Tape Reviews
True 'Till Death Review: FWA/ROH Frontiers of Honor
By Jay Doring
Sep 9, 2003, 00:00

I'm taking a break from Best Ofs for a bit, in order to try my hand on actual shows. After this, you'll have a ton of CZW material to look forward to, starting with the Extreme 8, as well as an a review of "Freedom Fight 2003" (with fellow Ninja Thomas Green) and an interview with NWA Wildside announcer Dan "The Dragon" Wilson, which is sure to be a must-read. Anyway, you want an ROH review, here's your freakin' ROH review.

The Frontier Wrestling Alliance has rapidly become the best wrestling promotion in the United Kingdom, putting on consistent top-quality shows with native stars like Jody Fleisch, Jonny Storm and Doug Williams, as well as American talent like Christopher Daniels, Jerry Lynn and AJ Styles. Catching wind of the increasing popularity of the FWA, Ring of Honor owner Rob Feinstein arranged an interpromotional show in England featuring the top stars in the FWA against the indy wrestling heroes of Ring of Honor. The result was FWA/ROH �Frontiers of Honor,� which will go down as one of the shining moments in British wrestling history.

Taped from York Hall, in Bethnal Green, London, England, 5/17/03. The RF Video version of this show is commentary-free, which in the case of �Ray Murrow and Chris Levy,� is a VERY GOOD THING.

The first thing you notice about this show, besides the fact that the Hall is packed to absolute capacity, way over 1,000 strong, is the professionalism of the entire setup. There are giant spotlights that say �FWA� on them, a TNA-style entranceway (complete with separate entrances for the FWA and ROH wrestlers), and the camerawork is done with top-quality digital equipment. Great work by the RF Video crew and the FWA to go the extra mile to make this show seem like something special.


James Tighe vs. Paul London

Paul London is the independent wrestling phenomenon who started out as a total unknown from Rudy Boy Gonzalez�s Texas Wrestling Academy, and through jaw-dropping matches with Michael Shane, Xavier and American Dragon, became THE top star in Ring of Honor before signing a WWE developmental contract in August. James Tighe (pronounced �tie�) is a man who has been pegged by many as a future superstar in England, winning the 2001 �Rookie of the Year� award from POW Magazine.

Code of Honor handshake to start, and the crowd is NUKED, with LOUD �FWA� chants in, I can�t say this enough, a jam-PACKED building. The crowd is way into both guys. They exchange armdrags and try to get an amateur takedown on each other to applause. London clamps on a tight headlock, Tighe tries to break free but can�t. He finally escapes, but takes a standing moonsault from London off a criss-cross. Spinkick misses though, and Tighe grabs a waistlock. London breaks free, but eats his OWN Hayabusa-style dropkick from Tighe. London responds with one of his own! The heat increases to a fever pitch as Tighe and London exchange forearms in the corner. Irish whip to the other corner, London vaults over and gets a slingshot headscissors, and a SNIPER-PERFECT spinkick for two, and ANOTHER flipping dropkick! Tighe counters with a monkey flip, London lands unharmed and tries a moonsault off the top, but Tighe SHOVES HIM OFF, AND LONDON LANDS ON THE GUARDRAIL, RIGHT ON HIS ARM! Tighe smartly works on the arm, cranking really hard back on it with a wristlock, London reverses, but Tighe KICKS HIM IN THE ARM to counter! Excellent, excellent psychology. London bails, Tighe tries an Asai moonsault, London goes to cut him off, but he KICKS HIM IN THE ARM AGAIN! Dive off the apron misses, London head there and hits an AMAZING RUNNING SSP OFF THE APRON! DEAFENING �HOLY SHIT� AND �FWA� CHANTS! Back in, London gets a nearfall of a slingshot La Magistral. Tighe tries to go on the offensive, but eats boot in the corner. Tighe tries to grab a waistlock, reversed into a victory roll for 2, and London CRACKS him with a standing enziguiri. Slingshot senton by London, but he can�t capitalize quickly because his arm hurts. London lights Tighe up in the corner with chops from his good arm. Irish whip, London�s arm is bad though, so Tighe reverses. London springs off the top with a crossbody, but Tighe counters with ROLLING FALLAWAY SLAMS for a near-fall! Tighe grabs the bad arm, and sandwiches it on a German Suplex for a 2.9! Sitout uranage by Tighe gets two. Running knees in the corner by Tighe RIGHT ON THE ARM, TORNADO SINGLE-ARM DDT BY TIGHE! London tries to bail again, but this time Tighe gets his GORGEOUS Asai moonsault off, connecting hard on the floor! �Let�s Go London� chant fires up as Tighe rolls him back in for two. Tighe tries for a single arm DDT off the top, London shoves him off. He tries again, London drops him again, an third time and London drops him a third time. LONDON STAR PRESS~!�.MISSES! Tighe capitalizes with the TIGHE-TANIC (A CROSS SPECIAL BRAINBUSTER~!) and a STANDING SSP for the three count!

