6/24 THIS DAY IN HISTORY: THE SINCLAIR BROADCASTING ERA OF RING OF HONOR KICKS OFF

By Mike Johnson on 2013-06-24 08:00:00

June 24th

On this day in history in ....

1925 - Bobby Roscoe defeats Matty Matsuda in Columbus, Ohio for the World Welterweight Title.

1936 - George McCloud defeats Frank Sexton to win the Ohio Heavyweight Title in Columbus, Ohio.

1950 - Buddy Rogers defeats Bozo Brown for the Jack Pfeffer-promoted World Heavyweight Title in Akron, Ohio, beginning his fifth reign.

1958 - Duke Keomuka and John Tolos defeat Larry Chene and Pepper Gomez to win the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.

1964 - Alan Colbeck defeats Jack Dempsey for the European Welterweight Title in Bradford, England. This began Colbeck's fifth reign and ended Dempsey's fifth.

1964 - Tokyo Tom defeats Joe Blanchard to win the NWA Texas Heavyweight Title in Houston, Texas.

1966 - Luis Hernandez and Pedro Morales defeat Buddy Austin and El Mongol for the World Wrestling Association World Tag Team Title in Los Angeles, California.

1970 - Ripper Collins wins his fifth NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Title from Sam Steamboat in Honolulu, Hawaii, ending Steamboat's second reign.

1972 - NWA Big Time Wrestling held "Parade of Champions" at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, with 26,339 fans in attendance. The results were:
- José Lothario and El Santo defeated Mr. Fuji and Terry Funk.
- George Scott defeated Tommy Siegler.
- NWA World Midgets Champion Lord Littlebrook defeated Cowboy Lang to retain the title.
- Mil Máscaras defeated The Alaskan.
- Bearcat Wright won a seven-man roulette match.
- Billy Red Lyons defeated NWA American Heavyweight Champion The Spoiler to win the title.
- Stan Stasiak defeated NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion Red Bastien to win the title.
- NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk, Jr. fought Fritz Von Erich to a 60-minute time-limit draw to retain the title.

1972 - Abdullah the Butcher defeats Ernie Ladd for the National Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Title in Akron, Ohio.

1972 - Boris Malenko and Johnny Walker defeat The Professional (Doug Gilbert) and Mike Webster to win the NWA Florida Tag Team Title in Jacksonville, Florida.

1974 - Jackie Fargo defeats Jerry Lawler for the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's second reign and beginning Fargo's fourth.

1976 - El Halcón defeats El Gran Markus for the Mexican National Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico, beginning his second reign.

1978 - Roddy Piper defeats Moondog Mayne to win the San Francisco NWA United States Heavyweight Title, ending Mayne's second reign.

1979 - Maple Leaf Wrestling held an event at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario. The results:
- Joe Marcus and Johnny Yachetti fought to a draw.
- Dewey Robertson defeated Brian Macnee.
- Jay Youngblood defeated Chris Tolos by countout.
- Jim Brunzell and Paul Orndorff defeated Brute Bernard and Moose Morowski.
- Ernie Ladd defeated Ricky Steamboat by disqualification.
- NWA Toronto Canadian Heavyweight Champion Dino Bravo defeated Ric Flair by disqualification to retain the title.
- WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defeated Greg Valentine to retain the title.

1979 - El Signo defeats Bobby Lee for the UWA World Welterweight Title in Tijuana, Mexico.

1984 - Wahoo McDaniel wins his fourth NWA United States Heavyweight Title, ending Ricky Steamboat's third reign in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1984 - Canek wins his fifth UWA World Heavyweight Title from Dos Caras in Mexico City, Mexico.

1985 - Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez defeat The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) in Fort Worth, Texas to win the NWA American Tag Team Title, ending the Fantastics' second reign.

1985 - Bota the Witch Doctor defeats Jerry Lawler for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's 41st reign.

1987 - Cien Caras defeats MS-1 for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico, ending MS-1's second reign.

1988 - Johnny Smith defeats Chris Benoit to win the Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta. This began Smith's third reign and ended Benoit's second.

1988 - Shiro Koshinaka defeats Owen Hart to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title in Osaka, Japan, beginning his third reign. Also at that event, Tatsumi Fujinami wins his second IWGP Heavyweight Title, defeating Riki Choshu.

1988 - Fabuloso Blondie defeats Lizmark for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.

1989 - Chicky Starr defeats Super Medico I to win the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to begin his third reign.

1990 - Los Villanos (I, IV and V) defeat Khaos, Rambo and Zandokhan to win the UWA World Trios Title in Mexico City, Mexico. This began and ended both teams' second reigns.

1992 - The Southern Rockers (Rex King and Steve Doll) defeat Doug Masters and Ron Starr for the WWC World Tag Team Title in Dorado, Puerto Rico, ending Masters and Starr's second reign.

1993 - SMW held the "King of Kentucky Tournament" at the Memorial Gym in Hazard, Kentucky. The results were:
- Brian Lee defeated Jimmy Golden by forfeit in a quarterfinal match.
- SMW Television Champion Bobby Blaze defeated Killer Kyle by disqualification in a quarterfinal match.
- The Dirty White Boy defeated Tim Horner in a quarterfinal match.
- SMW Heavyweight Champion Tracy Smothers defeated Chris Candido in a quarterfinal match.
- Brian Lee defeated SMW Television Champion Bobby Blaze in a semifinal match.
- SMW Heavyweight Champion Tracy Smothers defeated The Dirty White Boy in a semifinal match.
- Brian Lee defeated SMW Heavyweight Champion Tracy Smothers to win the King of Kentucky Tournament.
- SMW Tag Team Champions The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton) defeated The Harris Brothers (Ron and Don).
- The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray and Tom Prichard) defeated The Armstrong Brothers (Scott and Steve).

1994 - ECW held the first of six annual "Hostile City Showdown" events at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The results were:
- Tommy Dreamer pinned Hack Myers.
- Chad Austin and Don E. Allen's match never got underway, as 911 attacked both men before it could begin.
- The Tazmaniac pinned Pitbull #1 in a dog collar match.
- The Bruise Brothers (Don and Ron Harris) defeated Shane Douglas and Mr. Hughes, when Hughes was pinned.
- Tommy Cairo defeated The Sandman by disqualification in a cane on a pole match.
- ECW Tag Team Champions The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) fought Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk to a no-contest to retain the title, after 911 chokeslammed the referee.
- ECW Television Champion Mikey Whipwreck defeated The Rockin' Rebel by disqualification to retain the title.
- Sabu (with Paul E. Dangerously and 911) pinned Cactus Jack after Paul E. hit Cactus with his cellphone.

1995 - The Fabulous Moolah, The Grand Wizard, Ernie Ladd, Pedro Morales, Ivan Putski, Antonino Rocca and George Steele are inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1995 - Tommy Cairo defeats Devon Storm in a tournament final for the vacant NWA North American Heavyweight Title in Williamstown, New Jersey.

1996 - WCW won this week of the Monday Night War, with Monday Nitro's 3.3 rating besting WWF Monday Night RAW's 2.7 rating.

WCW Monday Nitro was live from Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. The results:
- Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) defeated The Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal and Squire David Taylor (with Earl Robert Eaton and Jeeves)).
- Kip Abee defeated Kevin Sullivan (with Jimmy Hart) by disqualification.
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko defeated Bobby Walker to retain the title.
- Eddie Guerrero defeated The Barbarian.
- Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit (with Steve McMichael) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton).
- Diamond Dallas Page defeated Alex Wright.
- Randy Savage (with Kevin Greene) defeated V.K. Wallstreet.
- Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions - WCW World Television Champion Lex Luger & Sting and The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) in a three-way match to win the title.
- In a dark match after the show, Ric Flair (with Miss Elizabeth and Woman) defeated Randy Savage.

WWF Monday Night RAW was live from the Brown County Expo Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Dark matches:
- Barry Horowitz defeated Don Callis.
- The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Mankind.
- The Ultimate Warrior defeated Vader (with Jim Cornette).
- WWF Champion Shawn Michaels defeated Goldust (with Marlena).
Televised matches:
- WWF Intercontinental Champion Ahmed Johnson defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
- The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip (with Kloudi)) defeated The Brooklyn Brawler and Jerry Fox.
- The British Bulldog, Owen Hart and Vader (with Jim Cornette and Diana Smith) defeated Barry Horowitz, Aldo Montoya and Savio Vega.
- The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) defeated Steve Austin by disqualification.

1998 - WCW held a live Thunder at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, which got a 2.7 rating on TBS.
- Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock) defeated Raven and Sick Boy (with Lodi).
- Hugh Morrus (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Eddie Guerrero.
- Stevie Ray defeated Sumo Fuji.
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Ultimo Dragon by disqualification to retain the title.
- Jim Duggan defeated The Barbarian.
- Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael defeated Disco Inferno and Alex Wright.
- WCW World Tag Team Champions Lex Luger and Sting defeated Brian Adams and The Giant to retain the title.

1998 - PRIDE Fighting Championships held "PRIDE 3" at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. The results:
- Daijiro Matsui and Akira Shoji fought to a draw after four rounds.
- Daiju Takase defeated Emmanuel Yarborough by submission (strikes) at 3:22 of round two.
- Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Carlos Newton by submission (kneebar) at 5:19 of round two.
- Gary Goodridge defeated Amir Rahnavardi by knockout at 7:22 of round one.
- Mark Kerr defeated Pedro Otavio by submission (armlock) at 2:13 of round one.
- Nobuhiko Takada defeated Kyle Sturgeon by submission (heel hook) at 2:18 of round one.

1999 - WCW held a live Thunder at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, which got a 3.3 rating on TBS.
- Eddie Guerrero defeated Psychosis.
- Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn defeated Fit Finlay and Dave Taylor.
- Curt Hennig (with Bobby Duncum, Jr., Barry Windham and Kendall Windham) defeated Lenny Lane.
- David Flair (with Arn Anderson, Asya and Ric Flair) defeated Evan Karagias.
- Hugh Morrus (with Jimmy Hart) fought Van Hammer to a no-contest.
- Buff Bagwell and Dean Malenko defeated Randy Savage and Sid Vicious (with Gorgeous George, Miss Madness and Madusa).

2000 - Ian Rotten defeats Rollin' Hard in a Four Corners of Pain Salt match to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title. This began Rotten's seventh reign and ended Rollin' Hard's second.

2001 - The WWF held the ninth-annual "King of the Ring" pay-per-view at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The show got a 0.84 buyrate. The results:
- In a match airing on Sunday Night Heat, WWF European Champion Matt Hardy (with Lita) pinned Justin Credible after a hurricarana from Lita to retain the title.
- In a King of the Ring tournament semifinal, Kurt Angle pinned Christian after the Angle Slam.
- In the other semifinal, Edge pinned Rhyno after the Edgecutioner.
- WWF Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) defeated Spike Dudley and Kane, when Bubba pinned Spike after a 3D, to retain the title.
- Edge pinned Kurt Angle after the Edgecutioner to win the King of the Ring tournament. During the match, Shane McMahon ran in and attacked Angle.
- WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy pinned X-Pac after a Swanton to retain the title.
- Kurt Angle pinned Shane McMahon in a street fight after an Angle Slam from a piece of plywood placed over the top turnbuckle.
- WWF Champion Steve Austin defeated Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho in a triple threat match, after Austin pinned Benoit after Benoit hit a back suplex on Jericho off the top rope, to retain the title. During the match, WCW Champion Booker T made his WWF debut by attacking Austin and putting him through the Spanish announce table.

2001 - Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeats Juventud Guerrera in a tournament final for the vacant NOAH GHC Junior Heavyweight Title in Nagoya, Japan.

2001 - Double C (Claudio Castagnoli) defeats Ares and The Scorpion in a three-way tournament final in Sulgen, Switzerland to win the vacant Swiss Wrestling Federation Powerhouse Title.

2001 - Kazumasa Nihei defeats MMM for the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending MMM's fifth reign.

2002 - WWE held a live RAW at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, which got a 3.7 rating on TNN. The results:
- Christopher Nowinski and WWE European Champion William Regal defeated Spike Dudley and WWE Hardcore Champion Bradshaw, when Nowinski pinned Bradshaw with a roll-up after throwing Spike to the floor.
- Eddie Guerrero pinned Bubba Ray Dudley with a hurricanrana into a roll-up.
- Tommy Dreamer pinned Raven after a Death Valley driver. With the loss, Raven had to leave RAW.
- WWE Undisputed Champion The Undertaker pinned Jeff Hardy after the Last Ride.
- Linda Miles and Trish Stratus defeated Jackie Gayda and WWE Women's Champion Molly Holly, when Trish pinned Molly after a bulldog.
- The Big Show and X-Pac defeated Booker T and Goldust, when Show pinned Goldust after a chokeslam.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) by disqualification, when Heyman broke the pinfall after the champion hit a moonsault.

2005 - Rebecca Knox defeats Miss Chevius in Surrey, British Columbia to become the first NWA/ECCW SuperGirls Champion.

2005 - Pro Wrestling Unplugged held an eight-man tournament to crown the first PWU Heavyweight Champion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Animal House. The results:
- Nick Berk defeated Tom Carter in a first round match.
- Homicide defeated Sonny Siaki in a first round match.
- Trent Acid defeated Elix Skipper in a first round match.
- Mana defeated Abyss by disqualification in a first round match.
- PWU Tag Team Champions Scott Cardinal and Jerk Jackson defeated Up in Smoke (Cheech and Cloudy) to retain the title.
- Trent Acid defeated Mana in a semifinal match.
- Homicide defeated Nick Berk in a semifinal match.
- Corporal Robinson defeated Brandon Prophet in a Philly hardcore rules match. Billy Reil was the guest referee.
- Homicide defeated Trent Acid to become the first PWU Heavyweight Champion.

