ROH The Chicago Spectacular: Night 2
ROH The Chicago Spectacular: Night 2 (12/9/2006)- Chicago, IL
ADAM PEARCE & SHANE HAGADORN PROMOS- good hype for their matches.
SHINGO & LACEY BACKSTAGE- Lacey offers Shingo money if he hurts Cabana in tonight’s match.
OPENING SEGMENT- Good
Cabana comes out, cuts a promo getting the crowd up to speed on the events of his match last night with Jimmy Jacobs (particularly the part where Jimmy held Cabana’s legs open so Lacey could stomp on his groin with her high heels) and calls Jimmy out to fight. Jimmy & Lacey come out and Jacobs and Cabana brawl until Lacey gets involved, low-blowing Cabana. This brings out Daizee Haze who takes out Lacey. Jacobs corners the Haze but BJ Whitmer comes out to make the save for Daizee. This brings out Cabana’s opponent for tonight, Shingo, as well as Jimmy Rave and Bryan Danielson, who are Jacobs’ tag partners later tonight (Whitmer is on the opposite side of that match) and they beat down the faces until Whitmer’s partners, Nigel McGuinness and Delirious, come out and we get an even bigger brawl which the faces win. Cabana changes tonight’s main event to an eight man elimination match, adding himself and Shingo in, and apparently he has some sort of booking power because everyone goes along with it. Jacobs still wants to fight Whitmer and Cabana right now because that will please Lacey, but Dragon holds him back.
ACE STEEL vs. TANK TOLAND- 5.25/10
DANIELS & SYDAL PROMOS- Sydal says he is injured a bit and so he can’t defend the belts because he has to protect his body because he is a star athlete. Daniels introduces Matt Cross as Sydal’s replacement. This was a good display for Sydal’s new arrogance.
SIX MAN MAYHEM MATCH: Pelle Primeau vs. Trik Davis vs. Jake Crist vs. Dave Crist vs. CJ Otis vs. Kikutaro- 5/10
Much less spotty than your average Six Man Mayhem. Kikutaro was fun, as always. After the match Shane Hagadorn came out and offered Pelle a shot at the Top of the Class Trophy… but it turns out to be a set-up for Pearce to take him out from behind. Pearce then calls out Homicide, and we end up with…
HOMICIDE vs. SHANE HAGADORN (w/Adam Pearce)- squash.
Pearce jumps Cide after the match but Cide manages to get the advantage and Pearce retreats. Cide demands to have their strap match changed to a steel cage match, and the crowd loves the idea.
SAMOA JOE vs. MARK BRISCOE- 6.25/10
After the match, Joe tells Pro Wrestling NOAH to â€"come get some.†Nigel McGuinness then comes out and says that as someone who his proud of his tours in NOAH, he won’t let Joe keep disrespecting NOAH. He tells Joe they can have a match anytime he wants and Joe says that is fine with him.
AUSTIN ARIES & RODERICK STRONG vs. MATT CROSS & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS (w/Allison Danger & Matt Sydal)- 7.25/10
A great performance from Cross. This match really allowed him to show off what he can do against some of the regulars on the roster.
PRAZAK INTERVIEWS JIMMY JACOBS- Prazak asks Jimmy about a nasty cut he has above his eye which was opened up during the brawl at the beginning of the show. Lacey tells Jimmy that she doesn’t care if he bleeds to death in the ring. She just wants him to take out Whitmer and Cabana. Jacobs then cuts a great promo. Whoever’s idea it was for Jimmy to keep the dried blood on him is a genius.
STEEL CAGE MATCH: Homicide vs. Adam Pearce- 6.75/10
Good for what it was, which was an old-fashioned bloody brawl in a cage. The crowd was into the whole match, but I have to comment on the bad psychology of the finish. Cide hits Pearce with a Super Ace Crusher… then Pearce gets right back up, only to be put down after two lariats.
After the match Homicide tells the camera that the pain in his shoulder won’t stop him at Final Battle. This was a quick and effective way to remind us of that plot thread.
JAY BRISCOE vs. DAVEY RICHARDS- 7.5/10
GREAT match!
ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH: Bryan Danielson, Jimmy Rave, Shingo, & Jimmy Jacobs (w/Lacey) vs. Delirious, Nigel McGuinness, BJ Whitmer, & Colt Cabana (w/Daizee Haze)- 8.25/10
They start off with some comedy, but things quickly get serious when BJ Whitmer grabs Jimmy Jacobs’ spike and goes to stab Jacobs, but Jacobs ducks and Whitmer winds up accidentally stabbing Lacey in the face. Jacobs carries Lacey to the back, then comes back out with a chair and gets himself DQed, taking out Whitmer’s previously injured ankle in the process, which allows Rave to easily make Whitmer tap to the heel hook. Things progressed from there, with the general story of things revolving around Delirious being the babyface in peril. Dragon and Delirious had a great little mini-match at the end. I was very surprised that Delirious went over the champ, given Gabe’s propensity for protecting his champions and the fact that nothing ever came of it (Delirious’ next ROH World Title shot would not come for almost three years). I would have liked the chance to see a little more out of Shingo, but still an awesome match.
DAVEY RICHARDS PROMO- a good promo that sets up the No Remorse Corps.
