Pro Wrestling Chronicle

After watching every show from the past year and going over the best of what they saw in audio format, Brian and Steve go into a little more detail on their personal picks in each category, thanks to the written word. Once again, reading is beneficial.

Best Newcomer
*As mentioned in our audio, we opened this category up to wrestlers who had already made a few appearances in prior years, but had a more substantial role in 2008.

Steve’s Picks:
1. Go Shiozaki: The fact that he was in ROH for essentially the entire year sets him apart from Lynn in my book. He had consistently good matches, and a few great ones, particularly two against Austin Aries early in the year.

2. Jerry Lynn: Lynn made a splash in his first match back against Nigel McGuinness, and closed out the year very well against Bryan Danielson. In between, he was very solid in the mid-card, and he obviously impressed the right people.

3.Kenny Omega: Despite our frequent digs at his nerdish leanings, he’s a really good worker who excels in action-packed early-card matches.

4. Kenny King: I predicted him as breakout star of 2009, but that was based more on potential than any great performances in ’08; basically, he was good enough to eke out a vote in a weak category.

5. Joey Matthews: The Age of the Fall member was a solid veteran presence, but he didn’t last long and I don’t think anyone will miss him.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Jerry Lynn: His name and past accomplishments helped him reconnect with the fans he hadn’t seen in four years, but the level of work he maintained at his age pushed him over the top for me. He had a strong babyface presence and hung with the best guys on the roster.

2. Go Shiozaki: I could have gone (no pun intended, if even evident) with either Shiozaki or Lynn in the top spot, but Shiozaki didn’t quite reach the heights of Takeshi Morishima in terms of presence. I did appreciate his attempts to develop a character as a member of Sweet & Sour Inc., and he had a fantastic string of matches throughout the majority of the year.

3. Kenny King: He showed fantastic charisma, great athleticism, and a lot of promise in his matches. He’s most definitely come a long way since his unspectacular days on the worst season of Tough Enough.

4. Joey Matthews: Back when the Age of the Fall meant something and had a lot of juice behind it, Matthews came along to give it even more substance by playing off his old history. I also dug, to an extent, the mix of old-school heel and vacant depressant he brought to his matches.

5. Kenny Omega: He was a really fun wrestler to watch and did a lot of cool stuff, but he needs dial down the dork and come back down to Earth to become a more effective babyface. Cut down on the Anime intake, and send the “Stop!” spot back to Shane Storm in 2006 Chikara.

Best Heel

Steve’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness: An easy pick thanks to some excellent work as a rare ROH wrestler who’s able to play a straight heel and stay over as such in spite of great matches. He really came into his own as a character and did some great heel mic work that generally didn’t rely on cheap heat.

2. Jimmy Jacobs: Jacobs continued to play his nuanced, cerebral heel role to a tee, and his year-long angle with Lacey and Austin Aries provided a great platform. He also excelled as the overbearing leader of AOTF as the stable crumbled around him.

3. Claudio Castagnoli: Like Nigel, he found new life thanks to a well-timed turn, and was good enough as a heel that it seemed like a more natural fit. His smarmy “very European” gimmick gave his character legs after his brief initial feud with Bryan Danielson died out.

4. Davey Richards: His turn on Roderick Strong was really good, and being paired with Larry Sweeney masked his deficiencies. He continued to play the dick heel role well and stepped up his in-ring work.

5. Rhett Titus: Far from a traditional ROH heel, he found his niche with a fun gimmick that he plays perfectly, and did a nice job as the “cock-blocker” who drove a wedge between Delirious and Daizee Haze.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness: He became very comfortable in his heel role since his turn in February, whether it was based on real feelings or not. He grew as a fantastically cocky champion while maintaining a serious edge, and both elements combined with him being on top of the cards all year gave him a massive amount of heat.

2. Jimmy Jacobs: He would have taken my top spot if not for how much Nigel excelled, but Jacobs continued the strong work he started in 2007, and had a lot more to play with this time around: trying to recruit one of the top stars, ruling over the tag team ranks, and doing his best to maintain order as some of his soldiers rebelled.

3. Larry Sweeney: His period of recruiting more substantial clients made his game a little more serious. These Million Dollar Corporation antics, combined with continued abuse of his own fatter, pastier Virgil and continually strong mic work, cemented him as the third major heel act. Too bad that talk show segment of his – “The Larry Sweeney Show Starring Larry Sweeney” – never went anywhere, but after that incident with Allison Danger, it was in need of some retooling anyway.

