Column of Honor: 02.19.11: Guest-Starring… (UPDATED & REVISED)

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 02.19.2011

From Mick Foley, Lance Storm and Ricky Steamboat to Raven, Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa, 411's Ari Berenstein counts down the greatest guest star appearance in Ring of Honor over the past ten years! Plus, the most infamous guest-star flops in ROH history and more!

*UPDATE*: I appreciate the criticism and suggestions of the Best Guest-Stars list and after taking them to heart, I believe it is the right thing to give it another try. So below is the revised list. Dick Togo and Ikuto Hidaka have been dropped, while James Gibson is in. Thanks again for the comments and support.

Welcome to the Column. In honor of the 9th Anniversary Show (preview next week) and nine full years of Ring of Honor action, this is a special edition countdown issue covering the best guest-stars to travel the brave shores of honor. Honor honor honor. Heh.

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=Guest Starring...=


There have been many wrestlers who have appeared in Ring of Honor during the course of its nine-year existence—from those who have become stars in the promotion to those who have gone on to succeed in the mainstream wrestling companies such as WWE and TNA to those who have faded into obscurity and haven't been heard from again. One of the more interesting but sometimes overlooked categories is the sheer amount of guest-stars who have made appearances in Ring of Honor.

There have been dozens of wrestling legends, both foreign and domestic who have made their way to ROH. They had made their names in other promotions and yet found it in their hearts (and let's be honest, in many cases their wallets) to appear on an independent wrestling promotion. They have come from far and wide—from WWE and TNA, from the land of Extreme, from the NWA and the territorial days, from Mexico, from Calgary…Alberta…Canada, from Europe, from Japan and even from…Long Island.

Well, can't win them all.

The criteria for making it onto this list were pretty broad. Some guest-stars made their mark in one match that was special and others had months or even a year-long program that helped to create ROH history. So as far as quantity or length of a wrestler's visit, there was a range of discretion but I placed the cut-off point at around a year.

If someone started as a guest-star but then became an "every-show" regular for longer than a year that disqualified them from the list. So Mick Foley (September 2004-September 2005), Ricky Steamboat (March 2004-December 2004) and Raven (March 2003 – October 2003) all qualified under that timeframe but Jim Cornette (who has multiple lengthy runs in ROH throughout his career dating back to 2003 and running through present day), Steve Corino (who began his career in ROH as an announcer before actively wrestling and then had several stints with the promotion, most longer than one year), Chris Hero (who began as the CZW outsider in 2006 but still wrestles for the promotion) and Necro Butcher (2006-2010) did not. However, those wrestlers who were once regulars but later made a one-off guest appearance (such as Samoa Joe, CM Punk and Homicide) could make the list.

As far as judging by quality, what I was looking for were the following:

-Influence on the promotion's history
-Impact of their appearance as it happened
-Quality of matches (if applicable) and promos (if applicable)


So who were the best guest-stars in Ring of Honor history? Let's find out…BUT FIRST! A quick look at the not-so-best guest stars…

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=Infamous Guest Star Appearances=

Honorable Mention: Jeff Hardy's infamous one-night only appearance at Death Before Dishonor I.


Shane Douglas

Douglas was invited for the matinee show The Future is Now that took place at The Supper Club in New York City on the same night at the first ECW One Night Stand Pay Per View. Douglas was two days removed from booking his own ECW reunion show, Hardcore Homecoming, but he was not signed to appear on the WWE version. He received a monster pop upon his entrance (and well, "Perfect Strangers" was just too great of a song to boo anyway), but the more Douglas began to talk bull, the more the fans turned on him. The crowd didn't want to buy into his lines about declining a supposed offer from WWE to come to the show. At first he tried to babyface the situation and then Douglas went with it and began to denigrate ROH. Well, that was the end of any respite from the fans—they booed him solid the rest of the way through. After Samoa Joe defeated Nigel McGuinness to retain the ROH Pure Title, Douglas got back on the mic to put over the wrestlers and the promotion, but he was still booed. Not even Samoa Joe could turn him babyface again. This was a huge lost opportunity for Douglas, as many in the audience supported him going in and were less inclined to do so by the end of his guest-appearance.


Konnan

For whatever reasons, Konnan just didn't connect with the ROH audience during his several appearances. He didn't have it in the ring in his 2002 matches and that didn't lend well to good reactions in what was quickly becoming a work-rate first promotion. Then his 2006 one-off return as an advisor to Homicide in the waning months of the Steve Corino feud was met with apathy and confusion in Philadelphia—his repping of LAX (a TNA project) didn't endear him well to fans either. It was a false note to what had been a hot Homicide babyface run.


Ric Flair

It's difficult to term Flair's run in ROH a complete flop, but the bad attitude and mostly "go-nowhere" appearances did not justify his asking price. The only person who Flair ever helped to put over even a little bit was Austin Aries in his "A-Double" persona, but even then it was Aries who was doing ninety-five percent of the work. At least ROH made-off okay on autographs and Polaroid pictures.


Teddy Hart

What can be said about Teddy Hart at this point that hasn't been said before? Teddy Hart is the epitome of infamy when it comes to his showings in ROH. Hart made a mark of ill repute whenever he showed, whether it was his backstage dust-ups with CM Punk, his moonsault showboating during Scramble Cage Melee at Main Event Spectacles (that concluded with him hurlying in the ring) or his most recent mistrials where he upstaged the main event of Final Battle 2009 after barely making it to the show due to blizzard-related plane delays. He and Jack Evans busted out a string of sick moves during that match that would kill a dead man five times over. Both men proceeded to no-sell these killer finishing moves, almost as if a spinning 360 jackhammer Pedigree was the equivalent in pain to a regular body slam. Then they wouldn't get off the stage, with a self-aggrandizing promo and trying to posture giving props to ROH and the fans all the while referee Bryce Remsburg desperately attempted to convince them to leave. He needed that hook from Showtime at the Apollo because anything less wasn't cutting it. Needless to say, neither man has been back since and Hart's infamous reputation for guest-appearances lives on to this day.

