ROH DVD Review: Scramble Madness (Remastered)

Welcome back to the AngryMarks.com series of reviews covering RING OF HONOR DEE-VEE-DEEZ~! In our last edition we took a look at one of the Straight Shootin' interview DVD's featuring 2 Cold Scorpio. This week it's back to event DVD's as this review takes a look at "Scramble Madness (Remastered)" from November 16th, 2002. I realize that's a five month jump ahead from the last event DVD review for Road to the Title and I apologize for that as I'm still filling in the gaps from years past (always look for buy three, get one free sales at www.ROHWrestling.com, they're the best) but if you're keeping score at home here's a quick update - Low-Ki was crowned the first ROH champion on July 27th, but by September 21st he had lost the belt to Xavier. That same night ROH crowned their first tag team champions, Christopher Daniels & Donovan Morgan, who defeated American Dragon & Mike Modest to claim the belts. That said let's move on to November 16th and find out what the "Scramble Madness" is all about.

We open with Christopher Daniels in one of my favorite looks for him, "The Preacher," a black suit and white collar with the ankh symbol right on his neck, complete with blood red sash. His admirers or if you prefer worshipers of his "Prophecy" are standing around listening to him cut a promo. "Ha ha, that's right Boston. Tonight the New England area gets to see The Prophecy in full force, but the beautiful thing about it all is that none of the Ring of Honor titles will be on the line. We feel that none of you deserve to see us defending the titles. You're just lucky enough to watch us showcase our skills in an ROH ring. For example - the Ring of Honor champion Xavier, tonight you show your stuff in a non-title match against Jeremy Lopez." Xavier cuts a promo and the segment immediately goes downhill - even the camera goes out of focus. He brags about being the best because he has the belt. Simply Luscious interrupts and reminds Xavier the last time he had a non-title match he LOST, which causes Daniels to get pissed and tell her to shut her trap. An almost unrecognizable Samoa Joe is in the background giggling at the whole thing. Picture Joe four years younger and less scarred, with bleached blonde hair and a buzzcut. YIKES. Daniels promises Xavier that he'll eliminate AJ Styles in a #1 contender's match tonight, which means Xavier will never have to defend the belt in ROH ever again. Lastly he turns to Joe, "The biggest bad-ass in Ring of Honor!" Luscious slaps him in the chest and says "stop shaking hands already" and Joe's smile vanishes and turns into a sneer, looking like he could eat her for a snack and still be hungry. Joe sneezes, "SUCH-A-BITCH" and apologizes for having a stuffed up nose, then turns to Daniels. "Listen Chris, I've got to talk to you about this whole Prophecy thing. I know you think of me as an official member and you even make me wear this goofy shirt, but that's not the point see. You pay me to beat people up, and I do it in the ring. You don't pay me enough to be breaking the Code of Honor and carrying the Prophecy banner. So tonight I'm only concerned with Homicide, and what he did to my friend Steve Corino at All Star Extravaganza, because I was BUSY working for your dumb punk-ass." Daniels: "Enough about Corino, we can discuss this later, let's go." Dunn & Marcos, "The Ring Crew Express" crash into Daniels as he turns to leave, and they immediately start cutting a promo for the camera, and asking Daniels when they'll get a title shot. He laughs, calls them punks, and tells Joe if he wants a job he can beat up these two goofs who should never have been let into anybody's lockerroom anywhere. They all laugh some more, shove them aside, and walk away. FIVE STAR OPENING SEGMENT.

Afterwards we get a brief promo stating the the Code of Honor set to some techno music: shake hands before and after each match, no run-ins or interference, no ref bumps or attacks on refs, no sneak attacks, and if you are disqualified during a match you've officially broken the Code. With that out of the way we get a promo video of ROH wrestlers doing insane moves, bleeding tons, and punching and kicking the shit out of each other. The title finally pops up: "Scramble Madness - Wakefield, MA - 11.16.02." The announcers point us to Jay Briscoe who's in the ring with a mic. "I've been waiting, since the last time we were in Boston, to get my hands on my faggot brother." Ouch! Jay tells Mark to find a partner and get out here right now. Jay and Amazing Red wait as Mark comes out and he tells the sound guy to "hit his music" and out comes Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels. Time for our first match!

