In response to the recent online poll for the Top 12 Most Essential Events - as voted by the fans on the ROH Message Board - I thought I would chime in with my own Top 12, as voted by me, myself, and I. The events are listed in chronilogical order.
Joe Vs. Punk II - This was the moment when ROH became truly significant. Ring Of Honor had been in existence for over two years at this point, and for most of 2004 they had to fight a tremendous uphill battle that many figured they wouldn't survive. That night in Chicago Ridge, IL would forever change the landscape of professional wrestling in the US. The defining moment of the main event - Samoe Joe's classic second world title defense against the hometown hero CM Punk, the first match to receive a 5 star rating for any match in North America in 7 years - Punk yells to a heckler in the crowd, "You don't like it? The door's over there, asshole!" By the time the 60 minute time limit had expired, even that fan had to be on his feet, and ROH truly became "reborn."
Manhattan Mayhem - Back in 1993, Vince McMahon walked into the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center, stuck a big WWF flag in it, and claimed it to be his land. Then in 2005, ROH entered the Grand Ballroom of the New Yorker Hotel around the corner and took over, and by the end of the night, New York City would be their turf. From the Carnage Crew destroying Dunn & Marcos to The Rottweilers damn-near killing Jay Lethal with one of the most horrific double team moves ever, this is the original super card and may still be the best card ROH has ever produced, even to this day.
Death Before Dishonor III - CM Punk was a real bastard, and here's why. In probably the biggest swerve in the history of the company and one of their finest angles as well, CM Punk wins the title to the delight of the fans in a classic against Austin Aries, then turns on them, proclaiming he is going to take the ROH World Title to Vince McMahon. Then Christopher Daniels makes a comeback, and the chase is on. This is an event that builds, with a great undercard all the way to a fantastic finish.
Punk: The Final Chapter - A great card that was the culmination of CM Punk's legendary summer in ROH. A great blend of hilarious antics and touching heartfelt moments. It has the state of the art wrestling we've come to expect from ROH (from the Four Corner Survival opener and the Hardy-Strong match) and riotous brawls (from Steel doing one of the sickest blade jobs to Low Ki double-stomping Jay Lethal from the bleachers). Great stories told between Gibson and Spanky and the feuds between the Rottweilers and Joe/Lethal and the Embassy and Generation Next. And then of course there's the emotional last match of CM Punk which brought tears to my eyes.
Joe Vs. Kobashi - What needs to be said about Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi that hasn't already been said? It may not be the best of Kobashi's matches, but it is still as great as they say, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is the biggest and most important event ROH has ever put on. Probably the best performance by an ROH crowd ever, as they show you how much larger than life this match is.
Supercard of Honor - Even though Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong III began after midnight, and they would wrestle for 56 grueling minutes, the fans in Chicago Ridge never died down. This is the most loaded ROH event ever, and it might never be topped. The stars of Dragon Gate and SHIMMER make a huge impact, the CZW-ROH and Homicide-Colt Cabana wars really rage on, and by 1a.m. after five hours of action, the fans of ROH have gotten more than their money's worth.
Better Than Our Best - The most aptly titled of all ROH events finds Lance Storm coming out of retirement to face Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Title, the stars of Dragon Gate challenge Aries and Strong for the ROH Tag Team Titles, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Jimmy Yang go at it in a loaded Four Corner Survival Match, and in the main event, Colt Cabana goes for redemption against Homicide in a brutal Chicago Street Fight. Does that sound like something you can afford to miss? I don't think so.
The 100th Show - Sure the Cage of Death at 'Death Before Dishonor IV' was the crowning achievement of the ROH-CZW war, but at this very special show in ROH's hometown of Philadelphia, it was truly on. In one of the coolest, most violent brawls in the history of the company, Team ROH made a stand against Team CZW and they went down in a blaze of glory. Also, Delirious goes from do or die to main event player and Christopher Daniels finally follows the code against Claudio Castignoli in a move he will later regret. One of the wildest shows ever.
Glory By Honor V: Night 2 - This event - for which I sat in the second row for - could be defined by many things, like the first time the GHC Title was defended on U.S. soil, the Kings of Wrestling shocking us all by defeating Aries and Strong for the World Tag Team Titles, the first time Homicide and Joe joined forces against the Briscoes, or the Bryan Danielson-KENTA battle which is still the best match I have ever seen live. But the defining moment came when the legendary Bruno Sammartino spoke to the crowd - which was so respectful and silent that you could hear a pin drop - and told us that he was proud to say this is what wrestling should be.
