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December 23rd
On this day in history in ....
1941 - Dave Reynolds defeats Buzz Jones in a tournament final to win the Midwest Wrestling Association World Light Heavyweight Title in Dayton, Ohio.
1949 - Ray Villmer defeats George Flynn in Atlanta, Georgia for the NWA (Georgia) Southern Heavyweight Title.
1952 - George Bollas defeats Sandor Szabo for the NWA Beat the Champ International Television Title in Los Angeles, California.
1953 - Doc and George Gallagher defeat Johnny Demchuck and Pepper Gomez to win the Big Time Wrestling Northwest Tag Team Title, ending Demchuck and Gomez's second reign.
1955 - Bill and Fred Blassie defeat Jerry Graham and Don McIntyre to win the NWA (Georgia) World Tag Team Title in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning their second reign.
1957 - Stan Mykietowich and Ted Stefanyk defeat Frenchy Champagne and Ed Tardi for the Madison Wrestling Club Tag Team Title in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to begin their second reign.
1958 - Kurt Von Himmler and Kurt Von Poppenheim defeat Herb and Seymour Freeman to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title.
1960 - Lord James Blears and Nick Bockwinkel defeat Stan Holek and The Preacher for the NWA (Hollywood Wrestling) International Television Tag Team Title in Long Beach, California.
1962 - Keiji Muto is born in Fujiyoshida, Japan.
1965 - Rocky Smith wins his third NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Title, defeating Hiro Matsuda in a rematch to win the vacant title in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The title had been held up a week prior after a match between the two.
1970 - In Mobile, Alabama, Mike Boyette wins a battle royal, last eliminating champion Bob Kelly, for the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title and City of Mobile Heavyweight Title, ending Kelly's second reign.
1971 - Bob Roop defeats Ole Anderson in Tampa, Florida for the NWA Florida Television Title.
1972 - Geoff Portz defeats Kendo Nagasaki in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to win the Stampede North American Heavyweight Title for the third time.
1972 - Bobo Brazil defeats Pampero Firpo to win the NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight Title in Detroit, Michigan, ending Firpo's second reign and beginning Brazil's fifth.
1972 - Bearcat Brown and Johnny Walker defeat The Bounty Hunters (David and Jerry Novak) for the NWA (Mid-America) Southern Tag Team Title in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1972 - Danny Babich and Michel Martel defeat George Gordienko and Super Hawk to win the Stampede International Tag Team Title, beginning their second reign.
1975 - Rocky Johnson defeats King Curtis Iaukea to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Title in Tampa, Florida.
1979 - Estela Melina defeats Vickie Williams to win the UWA Women's World Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1983 - Curt Hennig and Pat (Scott) McGhee defeat The Assassin and The Dynamite for the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title in Eugene, Oregon.
1983 - Archie Gouldie wins his 10th and final Stampede North American Heavyweight Title in Calgary, Alberta, ending the second reign of Bad News Allen.
1985 - Mark Youngblood defeats Jack Victory for the WCCW Television Title in Fort Worth, Texas.
1985 - Robert Fuller defeats Roberto Soto to win the NWA Continental Heavyweight Title in Birmingham, Alabama.
1986 - Shinobu Kandori defeats Lola Gonzales to win the UWA Women's World Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending Gonzales' third reign.
1995 - The Pink Assassin defeats El Marcarado in Provincetown, Massachusetts, for the Century Wrestling Alliance (later NWA New England) Light Heavyweight Title, ending Maracarado's second reign.
1999 - ECW ran a show at the White Plains Civic Center in White Plains, New York. Some of the matches were taped for two episodes of ECW on TNN. The results:
- Kintaro Kanemura defeated C.W. Anderson.
- ECW World Tag Team Champions Danny Doring & Roadkill defeated Kid Kash & Super Nova and The Dupps in a three-way dance. This match aired on January 7, 2000.
- Little Guido Maritato pinned Super Calo.
- Yoshihiro Tajiri pinned Super Crazy. This match aired on December 31, 1999.
- Raven pinned Mikey Whipwreck. This match aired on December 31, 1999.
- Da Baldies (Angel, DeVito and Vic Grimes) defeated Balls Mahoney and New Jack in a handicap match.
- Sabu defeated Rhino and The Sandman in a three-way match.
- Mike Awesome defeats Masato Tanaka to win the ECW World Heavyweight Title, beginning his second reign. This match aired on December 31, 1999.
- Justin Credible defeated Tommy Dreamer in a Stairway to Hell match. This match aired on January 7, 2000.
- ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Jerry Lynn.
1999 - Ran Yu Yu defeats Azumi Hyuga for the JWP Openweight Division Title in Tokyo, Japan.
2000 - A little over four months after forming, Pro Wrestling Noah holds their "Great Voyage" show at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, drawing their biggest crowd up to that point in time, with 12,000 fans attending. The show saw special appearances from Shinya Hashimoto and WEW's Kodo Fuyuki and Tetsuhiro Kuroda. Here are the results from the show:
- Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Kenta Kobayashi defeated Kishin Kawabata & 2 Cold Scorpio when Kikuchi pinned Kawabata.
- Haruka Eigen, Jun Izumida, & Satoru Asako defeated Rusher Kimura, Mitsuo Momota, & Makoto Hashi when Izumida pinned Hashi.
- Kentaro Shiga, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Takeshi Morishima defeated Masao Inoue, Takeshi Rikio, & Takashi Sugiura when Shiga forced Sugiura to submit.
- Kodo Fuyuki & Tetsuhiro Kuroda defeated Tamon Honda & Naomichi Marufuji to win the WEW (FMW) Tag Team Title when Fuyuki pinned Honda.
- Yoshinari Ogawa & Daisuke Ikeda defeated Masashi Aoyagi & Akitoshi Saito when Ikeda pinned Aoyagi.
- Yoshihiro Takayama defeated Akira Taue.
- Shinya Hashimoto defeated Takao Omori.
- Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Vader.
- Kenta Kobashi defeated Jun Akiyama.
2000 - The final original Extreme Championship Wrestling event to ever take place at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is held. While there would be three more ECW cards (including the Guilty As Charged Pay-per-view in New York), this was the last time ECW would hold a show in "The World's Most Famous Bingo Hall". Here are the results from that show:
- Chilly Willy vs. The Blue Boy (Meanie) ended in a no-contest, when Rhino attacked and gored both men, as well as referee H.C. Loc and Jasmin St. Claire.
- ECW World Tag Team Champions Danny Doring & Roadkill defeated Da Baldies (Tony DeVito & Angel) when Roadkill pinned Angel.
- Balls Mahoney defeated Bilvis Wesley.
- Jerry Lynn defeated Spike Dudley.
- CW Anderson defeated Super Crazy via submission.
- EZ Money defeated Nova when the match was stopped due to Nova bleeding from the ear (this was an angle to explain an absence for Nova, who was considering surgery for an eardrum problem). This led to Tommy Dreamer coming out, leading into the next match.
- EZ Money, Julio Dinero & Chris Hamrick defeated Tommy Dreamer, Christian York & Joey Matthews when Money pinned Dreamer after CW Anderson interfered.
- Mikey Whipwreck & Yoshihiro Tajiri defeated The FBI (Little Guido & Tony Mamaluke) in a three falls match. Tajiri and Whipwreck both submitted to lose the first fall, Mamaluke was pinned in the second fall, and forced to submit in the third fall by Tajiri.
- ECW World Champion Steve Corino defeated Justin Credible and The Sandman in a Three Way Dance. Corino pinned both men to win the match. Towards the end of the match, fans were throwing chairs into the ring, the last time that would ever occur at an ECW event. After Corino's win, Sandman laid him out and left with the title belt.
2000 - Ian Rotten defeats Dino Bambino in West Allis, Wisconsin to win the Mid-American Wrestling Heavyweight Title for the fourth time.
2000 - Etsuko Mita and Mima Shimoda defeat Kayo Noumi and Manami Toyota to win the 2000 AJW The Best Tag Team League.
2003 - Mr. Big Japan and Mens Teioh defeat Badboy Hito and Ryuji Ito to win the BJW World Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.
2004 - Chiharu and Yuka Nakamura defeat Vampire Bat Witch Devirats I and II in Tokyo, Japan to win the vacant NEO Itabashi Tag Team Title in Tokyo, Japan.
2005 - Apple Miyuki and YOSHIYA defeat Shiori Asahi and Makoto Oishi in Chiba, Japan, for the WEW (BJW) Hardcore Tag Team Title.
2005 - Lee Condry defeats J.T. Quest for the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Title in Columbia, Tennessee, ending Quest's third reign.
