Ring of Honor – NEW HORIZONS – Pay Per View
Date: September 27, 2008 (Taped: July 26, 2008)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
IN THE RING
The Age of the Fall (Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black) + The Briscoe Brothers: Ring of Honor World Tag Team champions the Age of the Fall kicked off the PPV claiming they were stronger than ever in Detroit. Jimmy Jacobs, who has a cool new Mohawk, said having the belts gives them power and it gives them the power to NOT defend their titles tonight. Jacobs claimed there were no worthy contenders, at which point the Briscoe brothers hit the ring and literally kicked the Age of the Fall out of the ring. Mark Briscoe wasn’t even supposed to be there, due to a recent wrist injury. Jay Briscoe challenged Jacobs & Black, but they started to walk out with their belts. Austin Aries showed up and attacked the AOTF but couldn’t get them into the ring to face the Briscoes.
IN RING INTERVIEW
Dave Prazak & The Briscoe Brothers: Dave Prazak asked Mark Briscoe about his injury and Mark said that he was there and ready to go! Prazak said they had some stand-by opponents for the Briscoes and called for the opening sequence video to officially begin the New Horizons PPV.
SQUASH TAG TEAM MATCH
The Briscoe Brothers (Mark & Jay) defeated Silas Young & Mitch Franklin: Silas Young was just coming off a brief stint in the WWE developmental system before getting axed during a wave of firings. This match was quick and dirty, to showcase much of the Briscoe’s trademark offense on the designated cannon fodder. After the match, they showed a special video feature on the Briscoes that looked like something the WWF would have shown on the early 80s coliseum home videos.
FOUR-CORNER SURVIVAL MATCH
Erick Stevens defeated Delirious and Ruckus and Shane Hagadorn: Erick Stevens has lost his trademark Mohawk and grown in his hair so now he looks really boring and unremarkable – even though he was the reigning FIP World champion at the time. Shane Hagadorn, on the other hand, looks more and more like his mentor Adam Pearce every day. Ruckus was representing the Vulture Squad, and Delirious was his regular crazy self. Erick Stevens proved that he didn’t need a Mohawk to pick up victories in the ring of honor with an impressive win over three other competitors.
IN THE RING
Austin Aries + Jimmy Jacobs + Tyler Black + MsChif + Kevin Steen + Necro Butcher: Austin Aries came out to the ring and grabbed the microphone and proceeded to cut a very aggressive promo about his feud with Jimmy Jacobs. Aries called out Jacobs, and Jacobs popped out from behind the curtain to get Aries’ attention. Tyler Black attacked Aries from behind but Aries quickly eliminated him. Then SHIMMER star MsChif hit the ring and kicked Aries in the back of the knee. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black then ganged up on Aries with Jacobs splitting Aries open with a vicious shot with the dreaded spike! Kevin Steen came out and asked the Age of the Fall when he and El Generico were going to get their title shot. Jimmy Jacobs said Steen & Generico haven’t done anything to deserve a title shot. Steen challenged Jacobs to a match, but Jacobs declined. Necro Butcher stumbled out from behind the curtain and attacked Steen from behind and they started an impromptu No-Disqualification match..
NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH
“Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen defeated The Age of the Fall’s Necro Butcher: This was just like every other Necro Butcher match – and the fans loved every minute of it. Kevin Steen is no stranger to hardcore matches either, but he’s usually involved in tag team craziness. Late in the match, Steen killed Necro with a Package Pile-driver onto a chair – a move that would have crippled an average person. Necro, of course, kicked out of a pinfall attempt, thus blowing all sense of realistic battle and exposing wrestling as fake. Steen followed up with a regular Package Pile-driver and successfully scored the 1-2-3 to win this painful match!