2005 - Pain, Inc. (Ruffneck and Sabotage) defeated T2K (Darkside and Wolfgang) in Kilmarnock, Scotland to win the British Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title, ending T2K's second reign.

2006 - Mike Johnson filed the following report: World Wrestling Entertainment's version of Extreme Championship Wrestling ran their first house show last in the very venue that gave birth to the initial ECW revolution, the ECW Arena in South Philadelphia, PA. By WWE standards, it wasn't a bad show, but if fans compared it to the old ECW (or even recent events in the venue, such as TNA's Hardcore War) they were likely left feeling unsatisfied. The thing to remember though, is that WWE isn't playing to the hardcore fans. They want ECW to be something for the masses. Last night's audience didn't seem to want that, they wanted the closure and celebration that the Hammerstein Ballroom got in 2005.

If WWE was looking to send a message to those fans wanting nostalgia that they weren't going to get it from the new ECW, it was loud and clear. Last night's show was a pure WWE production, with a WWE ring, mats around ringside (and lots of room around ringside, taking away from some of the old intimacy of the venue), and even the pre-announced message regarding WWE's proprietary rights. Fans drowned out the announcement with a "F*** you Vince" chant.

None of the old ECW ring announcers were used. Justin Roberts, who will be doing all ECW events from this point on, was booed out of the building by an audience that saw him as a symbol of WWE. The Harry Slash ECW theme was only used for Paul Heyman, while the "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" song was used to open the show.

The show started at 7:30 PM on the dot and the final match ended at exactly 9:57 PM, including an intermission and a 15 minute speech by Paul Heyman. It was structured like a WWE house show, because, no matter what the initials are and the best hopes of the fans going in, that's what it was and was always going to be. In a baffling move, WWE didn't bring a full camera set up to record the show, but did have one staffer shooting ringside footage that will likely be edited into a package for the next ECW on Sci Fi episode.

The FBI (Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke) defeated Danny Doring and Roadkill in 7:17. A good opener with the FBI playing babyface. Mamaluke hugged famous ECW fan "Hat Guy" John Bailey when he came out. Fans didn't know who were the babyfaces when the match started, but finally figured it out when Guido got a hot tag a few minutes into the match. Mamaluke did a flip senton to the floor on Doring. After Doring recovered, he held Mamaluke for Roadkill, who was on the top rope preparing to splash Guido. Roadkill then dove off the top to the floor, but Mamaluke moved and Roadkill splattered Doring. Mamaluke scored the pin on Roadkill with a DDT.

CM Punk forced Stevie Richards to tap out to The Anaconda Vice in 9:31. From the look on his face and how hard he worked, Richards was really excited to be in the Arena and even did the old Big Stevie Cool pose before the match. Punk came out to his old ROH theme song and the fans were chanting his name. They had a really good competitive match which included Punk applying a unique submission while Richards was in the ropes. They even teased the Pepsi Plunge but Richards backdropped him off the top into the ring. Richards drilled Punk with one hell of a Steviekick. Punk finally forced Richards to tap out. After the match, Richards and Punk shook hands and Richards told him to stay in the ring, because he had earned it, then left. Punk stood over the ECW letters on the mat and read them out loud before smirking and acknowledging the fans. If you were a fan of Punk, it was a cool moment. One of the better matches on the show. Punk appeared to be bleeding from his ear after the match, but not sure what caused the cut.

They then held an Extreme Bikini contest. The crowd didn't know what to make of this one at all. The contestants were Francine, Trinity, and Kelly. Francine won simply because the crowd loved her as she was ECW to them and the others were outsiders. Kelly looked as if she was having problems walking in the ring wearing heels. After Francine won, Kelly got in her face and was shoved down. I think Kelly was legitimately shaken by the bump given the way she was out. Francine and Trinity then got in each other's face, teased a catfight and gave the fans what they wanted. The crowd liked that. Francine ended up on the floor. Trinity went to the top and hit a big moonsault to the floor, but Francine had already rolled in the ring, "outsmarting her." Francine then grabbed Kelly and began choking her. Kelly wasn't selling at all and was completely exposed as being what she is, a really young kid who's probably not ready for this. Francine asked the crowd if they wanted her to take off Kelly's top, but Mike Knox hit the ring and covered her up. He knocked Francine to the mat.

Balls Mahoney's music hit and he made the save. This started an immediate match. Mahoney and Knox were both trying but the crowd had no interest in watching Knox wrestle and crapped all over him since they didn't know who he was. They finally got into yelling "Balls" for Mahoney's punches. Mahoney went to grab his chair but the referee Mike Posey took it away. The entire crowd deflated when that happened. Mahoney finally got it and swung, but missed and Knox rolled him up and hooked the tights for the pin at 8:39. The crowd hated the finish and didn't buy it at all.

Sabu defeated CW Anderson by submission with the Camel Clutch at 9:17. No music for Sabu's entrance. Sabu was busted open hardway at some point. They worked a lot on the mat early and brawled around ringside. Sabu tied Anderson's arm up around a ringpost and threw a chair at it. Sabu went to get a table but one of the legs were busted, so it ended up set up at a 45 degree angle. He put Anderson on it and hit an Arabian Facebuster through it while Anderson was facedown. He then locked Anderson in the clutch for the finish. The match was OK but a lot shorter than anyone would have expected with these two. Fans applauded both after the match out of respect.

WWE announced it was time for intermission. The crowd seemed pretty taken aback by that. During intermission, several WWE staffers were working hard to clean up any trace of blood in the ring.
When we returned from intermission, The Sandman pinned Justin Credible in a Dueling Canes match with the White Russian Legsweep in just 2:39. Credible came out to his old ECW music while Sandman came out to his WWE theme. The crowd popped for him, but it was in a subdued way as it was obvious they wanted the "Enter Sandman" entrance they've been accustomed to all these years. Sandman did his entrance around the building, but it was like watching a live version of a Sandman entrance on DVD with the music edited out. The flavor is totally lost. Some fans chanted, "F*** that song" during the ring introductions. The match being so short turned a portion of the crowd on the show, as they began chanting, "This show sucks."

Paul Heyman came out. He got a big pop. He was going to speak, then dropped the mic and ran out of the ring to hug "Hat Guy." When he returned, Heyman said, "On a shoot, I don't care what losers and wannabes and porno rejects have run here. I have been dying for five years to say we are home in the ECW Arena!" The crowd popped and chanted, "Welcome back." Heyman welcomed them back as well. Heyman put over the ECW fans and pointed out the Ted "Rocco Rock" Petty banner hanging in the venue, saying that he misses Petty and thanks him. He said that he thanks everyone who was part of ECW and can't be here, whether it's The Public Enemy, Shane Douglas, or the Dudley Boyz.

Heyman said that they had to make some compromises, but the bottom line is ECW is back. Some of the fans chanted "This show sucks." Heyman kept trying to win them back over, first by insulting Justin Roberts and then by insulting a John Cena fan who was being vocal. He said that they had to make compromises like the "dancer on Sci Fi" and Sandman's music, but in the end they will overcome them anyway. Fans rejected it somewhat and Heyman asked them, "If you had to give your left nut to bring back ECW, wouldn't you do it?"

Heyman pushed the July 4th event at the Wachovia Center. The crowd turned on that in a big way, rejecting it. Heyman tried to get across that they needed all the ECW fans to come and show the ECW atmosphere like the Hammerstein fans did, or else ECW would never get it's own taping. He pushed that he didn't care about Raw or Smackdown and buried them to try and get the fans behind him.

There were two reactions from the crowd. Those who loved it and those who were trying to shout Heyman down. To me, this was the most interesting part of the show in many ways as you had the old ECW fans continuing to rebel against the machine, only now Paul Heyman was part of the machine. Watching Heyman trying to maneuver to win over the fans was really something. It was surreal to watch fans yelling, "Sellout" at Heyman.

Heyman then gave a big introduction to someone he described as breaking his neck and back for ECW and who never sold out for anyone, Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer received the biggest pop of the night at this point and looked like he had never been happier in his life when he came out. He gave a speech saying that earlier today, he thought he was going to miss the show as one of his daughters had fallen and gotten hurt, describing her head as "blowing up like JT Smith's." Once they took her to the the hospital and were given the all clear sign, Beulah had told him to go to the show. When he said he would stay, she told him it was the Arena and he had to go.

Dreamer broke down saying how much it meant to him and his family to be back in that building when his wife is pushing him to go to the Arena after a family emergency. He said that the building, the wrestlers, and the fans were a true family and together they had raised the bar for the entire wrestling industry. Dreamer said that they would continue to do so for the new ECW because now they had to work even harder because WWE didn't believe the ECW guys were true top names. He even said that he got Balls Mahoney a job and asked the crowd, "Would you be willing to hire Balls Mahoney where you work?" He said that he may have never wrestled a match at Wrestlemania, but he main evented the ECW Arena and that was as important. The crowd loved that line. Dreamer said that the building was the litmus test and that if you could get over here, you could get over anywhere. He then called out The Big Show.

Big Show pinned Tommy Dreamer with a chokeslam through a table at 10:20 . They brawled around ringside. Big Show gave Dreamer an atomic drop onto the guard rail and they fought into the crowd. Show slammed Dreamer's head into the wall and they brawled into the bleachers. Show choked Dreamer by lifting him into the air against a wall. Dreamer kicked him low to break it and they brawled back into the ringside area. Dreamer set up a table on the floor but Show pressed and dropped him through it from the ring. He covered Dreamer on the floor but Dreamer kicked out. Dreamer got the big babyface comeback and they did some plunder, including a Stop Sign. Dreamer went to hit the Spicoli Driver through a table but couldn't lift Show. Show chokeslammed him for the pin. The crowd was behind everything that Dreamer did. They absolutely rejected and hated Big Show including "Don't Come Back" and "You can't wrestle" chant. Dreamer got a nice ovation as he left, doing a lap around ringside. He took off his shirt and gave it to "Hat Guy."

The main event was WWE/ECW champion Rob Van Dam pinning Kurt Angle with a five star frog splash. Former ECW World Television and World Tag Team champion Dean Malenko, who was working backstage as an agent, was the special referee. He got a big pop when he was announced. Surprisingly, Angle didn't get a big pop. Van Dam was greeted like the great Homecoming had taken place, blowing every other response out of the water. They had a good match, especially considering it was the night before the Vengeance PPV. The crowd was split in a big way with 50% chanting "Let's go Angle" and the other half chanting "F*** You Angle."

RVD did the skateboard on the chair into the corner on Angle and also did the monkey flip onto the chair, although Angle overshot the chair and missed it. The final sequence saw Angle go to hit RVD with a chair but instead hit the ropes and clobber himself. As he turned, Van Dam hit the Van Daminator and then the frog splash in 16:40. Van Dam did a speech after the match saying how much ECW being brought back meant to him and that it has rejuvenated his spirit and career.

If you were an old school ECW fan that lived and died for the company and felt like you rode that roller coaster of triumph and setback, you probably walked out feeling let down. There were quite enough fans who rejected the show vocally, although it wasn't all of them. There were some just happy to be there at a show with the ECW letters. If you went into the show knowing it was a WWE house show, you got what you were expecting.

The interesting thing to follow will be whether ECW's other markets follow suit in the makeup of the audience. Will it be fans who want their old ECW and don't find it, and if they don't, do they stick around? Will it be WWE fans that will follow ECW because it's something new and different to follow? Can WWE find the perfect mesh of a product that will serve both demographics? To me, those are the questions raised by the house show. It will be interesting to continue to follow the evolution of this new version of a company that everyone wanted to see succeed and deep down, still does.

BACKSTAGE REACTION FROM ECW'S RETURN TO THE BUILDING THAT PUT THE LETTERS ON THE MAP

While some of the fans may not have left last night's Extreme Championship Wrestling house show in Philadelphia with their hopes fulfilled, nearly every member of the old ECW roster that worked the show were all said to have been touched by the reactions they received from the old faithful. Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, and Francine were said to have been especially moved backstage by the reactions they got from the fans. Stevie Richards was telling a number of people backstage after his match that he felt reborn from the crowd reaction.

As for the ECW newcomers, Big Show loved the response he got and was said to have enjoyed himself. Kurt Angle, making his in-ring debut in the venue, was said to have a blast working in the environment. A second source, however, noted that Angle pretty much kept to himself after the match and didn't really interact with the locker room. That was partially due to Angle arriving late at the venue, so he was around the locker room much less then everyone else booked.

In regard to WWE developmental talents being brought into ECW, CM Punk kept to himself in the locker room and spent most of his time watching the rest of the show, although the feeling was he fit into the locker room. Mike Knox spent the majority of his time backstage watching the matches, but didn't really interact with anyone. The feeling among some I spoke to was that Kelly was in way over her head in front of that audience as she had no frame of reference and no background in wrestling.

Paul Heyman was said to have been happy with the reaction from the fans, and predicted to several backstage there would be dissenters in the crowd, according to two sources.

There was no "rah rah" speeches from Paul Heyman before the show addressing the locker room. Dean Malenko spoke to the wrestlers before the show, instructing them not to do anything over the rails or involving blood without getting clearance from the agents and to not take any undue risks.

WWE agent Steve Keirn sat at ringside taking notes on the show.

2006 - ROH held "Chi-Town Struggle" at the Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. The results were:
- The Irish Airborne (Dave and Jake Crist) defeated Trik Davis and Shane Hagadorn.
- ROH Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong defeated Jimmy Jacobs.
- The Briscoes (Jay and Mark) defeated Conrad Kennedy III and Jimmy Rave.
- Samoa Joe defeated Delirious.
- Claudio Castagnoli, Necro Butcher and Nate Webb defeated Adam Pearce, Ace Steel and B.J. Whitmer in a bunkhouse brawl.
- ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness defeated Homicide by countout to retain the title.
- KENTA defeated ROH Tag Team Champion Austin Aries.
- ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson defeated Colt Cabana to retain the title.

