October 16, 2003
From Michaels 8th Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD
Your hosts are Ray Murrow and Chris Levy
The show starts with Gary Michael Cappetta welcoming the crowd to Ring of Honor and bringing up how Ron Simmons won the WCW title here. Prince Nana interrupts and says that its been almost two years and he has yet to receive a title shot. The crowd chants "we don't care" as Nana goes on and on about the crowd lacking respect until Samoa Joe interrupts. Nana then gets in his face and demands a title shot right now! Joe then calmly gives him his title shot before attacking him.
RoH World Title Match
Prince Nana vs. Samoa Joe (Champion)
Joe beats on Nana for a minute. Nana fights back and hits a corner splash but takes too long and gets hit with an enziguiri. Joe then follows with an overhead suplex before applying the Coquina Clutch for the win (0:57) 1/4*. After the match, Joe grabs the mic and welcomes the crowd to RoH and promises to make some memories tonight as we will see amazing high-flyers and technicians then will see him choke out Jay Briscoe, who is now in the ring. Jay is then held back by his brother as they build tension for the main event.
Thoughts: Decent way to kick off the show and get the crowd going. Nana was entertaining as a bottom of the card guy at least.
Colt Cabana is behind the desk as he tells us his show, "Good Times, Great Memories" which he got the chance to do after beating Rob Feinstein in a game of dreidel. He welcomes the Backseat Boyz, who light up cigarettes in lieu of the "No Smoking" sign. They put them out as they say it wont bring them down. Cabana makes a lame Backstreet Boys joke as Acid puts over how many titles they have won all over the country. Cabana then asks them if they ever got "chubbed up" from the women in the stands sticking dollar bills down their pants as they said it happens. If you think Cabana is funny, you'd probably like this but everyone else would think that it sucked.
Scramble Match
Ring Crew Express vs. Josh Daniels & Danny Doring vs. Slyk Wagner Brown & Sonjay Dutt vs. The Rottweilers w/ Julius Smokes
The Rottweilers consist of Slugger & Grim Reefer. This is the RoH debuts for Daniels, Doring, Dutt, and Reefer. Match starts with Doring and Marcos doing some chain wrestling as CM Punk joins on commentary. Marcos comes back with a hurricarana and an enziguiri before running into a clothesline. Daniels and Dunn are in now as the announcers talk up Daniels, who never ended up amounting to anything. He overpowers Dunn, who proceeds to hit the slowest victory roll in history. Dutt and Reefer are in now and do a bunch of standing switches at rapid speed. They are going way too fast for their own good in here. Dutt made his TNA the day before this show. Slugger as Brown comes in and chops away but runs into a shoulderblock. Slugger is terrible in the ring by the way. He stomps Brown in the corner but walks around and lets Brown hit him with a missile dropkick. Marcos tags in and hits the Sliced Bread #2 on Slugger, which looked ridiculous. Why let him get hit with that in his first match. The match breaks down as they hit all sorts of stuff, including a ropewalk swanton from Reefer. Dutt hits him with a Phoenix Splash as the crowd goes nuts but Daniels hits him with a German suplex. The match breaks down again as Dunn tries to face off against Slugger but gets booted down. Reefer then hits Dunn with a frog splash and Slugger hits the Bodybag for the win (8:05) **.
Thoughts: Not that bad. It was designed to put over the Rottweilers. I do think they should have made Slugger look a lot more dominant though as all his mystique was gone once he got taken down by one of the Ring Crew Express goofs. Dutt looked okay in his RoH debut and Daniels was a guy trying to wrestle like Chris Benoit but didnt show much. All Doring did here was collect a paycheck.
Field of Honor Tournament
Block A
Matt Stryker vs. Chris Sabin
Match starts with both guys doing some matwork as Punk still wants to know who took out Lucy at the Wrath of the Racket show then talks about his match with AJ Styles tonight. They end in a standoff and are met with a light applause. They go back and forth again until Stryker lights up Sabin with chops in the corner. Sabin fights back after a floatover then gets two with an enziguiri. Sabin hits more kicks but gets caught with a powerslam coming off of the top rope and his fortunate not to have been killed. That was fucking scary. Stryker works a surfboard then turns it into a back suplex for two. He hits a powerbomb that looked terrible for two. Sabin comes back with a few flying kicks but Stryker comes back with a neckbreaker for two. These two are not on the same page at all in this match. They trade chops until Sabin hits a springboard DDT for a nearfall. He heads back up top but Stryker climbs up and hits an overheard suplex for two. After another sloppy reversal sequence, Sabin gets two with a rollup. Stryker fights back and tries a Death Valley Driver that Sabin tries to turn into a crucifix but Stryker rolls through it and nearly drops him before getting up and hitting the DVD, dropping Sabin right on his face, for the win (10:03) *1/2. Sabin is pouring blood out of a cut near his eye as the ref is screaming for a towel.
