So after my first review of an entire show, I have decided to venture into the Ring of Honor world. I’d always been a side fan of sorts, checking out matches that a lot of people deemed “must-see” and I’ve seen about one full show if my memory serves me correctly. I always have liked the Ring of Honor style, with the Japanese-like stiffness, very involving storylines, and an overall emphasis on wrestling. As a lifelong WWE fan, I have been accustomed to soap opera storylines, with the occasional awesomeness thrown in. I like the WWE style too. I may be one of the only internet wrestling fans around that could admit that. But really, the fact of the matter is that any wrestler who can work a match can go out there for 15 minutes with another wrestler who can work and have a killer match. Shawn Michaels was almost a homegrown WWE superstar, and yeah, he’s the greatest ever, but in order to become the greatest, you have to work at it. Guess where he did it? A WWE ring! I understand that different styles appeal to different fans, but not every match has to be ultra-stiff; wrestling isn’t supposed to be a real brawl. However, with that said, Ring of Honor mostly employs this style well. It gives a real alternative to the styles of WWE and TNA. Wrestling doesn’t actually matter in TNA. Sorry.
So, after reading most of Matt Seagull’s ROH reviews on the Oratory, I went on over to Filestube and downloaded a few matches. Paul London vs. Bryan Danielson, Sabin/Shelley vs. The Briscoes, and my spotlight for this column, Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide. This match has a killer storyline, which I have done a little bit of research on for this particular column. I absorbed that and went into this match expecting an epic, mind blowing blowoff to a great feud. Todd Sinclair screwing Homicide at Destiny, Homicide occasionally snapping, Danielson being the dickhead heel that he can be, and the ALWAYS excellent Manhattan Center crowd give me a feeling that this would be better than your regular fare. And on top of that, Homicide said if he didn’t win Ring of Honor gold by the end of the year, he’d leave ROH! Having never seen this match before, I went into it with high expectations and an open mind. Will it deliver? It’s Bryan fucking Danielson and Homicide. Gimme a break.
What I decided to do here was give you all the best, most precise play-by-play I could for this match. After that, I will give a detailed analysis on what I liked about the match, and what I may have not liked about it. So enjoy!
ROH World Championship Match
Bryan Danielson © vs. Homicide
Ring of Honor Final Battle 2006
Grand Ballroom, New York, NY
The crowd is firmly behind Homicide and against Bryan Danielson (even though some people are cheering). However, Todd Sinclair is a total fucking PARIAH in this match. An evil ref has always been a favorite storyline of mine if used right. Huge “HOMICIDE” chant as Sinclair checks both competitors for weapons.
Very intense atmosphere in this match. Both men have injured shoulders as well, which will no doubt play a factor into this match. They go to shake hands, but Dragon flips him off! He flips off the fans to their chagrin as well. Oh yes, this will kick different dimensions of ass. The bell rings and we’re off! “Fuck you Dragon” chant now. They start off chain wrestling, but they end up in a standoff. Greco Roman knuckle lock now and Homicide overpowers Dragon, but Dragon kips up and suplexes Homicide, who then takes his bandanna off. They lock off, Homicide goes into a headlock, Danielson locks in a headscissors, but Homicide gets out. They lock up again and Homicide gets a headlock takeover, but Dragon gets a headscissors again. Homicide gets out and hits a shoulderlock and gets him down with a headlock takeover once more. Dragon turns him over a couple times for a couple two counts. Dragon gets up, puts Homicide on the corner and cheapshots him so Dragon hides behind Todd Sinclair. They circle once more.
Another Greco Roman knuckle lock turns into an armdrag for Danielson, who then transitions an arm wringer. Trip takedown by Homicide who then starts working Danielson’s leg. Dragon starts working on Homicide’s taped shoulder in return, and then takes full control with an armlock. Homicide flips him over and locks in a rear chinlock. Shoulder block off the ropes from Homicide for a one count and Dragon hides in the ropes again to boos. Lockup into a single leg takedown for Dragon who attempts a surfboard, but Homicide resists valiantly. Dragon teases it and finally follows through. Dragon turns him over, and elevates him once more now in the center of the ring. Dragon does this once more, but instead of elevating Homicide, he just stomps his knee. They trade forearms, slaps, and uppercuts. Homicide knocks Dragon down and gets a chance to recover.
Homicide picks Dragon up, but Danielson was playing possum and hits a couple stiff European uppercuts. Boot to the throat in the corner by Dragon, then hits a slingshot suplex for two. Rear chinlock from Dragon as the crowd tries to rally Homicide up. Dragon brings him up but drops Homicide on his knees. Homicide rolls back over and covers for two then locks in the same exact hold. Homicide drives a knee into Dragon’s face. He throws Danielson out of the ring, whips Dragon into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Danielson reverses a chinlock into a jawbreaker and takes control once more.
Homicide moves out of the way of a rope splash (?) and Homicide hits the Three Amigos. Homicide goes up top for a diving headbutt but Adam fucking Pearce causes a DQ. God damn it. Julius Smokes cleans house. What the fuck man? Not cool. “Bullshit” chant from the ROH crowd, but TODD SINCLAIR RESTARTS THE MATCH!! Crowd ROARS in approval and now Sinclair is God instead of “fat ass dick ref” that he was painted to be. I can’t believe I was actually sucked in on that DQ. Shame on me, then.
