ROH THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - PART 1

 

ROH THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - PART 1

No Rules
Roderick Strong vs. Steve Corino
This is a pretty hot number. Very spint-ish in its pace & energy. Fun work on the offense by both, good selling, just good action from bell to bell. ***

Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Rave
It's a fun match-up with a clear heel & face dynamic going for it. Lethal is really fun as the young fiery babyface, and he had a great showing regarding that here. ***

ROH Pure Championship
John Walters vs. Jay Lethal
This is immediately following Lethal's match vs. Rave, so the dynamic is clear. A beaten up babyface Lethal vs. the opportunist heel champ Walters. It's a solid match, yet I think it could've been much better. The continuation of Walters targeting Lethal's ribs, which were softened up by Rave, is good stuff, but Lethal could've done better selling them. I also think Lethal's comebacks were missing some fire. With a more spirited babyface performance, this could've been a big hit, but as it is, it's "just" a pretty good match. **1/2

CM Punk vs. Spanky
This is a very intriguing 1-on-1 match-up on paper, and it was a great one! Love how Spanky finds his first real opening with that dropkick & then Punk's leg becomes the main story of the match. Spanky is perfect in his role here being ratty, fast & crafty at finding openings. Punk's selling is class all the way through. The way the targeted leg seals the deal in the finish is brilliant. Really loved this one. ****

Taped Fist Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
The 2nd match in their best of 5 series. Kind of an anti-climatic finish, but I enjoyed this a lot. It's not quite as excellent as their submission match from the previous show, but it's really good. The crowd brawling is very fun in its chaotic nature, and it fits both guys really well. Lots of great punches thrown throughout the match - I say hell yeah to that, brotha. Awesome airplane spin counter by Homicide. I can see people wanting this to be more heated/wild, but I thought they brought the feeling of dislike into the thing quite well - even when things got more "traditional" once they hit the ring. ***3/4

ROH World Championship
Steel Cage
Austin Aries vs. Colt Cabana
Did not care for their previous match one bit. This one was thankfully MUCH better. Now it ain't no Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe, but it's a badass cage match for the title in its own right. Cabana getting busted open & Aries working the cut made for an awesome dynamic, and both guys definitely upped the brutality with their bombs & strikes, which fit the nature of the match perfectly. Awesome big spots & counters. Some very good finish-teases throughout & the actual finish is very neat to boot. A major upgrade from their first title match! ****

ROH IT ALL BEGINS

ROH IT ALL BEGINS

Nigel McGuinness vs. Samoa Joe
This is a great showcase for Nigel. He gets to showcase a lot here against the top dog in Joe, and it's awesome. Joe obviously offers plenty of his always-great violent tendencies as well. It's a very good little match! ***1/2

Tap Out Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
The first match in their Best of 5 series. Low Ki & Homicide did a real number on Danielson's arm at Final Battle, so one would expect this match to have a lot of arm-targeting, especially with it being a submission match. And you do get plenty of that! It's Homicide's main target, and he does a very good job working over it throughout. He's not someone you would classify as a "limb-targeting guy" at a first glance, but he brings great focus & nice viciousness into his attack here. Dragon's selling is really good as well & he brings such terrific intensity into his work on the offense - whether it be him taking things to the mat, the knee targeting, going for the airplane spin or blasting 'cide with those glorious uppercuts, Danielson brought it. It is a pretty major upgrade from their previous meeting, which while extremely solid, was very forgettable. This is a great match. ****

ROH World Championship
Austin Aries vs. Colt Cabana
This is just... kind of boring. Nothing wrong with it & nothing bad about it, but it just does absolutely nothing for me. The "classic" kind of a match where it's super inoffensive, but also very forgettable with maybe a good spot or two in there. *3/4

ROH FINAL BATTLE 2004

ROH FINAL BATTLE 2004

Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki
This is pretty widely considered to be disappointing, and I think that's fair because going into this Ki vs. Danielson had delivered some early 2000s indy classics. This is definitely not one of those classics, but it's still a good match! The finish foooor sure takes away from it, but I enjoyed everything that happened beforehand. Great work on the mat in the beginning, really good arm-targeting by Ki with Danielson's selling of it being good as well + the big Danielson comeback before the match ended was awesome. Shame the match wasn't more & had an angle-heavy ending, but oh well. Still enjoyable. ***

