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DVD REVIEW: RING OF HONOR 'A NEW LEVEL'

On May 10, 2008, Ring of Honor reached A New Level in Manhattan, NY when they ran the Hammerstein Ballroom.  There are some big matches on this show, so let's see if the company is up to the challenge.

The DVD opens with the fans filing in to the ballroom.  The lighting on the ring is awful for the hard cam, with a distracting white glow obstructing the view.

FIP World Heavyweight Championship:  Roderick Strong (c) vs. Erick Stevens vs. Go Shiozaki

Stevens goes off on Strong before the champion can make it to the ring.  3 man chop exchange in the ring.  Strong dumps Go.  He blocks a charge, but Stevens catches him with a Samoan Drop.  Chop exchange for Go and Stevens.  Go charges with a chop in the corner, then chops Stevens to the mat off the top.  Strong kicks Go in the face and hits a dropkick off the second turnbuckle for two.  Stevens blocks a backbreaker and gives Strong a release German Suplex.  Go kicks Stevens to the mat, then Strong recovers to hit a running dropkick on Go, putting all men down on the mat.

They get up at the same time and repeat the three man chop exchange.  Go and Stevens chop Strong down.  Stevens clubs Go to the mat for two.  Strong with an enziguri to Stevens.  Go kicks Stevens in the face to assist Strong on a suplex.  Shoulderblock by Go to Strong.  Strong with a running boot to Stevens.  He tries to bulldog Go, but gets tossed into a Stevens clothesline.  Go takes down Stevens, but Strong scores two with a rollup.  Go suplexes Strong for two.  Fisherman's Brainbuster to Stevens, but he misses the moonsault.  Superkick to Stevens, but he eats a Lariat.  Doctor Bomb on Go, but Strong with a roll up for the win.

Your winner, Roderick Strong!

Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. The No Remorse Corps (Davey Richards & Rocky Romero)

Davey backs Generico to the corner and slaps him.  Davey gets the advantage on a knuckle lock, but Generico rolls back to reverse.  Richards with another slap.  Steen wants and gets the tag.  He slaps Richards a couple of time and Davey bails.  Rocky and Generico come in.  Rocky beats down Generico, but Generico comes back with an arm drag.  Rocky comes back with the same.  Generico shows him how it's done.  Generico fakes a dive out of the ring.

Steen takes Romero down with a wristlock.  Steen tosses Generico onto Romero for two when Davey breaks the pin up.  Clothesline by Richards to Generico.  He dumps him out of the ring, then whips him into a high knee from Romero on the floor for two.  Romero with a knee drop to Generico's arm, followed by a Dragon Kick.  Richards wrenches back on the arm.  Romero tags in and kicks Generico in the arm, then locks on an armbar.  Richards with multiple shoulderblocks in the corner.  Generico blocks charges from the NRC and gets a cross body on Richards, followed by a Michinoku Driver to Romero.

Steen in to clean house on the NRC.  Romero is caught with a powerslam for two.  DDT by Steen for two.  Big chop sends Romero into the corner.  Steen goes for a Sharpshooter but gets kicked in the face.  Richards tags in and hits a missile dropkick off the second rope.  Powerbomb to Richards for two.  Generico with a spin out powerbomb for two on Richards.

Northern Lights Suplex by Richards to Generico for two.  Richards locks in the Kimura, but Steen shoves Romero to break it up.  Generico ducks the stereo kicks and takes both men down.  Steen hits a cannonball Splash on Richards. Steen and Generico climb to the top, but Richards gets the knees up on a Swanton attempt.  Romero meets Generico at the top and takes him to the mat with an armbar as Richards applies the Cloverleaf to Steen.  Steen and Generico make the ropes.

Generico ducks a double team with a Victory Roll for two.  Superkick by Steen on Richards.  Generico with a Yakuza Kick on both NRC members.  Steen lifts them both on his shoulders for a Samoan Drop.  Swanton by Steen to Richards, followed by a top rope Splash by Generico for two when Romero breaks the pin up.  Generico kicks Romero to the floor.  Package Piledriver by Steen, followed by a Brainbuster by Generico and Richards is down for the count.

