2010 – ROH: SoCal Showdown

We’ve evolved, we’ve opened the gate, and now we’ve head to California for Ring of Honor’s first DVD release of the year, “SoCal Showdown” (1/29/10). This is also the first of two major wrestling cards held during the 2010 WrestleReunion convention weekend. The second show, brought to us by our friends at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, will be discussed later. Right now it’s all about ROH!

-Good opener with Colt Cabana and El Generico taking on Scott Lost and Scorpio Sky. It is thrilling to see Lost and Sky getting a shot in ROH, and they intend to impress without question. This is entertaining stuff and a spot-on way to start the night.

-The Erick Stevens vs. Necro Butcher “Anything Goes” bout didn’t quite click. Neither man does anything to look especially strong or cover any new ground. Won’t call it a waste per se as I don’t know that these two could have been better used on this card, but this is forgivably forgettable fare if I’ve ever seen it.

-Really wanted to like the Roderick Strong vs. Delirious match, but from early on they lost my interest and never gained it back. Yes Strong is great, and yes Delirious is better than he is often given credit for, and yes they have had some good clashes against each other before. Heck this may even be a really well wrestled contest, but I couldn’t tell you because I just wasn’t engrossed enough to care. Sorry.

-Consider me a number of years too late for this, but I’m officially starting to explore the option of jumping on the Joey Ryan bandwagon. The work I’ve seen from Ryan in PWG has always been good, and at times even great, but it is his match here against Tyler Black that really has me taking notice. Ryan works the crowd perfectly, his in-ring style shines, and overall he builds a great story with Black. Speaking of Tyler, let’s not take anything away from the man here, he is definitely a big part of why this match is so good. It takes two to tango, and while Ryan can probably make up for a less than stellar opponent if need be, the need does not exist at all here.

-This is what bothers me about Jerry Lynn sometimes. We have Kenny King cutting a promo about wanting to cripple Lynn. Wanting to end his career and his ability to walk; this is vicious stuff. So Lynn comes out and he hits the ring like a man possessed to fight for his right for mobility. Well, actually no, he doesn’t. Instead he enters the arena and takes time to pose for the customers. Huh? Way to kill the fire that should be in this battle from the start. It takes awhile before the heat builds back and the two actually go after each other in a manner fitting of a grudge match. The post match events are pretty good as well. Overall it is a fine contest, but that little bit at the start really took it down a notch before things were even underway.

-Kevin Steen and Human Tornado have easily the most entertaining encounter of the evening. This is Steen’s first post-turn performance in an ROH ring, and he is beyond on top of his game. Everything about Steen’s work here is gold. Not to be outdone, Human Tornado gives us a fantastic showing against the evil antagonist. The energy is high and overall this is a whole lot of oomph added to the show.

-As a Jushin “Thunder” Liger fan from childhood, it is an awesome treat to see the Japanese superstar come into ROH and wrestle one of the best members of the roster. ROH World Champion Austin Aries is definitely more than qualified for the role and the two have a fun little bout. It is definitely enjoyable, if not something that you need to seek out or risk your life being incomplete without seeing.

-For some reason, on paper, the idea of the eight man tag team main event with The American Wolves and The Kings of Wrestling against The Briscoe Brothers and The Young Bucks did nothing for me. Maybe I have a prejudice against multi-man tags as headlining attractions, but never the less my anticipation for this contest was pretty low. Glad to say the match definitely exceeded every expectation and delivered a thrilling contest all the way around. What most strikes me is how this almost feels more like a four-way between four teams as opposed to an eight-man tag. The heels and the faces are separate, yes, but there is a lot of focus on individual teams and the myriad of great double team maneuvers available in their repertoires. Things build nicely and reach an exhilarating pace that is just awesome to watch. This could be argued as the best match of the show, and it definitely leaves a lasting memory.