2006 - Ring of Honor held "Final Battle 2006" at the Manhattan Center in New York City, New York. The results:
- Jimmy Rave defeated ROH World Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels, Davey Richards and El Generico in a Four Corner Survival match.
- Adam Pearce defeated Ricky Reyes.
- Brent Albright and Jimmy Jacobs defeated Colt Cabana and B.J. Whitmer.
- The Briscoes (Jay and Mark Briscoe) defeated The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero).
- Jimmy Rave defeated Nigel McGuinness.
- CIMA, Shingo and ROH World Tag Team Champion Matt Sydal defeated Generation Next (Austin Aries and Roderick Strong) and Delirious in a Dragon Gate Rules match.
- Homicide defeated Bryan Danielson to win the ROH World Title.
2006 - Tatsuhito Takaiwa defeats Takashi Sugiura to win the NOAH GHC Junior Heavyweight Title in Tokyo, Japan, ending and beginning each man's second reign.
2006 - Brandon Stone wins a battle royal for the vacant NWA Main Event X Division Title in Columbia, Tennessee. the previous champion, G.Q., had been stripped on November 24 for missing title defenses.
2009 - Former WWE and ECW star David "Kid Kash" Cash was arrested on charges of identity theft, forgery and theft of property. Cash was arrested and charged with four counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery under $500 and four counts of theft of property under $500. The charges stem from Cash allegedly using the credit card of a "female acquaintance" on four occasions "without permission", according to the Kingston Times News. The charges totaled less than $1000 and Cash had the card in his possession at the time of the arrest.
Cash claimed to the authorities that he had used the card with the female's permission. The case was later dropped.
2009 - As part of an agreement to end all legalities involving the WWE video game licensing between Jakks, THQ and WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following press release outlining a new agreement between the company and THQ that will take them through 2018:
THQ AND WWE SIGN EIGHT-YEAR DEAL
THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:WWE), leaders in video gaming and sports entertainment, announced that they have entered into a new eight-year agreement granting THQ the exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish video games based on WWE®’s content effective January 1, 2010.
WWE grants THQ the exclusive worldwide rights to publish interactive games based on WWE properties across all major gaming platforms and distribution channels.
Since WWE entered the video game market in 1990, it has been a recognized leader and one of the top ten best-selling brands since 1995* according to NPD Group. Through September 30, 2009, THQ has reported net sales of WWE video games in excess of $1.4 billion.
“This agreement ensures that WWE games will continue to be an important cornerstone of THQ’s annual release schedule for the long term,” said Brian Farrell, THQ President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to working directly with WWE to expand their brand in the video game space through continued game play innovation and increased online delivery of WWE content.”
“As one of the most successful video game brands, WWE is excited to work directly with THQ to translate WWE’s colorful characters and ever-changing content into exciting and fresh video games for our fans,” said Donna Goldsmith, WWE Chief Operating Officer.
“This year’s highly rated WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game demonstrates the innovation and creativity that THQ brings to WWE,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This new licensing agreement will ensure that we continue our tremendous success in the video game industry in the years to come.”
*Based on US Market brand ranking 1995-November 2009
About World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly, PG content across all of its platforms including television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney. Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at corporate.wwe.com.
About THQ Inc.
THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ and the THQ logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.
2010 - Kavel, who won the second season of WWE NXT, is released by the company. The former Low Ki would return to the independents and make several appearances for TNA and is now training in MMA.
2010 - TNA broadcast Impact. Stu Carapola filed the following TV report:
We start with a recap of last week's events, and then we head into the Impact Zone for the official weigh in for the Morgan-Anderson match at Genesis. Flair tells the fans that there's a stranger among them, and says that Rob Terry has the opportunity to prove to Immortal that he can be a bodyguard. Eric Bischoff says that this is not going to be a typical weigh in, but there are still questions about Ken Anderson's condition so there are going to be doctors on hand to make sure they're both healthy. Matt Morgan's music hits and out he comes, and Flair says to wipe the smile off his face and pay attention to Bischoff. Morgan says this is obviously a sham and yells at Bischoff for making Anderson wrestle even though he continues to suffer from brain trauma. Bischoff says he has two doctors here to prove that they're both in good enough condition to compete, so Morgan suggests he play doctor by taking both of their temperatures. Suddenly, Mick Foley's music hits and he comes out to the ring, saying this is his first time in the Impact Zone since October 7th and he got his hand raised against Ric Flair, but the week after that he was home on his couch suffering from yet another concussion. Foley has had to admit that he's not the man he used to be because of all the concussions, and that the important thing is how much recovery time here has been since each concussion. Foley says Anderson is his own worst enemy and will continue to wrestle despite the risk to himself, and Foley says the match is off. Flair tells Foley that is pathetic because he's the reason kids are jumping off roofs and throwing themselves on thumbtacks, and the entire business suffered for what he did to the business and they all took the heat because of Foley changing the business. Foley says he knows he was part of the problem, but he wants the chance to be part of the solution. He and Morgan know what happens when they die, a guy comes into the room with a saw and opens up their heads because they've both donated their brains to science. They've been part of the problem but they plan to be part of the solution as well, and don't want to see Anderson's career end because of another concussion. Bischoff says he sees what's happening: now that he can't wrestle and nobody is buying his books or going to his stand-up act, it's a professional wrestling version of eating your dead because he's trying to live off of the bodies that were left laying because of what he started, and the match is not cancelled.
Cue the opening video, and tonight: AJ Styles challenges Douglas Williams for the TV Title in an Ironman Match, new Knockouts Tag Team Title Champions will be crowned between the Beautiful People and Madison Rayne & Tara, and an 8 Man Tag for the TNA World Tag Team Title.
We head back to the locker room where Jeff Hardy stops by for a conversation with Matt Morgan, and he says they've tore it up and done everything they can, and it's about professional wrestling. Anderson admits that he's an asshole and Foley made his name with a barbed wire baseball bat, so who are they to tell him what to do? He asks Morgan to think about what he said during the tag match later tonight, and may the best team win.
We're off to the ring for our first "match"...
Double J MMA Challenge
Jarrett gets a mic and says it's been weeks since he first issued the Double J MMA Challenge, where if anyone could make him tap out, they would get $100,000 of Jarrett's own money. Jarrett's going to tell us one thing: he's very disappointed in everyone in the Impact Zone because it's painfully obvious that nobody can make him submit, so tonight he's going to open it up to the professionals, and there's one guy in the back who really impressed him last week, and that's Amazing Red. He wants to give Red another chance and give him the opportunity of a lifetime to get his hands on Double J's money.
Amazing Red comes out with a big smile on his face, but gets stopped at ringside to be inspected by the doctor that Bischoff had assigned to check everyone before their matches to make sure that nobody's wrestling with a concussion. He shines a light in Red's eyes as he tries to enter the ring, and Jarrett takes advantage by nailing Red as soon as he gets in the ring and rams several knees to his head, then takes him down and drills him in the back of the head with rabbit punches before hooking in the ankle lock. Red holds out, but is eventually forced to tap.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett helps Red up and congratulates him on having such a strong showing.
We go backstage to Madison Rayne and Tara, and Tara's worried about the giant elbow brace making him look fat because she has a party to go to with Generation Me. She invites Madison, but Madison respectfully declines.
Rob Van Dam is also backstage, and in a matter of minutes he'll finally be done going through Bischoff's obstacle course and will be across the ring from Jeff Hardy, and he can't wait.
#1 Contender's Match: Max Buck vs Jeremy Buck vs Robbie E vs Frankie Kazarian
The winner of this match gets a shot at the X-Division Title at Genesis, and Mike Tenay and Taz are joined at the broadcast booth by the new champion, Jay Lethal. Max and Kazarian start the match, but Kazarian immediately tags in Jeremy and they circle each other, but instead stop and pose for the crowd. Robbie E really gets into the spirit and fist pumps at the crowd, but Jeremy tags him from behind and tosses him in the ring, and GenMe hits a double fistdrop for 2. Max goes into the ropes and Cookie grabs his ankle, allowing Robbie to nail him from behind and put the boots to him. Robbie with a big necksnap, but only gets 2 so he goes to tag Kazarian in and Kazarian jumps off the apron, so Max rolls Robbie up for 2 and then rams him to the GenMe corner. Max ducks a clothesline and tags Jeremy, who comes off the top with a sunset flip and Robbie rolls through and tries to tag Kazarian, but Kazarian again dodges the tag and GenMe hit a double team facebuster on Robbie but Kazarian breaks up the fall. GenMe goes for More Bang For Your Buck but Robbie again escapes and tags Kazarian, who promptly tosses Robbie out of the ring, clotheslines Max and hits the backdrop piledriver for the win.