You want a replacement for Paul London in ROH? James Tighe IS London, but better! Tighe has an amazing understanding of psychology, as he kept attacking the arm with innovative and high-impact maneuvers until he rendered the arm useless. This guy also has the grace and flying ability of London, with the varied moveset and nasty head drops da kidz all love. Next time ROH flies Storm and Fleisch in, make sure Tighe comes with them! London himself was really �on,� keeping his selling consistant and believable, and playing the face who won�t quit to perfection. London was a fantastic pickup for WWE and has unlimited potential, let�s hope WWE utilizes it correctly. Overall, an incredibly exciting match that told a good story and had some thrilling spots.
Winner: James Tighe
Rating: ****

Jack Xavier vs. Mikey Whipwreck

Mikey Whipwreck was one of the most unlikely stars of the �90�s. Booked initially as a �wrestling school dropout� who got brutally beaten night after night, Whipwreck exploded in popularity after winning the ECW TV title on a fluke. He eventually became an ECW Triple Crown champion, and formed memorable tag teams with Cactus Jack and Yoshihiro Tajiri. Nowadays, Whipwreck is more famous for training the SAT, Amazing Red, and Divine Storm. Jack Xavier, well, the most striking aspect about him is that he doesn�t look like a wrestler, at all, but like Whipwreck at the beginning of his career, has that �one of us� appeal that makes the fans like him.

Whipwreck gets the super-duper-uber pop here, as the Brits are apparently huge ECW fans. Whipwreck works a headlock, but Xavier gets out and nails a tilt-a-whirl slam. Irish whip, Mikey vaults over and tries a headscissors, but Xavier shoves him off and lands a STIFF~! forearm, dropping Mikey to the outside. Mikey grabs a chair to a loud �We Want Blood� chant, but Xavier attacks. Whipwreck takes advantage though laying Xavier on a table, and hitting him in the NUTS with the ringbell! Whipwreck charges on Xavier against the rail, but Xavier moves and Whipwreck goes FLYING INTO THE CROWD, landing with a LOUD thud. Xavier slams Whipwreck down and head to the top. Senton-MISSES and Mikey JACKS (haha, his name is Jack) him with a superkick for a CLOSE two. Jerry Lynn-esque guillotine legdrop on the ropes by Whipwreck, and a Nagasateru facedrop ON THE CHAIR. The sound Xavier�s skull made was just nasty. That gets two back in the ring. Irish whip, Xavier catches him with a snap swinging neckbreaker back in�and my tape cuts out. Thanks a BUNCH RF. We come back to Xavier eating a boot on a blind charge. Tornado DDT blocked, but a Russian Legsweep isn�t, and that gets two. The ref puts on the 10 count, Xavier is up first, he uses D�Von Dudley�s lifting reverse DDT for�.2.9 Mikey hits back with a Tajiri-style roundhouse, and the WHIPPERSNAPPER�gets two. Irish whip, now Xavier tries a bodyscissors, Mikey catches him, XAVIER REVERSES TO A VICTORY ROLL FOR THE FLASH PIN! FWA is up 2-0 on ROH!

Mikey Whipwreck, according to most, has degenerated as a worker since coming out of retirement part time. However, I saw no signs of that here, as he put together a fun back-and-forth match that put over Xavier. Jack Xavier showed he could work a crowd quite well, and had some nice offense. I�d like to see him against a worker more in his �prime� and see how he�d do.
Winner: Jack Xavier
Rating: ***

The Duke of Danger and his butler, Simmons head out to the ring. The butler apparently is more over than the Duke himself, because he got LOUD chants. The audio is a little unclear, but I think he said he can�t compete due to an arm injury, but he had something special planned for Paul Birchall (making his official in-ring debut at this show, after doing run-ins for several shows- the team of Raj Ghosh and Russ Jordan, the Double Dragon. Out comes �The Twisted Genius� Dean Ayass, whose �Old School� faction had been expelled from the FWA. Despite Old School being expelled, Ayass states he has a Plan B- B for �Birchall.�

Paul Birchall vs. Double Dragon

Birchall is a very physically impressive guy, about 6 foot 4 by my rough estimate and jacked to the nines. Double Dragon jump him before the bell, but he no-sells a double clothesline and drops them both with hard forearms. Birchal grabs Jordan, he gets a Northern Lights, floats over and turns it into a KRYPTONITE KRUNCH~! Ghosh now tries a some offense, but a sitout powerbomb kills that dead. Birchall stalks the butler, but runs into Double Dragon double stomps back in the ring. Double basement dropkick takes Birchall off his feet for the first time. Double hiptoss, double elbow, double pose by Double Dragon- BUT BIRCHALL IS UP, and somebody gonna die. He FLINGS Jordan into the air into a fireman�s carry, Ghosh cuts him off. Birchall grabs a pumphandle, Jordan tries to save, and BIRCHALL SUPLEXES BOTH OF THEM OVER HIS HEAD! WOW!! These are decent size guys too, about 200 pounds each. Birchall on the top now, GRACEFUL MOONSAULT�hits mat, and the Dragons take their chance to bail. No go, because the monstrous Birchall hits a RUNNING SOMERSAULT PLANCHA ON BOTH OF THEM! Basement dropkick to Jordan, Birchall whips him in, Jordan tries a firman�s carry, reversed by Birchall into a rolling fireman�s carry. HOLY SHIT, STANDING MOONSAULT BY BIRCHALL! HOLY FUCK, STANDING MOTHERFUCKING SSP BY BIRCHALL! Ghosh tries a crossbody off the ropes- that ain�t happenin�, EMERALD FUSION~! Birchall wins by KO.

Holy Shit, why isn�t this guy WWE Champion RIGHT NOW?! Birchall has the look, the size, has the hoss-tastic high impact suplexes and absolutely freakish agility. Think Mike Awesome upgraded to the 1,000th power. I�m telling you, if there�s anybody in WWE or TNA reading this (doubtful, but hey, one can dream), SIGN THIS GUY RIGHT NOW! As for the match, it was a squash, but WHAT A SQUASH!
Winner: Paul Birchall
Rating: **1/4

Jonny Storm vs. AJ Styles

�Wonderkid� Jonny Storm first took the United States, by uh, storm when he and Jody Fleisch tore the house down at CZW Best of the Best 2 in a ****1/2 encounter that won CZW Match of the Year. Unlike Fleisch, who mainly worked Ring of Honor in his US tours, Storm chose XPW. XPW even created a belt especially for him, the XPW European title (part of FWA�s agreement with XPW to be a �development territory�), which he mainly defended in England. When XPW went �on hiatus,� Storm returned to CZW and Ring of Honor, wrestling at CZW �Aftermath� and ROH �Wrath of the Racket.� And of course, everybody knows DA CHAMP himself, AJ Styles.