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=The Best Guest Stars in Ring of Honor History=


Just Missed the Cut: Terry Funk, Ken Shamrock, Satoshi Kojima, PAC


Honorable Mention: Ebessan / Kikutaro

The International Clown Prince of Clowning Around made several fun appearances for ROH from 2004-2005. His interactions with the likes of Samoa Joe, Jack Evans and Colt Cabana were hysterical and entertaining. It demonstrated that ROH wasn't opposed to going the comedic route and let's face it, Ebessan's antics like his Flair imitations and pretending not to understand English were damned funny.


Honorable Mention: Go Shiozaki

Shiozaki's guest-stint ended up being nearly a year, beginning as a strong-style babyface and ended up turning heel and selling out to Sweet & Sour Incorporated. He had several impressive outings in ROH, most notably against Austin Aries, Erick Stevens and Naomichi Marufuji. By the time he had left, he had developed his personality and character (showing flashes of charisma with his arrogant act) and his in-ring work was sharper and more devastating than before. However, he was mostly used in the mid-card and once his role as heavy for Sweet & Sour began he was more of a supporting cast member rather than a lead. Shiozaki would go on to win the GHC Heavyweight Title in Pro Wrestling NOAH and become their headliner, albeit at troubled time when the promotion was dealing with the fallout from the death of Mitsuharu Misawa.


Honorable Mention: Kensuke Sasake & Katsuhiko Nakajima

Kensuke Office had some very successful stints with Ring of Honor in late 2008 and early 2009. Sasake worked hard and was over with the fans while Nakajima quickly rose to prominence by wrestling a hard-hitting and athletic style that ROH fans love to see. Nakajima was also involved in the main-event of the Take No Prisoners 2009 Pay Per View and a fantastic thirty-minute draw that took place in Japan.


Honorable Mention: CM Punk

Punk's surprise appearance at Unscripted III saved ROH's bacon, as winter weather problems prevented some of their talent from appearing and they needed a hook for the show badly. Punk was about six months removed from his ROH run and well into his stay in OVW (then WWE's developmental territory). Somehow he was able to "finagle" permission to appear for the show, where he made a surprise entrance after the second match to a raucous ovation. He interacted with his old buddy Colt Cabana (who had become consumed with his feud against Nigel McGuinness), wrestled in the main event, teaming up with Bryan (Daniel Bryan) Danielson to fight Jimmy Rave and Adam Pearce, ran outside in the freezing Long Island snowfall and did a snow angel AND THEN stuck around and signed autographs for fans. That's a crowd-pleasing guest-star performance to be sure and had the ROH fans in attendance chanting "F**k the Refund". Indeed.

Honorable Mention: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy was the hottest free agent during the Summer of 2005, coincidentally peaking in demand and fan popularity just as the Summer of Punk was rolling through Ring of Honor. Hardy had been released by WWE over taking issues about the love triangle between him, Edge and Lita public (i.e. on the internet). However WWE fans kept clamoring for Hardy's return and WWE soon re-signed him to contract. Ring of Honor and several other independent promotions had already signed him to dates when Hardy appeared again on WWE Television. They booked it like he was a rebel who wasn't supposed to be there, jumping out from the crowd and grabbing the microphone to mention (albeit with thick southern accent) that if you wanted to see Matt Hardy live that he would be in ROH. The publicity stunt carried weight—and Hardy's three appearances in the promotion, coinciding with the finale of Punk's heel run—led to some very big attendances for independent shows. Hardy wasn't too bad in the ring either, providing good to very good efforts against the likes of Christopher Daniels (essentially a WWE vs. TNA dream match at the time), Homicide and then putting over Roderick Strong.

Honorable Mention: Bruno Sammartino

It was a true sight to see Bruno appear just one block away from Madison Square Garden, where he ruled the roost in the WWWF with multiple sell-outs. Not only was Bruno humble and hugely appreciative of the response he received, but his presence also helped set-up the Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima angle at Glory By Honor V Night 2. A touching moment and useful in progressing an ROH storyline.


=*****The Top 20*****=

20. Johnny Fairplay Notable Appearances: Supercard of Honor II, A New Level, So Cal Showdown Best Known For: Being Lariated to Death by Nigel McGuinness Not all guest-stars have to be wrestling legends or people's champions for that matter. Sometimes an annoying celebrity character can be a welcome presence due to their antagonism. Just look at Andy Kaufman and what his involvement in professional wrestling did for Jerry "The King Lawler" back in the early 1980's. Johnny Fairplay knows very well how annoying and cocky he comes across—and that's the way he likes it. He played the heel role in his stint on the "Survivor" reality show and carried the notoriety from that show over to his cameos for various wrestling promotion. In some ways, the Ring of Honor audience is perfect for him to play against, because of their reputation for being exceptionally critical of outsiders, especially someone like him who isn't a wrestler and hasn't legitimized himself to them in their minds of being worthy to step in the ring. Using Fairplay on an ROH show is like dangling a rare piece of meat to drooling Dobermans. Fairplay's few ROH showings have seen him rub elbows with the "power player" heel managers such as Larry Sweeney and Prince Nana. He added to their menagerie and increased their heat with the fans just by being the invited guest of Sweet & Sour Incorporated or The Embassy. Of course, Fairplay ended up getting his just desserts at the hands of Nigel McGuinness (at the time the lead babyface of ROH), who threw down with perhaps what was one of his most devastating lariats ever at Supercard of Honor II (2007). The fans rejoiced at the beheading of young Mr. Fairplay and it was McGuinness who was the conquering hero of the day. The whole scene was replayed on a VH1 program documenting reality stars such as Fairplay, thus adding an extra value to booking Fairplay—his ability to bring ROH increased visibility and exposure.