ROH World Championship
Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries
Honestly an incredible fucking match & the perfect way to end Joe's epic title reign. The way the match slowly establishes that Aries is FOR REAL in this as it progresses is just superb. Everytime he survives Joe's bulldozing some more & puts together his explosive combinations, the crowd reacts more & more. It's some real special stuff with a special atmosphere. That final sequence after he escapes Joe's Muscle Buster attempt is amazing. Take a bow, both men. One of the greatest title reigns of all-time fittingly comes to an end in a classic. ****3/4

ROH ALL STAR EXTRAVAGANZA II

 

ROH ALL STAR EXTRAVAGANZA II

Austin Aries vs. Low Ki
A first ever match-up here between a very intriguing pairing on paper. It's a 20-minute time limit draw, which makes sense since Aries ain't gonna lose just before he is about to beat Joe for the World Title, and Low Ki is Low Ki. It's a very good match. Ki is just great here with his work on top & combining that with his arrogant heel attitude. Aries from underneath is natural given the pairing, and he rocks the role well. It is not the epic I could see these two having, but it's a very good, competitive match between two terrific wrestlers. ***1/2

Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide
Not as good as their match earlier on in the year, but it's still a good one. Suffers from the length, as it deeeefinitely could've been trimmed some, but I did indeed still have a good time with it. Danielson looking for revenge is fun as he controls most of the match, and Homicide plays the counterpart to that really well. Really good finishing stretch. The referee bit when Homicide was removing his boot felt quite silly & weird though. ***

ROH World Championship
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk
It's a tremendous ending to a legendary trilogy. I do prefer their 2nd match by a bit as watching Punk's gameplan play out there was just so, so, SO compelling, but this one is complete greatness as well. Punk's cut brings such a brilliant twist to their dynamic, and it's just red hot action with them perfectly playing off of their previous matches. ****3/4

ROH WEEKEND OF THUNDER (BOTH NIGHTS)

 

ROH WEEKEND OF THUNDER

Jay Lethal & Samoa Joe vs. John Walters & Nigel McGuinness
This was a lot of fun! Joe's complete dislike towards the Pure Title and its champion is awesome to watch, and both Nigel & esp Lethal get a lot of shine here. ***1/2

Austin Aries vs. CM Punk
This rules. I love Aries' work over the knee here. He's focused, greatly vicious & creative with it. Punk's selling is on point with it being a big part of his (also awesome) comebacks. Great stuff. The early section of the match with Punk kicking Aries' ass all over the place was a lot of fun as well. There's some unfortunate technical issues with the lights going out in the middle of the match, but I thought it took nothing away from the thing. It's a great match. ****

Bryan Danielson vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Liger coming to ROH is a great moment. It is a great match too. Danielson is excellently entertaining with his work on top being an arrogant prick going after Liger's mask while beating him up with his brilliant, vicious arsenal. The match has just the right amount of him doing his thing & then Liger playing the hits. Great moment, great atmosphere, great match. Super fun! ****

NIGHT 2

Jay Lethal vs. Jimmy Rave
This is a solid midcard match with two charming personalities going at it. Just some pretty fun, energetic wrestling all the way through w/ a fun ending a la Embassy. ***

No DQ
Ace Steel & CM Punk vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong
A very entertaining & wild no dq match here. Great usage of the ladder & all people involved, including Jack Evans, bump their asses off. There's a little period here where the action isn't all that entertaining, but it's just a few minutes off of an otherwise awesome match. It's a very good one. ***3/4

Bryan Danielson & Low Ki vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Samoa Joe
I would put this about on par with the Liger vs. Danielson singles bout from the previous night. Extremely fun from start to finish. Ki being there was a lot of fun with him just being the arrogant, hard-hitting prick that he is. ****

ROH JOE vs. PUNK II

 

ROH JOE vs. PUNK II

Homicide & Rocky Romero vs. Jack Evans & Roderick Strong
This was a fun tag match. Looked like it could have a real fun dynamic when looking at it on paper, and it sure delivered on that. Evans is awesome taking a whooping from the Rottweilers, Rocky & esp Homicide are very solid delivering that beating & Roddy is a pretty good hot tag. ***

I Quit Match
Alex Shelley vs. Jimmy Jacobs
This is a banger. Jacobs takes a shitload of punishment, with him & Shelley bringing some nice creative ideas with all the weapon gimmicks. I do think the ending feels a bit rushed & lowkey anti-climatic, but it's still a wiiild match. ***3/4

