Caged Collision!

Match by match, ROH Caged Collision (1/31/09):

-Any bout that makes Alex “Sugerfoot” Payne look like a star gets big thumbs up from me. Kenny King and Silas Young also manage to shine, making this an overall successful three-way dance and start to the show.

-In theory, Claudio Castagnoli vs. Kevin Steen is very been there, done that, got the t-shirt, it was black, so why do I want to go back? Luckily this return engagement is more than worth it. The performances are great and the rapport with the crowd is enjoyable. This may be the best singles match either man has had in an ROH ring in some time.

-There continues to be something epic about the clash between Brodie Lee and the Necro Butcher. Every time these titans enter the ring and trade a few fists, it is beyond awesome. The two have a chemistry that most pairings only dream of. So naturally their moments against each other are my favorite parts of the tag match they are involved in here, though their partners Delirious and Jerry Lynn, respectively, do a great job with their roles in the bout.

-The intermingling of Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black, Austin Aries, and Jimmy Jacobs has been a pretty regular occurrence over the last few months in ROH. Thus it isn’t too surprising that nothing new or earth-shattering comes from their four-way contest here, but that hardly stops the match from being enjoyable. It is a good mid-card contest with some main event talent. Nothing wrong with that.

-A fantastic, well developed story is what highlights the world title bout between champ Nigel McGuinness and challenger El Generico. From the start Nigel finds a limb to target on his opponent and never relents. Generico fights back, playing the ultimate baby face that refuses to let the odds overtake him. Nigel is weathered, as the continuing narrative of his title reign has proven, and he is desperate, and it shows. I love everything about this match. Just plain brilliance.

-Steel Cage Warfare, the main event, succeeds on so many levels and completely delivers everything you can ask for. It is entertaining, well booked, has a great twist at the end, and perfectly caps off an overall fun show. All of the mistakes of the last Steel Cage Warfare match, from September 2008, are happily avoided. And while that “twist” at the finish may feel like the most important turn ever, it is still highly enjoyable to watch. Well done.