* Jay Briscoe & Amazing Red v. Christopher Daniels & Mark Briscoe

Daniels cuts a promo on his way out: "The Prophecy continues to unfold!" The announcers no-sell the idea of Daniels being any kind of partner to Mark, thinking he's just here to sabotage the match. Daniels grabs a mic: "Jay Briscoe let me clarify something for you right now, I'm not Mark Briscoe's dream partner... I'm his manager. Ladies and gentlemen the newest member of The Prophecy, Mark Briscoe!" Jay and Mark get into an argument about it, Mark attacks Jay, the bell rings and we are underway with Daniels still on the apron in his wrestling trunks partner or not. Mark lights him up with chops. Daniels cheers Mark on, Jay goes on offense, hits a big boot to the face and tags in Red. Red begs for cheers, ties up with Mark, knocks him down with a shoulderblock, leapfrogs, arm drags, Mark rolls through it, but still ends up getting monkey-flipped, finally gives Red an overhead suplex and tags in Daniels. Daniels stomps him down in the corner. Hard shoulder tackle. Clothesline misses and Red nails a head scissor. Dropkick by Red. Stepkick by Red. Quick pinfall attempt and Red tags Jay. Jay nails Daniels with a dropkick and gets two. Mark gets tagged back in. Mark gets an ankle lock and Jay kicks him in the head. Mark goes for it again, Jay escapes, Mark goes for a chinlock and side headlock, Jay eventually rolls through and gets the STF but Daniels jumps in to break it up. Red gets the tag and they double team Mark off the ropes for two. Red runs the ropes but Daniels steps in and flips him over the ropes to the floor then comes out to drop him across the steel barricade before disdainfully throwing him back in. Suplex by Mark, tag to Daniels. Stomps to the head, hard clothesline, Daniels throws Red out to the floor and Mark beats him up before throwing him back in. Daniels gets a two count before stomping on him some more and tagging Mark back in. Bodyslam, flying knee, 2.5.

Daniels tagged in as the heels are effectively cutting off the ring. Mark gets another tag and chokes out Red on the ropes as the announcers put over Mark being led down a dark road of cheating and dirty tactics by the Fallen Angel. Daniels back in again for a half-Boston crab, he and Jay start arguing, Jay tries to run in and Mark makes an audio-only tag while the ref isn't looking. Daniels tags in again, Red tries to small package him, but Mark distracts the ref so there's no pin count. Mark in again for a scoop slam. Daniels back in. Mark back in. Suplex for a two count as Red is our face in peril. Mark with a surfboard stretch but Red won't submit. Mark pins him instead for 2.9. Daniels tags in again to punch Red repeatedly. Daniels hits the moonsault but somehow Red kicks out! Mark in again and crushes Red off the top ropes but can't get three as Jay makes the save. Daniels back in again, Red counters Daniels into a DDT, but he crawls over for the tag and heads to the wrong corner. Mark gives Red a powerbomb, Daniels whips him to the corner, but Red gets a boot up, nails a 'rana and finally gives the hot tag to Jay. Jay lights him up with a fisherman buster but can't get three. Mark tags in but gets DDT'd. Jay tries to hit the J-Driller but Daniels blocks with an enzuguiri. Red now the legal man again, kicks Daniels in the head, two count. Red nails the Code Red and gets 2.99. Their partners brawl on the outside while on the inside Daniels nails the Last Rites and finally gets the cover. WINNERS: MARK BRISCOE & FALLEN ANGEL. Mark bows down as if worshipping Daniels outside the ring when the match is over. Daniels gets into an argument with the father of the Briscoes on the entranceway, telling dear old dad that Mark has a NEW father figure now. Mark smiles and laughs as his mom looks like she's about to cry.

