The feud has trainspired through encounters in a total of four different promotions, but the best known setting of these bloodbaths was the otherwise exclusively-wrestling (rather than violence) based Ring of Honor. On Saturday, March 15, 2003, Raven made his debut appearance in ROH. Punk cut a promo early in the night and said that he was "straight edge" - drug and alcohol free. Seeing as how he was cutting this promo in front of a crowd of primarily teenagers who think being "bad asses" is cool, he naturally received a heel reaction from the fans immediately and increased his already substantial amout of heel heat. Punk didn't end there, though; He continued his promo by saying that Raven wasn't in the building that night because he was afraid of Punk and because he knew that Punk was the superior athlete of the two. However, as Punk began walking back down the entrance aisleway, he was confronted by Raven, causing him to stop in his tracks.
Raven cut his own promo and challenged Punk to a match later that night. Raven vowed to both outwrestle Punk and show him how hardcore he could be. The two by now had re-entered the ring, which is where Punk suddenly attacks Raven, beginning a short brawl. After a few moments, Raven fought back and attempted the Evenflow DDT, but Funk escaped the move and scurried out of the ring as the two exchanged shouts toward one another.
Later on that night, Punk and Raven collided in a bloody battle that featured Raven (who was accompanied to the ring by Trinity, who he had recruited to be his valet earlier in the night) surprising many fans by dishing out an impressive variety of mat-based offense, which had never been his primary specialty. However, as the match continued, Punk fought back and showed - like in their IWC match - that he wasn't going to give up easily. Eventually, he found an opening and used it strategically well, as he used a steel chair to bust open a cut that Raven obtained during their match the previous night. With the bout suddenly transforming into an ECW-style brawl, Punk played up his heel persona by physically assaulting Trinity after she attempted to involve herself in the bout on Raven's part. However, soon thereafter, Raven regained the advantage and deliver his signature drop toehold onto a steel chair. When he covered Punk, though, there was no referee to count the pinfall because this referee had been knocked out earlier in the bout.
Raven then lifted Punk back up and attempted an Evenflow DDT, but Punk low blowed him in order to escape the move and then applied the Devil Lock submission on him (a Sharpshooter with an Armlock also applied). The intensity that this bout created formed what many now consider to be Punk's breakout match in ROH, as he went from being involved in midcard angles with other up-and-coming competitors to confronting and beginning a heated feud with a seasoned veteran who helped create another company that also began in Philadelphia. After the bout, Raven tried to DDT Punk, but the referee stopped him from doing so, citing that they were in ROH and respect for their opponents should be one's number one priority. Suffice to say, the referee received a DDT.
One week later, the feud continued at ROH Night of Champions as Raven teamed with Punk's arch rival, "Classic" Colt Cabana, to beat Punk and his partner, Ace Steel, in a Raven's Rules Match. Raven DDTed Steel to win the bout, but afterwards, he continued to beat up Steel in hopes of luring Punk back into the ring. When Punk finally did re-enter the ring, Cabana turned heel and attacked Raven. He was immediately joined in doing so by Punk and Steel. Together, the three beat down on Raven before Cabana took the microphone and said that Punk and Steel were like family to him, since Steel trained him and he grew up in the business with Punk. From then on, this new trio would be known as, "The Second City Saints."
The next chapter of the Punk-Raven saga occurred on May 3 at a Revolution Championship Wrestling show when Punk and Raven collided against each other for the third time. Punk's RCW Heavyweight Title was on the line in the match. The two produced a solid overall match, as expected. Raven maintained the advantage for awhile, as he repeatedly beat on Punk with a "Stop" sign. Raven fought off interference from two members - Ace Steel and Eryn - of the Chaos Krue heel stable that Punk was a part of and it looked like he was about to win the match after hitting an Evenflow DDT on Punk. However, Steel pulled the ref out of the ring and then - behind the ref's back - RCW owner Jay Repsel attacked Raven, allowing Punk to pin him for the win when the referee re-entered the ring, thereby retaining his RCW title.
