Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Often I end up talking to a casual fan of the ROH product and it seems the only matches or wrestlers they are aware of are the top matches being pushed online by a large amount of commentators who haven’t watched most ROH cards themselves. That, or I hear knowledgeable fans afraid to recommend non-”5 star classics” to a casual viewer for fear they won’t find it top rate or engaging. I’ve decided to amass a list of 2007 ROH matches just below the Danielson vs Nigel, Danielson vs Morishima, or MCMG vs Briscoes line. it’s my selective *** to **** 1/2 list. Try some of these out. Alot of unsong heros on the list in a variety of styles and storyline matches.

Trying to stay chronological (that wasn’t a joke):

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Nigel McGuinness & Colt Cabana
Fifth Year Festival: NYC- New York, NY 2/16/07

Saw this live and then on DVD, and I guess some of this could be surprise that this was thrown together and worked. The Nigel/Cabana team does have history and it was a fun match, even if I wish Cabana-MG. would have done more mat stuff. strong match that I remember at about 3 3/4. What I will was in the middle of most cards I see.

Samoa Joe vs Morishima
Fifth Year Festival: NYC- New York, NY 2/16/07

again, saw this live and loved it. saw it on DVD and was underwhelmed, but by that time hype had elevated it and my second glances were affected. It does stand as a very different take on heavy big men that the U.S. NEVER sees. If the Undertaker (not my favorite wrestler but a great big man when motivated) wasn’t handicapped by bad opponents and a style of being the no-selling un-dead, and he had a really talented big man like Bam Bam Bigelow or Terry Gordy in their prime, then they could do this match. Very good but lost it’s luster on second view. Hoping to see it again after writing this, so I’m not sure if 4* is fair, feeding the hype, or slightly knocking a great big man battle.

Colt Cabana vs. Jimmy Jacobs (Windy City Death Match)
Fifth Year Festival: Chicago- Chicago, IL 2/24/07

I enjoyed this storyline and Cabana’s go home promo, which for whatever reason reminded me of ‘95 ECW and that great feeling I had as i became a weekly viewer. Maybe it was the passion that justified the need for hardcore, and the well thought out booking of using weapons in the match. I loved the lay out, the way the weapons came in, the blading was appropriate, and the big bumps meant something. Also liked Lacey’s role. This is what I hoped BJ-Jimmy would have been, though I guess it’s a feel thing more then a match thing, as the winner and lay out of that match was appropriate to. I guess the selling and timing of this match made more sense to me on a visceral level.

Samoa Joe vs. Nigel McGuinness
Fifth Year Festival: Liverpool- Liverpool, UK 3/3/07

I loved this match. i love the beatings, the lay out, the fact I - like everyone - thought Joe was jobbing to make Nigel in his home country. I loved the end, where Nigel gets beat down, Joe is leaving, and then gets called back. I also love that Joe went over, though I hated it until July, when I finally watched the DVD. This is to me the final memory of Joe in ROH you need.

1.CIMA, Susumu Yokosuka & Shingo vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito & Masaaki Mochizuki
And
2. BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs (Steel Cage Match)

These two belong on my list because i don’t see them as being top five or ten like many others. At the same tme, they are very good matches and do stick out if you watch a DVD. so they have to be on my list.

Delirious vs. Colt Cabana
This Means War II- Long Island, NY 4/13/07

Really enjoyable comedy match. that’s all. I think these things get lost in net fanship when we get to trained by star ratings, and I’m just a guilty. there are great squash and comedy matches out there, and as Danielson vs Morishima from 11/3 showed, a DQ finish isn’t always the devil, and neither are “Dusty finishes” if the company only does one a year.

Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Jay Briscoe & Erick Stevens
Fighting Spirit- Edison, NJ 4/14/07

This match had a great story going in. i didn’t like the Philly match 2 months earlier that alot of people did. It did get them here though. This had a good story that played on real life injuries, something I don’t object to if done right. I think this really pushed the line, but ultimately was strong. Mark comes out for the hot tag, and I love that his mom is there trying to hold him back, because it’s reasonable he’d be there visiting and watching. I wish they’d had shots of him coming out of the back and being told to not go to the ring since I thought the beat down of Jay was to long, but the ultimate goal of the story got over. Mark did get beat and they played on the injury. I do realize that if he had gotten in the match we would have all been mad since we were leery of this match to begin with, so there is a “live to tell” bias that is typical of even the most thought out fan. We love the drama of the story as long as it ends well. Same as a David Blaine trick. good match that tied in the NRC and Res. feud.