ROH World Championship
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk
It's been about 8 years since I last watched this match, and I honestly forgot just how amazing it is. It builds off of their first 60-minute time limit draw so beautifully with Punk continuing right where he left off, but being even more focused with his work. Punk's performance overall is just outstanding - watching him execute his gameplan is SUCH compelling pro-wrestling & makes the match fly by. It absolutely does not feel like an hour-long match. Joe is also absolutely terrific between his great selling, amazing character work & brutal offense. It is a legendary match well worth its legendary reputation. Going through ROH chronologically, it's the best match the company has held up to this point. *****

ROH GOLD

 

ROH GOLD


CM Punk vs. Homicide
Just like their previous 04 singles match in ROH, this just does close to nothing for me. Feels unnecessarily long & I never get fully interested in what they're doing. They do keep up a nice energy throughout though, meaning the match definitely isn't bad, but it's certainly not something you truly *need* to watch. Gentleman's **

ROH World Championship
Samoa Joe vs. Rocky Romero
It's a solid title defense in Joe's reign. Rocky gets some pretty fun bursts of offense in, probably just the right amount, and then Joe just beats him down. Nothing very memorable, but a solid match. **3/4

AEW GRAND SLAM 2024: Bryan vs. Nigel one more time

 

AEW DYNAMITE: GRAND SLAM 2024

Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness
It's beautiful to see this match happen. A special encore chapter in their legendary rivalry. Both Nigel & (especially) Bryan are just tremendous throughout with their facial expressions & body language, Nigel continues right where he left off all those years ago with good armwork, Bryan's selling is tremendous and most of the technical exchanges between the two are pretty wonderful. I do think that some of Nigel's offense looked pretty weak, and that unfortunately takes away some enjoyment from the thing, but I still thought this was awesome. The ending with Nigel thanking Bryan before tapping out is the kind of a thing that can come off as suuuper corny, but knowing the history & the story behind this match, it was perfect. ***1/2

Darby Allin vs. Jon Moxley
This is a pairing that I really like, but I just did not care for this match. There's some alright singular spots, but for really the entire match I just wasn't into Moxley's work on top, which then as a result sucked all the energy right out of Darby's comebacks. It's unfortunate, because as I said, generally I really like this match-up, but here the energy just wasn't there. *3/4

ROH MIDNIGHT EXPRESS REUNION

 It's been years since I have continued my viewing of peak ROH chronologically, but damn, I have caught the wrestling bug now, so I will go back to it right now! We'll see how long I'll keep at it, but let's continue from where we left off.

ROH MIDNIGHT EXPRESS REUNION


Jay Lethal vs. Low Ki
(reviewed in 2021): Obviously the end-goal here was to make Ki look like a killer as his heel run continues, but Lethal actually got way more than I thought he would. And it was for the better! He totally ruled as the fiery underdog babyface bringing the fight to the odds-on favorite. I thought that his punches in particular looked really good & fit his role perfectly. All of Ki's offense looks awesome too, obviously. It's a fun match. Didn't need to go for as long as it did, as it does feel like it drags a BIT at times, but it's not a real complaint or anything because it still didn't go on for very long & both guys delivered, so yeee. ***

ROH World Championship
Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson
Real famous & revered match in ROH lore here, with the two most important wrestlers in ROH history going at it. It's a classic. Just like in the CM Punk trilogy, it is so much fun watching Danielson try and crack the unbeatable champ that is Joe. He wrestles a brilliant match: I love the leg-targeting, his cat & mouse games and one of the best moments of the match is him delivering that thumb to Joe's eye. Every time Joe gets to really unleash on him, it feels like such a suffocating beatdown - Joe is just an absolutely terrific asskicker here. Great selling by both men as well throughout, really makes the dynamic between them work beautifully. They fill the (almost) 40 minutes fantastically. Doesn't feel its length whatsoever. It's a classic. ****3/4

BRYAN vs. NIGEL: The Complete ROH Rivalry - FINAL PART!

 

Battle of the Best
"ROH's greatest rivalry has come to Japan!" - a fun tagline by Prazak there. It is a very fun match! Nowhere near their best, but it didn't need to be. Lots of fun work on the mat by Danielson early on, as he busts out some awesome, vicious looking creative holds. The match very naturally builds with its intensity too, as by the end they're trading some terrific big strikes & bombs. I fuck with this match quite a lot. More so than I remembered. It lowkey feels like a touring version of their big match, which combined with the unique atmosphere of it being in Japan makes it a very charming deal all around. ****

