Ring of Honor-We Don't Imitate...We Innovate (2002)

[critical-23]

critical-23 picks up the 3rd perfect show. I wondered whether the 60-minute time limit draw might have been a bit obvious. I guess it was.

 

Well, your booking is kinda predictable and i don't mean that in a bad way. You might need to mix up either your booking or your pre-match write-ups so's you don't give away your ending. Just a lil thought.

[Macca316]

for my first set of predictions going 5 - 1 wasn't bad lol

 

but very good show mate

[The Final Countdown]

<p>Manhattan Mayhem: Wrap-up</p><p> </p><p>

</p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>April 26th, 2002</strong></p><p><strong>

11:04 p.m.</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p>

I watched with a mixture of amusement and concern as Samoa Joe downed the water bottle in one huge gulp.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>“You alright, Joe?”</strong></p><p> </p><p>

He nodded and let out a deep breath.</p><p> </p><p>

<strong>“Yeah, I’m better now that I’m starting to catch my breath.”</strong></p><p> </p><p>

<strong>“Listen, I’m sorry. I should’ve known better than to ask you to go for an entire hour. It was a mistake on—“</strong></p><p> </p><p>

Joe dismissed me with a shake of his head. “<strong>Don’t give me that. I wanted to do this hour draw. It was the right direction for the program to go. I’m just sorry we didn’t quite deliver the classic we had in mind.”</strong></p><p> </p><p>

I nodded my head, ruefully. <strong> “Well, it wasn’t all your fault. You may have been gassed, but Bryan was really off, anyway. Honestly, with all the things that went wrong, we’re lucky the match was as good as it was. Now we just go back to the drawing board.”</strong></p><p> </p><p>

Joe nodded his agreement before going off to change out of his wrestling attire. I settled in to jot my reactions down.</p><p> </p><p>

<span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">-Low Ki vs. Mark Briscoe was a good opening match. Low Ki was kept strong heading into his title match, and Mark got some ring time. It wasn’t a classic or anything, but it was solid.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">

-Austin Aries’ debut against Joel Maximo didn’t go down quite as I’d hoped. It wasn’t terrible, but I’d have liked it to be a bit better. I have big plans for Aries, so I hope he’s got better matches in his future.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">

-Colt Cabana was a bit off his game, which hurt the Second City Saints’ match against James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke. But Maritato turned in a nice performance, which helped counteract that. Another decent match.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">

-Steve Corino and Amazing Red put on the match of the night. The match would have worked well as a stand-alone, but the added Corino/Styles backdrop made things even more interesting. Corino’s ****y persona is really effective; hopefully this will result in a hot end to his feud with AJ.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">

-Paul London made a nice showing for himself in his first singles match. Just like his match with Red, Daniels both helped to elevate his opponent, and kept himself strong at the same time. I think Daniels has to be considered our MVP at this point.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Fixedsys;">

-The 60-minute draw between Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe was, like Joe said, not the classic we all had been hoping for. It was actually the worst of their 3 matches up to this point. Part of that is on me; I should have recognized that Joe would get winded. He was pretty much running on empty by the end of the match. Equally troubling was the performance of Danielson. He didn’t run out of energy; he was just really off of his game. His timing seemed off, and his execution was imprecise at times. Given all of these problems, I’m not too upset with the quality of the match. It was still markedly better than the title match between Daniels and Low Ki at Crowning a Champion, at least. </span></p><p> </p><p>

A decent show, overall. Corino/Red and Daniels/London were worth the price of admission, and nothing on the show was terrible.</p>

[The Final Countdown]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="critical-23" data-cite="critical-23" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="21850" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Well, your booking is kinda predictable and i don't mean that in a bad way. You might need to mix up either your booking or your pre-match write-ups so's you don't give away your ending. Just a lil thought.</div></blockquote><p> I appreciate this comment. I had actually wondered whether or not some of the match previews were more revealing than I wanted them to be. Now that I know it's not just my imagination, I'll take a closer look at them in the future.</p>

[The Final Countdown]

May 1st, 2002

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

 

 

On March 15th, 2002, a champion was crowned. On that date, Christopher Daniels wrote his name in the history books by becoming the first Ring of Honor champion, defeating Low Ki in the finals of an 8-man single elimination tournament.

 

Daniels may have won the title, but he is about to discover that that was the easy part. Every member of the ROH roster will be gunning for a shot at the title, and it starts on Sunday, May 5th, when Christopher Daniels makes his first defense of the championship at Driven.

 

For the ROH Championship:

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki

Christopher Daniels was on top of the world prior to Epic Encounter. Not only was he the first ROH champion, he had also not tasted defeat inside of an ROH ring. That changed on April 12th, when Low Ki pinned him in tag team action. By virtue of that victory, Low Ki was granted the first shot at Christopher Daniels’ ROH championship. Unlike at Crowning a Champion, Low Ki will be completely healthy heading into this matchup. He feels that Christopher Daniels is a disgrace to the ROH championship and what it represents, and will look to “free” the championship by defeating Daniels and going on to defend the title with honor and dignity. Will Low Ki accomplish his goal, or will the Fallen Angel live to defend the championship another day?

 

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

Bryan Danielson’s problems with Samoa Joe are far from settled, thanks to a pair of time-limit draws. But with Joe honoring a prior commitment that will prevent him from competing at Driven, Danielson will put that issue on the back burner temporarily. The American Dragon will step into the ring with Tony Mamaluke. Mamaluke recently pulled off an upset victory over his more experienced tag team partner, James Maritato, one of the finest technical wrestlers in the world. He’ll attempt to accomplish a similar feat at Driven.

 

Air Paris vs. Steve Corino

Air Paris is no stranger to AJ Styles. The two young men cut their teeth wrestling each other in the early stages of their careers, before eventually forming a tag team in the dying days of WCW. So it should come as no surprise that when ROH contacted Paris about joining the company, one of his first requests was to be given a match with Steve Corino. Styles is still on the injured list thanks to a vicious assault with a steel chair by Corino back at Boston Massacre, a fact that Corino gloats about whenever possible. Paris, like the Amazing Red before him, will try and get some retribution on behalf of Styles. But the King of Old School will not go down easily.

 

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:

Spanky and Paul London vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

Spanky and London, fellow graduates of the wrestling school run by Shawn Michaels, got off to a good start as a tag team in ROH by defeating the Second City Saints at Epic Encounter. Now they look to join the Saints in the triple threat match that will determine ROH’s first tag team champions. Standing in their way are the Briscoes, one of the most promising young tag teams in pro wrestling today. Spanky and London may have momentum after their victory, but the Briscoes have more experience as a team. Can Spanky and London overcome that disadvantage, or will the Briscoes’ years of experience prove to be too much?

 

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

Homicide has been on quite a hot streak. His win-loss record rivals anyone on the ROH roster. One of his victories was over Christian York at Epic Encounter. Now, York’s tag team partner Joey Matthews will have his turn against the Notorious 187. Can Homicide continue his winning ways, or will the lessons learned by Christian York help his partner Matthews derail the momentum of the master of the Cop Killer?

 

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

Jose Maximo’s brother Joel fell victim to newcomer Austin Aries at the last show, Manhattan Mayhem. Aries made quite the first impression, even catching the eye of ROH champion Christopher Daniels. Aries obviously wants to keep the buzz going, but Jose Maximo has other ideas. The Maximos will be a fixture in the ROH tag team division, but Jose would look to gain some confidence in this singles encounter.

 

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

Matt Sydal may not have much experience, but he clearly has considerable raw talent and athleticism, and loads of potential. Sydal had a very impressive debut at Epic Encounter, matching the speedy Amazing Red step for step. Kazarian also made his ROH debut at Epic Encounter, defeating Jack Evans. He was not shy in gloating about it either, telling anyone who would listen that he is “The Future” of Ring of Honor. Both of these young athletes should have bright futures in ROH and wrestling in general, but only one can leave Driven with his hand raised.

 

 

Predictions List:

 

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

Air Paris vs. Steve Corino

ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

 

 

((OOC Note: In case anyone noticed, I decided not to do an "Around the wrestling world" post for April. Pretty much nothing of note happened in the month, so I didn't think it was needed.))

[Macca316]

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

Air Paris vs. Steve Corino

ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

 

Ki will get a measure of revenge and take the belt from Daniels.

 

i only said the briscoe's cos i can see punk interfering and costing spanky.

