With
Bryan Danielson striving in the WWE as Daniel Bryan, for big fans of
his it is good to see where it all started for The American Dragon.
This 2-disc set features some of Danielson’s best matches between
2002 and late 2005.
For
someone as well regarded as Bryan Danielson, it's really no surprise
that some of his best matches have gone by unnoticed. We all know of
or remember his classic with Nigel Guinness and KENTA, but may not
remember such great bouts such as his 'Epic Encounter' with Paul
London, which kicks off the DVD.
This is
a thrilling match which focuses on the excellent mat ability of
Danielson and even Paul London. London may just be a smug, pot smoker
with not a whole lot of passion for wrestling now, but back in 2002
in showed a tone of promise, and this match showcases that.
After 40
minutes we're onto the next match which pits Danielson against the
ever consistent AJ Styles. Much like the first match, this bout
features some great technical wrestling, as well as some high octane
action to go with it.
The DVD
isn't without it's weak points of course. The match against Jay
Briscoe is one to forget, even it isn't necessarily bad, and even the
match with CM Punk isn't one to saviour over. Although in many ways
this match with CM Punk in 2004 is almost essential viewing
considering their rise to fame in the WWE, it is still a match that
just doesn’t seem to click. Thankfully, in 2012 their chemistry
together is something to behold.
Danielson's
final moments in the Survival of the Fittest contest is Austin Aries
is shown, and is a good back forth encounter. We also get to see
another bout between these two at Testing The Limit, this time in its
full entirety. This bout, which lasts of 70 minutes, is a fantastic
watch, as both men manage to keep it exciting and engaging throughout
the whole match.
On Disc
2, we're treated with a very solid bout against the dominant Samoa
Joe, who was enjoying his highly rated ROH World title reign when
this match took place. The mix between technical and smash mouth
wrestling comes off well, and one again shows Danielson's versatility
in being able to work with anybody, and in any time of match.
The
second part of the DVD dips slightly when Jushin Tiger's debut in ROH
for a weekend double slot is shown. While this was an historic
occasion which the fans got behind on both nights, his matches were a
lot to be desired. The singles bout on the first night is a bit flat,
and the tag team match which sees Liger team with Samoa Joe and
Danielson tag with Low Ki, never seems to pick up steam.
In terms
of big moments, we're given two in Danielson's victory in the grudge
feud with Homicide and his ROH World title win over James Gibson. The
match with Homicide, which takes place inside a steel cage, may not
be anything special, but is still worth watching just to see the blow
off of what looked like an exciting feud.
Things
pick up again as Danielson's ROH World title win proves to be what
was a classic moment in a highly entertaining title match. This back
and forth match showcases Gibson’s technically sound offence and
good ring psychology, as well as Bryan Danielson's... well, usual
self.
In what
has to be considered a hidden gem, Danielson defends his title
against Christopher Daniels in a brilliant match. If you want to see
what makes Bryan Danielson the best wrestler in the world today (and
back then as well), then really you don't have to look that much
further than this match right here. It has Danielson putting on a
flawless performance as he applies highly impressive holds on
Christopher Daniels, paces the match to perfection and has the crowd
in the palm of his hands as he and Daniels slug it out in an
excellent final few minutes of the match.
The
final match may leave things on a pretty flat note, as Danielson and
Naomichi Marafuji fail to deliver anything more than a decent match
for their high standards. But, overall this is a good DVD featuring
smoke stellar performances from the man himself, Bryan Danielson.
The
selection could have been better of course. When you see a match like
Danielson vs. Jay Briscoe on the DVD, you have to wonder why such
classics against the likes of Roderick Strong didn't make the cut.
Also, while not a big deal, the way the matches just cut off seconds
after the match finishes is pretty annoying, and doesn't do anything
for the way the DVD flows.
Still
though, for any big Danielson fans out there, or for any fans looking
to see what gave him such a great reputation on the Indie scene, this
is a DVD worth picking up. The technical side of it may be a bit
poor, but the technical wrestling side of it is worth the purchase.
Match
Ratings:
Bryan
Danielson vs. Paul London – Epic Encounter (2003) ****1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. AJ Styles – Main Event Spectacles (2003) ****
Bryan
Danielson vs. Jay Briscoe – Final Battle 2003 **1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. CM Punk – Reborn Stage 1 (2004) ***1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. Austin Aries – Survival of the Fittest 2004 ***1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. Austin Aries – Testing The Limit (2004) ****1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. Samoa Joe – Midnight Express Reunion (2004) ****
Bryan
Danielson vs. Jushin Liger – Weekend of Thunder Night 1 (2004) ***
Bryan
Danielson & Low Ki vs. Jushin Liger & Samoa Joe – Weekend
of Thunder Night 2 (2004) ***
Bryan
Danielson vs. Homicide – Final Showdown (2005) ***1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. James Gibson – Glory By Honor IV (2005) ****
Bryan
Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels – A Night of Tribute (2005)
****1/2
Bryan
Danielson vs. Naomichi Marafuji – Final Battle 2005 ***1/2
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