In a segment that screams "life imitating art" Joey Matthews (a.k.a. Joey Mercury from MNM) is backstage with a couple of goofs named Izzy & Dixie. They're passing around a bottle of pills and giggling like they're all high. Swear to Cthulhu, I could not make this shit up, so you could infer that Mercury had a drug problem going back five years before WWE unceremoniously dumped him. To make this even stranger Alexis Laree (b.k.a. Mickie James) shows up and berates them all for being pillheads before storming off for her match.

* Mace (with Allison Danger) v. Alexis Laree

So the deal here is that Mace is one half of the Christopher Street Connection, the official homosexual Ring of Honor tag team. Therefore and I'm not saying this as a slam or anything homophobic, but when the announcers put this over as an "ROH first time ever intergender match" I'm quite honestly thinking that it's not since there are two women in the ring as opposed to just one. Mace follows the Code of Honor and shakes her hand before pie-facing her to the ground, Laree gets up and slaps him in the face, nails him with elbow, tilt-a-whirl head scissors and dropkick and Mace is out of the ring. Suicide dive through the second rope as Allison Danger gets out of the way at the last second, then comes over to scream at Laree as Mace is laid on the ground. Laree feigns winding up a punch and Danger runs away. Mace thrown back in. Mace gives her the world's gayest clothesline (the announcer's actual description) and our girl Mickie James is forced to sell it. Mace gives her a nice vertical suplex and Danger praises his in-ring work for the camera. Scoop slam on Danger and Mace decides to mock her by crawling across her prone body but Laree decides "gay men have cajones too" and grabs her a handful. Mace breaks away wincing in pain, gets a knee to the nuts, Laree goes top rope for a DDT and hooks the leg for a three. WINNER: ALEXIS 'MICKIE JAMES' LAREE. Laree gives Mace the handshake as Danger comes in, Danger spins her around and plants one on her lips, so Laree promptly kicks her ass and leaves her laying, saying don't you EVER do that again. This is followed by a Steve Corino promo backstage putting over his feud with Homicide, and he's got one eye taped shut due to 'Cide attacking him with a fork (clip of the attack is shown). King of Old School buries ROH, buries Philadelphia, and says ONE DAY he'll come back and get even with Homicide, but meanwhile he's going back to Japan where they treat wrestlers with RESPECT.

* Xavier {C} v. Jeremy Lopez (non-title match)

If you're asking who the fuck Jeremy Lopez is, you're not the only one. The most I could find about him was that he was a jobber in WCW. Simply Luscious does the in-ring introduction for Xavier and promptly buries the crowd as not being good enough to see the ROH champion. The fans immediately start burying Xavier and one guy even tries to start a "YOU'RE NOT O-VER" chant. Xavier refuses to shake hands with Lopez, the bell rings, the match is underway. The announcers start putting over Lopez as a student of Dean Malenko's and a top wrestler for NWA Wildside. Xavier sells a series of arm drags for him and takes a dropkick. Xavier grabs the ropes to avoid another dropkick, hits the running knee and gets a near fall. Knife edge chops light up Lopez. Shoulders to the gut, knees to the head, Lopez takes a whooping in the corner before a release overhead suplex and another near fall. Lopez makes a small comeback but Xavier puts the hooks in for a vertical suplex and two count. Xavier with the headlock rest hold, Lopez fights out, Xavier pulls the hair to slam him to the canvas. Backbreaker, two count. Another comeback attempt, Luscious grabs the leg, and Xavier knocks him outside to the floor. Xavier follows him out and runs him back first into the ringpost before throwing him back in. Xavier with the flying knee, kick to the back, Lopez puts him in the torture rack, hits a fallaway slam, stands on him for the three but Lopez hooks the leg and flips him over for a submission, but Xavier grabs the ropes to force the break. Xavier tries to stretch him out, Lopez fights out and a war of chops breaks out. Lopez with a boot to the face, hangman's neckbreaker, and a two count. Lopez off the top rope with a dropkick but Xavier gets a foot on the ropes to break the pinfall. Boot to the face and Lopez nails a double underhook DDT followed by a tiger driver for 2.5. At last Lopez looks like more than a no-name wrestler. Irish whip attempt by Xavier reversed, Lopez comes off the top but Xavier catches him and hits a modified "go to sleep" followed by a cobra clutch suplex. 1, 2... NO~! Lopez kicks out. Xavier signals for the X breaker but Lopez counters into an elevated DDT, crawls over for the cover, but Xavier still kicks out. Lopez tries to set up a suplex but Xavier blocks it, hits the X breaker, comes off the top rope with a 450 and gets the three count. WINNER: XAVIER.

