ROH Richards vs. Daniels (10/16/10)

ROH Richards vs. Daniels 2010
October 16th, 2010
Chicago Ridge Park District, Chicago Ridge, Illinois
Attendance: ???

Pretty hotly anticipated show here from ROH as tonight we've got the first ROH encounter between The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels and the self-proclaimed best wrestler on the planet Davey Richards along with the in-ring return of Homicide and several grudge matches.


Your hosts are Kevin Kelly and Dave Prazak


Kyle O'Reilly/Adam Cole vs. Kenny King/Rhett Titus

O'Reilly had a great 2010 thanks to his exposure in EVOLVE, so much so that ROH decided to sign O'Reilly and have him tag with Adam Cole. It's worked out pretty well so far as they've been impressive in almost all of their matches. O'Reilly and Titus start us off with each man counter the other's waistlock attempts. King and Cole tag in seconds later, with King working a side headlock. Armdrag and King starts wrenching back on Cole's left arm. O'Reilly tags back in and tries a headlock but King and Titus hit him with a slingshot leg and elbow drop combo. Big spinebuster gets King a two count. Titus and King trade frequent tags, trying to isolate O'Reilly in their corner as the crowd starts to awaken. They do a really contrived two-man Dragon screw legwhip spot that gets a big pop for O'Reilly. Come on guys that was silly. Cole tags in now and gives Titus a slingshot DDT onto the ring apron! Big enziguri to King when he tries to help and then Cole comes off the top with a bodypress on King as O'Reilly suplexes him at the same time! Double superkick to Titus and then a big lariat gets O'Reilly a two count. Tag rules have broken down now as all four men are in the ring now. Cole then get's dropped face-first on the top turnbuckle and thrown to the floor. An extremely weak looking knee finishes it for Titus and the All Night Express at 11:01. Pretty good stuff for the most part, O'Reilly and Cole looked good again but Titus just doesn't do it for me, not sure why. Decent opener. **¾


Ricky Reyes vs. Andy Ridge

Ridge is a recent ROH school grad getting a try-out in the trial series while Reyes is better known as one half of the Pitbulls tag team alongside Rocky Romero. Unfortunately almost all of the talent in that tag team belongs to Romero, so I don't exactly forsee this being a match of the year candidate. Reyes refuses to shake hands for the Code of Honor before the match. Back feeling out process in the opening stages with Reyes taking Ridge down momentarily with a takedown. Big knee right to Reyes' face sends him to the floor and Ridge tries to follow him out with a tope, but Reyes kicks him in the face instead and slams him to the floor. Double underhook suplex back in the ring gets Reyes a two count. They fight to the outside again, trading chops before sliding back in. Snap suplex for another two count for Reyes. Ridge slingshots in with a chinbreaker and gets a two count of his own. Sitout powerbomb from Reyes but Ridge gets the shoulder up. Brainbuster gets Reyes another two and Ricky is starting to get frustrated. Ridge comes back with backbreaker but then Reyes gives him an old-fashioned twisting neckbreaker and that's enough to put Ridge away at 8:48. Not bad, Ridge actually looked pretty good and I could see him earning a permanent roster spot in the future. Nothing special though. *¾


Backstage Daizee Haze cuts a promo on Lady JoJo. Afterwards Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly cut a good promo on their future despite two losses that weekend. Cole and O'Reilly definitely have bigger things ahead of them.


Daizee Haze/Jamilla Craft vs. Lady JoJo/Nevaeh

Haze is really the only one here worth a damn, so this doesn't look good. JoJo and Haze starts us off with a wristlock. Craft quickly tags in and continues the armwork. Craft is one of Daizee's first graduates from the women's ROH school, so who knows, maybe she'll be good. She and Haze trade quick tags, continuing the arm work on JoJo. Big boot from JoJo and she tags Nevaeh in. Kevin Kelly starts telling some story about how Moolah and Mae Young made him appreciate women's wrestling when he was on the road with them. Because the WWF was so about quality women's wrestling in the Attitude Era, right. JoJo tags back in and slaps a chinlock on Craft. She and Nevaeh trade quick tags but Craft is able to get the lukewarm tag to Daizee who makes the comeback with a running clothesline and a bridging northern lights suplex for two. Daizee hits a fisherman's suplex for another close two and Craft comes in with a chinbreaker. Tag rules have broken down now as the women fight in and out of the ring right now. Big dive from Haze wipes out JoJo on the floor, but Naveah rolls up the young Craft and gets the 3 count at 8:57. Not too bad actually, but not exactly miles above the Divas in the WWE either. Haze looked good as always though, both aesthetically and athletically. *½


