Philadelphia, PA – 10.5.2002

Commentary is provided by Chris Lovey and Jeff Gorman. Gorman had served as a commentator for Pro Wrestling eXpress, Steel City Wrestling, and IWC.

The opening video montage ends with a clip of Rob Feinstein and CZW Owner Jon Zandig shaking hands in the ring.

Scramble Match
Homicide vs. The SAT (Joel Maximo & Jose Maximo) vs. Divine Storm (Chris Divine & Quiet Storm) vs. Special K (Dixie & Izzy)

Commentary explains that Homicide is alone as Boogalou was taken out at the last show and will probably never be seen in ROH again. In reality, Boogalou had decided to leave ROH for XPW, who held a show head-to-head against ROH on this night. Trinity is in The SAT’s corner and Elax is in Special K’s corner, though Trinity wipes Elax out with a moonsault press and takes him backstage before the match starts. There’s a very scary moment during the match where it looks like Joel and Izzie are going to lose their footing on the top rope, but it ends well enough when Joel lariats Izzie to the canvas. Throughout the action, it was clear that while SAT and Divine Storm had a more friendly rivalry, both teams were sick of Special K’s shit. A seven person Tower of Doom crumbled into a pile of poop. Divine’s super full nelson facebuster to Izzie moments later served as a great palate cleanser after that debacle. After Izzie missed a moonsault, he dropped him with a waterwheel slam and pulled him up into the Cop Killa. Dixie ran in after, but Homicide took him down with a drop toe hold and locked in an STF. The SAT jumped into the ring, but Dixie tapped out at 13:52 before they could break the hold. Homicide receives a handshake from SAT and Divine Storm and the crowd give him a standing ovation for going it alone and coming out on top. Aside from the Tower of Doom debacle, this wasn’t bad at all. It was fun, the crowd was into it, the action escalated, it moved at a good pace, and it achieved its mission of breaking out Homicide as a singles competitor. Much better than I expected. **¾

Homicide is still in the ring when The Backseat Boyz of Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere come out through the crowd and enter the ring. Commentary explains that ROH and CZW have reached an agreement to run some double headers, which explains that clip at the end of the opening video. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and XPW was an enemy to both companies. Acid says they’re the best tag team in the world and that they wanted to prove themselves against one of the top teams in ROH, but can’t because Homicide is partnerless. Homicide then asks for anyone in the back to come out and join him as his partner. Steve Corino emerges from the back in his wrestling gear. Commentary explains he quit his position as a commentator for ROH to become a wrestler. He was supposed to debut as a wrestler last month against American Dragon until ZERO-ONE commitments prevented that from happening.

Homicide & Steve Corino vs. The Backseat Boyz (Trent Acid & Johnny Kashmere)

This is the ROH in-ring debut for everyone except Homicide. Commentary wonders if the CZW team will follow the Code of Honor. They do, and Corino and Homicide cheapshot them during the handshake. Homicide takes out Acid with a Hamachan Cutter. Kashmere takes down Corino with a pair of headscissors. He and Acid attack Corino in the corner with a tackle/knee strike combo, and then bring Corino out with a double bulldog. On the floor, Homicide drop toe holds Acid into a chair and then kicks it into his face. Corino gets two on Kashmere with a Northern Lights Bomb. Kashmere spears Corino moments later to save Acid from a facewash kick, and then spears Homicide out of mid-air when Homicide comes off of the ropes. Corino locks Kashmere in a Cobra Clutch, and Acid yakuza kicks Corino to free his partner and get a two count. Corino succumbs to the Dream Sequence ‘02. He stops Acid on the top rope and brings him down with a fisherman’s suplex, into a top rope splash from Acid. Corino pushes Homicide off to get the cover for himself to the crowd’s dismay. He then holds Kashmere for Homicide, but Kashmere moves and Homicide forearm smashes Corino. Corino then superkicks Homicide when Homicide has Kashmere hooked in the Cop Killa. He walks out, leaving Homicide alone to take the T-Gimmick from the Backseat Boyz for the pin at 6:45. They packed a lot of action into this period of time, giving Acid and Kashmere plenty of room to showcase themselves in front of fans who may not know who they are. The story of Corino being a glory hound was a bit ham-fisted, but they planted the seed for a rivalry and character that would blossom over the next year. **¼

