Philadelphia, PA – 3.22.2003

Commentary is provided by Chris Lovey & Ray Murrow.

The show begins with a promo sent in by Steve Corino from Sendai, Japan, dated March 15, 2003, the same day as “Expect The Unexpected.” However, Corino wrestled for ICW in New York that day. He wrestled in Sendai on February 28th in a six man tag for ZERO-ONE. Regardless, Corino is showering out of sight. He says being away from ROH is like a vacation. He warned Homicide not to mess with him, and that he always gets the last laugh. He is also still waiting for Christopher Daniels and the Prophecy to cast the first stone in their rivalry. I understand that they had these promos to keep Corino involved whenever he was unable to make shows, but this didn’t really add anything to either of his rivalries.

Backstage we see Special K partying. Jody Fleisch turns down their liquid droppers filled with clear substances because he has an important match with Low Ki later. He leaves and the rest of them continue partying. Mikey Whipwreck changes the rave music to rock music which nobody else likes.

Christopher Daniels says that the Prophecy are not the kind of people to just walk away after a loss. Tonight is another big night for the Prophecy. Daniels has Doug Williams in a match for both Daniels’ FWA Title, and the ROH #1 Contendership trophy. Daniels took away Williams ability to shake hands back at “Glory By Honor”, but graciously agrees that if Williams is able to defeat him, he will allow Williams to shake hands once again. Xavier then talks about his opponent for tonight, Samoa Joe. Joe lost his debut match in ROH against Low Ki, but when Xavier went one-on-one with Ki, he was victorious. Joe is going to be just like AJ, Ki, Paul London, and Jay Briscoe – X’d out by the All Around Best. Allison Danger then says they haven’t forgotten about Steve Corino. They say they’re ready for the first shot Corino has been threatening them with, because they still hold the title and the power. Once the camera man calls cut, Daniels asks Xavier if he is sure he is ready for Joe, referencing the concussion he suffered last week. While Xavier says he is ready, Daniels instructs Danger to watch his back.

Alex Arion vs. BJ Whitmer vs. Dixie vs. Matt Stryker

Special K members Hijinx and Lit are in Dixie’s corner. This is Whitmer and Stryker’s first match in Philadelphia for ROH. The match centered around the two of them from the start. They traded technical wrestling holds, got back in the ring once more where they got a little more intense, and the third time they were in the ring together, they got into a full blown strike battle. They also knocked Dixie and Arion to the floor to ensure they were not interrupted. That lasted until Dixie had to jump in a break a pin attempt. Dixie also broke Stryker’s ankle lock on Arion with a flying Frankensteiner. Whitmer then picked up his first win in Ring of Honor with a wrist-clutch exploder suplex to Dixie at 11:25. This was a strange group to put in a four way match. This kind of match only allows for Dixie to really bring out his best, and he did not get much ring time at all. It was a fine match but inconsequential. This would be Arion’s final match in ROH. **½

Quiet Storm & The SAT (Joel Maximo & Jose Maximo) vs. Special K (Angel Dust, Deranged & Izzy)

Special K member and trainer of Storm and the SAT Mikey Whipwreck is in Special K’s corner. Before the match starts, Whipwreck tells Storm and SAT that his association with Special K is just business, but it was all a set up for Special K to attack them before the bell. Despite this early attack, Storm and the SAT are able to take control shortly after thanks to a Spinal Shock from Storm. Whipwreck breaks the Code of Honor by attacking one of the SAT on the floor, but again, the SAT and Storm recover quickly and triple team Izzy. The SAT damn near broke Dust’s neck with a super wheelbarrow Ace Crusher combo. Special K finally get in a sustained amount of offense on Storm. Jose throws Deranged to the floor where he crashes hard. Jose brings Deranged back in for a pair of brainbusters and a sit-out powerbomb for two. Storm takes out Dust with the Storm Cradle Driver but Izzy breaks up his pin attempt. Joel powerbombs Izzy six times, kneeling on the sixth. Deranged distracts the referee so that Mikey can come in and give all of their opponents the Whipper Snapper. Izzy and Dust then pin Storm and Joel at 6:26. It takes some serious suspension of disbelief that after everything we saw, a stunner from Whipwreck was all it took to keep the SAT and Storm down for the count. It was a fun sprint before that but nothing you haven’t seen already **½

Special K instructs Slugger to take out Quiet Storm with the Bodybag, which he does. Another tall security guard emerges from the crowd and enters the ring. He and Slugger stare each other down and each of them remove their sunglasses. Special K gets in between them and Slugger exits before anything can happen.

