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ROH YEAR THREE ARCHIVE: LOOKING BACK AT RING OF HONOR'S MOST CONTROVERSIAL YEAR

ROH REBORN COMPLETION

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF RING OF HONOR REBORN : COMPLETION FROM ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY; MICK FOLEY'S ROH DEBUT ANNOUNCED; LOW KI RETURNS

Pre-Show Notes:

Ring of Honor has videos and DVDs of Ohio Valley Wrestling for sale at the show as the company has secured a deal for OVW merchandise. It will be added to ROH’s online catalog this week.

The afternoon Do or Die 3 event featured:

*The Outkast Killahs defeated Gabe Roach and Mike Foxx

*Daizee Haze pinned Allison Danger

*Tony Kozina pinned Special K’s Angeldust. The match featured the return of Special K member Hijinx to ROH.

*Dunn & Marcos defeated Don Juan and Jared Steel

*Rainman defeated Shawn Daivari

*Colt Cabana defeated The Christopher Street Connection in a handicap match. Caprice Coleman challenged Cabana, but was defeated as well.

*Matt Sydal defeated Delirious

*Joshua Masters vs. Brian Gamble ended in a no contest when Homicide hit the ring and destroyed both.

*Josh Daniels defeated B-Boy

The opening contest featured Roderick Strong and Jack Evans vs. Special K’s Izzy and Dixie. Strong and Evans were accompanied by Alex Shelley and Austin Aries, their partners in Generation Next. Strong tried to shake hands with Izzy but was ignored. Strong and Izzy evaded each other’s moves. Evans tagged in and hit a flying head scissors on Izzy. Izzy hit a backflip kick on Evans, sending him over the top to the floor. Izzy hit a springboard dive to the floor. Dixie tagged in and missed a springboard hurrancanrana on Strong but hit a big kick in the corner. He whipped Strong into the ropes for an Izzy springboard Diamondust. Izzy used a leg lariat for a near fall but Evans interfered. Special K hit stereo dropkicks on Evans. Evans tried to hit Izzy, who went after him, With his back turned, Strong attacked him and sent him to the floor. Generation Next attacked Izzy with Special K making the save. As everyone brawled, Evans hit a springboard twisting dive to the floor on everyone. Back in the ring, Strong took over on Dixie, hitting several back suplex variations. Evans hit a running leg lariat for a two count. He followed up with a brainbuster for another two count. Strong chopped him in the corner and generally beat the hell out of him, getting several near falls. Evans and Strong continued to double on Dixie, Strong held Dixie in a torture race, allowing Evans to jump off the ropes and use Izzy’s body as a springboard for a dive on Dixie for a near fall. The crowd loved that. Dixie finally came back with a swinging DDT off the turnbuckle on Strong. He tagged in Izzy, who cleaned house on Evans and Strong. Izzy hit a reverse Frankensteiner on Evans for a near fall. Generation Next cleaned house and hit several double team maneuvers, culminating with Evans hitting a twisting splash on Izzy for the pin. Your winners, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans!

After the bell, Special K and Generation Next brawled with Next laying them out. They grabbed Becky Bayless. She tried to slap Strong, who flipped her into an over the knee backbreaker. The crowd popped for it.

Alex Shelley took the ring mic and said that tonight was a night that Generation Next would make sure would go down in infamy. Austin Aries said that it was time for everyone else in ROH to step aside or Generation Next would make them.

