which may have held the match back from standing out amongst the other solid matches of the show.

-Things had gone reasonably well throughout the night. Then, the main event happened. The crowd was simply lifeless for this one, and it sucked the life out of the match. The work itself was just fine, but the complete lack of reaction killed this dead. Even though we had not run a Joe/Danielson match in New England, our fans apparently follow our company quite closely, and they were not interested in a fourth matchup between them. This was the worst “big” match in ROH history up to this point.

If we had run this show in Philly or New York, where we’re more established, it probably wouldn’t have done us much good. But since we’re really just beginning to get our name out there in New England, this could be considered a successful night for us. It certainly wasn’t a show that I’ll look back on with any fondness, but it was good enough.

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: May 2002


- “Bullet” Bob Armstrong formed NWA:TNA, with the blessings of the NWA itself. He quickly named Dusty Rhodes as his head booker. Fans of clubberin’ everywhere will soon get their fix.

-TNA wasn’t the only new promotion, however. Independent wrestler Mike Quackenbush opened an indy called CHIKARA. He hired Terry Taylor as his head booker. Hopefully Taylor will not force any of his talent to grow a red Mohawk.

-New Japan announced a second TV show, Wrestle Grand Prix. But there’s a rather bizarre twist: the show will air on the Playboy Channel. Apparently Hugh Hefner has decided his viewers want to see less naked women, and more Masahiro Chono.

-The WWF’s Smackdown brand ran Judgment Day, headlined by The Rock defeating Triple H in a match of the year candidate. Steve Austin beat the Undertaker in the semi-main event.

[rjhabeeb]

this is absolutely fantastic........you have a reader in me

[The Final Countdown]

this is absolutely fantastic........you have a reader in me

Fantastic...now that's what I like to hear! :D

Thanks for that.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


It began at the very first Ring of Honor show, The Era of Honor Begins, on February 8th. Now, almost exactly four months later, it will end inside of a steel cage. Be sure to buy your tickets now, because the climactic showdown between Christopher Daniels and Low Ki on Friday, June 7th, at Death before Dishonor in the Hammerstein Ballroom, is destined to be one of the biggest matches in Ring of Honor history.


Steel Cage Match for the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Low Ki (Challenger)
That Christopher Daniels and Low Ki have butted heads should come as no surprise. Their attitudes and beliefs could not be further apart. Low Ki is a proud competitor who devotes himself to upholding the same moral code that ROH President Ricky Steamboat has always believed in. Christopher Daniels, on the other hand, believes in winning at all costs. He has no regard for what others think of him; his only concern is leaving the ring with his hand raised in the air.

This personality clash would seem to make Low Ki and Christopher Daniels natural rivals, and this was proven correct in the aftermath of ROH’s first ever main event. After scoring the pinfall on Bryan Danielson, Daniels offered Low Ki a handshake in a gesture of good sportsmanship, only to cheap-shot him moments later.

The two men would clash in one-on-one competition in the final round of the tournament to crown ROH’s first champion. Despite suffering a broken wrist mere days before the match, Low Ki forged ahead, refusing ROH’s offer of a postponement. The weakened Low Ki was no match for a 100% Daniels, who was all too willing to capitalize on Low Ki’s injury en route to claiming the ROH Championship.

Low Ki made his return at Epic Encounter, and proved that he was fully recovered by pinning Daniels in tag team action. This pinfall earned Low Ki a rematch for the ROH Championship at Driven. He seemed to be on the verge of taking the title away from the Fallen Angel, but Daniels had a trick up his sleeve in the form of an interfering Austin Aries. Aries broke up a crucial pinfall while Gail Kim distracted the ref, and Daniels went on to win the bout.

Now, Low Ki gets one more shot at the gold, inside of a steel cage. Daniels will have nowhere to run, as he will be trapped inside the cage with an angry challenger. Low Ki showed brutality the likes of which no one had seen from him, leaving Aries a bloody mess after their match at Testing the Limit. Has Christopher Daniels awakened a warrior that will be too much for him to handle, or can the Fallen Angel prevail over the determined Low Ki?

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles made his in-ring return in emphatic fashion, pinning Steve Corino’s hand-picked partner, CW Anderson. Now, with Styles looking to exact revenge on Corino, the two will square off in singles action. Their current head-to-head is 1-1, but win-loss records have taken a back seat in this heated rivalry.

Triple Threat Match for the ROH Tag Team Championship:
The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)
We’ve seen Christopher Daniels etch his name in history by becoming ROH’s first champion. At Death before Dishonor, one of these three teams will replicate that feat in the tag team division.

Each team had to win a qualifying match to earn the right to compete for the belts: The S.A.T. defeated Christian York & Joey Matthews; the Saints beat James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke; and the Briscoes knocked off Spanky & Paul London, with a bit of an assist from CM Punk. There will be no assists from Punk this time, as only one team can walk out of NYC with the gold.

Homicide vs. Kazarian
If you thought that suffering a defeat would teach “The Future” some humility, you were wrong. As those who have been following ROHwrestling.com know, Kazarian insists that Homicide’s win over him at Testing the Limit was a fluke, and he simply had an off night. He demanded a rematch with Homicide, and The Notorious 187 was happy to give it to him. Can Kazarian redeem himself, or has his mouth gotten him in over his head?

Spanky vs. James Maritato
Both of these men were on the losing end of Tag Team Title Qualifying matches, and will only be able to look on as another team captures the belts. Before that, though, they’ll have the opportunity to take out their frustrations on one another, as well as build some momentum for their respective team moving forward.

Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe
After defeating Bryan Danielson in their penultimate match, Samoa Joe has officially been named the new #1 Contender for the ROH Championship. Before he can challenge the winner of the big steel cage match, though, he’ll have to deal with Tony Mamaluke. Joe has to be considered the heavy favorite, but Mamaluke has given valiant performances in every single one of his matches. If Joe is too overconfident, Mamaluke has the talent to catch him by surprise.

The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans
When this match starts, you’d be well-advised not to blink. Red and Evans may be the two fastest and most agile men in wrestling today, which should result in an absolutely jaw-dropping aerial display.


Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
SAT vs. Second City Saints vs. Briscoes
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Spanky vs. James Maritato
Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe
The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans

[rjhabeeb]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki
It seems a Low Ki-Joe fued would be a little more practical but who could take the belt off the Fallen Angel? and who honestly doesnt want to see Daniels-Joe?
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
Daniels vs. Joe vs. AJ.......not yet and this fued needs a Corino win before AJ can win a blowoff between the two
SAT vs. Second City Saints vs. Briscoes
Briscoes aren't quite ready
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Obviously Kaz wins this but I will never pick against one of my favorite workers
Spanky vs. James Maritato
minnie upset
Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe
no way Joe loses before his ME program
The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans
coin flip.....Evans needs to go over at some point or he is useless

[ya_its_me]

Christopher Daniels (c) v Low Ki
- Daniels still manages to pull out a victory, in a cheap way of course.

AJ Styles v Steve Corino
- Can't go wrong with the King of Old School, could see him being your '09 Chris Jericho.

SAT v Second City Saints v The Briscoes - ROH Tag Team Titles
- Was going to pick the SCS but just realized that London & Spanky will most likely interfere. It's going to be close between the Briscoes and the SAT.

Homicide v Kazarian
- Frankie gets his retribution.

Spanky v James Maritato
- Guido's your jobber, so duh.

Tony Mamaluke v Samoa Joe
- 4 Words: Joe's. Gonna. Kill. You.

The Amazing Red v Jack Evans
- Tough choice here but I think Evans will ultimately prevail in this one.

[critical-23]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki
ROH is known for lengthy championship reigns. I love 'Ki (no homo), but Daniels will cheat to win somehow.

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
Another win for the King of Old School--most likey by some old school cheating.

SAT vs. Second City Saints vs. Briscoes
A toss-up for me as SAT have been turning in lackluster performances even though I know they are more than capable of doing so. SCS vs Briscoes would be a nice lil fued IMO so I have the faces winning here.

Homicide vs. Kazarian
Almost voted for 'Cide but at this point Kaz will probably cheat and go on a "I'm better than you" kinda tirade even though he clearly cheated.

Spanky vs. James Maritato
Spanky's wackiness will off set Maritato's game.

Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe
Oooohh. Easy pick on the night but I would love to see in Mamaluke would look good enough to get a win down the road so. . .

The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans
Evans can do most of Red's top rope moves from the ground, however I have to remind myself that this ain't '09 but '02 when Red was err. . .red hot. . .

[The Final Countdown]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
Daniels vs. Joe vs. AJ.......not yet and this fued needs a Corino win before AJ can win a blowoff between the two

Corino has a victory over AJ; he pinned him clean in the main event of Boston Massacre, right before bashing his leg with the steel chair.



SAT vs. Second City Saints vs. Briscoes
A toss-up for me as SAT have been turning in lackluster performances even though I know they are more than capable of doing so. SCS vs Briscoes would be a nice lil fued IMO so I have the faces winning here.

The Briscoes and Saints are both heel, actually. Though that certainly doesn't mean I can't or won't have them feud with each other.

Thanks for the predictions, guys. There is an outside chance that I could get the show posted today (Sunday), but Monday is probably more realistic. I probably could wrap it up today if I really force myself to, but I want this diary to stick around long-term, and I figure forcing myself to work on it non-stop could lead to burn-out.

[ya_its_me]

Thanks for the predictions, guys. There is an outside chance that I could get the show posted today (Sunday), but Monday is probably more realistic. I probably could wrap it up today if I really force myself to, but I want this diary to stick around long-term, and I figure forcing myself to work on it non-stop could lead to burn-out.

Yay! Take your time man.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Death before Dishonor


June 7th, 2002


From the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan


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Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)


The DVD opened with a close-up of Low Ki’s face. Low Ki, standing in a backstage hallway, had an icy glare on his face.

“Christopher Daniels, can you feel it? It is almost time. Later on tonight, you and I will step inside the ring and fight for the right to call ourselves the best wrestler in Ring of Honor. But this time, there will be no distractions from Gail Kim. This time, there will be no way for Austin Aries to interfere and save your title for you. Because this time, Christopher Daniels, we will be locked inside of a steel cage. And not only will that cage keep your foot soldiers out, it will also serve as a weapon with which I will punish you.

“You and your tactics have unleashed a side of me that I never knew I had. For my entire career, I have gone into each match prepared to give my best in an attempt to win the match, and do so with honor and without any underhanded tricks. But I am not going into that ring tonight simply to win. No, tonight, for the first time in my career, I will not be satisfied with just scoring the victory. Make no mistake, I will defeat you tonight, and I will take the Ring of Honor Championship away from you. But before I take your title, I am going to hurt you. I will cave your skull in with my kicks. I will stretch and snap your limbs with my submissions. I will grind you into the cage again…and again…and the steel will tear into your flesh, and turn you into a bloody mess. Christopher Daniels, tonight, you will feel pain the likes of which you have never felt in your life. And all you need to do is be…ready…”

--

The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg

To the surprise of no one, this was an extraordinarily fast-paced match the entire way through. Both Red and Evans wasted little time in going to their strengths: a blistering tempo and awe-inspiring aerial maneuvers. But rarely, if ever, have either of these men come across someone who could match their speed, and it showed during this match. Both competitors seemed thrown off by not having the distinct speed advantage they usually enjoy, and this resulted in some mistimed and rushed moves by both Evans and Red. This included a missed corkscrew splash by Evans, which led to his demise after Red followed up on the miss with a Red Star Press.


Winner: The Amazing Red in 07:05 with a Red Star Press


Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe

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Samoa Joe was brimming with confidence after his victory over Bryan Danielson and his subsequent naming as the new #1 Contender for the ROH Championship. He may have been a bit too confident, as the feisty Mamaluke nearly scored a stunning upset with a schoolboy rollup early in the bout. Joe got serious after that, and began punishing Mamaluke with the brunt of his offense. Admirably, Mamaluke hung in there, absorbing all kinds of shots from Joe, but refusing to quit.

After several minutes of dominance from Joe, Mamaluke managed to catch him by surprise with a dropkick to the kneecap that took the big man off of his feet. Tony took advantage, focusing on Joe’s legs with submissions. The strategy worked pretty well for Mamaluke, as he was able to wear the #1 Contender down a bit while also getting a chance to recover from the beating he’d been taking. Eventually, though, Joe escaped his grasp and dropped him with an STO. The weakened legs did not prevent Joe from resuming his earlier dominance. He exerted his will over Mamaluke some more before scoring a decisive win with the Island Driver.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 15:43 with the Island Driver


Spanky vs. James Maritato

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Both of these men were eager to try and redeem themselves after suffering defeats in the ROH Tag Team Championship qualifying matches. Neither man could gain an early edge. Maritato attempted to live up to his shooter reputation by outworking his opponent on the mat, but the peculiar Spanky’s dancing and posing seemed to throw the Italian off of his game at times. That, combined with Spanky’s often overlooked athleticism, prevented the technician Maritato from taking control of the match with his submissions for any extended stretch of time.

Spanky broke the stalemate when he caught Maritato with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors that sent him over the top rope and onto the floor. Maritato got to his feet and tried to shake off the cobwebs, only for Spanky to come over the ropes with a plancha. Spanky tossed Maritato back into the ring, and looked to be well on his way to scoring the victory. He blasted him in the face with a superkick and followed that up with a top rope hurracanrana, but neither move put Maritato away. Spanky looked to bring out the big guns, going for his Sliced Bread #2 finisher, but while he was springing onto the turnbuckle, Maritato countered into a belly to back suplex that drove the back of Spanky’s head into the canvas. Maritato stepped out onto the ring apron, and when Spanky got back to his feet, Maritato finished him off with a springboard single-arm DDT that he refers to as the “Arrivederci.”


Winner: James Maritato in 12:55 with the Arrivederci


Homicide vs. Kazarian

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Determined to avenge his loss to Homicide at Testing the Limit, Kazarian did not waste any time jawing with the crowd this time around, instead focusing solely on trying to win the match. The more focused approach was quite effective, and Kazarian got off to a nice start when he connected with a step-up enzuigiri to the side of Homicide’s head. Maintaining his focus, Kazarian did not let up, working on Homicide with wear-down holds before landing several legdrops in quick succession. When he shot Homicide into the ropes, though, he telegraphed his intentions by ducking his head a bit too early, and the alert Homicide capitalized with a swinging neckbreaker.

Homicide controlled things for a bit, getting near-falls after a piledriver and a Northern Lights suplex, but Kazarian stopped his brief rally by catching a running Homicide and driving him to the mat with a spinning uranage suplex.

The match continued on, the momentum going back and forth until Homicide knocked Kazarian down with a Yakuza kick. Homicide climbed to the top rope, but Kazarian recovered quickly and shook the ropes, causing The Notorious 187 to crotch himself on the top turnbuckle. Kazarian followed him up and went for the Flux Capacitor, but Homicide blocked it and gave The Future a shove, causing him to lose his balance and jump back down. With Kazarian losing his balance, Homicide pounced, leaping off of the top rope and connecting with a diving Ace Crusher. Kazarian somehow got his shoulder up before the three count, but he had nothing left and was powerless to stop Homicide from ending the match with the Cop Killer.


Winner: Homicide in 18:53 with the Cop Killer

--

The camera opened on a large chalkboard, which had the word “CHICAGO” written across it in big block letters, with crude drawings of the Sears Tower and Wrigley Field below it. The camera slowly zoomed out, revealing Colt Cabana sitting in a fold-out chair in what was obviously a dressing room in the arena. Colt flashed a goofy smile and waved at the camera.

“Hello, Ring of Honor fans, and welcome to the premiere edition of Good Times, Great Memories. I am your host Colt Cabana, and I’m coming to you LIVE, LIVE, LIVE from my city, the Second City, Chicago, Illinois! Good Times, Great Memories has been all anybody here in Chi-Town is talking about. As you can see, some of Chicago’s finest have turned out for our glorious debut!”

Colt gestured around the room with his hands, and the camera panned around to reveal life-size cardboard cut-outs of John Belushi and Michael Jordan on either side of Cabana.

“Tonight, the rest of the world will hop on board, because we are about to set the world on fire! I have several great guests lined up tonight, but before we get to that, I’d like to start off with a little—“

Cabana was cut off as the door to the room opened up. The camera spun around, showing Colt’s partner in the Second City Saints, CM Punk, standing in the doorway. Punk stepped into the room, obviously baffled.

“Colt, what the hell? I leave for a half hour to go get warmed up before our match, and this is what I come back to? What the hell is all of this junk, anyway?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, what a welcome surprise! Please, give it up for my tag team partner, and the first-ever guest on Good Times, Great Memories, the one, the only…CM Punk!”

Noticing the cameraman in the room and studying his surroundings more closely, Punk began to piece together what was going on. His facial expression shifted from confusion to anger, and he marched across the room until he was right in front of Cabana. He grabbed hold of Colt’s shirt and yanked him up out of the chair roughly.

“Do you have any idea how important tonight is? Do you realize what is at stake tonight?” Punk questioned, fury in his voice.

“Of course! Tonight is the first-ever episode of Good Times, Great Memories, LIVE from our hometown, Chica…”

Punk tightened his grip on Cabana’s shirt, and Colt took the hint, shutting up in mid-sentence.

“This is not a game, Colt! Tonight, we have a chance to become the first Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I will not stand by and watch you screw around! You better get all of this crap out of here and get your head screwed on straight, and fast! We’re up first after intermission, so you better get your ass in gear, quick! I’m going to go finish getting ready. Meet me out by the entryway in five minutes.”

Punk released his hold on Colt’s shirt, and made to leave the room. On his way out, though, he bumped into a cardboard cut-out of former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka. Screaming in frustration, Punk punched the Ditka replica in the face before stomping out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Cabana rushed over and examined the cut-out, gasping in horror when he discovered Punk’s fist had put a dent in its face.

“Oh no! Coach Ditka! Coach Ditka has been disfigured! Somebody call an ambulance, quick!”

--

“Homicide, another big victory tonight. Congratulations on continuing your ascent up the ROH ladder with a second straight win over the man who calls himself ‘The Future’, Kazarian.”

Homicide laughed before responding to James Hill. “Yeah, the future ain’t lookin’ too bright, huh? Kazarian talks a real big game, and hey, I’ll give the man his props: he’s damn good. He’s given me a tough fight twice now, and I respect his ability. But I think he has now learned that The Notorious 187 is too much for him to handle, and if really wants to…”

Homicide stopped talking as none other than Kazarian walked into the camera shot. There was no trace of his usual ****iness; instead, he had a grim expression as he came face-to-face with Homicide.

“Homicide, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I AM the future of Ring of Honor. But even The Future can have an off night, as we all…”

“Off night? Like, just one? You flunk out of math or something? I’ve punked you twice now, ‘Future.’”

Kazarian glared at Homicide, struggling to rein in his temper. “Exactly! This has never happened to me! I have been a complete success at everything I’ve ever done in my life. When you beat me at Testing the Limit, I was shocked, but I figured that it was just a fluke, so I challenged you to a rematch, knowing that I was going to redeem myself. Now we’ve had our rematch, and you’ve beaten me again. I cannot, will not, accept this! I am The Future! I do not fail! I’m asking…no, I’m demanding that you give me one more shot!”

Homicide shrugged his shoulders, looking bored. “And why should I do that? I’ve beaten you twice in a row; I’ve got nothing left to prove against you.”

“You have to give me another match! How can I prove that I’m The Future if…”

“Wait, I think you’re on to something.” Homicide began, cutting Kazarian off. “It’ll be pretty hard for people to take The Future seriously if you lose to me three times in a row, right?” Kazarian nodded reluctantly, causing Homicide to grin. “Well, then how about this: I’ll give you one last chance to beat me.”

Kazarian smiled, happy he would be getting his chance, but Homicide was not done. “BUT, if I win…then you can no longer call yourself ‘The Future.’”

Kazarian made to protest, but eventually nodded reluctantly. “Fine. If that’s the only way you’ll give me a chance to get this monkey off of my back, then I’ll do it. But know this, Homicide: I WILL NOT lose a third time! I AM The Future, and I will prove it to you!”

--

ROH Tag Team Championship:

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The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

All three teams were ready to roll, eager to try and go down in the history books as the first ROH Tag Team Champions. Even Colt Cabana got serious, albeit not until after the bell rang.

With this being an elimination match, the only person who would attempt to make a save on a pinfall or submission was the partner of whoever was in trouble. The Saints had an interesting early strategy, as neither of them would remain in the ring for long, always tagging in a member of one of the opposing teams. As a result, the bulk of the early match was contested between the SAT and the Briscoes. Those two teams are no strangers to each other, having wrestled back at Era of Honor Begins, and they went right after each other, trying to score the elimination. The SAT came close to eliminating the Briscoes at several points, including after a belly to back suplex/top rope legdrop combo that surely would have finished off Jay Briscoe had Mark not made the save. Jose Maximo lifted Jay up in position for a Hart Attack-style double team move, but when Joel got his running start, CM Punk yanked the ropes down, sending Joel crashing to the floor. Jose attempted to come to his brother’s aid, going after Punk, but Jay took advantage of the distraction by hitting Jose from behind with a dropkick and finishing him off with a J-Driller.

With the SAT out of the picture, it became a two team race between the Saints and the Briscoes. The Briscoes did their best, doing some impressive double-teaming on Colt Cabana. A powerbomb/neckbreaker combination may have been enough to keep Colt down had Punk not made the save. Colt managed to break away after dodging a lariat, and tagged Punk into the match. The fresh Punk went on a tear, incapacitating Jay Briscoe with a Shining Wizard before turning his attention to Mark. A tiring Mark could not fend off the much fresher Punk, who threw everything he had at Briscoe, capturing the belts after hitting the Pepsi Plunge.

Punk’s earlier frustration with Colt seemed to fade away as they were handed the belts. The Saints celebrated their victory in unity, having recorded their names in the record books as the first tag champions in ROH history.


Winners: The Second City Saints in 13:39 with a Pepsi Plunge by CM Punk on Mark Briscoe
The Second City Saints became the 1st ROH Tag Team Champions.


AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

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AJ Styles evidently felt that he’d waited long enough for another one-on-one match with Steve Corino, as he jumped Corino in the aisleway as he was making his ring entrance. They didn’t make it into the ring for some time, as Corino recovered and engaged Styles in a lengthy brawl on the floor.

The intensity didn’t go down any once the match officially began. This was less a wrestling match, and more a brawl. Neither man seemed all that interested in trying to beat his foe with wrestling holds, instead using primarily punches and kicks to try and inflict damage on each other. The referee Martin Dugas had a hard time maintaining order in the match, and had to threaten each man with disqualification at several points.

The match played out in that physical, brawling fashion until Styles was whipped into the ropes by Corino, but showed great athleticism in springing onto the second rope, flipping over Corino, and dropping him with an inverted DDT. But rather than going for a pinfall after such an impressive maneuver, Styles chose to pepper The King of Old School with punches. AJ ignored the ref’s admonishments, forcing Dugas to physically pull Styles off. While Styles’ attention was on the ref, Corino caught him with a blatant kick to the groin in plain sight of Dugas. Dugas appeared to be signaling for the bell, but before he could, he was shoved down to the mat by Styles, who was clearing him out of the way so he could get to Corino. AJ took Corino down with a flying tackle, and Martin Dugas called for the bell as the two bitter rivals slugged it out on the mat. The official decision was a double disqualification, but that didn’t stop the physicality. Several more staff had to hit the ring and pry Styles and Corino apart, struggling to keep them from breaking free and going after each other again.


No Contest due to double disqualification at 19:38


As ROH staff began putting up the steel cage for the main event of the evening, ROH Champion Christopher Daniels, flanked by Gail Kim and Austin Aries, made his way to ringside, grabbing a microphone on his way.

“Low Ki, do you see this? These gophers are putting together this steel cage, and in just a few short minutes, the two of us will be locked inside. No way in, no way out. Even if one of us were to escape the cage, it wouldn’t do any good, because only a pinfall or a submission will end this match. I know you think that this steel cage will lead to me demise. The production staff showed me your little promo for the DVD; I heard all the threats that you made. You said you’re going to kick my head in. You said you ‘re going to stretch my limbs past the breaking point with submissions. You said you’re going to grind my face into the steel until I bleed.

“Well guess what? You may very well accomplish all of those things. You’re one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever seen, and thanks to me, you’re finally showing some killer instinct. I may limp out of here, blood pouring down my face, every bone in my body aching. It may take me weeks, even months, to recover from this match. But, no matter how badly you hurt me tonight, I WILL leave Death before Dishonor with the ROH Championship intact. It is my destiny to go down as the greatest champion in Ring of Honor history, as well as the best wrestler of my generation, and I will not let you screw that up. Low Ki, you may beat me from one side of this cage to the other, but when the smoke clears, The Fallen Angel will remain at the top of the mountain in ROH.

“But why wait until we’re locked inside the cage? Low Ki, why don’t you get your ass out here, and we can get this fight started right here, right now?”

Low Ki wasted little time in accepting the challenge. But before he could get to Daniels, Austin Aries cut him off. Aries met Low Ki in the aisle and tried to throw a punch, but the #1 Contender blocked the punch and dropped Aries with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. With Aries out of the way, Low Ki slowly stalked towards Daniels, the champion gradually backing through the cage door and into the ring. As Low Ki grabbed the door and prepared to enter, Gail Kim raised a steel chair above her head, intending to smash it across his back. Low Ki saw it out of the corner of his eye, and quickly turned, stopping Gail in her tracks. Gail dropped the chair and backed away, and made no further attempt to stop the challenger from entering the cage.


Steel Cage Match for the ROH Championship:

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Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Low Ki

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg

After Low Ki foiled The Fallen Angel’s pre-match plot, he went straight for Daniels, unleashing a series of rapid-fire punches and kicks that had the champion reeling and simply trying to cover up and protect himself from the assault. Daniels backed into a corner, trying to escape from the punishment, but Low Ki was having none of it. He targeted Daniels’ ribs with several hard kicks that dropped the champ, and Low Ki quickly followed up with a baseball slide dropkick that sent the back of Daniels’ head into the steel cage.

Low Ki was dominant, controlling the match with a mixture of strikes and submission holds. True to his word, he did not attempt a single pinfall in the early going, despite having ample opportunity to do so. Instead, he focused on punishing Daniels, taking out four months’ worth of frustration and anger on The Fallen Angel. With Daniels staggered in a corner, Low Ki attempted a Tidal Krush, but Daniels managed to counter it into a Downward Spiral that sent the challenger’s face into the cage.

With Low Ki shaken up after his head-on collision with the steel, Christopher Daniels mounted his first legitimate offensive attack of the match. He ground Low Ki’s face into the steel before dropping him with an STO and slapping on a bow & arrow submission. Low Ki broke out of the hold, but Daniels stayed on the attack, keeping Low Ki on the mat with some wear-down submissions before scoring with a sambo suplex. The suplex left Low Ki in perfect position for Daniels’ next move, a double-spring moonsault, but Low Ki rolled out of the way.

The miss gave Low Ki new life, and he took it. He nailed Daniels with a Shining Wizard, but rather than going for a cover, he pulled his dazed opponent up and introduced him to the cage, slamming his face into all four sides of the steel in quick succession. After the fourth side, Low Ki held Daniels’ face steady and kicked him hard in the back of the head, driving the ROH Champion’s face into the steel with a sickening thud. The impact of the blow busted Christopher Daniels wide open, the blood pouring down his face in no time.

As Daniels tasted his own blood, Low Ki went for the kill, locking on the Dragon Clutch. He applied the hold tightly, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before Daniels would be forced to submit, but the crafty champion managed to reach up and poke Low Ki in the eye, breaking the hold.

Low Ki may have been blinded momentarily, but he shook it off quickly. He picked Daniels up in Ki Krusher ’99 position, but rather than performing the move that has won him many matches, Low Ki instead used the running momentum to ram Daniels’ body into the cage at high speed. Daniels crumpled to the mat, and Low Ki backed up, preparing a running attack. While his back was turned, Gail Kim reached through one of the holes in the cage and slipped a pair of brass knuckles to Daniels. Daniels was pretty much out of it, but he had enough sense to slip the knuckles on his hand. He stood on shaky feet, and was promptly met with a spinning heel kick by Low Ki.

Looking to finish the match, Low Ki lifted Daniels into the air for the Ki Krusher, but Daniels cold-****ed him with the brass knuckles. Daniels fell on top of Low Ki, and the referee made his count. Miraculously, Low Ki got a shoulder up. Christopher Daniels stared at the ref in disbelief before angrily yanking Low Ki off of the mat and dropping him with the Last Rites. Low Ki was done, but Daniels decided to put an exclamation point on the rivalry. He scaled the cage, and came off of the top with a death-defying moonsault that will no doubt live on for years in highlight reels. Not even a warrior as courageous as Low Ki could kick out after a move that devastating, and Christopher Daniels retained his title in a thrilling bout.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 22:50 with a moonsault off of the steel cage
Christopher Daniels made defense #2 of the ROH Championship.


Both men lay prone on the canvas after the match, the crowd applauding both the match itself and the amazing finish. Gail Kim and Austin Aries entered the cage, helping their leader to his feet. Placing an arm around each of their shoulders, they helped the bloody, battered champion back behind the curtain. Low Ki slowly came around, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd as the show ended.


Quick Results:

The Amazing Red over Jack Evans
Samoa Joe over Tony Mamaluke
James Maritato over Spanky
Homicide over Kazarian
The Second City Saints over The S.A.T. and The Briscoes to win the ROH Tag Team Championship
No Contest between AJ Styles and Steve Corino
Christopher Daniels over Low Ki in a Steel Cage Match to retain the ROH Championship

rjhabeeb: 5-1-1

critical-23: 3-3-1

ya_its_me: 2-4-1

[rjhabeeb]

Awesome Show....HOMICIDE HOMICIDE HOMICIDE

[critical-23]

I don't think anyone saw that AJ/Corino ending with the double DQ. Great job!!

[The Final Countdown]

June 7th, 2002
11:14 p.m.

“I bet you’re pretty relieved, huh?”

I nodded in affirmation of the question from my boss, Ricky Steamboat.

“Of course,” I began. “I expected great things when I began the program between Christopher Daniels and Low Ki, which is why the first two matches were so disappointing. But they did a great job in salvaging things tonight. That match should do wonders for both of them, and it was also the first great title match we’ve had.”

“Hopefully the first of many,” Ricky replied.

“Yes, hopefully so.”

“So, moving forward…”

“Well, we’ve got Daniels’ next challenger already lined up, in Samoa Joe. We’ll need to establish challengers for the Second City Saints. Homicide and Kazarian have another match coming up. And of course, things still aren’t finished with AJ Styles and Steve Corino.”

“I really like what you’re doing there, by the way. Anything else?”

“Actually, Ricky, I wanted to ask you how you felt about possibly getting involved in…”

Hmmm…what did I ask him, again? Rats. Guess I’ve forgotten. Anyways, after that conversation with Ricky was finished, I headed back to my hotel, where I sorted through my thoughts on the show.

-In a pre-show match not taped for the DVD, Austin Aries went over Matt Sydal. I pretty much only put this match together so I wouldn’t be booking Aries to come out solely for his involvement in the main event. It was actually better than a couple of matches on the main show, though.

-Here’s one of those matches now: Red and Jack Evans was not quite the high-flying spectacle I was hoping for. Their similar aerial styles did not complement each other as I had imagined; they actually had pretty poor chemistry out there, and it resulted in the worst match of the night.

-Samoa Joe and Tony Mamaluke didn’t have particularly good chemistry with each other either, but that didn’t drag their match down TOO bad; it was still acceptable, and still a much better match than Joe’s tremendously disappointing feud-ending match with Bryan Danielson.

-If the opener did not meet my expectations, the match between Spanky and James Maritato exceeded them. This would have been the best match on the card for several of our shows so far, but it couldn’t quite match up to the main event. I felt like Maritato really needed a win to make sure he remained relevant. Plus, it leads nicely into my plans for the next show.

-I felt that the first match between Homicide and Kazarian wasn’t quite as good as they were capable of, and they proved me right by improving on their performance with their rematch. Not quite as good as the Spanky/Maritato match that preceded it, but a good match nevertheless.

-The Second City Saints became the first ROH Tag Champions in a decent match. I would have liked this to be a bit better, seeing as how it crowned our first tag champs and all, but it wasn’t offensive or anything.

-Were it not for the opener, AJ Styles and Steve Corino would’ve had the worst match on the show. It wasn’t so much that the work itself was bad; it was fine, if not at the level of their first match back at Road to the Title. But the crowd HATED the Double DQ finish, and crapped all over it. Oh well; it was a necessary ending to advance the feud.

-Thankfully, the feud-ending Steel Cage match between Daniels and Low Ki ended their program with a bang. Both guys were very motivated to have a killer match to make up for their previous two encounters, and they certainly did so here. I don’t think it quite matched the first Styles/Corino match, which remains our best match up to this point, but it came close. Hopefully both guys will be able to keep going at this level when they move on to new programs.

Top to bottom, this was one of our best shows so far. The negative crowd reaction to the finish in the semi-main event dragged things down a bit, but the great main event, combined with two good undercard matches, made up for it.

[The Final Countdown]

Awesome Show....HOMICIDE HOMICIDE HOMICIDE
Glad you liked...I have big plans for Homicide going forward, so hopefully he doesn't bail out on me. He currently ranks me 3rd in priority among his bookings, so if anybody else signs him, I'm screwed.


I don't think anyone saw that AJ/Corino ending with the double DQ. Great job!!
Yeah, nobody predicted it, at least. Which surprised me, because it seemed obvious to me. Of course, I knew it was coming since before I posted my first show, so that could have something to do with it.

[The Final Countdown]

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BREAKING NEWS:


One of Ring of Honor's primary objectives is to showcase the next generation of wrestling superstars. From AJ Styles to Low Ki to Bryan Danielson to Samoa Joe, ROH is filled with athletes who have limitless potential. The ROH front office workers keep constant tabs on the goings-on throughout the wrestling world, not just in North America, but throughout the world. ROH is always on the lookout for promising young talent to bring into the fold. And, with that in mind, ROH is proud to announce the signing of one of Japan's greatest rising stars: Pro Wrestling NOAH's Kenta Kobayashi (or, as he prefers to be known, simply KENTA.)

KENTA, a graduate of the AJPW dojo, followed his mentor Kenta Kobashi to NOAH following the mass exodus from AJPW led by NOAH founder Mitsuharu Misawa. KENTA, along with Naomichi Marufuji and Takeshi Morishima, among others, is viewed as one of NOAH's future "aces." But KENTA is not satisfied with just that label; he wants to become an international star, like Jushin Liger and The Great Muta before him. ROH will be more than happy to give him that opportunity. KENTA will continue to work for NOAH while simultaneously wrestling stateside for ROH.

Can KENTA achieve the international success that he seeks, and move up the ladder on two different continents? Or will the youngster's grand ambitions derail his promising career?


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/2993689276a7069582917l.jpg
KENTA and his lethal arsenal of kicks will be debuting in an ROH ring in the near future.

[critical-23]

KENTA in ROH '02?!?!?!?!?

No friggin' way!!!

[darthsiddus2]

anything is possible with working agreements! GO FINAL COUNTDOWN!

[The Final Countdown]

KENTA in ROH '03?!?!?!?!?

No friggin' way!!!

You mean ROH '02. ;)

And are you excited by the signing, or was that meant as a negative "No friggin' way"? I'm thinking that the exclamation points mean that it's the former, but I'm not sure. I'm asking because I debated whether or not this would be a realistic event so early in ROH's existence. In the end, I decided to do it, in part because KENTA in '02 had not really risen above the mid-card yet (as evidenced by his current in-game mid-card push in NOAH.)

anything is possible with working agreements! GO FINAL COUNTDOWN!

I do have a working agreement with NOAH, but I didn't bring in KENTA via talent trade. NOAH only has him on a P.P.A., so I actually signed him to the same 9-month P.P.A. that nearly all of my roster is under. So, barring some unforseen incident (hello, Seinfeld!), we'll be seeing plenty of KENTA in the months to come.

The only negative aspect of this signing? It's delaying me from running the next show, as I'm trying to figure out exactly what I want to do with my newest signing for his debut.

[darthsiddus2]

yes that would have been a realistic event for ROH because it would have given them some exposure to the japaneese audience

[tizzyt]

Wow... .I'm in effin awe, honestly.... This has been fantastic.... I step away for a little bit to sort out some things and come back thinking that I'm going to bring "Back in the Saddle Again" back with a bang and Final Countdown is KILLIN it..

Bro, this diary is by far one of my faves..... I'm seriously contemplating stopping my ROH altogether and letting this one be the sole ROH diary on the board.... "contemplating" of course.....


Keep up the phenomenal job brother

[The Final Countdown]

Wow... .I'm in effin awe, honestly.... This has been fantastic.... I step away for a little bit to sort out some things and come back thinking that I'm going to bring "Back in the Saddle Again" back with a bang and Final Countdown is KILLIN it..

Bro, this diary is by far one of my faves..... I'm seriously contemplating stopping my ROH altogether and letting this one be the sole ROH diary on the board.... "contemplating" of course.....


Keep up the phenomenal job brother

Thanks a ton! Glad you're enjoying things so far. I'd like to think that I've only scratched the surface of this thing's potential, but time will tell I guess.

I won't try to steer you one way or the other in terms of whether or not you should continue your own ROH diary. That's up to you. But I will say that, considering yours is set in present day, and mine is currently in June '02, I think there's more than enough to differentiate the two from each other. Even if I were to keep this thing going into '09 ::crossfingers::, my ROH will still undoubtedly look significantly different than what it resembles in reality.

The preview of the next show should be up sometime tonight, I think.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Death before Dishonor is in the books, and it was a show that won't soon be forgotten. But don't expect things to cool down in ROH anytime soon. Ring of Honor will be returning to the Midwest on Sunday, June 23rd, with Respect is Earned. And even with both Christopher Daniels and Low Ki receiving the night off to recuperate from their grueling battle inside the steel cage, you should be sure to buy your tickets now, because the Wild Acres Gym in Overland, Missouri will play host to another unforgettable night of wrestling action.

In addition, we here at ROHwrestling.com are pleased to announce that we will be running a predictions contest right here on the website! Beginning with Respect is Earned, and continuing on until a date to be named later, you will be able to submit your picks for each match, and whoever has the most successful picks at the end of the contest will receive a very special prize!

Fight Without Honor:
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
The problems between AJ Styles and Steve Corino began back at The Era of Honor Begins, when then-color commentator Corino felt that Styles disrespected him by bumping into him at ringside during AJ's match against Amazing Red. The issue intensified when Styles scored what has to be considered the biggest victory of his career up to this point, pinning Corino with the Styles Clash in the first round of the ROH Championship tournament. Later that night, Corino mocked Styles from his spot at ringside when AJ was defeated in the semi-finals by Christopher Daniels.

After Corino ambushed AJ with a chair at Crowning a Champion, a rematch was made for Boston Massacre. Corino got his win back, but did not stop there: he used the very same chair to inflict serious damage on the leg of AJ Styles, temporarily putting AJ on the shelf. Corino was suspended by Ricky Steamboat for the heinous attack, but soon negotiated his way back into the ring with the help of his lawyers.

AJ returned to ROH, saving his friend Air Paris from yet another attempted steel chair massacre. He and Paris then defeated Corino and CW Anderson in tag action, but it was clear that things would not be settled between these two unless it was in singles competition. They had their third singles match at Death before Dishonor, but the bad blood resulted in the referee losing any semblance of control in the match, and he was forced to disqualify both wrestlers.

Now, AJ and Corino will meet yet again. But this time, they will be fighting under "Fight Without Honor" rules...namely, no rules whatsoever. There will be no DQs or count outs in this match. Styles and Corino will be able to go at each other full-bore, and this violent conflict will hopefully reach its (likely bloody) conclusion.

KENTA vs. Devon Storm
The forums at ROHwrestling.com have been abuzz since the news of KENTA's impending debut broke 5 days ago. All but ignored among all the hoopla was the addition of another new member of the ROH roster, Devon Storm. Storm, whose name is well-known by both indy fans and former supporters of WCW, was not happy about being upstaged, and wasted little time in issuing a challenge to KENTA. Never one to back down from a fight, KENTA accepted, and these two quality athletes will debut against one another at Respect is Earned.

Homicide vs. Kazarian
If Kazarian loses, he can no longer refer to himself as 'The Future'
Kazarian is not used to failing at anything. He made his way to ROH with all of the confidence in the world, believing he would be heading straight for the top. But he met a roadblock by the name of Homicide, who pinned 'The Future' at Testing the Limit, and beat him again in a rematch at Death before Dishonor. Desperate to save face and regain his lost swagger, Kazarian challenged Homicide to another match. The Notorious 187 accepted, but under the condition that if he was victorious once again, Kazarian would have to give up his 'Future' moniker. Kazarian reluctantly accepted, and the match is on. With the stakes raised, will Kazarian finally break through? Or will the red-hot Homicide blow right by him, and take Kazarian's "mojo" with him?

ROH Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Match:
Spanky and Paul London vs. James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke
The Second City Saints crowned themselves as the team to beat in ROH at Death before Dishonor, winning a triple threat match to become the first ROH Tag Team champions. But now that champions have been crowned, its time to find challengers.

Both of these teams have an axe to grind with the Saints. Spanky's run-ins with the champs date back to The Era of Honor Begins, where he was defeated by CM Punk in singles action, and there have been problems ever since. Maritato and Mamaluke, on the other hand, would like to avenge their loss to Punk & Cabana in the Tag Title Qualifying match. Both teams badly want to be the first challengers to the tag team throne, but only one will get to challenge for the belts.

Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
Samoa Joe, the #1 Contender to the ROH Championship, is waiting in the wings for his title match. In the meantime, he'll do battle with one half of the young Briscoes tag team, Jay. Briscoe may appear over-matched, not to mention out of his element, but as the saying goes, anything can happen.

Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson
Matt Sydal has ample athletic ability, but the inexperienced youngster has yet to rack up a victory in ROH. He'll look to turn things around against the veteran CW Anderson, who is always one big punch away from having his hand raised. Sydal will likely take to the air as much as possible, but if Anderson can keep him grounded, his power game may be too much for his young opponent.

Predictions List:
AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
KENTA vs. Devon Storm
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Spanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson

((As I alluded to in the preview, I'll be trying out a predictions contest, starting with this show. I meant to do it starting with DbD, but it slipped my mind. I'm not sure how long it will run for; if there is a decent number of people involved, and no one runs away with it, 3-4 months is a possibility. If I'm not satisfied with how it goes, I'll just cut it short early and figure out the reward. I'm undecided on what the reward will be exactly; maybe I'll let the winner make a match for a big card. I'll figure it out later. Just thought I'd try a little something to spice things up. If it works, I'll probably make it a regular thing. If not, oh well.))

[ya_its_me]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
- Could go either way but I expect Styles to pull through and get his future title push. Styles v Daniels would be an absolute classic!
KENTA vs. Devon Storm
- KENTA FTW!
Homicide vs. Kazarian
- Kazarian sneaks out a cheap victory.
Spanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
- Maritato has a win to his credit but Spanky & Paul get the win in this one.
Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
- Joe to dominate.
Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson
- Sydal finally breaks through with a win over CW.

[buck44f]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
KENTA vs. Devon Storm
Homicide vs. KazarianSpanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson

[UFC-KING]

Long Time Reader, First Time Predictor :D

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
KENTA vs. Devon Storm
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Spanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson

[tizzyt]

I'll give it a go

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
I see Corino taking the Fight Without Honor and extending this thing a little longer

KENTA vs. Devon Storm
Gotta debut the right way

Homicide vs. Kazarian
Nuff Said

Spanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
The future WWE Tag Team Champions make an example of the FBI

Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
In what would turn into a fantastic cage match between these two, I think Jay takes the win with some help from Mark

Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson
I'm sure it will probably go the other way, but Sydal should be on the rise

[The Final Countdown]

@ buck44f and UFC-KING: thanks a bunch for submitting predictions! Always nice to hear from first-time posters. Well, it's nice to hear from everyone, of course.

I sort of thought that 3 would be the minimum number of people needed for a predictions contest to really work, and 4 people have chimed in for this show, so this things just might work out. Now, I'm off to watch the NFL draft/work on Respect is Earned in the ridiculous amount of time between each pick. I'm guessing I'll get the show up sometime Sunday.

[critical-23]

Long Time Reader, First Time Predictor :D

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
KENTA vs. Devon Storm
Homicide vs. Kazarian
Spanky & Paul London vs. James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe
Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson

gotta be lazy this time (spring colds suck big time). UFC-KING, please dont take offense, tee-hee! I take UFC-KING's picks. :D

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Respect is Earned


June 23rd, 2002


From the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri


Attendance: 83

The DVD opened in the ring, presumably hours before the show began. Samoa Joe was in the ring, sparring with an unknown young wrestler. After a bit of light training, Joe suddenly kicked things up a notch, blasting the young man in the face with a hard forearm shot before locking him in a Rear Naked Choke. After incapacitating his unfortunate victim, Joe stood up and turned to the camera with an intense stare.

“Are you watching, Christopher Daniels? I hope so. I know you weren’t booked in a match tonight. Something about needing to recover from your steel cage match with Low Ki. Well guess what, Daniels? The next man to challenge for that belt is me, the Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe. And if you thought your little cage match was painful, just wait until I sink my teeth into you. I will make that cage match look like a walk in the park. Christopher Daniels, I will break you. And after I’ve broken you, I will take your Ring of Honor Championship.

“So sit at home, champ. Sit back and watch what I do to Jay Briscoe later on tonight. I will use Jay Briscoe as my own personal punching bag. I will dissect him, I will punish him, and I will choke him out. And the whole time, I’ll be thinking of you, champ.

“Rest up, Daniels. Get yourself back to 100%. I want you at your best, so there will be no excuses when I tear into you. And when its all said and done, even you will have no choice but to admit that Samoa Joe is the baddest son of a bitch in Ring of Honor.”
--

“James Hill here, backstage with AJ Styles before Respect is Earned. AJ, you’ve had numerous clashes with Steve Corino in ROH’s brief history thus far. It started when Corino claimed you disrespected him, saying that you should have bowed down and kissed his boots after bumping into him at ringside. Then, of course, you made Corino eat a bit of humble pie by defeating him in the ROH title tournament, which Steve obviously took quite personally. He’s attacked you with a steel chair on more than one occasion since then, including a vicious post-match assault at Boston Massacre that kept you on the shelf for several shows. Things have only escalated since, and after tempers flared and brought about a double DQ at Death before Dishonor, you and The King of Old School will do battle tonight in a Fight Without Honor. No DQs, no count-outs, anything and everything is legal. What is your fame of mind heading into this dangerous anything-goes fight?”

“James, I can’t wait. Corino likes to jump me from behind, like he did at Crowning a Champion. And he likes to assault me after the match, like he did at Boston Massacre. Well, tonight, it all stops. Tonight, for one night only, I’m not gonna be AJ Styles, great athlete who does amazing things in an attempt to win the match. Tonight, instead of trying to beat Steve Corino with my athletic ability, I’m gonna beat him with my fists. I’m gonna beat him up, I’m gonna hit him with anything that isn’t nailed down, and I’m gonna make him bleed. Corino has been saying for months that he’s going to ‘beat some respect into me’. Well, that ain’t happening. I will never respect someone like Steve Corino. He’s a disgrace to Ring of Honor, and to the sport of professional wrestling as a whole. I’m not looking to set him straight, or teach him a lesson, or anything like that. He’s set in his ways; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But I will settle for beating the hell out of the dog until he rolls over and dies.
--

If Homicide wins, Kazarian loses ‘The Future’ moniker

Homicide vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Showing his absolute desperation to finally score a win over Homicide, Kazarian did not even wait for his opponent to enter the ring, taking him out at ringside with a tope. Looking to take Homicide out early, Kazarian kept up the assault, slamming his head into the ring steps and steel post. He tossed a groggy Homicide into the ring and stayed on the offensive, dominating the action with strikes and basic moves before sprinkling in some aerial maneuvers, such as a springboard legdrop.

Homicide was reeling out of the gate, but got himself into the match by powerslamming Kazarian out of mid-air during a flying crossbody. The Notorious 187 then controlled things for several minutes, his offense highlighted by a hurracanrana and a float-over suplex. But Kazarian showed his focus by blocking a lariat attempt and driving Homicide to the mat with the Wave of the Future. Unfortunately for Kazarian, Homicide managed to kick out. A livid Kazarian argued with the referee, accusing him of a slow count, and Homicide nearly stole the win with a schoolboy roll-up.

Kazarian’s momentary lack of focus had nearly cost him, but he quickly settled down and resumed control of the match after an enzuigiri. He had a sustained offensive rally, but could not put Homicide away. Kazarian’s frustration visibly grew the longer Homicide hung around, leading to some questionable, borderline dirty tactics that the ref reprimanded Kazarian for.

After nearly getting the win with a Northern Lights suplex, Kazarian measured his foe, waiting for Homicide to get to his feet. Once he did, Kazarian charged—and ran right into a Yakuza kick. Kazarian kicked out of a pin, but Homicide quickly followed up with a Cop Killer that put the match away.


