Ring of Honor Est. 2002

ROH World Title Classic June 12th 2004 £7
The title of this show is a punchier, more accurate description of Samoa Joe vs CM Punk than anything I could come up with. So I'll leave it at that. On the other hand, the main event takes a bit of explaining: the first fall is submission only, the second is a tag team scramble, and the third is no DQ. Last team standing takes the title. Phew! Dunn & Marcos vs The New Carnage Crew (Danny Daniels & Masada)… Matt Sydal vs Jimmy Jacobs vs Loc vs Rainman vs Delirious vs Caprice Coleman (six man mayhem match)… Alex Shelley, Roderick Strong & Austin Aries vs Matt Stryker, Jimmy Rave & John Walters… Hydro vs Superstar Steve vs Ray Gordy vs Chad Collyer… Samoa Joe vs CM Punk (ROH World Title Match)… Dan Maff & BJ Whitmer vs Colt Cabana & Ace Steel vs Mark & Jay Briscoe vs Jack Evans & Austin Aries (ROH Tag Team Title Ultimate Endurance Match)

ROH Round Robin Challenge III May 15th 2004 £7
The third Round Robin Challenge is the first between tag teams, with the potential for three title changes in one night. CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs BJ Whitmer & Dan Maff (ROH Tag Team Title Round Robin Match)… Alex Shelley vs Matt Stryker… Carnage Crew (HC Loc & Devito), Dunn & Marcos vs The Embassy (Prince Nana, Josh Daniels, Oman Tortuga & Diablo Santiago)… Samoa Joe vs Ricky Reyes (ROH World Title Match)… BJ Whitmer & Dan Maff vs Jay & Mark Briscoe (ROH Tag Team Title Round Robin Match)… Josh Daniels vs Dixie… Trent Acid vs John Walters vs Roderick Strong vs Masada vs Izzy vs Hydro (six man mayhem match)… Homicide vs Spanky… Jay & Mark Briscoe vs CM Punk & Colt Cabana (ROH Tag Team Title Round Robin Match)

ROH Reborn: Stage 2 April 24th 2004 £7
The second night of the relaunch tour. The main event sets the stage for the following month's Round Robin Challenge, while Samoa Joe works another strong title defense - this time while carrying a dodgy 'burns' angle and a minnow of an opponent. Ace Steel vs BJ Whitmer… Shawn Daivari & Delirious vs Justin Credible & Masada… Chad Collyer vs John Walters… Nigel McGuiness vs Jimmy Rave vs Rocky Romero vs Austin Aries (four corner survival match)… Homicide vs American Dragon… Ricky Reyes vs Danny Daniels… Jack Evans & Matt Sydal vs Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley vs Loc & Devito vs Dunn & Marcos (tag team scramble match)… Samoa Joe vs Matt Stryker (ROH World Title Match)… Jay & Mark Briscoe vs CM Punk & Colt Cabana (ROH Tag Team Title Match)

ROH Reborn: Stage 1 April 23rd 2004 £7
Ring of Honor underwent a full-scale regime change after the Rob Feinstein scandal. This is the 'new' ROH, but the best ways from the old days live on. The highlight of this double-header is the Dragon/Punk match, which is arguably even better than their meeting in the Pure Wrestling Title Tournament. Matt Stryker vs Nigel McGuinness… Carnage Crew (Loc & Devito) vs Dunn & Marcos… John Walters vs Justin Credible… Alex Shelley vs Masada vs Jimmy Jacobs vs Jimmy Rave vs Danny Daniels vs Jack Evans (six man mayhem match)… BJ Whitmer vs Colt Cabana… Matt Sydal vs Delirious… Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero) vs Jay & Mark Briscoe (ROH Tag Team Title Match)… 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs CM Punk (ROH Pure Wrestling Title Match - Ricky Steamboat as referee)… Samoa Joe vs Homicide (ROH World Title Match - fire angle/mass brawl)

