BRM Reviews ROH Redemption

[Big Red Machine]

ROH Redemption (8/12/2005)- Dayton, OH

The show starts off with good promos by James Gibson (hyping up tonight’s main event and putting over the ROH World Title), and by Austin Aries (introducing Matt Sydal a prospective member of Generation Next… who will earn a full spot if Gen Next win tonight).

1. Four Corner Survival Match: Ace Steel vs. Delirious vs. Matt Stryker vs. Sterling James Keenan- 4.25/10. Really short.

Backstage Daniels cut a promo hyping up both the main event and his history with CM Punk.

2. Spanky vs. Colt Cabana- 5.25/10- Good comedy match, with Cabana working over the (I swear I’m not kidding here) ass of Spanky.
After the match, Punk comes out, and Spanky asks him for a shot at the ROH World Title. Punk tells him “I’d love to give you a title shot… but seeing as how you’re gonna be on Velocity, and I’m gonna be on Monday Night Raw, I just don’t see it happening.” Punk is awesome. Punk then proceeded to cut a great promo taking credit for ROH’s success.

3. ROH World Tag Team Title match: Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer vs. Nigel McGuinness & Chad Collyer-6.75/10. Told an interesting story, with Nigel & Collyer using Jimmy as a weapon against BJ, constantly throwing him into BJ.

Backstage, Samoa Joe cut a promo hyping up the main event.

4. The Embassy (Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave, & Abyss) (w/Prince Nana) vs. Generation Next & Matt Sydal (w/Daizee Haze)- 7.5/10. Abyss was great here. After the match, Abyss destroyed Gen Next.

5. Jay Lethal vs. Low Ki- 7/10. The finish made sense, but illustrates why I hated ROH’s old “no count-outs, but the ref can DQ both of you if he thinks you are on the outside for too long”-rule.
Ki and Lethal continue to fight. Then Homicide comes out and he and Ki beat Lethal down until Matt Hardy comes out and makes the save.

6. Matt Hardy vs. Homicide- 7.5/10. Good match, to the point where I didn’t even mind the dirty finish.

7. 4 Corner Survival Elimination match for the ROH World Title: CM Punk(c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. James Gibson- 9/10. Only 8.75 for the in-ring action, but this was a masterwork of storytelling.

Overall, this was a solid show, which I would definitely recommend (it has one of Matt’s few appearances, and something else that makes it an important show in ROH history that I won’t spoil, so pick it up if you are into that), but it isn’t a top tier show by any means.