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Stories coming out of Supercard of Honor III:
Nigel McGuinness retains ROH World Title against Austin Aries:
In an early match of the year candidate, Nigel McGuinness was able to fight off Austin Aries’s challenge for the Ring of Honor World Title. This back and forth twenty-five minute match saw Nigel continually try to finish off Aries with the Tower of London, only to be foiled by the challenger. Meanwhile, Aries figured that he had the title won after hitting the brainbuster and 450 combination only to have McGuinness get his foot on the rope. Nigel was finally able to finish off Aries with a devastating rebound lariat. This match would be worth the price of the DVD alone when it is released.
Dragon Gate steals the show:
After a quality world title match, the bar was set high for the participants in the six man Dragon Gate match and they cleared that bar with plenty of room. As the match moved on, the fans repeatedly chanted ‘Please don’t stop’ as Genki Horiguchi, Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi, Ryo Saito, Dragon Kid, and CIMA put on an athletic showcase that makes the Supercard of Honor III DVD a definite addition to your collection. For almost thirty minutes, these six men flew around the ring and ringside area with moves and counters that have not been seen in Florida before. In addition to the main event, Shingo and BxB Hulk had a great match against Kevin Steen and El Generico, getting the victory in a match that saw a dance off between Kevin Steen and BxB Hulk.
Erick Stevens loses more than his shot at the FIP World Title:
In a bloody brawl for the FIP World Title, Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens gave their local fans a memorable match in which Roderick Strong retained the title. While it would be hard to describe this as a match because the referee was knocked out twice and thrown to the floor, Strong and Stevens battered each other with vicious chops and forearms. Strong knocked Stevens out with a chair shot and then Strong’s fellow members of the No Remorse Corps came to the ring with scissors and a razor as they removed Stevens’s signature mohawk to the shock of the fans. It was announced during the show that these two men would meet for the title again at the next FIP show on April 26th in Crystal River. The feud of the year in Florida looks like it is going to explode next month.
Age of the Fall and Briscoes bring down the house:
In a Relaxed Rules Match, the Age of the Fall and the Briscoes put on a hall of fame performance in a match that saw as much action in the crowd as in the ring. While the Age of the Fall had been unsuccessful in recruiting Austin Aries, they were able to provide some assistance to a homeless man in a wheelchair who was given a chance to make some money by selling programs at the show. Unfortunately, this was a man who has had some run ins with the Briscoes during Mark and Jay’s time with FIP so when it came time for Mark Briscoe to do something crazy over the entranceway for the fans in the Rec Center, it was this homeless man who went through a table. Their match would not be the only time that the paths of these two teams would cross. After the Age of the Fall could not convince Austin Aries to join them; Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, and Rain attacked Tammy Sytch only to see Mark and Jay come out to make the save for Tammy.
Here are the results from the show:
Match Number One: Go Shiozaki defeats Delirious
Delirious tried to confuse Shiozaki at the start of the match by moving around the ring while the crowd chants ‘Go’ but freezes when they stop. After seeing what Go has done in the past, Delirious tries to convince the referee to disqualify Go if he tries to chop anyone. Shiozaki is lucky that the referee does not listen to Delirious because he chops Delirious numerous times. Delirious gets Shiozaki in the Cobra Stretch but Go gets to the ropes. Shiozaki gets the victory with the Go Flasher after a lariat.
Match Number Two: The YRR of Kenny King, Sal Rinauro, and Chasyn Rance defeat Bushwhacker Luke, Dingo, and Alex Payne
After Friday’s loss, the YRR redeem themselves in their home state. While they controlled much of the match, when Luke entered the match, he connected with a series of punches and clotheslines to the YRR. He also used Payne as a battering ram on all three members of the YRR before they took a walkabout in the ring. Rinauro pinned Dingo after a springboard spin kick.
Before the next match, Lenny Leonard came out for a video wire and talked about the Ring of Honor Tag Title Match that they will be taping for the May pay per view.
Match Number Three: No Remorse Corps of Davey Richards and Rocky Romero defeat the Vulture Squad of Ruckus and Jigsaw to retain the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles
The challengers had the early advantage as the Vulture Squad worked over Romero, but Richards was able to distract Jigsaw long enough to allow Romero to gain control. With Romero and Richards on the floor, Ruckus hits a somersault plancha. Romero was caught in the Tree of Woe and Jigsaw and Ruckus get in opposite corners on the top turnbuckle and Jigsaw hits the coast to coast drop kick while Ruckus hits a somersault coast to coast. Richards breaks up the Jig and Tonic. The No Remorse Corps get the victory when Richards hits the D.R. Driver on Jigsaw.
