ROH on HDNet 3/28/2009 report

ROH TV report

ROH on HDNet 3/28/2009
By: Karl Clancey ( kace.2k4@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

We get a recap of last week’s main event to kick things off as well as the Hog and Prazak hyping our non-title main event which will be ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness taking on Jay Briscoe.

1. ROH World Tag Team Champion Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards
No handshake from either Steen or Edwards as they are currently involved in a feud with one another over the tag team titles along with their partners: El Generico and Davey Richards, respectively. A series of shoulder blocks start things off, leading to an eventual drop toe hold into a front-flip legdrop from Steen. Edwards regains control with a sit-out belly to back suplex variation for a two count. Edwards keeps control with chokes, kicks and forearms while using various heel tactics such as pulling Steen’s nostrils and distracting the referee while his manager, Larry Sweeney gets a cheap shot in on Mr. Wrestling. Steen is able to regain the advantage with a rope assisted low blow which allows him to hit a belly to belly suplex and a cannon ball splash in the corner to a sitting Edwards. Steen then goes for a Swanton but Edwards gets his knees up to block it. Edwards then hits a backpack chin breaker for a near fall. After an exchange of kicks, Steen hits a powerbomb and then a package piledriver for the three count.

Winner: Kevin Steen @ 7:51

Kyle Durden is in the back interviewing the ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness. Nigel warns Jay Briscoe not to use any underhanded tactics or else Nigel will kill him in the main event.

2. Daizee Haze vs. Sara Del Rey
Early on, Del Rey uses her size and strength advantage to splash and toss the Haze around the ring. Daizee uses her speed to regain the advantage, putting Del Rey down with a springboard arm drag and a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Daizee comes off the ropes for a cross body block, but is caught by Del Rey who hits her with a bridging fall away slam for a 2 count. Del Rey continues to dominate and works over the back of Haze with a backbreaker and some forearms. Del Rey locks the Haze in the torture rack, but Daizee escapes and hits Sara with a heart punch and a Yakuza kick. Del Rey reverses an attempted backslide into a Gory Especial and then boots Haze down into the corner. Haze comes back with a facebuster from the second rope which gets a near fall. Del Rey hits a Coppo Kick into the Royal Butterfly suplex for the win.

Winner: Sara Del Rey @ 5:26

Kyle Durden is backstage with Mark and Jay Briscoe. Mark is currently injured which leaves Jay competing in the singles division. Jay tells Nigel that he wants a title shot when he wins his match tonight. The Briscoes advise Nigel to “man up”.

After a quick commercial break, we are once again sent backstage where Kyle Durden is standing by with Prince Nana. The last time we had seen Prince Nana, he was down on his luck and begging ROH management for a job. Nana calls ROH management “fools” and says that he is planning to unleash Bison Smith on Ring of Honor.

3. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Alex Payne
The fans yell “HEY” which raises the ire of Claudio. The Hog points out that Alex Payne “looks about twelve”. Early sequence leads to a European uppercut on Payne. Sugarfoot comes back, though, and hits Claudio with a head scissors takedown and then a roll-up for two. Claudio puts a stop to Sugarfoot’s momentum by swatting away his dropkick and hitting a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. More European uppercuts and a dead lift suplex gets Claudio another two count. Claudio then hits a bicycle kick, but a nonchalant cover only earns him a near fall. Payne tries to fight back, but gets nailed with a slam for yet another two count. Claudio works over Payne with cravats and a chinlock, but Surgarfoot gets out of them and nails a series of dropkicks and a running knee. Sugarfoot gets on the ropes and leaps off with a Rick Steiner-esque bulldog from the middle rope. Claudio does regain the advantage though, and hits Payne with a pop-up European uppercut and then the Ricola Bomb for the victory. The Hog calls Claudio a ‘Swede’. Lovely.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli @ 6:18

4. Non-title Main Event: ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness vs. Jay Briscoe
Nigel locks in a wristlock on Briscoe to start off the match. We get some actual noise from the crowd who give us a dueling chant for the first time. Nigel bends Briscoe’s arm back, but Briscoe reverses it into a half crab. Briscoe then locks in a side headlock, and keeps it on despite Nigel’s best efforts to escape. Briscoe takes Nigel down with shoulder blocks and then transitions back to the side headlock. Nigel finally escapes the headlock for good by yanking down on Briscoe’s left arm, which sends Briscoe crashing to the mat. Nigel hits a back heel trip, and continues to work on Briscoe’s left arm. Jay is able to hit a dropkick which does earn him a two count. Nigel keeps working the arm using an arm whip and the top rope for leverage to do extra damage. Jay tries to fight back, but Nigel hits a hammerlock divorce court to kill Briscoe’s momentum. Nigel works the arm some more with a suplex and some arm submissions. Jay hits a big boot which knocks Nigel down for the first time in the match. Nigel hits a headbutt on Jay, but Jay catches Nigel coming off of the ropes with a spinebuster for a two count. Nigel regains the advantage with a kick to the back/forearm combination in the corner. Jay reverses the Tower of London and then hits the death valley driver for a near fall. Both men battle on the top rope and Nigel is knocked off. That allows Jay Briscoe to hit a guillotine leg drop which only gets him another two count. Nigel blocks the Jay Driller and hits the Jawbreaker Lariat for the 3 count.

Winner: ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness @ 12:05

We get a preview for next week’s show which will feature a battle of ROH mainstays as ‘American Dragon’ Bryan Danielson will take on Austin Aries in the main event.
Another solid wrestling show here. Not much else to say, honestly. It seemed with the Nana interview that they were trying to insert some storylines into the show which would break the monotony a little. These shows are being written for the audience who haven’t seen many or any of these guys before, so I’m eagerly anticipating the shows in a few months time when the characters have all been introduced. You can reach me at kace.2k4@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or www.entertainment-central.net if you have any feedback on the report. Thanks for reading.