by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins

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Ring of Honor on-site: Round Robin Challenge II
by Jared "JHawk" Hawkins

A quick programming note: I'll be handling SmackDown! duties for Dr. Tom this week, so Dr. Tom will be handling Raw this week. I know you're all proud.

In an age where sports entertainment reigns supreme and those of who don't like it are blatantly ignored because of some middle-aged man's big man fetish, it is nice that federations like Ring of Honor exist where the focus is on the in-ring product. Which is where it's supposed to be. And anytime I get a chance to watch wrestling as opposed to "sports entertainment", I'm going to take that opportunity...even if I have to drive through downtown Pittsburgh to do it. And last night (Arpil 26), ROH made their second appearance in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania with yours truly on hand.

The show starts at 7:52 with the announcement that due to a knee injury, A.J. Styles is unable to compete, so they've change the order around to hold the Round Robin Challenge II.

Match #1 in the Round Robin Challenge II: Christopher Daniels (w/Allison Danger) vs. Amazing Red (ROH Tag Team Champion)

Daniels had been scheduled to compete against Michael Shane but agreed to participate here instead. Daniels is the only wrestler from the first Round Robin Challenge competing in tonight's tournament. Hot opener, with Amazing Red doing what he does best: playing the underdog before making the monster comeback. However, Daniels finishes him off with Last Rites in 11:08.

Daniels: 1-0
Red: 0-1
London: 0-0

The ring announcers introduces our guest timekeeper, Scott from Tough Enough III. Yeah.

Da Hit Squad vs. The Second City Saints

This is the first appearance as a team for Colt Cabana and Ace Steel, but the last appearance as a team for DHS, as Danny Maff joined the Prophecy at the April 12 show. However, this match had already been signed at that point, so it still takes place. The main storyline centered around the tension between Maff and Monsta Mack, as they couldn't agree on when to make tags and yelled at each other before doing double team moves. Eventually, a miscue sends Maff out to the floor, enabling Cabana and Steel to take Mack down with a power bomb/backbreaker combo for the win at 8:15. Not bad, but not great either.

Scramble Match: The Ring Crew Express vs. Special K (w/Slugger) vs. EZ Money/"Sterling" James Keenan vs. The SAT

The ring announcer announced this as a 10-team scramble, but only nine men (three from Special K) actually competed. And thank God, because these things are hard enough to follow. Plenty of aerial moves and high spots in this one, with some of it going into the crowd by accident. The end came with the SAT hit Marcos with the Spanish Fly for the win at 9:13. Entertaining as hell, even though it was all over the place. Postmatch, some unnamed black guy attacked Special K's bodyguard, Slugger, but eventually got taken down with Slugger's version of a choke slam.

For the #1 Contender's Trophy: CM Punk (w/Lucy) vs. Homicide (w/Julius)

Punk has brought in Lucy (who appears to be WCW's Daffney) as a counter for Trinity in his war with Raven. Excellent match with the crowd being heavily in favor of CM Punk throughout the duration. Punk hits a top-rope Pedigree (top THAT Hunter) and covers for what everybody thought was a three count, but the referee claimed it was only two. The match continued, with Homicide getting a submission win with a form of the STF at 15:30 to become the number one contender. Very good match, but the steam was pretty much gone with the false finish.

No Disqualification Match: The Carnage Crew (Loc/Devito/Masada) vs. Hotstuff Hernandez/Fast Eddie/Don Juan (w/Rudy Boy Gonzalez)

The Code of Honor did not apply to this one, and neither did the ring, as this one was pretty much all over the floor. Thanks to whoever the cameraman was who told our section to move before they started using our guardrail as a weapon. Pretty much everybody except the referee was bleeding before this one was over. The finish came when the Crew hit Fast Eddie with a spike Tombstone off the middle turnbuckle, which allowed DeVito to score the pin at 9:12. A brawl also ensues postmatch, with Scott getting knocked out cold in the melee to a pop from my group and chants of "Scott" from everybody else.

Second Match in the Round Robin Challenge II: Paul London vs. Amazing Red

For those who don't follow ROH that closely, London was scheduled to team with AJ Styles for the ROH Tag Team Title, but when he couldn't make it due to his sinus cavity surgery, Red took his place and helped Styles win the titles. London was supposed to get his shot here. London played the heel in this one, wearing the "X-Styles" T-shirt and mocking Styles' mannerisms. Terrific matchup, with each man getting in most of their signature spots, but it ended with London using a Styles Clash on Red for the pin in 11:11.

