ROH on HDNet
Philadelphia, PA
June 20, 2009

Your hosts are Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood.

Hogewood announces Austin Aries as the NEW ROH world champion to become the one and only former ROH champ ever to regain the title.

• Claudio Castagnoli vs. Necro Butcher
  

Where is Prince Nana? Wasn’t Nana just managing him? They’re getting really inconsistent with who is managing who lately. I know Claudio isn’t a part of the Embassy, but isn’t Necro Butcher supposed to be battling Claudio because of what happened last week with Grizzly Redwood? Anyways, they brawl to the floor where Necro tosses Castagnoli around by his scarf. Back in, Claudio avoids an O’Connor roll and resorts to eye-gouging to set up a Bicycle Kick. Claudio keeps Necro grounded with elbow drops. Necro mounts a comeback and gets that O’Connor roll he wanted earlier. Violence Party sets up a running bulldog for two. Claudio counters a Chokeslam, but gets caught up top for a surprise rana from Necro. Enter Jimmy Rave. He hawks a loogie at Necro. Rave’s presence in the ring distracts the ref long enough for Claudio to field goal kick Necro in the balls for the 1-2-3. (5:53) The Castagnoli/Rave beatdown brings out Brent Albright for the save. Looks like a tag team match is in our future. They really need to get more creative with their feuds on this TV show. ¾*

• SHIMMER Champion MsChif (w/Jimmy Jacobs) vs. Nevaeh
  

Nevaeh’s cute, but she’s got no spunk. Just so you know, this is non-title. She does the Shawn Michaels flip escape out of a hiptoss, followed by the Curt Hennig running neck snap. MsChif comes back with a back fist and jumps down on Nevaeh’s shoulders in the corner. Nevaeh gets her foot pulled stretched back on her shoulder blades! ROH crowd ~ “This is awesome!” MsChif drops her down across her knee, but then misses a quebrada. Nevaeh hits a series of clotheslines and a neckbreaker gets two. German suplex gets another two. Jimmy Jacobs hops in the ring to distract Nevaeh and the ref while MsChif makes herself ready for the GREEN MIST~! Nevaeh is so blinded that the DESECRATOR is fairly academic. (4:01) Decent women’s match, but they need more women on here if they’re going to use the term ‘women of honor’. So far there’s only MsChif, Haze, Del Ray, and now Nevaeh on the show. *½

Colt Cabana and Brent Albright shill ROH merchandise. Brent doesn’t wear a shirt and just has his mic duct-taped to his chest. Fun stuff. BUY RING OF HONOR DVD’S! Why? Because they exist.

Stills are shown from the Manhattan Mayhem III show where Austin Aries made history by recapturing the ROH world title in a three-way match including the former champ Jerry Lynn and Tyler Black.

Ric Flair comes out and puts the company over one last time before stepping down as the ROH Ambassador.

• Kenny King (w/Rhett Titus & a couple skanks) vs. Kenny Omega
  

Not too many things about wrestling is creepier than hearing Hogewood talk about three-ways that don’t pertain to wrestling. Anyways, four weeks ago, Omega pinned King in a triple-threat match and now King is here to prove he can beat Omega any day of the week. Particularly on Saturdays though. Basic armdraggery to start. King ducks the Kotaro Krusher and gets kicked out to ringside with a mule kick. Omega misses a baseball slide on King Titus, gets grabbed by Titus for a King somersault off the apron, and breaks free as King wipes out Titus. Omega steps up his game with a somersault plancha out on the twosome down on the floor. Inside the ring, Omega avoids the handspring kick, but gets tripped up by Titus. Now King starts looking all confident as he roughs Omega up on the mat. Omega gets caught up top to set up a Roundhouse Kick from King! Meanwhile, Rhett Titus MARKS OUT and takes a victory lap around the ring. Just when all seems to be going great for King, Omega shoves off a superplex and levels King with a huge flying bodypress! Kotaro Krusher gets 1-2-NO! King sees the Flash Man’s Time Stopper coming and nails Omega with the handspring kick. Elijah Express from King! Holy crap that was awesome. Cover, 1-2-NO! Titus helps out King by grabbing hold of Omega long enough for King to blast him with a Jumping Enziguri. CORONATION! Cover, 1-2-NO! Looks like King is going for the Burning Hammer when Omega slips out into a sunset flip for 1-2-NO! That’s how he beat King last time, but not today. Flash Man’s Time Stopper connects! King escapes a Dragon Suplex attempt, allowing Titus to grab hold of Omega again from the apron. Heel miscommunication ensues. King walks backwards into a Reverse Hurracanrana by Omega to set up CROYT’S WRATH for the porpoise slapping three-count. (8:17) King Titus continues to double-team Omega after the bell until Erick Stevens runs in and chases them away. ***¼