[ya_its_me]

ROH Championship: Christopher Daniels © vs. Low Ki

- Still think that the Fallen Angel's going to be the top guy for you in ROH for awhile.

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

- Cattle Mutilation and it's over!

Air Paris vs. Steve Corino

- Welcome to squash city: population Air Paris.

ROH Tag Title Qualifying Match: Spanky & Paul London vs. The Briscoes

- I could see you giving a big push to Spanky & London, so they're my picks.

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

- 187 FTW, Matthews ain't got a chance.

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

- Maximo's more of a tag wrestler right?

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

- Just cause Sydal didn't win yet, yet Frankie did.

[The Final Countdown]

May 5th, 2002: Driven

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg

 

 

presents:

 

 

Driven

 

 

May 5th, 2002

 

 

From the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ecwsign.jpg

 

 

Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out)

 

 

“This is James Hill, welcoming you to the DVD release of ROH’s Driven. I’m here with Low Ki, who tonight will challenge The Fallen Angel, Christopher Daniels, for the Ring of Honor championship. Low Ki, it’s a big night for you. You’ve stated that you think Christopher Daniels has besmirched the ROH championship, as well as Ring of Honor itself, with his conduct. If you can take the championship away from Daniels, in his first defense no less, it would deal a huge blow to the Fallen Angel.”

 

Low Ki nodded in agreement. “You’re right, James. Christopher Daniels is a disgrace to Ring of Honor, and it makes me sick to my stomach to see him carrying around the ROH championship. So tonight isn’t just about Low Ki winning the ROH title; it’s also about taking the belt away from the undeserving grasp of Christopher Daniels, and humbling him and his huge ego.”

 

“Christopher Daniels pinned you to win the championship in the first place, but you were trying to fight through a broken wrist. How big a difference maker will it be for you to know that you are entering this match at 100%?”

 

“I will not use my injury as an excuse. I competed, and I lost. Whatever else I might think of Christopher Daniels, he was the better man on that night. But tonight, it will be a different story. Tonight, Low Ki will not be denied. Tonight, Low Ki restores the Honor to Ring of Honor.”

 

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:

Spanky and Paul London vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Spanky.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JayBriscoe.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MarkBriscoe.jpg

 

Both teams knew the high stakes of the match, resulting in all four athletes going full-speed from the opening bell. The early minutes of the match saw fast paced, back and forth action, with neither team gaining a significant advantage. The Briscoes tried to utilize their superior tag team experience with quick tags and double team moves, but Spanky and London always answered right back with nice teamwork of their own.

 

After driving Jay Briscoe into the mat with a waffleface, Paul London attempted to finish him off with a high flying move. But he failed to consider his close proximity to the Briscoes’ side of the ring, and Mark Briscoe made him pay for it by shoving him off of the top rope. London crashed to the canvas, and the Briscoes took control of the match. They hit London with a barrage of double team moves, including a back suplex/neckbreaker combo and a variation of the Hart Foundation’s old Hart Attack, but London fought on. Jay tried to end the match with his patented J-Driller, but London blocked it, sent him into the turnbuckle with a slingshot, and made the tag to his partner Spanky.

 

Spanky went on a tear, keeping the Briscoes on their heels with his speed and savvy. After scoring with a top rope hurracanrana on Mark, Spanky seemed to be on the verge of winning the match for his team. He hooked Mark in a cravat in preparation for the Sliced Bread #2, when CM Punk got up from his seat at the commentator’s table. Spanky ditched the Sliced Bread attempt to focus on Punk. Punk didn’t move any closer, but his presence was still felt. The Briscoes capitalized on the distraction, dropping Spanky with a double DDT and finishing him with a springboard Doomsday Device, Jay Briscoe preventing Paul London from making the save.

 

 

Winners: The Briscoes in 12:57 with a springboard Doomsday Device by Mark on Spanky

 

 

Matt Sydal vs. Kazarian

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/MattSydal2.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

 

Kazarian began to jaw with the crowd at the start of the match, but Matt Sydal quickly put a stop to that by charging across the ring and knocking him down with a leg lariat. Sydal came right at Kazarian in an attempt to gain a quick victory. He hit ‘The Future’ with several light heavyweight staples, including a swinging Frankensteiner and a sunset flip, both of which resulted in near-falls. Kazarian was reeling, but he turned things around by countering an attempted bulldog with a wheelbarrow suplex. Kazarian pressed his advantage, punishing his young foe with a swinging neckbreaker and diving legdrop, among other moves. He took Sydal up to the top rope, intending to finish him off with his devastating Flux Capacitor, but Sydal knocked him off with a series of blows and wowed the crowd with a Cancun Tornado. After Kazarian kicked out, Sydal looked to follow it up with a victory roll, but Kazarian turned it into an Electric Chair drop. ‘The Future’ quickly exploited his counter with the Wave of the Future, which was enough to help him improve to 2-0 in ROH.

 

 

Winner: Kazarian in 07:39 with the Wave of the Future

 

 

Homicide vs. Joey Matthews

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoeyMatthews.jpg

 

Joey Matthews tried to jump Homicide before the match officially began, but the street-smart Homicide sensed the attack coming and fought him off. Homicide made Matthews pay for the attempt by punishing him with a series of hard lefts and rights to the skull. A dazed Joey slumped down in a corner, but Homicide did not let up, raking his boot across Matthews’ face with a face wash before running the ropes and bringing his body weight down onto Joey with a senton in the corner. Homicide continued to dominate Matthews, shifting to technical wrestling. He bent Matthews’ right arm at an awkward angle with a Fujiwara armbar, nearly getting the submission before Joey inched his way to the ropes. Homicide did not let up, driving Matthews’ neck into the mat with a piledriver. Matthews kicked out of a pin, but Homicide kept the offense coming, getting another near-fall with an Ace Crusher.

 

It looked like Homicide was on his way to a dominant victory, but Matthews did finally get going approximately 10 minutes into the match. He blocked a Yakuza kick and wrenched Homicide’s knee with a dragon screw legwhip. Most of Matthews’ offense from that point on focused on the knee. He went after the knee with kicks and submissions, keeping Homicide grounded for a bit. This strategy was effective for a few minutes, but eventually Homicide broke free and regained his vertical base. The match went back and forth for a few more minutes before Homicide was successful in his second try at a Yakuza kick. The blow to the jaw softened Matthews up enough for Homicide to finish him off with his lethal finishing move, the Cop Killer.

 

 

Winner: Homicide in 17:19 with the Cop Killer

 

 

Jose Maximo vs. Austin Aries

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

 

Austin Aries, fresh off of his successful debut against Jose’s brother Joel Maximo, entered this match with an even greater sense of confidence than he had in his debut. He may have even been a little overconfident, as he appeared to be taking Jose Maximo lightly at the start of the match. He seemed more interested in showing Jose up, which proved to be a mistake. Jose used Aries’ swagger against him, catching Austin off-guard with a string of impressive moves. He nearly won the match with an overhead pumphandle suplex that drove Aries’ face into the canvas, but Aries got his shoulder up. The close call must have caught Aries’ attention, because he was all business after that. He ended Jose’s momentum with a beautiful dropkick to the jaw, and wore him down with a deathlock submission. Maximo tried to fire back, and briefly took the upper hand after a Japanese arm drag, but Aries quickly answered back with a couple of hard forearms to the chin. Austin doubled Jose over with a boot to the gut before finishing him off with a brainbuster.

 

 

Winner: Austin Aries in 10:07 with a brainbuster

 

--

 

“It’s intermission time here at Driven. I am backstage with the Notorious 187 Homicide, who had his hand raised in victory yet again earlier on tonight. Homicide, you’ve been on quite a roll so far in ROH. The only man to have defeated you is the ROH Champion, Christopher Daniels. Other than that close loss to the eventual champ, you’ve gotten the best of everyone Ring of Honor has put in your path. I don’t know if you read the message boards at ROHwrestling.com, but many of the fans there are pointing to you as the hottest rising star in the company. How do you feel about that?”

