We start with the same format as last week, tonight our main event is Nigel McGuiness vs. Jay Briscoe. First up however its Eddie Edwards and Kevin Steen, Sweeney and Steen both cut good promos pre match.
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Eddie Edwards (w/Larry Sweeney) vs. Kevin Steen
The crowd seem much more into the action this week. Actually its probably taped in front of the same crowd as they soon fade. Steen stays on his feet after a shoulder tackle and bitch slaps Eddie. Steen takes Edwards down with a shoulder tackle and gives him the snot rocket for good measure before hitting a front flip elbow drop. Steen hits a snapmare and a diving forearm to the back of Edwards. Edwards floats over SWteen and hits a back suplex into a facebuster for a two count.
Eddie works over Steen in the corner with some chops and a choke. Edwards hits a running throat thurst and a spinal tap before applying the camel clutch. The crowd is just dead. The finally muster a "Mr Wrestling" will Sweeney lays in a cheap shot. Edwards lays in another choke in the corner while Sweeney talks smack. Edwards gets a snapmare and a half nelson chinlock.
Steen fights out but only to run into a nice dropkick. Steen unloads with some big forearm strikes in the corner but Edwards maintains control with a stiff chop. Steen blocks a kick and low blows Edwards by punting the second rope. Steen hits an inverted atomic drop, an exploder and then the cannon ball but only gets two. Steen goes to the top rope but Edwards gets his knees up on the Swanton bomb. Eddie gives Steen an enzenguri on the second rope and the back pack chinbreaker for a near fall. Edwards hits a running forearm but runs into a superkick, Edwards replies with a enzenguri but his ranna is countered into a powerbomb. Steen then tells the crowd its over before hitting the package piledriver for the 1-2-3.
Well the crowd is still sucking the life out of these ROH tv tapings but Steen and Edwards put together a decent effort that got better and better as the match went on. Steen came accross well on TV. (*3/4)
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Nigel says he doesn't need an introduction and says that he is the World Champion and he is the man to beat in ROH. He calls Jay Briscoe a hill billy and a wanker, he says if you don't bring everything he's got Nigel will kill him. Nigel says he will kill Jay Briscoe. Well that was intense put insanely stupid, I hate promos like this, I'm gonna kill you is the worst thing you can say in professional wrestling.
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Daizee Haze cuts a promo and shes actually very good. Sara Del Ray then cuts a promo with Larry Sweeney and promises we'll find out why she's called Death Ray. Larry Sweeney says "there's alot of girls in ROH but only one Woman, ain't no doubt about it".
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Sara Del Ray vs. Daizee Haze
Daizee rolls to evade Sara to start the match but can't achieve anything with a standing switch. Sara kills Daizee with some arse thumps and then throws Daizee off top before hitting a banzai drop for two. Haze floats over and grabs an arm wringer and scores with the arm wrench and rope walk before scoring with the flying head scissors. Daizee botches a second rope crossbody but Sara salvages it with bridging fallaway slam for a nearfall. Del Ray hits some headbutts before scoring with a side back breaker for a two count. Del Ray methodically works over the back of Daizee, stretching her in the ropes. Del Ray then slaps on a straight jacket and then lifts Haze into a torture rack. Daizee escapes and scores with the heart punch and Yakuza kick combo. Daize lands on top of a tilt-a-whirl move for a two count, the two ladies battle over a back slide but Del Ray uses her strenght to apply the Gory Special. Haze manages to flip over but is booted half way accross the ring by Ray.
Daizee comes back with an ace crusher out of the corner but the momentum is killed with a rolling heel kick before hitting the royal butterfly for the win.
Decent display of women's wrestling, the match was very limp and the crowd was dead but they still showed off some good action. (3/4*)
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The Briscoes are backstage, and Jay says it's all good, and they cut one of their redneck promos, hyping their tag team history. Jay says he's gonna beat Nigel tonight, and they warn Nigel he better Man Up.
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Durden is backstage with Prince Nana, Nana says he's back in this stinking federation, Nana says he has two words for us Byson Smith. Nana tells us to look out because its over.
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Sugarfoot Alex Payne says he's gonna prove he's the best wrestler to come out of the ROH academy. He has potential but he just should not be on television. Claudio cuts a promo in german reminding us he's Claudio Castagnoli and he's "very European".
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Claudio Castagnoli vs. Alex Payne
Hodgewood says Payne looks about twelve. Payne gets a nice craddle to start the match for a two count, Sugar foot tries a sunset flip but Claudio powers him up and introduces him to the European uppercut. Claudio hits a shoulder tackle before Payne flips and flies and hits a headscissors and then a victory roll for a two count before Claudio swats him away. Claudio counters a leap frog into a tilt-a-whirl back breaker. Claudio hits a European uppercut and the hits a dead lift gut wrench suplex. Claudio is doing a good job of working a tough crowd. Claudio hits a diving European uppercut to the back of Payne for a two count. Payne uses another nice roll up for two before Claudio absolutely kills Payne with a brutal bicycle kick, wow, that gets a near fall.