* Tony Mamaluke & Matt Thompson v. Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack & Mafia)

There's got to be at least a five hundred pound weight difference between these two teams. The Code of Honor handshake is followed at the beginning, but just barely. Matt Thompson is so tall and skinny I'd think he was a UFC fighter in their 155 pounds division; sort of like the pale version of Corey Miller. Mamaluke rolls around on the ground with Monsta Mack, Mack largely using his weight and bulk to overpower him, but Mamaluke still manages to roll out and actually get on offense with forearms and a headlock. Bling tag by Thompson who comes flying off the ropes and gets a two count. Head scissors takes Mack down. Thompson tries to charge him and it proves to be a bad idea as Mack no-sells then hits him with a stiff clothesline and a belly to skinny suplex. Mafia tags in, and Mamaluke checks back in too. Mafia gives him a butt splash, a facewash, and another one in the corner before being whipped across by his own partner for a cannonball splash. Thompson makes the save before 3. Double team by the Squad, a double clothesline, Hit Squad using frequent tags to cut off the ring, double team wheelbarrow suplex and another near fall before Thompson makes the save. Elevated press slam into a suplex by Monsta Mack and another near fall broken up. Mafia tags in. Scoop slam, barking, stiff elbow. Mamaluke set up on the ropes for a big chop. The crowd chants "ONE MORE TIME" so Mamaluke takes a second one before the tag to Mack. Mack hits a dropkick. On the outside Thompson knocks Mafia to the floor. Clusterfuck now with everybody in the ring. Mamaluke goes top rope for a leg drop and gets two. The crowd yells for Matt, they want the tag, but Mamaluke stays in and hits a swinging DDT. Both men are down. Thompson finally gets a tag and goes top rope for a lionsault and gets two. Another in-ring clusterfuck. Spinning heel kick by Thompson. Top rope again but he gets knocked down, chopped in the back, Mafia picks him up and nails a SICK burning hammer and gets the three even though Mamaluke had Mack tapping out from the sleeper only a second later. WINNERS: DA HIT SQUAD. Snoop Dogg's "Pump Pump" plays as all four men slowly get to their feet. Hit Squad sell it as a tough match and give both men handshakes afterwards.

* ROH 10 Man Scramble Match: Amazing Red, SAT & Divine Storm v. Special K

Let me see if I can clarify what's going on here. The first team is Amazing Red, Joel Maximo, Jose Maximo, Chris Divine and Quiet Storm (accompanied by Trinity). The second team is all the pillheads we saw being berated backstage by Alexis Laree - they are Joey Matthews, Izzy, Deranged, Slim J and Angel Dust (accompanied by Dixie). If the gimmick wasn't obvious from the vignette earlier it's worth nothing "Special K" is slang for a hallucinogenic drug taken by partygoers and ravers (usually a modified form of ketamine). CM Punk would NOT approve. As I understand it the "scramble match" rules are tornado style lucha libre where if one man is knocked out another can come in without a tag. Honestly this is a clusterfuck of a match so I'm going to focus on the finish - Joel Maximo nailing Deranged with four straight powerbombs (FUCK that's gotta hurt) followed by a Gory Bomb, Angel Dust gets hit with a DDT, and this set up Amazing Red to hit the Infra-Red on Dust and get the pin. WINNERS: AMAZING RED, SAT & DIVINE STORM. A fun spotfest I suppose but it doesn't even begin to compare to the awesomeness of a Team Dragon Gate match.