2006 - Manabu Nakanishi and Takao Omori defeat Ryouji Sai and Kohei Sato for the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending their second reign.

2006 - The WWC held the second and final event of its second-annual Bruiser Brody Cup tour at the Pepín Cestero Arena in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The results:
- WWC Junior Heavyweight Champion Brent Dail defeated Superstar Romeo to retain the title.
- Black Rose defeated WWC Women's Champion Lady Demonique to win the title. Stacey Colón was the guest referee.
- Huracán Castillo and Chicky Starr defeated WWC World Tag Team Champions Tim Arson and Rico Suave by disqualification. Arson and Suave retained the title.
- Alex Montalvo defeated WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Champion El Bronco to win the title.
- Eddie Colón defeated Orlando Jordan.
- Shane defeated Black Pain by disqualification. Carlos Colón was the guest referee. Due to the disqualification, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title remained vacant.
- Abdullah the Butcher defeated Abbad in a bloodfest match.
- Abbad won the Bruiser Brody Cup battle royal.

2006 - The All Pro Wrestling-affiliated ChickFight held "ChickFight V" at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco, California. The results were:
- Cheerleader Melissa defeated Tanny Mouse in a ChickFight tournament first round match.
- Yoshiko Tamura defeated Allison Danger in a ChickFight tournament first round match.
- MsChif defeated Sumie Sakai in a ChickFight tournament first round match.
- Jazz defeated Simply Luscious in a ChickFight tournament first round match.
- The Mafia (Chris Colione and Vennis DeMarco) defeated Chicano Flame and Dana Lee.
- Cheerleader Melissa defeated Yoshiko Tamura in a ChickFight tournament semifinal match.
- Jazz defeated MsChif in a ChickFight tournament semifinal match.
- APW Worldwide Internet Champion J.J. Perez defeated Nathan Rulez to retain the title.
- Cheerleader Melissa defeated Jazz in a falls count anywhere match to win the ChickFight V tournament.

2006 - The Ultimate Fighting Championship held the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 3, featuring the middleweight and light heavyweight finals of The Ultimate Fighter 3 competition, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show featured the reintroduction of former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, as well as Randy Couture's induction into the UFC Hall of Fame. The results of the show:
Preliminary card:
- In a light heavyweight bout, Mike Nickels defeated Wes Combs by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:10 of round one.
- In a light heavyweight bout, Matt Hamill defeated Jesse Forbes by TKO (strikes) at 4:47 of round one.
- In a middleweight bout, Luigi Fioravanti defeated Solomon Hutcherson by knockout (punch) at 4:15 of round one.
- In a middleweight bout, Kalib Starnes defeated Danny Abbadi by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:56 of round one.
- In a middleweight bout, Rory Singer defeated Ross Pointon by submission (triangle choke) at 0:44 of round one.
Main card:
- In a light heavyweight bout, Keith Jardine defeated Wilson Gouveia by unanimous decision.
- In the TUF middleweight final, Kendall Grove defeated Ed Herman by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28. UFC president Dana White gave both fighters contracts.
- In the TUF light heavyweight final, Michael Bisping defeated Josh Haynes by TKO (strikes) at 4:14 of round two.
- In a lightweight bout, Kenny Florian defeated Sam Stout by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:46 of round one.

2006 - Team Dormanstown (Kid Richie and Chris Whitton) defeated The Vegas Connection (Dan Evans and Vincent D. White) in a street fight to win the 3 Count Wrestling Tag Team Title in Quedgeley, England. This ended the Vegas Connection's second reign.

2006 - Dickie Rodz defeats champion Matt Hyson and Jerry Lynn in a three-way match for the New York Wrestling Connection Heavyweight Title in Deer Park, New York, beginning his third reign. At the same show, Josh Daniels defeats Javi-Air to win the NYWC Interstate Title.

2006 - Fuuka defeats Natsuki*Head in a tournament final in Tokyo, Japan to become the first JDStar Princess of Pro-Wrestling Champion.

2007 - WWE held the seventh-annual "Vengeance" pay-per-view at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event was taglined "Night of Champions", as all nine titles in WWE were on the line. The results:
- In a dark match, Super Crazy pinned Carlito after a moonsault.
- World Tag Team Champions Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch defeated The Hardys (Matt and Jeff), when Cade pinned Jeff after a spinebuster slam, to retain the title.
- WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero pinned Jimmy Wang Yang after a frog splash to retain the title.
- Johnny Nitro pinned CM Punk after a corkscrew neckbreaker from the middle rope to win the vacant ECW World Title. Nitro replaced Chris Benoit, who was not at the event, for, in WWE's words, "personal reasons".
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella defeated Umaga by disqualification to retain the title. Umaga ignored the referee while punching Marella in the corner and was disqualified.
- WWE United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter pinned Ric Flair after the Playmaker to retain the title.
- WWE Tag Team Champions Deuce and Domino (with Cherry) defeated Sgt. Slaughter and Jimmy Snuka, when Deuce pinned Snuka after rolling through a Superfly splash, to retain the title.
- World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista by countout to retain the title. Batista had originally won the match by disqualification, but SmackDown! general manager Theodore Long ordered the match continue. With the loss, Batista was not allowed another title shot as long as Edge was champion.
- Candice Michelle pinned WWE Women's Champion Melina after a spinning heel kick to win the title, ending Melina's second reign.
- WWE Champion John Cena defeated King Booker (with Queen Sharmell), Mick Foley, Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton to retain the title, by pinning Foley after an FU.

2007 - At Apache Pro Wrestling's "Apache Pro Challenge" in Tokyo, Japan, two titles change hands. Jun Kasai and Jaki Numazawa defeat GENTARO and The W*INGer for the vacant WEW Tag Team Title, and Kintaro Kanemura wins the WEW Heavyweight Title from Togi Makabe, beginning his fourth reign.

2007 - Ash defeats James Champagne, Tyson Dux, Franky the Mobster, champion Don Paysan and El Tornado in a ladder match in Brampton, Ontario to win the Blood, Sweat and Ears Suicide Six Pack Title.

2007 - Chuck Taylor defeats Ricochet to win the fifth-annual CHIKARA Young Lions Cup in Hellertown, Pennsylvania.

2007 - The Soul Shooters (Drew Johnson and Apollo Starr) defeat The Fun Lovin' Criminals (Jaimy Coxxx and Truth Martini) for the Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling Tag Team Title in Warren, Michigan.

2009 - TNA filed the pilot episode of the Spin Cycle. While planned as a cable network series, the show eventually settled into a regular online feature presented by TNA and hosted by Jeremy Borash.

2010 - TNA broadcast an episode of SpikeTV. Stu Carapola filed the following report:

We open withg a recap of last week's main event that saw Abyss snap and destroy both Jeff Hardy and Ken Anderson and then having a confrontation with Hulk Hogan as Impact went off the air. Coming off of that, we go right to the ring for the opening promo, and this week's special guest is the Managing Partner himself, Hulk Hogan. He starts by putting the fans over for their energy, then says he's going to start at the top and work his way down with all the issues. Starting with the issue of the #1 contender's match last week, Hogan has decided that the main event of Victory Road will be Rob Van Dam defending the TNA World Title against Abyss, Jeff Hardy, and Ken Anderson in a three way match. Abyss' music hits (his old, pre-American Made music) and Abyss comes out to the ring. Hogan says he has one question for Abyss: the first guy Hogan went to when he came to TNA was Abyss, and he wants to know where he is going with his actions of last week. Abyss says he doesn't think anyone realizes the seriousness of what's going on, because what happened last week and what he will continue to do, he is doing for one reason: because THEY told him to. They were the ones who told him to break Jeff Hardy in half and destroy anything that gets in his path. They're coming, and they'll be here sooner than Hogan thinks, and when they get here, there is nothing that Bischoff, Dixie, or Hogan are going to be able to do to stop it. Hogan tells him to cut the crap because they cut a deal: Hogan needed his help, Abyss gave him his word, and...Abyss cuts him off and says that they told Abyss that he doesn't need Hogan anymore. Hogan wants to know who THEY are, and Abyss says that's something he knows and Hogan will find out soon enough. Abyss says he doesn't need Hogan or the red and yellow anymore. Hogan says there is no they, there's the two of them and the TNA fans, and Abyss tells Hogan to remember one thing: there's not a damn thing any of these sheep (the fans) can do about it, and when they get here, they are taking TNA over, and by the way, they also told Abyss that he doesn't need Hogan's garbage ring anymore. Abyss chokes Hogan and crams the ring down Hogan's throat. Abyss chokes Hogan out in the corner, then goes under the ring and pulls out a bag that contains...the glass. Come on, does anyone really expect Hogan to take a bump on the glass? Indeed, RVD's music hits and the champ comes running out to make the save. RVD goes up for the corner punches, but Abyss powerbombs him and then goes back after Hogan, and now here comes Ken Anderson with a chair, which he slams over the back of Abyss. Abyss no sells, so Anderson bails to the floor and pulls RVD and Hogan out after him, and after Hogan spits up the ring, they head back to the entranceway as Abyss proclaims that "they're coming".

After a commercial, we come back to a recap of the Abyss attack on Hogan that we just saw, then we go backstage to Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, and Hogan's saying he doesn't understand where he went wrong with Abyss. Bischoff can't figure it out either because he never thought Abyss was that kind of guy who would turn on someone for no reason. Hogan suggests it might be Flair, but Bischoff doesn't think so, and says that they should move on, but Hogan says not yet.

We go to the Beautiful People's dressing room where Madison Rayne is primping in the mirror, and Madison asks Velvet Sky if she's gone to visit Lacey Von Erich yet, and then drops a remark about Lacey being used to being on her back. Velvet is standing there sulking and isn't talking, so Madison gets in her face and tells her that she needs to get her head on Angelina Love or it'll be her getting carried out on a stretcher tonight.

Angelina Love vs Velvet Sky

Velvet backjumps Angelina to start and sends Angelina to the floor, but Angelina grabs her by the ankle and drags her out to the floor where she takes her down with a spear. Angelina tries to ram Velvet into the stairs, but Velvet puts on the brakes and sends Angelina into the stairs. Velvet rolls her back in the ring and mounts her for more punches, then repeatedly rams the back of Angelina's head into the mat. Velvet with a Skyliner, but instead of going for the pin she starts yelling at Angelina. Velvet goes for another Skyliner but Angelina breaks free and nails Velvet with a pump kick. Angelina grabs a chair from ringside and puts it down in the ring, but Velvet goes to the eyes and goes for what appeared to be an attempted Hotshot, but Angelina totally missed the ropes and came down on her face. Velvet sees the chair and goes to DDT Angelina, but Angelina reverses and DDTs Velvet on the chair and the referee calls for the bell.

Winner: Velvet Sky by DQ

Madison Rayne comes out on the ramp with the Knockouts Title belt and mocks Angelina, saying that the title is hers and Angelina isn't getting it back.

We go to the back, where Jay Lethal has a visitor. I don't recognize him, but he seems impressed that Lethal's wrestling Flair at Victory Road. Lethal sends the guy to catering so he can finish getting ready for his match tonight.

Backstage, Kevin Nash is telling Eric Young that he has to distance himself from Scott because he doesn't have any choice. He's been dealing with Hogan and Bischoff for 15 years and he doesn't want to get in a battle with them, and appears to have dissolved his team with Young. They share a hug and Nash wishes Young luck.

Matt Morgan comes to the ring and says he told us so, he told all of us so, and that's that he was walking out of Slammiversary victorious. He doesn't sweat Hernandez, never has, and never will. To prove that, he's going to call Hernandez out right now. He tells Hernandez that he knows he's watching in the back, and to put down the burrito, come out, and face him face to face because he's tired of being jumped from behind. The announcers inform us that Hernandez is in Mexico doing promotional work for TNA, so he obviously won't be here. Morgan says that Hernandez obviously is afraid of him, so when TNA management asked Morgan if he wants to wrestle Hernandez in a cage at Victory Road, he jumped at the chance because now Hernandez has nowhere to run. When he beats Hernandez like a pinata at Victory Road, he's going to come back out here on Imapct and again tell us all that he told us so. Morgan's music plays, but Homicide comes running out and attacks Morgan. Morgan goes to the floor and Homicide tries a dive, but Morgan catches him and rams him into the ringpost, then gives him the Carbon Footprint to the head against the ringpost. Morgan looks into the camera and tells Hernandez that this is going to look like a wet dream compared to what Morgan's going to do to him at Victory Road.

Backstage, AJ Styles is asking Ric Flair if a package came to the locker room. Flair says they have stuff to worry about tonight and he doesn't want to hear any more about the package.

Back to the ring!

Frankie Kazarian vs Jay Lethal

Lethal escapes a takedown attempt and armdrags Kazarian, who backs off into the corner, and then leapfrogs the ref and suckerpunches Lethal, then beats him down in the corner. Kazarian with a gutwrench suplex and a big pop-up spinebuster for 2. Kazarian chokes Lethal and then picks him up for a vertical suplex, dumps him on the top rope, and then just kicks him in the chest. Kazarian covers for 2, then follows up with a bodyslam and a springboard legdrop, and then Kazarian HITS THE CHINLOCK! While Lethal is tied up, Flair and AJ are backstage beating up Lethal's visitor, who the announcers identify as Lethal's brother Mohammed. Back in the ring, Lethal elbows his way out of the chinlock and takes him down with a pair of clotheslines and then the handspring elbow. Kazarian tries a lowblow but Lethal blocks and rolls Kazarian up for 2. Kazarian and Lethal go toe to toe and Kazarian blocks the Lethal Combination and hits the Wave Of The Future for 2. Kazarian goes for the backdrop piledriver, but Lethal escapes and hits the Lethal Injection for the win.