Elsewhere in the crowd we see Julius Smokes, Becky Bayless and “Low Life” Louie Ramos arguing with Gabe Sapolsky. They are confronted by Atlas Security and everyone calms down. I’m sure nothing else will happen between them tonight. Also, if we’re to believe the riot was “real”, why do they keep allowing for these folks to show up?

The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid) vs. The Ring Crew Express (Dunn & Marcos)

Commentary writes this off as an easy win for the Backseat Boyz. They must have felt the same, as they toyed around with the RCE, doing the Fargo strut and other such nonsense as they beat down Dunn and Marcos. The tone shifted when Dunn was able to suplex Kashmere on the floor. Suddenly, the RCE were able to double team Acid and score a nearfall on him with a standing shiranui into a super elbow drop. Dunn also took out Kashmere with a Gory Drop. Marcos was pitched to the floor by Acid, leaving Dunn in a space to take the Dream Sequence from the Backseats. Marcos then was tossed up into a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo. Marcos saved Dunn from the T-Gimmick and then each scored a nearfall with sunset flips. Marcos accidentally takes out Dunn with a flying forearm, and Marcos is given the T-Gimmick onto his partner for the pin at 5:19. It was a bit bold to give the RCE so much offense given Kashmere and Acid were not well established yet. It made for a more exciting match, though, and they got the crowd invested. **¾

Trent Acid cuts a post-match promo. It’s hard to hear given the poor audio quality, but he more or less asks to face a true tag team next time, because they’re the number one tag team and they’re coming for the ROH tag titles. As they head backstage, they’re confronted by Da Hit Squad who take umbrage with them calling themselves the best tag team on the Indies. As they’re being separated, Doug Williams makes his way past them to head to the ring.

FWA British Heavyweight Championship & ROH Championship #1 Contender’s Trophy
Christopher Daniels vs. Doug Williams

FWA stands for Frontier Wrestling Alliance, a group based out of Portsmouth, England. Daniels has been champion since 10.25.2002 and this is his first defense. Allison Danger is in his corner. Daniels defeated Williams at “Glory By Honor”, and by defeating him, Williams was no longer allowed to shake hands in ROH. If Williams wins, in addition to the title and trophy, Daniels says that Williams can shake hands again if he wins. Daniels retreats to the floor twice early on out of frustration – once when Williams takes him down with a shoulder block, and when Williams dizzies him with a succession of quick pin attempts. Williams attacks Daniels’ neck and shoulders. Daniels goes to Williams’ eyes to take control. Williams goes back to wearing down Daniels’ neck. Daniels pulls Williams by his trunks to send him to the floor. Daniels delivers a baseball slide to Williams’ ribs and drives his mid-section into the ring frame. Daniels continues to attack Williams’ stomach back in the ring. Daniels leg lariats Williams to the floor after dropping him stomach first onto the top rope. Back in the ring, Williams avoids a corner shoulder block, but as he runs at Daniels, Daniels cuts him off with a knee to the ribs. Williams is able to take down Daniels with a lariat after blocking a kick to the stomach. A belly-to-belly suplex and fisherman’s buster earn Williams a two count. Daniels halts Williams on the top rope and looks for an Iconoclasm. Williams forearms Daniels in the neck to escape and drops him with a flying tornado DDT. Daniels goes up and over Williams in the corner and drops him with a Complete Shot. When Daniels calls for the BME, Williams pulls him down into a crossface. Daniels gets the ropes to escape. He gives Williams a gutbuster and then lands the BME for two. After a strike exchange, Williams comes off of the ropes. Daniels catches him with a Complete Shot and locks on the Koji Clutch. Williams uses a cravate to get Daniels to release the hold. He then lifts Daniels up by his neck into the Chaos Theory. Daniels elbows his way free and goes for Last Rites. Williams snapmares him up into a swinging Cobra Clutch. After dropping Daniels he comes off of the top turnbuckle with the Bomb Scare. Danger makes sure the referee is aware of Daniels getting his foot on the bottom rope to break the pin. Daniels repeatedly shoulder blocks Williams ribs in the corner. He attempts Angel’s Wings, which Williams escapes via backdrop. Williams ducks a clothesline and pulls off the Chaos Theory for the pin at 18:13. Put two men together who wrestle like they want to win, with each of them telling a clear story, and it’s going to be successful. They both had their tactics, both stuck to those tactics, and Williams simply outwrestled Daniels and was the better man on this night. It continues the story of the Prophecy falling apart while also getting Williams back on the map in ROH. ****

