Opening Match: Tyler Black, Jimmy Jacobs, and Necro Butcher vs. Jack Evans, Jake Crist, and Dave Crist (Man Up! – 9/15/07)
Black charges at Evans and drapes him across the top rope. He hits a basement leg drop. Jacobs and Necro come out but Irish Airborne save Evans from a brutal attack. Irish Airborne double team Black but Necro puts a quick end to that. Black lands a dive to the floor onto Jake while Necro hits a chair slam on Dave. Evans and Necro brawl into the crowd. At ringside, Evans uses the guardrail to connect with a kick. In the ring, Necro side slams Evans onto a group of propped chairs. Jacobs locks in the End Time on Dave while Black hits God’s Last Gift on Jake. Necro punches out the referee. The match is ruled a no contest at 10:17. Appropriately chaotic and this match sent the message that the Age of the Fall isn’t concerned about winning – they’re concerned about sending a message (at least on this night). **½
Match #2: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jack Evans and Ruckus (Undeniable – 10/6/07)
Ruckus snaps off a headscissors on Jacobs. Black stops him from diving and lands a dive of his own. Man, I missed Julius Smokes yelling “transform” repeatedly. The Age of the Fall connect with stereo dropkicks in the corner on Ruckus. They isolate him until he hits a rolling neckbreaker on Black and makes the tag. Evans lands a dropsault onto Jacobs and catches Black with a springboard knee strike. Jacobs spears him out of his boots. Ruckus lands the Razzle Dazzle on Jacobs. Jacobs sends Ruckus through a propped chair with a plancha. Black powerbombs Evans into the guardrail! Evans might not be human. In the ring, the Age of the Fall hit a series of moves on Evans and Jacobs finishes with the End Time at 5:40. This was a great way to start a pay per view and the Age of the Fall picked up a believably quick win. It’s not that the Vulture Squad weren’t on their level – the Age of the Fall were just more focused. Ring of Honor was great at making their stories extend from pay per view to pay per view and this is a good example. **¾
Match #3: Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries (Unscripted III – 12/1/07)
Aries connects with a springboard back elbow and snaps off a series of armdrags. He escapes a headscissors and follows with a dropkick. Black retreats to the floor but gets caught by the heat-seeking missile. A distraction by Lacey allows Black to dropkick Aries to the outside. Black takes control in the ring until Aries avoids a springboard lariat and connects with a lariat of his own. Aries hits a stroke and adds a powerdrive elbow. He lands a corkscrew plancha to the floor. Black blocks the IED and lays in a nasty boot for a nearfall. Black backslides out of a brainbuster attempt and avoids the punt. He kicks Aries in the back of his head. Aries fights out of God’s Last Gift and they tease finishers. They exchange forearms and punches. Aries punts Black and hits a brainbuster. Aries lands the 450 splash for the win at 14:32. This was just a preview of the matches that these two would have in the coming years. I think the crowd was a little deflated due to the card changes, but they couldn’t help but come alive for the finishing stretch. ***
Match #4: ROH World Tag Team Titles: Ultimate Endurance: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs © vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Brent Albright and BJ Whitmer vs. Jack Evans and Jigsaw (Proving Ground – 1/11/08)
The first fall is a scramble match. The Vulture Squad kick things off with stereo dives. Lacey and Mercedes Martinez do battle in the ring. They eventually brawl to the back. Mark suplexes Whitmer onto the floor. Jigsaw lands a flying double stomp onto Jay and Evans follows with a wacky slingshot splash. Evans connects with springboard double knees on Albright. The Age of the Fall take out Evans with stereo shoulder tackles. The Briscoes don’t take too kindly to that. Whitmer hits a german suplex on Mark along with a lungblower. Albright follows with a wheelbarrow german suplex. Everyone connects with strikes. Mark clotheslines Evans, causing him to hit a reverse hurricanrana on Whitmer. Albright hits a half nelson suplex on Jigsaw to eliminate the Vulture Squad at 5:14. The second fall is no disqualification. Jacobs and Whitmer almost come to blows with spikes, but instead decide to attack the Briscoes. Both Briscoes are busted open. Black accidentally superkicks Albright and the heel teams turn on each other. The Briscoes catch Whitmer with stereo facewash kicks. A ladder enters the ring. Jay hits the Jay Driller on Whitmer. Mark adds a splash from the ladder and the Hangman 3 are eliminated at 11:48. The final fall is a regular tag team match for the titles. The Age of the Fall isolate Mark. Jay blocks the Contra Code with a falcon arrow after Mark finds life with a springboard ace crusher. Mark catches Black with an exploder on the floor. In the ring, the Briscoes hit a springboard doomsday device on Jacobs for a nearfall. Jacobs hits the Contra Code on Jay followed by the phoenix splash from Black. The Age of the Fall retain their titles at 18:56. Every fall delivered exactly what it promised, but there wasn’t any story or subplot holding all three falls together. The match predictably came down to the Briscoes and the Age of the Fall, with no real moments of suspense over who was going to walk away with the titles. Still, they kept the action flowing for nineteen minutes and the crowd was with them for the entire duration. ***