Winner: Homicide in 18:56 with the Cop Killer


Kazarian was very slow to recover after being on the receiving end of Homicide’s lethal Cop Killer finisher. When he finally did get back to his feet, it took him a few moments to realize what exactly had happened. As it gradually sunk in that he had been defeated a third straight time, and lost the right to call himself The Future in the process, his face took a defeated expression. His shoulders slumped, and he slowly left the ring with his head down. A few fans taunted him as he left the ringside area, but Kazarian did not seem to even hear them, staring straight at the ground and looking completely lost and dejected.


Matt Sydal vs. CW Anderson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg

CW Anderson appeared supremely confident before the match, condescendingly patting Matt Sydal on the cheek. Sydal made him pay for his overconfidence, opening the match with a spinning heel kick and quickly getting on a roll with his speed, catching CW with a flying headscissors and a beautiful standing moonsault, among other moves. Sydal’s fast start came to an end when Anderson blocked a hurracanrana attempt and dropped him with a short-arm clothesline. CW took control, keeping Sydal on the mat and out of the air. Anderson’s swagger came back as he took control, and he mocked Sydal some more before putting him into position for either a piledriver or powerbomb. But Sydal wiggled free, fooled CW with a feint that enabled him to get behind him, and scored the first win of his ROH career with a victory roll. CW popped up right after the pin and stared at Sydal in shock, stunned that the young upstart snatched the win.


Winner: Matt Sydal in 05:37 with a victory roll


Samoa Joe vs. Jay Briscoe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg

Samoa Joe stared down Jay Briscoe, glaring at him savagely. To his credit, Briscoe did not back down from the intense Samoan. Once the match began, he came right at Joe, trying to use his obvious speed advantage to tire the big man. But his attacks had little effect on Joe, who scrambled Jay’s brains with one big knee to the cranium. With his foe down, Joe looked to pick him apart with mat wrestling. It worked well for the most part, but once in a while Briscoe would come up with a counter-hold and mount a brief offensive flurry.

Briscoe turned in a solid effort, but the #1 Contender to the ROH Championship was just too much. He all but folded Briscoe in half with a ferocious powerbomb, and from there slapped on a Boston crab. Joe may have been able to get a submission right there, but he released the hold in order to dish out some more punishment. Joe toyed with his prey a bit, firing off some stiff kicks. As Joe put on his demonstration, Jay surprised him with an inside cradle and nearly pulled off the huge upset, but Joe kicked out. The close call served to make Joe angry, which spelled disaster for Jay Briscoe. Joe quit wasting time, crushing Briscoe with the Muscle Buster before doing exactly what he said he would do in his earlier vignette, choking out Briscoe via the Rear Naked Choke.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 11:16 with the Rear Naked Choke

--

“James Hill, backstage here with Steve Corino. Steve, in tonight’s main event you will go one-on-one with AJ Styles for the fourth time inside an ROH ring. But tonight’s contest will have a very distinct difference from those first three, because tonight, there will be no rules. How do you feel about the Fight Without Honor stipulation?”

Corino smirked at Hill’s question. “How do I feel, Jimbo? I feel great! That idiot Ricky Steamboat has made mistake after mistake since he started this company, but I guess even clueless morons get it right once in a while. It’s no secret that I have been criminally under-appreciated from day one here in Ring of Honor. It started when I was put in a meaningless match on the first show, when I rightfully should have been in the main event. But I showed up, kicked Tony Mamaluke’s ass, and even carried a brainless fool like you to the best night of commentary that you’ll ever have in your life. Ricky Steamboat should have shaken my hand and thanked me profusely for carrying that show, but I didn’t hear one word of gratitude from the ol’ Dragon. And you, Hill, you should have gotten on your hands and knees and bowed down to me for gracing you with my presence at the commentator’s table, but did you? Of course not.

“And how could I forget AJ Styles? AJ Styles is a snot-nosed punk. His greatest claim to fame is a cup of coffee as a curtain jerker in WCW. And not even New World Order-era WCW, but Vince Russo, lying-on-its-deathbed WCW. He should have felt privileged that a star of my caliber was down at ringside, lending my expertise to his match with Amazing Red. When he bumped into me, he should have immediately apologized, and shown me the proper respect. But he didn’t. No, he tried to be a big man and make a name for himself by getting in The King of Old School'’s face. I have tried to teach the punk a lesson. I busted him open with a steel chair, but that didn’t do the trick. So I damn near bashed his knee to bits with the chair, but even that didn’t get through to AJ. I was running out of ideas, and then Steamboat and his army of dunces came up with the solution for me: they tossed the rulebook out the window. Now, I get to do whatever I want to Styles, without having to worry about any feeble attempts of backlash from that squeamish Steamboat.

“AJ, after tonight, the message will finally sink in. I will beat you to within an inch of your life, and when all is said and done, like it or not, you will finally show me the respect that I deserve, and shake my hand in a sign of humbleness and humility. Tonight’s show has a very fitting title, because tonight, Steve Corino will earn the respect of every man in that locker room.”

--

ROH Tag Team Title #1 Contender's Match:

Spanky and Paul London vs. Tony Mamaluke and James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

Before the match, both teams shot some looks towards CM Punk at the commentator’s table, obviously looking ahead to the title match that would be awarded to the winning team. For his part, Punk stared right back...and took potshots at both teams on commentary.

Both teams tried to play to their respective strengths throughout the match. Maritato and Mamaluke used their grappling technique to keep Spanky and London grounded, in addition to locking on some nice holds in a bid for a submission victory. On the other side of things, Spanky and London did their best to keep the match going at a fast tempo, utilizing their speed advantage and attempting numerous high-flying moves.

The match was just about 50/50 for most of the way, and both teams came close to winning the match on more than one occasion. Maritato may have pinned London with the Sicilian Slice had Spanky not made the save, and Maritato likewise had to save Mamaluke after Spanky hit him with a tornado DDT.

The beginning of the end came when Mamaluke missed with a running attack in the corner, causing him to collide with the top turnbuckle and crash to the floor. With Mamaluke out of the picture, Spanky and London tore into Maritato with some double teaming, culminating with a double superkick. Maritato was down & out, and London capitalized, finishing him off with the London Calling (a.k.a. the Shooting Star Press.)


Winners: Spanky and Paul London in 13:08 with the London Calling by London on James Maritato


When the bell rang at the conclusion of the match, CM Punk stood up from his seat. He slung his ROH Tag belt over his right shoulder, and his newly won NWA World Tag belt over his left shoulder. Punk slowly made his way into the ring, clapping sarcastically as he approached Spanky and London.

“Well, well, well. I guess congratulations are in order! Spanky and Paul London: the new #1 Contenders for the ROH Tag Team titles! You two will now get to challenge the Second City Saints, and to the victors go the spoils!

“But let’s be honest here: do you guys really think you’ve got a chance? You were both trained by Shawn Michaels. Whoop-de-freakin’-do. HBK won’t be able to help you two when you step into the ring with the hottest tag team in pro wrestling today, the Second City Saints. Not only are we the first-ever ROH Tag Team Champions, but as of this past Tuesday, we are also the NWA World Tag Team Champions.”

Punk paused to pat both championships in sequence before stepping closer, coming face-to-face with Spanky.

“But I don’t have to tell you that, do I, Spanky? After all, you were there. In fact, correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember us winning the titles because I drove your goofy ass into the mat with the Pepsi Plunge. That seems familiar, actually. Have I done that before?”

Punk paused, acting as if he was lost in thought. He put his hand over his chin dramatically before smirking at Spanky, who looked far more serious than usual.

“Spanky, it doesn’t matter who you bring as your partner, because the result will always be the same. You and The Amazing Red tried to stop the Saints from winning the NWA Tag Championship, and this shiny gold belt draped over my left shoulder says you failed miserably. Now, you and Paul London will have your shot at taking our ROH Tag belts. And you will lose yet again. So savor this little victory while you can, guys, because when you step into the ring with Colt Cabana and I, you will come crashing back down to Earth.”

His statement evidently made, Punk turned his back to Spanky and went to exit the ring. Spanky had other ideas, grabbing Punk by the shoulder and spinning him back around roughly, catching the brash young man by surprise with a right hand before tackling him to the ground. The two rivals brawled on the mat until Paul London pulled his partner away, holding him back long enough for Punk to leave ringside before another scuffle could break out. London struggled to hold Spanky back, clearly trying to tell his partner that “now isn’t the time.”


KENTA vs. Devon Storm

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg

KENTA may have been debuting amid much fanfare, but Devon Storm was intent on ruining the reception. The veteran did his best to quiet KENTA’s supporters early, using some of the tricks of the trade that he picked up during his years on the independent circuit. Storm seemed content to wrestle at a rather modest pace, and try and sap the young Japanese competitor of his energy. But things changed when KENTA blocked a suplex, and countered with one of his own. KENTA took charge after that, and showed off some of the tremendous kicking ability that has made him such a hot prospect in NOAH.

KENTA was wowing the fans with his kicks, and seemed to be on his way to a victory until Storm blocked a kick, held onto KENTA’s foot and wrenched his knee with a dragon screw legwhip. Storm attempted to capitalize, working over KENTA’s leg with strikes and submissions. Once KENTA slipped out of his grasp, though, the match turned in a hurry. KENTA drove Storm’s head into the mat with a DDT, and dominated for the rest of the match, eventually capping his debut with a roundhouse kick to the head, followed by the Busasiku Knee Kick for the pinfall.


Winner: KENTA in 16:36 with the Busasiku Knee Kick


Fight Without Honor:

AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

AJ Styles was so looking forward to this match, he couldn’t even wait for his ring entrance. Instead, he attacked Steve Corino in the aisle during Corino’s entrance. The match started right then and there, as the two bitter rivals brawled there way down the aisle and towards the ringside area. Styles may usually prefer to wrestle an aerial, athletic match, but he looked right at home trading fisticuffs with Corino.

The physicality continued, and AJ kicked things up a notch by suplexing Corino on the thinly-padded floor. He then whipped Steve into the security barrier, Corino’s back colliding with the obstacle with great velocity. Corino slumped against the barricade, and Styles charged towards him, leaping into the air in an attempt to wipe Corino out. At the last second, Corino sidestepped, and Styles crashed into the barrier with a thud, his ribs suffering particular damage as they slammed into the very edge of the barricade.

AJ struggled on the ground, and the blow to his ribs did not go unnoticed by Steve Corino. Corino went right after AJ’s weak point, targeting the ribs with stomps and kicks before lifting him up dropping him ribs-first across the barricade yet again.

The King of Old School tossed Styles back into the ring before reaching under the ring apron and pulling out a steel chair. But it was not just any chair; the dents and dried blood identified it as the same chair that Corino had used in his earlier attacks against AJ. Corino brought the chair into the ring with him, and jammed the edge of it into the ribs of Styles, causing him to shout in pain. Corino continued to jab the edge of the chair into his ribs, until a desperate Styles managed to kick his left leg up, bringing his foot into contact with Steve Corino’s crotch. Corino doubled over and fell to the mat, enabling Styles to take a few deep, labored breaths.

AJ may have been short on air, but he still had plenty of fight left in him. He got back to his feet, and grabbed Corino’s chair. Corino slowly got back up after the low blow, and AJ jabbed him in the gut with the chair, doubling him over and leaving him wide open for AJ to bring the chair down across his back. AJ gave him another chair shot to the back before targeting Corino’s head, teeing off and swinging the chair almost like a baseball bat. There was an audible thud as steel met skull, and blood poured down the face of Steve Corino.

A dazed, possibly concussed Corino staggered to his feet on wobbly legs, but he had the sense of mind to duck another swing of the chair by Styles, and bought himself some time to shake the cobwebs by thumbing AJ in the eye. After pausing to wipe some of the blood off of his face, Corino stole the chair from AJ, dropped it onto the canvas, and drove Styles head-first onto the chair with a DDT.

After AJ kicked out of one of the first pin attempts of the match, Corino slid back out to the floor, dragged a wooden table out from underneath the ring, and brought it into the ring. He also produced a steel chain, which he used to whip AJ Styles across the back before wrapping it around his throat, trying to literally choke the life out of his foe. Feeling himself fading, Styles fired off elbows wildly, one of them catching Corino in the face and allowing Styles to remove the chain and suck in some oxygen.

Corino stumbled back, but the glancing blow did not effect him for very long. He dropped a couple of elbows to AJ’s ribs, and then moved back to the table, setting it up. Corino turned back to AJ, but Styles had recovered enough to fight back, and rocked him with several hard forearms to the chin. Styles knocked a rubber-legged Corino to the mat with a discus lariat, before picking the steel chair back up and legdropping it onto Corino’s bloodied face.

AJ picked Corino up, and placed him on the table. Nodding to the cheering crowd, Styles climbed up to the top rope, looking to put his war with Corino behind him with a Spiral Tap. But Corino rolled off of the table at the last second, and AJ crashed through the table himself. After the crash and burn, AJ was easy prey for Corino, who pinned him after an Old School Expulsion that sent the back of AJ’s head into the steel chair.


Winner: Steve Corino in 24:17 with the Old School Expulsion onto a steel chair


As referee Martin Dugas raised Steve Corino’s hand in the air, Corino used his other hand to wipe some of the blood off of his face. Corino may have been bloody and bruised, but he was also victorious, and he had the satisfied smirk on his face to prove it. He asked for a microphone, which a ringside attendant quickly handed to him.

“Well, whadda ya know? The King of Old School reigns supreme, and ****y young punk AJ Styles is lying flat on his back. AJ, it never had to come to this. If you had just acknowledged the fact that I am the biggest star in Ring of Honor, this could have all been avoided. If you had apologized, rather than antagonizing me further, you would never have had to learn this brutal lesson. But you just had to do things the hard way, didn’t you, kid? You raised the ire of Steve Corino, and you paid dearly for it. Now you know, AJ, that Steve Corino is exactly what he says he is. You should also know that I am a man of my word. Earlier on tonight, I told that moron James Hill that after I beat you tonight, you would have no choice but to shake my hand and admit that I am the better man. Now, I realize that after the beating I just gave you, you’re in no condition to blink, much less stand up and pay me my respect. So, as a man of my word, I’ll just take care of that little detail myself.”

Corino bent down and grasped the limp hand of AJ Styles, shaking it with a huge smirk on his face as the fans booed lustily. Corino smiled and shrugged at the fans as he released AJ’s hand, letting it fall back to the canvas. Corino moved towards the ropes as if he were about to leave the ring, but stopped and slowly turned around.

“Oh, wait, I almost forgot. AJ, I understand that you Georgians tend to be on the stupid side, and sometimes things have to be repeated to you over and over again for you to actually learn anything. So, let me just make sure that you get the message.”

Corino picked up the steel chair and pulled Styles up by the hair, planning to attack him further. Alexis Laree tried to prevent it, but Corino raised the chair over his head threateningly, and she had no choice but to back off as Corino smashed AJ’s skull with the chair. Referee Martin Dugas stepped in between Corino and Styles when Corino raised the chair again, but Corino simply used the chair on Dugas, knocking the ref out cold with a shot to the head. Steve returned his attention to AJ, but he had something even more devious than another simple chair shot in mind. He opened the chair, closing it as best he could around AJ’s head and trapping his neck. Corino hooked AJ in position for the Old School Expulsion, trying to do permanent damage to the promising young star.

Before Corino could complete his barbaric plan, ROH President Ricky Steamboat hit the ring at a dead run. Steamboat got right in Corino’s face, screaming at him to release Styles. Corino paused for several long moments, seemingly weighing his options before releasing his grip, letting Styles fall to the mat unharmed. Corino stood nose-to-nose with Steamboat before several wrestlers, including Tony Mamaluke and Paul London, ran to the ring and got between the two. Corino backed out of the ring slowly, occasionally pausing to look back at Steamboat, who had one eye on a recuperating AJ Styles and one eye on Corino.


Quick Results:

Homicide over Kazarian
Matt Sydal over CW Anderson
Samoa Joe over Jay Briscoe
Spanky & Paul London over Tony Mamaluke & James Maritato
KENTA over Devon Storm
Steve Corino over AJ Styles

tizzyt: 5-1

ya_its_me: 4-2
UFC-KING: 4-2
critical-23: 4-2

buck44f: 3-3

[UFC-KING]

gotta be lazy this time (spring colds suck big time). UFC-KING, please dont take offense, tee-hee! I take UFC-KING's picks. :D

THOSE WERE MY PICKS !!! lol, no problem with anybody taking my picks, I'm just happy to see that I'm not a complete moron with these :p

[The Final Countdown]

June 23rd, 2002
10:42 p.m.


I polished off the glass of water, quenching the thirst that built up thanks to two hours of play-by-play commentary. With my business already settled, I took some time to reflect on Respect is Earned before mentally moving forward.

-I’m not sure exactly what happened, but the third match between Homicide and Kazarian was not quite as good as their second match. Instead, it was akin to their first match with each other: a solid performance, but not particularly memorable.

-Matt Sydal over CW Anderson was a pretty bland, unexciting contest. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t really very good either. I am happy that we got Sydal a win, though: hopefully we can gradually build him into a legit upper-card guy.

-Disappointment of the night was the match between Samoa Joe and Jay Briscoe. I thought those two had a shot to steal the show, but for whatever reason, they just had terrible chemistry with one another. The match was a pretty big let-down, but hopefully it won’t really hurt Joe’s momentum as we get closer to his title match with Christopher Daniels.

-The tag team match between Spanky & London and Maritato & Mamaluke continued a run of three rather sub-par matches. I think Spanky and London could develop into a good team, but they had never teamed anywhere before we paired them up several shows back, so they’re still going through a bit of a feeling-out process. Spanky looked pretty good in this match, but it wasn’t enough to mask he and Paul’s inexperience with each other.

-KENTA’s debut match wasn’t a slam dunk or anything, but it didn’t bomb either. He and Devon Storm had a perfectly fine match, but like our opening bout between Homicide & Kazarian, it wasn’t a stand-out performance. I’m very high on KENTA, and can’t wait to see what he can do with some of our top-level guys.

-The Fight Without Honor was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the AJ Styles/Steve Corino program. It was a good match, and far and away the best thing on the show. It was still a couple of notches below their incredible first encounter back at Road to the Title, though. I’m not sure why they never quite got back to that initial level, but even so, the feud as a whole has to be considered the best that we’ve done so far. Even in coming out on the losing end, I think AJ Styles leaves the feud much better off then he was at the start. I see him as one of our franchise players for years to come; as long as he sticks with us and avoids injury, I think it’s an inevitability that he’ll hold the ROH title one day.

This was the very definition of a one-match show. Other then the main event, it was a pretty forgettable night. But the main event, always the most important position on any show, was very strong, and our standing in the Midwest should increase nicely a result. Hopefully that will mean more than a mere 83 fans show up when we make our way back out here.

[The Final Countdown]

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino
- Could go either way but I expect Styles to pull through and get his future title push. Styles v Daniels would be an absolute classic!


You weren't the only one who thought AJ was coming out on top, considering only one person predicted a win for Corino. And in truth, my initial plan for this feud was exactly as you said: Styles ultimately picks up the win, and springboards himself into a title program with Daniels. But that changed at Road to the Title. You may have forgotten/overlooked it, but AJ and Daniels had a singles match in the semi-finals of the tournament, and I got the dreaded 'Awful' chemistry.:mad: So I changed my plans.

Freakin' chemistry.

gotta be lazy this time (spring colds suck big time). UFC-KING, please dont take offense, tee-hee! I take UFC-KING's picks. :D

Fight! Fight! Fight!:D

Seriously though, thanks for checking this out even while sick. I know what you mean about spring colds; I HATE spring. Stupid pollen.

THOSE WERE MY PICKS !!! lol, no problem with anybody taking my picks, I'm just happy to see that I'm not a complete moron with these :p

4-2's pretty darn good, really. That puts you only 1 back in the contest (if you submit predictions for the next show, of course.)

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: June 2002


-Jake “The Snake” Roberts retired from competition. I could make the obligatory alcoholic joke, but will refrain out of respect for the promos that he used to cut in his prime. Has there ever been a better promo man in the business? Also, Kamala retired. I don’t think anyone noticed.

-NWA-TNA finally held their first show: a PPV entitled Back to Basics. In the main event, Ron Killings defeated Samoa Joe to win the vacant NWA World Heavyweight Championship. That wasn’t the only title match: The Second City Saints defeated Spanky and The Amazing Red for the vacant NWA World Tag Team titles, and Evan Karagis beat Nova to become the first-ever X- Division champion, TNA’s equivalent of a cruiserweight title. But the match of the night was the semi-main event clash between Ken Shamrock and Steve Corino.

-Kenta Kobashi became the new top man in Pro Wrestling NOAH, dethroning Jun Akiyama to capture the GHC Heavyweight Championship during an episode of the NOAH Di Colosseo TV show. Also in NOAH, Yoshinobu Kanemaru became a two-time GHC Junior Heavyweight champion, winning the belt from Naomichi Marafuji at the Navigation with Breeze PPV. Kanemaru's reign would be short-lived, though, as KENTA claimed the belt from him at the end of the month.

-Eddie Guerrero became the 2002 King of the Ring, defeating Tommy Dreamer in the first round, Jeff Hardy in the semi-finals, and Billy Kidman (:eek:) in the finals.

-After dropping the OVW Heavyweight title to Chris Kanyon in his OVW swan song, “The Prototype” John Cena was called up from developmental by the WWF. The WWF higher-ups are said to be very high on him. Hopefully this means he’ll be made to look a bit stronger than fellow OVW alum Brock Lesnar, who has a sterling 2-6 win-loss record in televised matches so far…including an 0-2 mark against that perennial powerhouse, Spike Dudley. In other developmental news, the WWF signed Teddy Hart, nephew of Bret, to a contract, and have brought him straight up to the main roster.

-Evidently tired of no one in the wrestling business booking him, independent wrestler Joey Ryan opened a promotion of his own, Major League Wrestling (MLW). No one’s quite sure how the 22-year old managed to pull together the capital to start his own wrestling promotion.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Hot dogs, apple pie, fireworks...and pro wrestling?

Independence Day is rapidly approaching here in the United States, and Ring of Honor is feeling rather patriotic. This Sunday, ROH will be in the backyard of a great American city, Boston, as we present All-American Honor. So this Thursday, shoot off the biggest fireworks you can find, grill some hot dogs, watch a baseball game or two...and prepare yourself for some great in-ring competition just 3 days later.


Samoa Joe and Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels and Austin Aries
Samoa Joe and Low Ki have one thing in common: they both want a piece of ROH Champion Christopher Daniels. Joe, the current #1 Contender to the title, is waiting none-too-patiently for his shot at the crown, and would certainly relish the chance to soften up the champ before their title showdown.

After losing to Daniels inside the steel cage at Death before Dishonor, Low Ki will have to work his way back into title contention before receiving any future shots at the belt. But, title contender or no, Low Ki would no doubt love to kick Daniels' head clear off of his shoulders, so he has to be looking forward to this tag match as well.

Joe and Low Ki both want the same thing: to beat the hell out of Christopher Daniels. But will they be able to coexist long enough to get it done? Both are notorious loners, and someone as cagey as the Fallen Angel may well be able to manipulate them into falling apart at the seams. There is no question that Daniels and his protege Austin Aries will be able to work together as a cohesive unit, and that could be the deciding factor in this match. Only time will tell.

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
The always controversial Steve Corino nearly topped himself at Respect is Earned, first by attempting to inflict permanent damage on AJ Styles after the conclusion of the Fight Without Honor, and then by nearly coming to blows with ROH President Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat before several employees came running to the ring to break it up.

One such employee was Tony Mamaluke, and later that very night, Mamaluke approached Steamboat and requested a match with Corino at the earliest opportunity. That opportunity is now. Mamaluke will look to score the biggest singles victory of his career, but the King of Old School is more brash than ever after defeating AJ Styles, and may be looking to send a message to Steamboat through Mamaluke.

For the ROH Tag Team Championship:
Second City Saints (CM Punk & Colt Cabana) vs. Spanky & Paul London
CM Punk claimed at Respect is Earned that the Second City Saints are the hottest tag team in pro wrestling today, and he may have a point. Not only are they the first-ever ROH Tag champions, they also became the first NWA World Tag champions of the TNA era.

The Saints are riding high at the moment, but Spanky and London would love nothing better then to derail them completely by taking the ROH Tag titles in their very first defense. The issue between Spanky and Punk has been ongoing since The Era of Honor Begins, but the stakes have never been higher.

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
Bryan Danielson will return to action at All-American Honor, competing in ROH for the first time since suffering defeat to Samoa Joe back at Testing the Limit. Apparently rejuvenated after the loss, the American Dragon will look to return to form this Sunday.

Speaking of returning to form, Kazarian has been in a funk ever since he first challenged Homicide. After suffering three straight losses to the Notorious 187, Kazarian no longer has the right to refer to himself as 'The Future', which to him was more than just a nickname: he took the moniker very seriously, and truly believed that he was the future of Ring of Honor. Can Kazarian finally right the ship, or has he lost all confidence in himself?

KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Rising international star KENTA made his debut in ROH a successful one, defeating Devon Storm at Respect is Earned. Since then, he has achieved even greater heights in his career: just days ago, he claimed the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship in his home promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH. He'll look to continue his hot streak, but will have an interesting challenge in The Amazing Red, who will attempt to counterbalance KENTA's great kicking ability with his superior speed and aerial assault.

Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson
CW Anderson felt embarrassed after being defeated by young upstart Matt Sydal at Respect is Earned. He'll try to right himself against another young, inexperienced flier in Jack Evans, who will try to follow in Sydal's footsteps and pick up his first win in ROH.

Predictions List:
Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson

Standings in Predictions Contest #1 after 1 show:

1st. tizzyt: 5-1

2nd. ya_its_me: 4-2
UFC-KING: 4-2
critical-23: 4-2

3rd. buck44f: 3-3

[critical-23]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
The win here will make the faces look strong.

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Mamaluke ain't nearly there yet as far as beating top stars.

Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
Too soon for SCS to lose the titles yet.

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
American Dragon will look to start his climb while Kaz will lose again.

KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Not quite a squash --even glorified--but will be a great match nonetheless with Red getting his chest caved in.

Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson
I can see CW as the kind of guy that the smarks will know he is there to lose and make the younger guys look strong. Not that Anderson can't still go (even here in 2009), it is just that Evans needs a win and could pull it off against CW here.

Since you have KENTA on a PPA basis, I am thinking that you will scoop up Katsuhiko Nakajima whenever he is active?

[tizzyt]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
HEELERY!!!!!

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
The Old School Expulsion is far too much for a Goomba to handle

Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
The Saints will capitalize on the inexperience of Spanky & London (in terms of their team)

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
American Dragon is back and needs to prove himself with a good outing

KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
I wanted to go with Red and say "it's called paying your dues, kid" but KENTA is too much for Red to handle, IMO

Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson
Anderson needs a win after losing to Matt Sydal

[rjhabeeb]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
need to get Ki back to winning and Joe needs a bump before a title clash
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
I almost wanna pick Tony but dont wanna go too crazy
Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
Spanky and London are not ready yet
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
Man I would think Kaz would start winning but not over the Dragon
KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson

[ProjectJinx]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson

NEW GUY! I just got back into TEW and I always loved Dynasties... ROH one makes me extra happy.

[buck44f]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino
Second City Saints vs. Spanky & Paul London
Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian
KENTA vs. The Amazing Red
Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson

[ya_its_me]

Samoa Joe & Low Ki v Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries
- Joe to get the win to start his road to the ROH title.
Tony Mamaluke v Steve Corino
- I'm expecting some AJ interference at the end of the match, I don't think this feud is just quite over yet.
Second City Saints v Spanky & Paul London
- Punk & Cabana prove too much to handle, S&P will both show that they're worthy opponents though.
Bryan Danielson v Kazarian
- To keep the Dragon looking dominant.
KENTA v The Amazing Red
- KENTA going to dominate the lower card for awhile until you move him up.
Jack Evans v CW Anderson
- If Sydal can do it, why can't Jack?

- Just noticed that I share the same picks as the two guys before me :D

[The Final Countdown]

Since you have KENTA on a PPA basis, I am thinking that you will scoop up Katsuhiko Nakajima whenever he is active?
I checked the database after reading this...and noticed he was not there. Thanks for the (unintentional) reminder; the guys (or is it just one guy?) who made this 2002 mod were very upfront in saying they weren't as focused on the puro scene, so I'll need to do some cross-referencing at some point and look for any notable future names missing.

As for your question: it is a definite possibility. I'm not going to go overboard as far as having a bunch of puro guys on my full-time roster; I'll probably limit it to 2 or 3 max at a time. And those will be in the KENTA vein (rising stars, in other words); no big-time stars like Kobashi or Misawa on my full-time roster. They could always make a special appearance, though ;)



NEW GUY! I just got back into TEW and I always loved Dynasties... ROH one makes me extra happy.
Welcome, new guy (or is that NEW GUY)! Like I said in an earlier post, always love to hear from a first-time poster; makes me feel like this thing is succeeding, and my viewership is growing. Glad you're digging my take on ROH.



- Just noticed that I share the same picks as the two guys before me :D
I've only quickly looked the picks over so far, but I think 4 people have made the same selections you did. Or maybe it's 5, even. So either this show was incredibly predictable, or I've got a curveball or two in there somewhere.:D

I'd like to get the show up today, but due to a new episode of The Office/the Canucks having a playoff game tonight, I don't think I'm going to pull that off. So we're probably looking at Friday.

[tizzyt]

THE CANUCKS?! WHAT THE HECK?! RING OF HONOR DOES NOT BOW DOWN TO HOCKEY!!!!!!

REVOLT!


REVOLT!


REVOLT!


JHAAAAAAAAAAH!!!


Can't wait to read the card

[ya_its_me]

Lol, definitely hope there's a big curveball in All-American Honor. Oh and...


Go Hawks. :D:p

[ProjectJinx]

Nux for the Cup! Vancouver Born!!! Hawks are going down...

Topic - Can't wait for the next card.

[The Final Countdown]

THE CANUCKS?! WHAT THE HECK?! RING OF HONOR DOES NOT BOW DOWN TO HOCKEY!!!!!!

REVOLT!


REVOLT!


REVOLT!


JHAAAAAAAAAAH!!!


Can't wait to read the card
My head is currently in a haze--think I might be coming down with something. So honestly, at this point the show even getting posted on Friday could be in jeopardy.

Lol, definitely hope there's a big curveball in All-American Honor. Oh and...


Go Hawks. :D:p
:eek:

::Pulls yim's hockey jersey over his head, obstructing his vision, and starts throwing haymakers::

There may or may not be any curveballs in AAH, but I will say that I am happy with how the show turned out, and I think it does a good job in advancing several key storylines.

Nux for the Cup! Vancouver Born!!! Hawks are going down...

Topic - Can't wait for the next card.
I've lured a bonafide Canuck into the fold! Sweet!

As for me--I was born in that notorious hockey hotbed, Southern California. And for the last decade or so, I've lived in Missouri--about 40 minutes from the St. Louis Blues' home arena, actually. Not too many of my friends and associates were very happy with me about a week ago.:) I became a Canucks fan (and a hockey fan in general, actually) thanks to EA's NHLPA 93. I didn't have any hockey allegiances yet, but that game turned me into a Vancouver fan. Because, after all, Pavel Bure in his prime was a demon. And the game reflected that. Been a fan ever since.

OK, I should probably stop typing and go lie down again. Like I said, I haven't been feeling too great over the last few hours, so everything's up in the air at this point.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


All-American Honor


July 7th, 2002


From the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts


Attendance: 246


The DVD opened on Steve Corino, who was sitting in a chair backstage and staring intently at an American flag. He began speaking, never taking his eyes off of the flag.

“Independence Day. The day on which the former colonies of England broke free, and officially became the United States of America. Three nights ago, as the rest of the morons in this country sat around stuffing their fat faces with hot dogs and shooting off pointless fireworks, I paused to reflect on the history of this country. Once upon a time, men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin decided that they’d had enough of being held back. They decided that they would live under tyrannical rule no longer. So, they rebelled. They fought against the establishment, and they secured a better future for themselves.” Corino put the flag down, and turned to face the camera.

“As I thought about it, I realized that I am in a similar situation. Sure, the fate of the free world may not be at stake, but there is something on the line that means more to me than anything in this world: my reputation. My legacy. It has taken me nearly a decade to get to where I am today. I have fought, I have bled, and I have scratched and clawed my way to the very top of the food chain. I am the absolute best wrestler alive. Securing my services was the biggest coup Ring of Honor has ever pulled, and every person watching this knows it. They should have rolled out the red carpet for me, but instead, ROH has shown me nothing but disrespect at every turn. Everyone associated with this company has conspired against me to try and hold me back. I mean, hell, I was told shortly before the first show that I’d been brought in primarily to commentate. They wanted me to use my expertise and my name recognition to help establish the ROH brand. But it was obvious to everyone else that, even though I would make a fantastic commentator, it would suit ROH far better to have someone of my caliber in the ring, headlining. So why did they want me sitting at a desk rather than dominating inside the ring? It baffled me at the time, but I understand all too well now.

“It all comes back to one person: Ricky Steamboat. From day one, Steamboat has done everything he possibly could to hold me back here in ROH. Why, you ask? It’s simple: he is jealous of me, because he recognizes that I am a bigger star then he ever was. Think about it: what is Steamboat’s crowning achievement? One brief run as the NWA World Champion. And even during his reign, there was no question that Ric Flair was still the best in the world, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before Flair took the belt back, and Steamboat returned to his proper place. He never got back to the top of the mountain. Me, on the other hand? Not only have I equaled Ricky by winning the NWA World title, I surpassed him with the ECW World title. I am greater than Steamboat ever was, and it eats him alive. So, naturally, he has done his best to hold me down in his company, trying to minimize me, threatening me, even suspending me. Well guess what, Ricky? The King of Old School will not be held down, by you or anyone else. I AM the franchise player in this company, and anyone who isn’t willing to admit that fact and show me the proper respect will meet the same bloody, broken fate as AJ Styles. Tony Mamaluke decided to stick his nose where it didn’t belong after my match last show, and he will suffer the consequences tonight. And you, Steamboat? Stay out of my way and allow things to take their natural course. Because if you keep getting in my way, old-timer, I will not hesitate to take you down.”

--

KENTA vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

KENTA and Red are both honorable athletes who uphold the ROH credo of sportsmanship and fair play, and they exhibited their honor with a pre-match handshake. Once the match began, though, each man gave it his all to try and win the match. They matched each other step for step, and the early minutes of the match were wrestled at such a fast, seamless pace, the action was nearly impossible for the announcers to keep up with. Red got the first sustained advantage in the match, catching KENTA with a quebrada moonsault that enabled him to put together a nice string of offense, including a springboard Tornado DDT and a swinging hurracanrana. When none of those moves were enough to put KENTA away, Red went for the Code Red. KENTA fought it off and broke Red’s leg-grip, and even though Red managed to backflip and land on his feet, KENTA caught him flush with a roundhouse kick to the head. KENTA threw some of his better offense at Red, highlighted by a Falcon Arrow that the fans were surprised to see Red kick out of.

Red ducked the Busaiku Knee Kick, and scored with a spinning heel kick. Seizing the moment, he connected with the Red Star Press, but KENTA got his shoulder up just in time. Red looked around in confusion, trying to figure out what he had to do to put the Japanese star away. As KENTA got back to his feet, Red attempted a springboard maneuver of some kind, but KENTA caught him and drilled him with the Go 2 Sleep, which knocked Red cold and was more than enough to allow KENTA to improve to 2-0 in ROH.


Winner: KENTA in 13:02 with the Go 2 Sleep

--

Jack Evans vs. CW Anderson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg

An angry CW Anderson was determined to win this match quickly and decisively, immediately coming at Jack with a flurry of punches and kicks before tossing his slight frame into the top turnbuckle with a fallaway slam, eliciting a groan from the crowd as Evans was chucked into the buckle with frightening force. Jack somehow kicked out, but CW continued to dominate, using his obvious size and power advantage to simultaneously punish Evans and keep him out of the air. Anderson looked for the finishing blow, lifting Evans into the air for a spinebuster, but Jack showed his incredible athleticism in escaping by pushing free, leaping backwards and scoring with a backflip dropkick in one fluid motion. Evans quickly ran up to the top rope, and picked up his first ROH victory with a Corkscrew 630°.


Winner: Jack Evans in 06:39 with a Corkscrew 630°

--

Tony Mamaluke vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

This was a rematch from way back at The Era of Honor Begins, but Mamaluke has gained a good deal of confidence in the months since then, due to good showings against several talented members of the ROH roster. Unlike in their first match, Corino could not afford to take time out of the match to mock or taunt Mamaluke, instead being forced to maintain complete focus and give his all to try and prevent Mamaluke from locking in any lethal submission holds. Mamaluke was right there with Corino every step of the way, getting the crowd more and more behind him as the match progressed and he continued to be a match for The King of Old School. Corino grew frustrated at his inability to dominate the match, which wound up hurting him. His frustration led to mistakes, and a patient Mamaluke was happy to take advantage of them. Mamaluke easily countered a premature Northern Lights bomb attempt, taking Corino to the mat with a Fujiwara armbar that had him grimacing and pounding the mat in pain. Corino escaped that hold, but made another mistake when he threw a wild haymaker, which Mamaluke easily dodged, winding up behind Corino and taking advantage by locking in the Sicilian Stretch (Dragon Sleeper.) Mamaluke took the hold to the mat and added a bodyscissors, and the crowd was on their feet, believing the hated Corino was about to be forced into a tap-out.

Corino struggled mightily, and seemed to be contemplating a tap-out before he finally managed to inch his way over to the ropes, reaching out with his left leg and forcing the ref to break the hold. Mamaluke was visibly frustrated, but soon went back to work, trying to reapply the Sicilian Stretch. But, with the referee in a bad position, Corino stopped him in his tracks with a kick to the groin. Mamaluke doubled over in pain, confusing the ref. But the ref can’t call what he doesn’t see, and so the three count was made after the Old School Expulsion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 16:38 with the Old School Expulsion

--

The ring announcer prepared to declare Steve Corino as the winner, but Corino cut him off and snatched the microphone from him.

“Your winner, The King of Old School, and the biggest star in Ring of Honor: Steve Corino!” The fans booed Corino’s statement, and he laughed in response.

“Sorry, Bost—oh, wait, Everett, but it’s the truth. And I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but I have suffered a grand total of one loss since ROH began—to AJ Styles, who I have since beaten twice, and completely humbled. So, what it boils down to is, I have gotten the better of every single man that ROH has thrown my way. Ricky Steamboat, you’re running out of options. Sooner or later, you’re going to have no choice but to either give me the title shot that is long overdue, or risk even these morons figuring out just how big an insecure, jealous fraud you are. The clock is ticking, Dragon. The clock is ticking.”

--

“This is James Hill, standing backstage at intermission with Samoa Joe and Low Ki. Tonight, you two will team up to take on ROH Champion Christopher Daniels and his protégé, Austin Aries. There’s no question that both of you would love to get your hands on The Fallen Angel, but the question is, how well will you be able to work together?”

Samoa Joe shrugged at Hill’s question. “We’ll work together just fine. Low Ki knows the deal. I am the #1 Contender; I’m the heir to the throne. Tonight, as the title match rapidly approaches, I send a message to Christopher Daniels. I will choke somebody out tonight. Whether it is Daniels or his little follower makes no difference to me. Either way, the point will be made. Samoa Joe will not be stopped. Not tonight, not any night. All Low Ki has to do is stay out of my way, and he’ll get his hand raised in victory.”

Low Ki stepped forward, coming face-to-face with his partner. Low Ki had a furious look on his face as he glared up at Joe.

“Stay out of the way? If you really expect me to stand on the sidelines and watch from afar, you are a fool. Low Ki does not sit back and watch, especially not when Christopher Daniels is on the other side of the ring.”

Joe shook his head. “Not going to happen. You see, I cannot afford a loss tonight. And let’s face it: Christopher Daniels has your number. He’s beaten you, what, 3 times now? You aren’t screwing this up for me. Just stay out of the way, and after I become the next Ring of Honor Champion, maybe I’ll throw a title shot your way.”

Low Ki, still glaring, responded in an icy tone, “Why wait? Joe, I will say it again: I will not sit back and watch. I will never pass up the opportunity to do battle, especially not against two men that have wronged me as much as Daniels and Austin Aries have. One way or another, I will be kicking someone’s head in tonight. And if you try and keep me out…it may be your head.”

The “partners” stood nose-to-nose, glaring at each other as the interview came to an abrupt end.

--

ROH Tag Team Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohtag.jpg

Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana, Champions) vs. Spanky and Paul London

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PunkROHTAG.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CABANAROHTAG.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg

Spanky’s usual goofball antics were nowhere to be seen in this match; he was all business, and it threw the Second City Saints off, particularly when Spanky would cut off Colt Cabana’s own hijynx. As a result, Spanky and London got off to a fast start, working over Cabana with good double-teaming and frequent tags. They nearly won the titles after a dropsault from London, but Colt managed a kick-out. Spanky tried for the Sliced Bread #2, but Cabana countered by shoving him into the turnbuckles, Spanky’s own momentum sending his chest into the buckles with authority, and enabling Colt to tag in CM Punk.

Spanky tagged out as well, and London charged right at Punk, trying to take him down with a headscissors, but Punk countered, swinging London around and dropping him with a backbreaker. Deciding one backbreaker wasn’t enough, Punk followed that up with a double-underhook variation. The Saints took control of the match, cutting London off from his side of the ring and wearing him down. London made several attempts to tag out, but the Saints always managed to head him off. Punk drove him to the mat with a Pepsi Twist, but London had the ring presence to drape his foot over the bottom rope.

Punk went for the Devil’s Lock DDT, but London broke his grip, got behind Punk, and sent his face into the canvas with the waffleface. With Punk groggy, London was able to tag Spanky back into the match. Spanky was a “house of fire”, as it were, taking the fight to his rival with a barrage of high-flying offense that had Punk reeling. Spanky came tantalizingly close to winning the belts for his team on multiple occasions, including near-falls after both a superkick and a diving bulldog, but Punk managed to get a shoulder up each time. Finally, after Spanky missed a diving splash, Punk crawled to his team’s corner and tagged out to Colt Cabana. Cabana and Spanky had a nice exchange, battling tooth-and-nail until Spanky struck him with a leg lariat. Spanky went for the killshot with Sliced Bread #2, but made a crucial mistake in attempting it in the Saints’ corner. Punk took full advantage, shoving Spanky’s foot and sending him tumbling to the mat. Cabana wasted no time capitalizing, planting Spanky with the Colt 45. Punk cut London off, and the Saints recorded their first successful title defense.


Winners: Second City Saints in 15:23 with the Colt 45 by Colt Cabana on Spanky
The Second City Saints made defense #1 of the ROH Tag Team Championship.

--

Bryan Danielson vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

While Bryan Danielson looked focused and ready to go, Kazarian’s recent struggles seemed to be weighing on him as he walked to the ring slowly, his negative body language speaking volumes about his complete loss of confidence. He was no match for the American Dragon early, as a motivated Danielson peppered Kazarian with some European uppercuts and forearm smashes before taking him down to the mat with a waistlock, and then floating over and applying a side headlock.

Danielson continued to keep the pressure on, keeping Kazarian on the mat and wearing him down with his mat wrestling technique. It looked as if Danielson would completely blow the slumping Kazarian out of the water, as he first put on a surfboard submission, and then modified it into a very painful-looking surfboard/dragon sleeper combo. Kazarian was in tremendous pain as Danielson just about bent him in half, but he managed to catch Dragon with a couple of punches to the face that did enough damage to break the hold.

Finally free from Danielson’s submissions, Kazarian began mounting his first significant offense of the match. He blasted the Dragon with a nice running dropkick, and then jumped onto the second rope, turning around in mid-air and hitting a legdrop. Danielson kicked out of that, but Kazarian was not deterred. He hoisted Danielson onto the top turnbuckle and brought him back down with a hurracanrana, which earned another near-fall. Kazarian was visibly growing frustrated, but he shook it off and drove Danielson into the mat with the move formerly known as the Wave of the Future (now renamed the New Wave as a result of Kazarian losing his ‘Future’ moniker). When Danielson got a shoulder up after that, Kazarian lost his cool. He shouted at the referee and pounded his fists on the mat, before getting into a mount position on Danielson and pummeling him with closed fists, only stopping when the referee came within a hair of disqualifying him.

Kazarian went to the apron and tried to hit Danielson with a springboard legdrop, but the American Dragon moved, and Kazarian missed his target. Both men staggered back to their feet, and the frustrated Kazarian recklessly charged at Danielson—running right into a rolling elbow smash to the face. His clock cleaned by the stiff elbow, Kazarian was unable to prevent Danielson from locking him in the Cattle Mutilation. Kazarian struggled, wanting desperately to get out of the hold and try to win his way out of his funk, but the hold was cinched in too well, and he eventually had no choice but to submit.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 19:05 with the Cattle Mutilation

--

Kazarian stood up slowly, disoriented after the huge elbow smash that scrambled his brains. As his senses returned to him, he screamed in frustration before leaving the ring in a huff, a cameraman trailing close behind as he stalked away from ringside. The camera followed Kazarian all the way to his dressing room door—where he stopped abruptly, seeing a white envelope taped to his door. His anger giving way to confusion and curiosity, Kazarian pulled the tape off and examined the envelope. The camera peered over his shoulder, zooming in and just making out the writing across the front. It read:

“Salvation Lies Within.

Sincerely,
Your Savior”

Kazarian stared at the envelope, baffled by the cryptic message. He was about to open it up, but stopped when he noticed the cameraman hovering nearby. Kazarian shot the cameraman an angry glare before opening his door, bringing the envelope with him and slamming the door shut.

--

Samoa Joe and Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels and Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Samoa Joe and Low Ki obviously had not settled their earlier differences, as they had a stare-down in the ring before the match began, both men wanting to start the match off, and neither man willing to step back. The decision was ultimately made for them when Christopher Daniels and Austin Aries used the hostility to their advantage, attacking their bickering opponents from behind. In the attack, Daniels and Aries knocked Joe over the top rope with a double lariat, making Low Ki the legal man by default. That suited Low Ki just fine, as he was quite eager to exact some vengeance on Daniels and Aries for their previous transgressions against him. He fought admirably, punishing both of his opponents with kicks and submissions. But his refusal to tag in Samoa Joe eventually came back to bite him, as Daniels and Aries remained fresh while Low Ki started to get winded. He missed with a Tidal Krush in the corner, and Aries made him pay for it with a nice belly to back suplex. Daniels and Aries were able to take advantage of their tired foe, making frequent tags and systematically breaking him down. Aries went for his signature brainbuster, but Ki managed to block it and hit a face-first suplex. Realizing that he would wind up being defeated if he didn’t tag out, Low Ki took the opportunity to crawl to his corner and tag in the #1 Contender.

Samoa Joe was fired up, and he overwhelmed Aries immediately with a huge running knee strike, then punishing him with punches and knees to the head before slapping on a cross armbreaker. Aries was in more than a bit of pain, but an interfering Daniels bailed him out with a diving elbowdrop. Daniels drug his protégé to their corner and tagged himself in, dropping some elbows on Joe before slapping on a rear chinlock, trying to wear the big man down. Joe wasn’t having that, as he worked his way back up to his feet before getting behind Daniels with a go-behind, dropping the ROH Champion right on his head with a release tiger suplex. Realizing that he had Daniels in a vulnerable state, Joe went for the kill, lifting him up for a Muscle Buster, but Aries saved his mentor with a dropkick to Joe’s kneecap.

Ever the opportunist, Daniels attempted to exploit the damage to Joe’s knee, targeting it extensively from that point on with a combination of stomps and leg-oriented submission holds. Keeping Joe in his half of the ring, Daniels tagged in Aries, who continued the assault on the leg with a slingshot senton from the apron onto Joe’s knee. Aries kept it up, clamping on a single-leg Boston crab, but Low Ki had seen enough and charged into the ring, striking Aries with a ferocious Shining Wizard that broke the hold. Even Joe realized that he needed to rest his weakened leg, as he crawled to his corner and tagged Low Ki back into the match.

Fully recovered and rejuvenated, Low Ki quickly went on the offensive, blasting Aries with a flurry of fierce kicks to the head and ribs before whipping him into the buckle, his 2nd Tidal Krush attempt of the match a success. A woozy Aries fell flat on his face, and Low Ki dropped a couple of legs to the back of his neck before trying to lock on the Dragon Clutch, He broke the hold when he saw Christopher Daniels entering the ring, and charged across the ring to blast Daniels with a rolling koppo kick that sent the Fallen Angel flying over the top rope. While this was going on, Samoa Joe limped into the ring and drug the prone Austin Aries nearer to the corner of Joe and Low Ki before returning to his spot on the ring apron.

