ROH 2K8: It Return'eth ... For the last time!

ROH: Battle of the Best (September 26th; Edison, NJ)

-Nigel McGuinness cut a pre-show promo talking about his loss to Takeshi Morishima at Glory by Honor VII. McGuinness said losing was ok, because he proved he has what it takes to go toe to toe with the ROH World Champion and come within inches of winning. He would continue, saying Morishima may have won Round one, but when they meet again ... “Nigel McGuinness is in it, to win it!”

-Bryan Danielson cut a pre show promo, talking about his preparation for his upcoming ROH World Title matchup.

Delirious def. Larry Sweeney
Complete comedy match here with Sweeney doing everything in his power to throw Delirious off his game, including pulling out a Delirious mask of his own. Seeing Larry Sweeney do his patented strut, whilst wearing a Delirious mask and yelling “Bah” is a sight to behold. When we finally got down to the wrestling aspect of the match, these two worked pretty well together. Sweeney was able to take Delirious to the canvas and attempt the Elbow from the top, however Delirious avoided it, made the comeback and eventually hit the Here it is Driver and Cobra Stretch for the submission victory.

-After the match things took a more serious turn as Bison Smith ran in attacking Delirious on behalf of his manager Larry Sweeney. Bison laid Delirious out with the Iron Claw Side slam as Sweeney got on the mic. Sweeney told the ROH fans to take a look at the future of Ring of Honor.

The Briscoe’s def. The BLK OUT
Decent tag team contest between these two; slightly less heated and at slower than their previous encounters, but good nonetheless. Ruckus & Joker got their spots in, however this was a match designed to give The Briscoe’s a strong win heading into their PPV clash with El Generico & Kevin Steen for the ROH world Tag Team Championships. Eventually Jay & Mark took victory with the Springboard Doomsday Device

Four Corner Survival: Nigel McGuinness def. Kenny King, Claudio Castagnoli & Chuck Taylor
Very good Four Corner Survival Match here, Chuck Taylor & Kenny King in particular got the chance to shine against two ROH regulars and shine they did. King has tons of charisma and is a future star in the making whilst Taylor is a talented wrestler and extremely fun to watch in the ring. All four men came close to victory however it would be Nigel walking away with the win, hitting Taylor with the Jawbreaker Lariat, drawing a girlie scream from Taylor in the process.

Tyler Black w/ Lacey def. Davey Richards
Hell of a match to close out the first half here, plenty of athleticism and hard hitting from both men. Davey just about killed Tyler with an Alarm Clock kick off of a Tyler springboard attempt. Richards would dominate from that point forward however Black eventually made a much needed comeback. He came close to victory with the Paroxysm before eventually achieving victory after countering Davey’s DR Driver attempt and hitting the God’s Last Gift.

-After the match, Tyler Black got on the microphone and challenged Jimmy Jacobs to a match at Bound by Honor, ROH’s first PPV taping. Lacey asked for the microphone, which Tyler handed to her. Lacey begged Tyler to reconsider, asking him not to fight Jacobs again. Lacey said she couldn’t watch Tyler get hurt again. Tyler apologized to Lacey but said he had to fight Jacobs. Jimmy himself would make his way out from behind the curtain. He told Tyler if he wants to fight him [Jacobs] at Bound by Honor; then he has to go through BJ Whitmer first. Jacobs proclaimed if Tyler Black could defeat BJ Whitmer on October 10th in Hartford; he’d fight Black at Bound by Honor.

--Intermission--

-Davey Richards, fuming over his loss to Tyler Black said Austin Aries and his band of losers may have defeated the Revolution at Glory by Honor. Best rest assured, it won’t happen again tonight.

--End Intermission--

ROH World Tag Team Titles: El Generico & Kevin Steen © def. Cheech & Cloudy
Really fun tag match up here, a lot like Steen & Generico’s match with The Osirian Portal earlier in the year and Steen & Generico’s match with The Briscoe’s in 2007. The ROH World Tag team Champions gave their opponents plenty of offense and Up in Smoke nearly walked away with the belts when they connected with the Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Cheech. However it would El Generico & Kevin Steen retaining, connecting with the Assembly Line for the victory.

