Nigel McGuinness: An ROH Career Retrospective

MATCH #1: Nigel McGuinness vs. Chet Jablonski, Wrath of the Racket, 8.9.03

This is McGuinness’s ROH debut. It’s also Jablonski’s debut, and he was never heard from again. The winner of this match gets a shot at Chad Collyer’s HWA Championship back in the home promotion. This match starts in progress with Jablonski working the arm. McGuinness escapes but runs right into a spinebuster for two. Jablonski hits a big shoulderblock for another two-count. McGuinness fights back with a European Uppercut and Jablonski responds with a t-bone suplex. Jablonski puts on a Greco Roman Knuckle Lock and McGuinness uses his athleticism to reverse and then escape the hold. McGuinness then turns his attention to the arm. He pushes Jablonski to the ropes and nails him with an enziguiri type kick to the back of the neck. The idiot referee gets in McGuinness’s way for no reason, and Jablonski recovers to land a clothesline. McGuinness is not impressed and takes Jablonski right back down to the mat. Jablonski powers his way out and chops away. He hits a Fisherman’s Northern Lights Suplex for a two-count. McGuinness comes back with a couple of cradles for near-falls.

Showdown in the Sun – Day #2

War Memorial Auditorium – Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – March 31, 2012

Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness welcome us to the show, just like they did last night. They hype the Tag Team Title match, and then get cut off by Jimmy Jacobs. “The Zombie Princess” talks about Steve Corino’s path to redemption and how it just wasn’t working for him. He says that sometimes being evil wins, and then he gets cut off by El Generico’s music. Generico unloads on Jacobs with punches that send him to the floor, and then Generico wipes him out with a dive. Bobby Cruise announces that Generico asked for this match and it was granted, and it will happen RIGHT NOW.

MATCH #1: Grudge Match – “Zombie Princess” Jimmy Jacobs vs. El Generico

Generico is all over Jacobs from the get-go, and since Jacobs spiked him in the face last night I’d say it’s with good reason. Jacobs is able to knock Generico off the top rope to the floor, and he then hits a baseball slide. Back in the ring Generico fights back but Jacobs cuts him off and hits mounted punches in the corner. Jacobs continues on offense until Generico cuts him off with a clothesline and a cross body block off the top rope for two. Generico hits a blue thunder powerbomb for another two-count. Jacobs comes back with the tornado suplex for a near-fall. He follows with the leaping Ace Crusher for another two-count. Jacobs goes up top and Generico knocks him down. Generico brings Jacobs down and hits an exploder suplex into the turnbuckle He goes for the running Yakuza Kick but Jacobs catches him in the End Time! That’s cool.

ROH Showdown in the Sun – Day #1

War Memorial Auditorium – Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – March 30, 2012

Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are in the ring to welcome the live audience as well as the iPPV audience to the show. They put over “professional wrestling,” as well as the top three matches – Lance Storm versus Mike Bennett, El Generico versus Kevin Steen, and Davey Richards versus Eddie Edwards versus Roderick Strong for the ROH World Championship.

MATCH #1: Proving Ground Match – ROH World Tag Team Champions Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste

They show a little highlight video from Rise & Prove to show how Nicholls and Haste qualified to face the Briscoes in this Proving Ground match. Haste and Mark start the match. They start slugging and the match quickly spills to the floor. The Briscoes throw their opponents around a bit and then take it back to the ring. Haste gets decimated with double-teams, and Nicholls isn’t even safe on the apron. Nicholls grabs Mark’s leg from the floor, allowing Haste to hit a double stomp on the apron. Now Haste and Nicholls take control and wear Mark down. After a few minutes Mark lands on his feet from a back body drop and makes the tag. Jay is a house afire, hitting Nicholls with a Falcon Arrow for two. All four men are in the ring brawling now. Haste and Nicholls use some creative double-team maneuvers but can’t put Jay away.