Dragon comes back in the ring and Homicide whoops Danielson’s ASS! Belly to belly suplex gets two. Danielson reverses a hammerlock into a shoulderbreaker. Homicide is selling that shoulder very well. Chop from Homicide doesn’t do much and Danielson locks in a cross armbreaker. Homicide eventually gets the ropes. Dragon drops a knee to Homicide’s face for a three count. Danielson continues working on the shoulder once more as the Manhattan Center rallies Homicide. Homicide starts building momentum with right hands, but Danielson stuffs him with a roaring elbow. Dragon looks for a Swandive Headbutt, but Homicide hits a cutter in midair! Forearms to Danielson, and he suplexes Dragon out to the floor! Homicide then overshoots a nice top con hilo. He took a bigger fall than Danielson did for sure. Danielson tries to hit forearms, but 187 moves and Danielson connects with the ringpost. Homicide starts working on Dragon’s arm.
Homicide blocks a boot in the corner, hits a Manhattan Drop, puts Danielson up top and hits a HAMMERLOCK SUPLEX! ARMLOCK! Crowd gets way behind Homicide here and boos when Danielson gets to the ropes. Homicide eats an elbow to the face, and Danielson nails a nice diving uppercut! Swandive Headbutt connects this time from Danielson for a nearfall. Both are selling their shoulders exquisitely. Bridging German from Danielson gets two, but Homicide says NO WAY BITCH and locks in another armlock, but Dragon gets to the ropes once more. They dual with boots and forearms! Spear through the ropes from Homicide. Danielson avoids a top con hilo, but Homicide baseball slides to the outside. Lariat to Homicide into the first row. Dragon hits a a SICK SUICIDE DIVE INTO THE THIRD ROW! That was sick.
Back in the ring, Danielson hits a missile dropkick and kips up! How charismatic of you, Bryan. Running forearm by Dragon and he sets Homicide up top, looking for a backdrop suplex, but Homicide reverses in mid-air! That gets a nearfall, and Danielson gets a nearfall off momentum as well. Northern Lights Suplex from Homicide and he goes up top for his own Swandive headbutt, but Dragon foils it. Dragon looks for a backdrop suplex off the top again, and HE HITS IT! Homicide landed right on his shoulder. Good nearfall. Danielson starts hitting those MURDERDEATHKILL ELBOWS! Homicide works his way out, but Danielson locks in a Crossface Chickenwing! HE DROPS DOWN! The crowd is legit trying to rally Homicide now. Homicide grabs the foot of Todd Sinclair on the last drop! Sinclair almost stopped it! HOMICIDE GETS THE ROPES! Danielson won’t break it! FUCK THE FIVE COUNT!! Wow. It’s little things like this that put matches like this over the top.
Homicide comes back with a butterfly suplex, and hits a Dragon Screw! STF! Homicide drags Danielson to the middle of the ring to a huge pop! “TAP TAP TAP” chant by this amazing crowd. Danielson forces a break with an eye rake. Danielson avoids a Cop Killa, LOCKS IN CATTLE MUTILATION!!! (I love that move). Homicide gets out, but Danielson locks it in again after a Tiger Suplex! Homicide has nowhere to go! ELBOWS BY DANIELSON! He locks in Cattle Mutilation again! Homicide is surviving! Huge “Homicide” chant! Homicide does the Hart-Austin Survivor Series pin for a close two count. Danielson hits a couple forearms, but HOMICIDE HITS THE COP KILLA!!! ONE, TWO, THR—NO! Danielson GRABS THE ROPES! Oh shit, the straps come down, Homicide grabs the ring bell. He’s gonna snap! The fans are like YOU BETTER NOT DO IT BITCH and Sinclair takes it away! Danielson hits a LOWBLOW. SMALL PACKAGE! ONE, TWO, THR—NOO!! Homicide gets up and KILLS DANIELSON DEAD WITH A HUGE LARIAT!!! ONE, TWO, THREE! HOMICIDE WINS AT 31 MINUTES! Wow, that was one of the biggest pops I’ve ever heard. What a spectacle.
Post match, the locker room—a little bit of it at least—comes out and celebrates Homicide’s first ever title. What a great moment. Danielson mans up and presents the belt to Homicide. Homicide is still in disbelief, looking at it, going like “OH SHIT JAY” to Julius Smokes. Everyone in the ring is OVERJOYED, just hugging each other. Homicide probably has the thuggest (yeah, it’s a word to me) celebration speech ever. He uses the F word multiple times. They celebrate for a LONG time after that to We Fly High by Jim Jones.
Analysis: ****3/4 My God, what a match. This was one of those matches that didn’t have to be about the work. It had an excellent story going into it with Homicide snapping at inopportune times, being screwed by Sinclair—only for the match to be re-started after a bullshit DQ. And my personal favorite piece of storytelling/character psychology, Danielson saying I HAVE TILL FIVE and then not breaking the hold—which sold desperation to keep his title in probably the best instance of that I’ve ever seen in wrestling. The work was wonderful here too, however. These two had glaring targets in front of them with their injured arms. Homicide took the brute of the punishment to his shoulder, of course but the story was that Bryan Danielson was such a wonderful technical wrestler that he made every hold—no matter how generic and no matter how much pain his own arm was in—look real and extremely painful. That kind of wrestling gives a sense that maybe, just maybe, Homicide may not do it. Most of the fans at the Grand Ballroom certainly thought Homicide was done on a few occasions, but Homicide rose to the occasion and took out the year-plus long reigning champion. Stories like that make a wrestling fan enjoy the product. This story of redemption, coupled with the physical psychology and the storytelling, make this a must-see match for anyone who wants to get into Ring of Honor Wrestling. This match made me an ROH fan for life, let me tell ya. It’s one of my favorite matches of all time, only behind Eddie Guererro-Brock Lesnar. I know diehard ROH fans already have seen this, but as was said, if you’re thinking about getting into ROH at all, watch all of Homicide’s road to the title in 2006. It’s one of the best wrestling storylines in recent memory.
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