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Jay Lethal vs. Alberto Del Patron is up. Lethal is just awesome as the heel champion. Just a great old school swagger, almost like how Ric Flair carried himself in the 80s. Alberto was a huge star to the audience. No Ricardo. I half-expected him as a surprise. Lots of battling on the floor early. The announcers put over that Alberto was a huge star that wanted to be here in ROH and that he's brought them acclaim and attention. This has been just a great, physical bout with Alberto even taking a bump over the barricade into the crowd off a dive. At one point, Lethal used the rolling armbar and Alberto really had to fight to get out of it. Just great. They worked stiff as well, with Lethal's lip getting busted open. After the dive, Lethal had everything under control but was stopped from hitting a superplex and nailed with a double stomp off the ropes that was good. Truth Martini tried to interfere but was nailed. Alberto put him in the armbar but Lethal came off the ropes. Alberto caught him coming in the armbar but Lethal WALLOPED him with the Book of Truth for a good near fall. Lethal nailed The Lethal Injection after Martini interfered and scored the pin. That was a pretty damn big deal as Lethal just pinned the AAA World champ.
Then came time for a big ROH Homecoming as former ROH champion Samoa Joe came out. The crowd loved the hell out of this. I really was hoping for his old ROH music but it wasnt to be. He got tons of streamers when he entered the ring. It was a cool scene. The crowd chanted, "Welcome back" and Joe said, "Who says you can't come home?" The crowd chanted for him. This is great. Joe said that 13 years ago in a dingy Rec Center in the worst part of Philly a group of wrestlers came together to start a movement and bring true pro wrestling back. He said that tonight, they are a million miles away in Vegas and the movement has become a revolution and the revolution is alive and well. The crowd chanted, "F*** TNA" and you could see Joe heard them as his face reacted. Joe put over the main event and all of the competitors tonight. Joe said that whoever wins, their ass is his and promised to be the ROH champion again. Great stuff.
That moment was so cool that it made me regret not flying to the show.
Main Event time. We had all of these competitors in for interviews in the Elite section and they were all equally excited about breaking out of the pack with a great performance here. They all went after Jay at the bell. Lots of stiff action early. Elgin was busted open by the eye. Hanson tried to team with Elgn but Elgin said, F that and wiped him out instead, Hanson fired back with some big boots when he returned. Elgin stiff Briscoe with a big right hand but Jay caught him with a DVDR for a near fall. Chaotic stuff. They went into heavy angle mode at the end with the masked guys attacking Briscoe and Raymond Rowe making a return to run them off. Vegas didn't know who Rowe was. Elgin put Briscoe through a table but there was no referee because of Todd Sinclair taking a sick as hell bump off the apron to the floor on his back. Nigel McGuinness hit the ring to stop Elgin from using a chair. Elgin acted as if he was going to back down but then grabbed him for a piledriver. Nigel was saved by Ciampa, who then used a chair on Elgin. That was OK? No referee still. Hanson wipes out Ciampa. Hanson was knocked out of the ring. Real chaotic stuff. The finish was that Hanson wiped out Ciampa with the Spinkick of Doom but Elgin pulled him out of the ring. Briscoe fell on Ciampa and ended up with the three count. Good finish as Elgin and Hanson have reasons to want rematches.
Samoa Joe came to the ring and presented the belt to Briscoe. They faced off to close the show.
Really loved the show overall and think it's worth a replay buy. The main event needed more time.
They announced a PPV return on Friday 6/20 in NYC at Terminal 5. Yes, Friday.
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