Thoughts: An extremely disappointing match. These two were off all night and Styker almost killed Sabin on more than one occasion. A pretty embarrassing match as part of a tournament celebrating "pure" wrestling.
After the match, we see Sabin and Stryker in the back. Stryker says all he was trying to do was win as Sabin says its just part of the game and not to worry as he is pissesd about losing. He didn't seem to thrilled about the cut either.
Field of Honor
Block B
Colt Cabana vs. BJ Whitmer
The crowd is all over Cabana, who responds by taunting. The crowd then calls Cabana a "homo" as he stalls to start the match. Punk talks about breaking into the business with Cabana and sometimes you don't pick your friends and as a result he is stuck with Cabana. Punk also makes fun of Whitmer as their side feud continues. Whitmer catches Cabana with a leg lariat for two the works the arm as Punk makes fun of him for that. Cabana then trips over Whitmer after he dropped down as the fans chant "you fucked up." Cabana yells at the fans as he is now pissed off. Back inside, Whitmer gets two with a Northern lights suplex as Punk talks about having a few leads on who attacked Lucy. Cabana fights back as Punk compares him to Mr. Wrestling II. He hits a double knee smash in the corner for two. Snap suplex gets two. He then hits a butt smash for two and follows that with an iron claw,something the announcers say doesn't work as Whitmer fights out then catches Cabana with an overhead suplex as both men are down. Whitmer gets up and hits an Exploder for two. They have a reversal sequence that ends with Cabana nearly killing Whitmer with a back suplex for a nearfall then shortly after that he gets the win wit a bridging rollup (11:30) **.
Thoughts: Not much to this match as well. Cabana did this as a comedy match and it came off like a WWE house show comedy match at times. The highlight of this match was Punk on commentary. He was great here.
Backstage, Cabana tells us that was serious as he can do it all, stressing how he is 2-0 and is all serious in the ring.
AJ Styles is giving pointers to Jimmy Rave. He is a little hard on him as he wants him to take advantage of things.
RoH Tag Team Title Match
Izzy & Dixie w/ Special K vs. Backseat Boyz (Champions)
The Backseat Boyz start off hitting some double-team moves. Acid beats on Izzy then gets the crowd going but ends up getting tossed off of the top rope. Kashmere dumps Dixie then gets caught with a wheelbarrow slam/leg drop combo onto the floor. Ouch. Acid is in the ring fighting off both guys but that doesnt last as the Special K guys are in control. Punk leaves to get ready for his upcoming match against AJ Styles as Dixie gets a nearfall with a suplex. Acid fights back but Kashmere is still out on the floor as he looks for a tag. Izzy hits an inverted hurricarana then a snap suplex as Kashmere has now finally made his way onto the apron. Acid dodges a double-team attack and comes back with a Yakuza kick before finally making the tag. Kashmere cleans house as Becky Bayless is distracting the ref so the Special K goofs on the outside can try an interfere but that fails. Backseat Boys hit Izzy with the Dream Sequence then they hit Dixie with the T-Gimmick. They cover but Lit pulls out the referee and Acid chases Dixie around but gets hit with the belt by Izzy. Dixie covers but only gets two so he then hits a gordbuster as Izzy follows with a springboard 450 splash for the win and the titles (8:44) **. As the lights are off for Special K's celebration, Loc runs into the ring but gets jumped by the rest of Special K until Julius Smokes and the Rottweilers make the save. Levy tells is that DeVito was working overtime and could not be here tonight. Kashmere was also seen walking away, leaving his partner behind.
Thoughts: The story of Kashmere getting taken out early on was good but Special K was far too weak of a team to be holding the belts. I swear to god Dixie had to have been blowing someone to get his spot because he is one of the worst wrestlers in the company. He is terrible at everything. The run-ins at the end were okay but it highlighted the lack of depth in the tag division more than anything else.
Punk comes out and tells the crowd that prescription drug use is on the rise but will not make fun of them for that or their failures. He then tells us that he is straight edge, which also means he is better than you.
