Pre-Show Notes: Visiting at the show are Quiet Storm and Brian XL...ROH management was very happy with last night's Sinclair TV taping....There will be some CHIKARA involvement as Grand champion Eddie Kingston is here....They are playing old theme songs from the early days of ROH as fans enter the venue....Several wrestlers from Womens Superstars Unleashed are also in the house, including Marti Belle.
ROH Tenth Anniversary Internet PPV Coverage.
Your commentary team is Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness. They got a huge ovation. The crowd chanted for Nigel and then for Kevin Kelly.
The crowd then chanted for Cary Silkin.
They went live on the air. Nigel and Kelly welcomed everyone. Nigel said that ten years ago, ROH was formed to show that pro wrestling wasn't dead. He said that ten years later, ROH is alive and kicking and so is pro wrestling. He said that is thanks to everyone who is in ROH, everyone who helped build the company and all the fans of ROH.
They sent it to a pre-taped promo from the All Night Express.
Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin vs. The All Night Express.
All Night Express have new outfits. They went face to face and argued with the former champs before the bell.
Benjamin and Rhett Titus opened up. Titus worked him over with hard chops in the corner and drilled him with a running clothesline in the corner. He followed up with a running bulldog and brought him into the Express' corner. Kenny King worked over Benjamin and worked him over on the mat. Benjamin fought to his feet and they went back and forth. Benjamin cut him off with a kick to the gut. He and Haas began working over King in the corner. Haas mocked the crowd, which was all over him.
Haas whipped King into the ropes but King ducked a big boot and nailed a dropkick. The Express went for a double team but Haas avoided it. He tossed King to the floor but was caught by Titus with a neckbreaker. Benjamin hit the scene but the Express tossed them to the floor and hit a double flip dive out of the ring to the floor.
Back in the ring, Haas covered up as Titus worked him over. The referee held Titus back. Haas shoved King, and the referee stopped King from getting in the ring. That allowed Benjamin to attack Titus' bad knee from behind. Haas and Benjamin began taking turns working over Titus' knee. Haas brought him into the corner and tied his leg in the ropes, then charged and drilled it with a knee. Benjamin brought him over to the ringpost and locked in a figure four on the rail. King tried to help but was cut off by Haas and thrown out hard to the floor.
Back in the ring, Titus tried to make the tag but was cut off by Benjamin and was caught in a leg submission. He tried to roll over and pin Benjamin while trapped in it to no avail. Titus fought him off but was cut off. Haas tagged in and continued working him over. Haas finally missed a punch and King made the hot tag. King wet nuts with offense, allowing Titus to nail an enziguri to Benjamin.
King locked in a one legged crab on Haas but Benjamin attacked. King was sent into the corner but came off with a moonsault for a two. The Express double teamed him with dropkicks. Titus covered Benjamin for a two count. Haas hit the scene but was nailed a kick. He came back with a big boot and a big German suplex.
King tagged in but was caught with a Haas inverted atomic drop and a big boot by Benjamin for a two count. The crowd tried to rally the Express as Rhett fired up with a series of punches and worked over Haas. He nailed a clothesline that sent them both over the top to the floor. Benjamin and King went into a series of near fall reversals until King finally caught Benjamin and scored the pin.
Your winners, The All Night Express!
Really, really strong opener. They had some great back and forth action and Benjamin doing what I believe may have been his first pinfall loss in ROH was a real shock to the audience. Haas and Benjamin were absolutely great as heels. Great kickoff.
Mike Bennett (with Bob Evans & Maria Kanellis) vs. Homicide
The crowd was all over Bennett when he came out, chanting CM Punk at Kanellis. Bennett said they are talking about the Best in the World and said he was going to do to Homicide what he should do the entire city, take a big old crap on it. Homicide hit the ring and attacked Bennett. Homicide was wearing his outfit from the first-ever ROH show when he was one half of the Natural Born Sinners. No rubber chicken though!
They rang the bell and Homicide worked Bennett over, beating the hell out of him all over the outside, running him into the rail. Bennett started making a comeback but Homicide tossed him to the floor. He went for the tope con hilo to the outside but Evans pulled Bennett out of the way and nailed Homicide. Bennett worked over Homicide and tossed him back into the ring. He worked over Homicide with a series of rights and suplexed him over for a two count.
