Ring of Honor presents Era of Honor Begins
Date: February 23rd, 2002
From: Philadelphia, PA

This is the first show of Ring of Honor. A video of the wrestlers on the show is shown.

Opening Contest: Da Hit Squad defeated the Christopher Street Connection
The CSC are two homosexual partners, which gets a good amount of heat from the crowd. Before the match, one of CSC members kisses another guy in the crowd. Judging by the guys friends reactions, he isn’t gay. Mace and Puffy proceed to make out in the crowd and the crowd is going nuts out of disgust. Da Hit Squad come in and attack the CSC, Mack and Mafia with a few suplex’s which causes the CSC guys to land on their head. Mafia plants Mace with the Burning Hammer for the easy win. (5/10)
After the match, Mafia wants a table. Puffy is placed on the table and Mafia power bombs Allison Danger off the middle rope onto Puffy through the table. Monsta Mack cuts a promo putting over ROH as being the best wrestling promotion, as does Mafia.

Second Contest: Amazing Red defeated Jay Briscoe
Red gets a pretty good reception. Briscoe has his brother Mark Briscoe by his side. Early on, Jay sends Red over the top to the floor to get control of the match. Jay leaps over the top rope and connects with a cross body on Red. Red gets a few right hands in but is met with a spinning heel kick by Jay. Red connects with a dropkick. Jay rakes the eyes of Red after faking a handshake. Red with a hard kick to the back of the head of Jay. Briscoe reverses a tornado DDT, places Red on the top turnbuckle and connects with a Muscle Buster. Red fights back and plants Briscoe with a brain buster for a near fall. Jay connects with a big yakuza kick to stop Red. Jay goes for a cover but Red manages to get his foot on the bottom rope. Red goes to springboard from one turnbuckle, Briscoe is on another, Briscoe leaps off across the ring and hits Red in midair. Jay takes Red down with a overhead suplex with Red landing on his head. Jay misses a senton splash. Red connects with the Red Alert and a standing Red Star Press for the win! (7/10)
After the match, they shake hands.

Third Contest: Xavier defeated Scoot Andrews
“AC Slater” chant directed towards Xavier. Both men trade several moves, mostly mat wrestling and two dropkicks. Andrews reverses a head scissors into a face buster. Andrews follows up with a dropkick. Heel kick by Andrews for a near fall. Xavier dangerously drops Andrews face first into the mat. Andrews with a whiplash move out of the corner, sending Xavier down to the mat back first. Andrews reverses a running bulldog into a clothesline. Andrews misses a top rope leg drop. Running forearm smash by Xavier. Several forearms in the corner to the chest of Xavier. Several knee strikes to head by Xavier. Suplex by Xavier for a near fall. Andrews reverses a sunset flip into a reverse DDT. Andrews with the Force of Nature (sit down power slam). Xavier has his foot underneath the ropes, Xavier rolls to the floor to recover. Xavier reverses another Force of Nature attempt connecting with a neck breaker for the win! (4/10)
After the match, Andrews almost doesn’t shake Xavier’s hand, but he eventually does.

Backstage, the CSC are recovering from their beating by Da Hit Squad. Spanky is dancing, which catches the eye of Puffy.

Fourth Contest: Divine Storm/Brian XL defeated Spanish Announce Team
(Ultimate Aerial Elimination Match)
Mikey Whipwreck grabs the microphone and introduces Amazing Red who will be teaming with the Maximo Brothers. Joel with a hurricanrana on Quiet Storm early on. Divine dropkicks Joel to the floor. XL comes in and connects with a hurricanrana on Jose. Joel with  dropkick off the top onto Storm, XL dropkicks Joel off the top. Storm with a  suicide dive on several wrestlers on the floor. Jose with a suicide dive to the floor. Red with a  somersault splash to the floor onto everyone on the floor. XL with a springboard moonsault onto everyone. XL is on the shoulders of Red while the Maximo’s lift Red up but are planted by Divine Storm with neck breakers which causes Red to drop XL with a electric chair! Divine with a Russian leg sweep on Jose and XL connects with a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Storm takes Joel down with two Northern Lights suplex’s. Jose power bombs Red onto Storm! XL with a nice reversal on Red who was going for a sunset flip where XL slams Red down while he was underneath him! Red backs into Jose who doesn’t know it’s Red and goes for a backslide pin and eliminates Red. Storm with the Spinal Shock on XL to eliminate XL. Spanish Fly on Divine and a German suplex by Storm on Jose to cause both men to be eliminated. Joel with a sick pump handle slam in which Joel sits down during the move but Storm kicks out. Storm plants Joel with the Cradle Driver for the win! (7.5/10)