Payne works the crowd but is met with a European uppercut and a dead lift full nelson slam. Payne refuses to stay down and is given a snapmare and Claudio slaps on a chinlock. Well that killed the fun. Claudio again slugs down Sugar foot with a European uppercut for a two count before applying a chinlock once again. Sugarfoot hits a series of dropkicks with the third taking Claudio down. Payne hits a running knee in the corner, Payne dodges a blind charge and hits a second rope bulldog and a diving closeline for a two count. Claudio hits a MONSTER pop up European Uppercut out of nowhere and then hits the Ricolla bomb for the win.
Well that's more like it, well except that Hodgewood called Claudio a "swede". Payne sold brilliantly for Claudio and the hope spots gave the crowd something to cheer for without making Claudio look week. This is what a tv show case match should look like, a top star showing off his signature spot against a guy whose there to sell and sell well. (**)
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Jay Briscoe vs. Nigel McGuiness
The crowd chant "USA" this is definitely not a standard ROH crowd I've got to find out where this is taped. Nigel works over the arm as the crowd trade chants. Jay flips up and gets an arm drag but Nigel holds onto the arm bar, Jay tries a body drop but Nigel still won't release the crowd. Nigel tells the crowd to fuck themselves as he drops a knee on the arm of Jay, yes he still has it. Nigel then hits his back bridging rings of Saturn manouvre. Jay counters into a half crab and Nigel scrambles to the ropes.
Jay flips around and grabs a side headlock, Nigel counters with a back suplex but its Jay's turn to hold onto the headlock. Nigel tries a back suplex again but Jay flips over an reapplies the hold, Nigel rolls him off but Jay responds with a sideheadlock takedown. Nigel headstands and counters into a headlock of his own but Jay slides out and reapplies the hold. Nigel shoves off Jay but Jay gets two big shoulder tackles. Very clever start, thats alot of fun, very Flair eske.
Nigel has had enough of the head lock and takes Jay down with a arm wrench divorce court and then a hammerlock and bakc trip combo. Jay catches Nigel playing to the crowd and responds with a nice dropkick. Nigel immediately responds with a divorce court, very good stuff. Nigel works over the arm of Jay stretching over the top rope.
Jay tries to fight back with the other arm but Nigel boots him down and then lays in some cocky kicks as the crowd chant for Jay to "Man Up". Jay tries an Irish whip but Nigel counters into the Hammerlock divorce court. Nigel keeps up the pressure with a judo throw working over the arm before returning to the cocky kicks. Jay unloads with some big rights but Nigel maintains control and gets arm wrench and suplexes him with the single arm. Hodgewood oversells it. Nigel applies a triangle arm bar but Jay makes the ropes.
The crowd chant for Jay to "Man Up" but Nigel takes him down with a Million Dollar Dream and uses this oppurtunity to mock the crowd. Nigel spins it out but Jay dodges the lariat and hits the Yakuza kick and both men are down.Jay unloads on Nigel in the corner with chops, Jay hits a corner closeline before Nigel runs full pace into a Sky High for a nearfall. The crowd come to life, well by this crowds standards, Nigel dodges a blind charge and Nigel hits the back kick and lariat combination.
Nigel places Jay on the top rope but Jay counters the Tower of London and Nigel runs into the Flatliner. Jay then hits a lovely running death valley driver for a near fall! Very nicely done. Jay plays to the crowd and heads slowly to the top rope, Nigel manages to crotch Jay and goes for the Tower but Jay blocks it. Nigel changes tack and goes up top to join Jay. Jay knocks Nigel off top and hits a nice guillotine leg drop after faking out Nigel for a near fall! Jay goes for the Jay-Driller but its blocked, Jay avoids the figure four but can't avoid the Jaw Breaker Lariat which gets the 1-2-3.
Well that was a good TV main event, the start of the match was excellent with Nigel refusing to give up the arm bar and Jay not giving up the headlock very reminisant of classic Flair-Steamboat. The finish was a little abrupt and a little shakey but the match as a whole told a nice story and did well to get both men over. Good showcase of what ROH has to offer. (***1/4)
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They then hype Danielson-Aries on the next show an air a very good vignette to get everyone excited about seeing Bryan Danielson.
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Overall Thoughts: Better show than last week in ring, the wrestling was very good throughout and they featured characters who are much better suited to national televsion. The main event was strong, Hodgewood is growing into his roll and awful crowd showed some signs of life this week. Still feels like an episode of Shotgun Challenge though and is just generally lifeless. Nigel's promo was particularly horrible, not his delivery just the terrible lines he was given, "I'll kill you", no you bloody won't it's wrestling (6.5/10)
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