Rising Above 2008
Nigel defending his ROH World Championship here. It is a great match. I do not love it as much as I used to, but I do still think it's great. Nigel's legwork is a good twist to his usual arsenal - he isn't as naturally vicious with it as he is with his signature armwork, but he still brings it in terms of nice focus & moments of nastiness. Bryan's selling for the most part is pretty great, as he spends most of the match fighting from underneath after Nigel starts targeting that knee, but I do think that he could've sold that said knee a bit more in a couple of key moments. His comebacks are great, especially the one towards the end where he delivers those fiery slaps to Nigel. The blood added quite a bit to that & the entire finishing stretch. ****

Glory By Honor VIII: The Final Countdown
The perfect ROH farewell for both men. I love this match. All the nods to their previous battles are so much fun, Danielson rocks the crimson mask brilliantly & the match kicks up to an excellent 2nd gear once he starts bleeding. Nigel gunning for the kill while literally yelling "DIE" at multiple points, that's that shit. It is not their best match, but it is a terrific way to cap off their legendary ROH rivalry. ****1/4

BRYAN vs. NIGEL: The Complete ROH Rivalry Part 2

Driven
It's a number #1 contender match for Morishima's World Title. It is their 2nd most famous match against each other. And for a good reason! It's just an all out war. Pure brutality with Bryan delivering nasty blows to Nigel's nose, that suplex onto the guardrail, slaps & headbutts galore. Action-packed to the fullest with it being incredibly compelling in its brutality from start to finish. ****3/4

Survival of the Fittest 2007
First round match-up in the SotF 07 tournament. It is a 20-minute time limit draw. Bryan's gameplan of wrecking Nigel's leg is extremely fun to watch, Nigel's selling is very good + his counter armwork is great & all the matwork in the match is just excellent. I could say that the match is a bit of gem, given that no one really ever talks about it. The time limit draw finish is definitely quite anti-climatic, but it is still a great match even with that. ****

6th Anniversary Show
They are at it again for the ROH World Championship, but this time with Nigel as the defending champ. It can be intimidating/scary going back & re-watching matches that you thought were your favorites. What if it doesn't hold up or make you feel the same way it did at some point? Well, this match has never had that problem with me. I get sucked into it every time. Bryan is the perfect babyface ace in the companys big anniversary show, honoring the special rule about not attacking Nigel's head. The way the match builds with Bryan completely owning Nigel, to Nigel taking over & then getting owned again, leading to THAT moment of him unleashing the headbutts on Bryan in what may be my favorite single match moment of all-time. The whole thing just feels like pro-wrestling euphoria to me. Pure bliss. Whenever I hear the question "what is your favorite match of all-time?" my mind always instantly goes to this one, and it's been like that for years now. It is perfect to me. *****

BRYAN vs. NIGEL: The Complete ROH Rivalry Part 1 - The 2006 Saga!

 I have not watched most of these matches in years, but the entire Danielson vs. McGuinness saga is up there as one of my favorite rivalries ever, if not the favorite. Figured it would be a very good time to revisit these in preparation for their AEW meeting!

Weekend of Champions - Night 2
This is for both Bryan's World Championship & Nigel's Pure Championship. Which means it's contested under the Pure rules. The first chapter in a legendary rivalry, and it is an excellent match. The way they wrestle with the Pure rules & the way it builds to the exciting, fantastic finishing gear - it's just brilliant. All the hold exchanges are awesome. Bryan's cravate-control is terrific & I love how it tied into the Pure rules with it forcing Nigel to use a rope break. Same goes with Nigel baiting Bryan into punching him with closed fists, just brilliant stuff. Perfect usage of the Pure rules. I also usually always find Nigel's armwork very compelling & there's plenty of that here - he is great with it, and Dragon's selling is also great until the very end. Watching this it is clear that there is some special chemistry in there right from their first singles match on. ****1/2

Generation Now
Coming off of their first match at Weekend of Champions, this rematch is for Bryan's World Championship since Nigel did beat him via count-out in that said previous match. I do think that their first match is a tad bit better, but man this thing rules so much as well. The competitive energy is just off the charts with the match feeling like a constant cock-fight with Bryan & Nigel trying to prove to one another that they truly are the best in the world. The match is compelling wrestling from bell-to-bell with the action beautifully building towards the end. Awesome, creative finish as well to boot. Terrific 2nd match in their rivalry. ****1/4

