With the heartbreaking passing of Jay Briscoe, i feel like it's time to watch this from start to finish as it's has one of the best peaks of wrestling ever that helped build the current foundation of pro wrestling that's still doing it's thing today, and then the downfalls that would change the face of the company several times until we end up with TK owning it in 2022. Which is a crazy story in and of itself, that we need to talk about as well. So it's time to MAN UP.
RING OF HONOR
THE ERA OF HONOR BEGINS
23/2/02
PHILADELHIA, PA
To kick off the show, we get an awesome techno hype video that has both aged terribly, and really well
On the street, we meet Da Hit Squad (Dan Maff and Monsta Mack) making their way towards a bus full of fans, but Spanky has already beaten them to it which leads to Mack complaining about people "stealing their heat", which is the stuff i loathe and wish would fuck off forever. They get on the bus and cut a promo about kissing sports entertainments ass goodbye forever, and hey, i hate everything. They leave the bus and hype up some more fans waiting out the front of the building.
In the building, we're greeted by our horrible commentary team of Steve Corino and Eric Gargiulo. Both guys suck at this, and it's the start of ROH struggling to get anyone good to call matches until CM Punk finally gets a chance in 2003.
The Christopher Street Connection and Allison Danger (Corino's real life sister) make their way out to the ring doing a horrendous gay gimmick designed to get them hated, and all i can say is it's 2002 and it was wrong then, and its wrong now. They kiss a bunch of fans and then each other (after calling ROH "Ring of homosexuals' for some more heat). DHS then run out and murder them in brutal fashion with some gross headdrops and a ref counts 3, but fuck that noise on counting it as a real match. They then put Danger through a table with a superbomb for the big pop. Bad stuff to kick off a company that just spent 20 minutes declaring sports entertainment dead.
In the back, Jay and Mark Briscoe are standing by!!! Jay says he's going to prove the Briscoes name is the best in the business, be it singles or tag teams.
In the back, Red says he's going to hit Jay with the Code-Red, and he needs to expect the unexpected.
Match#1 Jay Briscoe w/Mark Briscoe vs Amazing Red
Nothing more fitting (and heartbreaking tbh) than Jay being in the 1st singles match in company history with his brother by his side. Mark is only 17 and can't legally wrestle in the state yet, so Corino wonders if maybe he's a little jealous of Jay getting to be in the ring! This is a really fun back and forth for 8 minutes as they slowly escalate things until they go nuts trying to hit their kill move. Jay throws some nasty right hands and really beats the fuck out of Red when he gets a shot, and we get to see Red's awesome selling and crazy bumps. He does a full backflip off a Yakuza kick, and keeps dying on stuff. Jay hits a disgusting Jay Driller that bends the kid in half, but he gets his foot on the ropes. Jay keeps trying to end it and catches Red off the top with a cool shoulder-block, but Red fights through and moves when Jay tries a senton, and he quickly hits the Infra-Red and the Red-Star Press to win.
**3/4
In the back, Low Ki cuts a promo. He says he's not here to prove he's the all around best or show that this is his gospel BUT IT IS NOT THE SIZE OF THE FIGHTER, BUT THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT HE WILL BRING! AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, ALL YOU CAN DO IS BE READY.
In a pretape, we meet the Natural Born Sinners (Homicide and Boogaloo) They're wandering around a shady looking neighborhood where Ci says is where he used to deal drugs and drive-byes, but he's done with that life and now he's pissed. He finds a rubber chicken and says it reminds him of his mum who used to make him dinner every night. He says they wear masks because they used to survive the streets by covering their faces, and now they will bring the streets to ROH. Wonderful stuff that immediately explains who they are and what they're about (or, at least what we think Homicide is about at this point)
In the back, Xavier tells a young wrestler his time will come.
Also in the back, Scoot Andrews says 2002 is his year.
Match#2 Xavier vs Scoot Andrews
The start of a short but fun little feud between the vet and an upstart. It's short, but you get a lot of cool moves and stuff, and there's way worse things than these two doing stuff for 6 minutes. Xavier is very much an unfished product, but he moves well and hits hard, and Scoot holds his hand through the rest, so not bad at all. There is one NASTY botch where Xavier drops Andrews on his face and it's clear it fucks him up for a minute and he has to collect himself before getting back into it. It turns into a back and forth and Xavier hits a bad looking Arm-Trap Neckbreaker (where he crosses the other persons arms and drops him onto their backs) to win
*3/4
Post match, Scoot teases walking out on the handshake, but he does it because he respects THE CODE OF HONOR.
