ROH Main Event Spectacles, Elizabeth, NJ
I’ve had ROH’s “Creating Excellence” two-disc DVD set sitting around for seven years since I bought it at the Chicago Ridge show when Samoa Joe was briefly back with the company in early 2014, and I guess this is a good time to finally watch it maybe. This is the first match on it!
Joe is ROH champion already (had been for about seven months at this point, a bit over seven months) but this is non-title. Corino and Daniels look like they’re gonna start, but then Punk hits Daniels from behind and he and Joe start and throw some largely pretty bad high kicks at each other. Corino has been trying to get into Punk’s head and they’re sort of partnered up here in a way, it seems.
Daniels gets a long delayed vertical suplay on Punk, David Man Smith style, a 30-second hold. That’s sorta the level where you’ve taken it from cool to kinda dorky, in my opinion. Then Joe does one to Daniels. Man, you CORNY!
Daniels and Corino finally lock up and do some wrestling basics. Corino says things like “damn” and “shit.” Punk keeps throwing cheapshots at Daniels. God, I hate a four-way. Even more than a three-way. Hate a six-way more than either. More than that? Right out.
The commentators start to figure out that Punk and Corino are “kinda workin’ together.” They picked up on the clues, where they were working together. First dive comes from Punk onto Corino and Daniels, and then Joe flies onto all of them. Daniels takes the olé kick. Corino takes the olé kick. Punk died otherwise I think, I don’t know, I looked away for a moment.
Eventually Daniels and Joe kinda-sorta have to team up, then Punk and Corino get mad at each other for a minor miscommunication. Yada yada yada, this is a pretty typical indie four-way of the time. A lot of stuff happens. Some of it is good. Some of it is a little clunky. None of these guys except Corino were as good as they’d get, even Daniels would get a little better in the coming years, Joe and Punk got tremendously better.
Joe gets Punk in an STF, Corino breaks that up, Daniels hits an enzuigiri on Daniels. That kind of thing. BME from Daniels on Corino misses and Chuck LeGrande winds up taking it. Corino with a great lariat on Punk, Daniels hits Joe, and everyone is down. Jesus Christ with the STOs in 2003. Punk and Corino wind up hitting a double Northern Lights suplex on Daniels for a double pin and the double win.
The crowd isn’t into this finish at all and aren’t reacting much to the 19 referees discussing the result, which is that there are two winners, Punk and Corino. Crowd has no reaction at first, then a smattering of cheers.
Weird match to put on a “best of” DVD. It’s not like they were lacking for Punk or Joe matches for this concept. People who like a lot of moves happening may enjoy this but even then, how much? It’s not even that great at being that.
Anyway, I didn’t much like this at all.
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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