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A nearly sold out show in Hopkins, MN for Ring of Honor. LOTS more kids than there were the last time I went and more Bullet Club shirts than anything else.
The show started with Local boy Ariya Daivari (Shawn Daivari's brother) vs Bobby Fish. Old school match where Ariya worked the leg most of the match, but Bobby pulled out the win after Ariya missed with the Magic Carpet Ride (a frog splash with a rug...). Ariya is local and despite being the heel was over with the crowd, who cheered him every chance they got.
The next match was a 4 man match, with only 2 allowed in the ring at once and you had to tag in. We had the masked Romantic Touch, The Beer City Bruiser, Will Ferrera and Cheeseburger. Cheeseburger was over HUGE with the crowd, and got big pops every time he was in the ring. Will Ferrera wins with a powerbomb on Cheeseburger. Lots of brawling and high spots.
We then go to the TV taping portion of the show, with Michael Elgin vs. Caprice Coleman. Elgin wins with a Bucklebomb followed by a powerbomb. The crowd was into Coleman and a solid match.
They then have us cheer for another start to a show, so they filmed two episodes for TV and had opening matches back to back. Adam Page vs. ACH was a athletic match, with Page winning after a low blow. Post match there was a brawl and a pull apart with referees and security. Crowd didn't heat up for the match until the low blow.
Intermission with the announcement that ODB would be appearing and the they are coming back on 7/11, and tickets are almost sold out.
Back from intermission, we got Danny Duggan vs Arik Cannon. Both guys were well liked by the crowd (even with Duggan at the heel) and with Duggan in a singlet that looked liked Mr. Perfect's, the crowd was on him for it. Arik Cannon wins with a DDT off the ropes.
ODB comes out to the biggest pop of the night, and while it was announced as a Women of Honor match, Truth Martini came to the ring and faced off with her, eventually asking for a match. As with any ODB match in Minnesota, there were a lot of comedy spots, lots of brawling and at the end, Jay Lethal interfered giving Truth Martini the win. The Briscoes come out after the fall to protect ODB from Lethal.
At this point, there were a large group of fans who left who had arrived on a Party Bus, including a group in front of me who felt the need to hold up signs through the matches even when the TV cameras weren't on them...so I was able to see better, and RoH got their money, so good riddance!
In the wrestling match of the night, Silas Young vs Roderick Strong. A GREAT match that had brawling, chain wrestling, outside the ring stuff and a LOT of love from the crowd. In the end, Roderick Strong wins after Silas tried to use the ring bell. Crowd was really into the match and got a huge pop at the end for both guys.
The Briscoes vs. War Machine was probably the match with the most fan noise. A good, long tag team match in which the Brisoes won with a Skullbuster Piledriver. Afterward both teams shook hands and the crowd cheered until both teams were in the back.
For our Main event, we had ROH TV champion Jay Lethal (with Truth Martini) vs. Kyle O'Reilly. The crowd wasn't into the match for the first half of it, too burned out from the tag match before. Both guys worked hard, and by the time they got into their near falls, they'd drawn the crowd back in. They go all out until the Referee calls the match as a time limit draw. Long chant for 5 more minutes, and Lethal does a wonderful heel move by asking for the microphone as the crowd chants “Man up!â€. Once it fades, he says “I was gonna say yes until you chanted that!†and walks out.
Jay Briscoe then comes out and says that if Jay Lethal won't fight, he will and it's for the ROH World title!
As the match is about to start, Lethal and Truth Martini returns and attacks both men, bringing out Mark Briscoe and Bobby Fish to run them off, but Martini is caught. This brings out ODB, and they set up for ODB to put Martini through a table...but the table refuses to submit as she lands. So, they the table up in the corner and Jay spears Truth through the table.
A GREAT show and if they didn't sell out they came very close. ODB and Cheeseburger got the biggest pops from the crown, and the Silas Young/Roderick Strong match was the best of the night. Also, a great showing by local boys Ariya Daivari and Arik Cannon.
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