LionDen
03-13-2006, 08:40 PM
Someone sent this in:
Ring of Honor debuted at the ECW Arena yesterday before the largest afternoon crowd in Philadelphia independent wrestling history, outdoing ECW afternoon TV tapings, and even the ROH afternoon show at the National Guard Armory in northeast Philadelphia that preceded Final Battle 2003, drawing 800-900 people who were white-hot for the show and the CZW-ROH angle.
This Saturday at the ECW Arena was an example of what happens when 2 independent promoters work together, instead of engaging in the ego-tripping, turf-protecting, self-massaging exercises that all too many consider an everyday part of being an independent professional wrestling promoter. Two promoters...GASP...actually did business...instead of worrying about whether "their guys" were booked to look good. Both promoters put over the competing promotion in the main event slot of each other's shows, to further the next stage of the feud.
Both promotions (and most importantly, the fans) were rewarded with one of the wildest days in the history of the ECW Arena as Ring of Honor and CZW packed the old bingo hall with the largest one day/two show attendance in the building's history...more than ECW...more than the Barely Legal PPV...more than Hardcore Homecoming.
In what was amazing to many CZW's fans seemed to outdraw ROH's own fans at this Ring of Honor show (many fans DO attend both shows in Philadelphia), as the CZW chants during those moments throughout the show at least equalled Ring of Honor chants. Tony Mamaluke's wife commented that it actually seemed that some of the ROH fans that attend only ROH events were afraid of some of the CZW fans.
- Homicide and Ricky Reyes defeated Dunn and Marcos, Jason Blade and Kid Mikaze and The Briscoes in a Tag Team Scramble Match to earn a shot at the ROH Tag Team Titles after Homicide pinned Marcos following a copkiller (Kudo Driver) .
- Roderick Strong defeated Jimmy Yang via submission in an excellent technical match, but a small percentage of what one could assume were CZW fans started whining "boring". They were quickly shouted down by the majority of CZW fans and the Ring of Honor fans with comments that aren't exactly repeatable here.
- BJ Whitmer and Necro Butcher was largely a brawl, with Super Dragon joining in on the fun, then the ring was rushed by ROH Students and The Briscoes to make the save.
- Austin Aries defeated Matt Sydal with a 450 splash by pinfall.
Post-match, The Briscoes ran in and attacked both Aries and Sydal. Roderick Strong ran in to make the save, but got beaten down. Sydal finally gots the upper hand, and Generation Next is left in the ring. Sydal takes the mike and issued a challenge to The Briscoes to wrestle him and AJ Styles at April 22 in Philadelphia.
A long intermission followed....as there were DVDs to be sold...plus Samoa Joe was flying in from Mexico after working the AAA Rey de Reyes show Friday night and ROH needed to stall.
- In a filler match, The Dempsey Brothers defeated. Pelle Primeau and Shane Hagadorn after Derek Dempsey reversed a Primeau Triangle Choke into a powerbomb for the pin.
- "Irish Airborne" Jake and David Crist (better known as Crazy J and Lotus) defeated Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke, pinning Mamaluke. The finish saw one of the Crist (not sure who is who) take up Mamaluke in a Death Valley Driver, while the other came off the top with a knee to Mamaluke's head. The second Crist then got on the mat with knees up, and the first one hit another Death Valley Driver onto the knees of the second.
The winner of the Wrestlemania contest was announced as John Reynolds from Englewood, OH; who won tickets to Wrestlemania and the Ring of Honor Chicago Ridge, IL events, as well as hotel and airfare. The Philadelphia crowd promptly booed.
After too much talking (again to fill time while Samoa Joe's place was landing), "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson defeated. Alex Shelley via a funky looking Cattle Mutilation Cradle Pin to retain the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Title.
Samoa Joe wins the Three Way Dance of sorts against "Classic" Colt Cabana and "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. The match was started with Cabana vs. Daniels. Cabana eliminated Daniels with a rollup pin. Then, Samoa Joe's music hit, the crowd went nuts as Samoa Joe finally pinned Cabana after two Musclebusters.
Then, the REAL fun started...
BJ Whitmer came out and called out CZW, as he had earlier in the evening. "A fan" threw something at Joe. In a reprise of the angle done in Edison, NJ, Joe charged into the crowd, grabbed him and handed him off to ROH security. Joe and Whitmer then challenged the CZW locker room.
Then... all unfettered and umitigated hell broke loose from what seemed like every direction in one of the wildest moments in the ECW Arena's history.
In a wild, over the top brawl, ROH and CZW went at it, as Zandig charged the ring with a barbed wire bat, and Wifebeater charged the ring with the long-banned (by the busybodies of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission) weedwhacker, along with Lobo and CZW's locker room others, ran out Samoa Joe and the ROH students who'd hit the ring. Two wrestler brawled out into the crowd and into Swanson Street. CZW finally cornered BJ Whitmer in the ring and taped him to the ropes. They stapled dollars to his face and ran the bat over his face. Zandig spraypainted CZW over the ROH logo on the ring apron.
CZW "took control" of the video screen and their music played to end the show. Zandig went off in a shootfabe interview on Ring Of Honor on the mike. CZW's wrestlers hopped in the crowd challenging the Ring of Honor fans.
