Just got back from the SOH 9 show. Overall it was an awesome 3 and a half hours. It was good match after good match and at no point did they tire you out and they hit the big peak at the very end.

1.) Mark Briscoe pinned ACH with a roll up. We missed part of this match because we got to the building late, but they still went about 7 more minutes. Probably in the *** range.

2.) Michael Elgin pinned Frankie Kazarian in a really good match. ***1/2 After the match, Daniels came down to console Kazarian and they both got laid out by Elgin, including Elgin injuring Daniels' back.

3.) Matt Sydal won the 6-man mayhem match. In my mind it was the worst match of the night, but it was still **1/2. The principles were Sydal, Caprice Coleman, Cedric Alexander, Moose, Tomasso Ciampa and Andrew Everett. This quickly broke down into a crazy collection of spots that the fans really liked. Moose was by far the favorite.

4.) In a No Disqualification Match, BJ Whitmer pinned Jimmy Jacobs. This match was brutal. The finish saw them line up two chairs back to back in the ring and Whitmer slammed Jacobs on top of them for the pin. Someone ran down and attacked Jacobs after, but it ended with Lacey returning and Jacobs and Lacey hopped the barricade and walked out the back door. Everyone knew that this was Jacobs' last shot before going to WWE and gave him a standing ovation. ***1/2

5.) Roderick Strong pinned Christopher Daniels in the best 12 minute match you will ever see. Seriously if these two had 5 more minutes this would have been high 4 stars and maybe even hitting that elusive 5 star mark. Just a wonderful match and one to go out of your way to see if it airs on ROH tv. ****

6.) ROH Tag Team Champions reDragon (w/Tom Lawlor) defeated The Kingdom. This was the oddest combination of a serious wrestling match combined with a bunch of comedy spots. Personally I was going for the challengers, but alas, the champions retained. At the finish a MYSTERIOUS MASKED MAN ran out and attacked Bobby Fish, but in spite of that they won pretty much immediately after. ***

7.) ROH TV Champ Jay Lethal pinned Jushin Thunder Liger. Liger looked really good and Lethal looks like a star. I would say it is amazing TNA messed up Lethal. but TNA messed up a lot of people. ***3/4

8.) ROH Champion Jay Briscoe pinned Samoa Joe. Joe hasn't looked this good in years. He was motivated to perform and had the right opponent to perform with. Joe went for the Ole Ole Kick once and got a face full of chair and then he hit it two consecutive times. They didn't kick out of a million moves. Joe never hit the Muscle Buster and Jay only finally hit the Jay Driller for the finish. Just a really great match to cap off an excellent evening. ****1/2

Take care,

Emerson Witner