When I heard that ROH were holding All Star Extravaganza VI in Toronto I was pretty pleased. Over the last couple of years the city has gained a reputation as one of the best crowds the promotion attracts. The Toronto fans are enthusiastic, loud and appreciative. You can't really ask for much more from a wrestling audience. Putting them on iPPV for one of ROH's more significant shows of the year (the most significant between June's Best in the World and December's Final Battle) was a good call.
The crowd reacted as usual to the bigger matches on the
show but they didn't feel as enthused for aspects of the undercard. They
weren't quiet, just not as rambunctious as usual. But they were on form when it
counted though, and it counted a few times on this show.
After an opening video package which looked at various
members of the roster and (confusingly, I felt) referred to the company as a
whole as "legendary" the show got underway with a House of Truth
promo. The purpose of this was to announce that ACH hadn't shown up (he'd
missed his flight to Toronto, which may have harmed his standing with the
group), with Truth Martini announcing that Jay Lethal would have the night off
and not have to defend his TV title. Truth also stated that ACH now stands for
A Crack Head. Yeah, ACH's spot is definitely in jeopardy.
Cedric Alexander joined the gang and challenged Lethal to
a title match in ACH's place. Lethal said no, Cedric commented that Selezia had
bigger balls them him and Lethal, like a classic heel, immediately rose to the
bait and granted Cedric a match. The segment ended with the men shoving one
another and Lethal accidentally super kicking Selezia.
The opening match was Mark Briscoe versus Hanson, a match
that stemmed from War Machine and the Briscoe brothers trying to outdo each
other in terms toughness had having some pretty intense matches. It was a solid
opener that excited the crowd and toured all around the ring. Briscoe won with
his top rope frog elbow after avoiding a Hanson moonsault.
The commentary teams discussion of Elgin's desire to have
a long title reign and make the most defences in the title's history was
interrupted by Tommaso Ciampa. His desperate, unhinged gimmick is not terribly
convincing. It could improve over time, but right now I'm sticking with my
original belief that Ciampa is not a guy built for this sort of presentation or
character. And depression, which we are told Ciampa is suffering from, is not a
subject I feel is well suited to what is meant to be an escapist art form.
Match two was a four-way tag bout: Ethan Gabriel Owens
and Josh Alexander v BJ Whitmer and Adam page (of The Decade) v Caprice Coleman
and 'I've Misplaced My First Name' Watanabe v Moose and RD Evans. It felt a
little random but there was a lot to like. Coleman and Watanabe, with similar
heights and builds and wearing not entirely dissimilar entrance gear, looked
good together, and they're making the effort to act like a unit. Alexander and
Owens are a team I'd seen on an EVOLVE show and thought deserved a crack in the
larger ROH environment, so it was nice to see them get it. Evans, Moose and
their entourage were very over and Moose was (gasp!) showing a bit of
personality. And The Decade pairing were there to further the overall gimmick
of the group (respect them because they've been around for a while, yeah?) and
a story about Page being Whitmer's handpicked young boy.
This was another good match well received by the
audience. The large number of guys involved ensured a quick pace, with lots of high
spots and pin breakups thrown in to keep us on our toes. Naturally The New
Streak continued, Evans stealing the pin off a burning hammer into a power bomb
combo manoeuvre by Owens and Alexander on Page. Everyone else stood around
looking miffed as RD did his OTT celebration. It was enjoyable. I'm a big fan
of RD Evans' shtick in the usually serious ROH.
After Bad Influence, now The Addiction, recapped their
issues with The Decade (the heels interfered in a tag title match Daniels and
Kazarian had at Field of Honor) the two teams faced off. The former TNA world
tag team champions of the world won a slick but perhaps slightly too long match
with total elimination and an assisted gut buster on Roddy Strong. The
Addiction shook hands with Strong after the match, which led to Page shoving
Strong and Whitmer interjecting on his boy's behalf. Whitmer and Strong had
words before Jacobs talked them both around. A split is clearly on the way for
The Decade. I think there are still things they could do together bit maybe the
plan was only for them to remain affiliated for long enough to make a split and
rivalry mean something.