 

“Jim, it’s cool that some of the fans are backing me. But in the end, the only person I can count on is me. That’s how it’s always been. Growing up, I didn’t have anybody’s support. All I had was me. The fans can cheer for me if they want, or talk about me on the Internet, but if I stop winning, then all of that goes away. And so does any chance at some day becoming the ROH champ. So I’m going to keep…”

 

Homicide was interrupted in mid-sentence by a new arrival: Kazarian. “Woah, woah, woah! Are you two kidding me? Did I just hear James Hill call Homicide the ‘hottest rising star’ in Ring of Honor? Get real! The geeks on the message board might support this thug, but it’s obvious to anyone with a functional brain that Kazarian is the man to watch around here. This is only my second show, and I’ve already proven that I am the man who will take Ring of Honor to the promised land! ‘The Future’ isn’t just a cool nickname; it is the truth. I AM The Future of this company. Homicide, if you acknowledge that fact right here & now, I’ll let you stick around for the ride. If you don’t…well, I guess I’ll have to write you out of ROH’s future."

 

Homicide stared at Kazarian and shook his head. “I hear a lot of big talk comin’ out of your mouth. The Future of Ring of Honor, you call yourself. That’s a pretty damn bold thing to say. How about you back it up?”

 

“Have you not been paying attention? Just ask Jack Evans and Matt Sydal if I can back—“

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know; you’re 2-0. But, all props to Jack and Matt…but they ain’t the Notorious 187. The way I see it, you haven’t beaten anybody of my caliber yet. So why don’t we go out in that ring next time and see just how great ‘The Future’ really is?”

 

Kazarian smirked at Homicide’s challenge. “You want it, you got it. But be careful what you wish for. I just may prove that The Future…is now.”

 

--

 

Air Paris (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AirParis.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg

 

Air Paris was fired up at the beginning of this match as he looked to get some revenge on behalf of his friend AJ Styles. He brought an aggressive approach, going after Corino with punches and kicks rather than his usual athletic wrestling style. Corino seemed a bit thrown off by this roughouse style, as it took several minutes for him to come up with an answer. He tried to roll to the floor to create some separation, but Paris grabbed onto Corino’s leg and prevented him from escaping. Paris backed Corino against a corner and repeatedly stomped him in the midsection before trying some kind of running attack in the corner. Corino slipped away, though, and Paris collided with the turnbuckles at full force.

 

Steve Corino excels at capitalizing on openings, and he did so here. After Paris’ miss, Corino took control of the match. He spent several minutes sapping Paris’ energy with mat wrestling. Paris did break out of Corino’s grasp, countering a side headlock with a go behind into a belly to back suplex, but Corino wasted little time in cutting him off before he could put together another significant rally. He caught Paris with a knee lift, and resumed his methodical wear-down tactics.

 

Corino had the match firmly in his control, and he knew it. He got the crowd riled up while dissecting Paris, taunting them and mocking their chants. Paris briefly gave the crowd something to cheer about when he connected with an enzuguri, but Corino ended their enthusiasm when he caught a running Paris with an overhead belly to belly suplex. After some more crowd-displeasing domination, Corino put Paris away with the Old School Expulsion.

 

 

Winner: Steve Corino in 17:07 with the Old School Expulsion

 

 

After the match, Steve Corino rolled out to the floor and grabbed a microphone.

 

“Well, well. AJ Styles has now sent two of his buddies after me, and I’ve beaten both of them. Sorry, AJ, but I guess your little friends just don’t have what it takes to bring down The King of Old School. Maybe you should try and get your revenge yourself—if you want me to take care of your other leg. But since I knew you wouldn’t be showing your face tonight, and I also knew that I would beat that goon Air Paris like a red-headed stepchild, I took the liberty of planning a special surprise for after the match. Excuse me.”

 

Corino reached underneath the ring, and pulled out a steel chair. He rolled back into the ring, bringing the chair with him. He held the chair up on display, and the camera zoomed in on it. The closer view made it clear that it was the same bloodied, dented chair that Corino had used on AJ Styles in the past.

 

“Look familiar, AJ? I figured that, since Air Paris was so concerned with trying to get some payback for the times I introduced you to this chair, it would only be fitting if I let him sample our little steel friend for himself.”

Corino raised the chair above his head, preparing to bash Air Paris in the head with it. Suddenly, AJ Styles bolted out from the dressing rooms and charged the ring. Dressed in street clothes, Styles clearly had not been expecting to get into a physical altercation, but he nevertheless came to the aid of his occasional partner, taking Steve Corino down with a double leg takedown. Styles got into a mount position and started wailing away, peppering a stunned Corino with a flurry of fists to the face. Corino managed to break free and scurried away, retreating in the face of AJ Styles’ wrath. Styles picked up Corino’s chair, looked at it with disdain, and threw it over the ropes and out into the aisle, nearly hitting Corino. Styles and Alexis Laree helped Air Paris regain his bearings, being sure to keep an eye on the devious Corino in case he tried something.

 

 

Bryan Danielson vs. Tony Mamaluke

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TonyMamaluke.jpg

 

Bryan Danielson showed no ill effects from his grueling 60-minute time limit draw less than two weeks previous. He and Mamaluke had a nice catch-as-catch can exchange early on, matching each other hold for hold. Mamaluke looked like a match for Danielson at first, but Danielson rocked him with a European uppercut quickly followed by a running dropkick. From there, Danielson showcased his submission expertise, stretching the young Italian with a bevy of unique, visually impressive submissions, highlighted by a surfboard/chinlock combination.

 

Mamaluke gutted it out through Danielson’s submissions, and managed to turn the tide when he caught a charging American Dragon with a boot to the face. Mamaluke took control of the match for a bit, showing some slick holds of his own. He couldn’t keep a wrestling savant like Danielson on the mat for long, though, as Bryan seamlessly turned a Mamaluke neck lock into a cross armbreaker of his own.

 

Danielson had Mamaluke tied in knots for the majority of the match, though Tony would slip in an occasional counter-hold. Danielson thought he had the match won with a top rope belly to back suplex, but Mamaluke got his shoulder off the canvas just before the three count. A frustrated Danielson went for a Dragon Suplex, but Mamaluke countered it with a drop toehold, and floated over into a side headlock. Mamaluke thought he had a firm grip on Danielson, but the American Dragon proved him wrong by rolling through to break the hold and promptly cinching in the Cattle Mutilation. Mamaluke struggled to try and break free, but Danielson had the hold applied too well, and the ropes were a long way off. Mamaluke soon had no choice but to concede defeat and submit.

 

Winner: Bryan Danielson in 20:40 with the Cattle Mutilation

 

 

ROH Championship:

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/rohheavyweight.jpg

 

Christopher Daniels (Champion, w/Gail Kim) vs. Low Ki (Challenger)

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristopherDanielsROHWorld.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg

 

Daniels and Low Ki had an intense staredown before the match began. Daniels talked some trash, but Low Ki did not react to it at all. He simply stared at the Fallen Angel, his facial expression the very picture of determination.

 

Low Ki may have been determined to take the title, but that didn’t prevent Christopher Daniels from catching him by surprise in the early going with a sudden left jab. The blow stunned Low Ki, and Daniels took charge. He tried to sap all the energy out of his challenger with basic but effective holds such as a side headlock and a leg scissors. Low Ki broke free from Daniels and teed off on him with a succession of chops and kicks. Sensing that Low Ki was putting together some momentum, Daniels bailed out to the floor to try and throw him off of his game. Low Ki showed great patience in not following Daniels out to the floor, instead standing in the center of the ring and awaiting Daniels’ return.

 

When Daniels stepped back into the ring, Low Ki immediately met him with a rolling koppo kick that had the champion seeing stars. Low Ki kept it up, punishing Daniels with more kicks before applying a cross armbreaker. Daniels forced a rope break and returned to his feet, only to have his clock cleaned by a jumping high kick. Believing that he had Christopher Daniels reeling, Low Ki ascended the turnbuckles, likely looking for a Phoenix Splash. However, Daniels was not out of it just yet, as he popped up, crotched Low Ki on the top rope, and brought him off of the buckle and down onto the mat with a hangman’s neckbreaker.

 

Daniels worked Low Ki over, targeting the challenger’s neck with a bow & arrow submission. Low Ki escaped the hold, but Daniels gave him no time to regroup, knocking him to the canvas with a palm strike to the face. Daniels went right back to another submission, turning Low Ki over and applying pressure to his lower back with a Texas Cloverleaf.

