Background: After months of set backs in the Television Championship, El Generico gained his opportunity to step up and take a crack at the World title the held by Davey Richards.
Glory By Honor X
Chicago, IL
November 19, 2011
Davey Richards vs. El Generico
Generico showed an unusual amount of confidence by not relinquishing the honorable handshake before motioning tonight he will become the second Triple Crown champion in ROH history. The early feeling out process ended with a stalemate, and both men trying to figure out how to gain a solid advantage. Generico did attain a slight mental edge when he offered a handshake following an arm drag. Davey paid him back seconds later with a dropkick that sent the challenger rolling to the floor. When the challenger turned to the ring, Davey feigned a dive, psyching out Generico. Reentering the ring, Generico wend for and executed those series of arm drags to send the champ outside. Like Richards, Generico flipped off the top rope, back flipping back inside with a fake dive of his own.
Davey decided to slow the pace when he came back in, looking for a straightjacket clutch. El Generico rolled through the hold, only to take a kick to the jaw. The masked man recovered, firing off chops to set up the cross body off the top, to gain a two count. Generico’s balance was still off after that kick. This allowed Davey to back drop Generico to the floor after being whipped into the corner, setting up that running kick off the apron. Tope by the champion drove Generico back first against the barricades.
A few debilitating kicks from the champion allowed Richards to put “The Generic Luchador” in that modified Texas cloverleaf when the action returned inside. The American Wolf did everything in his power to keep Generico grounded with moves like the Bryan Danielson stomp off the failed surfboard and Alex Shelley’s skull fornication.
Davey made a big mistake by pulling Generico off the mat, looking for a running attack. Generico avoided whatever the champ had in mind, dumping him to the floor. Somersault plancha by the challenger dropped Richards to a huge ovation. Generico followed up with a blue thunder driver in the ring to get a two count. The Michinoku driver gained Generico the same result as his previous move. Rolling out of the way, Richards avoided the yakuza kick, yanking Generico into a kick of his own. The crowd was behind the champ as he used Kobashi-like fire to kick Generico in position for the superplex … for a near fall!
Richards picked Generico up, leading to a forearm exchange that ended with “The Generic Luchador” running into the Alarm Clock. Generico fired back with the yakuza kick, going for the Brain Buster immediately after. Somehow, Richards turned the maneuver against Generico … to gain a two count!
Stopping the dragon suplex, the challenger ended up being Ankle Locked. With great fortitude, Generico clawed his way to the ropes. Davey asked for Generico to get up so he could kick him to his heart’s content. Rather go for the pin after several kicks, Davey demanded Generico to get up and fight. Generico did just that by using the handspring enzuguri against Davey by dropkicking him in the face. Yakuza kick-dragon suplex combination did not give the champion the victory right after. Generico battled for the Brain Buster, but ended up on the apron instead. Richards hit the ropes to knock him off the apron, only to miss his kick. Generico hoisted Davey into the air, using the Brain Buster on the apron! Generico forgot that you can’t win the title on a count out, having to roll a limp Davey back in before the twenty count. The rolling woke Richards up, allowing the champion to kick out of Generico’s pin attempt. Davey moved to the apron again, setting up a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes. Generico shook away the pain to stop Davey’s ascent of the ropes. Unfortunately for “The Generic Luchador”, Davey fought him into position for a dragon superplex! Somehow, some way, Generico kicked out of Richards’ follow up pin.
Richards used a buzzsaw kick to set up the Ankle Lock, but ended up being tossed into the turnbuckles when Generico rolled through. Generico was on fire, kicking Davey in position for the sleeper hold! The masked man countered submission reversals and pinning combinations to lock in the dreaded sleeper. When Davey finally freed himself, Generico rolled him into his own Ankle Lock. The champ stopped his submission, kicking Generico in position for a killer lariat. Brain Buster by the champion somehow didn’t stop Generico’s night. Generico was on his knees, wide open for three sickening kicks to the head. And just like Eddie Edwards after taking that running kick to the head from Richards, Generico couldn’t kick out in time to stop the three count.
Winner: Davey Richards (30:00)
Is It A Classic: The crowd played a big part in Richards-Generico being an incredible experience to watch as both men tore into each like never before. And while the contest was easily the match of the night, some of the drama was hampered by the continuous use of the Brain Buster without a pin fall coming from the move. You could tell by the match’s end the fans were suffering from the same problem Davey-Eddie II had in that they didn’t know what the finish could be and/or when it was coming, and didn’t know how to react when Richards set up his finishing assault. A great match overall.