CM Punk vs. AJ Styles
Both guys start by jockeying for position as Levy goes over the Code of Honor. They continue to trade holds on the mat as Samoa Joe has joined on commentary. Levy asks Joe about Jay Briscoe as he tells us everyone knows he will choke him out. Back to the match as both men continue to go back and forth as Joe leaves. AJ grabs a side headlock for a bit until Punk catches him with a back suplex. Punk attacks the neck but runs into a dropkick as both men are down. AJ gets two with a knee drop but gets caught with a drop toehold as he charged into the corner. Punk chops away then almost gets caught with the Styles Clash. AJ lands on his feet after a counter then drills Punk with an enziguiri that sends him outside. AJ tries for a moonsault off of the apron but Punk sidesteps that then rams Styles into the guardrail a couple of times. Back inside, Punk gets a nearfall with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He hits a delayed vertical suplex then targets the back some more. AJ fights back with a moonsault kick but Punk takes him down and stretches him out. Punk gets a few more nearfalls, growing increasingly frustrated. He tries a spilt-legged moonsault after taunting the crowd but AJ gets his knees up as both men are down. They exchange chops then fight over a suplex until AJ hits a cradle back suplex for two. Punk slips out of a pumphandle then hits a legsweep DDT for two. They now fight up top as Punk hits a sunset powerbomb for two. Punk taunts the crowd then ends up getting hit with a discus clothesline. AJ tries for a super Styles Clash but Punk escapes. Punk tries for a shining wizard but AJ catches him then turns that into the Styles Clash for the win (18:44) ****.
Thoughts: Awesome match. Both guys were superb ad really laid into each other as well. Easily the best match on the show.
Cappetta is with the Backseat Boyz, who are not happy after losing the belts. Acid finally speaks and says he cant believe they lost to Special K as Kashmere gets pissed and walks off.
We see the Special K party in the hotel room as Lit is hurling in the bathroom with the others making fun of him.
Field of Honor
Block B
Jimmy Rave vs. Dan Maff w/ Allison Danger
A light "welcome back" chant breaks out for Maff. Rave offers a handshake but gets booted in the gut. Rave comes back with a pair of armdrags but gets hit with a backdrop driver and rolls outside. Maff follows him out and attacks the back and rams him into the guardrail a few times. Punk rejoins on commentary and tells us that he is still better than AJ due to the fact that he is straight edge. Rave fights back with after dropkicking Maff off of the apron then follows with a flying knee smash. Rave complains to the ref then Maff gets up and hits a clothesline after a Burning Hammer attempt failed. Maff hits the cannonball in the corner as Punk makes fun of Danger's hair. Rave comes back with a crossface off of a tilt-a-whirl but Maff power out then hits the Burning Hammer for the win (6:50) *1/4.
Thoughts: Nothing more than a glorified squash. Rave's losing streak continues as they try an re-establish Maff back into the Field of Honor tournament after getting knocked out cold by Low Ki. I dont think this match accomplished a whole lot for him in that regard.
Backstage, AJ shares his disappointment with Rave for not listening to him. AJ says he is knows what he is doing and that he needs to stay on the attack as Rave looks disappointed.
Maff tells us that Cabana and Whitmer are next as he will win the Field of Honor. He then tells Low Ki he is standing tall after taking his best shot as he walks over yelling "bitch."
Dan McDevitt from Maryland Championship Wrestling comes out to thank the fans. He also tells them that a lot of independent promoters tried to run here and it was not until Rob Feinstein called from RoH that he decided to let them fill the spot vacated. He then talks about the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup and that RoH will be hosting the 6th Annual version of that as the crowd applauds.
Justin Credible vs. Raven
Raven roughs up Credible to start as he rams him against the guardrail. They head back inside where Credible escapes from a DDT then takes a breather. Credible now beats on Raven in the corner then takes him outside with a drop toehold. Credible beats on Raven outside then heads back in where he works the leg. Credible works a figure-four that Raven breaks then crotches himself against the post when Raven moved out of the way. Raven fights back with a pair of clotheslines and a kneelift. Bulldog gets two. Raven pulls up as to not hit the ref then moves away as Credible takes the ref out with a super kick. Credible hits Raven low then grabs a chair but that backfires as Raven takes him down then hits the Evenflow DDT for the win (7:56) *1/2.
Thoughts: Not the best effort from these two, especially by Credible. Raven's feud with Punk has cooled off considerably and he had nothing else going on here besides that. This was Raven's second to last match with the company.