Raven made his return to ROH on June 14 at Night of the Grudges when he teamed with BJ Whitmer against Punk and Cabana in a Raven's Rules match, meaning that the typical Code of Honor that ROH's athletes had to follow was waived and in its place, anything was allowed. Although the bout began in the ring, it quickly degenerated into an all-out brawl that went throughout the building. The emotion involved in the match created what was probably the most intense tag team match in ROH to date and it brought back many fond memories of the style of brawls that Raven had popularized years earlier in ECW. In this match, there was a lot of blood (a rarity in ROH), most of which was from Punk, who Raven endlessly assaulted using a variety of weapons. Cabana pinned Whitmer following a Colt 45 to end the classic contest, but afterwards, Punk added an exclamation point to the victory by putting Raven through a table with a Flying Leg Drop.
Like he did before his match on the previous ROH show, Do Or Die (on May 31), Punk cut an excellent promo before the bout, explaining that he was leading a new generation of straight edgers - the Second City Saints - and that this faction was more talented and would be more influential than the revolution of wrestlers that Raven led almost a decade before (in reference to ECW).
The feud between the two intensified even more a week later at ROH WrestleRave '03, when Punk and Cabana (who were accompanied by Lucy Furr, formally known as Daffney in WCW) again won a tag team match over Raven, who's partner this time was "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. The rivalry between Punk and Raven reached an even greater level of hatred when Punk pinned Raven and then - after doing so - choked Raven with a chain to add insult to the damage he had already created. Raven challenged Punk to a Dog Collar match - a gimmick match that he had helped invent in ECW - at the next ROH show on July 19.
The match occurred, as scheduled, and featured plenty of brawling (as expected). The fight gradually traveled all around the building and featured a significant amount of blood from both participants. Cabana - like so many previous times - assisted Punk on a few occasions and this eventually led to Punk scoring the shocking victory. After the bout, the intensity exploded, as Punk tied Raven in a crucifix position to the ring ropes and poured beer down his throat. Danny Doring of ECW and most recently XPW fame ran out from the crowd and attempted to make the save for Raven, but was unsuccessful. It looked as if Punk was going to go home the undisputed winner of the feud, until...
WWE star TOMMY DREAMER ran out from the locker room and nailed Punk with a steel chair, saving Raven from what surely would've been an ugly beating. Dreamer untied former-ECW arch enemy, Raven, from the ropes and struggled back to his feet before thanking Dreamer, his former-arch nemesis in ECW, for saving him. The two then tied Punk to the ropes in a crucifix position and poured beer down his own throat, thereby ruining Punk's "straight edge" persona (he had now been covered with alcohol!) and adding even more feul to the already bitter feud.
MLW currently has a Straight Edge Rules Match scheduled between the two on its August 22 Summer Apocalypse show. The MLW version of this feud - which has been watered down more than the ROH version and has only lasted about three months - began on May 9 when Raven pinned Punk cleanly after an Evenflow DDT. At the next MLW show on June 20, a rematch between the two ended when Michael Shane conveniently interfered on the part of Punk and delivered a Superkick to Raven, allowing Punk to easily DDT him for the revenge win. However, as the newly formed duo of Punk & Shane continued beating on Raven after the bout, it was former-WCW personality Norman Smiley who ran out to the ring and scared off the two disrespectful young guns, thereby saving Raven from what would've surely been a stiff beating. This incident led to the most recent meeting in MLW between the two, a tag team match on July 27 pitting the two duos against each other. In that bout, Punk & Shane continued the drama buildup of the feud by defeating their veteran opponents using their aforementioned ruthless tactics, including Shane throwing powder into the eyes of Raven, which would allow Punk to pin Raven following a DDT.
Besides ROH and MLW the feud between Punk and Raven has carried over into the International Wrestling Cartel (where their first one-on-one match ever occurred [it was the night before their first encounter in ROH]) and Revolution Championship Wrestling (where Punk retained his RCW Heavyweight Title on May 3 thanks to an overwhelming amount of heel interference on Punk's part.
Finally, yesterday at ROH's debut show in Dayton, OH, the two battled in the violent Steel Cage Clockwork Orange House of Fun match. Judging by similar bouts that have occurred in NWA-TNA, the match will feature a variety of weapons that are hung from four different poles, each attached to one ringpost.