The Group of CW Anderson, Samoa Joe and Simply Luscious make their way to the ring. Commentary switches between calling her Simply Luscious and Ronnie Stevens, but I am sticking with Simply Luscious for now. Louie Ramos and Julius Smokes jeer CW from the crowd. Jack Victory and Guillotine LeGrande attack Ramos. Smokes spills over the guardrail and gets attacked by Joe, Anderson, and Victory. Homicide and Da Hit Squad come out and attack the Group, leading to a match scheduled between the two teams later in the night to happen now.

Homicide & Da Hit Squad (Mafia & Monsta Mack) vs. The Group (CW Anderson, Jack Victory & Samoa Joe)

Simply Luscious is in The Group’s corner. Victory replaces the originally scheduled Michael Shane, who was taken tot he hospital for dehydration earlier in the day. Homicide wipes out Anderson with a tope suicida. Joe takes out Mack with a jump-up enzuigiri. Mafia German suplexes Joe, and then lariats Anderson when Anderson tries to take him down with his shotgun superkick. Victory strikes Mafia in the back of the head when Mafia hits the ropes. They begin to brawl ringside as Homicide facewashes Anderson and delivers a running knee. Joe’s STJoe takes out Homicide. DHS double team Joe in the corner. Anderson superkicks Mack. Mafia blocks a spinebuster at first, but Anderson gets it when he tries it a second time. Joe wipes out Mafia on the floor with an elbow suicida. Homicide drops Anderson with an Ace Crusher. Anderson back suplexes Homicide onto his neck. Joe facewash kicks Mafia through the guardrails. Homicide back elbows Anderson into an STF. Luscious and Becky Bayless are now fighting ringside, which gets Homicide’s attention. He pulls Luscious into the ring and threatens a piledriver. Instead, he drops her with the Cop Killer! Anderson jams Homicide’s arm over his shoulder before dropping him into the Anderson Tradition submission. Commentary tells us Da Hit Squad and Joe have brawled to the back. Victory brings a trashcan into the ring. Anderson gives Homicide a spinebuster onto it. The referee throws out the match at 6:21. Smokes, Ramos, and others enter the ring, chasing off the Group with a machete (!!!) and other weapons. This was much better than the phony riot from last month. A real match getting out of control felt more organic than what they attempted in Boston. Homicide taking out Luscious felt like a big moment in this rivalry, with him attacking the Group leader’s girlfriend while the leader is in another country. I don’t particularly love this feud but thought this was a compelling chapter. **¾

We’re at intermission, and Gary Michael Cappetta is backstage with Doug Williams. GMC says Williams has to be “floating” tonight. Williams says Daniels has been ducking and diving him for the past six months, but he was finally able to come to the U.S. to get his UK title back. Not only that, he became the #1 Contender to the ROH Championship, and says he will take the title from whoever the champion is when he returns.

Hotstuff Hernandez & Mace vs. The Carnage Crew (DeVito & Loc)

Buff-E is in Hernandez and Mace’s corner. Mace says Buff can’t wrestle because his ass hurts too much. Must be hemorrhoids. The Carnage Crew have had no trouble bullying the Christopher St. Connection, but the much larger Hernandez takes them out with ease. Mace does his usual homophobia baiting offense and gets his ass whipped. They double underhook suplex Hernandez, but Hernandez gets right back to his feet. He also double DDT’s the Carnage Crew to block a double suplex. Hernandez drops DeVito with a Dominator. He catches Loc’s crossbody attempt and gives him a powerbomb. Hernandez wipes them both out with a dive over the top rope. DeVito Hot Shots Hernandez onto the guardrail and blasts him in the head with a chair. This leaves Mace alone. Loc blocks Mace’s swinging DDT. The Carnage Crew put him away with a tandem spike piledriver at 6:21. Hernandez’s involvement made this better than every other Carnage Crew and CSC match, but it was still just alright. Must we continue watching these teams wrestle? **

Buff-E attacks both of the Carnage Crew after the match, and Hernandez stands alongside him. The Carnage Crew laugh as they head to the back to lick their wounds.