John Walters vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Homicide w/ Julius Smokes vs. Xavier
Typical back-and-forth action early on in this match. Xavier taunted Walters a bit but nothing else notable so far. The crowd is into Homicide more than anyone else. The action is fine but these four-way matches are all really wrestled the same way so it all comes off as old hat at this point. They work a contrived spot where Walters grabs Briscoe in a single leg crab and Xavier in a stretch while Homicide runs the ropes sevearl times before breaking that up with a dropkick. Walters then messes up another trainwreck spot after mistiming a springboard. Walters and Xavier trade chops but Homicide clears the ring and takes Walters out with a tope con hilo. Briscoe climbs up top and hits a shooting star press that drew a lot of "holy shit" chants. Xavier tries an Arabian Press but overshot the move. Walters teases a dive then Xavier snaps his neck off of the rope. Xavier rolls through a 450 then Homicide hits a draping DDT on Walters for a nearfall. Now everyone breaks up pinfalls after big moves until uses an eye poke before hitting Walters with the Kiss Your X Goodbye for the win (16:41) ***.
Thoughts: Good action but it didnt really resemble a match. It was a ton of cool moves done well and entertaining but these matches have been done so many times here that I cannot get to excited over this stuff anymore.
Jim Cornette tells us he is coming back to RoH on November 1st.
RoH World Title Match
Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe (Champion)
Match starts with Joe grounding Jay on the mat. Jay tries to keep up and is able to grab a front facelock. Mark is now out at ringside to support his brother as Joe is in control. Joe now uses a Boston Crab but Jay reaches the ropes. Joe facewashes Jay in the corner but takes his time as Jay comes back with a Yakuza kick. Joe is now outside as Jay takes him out with a plancha. He sends Joe into the guardrail. Back inside, Jay gets a bit more offense in before he gets caught with an uranage. Joe takes Jay outside and connects with the ole kick. Back inside, Joe locks on the STF. He then uses a rolling cradle that gets two. Jay then blocks a strike and hits a back suplex as both men are down. Jay fights back with a DDT then climbs up top and hits a leg drop for a nearfall. Jay fights out of an abdominal stretch and lifts up Joe for a Death Valley Driver for two as the crowd is now solidly behind Jay. He now tries for the Jaydriller but Joe blocks it and tries for the Coquina Clutch. Jay bites out of that but Joe hits a Dragon Suplex. Joe slaps and kicks Jay repeatedly before hitting the Island Driver but Jay kicks out of that as the fans go nuts. Joe then turns Jay inside out with a lariat and gets the win (15:03) ***1/4. After the match, Joe crouches over Jay and shakes his hand while slapping him in the face. Mark comes in and is pissed but Joe takes him down with an enziguiri then puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Joe leaves then the Briscoes eventually get up and receive a standing ovation from the crowd.
Thoughts: Fun match that told a good story of Jay not backing down from the monster Joe, giving him everything he had. I did think the finish was weak though as a lariat getting the pin after everything else came off weak. But if the goal was to establish the Briscoes as threats, it was accomplished.
Christopher Daniels tells us that another show has passed and the Prophecy are still in the middle of things. He switches attention to Joe and says just because his first title shot did not go as planned doesnt mean he will not fulfill his destiny of being the RoH Champion. Daniels now tells Steve Corino he was surprised when he wished him luck in his title match then tells a story of a man who found a frozen snake and took care of it only to get bit and killed by it at the end. He then tells Punk that he doesnt appreciate being accused of attacking Lucy and the next time he steps in his face he better bring more than loud talk. This still continues as Daniels alerts RoH that they are not so big until he makes an appearance so they can sell their tapes. This promo went on for too long but it did show how RoH had a number of ways to go in building up feuds.
John Walters tells us that Xavier has cheated him out of two matches and that this injustice will be taken care of as next time they face he will throw respect out the door and will be there for a fight. Promos are certainly not Walters' strong suit.
Trent Acid then tries to stop Kashmere from leaving but it fails as Kashmere says that he needs some time. This story line was really rushed.
Xavier tells Walters that he hears him crying and a win is a win. He also tells him that he can have another battle but in a tag match as he will find a partner.
The Briscoes tells Joe he can hit them as hard as they want but they will hit him back harder and assure him the war has just begun.
Final Thoughts: This show was average. It had some good matches, some bad matches and a bit too much filler. The Field of Honor stuff came off poorly and the Tag Team Division is a joke but they did build up a few people and seem to have many directions to head in when building new top feuds. Joe is great as the champ and Punk was entertaining all around here. RoH is still trying to build up compelling feuds as they close out the year and they are getting closer.