19. Dusty Rhodes Notable Appearances: Epic Encounter I, At Our Best Best Known For: Bloody Brawls against and with Carnage Crew Though he became one of the most famous wrestlers in professional wrestling history with huge mainstream runs in WCW and WWF, Dusty Rhodes always seemed to have an affinity for the underground independents as well. He worked in ECW in the late 90's with Steve Corino, which spiraled into a violent and a bloody feud and became Corino's career highlight to that point. Rhodes continued to support the independents in his own way, making several appearances in ROH in 2004 and actually contributing in the ring, even though he was in his early 50's by that point. Rhodes worked in several brawls, likely because that helped to hide the weaknesses of his age. However, Dusty didn't shirk from these matches either, working hard and getting color for his match at Epic Encounter I He wrestled on Homicide's team at against a team led by Jack Victory and CW Anderson in what may have been the most chaotic and bloody brawl to that point in ROH. In addition, I will always appreciate his participation in the Scramble Cage match between Special K and The Carnage Crew because it led to the fantastic mark-out moment when he entered and everyone lined up and fed for the Bionic Elbow. That was a highlight and a huge pop for the audience to be sure. Though, not everything Dusty did in his brief excursions to the land of Honor turned into gold. Whatever it was that he and Ox Baker were attempting to do pre-show at At Our Best didn't work out well and was immediately left at the wayside. Rhodes may also be best-remembered for the backstage segment that aired after the Scramble Cage, where he made use of his super smeller and uttered the immortal line, "Smells like someone sh*t back here." Yes, Dusty was there for "Who Crapped in the Carnage Crew's Bags?" angle. Not the greatest highlight in the world for him and for ROH, but Dusty got away with that given his star power and the high level of entertainment he provided the fans during these appearances.

18. Kota Ibushi Notable Appearances: Bedlam in Beantown, Injustice I, Tag Wars 2008, Return Engagement, Tokyo Summit Best Known For: 4-Show Debut of Phenomenal Matches Ibushi rocked the socks off of the ROH audiences when he made his debut during a four show stint of back-to-back-to-back-to-back appearances in April 2008. He wrestled in four different markets, all in front of many who were getting the opportunity to see him work live and in-person for the first time. They marked for Ibushi's flying prowess and trademark spots (such as the missed moonsault to the connecting standing moonsault). It was some very mind-blowing aerial ability but also great timing in the clutch that helped Ibushi earn huge buzz from these appearances. He was matched against some of the more marquee (and talented) wrestlers on the roster—Davey Richards, Claudio Castagnoli, El Generico and a tag match teaming with Aries against the Briscoes. These were wrestlers who complemented his style very well and the result was Ibushi was right at home. His curtain call was when ROH went to Japan for their Tokyo Summit show, where he contributed to one hell of a thirty-minute draw teaming with KENTA against Marufuji and Nakajima. It has become one of the promotion's more under-looked gems as it took place during the tail end of the Sapolsky booking run. Kota Ibushi just has the inherent talent in the ring and he made the most of his appearances in ROH, upping his reputation and popularity among American independent fans, though he earned every bit of it.

17. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Notable Appearances: All-Star Extravaganza II, Third Anniversary Celebration Part 3, Stalemate Best Known For: Manager vs. Manager Feud with Jim Cornette Heenan was actually supposed to make his way live and in person to ROH earlier than his actual first appearance: he petitioned for CM Punk to receive a spot in the inaugural Pure Title Tournament at the 2nd Anniversary Show in a little-remembered newswire angle. However, Heenan would back out because of concerns over possible backlash to ROH because of the Rob Feinstein incident (he wouldn't be the only one, as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would also cancel around this time for the same reason). When Heenan returned to ROH it was to participate in a manager feud against Jim Cornette that had never been done in all of professional wrestling history. There was a "Great Managerial Debate" between the two at All-Star Extravaganza II. Heenan was positioned as the face in a show-long angle where Cornette demanded he get a team and fight his chosen wrestlers to determine who could manage their respective teams better. Heenan had Cabana and Jimmy Jacobs as a team (way before the two would engage in a blood feud due to Jacobs being angry that Cabana shtuped Lacey). Cornette called on Generation Next of Roderick Strong and Jack Evans for his team. What followed were some fantastic tricks and traps where Heenan shined in all his glory, while Cornette jumped around and jawed in protest at the cheating that the referee never saw (all the while taking gleeful advantage when it was his turn to do the same). In the end, Heenan and his team ruled the day. The segment was so nice, they did it twice, as Heenan and Cornette battled managerial wits again at Third Anniversary Celebration Part 3 in Chicago, with Heenan again coming out the victor when his team of Cabana and Nigel McGuinness went over the tag champions Dan Maff and BJ Whitmer in a non-title match. Heenan would also accompany CM Punk at Stalemate and attempt to equalize Prince Nana's presence. His other major contributions were frequent appearances on Colt Cabana's awesome "Good Times, Great Memories" talk show that Cabana hosted from backstage. Heenan was achingly funny with his deadpan humor and it was clear that Colt was so happy to be going toe-to-toe in the verbal banter game with him. The Brain's several appearances are collectively a whole bunch of feel-good moments and the ROH fans were there giving him so much love and support just for being himself.

16. The Great Muta Notable Appearances: Final Battle 2003 Best Known For: Tag Team Main-Event with Arashi versus The Prophecy The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh) made a huge impression on American wrestling fans during the late 1980's and early 1990's with extended runs in WCW (notably wrestling against Sting and Ric Flair). He was an older and far less mobile wrestler by 2003 when he appeared for Ring of Honor, but his appearance was nonetheless important. Muta had brought wrestlers from All-Japan Pro Wrestling to Final Battle 2003 for a four-match ROH vs. AJPW series. The story went that Muta saw the great reception from the ROH fans during the pre-show meet & greets and saw the hard work being done by the ROH wrestlers during the first half of the show. He then told the AJPW wrestlers to not treat this as a vacation and put their working boots on for their part of the show. The years had caught up with Muta's body, but his wasn't a performance that just went by name and reputation alone (though that certainly helped in carrying respect and generating reactions from the fans in attendance). He brought as much effort as possible for his condition during his match teaming with Arashi against The Prophecy of Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan. He used the Shining Wizard and even pulled out a rare moonsault (which was something special given the deteriorated condition of his knees). Muta and Arashi won that match and the final score was a 2-2 tie between the two promotions. Though the ROH fans loved him so much that he could have gotten away with doing less, it was the fact that he did more and inspired the other AJPW wrestlers to do more (thus ensuring a classic ROH event) that places him on the list.