ROH Tag Team Championship Match
AJ Styles & The Amazing Red vs. The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe)

Styles & Red have been champions since 3.15.2003 and this is their first defense. Alexis Laree is in their corner. This is Mark’s first match in Philadelphia for ROH, as he is now 18 years of age and can legally wrestle in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is also the first time Jay and Mark are teaming in ROH. Styles takes down the challengers with German suplexes, with Red assisting with a superkick on the one to Jay. The champs then land stereo tope con hilos. In the ring, Mark ducks a rolling clothesline from Styles and dumps him on his head with a Saito suplex. The Briscoes wipe him out with double boots in the corner. Styles takes down Jay with a gutbuster/backbreaker combo into a suplex, and Red comes in with a super elbow drop. Mark blind tags in when Jay is sent to the ropes, and Mark blindsides Red with a springboard dropkick. Red blocks Mark’s prawn hold with a reverse piledriver he calls Brain Damage. Styles scores a nearfall with a brainbuster. Mark powerbombs Styles to block a Frankensteiner. Mark dropkicks Styles’ legs out from under him to block the Phenomenon. When Mark attempts a springboard Ace Crusher, Styles counters with a mid-air belly-to-back suplex. Red dropkicks Jay to the floor before he sweeps out Mark’s leg and lands the Red Star Press for two. Jay strikes Red as Red hits the ropes, allowing Mark to clobber Red with a clothesline. The Briscoes wear down Red until Red rolls over Mark to deliver a Pele kick to Jay, and then takes out Mark with a one-armed backslide driver. Styles tags in, rocking Jay with a superkick and powerslam. He folds up Mark with a hammerlock driver. Jay and Styles strike each other into exhaustion, and Red and Mark step-up off of them, landing stereo Shining Wizards. Jay takes himself and Styles to the floor with a Cactus clothesline. Jay saves Mark from the Code Red, and with Mark delivers a DDT/bulldog. Styles breaks the pin and takes out the Briscoes with a Phenomenon/DDT combo. Jay saves Mark from being pinned by a neckbreaker. Styles weaves out of the Jay Driller and goes for the Styles Clash, but Jay breaks free of that and lands a Falcon Arrow. Red breaks up the pin and also tornado kicks Jay when Jay goes to the middle rope. Red brings down Jay with a super Code Red. Mark pulls Red off of Jay and heel kicks Red in the back of the head. Mark places himself on the top turnbuckle and boots Styles to block a charge. Styles however pops Red up onto Mark’s shoulders. Red Frankensteiners Mark into Styles arms, and Styles delivers the Style Clash for the pin at 16:25. The chemistry between these two teams is undeniable, and it is no surprise ROH did a rematch as soon as they could. Everybody was down for throwing big bombs and also taking them, and the crowd was along for the ride from start to end. It didn’t lack logic, though, as in just about every case, the partners had to save one another from being pinned after taking something so devastating. This was simply a blast to watch. ***¾