Here is my schedule for the next several days:
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 8/22/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 8/23/87
Thursday: Highspots Shoot Interview with Brickhouse Brown
Friday: WWF Sam Houston Coliseum 8/28/87 (Paul Boesch Retirement Show)
Saturday: Brickhouse TV: Season 1, Episode 1
From Michaels 8th Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD
Your hosts are Ray Murrow and Chris Levy
The show starts with Gary Michael Cappetta welcoming the crowd to Ring of Honor and bringing up how Ron Simmons won the WCW title here. Prince Nana interrupts and says that its been almost two years and he has yet to receive a title shot. The crowd chants "we don't care" as Nana goes on and on about the crowd lacking respect until Samoa Joe interrupts. Nana then gets in his face and demands a title shot right now! Joe then calmly gives him his title shot before attacking him.
RoH World Title Match
Prince Nana vs. Samoa Joe (Champion)
Joe beats on Nana for a minute. Nana fights back and hits a corner splash but takes too long and gets hit with an enziguiri. Joe then follows with an overhead suplex before applying the Coquina Clutch for the win (0:57) 1/4*. After the match, Joe grabs the mic and welcomes the crowd to RoH and promises to make some memories tonight as we will see amazing high-flyers and technicians then will see him choke out Jay Briscoe, who is now in the ring. Jay is then held back by his brother as they build tension for the main event.
Thoughts: Decent way to kick off the show and get the crowd going. Nana was entertaining as a bottom of the card guy at least.
Colt Cabana is behind the desk as he tells us his show, "Good Times, Great Memories" which he got the chance to do after beating Rob Feinstein in a game of dreidel. He welcomes the Backseat Boyz, who light up cigarettes in lieu of the "No Smoking" sign. They put them out as they say it wont bring them down. Cabana makes a lame Backstreet Boys joke as Acid puts over how many titles they have won all over the country. Cabana then asks them if they ever got "chubbed up" from the women in the stands sticking dollar bills down their pants as they said it happens. If you think Cabana is funny, you'd probably like this but everyone else would think that it sucked.
Scramble Match
Ring Crew Express vs. Josh Daniels & Danny Doring vs. Slyk Wagner Brown & Sonjay Dutt vs. The Rottweilers w/ Julius Smokes
The Rottweilers consist of Slugger & Grim Reefer. This is the RoH debuts for Daniels, Doring, Dutt, and Reefer. Match starts with Doring and Marcos doing some chain wrestling as CM Punk joins on commentary. Marcos comes back with a hurricarana and an enziguiri before running into a clothesline. Daniels and Dunn are in now as the announcers talk up Daniels, who never ended up amounting to anything. He overpowers Dunn, who proceeds to hit the slowest victory roll in history. Dutt and Reefer are in now and do a bunch of standing switches at rapid speed. They are going way too fast for their own good in here. Dutt made his TNA the day before this show. Slugger as Brown comes in and chops away but runs into a shoulderblock. Slugger is terrible in the ring by the way. He stomps Brown in the corner but walks around and lets Brown hit him with a missile dropkick. Marcos tags in and hits the Sliced Bread #2 on Slugger, which looked ridiculous. Why let him get hit with that in his first match. The match breaks down as they hit all sorts of stuff, including a ropewalk swanton from Reefer. Dutt hits him with a Phoenix Splash as the crowd goes nuts but Daniels hits him with a German suplex. The match breaks down again as Dunn tries to face off against Slugger but gets booted down. Reefer then hits Dunn with a frog splash and Slugger hits the Bodybag for the win (8:05) **.
Thoughts: Not that bad. It was designed to put over the Rottweilers. I do think they should have made Slugger look a lot more dominant though as all his mystique was gone once he got taken down by one of the Ring Crew Express goofs. Dutt looked okay in his RoH debut and Daniels was a guy trying to wrestle like Chris Benoit but didnt show much. All Doring did here was collect a paycheck.
Field of Honor Tournament
Block A
Matt Stryker vs. Chris Sabin
Match starts with both guys doing some matwork as Punk still wants to know who took out Lucy at the Wrath of the Racket show then talks about his match with AJ Styles tonight. They end in a standoff and are met with a light applause. They go back and forth again until Stryker lights up Sabin with chops in the corner. Sabin fights back after a floatover then gets two with an enziguiri. Sabin hits more kicks but gets caught with a powerslam coming off of the top rope and his fortunate not to have been killed. That was fucking scary. Stryker works a surfboard then turns it into a back suplex for two. He hits a powerbomb that looked terrible for two. Sabin comes back with a few flying kicks but Stryker comes back with a neckbreaker for two. These two are not on the same page at all in this match. They trade chops until Sabin hits a springboard DDT for a nearfall. He heads back up top but Stryker climbs up and hits an overheard suplex for two. After another sloppy reversal sequence, Sabin gets two with a rollup. Stryker fights back and tries a Death Valley Driver that Sabin tries to turn into a crucifix but Stryker rolls through it and nearly drops him before getting up and hitting the DVD, dropping Sabin right on his face, for the win (10:03) *1/2. Sabin is pouring blood out of a cut near his eye as the ref is screaming for a towel.
