ROH on HDNet
Philadelphia, PA
August 17, 2009

Your hosts are Dave Prazak and Mike Hogewood.

ROH makes its Monday night debut!

We take a look back to the ending of last week’s show where Steenerico and the American Wolves tore it up all over the arena.

• Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards (w/Shane Hagadorn)
  

The partners are BANNED from ringside for this match. Steen stomps a mudhole and walks it dry all over Edwards to start. Edwards backdrops out the PACKAGE PILEDRIVER attempt and rolls through to kick Steen in the chest. Steen explodes out of the corner with a clothesline and follows through with the senton. He clotheslines Edwards to the floor and goes for a dive, but Hagadorn grabs Steen’s foot with his good arm. That just sets up Steen as Hagadorn baits him over to a high knee to the back from Edwards. He tries to get the countout victory by bashing Steen into the barricade a couple times, but Steen makes it back in at the count of 18. Steen avoids the CHIN CHECKER (backpack stunner) and counters with a Diamond Dust. With Edwards down in the corner, Steen takes advantage with not one, but TWO cannonball splashes. Somersault legdrop gets two. However, Edwards stops Steen up top with an enziguri and brings him down with the CHIN CHECKER. Cover, 1-2-NO!

Hogewood ~ “It’s the heart keeps him alive.”

Steen kicks away a half-crab and applies the SHARPSHOOTER, but Edwards makes the ropes. Flying Codebreaker sets up a knee strike from Edwards for 1-2-NO! Steen grabs hold of the ropes to prevent a whip and delivers a Pumphandle Half Nelson Driver on the knee for 1-2-NO! Edwards slips out of the PACKAGE PILEDRIVER and nails Steen with an enziguri. Hagadorn tosses in a chair, which Steen retrieves and KO’s Edwards to prime him for the Senton Bomb for the 1-2-3. (10:17) It’s like a double main event show here! One of the better openers from this program. ***

Hype video for tonight’s main event airs.

Next, we see a video package talking up the Young Bucks.

That sets up a Kyle Durden interview with the return of the Dark City Fight Club. Jon Davis doesn’t have medical clearance to wrestle because of a wrist injury, but he didn’t need that in the streets just to beat somebody up. If you don’t like that, do something about it. They dare you. And Kyle gets a pimp slap across the face. Nice.

• Cheech & Cloudy vs. Sal Rinauro & Tony Kozina
  

The music for these two teams is something completely ridiculous. Rinauro and Kozina are another miss-match team in ROH where Rinauro is a tool and Kozina is wound up a little too tight. Rinauro works the whole match as Kozina just can’t chill out and get it together. He trips inside the ring reaching over the ropes for a tag and gets knocked off the apron while Rinauro tastes PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF CHEECH (6-1-9/running dropkick combo). That cues the Dark City Fight Club as they clear the ring. Since Kozina was on the floor and didn’t get beat up, he thinks they’re pals. DARK CITY STREET CUTTER to Kozina! (2:37) SLAP THE PORPOISE. ¾*

Kyle Durden introduces Sonjay Dutt to the HDNet audience.

• Necro Butcher vs. Sami Callahan
  

Has CZW invaded ROH again? Prazak informs us that Necro has his ankle taped up due to Jimmy Rave recently injuring him with the heel hook. Callahan attacks Necro at the bell. That doesn’t last long as Necro beats Callahan back down into the ring with fists-a-blazing. We go to the floor where Necro lifts up the ringside mats and chair slams Sami on the exposed concrete. Back in, Callahan ends a Violence Party in the corner with a stomp on Necro’s injured ankle. Sliding Clothesline gets two. Callahan grabs the electrical-taped ankle and starts BITING his foot. Alright, that’s all kinds of nasty. Then again, this guy is a CZW idiot, so it can’t be the dumbest thing he’s ever done. Necro can’t run off the ropes, but he can punch you in the face. Necro goes for the stapler and Callahan wisely stomps him on the ankle again. Callahan slips out of a powerbomb, but gets punched right in the face again. That sets him up easily for the TIGER DRIVER, which gives Necro the victory. (4:43) Necro sold the ankle really well. Common sense says if your ankle hurts, you can’t run. **

Colt Cabana, Brent Albright, and Grizzly Redwood come down to ask Necro Butcher to be on his team to take on the Embassy in an eight-man elimination tag match. When he’s asked if he’s hardcore enough, he grabs Sami Callahan and STAPLE GUNS his head! Colt ~ “A simple ‘yes’ would have done, but okay.”

Kyle Durden screws up again this week with the ROH world champion by asking him stupid questions. Like, “How’s your day?” The only thing that matters is the belt and Austin Aries. He’s tired of everybody talking about other things like Nigel McGuinness stirring the pot, or Jerry Lynn finally having reality slap in the face saying that it’s time to hang it up, or Tyler Black not keeping his eye on the prize. It don’t mean JACK SQUAT! To wrap it up, Austin Aries just might possibly be the greatest man alive.

• Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black
  

So Nigel never had double bicep surgery, which means his arms are not at 100% whatsoever. That means you take away all his lariats. Is he still as interesting? We’ll see. Lengthy feeling out process to start. Nigel goes after the arm and starts twisting and pulling it in directions it doesn’t belong. Black gets tired of his abuse and slaps the crumpets right out of Nigel’s mouth. Tyler trips up McGuinness and catches him with a slingshot leg lariat for two. Nigel walks away from a possible somersault plancha. That draws Tyler out to beat him back into the ring. McGuinness comes back with a Divorce Court DDT and reverts back to the arm work. Again, more twisting and pulling in directions God never intended. Black fights the TOWER OF LONDON pretty hard and catches Nigel with a dropkick. McGuinness rolls to the floor and takes the somersault plancha Tyler wanted earlier. While he’s on the outside, Black decides to moonsault McGuinness off the barricade. Back in, Black gets the Springboard Clothesline for 1-2-NO! Nigel counters GOD’S LAST GIFT with a small package for two. Tyler misses a corner charge and Nigel hits him with the short kick to the back followed up by a clubbing forearm to the chest. That normally would have been a lariat instead. Black flips out of another TOWER OF LONDON attempt into the PAROXYSM! Cover, 1-2-NO! Quebrada misses and Nigel goes for the LONDON DUNGEON, but Tyler rolls through into a cradle for 1-2-NO! McGuinness crotches Black and tries a flying lariat, but Tyler ducks. Nigel avoids a second Springboard Clothesline and goes for the JAWBREAKER LARIAT. Black counters and floats around into a Buckle Bomb attempt, but Nigel sunset flips out for 1-2-NO! Great exchange right there. LONDON DUNGEON, but Tyler reaches the ropes. Black shoves off another TOWER OF LONDON, but runs into a boot and takes a reverse suplex back onto the top turnbuckle for the TOWER OF LONDON! Instead of covering him, Nigel celebrates and goes for the LONDON DUNGEON, but Tyler kicks him away for another JAWBREAKER LARIAT. Tyler ducks that and hits GOD’S LAST GIFT out of nowhere for the 1-2-3. (16:51) Dang, first a win over Bryan Danielson and now Nigel McGuinness? That’s some push. Kind of a lackluster main event considering Nigel isn’t yet to be at 100%, but still a great match with fantastic storytelling. I would say Tyler Black will be ROH world champion by November. Christmas at the extreme latest. ***½

Next Monday night, ROH world champ Austin Aries battles Roderick Strong! Plus, we’ll talk with the former ROH world champ Jerry Lynn to see what his future holds.