Bryan Danielson: The American Dragon

MATCH #1: Two out of Three Falls Match – Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London, The Epic Encounter, 4.12.03

Danielson beat London at All Star Extravaganza and London got a win back at Night of the Butcher so this is the ultimate rubber match. They start with some back and forth chain wrestling. Both guys try to psyche each other out and the crowd is into it. This match is going to have big ramifications on the Top 5 Ranking System. I miss that. London continually uses a headlock and Danielson responds with strikes to work his way out of it. Danielson targets the midsection and uses the abdominal stretch in a variety of ways to wear London down. He gets the first near-fall of the match with a small package. Danielson also uses headbutts to great effect, and continues working over the midsection. The crowd is chanting for both men, alternating. Danielson knocks London to the floor and then suplexes him back in for two as fifteen minutes have gone by without a fall. London fires back with a boot out of the corner and a hard clothesline. He gets a sunset flip for two. Danielson slingshots London into the ropes and London skins the cat into a headscissors that sends Danielson to the floor. Up on the apron London kicks Danielson in the face and then brings him back in the ring, only for Danielson to use his momentum to send London back to the floor. Danielson then wipes out London with a dive. Back in the ring Danielson hits a modified suplex and the diving headbutt off the top rope for two. London ducks a clothesline and gets a backslide for two, and Danielson responds with a small package for two. Both men look winded but London musters up the strength to deliver a leg lariat from the second rope. London cradles Danielson for a two-count. He starts to go up top but Danielson cuts him off and hits a bridging German Suplex for two. They go up top and Danielson tries the super belly-to-back suplex but London reverses the momentum and falls back on top of Danielson to capture the first fall at 20:30. There’s a 30 second rest period between falls.

The Summer of Punk

MATCH #1: ROH World Title Match – CM Punk vs. Austin Aries, Death Before Dishonor III, 6.18.05

Punk has tears in his eyes as he makes his way down to the ring for his last ever ROH match. The crowd is grateful for all Punk’s contributions to ROH. Aries has been the champion since 12.26.04, and this is his eighteenth defense. They start off slowly with some chain wrestling. Punk targets Aries’ injured neck right away. Aries comes back and works the headlock. Punk responds with a headscissors. Aries headstands his way out of it but Punk dropkicks him right back down and locks on a headlock. Punk tenaciously holds on to the headlock despite Aries’ best efforts. The challenger has counters for everything the champion throws at him. Punk knocks Aries to the floor with a Chris Jericho dropkick and then wipes him out with a Tope Suicida. The fight migrates to the apron and Aries finally gets an advantage with a Death Valley Driver right on the edge of the ring. Finally the champion takes control and works Punk over around ringside. Punk reverses a whip into the barricade.

Rise & Prove

Cincinnati Masonic Center – Cincinnati, Ohio – February 17, 2012

Backstage – Veda Scott is with Adam Cole, who is facing Michael Elgin in the opening match. He’s had a few weeks to prepare for this match and he promises that he is ready.

Kevin Kelly is on commentary.

MATCH #1: Adam Cole vs. Michael Elgin

Elgin is accompanied by Truth Martini. He asserts his power advantage early on and Cole has to regroup. Cole hits a headscissors off the second rope that sends Elgin to the floor, and he follows him out with a suicide dive. Back in the ring Cole goes up top and Martini distracts him, allowing Elgin to back suplex Cole into the turnbuckles. Now Elgin is in complete control and he commences to wearing Cole down. Elgin dominates using his impressive strength until Cole fights back with a slingshot DDT onto the ring apron. Cole gets back into the ring with a cross body block off the top rope for a two-count. They trade strikes and Elgin wins that battle with a big clothesline for two. Elgin goes for a powerbomb but Cole avoids it and goes to the top rope and is able to hit a sunset bomb.