He whipped Homicide into the corner and clotheslined him then dropkicked him for a near fall. He whipped Homicide into the ropes but put his head down and Homicide kicked him. Homicide rebounded off the ropes but was caught with a spinebuster. He ripped a Yankees shirt off of Homicide and wiped his rear with it. That fired up Homicide who nailed an Ace Crusher. They fought to their feet and battled back and forth. Homicide nailed him with a powerbomb, then locked on an STF. Shout out to Samoa Joe! Homicide led the move go and went after Bob Evans.
Bennett tried to charge him but was nailed with a back elbow. He went to the top but was cut off by Bennett. Bennett went for a superplex but Homicide cut him off and teased a Pepsi Plunge off the top. Bennett backdropped him into the ring. Homicide cut off Bennett and nailed a neckbreaker. He called for the GTS but Maria got on the ropes. Bennett slipped out and charged. Homicide moved and Maria was almost nailed. Homicide grabbed Bennett and nailed the GTS. He started screaming at Maria and made the CM Punk straightedge symbol.
Bennett grabbed Homicide from behind and rolled him up, hooking the tights for the pin.
Your winner, Mike Bennett!
Homicide immediately laid out Bennett and then Bob Evans. He went after Maria, who was in the ring but they pulled her out of the ring.
Homicide took the mic and put over the fans and the promotion afterward, ripping on Boston in he process.
A solid match. I loved the old school Homicide look.
CHIKARA Grand champion Eddie Kingston was introduced. Kevin Kelly said that ROH will be cross-promoting events across the country. He said the first would be 4/28 in Chicago with CHIKARA. Kingston said that he was happy to be here and happy to be in NYC. He said that he was most excited to see ROH champion Davey Richards. He said that he had an idea. Richards' music played but then changed and out came Kevin Steen, carrying a tennis racket and eating a banana.
Steen came that it was really good to see Kingston, but he was wondering what exactly happened. He asked Kingston when he became such a bitch. He said that he heard Kingston was talking about how great it was to be here. He says that Kingston said it was great to be back, but he used to be here until Jim Cornette came and took over and you disappeared. He said that he thinks that's not what Kingston thinks inside. He said that he knows people would like to see them fight but he also thinks a lot of people would want to see them tear down the business together. He said they could destroy CHIKARA and ROH and rebuild it. Kingston said that CHIKARA was his home and where he was born and where he was die. He said that teaming with Steen would be cool but he's not about destroying anything. Steen said ROH was cool until Cornette took over but Steen is taking care of that. He said that if he loves CHIKARA that's fine but it's a bullsh** Mickey Mouse promotion. Kingston told Kelly to get out of the ring. He said that he lost his wife and his kids for CHIKARA and he'll live and die for CHIKARA and he would "f***ing kill Steen" for running his mouth. It was an awesome promo. Steen backed off and said he didn't come to fight but plans change. They brawled. A ton of ROH officials and ring crew pulled them apart. Kingston was pulled from the ring and the CHIKARA belt was left in the ring with Steen. Steen teased pulling his penis out and pissing on the belt, which brought CHIKARA stars the Colony out. They worked over Steen and threw him out of the ring. Red Ant then hit a big dive onto everyone on the floor. A super hot angle and segment.
The House of Truth (Roderick Strong & Michael Elgin with Truth Martini) vs. The Amazing Red & TJ Perkins
Big pop for the return of Red. The crowd chanted "House of Glory" (Red's school) and "F*** TNA." Perkins and Elgin started off. They went back and forth. Red tagged in and was sent into the corner. Red went for a waistlock but was unable to move the big man. Red was able to use a dropkick to take Elgin to his knees and work him over. Strong hit the scene but was hit with some offense, sending him to the floor with a flying head scissors. Red and Perkins hit a double springboard bodypress.
It settled down to Elgin and Perkins. Perkins tried to come off the ropes with a tornado DDT but was caught and turned into an over the shoulder powerslam for a two count. Strong tagged in and nailed a backbreaker, then locked in a rear chinlock. Red nailed a ton of spinkicks and a dropkick off the ropes on Strong but was attacked by Elgin. Red hit a twisting move that turned into a DDT for the pin.
Red hit a pescado to the floor. Perkins and Red then did stereo twisting splashes on Martini and Strong on the other side. Red and Perkins worked over Elgin. Red nailed the Code Red on Elgin. They went back and forth with an insane series of moves and near falls until Strong shot Red into the air for a backbreaker and Elgin caught him with a stiff lariat for the pin.
Your winners, The House of Truth!
Really HOT match. Perkins and Red made a hell of a team. Imagine them against the Bucks or Express or Briscoes? I really thought this was the best House of Truth ever looked overall. Just an impressive match.