Winner: Jay Lethal

Lethal goes and celebrates his win in the crowd, but then Ric Flair pops up on the video screen and flaunt the fact that they're beating up Lethal's brother. Lethal just stands there watching in anger as they beat up his brother, and then finally takes off to the back to come to his brother's rescue.

Jeff Jarrett is backstage, and he's...WALKING! And he's in our next match...

Jeff Jarrett vs Sting

Sting is in the rafters, so Jarrett leaves the ring and goes after him. They meet at the top of the stairs and even though Sting sees him coming and has the high ground, Jarrett gets the better of him and beats him all the way down the stairs. Wait a minute, the real Sting is already in the ring, so Jarrett's beating up an impostor. Jarrett gets the impostor into the ring and suddenly realizes his mistake, but not before Sting has a chance to come from behind and choke Jarrett out with his bat, then uses the bat to beat him into oblivion. Sting grabs a mic and hovers over Jarrett, telling him that "if he's going to run with them, he's going to go down with them." He drops the mic and leaves. Well, match never officially started, so I guess it's...

No Contest

We get a video package promoting Bound For Glory in Daytona Beach, Florida on 10/10/10, and then it's off to commercial.

We come back to a video package detailing the history between Kurt Angle and Desmond Wolfe leading into their match tonight. And that match is up...now!

Desmond Wolfe vs Kurt Angle

Angle with a wristlock to start, Wolfe tries to snapmare his way out, but Angle holds onto the wrist and takes Wolfe down, so Wolfe regains his feet and reverses to a hammerlock, but Angle reverses that back to the wristlock. Wolfe again tries to counter out to no avail, so he rams an elbow into Angle's jaw and slaps on a Cobra Clutch. Angle reverses out of that to a hammerlock and Wolfe goes to the ropes, but kicks Angle in the arm on the break. He briefly stops to yell at Chelsea, and Angle uses the distraction to catch Wolfe with a hiptoss. Wolfe goes to the throat and misses a charge in the corner, but Angle charges in and Wolfe moves and allows Angle's momentum to carry him into the ringpost. Wolfe with a wristlock and uses the hold to suplex Angle. Wolfe stops to yell at Chelsea, and again it provides a distraction that Angle uses to try a comeback, but Wolfe with a wristlock and sweeps the legs. Wolfe locks in his weirdo hammerlock that I don't know what to call it, Angle tries to reverse to the anklelock, but Wolfe kicks his way out. Again Wolfe is distracted by Chelsea, and Angle fires in a series of rights, backdrops Wolfe, then hits an overhead belly to belly for 2. Angle goes for the Angle Slam, Wolfe reverses to an armdrag, but Angle catches him with a trilogy of German Suplexes for 2. Angle tries the Angle Slam again and Wolfe slides out the back and gets a hammerlock Divorce Court for 2. Wolfe goes for the Tower Of London, but Angle escapes and hits the Angle Slam, then locks Wolfe in the anklelock and grapevines the leg, and Wolfe taps as Chelsea stands at ringside smirking.

Winner: Kurt Angle

We go backstage to Ken Anderson, who's talking about all the bumps, bruises, and cuts he has from last week's incident with Abyss. He says that if Abyss wants to bring all that crap into the ring, tonight it's Falls Count Anywhere and Anderson's going to be ready for it.

We go to a video package looking back at Doug Williams' history in the X Division as the X Division Champion, as well as Doug's win over Brian Kendrick at Slammiversary. From there we go right to the ring where Doug Williams is blasting Kendrick for jumping him from behind last week and for being crazy. Williams says he holds himself to a code of conduct, and that's to never betray his code of professionalism and sportsmanship. He says he has a responsibility as the X Division Champion, and calls Kendrick out so he can teach him a lesson about professionalism. Kendrick comes out and takes a mic from So Cal Val, and says he just needs a moment of Doug's time. Kendrick talked to the people in charge, and he'll be facing Williams for the X Division Title at Victory Road, and there'll be a pair of stipulations, one for each of them. Since Williams is a high flying daredevil, it's going to be an Ultimate X Match. The second stipulation is that you can also win by submission. Williams tells Kendrick that his nonsense won't cause him to unprofessionally attack Kendrick like Kendrick did to him, and he suggests leaving so they can settle their matters at Victory Road. Williams goes to walk away but then tries to suckerpunch Kendrick, and Kendrick sees him coming and catches him in a Cobra Clutch with a bodyscissors.

Backstage, Abyss is saying that nobody understands the situation, but someday soon, everybody's going to realize that he did what he did and will do what he's going to do because THEY told him to. His wave of destruction will continue tonight with Ken Anderson because THEY told him to pave the way for them when they arrive, and there will be no stopping Abyss.

We go backstage where Jesse Neal has been laid out and Brother Ray and Shannon Moore are having a pull apart brawl. Devon grabs Ray's shirt and says he's tired of Ray making a fool of him. He's warned Ray to leave the kid alone, and is warning Ray now not to test him.

Back to the ring...

Tag Team Championship Series Finals: Beer Money vs Ink Inc

Taz and Mike Tenay are joined by the Motor City Machine Guns, who will face the winners of this match for the TNA World Tag Team Title at Victory Road. Since Jesse Neal's currently unconscious in the back, Moore's going it alone. Roode unloads on Moore with a series of blows as we get a graphic reminding us to check out Dixie Carter's Twitter, and Moore comes back with a pair of dropkicks to both members of Beer Money and a legdrop to Roode for 2. Storm tries to break up the fall but Moore moves and Storm elbowdrops his partner. Moore with a flying headscissors sends Storm to the floor and then a clothesline sends Roode over the top to the outside as well. Tommy Dreamer is walking through the crowd and he's got Raven and Stevie Richards with him. Something about that picture just seems so...wrong. Moore tries a baseball slide to the floor on Storm, but Storm catches him and wheelbarrows him into the guardrail, rams him into the stairs, then tosses him back in the ring where Beer Money double team him. Neal finally comes stumbling out of the back as Storm nails Moore with a flying knee. Roode tags in and Beer Money does a slam/elbowdrop/big splash combo for 2. Roode with a full nelson slam for 2, then he tries another wheelbarrow move, but Moore kicks Storm off and bulldogs Roode then makes the hot tag to Neal, who comes in and cleans house on Beer Money. Neal with a backdrop on Roode and a belly to belly on Storm for 2. All four men are in the ring, but not for long as Moore backdrops Roode to the floor and follows him out with a dive as Storm and Neal fight it out in the ring. Neal rolls Storm up for 2 and then Neal goes for a spear, but Roode grabs his ankle as Storm gets a mouthful of beer. Storm spits it in Neal's eyes and they hit the DWI for the win.

Winners: Beer Money

We got backstage to Frankie Kazarian and AJ Styles, who are arguing over who dad likes best. AJ finally got his package and opens it to discover...the new AJ Styles action figure! AJ rubs the fact that he has an action figure in Kazarian's face, and Kazarian doesn't really seem to care.

It's main event time!

Falls Count Anywhere: Abyss vs Ken Anderson

Anderson rushes the ring without even waiting for the mic drop and attacks Abyss. He stomps a mudhole in Abyss in the corner, but eats an elbow and goes down. Abyss chokes Anderson on the second rope, but Anderson comes back with a Thesz Press and rains down rights and lefts. Abyss bails to the floor, so Anderson goes out after him and goes looking for a chair. He finally finds an audience member willing to give him one, but turns around and Abyss punches the chair into his face. Abyss brings Anderson and the chair into the ring, sets the chair up in the middle of the ring, and continues pounding on Anderson. Anderson comes back and grabs the chair and blasts Abyss across the back with it for 2. Anderson sets up the chair in the corner and tries to whip Abyss into it, Abyss reverses but Anderson slides out to the floor and goes under the ring. Abyss goes out after him and can't find him, but...oh, here he is, and with a kendo stick in his hand. Anderson proceeds to give Abyss several shots with the kendo stick, but misses one shot against the ringpost and Abyss nails him. Anderson fires back and tries to whip Abyss into the rampway, but Abyss reverses and Anderson takes the ramp in the back. Abyss pulls up the ringside mats and goes to chokeslam Anderson on the exposed floor, but Anderson breaks away and they end up back in the ring. Abyss grabs the chair and repeatedly rams the edge into Anderson's ribs, then lays the chair on top of Anderson and goes for a vertical splash, but Anderson turns the chair sideways and Abyss parts his coconuts. Anderson rolls Abyss up for 2 then goes up top and goes for the Swanton, but Abyss gets the knees up, rams Anderson into the chair in the corner, and hits Shock Treatment for the win.

Winner: Abyss

Abyss tosses Anderson out to the rampway and then follows him out. Anderson tries crawling away from Abyss, but Abyss catches him and picks him up to slam him off the stage, but Anderson escapes and tries a Mic Check off the stage, but Abyss nails him and finally chokeslams Anderson off the stage. Hulk Hogan comes out with a chair and nails Abyss from behind, but Abyss no-sells. Security comes out to try and stop Abyss, but Abyss lays them all out while Hogan stands there doing nothing. Abyss again gives Hogan the "YOU!" finger as the show goes off the air.

2010 - WWE broadcast Superstars on WGN. Richard Trionfo filed the following report:

We start off tonight with the Smackdown brand and your announcers are Matt Striker and Todd Grisham.

Match Number One: JTG versus Caylen Croft with Trent Barreta

They lock up and Croft with a knee and punch instead of a clean break. JTG slides around and clips Caylen followed by a leap frog leg lariat. JTG with a flapjack but Croft with an Irish whip and he runs into a knee. Croft sends JTG to the floor and while Croft distracts the referee, Barreta kicks JTG in the ribs. Croft gets a near fall and then he chokes JTG in the ropes. Croft with a punch and cravate on JTG. Croft with a forearm but JTG with a swinging neck breaker followed by a flip shoulder tackle and drop kick. JTG with an X Factor from the turnbuckles followed by a baseball slide to Barreta on the floor. JTG with the wraparound clothesline for the three count.

Winner: JTG

After the match, JTG celebrates with some of the younger fans in the crowd in the ring.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Two: Luke Gallows with Serena versus Chris Masters

They lock up and Masters backs Gallows into the turnbuckles and Masters with a clean break but Gallows with an uppercut and forearms. Gallows with a kick followed by an Irish whip but he misses a charge into the corner. Masters works on the arm and shoulder. Masters with an arm bar on Gallows. Gallows with a knee and punch followed by a slam but he misses an elbow drop. Masters with a suplex to Gallows and Gallows goes to the floor. We go to commercial.

We are back and Masters calls for the Master Lock but Gallows avoids the hold by sending Masters to the floor. Gallows knocks Masters off the apron and to the floor. Masters gets sent into the ringside barrier before they return to the ring. Gallows with a splash to Masters’ back and he gets a near fall. Gallows with a reverse chin lock on Masters. Masters tries to slam Gallows but he cannot keep Gallows up and Masters with a lateral press. Gallows with a suplex and a near fall. Gallows with a modified surfboard to Masters. Masters gets to his feet and he takes Gallows down. Masters with chops followed by a flying shoulder tackle and clotheslines. Masters goes to the turnbuckles for a flying shoulder tackle and he gets a near fall. Gallows with a boot to the chest and he gets a near fall. Gallows sets for the spinebuster but Masters blocks it and connects with forearms. Masters with forearms and he tries for the Master Lock. Gallows backs Masters into the turnbuckles but he runs into a boot. Serena gets on the apron and Gallows with a kick to the chest and then he hits the spinebuster slam for the three count.

Winner: Luke Gallows

It is time to take a look back at this week’s NXT.

The Bellas are walking in the back as we go to commercial.

We are back and Did You Know that the WWE gets a lot of awards from the military.

It is time for the Raw half of the show and your announcers are Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler.

Jillian Hall says that everyone seems to have World Cup Fever so after she beats Brie Bella she wants everyone to sing with her. Jillian makes El Generico fans cry as she sings.

Match Number Three: Jillian Hall versus Brie Bella with Nikki Bella

They lock up and Brie works on the arm but Jillian pulls Brie down by her hair. Brie with a hammer lock but Jillian with a drop toe hold. Brie takes Jillian down and they roll around the ring. Brie with a kick but Jillian with an Irish whip. Brie tries for a head scissors but Jillian drops Brie on the mat. Jillian chokes Brie in the ropes. Jillian with a snap mare and kick to the back and Jillian gets a near fall. Jillian with an arm bar and then she slams Brie into the mat. Jillian with a slam and then she tries for a round off splash but Brie gets her knees up. Brie with drop kicks and a clothesline followed by a bulldog for a near fall. Jillian with an Irish whip and Brie with an elbow. Brie tries for a victory roll but Jillian drops down and gets a near fall. Brie with an Irish whip but Jillian sends Brie to the floor. Nikki lies down next to Brie and there is confusion on the floor. The referee checks on the Bellas and determines which one was sweatier and Jillian attacks Brie. Nikki switches while the referee was out of position and gets the three count with a rollup.

Winner: Brie Bella with an assist from Nikki Bella

We go to commercial.

We are back with the Raw Rebound.