Styles gets a GIGANTIC �welcome back� pop, and the crowd encourages him to kill the newly heel-turned Jonny Storm. Storm blows off the Code of Honor handshake (uh-oh), then beats AJ on a mat sequence to jeers. They fight over a wristlock, and AJ takes Storm down and SLAPS him in the head to a big pop. They exchange armdrags, and fight over a headlock as the crowd apparently chants soccer songs at Storm. AJ takes Storm�s head off with a clothesline and Storm bails. Styles tries to follow with a suicide dive, but he eats superkick from Storm. Second HARD superkick right to the head of AJ. Storm whips AJ into the rail, AJ jumps the rail, his superkick is blocked, but his BEAUTIFUL jumping roundhouse isn�t. Stiff kick to the ribs by AJ, and he throws Jonny back in the ring. Lightning fast neckbreaker gets a two count. Storm slips out of a suplex attempt and gets an enziguiri. Irish whip by Storm, AJ tries the Quebrada DDT, BLOCKED, AJ tries a German Suplex instead, NO, Storm lands on his feet! Another whip to the corner, AJ springs up, THIS TIME the Quebrada DDT hits! Snap suplex by AJ gets a nearfall. Irish whip, Storm with the atomic drop nutshot, and a HIIIIIGH elevation spinkick on the top gets 2.9 for Storm. Michinoku Driver by Storm, followed up with a second-rope moonsault, gets another nearfall. Irish whip, AJ grabs Storm for a PUMPHANDLE GUTBUSTER, and the crowd comes alive for Styles. Back body drop gets two for AJ. Storm recovers and springs off the second rope with a NICE DDT for two. Storm keeps up the advantage with a corner splash. Storm tries for a Dragon Suplex, REVERSED INTO A SPINKICK FROM AN IMPOSSIBLE ANGLE. AJ Styles is so good it�s scary. I�ve never seen anyone as athletic as him. AJ and Storm exchange chops, DDT attempt is turned into a wheelbarrow suplex by AJ. Storm bails, AJ tries to follow, but he takes a nasty back body drop on the floor! AJ recovers, he gets Storm in the STYLES CLASH, Storm fights out so AJ hits a POWERBOMB BACKBREAKER! DAMN! Only two back in the ring though. SCHOOLBOY BUSTER~! by AJ and THAT gets two! EZ Money�s �Money in the Bank� gets two for Storm! AJ TKOS Jonny over the ropes, tries for a roaring elbow, blocked, and THERE�S THE REWIND STORMENSTEINER! TWO COUNT! Jonny tries a Dragon Rana, CAUGHT WITH THE STYLES CLASH~! OH MAN, TWO COUNT! He goes for it one more time, Storm blocks and hits a T-BONE MICHINOKU DRIVER FOR TWO! Jonny tries for a Frankensteiner on the top, no, STYLES CLASH, no Jonny flips out, he runs up to the top and HITS A FRANKENSTEINER, TOTALLY SEAMLESSLY! Storm tries to go to work in the corner, but AJ fires back with a discus clothesline, he heads to the apron and gets a SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH�for uh, 3? There�s some miscommunication between the referee and the timekeeper, as the ref said 3, then 2, then 3. AJ is determined to be the winner though. Storm jumps AJ following the Code of Honor handshake, and goes to grab a chair, but Jody Fleisch makes the save before AJ can taste steel. FWA now has a 2-1 lead on ROH.

Jonny Storm and AJ Styles are, pardon the pun, total nonstop action, and watching them fire off highspots at breakneck speed and try to top each other is insanely fun to watch. A botched spot during the match and the screwed-up finish take this down a notch, but make no mistake, I loved this.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***3/4

Samoa Joe vs. Zebra Kid � Ring of Honor title match

Zebra Kid is a heel in FWA, but is one of those heels with a cult following, similar to the Second City Saints or Chris Daniels. A former FWA All-England champion, he�s also worked stateside for XPW, most notably in a four-way against Jerry Lynn, Joey Matthews and Shark Boy. Samoa Joe is the ROH champion, and he�s brought the belt with him. This was originally non-title, but hey, the fans didn�t come to see a non-title match, says Joe, so it�s now a Ring of Honor title match. Joe works a headlock, but Zebra Kid slips out and they circle each other. The crowd is nuts for Joe, and he pays off their cheers with his signature stiff kicks followed up by a triangle choke on the mat. Joe hits him with some European uppercuts, but Zebra Kid fights back with stiff shots of his own! Standing enziguiri sends Joe to the outside, and Kid dives off the top to a �FWA� chant. Kid sits down Joe on a chair, and hits a CACTUS JACK ELBOW OFF THE APRON! OLD SKEWL! Kid kicks Joe in the face a few times, but it�s no-sold. Uh oh. Kid tries to charge, but caught with an STO by Joe. Joe does what he�s really known for, slapping Kid in the head, and HERE COME THE BOOTSCRAPES~! Zebra Kid is out cold, and he falls to the outside. The crowd suddenly starts chanting �OLE, OLE OLE OLE� and Joe BOOTSCRAPES KID AGAINST THE RAIL, BREAKING IT! AND HE TAKES A VICTORY LAP! That was just unbelievably cool, and Joe showed more personality in that one segment than he has in his entire career. Back in the ring, Kid has miraculously recovered, and BRINGS THE STIFFNESS, downing Joe! Second-rope legdrop to the crotch gets two for the Zebra Kid, and he goes to work on him in the corner. Kid deposits Joe on top, maybe a superplex- NO! TOP ROPE DDT! Zebra Kid on the top rope, MISSILE DROPKICK! He heads to the top again, he�s taking too much time, and he�s caught off the top in a Fujiwara armbar! Kid won�t tap, so Joe knees him REALLY REALLY HARD in the head for a two count. Kawada kicks, but Kid won�t die. Now some stiff forearms, but KID FIRES BACK AGAIN! Joe is staggered, clotheslines won�t take him over, he tries a lariat- CAUGHT WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX, rolls through to a DRAGON SUPLEX, rolls through to a STRAITJACKET SUPLEX, and Joe retains! FWA and ROH are now tied up at 2 wins apiece. By the way, this title defense made the ROH title a "World title."