* Samoe Joe v. Dunn & Marcos (Ring Crew Express)

Can you say O-M-G, Dunn & Marcos are gonna D-I-E!!?! You would be correct. They try to double team and double shoulder block Joe early, it has no effect, he whips them off the ropes and it backfires horribly as Joe goes on offense and starts throwing them around with glee. Joe pulls Marcos hood over his head, chops him hard, whips him off the ropes, clotheslines him, and nails an island driver. Dunn gets kicked, scooped up, hit with an island driver too, and it's all over 1-2-3. WINNER: SAMOA JOE. I don't think you can ever call a squash match four stars but this was still fun to watch.

* Paul London & Rudy Boy Gonzales v. Michael Shane & Biohazard (Boston Street Fight)

The announcers put over this match as the culmination of a long feud. Gonzales works over Biohazard on the outside while London and Shane are a little more scientific in the ring, with wrestling moves and drop kicks. London prepares to hit the ropes for a suicide dive but gets his legs swept and pulled to the outside. Biohazard prepared to kill him but Gonzales hits him with a chait to make the save, and the two of them get in the ring. Shane feigns innocence and begs off being hit with the chair, so Rudy Boy decides to punch him instead. Double team backflip with Gonzales elevating London onto Shane, and then out onto the floor onto both of their opponents. London pulls Shane up and throws him back in to a waiting Gonzales. Rudy Boy runs his face across the ropesand then leans through looking for a weapon while London hits a moonsault on Biohazard out on the floor. Gonzales runs the ropes and hits Shane with one of the fattest flying crossbodies I've ever scene, but I mean that as a compliment. In fact Gonzales hooks the ropes and puts Shane in a tarantula worthy of Tajiri! Biohazard throws London in the ring while Shane DDT's Gonzales into a section of the steel barricade. Rudy Boy sells it like death while in the ring Biohazard sets up London on the chair and does a snapmare off the top rope. Shane pummels Gonzales with a chair while London peppers Biohazard with elbows. Shane nails Gonzales with rights along the steel barricade and throws him into the ringpost.

Back in the ring London gets a two count on Biohazard. Hazard responds with a death valley driver and both men are down. Two count. All four men are outside now and Biohazard is under the ring looking for a ladder. He finds it and the crowd erupts. He sets it up across the barricades but London takes it off and props it up from the ring apron to the barricade; meanwhile Shane is in the ring and gets a two count on Rudy Boy. London signals for a shooting star press off the ladder but Hazard kicks the ladder and London crotches himself; meanwhile Gonzales knocks Shane out of the ring and he goes through a table. Gonzales hits a baseball slide to the floor and then throws Biohazard back in before pulling the ladder into the ring. Hazard counters and suplexes Rudy Boy back first onto that ladder, rotates him ninety, goes up top rope and nails a senton onto the ladder and both men are down. London gets back in the ring and lays a chair on top of Hazard for a standing moonsault. Gonzales props up the ladder in the corner, bodyslam on Hazard by London, London goesout to the top rope but Shane yanks him down to crotch him. Gonzales throws Hazard out, Shane misses a superplex attempt, Rudy Boy superkicks him and London hits the SSP for a very near fall. The referee gets reprimanded for a bad pin count. Shane counters Rudy Boy and hits a superkick of his own for a near fall. London and Gonzales throw Shane out. Gonzales goes up to the second rope, London hands him Hazard, Gonzales powerbombs him and London does a running SSP and that's all she wrote. WINNERS: RUDY BOY GONZALES & PAUL LONDON. For a so-called street fight there was a lot of actual wrestling, and for probably being past his prime and out of shape Rudy Boy worked a hell of a match. And now for a match not advertised on the DVD box...