Match #5: Tyler Black vs. Bryan Danielson (Breakout – 1/25/08)
Black takes every opportunity to shove or slap Danielson early on. Danielson eventually snaps, locking in a surfboard stretch and making the transition into a dragon sleeper. Danielson hits a slingshot suplex. Black shoves him to the floor and hits a suplex onto the mats. Danielson gets sent into the barricade and Black takes control in the ring. There’s a point where Black lands a fosbury flop to the outside. There’s just something cool about that dive. They exchange slaps and forearms. Both men try quick rollups to no avail as the crowd begins dueling chants. They collide on stereo crossbody attempts and both men are down. Danielson hits a back superplex and applies Cattle Mutilation. Black powers out of the hold and connects with a pele kick. He hits Paroxysm for a nearfall. Black lands the phoenix splash but Danielson reverses the cover into a small package for the victory at 23:16. There’s a reason the show was named after this match. This certainly was a breakout performance for Black. He came into the contest with an attitude and Danielson made him pay for it for quite awhile. However, when Black showed fight, Danielson went into survival mode and resorted to his signature small package to pick up the win. When looking at where Black is right now, this match might be easy to overlook. But this match made Black a major player in ROH. ****
Match #6: ROH World Title: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Tyler Black (Take No Prisoners – 3/16/08)
Nigel attacks before the opening bell and sends Black shoulder-first into the ringpost. Nigel immediately starts working over the left shoulder. Black tries to fight back with limited success. Black catches the champion with a vertical suplex and stomps his face. Nigel regains control by going back to the left shoulder. The action goes to the floor. Nigel tries to utilize a chair but Black superkicks him into the front row. Black attempts a springboard dive into the crowd but Nigel throws a chair at his head. That was a nice reference to Nigel’s epic matches against Bryan Danielson. Black barely makes it back into the ring. He ducks a lariat and sneaks in a rollup for a nearfall. Nigel connects with a charging european uppercut followed by a lariat. Black fights off the Tower of London and hits a blockbuster. He ducks the jawbreaker lariat and connects with a boot. Both men are down. Black connects with a pele kick and hits Paroxysm. They battle up top and Black hits a superplex. He transitions into a TKO for a two count. Nigel prevents the phoenix splash with a Tower of London. Black hits God’s Last Gift for a nearfall. He misses the phoenix splash. Nigel applies the London Dungeon but Black turns the hold into a rollup for a nearfall. Nigel connects with a series of lariats but Black won’t stay down. Nigel reapplies the London Dungeon to retain his title at 21:22. If there was ever a time to go overboard with nearfalls, this was it. Black had already wrestled in a four-way on the same night to earn this title shot and even then the crowd firmly believed that he was going to dethrone Nigel. Obviously, Nigel deserves a lot of credit for creating the atmosphere and making a title change believable. But this was an incredible performance from Black and a true spectacle. Seek this match out if you haven’t already. ****½
Match #7: Relaxed Rules: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe (Supercard of Honor III – 3/29/08)
Both teams start brawling before the opening bell. Mark catches Black with a flying crossbody. The Briscoes take down Jacobs with stereo shoulder tackles. Mark lands a dive to the floor onto the Age of the Fall. Mark then uses a trampoline to land a dive into the crowd. Awesome. They brawl into the crowd. Jacobs comes charging on a equipment crate but Jay boots him off. Black back drops Mark onto some chairs. Jay does the same to Jacobs. The Briscoes then biel Jacobs into some chairs. Milo Beasley tries to interfere on behalf of the Age of the Fall, so Mark climbs onto a balcony and splashes him through a table. In the ring, the Age of the Fall work over Jay until he flatlines Jacobs into the middle turnbuckle. Black low blows Jay and rolls him up for a nearfall. The Age of the Fall hit a doomsday Contra Code on Jay for another two count. Jay comes back with an overbomb on Jacobs. The Briscoes attempt a springboard doomsday device, but Jacobs reverses into the End Time one Mark for the win at 15:06. Supercard of Honor III remains one of the best shows in ROH history. While this match wasn’t too different from the usual Briscoes’ brawl, everything on this night just felt electric. It’s also worth noting that the finish was incredible, even though it happened in NOAH not too long before. ***½
