Ring of Honor
8/28, from Braintree, MA
Commentators: Jimmy Bower (who sounds alot like Chris Lovie, straight down to the "Dangerous" catch-phrase) and Mark McNulty
Refs: Hanson, Moorer, Turner and Sinclair

The tape starts off with Sugar Sean Price. Price hypes up Scamble Cage Melee.
Price then finds The Ring Crew Express, and interviews Dunn and Marcos. Dunn and Marcos are taking the cage off the truck. Dunn and Marcos say that they want off ring crew. Both RCE members climb up the truck. Price looks worried. The RCE say they don't want to be on Ring Crew, and close off by saying "We aint gonna take it anymore!"

We then go to Nana, who is with Jimmy Rave. Nana asks Rave if he was treated right in Ghana. Rave says yes. Oman Tortuga of the Outcast Killaz comes in, and he's looking for Diablo Santiago. Nana or Rave don't know where he is. Nana tells Tortuga to win this Scramble Cage Melee match. Nana said he don't care if the OCK broke their necks. All he wants is victory. He said OCK are no where near the level of Rave, and they are going back to ring crew if they don't show signs of improvement. Tortuga goes to say something, but Nana cuts him off. Nana makes Tortuga get on his knees. Nana said if Tortuga talks back again, he will sell his ass back to ring crew.
Funny promo here, as Nana is golden as a manager. He knows the art of talking.

Alex Shelley w/Generation Next d. Jay Lethal
This was a really good match, as Jay Lethal continues to rise in the ranks of ROH. Both guys are really impressive in the ring. Lethal hit his trademark suicide dive on Shelley early in this match, which got the crowd loud. Most of this match saw Shelley work on Jay Lethal's leg, as he did various moves and submissions to the left leg of Jay Lethal. Shelley broke out alot of innovative offense, while working on the leg. Lethal would halt Shelley's fury of offense with a tiger suplex, followed up by a back suplex. Lethal also hit his huge diving headbutt in this match. Shelley came back with several leg breakers on Lethal. Shelley would eventually win this match after rolling up Lethal, and grabbing a fistful of trunks for three.
Very good match, but is there really any Code of Honor anymore in ROH? This Lethal/Shelley feud reminds me of the Walters/Xavier feud, where Walters (In this case Lethal) couldn't beat Xavier (In this case Shelley) in several attempts, until he had a huge breakout match against him. (12/27/03) I see Lethal eventually getting the win in this feud, just like Walters.

Promo with the Carnage Crew: They hyped up the main event cage match.

Jimmy Rave w/Nana and OCK d. Angel Dust w/Special K
This was another solid match, and one of the better Rave matches I've seen in ROH. This match went on the outside, as Angel Dust threw Rave over the guard rail. Back in the ring, Angel Dust continued the assault with some victim kicks and a lightening quick dropkick. After getting hit by some of Rave's moves, Angel Dust hit his south of heaven for 2. Nana eventually got the mic and started distracting Angel Dust. This led to a shining wizard by Rave, followed up by a Rave's Clash for the pin.
Another good match on this tape, and another match that leaves you thinking, "Whatever happened to the Code of Honor?"

Ace Steel d. Roderick Strong w/Generation Next
This was another back and forth wrestling match, which suprisingly made its way to the outside a few times. The finish of this match saw Steele picking up the win with an armbar tap out on Roderick.
POSTMATCH: Generation Next all gang up on Ace Steel. They all pound away, until Colt Cabana comes in and makes the save. Ace Steel threw Jack Evans viciously into the guard rail, cutting up Evan's arm. Colt meanwhile, cuts a promo on Generation Next, and challenges Austin Aries to a match, which set up our next match.

Austin Aries d. Colt Cabana
This was another solid match, that saw Cabana get busted up and bloody early in. Aries would go on to win this match with a Rings of Saturn submission.
POSTMATCH: Generation Next attack Cabana. Aries hits a 450 splash while a chair was on Cabana's chest. The 2nd City Saints make the save.
This was another match, which led me to question the Code of Honor's existence in today's ROH.

Sugar Sean Price came to the ring. He announced to the live crowd, and for the viewer, that Jushin Thunder Lyger will be making his ROH debut on 11/5 in Braintree, Mass, as well as wrestling on the 11/6 Rexplex show. This popped the crowd.

For the ROH Tag Team Championship
The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero) w/J-Train d. Izzy & Dixie w/Special K
The announcers kept pumping up that Izzy/Dixie were former tag team champions. Despite that fact, Dixie and Izzy couldn't stop the Havana Pitbulls here. Both teams showed off double team offense, but eventually the Pitbulls got the upperhand and controlled Special K. Rickey Reyes pinned Dixie, to retain the titles for his team.
POSTMATCH: The Pitbulls and J-Train leave. Special K members start arguing, as it looks like the main feud here is Becky Bayless vs Lacy (Izzy's girlfriend). Special K took sides, as Dixie/Azraiel backed Becky, and everyone else backed Izzy. It looks like one of the most successful gimmicks in ROH history is coming to an end soon.