Match Number Four: William Regal versus R Truth

They lock up and Truth with a clean break. Truth shimmies for Regal and Regal did not approve. Regal with an arm bar take down and Truth rolls through and puts Regal in a head lock. Truth with a shoulder tackle that has no impact. Truth with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors followed by a drop kick and Truth appears to have hurt his knee. Regal takes advantage and he kicks Truth in the leg. Regal wrings the leg and drops an elbow on the leg. Regal with a knee drop to the leg and he puts Truth in a form of an ankle lock. Truth makes it to the ropes and Regal slams the knee into the mat as he breaks the hold. Regal with a forearm to the back and punch to the chest. Regal with a kick to the injured knee. Truth with forearms followed by a monkey flip to escape. Regal begs for mercy while Truth limps to him. Regal pushes Truth out of the ring but Truth’s leg got caught in the ropes. Regal puts the leg in the ropes and Regal with knees. Truth with punches and a back elbow. Truth with more punches and a kick and DDT to Regal and both men are down. Truth gets a near fall and then he tries for a suplex but Regal counters with an Exploder but Truth with the Lie Detector for the three count.

Winner: R Truth

2011 - Ring of Honor held a press conference in Baltimore, MD to officially begin the Sinclair Broadcasting era as the new owners of the promotion. Stu Carapola filed the following report:

Kevin Kelly welcomes everyone to the press conference at the Sinclair Broadcasting studio in Baltimore. Ring of Honor will be coming to Sinclair stations nationwide this Fall, and today we'll get to speak to some of the stars of Ring of Honor and also talk about this Sunday's Best In The World internet PPV. Kelly introduces the COO of Ring of Honor, Joe Koff.

Koff thanks the press for joining him, and he says that for him, this is the culmination of two passions: wrestling and television. Getting the chance to provide both loves for himself and to the fans, he can't say enough about the amount of work that already has and will continue to go into the product in the weeks and months to come. ROH is a product that deserves to be seen, and through all media avenues, they will bring this product to a broader audience. He said it could not have been done without the dream and work of Cary Silkin, and Cary did a wonderful job of bringing ROH where it is today. Koff introduces Silkin to share his thoughts on this moment.

Silkin says this is a dream come true for him, because nine years of trying to produce the best wrestling he could, and with a lot of help behind the scenes, they've been able to do that. People ask him if it was hard to give up Ring of Honor, and he says it wasn't when they gave it to a company like Sinclair that wants to take the existing product and deliver it to the masses like he couldn't. He's excited to see ROH in this next phase, thanks Joe Koff, and says he's looking forward to this Sunday and the future.

Kevin Kelly gets back up and says that Koff and Silkin will be available for questions at the end, but first he wants to introduce the Executive Producer of ROH, Jim Cornette. Cornette says 9-24-11 will be a historic day for professional wrestling because people have said for years that ROH is the best wrestling product out there, and he's been with every major wrestling company over the last three decades, and he's never been as excited to be involved with anything as he has with ROH. This move is important for the company and the business, because the business is in the doldrums: the mainstream names that everyone knows have gotten older and not a lot of energy has been put into letting the young stars break through, and that's what Ring of Honor has been providing all along. Now, on 9-24-11, the youngest, freshest, and most athletic wrestlers around will make their name. Wrestling has been subject to a lot of bad PR and stereotypes, and ROH wants to move away from entertainment and back to competition, and this program won't be old school wrestling or modern sports entertainment, it's going to be about wrestlers who have paid the price and worked hard, and they're going to tell their stories.

Cornette points out Gary Juster, who has been promoting some of the biggest events in history, and they intend to take ROH and tour around to the markets where Sinclair stations are situated, and also use the internet PPVs to deliver the best wrestling product they can deliver. You can't go forward by going backward, and ROH intends to go forward with a product everyone can be proud of and excited by. He wants to take an opportunity to introduce some of the stars who have signed with ROH and will be in New York this weekend: Truth Martini and Michael Elgin; Prince Nana, Mia Yim, and Tommaso Ciampa, as well as the returning Rhino; Brutal Bob Evans and Mike Bennett; and El Generico. They didn't have room in the studio to bring everyone in, but this is a good look at some of the young, great talent that are a part of ROH.

Kevin Kelly returns to the podium to talk about the World Title Match that will be headlining this weekend's internet PPV, and introduces Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards. Kevin asks Davey for his thoughts going into this weekend, and Davey starts by saying that he and Eddie formed the American Wolves in 2009 and dominated everyone, but then they had a match for the TV Title and Eddie beat him. Davey failed to win the World Title at final Battle, and said that if he fails to win the title in his next opportunity, he's never going to challenge for the ROH World Title again.. He didn't know Eddie was going to be the one he'd challenge, but Eddie wanted it and he's proud of Eddie, but he's going to crush him.

Eddie tells Davey that it's great that he's proud of him, but he's not his little brother or protégé, he's the ROH World Champion and the only Triple Crown Champion in company history. With all his accomplishments, there's still that little bit of doubt where he wonders if he's better than Davey Richards. That question drives him every day, and he asked for the match because he needs it, not to show everyone what he's capable of, it's about going out there and beating him because he needs to. Sunday in New York City, they'll see who is the Best In The World.

Cornette says he is going to hold Davey to his word, and if he doesn't win the title, he's welcome to compete there but will never get another title shot, then tells Eddie that he hopes he knows what he asked for. Eddie and Davey shake hands to applause and then leave the set.

Kevin Kelly returns to the podium and reiterates what's at stake for each man this Sunday, as both have the chance to be the flag bearer when the TV program starts this September. The ROH World Title is a prized possession, but they're fighting for the chance to be the champion at the debut show, but the ROH World Tag Team Title will also be up for grabs, and it will be chaotic because four very combustible teams will be in an element where the stakes will be the highest. ROH has assembled the best tag team roster in the world, and he introduces the teams fighting for the title this Sunday, starting with the All Night Express. Titus says he's got nerves, but they give him a sense of confidence and they'll be the new champions. King says you never know what you're going to get in Ring of Honor, but it may come as a shock to everyone else but not to them, they're ready to take it all.

Kevin Kelly introduces the Briscoes and then Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, and Shelton says that he and Charlie Haas have been competitors all their lives and feel that there's nobody better in tag team wrestling. They came to ROH to prove that and they did it by winning the title, and are now the current reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions. Kevin Kelly ready a latter from the Kings of Wrestling that says that they are the longest reigning champions in ROH history and refuse to share the podium with Haas & Benjamin, but they'll prove themselves this Sunday when they regain the title. Haas says that the four of them are the best teams in the world, and the ROH World Tag Team Title means more to them than any title they've ever held. The ANX has improved a lot, they had to fight hard to beat the Kings of Wrestling for the title, and then they put themselves over as the best team in the history of the company.

The Briscoes get to their feet and yell at the champions because they'd been here all along, have held the title six times, and not to disrespect them. Haas & Benjamin fire back that they're out of control and need to relax because they're ruining the press conference and to save it for this Sunday. Jay Briscoe says they can do it right now and takes a shot at Haas, leading to Jim Cornette and Kevin Kelly getting between them. A pull apart breaks out and Jay goes head to head with Shelton, with the set nearly being knocked over. Delirious comes out with his mask on to pull them apart and leads the Briscoes out. Haas says they can't represent ROH like that, and they don't want to see it happen if the Briscoes win the title back, but that won't happen. Haas, Benjamin, and the ANX leave as Kevin Kelly apologizes for the conduct of the Briscoes.

Kevin goes back to the podium and apologizes to the affiliates, then Jim Cornette says they're trying to promote professional wrestling in favor of sports entertainment and they let the wrestlers speak for themselves in the ring. They are excited because they feel this will make a mainstream statement about professional wrestling, and again puts over 9-24-11 as the return of Ring of Honor to television. Kevin Kelly says this weekend will be the biggest ROH event ever, and opens it up to questions from the media.

Kevin is asked where Ring of Honor is looking to find new talent and whether they are looking to expand into new markets and bigger arenas. Cornette says ROH has held seminars over the last year or so, looking at various talents from around the country, and that's one of the ways they found Michael Elgin, Tommaso Ciampa, and others. Cornette has also done that with Ohio Valley Wrestling as well, and they want to find the best wrestlers out there who have the ability and mind, body, and soul to make it in the business.

The next question relates to markets such as New York and Philadelphia where Sinclair doesn't have a presence, and what the plan will be in those markets. Joe Koff says they're going to make their initial thrust on the Sinclair networks, and once they're set there, they will look to push the show into other markets. Cornette adds that New York will continue to have regular live events and they are working to get Philadelphia back into their touring schedule, and have no plans to eliminate any markets.

They are asked how soon they move into new markets, and Joe Koff says that will probably begin in the fourth quarter, but reiterates that they will not forget the core markets even as they try to concentrate on markets where Sinclair networks are.

Kevin is asked what they hope to provide that WWE and TNA aren't. Everyone gets a good laugh, then Cornette says that WWE's youth movement isn't pushing the right youth, and in TNA if you're as young as 40 then you get to be on top. They hope to find young talent that hasn't been overexposed but can hang at the level that the top talent in ROH can. The guys in ROH are the best at what they do and they want to accentuate that.

The next question involves expanding the company while trying not to grow too fast. Cornette says Koff won't let that happen because he's a good businessman, and with so many companies talking about how they're going to take the wrestling world over, they don't get past opening a PO Box. They're going to start by running shows in the Sinclair markets and let those percolate before running events there, while continuing to service the core markets. Sinclair has a good handle on this and knows that growing too fast doesn't do anything for anyone. Koff says that they're a television company and this is prime TV content, and they have experience in making sure the TV shows or live events don't move past each other. He says they'll probably do a thousand times the exposure that ROH got on HDNet because they're in more markets. He puts over Bill Fanter, the General Manager of Sinclair, and wants to bring the product around on a schedule that makes sense from all sides.

The next question is for Cornette, who came up through the territories and then lived through the years when there was just WWE, and where he sees the business in the coming years. Cornette says he's been around since the Dead Sea was only sick and he's seen a lot in the business, but he wants to let everyone be themselves and not make up gimmicky back stories because they already have fascinating back stories. They want to provide a place where they can do what they do best and make it financially successful for everyone.

Cornette is asked about what changes there will be in the presentation of the Sinclair TV show compared to what they did on internet PPV and HDNet. Cornette says there will be some changes starting this weekend, and the TV program will basically be starting from scratch. There won't be four minute matches, they'll be seeing competitive matches and why everyone wants to wrestle and what their story is.

The next question has to do with access to old ROH shows and whether there will be any kind of video on demand service. Cornette puts over how strong the video library is and they plan to take advantage of that history and not ignore anything that has happened in the past, especially if it pertains to people appearing on television. Koff adds that they want to cater to the existing fans, but things will change dramatically because an extra 22% of the country will have access to ROH on over-the-air TV. As future technologies come in, they will explore those technologies to make the product available to their fans, but for right now their priority is the TV program, both on TV and eventually streaming to people's phones.

They are asked how the DVD sales and wrestling school will be handled going forward, and Joe Koff says they won't be. DVD sales have been robust, and much of their talent came from the school, and he expects more people to want to enroll in the school once the program expands into new markets. The follow up question is whether the school will remain in Pennsylvania, and Koff says they haven't addressed that yet. Cornette says they're going to take one thing at a time, but don't want to do everything at once because then everything's going to suffer and they don't want to rush.

Cornette is asked about their relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH and whether they look at running shows in Japan or England. Cornette says Delirious will be working in Japan next month and will be talking business while out there, and ROH wants to keep fostering their relationships and they'd love to have footage of their guys working in front of big crowds in Japan. Japanese wrestling has a lot of similarities to ROH, and he thinks some of the guys like Elgin, Ciampa, and Bennett will be successful in Japan, but he doesn't expect the Japanese fans to come in until they've established their own product on the Sinclair networks.

They are asked if it's tough to find a balance between bringing in established wrestlers while not being considered a haven for washed up old guys. Cornette says that perception goes away when you see what they do in the ring, and they're not going to discriminate against someone if they're in shape and can hang in ROH. They're not going to bring people in just because they're stars, they need to be able to hang if they'll work in ROH.

Next question is whether TV will be taped at live events as they have been, or whether they will return to the studio TV format. Cornette loves studio TV and grew up on it, but wrestling is so far removed that when you compare arena shows vs studio shows, studio shows have a smaller time feel and they will probably want to establish their product in the arenas. The live event atmosphere in ROH is so special, and the fans are as much a part of the show as the wrestlers. They want to capture that live event feel, because that's been captured so well on tape and going to the Hammerstein Ballroom is like soccer hooligans in Argentina.

Kevin Kelly wraps up by thanking everyone again for attending the press conference and says they'll continue to have more information as they move closer to 9-24-11. Cornette says that they will be on all Sinclair networks in every market, so it's a great piece of TV real estate.

2011 - WWE broadcast Smackdown. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:

We are live on tape from Hershey, Pennsylvania and your announcers are Booker ‘Whatchamacallit’ T, Michael ‘Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups’ Cole, and Josh ‘Almond Joy’ Mathews.

If it is a wrestling show and it is on television, we must be starting with a talking segment. Teddy Long makes his way to the ring and he is wearing his chocolate brown suit in honor of the host town for Smackdown. Teddy says that in the World Championship match on Sunday night, there was a controversial situation and he wants to address it now.

Teddy asks for Christian to make his way to the ring. Christian says that he deserves one more chance to become the World Champion. Teddy says that he will address it later. Teddy mentions that Christian’s lawyer contacted him last week. We go to the footage from Sunday night with Christian’s foot under the bottom rope when the three count was made.

Teddy says that it was clear that Christian’s foot was under the bottom rope when the three count was made. The referee made a bad call. Teddy apologizes to the WWE Universe. He says that the referee’s decision is final.

Christian wants to make sure that he heard Teddy apologize to the WWE Universe. He says that nobody cares about the WWE Universe. Christian says that he is the one who was screwed, not the fans. Christian says that he deserved it on Monday when he pinned Randy Orton. Christian reminds Teddy that Randy Orton hit him in the head with the title belt after the match.

Teddy says that Orton’s actions were reprehensible and unbecoming of a champion.