Backstage the All Night Express cut a promo on the Kings of Wrestling.


Homicide vs. Kevin Steen

Homicide is still pretty newly returned to ROH having shown up at Glory By Honor in September after TNA finally released him. Both men just go AT IT at soon as the bell rings, laying in stiff closed fists back and forth like two drunks at a hockey game. Homicide takes a bite out of Steen's forehead in the corner and Steen being the sick bastard he is returns the favor gladly, dining on both Homicide's forehead and hand. I can't help but chuckle as the referee screams "STOP BITING HIM KEVIN!" The crowd starts mocking Steen with the El Generico "Ole!" chants, which gives Homicide a chance to get his footing back and lay a few shots into Steen. Big back suplex from Steen gets a quick two count though. This is a dirty match with both men raking the eyes, biting, and going for cheap shots at every chance. Shoulderblock off the second rope sends Steen to the outside floor but Steen rolls back in before Homicide can go for his trademark tope con hilo. Homicide starts throwing steel chairs into the ring now as the crowd starts chanting "We want blood!". And people say ROH fans are rude. Homicide starts toying with a table but Steen interrupts him and starts slamming one of the big ROH barricade signs on Homicide. Steen gets thrown into the steel post and tries to retreat, grabbing another one of the sheet metal barriers. He tries to throw it into the ring but he can't get it over the top and the fans give him a ton of shit for it, so Steen just drops it and gives the damn SIGN a pair of elbow drops to a huge pop! Now that's something you don't see every day. Both men continue brawling on the outside, and they trade blows on the propped-up table. Steen asks the fans if they want to see him use the table, and then tells them to fuck off and heads back to the ring without it, which is just awesome. Steen misses the cannonball into the corner, but Homicide can't follow through with a body splash. Steen goes for a Swanton but Homicide get's the knees up again. Flying elbow smash from Homicide, but Steen comes back with a powerbomb-rollup combo for two. Homicide avoids the package piledriver and gives him a neckbreaker, but Steen won't stay down. Homicide misses a diving headbutt and Steen locks him in the crossface in a very Benoit-influenced sequence of moves. Kevin is nice enough to insult someone in the crowd's mother and then he tries to bite Homicide's ear off in Mike Tyson fashion. Ace crusher and a lariat out of nowhere for Homicide! 1-2--NOO! Steen kicks out. Steen counters out of the Cop Killer and gives him a pumphandle neckbreaker! 1-2--NOO! Homicide kicks out. Steen tries for a package piledriver off the top but Homicide hits the ace crusher instead for the win at 14:44! Great return match for Homicide here as he and Steen paired up well and wrestled an extremely unique match-up that put Homicide over (as it should) as being the same old sick mofo he ever was, disposing of the always disgusting Kevin Steen. ***½


The Metal Master vs. Mike Mondo

Yikes this doesn't look good. Mondo well...he just sucks, and the Metal Master peaked as a wrestler years ago in ROH when he went by his real name, Chad Collyer. Crowd is totally dead for this match and even Kevin Kelly and Dave Prazak don't seem interested, talking about Chris Hero's elbow pad of all things. Mondo misses a slingshot splash to the outside and the Metal Master follows him out with a tope. Good god Chad, I know you were given the Metal Master mask as a sign of respect from his trainers in Japan, but no one can take you seriously with that name. Dropkick back inside gets Mondo a two count. Master tries for a trio of German suplexes but Mondo escapes the third. Moonsault press from Mondo gets two. Brainbuster from Master gets two, and then he finishes with the crossface and Mondo taps to end the match at 7:23. Competent work, but nobody in the building cared even slightly. *¼


After the match Homicide puts over ROH and all of the young talent in the back big time, but Steen hits the ring again after Homicide mentions El Generico and they have to be separated by the ring officials.