The next match is one of the Pure championship four-way qualifiers with Doug Williams vs. Jay Lethal (formerly Special K’s Hydro, not sure on why there is a name change yet) vs. Nigel McGiness vs. John Walters. They started out with lots of back and forth mat and counter wrestling between the four, which was good. Nigel and Williams went back and forth with several near falls. Lethal and Walters tagged in. They went into a collar and elbow lock up, with Walters shoulderblocking him down. Lethal returned the favor. The crowd chanted, “Let’s go Lethal” while another portion chanted for Walters. Walters locked Lethal in the Oriental Torture Device. Lethal broke the hold but was taken down with a stiff chop to the chest. Walters scissored Lethal’s face with his legs. Lethal got out of the move and tagged in Williams who took down Walters. They went back and forth with mat wrestling and submission moves. Williams rocked him with a series of European uppercuts. He hit a running high knee in the corner. Lethal tagged in and hit a German suplex on Williams for a near fall. Williams and McGuiness teamed up, working over Lethal’s arms and legs. Walters tagged in and tossed Lethal into the turnbuckles. He pulled Lethal back out into a lungblower. Walters locked in a step over toehold. Lethal came back off the ropes with a big clothesline, which Walters took a flip bump off. Lethal went for the pin but Williams interjected himself. Lethal and Walters hit a running clothesline on each other in the center of the ring. The crowd chanted for Lethal. They teased tagging out but instead went back at each other. Williams and Nigel attacked them both and took control of the match. Lethal hit a springboard into a DDT on Walters. They went into a series of near falls too fast to cover, McGuiness flipped Lethal over his shoulder, then hit an Ace Crusher. Walters hit a flying bodypress on Nigel for a near fall, but Williams came off the top with a flying knee to break it up. Williams hit his rolling German suplex on Lethal, scoring the pin. Your winner, advancing to the Pure Championship match later tonight, Doug Williams! All four showed each other respect after the match, which was faster than anyone who could ever type. Good match!

The next match is a Weapons Match where the losing team must break up, with The Carnage Crew, Loc & Devito vs. The New & Improved Carnage Crew, Masada & Danny Daniels. Loc and Devito came to the ring with chairs. They were attacked as they entered the ring and the brawl was on. Devito broke a crutch over Masada’s back then whipped him into the railing. Everyone brawled on the floor. Loc threw Daniels into the front row and pummeled him. Quickly, everyone but Loc was busted open. Loc set up a table at ringside. He tossed Daniels into the ring and bega chopping him. Devito hit Masada with the crutch again. Loc and Devito hit their double neckbreaker on Daniels onto two chairs. Devito hit a running clothesline on Masada. He began hitting him with crossfaces. Daniels hit a leg lariat on Devito and attacked Loc. He tied Loc to the tree of woe and dropkicked a chair into his face. Masada bashed Loc with an other chair. Devito suplexes Daniels into the turnbuckles. Masada continued to beat on Loc. Loc ducked a clothesline and hit a back suplex into the corner. Loc delivered a series of kicks to Masada’s back. Devito tossed a bin of weapons into the ring. Devito nailed Daniels with a series of trash can lid shots. Devito bridged a table across the guard rail and the ring apron. Masada slammed Loc on a chair, He missed a 450 splash, Daniels hit a side suplex on Devito. Loc hit a swinging neckbreaker off the ring canvas, through the table on Masada, The crowd chanted “Holy s***!” They put a trash can atop Daniels and began beating it with baseball bats. The crowd went nuts for it. They pulled the can off and Devito covered Daniels for the pin. Your winners, The Carnage Crew. Daniels and Masada now have to split up as a team.

Ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis introduced Dave Prazak, who said that he had a special announcement about ROH’s return to the Rexplex on 9/11. Prazak announced that Mick Foley would be in the Rexplex on 9/11 making his ROH debut appearance and to stay tuned for more details at the ROH website.

