WWE NXT

-Commentators:  Tom Phillips & Corey Graves.
-Sami Zayn d. Adam Rose with the Koji Clutch (5:27).
-Backstage:  Rich Brennan interviewed Johnny Gargano about his match with Samoa Joe...he was prepared to stand up to the bully and "Johnny Wrestling" would not back down.
-Earlier today:  Jason Jordan & Chad Gable felt snubbed as they weren't nominated for Tag Team Of The Year in 2015.  Wesley Blake & Buddy Murphy WERE nominated...so they plan on beating them next week to make a statement.
-Apollo Crews d. Tye Dillinger via delayed Blue Thunder Bomb (4:35).  After the match, Crews said that he wanted another match with NXT Champion Finn Bálor since their previous encounter didn't have a decisive conclusion.
-Backstage:  Alex Reyes interviewed Blake, Murphy, & Alexa about next week's tag match.
-The Vaudevillains(Aiden English & Simon Gotch) seem to be undergoing an attitude change...
-At a recent NXT live event in Milwaukee, Sami Zayn was confronted by old rival Kevin Owens...
-Baron Corbin d. Rich Swann with the Deep Six(spinning Protobomb) (3:14).
-Backstage:  Alex interviewed NXT Women's Champion Bayley Rose & Carmella Van Damme about their tag match later in the show.  They were interrupted by NXT Tag Team Champions Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, who said Carmella would be like her boys Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady:  Unable to win when it counts.
-NXT Women's Champion Bayley Rose & Carmella Van Damme d. Emma Tayla & Alexa Bliss(w/ Dana Brooke) when Carmella made Alexa tap out to the push-up headscissors submission hold (5:41 aired).
-Backstage:  Alex interviewed NXT Champion Finn Bálor about Apollo Crews' challenge...Bálor said he had spoken to General Manager S. William Regal and the challenge has been accepted.
-Samoa Joe d. Johnny Gargano with the Kokita Clutch (4:28).

TNA Impact + This Week In Wrestling

-Commentators:  Josh Mathews & D'Angelo Dinero.
-Jeff Hardy d. Tyrus Clay by DQ when Tyrus crotched Hardy on the ringpost and shoved the referee (2:56).
-Gail Kim d. Amazing Kong(w/ Mia "Jade" Yim, Marti Belle, & Rebel) to retain the Women's Title.  Velvet Sky & Madison Rayne came out to fight off the Dollhouse members; Gail hit Eat-The-Feet on Kong, then slammed Jade off the top rope onto Kong before getting the pin with a jackknife cradle (5:42).
-Beer Money(Bobby Roode & James Storm) d. Jessie Godderz & Eli Drake when Roode pinned Godderz after the Driving-While-Investing(suplex into a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo) (4:02).
-Mike Bennett(w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett) d. Pepper Parks with a fireman's-carry Michinoku Driver (3:00).
-Matt Hardy d. Ethan Carter III in a last-man-standing title-vs.-career match to win the Heavyweight Title.  Hardy used increasingly aggressive tactics during the match, including a Twist Of Fate off the apron and through a table, then a Twist Of Fate with a chair wrapped around EC3's head.  Hardy's wife Reby Sky even passed in a hammer that she had hidden in her diaper bag.  Tyrus entered the ring, but turned on EC3 with the Big Ending...EC3 somehow managed to survive THAT, but Hardy leveled him with the title belt and that was enough to keep the champion down for the ten-count (15:15 aired).

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WWE(www.wwe.com)

Main Event this week has:
-The Dudley Boys(Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von) vs. Heath Slater & Curtis Axel
-Adrian Neville vs. Tyler Breeze
-Jack Swagger & Mark Henry vs. The Ascension(Konnor O'Brian & Rick Viktor)

NXT this Wednesday has:
-Johnny Gargano vs. Samoa Joe
-Bayley Rose & Carmella Van Damme vs. Emma Tayla & Alexa Bliss
-Sami Zayn vs. Adam Rose
-Apollo Crews vs. Tye Dillinger
-Rich Swann vs. Baron Corbin

Superstars this week has:
-Dolph Ziggler vs. Mike Mizanin
-Jack Swagger vs. Johnny Fandango

Smackdown on Thursday has:
-Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Alberto Del Rio, King Wade "Bad News" Barrett, & Alexander Rusev
-Dolph Ziggler & Jimmy & Jey Uso vs. The New Day(Big E Langston, Kofi Kingston, & Xavier Woods)
-Ryback vs. Bray Wyatt
-Titus O'Neil vs. Stardust
-Becky Lynch vs. Alicia Fox

The Royal Rumble is on Sunday 1/24:
-30-Man Royal Rumble - WWE Title
-Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens - Intercontinental Title Last-Man-Standing Match
-Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto - U.S. Title
-The New Day(Big E Langston & Kofi Kingston) vs. Jimmy & Jey Uso - Tag Team Titles
-Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch - Women's Title

TNA(www.tnawrestling.com)