Your winners, Steen & Generico!

Tag Team Scramble:  Chris Hero & Brent Albright vs. Jack Evans & Jigsaw vs. Delirious & Pelle Primeau

Delirious slides out of the ring and goes after Johnny Fairplay.  Pelle gets some offense on Hero for a moment, but Hero with a back senton.  Hero chops Pelle as the Vulture Squad work over Albright on the floor.  Rana by Pelle.  Hero drops Pelle on his bottom.  Jigsaw off the top with a dropkick to Hero.  He gears up for a dive, but Albright clotheslines him.  Evans misses a kick, then is caught with a powerslam.  Delirious hits a top rope clothesline to Albright, then dives off the top on to Sweet n' Sour on the floor.

Side headlock takedown by Delirious to Jigsaw.  Jigsaw and Delirious roll around for a bit.  Jigsaw with a Gory Special to Delirious and Evans with a springboard senton to Delirious as he is in the hold.  Jigsaw trips Pelle, then holds him on his knees so Evans can hit a double stomp into a moonsault combo.  As Jack is gloating, Albright hits a release German that sends him to the floor, then dumps Jigsaw before throwing Pelle out of the ring onto them.  Albright somersaults off the top onto his opponents.

Hero strikes Delirious in the ring.  Delirious with a headbutt to the midsection.  del Rey distracts Delirious, but Daizee Haze takes her out.  Hero kicks Delirious to the floor.  Evans superkicks Hero from the ring.  Evans and Jigsaw climb to the top, then flip onto Sweet n' Sour.  Evans kicks Hero's legs in the ring, but eats a Roaring Elbow.  Hero covers but Jigsaw breaks up the pin.  Elbows to Jigsaw, but Delirious in with an Enziguri and kick to the head.  Delirious blocks a Half Nelson and blinds Albright, causing him to give the Half Nelson to Hero.  Chemical Imbalance II gets Delirious and Pelle the win.

Your winners, Delirious & Pelle Primeau!

After the match, Sweeney gets in Albright's face.  He wants Albright to redeem himself by unleashing his best on Bobby Dempsey.  Albright refuses.  Edwards, Hagadorn, Hero, and even del Rey take a shot, as does Fairplay.  Albright gets another chance, but instead, he goes nuts on Sweet n' Sour.  Hagadorn gets powerbombed out of the ring onto a table, Edwards eats some knees, and Hero gets a Half Nelson.  Half Nelson to del Rey for good measure.  Sweeney runs off.

Bryan Danielson vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Danielson entering the ring is the first big moment of the show.  Lock up to start the match.  Danielson pushes Marufuji to the ropes.  Waistlock by Marufuji is countered into a wristlock by Dragon.  The two counter each other until Danielson scores a dropkick.  Dragon trips Marufuji, but gets dropkicked.  Side headlock takedown by Danielson.  Marufuji counters with headscissors.  Dragon gets out, then applies a Bow & Arrow.  Marufuji rolls off for a quick one count.

Perfect dropkick by Marufuji, followed by a perfect dropkick from Danielson.  Knuckle lock by the two wrestlers.  Marufuji gets the advantage at first.  Modified Northern Lights Suplexes by Danielson get two counts.  He pulls back on Marufuji's face on the mat, then wrenches back on the surfboard.  Marufuji is too close to the ropes, however.

Kicks to Marufuji in the corner.  Danielson goes to the apron and Marufuji leaps over the top and DDTs him on the apron.  He then drops Danielson head first on the apron.  Chinlock by Marufuji.  He rams Danielson's head into the apron, then drapes him through the ropes.  On the floor, Marufuji hits a running dropkick as Danielson is in the ropes, then superkicks Danielson from the apron.

