What was ROH's best year?

[MAXAKASINNER]

I was rewatching Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong from Manhattan Mayhem IV (I think) that came across my Facebook new feed, and I remembered how much I loved ROH in 2010/11.

So my question, what was ROH's best year?

[Robareid]

Glory By Honor IV -> Glory By Honor V (05/06) is the general consensus. 2011 was when I got into ROH though, and I'd agree it was a very underrated period up until the transition to SBG.

[JigsawVs.Jason]

2006 for matches and feuds, 2007 for show quality

[Venegas]

2004, easily.

[ROHFanAnthony]

I've been watching since 2007. Since then 2010 was the best.

[Alex Steel]

I'm embarking on an odyssey where I watch every ROH show on the site's VOD channel, as well as suggested matches from specific years. I'll get back to you on which year was my favourite.

On a random note, I really miss ROH on HDNet...the production was so much better. Even in the early episodes of SBG, the show looked a lot better and more television friendly than it does now. The change became apparent at episode 70. It just makes me sad because I feel like ROH deserves at least TNA-level production and camera quality.

[supersonic]

Use my ROH Good Shit thread for suggestions. I don't pull any punches.

[Robareid]

Yep, that gets a wholehearted reccomendation from me. Supersonic's review of past ROH are the gold standard.

[BigTChamp]

I started watching regularly in 2009, so from what I've seen it's 2010, hands down.

[Alex Steel]

supersonic, cool list. Thanks for the reference point. Also thinking of blogging my journey. Thus far, my thoughts are pretty much in line with yours on those first couple of ROH shows and key matches.

I gotta say though...Da Hit Squad is one of the most embarrassing things I've ever seen in wrestling, especially their blatant homophobia and gay bashing. Not sure what the heck ROH were thinking with them and the Connection. Just screams ignorance at the highest degree.

[supersonic]

It was a TNA mentality idea. Rather than just get straight to the point of providing an alternative product to WWE's sports-entertainment style, ROH felt the need to mock and bury it, completely lacking awareness that it left a bad first impression for anybody in attendance and those who would later be introduced to the product on DVD. It's the same bullshit as TNA thinking it was brilliant to have their own Caucasian fat fuck covered in oil and wearing a thong to mock WWE in 2006-07.

[stay gold]

Da Hit Squad was a very popular act in indy wrestling in the late 90's/early 2000's. ROH was just going by what was cool at the time. Christopher Street Connection was also a pretty hot act in indy wrestling. All of those guys worked together and trained together at the Doghouse. So it was something ROH saw and were like "hey, we want you to do that at our show too." Not that I agree with it, I definitely don't. That whole bit was the worst part of the first show.

As for the best year, 2006 was an exciting time to be a fan of indy wrestling. ROH felt so exciting and groundbreaking at the time. Same goes for the first half of 2007.

[PeoplesChampion]

I liked the time when dragon was world champion.thats when i got into roh,because i read on wrestling website that lance storm is coming out of retirement to face him and he was such a prick
At the same time nigel was pure champion and he was a bigger prick but thier match when bryan elbowed him to death was awesome

[Alex Steel]

So, do you think that ROH's best years are behind them from an in-ring and overall fan excitement perspective? I enjoy the current product a lot, but it often does not feel as cutting edge as the stuff from the mid-2000s. I'd like to believe ROH's early mantra of "We don't imitate...we innovate," but they've been doing a lot of the same stuff for years now, and it's hard to know where to go from here.

It's also unlikely we'll ever get a roster as stacked as those mid-2000s, unless we consider guys like Ciampa, Cole, etc. as equal to Danielson, Aries, etc.

[supersonic]

Ciampa would be a jobber at best in mid-2000s ROH. Cole would still thrive because he's such an excellent talker and carries himself like a star, plus can fit his style with the fast-paced, hard-hitting genre that was heavily influenced by UWF, puroresu, and WCW's cruiserweight division.

[Robareid]

So, do you think that ROH's best years are behind them from an in-ring and overall fan excitement perspective? I enjoy the current product a lot, but it often does not feel as cutting edge as the stuff from the mid-2000s. I'd like to believe ROH's early mantra of "We don't imitate...we innovate," but they've been doing a lot of the same stuff for years now, and it's hard to know where to go from here.

It's also unlikely we'll ever get a roster as stacked as those mid-2000s, unless we consider guys like Ciampa, Cole, etc. as equal to Danielson, Aries, etc.

Yeah, the roster just simply isn't as strong these days. That's for two main reasons, firstly that WWE is recruiting from the top indies a lot more these days, and wrestlers are simply spending less time as a top indy guy than they did ten years ago. Secondly, the indy scene is far more split up now than it was back in the mid 00s, with the talent pool split between ROH, TNA, WWN, CHIKARA and in some ways NJPW.

So basically you've got a pie that's being eaten quicker and is being split into more parts, so ROH is simply getting less pie than it used to.

[D2Kvirus]

Death Before Dishonor III -> DBD IV

In that period you get: the Summer of Punk, Joe vs Kobashi, Do FIXER/Blood Generation, the CZW War, Danielson becoming the best wrestler in the world (emphasis on "entire world"), KENTA's early appearances and so much general goodness.

[Montana]

I liked 2006 the best... The roster in 2006 was so strong, with dragon gate and TNA talent... plus the epic CZW feud. Best of the Best is one of my favorite ROH shows of all time, which was part of one of the greatest weekends of all time. Final Battle 2006 was awesome. Bryan Danielson reign was awesome. Pretty close to a flawless year.

[Alex Steel]

So, do you think that ROH's best years are behind them from an in-ring and overall fan excitement perspective? I enjoy the current product a lot, but it often does not feel as cutting edge as the stuff from the mid-2000s. I'd like to believe ROH's early mantra of "We don't imitate...we innovate," but they've been doing a lot of the same stuff for years now, and it's hard to know where to go from here.

It's also unlikely we'll ever get a roster as stacked as those mid-2000s, unless we consider guys like Ciampa, Cole, etc. as equal to Danielson, Aries, etc.

Yeah, the roster just simply isn't as strong these days. That's for two main reasons, firstly that WWE is recruiting from the top indies a lot more these days, and wrestlers are simply spending less time as a top indy guy than they did ten years ago. Secondly, the indy scene is far more split up now than it was back in the mid 00s, with the talent pool split between ROH, TNA, WWN, CHIKARA and in some ways NJPW.

So basically you've got a pie that's being eaten quicker and is being split into more parts, so ROH is simply getting less pie than it used to.

Pretty much. Personally, I regularly or sporadically watch the following promotions:

ROH
NJPW
Lucha Underground
PWG
WWE
TNA
CHIKARA
Dragon Gate

Tons of options out there right now, but the indies are certainly in poorer shape after the WWE's major talent raid over the past three years or so. Of course, there are always new guys coming up. Who knows? Maybe the next big thing in ROH is only a signing or a debut away.

Hint: It's Monster Mafia.

[Robareid]

I don't even think that the tap of talent coming through the indies has been turned off that much. The problem is the bath has got bigger so the water looks shallower, and the plughole has got bigger.