Low Ki vs. Jody Fleisch

No one from Special K is in Fleisch’s corner, which is another indicator as to how serious Ki is taking this bout. Fleisch angers Ki with kick to the hamstring. Fleisch shows no fear or intimidation against Ki, instead going after him head on and outpacing him. Ki is able to score a chest kick from the floor. Fleisch immediately charges at Ki and goes for the Phoenix DDT. Ki counters into a Dragon Clutch, which Fleisch snapmares out of, leading to a stalemate. Ki pulls Fleisch to the mat in a neck-tie headscissors. Fleisch escapes and spikes Ki with a reverse Frankensteiner. Fleisch dropkicks Ki to the floor and follows with a springboard shooting star press! Ki kicks Fleisch in the side of the face after kicking out of a moonsault in the ring, so Fleisch angrily gives him a dropkick to the back of the head. Fleisch kick flips off of the ropes after Ki sends him into them, only to be caught with a Tidal Wave from Ki after the fact. Ki also blasts Fleisch in the corner with a clothesline and brings him out with a double underhook suplex. Fleisch blocks a couple of corner attacks from Ki and lands a corkscrew crossbody for two. Ki blocks the Phoenix DDT, but Fleisch pulls him down into a triangle choke. Ki muscles Fleisch up into the Krush Rush, and then blasts him with a Koppu Kick. Ki gets two with a flurry of kicks to the head. Fleisch ducks the Tidal Krush and German suplexes Ki out of the corner. Ki blocks a jackknife pin with a headscissors/heel hook submission. Fleisch rolls his way to the ropes to escape. After blocking one another’s offense with pin attempts, Ki throws Fleisch into the turnbuckles to block a headscissors takedown. Ki sends Fleisch to the floor with the Tidal Krush. Fleisch climbs up to the apron as Ki tends to his leg. Fleisch kicks Ki in the head from the apron. He comes in with a shooting star piledriver of sorts. Fleisch lifts Ki into the ring for a pin, with Ki getting his foot on the bottom rope to stop the count. Fleisch pulls Ki to the top turnbuckle. Ki fights back, and ends up delivering an Avalanche Ki Krusher, damn near losing their footing. Clearly in agony, Ki crawls his way over and pins Fleisch at 19:40. Ki looked like he got knocked loopy with the piledriver, which made the fact that they didn’t fall off of the top turnbuckle at the end all the more impressive. Before that, this was an excellent back-and-forth match. Fleisch treating this match so seriously was a good reminder that even while he is not champion, going against Ki one-on-one is a big deal and defeating him would be an achievement in and of itself. They managed to fill the time effectively and didn’t go overboard, which is commendable. ***½

The rest of Special K is partying in the locker room, with Slugger just watching on in the background. Fleisch comes in holding his neck in pain. Deranged drops some of the drugs from the dropper in his mouth, and it works instantly, getting him back in the partying mood. Must be dilaudid. When I had cancer, I would get that on occasion, and it instantly took your pain away. It may me understand why drug addicts exist.

CM Punk and Ace Steel come to the ring for their match. Steel is carrying a trash can. Punk puts down the crowd for being alcoholics and having to go to work for a boss they hate. Meanwhile, Punk spends his time bettering himself. Raven and Colt Cabana, their opponents, then come to the ring. Steel now has a chair. Raven makes more jokes about Michael Jackson, as he did the week before. What a weird thing to fixate on in promos. After Raven makes gay jokes about Punk and Steel, he challenges Punk and Steel to make their match a Raven’s Rules match. Punk agrees, saying he will embarrass Raven again, just like he did in Boston. He also says Cabana should be ashamed of himself for being manipulated into wrestling against his trainer.

Raven’s Rules Match
Raven & Colt Cabana vs. CM Punk & Ace Steel

Punk avoids getting in the ring with Raven. Cabana and Raven get the best of Steel thanks to a trash can lid shot to the head. Punk does tag in when Steel backs Cabana to the corner. Punk isn’t above choking his friend in the corner, but Cabana is able to come back with running double knees to the chest. Cabana tags in Raven. Punk immediately scurries to the floor. Raven gives chase, and Steel catches Raven with a steel chair jab to the ribs. Steel leg sweeps Raven into the guardrails. With Raven down and out, Punk is willing to engage, and pummels him in the corner. Raven escapes the Devil Lock and goes for a Raven Effect. Punk pushes Raven to the corner to block it. Punk sets up a chair mid-ring, but Raven reverses into a drop toe hold, sending Punk face first onto the chair. Cabana gets two on Steel with a sit-out powerbomb. Raven hits Punk with a chair from the floor right into Cabana’s arms for the Colt .45. Steel breaks up the pin. Welcome to Chicago, Motherfucker gets Punk a two count on Cabana. The King’s Swing from Punk and Steel earns them another two count. Cabana catches Punk coming off of the top rope in a bearhug, which he converts into a body slam. Raven tags in and cleaners house with a trash can. Raven throws a trashcan at Punk to block him from a springboard. Raven drop toe hold Steel to the floor onto Punk, and then follows out with a dive. Cabana follows with a moonsault off of the top turnbuckle, but hurts his knee upon landing. In the ring, Raven sets up a table in the corner. Steel springboard dropkicks Raven to save Punk from taking a Raven Effect. Steel moves the table into an upright position. Punk misses an elbow drop to Raven and crashes through the table. Steel prevents Raven from pinning Punk, but Raven then pins Steel with the Raven Effect at 15:53. This was a good way to follow up last week’s singles encounter, with Raven getting a victory over Punk, but not defeating Punk directly. Incorporating Steel and Cabana adds an interesting wrinkle to the rivalry as well. Punk fully becoming the Punk we love to hate in front of the Philadelphia audience was cool to witness as well. This was a little long, but good for what it was. ***