15. Tommy Dreamer Notable Appearances: All-Star Extravaganza I, Death Before Dishonor I Best Known For: Saving Raven from CM Punk Tommy Dreamer's surprise appearances were remarkable for the fact that he was able to appear for ROH while under WWE contract (essentially under the same principle as Jerry "The King" Lawler's appearances for other independent promotions). Dreamer was close with Gabe Sapolsky from the days of the original ECW, so he was open to appear for the promotion at several points in 2002 (which is also why he worked for Gabe last year in Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE in 2009, having left WWE but before signing with TNA). It also helped that ROH was running shows predominantly in Philadelphia and was still packed with former hardcore ECW fans that remembered and had grown to love Dreamer as the figurehead babyface of the promotion. His first appearance was at All-Star Extravaganza I, where he stopped Michael Shane from backing out of shaking hands with Paul London after losing to him during a gauntlet match for the Number One Contender's Trophy. Dreamer cut an impassioned promo about his history in Philadelphia, his love for the fans and his hope that ROH would succeed. He seemingly convinced Shane to be an honorable man about the loss, but then Shane attacked London from behind. Dreamer shook his head like a teacher about to reprimand a misbehaving student, and then laid Shane out with a trademark Dreamer DDT. Dreamer returned a year later as a surprise in the aftermath of the Raven / CM Punk dog collar match at Death Before Dishonor I. CM Punk had Raven in trouble at the end of the match, having handcuffed him to the ropes and vowing to send him spiraling back into a state of alcohol-dependency. However, Dreamer made his way in, took out Punk and freed Raven. After a moment of contemplation given the bitter feud they had in ECW, the two finally embraced (to the delight of the fans). They worked together to give ultimate humiliation to Punk by tying up the Straight-Edge superstar and forcing him to drink beer. I liked the idea of Dreamer as sort of an uncle for ROH who would sometimes make his presence known and help right some of the wrongs as it related to honor vs. dishonor. The use of the Raven / Dreamer feud from years gone by also helped make the angle seem bigger and more important to the overall wrestling industry while getting over CM Punk and his heel act. It provided an interesting tie of continuity from the end of one era of independent and underground wrestling to the newest one that was emerging through Ring of Honor.

14. Jushin "Thunder" Liger Notable Appearances: Weekend of Thunder Nights 1 and 2, So Cal Showdown Best Known For: Dream Match versus Bryan Danielson When one of the greatest Junior Heavyweight wrestlers of all-time comes to town, you better make a weekend of it. That's what happened in 2004 when the masked sensation known as Jushin "Thunder" Liger made his way to Ring of Honor. Jushin Liger had made his greatest mark in America in the early 1990's through his appearances in WCW against the likes of Brian Pillman—although one would like to forget his less than illustrious return to that promotion in the early 2000's run (which included the infamous angle where Juventud Guerrera smashed a tequila bottle over his head). Liger was not just a complete success story but an icon in Japan. Meanwhile, Bryan Danielson had toured for New-Japan Pro Wrestling during 2004 and had somewhat of a rivalry with Liger (in the sense of the traditional young American junior gaijin coming in to prove his mettle against the Puro talent). That issue was brought over to ROH as used as the crux of the promotion behind the Weekend of Thunder events. The first night was a singles match between Liger and Danielson which Liger won with a top rope brainbuster. The second night was a dream tag situation where Danielson and Low Ki (a heel at that point) teamed up on one side against Samoa Joe and Jushin Liger. Danielson and Ki failed to co-exist as a team and that led to their undoing. However, Danielson and Joe ended up saving Liger from a Rottweiler gang attack. Needless to say, the fans in Boston and New Jersey ate up Liger's appearances and popped for all of his trademark spots, but what elevates Liger into this spot is that his appearances was actually used to springboard and propel Ring of Honor angles further than just these initial dream scenarios. Further, these matches helped put the shine on not just one ROH roster member, but four (Danielson, Ki, Joe and Homicide). Liger would have a reprise for ROH in 2010 when he wrestled against then ROH World Champion Austin Aries at So Cal Showdown in Los Angeles, California, putting over the champion and losing to his own brainbuster finisher. Liger put over the champion, in fact insisted he do so—and that certainly is praiseworthy actions from a guest-star who also happens to be a world-renowned talent.

13. Lance Storm Notable Appearances: Steel Cage Warfare, Better Than Our Best, Northern Navigation, New Horizons, Death Before Dishonor VII Nights One and Two Best Known For: Wrestling Bryan Danielson in 2006 and Chris Hero in 2009 Another ECW original, Lance Storm initially wasn't going to wrestle for ROH, but rather only do one or two promotional appearances, such as his first showing at Steel Cage Warfare. However, then-ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky encouraged him to watch Bryan Danielson's wrestling matches. The more Storm saw of Bryan Danielson the more he realized he could do something special wrestling against him. Their initial verbal confrontation in December 2005 led to Storm coming out of retirement and wrestling against Danielson for the ROH World Title at Better Than Our Best, that year's Wrestlemania weekend showcase. Storm trained hard for the comeback and the results paid off—he wrestled the longest match of his career and certainly one of his best. The title match served as a showcase of both men's wrestling ability and for Danielson, the win served as an extra legitimization of his championship run. That very positive experience with ROH set the stage for a mini-comeback in Storm's wrestling career and spawned additional guest-spots in ROH throughout the next few years. He resurfaced in ROH in 2008 in a non-wrestling capacity for shows in the Detroit and Toronto, working an angle with Sweet & Sour Incorporated, specifically Larry Sweeney and Chris Hero. That set the stage for an actual in-ring return one year later in Toronto, as he teamed with Kevin Steen (babyface at the time) against Chris Hero and Davey Richards. It was excellent to see Storm wrestling some of this generation's better wrestlers on the independent scene. He won the tag match by tapping Hero out with the sharpshooter, but put over Hero the next night in singles competition. Storm was very emotional after that match for wrestling in front of his countrymen and once again realizing he wasn't going to be wrestling very many matches after that one. Storm hasn't been back to ROH since, but he has been one of the best guest-stars in terms of being willing to work with the younger talent as well as producing excellent matches. He made the most of his time in ROH and put over the other wrestlers. There's not much more one could ask out of a guest-star.

12. Mitsuhara Misawa Notable Appearances: Glory By Honor VI Nights 1 and 2 Best Known For: GHC Heavyweight Defense versus KENTA Mitsuhara Misawa was perhaps THE biggest star in Japanese wrestling over the past two decades and the founder of Pro Wrestling NOAH. His appearance in Ring of Honor was something that had been building up for years, ever since the cooperation between the companies began in 2005. Initially, Misawa was to be Samoa Joe's final opponent in his personal grudge feud against the NOAH contingent that saw him match up against KENTA, Marufuji and then later on his epic bout against Kenta Kobashi. That match didn't come to pass in Ring of Honor (though it eventually would in Japan), but Misawa did eventually make his way to ROH in 2007. Misawa had taken so much punishment and abuse over the years, but like Kobashi and Muta before him, he put on superlative performances that exceeded what his body should have been able to do at that point in his career. The reaction he received from fans on both nights was amazing, rivaling the consistency and volume of the Joe vs. Kobashi match back in 2005. It was as if wrestling's version of John Lennon had walked into the middle of the Grand Ballroom and held court. The atmosphere, with green lighting and Japanese flags heralding his entrance, enhanced the energy and excitement of the moment. Some may have been dismayed by the outcome of his first American match (a tag with KENTA against Morishima and Marufuji) going to a thirty-minute draw without a conclusive resolution. However, it was his GHC Heavyweight Title defense against KENTA that should be remembered best. It received the best reaction of the evening and it is clear that it should have been the match that closed the show. Misawa's influence on ROH was so deeply felt that he received a ten-bell salute by the entire ROH roster on the night of his death on June 13th 2009, almost twenty-one months after appearing for ROH and without any NOAH or Japanese presence on that particular show.

11. The Dragon Gate Roster (CIMA, SHINGO, Naruki Doi, BxB Hulk, Dragon Kid, etc.) Notable Appearances: Dragon Gate Invasion, Dragon Gate Challenge I, Supercard of Honor I, II & III, All Star Extravanganza 3, Final Battle 2006, Dragon Gate Challenge II, Live in Osaka, Battle of the Best Best Known For: CIMA vs. AJ Styles (DG Invasion), Dragon Gate Six-Man Challenges (Supercard of Honor I & II & III), Blood Generation vs. Generation Next (DG Challenge I), BxB Hulk & SHINGO vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (Dragon Gate Challenge II) Okay, yes, I know it's an extreme cop-out to group Dragon Gate collectively—however, it has become virtually impossible for me to choose just one Dragon Gate wrestler in terms of superlative efforts and contributions to Ring of Honor. The fact is, the Dragon Gate roster absolutely did combine to create spectacular performances on Ring of Honor shows-an entire troop that lifted ROH DVDs up to epic, must-buy attractions because of their matches. Whether it was the Ring of Honor vs. Dragon Gate challenge series or the annual Dragon Gate Six-Man tags that grabbed one's attention and never let go (in fact had them pleading with the wrestlers not to stop), it was not just one individual member of the DG roster but them as a whole that deserved the credit. CIMA was the spiritual and emotional figurehead of the promotion. He was the most recognizable wrestler to the American audience, having been mentored by Ultimo Dragon and become involved with Toruymon before it became known as Dragon Gate. CIMA took SHINGO with him for their first ROH guest shot, which happened at Dragon Gate Invasion. SHINGO was just one year into his career at that point and learning the ropes, though it was clear he had a ton of potential (and a sweet mullet). SHINGO would return to ROH for a longer stay in ROH (he treaded the way for Morishima and Shiozaki to do the same). SHINGO returned to DG in Japan and improved so quickly that he became one of the shining stars of the promotion. Other notable Dragon Gate stars such as Mochizuki, Horiguchi, Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and others would make their way for Challenge series shows where ROH wrestlers matched up against Dragon Gate's best. The results spoke for themselves. It's a shame that ROH and Dragon Gate's relationship ended so sourly, because for several years these two promotions joined forces and rocked the independent world with some utterly incredible performances. They work they did in ROH paved the way for the eventual Dragon Gate USA enterprise to take shape and grab a piece of the North American independent wrestling pie.

10. Mick Foley Notable Appearances: Glory By Honor III, Weekend of Thunder Night 2, 3rd Year Anniversary Celebration Part I, Escape From New York, Glory By Honor IV Best Known For: Hardcore vs. Honor feud with Ricky Steamboat, dropping the damn elbow on Prince Nana Mick Foley came into ROH still hot from his 2004 WWE run where he feuded against Randy Orton. He worked on-and-off for ROH for a full-year beginning at Glory By Honor III and serving as a recurring guest-star until Glory By Honor IV. Foley wasn't afraid to mix it up and became involved in several angles during his time there. Interestingly, it began and concluded with brawls against Prince Nana and The Embassy. However, Foley veered between face and heel roles and while he didn't turn as many times as say, Big Show in WWE, it was surprising just how many times he crossed those lines (see what I did there?) in such a relatively small period. Foley was excellent during autograph sessions, but during the shows, fans would just as easily boo him as support him depending on whom he was playing off of in an angle. They were split when Foley engaged in a battle of ideology with Ricky Steamboat over the merits of hardcore wrestling. They cheered when he put over Punk and Joe…until he mentioned he would do whatever he could to make sure they could get to WWE and achieve success there. That received a mixed reaction (because you never tell the fans of the underground that you want their favorite acts to go mainstream) but Punk saved it all with an "at least it's not TNA" comment (ah, "the lesser of two evils" works every time). A brief feud with Samoa Joe resulted in an odd pairing with the Japanese comedian Ebessan (see Honorable Mention). It also led to an unofficial "confrontation" against Joe, that was as close as possible to a physical wrestling match without being labeled as such (like Steamboat's battle against Punk in '04, see below). On the other hand, Foley also entertained the fans with his promos, some self-effacing, some plugging his new books and some taking pot shots at Ric Flair (against who he bore a grudge at the time, stemming from comments in Flair's book). Foley finished his run with a babyface swing where he acted as a liaison between "Vince" / WWE and the heel and newly crowned ROH World Champion CM Punk. Foley was there ensure Punk was doing the right things for business on the way out of the promotion. He then supported AJ Styles in his battles against Embassy before he too departed for another return to WWE. Foley's last appearance may have been his most memorable, when he dropped a Cactus elbow on the floor on Prince Nana during his farewell speech. Then he spent the next hour signing autographs with the fans FOR FREE for his hometown Long Island fans. Hell of a deal there and a huge reason why Foley is so high on the list, as his fan outreach and his giving nature to ROH was superlative. He was also a significant draw to shows, as I know of several fans who went just to reach out and talk to Foley but then came away huge fans of Ring of Honor wrestling.

9. Ricky Steamboat Notable Appearances: At Our Best, Generation Next, ROH Reborn: Completion, Joe vs. Punk II, All-Star Extravaganza II Best Known For: Feud with CM Punk, Hardcore vs. Honor feud with Mick Foley As with Foley, "The Dragon" had an extended stay in Ring of Honor, ended up involved in multiple programs while there and contributed greatly towards the legitimization of some of the younger stars in the promotion. Steamboat's most successful and well-remembered feud was against CM Punk in 2004. It was a rivalry born of Punk's disrespect to Steamboat and ill-will stemming from what he felt was a bad referee call during a Pure Title match against AJ Styles at At Our Best. Punk injured Steamboat by attacking him with the ring bell, in an angle that had echoes of Steamboat's famous feud with Randy "Macho Man" Savage. It all boiled down to several physical "confrontations" (it couldn't be labeled an actual match for legal reasons) that were incredibly heated and a lot of fun to watch. Punk rescued Steamboat from Generation Next to turn face and bury their feud, but soon after Steamboat and Mick Foley engaged in a battle of words as to the place of hardcore wrestling in Ring of Honor. Each man selected representatives to fight it out with matches under various rules pertaining to clean and technical wrestling or hardcore, bloody brawls. Steamboat and Foley eventually agreed to disagree on their points, but respect each other's perspectives and place in the wrestling world. Steamboat's last act was to repay Punk by helping to give him one more chance during his final title match against Samoa Joe (All-Star Extravaganza II). He worked with ROH until the end of 2004 when he signed with WWE to be a backstage agent, in which capacity he has remained ever since. Steamboat's name value and popularity with the fans again added an extra intangible to the ROH shows in which he appeared—and his presence helped stepped up CM Punk's game even more after the Raven feud. It was fun to see Steamboat spar with Foley and show that not only could he wrestle, but he was a hell of a promo as well. Steamboat still had it in the ring in 2004, and that's why when he came out of retirement to wrestle several matches in WWE against Chris Jericho in 2009 it was no surprise that he contributed so well to those matches.

8. Motor City Machine Guns Notable Appearances (as a team): Good Times, Great Memories, Tag Wars 2008, Return Engagement, Fueling the Fire, Death Before Dishonor VI, Supercard of Honor V Best Known For: Two-Match Series versus The Briscoes Alex Shelley had a several year-long stay with Ring of Honor from 2004-2006 and he was involved in some very important developments such as the formation of Generation Next and his joining The Embassy. Chris Sabin also wrestled regularly for ROH in 2003 and later made occasional guest-appearances. He notably wrestled against AJ Styles in an NWA World Title match (which was sponsored by TNA at the time) and in 2005 matched up against Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Title at Showdown in Motown. Yet it was together as The Motor City Machine Guns that Shelley and Sabin achieved the most success in professional wrestling. Likewise, the Guns found themselves being highly visible and popular guest-stars for ROH off-and-on from 2007-2009. Shelley and Sabin brought their superlative speed, athleticism and tag team combinations and mixed it up with some of the best tag teams in ROH. They had a two-match series against The Briscoes, the first of which that took place at Good Times, Great Memories in 2007 and became hugely celebrated and raved by the fans. They had terrific matches against teams such as Bryan Danielson & Austin Aries at Fueling the Fire, Tyler Black & Jimmy Jacobs at Tag Wars 2008, Kevin Steen & El Generico at Death Before Dishonor VI and most recently Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli (The Kings of Wrestling) at Supercard of Honor V. All told, the Machine Guns have amassed an amazing CV of top-notch performances in Ring of Honor. Their presence has added to an event every single time.

7. Takeshi Morishima Notable Appearances: Glory By Honor V Night 2, Fifth Year Festival: NYC & FYF: Philly; Fighting Spirit, Respect Is Earned, Manhattan Mayhem II, Undeniable, Final Battle 2008 Best Known For: 9 Month Run as ROH World Champion, Feud with Bryan Danielson Takeshi Morishima roared into Ring of Honor like a lion and changed the entire championship history of the promotion in 2007. Morishima was built up as a huge monster, set up for fans to want to see him fight Samoa Joe with an incredible angle using the tribute to Bruno Sammartino at Glory By Honor V Night 2. It was a simple miscommunication between the two that broke down and the fans went crazy for it. There was a five-month wait but eventually Joe and Morishima fought, with Joe gaining what was actually an upset win given it was Morishima's first match in ROH. Despite the loss, Morishima dominated Homicide the next night and won the ROH world Championship in less than ten minutes. That utter destruction began a nine-month run with the title where Morishima was the unstoppable force—the foreign invader who took everyone's best shot and kept winning. He was bigger than everyone on the roster; he was badder than anyone on the roster and no one was able to stop him, though some tried and some came close. Bryan Danielson's effort against him at Manhattan Mayhem II was the first of five matches between them, each brutal and devastating. They developed an amazing grudge based off of Danielson's very real orbital bone injury that happened during their first match. Whenever they fought there was this "David vs. Goliath" magic that drew the fans in and made them want to see more. While Morishima lost the title to Nigel McGuinness in October 2007, the Danielson feud kept him relevant and alive in the fans minds. He went a near full year between appearances in ROH (as he was given a higher profile in NOAH as a result of his championship run in ROH, though it didn't quite take), but fans wanted to see a final encounter between him and Danielson. That happened at Final Battle 2008, where Danielson finally earned a decisive victory against Morishima during in a Fight Without Honor match that may have bettered the intensity and violence of the first one. Though Morishima may not have been initially accepted by the ROH fan base due to being "the outsider", he changed their minds with his constant presence on shows throughout 2007 and the undeniable awesome path of destruction he left in the ring. If anything he earned a begrudging respect from most, even if they didn't want him to be champion. However, Morishima's place in the pantheon of ROH champions is assured. He worked out very well for the promotion—aside from Joe, perhaps the best big man to work in ROH.

6. James Gibson Notable Appearances: Third Anniversary Celebration Parts 2 & 3, Stalemate, The Final Showdown, Manhattan Mayhem I, Fate of an Angel I, Redemption, Glory By Honor IV, Unforgettable Best Known For: Excellent String of Wrestling Matches, Winning ROH World Title from CM Punk James Gibson (a.k.a. Jamie Noble) is the perfect example of what coming to Ring of Honor can do for a career. Gibson had been released from WWE due to a wellness violation, but he was determined to work hard and work his way back to WWE. He spent 2005 having a career year not just in Ring of Honor but in many other independent wrestling promotions. He demonstrated that he had the chops to be one of the best technical wrestlers anywhere and efforts against the likes of Spanky, Puma, Austin Aries and CM Punk went a long way to proving that to be true. Gibson was an immediate fan favorite in ROH for coming in, being very humble to them and working the ROH style. He was a perfect fit and for the next ten months he became one of the promotion's top stars. Gibson's journey in 2005 was to win the ROH World Title. He pulled out some excellent efforts against Austin Aries, only to be denied. He had a huge opportunity to win the belt at Fate of An Angel I, but CM Punk snuck out the win despite an epic title match. Finally, Gibson found "Redemption" by winning the ROH World Title in a four-way elimination match, last eliminating Punk with a huge Gibson Driver off the top rope. The celebration was certainly one of the more emotional moments in ROH history, especially for Gibson himself. WWE had come calling for Gibson once again, but in storyline he vowed to stay in ROH and defend his newly won title until he lost it. That came in a thrilling back-and-forth title match against the returning Bryan Danielson at Glory By Honor IV. As for Gibson, he would have two farewell matches, one at Joe vs. Kobashi against Jimmy Yang, his Yung Dragon's teammate from WCW who was coming into ROH for a run of his own. His final ROH match was against Roderick Strong at Unforgettable, which to this day is an underlooked masterpiece of technical wrestling that along with the Hardy match and winning that year's Survival of the Fittest tournament propelled Strong to greater heights. In just ten months Gibson not only thrived in the ROH environment, but he had massive popularity with the fan base, critical acclaim, was at an in-ring creative peak and he helped to put over several ROH talents on the way out. He absolutely deserves recognition for having one of the most productive guest-star runs in ROH history.

5. Eddie Guerrero Notable Appearances: The Era of Honor Begins, Night of Appreciation Best Known For: Semi-Main Event of First Show in ROH History, First Real Ticket Draw Eddie Guerrero was the most-important guest-star to appear in the first year of Ring of Honor. It was Guerrero's name on the marquee that attracted the most attention to ROH's debut in February 2002 as he wrestled Super Crazy for the IWA (Puerto Rico) Intercontinental Title. His name brought immediate legitimacy to the fledgling independent promotion and the good word about his efforts in the match helped to sell tapes and DVDs of that first show. It also convinced many that Eddie was ready to make another go of it in the mainstream. Guerrero had been released by WWE due to drug issues, but he was doing his best to make a comeback. No wonder that soon after this match he was re-signed by WWE and immediately defeated Rob Van Dam for the Intercontinental Title on the Backlash Pay Per View in April. One week later, Eddie was allowed to make his previously committed booking with ROH, which became a night of appreciation for his efforts in both helping ROH to get its feet off the ground and in helping himself to regain momentum for his career. Guerrero teamed up with Amazing Red to defeat The SAT (as well as punking-out Brian XL to the delight of the fans in the Murphy Rec Center). Guerrero teaming up with Red was a special moment, as was the farewell speech he gave to the crowd that night. Guerrero didn't spend much time in ROH, but he was a huge spiritual lift to the promotion, a patriarch whose wrestling style was kin to the up-and-coming talent on the roster. It is those intrinsic and powerful ties between ROH and Guerrero that lifts him up to such a high position on a countdown of the greatest guest-stars in the promotion's history. It's tough to say that there would have been any other guest-stars, without him attracting eyes to the product in the first place. In other words, Guerrero brought fans to Ring of Honor, and the triple threat main event between Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson and Low Ki kept them there.

4. Kenta Kobashi Notable Appearances: Joe vs. Kobashi, Unforgettable Best Known For: Five-Star Match versus Samoa Joe Kenta Kobashi was Misawa's peer in the 1990's and his champion for much of NOAH's formative years in the early 2000's. Therefore he was certainly the biggest Japanese Puro star to appear for ROH up to that point in 2005. Obviously, Kobashi's most important contribution to ROH was wrestling against Samoa Joe in one of the pre-eminent battles in the promotions' history. This was a match that helped gain incredible exposure for both Joe and Ring of Honor. There were even feature-length articles about this epic dream battle and the incredible reaction it received from fans in the New Yorker Hotel in Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazines. That tells you the extent of the attention and newsworthiness of the event. The reaction from the fans was unreal—they were going out of their minds from moment one, but the action of the match lived up to that energy and validated it. They were ready to see the face of ROH at that point match up with one of Japan's legendary wrestlers and they bought into the fight every step of the way. It was a five-star match and one of ROH's crown jewels in what was probably their first or second best year for creativity and productivity. Though ironically Kobashi's involvement the next night at Unforgettable (teaming with Homicide to wrestle Joe & Low Ki) has become forgotten about as the years go on, it is nonetheless an excellent match in its own right and worthy of watching (besides, that one has the Orange Crush finisher, which you don't get in the Joe match). In a way, Kobashi's appearance for ROH paralleled Jushin Liger's and set the stage for Misawa's, but ultimately felt more important and had a deeper impact on the future of the promotion than those two appearances.

3. Raven Notable Appearances: Expect the Unexpected, Night of the Champions, Night of Grudges, WrestleRave '03, Death Before Dishonor I, Beating the Odds Best Known For: Feud with CM Punk in 2003 Raven's stint in Ring of Honor during 2003 was perhaps the most effective usage of a guest-star in a long program or feud in ROH history. Not only did the year long program he had with CM Punk demonstrate that Raven could once again find relevance (he was also in the midst of a comeback for TNA), but that he could put over a new talent and turn a grudge program into a huge deal. Raven's feud cemented CM Punk's heel status and tapped into Punk's potential as an antagonistic force. In many ways, Punk vs. Raven put Ring of Honor on the map—it turned heads and made people ask "hey what's going on over there?" CM Punk had the perfect person to play off for the Straight-Edge character in terms of contrasting philosophy and ideology (well, at least with what Raven used to represent, since he had cleaned up his life at that point). That inspiration led to the creation of Punk's seminal heel promos as well as the formation of the Second City Saints stable (the prototype for his leadership of the Straight-Edge Society and New Nexus). Raven's promos were intense, deeply psychological and captivating, but it wasn't just his words but his body language that spoke volumes—his laying back on chain-link fences, the smirk he'd give while vowing to hurt Punk and so on. He was a face, but with that trademark dark edge that walked the line. Punk kept finding ways to beat Raven in singles and tag matches and threw it in his face every time, driving Raven nearly insane. However, when Punk threatened to send Raven spiraling out of sobriety, that was the spark Raven needed to finally overcome Punk (see Tommy Dreamer, above) in a Clockwork House of Fun at Beating the Odds, which was perhaps not the best wrestling match ever, but certainly contained enough violence and blood to bring the feud to an appropriate conclusion—though Punk got the last word in by hanging Raven up on a cardboard "X", echoing the ECW crucifixion angle that caused so much controversy a decade earlier. Raven didn't have the best matches, but they were good enough to drive the point home. Yet his psychology and promos were top-notch during his stay in ROH and he came through in the ring when it counted, including the Dog Collar match at Death Before Dishonor I. Raven gave much of himself to ROH for this angle in putting Punk over at every turn and made ROH a very interesting promotion to watch in 2003.

(Tie) 1. Naomichi Marufuji Notable Appearances: Best in the World, Final Battle 2005, Glory By Honor V Night 2, Final Battle 2007, A New Level, Death Before Dishonor VI, The Tokyo Summit, All-Star Extravaganza IV, Final Battle 2008 Best Known For: Challenging Nigel McGuiness and Bryan Danielson for ROH World Title (Tie) 1. KENTA Notable Appearances: Best in the World, Final Battle 2005, Fight of the Century, Glory By Honor V Night 2, Glory By Honor VI Night 2, The Tokyo Summit, 7th Anniversary Show, Supercard of Honor IV, Take No Prisoners 2009 Best Known For: Challenging Nigel McGuiness and Bryan Danielson for ROH World Title I am awarding a tie for first place for the first time on any of the countdown features done for this column and with good reason. KENTA and Marufuji have been tied together both in Puroresu wrestling history and in their frequent and multiple guest appearances in Ring of Honor. When there is rumor or news of guest-stars appearing for Ring of Honor, there are two major names that always and immediately come up in the "most wanted" conversation—KENTA and Naomichi Marufuji. Ring of Honor fans have had a love affair with these two extremely gifted wrestlers since 2005. KENTA and Marufuji began in the junior heavyweight division in Pro Wrestling NOAH, but have since been perceived and used as main-event talents there and in ROH. Fans believe them to be bad-asses and half of wrestling is appealing to the belief of the fans and serving that demand. Fans want to see KENTA and Marufuji taking on the best in ROH—that means they are big ticket-selling draws both to the hardcore and more casual ROH fans. Not every ROH fan keeps an eye on what's going on in Japan, but a majority of ROH fans know about KENTA and Marufuji. KENTA and Marufuji broke out from the pack by teaming together in 2004 & 2005—gaining the most attention for their run in the '05 Differ Cup tournament. ROH booked them for a special tag team match against Bryan Danielson & Samoa Joe based on their success as a tag team. The Best in the World dream tag was just the tip of the iceberg as to what KENTA and Marufuji could do in the ring. It hinted at the potential of the working relationship between ROH and NOAH, which bore fruit with the appearances of the likes of Go Shiozaki, Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa and the multiple shows ROH ran in Japan in 2007 and 2008. Over the next several years both would be involved in title matches (in both the champion and challenger position), grudge feuds and fantastic dream bouts against the likes of Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Davey Richards and others. KENTA wrestled an all-time classic against Low Ki at Final Battle 2005 and bettered that effort in September 2006 when he wrestled Bryan Danielson at Glory By Honor V Night 2.Marufuji racked up his classic bouts against Nigel McGuinness at that show and again at Final Battle 2008. 2008 was Marufuji's best guest-star run in ROH, wrestling phenomenal matches against Roderick Strong and Go Shiozaki en route to that title match against McGuinness. Then it was KENTA's turn, as he would have a top-notch 2009 run with a title match against McGuinness at 7th Anniversary Show, feature bouts against Chris Hero and The American Wolves on HDNet and a match of the year effort against Davey Richards at Supercard of Honor IV. The Richards match concluded a long simmering storyline grudge between them that carried all the way back to 2006 when KENTA was Richards' mentor. Over the years both men have only improved in wrestling ability, reputation and presence. KENTA always had the upper-hand with ROH for his charisma and popularity (his bad-ass, take-no-s*it attitude appealed to the fan base), though some would say Marufuji has become more well-rounded than him over the years. Still, both men are the recognized together as the best guest-stars in ROH history.

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Thanks for reading.
-Ari-