ROH Best in the World 2011 Review

Match 1A: Generation Me vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly
This match was a DVD bonus and not on the iPPV card due to legal reasons. I’m not too sure how to rate this match, it was packed with spot after spot after spot. I’m not really one for these types of matches but it was an awesome way to kick off the show and really showed off what these two teams are capable of.
Winners: n/a
Rating: ***¼

Match 1B: Colt Cabana vs. Tomasso Ciampa
Ciampa is the real deal, I would love to see this guy in the main event soon. He looks like a million bucks and his match against Cabana here proves that statement. Another good match to get the show going.
Winner: Tomasso Ciampa
Rating: **¾

Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal
The atmosphere is just ridiculous. It almost made this match what it was. Bennett has really improved over the past few months and you can see that in this match against Lethal. They managed to use the crowd as an advantage and pull off another good match to get the night going.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***¼

Match 3: No Holds Barred Barrio Street Fight - Homicide vs. Rhino
That was a straight fight and having a hot crowd made it so much better. The show is delivering on all cylinders and that was so much better than expected. Homicide gets the win but Rhino lands a Spear on Homicide through a table afterwards to the delight of the crowd. Good stuff.
Winner: Homicide
Rating: ***¼

Match 4: Steve Corino vs. Michael Elgin
Match certainly wasn’t anything special but it accomplished it’s purpose and put Elgin over while forwarding the storyline with Corino. Steen arrives to the scene afterwards and cleans house much to the delight of the crowd. This whole angle with Steen is becoming increasingly interesting…
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: **

Match 5: ROH World Television Championship - Christopher Daniels © vs. El Generico
That was so much fun and such a great way to send Daniels out. The crowd was so into the action and the match rolled nicely. There were a few spots where things definitely dragged out but the anticipation and build leading to the final few minutes made it all worth it.
Winner: El Generico
Rating: ***¾

Match 6: ROH World Tag Team Championships - Elimination - Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team © vs. The Kings of Wrestling vs. The All Night Express vs. The Briscoes
Four of the world’s best tag teams going at it for the belts. Once again, the crowd is way into this one as The Kings come out to a special entrance to hype things up. The eliminations were great and the action was constant but I couldn’t help but feel as if things kept getting dragged. The match went way longer than it had to and it really drew me out of the experience. The Kings faced off against Haas & Benjamin in the final where Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team retain the belts after a very underwhelming finish.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: ***½

Match 7: ROH World Championship - Eddie Edwards © vs. Davey Richards
This is the match that defines the show, the one match that the entire show revolved around; Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards. The build for this match has been phenomenal so the anticipation is to nobody’s surprise, huge. The champion focused on the challenger’s knee throughout the course of the match but Davey wouldn’t budge. The two men kept going back to their hard styles of wrestling and it worked. The psychology, the buzz, and the wrestling in general was amazing. Granted, there were times in the match where it felt it was dragging a bit but they quickly got things moving after the action stalled. The emotion and the overall feeling illuminated by this match is second to none and something you won’t find in any other independent wrestling organization. Davey Richards captures the ROH World Championship after a huge kick to the skull of Eddie Edwards right after Richards proclaimed that Edwards would always be his brother. Professional wrestling gets annoying, frustrating, and dull at times. However, this match and whole feud proves otherwise. It shows how this sport can be as emotional and amazing as anything else. The speeches delivered afterwards made everything even more special than they already were. A fantastic match and something that represents what honor truly is.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: *****

Overall Show Thoughts & Rating:
Davey Richards winning the ROH World Championship is the perfect way to send Ring of Honor into a new millennium. As previously stated, the show revolved around the main event and for good reason. It was fantastic and a perfect way to represent the product to both old and new viewers. A great show with a main event that needs to be seen.
Rating: 8.75/10