ROH DVD Review: Road to the Title

Back from a trip to Detroit to see WrestleMania and Ring of Honor, it's time to now return to the AngryMarks series of reviews covering RING OF HONOR DEE-VEE-DEEZ~! We're going back to the old school again with another Takedown Masters (ugh) series release, and this one is dubbed "Road to the Title." This was the fourth official ROH show, and took place on June 22nd, 2002 in Philadelphia, PA. Coincidentally that's 2 days after my 28th birthday and a few weeks away from when I was first introduced to ROH by a tape trader who I'd later see wrestle as Jaysin Strife in Pro Wrestling Phoenix. Undoubtedly his in-ring style was greatly influenced by the likes of Spanky, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Low-Ki, all of whom are featured on this card. So without further adieu let's get down to the action!

We open with a series of highway signs and a chyron graphic informing us that "all roads lead to Philadelphia." That's followed by a series of wrestlers entering through the ROH curtain, everyone from Jerry Lynn to Paul London to Amazing Red to Prince Nana making their way to the ring. It's all set to some unidentifiable generic techno-esque music, as most of these early ROH DVD's are. The only man whom this music really seems to suit is Low-Ki, for the rest it's an odd fit. Next things are slowed down a little bit to identify the two competitors in the first match, which are Bio-Hazard (wearing a 2007 Raven mask, bearing nothing but short wiry dreads on his head) and American Dragon (always identifiable by his pale physique and strong Pacific Northwest chin). A graphic informs us this is "First Round Block C, For the ROH Title!" Good to know, but a bracket showing the blocks and entrants would've been much more useful.

* Bio-Hazard v. American Dragon

Bryan Danielson was already an ROH star attraction by this point a loss here would be an upset, even though BH is described as "a top prospect from the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy." O RLY? Well I had to look up the entry for BH (real name Jacus Plisken) at Obsessed With Wrestling and it appears he was in developmental with WWE as recently as 2006 through Deep South Wrestling. Look around and you can find entries for him losing WWE dark matches to the likes of Luther Reigns further back than that. Okay long and short of my point is BH is not just a JTTS, he's a jobber to OTHER jobbers to the stars. This does not bode well for Hazard, although Danielson does give him the traditional ROH handshake to start the match and lets him go on offense for the first couple of minutes, even nailing a snap suplex and getting a two count. For nearly the 100th time on these Takedown Masters DVD's the announcers put over the fact the Texas Academy guys "didn't drive 26 hours to Philadelphia just to lose." We get it already, shut the fuck up. Hazard misses a springboard off the ropes but connects with a northern lights suplex for two. BH makes a huge mistake by chopping Dragon and Danielson lights him up before hitting a baseball slide and giving him one right to the THROAT. Now it's all Dragon with offense, a clothesline and a swingshift DDT, and he goes from a suplex right into a double underhook for the Cattle Mutilation. Really just a glorified squash match, so I guess Plisken came 26 hours to lose after all! WINNER: AMERICAN DRAGON.

* Paul London v. Spanky

Speaking of the TWA, here are two more wrestlers from that great Southern state who you may now know better as the WWE Tag Team champions on Smackdown. Here though they are facing off in a "Block A First Round" battle according to the graphic. The video quality isn't as blotchy as some of the other Takedown Masters releases but the audio is horrid as the announcers sound like they're talking through a tin can and string with a mic on the other end. London works Spanky early with a wristlock but it's reversed into a crucifix roll-up for a two count. Test of strength, Spanky gets the armlock and bridges it, eventually standing up where London reverses it, they break apart and Spanky monkeyflips him across the ring, but London sweeps the legs and tries to lock in a submission. Spanky pushes him to the corner for shoulders to the gut, London ends up on the apron, he comes over the apron with a flying head scissors and follows up with a drop kick. Steve Corino runs down the rules and just as he finishes London hits a kick to Spanky's chin and knocks him out to the floor. London considers a suicide dive to the outside but thinks better of it and pulls up. Back in the ring Spanky suplexes London right onto his neck, hooks the leg and gets two. Rudy Boy Gonzales looks on at his proteges as Spanky stays on the advantage. Spanky and his bright blue leapord print tights nail a knee to the throat and then he starts stomping the mat like it's a superkick but instead dropkicks London in the chin before he can even get to his feet. Vertical suplex into a small package only gets 2, and Spanky seems frustrated.