 

Daniels softened Low Ki up for a few more minutes before attempting to hit the Angel’s Wings, but the challenger countered with a back body drop. Daniels popped right back up and charged at Low Ki, but ran right into a perfect Shining Wizard that nearly brought a title change. Low Ki kept on the offensive, hitting the Fallen Angel in the face with a baseball slide dropkick and tying him up with a bridging deathlock submission. After escaping, Daniels tried to crawl away, propping himself up in the corner. Low Ki did not let up, rocking the champ with a Tidal Krush and hooking him into position for the Ki Krusher ’99.

 

At that point, Gail Kim hopped onto the ring apron, distracting the referee. Low Ki connected with the Ki Krusher, but Gail had the ref’s attention. With the ref’s back still turned, Austin Aries snuck into the ring, kicked Low Ki in the back of the head to break up the pin, and drove his neck into the canvas with a brainbuster. Daniels crawled on top of Low Ki, and the ref turned around to make the count, but Low Ki just barely kicked out. Daniels looked up at the ref in disbelief as the crowd responded, cheering the challenger on in hopes he could overcome the odds. Low Ki seemed to respond, catching Daniels with several kicks before trying for a second Ki Krusher ’99. Daniels managed to slip out behind him, though, and retained the title after hitting the Last Rites.

 

 

Winner: Christopher Daniels in 34:38 with the Last Rites.

Christopher Daniels made defense #1 of the ROH Championship.

 

--

 

Christopher Daniels, Austin Aries and Gail Kim were all celebrating backstage when James Hill approached.

 

“Well Christopher Daniels, I tried to interview you both before the show and during intermission, but you were holed up in your dressing room all night. And now I guess we know why; you three were formulating a plan to screw Low Ki over and make sure he didn’t take the ROH Championship away from you in your very first title defense.”

 

Daniels laughed. “Relax, Jessie; you sound pretty angry. The fans in the crowd seemed pretty upset, too. And we’re real sorry about that, aren’t we, Austin?” Aries laughed heartily as Daniels slapped him on the back before continuing.

 

“At Manhattan Mayhem, you asked me what Aries and I discussed after his debut match. Well you see, I’m a smart man, Hill. I do my homework. And so I knew all about the hype surrounding Austin Aries before he even stepped foot into an ROH ring. I said it back at Road to the Title: I would be looking for soldiers to add to my cause. When I heard all of the praise being thrown Aries’ way, he caught my attention. So I got myself a front row seat for his ROH debut. We all saw then and there that he had the skills to get the job done. But I needed to feel him out; make sure that he would do whatever it takes to succeed. And after our little conversation, I became convinced that Austin Aries would make be an ideal fit for our crusade. Aries has all the potential in the world. All that he needs is a little guidance. And that is where the Fallen Angel comes in. I will take this young man under my wing. I will groom him, I will teach him everything that I know, and when the time is right for me to step down and fade into the sunset, I will hand the reigns over to Austin Aries.”

 

“So you’ll teach Austin Aries how to cheat and spit in the face of the ideals that this company was founded on?”

 

Daniels rolled his eyes. “Have you learned nothing? I do not give a damn about morals, honor, dignity, or any of that other crap. I’m not Low Ki. And I ask you this, Hill: whose approach has been more successful so far? You don’t even need to answer that, because we both know the answer. And the fact is, I—“

 

Christopher Daniels stopped speaking when the door to his locker room opened. ROH President Ricky Steamboat stepped into the room, an angry look on his face.

 

“You’re feeling pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you, Daniels?” Steamboat asked. Daniels smiled and patted the ROH Championship that was draped on Gail Kim’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah, Steamboat, I am, actually. I did just retain my championship, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

 

“Yeah, and both of those two had to help you do it,” he replied, pointing to Gail and Aries.

 

“Well, I won, didn't I? And last time I checked, I’ve beaten your chosen one, Low Ki, twice now in ROH title matches. So I guess you’re going to have to try and find somebody else to take this belt off of me.”

 

Steamboat smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Chris. You’re right; you’ve beaten Low Ki twice now. But the first time, he tried to battle through an injury. And I don’t even need to go into what happened tonight. So I’ve decided Low Ki deserves one last shot at the title. And he will get it, but to ensure he gets a fair shot, I’m going to add a little stipulation on to it. There will be no Gail Kim, no Austin Aries: just Christopher Daniels and Low Ki, locked inside of a steel cage. Prepare yourself, champ.”

 

The earlier party-like atmosphere vanished from the room. Daniels, Aries and Gail looked upset as Steamboat left, closing the door behind him.

 

 

 

Quick Results:

The Briscoes over Spanky & Paul London

Kazarian over Matt Sydal

Homicide over Joey Matthews

Austin Aries over Jose Maximo

Steve Corino over Air Paris

Bryan Danielson over Tony Mamaluke

Christopher Daniels over Low Ki to retain the ROH Championship

 

 

ya_its_me: 6-1

 

Macca316: 5-2

[critical-23]

Missed out on voting but Daniels vs Ki in a cage? That match, oh my God! TFC, that match. . .that match. . .Oh my God!! (btw, I was doing my best Roger from American Dad! famous line from the first season. . .sorry it didn't go over to well tee-hee!!)

[The Final Countdown]

Driven: Wrap-up

 

May 5th, 2002

11:04 p.m.

 

“Nice match with Mamaluke tonight, Bryan.”

 

Bryan Danielson smiled at my compliment. “Thanks. I was pretty pleased with it, too. I just wish I could’ve performed that well in my match with Joe on the last show.”

 

I shrugged. “Well, you’ll have a chance to rectify that in a couple of weeks.”

 

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I talked to Joe, and he is too. Our next match is going to be at least as good as our 2nd one, if not better.”

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

After exchanging some small talk for a few minutes, Danielson left, and I jotted down my thoughts on the show.

 

-The opening tag match was decent, but the fans disapproved of the ending, which saw CM Punk cause a distraction from the floor. The Briscoes now move on to the triple threat match that will decide the first-ever ROH tag champs.

 

-Kazarian had another disappointing match, this time with Matt Sydal. I still think that the guy is a good worker with a bright future, but sooner or later he’s going to have to deliver in the ring for me to make him a significant part of the show. Preferably sooner.

 

-Homicide and Joey Matthews had a solid match. Homicide has become pretty bankable in terms of putting on an entertaining mid-card match. With that in mind, I’m putting him into a program with the struggling Kazarian. Hopefully Homicide can help Kazarian strut his stuff.

 

-Austin Aries also had a pretty solid match, considering Jose Maximo isn’t really accustomed to wrestling as a singles. After only two matches for us, Aries is already in a very high-profile position in the company, as he aligned himself with Christopher Daniels later in the show. I’m crossing my fingers that he’s ready for the exposure.

 

-Arguably the hottest match of the night was Steve Corino and Air Paris. It wasn’t the most well executed match of the show, but Corino really knows how to get the crowd involved. The guy’s a heat magnet.

 

-Bryan Danielson and Tony Mamaluke delivered what I’d consider the match of the night, at least from a workrate standpoint. Danielson was really motivated to make up for his off night on the previous show, and it showed, as he looked good in this match. I’m just sort of spinning my wheels with Mamaluke and his partner Maritato at this point; after terrible chemistry ruined a planned singles feud between the two, I’m not really sure what direction to go with them.

 

-Christopher Daniels and Low Ki went a ways towards redeeming themselves of their lackluster match in the finals of the title tournament. This match was markedly better than that one, thanks largely to the fact that Low Ki wasn’t trying to work through a nagging injury. This still wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped, though. I’m convinced these two can do better. I’ll cross my fingers and hope they really blow the roof off inside the cage next month.

 

Another good show overall. Not a blockbuster, but it was good enough to help build our reputation, all things considered.

[The Final Countdown]

Missed out on voting but Daniels vs Ki in a cage? That match, oh my God! TFC, that match. . .that match. . .Oh my God!! (btw, I was doing my best Roger from American Dad! famous line from the first season. . .sorry it didn't go over to well tee-hee!!)

 

Glad you're excited. Hopefully the match will live up to your (and my) expectations. I think I may have figured out one aspect of my booking that held their most recent match back, so hopefully the cage match will be the best of the three. :crossfingers:

 

Also, I'm sure it's obvious by now that Christopher Daniels is assembling a stable. Problem is, I can't decide on a name. I'm considering just using the name of his real-life ROH group, The Prophecy, but I'm open to suggestions if anyone thinks they have a better idea.