Forearm exchange by the wrestlers.  Marufuji drives Danielson face first to the mat for two.  Crossface by Marufuji.  Danielson gets up and forces a break in the corner.  Marufuji chops him.  Dragon blocks a charge and hits a running leg lariat out of the corner.  Knee to the gut and dragon kick by Danielson.  European Uppercut by Danielson, followed by a clothesline.  He goes to the top rope and hits a big missile dropkick.  Marufuji blocks a charge and drives Danielson into the turnbuckle, then hits a splash, followed by a clothesline for two.

Danielson blocks a shiranui and tosses Marufuji from the ring.  He goes to dive out, but Marufuji kicks him.  Springboard coast to coast dropkick by Marufuji (!).  Danielson with a Tiger Bomb into an armbar.  Marufuji escapes and does the same move.  Danielson escapes and hits a German Suplex.  Superkick from Marufuji is blocked and Danielson with a leg lock.

Marufuji with a superkick right to Danielson's face as Dragon is on his knees for two.  Dragon again blocks the shiranui, putting Marufuji in the Tree of Woe and stomping him, followed by a dropkick to the face.  Marufuji gets Danielson in the Tree of Woe and sweeps him in the face.  Danielson avoids another Coast to Coast and goes for Cattle Mutilation, but Marufuji gets a cover for two.

Superkick from Marufuji, but Danielson no sells and comes back with a Roaring Elbow.  Another superkick, but Danielson avoids the shiranui and locks in a Triangle Choke, adding some elbows for good measure.  Marufuji escapes and nails a superkick, then applies his own Triangle.  Danielson makes the ropes, then applies a crossface chickenwing.  Elbows to the head, but Marufuji escapes and hits his own elbows.  They exchange again, then trade tiger suplexes for two.  More elbows from Dragon.  Cattle Mutilation by Dragon and Marufuji taps.

Your winner, Bryan Danielson!

Daizee Haze comes to the ring to brag about the new attendance record.  Delirious comes out, and he has a rose.  Awwww.  She calls him buddy again.  Delirious asks for the mic and mumbles a bit.  He asks her to dinner.  Nobu, maybe?  Rhett Titus comes out next.  He says she should be focusing on Rhett "Addicted to Love" TItus instead of the crowd.  Daizee isn't interested in what Rhett has to offer.  He follows her to the back as Delirious is left alone in the ring.

Necro Butcher vs. Takeshi Morishima

The two slug it out to start.  Necro with a right hand to knock Morishima down.  They go to the floor and Necro headbutts Morishima to the ground, then throws him against the table before choking Morishima with the table cloth.  Necro charges Morishima with the ring bell.  Necro lifts up the mats to expose the floor.  Morishima counters with a back drop, then clotheslines Necro.

Morishima charges off the apron onto Necro, then sits him on a chair.  Morishima charges and squashes Necro.  In the ring, Mori kicks Necro in the face, then chokes him with his boot.  Chinlock on Necro.  Necro reverses a whip and tries to lift Morishima up, but his legs give out and Morishima covers for two.  Another chinlock on Necro.  Morishima charges in the corner, then goes to the top rope.  Necro gets up and avoids the missile dropkick.

Necro unloads with lefts and rights, then clotheslines Morishima.  Necro with a crossbody for two.  He goes to the floor and gets a chair.  DDT on the chair to Morishima gets two.  Necro picks up the chair, but Morishima blocks and smacks Necro in the head.  He places the chair on a sitting Necro and throws himself on him.

Morishima places Necro on the top rope and sets up a chair, then gives Necro a back suplex off the top for two on the chair.  Necro fires back with some shots, but he gets punched in the face.  Back Drop Driver and this one is over.

Your winner, Takeshi Morishima!

No DQ ROH Tag Team Championship Match:  Age of the Fall (Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black) vs. Austin Aries & Jay Briscoe (c)

Aries, of course, is Jay's handpicked replacement for the injured Mark.  The champions can't evan get in the ring before the fight breaks out.  Aries with a top rope chop to Jacobs and they begin to brawl on the mat, rolling to the floor.  Black with a springboard clothesline to Jay in the ring.  Jay charges in the corner with a clothesline, then hits a leg drop.  Jay clotheslines himself and Black out of the ring.