Grudge Match: Austin Aries, Matt Cross & Mike Quackenbush def. The Revolution
Solid six man tag team matchup here, as one would expect; Strong, Albright & Edwards worked over the smallest man in the matchup Matt Cross for the most part. The match soon broke down and turned into an all out brawl to the finish. Albright folded Quack up with a Half Nelson Suplex and Strong followed up with the Gibson Driver however Aries broke the cover up at the very last split second. That would be the closest near fall of the matchup; however it would be Aries, Quack & Cross walking out with the victory. They sent Strong & Edwards to the floor before Quack & Cross took them out with dives. Aries took advantage of Albright inside the ring, connecting with the Punk, Brainbuster and finally the 450 Splash for the victory.

Special Attraction Match: Go Shiozaki def. Eddie Kingston
Hard hitting match, designed to give Kingston a chance to shine as a singles competitor. He looked ok in there with Shiozaki; however he was clearly out matched in terms of ability. Go and Kingston had several striking exchanges which has become a common spot in Shiozaki’s matches, Kingston attempted the Backfist only for Go to avoid it and take Kingston over with the German Suplex Hold. Kingston would survive that and go onto get a near fall of his own, hitting a Yakuza kick in the corner followed by a vicious lariat. However it would be Go Shiozaki taking the victory, hitting the Go Flasher for three.

ROH World Title: Takeshi Morishima © def. Bryan Danielson
Incredible match here, every time these two meet they seem to gel better. Danielson seemed desperate to one up Nigel and Morishima’s title match from Glory by Honor VII and they just about did it here, with this fifty nine minute matchup. Danielson kept to his mat wresting ability, which frustrated Morishima who opted to take things to the floor. Danielson had to adapt, and adapt he did, going toe to toe with Morishima. Danielson would attempt his Springboard Plancha into the first row however Morishima put a chair up to block it. When they got back to the ring, Morishima continued to dominate, wearing Danielson down with every hard hitting move in his arsenal. Danielson refused to stay down and would eventually make the comeback, hitting a flying knee strike to the face before delivering repeated Elbow Strikes to Morishima’s skull. Morishima himself would have to dig down deep to survive Dragon’s onslaught. Morishima would look to hit the lariat however Danielson caught the arm and took Morishima to the mat. He locked in the Cattle Mutilation With the fifty minute mark approaching Danielson fought back to his feet. Danielson counter acted it, applying the Crossface Chickenwing. Morishima would break it up, driving the challenger back into the corner. Morishima attempted his Cartwheel Splash in the corner however Danielson avoided it and impressively took Morishima over with the Regal Plex for an agonising near fall. Dragon would go onto connect with the Diving Head butt before going back to the Elbow Strikes. With the time limit drawing in, Dragon went right back to the Cattle Mutilation. Morishima would escape and in his desperation Danielson ran right into a side slam. Morishima would follow up with the Backdrop Driver, putting Dragon away with less than a minute remaining on the clock.

ROH: Testing the Limit 2008 (October 10th; Hartford, CT)

-Larry Sweeney was backstage. He cut a pre-show promo, promising a Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero & Bison Smith victory tonight. “Ain’t no doubt about it!”

Six Man Mayhem: Austin Aries def. Cross, Kingston, Gran Akuma, Taylor & Jigsaw
Aries was the star of the match here and really tried to put every single one lof his opponents; Kingston and Taylor in particular. Cross & Aries worked as a unit for the most part and did it well, hitting stereo suicide dives and the like to take out their moments. “Sexy Chucky T” had his opportunity to impress and very nearly took victory with the Awful Waffle. However it would be Aries walking out victorious, hitting the Brainbuster and 450 Splash as Cross stood guard, helping Aries secure the three count.

ROH World Tag Team Titles: El Generico & Kevin Steen © def. The YRR
Kenny King impressed with his outing here, showing off his athleticism against Steen and Generico. The ROH world tag team Champions gave their opponents plenty off offense and every chance to get over; and King and Rance did not waste it. They showed off their cocky attitudes; however Steen would later wipe the smiles off their faces, connecting with the Package Piledriver on Rance to end their ROH World Tag Team title dreams.