Kevin Steen: Ascension to the Top

MATCH #1: Kevin Steen vs. B-Boy, Do or Die IV, 2.19.05

Steen is positively svelte here compared to how he looks today. Since this was an afternoon bonus card before Third Anniversary Celebration Part 1 there is no commentary. They take it down to the mat and wrestle to a standoff. Steen goes for an early Package Piledriver but B-Boy blocks it and tries a Shining Wizard so Steen bails to the floor. Back in the ring Steen unleashes some strikes and as soon as B-Boy makes the comeback Steen bails again. This time B-Boy follows him out with a forearm off the ring apron. Steen tries to get back in the ring but B-Boy stops him on the apron and hits an inverted DDT. Back in the ring B-Boy gets a two-count. B-Boy is firmly in control now, keeping Steen on the mat with his unique attacks. Steen fights back with a neckbreaker and an elbow drop to the back of the neck for two. He continues focusing his energy on the back of the neck, which is good strategy to set up for the Package Piledriver. After several minutes B-Boy fights up, no-sells an enziguiri and levels Steen with a clothesline. Both men are down. Back up on their feet Steen hits a slingshot flatliner and follows up with a top-rope moonsault for two. Steen tries the Package Piledriver again but B-Boy fights it off, only to run right into a Schwein for another two-count. B-Boy grabs Steen and hits an exploder suplex into the turnbuckles. He follows in with a hard dropkick to the face and covers for two. B-Boy then hits a sort of Back Drop Driver for a two-count. Steen comes back with a Stun Gun and tries the Package Piledriver yet again but B-Boy counters to the Shining Wizard and gets two. B-Boy tries the Shining Wizard again but Steen blocks it and finally hits the Package Piledriver but B-Boy rolls to the floor.

WGTT The Anthology Vol 1

MATCH #1: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. The Kings of Wrestling, Glory By Honor IX, 9.11.10

The crowd dishes out dueling chants before the match even begins. Claudio Castagnoli starts the match with Benjamin. They lock up intensely and Benjamin wins that battle with a vertical suplex. Chris Hero tags in and they take it to the mat. More tags are made and momentum shifts back and forth multiple times. The Kings try an early KRS-One but that gets countered to that one signature move WGTT have, but Castagnoli pulls Hero to the floor to avoid that. Good spot there. Back in the ring the champions take control and wear Haas down in their half of the ring. Haas fights back with a t-bone suplex and makes the tag. Benjamin appears to be on fire but Hero immediately low bridges the ropes to send Benjamin crashing to the floor. That’s awesome.

ROH Underground

Norfolk, Virginia – January 21, 2012

Eddie Edwards makes his way out, with Jim Cornette already in the ring. Cornette announces that due to a staph infection, Edwards will not be competing tonight. However, Edwards did want to say something. Edwards says he wishes he could wrestle tonight, and he thanks everyone for coming out.

Backstage – Veda Scott gets a word with Andy Ridge. “Right Leg” is frustrated that since the Trial Series a year ago his career has still gone nowhere. I would be mad too.

MATCH #1: Kenny King vs. Andy “Right Leg” Ridge

King dominates the early going as Ridge gets frustrated. Ridge perseveres and hits some of the kicks that he is known for. King takes a powder and Ridge follows him out to continue the fight. That proves to be a mistake though, as King takes control out there, dropping King face-first on the ring apron. Back in the ring King maintains control, hitting a leg lariat for a two-count. King continues to keep Ridge grounded and avoid getting kicked. He lands a big clothesline for two. A t-bone suplex gets another near-fall. King tries a slingshot splash but either misses or hits knees, it’s hard to tell. Ridge hits a running knee strike for two. He hits a superkick and the slingshot Ace Crusher for a near-fall.

Homecoming 2012

Pennsylvania National Guard Armory – Philadelphia, PA – January 20, 2012

Kevin Kelly and Bill Burger are on commentary.

Ring announcer Bobby Cruise announces that Eddie Edwards is too injured to compete tonight. Edwards was slated to take on Roderick Strong in a No Holds Barred match, but he unfortunately has a staph infection. He comes out to basically apologize to the fans and talk trash about doctors.

MATCH #1: “Gateway to Honor” Rematch – Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) vs. Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly)

Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team have fully turned heel now, and they talk smack to the fans before their opponents are even introduced. Haas and Cole start the match. They chain wrestle and Haas throws in some strikes to try and take control, but Cole fights fire with fire by hitting a big shoulderblock. Haas repositions the referee, allowing Benjamin to clobber Cole from behind. Benjamin tags in and Cole fights back. O’Reilly tags in and goes to work on Benjamin with a series of kicks. He locks on a guillotine choke and Haas has to break it up. Benjamin throws O’Reilly into the corners repeatedly. Haas tags in and they continue to wear down O’Reilly. The Philadelphia crowd does not like Haas and Benjamin, so the heel turn is working. After a few minutes O’Reilly avoids a charge in the corner and this Benjamin with a tornado DDT. Tags are made and Cole is a house afire. Cole hits Haas with a missile dropkick and a flurry of offense. He goes back up top for a cross body block and Haas catches him but he turns it into a DDT for two. Cole stays hot and the referee loses control.