PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

ROH MANHATTAN MAYHEM IV DVD REVIEW: EDDIE EDWARDS CHALLENGES RODERICK STRONG FOR THE ROH WORLD TITLE, THE KINGS OF WRESTLING FACE LAX, DAVEY RICHARDS BATTLES CHRISTOPHER DANIELS UNDER PURE WRESTLING RULES, AND MUCH MORE

A huge rematch is up next as TV Champion Christopher Daniels faces Davey Richards under Pure Wrestling rules. For those who aren't familiar with Pure Wrestling rules, each man is allowed three rope breaks, after which the ropes are in play. A closed fist will result in a warning the first time, and every time afterward will result in the offender being penalized a rope break. There used to be a Pure Wrestling Title that Nigel McGuinness held for almost a full year, but that got phased out almost five years ago to the dismay of me and finer technical wrestling aficionados everywhere. The issue between these two started nearly a year earlier when Daniels made a surprise return to ROH and confronted Davey about his claims of wanting to become the Best In The World, and finally had their first singles match about six months later with Richards coming out on top. Richards was starting to rally toward his next ROH World Title shot, and Daniels once again stood in his path. The TV Title, which is way less awesome than the Pure Wrestling Title, is not on the line.

Crowd is split for this one and they chant for both men as they circle one another and exchange wristlocks to start, and Davey gets a double arm stack for 2 right out of the gate. Davey goes to a surfboard and turns it into a pinning combination, but Daniels reverses to a pinning combination of his own and gets 2. Davey takes Daniels to the corner and the referee calls for a break, but Daniels suckerpunches Davey over the referee's head and avoids a warning. Davey rolls to the outside and Daniels suplexes him onto the ring apron and viciously attacks him on the floor before sending him back into the ring and hitting a side neckbreaker for 2. Daniels with the second rope curb stomp for 2, then tries it again but instead goes to a legscissor choke over the ropes. The referee calls for the break and Daniels yells at him to call it a rope break, and the referee grudgingly agrees, even though it was an illegal hold and wouldn't have counted in the heyday of the Pure Wrestling Title. So Davey loses a rope break and Daniels continues to wear him down with a version of the Million Dollar Dream with a leg grapevine and Davey is forced to use his second rope break. Daniels continues the assault and gets a vertical suplex for 2. Daniels goes to a neck vice and then tries a back suplex, but Davey slips out the back and fires off a series of kicks at Daniels and then tries a vertical suplex, but his neck is still hurt from before and he can't do it, and settles for backdropping Daniels to the floor instead.

Davey tries the running kick across the apron and misses, so he moonsaults onto Daniels instead. Davey rolls Daniels back into the ring and follows him in with a missile dropkick, then they trade forearms in the middle of the ring until Davey hits the handspring enziguiri for 2. Daniels tries a Frankensteiner but Davey powerbombs him and locks in a Texas Cloverleaf. Daniels goes to the ropes and loses his first rope break, then he drop toeholds Davey into the second rope and tries Angel's Wings, Davey backdrops to a pinning combination for 2 and then goes back to the Texas Cloverleaf but Daniels reverses to a small package for 2. Davey rolls Daniels into the anklelock and Daniels goes to the ropes again, so both men now only have one rope break left.

Daniels gets a chinbreaker and drills Davey with forearms, but Davey fires back and then peppers Daniels with Kawada kicks, Daniels does palmstrikes and comes off the ropes but Davey pops him up and hits the Alarm Clock, and Daniels comes right back with an STO and locks in the Koji Clutch. Davey counters back to the anklelock but Daniels rolls out of the hold and sends Davey crashing into the corner and Daniels goes right back to the Koji Clutch. This time Davey has no choice but to go to the ropes and uses his final rope break. Davey rolls to the floor and Daniels goes out after him and tries an Arabian Press to the floor, but Davey moves and Daniels hits the floor, and Davey nails him with a baseball slide out of the ring that sends him over the guardrail. Davey nails Daniels and leaves him hanging over the guardrail, and Davey goes up top and hits a double stomp off the top onto Daniels on the guardrail. Davey rolls Daniels back into the ring and covers for 2, then hits the running forearm and running kneestrike in the corner. Davey puts Daniels up top for a superplex and rolls through that into a cross armbreaker and Daniels goes to the ropes.

All rope breaks are now used up and the ropes are in play for both men. Davey kicks at the chest of Daniels on the apron over and over, then picks Daniels up in a fireman's carry, but Daniels slips out and gets a Koji Clutch through the ropes on Davey, and it's totally legal since the ropes are in play. Daniels lets go of the hold and rolls back into the ring as Davey falls to the floor, and Daniels goes for the countout win but Davey rolls back into the ring in time. Daniels hits a uranage and goes up for the BME, but Davey moves. Daniels ducks a kick and bulldogs Davey onto the top rope and again goes for the Koji Clutch in the ropes. Davey starts to fade but counters to the anklelock in the ropes, and Daniels uses his body weight to pull Davey out to the floor. Davey comes back in and both men go up top to fight it out, Daniels goes for Angel's Wings off the top but Davey blocks, so Daniels gets a front guillotine choke on the top rope instead. Davey headbutts Daniels until he tumbles backward and falls upside down, and Davey gets a Texas Cloverleaf from the top rope. Davey dumps Daniels into the ring and hits a top rope double stomp, then goes back up top and tries a shooting star press, but misjudges and ends up hanging himself on the top rope. It was a totally blown spot, but Daniels is a true pro and acts all cocky like he has Davey now, and he goes for Angel's Wings again and Davey picks the legs and gets a jackknife rollup for the win.

Daniels gets in Davey's face after the match, but Davey extends his hand to Daniels. Daniels is clearly really pissed off over the loss, but shakes Davey's hand and goes out to the floor. Daniels kicks the guardrail, grabs his TV Title belt, and storms off to the back. Excellent match between two of the best in the business.

We wrap it up with the ROH World Title match on Page 4!

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!

• Tweet