FIP World Title: Roderick Strong © def. Mike Quackenbush
These two have faced off a number of times over the last several months, and this match followed a similar formula to their previous encounters. Strong worked over the back of Quack before trying to force him to submit to the Stronghold. Quackenbush refused to do so and came so very close to victory with the Q.D II. Quack would later connect with the Palm Strike on Strong; however Roderick showed his fighting spirit and got straight back to his feet. Strong would connect with a huge flurry, including the big running boot, the Death by Roderick and finally the Gibson Driver for the hard fought victory.

Sweet N’ Sour International w/ Larry Sweeney def. Incoherence & Jimmy Rave
Jimmy Rave and Delirious feuded for much of 2007, and worked less than cohesively in the early going. However as the match continued, and the combination of Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli & Bison Smith took control; Rave & Delirious had to put their differences aside to do battle with Sweeney’s men. Smith impressed as he dominated all three off his opponents, however after a moment of miss-communication between Hero & Claudio, Smith found himself on the wrong end of a three on two beating. Hallowicked would hit the Yakuza kick, Delirious would connect with the Shadows over Hell and finally, Rave hit the Pedigree. Unfortunately this would not be enough to put Bison away. Smith would go onto hit the Iron Claw Side Slam which served as a set up for Castagnoli’s Ricola Bomb. Claudio would connect with his trademark manoeuvre on Hallowicked, picking up the victory for Sweet N’ sour International.

-After the match, Sweeney would raise Bison smith & Claudio’s hand, ignoring Chris Hero completely.

---Intermission---

-During Intermission, Nigel McGuinness cut a promo discussing Morishima’s ROH World Title reign. McGuinness called Morishima a dominant however he vowed to take Morishima beyond the limit tonight, and take the ROH World Championship.

--End Intermission--

Bryan Danielson def. Brent Albright
Good match between these two. Albright tried to use his strength and power to dominate whilst Danielson put his speed and technically ability to counter Albright’s efforts. Albright would later work over Danielson’s arm and it prevented Danielson from using his MMA Elbows, as well as preventing him from locking in the Cattle Mutilation. Unable to put his signature manoeuvres to use, Albright took full advantage; hitting the Half Nelson Suplex. Danielson refused to stay down before using his legs to make the comeback. He hit a huge running knee to Albright’s face, as well as repeated stomps to Albright’s head to put the Revolution member away.

-After the match, Bryan Danielson got on the microphone and made a challenge for ROH’s first PPV taping. He demanded Takeshi Morishima defend the ROH World Championship against him, “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, in the main event ay “Bound by Honor”

No Disqualification: Tyler Black def. BJ Whitmer
Tyler Black came out with a chair in hand and immediately went to work on Whitmer. BJ eventually managed to take control and dominated Black, using an array of weapons. Whitmer would soon find himself on the back foot as Tyler made the comeback, hitting a Superkick and the Powerbomb into the turnbuckles. With both men down on the canvas, Jimmy Jacobs made his way to the ring. Jacobs attempted to put his Railroad Spike to use, however Bryan Danielson charged to the ring. Danielson fended off Jacobs which allowed Tyler to put BJ Whitmer through a table with the Phoenix Splash.

-After the match, BJ was dragged to the back by Jimmy Jacobs whilst Tyler Black got on the microphone. Black told Jacobs he’d see him in Chicago Ridge at Bound by Honor

The Briscoe’s def. The Revolution
Terrific tag team contest between the Briscoe’s, Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards. Edwards and Richards have developed a tremendous chemistry with one another and their hard hitting style blended well with the Briscoe’s. Jay & Mark dominated in the early going however it did not take long for The Revolution to take control. They picked apart Mark Briscoe for several minutes until Mark made the hot tag to Jay. The match would break down from there, picking up with every near fall. The fans were red hot by the finish which saw The Briscoe’s connect with the Springboard Doomsday Device for the victory.