Alexis Laree, Christian York & Joey Matthews vs. Allison Danger & The Christopher Street Connection (Buff-E & Mace)

The Japanese Pool Boy is in the CSC and Danger’s corner. This is the first intergender tag match in ROH history, and it starts with CSC and Danger fanny pinching their opposition. Laree’s team angrily retaliates and takes over the match until Pool Boy grabs Matthews’ leg and Buff-E takes him down with a clothesline. Matthews is beaten down by the CSC until he drops Buff-E with a reverse DDT. He tags in Laree who fights off both Mace and Buff-E. Laree drops Mace with a tornado DDT, setting him up for a super elbow drop from Matthews. The Pool Boy pushes Matthews off of the top rope to stop him. Danger distracts Laree, leading her to be taken out with the Gay Basher from the CSC. Laree then pins Danger for the win at 4:45. York and Matthews then beat down the Pool Boy after the match. The CSC actually wrestled and toned down the gay baiting which made this better than you’d expect, but why Laree would lose so quickly after her re-debut last month to a comedy act makes little sense to me. *

Elsewhere in the building, James Maritato talks about the Full-Blooded Italians gimmick. He says it treated him very well during his career, and he has good memories of working with JT Smith, Tracy Smothers, and Tommy Rich. Eventually, they left, and along came Tony Mamaluke. Mamaluke joining the team brought the FBI gimmick to a higher status, including the two of them winning the ECW tag team titles in the Hammerstein Ballroom. Maritatio says his career plateaued when ECW closed down. He told himself that he needed to change, and after being a comedy act since 1996, it was time to get serious. He thinks he’s been doing pretty damn good in ROH as James Maritato. He knows the fans want to see him and Tony Mamaluke team together, and he’s open to it, but he also knows it won’t work if Mamaluke keeps the comedy act going. The two of them are on different pages when it comes to the FBI, and there’s only one way to settle it. Maritato says if Mamaluke can defeat him on October 5th, the FBI gimmick will live, but if he can’t, then the FBI gimmick will be gone forever. This was a terrific promo, and I wonder how much better it would’ve been to include this on the previous event instead.

James Maritato vs. Tony Mamaluke

The winner of this match earns the rights to the Full Blooded Italians gimmick. Mamaluke cheap shots Maritato after the handshake. On the mat, Maritato goes for Mamaluke’s left arm while Mamaluke goes for Maritato’s left leg. Maritato changes up his strategy, going for an ankle lock to escape Mamaluke’s grasp, but Mamaluke reverses into his own ankle lock. Maritato uses the ropes to escape, and Mamaluke gives Maritato a knee breaker and dragonscrew leg whip before applying a half crab. Once again, Maritato has to use the ropes to escape. Maritato counters a swingout slam into a Fujiwara armbar attempt, which Mamaluke turns into a double underhook DDT and then a double underhook guillotine. Maritato fights out of the hold and Snake Eyes’ Mamaluke. He then delivers the Sicilian Slice for two. He also gets two with a shotgun dropkick off of the second rope and another with a Killswitch. Maritato pulls Mamaluke by his hair to the second rope. Mamaluke fights free and superplexes Maritato into a seated guillotine choke, and Maritato taps out at 8:30. I like that Maritato was hoisted by his own petard, and was outwrestled by the supposed comedy act. They kept the crowd engaged and Mamaluke more than held his own. Crazy enough, this would be Maritato’s last ROH match as he would be signed to WWE shortly after, where he would start a new iteration of the FBI with Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo. You can’t make this up. ***