With Daniels taken care of, Low Ki returned his attention to Aries. He made his way to Aries, once again going for the Dragon Clutch, but Joe reached out and slapped Low Ki on the back, tagging himself into the match. Low Ki glared at his partner and made to argue with him, but Joe kicked him in the gut and tossed him through the ropes. Joe turned towards the weakened Austin Aries, driving his head into the mat with an Island Driver before trapping him in the Rear Naked Choke. Daniels was still in no position to help after the koppo kick and subsequent rough landing on the floor, and Aries was soon rendered unconscious by the Samoan Submission Machine.


Winners: Samoa Joe and Low Ki in 19:56 with the Rear Naked Choke by Joe on Austin Aries

--

Referee Martin Dugas raised Samoa Joe’s hand in victory as Christopher Daniels and Gail Kim carried the unconscious Austin Aries to the back. Joe was content with the victory, but his partner Low Ki was not as happy. He reentered the ring and got right in Joe’s face, setting off a fierce and heated argument between the victorious team. They did not come to blows, but it was clear that the match, the finish in particular, had created significant hostility between them.

--

Quick Results:

KENTA over The Amazing Red
Jack Evans over CW Anderson
Steve Corino over Tony Mamaluke
Second City Saints over Spanky & Paul London to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship
Bryan Danielson over Kazarian
Samoa Joe & Low Ki over Christopher Daniels & Austin Aries

All-American Honor Predictions:

critical-23: 6-0
rjhabeeb: 6-0
ProjectJinx: 6-0
buck44f: 6-0
ya_its_me: 6-0

tizzyt: 4-2


Standings in Prediction Contest #1 after 2 shows:

1. ya_its_me: 10-2
critical-23: 10-2

2. tizzyt: 9-3
buck44f: 9-3

3. rjhabeeb: 6-0
ProjectJinx: 6-0

4. UFC-KING: 4-2

[critical-23]

6-0 and i am back baby!!! Great show, great results and keep this s**t rolling!

[ya_its_me]

Am I smelling Low Ki v Samoa Joe v Christopher Daniels for the ROH Championship? Yes, yes I am.

[critical-23]

Am I smelling Low Ki v Samoa Joe v Christopher Daniels for the ROH Championship? Yes, yes I am.

Sounds like a good idea to me, ya_its_me. TFC--get on it!! j/k

[The Final Countdown]

July 7th, 2002
10:36 p.m.


I waved goodbye to Samoa Joe as we both exited the Ringside Entertainment Complex at around the same time. Joe would soon be having his biggest ROH match to date: a headlining bout with Christopher Daniels for the ROH Championship. I had no doubts that he could deliver.

I put the car into drive, sorting through my thoughts on the night's happenings mentally.

-KENTA and Amazing Red got things off to a solid start. Another respectable showing from KENTA, but I think in order for us to really get the most out of him, we need to put him in the ring with somebody who can match his puroresu skills.

-Jack Evans and CW Anderson didn't have much ring time, but even what was there was rather disappointing. Jack was off of his game, and CW couldn't carry him through it to a decent match.

-Steve Corino and Tony Mamaluke had a heck of a match; match of the night, in fact. Markedly better then their match at The Era of Honor Begins. Corino is arguably the hottest character in the company right now, and Mamaluke has made great strides in his ring work.

-The tag title match was pretty good, but not fantastic by any means. Spanky had a pretty good performance, however. Perhaps we should give the Saints some opponents who have more experience tagging together.

-Danielson over Kazarian was pretty good; just a step below Corino/Mamaluke for MOTN honors. I know Danielson was happy to have a nice showing in his first match since the disastrous final encounter with Samoa Joe, and Kazarian is hungry to prove that he belongs at the top of the card.

-The main event tag match was about on par with the opener and the tag title match; good, but not great. All four guys worked hard, but none of them had any experience teaming together, which hurt. Also, the fans didn't really buy Aries in such a high-profile, lengthy match at this stage of his career, which is to be expected I suppose. Nevertheless, it was still a respectable match, and it told the story that I wanted to tell.

The show as a whole was a nice, solid effort. It wasn't one of those fantastic shows that will create major Internet buzz, but it should help us continue our gradual climb.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Christopher Daniels may have prevailed over Low Ki inside the steel cage, but his title reign won’t get any easier. Samoa Joe was named the #1 Contender after his victory over Bryan Danielson back at Testing the Limit, and his golden opportunity has finally arrived: on Sunday, July 21st, Christopher Daniels will defend the belt against the Samoan Submission Machine at WrestleRave 2002, from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia.

For the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Samoa Joe (Challenger)
From the beginning, Samoa Joe has considered himself the uncrowned champion, and had Bryan Danielson not shocked him with an out-of-nowhere inside cradle, he may well have won the title tournament. With Danielson now taken care of, Joe sets his sights on taking the gold from The Fallen Angel. Can Joe capture the belt and end the Christopher Daniels era, or does the champ have enough to turn back the challenge of a bigger, stronger foe? Whomever walks out of WrestleRave 2002 with the championship is sure to have gone through a grueling contest to do so.

Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
One of the most interested observers of the ROH Championship match will be Low Ki. His run-ins with Christopher Daniels are well-documented, and tensions seemed to simmer between he and Samoa Joe after Joe tagged himself into the tag match at All-American Honor, snatching the deciding fall from Low Ki’s grasp. But he would be wise to put the main event on the back burner, because he will be stepping into the ring with a talented veteran in Devon Storm. Storm gave KENTA a tough match in both of their debuts back at Respect is Earned before going down in defeat, and he will be determined to pick up a win in his 2nd match.

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Bryan Danielson reestablished himself with a victory over Kazarian at All-American Honor. He will look to continue his march back up the ladder in ROH, but he’ll be in for a very tough technical test in the form of James Maritato. Maritato matched the American Dragon hold-for-hold back at Boston Massacre before ultimately coming out on the losing end thanks to Danielson's Cattle Mutilation hold. Since then, he has picked up his first win in ROH, pinning Spanky at Death before Dishonor, and will be eager to try and score an even bigger win over a mat wrestling expert like Danielson.

Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Steve Corino put ROH management in general, and Ricky Steamboat in particular, on notice at All-American Honor, demanding an ROH Championship shot. He won't get it here, but will instead go one-on-one with Paul London, one of the individuals who broke up the Corino/Steamboat showdown before it could turn physical back at Respect is Earned. Corino has already defeated the other interfering party, Tony Mamaluke. Will the same be in store for London, or can the youngster score the biggest victory of his career?

Homicide vs. Austin Aries
The case could be made that no one in ROH is hotter than Homicide at the moment, and it could be just a matter of time before The Notorious 187 receives an ROH Championship match should he continue his winning ways. Perhaps trying to prevent just that (should he leave WrestleRave 2002 with the title, of course), current champion Christopher Daniels suggested this match to ROH management, pitting Homicide against his "disciple", Austin Aries. Can Aries knock Homicide down a peg, or will the hot streak continue for the master of the Cop Killer?

Spanky vs. Kazarian
Spanky and Paul London failed to capture the ROH Tag Team Championship from the Second City Saints, and Spanky cannot be happy about it. He'll surely be desperate for a win to turn things around, but not nearly as desperate as his opponent. Stripped of his confidence (as well as his 'Future' moniker), Kazarian has been mired in a slump lately, and his formerly abundant confidence has all but disappeared. After his loss to Bryan Danielson at All-American Honor, Kazarian received a mysterious envelope from someone claiming to be his "savior." Will we learn more about this strange incident at WrestleRave 2002?

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose Maximo, Joel Maximo and The Amazing Red) vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk, Colt Cabana and Ace Steel)
The SAT and the SCS are two of the premiere tag teams in ROH, but they won't be competing in standard tag team action this time around. Instead, they'll each add a member to their ranks, making it a six-man tag. The Maximos will call on their cousin Red, no stranger to ROH fans, while the Saints have tabbed the debuting Ace Steel, who had a hand in training both of them, and has remained something of a mentor to them.


Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe
Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. Austin Aries
Spanky vs. Kazarian
The SAT vs. The Second City Saints


((A Quick OOC note: I have added a show index to the top of the first post in this topic, with clickable links that will lead you directly to the shows themselves. So if you're a newcomer looking to get caught up, or you just want to brush up, feel free to check it out.))

[rjhabeeb]

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe no finish dont know how but no winner or loser
Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Paul London vs. Steve Corino no way you kill the steam of the hottest worker
Homicide vs. Austin Aries like i've said before im unsure of your plans for Homicide but i will never pick against him
Spanky vs. Kazarian the Savior inspires
The SAT vs. The Second City Saints

[ProjectJinx]

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe - I don't see him losing the belt this soon and Daniels is a G!
Low Ki vs. Devon Storm - Storm who? Lol... Low Ki for the win.
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato - Time to move the "World's greatest wrestler" forward.
Paul London vs. Steve Corino - Duh!
Homicide vs. Austin Aries - Homicide needs to keep getting wins, and I would like to see a spot at a title.
Spanky vs. Kazarian - He needs a win.
The SAT vs. The Second City Saints - I don't see the Tag Champs losing any time soon. But it is none title, so I am not 100% on this.

[xthesiknessx]

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe
Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. Austin Aries
Spanky vs. Kazarian
The SAT vs. The Second City Saints

[buck44f]

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe
Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. Austin Aries
Spanky vs. Kazarian
The SAT vs. The Second City Saints

[The Final Countdown]

I'm thinking that the show will be posted on Wednesday. There is a slight chance that I could get it up on Tuesday, but don't hold your breath.

Now, I wouldn't make a post just to give a status update for a show that I posted the preview for just 3 days ago, so now I'll get to the main point(s) of this post:

-First of all, I think I've settled on a good end date for the first predictions contest. My plan is to run it through the end of August, meaning there's WrestleRave and a probable two shows in August before it wraps up. Three game months seems like a decent stretch of time, without being overly long. It seems like I've been getting more predictions per show than I was before I started the contest, so at this point it's probably going to become a regular thing.

-Secondly, I'd like to pose a question to you guys: would you prefer I start including the match grades in the diary? I'm somewhat indifferent to including them, as I try to get across how good or bad a match was using my show wrap-up posts. But if I get the sense that the majority would like to see the grades, I could start including them in the wrap-up. This is all up to you guys, really, because as I said, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

[ProjectJinx]

I'm thinking that the show will be posted on Wednesday. There is a slight chance that I could get it up on Tuesday, but don't hold your breath.

Now, I wouldn't make a post just to give a status update for a show that I posted the preview for just 3 days ago, so now I'll get to the main point(s) of this post:

-First of all, I think I've settled on a good end date for the first predictions contest. My plan is to run it through the end of August, meaning there's WrestleRave and a probable two shows in August before it wraps up. Three game months seems like a decent stretch of time, without being overly long. It seems like I've been getting more predictions per show than I was before I started the contest, so at this point it's probably going to become a regular thing.

-Secondly, I'd like to pose a question to you guys: would you prefer I start including the match grades in the diary? I'm somewhat indifferent to including them, as I try to get across how good or bad a match was using my show wrap-up posts. But if I get the sense that the majority would like to see the grades, I could start including them in the wrap-up. This is all up to you guys, really, because as I said, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

Match grades are no big deal for me anyways. I love your writing style and I can pick up if it is C or lower or a C+ or higher by just reading your write up.

[rjhabeeb]

-Secondly, I'd like to pose a question to you guys: would you prefer I start including the match grades in the diary? I'm somewhat indifferent to including them, as I try to get across how good or bad a match was using my show wrap-up posts. But if I get the sense that the majority would like to see the grades, I could start including them in the wrap-up. This is all up to you guys, really, because as I said, it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.

I absolutly love your post show writeups they get the point across perfectly....dont change a thing

[tizzyt]

Figured I'd get this in before the show goes up

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe
I can't see Joe taking the title this early... the chase is on

Low Ki vs. Devon Storm
It's Low Ki, nuff said

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
American Dragon proves why he's the Best in the World

Paul London vs. Steve Corino
While a London upset would be sweet, Corino is just too awesome

Homicide vs. Austin Aries
My personal favorite ROH wrestler, so I gotta give it to him

Spanky vs. Kazarian
For some reason

The SAT vs. The Second City Saints
While I can see an SAT upset, SCS will be built up a little bit more

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


WrestleRave 2002


July 21st, 2002


From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg


Attendance: 975


The DVD opened with a video package consisting of major events that led up to the main event of the show: Samoa Joe defeating Bryan Danielson at Testing the Limit, Christopher Daniels hitting the moonsault off the top of the steel cage to retain the ROH Championship over Low Ki at Death before Dishonor, and Joe choking out Austin Aries to win the tag match at All-American Honor.

--

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

Danielson and Maritato began the match with a collar-and-elbow tie-up, setting the stage for what would be a tremendous scientific wrestling display. Each man is well-versed in mat wrestling, and it resulted in a fascinating exchange of crisp holds and expert counter-holds. Neither man could hold an edge for any length of time, as his opponent would always come up with a slick counter before long that would shift the balance of power. The fans were very into the wrestling clinic, supporting both men: Danielson had established himself as a crowd favorite in ROH, but Maritato received his share of love from the old regulars who had been watching him compete in that very arena for years.

Maritato countered a Danielson waistlock with a standing switch, and got a two-count with a bridging German suplex. He twisted him around for the Kiss of Death, but Danielson fought out of it and connected with a European uppercut to the jaw that dropped Maritato to one knee. Maritato stood back up, only to be met with a running cross bodyblock that sent both men tumbling over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Danielson recovered first and rolled back into the ring, watching and waiting for his opponent to get back to his feet. Once Maritato was up, Danielson struck, charging the length of the ring and diving through the ropes, blasting him with an elbow smash to the face.

Danielson acknowledged the fans’ appreciation of the move, pumping his fist and playing to the crowd while waiting on Maritato. Measuring his opponent, Danielson was prepared as Maritato stood, looking for a rolling elbow smash. However, an alert Maritato dodged, and the crowd groaned as Danielson’s arm collided with the steel ring post, creating a cringe-worthy smacking sound as bone met steel.

The American Dragon clutched at his elbow in agony, and Maritato seized the opportunity. He went right for the arm, driving the limb down onto the thinly padded concrete with a single-arm DDT. Danielson’s arm was all but useless as Maritato tossed him back into the ring, giving the arm a couple of stomps for good measure before slapping on a Fujiwara Armbar. Danielson screamed in pain and quickly tapped out, his injured arm in no shape to withstand such an expertly applied submission. The fans applauded both men afterwards, appreciating the effort in this excellent scientific match.


Winner: James Maritato in 15:54 with a Fujiwara Armbar

--

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose Maximo, Joel Maximo and The Amazing Red) vs. Second City Saints (CM Punk, Colt Cabana and Ace Steel)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AceSteel.jpg

Each team had a different strategy in this match-up. Since all three members of the SAT are skilled flyers, their offense was centered around frequent tagging, quick-strike aerial moves, and innovative double, sometimes even triple, teaming. Among their more impressive combinations were a move in which Joel lifted Ace with a wheelbarrow suplex while Jose simultaneously executed a running neckbreaker, and a double submission hold in which Jose had Cabana in a Boston crab, and Joel joined in the fun by slapping on a camel clutch.

The SAT may have focused on combo moves that were visually impressive, but the Saints had a much different approach. They attempted tried-and-true, effective team tactics, isolating one member of the opposition in their corner and wearing him out while always keeping a fresh man in for their own team. It was a successful game plan for the most part, but a particularly spectacular combination from the SAT disrupted things. With Cabana and Steel both out of position, Jose trapped Punk in a surfboard, Joel clamped on a Dragon sleeper, and Red came off of the top rope with a double stomp to Punk’s exposed midsection. The move not only got the crowd on their feet, it also turned CM Punk into a non-factor the rest of the way, leaving Cabana and Steel at a disadvantage. The numbers game was too much for them to overcome, and Joel and Jose combined to finish Steel off with the Maximo Explosion.


Winners: The Spanish Announce Team in 11:40 with a Maximo Explosion on Ace Steel

--

Paul London vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Steve Corino was all smiles before the match began. He mocked Paul London relentlessly before the bell, obviously not considering his inexperienced opponent much of a threat. London showed poise in not reacting to the taunting, refusing to be thrown off of his game. Corino’s antics continued after the match began, as he paused several times to belittle his opponent, as well as work the hostile crowd into a frenzy. Despite his lackadaisical focus, Corino still managed to control the match most of the way, using his mixture of solid wrestling skills and questionable dirty tricks to keep the speedy London grounded, not allowing him to gather any significant momentum.

Corino had things under control, and the end seemed to be near after he sent London crashing to the mat with a top-rope superplex. But when he stopped to argue with some fans while having his foe in position for the Old School Expulsion, he gave London an opening. London spun out of his grip, rocking Corino with an enzuigiri before driving his head into the canvas with a unique legsweep DDT variation. Corino staggered to his feet, only to be met with a sunset flip that almost held him down long enough to complete the upset.

Corino realized that the match was spiraling out of his control, and when London went for his signature dropsault, the desperate King of Old School subtly maneuvered referee Martin Dugas into London’s path, using the ref to absorb the shot for him. Taking full advantage of the now-lawless nature of the match, Corino deliberately kicked London square in the groin, before dropping him with the Old School Expulsion. He tried to make the cover, but the ref was in no condition to do any officiating. Shrugging his shoulders, Corino casually stepped out to the floor, grabbing a steel chair and bringing it back into the ring with him. Measuring his victim up, Corino was preparing to use the chair on London when Ricky Steamboat sprinted out from the back and into the ring. Approaching from behind, Steamboat grabbed the chair in mid-swing, preventing the blow. The chair fell to the mat, and Corino grabbed Steamboat by the shirt, screaming at him to stay out of his business. This gave Paul London time to recuperate, and he caught Corino with a dropkick to the back, sending him into the turnbuckles. Using his surroundings to his advantage, London sent Corino head-first into the steel chair with the waffleface before scaling the buckles, bringing his weight down onto the King of Old School with the London Calling. With Steamboat’s aid, the ref recovered in time to make the count and give Paul London the biggest win of his career.


Winner: Paul London in 11:47 with the London Calling

--

While Paul London celebrated his win, slapping hands with the fans in jubilation on his way to the back, Steve Corino was a bit less than pleased. An irate Corino grabbed the microphone.

“Steamboat! STEAMBOAT, you jealous, washed-up SON OF A BITCH! Listen to me, Steamboat, and listen well: this WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN! How DARE you get involved in this match?! Because of you sticking your nose where it didn’t belong, I have just been pinned by a punk kid who doesn’t even belong in the same ring with me! It is an embarrassment, it is a travesty, and I will NOT stand for it! You have interfered in Steve Corino’s business for the last time! You will pay DEARLY for this! You, and Paul London, both have the ass kicking of a lifetime coming your way. But I won’t be stopping there. Not this time.

“I am STILL on my crusade to become Ring of Honor Champion; sooner or later, even you will not be able to deny me the title shot that is long overdue! But after I pin the champion and am awarded the belt, I’m not going to simply strap it around my waist and claim my rightful spot as the franchise player of the company, as I was originally going to. No, instead, I will take that ROH Championship belt, the symbol of this company, the company that you have poured your heart into, Steamboat. I will take that title, I will spit on it, and I will throw it in the garbage! Because I don’t NEED the belt to prove how great I am! My resume speaks for itself. I am the King of Old School! I am the greatest wrestler in the world. No title belt is necessary for everyone to know how great I am. Steamboat, you will live to regret this day. Because this day, today, July 21st, 2002, is the day that Steve Corino stopped trying to rule Ring of Honor, and started trying to destroy it.”

--

Homicide vs. Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Austin Aries has been tutored well in his short time as Christopher Daniels’ pupil. He proved in this match that he can hang with any member of the ROH roster, even the red-hot Homicide. Aries got in plenty of offense, including a crucifix bomb, a quebrada moonsault and a bridging deathlock submission. Homicide got in his fair share of offense as well, using mat wrestling to wear him down in the early portions before switching to his brawling skills as the match went on.

Aries blocked a Yakuza kick attempt, giving Homicide an atomic knee crusher quickly followed by a leg-hook belly to back suplex. Aries stayed on the offensive, giving Homicide a sharp kick to the side of the head before lifting him up for a brainbuster. While in mid-air, Homicide fought back, rocking Aries with several knee strikes to the head that threw him off-balance. Aries lost control, and Homicide slipped out of the brainbuster attempt and landed back on his feet, quickly taking advantage of a dazed Aries with an Ace Crusher. Aries kicked out, but Homicide was not deterred; he hit the ropes, and as soon as Aries got to his feet, he fell victim to a huge lariat that put him down for the count.


Winner: Homicide in 09:06 with a lariat

--

Homicide asked for the microphone after the match.

“Philly, I know you’re here to see people get their asses kicked, not run their mouth, so I’m gonna make this short. While I was in the back warmin’ up for my match, I heard Steve Corino grab this mic and talk trash on Ricky Steamboat, Paul London—hell, he pretty much ran down Ring of Honor itself. Corino, you wanna win the ROH Championship, just so you can throw it in the trash? Well guess what, son? You want to get your hands on that belt, you gotta go through me. Because you ain’t the only one who wants that belt—the way I see it, if anybody around here deserves a title shot, it’s me. I’ve been layin’ out everybody ROH throws my way, including the champ’s little bitch that I just knocked the hell out with a lariat. And whether it’s Daniels or that chunky SOB Samoa Joe who walks outta here with that belt tonight, they will have to deal with The Notorious 187.”

--

“This is James Hill, backstage at intermission with James Maritato and The American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Bryan, you requested this interview time, so…what’s on your mind?”

Danielson, still favoring his arm, nodded at Hill. “Thanks for the time, James. And as for you,” he said, turning to look at Maritato, “I didn’t ask for this time so I could rant and rave, or make excuses. Fact is, you beat me fair and square out there tonight. I made the mistake, I hurt myself, and you exploited it, as well you should have. You beat me tonight; you made me tap out with that Fujiwara Armbar.

“But this isn’t our first match, as you know: back at Boston Massacre, I forced you to submit to my Cattle Mutilation. We’re tied at 1-1, with each of us holding a submission victory. I think most people feel that we are the two best submission wrestlers in ROH. But I don’t want to leave it at that; I don’t want to leave it up for debate. So I came up with an idea. How about you and I step into the ring for a third time? Bryan Danielson versus James Maritato. No pinfalls, no disqualifications, no count outs. We battle for thirty minutes, and whoever has the most submissions once the time runs out can be considered the best submission wrestler in the company. Whaddaya say?”

Maritato shrugged. “You want to try and prove you’re a better submission wrestler than the Sicilian Shooter? Go ahead and try, paisano. But be careful what you wish for; this full-blooded Italian doesn’t plan on tapping out again any time soon.”

--

Spanky vs. Kazarian

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

The contents of the envelope that Kazarian received from his “savior” must have had a positive effect, because the negative attitude he had displayed on recent shows was nowhere to be seen. He didn’t simply revert to his earlier swagger, either: instead, he seemed to be more focused on the task at hand, wrestling with a rougher edge. He was all over Spanky from the opening bell, showcasing his usual athletic style while also punishing him with some roughhouse tactics, not letting the crowd rattle him a bit. He got near-falls with a running dropkick in the corner and a swinging neckbreaker, but Spanky was not finished just yet.

Spanky was down, but not out. He rallied back with a superkick and a swinging DDT before placing Kazarian on the top turnbuckle, attempting a top-rope hurracanrana. Kazarian hung onto the ropes with his legs, though, throwing Spanky’s timing off. Spanky landed on his feet in the ring, but Kazarian came off of the top, catching him with a missile dropkick that rattled Spanky’s brains long enough for Kazarian to break out of his slump via the New Wave. Kazarian was all smiles as he left the ring and made his way to the back, his confidence restored.


Winner: Kazarian in 12:57 with the New Wave

--

Low Ki vs. Devon Storm

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg

Low Ki and Devon Storm shook hands before the match began, showing a mutual sportsmanship and appreciation for the principles of ROH. This resulted in a clean, competitive match that was fought well within the guidelines of the rulebook. But that’s not to say it was not an intense contest. Both men were hungry for a win, and both gave it their all. The majority of the match was even, as Storm proved himself capable of going head-to-head with one of the best wrestlers on the ROH roster. Low Ki tried to use his kicks against Storm, to varying degrees of success; he connected with some blows, but Storm managed to evade or counter most of Low Ki’s stronger attempts. Storm would then go on the offensive, focusing the brunt of his attack on Low Ki’s legs in an effort to neutralize those big kicks.

Low Ki finally caught Storm with a big kick, a rolling koppo kick that sent him tumbling back into the buckles. Looking to follow up, Ki cartwheeled towards Storm, looking to strike with a Tidal Krush. However, Storm caught him, coming out of the corner with a big running powerbomb that came within a half of a count of ending the match. Storm was clearly angry that Low Ki had managed to kick out of such a high-impact move, but he didn’t let it keep his spirits down for long. He climbed to the top rope and came off with a flying cross bodyblock that earned him another two-count.

Storm’s frustration was growing, but he kept going, throwing Low Ki to the canvas with a gutwrench suplex that resulted in yet another near fall. Running out of ideas, Storm waited for Low Ki to get back to his feet before charging at him in a sunset flip attempt. But Low Ki managed to keep his balance and stay on his feet, taking advantage of Storm’s prone position on the mat with a vicious double stomp square to the chest. The blow to the chest couldn’t quite keep Storm down for the count, but it was quickly followed by a match-ending Ki Krusher ’99.


Winner: Low Ki in 20:46 with a Ki Krusher ’99

--

For the ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Christopher Daniels was extremely cautious at the beginning of the bout, wary of making a mistake that could open things up for the challenger. He did quite a bit of stalling, hoping to frustrate Samoa Joe and throw him off of his game plan, but Joe did a great job of maintaining his composure, not allowing Daniels’ stall tactics to get under his skin. With both men hesitant to make that first mistake, the first several minutes of the match were primarily a feeling-out process. Daniels would occasionally test the waters, trying different approaches to get a feel for Joe’s capabilities before darting back and avoiding any serious damage. Joe showed remarkable patience, content to wait for an opening to present itself.

The opening arrived in the form of a side headlock from Daniels. The Fallen Angel did not have as firm a grip on the hold as he thought, and Joe made him pay for it by hoisting him high into the air, dropping the champ on the back of his head with a belly to back suplex. Daniels was jarred by the throw, and the challenger took full advantage, firing off some kicks to the back before running off the ropes, gaining a full head of steam before leaping into the air and driving his knee down across the chest of the champion. Daniels raised his shoulder off of the mat during a pin attempt, but even that cost him, as Joe quickly grabbed the arm and dropped to the mat, slapping on a cross armbreaker. Joe had the hold applied very well, and Daniels may have had to submit if he had not managed to wriggle his lower body towards the ropes, draping his left leg across the bottom rope and forcing a break.

The Samoan Submission Machine was not about to let up, tossing Daniels into the buckles and pummeling him with kicks to the ribs and punches to the head, only relenting when the battered champion slumped down in a heap in the corner. Joe didn’t give him any time to regroup, raking his boot across Daniels’ face several times in what is known as a “facewash”, before running the ropes and kicking his foe in the head. Joe then picked Daniels up, placing him on the top turnbuckle and leapt into the air, striking the champ in the head with a Pele kick. With Daniels reeling, Joe carried him off of the buckle, looking to put the match away with the Muscle Buster. Showing the awareness that all great champions possess, Daniels managed to fight free, landing on his feet behind Joe and taking advantage of the positioning with a neckbreaker.

The tide had turned, and Christopher Daniels knew it. He got a near fall after a double-jump moonsault, before putting on a rear chinlock to try and sap the big Samoan of his remaining energy. Joe appeared to be on the verge of breaking free until Daniels switched it up, dropping the chinlock in favor of a crossface. The Fallen Angel wrenched back, bending Samoa Joe’s neck backwards and pulling for all he was worth, trying to retain his title via submission. Joe was hungry to validate himself as the dominant force in ROH with a title win, and showed his determination and will power in refusing to submit despite the pain. With the majority of the crowd urging him on, Joe fought through the pain and inched his way towards the ropes, finally grabbing hold of the bottom rope and forcing Daniels to release the hold, which he did, but not until just before the referee’s mandatory 5-count so as to inflict as much damage to the neck as possible.

Joe may have survived the submission, but he was still in trouble. Daniels kept the pressure on the challenger, getting near falls with an STO, a running palm strike and a slingshot legdrop. Finally, Daniels went for a knockout blow, planting Joe with the Angel’s Wings. Amazingly, Joe narrowly kicked out just before a count of three, much to Daniels’ disbelief. Daniels quickly shook it off, attempting a second double-jump moonsault. However, Joe got his knees up, stopping Daniels’ momentum cold. Shaking off his pain, Joe summoned his reserves, blasting the champion with a running single-leg dropkick and battering him with knees to the head. The challenger shifted on his prone opponent’s back, trying to cinch in the Rear Naked Choke. He was successful, and Daniels quickly tapped out.

Unfortunately for Joe, referee Martin Dugas was tied up with Gail Kim, who had hopped onto the ring apron moments before the choke had been locked on, sensing that her man was in danger. Joe released the choke, making his way towards the still-distracted referee, when Kazarian suddenly hit the ring at a dead run. Sneaking up behind Joe, Kazarian caught him off-guard with a kick to the gut and sent him crashing to the canvas with the New Wave. Operating as a devious unit, Kazarian slid out of the ring just as Gail jumped off of the apron, and Daniels draped an arm across Joe’s chest.

Joe kicked out, foiling the plot. The interference only seemed to fire him up, as he was quickly back up and pummeling Daniels with a barrage of strikes. Joe was enraged, and looked to have Daniels on his heels after a vicious jumping knee strike to the jaw. However, Kazarian jumped onto the ring apron, and Joe took his eye off of the ball. He caught Kazarian with a right hand that knocked him off of the apron, but the momentary distractions was enough for Daniels to roll Joe up from behind, adding a backbridge and stealing the victory.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 32:47 with a quick rollup
Christopher Daniels made defense #3 of the ROH Championship.

--

A furious Samoa Joe tried to get a piece of Daniels and his cohorts after the match, having to be restrained by a bevy of staff and security members. Austin Aries walked to the ring, joining Daniels, Gail and Kazarian in the celebration. Daniels asked for a microphone.

“Looks like somebody’s a little bit upset. Eh, Joe? You stupid, fat slob?” Joe made a renewed effort to break free, but even more staff came out to restrain him. Daniels and his followers laughed at Joe’s struggles.

“You see, Joe, back at Road to the Title, Gail joined me as the first piece of the puzzle, the first member of my movement to turn this place on its head. Then, at Driven, Austin Aries joined the cause. And tonight, we welcome our fourth member: Kazarian!”

The crowd booed as Daniels handed the microphone to Kazarian, who smirked at the jeering crowd before speaking.

“For my whole life, I have looked out for one person, and only person only: me, myself, and I. I’ve always been better than everybody else at every single thing I’ve attempted to do. But over the last couple of months, I had lost my way. Thanks to that ghetto thug Homicide and his series of fluke victories, I started to doubt myself. For the first time in my life, I didn’t believe that I had what it took to succeed.

“And then, at All-American Honor, I had an awakening. As everyone who’s seen the DVD or keeps up with the ROH website knows, I received an envelope from someone claiming to be my ‘savior.’ And, just like the envelope said, salvation truly did lay within. Because inside of that envelope was a letter from this man, the ROH Champion, Christopher Daniels. And that letter, as well as the face-to-face meeting that followed, changed my life. Daniels not only helped me regain my confidence, he gave me purpose. He gave me direction. He helped me realize that there is strength in numbers, and strength in working together as a unit to achieve a common goal. My time in Ring of Honor has been a major wake-up call for me. Now, thanks to Christopher Daniels, I realize that I don’t need to walk around calling myself ‘The Future’, and try to convince all of you morons that it is the truth. Because, the men, and woman, that I am standing in the ring with right now are the future of ROH and the future of professional wrestling, whether you like it or not.”

Daniels nodded in approval at Kazarian’s words as he took the microphone back.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Kazarian. I prophesized many months ago that I would assemble an army to help me in my quest to tear down the foolish ideals that this company was built upon, and prove that our way was superior. Now, we are finally, finally operating at full strength. And every single person in that locker room is officially on notice. Because tonight…The Prophecy…is born.”

--

Quick Results:

James Maritato over Bryan Danielson
The SAT over The Second City Saints
Paul London over Steve Corino
Homicide over Austin Aries
Kazarian over Spanky
Low Ki over Devon Storm
Christopher Daniels over Samoa Joe to retain the ROH Championship

WrestleRave 2002 Predictions:

ProjectJinx: 4-3

rjhabeeb: 3-4
buck44f: 3-4

xthesiknessx: 2-5
tizzyt: 2-5


Standings in Prediction Contest #1 after 3 shows (2 shows remaining):

1. buck44f: 12-7

2. tizzyt: 11-8

3. ya_its_me: 10-2
critical-23: 10-2
ProjectJinx: 10-3

4. rjhabeeb: 9-4

5. UFC-KING: 4-2

6. xthesiknessx: 2-5

((With critical and yim not submitting this time, buck takes the lead. But, with only one person having been over .500 for this particular show, the contest is still up for grabs with 2 shows remaining.))

((Also, a quick question for you: was the match write-up for Daniels/Joe excessively long, or are you okay with write-ups of that length for the bigger matches?))

[tizzyt]

[CENTER][IMG]

((Also, a quick question for you: was the match write-up for Daniels/Joe excessively long, or are you okay with write-ups of that length for the bigger matches?))

My personal preference is, a match that has such great meaning or placement on the card, that it should be a long written out affair (obviously seen with some of my write-ups for the bigger matches) I love it when I can take myself out of the moment and visualize the match as I'm reading it... again, just my preference

[buck44f]

man that did not go as I thought at all, I thought I got more wrong then that until I went back and checked. GOod show, keep it up man.

[The Final Countdown]

July 21st, 2002
11:03 p.m.


"Thanks for going along with my suggestion. I think this match is going to be even better than the one we had tonight."

I nodded and smiled at James Maritato, who was still on an adrenaline high despite wrestling in the opening match, nearly three hours ago. Hell, I could hardly blame him; after the match he and Bryan Danielson put on to kick off this show, he had every right to be bouncing off of the walls.

"Hey, I'd be quite satisfied if you simply equaled what you did tonight. You guys absolutely stole the show. I can't wait to see what you guys can do in the 30-minute submission match. If tonight was any indication, you guys may well be able to surpass the AJ Styles/Steve Corino match from Road to the Title as the best match in company history. Which is why I'm heavily leaning towards putting it in the main event slot of the next show."

Maritato seemed a bit surprised with that. "Really? Figured Daniels would be in the main event, since he just formed the stable and all."

"Well, nothing is set in stone yet. I'm still mulling over the lineup for the next show. Heck, I haven't even come up with a name for your specialty match yet. I've got a lot of work to do between now and then--but, I guess that's pretty much always the case."

"Not gettin' burned out already, are you?"

I smirked. "You kidding? I'm just getting warmed up. But, like I said, lots to do. Speaking of which, I should probably get going, and start concentrating on said work."

My conversation with Maritato at an end, I hit the road, reflecting on what had been a pretty memorable night for our young company.



-Back at Boston Massacre, Bryan Danielson and James Maritato had a good match despite Danielson performing well below his usual standards. I'd wondered just how good they could do if everything clicked, and tonight I got my answer, as they stole the show with an excellent match. Which is all the more impressive when you consider there was not a bad match to be found all night. Maritato picked up the win for a couple of reasons: first of all, he has been one of our most consistent performers in terms of match quality, and thus I decided to make a conscious effort to start booking him as more of a threat to the upper echelon. Secondly, the win set up the rubber match between the two, which as Maritato suggested, will be a 30-minute Ironman-style submissions match. I'm still trying to think up a name for said match, but whatever it is called, the match has all the makings of a classic.

-The six man tag match was better than expected. Some of that is thanks to Red, who had a nice night. A pretty good match, and actually a bit better than either of the Saints' tag title matches thus far.

-Paul London over Steve Corino was about the same quality as the six man tag performance-wise, but the fans were less than thrilled with Steamboat getting involved in the finish. Oh well; it needed to be done for storyline advancement purposes. Still a solid match regardless, and getting a win over someone like Corino should give a guy like London a nice shot in the arm.

-Despite running for under 10 minutes, Homicide and Austin Aries turned in a pretty good showing. And that's even despite Aries having a bit of an off-night. Homicide helped him through it, and it resulted in one of Homicide's best matches in ROH so far, and the best for Aries.

-Kazarian and Spanky kept things rolling, having a good match also. Hopefully Kazarian can continue having matches at about this level, as his profile is elevated with the inclusion in Christopher Daniels' new heel group, The Prophecy.

-There was a lack of chemistry between Low Ki and Devon Storm, but they weren't so incompatible as to wreck the match. They still managed to work through the issue and put on a solid, if unspectacular, match in the semi-main event position.

-Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels had great natural chemistry, and it resulted in a very good match. Not quite on par with the tremendous opening match, but there are only a couple of matches in our history so far that have been, so there's no shame in that.

Top to bottom, I think this had to be considered our most balanced card up to this point. An excellent match to open the show, a very good match to close it, and not a single bad match in between.

[rjhabeeb]

Man Homicide carried Aries.......HOMICIDE HOMICIDE HOMICIDE
or with his winning streak should it be........ Hom i cide Hom i cide (Goldberg intro....anyone? No? ok)

[ProjectJinx]

Another great show! Awesome job mate.

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: July 2002


-In what has to be considered major news, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin will evidently be leaving the WWF once his current contract expires. Austin has not been happy with his reduced role, and things have been particularly tumultuous since he was left off of Wrestlemania 18 a few months ago. Considering that the likes of Scotty Too Hotty, Rico, Maven and Spike Dudley had matches on the biggest show of the year, Austin was obviously not happy with what he felt was a blatant slap in the face from management. It will be very interesting to see if Austin will get involved with another company. The puroresu groups would obviously love to have him, and he could give a major shot of credibility and buzz to the upstart NWA-TNA promotion. But with all of the money he’s made during his incredible run at the top, he may just decide to sit at home and drink beer.

-The WWF made efforts to bolster their farm system, but were less successful than they had hoped. Keiji Mutoh rebuked them, as he is content being the booker/lead man for AJPW, and aside from that, obviously does not need any time in a developmental promotion. A bit more surprising was the rejection from Low Ki, who showed a great deal of loyalty to ROH by not signing with the Federation. It was not a total loss, however: they did manage to sign Carly Colon, son of Carlos Colon, to a developmental deal.

-Legendary former 3-time NWA World Champion Lou Thesz passed away at the age of 86.

-The WWF’s Vengeance PPV was headlined by Chris Jericho retaining the Undisputed Championship over Big Show in an excellent match. Also on the show, DDP retained the European title over Lance Storm, and Shawn Michaels won a 4-way match over Booker T, Eddie Guerrero and Rob Van Dam.

-NWA-TNA ran their second PPV, 100, 000 Years. Ron Killings retained the NWA World Championship against Rey Mysterio Jr in the MOTN, while Evan Karagis successfully defended the X-Division title against Homicide. But the main event saw Brian Lawler and Ken Shamrock defeat Juventud Guerrera and Christopher Daniels in tag team action.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


BREAKING NEWS:


As anyone who has been following Ring of Honor knows, tensions have been building between Samoa Joe and Low Ki in recent weeks. It began at All-American Honor, when they teamed together to defeat Christopher Daniels and Austin Aries--but only after Joe tagged himself into the match to score the victory, which Low Ki was not pleased with. Then, according to several eyewitnesses, they got into a verbal confrontation in the locker rooms after the conclusion of WrestleRave 2002. Low Ki evidently mocked Joe for his failure to defeat Christopher Daniels for the ROH Championship, which Joe was none-too-pleased about.

Apparently, things boiled over during an independent show in the New York area just last night, and they came to blows in the parking lot, of all places. It took nearly the entire locker room to break up the scuffle, but nothing was settled in that impromptu parking lot brawl.

Both men soon contacted the ROH offices, requesting the opportunity to settle their differences inside the wrestling ring. ROH was all too happy to comply, and we can officially announce that the first-ever singles match between Low Ki and Samoa Joe will take place at ROH's next show, Submission Supremacy.

But the story doesn't end there. After the controversial manner in which Samoa Joe lost the aforementioned title match against Christopher Daniels, Joe had been promised a return match for the title. But, saying that he wanted to prove he deserved the shot, rather than having it handed to him, Joe has put it on the line in the match against Low Ki, adding even more importance to an already-important contest. This makeshift #1 Contender's match, plus the Submission Supremacy bout between Bryan Danielson and James Maritato, are sure to result in a tremendous night of wrestling, so be sure not to miss ROH's Submission Supremacy!




((So I realized today that I forgot to include the planned Joe/Low Ki confrontation in the WrestleRave write-up, hence this post.))

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Two submission specialists, each with a submission victory over the other inside an ROH ring. How to settle it, and determine who truly is the top mat wrestler in all of ROH? We have the answer: Submission Supremacy.

Submission Supremacy Match:
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
In their first encounter, back at Boston Massacre, Danielson made Maritato submit to the Cattle Mutilation. In the second bout, at last month's WrestleRave 2002, Maritato capitalized on a Danielson error and got a submission win of his own with a Fujiwara Armbar. Later that night, Danielson proposed a rubber match, but with special stipulations geared towards each man's specialty: mat wrestling. There will be no pinfalls, no count outs, and no disqualifications in this match; the only way to record a fall is to make your opponent submit. Whomever has the most falls at the conclusion of the 30-minute time limit will win the match, as well as bragging rights as the best technician in all of ROH. There's no telling who will win, but one thing is for certain: anyone who shows up to the Wild Acres Gymnasium on August 7th will witness a mat wrestling clinic.

ROH Championship #1 Contender's Match:
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
The hostility has been mounting between Low Ki and Samoa Joe ever since All-American Honor, and now it's time for them to let out their pent-up aggression inside of the wrestling ring, rather than a parking lot. Joe sweetened the pot by putting his promised title rematch up for grabs, which should only add to the intensity of two already-intense warriors.

Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Corino felt embarrassed and humiliated after being pinned by London at WrestleRave 2002, and promptly challenged the high-flying Texan to a rematch. London showed guts and fearlessness in accepting the challenge, but does he know what he's getting into? After Corino's post-match rant about wanting to "destroy" ROH, one would think that he will be wrestling with an even harder edge than usual.

AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
Making his first appearance in ROH since being defeated by Steve Corino in the Fight Without Honor back at Respect is Earned, AJ will no doubt be very motivated to get back in the win column, and try and work his way up the ranks. But he had better not underestimate Jay Briscoe; while Jay may be thought of as primarily a tag team wrestler, he has all the tools to succeed on his own as well.

KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
Jay won't be the only Briscoe in competition at Submission Supremacy; his brother Mark will also be in action, going up against the current GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, KENTA. KENTA is 2-0 in ROH thus far, and will be aiming for 3-0. But Mark, like older brother Jay, has all the talent and potential in the world, and should provide a tough test for the 'future ace' of Pro Wrestling NOAH.

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose & Joel Maximo) vs. The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid & Johnny Kashmere)
The S.A.T. made a major statement at WrestleRave 2002, defeating ROH Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Colt Cabana in six-man tag team action. They'll look to build on that momentum at Submission Supremacy, but the debuting Backseat Boyz have other plans. Acid & Kashmere have earned quite a reputation, and are considered one of the top tag teams on the independent circuit. There's no question that they have the ROH Tag Team Championship in their sights, and a successful debut over the S.A.T. would go a long way towards earning the Backseats a title shot.

Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. The Prophecy (Austin Aries & Kazarian)
Evans and Sydal are both still cutting their teeth in the wrestling business, trying to build their careers on a solid, respectable foundation, through hard work and dedication. Aries & Kazarian have chosen a different path, joining up with Christopher Daniels in his newly-formed Prophecy, a group that vows to use whatever means are necessary to achieve the desired results, honor and integrity be damned. The two philosophies will clash in this, the first time either of these pairings have ever teamed up.

It should be another night of tremendous wrestling action this Wednesday, August 7th, as ROH presents Submission Supremacy from the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri.

Predictions List:
Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)

[critical-23]

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Kinda like passing a torch in a way as Maritato has been in the biz longer and Danielson could look like a contender.

Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
I hated choosing either man because both are my favs.Having Joe win will get that return title match.

Paul London vs. Steve Corino
Corino will be too much for London without help from Steamboat.

AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
Jay ain't quite there as a singles wrestler, Aj is.

KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
Stiff kicks galore! Should be a good-to-great match, IMO.

The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
TBB in ROH were dominant and should be this time as well, especially against the SAT.

Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)
Easiest pick of the card. Even though both teams in '09 would make most of us Internet nerds would flip the **** out, this is the beginning of ROH and Kazarian and Aries as part of the Prophecy would be more of a cohesive unit.

[ProjectJinx]

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)

[rjhabeeb]

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)

[dse81]

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)

[buck44f]

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Paul London vs. Steve Corino
AJ Styles vs. Jay Briscoe
KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe
The S.A.T. vs. The Backseat Boyz
Sydal & Evans vs. The Prophecy (Aries & Kazarian)

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Submission Supremacy


August 7th, 2002


From the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri


Attendance: 134

--

“This is James Hill, welcoming you to the DVD release of Submission Supremacy. I am backstage here before the show with Low Ki, who later on tonight will wrestle Samoa Joe for the first time ever. And as if that wasn’t enough, Joe has put his status as the #1 Contender for the ROH Championship on the line. Low Ki, what’s on your mind?”

“What is on my mind is very simple: defeating Samoa Joe. Taking his spot as the #1 Contender is an added bonus, and one I will gladly take, but it is secondary to putting Joe in his place.

“Back at All-American Honor, Samoa Joe acted as if I would be an inferior partner for him; he insinuated that we would be better off if I just stood on the ring apron, and left everything to him. I should have struck him down then and there, because that is one of the most insulting and disrespectful things anyone has ever said to me. I will never stand aside and be a spectator to anything. This, pro wrestling, it is my art. And the moment that Low Ki is willing to take a step back and leave the combat to another, is the day that Low Ki walks away from pro wrestling forever.

“I demonstrated my talents; I kicked Christopher Daniels in the face so hard that he flew over the top rope, and was no longer a factor in the match. I had my way with Austin Aries, and was well on my way to winning the match. And then, Samoa Joe tagged himself into the match in order to claim the glory for himself. If Joe had earned that victory, I would not have taken issue; if roles had been reversed, I would not have claimed the fall that he had earned. But Joe decided to take matters into his own hands. And while he may have acquired the victory, he also acquired something else: my anger.

“After WrestleRave, Joe now knows what I had already learned: Christopher Daniels is a supremely crafty foe who always has a back-up plan in place. The heir to the throne, as he called himself, failed to claim the title, just as I did. Now, he will not get another chance at the championship, because I will defeat him, and after that, at long last, I will gain my vengeance on Christopher Daniels. Joe, you may be bigger and stronger than I am, but one of my credos is this: it is not the size of the fighter, but the size of the fight he will bring.

“ Samoa Joe, I will bring the fight. And all you need to do is be…ready…

--

AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Jay Briscoe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg

With regular color commentator CM Punk having been given the night off, ROH Champion Christopher Daniels joined James Hill at the commentator’s table for the night.

AJ Styles was looking to reassert himself in his first match in several shows, and got off to a hot start, catching Jay with a beautiful standing dropkick to the jaw that enabled him to dominate for several minutes. AJ threw some of his best offense at Jay early on, trying to win in decisive fashion. He nearly pulled it off several times, including after a float-over DDT and a Frog Splash, but Jay always managed a kick-out. Looking to land a big blow, AJ went out to the apron in order to try and score with a springboard maneuver, but Jay caught him out of mid-air and threw him down with an Exploder suplex.

The suplex wasn’t enough to keep AJ down for the count, but it left him dazed and wide-open for a continued assault from Briscoe. Jay came off of the top rope, landing a big leg drop that resulted in a near fall. Undeterred, Jay got more close calls with a three-quarter nelson suplex, a leg lariat and a senton backsplash off of the top rope. When none of those moves could put Styles away, Jay applied a double underhook, going for his signature J-Driller. But AJ sensed it was coming, and used his body weight to block it before countering it altogether with a back bodydrop. As soon as Jay got back to his feet, he was dropped right back down with an Asai inverted DDT. Jay was seeing stars after the huge impact, and though he managed to kick out of a pin attempt, he could not come up with an answer after the subsequent Styles Clash, and AJ Styles got back into the win column after a good opening contest.


Winner: AJ Styles in 10:01 with the Styles Clash

--

Jack Evans and Matt Sydal vs. The Prophecy (Austin Aries and Kazarian, w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Unsurprisingly, Christopher Daniels was extremely biased on commentary during this match, rooting for and encouraging his allies profusely. But that didn’t help them in the early going, as the new tag team of Evans and Sydal used their mutual speed and aerial skills to keep The Prophecy at bay. Despite this being their first time teaming together, Evans and Sydal showed great promise, as they seemed to have the great natural chemistry that most great tag teams have.