In between each match, the crowd is doing the Daniel Bryan "YES!" as a chant. Pretty cool way to show respect for someone who put the place on the map.
ROH TV champ Jay Lethal vs. Tommaso Ciampa (with The Embassy)
They locked up and went back and forth. Ciampa went to the outside and Jay hit a springboard dropkick off the corner, sending him to the floor. He went for a dive and took out RE Evans on the floor but Ciampa clotheslined him on the outside. Ciampa worked over Jay on the floor, sending him into the railing and beating him.
Ciampa worked over Lethal. Lethal tried to come back with a handspring elbow but was dropkicked in the face while upside down. Ciampa began picking him apart on the mat, then whipped him into the ropes and drilled him with a back elbow. Ciampa continued working Lethal over but Lethal began firing back with chops. They went back and forth with chops until Lethal drilled him with a series back into the corner. He whipped Ciampa into the opposite corner but it was reversed and Ciampa dropkicked him into the corner.
Ciampa worked over Lethal in the corner with a series of running knees but when he went for another, Lethal snapped him with a superkick. Lethal worked him over with chops and clotheslines. Lethal nailed the handspring elbow for a two count. They battled back and forth on the top and Lethal nailed Ciampa off the ropes and back into the ring. Lethal hit the flying elbow and scored a two count.
Ciampa and Lethal battled back and forth on the apron, chopping each other. Ciampa ducked one and nailed the Air Raid Crash on the apron outside with two minutes remaining. The referee began counting them out and it looked like it would end up a double countout but they returned at the 19 count with a minute remaining.
Lethal fired up on Ciampa but The Embassy got on the apron. They were all nailed by Lethal, except for Mia Yim, who's dress was grabbed and ripped by Lethal. Lethal beat the hell out of Ciampa, who started firing back as the time limit expired.
15 Minute Draw.
Lethal tried to call for five more minutes, which the crowd wanted but Ciampa attacked him and nailed the powerbomb over the knees, leaving Lethal laying. Ciampa took the TV title belt and walked out with it. When Lethal recovered and realized they stole the belt, he ran to the back.
The next event here is Sunday 6/24. We are now at intermission!
They began playing "Final Countdown", which was Bryan Danielson's theme here and the place went NUTS!
They followed that by playing Punk's old theme song, and they even ran the old lighting effects. That was pretty damn awesome. We are a long way from the Murphy Rec Center.
ROH Tag Team champions The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks.
The Bucks attacked the Briscoes during the ring introductions but the Briscoes nailed a double clothesline. They sent Nick Jackson to the floor then hit a double Beel over the top on Matt, sending him onto his brother on the floor. The Briscoes went to the floor and worked over the challengers, sending them into the railing. All four battled around ringside with the Briscoes trashing the Bucks.
Back in the ring, Jay worked over Matt Jackson, nailing a leaping clothesline in the corner. Mark joined in the beating, slamming him into the apron. The champs began working over Matt in the corner. They drilled him with a pair of dropkicks. They slammed him and drilled him with a double shoulderblock for a two count. Nick went after Jay, who chased him around ringside. When they hit the ring, Matt grabbed Jay in a standing headscissors and Nick dropkicked him, turning the tide.
The Bucks began working over Jay but Mark hit the scene. It turned into a brawl. Matt ducked, sending Mark over the top. The Bucks worked him over but Mark began nailing a series of chops on Matt. Matt backdropped him. Mark landed on his feet but was superkicked by Nick, who then hit a pescado to the floor on Jay.
The Briscoes worked over Mark in their corner. Mark fought his way out and drilled Matt with a series of headbutts. He made the hot tag to Jay, who clotheslined him. Mark killed him with a stiff dropkick. Jay stomped the hell out of Matt. Nick tried to springboard in but was caught and slammed onto his brother. The Briscoes hit an awesome powerbomb neckbreaker combination on Matt for a two count. Nick pulled Mark to the floor and superkicked him. He then springboarded in and drilled Jay with an X-Factor. Matt rolled him up for a two count.
They hung Jay on the ropes and Nick came off the ropes with a 450 splash for a two count. The Bucks battled with Jay Briscoe. They nailed him with a pair of stereo superkicks for a two count. They set up Jay for More Bang for Your Buck but Mark sent Matt off the top to the rail. The Briscoes nailed the Doomsday Device on Nick Jackson, scoring the pin.
Your winners and still ROH Tag Team champions, The Briscoes!
Good back and forth tag match.
Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs (with Steve Corino) - No DQ
Corino took the mic and said he was going to explain what's going to happen here. He told Steen that it's gone too far. He said Steen beat his ass all over the ring at Final Battle and he hasn't wrestled since. He asked if he believes Corino is going to let this continue, he's crazy. He said that it's time to move on. He said that he and Jacobs talked about it and this will be an unpopular decision but there's not going to be a No DQ match tonight. Steen took the mic. He told Corino that the man he knew would have punched him in the face for taking the mic, but Corino just stands there sulking.
Jacobs attacked Steen while Corino was confused. He removed his jacket to reveal the jacket he wore the night he stood under a gushing Jay Briscoe at the Chicago PPV. Corino was telling him not to do it but joined the announcers. Jacobs tossed chairs into the ring. Jacobs sat Steen in a chair in the aisle and did a running dive off the top onto Steen.
Jacobs tried to nail Steen with a chair but Steen ducked. They battled over it and Steen pulled Jacobs towards it. Steen hit a cannonball in the corner. Steen plowed Jacobs into the barricade. They brawled all over the aisle. Steen climbed atop the rail but was grabbed and slammed hard by Jacobs. Steen came back to ram Jacobs into a ringpost, then followed up with a steel chair. He pulled a piece of the barricade out and slammed Jacobs on it. Steen nailed him with another chair. They continued waging war on each other by the stage.
They brawled back to the ring, where Jacobs covered Steen for a two count. Jacobs began beating Steen's head into the chairs on the mat. He set up a table on the floor. He attempted to suplex Jacobs out of the ring onto the table but Steen blocked it and dragged him into the ring. He tried to powerbomb Jacobs outside but Jacobs escapes. He dropped down when Jacobs charged, sending him over the top to the floor. He then powerbombed Jacobs on the apron and did it again on a second side of the ring.
Steen gets in Corino's face and returns to Jacobs. He tries to powerbomb him off the apron onto the table but Jacobs landed on his feet. They battled on the apron. Jacobs speared Steen through the ropes through the table. Back in the ring, Jacobs went for a Contra Code off the ropes onto some chairs but Steen caught him and sent him into the chairs for a two count. Steen ascended to the top rope. Steen nailed a swanton but Jacobs gets his knee up.
Jacobs pulled out the spike he used during the Age of the Fall He charged and missed stabbing the turnbuckle. Steen nailed the F5 but was too tired to make the cover. He finally went for it, but changed his mind and set up a chair in the middle of the ring. He then set up another as Corino stood up, shaking his head. He sets the chairs back to back and goes for an F5 onto the chairs. Jacobs fought out, grabbed the spike and stabbed Steen, who was busted open. Jacobs began staring at the spike, then dropped it, shocked at what he did.
Steen grabbed the spike and spiked him in the crotch, then nailed the F5 onto the chairs. He covered Jacobs for the pin.
Your winner, Kevin Steen!
ROH champ Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Cole and Kyle started off but before they could lock up, Richards tagged himself in. Richards backed him into the corner and there was a clean break. Richards brought hm down to the mat, working over his arm. They went back and forth with some nice reversals, until Cole dropkicked Richards. Richards shoulderblocked him down, but was caught in a sunset flip. They went into a series of reversals leading to Cole going for a kick but Richards evaded. They faced off.
They tagged out to their partners. They went into a knucklelock test of strength and began headbutting each other. Edwards took him down to the mat for a near fall. They went back and forth until Kyle caught him with an armbar. Edwards turned that into a leg submission and they finally faced off. Cole tagged in as did Richards. Richards began tagging Cole with a series of kicks to the chest. They went back and forth until Richards nailed a dropkick as Cole was rebounding off the ropes. Kyle tagged in and he drilled Cole, who came back with a series of shoulderblocks. Kyle cut him off with a back suplex and tagged Richards. He cinched in an Indian Death Lock. Edwards and Richards tagged in and they went back and forth. Richards drilled Edwards with a running forearm, then hit a dive to the outside on Cole. Edwards nailed a back suplex off the ropes but Eddie fought out of it. He and Kyle went back and forth, killing each other with disgustingly stiff chops.