Final Battle 2006 - My personal favorite ROH moment of all time - being in the crowd where Homicide jumped the rail to be with the fans, and celebrate finally winning the ROH World Title. The hometown hero and ROH icon laid his demons to rest that night, overcoming all obstacles - Pearce and Hagadorn, biased officiating, Bryan Danielson, and an injured shoulder - to win his first title in ROH. Before that, Joe made a stand against Pro Wrestling NOAH, Nigel McGuinness took a stand against Joe, Jimmy Rave became a star, CIMA and Shingo invaded once again from Dragon Gate, and the Briscoes showed us they were ready for main event status in grand fashion against the Kings of Wrestling.
Fifth Year Festival: Finale - While the Fifth Year Festival will be remembered also as the Samoa Joe Farewell Tour, the Finale in Liverpool, England will be remembered for many things: Nigel McGuinness destroying Jimmy Rave in a Fight Without Honor, Jay and Mark Briscoe taking each other to the limit in a near half hour draw, the UK's own PAC and Matt Sydal battling it out in aerial warfare, and the new ROH World Tag Champions Shingo and Naruki Doi defend against the newly formed No Remorse Corp of Roderick Strong and Davey Richards. The of course, there's the main event of Samoa Joe vs. Homicide in Joe's Farewell Match. Of all the FYF events, this is the one you can't miss.
Good Times, Great Memories - New fans beware, you will be an ROH addict after watching this event! Colt Cabana, Homicide, Christopher Daniels, Alison Danger, Shingo, and (temporarily) Austin Aries say goodbye to ROH in an emotional event that sees new talent emerge and make a huge impact. The ROH-Dragon Gate-NOAH partnership has it's first shining moment as Takeshi Morishima defends the ROH World Title against Shingo, and the Briscoes defend against the Motor City Machine Guns of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin in an instant classic. Rivals 'Manhattan Mayhem' for best ROH card ever.
HONORABLE Mention - Death Before Dishonor, All Star Extravaganza II, Vendetta, Final Battle 2005, Dragon Gate Invasion, Death Before Dishonor IV, United, Supercard Of Honor II, and Respect Is Earned.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Hero Vs. Claudio - The Battle Comes To ROH
The true battle of the two competitors most fit to claim the moniker of king in the wrestling community will be waged this Friday at the Manhattan Center, when Claudio Castignoli and Chris Hero. The anticipation for this match is so great that it stretches all the way back to last year when the Kings were still a cohesive unit. December 23rd, 2006, at Final Battle 2006 was meant to be Claudio Castignoli’s last match with Ring Of Honor. He had just signed a developmental deal with the WWE and would report to them at the start of 2007. Hero would bring in super agent Larry Sweeney to help him acquire a locker room and a permanent spot on the ROH roster, and promised that he would pay tribute to his friend and protégé on his last night with the company the two had attempted to defeat months earlier during the ROH-CZW war. Many hoped that “tribute” would translate into “one-on-one match,” but it was not to be, as the tandem challenged the Briscoe Brothers to a rematch from their match in Hartford the previous night.
After nearly twenty minutes of tremendous back and forth actions, miscommunication between Claudio and Hero lead to their downfall, as Claudio went for a briefcase shot on one of the brothers with his Halliburton, but ended up hitting Hero instead, allowing the Briscoes to gain the pin fall and a measure of revenge in the process. After the match, Claudio thanked the fans and he would stick around for a little longer to show us all what the Kings had in store for everyone in 2007. Sweeney interjected, stating that he had big plans for Chris Hero this year and that those plans did not involve Claudio. Claudio extended a hand to his friend, who shook it, but ended up leaving with Sweeney to the dismay of the crowd.
Disputes over his work visa lead to Claudio never even reporting to Deep South for the WWE, and the most money making man almost immediately went back to work for ROH. He was once again, as he had been during his opposition to ROH, an outcast, as he was not welcome in the locker room and had to enter the ring through the crowd. Hero, on the other hand, would see his stock rise. His first match in 2007 saw him challenge the newly crowned Homicide for the ROH World Title, a match many assumed Hero would win the gold though he failed to do so.
The two would finally end up on opposite sides of the ring at ‘The Battle of the Icons,’ when they were involved in a three way dance also involving former rival and co-Tag Champion Christopher Daniels. Hero and Claudio seemed as though they were headed for a reunion of sorts, as they double-teamed Daniels constantly throughout the match. Hero, however, caught Claudio off guard at one point, rolling him up and earning the victory. Claudio was beside himself, but he would not get the chance to challenge Hero for some time, as Hero would venture to Japan to compete for Pro Wrestling NOAH. In the meantime, Claudio remained a target of Larry Sweeney, who even went so far to pay off Brent Albright to injured Claudio during the Fifth Year Festival.
