This Thursday’s ROH TV will feature the first meeting between Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe since 2015. That was Joe’s last ROH date before going full-time with NXT, as he teamed alongside AJ Styles against Daniels and Kazarian. These two first shared the ring in March 2001, battling in a Loser Leaves UPW match. I’ve always loved this pairing and so to get myself in the mood, I’ve decided that I’d watch some old matches.
Being me though, I will not be revisiting the classics. Oh no, I am instead working my way through some of their forgotten and/or weirdest bouts. Honestly, that’s probably a better way to prepare for Thursday than anything from 2005 anyway. Regardless, we start on the January 3rd edition of Xplosion, as Daniels and Joe battle for number one contender status. More specifically, this is the Maximum IMPACT Tournament Final, as it’ll be on the UK tour that the winner gets their shot.
This is during a time in which Xplosion, a show that at this point, I believe was a UK exclusive anyway, featured hilarious blue lighting. I don’t really know why, but it’s stuck with me so points for that I guess. Regardless, Daniels does some comedy early, daring Joe to trade strikes and getting his leg kicked in response. Duelling chants emerge, well hold on. Daniels eventually avoids the latest low kick, snatching a headlock before throwing some right hands.
Joe fires back though, halting Daniels via back elbow and going to work with jabs. Some signature offence follows but Daniels has an answer, evading the big man as he goes flying to the floor. That puts Daniels in control and he quickly grabs a hold. Joe fights upright almost instantly, but is toppled again by a sudden boot. Daniels increases the intensity from there, dishing out some right hands and even countering Joe’s trademark corner slam thingy.
Joe finds a way regardless, landing a belly to belly suplex instead and making his comeback. Daniels rallies, getting 2 with a clubbing clothesline to the back of Joe’s head. They then trade strikes in centre ring, with Daniels hanging in there admirably only to eat the corner slam after all. That’s the beginning of the end, as Joe follows up with Muscle Buster to close the show. Joe was unable to become champion however, losing to Bobby Roode at a Manchester house show.
Either way, this was good. I mean, it’s nothing really, but they are so familiar with each other that this is an easy watch if nothing else. Late on, it does feature some decent intensity considering well, everything, though it’s still just eight minutes on Xplosion. Regardless, a nice little compilation of their signature stuff, two great dance partners sleepwalking their way to something watchable.
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