Oh MAN, is this tape rocking. This match told a great story, as the plucky underdog who had absolutely no shot took every nasty hit the champ had and wouldn�t quit, and came oh so close to winning. It was very �Rocky�-esque, and Kid definitely took Joe �the distance.� The crowd was really into the match, which made it all the better. The best word to describe this match I think, would be �engrossing.�
Winner: Samoa Joe
Rating: ****

The Family vs. Alex Shane, Ulf Herman and Nikita- Hardcore match

Alex Shane is arguably the most popular homegrown star in the FWA. A former FWA Heavyweight champion and Tag Team champion, the �Showstealer� is also one of the hosts of the popular TALKwrestling radio show in the UK. Nikita is Alex Shane�s real-life girlfriend, and a major babe. The monstrous Ulf Herman is one of the most decorated veterans in the FWA, a star both in England and in Germany. Herman is most famous for his matches with former ECW stars Rob Van Dam and Balls Mahoney. The Family is apparently a satanic heel group, consisting of Scott Parker, Brandon Thomas, Paul Travell, Ashe, and their manager Greg Lambert.

The members of the Family all come to the ring carrying burning crosses. Um, that�s a first. The faces come out with a trash can �ol plunder, and it�s ON NOW, beeyotch. The Family jump Ulf and Shane, but they fire back and slingshot the heels over the top rope. BIG press slam by Ulf on Parker, to all the heels, and Shane capitalizes a plancha! Big �Ulf is Gut� chant fires up! Somehow a blowup doll enters the ring, and Ulf piledrives it! The Family takes a poweder to the ridicule of the crowd Nikita tosses Paul Travell back in the ring, and she hits a BEAUTIFUL flying headscissers and an armdrag! Travell charges, Nikita counters into a sunset flip for two, but Travell recovers quickly and hits a SNAP Spinebuster! Second-rope legdrop to Nikita gets another nearfall. Tag into Brandon Thomas, Nikita tries a crossbody, but Thomas turns that into a backbreaker. Irish whip, blind charge eats foot and Nikita comes back with a MISSILE DROPKICK! Tag to the Showstealer, and he�s LA CASA DI FUOCO~! Pumphandle blocked, bodyscissors, turned into a backlside, Thomas slips out, another pumphandle blocked, but this time Shane turns it into a Diamond Cutter! Fireman�s carry is turned into a sunset flip by Thomas, no dice, he escapes and tags in Scott Parker. Parker immediately takes a Baldo Bomb from Shane�and he�s not moving. Uh oh.

He can�t get up, and Travell immediately covers for him by hitting the ring. Medics attend to Parker and Ulf is tagged in. Ulf no-sells some punches, Travell flips over him and hits the ropes but eats a big boot. BIIIG chokeslam to Travell, with a nasty facebuster on top. Ulf connects with a second-rope legdrop. The crowd chant �Ulf W A� as Travell finally takes the advantage. Second-rope moonsault gets two. Double suplex by the Family on the monster Herman. Thomas heads to the top, crotched by Ulf, and he Cactus clotheslines him over! Nikita with a plancha! Indy dive sequence time! Even from Ulf! In comes the plunder, and the action spills into the crowd. Ulf no-sells a cookie sheet shot in the ring, and decks Travell with a frying pan! Funny bit as Ulf puts a hard hat on Travell, and CRACKS him with a shovel handle! Scott Parker gets his ears boxed with cookie sheets, and Ulf hooks a toilet seat to the crotch! Ulf BREAKS IT over his crotch with the broom handle! Alex Shane has a staple gun, and OH MY LORD, HE STAPLED HIS DICK! Thomas tastes the staple gun in the forehead, twice! Everybody heads back into the crowd, and OH LORD, NIKITA�S ON THE BALCONY! 20-FOOT BALCONY DIVE BY NIKITA! New Jack doesn�t look like such a tough guy now does he?