The Amazing Red vs. Ikuto Hidaka

Hidaka dropkicks Red on the top of his head when he drops down. An overhand chop battle makes its way to the floor, and then back into the ring where they reach a stalemate after throwing stereo dropkicks. Red sends Hidaka to the floor with a tornado DDT, but Hidaka counters his pescado with a dropkick in mid-air. Hidaka attacks Red’s knee. Despite this, Red is able to nail him with a rolling gamengiri to send him to the floor and land a tope con hilo. Red, however, hurts his leg in the process, landing partially on the guardrails. In the ring, Hidaka evades a Red Star Press, but gets caught with another rolling gamengiri. Hidaka pops Red up in the corner and catches him in the face with the boot as Red is coming down. Hidaka also counters a DDT by driving Red’s knees into the canvas. He springboard missile dropkicks Red’s left knee and German suplexes him into a kneebar, with Red getting the ropes to escape. Red hits an enzuigiri to block a dragonscrew leg whip. A nearfall exchange ends with stereo clotheslines leaving both men laying. Hidaka gets two with a torture rack spun out into an Ace Crusher. Red halts Hidaka’s momentum with a tiger feint kick, and then slingshots in with a Code Red for two. Hidaka dropkicks Red in the buttocks as he ascends the ropes. He tries bringing Red down with a sunset bomb, but Red counters with a falling Rocker Dropper. Red quickly lands the Infrared and then a Red Star Press for the pin at 13:40. This was a lot of fun to watch, with Hidaka doing his best to keep Red down and Red having to quickly take advantage of every opening to connect with his big offense. The win also felt like a big deal to Red, who was wisely breaking away from the SAT/Divine Storm vortex. Between this and the Jay Briscoe match last month, he’s doing a good job. ***¼

ETW Television Title Match
Fast Eddie vs. Don Juan

This is Fast Eddie’s ROH debut. Commentary tells us he is legally blind. He’s another TWA student, and Rudy Boy Gonzalez is ringside to observe this match. ETW is East Texas Wrestling and I cannot find anything about the title online. Eddie has “Better Than You” on his trunks, and he’s probably the best wrestler to use that phrase. This is more or less an exhibition match. We almost had another Chris Marvel moment when Eddie Asai moonsaulted to the floor and his foot hit the barricade. Eddie pins Don Jaun with a moonsault slam off of the second turnbuckle at 3:25. Bio-Hazard attacks both Eddie and Juan after the match with Michael Shane keeping Rudy Boy at bay.

Steve Corino then makes his way out with a microphone. He tells Rudy Boy that he took his students from him (I guess Bio-Hazard and Shane are aligned with him now), as well as his female student (he’s been dating Simply Luscious as of a few shows ago.) He makes a quip about even making her call him Rudy. Rudy then tells Corino he is a Dusty Rhodes wannabe and clobbers him with a microphone. This kicks off their scheduled Texas Death Match for the evening.

Texas Death Match
Steve Corino vs. Rudy Boy Gonzales

To win the match, your opponent has to stay down for an additional ten count after being pinned. A flying clothesline and superkick get Gonzales the pin on Corino, who is already busted open due to the microphone shot. Corino makes it up before the ten count, so Gonzales attacks the open wound on his forehead. Gonzales misses an attack on the floor and ends up falling through one of the barricades. Corino busts open Gonzales with multiple attacks to the forehead and facewash kicks him back out to the floor. Back in the ring, Gonzales surprises Corino with a DDT. After a backdrop, Corino puts Gonzales in a Cobra Clutch. On the mat, Gonzales’ arm drops three times. He stays down for an additional ten count, giving Corino the victory at 8:05. This match felt longer than it was. I’m not sure anyone was anxiously awaiting this singles match, but I guess it helped Corino put over his new finishing move. **

Corino asks for a handshake after the match and Gonzales flips him off. Since it was a Texas Death Match, Gonzales does not have to obey the Code of Honor. He’s attacked by Corino, Shane, and Bio-Hazard. Paul London runs out with a ladder and attacks all three of them. As they retreat up the aisle, London runs up a ladder and vies onto Shane and Bio-Hazard, with Shane and London tumbling over a barricade and into the crowd. London then checks on Gonzales while Corino holds off Shane who wants to after him. Corino says he’ll get them in time.