Impact on Tuesday has:
-Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy - Heavyweight Title
-Feast Or Fired Match
-Tigre Uno vs. D.J. Shiima Xion vs. Mark Andrews - X-Division Title
-The American Wolves(Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs. Abyss & Crazzy Steve
-Bobby Lashley vs. Aiden O'Shea
-Velvet Sky vs. Amazing Kong

RING OF HONOR(www.rohwrestling.com)

ROH TV this week has:
-Jay Briscoe vs. Michael Elgin
-Brian Fury vs. Shahim Ali - Top Prospect Tournament
-Cheeseburger vs. Cedric Alexander
-In action:  Moose, Jonathan Gresham

Next show is Friday 1/22 in Fletcher, NC:
-Jay Lethal, Roderick Strong, & War Machine(Todd Hanson & Raymond Rowe) vs. The Young Bucks(Matt & Nick Jackson), Karl Anderson, & Doc Gallows
-The Briscoe Brothers(Jay & Mark) vs. Alex Shelley & Matt Sydal
-A.C.H. vs. Adam Cole
-Michael Elgin vs. Kenny King
-Kyle O'Reilly vs. Cedric Alexander
-Bobby Fish vs. Silas Young
-Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian
-Dalton Castle vs. Adam Page vs. Rhett Titus vs. Caprice Coleman
-Amber Gallows vs. Veda Scott

ROH has a show on Saturday 1/23 in Duluth, GA:
-Jay Lethal vs. Matt Jackson - Heavyweight Title
-War Machine(Todd Hanson & Raymond Rowe) vs. The Bullet Club(Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) - Tag Team Titles
-Stevie Richards vs. Adam Cole

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING(www.njpw.co.jp/english)

Information on upcoming episodes of World Pro Wrestling will be posted when it becomes available.

LUCHA UNDERGROUND(www.elreynetwork.com/originals/lucha)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

-----

ST. LOUIS ANARCHY(www.slawrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 2/13 in Alton, IL:
-Gerald James vs. Mat Fitchett - Heavyweight Title Best-Of-3-Falls Match
-The Hooligans(Devin & Mason Cutter) & The Viking War Party(Alexandre Rudolph & Jake Parnell) vs. The Cause(Evan Gelistico, Adam Caster, Danny Adams, & Everett Connors) - Elimination Tag Match
-Roscoe Eat Lisa(Zakk Sawyers & Mikey McFinnegan) vs. Team I.O.U.(Nick Iggy & Kerry Awful)
-Davey Vega vs. Jeremy Wyatt
-Matt Cage vs. Paco Gonzalez
-Jojo Bravo vs. Andy Dalton
-Steve O. Reno vs. Trik Davis
-Mike Outlaw vs. Christian Rose
-Ricky Starks vs. Donovan Danhausen
-Appearing:  Chris Hero

SLA has a show on Saturday 2/14 in Alton, IL:
-Matt Cage vs. Alex Castle - Last-Man-Standing Match
-Davey Vega vs. Trik Davis
-Zakk Sawyers vs. Everett Connors
-The Viking War Party(Alexandre Rudolph & Jake Parnell) vs. Team I.O.U.(Nick Iggy & Kerry Awful)
-Mike Outlaw vs. Paco Gonzalez
-Appearing:  Chris Hero

DPW(www.dynamoprowrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 1/23 in Wood River, IL:
-Mike Outlaw vs. Kevin Lee Davidson
-Brandon Aarons & Garrett Shanks vs. The Viking War Party(Alexandre Rudolph & Jake Parnell)
-Keon Option vs. Jayson Khaos
-Alpha Class(Danny Adams & Paco Gonzalez) vs. The Professionals(Shawn Santel & Mauler McDarby)
-Evan Morris vs. The Snitch

DPW has a show on Saturday 2/6 in Fenton, MO:
-Ricky Cruz vs. Jake Dirden vs. Mike Outlaw vs. Brandon Espinosa - Heavyweight Title
-Outtkast vs. Elvis Aliaga vs. Jayden Fenix - D-1 Title Tournament Final

SICW(www.sicw.org)

Next show is Saturday 2/20 in East Carondelet, IL.

MMWA(www.southbroadwayac.com)

Next show is Saturday 2/13 in St. Louis, MO:
-Brandon Espinosa & Ace Hawkins vs. Prince Moses & Damion Cortess - Tag Team Titles

PWCS(www.pwcswrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 2/20 in Granite City, IL featuring the St. Louis Invitational Tournament:
-Tournament Participants:  Mat Fitchett, Davey Vega, Adam Caster, Zakk Sawyers
-Makaze & Jojo Bravo(Blacklist) vs. Gary Jay & Pierre Abernathy(Submission Squad)

HIGH RISK WRESTLING(www.facebook.com/hrwstl)

Next show is Saturday 2/27 in Warsaw, MO:
-Ricky Cruz vs. Brandon Aarons - MWR Missouri Title

PRO WRESTLING EPIC(www.prowrestlingepic.com/)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