[The Final Countdown]

May 10th, 2002

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

 

 

After two straight time limit draws between Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe, ROH officials have decided that it’s time for things to be settled between the two. It will happen on May 17th, as Danielson and Joe will do battle in a match with no time limit at ROH’s Testing the Limit, at the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts.

 

No Time Limit:

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

This will be the fourth encounter in this rivalry. Danielson holds the only victory in the series to this point, pinning Joe with an inside cradle at Road to the Title. But Joe felt that it was a fluke victory, which led him to brutalize the American Dragon after that match. A battered Danielson then lost to Low Ki later that night in the semi-finals of the tournament. There has been bad blood between Danielson and Joe ever since, as both men feel that the other cost him a chance to be the first ROH Champion.

 

Two subsequent matches have both gone the distance. Joe appeared to be on the verge of choking out Danielson at Crowning a Champion before the 30-minute time limit expired. In Match #3, at Manhattan Mayhem, Danielson had a worn-out Joe trapped in the Cattle Mutilation, only for the one hour time limit to run out.

 

That will not happen this time, as Danielson and Joe will have all the time in the world to determine a winner.

 

Air Raid (AJ Styles & Air Paris) vs. Steve Corino & ???

AJ Styles is back. The ‘Phenomenal’ young athlete reappeared at Driven, saving his occasional partner Air Paris from a steel chair assault by Steve Corino. Now, Styles will return to competition, renewing his rivalry with Corino in a tag team contest. Styles brings Air Paris with him; a logical choice, considering their familiarity with each other. But whom could Corino be teaming with? His smug, disrespectful attitude tends to alienate his peers, so it is hard to imagine anyone who would be willing to watch his back.

 

Homicide vs. Kazarian

During intermission at Driven, Kazarian took offense to James Hill referring to Homicide as the ‘hottest rising star’ in Ring of Honor, as he claims to be The Future of the company. Homicide responded by challenging The Future to a match, and Kazarian was quick to accept. Homicide has been on a tear, racking up wins in ROH. Kazarian is 2-0 thus far, but he has yet to wrestle someone with Homicide’s credentials. How will he fare against a more formidable opponent?

 

Low Ki vs. Austin Aries

To say Low Ki is angry with Austin Aries would be quite the understatement. Low Ki was seemingly about to win the ROH Championship from Christopher Daniels before Aries interfered. ROH President Ricky Steamboat has granted Low Ki another title match, this time in a Steel Cage so as to keep Aries and Gail Kim from getting involved. But before Low Ki has another shot at the brass ring, he’ll have a chance to get his hands on Aries. Christopher Daniels may not be booked on the show, but you can bet he’ll be watching with great interest when his protégé locks up with the #1 Contender.

 

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:

The S.A.T (Jose & Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

The time to crown ROH’s first tag team champions has almost arrived. But before we arrive at that point, there’s still one spot in the match to fill. The S.A.T and York & Matthews will try to join the Second City Saints and The Briscoes, who have already qualified. These may be the two most experienced teams in ROH, but there’s only room for one of them in the title match.

 

Paul London vs. CM Punk

London and his tag team partner Spanky are none too happy with Punk after he distracted Spanky long enough to cost them their tag team title qualifying match against The Briscoes. Now, London will try to defeat Punk in singles action and derail the Saints’ momentum heading into the tag team title match.

 

 

Predictions List:

No Time Limit: Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

Air Raid (AJ Styles & Air Paris) vs. Steve Corino & ???

Homicide vs. Kazarian

Low Ki vs. Austin Aries

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match: The S.A.T (Jose & Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York & Joey Matthews

Paul London vs. CM Punk

 

((Happy Easter, to those of you celebrating it!))

[ECWRulz32]

I have the very first RoH show and yours is an intresting take on it, I am enjoying Daniles charcter and Low Ki and your pushing Aries which is great, and Styles is excellent. You are using your roster very well. Kudos man if i only had tew lol i still stuck in EWR.

[The Final Countdown]

I have the very first RoH show and yours is an intresting take on it, I am enjoying Daniles charcter and Low Ki and your pushing Aries which is great, and Styles is excellent. You are using your roster very well. Kudos man if i only had tew lol i still stuck in EWR.

Glad you're enjoying things so far! And I know where you're coming from with being stuck with EWR--I had never played TEW until a friend decided to buy TEW08 for me as a birthday present. Now I'm hooked. I knew TEW would be far more advanced and intricate then EWR; I just didn't realize how MUCH better it would be.

[ya_its_me]

No Time Limit: Bryan Danielson v Samoa Joe

-I'm thinking Joe's going to come into this one fresh and more concentrated for the match.

 

Air Raid v Steve Corino & ???

- Could see you pushing Styles past Corino.

 

Homicide v Kazarian

- Cuz' it's frickin' Homicide.

 

Low Ki v Austin Aries

- Interference with the champ will swing this one towards Aries.

 

The SAT v Christian York & Joey Matthews

- Maximos FTW.

 

Paul London v CM Punk

- Spanky interference helps out his partner get past Punk.

[The Final Countdown]

May 17th, 2002: Testing the Limit

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/logoROH.jpg

 

 

presents:

 

 

Testing the Limit

 

 

May 17th, 2002

 

 

From the Ringside Entertainment Complex in Everett, Massachusetts

 

 

Attendance: 187

 

 

“Hello, Ring of Honor fans, and welcome to the DVD release of Testing the Limit. I’m backstage with Samoa Joe, who will be competing in tonight’s main event against Bryan Danielson. Joe, after a sudden pinfall by Danielson in your first encounter, you two have wrestled to back to back time limit draws. But time will not be a factor tonight, as there will be no time limit in your match. Your thoughts?”

 

“My thoughts? James Hill, my thoughts are simple: tonight is the night that Samoa Joe finally, FINALLY proves that he is the most dominant force in Ring of Honor. I should have been ROH Champion. Instead, Bryan Danielson had the luckiest night of his life, and managed to pick his broken, battered carcass off of the mat just long enough to pin my shoulders to the mat with that damn small package. He stole my spot in the semi-finals, but he paid dearly for it. Because after the match, I made sure that Bryan Danielson wouldn’t become ROH Champion, either.”

 

“That you did. But that was just the beginning of your problems with Bryan Danielson. You seemed to be choking the life out of him before the 30-minute time limit expired at Crowning a Champion, yet at Manhattan Mayhem, the roles were reversed. You seemed to hit the wall and run out of gas, and Danielson capitalized by locking on the Cattle Mutilation. It looked to me like you were just about to tap, but…”

Joe glared daggers at Hill, who stopped talking immediately.

 

“I was about to tap? Me? Think again. I made a mistake in that match by playing around with Danielson, instead of finishing him off when I had the chance. And believe me, I could have finished him more than once. But I didn’t, and yeah, I got tired. But no way in hell would I ever tap out. Ever. Had the time limit not run out, I would have escaped that Cattle Mutilation, gotten my 2nd wind, and had Danielson screaming for mercy in no time. And tonight, that is just what will happen. Bryan Danielson will leave this arena tonight a broken man. And Samoa Joe will leave this arena tonight with a monkey off his back, his sights set on one goal, and one goal only: to become the next Ring of Honor Champion.

 

--

 

ROH Tag Team Title Qualifying Match:

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. Christian York and Joey Matthews

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoseMaximo.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoelMaximo.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/ChristianYork.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/JoeyMatthews.jpg

 

These are perhaps the two most experienced teams in Ring of Honor, and both teams demonstrated their experience in this match. Both teams worked well, making timely tags and making sure that neither team member was stranded long enough to tire out. Things continued on in that matter for almost the entire match, neither team making any major mistakes.

 

Things seemingly shifted when Joey Matthews made a blind tag and caught an unsuspecting Jose Maximo with a diving forearm to the jaw. Matthews & York nearly put Jose away with a double DDT, but Joel made the save. Joel knocked York to the floor, enabling Jose to tag out. With York out of the equation, the S.A.T punched their ticket to the title match with their jaw-dropping Spanish Fly.

 

 

Winners: The Spanish Announce Team in 12:13 with the Spanish Fly by Joel Maximo on Joey Matthews

 

 

Paul London vs. CM Punk

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/PaulLondon.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CMPunk.jpg

 

Paul London was out for revenge after a distraction from CM Punk cost London and Spanky their Tag Team Title qualifying match. He got off to a hot start, throwing Punk off of his game with an extremely fast-paced offensive attack. London got more than one near-fall during his early barrage, but Punk weathered the storm and turned the tide after a double under-hook backbreaker (or, as he calls it, the Welcome to Chicago, Mother[expletive]). Punk went on a roll after that, dominating London by keeping him grounded and preventing him from utilizing his speed and aerial ability. The Straight Edge Superstar was a fraction of a second away from a three count after a hammerlock DDT, but London narrowly got his shoulder up.

