Silas Young vs. Kevin Steen
July 18, 2014
ROH Summer Heat Tour 2014

Thank you, Secret Santa for giving a match that I enjoyed immensely. 

When the video started and I heard the crowd, it reminded me that one of the things I wanted the most as a wrestling fan was to be part of a classic ROH crowd, especially part of the golden era, but I never did it due to where I live and me being a teenager when it happened. I’m not saying this match happened in the golden years, but damn, the crowd was hot and I always watched the ROH DVDs wanting to be part of that experience. I wanted to throw the streamers, hit the guardrail, and, in my case, yell, “Joe’s gonna kill you” or “I have till five.” Or “Kill Steen Kill”. I finally was able to attend a TV taping in 2015, so at least I got one ROH show.

The crowd was so hot on this night because this was Kevin Steen’s penultimate match before going to WWE. His last match was against Steve Corino the next night, but this night his opponent was Silas Young in a No DQ match. A match so nice that even if you are tired of watching plunder, this is a good one mainly thanks to Steen.

Since I watch WWE like three times a year, I forget how awesome Kevin Steen (or Owens) is. How he has this great crowd control and is always interacting with what’s happening around him. He is always yelling something or saying something to the crowd, even listening to their suggestions. You can see it clearly in this match, which is a fun plunder. This is not the serious match you will see like his wars against Generico. He is goofy and Silas Young is the perfect fodder.

Steen is helping fans take photos, takes an iPad and records himself kicking Young, uses mic shots, there is a mid-match promo, and when the fans want tables, he sadly informs them that there aren’t tables so he builds a weird six chair contraction that satisfies said fans. Obviously, Steen went straight into it. The story of the match is that Steen is too busy showboating and having fun, and this lack of focus is what makes Young take advantage and just hits him with any of the weapons found around. In the end, Young does an elbow drop into Steen while he was on top of a couple of chairs for the win. 

This was a fun brawl between Steen’s enthusiasm and Young’s attitude. There are chairs and trash cans, but it does not feel like a lame WWE hardcore match. Even in its levity it has some gravitas. Steen sacrificed his back when he was thrown into the six chair contraption to give Young the win to elevate him on the way out. This is easily ***½ stars, a match so fun that even someone who groans about plunder can enjoy it. You will laugh and go, “ouch.”