METRO PRO WRESTLING(www.metrowrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 1/30 in Kansas City, KS:
-Jeremy Wyatt vs. "Beer City Bruiser" Matt Winchester - Heavyweight Title
-Mike Sydal vs. Jon Webb - Kansas State Title
-Tracey Smothers vs. The Math Magician
-Jake Dirden vs. Mark Sterling vs. Kraig Keesaman vs. Devin Thomas - Brass Ring Challenge
-The Kobra Kai Dojo(Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett) vs. The Riegel Twins(Logan & Sterling) - Tag Team Titles
-Angelus Layne & D'Arcy Dixon vs. "Miss Natural" Heather Patera & Lucy Mendez

3XW(www.3xwrestling.com)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.
WLW(www.harleyrace.com)

Next show is Saturday 2/27 in Troy, MO:
-Appearing:  Ted DiBiase

GATEWAY ELITE WRESTLING(www.facebook.com/TheGatewayElite)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

OUTLAW WRESTLING(www.facebook.com/outlawwrestling01)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

WRESTLING INVADES AMERICA(wrestlinginvamerica.wix.com/wrestlinginvamerica)

Next show is Sunday 2/21 in Swansea, IL.

CENTRAL STATES CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING(www.facebook.com/nwaccw)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

WORLD POWERHOUSE WRESTLING(sites.google.com/site/worldpowerhousewrestlingstl/home)

Next show is Saturday 2/27 in Collinsville, IL:
-Uriah Eleazar vs. Bronson - U.S. Title

NEW BREED WRESTING(www.facebook.com/NewBreedMO)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

-----

EVOLVE(www.wwnlive.com & www.dgusa.tv)

Next show is Friday 1/22 in Ybor City, FL:
-Timothy Thatcher & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Hero & Tommy End - Tag Team Title Tournament
-Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley vs. The Bravado Brothers(Harlem & Lancelot) - Tag Team Title Tournament
-Roppongi Vice(Rocky Romero & Trent Barreta) vs. Team Tremendous(Dan Barry & Bill Carr) - Tag Team Title Tournament
-Drew Galloway & Johnny Gargano vs. Drew Gulak & T.J. Perkins - Tag Team Title Tournament
-Style Battle Tournament:  Fred Yehi, Matt Riddle, Peter Kaasa, Tracy Williams
-P.J. Black vs. Ethan Page

EVOLVE has a show on Saturday 1/23 in Orlando, FL:
-Sami Callihan vs. Ethan Page

EVOLVE has a show on Sunday 1/24 in Orlando, FL.

PRO WRESTLING GUERRILLA(www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

CHIKARA(www.chikarapro.com)

Next show(afternoon) is Saturday 1/30 in Philadephia, PA:
-N_R_G(Race Jaxon & Hype Rockwell) vs. Hallowicked & Frightmare - Campeonatos De Parejas
-Soldier Ant vs. Jakob Hammermeier
-Dasher Hatfield & Heidi Lovelace vs. Juan Francisco De Coronado & Prakash Sabar
-Amasis vs. Jaka
-Arctic Rescue Ant vs. The Proletariat Boar Of Moldova

CHIKARA has an evening show on Saturday 1/30 in Philadelphia, PA:
-Princess Kimber Lee vs. Oleg The Usurper - Grand Championship
-Icarus vs. Pinkie Sanchez
-The Colony(Fire Ant, Silver Ant, & Worker Ant II) vs. The Snake Pit(Ophidian, Shynron, & Argus)
-The Batiri(Obariyon & Kodama) vs. Lucas Calhoun & Missile Assault Man
-"Mr. Touchdown" Mark Angelosetti vs. Wani

WHY WE WRESTLE(www.anarchy-wrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 1/23 in Cornelia, GA featuring the Heavyweight Title tournament:
-Jacob Ashworth vs. Bobby Moore
-Slim J vs. Logan Creede
-Geter vs. C.B. Suave
-Mikael Judas vs. Jeff Lewis
-Salvatore Rinauro vs. Chip Day
-Appearing:  Todd Sexton

WWW has a show on Saturday 2/13 in Cornelia, GA featuring the Heavyweight Title tournament:
-Billy Buck vs. Anthony Henry
-Ethan Cage vs. Elijah Evans IV
-Kyle Matthews vs. Black Baron
-Se7en vs. Azrael
-Stryknyn vs. Brian Blaze
-Sugar Dunkerton vs. Murder One

HOUSE OF HARDCORE(www.houseofhardcore.net)

Next show is Saturday 4/16 in Philadelphia, PA.

SHIMMER(www.shimmerwrestling.com)

Next show is Saturday 4/2 in Dallas, TX.

SHINE(www.shinewrestling.com)

Next show is Friday 1/29 in Ybor City, FL:
-Taylor Made vs. Santana Garrett - SHINE Title
-Allysin Kay vs. Su Yung

IWA MID-SOUTH(iwamidsouthwrestling.webs.com)

Information on upcoming shows will be posted when it becomes available.