Match#3 Natural Born Sinners vs The Boogie Knights (Drake and Tobin)
Gargulio is very upset about NBS having chainsaws, which is bullshit because he works for CZW. Also, the ref is former ECW wrestler HC Loc, and seems upset about being here. The NBS wreak the jobbers on the mat and Corino explains they're legit shooters and to not let their appearance fool you into thinking they can't wrestle. Homicide is the better wrestler of the team as we know, but Boogaloo isn't a slouch and holds his own when asked. It eventually turns into a fight and Ci hits his incredible Tope Con Hilo that breaks the shitty chain-link barricade, along with the jobber. Homicide uses the rubber chicken from the earlier promo and whips them across their faces with it, and HC DQ's them. OH NO
**1/4
Post match, NBS snap and beat the fuck out of HC for being a bitch. HOMICIDE USES THE FORK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND CUTS HIS SHITTY SKULL OPEN. CI HITS THE COP KILLA AND THEY LEAVE HIM LAYING IN A BLOODY HEAP.
In the back, The Boogie Knights run away.
Also in the fucking back, The CSS decide to stay in ROH when they see Spanky dancing backstage.
Match#4 Quiet Storm vs. Joel Maximo vs. Jose Maximo vs. The Amazing Red vs. Brian XL vs. Chris Divine (Ultimate Aerial Elimination Match. Special Referee: Mikey Whipwreck
Oh Jesus. The start of the worst series in early ROH history. A long, sloppy botch filled mess that murders any and all enjoyment. After a million minutes and million and one botches, fucking Chris Divine wins in an attempt to make him a thing, but he sucks and goes nowhere, so fuck this.
1/2*
In the back, The NBS are mad and chase a cameraman out of their locker-room
PRINCE NANA makes his debut and yells at noted nonce RF about not telling him who he's facing tonight. He storms off and RF walks down some steps and finds the towel boy, Eric Tuttle and compliments him on his body (JESUS CHRIST). He tells him to fight Nana. The kid agrees and walks past Corino who tells him to get himself over. One of the worst segments ever.
Match#5 Prince Nana vs Eric Tuttle
Fun little squash for Nana. He wins with an Edgeuction
*
Post match, Nana shakes his dead hands.
In the back, Shawn Michaels students, Spanky, Michael Shane, Oz and Ikaika Loa are talking about their upcoming match where the winner of the fall will be given a ROH contract. Spanky dances a lot which is the most interesting part of this.
Match#6 Michael Shane & Oz vs. Ikaika Loa & Spanky (Winner gets a ROH contract)
Not great as Spanky is the only one whose good at this point, Shane is still rough as guts, and the other two are complete nothings. There is at least a cool story of Spanky and Shane hating each other as they want to be the next showstopper, so they beat the crap out of each other whenever they get a chance, and it should have been a singles match. The other dudes get chances to do stuff and it's very bad and dull, and it's sad watching the start and end of their careers all in one match. Spanky finally ends it with the Slice-Bread #2
*3/4
Post match, Shane is very mad and Spanky is a massive dick and makes him shake his hand before he dances off again.
In the back for the 100th time tonight, Mikey yells at all the kids in the earlier match because he trained them, and they let him down (by sucking, i guess) He also yells at XL, who he didn't train and keeps calling hm Bow-Wow. Super Crazy walks in and Mikey gets him to translate that the next show will be a tag match between all of them.
Somewhere in the back, HC is on a massive brick of a phone and bitches to someone about being forced to do the extreme ref gimmick, and then getting murdered by the Sinners. He says he's done with this shit and he's going to make his own spot, and the other person can join him as well. Something awesome has just happened.
Match#7 Eddie Guerrero vs. Super Crazy (IWA Intercontinental Championship)
Eddie looks in tremendous shape and it's clear he's in a WAY better place than when he got fired, and it's such a great thing to see. Eddie slaps Crazy right away and beats the shit out of him, and MY GOD he looks amazing. Clean and crisp and mean as hell on everything he does. Everything has that classic snap to it, and Crazy is the perfect person to take the beating, and the person to fight back and make Eddie eat shit when the time comes. Eddie hits a gross Brainbuster on the floor and the sound is gnarly as hell. Eddie keeps kicking the crap out of him but he never ends it, and Crazy eventually catches him with a fancy cradle to win the title
**3/4
Post match, Eddie shows respect and follows the CODE.