ROH At Our Best March 13th 2004 £7
With a little help from All Japan Pro Wrestling, Final Battle was Ring of Honor's biggest card of 2003. The record crowd was rewarded with four fantastic ROH vs AJPW matches, a more than respectable undercard, and some language barrier-breaking slapstick by Satoshi Kojima. A real treat. 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs Jay Briscoe… John Walters vs Xavier (Fight Without Honor)… Matt Stryker vs BJ Whitmer (Field of Honor Final)… Mark Briscoe vs Samoa Joe (ROH World Title Match)… CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto… AJ Styles vs Kaz Hayashi… Homicide vs Satoshi Kojima… Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff vs The Great Muta & Arashi (AJPW Double Tag Team Title Match)

ROH Second Anniversary Show (Volume 1) February 14th 2004 £7
With a little help from All Japan Pro Wrestling, Final Battle was Ring of Honor's biggest card of 2003. The record crowd was rewarded with four fantastic ROH vs AJPW matches, a more than respectable undercard, and some language barrier-breaking slapstick by Satoshi Kojima. A real treat. 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs Jay Briscoe… John Walters vs Xavier (Fight Without Honor)… Matt Stryker vs BJ Whitmer (Field of Honor Final)… Mark Briscoe vs Samoa Joe (ROH World Title Match)… CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto… AJ Styles vs Kaz Hayashi… Homicide vs Satoshi Kojima… Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff vs The Great Muta & Arashi (AJPW Double Tag Team Title Match)

ROH Second Anniversary Show (Volume 2) February 14th 2004 £7
With a little help from All Japan Pro Wrestling, Final Battle was Ring of Honor's biggest card of 2003. The record crowd was rewarded with four fantastic ROH vs AJPW matches, a more than respectable undercard, and some language barrier-breaking slapstick by Satoshi Kojima. A real treat. 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs Jay Briscoe… John Walters vs Xavier (Fight Without Honor)… Matt Stryker vs BJ Whitmer (Field of Honor Final)… Mark Briscoe vs Samoa Joe (ROH World Title Match)… CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto… AJ Styles vs Kaz Hayashi… Homicide vs Satoshi Kojima… Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff vs The Great Muta & Arashi (AJPW Double Tag Team Title Match)

ROH/AJPW Final Battle 2003 December 27th 2003 £7
With a little help from All Japan Pro Wrestling, Final Battle was Ring of Honor's biggest card of 2003. The record crowd was rewarded with four fantastic ROH vs AJPW matches, a more than respectable undercard, and some language barrier-breaking slapstick by Satoshi Kojima. A real treat. 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs Jay Briscoe… John Walters vs Xavier (Fight Without Honor)… Matt Stryker vs BJ Whitmer (Field of Honor Final)… Mark Briscoe vs Samoa Joe (ROH World Title Match)… CM Punk & Colt Cabana vs Tomoaki Honma & Kazushi Miyamoto… AJ Styles vs Kaz Hayashi… Homicide vs Satoshi Kojima… Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff vs The Great Muta & Arashi (AJPW Double Tag Team Title Match)

ROH War of the Wire November 29th 2003 £7
This is the card with ROH's first ever barbed wire match. Despite the commentators' winnowing about the 'Code of Honor' being broken, there's nothing lily-livered about it: Homicide, in particular, bumps and bleeds like nobody's business. The Backseat Boyz vs Fast Eddie & Hotstuff Hernandez… SAT vs Special K vs Carnage Crew vs Slugger (scramble match)… CM Punk vs Jimmy Rave vs Colt Cabana vs Matt Stryker vs BJ Whitmer (gauntlet match)… The Outkast Killaz vs Slyk Wagner Brown & April Hunter (mixed tag)… Xavier vs John Walters… Jay & Mark Briscoe vs Christopher Daniels & Dan Maff (ROH Tag Team Title Match)… Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (ROH World Title Match)… Steve Corino vs Homicide (no rope barbed wire match)

ROH Death Before Dishonor (Volume 1) July 13th 2003 £7
There's chaos all over this undercard, but simple pleasures can be the best: the best match here is a tricksy mat exhibition between Doug Williams and 'The Technician' Tom Carter. Low Ki vs Deranged… Matt Stryker vs Jimmy Rave… Hot Stuff Hernandez, Fast Eddie, Don Juan & Rudy Boy Gonzalez vs Carnage Crew (Justin Credible, Loc, Devito, & Masada)… The Purists (John Walters & Tony Mamaluke) vs The Outkast Killaz (Oman Tortuga & Diablo Santiago)… Tom Carter vs Doug Williams… Homicide vs BJ Whitmer vs Colt Cabana vs Dan Maff (#1 Contender's Trophy Match)