That’s not to say that Aries and Kazarian were being dominated, because they were in the match every step of the way. Kazarian countered Evans from a victory roll position, driving Jack into the mat with an Electric Chair Drop, and The Prophecy managed to isolate him in their side of the ring. They worked over Evans extensively, until Aries made the mistake of ducking his head a bit too early on an attempted back bodydrop. Jack leapt into the air, standing on Aries’ back briefly before flipping off of him, using Aries as a makeshift springboard to help him towards his own corner.

Sydal was tagged in, and went on a brief flurry, taking it to both of his foes with aerial maneuvers. But, when attempting a springboard moonsault, he lost his footing and fell flat on his face, the high risk attempt not paying off. Aries quickly capitalized, icing the match for The Prophecy with a brainbuster.


Winners: The Prophecy in 08:03 with a brainbuster by Austin Aries on Matt Sydal

--

KENTA vs. Mark Briscoe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

Having witnessed his older brother Jay’s defeat in the opener, and looking to avoid a similar fate, Mark charged at KENTA right at the bell, catching him off-guard with a diving shoulderblock. Mark set a furious pace, repeatedly stomping at his prone form before dropping a series of legdrops across his throat. After scoring with a snap suplex and a backbreaker, Briscoe measured KENTA up for a superkick. But KENTA blocked the kick, using his grip on Mark’s leg to swing him around before doubling Briscoe over with a sharp kick to the ribs. A huge roundhouse kick to the face knocked Mark to the ground, and opened the door for KENTA to take control of the match.

KENTA took advantage of the opportunity, dominating Mark for several minutes. He tossed him down with a double underhook suplex, wore him out with an Octopus Stretch, and blasted him in the face with a springboard dropkick. KENTA nearly put the match away with a Falcon Arrow, but Mark got his shoulder up off the mat. After Mark kicked out of a bridging German suplex, KENTA lifted him onto his shoulders for the Go 2 Sleep. But Mark managed to struggle free, landing on his feet behind KENTA and dropping the Japanese sensation with a Saito suplex. Mark planted KENTA with a ura-nage suplex before going up top, attempting a moonsault. However, KENTA rolled out of the way, and Mark’s high risk did not pay off as he struck the mat with a thud. Mark staggered to his feet, and was promptly defeated with the Busaiku Knee Kick.


Winner: KENTA in 08:58 with the Busaiku Knee Kick

--

Jay Briscoe came down to the ring to check on Mark after the match. The pair of frustrated brothers had a brief conversation, before turning as one to stare at KENTA, whose back was turned to them as he soaked in the cheers of the crowd. The Briscoes struck, knocking the surprised KENTA to the mat and giving him repeated stomps before executing a combination move in which Mark dropped him with a sidewalk slam, and Jay came off of the top with a leg drop. Jay hooked KENTA’s arms, signaling to Mark for a Spike J-Driller. Before they could complete their attack, though, AJ Styles sprinted to the ring. Styles chased both Briscoes off before checking on KENTA, helping him up while keeping an eye on the Briscoes. AJ and KENTA shook hands in the ring, while the angry Briscoes looked on in disgust from the floor.

--

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TrentAcid.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JohnnyKashmere.jpg

Both of these teams were eager to pick up a win and solidify themselves as major players in the ROH tag team division, and it resulted in a very even match. Both teams have considerable experience and familiarity teaming with each other, and they demonstrated their respective teamwork in not allowing either team member to be stranded in the ring for an extended period of time.

The SAT’s innovative double teaming was on display at various points, including a sequence where both Maximos peppered Johnny Kashmere with a series of kicks, mixing in both high and low shots, and finished with a double superkick. But while the Maximos may have had the flashier combination moves, the Backseats’ offense was just as effective. Their more traditional team moves, highlighted by a spike piledriver and a double Gourdbuster, earned more than one near-fall.

The Backseats struck a huge blow when Kashmere held Jose Maximo in a waistlock, allowing Trent Acid to land a Yakuza kick before dropping Jose on his head with a release German suplex. That more than likely would have given the ‘Boyz the victory, but Joel made the save just in time. Jose was still in trouble, however, and the Backseats lifted him into the air for their trademark T-Gimmick finisher. Fortunately for him, Joel was able to grab hold of his brother’s leg and pull him to safety. The SAT dumped a confused Trent Acid to the floor before dropping Kashmere with a double running bulldog. Continuing with the double teaming, the SAT took Kashmere to the top rope and finished him off with the Spanish Fly, adding to their growing momentum.


Winners: The Spanish Announce Team in 12:41 with the Spanish Fly on Johnny Kashmere

--

“It is intermission, which means time is running out for you, Low Ki. Very shortly, you will step into the ring with me, the Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe. I know you’re upset that I told you to stay out of my way in our little tag match at All-American Honor. You think I was disrespecting you. Well you know what, Low Ki? You are one hell of a competitor. One of the best in the world, in fact. But you aren’t Samoa Joe. I am the most dominant and destructive force in pro wrestling today. There is no one who stands toe to toe with me and escapes unscathed. Just ask Bryan Danielson, who I humbled. Hell, you could ask Monsta Mack too, but I have absolutely no idea where to look for him.

“The point is this, Low Ki: I trust no one to get the job done except for me. You could’ve just gone along with what I said before that tag match, and this whole situation could have been avoided. Instead, you decided to try and do things your way, and here we stand, mere minutes away from going into battle. And speaking of tonight, I know a lot of people are questioning my decision to risk my title rematch tonight. What they don’t realize is that there is no risk involved. I know that Low Ki is no match for me. I put my title shot on the line just so no one could question whether or not Low Ki would give his all tonight. With a title shot at stake, Low Ki has no excuses not to bring his absolute best. And I will prove to the world that Low Ki’s absolute best is simply not enough when faced with the dominance of the Samoan Submission Machine.

“I am Samoa Joe. I am pro wrestling. And I am your next Ring of Honor Champion.”

--

Paul London vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Steve Corino was very angry, and determined to gain a measure of revenge on London. He charged at London the moment the youngster stepped into the ring. However, London was able to use Corino’s temper against him in the early going, as he caught a charging Corino with an armdrag takedown. Corino kept trying to assault London, and London kept frustrating him with slick counters such as drop toeholds, headscissors and several more armdrags. London would follow these counters up with solid mat wrestling maneuvers, further frustrating The King of Old School as he struggled to free himself.

After driving Corino’s head into the mat with his legsweep DDT variation, London scaled the buckles and went for it all, attempting to score with the London Calling. But he went for broke a bit prematurely, as Corino got his knees up, driving them into London’s ribs on impact. With London clutching his ribs in pain, the door finally opened for Corino, who seized his chance. He didn’t do much in the way of actual wrestling, instead choosing to punish London with roughhouse tactics, stepping outside the boundaries of the rulebook with all manner of choke holds, eye gouges and various other illegal moves, making sure to push the referee to the brink of a DQ without actually crossing that fine line.

Corino’s refusal to wrestle for the win allowed London to get himself back into the match. He countered a swinging neckbreaker attempt, twisting free and winding up behind Corino before taking advantage of his positioning by dropping The King of Old School with the waffleface. London went on a roll, kicking Corino in the butt of the jaw with a dropsault, and came tantalizingly close to a 2nd straight win over Corino with a running hurracanrana and a Tornado DDT. But when he went for a springboard crossbody, Corino sidestepped, and London had his 2nd missed aerial move of the match. Corino pounced, driving London to the mat with a Northern Lights bomb. He covered London, only to pull his shoulders up off of the mat just before the 3-count. Corino lifted London’s limp body up and finished him off with the Old School Expulsion, avenging his previous defeat in emphatic fashion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 10:54 with the Old School Expulsion

--

Corino gave London a couple of stomps after the match for good measure, before asking for and receiving a microphone.

“Well, well. Look at your boy now, Steamboat. Not lookin’ too good, is he?” Corino lifted London up by the hair and tossed him over the top rope.

“Now that that piece of garbage is taken care of, I have once again achieved perfection. The only two men to have fluked their way into a victory over me in ROH, AJ Styles and Paul London, have both come crashing back down to Earth thanks to The King of Old School. Steamboat, I know you are MIA tonight, on the advice of some of your fellow office suits, but hear this: I am not going away. Sooner or later, you’re going to run out of obstacles to try and throw in my path, and you’ll be forced to give me a shot at the ROH Championship. And we all know what is going to happen once I get my hands on your precious little title belt. But before that, there’s one more piece of business for me to take care of.”

Corino turned, staring eye-to-eye with referee Martin Dugas. Dugas regarded Corino warily, unsure of the approaching wrestler’s intentions.

“You’ve struck my last nerve, you worthless zebra-striped jackoff. This entire match tonight would have been completely unnecessary had you just done your damn job the last time I was in the ring with that skinny little punk. I had him beat after the Old School Expulsion, but your frail ass was “incapacitated” by one little dropkick. But I’m on to you: you’re a Steamboat crony, sent by that fossil to do his bidding and try and screw me over. Not only were you conveniently out of position to count my pinfall, you also SOMEHOW overlooked the fact that London used a steel chair to beat me. You screwed me out of a victory, and caused me to be humiliated for everybody to see. Well guess what, zebra? Nobody screws Steve Corino over and gets away with it. Nobody.

Corino blasted Dugas in the face with a superkick, knocking the ref out cold. He lifted the unconscious ref up, and drove him into the canvas with the Old School Expulsion. A horde of staff hustled out to check on the official as Corino left the ringside area, a satisfied smirk on his face.

--

ROH Championship #1 Contender’s Match:

Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Low Ki and Samoa Joe stood in center ring before the match began, staring each other down and having a heated war of words. Once the bell rang, they immediately went after each other, trading a barrage of punches, kicks, chops and forearms. Joe got the best of the lengthy exchange, catching Low Ki’s foot after a roundhouse kick attempt and tossing him onto his back with a capture suplex. Joe looked to capitalize, getting into a mount position and throwing punches at Ki’s face before grabbing his arm and locking on a cross armbreaker. Low Ki shifted his lower body and got his foot across the bottom rope to force a break, but Joe kept at it, firing off a series of kicks to the ribs before dropping a running knee across his chest. Joe applied another submission, trapping Low Ki in a Triangle Choke. The hold was nicely executed, and it took Low Ki some time to escape, but he eventually was able to slip out.

Joe maneuvered Low Ki into a corner and backed up, attempting a running boot in the corner, but Low Ki dodged. Ki took advantage of the miss, firing off some kicks at Joe’s legs before taking him down to the mat and locking on a knee bar. Joe soon reached the ropes, but Low Ki continued to focus his efforts on Joe’s legs, attacking the limbs with more kicks and submissions. Joe limped his way into a corner in the face of Low Ki’s assault, and Ki cartwheeled at him for a Tidal Krush. However, Joe caught him out of mid-air and tossed him to the mat with a huge STO.

Joe resumed control, giving Low Ki a few forearms to the face before folding him in half with a powerbomb. Low Ki managed a narrow kickout, but Joe swiftly turned him onto his chest and sat back with a Boston crab. After Low Ki reached the ropes, Joe hoisted him into the air for an Island Driver. Low Ki broke his grip, but rather than landing on his feet, he instead locked his legs around Joe’s midsection and hooked him in the Dragon Clutch. Joe stood on wobbly legs, but before he reached the point of no return, he backed into a corner, ramming Low Ki’s back into the buckles until he was forced to release the Clutch. Joe gave Low Ki a hard kick to the face before going for the victory with his Chimera-Plex (a German suplex, followed by a Dragon suplex, and finished off with an X-Plex.) The referee’s hand slapped the mat three times, and Joe quickly stood up, raising his arms in victory. However, the ref yanked his hand down, much to Joe’s confusion. After a quick conversation with the ref, the ring announcer declared that both men’s shoulders had been down for a count of three, and the match had been ruled a draw. Both Joe and Low Ki argued with the referee as ROH Champion Christopher Daniels laughed gleefully from the broadcast table, saying that since neither man could call themselves the #1 Contender to his championship, neither one would be receiving a title shot.


No Contest in 15:35 via a double pinfall

--

Submission Supremacy Match:

Bryan Danielson vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

Knowing that they had a full half hour ahead of them, both Danielson and Maritato were content to wrestle a slow and methodical match early on, neither man wanting to expend too much energy and wear themselves out, as well as looking to avoid making any critical mistakes that would allow their opponent to score the first submission. They had a crisp exchange of holds and counterholds, matching each other step for step and demonstrating that they were quite evenly matched in terms of mat wrestling prowess.

Danielson lifted Maritato into the air with a waistlock and tossed him down with an amateur wrestling-style takedown, quickly floating over and applying a front facelock. Maritato escaped, twisting out and getting Danielson into a hammerlock. Holding onto his hammerlock, Maritato bridged forward, winding up with a hold somewhat similar to Danielson’s signature Cattle Mutilation. Danielson got to the ropes and forced a break, but Maritato went right for another submission, wrapping his right arm under Danielson’s head and locking his legs around his midsection, cinching in the front necklock ala Jun Akiyama from Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Maritato had the hold well applied, but Danielson showed great perseverance in fighting his way to his feet, Maritato keeping the hold locked on the entire time. Danielson charged at the corner, ramming Maritato’s back into the buckles several times until the Italian’s grip loosened. Danielson quickly lifted Maritato up onto the top turnbuckle, and brought him crashing down with a top rope superplex. The landing undoubtedly damaged Danielson as well, but he shrugged it off and was back on his feet quickly, climbing the turnbuckles and coming off of the top with a diving headbutt to Maritato’s skull. Shaking off the damage that the move had done to his own head, Danielson grabbed hold of Maritato’s arms, trying to get him into the Cattle Mutilation. Maritato knew what Danielson was thinking, and struggled mightily, not allowing the American Dragon to hook his arms properly. Making an adjustment, Danielson floated over and struck Maritato in the back of the head with several stiff knee strikes before floating back over and again looking for Cattle Mutilation. The knee strikes had done their job, as Maritato was unable to prevent Danielson from bridging forward and locking on his favorite hold. Maritato struggled, not wanting to go down a fall, but he was nowhere near the ropes. Deciding that giving up a fall to avoid extensive damage would be a fair trade-off, Maritato submit, and Bryan Danielson went up 1 fall to 0.

After a 60-second rest period, Danielson went right back in for the kill, grabbing Maritato’s arms and trying to drive him down to the mat in preparation for another Cattle Mutilation. But Maritato countered with a drop toehold and grabbed hold of Danielson’s leg, sitting back and putting all of his body weight on Danielson’s back as he put on a half crab. Maritato sat back further, pulling Danielson’s leg even further back and causing the Dragon to scream out. Fortunately for Danielson, he was able to crawl over and grab hold of the ropes before the pain became too intense for him to handle.

Maritato was not discouraged, waiting for Danielson to get up before charging at him and driving him face-first into the canvas with the Sicilian Slice. Rather than going for a submission, Maritato stepped out onto the ring apron, measuring his foe up. As soon as Danielson stood up, Maritato sprung into action, doing major damage to Danielson’s arm with the Arrivederci. Following up, Maritato hooked Danielson in the Fujiwara Armbar. Danielson’s arm, already weakened from the Arrivederci, could not withstand the armbar for long, and Maritato leveled the match at a fall apiece as Danielson tapped out.

With the match all square, both men went for broke, looking to break the tie as the match neared its conclusion. Maritato tried to apply the Fujiwara Armbar once more, but Danielson rolled through the attempt and blasted him in the face with a rolling elbow smash, using his good elbow. The blow rocked Maritato, and Danielson got behind him, driving his neck into the canvas with a release Dragon suplex. He looked to follow that up with the Cattle Mutilation, but as he bridged forward, Maritato rolled with him, winding up on top. Danielson still had Maritato’s arms hooked, and after a struggle, he caught his Italian foe off-guard by switching to a crossface chickenwing. Applying a bodyscissors for good measure, Danielson earned the tie-breaking submission with mere minutes remaining in the time limit. Knowing time was running out, Maritato launched a frantic attack, trying to beat the clock. He tried to drive Danielson into the mat with the Kiss of Death, but Danielson shook it off and drove him down with a Tiger suplex as time expired. A weary Danielson acknowledged the cheering fans, and a dejected Maritato made his exit as the show came to a close.


Winner: Bryan Danielson, 2 falls to 1

--

Quick Results:

AJ Styles over Jay Briscoe
The Prophecy over Jack Evans & Matt Sydal
KENTA over Mark Briscoe
The SAT over The Backseat Boyz
Steve Corino over Paul London
No Contest between Low Ki and Samoa Joe in an ROH Championship #1 Contender’s match
Bryan Danielson over James Maritato in a Submission Supremacy match


Submission Supremacy predictions:

rjhabeeb: 6-1

critical-23: 5-2
ProjectJinx: 5-2
buck44f: 5-2

dse91: 4-3


Standings in Prediction Contest #1 after 4 shows (1 show remaining):

1. buck44f: 17-9

2. critical-23: 15-4
ProjectJinx: 15-5
rjhabeeb: 15-5

3. tizzyt: 11-8

4. ya_its_me: 10-2

5. UFC-KING: 4-2
dse81: 4-3

6. xthesiknessx: 2-5

((buck stays on top..but with one show remaining, and the possibility of that one show being my first 8-match lineup, it's not over just yet.))

[buck44f]

damn it, you couldn't let me bask in being able to think whatever but no I nave to pick with my head next time. Another good show, I probably should have saw the no contest coming.

[The Final Countdown]

August 7th, 2002
10:28 p.m.


I polished off my post-show meal, still coming down from the adrenaline high as the show had ended no more than 30 minutes ago. Things hadn’t gone quite as I had planned, but hey, that’s life. Tossing the hamburger wrapper into the garbage, I booted up my trusty laptop and set to work.

-Alexis Laree went over Gail Kim in a pre-show match that will not be included on the DVD. Just your basic women’s match. I’d like to eventually work the girls onto the main show, but they’ll need to put on performances of a higher quality for that to happen. Until then, I’ll continue to throw the occasional pre-show match their way in the hopes that they will improve over time.

-AJ Styles and Jay Briscoe had great chemistry, and it resulted in a pretty strong opener. The second or third best match on the show, no doubt. I felt it was important for AJ to have a strong showing in his first match since the Fight Without Honor, and he and Jay delivered.

-The tag match pitting Austin Aries and Kazarian against Jack Evans and Matt Sydal was not good. Both Aries and Sydal had off-nights, and when you combine that with the fact that neither of these teams had ever worked together before, the result was understandable. But there was a definite silver lining to be found: Evans and Sydal, despite their complete inexperience teaming with each other, showed fantastic chemistry. They meshed really well, and with some experience, as well as more time to establish them with our fans, I think they could be major players in our tag team division.

-KENTA and Mark Briscoe had a solid contest. Still waiting for KENTA's first standout match for us. I know he's got it in him; he's shown it in NOAH. Just a matter of finding the right match-up.

-The lackluster results of the first tag match of the night were not a total surprise. But more surprising was the fact that the match between the SAT and the Backseats was just as mediocre. Both teams have considerable experience teaming with each other, both are capable of putting on quality matches, and no one appeared to have a particularly bad night. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong out there, but seeing as both of these teams figure to be important pieces of our tag division, I hope this was just an isolated incident.

-Match of the Night honors went to Steve Corino and Paul London, who had a very good match. Corino got his win back, and a strong performance with such an established guy can only help the career of London, so the match should have helped both guys out.

-Samoa Joe and Low Ki had all the makings of a mega-feud. I expected their similar intense styles, and their mutual mixture of hard kicks and solid submissions, to result in some tremendous matches. And then, they actually wrestled. Not sure why, but they just had terrible chemistry with one another. Maybe Low Ki isn't really accustomed to working with someone so much larger than he is. Whatever the problem, this match was a definite disappointment. It was not terrible; just kind of blah. Indeed, both of the tag matches were worse. But it did not even come close to living up to my expectations.

-Another relative disappointment was the Submission Supremacy match between Danielson and Maritato. Now, this match was not bad, per se. It was actually fairly good. But, considering how well their match last show went, and throwing in a stipulation that looked on paper to play perfectly to both of their styles, I expected a classic. Instead, I got a match that was more or less on par with their initial match at Boston Massacre...but Bryan Danielson had a major off-night back then. There were no such problems this time around, so I'm not sure what happened out there.


I thought we were in store for a great show, and instead we got merely a good one. It was still good enough to help add to our reputation, especially in a region like the Mid West, where we aren't quite as established yet.

[rjhabeeb]

Homicide over Daniels for the title....book it now

[The Final Countdown]

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The #1 Contender's match between Samoa Joe and Low Ki at Submission Supremacy ended in controversy, as the referee counted both men's shoulders down, and declared the match a draw. Christopher Daniels was enthusiastic about the situation on commentary, believing that the no contest meant that neither man would be receiving a title shot.

Unfortunately for the champion, the ROH front office had other plans in mind. Namely, a triple threat match for the title. Whether he likes it or not, Daniels will have to defend the belt against both Low Ki and Samoa Joe in one match. It will take place on Wednesday, August 21st, 2002, as ROH presents Triple Jeopardy from the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan.

Triple Threat Match for the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Low Ki (Challenger) vs. Samoa Joe (Challenger)
The Fallen Angel is, understandably, in a very bad mood. Now, rather than having to defend the belt against either Samoa Joe or Low Ki, he'll have to deal with both of them in the same match. And on top of that, whomever scores the pinfall or submission will walk out as the ROH Champion...meaning Daniels doesn't even have to be beaten in order to lose his title.

In some triple threat matches, you'll see two of the combatants form a temporary alliance throughout the match. That is very unlikely to happen here, as all three men have serious issues with each other. Low Ki and Christopher Daniels have been at each other's throats since the very first show, and things have only escalated from there. Daniels likely thought that the spectacular moonsault off the top of the steel cage that he hit on Low Ki back at Death before Dishonor had put an end to Low Ki's title pursuit, but that will clearly not be the case. And Samoa Joe is still furious over his controversial loss to Daniels in the ROH Championship match back at WrestleRave 2002, so he'll want to punish Daniels every bit as much as Low Ki will. But the rivalry between Joe and Low Ki cannot be discounted either. With neither man having been victorious at Submission Supremacy, one would think that they would be eager to prove their superiority. However the mixture of these three combustible personalities shakes out, it's sure to be entertaining.

ROH Championship #1 Contender's Match:
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
At WrestleRave 2002, after Steve Corino declared that he would win the ROH Championship, only to toss it into the garbage, Homicide responded by saying that if Corino wanted to get his hands on the belt, he would have to go through him. His words have turned out to be prophetic, because ROH matchmakers have inked a bout between the two, with the winner becoming the new #1 Contender. Homicide and Corino are two of the hottest wrestlers in ROH. Homicide's only loss in ROH thus far was to eventual champion Christopher Daniels in the ROH Championship tournament, while Corino has avenged both of his defeats (to AJ Styles and Paul London, respectively.) But only one man will continue his winning ways, and earn an ROH Championship shot in the process.

AJ Styles and KENTA vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)
After The Briscoes both wound up on the losing end of singles matches against Styles and KENTA at Submission Supremacy, they attempted to take out their frustrations with a 2-on-1 attack on KENTA. But Styles saved the star from NOAH, chasing both Briscoes off. As reported on ROHwrestling.com earlier in the week, the Briscoes recently challenged Styles and KENTA to face them in tag team action, and the challenge has officially been accepted. Styles and KENTA are both fantastic wrestlers, but the tag team experience of The Briscoes could be a great equalizer.

Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Colt Cabana was initially scheduled to defend his ROH Tag Team Championship against The Spanish Announce Team, but with CM Punk dealing with knee ligament damage, the match has been postponed until a later date. This left Cabana free, and resulted in a match-up with "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, who is riding high after his victory over James Maritato in the Submission Supremacy match at the show of the same name. He'll try to stay hot against the Chicago native, who will attempt to demonstrate that he can do just as well on his own as he can as one half of the Second City Saints.

Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
Red, along with his cousins The Maximos, prevailed in six-man tag action over the Second City Saints back at WrestleRave 2002, but at Triple Jeopardy he will return to solo competition. In the other corner will be the bizarre Spanky, who has been on a bit of a cold streak. Spanky would like very much to break out of his funk, but the high-flying Red will not make it easy on him.

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. Jack Evans and Matt Sydal
Thanks to CM Punk's injury, the SAT will have to wait a bit longer before receiving their title shot. Not content to rest on their laurels for Punk to heal up, the SAT issued an open challenge to any tag team in ROH. The challenge was answered by the duo of Jack Evans and Matt Sydal, who looked very impressive in their team debut against The Prophecy at Submission Supremacy. But in order for them to move up the ladder in the ROH tag team division, they'll need more than just good outings: they'll need wins as well. A victory over the #1 Contenders would be a huge boost for the new team, but the SAT have no intention of suffering a defeat before their title shot.

Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
The veteran Devon Storm has yet to pick up his first win in ROH action. He'll attempt to do so against Austin Aries at Triple Jeopardy, but Aries, a member of Christopher Daniels' Prophecy, will try to use Storm's well-respected name across the independents to cement his own place as a rising star.

Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian
Tony Mamaluke has been gaining more and more confidence as a singles wrestler with each outing. He took Steve Corino to the limit at All-American Honor, and it seems like just a matter of time before he picks up his big breakout win. Perhaps that will come at Triple Jeopardy, but Kazarian has his own confidence back in full force after joining up with Christopher Daniels and The Prophecy, and will not want to let his "savior" down.


Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt SYdal
Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian

[buck44f]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt SYdal
Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian

[The Celt]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
The reign of the fallen Angel continues!
Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
Homicide with a flash comeback upset win that leads to a feud, which Homicide wins and uses to win the RoH title and begin the reign of the 187! Also please give Homicide more promo time!
AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
The established heel team go over via cheating
Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Danielson is just too strong for Cabana
Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
Coin toss
The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt Sydal
Evans and Sydal have a ton of protenial...Generation Next fools!
Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Prophecy win
Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian
Prophecy win

[ScottMulhern]

Thought I'd have another shot at some predictions. I'd like to remind you that I got six out of six last time I tried this, so I'm looking for another clean sweep:

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt Sydal
Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian (I'm not sure about this one, but I just can't stand Kaz. In the nineties there was a short lived BBC soap called Eldorado featuring Jessie Birdsall as Marcus Tandy, he was a smug git (both the character and actor), and I hated him. Kaz is a spitting image of him, and thus the reason for my dislike).

[critical-23]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
Daniels keeps chugging along as champion

Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
Corino cheats to start off the 'Cide/Corino fued.

AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
Psychologically, the Briscoes have lost to AJ and KENTA in singles bouts, so I am guessing that this makeshift team will do well enough to beat them as a team.

Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Danielson keeps rolling although Cabana could use some shenanigans in the process.

Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
Almost a coin toss but I have Red taking this one because he is injury free and still amazing.

The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt SYdal
A surprising (to me at least) win over the Backseat Boyz makes me take notice of the SAT.

Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Hated Devon Storm as Crowbar. Austin has more momentum. Here's hoping that you bring out the ECWA version of Devon Storm. *crosses fingers*

Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian
ANother win for the prophecy! Although it won't be easy.

[rjhabeeb]

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe for the ROH Championship
Keep the strap on the Fallen Angel until Hulk "Homicide" Hogan can dethrone him
Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
I think Corino goes over here but as i have said before im never picking against the 187
AJ Syles & KENTA vs. The Briscoes
Briscoes need the win more but they are still too young for a push
Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana
Spanky vs. The Amazing Red
The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt SYdal
Evans and Sydal can be jobbers until they are ready for their own push
Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Triple Jeopardy


August 21st, 2002


From the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/hammerstein.jpg


Attendance: 870

--

“This is James Hill, and I am backstage with The Prophecy, led by Ring of Honor Champion Christopher Daniels. Chris, after Low Ki and Samoa Joe wrestled to a draw at our last show, you were positively giddy, believing that you were in the free and clear. So it must have been very disappointing for you to learn that you would have to defend your championship against both men in a triple threat match.”

Daniels and his followers all had grim expressions on their faces. Daniels shook his head in disgust, taking a few moments to rein in his temper before responding to Hill.

“Disappointing? Disappointing doesn’t even begin to cover it, Jessie. I’m still trying to figure this out in my head. If you put two guys against each other, and declare that the winner of the match will receive a title shot, and neither guy wins the match, how on God’s green Earth do you reach the decision that they both have earned the title shot? There is absolutely no logic whatsoever in that ruling. Neither guy won the match, and I should have gotten a well-deserved night off. Instead, I enter a match in which I don’t even have to be defeated to lose my title! It is a complete injustice. It’s no secret that Ricky Steamboat resents the fact that I am the flagship here in ROH. Who could forget when I beat Low Ki in the tournament finals at Crowning a Champion, and Steamboat was oh-so reluctant to present me with the belt? He knows that with every successful title defense, I continue to undermine his goody-two-shoes values, and prove that my path is superior. Well guess what, Steamboat? I’ve stepped into the ring with both Low Ki and Samoa Joe in title matches, and emerged with my hand raised and the championship still in my possession. And tonight, I’ll take care of both of them at the same time. Because despite what you throw at me, I am still Christopher Daniels. I am still God’s gift to pro wrestling, and I am still the leader of The Prophecy, the most elite group in all of wrestling. Nothing will stop me from leaving New York tonight with the Ring of Honor Championship still wrapped around my waist. Nothing. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”

--

Bryan Danielson vs. Colt Cabana

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg

Colt Cabana got the crowd laughing at the beginning of the match as he went through some over-the-top goofball antics, including a heartfelt and tearful dedication of the match to his partner CM Punk—who is expected to be fully healed within a week’s time. Even Bryan Danielson grinned and shook his head at Cabana’s theatrics, but once the two men locked up, he was all business. Cabana is quite a talented wrestler underneath his silly exterior, and proved it by holding his own with a technician of Danielson’s caliber. The co-holder of the ROH Tag Team Championship did a nice job of fending off Danielson’s ground game, not allowing himself to get caught up in any of The American Dragon’s signature submission holds early on. Cabana even managed to one-up Danielson on the mat a time or two.

Danielson applied a full nelson, attempting to floor Cabana with a Dragon suplex. But Colt used his hands to break Danielson’s grip, going behind the American Dragon and dropping him with a belly to back suplex. Colt whipped Danielson into the buckle and followed him in with a flying butt bump before lifting him on top of the buckle. Cabana climbed up with him, looking for a superplex, but Danielson blocked it and fired off several forearm shots to Colt’s face, causing him to lose his footing and jump back down into the ring. Danielson took advantage of a staggered Colt, leaping off of the second rope and hitting him with a European uppercut to the jaw. He followed that up with a Mexican surfboard, which he wound up making even more painful by adding in a chinlock.

Colt managed to escape that hold, and after ducking a rolling elbow smash from Danielson, dropped him with a lariat. Colt dominated the match for several minutes, getting near falls with a Northern Lights suplex and a sitout powerbomb, and showing off his athleticism with a moonsault off of the top rope. When that wasn’t enough to win the match, Cabana lifted Danielson up for the Colt 45. However, Danielson broke out of it, landing on his feet behind Cabana and tossing him to the mat with a bridging Dragon suplex that was a half a count away from ending the match. Danielson was undettered by Cabana getting his shoulder up, as he maintained his full nelson from the suplex, locking on the Cattle Mutilation in a flash. Cabana struggled to break out momentarily, but his efforts were ineffective, and he was forced to submit.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 18:17 with the Cattle Mutilation

--

After the match, a distraught Colt Cabana grabbed a microphone.

“Punker, I’m SORRY! I promised to win this match for you, and I let you down, you brave little trooper! But don’t throw in the towel just yet, good buddy! I may not have put a smile on your face with my performance in the ring tonight, but I’m not giving up! If I can’t make you proud in the ring, then I’ll just have to do it at another area near and dear to your heart—the broadcast table! So make room, James Hill, because the Coltster’s filling in for his dear buddy CM Punk on color commentary! This one’s for you, my straight-edge pal!” With that, Colt joined Hill on commentary.

--

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. Jack Evans and Matt Sydal

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg

The SAT were intent on continuing to build momentum leading into their ROH Tag Team Championship match, but the recently-formed duo of Jack Evans and Matt Sydal proved to be very tough opposition. Evans and Sydal may be the only team in ROH who have the edge on the SAT in terms of high flying, and they used that to their advantage throughout the bout. They used their agility and an apparently instinctual sense of team-work and timing to combat the experience advantage of the SAT, to pretty good effect. The Maximos were a bit thrown off, obviously not used to competing against a team faster and more agile than themselves. They were not completely out of sync, however; their innovative double team offense helped them out of some jams, and prevented Evans and Sydal from assuming complete control of the match.

After dropping Jose Maximo with a stereo springboard dropkick, Evans and Sydal each climbed a turnbuckle, with some amazing feat of athleticism no doubt in mind. But they showed their inexperience in neglecting to first take care of Joel Maximo, and he made them pay for their error. Joel shoved Jack off of the top rope and to the arena floor before cutting Sydal off, shaking the ropes and causing Matt to crotch himself painfully on the buckle. Joel helped Jose up, and the brothers continued their hot streak courtesy of the Spanish Fly.


Winners: The Spanish Announce Team in 08:04 with the Spanish Fly on Matt Sydal

--

Spanky vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

Spanky and Red shook hands before the match began in a sign of respect. Once the bell rang, fans were treated to an exciting, high-flying, fast-paced match between two premiere aerial wrestlers. The momentum swung back and forth frequently, neither man at a disadvantage for long. Red is the better flier of the two, and as a result most of his offense centered around his aerial skills. Many of his breathtaking moves were on display, including a flying hurracanrana, a quebrada DDT, and a slingshot cannonball legdrop. But Spanky was not to be outdone, executing some nice aerial moves of his own, including a missile dropkick and a top rope hurracanrana.

The match continued on in that fashion, both men coming close to scoring the victory, but neither quite pulling it off. After Red kicked out of a German suplex, Spanky measured him up for the move handed down to him by his trainer Shawn Michaels, the superkick. Red had the presence of mind to avoid the kick, dropping on all fours as Spanky only found air, and taking Spanky down with a low leg sweep. Red tried to quickly follow that up with the Red Star Press, but connected with Spanky’s knees instead. Spanky pulled Red up and spiked him with a leaping DDT, but it was not enough to end the match. Going for the kill, Spanky put on the cravat, maneuvering towards the corner for the Sliced Bread #2. Red blocked it, though, forcing Spanky to release his grip and backflip down. Red struck, pulling off a series of kicks to the ribs and face before polishing Spanky off with the Code Red.


Winner: The Amazing Red in 13:36 with the Code Red

--

Tony Mamaluke vs. Kazarian (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Mamaluke and Kazarian both desired a victory; Mamaluke was looking for his big singles breakthrough, while Kazarian wanted to pick up the win in the name of The Prophecy. But they approached things from very different angles. Mamaluke attempted to earn the duke based on his own merits, using his grappling skills, while Kazarian cut corners wherever possible. He stalled frequently, creating separation and not allowing Mamaluke to develop a rhythm. The fans did not appreciate Kazarian’s stall tactics, jeering him relentlessly, but his body language and facial expressions made it clear that he could not care less.

After a distraction from Gail Kim, Kazarian blasted Mamaluke with a spinning heel kick. This opened the door for him to stop stalling, and start throwing some of his big moves at Mamaluke to try and score the win. He did just that, gaining a number of near falls after such moves as a hangman’s neckbreaker, Electric Chair drop, urunage suplex and a belly to belly suplex off of the top rope. When he missed with a double springboard legdrop, however, Mamaluke gained control, trying to tie Kazarian up in knots and cause a submission. He appeared to be well on his way to achieving his goal, but Kazarian stunned him with an out-of-nowhere New Wave that was just enough to keep Mamaluke’s shoulders down for the three-count.


Winner: Kazarian in 12:04 with the New Wave

--

“This is ace Ring of Honor color commentator Colt Cabana backstage at intermission. I am fulfilling my duties as a broadcast journalist, as I am here with Samoa Joe. Joe, my inside sources from the Second City tell me that you are one unhappy big fella. So, big man: why so sad?”

Cabana looked up at Joe, trying very hard to look serious and professional. Instead, he looked over-the-top and ridiculous, his tense facial expression almost making it appear as if he needed to rush off to the bathroom. Joe just shook his head at Cabana before placing one hand on Colt’s chest, pushing the co-holder of the ROH Tag Team Championship out of the camera shot none-too-gently. With Cabana pushed aside, Joe glared into the camera.

“Low Ki, you have no business being in this title match tonight. This should be between me and Christopher Daniels. I hit you with my Chimera-Plex, and you looked up at the lights. Our match was declared a draw on a simple technicality. As far as I’m concerned, I already proved that I am the better man. But I will not hesitate to prove that fact yet again, because it makes no difference to me who I defeat tonight. All that matters is that Samoa Joe bulldozes through the competition, and stakes his claim as the new Ring of Honor Champion. So Low Ki, prepare to suffer another ass kicking. And Christopher Daniels, shine that ROH Championship up real good, give it a good look, and kiss it goodbye, because it will only be in your possession for another hour or so. Because I am Samoa Joe. I am pro wrestling. And after tonight, no one will be able to deny that I am the man to beat in ROH.”

--

Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Devon Storm, frustrated with his lack of success in ROH thus far, got an early jump on Austin Aries by attacking him in the aisle, leaping onto Aries with a plancha before he could even enter the ring. Storm pounded on Aries on the floor, slamming his head into the ring steps and ring post as well as whipping him back-first into the barricade seperating the fans from ringside. Storm kept the pressure on, sending the back of Aries’ head into the thinly padded concrete floor with a swinging neckbreaker.

Devon rolled Aries into the ring and came at him with a slingshot legdrop, but Aries was alert enough to roll to safety. The miss enabled Aries to start building up some momentum. After Aries used some basic mat wrestling to wear Storm down a bit, he started using some higher-impact moves. He got near falls after a running dropkick in the corner and a wheelbarrow suplex, and came close to a submission with a Muta-style deathlock, but Storm persevered. Aries lifted Storm onto the top turnbuckle, looking for a superplex, or possibly even a top rope brainbuster, but Storm fought him off with several punches to the stomach and dropped Aries to the mat with a devestating sunset flip powerbomb off of the top rope. Aries somehow kicked out, causing Storm to lose his cool. He argued with the referee for several long moments, allowing Aries some time to shake off the cobwebs. When Storm returned to try and go back on the offensive, a recovered Aries lifted him onto his shoulders and slammed him down with a rolling fireman’s carry, positioning him perfectly for a match-ending 450° Splash.


Winner: Austin Aries in 11:20 with the 450° Splash

--

AJ Styles and KENTA (w/Alexis Laree) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

Styles and KENTA may have prevailed over The Briscoes in singles matches, but Jay and Mark had one huge factor in their favor this time around: their years of experience as a tag team, as opposed to AJ and KENTA, who were teaming for the very first time. This advantage was very evident throughout the match, as The Briscoes gelled together perfectly, making crisp tags and performing a myriad of impressive combination moves. Styles and KENTA, on the other hand, did not work together quite as well, each man trying to accomplish too much individually, and not relying enough on his partner.

Despite the considerable experience edge of The Briscoes, Styles and KENTA remained very competitive thanks to their spectacular talents. Whenever it appeared as if The Briscoes were inching towards a victory over a worn-down opponent, the legal man would dig deep and come up with a big counter that would allow him to finally tag the fresh man back into the match.

After a combination belly to back suplex/running neckbreaker from The Briscoes on Styles, Mark climbed to the top rope and leapt off with a shooting star press. Unfortunately for Mark, Styles rolled out of the way and made the tag to KENTA, who unleashed a flurry of kicks on both Briscoes in sequence. KENTA was rolling, and after almost finishing Jay off with a Falcon Arrow, lifted him onto his shoulders for the Go 2 Sleep. However, Mark came to his brother’s aid, breaking up the attempt with a spear.

After some more double-teaming from The Briscoes, KENTA pulled off another counter, sidestepping a double shoulderblock and rolling towards his corner, tagging AJ back into the match. AJ took the fight to both Briscoes, knocking Mark out of the ring with a Pele kick before dropping Jay with a discus lariat. As soon as Jay stood up, AJ blasted him in the face with a springboard forearm. Going for the kill, AJ planted Jay into the canvas with the Styles Clash. But Mark dove back into the ring and saved his brother from sure defeat at the last possible second. The Briscoes attempted to double-team Styles some more, but KENTA stepped into the ring to prevent that from happening. He charged forward and unleashed the Busaiku Knee Kick—but his intended target Mark Briscoe saw it coming and managed to duck, resulting in the strike connecting with AJ Styles instead. A stunned KENTA glanced down at his fallen partner, until The Briscoes ganged up on him, tossing him over the top rope. Jay and Mark capitalized on their opening, pinning a weakened Styles after a Springboard Doomsday Device. After the match, as The Briscoes celebrated, Styles and KENTA had words, AJ not looking very happy about the accidental strike from his partner.


Winners: The Briscoes in 12:09 with a Springboard Doomsday Device on AJ Styles

--

ROH Championship #1 Contender’s Match:

Homicide vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Corino tried to get into Homicide’s head before the match began, talking trash, saying that “a street thug like you doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring as the King of Old School.” Homicide was unfazed, simply grinning in the face of Corino’s taunts and making the traditional “belt wrapped around the waist” gesture, signaling his desire to become the next ROH Champion.

Corino tested Homicide’s technical wrestling ability early on, engaging The Notorious 187 in a series of holds and reversals, with Homicide more than holding his own. In fact, Homicide seemed to be getting the better of Corino in the exchange. Once Corino realized this, he changed his approach, thumbing Homicide in the eye. Referee Martin Dugas reprimanded Corino for the illegal action, but Corino took no heed, shoving the ref aside and slapping a chokehold on Homicide, keeping it on as long as he possibly could without being disqualified.

Homicide can brawl with the best of them, and was more than up to a little roughhousing once Corino got it going. He peppered Corino with closed fists to the face, ignoring the ref’s admonishments as he backed his foe into a corner, pummeling him with punches until he slumped down to the mat. Homicide used his boot to give Corino a facewash, and then placed it over his throat, returning the favor for the chokehold from earlier. Stepping in and taking charge, the ref physically got in between Homicide and Corino, pushing Homicide back towards center ring and away from his foe. Homicide got into a shouting match with the official, and Corino capitalized, catching Homicide with a knee to the small of the back.

The blow knocked Homicide to the mat, and Corino went on the offensive, dropping some elbows and stomps before slapping on a side headlock, trying to grind away and wear down The Notorious 187. He did his best to keep Homicide down, but with the encouragement of his hometown New York fans, Homicide rallied back, working back to his feet and breaking Corino’s headlock with a belly to back suplex. The crowd egged their hometown boy on, and it fired Homicide up. He went on a major roll, hitting Corino with everything from a Yakuza kick to a DDT to a belly to belly suplex. He drove Corino’s neck into the canvas with a piledriver, and went for the submission victory with an STF. Corino reached the ropes, and the intense Homicide held the hold until the referee’s count reached 4-and-a-half, resulting in another tense conversation between the ref and Homicide.

While Homicide and Dugas argued, the shifty Corino pulled a pair of brass knuckles out of his tights, slipping them onto his hand discreetly. Making sure that the ref did not have an optimal view, Corino struck, punching Homicide in the skull with the knuckles and falling on top of him for the pin, stuffing the object back into his tights as the ref made his count. But Homicide miraculously kicked out, and the blood gushing out of his forehead seemed to serve as motivation. He tackled Corino to the ground and began pummeling him, throwing a flurry of furious closed fists. Moving beyond punches, the ticked-off Homicide actually bit Corino’s forehead.

Feeling that he was losing control of the match, the ref once again physically pulled Homicide off of Corino. While Homicide and Dugas had another argument, a dazed Corino snuck up from behind and snatched a sudden victory with a schoolboy rollup.


Winner: Steve Corino in 23:02 with a schoolboy rollup
Steve Corino became the #1 Contender for the ROH Championship

--

A bloody and enraged Homicide tried to attack Steve Corino post-match, but several event staff rushed out and helped usher Homicide to the back. Corino grabbed a microphone.

“See ya later, you piece of slimy, disgusting New York City gutter trash! You had no business being in this ring with a wrestler—‘wrestler’, as opposed to ‘street-fighting thug’-- of my caliber, and I just proved it. Now, The King of Old School is one victory away from achieving his goal—claiming the ROH Championship, only to toss it to the floor. And I have someone I have to acknowledge. Zebra, get over here.”

Corino motioned for referee Martin Dugas to approach him. Dugas approached cautiously, which was understandable considering the abuse Corino had previously inflicted on him.

“I’ve gotta hand it to you: you called this one right down the middle here tonight. I know you and I haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but when push came to shove, you didn’t let that thug Homicide get away with those reprehensible actions that he learned on the streets of this cesspool of a city. And I just want to personally thank you for looking past our prior differences, and making sure Homicide obeyed the rules tonight. So, to show my respect for you, I’d like you to shake my hand and bury the hatchet between us right now.”

Corino extended his hand towards Dugas, who tentatively shook it. As he did so, the brass knuckles fell from Corino’s tights, hitting the mat right at Dugas’ feet. The ref bent down to pick them up, holding them in his hand and looking at Corino accusingly. A smirk slowly spread across Corino’s face as he shrugged at the angry referee.

“Oops. Guess you caught me. But fortunately for me, it’s far too late for you to change your decision now. Now then, I believe our business here is finished, so if you’ll excuse me.” Corino shoved the referee down and strode away, satisfied with himself. The ref glared at his retreating back, unhappy that Corino had undermined him yet again.

--

Triple Threat Match for the ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

There was no feeling-out process in this match; Low Ki and Samoa Joe charged each other at the opening bell, renewing their rivalry from the last show. Christopher Daniels stood to the side, happy to merely observe as his two challengers traded punches, kicks and chops. Joe knocked Low Ki to his knees with a particularly hard chop to the chest, and Daniels suddenly made his presence known for the first time in the match, surprising Joe with a schoolboy rollup that almost ended the match. Joe did not appreciate Daniels’ treachery, and responded by focusing his attack on the champion. Joe came at Daniels with a flurry of jabs to the face and kicks to the ribs before legsweeping him down to the canvas and attempting to slap on a cross armbreaker. Daniels was not worn down enough for that yet, though, and he scrambled out to the floor to escape Joe’s wrath. Joe stared down at him and challenged him to return to the ring, which left him open to a running dropkick to the back of the head courtesy of Low Ki.

The match continued on in that manner for several minutes. Low Ki and Joe would do the bulk of the fighting, with Daniels occasionally darting into the fray when he felt it was opportune to do so. Finally, Joe and Low Ki had had enough of Daniels’ sneaky strategy, and temporarily shelved their own differences to focus on taking down The Fallen Angel. They trapped Daniels in between the two of them, and began teeing off on him. Daniels was the victim of countless kicks from both Joe and Low Ki, finally collapsing to the mat after a huge combination kick from both men.

With Daniels incapacitated, Low Ki and Joe resumed their battle. They had another strike battle, with Low Ki getting the better of it this time after ducking a shot from Joe, leaping onto the second rope, and blasting the Samoan in the face with a roundhouse kick . Low Ki attempted to clamp on his Dragon Clutch submission, but Joe fought him off and returned to his feet. Joe began dominating at that point, and got near falls on Low Ki after several big power moves, but the tenacious Low Ki stayed in the match.

Joe lifted Low Ki into the air for the Muscle Buster, but Ki fought free, landing on his feet and rocking the big man with a hard kick to the face. After a few more kicks, Low Ki finally dropped Joe with a Shining Wizard. Believing that this was his shot, Low Ki darted up to the top rope and came crashing down on the prone Samoan with a Phoenix Splash. It might have been enough to win the title for Low Ki, but he had forgotten about Christopher Daniels. The champion made Low Ki pay for that error, breaking up his pin attempt and dropping him with the Angel’s Wings. Daniels then looked to cash in on the damage done to Samoa Joe, hitting him with a double jump moonsault, but Joe managed to kick out. Not giving Joe any chance to recover, Daniels quickly yanked him up and drove him into the mat with the Last Rites, retaining his title with a three-count just as Low Ki was starting to stand. Daniels and Gail Kim held back to their locker room to celebrate, as Low Ki and Joe stood nose to nose in center ring, their issue still left unsettled.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 26:25 with the Last Rites on Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels made defense #4 of the ROH Championship

--

The camera was trained on Homicide. Sitting in his locker room, he had not changed out of his wrestling attire. He was no longer bleeding, but a considerable amount of dried blood had accumulated across his face. He had a downright frightening look on his face.

“Steve Corino…” he began, cold fury obvious in his voice, “you just made the biggest mistake of your goddamn life. You want to play dirty with The Notorious 187? You just signed your mutha****in’ death warrant! Cameraman, get a real close look of my face here. See this blood, Corino? This is gonna look like a ****ing joke compared to what I’m gonna do to you! I didn’t grow up in some perfect little world like you did, Corino. Like you said, I grew up on the streets. And when somebody ****s you over on the street, you don’t rest until you make that son of a bitch wish he’d never been born!

