5-star ROH matches!

[andherides87]

Which ROH matches would you consider to be 5-star matches?

Here's my list:

Danielson/Low Ki - Round Robin Challenge
Danielson/London - Epic Encounter
Joe/Punk II
Joe/Kobashi
Danielson/Strong - Vendetta
Danielson/McGuinness - Unified
Danielson/KENTA - Glory By Honor V
Danielson/McGuinness - Driven
Danielson/Morishima - Manhattan Mayhem II
Danielson/McGuinness - 6th Anniversary Show
McGuinness/KENTA - 7th Anniversary Show
Strong/Briscoe - Only The Strong Survive.

That would be my list. Last ROH ***** happened in 2011 IMO.

[supersonic]

Based on my Project Rewatch, which I strongly suggest for you.

Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson - Round Robin Challenge
Paul London vs. Bryan Danelson - The Epic Encounter
AJ Styles vs. Paul London - Night of the Grudges
Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson - Midnight Express Reunion
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk - Joe vs. Punk II
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk - All Star Extravaganza II
Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi - Joe vs. Kobashi
Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong - Vendetta
CIMA & Speed Muscle vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito, & Genki Horiguchi - Supercard of Honor
Homicide vs. Necro Butcher - Ring of Homicide
Team ROH vs. Team CZW - Death Before Dishonor IV
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness - Unified
Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA - Glory By Honor V Night 2

[Robareid]

I started watching ROH the month after your last ***** match. Incidentally, I haven't handed out a single ***** in my watching.

[classic-cabana]

I agree with the picks above

some personal picks

Gibson v Joe v Punk v Daniels - Redemption
KENTA v Joe v Danielson - In Your Face
Briscoe v Briscoe - FYF:Finale
Briscoes v Steenerico - Man Up

[donkitrk99]

I started watching ROH (and non wwe/wcw/ec, frankly) with Elgin vs. Davey and then Border Wars. I've watched some older stuff but mostly just 2010 and later. ROH Matches I've given 5 stars:

Elgin vs. Davey
Daniels vs. McGuinness from Unified

I think the only ****3/4 ratings I gave out were for RD/Bucks and Danielson/Daniels/Ki.. also, wasn't thinking about star ratings at the time, but feels like Steen/McGuiness at the first Toronto show probably would have gotten to ****3/4.

[boourns]

My 8 favorite matches in ROH history I would say are *****

Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation - Supercard of Honor
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk III - ASE II
Samoa Joe vs. Kobashi - Joe vs. Kobashi
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Briscoes - Good Times, Great Memories
Danielson vs. Nigel - Unified
Nigel vs. Aries - Rising Above
Low Ki vs. Kenta - Final Battle 2005
Danielson vs. Strong - Vendetta

[DBSommer]

My 5 Stars are incredibly stingy by any standard. There are plenty of 4 3/4 in ROH, but off the top of my head, the only ones I counted as 5 star were Elgin vs Davey and Blood Generation vs Do Fixer when I first watched them. Sometimes I am not as impressed a second time I see a match, but those are the reactions from first time watches. If I were to rewatch KENTA vs Low Ki i might up it to that, as I'm more up on KENTA now then I was then and would probably enjoy it even more. There are probably a couple that would get upped into that category.

They are also 5 star for very different reasons. Much like I give Flair vs Steamboat I and II 5 Stars for the technical excellence, as opposed to Hogan vs Shiek 5 stars because I was a kid in the 80's, and saw that match when it first aired, it changed everything and you knew it when you saw it. It was about everything coming together beyond what you could have imagined at the time, not about the technical nature of the match.

[Big Red Machine]

Bryan Danielson vs. Low Ki – ROH Round Robin Challenge
Mark Briscoe vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe vs. Colt Cabana vs. Homicide- ROH Survival of the Fittest 2004
Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk- ROH Joe vs. Punk II
Austin Aries vs. CM Punk- ROH Death Before Dishonor III
Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi- ROH Joe vs. Kobashi
Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong- ROH Vendetta
KENTA vs. Low Ki- ROH Final Battle 2005
Dragon Kid, Genki Horiguchi, & Ryo Saito vs. CIMA, Naruki Doi, & Masato Yoshino- ROH Supercard of Honor
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness- ROH Unified
Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA- ROH Glory By Honor V: Night 2
Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer- ROH Supercard of Honor II
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness- ROH Driven 2007
Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness- ROH Sixth Anniversary Show
Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries- ROH Supercard of Honor III
Bryan Danielsonvs. Nigel McGuinness- ROH Rising Above 2008
Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards- ROH Death Before Dishonor VIII
Kevin Steen vs. El Generico- ROH Final Battle 2010
Eddie Edwards vs. Chris Hero- ROH Revolution: Canada
Davey Richards & Kyle O'Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole- ROH 10th Anniversary Show: Young Wolves Rising
Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin- ROH Showdown In The Sun: Day 2

[AlexROH]

Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation - Supercard of Honor
Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi - Joe vs Kenta
Bryan Danielson vs KENTA - Glory By Honor V
Michael Elgin vs Davey Richards - Showdown in the Sun: Night 2

[classic-cabana]

My 5 Stars are incredibly stingy by any standard. There are plenty of 4 3/4 in ROH, but off the top of my head, the only ones I counted as 5 star were Elgin vs Davey and Blood Generation vs Do Fixer when I first watched them. Sometimes I am not as impressed a second time I see a match, but those are the reactions from first time watches. If I were to rewatch KENTA vs Low Ki i might up it to that, as I'm more up on KENTA now then I was then and would probably enjoy it even more. There are probably a couple that would get upped into that category.