ROH Death Before Dishonor (Volume 2) July 13th 2003 £7
The closing half of this card is another corker, with a wild Raven/Punk dog collar match, an Air Miles spectacular for the ROH tag title, and a terrifically technical main event. Maybe the most enjoyable thing on this tape is, perversely, the worst: the debuting Jeff Hardy being comprehensively booed out of the building during the remarkably haphazard three-way dance. Good old Philly fans. Special K (Mikey Whipwreck, Hydro, Dixie & Angel Dust) vs The Backseat Boyz & The SAT… Jeff Hardy vs Joey Matthews vs Krazy K… CM Punk vs Raven (dog collar match)… AJ Styles & The Amazing Red vs The Briscoe Brothers (ROH Tag Team Title Match)… Samoa Joe vs Paul London (ROH Title Match)

ROH/FWA Frontiers of Honour May 17th 2003 £7
Ring of Honor's first foreign tour took them to glamorous Bethnal Green for this co-promotional show with the FWA. Low Ki and Flash Barker produced the match of the night, while the opener and closer are lively aerial wars, and the ROH title match was so stiff it would've merited police involvement - had it not occurred in a wrestling ring. ROH even spelled 'honour' properly to appease the British fans. Excellent stuff. Paul London vs James Tighe… Mikey Whipwreck vs Jack Xavier… Paul Birchill vs Double Dragons (handicap match)… AJ Styles vs Jonny Storm… Samoa Joe vs Zebra Kid (ROH Title Match)… The Family vs Alex Shane, Ulf Herman & Nikita… Low Ki vs Flash Barker… Christopher Daniels vs Jody Fleisch

ROH The Epic Encounter April 12th 2003 £7
The encounter in question being a 40-minute, best-of-three falls match between Paul London and American Dragon. Backseat Boyz vs Da Hit Squad… Special K vs Carnage Crew vs Dunn & Marcos… AJ Styles & The Amazing Red vs Jay & Mark Briscoe (ROH Tag Team Title Match)… CM Punk vs BJ Whitmer… Homicide vs Christopher Daniels… Alexis Laree vs Ariel… Samoa Joe vs Hot Stuff Hernandez… Samoa Joe vs Colt Cabana vs Tom Carter vs Matt Stryker (ROH Title Four-Way Dance)… Paul London vs 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson (best of three falls match)… Dusty Rhodes, Homicide, Iceberg & Homicide's Crew vs CW Anderson, Jack Victory, David Young, & the Bar Room Brawlers ('I Quit' bunkhouse riot)

ROH Night of Champions March 22nd 2003 £7
The line-up for this show speaks for itself. BJ Whitmer vs Dixie vs Matt Stryker vs Alex Arion… The SAT & Quiet Storm vs Special K… Dunn & Marcos vs The Backseat Boyz… Christopher Daniels vs Doug Williams (FWA Title & ROH #1 Contender's Trophy Match)… Homicide & Da Hit Squad vs Jack Victory, CW Anderson & Samoa Joe… Carnage Crew vs Mase & Hotstuff Hernandez… AJ Styles & The Amazing Red vs Jay & Mark Briscoe (ROH Tag Team Title Match)… Low Ki vs Jodie Fleisch... Raven & Colt Cabana vs CM Punk & Ace Steel… Xavier vs Samoa Joe (ROH World Title Change)

ROH First Anniversary Show (Volume 1) February 8th 2003 £7
In the wrestling equivalent of a blink of an eye, ROH has become the most rewarding alternative to the unhappy happenings in WWE. With five hours of tremendous action, this anniversary show was itself a cause for celebrations. EZ Money vs Chad Collyer vs Colt Cabana vs Michael Shane… Hot Stuff Hernandez, Don Juan & Fast Eddie vs The Carnage Crew (Loc, DeVito & Masada)… Mark Briscoe vs Jay Briscoe… Steve Corino vs Homicide (including unedited footage of the post-match 'riot')… The Outkast Killahs vs Dunn & Marcos