Nikita looks hurt though, and the medics attend to the second casualty of this match as the men head back in. Bodyslam on a cookie sheet by Ulf, and on the outside Alex Shane is stuck in a cobra clutch. Heel miscommunication allows Shane to superkick Thomas. He�s got Thomas�.ONE NIGHT STAND~! (Fireman�s carry Michinoku Driver) OFF THE BALCONY THROUGH THE TABLE! In the meantime, Ulf plays kick the can with Parker�s face. HOLY FUCK, TORNADO DDT FROM THE TOP OF THE ENTRANCEWAY! SHANE GOES FLYING DOWN THE RAMP! He�s dead, dead, dead. Greg Lambert said Shane was going to be destroyed tonight, and I have to agree. Another staple to the ass on Parker, but he clips the knee. The Family have Ulf caught in the Tree of Woe, Parker places a chair in front, Thomas sets up a Van Terminator, AND HE SLIPS AND LANDS ON HIS HEAD, and I�m surprised his neck wasn�t broken. Parker somehow thinks quickly and dropkicks the chair in his face and Nikita makes he way back in. She quickly dies with a DDT, but Travell takes too long to capitalize and she hit a hangman�s neckbreaker. Cover, no ref, Parker hits her with a road sign, Pancake slam, it�s over, and the Family steal one!

There were a lot of positives and a lot of negatives in this match. The negatives were obvious, with the blown spots and injuries to Scott Parker and Nikita. How Parker even managed to finish that match after being KOed with a concussion so early is a testament to his training and natural skill. There was also very little flow to the match, as the heat segments were too short, and the garbage spots came out of nowhere and got a bit excessive. However, the crowd was really hot for this match (and have been all night, this is one of the best crowds I�ve seen in a while) and the big spots were absolutely mindblowing. I have no clue why Nikita has not been seriously looked at by the WWE. A classy brunette would make her stand out from all the plastic bottle blondes and Amazons populated the Fed, plus she can work and bump her shapely ass off. Why the WWE runs stupid promotions like �Diva contests� when there are tons of good-looking women on the indies who can work is beyond me. I�m also a little shocked Alex Shane has never been booked stateside. He�s a versatile heavyweight, which the indies are sorely lacking, and he has the �superstar look� as EWR calls it. Anyway, the positives and negatives even out with this match, so it gets an average rating.
Winners: The Family
Rating: **1/2

Flash Barker vs. Low Ki

Flash Barker is a former FWA Heavyweight champion and one of their top heels, who works a very technical submission style, combined with very stiff strikes, not coincidentally very similar to his opponent, Low Ki, the first ROH champion. ROH and the FWA laid this card out very intelligently, selecting matchups with wrestlers whose styles complimented perfectly. Ring announcer Jane Childs announces that this match will determine the winner of the series between ROH and the FWA.

