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Roderick Strong vs Chris Hero
They start off trading shoulderblocks and then Hero unloads with chops and catches Roderick in a three quarter nelson. Back and forth sequence ends with Hero booting Strong to the floor and Hero goes after him, but gets cracked in the head with the Book of Truth by Truth Martini. Strong goes after him with a series of chops and gives Hero a back suplex onto the ring apron. Strong rolls Hero back into the ring and puts the boots to him before covering for 2. Strong chokes him in the corner with his boot and then whips him to the far corner ahd takes a charge, Hero goes for a roaring boot but Strong blocks and stomps a mudhole in Hero. Strong dumps Hero to the floor and unloads with more punishment, but he rolls Hero in and takes too long to follow and Hero baseball slides him under the bottom rope. Strong regains the advantage fairly quickly and rams Hero into the guardrail, then dumps him back into the ring and covers for 2. Strong goes to a rear chinlock and Hero tries to escape, but just gets beaten back down by Strong. Hero regains his feet and they go toe to toe in the middle of the ring and Hero comes off the ropes with a big Yakuza Kick and then starts the babyface comeback. Hero no-sells a chop and flattens Strong with one of his own, then follows with a powerslam and a short senton. Strong rolls out to the floor and Hero again baseball slides Strong through the ropes. Strong tries going to the top rope but Hero catches him with a three quarter slam off the top for 2. Hero goes for the Deathblow but Strong stops him with a quick leaping kneestrike to the jaw for 2. Strong with a hard chop in the corner on Hero and sits him up top, he goes for the top rope side suplex onto the top turnbuckle, Hero tries to fight him off, but Strong gets it the second time around and covers for 2. Strong goes right to the Stronghold, but Hero manages to kick his way out and pick Strong's ankle and then catch him in a three quarter nelson. Hero with a leaping elbowstrike in the corner, a boot to the skull off the second rope, and a roaring elbow gets 2 for Hero. Hero goes for a moonsault, Strong moves but Hero lands on his feet, but Strong connects with a leaping enziguiri, a German suplex into the corner, another leaping enziguiri, and the Gibson Driver for 2. They go back to trading chops and then Hero DRILLS Strong with a roaring elbow, then a second one, and a roaring Yakuza Kick gets 2. Hero pulls off the elbowpad and hits the Deathblow, but Truth Martini runs in and breaks up the cover. This somehow doesn't cause a DQ, so Hero does what every good oblivious babyface does and goes out to the floor to chase Truth around ringside and into the ring where he gets ahold of him just long enough for Roderick to get a rollup for 2. Hero kicks him off and goes for a running boot and nails Truth Martini, but Strong hits a Sick Kick an a leaping enziguiri for the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Not what I would have expected out of these two, Hero looked a bit off his game in this one and it was okay, but not of the standard these two have a reputation for setting.
ROH World Tag Team Title Match: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin vs Jay & Mark Briscoe
They start brawling before the bell as the champions use their title belts to beat the Briscoes down and take them to the outside and brawl around ringside. The champions just destroy the Briscoes out on the floor and then Haas sends Jay back into the ring and KILLS him with a chairshot to the head and then another, equally nasty chairshot to Mark. Haas whips Jay at Shelton so Shelton can smash him with another chairshot. Shelton with another big chairshot to Jay's shoulder as Haas dumps Mark into the crowd, then Shelton rolls Jay back into the ring for more punishment as the crowd chants "F*** you Charlie" at Haas, who gives back to the fans by holding Jay so Shelton can drill him in the ribs with a chair, then Shelton returns the favor and holds Jay so Haas can nail him. Jay finally starts firing back on Shelton, but Haas blindsides him with another chairshot and yet another one right over the top of the head. The Briscoes are just destroyed at this point, and Haas goes over to the bloody Jay and stomps on his groin. Mark comes back in and tries to save his borther, but gets dumped back out to the floor so Shelton can give Jay a Hacker Slam. The crowd is definitely behind the Briscoes, and the champions flip the fans off before setting Jay up and hitting the Beverly Drop...or at least they tried, because Shelton didn't quite clear his partner and landed right on top of Haas.
Mark comes in and goes face to face with the champions, and the referee finally rings the bell to start the match as Shelton spikes Mark into the mat with a DDT, then they set Mark up for the Beverly Drop as Haas again tells the fans they're number one. Jay comes into the ring and boots Shelton in the face to break the sequence, and then goes face to fce with Haas as the crowd starts a loud "Let's go Briscoes" chant. Haas and Jay go toe to toe and then Haas boots a bloody Jay in the face to send him tumbling out to the floor and then Shelton gives Mark a Stinger Splash, but Mark gets an elbow up and then spears Benjamin and makes the hot tag to Jay, who stumbles into the ring and nails Haas, then the Briscoes give Shelton the double hiptoss across the ring. They tear Shelton's shirt off to reveal his taped ribs, but Shelton manages to backdrop him and tag out to Haas, and now he seems to be a babyface again as he makes his comeback and hits the T-bone suplex on Jay for 2. Crowd again gets on Haas with a "you suck" chant, and he quickly takes Jay out with a powerslam as Shelton dumps Mark to the floor. Haas and Benjamin with an inverted atomic drop/superkick combo and then Haas covers Jay for 2 as Mark pulls Shelton out to the floor and rams him into the barricade. Mark comes back in and hits a running boot on Haas, followed by an Iconoclasm for 2. The Briscoes go for the spike Jay Driller, but Shelton pulls Mark out to the floor and they wipe each other out with a double clothesline on the floor as Haas hits Rolling German suplexes on Jay in the ring.
Haas gets Jay in the Haas of Pain, but Mark goes up to the top rope and tries to dive onto Haas, but Benjamin throws himself on top of his partner to protect him and take the blow. Shelton's in bad shape on the floor and gets carried out by referees as the Briscoes beat Haas senseless in the ring. The Briscoes hit the double football tackle as the crowd goes nuts for them, sensing that tonight might finally be their night. Briscoes go for a double backdrop, but Haas holds the ropes and hits a Hacker Slam on Mark that accidentally sends him careening into the referee and knocks him out. Shelton stumbles out of the back with a wooden board and breaks it over Mark's head as the crowd starts "HOOOOOOO" and "USA" chants in honor of our old pal Hacksaw. They take the two pieces of the board and use them to continue brutalizing Jay, then Shelton tells Haas to put Jay up on his shoulders so they can hit him with the Doomsday Device. Shelton goes up top, but Mark knocks him off with a piece of the board, Jay slips off of Haas and superkicks him in the jaw, then they set up and hit the Doomsday Device to become seven time ROH World Tag Team Champions.
Winners: Jay & Mark Briscoe
The Briscoes are showered with streamers following their victory. This was a great match that told a great story of a true battle of attrition where the Briscoes finally defeated the team that sought to take their spot atop the tag team division. The crowd was really into this one and went nuts when the Briscoes got the win.
The main event is up next on Page 4!
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