ROH World Title, Four Corner Survival: Takeshi Morishima © def. Shiozaki, McGuinness & Jacobs
Nigel McGuinness, Go Shiozaki & Jimmy Jacobs were all looking to take Takeshi Morishima’s ROH World Title. They would each try to take Morishima out, and one by one they failed. It would take all three men to take Morishima out of commission, albeit temporarily. With Morishima out of the picture, the remaining three men went to work on each other, all looking to capture the title. Jacobs, would surprisingly come closest of all; hitting a series of stomps and Senton on McGuinness. Jacobs would later incapacitate himself as he missed a Spear and charged shoulder first into the ring post. Go and McGuiness would go toe to toe with one another, exchanging Chops and European Uppercuts. Their exchange would come to an end when Morishima delivered a Lariat to both men. Morishima would send Go to the floor with the Missile Dropkick whilst Nigel lined Morishima up for the Jawbreaker Lariat. He exploded towards Morishima however the ROH World Champion countered with a side slam. He would then finish McGuinness off with the Backdrop Driver.

International Challenge 2008 (October 24th; Tokyo, Japan)

-Bryan Danielson cut a pre-show promo, putting over the show by proclaiming it a great honor to wrestling in front of a Japanese crowd. He hyped tonight’s six man tag team match where he’ll team up with Steen and Generico to take on Kota Ibushi, Taiji Ishimori and KENTA.

International Challenge: Austin Aries def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
First paced, hard hitting opener, the story of the match focused around both men’s preference for the Brainbuster. Lots of attempts at it and lots of reversals and counters too. Kanemaru eventually took control of the contest with the diving DDT off the second rope. He would maintain control until Aries hit the IED in the corner. Aries followed up with the punt, Brainbuster and four fifty splash for the victory.

-Before the match began, Larry Sweeney got on the microphone and ran down Bison Smith’s credentials, bringing up the fact Smith has spent a large portion of his career competing in Japan for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Sweeney announced he had negotiated for the following contest [Bison Smith vs. Delirious] to be part apart of the International Challenge series with Bison representing Japan & NOAH.

International Challenge: Bison Smith w/ Larry Sweeney def. Delirious
Delirious used his eccentric antics to put Bison on the back foot early on, running around the ring and biting. It would come back to bite him as Smith levelled Delirious with a clothesline after Delirious performed a lap around the ring. Bison continued to pick Delirious apart, using his mammoth size advantage to keep control. Delirious made a comeback late on, hitting a series of head butts to the mid-section. He had Bison reeling and managed to take the big man down with the Leaping Lariat. Delirious attempted to put Smith away with the Shadows over Hell however Bison caught him in mid-air. He held Delirious in his arms before tossing him into the air and transitioning into a sickening Powerbomb. Bison followed up with the Bisontennial.

International Challenge: Naomichi Marufuji def. Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs has had his issues over the past year with Naomichi Marufuji’s NOAH brethren Go Shiozaki. Marufuji looked to defend Go’s honor here, taking on Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs would try to avoid the Shiranui at all costs before attempting the Contra Code at all costs. Jimmy was able to gain control and would later attempt to connect with the Contra Code, however Marufuji was able to stay vertical leaving Jimmy to go up and over. Jacobs landed safely on his feet however he would walk straight into the Superkick, courtesy of Naomichi Marufuji. Jacobs was knocked loopy by the blow and Marufuji connected with the Pole Shift for a nail biting near fall. The two would continue to go back and forth until Marufuji finally hit the Shiranui for the three count.

-Backstage, Larry Sweeney and his Sweet N’ Sour International cut a promo talking about their upcoming contest with the former ROH World Tag Team Champions, Ricky Marvin and Kotaro Suzuki. Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli laid it out there that they’ve had their issues over the past few weeks, but here tonight in Japan, they’re united and will prove they are the best team in Ring of Honor by defeating the former champions.

International Challenge: Kotaro Suzuki & Ricky Marvin def. Sweet N’ Sour International w/ Larry Sweeney
Really strong tag team contest between these two teams, the fans where into everyone and Larry Sweeney played his role well. Suzuki and Marvin’s high flying style blended well with the bigger Claudio Castagnoli and Hero and the chemistry between the two teams only served to improve the matchup. The spot of the match saw Ricky Marvin counter the Ricola Bomb into a Yoshi-Tonic for an excruciating two count. The match broke down into an all out spot fest towards the end that the fans just eat up. Finally Claudio Castagnoli inadvertently hit Hero with the Bicycle Kick which allowed Suzuki to connect with the four fifty splash for the victory.

