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They tie up in the middle of the ring and do a back and forth chain wrestling sequence, but neither man can get an advantage and they break clean. Roderick goes to the leg and Eddie kicks him off, but Roderick bounces off the ropes and boots Eddie in the face, and Eddie responds by picking Roderick's leg and Roderick goes to the ropes for a break. Roderick tries a chop, Eddie blocks, and they throw simultaneous dropkicks and wind up at a stalemate. Eddie gets a flying headscissors and takes Strong to the corner and unloads with some chops, Roderick responds with some of his own and it turns into a bonafide chop exchange. Eddie lays Roderick out with a back elbow for 2 and then gets an abdominal stretch, revealing that Roderick's chest has actually been broken open and is bleeding after the chops from Eddie. Roderick hits a mule kick that may or may not have been low, then nails Eddie with several chops of his own and just beats Eddie down with forearms and stomps.
They trade forearms in the middle of the ring and Roderick takes Eddie down into a Crippler Crossface. Eddie rolls Roderick to his shoulders, but only gets 2, so he wipes Roderick out with a flying kneestrike instead. More forearm shots and Eddie picks up Roderick and delivers an F5 for 2. Eddie with more hard chops in the corner and then sets Roderick up on the top rope and hits a leaping enziguiri that sends Roderick crumpling to the mat. Eddie hangs Roderick in the Tree of Woe and goes out of the ring and all the way up to the entranceway and hits a running dropkick right to the face of Roderick. Eddie tries a top rope double stomp, but Roderick misses and hits a boot to the face, a leaping enziguiri, and LAUNCHES Eddie to the floor.
Roderick's back in control, and goes out to the floor to pick Eddie up and slam him onto the ring apron. Roderick whips Eddie into the barricade and Eddie tries fighting back, but Roderick just brutally beats him down. Roderick sends Eddie back into the ring and covers, but only gets 1. The champion goes to a seated abdominal stretch, then decides to just be a jerk and goes to the eyes. So much for a sportsmanlike contest. Roderick with a snap suplex for 2, then goes to a chinlock. Eddie gets out and Roderick goes for a half nelson suplex, but Eddie armdrags out of the hold. Roderick goes to the second rope and Eddie hits a leaping enziguiri and goes for the Backpack Driver, but Roderick gets out and locks in the Stronghold and Eddie makes the ropes. They wind up out on the apron and Strong goes for the Gibson Driver, but Eddie reverses to a Frankensteiner that sends the champion tumbling to the floor.
Strong is down on the floor, and Eddie just compounds his problems by hitting a high velocity dive to the floor. Crowd is now solidly chanting for Eddie, and Strong's head is busted open. Eddie continues beating him around ringside and back into the ring, and he goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Eddie hits a flying knee, kicks Strong's leg out from under him, and follows up with a Shining Wizard knee for 2. Eddie comes off the second rope with a Codebreaker and hits a full rotation back suplex for 2. Eddie hits a leaping enziguiri but Strong clocks him with a roaring elbow and gets a high angle side suplex for 2. Strong goes for the Gibson Driver again, but Eddie blocks and goes for the 2K1 Bomb, Roderick slips out and hits the superkick. Strong puts Eddie up top and side suplexes him on the top turnbuckle for 2 and they both go crashing to the mat.
They get to their feet and exchange chops over and over until they can't take anymore, then they dish out more chops to one another. Roderick pauses to lick the blood off his own chest, then they go back to exchanging chops and Eddie finally comes out on top but Roderick drills Eddie with a flying kneestrike, and Eddie comes right back with a superkick and a roaring clothesline and both men are down again. Roderick gets to his feet and hits another leaping kneestrike, but Eddie folds him in half with a hard clothesline for 2. Roderick rolls back out to the apron and Eddie goes up top, Roderick nails him and goes for a top rope Gibson Driver, Eddie tries to reverse to a backdrop that would send Roderick to the floor, and they go back to trading blows on the top rope. Roderick tumbles back to the apron and Eddie double stomps Roderick off the top rope, Roderick rolls back in and Eddie hits another double stomp inside the ring, then follows with a running kick to the chest, a foldover powerbomb, and goes right into the Achilles Lock off the kickout.
Truth Martini runs out to the apron to try and distract Eddie, and it works because Eddie breaks the hold and nails Truth, allowing Roderick to roll him up for 2. Roderick hits a superkick and gutbuster, then hits the Sick Kick but only gets 2. Roderick is absolutely astonished that he didn't finish Eddie. Roderick tries to pick Eddie up, but Eddie is limp so Roderick yells at him to get up, spits at him, and superkicks him in the face, then hits the vertical suplex into a backbreaker, but still only gets 2. Strong goes right into the Stronghold and has Eddie trapped right in the middle of the ring, Eddie slips out and reverses to the Achilles Lock and has Roderick trapped, Roderick tries to slip out but Eddie cradles him to his back and covers for 3 to win the ROH World Title.
The crowd goes NUTS for Eddie, who looks as shocked as anyone at what just happened. ROH President Cary Silkin comes into the ring to give Eddie a big hug as the crowd chants Eddie's name, and then Eddie drops to his knees with the belt cradled in his hands in much te same way Shawn Michaels did at Wrestlemania 12. Davey Richards, widely expected to be the man to unseat Roderick, comes out and stares sternly at Eddie with his hands on his hips for several seconds, then breaks out into a broad smile and hugs his American Wolves brother and takes a knee in the corner as Eddie continues to celebrate his championship win. Davey comes over and snaps the title belt around Eddie's waist, then looks approvingly on at Eddie as he celebrates his moment.
* * *
This show kicked ass. I'll be honest, it started off slow and the first three matches really didn't do much for me, but everything from Briscoes-ANX on was good to unbelievable. The shock Eddie Edwards title win is probably what this show is going to be most remembered for, but there was a TON of great stuff on the undercard, including two great tag matches, Daniels and Richards actually topping their first match, and aside from the surprising outcome, the main event really was an excellent match that went about a half hour and slowly built to a crescendo where you were expecting a big finish, but got (pleasantly) surprised with a quick rollup, a finish that's never been done with an ROH World Title change before.
Defy Or Deny may have had better overall wrestling than Manhattan Mayhem IV, but this show probably comes out ahead because of the title change and also some of the other stuff like the Briscoes-ANX double turn, the LAX appearance, and the return of Pure Wrestling rules. If you're asking me which to buy if you can only afford one, I'd say Manhattan Mayhem IV, but it's a really close decision and you can't go wrong with either of them. Highly recommended show in every way.
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