War of the elbows breaks out, London gets the better of it, and he leaps off the ropes to knock Spanky down. Spanky charges and gets a boot to the face, but he comes back with a headscissor, then winds up eating a superkick from NOWHERE by London and both men are down. When they get up London goes to the top rope, shoves London down, aims for him with a shooting star press but Spanky gets out of the way. Spanky tries Sliced Bread #2 but London blocks it by dropping Spanky on the ropes to crotch him, kicking him to the outside, then sunset flipping over the top rope to splash Spanky on the gymnasium floor. London with an asai moonsault off the ropes for two. Spanky misses with a belly to back suplex and London gets a double underhook to slam Spanky face first into the mat, leading to a 2.5 count. London with a scoop slam, to the top rope, Spanky knocks him down for the crotching, Spanky up for the superplex, but London blocks it and comes down right on his head. Spanky doesn't hook the leg and London kicks out before 3. Spanky suplexes him again, goes top rope, London dropkicks him to knock him down. London charges in, Spanky backflips over him, charges the ropes for a Sliced Bread #2 and this time he connects as the strains of Jurassic 5's "Quality Control" fill the air. WINNER: BRIAN KENDRICK a.k.a. SPANKY DAWG~!

* Doug Williams v. Jay Briscoe

It's time for a Block C First Round match. The Delaware native Briscoe versus the UK wrestler Doug Williams. Williams gets the wristlock early, Briscoe with a standing switch, Williams with another wristlock, Briscoe with one of his own, a leg trip by Williams and a quick cover for only one to a round of applause. More jockeying for position, Williams gets Briscoe to the ground and twists the ankle but Briscoe gets the ropes. Mark Briscoe finally hits ringside to either cheer on or yell at his brother, depending on your interpretation. Briscoe gets Williams in a leglock but he breaks out of it and puts Briscoe in a headlock. Briscoe gets back to his feet, knocked down by a hard shoulder tackle, Briscoe responds with an uppercut and a takedown but Williams turns it all into another headlock although Briscoe finally lefts him up for a suplex and a two count. Dropkick knocks Williams down. Rolling germans followed by a face first smash for 2.5. Williams crawls away and Briscoe stalks him to the corner for knife edge chops. Irish whip is blocked and Williams nails him with a running knee. Top rope move by Williams is unclear due to shoddy lighting and bad camera angle but it gets a two count. Briscoe powerbombs Williams onto his neck for a 2.9. He follows up with a top rope leg drop and it's STILL only 2.9. Briscoe tries to set up the J-Driller but Williams counters it into a double underhook and then follows up with some European uppercuts. Series of standing switches leads to a rollthrough german suplex bridge by Williams to pin Briscoe! WINNER: DOUG WILLIAMS. Good "first round" matches so far other than the very obvious Bio-Hazard squash.

* Jonny Storm v. Jody Fleisch

I have no idea which "block" or "round" this is supposed to be as the crack editing team from Takedown Masters neglected a graphic, preferring instead to focus on the captions "How high will these UK stars fly for the ROH Title?" The music says "dreaming of a better world" over and over, and I'm dreaming of better ROH DVD's from 2006 and 2007. I think for sanity's sake I'll have to alternate every other review between the old school releases and the modern ones with much better video and production quality. ROH fans who keep up on the European shows should be familiar with both men, but to keep things simple for rest Fleisch got his start with Michinoku Pro in Japan where he wrestled as Dakko Chan, while the pale-skinned Storm has been equally well traveled around the globe with frequent stops in the US for the likes of TNA, XPW and 1PW (where he and Fleisch defeated Styles & Daniels for tag team gold). The announcers finally tell us this is "Match 2 of Block A" and that the winner will face Spanky later on. These two are moving a million miles a minute like a TNA X Division match. Storm finally knocks Fleisch out of the ring and jumps off the top ropes onto him on the floor. Fleisch catches a charging Storm with a boot to the gut and he goes through the ropes, Fleisch teases flipping outside onto him and backflips into the ring instead. The second time though he waits for Storm to end up in the right place and does an SSP out to the floor between the ring and the guardrail. It's a little scary to hear the announcers talk about botching it and driving your head into the concrete floor since I saw Mark Briscoe do that exactly one week ago today and nearly kill himself.