4. Chris Hero: From the renegade asshole from CZW in 2006, to the arrogant jock in 2007, to a more serious threat as “That Young Knockout Kid” in 2008 and beyond. Hero became more of a serious threat this past year – despite staying in the midcard – and did a solid job getting some hate in his third ROH persona.

5. Claudio Castagnoli: He was only a heel for less than the second half of the year, but his turn came at an excellent point, and the carnage he wrought was something very different for him. His largely serious edge with a dash of arrogance served him well in his short-lived Bryan Danielson feud.

Best Babyface

Steve’s Picks:
1. Bryan Danielson: His role as “Captain ROH” starting at the Sixth Anniversary was definitely a departure for Danielson, but, like just about everything else, he did a great job with it. He seems to genuinely enjoy having the fans on his side rather than trying to fight the cheers he inevitably gets anyway.

2. El Generico: In addition to his great tag work, Generico had some great singles matches and played the undersized babyface role like few others can. His dynamic with Kevin Steen earns him points here since Steen’s cockiness and intensity allows him to stay “pure.”

3. Tyler Black: As I explained in our audio, the fact that he was technically a heel doesn’t over-ride the fact that he worked a babyface style and was as over as almost anyone on the roster as a singles wrestler. An early favorite in this category in ’09.

4. Jerry Lynn: Not only was the “You’ve still got it” aspect a good hook for cheers and sympathy, but his “respect” angle with McGuinness allowed him to hit the ground running in a company based on respect and honor.

5. Delirious: A perennial favorite, his mid-year heel turn hurt his chances here, but was great as ever in his time as a babyface.

Brian’s Picks:
1. El Generico: With his team with Kevin Steen now decidedly babyface and an increased presence in singles action, Generico excelled greatly with his gutsy underdog performances, great selling, and a unique charm that had the fans on their feet for him while chanting that Bouncing Souls refrain. The only way I can see somebody not caring about him is if they found his gimmick somehow disrespectful, or their heart was as dark as Jimmy Jacobs’ diary.

2. Bryan Danielson: He straddled the line between face and heel for most of the past two years, but firmly planted his feet on the good guys’ side at the same time Nigel did the opposite. The fans have been loving his work all this time anyway, so of course they took to his more likable attitude like mice to cheese.

3. Jerry Lynn: The Mickey Rourke-style comeback in the ring and his battle for respect with Nigel garnered him a lot of good will, and he just came off in general as a really likable guy.

4. Brent Albright: He was very effective in making his Batista-style babyface turn against Sweet & Sour Inc. The Shooter didn’t blow up like the Animal in every market, but he worked well enough to become a formidable babyface player.

5. Delirious: A little bit of a darkhorse due to his heel turn later, he went from being physically abused in 2007 to being mentally abused by Rhett Titus last year, and did a good job getting sympathy. His courtship of Daizee Haze was one of the simpler and most identifiable angles of the year.

Best Promos

Steve’s Picks:
1. Larry Sweeney: The manic promo style that put Sweeney on the map seems a little tougher to enjoy given his recent real-life issues, but damned if it wasn’t entertaining. Some guys have trouble walking the line between being entertaining and focusing on selling a match, but Sweeney has done both brilliantly.

2. Jimmy Jacobs: I thought his promo work was down a notch from 2008, but he had a lot to work with in his feud with Aries, and still had more hits than misses. He gets bonus points from me for his condescension towards Necro Butcher.

3. Nigel McGuinness: Nigel’s promos were especially important because it seemed like his year was an endless series of title defenses with little storyline basis. He sold those matches by building heat with his arrogance and showing fear when the situation called for it.

4. Bryan Danielson: Whether chopping wood with Grizzly Redwood or cutting a serious promo on Castagnoli, Danielson showed almost as much range on the mic as he did in the ring, and that’s saying a lot.

5. Kevin Steen: He has to carry the verbal load for Steenerico, and while I’m not always a fan of his character, I was impressed with his knack to find the appropriate tone for a serious team that often uses comedy as part of their act.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness: In growing into his heel persona, Nigel seriously upped his game in promos, showing a range of emotions against a variety of opponents. He was really strong in talking up his own abilities explaining his actions early on when he turned. He was also very entertaining in running down his challengers, including on commentary.

2. Jimmy Jacobs: Once again, Nigel’s heel work overshadowed what Jacobs did, but he too had a lot to play with, and not surprisingly was the one guy trusted with the most time to talk, going on for as long as ten minutes about a variety of subjects without feeling too disjointed.

