The last time these four guys competed in Chicago Ridge for ROH, they put on the legendary Ladder War match for the Tag Team Titles. This wasn't the caliber of that match, but it wasn't positioned to be. It accomplished exactly what it set out to. Fast paced, fun tag team opener to get the crowd pumped up. The two teams started brawling afterwards which makes it seem like their feud will continue after this show. Great way to start the show.
Match rating - 6/10
2) MsCHIF vs. Sara Del Rey - SHIMMER Title Match
I've long known that women's wrestling is light years better in the Indies than it is in the two mainstream companies. That was once again confirmed here as these ladies put on a solid match with alot of oustanding wrestling. The one move that really stood out was when Del Rey put MsCHIF in a Boston Crab then fell back into a bridge. That's an impressive manuever that I had never seen before in any match, much less a women's contest. Really good match here.
Match rating - 7.5/10
3) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sami Callihan vs. Silas Young vs. Alex Payne
I'm a big fan of both Claudio and Callihan so I had high expectations for this one. While this wasn't as great as I though it would be, it was a fun match and a good showcase for Claudio. He dominated most of the match and was very impressive. The ending sequence to this match was great as Callihan dove off the apron where Claudio caught him and swung him into the railing before going back in the ring to finish off Alex Payne for the win.
Match rating - 6/10
4) Roderick Strong, Ace Steel, & vs. Chris Hero, Davey Richards, & Go Shizaki
Some well known names involved in this one. Ace Steel was making his return to Ring of Honor here and he got a nice reception. This match started off a bit slow, but picked up and turned out to be a solid six man tag. There was some good action in this match, but all in all it was nothing special. It's worth checking out, but I doubt you'll watch it more than once. Enjoyable none the less.
Match rating - 6/10
5) Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs - "I Quit" Match
The show really picked up here as there's a wonderful story being told with this match. I had heard alot about this rivalry, but never seen it. Despite that, the commentary team along with the pre-match video package caught me up on things. I was interested immediately. This was a brutal match that told a phenomenal story. Aries got busted open early, but not too badly. Jacobs dominated the first part of the match, even tying Aries up in a chair with a chain. Before Jacobs could continue you beating him, Lacy made her return to distract him. Aries broke free and beat the living hell out of Jacobs. This turned into one of the bloodiest matches I've seen as Jimmy Jacobs was bleeding profusely after Aries hit him with the chain. There were some cool spots in the closing moments such as both men falling off the top turnbuckle through a table. The action spilled back in the ring and got even more physical then before as Aries put a bloodied Jacobs in a crossface, but Jacobs refused to quit. Aries then took Jacobs' sharp utensil/weapon and repeatedly stabbed him in the head with it. Such a brutal moment and it finally caused Jacobs to quit. Phenomenal storytelling here.
Match rating - 8.75/10
6) Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson - ROH World Title Match
I'd never seen a McGuinness/Danielson match before hand, but I had heard alot about their matches. Alot of times that isn't a good thing because some matches can't live up to the hype. Needless to say, this match DID live up to the hype. Just an amazing WRESTLING match. Some great technical wrestling with loads of unique submission holds. The action stayed inside the ring for the first 15-20 minutes where Nigel and Bryan put on an absolute wrestling clinic. Then they spilled to the outside as Bryan kicked Nigel to the outside then springboarded off the top rope and dove onto Nigel! Nigel had been working over Bryan's knee so I have no idea how he managed to springboard, but he did it. Although it did take it's toll as Nigel recovered first and went for a chair. The referee came down and started arguing with Nigel. While the ref was distracted, Claudio attacked Bryan at the entrance way with a chair. Nigel got back in the ring and Bryan seemingly wasn't going to make it before being counted out, but Alex Payne ran down and helped Bryan to the ring. A bloodied Bryan then engaged in a battle of brutal strikes and submissions with McGuinness which was just amazing to watch. The near falls had me on the edge of my seat. Outstanding match, loved every second of it! Must see!
Match rating - 9.5/10
Overall thoughts: Pretty good show. The undercard was solid. Although there weren't any outstanding matches, it was still consistent and kept me entertained. The two main event matches are must see. Aries/Jacobs is brutal and tells a fantastic story. Bryan/McGuinness is a classic. So I'd definitely recommend checking this show out, for the two main events alone.
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