After the match, Larry Sweeney and Shane Hagadorn come out and Sweeney tells Romero and Richards that they had an excellent match. He reminds them of his offer from last night and Sweeney mentions that Roderick Strong is a hard head. Strong comes out and he tells Sweeney that he thought he made it clear last night that this was his group and they have no interest in joining Sweeney.
Erick Stevens comes out and he attacks Richards and Romero before going after Strong.
Match Number Four: Erick Stevens versus Roderick Strong goes to a No Contest
Stevens and Strong fight outside the ring and to the entrance before returning to the ring. The referee tries to get things under control, but he gets knocked down for his troubles. When he recovers, he tries to stop Stevens and Strong. The referee was able to do one thing that most did not expect, he got Strong and Stevens to agree on one thing. That was that the referee needed to be taken out of the equation and they both punch the referee and he goes down and will not be heard from for the rest of the match. Both men bleed during the match as a chair is used by both. Strong and Stevens battle with dueling forearms and they both go down. Strong eventually drills Stevens in the head with a chair and Stevens is out cold.
Strong’s No Remorse Corps teammates, Davey Richards and Rocky Romero come to the ring and they have some accessories with them. They have scissors and clippers as they remove Stevens’s trademark mohawk.
Match Number Five: Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black with Lacey and Rain defeat The Briscoe Brothers in a Relaxed Rules Grudge Match
Before the match begins, Jacobs gets on the mic and he says that the Revolution of the Age of the Fall is in Orlando then they are the revolution of the downtrodden. He talks about how they are saving people’s lives one at a time and he talks about a homeless guy in a wheelchair outside the building that they have helped.
The match starts off in the ring with the Age of the Fall attacking the Briscoes as they come to the ring, but the ring is not the home for the match for too long as they move into the crowd after a plancha into the crowd using a trampoline. As one pairing battles by the merchandise area, another are fighting in the reserved seats on the floor. Eventually, a table is brought out and placed in front of where the fans entered the gymnasium. They put the homeless man on the table and Mark climbs into the bleachers and hits a splash through the table. The action finally returns to the ring and Jacobs tries to stop Jay by putting a plastic bag over his head. Jacobs hits a super Contra Code on Jay but Jay is able to kick out. The Briscoes set up for the Doomsday Device but Jacobs holds on and he is able to counter with a Guillotine Choke and Mark taps out.
It was time for intermission.
Match Number Six: BxB Hulk and Shingo defeat Kevin Steen and El Generico
The match starts off with Steen showing a few dance steps to counter Hulk’s pre-match dancing. Steen and Shingo try to knock the other down with shoulder tackles, but neither goes down despite getting momentum from the ropes. Eventually Steen throws Shingo out and El Generico hits a corkscrew splash onto Shingo. While Steen and Generico work over Hulk, Steen taunts Hulk as he tries to make the tag and then he flails around on the mat to mock Hulk. Steen hits a Swanton but Generico can only get a two count when he tries to make the cover. Shingo hits Blood Fall on Steen but Generico breaks up the cover. After Shingo and Generico go back and forth with power moves only to see the other get up, Shingo finishes off Generico with a Michinoku Driver.
Match Number Seven: Nigel McGuinness defeats Austin Aries to retain the Ring of Honor World Title
Aries works on McGuinness’s arm at the start of the match. Aries goes for the Horns of Aries but Nigel is able to get out of the hold. After working on the arm, Aries sets his attention on the neck and then the leg. The champion starts to work on Aries’s arm and when Aries tries to chop McGuinness, Aries feels it as much as Nigel. Nigel tries to get Aries set up for the Tower of London but Aries is able to escape the hold. Nigel finally hits the Tower of London, but Aries kicks out. Aries is able to regain control as the action moves to the floor. Each man tries to hit their signature moves but they have been scouted enough to hit counters. Aries hits the brainbuster followed by a 450 splash but Nigel gets his foot on the ropes to break up the referee’s count. The action returns to the floor and Nigel sets up Aries on the guardrail and then he clotheslines Aries into the crowd. Aries hits a crucifix driver but Nigel gets up and hits a rebound lariat for the three count.