3. Larry Sweeney: More of the same work he did the previous year, but I’m not complaining. Continually great stuff that I enjoyed throughout the year and will continue to enjoy, even if we never see him in the promotion again.

4. Austin Aries: Moving up a spot on my list from last year, Aries hung in there quite well in promo duels against Jacobs. Good stuff between his explaining Lacey’s fairly muddied role in their feud in a Video Wire interview and trying to get on the good side of guys like Necro Butcher and Alex Shelley.

5. Kevin Steen: Steen moves down a spot on my list from last year due to the higher quality of work further up by Aries and the others, but he still did some mighty fine work in talking up his increasingly important quest for a title, and he was still very entertaining alongside his Mexican-Canadian hetero-life mate.

Best Feud

Steve’s Picks:
1. Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs: This was as easy a #1 choice as any other. That’s largely due to a very weak year in the category, but that shouldn’t take away from an epic feud that had it all – creative booking, major heat, great promos, and great matches.

2. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli: Although it was short-lived, both guys brought a level of intensity that elevated their feud to lofty heights, particularly in their awesome blow-off match at Southern Hostility. In hindsight, a feud that left us wanting more was actually a breath of fresh air in a company that runs too many shows and has to milk feuds for more than they’re worth.

3. Brent Albright vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.: Gabe Sapolsky’s classic meat-and-potatoes feud fell flat at times, but Albright was usually over (and occasionally very over) in the babyface role, and the various S&S heels were great foils.

4. Delirious vs. Rhett Titus: I bumped this one up a notch due to the novelty of showing an entire feud online for free. They weren’t really giving away any money stuff, but it was a good platform for Titus to grow into his character and to provide a catalyst for bigger things for Delirious and Daizee Haze.

5. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness: I think of this as more of a “rivalry” than a “feud” due to the lack of intense hatred or violent angles, but as such, the top two matches of the year (according to our composite results) pretty much say it all. Bonus points for Danielson’s other PPV matches which were tangential elements of the feud.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs: Not every element of this feud worked; not every fan bought into the soap opera, Lacey’s role was tossed by the wayside, and the sub-plot involving Necro Butcher may have gotten Necro far more over than the two main players. Nevertheless, Gabe Sapolsky’s biggest attempt at his own Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven stood out in a weak year for feuds thanks to the grand scope of its story and the great work by its two leads, both on the mic and in some terrific gimmick matches.

2. The Briscoes vs. The Age of the Fall: Kind of a retread of what began in 2007 between these two sides, but I give it major props for some more fantastic matches (many of them earlier in the year, many of them pitting Jay & Mark against Jacobs & Black) and the additional drama of Mark getting sidelined with an injury and returning in grand fashion. I also dug how they wrapped up this feud (albeit in ridiculous fashion) just over a full year after it began.

3. Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness: This one resonated quite strongly with me, largely thanks the past history between the two and how, despite how little the two interacted, they kept it just simmering under the surface in the eight-month span between their two title matches. Nigel kept stealing Danielson’s shtick, Danielson had to the run a gauntlet of Nigel’s past PPV challengers, and the result left me pining hard for that second World Title match and for Danielson to kick another head in.

4. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli: Really good and intense stuff from both guys, but far too short to matter in the grand scheme of things. Plus, when Adam Pearce began booking, this got a lot more simpler than when it started, but I’ll be damned if Danielson and Claudio didn’t pull out the stops.

5. Brent Albright vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.: A classic feud, basic, easy, not as consequential as it could have been, but Albright felt like the perfect foil for the big heel stable following his turn. Not all of the ensuing matches, were very good, but there was a variety of them.

Best Tag Team

Steve’s Picks:
1. Kevin Steen & El Generico: Not only were they easily the best team of the year, but they were a stabilizing force in a year where the tag division was all over the map. Both tested the singles waters with some success, but the “opposites attract” aspect always makes them their best as a duo.

2. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black: Age of the Fall’s top guns ended ’07 on a high note and it carried over into a very strong year. They should have kept the titles straight through to Steenerico’s win, in which case they may have contended for the top spot.

3. Jay & Mark Briscoe: Mark’s constant injuries knocked them off their perch as perennial winners here, and they may never get it back if he can’t get and stay healthy. When they’re together, they’re still very good, but they struggled to find a niche to freshen up their act.

4. Bryan Danielson & Austin Aries: Team Work fit the mold of mix-and-match tag teams that I usually don’t like, but their semi-regular teaming and overall excellence were enough to overcome that and win me over.

