Background: After spending time alongside Adam Pearce under Larry Sweeney’s Sweet & Sour Inc. group, Brent Albright grew tired of not only losing, but also being blamed for losses by other group members. Breaking free of Larry Sweeney’s contractual binds, Brent Albright set his sights on Adam Pearce and his National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World title.
Death Before Dishonor VI
New York, NY
August 2, 2008
Adam Pearce vs. Brent Albright
Albright was on a roll with a slew of shoulder blocks on Pearce until Hagadorn got involved. Poor Bobby Dempsey got caught between a mad Pearce and a ducking Albright, sending Dempsey to the floor. Pearce thought he had his game plan in order after having a quick talk with Sweeney, but Albright was wrestling circles around Pearce while humiliating him with slaps to the face. The challenger left Pearce reeling with punches to the face until the champ got underneath Albright, dropping him throat first across the top rope. Pearce pinned “The Shooter” pinned against the corner, biting away on his face, causing the ref to get between them. Albright was unable to stop Pearce as he head-butted him while the ref wasn’t looking. The challenger came out of the corner bleeding; causing Pearce to zero in on the cut.
Albright was bleeding horribly, but refused to stop fighting. Pearce used everything from eye rakes to snot rockets to keep Brent down. When the action spilled to the floor, Albright got his head slammed into the steel guardrails before being set up for a piledriver on the floor. Brent prevented the attack, sending Pearce face first into the steel ring post with a slingshot. Pearce was now bleeding, giving Albright the chance for some retribution. Sweeney, seeing his man was in trouble, ran in to get Pearce disqualified to save the title. Roderick Strong ran in, knocking Sweeney out before pitching Pearce into the ring. The fans were going crazy as Brent pounded Pearce’s lacerated head. A perfect 61Knee had Pearce open for the Knee Strikes. On the second, Pearce caught the leg, pulling Albright down with the figure four leg lock. Albright was able to make it to the ropes to save himself.
Once again, Pearce went for the piledriver, but couldn’t execute it, ending up on the mat. Pearce recovered, hitting the belly-to-belly suplex before heading to the top for the splash. Albright kicked out of the pin after the splash, but got locked in the STF as he rolled to his feet. Albright spun out of the move, putting the champion in the Crowbar. Pearce was close enough to the ropes to stop the submission. Albright climbed to the top, only to get caught and pushed off the top, through the timekeeper’s table on the floor! Pearce begged for a count-out, but the champion somehow made it to the ring before the ten count. Pearce grabbed Albright; hitting the piledriver for a close two count. The crowd was getting hotter as Albright struggled to his feet. Albright turned an Irish whip into the corner into the Half Nelson Suplex.
When both men got up, Albright used another suplex, only getting a two count. The crowd was molten by this point. They got up slugging, ending with Albright turning a wild clothesline into a series of German suplexes. After an unsuccessful sunset flip, Albright turned a small package into the Crowbar. Pearce tapped out just seconds later, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Winner: Brent Albright (19:38)
Is It A Classic: My goodness yes! The perfect blend of old school heat and new school action. Both men played perfectly into each other’s styles and ended up producing one of the greatest matches to occur in a Ring of Honor ring. You must see this match.
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