BJ Whitmer vs. Homicide
This is billed as a "fighting spirit challenge", and they sure wrestle the match accordingly to the billing. It's a very good exhibition with both guys bringing some nasty, brutal offense into it -- 'cide with his usual badass array of punches, chops, boots & more, and then BJ with his vicious suplexes, solid strikes & a nice powerbomb. I do think the Cop Killa kickout was very unnecessary, and the match drags after that, but at least they executed it nicely with Homicide being so sure it's gonna get him the victory, resulting in him taking too much time before actually going for the pin, which ultimately resulted in that kickout. Good match. ***1/4
The Backseat Boyz vs. Special K vs. The Carnage Crew vs. The SAT vs. Jack Evans & Teddy Hart
This match is just fucking ridiculous. It's a pretty infamous match in Ring of Honor's lore, mostly due to the post-match, but it's also EASILY the silliest & most ridiculous match they have held up to this point. And I loved it. It's pure chaos & carnage for every single passing second of it -- a full-on brawl with fists flying & wrestlers being thrown into the steel cage walls, and then there's so many absolutely RIDICULOUS, if I may repeat myself, highflying spots from the top of the cage, mostly involving dem boys Teddy Hart & especially Jack Evans. It is 100% worth a watch, even if there's a good chance that you would hate it, because it's such a ridiculous (word of the day) kind-of-shitty spectacle. I wouldn't call it a full-on "it's so bad, it's good" kind of deal, because it really rules in a good way for most of it, but some of the absolutely nutty flying spots sure work with that saying. Madness. ***1/2
AJ Styles vs. Bryan Danielson
This is Dragon's first appearance in ROH since his MOTYC vs. Paul London. So what does he do in his first match back? Has another classic for the company. GOAT shit only. And it's against a man he had one of the finest matches of 2002 against. So their first match already was an amazing contest, and their 2nd match here is just as good. They bring that now-signature Danielson vs. Styles strategic pro-wrestling aggression & competitiveness into it. You know right from the first time they touch that it's gonna be a good one, as they quickly move into some grappling, which indeed comes with a nice sense, look & feel of aggression & violence. Extremely intense, just the way you would expect from the two. Eventually Bryan sees a target in AJ's shoulder/arm as he ties him up on the ropes; Bryan's work on the arm is SUPERB in all of its vicious glory. AJ also bumps & sells for it big time, which makes it all feel & look all the more brutal n' amazing. Styles eventually finds an opening by dumping Bryan on the outside legs first, which results in him returning the favor from the arm-destruction that Danielson did on him by going after his knee. AJ is also brutal as hell targeting it; he is dumping Bryan knee-first into the post n' guardrail, which actually also cuts the knee open, really putting over the brutality of it all. The dueling bodypart-targeting story that is going on is wonderful to watch unfold, and the pure sense of competition is so grabbing throughout. Absolutely adore the whole finishing sequence too, especially everything leading up to that one-armed Styles Clash -- so much struggle in display, but that could be said about the whole match, because they brought that in spades. Absolutely WONDERFUL stuff all in all. Everything they did felt like it had purpose, and everything they did felt earned. If I had to choose which is a better match between 'em, this or the first one @ All-Star Extravaganza, it wouldn't be an easy one, because they really are just as good. ****1/2
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