The show opens with a pretty damn good video package, well by Ring of Honor standards. We then go to the commentators infront of a video screen, I see Dave Prazak but no Lenny Leonard instead Mike Cockwood? No way, I think he said Cockwood. Anyway they introduce us to ROH and the Code of honor. They announce the main event: Jimmy Jacobs vs. Tyler Black, sounds good to me.
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They then introduce the first match Delirious vs. Jerry Lynn, we get a quite Delirious promo and the ring entrance are accompanied by an information bar with facts about the wrestlers. Lynn cuts a short WWE superstars style promo in a box brior to the match.
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Delirious vs. Jerry Lynn
There are facts running accross the bottom of the screen adn the camera work is way better than the regular DVD standard. Delirious goes cracy to start before getting a shoulder block but he's soon caught with a trip and locked in the bow and Arrow lock. Lynn jumps over a leg sweep and locks in a side headlock. Jerry hits a shoulder tackle and then scores with the flying headscissors. Delirious runs straight into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count. The commentary is very cheesey. Delirous counters a leap frog with a front slam and a senton back splash for a two count. Delirious applies a sleepereske takedown but effectively has lynn locked in a chinlock. Delirious hits two closelines but the third is countered into a back slide for two. Lynn applies a spinning gory special into a face buster for a near fall. The replays are computer game eske.
Delirious get a drop toe hold into the bottom turn buckle and follows up with the Panic Attack but Lynn manages to roll out of the way of the Shadows over hell. Delirious counters both the TKO and Cradle Piledriver into pins for nearfalls. IS THIS THE FINISH!!!! Is the most annoying catchphrase in human history. Lynn hits a Frankenstiener and the TKO for a near fall. The crowd is pretty dead. Delirious fights back but misses a corner splash and eats a Cradle Piledriver for the 1-2-3.
Well I like the new camera work it definitely feels more interesting than TNA's approach, but the new commentator is very cheesey, they should tell him the names of the moods and what each wrestles finisher is so he isn't suprised everytime something happens. The match itself was good but a little flat, the ROH fans will have to get used to TV style matches. Delirious is certianly a curious choice to open your new TV show, definitely very love it or leave it. (**)
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Kyle Durton interviews Tyle Black who hypes his match up Jacobs saying this is very personal.
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Sami Callihan cuts a very cheesey pre match promo saying for him its Haloween 365 days a year. Kenny King's inset promo is up next and he is smooth and cocky and looks made for tv.
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Sami Callihan vs. Kenny King
Kenny cockily leap frogs Callihan to start the match up before Callihan grabs a hammerlock but King arm drags to counter before playing to the crowd. King headstands to counter another arm lock. Kenny works out of a head lock adn gets the Macho Man jaw jacker before hitting a closeline for a one count. King hits a body slam before hitting a springboard leg drop for a two count and cinching him a chin lock. Apparently the fans are big into chinlocks according to the comentator. King hits a beautiful spinning enzenguri and then a double A spinebuster gets a nearfall. Callihan dodges a axe kick and hits an inverted atomic drop before hitting a cradle suplex and both men are down.
Sami unloads, god this man just does not have it, Callihan hits a seated kick and ace crusher combo for a near fall before locking the Kojiclutch but King manages to make the ropes. Callihan hits a horrible forearm before missing a terrible poetry in motion, King mercifully finishes the match with the Corrination.
King spent most of the match getting himself over, Sami Callihan simply isn't ready for television, this match was very sloppy, if your going to put Callihan on TV he has to be a straight jobber. (3/4*)
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Jimmy Jacobs is up next to cut a promo, he tells the story of Black turning against him to fight for the masses not against them. Jacobs says he'll throw Black a bone just to pick it dry. Jacobs says tonight he'll break him. Jacobs says the war is no longer waiting, the war is on, the war is now. Good Promo.
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They go to a video package on the history of Ring of Honor, it says all the right things but in a far to cheesey way.
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Rhett Titus cuts his usual promo running through all his usual catchphrases. Brent Albright cuts a competant promo, he looked nervous but delivered resonably well.
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Brent Albright vs. Rhett Titus
Brent unloads with a series of stiff chops before hitting a shoulder tackle. Titus goes for a suplex but its blocked and then countered into a delayed vertical suplex, which is nicely executed. Brent unloads with some big time forearm shivers, Brent pulls Titus off top and catches him with a back breaker in a really nice spot. Brent hits a deadly splash mountain bomb but Titus manages to get his foot on the rope at two. Brent then closelines Titus to the outside before following up with a plancha.