AAW(www.aawrestling.com)

Next show is Friday 2/29 in Merrionette Park, IL:
-Eddie Kingston vs. Sami Callihan - Heavyweight Title
-Abyss & Kongo Kong vs. Ryan Boz & Russ Jones - Monster's Ball Match

ACW(www.anarchychampionshipwrestling.com)

Next show is Sunday 1/24 in Austin, TX:
-Jojo Bravo vs. J.T. LaMotta - Heavyweight Title
-The Hole F'n Team(Johnny Axxle & Mr. B) & ? vs. The Troy Athletic Club(Jay Howard, J.A. Fair, & Roy Lewis)
-Darin Childs vs. Evan Gelistico
-Masada vs. Scot Summers
-Steve O. Reno vs. Curt Stallion - U-30 Title
-Eric Guerra vs. Jeremy Medrano

Missouri Wrestling Revival: http://www.missouriwrestlingrevival.com/
St. Louis Wrestling: http://www.saintlouiswrestling.com/
St. Louis Wrestling Community: http://community.livejournal.com/stlwrestling/

Leave a comment or e-mail: patrickab7@yahoo.com
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook at: @patrickab7

WWE Raw

-Commentators:  Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, & John Bradshaw Layfield.
-WWE Champion Roman Reigns d. Alexander Rusev(w/ Sheamus O'Shaunessy, U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio, & King Wade "Bad News" Barrett) with the spear; Chris Jericho was the referee (10:21 aired).
-Natalya Neidhart(w/ Paige Knight) d. Brie Bella(w/ Alicia Fox) with the Sharpshooter (1:30).
-Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, & Erick Rowan(w/ Braun Strowman) d. Ryback & The Dudley Boys(Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von) when Harper pinned Buh-Buh after the discus lariat (joined in progress; 6:39 aired).
-The Big Show d. Heath Slater(w/ Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, & Adam Rose) after the PUNCH (0:56).  Show PUNCHed out Axel, Rose, and Bo afterwards.
-Becky Lynch d. Tamina Snuka(w/ Naomi Night) with the Dis-Arm-Her(armbar submission) (4:06); Women's Champion Charlotte Flair & Ric Flair watched the match from ringside.
-Sheamus O'Shaunessy & U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio(w/ King Wade "Bad News" Barrett) d. Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose & Kalisto when Sheamus pinned Kalisto after the Brogue Kick (10:13 aired); Kevin Owens did commentary.
-Tag Team Champion Big E Langston(w/ Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) d. Jey Uso(w/ Jimmy Uso) via Big Ending (6:11 aired).
-Adrian Neville, Mark Henry, "R-Truth" Ron Killings, & Titus O'Neil d. Stardust, Tyler Breeze, & The Ascension(Konnor O'Brian & Rick Viktor) when Neville pinned Breeze after the Red Arrow(corkscrew shooting star press) (6:12).

ROH Special Comment

Now, as promised, a special comment about Saturday's Ring Of Honor show at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, IL.

DISCLAIMER:  I'm biased.  Deal with it.

Normally ROH doesn't conflict with the local independent promotions, but this past weekend was an exception as Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling had their monthly event in East Carondelet.  To be fair, ROH doesn't run here that frequently as they had been averaging one show a year up to this point; in fact, it was a surprise to me that they were returning so soon since their previous show(last June).  From what I heard, Ring Of Honor will be back in Collinsville in June.  It sounded like ROH was a legit sellout as some people were turned away at the door if they hadn't already bought tickets.  That's a pretty impressive feat, considering some key names weren't on the show(particularly Heavyweight Champion Jay Lethal and Matt Sydal).

From what I heard from Drew Abbenhaus, SICW had a good turnout as well(though I don't think there's much crossover audience between SICW's old-school product and Ring Of Honor's fast-paced style).  In a shocker, Flash Flanagan regained the Classic Title from Kahagas due to interference from Ron Powers, making him the only person to not only hold the title twice but on three separate occasions.  Also, Dave Vaughn made his return to the ring after a lengthy hiatus...he joined Big Daddy's new stable as the veteran manager had a falling-out with Red River Jack(unmasked as Cowboy Bob Orton).  More on these events as I see them on Wrestling Explosion(cheap plug).

Saw several familiar faces in attendance, some of whom were working in small roles on the show.  Lucy Mendez was checking tickets at the door and I recognized John E. Rock among the security guards.  I ran into Edmund "Livewire" McGuire, who hasn't been too active in recent years.  Also briefly spoke to MsChif who had her new addition to the family in tow.  A few people were in attendance who weren't on the show...some of them worked the Indianapolis event and were simply along for the trip.  Met female wrestler Solo Darling at one point; I think Kelly Klein(formerly Mary Elizabeth Monroe) was there as well.  Truth Martini was in the house, as was Christopher Daniels; Daniels was suspended on this past weekend's episode of ROH TV for striking an official.  (I'm sure he was offering moral support to his close personal long-time friend Curry Man at the Indy event.)

R.I.P. to Darren Dean, who was a Davey Richards trainee who competed regularly in the area a few years ago; he teamed with Aaron Solo(w) on a regular basis and I hadn't seen him in a little while.  Haven't heard many details about his passing, but he passed away at a surprisingly young age.