Winner: Frankie Kazarian
Kazarian points at Lethal and tells him he's coming for the X-Division Title.
Sarita walks into Velvet Sky's locker room with a strap behind her back, and Velvet asks if she can help her with something, and Sarita calmly closes the door behind her and we go to commercial.
Okay, we're back from commercial and Sarita is doing with the strap what we probably expected her to do with it. She yells at Velvet that she can't get in her ring without Angelina and expect to fight her, but that just serves to infuriate Velvet, who fights back and rams Sarita into a wall, and then they take turns beating each other up in pretty rough fashion and ramming one another into walls, the desk, and the fight ends with Sarita choking Velvet out and telling her that she swears she's going to kill her. Angelina finally comes to the rescue and Sarita heads for the hills.
We head to Eric Bischoff's office and Bischoff says the pressure is on all of them tonight because Dixie Carter's team has them in checkmate and they all know that the belts give them the power. If things don't go their way, they need all the belts and Hulk Hogan, who is sitting at home, needs them to get the titles. It's in their grasp and every one of them can do it because there's nobody in this room who can't live up to the standard that Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan have set, and that Jeff Hardy has now set. Bischoff knows that every one of them will do whatever they need to do to do it for each other because they're a team.
Brian Kendrick is backstage talking to one of the caterers and saying that he thinks he has an extra chromosome, to which the lady responds by giving him a cookie. I'm not kidding, that's what really happened.
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Madison Rayne & Tara vs Angelina Love & Velvet Sky
Angelina comes out by herself since Velvet just caught a beating from Sarita, and Madison and Tara look pretty confident about their chances. Angelina gets a quick rollup for 2 and Tara tries to come in from behind but Madison spins her around and hits a S-L-O-W forearm that Angelina just stands there and takes because she's a nice person. Angelina with a front powerslam for 2, then a running neckbreaker for 2 and then gets a rear chinlock but Madison backs her into the corner and yanks the hair and chokes Angelina before getting another 2 count. Madison rams Angelina to her corner again and chokes her out with her boot, then tags Tara in and they both choke Angelina with the boot. Tara stomps Angelina's head and then tosses her across the ring with one arm, so I guess the arm is still pretty tender at this point. Madison tags back in and yanks the hair...again...and does the head humping into the mat thing on Angelina, but that only gets 2. Angelina starts a comeback but Tara nails Angelina in the head with the brace on her elbow, and all of a sudden Winter comes out of the back, gets up on the apron, and Angelina tags her in. Winter goes right after Madison and takes her down, then kicks Tara low, which Tara sells for some reason, and then hits a spinning slam thing and pins Madison.
Winners, and NEW Knockouts Tag Team Champions: Angelina Love & Winter
Angelina looks surprised, but this is obviously the happiest day of Winter's life as she's now champions with her new best friend. So the moral of the story, kids, is that you don't ever need to get wins or anything to win a title, just wait for somebody who IS getting a title shot to get taken out and then walk out and take their spot.
The Pope is backstage, talking on his cell phone and telling whoever's on the other end that he wants to make sure that things go down the way they need to go down, and...wait a minute, Orlando Jordan and Eric Young walk over and donate some money to Pope's Congregation. Except that Orlando's wearing a very revealing Santa costume and Young is wearing one of those giant cartoon character suits you see people walking around theme parks in. If it's a real character, I don't recognize it. Pope thanks them and tells them to keep up the good work, then goes back to his call and says they just got a donation and to make the deal happen.
Back to the ring...
Ironman Match for the TV Title: Douglas Williams vs AJ Styles
They exchange hammerlocks to start the show and AJ tries to escape by picking Williams' ankle, but Williams escapes himself and takes AJ down with a side headlock. AJ tries to roll Williams to his back but Williams manages to keep his shoulders off the mat so AJ tries to roll through and kip up, but Williams catches him on the way up and drops right back into the side headlock. AJ reverses to a headscissors but Williams posts his knee on AJ's ankles and slips out and catches a front facelock on AJ, then transitions that back into the hammerlock and bridges on his head, putting more pressure onto the arm. AJ back to the corner and gets a cheap back elbow on Williams, but Williams comes back with a running knee and then a second, but AJ hits a low blow as we go to commercial.
When we come back, AJ has Williams in a rear chinlock and we learn that AJ hit the Styles Clash to go up 1-0 during the commercial break. Doug reverses an Irish whip to a shoulderblock and a hard European uppercut and AJ bails to the floor to try and run the clock down. Doug goes after him and AJ nails him coming out and rams him into the stairs, then goes back in the ring as the referee lays the count on Williams and the clock continues to run out. Williams makes it back in and AJ keeps putting the boots to him, then gets the indy snapmare/kick to the back combo and covers for 2. It would be helpful and would add a bit of drama to this match if we saw a clock somewhere. And it would be nice if they hadn't taken 5 of the 15 minutes out of the match with the commercial. AJ with the Big Fancy Knee for 2 and then gets a neck vice as Tenay informs us that we have four minutes left. Williams fights out of the hold and whips AJ to the ropes, AJ rolls over Doug's back but Doug gets a backdrop and AJ immediately rolls back out to the floor and makes Williams chase him. He heads back in and Williams tries a sunset flip back into the ring and gets 2, then a backslide for 2, then a crucifix for a very close 2. Williams continues the assault with European uppercuts but AJ leapfrogs Williams on a whip into the corner and nails him, then charges Williams and gets backdropped to the apron. AJ tries a springboard move into the ring but Williams catches him and delivers a Gargoyle Suplex with two minutes left on the Tenay clock. Williams begins the comeback rally after laying around for nearly a minute and we now have less than 60 seconds as he takes a run at AJ and gets tossed to the floor, but he lands on his feet and immediately comes back in and hits the Chaos Theory to get a win and tie the match at 1-1 with 20 seconds left. Doug crawls over and tries another cover on AJ, but AJ's foot is under the rope so no count as time runs out. Referee Earl Hebner checks with both men, AJ says he wants five more minutes and Williams smiles at him and says he only needs one. Earl has Jeremy Borash announce a five minute overtime, and we're at commercial again.
We're back and the overtime period has just started, so at least we didn't come back with like 30 seconds left. Williams hits a tornado DDT that only gets him a 2 count, then sets AJ on the top rope and goes for a superplex, but AJ fights him off and hits that springboard forearm he was looking for before and gets a 2 count from it. AJ goes for the Styles Clash but Williams picks him up and hits an Alabama Slam for 2. Williams goes for a vertical suplex but AJ blocks and hits the Pelle Kick and again only gets 2. We have one minute left again as AJ goes up top and Williams nails him and goes up top, they fight it out on the top rope and Williams hits a back suplex off the top rope just as the clock expires again and we're still tied at 1-1.
1-1 Draw
We see some replays of the highlights of the match and then come back to AJ grabbing a mic and telling him that the people want a winner and challenges him to one more time at Genesis. Williams says he's sorry, he got his rematch and failed to beat him, so sorry but the answer is no. AJ asks him what kind of fighting champion he is, and says he's no man and no better that that stinkin' country of his. Williams says he's right, he is a fighting champion so he's got his rematch at Genesis, only thing is that AJ gets the TV Title if he wins, but what does he get if he beat AJ? He suggests that if AJ loses, he has to walk away from Fortune. AJ says no way, and to come up with something else. Eric Bischoff comes out and interrupts, and tells AJ that he WILL face Williams at Genesis and if he doesn't win the TV Title, there won't be a spot for him in Fortune, Immortal, or anywhere else.
We go backstage as Robert Roode is firing up the troops and says this is their chance to regain their title, and then Jeff Hardy tells Rob Van Dam that if he wants him, he can come and get him.
We go to Mike Tenay and Taz, and we're live via satellite with Ken Anderson, who is sitting home in front of his Christmas tree in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Tenay asks him his medical status for Genesis, and Anderson said he's 100% cleared for action. Taz asks Anderson what kind of treatment he's gone through and Anderson says he's gone through extensive tests with multiple doctors and he's fine. Taz says he looked a little less than 100% in the tag match last week, and Anderson says he doesn't know that he needs to answer to Taz about his health. Taz asks if he's had vision problems or suffered dizziness or anything, and Anderson assures them he's fine. When Tenay asks Anderson if he'll be bringing paperwork verifying his condition with him to Genesis, Anderson has finally had enough and takes off the microphone and walks off the set...I mean, his living room.
We go backstage and RVD and the Motor City Machine Guns are all getting ready for their match, but Matt Morgan is distracted by the Anderson interview. The rest of the team tells Morgan that they need to concentrate on right now, and they all head out to the ring for the main event.