Jay whips Black into the guardrail.  Black charges Jay into the apron, then slams him on the floor.  Black steps off a chair and moonsaults onto Jay from the guardrail.  He goes over to help Jimmy and pulls a table from under the ring.  Aries fights him off and comes off the apron with an axe handle to Jacobs.  Aries sets up the table and climbs to the top.  Jacobs and Aries battle on the top for the advantage.  They both fall through the table on the floor.

Black catches Jay in mid air with a dropkick, then punches him.  Black stomps Jay in the face.  Scoop slam and knee drop by Black for two.  Jay back with a big boot and a gordbuster.  He gets Black on his shoulders, but Jacobs runs in.  Jay stops Jacobs from using the spike, but Black holds him and Jacobs knocks him in the head.  Black gives Aries an enziguri.  Jacobs digs in with the spike and Jay has a crimson mask.

Black puts Jay in the tree of woe to drop the blood and Jimmy wipes his face and hands in it.  Gross!  Double team by AOTF in the corner for two.  Jay is spitting out his own blood.  Jay drives Jacobs into the turnbuckle as Black sets up another table on the floor.  Jay with a superkick to avoid the springboard.  Aries hits a running dropkick in the corner.  Brainbuster followed by Last Chancery.  Jacobs escapes from Jay and breaks it up.  Jacobs spears Aries to the floor and into the guardrail.

Jay pulls Jacobs into the ring with a Falcon Arrow for two.  He gets ready for a Jay Driller, but Black kicks him in the head.  Super Contra Code onto Jay, but he is somehow able to kick out at two.  Black puts Jay on his shoulders and Jacobs goes to the top, but he is shoved through the table by Aries, then they team for a Spike Jay Driller, but Black kicks out at two.  Aries goes up for a 450, but Necro comes out and crotches him.  Mark whips Necro into the guardrail to even the odds, then the Briscoes hit a Doomsday Device on Black for the win.

Your winners, Jay Briscoe & Austin Aries!

After the match, Aries and Jacobs fight, but Aries is overwhelmed by AOTF.  Black hits him with a piece of the table.  Jacobs calls for Aries to be put in the ring.  He orders Necro around in some foreshadowing.  Jacobs yells at Aries for taking everything that was important to him and says he could kill Aries.  He stops short with the spike and says physical pain isn't good enough.  He has to live knowing what he forced Jimmy to do with Lacey.  AOTF leave Aries in the middle of the ring.

ROH World Championship Match:  Claudio Castagnoli vs. Nigel McGuinness (c)

After both men try for an advantage, Claudio knocks down Nigel with a European Uppercut.  Early roll up by Castagnoli for two.  More trading of holds.  Nigel breaks by pushing Claudio to the corner.  Claudio takes Nigel to the mat, but the champion quickly gets to the ropes.  Claudio knocks Nigel down.  Nigel back with an arm drag and he brags about it.

Nigel slaps Claudio, but quickly eats an uppercut.  Back elbow by Nigel and he knocks Claudio down.  Arm drag and dropkick by Castagnoli make Nigel bail.  Nigel pulls him out of the ring and whips him into the guardrail.  European uppercut on the floor.  Nigel throws Double C shoulder first into the ring post.  In the ring, Nigel drops his knee on the left arm.  Nigel traps and bridges back on Claudio's arm.  Claudio elbows Nigel in the jaw and goes for a Giant Swing, but he is kicked off.

European Uppercut by Nigel in the corner.  Castagnoli blocks a charge.  And gets two with a suplex.  European to Nigel's back for two.  More Europeans from Claudio.  Nigel kicks Claudio in the back, then clubs him to the mat.  Nigel shoves Claudio to the mat and casually kicks him in the back before dumping him from the ring.