Fifth Contest: Spanky/Ikaika Loa defeated Michael Shane/Oz
All four men are students at the Texas Wrestling Academy. The man who gets the pin fall will get a ROH contract. Oz with two spinning sidekicks to knock Spanky and Loa down early on. Oz with a exploder suplex on Loa. Shane takes Loa down with a head scissors takedown. Shane and Spanky trade a series of rights hands and chops. Shane catches Spanky in midair and connects with a power slam. Several moments later, Spanky and Shane are in the ring going at it, with Spanky connecting with a spinning heel kick. Bow and arrow submission on Shane by Spanky. Loa comes in and drops Shane with a back suplex. Oz and Spanky get the tag, Oz with several clotheslines on Spanky. Fisherman suplex by Oz for a near fall. Oz sends Loa over the top where Loa lands hard on the apron back and neck first. Shane with a big flying elbow from the top onto Spanky for a near fall. Spanky is playing to the crowd and is planted by Oz with a German suplex. Double flapjack on Loa. Shane with a super kick on Spanky who was charging the corner. Moments later, Spanky connects with the Slice Bread #2 on Oz to pick up the win and a ROH contract! (5/10)

Sixth Contest: Super Crazy defeated © Eddie Guerrero to win the title
(IWA Puerto Rico Intercontinental Championship)
Both men get good receptions from the crowd. The crowd loves Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero doesn’t shake Crazy’s hand. Guerrero with a boot scrape and a vertical suplex early on. Guerrero with several right hands and a uppercut. Crazy takes Guerrero down with a couple of arm drags one from the top rope. Guerrero drops Crazy off the apron, who hits his head on the apron. Guerrero plants Crazy with a brain buster back in the ring. Guerrero with a fall away slam for a near fall. Crazy battles back with a dropkick to the back of Guerrero’s head. Crazy goes to the apron, springboards off the middle rope and connects with a moonsault for a near fall. Top rope dropkick by Crazy for a near fall. Guerrero with a top rope hurricanrana for a near fall. Guerrero with a vicious power bomb but only gets a two count. Guerrero follows up with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Guerrero with two brain busters on Crazy! Guerrero rolls through a frog splash attempt, and is rolled up by Crazy who manages to pick up the win and title! (8/10)
After the match, Guerrero shakes Crazy’s hand.

Backstage, Christopher Daniels just rolls his eyes when he sees Super Crazy and Eddie Guerrero backstage.

Also backstage, Low KI cuts a brief promo mentioning the guys he will be facing in the main event.

Main Event: Low-Ki defeated Christopher Daniels and American Dragon
Ki and Dragon double team Daniels with chops early on. However, their teamwork is short lived and they begin to battle as well. Daniels with right hands on both Ki and Dragon. Ki with a nice dropkick on Dragon. Daniels places Dragon in the corner and places him in the tree of woe, where Ki connects with a running dropkick. Ki with several kicks to the chest of Daniels. Dragon locks in Cattle Mutilation on Ki but is broken up by Daniels. Assisted leg drop on Dragon by Ki with help from Daniels. Daniels with a Boston Crab and a chin lock on Ki. Daniels with a gut wrench suplex on Dragon. Dragon comes back with several chops. Modified chicken wing by Dragon on Daniels. Ki with a kick to the thigh of Dragon to break up the hold. Dragon still has his leg tangled with Daniels, Dragon with a still manages to take Ki down with a  nice fisherman suplex. Dragon and Ki trade a series of stiff kicks to their backs. Daniels suffers several kick by Dragon and Ki. Daniels with a neck breaker/DDT combo on both Ki and Daniels after reversing a double vertical suplex attempt. Double yakuza kick on Daniels. Dragon with more stiff kicks on Ki. Ki with a nice tornado DDT on Dragon after being lifted into the air by Daniels. Daniels with a  abdominal stretch on the top rope on Dragon. Ki locks in a dragon sleeper on Daniels while in the tree of woe. Daniels with the Blue Thunder Driver on Dragon for a near fall. Daniels with a belly to back suplex, while Dragon has Ki set up for a superplex off the top. Dragon with a judo DDT on Daniels. Dragon suplex on Daniels for a near fall. Dragon clutch by Ki on Dragon but is broken up by Daniels. Best Moonsault Ever on Ki but Dragon breaks up the count. Ki with a handspring into a jumping kick on Daniels in the corner. Dragon with the Cattle Mutilation on Daniels, Ki with a corkscrew 450 splash onto Dragon. Ki with the Ki Krusher on Daniels and picks up the hard  fought win! (9/10)
After the match, Dragon grabs the microphone and says that Ki didn’t beat Dragon. He challenges Ki t a singles match next month. Daniels tells both Dragon and Ki to go to hell. He is convinced that he can beat both men, in the same night , in singles matches. Ki and Dragon shake hands, but Daniels refuses and simply walks to the back.

End of show

My Take: The opening tag team match may have been quick and one sided but it was very entertaining. The CSC appears to be a big hit already for ROH judging by the crowds response to them. I would think CSC will be on future ROH shows. Red/Briscoe was a fun fast pace contest that saw both men get some good offense in. I believe at this point both men were under the age of 22. I know that Mark Briscoe is only 18. The younger Xavier going over Scoot Andrews was the right move. Another fun match with the SAT, Divine Storm and XL. Spanky and Michael Shane are clearly the better students from that Texas Wrestling Academy match. I’d think Shane will be getting a contract as well. Crazy/Guerrero and the Triple Threat match were exciting contests that finished off a good first show for ROH.

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