World Tag Team Title Match: Matt Morgan, Rob Van Dam & Motor City Machine Guns vs Jeff Hardy, Abyss & Beer Money
Okay, to explain what we're looking at here, the title is on the line and if anyone on the babyface side gets the win, the Guns retain and if anyone on the Immortal side wins, Beer Money regain the title. The match starts after we come back from commercial.
Okay, we're back and James Storm is beating up Rob Van Dam, but Van Dam hits a pair of spinkicks to turn the tide. He high kicks Storm in the face and tags in Matt Morgan, who goes for a slam but Storm slips out the back and gets a Codebreaker. Storm tags Roode in and they whips Morgan into the ropes, but Morgan bursts through their double clothesline attempt and hits a high crossbody on both men, then sends Roode to the corner for the rapid fire elbows. Roode tries coming off the second rope but Morgan catches him and hits a fallaway slam. Chris Sabin tags in and he and Shelley hit a series of fast-paced moves on Roode and Sabin covers for 2. Shelley tags in and goes for Sliced Bread #2, but Storm trips him up from the outside and hits a neckbreaker. Storm with a big right hand on Shelley and then tags in Abyss who waylays Shelley with some heavy blows. Abyss drives Shelley into the corner and repeatedly bashes him in the head with right hands and hits a running splash in the corner. Jeff Hardy tags in and gets an inverted atomic drop and the double groin legdrop on Shelley, then spits at Van Dam and when RVD tries to come in, Hardy drags Shelley to the corner and the Immortal teams stomps Shelley down 4-on-1. Hardy tags back out to Abyss and Shelley tries to dive for the tag, but Abyss grabs his ankle and drags him back. Shelley tries firing back with several rights and lefts, but Abyss shuts him down with one big forearm and tags in Roode, who hits a snapmare and a kneedrop for 2. Roode tags in Storm and they hit a double suplex and do the BEER...MONEY! thing and then Storm stomps on Shelley's hand. Storm picks Shelley up for the Eye Of The Storm, but Shelley slips out and hits an enziguiri and both men are down. Shelley slowly crawls over but Hardy tags himself in and pulls Shelley back to the middle of the ring and gets a rear chinlock that comes dangerously close to a choke as Impact goes off the air.
Okay, we're into Reaction now and Shelley is fighting out of Hardy's chinlock and tags in RVD, and Jeff Hardy literally runs across the ring and tags Robert Roode and dives out of the ring. RVD clears out Beer Money and Abyss by himself and hits Rolling Thunder on Roode for a very close 2. Storm nails RVD and whips him into the ropes, but Sabin gets a blind tag and hits a springboard clothesline on Roode and then everybody comes in and hits a big move on someone else until it's down to RVD and Hardy. RVD goes after Hardy again but Roode comes out of nowhere and hits a spinebuster on RVD and tosses him to the floor. Hardy tries to nail RVD but Shelley dives onto Hardy and then comes back in the ring for a sequence with Robert Roode but Sabin hits a diving tornado DDT off the top rope and covers Roode for the win.
Winners: Rob Van Dam, Matt Morgan & Motor City Machine Guns
Morgan and the Guns celebrate in the ring as RVD chases Hardy to the back. Really good match to close up the show.
2010 - WWE broadcast Superstars. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
We begin this week’s show with the Raw brand and your announcers are Scott Stanford and Jerry Lawler.
Match Number One Zack Ryder versus David Hart Smith
Zack woo woo woos it up before they lock up but Smith with a side head lock and shoulder tackle. Ryder rolls to the floor. He returns to the ring and Smith lets him get back in. Ryder with knees and punches and then he slaps Smith but Ryder tries to run away but Smith hip tosses him back into the ring. Smith with a reverse atomic drop and he tries for the sharpshooter but Ryder blocks it. Smith with a single leg crab and Ryder makes it to the ropes. Ryder with a shoulder from the apron followed by a punch. Smith with a few uppercuts followed by a short arm clothesline and he gets a near fall.
Smith with an arm bar and then he applies more pressure to the arm before using the ropes for some extra leverage. Smith with a punch and he continues to work on the shoulder. Smith with a delayed vertical suplex on Ryder for a near fall. Ryder gets to the floor again and Smith with a European uppercut after tapping Ryder on the shoulder to get his attention. Ryder with a kick to Smith when David returns to the ring. Smith with an Irish whip but he runs into an elbow. Ryder with a drop kick from the turnbuckles for a near fall.
Ryder with a rear chin lock and then he works on Smith’s back followed by a kick to the ribs. Ryder gets a near fall and then he goes for a seated abdominal stretch and he eventually locks it in. Smith gets out of the hold and he connects with a few head butts and forearms. Ryder with a flapjack for a near fall. Ryder drops Smith on the top rope as he works on the midsection some more and then he gets a near fall. Ryder with a body scissors on Smith and we go to commercial.
We are back and Ryder with an abdominal stretch and he tries to get more leverage with the ropes but Smith escapes and he punches Ryder. The referee warns Smith and then Smith misses a charge into the corner. Ryder with kicks to the back and then he puts Smith on the turnbuckles. Smith with a head butt and he knocks Ryder off the turnbuckles. Smith tries to get his bearing and he tries for a punch from the turnbuckles. Zack gets his boot up but Smith sees it.
Smith misses an elbow drop. Ryder tries for a suplex but Smith blocks it and counters with a suplex of his own. Smith with a running shoulder tackle followed by a clothesline and overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Smith runs into a boot from Ryder but Ryder runs into a power slam from Smith and Smith gets a near fall. Ryder tries for the Zack Attack but Smith avoids it and hits a Saito Suplex for the three count.
Winner: David Hart Smith
It is time to take a look back at Tuesday’s episode of NXT.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Two: Darren Young and Yoshi Tatsu versus The Usos
Jey starts off with Young and Young goes for the leg and then they lock up. Jey hits Young from behind when Jimmy distracts Darren. Jey tries for a punch but Young blocks it and connects with a European uppercut and hits a back elbow and leg drop for a near fall. Yoshi tags in and they hit a double shoulder tackle. Yoshi with a kick to the chest and he gets a near fall. Yoshi with chops to Jey followed by kicks. Yoshi misses a kick and Jey goes to the floor. Jimmy makes the tag and he attacks Yoshi from behind. Jimmy with a slam and then he hits a diving head butt and gets a near fall.
Jimmy punches Yoshi and then Jey is tagged back in. Jey yells at Yoshi and then when the referee deals with Jey, Jimmy chokes Yoshi. Jey with a forearm and then he slams Yoshi. Jimmy tags in and he puts Yoshi in a reverse chin lock. Yoshi gets back to his feet and he elbows Jimmy. Yoshi with a crucifix bomb for a near fall. Jimmy with a clothesline for a near fall and then he returns to the reverse chin lock. Yoshi with punches but Jimmy tries for a belly-to-back suplex but Yoshi blocks it.
Jimmy tries for the suplex again but Yoshi counters with a lateral press. Jimmy grabs Yoshi by the leg but Yoshi with an enzuigiri and both men are down. Young and Jey tag in and Young with a forearm from the turnbuckles followed by a clothesline and overhead belly-to-belly throw. Young gets a near fall on Jey. Young with a full nelson followed by a forearm. Jimmy with a blind tag and Jey tosses Young into the air and Jimmy hits the Samoan drop for the three count.
Winners: The Usos
We go to commercial.
We are back and it is time for the Smackdown half of Superstars and your announcers are Matt Striker and Jack Korpela.
It is time to look back at Raw and John Cena’s comments to Vickie Guerrero.
Match Number Three: Michelle McCool and Layla versus Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix
Michelle and Beth start things off and Michelle with a kick and side head lock. Beth with a shoulder tackle and Michelle goes down and regrets starting off the match. Layla gets tagged in and she gets taken down on the collar and elbow tie up. Layla isn’t happy that she is in the ring and Michelle doesn’t want to get back in. Beth carries Layla into the turnbuckles and Kelly is tagged in and gets a near fall with a sunset flip. Kelly throws Layla’s head into the mat. Beth tags back in and hits a slingshot suplex and gets a near fall. Beth with a front face lock and then she sends Layla into Michelle and both women go to the floor. Layla sees Beth at the ropes and Kelly with a baseball slide through Beth’s legs. Beth hits Layla on the floor as we go to commercial.