Both men to the top rope, Storm throws Fleisch through the air with a suplex and a "holy shit" chant breaks out. Storm covers him for two. Fleisch set up on the top again, chopped by Storm, and then he frankensteiners Fleisch and covers for two. Fleisch recovers with a dropkick and goes for a wheelbarrow for two. Storm jumps off the ropes for a reverse frankensteiner and gets two. He attempts to throw Fleisch out but he comes back in with a 720 DDT but can't get the pin as Storm is in the ropes. Fleisch goes for a second DDT but gets countered, Storm tries to come off with another reverse FS but Fleisch powerbombs him and gets a small package for three. WINNER: JODY FLEISCH. This one was lightning quick, almost too fast to recap, but very entertaining to watch.

* Low-Ki v. Prince Nana

Prince Nana, actually wrestling in a match? Holy shit you've got to be kidding me. This guy does more jawjacking than anybody I know of in ROH save for Dave Prazak, so for him to actually wrestle Low-Ki must either be a complete JTTS move or the biggest swerve on this entire DVD. Apparently this all stems from Nana slapping Low-Ki on April 27th, 2002 but for the life of me I can't remember seeing it on that DVD even though they show video clips of the incident on this one. Regardless this is a "Block D 1st Round" match and the graphic informs us like Low-Ki often does himself to BE, READY. Nana takes it to Low-Ki early without even a bell having rung and throws him from pillar to post around the squared circle before trying to stomp a mudhole into him. Low-Ki is whipped, belly splashed, gets a rear end to the face and rolls out to the floor, and gets a babyface pop from the crowd. He rolls back into the ring and the stomping by Nana continues. Knife edge chops in the corner and another running butt bomb a la Umaga or Rikishi. Low-Ki crawls around on the canvas as Nana picks him up and hammers him down to the ground. Headbutt from Nana but Ki finally tries to make a comeback with chops - unsuccessfully. A third butt bomb connects. Ki chops Nana out of his shoes and socks, picks him up and throws him into the corner for some more, Nana reverses the whip and goes for a fourth butt splash but misses. Ki connects with an enzuguiri and Nana is out COLD! The referee calls for the bell and officials hit the ring to check on the Prince of Ghana's condition. WINNER: LOW-KI VIA KO. Not a very satisfying end to a match but you can hardly imagine these two having a technical in-ring brawl anyway; at least Low-Ki advances to the next round.

* Xavier v. Amazing Red

Another qualifying match for 1st Round D Block, and I'm not talking about Styles P or Jadakiss. Xavier starts off the match throwing up more X's than HBK and Triple H combined, while Red circles around stretching and limbering up. The two respectfully shake hands and the bell rings. Red knocks Xavier out of the ring and does a tope dive to the outside onto him, throwing up an X of his own. He throws Xavier back into the ring and goes for some chops, kicks Xavier in the face, but gets caught in mid-air and powerbombs him hard to the canvas. Xavier on offense now with some muay thai style knees and a two count. Xavier tries to go for a head scissors but X bounces off the ropes and mule kicks Red. Red connects with an enzuguiri though and hits a jumping sunset bomb for 2.5. Xavier holds his head and winces in pain, gets a knee to the midsection of Red, drops Red on his head, RED IS DEAD... NO! He kicks out before three. X goes top rope, misses with the 450, Red stomps on his hand and comes off the top rope for a DDT that gets a 2.8 that Corino's fellow announcer calls a "flipsy-doo-dah." X tries to knife-edge bomb Red but he slides out. Red comes back and hits a corkscrew off the top plus a standing moonsault Red Star Press and gets the three count! WINNER: AMAZING RED. Very short match but another one that makes up for brevity with a buttload of intense action. A respectful handshake and hug follows.