The next match was the second Four Corner match, which would double as a qualifier for the Pure championship match later tonight, featuring Alex Shelley vs. Austin Aries vs. Matt Stryker vs. CM Punk. After the bell rang, Alex Shelley took the ring mic and said that they have already taken Matt Stryker’s spot in ROH, and he should get pillows for the fans since he puts them to sleep. He turned his attention to Punk, as he and Aries attacked him. Stryker made the save and he and Punk doubled on Shelley. Once they disposed of Shelley, Stryer was rolled up by Punk for a near fall. Stryker and Punk went back and forth working on each other’s arms, Aries tried to interfere and was backdropped for his troubles. Shelley did likewise and ended up knocked out of the ring. Shelley and Aries were tagged in but tried to tag back out so they wouldn’t face each other. Punk and Stryker jumped down from the ring apron to avoid tagging out. Punk is bleeding from the nose it appears. Aries and Shelley locked up and backed into a corner, leading to Shelley blind tagging Stryker in. He pulled Stryker over the ropes, where Aries went to work on him. Shelley agitated Punk, which forced the referee to hold him back and allowed Generation Next to keep working over Stryker. Stryker finally tagged in Punk, who held up Aries for a long time with a suplex. He locked on a abdominal stretch. He tagged in Stryker. Stryker locked on a leglock, but Shelley made it to the ropes. Stryker dropped a knee down on Shelley’s elbow. Stryker tagged in Punk, who continued to work over the arm. Stryker tagged back in and continued to use unique submissions on Shelley. Punk tagged in and rebounded off the ropes but Aries clotheslines him with a T-shirt and snapped him over the ropes. Aries tagged in and hit a leg lariat for a near fall. Generation Next continued to work over Punk, Punk began battling back, but Aries cut him off with a back elbow. He made the cover but Punk kicked up at two. Shelley tagged in and went for a back suplex. Punk landed on his feet and came off the ropes. They connected head first. Punk ended up landing in Shelley’s nether regions. Stryker and Aries tagged in with Stryker cleaning house on Aries and Shelley, and taking out Punk for good measure. Punk clotheslines Stryker down for a near fall. Aries hit a discus forearm on Punk. Shelley and Aries locked on a combination Camel Clutch/Crippler Crossface on Punk, but Stryker broke it up. Stryker slipped out of a pin attempt and locked on the Stryker Lock on Shelley. Aries came off the top with a 450 splash on Stryker. Punk hit a running shining wizard on Aries. Everyone continued to battle back forth until Punk and Shelley both hit stereo rollups on their opponents. Referee Sean Hansen ruled that Shelley was the winner, advancing to the Pure championship match against Doug Williams later tonight.

CM Punk took the ring mic and said he had a message for “Baby Bear.” The crowd began chanting Baby Bear. Punk said that Shelley thinks he’s Punk, but he didn’t defeat Punk, he pinned Matt Stryker. He said Generation Next doesn’t have anything on The Second City Saints. Punk said that if they want spots, he’ll give them Raven’s spot since Punk destroyed him. He then said he could give them Christopher Daniels’ spot. The crowd said, “Whoa.” He said both of them were losers and he destroyed them. He said later tonight he would take care of Ricky Steamboat and they could have his spot too.

The next match is the Falls Count Anywhere match between Colt Cabana & Ace Steel vs. Dan Maff & BJ Whitmer. The two teams immediately brawled out of the ring and into the crowd. They brawled through the crowd and around the ringside seats. They made their way to the balcony area where the production stuff and hard camera are situated. Maff was beaten down with a large wooden board and nearly knocked off the balcony. Whitmer made the save with a steel chair. Maff took the spotlight and slammed it into Steel. Maff and Whitmer hit stereo chairs on Steele and scored the pin in the balcony. Your winners, Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer! As they celebrated in the balcony, Allison Danger came to the ring and ranted about their leaving the Prophecy. She said that she owned their contracts and thus they would have to face whoever she brings to ROH to destroy them, and that day is coming. Maff and Whitmer walked off and ignored her.

ROH is going to intermission now. We will be back with the second half of our live coverage when the show resumes!

Ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis introduced Prince Nana, who came out with the Outkast Killaz. Nana said that he has been with ROH since the birth of the company and he has been flying around the world to find one of the best tag teams in ROH today, The Killaz. Nana said that he has gone into his Swiss bank account to clear it out in order to afford his new protégé. He told the sound guy to hit his new charge’s music.