Ki and Barker circle, kicks are blocked by both men. Barker tries to lock on an armbaer, but Ki slaps on a leglock. Barker reverses, Ki tries to chops out of it but can�t. He finally manages to break the hold to loud applause. Barker takes Ki down and goes to the mount position, pounding away on Ki. Ki kicks him off and tries to knock him down Inoki style. A couple stiff kicks hit Barker�s legs, but Barker kicks back a the shoulder. Ki grabs Barker�s hands, but Barker muscles him down for a two count. Ki kicks at the kidneys to no avail, then kicks him in the THROAT to break! Barker and Ki lose it and UNLOAD with STIFF AS FUCK kicks on each other, until an UGLY dragon screw legwhip takes Barker down. Hard chops against the ropes, but Barker counters by punching him right in the ear! Boxing-style rights by Barker, followed by some kneelifts in the corner. Barker shoves the ref off when he tries to break, and DRILLS Ki with a lariat. NASTY spinal tap by Barker, and a dropkick to the back of the head. Barker hits the chinlock, but the crowd rallies behind Low Ki, and he DROPS barker with an enziguiri. The ref puts on the count, Barker up first, bodyslam and the big leg, brother gets a one count. Barker works Ki over in the corner with strikes, but Ki throws him throat first into the ropes, and HERE COME THE ROUNDHOUSES~! OH MAN OH MAN, YOU COULD HEAR THAT THIRD ONE IN THE RAFTERS! IT ONLY GETS TWO! An EVEN HARDER Spinal tap gets two for Ki. Muta elbowdrops result in a nearfall. KAWADA KICKS-BLOCKED. Barker grabs a waistlock, Ki trips him up, TIDAL CRUSH! TWO COUNT! Barker is shaken as Ki brings the chops in the corner, irish whip, followed up with a STIFF~! mafia kick, taking Barker�s face off. Barker fires back with European uppercuts, but a spinkick takes him down! Ki with a headscissors on the ground, but Barker won�t tap. Ki smartly tries a pinfall instead, but only gets two Irish whip, reversed, Ki slips to the apron, Ki with the TARANTULA DRAGON CLUTCH! Ki releases, but takes a standing rana for 2! Barker with shoulderblocks in the corner, Ki kicks out, Shining Wizard misses, reverse enziguiri DOESN�T�nearfall. THERE�S THE DRAGON CLUTCH, Barker fights out and hangs Ki upside down, Ki heads back in, RIGHT INTO A SPINEBUSTER�.2.9! Low Ki hooks the Six Seconds Magic armbar, Barker�s not tapping�he makes the ropes! Kick to the ribs, another, and a SECOND TIDAL CRUSH DROPS BARKER! Ki signaling for the Ki Krusher �99, Barker�s fighting it, slips out, abdominal stretch instead, and Barker backs him into the buckles. Gorilla Press slam by Barker gets a nearfall, Barker hooks him again, Ki escapes, TIGER SUPLEX gets two. Barker goes back to the mount, but Ki has another armbar, Barker powers back to the mount, no! Cross armbreaker�.and the time limit expires! The crowd is NOT pleased, and DEAFENING chants of �Five More Minutes� and �We Want More� erupt! Ki says, �I didn�t come from New York for a TIME LIMIT DRAW� and Barker agrees, but heel ref Steve Lynskey stands by his decision, despite the protests of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and a crowd on the verge of rioting. Barker and Ki agree to hook it up �some other time.� Low Ki actually injured his shoulder in this match, which kept him out of the ring for several months.

Ring of Honor and the Frontier Wrestling Alliance structure this show perfectly, offering every kind of wrestling. We got high-flying junior wrestling in Tighe/London and Styles/Storm, impressive power wrestling in the handicap match, hardcore in the six-person tag, and now a hard-fought MMA-style match. I�m a big fan of these matches, watching two men proud of their combat ability exchange realistic shots and fighting in and out of submissions. The only problem with this match (aside from the finish) is that neither man built to anything; no specific body part was worked on throughout the match, which took away the �realism� of this type of contest. Still, I was impressed, and Barker proved he could hang with the toughest man in Ring of Honor. I can�t wait for the eventual rematch.
Winner: Time Limit Draw
Rating: ***1/4

Jody Fleisch vs. Christopher Daniels

�The Phoenix� Jody Fleisch is the other British import who lit the American indies on fire at CZW Best of the Best 2, losing to Trent Acid in the finals of that tournament. He frequently works Ring of Honor, joining Special K at �Final Battle 2002� and since putting on fantastic matches against Low Ki at �Night of Champions� and with Slim J against the Backseat Boyz at �Do or Die.� Christopher Daniels is of course the premier indy player today, the leader of the �Prophecy� in Ring of Honor and a regular in Michinoku Pro as the greatest gimmick ever, �Curry Man.� Daniels was actually until recently the FWA Heavyweight champion, dropping the belt to Doug Williams at �Night of Champions.� Since the last match ended in a draw, this will determine who wins the series between the FWA and ROH.

