When Ring of Honor announced Tyler Black vs. Jimmy Jacobs were to wrestle in a cage, fans expected this to be the end of a long feud between the two. When two men could not find a true winner in the ring, a cage was put around so the fans could see one true winner.
When the two left the cage on Friday night in Detroit, it left more unanswered questions that may say this feud is long from being over.
Ric Flair addresses the Detroit Ring of Honor crowd on June 26, 2009. Photos courtesy of Chris Schramm.
The match proceeded with blood, weapons, dives and bumps, but when Black got the pin on Jacobs, loud screams played over the speakers. Then 30 bandana-covered men hit the cage with many entering inside the cage. Ring of Honor security was too small to make a dent and were easily overpowered. The mysterious men then picked up Jacobs and carried him through the cage door and away in the ground.
The crowd was stunned at the sight they just seen. It was overpowering for a match not announced to be for television or pay-per-view. Ring of Honor left lots of questions and hopefully fans will get answers soon.
The show had the regular 500-600 strong, loyal fans. The Detroit economic downturn did not keep fans away. The show featured a special appearance and signing by Ric Flair. Flair would sign autographs before the show and also make a short appearance during the show, praising Detroit and his memories of wrestling there during his career.
Detroit was treated with a lot of new talent on the show, and the new talent impressed. Petey Williams, Colt Cabana, Christian Able, Josh Raymond, D’Lo Brown and Rasche Brown were all fresh faces to the Detroit crowd and none disappointed. Raymond and Able were led to the ring by local wrestler and trainer Truth Martini, who got a good pop who know Martini as a staple in the Michigan independent scene for over a decade.
The show featured a 10 bell salute to Mitsuharu Misawa, who died two weekends ago in Japan. The show featured fellow NOAH wrestler KENTA, who wrestled under Misawa, the company’s president. With Misawa dying with a belly-to-back suplex, Ring of Honor wrestlers seemed to be cautious of the move, although one of the American Wolves hit the move on Roderick Strong.
Full results from the show:
Grizzly Redwood hits a high bodypress on Silas Young.
Grizzly Redwood defeated Silas Young. Detroit was familiar with Redwood, having seen him on pre-shows for the last year. Fans were happy to see the smaller Redwood get the surprise victory. Although his size will always be a handicap for Redwood, it’s the kind of story that makes fans want to cheer for him. It reminds them of David vs. Goliath.
Kenny King puts a headlock on Brent Albright.
Rhett Titus and Kenny King defeated Brent Albright and Erick Stevens. Strong, physical battle with a little bit of comedy added in. Titus played up his sexual character by wrestling with his trunks pulled down for a minute. The crowd ate it up. King showed he has really improved, and just needs a little push to be one of Ring of Honor’s top stars.
Claudio Castagnoli tries to force Nigel McGuiness to submit with an armbar.
Nigel McGuinness and Claudio Castagnoli and wrestled to a double countout. This was a rematch for the Detroit fans, who saw these two men wrestle for a pay-per-view taping in the summer of 2008. McGuinness has been plagued with injuries for years, but seemed to be in great condition. The two brawled with lots of action taking place outside the ring. When the referee counted the two men out, the crowd showed displeasure, hoping to see a clean victor.
Kevin Steen tries to get Christian Able up in a fireman carry.
Kevin Steen and El Generico defeated Christian Able and Josh Raymond. Able and Raymond were accompanied to the ring by their trainer Truth Martini, who received a nice reception from the crowd. Josh Raymond is the longtime Michigan independent wrestler Josh Abercrombie. As Abercrombie, Raymond had a Freddy Mercury look. But as Raymond, he is a fiercer, no comedy, kind of wrestler. The match started a little slow but Able and Raymond kicked it up and impressed the crowd. Although they came up short, it would be shocking if these two did not return to the promotion in the future.
Petey Williams pounds on Joey Ryan.
ROH World Heavyweight champion Austin Aries won a Six-Man Mayhem match when he defeated Joey Ryan; Delirious, Sami Callihan, Rasche Brown and Petey Williams were also in the match. Brown, who currently holds one-half of the NWA Tag Team titles, was bigger than everyone in the match, and he used his power to his advantage. The style of the match really called for a lot of spot moves, and it did not disappoint. Williams got the biggest reaction prior to the match but it was Brown who won the crowd over by match end.
Colt Cobana knocks D’Lo Brown with the timekeeper’s bell.
Colt Cobana defeated D’Lo Brown. Brown got a big pop coming the ring but ran down Detroit to create some heat. Slow match, disappointing, with Brown getting booed at points. Brown brought the ring bell into the ring but it was Cobana who used it to gain the victory.
KENTA hits Eddie Edwards with a swinging kick.
The American Wolves defeated KENTA and Roderick Strong. Amazing but brutal match with the Ring of Honor Tag Team titles on the line. The match started out strong which left the crowd a little dead at moments but a series of events leading the eventual victory by the Wolves got the crowd on the edge of their seat.
Dozens of mysterious masked men hit the cage following Tyler Black’s victory over Jimmy Jacobs.
Tyler Black defeated Jimmy Jacobs in a cage match. The show took a second intermission for 15 minutes while the cage was set-up. The two battled both inside and outside the cage with both men taking a fall from the top of the cage to the ringside floor. Jacobs introduced large metal spikes and a table during the match but it was Tyler who dove on Jacobs, who was on top of the table, leading to a large thud and victory from Black. Then loud screams began to play on the speakers with 30 face-covered men hitting the ring. It was a sight to behold with the stream of men not seeming to end. Jacobs proclaims the Age of Fall has “only just begun.” He carried out by the flock of men. It left the crowd with lots of questions and little answered.
Ring of Honor returns to Detroit on Friday, December 4. Tickets went on sale during the show. More information can be found on the company’s web site, ROHWrestling.com.