SILAS YOUNG VS. JUSHIN LIGER

SILAS YOUNG VS. JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER

Ring of Honor: Final Battle 2016 (2^nd December 2016)

Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY.

So I completely missed my schedule with having this finished off to be posted on time for last Monday. No real reason, other than I tried to get too far ahead of myself and lost track of time. That's a timekeeping lesson learned. However due to that I shall get 2 out today, one Japanese and one English.

Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino handle commentary for this match.

In the run up to this match Silas Young cut a promo on a fan at ringside for dressing like Jushin Liger. He says at Final Battle the last real man will take on a man that's such a coward he hasn't showed his face in 30 years. Silas Young enters with his tag team partner, the Beer City Bruiser. His theme tune is “United Divided” by Voodoo Johnson. All I can say is fair play to Beer City Bruiser making a living from wrestling in his perceived state. “The Last Real Man in Wrestling” is greeted in the ring with a mixture of streamers and toilet roll. Over a decade from Jimmy Rave getting the treatment, fans still do that apparently.

Jushin Liger enters and it would just be silly to not add a link for his theme tune too. Kelly and Corino talk about Silas Young winning the tag wars tournament with his partner, beating the All Night Express and the Briscoes in the Final at ROH Road to Best in the World. and also winning the Honor Rumble match over at ROH: Reloaded Lockport. Almost getting a championship out of the victory. Tonight however, he has to face a legend. The crowd roars at the first sighting of Jushin Thunder Liger. He gets cheered to the ring and the canvas is covered in the streamers. Corino puts Liger over as an awesome guy and Kelly tells us this man recently turned 52. Silas Young has been wrestling for 14 years, but looks like a rookie compared to Liger who debuted in 1984. Young has the size advantage over Liger in this match. The streamers are cleared from the ring and we're ready for the match.

Liger looks for the Code of Honor to be followed but Young knees him in the gut. Bell rings to officially start the match as Young hits a clubbing blow to Liger, knocking him down. Young brings Liger to his feet and sends him to the corner. Silas Young hits a chop and forearms Liger down. The fans don't approve. Corino and Kelly hate it so much they're comparing Steve Corino to Silas Young referring to shaking hands. Jushin Liger reverses an irish whip but Young holds on. Liger didn't move, Young runs into a drop toehold and Liger looks for the surfboard but Young gets the ropebreak, before scrambling out of the ring. Liger climbs out to the apron, Young tries to trip him but Liger jumps over it. Liger hits a running somersault senton on Young! “Liger” chant by the fans and Corino's talking about the influence Jushin Liger has had since the character's debut in 1989. The man under the mask wrestled under his birth name I believe for the first 5 years.

Liger sends Silas Young into the timekeeper's table, Young is leant on the ringpost and Liger hits a hard chop. Steve Corino talks about Liger being around for 4 generations of Junior heavyweights in Japan. Including himself starting as a junior in 94. That's 4 more generations than moves called in this match so far and it's been 5 minutes. Silas Young is sent back in the ring and Liger follows. Silas rolls all the way through to the other side apron and Liger follows. Liger picks Young up by his hair, but Young connects with a back elbow. Shoulder block through the ropes misses though. Liger kicks Young in the ribs and that brings him back in the hardway. Liger looks for his patented surfboard, and he gets one arm locked, but Young makes it as hard as he can. Second arm is captured and Liger falls back, synching the move in. Silas doesn't quit so Liger puts him down to his knees, then wrenches Silas Young's chin back. The referee Todd Sinclair is right there, and Young grabs him. Todd Sinclair gets sent into Liger, breaking the hold.

Liger wants to know what the hell just went on, and the referee tries to explain as Young takes a breather in the corner. Liger charges but gets put in the corner. Young beats Liger down with forearm smashes in the corner, then goes for Liger's mask. Young breaks at the last second and gets a telling off. Liger is back on his feet in the corner and he looks pissed. A trio of overhand chops sends Young down to one knee. Liger sets up for a brainbuster, but Young escapes and hits a forearm. Young has Liger up for the fireman's carry but Liger escapes out the back. Liger grabs a waistlock but Young gets the ropes and sends him off. Liger rolls to his feet and both men charge, with Young connecting with a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall.

Corino talks about coming her for the first time in 2000, and it's always the same great atmosphere. He then goes on to talk about the history of wrestling in Madison Square Garden as Young stomps on Liger. Liger rolls to the edge of the ring, grabbing the rope. Young uses the bottom rope to get more height on his stomps before shoving the Japanese legend out of the ring. Sinclair keeps an eye on Beer City Bruiser on the outside. Beer City Bruiser's can just says “Beer” on it. The referee backs Silas Young away so BCB takes the chance to send Liger into the barricade before rolling him back in the ring. Young takes the opportunistic cover but only gets a nearfall. Again Liger makes friends with the bottom rope as Young tells the ref to count quicker. Young snapmares Liger over away from the ropes and applies a chinlock, Kevin Kelly says he went for the mask but he didn't. As the commentators argue over it they actually miss Young going for the mask. Liger fights his way to his feet and tries to elbow out but Young sends him down with another clubbing blow to the back. Young yaps with the fans, giving Liger a chance to get to his feet. Liger reverses an irish whip and hits a forearm but runs into a backbreaker. Young stretches Liger's back over his knee, but Liger is able to get out with knees to the head.

Young rolls out to the apron and gets to his feet. He grabs Liger but Liger fights him off with chops. Liger looks to suplex Young into the ring, but he can't get him up. Beer City Bruiser grabs Young's ankles to keep him grounded. Liger can't pick up the extra 330lbs, and Young is able to drop to the floor before the referee sees. Young climbs back on the apron and poses before slingshotting himself in with a double foot stomp. Young is confident it's over, he covers, hooking both legs but still only gets two. Young mocks Liger, with a select few fans telling Young he sucks. Young brings Liger back to his feet, but Liger drops down with a jawbreaker. Liger rolls to the corner, trying to create distance, but Young follows and hits him with another hard forearm. Liger gets sent across the ring but gets the boot up. Young runs at him again, but eats boots again. Liger misses a clothesline out of the corner, and they collide with clotheslines in the middle of the ring.

Silas Young is the first to move and starts creating space, going over to his tag team partner and using the ropes to get to his feet. Liger's up to his feet about the same time and hits a corner clothesline on Young. Young is perched on the top and Liger follows him up. SUPER HURRICANRANNA! Liger covers, 1, 2, NO! “Let's go Liger” chants as the 52 year old calls for the end. He can't get Young up for the Liger bomb. Young sends Liger into the corner and sets him up for Misery, but Liger slides behind. Young switches and gets a full nelson, but Liger reverses into a rollup, that Young rolled through. Both men get to their feet and Young hits a swinging backbreaker. He clotheslines Liger off his back and covers but only gets 2. Fans chant for Liger as Young says “really?” he takes a swig of Beer City Bruiser's unnamed beer and spits it in Liger's face. Young brings Liger to his feet as Steve Corino says he calls that the “Lex Luger” or “Lex Louggie” as Liger fights out of a suplex attempt. Liger hits the brainbuster but doesn't cover.

Liger goes to the top rope but Young is back to his feet and hits Liger, knocking him off balance. Young climbs to the middle rope, but Liger fights out of a superplex attempt and sends Young to the mat with an overhand chop. Beer City Bruiser got on the apron and took a swig of beer. He ran at Liger but Liger knocks him down to the floor with a chop! Beer spat in the air and Liger's splash eats knees! Silas Young hits Misery (airplane spin TKO) and that's enough for the win.

WINNER: SILAS YOUNG

This was my first look at Silas Young and the Beer City Bruiser, and they're already two of my favourite characters in Ring of Honor during this time. It's also my first proper look at Jushin Liger's modern work, as I think I've only seen one of his ROH matches and that was back at Weekend of Thunder in 2004 and his TNA Bound for Glory match with Samoa Joe in 2005. He works a smarter style for a man his age, still hitting big spots but less frequently, this is an advantage not only to his health and career longevity, but it helps them mean more in the match. Young having scouted Liger so well, and his cockiness costing him in the match was a nice story, and Beer City Bruiser was involved in the finish without ruining it and getting his comeuppance for earlier in the match was a nice bonus. Liger did his job of making Silas Young look great and the finishing stretch is one of the best I remember in the context of one of these matches. They all came out of this match looking better. – Rating: 6.8/10