Rocky/Danielson rewatch

This held up pretty well.  Didn’t overstay its welcome and was pretty intense.  Both could have done better on there selling.  Other then that it was fun.  Not top ten worthy, but it is a keeper.

Danielson/Daniels II rewatch (ANOT)

I think this is there second match.  I felt like the first half was just filler.  Got interesting when Daniels got cut and led to a good finishing stretch.  The elbow striking stunk.  Daniels were bad and Dragon was lowering himself to Daniels level.  Plus considering that Daniels had already had a match earlier, there was no reason this should have went close to 30 minutes.  No.

Aries/Styles/Evans/Sydal vs. Rave/Shelley/Abyss/Nana 8-Man War rewatch

Had its moments, but was an uneven match.  Time could have been cut, spots could have been executed better, the layout could have been rearranged, could have changed up the gimmick, etc.  I’ve seen better Embassy matches.  No.

Strong/Danielson II rewatch

47 minutes was way too fuckin long.  Especially in the first half where you didn’t get a sense of where the match was going.  They could have cut a chunk out of that and the match would have been better.  You also had YTMT and BAF in it which didn’t help.  Roderick’s selling continued to be pretty good and the match was pretty hate filled and stiff.  Still, I least saw a greatness in there first matchup.  Not hear unfortunately.  No.

Joe/Daniels 3 rewatch (Vendetta)

I think this there third in ROH.  This took too long to get going.  Joe did well in carrying this with his leg selling, but there seemed to be a bit of YTMT behavior from Daniels.  Best match between these two, but they never really clicked together for me.  No.

Sabin/Danielson rewatch

Inconsistent match.  Danielson was carrying Sabin through this match who seemed to be off at several points.  Sabin’s back selling kind of sucked.  Would sell during the beat down, but would just run through his offense as if nothing happened.  Danielson’s neck selling was wishy-washy.  He did do good selling it down the stretch.  Still, this match doesn’t feel important enough to warrant you see this, unless you are a completist.  No.

Strong/Danielson I rewatch

Too long.  Could have cut 5-10 minutes from this and it would have been a much tighter match and probably top 10.  It’s not like the leg work in the end wasn’t bad, but it had nothing to do with the finish.  Strong’s selling was alright.  The arm work wasn’t worked on much so I could live with him not selling it the rest of the match.  His leg selling was also very good.  Danielson didn’t really sell Rod’s back work.  It was similar to Gibson’s selling in the Gibson/Strong Unforgettable match.  I’m not exactly thrilled with Strong’s “backbreaker” offense being sold like Bret Hart’s 5 moves of doom.  I’ll give this one more shot.  Same for Danielson/Aries 3.  

Shelly/Claudio rewatch

This is definitely fun, but kind of lacked urgency and the selling was flimsy (one body part related).  The issues I said in my first review are the same.  The charisma and sweet mat wrestling carried this to the list.

Gen Next/Embassy 6 man war rewatch

Super fun brawl.  I’m surprised that it doesn’t get more love.  The only complaints I could say are the one ladder botch (already said) and the crowd being in and out of it at points. May not be top 10 for ROH 05, but a pleasant surprise.

Danielson/Aries 3 rewatch

Easily better then there May match.  Aries sold his arm better then he should have and it came full circle in the end.  I do feel like they should have cut Austin’s control section out.  If not, then it should have been the first control section.  Compared to Dragon’s control section, this felt inferior.  Flawed match, but listable.

Embassy vs Joe/Lethal rewatch

This had a really fun beginning, a solid if a bit long middle, and a sweet if a bit “back and forth” ending.  You could do worse.  Listable.

Kobashi/Homicide vs Joe/Ki rewatch

This is still pretty awesome.  Homicide still bothered me, but it wasn’t as bad as before.  I don’t think this is the best ROH tag, but it is up there.  Keeper.

Strong/Gibson II rewatch

This is better then there first match based on Strong being better in this.  However, Gibson’s selling was not Gibson-like.  Like he didn’t make the back work the big deal it should have been.  Thank god Strong sold his hand by not doing chops, because it probably would have went the same direction as Punk/Aries.  Just to add to the pain, there was a tiny bit of “back and forth” in the beginning.  It is listable, but I don’t think this going to be top 10 for ROH 05.

RIP Macho Man

Joe/Kobashi rewatch

Pretty much holds up.  I see Kobashi’s restholds as a means of bringing the crowd so they explode later on in the match.  I didn’t like it, but I understood it.  There were tiny little comebacks which were quick, but were effectively neutralized a few moments later.  So no “back and forth”, but they were close.  Everything else is still awesome.  Possible #1 right now.