The idea of ending the feud in a Steel Cage setting is special not only because it will be the first such type of match in ROH history, but also because of its effect on the formula that ROH has used to book their feud. Much of ROH's brand of competition is based on the traditional nature that pro wrestling used to follow - instead of basing it's product primarily on entertainment, a concept that WWE's monopoly on the business has convinced much of the rest of the pro wrestling industry to adopt, ROH centers its product around in-ring competition, something that there is unfortunately such a lack of in pro wrestling today. Since it isn't as financially prosperous as NWA-TNA (or let alone WWE) is, it isn't able to rely as much on the shock value style of entertainment, where there are numerous pyros that open one of of its live events or extensively technological music videos or promo vignettes. Instead, ROH - for the most part - let's its in-ring action be the focal point of its product, as was the norm before the "new generation" and later the "attitude era" entered in the '90's. However, since a rivalry booked like that between Greg Valentine and Roddy Piper probably wouldn't get very over today, ROH has added doses of the fast-paced, hard-hitting athletecism that WWE's cruiserweight division possesses and the
that is so common in that "old school" type of booking with
The next day, ROHWrestling.com announced that the feud between Punk and Raven would be settled on August 9 in Dayton, OH in the first-ever Steel Cage match in ROH history. The fact that the feud will now culminate in a Steel Cage match increases the "old school"-style booking of this feud that makes it so unique in such a shock-based pro wrestling world. Although the feud has featured a lot of violence, it's not based on the simple, "Let's bleed more than we did during our last confrontation," formula that promotions like CZW, XPW, IWS, and other promotions use in so many of their hardcore-based feuds. Besides introducing a new form of pro wrestling that is based on the "old school" sportsmanship, ROH has modernized the style that ECW used to build it's famous feuds and in the process is changing the way that a hardcore wrestling feud (as opposed to a feud between two high flyers or two technical wrestlers) is developed. So many fans have compared the Punk-Raven feud to the infamous feud between Raven and Dreamer during ECW's prime.
International Wrestling Cartel fundraiser show for the Penn Hills Police Department on Friday, March 14, 2003. The two future heated rivals brawled from the locker room to ringside and finally into the ring, where Raven finally captured a hard-fought victory. It took not one - but two - Evenflow DDTs to keep Punk down for the count, though, which proved that Punk was more than just another one of the countless lower level indy performers that Raven has fought since his departure from WWE. In fact, it had only taken one Evenflow for Raven to beat Steve Corino at the February 22 IWC show that Raven debuted on, which made Punk's efforts that much more impressive.
http://www.rohwrestling.com/ravenpunk.jpg
In the thirteenth paragraph of the No Holds Barred radio show the week before 5/26/2003 , Raven spoke and praised of CM Punk specifically.
"On the topic of MLW he said he worked 1 show for the company and he thought it was a good show overall despite it being a little long and people burning out at the end. He said he really enjoyed working with CM Punk and he likes the fact that he is a good listener and truly does want to learn. He said 9 times out of 10 when guys in the business ask you how their match was, they are just looking for you to put them over. He said in the case of CM Punk he legitimately wants to know what he didn't do well and could care less of the praise he receives."
The transcript of the radio interview can be seen at:
http://www.1wrestling.com/news/newsline.asp?news=13932
Punk:
http://www.flicksxxxposed.com/images/fotos/2003/0531roh/000031.jpg
Raven:
http://members.fortunecity.com/rohpix4/071903/images/100_2627.jpg
http://members.fortunecity.com/rohpix4/071903/images/100_2650.jpg
vs. each other
http://members.fortunecity.com/rohpix4/071903/images/100_2626.jpg
http://members.fortunecity.com/rohpix3/images/100_1949.jpg
Raven started his match with CM Punk later that night in the locker room, and it eventually spilled out into the ring, and the bell was sounded even though the match had been scheduled for later on. Both men went through a very physical battle, until it took not one, but two Evenflow DDTs to keep Punk down for the 3 count.
Raven's involvement in Ring of Honor is the impetus for this
feud between the decadent Raven and the straight-edge CM Punk. As
Punk told Ring of Honor, "When I got the call to come to
Ring Of Honor I was never so proud. I know only the top athletes
who make wrestling a sport come to ROH. Raven is a weak
individual and does not belong and he's going to find out why
straight edge means I'm better than you."
