Davey Richards: Heavy Hitter
We open with one of Davey's earliest ROH matches against his mentor KENTA at 'Fight of the Century' in August 2006, the match starts as you would probably expect with lots of stiff kicks, elbows and so on. What is noticeable is that a small minority of fans are anti-KENTA and try and get chants of 'USA' going which thankfully fail. Match really picks up in the closing minutes as KENTA misses a springboard and is nailed by a powerbomb by Davey who then locks KENTA into a leg collar submission attempt. KENTA rebounds with a tiger suplex for a close 2 count and Davey hits his own 2 count after hitting a running Liger bomb. Davey seems to have things going his way until he goes for a shooting star press and meets nothing but KENTA's knees. From that point KENTA is in control and although Davey nearly sneaks a win with a crucifx off the GTS attempt it is only a matter of time before KENTA secures victory with a second GTS attempt for the win.Fast forward to January 2010 and the first Evolve show, Davey main events against DDT star Ibushi, both men start quick with a series of stiff running kicks until the match settles down with Davey working over Ibushi's left shoulder for a number of minutes. Among his offence was a nice divorce court off the top rope. Ibushi makes his first comback by running on the apron jumping onto the top rope and hitting a moonsault onto Davey who was on the floor. Ibushi stays in control with a series of kicks and a standing moonsault, until Davey grabs control back with a cross armbreaker attempt. As the match continues to build Ibushi attacks with a double monsault which is an awesome move, Davey responds by attempting the kimura after Ibushi kicks out of a pinfall attempt. Davey hits the DR driver for a close two count, a shooting star press later and Davey again goes for the kimura. Kota manages to survive but is greeted by a series of forearms and the third kimura which causes him to tap. Match would have been even better had Ibushi not forgot to sell his injured shoulder once he started to make his first comeback.
A couple of months earlier Davey was involved in the DGUSA tournament against YAMATO, again in the early part of the match he dominated by working YAMATO's left arm. Finally YAMATO worked his way back into it and launched his own attack this time against Davey's left leg. Match was fairly even until the crowd erupted when Davey went for his signature running dive which never does more than graze his opponent. Back in the ring Davey goes for the kimura, while YAMATO when he gets the chance goes for an ankle lock. Davey hits a great german suplex for a very close 2 count which had the fans shouting that it was a 3 count. Davey's shooting star press proved to be unsuccessful and when YAMATO responded with among other things a sleeper, a brainbuster and finally galleria it was enough to put Davey down for the pinfall loss.
Going back to ROH and 2007, Davey was a member of the No Remorse Corps and here faced the UK's PAC. This was basically one step up from a glorified squash victory for Davey. He controlled the vast majority of the contest and it appeared that the fans were not really buying Newcastle's finest as a genuine threat. PAC hit an awesome 450 splash off the top rope to the floor for a rare highlight. As we approached the finish, Davey reversed a PAC pinfall attempt into a kimura. PAC responds by hitting a very nice reverse huracanrana but Davey will not be denied and after nailing a tombstone piledriver and he hooks the kimura for the clean submission.
Staying in 2007 we move to the King of Europe tournament where Davey is representing PWG, commentators are pushing how miserable Davey is while the fans are chanting for him despite Davey trying to be the heel. Shiozaki gets first control with a dropkick to the knee which allows him to work Davey over. A suicide dive turns the tide but Davey is careful to ensure that he continues to sell his leg injury even when he's on offence. Go nearly secures the win with a picture perfect german suplex only to find himself on the verge of tapping when Davey locks the kimura. A low blow, tornado DDT and a second kimura prove too much for Go.
On the bonus disc of the King of Europe we get the tag team match from RQW, here during Davey being in the ring with Go we get the commentators saying you would never see Davey face Go anywhere else, apart from the tournament the fan as already watched that is. Aoki was revealed to be the 2006 Wrestling Observer rookie of the year. Match was fine but nothing breathtaking, ending was pretty funny when out of nowhere the bottom rope broke off. You could see Aoki thinking this doesn't happen in Noah, Williams brings the fun to an end with the chaos theory for the pinfall victory.
Back in the US, Davey faces Super Crazy in the AAW, Crazy as the good sense to keep his t-shirt on. He also offers his hat to Davey as a present which unfortunately Davey doesn't accept. This is the shortest match on the disc, but among the highlights Crazy uses the Tarantula in honour of Tajiri, Davey and Crazy trade boston crabs and surfboards. But it is Davey that prevails with a missile dropkick, alarm clock and the DR driver for the win.
This leaves us with our genuine main event, a second match with KENTA this time from Supercard of Honor IV from April 2009. This time fans are solidly behind KENTA who is also defending his GHC Jr title. During the early stages Davey teases using the figure four leglock only to refuse as soon as the fans call for it. KENTA hits back with a series of clotheslines and kicks which end in a STF submission. Minutes later Davey goes for his running dive which again barely touches its target. Davey has a far better grasp of psychology with the fans in this match compared to his first match against KENTA. Twelve minutes in and the fans are already proclaiming that this is awesome, KENTA responds with three kicks, a powerbomb and a double stomp from the top rope for a close two count. Davey hits back with a powerbomb of his own and a texas cloverleaf which as the fans begging KENTA not to tap. Both wrestlers then trade chops, slaps, kicks and forearms in order to gain control as all the fans are now standing. KENTA hits a tiger suplex for a two count and then a falcon arrow from the apron to the floor. Fans are now chanting 'Fuck Wrestlemania'. KENTA attempts GTS which Davey reverses into a second texas cloverleaf which KENTA manages to again reverse for a close pinfall attempt. Davey hits the DR driver for another close pinfall attempt until his challenge is finally vanquished when KENTA hits the GTS for the win and to bring an awesome match to a close.
Davey Richards vs KENTA ****1/4
Davey Richards vs Kota Ibushi ***3/4
Davey Richards vs YAMATO ****
Davey Richards vs PAC ***
Davey Richards vs Go Shiozaki ***1/2
Davey Richards & Atsushi Aoki vs Doug Williams & Go Shiozaki ***
Davey Richards vs Super Crazy **1/2
Davey Richards vs KENTA ****3/4
Great review Shaun, now I don't have to buy it.....but we all know I still will.
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