We are back and Kelly hits a handspring back splash on Layla. Layla with kicks to Kelly and Michelle is tagged back in. Kelly with a head scissors take down followed by a Thesz Press and she slams Kelly’s head into the mat. Michelle with a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. Michelle kicks Kelly and then connects with a series of knees to Kelly’s back. Kelly gets thrown back to the mat and then Michelle does push ups on top of Kelly. Michelle sends Kelly into the turnbuckles and Layla gets tagged back in. Layla with a snap mare and kick to the back. Kelly with a rollup but the referee did not see the cover because he was too busy dealing with Beth. Layla with a body scissors on Kelly and she grabs the ropes and the referee makes her release the hold.
Layla with an Irish whip and Michelle is tagged back in. Kelly gets out of a belly-to-back suplex and Kelly slaps Michelle. Kelly tries to make the tag but Michelle keeps Kelly away from Beth. Layla tags back in and she stands on Kelly’s hair. Layla runs Kelly into the turnbuckles again and she connects with shoulders. Kelly moves when Layla charges into the corner but Layla keeps Kelly from making the tag. Layla goes to the turnbuckles but misses a leg drop.
Beth is able to tag in and Layla begs for mercy and goes into the turtle position. Beth knocks Michelle off the apron and then she chops Layla. Beth with an elbow and then she hits a clothesline from the turnbuckles for a near fall when Michelle interferes. Michelle wants to tag in but Layla is stopped by Beth. Michelle accidentally kicks Layla and Beth with a Polish Hammer on Michelle. Beth hits the Glam Slam on Layla for the three count.
2011 - ROH held Final Battle 2011 in New York City. Stu Carapola filed the following TV report:
Preshow Notes
At least one former ROH titleholder will be appearing on tonight's show.
Tonight's iPPV is being directed by Dan Bynum, who also directs the TV show on Sinclair, and this is the first ROH iPPV not directed by Dave Lagana.
Bobby Cruise welcomes the fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom and is joined in the ring by Jim Cornette, Joe Koff, Cary Silkin, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness. The crowd starts a very loud ROH chant, and then Bobby Cruise introduces each of the folks in the ring while we count down to the beginning of the iPPV.
Kevin and Nigel do the proper introduction to the iPPV crowd, then introduce Executive Producer Jim Cornette, who lets us know that they set a record live gate and, based on preliminary numbers, this show will be viewed live by more people than any other ROH event in history. He then turns the intro over to ROH Founder Cary Silkin and COO Joe Koff, who thanks everyone for coming out and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and also Festivus for the rest of us.
Michael Elgin vs TJ Perkins
They tie up and Elgin casually tosses Perkins across the ring, but Perkins ducks a charge and fires in some kicks to Elgin that have no effect. Shoulderblock has no effect as well, but Perkins slides between the legs of Elgin and dropkicks him out to the floor. Perkins goes for a dive, but Elgin moves out of the way so Perkins swings through the ropes and comes down on his feet on the apron and he tries a somersault dive, but Elgin catches him and rams him clear across ringside and into the barricade. They head back in where Perkins fires off some weak right hands, but Elgin easily pounds him down and tries a charge, only to be met with a superkick. Perkins goes for a spinning headscissors, but Elgin again catches Perkins in mid-move and pops him up into the air for a flapjack that gets 2. Elgin gets a bearhug from behind on Perkins and then tries to toss him through the ropes, Perkins dangles himself between the ropes but gets shoved into the ring by Truth Martini. Elgin pops Perkins into the air but Perkins counters to a really impressive headscissors that sends Elgin out to the floor and Perkins follows out with a dive. They head back in where Perkins gets a top rope dropkick for 2, Elgin no-sells a sunset flip and tries a vertical splash, Perkins dodges and hits a twisting senton for 2. Perkins goes to the top rope but Elgin catches him with a right hand and sets for a superplex, but Perkins fights him off and tries a flying shoulderblock, but Elgin catches him in midair right into a vertical suplex for 2. Elgin with a swinging backbreaker and Shock Treatment for 2, but Perkins surprises him with a hanging neckbreaker. Perkins tries a monkey flip out of the corner but Elgin catches him, powerbombs him into the corner, then goes for the sitout powerbomb but Perkins swings around the back of Elgin's shoulders and hits an inverted Frankensteiner for 2. Elgin blocks a fireman's carry but Perkins scores with a superkick, Elgin escapes a second fireman's carry, hits a spinning backfist, powerbomb into the corner, and the sitout powerbomb for the win.
Winner: Michael Elgin
This was a HELL of a hot opener. Elgin looked like a monster here with the way he dominated Perkins. Crowd really got into the last few minutes and especially the spots where Elgin caught Perkins in midair with seemingly no effort.
Prince Nana comes out before the next match and wants to know why, Jimmy, why? Barrister RD Evans says that Jimmy Rave is like a desperate ex-girlfriend who can't take a hint and crashes a family Christmas dinner, but if he wants to spend Christmas with Tommaso Ciampa, tonight will be a silent night indeed.
Tommaso Ciampa vs Jimmy Rave
They start off with a feeling out process before Ciampa takes Rave down and works the arm with a nasty kneeling wristlock. Rave breaks free and they trade chops in the middle of the ring and Rave spits in Ciampa's face but gets his head ripped off with a hard clothesline. Rave rolls out to ringside to try and catch a break, but Ciampa goes after him and rams him into the barricade. Rave fires back with hard chops and they go back inside where Ciampa hits a messy slam thing and connects with a pair of facewash knees in the corner and covers for 2. Rave with more chops and takes Ciampa out with a clothesline, he charges Ciampa in the corner and gets Ciampa's boot in his face, but Ciampa charges him and Rave picks his ankle and gets the heel hook right in the middle of the ring. Ciampa struggles mightily and makes it to the ropes, then goes out to the apron where Rave boots him into the guardrail. Rave tries to follow up with a baseball slide, but Ciampa catches his legs and swings him into the barricade. Ciampa Rave sunset flips Ciampa back into the ring and connects with a running knee to the jaw for 2, then catches Ciampa kicking out and hits the Rave Clash for another 2. Rave goes for the Pedigree, but Nana gets on the apron and offers him his old Embassy robe back. Rave considers it for a moment before grabbing Nana and needing to be pulled off by the referee. Evans gets on the apron but catches a wicked running knee that sends him careening into the barricade. Ernie Osiris grabs Rave so Princess Mia can nail him, but Rave dodges out of the way and Mia boots Osiris in the face and then Ravedumps Mia to the floor. Finally the numbers are too much for Rave and Ciampa blindsides him and hits the powerbomb over the knees for the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Solid match, Rave got a good reaction from the crowd and they told a good story where Rave had Ciampa's number, but just had to deal with too many Embassy members and finally wound up on the receiving end of the tactics he used for so long as a member of the Embassy.
Mike Bennett comes out with Brutal Bob Evans and Maria Kanellis and he tries to cut a promo, but I honestly couldn't hear a word he said because the fans started chanting "CM Punk" at them and then "sloppy seconds". Bennett responded by making out with Maria in the ring and reminding the fans that he's here with a Playboy model while everyone here is at home and (to make what he said printable) practicing their one handed calisthenics.
TV Title Match: Jay Lethal vs El Generico vs Mike Bennett
Bennett ducked out of the ring and let Lethal and Generico go at it, ducking in occasionally just to cheapshot one or the other. They finally go out after Bennett and surround him, then toss him back into the ring so they can take turns beating him up. Lethal and Generico hit a double backdrop and clothesline Bennett out to the floor, and Generico and Lethal both try to do a dive but keep cutting each other off until they decide to do a double dive onto Bennett. Lethal and Generico finally are able to go at it by themselves in the ring and Lethal gets a flying headscissors for 2, then the hiptoss/cartwheel/dropkick combo for another 2. Lethal rams Generico to the corner and charges him, but gets backdropped to the apron and Bennett yanks him down face first onto the ring apron. Bennett comes back in and unloads on Generico with hard right hands and hits a hard slam and kneedrop for 2. They trade right hands in the middle of the ring, but Generico ducks a charge and Bennett goes sailing out to the floor. Generico goes for a dive but Lethal blindsides him with a springboard dropkick for 2. Lethal gets Generico in the Condo Clutch but Generico refuses to tap so Lethal converts to the elevated version of the move and slams Generico down on his face for 2. Lethal comes off the ropes right into a windmill backbreaker from Generico for 2,and then Bennett again jumps Lethal from behind and rams him into the corner before hitting a clothesline and a kneedrop. Lethal ducks a clothesline and hits the Tajiri elbow to send Bennett out to the apron and Lethal dropkicks him to the floor, but takes a flying forearm from behind by Generico. Generico and Lethal go back and forth and Bennett comes in just in time to get rammed into the corner for a diez punch count from Generico. Lethal does a series of combos too fast and complex for me to recap, but it looked great and it got him a 2 count on Bennett. Generico gets a T-bone suplex into the corner on Lethal and goes for the running Yakuza Kick, but Bennett grabs his ankle and drags him out to the floor. Generico chases him and Bennett throws Maria in his path and uses the distraction to nail Generico, then they go back in and Bennett hits a TKO on Generico and a snake eyes on Lethal. He eats a running Yakuza Kick from Generico, Lethal superkicks Generico, and all three guys are down.