Daniels gets a superstar entrance, complete with PYRO~! The mega-pops from the crowd are short-lived as Daniels deflects �Fallen Angel� chants by saying, �I know my name dammit, I don�t need YOU to remind me!� Daniels states that he is not here on behalf of Ring of Honor, he is representing the Prophecy tonight. Daniels of course blows off the Code of Honor handshake, and Fleisch backhands him across the face! Oh no he did-n�t. Daniels teases taking off but heads back in, and the crowd is FIRED UP�and Daniels leaves again. Finally we get to the action, Daniels gets a nice amateur takedown, reversed into a hammerlock by Jody. Daniels recovers with a wristlock, Fleisch rolls through and reverses. Fleisch catches Daniels with a rollup on a roll-through, and another schoolboy for a second near-fall. Daniels leaves AGAIN to chants of �you got bitch-slapped.� Oh man Chris, END THE STALLING. Daniels cheapshots Fleisch and hits a shoulderblock, but gets tripped off the ropes again and caught in an anklelock, which is quickly transitioned into a headlock. Daniels can�t escape, he rolls Fleisch over for a quick 2 but Fleisch takes him back down. The headlock finally gets broken, Daniels hits the ropes and gets caught with�another headlock. The Philly crowd would be rioting at this point, but thankfully the fans are appreciative. They hit the ropes again, Fleisch with a nice flying headscissors, sending Daniels to the outside. Fleisch charges, cut off by Daniels, but Fleisch connects with a springboard dropkick. PERFECT Asai moonsault to the outside by Fleisch, and he brawls with Daniels by the entranceway. Suplex by Fleisch on the ramp. Jody heads to the back while Daniels recovers, and grabs a chair. HE SPRINGS OFF THE CHAIR WITH A HURRICANRANA! NICE! �JODY! JODY!� Back in the ring, Fleisch on top, twisting crossbody gets two. Fleisch hits the ropes, but gets turned INSIDE OUT by a Daniels clothesline. Bodyslam by Daniels, another one, another, and he goes for the cover- only two. Heaven-elevation (Fallen Angel, heaven, get it?) back body drop also gets two. Fleisch gets whipped into the ropes as Daniels mockes the crowd, but Fleisch makes him pay with a hard back elbow, and he grabs a victory roll for two. Backslide gets two, but Daniels cuts off the comeback with a jawbreaker and a T-Bone suplex. Daniels pummels Jody on the outside and sends him back in- TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER! ANOTHER! TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT~! TWO COUNT! Undeterred, Daniels slaps on a crossface, Fleisch inches, inches�he makes the ropes! BAM! Standing enziguiri, and Fleisch is back in this match. Dropkick! Leg Lariat! Irish whip, Fleisch vaults over and hits another enziguiri. Standing moosault, STANDING SSP�for two. STANDING RANA, FLEISCH ROLLS THROUGH, NEAR-FALL! Quick Flatliner by Daniels, SECOND TRIPLE JUMP MOONSAULT-MISSES! Fleisch with the dragon rana, caught, he flips out- ENZIGUIRI BY DANIELS! Fleisch counters Angel�s Wings into a rollup-2. Victory roll-2. THE CROWD IS ON THEIR FEET! Three-quarter nelson rollup gets a near-fall for Daniels. La Magistral gets two. Daniels whips him into the buckles, Jody vaults over, cut off with a palm strike! Superplex attempt by Daniels is shoved away- SPRINGBOARD SHOOTING STAR PRESS-NO! ONLY TWO! Fleisch moves in for the kill with the 720 DDT~!-NO! JONNY STORM HAS HIT THE RING! CHAIR TO THE BACK! ANGEL�S WINGS! JONNY STORM COST HIS OWN PROMOTION THE SERIES! Storm and Daniels assault Jody as Jonny proclaims �IT�S ALL ABOUT ME, AND YOU CAN SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!� The commissioner (and Storm�s trainer) Dino Scarlo comes out to punish Jonny for his actions, but he gets beaten and bloodied by the duo. Finally the ROH roster and the FWA faces come in to make the save.

This match was pretty disappointing, especially considering what both guys are capable of. The stalling ran waaay too long, and Daniels seemed content to half-ass it and do his heel act instead of do a blowaway main event. The second half of the match saved it somewhat, as the two traded an unbelievable series of dramatic nearfalls that got the crowd pumped up. I question the logic of Daniels going over here (since he often no-shows his FWA bookings and Fleisch is their top star) and the �home team� losing, but the bookers probably wanted to put more heat on Storm and develop their feud further. This was a solid match, but it could have been way better, and that�s a shame.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Rating: **3/4

Final Thoughts: I�ll keep it simple this time- this show was INCREDIBLE! Quite possibly the best-booked (from a match standpoint) independent show I�ve ever seen, as every ROH wrestler meshed perfectly with their FWA opponent, and all styles of wrestling got showcased. The FWA is an undiscovered goldmine of talent, and this show made James Tighe, Paul Birchill, Zebra Kid and Flash Barker stars in my eyes. If you live in the United Kingdom, I urge you to check out an FWA show, because this blew me away, and most of the ROH guys appearing on this tape are also FWA regulars. Absolutely everything on this tape was good-to-excellent, and I�d put this show up against the best of the stateside ROH cards.
Overall Recommendation: Highest Recommendation Possible.

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