As regal music played, a hooded person came out in one of Nana’s robes. Nana revealed him to be Jimmy Rave, who had been “fired” in the ROH storylines after losing a match to Generation Next. Although some media outlets had reported the firing was legitimate, it was always a storyline twist. The music for Rave’s opponent, Trent Acid began to play and he made his way to the ring. The crowd began chanting, “Die Jimmy Die.” Acid got Rave to chase him around the ring. Acid went under the ring and when Rave and Nana went after him, he scampered out and tossed them into the guard rail. Acid hit an Asai moonsault to the outside on The Embassy. Acid worked over rave with a neckbreaker and a guillotine legdrop. Rave came back with a sliding kick to Acid’s lower regions in the corner. Rave covered Acid for a near fall, driving his elbow into Acid’s throat at the same time. Acid faked a Yakuza Kick, then superkicked Rave, He hit a knee in the corner. Rave worked over Acid with punches. Acid came back with a sprinboard DDT as Nana began trying to get Rave’s attention with the ring mic. Rave went for a bulldog off the top but Acid turned it into a sit down powerbomb. Nana began cheerleading Rave on the ring mic. Rave kicked out. Rave hit a variation fisherman’s suplex on Acid for a near fall. He went for a suplex, but Acid turned it into a powerbomb for a two count. Nana got on the ring apron, breaking the count. Rave went for a back suplex, but Acid landed on his feet. He hit an inverted fisherman’s buster but before he got a pin, Nana got on the apron. Acid turned his attention to him and got rolled up for a near fall. They went back and forth with Acid hitting a body scissors into a sunset flip out of the corner. Rave broke out and hit a shining wizard for a two count. Acid and Rave went back and forth. Rave finally caught Acid in a Styles Clash and hit it for the pin. The crowd booed the move bigtime, seeing it as disrespectful to AJ Styles. Styles had been mentoring Rave in ROH before his departure from the company. The crowd gave Rave and crew a lot of crap as they left. Your winner, Jimmy Rave!

The next match is the Pure Wrestling championship decision match with Doug Williams vs. Alex Shelley. They noted that the match was held under the Pure Wrestling rules, with three rope breaks per person, no closed fists, and a 20 count on the floor. They started out with Shelley attempting to work on William’s arm, while Williams tied up Shelley’s legs on the mat. Shelley used his knee to lock Williams’ arm in a hammerlock, but Williams turned it into a leglock, splitting Shelley’s legs apart. Williams scissored Shelley’s head. Shelley broke free, so he shoved Shelley’s head back in between his legs. Williams took over Shelley with a side headlock, but Shelley kicked up and got to his feet. They circled each other, with Shelley taking him down with a single leg takdown. Williams and Shelley continued to counter each other back and forth. Shelley locked on a chinlock and turned it into a front chancery. Shelley continued to try to tie up Williams, who kept finding ways to evade and escape the moves. Shelley started to act upset over his lack of success. Shelley went after the arm and sunk in an armlock, pulling at the finger joints at the same time. Williams escaped and tried to use his leg strength to force a pinfall on Shelley. Williams locked a hammerlock on Shelley, whom used his first rope break to escape. Shelley pulled himself half-out of the ring and Williams kicked the ropes, nailing him low. The referee admonished Williams. Shelley hit Williams with a fistdrop and got admonished for using a closed fist, which isn’t allowed. Shelley slingshot himself into the ring for a legdrop. Williams sunk in a armbar, but Shelley placed his ankle over the ropes for a second break. Shelley came off the ropes with a running back elbow. Shelley began striking Williams with a knee to the back of the neck repeatedly. Williams fought back with a shoulderbreaker over the knee, a knee off the top rope and an armbar submission. Shelley somehow escaped and hit a DDT. Williams hit several raised knee strikes and a running knee off the ropes for a near fall. He locked Shelley in a raised chicken wing submission, but Shelley escaped. He locked Shelley in an armbar submission, but Shelley rolled through and cinched in a crippler crossface. Shelley came off the top with a double stomp to the back of Williams’ head and then hit a spinning DDT. Williams kicked up. Williams charged Shelley in the corner and kneed him. With Shelley trapped in the ropes with no rope breaks left, Williams cinched in a hammerlock, using the ropes for extra leverage, Shelley tapped. Your winner and new ROH Pure champion Doug Williams!