* Christopher Daniels v. Scoot Andrews

This one is a Block B, 1st Round match. Again with no disrespect to Scoot Andrews, for him to beat the Fallen Angel here would be a tremendous upset. Daniels jumps on him before the bell rings since he doesn't adhere to the Code of Honor and could give a fuck less about shaking hands. The Black Nature Boy takes exception and goes on offense with a Jim Brunzell dropkick and gets a two-count. Daniels comes back and nails Andrews with rights, but Daniels ducks him charging in and hits rights of his own. He attempts a bulldog and gets dragged down to the mat for a two count. Andrews connects with fists and elbows, picks up Daniels, Daniels counters and goes for an STO but gets blocked into a double underhook powerbomb for two. Fallen Angel is being more or less owned to this point. Finally a modified legsweep STO takes Andrews down, it's followed up by a powerbomb and a BME and Daniels gets the three count JUST LIKE THAT. WINNER: FALLEN ANGEL CHRISTOPHER DANIELS. Simply Luscious gets in the ring to congratulate him but that doesn't last long as we quickly go to the next match.

* Jerry Lynn v. AJ Styles

Is this TNA 2007? No, it's Ring of Honor circa 2002. The graphics don't bother to explain which block of the ROH Title tournament this is, so hopefully the announcers will. AJ heads to the ring wearing his hoodie, but sadly no "you are you are" music. Lynn heads to the ring high-fiving everybody at ringside along the way, including the Green Lantern Fan. This match is billed as "The New F'n Show" versus "The Phenomenal" and finally we're told this is a B Block match and the winner will go on to face Christopher Daniels. The two lock up and Lynn pushes him into the corner before the ref calls for a clean break. Standing switch in the center of the ring, Lynn with a wristlock, AJ reverses it, Lynn reverses it right back, AJ reverses and cranks it up, the two seperate and Lynn with a series of arm drags into an armlock but AJ throws him off to a round of applause from the crowd. It's weird to hear Corino and his partner put over Styles' "NWA Wildside" credentials, referring to him as an ROH newbie and probably before he had ever tasted gold in TNA (they started up right around the same time as this card). Styles and Lynn circle warily, locck up, Lynn knocks Styles down with a shoulder tackle and backs away. Styles comes back with a punch but Lynn puts him right into a headlock. Lynn with a hard clothesline knocking Styles down. Two count. Stomps to the back. Bow and arrow applied by Lynn. Styles breaks free and flips right onto Lynn for a two count. Right hands by Lynn, one with a little spit polish on it to boot. Lynn goes for a suplex but AJ lands on his feet and comes back with chops. Lynn responds with a backbreaker for two. Styles slammed into the turnbuckle, whip reversed but Lynn gets a foot up to kick a charging Styles. Styles misses with a right, Lynn does not, Lynn overhead suplexes him right into the turnbuckle! DAMN. Two and a half count. Lynn does a spin with AJ on his back but AJ escapes and nails a superkick. Styles covers for 2.5. Styles hooks Lynn for a suplex but Lynn blocks so AJ powers him to the mat for a two count. AJ picks him up for chops. Whip to the corner, Lynn blocks with an elbow, off the ropes with a bulldog, rolls over AJ for a 2. Lynn pulls him up, AJ knocks him off, kick to the face, arm drag bulldog into a submission armbar, but Lynn grabs the ropes for the break. Right hands by Styles, wrist lock takedown, arm drag takedown, and another submission attempt. Lynn hooks the ropes with a foot.