For the ROH Pure Wrestling Title
John Walters d. Doug Williams
PREMATCH: ROH Champion, Samoa Joe came out. He reiterated that the Pure Wrestling Title means shit compared to Joe's title. He told Walters to go choke, just like he always does when he wrestles in front of his hometown crowd.
Pretty heelish words from Samoa Joe here, even though it could be looked at as motivational words.
This match was exactly what it was billed as- pure wrestling. Lots of submissions and reversals in this bout. Towards the end of this match, both guys used up their three rope breaks. Walters went on the attack and hit two consecutive lungblowers on Doug Williams, sending Williams to the middle of the ropes. Williams, whose legs were beaten down and worked over by Walters, looked like they couldn't support his weight. Walters then put Williams in a leg submission, with Williams tangled in the ropes, and Walters using the ropes for leverage. Williams tapped out, and Walters became the new ROH Pure Champion.
I thought it was pretty odd that Williams only had the belt for 5 weeks. I know he is from the UK and all, but I didn't expect the belt to change hands so quickly. This was some of Walters' better ROH work.

To Crown the ROH Icon
Triple Threat One Fall to a Finish Match
Homicide w/J-Train d. ROH Champion Samoa Joe and CM Punk
I thought this was the best wrestling match on the tape. This tape will probably be remembered for its main event, but I thought this was just as big of a match. The story here is that these three are the top three guys in ROH history. To compare ROH to the WWE, then Homicide is your Stone Cold Steve Austin. He is the heel people love to cheer, and will do anything to win a match. He is the anti-establishment of ROH. Samoa Joe is The Rock. When people think ROH, they think Samoa Joe, just like how people used to with the Rock and WWE. Samoa Joe is the most famous ROH wrestler and is the biggest draw in ROH. Rock might be the People's Champ, but Joe is THE Champ. CM Punk is your Triple H. It is known through many circles that Punk works for ROH behind the scenes and in other ROH projects, just like how Triple H does with the WWE. While Punk isn't with Gabe's daughter (he doesn't even have a kid), like how Triple H is with Vince's daughter, Punk does yield influence in ROH, just like Triple H does in WWE. Punk's finisher is even similiar to the pedigree, the only difference is that Punk does it from the top rope. Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H are all guys who the WWE has been built around at one point in time, and each man could make claims of being the Icon of WWE. Well, Homicide, Joe and Punk have seen ROH built around them, at one point in time, and this was the match to see who the true Icon of ROH was.

The match started off with Punk/Joe teaming up on the heel Homicide. Eventually, with Homicide down, Punk and Joe would go after each other, because they had unsettled business stemming from the 6/12 60 minute (draw) match they had. All three guys took a beating in this match, and the match spilt to the outside often. Homicide brought a fork into this match, but Samoa Joe wouldn't have none of it, as he grabbed the fork from Homicide, and stabbed Homicide with it. Homicide was bloody throughout the match, due to his fork stabbing by the champ. Joe hit his Ole Ole kicks on Homicide. After hitting the first Ole Ole kick on Homicide, Joe went for another, only to be cut off by CM Punk. Punk and Homicide brawled around the ringside area, and made their way to a table. As Punk was setting something up with the table, the table collapsed. Homicide quickly reacted, and piledrove Punk on a piece of the broken table. Homicide and Joe would then go at it in the ring. The finish of this match saw Homicide go for a top rope DDT on Samoa Joe, only to be thrown off. CM Punk then climbed the ropes, and hit the Pepsi Plunge on Samoa Joe. Homicide sprang back to life, and hit a huge lariat on Punk. Homicide then pinned Samoa Joe, to win the match, and to become the ROH Icon.
I liked this match alot, even though it was predictable that Joe would not win. Has anyone else noticed that Homicide can always beat Samoa Joe in non-title matches, but can't beat him in title matches? It seems that Punk and Joe will now feud now, as is evident from their 2nd 60 minute draw on 10/16. Very good match here by all three men.

Trent Acid Promo: Trent Acid was seen by the cage, before the cage was set up in the ring. Acid talked about how he is the master of winning multi-man matches in ROH, and that tonight would be no different.

MAIN EVENT
Scramble Cage Melee
RULES: To be eliminated, someone must dive on you from the top of the cage. The last person not to be dived on becomes the winner.

Jack Evans d. Trent Acid to win Scramble Cage Melee
Other participants included: Loc & Devito, Maff & Whitmer, The Outcast Killaz, Fast Eddie, Alter Boy Luke, and Dunn & Marcos

Everyone started at the same time, as this wasn't wrestled under gauntlet rules. The order of elimination and how the eliminations went down is as follows:

1. Maff/Whitmer (Devito moonsault)
2. Loc/Devito (Altar Boy Luke dive)
3. Alter Boy Luke/Dunn and Marcos/Out Cast Killaz (Fast Eddie Irish Carbombs Dunn into everyone, causing the mass elimination)
4. Jack Evans hits a 1080 legdrop on Trent Acid.

