“The Samoan Stop: Joe’s one-way ticket to Liverpool.”
In the name of what promises to be the promotions most noted and celebrated event, since their inauguration in 2002; this website will play host to various write-ups that reminisce, recall and HONOR, Ring of Honor Anniversary Shows of years past.
In 2007, Ring of Honor Wrestling celebrated and showcased five-years of survival by permitting a round-trip for five, to Dayton, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and back-to-back nights in Liverpool, England.
The core members of the ROH roster competing in Dayton, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and Liverpool, have two-way ticket regimen, to guarantee their arrival back to Ring of Honor Headquarters. Throughout the entire fifth year festival, the ROH locker room, fans and management knew Samoa Joe would be in possession of only a one-way ticket to Liverpool…and NOT back to ROH; but to TNA Wrestling/IMPACT Wrestling.
To completely finalize all 6 shows, the company allowed Samoa Joe to make a well-predicted farewell speech. Excuse my lack of excitement and furthermore over-done sarcasm directed at those who have chosen to walk away from honor.
With that being said, I can imagine there were a few bitter souls in the building on this night (at least as many as there still are) listening to him cut a necessary farewell-promo, while well-aware of his one-way ticket to the venue. Perhaps in their own right-minds, these fans should have requested that ROH substitute his regular music theme, for a “one-way ticket to hell…and back,” by The Darkness. Fast-forward to present-day, and the idea seems half-way sensible.
This celebration culminated in 6 different shows and served as a more drastic or definitive version of the other four anniversary events that had taken place prior to 2007; and appropriately so, because five–years of independent promotional survival is obviously worth celebrating to the fullest.
However, this anniversary extravaganza also serves as a more drastic version of Ring of Honor’s Anniversary Events prior to 2007, because of its design to say farewell to one of the most historically-notorious ROH talents, Samoa Joe.
This recall is of the very last of the six shows that took place to celebrate five years of honor: the Fifth Year Festival Finale Show Recall/Review from Liverpool, England.
After surviving a near five years of demanding, heavy-headed employment, the company sent Delirious and Colt Cabana out to showcase a little lighter-headed work, in the first match of the fifth year finale show. Each professional wrestling show can be considered a production, and therefore, these productions contain comedic influence. Cabana is dressed in British-like-comedic attire, referee Todd Sinclair is mistaken for a wrestler; wacky this and wacky that. It may not have been a very real match; however, recalling upon this match is a very real memory and currently sits as one of the most noted laugh-out-loud contests in ROH history.
Following the Delirious and Cabana bout, ROH chose to honor their ability to bring in two Women of Honor, from the Shimmer promotion; Allison Danger & Sara Del Rey, to contest against Jetta & Eden Black. To book matches featuring the Women of Honor was once a common characteristic of an ROH event, and therefore, that promotional feature was appropriately recalled on this night in Liverpool.
Throughout the decade that Ring of Honor has remained alive, the company has produced some of the most intense feuds, which have led to some of the most intense matches in the independent professional wrestling scene. A prime example of this is the Jimmy Jacobs and B.J Whitmer feud. In the deep-heat of their rivalry, ROH’s Fifth Year Festival Finale Show set-up a falls count anywhere stage for these two men to compete on.
Exactly as the name of the match suggests, whether you have watched this show on DVD or saw it live; ANYONE can count each spill of hatred between Jacobs and Whitmer, from ANYWHERE in the venue.
Now that the show contains feelings that honor the past and celebrate the present, via the distinction of each of the first three matches on this card, the feelings continue when Pac and Matt Sydal provide a sample of what superior athletes can do in a professional wrestling-ring. The thought-process ROH had by putting these two against each other on this show, coordinates exactly with the promotions thoughts throughout previous years of existence.
Since the era of honor began, the company marketed their product as a place to witness professional wrestling that cannot be viewed throughout the majority, if not all professional wrestling outlets available to mankind. Again, this match-up is a prime example of Ring of Honors well-known thought process. In addition, Pac and Sydal respectfully prove this.
If the very first Ladder War had not taken my Ring of Honor virginity, Mark Briscoe versus his brother Jay Briscoe from this show may have done so. This is a showcase of two ROH pioneers, two hypothetical ROH-Hall-of-Famer’s, two of Ring of Honor’s most beloved and coveted, and two Ring of Honor Legends.