Williams offered his hand to Shelley after the match. Shelley took it, but then took a UK flag someone handed to Williams and threw it to the mat. The crowd chanted, “You tapped out” at Shelley as he left. Williams saluted the crowd as he left. The crowd chanted his name.

Ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis thanked the fans who traveled to the show tonight, including one from Manchester, England. DeAngelis brought out Gary Michael Cappetta, who gave the back story of CM Punk’s feud with Ricky Steamboat.

CM Punk made his way to the ring. Cappetta introduced Steamboat. Steamboat hit the ring and began brawling with Punk, chopping away on him. He backed Punk into the corner and punched him again and again. Steamboat kicked Punk in the midsection but Punk came back and kicked him and began beating him with punches. He tried to whip Steamboat across the ring but Steamboat held the ropes and whipped Punk instead. Punk kicked him when he put his head down and hit a piledriver. Punk went to the top rope with the ring bell but Steamboat caught him and slammed him off the top. The crowd went, “Wooo.” He began beating Punk with more chops and punches. He grabbed the ring bell and called Cappetta into the ring. Steamboat held the bell above Punk and said that Punk has all the talent in the world but his attitude is destroying him. He said that if Punk continues with his smart ass attitude, Steamboat will continue to beat him. He said Punk has the chance to stand up and be the man Steamboat feels he can be, or he can continue getting beaten. Generation Next hit the ring and attacked Steamboat. He fought back but they beat him down. Punk got to his feet and said that a moment ago, he was the one being threatened and now it’s the other way. Punk said that a moment ago, he was given the choice to be the man that he could be and he was making his choice to be that man. He attacked Generation Next. They swarmed over him but Steamboat made the save. Steamboat and Punk cleaned house on Generation Next and received a standing ovation from the fans. Punk and Steamboat looked at each other for a long time and finally touched knuckles. Steamboat left the ring and the fans gave Punk a standing ovation, chanting his name.

Our final match features ROH champion Samoa Joe & The Briscoe Brothers vs. Homicide & The Havana Pitbulls. The Pitbulls and Homicide attacked Joe and The Briscoes at the bell and everyone began brawling outside the ring. Homicide went for a dive through the ropes but Joe slapped him. Joe set up Julius Smokes for the Ole Ole running kick outside the ring to the guard rail. Joe and The Briscoes regrouped inside the ring. Homicide and the Pitbulls returned to the ring and faced off. Joe and Rocky Romero began to exchange kicks and strikes, ending with Joe beating him outside the ring. Romero tagged into Ricky Reyes while Joe tagged out to Jay Briscoe. Briscoe and Reyes tagged out to Mark Briscoe and Homicide. The Pitbulls and Homicide worked over Mark. They continued to go back and forth. Mark laid into Romero with a series of strikes and tagged in Samoa Joe. Joe began hitting a series of Kawada kicks, finishing with a kick to the back so hard, Romero slid across the ring. He locked on a Gori Guerrero Especial, then flipped it into a pinfall attempt. Romero came back with several kicks to the chest, but Joe just slapped him down. Joe worked over Romero’s hand, including headbutts to the wrist. The Briscoes continued the assault with stereo kicks in the corner. Joe and Mark Briscoe held up Romero for a long time with a suplex. Briscoe hit a big dropkick for a near fall. Homicide began arguing with the referee. Reyes interfered, distracting Briscoe and setting him up for a Romero back suplex. Homicide tagged in and positioned Briscoe on the ropes, then pulled him in for a DDT. The Pitbulls and Homicide continued the assault on Briscoe. Briscoe finally came back with a flying lariat and tagged in Joe. Joe began laying out the Pitbulls with strikes. Mark hit a twisting dive off the top. On eof the Pitbulls hit a plancha. Joe tried to do a dive but was cut off by Homicide. Joe took him out and did a dive over the ropes on everyone. Homicide teased doing a dive then flipped off the fans. The Briscoes pulled him out of the ring and brawled. The Briscoes hit The Doomsday device on one of the Pitbulls. Marc hit a shooting star on him. The Pitbull tagged into Homicide, who hit a double arm suplex off the tope and sit out tiger driver for a two count. Joe broke the pin and hit a running death valley driver on Homicide for a two count. Homicide threw a fireball at Joe which missed but hit Jay Briscoe.