Christian asks Teddy when he gets his rematch. Teddy says that it depends on whether Christian earns a title match. Christian says that he does not have to earn anything because of the referee’s error. Teddy tells Christian the decision was final and he lost. Teddy tells Christian that he will have to beat Kane to get his title match.

We go to commercial.

We are back and remember that Shawn Michaels will be on Raw this Monday night.

Michael Cole points out the voting errors on Monday night so we will get Evan Bourne versus Sin Cara on Monday night.

Match Number One: Sin Cara with mood lighting and El Trampolino Bueno versus Ted DiBiase

The lights go down and they lock up with DiBiase working on the arm and wrist. Cara with a kick and he escapes the hold with an arm drag. Cara with a satellite head scissors and Ted goes to the floor. Cara waits for Ted to get into position and Cara hits a triple jump cross body onto DiBiase on the floor. Cara with a near fall on Ted. Cara with a kick and then he tries for a springboard cross body but Ted knows it is coming and he hits a drop kick and gets a near fall.

Ted with a reverse chin lock on Cara and a knee. Ted gets Cara onto his shoulders but Cara with a sunset flip counter for a near fall. Ted with a boot to Cara’s head and then he stomps on Cara’s chest. Ted gets a near fall and then he rubs his forearm across Cara’s mask. Ted hits the rebound short clothesline and gets a near fall.

Ted punches Cara followed by an Irish whip but Cara with an elbow and boots to Ted. Cara with a missile drop kick from the second turnbuckle. Cara with a series of kicks to Ted and then he hits a springboard rana and the handspring back elbow on Ted. Cara with an arm drag using the ropes for extra momentum.

Cara goes to the apron and he connects with an enzuigiri. Ted catches Cara coming off the ropes and hits a sit out spinebuster. Ted with a punch to the midsection and Cara hits a version of La Mistica and gets the three count.

Winner: Sin Cara

We go to footage from Raw on Monday night between Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes and the post match attack by Cody and Ted.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Cody Rhodes wants everyone to take a deep breath and forget about the performance of his protégé Ted DiBiase. Cody says that he loves chocolate and he wouldn’t be remised if he did not mention in the modern day Sodom that Hershey is responsible for producing more chocolate than any other place in the world. Chocolate makes people fat and ugly. Cody talks about the irony that in the place that makes chocolate he sees a lot of vanilla and plain facial expressions. Cody tells everyone to put their bags over their heads . . .

Cody is interrupted by Daniel Bryan’s music and he has something to say. Daniel tells Cody that he hates to interrupt but he is so incredibly sick of this. He says that he may never be on the cover of GQ or the most fashion conscious. He says that a cup does not belong on your face, but it belongs in your pants.

Daniel says that looks aren’t everything. Cody says that sounds like something an ugly person would say. Daniel wants Cody to explain his dad and we see a photo of Polka Dot Dusty. Daniel points out that Dusty is Cody’s father and Dusty might not be the most attractive person on the face of the Earth. However, he was charismatic, inspirational, and a good person. All things that Cody is not. Daniel says that he doesn’t think that the problem is that Cody has a broken nose, but Cody is someone who is bitter that he can never live up to the standards of his father.

Match Number Two: Cody Rhodes with Bag Men versus Daniel Bryan

They lock up and Bryan with a hammer lock. Cody with an elbow but Daniel with two arm drags. Cody blocks another arm drag attempt and Cody gets a near fall with a rollup. Cody with a near fall but Bryan bridges out of the hold. Bryan with a leap frog and a drop kick that sends Cody to the floor. Cody shows some frustration and he kicks the ringside barrier.

Ted DiBiase comes out to check on Cody and Cody wonders why Ted is out here and we go to commercial.

We are back and Cody sends Bryan to the floor and the referee is distracted by Cody to allow DiBiase to kick Bryan. Rhodes goes to the floor and he kicks Bryan in the ribs. Cody punches Bryan against the apron and then he sends Bryan back into the ring.

Rhodes with an elbow to the nose followed by an Irish whip and splash into the corner for a near fall. Cody with a kick to the ribs followed by a snap mare and knee to the back. Cody with an arm bar and chin lock. Bryan with punches but Cody with a side Russian leg sweep. Cody with a boot to the head followed by knees to the chest as he comes off the ropes and Cody gets a near fall.

Cody with a gourdbuster on Bryan but he misses a rolling knee drop. Bryan with an English uppercut but Cody with a clothesline and kicks to Bryan. Cody with a step over hammer lock and chin lock but Bryan is able to get to his feet. Cody with a knee and punch to the head. Bryan with a running clothesline followed by a series of kicks to the chest. Bryan with a Pele kick to Rhodes and then he puts him on the turnbuckles and hits a Super Hurricarana and he gets a near fall.

Bryan with more kicks to the chest but Rhodes ducks under. Bryan tries for the LeBell Lock but Rhodes avoids it. Bryan with a near fall and then Rhodes gets a near fall. Both men go for cross bodies and they both go down.

Ted grabs Bryan’s leg and then Bryan takes care of Rhodes and hits a suicide dive on DiBiase on the floor and he punches Ted. Bryan is stopped by Rhodes and Rhodes hits the springboard round kick and Bryan’s leg was caught in the ropes. Rhodes kicks Bryan while Daniel’s leg is still stuck in the ropes. The referee warns Rhodes as the referee checks on Bryan’s knee.

Rhodes with another springboard round kick followed by Cross Rhodes for the three count.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

After the match, Ted and Cody put a paper bag over Bryan’s head.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Johnny Curtis is in the locker room and he says that there have been rumors as to why he hasn’t made his Smackdown debut. Is he too young, too inexperienced, or too cocky? Johnny has a bottle of ketchup, mustard, and mayo on a table and he takes the ketchup and mayo, but he says the mustard does not cut it.

Matt Striker is with Big Show in the interview area because this must be Raw. Matt asks Show for an update on his condition. Show says that he is fine. Matt asks Show about knocking out Mark Henry before Capitol Punishment. Show says that Mark was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Show says that he was frustrated. He asked Mark not to get in the ring and what happened to him could have happened to anyone. Matt asks if Show has lit a fire under Mark Henry.

We have a Mark Henry video package.

Matt asks Show if we have ever seen him manhandled like this and he suggests that maybe Show brought this upon himself. Show says that it is good that Mark Henry is on fire because he is going to need it.

From out of nowhere, Mark Henry takes Big Show down with a spear and he destroys the interview area. Henry says that bigger isn’t always better. Better is better.

A referee goes to check on Show but Henry tells him not to help him and then he says that nobody is going to be happy until he is happy.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Three: Ezekiel Jackson versus Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Title

Barrett attacks Jackson from behind as he goes to the ring and Barrett sends Jackson into the apron and then he sends Jackson back first into the ring post. Barrett sends Jackson into the ringside barrier. Barrett rolls Jackson into the ring and the referee wants to make sure that Jackson can start the match, but Barrett with a kick to the midsection.

Barrett punches and kicks Jackson in the corner followed by forearms to the back. Barrett with more kicks. Barrett with a neck breaker for a near fall. Jackson with punches to Barrett followed by a forearm to the back. Jackson with an Irish whip but Barrett with a kick and clothesline for a near fall. Barrett with a rear chin lock on Jackson.

Jackson gets to his feet and he connects with elbows to Barrett and a kick. Barrett with an Irish whip and a Bossman Slam for a near fall. Barrett chokes Jackson in the ropes and kicks him. Barrett with a knee to the head and he gets a near fall. Barrett with a head butt to Jackson but he misses a clothesline and Jackson with an uranage and both men are down.

Jackson with clotheslines and body blocks to Barrett as it appears that Jackson got his second wind. Jackson with a splash into the corner and Barrett rolls to the floor. Barrett with a boot to Jackson when Ezekiel goes to the floor. Barrett sends Jackson back into the ring and Barrett gets Jackson on his shoulders for Wasteland but Jackson escapes the hold and then he puts Barrett in the torture rack and Barrett taps out.

Winner: Ezekiel Jackson

Randy Orton is in the locker room with Jack Korpela and Jack asks Orton about Christian getting another title match. Randy says that he is usually a pretty serious guy. But, this is borderline comical. Orton says that he is laughing on the inside. If Christian beats Kane, he is more than happy to face him again for the World Title. The closest that Christian will get to this title is when he nails Christian with it in the head . . . again.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Wade Barrett is walking in the back and he walks past Rosa Mendes and Alicia Fox who appear to be taking photos for Facebook. He continues to walk and Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel stop Barrett. They applaud Wade on his great week. First he lost his title on Sunday and then he lost the rematch a few minutes ago. Barrett says that he forgot that Slater and Gabriel existed. Barrett says that he has bigger and better plans than the Intercontinental Titles. Justin says that they are going to do something that Wade could not, they are going to win a rematch. Slater tells Wade to take a seat and see what can happen when Barrett isn’t ruining their matches.

Match Number Four: The Usos with new entrance versus Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel

Gabriel and Jimmy start things off and Jimmy chops Gabriel. Jey tags in and he hits a flying forearm as Jimmy sends Gabriel at him. Jey with a slam to Gabriel followed by a Northern Lights suplex and bridge for a near fall. Gabriel sends Jey to the apron and then Jey with a forearm. Jey tries to go up top but Gabriel stops him with a kick.

Slater tags in and he hits a running forearm off the apron. They return to the ring and Slater gets a near fall. Slater with kicks to Jey’s midsection and Justin is tagged back in. Slater gets Jey on his knees and Gabriel with a boot to the chest from the top rope. Slater tags in and he punches Jey.

Slater with a reverse chin lock on Jey and Jey with punches but Slater pulls Jey down by the hair. Gabriel tags back in and he was going to go for a springboard move but he saw Jey trying to make the tag so he stops Jey with a take down. Gabriel with a Fujiwara arm bar into a standard arm bar. Gabriel with an Irish whip and cross body into the corner. Jey catches Gabriel off the turnbuckles and he hits a Samoan drop. Jimmy and Slater tag in and Jimmy with a flying forearm and kicks. Jimmy with a BubbaBomb and then he hits a splash into the corner and a running butt splash for a near fall. Gabriel breaks up the cover.

Gabriel and Jey are removed from the ring. Jimmy with a super kick and he tries for the superfly splash but Slater gets his knees up and he gets the three count with an inside cradle.

Winners: Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel

We go to commercial.

Match Number Five: Yoshi Tatsu versus Jinder Mahal with Great Khali

Mahal pie faces Yoshi and then Yoshi chops Jinder. Jinder takes Yoshi down and the referee tells Jinder the match has not started yet. Mahal with a suplex and then Mahal Irish whips Yoshi into a chop from Khali. Mahal with a full nelson slam and then Jinder tells Khali to throw Yoshi out of the ring.

Mahal has Khali get a mic for Mahal. Jinder says that this is a prime example of what one of the world’s most powerful and prosperous man can do. He says that he never had to strive to be the best because he was born to be the best. Mahal says that there will be no more dancing or kissing for Khali. He says that Khali has had a rebirth and his only mission is to serve. Nothing can stop the Eastern winds from blowing through the entire WWE Universe.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Five (we really mean it this time): Kane versus Christian in an If Christian he gets his ten thousandth title match against Orton since losing the title at the start of May Match

Christian with punches to Kane but Kane with a shoulder tackle and Christian retreats to the corner. Kane sends Christian back into the corner and Kane with punches and an elbow followed by an uppercut. Kane misses a punch but Christian does not. Kane with an Irish whip that sends Christian sternum first into the turnbuckles. Christian with a punch to the face but Kane with an uppercut. Kane misses an elbow drop but Christian takes too long and Kane grabs Christian by the neck and sends him into the corner. Kane tries for a power slam but Christian gets to the apron and Christian drops Kane on the top rope twice.

Christian with a missile drop kick for a near fall. Christian with a series of kicks to Kane and then he chokes Kane in the ropes. Christian chokes Kane with his boots in the corner. Kane kicks Christian away but Christian is able to recover first and he kicks Kane. Christian with a reverse chin lock but Kane with punches to Christian and he presses Christian over his head but Christian gets to his feet. Kane charges at Christian but Christian drops down and Kane goes to the floor. Christian runs Kane into the ringside barrier and it looks like the barrier moved a few inches after the impact.

Kane tries to get back into the ring but he makes it in at 9. Christian kicks Kane in the head and then Christian goes up top for a diving head butt and he hits it and gets a near fall. Christian with a reverse chin lock and we go to commercial.

We are back and Christian with uppercuts to Kane but Kane with a side slam and a near fall. Kane with punches to Christian but Christian with a kick to Kane. Christian comes off the turnbuckles but Kane catches Christian and slams Christian followed by a drop kick for a near fall. Christian tries for the Killswitch but Kane with an elbow. Kane with a slam for a near fall.

Kane with an Irish whip but Christian with an elbow. Christian tries for a sunset flip off the turnbuckles but Kane does not go down. Christian with a pendulum kick. Kane tries for a choke slam but Christian fights him off and hits a tornado DDT for a near fall. Christian sets for the spear and Kane with a big boot to stop Christian. Christian is able to kick out at the last moment because Kane did not make a convincing enough cover.

Kane goes up top and Christian with an arm wringer and he gets a near fall. Christian throws a bit of a tantrum and he argues with the referee. Christian goes up top but Kane hits him with an uppercut as he comes off the ropes. Christian is able to kick out at two. Kane goes up top for the clothesline and Kane connects. Kane sets for the choke slam and Mark Henry makes his way to the ring and Henry hits Kane and hits a splash on Kane.

Winner: Kane by disqualification

After the match, Christian yells at Henry for the disqualification. Then Christian sees Kane getting up and they double team Kane and throw him to the floor.

Teddy Long comes out and he tells Christian that he lost, but he understands that it wasn’t Christian’s fault this time. Christian will have a chance to redeem himself if he can win a tag match. It will be Christian and Mark Henry against Kane and Randy Orton.