Crazy and Eddie walk backstage where all the boys pat them on the back, expect for Christopher Daniels who shakes his head and looks PISSED.
Match#8 Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels
Here we go. Famous match as it's the one that put ROH on the map along with these 3 men, and it's the one that other companies would try and recreate (Joe/Daniels/AJ etc) as THE match that all others have to follow. Loads of cool shit and little stories being built such as Bryan and Ki trying to outdo each other with brutal strikes, and clearly not liking each other all, and Daniels being a prick that everyone wants to murder, but also showing how tough he is and how he can hang with anyone. They escalate everything really well and it gets crazier and crazier and the crowd LOSES it, and it's one of the most endearing moments ever as ROH is made before our eyes. Ki destroys Daniels with the Ki Crusher 99 to win. Not as amazing as it seemed at the time, but still one of the coolest and most important matches ever.
***1/2
Post match, Bryan says Ki never pinned him tonight and wants a singles match at the next show. Daniels snatches the mic and cuts a babyface promo thanking the fans and talking about the emotions right now, and he just has one thing to say... YOU CAN BOTH GO TO HELL. IT TOOK TWO OF YOU BUMS TO BEAT HIM, AND HE COULD BEAT THEM BOTH IN SINGLES MATCH ON THE SAME NIGHT. Ki snatches the mic back and says Daniels is brave for a man who just got beat, and he accepts the challenge from both men, and suggest a round robin challenge for the next show. He will prove he is the best talent in the Ring of Honor. He shakes Bryan's hand and they both offer theirs to Daniels, and Chris walks out on it. BAW GAWD HE DOESN'T RESPECT THE CODE.
In the back, Eddie says he needs to get hungry if he wants to win more matches. Or, you could sign a WWF contract and show everyone you're one of the best to ever do it, but both work.
We get another techno music video highlighting the show.
After the show, Daniels walks past the ring being taken down and shakes his head and mutters "Ring of Honor, Jesus" as he storms out.
Not a great debut show, but a super historic and important one, and one that will kick off the next era of pro wrestling.
RING OF HONOR
THE ERA OF HONOR BEGINS
23/2/02
PHILADELHIA, PA
To kick off the show, we get an awesome techno hype video that has both aged terribly, and really well
On the street, we meet Da Hit Squad (Dan Maff and Monsta Mack) making their way towards a bus full of fans, but Spanky has already beaten them to it which leads to Mack complaining about people "stealing their heat", which is the stuff i loathe and wish would fuck off forever. They get on the bus and cut a promo about kissing sports entertainments ass goodbye forever, and hey, i hate everything. They leave the bus and hype up some more fans waiting out the front of the building.
In the building, we're greeted by our horrible commentary team of Steve Corino and Eric Gargiulo. Both guys suck at this, and it's the start of ROH struggling to get anyone good to call matches until CM Punk finally gets a chance in 2003.
The Christopher Street Connection and Allison Danger (Corino's real life sister) make their way out to the ring doing a horrendous gay gimmick designed to get them hated, and all i can say is it's 2002 and it was wrong then, and its wrong now. They kiss a bunch of fans and then each other (after calling ROH "Ring of homosexuals' for some more heat). DHS then run out and murder them in brutal fashion with some gross headdrops and a ref counts 3, but fuck that noise on counting it as a real match. They then put Danger through a table with a superbomb for the big pop. Bad stuff to kick off a company that just spent 20 minutes declaring sports entertainment dead.
In the back, Jay and Mark Briscoe are standing by!!! Jay says he's going to prove the Briscoes name is the best in the business, be it singles or tag teams.
In the back, Red says he's going to hit Jay with the Code-Red, and he needs to expect the unexpected.
