Pro Wrestling Chronicle

I debut my vanity posting (as if they all aren’t) on my favorite Wrestlier of the last year, “American Dragon” Brian Danielson. Focusing mostly on his great ROH World Title run, I’ll go match by match with in depth analysis and commentary. What I like and don’t like, where this fits into the context of the times in ROH, and of course I include Dragon’s intro messages to the crowd via Bobby Cruise with each review. It’s like Steal This Match, except it’s all Best Wrestler in the World, all of the time! Welcome to Project Danielson.

Before we begin, here is my personal scale. Other members of this site may have different ways of looking at match ratings. This is onl;y the opinion of John Philapavage, and not the entire staff of Wrestling Chronicle.com:

To me ***3/4 is a great match but missing something to get it to the next level.

*** = Good
***1/2 = Very Good
***3/4 = Great
**** = Excellent
****1/2 = Amazing
****3/4 = Near Perfect
***** = Perfect

Styles make fights, much like in boxing or MMA. And workrate or match length does not necessarily dictate a better match. Just because a match goes 60 minutes, that does not make it at least 4 stars.

Also, just because ALOT of holds are demonstrated does not mean it was the best match. That indicates it has the potential to be a great technical match, but the holds could mean nothing five minutes later to the story, and therefore make the sequence irrelevant.

Moving along, sub-genres should have there own scale. A match that really is the setting for a large angle (like a double turn, regular turn, forwarding or starting a major story) does get boasted in my rating beyond workrate. Comedy matches are not penalized for being about humor, and lucha isn’t penalized for being dance-like. If it’s over with the audience, that must be taken into account. Sometimes NOAH matches run for 20 minutes before overkill of finishers, and sometimes it looks like that, but makes alot more sense.

We strive to be worldly here on the site, so we watch ALOT of different styles from ALOT of different eras. This year’s Dragon Gate 6-man might be looked upon as 1997s Michunoku Pro Six Man in ECW. That is to say, great at the time, but just solid or a good little match now. But that’s okay, as readjustment reviews years later are fun too, and everything must be taken in context. Sgt. Slaughter vs Pat Patterson from 1983 would probably seem pedestrian now. Then again, so would Lou Thesz or some of the great World Class six man matches. But they ARE great for there time, and I’ll take into account the surroundings of the Pro Wrestling landscape.

Overall, I like to stress perspective in my reviews, make clear my tastes and how they do or don’t matter in the long run, and give details as to why I think and score the way I do. Lets move on to the matches…

This week I’m doing one of two that I think never get enough credit during the title run, the other being the 2.11.07 Alex Shelly vs Dragon match. But that’s next week, because this week we get one of the most bland promos in wrestling, and one of the greatest thinks and talkers on Figure Four Daily ever, Lance Storm. Oh yeah, and that American Dragon dude.