Raven's response to this statement came tacked on as a surprise
to all, especially CM Punk, at the end of Ring of Honor's 1st
Anniversary video. Raven said that he remembered when he was
coming up, all the up and comers would disrespect the veterans
for being old and slow, but unlike them, Raven is in the best
shape of his life. He thinks Punk has a lot of talent but he's
not going to make a name for himself at Raven's expense. Raven
questioned Punk's lifestyle and says that being straight edge is
not virtuous, but rather that he doesn't have the balls to walk
on the wildside. "Welcome to Raven's Clockwork Orange House
of Fun, Quote the Raven, Nevermore!"
At ROH's 3/15 show in Cambridge, MA, near Boston at the
Massachusetts National Guard Armory, Punk got on the microphone
and ran-down the man from the Bowery, calling him on his
lifestyle and extolling why being Edge makes him a better athlete
than Raven. Punk ran down Raven. He said Raven wasn't even there
to answer his challenge because he was scared of him. So as Punk
leaves the ringside area, Raven comes out and backs him up into
the ring where they cut a promo on each other ending with Raven
saying he'll first out wrestle Punk in their match and then put
him through a table and Raven walked out on him as Punk, stealing
a page from the rulebreaker's handbook, attacked Raven from
behind. Raven rallied as Punk slid out of the ring avoiding the
wrath of the enigmatic one as their match was set later for the
night.
OR
Garry Cappetta introduces the Boston fans to CM Punk, who pretty much turns himself heel by saying he’s drug free and alcohol free. I don’t quite see the logic of turning him heel based on that, but I’m not a booker. Punk uses it for what he can though by saying it makes him better that everyone else. Punk says Raven isn’t in the arena because Raven’s afraid of him. Punk says that Raven would just wind up stinking up the join worse than Konnan did on 12/28. Raven comes out and makes some Michael Jackson comments at Punk, and then says he will NOT stink up the joint like Konnan did. Punk tries to attack but Raven catches him and tries the Raven Effect, but Punk gets out of it and runs off.
Raven sees Trinity in the locker room and asks her to come to the ring with him.
Raven [w/Trinity] vs. CM Punk - Raven makes his way to the ring via "Come Out & Play" by The Offspring, his old ECW theme music. The match started off as the mat-based wrestling affair that Punk claimed he would excel in versus the limited skills a debauched Raven would have due to his years of physical inebriation. However, this didn't prove to be the case, as Raven outwrestled CM Punk with a strong variety of holds proving why Raven is the master of ring technique and psychology that allowed him to succeed in WCW, WWE and NWA/TNA. Punk quickly grew frustrated with this and decided to level the playing field against the Poet of the Macabre with the ultimate equalizer: a steel chair straight out of Raven's playbook, busting Raven wide open as he bled before the Boston audience. The match quickly turned into an ECW-style brawl. Punk legdropped Trinity on a table outside the ring. Raven was soon bleeding from a cut he incurred the night before in IWC. The ROH referee got bumped and Raven did a drop toe hold on Punk into a chair. He went for the pin but no ref. Punk ended up coming out on top due to hitting Raven with a blatant low blow while the referee was out from the bump, then quickly capitalizing by locking the prone Raven into a Tequila Sunrise submission. Afterwards, the ROH officials had to restrain Raven from hitting the Evenflow on Punk, as Raven justifiably didn't adhere to the "Code of Honor" after Punk got the win over him so cheaply. So Raven just hit the referee with the DDT instead in protest!
