Showing posts with label samoa joe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label samoa joe. Show all posts
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Retro Rowe: ROH Rising Above 2008 Review
-This was taped in Chicago, Illinois. Dave Prazak introduces the show.
-Jay and Mark Briscoe are in the ring, talking on the microphone. They tear apart Kevin Steen and El Generico, reminding them that they dominated them in their feud last year. Steen and Generico come out and Steen runs them down on the mic. Steen brings up Mark’s injury and says that beating the Briscoes at 50% won’t prove anything. Steen offers the Briscoes the chance to walk away, but the Briscoes take offense and jump the champs.
ROH World Tag Team Championship:
Kevin Steen and El Generico © vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe
Jay and Steen collapse to ringside, leaving Mark to pummel Generico in the ring. Generico fights back but hesitates, allowing Mark to attack the head and tag Jay. Generico counters with a knee lift and big kick for 2. Steen tags and slugs it out with Jay. Mark cheap shots, allowing Jay to nail a big boot. Mark tags and nails a suplex for 2. Jay tags, with Steen having to fight off both Briscoes. Scoop slam by Jay and a leg drop. Jay knocks Generico off the apron and tags Mark for a double shoulder block. Cover by Mark gets 2. The Briscoes keep the tags coming, isolating Steen. Steen drops Mark with a super kick and Jay’s attempt to block a tag fails. El Generico cleans house on the Briscoes. Generico tries to run the ropes, but Jay blocks with a clothesline. Exploder suplex by Mark gets 2. Steen makes the save, allowing Generico to hit a Yakuza kick. Generico takes out Jay at ringside, while Steen gets a frog splash on Mark for 2.9! Mark blocks a package piledriver and attempts a cutthroat driver. Steen blocks and nails the package piledriver to retain at 6:41. Hard hitting and entertaining for the time allowed, **½.
Winners and still ROH World Tag Team Champions: Kevin Steen and El Generico
Kevin Steen and El Generico © vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe
Jay and Steen collapse to ringside, leaving Mark to pummel Generico in the ring. Generico fights back but hesitates, allowing Mark to attack the head and tag Jay. Generico counters with a knee lift and big kick for 2. Steen tags and slugs it out with Jay. Mark cheap shots, allowing Jay to nail a big boot. Mark tags and nails a suplex for 2. Jay tags, with Steen having to fight off both Briscoes. Scoop slam by Jay and a leg drop. Jay knocks Generico off the apron and tags Mark for a double shoulder block. Cover by Mark gets 2. The Briscoes keep the tags coming, isolating Steen. Steen drops Mark with a super kick and Jay’s attempt to block a tag fails. El Generico cleans house on the Briscoes. Generico tries to run the ropes, but Jay blocks with a clothesline. Exploder suplex by Mark gets 2. Steen makes the save, allowing Generico to hit a Yakuza kick. Generico takes out Jay at ringside, while Steen gets a frog splash on Mark for 2.9! Mark blocks a package piledriver and attempts a cutthroat driver. Steen blocks and nails the package piledriver to retain at 6:41. Hard hitting and entertaining for the time allowed, **½.
Winners and still ROH World Tag Team Champions: Kevin Steen and El Generico
Friday, August 19, 2016
Retro Rowe: ROH Survival of the Fittest 2005 Review
ROH Survival of the Fittest - Sep 24, 2005
by SamoaRowe
-I’m waiting for some WWE tapes to arrive in the mail, so I figured I’d review the first ROH event I ever attended. For those of you who are familiar with DWS, I took this event in with Viceroy Virus and GreatWhiteChoate.
-From Dorchester, MA. Our hosts are Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak.
-Austin Aries and Roderick Strong can hardly believe it’s been a whole year since the first Survival of the Fittest tournament. Aries had a star-making performance last year, but came up short in the finals, so this year will be his redemption. Strong politely disagrees, saying it’s going to be his year.
