This Weeks ROH

Was actually pretty damn good. I decided to watch because of the main event of Danielson vs Black, but the whole show was actually good this week, which gives me hope that this could be a worthwhile program.

Started off with a tag match, Dark City Fight Club vs 'The Littlest Lumberjack' Grizzly Redwood & Andy 'Right Leg' Ridge. DCFC are two huge guys, and their opponents are tiny, with one being a recent graduate of the ROH Academy, so you know those two are just jobber fodder. Nice squash match, with DCFC looking really dominant, and I'm looking forward to seeing these guys in a competitive match. Nice Pounce on Grizzly, who sold it brilliantly by the way.

Nigel McGuinness vs Alex 'Sugar Foot' Payne was next. Pretty obvious who was gonna come out on top here, but before the match McGuinness cuts a great promo to really get the crowd behind Payne. Payne gets some offense at the start, but this is really just an extended squash. Decent enough though.

Then we had a tag match, Eddie Edwards & Chris Hero vs Jay Briscoe & Kevin Steen. A good competitive match here, and by far the best midcard match ROH has put on since they started this HDNet series. If they continue to provide matches like this in the midcard, then I'll be a happy man. Steen cleaning house is always good stuff, and he busted out the cannonball and moonsault here, so a definite thumbs up from me.

And then came the main event, Bryan Danielson vs Tyler Black. I had absolutely no idea who they were going to have go over here, and as the match progressed I still wasn't sure. Awesome match here, with both men giving all they had. Great moment when Danielson applys the surfboard move, and then pulls back Blacks head into a dragon sleeper position, looked sweet. Match ended in a time limit draw, which I think was a good result in the end. Without a doubt ROHs best match on HDNet, and may even be the best tv match of the year so far.

Was it from this past week? I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Infact I think Ive missed last week's too, last main event I saw was Lynn/ Brodie Lee, two week's ago?

Dark City Fight Club, they've just been thrown small jobber's (though they looked good throwing Cheech and Cloudy about lol), wouldn't mind seeing them against Steen and Generico, or the Briscoes, see how they do in a match were their defensive isn't minimal. Grizzley Redwood, the Littlest Lumberjack, that guy is great, really get's the crowd going, not seen Andy Ridge though.

On 'Pussy Foot', not really a fan, he's the same as Kenny Omega (apart from that lame arse Street Fighter thing Omega does). Can imagine the McGuiness promo, he's gold when he's got one of these guy's to rip into lol.

What's your thought's on Chris Hero, Gunz? And the whole loaded elbow pad thing, those spinning elbow's look lethal enough without the pad. Hero is defo the stand out of Sweet and Sour Inc, imo. Not really a fan of the American Wolves though. Just wondering why they're putting half of tag team's together, understandable with Jay, as Mark's injured (still?), but why have Steen without Generico? And Edwards without Richards? Steen and Briscoe had that biiiiig fued too, they knocked the shit outta each other on a number of occasion's. Good for the match quality I supose, but bad for the booking aspect? And Larry Sweeney has left ROH?? Any news on that?

Can imagine how this went, though I liked Tyler better when he was with AOTF, I thought he was gonna get pushed straight to the ROH title. Dragon, best in the world, say's it all really dont it lol. Pure gold every time, been enjoying his bout's with Jerry Lynn, and Austin Aries. Though Im a little sceptical of all the time limit draw's alately, it put's both the wrestler's over big time, true, but there's other way's to put both over while ending in a dq or something, which, seeing as how the Age Of The Fall and Austin Aries came to beat the shit outta Tyler Black afterward's, would've been a viable option too. But I haven't actually watched it yet, so Il have to see how it went down, and as your saying it's one of the best TV matches this year, might not have gone over as much with a different finish? Looking forward to seeing this episode.

I'm a big fan of Chris Hero's even more so since he's taken on this more serious persona. He's good in the ring, on the mic and interacts well with the fans too. I really believe he could have what it takes to make the jump to the likes of WWE.

American Wolves I quite like, I think Davey Richards has been great the last few months anyway, and Eddie Edwards is ok too. Don't know why they had the mixed tag teams on this show, wasn't really explained, although they did have a prematch promo with The Briscoes saying they don't trust that husky Kevin Steen, and Steen acknowledges their history but says they need to unite against a common enemy.

Not really sure what's happened with Larry Sweeney. I heard he has bipolar disorder, and that somehow got him in trouble, leading to his leaving. Not really seen any complete details on it though. I think a lot of guys that he was managing may struggle a bit now to get the same sort of reactions.

I thought Tyler Black was headed for the top also, but I guess McGuiness' injury messed that up even though he has wrestled matches for other promotions since. I'm not a fan of all the non-finishes which have become common-place since Pearce took over booking, but I think in this instance it worked well, although I suppose it would have been better if there hadn't been so many similar finshes as of late.

You think they'l carry on using the Sweet N' Sour stable? Theres still Hero, The Wolves, Hagadorn (if he's still there), Go Shiozaki, Sara Del Rey, maybe other's (Toland?)? Larry Sweeney WAS Sweet N' Sour, dont think it would be the same without the Super Agent.

Ive heard good thing's about Hero and Castagnoli when they were King's Of Wrestling though, now both are heels, and Castagnoli hasn't been doing much, bar the odd fued's on the lower card end, if the stable does come to an end, would be good to see these two together again.

The Wolves, they do have a good look, Davey is the standout, and they have had some good matches I admit (their first vs. Briscoes and Castagnoli and McGuiness at All Star Extravaganza was pretty good), but they seem just so average in the mix of the rest of the ROH locker room. But Ive still got a couple of month's of ROH to catch up on to see how they are doing as of late.

Future HDNet Taping Result:

Spoiler:

I think Sweet & Sour Inc. pretty much has to be abandoned with Larry Sweeney gone. I think maybe some of the guys who still need a mouthpiece, could be picked up by The Embassy which I suppose would become the main heel faction in ROH. Hero & Castagnoli together again could be good, as while both are talented, neither really seems to be doing much in the singles ranks.

Not entirely sure just how good the American Wolves are either, I've only just finished watching night 2 of Proving Ground, and I've not exactly been watching the HDNet shows on a regular basis. I think I might have taken to them instantly based on their entrance music being Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden, although I assume that's now changed for something shitty and generic. I do think them being thrust into the title situation is a bit too soon, and seems to be a case of them trying to rush them as the next big stars of the tag division.