• Eddie Kingston vs. Andy “Right Leg” Ridge
  

Apparently Eddie Kingston was suspended for punching down a ref four weeks ago during a match with Chris Hero and now he’s back. Ridge gets in one kick with his right leg and then gets popped in the face. Kingston’s signature chops are followed by some overhead suplexes. Crowd wants Hero. Ridge catches Kingston charging in the corner with his right foot and delivers a knee strike with his right knee before getting wiped out with the SPINNING BACKFIST. (1:42) I don’t really care for Kingston. Guess I just don’t see his appeal. ½*

Kyle Durden is standing by with Jimmy Jacobs to talk about the first ‘Fight Without Honor’ match on HDNet. I would have never figured Jacobs to be a Janis Joplin fan. Seriously though, great promo on Delirious.

• KENTA vs. Roderick Strong
  

Despite being a huge wrestling star in Japan for the past five years, KENTA has finally made it to American television. He’s easily one of my favorite active wrestlers. Both guys use their speed early: KENTA avoids the chops of Strong, Strong avoids the kicks of KENTA. They give up on that strategy and just start trading chops and kicks on each other. Jumping shin kick from Strong stops the craziness as both guys retreat to opposite sides of the ring. Geez, KENTA’s chest is already purple in the first two minutes. KENTA corners Strong and brings him out. Strong tries a sunset flip, but KENTA stands strong and nearly kicks Strong’s head off. KENTA corners Strong again and delivers forearms and kicks. He whips Strong across and charges, but gets caught and launched half-way across the ring. KENTA dares the chops and Strong happily obliges. Strong hits his first backbreaker of the match and begins to work the back. KENTA fires back with a series of clotheslines and a Flying Lariat gets 1-2-NO! Strong dumps KENTA out to the apron and brings him back inside with a slingshot falcon arrow for two. That was cool. Billy Robinson-style backbreaker gets two for Strong. KENTA elbows out of the Fireman’s Carry Gutbuster and explodes with a bunch of kicks and a springboard dropkick adds the exclamation point. From there, KENTA follows up with a Yakuza Kick and the Hesitation Dropkick. Sitout powerbomb from KENTA gets 1-2-NO! KENTA RUUUUUSH! Cover, 1-2-NO! Strong avoids the GO2SLEEP like the plague and hits a superplex for two. He goes for the STRONGHOLD, but KENTA grabs the ropes. They fight to the floor where KENTA charges Strong, who gets caught and dropped back-first on the corner of the apron! Back in, Strong covers for 1-2-NO! Fireman’s Carry Gutbuster! Yakuza Kick gets 1-2-NO! GIBSON DRIVER is countered into the GO2SLEEP and yeah, Roderick goes to sleep. (12:16) Great TV debut for KENTA. He didn’t do too much here, yet looked good enough for you to care about him. There’ll be time for him to pull out some of his other tricks in the future. ***¼

Next week: The ROH World Tag Team Champions the American Wolves
defend against Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black! Plus, Delirious battles Jimmy Jacobs in another ‘Fight Without Honor’.