Ring of Honor – RISING ABOVE II – Pay Per View
Date: January 16, 2009 (Taped: November 22, 2008)
Location: Chicago Ridge, Illinois
ROH WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
Kevin Steen & El Generico defeated The Briscoe Brothers to retain the ROH World Tag Team titles: Mark Briscoe was still limping from his leg injury, but vowed to work this high profile PPV match. Mark was limited by his knee and it cost them the match, as he was caught in a Package Pile-driver by Kevin Steen.. After the match, Jay Briscoe got heated and attacked Steen & Generico for a pull-apart brawl!
BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW
Dave Prazak & Claudio Castagnoli: Claudio Castagnoli said he had been over-looked by Ring of Honor for too long. Claudio said he was going to set an example for just how unstoppable he is!
SHIMMER TITLE MATCH
MsChif defeated “Death Rey” Sara Del Rey w/Larry Sweeney to retain the SHIMMER championship: This was the first time the SHIMMER championship would ever be defended on an ROH PPV. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen Sara Del Rey with her new heel “Death Rey” gimmick.
4-CORNER SURVIVAL
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Silas Young and Alex “Sugarfoot” Payne and Sami Callihan: ROH World champion Nigel McGuinness joined Dave Prazak & Lenny Leonard on commentary for the match. You would have to be out of your mind to bet against Claudio Castagnoli in this match. At first I thought this match went on way too long, but then I realized they were letting Sami Callihan and Silas Young show their stuff to a brand new audience. McGuinness was solidly in Castagnoli’s corner on commentary, so it looks like they might form a European alliance in the near future. Claudio played with Alex Payne like his name was G.I. Joe. Sugarfoot actually had a brief bust of offense, but was put away by Double C with a Ricola-bomb! After the match, Castagnoli put a chair over Sugarfoot’s head but Bryan Danielson hit the ring to save the rookie from further damage! Danielson looks like a bum now.
SIX MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
Sweet & Sour Inc. (Chris Hero & Davey Richards & Go Shiozako w/Larry Sweeney & Bobby Dempsey) defeated Roderick Strong & Brent Albright & Crazy Ace Steel: Ace Steel returned to Ring of Honor as a replacement for Erick Stevens, who was forced off the show due to injury. Crazy Ace had just been released from a WWE developmental contract, but you might remember him best as the guy who played Donald Trump in a WWE parody match with Rosie O’Donnell. The finish of this long match saw Roderick Strong hit a flurry of offense on his old partner, Davey Richards, before locking him in the Stronghold. Sweet & Sour caused a distraction, and Chris Hero came in and whacked Strong with a steel chair from behind! Richards ended up on top of Strong for the 1-2-3 to give Sweet & Sour Inc. the tainted victory!
I QUIT MATCH
Austin Aries defeated Jimmy Jacobs w/Tyler Black: Before the match, Austin Aries said that Jimmy Jacobs had Tyler Black in his corner to watch his back. Aries said he didn’t need anybody in his corner. Aries said the only way Jacobs is going to get out of this is to say I QUIT. I guess the match can also end if Tyler Black throws in the towel for Jacobs. A few minutes into the match, Jacobs found a chain under the ring and jammed it into Aries face – causing the blood to flow! Jacobs continued the assault and wrapped the chain around Aries’ neck. Jacobs pulled up on the chain, and the referee asked the bloody Aries “do you want to quit?” – but got no response. Both men were physically exhausted at this point, but still managed to perform some pretty crazy moves. Jacobs continued to assault and brutalize Aries, who absolutely refused to say I QUIT. Jacobs chained Aries to a chair in the middle of the ring and grabbed a chair. Jacobs prepared to swing the chair at Aries’ head, but Lacey suddenly appeared on the ring apron. Lacey had a white towel and was thinking about throwing it in to stop the match and save Aries. Jacobs taunted Lacey and threatened to spike Aries in the throat! Jacobs grabbed Lacey by the hair, but Lacey fought back and slapped Jacobs! Aries broke loose of the chains and went after Jacobs! Aries did the most insane dive