Doug Williams vs. Colt Cabana
Fighting Spirit- Edison, NJ 4/14/07

If you didn’t like the match from the night before, perhaps this will hit the spot. I’m a HUGE Johnny Saint fan, and so are Cabana and Hero. If you don’t know the British chain wrestling legend, look him up. This is some of his best stuff stolen in a good way. Euro style and chain wrestling meets with some comedy. I enjoy Cabana so much, and he deserves another on my list. So here ya go.

Lacey & Rain with Jimmy Jacobs vs. Sara Del Rey & Allison Danger
The Battle Of St. Paul- St. Paul, MN 4/27/07

One of the best Shimmer matches in ROH all year. Plus, i love tag team wrestling and ROH even has better tag wrestling w/ the ladies then WWE with the men, which is sad. Lacey and Rain are great heels. We get Jimmy in transition for some good stuff. If you haven’t seen Danger and Del Rey as a team, go out of your way. Del Rey is one of the best women out there on the indies, and Allison tripled her level in the last year. One last hoo-ray. Very good match to represent the women.

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Hallowicked & Gran Akuma vs. Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw vs. Pelle Primeau & Mitch Franklin (ROH Tag Team Title Ultimate Endurance Match)
The Battle Of St. Paul- St. Paul, MN 4/27/07

It’s fair to say some people don’t like the elimination matches or gimmicks thrown out in matches. I like ROH use of multiple people or team matches. They always give enough time that thier 4 ways give you a sense of who is who and what is what if you never watch, and if you do, you get great interaction from people who normally wouldn’t at that time in booking stroylines. You also get continuous action and pace.

This match spotlights the new arrivals from Chikara. I loved Quack in this match, especially because in Minn. it’s doubtful people cared about this “indy guy” till he made them. also, Briscoes in the end win out to show you who is THE team this year, and even the botch at the end didn’t kill the match for me. It’s just a 3 1/2 star match with a finish interrupted by real life (concussion). Better than the when the Briscoes won the belts and the wrong audibles were called after Mark cracked his head the month before.

Takeshi Morishima vs. Austin Aries (ROH World Title Match)
The Battle Of St. Paul- St. Paul, MN 4/27/07

The template for what a good match in Morishima’s title run became. This was a really good babyface to do it with, and playing off the back story of him beating Joe for the title really helped. doing the same finish sequence added alot, as did the whole comeback after a beating. Good hope spots from Aries. Morishima was just getting comfortable, but the finish worked to make him larger then life as a monster.

Takeshi Morishima vs. Shingo (ROH World Title Match)
Good Times, Great Memories- Chicago Ridge, IL 4/28/07

A good little match with perhaps a little to much in it, but 3 1/4 solid stars from me. The point in spotlighting this is how far Shingo came in his half year here, as I hope he gets a chance to come back. I hated his first two matches, but he got alot better, he got over with eh crowds, and he got over with me as a fan. I also loved anything he did w/ or against Jack Evans. Good match with two non- English speaking foreigners - not always easy in America.

Roderick Strong, Davey Richards & Rocky Romero vs. Bryan Danielson, Matt Cross, & Erick Stevens
Reborn Again- Hartford, CT 5/11/07

Sometimes i wonder what would have happened with a storyline of Dragon taking over the Resilience faction and having to deal with Aries both as faces upon his return. I just really liked Dragon with the young faces here, and it was an enjoyable little match. Maybe some Dragon loving bias in there. Also thought the heels work best as a Freebirds-like unit because Strong and Davey should be heels, but don’t really know how to be solid heels all the time. Rocky’s charisma makes up for them, or maybe just lends itself to them. Much better here as a heel team getting heat on a face then their horrible promos. First time I really thought Stevens or Cross would be fine without Aries. Worth a second look, everyone!

Naomichi Marufuji vs. Matt Sydal
Reborn Again- Hartford, CT 5/11/07

Marufuji is the unsung hero of ROH this year as a mid card player. He’s not even given the credit as a NOAH import, in the shadow of KENTA and Morishima. At the same time, even i had to tip my hat to Sydal by the end of his run in ROH in Sept. He’s especially impressive in ROH this year. Since i didn’t give a nod to Sydal vs Delirious from Liverpool (possible mistake), I’ll give the nod here. Lots of stuff we begin to take for granted here. Show this match to a newb and they’ll remind you how amazing these two are. Also, a good sense-making finish. Thanks guys.

Rocky Romero vs. Naomichi Marufuji
Respect Is Earned- New York, NY 5/12/07

As I said before, Marufuji was the unsung hero of the midcard in ROH whenever he was in, be it upper or lower midcard, and he’d be just as good in a bigger singles role as his counterparts in the NOAH contingent. This match was a really solid effort that fit well in the debut of the company on PPV. I thought Rocky Romero held up his end of the bargain well. This might have been the happiest I’ve been with a Rocky Romero match all year, and it was the polar opposite of my reaction to his match with KENTA. A highlight for me is always the opening sequences of of many Marufuji matches, from the “almost had you” spots to his chain wrestling escapes and submissions, he always knows how to build a successful match. This is the middle of my pack at about 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 stars.