Your ring announcer was the lovely and talented Scarlett Bordeaux(back to solid red hair...woo).  I'm not as familiar with the Ring Of Honor referees as I should be, but I believe the officials for the night were Todd Sinclair, Paul Turner, Brian Gorie, and former St. Louis resident Mike Gordon.  Your ringside commentators were Ian Riccaboni(?) and Mr. Wrestling III.  (Seriously, Steve Corino wears glasses and Mr. Wrestling III doesn't.  If Corino was Mr. Wrestling III, he wouldn't be able to see!)

Keith Lee & Shane Taylor vs. Alpha Class(Danny Adams & Paco Gonzalez):  The pre-show match featured Elgin trainees Adams & Paco against ROH newcomers Lee & Taylor.  Lee & Taylor are two big black dudes who came to the ring in business attire.  The match was mostly one-sided, though Adams & Paco had their moments.  Taylor pulled off a scary(in a good way) somersault plancha onto the Alpha Class duo!  Taylor pinned Paco after Lee suplexed Paco into position for Taylor's sitout powerbomb in 7:21.  The new team got themselves over with the crowd pretty quickly after being total unknowns at the start.

Tag Team Champions War Machine(Todd Hanson & Raymond Rowe) vs. Frankie Kazarian & Chris Sabin, non-title:  Due to Daniels' suspension, it was Kazarian & Sabin as the Addiction/Knights Of The Rising Dawn duo for the weekend.  Kazarian cut a promo about how the Rams were leaving St. Louis and returning to his home state of California; quite a few fans(myself included) were all "yeah, you can have them, have fun with that".  Kazarian and Sabin had a feud in TNA but hadn't teamed up very often in the past; of course, both are accomplished tag team wrestlers with other partners.  I feel like I've become "burned out" on the ROH style as I wasn't as into the matches on this night as other people were...maybe it's just me, but who knows.  I feel like I've oversaturated MYSELF with wrestling to the point where a lot of stuff runs together in my mind...that may be part of it.  Wonder if Lee & Taylor will be fast-tracked to a title shot so they can do the requisite HOSS BATTLE~!?  At any rate, the champs won when Rowe pinned Sabin after the Fallout(back suplex/guillotine legdrop combo) in 10:07.

"Unbreakable" Michael Elgin vs. Adam Page:  As Page made his entrance, B.J. Whitmer attacked him from behind and beat him down at ringside.  Whitmer got on the microphone for some exposition, saying it was payback for Page turning his back on him in Charlotte(at the most recent TV taping).  Elgin ran Whitmer off and B.J. declined to step into the ring with the former Heavyweight Champion...but Page was up for the match despite taking his lumps.  It became a battle of two fan favorites with Elgin's power against Page's agility...considering the pre-match beatdown that Page suffered, it went a lot longer than I would have guessed.  It was your standard ROH fare with a ton of big moves and kickouts, accentuated by Elgin's impressive power spots; Elgin won with the spiral bomb in 14:12(!) and mutual respect ensued afterwards.

Roderick Strong vs. Cheeseburger for the T.V. Title:  Speculation ran rampant over who Strong's challenger would be; I wondered if it could be a local standout like Davey Vega or Kevin Lee Davidson(though K.L.D. would make an appearance later in the show).  It turned out to be a food-themed weekend for Strong as he retained his title against Curry Man in Indianapolis.  Strong's arrogant response to Cheeseburger's presence didn't sit well with the previously pro-Roddy crowd...and Cheeseburger's immediate palm strike for a quick near-fall got a great reaction(LIGER SHOTEI~!).  Cheeseburger spent most of the match simply surviving and going for flash pin attempts...the guy is popular and makes a great underdog.  Strong pulled him up from a few of his own pin attempts and that nearly backfired on him, but Roddy finally put him out of his misery with the Stronghold(Liontamer-style Boston crab) in 8:31.  The fans were TOTALLY against Strong by the end of the match...so in that regard, mission accomplished.

The Briscoe Brothers(Jay & Mark) vs. "The Last Real Man" Silas Young & "Beer City Bruiser" Matt Winchester:  These guys had a really good match...a lot of brawling with some aerial moves thrown in.  Bruiser did a somersault dive off the apron at one point...eep.  I often wonder what's left for the Briscoes to do in Ring Of Honor...Jay's been Heavyweight Champion on two occasions and the brothers have held the Tag Titles EIGHT times!  They recently became the first holders of the IWGP NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Titles with Toru Yano(¯\_(ツ)_/¯), so that adds to their already impressive resume.  Unfortunately, Jay's political incorrectness may work against him as far as greener pastures go...he's gotten into Twitter trouble on more than one occasion.  Silas took the Doomsday Device from the Briscoes but Bruiser broke up the pin attempt.  Jay wasn't able to hit a proper Jay Driller on Bruiser due to his size, so he improvised with a Pedigree-esque face-first drop instead; Mark followed up with the Froggy Bow for the win in 17:00.

Intermission~!  Ben Simon was in attendance and was fully aware of my concession consumption for the night.  There was a water fountain in the building so I could have gone without refreshments, but I did get a couple of 20-ounce bottles of soda(Pepsi and Mountain Dew).  They were a bit overpriced, though($2.75 each!).