After the match, Raven wants Punk to follow the Code of Honor by shaking his hand, just like Raven did last week. Punk flips off Raven, so Raven pulls him into the Raven Effect. Punk flees to the floor. Raven pulls Steel into his arms and says he will give Punk a chance to get back into the ring. Raven drops Steel with another Raven Effect when Punk refuses. Punk tells Cabana “that’s your trainer he’s disrespecting.” Punk then slides in as Raven is distracted by Cabana and puts the boots to him. Punk then convinces Cabana to join in! Cabana then pulls a chair into the ring, which Punk drop toe holds Raven face first onto. Punk further disrespects Raven by giving him the Raven Effect. Cabana grabs the microphone. He says Punk is his best friend and Steel is his mentor, and he realizes that Punk is right and that Raven is nothing but a washed up has been. Punk and Cabana then carry Steel to the back. Cabana calling him that, after Raven just won the match for him, and then joining the losers, is very silly.

Homicide is backstage. He says he has “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes on his team for the big I Quit Bunkhouse Stampede match booked for April 12th. Julius Smokes trash talks CW Anderson like only he can. Low Ki confronts Smokes, asking what he is doing here. Homicide says Ki’s been busy so he got more of his crew to watch his back. Smokes ask Ki if he forgot where he came from. Ki says he knows where came from, but the streets don’t belong in Ring of Honor. Homicide calms him down, and Ki says that Homicide needs to take care of Smokes. Nothing would come of this.

ROH Championship
Xavier vs. Samoa Joe

Xavier has been champion since 9.21.2002 and this is his fifth defense. Joe earned this title match by winning the #1 Contender’s Trophy last week. Christopher Daniels and Allison Danger are in Xavier’s corner, but Michael Shane and CW Anderson take them out and bring them backstage before the match begins. I guess Shane got healthy between the six-man tag match and this. Commentary says this is the first shot Corino has been warning The Prophecy about. Joe throws Xavier face first into the corner multiple times, possibly trying to take advantage of the concussion Xavier suffered last week. Joe blocks Xavier’s “skin the cat” attempt with a kick to the chest. Joe Ole kicks Xavier into the guardrail and Kawada kicks him back in the ring. Xavier slips out of an Island Driver and gives Joe a back cracker. He blasts Joe in the neck with a diving forearm strike. He belly-to-belly suplexes Joe for two. Joe rolls to the floor after taking a dropkick, and Xavier follows with a suicide dive into a swinging DDT. Xavier continues to attack Joe’s neck back in the ring, trash talking the challenger in the process. Xavier impressively pulls off a brainbuster and puts on a modified cravate choke. Joe gets his foot on the bottom rope to escape. After more trash talk, Xavier delivers a basement dropkick. Joe smacks the canvas in anger. He absorbs Xavier’s chops while throwing chops of his own. Joe also absorbs a pair of clotheslines before he turns Xavier inside out with one of his own. Joe gives Xavier a German suplex, a Dragon suplex, and a straightjacket suplex. Xavier turns the final suplex into a lateral press and sneaks out a two count. Joe blocks the X-Breaker and knees Xavier in the head. When Joe tries a suplex, Xavier knees Joe in the head. Xavier then pulls off the X-Breaker and heads to the top turnbuckle. His 450 Splash is interrupted by Joe getting his knees up. Joe delivers an enzuigiri. He Judo throws Xavier to the mat and repeatedly drives his knee into the top of Xavier’s head. Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch Xavier passes out, with his arm dropping thrice, and Joe being awarded the match and the title at 11:56. This was a great match for Joe to win the title. Him holding the title gives the Group the one thing the Prophecy had over them – power. In watching the match, you not only see that Joe is a powerful ass kicker, but someone who is able to take a lot of damage and keep going. You also see that Joe is a smart wrestler who isn’t above exploiting his opponents weaknesses. Xavier’s reign may not be looked upon with much fondness, but at least his final defense served a larger purpose and kicked off what is arguably the most important ROH title run ever. ***¼