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Matt Sydal & Claudio Castagnoli
Respect Is Earned- New York, NY 5/12/07

I’m not crazy for this match like many were when it first happenned, but it is incredibly entertaining and gives you a good idea of who the Briscoes are in terms of in ring. Great ground work. Good mat and chain wrestling. Decent submissions. Solid power moves both singleular and together. They aren’t brilliant at classic tag team strategy, but they occasionally cut off the ring, keep a guys leg, and work on the same regions. Jay is obviously the leader and the more crisp of the two.

Then they move to the top rope flying and high spots. At first your amazed. Then your scared. The finishers start. Your impressed, then your worn out. 5 minutes later it’s still going two minutes after that they pin the opponent and you usually pop big, though you were ready to explode seven minutes prior. Classic Briscoes stuff here, both great and not so great leanings.

Claudio needed to be represented and this was a good match to do that. Sydal is good in this match as well, and his selling is under rated. If only he could stay selling a bit when he’s ready for the huge comebacks where he seems fresher then when he started at times. The odd couple team worked really well here, and the ending is satisfying because this crowd refused to die no matter what the Briscoes did (NYC LOVES those boys). probably 3 3/4 stars.

Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Rave
A Fight At The Roxbury- Boston, MA 6/8/07

I LOVED this match. Probably only on a list of Danielson fans, but this was just a great little short match. Rave was such a cocky prick, and while I make my case I should state that the 4th Anniv. match they had was better overall, but this was a great 10 minute match to showcase Danielson. On the negative side it shows how far Rave had fallen as he digressed by the end of his run, but being a glorified squash in many ways, this was a great wrestling exhibition. a 3 star match that sneaks on my list.

Nigel McGuinness vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Chris Hero vs. Mike Quackenbush
A Fight At The Roxbury- Boston, MA 6/8/07

Another match that exemplifies what I love about ROH. All four distinct personalities in the ring with an overall story and character played out in a self contained match story. Always shows the freedom and creativity of the wrestlers and company and is usually given time to develop. Hero and Nigel are always good together IMO, but what totally makes the dynamic for me is the big Chikara influence Claudio, Hero, and Quack all use their familiarness with each other to an advantage, and Nigel just compliments it. Also, the Claudio vs Hero storyline plays a big part, as does Hero’s Dog and Pony show of Sweet and Sour. Don’t even know what I’d rate it. Gotta be on the list.

Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Mike Quackenbush & Jigsaw
Domination- Philadelphia, PA 6/9/07

I think this one will surprise alot of people, but it was a crisp and engrossing early card match. Every card should have one of these matches too, as it was about 12-16 minutes of solid tag team action which helped get over the Chikara team in ROH, but had the crowd approval of Steen/Generico enough that the match didn’t have to rely on just in ring big moves. It had a strong base and spots, but it was more of a story match focusing entirely on the team personality conflict of Steen and Generico. One’s a good guy and one’s a bad guy, and that completely gets over w/ only one speaking ever. Thank you for the action too. 3 1/4 stars.

Bryan Danielson & Nigel McGuinness vs. ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima & Naomichi Marufuji
United We Stand- Dayton, OH 6/22/07

I thought the match was good, and what would you expect from those four, but I’m not putting it on my list for it’s workrate. I’m putting it on for being a solid match that includes an awesome finish. Loved the way the finish was worked out with Nigel getting superkicked by Marufuji, but still rebounding to get a lariat on Morishima. The crowd reacts perfectly to Marufuji being grounded by Danielson as Nigel gets the pin on the world champ. Just a great effort all around and works as an important point of the story around the world title. Considering the history of Nigel and Danielson, them teaming is interesting as well, both chasing the title.

1. Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, & Rocky Romero vs. Delirious, Erick Stevens, & Matt Cross
2. Matt Sydal vs. Claudio Castagnoli
3. Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (World Tag Team Title Match)
4. Nigel McGuinness vs. Chris Hero
Driven- Chicago Ridge, IL 6/23/07

I put all these matches together because as matches they are all good but not great, yet together they made an entire event awesome. I’d say every one of these matches is easily 3 stars or more, but non were over 4 stars to me. I can’t even pick a favorite of the bunch. Traditional ROH fan thinking would give the nod to the Briscoes and Steen/Generico, but I’m not sure I feel that. At times I think lesser matches with some great interplay - Hero vs McGuinness - is what gets me going. All in all, these go on the list.

I’ll have the second half of the year up soon. Lots of good matches in the second half of the year.