Brent tries to get back into the ring but Rhett knocks him off the apron with a low dropkick. Rhett gets a two count and then plays to the crowd. Brent fires back with some chops but he's cut off with a rake of the eyes. Rhett gets a snapmare and a dropkick to the back of the head. Titus hits a body slam and a knee drop for a two count. Titus then thrusts in Brent's face before applying a chinlock, god TV style matches are seriously annoying.
Brent fights out and hits a nice high leg lariat and a pair of running closelines. Brent then hits a running dropkick for a nearfall. Brent follows up with an exploder before waffling Titus with a big boot. Brent runs straight into a nice dropkick from Titus who gets two. Brent counters a closeline with a Rock Bottom and the half nelson suplex. Brent the immediately locks in the crowbar for submission victory.
Well that was just fine, something about ROH just doesn't translate well to the TV format. Squashes might have been a better option. That said this was a fine tv match even if it was a little rough around the edges. (*3/4)
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We then go to the history of the Age of the Fall and Austin Aries and how the storyline has brought us to this. They do a nice job with the graphics and the tale of the tape.
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Tyler Black vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Okay the commentators name is Mike Hogdewood. Jimmy gives Black a pussy shove but Black responds by shoving him half way accross the ring. Jacobs gets a knee to the gut and unloads before Black responds with a nice a dropkick and a flurry of rights. Jacobs pulls Black to the outside to avoid a plancha. Jacobs rolls out of the ring and away from Black and hurls two chairs into the ring. This distracts Black allowing him to counter attack and hit his neckbreaker chop combination. Jacobs chokes Black on the top rope. Black does the dropkick fake and then hits a slingshot spinning heel kick. Black stands on the neck of Jacobs and plays to the crowd Hodgewoods shouts OH THAT HURT! His timing is just all wrong.
Black runs into a pair of boots but counters a flying axe handle with an inverted atomic drop. The crowd is just dead. Black tries to pull Jacobs up but Jimmy counters brilliantly with a ranna sending Black into the bottom turnbuckle. Jacobs blows kisses to the crowd before hitting a second rope fist drop for a two count. Jacobs plays to the crowd as he unloads on Black but Black comes back with a back body drop and a very nice body slam. Black heads up top but Jacobs shoves him off top and Black crashes and burns into the guard rail.
Jacobs follows Black to the outside and hits a nice flying elbow drop off the apron. Jacobs sets up a chair and puts Black on it but the referee spoils our fun and breaks up the Plancha. Jacobs unloads on Black in the corner and then hits a very crisp spear in the corner. Jacobs follows up with a snapmare and a dropkick to the back of the head. Jacobs tries the spear again and eats knees Black charges but Jacobs catches him with a flying choke. Jacob gets a top mount and reigns down blows as Black coveres up. Jacobs then hits the repeated double stomps and second rope elbow drop combination.
Black explodes with a spear and unloads. Jacobs tries to hold him off but runs straight into a gorrilla press. Black gets up a head of steam and hits the corner forearm. Black is pressed onto the apron, Black hits an Enzenguri and then a nice spring board lariat for a near fall. That was very nice. Black misses the lionsault but hits the running shooting star press to compensate for a near fall. Black goes up top but misses the Pheonix splash, Jacobs hits a lightening spear but only gets a near fall. That was a very nice sequence. Black and Jacobs exchange standing switches until Black hits the pele. Jacobs throws Black out of the ring. Jacobs charges and hits the plancha through the steel chair at ringside that was really nicely done.
Back in the ring Jacobs gets a near fall and Jimmy can't believe it. Jacob goes to the top rope and plays to the crowd. Jimmy eats knees on the super senton back splash. Black goes for God's Last Gift but Jimmy counters brilliantly into the End Time, Black struggles to break but finally manages to throw Jacobs off. Jacobs gets a lightening roll up for a near fall and then slides accross and slaps on the End Time on the floor, great stuff. Black avoids being KOed and floats over and gets a quick 1-2-3.
Well the final few minutes were very good, and there was some brilliant and crisp offence mixed in with some sloppy and awkward moments. You always get a mixed bag with Jimmy Jacobs but this was definitely one of his stronger efforts. The finish itself was a bit anti-climatic but it fit the TV show. (***)
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Overall Thoughts: Well their are positives and negatives, I liked the main event, the camera work and the way their making an effort to get everyones characters accross. I didn't like the dire new commentator and the WWE Superstars or Shotgun challenge nature of the show, just a bunch of matches thrown out with no ryhme or reason. The main event was well hyped but if their going to pull of TV they need storylines, angles and squash matches to get characters accross. Sami Callihan isn't a star, he's not ready for tv, he should not wrestle five minutes, King should hit all his signature spots and get his character accross with minimal resistance. Tough show to score lots of weaknesses and undermined by a horrible crowd but a strong main event so. (6/10)
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