 

London may have kicked out, but he appeared to be on his last legs. Punk knew he had London reeling, and looked to finish him off. He lifted London into the air, but London slipped out, landing on his feet behind Punk. London stunned Punk with a rolling prawn hold, which kept him on the mat just long enough to end the match.

 

 

Winner: Paul London in 13:07 with a rolling prawn hold

 

 

Homicide vs. Kazarian

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/Homicide4.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/FrankieKazarian.jpg

 

Kazarian believes that he is the Future of ROH, and he made sure to let the fans know it with his ****y demeanor. Homicide was not impressed with Kazarian’s preening, and let him know it with a Yakuza kick to the face. Homicide did not let up, keeping Kazarian from getting warmed up by using his technical wrestling know-how. The Notorious 187 frustrated The Future with his grappling skills, but Kazarian eventually broke free by sending Homicide face-first into the middle turnbuckle with a drop toehold.

 

Kazarian went on a bit of a roll, controlling Homicide with basic wear-down holds before shifting to more of an aerial attack. He was looking very impressive, but a missed springboard legdrop opened the door for Homicide. Homicide threw another wrinkle into his attack, coming at Kazarian with a brawling attack. He drove The Future’s head into the mat with a piledriver, and applied an STF.

 

Kazarian was not ready to admit defeat just yet, though. He reached the ropes, and got himself back into the match with a timely poke to the eye. After another rally, Kazarian went for his patented Wave of the Future. However, Homicide blocked it and sent Kazarian into the ropes before running off of the opposite ropes himself. He caught Kazarian dead-on with a hard-hitting lariat to the jaw, and three seconds later, The Future suffered his first defeat inside an ROH ring.

 

 

Winner: Homicide in 19:05 with a lariat

 

--

 

“It’s intermission time here at Testing the Limit. And while the fans in attendance stretch their legs and visit the concession stands, I am backstage with the American Dragon, Bryan Danielson. Bryan, after several exhausting showdowns between you and Samoa Joe over the last few months, things will finally come to a head tonight.”

 

“That’s right, James. We’re finally going to settle this thing here tonight, and I cannot wait. Samoa Joe likes to complain about my “fluke” victory at Road to the Title, but the truth is that I beat him fair and square. Joe is like the schoolyard bully; when someone gets the better of him, he doesn’t know how to handle it. So rather than accept his defeat like a man, Joe decided to attack me after the match, and all but ruin my chances of winning the tournament.

“We’ve had two rematches since then, each one going to a time limit draw. Like you said, James, each match has been exhausting. Being in the ring with someone the caliber of Samoa Joe takes a toll on you. It will be a sense of relief to put this rivalry behind me after tonight.”

 

“Speaking of which, I spoke to Samoa Joe at the beginning of the night, and he declared that he would leave you broken and battered after tonight before setting his sights on the ROH Championship. How do you feel about Joe seemingly looking at you as a stepping stone?”

 

“Joe isn’t the only one with a desire to become Ring of Honor Champion. There’s nothing I’d like more than to represent this company, and give that belt the respect and the dignity that it deserves. And just like Joe, I plan to reign supreme tonight, and after that, go after whoever walks out of that cage with the ROH title, whether it be Christopher Daniels or Low Ki.”

 

--

 

Low Ki vs. Austin Aries (w/Gail Kim)

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/LowKi.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AustinAries.jpg

 

Low Ki had a look of complete determination on his face from the moment he stepped out from behind the curtain. He was eager for payback on Austin Aries, who arguably cost him the ROH Championship at Driven. Aries seemed rather tentative in the face of Low Ki’s wrath, and with good reason. Aries tried to stall at the beginning of the match, but Low Ki was having none of it. A solid kick to the side of Aries’ head scrambled his brains, and Low Ki never looked back. He took out his anger on Christopher Daniels’ protégé, punishing him with brutal kicks to the head. Aries did manage to slip in a couple of moves occasionally, but his offensive bursts were very short-lived. A particularly hard kick busted Aries’ forehead open. The blood trickling down into his eyes and clouding his vision, Aries swung his fists blindly in a fruitless attempt to connect with Low Ki. The #1 Contender measured his prey before connecting with a solid Shining Wizard that sent Aries to the mat in a heap. After inflicting some more pain on Daniels’ defenseless recruit, Low Ki mercifully ended the slaughter with the Ki Krusher ’99.

 

 

Winner: Low Ki in 09:39 with the Ki Krusher ’99

 

 

After the match, Gail Kim entered the ring to check on the bloodied Austin Aries. She began wiping some of the blood off of his face, but stopped in her tracks when Low Ki slowly approached. Low Ki slowly but surely marched up to Aries, and Gail bailed out to the floor. Ki watched stoically as Aries struggled up to his feet, and as soon as Aries turned around, he struck him with another brutal kick to the head. The vengeful Low Ki was not done yet; he pulled Aries to his feet and planted him with a 2nd Ki Krusher ’99. Gail watched in distress as Low Ki left, leaving a bloodied Aries in his wake.

 

 

Steve Corino made his ring entrance amidst the jeers of the crowd. He sneered at the reaction before grabbing a microphone.

 

“Thank you so much for that warm welcome, Boston. Oh, wait, this isn’t even Boston. Where the hell are we? Everett? Wow, it’s a real thrill to compete in front of such a prestigious, high-class audience. And I’m sure all of you jackasses are just praying that I’ve come here tonight without a partner. You figure that if I’m alone, AJ Styles and his little buddy Air Paris will be able to “beat some humility into me.” Well, so sorry to disappoint, but not everybody is naïve enough to try and do things Ricky Steamboat’s way. I’m not the only one out there who realizes that the only way to teach these young punks a lesson is through brute force. So, I’m real sorry to disappoint everyone who wants to see me get my ass kicked tonight, but The King of Old School is not alone. Without further adieu, my tag team partner…CW Anderson!”

 

 

Air Raid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) (w/Alexis Laree) vs. Steve Corino and CW Anderson

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AJStyles.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/AirParis.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SteveCorino.jpg & http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/CWAnderson.jpg

 

Styles challenged his rival Corino to start the match off against him, and Corino seemed to be going along with it, only to duck out and allow CW Anderson to start, much to the crowd’s displeasure. No one would dispute that CW is the best brawler of the four, and he utilized that part of his game against Styles early on. AJ wouldn’t be held down for long, though; he dodged a lariat attempt with a forward roll, and knocked CW down with a picture-perfect dropkick to the jaw.

 

Air Raid attempted to isolate CW in their half of the ring and wear him down with their superior speed, and it worked for a bit. But CW caught Air Paris with a big left hand to the face, and tagged in Steve Corino

 

Corino took advantage of his partner’s haymaker, doing a number on Air Paris while simultaneously taunting AJ Styles, who glared at him from the apron with hatred. Perhaps Corino was too preoccupied to fully focus on the task at hand, because Air Paris stunned him with an enzuigiri and made the tag to Styles.

 

A fired-up Styles took the fight to Corino, tagging him with closed fists before dropping him with a discus lariat. Corino tried to crawl away, but AJ kept at it, stomping him in the gut repeatedly before once again pummeling him with punches, his fists colliding with Corino’s skull over and over again. After enduring AJ’s assault, Corino managed to create some separation after landing a desperation low blow outside of the referee’s line of sight. Eager to recuperate, Corino tagged in CW Anderson.

 

CW worked Styles over for a bit with some power moves, but AJ cut him off with a Pele kick and finished him with the Styles Clash, Corino too dazed to make the save in time. Corino helped CW to the back slowly, staring a hole through AJ Styles the whole way.

 

 

Winners: Air Raid in 15:59 with a Styles Clash by AJ Styles on CW Anderson

 

 

No Time Limit:

Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/BryanDanielson.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/SamoaJoe.jpg

 

Interestingly, despite there being no time limit in this climactic battle between Danielson and Joe, they actually wrestled a much quicker pace this time around. Neither man seemed interested in a marathon, hour-long match, and this was reflected by each competitor going for bigger moves much earlier than in their previous match. But, having wrestled three matches against each other in recent months, Danielson and Joe had grown very familiar with each other’s wrestling styles, as evidenced by the string of holds, counter holds, and counters of counters that constituted much of the early minutes of the match.