Cue the Booker T Severe Weather Alert Siren.

Match Number Six: Randy Orton and Kane versus Christian and Mark Henry in a This is really going to be Christian’s final chance to have a potential title match until the next time someone will have a chance to face the champion at a pay per view Match

Orton and Christian start things off and Orton with a side head lock. Orton with a shoulder tackle for a near fall. Christian backs into the corner. Christian with a kick and punches to Orton followed by an Irish whip but Orton comes out of the corner and hits a clothesline. Orton with boots to Christian followed by a leaping knee drop for a near fall. Christian backs Orton into the corner and Henry tags in.

Henry with a front face lock and forearm to the back followed by a punch to the head. Christian tags back in and he kicks Orton in the midsection. Orton with an inside cradle for a near fall. Christian with a clothesline to Orton and then he tags Henry back in. Henry with a boot to Orton’s midsection. Henry with a forearm across the chest and then he drives Orton head first into the mat. Henry stands over Orton but he misses a drop onto Orton.

Kane tags in and he punches Henry. Henry sends Kane to the apron but Kane drops Henry on the top rope. Kane takes care of Christian on the apron and then Kane with the clothesline from the top turnbuckle for a near fall. Kane tries to slam Henry but Kane could not hold Henry up and Henry with a lateral press. Henry with a kick to the upper chest and Christian is tagged back in.

Christian with kicks to Kane and then he connects with shots to the lower back and then Henry with a head butt when the referee was dealing with Christian and Orton. Henry gets a near fall on Kane. Christian with kicks to the back followed by a double sledge to the back and he gets another near fall. Henry tags back in and he kicks Kane in the ribs. Kane with punches to Henry but Henry with a head butt and Kane goes down again and Henry gets a near fall. Henry kicks Kane in the ribs followed by a forearm across the chest.

Henry with an Irish whip and Kane grabs Henry as he comes out of the corner and hits a choke slam. Henry and Kane are both down. Orton tags in and he goes after Christian on the apron and then Orton twists into the RKO push ups. Orton sees Christian trying to interfere and he hits a few clotheslines followed by a power slam and a Thesz Press and punches. Christian rolls to the apron and Orton tries for the IEDDT and he hits it. Henry picks up Orton and tries for the World’s Strongest Slam. Orton escapes and tries for the RKO on Henry. Henry pushes Orton away and Orton hits Christian with the RKO. Henry with the World’s Strongest Slam for the three count.

Winners: Christian and Mark Henry

2012 - Tommy Dreamer announced plans to open his own promotion, House of Hardcore.

2012 - Ring of Honor held their Best in the World 2012 iPPV in New York City. Stu Carapola filed the following TV report:

Welcome to PWInsider.com's live coverage of ROH Best In The World 2012!

Coverage will begin shortly.

Truth Martini comes out before the match to say that he has the breakout star of 2012 in Michael Elgin, the World TV Champion Roderick Strong, and now he wants tag team gold, so he introduces the faceless Guardians of Truth.

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs The Guardians of Truth

he Guardians of Truth are a couple of guys in Executioner-style long black trunks and black masks, and they jump the Briscoes as soon as the bells rings. They work Mark over after dumping Jay out to the floor, but the Briscoes regain the momentum and take Guardian #1 out before Mark hits a rolling senton off the ropes on #2 for a 2 count. The Briscoes are all over the GoT as the fans chant "fix the ropes" to reference the fact that they appear dangerously loose. Briscoes with the double football tackle on Guardian #2, but #1 switches in and lays Jay out. GoT with a side suplex/flying legdrop combo on Jay for 2, then they put the boots to him, but Jay makes the hot tag and Mark comes in with Redneck Kung Fu. Mark comes off the top with a flying elbow (coming off the ringpost since the top rope was too loose for him to stand on), then they set up for the Doomsday Device. Whichever Guardian was on Jay's shoulders tried a victory roll, but Jay just dropped down on top of him and got the pin.

Winners: Jay & Mark Briscoe

The Briscoes try to give Truth Martini the Doomsday Device after the match, but the Guardians shove Mark off the top rope and attack Jay until security runs in to break them up. Match seemed to have had its momentum slowed down a lot because of the loose ropes.

Eddie Edwards vs Homicide

They traded slaps at the start, Homicide goes after Edwards and gets suplexed. Homicide rolls out to the floor, so Eddie comes through the ropes with a dive that smashes him into the guardrail, then they trade chops all around ringside with Edwards getting the better of the exchange. They go back inside and Eddie comes off the top rope with a dropkick that gets 2. Homicide tries a back suplex, but Eddie lands on his feet and hits a full rotation german suplex, then hits Homicide with a running kneestrike for 2. They go back to trading chops in the middle of the ring, then they decide to upgrade and go back and forth hitting Yakuza kicks until they both go down. They make it back to their feet and Homicide has the presence of mind to hit an overhead belly to belly suplex. Eddie leapfrogs Homicide and tries a charge in the corner, but Homicide moves and Eddie smashes his shoulder into the ringpost. Homicide, being the gentle soul that he is, grabs Eddie and runs him into the post a second time. Homicide grabs a chair, but the referee takes it away from him, so he grabs Eddie's arm and bends it awkwardly around the top rope instead. Homicide goes back to work on Eddie's arm, which was fairly heavily bandaged coming in, and gets a Fujiwara armbar before releasing the hold to drop a knee on his elbow. Homicide hits two of the three amigos, but Eddie reverses on the third to two of his own amigos. He also goes for the third, but Homicide breaks free and hammers his elbow down across Eddie's arm. Homicide goes to the top rope as the fans chant "si si si" at him, but Eddie nails him and hits a top rope superplex. Homicide goes for an Ace Crusher, Eddie counters to an F5 and a fisherman's buster for 2. Back and forth exchange ends with Eddie getting a schoolboy rollup for 2, then countering Homicide's kickout right into the Crippler Crossface. Homicide makes the ropes, then hits a tornado DDT for 2. Eddie tries for a Backpack chinbreaker, but Homicide blocks and hits the Ace Crusher for 2. Homicide with a northern lariat, Eddie blocks a second lariat with a big boot, but Homicide hits him on the second try and gets 2. Homicide is starting to get frustrated and goes for the cop Killa, but Eddie slips out the back and gets a forward victory roll for 2. Homicide charges for another lariat, but Eddie rolls through into the Achilles Lock, Lance Storm-style. Homicide gets out and small packages Eddie for 2, then another elbowsmash to the arm stuns Eddie long enough for Homicide to hit the Cop Killa for the win.

Winner: Homicide

EXCELLENT MATCH! I was saying to Mike Johnson as we were watching this that this could main event an ROH show, and they wrestled like they were main eventing.

Hybrid Fighting Rules: Kyle O'Reilly vs Adam Cole

Fans are solidly behind Cole as they circle one another. Cole tries to sweep O'Reilly's leg, but O'Reilly steps out of the way, goes behind and takes Cole down with a waistlock. Cole tries a go behind, but O'Reilly overhooks Cole's arm and hiptosses him. Cole finally gets a shot in, so O'Reilly takes Cole down and just pounds the snot out of him. They do a fast paced martial arts exchange with neither man able to connect, and they wind up at a stalemate. O'Reilly with a boot to the gut and he tries a back suplex, Cole slips through and tries one of his own, O'Reilly comes down bad on his ankle so Cole quickly tries to capitalize by shooting on the leg. O'Reilly spins behind, but Cole comes around on top of O'Reilly and dropkicks his bad leg out from under him. Cole with a dragon screw legwhip, then he tries another and O'Reilly counters to an enziguiri. Cole manages to hold onto the ankle, so O'Reilly tries another enziguiri, but Cole ducks and uses O'Reilly's momentum to make the next dragon screw legwhip even harsher. O'Reilly is down in the corner and Cole pummels him with punches until the referee forces him to back off. O'Reilly gets a roll through into a cross armbreaker, Cole makes the ropes and tries to fire back at O'Reilly, but O'Reilly catches him with some stiff shots and Cole goes down. O'Reilly lets the referee count, but Cole starts to get up, so O'Reilly puts him in a seated abdominal stretch and repeatedly drills him with open hand strikes to the face. O'Reilly tries an arm wringer, but Cole breaks free and hits a flying leg lariat. Cole with a series of back elbows using the good arm, but tries an ill-advised suplex and winds up in a strike exchange. They hit simultaneous big boot and both go down, but they both beat the count back up and go back to trading right hands and literally beat each in the face until both their faces are covered in blood. They give that up and instead do the old Danielson-McGuinness headbutt exchange off the ropes, Cole gets the advantage and superkicks O'Reilly square in the face. O'Reilly beats the count and knocks Cole down, but he pops right back up. Both men are covered in blood as O'Reilly gets several more hard strikes and a backdrop suplex. The crowd boos as the guy from the NY State Athletic commission takes a seat at ringside, O'Reilly gets a front guillotine choke but Cole muscles him up into a brainbuster onto his knee. O'Reilly somehow gets to his feet, so Cole superkicks him square in the face and O'Reilly is knocked out and tumbles to the floor. He somehow manages to make it back in yet again and gets a cross armbreaker, Cole reverses to a Texas Cloverleaf, O'Reilly tries to reverse to the LeBell Lock, but Cole blocks and gets a figure four, and O'Reilly taps.

Winner: Adam Cole

This was just insane, absolutely way more than I was prepared for and so, so good. When I reviewed their first match over Wrestlemania weekend, I said that it was okay, but thought they could do a lot more given more time and a higher profile spot. This was that match, and one you absolutely need to go out of your way to see. Cole tries to shake O'Reilly's hand, but O'Reilly smacks him in the face and walks out.

Fit Finlay vs Michael Elgin

It's not often I start a match thinking "poor Michael Elgin", but this is one of those occasions. Elgin follows the Code of Honor and Finlay follows suit...then pulls Elgin in for a very tense staredown. They tie up and Elgin powers Finlay to the corner, Finlay reverses and breaks clean. Finlay takes Elgin to the corner and head feints at Elgin, but Elgin doesn't flinch. Elgin with what Finlay apparently considered a playful shove, then he gets Elgin in a side headlock. Elgin takes Finlay to the ropes and slowly breaks, but Finlay shoots right in on the leg and takes Elgin down, then stomps on the knee and kicks him in the face for good measure. Elgin gives him a forearm to the face as a receipt, and they go back to circling one another. Finlay goes behind and steps on the back of Elgin's knee to break him down to the mat, then rams an elbow down to the top of his head. Finlay is absolutely playing with Elgin at this point, getting a drop toehold and a side crossface. Elgin tries to roll Finlay to his back, but barely manages a 1 before Finlay rolls back and goes after Elgin's arm. Elgin finally has had enough and fires a couple of forearms at Finlay, who just dropkicks Elgin's knee out from under him and goes back to the side crossface. Finlay breaks Elgin down to his knees again and rams a forearm to the chest. Elgin reponds with a pair of forearms of his own, so Finlay takes him down with another single leg and grinds Elgin's knee with his elbow. Elgin locks his hands around Finlay's chin to try and peel him off, but finlay holds on until Elgin rolls out and they're back on their feet. They circle one another and Finlay slaps Elgin in the face, Elgin gets pissed and smashes him with a couple of forearms, but Finlay with yet another single leg takedown and Elgin has to expend energy to get out of the hold. Elgin finally gets a go behind on Finlay and gets a waistlock, but Finlay again has an answer and uses his hips to roll Elgin over him and back onto the mat where Finlay gets him in a top wristlock. Elgin gets to the ropes, so Finlay uses the referee to distract Elgin so he can come in and kick Elgin in the gut and pound on him with forearms to the chest. Elgin reverses a whip and sends Finlay into the corner, but runs into Finlay's boots. Finlay dodges another couple of wild swings, but Elgin gets a suplex and then drops Finlay down with a huge clothesline. They go out to the floor, but that turns out to be a mistake for Elgin, as he winds up on the wrong end of an exchange where Finlay rams Elgin's back into the ring apron, then picks Elgin up in a fireman's carry and drops him across the top of the guardrail. Finlay gets inside and waits for Elgin to get onto the apron, then just drills him with a hard forearm and sends him back out to the floor. Elgin rolls back in under the bottom rope and he looks pissed. Finlay backs toward the corner, then boots Elgin in the face again and charges out with a hard forearm that drops Elgin on his ass. finlay with a short clothesline and a kneedrop for 2, then gets Elgin in a rear chinlock. Elgin picks Finlay up and gets a back suplex, but Finlay maintains control and gets another nasty chinlock. Elgin counters to a legscissors as they seem to be losing parts of the crowd, but Finlay escapes and takes Elgin back down by the legs. Elgin suddenly catches Finlay with an enziguiri out of nowhere, then dodges a charge and Finlay runs his shoulder into the ringpost. Now Elgin takes the golden opportunity to hit Finlay with several clotheslines in the corner and a superkick. Elgin suplexes Finlay off his knees and drops him forward into a uranage for 2. Elgin goes for a powerbomb, Finlay backdrops but now Elgin uses one of his own tricks against Finlay by mulekicking him out of the corner. Elgin goes up for a moonsault, but Finlay shoves him out to the floor, then goes out and rolls him back inside and covers for 2. Finlay hits the Celtic Cross, but Elgin kicks out at 2 so Finlay hoists him back up and hits a Tombstone, but Elgin again is out at 2. Finlay can't believe it, but he drags Elgin back up one more time and goes for another Tombstone. Elgin slips out the back, palmstrikes Finlay in the face, powerbombs him into the corner, and htis the sitout powerbomb for the hardest fought win of his life.