ROH First Anniversary Show (Volume 2) February 8th 2003 £7
The climax of this card may be the best two hours of wrestling held anywhere in 2003. Deservingly, this was the first US indie card to reach the top five of 'Card of the Year' in the Power Slam Reader Awards since ECW's legendary the Night the Line Was Crossed. CW Anderson vs CM Punk… 'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson vs Samoa Joe… Paul London vs AJ Styles vs Low Ki… Xavier vs Paul London (ROH Title Match)… Da Hit Squad, The SAT & Divine Storm vs Special K (scramble match)

ROH All-Star Extravaganza November 9th 2002 £7
ROH again proves it's possible to put on a genuine spectacle for a crowd of just 800. Zero One's Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Ohtani partake in a great main event, Doug Williams makes another rewarding journey from Maidstone, and AJ Styles makes his first ROH appearance since August. Homicide vs Prince Nana… The SAT vs Divine Storm vs Da Hit Squad vs Special K (Tag Team Scramble Match)… Michael Shane vs CM Punk vs Paul London vs The Amazing Red vs American Dragon (gauntlet match)… Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe & Donovan Morgan vs Low Ki, Doug Williams & Homicide… Alexis Laree vs Alison Danger… Carnage Crew vs Dunn & Marcos… Xavier vs Jay Briscoe… American Dragon vs AJ Styles… Shinjiro Ohtani & Masato Tanaka vs Low Ki & Steve Corino

ROH Glory By Honor October 5th 2002 £7
The SAT vs Divine Storm vs Special K vs Homicide (Tag Team Scramble Match)… Homicide & Steve Corino vs Backseat Boyz… Christopher Street Connection & Allison Danger vs Joey Matthews, Christian York & Alexis Laree… Tony Mamaluke vs James Maritato (winner gets the name 'FBI')… The Amazing Red vs Ikuto Hidaka… Fast Eddie vs Don Juan… Steve Corino vs Rudy Boy Gonzales (Texas Death Match)… Low Ki vs Samoa Joe (Fight Without Honor)… Prince Nana vs Elax… Xavier vs Jay Briscoe… Da Hit Squad vs Carnage Crew (streetfight)… Spanky vs Michael Shane vs Paul London (winner gets the nickname 'Showstopper')… Christopher Daniels vs Doug Williams

ROH Unscripted September 21st 2002 £7
The SAT vs Prophesy… Far East Connection vs The FBI… James Maritato vs Tony Mamaluke… Divine Storm vs American Dragon & Mike Modest… Prophecy vs Far East Connection… Alex Arion vs Dunn… Low-Ki vs Xavier… Sonny Siaki vs Takao Omori… The Amazing Red vs Jay Briscoe… Paul London vs Michael Shane (streetfight)… Prophesy vs American Dragon & Mike Modest

ROH Boston Invasion August 24th 2002 £7
The ROH roadshow finally finds its way out of Pennsylvania. Low Ki impresses twice in one night, while Mark and Jay Briscoe wrestle each other for the first time in ROH. The Amazing Red vs Quiet Storm… Special K vs The SAT & Chris Devine… Low Ki vs Chris Divine… The Christopher Street Connection vs Dunn & Marcos… Mike Tobin vs Scoot Andrews… Xavier vs Scoot Andrews… Michael Shane vs Paul London… American Dragon vs Donovan Morgan… Da Hit Squad vs The Carnage Crew… Bio-Hazard vs Don Juan… Alex Arion vs Maverick Wild… Natural Born Sinners vs Tony Mamaluke & James Maritato… Mark Briscoe vs Jay Briscoe… Low Ki vs AJ Styles