Claudio would persevere, joining the ROH Team to battle the Dragon Gate Team at All Star Extravaganza III. More and more, the fans began to embrace Claudio with each passing night. He completely redeemed himself at ‘Respect Is Earned’ during his show stealing Tag Title match with Matt Sydal against the Briscoes. Hero would return and found himself now involved in a feud with Nigel McGuinness, who came to the aid of Bruno Sammartino at ASEIII when Hero challenged the legend to a fight. The next night at Supercard of Honor saw Hero on the losing end of a Number One Contender’s match against Nigel after a jawbreaker lariat.
Because of their excellent showing that night Claudio and Sydal were allowed to select a partner of their choosing to challenge the Briscoes in separate two of the three falls matches. ‘Domination’ in Philadelphia would be Claudio’s shot, in which he chose Hero to be his partner. The former Kings of Wrestling would be shut out in two straight falls, and after the match, Hero would leave Claudio alone in the ring. Then, at ‘United We Stand,’ Sydal chose Claudio to be his partner in return for selecting him for the initial encounter, though once again, they were unsuccessful in their bid for the gold. During the ‘Driven’ PPV taping in Chicago, Claudio was able to defeat his one time partner Sydal. After the match, Hero and Sweeney approached Sydal and offered him a hefty sum to abandon Claudio and join the ever-growing Sweet ‘N Sour International. Sydal denied the offer, but then turned on Claudio before Hero and Sweeney would join in on the attack.
Claudio was down but not out. He continued to strive forward on his own. Hero, meanwhile, had Sweet ‘N Sour International in his corner, and looked to be unstoppable. Both men were favorites in the upcoming two night ‘Race To The Top Tournament,’ in which the winner would skyrocket to the main event scene. Hero would lose in a Quarterfinal Match to El Generico, but Claudio’s story would turn out a little differently. He would go on to defeat Generico in the finals to win the tournament. As a result, he would receive a World Title match against Takeshi Morishima at the recent Death Before Dishonor event in Boston, which he came within centimeters of winning. The following night in Philadelphia, Hero attempted to maim Claudio by driving the ‘RTTT’ trophy into his eye after Hero was victorious over Claudio in a tag match.
Now, finally, as Larry Sweeney has put it, the money is right. Chris Hero and Claudio Castignoli will meet for the first time in an ROH ring. Wrestling fans have been pining for it for almost a year now, and now it is time to dance. Chris Hero will face Claudio Castignoli in their first one on one match in ROH this Saturday at the Manhattan Center. It may be the first time, but I am certain that it won’t be the last time. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever wins this first match will truly strike first blood in a feud that is bound to give us more than one classic encounter.
After nearly twenty minutes of tremendous back and forth actions, miscommunication between Claudio and Hero lead to their downfall, as Claudio went for a briefcase shot on one of the brothers with his Halliburton, but ended up hitting Hero instead, allowing the Briscoes to gain the pin fall and a measure of revenge in the process. After the match, Claudio thanked the fans and he would stick around for a little longer to show us all what the Kings had in store for everyone in 2007. Sweeney interjected, stating that he had big plans for Chris Hero this year and that those plans did not involve Claudio. Claudio extended a hand to his friend, who shook it, but ended up leaving with Sweeney to the dismay of the crowd.
Disputes over his work visa lead to Claudio never even reporting to Deep South for the WWE, and the most money making man almost immediately went back to work for ROH. He was once again, as he had been during his opposition to ROH, an outcast, as he was not welcome in the locker room and had to enter the ring through the crowd. Hero, on the other hand, would see his stock rise. His first match in 2007 saw him challenge the newly crowned Homicide for the ROH World Title, a match many assumed Hero would win the gold though he failed to do so.
The two would finally end up on opposite sides of the ring at ‘The Battle of the Icons,’ when they were involved in a three way dance also involving former rival and co-Tag Champion Christopher Daniels. Hero and Claudio seemed as though they were headed for a reunion of sorts, as they double-teamed Daniels constantly throughout the match. Hero, however, caught Claudio off guard at one point, rolling him up and earning the victory. Claudio was beside himself, but he would not get the chance to challenge Hero for some time, as Hero would venture to Japan to compete for Pro Wrestling NOAH. In the meantime, Claudio remained a target of Larry Sweeney, who even went so far to pay off Brent Albright to injured Claudio during the Fifth Year Festival.
Claudio would persevere, joining the ROH Team to battle the Dragon Gate Team at All Star Extravaganza III. More and more, the fans began to embrace Claudio with each passing night. He completely redeemed himself at ‘Respect Is Earned’ during his show stealing Tag Title match with Matt Sydal against the Briscoes. Hero would return and found himself now involved in a feud with Nigel McGuinness, who came to the aid of Bruno Sammartino at ASEIII when Hero challenged the legend to a fight. The next night at Supercard of Honor saw Hero on the losing end of a Number One Contender’s match against Nigel after a jawbreaker lariat.
