Bryan Danielson vs Tyler Black ROH New Horizons 7/26/08

This was a very good match, but it was also frustrating because of Bryan’s neck selling being crap. It has similar themes to there other matches with Tyler being a dick and Bryan making him pay for it by twisting his limbs. But this has some swank neck work by Tyler and the fucking turnbuckle power bomb that broke the ring. But as I said, Dragon doesn’t sell the neck damage for the long term and puts it out of MOTYC consideration. Still being rewatched however.

Nigel McGuinness vs Claudio Castagnoli ROH New Horizons 7/26/08

As far as matches where Nigel doesn’t do arm work, this was better then the Steen match. But it seems to be replaced by match where Nigel works the head, but isn’t really sold as such. So it’s a storyless match and as such it was just good. The ending result is infuriating for the fact that Nigel survived two Ricola Bombs and didn’t really sell any of it. No.

Roderick Strong/Naomichi Marufuji vs. Chris Hero/Go Shiozaki ROH New Horizons 7/26/08

Damn good sprint. Not a lot to say except the match was stiff and went by in a flash. Although Hero getting taken out by one backbreaker was really eyerolling. No.

Jimmy Jacobs/Tyler Black vs Jay Briscoe/Austin Aries No DQ Match ROH Northern Navigation 7/25/08

Another good brawl. This one has the Necro Butcher and returning Mark Briscoe in it so this was good times. This also was part of an angle where Necro leaves AOTF which ends up deflateing the rest of the match. Too many better brawls this year. No.

Nigel McGuinness vs Kevin Steen ROH Northern Navigation 7/25/08

I’m not on the bandwagon for this being great. Sure this has a hot crowd in Canada, but most of the stuff done in this match was in there first two title matches, but with back work instead of arm work. The back work was fine, the selling was ok, but I thought that Nigel controlled too much of the match and that it affected Steen’s performance. No.

Naomichi Marufuji vs Roderick Strong ROH Northern Navigation 7/25/08

All you need to know is that Strong worked the back, Marufuji didn’t sell it, and you had that no selling back and forth that everyone hates these days. No.

Bryan Danielson vs Claudio Castagnoli ROH Northern Navigation 7/25/08

I really dug this although I’m not sure this is a MOTYC. This was an arm work vs back work match and with the hot crowd elevated this above other matches. Bryan’s back selling will determine your enjoyment of this. It was good, but not as consistent as I wanted it. Still a top 10 match in all likelihood. Rewatch.

Jimmy Jacobs vs Austin Aries ROH Vendetta 2 6/28/08

A very good match, but a bit too long. I really dug the hate between these two which eventually leads to Austin’s back being lacerated and Jimmy working on it. I don’t know if it is something that will hold up by the end of the year considering there other matches, but I dug this on first watch. Rewatch.

Jerry Lynn vs Nigel McGuinness ROH Vendetta 2 6/28/08

Just a back and forth, no selling, pain in the ass of a match. The only thing of note was Nigel’s fancy roll up to be Lynn. No.

Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli ROH Vendetta 2 6/28/08

The match was split into two halves. The first was mostly comedy with the Airplane Spin and Giant Swing and the second half was a regular going nowhere match with no heat because of the comedy in the beginning. The comedy in the beginning was good, the rest, not so much. No.

Chris Hero vs Roderick Strong ROH Battle for Supremacy 6/27/08

I know a lot of people have pimped this match, but I would barely qualify this as good. I thought there would be more a story to it unless they were basing the story around the Hero’s elbows. If that was the case, then you probably shouldn’t be throwing that many of them in the first place. Since I see this as storyless, the match had the usual good stuff between these two with the tricky mat work and the chops. Too bad the ending felt very deflating. No.

Erick Stevens vs Bryan Danielson ROH Battle for Supremacy 6/27/08

Good in a paint-by-numbers Danielson match sort of way. Bryan works the leg and Erick sells it OK. They didn’t really make with the strikes until later on, and even that was brief. I get that they were trying to build the match, but it took away from Erick’s strengths. It made the final result even more nonbeleivable. No.