“I’ve tried to prove myself as a wrestler here in ROH. I’ve held back. I’ve played by the rules. But Corino, as far as you’re concerned, that stops here and now. Whether or not you win the ROH Championship…hell, I don’t really give a ****. I will win that title eventually, and if it’s from you, fine. But if you fail against Christopher Daniels, I got no problem with putting my title chase on hold for a bit. Because as of now, my number one goal in life is to beat the living **** out of you. You called me a thug earlier tonight. Called me a street fighter. Well I’m gonna show you just how we do things on the street, mutha****er.”

--

Quick Results:

Bryan Danielson over Colt Cabana
The SAT over Jack Evans & Matt Sydal
Amazing Red over Spanky
Kazarian over Tony Mamaluke
Austin Aries over Devon Storm
The Briscoes over AJ Styles & KENTA
Steve Corino over Homicide to become #1 Contender to the ROH Championship
Christopher Daniels over Low Ki and Samoa Joe to retain the ROH Championship

Triple Jeopardy predictions:

critical-23: 7-1

buck44f: 5-3
The Celt: 5-3
ScottMulhern: 5-3
rjhabeeb: 5-3

FINAL STANDINGS in Prediction Contest #1:

1. buck44f: 22-12
critical-23: 22-5


2. rjhabeeb: 20-8

3. ProjectJinx: 15-5

4, tizzyt: 11-8

5. ya_its_me: 10-2

6. The Celt: 5-3

7.UFC-KING: 4-2
dse81: 4-3

8. xthesiknessx: 2-5

((With a near-perfect show, critical pulls into a tie with buck for first place. Congrats to both of you; I'll be sending you pms within the next day or so. Prediction Contest #2 will start up with the very next show.))

((Also, big thanks to Trell for making the cuts of Christopher Daniels and the Second City Saints with their respective titles. If you go back and look at previous shows, you'll notice that I've gone back and added these cuts to the title matches. ))

[The Final Countdown]

August 21st, 2002
11:07 p.m.


"Nice job out there tonight, 'Cide."

Homicide looked up at my compliment, smiling and nodding. "Thanks. The people were really gettin' behind me. I thought Corino might have to fight some of them off at the end. They looked pretty f'n pissed."

I chuckled. "He does have that effect, doesn't he? Just a natural heel."

"I hope my promo for the DVD wasn't too over the top."

I shook my head. "No, I think it's about what we were going for. We wanted you to lose your cool, so to speak. Plays into the way your storyline's gonna develop."

"If the whole thing goes down as well as tonight's match did, it should be pretty damn good."

I voiced my agreement, and then said goodbye to Homicide as we went our separate ways. I headed out towards my car, in a pretty good mood. When shows work out the way this one had, that's no surprise.

-Bryan Danielson and Colt Cabana got things off to a good start, delivering a match that would not have looked out of place in the main event position. Considering this was a makeshift match, thrown together at the last minute after CM Punk's sudden injury, I couldn't have been more pleased with this performance. Good match.

-The tag match between the SAT and Evans and Sydal was a solid little match. Being in the ring with a more experienced team like the SAT helped Matt & Jack put on a much better show than they did in their debut tag match against Aries & Kazarian. Evans & Sydal got in some more work as a team, and the SAT kept rolling and building momentum heading into their title match. Another interesting note to take from this match was some pretty good chemistry between Colt Cabana and myself doing commentary. Colt filling in as color man was supposed to be a one-time thing, but maybe I'll try to work him in on a more regular basis.

-The Amazing Red was a bit off of his game, but he still had a fairly good match with Spanky.

-Kazarian and Tony Mamaluke had terrible chemistry, and it resulted in a rather poor match. Kazarian and Gail Kim did have some pretty good interactions, but it wasn't enough to save the match.

-Austin Aries and Devon Storm didn't click either, and thus we got another poor bout. Storm seemed pretty uninterested out there. He had complained to me when I informed him he would be putting Austin over, so I wonder if his unhappiness had something to do with his effort. If so, we're gonna need to have a little talk. We're paying him rather well, and considering no other significant indy is even using him at the moment, he should be grateful for the work. I won't tolerate sulking or a lack of effort.

-AJ Styles and KENTA had never teamed before, but they still had a fairly good match with The Briscoes. AJ in particular looked pretty good. I don't think the loss should hurt Styles or KENTA too much, and it should be a nice boost for Jay and Mark.

-Homicide and Steve Corino had a good match, to my relief. You never know how things will go the first time you match guys up, but thankfully there weren't any problems here. Corino put on yet another quality performance, and it might've been Homicide's best match to date in ROH.

-I was a bit worried about matching Low Ki and Samoa Joe against each other in the main event, after their rather lackluster match at Submission Supremacy. But adding Christopher Daniels to the equation negated that, and we got another good match. After Daniels' title reign got off to a rather rocky start, things have really picked up with his last few title defenses. He has been putting on good matches, and his opponents have looked strong even in defeat. Couldn't ask for more out of your champion.

There may not have been any blow-away matches on this show, but what I consider to be the three most important spots on the card (main event, semi-main and opener, in that order) all had good matches. The end result was another good show for our company.

[The Final Countdown]

Homicide vs. Steve Corino in a #1 Contender's Match
Homicide with a flash comeback upset win that leads to a feud, which Homicide wins and uses to win the RoH title and begin the reign of the 187! Also please give Homicide more promo time!

The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt Sydal
Evans and Sydal have a ton of protenial...Generation Next fools!


I gave Homicide a promo at the end of this show, and he should start getting promo time more often now. I'm a bit hesitant trying to write for him, considering I'm a white dude who's lived in the midwestern US for most of my life, but his role is only going to grow, so I've gotta at least try.

I agree that Evans and Sydal have a really bright future as a team for me. In addition to their great chemistry, I think they have both developed a loyalty to ROH (not unexpected, considering nobody else has even thought about booking them), so I shouldn't have to worry about either of them bolting on me. But their lack of popularity & team experience will probably result in them losing most of their matches for the time being...though that doesn't mean I won't give them wins here and there.




The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Matt SYdal
A surprising (to me at least) win over the Backseat Boyz makes me take notice of the SAT.

Devon Storm vs. Austin Aries
Hated Devon Storm as Crowbar. Austin has more momentum. Here's hoping that you bring out the ECWA version of Devon Storm. *crosses fingers*



All things being equal, I probably would've had the Backseats win that match, especially with it being their debut. But I didn't think it would be the best idea to have the SAT lose right before their title shot. I wasn't thrilled about the Backseats losing on their first night in, but after several months of them sitting on my roster unused as I tried to figure out a good way to debut them, I just decided to toss them in. You haven't seen the last of them, don't worry.

To be perfectly honest, I don't have much planned for Devon Storm at the moment. Though the fact that you're hoping to see him make something of himself could change that.

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: August 2002




-The legendary Stu Hart, patriarch of the Hart wrestling dynasty, passed away at the age of 87.

-No longer will the WWE have a monopoly on televised wrestling in the United States, as the upstart NWA-TNA promotion agreed to a deal with Bravo. The new weekly show, entitled Phenoms, is slated to debut at the beginning of Bravo’s next season.

-The star of Summerslam was Chris Jericho, who continued his impressive run with the Undisputed Championship in an excellent main event with Edge. No other match on the show even came close. Jericho is really succeeding as a main event player.

-Competition is starting to get fierce in the American independent scene, as UPW have elevated themselves to regional status. With JAPW having accomplished the same feat recently, that makes 7 U.S. based promotions operating at that level. But rumor has it that at least a couple of the groups could be in financial peril thanks to overly ambitious schedules. It should be very interesting to see how things shake out over the long-term.

-Yuji Nagata won New Japan’s annual G1 Climax tournament, defeating Tiger Mask IV in the final bout.

-NWA-TNA’s Fire in the Hole PPV was headlined by Ron Killings successfully defending the NWA World Championship against the same man he beat to win the belt in the first place, Samoa Joe. Also on the show, the Second City Saints lost their NWA World Tag Team titles in their very first defense, dropping the belts to the team of Evan Karagis and Caprice Coleman, now dubbed “The Bone Snappers.” Why you’d give that name to a team that includes Evan Karagis is anyone’s guess. Regardless, TNA head booker Dusty Rhodes is evidently a huge Karagis fan, as he is now a double title-holder in the company.

-Makoto Hashi and Masao Inoue won the GHC Tag Team titles from Morishima and Rikioh at a NOAH Di Colosseo TV taping.

-TAKA Michinoku claimed the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight title from Mitsuya Nagai.

[Tyler Gadzinski]

Come on.. can you blame Dusty?

Who isn't an Evan Karagais mark?

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


BREAKING NEWS:


Steve Corino has been bullying, tricking, intimidating and even attacking head Ring of Honor official Martin Dugas for months on end. It appears that he may soon regret his behavior.

Fed up with Corino's antics, Dugas informed the ROH front office that, from this point on, he flatly refuses to officiate any match involving Corino. This created a rather large problem, as Corino, who became the #1 Contender to the ROH Championship after defeating Homicide at Triple Jeopardy, had already been scheduled to receive his title shot at Ring of Honor's next show, Glory by Honor, on September 4th. With ROH's trusted ref out of the equation, ROH matchmakers scrambled to come up with a solution.

A solution has been reached, and we can only imagine Corino's reaction upon hearing this news. ROH President and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, has decided to throw himself on the proverbial grenade, inserting himself into the rather volatile mix as the special guest referee. Corino has had a very rocky and confrontational working relationship with Steamboat during ROH's existence, and has, on more than one occasion, accused Steamboat of trying to "screw" him over.

But Corino may not be the only one upset by this announcement. It is no secret that Steamboat does not approve of some of the methods used by defending champion Christopher Daniels, a fact that Daniels has mentioned several times. He may be just as displeased with Steamboat's involvement as the challenger is.

Steamboat has vowed to put aside whatever differences of opinion he may have with either wrestler, and call this very important title match right down the middle. But, should either Daniels or Corino attempt to break the rules, or intimidate Steamboat, all bets could be off.


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/2839549200089075537BgUran_ph.jpg
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat will serve as the guest referee at Glory by Honor.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Steve Corino has threatened to win the Ring of Honor Championship, and promptly discard it into a trashcan. He may get the chance to make good on his threat at Glory by Honor on September 4th in the former ECW Arena. But in order to do so, he won’t have to deal with merely defending champion Christopher Daniels—he’ll also need to set aside his personal grudge with ROH President Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, who will serve as the special guest referee.


For the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Steve Corino (Challenger)
with special guest referee: Ricky Steamboat
With head official Martin Dugas having refused to be involved in any future matches involving Corino, Steamboat stepped in to ensure that the Daniels/Corino title match could be held as scheduled. Corino, who has nearly come to blows with Steamboat on more than one occasion, immediately contacted ROH offices demanding a postponement, or the naming of a replacement referee. But his arguments were in vain, because the match will go on as scheduled, with Steamboat donning the stripes. Christopher Daniels has made it known that he is not happy with Steamboat's involvement either, so it should be very interesting to see how this one plays out.

Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson would like nothing more than to work his way into the ROH Championship picture. And, having defeated James Maritato in the first-ever SUbmission Supremacy match, and following that up with a hard-fought win over Colt Cabana at Triple Jeopardy, he may be on the verge of doing just that. But at Glory by Honor, he has the unenviable task of stepping into the ring with The Notorious 187, Homicide, who has been in a very foul mood thanks to Steve Corino's shenanigans at Triple Jeopardy. There's no telling what Homicide will show up on September 4th: the skilled wrestler who had been working his way up the ranks, or the ticked-off brawler that came out during his match with Corino. Either way, Danielson will have his hands full.

AJ Styles vs. KENTA
After AJ Styles came to KENTA's aid, saving him from a 2-on-1 Briscoes assault at Submission Supremacy, some thought we might be seeing the beginnings of a potent tag team combination. But that fell apart after just one match together, as KENTA inadvertently struck Styles with the Busaiku Knee Kick at the conclusion of their bout with the Briscoes, setting off a tense argument after the match. AJ has since accepted that it was an accident, but nevertheless challenged KENTA to singles competition. KENTA accepted the challenge, and this first-time-ever match between two of the brightest up-and-comers in the wrestling world was signed.

Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Nothing was settled between these two in their no contest at Submission Supremacy. And, with Christopher Daniels having survived the triple threat match with his title still intact, nothing was resolved at Triple Jeopardy, either. So, these two fierce warriors will once again do battle in singles competition. Whomever wins will likely have to absorb a barrage of lethal strikes and painful submission holds, but the pain will undoubtedly be worth it for the victor.

For the ROH Tag Team Championship:
The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana, Champions) vs. The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo, Challengers)
The S.A.T. made a statement by defeating the Saints in six man tag action back at WrestleRave 2002, and with victories over The Backseat Boyz and Jack Evans & Matt Sydal soon following, they have plenty of confidence heading into their title shot. Plus, no one is sure quite how bad CM Punk's knee injury is, or if he'll be at 100% by match time. The Saints are keeping a tight lid on that information, so it is anyone's guess. If Punk's knee troubles are worse than originally believed, Colt Cabana may have to carry the weight for the champions.

Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Red was victorious over London's tag partner and ally, Spanky, at Triple Jeopardy. Now, London will look to get a measure of revenge on behalf of his partner. Can London succeed where Spanky failed, or will Red's athleticism lead him to victory over another graduate of Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Academy?

Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Both Storm and Maritato are looking for a win to right the ship. Storm is growing increasingly frustrated as he remains winless in ROH, while Maritato went down in defeat to Bryan Danielson at Submission Supremacy. Can Storm finally get one in the win column in ROH, or will Maritato's technical prowess keep him shut out?

Jack Evans and Matt Sydal vs. Christian York and Joey Matthews
The young upstart team of Evans and Sydal continue to impress with their agility, as well as the sort of natural tag team chemistry that simply doesn't come along all that often. But, despite making some waves, they haven't notched a victory as a team yet. They hope to do so at Glory by Honor, but the far more experienced duo of York and Matthews surely won't make it easy for them. York & Matthews have been teaming on the independent circuit for years, and that experience edge could be too much for their inexperienced foes to overcome.

Congratulations are in order, as forum members critical-23 and buck44f finished in a tie for first place at the conclusion of our first-ever predictions contest! We hope everyone enjoyed the contest, and thank you for your participation! Predictions Contest #2 begins with Glory by Honor, so now is the perfect opportunity for newcomers to join in. We look forward to your involvement, and good luck to all!

Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

[rjhabeeb]

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
double DQ or some kind of no finish
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
please!:D
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

[ProjectJinx]

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

[buck44f]

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
Bryan Danielson vs. HomicideAJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

[Genadi]

I think this is the best diary I've followed in years. Keep it up, I'll be reading :)

[Texasrangers13]

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

[The Final Countdown]

I think this is the best diary I've followed in years. Keep it up, I'll be reading :)
:eek:

Wow. Thanks for that. Considering all of the great diaries to be found around here, that's quite a compliment.

And of course, a big thank you to you as well for producing such a great mod. Not only was it set in the perfect time frame for what I wanted to do, its arguably the best real-world mod out there.

I had been hoping to get the show up on Tuesday, to maintain the pace of at least one show a week that I had managed so far, but considering I've only written up 2 of the 8 matches so far, I don't see that happening. Hopefully I can get it up on Wednesday, but even that's not a certainty. Oh well; I'd rather it be at a quality I'm happy with, as opposed to forcing myself to work on it when I'm not in the mood, and ending up with something not as good.

[Jabba_The_American]

I'd rather it be at a quality I'm happy with, as opposed to forcing myself to work on it when I'm not in the mood, and ending up with something not as good.

Thanks for thinking of the readers. As soon as you start forcing it, you're done. It's only a matter of time after that.

While I've got your attention, thanks for running shows in St. Louis from the start. Having to wait until December '08 sucked.

[The Celt]

Christopher Daniels vs. Steve Corino
It's far from likely Corino is going to win the belt in a heel vs heel match up.
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
The Notorious 187 to come into his own for this match. He's p*ssed off at Corino and all the better for it
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Coin toss, although I suspect this won't be their last match against each other.
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe
Tough call here too, but I'm picking Low-Ki as the better candidate for the win and possibly another shot at Daniels.
Second City Saints vs. Spanish Announce Team
The Champs retain to maintain the prestige of the belts
Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Red has a strong push going for him, why stop now?
Devon Storm vs. James Maritato
Maritato is due for some wins now and i don't think Storm is really suited to RoH much
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews
Countdown may feel Evans and Sydal have some way to go, but I don't see York and Matthews getting the win for some reason

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Glory by Honor


September 4th, 2002


From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg


Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)

--

The camera opened on Steve Corino, sitting in his locker room with his hands clasped in front of him in barely controlled fury. Corino looked up and into the camera, scowling.

“I bet you’re real proud of yourself, aren’t you, Steamboat? Your little puppet referee pulls out of the match, no doubt on orders from you, and you conveniently step in as the guest referee. How wonderful. Now, not only do I have to deal with Christopher Daniels, I’ll also have to keep one eye on you to make sure you don’t screw me out of the ROH Championship. You may have said publicly that you are going to call the match "right down the middle", but I don’t buy that for a second. You may attempt to be inconspicuous so as to hold onto that wholesome reputation, but when push comes to shove, you’ll do whatever you can to try and prevent me from becoming the next Ring of Honor Champion.

“But it’s not going to work. I am Steve Corino. I am, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the cream of the crop here in ROH. And, whether you like it or not, whether Christopher Daniels likes it or not, whether that thug Homicide likes it or not, whether those fat slobs in the audience like it or not, I will reign supreme tonight. And Ricky, I am a man of my word. So, after I defeat Daniels tonight, I will live up to my word. I will take that precious Ring of Honor Championship belt, the symbol of this company, and I will toss it into the garbage. I will bring shame and disgrace down upon your company, Steamboat, and you will know that it is all… your… fault. You started this by sticking your nose into my business, Ricky, but tonight, I end it.”

--

AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. KENTA

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg

Regular color commentator CM Punk was back at the desk—and his fellow Second City Saint, Colt Cabana, remained, forming a three-man team.

Styles and KENTA shook hands at the start of the bout, but residual hard feelings from their altercation at Triple Jeopardy resulted in palpable tension. Both men are honorable pros who abide by the rules, however, so this was a clean contest all the way through.

Both athletes were very evenly matched, and neither Styles or KENTA managed to dominate the match for long. AJ utilized his speed and athleticism to his advantage, highlighted by a running dropkick in the corner, springboard forearm smash and somersault plancha to the floor. KENTA focused mainly on his arsenal of kicks, firing off shots to various body parts. In particular, he focused on AJ’s legs in an attempt to neutralize AJ’s aerial offense. A springboard dropkick to the back of AJ’s head was also effective.

After gaining a near-fall with a Falcon Arrow, KENTA measured Styles for a roundhouse kick to the face. However, AJ ducked the blow and quickly took advantage, catching a surprised KENTA with a hard discus lariat. After a backbreaker-gutbuster-backbreaker combination, Styles got a long 2-count with a delayed brainbuster. AJ tried to follow up with a springboard 450 Splash, but KENTA rolled out of dodge and Styles met only canvas. KENTA came back with more strong kicks before trying to deprive AJ of his breath with a Triangle choke.

AJ crawled to the ropes, but KENTA continued to press his advantage after the hold was broken. He slammed Styles to the mat with a double arm suplex before going for the victory with a powerbomb, bridging forward to put more of his body weight into the pin attempt. Styles again hung in the match, but after a double stomp to the chest, KENTA backed away, sizing AJ up for his signature Busaiku Knee Kick, the same move that he accidentally hit AJ with in their tag match. But AJ had the time to see the move coming this time around, blocking it and hooking his legs under KENTA’s arms, driving him into the mat with the Styles Clash and handing the GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion his first singles defeat in ROH.

AJ briefly celebrated his victory before helping the fallen KENTA back to his feet. The two men shook hands after a very competitive match, and though KENTA’s knowledge of English is limited, he managed to get across his request for a rematch, to which AJ replied, “Any time.”


Winner: AJ Styles in 15:13 with the Styles Clash

--

Jack Evans and Matt Sydal vs. Christian York and Joey Matthews

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristianYork.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoeyMatthews.jpg

York and Matthews attempted to use their significant experience edge to their advantage, using some classic double team tricks and attempting to isolate a member of the opposing team in their half of the ring. The strategy worked at times, but Evans or Sydal would use their impressive agility and athleticism to work out of the jam every time.

When Evans attempted a Corkscrew moonsault, York and Matthews caught him and slammed him into the mat with a double-team powerbomb that they refer to as the Future Shock. They kept the pressure on, blasting Jack in the head with a double enzuiguri, and it looked as if Evans was on his last legs. Matthews took Jack to the top rope and looked to hit a superplex, but Evans managed to counter, backflipping down out of mid-air and tagging in Matt Sydal.

Sydal quickly leapt up to the top rope, chucking Matthews off with the Sydal Special, a belly-to-belly variation of Kazarian’s Flux Capacitor maneuver. Matthews collided with his partner York on the way down, which meant no one was there to prevent Sydal from scoring the pin and giving the young team of Evans and Sydal their first victory.


Winners: Jack Evans and Matt Sydal in 07:38 with the Sydal Special by Sydal on Joey Matthews

--

Paul London vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

London, looking to avenge his partner Spanky’s loss to Red at Triple Jeopardy, got the early jump in this one, using some basic wrestling to keep Red grounded before moving on to some high flying moves. London did well, and almost got a dominant win after a Tornado DDT, but Red got into the match after London missed a moonsault bodyblock. Red came up with a flurry of offense, throwing some of his best moves at London. A springboard hurracanrana earned a near-fall, but the momentum shifted back to London after he avoided a Cancun Tornado. London got close calls after his signature dropsault and waffleface maneuvers, but Red was able to stay in the match.

Red fought back, scoring with a top rope spinning heel kick and a quebrada swinging DDT, but the tide turned once again when London caught a leaping Red out of mid-air, swinging him around and driving him back-first across his knee. After London’s legsweep DDT was not quite enough to end the match, he went for the London Calling, but Red rolled out of the way in the nick of time. Red quickly capitalized with the Red Star Press, but London managed a last-second kick out. Red mentally shook it off, and after a leaping roundhouse kick to the face, put London down for the count with the Code Red.


Winner: The Amazing Red in 10:59 with the Code Red

--

Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Nothing had been settled in either the one on one match or the triple threat with Christopher Daniels, so both men came out looking to prove a point here. Both Low Ki and Joe tried to connect with some major strikes in the early stages of the match, but neither had much success. Low Ki eventually changed gears, targeting Joe’s legs with quick strikes before taking him to the mat and stretching him with leg-based submissions.

The strategy worked for a bit, but Joe powered his way out of it and went on the offensive, peppering Low Ki with jabs and chops before snap mareing him down and slapping on a rear chinlock. Joe continued to try and wear down his opponent with mat wrestling, but Low Ki broke free and stunned the big man with a dropkick to the face. Joe was woozy after being caught off-guard by the dropkick, and Low Ki took advantage by blasting him with several hard kicks, including multiple shots to Joe’s legs. Joe went down to one knee after a buzzsaw kick, and Low Ki kept up the pressure with a Shining Wizard that resulted in the first near-fall of the match.

Low Ki continued to have success with his arsenal of kicks, and mixed in some submissions as well. But when he attempted to lift Joe into the air for the Ki Krusher ’99, Joe’s body weight proved to be too much for him to execute his favorite finisher. Low Ki clutched his back in pain at the overexertion, and Joe made him pay. He tossed Low Ki down with an overhead belly to belly suplex, and followed up with a strike sequence that started with a chop to the back, continued with a stiff kick to the chest, and finished with a running knee drop. Low Ki kicked out of a powerbomb, but Joe converted it into a crossface that did some serious damage before Low Ki got to the ropes.

Joe took Low Ki to the top rope, and the crowd stirred as he climbed to the second rope himself and tried to position Low Ki for a Muscle Buster off of the second rope. However, Low Ki fought it off and chopped Joe across the chest. Joe responded with a chop of his own, setting off a furious exchange on the ropes. Chops, forearms and elbows were exchanged, until finally Low Ki managed to swing his left leg around and connect with several kicks to the side of Joe’s head. A dazed Joe lost his footing and fell off of the 2nd rope, collapsing back-first onto the mat, and Low Ki polished him off with the Phoenix Splash.


Winner: Low Ki in 19:56 with the Phoenix Splash

--

“It is intermission time here at Glory by Honor, and while the fans relax before the second half of the show, I, James Hill, am in the locker room of the reigning Ring of Honor Champion, Christopher Daniels. Chris, Steve Corino has steadfastly opposed the appointment of Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat as the special guest referee for the big championship match in tonight’s main event. But the question is, how do you feel about it?”

Daniels, with Gail Kim standing by his side, shook his head and removed his sunglasses, looking at Hill as if he’d asked something absurd.

“Are you kidding, Johnny? Did you really even have to ask that question? Steve Corino and I may not agree on much, but we both recognize Ricky Steamboat for what he is: a jealous, bitter old man who can’t deal with the fact that there are wrestlers in his own company who are better than he ever was. And I am right at the top of that list. Let’s face it: nobody, Corino included, has proven Steamboat’s ideals to be obsolete quite like the Fallen Angel, the first-ever Ring of Honor Champion. I won this championship, and have retained it time and again, all while spitting in the face of every foolish notion that Steamboat and his flunkies tried to trumpet when they started this place.

“And now that I have The Prophecy by my side, there is no denying my place as the most dominant entity in this entire company. So, while Steamboat may have had his differences with Corino, there’s not a doubt in my mind that he views me as the bigger threat to his ideals. And well he should, because I have proven him and his integrity wrong at every turn. He may not particularly want to hand the championship to Steve Corino, but there’s no question that he would just love to take it away from me. But it’s not going to happen. I have overcome every obstacle thrown my way so far, and I’m not about to let this be the end of the Fallen Angel era. Because I am God’s gift to professional wrestling, and no one will be taking this championship away from me, tonight or any night. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”

--

Devon Storm vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

The frustration has been mounting for Devon Storm as he has remained winless in ROH, and he charged at Maritato right at the opening bell in an attempt to score a quick victory. He tackled Maritato to the ground and started throwing punches at his face, doing his best to release his frustration on the face of James Maritato. Storm was in control early on, punishing Maritato with a barrage of kicks and closed fists. But his temper got the best of him as he charged full-speed at Maritato, who evaded him with a leap frog, resulting in Storm colliding head-first with the turnbuckle.

Maritato took over with his technical wrestling know-how, focusing the bulk of his efforts on wearing down Storm’s arms with holds like a short arm scissors and a cross armbreaker. Maritato tried to drive Storm’s head into the canvas with the Kiss of Death, but Devon countered it with an inverted DDT. Storm went on a roll, coming close to winning the match with a German suplex and a slingshot crossbody. Frustrated with his inability to put Maritato away, Storm attempted a springboard legdrop, but Maritato rolled out of the way. Storm got up slowly, and fell victim to the Arrivederci. Maritato picked up the win, and Storm’s struggles continued.


Winner: James Maritato in 16:54 with the Arrivederci

--

With the Second City Saints about to defend their ROH Tag Team Championship, James Hill was prepared to call the next match solo. However, ROH Champion Christopher Daniels, flanked by Gail Kim, showed up unannounced and joined Hill at the commentator’s table for the match.

--

For the ROH Tag Team Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohtag.jpg

The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana, Champions) vs. The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PunkROHTAG.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CABANAROHTAG.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg

CM Punk’s previous knee injury had obviously not fully healed, as he wore a brace during the match. The Saints had clearly game-planned around the injury, as Punk only competed sparingly, trying to do damage in limited bursts before quickly tagging out to Colt Cabana, who wrestled the majority of the match for the champions. Colt did quite well in picking up the slack for his injured partner, fending off both Maximos with a mixture of power wrestling and some more basic mat work.

While the Saints did an admirable job of working around Punk’s knee injury, the SAT took advantage of Cabana’s heavy workload. They tired Cabana out with frequent tags, and really started dictating the match with their innovative team moves. One particularly impressive combo was Jose lifting Colt up into a fireman’s carry, and Joel coming off of the top rope with a double stomp to Cabana’s back. They followed that crowd-pleasing maneuver with a move they call the Washing Machine, where each brother applies a leglock, only to swing the victim into a double facebuster.

Colt finally fought back with a lariat on Joel, and tagged Punk into the match. The rested Punk made an immediate impact, punishing both Maximos. He fired off several big moves, including the Pepsi Twist for a near-fall, but made a mistake in following his instincts and executing a double underhook backbreaker. The move is a constant staple in Punk’s offensive arsenal, but the impact of Joel Maximo’s body weight coming down on the tender knee of Punk was too much for the injured competitor’s knee to withstand. He clutched at his knee in pain, allowing the SAT to make another tag and go back to work. After a double bulldog, the SAT took Punk up to the top rope for their coup de gras, the Spanish Fly.

But fortunately for the champions, Colt Cabana had been given enough time to recover on the apron, and he bailed his partner out, pulling Joel Maximo off of the ropes and hitting him with a lariat that sent both men tumbling over the ropes and onto the floor. This left the two legal men, Punk and Jose Maximo, who battled for positioning on the rope rope. Punk won the battle with a headbutt, and cashed in with the Pepsi Plunge. The trip down drove Punk’s injured knee into the mat, inflicting significant damage to the Straight Edge Superstar, but he blocked the pain out and made the cover on Jose, giving the Saints a successful title defense.

Christopher Daniels stood from the announce table and applauded after the match. As the Second City Saints passed him, Daniels spoke with Colt Cabana briefly. Colt clearly liked what Daniels had to say, as he broke out in a huge grin and nodded at Daniels emphatically as the two shook hands, much to CM Punk’s confusion.


Winners: The Second City Saints in 15:10 with the Pepsi Plunge by CM Punk on Jose Maximo
The Second City Saints made defense #2 of the ROH Tag Team Championship

--

Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg

No one was quite sure what to expect from Homicide, whose profanity-laced tirade directed towards Steve Corino on the DVD release of Triple Jeopardy seemed to suggest a more aggressive attitude for The Notorious 187. However, he extended his hand towards Bryan Danielson in a gesture of sportsmanship before the match, which was a precursor to the style of match he was about to wrestle.

His brawling expertise aside, Homicide can trade holds with the best of them, and did exactly that with the American Dragon, arguably the finest mat wrestler in ROH. The two men put on a technical wrestling clinic, exchanging crisp holds and counter-holds. Danielson focused on trying to catch Homicide with a submission hold and either force a tap-out or at least do significant damage to the New York native, but Homicide was never tied up for long. Homicide, in turn, went for pinning combinations, looking to catch Danielson unawares for a sudden three-count that he never quite managed. The fans cheered in appreciation for the display of good, solid wrestling, in addition to cheering for their chosen favorite. The crowd was very much split, resulting in some spirited dueling chants for both wrestlers.

Danielson rocked Homicide with a series of European uppercuts and got a near-fall with a bridging Northern Lights suplex. Homicide got his shoulder off of the mat, but Danielson made a quick adjustment, floating over and applying a cross armbreaker. When that wasn’t enough to force a submission, Danielson took Homicide to the top rope and sent him crashing down with a belly to back superplex. A fired-up Danielson shot back up and climbed the buckles, connecting with a diving headbutt off of the top rope that came extremely close to ending the match. Danielson lifted Homicide up and into a full nelson in preparation for a Dragon suplex, but Homicide countered with a drop toehold and cinched in an STF. The Homicide supporters stood, believing Danielson was on the verge of tapping out, but the American Dragon supporters applauded when Danielson inched his way to the safety of the ropes. Homicide measured Danielson as he stood, and planted him with a running Ace Crusher, but Danielson mustered a kick-out. Homicide decided to go high-risk with a Frog splash, but Danielson just rolled out of dodge, leaving both exhausted men lying on the canvas.

Both Danielson and Homicide stood, meeting in center ring. Danielson threw another European uppercut, causing Homicide to stumble back a few steps. Homicide shook it off, and responded with a forearm to Danielson’s face. The cheering reached a fever pitch as both men traded blows, neither giving an inch. With neither man showing any signs of going down, Danielson shook things up with a single leg takedown before floating over and slapping on a crossface chickenwing. Homicide worked his way to his feet, and looked to be on the verge of breaking the hold. Danielson wisely struck before that happened, switching to a full nelson and scoring with a bridging Dragon suplex.

Homicide kicked out, but Danielson maintained his grip and rolled through, bridging forward for the Cattle Mutilation. Homicide, however, had the sense to roll forward with him, lying on top of Danielson. Danielson maintained his grip on Homicide’s arms and stood back up, planning either a Tiger suplex, or a takedown transitioning into another Cattle Mutilation attempt. But Homicide put up a struggle, blocking Danielson’s attempts and charging forward towards a corner, dragging Danielson right along with him. At the last second, Homicide dropped down, sending Danielson head-on into the top turnbuckle. A wobbly Danielson was quickly put down for the count by the West Brooklyn Lariat, giving Homicide a well-earned victory.


Winner: Homicide in 28:04 with the West Brooklyn Lariat

--

Ricky Steamboat, decked out in the traditional striped-shirt referee attire, made his way to the ring to officiate the main event match, receiving a nice ovation from the crowd. The ring announcer introduced the challenger, Steve Corino, who came to the ring with a sour look on his face. Corino promptly yanked the microphone out of the announcer’s hands, and got right in Steamboat’s face.

“Listen here, Steamboat. Before Christopher Daniels comes out here and this match begins, I want you to think real hard about your priorities. What’s more important to you: your so-called integrity, or your physical well being? Because if you call this match right down the middle, everybody in this building knows that I will be walking out of Philadelphia the new Ring of Honor Champion. And, just like I promised, I will celebrate my triumph by taking the belt, and tossing it into the garbage. That would no doubt be a huge blow to your pride, Ricky. It would be a slap in the face, figuratively speaking. But what would you rather experience: a figurative slap in the face…or a very literal fist to the face? You had better answer that question in your own mind very quickly, because if you try and screw me over tonight, you will incur the wrath of The King of Old School. This is the turning point for us, Steamboat. Either you concede defeat and allow me to prove that I am the biggest star in Ring of Ho…no, that I am bigger than Ring of Honor itself!”

The fans booed at that proclamation, which caused Corino to smirk before continuing. “Or…you cross the line for good. If you screw with me tonight, old-timer, there’s no turning back. We will be enemies for life. I will beat the living hell out of you, Dragon. I’ll screw you up so bad, you’ll think you’re back in 1991, whoring yourself out to Vince McMahon and blowing fire like a good little cartoon character. So what’s it gonna be, Steamb…”

Corino was interrupted by the entrance of the defending Ring of Honor Champion, Christopher Daniels, accompanied as always by Gail Kim. Daniels marched to the ring and confronted Corino.

“Corino, do you really think that if Steamboat calls this match impartially, it is a foregone conclusion that you will take this championship from me? You, my friend, are delusional. You’re bigger than ROH itself? Don’t make me laugh. I have proved time and again that there is one franchise player in ROH, and his name is Christopher Daniels. You won’t have the chance to throw this belt into the garbage, because right here, right now, with the belt slung over my shoulder? This is as close as you’re ever going to get to the belt. Because I am the Fallen Angel. I am the man to beat here in ROH, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. You’re good, Steve Corino, but you’re not good enough to beat Christopher Daniels, God’s gift to professional wrestling. But there’s one thing you and I can agree on: neither one of us trusts Ricky Steamboat.”

Corino nodded in agreement with the end of Daniels’ speech. Daniels appeared to be preparing to speak again, but Steamboat cut him off.

“I’ve had enough of listening to the two of you run your mouths. Don’t worry about me. I don’t care for either one of you, so I’ll have no problem being impartial. Now let’s quit talking, and start wrestling. Ring the bell!” The timekeeper followed Steamboat’s instructions, and the match was on.

--

For the ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

w/special guest referee Ricky Steamboat

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/RickySteamboat2.jpg

Both Daniels and Corino shot wary glances at Steamboat before locking up, not trusting him to be impartial despite his earlier words. Once they actually began, they spent several minutes wrestling a cautious, tentative style, each man trying to feel the other out. Steamboat was content to sit back and allow them to compete, but was quick to step in and assert his authority any time Daniels or Corino bent the rules.

Daniels gained the first real advantage of the match, thanks to a thumb to Corino’s eye. Steamboat reprimanded Daniels, but the champion paid little attention, focusing instead on following up on the opening he had created for himself. Daniels dropped Corino with a swinging neckbreaker and put on a rear chinlock, grinding away in an attempt to wear the challenger down slowly and methodically. Corino worked back to his feet and fought out of the hold with a few elbows to the gut, and turned the tables on Daniels with a side headlock takedown. It was now Corino’s turn to try and wear his opponent down with a simple but effective mat wrestling hold. Daniels tried to yank on Corino’s hair for leverage, but Steamboat intervened. Forced to improvise, Daniels got to his feet and used a belly to back suplex to break free. The Fallen Angel went back on the offensive, dropping some elbows across Corino’s chest before putting him in a bow and arrow submission. Corino grimaced in pain as Daniels bent his spine and wrenched his neck painfully, but shouted no when Steamboat asked him if he wanted to submit.

Corino finally managed to escape the predicament, but Daniels sent him right back down with an STO and resumed his assault on Corino’s lower back with a Boston crab. Corino’s back may have started weakening, but he was still able to crawl over and reach the ropes, forcing Daniels to break, but only after Steamboat’s count reached four and a half. Steamboat confronted Daniels about listening to his instructions, but Daniels merely rolled his eyes at him. Daniels got Corino in a double underhook, looking to plant him with the Angel’s Wings, but Corino blocked, tripped the champion up, and sent him face-first into the turnbuckle with a catapult. Corino followed up with a schoolboy roll-up. Ricky Steamboat reached a count of two, but abruptly stopped when he noticed that Corino had placed his feet on the middle rope for some additional leverage. Corino popped up and got right in Steamboat’s face, screaming at him. Steamboat did not back down, pointing at his referee’s shirt in a gesture of authority.

The argument allowed Christopher Daniels to shake off the cobwebs and catch Corino with a dropkick to the back. Daniels whipped Corino into the ropes and planted him with a Blue Thunder bomb, resulting in a near-fall. Daniels shook his head in frustration, questioning Steamboat’s count. After a gutwrench powerbomb failed to finish the challenger off, Daniels returned to his prior strategy, targeting Corino’s back with a Texas Cloverleaf. The damage done to Corino’s back earlier in the match was in full effect here, as Corino writhed and pounded the mat with his fists, obviously in considerable pain. The challenger showed his mettle by battling through the pain and crawling across the ring, inch by agonizing inch, until he finally touched the ropes with his fingertips. Daniels again held the hold well into Steamboat’s count, but rather than simply continuing his count, Steamboat chose to physically pull Daniels off of Corino.

Daniels did not appreciate Steamboat physically interjecting himself into the contest, and confronted him to voice his disapproval. Much like Corino’s argument with Steamboat earlier, this confrontation allowed the challenger time to recover. Daniels finally turned away from Steamboat and back towards his opponent—right into a perfectly-placed superkick to the jaw. Daniels kicked out of the subsequent pin attempt, but Corino continued his offensive flurry with a huge DDT that got another close 2-count. Corino pulled a groggy Daniels off of the mat and spiked him with a Northern Lights bomb, but Daniels just barely got a shoulder off of the canvas in time to save his title. Corino was frustrated, but quickly shook it off and pulled Daniels up again, putting him in an inverted facelock, the prelude to his signature Old School Expulsion. When he went for it, Daniels managed to avoid it with a desperation shove to Corino’s back—sending the King of Old School right into Steamboat.

While Steamboat attempted to shake off the cobwebs, Gail Kim handed Daniels an unidentified foreign object. Daniels swung the object at his opponent, but Corino ducked and kicked the champion square in the groin. Daniels fell to his knees, and Corino took possession of the object. He reared back, preparing to strike, when a recovered Steamboat yanked on his arm, preventing him from finishing the blow. A furious Corino nearly came to blows with Steamboat before turning his attention back towards Daniels. Unfortunately for him, Daniels was waiting for him, blasting him in the head with a step-up enzuigiri and driving his face into the mat with the Last Rites. Steamboat made the count, and Christopher Daniels retained his championship.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 35:21 with the Last Rites
Christopher Daniels made defense #5 of the ROH Championship

--

As Christopher Daniels and Gail Kim headed to the back in celebration, an irate Steve Corino stood nose-to-nose with Ricky Steamboat, screaming at him. Steamboat did not back down, yelling right back at Corino. Corino lost his cool and gave the ROH President a hard shove, knocking him off of his feet. Steamboat slowly stood back up, and Corino advanced towards him once again.

Before anything more could happen, the fans came unglued as Homicide charged out of the back and slid into the ring. He spun Corino around to face him—and stabbed him in the forehead with a fork! A shocked Corino fell to his knees, and Homicide continued his assault, jabbing Corino's forehead with the fork several more times before scraping it across his face, sending the blood flying as both Steamboat and the crowd watched on in disbelief. Finally, Steamboat pulled Homicide off of Corino, steering The Notorious 187 to the back as a bloodied Corino put his hands over his forehead, trying to reduce the amount of blood pouring out of his body.

--

“Colt, what the hell are we doing? What was so important that you told me to stay after the show?”

Colt Cabana shook his head and wagged his finger in the face of his partner, CM Punk. “Ah, ah, ah, Punker. It’s a surprise. Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the triumphant return of the greatest talk show in the world…Good Times, Great Memories!”

Punk shook his head in disgust, and the camera panned around, revealing the same crude setup that Cabana had used before, but with one change: the cardboard cut-out of former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka had had a generous amount of tape put over its face in an attempt to mask the huge dent that had been left by the fist of CM Punk.

“We had to take some time off to settle a little legal matter with Coach Ditka, who was unhappy with the hostility shown to him by a certain straight-edge friend of mine.” Colt turned and looked at Punk pointedly, and Punk responded by looking at Cabana as if he were insane. “But now that that has been taken care of, we are back and better than ever! As you can see, I am joined today by my sidekick, my partner-in-crime, my bestest buddy…the one, the only, CM Punk!” Colt banged his fingers on the table in an attempt at a drum roll, and Punk closed his eyes and shook his head, muttering to himself under his breath. Cabana continued, seemingly oblivious to Punk’s reaction.

“While it is a great honor to be joined by my good buddy, we can’t dilly-dally, because I am pleased to announce that a very special guest has agreed to come on the show today! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Ring of Honor Champion…Christopher Daniels!”

Punk snapped out of his daze as Christopher Daniels and Gail Kim entered the room. Cabana jumped up from his seat and rushed over to welcome his “guests”, shaking Daniels’ hand heartily before kissing the back of Gail’s hand. Colt ushered Daniels to an empty seat, and Gail sat in his lap. Cabana returned to his own chair, grinning maniacally.

“What an honor to be joined by such a distinguished guest! Mr. Daniels, thank you SO much for flying all the way to Chicago to be a part of Good Times…Great Memories!”

Daniels and Kim exchanged a look before Daniels responded to Cabana. “The pleasure is all mine, Colt. After the first installment of Good Times, Great Memories lit the world on fire, I knew I had to be a part of it the first chance I got.”

Cabana beamed at Daniels’ praise, while Punk looked on with a neutral expression on his face, trying to figure out the purpose of Daniels’ appearance. He didn’t have to wait long to figure it out, because Daniels wasn’t done.

“You two guys are really doing well for yourselves. Not only have you given the world the most entertaining segment in all of professional wrestling, you are also the co-holders of the ROH Tag Team Championship. There’s no question about it; The Second City Saints are a hot commodity here in Ring of Honor. But, as successful as you have been so far, I think it could potentially be just the tip of the iceberg. Picture this in your head, if you will: the Second City Saints, CM Punk and Colt Cabana, the first-ever ROH Tag Team Champions. The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels, the first-ever ROH Champion. Austin Aries and Kazarian, two of the brightest young athletes in the business. The lovely Gail Kim. If you were to join us in The Prophecy, there would be no stopping us. The six of us would rule Ring of Honor until the end of time. We would blow away every single unit that has ever existed in this business.”

Punk was about to respond, but Daniels held up his hand to silence him. “Now, I won’t ask you for an answer right away. Take some time, think it over. And I trust that you will come to the same conclusion that I have: separate, we are the first champions in this company’s history. United, we will be the only champions this company will ever have. I look forward to hearing back from you, gentlemen. Now then, I believe it is time for The Prophecy’s victory party, so if you’ll excuse me…”

Having said his piece, Daniels stood and exited, Gail Kim following close behind. Punk and Cabana looked at each other in contemplation as the DVD cut to black.

--

Quick Results:

AJ Styles over KENTA
Jack Evans & Matt Sydal over Christian York & Joey Matthews
Amazing Red over Paul London
Low Ki over Samoa Joe
James Maritato over Devon Storm
The Second City Saints over The SAT to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship
Homicide over Bryan Danielson
Christopher Daniels over Steve Corino to retain the ROH Championship


Glory by Honor predictions:

The Celt: 8-0

buck44f: 6-2
Texasrangers13: 6-2

rjhabeeb: 5-3

ProjectJinx: 4-4


The Celt jumps out to an early lead in Prediction Contest, Round 2, thanks to a perfect show. Nice job.

[The Final Countdown]

September 4th, 2002
11:45 p.m.


"How's the knee, Punk?"

CM Punk shrugged his shoulders at my question. "Still bothering me. Sorry about that; I know I probably dragged the tag title match down a little bit."

I shook my head. "No apologies necessary. If anything, I should have waited to schedule the title match until I knew you were 100%...but considering it had been about two months since your last defense, I was getting kinda anxious. And the match was perfectly fine. You showed how tough you are by gutting it out, and the Maximos took care of the rest."

"Yeah, they did a great job covering for my physical limitations. Anyway, I just hope I'm feeling better soon. I know you're planning on putting me in the main event next show, and I'd hate to screw that up."

"Don't worry about it. If your knee is still bothering you at that point, I'll figure something out. You just focus on getting healthy."

"I'll do that. Thanks, boss."

Punk shook my hand and walked away, moving gingerly so as not to aggravate his knee injury. I let out a deep breath and yawned, feeling a bit drained after the completion of our longest show to date, clocking in at right around 3 hours. I'd need to find some sleep soon, but I needed to be sure to get my thoughts on the show written down while everything was still fresh in my mind.

-AJ Styles and KENTA had a pretty good opener. I have to admit, I was hoping for even more from this combination. But beggars can't be choosers; they did their job and put on an entertaining performance. Like we teased post-match, this will not be a one-time match. They won't be wrestling each other on the next show; in fact, several shows may pass before we revisit this one. But revisit it we will.

-The tag match between Evans & Sydal and York & Matthews was disappointing. York & Matthews have been rather underwhelming thus far, which is a major factor in how little they are booked. On top of that, Sydal was really off of his game. Considering Sydal will have far and away the biggest match of his career on the next show, this was not very encouraging.

-Red and Paul London got the fans back into it with a pretty good aerial display. The additional exposure Red has gotten as a rather prominent member of the NWATNA roster has really raised his status, so hopefully we can capitalize on that.

-I knew Low Ki and Samoa Joe would not produce a very good match, but they actually were even worse than in their first singles match. Oh well; I knew this wouldn't be all that good, which is why it was put right in the middle of the show, despite the high profile of both guys. This program was cut way short, out of necessity, but I figured we should at least come up with some sort of conclusion, which is the only reason this match even took place.

-James Maritato continues to impress; he had a good match with Devon Storm. As good as anything on the show, and easily Storm's best match in ROH. Maritato has been arguably our most consistent in-ring performer. Storm told me after the show that he is pretty unhappy with how many times I have jobbed him. Do I respond by throwing him a bone with a win, or do I just job him again? I haven't decided yet.

-CM Punk's knee injury really limited what he could do in the Tag Title match, but it was pretty good regardless. The bulk of the credit for that goes to the SAT. Both Maximos turned in strong performances tonight, really stepping up in a high-pressure situation. Thanks largely to their efforts, this was the best Tag Title match we've had so far.

-Homicide and Bryan Danielson have pretty good chemistry, and this helped them deliver a good semi-main event. Homicide was really elevated here, as this was probably his highest-profile win to date. To his credit, Danielson was more than happy to help elevate The Notorious 187. But Danielson certainly wasn't made to look weak, either. Both of these guys should be fixtures in our main event scene for years to come, provided they stay around.

-Christopher Daniels and Steve Corino closed out the show with another good match. I thought the element of Steamboat trying to maintain control of the two sneakiest guys in the company made for an interesting match. While the match was good, the real story was the post-match angle that saw Homicide come down and attack Corino with a fork. I was a bit worried with how the fans would respond to this, as it was a bit outside our normal product. But to my relief, they really enjoyed it. It got at least as big a response as anything else on the show, so I suppose I can feel free to go ahead and push the envelope a bit with this feud.

We'd really settled into a groove lately, turning out good show after good show. Hopefully the momentum would continue...or ideally, we could start putting on even stronger shows.

[Texasrangers13]

Great show! I really enjoyed it. Well booked and easy to follow. The maniacal Homicide is a good character, and I suspect we will be seeing more of him soon.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Glory by Honor is in the books, and Christopher Daniels is still Ring of Honor Champion, surviving his memorable encounter with Steve Corino. But, while Corino would no doubt like another shot at the gold in the future, he'll have to shelve those aspirations temporarily, and cooperate with Daniels--because when ROH returns to New England with Unscripted on Wednesday, September 18th, they, along with CM Punk, will be competing in a huge six-man tag main event against Homicide, AJ Styles and Matt Sydal.

Homicide, AJ Styles and Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino and CM Punk
Corino could be in for a rough evening. Not only does he have to step into the ring with Homicide, the man that took a fork to his forehead at Glory by Honor, he'll also lock up with AJ Styles, whose history with Corino is well-documented. Homicide and Styles were allowed to choose their third man, and raised some eyebrows with the selection of relatively-unproven Matt Sydal. Daniels and Corino went with CM Punk, one-half of the ROH Tag Team Champions. Daniels offered both Punk and his partner Colt Cabana spots in The Prophecy after the conclusion of Glory by Honor, as can be seen on the DVD release. Perhaps he feels that this main event caliber match could serve as an incentive for the Saints to join his group.

While there are questions about whether or not Daniels and Corino will be able to work together on the heels of their championship clash, the other side is not without their own uncertainty. Homicide proved his mettle as a wrestler with a huge victory over Bryan Danielson at Glory by Honor, but showed a wild and unpredictable streak later in the night with his vicious attack on Corino. With The King of Old School on the opposing team in this match, there's no telling what Homicide may do.

Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
After Red scored victories over both Spanky and London in singles competition, they challenged him to a Three Way Dance. Red accepted the challenge, and the match was made. Red may hold victories over both of his opponents, but with the distinct possibility of an in-match alliance between Spanky and London, the odds could be against him this time around.

Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Low Ki prevailed over Samoa Joe, and now looks to get back into the title hunt. At Unscripted, he steps into the ring with one-half of the Backseat Boyz, Trent Acid. The Backseats were very unhappy after suffering defeat in their debut match against the SAT, and would love to prove their worth as a team soon. But before they can get that chance, Acid will have the opportunity to make a major splash in singles action against one of the top stars in Ring of Honor. Acid may be the underdog, but anyone who has seen him knows he has incredible potential. If Low Ki looks past Trent, do not be shocked to see Acid catch him by surprise.

Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Devon Storm's frustration continues to grow right alongside his winless streak. As much as he would love to finally turn his luck around at Unscripted, his odds don't look very encouraging. Joe has been seething since his loss to Low Ki, and will look to use Storm as his own personal punching bag. Storm's best bet may be to hope that an angry Joe makes a mistake, and take advantage of it.

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
Bryan Danielson suffered a setback on his quest to become ROH Champion, losing a hard-fought contest to Homicide at Glory by Honor. Rather than mope about it, Danielson must put it behind him and focus on the future. He'll look to do so against Tony Mamaluke, who has appeared to be on the verge of a singles breakthrough for months now. Can he finally pull it off, or will Danielson make sure he falls just short yet again?

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)
The SAT gave the Second City Saints a run for their money at Glory by Honor, but were ultimately denied the ROH Tag Team Championship. Now they'll have to try and earn another shot, but The Briscoes have other ideas. Jay and Mark scored an impressive victory over the makeshift team of AJ Styles and KENTA at Triple Jeopardy, and a win here could catapult them into title contention. These two teams went at it at ROH's very first show, The Era of Honor Begins, over 7 months ago, in a very competitive bout won by The Briscoes. Will history repeat itself, or can the SAT pull out the win this time around?

CW Anderson vs. James Maritato
CW's pride has taken a hit recently, as after suffering defeats to both Jack Evans and Matt Sydal in singles matches, he has been left off of ROH's shows for some time. He will be given an opportunity to redeem himself, but Maritato, who holds a submission victory over big-time player Bryan Danielson, has no intention of being a steppingstone for Anderson.

Predictions List:
Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk
Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

[ya_its_me]

Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk - Double DQ
Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

(Not going to give my reasons much, studying/working on getting my 8th show)

[ProjectJinx]

Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk
Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

[rjhabeeb]

Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk
The heel team should dominate but a win here would do alot to elevate your young high-flying faces
Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

[The Final Countdown]

Time to get in a few responses...

Thanks for thinking of the readers. As soon as you start forcing it, you're done. It's only a matter of time after that.

While I've got your attention, thanks for running shows in St. Louis from the start. Having to wait until December '08 sucked.
Yeah, I'm definitely not going to force myself to work on this when I'm not feeling it. The minute I start doing that, it ceases being fun and becomes more of a chore. Plus, what's the rush? I hope to keep this diary going for quite a long time, so no sense burning myself out.

I'm in the St. Louis area as well, so that was a pretty big factor in my running shows there. Well, plus there weren't any arenas in the Chicago area that suited my current popularity level. Living where I do is also a big reason behind my using Matt Sydal, despite his complete lack of popularity at this point. I saw the guy work numerous times in GCW when he was just breaking in, so I've got a bit of a soft spot for him. Delirious too.

Great show! I really enjoyed it. Well booked and easy to follow. The maniacal Homicide is a good character, and I suspect we will be seeing more of him soon.
Thanks for the praise! And I think it's fair to say that we haven't seen the last of Homicide's nasty streak. Steve Corino's going to be pretty sick of it soon ;)


(Not going to give my reasons much, studying/working on getting my 8th show)
No worries! Glad to see that you're still keeping an eye on this, and I eagerly await the next show in your diary.

[The Celt]

Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk
Homicide to pin either Corino or better yet Daniels to show he's got what it takes to hold the gold, while Sydal to look strong against Punk setting up a Gen Next Vs SCS match

Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Red is on to much of a run to be knocked down yet

Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Acid's head to be cave'd in with STIFF KICKS

Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
JOE IS GONNA KILL YOU

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The best in the world for the win

The SAT vs. The Briscoes
You seem to like the SAT and giving them a good push

CW Anderson vs. James Maritato
Maritato needs wins for his push, Anderson doesn't because he hsa no push

[buck44f]

Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk
Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki vs. Trent Acid
Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe
Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke
The SAT vs. The Briscoes
CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Unscripted


September 18th, 2002


From the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts


Attendance: 164

--

The DVD opened backstage, with one of the teams that would be participating in the six-man tag main event: ROH Champion Christopher Daniels, with Gail Kim by his side; Steve Corino, who had a bandage over his forehead; and CM Punk, one-half of the ROH Tag Team Champions. Daniels had a look of confidence on his face, Corino looked like he wanted no part of the match, and Punk’s expression was unreadable. As Gail Kim rubbed his shoulders, Daniels adjusted his sunglasses and looked into the camera.

“We hear what everybody’s been saying. Everyone from the boys in the back, to the geeks on the messageboard…they all say that there is no way that the three of us can coexist. They say that, mere weeks after Steve Corino and I competed against one another for the Ring of Honor Championship, there is simply no chance that the competitive streak between us has dimmed. But what those people fail to realize is this: Christopher Daniels and Steve Corino are the two greatest wrestlers in Ring of Honor. We are both professionals, and we don’t let ourselves become distracted by our tempers, or by prior battles. What happened at Glory by Honor will have no bearing on what happens tonight.

“And who better to team with the two best singles wrestlers in ROH than ½ of the ROH Tag Team Champions, CM Punk? What Corino and I may lack in tag team knowledge and strategy, Punk can provide in spades. And who knows, maybe after we go out and defeat our opponents tonight, Punk and his partner Colt Cabana will officially announce that they have accepted my invitation to join the most dominant group in all of professional wrestling, The Prophecy.”

Punk smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “You never know. But as much as I would like to talk some more about what we’re going to do to AJ Styles, Homicide and Matt Sydal later on tonight, I need to get out to ringside to do color commentary. There’s no telling what Colt will do if I leave him alone with Hill out there.”

Daniels chuckled and nodded. “Very well, Punk. But before you go, allow me to present you with a little something. Gail?” Gail stepped forward and handed CM Punk a pair of t-shirts with The Prophecy’s logo across the front of them. “That is the official t-shirt of The Prophecy, soon to be the hottest selling item on ROHwrestling.com. One for you, and one for Cabana. Consider these your formal invitation to join our ranks."

Punk accepted the proffered shirts and headed out to ringside for his color commentary duties. Daniels turned back to Corino, who had been uncharacteristically silent throughout the segment. Daniels shook his head in exasperation as Corino simply stared off into space distractedly.

--

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

This match marked the debut of new ROH referee Rob Williams, who, as James Hill explained over commentary, was hired not only to lighten the workload of head ref Martin Dugas, but also to solve the problem created by Dugas’ refusal to officiate any match involving Steve Corino. From this point forward, Williams will serve as the referee whenever Corino is involved.

The SAT were determined to pick up a win and get back into contention for the ROH Tag Team titles, and they got off to a great start against The Briscoes. The Maximos dominated the early going with some slick double team maneuvers, highlighted by a move they call the Maximo Overdrive, which saw Joel hit Mark with a backbreaker, and Jose follow up with a sitout double underhook facebuster. The SAT threw a variety of effective combinations at The Briscoes, but Jay and Mark were not to be outdone in the double teaming department. They turned the tide of the match with a double team hiptoss on Jose, tossing him high up into the air before allowing him to crash to the mat back-first. The Briscoes then executed several more impressive double team moves, including a belly to back suplex/neckbreaker combination, and an attack which saw Jay drive Joel Maximo across his knee with a backbreaker, and Mark strike with a diving knee drop. The SAT answered back with more teamwork of their own, and both teams came close to scoring the victory on several occasions.

Joel Maximo charged off of the ropes and leapt at Jay Briscoe for a swinging DDT, but Jay caught him in mid-air, allowing Mark to hit him with a springboard spinning heel kick, and Jay to slam him into the mat with a spinebuster. The Briscoes quickly followed up with a Spike Jay-Driller, driving Joel’s neck down painfully. Mark prevented Jose from making the save, and Jay secured the pinfall for his team.


Winners: The Briscoes in 12:43 with a Spike Jay-Driller on Joel Maximo

--

CW Anderson vs. James Maritato

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

CW went right after Maritato, trying to use his strength and brawling to put Maritato away quickly and break his own cold streak. He was able to catch Maritato with a few solid fists to the face, and throw the smaller man around with some power moves. But Maritato used his superior grappling to turn things around, slipping out of a running powerslam attempt and taking CW down with an arm drag into an armbar. Maritato focused the bulk of his offense on CW’s arms, a solid strategy considering that most of his favorite moves target that particular body part.

Maritato had CW on the ground for an extended period, but Anderson used his power advantage to fight back to his feet. He rocked the Italian with a big boot and delayed vertical suplex, but his attempt at a lariat was blocked, Maritato holding onto the arm and driving it into the canvas with a single arm DDT. Sensing an opening, Maritato locked on a Fujiwara Armbar. CW fought valiantly to try and reach the ropes, but Maritato’s earlier work on the arm paid off, and Anderson was forced to tap out.


Winner: James Maritato in 09:43 with a Fujiwara Armbar

--

After picking up his submission victory, James Maritato asked for a microphone.

“CW Anderson may be big and strong, but I just proved that he’s no match for the Sicilian Shooter! James Maritato wins yet again! But I’m not satisfied yet. No, this Italian won’t be happy until he becomes the ROH Champion!

“But enough about me. You see, one thing that separates us Italians from you Americans is our sense of community. We don’t stab each other in the back to get ahead like you greedy people; we look out for each other. When a friend is in trouble, we are always there to help. And, as we all have seen, my friend and tag team partner, Tony Mamaluke, hasn’t had quite as much success as I have here in ROH. Well, I am going to help him break through. He’s scheduled to wrestle next, against Bryan Danielson, and I am going to take a seat at ringside and watch Tony’s performance up close.” Maritato did just that, exiting the ring and claiming a chair, settling in beside the commentary table to observe the next match.

--

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg

Mamaluke had a brief conversation with his partner Maritato before the match began, Maritato appearing to be giving out some instructions.

Mamaluke attempted to beat Bryan Danielson at his own game, engaging him in a technical wrestling exchange. Mamaluke performed pretty well on the ground, as he and Danielson were locked in a stalemate for quite some time. In the end, though, Danielson proved to be the superior mat wrestler, gaining the upper hand with a slick reversal into a front chinlock. After a few moments of that, he floated over and grabbed Mamaluke’s arms in preparation for the Cattle Mutilation, but Mamaluke scrambled away and bailed out to the floor, where he and Maritato had another conference.

Reentering the fray with a new gameplan, Mamaluke refrained from renewing the scientific grappling battle, instead tackling Danielson to the mat and throwing punches, his fists connecting with the American Dragon’s skull numerous times. Mamaluke’s new approach threw Danielson off of his game, and he was slow to adjust. Mamaluke continued to work Danielson over with punches and kicks until he was satisfied that Bryan was battered to the point that he would have trouble fighting off some more damaging tactics.

Mamaluke had his eyes set on a pin, and nearly accomplished his goal with a Northern Lights suplex, as well as a bridging German suplex, but Danielson managed kick-outs. Unfazed, Mamaluke hooked him in a front facelock and went for a Tornado DDT. However, Danielson fought back, shoving Mamaluke away from him and blasting him in the face with two hard elbows, followed by a rolling elbow smash that knocked Mamaluke off of his feet. Danielson again went for Cattle Mutilation, but Mamaluke wriggled free, setting off another bout of chain wrestling on the mat. The end result of this was Danielson driving his elbow into the back of Mamaluke’s head several times, before floating over and giving the Cattle Mutilation yet another try. The third time proved to be the charm, as Danielson finally bridged forward and cinched the hold in. Mamaluke was trapped right in the center of the ring, and was left with no alternative but submission.

Maritato entered the ring after the match, shaking his head as he helped Mamaluke to his feet. Maritato escorted his exhausted partner to the back, animatedly talking to him the whole way.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 14:11 with the Cattle Mutilation

--

Low Ki vs. Trent Acid

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TrentAcid.jpg

Trent Acid and his partner Johnny Kashmere may have been defeated by the SAT in their ROH debut, but it clearly had no effect on Acid’s confidence, as he was his usual arrogant, ****y self, strutting to the ring with a smirk on his face and chatting up an attractive female sitting in the front row.

Acid may have a brash personality, but he has considerable in-ring talent to go along with it. He proved himself capable of going toe-to-toe with a top singles star, surviving an early flurry of strikes from Low Ki before knocking him down with a short-arm lariat. Figuring that Low Ki couldn’t throw any of his lethal kicks if he were lying flat on his back, Acid did his best to keep him on the mat and wear him down with submissions. The strategy served him well, as he was able to keep Low Ki grounded for quite some time, wearing him down while simultaneously expending little of his own energy.

Low Ki finally came up with an escape, and began peppering Acid with chops to the chest and kicks to the legs and ribs. But his frustration may have caused him to become a bit overeager, as he went for the springboard roundhouse kick referred to as the Tidal Wave. Acid had too much left in the tank to be hit by the kick, ducking it and bouncing off the ropes, showing off his own kicking ability as he blasted Low Ki in the face with a Yakuza kick that came quite close to ending the match. A springboard DDT gave Acid another near-fall, but when that failed to finish Low Ki off, he clamped on the Acid Lock, a full nelson/camel clutch combination. Acid wrenched away for all he was worth, and Low Ki grimaced in pain. The crowd cheered loudly when Low Ki finally was able to crawl to the safety of the ropes.

As Low Ki slowly got back to his feet, Acid measured him up for a rolling elbow smash. Low Ki reacted just in time, blocking the blow and catching Trent flush with a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. Trent collapsed to his knees, and Low Ki tried to capitalize with a Shining Wizard. But at the last moment, Low Ki feinted, catching Acid unawares with a reverse roundhouse kick to the back of the head. After Trent kicked out of the pin attempt that followed, Low Ki sent him into the corner and followed close behind, blasting Acid in the face with the Tidal Krush. Acid was on dream street, and Low Ki put him away with the Ki Krusher ’99. Low Ki may have scored the win, but Trent Acid impressed many with his valiant performance.


Winner: Low Ki in 10:15 with the Ki Krusher ’99

--

“This is James Hill at intermission, here with one of the teams that will be competing in the huge six-man tag main event: AJ Styles, Matt Sydal and The Notorious 187, Homicide. Many people are questioning the decision to include Matt Sydal on the team, considering his inexperience. Can any of you explain the reasoning behind that choice?”

AJ Styles fielded the question for his team. “James, Matt Sydal might be young and inexperienced, but there’s one thing you left out: he’s one of the best athletes in all of ROH. I’ve been watching Matt for months, and he’s impressed the heck out of me every time I’ve seen him. He reminds me a lot of myself a couple of years ago. I had the talent, I had the athletic ability, and I had the drive. All I needed was the opportunity to get into the ring with great opponents, and learn valuable lessons against them . And what better way for Matt to learn than a spot in the main event, against three of the best wrestlers around? I’m happy to help him in his development.”

“Fair enough. You may have valid reasons behind recruiting Sydal, but there’s another question about your team: the unpredictability of Homicide. Homicide, when Steve Corino cheated to defeat you at Triple Jeopardy, it seemed to set something off inside of you. Everyone was shocked when you attacked Corino with a fork at the conclusion of Glory by Honor. The question is, can your teammates trust you to be a team player tonight, and put the success of the group ahead of your own personal vendetta against Corino?”

A smile slowly spread across Homicide’s face. “My teammates can do whatever the hell they like. As for me, I’ve got one thing on my mind tonight: putting the fear of God into Steve Corino. Or maybe it’s the devil. Whether we win the match or not? I really couldn’t give a ****. Whatever happens, I can promise you this: Steve Corino’s getting ****ed up tonight.”

With that, Homicide abruptly walked away, leaving his partners baffled as they watched his departure.

--

The camera approached James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke, who were still carrying on their earlier conversation.

“That was a little better, Tony. Once you started taking my advice, you did much better against Danielson. Of course, if I’d been in there, I would’ve been able to finish him off. But just be patient: with my help, it won’t be long until you’re able to beat guys like Danielson, just like I did.”

“But…Danielson beat you two out of the three times you…”

Maritato dismissed his partner with a wave of his hand. “Not important. The point is, I’ve beaten Bryan Danielson, and you haven’t. But don’t worry: I’m not giving up on you. You may not ever reach my level, but few do. The point is, if you stick with it and follow my guidance, you’ll be able to do Italy proud, paisano.”

--

Devon Storm vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

Unlike his most recent match, against James Maritato at Glory by Honor, Devon Storm did not attempt an early offensive assault in this one. Instead, he approached very cautiously, wary of Samoa Joe’s strength. His concern was well founded, as Joe was furious after his loss to Low Ki at Glory by Honor, and wanted to unleash his pent-up anger on Storm.

Joe may have been a bit too blinded by his temper, as rather than using some more elementary tactics to wear Storm down early on, he went right for the jugular, trying to hit some rather high-impact maneuvers in the early minutes. The cautious Storm was able to avoid his attacks and do some damage to Joe before darting back to safety. Joe’s anger and frustration continued to build as Storm played keep away, and this led to more mistakes from the impatient big man. Storm would execute brief spurts of offense, concentrating mainly on Joe’s legs, before covering up when Joe tried to answer back. The fans were not happy with Storm’s strategy, but he made it clear through his body language that he was not concerned with their opinion of him.

Things changed when Storm took a chance, attempting a springboard cross bodyblock. Joe caught him and slammed him to the mat with an STO. Joe had finally broken through Storm’s defenses, and he never looked back. He punished Devon with a barrage of punches, chops, forearms and kicks before tossing him around with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Joe spent some time stretching Storm’s body with an STF, until Devon reached the ropes. Joe shrugged, and after a huge powerbomb, rendered him defenseless with a Muscle Buster. Joe had the match won, but pulled Storm up off of the mat before a three count, wanting to inflict some more damage. He carried the limp Storm over to the turnbuckles, and spiked him into the canvas with an Island Driver off of the 2nd rope. The devastating variation of an already effective move apparently quenched Joe’s thirst for inflicting punishment, as this time he kept Storm on the mat for the count.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 11:39 with an Island Driver off of the 2nd rope

--

Spanky vs. Paul London vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

Many expected Spanky and London to work together early and often in order to eliminate Red quickly and turn it into a one-on-one between the two partners. However, this was not the case, as each man was looking out only for himself. Two men would form a temporary alliance and punish the third man with double team moves, but such alliances were always short lived.

All three competitors are talented high flyers, so it came as no surprise that this was a fast paced match packed with high risk moves aplenty. The momentum of a hurracanrana by London on Spanky sent both men tumbling over the ropes and onto the floor. Both men slowly stood, only to be wiped out by a breathtaking cartwheel corkscrew moonsault from Red. The fans applauded the incredible display of athleticism by Red, who brought London back into the ring in an effort to finish him off. He connected with an Asai corkscrew legdrop, but London was able to kick out. Spanky slowly reentered the ring, and Red slammed his head into the ring with a tiltawhirl headscissors that suddenly turned into a DDT.

Red was on a major roll, and both of his opponents knew it. Spanky and London seemed to come to a nonverbal agreement, working together to try and derail Red’s momentum. Red was able to fight them off briefly, but the numbers caught up to him as Spanky and London connected with a double enzuigiri. London put Red in a double arm chickenwing, holding him in place as Spanky blasted him in the face with a superkick. London maintained his grip, lifting Red up and giving him the waffle face before climbing the buckles and coming off with the London Calling. That spelled the end for Red, eliminating him and leaving the two graduates of the Texas Wrestling Academy to fight it out for the win.

After sharing a smile and a nod, Spanky and London went at it, the tide going back and forth as both men felt the victory within their grasp. Spanky came close with a flying forearm and a springboard moonsault, but when he went to the top rope to try and land the Left Turn at Albuquerque, London rolled out of the way. London got near falls with a bridging fallaway slam, as well as his patented legsweep DDT. He then went for his dropsault, but Spanky was familiar enough with his partner’s offense to block it, forcing London to land back on his feet. Spanky quickly doubled his partner over with a kick to the gut, and planted him with the Sliced Bread #2. Spanky got pin, winning an exciting three-way dance. After the match, Spanky helped his partner to his feet, the two men shook hands and shared a quick hug, their partnership as strong as ever.


Winner: Spanky in 13:50, last eliminating Paul London with the Sliced Bread #2

--

Homicide, AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) and Matt Sydal vs. Christopher Daniels (w/Gail Kim), Steve Corino and CM Punk

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDaniels2.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg

There was uncertainty on both teams heading into this match, and it played out during the match itself. AJ Styles and Matt Sydal functioned pretty well together, making frequent tags and pulling off some nice double team maneuvers. However, Homicide was not as cooperative. He tagged in and out infrequently, ignoring his teammates altogether for stretches of the match. His main objective in the match was tormenting Steve Corino, who did all he could to avoid Homicide during the match. But that didn’t stop Homicide from taunting and playing mind games with Corino, which he did quite often.

Things weren’t any more cohesive on the other side of the ring. Christopher Daniels and CM Punk were forced to carry the load for most of the match, as Steve Corino refused to tag in whenever Homicide was the legal man for the other team. Daniels made a major effort to not only work alongside Punk, but to encourage him and motivate him as well. Punk didn’t really acknowledge Daniels’ praise, but he didn’t reject it either. The match played out in that fashion for the majority, Styles & Sydal and Daniels & Punk doing most of the work, Homicide focusing his attention almost solely on Corino, and Corino staying away from him as much as possible.

If there were questions about Matt Sydal’s inclusion in the match, he answered them with his performance. Sydal looked right at home in the ring against such top-flight competition, not seeming overmatched at any point. Following the example set by AJ Styles, Sydal impressed with his athleticism, including a beautiful standing moonsault on Punk that nearly ended the match, and a suicide dive that took out both Daniels and Corino at the same time.

Sydal climbed to the top rope to attempt another aerial move on Punk, but Daniels intervened, shaking the ropes and causing Sydal to crotch himself on the top buckle. Punk took advantage with a superplex before tagging out to Corino.

Corino put the boots to Sydal, and got a near fall with a Northern Lights suplex. Doing his best to ignore Homicide’s taunts from the apron, Corino slapped a camel clutch on Sydal, trying to break the young high flyer. When that didn’t work, Corino went for his favorite finishing move, the Old School Expulsion. Sydal managed to counter it, twisting free and taking Corino down with a Japanese arm drag. Needing to tag out, with Corino standing between him and his corner, Sydal dove right through Corino’s legs, successfully reaching the corner and tagging in Homicide.

Homicide had a big smile on his face as he entered the ring with Corino. When the situation registered in Corino’s brain, a look that can only be described as fearful crossed his face. As Homicide slowly advanced on his prey, Corino audibly said “**** this”, and tagged Christopher Daniels into the match before shaking his head and heading to the showers, leaving his team at a 2-on-1 disadvantage.

Daniels shouted at Corino to come back, but to no avail. With Corino out of the picture, Homicide took the fight to The Fallen Angel. Daniels and Homicide had an extended battle, both men pulling off several big moves: Homicide’s offense was highlighted by an Ace Crusher and a piledriver, and Daniels executed a swinging neckbreaker and an Arabian moonsault. After an STO, Daniels tried to hit his double-jump moonsault, but Homicide rolled out of dodge. As Daniels stood up shakily, Homicide gained a full head of steam off of the ropes and knocked the ROH Champion out with the West Brooklyn Lariat. Styles and Sydal cut CM Punk off before he could make the save, and Homicide notched the pin for his team.


Winners: Homicide, AJ Styles and Matt Sydal in 19:26 with a West Brooklyn Lariat by Homicide on Christopher Daniels

--

After the victorious team departed, CM Punk joined Gail Kim in helping Christopher Daniels up to his feet. While Gail checked on her leader, Punk asked for a microphone.

“Well, I know that didn’t go quite the way we planned for it to go, thanks to Corino tucking his tail between his legs and running away. But, Chris, I’ve got a little something to say, and I think you’re going to want to hear it. Colt…it’s time.”

Colt Cabana stood up from his seat at the broadcast table and entered the ring, carrying with him the pair of Prophecy t-shirts that Daniels had given to Punk earlier in the night. Cabana handed one of the shirts to Punk, and kept the other. Daniels was playing close attention by this point, a smile slowly creeping onto his face as he saw the t-shirts, and what they represented. With Cabana now standing by his side, Punk resumed speaking.

“After the end of the last show, Glory by Honor, you offered Colt and I spots in the group you’ve put together, The Prophecy. With the power that you wield as ROH Champion, as well as the talent you’ve already assembled, there’s no doubt that with the Saints onboard, The Prophecy could do great things.

“We’ve had some time to think it over, and have come to a mutual agreement. Now, we could’ve done this earlier, but what would be the fun in that? The Second City Saints do things in style, and so the only logical place for this to happen was right here, inside the ring.”

Punk paused, and after sharing a nod with Colt, they both slipped the Prophecy t-shirts on. Daniels smiled and hugged Gail when he saw this, very pleased that the ROH Tag Team Champions were joining his group. Most of the fans booed as Punk and Cabana shook hands with Daniels, though a vocal minority did seem pleased. After shaking hands with Punk, Daniels made to move away…only for Punk to use the handshake to yank the Fallen Angel forward, kick him in the gut and drive his head into the canvas with a Devil’s Lock DDT. The boos turned to cheers as Punk and Cabana tore the t-shirts off and threw them into the crowd. Gail glared at them while she checked on Daniels, but the Saints ignored her. Cabana danced and played to the cheering crowd while Punk started talking again.

“Christopher Daniels, how stupid did you think we were? You never had any interest in advancing our careers; you're only worried about yourself. You wanted us to serve as your henchmen. Well, the Second City Saints play second fiddle to no one; we aren’t anybody’s lackeys. The only people that the Second City Saints are interested in looking out for…are the Second City Saints. So you and your Prophecy can take your little “movement” and shove it straight up your asses. And that…is the gospel…according to the Second City Saints.”

--

Quick Results:

The Briscoes over The SAT
James Maritato over CW Anderson
Bryan Danielson over Tony Mamaluke
Low Ki over Trent Acid
Samoa Joe over Devon Storm
Spanky over Paul London and The Amazing Red
Homicide, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal over Christopher Daniels, Steve Corino & CM Punk

Unscripted Predictions:

ya_its_me: 6-1

rjhabeeb: 5-2
The Celt: 5-2
buck44f: 5-2

ProjectJinx: 4-3

Standings in Predictions Contest #2 after 2 shows:

The Celt: 13-2

buck44f: 11-4

rjhabeeb: 10-5

ProjectJinx: 8-7

ya_its_me: 6-1
Texasrangers13: 6-2

((Funny; I personally felt like this was one of my more predictable shows, and expected multiple perfect scored. Instead, not one person managed to ace it this time. The Celt stays on top, but with 2 months to go, this is still very much anyone's contest. Especially since it is looking like I will run 3 shows in October.))

[Texasrangers13]

Great show as usual. I completely forgot to predict. I even looked at the preview and thought, oh I gotta predict, but I spaced it. I'd also like to take the time to thank you for the nomination and vote for rookie DOTM, it means a ton!

[The Final Countdown]

September 18th, 2002
10:25 p.m.


"I think that went pretty well. What'd you think?"

I nodded in agreement with CM Punk's question. "Yeah, I think the fans were more than willing to accept your guys' face turns. It seemed like a pretty natural move to make, especially considering the reactions you guys had been getting. I mean, who really wants to boo Colt Cabana?"

"You've got a point there," Punk laughed. "Colt's hard to stay mad at in real life, too. I'll be mad as hell at him one minute, and the next minute he'll have me laughing so hard that I cry."

"Exactly. And it's not like we're really changing your characters in any significant way, either. We're just having you confront a group that most people love to boo. It all feels like a very natural transition to me."

"Yeah, me too," Punk agreed. "If the people want to cheer for Colt, why fight it? I'll just go along for the ride, and see where it takes us. Hopefully far."

"Anything else would shock me. You guys are one of the most over acts that we've got, and if tonight was any indication, that's not going to change with you fighting primarily heels instead of faces."

"Let's hope you're right. Well, it's getting late. I should get out of here soon so I can get some sleep before hitting the road again tomorrow."

Punk shook my hand and headed out towards his car, and I holed myself up in the room that I had converted into my makeshift office for the night, wanting to reflect on the night's events.


-The Briscoes and the SAT opened the show with a solid match, but it was a notch below the match they had with each other back at The Era of Honor Begins, which surprised me a bit. Nobody had a particularly bad performance, and Jose Maximo actually looked pretty good. Not sure quite what was missing this time around.

-James Maritato and CW Anderson had terrible chemistry, and the result was a match that was just plain bad. The crowd crapped on this one, and with good reason. This won't affect Maritato's stock much, as he has already proved himself capable of producing very good matches for us. CW is skating on thin ice at this point; for his sake, I hope he can come up with something better the next time he gets booked, whenever that is.

-Bryan Danielson had a nice night, but it was more or less canceled out by the very bad night that Tony Mamaluke had. They had a solid match, but I was definitely hoping for more. It should be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to the storyline we began with Maritato appointing himself as Mamaluke's know-it-all mentor.

-Low Ki and Trent Acid seemed to have great in-ring chemistry, coming up with a pretty good contest that was certainly in the running for MOTN. Nice to see Trent have a good singles match as we wait for the opportune moment to get he and Johnny Kashmere back into the tag team scene.

-Samoa Joe and Devon Storm didn't really 'click'. They had a match that was not terrible, but not anything to get excited about either. I'm beginning to question whether or not Storm is worth his wage.

-The three-way dance between Spanky, London and Red was a pretty good athletic display. It was about on par with the Low Ki/Trent Acid match as co-MOTN. The only thing that held this one back from being even better was the occasional lack of psychology that popped up every now and again.

-The six-man tag main event was nothing special, but it wasn't awful. Steve Corino probably had the best performance of the six, which had mostly to do with him selling his hesitance to interact with Homicide. Surprisingly, Christopher Daniels had a pretty bad night. Uncharacteristic for him. At least it happened here, and not in a title match. I had some concerns heading in about Matt Sydal looking like he belonged in such a high-profile match, and instructed everyone involved in the match to do what they could to protect him, accentuate his strengths and work around his weaknesses. It seemed to work pretty well, and he didn't look out of place at any point. There's still plenty of work to go before he can be counted on as a perennial main event player, but this match reaffirmed my belief that that will indeed happen one day.

This show ended our string of several shows in a row that were tremendous for a company of our size. Still, it wasn't bad; there were positives to be found, and the show should still help us continue to build a reputation in the New England region.



--




Great show as usual. I completely forgot to predict. I even looked at the preview and thought, oh I gotta predict, but I spaced it. I'd also like to take the time to thank you for the nomination and vote for rookie DOTM, it means a ton!

We all space out and forget to include things from time to time. At least you didn't do so in your own diary, like I did a month or so ago. :D

No need to thank me for the nom & vote in the rookie poll; I thought you deserved the recognition. Keep plugging away, and in a couple of months you'll be another great addition to what is becoming a loaded real world diary/dynasty scene.

[critical-23]

I FINALLY debuted!!!! lol. Great show as always and in case people were wondering, I feel it won't be fair to be in two prediction contest in a row (not saying that I am that good or anything) which is why I haven't predicted for any shows thus far. KUTGW, yo!

[MattitudeV2]

Let me just say that even though I didn't know as much about ROH back in 2002 but I'd definitley keep reading.

[The Final Countdown]

News & Notes: September 2002

-Randy Savage and Sting announced their impending retirements.

-Chris Jericho continued his superb run as WWF Undisputed Champion, retaining the title over Shawn Michaels in front of his hometown Winnipeg fans in a tremendous match that headlined the Unforgiven PPV.

-NWA-TNA made their first appearance at the historic ECW Arena with their Rivals Collide PPV, which, while good, was outshone by ROH’s Glory by Honor show in the same building just days earlier. Evan Karagis may have some revealing info on either owner Bob Armstrong or head booker Dusty Rhodes, because while the likes of Ken Shamrock, Juvi Guerrera and Christopher Daniels worked on the undercard, Karagis headlined with NWA World Champion Ron Killings. Killings thankfully retained, blocking Karagis from holding every belt in the company. The highlight of the show, however, was a very good match between Rey Mysterio Jr. and Steve Corino.

-Morishima and Rikioh reclaimed the GHC Tag Team belts from Inoue and Hashi.

-Masato Tanaka and Kazuyuki Fujita won the IWGP World Tag Team titles from Yuji Nagata and Giant Singh.


--


I FINALLY debuted!!!! lol. Great show as always and in case people were wondering, I feel it won't be fair to be in two prediction contest in a row (not saying that I am that good or anything) which is why I haven't predicted for any shows thus far. KUTGW, yo!
Yeah; couldn't debut you any sooner, because I needed to wait until after GBH and the Steamboat guest ref situation had played out before I introduced the new ref. I certainly would not have minded at all if you had wanted to try and win the predictions contest twice in a row, but that's your prerogative. Glad you're still reading and enjoying in any case.

Let me just say that even though I didn't know as much about ROH back in 2002 but I'd definitley keep reading.
Thanks! I had been wondering if people who weren't as familiar with this era of ROH, and the indy scene in general, would really be able to get into this. Nice to know that at least some have been able to.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Survival of the Fittest. The idea that only the strongest survive.

Who will prove themselves as the strongest in Ring of Honor, and win the first-ever Survival of the Fittest tournament?

We'll go a ways towards finding out in less than a week, as the first phase will take place on Monday, October 7th, as ROH will be back in the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri, for Survival of the Fittest, Night 1. On that night, six grueling qualifying matches will be held. The winner of each match will advance into the final portion of the tournament, to be held just two nights later: a six-man elimination match. The winner will earn not only bragging rights, but also a guaranteed shot at the Ring of Honor Championship. All twelve contenders would love to claim the glory that will go along with such a victory, but in the end, only the strongest will emerge.


Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Matches:

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
Samoa Joe has been a very miserable human being in recent weeks, as Devon Storm can attest all too well. Joe believes that it s inevitable that he will become the next ROH Champion, but the title has managed to elude his grasp thus far. A victory over Maritato would bring him to within one match of earning himself another shot at the gold, but the Sicilian Shooter cannot be overlooked. Maritato is a sound veteran with years of experience, he has a submission victory over Bryan Danielson to his credit, and he has started putting together some wins recently. Maritato will try to show his "protege" Tony Mamaluke how to outwrestle a bigger and stronger opponent, but he will need to be cautious, as one big move from a powerhouse like Joe could be disastrous.

Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
Low Ki has been perhaps the toughest challenge to Christopher Daniels' reign as ROH Champion thus far. He would obviously love another opportunity to take the title away from his rival (should Daniels still hold the gold after his upcoming title defense), but Red is seeking a title shot of his own. The amazing high flier had quite a competitive non-title match with Daniels back at Boston Massacre, and also had a strong showing against Steve Corino at Manhattan Mayhem, so he has proven that his speed and agility enable him to hang with the upper echelon of the company. Low Ki is likely the favorite thanks to his more well-rounded game, as well as his greater wealth of experience in big-match situations. But Red is, at all times, one amazing display of athleticism away from picking up a win.

Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
Both men are graduates of Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling Academy, but their in-ring styles differ greatly. London is a competitor who relies mainly on aerial tactics and fast-paced offense, while Danielson prefers to take his opponents to the mat and physically dissect them with a plethora of submission holds. While Danielson may have a bit more experience in singles action, London holds one-on-one victories over both Steve Corino and CM Punk. Danielson will do his best to ground London, but if he fails to do so, he could find himself on the wrong side of the pin-fall.

KENTA vs. Kazarian
KENTA, the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight champion in Pro Wrestling NOAH, would like to add both the SOTF trophy and the ROH Championship to his trophy room. He is also eager to wash the taste of failure out of his mouth; the 21-year old Japanese sensation has not failed much in his young career, but AJ Styles got the best of him back at Glory by Honor. Standing in his way is one of the members of Christopher Daniels' Prophecy, Kazarian. Kazarian's brash attitude is back in full force since aligning himself with the Fallen Angel, but with a more focused and determined edge to go along with it. KENTA has a multitude of kicks and submissions in his arsenal, but if Kazarian can catch him with the Salvation (the move formerly known as the Flux Capacitor), KENTA will taste defeat once again.

Spanky vs. Steve Corino
Spanky scored a big win in the semi main event of ROH's last show, Unscripted, outlasting both The Amazing Red and his own tag team partner Paul London in a three way dance. He'll look to keep that momentum going in SOTF against The King of Old School, Steve Corino. When he is at his best, Corino is as good as anyone in ROH. But the brutal incident at Glory by Honor, where Homicide attacked him with a fork, seems to have fundamentally changed Corino. At Unscripted, Corino's normal swagger was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by a man who seemed at best jumpy, at worst downright afraid. He ditched his team mates in the main event rather than have to face off with Homicide, who clearly has gotten inside his head. If he can't shake his uncertainty off and focus, Spanky will be more than happy to capitalize.

Homicide vs. CW Anderson
After winning the big six-man tag main event at Unscripted, Homicide, AJ Styles and Matt Sydal were all offered a title match against Christopher Daniels. However, Homicide rejected the offer, choosing instead to enter Survival of the Fittest in hopes of getting his hands on Corino. Upon learning of this, Corino made the pitch to ROH management to name CW Anderson as Homicide's opponent in the qualifying match. Anderson, as you may remember, was brought into ROH by Corino as his mystery partner back at Testing the Limit, so Corino obviously has faith in him to get the job done and serve as a roadblock between Homicide and himself. Homicide quickly accepted the challenge, promising to eliminate the closest thing Corino has to an ally.

For the ROH Tag Team Championship:
The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana, Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark, Challengers)
The only non-SOTF qualifying match on the show, the stakes will nevertheless be extremely high in this bout. The Saints, fresh off of their double-cross of Christopher Daniels, will look to record successful title defense #3 against the fast-rising brother duo of Jay and Mark Briscoe. Many view the Briscoes as the future of the ROH tag team division, but that future could be coming much sooner than expected. The Briscoes have recently racked up a win against AJ Styles and KENTA, as well as improving to 2-0 against the Spanish Announce Team. The Saints have been the talk of the ROH community since their refusal of The Prophecy, but a win by The Briscoes would stop all of that dead in its tracks.


Predictions List:

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. CW Anderson
The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes

[rjhabeeb]

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
upset to set up Red's push and maybe a program with Joe.....or maybe Ki wins and continues his war with Joe but if I remember right they didnt "click" in their first encounter
Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
The Dragon may end up my pick to win it all
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Prophecy help??? another upset pick
Spanky vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. CW Anderson
The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes
need the momentum after the turn....it seems like a push for these guys is evident until the eventual split and fued

[buck44f]

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. CW Anderson
The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes

[The Celt]

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
You know what? Joe is going win this, but he'll make Maritato look like a million bucks

Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
Red can flip around all he likes, but Low-Ki is going kick him Ghetto style

Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
The Hybrid Dophins to face off against each other...hmmm, yeah Danielson to pick up the win no doubt

KENTA vs. Kazarian
Hmm...KENTA to start getting in face of the Prophecy? Maybe, Maybe...

Spanky vs. Steve Corino
The number 2 company to whip the midcard face


Homicide vs. CW Anderson
Oh boy...Homicide to rip Anderson a new @sshole. Seriously in real life Homicide would probably be told to stiff Anderson a little to see if he really wants his gig at RoH

The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes
SCS to put themselves over as faces in this match

[ya_its_me]

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
- I suspect Maritato will put up a decent fight but Joe will prevail in the end.

Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
- Squash.

Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
- American Dragon FTW!

KENTA vs. Kazarian
- The Japanese star starts to rise up through the ROH rankings.

Spanky vs. Steve Corino
- Congrats Spanky, you've just been jobbed.

Homicide vs. CW Anderson
- 'Cuz Homicide is a beast.

The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes
- To build up steam to a Prophecy feud, loved the face turn by the way.

----------------------------

EDIT: Forgot to read the preview! :D

[The Final Countdown]

Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
upset to set up Red's push and maybe a program with Joe.....or maybe Ki wins and continues his war with Joe but if I remember right they didnt "click" in their first encounter

Low Ki and Joe have Awful chemistry. :mad:


Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
The Hybrid Dophins to face off against each other...hmmm, yeah Danielson to pick up the win no doubt

Judging by those PWG promos, I should probably keep London and Danielson apart. Those guys hanging out together are a failed drug test waiting to happen. *BUZZ*


The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes
- To build up steam to a Prophecy feud, loved the face turn by the way.

----------------------------

Dunno if I missed something, but...where's AJ?
Thanks; glad you liked the face turn.

AJ isn't in the SOTF tourney because he'll be involved in an ROH Championship match on SOTF, Night 2. He and Matt Sydal will challenge Daniels in a 3-way. Homicide isn't in the title match because he turned it down to enter SOTF and get a piece of Corino, as I mentioned in the preview. I wasn't sure if I got all of that across effectively in the preview, so hopefully its clearer now.

[ProjectJinx]

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato
Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red
Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky vs. Steve Corino
Homicide vs. CW Anderson
The Second City Saints vs. The Briscoes

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Survival of the Fittest, Night 1


October 7th, 2002


From the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland, Missouri


Attendance: 117

--

The DVD opened with a shot of ROH play-by-play man James Hill standing in a hallway near a closed door, looking frustrated. He knocked on the door and waited several long moments, but there was no response. Hill sighed and turned to look at the cameraman.

“Well, Buck, guess you can go ahead and turn the camera off—doesn’t look like Corino’s going to respond to our interview request. Maybe we can try and catch him during intermiss—"

Hill cut off in mid-sentence at the sound of the door opening. The camera shifted its focus towards the opened door, where an angry-looking Steve Corino had just emerged.

“Steve, if I could just get a quick word about—“

“You won’t be speaking to my client about anything.”

Stepping out from behind Corino was the voice behind the interruption, a young woman, who placed herself in between Corino and Hill. Hill recognized the woman, and addressed her.

“Allison Danger, what are you doing here?”

Danger shook her head and rolled her eyes before responding. “I already told you what I’m doing here. My purpose is to manage the affairs of the world class athlete standing right behind me. After Ricky Steamboat and the rest of the goons in the ROH front office allowed that barbaric attack by Homicide to go unpunished—“

“Homicide had to pay a stiff fine as a penalty for his actions,” Hill interrupted. Danger glared at him, and Corino looked furious as well.

“Are you joking, Hill?” Danger questioned. “If you are really going to sit here and try and say that a measly little fine is punishment enough for one man stabbing another man in the head with a fork, then you are nothing more than a corporate stooge who says and does whatever that bitter old man Steamboat tells him to. Anyway, as I was saying, Steve realized that he simply could not overcome the system all by himself. There are too many people within ROH, both in the locker room and the front office, who are jealous of his talents, and will do whatever they can to hold him back. Steve needs someone to cut through all the B.S., someone to keep an eye out for the knife that people are constantly trying to drive the knife into his back. And that is where I come in.”

“I suppose I can understand why Corino may feel it is a good idea to bring in someone to manage his affairs. But an even more important question may be his mental state. Steve has not seemed like himself since the attack by Homicide.”

“Of course he hasn’t felt like himself, you idiot! Homicide should be locked in a cage like an animal for what he did! Steve Corino is a wrestler, and Homicide is a thug. Steve proved that by defeating Homicide fair and square at Triple Jeopardy, and of course, rather than accept his defeat like a man, Homicide decide to commit assault! But if…if Homicide can get past the Enforcer CW Anderson tonight, Steve will prove once again that he is the superior wrestler. Because now that I am here to make sure no one screws him over, there is not a man in this company that will deny him from winning the ROH Championship. He will beat Spanky tonight, and he will win the 6-man elimination match, whether Homicide is in the match or not. Now, we’re on first, and my client and I need to go over some last-minute preparations, so consider this little chat over.”

Danger motioned to Corino, and both reentered the locker room before Danger unceremoniously slammed the door in Hill’s face, ending the interview.

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

Spanky vs. Steve Corino (w/Allison Danger)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

ROH Champion Christopher Daniels may have had the night off, but that didn't stop him from showing up and joining James Hill at commentary for the night.

Steve Corino and his new manager, Allison Danger, went over some last-minute strategy before the match began. But any plans Corino may have had for the beginning of the bout were thrown by Spanky, who ran full-speed to the ring and carried that tempo with him, going right after Corino and flooring him with a running dropkick before peppering him with some punches. Corino regained his feet, clearly out of sorts and struggling to come up with an answer for Spanky’s immediate assault. Spanky continued to dominate, taking Corino down with an arm drag and a leg lariat, and nearly advanced in the SOTF tournament with an inside cradle, a victory roll and a flying forearm smash.

After a huge superkick that appeared to have Corino out on his feet, Spanky hooked Corino’s head for a Sliced Bread #2 attempt. Allison Danger chose that moment to jump onto the ring apron, catching Spanky’s eye. Spanky refocused and tried to score with his favorite finisher, but the momentary distraction was enough to allow Corino to counter, breaking free and using Spanky’s own momentum against him, shoving him chest-first into the buckles. The King of Old School took full advantage of the opening presented to him by his manager, taking charge of the match after a DDT. Corino spent some time wearing his man down with mat wrestling before going for the win, and came close to finishing the match after a brainbuster and a Northern Lights suplex.

Corino lifted his opponent for a Northern Lights bomb, but Spanky was able to shift his body weight and land on his feet behind Corino, and came a half of a count away from getting a sudden pin with an O’Connor roll. Spanky charged at a surprised Corino for a cross body block, but Corino caught him out of mid-air and tossed him to the mat with a fallaway slam. Corino wasn’t about to give Spanky any more chances to work his way back into the match, and capped off a very good opening contest with the Old School Expulsion.


Winner: Steve Corino in 14:51 with the Old School Expulsion
Steve Corino qualified for the Survival of the Fittest Finals

--

Allison Danger congratulated Steve Corino on his victory before they began to make their way to the locker room. While they were in the aisle, Homicide came charging out. He tackled a stunned Corino to the ground, and began pummeling him with punches to the head. Danger, as well as referee Rob Williams, tried to pull The Notorious 187 off of his victim, but their efforts had no effect. Corino did his best to cover up and protect himself, but Homicide continued to rain fists down upon his skull.

The attack was thwarted by Homicide’s opponent for the night, CW Anderson. Anderson emerged from the back and lifted Homicide off of Corino, driving him back-first into the barrier separating the fans from the ringside area. Homicide and Anderson began exchanging punches in the aisle, while Allison Danger used the opportunity to usher her client to the safety of the locker room. The brawl between Homicide and Anderson continued, both men letting the fists fly as they gradually moved closer to the ring.

Homicide ducked a punch, and CW’s fist bounced off of the steel ring post. As Anderson shook his hand in pain, Homicide slammed his head into the post. Homicide repeated the action several times before all but knocking CW out with an Ace Crusher on the floor. The Notorious 187 lifted CW’s dead weight up and into the ring, prompting referee Rob Williams to ring the bell and officially start the match.

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

Homicide vs. CW Anderson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg

This wasn’t so much a match as it was a massacre. CW Anderson was more or less out of commission after the Ace Crusher on the floor, and thus he was not able to fight back once the match started. Homicide likely could have won the match within the first minute or two, but he seemed more interested in punishing CW. He took his time, battering Anderson with punches and kicks, and spiking him into the canvas with a piledriver. After toying with Anderson some more, Homicide came off of the ropes and connected dead-on with a vicious West Brooklyn Lariat. He made what was an academic cover, but pulled CW’s shoulders off of the mat just before the 3-count, wanting to deliver an exclamation point. He did just that, lifting the defenseless Anderson into the air and destroying him with the Cop Killer, putting an end to one of the most one-sided matches in recent memory.


Winner: Homicide in 06:32 with the Cop Killer
Homicide qualified for the Survival of the Fittest Finals

--

Referee Rob Williams raised Homicide’s hand in victory, but The Notorious 187 wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet. He reached into his trunks and pulled out the same object he used to puncture Steve Corino’s forehead at Glory by Honor, a fork. Williams attempted to cut him off before he could use the weapon on CW Anderson, but was forced to back down when Homicide raised the fork in his direction in a threatening manner. With no more obstacles, Homicide attacked, jabbing the fork into the forehead of CW. Blood immediately began flowing out of Anderson’s head, but Homicide continued his assault, jabbing the sharp metal into CW’s cut again and again.

With the blood all but covering CW’s face entirely, Homicide put the fork away. But he was not done with his attack. Dragging CW’s motionless body to the floor, Homicide pulled back the protective mat, exposing the concrete floor. More officials came out of the back to try and break it up, but Homicide fended all of them off. He hooked CW’s arms, and lifted him into the air for the Cop Killer. The crowd exploded as Homicide followed through, driving CW Anderson’s head and neck into the concrete. Grinning at his handiwork, Homicide headed back towards the locker room as the officials tended to the motionless CW Anderson, who had to be stretchered to the back.

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

KENTA vs. Kazarian (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

KENTA came out firing, as he tried to utilize his kicking ability to gain an early advantage. He did catch Kazarian with some quick kicks, but the Prophecy member was able to block, duck or otherwise avoid the bigger, more effective blows. Kazarian’s solid defense helped keep him out of trouble, and when he ducked a big roundhouse kick, he was able to toss KENTA to the mat neck-first with a release German suplex.

KENTA was groggy after being dropped on his neck, and Kazarian pressed his advantage. He targeted the neck of his opponent, going after it with stomps and a leg drop before putting on a camel clutch. Kazarian continued that pattern for several minutes, keeping his enemy grounded and focusing his attacks on KENTA’s neck. He continued to target the neck with moves like a swinging neckbreaker, a DDT and a slingshot legdrop to the back of the neck, but the attacks were not enough to finish KENTA off.

After KENTA kicked out of a swinging fisherman’s suplex, Kazarian looked to hit one of his favorite maneuvers, the New Wave. But KENTA blocked the attempt, and turned the tide of the match by hitting Kazarian in the face with a big kick. KENTA began dominating, punishing Kazarian with several more kicks, as well as tossing him into the canvas with a double underhook suplex and wearing him down with a chin lock/body scissors combo.

Feeling that he had Kazarian in trouble, KENTA attacked with a flurry of strikes that he refers to as the KENTA Rush. It began with several hard open-hand slaps to Kazarian’s face, followed by a spinning back fist, then a huge roundhouse kick to the side of the head, and finished with the Busaiku Knee Kick. When KENTA tried to pin the groggy Kazarian, Gail Kim got the referee’s attention briefly. The ref was only distracted momentarily before returning his attention to the match, but it was enough to allow Kazarian to muster a kick-out. Frustrated, KENTA hoisted Kazarian onto his shoulders for the Go 2 Sleep. Kazarian struggled, trying to wriggle free, and when that failed, he tried to prevent the move by elbowing KENTA in the head. But Kazarian’s struggles were in vain, as KENTA fought off the elbows and scored with the Go 2 Sleep.

KENTA made the cover, but the bell rang just before the three count could be completed. Confused, the referee conferred with the time keeper and ring announcer. After their quick conference was finished, the ring announcer declared that the 20-minute time limit in place for all SOTF qualifying matches had expired, resulting in a time limit draw. KENTA put his hands on his knees and bowed his head, frustrated that he had come so close to advancing, only to fail.


No Contest due to the expiration of the 20-minute time limit

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

Samoa Joe vs. James Maritato (w/Tony Mamaluke)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg

James Maritato seemed quite confident before the match began, instructing his second, Tony Mamaluke, to “watch and learn.” But his confident façade disappeared once the Samoan powerhouse arrived. Maritato quickly stepped between the ropes and jumped to the floor, in no hurry to butt heads with the angry Joe.

Once Maritato tentatively reentered the ring and the match began, he was no less cautious of the big man. Maritato kept his distance, and was quick to cover up whenever Joe tried to launch an offensive attack. Maritato would dart forward and try and drive Joe to the ground with a submission tactic, only to run for cover when Joe would fight him off.

Joe finally broke through Maritato’s defenses with a sharp kick to the gut that doubled the Italian over, and fired off some more nice strikes before lifting him up for a power move. However, Maritato fought out of it, and clipped Joe with a chop block to the knee. Seeing that he had the Samoan down, Maritato targeted the knee, using his submission wrestling skills to try and wear Joe down. Maritato did a nice job keeping Joe on the mat with his wrestling skill, trapping him in hold after hold and never giving him a chance to regain his feet and break free.

Maritato had Joe locked in a knee bar in the middle of the ring, but Joe managed to use his free leg to break out, driving his heel into Maritato’s face several times until his grip was loosened enough for Joe to extricate himself. Joe noticeably favored his left leg as he stood, but he blocked out the pain and began pummeling Maritato with forearm shots right to the face. Showing his own submission abilities, Joe slapped on a cross armbreaker. Maritato used a forward roll to break free, but Joe continued to dominate with his mixture of power moves and stiff striking. Maritato showed his desire by kicking out of a power bomb and escaping a Boston crab, and briefly regained the advantage in the match after he caught Joe with a dropkick to the knee. But Joe ended his brief comeback with an overhead belly to belly suplex, and finished him off with the Island Driver.


Winner: Samoa Joe in 12:40 with the Island Driver
Samoa Joe qualified for the Survival of the Fittest Finals

--

Ricky Steamboat was walking down the hallway, his eyes searching for something, or someone, in particular as he walked. Spotting something, Steamboat turned and stopped. The camera shifted its focus to reveal that he had stopped in front of Homicide, who still had some of CW Anderson’s blood on his clothes. Homicide stood from his sitting position, looking at Steamboat silently as he waited to see what the ROH President wanted. After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Steamboat began speaking.

“Homicide, I have a lot of respect for you. You have shown to me that you have the talent to be one of the best, if not the absolute best, in this sport. But lately, I don’t know where your head’s at. I understand that you’re angry with Steve Corino, but your actions on recent shows have been over the line, and I cannot condone them. The things that you have done have no place in Ring of Honor, and if you keep it up, the fines will only get stiffer and stiffer.”

Homicide shrugged. “Ricky, no disrespect, but I’m not worried about what you think. That punkass Corino has been talking trash about me and my past, about how I’m from the streets. Well, he’s brought out the street in me, and now he’s gotta pay the price for it.”

Ricky tried to plead his case. “Attacking Corino is one thing. I may not condone it, but I can at least understand where you’re coming from. But how do you justify what you did to CW Anderson tonight? Not only did you attack him with that fork, you may have broken his neck with the Cop Killer on the concrete. He had to be taken out on a stretcher. What did he do to deserve something like that?”

“It’s simple, Ricky: Corino considered CW Anderson a man that he could trust. So I took him out. Now, Corino has nobody to watch his back, and nobody to stop me from beating his ass and making him my b***h. Anybody who tries to stop me from doing that, I eliminate. That includes you, Ricky, if you try and stop me.”

Homicide walked off, looking completely calm and relaxed, as Ricky frowned at his retreating form.

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg

Red and Low Ki went after each other right from the opening bell, Low Ki trying to use his kicks to stop the constant movement of his faster opponent, and Red using his speed to try and make Low Ki expend as much energy as possible. Red ducked a spin kick attempt, sprung onto the second rope and flipped back, taking Low Ki down with an arm drag. Low Ki popped right back up and charged at Red, who sent him back to the mat with a drop toehold and floated over, clamping on a side headlock.

Red continued to stay one step ahead of Low Ki, countering the majority of his offensive attempts and transitioning into his own bursts of impressive risk-taking. Red’s speed frustrated Low Ki to no end, as it foiled his strikes time and time again. There was a noticeable buzz amongst the crowd, as they got the feeling that Red was on the verge of picking up a huge win. He ducked a big hick kick from Low Ki, caught him in the face with a spinning heel kick, and nearly got the win with a hurracanrana. Keeping the pressure on, Red used a legsweep to put Low Ki back on the mat, and followed up with the Red Star Press. Low Ki narrowly got his shoulder up, but Red wasn’t about to let him rest, doubling him over with a kick to the gut and leaping forward to try and hit the Code Red.

Low Ki fought it off, however, blocking the move and slamming the back of Red’s head into the canvas. Having finally derailed the speedy Red, Low Ki unleashed the full extent of his kicking prowess, pounding him with a barrage of shots that finished with a Shining Wizard. Red kicked out, but Low Ki put him away with the Ki Krusher ’99.


Winner: Low Ki in 14:15 with the Ki Krusher ’99
Low Ki qualified for the Survival of the Fittest Finals

--

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match:

Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg

The two graduates of the Texas Wrestling Academy shook hands before the match began, showing their mutual respect for one another. But any friendship between the two men was set aside once the bell rang, as both men were eager to move closer to a shot at the ROH Championship.

Both Danielson and London utilized clear and obvious strategies that played to their strengths. Danielson used his mat wrestling ability to try and exhaust London, as well as keep him from taking to the air. But when London would manage to escape Danielson’s submission holds, he would use that speed and agility to his advantage, gaining more than one near fall on The American Dragon thanks to several impressive aerial maneuvers, including a diving crossbody and a springboard moonsault bodyblock.

After a nicely executed dropsault that sent Danielson over the ropes and to the floor, London came down onto him with a suicide dive. The dive was successful, but London seemed to land awkwardly on his knee. He shook the leg out a bit and made an effort to work through it, rolling Danielson back into the ring and climbing to the top rope for another aerial try. But London’s awkward landing on the floor delayed his climb a bit, giving Danielson time to get back to his feet and cut him off. Danielson met London on the top rope, where the two men exchanged blows. Danielson got the better of the exchange after a couple of nice elbow strikes, and sent London crashing to the mat with a top rope superplex.

London kicked out of a pinfall, so Danielson decided to go to the top rope and try a high-risk move of his own. He connected with a diving headbutt, but London again was able to get his shoulder off of the mat before the decisive three count. Danielson hooked London’s arms to try for his Cattle Mutilation hold, but London fought it, not allowing the Dragon to bridge forward and cinch the hold in. Making an adjustment, Danielson gave up on Cattle Mutilation and instead went for a Crossface Chickenwing. London tried to fight it, but Danielson was able to lock his body in position and complete the hold. Trapped in the center of the ring, London was forced to submit.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 10:38 with the Crossface Chickenwing
Bryan Danielson qualified for the Survival of the Fittest Finals

--

For the ROH Tag Team Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohtag.jpg

The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana, Champions) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PunkROHTAG.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CABANAROHTAG.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

The defending champions made a stop by the announcer’s table on their way to the ring to taunt ROH Champion Christopher Daniels, who looked as if he would have jumped out of his chair and confronted the Second City Saints had Gail Kim not restrained him.

The fans may have been solidly behind the Saints after their subterfuge of Daniels at Unscripted, but the Briscoes were unimpressed. They got the early jump on the Saints, who seemed preoccupied with arguing with Christopher Daniels. The Briscoes made the champs pay for their lack of focus, battering them with their arsenal of effective double team tactics. Punk was sent high into the air with an elevated double hip toss, and Cabana was almost finished by a power bomb/neck breaker combination. Daniels cheered the Briscoes on, greatly enjoying watching the Saints struggle.

Jay lifted Punk onto his shoulders for one of the Briscoe’s favorite moves, the springboard Doomsday Device, but Punk ducked the lariat from Mark, slid off of Jay’s shoulders and dropped him with the Pepsi Twist, allowing him to make the tag to Colt Cabana.

A fired-up Cabana fought both Briscoes, knocking Mark to the floor with a lariat and stunning Jay with a bionic elbow. Cabana went for his Colt 45 finisher, but Mark reentered the ring and interrupted him with a superkick to the face. CM Punk charged in and neutralized Mark, but the save had already been made.

With their partners battling on the floor, the match became a 1-on-1 bout between Colt Cabana and Jay Briscoe. Jay got the upper hand with ¾ nelson suplex, and came off of the top rope with a frog splash that got him a 2-count. This would ordinarily have been a prime opportunity for a double team attack from the Briscoes, but with Mark otherwise occupied, Jay looked to put the match away himself. After a short-arm lariat, Jay put Colt into position for the Jay-Driller. But Colt wriggled free, used Jay’s arm to wrench him into close range, and doubled him over with a boot to the gut. Colt lifted a breathless Jay Briscoe into the air and planted him with the Colt 45, and with Punk still keeping Mark Briscoe at bay on the floor, Cabana recorded the pinfall for the champions.


Winners: The Second City Saints in 13:22 with the Colt 45 by Colt Cabana on Jay Briscoe
The Second City Saints made defense #3 of the ROH Tag Team Championship

--

CM Punk grabbed the ROH Tag Team belts and handed one of them to Colt Cabana, the two partners congratulating each other on another successful title defense. As The Second City Saints celebrated their victory, Christopher Daniels stood up from his seat at the commentator’s table and slowly entered the ring. The Saints stood on guard, bracing themselves for an attack, but Daniels, microphone in hand, was not in the ring to fight.

“Well, I suppose I must congratulate the two of you. Not just for retaining your titles tonight, but also for pulling a fast one on me at Unscripted. It is not often that someone manages to deceive The Fallen Angel, so savor that accomplishment.”

Colt Cabana bowed dramatically, and Punk nodded, mouthing “Gotcha!”

“Yes, that little attack threw me off-guard. But I think my misstep is understandable. After all, I offered you a tremendous opportunity. If you had accepted my offer, we would have had every piece of gold in ROH under our control. We would have been unstoppable. Instead, you chose to mark yourselves as targets of The Prophecy. And, while you may be feeling full of yourselves here and now, there will soon come a time that you regret that decision.”

Colt gasped and shook in mock horror, and Punk smirked and shrugged, neither man appearing to be very concerned by Daniels’ statement. Daniels closed his eyes and shook his head before continuing.

“Go ahead and mock me now, because you won’t have this false feeling of superiority for long. You see, you two may have rebuked my offer, but that does not mean that The Prophecy has given up on bringing the ROH Tag Team Championship into our control. The only thing that has changed is that, rather than you joining us and bringing the belts with you, we’re going to have to take them away from you. And take them we will. Right now, I declare that the NEXT ROH Tag Team Champions will be my two disciples, Austin Aries and Kazarian!”

The fans booed and the Saints looked none-too-impressed, but Daniels simply smiled and nodded his head.

“You may not like it, but it is the truth—or the gospel, if you prefer. And I have no doubt that I could simply sit back and allow Aries and Kazarian to steam-roll through the tag division, and earn a shot at those belts the old-fashioned way. But you see, I am feeling just a bit impatient. After you two made a fool out of me at Unscripted, I feel that we can’t take those belts off of you quickly enough. So I have a proposition for you two that I think you’ll be very interested in. If you agree to give Aries and Kazarian the next shot at your titles, then I will give you a shot at this.”

Daniels patted the ROH Championship slung over his shoulder, and both Punk and Cabana seemed intrigued by the idea. The tag champs talked amongst themselves briefly before Punk spoke up.

“Well Daniels, that’s just fine with us. You’ll give us a shot at the ROH Championship, and all we have to do is agree to defend our belts against your two lackeys? I’d say you’ve got yourself a deal. So you name the time and the place, and the Second City Saints will be more than happy to beat your ass and take that belt back to Chicago with us.”

Daniels smiled and shook his head. “I’m glad that you are receptive to my offer, but I think there’s one aspect of it that you’re a bit mistaken on. You see, I will gladly defend this championship in exchange for a tag title shot for The Prophecy. But I won’t be giving both of you a title shot. No, what we’re going to do is have a #1 Contender’s match: CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana. I’ll be happy to handily defeat whichever one of you emerges, but after that, we’ll see just how well the two of you are able to work together when you defend your titles. Maybe you’ll do just fine. Or maybe the #1 Contender’s match will create a rift among the tag team champions. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Daniels smirked and exited the ring, leaving the Saints staring at each other uncertainly as the show closed.

--

Survival of the Fittest, Night 1 Quick Results:

Spanky over Steve Corino
Homicide over CW Anderson
No Contest between KENTA and Kazarian
Samoa Joe over James Maritato
Low Ki over The Amazing Red
Bryan Danielson over Paul London
The Second City Saints over The Briscoes to retain the ROH Tag Team Championship

Survival of the Fittest, Night 1 Predictions:

The Celt: 6-1
ya_its_me: 6-1
ProjectJinx: 6-1

rjhabeeb: 5-2
buck44f: 5-2



Standings in Predictions Contest #2 after 3 shows:

The Celt: 19-3

buck44f: 16-6

rjhabeeb: 15-7

ProjectJinx: 14-8

ya_its_me: 12-2

Texasrangers13: 6-2


((Good thing I threw that curveball into the KENTA/Kazarian match; otherwise, this show would've been painfully obvious.))


EDIT: This may have nothing to do with this diary, but it needs to be said anyway...RIP, Misawa. I read the news shortly after posting this show up, and am still in disbelief.

[The Final Countdown]

October 7th, 2002
10:28 p.m.


What to say about the show that just finished? There was a damn good opener and a pretty good match on the pre-show...but beyond that, not much to write home about.


-In the first of two pre-show matches, Gail Kim went over Allison Danger in a short bout. Allison had not wrestled in months, and was a bit rusty, but it's not as if I was expecting much out of this match anyway.

-In the 2nd pre-show match, Christopher Daniels went over Tony Mamaluke in a non-title bout. Both men were paid to appear on the main show in a non-wrestling role (Daniels as color commentator and for his challenge to the Second City Saints after the main event, Mamaluke as a second for James Maritato), so I figured I may as well get them some ring time. They surprised me with a pretty good match; 2nd best of the night, in fact. Too bad it was on the pre-show.

-Steve Corino and Spanky had a tremendous match to open the main show. Match of the night, and among the best in our history so far. If I had put this in the main event slot, as I had debated doing, the show would have benefited greatly from it. Alas, I went a different route.

-Recently, CW Anderson's deal came up for renewal. Despite his rather ho-hum performances in ROH, he demanded more than double what he had been making. I had no desire to make him one of the higher paid wrestlers in the company, so this was his official swan song. And, true to form, he stunk the joint up, dragging Homicide down to his worst match in ROH. Adios, Mr. Anderson.

-KENTA and Kazarian are both pretty talented, but it turns out that 20 minutes was a bit too much time for their match. The fans seemed a bit restless by the end, and it turned what had been a solid match into a mediocre one.

-Samoa Joe and James Maritato didn't mesh together all that well, which was disappointing. I thought they had a chance to steal the show, but they had a pretty poor showing.

-Low Ki and Red put forth a solid match. I sort of expected more, but I can't complain too much.

-Bryan Danielson and Paul London was the same story as the match just before it; it was solid, but below my expectations. After London's showings with Steve Corino, I thought he and fellow TWA grad Danielson could do some great things together, but it just wasn't meant to be. Perhaps later, when London has a bit more experience under his belt.

-The tag title match was pretty ho-hum; not good, not bad. One thing to consider is just how much more over the Second City Saints are in comparison to The Briscoes; I'm not sure if anybody bought Jay & Mark as legit title threats just yet, and that may have hurt the match.

The show wasn't great, but it didn't hurt us either. We're still trying to build a name for ourselves in the Midwest, and while this show may have helped a bit with that, it's going to take quite some time for us to achieve our goal with mediocre shows like this one.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg


Phase 1 is complete, as last night, Ring of Honor presented Survival of the Fittest, Night 1 from the Wild Acres Gymnasium in Overland. 5 men emerged from the night having earned the right to compete in the final match of the SOTF tournament. And in just 24 hours, one of them will stand tall as the victor, and earn an ROH Championship match at a time and place of his choosing. It all goes down tommorow night, October 9th, from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.


Survival of the Fittest Finals:
Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
This was planned as a 6-man elimination match, but neither man could pull out a victory in the qualifying match between KENTA and Kazarian before the 20-minute time limit expired. As a result, the field has thinned down to 5 before the final bout has even begun.

There is plenty of history among the 5 remaining combatants. Low Ki and Bryan Danielson stood across the ring from each other in a triple threat match that headlined ROH's debut show, and Low Ki also pinned Danielson in the semi-finals of the tournament to crown the first ROH Champion. Low Ki and Samoa Joe have butted heads several times in the past, as have Joe and Danielson. Also, not only did Homicide beat Danielson in a hard-fought bout at Glory by Honor, he also has a unique relationship with Low Ki, as it was actually The Notorious 187 who trained Ki to become a professional wrestler. And everyone knows about the brutality that Homicide has inflicted on Steve Corino recently...a trend that he promises to continue tomorrow night.

But all 5 men must look past any personal issues, and concentrate on the prize at hand: not only winning the first ever Survival of the Fittest tournament, but also earning the right to challenge for the ROH Championship. To the victor go the spoils.

Three Way Dance for the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
AJ Styles and Matt Sydal earned this opportunity by being on the winning side of a huge six-man tag match at Unscripted, beating a team captained by Daniels. (Homicide, who teamed with Styles and Sydal that night, and actually scored the pin on Daniels, declined the offer to compete in this match, choosing instead to enter the SOTF tournament in hopes of being able to further assault Steve Corino.) Styles is one of the preeminent high flyers in the world, and pegged by many as a future mega-star, and Sydal, while green, shows many of the same attributes. Both men will get the chance to live up to their potential in just 24 hours, but Christopher Daniels will not relinquish his championship without a fight. While Daniels is not happy about having to defend his belt against more than one man yet again, his odds of retaining here will be better than they were when he defended against Low Ki and Samoa Joe back at Triple Jeopardy. The reason is that this time, the match will be contested under Three Way Dance rules, where just one pinfall or submission won't be enough to win the match: you have to outlast both of your opponents to claim the victory.

ROH Championship #1 Contender's Match:
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
This match was orchestrated by Christopher Daniels, who obviously is hoping that the importance of fighting for an ROH Championship match will create some tension between the ROH Tag Team Champions leading into their eventual title defense against Daniels' chosen team from The Prophecy, Austin Aries and Kazarian. Will the Second City Saints be able to overlook their friendship and give it their all with such a huge opportunity hanging in the balance? And if they do, how will it affect them as a tag team?

KENTA vs. Kazarian
Neither man was able to win their match last night, both failing to advance in the SOTF tournament thanks to the 20-minute time limit draw. KENTA, who appeared to be just seconds from winning the match, immediately requested another bout with Kazarian. Kazarian accepted, and so just 48 hours after their first match, KENTA and Kazarian will go at it again.

Spanky and Paul London vs. The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo)
Amazing Red was rather unhappy after being the first man eliminated in the 3-Way Dance between himself, Spanky and London, feeling that he may have been on his way to winning the match had Spanky and London not ganged up on him. And, while Red is unavailable for this show, his cousins the SAT have stepped up and challenged Spanky & London to a tag team match.

James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere)
Maritato has appointed himself as Mamaluke's "mentor", promising to help Tony break through. The duo will return to tag team competition, where they have had considerable success in the past elsewhere in the wrestling world. On the other side of the ring will be The Backseat Boyz, who were not at all happy that the SAT spoiled their ROH debut, and have been steaming ever since.

Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels will compete for the ROH Championship, but earlier in the night we will see a singles bout between two men closely associted with them. Paris, occasional partner of Styles, will compete against Aries, Daniels' fellow Prophecy member.

Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm
Evans will be rooting hard for his tag team partner Matt Sydal, but he'll have a busy night himself, as he goes one-on-one with veteran Devon Storm. Storm continues to be frustrated with his lack of success in ROH, and becomes more and more desperate with each defeat. He'd love to finally break his slump against the less-experienced Evans, but if Jack can stay in the air, Storm may remain winless.


Predictions List:
Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

[rjhabeeb]

Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals
Samoa Joe is the last elimination I'll even predict the full order just to see how far off I am (Homicide, Corino, Ki than Joe)
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
Styles and Sydal may look good but I would be extremely shocked if either won
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
no idea where you are going with this
KENTA vs. Kazarian
another draw of some sort
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
need a new team to challenge at the top
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
upset i guess but it would make sense
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
one guy needs to continue to succeed the other not so much
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm
I dont see any reason to even throw Storm a bone

[Texasrangers13]

Predictions List:
Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals LOW-KI
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

[Tyler Gadzinski]

Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe - Last Eliminated
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana - Draw
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

[J_5_Gil]

Been reading this for a while, although I never seem to contribute on these boards for some reason. None the less, I figure I will throw some predictions out...

Predictions List:
Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals - Steve Corino
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

[The Celt]

Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino (Last Eliminated) vs. Samoa Joe
Homicide for the Push

Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
The Champ stays strong

CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana - Draw
Draw plus Angle for this match

KENTA vs. Kazarian
KENTA continues to test ROH's strongest stable

Spanky & London vs. The SAT
SAT have been doing better in ROH, although I can still see London & Spanky picking up the win here

James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Although there are tensions between the two, I still see the FBI getting the win here

Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
No Chance that Aries will lose to some guy who used to tag with AJ Styles

Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm
As I keep saying, Storm ain't right for ROH

[The Final Countdown]

Don't worry, those of you who are enjoying this diary; I haven't given up, nor do I plan to anytime soon. I hope to get the show posted tomorrow (Monday.) So, last call for predictions if you're so inclined.

As you've no doubt noticed, my pace has slowed a bit over the last few shows. It's not that I'm losing interest or anything like that. It's just taking me longer to write the matches up, as I can't seem to write more than one match during any one sitting before wanting to take a break and go do something else. So that brings me to the main point of making this post: would you, the reader, prefer a bit less detail in the matches, and less downtime between shows? Or would you rather I continue with my current format, even if it means over a week between shows? I'd like to hear what those of you reading this think.

P.S.: I think I would still put around the same level of detail in the "big" matches; if I were to shorten anything, it would be the undercard matches.

EDIT: Just noticed that we have what I believe are two first-time commenters that predicted for this show. Thanks for reading, Tyler Gadzinski and J_5_Gil!

[ya_its_me]

Can't believe I nearly missed predicting this. :)


Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals - Steve Corino
- Should be a really great match, with Homicide going over Corino at the end, should add some extra tension between the two.

Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
- No point in having Daniels lose, he's still the top heel in ROH at the moment.

CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
- Really just a random pick.

KENTA vs. Kazarian
- Only match I could see with a Prophecy member losing.

Spanky & London vs. The SAT
- Random pick.

James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
- I could sense with this loss a feud could be started with Maritato turning on Mamaluke.

Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
- It's going to be a good night for the Prophecy.

Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm
- Should be quick and easy.

[buck44f]

Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino vs. Samoa Joe
ALSO:Predict who will be the last man eliminated in the SOTF Finals- Steve Corino
Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Matt Sydal
CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana
KENTA vs. Kazarian
Spanky & London vs. The SAT
James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz
Air Paris vs. Austin Aries
Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Survival of the Fittest, Night 2


October 9th, 2002


From the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/hammerstein.jpg


Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)

--

Low Ki stared hard into the camera, his fierce warrior’s spirit and determination written all over his face.

“As an athlete, I take great pride in testing myself against the best competition available to me. I have had many opportunities to do battle with world-class athletes in my time in Ring of Honor, but never in my career have I been in a situation like I will face tonight. Tonight, I will step into the combat zone with four of the greatest wrestlers in the world. If I am successful, I win the first ever Survival of the Fittest competition, as well as guarantee myself another shot at the ROH Championship. And while those are all nice accolades, the biggest reward for me is the opportunity to perform my art against the best athletes in the sport, in front of fans who truly appreciate professional wrestling. Tonight, five of the premiere professional wrestlers in the world will give it their all, and will show the fans here in New York just what pro wrestling is all about. And all my four opponents need to do is be…ready…because I have been waiting for an opportunity like this my entire career.”

--

Homicide smirked into the camera, not looking at all concerned with the idea of wrestling four opponents simultaneously.

“Survival of the Fittest. Five men kicking the **** out of each other for the right to fight for the ROH Championship. And while The Notorious 187 would love to win this match and become the next champion, that is not my number one goal tonight. After all, if I had wanted, I could have been part of the ROH Championship match tonight, but I turned it down to enter Survival of the Fittest.

“You see, I’m not done with Steve Corino just yet. Corino ****ed me over at Triple Jeopardy, and ever since, I have made it my goal to beat the living **** out of him. I’ve done a pretty damn good job of it so far, but I don’t think Corino has suffered enough. And until I decide that Corino has had enough, everything else takes a back seat. Even my goal to become ROH Champion. I will be champion, sooner or later. But tonight isn’t about taking a step towards that. Not for me. For me, tonight is about getting another chance to turn Steve Corino’s head into a bruised, bleeding goddamn mess.”

--

ROH Championship #1 Contender’s Match:

CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg

Despite having a huge title defense later in the night, ROH Champion Christopher Daniels joined James Hill at color commentary for this opening contest.

Colt Cabana tried to get CM Punk to join him in playing to the crowd before the match, but Punk would have none of it. Punk yelled at Cabana to get serious, and shoved him off of his feet and onto his ass. Colt, while still smiling, nodded his head in understanding as he stood back up. Cabana seemed to take his partner’s message to heart, locking up with Punk and surprising him with an arm drag takedown.

With Colt focused on the match, he was able to match his partner move-for-move. The two Chicago natives were very evenly matched, and neither man truly dominated the match. They spent the majority of the match exchanging holds and counterholds, both men keeping the action clean and technical. Punk focused primarily on using holds like headlocks and arm bars to try and wear Colt down, while Cabana went for several pinning variations, looking to surprise Punk long enough to keep his shoulders down for a sudden three-count.

Punk stunned Cabana with a running dropkick and put his arm in a hammerlock, trying to hit him with the Devil’s Lock DDT. But Colt blocked it, spinning free and peppering Punk with a series of jabs before paying tribute to Dusty Rhodes with a bionic elbow. With Punk reeling, Colt hit the ropes and connected with a big lariat that got him a long two-count. Cabana attempted to follow up with a top rope moonsault, but Punk rolled out of the way.

Punk took control, striking his partner with a Shining Wizard and dropping him with a double underhook backbreaker before going for a submission victory with an Anaconda Vise. Punk had the hold applied expertly, but Cabana was able to withstand the pain long enough to maneuver his body and get a leg across the bottom rope, forcing Punk to relinquish the hold.

As Cabana regained his feet, Punk dove at him with a spingboard cross bodyblock. However, Colt caught him and drove him to the canvas with the Cabanarama (cradle DDT.) Cabana quickly followed up with the Colt 45 and earned a shot at the ROH Championship.


Winner: Colt Cabana in 17:14 with the Colt 45
Colt Cabana became the #1 Contender for the ROH Championship

--

Colt Cabana celebrated his victory as Christopher Daniels stood up from the table, slinging the ROH Championship over his shoulder and observing. Cabana pointed at Daniels and motioned that he would be coming for the belt, but his attention shifted as CM Punk spun him around. Punk was understandably frustrated and upset after a tough loss, but he sucked it up and extended his hand towards his partner. The ROH Tag Team Champions shook hands, and Punk told Cabana to “bring that belt back to Chicago.” Both men stared down in defiance at Daniels, who slowly walked to the back, observing the interaction between the Saints with an unreadable expression on his face.

--

Jack Evans vs. Devon Storm

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JackEvans.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/DevonStorm.jpg

Storm charged at Jack as soon as he entered the ring, trying to surprise him with a quick attack. But Evans reacted quickly, using the charging Storm’s own momentum against him with a headscissors that sent him through the ropes and onto the ring apron. Evans knocked Storm off of the apron with a cartwheel kick and excited the fans with a gravity-defying springboard double rotation corkscrew moonsault to the floor.

Things didn’t get much better for Storm once the action returned to the ring. He attempted to keep Evans on the mat and out of the air, but his success was minimal. Jack consistently stayed one step ahead, using his aerial abilities to control the match. He came close to winning the match with a springboard 450 Splash and a standing corkscrew moonsault. Storm ducked a cartwheel elbow smash and dropped Jack with a belly to back suplex. Devon had a brief flurry of offense before he lifted Jack up for a powerbomb. Evans countered the move, shifting his weight and hitting a DDT on his way down. Jack climbed to the top rope and connected with a match-ending Corkscrew 630°.


Winner: Jack Evans in 07:36 with a Corkscrew 630°

--

James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke vs. The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JamesMaritato.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TrentAcid.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JohnnyKashmere.jpg

Before the match began, Maritato spent a considerable amount of time giving instructions to his partner Mamaluke. Mamaluke appeared to be offering input of his own, but Maritato seemingly dismissed all of his partner’s ideas.

The Backseat Boyz spent no time going over strategy, nor did they need to. They seemed determined to fare better in their second ROH tag match then they did in their debut, working together exceptionally well throughout the bout. Maritato and Mamaluke did not display quite as much teamwork, each man staying in the ring for extended periods of time and trying to win the match almost single-handedly. While this approach got the duo into trouble whenever the legal man became winded, their individual skills allowed them to wrestle their way out of their self-inflicted troubles.

Kashmere came off the ropes for a spear, but Maritato countered with a kick to the face and got a near-fall with a bridging German suplex. Maritato made the tag to Mamaluke, who frustrated both Backseats with his submission wrestling skills. Tony locked Kashmere in the Sicilian Stretch, but Trent Acid saved his partner with a Yakuza kick. Kashmere knocked Maritato off of the apron with a shoulderblock and the Backseats finished off Mamaluke with their patented tag team finisher, the T-Gimmick (a double team variation of Scott Hall’s Outsider’s Edge.)

Maritato helped his partner up after the match, assisting him in walking to the back while giving him what appeared to be a cross between a pep talk and a lecture.


Winners: The Backseat Boyz in 10:12 with a T-Gimmick on Tony Mamaluke

--

Air Paris vs. Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AirParis.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

Aries was focused and determined, wanting to score a victory in the name of The Prophecy. He rattled Paris with a running dropkick to the face and dominated the match for several minutes, using wear-down holds before advancing to higher-impact offense. Aries nearly won the match with a discus elbow, a wheelbarrow suplex and a crucifix bomb, but Paris got his knees up when Aries attempted a quebrada moonsault.

Paris put together a flurry of offense centered around aerial maneuvers. He almost got the pin on Aries after a top rope hurricanrana and a slingshot legdrop, but when he tried to take him down with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, Aries countered it into a sidewalk slam. Aries seized his opportunity, blasting Air Paris with a hard kick to the head, planting him with a brainbuster, and picking up the win with a 450° Splash.


Winner: Austin Aries in 09:24 with a 450° Splash

--

Samoa Joe threw a couple of jabs and kicks at the vacant air, warming himself up for his match. He paused his workout, turned and looked into the camera.

“A couple of months ago, I called myself the next Ring of Honor Champion. I would have done just that back at WrestleRave if Christopher Daniels had fought me like a man instead of relying on his little buddies to bail him out. But if I…no, when I win Survival of the Fittest tonight, I’ll get another chance to claim that belt. And I don’t plan on letting this opportunity pass me by.

“ Which brings me to the four men I must mow down to get to where I want to be. I’ve already broken the spirit of Bryan Danielson. He doesn’t concern me in the least. Homicide is so focused on beating the hell out of Corino, and Corino’s so focused on staying the hell away from Homicide, that neither one of them pose any problems for me. And Low Ki? There’s nothing I’d like more than to choke that son of a bitch out and repay him for beating me at Glory by Honor. I am Samoa Joe. I am pro wrestling. And after I win Survival of the Fittest tonight, nothing will stop me from becoming the next ROH Champion.”

--

Bryan Danielson was sitting in a chair in his locker room, lacing his ring boots. Once his boots were securely fastened, he acknowledged the presence of the camera that was there to record his pre-match thoughts.

“You know, I’ve really enjoyed my time here in Ring of Honor so far. It’s been really great to wrestle for a company with such promise, and for an owner with the reputation and dignity the likes of Ricky Steamboat. I’ve had the opportunity to compete against some of the greatest wrestlers in the world each and every time I step into the ring.

“But things haven’t always gone the way that I had wanted. The triple threat match that headlined the first show is seen as a huge launching point for the company, but I was the one who got pinned. I gave Low Ki a very tough match in the ROH Championship tournament, but he got the win. Samoa Joe and I had a series of competitive matches, but he prevailed in the end. Homicide and I arguably stole the show at Glory by Honor, but once again, I came up a bit short. I have been in some of the greatest matches in this company’s short history, but far too often for me, I’ve come out on the losing end.

“Well, I see tonight as a chance for me to turn my luck around. Tonight, I will have the opportunity to avenge those defeats against Low Ki, Joe and Homicide, all in one match. And if I can do that, I will also earn the right to challenge for the ROH Championship. I can’t even describe what it would mean to me to win that championship, and represent this company the way I think it should be represented. So tonight, Bryan Danielson does all he can to outwrestle the pack and put himself on the fast track to the ROH Championship.”

--

The cameraman knocked at the closed door, but there was no response. He knocked again, and still, no response. After knocking a third time the door was flung open, revealing an angry-looking Allison Danger. Danger’s eyes narrowed as she saw the running camera.

“No! Absolutely not! You’re not getting one word out of Steve!”

She slammed the door in the cameraman’s face, cutting off any potential communication with the 5th and final participaint in the Survival of the Fittest Finals.

--

KENTA vs. Kazarian (w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

Both KENTA and Kazarian went for some big offense early on, neither man wanting to see a repeat of their 20-minute time limit draw 48 hours earlier. Kazarian stunned KENTA with a single leg dropkick, but when he tried for the New Wave, KENTA blocked it and stopped the member of The Prophecy in his tracks with a huge roundhouse kick to the face. KENTA fired off several forearm shots before driving Kazarian into the canvas with a Falcon Arrow.

After KENTA worked Kazarian over with kicks, chops and forearm strikes, he lifted him onto his shoulders for a Death Valley Driver. But Kazarian broke free, landing on his feet behind KENTA and coming a half of a count away from victory following a bridging wrist-lock Electric Chair Drop. KENTA may have managed to kick out, but Kazarian stayed in control, dominating KENTA with a jumping high kick, a cradle suplex and a slingshot DDT.

Kazarian set KENTA into position with an overhead belly to belly suplex and tried to hit a slingshot legdrop. KENTA dodged the legdrop and got back to his feet, nearly knocking Kazarian out with a vicious Busaiku Knee Kick. That strike may not have finished Kazarian off, but the subsequent Go 2 Sleep was more than enough.


Winner: KENTA in 12:02 with the Go 2 Sleep

--

Spanky and Paul London vs. The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg

This was a very fast-paced contest. The SAT did their best to get revenge on behalf of their cousin The Amazing Red, doing a number on both Spanky and London with a wide variety of their famously innovative double team maneuvers. Spanky and London do not have the same degree of experience teaming with each other, but they showed flashes of solid teamwork themselves. The graduates of the TWA looked good in spurts, but the superior tag experience of the Maximos enabled them to dictate for the majority of the match.

The SAT sensed an opening after they dropped Spanky on the back of his head with a two-man wheelbarrow suplex. They took Spanky to the top rope in an effort to utilize their favorite move, the Spanish Fly. However, Paul London intervened, yanking Jose Maximo off of the top rope and knocking him through the ropes with a dropsault. This enabled Spanky to fight Joel Maximo off with forearm strikes, and plant him into the canvas with a sunset flip bomb off of the top rope. With both SAT down, Spanky was able to tag London into the match. London picked Joel up and drove him into the canvas with the waffle face before climbing to the top rope and finishing him off with the London Calling, recording the 3-count just before Jose Maximo could make the save.


Winners: Spanky and Paul London in 11:26 with a London Calling by London on Joel Maximo

--

ROH Champion Christopher Daniels made his way to the ring for his title defense, Gail Kim by his side as always. Before his challengers were introduced, Daniels asked for a microphone.

“Ring of Honor tries, yet again, to stack the deck against the Fallen Angel. Big surprise, right? In just a couple of minutes, I will be forced to defend my championship against not just one challenger, but two. And anybody who’s been paying any attention knows all about AJ Styles appointing himself as some kind of “mentor” to Matt Sydal. In fact, AJ’s the one who is responsible for Sydal getting an undeserved spot in that six-man tag match that led us to tonight. Obviously, Styles and Sydal will attempt to work together and eliminate the strongest competitor in the match: me.

“But I haven’t held this belt for going on 7 months now by sheer luck. It has taken skill, perseverance, determination, and perhaps most importantly, cunning. So Styles, Sydal, give it your best shot. But rest assured that it will not be enough.

“While I am just minutes away from yet another successful title defense, The Prophecy’s victory party will have to be put on hold, because my eyes will be glued on tonight’s main event. 5 of ROH’s elite will beat the living hell out of each other for the opportunity to earn the same thing that half-wit Colt Cabana earned at the start of the night: a loss to God’s gift to professional wrestling, Christopher Daniels. And really, what do I have to worry about? Just take a look at the five men still in contention. Low Ki? I’ve lost count of the number of times I have proven myself to be superior to him. Samoa Joe? Two title shots, two failures. Bryan Danielson? I pinned him to win the main event of the very first ROH show. Homicide? He was my victim in the first round of the title tournament. And we all remember that Steve Corino tried, and failed, to take my belt at Glory by Honor. I will enjoy watching the five of you destroy each other, only to fall like all the rest once the pressure is on, and you’re in the ring with the greatest professional wrestler in the world. And that…is the gospel…according to the Fallen Angel.”

--

Three Way Dance for the ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. AJ Styles (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Matt Sydal

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg

Christopher Daniels’ earlier prediction turned out to be only partially true: AJ Styles and Matt Sydal did work together at certain times, but for the majority of the match it was indeed every man for himself.

This was undoubtedly the highest-profile match of Sydal’s career to this point, but he did not appear to be the least bit intimidated. He pulled off several impressive aerial moves, and got multiple near-falls on both of his opponents. Sydal also produced what may have been the most amazing moment of the match, if not the night. He and Styles were battling on the top rope, with Christopher Daniels in the ring trying to shake off the cobwebs from an earlier springboard dropkick by Sydal. Suddenly, Sydal leapt onto AJ’s shoulders and, without pausing for a moment, jumped down, stunning Christopher Daniels with a moonsault. Amazingly, Daniels was able to kick out and save his title, at least for the moment.

Sydal had Daniels on the ropes, and he continued to do his best to try and eliminate the defending champion. He came crashing down onto Daniels with a springboard corkscrew moonsault, and drove his head and neck into the mat with his signature Here It Is Driver (pumphandle half nelson driver), but the champ refused to be beaten. AJ Styles looked to join in the fun, aiming a discus lariat at Daniels. But Daniels ducked, and Sydal ate the impact. The Fallen Angel dropped AJ with an STO before yanking the dazed Sydal up and planting him with the Angel’s Wings, recording the first elimination of the match at a bit past the 12 minute mark.

With Sydal no longer part of the equation, it was down to a one-on-one bout between AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, with the ROH Championship hanging in the balance. They battled fiercely for several minutes, each man coming close to ultimate victory on more than one occasion, but neither willing to cede defeat.

Daniels planted Styles with the same move that finished Sydal, the Angel’s Wings, but Styles frustrated the champion by managing a kick-out. Yelling out in frustration, Daniels moved towards the corner, trying to send his weight crashing down onto AJ’s prone form with a double-jump moonsault. But his weight instead made contact with AJ’s raised knees. Daniels clutched at his midsection in a mixture of pain and fatigue, and the challenger seemed to get a second wind. Styles scrambled the brains of the Fallen Angel with a springboard forearm smash, and came extremely close to a 3-count with a Torture Rack twisted into a powerbomb. AJ looked to bring home the championship with his favorite move, the Styles Clash, but Daniels was able to use his body weight to block it, not allowing Styles to lift him into the air. The champion used a back body drop to escape that situation, and locked his arm around AJ’s head, yanking him up into perfect position for the Last Rites. Three seconds later, Christopher Daniels had notched yet another hard-fought title defense.


Winner: Christopher Daniels, last eliminating AJ Styles in 19:50 with the Last Rites
Christopher Daniels made defense #6 of the ROH Championship

--

Survival of the Fittest Finals:

Low Ki vs. Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Steve Corino (w/Allison Danger) vs. Samoa Joe

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

There may have been 5 participants in this match, but the rules of the match dictated that only 2 would be legal at any one time. Low Ki, Danielson, Corino and Joe all used this fact to their advantage, staying in the ring for short periods of time before tagging out, trying to reserve their energy. Homicide did not adhere to this strategy, instead remaining in the match much longer than the other 4, trying several times to goad Corino into tagging in and fighting him. At one point, after Homicide had done some damage to Danielson, the American Dragon escaped and went to tag Corino into the match, only to be denied the tag as the King of Old School hopped off of the ring apron and out of his range.

Later on, Corino had used some of his tricks to isolate Low Ki, and was systematically wearing him down. Corino lifted him into the air for a Northern Lights bomb, but Low Ki shifted his weight to escape and knocked Corino down with a koppo kick. The drained Low Ki finally managed to tag out—and unfortunately for Corino, Homicide was the man that he tagged in.

Once Corino got to his feet and saw The Notorious 187 standing across from him, he panicked and tried to bolt, only to have Homicide grab him by his trunks, spin him around, and begin pummeling him with closed fists to the head. Referee Rob Williams reprimanded Homicide for the repeated punches, but the vengeful Homicide paid no attention. Corino finally managed to create some separation with a desperate thumb to the eye, but when he charged at him for a lariat, Homicide countered with a back body drop that sent The King of Old School over the top rope and onto the floor.

As soon as Corino stood up, he was hit with a beautiful tope through the 2nd rope by Homicide. Homicide once again tattooed Corino’s forehead with punches as ref Williams continued his count. The Notorious 187 bounced Corino’s skull off of the announcer’s table, and nailed him with a Yakuza kick that knocked him onto the table. Homicide climbed onto the apron and prepared to re-enter the ring, as Williams was nearing his full 20-count. But before he could step back through the ropes, he glanced back down at Corino, still lying prone on the table. Shrugging his shoulders and smiling sadistically, Homicide climbed to the top rope and came crashing down onto Corino with a frog splash, using his own body as a weapon with which to punish his enemy. The table collapsed due to the impact, and both men lay still on the floor as Williams completed his 20-count, both men officially eliminated from the match. Staff came out to help both Homicide and Corino to the back, leaving Bryan Danielson, Low Ki and Samoa Joe as the only remaining competitors in the Survival of the Fittest tournament.

Low Ki and Joe stood in center ring trading forearm shots, neither man backing down. Joe got the better of the exchange, and nearly eliminated Ki following a powerbomb. When Low Ki kicked out of that, Joe quickly turned him over into an STF submission. But, unbeknownst to Joe, Danielson reached out from the apron and slapped Low Ki’s leg, tagging himself into the match. Danielson entered the ring and shocked an unsuspecting Joe with a dropkick to the face before firing off several elbow strikes to the grounded Samoan. Danielson locked a dazed Joe’s arms and bridged forward, cinching in his Cattle Mutilation submission. Nowhere near the ropes, Joe was effectively trapped, but refused to submit. Joe withstood the hold longer than anyone ever has, but his body gave out on him as he passed out, Rob Williams stepping in and pulling Danielson off before any long-term damage was done to the defenseless Samoan. Joe was helped to the back, and we were down to 2.

Danielson went right after the still-hurt Low Ki, rocking him with European uppercuts before putting him into a full nelson, looking to drive him to the mat with a dragon suplex. But Low Ki summoned something from down deep, and stunned Danielson with a Pele kick. Low Ki battered the American Dragon with a series of kicks, capped by a Black Magic kick that came very close to ending the match. Low Ki hooked his opponent for the Ki Krusher ’99, but Danielson broke free, landing behind Low Ki and connecting with a dragon suplex. Low Ki managed to lift one shoulder off of the mat before the 3-count, but Danielson was not to be denied, maintaining his grip on Low Ki’s arms and rolling him into the Cattle Mutilation. Low Ki did his best to escape the hold, but a combination of exhaustion and pain led to his submission. A triumphant Bryan Danielson climbed onto the second rope and raised his arms in celebration, before checking on Low Ki. The two proud sportsmen shook hands, Low Ki congratulating Danielson on a well-earned victory.


Winner: Bryan Danielson, last eliminating Low Ki in 33:06 with the Cattle Mutilation
Bryan Danielson won Survival of the Fittest

--

Quick Results:

Colt Cabana over CM Punk to become #1 Contender to the ROH Championship
Jack Evans over Devon Storm
The Backseat Boyz over James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke
Austin Aries over Air Paris
KENTA over Kazarian
Spanky & Paul London over The Spanish Announce Team
Christopher Daniels over AJ Styles & Matt Sydal to retain the ROH Championship
Bryan Danielson over Low Ki, Samoa Joe, Homicide and Steve Corino to win Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest, Night 2 predictions:

rjhabeeb: 7-2
Texasrangers13: 7-2

ya_its_me: 6-3

J_5_Gil: 5-4

Tyler Gadzinski: 4-5
The Celt: 4-5
buck44f: 4-5

((Wow, 7 predictions! A new record for this diary, if I’m not mistaken. Thanks guys! And nice job by Texasrangers13 on being the only person to correctly guess both the winner of the main event, as well as the last person eliminated.))


Standings in Predictions Contest #2 after 4 shows:

The Celt: 23-8

rjhabeeb: 22-9

buck44f: 20-11

ya_its_me: 18-5

ProjectJinx: 14-8

Texasrangers13: 13-4

J_5_Gil: 5-4

Tyler Gadzinski: 4-5

A strong showing by rjhabeeb means that things got a whole lot tighter, with only a single point separating 1st and 2nd place, and buck just 3 back in 3rd. I haven’t yet decided when this 2nd contest will end. I had been planning to run it through November, and start fresh in December. But as I am considering making 3 shows a month my regular schedule, that seems like it might be a bit excessive. So right now, I’m leaning towards ending this contest after the next show, and starting round 3 at the start of November. We’ll see.

[J_5_Gil]

Ah I looked back and was convinced I picked the Spanky & London match correct...then I realized I forgot to pick it at all! Stupid me, none the less an excellent show and I am really liking what you have going on.

And I should have seen the Homicide/Corino situation coming and therefore them not factoring into the decision...stupid me!!

[The Final Countdown]

October 9th, 2002
11:03 p.m.


'Much better', I thought to myself. After being less than pleased with the finished product of SOTF, Night 1 just two days earlier, it was with a sense of relief that I finished my post-show snack and promptly sought out perhaps the greatest technical wrestler in the world, Bryan Danielson. I found him standing in a hallway with his bags slung over his shoulder, carrying on a conversation with our new(ish) referee, Rob Williams. Nothing new there; Williams had proven to be an extremely sociable guy right from the beginning, and the majority of the locker room had embraced him as a member of our little "family" right away. Their conversation tapered off as both men noticed me approaching.

"What's up, boss?" Williams questioned with a smile.

"Not a whole lot, Rob. Nice job carrying the full refereeing load, by the way. I may just start having you do that permanently; that way we could stop paying Martin Dugas' enormous booking fee. If you don't object, that is."

"Of course not. If you want me to ref every match, I'll ref every match. Just happy to help."

Bryan Danielson chuckled and joined in. "Don't let any other indy promoters hear you talk like that, Rob. They'll waste no time working you to the bone."

"That's right," I agreed. "If anyone's going to take advantage of your good nature, it is going to be me." After the three of us shared a quick laugh, I continued. "Anyhow, nice job out there tonight, Bryan. I think most people expected Homicide to win, but no one seemed too upset with how things played out."

Danielson nodded. "Yeah, they didn't boo me or anything, which is good. I just hope the in-ring performance was good enough."

"It absolutely was," I assured him. "Just keep it up; I'm sure you'll produce one hell of a title match when the time comes. Anyway, I guess I'd better hit the road. Still gotta iron out the details for our next show. See you in a couple of weeks, guys."

Danielson and Williams returned my farewell as I headed for the exit. While I may have been itching to work out every little detail for the next show, I took some time to reflect on what was perhaps our strongest show to date.

-CM Punk and Colt Cabana kicked the night off with a solid match. The crowd seemed pretty split in terms of who they were supporting, but I think most were surprised to see Colt get the win. I believe that both of the Saints have tremendous potential as singles wrestlers.

-Jack Evans and Devon Storm didn't have a ton of time to work with, but they did a nice job with what they had, producing another solid match. Devon continues to be unhappy with the way I am booking him. Too bad for him.

-The Backseats and Mamaluke & Maritato made it three straight solid matches. Maritato had a good night. This was a much better performance for the Backseats than their debut match against the SAT, which is a relief to me, as I'd like for them to become major players in our tag division.

-Austin Aries and Air Paris had a match that was honestly better than I expected. A pretty good bout, and better than all of the show's previous matches. A pleasant surprise. Hopefully this becomes a trend, for Aries especially.

-The 2nd encounter between KENTA and Kazarian really benefited from being short than their original, 20-minute time limit draw 48 hours earlier. Pretty good match.

-The lack of tag team experience between Spanky & Paul London didn't stop them from having a solid match with the SAT. I felt Spanky & London needed to win here to keep them strong heading into the finale of their program with Amazing Red. I know HOW it is ending; I just need to figure out WHEN I can fit it in.

-Once again, Matt Sydal did not look out of place hanging with the likes of Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles. Per my instructions, Daniels and Styles did their best to make Sydal look good, and I think it helped the quality of the match, in addition to giving Sydal a nice boost of credibility. The addition of Sydal also went a long way towards counteracting the negative chemistry Daniels and Styles displayed when they went 1-on-1 back at Road to the Title. Another good title match. Daniels' title reign got off to a bit of a rocky start, but he has really picked things up since, delivering quality title match after quality title match.

-The Survival of the Fittest finals went off pretty well. It was neck-and-neck with the title match in MOTN honors, despite Homicide having a rare off-night. I like the way we worked his feud with Corino into the match though, showing that Homicide is so hell-bent on destroying Corino, he's willing to throw away a shot at the belt. I also happened to notice during the course of the match that Corino and his sister, Allison Danger, really don't work very well together as a wrestler/manager pairing. Not sure why I did not notice that when I first paired them two nights earlier. I'll need to find a way to work around that.

A great show, top to bottom. Not a bad match anywhere on the card, and the two main matches delivered.

[critical-23]

Been away for awhile with little to no internet. Great pair of shows and I am glad that the boys in the back are embracing my character. KUTGW!!

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

presents:

ROH Newswire


--“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson emerged from the field of 12 to win the first-ever Survival of the Fittest tournament, and earned a shot at the Ring of Honor Championship as a result. But Danielson won’t be receiving any ordinary title shot. He will be able to choose when he wants to cash in on his title opportunity, with only 24 hours’ notice required. In addition, he will be able to name the stipulations that the match will be contested under. Danielson has yet to notify ROH management on any specifics, so the matchmakers have gone ahead and scheduled the ROH Championship match between Christopher Daniels and new #1 Contender Colt Cabana for ROH’s next show, Trick or Cheat, on Wednesday, October 23rd. But with more than a week between now and the event, Danielson still has time to interject himself in the picture if he chooses.

--At Glory by Honor, AJ Styles defeated KENTA in a very competitive match. After the match, KENTA requested a rematch, and AJ readily agreed. The return bout has finally been signed: Styles and KENTA will clash once again at Trick or Cheat. The GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion is eager to avenge his loss in their first match, but only time will tell if he can even the score.

--In other news regarding AJ Styles, he and manager Alexis Laree have agreed to part ways. Both insist that it is a completely mutual parting, and there are no hard feelings between them. They just felt that it would be better for both of them to go their separate ways, and try new things.

--ROH and referee Martin Dugas have agreed on the terms of the termination of Dugas’ verbal contract with the company. We thank Dugas for his contributions to the company, and wish him the best in whatever he does in the future. Rob Williams will assume the position of ROH’s head official.



ROH Videowire

The following parts of the ROH Videowire were recorded after the conclusion of Survival of the Fittest, Night 2.

--

A dejected Tony Mamaluke was sitting in his locker room after Survival of the Fittest, Night 2, staring blankly at the ground. He looked up as James Maritato entered the room, nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction. Maritato approached his brooding partner with a smile on his face.

“OK, Tony. I know you’ve gotta be feeling pretty down. After all, you WERE the one who lost us the match tonight, getting pinned by The Backseat Boyz. But don’t worry, paisano: I’m not going to give up on you! Tonight was not a good night, but I know that with my help, you can learn from your failures!”

Maritato’s attempt at a pep talk did not seem to be having the desired effect, as Mamaluke still looked glum. Maritato either didn’t notice, or chose to ignore this fact.

“I’ve just spoken with some of the higher-ups in the front office, and I’ve arranged a great learning experience for you at ROH’s next show, Trick or Cheat. Now, I won’t be able to make it to this show. Big family get together for my parents’ wedding anniversary, you know how it is. But you’ll just have to pull it together without me in your corner. I know it’ll be tough, but I have faith in you. You're a quick learner...and you've had one hell of a mentor. That’s why I know you’ll be able to get the job done against my hand-picked opponent for you, Low Ki.”

Mamaluke’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to respond, but Maritato cut him off. “Now, now, no need to thank me, amico. Just prepare yourself, and do Mother Italy proud. See you soon!”

Mamaluke tried again to speak up, but Maritato turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

--

Steve Corino was lying on an exam table in obvious pain as a doctor examined his back. Allison Danger paced up and down the room, muttering to herself. She paused as Corino grunted, and turned to address him.

“Don’t worry, Steve, we’ll figure something out for next—“

Corino cut her off in mid-sentence with a shout, standing up from the table and forcefully shoving the doctor away. He got in Danger’s face and scowled.

“We? What we? I didn’t see you rushing to protect me when that maniac Homicide risked injury to himself just to try and take me out!”

“What did you expect me to do? Jump onto the table and take the splash for you?”

“If you were half as smart as you say you are, I wouldn’t have been in that situation to begin with! You said you’d use your intelligence to cover me. Well, I’m beginning to realize that when it comes right down to it, you’re worthless!”

“That’s not fair; there’s nothing I could have done to—“

“That’s just it; there’s nothing you can do! You’re a complete joke! I brought you in here to look out for my best interests, but the simple fact of the matter is that you are incapable of helping me! I was a fool to leave this to anyone but myself! Allison Danger: You’re fired!”

Danger’s eyes bulged as she stammered, trying to talk her way out of the situation. “Come on now, Steve, be reasonable! If you get rid of me, there will be no one to help you deal with that lunatic Homicide! He won’t stop here, you know! He’ll keep coming, and coming, and coming…”

“Do you honestly think I don’t know that?! I know full damn well that I’m not free from that thug! But from this point forward, I’ll handle it my way! Homicide will be back for more…but this time, the King of Old School will be ready for him! Now get out of my way!”

Corino nudged Danger out of the way none-too-gently with his shoulder and stomped out of the exam room, leaving a defeated Allison Danger and a stunned doctor behind.

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

Survival of the Fittest has reached its completion, and one man fought his way through the competition and earned a golden opportunity: the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Danielson has told ROH officials that he does not plan to cash in on his title opportunity at the next ROH show, Trick or Cheat, on Wednesday, October 23rd, at the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia—but he has the option of changing his mind until a mere 24 hours before the event. Will he stick to his word, or will Danielson look to catch the champion off-guard with a last minute challenge?

For the ROH Championship:
Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Colt Cabana
The Second City Saints accepted Christopher Daniels’ gambit back at Survival of the Fittest, Night 1: in exchange for agreeing to give The Prophecy duo of Austin Aries and Kazarian a shot at the ROH Tag Team Championship, Daniels would give an ROH Championship shot to the winner of a #1 Contender’s match between the Saints.

Cabana won the match over his partner at Survival of the Fittest, Night 2, and earned this championship showdown with The Fallen Angel. While it remains to be seen if Christopher Daniels’ ploy of pitting the Saints against each other will benefit The Prophecy once the Tag Team gold is on the line, his more immediate concern will lie with turning back the challenge of Cabana.

Homicide vs. Steve Corino
Homicide has been doing his best to terrorize Steve Corino lately. Now, for the first time since this conflict got started back at Triple Jeopardy, the two bitter rivals will meet in a one-on-one matchup. As seen on the ROH Videowire, Corino dismissed Allison Danger, vowing to take care of the matter himself. Will Corino live up to his word, and come up with an answer to Homicide’s fury? Or will The Notorious 187 complete his physical destruction of The King of Old School?

CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
With Bryan Danielson apparently not exercising his title match for this show, he has been scheduled for a one-on-one match with one-half of the ROH Tag Team Champions, CM Punk. Danielson has all the momentum in the world after winning Survival of the Fittest, and will aim to keep things going against the Straight Edge Superstar. But after losing to his partner Colt Cabana in the #1 Contender’s bout, Punk should have plenty of motivation to try and score a big win here.

AJ Styles vs. KENTA
AJ Styles was victorious in the first-ever meeting between these two back at Glory by Honor early last month. Now, KENTA’s request for a rematch will come to fruition. Will KENTA’s strikes allow him to avenge his defeat? Or will the athleticism of AJ Styles lead him to another triumph?

Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
As seen on the ROH Videowire, James Maritato arranged this match for Mamaluke, claiming that it would be a good learning experience for his protégé. Mamaluke looked less than happy about the decision, but the match is signed. Mamaluke will have his hands full with Low Ki, who came up just short in Survival of the Fittest. After being the last man eliminated by Bryan Danielson, Low Ki can’t be in a particularly good mood.

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Prophecy (Austin Aries and Kazarian)
The SAT gave The Second City Saints perhaps their most competitive title match back at Glory by Honor before falling to the champions. They have been eager to earn another shot at the belts ever since, but have hit a bit of a snag, losing to The Briscoes at Unscripted, and Spanky & Paul London at Survival of the Fittest, Night 2. At Trick or Cheat they will look to turn things around against the team next in line for a title shot, The Prophecy duo of Austin Aries and Kazarian. The Maximos could certainly use a victory, but The Prophecy also feel it is important to win and gain some confidence before their title match.

The Amazing Red vs. ???
Red’s conflict with Spanky and Paul London has yet to be settled. Rumors are circulating that ROH matchmakers are working on a way to resolve the issue in the ring, but it will have to wait. With neither Spanky or London booked on the show, Red has issued an open challenge. Who will step up and answer the call, and whoever it is, will they have an answer for Red’s aerial assault?


Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
The Amazing Red vs. ???
This will be the last show in Predictions Contest #2. We'll start fresh with round 3 beginning on the following show.

[The Celt]

Trick or Cheat

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
I'm afraid there's no way in Hell Colt is going to grab the belt before Homicide, Corino or Danielson does

Homicide vs. Steve Corino
THEE toughest match to call so far is this ENTIRE diary. On one hand we all want Homicide to get the push. On another hand we see Danielson picking up the pace, possibly head all the way for gold, meaning a strong heel like Corino is going to be needed. Then again Homicide may still be the second ever Champion...decisions, decisions. I've decided to go Corino in the event of Danielson ever winning, or Homicide getting the last laugh on Corino later on

CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
The True Survivor shows his new found momentum

AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Time to even the score

Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
KICKS TO THE HEAD PLZ

The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
Those Prophecy boys are just too far down the card to unseat possibly the strongest pushed team in RoH

The Amazing Red vs. ???
I sense a major signing for RoH

[rjhabeeb]

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
would so mark for a Cabana title run....but it honestly doesnt make much sense
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
The Amazing Red vs. ???
I dont see a big surprise just a solid win for Red....but id love to be wrong

[ya_its_me]

Christopher Daniels (c) v Colt Cabana
- Don't see the Fallen Angel being stopped anytime soon.
Homicide v Steve Corino
- I definitely could see Homicide be the next big challenger for Daniels' title.
CM Punk v Bryan Danielson
- Now that he's won the Survival of the Fittest, time to start building some momentum.
AJ Styles v KENTA
- Total coin flip on this one.
Low Ki v Tony Mamaluke
- Mamaluke loses, Maritato gives him another 'pep talk.'
The SAT v The Prophecy
- To gain momentum heading up to their title shot.
The Amazing Red v ???
- Can't go wrong with ???

[Texasrangers13]

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
The Amazing Red vs. ???

I am inclined to say that this will be a great show, but that would be no surprise! I am throughly looking forward to it.

[Genadi]

Following this now I wished we had've done a duel diary. I love this time period and your booking of ROH is awesome. Mind you I would've been stealing all your talent :p Keep up the great work.

[The Final Countdown]

I am inclined to say that this will be a great show, but that would be no surprise! I am throughly looking forward to it.
Thanks :) Hopefully you'll enjoy it.

Following this now I wished we had've done a duel diary. I love this time period and your booking of ROH is awesome. Mind you I would've been stealing all your talent :p Keep up the great work.
Yeah, that could've been fun (aside from the whole "stealing my talent" business :D). Of course, before I started this diary, pretty much my only involvement in this community was leaving feedback in Wildfire's NWA diary(s), so I doubt anyone would have been willing to partner up with a complete unknown for a joint venture. The idea of running a multi-player diary has always intrigued me; in fact, I tried to convince an old EWR-playing friend of mine to buy TEW08 so he could run TNA or WWF head-to-head against my ROH. He didn't go for it, though, so I started planning this as the solo diary that it became.

Little FYI for you guys: some relatives will be coming in from out of town tomorrow, and staying with us until sometime on Wednesday. As a result, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to work on the write-up for ToC over the next few days, so don't be surprised if there's a bit longer delay this time around.

[Oldschool]

Predictions List:

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
Just dont see the World title on Cabana

Homicide vs. Steve Corino
Will go with Homicide here, but I think we'll see more to come between these two

CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
eeny, meeny, miny, mo!

AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Kenta needs a win back

Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
Mamaluke gets P!ssed at Maritato for setting up match with Low Ki of all people... total destruction by Ki

The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
This would be an upset, but the prophecy could use a rub

The Amazing Red vs. ???
I predict ??? wont be London or Spanky

[J_5_Gil]

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship

Homicide vs. Steve Corino

CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson

AJ Styles vs. KENTA

Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke

The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy

The Amazing Red vs. ???

Quick picks from me on this card, look for me to hopefully have some more intelligent thoughts and feedback soon. :D

[The Final Countdown]

So, despite having company staying over, I've managed to work on the show here and there. I'm now down to the final two matches, and my goal is to get the show posted sometime tomorrow (Wednesday.) So, last call for predictions if there's anybody else.

I haven't been able to use my normal computer with all of my stuff on it for this write-up, so hopefully the show still turned out OK.


Homicide vs. Steve Corino
THEE toughest match to call so far is this ENTIRE diary. On one hand we all want Homicide to get the push. On another hand we see Danielson picking up the pace, possibly head all the way for gold, meaning a strong heel like Corino is going to be needed. Then again Homicide may still be the second ever Champion...decisions, decisions. I've decided to go Corino in the event of Danielson ever winning, or Homicide getting the last laugh on Corino later on

I must say, I really like all of the thought you put into this match. Makes me feel like you're really interested to see how things develop long-term, which is great. Hopefully what I have planned will live up to your expectations.


Low Ki v Tony Mamaluke
- Mamaluke loses, Maritato gives him another 'pep talk.'

Yeah, I wonder how much Maritato's 'pep talks' are actually helping? :)


Quick picks from me on this card, look for me to hopefully have some more intelligent thoughts and feedback soon. :D
Quick picks are more than welcome :) But yeah, feel free to go more in-depth with your feedback if you like. Like I said earlier in this post, in-depth responses make me feel like people are really interested to see where I'm going next.

[tizzyt]

Alright, it's been awhile since I've posted anything... KUTGW man, I'm really enjoying things (and trying to motivate myself to catch up with my diary)

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
The Amazing Red vs. ???

Reasons? Because I wanted to... Problem? Deal with it ;)

[Gladiator]

Christopher Daniels vs. Colt Cabana for the ROH Championship
I don't think Cabana is ready to be the champ yet
Homicide vs. Steve Corino
Tough one but I have to go with Homicide
CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson
I just like CM Punk
AJ Styles vs. KENTA
No reason
Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke
The Spanish Announce Team vs. The Prophecy
The Amazing Red vs. ???

[The Final Countdown]

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg


presents:


Trick or Cheat


October 23rd, 2002


From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg


Attendance: 758

--

CM Punk opened the locker room door of the Second City Saints, expecting to find his partner Colt Cabana getting ready for his ROH Championship match later in the evening. What he found instead was Cabana unpacking the assortment of cardboard cut-outs that served as the “audience” for Cabana’s Good Times, Great Memories. Punk’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight, while Cabana smiled at the entrance of his tag team partner.

“Punker, how ya doin’? Wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

Punk glared at his partner for several long moments before responding. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Whaddaya think I’m doing? I’m setting up for another epic edition of Good Times…Great Memories! And as a special bonus, this edition will be hosted by the brand spankin’ NEW Ring of Honor Champion…moi! You should stop by, Punker…it’s gonna be gangbusters!”

Punk wiped the smile off of his partner’s face by paint-brushing him with a hard slap. Colt stared wide-eyed at Punk, who got right in his face.

“Colt, if you think I’m going to stand idly by and watch while you piss away the opportunity of a lifetime, then you’ve got another thing coming! Do you even realize how many guys would kill for this chance? You are one three-count away from becoming the champion of the fastest-rising company in this business!

“And here’s the thing, Colt: you’re good enough to do it! I know, better than anyone, what you’re capable of! We trained together under Ace Steele; we broke in together in Chicago. I’ve seen just what you can do when you stop trying to be funny and entertaining, and focus on getting the job done! Hell, you showed it to everybody in the company two weeks ago, when you pinned me to earn this title shot. And while I was disappointed that I lost out on the chance, I took solace in the fact that you would give it your best shot, and do everything you could to bring that belt back to Chicago. So stop screwing around, and don’t waste this chance! Because this isn’t about just you, Colt. It’s about me, it’s about Ace, it’s about all the hours we spent busting our asses to make it in this business.

“Think about it, Colt. Remember wrestling in those seedy Chicago nightclubs in front of a dozen people for next to nothing? Remember staying up until 6 in the morning watching tapes, doing everything we could to improve ourselves? If you win tonight, all of that will have paid off, because you will forever add your name to the growing legacy of Ring of Honor. Do you really want to throw that chance away so you can plan some silly comedy bit that will be forgotten in a week?

“I can yell at you and lecture you all night, but in the end, this is all up to you, Colt. So I’m going to head out, and get ready to do commentary. I suggest you leave the commentary to me, put all of this crap away, and get your head screwed on straight.”

Punk opened the door and walked out, leaving Colt Cabana alone, no hint of his earlier joking mood remaining.

--

Homicide vs. Steve Corino

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

Homicide wasted no time, sprinting down the aisle and diving through the ropes, making a beeline straight for his rival Steve Corino before the match even officially began. His hot-headedness worked against him, as Corino covered up in the face of Homicide’s continued punch attempts, waited until the punches died down, and rocked him with a European uppercut, followed by a short-arm lariat that put Homicide on his back.

While Homicide would have preferred a brawl, Corino had other ideas, keeping the match on the ground and using classic, “old-school” wrestling techniques to try and keep his opponent on the defensive. If he had been in the proper mind-set, Homicide would have been able to match Corino hold-for-hold. However, Homicide was rather impatient, and rather than settling down and attempting to counter-wrestle, he tried to brawl his way free. Corino used his frustration against him, keeping the pace of the match slow and methodical, and taking Homicide back down to the mat every time he did manage to break free. The fans were not happy with Corino’s methodical strategy…not that he cared.

After Homicide broke out of a sleeper hold, he swung at Corino with a right fist. But Corino ducked and staggered Homicide with a knee lift, and nearly finished him off with a bridging snap suplex. Corino measured Homicide up and blasted him with a super kick, but Homicide again got his shoulder off of the mat in time to avoid a pinfall. Corino lifted Homicide into the air for a brainbuster, but The Notorious 187 blocked it, broke free with an elbow to the face, and dropped The King of Old School with an Ace Crusher.

Homicide was finally in control of the match, and he had no intention of letting up. He began raining down fists on Corino’s skull, pounding him with such aggression that referee Rob Williams nearly disqualified him. Homicide backed off and allowed Corino to get back to his feet, only to knock him right back down with a Yakuza kick. After bouncing some more punches off of Corino’s head, Homicide ran the ropes and struck him with a vicious West Brooklyn Lariat. That might have been enough to win Homicide the match, but he did not attempt a cover. Instead, he scooped a dazed Corino off of the mat and signaled for one of the most lethal moves in all of professional wrestling, the Cop Killer.

As Homicide prepared to finish Corino off with his favorite finishing move, someone hopped out of the crowd and charged into the ring, bouncing a wooden baseball bat off of Homicide’s head with a huge swing. The bell rang in an obvious disqualification, but the man, whom fans of CZW would recognize as hardcore wrestling standout “Sick” Nick Mondo, continued his assault, using the bat to choke Homicide. Corino got back to his feet and smiled widely at Mondo before joining in on the beat-down of The Notorious 187.


Winner: Homicide in 21:16 by disqualification when Nick Mondo attacked Homicide

--

Steve Corino and Nick Mondo continued to assault Homicide. Any staff members that attempted to help out thought better of it when Mondo wielded the baseball bat in their direction. Mondo drove the bat into Homicide’s ribs and face numerous times, busting Homicide’s forehead open. Corino smiled when he saw the blood, and whispered something in Mondo’s ear. Apparently following a direction from Corino, Mondo put the bat down and picked up a bleeding Homicide, lifted him up onto his shoulders in an Electric Chair position, and drove him into the canvas with an Iconoclasm, completing the maneuver that he refers to as the Assault Driver. Homicide lay motionless in the middle of the ring, and Corino asked for a mic.

“Well, well, well, Homicide…it appears you’ve met your match. I told everyone when I fired Allison Danger that this time, I would be ready for you. You wanna stab me in the head with forks, and put your own body at risk to put me through a table? You wanna act like a thug? This man here,” he said, pointing at Mondo, craps on your forks and your tables! “Sick” Nick Mondo has done things that you and I would never even consider, Homicide. This man has been thrown on thumbtacks…he’s been hit in the head with florescent light tubes…he has had another man slice his chest open with a wheedwhacker! Nick Mono is certifiably insane…and he’s here to keep you the hell away from me, Homicide.

“You see, there’s not a chance in hell that the brass in ROH…especially that jealous, washed-up has-been, Ricky Steamboat…would ever have agreed to sign a man as sadistic, as extreme, as…ultraviolent, shall we say?…as Sick Nick Mondo. But that’s where I come in. You see, I have used my influence and my intelligence to my advantage, and I have secured Mondo a position on the ROH roster. And in exchange, Mondo will take care of a certain pesky thug that just happens to be lying in a bloody heap at my feet. Homicide, if you try to come at me again, Nick Mondo will be there, weapons in hand, to eliminate you once and for all. I hope you think about that long and hard when you return to your home, and are surrounded by the gutter trash and scum of the Earth that you call your friends and family. And if the ass kicking that Mondo just gave you wasn’t enough to make you think twice, how about this? I understand that that little runt The Amazing Red has an open challenge for tonight. Well Red, here’s your opponent. So somebody clear the gutter trash out of the ring, so “Sick” Nick Mondo can make an example out of that pint-sized idiot.”

Finally allowed to enter the ring, the staff came to Homicide’s aid, wiping some of the blood off of his face and helping him to the back. The Amazing Red walked out to the ring, Steve Corino grabbed a seat at the commentator’s table, and the match was on.

--

The Amazing Red vs. Nick Mondo

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AmazingRed.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/NickMondo.jpg

Nick Mondo may have built his reputation in brutal deathmatches, but underneath his ultraviolent exterior lies an above average wrestling talent with considerable proficency in the art of aerial wrestling. Mondo demonstrated his high-flying skills in this contest, as both he and Red took to the air frequently and excited the crowd with a blistering pace.

Mondo tried a springboard corkscrew moonsault, but Red rolled out of the way. Red put together a flurry of offense, gaining more than one near-fall with his aerial arsenal. After a Cancun Tornado wasn’t enough to put Mondo away, Red connected with a 360° spinning heel kick. Red looked to follow up on the strike, leaping onto Mondo’s shoulders in a Victory Roll position. But whatever Red had been planning blew up in his face, because Mondo used the position to drive him into the canvas with a match-ending Assault Driver. Corino left the announce table with a big smile on his face, and congratulated Mondo on his victory as the two men left ringside side-by-side.


Winner: Nick Mondo in 08:49 with the Assault Driver

--

Low Ki vs. Tony Mamaluke

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg

Tony Mamaluke looked rather unhappy as he made his way to the ring for this match that he was more or less forced into by his tag team partner and self-appointed mentor, James Maritato, who was not in attendance to offer any advice to his protégé. Low Ki also looked rather angry as he entered, but that likely had far more to do with coming so close in Survival of the Fittest, only to fall short, than with this matchup.

Low Ki attempted to use the match as a means of letting off some steam, punishing Mamaluke early on with a variety of kicks, chops, and submissions. It appeared as if Low Ki was going to roll right through his opponent, but the fiery Mamaluke wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. When Low Ki tried to finish a kick combo off with a springboard roundhouse kick to the head, Mamaluke caught his leg and locked on a rolling half crab. Low Ki got to the ropes and forced a break, but Mamaluke continued to work Low Ki over on the ground with submission holds. Mamaluke used his knowledge of submissions to his advantage for several minutes, but none of the holds were effective enough to break Low Ki’s warrior’s spirit and force him to quit.

When none of his other holds managed to secure him the victory, Mamaluke tried to use his favorite submission, the “Sicilian Stretch” Dragon sleeper. Mamaluke fought to cinch the hold in, but Low Ki struggled and prevented him from getting a good grip. Despite being in a seated position, Low Ki still managed to send his right leg backwards and catch Mamaluke with a sharp kick to the head, which allowed Low Ki to fully escape the submission attempt and get back to his feet.

Once Low Ki was upright once again, he quickly took control of the match. Mamaluke was powerless to fend off the flurry of strikes that came his way. A koppo kick knocked a dazed Mamaluke into the corner, and Low Ki got a running start and blasted him with the Tidal Krush. It looked like Mamaluke was about to collapse after that, but Low Ki hadn’t finished with him just yet. He lifted Mamaluke off of the ground and rammed his back into the buckle with the Krush Rush, held on and finished him off with the Ki Krusher ’99.


Winner: Low Ki in 18:12 with the Ki Krusher ‘99

--

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Prophecy (Austin Aries and Kazarian, w/Gail Kim)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

While The Prophecy are the next team in line for a title shot against the Second City Saints, they have significantly less tag team experience than the Maximos. Jose and Joel drove this point home early and often, using frequent tags and double team maneuvers to overwhelm their opponents. Aries and Kazarian seemed overmatched for the bulk of the bout, as they struggled to come up with an answer to the expert teamwork exhibited by the Maximos. More than once it appeared as if the SAT would score the pin after an impressive bit of double teaming, only for the illegal man on The Prophecy’s side to make the save just in time.

The Prophecy duo finally caught a break when Kazarian managed to duck a spinning heel kick from Joel, causing Joel to inadvertently hit Jose with the kick. Kazarian knocked a surprised Joel to the floor with a single leg dropkick and took advantage of Jose’s weakened condition to hit one of his favorite moves, the New Wave. Rather than attempting a cover, though, Kazarian elected to tag Aries into the match to deliver the finishing touches. Aries did just that with a pitch-perfect brainbuster.

The 3 Prophecy members celebrated their success, and a dejected Joel Maximo helped his brother Jose to his feet, both SAT members understandably frustrated with their continued misfortune.


Winners: The Prophecy in 10:43 with a brainbuster by Austin Aries on Jose Maximo

--

“Hello fans, James Hill here welcoming you backstage during intermission at Trick or Cheat. As you can see, I am with the “American Dragon”, Bryan Danielson. First of all, Bryan, congratulations on pulling off the victory in Survival of the Fittest.”

“Thank you, James. I knew heading in that it would take all my skill, all my nerve and all my determination to walk out the winner, with so many elite athletes trying to capture the victory. But thankfully for me, I managed to pull through.”

“You did indeed, and along with that huge victory will come a shot at the Ring of Honor Championship. But, as you well know, you won’t be getting any ordinary title opportunity. Instead, you will be able to name not only the time and place of your title match, but also the stipulations in which the match will be contested. Have you reached any decision on the specifics of your golden opportunity?”

Danielson grinned and nodded slightly. “As a matter of fact, James, I have reached a decision. I haven’t figured out what type of match I want yet, but I can tell you when the match will be taking place.

“I think we can all agree that, by and large, the year 2002 has been a great one for Ring of Honor. The company debuted back in February of this year, and right from the start, it has become one of the premiere professional wrestling organizations around. In fact, I challenge anyone to name another promotion in North America that does a better job of emphasizing all of the things that make this sport so great. No over-the-top cartoon characters that insult everyone’s intelligence, and make a mockery of things. No egomaniacal billionaire owners thrusting themselves into the spotlight at the expense of the very wrestlers who bled, sweat and worked their asses off to make the owner rich. No, in ROH, one thing takes precedence over all else: elite, world-class athletes from all over the world, giving it their all to try and prove that they are the best in the world. Low Ki, a man that I have a lot of respect for, has referred to pro wrestling as his ‘art’, and I think it is a very fitting description. When being done the right way, pro wrestling ceases to be ‘entertainment’, and becomes ‘art’. And no company that I have ever worked for tries harder to showcase the art of professional wrestling than Ring of Honor.

“But as great as the year 2002 has been for ROH in many respects, there has been one major problem: the man holding the ROH Championship, Christopher Daniels. From day one, Christopher Daniels has spat in the face of every single ideal, every single thought, that this company was founded on. Christopher Daniels has no respect for this company, or what it stands for. He has no interest in being the flag-bearer and representing ROH with pride. The only thing Christopher Daniels cares about is himself and his own career. Rather than defending that belt with honor and integrity, and proving that he’s the best, he keeps possession of the belt by any means necessary. Even if he has to cheat, or rely on help from others. The fact that Christopher Daniels is the first man to carry that championship is a black mark on the title, as well as ROH as a whole.

“People often look to the beginning of a new year as chance to start over, start fresh. And that seems very appropriate to me, to cash in my title shot just in time to give Ring of Honor a chance to start fresh in the new year. So I will be challenging for the ROH Championship at the very last show of the calendar year, Final Battle 2002. If someone has dethroned Daniels before then, great. Hopefully Colt Cabana can get it done later on tonight. But if not, Bryan Danielson will be there to try and make sure that in 2003, the ROH Championship will have its honor restored.”

--

AJ Styles vs. KENTA

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/KENTA.jpg

Fired up and looking to make an early statement in this rematch, KENTA attacked AJ right out of the gate with a furious string of strikes that put The Phenomenal One at a quick disadvantage. KENTA punished AJ with his assortment of kicks and knee strikes, and Styles struggled to come up with an answer.

Styles finally interrupted KENTA’s dominance, as he ducked underneath a roundhouse kick, ran through and drove the GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion into the mat with the Phenomenon (his signature springboard moonsault into an inverted DDT.) AJ took advantage of the opening he had created for himself, taking control of the match using high-flying maneuvers. The aerial artistry, highlighted by a Frog splash and a springboard dropkick, may have wowed the crowd, but none of it was enough to finish off the determined KENTA.

AJ tried to lift KENTA for the Styles Clash, but KENTA struggled and prevented him from getting a secure grip. Switching tracks, AJ blasted KENTA with a hard-hitting discus lariat, but the Japanese star managed another kick-out. Styles kept the pressure on, as he dropped KENTA on the back of his head with a German suplex, maintained his grip and quickly followed with a belly to back wheelbarrow facebuster. AJ shook his head in frustration as KENTA kicked out yet again.

Deciding to try and take to the air again, AJ went out to the ring apron and attempted a springboard 450° Splash, but KENTA got his knees up to block the blow. AJ staggered to his feet, clutching his ribs—and turned right into a full-force Busaiku Knee Kick from a rejuvenated KENTA. The huge strike to the face allowed KENTA to pick up the win, and avenge his loss at ‘Glory by Honor’.

After the match, KENTA helped a dazed AJ Styles back to his feet. The two sportsmen shook hands, as AJ pointed between the two of them, declaring “One more time.” KENTA nodded his acceptance.


Winner: KENTA in 13:45 with the Busaiku Knee Kick

--

CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg

Bryan Danielson would be regarded by most as the superior mat technician, but CM Punk is no slouch himself. Danielson and Punk engaged in a contest heavy on ground wrestling, with holds and reversals aplenty, and Punk proved his mettle by staying with the American Dragon every step of the way, never allowing himself to be dominated.

Danielson gradually used his expertise to wear Punk down, paying particular attention to softening up his arms and neck in preparation for Cattle Mutilation. Danielson went into full nelson position, obviously planning to use a dragon suplex. But Punk surprised him with a standing switch, dumped him on the back of his head with a release German suplex, and caught him in the face with a Shining Wizard that resulted in a near-fall. When that combination failed to secure the victory for Punk, he attempted to win via submission courtesy of an Anaconda Vice. But, being the submission expert that he is, Danielson was able to fend Punk off and counter his way out of the hold before it could be cinched in effectively.

Giving up on submissions, Punk softened his opponent up with a double underhook backbreaker before putting him in a hammerlock, setting up for the Devil Lock DDT. However, Danielson felt the move coming, and was able to squirm free. Danielson wound up behind Punk, and looked to capitalize on that fact, as he grabbed Punk’s arms and drove him chest-first to the canvas, aiming to bridge forward and apply Cattle Mutilation. Punk still had some fight left, though, and struggled mightily to try and prevent the hold from being fully applied. He twisted his body from side to side, squirming and not allowing Danielson to hold him steady on the mat. Improvising, Danielson released Puk’s arms and began targeting the back of his head with elbow strikes. After several hard strikes, Punk’s resistance died down, and Danielson resumed his attempts to apply his most effective submission hold. This time, Punk was too groggy to put up a fight, and Danielson successfully bridged forward, cinching the submission in perfectly, right in the center of the ring. Punk did not want to submit, and did his best to stave off the pain and try and find a way out of his predicament. But Danielson’s back-bridge was perfect, and with no hope of reaching the ropes, Punk eventually had no alternative but to admit defeat. After Danielson helped Punk to his feet, both men shook hands, Punk frustrated with the loss but showing good sportsmanship, and Danielson pleased to score a nice win and keep his momentum going.


Winner: Bryan Danielson in 23:29 with the Cattle Mutilation

--

For the ROH Championship:

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Colt Cabana

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ColtCabana2.jpg

If Colt Cabana had been in the mood to entertain earlier in the night, CM Punk’s comments changed all of that. Cabana was not smiling or playing to the fans; instead, he was the very picture of focus and determination.

Christopher Daniels made an attempt to attack the challenger before the ring of the bell, but Colt fought it off, stunning the champ with a series of punches before dropping him with a bionic elbow. Cabana dropped several elbows to Daniels’ chest and turned him over into a Boston crab, not taking the time to acknowledge the crowd. Daniels got to the ropes and broke the hold, but Cabana continued to dominate the match. Gail Kim looked on in shock and disbelief from the floor, while CM Punk, recently returned to the broadcast table after cooling down following his match, cheered his partner on.

The fans got more and more into the match as it progressed, Cabana’s performance making them believe that they could be on the verge of witnessing a title change. Colt came tantalizingly close to winning the gold after both a powerbomb and a springboard moonsault to a standing Daniels, but the champion was not ready to hand over his title just yet. Colt dropped Daniels with a DDT and attempted a legdrop off of the top rope, but The Fallen Angel rolled to the side and avoided the impact.

Having finally been given a break from Cabana’s assault, Christopher Daniels began stringing together some impressive offense of his own. He controlled Cabana with an STO, a swinging neckbreaker and an Arabian moonsault, but Colt was not finished just yet. Daniels drove the challenger’s head into the canvas with the Angel’s Wings, but Cabana got a shoulder up, much to the shock of the champion. The crowd went wild after the kick-out, willing Colt on. Cabana responded, firing off some blows to Daniels’ gut before dropping him with a big lariat that came very close to ending the match.

Both men could feel that this title match was entering crunch time, and they both stepped up their game in an effort to take control and claim the belt. They traded big move after big move, exciting the fans with the back-and-forth exchange. Daniels scored near-falls with a Death Valley Driver, a double-jump moonsault and a Falcon Arrow, while Colt nearly won the belt with a hurricanrana and a top rope superplex.

Daniels went to kick Colt in the head with an enzuigiri, but Cabana blocked it and tossed him to the mat with the Cabanarama. Daniels staggered to his feet, and was met with the Flying A..hole. Colt lifted the ROH Champion into the air and planted him with the Colt 45, bringing most of the crowd (and Punk) to their feet as he made the cover.

Just as referee Rob Williams was about to slap the mat for the third and final time, Gail Kim reached out and placed Daniels’ leg across the bottom rope. The fans booed loudly as Williams saw the foot across the ropes and halted his count. Cabana looked around in bewilderment and frustration before charging at a still-staggered Daniels, who had used the ropes to pull himself to his feet. But Gail alerted Daniels to what was coming and he sidestepped, causing Colt to crash sternum-first into the turnbuckles. Daniels spun the challenger around and spiked him with a 2nd Angel’s Wings, but Cabana managed to kick out yet again. The fans exploded with the kick-out, but their hopes were dashed as Daniels yanked Cabana back to his feet and finished him off with the Last Rites.


Winner: Christopher Daniels in 25:02 with the Last Rites
Christopher Daniels made defense #7 of the ROH Championship

--

The fans applauded loudly at the conclusion of what was an excellent match, as Gail Kim handed the ROH Championship to an exhausted Christopher Daniels. Colt Cabana stirred and stared at Daniels, who smirked and taunted him by lifting the belt high into the air. Cabana used his fingers to gesture just how close he had come to winning the title, and Daniels merely shrugged in response before turning to leave the ring. Cabana turned his attention away from the apparently departing champion, which proved to be a mistake.

Rather than exiting the ring, Daniels attacked Cabana from behind, hitting him across the back with his title belt before laying the boots to him. CM Punk bolted from the announce table and came to his partner’s aid, gaining the upper hand on Daniels until Austin Aries and Kazarian charged from the back. Punk tried to defend himself, but he was quickly overwhelmed by all three members of The Prophecy. Daniels’ group continued their 3-on-2 beat-down of the ROH Tag Team Champions, showing no signs of letting up.

The assault was interrupted by the arrival of Bryan Danielson, who knocked Kazarian over the top rope with an elbow smash and got rid of Austin Aries with a release dragon suplex, leaving just the ROH Champion and the Survival of the Fittest winner as the only two men standing in the ring. They stood in center ring and stared each other down, seemingly about to clash. But rather than doing battle with the American Dragon, Christopher Daniels slowly stepped through the ropes and dropped to the floor. The fans jeered The Fallen Angel as he avoided the confrontation and headed to the dressing room, as Danielson checked on both members of the Second City Saints.

--

Quick Results:

Homicide over Steve Corino
Nick Mondo over The Amazing Red
Low Ki over Tony Mamaluke
The Prophecy over The Spanish Announce Team
KENTA over AJ Styles
Bryan Danielson over CM Punk
Christopher Daniels over Colt Cabana to retain the ROH Championship


Trick or Cheat Predictions:

Oldschool: 7-0
J_5_Gil: 7-0

ya_its_me: 6-1
Texasrangers13: 6-1
tizzyt: 6-1
Gladiator: 6-1

The Celt: 5-2

rjhabeeb: 4-3

8 predictions! Awesomeness! Now if only the show hadn't been so predictable...

FINAL STANDINGS in Predictions Contest #2:

The Celt: 28-10

rjhabeeb: 26-12

ya_its_me: 24-6

buck44f: 20-11

Texasrangers13: 19-5

ProjectJinx: 14-8

J_5_Gil: 12-4

Oldschool: 7-0

tizzyt: 6-1
Gladiator: 6-1

Tyler Gadzinski: 4-5

The Celt wins! The Celt wins! The Celt wins! Congratulations; I'll pm you once I decide on a reward. Thanks to all for playing, and good luck to everyone in round 3!

[The Celt]

And that's how I roll bi-atches!

[rjhabeeb]

Ouch I choked on the last show

[Texasrangers13]

Great show as usual. I am proud of my effort 19-5 nothing to be ashamed of!

[The Final Countdown]

October 23rd, 2002
10:52 p.m.


I chuckled as I approached the Second City Saints, CM Punk and Colt Cabana. True to his straight-edge lifestyle, Punk was sipping a Pepsi, while Cabana seemed too jazzed to eat or drink anything. Cabana smiled as he saw me walking towards him.

“Yo, boss, what’s up?”

“Not much, Colt. Just came to congratulate you. That match with Daniels was insane.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. They really had those people eating out of the palm of their hands,” Punk chimed in.

“For sure,” I agreed. “I don’t think anybody came in really believing that Colt had a legit shot at winning the belt, but the match was just so damn good that they got sucked in. Hell, I knew how it was ending, and I got sucked in too. For those 10 minutes or so, I was just another fan. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Colt smiled, obviously appreciating the compliments. "Yeah, I was pretty happy with the way the match went. To be honest, I was a little worried about how the match would go, since it's probably the highest profile singles match I've ever had. But I thought it went pretty well."

I laughed and shook my head. "That's a pretty big understatement! I obviously haven't had the chance to go back and watch the match again on tape, but my immediate reaction right now is that that was the best match in our history so far. You guys absolutely tore the house down. It's just too bad that this was planned as a one-shot. I'm going to have to figure out a way to get you two back into the ring in another singles match down the road, because that was some fantastic stuff."

Punk smirked as I continued to rave over the match. "Careful, Jim. You keep praising Colt so much, and I might start to get jealous. Don't wanna be left behind, you know."

I chuckled in response. "Right, like that's gonna happen. Both of you guys should feature heavily in the future of the company, as long as you stay around. Especially now that Colt has just proven that he could thrive in singles, should I decide to split the Saints up. Well, I guess I should get out of here so I can get some more work done on my plans for the next show before I collapse from exhaustion."

"Yeah, that would suck, Colt joked. I waved to both members of the ROH Tag Team Champions as I made my way towards the exit of the famed Arena. It had been a pretty good, if unspectacular, show for most of the night. And then the main event happened.

-The opening match between Homicide and Steve Corino was a far cry from their first match against each other, back at Triple Jeopardy. The match had already been below the standards of these two, and the DQ finish sunk it. A poor match, but it was more about introducing Nick Mondo as Corino's "henchman" than anything else.

-Mondo's debut match with Red went pretty well. Lost in Mondo's hardcore reputation is the fact that he's a pretty good high flyer, and he got a chance to show that skill off in this match with one of the greatest flyers around. A pretty good match.

-The styles of Low Ki and Tony Mamaluke didn't mesh together very well, and it doomed their match to the same fate as the opener between Homicide and Corino. With two of the first three matches being pretty bad, I was not having very high hopes for the show at this point. Thankfully, things started picking up after this.

-The match between the SAT and the Prophecy was a solid tag bout. Aries & Kazarian needed a win to make them into more of a threat before their tag title shot, so the Maximos did yet another job. They didn't let the loss get them down though, as they still went out and did their best. Jose, in fact, turned in a pretty good performance. The SAT's momentum may have stalled recently, but things should turn around for them soon.

-KENTA and AJ Styles had their 2nd quality showing in as many matches, with KENTA evening the score at one win apiece in a pretty good match. I'd like for both of these guys to be major players, but there are only so many top spots to go around. With time, they will both hopefully be able to entrench themselves further up the totem pole.

-CM Punk had an off-night, but fortunately, Bryan Danielson had a very strong night, and was able to help Punk through some rough spots. Another pretty good match, and another quality win for the surging American Dragon.

-The show had been on the upswing after the last couple of matches, but nothing could have prepared me for the main event. Simply put, Christopher Daniels and Colt Cabana stole the show, thanks in part to pretty good chemistry between the two of them. Definitely the best ROH Championship match so far; in fact, it was so good that I think it'll help raise the prestige of the championship to a new level. In my opinion, this match may have surpassed the first AJ Styles/Steve Corino match from Road to the Title as the best match in ROH history. There were some questions about whether or not Cabana was good enough to be a headline singles star; I think this match answered them. I could definitely see both members of the Second City Saints blossoming into solo stars in the future.

Another successful show, headlined by a must-see match that would have been right at home on any wrestling show in the world.

--

And that's how I roll bi-atches!
...Christian Cage? Is that you? Ohmigod, a genuine wrestling superstar is reading this diary :eek:

Seriously though, thanks for predicting, and congratulations on winning the contest. I'm still debating what your reward will be, but I'll let you know once I make a decision.

Ouch I choked on the last show
Don't feel too bad...personally, I'm happy that you weren't in the 7-0, 6-1 range, like the majority was for this show. At least I was able to keep SOMEBODY guessing :D 2nd place isn't too bad, though maybe you'll be able to take first in contest #3...if you participate, that is.

Great show as usual. I am proud of my effort 19-5 nothing to be ashamed of!
Thanks, and yeah, 19-5 ain't too shabby. Averaged out over the full number of shows, you'd probably have been right in the thick of things.