* Carnage Crew (Loc, DeVito & Masada) v. Alex Arion, Don Juan & Fast Eddie

I confess I had to look up most of these guys on Whackypedia first. Carnage Crew are put over as having a new member (Masada) to their group and the announcers put over "Night of the Butcher" as featuring Carnage Crew's Loc & DeVito versus the team of Homicide & Abdullah the Butcher. Fast Eddie does an asai moonsault and takes out the Carnage Crew, even though the announcers tell us he's legally blind and can't even get a driver's license. The best way I can describe Loc & DeVito is as a redneck, somewhat skinnier version of Da Hit Squad, which is more description than I can give you for Alex Arion. As for Don Juan he actually looks more Asian than Carnage Crew's partner Masada. DeVito charges Don Juan in the tree of woe, climbs up the ropes, superplexes him off and Masada nails a guillotine legdrop afterwards. DeVito goes up for a very large moonsault but Don Juan rolls out of the way. Tags lead to a clusterfuck in the ring, Arion nails a spinebuster, Fast Eddie hits a swinging DDT on Loc, Arion gets clocked with a chair by Loc but Arion kicks out before three. Carnage Crew takes Fast Eddie up and give him a sick 3-on-1 spike piledriver and get the pin. WINNERS: THE CARNAGE CREW.

* Samoa Joe v. Homicide

As promised earlier Joe is looking to get revenge on Homicide for what he did to Steve Corino, so Joe is working double duty on this show (although it's worth noting that Amazing Red did too). Joe gives 'Cide a very stiff handshake with a pull-in before the bell rings. Joe and Homicide start out with matwork back and forth to the respectful applause of the crowd. Joe wins a test of strength and starts pummeling Homicide with kicks, then goes to gouge his eye before the ref makes him break it up. Joe appears to bite the forehead before the ref makes him break it up again, so Joe knocks him down and gives him the facewash before a running knee and signalling to the crowd that he'll do another - he delivers on the promise. Joe continues to gouge the eye, Homicide finally reverses Joe and gets a drop toehold and a little ground and pound. Joe rolls out to get away and Homicide dives through the ropes onto him. Joe gets up wincing in pain and gets knife edge chops from 'Cide as he gets back in. Joe starts chopping back but Homicide knocks him down and now HE gives Joe two running knees. Joe whipped to the other corner, 'Cide charges, but Joe catches him and hits the urinage. 'Cide rolls outside but Joe follows him and throws him into the barricade. Joe heads for the opposite side but 'Cide reverses him and throws him into it. Enzuguiri by Joe on 'Cide once he gets up, 'Cide thrown into the ring, Joe kicks the leg MMA style and hits a dragon suplex for two. Joe to the second rope, Homicide knocks him off and sets him up for a superplex, 'Cide changes up to a 'rana instead and then nails a lariat for two. Kicks to the head, Joe counters 'Cide into a DVD and hits him with a clothesline that gets two because 'Cide gets a foot on the ropes. 'Cide suplexes Joe right onto his head and gets a "holy shit" chant and a two count. More kicks by 'Cide but Joe no sells and hulks up. Joe with a powerbomb into a two count, rolls through to an STF, rolls through that to a kokina clutch, 'Cide hooks the ropes for the break. Joe is getting a huge pop from the crowd, the two get into a rapid chop war, Homicide counters Joe into a roll-up and gets the three! WINNER: HOMICIDE. The announcers note this isn't the last we've heard of this feud or Samoa Joe, and there can be little question about that. 'Cide offers Joe the handshake and he accepts to the applause of the crowd.

* Christopher Daniels (with Simply Luscious) v. AJ Styles {T} (#1 Contender's Trophy Match)