Claudio regains the advantage on the floor.  Nigel rebounds from the apron and knocks Claudio down with a lariat.  Nigel rolls Claudio in the ring and toys with him.  Big kick to the chest, followed by a snapmare.  More pressure on the shoulder.  Nigel stretches Claudio back with his knees.  Claudio avoids the rebound lariat with a bicycle kick, then connects on a suicide dive.

Cross body off the top rope by Claudio for two.  European off the top rope for another two count.  Claudio slams Nigel to the mat for yet another two (but the crowd isn't really buying them.  Nigel hits the Tower of London for two.  Charging European in the corner followed by a Lariat for two on Claudio.  Nigel goes for a springboard, but Nigel shoves him from the ring.

Nigel rolls Claudio back in the ring and connects with a short arm lariat for two.  London Dungeon cinched in, but Claudio is too close to the ropes.  Nigel goes for it again, but Claudio avoids and gets the Giant Swing for two.  Nigel drives Claudio shoulder first to the mat and reapplies the London Dungeon.  Claudio powers out by standing up and drives Nigel to the corner.  Headstand mule kick by Nigel, but he is tossed up and hit with a European on the way down for two.

Nigel blocks a Ricola Bomb, but eats some Europeans in the corner.  Claudio puts Nigel up top, but gets knocked off.  Nigel blocks the step up kick and lariats Claudio off the top rope for two.  Nigel puts Claudio on the top rope and gets a superplex.  They cover each other for two when both men's shoulders are down.

Claudio and Nigel trade shots.  Claudio with a springboard lariat.  He blocks the jawbreaker and gets two with a Ricola Bomb, really getting the crowd into it.  Nigel with a DDT for two.  Bicycle Kick by Claudio, and he again ducks the jawbreaker.  They trade two counts.  German Suplex pin by Claudio for two.  Nigel avoids the Ricola Bomb and hits a Lariat.  Claudio gets right back up and goes for the Ricola Bomb again, but Nigel escapes and hits another lariat for two.  London Dungeon and it's over.

Your winner, Nigel McGuinness!

Footage of the matches follows.  I gotta say...WWE does these packages a lot better than ROH does.  Just hearing the crowd was cool, but I would have liked a slicker package with some music, like they did with the Briscoes-Steen/Generico feud on a PPV last year.

Match thoughts:

I was real disappointed in the opener.  Stevens wasn't utilized correctly at all, the match ended too soon, and the chop exchange didn't need to be repeated.  Stevens should have been in constant motion for one extended sequence, taking down both man, but he didn't get to do much of anything.

The tag match was good, not great.  It had some good spots, but never got popping.  Fans of both teams will enjoy it.

The Scramble match was also good, but again, nothing special.  Each team got to showcase themselves, but nothing stood out.  Post match segment was more interesting.  Albright looked better than he has in months during this.

Danielson-Marufuji.  Enough said.  Well, I'll say more any way.  MOTY candidate for me.  I love any singles match Marufuji has, and this was against Danielson, so it was bound to be amazing.  I love the subtle stuff Danielson does at the beginning to set up the finish.

My expectations for Necro-Morishima were lowered since I heard it was underwhelming, so I enjoyed it a little more than I otherwise might have.  It could have been more, but stuff happens, especially when two heavy hitters go at it.  Enjoy it for what it is.

Tag match was fantastic.  Sick in the good way, and the fans got a nice surprise with Mark coming out.  They were into everything, and the touch of Aries and Jacobs brawling after the match was brilliant.  Post match angle was near perfect, hurt a bit by the losers in the ROH crowd who say the dumbest things at the worst times.

Nigel-Claudio would be fine for a normal card, but the debut at the Hammerstein needed something more.  No one really bought Claudio as a legit contender for the belt, so it was a step down from previous matches.

Overall, it's worth buying for the tag title match and the awesome Marufuji-Danielson match.  The rest of the card was ok, nothing was bad, but it didn't live up to the title of the show.  However, you won't see a lot of better matches this year than the ones I singled out, and they lived up to the debut in a major arena.

For any questions or comments, please email me at edsh007@hotmail.com