This was really good. It was Jones' first title defence of the World Mid-Heavyweight title after his win over Bobby Gaetano in November. A title defence against Skull Murphy was never going to be a technical masterpiece so they didn't even bother and worked a straight up heel vs. face match instead. They weren't overt about it, but since Murphy was Finlay's tag partner and Finlay became Jones' perpetual rival after Rocco left, it pretty much tied into the ongoing storyline.

Jones always played the gobsmacked, earnest sportsman who would never accept a decision he felt he didn't deserve, but he was equally short tempered and while he would do all that cocky cat and mouse stuff with lesser opponents, he'd fire up if he didn't like the way he was being treated.When Murphy wasn't out and out cheating here, he would be be niggling Jones. His favourite trick was to rub his bald forehead against Jones' and throw the occasional headbutt or shove his palm right in Jones' face while stretching him in a submission. Jones eventually lost his cool, the crowd gave Ward an earful over everything Murphy did real or imagined, and the whole thing simmered nicely until Jones was busted open and the stakes suddenly rose tenfold. I'm not sure how Jones got away with blading on TV, but this almost certainly how their matches most have played out in the halls. They even did a spot that looked like he was straight from the houseshows where Jones goaded Murphy into punching him in the jaw and Murphy punched the ringpost instead.

The blood soaked Jones was actually up a fall during his big peril segment, but it looked for all money like Murphy would make him submit. The finish was a bit of a let down given the heights the match had reached, but this was still a heck of a spectacle and one that has vaulted my already high opinion of Jones as a worker.

I believe this is the match:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOR_iuAq9UY