 

After an extended stalemate sequence, Danielson blocked Joe’s attempt at a boot to the face, and locked the big man up in a capture suplex. The American Dragon knew that he had stunned Joe with the throw, and looked to capitalize by applying his dreaded Cattle Mutilation submission. However, going back to the familiarity that has developed after multiple encounters, Joe felt the hold coming and managed to slip away, rolling out to the floor.

 

The separation didn’t last long, as Bryan Danielson followed his foe to the arena floor with a suicide elbow smash through the 2nd rope. Danielson heaved the big man back into the ring and tried to follow up with a diving headbutt, but Joe rolled out of the way just in time. Danielson crashed to the canvas, and Joe took control of the match. He exerted his will on Danielson with several high-impact power moves, including a fold-up powerbomb that very nearly ended the match. After Danielson absorbed some more punishment, Joe flashed his submission skills, clamping on a nice cross armbreaker that had the American Dragon screaming in pain.

 

Danielson wriggled free of the armbreaker, but Joe wasn’t about to let him catch his breath. Joe dumped Danielson on his head with a belly to back suplex that would have looked right at home in an AJPW ring, and fired off several hard kicks to the back, ribs and head. As Danielson tried to recover, Joe began taunting him, shouting “Is that all you got?!” Danielson struggled to his feet, only to have Joe all but cave his skull in with an enzuigiri. Joe mocked a prone Danielson before lifting him up for the Muscle Buster.

 

However, Bryan Danielson still had some fight in him. He fought his way out of the Muscle Buster, rocked Joe with a series of elbows to the head, and dropped the big man right on his neck with a Dragon Suplex. Joe got his shoulders up during Danielson’s bridging pin, but the Dragon was not deterred, as he swiftly bridged forward into the Cattle Mutilation.

 

Danielson kept the hold on for as long as he could manage, but eventually his weakened body gave out and he could no longer maintain the bridge. He nearly salvaged the situation when he used the hold to roll Joe over into a pinning attempt, but the tired Samoan had the wherewithal to get his left shoulder up off of the mat.

 

Joe staggered to his feet, and Danielson looked to connect with a rolling elbow smash. Joe blocked the strike, though, and drove Danielson into the mat neck-first with a release German Suplex. Danielson kicked out of a follow-up pin attempt, much to Joe’s shock. The shock turned to determination, and after several more hard kicks, Joe spiked his opponent with the Island Driver. A battered Danielson had nothing left, and Samoa Joe scored the decisive win he had been craving.

 

 

Winner: Samoa Joe in 29:03 with the Island Driver

 

--

 

James Hill stood backstage with Low Ki. Traces of Austin Aries’ blood were visible on Low Ki’s white wrestling pants, as well as on various parts of his body. Hill regarded Low Ki warily before speaking.

 

“Low Ki, after the conclusion of your match with Austin Aries tonight, you showed a side of yourself that I’m not sure any of us knew existed. You have always been an intense competitor, but I don’t ever recall seeing that intensity spill over into a post-match attack, as it did tonight. What happened out there?”

 

“I have always prided myself on being a sportsman, who would never strike a wounded foe after the battle had ended. But Austin Aries and Christopher Daniels, they’ve awakened something inside of me. You say you didn’t know that this side of me existed; well I didn’t know it existed, either. But you know what? Sometimes, you must be ruthless in order to win the war. I taught Austin Aries a lesson tonight that he will never forget, and he will surely think twice before he interferes in Low Ki’s business again. And Christopher Daniels, wherever you are, I know you’re paying attention. I know that you have seen the damage I have done to your protégé. THIS is the man that you will step into that steel cage with. Christopher Daniels, in your desperate attempts to hold onto that Ring of Honor Championship, you have doomed yourself to destruction. You have unleashed a new Low Ki, a man hell-bent on not simply taking that belt away from you, but also on punishing you for all that you have done. You will beg for mercy before I am done with you. And I will not grant it. Christopher Daniels, the end is near for you. And all you need to do is be…ready…”

 

 

Quick Results:

 

The SAT over Christian York & Joey Matthews

Paul London over CM Punk

Homicide over Kazarian

Low Ki over Austin Aries

Air Raid over Steve Corino & CW Anderson

Samoa Joe over Bryan Danielson in a No Time Limit match

 

ya_its_me: 5-1

Thanks for predicting, yim (can I call you yim?) A prediction-less show would’ve had me pretty worried about people’s interest in this thing.

 

Also, something I’m going to throw out there: would you guys like me to continue with my post-show “wrap up” backstage posts, where I use the avatar to sum the show up from a non-kayfabe point of view? Not sure if they help the diary by giving a sense of how things went, or if they hurt it by possibly slowing me down.

[ya_its_me]

YIM's good, find it funny how the show's attendance was 187.

 

And it's up to you what you want to do with the post-show writeups, personally I'd drop the whole post write-up thing and just add little notes after the matches like what I do. But once again it's all up to you. And like you and tizzyt said in WCW: PFTA, just because people aren't leaving comments doesn't mean they're not reading, just checked my view count today and I'm pushing 1000 with only 2 full pages.

 

EDIT: Make that over 1000

[critical-23]

Thanks for predicting, yim (can I call you yim?) A prediction-less show would’ve had me pretty worried about people’s interest in this thing.

 

Also, something I’m going to throw out there: would you guys like me to continue with my post-show “wrap up” backstage posts, where I use the avatar to sum the show up from a non-kayfabe point of view? Not sure if they help the diary by giving a sense of how things went, or if they hurt it by possibly slowing me down.

 

My bad for being away a lil bit. The civilian life sucks big time and it sucks even worse trying to keep up with your diary but shall persevere (hope I spelled that right.)!!! Anyhoo, I kinda like the post-show wrap-up and all of that. KUTGW and get that next show up ASAP!

[The Final Countdown]

YIM's good, find it funny how the show's attendance was 187.

Heh; I didn't notice that. An omen, perhaps?

 

 

My bad for being away a lil bit. The civilian life sucks big time and it sucks even worse trying to keep up with your diary but shall persevere (hope I spelled that right.)!!! Anyhoo, I kinda like the post-show wrap-up and all of that. KUTGW and get that next show up ASAP!

No worries. You've left some form of feedback for virtually every show I've run so far, so I can hardly complain.

 

I think I'll stick with doing the post-show wrap-up, at least for now. Now that I think about it, that's actually the easiest part of the diary for me to write. The thing that seems to take the most time, actually, is the show preview. Lately it's been taking me several days to do that; longer than the shows themselves, which makes no sense.

 

Anyhow, off to lounge around for an hour or so before the Canucks' playoff opener kicks off. Hopefully I'll get the wrap-up and monthly news & notes posted tomorrow. After that, it's steel cage time.

[ya_its_me]

Heh; I didn't notice that. An omen, perhaps?

 

Nah, it just means pick Homicide on each prediction list.

[The Final Countdown]

Testing the Limit: Wrap-up

 

May 17th, 2002

10:37 p.m.

 

 

I entered the dressing room, searching for two workers in particular. As luck would have it, they were standing right next to each other: Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe were secluded in a corner of the room, discussing something quietly. They broke off their conversation as I approached.

 

“Hey, guys,” I began, “how are you doing?” They both confirmed that they were fine, and I moved on to the purpose of my locker room visit.

 

“I just wanted to personally apologize for tonight. I should’ve known that No Time Limit wasn’t a catchy enough stipulation to make up for the fact that this was your fourth match in recent memory. I sort of set you guys up to fail, and I’m sorry about that.”

Both Joe and Danielson seemed taken aback at my apology. A booker apologizing to anyone for anything is a pretty foreign concept, so I guess I can understand why they were so surprised. Danielson broke the brief silence.

 

“Don’t worry about it, boss. This was our first match against each other in the New England region, so I was as shocked as you were that the fans here weren’t into it.”

 

Joe nodded his agreement before asking a question.

 

“So, does this match change your booking plans, or are you still going to put me in a program for the title?”

 

“You’re still getting your title program, don’t worry.”

“Gonna give me the strap?” Joe asked, grinning.

 

“We’ll see,” I replied noncommittally, smiling back. With my business in the locker room done, I said my goodbyes and headed back to my hotel room in order to record my thoughts on the show.