Thoughts: An extremely disappointing match. These two were off all night and Styker almost killed Sabin on more than one occasion. A pretty embarrassing match as part of a tournament celebrating "pure" wrestling.
After the match, we see Sabin and Stryker in the back. Stryker says all he was trying to do was win as Sabin says its just part of the game and not to worry as he is pissesd about losing. He didn't seem to thrilled about the cut either.
Field of Honor
Block B
Colt Cabana vs. BJ Whitmer
The crowd is all over Cabana, who responds by taunting. The crowd then calls Cabana a "homo" as he stalls to start the match. Punk talks about breaking into the business with Cabana and sometimes you don't pick your friends and as a result he is stuck with Cabana. Punk also makes fun of Whitmer as their side feud continues. Whitmer catches Cabana with a leg lariat for two the works the arm as Punk makes fun of him for that. Cabana then trips over Whitmer after he dropped down as the fans chant "you fucked up." Cabana yells at the fans as he is now pissed off. Back inside, Whitmer gets two with a Northern lights suplex as Punk talks about having a few leads on who attacked Lucy. Cabana fights back as Punk compares him to Mr. Wrestling II. He hits a double knee smash in the corner for two. Snap suplex gets two. He then hits a butt smash for two and follows that with an iron claw,something the announcers say doesn't work as Whitmer fights out then catches Cabana with an overhead suplex as both men are down. Whitmer gets up and hits an Exploder for two. They have a reversal sequence that ends with Cabana nearly killing Whitmer with a back suplex for a nearfall then shortly after that he gets the win wit a bridging rollup (11:30) **.
Thoughts: Not much to this match as well. Cabana did this as a comedy match and it came off like a WWE house show comedy match at times. The highlight of this match was Punk on commentary. He was great here.
Backstage, Cabana tells us that was serious as he can do it all, stressing how he is 2-0 and is all serious in the ring.
AJ Styles is giving pointers to Jimmy Rave. He is a little hard on him as he wants him to take advantage of things.
RoH Tag Team Title Match
Izzy & Dixie w/ Special K vs. Backseat Boyz (Champions)
The Backseat Boyz start off hitting some double-team moves. Acid beats on Izzy then gets the crowd going but ends up getting tossed off of the top rope. Kashmere dumps Dixie then gets caught with a wheelbarrow slam/leg drop combo onto the floor. Ouch. Acid is in the ring fighting off both guys but that doesnt last as the Special K guys are in control. Punk leaves to get ready for his upcoming match against AJ Styles as Dixie gets a nearfall with a suplex. Acid fights back but Kashmere is still out on the floor as he looks for a tag. Izzy hits an inverted hurricarana then a snap suplex as Kashmere has now finally made his way onto the apron. Acid dodges a double-team attack and comes back with a Yakuza kick before finally making the tag. Kashmere cleans house as Becky Bayless is distracting the ref so the Special K goofs on the outside can try an interfere but that fails. Backseat Boys hit Izzy with the Dream Sequence then they hit Dixie with the T-Gimmick. They cover but Lit pulls out the referee and Acid chases Dixie around but gets hit with the belt by Izzy. Dixie covers but only gets two so he then hits a gordbuster as Izzy follows with a springboard 450 splash for the win and the titles (8:44) **. As the lights are off for Special K's celebration, Loc runs into the ring but gets jumped by the rest of Special K until Julius Smokes and the Rottweilers make the save. Levy tells is that DeVito was working overtime and could not be here tonight. Kashmere was also seen walking away, leaving his partner behind.
Thoughts: The story of Kashmere getting taken out early on was good but Special K was far too weak of a team to be holding the belts. I swear to god Dixie had to have been blowing someone to get his spot because he is one of the worst wrestlers in the company. He is terrible at everything. The run-ins at the end were okay but it highlighted the lack of depth in the tag division more than anything else.
Punk comes out and tells the crowd that prescription drug use is on the rise but will not make fun of them for that or their failures. He then tells us that he is straight edge, which also means he is better than you.