Since the era of honor began, the Briscoe Brothers have been telling themselves and those that get in the ring with them, to “MAN-UP.” The night before this, on the first of the Liverpool double-header, the Briscoe Brothers lost the ROH Tag-Team Titles to Naruki Doi and Shingo. As a result, the brothers decided they needed to put their own motto to the test. I believe they did exactly that and through this performance, how did they possibly NOT honor five years of the fans, the company and furthermore, themselves.
Ring of Honor’s Fifth Year Festival Finale Show runs home with what can arguably be considered as the three most significant matches on the card: The Ring of Honor World Tag-Team Championship Match and a Fight without Honor, capped off by Samoa Joe’s final match in the company.
Since the era of honor began, ROH has always promoted tag-team wrestling as being a distinct and quality-characteristic of their product. How appropriate that a high-quality tag-team title match be featured during the finale of Ring of Honor’s Fifth Year Festival?
Naruki Doi and Shingo of Dragon Gate, square off against the ROH-primed team, of Roderick Strong & Davey Richards. This match is particularly special because Doi and Shingo are the Ring of Honor World Tag-Team Champions here. If there is only one memorable way to showcase and furthermore honor the usage of Japanese talent, prior and post this event; a four-plus-star classic featuring Doi and Shingo as the ROH World Tag-Team Champions seems logical enough.
Five years of honor has been long enough for the company to be forced to produce events that go without it. The fifth year festival finale show is one of these events. Jimmy Rave and Nigel McGuinness battle in a Fight without Honor.
Despite any lack of honor in relation to the rule-book for this match, what Rave and McGuinness both managed NOT to lack in, was honoring Ring of Honor’s five year existence. Via a conjoined effort, they produced one of the top-five matches of Rave’s career and easily one of the top-five Fights without Honor in present-day ROH history.
With all rights given to 411mania.com for the following, allow it to provide an accurate explanation or recall of what took place at Ring of Honors Fifth Year Festival Finale Show between Rave and McGuinness. “I used the words ‘grossest’ or ‘nastiest’ quite a bit here and there’s something to be said for that.”
Primarily because of their choice to toss the honor aside, McGuinness and Rave produced a moment that is now attributed as a reason for Ring of Honor’s continued celebration of life. Moments like these serve as exact reasons why this company will soon be able to produce its 10th Anniversary Show.
When I first noted the main premise of this fifth year festival recall was Samoa Joe’s farewell, I implied a rather sarcastic-hyperbole to his choice for departure here in 2007.
Regardless it can be deemed appropriate that Ring of Honor’s Fifth Year Festival Celebration ends with Samoa Joe vs. Homicide; even though Homicide would soon-after, follow Joe’s decision to buy a one-way ticket to an ROH event. Regardless, for the most part, these two Ring of Honor stars helped carry the company since the era of honor began in 2002, up until they departed. On March 4, 2007 at the Fifth Year Festival Finale, exactly five years prior to the date set for Ring of Honor’s 10th Anniversary Show, Samoa Joe wrestled what would in fact turn out to be his last match in ROH.
The 10th Anniversary Show next month, has no sign of any farewell but this anniversary event can be remembered and recalled upon for its historic representation of Ring of Honor’s version of the “Samoan Submission Machine.”
The event includes a video-package featuring Joe’s best moments in Ring of Honor; from golden-hair to golden-boy, from a rookie to a sophomore to a champion.
The general idea behind this recall or review, depending which way it is perceived, is to reminisce about a particular Ring of Honor Anniversary Show leading up to their decade celebration on March 4, 2012.
Lastly, each recall serves a breeding ground for where one can discover how, why and what has helped prolong the life of Ring of Honor Wrestling.
In this particular case: Thank you Joe…Thank you Joe…Thank you Joe!
(To complete the recall of this particular ROH event; highly comparable to a Movie or Broadway review written by a professional critic on a newspaper or website, the show score below relates to my thoughts on the delivery of the event, via a star rating out of five)
Show Score Review: * * * * 1/4
Match Card:
MAIN EVENT – Samoa Joe’s Final Match in Ring of Honor: Samoa Joe vs. Homicide
Fight without Honor: Jimmy Rave vs. Nigel McGuinness
ROH World Tag-Team Championship Match: Naruki Doi and Shingo vs. Davey Richards and Roderick Strong
Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
Matt Sydal vs. Pac
Falls Count Anywhere Match: B.J Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Sara Del Rey and Allison Danger vs. Jetta and Eden Black
Colt Cabana vs. Delirious
