(Almost) 5-Star Match Reviews: Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries – ROH Rising Above 2007

Out of all the words in the English language that could be used to describe something in the wrestling industry, I never thought one of the most appropriate ones would be ‘necromancy’. And the reason it’s so appropriate is because many fans see current-day ROH in this way: not as a functioning entity but as a reanimated corpse.

With all due respect to the brand’s current roster, ROH just isn’t the same these days. When Tony Khan announced that he had purchased ROH after the company was on death’s door, there was a glimmer of hope among its fans that this would lead to some newfound excitement and even more change in the wrestling business. Instead, ROH became a satellite/child/affiliate brand of AEW’s, one without an identity of its own.

But a reanimated corpse still retains some of its original features, and while Tony Khan’s handling of the promotion warrants its own discussion at another time, at least the company’s video library remains intact and matches available for free from its glory days aren’t hidden behind some paywall (at least not yet). It’s in that spirit that we should look at another classic from back when ROH was still exciting and had its own distinct place in the wrestling business.

The story

McGuinness won the ROH World Title two months earlier, ending Takeshi Morishima’s 231-day monster reign during which time he ran through ROH wrestlers like a hot knife through butter. McGuinness’s first two defenses saw him beat Jay Briscoe and Chris Hero, though the latter wasn’t without problems. Soon after winning the title McGuiness injured his biceps, as seen with the bandages he sported in this match. But ROH didn’t strip him of the title; he vowed to be a fighting champion and overcame Chris Hero’s attempts at undermining him and implying he was a fluke champion.

But McGuinness’ next challenger was going to be a different threat compared to what he was used to. Despite his small stature, Aries was known for his serious demeanor and focus on in-ring work. He was also more than willing to exploit his opponents’ injuries to win. So while McGuinness was bigger and stronger, he wasn’t working at 100%. Given how he was already hurt going to the match, and given that his two main finishers – the rebound lariat and the Tower of London – both required a healthy arm and shoulder, would McGuiness retain his title, or would Aries tap him out and start 2008 as the first-ever two-time ROH World Champion?

The match

This took place on December 29, 2007 but aired on March 7, 2008. It was rated ****3/4 out of five by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

This is for McGuinness’ ROH World Title. The crowd is overwhelmingly pro-Aries judging by the “fuck you Nigel” chants that emerge during the opening lock-up. Aries takes McGuinness down and starts working over his taped-up left shoulder. McGuinness escapes and goes after Aries’ left leg until Aries gets a ropebreak. Aries escapes a front headlock by going after that same bad arm with holds and kneedrops. The two wrestlers trade bitchslaps and McGuinness bails to ringside, incensed. McGuinness starts getting more upset with the crowd and stares down one person in particular, which gives Aries the chance to hit a suicide dive that sends McGuinness face-first into the barricade. Apparently this is the moment McGuinness suffers a legit concussion which has a major impact on the match going forward.

McGuinness gets busted open the hard way and starts moving sluggishly. He hits a backhand forearm to keep Aries away but still he staggers around clearly off balance. Back in the ring Aries double-legs him for a one-count and the two wrestlers trade mounted punches until Aries goes back to the arm. Blood starts covering McGuinness’ eyes like war paint which makes it harder for him to see as Aries does the Ric Flair roll-through-and-maintain-the-headlock spot. Aries escapes a headscissor and dropkicks McGuinness’ head. McGuinness lands an arm wringer to create more separation and drives Aries shoulder-first into a ringpost.

McGuinness goes after Aries’ arm with some leg-assisted wristlock but Aries escapes leading to another chain sequence. Like before this one ends with a dropkick to McGuinness’ face; unlike before McGuinness tanks this one like a boss, only for Aries to then soccer kick his face for a two-count. Aries kicks McGuinness’ arm to stop a ropebreak and attacks the wound on McGuinness’ forehead. He applies a cross armbreaker and then switches to a hammerlock/shoulderlock combo move, only for McGuinness to counter that with a hammerlock DDT.

McGuinness goes after Aries’ left shoulder but Aries hits back with left-arm chops. McGuinness answers with a massive lariat that sends Aries to ringside. He follows with European uppercuts and some low-angle cobra clutch slams while also keeping the submission hold applied. The crowd starts chanting for both guys equally as Aries wrestles out of the cobra clutch and into a wacky Japanese head-and-arm hold. He kicks at McGuinness’ neck while pulling on the bad arm and then channels Bryan Danielson by waiting until four to release the hold following a ropebreak.

Aries stomps on McGuinness’ bad arm and then does his own cobra clutch backbreaker for a two-count and then switches to a Rings of Saturn. McGuinness gets a ropebreak so Aries lands some corner shoulder thrusts and sends McGuinness into the opposite corner. McGuinness instinctively hits a back elbow to block a charge and goes for a headstand in the corner, only for Aries to dropkick his face. McGuinness falls to ringside and Aries teases a dive. McGuinness blocks with an uppercut and hits a Tower of London from the bottom rope to the floor. Sick move. McGuinness covers in the ring but only manages a two-count. McGuiness peppers Aries with corner strikes and hits another left-arm lariat for another two-count. He tries another Tower of London but Aries blocks with forearms to the head and left shoulder. Aries hits a missile dropkick and charges for a corner version but McGuinness gets a boot up. A successful Tower of London leads to another close two-count. McGuinness tries an armlock but Aries blocks with a jawbreaker. Aries blocks a rebound lariat and hits a springboard crossbody onto the apron as McGuinness gets trapped between the ropes.

