Welcome to the latest edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. This time, we're going back to 2014. Two of WWE's current biggest stars are AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. While the two have had plently of matches under the WWE umbrella, these two had wrestled before getting paychecks from Vincent Kennedy McMahon and the WWE. Let's go back to a match I found on YouTube, featuring AJ Styles and Kevin Steen (Kevin Owens' pre-WWE ring name) for Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore promotion. If you wish to follow along, click on the video above. (You won't be disappointed)
Let's Do This!
House of Hardcore 5
June 7, 2014
National Guard Armory (Philadelphia, PA)
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Steen
Steen comes out wearing a Fight Steen Fight shirt. Styles comes out to his ROH theme from when he made his return in the promotion, and he's wearing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Whenever the world champion works outside the company, it's a great plug for that promotion. If you aren't WWE, you have to do things like let your champions work dates outside your company in order to gain attention for your promotion. It's just good business. AJ gives his championship to someone outside the ring, which allows Steen to bulldoze him to the concrete floor.
Steen goes out after Styles and attacks him. CHOP by Steen. The bell rings with both men brawling at ringside. Steen stops himself from hitting the rail and throws Styles into it instead. LOOK AT ME!-Steen to the camera. Steen goes ribs first into the rail. More brawling by both men. Styles now goes back first into the apron. Steen gets sent into the ringpost. And Styles goes... well, privates first into the ring post. (I guess Steen was trying to assault Styles' manhood years before Nakamura did it every week.) Ole chant by the fans for Steens' best friend El Generico/Sami Zayn.
Back in the ring, AJ hits a big dropkick on Steen. Flying forearm into the corner. Styles now goes on the attack on Steen, who continues to do and yell things to get this crowd invested. His every sell is loud. Steen runs into the corner, yelling "I got him!" He didn't. But he does catch Styles with a nice DDT from the middle rope to the mat. Steen continues to beat up and torture Styles. And he continues to mock the crowd. The crowd chants for Steen to "beat" up Cena. Steen teases a Five Knuckle Shuffle just for the fans, but he stomps AJ instead. Lol. Steen continues to play up to the fans. It's great to see him be this loose and work the fans like this.
Steen now has a headlock on Styles and threatens to keep it on all night long. He's still working the crowd while having this hold in. It's hilarious to see this. This crowd is getting its money's worth. "This is awesome!" STYLES CLAPS WHILE IN THE HOLD! STEEN TIGHTENS THE GRIP! "STOP!" LMAO!!! Styles finally reverses it into his own chinlock, and Steen now is selling like a madman. Styles now threatens to have it on "ALL NIGHT LONG!" Steen fights out. A little glitch here, but Steen now has AJ in the headlock when we come back. "MATCH OF THE YEAR!" chant. Styles fights out. Backflip and strikes by Styles knocking Steen to the mat.
Forearms by both men. Both men strike the other, until Styles gets a suplex into the corner. Ouch. PHENOMENAL FOREARM BY STYLES! Owens rolls to the outside. AJ backflips off the apron and almost gets the rails. Steen catapults him up face first into the apron. Styles and Steen go back in the ring. CANNONBALL!!!! 1-2-STYLES kicks out.
STUNNER by Steen! AJ hits his moonsault reverse DDT in a bit of an odd messup there. (He connected, but it wasn't the complete transition like it should be.) Styles now has Steen on the corner. Dropkick up to Steen. Now Styles climbs the ropes. BIG FISHERMAN'S BUSTER OFF THE TOP ROPE! 2 count only for Steen. Steen now tells the referee that was 3 and leads the fans in a "You (bleep) up" chant. He slams AJ and climbs up the corner. SENTON INTO THE KNEES OF AJ STYLES! OUCH! Styles puts Steen in position. Steen catches Styles on the ropes and hits an F5 for a 2 count. Pele kick by AJ. BRAINBUSTER by AJ. STYLES CLASH! 1-2-3!
Winner: AJ Styles
Match Grade: A-. This was never meant to be a show-stealing match. Instead, they knew they were working for the live crowd and those few watching on screen. They worked the crowd with both doing their crowd-pleasing moves. Steen here was comic gold and completely stole the show. I'm not going to lie and say I'm completely familiar with Steen/Owens' run before NXT/WWE. But this was just so fun to watch.
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I hope you enjoyed this look at another non-WWE promotion here. If you have any other matches to look at, let me know. Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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