Well in my estimation last weeks episode of ROH on HDnet really dropped the ball, hopefully this week they'll learn their lesson bring the star power and start to introduce storylines, well here's to hoping anyway.
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Hodgewood and Prazak starts the show with some inane banter "He thinks he's very European, we'll let you be the judge of that" what? Who cares? Anyway we go to our first match up, Jimmy Jacob cuts a money promo on Necro Butcher, Jacobs really is excellent, WWE should sign him and pair him with The Brian Kendrick. Necro Butcher is up next to cut a promo and its not too shabby he says he's bringing the staple gun.
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Jimmy Jacobs vs. Necro Butcher
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The referee won't allow Necro to use the stable gun and while Necro is distracted Jacobs sneak attacks and works over Necro from behind, Necro manages to fight back throwing Jacobs accross the ring. Jacobs has to cower and hide behind the referee to hold Necro off. "Fuck e'm Up Necro, Fuck 'em Up" rings out as Jacobs offers a handshake, Necro accepts it put unloads with a flurry of punches and scores with a running head pound against the turn buckle and Necro plays to the crowd.
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Necro then throws Jacobs through the middle rope and clobbers Jacobs in the gut with the ring bell as the crowd chant over hear. Necro chokes Jacobs with a shirt and tosses him hard to the outside. Necro sets up a table and goes for a running powerbomb but Jacobs slips out and scores with a back suplex. Jacobs sets up a chair at ringside and then suffocates Necro with a plastic bag, Jacobs places Necro on the chair and rakes his eyes before hitting the running plancha onto the chair.
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They return to the ring and Jacobs unloads with a series of right hands before coming off the second rope with an elbow drop for a two count. The crowd come to life as Jacobs goes for the spear but its countered with the straight right hand. Necro then scores with the chokeslam and Tiger Driver combination but Necro refuses to take the pin and he grabs the staple gun but Broadie Lee runs in for the save. Necro fights off both men.
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Good opener, fun action and relatively well executed for these two, the non finish was fine as they made it clear that Necro had the match won anyway. (*3/4)
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Kyle Durden is with Brent Albright and he says he's gonna show the world how personal this feud has gotten, they are going to show the world their hate. No one has taken Brent to the limit like Claudio but tonight Claudio has two choices get out or tap out.
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Next up is the promo from Sami Callihan WHY IS THIS MAN ON TELEVISION! Eddie Kingston cuts a real indy style promo, damn another CZW guy.
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Eddie Kingston vs. Sami Callihan
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The crowd start a big Eddie Kingston chant, Kingston no sells Callihan's offence and bitch slaps Sami. Sami locks in the Kofi clutch but Eddie breaks it in the ropes and then stands up cockily and shoves Callihan. Callihan scores with a chop and a head butt, Kingston scores with a Taz plex but he runs straight into a trip. Callihan continues to kick Kingston in the face, this match has already gone way too long. Kingston gets up and bitch slaps Callihan hard, Kingston then hits a hard chop in the corner. Callihan comes back with an eye rake, and he works over Kingston unimaginatively in the corner. They exchange some more terrible hand slaps and Callihan plays to the crowd.
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Kingston blocks a suplex but Callihan kicks him down and works him over with a choke. Callihan hits some chops in the corner, Callihan runs into a weak boot and Kingston hits a big right hand. Kingston unloads with a couple of chops and then a big head butt, Kingston then hits a Snow Plow for a near fall. Callihan has been busted wide open from the headbutt. Callihan scores with a big boot and a twisting suplex more for a two count. Callihan hits a kick to the leg but Kingston responds with a back drop driver and a spinning back fist for the 1-2-3.
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Yawn, went on far too long, neither of these characters are ready for TV, the action was not good, exciting or unique enough to compensate, it picked up a little but this was way too poor and way too long. (1/4*)
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Kyle Durden is with Claudio Castagnoli, Claudio calls Kyle's tie American trash, all high fashion comes from Europe, "look at this scarf, it's very European".
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Mike Hogdewood does an interview with Jerry Lynn, he's very thankful and humble, he does what he does because of passion, he's says he'll except all challengers and name checks all the past champions.
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Bobby Dempsey cuts a terrible promo, another character who should just not be on television.
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Bobby Dempsey vs. Orange Cassidy
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Dempsey hits the running body check and immediately follows it straight up with the death valley driver.
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Finally a squash match! This is what you need to do on TV, get people's characters and main moves over quickly, in between the showcase matches, jobbers should be jobbers. (n/a)
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Buzz words is up neck and its with Erik Stevens and it basically gets over his characters and moves which is perfectly fine.
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Cheech and Cloudy are up neck to cut a promo, ugh. Kenny King and Rhett Titus are up next to cut a promo, and Kenny King is very very good, Rhett is well Rhett.
