And now the BIG one...

At last we’ve hit the first milestone on the annual Ring Of Honor calendar year with the 7th Anniversary Show (3/21/09). While I plan to discuss every match on this massive card, there is one bout that must be discussed at the forefront. It is a contest that can easily be described in such clichés as “instant classic,” “epic encounter,” and “match of the year.”

Nigel McGuinness vs. KENTA. ROH World Title on the line. You know from the start that these two will stop at nothing to get the victory; however, the story that develops is something quite unexpected. McGuinness has spent over a year as champion and he has dominated many a challenger in that time. Now Nigel is in a much different position. He is broken and worn, signs of a long title reign finally catching up. Tonight he not only battles the Japanese star in the opposing corner, but also his own body.

For KENTA, this is the perfect opportunity to at last reach the top of this promotion. He pulls no punches, or more accurately kicks, in his quest to capture the prize. But Nigel is wounded and desperate, and willing to go for the gullet with every move he is able to struggle through and pull off.

The intensity between them is off the charts, and the action is at times ferocious. It is a truly blockbuster clash that goes beyond all expectations and becomes something completely unique. All clichés aside, this match is brilliant.

Now on to the other eight bouts on the show:

-Really fun opener pitting Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens against Rhett Titus and Kenny King. These are two of the best tag parings around right now, and their skills shine here. Good times.

-Claudio Castagnoli and Brent Albright have reached a point where their chemistry is a science (see what I did there?) The two have their best battle yet, though once again we are left with a finish that isn’t the most desirable. It would have been nice, especially on this big stage, to have a better ending, but thankfully it isn’t so much of a let down that it takes away from the overall proceedings.

-Greatest Bobby Dempsey match ever! Short, simple, and fun. That’s all I ever asked for! And now I’ve gotten it.

-Jerry Lynn vs. Mike Quackenbush didn’t come off well to me live, but on DVD a lot of the intricacies between the two really shine. Not quite the technical masterpiece of Quack/Danielson from the show prior, but a pretty darn good pure wrestling contest in its own right.

-Fun brawl between the Age Of The Fall with special guest Austin Aries and Age Of The Fall Wolfpac. Any excuse to see these guys dive at each other, a lot, is fine by me. The match really picks up once the numbers dwindle down to the final three. Overall good stuff, the one elimination by disappearance call aside.

-Considering the back of the DVD cover spoils this, I will give the slightest spoiler warning now and then go for exactly what I want to say...okay, good, for those of you who made it to the other side of the ellipsis, here we go – two of the biggest moments of the night come in the ROH returns of Jimmy Rave and Colt Cabana, as they team with Bison Smith and Bryan Danielson, respectively. The contest is a ton of fun, and the excitement in the air almost overshadows any actual wrestling going on.

-My initial fear with Jay Briscoe vs. D-Lo Brown was that this would be another “good competition” bout where there’s really no story to tell but just a friendly contest. Happy to report that sociable is tossed aside for fierce as D-Lo pulls out dirty tactics to try and win his first contest as a regular roster member. The two mix well and the narrative they play through is just right, making for some really good stuff.

-Nobody brings the battle to a tag team war quite like Kevin Steen and El Generico, and here they clash with the American Wolves in another exceptional chapter in their feud. So many fantastic spots and such great work from everybody involved. The match just needs to be seen. This is definitely one of the best feuds of the year, and this will show you why.