---Intermission---

-During intermission, Hero and Claudio continued to exchange words after the finish to their tag team match with Suzuki and Marvin. Sweeney, instead of playing peace keeper blamed Hero for getting in Claudio’s way. Castagnoli and Sweeny would leave together much to Chris’ frustration.

--End Intermission--

Mike Quackenbush, Erick Stevens & The Briscoe’s def. The Revolution & Atsushi Aoki
Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong represented the Revolution along with honorary member Atsushi Aoki to take on Quack, Erick Stevens & The Briscoe’s. The match was everything you’d expect and more, featuring plenty of hard hitting and high flying manoeuvres. The Briscoe’s had plenty of exchanges with Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards which brought the fans to their feet. Aoki was given the chance to impress, showing off his skills. Erick Steven’s injured arm was once again brought into play as he played face in peril for a portion of the match, having his arm worked over. Stevens eventually made the tag and all hell broke loose. Roderick Strong would pick up the pieces for his team, looking to put rival Quackenbush away with the Gibson Driver. Quack countered with a Huracanrana. The Briscoe’s followed up with stereo boots to the face and the Springboard Doomsday Device which was good enough for three.

-After the match, Brent Albright of the Revolution would hit the ring, laying waste to the victors with a sickening array of Suplexes. The Revolution put the boots to Jay, Mark, Stevens and Quack, standing tall in the ring.

International Challenge: Jimmy Rave def. Go Shiozaki
Jimmy Rave and Go Shiozaki had an average match here, which brought down the crowd from the high of the previous match. Shiozaki used his strength advantage to dominate Rave earlier on, but Jimmy was able to put the shoe on the over foot with the Spear. Rave worked over Shiozaki’s leg, softening him up for the Heel Hook. Shiozaki would soon make the comeback and came close to victory with the German Suplex Hold however it would be Rave picking up the victory, countering the Go Flasher, taking Shiozaki to the canvas and locking in his signature hold.

International Challenge: Danielson, Generico & Steen def. KENTA, Kota Ibushi & Taiji Ishimori
Match of the night by a landslide. These six men just left it all out there in the ring, doing everything in their power to steal the show and entertain the fans. Dragon and KENTA beat the holy hell out of one another with strikes, with Ibushi getting in on the action at times. Kota also busted out his Feint Top rope Moonsault followed by a Standing Moonsault for a close near fall. A cool spot later on saw Generico nail KENTA with the Yakuza Kick in the corner only for KENTA to show his fighting spirit and explode out of the corner and connect with a huge boot of his own. Taiji Ishimori would set Steen up for the Hermosillio however Steen countered and would go onto hit the Package Piledriver for a near fall. KENTA looked to have the victory all sewn up when he hoisted Dragon up for the Go 2 Sleep however Danielson countered with a Small Package before rolling KENTA through and unleashing swift MMA elbow strikes to the head. KENTA would survive that however Ishimori would not survive the flying knee strike of Danielson, or the Frog Splash by El Generico and finally the Swanton Bomb by Kevin Steen. This match tied up the International Challenge series at three a piece, leaving Nigel McGuinness and Takeshi Morishima in must win situations for their respective team.

-After the match, Jimmy Jacobs attacked Danielson, spearing him out his boots before continuing the beat down with the steel chain. Jacobs retrieved a chair from ringside and used it to keep the ROH Students looking to assist Danielson at bay. Jacobs eventually got on the mic and told the Japanese fans he came to Japan to send a message to Tyler Black. He claimed he just delivered that message, alluding to the beat down he just delivered on Bryan Danielson. Jacobs then announced he was leaving Japan as soon as possible because he couldn’t stand to be there any longer.