Match#1 Jay Briscoe w/Mark Briscoe vs Amazing Red
Nothing more fitting (and heartbreaking tbh) than Jay being in the 1st singles match in company history with his brother by his side. Mark is only 17 and can't legally wrestle in the state yet, so Corino wonders if maybe he's a little jealous of Jay getting to be in the ring! This is a really fun back and forth for 8 minutes as they slowly escalate things until they go nuts trying to hit their kill move. Jay throws some nasty right hands and really beats the fuck out of Red when he gets a shot, and we get to see Red's awesome selling and crazy bumps. He does a full backflip off a Yakuza kick, and keeps dying on stuff. Jay hits a disgusting Jay Driller that bends the kid in half, but he gets his foot on the ropes. Jay keeps trying to end it and catches Red off the top with a cool shoulder-block, but Red fights through and moves when Jay tries a senton, and he quickly hits the Infra-Red and the Red-Star Press to win.
**3/4
In the back, Low Ki cuts a promo. He says he's not here to prove he's the all around best or show that this is his gospel BUT IT IS NOT THE SIZE OF THE FIGHTER, BUT THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT HE WILL BRING! AND WHEN THE TIME COMES, ALL YOU CAN DO IS BE READY.
In a pretape, we meet the Natural Born Sinners (Homicide and Boogaloo) They're wandering around a shady looking neighborhood where Ci says is where he used to deal drugs and drive-byes, but he's done with that life and now he's pissed. He finds a rubber chicken and says it reminds him of his mum who used to make him dinner every night. He says they wear masks because they used to survive the streets by covering their faces, and now they will bring the streets to ROH. Wonderful stuff that immediately explains who they are and what they're about (or, at least what we think Homicide is about at this point)
In the back, Xavier tells a young wrestler his time will come.
Also in the back, Scoot Andrews says 2002 is his year.
Match#2 Xavier vs Scoot Andrews
The start of a short but fun little feud between the vet and an upstart. It's short, but you get a lot of cool moves and stuff, and there's way worse things than these two doing stuff for 6 minutes. Xavier is very much an unfished product, but he moves well and hits hard, and Scoot holds his hand through the rest, so not bad at all. There is one NASTY botch where Xavier drops Andrews on his face and it's clear it fucks him up for a minute and he has to collect himself before getting back into it. It turns into a back and forth and Xavier hits a bad looking Arm-Trap Neckbreaker (where he crosses the other persons arms and drops him onto their backs) to win
*3/4
Post match, Scoot teases walking out on the handshake, but he does it because he respects THE CODE OF HONOR.
Match#3 Natural Born Sinners vs The Boogie Knights (Drake and Tobin)
Gargulio is very upset about NBS having chainsaws, which is bullshit because he works for CZW. Also, the ref is former ECW wrestler HC Loc, and seems upset about being here. The NBS wreak the jobbers on the mat and Corino explains they're legit shooters and to not let their appearance fool you into thinking they can't wrestle. Homicide is the better wrestler of the team as we know, but Boogaloo isn't a slouch and holds his own when asked. It eventually turns into a fight and Ci hits his incredible Tope Con Hilo that breaks the shitty chain-link barricade, along with the jobber. Homicide uses the rubber chicken from the earlier promo and whips them across their faces with it, and HC DQ's them. OH NO
**1/4
Post match, NBS snap and beat the fuck out of HC for being a bitch. HOMICIDE USES THE FORK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND CUTS HIS SHITTY SKULL OPEN. CI HITS THE COP KILLA AND THEY LEAVE HIM LAYING IN A BLOODY HEAP.
In the back, The Boogie Knights run away.
Also in the fucking back, The CSS decide to stay in ROH when they see Spanky dancing backstage.
Match#4 Quiet Storm vs. Joel Maximo vs. Jose Maximo vs. The Amazing Red vs. Brian XL vs. Chris Divine (Ultimate Aerial Elimination Match. Special Referee: Mikey Whipwreck
Oh Jesus. The start of the worst series in early ROH history. A long, sloppy botch filled mess that murders any and all enjoyment. After a million minutes and million and one botches, fucking Chris Divine wins in an attempt to make him a thing, but he sucks and goes nowhere, so fuck this.
1/2*
In the back, The NBS are mad and chase a cameraman out of their locker-room
PRINCE NANA makes his debut and yells at noted nonce RF about not telling him who he's facing tonight. He storms off and RF walks down some steps and finds the towel boy, Eric Tuttle and compliments him on his body (JESUS CHRIST). He tells him to fight Nana. The kid agrees and walks past Corino who tells him to get himself over. One of the worst segments ever.