A Chicago â€"Spectacular?†Not so much, but definitely a great show. Much, much better than the first night.
ADAM PEARCE & SHANE HAGADORN PROMOS- good hype for their matches.
SHINGO & LACEY BACKSTAGE- Lacey offers Shingo money if he hurts Cabana in tonight’s match.
OPENING SEGMENT- Good
Cabana comes out, cuts a promo getting the crowd up to speed on the events of his match last night with Jimmy Jacobs (particularly the part where Jimmy held Cabana’s legs open so Lacey could stomp on his groin with her high heels) and calls Jimmy out to fight. Jimmy & Lacey come out and Jacobs and Cabana brawl until Lacey gets involved, low-blowing Cabana. This brings out Daizee Haze who takes out Lacey. Jacobs corners the Haze but BJ Whitmer comes out to make the save for Daizee. This brings out Cabana’s opponent for tonight, Shingo, as well as Jimmy Rave and Bryan Danielson, who are Jacobs’ tag partners later tonight (Whitmer is on the opposite side of that match) and they beat down the faces until Whitmer’s partners, Nigel McGuinness and Delirious, come out and we get an even bigger brawl which the faces win. Cabana changes tonight’s main event to an eight man elimination match, adding himself and Shingo in, and apparently he has some sort of booking power because everyone goes along with it. Jacobs still wants to fight Whitmer and Cabana right now because that will please Lacey, but Dragon holds him back.
ACE STEEL vs. TANK TOLAND- 5.25/10
DANIELS & SYDAL PROMOS- Sydal says he is injured a bit and so he can’t defend the belts because he has to protect his body because he is a star athlete. Daniels introduces Matt Cross as Sydal’s replacement. This was a good display for Sydal’s new arrogance.
SIX MAN MAYHEM MATCH: Pelle Primeau vs. Trik Davis vs. Jake Crist vs. Dave Crist vs. CJ Otis vs. Kikutaro- 5/10
Much less spotty than your average Six Man Mayhem. Kikutaro was fun, as always. After the match Shane Hagadorn came out and offered Pelle a shot at the Top of the Class Trophy… but it turns out to be a set-up for Pearce to take him out from behind. Pearce then calls out Homicide, and we end up with…
HOMICIDE vs. SHANE HAGADORN (w/Adam Pearce)- squash.
Pearce jumps Cide after the match but Cide manages to get the advantage and Pearce retreats. Cide demands to have their strap match changed to a steel cage match, and the crowd loves the idea.
SAMOA JOE vs. MARK BRISCOE- 6.25/10
After the match, Joe tells Pro Wrestling NOAH to â€"come get some.†Nigel McGuinness then comes out and says that as someone who his proud of his tours in NOAH, he won’t let Joe keep disrespecting NOAH. He tells Joe they can have a match anytime he wants and Joe says that is fine with him.
AUSTIN ARIES & RODERICK STRONG vs. MATT CROSS & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS (w/Allison Danger & Matt Sydal)- 7.25/10
A great performance from Cross. This match really allowed him to show off what he can do against some of the regulars on the roster.
PRAZAK INTERVIEWS JIMMY JACOBS- Prazak asks Jimmy about a nasty cut he has above his eye which was opened up during the brawl at the beginning of the show. Lacey tells Jimmy that she doesn’t care if he bleeds to death in the ring. She just wants him to take out Whitmer and Cabana. Jacobs then cuts a great promo. Whoever’s idea it was for Jimmy to keep the dried blood on him is a genius.
STEEL CAGE MATCH: Homicide vs. Adam Pearce- 6.75/10
Good for what it was, which was an old-fashioned bloody brawl in a cage. The crowd was into the whole match, but I have to comment on the bad psychology of the finish. Cide hits Pearce with a Super Ace Crusher… then Pearce gets right back up, only to be put down after two lariats.
After the match Homicide tells the camera that the pain in his shoulder won’t stop him at Final Battle. This was a quick and effective way to remind us of that plot thread.
JAY BRISCOE vs. DAVEY RICHARDS- 7.5/10
GREAT match!
ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH: Bryan Danielson, Jimmy Rave, Shingo, & Jimmy Jacobs (w/Lacey) vs. Delirious, Nigel McGuinness, BJ Whitmer, & Colt Cabana (w/Daizee Haze)- 8.25/10
They start off with some comedy, but things quickly get serious when BJ Whitmer grabs Jimmy Jacobs’ spike and goes to stab Jacobs, but Jacobs ducks and Whitmer winds up accidentally stabbing Lacey in the face. Jacobs carries Lacey to the back, then comes back out with a chair and gets himself DQed, taking out Whitmer’s previously injured ankle in the process, which allows Rave to easily make Whitmer tap to the heel hook. Things progressed from there, with the general story of things revolving around Delirious being the babyface in peril. Dragon and Delirious had a great little mini-match at the end. I was very surprised that Delirious went over the champ, given Gabe’s propensity for protecting his champions and the fact that nothing ever came of it (Delirious’ next ROH World Title shot would not come for almost three years). I would have liked the chance to see a little more out of Shingo, but still an awesome match.
DAVEY RICHARDS PROMO- a good promo that sets up the No Remorse Corps.
A Chicago â€"Spectacular?†Not so much, but definitely a great show. Much, much better than the first night.