PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category





TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU!

PWTORCH IPHONE APP
Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here
Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.


DVDs - VGames - Books
ROH FINAL BATTLE 2008 DVD ROUNDTABLE REVIEW: Caldwell, Parker, Radican
Mar 5, 2009 - 11:24:47 AM


VIP members have access to our 80-minute Audio Review of ROH's Final Battle 2008 DVD, which was one of ROH's most important shows of the year.

DVD Reviews:
-- RADICAN'S Final Battle DVD Review
-- CALDWELL'S 12/27 Final Battle DVD Review
-- CALDWELL'S 12/26 All-Star Extravaganza Review

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.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "DVDs - VGames - Books" ARTICLES
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
KELLER: Top ten omissions in the "Rise and Fall of WCW" DVD released by WWE today
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW: 2/27 "Eliminating the Competition" (McGuinness vs. Lynn vs. Jacobs vs. Black)
CALDWELL'S DVD REVIEW: "12 Rounds" uses smart movie script to off-set super-human abilities for John Cena's character
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 2/7 "Proving Ground: Night 2" (Danielson-Generico, Steen-Richards)
RADICAN'S TORCH DVD REVIEW SERIES: YouShoot with Sabu: Sabu opens up about working in WWE, incident with Kurt Angle, negotions with TNA, more...
RADICAN'S PWTorch DVD review: The Best of RVD TV Vol. 1: RVD trains MMA with a UFC fighter, talks the power of the mind with The Ultimate Warrior, discusses love on a beach with Samoa Joe
RADICAN'S ROH "Motor City Madness 2009" (1-30-09) review (Richards & Edwards vs. Steen & Generico, Lynn vs. Black)
CALDWELL'S TAPE REVIEW: Ricky Steamboat in Japan - Classic match-ups against Jumbo, Snuka, Flair showcase Backlash PPV star in his prime
RADICAN'S DVD REVIEW - 1/16 ROH Full Circle: Toning things down isn't the best thing
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD Review: CHIKARA: Best of 2008 (Quackenbush, Castagnoli, Dutt, Kingston, Generico)
DEROSENROLL BLOG: Buyer's Guide for $8 ROH DVDs - Evan Bourne before WWE run, A.J. Styles in ROH, Danielson vs. Nigel epic
Kevin Sullivan talks religious beliefs, Benoit tragedy, Pillman, more in new YouShoot
RADICAN'S ROH "Southern Hostility" DVD REVIEW (McGuinness vs. Lynn, Danielson vs. Castagnoli)
Tales From The Pulpit: Random thoughts on PWG's BOLA 2008: N1 featuring surprise entrant Low Ki
ROH FINAL BATTLE 2008 DVD ROUNDTABLE REVIEW: Caldwell, Parker, Radican
RADICAN'S DVD REVIEW: Kayfabe delivers the laughs in bunches in new fake documentary on independent wrestling
CALDWELL'S DVD REVIEW: 12/27 ROH "Final Battle" featuring triple main event, including Bryan Danielson vs. Morishima

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
Staff Picks
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
WWE News: Major update on 2010 PPVs - price change, PPV name change, WWE addresses PPV criticism (w/Detailed Analysis)
WWE News: WWE announces details on three-hour Raw featuring Slammy Award Show and special guest host Dennis Miller
WWE News: Report on WWE's conference call with investors - serious discussion of WWE TV, Vince McMahon: "This is not a Family Business"
WWE News: WWE announces third quarter 2009 earnings results - revenue up due to int'l, PPV business weak
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in - how did the Osbournes fare as guest hosts?
WWE/TNA News: Hulk Hogan claims he taught Vince McMahon the wrestling business, talks more about his role in TNA
WWE Raw Results 11/2: KELLER'S rundown of all matches and segments, plus analysis, star ratings, quotebook
TNA News: Ratings are in for Hulk Hogan Impact - did the publicity help TNA?
WWE News: Hulk Hogan knocks WWE Hall of Fame ring and Vince McMahon in mainstream interview


TORCH QUICK-CLICK REFERENCE LIST
-CLICK TO FOLLOW PWTORCH ON TWITTER!
-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PWTORCH IPHONE APP

-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PODCAST (#1 in iTunes!)
-CLICK TO GET INFO ON BECOMING A VIP MEMBER
-CLICK TO VISIT MMATORCH.COM
-CLICK TO VISIT PROWRESTLING.NET

-CLICK TO EMAIL PWTORCH EDITORS




PWTORCH READER POLL

SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
Chris Jericho
The Undertaker
Batista
Rey Mysterio
Matt Hardy
C.M. Punk
R-Truth
Dolph Ziggler
Hart Dynasty
Cryme Tyme
John Morrison
Drew McIntyre
Jimmy Wang Yang
Mike Knox
Beth Phoenix
Mickie James
Michelle McCool
Ref Scott Armstrong
Matt Striker
Brittany Carter
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...