Aries sends McGuinness into the barricade and hits a big running knee strike. He sends McGuinness into a corner and lands a flurry of back elbows and tries a Brainbuster. McGuinness counters by crotching Aries on the top rope and then hits a lariat that sends Aries flying end over end to the floor. McGuinness launches Aries into the barricade and goes for a running uppercut. Aries blocks and hits a Brainbuster onto the ringside barricade. He drags McGuinness into the ring but somehow McGuinness kicks out at two.

Aries hits a desperate flurry of strikes in a corner and follows with another Brainbuster. 450 Splash. McGuinness gets his knees up and locks in a stepover armbar. Aries rolls over into a cover for a two-count. Aries hits a kneelift, another Brainbuster, and a Horn of Aries submission hold. McGuinness fights through the instinct to tap out and through more knees to the head. Standing strike exchange. Aries blocks a charge with a Misawa rolling elbow. McGuinness attempts a rebound lariat. Aries hits first with a lariat of his own but gets a 2.8-count. Front chancery with knees by Aries. McGuinness blocks an O’Connor and lariats the back of Aries’ head. Aries kicks out of another stepover armbar. That kick sends McGuinness back into the ropes and he connects with the rebound lariat. The referee counts one, two, and three! McGuinness retains his title!

Winner and STILL ROH World Champion after 22:17: Nigel McGuinness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQqWvUjsZ9k

Review

This was an excellent match. It was a solid reminder of why ROH was so great during the 2000s. It had two guys throwing everything they had at each other in a competitive manner without anything looking too exaggerated or out of place. Both guys hit hard. Both of them threw bombs at each other. Both guys sold very well and made the other look like a million dollars. And most importantly, both of these guys actually wrestled; they kept going for holds throughout the match, tried weakening various body parts, and kept countering each other with surprise submissions out of nowhere. In other words, they made this into a traditional wrestling match but with a flashier and more modern wrapping. It was refreshing to see, especially compared to both the more entertainment-driven style seen elsewhere at the time AND some of the stranger elements seen all over the place these days.

Of course there’s also the elephant in the room in Nigel’s concussion. He was only completely lucid for three minutes in a 22-minute match; how he managed to figure out all the exact and complicated movement and action needed to conclude the match is nothing short of remarkable. Was he moving on instinct? Did he still have the wherewithal to wrestle normally? Was his professional training pushing him to maintain kayfabe and not clue the audience in that he was seriously hurt? In the moment there was no way of knowing; watching the match without context you’d think he simply took a nasty hit and was going out of the way to sell for his much-smaller opponent. Add to this the improvised commentary noting the cut above his eye causing blood to drip over his eye and restricting his vision and the match suddenly has a new and unexpected layer of drama about it.

What makes this all the more impressive is that much of what followed that unintended concussion wasn’t simplified brawling or ‘easy’ wrestling done to lighten McGuinness’s task but complex movement involving precision, finesse, cohesiveness, and continuity. In some ways this is similar to a wrestler competing while intoxicated, hungover, sick, injured, or otherwise hampered by some kind of physical or mental limitation. When they’re able to pull off something this difficult while also being not at 100%, it clearly shows a remarkable level of guts, talent, and dedication to their craft that I think is worthy of praising.

That injury didn’t take away from the match’s story in any way; if anything, it gave Aries more material to work with. He went into this match with a game plan: target McGuinness’s arm. He stuck to that plan and only shifted away from it to attack his opponent’s head. In other words, Aries wrestled with both a planned psychological strategy and an unplanned one as well. He didn’t ignore the elephant in the room; instead, he used it to improve the match while (likely) being as delicate and professional as he could be under the circumstances.

Really the only ways in which McGuinness’s injury had any sort of negative impact came through in the pacing and in some of McGuinness’s chosen moves. He moved sluggishly and there was way more space between moves, which slowed down the match more than necessary. He also still went for a few unnecessary moves like the headstand in the corner; even if he wasn’t concussed and had hit the barricade ‘normally/safely’, it didn’t make sense for him to attempt move that exposed that weak point.

I also think that some of the moves used in this match looked overcomplicated in a general sense, regardless of the concession. McGuinness’ rebound lariat, Aries’ springboard double foot stomp that required McGuinness to clearly hold himself up, and the lariat with Aries crotched on the top rope spot, were all too convoluted spots that didn’t justify their setup. They were flashy and cool-looking in the moment but ultimately had less impact on the match overall. I get trying new moves to keep your opponent and the audience guessing what’ll happen next, but when your moves require complicated setup that borders on cooperation then you’re doing something wrong, especially when the company you’re working for prides itself on and is trying to promote a realism-driven product.

Final Rating: ****3/4

Aside from some notable issues I think this match is outstanding and if you haven’t seen it yet I think you will too. If you’re the type that can ignore context or watch things in a vacuum then this match will have most if not all the things that’ll make it a worthwhile watching experience: a hot crowd, compelling and competitive action, twists and turns, a sense of escalation, some actual grappling psychology, and plenty more that makes it both entertaining and realistic.

At the same time, I’m sure that the sight of McGuinness swaying around the ring like a drunk, clearly knocked senseless, puts a bad taste in some fans’ mouths, especially in the wake of the Chris Benoit incident and what we’ve all come to understand about concussions. But it shouldn’t discourage anyone from watching this match and appreciating how much effort both of these men put into delivering a high-quality match befitting of the main-event slot and the company’s top prize.

Thanks for reading.