ROH Crowning a Champion July 27th 2002 £7
The ROH title tournament concludes with a spellbinding, hour-long, four-corners final. The concentration of talent in the main event resulted in a thinner undercard than usual - but on this night, with this main event, it just didn't matter. Tony Mamaluke vs Jeremy Lopez… Joey Matthews & Christian York vs Prince Nana & Jacob's Ladder… Da Hit Squad vs Divine Storm… Michael Shane & Bio-Hazard vs Paul London & Don Juan… James Maritato vs Jay Briscoe… Natural Born Sinners vs The Carnage Crew… AJ Styles vs David Young vs Adam Jacobs… Dunn, Marcos & Mike Tobin vs Brian XL, Dixie & Black Gordman… Scoot Andrews vs Xavier… Low Ki vs Spanky vs Doug Williams vs Christopher Daniels (ROH Title Tournament Final - 60-Minute Iron Man Match)

ROH The Road To The Title June 22nd 2002 £7
The ROH title chase begins with four 'mini-tournaments' to decide participants in the following month's four-way final. Keeping the British end up, Doug Williams, Jonny Storm and Jodie Fleisch all produce some terrific wrestling, but the Low Ki-Amazing Red match is an absolute jaw-dropper. Plus a wild brawl with all the ROH tag teams, and a welcome appearance by Sumie Sakai of J'D. American Dragon vs Bio-Hazard… Spanky vs Paul London… Doug Williams vs Jay Briscoe… Jody Fleisch vs Jonny Storm… Low Ki vs Prince Nana… The Amazing Red vs Xavier… Christopher Daniels vs Scoot Andrews… Sumie Sakai vs Simply Luscious… AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn (all ROH Title Tournament First Round Matches)… Tag Team Mayhem Match (featuring Da Hit Squad, The SAT, Divine Storm, Natural Born Sinners, Loc & DeVito and Dunn & Marcos)… Spanky vs Jody Fleisch… Doug Williams vs American Dragon… Low Ki vs The Amazing Red… Christopher Daniels vs AJ Styles (all ROH Title Tournament Quarter-finals)

ROH A Night of Appreciation April 27th 2002 £7
Tribute is paid to Eddie Guerrero's triumph over injuries and painkiller addiction (which, in true diplomatic fashion, are referred to as his 'demons'), while the man himself delivers a typically great main event performance and a heartfelt speech. Shawn Michaels fans will enjoy the 'Heartbreak Gauntlet Series', featuring five HBK trainees in four highly nifty singles matches. The Christopher Street Connection vs Da Hit Squad vs Prince Nana & Simply Lucious… Jay Briscoe vs Tony Mamaluke… Divine Storm vs Joey Matthews & Christian York… James Maritato vs Xavier vs Scoot Andrews… Low Ki vs AJ Styles… HC Loc & Tony DeVito vs Don & Marcos… Donovan Morgan vs Christopher Daniels… American Dragon vs Spanky vs Michael Shane vs Paul London vs John Hope (Heartbreak Gauntlet Series)… Eddie Guerrero & The Amazing Red vs The SAT (Jose & Joel Maximo)

ROH The Round Robin Challenge March 30th 2002 £7
Highlighted by the triangular series of singles matches between Christopher Daniels, American Dragon and Low Ki, this card confirmed ROH as the hottest US indie outfit since the heyday of ECW. Christopher Daniels vs American Dragon… Da Hit Squad vs Prince Nana & Eric Tuttle… Joey Matthews & Christian York vs CW Anderson & Elax… Xavier vs James Maritato… Homicide & Boogalou vs Boogie Knights… Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels… Paul London vs Chris Marvel… Spanky vs Jay Briscoe… The SAT vs The Amazing Red & Brian XL vs Divine Storm… American Dragon vs Low Ki

ROH The Era of Honor Begins February 23rd 2002 £7
The very first Ring of Honor card, making a long-overdue apearance on my list. Da Hit Squad vs Christopher Street Connection… The Amazing Red vs Jay Briscoe… Scoot Andrews vs Xavier… Natural Born Sinners (Homicide & Boogalou) vs Boogie Knights (Mike Tobin & Dan Carpinteri)… The SAT & The Amazing Red vs Quiet Storm, Chris Devine & Brian XL (elimination match with Mikey Whipwreck as special referee)… Prince Nana vs Towel Boy… Michael Shane & Oz vs Spanky & Ikaika Loa… Eddie Guerrero vs Super Crazy… American Dragon vs Christopher Daniels vs Low Ki (three-way dance)