Will Ferrara vs. Kevin Lee Davidson:  Good to see K.L.D. get on the show; he got a good reaction from local fans who are familiar with him.  He had a distinct size advantage over ROH rookie Ferrara, to say the least.  He got a good reaction for his spinning heel kick; I look forward to seeing his career progression as he gains experience.  Ferrara made the quick underdog comeback and won in 2:06 with an Asai DDT; if nothing else, it went longer than his ten-second TV match with Elgin(which, I understand, was severely clipped down for airing).

Dalton Castle(w/ The Boys) vs. Delirious:  I was looking forward to this match for sheer entertainment value; sadly, I never got into a position for the masked man to throw my hat.  *sob*  This was Mike Gordon's lone match as the referee and he got several "Carrot Top" chants for his distinctive hairstyle.  Of course Castle is ridiculously popular and Delirious had a hometown crowd, so the fans liked both guys.  Delirious spent a lot of time chasing The Boys around the ring...repeatedly.  I suspect he was simply distracted by the shiny outfits, but that's just one man's guess.  There were several double-knockdowns in a row, leading to The Boys Fanning Up(tm) to revive Castle.  That caused Delirious to go after The Boys AGAIN and chase one of them under the ring...and when they emerged, the Boy in question was suddenly wearing a Delirious mask.  That caused his brother to attack him in the confusion before the real Delirious emerged from ringside...heh.  Referee Mikey G was knocked down(which the fans seemed to enjoy) and Castle rolled up Delirious for a VERY long time before a second referee ran in to count...two.  They had several close near-falls before Castle won with the Bangarang(tilt-a-whirl faceplant) in 13:13...most tremendous.

reDRagon(Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. The All Night Express(Kenny King & Rhett Titus):  Oddly, the ANX duo has trended heelward since their much-ballyhooed return to ROH; despite that, they earned a future Tag Team Title shot with a triple threat match victory at Final Battle over The Briscoes and The Young Bucks.  This show had a lot of tag matches (five out of the ten matches were tags), but they did a decent job of spacing them out.  I think Kyle lives in St. Louis nowadays (as does his trainer Davey Richards), so the fans know him well.  They had a ton of near-falls for each team, including one spot where the referee was distracted as Fish had Titus tapping out to the Fish Hook(heel hook).  This called back to the ref missing Strong tapping out to Fish at Final Battle, something Fish has repeatedly reminded Strong about...heh.  Despite this, reDRagon went on to win in 17:11 when Fish pinned King after the Chasing The Dragon(brainbuster/head kick combo).  (Notably, Davey and Eddie Edwards do their own version of Chasing The Dragon in TNA nowadays.)  It seemed odd for the top contenders to lose, but I guess that puts O'Reilly & Fish in contention for the tag belts as well.

Moose(w/ Stokely Hathaway) vs. Adam Cole:  I'm one of those people who isn't QUITE sold on Cole, though his teased face turn in the recent storyline with Kyle O'Reilly worked extremely well.  He's on his own nowadays as The Kingdom is no more:  Matt Taven is injured and Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis-Bennett have jumped to TNA.  (This past weekend's ROH TV show was the Bennetts' final appearance.)  Moose is a guy who will be on WWE's radar in the near future; it's just a matter of experience at this point.  He showed his impressive athleticism on a few occasions, including a major plancha in the closing minutes of the match.  I need to check out more of Cole's body of work; in particular, I hear good things about his time in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.  He couldn't use his usual arsenal of signature moves due to Moose's size, but a rollup with a handful of tights scored him the tainted victory in 12:40.  (Thanks to my friend for timing the last two matches as my cellphone's battery was running low.)

The Young Bucks(Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. A.C.H. & Alex Shelley:  A.C.H. has updated theme music now that he's signed a full-time deal with Ring Of Honor.  His team with Shelley seems to be a makeshift one, but both have had success in tag team competition in the past(particularly Shelley).  The Bucks are the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and had their title belts with them.  I was wondering which match would get the final slot and it came down to the international resumes of the Bucks and the "hometown" status of A.C.H. (he moved to St. Louis from Texas a few years ago).  The tag matches for the night were varying degrees of spotfests, though that's to be expected from some of the people involved.  A.C.H. did an insane Fosbury Flop-style dive in this one.  As you would expect, the Superkick Party(tm) was in full effect here...though A.C.H. and Shelley would return the favor a few times.  I'm pretty sure we saw More Bang For Your Buck at one point, but Matt Jackson would pin A.C.H. after the dreaded Meltzer Driver(springboard-somersault-spike Tombstone) in 15:50.  Whew!

Post-match, mutual respect abounded between the Bucks and A.C.H.  A.C.H. vowed to make it to the top despite what some people think of him...it's been a weird undercurrent to his ROH career that he HAZ TEH HEAT WIT TEH BOYZ N TEH BAK and the TV commentators would make subtle allusions to that.  It looked like we would get handshakes all around, which is another weird inside joke (the Bucks have allegedly rubbed people the wrong way by not shaking hands with the right people).  However, the Bucks double-superkicked A.C.H. (as Shelley bailed out of the ring) and left to a mostly positive reaction.  The interesting thing was that A.C.H. seemed upset at the fans afterwards, yelling "YOU LIKED THAT?!?"  Hmm...is there a heel turn on the horizon?  We shall see...