Fight Without Honor
Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe

This is Samoa Joe’s ROH debut. It’s also the first “Fight Without Honor”, though it does not carry the same meaning a Fight Without Honor would in later ROH years. For this match, it simply means that the Code of Honor is not upheld, as Joe is Daniels’ “hired assassin” to take out Ki.

Instead of locking up to start, they cautiously throw kicks at one another while keeping some distance. Joe targets Ki’s left arm, and they go to the mat where Ki throws heavy punches at Joe’s head, with Joe responding with open handed strikes to the face. Joe headbutts Ki when he gets the mount, but Ki retaliates from underneath. Joe mauls Ki with forearm strikes when Ki gets in another punch to the head. Joe applies a half crab when Ki looks for a triangle choke, pushing his knee into the back of Ki’s skull in the process. Joe turns the hold into a heel hook. Ki chops Joe to try and escape, so Joe slaps him in the face. Joe kicks Ki to the ropes, where Ki falls to his behind. Ki ducks a corner yakuza kick. He clobbers Joe while he is stuck, ending with a gamengiri and Koppu kick. Joe kicks out at one after taking this damage, and gets to his feet even as Ki throws Mongolian chops at him. Joe open hand strikes Ki before mauling him with a clothesline. Ki kicks out at one, and Joe punishes him with more chest kicks before suplexing him into a cross armbreaker. He converts that into a crossface. Ki fights up to his feet, and Joe chops him to the corner. Ki reverses a whip, but Joe nails him with a jump-up enzuigiri and takes him down with a German suplex. Ki resists a dragon suplex and puts Joe in a standing armbar. Joe slips out, but Ki kicks him in the head and rocks him with a jump-up enzuigiri. Ki also gets two with a Tiger suplex. They get into an exchange of open hand strikes, ending with jump-up gamengiri from Ki. Joe reverses a whip to the corner and follows in with a yakuza kick. He then delivers a facewash kick. Joe powerbombs Ki into a STF. Ki rolls Joe into a cross armbreaker, with Joe instantly putting his foot on the ropes to escape. Ki attacks Joe’s left arm, once more going for a rolling cross armbreaker, with Joe putting on the brakes. Ki transitions to a triangle choke. Joe muscles him up just a little bit before his arm begins to hurt. Ki chops him right away and drops him with a Saito suplex for two. Joe powers out of Ki’s Dragon Sleeper and into a Death Valley Driver. Joe picks him up into an Island Driver for two, with Ki getting his foot on the ropes to escape. Joe rocks Ki with chops and headbutts. Ki throws him into the corner and enzuigiri’s Joe’s left shoulder. Ki snapmares Joe into a back kick, which only angers him. He open hand strikes Ki before snapmaring him into a back kick. Ki gets to his feet. Both men take off their wrist tape and lower their knee pads before engaging in a battle of open handed strikes and running boots. Joe turns Ki inside out with a lariat, and Ki comes back with a Sick Kick. Another lariat from Joe keeps Ki down. Ki blocks Joe’s rolling chops to the face and unloads with a barrage of Kawada kicks. He knees Joe several times in the face and pounds him on the neck thrice. Before the third strike, Joe lets out a primal scream, and then collapses after that third strike. These attacks lead Joe to collapsing and Ki pinning him at 16:25.

I don’t know if there is any better example of a cold match successfully turning into a grudge match. The story was there for it to feel that way, with Joe being paid to wallop Ki, and Ki being angry that the Prophecy sent someone after him just two weeks after robbing him of the ROH Championship. What makes it feel that way is the intensity of the strikes each man brought, and the retaliation from those strikes. There was pride in giving heavy shots, taking heavy shots, and staying on your feet after those shots that both men conveyed throughout the entire contest. The exclamation point on that was Ki striking Joe into being pinned – no big finishing move needed. In one match, Joe put himself in ROH’s top tier, reinforced Ki as a gatekeeper for that top tier, and got the gears in motion for Joe to become essential to ROH’s success. This was unbelievable, easily one of the best matches in ROH’s first year. ****¼

After the match, Joe shakes Low Ki’s hand, and the two of them hold up a ZERO-ONE towel. Commentary makes note of the hand shake given that Joe was a hired gun of the Prophecy.