I know Evans said in a recent interview that he didn't fully get the 1080 legdrop off, but that's not even an issue. Evans won this match with just pure insanity, as he flipped a million miles per hour, crashing a leg down upon Trent Acid's body.

As far as the other eliminations, Devito's moonsault from the top was very impressive. ROH looks like they were building a Maff/Whitmer vs Carnage Crew feud in this match. After Fast Eddie eliminated almost 1/2 the participants, he himself was eliminated, as he could no longer continue the match. He looked like he injured his leg.

This match was built up to be one of the most craziest matches in ROH, and so dangerous that it would never be done again. While I do see this match happening again, although nowhere near the near-future, I thought this match was nuts. It wasn't a wrestling match, as much as it was a spotsfest, but if you love aerial assaults, then this match is for you. The stipulation of this match, was that the winner would recieve 10 times his normal payday, so if you're looking for a car loan, go hit up Jack Evans.

POST SHOW PROMOS:

Special K is in the back. We see Becky and Lacy war it out with words. Special K divides into two groups as they walk away from each other. If Lex Luger runs out on a future ROH show, screaming about Special K, the black-and-red Wolfpac, then you know ROH has lost it.

John Walters is up next, and he's with his ROH Pure Wrestling Title. He talks about winning in front of his hometown. On the bottom of the screen, we see "ROH Updates". We find out that Walters is allowed to pick Joe's opponent for the 9/11 show. John picks Doug Williams as Samoa Joe's opponent. John puts of Williams, and this concludes the tape.

Final McWord
There are alot of good matches on this tape. The Icon Match, as well as the Pure Wrestling Title match, are the strongest two matches on the show, in my opinion. The cage match is the match that makes this tape "draw". Just something that every ROH fan should see.

I said it a few times in this review, and I'll say it here again, "Whatever happened to the Code of Honor?" It seems like every heel group won't abide by it. Wasn't the whole basis of ROH in the beginning about the Code of Honor? I remember when the Code of Honor was a big deal in ROH, and today, if it's suitable to use, then it's abided by. I remember an ROH where there were no post match beat downs or attacks. On this tape alone there are 2. I guess this is how ROH is building up Generation Next as one of the top heel factions. For me, it seems that ROH has changed its product drastically in the last few months. The jury is still out if it's for the better or worse, but ROH is definitely not the same promotion it was a year ago. It certainly is expanding and has more of a following with each passing day, but with each passing day, ROH history, and the feel of ROH is not what it used to be.

Alot of people have complained about the commentators, in the past, on various forums. I never really paid no mind to it, until this tape. Mark McNulty was just awful on this tape, and was annoying to listen to. Hearing him talk, was like sitting next to a smart mark who wouldn't shut up. CM Punk is desperately needed back in the commentating booth, as his insight and commentary was great to listen to. Hearing two face commentators is just overkill, and that's why ROH needs to go back to having a heel back in the booth with Gabe/Jimmy/Chris/Whatever he's calling himself. Gabe/Jimmy/Chris/Whatever he's calling himself, does a good job as the lead man, and is reminiscent of Vince McMahon Jr, when Vince used to commentate. He puts over the angles that are going on, and is biased towards the faces. He's also baffled by many two counts, as he thinks the match was over, just like Vince as well. (Anyone else remember "1....2.... thr... oh no how did he kick out of that?") Out of all the ROH tapes I've heard, the Gabe/Punk duo has been the best tandem for me. Corino's work on the earlier tapes were great as well, but I don't see him commentating on any ROH tapes in the near future.

I really like how ROH is building up Jay Lethal. Here's my prediction for 2005: Jay Lethal will be holding an ROH belt. A Jay Lethal vs American Dragon match, which could be billed as the "Battle of the European Uppercuts" would also be a great match, that I think will happen in 2005.

I should also mention that ROH has overhauled their tape packaging. Gone is the RFVideo packaging, and in is the new ROH packaging. I'd say that the split is 100% official now, as all ROH tapes are now packaged in a new ROH box, which is gray/black/red in color. There are more pictures on the box as well. The packaging looks very professional, and the new ROH logo is featured.

Also while talking about the new ROH logo, I should mention that throughout the tape, while cutting to promos and matches, the new ROH logo is shown. It's a little thing, but it's a little thing like that, that is noticeable and makes the tape feel more big-time.

Overall-
Recommended, as this was another solid show from ROH. This isn't your fathers ROH anymore, as the product has changed, in my opinion. For anyone looking to see what the hype is all about, then this is the tape for you.

To pick up this tape go to http://www.rohwrestling.com or go to
https://www.rohwrestling.com/shoponline.asp?point=moreinfo&catid=160&id=663 directly.

Look for more Tape/DVD reviews soon.

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com