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DVD Review
By Brett Schwan
ROH Survival of the Fittest
Philadelphia, PA - 6/24/04
For more info or to purchase visit ROHwhrestling.com or call 215 781 2500
Commentators: Jimmy Bauer and Mark Nolte
Instead of going into blow by blow descriptions of every match (which sometimes ruins it for you when you go to view it) I will just do a recap of match highlights, etc. If you prefer the more detailed match descriptions, let me know and I will continue them in the future.
The DVD opens with Loc in the locker room challenging Masada and Danny Daniels.
The first match is the first "Survival of the Fittest" qualifier. There will be 6 single matches. Each winner will go on to the 6 man elimination main event, later in the show. Mark Briscoe v Alex Shelley is the opener. Briscoe wins with a reversal of a varsity stretch into a pinning combination. The match was good. I am still not a Briscoe fan. Both Briscoes, Mark expecially, show no emotion whatsoever during their matches. Whether they are winning or losing, in pain or dominating, in a submission hold or out cold, they always have the same expression on their faces. To me it is very distracting and takes away from the match. If anyone needs to wrestle under a hood it's the Briscoes.
Colt Cabana, one half of the Tag Team Champions defeats Trent Acid in the next qualifier. Colt spent the first few minutes of the match embarassing Trent (not a difficult thing to do). Trent hit a 450 leg drop for a 2 count but Cabana was able to win with the "Caretti Special". Cabana is still one of the most underrated talents in the business. He is the total package (no pun intended) as he can work in the ring and on the mic.
We go backstage for an interview with the Briscoes. If you think I am not a fan of their in ring work you can only imagine what I think of their mic work. Ugh.
Austin Aries enters the ring with Generation Next. John Walters is out next. Generation Next attack and beat down John Walters till he is busted open. Gary Michael Cappetta enters the ring and calls out Josh Daniels. Aries sucker punches Daniels and all 4 men start the beat down on Josh. Walters recovers to make the save. The referee announces that there will be a tag match. The winner of the pinfall will go on to the 6 man elimination main event...
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong defeat John Walters and Josh Daniels. Walter and Daniels dominated the entire match until GN was able to attack Walters outside the ring. Daniels went for a superplex on Aries but was caught by Strong and powerbombed. Aries hit a 450 for the pin. Aries moves on to the main event.
Homicide w/ Julius Smokes defeated Jay Briscoe w/ Mark in another qualifier. Homicide beat the hell out of Jay. Jay was able to hit a nice superkick on Homicide. As Jay climbed the ropes, Smokes grabbed his leg. Homicide hit a diamond cutter off the ropes and followed it up with a lariat for the pin. After the match, Jay was pointing to his neck. The commentators were doing a great job of trying to sell the possible neck injury. Unfortuantely, Jay was flailing around so much, it was kind of hard to believe it could be a neck injury. Homicide demanded Jay shake his hand. Homicide snapped and started attacking anyone in sight and the refs helped Jay out of the ring.
Bryan Danielson (who also needs to put that American Dragon mask back on) defeated Jack Evans in the next qualifier. Bryan dominated the entire match with submission holds. Evans tapped out to a submission hold that has to be seen to be believed. To try and describe it can do it no justice.
The final qualifier saw Samoa Joe defeat Matt Stryker. Samoa dominated the majority of this match. The best offense Stryker got was running away from the Ole Ole kick. Island Driver by Joe for the pin.
CM Punk enters the ring and puts over the 60 minute match he and Joe had. He goes on and on and on (as he always does) until the lights go out. Homicide is then seen on a scaffold holding the ROH Title. Samoa Joe goes after him and the two men brawl into the back.
Gary Michael Capetta is backstage with Samoa Joe. Joe is pissed and tells Homicide that he asked for it, now he's going to get it.
Bryan Danielson talks about the upcoming elimination match.
The Tag Team titles are on the line next. CM Punk gives Colt Cabana the night off as he has to wrestle in the main event. That leaves Punk to fave The Outkast Killaz, Dunn and Marcos, and Dixie and Hydro. Hydro hits a beautiful double german suplex on Dunn and Marcos. Punk tosses Hydro out of the ring, makes a quick cover, and wins the match.
After the match, Punk (who can never get enough mic time.. Just ask him, he'll tell you) complains about there being no competition. Hydro gets on the mic and challenges him. After way too much hemming and hawing and BS from Punk he finally gets in the ring. Long story short, Punk defeates Hydro with an Oklahoma side roll into a bridge. It was a good match. Of course, it would have been better if Punk hadn't been in it.
The main event is next... The 6 man eliminaton match.... As all the men start wrestling, one by one, they do spots to the floor. Samoa Joe makes his way towards the ropes and Colt Cabana hits him with a sunset flip. 1, 2, 3! Colt Cabana just pinned Samoa Joe! The crowd popped. No one saw that coming. Unfortunately, Cabana's enthusiasm was short lived when Briscoe hit him with a shooting star after Homicide laid him out with a lariat. Briscoe and Homicide spent a few minutes beating the hell out of each other. Briscoe hit a German Suplex on Homicide. The ref counted both men's shoulders down for a double pin. The last 2 men in the ring, Bryan Danielson and Austin Aries then put on a wrestling clinic for the next 20 minutes. Truly awesome wrestling by both men. Bryan was able to make Austin tap out using the same submission move he used on Jack Evan in the earlier match. The winner of the Survival of the Fittest... Bryan Danielson.
Backstage Prince Nana is furious with the Outkast Killaz and he demands they go draw his bath. He tells Xavier that, since he is injured, he is not a priority right now. Nana goes on to talk about the money he will spend to bring in top talent to the next show.
In the locker room, a bloody Austin Aries (his chin was ripped open) is with Generation Next. Strong talks about all the people they took out and how it's only the beginning.
The DVD ends.
As with every other ROH DVD I have watched, the quality is excellent. Compared to so many other indy promotions and the product they release, ROH is one of the most superior ones based on quality alone. At times, some of the in ring mic work is hard to make out but the camera angles, backstage promos, and even the commentary are above average. While this may not have been one of the strongest ROH cards as far as wrestling goes (a few too many squash matches for my liking), the main event, Austin Aries and Colt Cabana make this DVD more than enjoyable.
Remember you can purchase this DVD and many others at ROHwhrestling.com
