DVD Review - Ring of Honor

Battle of the Icons

Edison, NJ

Date of tape: January 27. 2007

This is not a play-by-play review. I am reviewing the DVD match by match but  won’t be naming winners of the matches. Nothing is as good as seeing ROH matches in living color. If you are looking for a lot of flash, costumes and non-wrestling crap, this is not the DVD for you. There are no screaming announcers attempting to draw your attention away from the action, not a lot of sappy storylines, just plain old and fantastic new wrestling.

ATTENTION

The reviewer rates this  DVD

 "X" for language

A+++ for action.

The DVD opens with Becky Bayless conducting an interview with the ROH World Champion, Homicide, who is accompanied by Julian Smokes. Homicide trash talks his opponent for the title and Samoa Joe, Homicide’s opponent tonight, shows up to trash talk the champ.

I Quit Match – No Disqualification

Loser Kisses Feet of Winner

Jimmy Rave, 6’0”, 202 lbs., from Atlanta, GA

Vs.

Nigel McGuinness, 6’1”, 220 lbs., residing in KY

Rave likes to set the crowd off in the wrong way first thing. This match appears to be a rematch after McGuinness previously treated Rave with no respect. Rave makes the DQ and foot-kissing stipulation prior to Nigel’s entrance and Nigel agrees. This was a great opening match for this DVD.  Rave is much tougher than I have seen him before.

Killer match: A+

Pelle Primeau, weighing, 5’7”, 144 1/2 lbs., from AK

Vs.

 Adam Pearce, 6’2”, weighing 245 lbs., from Chicago, IL

accompanied to the ring by Shane Haggadorn, holder of the Class Trophy

Pelle is lithe, agile and high-flying but he’s taking on an opponent with a one hundred pound weight advantage. Pelle has the speed advantage but Pearce is a bulldozer.

As good a match as it could be: A-

The Briscoe Brothers talk trash about who the best team in the ring is and how they will be dealing with their competition tonight. They also let everyone know the Briscoe Brothers will be tag team champions in 2007.

Claudio Castagnoli,6’5”, 232 lbs., from Switzerland

Vs.

Chris Hero, 6’5”, weighing 240 lbs., from the OH

accompanied by his agent, Larry Sweeney

Vs.

The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels, weighing 215 lbs., from the City of Angels

One half of the ROH tag team champions

accompanied by Allison Danger

Daniels is by far the biggest crowd pleaser of this match. He is all about playing the fans before entering the ring. Daniels is giving up weight and height in this match but I’ve seen Daniels more often than the other two and certainly would never count Daniels out.

Slow start to match courtesy of Hero but Claudio and Hero appear to be working together. All three men are athletic. Daniels has the upper hand of speed if he can get room to work. Claudio impressed me the first time I saw him and he does a good job in this match. Sweeney beats Danger in the annoying interference department by a mile.

Not as intense as the first match but interesting twists and turns: A

Last Man Standing Match

Jimmy Jacobs, 5’7”, weighing 274 lbs., from MI

accompanied by Lacey

Vs.

BJ Whitmer, 6’1”, weighing 232 lbs., resides in KY

A lot of chairs and even a table are involved. This is one of the brawling in the audience matches that ROH appears to be famous for. This is the first match with blood drawn. I’ve never seen Jacobs in a match before but I have seen Whitmer. Both of these men appear to be able to work a hardcore match. Lacey should have been involved in the previous match so she and Sweeney could have had a “who can scream the loudest” match. Without giving anything away, Brent Albright, the hired gun, makes an appearance at the end of the match and Colt Cabana shows up after the match.

Intense hard fought match: A

The Rottweilers

Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero, at a combined weight of 408 lbs.

accompanied by Julian Smokes

Vs.

The Briscoe Brothers

Jay & Mark Briscoe, at a combined weight of 421 lbs.

I’ve stated before the Briscoe Brothers work very well together. It wasn’t a fluke the first time I saw them. All four men are tough and quick. I wouldn’t bet on the winners of this tag team match. Julian Smokes is not as loud as Sweeney but just as annoying and interfering.

Excellent show of teamwork: A

A nice film clip of Ring of Honor action in the ring and out.

Rebecca Bayless backstage again to recap the matches we have seen the evening and she is looking to do an interview. Jimmy Rave comes along and decides to conduct his own interview.

Mixed Tag Team Match

Lacey, from Minneapolis, MN

&

Brent Albright, 6’0”, weighing 246 lbs., from Tulsa, OK

Vs.

Sara Del Ray, from CA

&

Colt Cabana, weighing 247 lbs., from Chicago, IL

The only contender in this match I have seen in action before is Brent Albright. Cabana appears to be a crowd favorite.

Sara Del Ray is substituting for Daizee Haze after she was taken out of action by Lacey the night before. Good job by the girls in the match. If you are looking for divas or knockouts, you are in the wrong place. These girls may be lookers but they are as tough as the ROH male competitors. Both men have a mixed bag of wrestling holds and Cabana maintains comic relief. I’m betting the strongest muscle in Lacey’s body is her jaw muscle.  The girl never shuts up.

Where the women are badder than the men: A+

Where the men know how to wrestle: A+

Shingo,

&

Davey Richards, 5’6”, 202, from WA

&

Delirious, 5’10”, 186 lbs., resides in MO

Vs.

Jack Evans, 5’8”, 165 lbs., from WA

&

Roderick Strong, 5’10”, 205 lbs., resides in FL

&

Austin Aries, 5’9” 215 lbs., resides in WI

I have a favorite in this match so I have to be careful not to be biased. Jack Evans seems to be an audience favorite. There is handshaking before the match with the exception of Delirious who has planted himself in his corner and has not moved. Until the bell rings and Delirious becomes an energetic bouncing wrestler. All six of the men in this match are well versed in wrestling maneuvers and the team of Evans, Strong and Aries work as a practiced team. It isn’t easy to follow during the parts of the match there is action on the floor and in the ring. There were several pile ups and a lot of hard hits taken all the way around. Richards was impressive as was Shingo. My favorite? Austin Aries.

Six man tag team: A+

The Main Event

Ring of Honor World Championship Match

Samoa Joe, weighing 270 lbs., from Huntington Beach, CA

Vs.

Homicide, weighing 218 lbs, from Brooklyn, NY

Current ROH World Champion

accompanied by Julius Smokes

It’s a Pro Joe crowd from his entrance. I’ve seen both of these wrestlers in action but never in a Ring of Honor match. Homicide spends a few minutes threatening the crowd. Joe is a former ROH World Champion. There is a significant size difference but Homicide has more talent than he has been able to show on network television.

Championship Match: A

Reviewed by Sassy on October 12, 2007.

This DVD has old school feel with new school kick ass action. Highly recommended. I suggest everyone point and click their way to the Ring of Honor website www.roh.com to purchase a copy of Battle of the Icons 2007.

Keep an eye out for the ROH pay per view coming up this month.

**Personal stats are from information retrieved on September 26, 2007**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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