 

-Gail Kim went over Alexis Laree in the pre-show. A sub-par match, but again, I’d like to give the girls some ring time in front of a live crowd when possible.

 

-The S.A.T and York/Matthews put on a rather bland match. Not terrible, but not all that good either. I was expecting more, given the experience of both teams. Jose Maximo stood out with a nice performance, but it wasn’t enough to raise the match above mediocrity.

 

-CM Punk had a major off night, and it really hurt his match with Paul London. It was on par with the opening tag match, as a rather mediocre, forgettable match.

 

-Homicide’s string of solid undercard matches continued, and Kazarian finally put out a decent performance. Still, the match fell a bit short of my own expectations. I was hoping for a very good match; instead, it was another match of about the same quality as Homicide’s usual matches. I look forward to seeing what Homicide does when he’s working with our upper-echelon guys on a regular basis.

 

-Low Ki vs. Austin Aries accomplished exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted to showcase Low Ki heading into his big cage match with Christopher Daniels, as well as give Aries some work against a top-flight performer. The post-match attack was especially well received. It may have been the most positive reaction we’ve gotten for a non-wrestling segment so far, thanks to Low Ki’s ability to come across as menacing.

 

-Air Raid vs. Corino & CW Anderson had arguably the hottest crowd reactions of the show. Corino & Anderson seemed to have great natural chemistry working as a team. In addition to that, both Styles and Corino had great performances, and any time they interacted during the match, things really picked up. Air Paris had a bit of an off night, which may have held the match back from standing out amongst the other solid matches of the show.

 

-Things had gone reasonably well throughout the night. Then, the main event happened. The crowd was simply lifeless for this one, and it sucked the life out of the match. The work itself was just fine, but the complete lack of reaction killed this dead. Even though we had not run a Joe/Danielson match in New England, our fans apparently follow our company quite closely, and they were not interested in a fourth matchup between them. This was the worst “big” match in ROH history up to this point.

 

If we had run this show in Philly or New York, where we’re more established, it probably wouldn’t have done us much good. But since we’re really just beginning to get our name out there in New England, this could be considered a successful night for us. It certainly wasn’t a show that I’ll look back on with any fondness, but it was good enough.

[The Final Countdown]

Around the wrestling world in May 2002

 

News & Notes: May 2002

 

- “Bullet” Bob Armstrong formed NWA:TNA, with the blessings of the NWA itself. He quickly named Dusty Rhodes as his head booker. Fans of clubberin’ everywhere will soon get their fix.

 

-TNA wasn’t the only new promotion, however. Independent wrestler Mike Quackenbush opened an indy called CHIKARA. He hired Terry Taylor as his head booker. Hopefully Taylor will not force any of his talent to grow a red Mohawk.

 

-New Japan announced a second TV show, Wrestle Grand Prix. But there’s a rather bizarre twist: the show will air on the Playboy Channel. Apparently Hugh Hefner has decided his viewers want to see less naked women, and more Masahiro Chono.

 

-The WWF’s Smackdown brand ran Judgment Day, headlined by The Rock defeating Triple H in a match of the year candidate. Steve Austin beat the Undertaker in the semi-main event.

[rjhabeeb]

this is absolutely fantastic........you have a reader in me

[The Final Countdown]

this is absolutely fantastic........you have a reader in me

 

Fantastic...now that's what I like to hear!

 

Thanks for that.

[The Final Countdown]

June 1st, 2002

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/banner_ROH2.jpg

 

 

It began at the very first Ring of Honor show, The Era of Honor Begins, on February 8th. Now, almost exactly four months later, it will end inside of a steel cage. Be sure to buy your tickets now, because the climactic showdown between Christopher Daniels and Low Ki on Friday, June 7th, at Death before Dishonor in the Hammerstein Ballroom, is destined to be one of the biggest matches in Ring of Honor history.

 

 

Steel Cage Match for the ROH Championship:

Christopher Daniels (Champion) vs. Low Ki (Challenger)

That Christopher Daniels and Low Ki have butted heads should come as no surprise. Their attitudes and beliefs could not be further apart. Low Ki is a proud competitor who devotes himself to upholding the same moral code that ROH President Ricky Steamboat has always believed in. Christopher Daniels, on the other hand, believes in winning at all costs. He has no regard for what others think of him; his only concern is leaving the ring with his hand raised in the air.

 

This personality clash would seem to make Low Ki and Christopher Daniels natural rivals, and this was proven correct in the aftermath of ROH’s first ever main event. After scoring the pinfall on Bryan Danielson, Daniels offered Low Ki a handshake in a gesture of good sportsmanship, only to cheap-shot him moments later.

 

The two men would clash in one-on-one competition in the final round of the tournament to crown ROH’s first champion. Despite suffering a broken wrist mere days before the match, Low Ki forged ahead, refusing ROH’s offer of a postponement. The weakened Low Ki was no match for a 100% Daniels, who was all too willing to capitalize on Low Ki’s injury en route to claiming the ROH Championship.

 

Low Ki made his return at Epic Encounter, and proved that he was fully recovered by pinning Daniels in tag team action. This pinfall earned Low Ki a rematch for the ROH Championship at Driven. He seemed to be on the verge of taking the title away from the Fallen Angel, but Daniels had a trick up his sleeve in the form of an interfering Austin Aries. Aries broke up a crucial pinfall while Gail Kim distracted the ref, and Daniels went on to win the bout.

 

Now, Low Ki gets one more shot at the gold, inside of a steel cage. Daniels will have nowhere to run, as he will be trapped inside the cage with an angry challenger. Low Ki showed brutality the likes of which no one had seen from him, leaving Aries a bloody mess after their match at Testing the Limit. Has Christopher Daniels awakened a warrior that will be too much for him to handle, or can the Fallen Angel prevail over the determined Low Ki?

 

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino

AJ Styles made his in-ring return in emphatic fashion, pinning Steve Corino’s hand-picked partner, CW Anderson. Now, with Styles looking to exact revenge on Corino, the two will square off in singles action. Their current head-to-head is 1-1, but win-loss records have taken a back seat in this heated rivalry.

 

Triple Threat Match for the ROH Tag Team Championship:

The Spanish Announce Team (Jose and Joel Maximo) vs. The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana) vs. The Briscoes (Jay and Mark)

We’ve seen Christopher Daniels etch his name in history by becoming ROH’s first champion. At Death before Dishonor, one of these three teams will replicate that feat in the tag team division.

 

Each team had to win a qualifying match to earn the right to compete for the belts: The S.A.T. defeated Christian York & Joey Matthews; the Saints beat James Maritato & Tony Mamaluke; and the Briscoes knocked off Spanky & Paul London, with a bit of an assist from CM Punk. There will be no assists from Punk this time, as only one team can walk out of NYC with the gold.

 

Homicide vs. Kazarian

If you thought that suffering a defeat would teach “The Future” some humility, you were wrong. As those who have been following ROHwrestling.com know, Kazarian insists that Homicide’s win over him at Testing the Limit was a fluke, and he simply had an off night. He demanded a rematch with Homicide, and The Notorious 187 was happy to give it to him. Can Kazarian redeem himself, or has his mouth gotten him in over his head?

 

Spanky vs. James Maritato

Both of these men were on the losing end of Tag Team Title Qualifying matches, and will only be able to look on as another team captures the belts. Before that, though, they’ll have the opportunity to take out their frustrations on one another, as well as build some momentum for their respective team moving forward.

 

Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe

After defeating Bryan Danielson in their penultimate match, Samoa Joe has officially been named the new #1 Contender for the ROH Championship. Before he can challenge the winner of the big steel cage match, though, he’ll have to deal with Tony Mamaluke. Joe has to be considered the heavy favorite, but Mamaluke has given valiant performances in every single one of his matches. If Joe is too overconfident, Mamaluke has the talent to catch him by surprise.

 

The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans

When this match starts, you’d be well-advised not to blink. Red and Evans may be the two fastest and most agile men in wrestling today, which should result in an absolutely jaw-dropping aerial display.

 

 

Predictions List:

 

Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki

AJ Styles vs. Steve Corino

SAT vs. Second City Saints vs. Briscoes

Homicide vs. Kazarian

Spanky vs. James Maritato

Tony Mamaluke vs. Samoa Joe

The Amazing Red vs. Jack Evans