Lethal and Generico get to their feet first and Lethal hits the Lethal Combination for 2, blocks a German suplex attempt from Bennett, but comes off the ropes right into a spinebuster from Bennett for a VERY close 2. Bennett with a big boot to Generico, but runs right into a Michinoku Driver that gets 2 for Generico. Lethal knocks Generico flat with a leaping enziguiri and goes up top for the Lethal Injection, but Generico hit a running Yakuza Kick to send Lethal out to the floor where he hit a triple jump somersault dive onto Lethal followed by the diving DDT through the corner on Bennett. They head back in where Generico hits Bennett with another running Yauza Kick and the half and half suplex, but only gets 2. Generico sets Bennett up for the brainbuster, but Lethal comes in from behind and pops Generico into the air for a neckbreaker and hits the Lethal Injection, but only gets 2. Lethal plants Generico with a big slam and goes up top, but Generico pops right up and goes for the top rope brainbuster, Bennett grabs him from behind and gets an O'Connor Roll with the tights to eliminate Generico, but Lethal comes right in and takes Bennett out with the Tajiri Elbow to quickly pin Bennett and get the win.
Winner: Jay Lethal
There was a lot going on here and it was a good solid win for Jay Lethal, who's been on a real roll this year. Generico protested his elimination due to Bennett using the tights and looked frustrated as could be and stared at the TV Title belt like an ex-girlfriend who dumped him, but eventually picked it up and handed it to Lethal and shook his hand.
Jim Cornette and Jimmy Jacobs come out to the ring for our next match...
No DQ Match: Steve Corino vs Kevin Steen
If Steen wins this match, he'll regain a full time spot on the ROH roster. They charge one another right off the bell and go toe to toe in the middle of the ring. Steen goes to the eyes but Corino sends him to the ropes and hits a leg lariat that sends Steen out to the floor. Corino tries a baseball slide, but Steen dodges out of the way and rams Corino into the barricade, then sits him next to the ringpost on the apron and hits the running cannonball. Steen went to soak in a vulgar chant from the crowd, and Corino took the opening to pop up and hit a somersault dive off the apron onto Steen. Corino rams Steen from one barricade to another and then rolls him back into the ring. Corino throws a bunch of chairs into the ring and cracks Steen full on with a charging chairshot in the corner, but then Steen superkicks the chair into Corino's face and Corino rolls out to the floor where Steen powerbombs him onto the ring apron. Steen goes onto the apron to antagonize the crowd again before hitting a big frogsplash onto Corino, then he tears a piece of the barricade off and runs it into Corino's head. Steen dumps the piece of barricade into the ring and goes after Corino again, but Corino grabs him and rams him into the barricade. Corino sets up a chair at ringside and grabs Steen, but Steen nails Corino and powerbombs him onto the chair Corino had set up. Steen pulls a table out from under the ring and sets it up between the ring and the barricade, then gets in Cornette's face and antagonizes him until Cornette flips him the bird. Corino nails him and goes out to the floor and starts throwing a garbage can and chairs into the ring right on top of Steen. Steen gets ahold of a trash can lid and kills Corino with it, busting his ear open. Steen bites Corino's ear and wipes some of the blood on Jacobs, but Corino nails him when he turns around and starts pummeling him with shots from teh trash can before hitting a Snowplow onto the trash can. Corino piles some chairs in the middle of the ring and slams Steen onto them, then comes off the top rope with a frogsplash for 2. Corino sets up four chairs in the middle of the ring and puts the piece of barricade on top of them to create a Platform Of Discomfort. Steen nails Corino and goes up top, but Corino goes up with him and superplexes Steen onto the barricade platform in one of the sickest spots of the year, but Steen still kicks out at 2.
They go back out to the floor where Corino lays Steen on the table between the ring and barricade and goes up top, but Steen recovers and knocks him onto the ring apron. Steen nails Corino with a chair and then sets up a three chair platform on top of the table and he tries to put Corino through it, Corino tries to fight him off but Steen bites his bloody ear to send Corino tumbling back into the ring, but then Corino gets a trash can lid and uses it to nail Steen, who falls backward through the chair and table mess he set up. He rolls Steen back into the ring and makes a cover, but Steen still kicks out at 2. Corino and Jacobs get the piece of barricade out of the ring, then puts a chair over Steen's faceand nails it with another chair and STILL only gets 2. Steen suddenly comes back out of nowhere with a sleeper suplex and a pump handle neckbreaker onto a chair for 2. Steen gets another chair and cracks Corino in the skull with it, but that only gets 2. Cornette looksdisgusted at ringside, but Steen yells at him that this is his fault, then shoves Jacobs out of the way to try and hit Corino with the chair again. Jacobs grabs the chair out of his hand and distracts Steen long enough to hit Steen with a roll of quarters for 2. Corino sets up the four chair platform in the middle of the ring and tries to dump Steen on it, but Steen blocks and instead hits the Package Piledriver on the chairs and makes a cover right in front of Cornette while staring him right in the eye. Jacobsslowly counts 2 and then stops and looks at Cornette for direction, and Cornette hesitates a long time before telling him to make the count, and Steen is reinstated in ROH.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Steen takes the microphoner and says he came here tonight to do three things: beat Corino and get his job back, number two...Steen drops the mic and gives Jacobs a Package Piledriver. Cornette comes into the ring to check on the defenseless Jacobs, and I think we're about to find out what number three is. Cornette starts to back off, and El Generico comes running out of the back to face off with his former partner. They have a tense staredown before going toe to toe in the middle of the ring. Generico hits a running Yakuza Kick in the corner and goes for the top rope brainbuster, but Steen fights him off and hits a Package Piledriver off the top and through the timekeeper's table. He rolled back into the ring and blew kisses to the crowd while they chanted "welcome back" at him.
Between the match and everything that happened afterward, this was easily the best thing on the show so far and one of the most violent brawls all year. Steen made his return in a big way, and it'll be interesting to see what direction his career takes him in 2012.
INTERMISSION
Tag Team Contenders Gauntlet: The Bravado Brothers vs Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman vs Future Shock vs Young Bucks vs All Night Express
The Bravado Brothers start it off with Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman. They go out to the floor where Coleman hits a 619 around the ringpost and Cedric follows out with a dive that wipes out both Bravados. Lance Bravado whips Coleman to the ropes and Harlem pulls the top rope down and he goes out to the floor where Harlem wipes him out with a bicycle kick. The Bravados double team Cedric in the ring and hit a double flapjack for 2. Harlem holds Cedric so Lancelot can catch him with a running forearm and a BIG belly to belly suplex. Double elbowdrop from the Bravados gets 2, but Cedric catches Lancelot with a leaping enziguiri and Coleman comes off the top with a flying body press. Coleman hits a dive onto Lancelot on the floor as Cedric gets the Gory Driver for 2, Harlem gets an inside cradle on Cedric for 2, and Cedric counters to a seated cradle for 3.
The Bravado Brothers are eliminated.
The Bravados are understandably distraught, but clear out as Future Shock make their entrance. O'Reilly and Cedric go toe to toe and O'Reilly catches him with a leaping kneestrike and a running kick to the chest for 2. Future Shock with a series of double teams on Cedric for 2, then Cole gets a snap suplex for another 2. Future Shock with a flapjack/Ace Crusher combo for 2, and Coleman makes a blind tag in and hits a guillotine legdrop onto O'Reilly for 2. Coleman gets a crisp dropkick right to O'Reilly's jaw, but Cole tags himself in and gets a Northern Lights suplex for 2 on Coleman. A fast paced sequence ensues with both teams hitting a series of double teams and then Coleman hit a top rope Frankensteiner followed by a Cedric frogsplash for 2. Future Shock puts Cedric in the Tree of Woe for a double baseball slide, then hit the modified version of Total Elimination to get 3.
Cedric Alexander & Caprice Coleman are eliminated.