Winner: Michael Elgin

This told a great story because you had Elgin, who's been one of the most dominant guys in the company for the last year, coming in and basically being manhandled to show that no matter how good you are, there's always someone way better. He survived massive amounts of punishment and managed to turn a really bad situation around really quickly with the flurry of moves at the end. This was much better for Elgin than if he would have cakewalked through Finlay, or even been presented as even with him because the win means much more because of what he had to do to earn it.

Finlay wants to shake Elgin's hand after the match, Truth Martini laughs Finlay off, but Elgin comes over and shakes his hand like a man. Martini gets in Elgin's face about it, so Elgin backs him to the corner while apparently expressing in no uncertain terms that Truth Martini should try not to tell him how to live his life.

INTERMISSION

We come back from intermission with Mike Bennett making his way to the ring with Maria Kanellis and Brutal Bob Evans for the first ever live edition of the Prodigy Service Announcement. He says New York wasn't his first choice for this since he's from Boston, but ROH told him that he could wrestle anyone he wants on the show, but he says that unless it's a title match, he won't do it because he's the best wrestler on the planet and nobody else comes close. Crowd starts a CM Punk, and he says that they can chant for the Best In The World, but he's Better Than The Best, so he's just going to hand the microphone back to his fellow Bostonite Bobby Cruise, and he and Maria will show the fans the best makeout session they've ever seen. He and Maria start to go at it, but Mike Mondo comes out and says he's from New York, the first show he ever came to was here at the Manhattan Center, but it's always been his dream to wrestle here. He keeps getting ignored by ROH management when they see his number on the caller ID, but he wants to live his dream and he says he's not leaving until he gets to fight Mike Bennett, then after he gets done fighting Mike Bennett, he's....well, going to do something else with Maria that starts with the letter F. Mike Bennett jumps Mondo, but gets his ass kicked and he bails out to the floor. Referee Paul Turner is out here trying to break them up, and it looks like we've got a match.

Mike Mondo vs Mike Bennett

Mondo goes out to hte apron and takes out Evans with a Thesz Press, but Bennett picks him up and hits a spinebuster onto the ring apron, then they go inside where Bennett unloads on Mondo with big right hands. Mondo suddenly fires up and destroys Bennett with big uppercuts and kneestrikes to the head, but goes up to the top rope and misses a swandive headbutt. Bennett stands over Mondo and mouths off to him, but Mondo reaches up and catches him in a small package for the win.

Winner: Mike Mondo

Short match, but a good start for Mondo as what I assume will be a regular on the main touring ROH roster instead of just TV spots. I liked how they built Bennett up as this abrasive jerk so Mondo could come out and use his New York credentials to get crowd support for this.

ROH TV Title Match: Roderick Strong vs Tommaso Ciampa vs Jay Lethal

This is being held under elimination rules, and also happens to be the first time Ciampa and Lethal have been in the ring with each other since Lethal handed Ciampa his first loss at Border Wars. Lethal and Ciampa need to be physically held apart during ring introductions, but go right after each other as soon as the bell rings. They fight out to the floor and then come back inside where Strong gets involved and takes out both guys. Strong gets dumped out to the floor and then Lethal goes at it with Ciampa, but Lethal suddenly hits a dive through the ropes onto Strong. Mia Yim gets up on the ring apron and superkicks Lethal, and then all heck breaks loose until Strong hits a uranage backbreaker on Lethal for 2. Lethal unloads with a pair of chops on Strong, but Ciampa comes in and goes after both men, picking Strong up in an electric chair and dumping him on his face and covering for 2. Ciampa tears Lethal down with chops in the corner, but Ciampa comes off the ropes for the kneestrike and Lethal pops up and superkicks him, then Ciampa hits a kneestrike anyway and both men are down. Strong dumps Ciampa to the floor and quickly covers Lethal, but only gets 2. Vertical suplex gets 2 as well, and Strong unloads with hard forearms while talking trash. Lethal gets to his feet and now they trade chops in the middle of the ring until Ciampa comes in and they both chop the crap out of him. Ciampa goes down and Lethal takes both men out with running clotheslines. Lethal with a handspring elbow to Ciampa, then runs off of Strong's chest to hit Ciampa with a tornado DDT. Lethal with a figure four on Strong while locking Ciampa in a Crippler Crossface in a very cool spot, but Ciampa gets to the ropes to force the break. Lethal pops Strong into the air for an Ace Crusher, but Ciampa knocks him silly with a kneestrike and then comes off the top with Hail To The King. He covers Lethal for 2 and then tries for Project Ciampa, Strong hits an enziguiri on Ciampa, Lethal leg lariats Strong and then goes for a superplex on Ciampa, but Ciampa shoves him off right into a rolling elbow from Strong. Strong runs in and hits a leaping enziguiri on Ciampa and then shakes the ring with a HUUUUUGE superplex, and Lethal goes up top and hits Hail To The King and covers Ciampa for 2. Strong Tullys Lethal to the floor and Truth Martini goes after Lethal, Lethal nails him and a scuffle between the two sides happens on the floor, leading to Prince Nana rolling into the ring and tripping Ciampa as he was going for Project Ciampa on Strong. Strong falls on top and pins Ciampa, then something I didn't quite catch happened as Lethal was coming off the ropes for the Lethal Injection and Strong popped him into the air for the vertical suplex into a backbreakerand covers for the win.

Winner: Roderick Strong

A lot going on in this one that and it was a little difficult to catch everything, but solid match overall and I liked how they found ways to eliminate Lethal and Ciampa in such a way that neither one lost anything. Strong really is the master of three way matches, nobody I've ever seen has quite the same ability to use the dynamic to his advantage in the same way tag teams use tag team rules to do stuff you can't do in singles matches.

ROH World Tag Team Title Match: Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team vs All Night Express

King and Haas start us off and the crowd tells Haas what they think of him, so he tags out and Shelton goes at it with King instead. They go back and forth until King gets a series of hiptosses and armdrags, and Shelton bails out to the floor. The crowd is going NUTS for the ANX, they badly want to see them win the title. King unloads on Shelton with right hands, rams him hard into the corner, and backdrops him out before taking him down with a headlock. Benjamin manages to tag Haas and he comes in to work King over while exchanging pleasantries with the fans. Shelton comes back in, but King quickly recovers and turns things around, taking Haas out and hitting a double team splash/slingshot legdrop with Titus. King winds up in the wrong corner and gets choked out by Haas, then Shelton leaps up with an enziguiri to the face and Haas covers for 2. Shelton tags in and gets a seated rear chinlock on King, then he pulls him up and hits a snap suplex for 2. Haas hangs King upside down in the corner and charges in with a knee like he's Kevin Sullivan. he picks King up and tries another charge, King leapfrogs Haas and rolls him up for 2, but Haas lays him right back out and then tags Shelton in so he can hit some kneedrops. Shelton pulls out the sick ass spot of the night when he picked King up like he was going for a wheelbarrow suplex, but instead drops King forward over his knees. Haas comes in and abuses King until the referee steps in, and King uses the distraction to roll Haas up for 2. Haas and Benjamin go for a double suplex on King, but King counters to a double DDT and makes the hot tag to Titus, and he comes in like a house of fire. Titus cleans house on both guys, backdropping Shelton and them nailing Haas with a big boot to the head and a leaping bulldog. Titus with a big boot/roaring clothesline combo on Shelton for 2, he goes up top and Shelton tries to do the leaping suplex,but Titus drops under Shelton and drops him face first onto the top turnbuckle. King comes in with Shotgun knees on Shelton and covers for 2, but Haas comes in and suplexes King out of his shoes, then gives Titus the Hacker Slam and Shelton covers for 2. King tosses a chair into the ring to Shelton and dares him to use it, the referee sees and tells King to get lost, but Titus sneaks in and hits Shelton with a DDT onto the chair for a false finish. King takes Haas out with a dive over the ropes, Titus goes for one as well but Shelton blindsides him and knocks him outside. Now all four men are on the floor and Titus gets busted open (I didn't quite catch how), and he ends up back inside as a smiling Haas gleefully pounds on his skull as blood mists into the air with each shot. Haas unloads on Titus in the corner and cuts off the hot tag, then chokes Titus out with his boot. Shelton tags in and stomps the crap out of Titus as well, and the referee stops him to check on the blood, but then Shelton and Haas come back to beat on him some more. Haas takes the microphone and asks the referee if he's going to stop the match, because they're going to kill him if he doesn't. The referee lets it go, so Haas says the blood's on his hands, and he goes back to destroying Titus. They set Titus up for the Leap of Faith, but King comes in and takes Shelton out with a tornado DDT. Haas goes after King and takes him out with a big boot, but Titus catches him with a schoolboy rollup and pins him to win the title.

Winners and NEW ROH World Tag Team Champions: All Night Express

Crowd goes NUTS when Titus got the pin, and the celebration is on as the ANX breaks the wine open as Haas & Benjamin stand in the ring in disbelief. They go out to the floor and lay Titus and King out, but the new champions get back up and head to the back with the belts (and wine bottles) held high.

Steve Corino comes out before the main event and says that he's proud to be evil,and he's going to sit on commentary for the main event so Kevin Steen has representation from someone who cares about him, unlike "that fat piece of s*** Jim Cornette." This bings out Cornette, who says that he's not stupid because he knows that Corino will get involved if his boy gets in trouble. Corino's a contracted announcer for ROH so he can sit in on commentary, but Cornette will sit right out here with him, and if Corino gets involved the slightest bit, he's going to do something about it. After ring introductions, Kyle O'Reilly comes out to get the microphone and says that he's not in Davey's corner because Davey didn't like how he handled his loss to Adam Cole. He respects Davey, but he's not going to let Davey slap him around on TV, and he's not out here to stab him in the face, he's going to stab him right in the eye because he's telling him to his face that he's tired of being Davey's little bitch, and that's all he's going to be as long as he stays with him. No more Team Richards, no more Team Ambition, there's Davey Richards and Kyle O'Reilly, and New York can kiss his ass. O'Reilly drops the microphone and walks off.

ROH World Title Match, Anything Goes: Kevin Steen vs Davey Richards

Steen goes right out to the apron to start the match, Davey kicks him off and through a ringside table, then they start fighting on the floor. Davey stops to go after Jimmy Jacobs, but he turns around and runs right into a pop-up powerbomb on the ring apron. Steen rams Davey into the guardrail and slams him on the floor, then throws a couple of metal guardrail covers on top of him and comes off the ring apron with a splash. They go back inside and Steen goes for a Swanton, but Davey gets the knees up. He goes back after Steen, but Steen catches Davey and suplexes him into the corner. Davey turns it around and kicks Steen out to the floor before following him out with a dive. They wind up fighting around the ring and onto the ring apron where Davey suplexes Steen and drops him headfirst on the apron. Davey sets up a table at ringside and puts Steen on it, then goes to the top rope and double stomps Steen through the table. He rolls Steen back inside and connects with another top rope double stomp that gets 2. Davey goes after Steen with a chair, but Steen blocks and hits a Codebreaker using the chair, then slams Davey onto the chair for 2. Steen goes up top and Davey goes up after him, suplexing him onto a pile of chairs in the ring. Davey covers and gets 2, then gets another table and sets it up in the ring. He sits Steen up top and goes for another superplex, but Steen gets him in the eyes and hits a super fisherman's buster through the table that had so much impact that half of the table bounced across the ring after they went through it. Steen sets up a couple of chairs face to face, but Davey nails him and suplexes him onto the chairs instead. Now Davey is standing over Steen with a chain and chokes the champion with it, then wraps the chain around his boot and Kawada kicks Steen before sitting him up and kicking him in the head. He covers for 2, then gets pissed off at the referee and lays him out with a kick. The crowd liked that one. Davey gets a ladder out from under the ring and slides it under the bottom rope, but Steen pops up and surprises him with an F5 that gets 2 from replacement referee Paul Turner. Steen now puts him out with the Package Piledriver, then he tries to do the same to Davey onto the ladder, but Davey escapes and hits the DR Driver onto the ladder. He covers, but we're out of referees, so after the crowd counts to around 14 or 15, he grabs the original referee and drags him back in. Jacobs comes in and goes after Davey and pulls the steel spike out of his boot, but Jim Cornette comes into the ring and grabs the spike away. He threatens to go after Jacobs with it, but turns around and gets kicked low by Corino. Jacobs gets the spike back and goes after Davey with it, but Davey ducks and suplexes Jacobs into the corner. Steen gets ahold of the spike and hits Davey low with it, then hits the Package Piledriver to retain.

Winner: Kevin Steen

Steen says that he's closed out the last two ROH shows with the microphone, and he's going to make it a hat trick. He's waited a long time to stand in front of those people in this ring, in this building, with this belt. He hates hypocrites like Jim Cornette, but right now he wants Davey to know that for the last 18 months, he's been a hypocrite because he's needed to be to get a title match. The stuff he said about Davey being an undeserving champion wasn't true, he thinks Davey is one of the hardest working people in the business and he is the best in the world. He then says that the fans are the most hypocritical people in the wrestling business, and to illustrate that, he talks about how the fans cheered when Generico beat him and sent him packing (leading to a Generico Ole chant), but then six months later he showed back up here and he was like a god here. Everyone thanks Cary Silkin for everything he did for the company, but they went nuts when he was going to break his neck with the package piledriver. The fans buy tickets to an ROH show, then chant for Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, two guys who probably don't even remember this company. The fans turn on every World Champion: they did it to Nigel McGuinness, Tyler Black, and Davey Richards, and they can't turn on him because he doesn't give a s*** what they think. He's going to be the last ROH World Champion, and now instead of saying f*** ROH, he's going to say what he means, which is f*** Ring of Honor.

That's it for Best In The World 2012, thanks for following out live coverage.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

6/24 THIS DAY IN HISTORY: THE SINCLAIR BROADCASTING ERA OF RING OF HONOR KICKS OFF