Yang/Gibson rewatch

Felt more like a “spot rest spot”.  Good for what it was, but not listable.  No.

Danielson/Gibson rewatch

This is a high end slow building match.  Good progression, good revenge spots, and a smart ending.  Disregard the argument I made on the crowd heat.  I was wrong there.  Gibson’s arm selling was good although, he did have a stretch near the end where he kind of no-sold it.  Other then that he was fine.  #1 right now.

Ki/Lethal (1st match) FWH rewatch

This held up pretty well.  This match was built up pretty well and the ending ended when it needed to.  The table spot and Lethal coming back with basic suplexes were really the only detractors.  On the list.

Colt/Nigel Soccer Riot Match rewatch

Most definitely a good fun match.  High end match of the year?  No.  I feel the match was layed out in a way where the the end run was not as hot as it could have been.  I won’t complain if someone likes it, just not cream of the crop.  No.

Hardy/Strong rewatch

This match does feel top 10 worthy for ROH 05.  Just felt like there was no wasted motion in this with maybe an exception to Roddy’s chop the post spot.  Even then, Hardy didn’t really work on the hand.  Rod’s leg selling and Hardy’s back selling were both great and the ending was logical.  Either #1 or #2 right now.  We will see.

Ki/Homicide vs Joe/Lethal rewatch

This held up much better on rewatch except for two things.  One, Homicide.  He had some miscommunication with Lethal at points in the beginning and his lack of selling post-match was very aggravating.  Other then that, his selling during the match was fine.  Two, time could have been cut from it.  The Lethal control section was a bit too long and I think they could have shaved part of the ending.  I think this needs one more rewatch, but it is in right now.

Rave/Aries rewatch

This was an Aries carry job.  Rave, does not know how to carry a middle.  Plus, his punches tended to look like crap at points and at other points good at different points in the match.  Why that’s the case, I don’t know.  Aries sells his ribs like a million.  Why he didn’t sell his neck at all in the match against Punk, I don’t know.  I am getting more of a “good smackdown match” vibe from this.  Not bad, but it doesn’t really feel like cream of the crop material.  No.

Rave/Shelly/Abyss vs Aries/Strong/Sydal rewatch

I am in the “solid” crowd for this.  I don’t know what it is, but I feel like they could have cut some time from the Embassy control section.  You also have the over the top rope botch with Aries which looked really bad.  This may need a third rewatch.  Right now, I feel it belongs in.

Punk/Daniels rewatch

It’s still very good.  Daniel’s selling is the only issue with this, but it is a huge problem when the story involves dueling body part work.  However, the work from each wrestler on there body parts was compelling.  Not the underrated classic I thought, but still listable.

Punk/Gibson rewatch

OK, the first issue I want to get off my chest is that if your title contender got busted open earlier in the evening, then you shouldn’t be having a match that goes 28 minutes.  I also feel that you could have done the same match without having to do the pre-match storyline.  With that out of the way, this match is very good, but flabby at 28 minutes.  Punk’s arm selling was better then I thought (my bad) and Gibson’s sold exhaustion well.  It did get long in the tooth at the end with the submissions and I’m still not high on fighting spirit.  Reminds me of the Spanky/Danielson match.  I feel this is just a touch better.

Styles/Strong rewatch

Pretty much the same criticisms as last time.  AJ’s back selling was nonexistent and some YTMT stuff.  Other then that this was a tight little match and the back stuff wasn’t the whole story.  Falls in the same pattern as Gibson/Aries 1, but below it.  Keeper.

Joe/Aries 3 rewatch

This is the worst of the three, but even then it is still a very good match.  The issue is that this tended to get methodical at points and I felt like the rope breaks were kind of shoehorned.  This is still a keeper.

Punk/Lethal rewatch

I liked the beginning where Lethal tried to go for the kill early and Punk doing everything he can to avoid getting back in the ring.  Punk’s neck was meh, but Jay sold the neck well until about the end.  Punk being a dick and using the muscle buster and choke was aces.  There are tiny little issues here and there but this is listable. 

Aries/Punk DBD3 rewatch

Flawed match.  The neck selling from both was crappy.  Especially Aries because he had his neck worked over for 10 minutes and was supposed to be the focus of the match.  It is good for what it is, but as of right now I don’t think the story was executed in a manner to keep it on the nominated list.  No, but I may rewatch.