The Young Bucks are out next and waste too much time playing to the crowd and Future Shock wipes them out with dives to the floor. The Bucks come back and hit an assisted Sliced Bread #2 on Cole on the apron androll him back into the ring where Nick Jackson hits a springboard splash for 2. Bucks with a double back elbow and then a wheelbarrow into an Ace Crusher for 2. Matt does the Jericho foot on the chest cover on Cole for 1, then Nick tags in with a slingshot senton for 2. Matt chokes Cole out in the corner and gives him a jawbreaker and a textbook vertical suplex for 2. Bucks with a double team stomp off the top rope and Nick dives through the ropes onto O'Reilly while Matt covers Cole for 2. Cole desperately tries to escape the Bucks and finally makes the hot tag to O'Reilly, who cleans house on both Bucks. O'Reilly with the rolling butterfly suplexes on Nick, then Future Shock hits a wheelbarrow Pedigree into a German suplex on Nick for 2, then Cole takes Nick to the outside and gives him a wheelbarrow suplex onto the ring apron followed by O'Reilly's crazy diving dropkick off the apron. Nick recovers and the Bucks hit Cole with a double superkick and More Bang For Your Buck for 3.
Future Shock has been eliminated.
The All Night Express is out next and the Bucks try to get the jump on them, but they ram Matt into the guardrail and King hits a moonsault off the guardrail. They go back inside and work over Matt, but Nick grabs Titus' knee and rams it into the ringpost to take him out of the equation. Titus is completely out of the match as the Bucks continue to double team King in a smug fashion. Double suplex gets 2 on King and then Matt smacks King around in the corner while yelling "Come on New York City, what do you think of him now?" at the crowd. Finally King catches Nick's leg and hits a leg cradle suplex and makes the tag to Titus, who comes in and cleans house on the Bucks with big right hands. Titus is selling the knee big time, but still manages to hit Matt with a Sky High. King tries the cartwheel kick but Nick superkicks him in mid-move and they send him out to the ring apron where Matt hits a springboard DDT onto the apron. Nick superkicks Titus in the knee, but Titus wipes him out with a clothesline. He sets up Nick for something, but Matt clips the knee and puts Titus in a spinning toehold. Titus spits in Matt's face, but Matt just cranks on the hold and Nick comes off the top with a 450 splash. Finally the referee stops the match and awards the win to the Bucks.
Winners: Young Bucks
The Bucks continue the assault after the match as Nick hits another 450 splash and King comes running in with a chair to chase them off. There was a lot of great action, and it looks like they did an injury angle with Titus. Mike Johnson will have more on that story later on tonight.
Roderick Strong and Truth Martini come out to introduce the Roderick Strong Invitational, and Truth does a very entertaining, rhyming countdown that would leave Joel Gertner himself green with envy, but the challenge is answered by...
Roderick Strong vs Chris Hero
They start off trading shoulderblocks and then Hero unloads with chops and catches Roderick in a three quarter nelson. Back and forth sequence ends with Hero booting Strong to the floor and Hero goes after him, but gets cracked in the head with the Book of Truth by Truth Martini. Strong goes after him with a series of chops and gives Hero a back suplex onto the ring apron. Strong rolls Hero back into the ring and puts the boots to him before covering for 2. Strong chokes him in the corner with his boot and then whips him to the far corner ahd takes a charge, Hero goes for a roaring boot but Strong blocks and stomps a mudhole in Hero. Strong dumps Hero to the floor and unloads with more punishment, but he rolls Hero in and takes too long to follow and Hero baseball slides him under the bottom rope. Strong regains the advantage fairly quickly and rams Hero into the guardrail, then dumps him back into the ring and covers for 2. Strong goes to a rear chinlock and Hero tries to escape, but just gets beaten back down by Strong. Hero regains his feet and they go toe to toe in the middle of the ring and Hero comes off the ropes with a big Yakuza Kick and then starts the babyface comeback. Hero no-sells a chop and flattens Strong with one of his own, then follows with a powerslam and a short senton. Strong rolls out to the floor and Hero again baseball slides Strong through the ropes. Strong tries going to the top rope but Hero catches him with a three quarter slam off the top for 2. Hero goes for the Deathblow but Strong stops him with a quick leaping kneestrike to the jaw for 2. Strong with a hard chop in the corner on Hero and sits him up top, he goes for the top rope side suplex onto the top turnbuckle, Hero tries to fight him off, but Strong gets it the second time around and covers for 2. Strong goes right to the Stronghold, but Hero manages to kick his way out and pick Strong's ankle and then catch him in a three quarter nelson. Hero with a leaping elbowstrike in the corner, a boot to the skull off the second rope, and a roaring elbow gets 2 for Hero. Hero goes for a moonsault, Strong moves but Hero lands on his feet, but Strong connects with a leaping enziguiri, a German suplex into the corner, another leaping enziguiri, and the Gibson Driver for 2. They go back to trading chops and then Hero DRILLS Strong with a roaring elbow, then a second one, and a roaring Yakuza Kick gets 2. Hero pulls off the elbowpad and hits the Deathblow, but Truth Martini runs in and breaks up the cover. This somehow doesn't cause a DQ, so Hero does what every good oblivious babyface does and goes out to the floor to chase Truth around ringside and into the ring where he gets ahold of him just long enough for Roderick to get a rollup for 2. Hero kicks him off and goes for a running boot and nails Truth Martini, but Strong hits a Sick Kick an a leaping enziguiri for the win.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Not what I would have expected out of these two, Hero looked a bit off his game in this one and it was okay, but not of the standard these two have a reputation for setting.
ROH World Tag Team Title Match: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin vs Jay & Mark Briscoe
They start brawling before the bell as the champions use their title belts to beat the Briscoes down and take them to the outside and brawl around ringside. The champions just destroy the Briscoes out on the floor and then Haas sends Jay back into the ring and KILLS him with a chairshot to the head and then another, equally nasty chairshot to Mark. Haas whips Jay at Shelton so Shelton can smash him with another chairshot. Shelton with another big chairshot to Jay's shoulder as Haas dumps Mark into the crowd, then Shelton rolls Jay back into the ring for more punishment as the crowd chants "F*** you Charlie" at Haas, who gives back to the fans by holding Jay so Shelton can drill him in the ribs with a chair, then Shelton returns the favor and holds Jay so Haas can nail him. Jay finally starts firing back on Shelton, but Haas blindsides him with another chairshot and yet another one right over the top of the head. The Briscoes are just destroyed at this point, and Haas goes over to the bloody Jay and stomps on his groin. Mark comes back in and tries to save his borther, but gets dumped back out to the floor so Shelton can give Jay a Hacker Slam. The crowd is definitely behind the Briscoes, and the champions flip the fans off before setting Jay up and hitting the Beverly Drop...or at least they tried, because Shelton didn't quite clear his partner and landed right on top of Haas.
Mark comes in and goes face to face with the champions, and the referee finally rings the bell to start the match as Shelton spikes Mark into the mat with a DDT, then they set Mark up for the Beverly Drop as Haas again tells the fans they're number one. Jay comes into the ring and boots Shelton in the face to break the sequence, and then goes face to fce with Haas as the crowd starts a loud "Let's go Briscoes" chant. Haas and Jay go toe to toe and then Haas boots a bloody Jay in the face to send him tumbling out to the floor and then Shelton gives Mark a Stinger Splash, but Mark gets an elbow up and then spears Benjamin and makes the hot tag to Jay, who stumbles into the ring and nails Haas, then the Briscoes give Shelton the double hiptoss across the ring. They tear Shelton's shirt off to reveal his taped ribs, but Shelton manages to backdrop him and tag out to Haas, and now he seems to be a babyface again as he makes his comeback and hits the T-bone suplex on Jay for 2. Crowd again gets on Haas with a "you suck" chant, and he quickly takes Jay out with a powerslam as Shelton dumps Mark to the floor. Haas and Benjamin with an inverted atomic drop/superkick combo and then Haas covers Jay for 2 as Mark pulls Shelton out to the floor and rams him into the barricade. Mark comes back in and hits a running boot on Haas, followed by an Iconoclasm for 2. The Briscoes go for the spike Jay Driller, but Shelton pulls Mark out to the floor and they wipe each other out with a double clothesline on the floor as Haas hits Rolling German suplexes on Jay in the ring.
Haas gets Jay in the Haas of Pain, but Mark goes up to the top rope and tries to dive onto Haas, but Benjamin throws himself on top of his partner to protect him and take the blow. Shelton's in bad shape on the floor and gets carried out by referees as the Briscoes beat Haas senseless in the ring. The Briscoes hit the double football tackle as the crowd goes nuts for them, sensing that tonight might finally be their night. Briscoes go for a double backdrop, but Haas holds the ropes and hits a Hacker Slam on Mark that accidentally sends him careening into the referee and knocks him out. Shelton stumbles out of the back with a wooden board and breaks it over Mark's head as the crowd starts "HOOOOOOO" and "USA" chants in honor of our old pal Hacksaw. They take the two pieces of the board and use them to continue brutalizing Jay, then Shelton tells Haas to put Jay up on his shoulders so they can hit him with the Doomsday Device. Shelton goes up top, but Mark knocks him off with a piece of the board, Jay slips off of Haas and superkicks him in the jaw, then they set up and hit the Doomsday Device to become seven time ROH World Tag Team Champions.