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Cheech & Cloudy vs. Rhett Titus & Kenny King
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Dave Prazak should just be taken off commentary, the crowd chant "your a virgin" at Rhett. Kenny grabs a side headlock but Cheech counters with an arm bar, Kenny tries to spin to counter but he ends up back in a headlock, Cheech cartwheels to get a arm bar. Rhett tags in and runs straight into an arm drag but Rhett unloads and tags in Kenny. All four men are in and Cheech and Cloudy hit a double ten punch and then a double bulldog mid air high five spot.
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Cloudy back body drops Rhett onto the apron, Rhett dodges the shoulder charge and King kills Cloudy with a running knee strike, that was brutal. Rhett plays to the crowd but gets caught with an inside cradle for a two count and then slaps on a chinlock. Rhett scores with a stinger splash and a high knee for a two counter. Rhett plays to the crowd as King hits a monster closeline for a near fall. King hits a body slam but misses a spingboard leg drop. Cloudy gets a sunset flip for two.
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HOT TAG! Cheech cleans house with closelines and hits a big spear in the corner Cheech cartwheels off top and scores with a Superkick for a near fall. Cheech and Cloudy hit a double team spinning slam, then Cloudy hits a swanton off the shoulder's of Cheech. They then hit a 6-1-9 dropkick combination. Cloudy goes up top but King shoves him off top and he crashes and burns into the guard rail. King and Rhett then hit a beautiful Powerbomb springboard block buster combination for the 1-2-3
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There was some really good double team offence at the end from both teams and some nice spots but also some sloppy and interesting action thrown in. A Mixed Bag. (*1/4)
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Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright
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Claudio attacks Brent on the outside but Brent unloads and they brawl around ringside. Claudio scores with some big European Uppercuts but Brent fires back with a wind up back breaker. Claudio responds with a European uppercut and he bites away at Brent in the corner. Brent returns fire with some stiff chops, Brent then runs straight into a European uppercut. Claudio runs into a monkey flip and then Brent closeline him hard over the top rope.
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Brent tries a plancha but CLAUDIO CATCHES HIM and hits a running powerslam into the barracade crushing some fans in the process, that was one hell of a spot. Claudio brings Albright back into the ring and applies a chinlock, Claudio lays in some big stomps and a European uppercut before hitting a hard Irish whip. Claudio then hits the lift up gut wrench suplex and he follows it straight up with a running dropkick for a two count. Claudio swats away Brents come back efforts with a big European uppercut.
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Claudio lays Brent on the apron and scores with a big European uppercut but Brent explodes and counters with an overhead release belly to belly suplex on the outside. Claudio responds by pulling Brent down to the floor hard. Claudio rolls him back into the ring and gets a two count before slapping on the chinlock again. Brent tries to fight up but Claudio powers Brent down hard back into the chinlock. Brent fights out and scores with a rock bottom.
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Brent explodes with two closelines and a T-Bone suplex and then a hard Irish whip over head suplex combination. Claudio hits a European but runs straight into a power slam for a near fall. Claudio blocks a suplex and goes for one of his own but Claudio counters into a suplex swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Brent hits a big chop, Claudio springboards off the second rope and scores with a diving European uppercut to reverse the momentum.
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Claudio then applies the Big Swing and plays to the crowd, Claudio goes for the big European but Brent counters with a back slide for a near fall, the minute Brent gets up Claudio kills him with a Pump Kick, Claudio gets a near fall and complains to the referee, Brent suddenly grabs Claudio and locks in a crossface and then the crowbar but Claudio makes the ropes. Claudio catches Brent on top and pokes him in the eye before playing to the crowd. Albright shoves Claudio off the top rope and hits a flying crossbody for a very near fall.
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Brent hulks up and floats over Claudio but Claudio fights out of the half nelson suplex, Brent charges right into the Pop Up European but Brent counters and goes for the Half Nelson but Claudio counters into the Victory Roll and with him the help of the ropes Claudio gets the 1-2-3.
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A return to form for ROH and excellent TV main event with some really nice action, the chinlocks were a bit of a let down but there were some great spots escpecially the plancha counter. These two have good chemistry together, I really don't rate Albright but I have to says this was an impressive performance. Fun all action match up. (***)
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Overall Thoughts: Good show this week, it still feels flat and the announcers were a real detraction this week, Hodgewood and Prazak are having a competition to see who can be more cringe inducing and I think Prazak is winning. The wrestling this week was good, the opener was strong as was the main event and the tag match was fun. We got a nice introduction to Erik Stevens and Bobby Dempsey but that Kingston match should never have been put on television. Definitely worth watching for the wrestling quality but it's still a million miles away from must see TV. (6/10)
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