ROH 08/16/2008

El Generico def. Tyler Black in 14:31

Not only did I think it would be fun to go back and watch these two in their early days, but I’m also a huge fucking flag-waver for Sami Zayn/El Generico in general. Like today, it’s not just the quality of his in-ring work here, but his ability to connect with the crowd. Black, only four years into his career compared to Generico’s six, selectively engaged the crowd, a stark contrast to the near-constant theatrics he now employs as Seth Rollins. When Black transitioned to getting the heat on Generico, the match entered a slight lull amid an otherwise fantastic bout. Black did target the neck, though it often felt as if the broadcast announcers were more effective at selling that story to the home audience than Black was at executing it for the live crowd. The action inevitably intensified into a collage of major moves and nearfalls (as every match does now), which the audience absorbed as they generally do today. A rough moment occurred during a top-rope hurricanrana attempt by Black, where the execution was flawed enough to be obvious; Generico, thankfully, just managed to avoid a dangerous landing on his head. The crowd, however, remained utterly unconcerned, going absolutely wild. Unfortunately for Black, he executed the Phoenix Splash with the same low pinfall success rate that plagues Seth Rollins in WWE—a signature move with a conversion ratio comparable to Wile E. Coyote’s endeavors. Generico won, hitting the Mafia Kick (Helluva Kick) and a Brainbuster for the win in 14:31. This was a genuinely fun watch, capturing two future legends in ascent. ***3/4