Chop by Styles, corner whip, Lynn floats him over and crashes down on his head as he ducks back through the ropes. Lynn to his feet, pulls AJ up, suplex blocked and Styles connects with a fallaway neckbreaker and covers for 2.5. Lynn back up by the hair, knee to the gut, armbar applied again, Styles lets go of it and punches Lynn in the head instead, goes for a scoop and misses so he springboards off the ropes with a reverse DDT instead for 2.8. Lynn tries to crawl away, Styles picks him up and sets up for a Styles Clash but Lynn backdrops him. Lynn goes for the cradle piledriver and misses, connects with the enzuguiri, and both men are down. Lynn goes for a small package and the two roll back and forth with two counts. Backslide by Lynn gets two, victory rolls by each man get two, belly to back by Lynn gets two, and both men are laying down spent. Both men to their feet, Lynn blocks Styles with elbows, hits a DDT for 2.96. Lynn staggers to his feet, clubs Styles in the back, AJ counters the whip into a knee for 2.99. Styles through the ropes to the top, Lynn knocks his feet off the block, goes up, AJ pushes him off, SPINAL TAP! 2.99998 and he can't believe Lynn kicked out. Styles picks him up, tries to come off the ropes, Lynn blocks and nails a spinning slam for another near fall. Lynn sets up the cradle piledriver but AJ reverses into a Styles Clash for 3! WINNER: PHENOMENAL AJ STYLES. Now THAT was one hell of a match.

* Spanky v. Jody Fleisch

Time for the Block A Finals. Fleisch and Spanky circle each other to start. Flesich flips out of a wristlock into his own. Fleisch flips over his head, sweeps the leg, leapfrogs and armdrags Spanky. Spanky armdrags him too but Fleisch rolls him up for a quick near fall. Applause. They're flipping around now but Spanky won't release the hold he has so Fleisch forces him too and attacks with kicks until Spanky rolls outside. Fleisch goes for a dive but Spanky catches him coming and crotches him on the ropes. Piledriver suplex gets just one for Spanky. Leg lariat and Spanky goes OOOOH but he can only get a two count. Spanky cranks on the neck and suplexes Fleisch backwards right onto his head for two. Fliesch whipped off the ropes, connects with a kick, Spanky goes for Sliced Bread #2 but Fleisch knocks him out, leaps out of the ring and takes out the barricade off a top rope springboard in the process with his legs. He no sells it and tries to come off the rop ropes but Spanky blocks and goes for a FS but instead Fleisch gets a two count. Spanky tries for a 720 DDT and gets 2. Spanky connects with Sliced Bread #2 and gets the three! WINNER: SPANKY~! Brian Kendrick advances to the ironman ROH Title finals on July 27th.

* Doug Williams v. American Dragon

And now the Block C Finals. The announcers promise us this will be a scientific clinic and reference both judo and sambo as skills involved here. Dragon starts out early with an enzuguiri and Williams is stunned. Williams locks up an arm but Danielson snaps him over, however it's for naughtas Williams counters it into a wristlock two straight times. The third time Dragon kicks him in the lower back but Williams gets the wristlock all over again. Williams gets a leg takedown and Dragon has to adjust his sock. Williams gets another one and ties up the legs a la Flair. Danielson counters into a head leg scissors but Williams rolls through and gets the North South, but Dragon gets to his feet and tries to twist the ankle off. Williams kicks out and both men are on their feet until Dragon gets him off with a judo throw. They collide and go to the ground, and Williams puts him in a modified surfboard. The two trade punches from a full mount by Dragon until Williams finally knocks him off to the side. To their feet, Ab stretch by Williams. Hold broken, running the ropes, backbreaker over Williams knee into a stretched out submission, then to a bow and arrow until Williams releases it. The announcers continually put over both men as real wrestlers and not "sports entertainers."

Williams is dominating with holds and running knees and tries to go top rope but Dragon gets his knees up to block. Dragon with a single leg takedown and he twists the ankle as Williams tries to kick him away. Dragon falls to the ground and the two exchange simultaneous leg submissions, rolling all the way through the ring to the floor, neither one willing to let go until a ref seperation on the floor. Suplex from the apron to the floor and both men are down again. Both back in the ring, rolling cradles for two, Williams with a European uppercut from Steve Regal (so King isn't the only one who calls him by his WCW name) and a 2.9 near fall after a swinging DDT. Williams with more uppercuts but a front face chancery suplex leaves both men down. Brawling in the ring leads to a snap suplex by Dragon, who gets to the ropes, poses and does a diving headbutt for a near fall. Whip countered by Williams into a chaos theory suplex but can't get 3. Dragon sets Williams on the top rope, belly to back suplex connects, both men down again. Dragon tries to set up cattle mutilation but fails and Williams gives him an ocean cyclone suplex bridged into a pin for 3! WINNER: DOUG WILLIAMS.