The referee called for a DQ and was tossed out of the ring. Marc Briscoe threw a chair and made the save. He went for Julius but was attacked by Homicide. Homicide said that there was nobody who could stop them. Low Ki’s music hit and he came to the ring. Ki grabbed the ROH belt from Homicide and protected Joe. Homicide said it was his time now and Low Ki went away. Homicide said ROH wasn't Ki's business anymore. Ki said that after everything he put his heart into, how dare Homicide disrespect the ROH belt. Ki said that no one was going to disrespect the belt, no one but him. Ki attacked Joe with the ROH belt and all of them laid out Joe. Ki told the fans that he was better than all of them. Joe tried to tackle him but was beaten down. Ki said that since he was gone, Ki said ROH had gone downhill, from the shoddy wrestlers in the locker room to a “boy touching owner.” Ki said that the company has gone nowhere since he left. Ki said that just as Joe’s song states, “The champ is here” and raised up the belt. Homicide announced Ki as the newest Rottweiler.

Homicide and The Pitbulls held up a ROH banner over a beaten down Joe. Low Ki said, “Take a good look, this is the new Ring of Honor.” They put the banner over Joe and celebrated. They beat down Joe again in the aisle and took the ROH belt with them as they left.

That’s all from ROH tonight! LOTS OF POST SHOW RING OF HONOR NOTES & NEWS
by Mike Johnson

Low Ki, who was the original face of Ring of Honor, returned at the end of ROH's Reborn: Conclusion show in Elizabeth, New Jersey last night. Ki is booked on all of the promotion's upcoming events, including 7/23 in Wisconsin, 7/24 in Illinois, 8/7 in Philadelphia, 8/28 in Braintree, MA and 9/11 back in Elizabeth.

For those wondering, Low Ki's comment about ROH's "Boy touching owner" was something he said on the mic himself and not something that was booked. As you can imagine, nearly everyone involved in the company stopped and did a double take when it was said. The comment will be edited off the video tape release of the show. ROH's management wasn't happy that the comment was made, but were otherwise thrilled with the reaction to Ki's return.

Ring of Honor did the best advance ticket sales in the history of the promotion after announcing Mick Foley would be appearing for the company on 9/11 at the same venue. The promotion completely sold out of choice ringside seats by the end of intermission. The sales were said to be triple the previous record.

Former ROH champion Xavier was at the Rexplex show visiting, with his arm in a sling as he just had shoulder surgery to correct a nagging problem.

Jay Lethal (formerly Hydro) has been broken away from Special K and will be linked to Samoa Joe in ROH storylines.

It appeared the crowd for 7/17 was in the 800 range. ROH officials were ecstatic because they did tremendous merchandise sales at the show. The promotion felt that it was due to the amount of new ROH releases they had available, and the addition of new product such as Ohio Valley Wrestling tapes and DVDs. ROH's online ordering is set so any merchandise ordered before 3 PM is mailed the same business day, which has been getting raves from online fans. You can check out ROH's website at www.ROHWrestling.com.

You can order ROH Reborn: Conclusion at ROHWrestling.com.