Because of their excellent showing that night Claudio and Sydal were allowed to select a partner of their choosing to challenge the Briscoes in separate two of the three falls matches. ‘Domination’ in Philadelphia would be Claudio’s shot, in which he chose Hero to be his partner. The former Kings of Wrestling would be shut out in two straight falls, and after the match, Hero would leave Claudio alone in the ring. Then, at ‘United We Stand,’ Sydal chose Claudio to be his partner in return for selecting him for the initial encounter, though once again, they were unsuccessful in their bid for the gold. During the ‘Driven’ PPV taping in Chicago, Claudio was able to defeat his one time partner Sydal. After the match, Hero and Sweeney approached Sydal and offered him a hefty sum to abandon Claudio and join the ever-growing Sweet ‘N Sour International. Sydal denied the offer, but then turned on Claudio before Hero and Sweeney would join in on the attack.
Claudio was down but not out. He continued to strive forward on his own. Hero, meanwhile, had Sweet ‘N Sour International in his corner, and looked to be unstoppable. Both men were favorites in the upcoming two night ‘Race To The Top Tournament,’ in which the winner would skyrocket to the main event scene. Hero would lose in a Quarterfinal Match to El Generico, but Claudio’s story would turn out a little differently. He would go on to defeat Generico in the finals to win the tournament. As a result, he would receive a World Title match against Takeshi Morishima at the recent Death Before Dishonor event in Boston, which he came within centimeters of winning. The following night in Philadelphia, Hero attempted to maim Claudio by driving the ‘RTTT’ trophy into his eye after Hero was victorious over Claudio in a tag match.
Now, finally, as Larry Sweeney has put it, the money is right. Chris Hero and Claudio Castignoli will meet for the first time in an ROH ring. Wrestling fans have been pining for it for almost a year now, and now it is time to dance. Chris Hero will face Claudio Castignoli in their first one on one match in ROH this Saturday at the Manhattan Center. It may be the first time, but I am certain that it won’t be the last time. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever wins this first match will truly strike first blood in a feud that is bound to give us more than one classic encounter.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Matt Sydal vs. Delirious – A Classic Rivalry In The Making
The feelings of frustration and disappointment were coming out in droves this weekend during the ‘Race To The Top Tournament,’ particularly after favorites Matt Sydal and Delirious lost their first round matches to Mike Quackenbush and El Generico respectively. It was only nine short months ago that Sydal and Delirious – who most fans and experts already consider to be main event players in ROH – found themselves as the underdogs going into the ‘Survival of the Fittest’ opening round, only to wind up being the final two contestants in the ‘SOTF’ Match. The two high-flyers/technicians put on an excellent display that brought the Cleveland crowd to their feet. It wasn’t just a terrific encounter between two of the fastest rising stars on the independent circuit, it was another terrific encounter between the two. In fact, as ROH would have us believe, these two have quite a rivalry going for them, and it actually dates back to the beginning of the new millennium.
Matt Sydal and Delirious became famous in the St. Louis area – a true hotbed of the industry – when they both got their start wrestling for a local promotion called Gateway Championship Wrestling. From there, they traveled to IWA: Mid South, where they fought frequently over the company’s Light Heavyweight title. In 2004, their feud brought them to Ring of Honor, where at ROH: Reborn Stage 1, the two had one of their highly competitive matches that they would become known for. Sydal picked up the victory that night, as he would again later that summer at Do Or Die III.
Over the next year, Matt Sydal and Delirious would make minimal ripples in ROH. Sydal feuded with Trent Acid before teaming with Fast Eddie for a brief period before their split. In August of 2005, Sydal would be welcomed into Generation Next as their newest member, but still failed to make a splash. The situation would worsen when his valet Daizee Haze turned on him during a critical match in the Gen Next-Embassy feud at ‘Vendetta.’ Delirious had worse luck, as he would continue to lose match after match in ROH, never obtaining the big W. Fortunately for Delirious, the one thing he had going for him was the fans, as his bizarre antics earned him a cult following wherever he went.
