SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report was originally published on PWTorch.com 15 years ago this weekend…
Ring of Honor results
June 28, 2003
Philadelphia, Pa. at the Rec Center
Report by Bob Nichnadowicz of Roselle Park, N.J. – Torch Newsletter subscriber
I arrived late for the showcase card, and only caught the end of the third match which was Christopher St. Connection over the Outcast Killahz.
Regular show began at 7:45, with ring announcer Steven DeAngelis saying that there would be some changes to the show since Tom Carter (Reckless Youth) was not at the show (AGAIN!!), nor was Mikey Whipwreck. He also announced that Danny Maff’s father, Rufino Lopez, had passed away last night, but he was at the show since he wanted to be with his friends. They had a 10 bell salute to him. Two of the refs had tape on their forearms with “Rufino” on, to pay their respect.
(4) Dunn & Marcos defeated Prince Nana & Jimmy Cash. Dunn & Marcos hit a double sliced bread and then pinned Nana with a splash. Dunn & Marcos were very over with the crowd.
(5) Alexis Laree defeated Sumie Sakai. Good match. Second straight ROH show that Laree has had a good match. Sakai looked 100 times better than she did in her last appearance last year when she wrestled Simply Luscious.
(6) Chad Collyer defeated Matt Stryker. Collyer replaced Tom Carter in this “Tap Out” match. Fantastic mat wrestling, with both guys working their opponents legs. Great old school match. Collyer won with a Texas Cloverleaf. Stryker challenged Collyer to a rematch in Elizabeth, NJ on July 19th.
(7) Loc & DeVito & Justin Credible defeated Izzy & Dixie & De-Ranged of Special K. Credible got a huge reaction coming out, and ended up pinning Dixie with That’s Incredible.
(8) Samoa Joe defeated Danny Maff in an ROH title match. Maff pointed to the sky after his introduction, and fought back tears. Typical brutal Samoa Joe match. Maff got Joe up for a burning hammer, Joe slipped out of it, and hit a dragon Suplex for the win. The crowd gave Maff a standing ovation after the match, and he deserved it for being able to perform under the circumstances.
The usual 15 minute intermission followed. Got to see Alex Laree leaving with Joey Matthews outside the building, and Johnny Kashmere arriving inside.
(9) B.J. Whitmer defeated Alex Shelley & Tony Mamaluke & Jimmy Jacobs in a Four Corner Survival Match. Jacobs was hysterical with his Bruiser Brody mannerisms, including saying “Huss! Huss!” and wearing furry boots, even though he was about 5’5″. Tons of great spots, especially from Shelly, who hopefully will get another look. After a great move by Jacobs, the crowd chanted “Holy Huss!”. Whitmer ended up pinning Jacobs, while Mamaluke had Shelly in a submission move. The finish was slightly screwed up, as ref Hanson counted the pin, and Shelly tapped out just after the bell rang. I’ll assume he was supposed to do it as Hanson counted three, being as after the match, Hanson said he only saw the pin, not the tap.
(10) C.M. Punk & Colt Cabana defeated Raven & Christopher Daniels. Punk bled buckets. The blood was squirting from his head all over the mat and the other wrestlers. The Second City Saints beat on Daniels most of the match, until Raven got a hot tag. There was a ref bump, faces hit their finishers on the heels, but no ref. Punk nailed Raven with Lucy’s purse, which contained a chain, whipped him a few times with it, then pinned him. The crowd, which was super into the match, died at the finish. Great match, with a disappointing finish. Raven challenged Punk to a Dog Collar match in Jersey next month.
(11) A.J. Styles defeated Chris Sabin in an NWA title match. Styles came out to Ric Flair’s “2001” music. Solid match, with Styles winning with The Styles Clash. Styles gave an interview afterwards, saying he was annoyed at coming out to that music. He said that several years ago, the NWA title was thrown into the trash, but now it isn’t trash, it is the true World’s Title. Seemed like a subtle heel turn by Styles, but we’ll have to wait and see.
(12) Trent Acid defeated Homicide in a Fight Without Honor. Tables and ladders were legal in this match. There was a 10 minute delay as they removed the new mat, since this was apparently “unsanctioned” by ROH. Crazy match that included a stunner by Homicide off the top rope through a table. Johnny Kashmere interfered, but ended up brawling to the back with Homicide’s manager Julius Smokes. Homicide went for the Cop Killa, but Acid rolled him up for the pin. Second time in three matches that the crowd was disappointed by the finish. After the match, the lights went out, music played, and out came all of Special K, along with some really hot women that were in the crowd. They put Acid & Kashmere on a table and did a double splash onto both of them. Afterwards, Special K and the women danced in the ring and in the seats for about 15 minutes. An odd way to end the show, but still a lot of fun.
Notes: The usual sellout crowd of 350-400 people, even though it was sweltering in the building. Not all of the “regulars” were in the crowd, but it was still packed. A great show from top to bottom, with not one bad match on the show, and several awesome ones. Despite starting 15 minutes later than usual, the show was over at 11:00, about 30 minutes earlier than normal. I think this is the best thing for ROH. Don’t overload the show with meaningless matches, instead put on 8-10 that lead to or mean something. They’ve made a nice transition since a lot of the original regulars (American Dragon, Xavier, SAT, Divine Storm, Michael Shane) aren’t available, and have done a great job making new stars in Homicide, Maff, Samoa Joe, and CM Punk. Colt Cabana is a riot in his role, and the fact that his entrance music is “Copacabana” is great. Next show is July 19th at the Rex-Plex in Elizabeth, N.J., and they return to Philly Sept. 20.
CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS 2003 FLASHBACK: 15 YRS AGO – WWE in Syracuse, N.Y. (6-29-03): Triple H vs. RVD, Spike Dudley, Goldust, Orton, Trish, Dudleys, La Resistance, Scott Steiner
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