Ring of Honor debuted at the ECW Arena yesterday before the largest afternoon crowd in Philadelphia independent wrestling history, outdoing ECW afternoon TV tapings, and even the ROH afternoon show at the National Guard Armory in northeast Philadelphia that preceded Final Battle 2003, drawing 800-900 people who were white-hot for the show and the CZW-ROH angle.
This Saturday at the ECW Arena was an example of what happens when 2 independent promoters work together, instead of engaging in the ego-tripping, turf-protecting, self-massaging exercises that all too many consider an everyday part of being an independent professional wrestling promoter. Two promoters...GASP...actually did business...instead of worrying about whether "their guys" were booked to look good. Both promoters put over the competing promotion in the main event slot of each other's shows, to further the next stage of the feud.
Both promotions (and most importantly, the fans) were rewarded with one of the wildest days in the history of the ECW Arena as Ring of Honor and CZW packed the old bingo hall with the largest one day/two show attendance in the building's history...more than ECW...more than the Barely Legal PPV...more than Hardcore Homecoming.
In what was amazing to many CZW's fans seemed to outdraw ROH's own fans at this Ring of Honor show (many fans DO attend both shows in Philadelphia), as the CZW chants during those moments throughout the show at least equalled Ring of Honor chants. Tony Mamaluke's wife commented that it actually seemed that some of the ROH fans that attend only ROH events were afraid of some of the CZW fans.
- Homicide and Ricky Reyes defeated Dunn and Marcos, Jason Blade and Kid Mikaze and The Briscoes in a Tag Team Scramble Match to earn a shot at the ROH Tag Team Titles after Homicide pinned Marcos following a copkiller (Kudo Driver) .
- Roderick Strong defeated Jimmy Yang via submission in an excellent technical match, but a small percentage of what one could assume were CZW fans started whining "boring". They were quickly shouted down by the majority of CZW fans and the Ring of Honor fans with comments that aren't exactly repeatable here.
- BJ Whitmer and Necro Butcher was largely a brawl, with Super Dragon joining in on the fun, then the ring was rushed by ROH Students and The Briscoes to make the save.
- Austin Aries defeated Matt Sydal with a 450 splash by pinfall.
Post-match, The Briscoes ran in and attacked both Aries and Sydal. Roderick Strong ran in to make the save, but got beaten down. Sydal finally gots the upper hand, and Generation Next is left in the ring. Sydal takes the mike and issued a challenge to The Briscoes to wrestle him and AJ Styles at April 22 in Philadelphia.
A long intermission followed....as there were DVDs to be sold...plus Samoa Joe was flying in from Mexico after working the AAA Rey de Reyes show Friday night and ROH needed to stall.
- In a filler match, The Dempsey Brothers defeated. Pelle Primeau and Shane Hagadorn after Derek Dempsey reversed a Primeau Triangle Choke into a powerbomb for the pin.
- "Irish Airborne" Jake and David Crist (better known as Crazy J and Lotus) defeated Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke, pinning Mamaluke. The finish saw one of the Crist (not sure who is who) take up Mamaluke in a Death Valley Driver, while the other came off the top with a knee to Mamaluke's head. The second Crist then got on the mat with knees up, and the first one hit another Death Valley Driver onto the knees of the second.
The winner of the Wrestlemania contest was announced as John Reynolds from Englewood, OH; who won tickets to Wrestlemania and the Ring of Honor Chicago Ridge, IL events, as well as hotel and airfare. The Philadelphia crowd promptly booed.
After too much talking (again to fill time while Samoa Joe's place was landing), "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson defeated. Alex Shelley via a funky looking Cattle Mutilation Cradle Pin to retain the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Title.
Samoa Joe wins the Three Way Dance of sorts against "Classic" Colt Cabana and "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. The match was started with Cabana vs. Daniels. Cabana eliminated Daniels with a rollup pin. Then, Samoa Joe's music hit, the crowd went nuts as Samoa Joe finally pinned Cabana after two Musclebusters.
Then, the REAL fun started...
BJ Whitmer came out and called out CZW, as he had earlier in the evening. "A fan" threw something at Joe. In a reprise of the angle done in Edison, NJ, Joe charged into the crowd, grabbed him and handed him off to ROH security. Joe and Whitmer then challenged the CZW locker room.
Then... all unfettered and umitigated hell broke loose from what seemed like every direction in one of the wildest moments in the ECW Arena's history.
In a wild, over the top brawl, ROH and CZW went at it, as Zandig charged the ring with a barbed wire bat, and Wifebeater charged the ring with the long-banned (by the busybodies of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission) weedwhacker, along with Lobo and CZW's locker room others, ran out Samoa Joe and the ROH students who'd hit the ring. Two wrestler brawled out into the crowd and into Swanson Street. CZW finally cornered BJ Whitmer in the ring and taped him to the ropes. They stapled dollars to his face and ran the bat over his face. Zandig spraypainted CZW over the ROH logo on the ring apron.
CZW "took control" of the video screen and their music played to end the show. Zandig went off in a shootfabe interview on Ring Of Honor on the mike. CZW's wrestlers hopped in the crowd challenging the Ring of Honor fans.