But where 2005 proved to be a bust for both Sydal and Delirious, 2006 would turn out to be the breakout year both men needed to establish themselves as main event players in the company. With the feud between Gen Next and the Embassy now in the books, Sydal took to his sometimes partner/sometimes rival AJ Styles as a mentor. After a highly competitive match at ‘Hell Freezes Over,’ Styles invited Sydal to be his tag team partner and together they would challenge for the ROH Tag Team Titles, which were held by Sydal’s Gen Next teammates Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. Though Sydal would frequently challenge his stablemates and would almost always come out on the losing end, there was no doubt that Sydal was proving himself to be hungry enough to one day procure the gold. Delirious would finally go on to win his first match in ROH, as he defeated Ricky Reyes in a ‘Do Or Die’ match with the Cobra Stretch. From there, the masked man found himself victorious against at the 100th Show in Philadelphia, where he defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Jimmy Rave, and Jimmy Yang in a Four Corner Survival. Later that night, Delirious would answer the challenge of ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson, but would lose the match via referee stoppage due to a deep laceration on the hand. Despite losing the match, Delirious was not pinned, and was granted a rematch with Danielson the next month, in which he would come up short again.
Then, towards the end of the summer, during the Epic Encounter II when ROH made its return to St. Paul – the site of the original Sydal-Delirious match –, the two met again. Sydal would go on to pick up the victory in a repeat of their first showing, but the action between the two was far from over. If anything, it was only heating up. It was later that fall during the opening round of the ‘SOTF’ that Sydal would go on to upset Davey Richards and Delirious gained an equally surprising victory over Jimmy Rave. It was later that night during the main event that Delirious would finally gain a decisive victory over Sydal and move on to another ROH World Title shot. Before that, Delirious would prove that his ‘SOTF’ win was not a fluke, beating Sydal yet again in another tremendous match later that month at ‘Suffocation.’ The end of 2006 saw Delirious and Sydal on opposite sides of the ring yet again, as they would square off in a Dragon Gate Rules match at Final Battle ’06 that pitted Delirious, Aries, and Strong against Sydal, CIMA, and SHINGO in a stellar match. The end came when CIMA pinned Delirious, thus earning Sydal another win over the masked man.
So far into 2007, there has been no signs of the rivalry slowing down. If anything, it’s only getting hotter. Sydal and Delirious crossed paths again during the FYF: Liverpool event in a two out of three falls match. It should be noted, however, that Sydal’s attitude change to a more cockier one came into full bloom during the match, as he picked up a fall with a low blow, and would later go on to win the deciding fall. The last time Sydal and Delirious met was during the ROH Osaka event when Delirious’ team defeated Sydal’s team in a repeat of their Dragon Gate Rules match from FB ’06, in what was reportedly a show-stealing match. The next time the two are scheduled to face off with each other will be during Night 2 of Death Before Dishonor V when they are a part of the NRC/Resilience Non-Sanctioned Philadelphia Street Fight.
The thing that separates the Sydal-Delirious rivalry from all others is that it has been kept strictly competitive, virtually free of storylines. Since they don’t fight each other on a regular basis and their matches have a tendency to be spaced out over time, and because fans are familiar with their competitive history with one another, there is no need for there to be a storyline to keep their feud fresh. Sydal and Delirious are perfectly capable of using their in-ring action to keep the feud fresh. In this instance, the old saying actions speak louder than words certainly does apply.
Though the Sydal-Delirious feud may never achieve the greatness of or even gain the recognition of Flair-Steamboat or Misawa-Kawada, it is still a feud that will always produce good to great matches every time out, no matter the stipulations or circumstances.
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I'm taking suggestions for next week, if anyone has any. But as far as future ideas for columns go, I think I will be doing some fantasy booking for fun, as well as predictions and responses to the Death Before Dishonor events, as well as a look at upcoming shows, from 'Caged Rage' to the return to the Manhattan Center to the just-announced debut in California at the Cow Palace. Until then, stay honorable.
Matt Sydal and Delirious became famous in the St. Louis area – a true hotbed of the industry – when they both got their start wrestling for a local promotion called Gateway Championship Wrestling. From there, they traveled to IWA: Mid South, where they fought frequently over the company’s Light Heavyweight title. In 2004, their feud brought them to Ring of Honor, where at ROH: Reborn Stage 1, the two had one of their highly competitive matches that they would become known for. Sydal picked up the victory that night, as he would again later that summer at Do Or Die III.
Over the next year, Matt Sydal and Delirious would make minimal ripples in ROH. Sydal feuded with Trent Acid before teaming with Fast Eddie for a brief period before their split. In August of 2005, Sydal would be welcomed into Generation Next as their newest member, but still failed to make a splash. The situation would worsen when his valet Daizee Haze turned on him during a critical match in the Gen Next-Embassy feud at ‘Vendetta.’ Delirious had worse luck, as he would continue to lose match after match in ROH, never obtaining the big W. Fortunately for Delirious, the one thing he had going for him was the fans, as his bizarre antics earned him a cult following wherever he went.