Winners: Jay & Mark Briscoe
The Briscoes are showered with streamers following their victory. This was a great match that told a great story of a true battle of attrition where the Briscoes finally defeated the team that sought to take their spot atop the tag team division. The crowd was really into this one and went nuts when the Briscoes got the win.
ROH World Title Match: Davey Richards vs Eddie Edwards
Edwards has his trainer Dan "The Beast" Severn in his corner, and Richards has Tony Kozina and Kyle O'Reilly. They shake hands, the bell rings, and we're off. They go toe to toe right off the bell trading chops and kicks, but Eddie blocks a kick from Davey and tries to go for the Dragon Sleeper right off the bat. Davey escapes and they go back and forth again before coming to a stalemate. Crowd is evenly split and Davey shoots a single leg and takes Edwards down, but Edwards sits out and they again start neutral. They go to the mat again and Davey gets a modified Indian Deathlock, but Eddie escapes and they trade blows again with Eddie easily coming out on top and shutting Davey down with a rear chinlock. Eddie takes Davey to the corner and unloads with a hard chop, then goes to the second rope but gets caught by Davey, who yanks him off by the foot and kicks him in the chest on the way down. Davey takes Eddie to the mat, grapevines one of his arms, and elbows his ribs before locking him in the Texas Sunrise. Eddie fights his way to the ropes and they go back to trading blows until Davey spinkicks Eddie square in the chest, but comes off the ropes right into an overhead release suplex that sends Davey out to the floor.
Eddie goes out after him and they fight their way past Severn and Eddie whips Davey into the guardrail, but Davey fires back and boots Eddie into the crowd. They head back into the ring where Eddie takes Davey down and gets a spinning toehold with a bridge. Davey escapes that and dumps Eddie out to the floor, Eddie dodges the running boot on the apron, but Davey absolutely blasts him on the second try and then goes back into the ring to hit a dive through the ropes that nearly breaks Eddie in half over the barricade. Davey sends Eddie back in and hits a missile dropkick and then just beats Eddie into oblivion against the ropes and comes off the ropes with a running forearm that gets him 2. Eddie goesfor a chop, but Davey catches the arm and rolls through into a seated anklelock on Eddie. Eddie kicks Davey off into the ropes and catches him coming back in the Achilles Lock, Davey escapes but Eddie plants him with a hard back suplex.
Eddie destroys Davey with a hard chop in the corner, then follows with a running chop and a flying kneestrike for 2. Davey gets to his feet and he trades forearms with Eddie in the middle of the ring and Davey tries the handspring enziguiri, but Eddie catches him and dumps him over the top rope to the floor. Eddie goes out to the apron and moonsaults onto Davey, then rolls him into the ring and tries a top rope double stomp, Davey dodges and goes to the second rope but Eddie hits a leaping boot and the Backpack Driver for 2. Davey gets to his feet and tries a charge, but Eddie boots him in the face and goes for a clothesline, Davey ducks and goes for a rolling cross armbreaker, but Eddie catches him in a cradle for 2, then goes to an STF. Davey gets out so Eddie goes to an anklelock, Davey starts kicking Eddie square in the face to try and escape, but Eddie stops him by repeatedly stomping on his face. Davey gets to his feet and looks really pissed off and slaps Eddie in the face. Eddie slaps back, and they take turns smacking the taste out of each other's mouth until Eddie just pummels Eddie with slaps, Eddie superkicks Davey, and Davye kills him with a lariat for 2, Eddie pops right back up so Davey hits a roaring lariat and gets another 2.
Davey goes up top now and hits the doublestomp to the back ot Eddie and a running boot to the chest, then goes up top and hits another double stomp square in the chest for 2. Davey puts Eddie on the top rope and follows him up, and they end up trading headbutts on the top rope right above Severn, then just slapping the crap out of each other. Davey drops to the mat and hits a leaping enziguiri, follows up with another headbutt, and superplexes Eddie into the ring and rolls through, and Eddie suplexes Davey and they both tumble over the top to the floor.
They take until 19 and just barely beat the count back in and immediately take turns hitting running boots to each other's faces. They then trade kicks and chops with Eddie getting the advantage and absolutely tearing into Davey in othe corner with chops, but then Davey comes back and fires off kicks like a machine gun. Eddie fires back, but Davey barely slows down before firing more kicks at Eddie until he collapses in the corner. Davey walks back out to the middle of the ring, but Eddie pulls himself up and goes back to the middle of the ring, slaps Davey in the face, and tells him to come on. They trade more blows, Davey fires Kawada kicks at Eddie, Eddie with more open hand strikes, but Davey just drills him in the head with a big boot, Eddie hits a leaping enziguiri, Davey hits a backdrop suplex, Eddie hits one of his own, Davey hits one, Eddie hits one, and they're both completely spent as Davey triesfor another and Eddie counters to a Tiger suplex, Davey counters another suplex attempt to a Dragon suplex, and then they go back to punches, kicks, and chops in the middle of the ring. Davey hits the Alarm Clock, Eddie boots Davey, and they're both out.
Roderick Strong comes out and gets into a fight at ringside with Kyle O'Reilly, but Severn goes after him and then Michael Elgin and Truth Martini come out and go after Severn. Severn holds them off until O'Reilly and Kozina can even the odds and they fight the House of Truth all the way to the locker room.
Now it's just Edwards and Richards, and they go back to trading hard forearms in the middle of the ring. Eddie hits a big boot and goes for another Tiger Suplex and launches Davey into the corner. Eddie picks Davey back up and sits him on the top rope for a Tiger superplex, but Davey fights his way out and knocks Eddie into the ring, but Eddie catches him with a leaping enziguiri and a top rope Frankensteiner followed by a running dropkick that sends Davey crashing into the corner, a powerbomb, and a sitout powerbomb for 2.9999999. Davey's on his knees and Eddie superkicks him and hits a hard chop to the neck for 2, then locks Davey in the Dragon Sleeper, Davey counters out to a bridging O'Connor Roll for 2, then Eddie goes right back to the Dragon Sleeper. Davey again escapes, so Eddie elevates him into a Tombstone piledriver and hits the 2K1 Bomb for 2. Eddie puts Davey on the top rope and goes for a superplex, but Davey blocks and sunset flips over Eddie, who holds onto the ropes and punches Davey in the face until he lets go. Davey goes back to ramming forearms into Eddie's back, then repeatedly crossfaces him, and finally hits a top rope Dragon Suplex for 2.
Davey gets to his feet, looks at the crowd, and signals that he's ready to put Eddie away. They go out to the apron where Davey tries for a Dragon Suplex onto the ring frame, but Eddie blocks so they trade chops and kicks until Davey hits an exploder suplex that sends Eddie tumbling hard to the floor. Eddie finally starts to make his way into the ring, so Davey punts him in the head and now hits the Dragon Suplex on the ring apron and tells the referee to count him out. Eddie still somehow beats the count, so Davey patiently waits for him to get to his knees so he can hit a pair of knockout kicks and cover for 2. He goes right into the anklelock, Eddie goes for the ropes but Davey pulls him back, Eddie rolls Davey into a cradle, but Davey goes back to the anklelock, Eddie rolls him through again and Davey hits the running kick to the head that won last time but now only gets 2. Davey with more kicks to Eddie's skull and FINALLY manages to put him down for 3.
Winner: Davey Richards
This was just an unbelievable fight, the abuse both guys took was just insane. Davey cuts a promo after the match saying that Jim Cornette told them that whoever won, he wanted them to go out and say the other guy was the toughest man he ever faced, but Davey didn't have to say it because we just saw it. Before Davey could continue, Kevin Steen came out mocking the speech and said it's time for Davey to stop the ass kissing BS because Kevin Steen is back in ROH and in 2012, he's going to take the ROH World Title because he's the Antichrist of professional wrestling. Davey is irate at Steen ruining the moment, but goes over to shake hands with Eddie and they share a hug and appear to make up after the match tonight.
Overall, this was a really good show, and I consider it on the higher end of Final Battle events I've seen. Thumbs up, and I'll be back later this week in the Elite section with an audio detailing more of my thoughts on the event. Thanks for following PWInsider.com's coverage of Final Battle 2011!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!
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