ROH 5/10/2002 Low-Ki vs Samoa Joe & SD Money in the Bank Match

This match was one of ROH's early MOTYC candidates and probably top 5 overall for memorability in 2002. The story here as that The Prophecy wanted to take out Low-Ki and hired Samoa Joe as their bounty hunter. The Low-Ki vs Prophecy storyline went back to the first ROH show.

This match was hyped as a MOTY and as one of ROH's best matches and honestly, I think it still holds up.

It started off with lots of stiff strikes mixed in with some different submissions, and that was most of the jist of the match. However, all of the strikes and submissions were credible and sensible. Nothing looked out of place and they never appeared to be too indy with stupid shots. The strike exchanges were also very good. They were mostly realistic and the exchanges were well timed. They mostly did strikes with the odd submission mixed in for the rest of the match. Low-Ki ended up winning with a punch/elbow combination.

I loved this match the first time I saw it and still do now. It was good stuff and it had the feel of an AJPW main event, just without the heat. The commentary was both good and bad. They put over the wrestlers strong but they also went overboard on the Japan references. It seems really out of place now, but maybe it wasn't so bad then. I always wanted to see an ROH rematch between the two, but I don't think it will ever happen again sadly. Even if it did, Joe just isn't the same.

WWE Money in the Bank 7/15/2012 - Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Smackdown) - Santino vs Tyson Kidd vs Tensai vs Dolph Ziggler vs Sin Cara vs Cody Rhodes vs Damien Sandow
WWE ladder matches peaked many years ago when E&C/The Dudleys and The Hardyz took a lifetime's worth of bumps in one match. They set the bar so high that nothing will be able to reach it, short of someone jumping off the building. WWE had a few good ones in years past including the MITB match at WM 23 a few years back, which was just as good storyline wise as it was bump wise.

This match had none of that. There were botches galore, and when indy guys are botching less with $10 ladders something is up. This match wasn't even a collection of spots. There were too many people in this match and because of that, I don't think anyone got more than 5 moves in. Everyone also had to cram everything into the alotted time which is rough with 7 people. Dolph Ziggler won this match and took the best bump of the night when he got thrown over the announce table. That just goes to show you that sometimes you don't even need gimmicks to take cool bumps.

Rating: *