5. Davey Richards & Rocky Romero: Eddie Edwards is doing his best to make us forget this team (and Romero’s long absence almost makes them an afterthought in the category), but they really gelled nicely and had some great matches early in the year.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Kevin Steen & El Generico: I said in last year’s article that they could have taken the top spot had they had more of a variety of opponents like the Briscoes did and given more of a spotlight. Sure enough, they got both of those things and ran with the ball as the top babyface tag team, putting on a lot of great matches and having a nice little chase for the Tag Team Titles.

2. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black: On the opposite end, Jacobs & Black made good as the top heel tag team and had a lot of good matches against a variety of other teams as well. They miss the top spot due to an awkward initial title reign and Jacobs splitting his time between the tag team division and his feud with Aries, but they were a strong anchor.

3. Jay & Mark Briscoe: I echo a lot of what Steve said. Mark’s injury made them slide down the ladder, and even without that I started to have my fill of them (especially by their fifth Tag Title win), especially when they had all of these big matches against visiting teams and only one of them (the rematch with the Motor City Machine Guns) blew me away. Nevertheless, a good team and a solid staple of the tag division.

4. Bryan Danielson & Austin Aries: The best instance of two big stars becoming a tag team since the Rock n’ Sock Connection. Certainly blew that awful DX reunion out of the water. Not only did they have a lot of good matches (especially when they had main events as a team), but they clearly had a fun time together.

5. Davey Richards & Rocky Romero: A forgotten but really fun team, continuing the great cohesiveness they began in the previous years and making for fabulous dick heels. As World Tag Team Champions, they only defended the titles on two occasions, both against Ruckus & Jigsaw, but they still put on some mighty fine stuff.

Best Wrestler

Steve’s Picks:
1. Bryan Danielson: He continues to live up to his “best in the world” moniker and seems capable of a MOTYC every time out. As I noted on our audio, no one can touch him when it comes to executing the bulk of a match.

2. El Generico: After showing flashes of singles brilliance in ’07, Generico broke out with some fantastic main event level matches with McGuinness, and he continued to be the best tag team worker in the company.

3. Nigel McGuinness: His style has its well-documented (and physically taxing) flaws, but a look at the year’s top matches is enough evidence that he’s among the best workers in the business. How he adapts to his injuries is one of the more intriguing questions of 2009.

4. Austin Aries: At first glance, his feud with Jacobs wasn’t the best platform for success in this category, but he had plenty of chances to show his stuff against Danielson, Black, McGuinness and others, and did so with flying colors.

5. Tyler Black: His singles break-out was one of the pleasant surprises in a fairly bland year. I’m not a big fan of his heralded title match, but he did plenty of great work in the tag and singles divisions.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Bryan Danielson: From the usual suspects (Aries, Nigel, Naomichi Marufuji, Takeshi Morishima) to the not-so-usual (Kenny King, Kenny Omega) he continued to shine in every aspect. His winning one of NOAH’s titles and getting a victory in a Raw dark match over a contracted guy (albeit one that he was friends with) says a lot about how other people that matter more than me think about this great, great man.

2. Nigel McGuinness: His new heel role resulted in a lot more intriguing matches from him, and a lot of his title defenses were quite great, despite most of them following the same formula.

3. El Generico: He overshadowed his more midcard-style gimmick through several terrific matches in both the singles and tag divisions, especially shining when entrusted to carry some shows. Great selling, great comebacks, and crazy skills in the air.

4. Austin Aries: Because he was embroiled in a story-driven feud that relied on a lot of straight-up violence, it wasn’t as strong a year for his wrestling skills. However, he certainly didn’t lose anything he wasn’t utilizing at the time, and his title shot at Nigel was the best World Title match not on my MOTY list.

5. Tyler Black: He makes it on my list on the strength of his breakout performances against Nigel and Danielson and his ability to come off like a fantastic babyface in his title opportunities despite otherwise being a heel. More than anyone, he delivered on the promise he briefly showed upon debuting in ’07.

MVP of 2008

Steve’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness: He’ll never be my favorite wrestler, but personal tastes aside, he was clearly the go-to guy all year, and his successes far outweighed his failures, whether it was in the ring, on the mic, or in the commentary booth.

2. Bryan Danielson: The best performer in the company has to settle for second place simply due to not being given the spotlight that Nigel was given. He adapted to whatever role he was placed in and made the most of it.

3. Jimmy Jacobs: Sapolsky resolved to remove him from the main event scene before being removed himself, but Jacobs didn’t seem out of place at all despite his small stature and in-ring ability that can merely be classified as good. Carrying the verbal load for the best feud and second-best tag team of the year earns major points.

