DETROIT — The Ring of Honor show at the Detroit Fairgrounds had a lot to live up to. Not only did they have to follow in the footsteps of Friday’s All Star Extravaganza III, but the show was being headlined by a 6-man match featuring stars from the Dragon Gate promotion. Last year on this weekend in Chicago the Dragon Gate stars put on a match that was deemed match of the year by many and the pressure was on to match if not beat last year’s match.

Judging by the crowd reaction, the match between CIMA, Shingo & Susumu Yokosuka against Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito & Masaaki Mochizuki did in fact match up to its predecessor. After a feeling out period, the two sides quickly picked up the pace with action so quick it would be humanly impossible to describe it. After 27 minutes of move, counter move and attempted pinfalls Yokosuka scored the pin on Dragon Kid. After the match all six men shook hands and celebrated as the capacity crowd gave them a standing ovation.

Not to be outdone, former tag team partners Austin Aries and Roderick Strong nearly stole the show when they wrestled for Strong’s Full Impact Pro heavyweight title. As is often the case when long-time partners face each other, the two men seemed to know each other inside and out as they beat the daylights out of each other. The match seemed over when Strong tore apart the ringside barricade and planted Aries with a tiger-driver onto it. Aries rolled into the ring at the count of 19 but ended up passing out while trapped in the stronghold Boston crab.

The first match of the second half of the show settled the year-long feud between Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer. The two men squared off in a steel cage and right off the bat began attacking each other with metal spikes to the forehead and liberally using a steel chair. Both men were soaked in blood when Lacey, Jacob’s cornerwoman, attached Whitmer’s second Daizee Haze and then entered the ring herself to be spiked with a piledriver. Jacobs turned things around on his former tag team partner, lying him on a table and crashing through him with a back senton from the top of the cage to score the victory.

The show also featured a “celebrity” appearance as former Survivor contestant Johnny Fairplay joined Larry Sweeny in the corner of Chris Hero for Hero’s bout with Nigel McGuinness. Fairplay ended up on the receipt of a brutal lariat, much to the crowd’s delight, before Hero himself was also taken down with the lariat to give McGuinness the win.

The show kicked off with Jay Briscoe hitting the ring to comment on his title win and his brother’s injury the night before. He was interrupted by former tag team champions Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal, who were scheduled to face the Briscoes. After assuring the former champs that they would get a title shot if they could defeat Jay and a partner, Briscoe brought Delirious to the ring and the two were successful in turning back the challenge of the very heelish Daniels and Sydal.

Without a doubt from a in-ring standpoint, the best wrestling in Detroit has already taken place. While the eyes of the wrestling world turn to the biggest stage at Ford Field, a ways down highway I-75 Ring of Honor once again proved to be a wrestling company for wrestling fans. From brutal violence to Japanese high flying, there was something for everyone.

Results from Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor 2

  • Delirious & Jay Briscoe defeat Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
  • Claudio Castagnoli defeat YAMATO.
  • Erick Stevens destroyed Mitch Franklin.
  • Nigel McGuinness pinned Chris Hero.
  • Jack Evans & Naruki Doi defeated Davey Richards & Rocky Romero
  • Brent Albright was disqualified in his match against Homicide when Adam Pearce interfered. Colt Cabana made the save which lead to a tag team match, with Jim Cornette in Albright and Pearce’s corner. Colt & Homicide won when Cabana pinned Albright.
  • Jimmy Jacobs defeated BJ Whitmer in a steel cage match
  • FIP champion Roderick Strong defeated Austin Aries.
  • CIMA, Shingo & Susumu Yokosuka defeated Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito & Masaaki Mochizuki.