Match #8: Tyler Black vs. Bryan Danielson (Southern Navigation – 5/9/08)
Black jumps Danielson at the opening bell and dumps him to the floor. Black hits a suplex onto the floor and takes control in the ring. Danielson blocks a charge and connects with a flying kick. He slams Black’s knees into the canvas instead of going for the surfboard. Danielson locks in a surfboard and transitions into Cattle Mutilation. Black quickly scrambles for the bottom rope. Danielson fires away with punches in the corner and connects with a series of kicks. He takes over, stretching Black in various ways with submissions. Black creates an opening with a dive to the floor. Back in, he attempts a lionsault but now Danielson shoves him to the outside. Danielson lands a dive of his own and winds up in the front row. In the ring, Danielson connects with a knockout kick. Black snaps off a hurricanrana but Danielson rolls through with a sunset flip for a nearfall. Danielson applies Cattle Mutilation and transitions into MMA elbows. He anticipates a pele kick and synchs in a heel hook. Black tries to break free but Danielson transitions into a half crab for the victory at 20:15. I slightly preferred their match at Breakout, but it’s interesting to watch how Black has progressed as a wrestler between the two contests. At Breakout, Black was timidly cocky and just looking to throw Danielson off his game. Here, Black brought the fight to Danielson from the start. These two have never had a bad match together and I’m sure that trend will continue in the WWE. ***¾
Match #9: ROH World Tag Team Titles: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs vs. Kevin Steen and El Generico (Up For Grabs – 6/6/08)
This is the finals of a tournament to award the vacant tag team titles. Steen and Generico gain the advantage after some early brawling. There’s a humorous spot at ringside where everyone rakes each other’s eyes. Black back drops Generico onto a propped chair. That looked extremely painful. Steen powerbombs Black onto the apron and hits a pumphandle neckbreaker on Jacobs. Generico lands a top-rope splash onto Jacobs. Black reenters the ring and the Age of the Fall isolate Generico. Black throws Generico off the apron and into the guardrail. Generico starts shaking in pain as staff members come out to check on him. The Age of the Fall take this opportunity to work over Steen, focusing on his bad leg. Generico returns to the match to save Steen from a doomsday Contra Code. He lands a beautiful springboard moonsault to the floor. Steen hits a package piledriver on Jacobs. Black rolls up Generico during a brainbuster attempt and the Age of the Fall become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions at 16:48. A pretty solid way to end a fun tournament. The drama surrounding Generico leaving the match was unique if nothing else and the finish couldn’t help but make me smile. This might not be the four-star classic that we know they’re capable of, but it worked well in context. ***¼
Match #10: ROH World Tag Team Titles: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs © vs. Bryan Danielson and Austin Aries (Respect is Earned II – 6/7/08)
Jacobs and Aries want to fight each other and their partners have to hold them back. Danielson and Black trade strikes in the corner, with Danielson getting the upper-hand. Aries hits a finlay roll on Black and knocks Jacobs off the apron. Danielson comes off the top with a knee strike on Black. Jacobs is able to take his mind off Aries for a second to land a top-rope senton onto Danielson. Aries and Danielson hit a double team back suplex on Black and follow with stereo kicks. Jacobs pushes Aries off the top rope and into the barricade. The Age of the Fall work over Danielson until he blocks a springboard lariat from Black with a dropkick and makes the tag. Aries connects with a missile dropkick on Jacobs along with the IED. He hits a brainbuster and transitions into the Last Chancery. Black breaks up the hold. Jacobs lands a top-rope senton onto Aries and applies the End Time. Danielson saves his partner. He hits a tiger suplex on Jacobs and lays in MMA elbows. Danielson applies a triangle choke on Black while Aries traps Jacobs in the Last Chancery. Jacobs breaks his hold and saves Black. Aries lands the heat-seeking missile onto Jacobs, who fires back with a spear. They brawl up the entrance aisle and to the back. In the ring, Black hits a neckbreaker on Danielson, who responds with a back superplex. Danielson synchs in Cattle Mutilation but Black reaches the bottom rope. Danielson sneaks in a small package for a nearfall. Black hits God’s Last Gift for a two count. Black connects with a superkick, hits God’s Last Gift, and lands a phoenix splash. The Age of the Fall retain their titles at 23:49. Two main threads held this match together: the hatred between Aries/Jacobs and the competitive rivalry between Danielson/Black. There was constant action for nearly the entire twenty-four minutes and the match still maintained structure while showcasing the Aries/Jacobs blood feud. The final couple of minutes with Danielson and Black were brilliant. Between Breakout, Take No Prisoners, and this match, it’s easy to see why Black rose so quickly. ****¼
Match #11: ROH World Tag Team Titles: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs © vs. Naomichi Marufuji and Go Shiozaki (Fueling the Fire – 8/1/08)
Jacobs’ chops don’t have much effect on Shiozaki. After dodging Shiozaki for quite some time, Jacobs finds himself on the wrong end of a chop. He tags in Black instead of engaging in a chop battle. Marufuji and Black have a nice exchange. Marufuji connects with a running dropkick on Jacobs and adds a slingshot elbow drop. The NOAH duo apply a simultaneous submission on Jacobs. The Age of the Fall find an opening to isolate Shiozaki. He catches Black with a hurricanrana and makes the tag. Marufuji clotheslines both champions. Jacobs slows him down with a spear and Black lands a frog splash. Jacobs follows with a top-rope senton. Shiozaki superkicks Jacobs to save Marufuji from the End Time. Everyone connects with strikes and all four men are down. Shiozaki comes off the top rope with a shoulder tackle on Jacobs. Black hits a superplex on Shiozaki but he fires back with chops. Shiozaki applies a dragon sleeper on Black and hits a german suplex. He follows with a beautiful moonsault. Jacobs hits a spear on Shiozaki and the Age of the Fall hit a doomsday Contra Code for a nearfall. Jacobs spears Marufuji to the floor. Black hits God’s Last Gift on Marufuji and lands the phoenix splash. The Age of the Fall retain their titles at 23:56. This was an energetic match with Jacobs receiving the opportunity to play the chicken heel, which we never saw too much from him. I don’t think anyone believed that Shiozaki and Marufuji were going to win the titles, but these kind of unique main events really made this period in ROH history enjoyable. ***¾
Match #12: ROH World Title: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Tyler Black vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Death Before Dishonor VI – 8/2/08)
Danielson and Claudio trade control on the mat to start. Nigel attacks Black from behind but gets back dropped for his troubles. Claudio connects with a springboard european uppercut on Nigel and he quickly tags out. Danielson monkey flips Claudio out of a knucklelock. Nigel decides to reenter the match but gets caught by more uppercuts and a swinging sit-out slam by Claudio. Danielson connects with a missile dropkick on Nigel. Claudio hits a backbreaker on Danielson but gets booted by Black. Nigel DDTs Black. Danielson german suplexes Nigel and all four men are down. Danielson traps Nigel with MMA elbows. Claudio dead-lift german suplexes Danielson but gets caught by a lionsault from Black. Nigel connects with a lariat on Black. Danielson sends the champion to the floor and follows out with a crowd dive. In the ring, Danielson small packages Claudio to eliminate him at 16:17. Claudio attacks Danielson, officially completing his heel turn. Nigel cannot believe his luck. Nigel takes Danielson’s head off with a lariat to eliminate him at 19:39. Black blocks a Tower of London attempt and lands a frog splash. Naomichi Marufuji, the #1 contender, watches from the entrance ramp. Nigel successfully hits the Tower of London on his second attempt. Black avoids a jawbreaker lariat and hits a bucklebomb. Black follows with an F5 and a superplex for a nearfall. Nigel survives Paroxysm but Black hits God’s Last Gift for a nearfall. Nigel connects with the jawbreaker lariat for a two count. He applies the London Dungeon but Black escapes. Nigel shrugs off an enzuigiri and connects with two lariats to retain his title at 30:26. I remember thinking at the time that this match was just a way to have another Nigel/Black match without seeming like another Nigel/Black match. For the most part, that’s what this felt like, although the Claudio heel turn was done well. Just looking at the four names in this contest should tell you that it’s worth watching and the finishing stretch stood out as expected. There’s not many pairings better at creating nearfalls than Nigel and Black. ****
Match #13: Tyler Black vs. El Generico (Night of the Butcher II – 8/16/08)
They trade forearms at the opening bell. Generico connects with a leg lariat and lands a slingshot moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Generico lands a flying crossbody and hits a back suplex. Allison Wonderland creates a distraction, allowing Black to connect with a springboard lariat. He takes control until Generico comes off the top rope with a hurricanrana. Generico hits a michinoku driver and lands a top-rope splash for a nearfall. Black fires back with a neckbreaker and Paroxysm. He charges with a forearm but Generico catches him with a yakuza kick. Black hurricanranas Generico off the top rope and connects with a basement superkick for a nearfall. Generico avoids the phoenix splash, connects with a yakuza kick, and hits a brainbuster for the win at 14:15. After a tentative start, the action truly picked up in the later half of the match. I shudder to think what kind of match these two could have today. ***
Match #14: Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries (Wrestling at the Gateway – 12/5/08)
This match is happening right before Aries’ heel turn, so he’s in a different mindset here. They exchange control on the mat, with Aries remaining dominant. Black rolls to the floor to escape a Last Chancery attempt. In the ring, Aries continues to control on the mat. They battle on the apron and Black hits a neckbreaker. That was safe in a good way. Black takes over until Aries hits a shinbreaker-back suplex combination. He hits a gutbuster and connects with the powerdrive elbow. Black kicks him in the head and hits a bucklebomb. Aries hits a neckbreaker in the ropes and lands the heat-seeking missile. He applies the Last Chancery in the ring. Black perseveres and connects with a pele kick. Aries responds by punting him in the head. Black hits God’s Last Gift out of nowhere for the victory at 15:24. The crowd was invested in the action despite this match feeling like only a preview of what these two could do together. They had some impressive exchanges but there wasn’t much to sink your teeth into aside from Aries’ change of character. On a painfully average show, the crowd really came through here. ***
Match #15: Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries (Final Battle 2008 – 12/27/08)
The winner will become the #1 contender for the ROH World Title. They trade control on the mat. Aries tries to dropkick out of a headscissors but misses. Awesome. Black then escapes a headscissors with a dropkick. Even more awesome. Aries is fuming as the crowd chants for Black. Aries hits a gutbuster but misses the powerdrive elbow. The crowd gets on his case. Black takes control until Aries creates an opening with the heat-seeking missile. In the ring, Aries locks in the Last Chancery but Black escapes. They battle on the apron and Black hits a TKO! Black connects with a pele kick and lands a fosbury flop over the top rope. Back in, he reverses a brainbuster attempt into Paroxysm. Aries punts him and synchs in the Last Chancery. Black survives and fires back with a bucklebomb. He attempts a phoenix splash but gets distracted by Jimmy Jacobs at ringside. Aries avoids the phoenix splash and hits a brainbuster followed by the 450 splash for the win at 17:05. While I criticized their last match for lacking substance, that was definitely not a problem here. Everything that Aries tried early on didn’t work, leading to almost embarrassing results. While Aries stayed competitive, he never looked like he was going to win until a distraction caused Black’s downfall. What better way to show someone the virtues of being a heel? Excellent storytelling with just as solid action. ***¾
Match #16: Tyler Black vs. Nigel McGuinness (Full Circle – 1/16/09)
Nigel attacks at the opening bell. Black fights him off but gets pitched to the floor. They brawl around ringside and Black connects with a series of punches. Things settle down back in the ring but Black shows that he’s able to hang with Nigel on the mat. Back at ringside, Nigel drop toe holds Black into the barricade, finding an opening to work over his left shoulder. Nigel continues the attack until Black comes back with a standing shooting star press. Black escapes a Tower of London attempt and hits Paroxysm. Nigel connects with a lariat. Black dodges another lariat and connects with a pele kick. He follows with a springboard lariat. Nigel reverses God’s Last Gift into a small package for a nearfall. Nigel hits a Tower of London onto the floor. Back in, Black dodges the jawbreaker lariat and hits a bucklebomb. Black adds a basement superkick for the win at 17:16. Black would receive a title shot on the next night and wrestle Nigel to a sixty-minute draw that was actually forty-five minutes long. Needless to say, Black won the ROH World Title way too late. This was a worthwhile exhibition and a solid enough main event, but the booking plagued things a bit. ***¼
Match #17: Tyler Black vs. Jerry Lynn (Motor City Madness 2009 – 1/30/09)
Lynn hangs onto a side headlock as the announcers try to explain the finish from the Black/Nigel forty-five minute draw that was supposed to be sixty minutes. Black reverses into a into a side headlock of his own but Lynn regains control. Lynn hits an inverted DDT and a vertical suplex. He snaps off a headscissors but runs into a dropkick. They go back and forth with a pretty subdued crowd. Lynn hits his guillotine leg drop. Both men go crashing to the floor after a suplex over the top rope. Black misses a moonsault off the barricade. They both barely make the twenty count. Black kicks Lynn in the head and lands a standing shooting star press. Lynn sneaks in a small package for a nearfall. Lynn sunset flips out of a bucklebomb attempt. They trade quick rollups to no avail. Black hits Paroxysm and connects with a springboard lariat. He follows with a pele kick but Lynn hits an air raid crash out of nowhere. Both men are down. Black connects with a basement superkick for a nearfall. Lynn hits a rope-assisted DDT for a two count. The time limit expires at 20:00. I couldn’t help but feel throughout the course of this match that Black had Lynn’s number. Sure, both men had some nearfalls, but Black’s offense just looked more impactful and Lynn didn’t do anything to showcase his veteran experience. So while I didn’t buy the finish, the match was technically very good, with action that became progressively more intense and captured the crowd’s interest. ***½
Match #18: Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards (Proving Ground 2009 Night 1 – 2/6/09)
Richards refuses a handshake before the opening bell. They exchange punches and Richards mockingly offers a handshake. Black snaps off a few armdrags and lays in a stomp to the face. Richards spits at him and runs around ringside. Black gives chase but gets draped across the top rope. Richards takes over. Black tries to stage a comeback but Larry Sweeney trips him at ringside. Todd Sinclair ejects Sweeney. Black attempts a dive but Richards blocks it with a kick. Black is successful on a second attempt. In the ring, Black hits a neckbreaker and lands a standing shooting star press. Richards blocks a springboard lariat with a dropkick and kicks him into the turnbuckles. Black connects with a pele kick and both men are down. He hits Paroxysm for a nearfall. Richards stops a phoenix splash and german suplexes Black off the top rope. He hits a powerbomb for a nearfall and transitions into a cloverleaf. Black counters into a small package for a two count. Richards avoids a superkick but falls victim to a bucklebomb. Black connects with a basement superkick for the victory at 17:37. Another solid exhibition between two wrestlers who were on the rise at the time. This didn’t feel like an epic main event or anything and they would go on to do better, but they kept the crowd’s attention and established the superkick as a legitimate finisher for Black. ***¼
Match #19: Tyler Black vs. Jimmy Jacobs (ROH on HDNet Episode #1)
Black shoves Jacobs into the corner and knocks him out of the ring. Black connects with a slingshot spin kick and lays in a stomp to the face. Jacobs hurricanranas him into the middle turnbuckle. Black fights back with a series of clotheslines. Jacobs pushes him off the top rope and into the barricade. He regains control until Black connects with a springboard lariat. Jacobs avoids the phoenix splash and hits a spear. Black responds with a pele kick but gets dumped to the outside. Jacobs follows out with a dive. Back in, Jacobs locks in the End Time. Black breaks out by slamming him into the turnbuckles and hitting a gourdbuster. Jacobs dodges the superkick and tries a rollup to no avail. He goes back to the End Time. Black turns the hold into a bridging pin for the win at 13:07. I’m unsure what the best way to start the television series would have been, but this was a decent match that was a fair representation of what Ring of Honor could bring to the table. I think Jacobs could have been a strong presence on television but I don’t remember him having much of an impact. ***
Overall: Tyler Black: God’s Last Gift does a commendable job of covering Black’s rise to popularity in Ring of Honor. His matches against Bryan Danielson at Breakout and Nigel McGuinness at Take No Prisoners are the key inclusions, but there’s a lot shown of his great work with Jimmy Jacobs as a team. There’s still a decent portion of Black’s ROH run left to cover (including his title reign) so I’d expect another compilation in the future. With that said, some of the matches on the second disc seem pretty inconsequential to his career, but the match quality remained high throughout. If you’re interested in checking out Tyler Black’s work for the first time or you don’t already own some of the key matches, I’d recommend picking up this compilation.
You can purchase this DVD at Ring of Honor’s store right here.
Chat with Ryan on twitter by clicking the button below