But where 2005 proved to be a bust for both Sydal and Delirious, 2006 would turn out to be the breakout year both men needed to establish themselves as main event players in the company. With the feud between Gen Next and the Embassy now in the books, Sydal took to his sometimes partner/sometimes rival AJ Styles as a mentor. After a highly competitive match at ‘Hell Freezes Over,’ Styles invited Sydal to be his tag team partner and together they would challenge for the ROH Tag Team Titles, which were held by Sydal’s Gen Next teammates Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. Though Sydal would frequently challenge his stablemates and would almost always come out on the losing end, there was no doubt that Sydal was proving himself to be hungry enough to one day procure the gold. Delirious would finally go on to win his first match in ROH, as he defeated Ricky Reyes in a ‘Do Or Die’ match with the Cobra Stretch. From there, the masked man found himself victorious against at the 100th Show in Philadelphia, where he defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Jimmy Rave, and Jimmy Yang in a Four Corner Survival. Later that night, Delirious would answer the challenge of ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson, but would lose the match via referee stoppage due to a deep laceration on the hand. Despite losing the match, Delirious was not pinned, and was granted a rematch with Danielson the next month, in which he would come up short again.
Then, towards the end of the summer, during the Epic Encounter II when ROH made its return to St. Paul – the site of the original Sydal-Delirious match –, the two met again. Sydal would go on to pick up the victory in a repeat of their first showing, but the action between the two was far from over. If anything, it was only heating up. It was later that fall during the opening round of the ‘SOTF’ that Sydal would go on to upset Davey Richards and Delirious gained an equally surprising victory over Jimmy Rave. It was later that night during the main event that Delirious would finally gain a decisive victory over Sydal and move on to another ROH World Title shot. Before that, Delirious would prove that his ‘SOTF’ win was not a fluke, beating Sydal yet again in another tremendous match later that month at ‘Suffocation.’ The end of 2006 saw Delirious and Sydal on opposite sides of the ring yet again, as they would square off in a Dragon Gate Rules match at Final Battle ’06 that pitted Delirious, Aries, and Strong against Sydal, CIMA, and SHINGO in a stellar match. The end came when CIMA pinned Delirious, thus earning Sydal another win over the masked man.
So far into 2007, there has been no signs of the rivalry slowing down. If anything, it’s only getting hotter. Sydal and Delirious crossed paths again during the FYF: Liverpool event in a two out of three falls match. It should be noted, however, that Sydal’s attitude change to a more cockier one came into full bloom during the match, as he picked up a fall with a low blow, and would later go on to win the deciding fall. The last time Sydal and Delirious met was during the ROH Osaka event when Delirious’ team defeated Sydal’s team in a repeat of their Dragon Gate Rules match from FB ’06, in what was reportedly a show-stealing match. The next time the two are scheduled to face off with each other will be during Night 2 of Death Before Dishonor V when they are a part of the NRC/Resilience Non-Sanctioned Philadelphia Street Fight.
The thing that separates the Sydal-Delirious rivalry from all others is that it has been kept strictly competitive, virtually free of storylines. Since they don’t fight each other on a regular basis and their matches have a tendency to be spaced out over time, and because fans are familiar with their competitive history with one another, there is no need for there to be a storyline to keep their feud fresh. Sydal and Delirious are perfectly capable of using their in-ring action to keep the feud fresh. In this instance, the old saying actions speak louder than words certainly does apply.
Though the Sydal-Delirious feud may never achieve the greatness of or even gain the recognition of Flair-Steamboat or Misawa-Kawada, it is still a feud that will always produce good to great matches every time out, no matter the stipulations or circumstances.
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I'm taking suggestions for next week, if anyone has any. But as far as future ideas for columns go, I think I will be doing some fantasy booking for fun, as well as predictions and responses to the Death Before Dishonor events, as well as a look at upcoming shows, from 'Caged Rage' to the return to the Manhattan Center to the just-announced debut in California at the Cow Palace. Until then, stay honorable.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Bryan Danielson: Still The Best In The World?
For 462 days, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson – who carries the self-proclaimed moniker of best wrestler in the world today – was truly on top of the world. As ROH World Champion, Bryan Danielson – who sent open contracts around the world in search of fresh challengers – took on all comers, and defeated everyone that was put in the ring with him. He avenged a loss that caused him to temporarily quit ROH against Austin Aries in his first defense. He defeated Roderick Strong in each of their one-on-one encounters in what turned out to be a classic trilogy. He won classic series against Samoa Joe, Colt Cabana, KENTA, and Nigel McGuinness, who all fell short against the champion. The McGuinness feud in particular saw an instant classic between the two in which Danielson not only successfully defend his title across the pond in Liverpool in front of a crowd that was firmly against him, but it also saw him rest away the Pure Title from McGuinness to unify the two belts. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that 2006 was the Year of the Dragon.