* Low-Ki v. Amazing Red

With almost no hesitation we go right to the Block D Finals. Red reluctantly shakes hands with Ki and then chops him right in the face, so Ki responds with a kick to the leg. Red gets one of his own but Ki comes back with E. Honda 100 punches and multiple footstomps. From this point for the next 30 seconds it's almost impossible to describe, suffice it to say the crowd goes nuts and the announcers call it a live action version of The Matrix. Ki snaps over Red and goes for a pin but he bridges his back to escape. Ki surfboards Red and kicks him off, Red tries to kick him, Ki kicks him out of his boots and goes into the warrior's stance. Ki misses with a kick and Red goes for a Red Star Press and only gets two. Red whips off the doo rag to show he's seriously pissed and unloads on Ki with chops. Off the top ropes, two count by Red. Stiff kick by Red to Ki's mouth. Another chop. Ki whips, Red floats over to avoid Ki, but Ki back kicks him into oblivion on the rebound anyway and wipes his jaw before signalling to the crowd that it's going his way. Ki pulls him up by the hair, chops Red in the chest, whips him off and goes for a handspring but Red dropkicks him in the chest coming in. Red over the ropes to the apron, Ki kicks him in the teeth and Red slumps to the red canvas. Ki tries to 6-1-9 him, misses, but finally Ki kicks him in the head and Red goes flying into the barricade. Ki rolls out, grabs him by the hair and tights, and throws him back in for a two count.

It's hot in Philly as the fans are fanning themselves from the heat and the excitement. Ki is on offense again with kicks and punches and chops, misses Red coming off the ropes, and a head scissors connects. Ki rolls through the ropes to the apron, so Red dropkicks him off the apron to the floor. Red charges the ropes as Ki stands up by the barricade, but Ki was playing possum and runs up to the apron to nail him with a knee. 2.5 count. Ki stands up, signals for a Ki Crusher, Red reverses it into a front flip pin for 2.8. Red to the shoulders of Ki and Red comes up with a reverse FS. Red goes for the Infra-Red off the ropes, Ki moves out of the way, Red to Ki's shoulders again but gets dumped off, hit with an uppercut, and Ki Crushed right into the turnbuckle out to the floor. John Finnegan runs over to check on Red on the floor as Ki stalks him and throws his prey back into the ring. Red misses with a twisting senton, connects with a spinning windmill kick, Ki is limp on the rop ropes as Red goes up, the 'rana is blocked by Ki, Ki gets him to his shoulders and jumps off the ropes for a Ki Crusher as the crowd goes HOLY SHIT with excitement. Ki crawls over and Finnegan counts three. WINNER: LOW-KI. One more finalist for July 27th to be determined still!

* Christopher Daniels v. AJ Styles

The Finals of Block B, but certainly not the first or last time these men would face each other, or be in the ring at the same time. Daniels with the advantage early as Simply Luscious looks on from ringside. Daniels tries to work a wristlock. Announcer Donnie says he has big news he'll reveal after the match, Corino says don't make me wait I've put up with you for eight years and "your brother Nova" but Donnie refuses to reveal what's in his white envelope saying Corino would have it on the internet before the match is even half over. Ha! Styles has the advantage now with a wristlock but Daniels rolls through and counters, and the two get back to their feet and exchange standing switches, until they end back on the mat exchanging wristlocks and near pinning predicaments. Luscious leans all the way over the ring cheering on "The Leader of the Prophecy" Daniels, Styles blocks a suplex by holding the ropes but Daniels still cradles him for two and them puts him in a armbar. Styles puts him in a leg lock head scissors in return. Reverses and more reverses, counters and more counters. Daniels to his feet with a headlock, wristlock, takedown, Luscious cheers him on as he stretches out Styles' arm. To their feet, dropkick by Styles for barely a two count. Styles with an arm bar on Fallen Angel. Daniels to his feet, cranks on the neck of Styles with a front face chancery, Styles to hits feet and flips Daniels out then goes for what appears to be a rear naked choke but Daniels turtles up to block. Styles goes for a modified ab stretch instead. Daniels rolls through to the North South. Back to their feet again. Daniels knocks AJ down with a shoulder tackle, sweeps the legs, and goes for a headlock.

