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Ring of Honor's "Final Battle 2008" DVD Roundtable Reviews:
James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor (8.5)
Three very good main event matches make this a must-buy DVD event for ROH fans. And for newer fans who want to get an idea of the ROH product before it debuts on national TV, this is a great place to start. The DVD featured the epic conclusion of one major feud (Danielson vs. Morishima) and the beginning of another great storyline for 2009 (Aries vs. the fans after turning on Tyler Black and appearing to join Jimmy Jacobs). It was a great end-to-beginning show.
The show was structured very well to build to the main event of Bryan Danielson vs. Morishima. The match was unique on the Final Battle show, delivered very compelling action, and showcased some hard-hitting action. Both men were willing to sell out their bodies to tell a great story, so the viewer benefits from watching a brutal, intense battle.
Nigel vs. Marufuji for the ROH Title was well done. Marufuji has a rock star persona and he carries himself like a star, which worked well against Nigel, who carries himself like he knows he's a star and wants you to know about it as well. Very compelling match with plenty of nearfalls and exchanges.
Aries vs. Tyler Black was the other of the trio of main events. Excellent bout, not particularly memorable from bell-to-bell, but it had an intense post-match angle that set up ROH's top storyline for 2009. ... Kensuke Sasaki was featured better the previous show in Philadelphia, as Sasaki and Nakajima were hampered by a clash of styles against the Briscoes. Check out Sasaki greatness from the All-Star show the previous night.
Justin Parker, Torch contributor (8.5)
After watching Final Battle 2008, I have renewed optimism for ROH after a long period of complete apathy for the product from mid-late 2008. This show showcased the greatness that we came to expect of ROH¹s big shows during the Gabe Sapolsky era combined with some of the positive changes that have been implemented since the Pierce regime took over.
There are a few things that stood out from this event, but I have to say that the production values were the most impressive thing about this show. It¹s amazing how much more enjoyable the professional look makes these shows. The new camera angles added a new dimension to the product and immediately made ROH look more major league.
The show itself was great top to bottom, and one of the best shows of the year in ROH. The improved pacing of the shows since Gabe¹s departure has allowed the show to be much easier to watch and actually climax at the best time to allow the crowd to be energized when the true main events come on.
This show was highlighted by the last three matches which were all very stellar matches. The main event was the match of the night for me, as it combined the intensity of a great feud with a hot NYC crowd, and you had a fantastic match. The story of the match with Danielson being cut off at every turn by the monster who may have had his number was a great one to watch play out.
The title match was a notch below their previous encounter in 2006, but still a great match nonetheless. They may have had to go home a little early due to Nigel¹s apparent arm injury, so that could have been the problem. I liked the Aries-Black match, but I am not a fan of the now two sets of heated blood feud participants (Stevens-Strong, Aries-Black) that are now seemingly together for no reason. This just reeks of not paying attention to the details booking.
Other highlights of the show included a good hardcore brawl with Sweet and Sour Inc members especially standing out, as well as a good (albeit below expectations) Briscoes match with Sasaki and Nakajima.
All in all, this has been positioned as ROH¹s biggest show year over year and always ends up delivering, so go check this DVD out to get up to speed before ROH debuts on HDNet.
Sean Radican, Torch columnist (9.5)
"Final Battle 2008" will go down as a legitimate contender for the best show of 2009 at the end of the year. This was a fantastic show from start to finish with four matches to finish the show that I rated at 4 stars or higher. The Fight Without Honor between Danielson and Morishima is an instant classic that should contend strongly for the best match of 2009. I can't say enough good things about this card. The crowd was hot, the action was fantastic, and just about everything clicked on this show.
I thought the last four matches on the card were really strong. I really liked the Briscoes vs. Sasaki & Nakajima match. It was a classic Briscoes match against a top flight tag team that the announcers did a good job of establishing.
Aries and Black managed to top their effort from just weeks earlier in the St. Louis area with a fantastic encounter that played off their previous match through a series of intricate counters that played into the finish. The only thing I didn't care for was Aries working with Jacobs to beat down Black after the match. That's just lazy booking.
McGuinness and Marufuji put on another excellent performance in Manhattan. I didn't think this was as good as their first encounter in 2006, but it was excellent and well-worth seeking out for viewing. It looked like McGuinness got hurt and the match seemed to end a bit prematurely as a result. Jerry Lynn's promo on McGuinness after the match came off lousy. He ought to take a page out of Chris Jericho's book and learn that speaking in measured tones, whether you are a heel or a face, is much more effective than the now cliché screaming into a microphone.
The main event with Morishima taking on Bryan Danielson in a Fight Without Honor is an instant classic. These two have great chemistry in the ring and went all-out to blow off their feud. Although the conclusion to their feud was long overdue, both men delivered and put an exclamation point on a fantastic night of wrestling.
The new booking regime has defined-down expectations with their less is more approach to booking. This means that ROH doesn't release many shows as strong as "Final Battle," so I highly recommend a purchase. It's a must-buy in my book for any fan of ROH or anyone that's ever been on the fence when it comes to buying a DVD from the company. The production is better, although there is still plenty of room for improvement. You won't forget this show after you see it! Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
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