or
The rules to this match are a little weird, it will start out
as a basic match, but after ten minutes it will turn into a
typical Raven’s Rules match. The match starts with a lock up
and Raven gets knocked on his ass. We get another lock up and
Punk hits Raven with an arm drag. Punk sits in the corner and
mocks Raven. Raven fires Punk off the ropes, and Punk ducks the
lariat and hits Raven with a dropkick. Raven comes back and does
his own arm drag, then hits CM Punk with a hip toss and finally
does a dropkick to send Punk out of the ring. Raven does a
pescado onto Punk. Raven gets Punk in the ring and does a snap
mare and Hennig neck snap. Raven slaps on a headlock and Punk
gets to his feet and grabs the rope for a break. Raven lets go
and Punk hits the floor for a break. Punk comes back with a chair
and takes a swing at Raven, he ducks and the chair bounces off
the ropes and hits Punk in the head. Punk goes back to the floor
and Raven chases him, but Punk outsmarts Raven and hits him with
the chair, then throws him into the guardrail. Punk takes Raven
to the aisle way and tries to throw him into another one, but
Raven reverses the Irish Whip and Punk goes flying into it. They
get back in the ring and Punk hits a vertical suplex and grabs
another chair and sets it up in the corner and Irish whips Raven
into it. Raven rolls to the floor and Punk goes after him. CM
Punk tries to give Raven a vertical suplex, but it gets countered
and Punk takes the suplex. Raven sets up Punk’s arm against
the post and swings a chair at it, but Punk moves his arm. Punk
and Raven get back in the ring, and Punk does a slam and climbs
up top for a leg drop, but Raven moves. Raven hits a backdrop,
and does an Irish whip, but gets reversed and Punk catches a
sleeper hold. Raven’s head is busted open, from an older cut
from a NWA-TNA match. Raven shoots Punk off and does his own
sleeper but Punk does a jawbreaker for the escape. Raven hits
Punk with a twisting clothesline and then does the running knee
lift. Raven gives Punk his lariat in the corner to bulldog move
for two. Raven sets Punk up top for a superplex. Raven gets
pushed off and CM Punk tries to do a front dropkick but Raven
catches his feet and puts on a Scorpion. Punk gets the ropes for
a break, so Raven goes for a table, and Punk dropkicks it in his
face. Punk grabs Trinity before she can interfere and throws her
into the guardrail. Punk charges and gives Raven a tope suicida.
Trinity goes up top and gives Punk a moonsault that would make
Lita jealous. Punk grabs a chair and hits Raven in the head. Punk
puts Trinity on a table and does a leg drop off the top through a
table. Back in the ring and Punk hits the Shining Wizard for two.
Punk hits Raven with a DDT and then goes for his new submission
hold “The Devil Lock” (A tequila sunrise sharpshooter)
and Raven grabs the ropes. Punk sets up a chair and Raven
reverses the Irish whip and drops Punk on the chair. Raven tries
to hook up The Raven Effect, but CM Punk hits him low and puts
the Devil Lock back on for the tap out. I really enjoyed this
match, it may just be the old ECW mark in me talking, but this is
one of the better Raven matches I’ve seen, and CM Punk is no
slouch himself. ***½
WINNER: CM Punk via Submission
Gary Michael Cappetta then told the crowd that Paul London couldn't make the show due to his surgery. CM Punk came to the ring and ran down the fans and Raven for not being straight edge. Raven then came out and the two had a debate that ended with fists being thrown before Punk bailed out.
CM Punk defeated Raven by tap out in a bloody bout. This is a must see for Raven fans and Punk's break out match in ROH. After the bout Raven tried to DDT Punk, but the ref stopped him saying that this is ROH so Raven hit the ref with a DDT. The Raven vs. Punk feud looks to be just beginning.
Raven & Colt Cabana defeated CM Punk & Ace Steel when Raven hit Steel with the Raven Effect in a Raven's Rules match. The Philly crowd began to hate Punk when the Chicago native preached his straight edge beliefs. After the match, Raven kept hitting Steel with the Raven Effect in an effort to get Punk back into the ring so he could try to hit Punk with the Raven Effect. When Punk finally got in Cabana turned on Raven and the trio put the boots to him. Cabana said that Punk and Steel were like his family since he was trained by Steel and grew up in the business with Punk. Many believe Punk played mind games with Cabana. The trio will now be known as the Second City Saints.
OR
This is a continuation of the Raven vs CM Punk feud, Raven got
one over on Punk by choosing Punk’s on again off again buddy
Colt Cabana has his partner. Punk’s partner, Ace Steele is
the man who trained him. Punk knows he can trust Steele, can
Raven trust Colt? CM Punk makes friends with the fans by telling
them why he’s so much better than them, because he’s
straight edge with a clean lifestyle. Raven hits the ring (this
time he has Come Out And Play as his entrance music) and makes
another comment about Michael Jackson and CM Punk. Then he ups
the ante and throws in “that’s okay, I’m sure Ace
Steele doesn’t get too jealous”. Colt wants it to be a
Raven’s rules match and Punk is happy to oblige. Punk and
Raven start off, but Punk is too scared to do anything with Raven
so he tags in Ace Steele, and Raven tags in Colt. Punk is back in
and Colt tags Raven, then Punk tags Ace again. CAN WE START
THIS MATCH SOMETIME THIS WEEK PLEASE? We FINALLY get going
with Raven and Steele, Steele tries to take Raven to the mat and
Raven actually out wrestles Steele on the mat and drops a knee
onto his arm and tags in Colt. Cabana comes in and hits a big arm
drag on Steele. Raven tags back in and does a flap jack to Steele
and then Raven gets a trash can lid and tees off of Steele’s
head. Raven tags Colt and Steele gets a tag to Punk. Punk hits
Colt with a leg lariat and chokes him in the corner. Colt
reverses an Irish whip into the corner and hits CM Punk with a
double knee shot to his chest. Colt tags Raven and CM Punk hits
the floor. Raven chases Punk and Ace Steele hits him with a
chair. CM Punk gives Raven a Russian Leg Sweep into the
guardrail. Punk gets Raven down in the corner and unloads on him
with punches. Punk drags Raven into the center of the ring and
hooks up his Devil Lock (the move he made Raven tap out to at the
last show). This time Raven is able to crawl to the ropes. Raven
ducks a short arm clothesline and hooks Punk up for the Raven
Effect, but Punk pushes Raven off of him. Punk sets up a chair
and tries to do Raven’s drop toe hold, but Raven reverses
the whip and gives it to CM Punk. Raven tags in Colt and he goes
after both Punk and Steele with lariats. Colt hits a spiral bomb
on Steele for two. Colt gives Punk a big lariat over the top
rope. Cabana hits the ropes to charge at Steele and Punk trips
him up. Raven does a Cactus clothesline and sends both of them
over the top. Punk gets back in and chokes Colt in the corner
with his boot. Colt gets to this feet and hits Punk with the Colt
.45 but Ace Steele saves it. Steele hits a vertical suplex on
Colt and Punk does a double under hook back breaker. Ace Steele
gets tagged and Punk gives Colt a giant swing and Steele comes
off the top with a leg drop onto Colt Cabana. Colt gets caught in
the corner and while Punk holds him in place, Steele hits a drop
kick to his face. Then CM Punk hits him with a Diamond Dust for a
two count. Punk climbs up top and dives for a cross body press,
but Colt catches him and gives him a double under hook suplex.
Colt crawls over and tags in Raven, who goes nuts on Punk and
Steele with a trash can. Raven hits the bulldog on Steele for two
and Punk tries a Van Daminator with a trash can, but Raven throws
it back into his face. Steele charges and Raven sends him to the
floor. Raven dives out with a tope onto both of them and then
Colt Cabana comes off the top rope with a blind moonsault and
hurts his leg. The ref checks on Colt while Raven sets up a table
in the corner. Raven hooks up Punk for the Raven Effect and
Steele saves him. Steele sets up the table and puts Raven onto
it, Punk comes off the top with en elbow, but Raven moves out of
harm’s way. Steele tries to do an Irish whip, but Raven
counters and hits THE RAVEN EFFECT!/B> and Raven gets the
pin on Ace Steele. Fun little brawl, but Raven vs Punk in singles
was better. I think Colt was also legit hurt. ***
After the match, Raven wants a handshake but Punk won’t do
it. Raven says if Punk doesn’t shake his hand then he’s
going to hurt Ace Steele. Punk won’t do it so Raven gives
Steele the Raven Effect. Raven tells Punk he’s going to do
it until Punk gets in the ring, Punk won’t get in so Raven
keeps doing it. Finally Punk screams at Colt to do something
because Steele trained Punk. Colt gets in the ring to get Raven
to stop and CM Punk jumps Raven, Colt pulls off Punk and Punk
yells “What about me? What about CM Punk?” and Colt
attacks Raven.
The Chaos Krue opened the show, with CM Punk taking the lead on the microphone. Alluding to the fact the night was prom night for many high school students, Punk pointed out the infamous RCW maniac fans, declaring them "the people who couldn't get a date to prom." He singled out one guy as a "fat kid who looks like he needs to check out open graves to find a date." The crowd was a bit smaller than usual.
Punk talked about a few issues regarding his Revolution title, including longtime champion Magnificent Mike, who has been out of action since December with a severe leg injury. Punk mentioned Double M in a way that suggested the fans respected Double M and when he does return, he is likely to be a babyface, with Punk remaining a heel defending the belt. Ace Steel then shoved a picture of Double M down his tights.