CM Punk vs. AJ Styles
Both guys start by jockeying for position as Levy goes over the Code of Honor. They continue to trade holds on the mat as Samoa Joe has joined on commentary. Levy asks Joe about Jay Briscoe as he tells us everyone knows he will choke him out. Back to the match as both men continue to go back and forth as Joe leaves. AJ grabs a side headlock for a bit until Punk catches him with a back suplex. Punk attacks the neck but runs into a dropkick as both men are down. AJ gets two with a knee drop but gets caught with a drop toehold as he charged into the corner. Punk chops away then almost gets caught with the Styles Clash. AJ lands on his feet after a counter then drills Punk with an enziguiri that sends him outside. AJ tries for a moonsault off of the apron but Punk sidesteps that then rams Styles into the guardrail a couple of times. Back inside, Punk gets a nearfall with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He hits a delayed vertical suplex then targets the back some more. AJ fights back with a moonsault kick but Punk takes him down and stretches him out. Punk gets a few more nearfalls, growing increasingly frustrated. He tries a spilt-legged moonsault after taunting the crowd but AJ gets his knees up as both men are down. They exchange chops then fight over a suplex until AJ hits a cradle back suplex for two. Punk slips out of a pumphandle then hits a legsweep DDT for two. They now fight up top as Punk hits a sunset powerbomb for two. Punk taunts the crowd then ends up getting hit with a discus clothesline. AJ tries for a super Styles Clash but Punk escapes. Punk tries for a shining wizard but AJ catches him then turns that into the Styles Clash for the win (18:44) ****.
Thoughts: Awesome match. Both guys were superb ad really laid into each other as well. Easily the best match on the show.
Cappetta is with the Backseat Boyz, who are not happy after losing the belts. Acid finally speaks and says he cant believe they lost to Special K as Kashmere gets pissed and walks off.
We see the Special K party in the hotel room as Lit is hurling in the bathroom with the others making fun of him.
Field of Honor
Block B
Jimmy Rave vs. Dan Maff w/ Allison Danger
A light "welcome back" chant breaks out for Maff. Rave offers a handshake but gets booted in the gut. Rave comes back with a pair of armdrags but gets hit with a backdrop driver and rolls outside. Maff follows him out and attacks the back and rams him into the guardrail a few times. Punk rejoins on commentary and tells us that he is still better than AJ due to the fact that he is straight edge. Rave fights back with after dropkicking Maff off of the apron then follows with a flying knee smash. Rave complains to the ref then Maff gets up and hits a clothesline after a Burning Hammer attempt failed. Maff hits the cannonball in the corner as Punk makes fun of Danger's hair. Rave comes back with a crossface off of a tilt-a-whirl but Maff power out then hits the Burning Hammer for the win (6:50) *1/4.
Thoughts: Nothing more than a glorified squash. Rave's losing streak continues as they try an re-establish Maff back into the Field of Honor tournament after getting knocked out cold by Low Ki. I dont think this match accomplished a whole lot for him in that regard.
Backstage, AJ shares his disappointment with Rave for not listening to him. AJ says he is knows what he is doing and that he needs to stay on the attack as Rave looks disappointed.
Maff tells us that Cabana and Whitmer are next as he will win the Field of Honor. He then tells Low Ki he is standing tall after taking his best shot as he walks over yelling "bitch."
Dan McDevitt from Maryland Championship Wrestling comes out to thank the fans. He also tells them that a lot of independent promoters tried to run here and it was not until Rob Feinstein called from RoH that he decided to let them fill the spot vacated. He then talks about the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup and that RoH will be hosting the 6th Annual version of that as the crowd applauds.
Justin Credible vs. Raven
Raven roughs up Credible to start as he rams him against the guardrail. They head back inside where Credible escapes from a DDT then takes a breather. Credible now beats on Raven in the corner then takes him outside with a drop toehold. Credible beats on Raven outside then heads back in where he works the leg. Credible works a figure-four that Raven breaks then crotches himself against the post when Raven moved out of the way. Raven fights back with a pair of clotheslines and a kneelift. Bulldog gets two. Raven pulls up as to not hit the ref then moves away as Credible takes the ref out with a super kick. Credible hits Raven low then grabs a chair but that backfires as Raven takes him down then hits the Evenflow DDT for the win (7:56) *1/2.
Thoughts: Not the best effort from these two, especially by Credible. Raven's feud with Punk has cooled off considerably and he had nothing else going on here besides that. This was Raven's second to last match with the company.