Match#5 Prince Nana vs Eric Tuttle
Fun little squash for Nana. He wins with an Edgeuction
*
Post match, Nana shakes his dead hands.
In the back, Shawn Michaels students, Spanky, Michael Shane, Oz and Ikaika Loa are talking about their upcoming match where the winner of the fall will be given a ROH contract. Spanky dances a lot which is the most interesting part of this.
Match#6 Michael Shane & Oz vs. Ikaika Loa & Spanky (Winner gets a ROH contract)
Not great as Spanky is the only one whose good at this point, Shane is still rough as guts, and the other two are complete nothings. There is at least a cool story of Spanky and Shane hating each other as they want to be the next showstopper, so they beat the crap out of each other whenever they get a chance, and it should have been a singles match. The other dudes get chances to do stuff and it's very bad and dull, and it's sad watching the start and end of their careers all in one match. Spanky finally ends it with the Slice-Bread #2
*3/4
Post match, Shane is very mad and Spanky is a massive dick and makes him shake his hand before he dances off again.
In the back for the 100th time tonight, Mikey yells at all the kids in the earlier match because he trained them, and they let him down (by sucking, i guess) He also yells at XL, who he didn't train and keeps calling hm Bow-Wow. Super Crazy walks in and Mikey gets him to translate that the next show will be a tag match between all of them.
Somewhere in the back, HC is on a massive brick of a phone and bitches to someone about being forced to do the extreme ref gimmick, and then getting murdered by the Sinners. He says he's done with this shit and he's going to make his own spot, and the other person can join him as well. Something awesome has just happened.
Match#7 Eddie Guerrero vs. Super Crazy (IWA Intercontinental Championship)
Eddie looks in tremendous shape and it's clear he's in a WAY better place than when he got fired, and it's such a great thing to see. Eddie slaps Crazy right away and beats the shit out of him, and MY GOD he looks amazing. Clean and crisp and mean as hell on everything he does. Everything has that classic snap to it, and Crazy is the perfect person to take the beating, and the person to fight back and make Eddie eat shit when the time comes. Eddie hits a gross Brainbuster on the floor and the sound is gnarly as hell. Eddie keeps kicking the crap out of him but he never ends it, and Crazy eventually catches him with a fancy cradle to win the title
**3/4
Post match, Eddie shows respect and follows the CODE.
Crazy and Eddie walk backstage where all the boys pat them on the back, expect for Christopher Daniels who shakes his head and looks PISSED.
Match#8 Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels
Here we go. Famous match as it's the one that put ROH on the map along with these 3 men, and it's the one that other companies would try and recreate (Joe/Daniels/AJ etc) as THE match that all others have to follow. Loads of cool shit and little stories being built such as Bryan and Ki trying to outdo each other with brutal strikes, and clearly not liking each other all, and Daniels being a prick that everyone wants to murder, but also showing how tough he is and how he can hang with anyone. They escalate everything really well and it gets crazier and crazier and the crowd LOSES it, and it's one of the most endearing moments ever as ROH is made before our eyes. Ki destroys Daniels with the Ki Crusher 99 to win. Not as amazing as it seemed at the time, but still one of the coolest and most important matches ever.
***1/2
Post match, Bryan says Ki never pinned him tonight and wants a singles match at the next show. Daniels snatches the mic and cuts a babyface promo thanking the fans and talking about the emotions right now, and he just has one thing to say... YOU CAN BOTH GO TO HELL. IT TOOK TWO OF YOU BUMS TO BEAT HIM, AND HE COULD BEAT THEM BOTH IN SINGLES MATCH ON THE SAME NIGHT. Ki snatches the mic back and says Daniels is brave for a man who just got beat, and he accepts the challenge from both men, and suggest a round robin challenge for the next show. He will prove he is the best talent in the Ring of Honor. He shakes Bryan's hand and they both offer theirs to Daniels, and Chris walks out on it. BAW GAWD HE DOESN'T RESPECT THE CODE.
In the back, Eddie says he needs to get hungry if he wants to win more matches. Or, you could sign a WWF contract and show everyone you're one of the best to ever do it, but both work.
We get another techno music video highlighting the show.
After the show, Daniels walks past the ring being taken down and shakes his head and mutters "Ring of Honor, Jesus" as he storms out.
Not a great debut show, but a super historic and important one, and one that will kick off the next era of pro wrestling.
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