This coming Saturday, Dynamo Pro Wrestling returns to Wood River, IL...several matches have been announced, including the return of the Viking War Party(Alexandre Rudolph & Jake Parnell) against the new team of Brandon Aarons & Garrett Shanks.  In other matches:  Keon Option returns from a recent injury to face Jayson Khaos, Evan Morris faces The Snitch, Mike Outlaw faces a tough test in the form of Kevin Lee Davidson, and Alpha Class takes on The Professionals(Shawn Santel & Mauler McDarby).  The next few months will be very busy and I hope to see a little bit of everything this year...I may finally check out Metro Pro Wrestling on the 30th if nothing comedic comes up.

That's my special comment for this, the second wrestling show I've attended in the year 2016.  Good night, good luck, and #yaywrestling.

-PB, Watching Wrestling Wrong Since 1991

P.S. We are all marks.

Superstars, ROH, SICW

WWE Superstars

-Commentators:  Rich Brennan & Byron Saxton.
-The Dudley Boys(Buh-Buh Ray & D-Von) d. The Ascension(Konnor O'Brian & Rick Viktor) when D-Von pinned Konnor after the Dudley Death Drop (5:30).
-Jack Swagger d. Tyler Breeze via Patriot Lock(anklelock) (6:05 aired).

ROH TV

-Commentators:  Kevin Kelly & Mr. Wrestling III.
-The Addiction(Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)(w/ Chris Sabin) d. A.C.H. & Alex Shelley when Daniels pinned A.C.H. after the Celebrity Rehab(Kazarian back suplex flipped into Daniels Codebreaker) (7:36 aired).  The Addiction trio did some post-match damage and Daniels decked the referee, leading to matchmaker Nigel McGuinness suspending Daniels.
-Mark Briscoe d. Adam Page(w/ B.J. Whitmer & Colby Corino) with the Froggy Bow (6:33).  After the match, Whitmer accused Mr. Wrestling III of being Steve Corino.  (I personally don't see the resemblance; III wears a mask and Corino doesn't.)
-The Young Bucks(Matt & Nick Jackson) won a triple threat street fight with reDRagon(Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) and Adam Cole & Michael Bennett(w/ Maria Kanellis-Bennett & Matt Taven).  Several innocent bystanders were taken out by accidental superkicks, including the ring announcer and Kevin Kelly(forcing promoter Cary Silkin to take over for Kelly on commentary).  A.J. Styles interfered on behalf of the Bucks, leading to Maria taking a Meltzer Driver(springboard-somersault-spike Tombstone) from the Bucks.  Matt Jackson went on to pin Bennett after a triple-team flurry from the Bullet Club trio, ending with the Styles Clash from A.J. (13:31 aired).
-Next week:  The Top Prospect Tournament begins.

SICW Wrestling Explosion

-Commentator:  Drew Abbenhaus.
-"Night Train/Gorgeous/Great One" Gary Jackson d. Attila Khan(w/ Travis Cook) in a cage match. A bloody Khan manhandled the referee, then picked up Jackson for a slam only to stumble backwards over the fallen official. Jackson cradled Khan as he landed on top and got the quick three-count. Jackson fought off an irate Khan after the match, but was then jumped by Curtis Wylde as he was leaving the cage. Wylde slammed the cage door on Jackson before order was restored.
-Backstage:  Drew interviewed Ken Kasa about his split from manager Travis Cook and his Organization.
-"Dirdey" Jake Dirden & "Ironman" Ken Kasa d. Brandon Espinosa & "The Icon" Chris Hargas(w/ Travis Cook) when Kasa pushed Hargas into Espinosa to knock him off the turnbuckles, then rolled up Hargas for the pin.

Saturday ROH Results From Collinsville, IL

-Keith Lee & Shane Taylor d. Alpha Class(Danny Adams & Paco Gonzalez) when Taylor pinned Paco after Lee suplexed Paco into a sitout powerbomb by Taylor (7:21).
-Tag Team Champions War Machine(Todd Hanson & Raymond Rowe) d. Frankie Kazarian & Chris Sabin(non-title) when Rowe pinned Sabin after the Fallout(back suplex/guillotine legdrop combo) (10:07).
-Michael Elgin d. Adam Page with the spiral bomb (14:12); Page wanted to go through the match despite being attacked by B.J. Whitmer beforehand.
-Roderick Strong d. Cheeseburger with the Stronghold(Liontamer-style Boston crab) to retain the T.V. Title (8:31).
-The Briscoe Brothers(Jay & Mark) d. Silas Young & "Beer City Bruiser" Matt Winchester; Jay hit a modified Jay Driller on Bruiser(dropping him like a Pedigree) and Mark got the pin after the Froggy Bow (17:00).
-Will Ferrara d. Kevin Lee Davidson after an Asai DDT (2:06).
-Dalton Castle(w/ The Boys) d. Delirious with the Bangarang(tilt-a-whirl faceplant) (13:13).
-reDRagon(Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) d. The All Night Express(Kenny King & Rhett Titus) when Fish pinned King after Chasing The Dragon(brainbuster/head kick combo) (17:11).
-Adam Cole d. Moose(w/ Stokely Hathaway) via rollup w/ tights (12:40).
-The Young Bucks(Matt & Nick Jackson) d. A.C.H. & Alex Shelley when Matt Jackson pinned A.C.H. after the Meltzer Driver(springboard-somersault-spike Tombstone) (15:50).

