ROH The Era Of Honor Begins
The DVD opened with a few segments with Da Hit Squad hyping up a few buses of fans who had come in from various areas in the Northeast. This came off as extremely awkward, and really felt like a waste of time.
CHRISTOPHER STREET CONNECTION PROMO - Not going to lie, the homophobia on commentary here really bothers me, and if I were a new fan discovering ROH today from the first show, this would have started off putting a bad taste in my mouth (the chants from the fans bothered me, too, but that isn’t the company’s fault, and the unfortunate homophobia that seems to exist in indy crowds is something I have learned to live with. Just because someone else is a bigot doesn’t mean I should let it get in the way of me enjoying wrestling).
Sorry for the rant. Anyway, Mace & Buffy have a man-on-man kiss, while, in the background, Allison Danger’s reaction was apparently enough to get a job for the majority of the next five years. Also, her a** looks really good in that skirt, and hearing Corino dump on her on commentary without in any way acknowledging their relationship is pretty funny (that dynamic always led to some interesting moments. I still maintain that Corino managing to still call the action while his legit sister attempted to make out with his legit girlfriend at A Night of Appreciation is one of the most amazing feats of commentary in wrestling history).
Wow. I’m getting off-topic WAY too much here. Anyway, Da Hit Squad come out and assault Buffy and Mace, then pin them as a random ref counts three. Danger tries to hit one of the Hit Squad guys with a low blow, but gets blocked, then she and one of the CSC guys gets put through a table. I didn’t like this segment much, as it just doesn’t feel very ROH-ish. I can’t deny that it got the crowd hot, though.
Was it a spotfest? Yeah. But that was what was needed for the opener of the first show. A lot of high-impact moves and flying stuff.
LOW KI PROMO - good
HOMICIDE PROMO - okay
SCOOT ANDREWS PROMO - good
Hard hitting, but no real story.
Good squash, with good aftermath, too. Props to Corino and Gargulio for pointing out that the referee for this match, HC Loc, was also a wrestler, as his role in the aftermath led to the Carnage Crew vs. Natural Born Sinners feud.
ULTIMATE AERIEL ELIMINATION MATCH WITH MIKEY WHIPWRECK AS THE SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE:
Giant spotfest. Almost no story at all until the eliminations started. Just people flying all over the ring.
no, not Kevin Nash, a different guy, although I would have popped HUGE for Nash coming out as Oz.
BACKSTAGE STUFF WITH MIKEY’S STUDENTS - eh
LOC MAKES A PHONE CALL - GREAT!
MATCH TO CROWN THE FRIST EVER IWA INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH:
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! The match that put ROH on the map, and if you see it, you’ll understand why. This match was OUTSTANDING! The fans gave it a chant of “MATCH OF THE YEAR!” And the aftermath was perfect!
EDDIE GUERRERO PROMO - Awesome.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was definitely a great show. The main event itself is worth the price of the DVD. Yeah, a lot of the matches were spotty and lacked story, but I am willing to give a pass on that for a promotion’s first show. Yeah, the commentary was obnoxiously over the top, but that is the rule, rather than the exception in indy wrestling, and was pretty universal back in 2002 before guys like Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak started doing commentary. A great show, with an amazing main event, plus major historical significance adds up to make this DVD a must-buy.
CHRISTOPHER STREET CONNECTION PROMO - Not going to lie, the homophobia on commentary here really bothers me, and if I were a new fan discovering ROH today from the first show, this would have started off putting a bad taste in my mouth (the chants from the fans bothered me, too, but that isn’t the company’s fault, and the unfortunate homophobia that seems to exist in indy crowds is something I have learned to live with. Just because someone else is a bigot doesn’t mean I should let it get in the way of me enjoying wrestling).
Sorry for the rant. Anyway, Mace & Buffy have a man-on-man kiss, while, in the background, Allison Danger’s reaction was apparently enough to get a job for the majority of the next five years. Also, her a** looks really good in that skirt, and hearing Corino dump on her on commentary without in any way acknowledging their relationship is pretty funny (that dynamic always led to some interesting moments. I still maintain that Corino managing to still call the action while his legit sister attempted to make out with his legit girlfriend at A Night of Appreciation is one of the most amazing feats of commentary in wrestling history).
Wow. I’m getting off-topic WAY too much here. Anyway, Da Hit Squad come out and assault Buffy and Mace, then pin them as a random ref counts three. Danger tries to hit one of the Hit Squad guys with a low blow, but gets blocked, then she and one of the CSC guys gets put through a table. I didn’t like this segment much, as it just doesn’t feel very ROH-ish. I can’t deny that it got the crowd hot, though.
THE AMAZING RED vs. JAY BRISCOE (w/Mark Briscoe) - 6.75/10
Was it a spotfest? Yeah. But that was what was needed for the opener of the first show. A lot of high-impact moves and flying stuff.
LOW KI PROMO - good
HOMICIDE PROMO - okay
SCOOT ANDREWS PROMO - good
XAVIER vs. SCOOT ANDREWS - 6.25/10
Hard hitting, but no real story.
THE NATURAL BORN SINNERS (Homicide & Boogaloo) vs. THE BOOGIE KNIGHTS- Squash
Good squash, with good aftermath, too. Props to Corino and Gargulio for pointing out that the referee for this match, HC Loc, was also a wrestler, as his role in the aftermath led to the Carnage Crew vs. Natural Born Sinners feud.
ULTIMATE AERIEL ELIMINATION MATCH WITH MIKEY WHIPWRECK AS THE SPECIAL GUEST REFEREE:
Jose Maximo vs. Joel Maximo vs. Chris Divine vs. Brian XL vs. Quiet Storm vs. Amazing Red - 6/10
Giant spotfest. Almost no story at all until the eliminations started. Just people flying all over the ring.
PRINCE NANA vs. “THE TOWEL BOY” ERIC TUTTLE- Squash
BRIAN “SPANKY” KENDRICK & IKAIKA OA vs. MICHAEL SHANE & OZ - 7.5/10
no, not Kevin Nash, a different guy, although I would have popped HUGE for Nash coming out as Oz.
BACKSTAGE STUFF WITH MIKEY’S STUDENTS - eh
LOC MAKES A PHONE CALL - GREAT!
MATCH TO CROWN THE FRIST EVER IWA INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH:
Eddy Guerrero vs. Super Crazy - 7.5/10
LOW KI vs. BRYAN DANIELSON vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS - 9.5/10
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! The match that put ROH on the map, and if you see it, you’ll understand why. This match was OUTSTANDING! The fans gave it a chant of “MATCH OF THE YEAR!” And the aftermath was perfect!
EDDIE GUERRERO PROMO - Awesome.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was definitely a great show. The main event itself is worth the price of the DVD. Yeah, a lot of the matches were spotty and lacked story, but I am willing to give a pass on that for a promotion’s first show. Yeah, the commentary was obnoxiously over the top, but that is the rule, rather than the exception in indy wrestling, and was pretty universal back in 2002 before guys like Lenny Leonard and Dave Prazak started doing commentary. A great show, with an amazing main event, plus major historical significance adds up to make this DVD a must-buy.