4.1.06 Dragon-Lance Storm: This match was the night after Danielson and Strong went 56 minutes, and it’s also the second night in Chicago in front of a huge crowd. Storm seems like time has been kind to him, both in his athletic ability and fan’s appreciation of his talents. I still remember going to see ECW shows in the late 90s and Storm having trouble breaking through. History has been good to him, and he’s the kind of guy that deserves it.
Build up for this match started in 12.3.05 in NYC when Storm met Danielson in the ring and they shook hands. Promos on DVDs from Storm came over the course of months, leading to this match. Very good build up and ROH fans were actually really excited to see Storm again (which is why you know it’s a niche product, and I say that as one of its big supporters).
The crowd is so firmly behind Lance Storm to the point that, for the most part, Danielson gets to be not only the heel in theory and presentation, but in practice. Storm coming out to his old ECW theme didn’t hurt. He gets the red and white streamer treatment from the Chicago faithful.
Danielson line of intro. Via Bobby Cruise: “… And really too good to wrestle in front of all these pricks.”
Danielson, it should be mentioned, is also carrying some heel heat from an in-ring confrontation earlier in the night with beloved ROH legend Samoa Joe (A feud which was carried out, mostly at the same building in Chicago, thru the rest of the year). In the body of the promo Danielson steals Storm’s tagline and remarks that he was trained by HBK while Storm was “dying up in Calgary”.
“Fuck you Dragon” chant. We start with the typical mat/hold variations exchange, this one being on the high end of those. Storm shows he’s scouted Dragon by side-stepping the dropkick at the end. Nice touch. More mat work and Lance really looks crisp. Danielson slaps him on a rope break for heat, and after another exchange Storm slaps him back. Danielson eventually gets the drop kick to take control.
Subtle strength: three pin attempts end up as one counts in the first seven or so minutes. A refreshing logical twist which has become a lost art in the false finish crazed era. During this, Danielson not hooking the leg is brought up by announcer Dave Prazak, which is a good point and enhances my viewing. Danielson sells well for Storm’s offense, which looked good, and he eventually takes the heel “powder to the floor”. Not only am I a fan of that routine, but he makes ref Todd Sinclair look at his teeth, which he claims are dislodged. Funny stuff.
The welts on Danielson’s chest from his match the night before with Rodrick Strong are put over on commentary, as well as Storm having “ten months” to train “specifically” for this match. ROH does a very good job of getting over details and how they influence a match from within their worked universe. It reminds me a lot of something I’d appreciate on a show like LOST, or takes fans back to a weekly TV presentation like 80s Mid South Wrestling. Act one, all seven minutes of it, is exactly what it needed to be.
Next, we get two minutes of crisp Danielson offense, and then a few equally solid minutes of “mid-match offense” from Storm. Nothing spectacular, just solid and well executed, which is what it needed to be. Danielson’s “I have till five, ref” is really over, and Storm’s brief tease of the half crab at 10 minutes in gets a big pop.
At this point, I feel it fair to say that it’s a little unfair to view a match just on workrate alone without considering the context of storylines or the total show. This match was sandwiched after a “state-of-the-art” (if not slightly overrated) Gen. Next – Blood Generation tag match, which was big move/no-sell heavy, and a main event street fight/blood feud culmination between Homicide and Cabana. Therefore, this match was layed out predominantly to avoid those things. For the most part, it’s a technical match, which I feel is to their strengths.
Storm takes it to Danielson for the short time they go to the floor, put over as “not letting Danielson dictate the pace of the match.” Again, I liked that, because earlier Danielson had collected himself on the outside while Storm waited. While Dave Prazak is good on commentary most matches, it’s Lenny Leonard who really adds to the action for me. Nothing crazy on the outside, but nothing bad either.
I like the layout of this match from the opening act to the pick up the pace back-and forth stuff. Storm is taking it to Danielson to the crowds delight before a big forearm smashes Storm off the top rope and down to the outside.
The second act really hits its stride with Danielson’s typical deliberate offensive display. Storm sells well, the crowds into the match, and I am too. The hope spots are more frequent, but well thought out, and add to the idea that Storm is a driven and focused man. The reversals and execution during these brief flurries might go under appreciated, but it’s really great stuff.
A lot of what they do throughout can be seen as (and I’m making up a term) delayed back and forth wrestling, which isn’t inaccurate, but it’s important to point out it’s clear who has the advantage and why during most points. I see it as the evolution of the heel Flair NWA title matches of the 80s, and there’s probably a precedent before then. I’m personally a fan of the style and it works well for Danielson title matches. It also keeps the fans emotionally involved.
During this period Danielson tries several pins and wear-down submissions mostly focused on the back. Right here they start to pick up steam, and I can’t tell if it was preplanned or whether they felt out the audience.
Storm comeback at the nineteen minute mark and I can’t believe I’m actually getting into Storm as a “house of fire” babyface! In the past I’ve found him to be overly choreographed, but he’s hitting his spots with purpose here. Danielson hits a powerbomb into a float over nearfall to cap a GREAT sequence.
Danielson again works on the back, which becomes a focused match storyline here, but Storm does get appropriate comebacks. I like that Storm makes Danielson fight to execute moves like the Regal-plex or chicken wing. When Danielson misses the diving headbutt, Storm hits a cradle piledriver in a nice nod to Jerry Lynn and the ECW days. This also marks the point at which the false finishes and submission attempts start getting heated reactions.
The third and final act is in full swing, as you sense a finish is coming and the pace is picked up. Storm gets the half crab at the 25 minute mark, and Danielson sells it facially to where you might buy a tap out, including getting pulled back to the center of the ring. Danielson twists and counters into a roll up. Prasak points out that’s how Danielson beat Strong the night before (Stronghold into a twisting rollup). Kick out and a Regal-plex for a nearfall. Awesome false finish follows as Storm rolls over on Cattle Mutilation for a nearfall. This final sequence is great as Danielson won’t let go of the arms (going for Cattle Mutilation), Storm continues to struggle, and Danielson executes several moves off trying to get Cattle Mutilation locked in. He finally does and Storm taps out at 26 minutes. I liked they changed it up and didn’t have a bunch of rope breaks in the final 3 minutes.
Even as a Danielson booster, this is a forgotten and less-pimped gem. Not the best match you’ll ever see, but better then a lot of the matches that people will tell you are M.O.T.Y.C. To me, this is on the level of the first two McGuinness matches in 2006. 25-30 minutes seems to be Danielson’s sweet spot for storytelling, because I’ve liked his shorter matches, and I’m a fan of his 60 minute matches, but the three matches mentioned are just right.
This also presents the problem of match ratings. I love to do them and discuss them, but context, story, and taste factor in so much at times it leads to useless arguments. The first two McGuinness matches and this one, to me, are all anywhere from 3 ½ stars to 4 stars. I’d say they were all 3 ¾ stars. The Joe and McGuinness hour draws I had both at 4 stars, but I actually enjoyed the 3 ¾ star matches better in many cases. I’d say I could just swap the ratings, but that’s not necessarily true. The truth is sometimes star ratings just contradict themselves, and you like matches for entirely different reasons. The stars are a fun way to gauge the over worth, and it’s a ballpark figure, but they really serve as an indicator for taste and encourage you to discuss them. I love wrestling!

Final thoughts: Storm said later this was one of his longest matches ever, as the longest was right around a half hour with Candido (I believe), and it also ranks up there as one of his favorites, but he stated this only two months after the match. Time will tell how it’s viewed. I think Storm wrestles smarter then a lot of Danielson’s regular opponents (not a knock on them), and while perhaps still shaking off the WWE-style of work, I also think the guy is an under-rated veteran and the pace added to the match. He was a very good opponent style and pacing-wise for Dragon, and his experience made him a much more knowledgeable participant. They didn’t try anything to crazy, and they didn’t need to. They didn’t go to long, because they told the whole story in 26 minutes. Storm knowing not to do to much was a nice contrast to the “NOAH-West” knock sometimes put on ROH (big move overkill with delayed/accumulative damage selling). This is especially true when you realize the Dragons Gate guys were on this card, and the big six-man match was the night before. Not only that, Danielson’s 4 ½ star match with Strong was also the night before, and this match got lost on many fan’s radars.
I liked that the match story was presented as Storm as the respected veteran babyface who was well researched when it came to the cocky heel champion. Even in taking his beating, especially to the back, he refused to make it easy for Danielson, which is something I’d like to see more of. The finish was well worked out and performed, and the match as a whole came across well on DVD. (3 ¾ stars)