Kyle began throwing some stuff kicks. Edwards chopped him in the neck and went for another but Kyle blocked and hit a sick back suplex for a two count. Cole tagged in and tried to roll up Kyle, who shoved him off. Cole nailed a leg lariat fora two count. Cole caught Kyle on the ropes and slammed him for a two count. They battled back and forth with forearms. Cole was caught with a leaping knee and Richards leapt into the ring and drilled him with a kick for a two count. Richards locked in the Texas Cloverleaf. Edwards was trying to interfere so Kyle warded him off and assisted in the submission. Kyle began doing a series of rolling butterfly suplexes for a two count. Cole fired back against Richards and Kyle. Richards went for an enziguiri but Cole ducked and Kyle was nailed. Cole maneuvered Kyle into DDTing Davey. Edwards tagged in and nailed a leaping missile dropkick on both. He worked over Davey with a brainbuster for a two count.
They battled back and forth. Edwards backdropped his own partner over the top on Davey and Kyle on the floor. Edwards and Richards returned to the ring. Richards went to the top but was kicked by Edwards and superplexed off. Cole hit a top rope splash and Edwards covered him for a two count. Richards fired back with several elbows to the neck but was flipped over with a suplex into a sitdown slam for another two count. Cole and Edwards went for the American Wolves finisher but Richards fought them off and rolled through with an anklelock on Cole. Edwards went to break it but Kyle attacked him and locked on a submission. It turned into several reversals, leading into the former Wolves locked on submissions while face to face and slapping the hell out of each other.
Cole and Kyle grabbed their opponents and nailed back suplexes, then traded vicious strikes and punches. Cole then hit a nasty looking Cactus clothesline to the outside. Richards and Edwards began exchanging strikes and kicks, laying each other out. They made the tag to Cole and Kyle, who faced off. They charged each other with kicks, mirroring each other. They went for suplexes on Edwards and Richards but it was reversed with all four tumbling out of the ring to the floor. All four battered men returned to the ring. Cole and Richards battling in one corner, Edwards and Kyle in the other. Richards and Eddie kept trying to one up each other with chops and kicks. They then faced off in the center of the ring, chopping and kicking each other stiffly. Richards nailed a sick clothesline that folded Edwards upside down in half. This left Kyle and Cole to battle it out with sick slaps, kicks and chops, with Cole finally getting the best of it and a near fall. Cole kicked Richards off the apron. He and Edwards used a lungblower into a backstabber for another two count on Kyle.
Kyle fought back with kicks on both his opponents but was nailed off the top with a sitdown F5 off the top. Cole covered Kyle but Richards dove in to break up the pinfall. Edwards whipped Cole into Kyle who kicked him off, then sent Edwards to the floor. Kyle nailed the leaping knee off the apron on Eddie. Richards nailed a double stomp on Cole, who kicked out. Cole was drilled with several kicks until a punt to the face and a back suplex but kicked out again. Richards slapped him but Cole kicked him. Kyle nailed a brainbuster on him as Richards kicked him. Edwards broke it up and nailed a top rope stomp on Richards. Cole superkicked Richards in mid-air. They nailed the Wolves old finish on Richards for another two count. Edwards and Richards battled on the top rope. Richards fought him off but Edwards nailed a running knee and hit a top rope rana into the ring. Edwards powerbombed Richards onto Cole's knees but it went wrong. The crowd knew it too. Kyle hit the scene for the save and slapped them but both Cole and Eddie hit a double big boot to the face. Edwards went for a powerbomb, but saw Cole hit a tornado DDT onto Kyle off the apron to the floor.
Richards small packaged him for a two count. They went into a series of reversals. Edwards went for the codebreaker off the second rope but Richards turned it into a anklelock. Cole tagged in and nailed a bodypress off the ropes and pinned Richards, shocking the crowd.
Your winners, Adam Cole & Eddie Edwards!
Really great match with a shocking finish that brought Cole up to the next level.
Richards took the mic and started to speak but stopped. He then congratulated Cole on getting the win. They shook hands and faced off. Kyle refused and said he doesn't shake hands with anyone he doesn't respect. Richards got mad. Kevin Steen showed up in the balcony and said he doesn't respect any of them and he wasn't going to let the Anniversary show end with a "Davey Richards b**chfest." He said he wishes he had a Colt 45 to shoot Richards and said "Young Wolves Rising" was the worst name he ever heard. He said the show should have been titled Kevin Steen steals the show. He said that the future is ugly and it's him. He said it should have been Richards vs. Kevin Steen for the title. He said that some people think it's not happening because Davey is scared. He said that the truth is Cornette is afraid. He said Davey is the one person that can change Cornette's mind. He said that until Davey gets Cornette to change his mind, Steen is going to haunt him until he makes it happen. He said that Davey is a jiu-jitsu jackoff and "that's trending worldwide."