Prince Nana vs. Elax

Watching this after Joe vs. Ki almost gave me whiplash. Nana clobbered Elax from behind. After a corner splash, hip attack, and senton splash, Nana headbutted Elax with something in his crown and dropped him with a double arm DDT for the pin at 0:55. Dunn and Marcos then approach Prince Nana, and say after what he did to them last month, they are going to rock Nana like a hurricane. The large man in a suit and sunglasses from the crowd returns. He takes out Dunn with a chokeslam and Marcos with a Big Ending before returning to his position against the gym wall.

The Insane Clown Posse (Shaggy 2 Dope & Violent J) vs. The Outcast Killaz (Diablo Santiago & Oman Tortuga)

This match was left off the DVD and VHS release of the show, but eventually saw the light of day as part of ROH’s Uncensored Vol. 1 compilation. This would be the ROH debut for both teams. The fans chanted “IC shit” at the Clowns. They shook hands, and then the ICP pulled the Killaz into a double clothesline. Shaggy gives Santiago a TKO and a running DDT as Violent J pummels Tortuga on the floor. A flying leg drop gives Shaggy the pin on Santiago at 0:43. There was nothing to this, and I assume it was cut for time more than anything else. Far from a hidden gem.

Jay Briscoe vs. Xavier

This match was set up last month, with Xavier stating he was going to wrestle a “tune up” match on the biggest ROH show to date rather than defend the ROH Championship. Mark Briscoe then pitched his brother Jay as Xavier’s opponent, stating there is no bigger loser in ROH, and Xavier bit. Simply Luscious is in Xavier’s corner. Xavier doesn’t allow for Jay to get in more than one or two offensive strikes before cutting him off. This continues until Jay eventually muscles him into a Death Valley Driver. However, when Jay looks to capitalize with a dive off the top turnbuckle and to the floor, he collides head first into the guardrail. Xavier wears down Jay’s mid-section back in the ring. Jay takes him down with a Gourd Buster after cutting him off with a forearm shot, following up with a super leg drop for two. Xavier counters a Jay Driller into a Cobra Clutch. Xavier turns that into a Saito suplex and is in disbelief when Jay kicks out. Xavier powerbombs him twice, but when he goes for a third, Jay gets to his feet and spikes Xavier with the Jay Driller for the pin at 13:35. At first I didn’t like that the champion lost his first match as champion, but it does go for what ROH wanted at the time, was for that title win to feel very unearned. It’s one thing to not be able to beat Low Ki without ample help, but to lose to the “biggest loser” in ROH in your first match as champion is a great way to confirm he is undeserving as a champion. It was also a big moment for Jay, who instantly puts himself in title contention with this victory. Truthfully, the match was just alright, but its symbolism worked for me. **½

As soon as the match ends, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe attack Jay. Xavier puts him away with a 450 splash. Low Ki runs to the ring and the Prophecy bails. Daniels tells Ki and the fans that the Prophecy runs the show as they back their way to the backstage area.

During the previous match, commentary mentioned that due to the way Xavier received his title shot, they will be introducing a #1 Contender’s trophy next month. This is to ensure that everyone who gets an ROH Championship match going forward earns it.

Philadelphia Street Fight
Da Hit Squad (Mafia & Monsta Mack) vs. The Carnage Crew (DeVito & Loc)

DHS enter through the crowd and surprise The Carnage Crew, which seems impossible given the amount of noise they made breaking apart a mesh guardrail doing so. They brawl for awhile, eventually making to the back of the room, where DeVito puts Mafia through a table with a spike piledriver off a stage. They get the pin at 6:50, though I thought in a street fight you still had to pin the person back in the ring? Mafia is checked on by officials, Mack, and Low Ki as the Carnage Crew help each other limp backstage. Commentary was giving weight to the severity of the piledriver on Mafia as he lay there motionless, but the camera didn’t last long enough on him for it to resonate. Don’t just tell me he’s hurt – show me. This feud must continue.