Now that it’s over, I can say that Xavier’s title reign isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. The output was good, with some really strong title defenses and non-title matches in that mix. I think what hurt him most was that his output before the title reign was not so good, so when he became the champion in a company that boasts an incredible roster, it would not be well received, which was the intent. At the time, Xavier’s most celebrated match was a ladder match against Low Ki in 2001. Putting him against the likes of Scoot Andrews and Little Guido on multiple occasions did not present him in the most optimal manner possible. Yes, most of the other ROH champions were better, and thus Xavier would be lower tier, but put his reign against the likes of Jerry Lynn and PCO and I think there is a case to be made that his reign is not the “worst.”

Raven says he was impressed that Punk beat him in Boston, but also thinks that Punk is a jackass. Raven may have gotten revenge tonight, but it bothers him that he was never able to give Punk the Raven Effect. He gave it to Steel assuming that Punk would eventually come to his trainer’s aid, but what he didn’t take into account was Punk’s lack of balls. Raven doesn’t mind taking 3-4 punches to give one back. As long as he gets to give Punk the Raven Effect, it will be worth it. Raven may not be on the next few shows, but either way, Punk will be looking over his shoulder and wondering if the Raven Effect is coming. Nothing is worse than knowing it’s out there and there is nothing Punk can do about it. This was better delivered than it was typed out.

We then are shown a promo sent in by Christopher Daniels the day after this event. Daniels starts by saying that what does not kill you makes you stronger. In reflecting on the worst week for the Prophecy to date, in which they lost the tag titles, the FWA title, and the ROH title, Xavier also suffered another concussion and will be out for an extended period of time. In a classic example of kicking a man when he’s down, Steve Corino fired the first shot against the Prophecy. Daniels isn’t surprised that he sent a foot soldier in Michael Shane to fire that first shot given what Shane did at “Honor Invades Boston”, but also because Corino is too much of a coward to do it himself. Daniels says this is not the last you will see of the Prophecy. Their future is wide open. He is going to make his run towards Samoa Joe’s ROH Title. He and Donovan Morgan will go after the ROH Tag Titles. Allison Danger will be watching their backs. You also never know when the Prophecy will grow by one member. His personal issue with the Group starts with Michael Shane and ends with Steve Corino. Daniels says he is looking forward to the future, because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and the Prophecy will be stronger than ever.

We then see a promo Steve Corino sent in from Tokushima, Japan. He’s reading about this event, and Homicide giving Simply Luscious the Cop Killer. He says that action proves that Homicide is exactly the kind of man Corino thought he was – no man at all. Corino says when he comes back to Ring of Honor, he has two words for Homicide – dare me. Honestly, Corino’s reaction to Homicide giving his girlfriend the Cop Killer was far more understated than one would expect.

This is a historic show, both for Samoa Joe winning the ROH Title and the first ever Briscoes tag team match in ROH taking place. However, it was also in danger of being the final ever ROH show. When ROH cofounder Doug Gentry passed in January 2007, Mike Johnson of PWInsider as part of his obituary mentionedthat it was Gentry’s friend Cary Silkin that approached Gentry about coming on board as an investor for the company. Had Silkin not done so, ROH “would have ceased to exist following the Philadelphia event where Samoa Joe first won the ROH championship from Xavier.” Crazy to think that in an alternate universe, this is the last ROH event, and it’s all thanks to Doug Gentry and his friendship to Cary Silkin that the company continued.