AJ Styles won the trophy at the All Star Extravaganza, and they put over the fact that if he wins again he'll get Xavier in a title match at Night of the Butcher. The announcers put over the trophy as being "almost a secondary title" and being the key to getting a title shot because you can hold the trophy without taking one but you can't get one without holding the trophy. Got it?? Okay so explain it to me. Meanwhile we've got Daniels and Styles in the ring having a technical match, and I should note Daniels is the THIRD person to do double duty on this card - I hope these guys all got an extra cut of the DVD sales. Styles and Daniels are both down, Styles gets up first and hits a spinning head kick for two. Styles with a dropkick, neckbreaker, two count. Daniels counters and monkeyflips Styles into the corner post. Styles rolls out in pain and Daniels follows him out and drops him jaw first on the barricade, then runs him back first into the ring apron. Daniels mocks the crowd with his own 'WHO SUCKS NOW, WHO SUCKS NOW' chant, whips AJ to the barricade, but AJ leapfrogs all the way over it cleanly. Daniels charges him and Styles hits a superkick across the barricade. Styles back across the barricade and he drops Daniels on it chest first, then throws him into the ring for a two count. Facebuster, grapevines of the legs, Muta lock on Daniels. Styles inverts it but Daniels grabs the ropes to break. Two count on Daniels. Series of agile AJ Styles moves off the ropes finally winds up in a DDT by Daniels. Daniels with a scoop slam and he sells his back. A second scoop slam as Luscious applauds, Snapmare and a two count. Styles blocks a suplex but Daniels still nails him with a forearm for two. Blatant choke broke up by the ref twice, Styles fights out and there's a chop war before Daniels hits a finger to the eye and a back suplex on Styles for two. Neckbreaker, two.

Double jump moonsault misses but a flatliner connects, Styles kicks out at 2.5 three times. Double neckbreaker, both men down. Both men up, AJ nailing Daniels with punches and kicks to the head. Whip to the corner, dropkick flip, spinning clothesline. Daniels gets up slow, Styles with a delayed vertical into a brainbuster for two. AJ with elbows, comes off the ropes, Daniels catches him and hits blue thunder and both are down. Daniels hits the STO, nails the BME, rolls over for the cover but only gets two. Somebody yells at Daniels from the crowd and he responds "IF I WANTED CRAP FROM YOU I'D SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE!" NICE~! Styles and Daniels counter and double counter each other until Styles gets an inverted DDT for two. Daniels goes for a backslide and gets two. Styles goes for a small package and gets two. Daniels goes for a reverse roll-up and gets two. Styles cradles him for two. Sunset flip misses, Daniels connects with one of his own, but Styles picks Daniels up off it and puts him in the Styles Clash! 1-2-3. WINNER: AJ STYLES. Very solid match between these two, at least *** + 1/2 if you judge matches these way. Before Styles can celebrate retaining his trophy he's jumped by the members of the Prophecy, they procede to beat the snot out of him, Jay Briscoe tries to make the save but gets flapjacked. Now Red and SAT hit the ring and the odds are evened up, SAT double bulldog Xavier, and AJ comes over and nails X with a Styles Clash. Styles yells in his fae as the rest of the Prophecy stand outside looking on, so AJ throws Xavier out to them "take your own trash out" style. Daniels' music plays then stops as he yells at AJ "this ain't over" but AJ's music plays instead as The Prohecy leave and AJ stands victorious in the ring with his trophy.

* Bryan Danielson v. Doug Williams (30 Minute Iron Man Match)

And this is our main event of the evening! I've seen so many 30 or 60 minute matches from American Dragon of late that I prefer to summarize this one instead of calling it move for move, so here are my notes on the match. Danielson's goal here is to work over Williams neck to set up his Cattle Mutilation finisher. There are no pinfalls or submissions until about the 17 minute mark, when Danielson hits two dragon suplexes in a row and gets the cover. Williams tried everything under the sun to get a point back in return and tie up the match but Dragon just wouldn't go down. Williams hits the Chaos Theory and Dragon kicks out. Williams hits it again but Danielson gets a leg over the ropes. As time runs out Williams has Danielson locked in a crossface but Danielson guts it out and refuses to tap, so the match finishes with only one point scored the whole time. WINNER: AMERICAN DRAGON BRYAN DANIELSON. The announcers put over the match the whole time as "professional wrestling, not sports entertainment" and I couldn't agree more. A great finish to a very strong ROH DVD which I highly recommend you pick up whether it's on sale at www.ROHWrestling.com or not, you will enjoy watching this one a lot.