TAG TEAM MATCH
Roderick Strong & Naomichi Marufuji defeated Sweet & Sour Inc. (Chris Hero & Go Shiozaki w/Larry Sweeney & Sweet & Sour Inc.): Before the match, they showed a video of Adam Pearce (not at the arena) cutting a promo which we were supposed to believe was live. At the end of the segment, Pearce got a call on his cell from his boss, Larry Sweeney. When Sweet & Sour Inc. made its way to the ring, Sweeney was still talking to Adam Pearce on his cell phone. Very subtle, but nice touch there. It’s kinda cool to see Go Shiozaki involved in a major storyline. Before the match, Larry Sweeney offered Japanese star Naomichi Marufuji a spot in his stable but Marufuji flipped him off. Larry Sweeney tried to walk out of the match with his crew but Canadian legend Lance Storm cut him off and said he was there to make sure Sweeney’s troop doesn’t get away with anything tonight. Marufuji has undergone a bit of a make-over, as I barely recognized him at first. He’s sort of…. Americanized! Roderick Strong is one of many wrestlers involved in a feud with Sweet & Sour Inc., and was able to score a victory over the group with help from Naomichi Marufuji! After the match, the Sweet & Sour guys attacked Lance Storm in a major show of disrespect! Sweeney ordered Chris Hero to “knock’em out!” so Chris Hero showed why they call him the Knockout Kid and cold-cocked Storm with a Tornado fist to the face!
TAPED PROMO
Brent Albright: Brent Albright was shown with his face in bandages to explain why he was not wrestling on the PPV tonight. Albright talked about Adam Pearce throwing a fireball in his face in Chicago. Albright says usually when he comes home his son gives him a big hug, but this time he was too scared to give daddy a hug. Albright said his baby daughter wouldn’t stop crying, and his wife was worried about him and about how they were going to pay the bills. Albright said Pearce hurt him, but now he is going to hurt Pearce – but might not stop with burns. Albright said he will do everything he can to make Pearce’s face look just like his.
ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH
Nigel McGuinness defeated Claudio Castagnoli to retain the ROH World title: So far all the matches on the show have been won by the good guys, so I figured it was time for a heel to go over. ROH World champion Nigel McGuinness has gradually turned into an arrogant “I’m better than you!” heel. Announcer Lenny Leonard said that Nigel McGuinness was on top and looking down at everybody else. Upon hearing the opening bell, McGuinness tried to do a sneak-attack but Castagnoli was waiting for it and intercepted him with a Yakuza kick! The crowd was solidly in the corner of Castagnoli, and that motivated him to dominate the champion for the first part of the match. McGuinness made a come-back and they went back and forth, beating the crap out of each other for quite some time. Castagnoli electrified the audience with a picture perfect Giant Swing around and around and around! Like most ROH main event’s, this match suddenly had the volume turned up as the crowd began to buzz with the anticipation of a title change. It seemed like Castagnoli nailed all of his trademark maneuvers but McGuinness continuously escaped defeat. McGuinness turned the tables on a dime, and clobbered Castagnoli with a running Lariat and scored the 1-2-3 to take the wind out of the fans sails and retain the ROH World championship……. AGAIN!!!!
MAIN EVENT
“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson defeated Tyler Black w/Jimmy Jacobs by referee stoppage: It was time for American Dragon to make a star out of Tyler Black. Late in this incredible match, Tyler Black powered out of an Arm-bar submission and power-bombed Danielson into the corner and literally broke the ring! I’m not sure if it was intentional but it was an unbelievable moment! The crowd was going crazy for the rest of this match, which ended with Danielson’s trademark flurry of elbows to the head of Black until the referee mercifully ended the match and awarded the victory to American Dragon!
UNSANCTIONED BRAWL
Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs: After the main event, Jimmy Jacobs checked on Tyler Black….. until Austin Aries hit the ring and attacked Jacobs! They did battle inside the broken ring for a few minutes until Aries did a suicide dive and crashed head-first into the barricade and landed on the floor! Jacobs jumped on Aries and started pounding on him with fists! Jacobs got a chair from a fan and whacked the bloodied Aries across the back! Jacobs began ramming his knuckles into the cut on Aries forehead. Jacobs dove out of the ring, but Aries moved and Jacobs missed his target! They eventually brought out a ladder and set it up right in the middle of the sea of ROH fans at the dark end of the arena. They climbed both side of the ladder, and Necro Butcher showed up with a steel chair in his hands. Necro was conflicted and didn’t know what to do. Jacobs ordered him to do his dirty work as usual while Aries pleaded with Necro to use his head! Necro couldn’t handle the pressure and simply pushed the ladder over, sending Aries and Jacobs crashing through tables!! The war between Aries and Jacobs went all over the building for about fifteen minutes before time expired on the PPV. You can bet that this rivalry will headline the next PPV.