ROH THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - PART 1

 

ROH THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - PART 1

No Rules
Roderick Strong vs. Steve Corino
This is a pretty hot number. Very spint-ish in its pace & energy. Fun work on the offense by both, good selling, just good action from bell to bell. ***

Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Rave
It's a fun match-up with a clear heel & face dynamic going for it. Lethal is really fun as the young fiery babyface, and he had a great showing regarding that here. ***

ROH Pure Championship
John Walters vs. Jay Lethal
This is immediately following Lethal's match vs. Rave, so the dynamic is clear. A beaten up babyface Lethal vs. the opportunist heel champ Walters. It's a solid match, yet I think it could've been much better. The continuation of Walters targeting Lethal's ribs, which were softened up by Rave, is good stuff, but Lethal could've done better selling them. I also think Lethal's comebacks were missing some fire. With a more spirited babyface performance, this could've been a big hit, but as it is, it's "just" a pretty good match. **1/2

CM Punk vs. Spanky
This is a very intriguing 1-on-1 match-up on paper, and it was a great one! Love how Spanky finds his first real opening with that dropkick & then Punk's leg becomes the main story of the match. Spanky is perfect in his role here being ratty, fast & crafty at finding openings. Punk's selling is class all the way through. The way the targeted leg seals the deal in the finish is brilliant. Really loved this one. ****

Taped Fist Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
The 2nd match in their best of 5 series. Kind of an anti-climatic finish, but I enjoyed this a lot. It's not quite as excellent as their submission match from the previous show, but it's really good. The crowd brawling is very fun in its chaotic nature, and it fits both guys really well. Lots of great punches thrown throughout the match - I say hell yeah to that, brotha. Awesome airplane spin counter by Homicide. I can see people wanting this to be more heated/wild, but I thought they brought the feeling of dislike into the thing quite well - even when things got more "traditional" once they hit the ring. ***3/4

ROH World Championship
Steel Cage
Austin Aries vs. Colt Cabana
Did not care for their previous match one bit. This one was thankfully MUCH better. Now it ain't no Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe, but it's a badass cage match for the title in its own right. Cabana getting busted open & Aries working the cut made for an awesome dynamic, and both guys definitely upped the brutality with their bombs & strikes, which fit the nature of the match perfectly. Awesome big spots & counters. Some very good finish-teases throughout & the actual finish is very neat to boot. A major upgrade from their first title match! ****