Survival of the Fittest Qualifier:
Sal Rinauro vs. Jay Lethal
They exchange wristlocks in the early going. Rinauro counters into an armlock, but Lethal reverses into a pinning predicament. Rinauro goes after the arm some more. Lethal rebounds with a spinebuster for 2. Lethal targets the back, but Rinauro surprises with a drop-kick. Belly to back suplex by Rinauro gets a near fall. Hip toss backbreaker by Lethal! Back suplex by Lethal isn’t enough for the win. Sal counters out of a crucifix submission. Rinauro gets caught on the ropes but counters with a flying bulldog. Rinauro nails a springboard DDT. German suplex by Rinauro still isn’t enough. Lethal rebounds with a running suplex. Flying head butt by Lethal gets 2. Sal gets some near falls but misses a springboard kick. Lethal pops up with the Dragon Suplex for the win at 11:35. Perfectly good opener here, they made that look easy **¾.Winner: Jay Lethal
Saturday, April 2, 2016
NXT Takeover: Dallas Review
WWE NXT Takeover: Dallas
April 1st 2016
-From Dallas, TX. Wrestlemania weekend kicks off in a big way with a stacked NXT card that is top-to-bottom more appealing than the Wrestlemania 32 line-up. Our hosts are Corey Graves and Tom Phillips.
NXT Tag Team Championship:
The Revival (c) (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) vs. American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable)
Putting Gable and Jordan over would be an easy way to please the crowd early and set an exciting tone for the event. Dawson backs Gable into the corner and patronizingly slaps his face. The fans came to get themselves over and chant "Which one's Dawson, which one's Dash." Gable returns the mocking slap to the face, almost sparking a brawl. Gable surprisingly sprints into a hip toss but manages to set Dawson up for a perfect Jordan drop-kick. Jordan gets a crowd chant that would make Roman Reigns envious. Dawson rakes the eyes but America Alpha avoid isolation with stereo backdrops. Gable goes off with a series of arm drag, Jordan saves him from a double team and American Alpha pop the crowd with stereo German suplexes! Gable blocks several spots that normally lead to a babyface isolation before finally succumbing to a clothesline ambush at ringside. The fans chant "Save the Gable" in New Day rhythm, aren't they adorable? Gable counters with a double DDT and as smarky as the fans are, I'll be damned if they aren't legitimately into the story of this match. Wilder crawls under the ring to stop a Gable tag, but the Revival botch a double team move and get a Botchamania chant. The building explodes for a Jordan hot tag. Jordan is apparently a resident of Suplex City. Dash grabs Dawson's leg to prevent Jordan's superplex and holds Jordan down to almost steal a pinfall. The a series of believable false finishes comes at rapid fashion. Jordan makes a blind tag setting up the Grand Amplitude for the win at 15:06! Fantastic opener that gave the fans exactly what they wanted. That one really ugly botch drags this down from the four stars zone, but this was a major league effort from everyone involved, ***3/4.
Winners and new NXT Tag Team Champions: American Alpha
April 1st 2016
-From Dallas, TX. Wrestlemania weekend kicks off in a big way with a stacked NXT card that is top-to-bottom more appealing than the Wrestlemania 32 line-up. Our hosts are Corey Graves and Tom Phillips.
NXT Tag Team Championship:
The Revival (c) (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) vs. American Alpha (Jason Jordan and Chad Gable)
Putting Gable and Jordan over would be an easy way to please the crowd early and set an exciting tone for the event. Dawson backs Gable into the corner and patronizingly slaps his face. The fans came to get themselves over and chant "Which one's Dawson, which one's Dash." Gable returns the mocking slap to the face, almost sparking a brawl. Gable surprisingly sprints into a hip toss but manages to set Dawson up for a perfect Jordan drop-kick. Jordan gets a crowd chant that would make Roman Reigns envious. Dawson rakes the eyes but America Alpha avoid isolation with stereo backdrops. Gable goes off with a series of arm drag, Jordan saves him from a double team and American Alpha pop the crowd with stereo German suplexes! Gable blocks several spots that normally lead to a babyface isolation before finally succumbing to a clothesline ambush at ringside. The fans chant "Save the Gable" in New Day rhythm, aren't they adorable? Gable counters with a double DDT and as smarky as the fans are, I'll be damned if they aren't legitimately into the story of this match. Wilder crawls under the ring to stop a Gable tag, but the Revival botch a double team move and get a Botchamania chant. The building explodes for a Jordan hot tag. Jordan is apparently a resident of Suplex City. Dash grabs Dawson's leg to prevent Jordan's superplex and holds Jordan down to almost steal a pinfall. The a series of believable false finishes comes at rapid fashion. Jordan makes a blind tag setting up the Grand Amplitude for the win at 15:06! Fantastic opener that gave the fans exactly what they wanted. That one really ugly botch drags this down from the four stars zone, but this was a major league effort from everyone involved, ***3/4.