Danielson, however, was starting to feel the strain of being such a fighting champion. On August 26th, 2006, during the opening minutes of a two out of three falls match with Colt Cabana in Chicago Ridge, Cabana sidestepped Danielson, sending him through the ropes and crashing to the floor. Danielson landed on his shoulder, causing two ligaments to tear. Danielson then fought through the next 50 minutes of the match with the agonizing pain in his shoulder. In wake of the injury, doctors told Danielson that it would be wise of him to opt for surgery, but physical therapy was not out of the question. ROH officials even offered Danielson some time off to recover without stripping him of his title. But Danielson denied anything – no surgery, no physical therapy, no time off. Instead, the champion lessened his load, defended the title only once a month, and continued his reign past the one-year mark. Danielson downplayed the injury, proclaiming, “Pain is temporary, pride is everything.” The classic reign of Danielson would come to an end on December 23rd of last year, as Homicide was finally able to end the curse and beat the Dragon in his hometown of Manhattan at Final Battle. Danielson handed the belt over to Homicide, but let it be known to the new champion that he would be coming for it again.
For five months, ROH was without the Dragon. He took time off to rehabilitate the injured shoulder, and then went on an extended tour with Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he was on the winning side more often than not. Then, the announcement fans had been waiting months for finally came – Danielson would make his triumphant return to Ring of Honor at “Reborn Again” in Hartford. Danielson found himself victorious that night over both Shane Hagadorn and Adam Pearce in singles matches, as well as embroiled in the No Remorse Corp-Resilience feud. The next night at “Respect Is Earned,” ROH’s first PPV taping at the Manhattan Center, Danielson made his first claim for the World Title when he challenged Takeshi Morishima. Later that night, he found himself on the same team as the champion against his old rivals McGuinness and KENTA. Danielson would pick up the victory for his team, submitting KENTA for the second time in the Manhattan Center with the Cattle Mutilation.
From there, Danielson has gone on to have an incredible comeback. In addition to the victories over Hagadorn, Pearce, and in the aforementioned dream tag match, Danielson has earned victories in singles matches against Jimmy Rave, Go Shiozaki, and against Nigel McGuinness in a match many are calling a classic, that was taped for ROH’s second PPV “Driven.” He has also been on the winning side of several tag and multi-man matches with various partners, particularly of note in a match where he and McGuinness teamed up to defeat the NOAH tandem of Morishima and Naomichi Marafuji. Danielson’s only official loss came at the hands of KENTA in a match that took place during the second half of the “Driven” taping. But it was at the ROH debut show in Tokyo after Danielson’s highly-praised victory over Shiozaki that he said over the house mic, “I want a title shot!” Later in the night, Danielson stood face to face with Morishima, who just had a successfully defended the against McGuinness. Danielson held the belt in his hands, claiming it to be his, before slapping Morishima in the face and quickly retreating, only to be stopped by McGuinness.
While both Bryan Danielson and Takeshi Morishima have other hurdles to jump before their World Title clash on August 25th at the Manhattan Center, this will no doubt be the biggest match since their return and debut respectively. Morishima has the busiest and most challenging month of his tenure as ROH World Champion, as he will defend the belt against ‘Race To The Top’ Tournament winner Claudio Castignoli and Brent Albright on back to back nights during “Death Before Dishonor” weekend. Danielson will be equally busy, as he squares off against Matt Sydal and Mike Quackenbush in two matches unique to ROH fans during the same double shot. While Danielson can’t overlook these two matches, as they will no doubt be crucial to his momentum heading into Manhattan, one can’t deny that his true focus is on Morishima. And with the challenges getting tougher and tougher for Morishima as his reign continues, one has to wonder what kind of condition he will be in when the Danielson match rolls around. Morishima’s matches have been going longer and longer since he won the belt, and that might be something that will work to Danielson’s advantage, as he was known during his reign to drag matches out as long as possible in order to turn the tide in his favor.
This month will prove to be the biggest month in the career of Bryan Danielson thus far. His matches with Sydal and Quack will be difficult, but will more than likely be warm up matches to his first shot at the title since he lost it last year. Morishima - who will more than likely be the man Danielson will face for the belt at the NYC event - will (literally) be his biggest challenge to date, one that he certainly cannot afford to take lightly. If he were able to defeat Morishima and recapture the title that he feels is rightfully his in the same building that he lost it in, there would be no question that he is truly the best in the world.
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Later this week, I'll take a look at the Matt Sydal-Delirious feud - which has been actually going on for almost three and a half years now - and why I love it oh so much. Until then, stay honorable.
Danielson, however, was starting to feel the strain of being such a fighting champion. On August 26th, 2006, during the opening minutes of a two out of three falls match with Colt Cabana in Chicago Ridge, Cabana sidestepped Danielson, sending him through the ropes and crashing to the floor. Danielson landed on his shoulder, causing two ligaments to tear. Danielson then fought through the next 50 minutes of the match with the agonizing pain in his shoulder. In wake of the injury, doctors told Danielson that it would be wise of him to opt for surgery, but physical therapy was not out of the question. ROH officials even offered Danielson some time off to recover without stripping him of his title. But Danielson denied anything – no surgery, no physical therapy, no time off. Instead, the champion lessened his load, defended the title only once a month, and continued his reign past the one-year mark. Danielson downplayed the injury, proclaiming, “Pain is temporary, pride is everything.” The classic reign of Danielson would come to an end on December 23rd of last year, as Homicide was finally able to end the curse and beat the Dragon in his hometown of Manhattan at Final Battle. Danielson handed the belt over to Homicide, but let it be known to the new champion that he would be coming for it again.
For five months, ROH was without the Dragon. He took time off to rehabilitate the injured shoulder, and then went on an extended tour with Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he was on the winning side more often than not. Then, the announcement fans had been waiting months for finally came – Danielson would make his triumphant return to Ring of Honor at “Reborn Again” in Hartford. Danielson found himself victorious that night over both Shane Hagadorn and Adam Pearce in singles matches, as well as embroiled in the No Remorse Corp-Resilience feud. The next night at “Respect Is Earned,” ROH’s first PPV taping at the Manhattan Center, Danielson made his first claim for the World Title when he challenged Takeshi Morishima. Later that night, he found himself on the same team as the champion against his old rivals McGuinness and KENTA. Danielson would pick up the victory for his team, submitting KENTA for the second time in the Manhattan Center with the Cattle Mutilation.
From there, Danielson has gone on to have an incredible comeback. In addition to the victories over Hagadorn, Pearce, and in the aforementioned dream tag match, Danielson has earned victories in singles matches against Jimmy Rave, Go Shiozaki, and against Nigel McGuinness in a match many are calling a classic, that was taped for ROH’s second PPV “Driven.” He has also been on the winning side of several tag and multi-man matches with various partners, particularly of note in a match where he and McGuinness teamed up to defeat the NOAH tandem of Morishima and Naomichi Marafuji. Danielson’s only official loss came at the hands of KENTA in a match that took place during the second half of the “Driven” taping. But it was at the ROH debut show in Tokyo after Danielson’s highly-praised victory over Shiozaki that he said over the house mic, “I want a title shot!” Later in the night, Danielson stood face to face with Morishima, who just had a successfully defended the against McGuinness. Danielson held the belt in his hands, claiming it to be his, before slapping Morishima in the face and quickly retreating, only to be stopped by McGuinness.
While both Bryan Danielson and Takeshi Morishima have other hurdles to jump before their World Title clash on August 25th at the Manhattan Center, this will no doubt be the biggest match since their return and debut respectively. Morishima has the busiest and most challenging month of his tenure as ROH World Champion, as he will defend the belt against ‘Race To The Top’ Tournament winner Claudio Castignoli and Brent Albright on back to back nights during “Death Before Dishonor” weekend. Danielson will be equally busy, as he squares off against Matt Sydal and Mike Quackenbush in two matches unique to ROH fans during the same double shot. While Danielson can’t overlook these two matches, as they will no doubt be crucial to his momentum heading into Manhattan, one can’t deny that his true focus is on Morishima. And with the challenges getting tougher and tougher for Morishima as his reign continues, one has to wonder what kind of condition he will be in when the Danielson match rolls around. Morishima’s matches have been going longer and longer since he won the belt, and that might be something that will work to Danielson’s advantage, as he was known during his reign to drag matches out as long as possible in order to turn the tide in his favor.
This month will prove to be the biggest month in the career of Bryan Danielson thus far. His matches with Sydal and Quack will be difficult, but will more than likely be warm up matches to his first shot at the title since he lost it last year. Morishima - who will more than likely be the man Danielson will face for the belt at the NYC event - will (literally) be his biggest challenge to date, one that he certainly cannot afford to take lightly. If he were able to defeat Morishima and recapture the title that he feels is rightfully his in the same building that he lost it in, there would be no question that he is truly the best in the world.
-----
Later this week, I'll take a look at the Matt Sydal-Delirious feud - which has been actually going on for almost three and a half years now - and why I love it oh so much. Until then, stay honorable.
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