4. El Generico: His placement in the previous categories should be enough of an explanation. He’ll probably never finish higher without a character overhaul…not that anyone’s asking for that.

5. Tyler Black: With a bullet. He’s not the slam dunk to move up that he would have been under Gabe, but he showed almost all the necessary skills for a long, successful main event singles run.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness: Not since Danielson has the World Champion been the main focus in ROH, so it was nice to see it happen again with Nigel. The spotlight put on him, with a variety of challengers chasing him, certainly helped, but he’s the same guy I considered the best heel and the best on promos. A fair amount of his main events exceeded expectations (with SPOILER three of them making my MOTY list).

2. Bryan Danielson: Not too far behind in focus as the lead contender for Nigel’s title, and still the prime example of what makes Ring of Honor as great as it is (or was).

3. Jimmy Jacobs: Again, not too far behind in focus as one of the best heels and promo guys and the instigator in the best feud. A lot of people think Nigel and Danielson may not be long for ROH because of how much they already accomplished and how little ground there is left for them to cover. Looking at the end of 2008 and the past few weeks currently, I would say the same thing about Jacobs, and that’s pretty much based on his character work alone.

4. Austin Aries: In addition to still being one of the top guys, he stuck with Jacobs on every step of their feud, and he showed off a number of different emotions and motives just before and well into the feud.

5. Tyler Black: The clear breakout star of the year, setting the table for a secure spot in the main event scene.

Match of the Year

Steve’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (Sixth Anniversary Show): Take the technical work of a typical Danielson-McGuinness match (which is anything but typical), and mix in a multi-layered story that incorporates a real injury and the history between the two, and you’ve got a second straight MOTY from this duo.

2. Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries (Supercard of Honor III): This was Aries’ only title shot this year, and he made good on it with a match that arguably topped their stand-out effort at the first Rising Above. A great capper to a great weekend.

3. Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima (Final Battle 2008): The match one year in the making somehow managed to live up to expectations. Morishima as monster heel was a better fit here than ever before, and both guys brought a level of intensity rarely seen.

4. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (Rising Above 2008): I originally had this match on par with their first ’08 match, but downgraded it a bit on second viewing, largely due to Claudio’s interference and the out-of-place involvement of Alex Payne. Still, not bad for only their second-best match this year.

5. Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black (New Horizons): Just a fantastic outing from start to finish, and the way that they overcame the top rope breaking was a testament to the veteran savvy of Danielson, and a poise that belies Black’s relative inexperience.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (Rising Above 2008): Even with the outside shenanigans (which didn’t last that long and were already established earlier in the night), it was the same great stuff we’ve seen from these two coming off a slow cook since their previous World Title match. Excellent, dramatic work and a very satisfying end to a feud (or at least the most recent chapter of a feud) despite the babyface falling just short.

2. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (Driven 2008): A lot of the same back-and-forth drama we’ve seen before, only here it was following the best tease of the year (Jacobs & Black beating Steen & Generico for the vacant titles in June) and was escalated by an electric crowd. The best babyface title win and end to a show that I’ve seen in some time.

3. Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson (Sixth Anniversary Show): I felt their match at Rising Above had better action and better build, but this one still set the stages for it and told a terrific story. If I had to choose, I’d still take a run-in over a spot where a band of wrestlers united against the common enemy trying to escape, as if it was out of a John Hughes movie.

4. Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black (New Horizons): I thought their previous two matches were quite good, but I fell in love with this one while watching it when I didn’t expect to. A tremendous match with a spectacular finish against a technical adversity.

5. Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black (Take No Prisoners): Yes, it pretty much set up the story most common in a lot of Nigel’s later matches, but it still seemed fresh and exciting as the first instance of it, and the crowd getting behind Black like they did was a great success.

Best PPV

Steve’s Picks:
1. Rising Above 2008: The title match was ROH’s best PPV match this year, and the Aries-Jacobs I Quit match (complete with the long-awaited, closure-providing return of Lacey) felt as big as the main event of any other PPV. A solid undercard, to boot.

2. Take No Prisoners: Black’s underdog story and stand-out performance in the main event gave this show a sense of freshness and urgency that’s often lacking from ROH PPVs. Throw in yet another four-star Aries-Danielson match and a highly-caffeinated tag title match, and you’ve got a damn good show.