After the match, the music for the Age of the Fall plays and Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, Rain, and Lacey come out. Jacobs tells Aries that it was not his destiny to win the title tonight. He was supposed to lose so the Age of the Fall could pick him up; and Jacobs tells Aries that he will be Austin’s ‘Personal Jesus.’
Lacey takes the mic from Jacobs and she says that Aries is a man of action like the Age of the Fall so she will go with Aries to show him that actions speak louder than words.
Jacobs tries to stop Lacey but Aries and Lacey get ready to leave the ring until Back in Black plays and Tammy Sytch comes out. She says that if Aries is going to go with a crack whore like Lacey, then he must have a concussion. Tammy reminds Aries what she offered him, but Aries leaves the ring with Lacey.
Black and Jacobs grab Tammy and then Rain slaps her. Jay and Mark Briscoe come to the ring to help Sytch. While the Briscoes deal with the Age of the Fall, Tammy connects with a spear on Rain.
This match saw a lot of double and triple team moves by both teams and some innovative action that is not seen elsewhere in the United States. All six men go in and out of the match and we see double and triple team maneuvers. They try for a super rana on Doi, but Doi counters it with a super power bomb. CIMA hits a delayed fisherman’s superplex on Yoshino but he cannot finish Yoshino. Doi gets the victory for the Muscle Outlaws after he hits a wheelbarrow pile driver on Dragon Kid.
Supercard of Honor III Thoughts:
There is a reason why this is the main attraction of the Wrestlemania weekend double shot for Ring of Honor. I would not have done this match justice.
While the Dragon Gate six man tag match will be worth the price of the DVD by itself, all three matches after intermission could be enough to buy the DVD on its own.
I thought the opening match between Delirious and Go Shiozaki was a great way to start off the match. The ‘go . . . go . . . go . . . stop’ parts at the start were hilarious and who else would try to get his opponent disqualified for using chops when it was obvious that it would hurt him.
Over these two nights, Kenny King started his move to the next level to follow in the path that Erick Stevens took last year.
I liked the match that was taped for the pay per view for the Tag Titles. I have been impressed with Ruckus since I saw him live for the first time at a previous Peterson Cup.
I liked the way that the Stevens/Strong match was set up. Even though I have seen these two men wrestle each other dozens of time, every time they meet in the ring, they try to outdo their previous matches. I did not mind that it went to a no contest because it means that we will see them meet one more time in FIP on April 26. I was a bit surprised that they did a hair cutting angle; and I might have liked it better if I didn’t see it earlier in the day at the TNA taping.
The Briscoes/Age of the Fall match was a very good tag match. During the match, I asked a few people if they remembered seeing a table near the entrance where the fans enter the gym because I was afraid that Mark was going to come from the bleachers onto the table. A few minutes later, the table was brought out.
I expected a lot from the Shingo/Hulk versus Steen/Generico match and they exceeded my expectations.
I saw the build for the Aries/McGuinness match last week in FIP when Nigel interfered in the Aries/Strong match. I was really looking forward to this match on this show and it was one of the better live matches that I have seen.
Words cannot describe the Dragon Gate match. Those six men do things that are not seen in the United States and while they pull off some of these moves in other matches, but when it is all Dragon Gate wrestlers in the matches there is something special.
I briefly mentioned it in my report from Friday’s show, but everyone from Ring of Honor as well as Full Impact Pro deserve credit for the success that happened over these two days. To see 2,800 people fill this building over the two days is a testament to the hard work that both companies do to provide the best possible wrestling shows for the fans. Maybe the local fans who came to see Ring of Honor will take a look at companies like FIP, GEAR, or Pro Wrestling Riot.
Ring of Honor returns to action on April 11, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts at Boston University; and April 12, 2008 in Edison, New Jersey at the Inman Sports Club. For more information on upcoming shows and DVD releases, check out http://www.rohwrestling.com . Ring of Honor returns to Florida on Friday, October 10, 2008 with their debut in Coral Springs, Florida (between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach); and on Saturday, October 11, 2008, Ring of Honor returns to the Downtown Rec Center in Orlando.
Full Impact Pro Wrestling returns to action on April 26, 2008 at the National Guard Armory in Crystal River, Florida. Already announced for that show is Roderick Strong versus Erick Stevens for the FIP World Title. For more information on this show check out http://www.fullimpactpro.com
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