Close-up on Luscious as the match continues. Daniels and AJ back to their feet. AJ throws him off, Daniels hits a shoulder tackle, Daniels charges the ropes right into an AJ head scissor. AJ kicks him in the corner, whips him to the opposite corner, monkey flips off Daniels chest but ends up in the corner getting chopped and punched. Styles goes for a whip, Daniels reverses, Styles knocks him into the corner and drop kicks him out then dives over the ropes to knock him ot the gym floor. Styles gets back in first as Daniels staggers to his feet. Styles charges him on the ropes so Daniels tries to suplex him out but Styles ends up on the apron instead. Low blow by Daniels and Styles is left hanging as Daniels gets back in the ring, then he comes off the ropes and pushes him off the apron so Styles crashed into the barricade. Styles is bleeding either from a blade job or hardway off that steel barricade, but it looks like it could be legit. Daniels pulls him up in the ring, mocks him, and punches him right where he's bleeding. Daniels throws him into the buckle and AJ staggers around punch drunk before falling out of the ring. Daniels follows him out and slams him on the barricade before pulling on the cut with both hands and showing off the blood on his palms - now that suggests it was a planned spot. Back in the ring Daniels hits the cut multiple times to try and bust it open further. Daniels counts his own pin and is dismayed when the ref doesn't get to three. Kick to the face, short-arm lariat, second rope BME misses as AJ rolls away. Suplex blocked, Daniels rolls away in pain, AJ charges him with a punch to the back and Daniels falls to the floor. Both men on the apron again, Styles chops him back into the ring and jumps from the outside to the second rope corner onto Daniels for a two count.

Daniels gets Styles to the mat, cinches up a headlock, but AJ refuses to tap or submit even as blood comes out of his forehead. Daniels gets up and yells at the ref for not registering a correct submission. He hangs Styles on the top rope and does a leg drop off the ropes for 2.8. Daniels pullshim up by the hair, hits a delayed vertical suplex for another near fall. The crowd chants for AJ and he makes a comeback until Daniels rakes the eyes. Styles ducks a clothesline and connects with an enzuguiri. Styles to his feet first and thrusts Daniels down. Styles throws him off the ropes for a powerslam suplex for two. Front face drop gets 2 as Daniels kicks out. Kick by Styles misses, STO by Daniels connects, both men are down again. Daniels picks him up and powerbombs him down for another 2. Daniels again mocks the ref for not counting 3. Daniels goes for a BME but Styles kicks the ropes to knock him off. Styles sets up for a front face buster and connects for 2.9. Styles for a Styles Clash but Daniels rolls through into an ankle lock. Styles tries to reach the ropes but Daniels drags him back to the center of the ring. Styles thrust kicks the back of Daniels to break the grapevine. Back to their feet, small poackage attempt misses, backslide on Daniels misses, rolling near falls by both men, small packages by both men. Both to their feet, Styles off the ropes for a reverse DDT, but Daniels counters into the Last Rites and gets the three!! WINNER: FALLEN ANGEL CHRISTOPHER DANIELS. Even the fans who don't respect Daniels for breaking the Code of Honor stand up and applaud his efforts. Abruptly the DVD goes to black, so we never get Donnie's "big announcement" or any recap of the night's tournament at the end. All things considered though out of all the Takedown Masters DVD's this had some of the best video quality and a lot of the best matches, so you'd be hard-pressed to go wrong with this or an ROH remastered edition. See you hear next week for more RING OF HONOR DEE-VEE-DEEZ~!