3. Respect Is Earned II: The AOTF-Team Work match wasn’t the most memorable or consequential PPV main event, but it was a great match; similar comments could apply to the not-quite-great title challenge by Shiozaki. The Erick Stevens-Roderick Strong Fight Without Honor stole the show here, even if the great post-match angle was inexplicably cut from the PPV.

4. Driven 2008: The two great title matches on top are worth going out of your way to see. The rest, not so much.

5. New Horizons: As much as I loved the main event, this show just didn’t have a whole lot going on, with a weak first half and a somewhat underwhelming retread of a Nigel-Claudio title match.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Rising Above 2008: The two final matches, one of them my match of the year, were great endings to two of the top feuds, and together made up one of the best straight hours of wrestling on PPV. The whole show was a revelation in production values at this time as well, at least by regular ROH standards.

2. Respect Is Earned II: Though the other three PPVs below each had a match that I thought was better than anything here, it had the most amount of consistently good matches, most notably the main events for the Tag Team Titles and the Fight Without Honor. Gabe was aiming for a PPV of straight-forward action and succeeded in my book.

3. Take No Prisoners: This had the best ongoing story of any of the PPVs, following Black’s title aspirations and the rest of AOTF’s motives throughout the entire show. A lot of good matches here too.

4. Driven 2008: The excellent main event and Nigel defending the World Title against Roderick Strong in a very good match make an otherwise mundane offering worth watching.

5. New Horizons: The bulk of this show in general felt like an episode of a TV show (something I wouldn’t pay to watch), and they shouldn’t have closed the show with a lengthy brawl between Aries and Jacobs after such a great main event. Still, I liked that main event, along with the World Title match and a fun midcard tag match featuring Sweeney and company interacting with Marufuji and Lance Storm.

Best Show/DVD Release

Steve’s Picks:
1. Final Battle 2008: Best Show is sort of a “feel” category for me, and this one just felt right. The card built beautifully from bottom to top and featured a great mix of angles and wrestling, capping off with one of ROH’s best year-ending matches ever.

2. Supercard of Honor III: The annual Dragon Gate six-man has become easy to take for granted, but the greatness of this installment was still undeniable. Along with Nigel-Aries, two awesome tag matches made this one of the deeper cards of the year.

3. Glory By Honor VII: Live bias aside, the mix of a spectacle (Steel Cage Warfare) on top with great straight wrestling (Danielson-Nakajima and Nigel-Generico) beneath and some special guests on the roster provided a whole lot to like in ROH’s return to the “home of extreme”.

4. Death Before Dishonor VI: When Adam Pearce and Brent Albright have a near-four-star match, you know things are going right. And it was only the fourth-best match on the show, thanks to Naomichi Marufuji, the Motor City Machine Guns, and many of the usual suspects.

5. The Tokyo Summit: I thought the dream tag match was one of the under-rated great matches of the year, and everything else on the card (well, maybe not Edwards-Miyamoto) was good to very good.

Brian’s Picks:
1. Supercard of Honor III: Steve has made the argument how it’s not that fair to name a super show with a lot of outside talent the best show of the year, but this was still perhaps the best in the “Supercard” series while also moving along a number of ongoing feuds (Aries-Jacobs, AOTF-Briscoes, and Stevens-Strong specifically). An unbelievable amount of great action (even with the triumvirate of Dingo, Sugarfoot, and Bushwacker Luke in a match). Thanks for the memories, Dragon Gate.

2. Glory By Honor VII: Live bias be damned, this show was just plain epic, even as it was going long. Gabe Sapolsky’s final major show had two great matches in Nigel vs. Generico II and Danielson vs. Nakajima, as well as an electric close with Steel Cage Warfare and a lot of love put into the DVD’s production.

3. Final Battle 2008: Definitely the best show under the Pearce regime, and a fitting end to the year. The great main event saw Danielson and Morishima going at it as if it was a week since their last match instead of a year, Nigel and Marufuji lived up their expectations since their last match over two years ago, and there was a lot of good work in the ongoing angles.

4. Death Before Dishonor VI: The first half had a great build of Sweet & Sour Inc. running roughshod over everybody, ending with the surprisingly terrific NWA World Title match. The second half was more of that fantastic wrestling goodness, ending with a well-built four-way for the World Title that began the Danielson-Claudio feud.

5. The Tokyo Summit: Ring of Honor’s best Orient-based card and a major show all around, highlighted by the spectacles of Sasuke-Strong and Generico-Ishimori. The dream tag match was fantastic as well, but I felt the main event of Nigel-Jacobs for the World Title was just as good for different reasons.