Unified
For both of their titles, hence the name of the event. It's the famous one. It's a classic. They once again make beautiful use of the Pure ruleset & it builds the match up so nicely to the incredible climax that it reaches in the end. I will say that having watched both of the matches on the same day, the battle over the ropebreaks isn't quite as compelling here as it is in their Weekend of Champions match, but it's still really good, and as mentioned, the peak of this match is simply incredible. The famous ringpost-spot is sickening, but it absolutely makes the match as it leads to fantastic drama in the finishing stages. Nigel rising up like a zombie, coming back & hitting that brutal rebound lariat is a thing of beauty in all of its glory prowres violence. The finish with Dragon completely brutalizing Nigel with his signature elbows is visually stunning as well. After this viewing, I am not quite feeling the full five on this one, but it's still an undeniable classic in my eyes without a doubt. ****3/4

Epic Encounter II
The finale of their 2006 saga, 2-out-of-3 falls for Bryan's World Championship. It's a one hour draw, so a real long boy. The first fall is alright. My favorite parts were in the very beginning with Bryan insisting on using the headlock. Good crowd engagement there, and as a someone who loves his PWG match vs. Claudio from this same year, I really enjoyed that. Other than that, it's indeed #veryalright. Solid wrestling, but without much of a catch & it doesn't have the same intensity Danielson vs. McGuinness usually does. It is understandable given that they are still gonna be wrestling for another 35 minutes, but it doesn't help make it any more interesting. The 2nd fall is better. Bryan is pretty awesome doing work on top, methodically dominating Nigel & in a clear highlight he even busts Nigel's nose open early on with a nasty strike. Good shit. He also continues with the headlock stuff and it's amusing. The final fall before they hit the time limit draw is alright. Kind of like what I said about the first fall: solid wrestling (duh), but just doesn't have a hook or something to truly catch you. Overall it is a match worth watching if you're into Danielson and/or McGuinness, but it is definitely one of their weakest matches. It's still (obviously) extremely solid though as there's enough really good moments in there, such as the headlock stuff or Bryan busting Nigel's nose open & all the other callbacks to their previous 3 meetings, but it's not something I ever really feel like re-watching. ***

AEW ALL OUT

AEW ALL OUT 2024

Daniel Garcia vs. MJF
This was alright. Garcia's in-ring work doesn't resonate with me all the way through and there was a few misses here regarding that as well, such as the no-selling fighting spirit spot he did, which came off as very cosplay-ish. Other than that & a few other moments, this was indeed alright. Quite lengthy, but they had a simple dynamic & a good story to boost the dynamic in the ring. Definitely felt too long by the end though & the action isn't as interesting in the last third when they kick it into more "epic main event"-style with a bunch of false finishes and big emotions. **

Tag Team Championship
The Young Bucks vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta
Now this was good! Classic tag structure with the babyfaces getting an awesome shine at the beginning w/ the Bucks selling excellently, followed by a good FIP segment, and then a brilliant hot tag by Claudio. All finished with a great, hot finishing gear where the action is exciting back & forth. A really damn GREAT tag match. ****

International Championship
Will Ospreay vs. PAC
A good match. There's of course some poor selling by Ospreay that I am not a fan of, but for the most part, this match was just about him & PAC brutalizing one another with sick bombs in their arsenals. I had a solid time with it. ***

Chicago Street Fight
Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale
This was a good street fight with a good amount of hate put into it. Big spots, violence. It's a fun one, yet never really clicked with me on a higher level. ***

Continental Championship
Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mark Briscoe vs. Orange Cassidy
This was very much *just there*. A couple of spots that could be called cool I guess, but absolutely nothing memorable whatsoever. The Okada vs. Takeshita teases were fun. Definitely not a bad match, just a match that happened & served its purpose on the card. *3/4

TBS Championship
Mercedes Mone vs. Hikaru Shida
This just felt... off? No heat whatsoever in Mercedes' work, which kills a lot of the match. Very much felt like her & Shida didn't have much chemistry in there, which is unfortunate. There's some solid stuff in the last 5-6 minutes or so, but still nothing very good and/or interesting. Super underwhelming match all around. *1/2

World Championship
Bryan Danielson vs. Jack Perry
I thought that this was good. Jack Perry isn't interesting at all times, as seen here when it was him working on top, but he did have some really fun shithead-heel moments throughout the match, to which the GOAT answered accordingly. Danielson is of course wonderful between his superb selling & joyous times on the offense. It is not a great match, and probably not an ideal match for this Danielson run, but it is a good one. ***

Lights Out Steel Cage
Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
It was always gonna be very hard to top their amazing death match from last year. This was good, but certainly didn't even come close to that said death match. Hangman & Swerve are good at conveying hatred for one another, which always makes for a good viewing & all the gimmicks, including the cage, were good fun. The needle was naaasty. A good match. I did think they went a bit too cute with the nearfalls & that took me out of the match at a few times though. ***1/4