Punk then talked about his opponent for the night, Raven, and how Raven needs to worry about his "the demons in his life" before he worries about the RCW Revolution title.
Raven entered to huge applause from the crowd. Punk also had a lot of crowd support.
There were at least 10 signs in the crowd directed at Eryn, and Raven read a few, including one that declared the ring a "crack whore free zone." ... "see this means you can't come in here," Raven said. Raven gave Eryn a spanking in his last appearance at RCW.
There was a bit of hardcore action, with Punk attempting to use a stop sign on Raven. He was tripped instead, and Raven used the sign on him. Steel tried to interfere on Punk's behalf, but Raven ducked and Punk ended up hitting Steel.
Raven then got control of Punk and managed to slam Punk's head 10 times on the stop sign. He got a 2-count.
Eryn couldn't resist getting involved, distracting referee Lockport Joe when Raven went for a pinfall. Raven caught her, scolded her, then spanked her for a second time. Punk seized the opportunity to go after Raven. Steel picked up Eryn and sat her in the front row.
Raven looked like he had the match won after hitting the Evenflow DDT, but Steel pulled out LPJ after a 2-count. When Raven got up, Repsel took him out, allowing Punk to score the winning pin.
WINNER & STILL RCW Champion: CM Punk via Pinfall. (17:30)
NWA-TNA PPV (6/18/03): We see Alexis Laree and Julio in the back. Alexis intimates that she and Julio screwed up again by not coming to Raven's aid when he was attacked by Shane Douglas. CM Punk walks up as Alexis and Julio are arguing and asks Julio if he's gotten the chance to talk to Raven about CM Punk wanting to get into the Gathering. Julio states that it isn't a good time to talk to Raven right now since he's upset over the attack by Shane and we can see the doors to Raven's locker room shaking as he's in there destroying the room. Alexis repeats that when Raven is upset he can be something of an asshole. CM Punk then sayes that he just wants into the Gathering to which Julio replies that he doesn't even know if there will be a Gathering anymore. Punk states that there will always be a Gathering as he does Raven's Crucifix pose and states "Quote CM Punk ... nevermore!"
ROH Night of the Grudges (6/14/03; Cambridge, MA): CM Punk & Colt Cabana defeated Raven & BJ Whitmer in a bloody and violent anything goes match. This was an intense war that saw weapons used and a brawl in the crowd. Cabana pinned Whitmer after the Colt 45 and then Punk put Raven through a table on the floor to escalate this feud.
CM Punk and Colt Cabana defeated BJ Whitmer and Raven in a "Code of Honor Waived" match, [i.e. "Raven's Rules" match]. Punk cut yet another great promo putting over his straight edge revolution vs. the revolution Raven began "ten years ago." Raven came out and said that last time they were here (Punk beat Raven via submission) Raven's problem was that he was in a good mood, and cut an angry promo. They started out with a regular tag match but it soon broke down into a brawl into the crowd. Whitmer and Punk both bled, Punk really heavily. Raven and Punk brawled to one of the walls by the bleachers with Whitmer and Cabana soon following. They brawled back into the crowd. Raven gave the fans a trash can to hold while he ran Punk's head into it in a cool interactive spot. Punk legdropped Raven off the top rope through a table. Whitmer was pinned here. Really good brawl! Cabana suffered a gash on the inside of his arm right which required him to go to the local hospital to get stitches.
Promo by CM to start the match. He basically said that he is better then everybody because he is straight-edge and Raven is a debauched and got very good heat from the crowd for his mic work. Raven had the match won with the Evenflow but Michael Shane came out and hit Raven with the superkick and CM hit Raven with his own Evenflow for the win. After the match, both Shane and Punk hit Raven with the drop toe hold into the chair until Norman Smiley came out to save the day. Then Smiley challenged them to a tag match at the next show.
The Raven vs. CM Punk feud started in Boston on 3/15 and now after the events of "Death Before Dishonor" it will end in Boston on 9/6 at the Massachusetts National Guard Armory in Cambridge. This first time was a bloody Raven's rules match, now these two hated enemies will collide in the confines of a STEEL CAGE! This is the first ever steel cage match in ROH history and you can get your tickets now at RFVideo.com or by calling 215-891-9404. The Field Of Honor will start on this show!!! (7/20/03)
There's so few actual feuds in wrestling anymore.