SIGN ME UP NOW!

Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?

AND NEW FOR 2009!
Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?

SIGN ME UP NOW!


UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling for October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Polls OPEN for best/worst in pro wrestling from the month of October (Part 2 of 2)
WWE News
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: The first of a series of questions pushing for answers on Bret Hart's lackluster run in WCW - "Montreal was a life-threatening wound"
WWE News: WrestleMania 26 tickets officially on-sale today
WWE News: WWE books Intercontinental Title match for next week's Smackdown, adds match to the Survivor Series PPV
TNA News
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
TNA News: Next week's TNA Impact - Sting reappearing to talk Hulk Hogan, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe
TNA News: Watch TNA president Dixie Carter's "Love it or Leave It" speech to the roster from Impact (w/VIDEO)
ROH News
ROH News: Jim Cornette officially begins as ROH executive producer at today's ROH TV tapings (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Ring of Honor receives positive press for ROH TV taping this weekend
ROH News: ROH TV episodes now available on DirecTV's Video-On-Demand service
Other News
Hogan News: Can Hulk Hogan wrestle again? Hogan needs help walking during TV interview (w/VIDEO)
DGUSA News: Gabe Sapolsky predicts the wrestling industry will die without new TV wrestling stars
Hogan News: Hulk Hogan cracks the Top 15 of a Best-sellers List
PPV Reports
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
CALDWELL'S WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS PPV REPORT 10/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Cena vs. Orton, Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown
TV Reports
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/6: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/5: Caldwell, Donofrio, Parks rate and review
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Batista vs. Hardy
Arena Reports
11/4 WWE in Dublin, Ireland: John Cena vs. Jack Swagger WWE Title match, DX vs. Legacy, Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston
10/30 Dragon Gate in Germany: Young Bucks, CIMA vs. Mike Quackenbush, El Generico
10/23 TNA in Chicago, Ill.: A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Matt Morgan vs. Scott Steiner, Rhino vs. Kip James
MMA / UFC Coverage
FEDOR vs. BRETT ROGERS on CBS Saturday Night - Torch Team Coverage (redirect)
MMA WEEK-IN-REVIEW: Lesnar Out, Dumbass of Week, Fight of Week, Kimbo Rumor, DVR + Twitter = Spoiler (redirect)
UFC News: Forrest Griffin addresses devastating loss to Anderson Silva, running from Octagon afterward, Tito Ortiz fight (redirect)
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #4: In 1993, after Hogan first left the WWF, he had a lot of career choices
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #3: Hogan's autobiography review - insight into his world
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! McNEILL Previews TNA Bound for Glory 2009
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
RADICAN: Wolfe-Angle follow up displays typical warning signs of danger from creative standpoint
RADICAN: TNA finally straps a rocket on the right ass
The Specialists
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
PARKS BLOG: Chris Jericho should know better
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/5: TNA = The Office, What Vince Russo was thinking during Dixie Carter's speech, Desmond Wolfe and Duran Duran, Highlander spotting, Numbers - Titleholders since 1990
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV"
TNA Impact Reax #2: "I'm tired of non-stop talking. This isn't a Broadway play; it's professional wrestling and the best stories are told in the ring"
Thursday Night TV Reax #1: "I feel anything TNA does right is inevitably drowned out by what they fail at"
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
Torch Flashbacks
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about Eric Bischoff, the demise of WCW
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Ric Flair
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Vince Russo
VIP Exclusive Features
5+ HOURS: Definitive all-new Eric Bischoff "Torch Talk" available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members
11/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Why Vince McMahon said WWE isn't a family business, Hulk Hogan-TNA analysis, Dixie Carter's last-gasp speech (65 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1115_16 (31 pages!): Hogan-Bischoff-TNA Deal Covered In-Depth - Keller, McNeill, and Powell, plus six pages of Eric Bischoff Torch Talk, and much more
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/5 Impact if you saw the show?
ECW POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/3 ECW if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
11/4 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Format change to the show, new guest host, upcoming shows
FREE FOR ALL: 10/27 Bruce Mitchell Audio Special: Hogan-Bischoff-TNA story from all angles including Monday Night War II possibilities (32 min.)
6/23 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Former WCW rapmaster PN News joins Brian Hoops to preview upcoming Midwest shows (10 min.)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart