Another round of ROH TV tapings and another eventful evening of wrestling and storyline advancement. As always, Ring of Honor puts on a good show for the taping crowd, which is as good as Philly is going to get for the foreseeable future. Half-waving ROH is better than no ROH, I says. Jim Cornette was out signing autographs and schmoozing, but I didn't go over because it was Jim Cornette and not someone awesome like El Generico or Colt Cabana.
Your pre-taping matches featured a tag match between two generic teams no one cared about. The heels tried getting heat by bringing up the World Series. They bombed hard. Then, Sugarfoot Payne came out wearing no padding in his crotchal region much to the horror of the people in the front rows (us included). He beat some guy named Tony Luke. We made cheesesteak cracks the whole match. Final one was a tag match featuring some dudes against Grizzly Redwood and Bobby Dempsey, who continues to be the most over guy at the ECW Arena despite being nothing more than a jobber to the main roster.
The main tapings started with Cornette calling the roster out for an announcement. He implemented a "Pick Six" format where the 12 best guys on the roster as deemed by the ROH offices would wrestle each taping cycle to determine the six top contenders to the title. Austin Aries came out fashionably late to Cornette's chagrin, and Corny mocked the A Double L Double as a farce (that being the lottery Aries has been using to name challengers as of late). He then made a title match for the end of the tapings as Aries vs. Kenny Omega vs. Davey Richards vs. Roderick Strong. Funny, Richards and Strong were both named to Pick Six matches for the duration of the tapings, but they got to forgo the process beforehand and get a shot at the title. Honestly, Adam Pearce needs to stop trying to emulate the WWE and TNA and actually go with what got ROH there.
First match is a Pick Six match, Delirious vs. Kenny King. It was a pretty fun affair, and Delirious is crazy over as well. Best spot in the match was when he licked the plams of his hands and rubbed it into King's face. We tried to get a "You have swine flu" chant directed at King, but as with most of our chants, it fell flat. Delirious won, which is good. I'd love to see him and Aries tangle.
Next up were a couple of squashes. Erick Stevens just bulldozed through some poor kid, and Steve Corino made an appearance in street clothes. He gave his jobber a forfeit win, and then suckered him into a sneak attack afterwards. Good to see Corino, although I'm not sure where he fits in the new ROH.
Main event of the first set of tapings was another Pick Six match, Tyler Black vs. Sonjay Dutt. Dutt had amazing backne going. I was praying Black didn't pull a lungblower out, because it would have covered the crowd in pus. The match went about five minutes too long and it bored the hell out of me. I don't see what everyone else sees in Black. The crowd seems to want him to be the next World Champion... but what does he do other than project the image that he cuts himself at night? I guess I don't get it. But yeah, the match just seemed like two indie spot monkeys running through the motions, trying to fit as many counters and holds into a period of time with no pacing. Pass.
After intermission, Chris Hero came out and bitched about not being booked in the Pick Six. HE then put over his elbow strikes as the most deadly in ROH and his physique as the most statuesque, both which elicited Claudio Castagnoli to come out and dispute both. Corny made another apperance and told Hero that he would be booked against Omega in the next set of tapings, while Claudio's match in the Pick Six would be "later tonight". Segue into some poor jobber coming out to eat a bunch of elbows from Hero. I think I got Hero to turn and look at me when I shouted "Hero, using an elbow? THAT'S A SHOCK!" Regardless of my tauntings, Hero looked the part of a next-level talent from entrance to exit. I love his Death Blow finisher, and he's improving his mic skills and ring presence.
Next up was Necro Butcher taking on Joey Ryan. Now, I'm not the biggest Necro fan, but the dude had the spot of the night when he hit Ryan with a Frankensteiner. I repeat, big, oafy Necro Butcher nailed a Frankensteiner in the match. It was awesome. I gave Necro the "I'm not worthy" for that, and really, it's one of my top 10 spots of the year. Necro won via DQ when Ryan shot baby powder into his eyes. Embassy beat down was interrupted by one Erick Stevens. I admit, if they're switching partners on Necro for this extended feud, Stevens ain't a bad choice. He's better than Brent Albright, I'll tell ya.
Main event of the second taping was Claudio taking on Cabana. Very fun match, and again, I got annoyed when people started chanting "boring" at the chain wrestling. I won't rant this time. Colt and Claudio have really good chemistry together, plus it's always fun mocking Prince Nana.
No intermission for the final tapings, as we get right into it with what I thought was the match of the night. The Briscoes took on El Generico and Kevin Steen in what was yet another fantastic match in a great year for tag team wrestling. As much as I hate their characters, the Briscoes are fantastic tag workers, and Generico and Steen are such a treat to watch. The match was for a Tag Title shot at Final Battle, which is an amazing testament to how fast Eddie Edwards is recovering from that horriffic break he had a month back. IT also telegraphed the finish, unless Pearce is a glutton for punishing his fans by retreading SteenErico/Wolves pt. 2394823904823. Briscoes won after a spike TD '91. BEE TEE DUBYA, Jay Briscoe almost had Dutt beat in the backne department.
The second best match of the night was the main event four-way. Usually, those kinds of matches turn clusterfuck really fast, but everyone involved had a great sense of pacing and of when to duck out of the ring and when to be in the action. All four had some amazing strikeage going on. A lot of stiff kicks and punches. While I didn't get the attention of the Wolves like I did last time, I did get Shane Hagadorn to go back and forth with me. I called him "Lumbergh", he said it didn't fit. I replied "Yeah it does, I mean, you're the goober in a shirt and tie standing next to a dude with two first names," at which Edwards gave me a sidelong glance in disgust. Hagadorn replied with siccing Edwards on me, to which I told him I had a lawyer on retainer. Classic. Again, the best thing to do if you're a heel is to interact with the crowd. We'll respect you for it, even if we boo the crap out of you when you're in character.
Anyway, Aries retained after picking the bones on Omega after Strong hit him with a Tiger Driver, and then he got the fuck out of dodge. Great weasel finish for the company's top weasel heel. Aries is still your overlord. Aries somehow made it back to the ring to get his vest, and then Tyler Black came out and chased him off, motioning to the crowd that he was coming for the title. MEH TO YOU, TYLER BLACK!
All in all, another good show. Honestly, if you want to see a good wrestling show and don't want to pay a lot of money, between ROH and Chikara, you got it made in the shade in Philly.
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