They are also 5 star for very different reasons. Much like I give Flair vs Steamboat I and II 5 Stars for the technical excellence, as opposed to Hogan vs Shiek 5 stars because I was a kid in the 80's, and saw that match when it first aired, it changed everything and you knew it when you saw it. It was about everything coming together beyond what you could have imagined at the time, not about the technical nature of the match.

I agree, a 5 star match for me is a match that means more emotionally. I believe that anyone that ever scores 5 stars for a match should be able to remember exactly where they were when they first saw it and the emotion they felt when watching it, as if it were yesterday.

[Brada]

Roddy/Kushida from WOTW Night 1 is a 5 star IMO...

[JigsawVs.Jason]

Samoa Joe vs CM Punk - Joe vs Punk II
Low Ki vs KENTA - Final Battle 2005
Dragon Gate 6 Man - Supercard of Honor
Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness - Unified
Bryan Danielson vs KENTA - Glory by Honor V Night 2
Briscoes vs Murder City Machine Guns - Good Times Great Memories
Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness - Driven
Briscoes vs Steen & Generico - Ladder War - Man Up
Davey Richards vs KENTA - Supercard of Honor IV
Davey Richards vs Tyler Black - Death before Dishonor VIII
Fight without Honor - Kevin Steen vs El Generico - Final Battle 2010
Davey Richards vs Eddie Edwards - Best in the World 2011
Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin - Showdown in the Sun Day 2

That's the few ROH matches that I have given the perfect Rating, been a Long time since the last. Hopefully that will change when O'Reilly is the world champion.

[tlova86]

-Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk (ROH Joe vs Punk 2)
-Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi (ROH Joe vs Kobashi)
-Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi & Ryo Saito vs. CIMA & Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino (ROH Supercard Of Honor)
-Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin (ROH Showdown in the Sun Day 2)

[Wilson]

A lot of great matches listed so far. I still champion the Danielson/KENTA rematch in 2007 (Driven) as one of the greatest matches in ROH history. Most people seem to have really enjoyed it, but I think it's the best match those two have had and is right up there with Danielson/London. I highly recommend rewatching it if your memory is fuzzy.

I agree with the picks above

some personal picks

KENTA v Joe v Danielson - In Your Face

For your own sake, I would advise not to view this one again as I'm sure your memory preserved this match better than how the story actually plays out. If you don't remember, KENTA suffers a concussion in the first five minutes of the match; Joe and Danielson have to do their best to carry KENTA through a grueling twenty minute main event. Really unfortunate circumstance.

[BlackLesnar]

Steen vs Generico

[classic-cabana]

A lot of great matches listed so far. I still champion the Danielson/KENTA rematch in 2007 (Driven) as one of the greatest matches in ROH history. Most people seem to have really enjoyed it, but I think it's the best match those two have had and is right up there with Danielson/London. I highly recommend rewatching it if your memory is fuzzy.

I agree with the picks above

some personal picks

KENTA v Joe v Danielson - In Your Face

For your own sake, I would advise not to view this one again as I'm sure your memory preserved this match better than how the story actually plays out. If you don't remember, KENTA suffers a concussion in the first five minutes of the match; Joe and Danielson have to do their best to carry KENTA through a grueling twenty minute main event. Really unfortunate circumstance.

Have watched this match multiple times since watching it for the first time in 2006. Will be due to watch it again as I enter 2006 on my own Rewatch Project (TM supersonic).

The match itself could have been an awful lot better due to the unfortunate circumstances but its 3 of my favourite guys beating on each other, a hot crowd and the fact it was the first ROH dvd I watched after my first ever ROH live show (so was on a major high anyway). The match brings back happy memories for me as a ROH fan. Plus for a 20 minute 3-way its pretty damn fine.

[jordidebaas]

If it could have been an awful lot better, then why do you have it at *****? Also, pretty damn fine doesn't sound as ***** to me.

[classic-cabana]

If it could have been an awful lot better, then why do you have it at *****? Also, pretty damn fine doesn't sound as ***** to me.

for the reasons Ive stated above. I dont grade every match I watch. There are matches that stick with me forever, some for the quality of wrestling during the bout, most for the emotion and memories it brings.

ROH in 2006 was HOT! My first live ROH show was Unified in Liverpool (Id been a ROH fan for a few years prior and was so excited to see it). My Son was born 2 days later. The first DVD I can remember watching during this period was ROH In Your Face which I bought at the Liverpool show, and the match in question sticks out. I can watch that and so many happy memories come flooding back.

I suppose its like when you hear a certain song and it takes you back to a certain period of your life. Wrestling is a huge part of my life and matches, events etc have the same effect on me.

A match that can evoke that kind of emotion is 5 stars to me, technical masterpiece or not.

[fm20000]

Samoa Joe vs Kenta Kobashi
Kevin Steen and El Generico vs The Briscoes Ladder War - Man Up 2007
Nigel McGuinness vs Austin Aries - Rising Above 2007
Jay Briscoe vs Samoa Joe World Title Cage match - At Our Best 2004
Bryan Danielson vs Austin Aries 2/3 falls match - Testing the Limit 2004
KENTA vs Bryan Danielson - GBHV night 2 2006
Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson vs Claudio Castagnoli vs Tyler Black - Death Before Dishonor VI 2008
CM Punk vs Samoa Joe 2
CM Punk vs Austin Aries - Death Before Dishonor 3 2005
Homicide vs Colt Cabana Chicago Street Fight - Better Than Our Best 2006
ROH vs CZW Cage of Death
Kevin Steen vs El Generico - Final Battle 2010
Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson - Unified