Speaking of backstage, Christian York and Alexis Laree find Joey Matthews passed out and can’t get him to come to. Elax giggles to himself as he watches them from a nearby bathroom, where he’s hanging out with Dixie and the yet to be named Izzy. Suspect.

Elimination Match
Michael Shane vs. Paul London vs. Spanky

Bio-Hazard is in Shane’s corner. Spanky and London both hate Shane, so they team up against him when they can, and only go after each other when he is out of the picture. Shane takes matters into his own hands by taking down London with an enzuigiri and pitching Spanky to the floor. Shane is able to get an advantage on London at first, knocking Spanky back to the floor when he sees him crawling back to the apron. London does the same after suplexing Shane for a two count. Spanky dodges a shoulder block from Shane and dropkicks him in the side of the head. All three men end up on the floor when Shane baseball slide dropkicks London, and Spanky follows out with a pescado. Spanky interrupts London’s Asai moonsault attempt and sends him head first into the guardrails. In the ring, Spanky has London hooked for a superplex. Shane pulls Spanky down into a powerbomb. London misses a shooting star press on Spanky, and Spanky then walks up Shane’s back to deliver a Sliced Bread #2 to London. Shane superkicks Spanky and then steals his pin, pinning London at 9:44 to eliminate him from the match. Shane continues wearing down Spanky on the floor until Spanky reverses a whip into the guardrails. Despite this, Shane cuts him off mid-air with a dropkick in the ring and continues his onslaught. Spanky breaks out of a waistlock and nails Shane with Sliced Bread #2. Spanky has to crawl his way over to pin Shane, and enough time passes where Shane kicks out when he eventually does. Shane escapes a second Sliced Bread and DDT’s Spanky. Shane also escapes a third attempt, superkicking Spanky after and delivering a flying elbow drop for the pin at 19:45. The most exciting part of this match was Spanky and London working together. Anytime Shane was on offense, the match just slowed to a crawl, and unfortunately that was the bulk of the encounter. This felt like a step backwards from the progress he and London made last month. **½

Shane apparently won the right to call himself “The New Showstopper” by winning the previous match, but he tells the crowd he doesn’t want it or need it. He wants to prove he can get over without using someone else’s nickname. He’s just glad nobody else can use it. If that’s how we can get all this talk of showstopping and HBK to overtake these matches, so be it.

Doug Williams vs. Christopher Daniels

This match was originally set to be Williams vs. Dick Togo, with the winner getting the chance to face Daniels. Togo wanted to face Daniels because Daniels cheated to eliminate him and Hidaka from the ROH Tag Team title tournament last month. Williams wanted to face Daniels because after the Iron Man match in July, Williams demanded Daniels shake everyone’s hand in the match and Daniels refused. This issue resulted in handshake related shakes being added to the match. If williams is victorious, Williams must shake his hand. If Daniels wins, Williams can never shake hands in ROH again. Simply Luscious is in Daniels’ corner.

Williams targets Daniels’ left leg from the start. Daniels cuts him off with a neckbreaker, and from there targets Williams’ neck. Williams cuts him off with a backslide, but when he goes for the Chaos Theory, Daniels cuts him off with a stunner. Daniels also cuts off Williams’ tornado DDT attempt with a Manhattan Drop into a neckbreaker for two. Daniels manages to counter the Chaos Theory twice, but succumbs to a tornado DDT. Williams’ three knee combo earns another two count, as does a fisherman’s buster. Daniels elbows his way out of the Chaos Theory and drops Williams with an STO. He cuts off Williams’ charge with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two, and then gets two again with the BME. Williams belly-to-belly suplexes Daniels to buy some recovery time. They trade pinning combinations before trading waistlocks. Williams uses the ropes instead of the corner to pull of the Chaos Theory, but Daniels is close enough tot he ropes to simply grab the bottom rope to avoid being pinned. When Williams approaches, Daniels sweeps out Williams’ legs. He jackknife pins Williams with his feet on the ropes to get the pin at 12:25. This was pretty good, but pretty good was not good enough for the main event of this show. After such a long night, after seeing something as spectacular as Joe vs. Ki and a feel good moment like Jay Briscoe defeating Xavier, this fell very flat. It was a match that ended in second gear and fell flat. Blah. **¾