Winners and new NXT Tag Team Champions: American Alpha
Saturday, December 19, 2015
NXT Takeover: London
WWE NXT Takeover: London
December 16th 2015
From London, England. Our hosts are Rich Brennen, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton. This is courtesy of Hulu, and NOT the WWE Network, which I've happily been unsubscribed from for about a month.
-Just like in Brooklyn, the lights go up to reveal Triple H in the ring, ready to soak in the adulation. He cuts a heated promo, putting over how important it was for him to be in London despite Roman Reigns kicking his ass. Wow, this is more continuity than we usually get on weekly WWE main roster television.
Asuka vs. Emma (with Dana Brooke)
As you could probably guess, the London fans are totally jazzed to be at this show and give Asuka a megastar reaction. They aren't so smarky that they can't boo Emma during her entrance. Bell rings and Emma barely dodges a roundhouse kick. Emma avoids a drop-kick, but Asuka reverses her hammerlock. Emma throws an elbow but gets twirled into a nice armbar. Asuka nails a leaping "hip attack" off the apron and licks her fingers for the camera. Dana Brooke distracts long enough for Emma to drop-kick Asuka off the ring frame. Asuka gets beaten down for a few minutes (while the fans sing her name to the "Ole" tune) and makes a spirited comeback. Emma cuts her off to a "This is wrestling" chant. Dana Brooke's smack-talking seems to revive Asuka, who counters with a missile drop-kick. Asuka goes into a kicking frenzy but Emma blocks and applies a jackknife cover for 2. Asuka lights Emma up with strikes and nails a running Hip Attack for a near fall. Emma stays alive with the Dil-Emma and Butterfly Suplex into the turnbuckles. Running splash by Emma gets a believable near fall. Asuka reverses into an Ankle Lock and follows with a German Suplex! Emma takes a Shining Wizard but kicks out! Emma bumps Asuka into the ref, allowing Dana to hand a leather strap to Emma. Asuka fights for the strap and the referee wakes up to see her with it. Emma sneaks in a cover, but Asuka reverses into the Asuka Lock! Dana distracts the referee while Emma taps. Just when I start to think Emma is going to pull off the cheap victory, Asuka nails a roundhouse kick for the win at 14:45! Wow, I was expecting a pretty-good-to-solid opener, not a balls to the wall competitive match with a bunch of interesting false finishes thrown in. Great way to start the show, ***1/2.
Winner: Asuka
December 16th 2015
From London, England. Our hosts are Rich Brennen, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton. This is courtesy of Hulu, and NOT the WWE Network, which I've happily been unsubscribed from for about a month.
-Just like in Brooklyn, the lights go up to reveal Triple H in the ring, ready to soak in the adulation. He cuts a heated promo, putting over how important it was for him to be in London despite Roman Reigns kicking his ass. Wow, this is more continuity than we usually get on weekly WWE main roster television.
Asuka vs. Emma (with Dana Brooke)
As you could probably guess, the London fans are totally jazzed to be at this show and give Asuka a megastar reaction. They aren't so smarky that they can't boo Emma during her entrance. Bell rings and Emma barely dodges a roundhouse kick. Emma avoids a drop-kick, but Asuka reverses her hammerlock. Emma throws an elbow but gets twirled into a nice armbar. Asuka nails a leaping "hip attack" off the apron and licks her fingers for the camera. Dana Brooke distracts long enough for Emma to drop-kick Asuka off the ring frame. Asuka gets beaten down for a few minutes (while the fans sing her name to the "Ole" tune) and makes a spirited comeback. Emma cuts her off to a "This is wrestling" chant. Dana Brooke's smack-talking seems to revive Asuka, who counters with a missile drop-kick. Asuka goes into a kicking frenzy but Emma blocks and applies a jackknife cover for 2. Asuka lights Emma up with strikes and nails a running Hip Attack for a near fall. Emma stays alive with the Dil-Emma and Butterfly Suplex into the turnbuckles. Running splash by Emma gets a believable near fall. Asuka reverses into an Ankle Lock and follows with a German Suplex! Emma takes a Shining Wizard but kicks out! Emma bumps Asuka into the ref, allowing Dana to hand a leather strap to Emma. Asuka fights for the strap and the referee wakes up to see her with it. Emma sneaks in a cover, but Asuka reverses into the Asuka Lock! Dana distracts the referee while Emma taps. Just when I start to think Emma is going to pull off the cheap victory, Asuka nails a roundhouse kick for the win at 14:45! Wow, I was expecting a pretty-good-to-solid opener, not a balls to the wall competitive match with a bunch of interesting false finishes thrown in. Great way to start the show, ***1/2.
Winner: Asuka
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2007
SamoaRowe's Top Ten
So, here's my Top Ten list of 2007 as it stands now. I just want to note that I haven't finished Good Times, Great Memories, and I haven't seen Manhatten Mayhem II or Man Up yet. I also fell asleep ten minutes into Cena/Michaels II, so I don't have any solid opinion on that one yet. Anyhow, here's the list:
10) Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima (ROH Fifth Year Festival: New York City)
I pegged this one at ****1/4. It was a great power match, and I marked out a lot while watching it. This only lost points because I felt it went from "feeling out" to "going home" very quickly, so the match didn't feel complete in that sense. Still, a pleasure to watch, and the beginning of an awesome run for Morishima in ROH.
9) Takeshi Morishima vs. Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Death Before Dishonor V Night 1)
You know those matches where a title is on the line and you know for sure that the champion is going to retain? This could have easily been one of those matches, but it wasn't. For starters, Claudio was built up strongly before this event, winning the Race to the Top tournament. Then the match took place, and Claudio brought a crazy fight to the dominant Morishima, pushing him to the very limit. Sadly, Morishima was able to regain himself long enough to hit a single backdrop driver on Claudio for the win. Anticlimatic finish aside, this match was magic, and landed at ****1/4.
8) Takeshi Morishima and Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness and KENTA (ROH Respect is Earned)
Now we're enterting ****1/2 territory. This was the main event of ROH's first ever pay-per-view, and they didn't hold anything back and threw the top four stars they had out there to quickly establish personalities and roles for a new audience. We learned right away how ruthless Morishima could be, how agile KENTA is, and how intelligent and crafy Danielson is. What stood out here was the emergence of Nigel McGuinness as a top star to the new audience, as he appeared to be hurt and out of the match, but quickly got bandaged up to return and prove to us all what a tough competitor he is. I loved this match, it set the pay-per-view era off on the right foot.
7) Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Matt Sydal and Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Respect is Earned)
By this point you're probably rolling your eyes over how ROH-heavy this list is, because I could give two shits. I call it like I see it. The Briscoes spent the entire year stealing show after show and pushing the limit (later in the year I would actually argue they pushed things too far, but that's a story for another day). Sydal and Castagnoli were a thrown together team for this one, but displayed some incredible chemistry and took the fight to the Briscoes. Speaking of the Briscoes, they were on fire here, and delivered some of the most breathtaking double team spots I've ever witnessed. I've said it before, but I'm not going to apologize for loving a spot-fest, which this was, if it is done well and makes me cheer. ****1/2.
6) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Wrestlemania 23)
This match got a lot of criticism due to Cena getting a lot of punishment to the knee and then no-selling it later in the match. This gripe didn't bother me that much, because the no-selling lead to a thrilling back and forth contest between two guys who set out to add a new chapter to both their respective legacies. This was the kind of outstanding singles Wrestlemania main event that we hadn't seen in several years and was a welcome return. ****1/2
5) Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. El Generico and Kevin Steen (ROH Death Before Dishonor V Night 1)
The Boston street fight was a war unlike the city had ever seen. It started with brawling through the crowd and ended up a series of devastating bumps in the ring. The hatred between these two teams was reaching scary levels of believability as the chair shots and broken tables began to add up. From what I've heard, the ladder war from Man Up topped this war, though reviews of the later match lead me to believe that they went too far with the violence. At least here, every spot and moment built and built until the final sickening moment when Steen dropped a Briscoe with the package piledriver onto the ladder. Steen and Generico got the upset and a moment of glory. ****1/2.
4) CIMA, Shingo, and Susumu Yokosuka vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito, and Masaaki Mochizuki (ROH Supercard of Honor II)
Now we are entering the ****3/4 territory. These six men set out to match the quality of the Dragon Gate six man from the original Supercard of Honor, and they came pretty damn close. The delight here was seeing them trying to have an awesome match, but not the same spot-fest from the year before. There was a lot of storytelling in this one, as well as a great mixture of styles with the inclusion of Shingo and Mochizuki. This was a match that I felt I could watch repeatedly, not get tired of it, and notice something new each time. A true classic.
3) John Cena vs. Umaga (WWE Royal Rumble)
My first impression after watching this match was that it was the MOTY and nothing would touch it. I turned out to be wrong, but I was still blown away by this. For starters, I don't really care for Umaga, as a character or a worker. That should tell you how much I enjoyed this match then. It was a last man standing match, and they worked the gimmick to perfection. They utilized their surroundings fantastically, including a nasty Umaga splash on the announce tables. What really put this over for me was the climatic finish, with Cena incorporating the broken ring ropes to trap Umaga in the STFU. I said it then as I'll say it now, this match deserves to be talked about for a long time. It was the best WWE match of 2007. ****3/4.
2) Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (ROH Driven)
These are two guys I will never get tired of seeing them wrestle each other. Each time they bring something new to the table and have a completely different great match. When I first heard about this one, people immediately said it was the best match they'd had yet, and I didn't believe it. I had trouble buying that it would top their match from Unified in 2006. How wrong I was. The aggression. The drama. The way both men got put over. A lot of people complained that Nigel was buried in 2007, all the while overlooking how he was put over huge on the pay-per-views. He looked stronger in defeat than most wrestlers look in victory. This lived up the hype and deserves to be talked about for a long time. ****3/4.
1) Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer (ROH Supercard of Honor II)
Nigel/Danielson almost knocked this one out of it's place. In the end, there were just too many factors putting this one over. It was the culmination of a year-long feud. It featured a wreslter I don't usually enjoy (BJ Whitmer) but dazzled me anyhow. It helped complete the transformation of Jimmy Jacobs into a disturbring psychopath. And it was brutal. The match took place in a cage and both men destroyed each other and both men were put on the shelf as a result. Jacobs tore up his knee and lost a tooth. No match in 2007 was more memorable or meaningful to me than this, so here it stands, as SamoaRowe's MOTY. ****3/4.
10) Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima (ROH Fifth Year Festival: New York City)
I pegged this one at ****1/4. It was a great power match, and I marked out a lot while watching it. This only lost points because I felt it went from "feeling out" to "going home" very quickly, so the match didn't feel complete in that sense. Still, a pleasure to watch, and the beginning of an awesome run for Morishima in ROH.
9) Takeshi Morishima vs. Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Death Before Dishonor V Night 1)
You know those matches where a title is on the line and you know for sure that the champion is going to retain? This could have easily been one of those matches, but it wasn't. For starters, Claudio was built up strongly before this event, winning the Race to the Top tournament. Then the match took place, and Claudio brought a crazy fight to the dominant Morishima, pushing him to the very limit. Sadly, Morishima was able to regain himself long enough to hit a single backdrop driver on Claudio for the win. Anticlimatic finish aside, this match was magic, and landed at ****1/4.