International Challenge: Nigel McGuinness def. Takeshi Morishima
Nigel and Morishima have met in title situations in the past; however this was not a title match. They wrestled like it was one though, doing everything in their power to entertain the Japanese crowd. They started rather fast paced with plenty of stiff strikes and power moves on Morishima’s part. Nigel eventually took control and worked over the arm. It would come into play later on, as Morishima was unable to execute some of his big moves thanks to the damage done. One nice spot in particular saw Morishima attempt his cartwheel splash in the corner, only for Nigel to dropkick Morishima’s arm mid-cartwheel. Nigel went for the London Dungeon but Morishima refused to tap out. Nigel would try to wear Morishima down further, using various lariats and uppercuts however Morishima continued to survive. Nigel looked to put Morishima away with the Tower of London however Morishima was able to stay up on the ropes. Nigel got back to his feet as Morishima launched himself out of the corner with the Missile Dropkick. Morishima followed up with a flurry of offense, connecting with the side slam and Amaze Impact. Morishima called for the end, setting Nigel up for the Backdrop Driver. Nigel was able to flick off behind before staggering to the ropes. He came back with the Jawbreaker Lariat for a near fall. Nigel would go for a second big Lariat but Morishima avoided it this time around. He would go onto connect with the Backdrop Driver for a near fall of his own. The furious Morishima called for a lariat himself, however Nigel had it scouted, hooked the arm and took Morishima to the mat. McGuinness once again applied the London Dungeon, forcing Morishima to tap out.

Live in Tokyo! (October 25th; Tokyo, Japan)

-Jimmy Rave cut a pre-show promo, talking about his rivalry with Bison Smith. Rave promised to rectify his loss to Smith at Glory by Honor here tonight, in Tokyo.

Kotaro Suzuki def. Mike Quackenbush
Quack worked hard, Suzuki worked hard and the pair were able to put together a good, fast paced matchup to start off the show. Quack and Suzuki worked in a lot of high-flying and counters, including one that saw both men counter each other’s signature finishing manoeuvres into rollups for close near falls. Suzuki would eventually take the win with the Blue Destiny.

Grudge Match: The Revolution & Claudio Castagnoli def. Austin Aries, Erick Sevens & Delirious
The fans seemed undecided on who to support, due to their familiarity with Eddie Edwards and Claudio Castagnoli (due to their tours of Pro Wrestling NOAH) in comparison to Stevens and Delirious. Delirious was able to turn things around as Edwards and Albright’s hard hitting offence managed to garner the lizard man some sympathy as he played lizard-man in peril. Eventually he hit the Leaping Lariat (BAM!) and made the hot tag to Aries. Aries brought the crowd to life and the hot finishing stretch soon turned the respectful clapping of the Japanese crowd into rambunctious cheers and applause; including a few “Aries” cat calls by the females in attendance. The finish saw a parade of finishers as Aries hit the IED in on Edwards only to walk straight into the Bicycle Kick by Castagnoli. Stevens would take out Claudio with the Doctor Bomb. Albright would hit the Half Nelson Suplex on Stevens taking him out of play. Delirious would look to use the Shadows over Hell on Albright, however Albright was able to avoid it before locking in the Crowbar which forced the former ROH World Champion to tap.

Grudge Match: Jimmy Rave def. Bison Smith w/ Larry Sweeney
Jimmy once again challenged Bison Smith; alongside manager Larry Sweeney, with the rules relaxed and a grudge to settle. Rave attacked Bison during Smith’s entrance and the pair brawled around ringside, much to the fans delight. Once Bison took control, he physically dissected Rave, much like at Glory by Honor. Rave battled back, refusing to go down to Smith again, and riding high after his victory over Go Shiozaki the previous night. Rave was able to counter the Bisontennial, taking Bison to the canvas before applying the Heel Hook. The damage done to Smith’s leg allowed Rave to capitalize and control the match. Chris Hero, Bison’s stable mate attempted to intervene on Smith’s behalf as Sweeney provided the distraction. Hero lined rave up for the rolling elbow however Rave avoided it and Hero connected with Smith inadvertently. Rave took advantage, dispatching of Hero with the Ghanarhea before putting Bison away following a Pedigree.

-After the match a frustrated Sweeney berated Hero. Bison, none too pleased with the loss looked to get physical with Hero however Sweeney was able to cool him down. Sweeney told Hero and Bison to hug it out however Smith left the ring. Sweeney followed, once again leaving a frustrated Hero alone.