Non-Title Tag Team Elimination Match
Chris Hero/Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mark Briscoe/Jay Briscoe

No titles on the line here, which is kind of strange, but could give this somewhat tired match-up a nice change of pace. I guess that's what the elimination stipulation is for too. All four men battle outside to begin the match, slamming eachother into the barricades. They make their way into the ring and Mark tries a camel clutch on Castagnoli to mixed results. Claudio tags Hero in and they both choke Mark for a bit with their boots. Jay tags in now and hits Hero with a dropkick for a two. Things break own again with both Briscoes hitting somersault planchas onto the Kings on the outside! Back inside the Kings lay the boots into Jay in a manner Stone Cold would be proud of. Big swing from Claudio and Hero hits the dropkick for a close two count. Mark tags back in now and moonsaults onto Hero for a two count while Jay drags Claudio to the floor. Missile dropkick/legdrop combo by the Briscoes but it only gets a two count. Shane Hagadorn hands the loaded elbow pad to Hero though and he smashes Mark in the face with it and pins him to eliminate him at 10:31. Big gut-wrench suplex to Jay out on the floor by Claudio! He tosses Jay back inside and and Mark has to be dragged away from the ringside area. You have to think it's easy pickings for the Kings from here. Jay tries to mount some offense, kicking out of every move he's given but Jay is exhausted now from being double-teamed for so long. Suddenly Jay hits Claudio with the Jay Driller though while Hero and Hagadorn are distracted on the outside, and Claudio is eliminated at 13:32! Hero tries to smash Jay with the loaded elbow pad but Jay counters with a backslide and actually scores the 3 count at 13:51! Nice finish there as they went the opposite way you'd expect and gave Jay the upset, but considering the great matches these two teams have had in the past, this contest just doesn't quite stack up. **¾


I Quit Match
Colt Cabana vs. Steve Corino

Kevin Steen is at ringside in a straight jacket, just making this an even more wild affair. Bing quebrada from Colt to start and then he slaps on an armbar briefly. They fight to the outside, slamming each other into the guardrails as Kevin Steen screams at Colt. Some fan tries to start some shit with Steen and Kevin kisses the guy on the lips! Steen is fucking crazy, seriously. Corino applies a figure four back in the ring but Colt won't quit. Corino avoids an attempt at the Billy Goat's Curse and a bit Colt Cabana chant starts up as we're in his hometown of Chicago. Steen applies the Cattle Mutilation to Corino back in the ring and Steve is screaming like a wounded animal. Corino can't quite apply a cobra clutch so he clotheslines Colt instead and starts choking him with his wrist-tape. Corino goes to ringside and pulls out a glass bottle of beer and shatters it on the ring post to create a weapon. What is this, a 1950s bar fight Steve? Colt grabs it instead though and just stabs Steve in the arm, but it doesn't even puncture the skin. Well that kind of deflated the effect of that spot. Colt locks him in a Bow and Arrow submission now though and now Colt slices Steve's arm pretty good and we get a fair amount of blood. Corino locks on a cobra clutch now and starts screaming at Colt in a scene that's reminiscent of Terry Funk screaming at Flair to quit back in '89. Billy Goat's Curse locked on by Colt, but Steen slides into the ring despite still being in a straightjacket. Corino gives Colt a stiff lariat and then takes the straightjacket off of Steen. Colt tries fighting them both off but he can't and Steen gives him the cannonball splash into the corner. Steen starts licking blood off of Colt's head (that's how people get diseases and stuff Kevin) and then brings a table into the ring, but Colt keeps trying to fight back. Corino threatens to literally kill Colt but Cabana won't say it. Steen ups the ante and tells Colt that he has to quit now or his entire family will have to watch him die. Finally some officials and what looks like ROH students try to take Steen out of the match, but Steen disposes of them easily. Colt smashes him with a chair though and Steen's out of it. Colt picks up the straightjacket and ties it onto Corino now and Colt gives him a few shots with a plastic folding chair. He picks him up and delivers a huge powerbomb to Corino right through the table! Cabana picks up a chunk of the broken table and starts grinding it into Corino's head ala Magnum and Tully and Corino finally quits at 16:59. This was obviously far from a technical match-up, it was meant to be a brutal and violent fight and that's exactly what it was. The finish was good too, so I'd call this match a success. ***¼