through the ropes spearing Jacobs against the ring barrier! Aries hit Jacobs with the brain-buster on a flattened folding chair! Aries grabbed the chain and smashed it into Jacobs’ forehead – causing the blood to flow! Aries tied Jacobs to the corner of the ring using the chain. Aries proceeded to punish Jacobs mercilessly. Aries would not allow the referee to ask Jimmy if he wanted to quit, so he could dish out the more punishment! Aries confiscated the microphone and continued to murder Jimmy Jacobs. Aries set up Jacobs on a table at ringside and placed a chair on top of him. Aries went to the top rope but Jacobs threw the chair up and stunned Aries. Both men found themselves perched on the turnbuckle, but they both fell down and crashed through the table!! Both men were a bloody mess and still refused to say I QUIT. Back inside the ring they exchanged punches until Jacobs kicked Aries between the legs! Jacobs cinched in the Guillotine Choke, then some knee strikes to the head, followed by a front chancery. Aries refused to quit, and had to release the hold. Tyler Black tossed the spike into the ring for Jacobs. Aries ducked the spike and delivered a series of knees strikes to the bloody head of Jacobs. Aries kicked Jacobs in the head once more and put him in the Crossface! Aries grabbed the spike and threatened to spike Jacobs. Black got on the ring apron to throw in the towel, but Lacey took it away from him! They wanted to force Jacobs to say I QUIT. Aries began stabbing Jacobs in the head until he screamed the words I QUIT!!!! Lacey took off, and Austin Aries wondered where she went. Jimmy Jacobs yelled at Tyler Black for not throwing in the towel. Black wanted to go after Aries, but Jacobs wouldn’t let him. So Tyler Black jumped out of the ring and walked out on Jimmy Jacobs. Amazing Match!!!!!
ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH
Nigel McGuinness defeated “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson to retain the ROH World title: American Dragon has grown out his hair and looks a bit like a bum, but he is still in phenomenal shape. Neither man wanted to make the first mistake, so the match started slow and methodical. Danielson was selling a leg injury, and it was a clear target for McGuinness. Midway through the match, Danielson showed great balance by doing a dive off the top rope onto McGuinness on the floor. McGuinness wanted to use a chair, but the referee pulled it away from him. With the referee distracted, Claudio Castagnoli showed up and smashed Danielson from behind with a chair – causing the blood to flow! It looked like Danielson was going to get counted out, but Alex “Sugerfoot” Payne came out and dragged him back to the ring to beat the count! McGuinness smashed Danielson with a Lariat, but could only get a two-count. McGuinness locked in the Half-crab on the bloody American Dragon. Danielson slowly crawled to the ropes and broke the hold. McGuinness ruthlessly assaulted the Danielson’s injured leg. Both men started exchanging European uppercuts! Danielson reversed the Jawbreaker Lariat into the Triangle Choke! The crowd became unglued thinking they were going to witness a title change. It looked like McGuinness was starting to pass out, but he mounted a come-back. McGuinness got out, but Danielson came within an eyelash of winning with a Small Package! Danielson began smashing McGuinness with his trademark elbow smashes but was so exhausted that he nearly passed out himself. Danielson suddenly woke up and continued with the most intense elbow smashes in the history of elbow smashes. Danielson followed up with the dreaded Cattle Mutilation, but McGuinness simply refused to tap out!! McGuinness squirmed out and escaped certain doom once more. McGuinness managed to connect with the Tower of London to slow the offense of American Dragon. Nigel McGuinness killed Bryan Danielson with a sick Lariat, but could only get a two-count. Nigel then proceeded to deliver repeated elbow smashes to the head of Danielson. Both men got to their feet and started punching, slapping, and smashing each other. McGuinness finally put Danielson down for the count with a brutal Jawbreaker Lariat!!!! McGuinness once again retains the ROH World championship in a spectacular title match….. Another Amazing Match!