ROH Tag Wars 2006 1/27/06
Matt Sydal & Jimmy Yang & Jack Evans vs. Adam Pearce & Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer w/Lacey
Jacobs Loves Lacey is an angle of the year, probably won;t win but it’s funny. Good brawl to start with everyone of the small guys going airborne, Jack with a Sasuke Special over the top rope into a head scissors on BJ on the floor that got it going good. Cascading powerbomb senton by BJ and Jacobs on Sydal who became the the whipping boy for the bigger team. Once Sydal tagged out the place went crazy with insane spots and fluid switches and offense. Jack Evans is turning into a good wrestler. Very innovative match with good ideas and a good finish with a 630 from Evans. ***
The Embassy (Jimmy Rave & Alex Shelley & Abyss) vs. Tony Mamaluke & Sal Rinauro & Jay Fury Good match, Jay Fury is awesome the first time I saw him and I hoped he would get more time here. Abyss didn’t so all that much either and Sal is sorta a boring wrestler. Shelley vs. Mamaluke had some good mat wrestling and Rave is a great heel as everyone knows. Throw in a whacky Prince nana and the love of my wrestling non-life, Daizee Haze, and ya had a fun match here with some good stuff all the way through. **3/4
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Chad Collyer
I agreed with the fans, pretty boring. Not very crisp and nothing explosive. *1/4
Ace Steel vs. Sterling James Keenan
I’ve watched Keenan work once in Doe’s fed and I knew he was a decent talent right away. Good charisma too. But this all went nowhere when the CZW feud went down. N/A
Nigel McGuinness vs. Delirious
This should make for some good comedy wrestling was my first thought, and it was a good comedy match but it was also more then that. Both guys did a fantastic job. Nigel is one of the best wrestlers in the world to watch if you like mat wrestling and arm work and fancy footwork. Delirious keeps up with him. ***
Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels
Daniels gimmick makes no sense. he comes out with Allison Danger who is wearing a nun’s habit in leather with a miniskirt… she looks great but I don’t get it. Fallen Angel, right? But then what? He wrestles. That makes about as much sense as the Bible itself. The match was good but I don’t like Daniels, as you can see. These guys don’t click for me, even though they do very well in the ring. I have alot of respect for Daniels, don’t misunderstand me. Maybe I don’t like Daniels style and I prefer Low Ki in a more hard hitting and more high flying match. he didn’t do any of his springboard kicks. You can look at the finish of the match two ways, as brilliant and different or just highly anti-climactic. I saw it as the latter. **1/2
The Embassy (Jimmy Rave & Alex Shelley & Abyss) vs. Matt Sydal & Jimmy Yang & Jack Evans Went a little long but an excellent match. Good use of Abyss working with smaller guys, the moves look much better and he’s a good foundation for them. Evans got in some good offense but most of the match is Shelley and Rave being dicks and Shelley is so much better at it, but that was my only complaint. Weird finish as Rave seems to botch a pedigree, but it got real hot as it headed to the finish line. ***
Bryan Danielson & Jay Lethal vs. Roderick Strong & Austin Aries (Tag Titles)
Sometimes the ROH wrestlers get a little too cutesy for my taste. Two dozen bodyslams in the corner is still cool, and it is different, and it makes the heels out to be real dicky. But I want more wrestling and less dicky heel personas. Lethal isn’t that great a heel, and Danielson is good but he’s got all that great athletic ability. Here’s to wrestlers attemtpts at art and storytelling. Also another quite long match that dragged. A good, surprising finish but it didn’t seem to LEAD to that final. Good match. ***1/4