A really good Adam Cole video preceded his match with AJ
Styles. They started things slow and gradually upped the speed, setting up and
attempting to lock in their Calf Killer and figure four leg submission holds.
Cole, as the heel, would be the first man to get the advantage for an extended
period, super kicking Styles' knee as he attempted a springboard and then applying
the ring post figure four. In the ring Styles attempted to flip into a
hurricanrana but instead found himself placed in a traditional figure four. There
was a story going on: Cole was targeting his foe’s knee.
Styles dropped Cole with what Kevin Kelly described as a
suplex (it was more of a brainbuster) on the ring apron, following up with a
marvellous 450 splash back into the ring. The pair exchanged punches in the
corners before Styles was dropped head first onto Cole's knee for two. Moments
later Cole was floored with a Styles Clash. He didn't kick out but he did sling
a foot onto the bottom rope to stop the count.
Top rope antics followed, Cole halting an AJ attempt at
something or other and German suplexing him down into the ring. An immediate
Florida Key earned him a two count. By this point AJ was selling some serious
fatigue and Cole was the ruthless aggressor desperate for the kill. A right
hand sent AJ down to his knees. So did a second, a third, and a fourth. 'The
Phenomenal One' got an adrenalin burst for long enough to enter a spirited
punch exchange which escalated to include super and Pele kicks and which, as
the face, Styles naturally got the better of.
Once recovered Cole headed to the top rope and got
waffled with a second Pele kick. Styles then hauled Cole off the top with a
Bloody Sunday (which he’s adopted from former Bullet Club leader Prince Devitt
in one of those lovely little touches you don’t get often enough in wrestling
outside of Japan), a brutal and believable finishing move. It was a very good
match. Cole was protected in defeat by having AJ really have to work to put him
down. They avoided going overboard on false endings and finishing moves and had
a decidedly old school match that built logically and saw both men show game
plans. It could very well have been Cole's best ROH match.
After the match Styles helped Cole to his feet and
proffered his hand for the Code of Honor. Cole spat on it and walked backstage.
Lucky AJ wears gloves, eh?
After a short intermission during which viewers at home
were "treated" to clips from previous Bucks v reDRagon encounters
(I've always felt promos and ads for upcoming events are a better use of the
time) Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis headed to the ring to fulfil their
promise that they'd reveal what was underneath Maria's red trench coat. Both
Steve Corino and Nigel McGuinness (who'd joined commentary for his now
traditional second half stint) both put over Maria's looks. As the play-by-play
man Kevin Kelly is not permitted to comment on things like this.
Maria announced that Matt Hardy would be returning to
Ring of Honor. Then Michael Bennett peeled off Maria's coat to reveal the
Iconic championship, originally Jay Briscoe's "real" world title,
repurposed to become the Title of Love. It now has pink fur and a picture of
Mike and Maria kissing on it. Bennett then suggested the pair
"consummate" their marriage early on the title belt. Mark Briscoe,
wearing a natty little do-rag around his head, ran out and chased the heels
off, telling Bennett that when his brother found out about the disrespectful
antics it would "be [his] ass."
The entire thing had a very Attitude Era vibe thanks to
the sexual connotations, Bennett's love of cheap heat, and Mark Briscoe's
do-rag. The marriage consummating that didn't happen had a tinge of Edge and
Lita's 2006 sex celebration too.
Match five saw Jay Lethal defeat Cedric Alexander with
his own Lethal Injection and Matt Taven's Climax. Because good lord it's not as
though the Lethal versus Taven feud is utterly played out. It was a really good
match, although the return Selezia made to get destroyed by more accidental
Lethal offence wasn't entirely necessary. Hopefully they're going somewhere
good with that and it wasn't just thrown in for the sake of things. If it's a
bigger role for Selezia I'm all for it. She's great.