8) Takeshi Morishima and Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness and KENTA (ROH Respect is Earned)
Now we're enterting ****1/2 territory. This was the main event of ROH's first ever pay-per-view, and they didn't hold anything back and threw the top four stars they had out there to quickly establish personalities and roles for a new audience. We learned right away how ruthless Morishima could be, how agile KENTA is, and how intelligent and crafy Danielson is. What stood out here was the emergence of Nigel McGuinness as a top star to the new audience, as he appeared to be hurt and out of the match, but quickly got bandaged up to return and prove to us all what a tough competitor he is. I loved this match, it set the pay-per-view era off on the right foot.
7) Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Matt Sydal and Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Respect is Earned)
By this point you're probably rolling your eyes over how ROH-heavy this list is, because I could give two shits. I call it like I see it. The Briscoes spent the entire year stealing show after show and pushing the limit (later in the year I would actually argue they pushed things too far, but that's a story for another day). Sydal and Castagnoli were a thrown together team for this one, but displayed some incredible chemistry and took the fight to the Briscoes. Speaking of the Briscoes, they were on fire here, and delivered some of the most breathtaking double team spots I've ever witnessed. I've said it before, but I'm not going to apologize for loving a spot-fest, which this was, if it is done well and makes me cheer. ****1/2.
6) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Wrestlemania 23)
This match got a lot of criticism due to Cena getting a lot of punishment to the knee and then no-selling it later in the match. This gripe didn't bother me that much, because the no-selling lead to a thrilling back and forth contest between two guys who set out to add a new chapter to both their respective legacies. This was the kind of outstanding singles Wrestlemania main event that we hadn't seen in several years and was a welcome return. ****1/2
5) Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. El Generico and Kevin Steen (ROH Death Before Dishonor V Night 1)
The Boston street fight was a war unlike the city had ever seen. It started with brawling through the crowd and ended up a series of devastating bumps in the ring. The hatred between these two teams was reaching scary levels of believability as the chair shots and broken tables began to add up. From what I've heard, the ladder war from Man Up topped this war, though reviews of the later match lead me to believe that they went too far with the violence. At least here, every spot and moment built and built until the final sickening moment when Steen dropped a Briscoe with the package piledriver onto the ladder. Steen and Generico got the upset and a moment of glory. ****1/2.
4) CIMA, Shingo, and Susumu Yokosuka vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito, and Masaaki Mochizuki (ROH Supercard of Honor II)
Now we are entering the ****3/4 territory. These six men set out to match the quality of the Dragon Gate six man from the original Supercard of Honor, and they came pretty damn close. The delight here was seeing them trying to have an awesome match, but not the same spot-fest from the year before. There was a lot of storytelling in this one, as well as a great mixture of styles with the inclusion of Shingo and Mochizuki. This was a match that I felt I could watch repeatedly, not get tired of it, and notice something new each time. A true classic.
3) John Cena vs. Umaga (WWE Royal Rumble)
My first impression after watching this match was that it was the MOTY and nothing would touch it. I turned out to be wrong, but I was still blown away by this. For starters, I don't really care for Umaga, as a character or a worker. That should tell you how much I enjoyed this match then. It was a last man standing match, and they worked the gimmick to perfection. They utilized their surroundings fantastically, including a nasty Umaga splash on the announce tables. What really put this over for me was the climatic finish, with Cena incorporating the broken ring ropes to trap Umaga in the STFU. I said it then as I'll say it now, this match deserves to be talked about for a long time. It was the best WWE match of 2007. ****3/4.
2) Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (ROH Driven)
These are two guys I will never get tired of seeing them wrestle each other. Each time they bring something new to the table and have a completely different great match. When I first heard about this one, people immediately said it was the best match they'd had yet, and I didn't believe it. I had trouble buying that it would top their match from Unified in 2006. How wrong I was. The aggression. The drama. The way both men got put over. A lot of people complained that Nigel was buried in 2007, all the while overlooking how he was put over huge on the pay-per-views. He looked stronger in defeat than most wrestlers look in victory. This lived up the hype and deserves to be talked about for a long time. ****3/4.
1) Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer (ROH Supercard of Honor II)
Nigel/Danielson almost knocked this one out of it's place. In the end, there were just too many factors putting this one over. It was the culmination of a year-long feud. It featured a wreslter I don't usually enjoy (BJ Whitmer) but dazzled me anyhow. It helped complete the transformation of Jimmy Jacobs into a disturbring psychopath. And it was brutal. The match took place in a cage and both men destroyed each other and both men were put on the shelf as a result. Jacobs tore up his knee and lost a tooth. No match in 2007 was more memorable or meaningful to me than this, so here it stands, as SamoaRowe's MOTY. ****3/4.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Joe vs. Morishima
Early MOTYC or just really good? Since those to be the only two options, here's the review:
Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima
ROH Fifth Year Festival
February 16th 2007
Morishima doesn't waste a damn moment and nails Joe with his forearm before the bell can even ring. They brawl and Joe whips Morishima into the ropes, but is taken down by a shoulder block. Joe retreats to ringside and takes a flying shoulder block off the apron from Morishima. Joe is directed back into the ring and over powerd by Morishima, who cartwheels into a corner avalanche. Morishima is a beast and stomps Joe to the mat. "Dueling chants" from the crowd as Morishima chokes Joe on the ropes. Scoop slam and a rope assisted stomp by Morishima. Joe hits a chop and tries to regain his edge, but Morishima directs Joe back to the second rope. Jabs by Joe, but Morishima asssaults with a hard shot. Sleeper by Morishima. Joe escapes, but is splashed in the corner again. Morishima goes for a cover, but Joe gets a foot on the ropes. Rear chinlock by Morishima. Joe gets to the ropes, but Morishima reapplies the hold. Joe pops out and hits some chops. Joe bounces off the ropes and runs right into Morishima's huge ass. Morishima goes high risk and hits a missile drop-kick! Morishima is a fucking beast! Morishima gains another close cover. Joe counters an Irish whip but runs into Morishima's boot. Joe counters an off the ropes club with his knee and mounts enough offense to gain a close fall. Joe his a back elbow and enziguri on a cornered Morishima. Joe wipes his boot on Morishima's face and hits the running boot. Joe hits a ruthless kick to the face, all the while selling his back. Jabs and kicks by Joe. Snapmare by Joe into a face rake. Joe drives his elbow into Morishima's face, busting him open in the process. Joe blocks a suplex and hits some more stiff kicks, directed towards the face region. Morishima retreats to ringside, but takes a suicide dive from Joe! Joe made sure to connect his arm to Morishima's face in the process, that was awesome! Joe positions Morishima for the "ole, ole" kicks and connects in brutal fashion! Joe repeats the spot and connects yet again. Morishima is still bleeding from the nose, adding to the drama. Joe directs Morishima into the ring for a cover, but it only gets two. More jabs by Joe, but Morishima dodges a lariat, Joe keeps trying to get the lariat but runs into a side slam after a thrilling exchange. More dueling chants from the crowd. Morishima dives on a sitting Samoa Joe twice and gets a near fall. Irish whip and a big boot by Morishima. Joe dodges another boot and slams Morishima for another near fall. Morishima blocks a suplex, but Joe gets another enziguri and a Death Valley Driver! Joe only gets a two out of the cover! Joe goes for the power bomb, but Morishima blocks, so Joe hits some stiff kicks. Morishima blocks the power bomb and flips Joe over his back, and then drops his ass on Joe's chest. Morishima goes high risk again, but Joe cuts him off with kicks and shots. Joe climbs up goes for a superplex. It is blocked, so Joe hits a kick to the head and then the Muscle Buster! Somehow Morishima kicked out of the following cover! WHAT! That was damn convincing. More jabs by Joe, focusing on the nose, and a big boot! Morishima shrugs it off and connects with a lariat! They are both down for several seconds. Lou Thesz press by Morishima almost wins the match. Side suplex by Morishima! Morishima gets a second side suplex and a near fall. Joe appears to be dead. Morishima hits a lariat to the back of Joe's head, but Joe ducks a second attempt and hits a half nelson suplex! Joe goes for the headlock, blocks a chinbreaker, and keeps the hold on. Morishima fights out, but Joe goes back to the choke. Joe applis the full blown Kokina Clutch! Morishima passes out and Joe is the winner at 18:09! That finish was a little anticlimatic, but it sets the table for future rematches. The match went from "feeling out" to "going home" really quickly, but provided tons of action, psychology, and big bumps, ****1/4.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima
ROH Fifth Year Festival
February 16th 2007
Morishima doesn't waste a damn moment and nails Joe with his forearm before the bell can even ring. They brawl and Joe whips Morishima into the ropes, but is taken down by a shoulder block. Joe retreats to ringside and takes a flying shoulder block off the apron from Morishima. Joe is directed back into the ring and over powerd by Morishima, who cartwheels into a corner avalanche. Morishima is a beast and stomps Joe to the mat. "Dueling chants" from the crowd as Morishima chokes Joe on the ropes. Scoop slam and a rope assisted stomp by Morishima. Joe hits a chop and tries to regain his edge, but Morishima directs Joe back to the second rope. Jabs by Joe, but Morishima asssaults with a hard shot. Sleeper by Morishima. Joe escapes, but is splashed in the corner again. Morishima goes for a cover, but Joe gets a foot on the ropes. Rear chinlock by Morishima. Joe gets to the ropes, but Morishima reapplies the hold. Joe pops out and hits some chops. Joe bounces off the ropes and runs right into Morishima's huge ass. Morishima goes high risk and hits a missile drop-kick! Morishima is a fucking beast! Morishima gains another close cover. Joe counters an Irish whip but runs into Morishima's boot. Joe counters an off the ropes club with his knee and mounts enough offense to gain a close fall. Joe his a back elbow and enziguri on a cornered Morishima. Joe wipes his boot on Morishima's face and hits the running boot. Joe hits a ruthless kick to the face, all the while selling his back. Jabs and kicks by Joe. Snapmare by Joe into a face rake. Joe drives his elbow into Morishima's face, busting him open in the process. Joe blocks a suplex and hits some more stiff kicks, directed towards the face region. Morishima retreats to ringside, but takes a suicide dive from Joe! Joe made sure to connect his arm to Morishima's face in the process, that was awesome! Joe positions Morishima for the "ole, ole" kicks and connects in brutal fashion! Joe repeats the spot and connects yet again. Morishima is still bleeding from the nose, adding to the drama. Joe directs Morishima into the ring for a cover, but it only gets two. More jabs by Joe, but Morishima dodges a lariat, Joe keeps trying to get the lariat but runs into a side slam after a thrilling exchange. More dueling chants from the crowd. Morishima dives on a sitting Samoa Joe twice and gets a near fall. Irish whip and a big boot by Morishima. Joe dodges another boot and slams Morishima for another near fall. Morishima blocks a suplex, but Joe gets another enziguri and a Death Valley Driver! Joe only gets a two out of the cover! Joe goes for the power bomb, but Morishima blocks, so Joe hits some stiff kicks. Morishima blocks the power bomb and flips Joe over his back, and then drops his ass on Joe's chest. Morishima goes high risk again, but Joe cuts him off with kicks and shots. Joe climbs up goes for a superplex. It is blocked, so Joe hits a kick to the head and then the Muscle Buster! Somehow Morishima kicked out of the following cover! WHAT! That was damn convincing. More jabs by Joe, focusing on the nose, and a big boot! Morishima shrugs it off and connects with a lariat! They are both down for several seconds. Lou Thesz press by Morishima almost wins the match. Side suplex by Morishima! Morishima gets a second side suplex and a near fall. Joe appears to be dead. Morishima hits a lariat to the back of Joe's head, but Joe ducks a second attempt and hits a half nelson suplex! Joe goes for the headlock, blocks a chinbreaker, and keeps the hold on. Morishima fights out, but Joe goes back to the choke. Joe applis the full blown Kokina Clutch! Morishima passes out and Joe is the winner at 18:09! That finish was a little anticlimatic, but it sets the table for future rematches. The match went from "feeling out" to "going home" really quickly, but provided tons of action, psychology, and big bumps, ****1/4.
Winner: Samoa Joe
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