Background: This was the main event of “ROH on HDNet” episode thirteen. Champion Jerry Lynn and Chris Hero had faced off at a recent event over the ROH World Championship that ended with Lynn defeating Hero with his Cradle Piledriver finisher.
ROH on HDNet
Philadelphia, PA
May 29, 2009
Jerry Lynn vs. Chris Hero
Honorable handshake between the two even though Hero was mouthing off the whole time. Lynn quickly picked up the pace, cradling Hero before arm dragging him a couple of times. Lynn was aiming to weaken the lethal arms of Hero. The champ got caught in the corner, but avoided the elbow, monkey flipping Hero. Chris landed on his feet, going for a big boot. Lynn was ready, ducking the kick before sending his challenger onto the apron with a hurricarana. The champ dropkicked Hero off the apron. Lynn rolled Hero into the ring, getting a near fall. Hero yanked Lynn off of his feet by his hair, turning the tide. “That Young Knockout Kid” had Jerry reeling by driving his boot against Jerry’s head. Sara got in on the action, choking Lynn as he laid across the bottom rope. Chris Hero whipped Lynn across the ring, only for the champ to jump up, landing behind Hero before cradling him. The challenger got up, big booting his opposition when he tried to hit the ropes. Hero got caught in another cradle after Lynn reversed an Irish whip. Chris Hero kicked out, popping off the mat to kick the champion in his face again.
The pro-Lynn fans were drowned out by the boos of the pro-Hero group as Lynn got the momentum, knocking Hero around the ring with some clotheslines. Lynn caught Hero on the middle rope as “That Young Knockout Kid” tried to jump off, bulldogging him for a near fall. Chris’ second Sara Del Rey distracted the ref so Hero’s manager Shane Hagadorn could pull the champion to the floor when he hit the ropes. Hero tried to follow up by sliding through the ropes, dropkicking Lynn, but Jerry moved. Jerry jumped on the apron before knocking Hero off his feet with that running somersault dive. Hero used a whip into the barricades to spring off them, clocking Lynn in the face with an elbow. The ROH World champ was all rolled up in the floor mats. Hero tried to crush him, but Lynn moved, causing the challengerto hit the floor with a sick thud, back first.
Hero blocked the Cradle Piledriver, then the TKO, spinning Lynn into an elbow to the back of his head after the action returned to the ring. Lynn avoided the Rolling Elbow, dropping Hero with an inverted DDT. The champion jumped off the middle rope, using a tornado downward spiral to get another two count. Hero clawed Lynn in the face when Hero got caught on the top rope, leaning backwards. Lynn lost his grip of Hero’s body, tumbling to the floor. Hagadorn pushed Lynn into the ring. the challenger had Lynn in position for his own Cradle Piledriver. Lynn Rolling Elbowed his way out of it, and so did Hero. Another Rolling Elbow later, and Lynn was down, but not for the three count. Sara Del Rey handed Hero the Mitsuhara Misawa-given elbow pad. Lynn avoided Rolling Elbow after the whip into the ropes, small packaging Hero for the 1, 2, and 3.
Winner: Jerry Lynn (14:32)
Is It A Classic: Chris Hero, who had spent a majority of the past year grooming his “Young Knockout Kid” persona featuring vicious elbows that could end a match at any time, really hadn’t proven himself as a main event level competitor. This was the type of match that erased all doubts that Chris Hero couldn’t be bigger in ROH than he already was. And Jerry Lynn’s Jerry Lynn (one of the most underrated great wrestlers of the past few decades). An excellent, must-see match.