John Walters vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Homicide w/ Julius Smokes vs. Xavier
Typical back-and-forth action early on in this match. Xavier taunted Walters a bit but nothing else notable so far. The crowd is into Homicide more than anyone else. The action is fine but these four-way matches are all really wrestled the same way so it all comes off as old hat at this point. They work a contrived spot where Walters grabs Briscoe in a single leg crab and Xavier in a stretch while Homicide runs the ropes sevearl times before breaking that up with a dropkick. Walters then messes up another trainwreck spot after mistiming a springboard. Walters and Xavier trade chops but Homicide clears the ring and takes Walters out with a tope con hilo. Briscoe climbs up top and hits a shooting star press that drew a lot of "holy shit" chants. Xavier tries an Arabian Press but overshot the move. Walters teases a dive then Xavier snaps his neck off of the rope. Xavier rolls through a 450 then Homicide hits a draping DDT on Walters for a nearfall. Now everyone breaks up pinfalls after big moves until uses an eye poke before hitting Walters with the Kiss Your X Goodbye for the win (16:41) ***.
Thoughts: Good action but it didnt really resemble a match. It was a ton of cool moves done well and entertaining but these matches have been done so many times here that I cannot get to excited over this stuff anymore.
Jim Cornette tells us he is coming back to RoH on November 1st.
RoH World Title Match
Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe (Champion)
Match starts with Joe grounding Jay on the mat. Jay tries to keep up and is able to grab a front facelock. Mark is now out at ringside to support his brother as Joe is in control. Joe now uses a Boston Crab but Jay reaches the ropes. Joe facewashes Jay in the corner but takes his time as Jay comes back with a Yakuza kick. Joe is now outside as Jay takes him out with a plancha. He sends Joe into the guardrail. Back inside, Jay gets a bit more offense in before he gets caught with an uranage. Joe takes Jay outside and connects with the ole kick. Back inside, Joe locks on the STF. He then uses a rolling cradle that gets two. Jay then blocks a strike and hits a back suplex as both men are down. Jay fights back with a DDT then climbs up top and hits a leg drop for a nearfall. Jay fights out of an abdominal stretch and lifts up Joe for a Death Valley Driver for two as the crowd is now solidly behind Jay. He now tries for the Jaydriller but Joe blocks it and tries for the Coquina Clutch. Jay bites out of that but Joe hits a Dragon Suplex. Joe slaps and kicks Jay repeatedly before hitting the Island Driver but Jay kicks out of that as the fans go nuts. Joe then turns Jay inside out with a lariat and gets the win (15:03) ***1/4. After the match, Joe crouches over Jay and shakes his hand while slapping him in the face. Mark comes in and is pissed but Joe takes him down with an enziguiri then puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Joe leaves then the Briscoes eventually get up and receive a standing ovation from the crowd.
Thoughts: Fun match that told a good story of Jay not backing down from the monster Joe, giving him everything he had. I did think the finish was weak though as a lariat getting the pin after everything else came off weak. But if the goal was to establish the Briscoes as threats, it was accomplished.
Christopher Daniels tells us that another show has passed and the Prophecy are still in the middle of things. He switches attention to Joe and says just because his first title shot did not go as planned doesnt mean he will not fulfill his destiny of being the RoH Champion. Daniels now tells Steve Corino he was surprised when he wished him luck in his title match then tells a story of a man who found a frozen snake and took care of it only to get bit and killed by it at the end. He then tells Punk that he doesnt appreciate being accused of attacking Lucy and the next time he steps in his face he better bring more than loud talk. This still continues as Daniels alerts RoH that they are not so big until he makes an appearance so they can sell their tapes. This promo went on for too long but it did show how RoH had a number of ways to go in building up feuds.
John Walters tells us that Xavier has cheated him out of two matches and that this injustice will be taken care of as next time they face he will throw respect out the door and will be there for a fight. Promos are certainly not Walters' strong suit.
Trent Acid then tries to stop Kashmere from leaving but it fails as Kashmere says that he needs some time. This story line was really rushed.
Xavier tells Walters that he hears him crying and a win is a win. He also tells him that he can have another battle but in a tag match as he will find a partner.
The Briscoes tells Joe he can hit them as hard as they want but they will hit him back harder and assure him the war has just begun.
Final Thoughts: This show was average. It had some good matches, some bad matches and a bit too much filler. The Field of Honor stuff came off poorly and the Tag Team Division is a joke but they did build up a few people and seem to have many directions to head in when building new top feuds. Joe is great as the champ and Punk was entertaining all around here. RoH is still trying to build up compelling feuds as they close out the year and they are getting closer.
Here is my schedule for the next several days:
Sunday: WWF Superstars of Wrestling 8/22/87
Tuesday: WWF Wrestling Challenge 8/23/87
Thursday: Highspots Shoot Interview with Brickhouse Brown
Friday: WWF Sam Houston Coliseum 8/28/87 (Paul Boesch Retirement Show)
Saturday: Brickhouse TV: Season 1, Episode 1