Show results

Friday ROH results from Indianapolis, IN:

-Keith Lee & Shane Taylor d. Curt Stallion & ?.
-Dalton Castle d. Will Ferrara.
-A.C.H. won a triple threat match with Moose and Silas Young.
-Michael Elgin d. Tim Hughes.
-reDRagon(Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) d. Frankie Kazarian & Chris Sabin.
-Kelly Klein d. Solo Darling.
-Adam Page d. Ken Phoenix.
-Roderick Strong d. Curry Man to retain the T.V. Title.
-Adam Cole d. Alex Shelley.
-The Briscoe Brothers(Jay & Mark) & Tag Team Champions War Machine(Todd Hanson & Raymond Rowe) d. The Young Bucks(Matt & Nick Jackson) & The All Night Express(Kenny King & Rhett Titus).

Friday AAW results from Merrionette Park, IL:

-Drew Gulak d. Louis Lyndon.
-Kongo Kong d. Dan O'Hare & Wheeler Utah in a handicap match.
-Kimber Lee & Heidi Lovelace d. Allysin Kay & Brittany Blake.
-The Hooligans(Devin & Mason Cutter) d. Zero Gravity(Brett Gakiya & C.J. Esparza) to retain the Tag Team Titles.
-Sami Callihan d. Chris Hero.
-Shane Hollister, Mat Fitchett, & Markus Crane d. Bucky Collinswood, Eddie Machete, & Connor Braxton.
-Ryan Boz d. Abyss.
-A.R. Fox d. Davey Vega to win the Heritage Title.
-Eddie Kingston d. Trevor Lee to retain the Heavyweight Title.

Friday 3XW results from Des Moines, IA:

-Devin Thomas won a six-way match with Jaysin Strife, Blue Rocket, Jason Jones, Gary Gram, and Aaron Masterson.
-Black Wrestlers Matter(Jon West & James Grizzle) d. Mad Dog McDowell & Devin Carter to retain the Tag Team Titles.
-Nate Redwing d. Rory Fox to retain the Heavyweight Title.
-Kraig Keesaman d. Marek Brave to win the Pure Wrestling Title.

Friday IWA-MS results from Clarksville, IN:

-Jake Parnell d. Jordan Whittaker.
-Ray Waddell d. Dakota France.
-Cash Flo d. Teddy King.
-Aidan Blackhart d. J.C. Rotten in a barbed-wire-bat match.
-Zodiak d. Alexandre Rudolph by countout.
-Randi West d. Amazing Maria.
-Shane Mercer d. Joseph Schwartz.
-Reed Bentley d. Slade Sludge.
-Nick Doepp d. John Wayne Murdoch in a Taipei Death Match.

Saturday SICW results from East Carondelet, IL(credit to Drew Abbenhaus):

-"O.T.T." Britton Tucker d. "The Enforcer" Jimmy D with an exploder suplex, pinning D with feet on the ropes for illegal leverage (5:20).
-"Dead Sexy" Daniel Gunner d. Waco via backslide (6:58).
-Brandon Espinosa d. Da'Marius Jones via cross-armbreaker (10:50).
-Red River Jack d. Bubba Troll by DQ when Britton Tucker interfered after Jack hit the Double-R-J(RKO)...Big Daddy had turned on his man and called Tucker to the ring to interfere (5:37).  Dave Vaughn & Ax Allwardt joined Tucker but R.R.J. fought them off...then R.R.J. cornered Big Daddy and voluntarily removed his mask, revealing himself to be Cowboy Bob Orton.
-Ax Allwardt d. Bobby D after a DDT (6:24).
-Gary Jackson, Ken Kasa, & Sean Vincent d. Curtis Wylde, Chris Hargas, & Dave Vaughn in an elimination tag match.  Eliminations:  Jackson picked up Wylde for a spinebuster, but Wyldefyre tripped him and held his feet as Wylde fell on top for the pin (10:44).  Kasa pinned Wylde with a Perfectplex as Wylde was distracted by Jackson chasing Wyldefyre around the ring (11:17).  Kasa and Hargas were both counted out (15:09) and Vaughn was disqualified in 18:34 for a blatant low blow on Vincent.  Survivor:  Sean Vincent.
-Flash Flanagan d. Kahagas(w/ Travis Cook) to regain the Classic Title.  Ron Powers confronted Travis over his interference in the match and took a cheapshot at Kahagas behind the referee's back; that allowed Flash to capitalize with a quick cover to become a three-time champion (5:20).