Go Shiozaki def. Roderick Strong
Go Shiozaki and Roderick Strong both avoided the chops early on, and the match almost became about who was going to get the chop first. It was Go that finally did, lighting up Roderick’s chest with backhanded strikes to his bare chest. Strong and Go would exchange plenty of chops throughout as they battled back and forth. Shiozaki would eventually gain control but could not put Strong away with either the German Suplex or the Go Flasher. Strong eventually made the comeback, avoiding a Moonsault before hitting the Running Boot, Gutbuster and Gibson Driver. Go was just able to survive this and would hit a second Go Flasher late on for the victor in a good but somewhat underwhelming match.

---Intermission---

-Nigel McGuinness cut a pre-show promo, discussing his victory over Morishima the pevious night. Nigel vowed to do the same again tonight, giving him two clean victories over the ROH World Champion. McGuinness claimed it’s only a matter of time before he cashes in the shot he won at ROH’s PPV Taping “Bound by Honor”, and takes the ROH World Title. He is Nigel McGuinness, and he’s in it ... to win it.

---End Intermission---

The Briscoe’s def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Atsushi Aoki
Aoki impressed with his performance, Kanemaru looked good and The Briscoe’s where The Briscoe’s. Hard hitting, some high flying and some good tag work brought this a step above average but it didn’t have a patch on the six man tag from earlier on. Kanemaru hit his Diving DDT out of the corner for a close near fall late on however before he could connect with the Brainbuster, Jay connected with the huge Yakuza kick. With Kanemaru stunned, The Briscoe’s took full advantage; connecting with the Springboard Doomsday Device for the three count.

Davey Richards def. Kota Ibushi
This continued the string of somewhat underwhelming matchups as Richards and Ibushi never really clicked throughout. Both went through the motions, utilizing their signature moves. Richards got some heat on Ibushi, utilizing his brutal clicks and an array of cheap shortcuts to gain control but the fans weren’t as invested in the outcome which took all the drama out of the near falls. Ibushi’s offence is so choreographed and he didn’t deviate from his usual routine. He worked well in tag team competition the previous night, but in singles action his flaws become all the more apparent. After a nice reversal sequence, Richards was able to connect with the Tombstone Piledriver and lock in the Kimura for the submission victory.

ROH World Tag Team Titles: El Generico & Kevin Steen © def. KENTA & Taiji Ishimori
Steen has the ability to switch between dickish heel and ... well dickish face at the drop of a hat and he certainly heeled it up here. Generico and Steen isolated Ishimori for much of the contest, preventing KENTA from entering the ring. The fans where hot for KENTA and wanted to see him in the ring at all costs. The two teams milked the hot tag for all it was worth, teasing it on several occasions before finally delivering. Once KENTA totally entered the ring, the match totally heated up. Generico and KENTA would have a great exchange where KENTA connected with the Yakuza Kick in the corner before retreating back across the ring. He looked to charge again however Generico exploded his way before connecting with a Yakuza Kick of his own. He would later attempt the top rope Brainbuster only for KENTA to counter and hit the top rope Falcon Arrow. The finishing stretch was extremely exciting and made up for the disappointment of the previous three matches; however the Japanese team would leave without the belts as Steenerico were finally able to connect with the Package Piledriver/Brainbuster combination known as “The Assembly Line”.

Special Attraction Match: Takeshi Morishima & Naomichi Marufuji def. Danielson & McGuinness
Crowd were very into Danielson who seemed to appreciate their cheers, even chuckling at a certain one about heads getting kicked in. McGuinness and Morishima renewed their rivalry and had several nice exchanges. Marufuji also played his part well, doing the great things Marufuji does. Danielson found himself playing face-in-peril of sorts, although this match was much more back and forth and did not utilize traditional tag formula as such. Lots of hot near falls to close this one out, much like the previous tag team contest; with Danielson coming the closest as he connected with MMA Elbows on Morishima, only for Marufuji to break it up with a Superkick before Morishima passed out. The finish saw Nigel attempt the Jawbreaker Lariat only for Morishima to avoid before hitting a Lariat of his own. With Nigel seeing stars, Morishima took advantage and got back his loss from International Challenge 2008, hitting the Backdrop Driver for three.

-After the match, Morishima left with the ROH World title, having proved his point to McGuinness. Marufuji however would stay behind, shaking both Nigel and Dragon’s hands. He would raise their arms aloft as the show came to a close.