Daniels: 1-0
London: 1-0
Red: 0-2

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10-MINUTE INTERMISSION
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Alexis Laree vs. Persephone

I have never seen Persephone prior to this one. A pretty standard but solid ladies match which Laree wins with a swinging neckbreaker in 5:33. Not bad. But immediately after the contest, Michael Shane and Simply Luscious make their way out to the ring and lay out both women. Luscious hands Shane a chair and he sits down. Gary Michael Cappetta comes out to ask what's going on, but Shane sends him running out of the ring. Shane is pissed because Daniels is "ducking him" by joining the round robin tournament, so he wants to make the "Purist's Dream" four way into a five way.

Purist's Dream Five Way Dance: Michael Shane (w/Simply Luscious) vs. Matt Stryker vs. BJ Whitmer vs. Chad Collyer vs. Donovan Morgan

Allow me to say that I like Michael Shane, but he is so easy to pick on that I have to give him heel heat no matter what. Case in point: "What's wrong, Shane? Couldn't your uncle get you a job?" Cheap shot, I know, but how can you respond to it? And it got a mini "You're not Shawn" chant going. Anyway, the main focus was on all four men working on Chad Collyer's knee, with a side story that Shane was trying to avoid the Prophecy's Morgan. Once Morgan and Shane were both legal, all hell broke loose, as it became a parade of high spots and finishers. Eventually Stryker and Collyer were alone in the ring, with Stryker making Collyer tap out at 20:26. There was some really good stuff here, but this probably should have been used as one of the first two or three matches. We'd had a lot of high spots and brawling at this point, so the crowd seemed to drag at the thought of a mat-based matchup.

Final Match in the Round Robin Challenge II: Christopher Daniels (w/Allison Danger) vs. Paul London

Now that London is facing Daniels, he's back into full babyface mode. A slow start, as Daniels repeatedly went out to the floor to stall for time (and eventually bailing out almost exclusively on my side of the ring when he noticed half of our row cheering for him). The pace eventually picks up, with each man getting in most of their signature spots. At one point, London hits the Shooting Star Press, but Danger distracts the referee to prevent a three count. London eventually tries it again, but Daniels lifts the knees, and then he puts London away with a triple jump moonsault for the pin at 18:54. My pick for match of the night, but I mark for both guys anyway.

Daniels: 2-0
London: 1-1
Red: 0-2

Main Event for the Ring of Honor Championship: "The Torture Device" Doug Williams vs. Samoa Joe (champion)

As Joe makes his way to the ring, one fan yells "Shortest title reign ever!" When everybody turned toward him, he goes "Well, someone had to say it." Boxing style intros for this one (always a nice touch). This one remained a pretty solid mat-based matchup for the most part. One fan yells "Give him the stink face, Rikishi!", at which point Joe looks at me and says "What did you say?" The one time I don't do anything and I get blamed for it! Oh well. The finish comes when Williams can't quite get Joe over for the Chaos Theory, and Joe is able to maneuver into a choke sleeper for the submission on 11:48. Good match, but still a bit disappointing. Postmatch, Danny Maff and Donovan Morgan run into the ring and start going to work on Samoa Joe, who is part of Steve Corino's Group. Michael Shane runs out to the make the save, but that just brings out Christopher Daniels to make it a 3-on-2 beatdown. When the beating finally stops, Daniels gets the mic and says "You have just witnessed the Prophecy's retribution!"

Thus ends the show after nearly three-and-a-half hours of some really great action. What can I say about Ring of Honor that I haven't already said about 100 times before? There aren't a lot of bad matches, there's never a bad show, and there's something for everybody who hasn't had an exclusive diet of what Vince McMahon forcefeeds you. The only drawback to attending ROH live is their current lack of a TV product, because if you miss even the slightest little thing on their website, you're wondering why things are happening. For example, one fan I heard had no idea that Shane and Samoa Joe are both aligned with Corino against the Prophecy. Well worth the trip, and most likely worth the buy when the video is available.

No return date was announced, but dammit, hurry up and get back to West Mifflin! Or better yet, move into northeast Ohio so I can avoid that hellhole known as downtown Pittsburgh!

Send feedback to the usual addy, and check out tomorrow's Raw report from Dr. Tom.

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