Daniels and Simply Luscious mock Williams by offering him a handshake. The injured Dick Togo makes his way into the ring and blasts Daniels in the back with his crutch. Jay Briscoe then gets revenge from earlier in the night by giving Daniels a Jay Driller. Jay, Togo, and Williams celebrate to end the show. At least they had this to send the crowd home happy.

We then see footage of Tony Mamaluke getting ready to leave the building. James Maritato from behind asks if he’s going to say goodbye to him. Mamaluke slowly comes down the stairs and gives Maritato a hug and handshake. He tells Maritato that he made Tony Mamaluke and thanks him for everything. Maritato tells Mamaluke he should be proud of himself, but he just wishes he could convince him to become a serious wrestler and do right by his trainer Dean Malenko. He says they did comedy when they had to and he has nothing against the FBI, but it’s time for Mamaluke to fill his shoes. He knows Mamaluke can be a shooter when he wants to be, and if he does it all the time, he knows he will shoot to the top. Mamaluke says Maritato is right – it’s time to be a man. They shake hands, and then go their separate ways. Maybe it’s because now it’s Mamaluke’s choice to get serious rather than it being forced upon him that this speech stuck with him, but it still felt odd that Maritato gave him the same speech for months and now it sticks with him. I wonder when the WWE trademarked the FBI gimmick and if that is why ROH wrote it off, but I can’t say for sure.

Elsewhere, Christopher Daniels, who is flanked by Xavier, Samoa Joe, and Simply Luscious, says at the next ROH show on November 9th, the Prophecy will keep all the titles and all the power. Joe in the background laughs when Simply Luscious points out to Xavier that Jay Briscoe knocked him out with the Jay Driller in his match after Xavier says the title won’t be going anywhere on November 9th. Daniels takes them out with some words of confidence.

When the cameraman tells them they’re out, Steve Corino steps into the picture to get Simply Luscious. Before they can leave, Christopher Daniels asks Corino why he hangs out with “this Michael Shane clown,” who Luscious reminds Corino did superkick her. Corino says it’s just business, just like it’s just business between Simply Luscious and the Prophecy. Corino doesn’t care about the Prophecy, he’s only looking out for himself. Daniels then asks Corino to not badmouth The Prophecy. Corino says he’ll do any favor Daniels wants if he can just go already. Michael Shanethen comes in, saying he heard his name. Xavier cuts off Shane, knowing that he’s in the #1 Contenders Trophy match next month. Shane and Xavier have words, and after that, Daniels changes his mind and says Luscious has to stick around to talk about Prophecy business. Corino pivots and invites Joe to go out with him, but Daniels says Joe needs to stick around to talk business too. Joe forcefully reminds Daniels that he handles his business in the ring, and that’s what Daniels paid him to do. Hanging around backstage costs extra. Joe, Corino, and Shane then leave while Daniels, Xavier, and Luscious begin to talk.

After this show, The Wrestling Observer reported that Gabe Sapolsky told him after this show, which was 14 matches and went 4 hours, they would limit future shows to 10 matches max and make an effort to cut down on how long the shows last. They certainly succeed at the former, and while they do get better generally speaking about show length, it’s a promise that isn’t kept as consistently.

Just like Unscripted, this is a one match show that only completists need to watch, and that one match is available for free on YouTube. To me, this is the overall weakest ROH show to date, and if it wasn’t for Joe vs. Low Ki, you’d be looking at an all time stinker.