Davey Richards vs. Christopher Daniels

This match has been in the works ever since Daniels return to ROH at the Big Bang i-PPV last April basically where Daniels proclaimed he was the best wrestler in the world, a moniker that ROH fans had started giving to Davey Richards in 2010. Each man is cautious to start, trying for simple wrestling holds and takedowns. They do a nifty little armdrag-wristlock sequence right out of the Dynamite Kid's playbook and Richards hits a flying forearm for a two count on Daniels. Leg lariat from Daniels, but it won't even put Davey down for a two yet. Daniels gets dumped out of the ring and Richards throws him into the guardrails. Back inside Richards applies a modified Indian death lock, but Daniels quickly gets the rope break. Davey tears back on Daniels with a painful looking liontamer/Indian death lock. Wow even Chris Jericho would be jealous of that one Davey. Davey gets back-suplexed out of the ring and Daniels tries to go for a tope, but Richards evades, hits the ring and tries for one of his own only to meet Daniels fist. Daniels follows this with the Arabian moonsault and Davey crumbles to the outside floor! Crossbody off the top rope back in the ring gets Daniels a quick two. Kevin Kelly and Dave Prazak sell the match by saying neither man needs the win, they both just WANT to. Another Arabian moonsault from Daniels for yet another two count. Snap suplex from Richards followed by the old diving headbutt. 1-2---NOO! Daniels kicks out. Both men trade headbutts on the top rope until Richards gives him a superplex that only gets a two count. Big exchange of slaps and Kawada-style kicks, and then Daniels locks the Koji clutch on Davey, only for Richards to counter into the ankle lock. Daniels counters that with his OWN ankle lock and then gets tossed to the outside. But don't worry Daniels you won't be lonely because here comes Davey Richards, doing a somersault 20 feet into a crowd of people. Back inside the ring they trade more strikes and kicks. They both try for a superplex but Davey counters with a release German superplex that Kevin Kelly somehow manages to make sound corny as hell by proclaming "Oh my goodness!". 1-2---NOO! Daniels kicks out! Richards tries for the shooting star press but Daniels moves to his left and just slaps the Koji clutch on Richards as he hits the mat! That was creative. Both men fight to the apron area and Davey gets a Death Valley Driver on the apron! Davey just barely makes it back in the ring at the count of 19. Suddenly Daniels hits the Angel's Wings but Richards kicks out! The crowd can't believe it. Daniels goes for the Best Moonsault Ever, but Davey grabs his leg and applies the ankle lock once more! Richards is getting fired up now, hitting different strike combinations on Daniels like this was a Nintendo game or something. Richards keeps trying for that ankle lock though. Davey applies what I suppose could be considered an inverse Texas Clover Leaf submission, and Daniels has no choice but to tap out at 28:42! This definitely lived up to the hype as an indy dream match and though it might not quite be match of the year quality, it's still excellent and it puts Davey over great, even if he didn't need the rub. ****


After the match Richards and Daniels both put each other and Ring of Honor in a promo. Backstage Richards talks about how ironic it is that Daniels is now tapping out to him when he was nobody a few years ago. Elsewhere in the backstage area Shane Hagadorn lets us know that the Briscoes won't be getting another shot at the tag titles.

Bottom Line:

An above average show for sure here with a great main event in the Davey Richards-Christopher Daniels "dream match" and two extremely creative and downright violent in the Homicide/Steen and Colt/Corino matches, and there's nothing truly offensively bad on the card even if there is a bit of filler. There's enough good to outweigh the bad here, so Thumbs Up.


Score: 6.5/10