Raven has taught me a lot.
Favorite was the Cabana/Ace/BJ tag match.
MAJOR LEAGUE WRESTLING RECAP FOR 8/18/03
The show opens this week with a promo from the Straight Edge CM
Punk...
Punk states that Raven is the reason that he joined a wrestling
school, because Raven is an anti-hero....his anti-hero, and
stands for everything that he is against.
Punk mentions that he has paid his dues, by telling us that
he’s fractured his skull in front of 60 people, and being
away from the people that love him, and the reason that he does
it again, and again is because he knew that someday he‘d be
face to face with his nemesis.
He goes on to say that he’s hungry, and has suffered for a
long time, but tonight he ends his suffering with Raven’s
demise.
Match #1
CM Punk and Michael Shane w/ Francine (we are reminded that he
was trained by his uncle Shawn Michaels) Vs. Raven and
“Black Magic” Norman Smiley w/ G.I. Ho...yes I Ho,, not
Joe (she is a talent for Women’s Extreme Wrestling) .
Styles mentions that there is an unconfirmed rumor going around
that Smiley taught the big wiggle to Kobe Bryant (of course
it’s all tongue, and cheek).
Good match...you had no idea who was going to win this match.
All 4 men sold the moves very well, and Norman is by far one of
the most underrated wrestlers out there.
I extremely high on CM Punk...he can get himself over in my
opinion in and out of the ring.
His skills in the ring seem to get better ever time I see him,
and can really work a crowd .
Punk is one of the younger guys I can’t wait to see if he
gets to be a main eventer on a national level.
Great tag team skills between Punk, and Shane.
before I mention the outcome of the match, I’d just like to
thank the MLW cameraman for his in ring shot during the CATFIGHT
!!!!!!
The match ends when Shane throws powder in the eyes of Raven
allowing Punk to hit a DDT for the 1-2-3 pin fall victory.
It seemed to me that during the match that Shane, and Punk seemed
more comfortable performing as a tag team together, then it was
for Raven, and Norman.
MAJOR LEAGUE WRESTLING RECAP FOR 8/11/03
CM Punk promo....he teases the up coming “Straight Edge
Rules Match” next month against Raven.
He mentions that nobody knows what the rules are, except him, and
that he has beaten Raven in his own type of matches, and wants
Raven to feel what it’s like when the tables are turned.
MLW 8/22
Straight Edge Rules Match: CM Punk pinned Raven after Nosawa interfered and straight edge referee Chasyn Rance did a controversial three count giving Punk the victory. Prior the start of the match, Punk had MLW announcer Stephen DeAngelis read off the stipulations for the straight edge match which included: the disqualification rule in effect, no weapons were to be used, no obscenities by the fans, no beer sold or consumed during the match, and a straight edge referee to enforce the above rules and ensure the match stayed pure to the straight edge challenge.
C.M. Punk came out with Nosawa, and his opponent Raven would now find out what Punk's "Straight Edge Rules" would be. Punk pointed out that there were no disqualifications in MLW and all weapons were legal, so in his "Straight Edge Rules" match, there would be disqualifications, and him and Raven would have a "straight-up wrestling match." Punk introduced Chasyn Rance as the special referee for the match, and proceeded to infuriate the crowd by telling them that there should be no drinking or profanity from the fans during the match either. The fans retaliated by chanting for Raven's Rules, but this match would be done Punk's way. Punk rushed Raven and stomped him on the mat, but Raven got up and went for a quick victory with The Raven Effect- Punk countered it by dropping quickly to the mat. Raven went for a chair but the referee stopped him. Yet, when Nosawa distracted the referee, Punk was quick to grab the chair and throw it right at Raven's head. Later Punk went for the same tactic, but this time the chair bounced off the ropes and hit him in the head. When Raven went for his signature drop toehold into the chair, the ref pulled the chair out of the way! Punk charged Raven but hit Nosawa by mistake, and Raven caught him with The Raven Effect, but it only got a two count. With the help of more distractions from Nosawa, Punk got the rollup for a three.
Straight Edge official Chasyn Rance was hired by Punk last week to referee his match with Raven. Chasyn better be careful what he gets himself into because you never know what kinda trouble is heading your way when you go straight edge with Punk.