The ROH world championship match was prefaced by an
excellent hype video. Both men made it clear they weren't intimidated by their
opponent. They also talked about what their foe's claimed strengths. For Briscoe
that was two years without a pinfall loss. Elgin said that was because Briscoe
hadn't faced him in those two years. For Elgin it was his ascent to the top and
a literal interpretation of his 'Unbreakable' moniker. There was also some nice
stuff with Briscoe channeling Ric Flair, telling Elgin "to be the man,
you've gotta the man." There are few wrestlers more unlike 1980s prime
Flair than Jay Briscoe, which I think adds to the appeal of Jay becoming a
modern day version of that character. I'd definitely be interested in Jay
Briscoe's already lengthy winning streak continuing.
The match was a corker. It was filled, as most featured Elgin
bouts are, with stiff offense, a bunch of lariats and some intense ringside
brawling. These are, of course, thigns that Jay Briscoe is pretty familiar with
too, so it felt like the natural direction for the pair to take the match in.
It was great, everything we could have wanted. But the closing were… well, something
of a surprise, to say the least.
The sequence began with Elgin being put through a table
with a Jay Driller from the apron, raising his shoulder at the last moment to
stay in the fight. Exhibiting disbelief Jay clambered back to his feet and
belted Elgin with some fists. The champ fired himself up and blasted Briscoe
with a spinning back fist as he attempted a clothesline, following up with a
buckle bomb. He went for his follow-up of an Elgin bomb after that, only for
Briscoe to slip out and spike him with a second Jay Driller for the victory and
the championship.
 |
| ROH world champion Jay Briscoe there, looking a tiny bit awkward. |
It felt like Elgin’s reign was cut short. In the last few
days it’s not been hard to see a variety of reasons cited as to why he lost the
championship, ranging from visa problems to off remarks he’d made in
interviews. It’s a shame he lost the championship so quickly after having to
wait so long, but on the plus side it got people talking about Ring of Honor
and it could be the beginning of a far ranging storyline (although it probably
isn’t). It also made me realise how my attitude towards Jay Briscoe has
changed. I’m interested in him as a two time champion now, while last year I
hated the idea of him as champion.
The main event as the two-out-of-three falls match for
the ROH world tag team championships. reDRagon were defending against The Young
Bucks. The two teams have faced off a few times now and the results have never
been anything less than sensational. The most notable encounter was their
show-stealing performance at the ROH and New Japan War of the Worlds crossover,
which is a current frontrunner for match of the year. I mention this to
illustrate the sort of level the units had been operating on and the
expectations of fans for this match.
It was a great match (with the standard caveat that you
have to overlook the lax attitude to selling from the Bucks), edging out Cole
versus Styles and the world championship match for best of the night honours.
Personally I feel it was slightly less good than their WOTW encounter, but I
could fully understand people feeling the opposite. I could wake up tomorrow
and feel the opposite myself, the quality of the bouts is that close. It was a
fitting end to the evening and yet more proof that these two teams,
particularly when working together, are both something special.
Fish and O’Reilly took the first fall with Chasing the
Dragon, putting them in the advantageous position traditionally occupied by
heels. The Bucks evened things up with a package piledriver-super kick combo
before losing the third and deciding fall when Matt tapped out to the Fujiwara
arm bar that O’Reilly applied as a counter to More Bang for Your Buck.
A standing ovation for the valiant losers was interrupted
by a returning Tommaso Ciampa. He dropped Nick with a German suplex and Matt
with a Project Ciampa. The final shot of the broadcast was Nick Jackson taking
a neck breaker onto the exposed boards of the ring. I stand by what I said
earlier: Ciampa is not a performer particularly well suited to this and the
topic of depression (which Corino stated very clearly he was suffering from) is
not something that wrestling should be tackling. At least not in this manner.
Even with the mood-killing closing angle I thought All
Star Extravaganza VI was a very good show. It was obviously be most remembered
as the show on which Michael Elgin lost the ROH championship but there was a
lot more going on (and perhaps as a trivia note should it prove to be ACH's last official booking). Every match was watchable and enjoyable, with Cole v Styles
and the top two title matches standing out as particularly impressive. That
title change will always make this a curiosity but it’s a very watchable show
in and of itself. The ROH crew turned out another good effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment