What's All the Hubbub: The Phenomenon Continues: Best of AJ Styles Vol. 2

Posted by Aaron Hubbard on 03.04.2009

A look at AJ Styles 2003-2004 ROH run, featuring matches against CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Kaz Hayashi, Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson, and Paul London! Special appearances by Low Ki and Homicide.

For those counting, this is a DVD from ROH, not TNA. AJ was once a big deal in ROH, but he has lost a lot of respect among the ROH faithful due to several apathetic performances in 2006. But from 2002-2004, there were few as exciting as The Phenomenal One.

Star Rating System
***** = A True Classic
****1/2 = Amazing
**** = Great
***1/2 = Very Good
*** = Good
**1/2 = Average
** = Solid
*1/2 = Passable
* = Poor
1/2* = Bad
DUD = Terrible
Negative Stars = Insulting

Conveniently, this DVD has NO EXTRAS! That makes my job a lot easier.

No Holds Barred: AJ Styles & Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels & Xavier, Revenge on the Prophecy, 1.11.03
Allow me this brief vent. I hate shows that have titles like “Revenge on X” or “Revenge of X”. Sure, give away the ending, why don’t you? IT’S STUPID. This is even worse because Xavier is the ROH Champion at this point, and yet the show has a name that blatantly tells you that he is going to lose. I should never buy a show expecting the champion to lose. Everyone knew that Xavier was a lame duck champion, but they don’t have to shout it to everyone. The fact that the commentators constantly remind me that AJ and Low Ki are out for revenge and how “this could be the final chapter in the AJ/Low Ki vs. Prophecy rivalry” doesn’t help. In fact, the commentary is more annoying than Michael Cole and Don West combined. Thank God they found Prazak and Leonard.

Anyway, if you like workrate, you’ll love this match. It’s just nonstop action. Based on the stipulation, you would think this would be a wild brawl, but these men are much more comfortable with traditional tag rules, but the match is suitably intense, and you can tell that they really don’t like each other. The biggest difference in this match is that there are no rope breaks, so they usually have their partners break up the holds. AJ and Low Ki work well together for what is essentially a Mega-Powers team. The Prophecy are even better, showing great continuity in working over Ki’s neck and AJ’s leg. Daniels impresses me by taking advantage of the lack of rope breaks by applying a triangle choke in the ropes on Ki and a Boston Crab in the ropes on AJ. There’s a really clever spot where Xavier climbs the ropes to hit the 450 splash on Ki, but Daniels sends AJ into Tajiri’s handspring elbow, which trips Xavier up.

When it comes down to the finish, Ki gets revenge on Xavier by placing a concrete slab on his chest and drilling him with a chair shot to the slab. Xavier did this in the match where he won the ROH title from Ki, so that was a nice nod to continuity. AJ hits a Styles Clash on Daniels off the apron and through a table, and Ki applies the Bite of the Dragon (Dragon Clutch in the ropes) on Xavier to get the win. See, told you Xavier would lose. The match goes for workrate and intensity over anything else, but there is some nice body-part psychology and the home stretch was well booked. They played the stipulations well without overdoing it, which is nice.
Match Rating: ***1/2

#1 Contender’s Trophy: AJ Styles vs. Paul London, Night of the Grudges, 6.14.03
Here’s a confession. I bought this DVD because Night of the Grudges sucks and this match is awesome. I’d rather get several other good matches in addition to the match I bought it for. In fact, this is the reason you should buy this DVD. It is the only 1-on-1 meeting between Styles and London, and it’s awesome.

The first ten minutes is a great feeling out process, with the two men trading holds and playing mind games. This is a grudge match, but not because of a blood feud, so it makes sense that they would have this feeling out process. Ultimately, the mind games matter more than any of the offense, because it leads to an intensely competitive match. AJ misses a plancha and hurts his leg, and London goes after it for the whole match. There’s a great spot where AJ connects with an enzugiri but London shrugs it off, dodges a second enzugiri and counters a third by hitting a mandala hindiri (reverse dragon screw) MID-MOVE. London actually makes my jaw drop by hitting a slingshot legdrop and a shooting star press…both to the leg. That last one got a collective gasp from the audience. Using high spots to work over a body part is just brilliant really.

Styles counters this strategy by hitting high-impact offense mostly directed at London’s skull. A discus clothesline that sends London 360° particularly stands out to me. So London is going for a methodical dissection, while AJ is just looking for a knock-out. Hooray for clear strategies. Styles is somewhat inconsistent with selling the leg, hitting the Stylin’ DDT despite the fact that he needs to springboard on his bum leg, but then he follows that up by hitting a Styles Clash only to be unable to capitalize due to landing on his knee. The finish comes when AJ hits a German Suplex, knocking London out, but AJ can’t hold the bridge because of his leg and they both get pinned. Technically, AJ should win because the first count was only counted on London, but the match is declared a draw. I like the finish because it comes as a result of the cumulative effect of both men’s strategies, making those strategies MATTER.

The crowd initially craps on it by asking for five more minutes, which I would approve of. Both men shake hands, and one fan sums up this match perfectly. “You guys were worth the price of admission alone.” The match is worth the price of this DVD alone, and you definitely should go out of your way to see this. I’m taking a 1/4* off because of the Stylin’ DDT, because it really was a glaring psychological error in what was otherwise brilliantly done, but this match is still incredible.
Match Rating: ****3/4

ROH Tag Team Title Match: AJ Styles © & Homicide vs. Dan Maff & Christopher Daniels, Wrath of the Racket, 8.9.03
Maff and Daniels have Jim Cornette and Allison Danger in their corner. Homicide is subbing for an injured Amazing Red, AJ’s fellow tag team champion. I like Cide and AJ, but I hate Maff, so I’m not sure how I feel about this. There’s a really funny spot where the faces hit synchronized tope con hilos on the Prophecy, and then use the rowboat on Cornette and Danger. After that, the match is very Southern Style tag team formula, but with new millennium offense. Maff pisses me off several times by going for comedic selling in lieu of realistic selling in a grudge match. The Prophecy channel the Midnight Express by hitting the double flapjack and the Rocket Launcher, while Cornette serving as a mouthpiece and helping them cheat. Homicide tags in AJ so that AJ can play Morton, and then AJ tags in Homicide who cleans house. The finish comes when Daniels misses a shot with the racket, and Styles hits the Clash on the Racket for the three count. I appreciate that the tag champion got the win to defend his titles. If you like the Southern formula, you’ll love ths match. I thought it was good, not great, just good.
Match Rating: ***

#1 Contender’s Trophy: AJ Styles vs. Bryan Danielson, Main Event Spectacles, 11.1.03
You know, I consider myself to be an ROH Mark. It’s my favorite company in wrestling because they have respect for wrestling and cater to my varied tastes. But sometimes, the “hardcore ROH fans” will hype up a match so much that the match can’t help but not live up to the hype. This match is case in point. A lot of people love this match and hyped it as a match of the year candidate for 2003. I am not one of those people. I have several issues with this match, and I’m pretty easy to please, so you can probably take my word for it that the problems are real.

My first problem is that the pacing is at best methodical and at worse lethargic. I don’t usually complain about pacing, usually because slower matches have a coherent story to hold my attention. That complaint segues to problem #2. Remember how I said I really enjoyed the London-Styles match because the strategies were consistent and played into the finish? That is not the case here. Dragon works the arm for a significant part of the match, but it doesn’t lead anywhere. Sure, Dragon applies Cattle Mutilation, but that should be part of the home stretch, not the hold that leads into AJ’s comeback. The closest thing to it mattering is when AJ counters a cross armbreaker into the Styles Clash, which would have been a good finish, but Bryan kicks out. AJ gives a more subdued performance than usual, working over Dragon’s legs with STIFF kicks, but again, it doesn’t lead anywhere.

It might seem I’m being critical of the match, but I did enjoy it. There’s plenty to like here. Dragon’s dialogue with AJ and the fans feels completely natural, and his natural wrestling ability shines through. His 1970’s heel shtick and verbal abuse of the audience and AJ are actually the most entertaining part of the match. He asks some smart-aleck in the crowd “What the fuck do you know about wrestling? What the FUCK do you know about wrestling?” Anytime Bryan counters one of AJ’s signature moves, it’s a thing of beauty. Is the match good? Yes, it’s good, even very good. Is it a match of the year candidate? Hardly.
Match Rating: ***3/4

ROH World Title Match: Samoa Joe © vs. AJ Styles, War of the Wire, 11.29.03
Don’t get too excited. Joe isn’t nearly as good as he would be, and the match doesn’t get the time or importance it would two years later in TNA. This isn’t even the main event. There is a nice story involved, as AJ goes balls to the walls after Joe, going with the philosophy of the best defense is a good offense. He hits a scoop slam, a suplex and even a powerbomb early, but playing the power game on Joe wears him out and lets Joe dominate the tired AJ. The idea is that if AJ had taken a more methodical approach, he might have had more success. This match is kind of interesting because you can see how it leads naturally into their better matches. The spinning legsweep, the Texas Tumbleweed, the ST-Joe from the ropes instead of from the corner, even the respective strategies of both men would be repeated in 2005. The makings of a classic are here, but it just doesn’t click as well as it would be later. Joe wins by the way.
Match Rating: ***1/4

AJ Styles vs. Kaz Hayashi, Final Battle ’03, 12.27.03
There’s actually an interesting bit of history behind it, as Kaz was the first to ever take the Styles Clash. This match is a mix of New Japan and NOAH-style Junior Heavyweight Wrestling, with both men trading holds, strikes, and high-impact moves. Kaz works over the head with headlocks to set up for his arm-trap crossface, which makes several appearances down the stretch. Styles responds by working over the mid-section, including two of my favorite spots, the windmill backbreaker and the pumphandle gutbuster. Kaz also pulls out a very smart move by doing Tajiri’s handspring, but connecting with a gut kick instead of the elbow. Oh, and there’s two more of my favorites, the spike rana and the dragon suplex. Kaz does a very good job of making sure that his offense either targets the head and neck, or is a strategic maneuver to give him an advantage. Unfortunately, after his crossface doesn’t work, he tries to go high-flying and it costs him as AJ is able to connect with the Styles Clash for the win.

I’m going to have some bias here. I like both guys and they busted out some of my favorite moves, so naturally I’m going to like the match. The match was very workrate friendly, but it wasn’t a spotfest. Kaz’s focus on AJ’s head for most of the match helps the rating.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Pure Wrestling Title Tournament First Round Match: AJ Styles vs. Jimmy Rave, Second Year Anniversary, 2.14.04
There’s a decent amount of back story here, as AJ and Rave have a mentor-student relationship, with AJ trying to teach Rave to become more aggressive. AJ gives Rave quite a beating, and Rave has to fight from behind and pick his spots. There is a nice bit of psychology with both men avoiding each other’s signature spots and Rave even trying to do some of AJ’s spots. AJ focuses on the midsection for most of the match, but the best moment in the match happens when AJ goes for the Stylin’ DDT, but hurts his leg on the landing. Rave gives AJ some space, but AJ tells him to go after him. Rave goes right after that leg, and works an Achilles hold that could have easily been the finish if it had been booked as such. Rave charges into a decapitating discuss clothesline and AJ wins. This was everything a first round match should be: showcasing two men, telling a solid story, and setting up the psychology for future matches. Naturally, it would have been a huge upset for Rave to win, but for a second there, you do believe in Rave, and that’s a credit to both men. We even get a look backstage where Rave tries to apologize, but AJ says he respects him for going after the leg. It’s kind of odd to see Rave be such a babyface.

I should mention that my DVD was scratched when I bought it and this match always gets screwed up. I don’t know if that’s just my DVD or a universal problem, so be forewarned.
Match Rating: **3/4

Pure Wrestling Title Tournament Finals: AJ Styles vs. CM Punk, Second Year Anniversary, 2.14.04
Goodness, Traci Brooks looks HOT in that outfit. Sorry, had to say it. Good thing she has a rather large crucifix necklace, so I’m not totally going to hell for that. For the record, Pure Wrestling has some interesting rules. The most unique is the ropebreak rule, which grants you three rope breaks, and after that, holds such as the ringpost figure-four are completely legal. And yeah, there’s a twenty count on the floor, and at the time, there was no count outs in standard matches. The idea is to encourage you to keep wrestling in the ring and use skill to fight instead of the coward’s way of the ropes.

Sadly, Punk and AJ have the unenviable task of trying to get the rules over. Once the rules were established, skilled wrestlers were able to use them as a good storytelling tool, but here it serves more as a hindrance. Punk actually gets ripped off of two ropebreaks because he uses the rope flip reversal, and AJ does Candace Michelle’s rope hung choke, and the ref counts both of those as rope breaks for Punk. In the meantime, Punk shows surprising focus in going after AJ’s legs, but AJ only sells the leg when it’s convenient. Despite all the problems, the match still manages to be entertaining, The best spot is when AJ delivers the discus clothesline that beat Rave, and Punk goes to the outside and barely makes the count. AJ counters an elevated cloverleaf by climbing the ropes and kicking Punk away, and then counters the Shining Wizard with the Styles Clash for 2, which finished Punk at Tradition Continues . Punk kicks out of that, and AJ kicks out of the Devil DDT. Styles finishes by countering the Pepsi Plunge with the Super Styles Clash. He would be the first Pure Champion in ROH, but nobody remembers, because AJ left ROH for TNA after the Feinstein Incident.
Match Rating: **3/4

The 411: As I mentioned, I bought this DVD for the amazing match with Paul London. That is definately the selling point of this DVD, but there's a lot more. The matches hover at or around the *** mark for the entire disc, which is quite impressive. If you are a fan of AJ Styles, or of any of the opponents in here, you'll want this disc. AJ has always been an amazing athlete and worker, and his quality of matches are the same whether he's in TNA or ROH.

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]