ROH Glory By Honor III, Elizabeth, NJ
2004, the Golden Age for indie wrestling, if you are me. Because of my age! That’s how most things work, but people usually just insist they’re smart geniuses. Danielson’s guaranteed ROH title shot is on the line in this match.
Shelley is part of Generation Next and they are disrespectful. They do NOT observe the Code of Honor. Danielson is simply one of the best wrestlers in the world, maybe already the best. I’m a huge fan of both and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this match, and I have high hopes.
CM Punk is on commentary and has started a Chicago/Detroit culture war with Shelley. Ring of Honor really fell apart when they stopped having any shows where the sound from concerts in the other room spilled over top of their wristlocks and whatnot.
Shelley goes for the Border City Stretch pretty early, but Danielson gets the ropes and Shelley goes after the leg. A fan shouts “YOU CAN DO EET!” so I know for sure it’s 2004, or maybe 2016 for indie wrestling shows. You never know.
Shelley does a skull fucking move you’d usually have to pay for and specifically request with a custom. Punk always sounds a little droopy dog on commentary when it’s not IWA Mid-South and he’s not free to be as offensive as he wants.
If you’re familiar with 2004 Danielson and Shelley, this is very much the extremely sound, technically creative, physical sort of match you expect it will be. Danielson went on to the huge WWE stardom, obviously, and Shelley wasn’t quite that, but Alex has had a great career, too, been part of two of the better tag teams in recent memory (MCGM and Time Splitters) and worked at a very high level for a long time. I’m a huge Shelley fan, and he’s someone I think has had huge influence on younger wrestlers. He might be kind of a Tracy Smothers for his era.
Shelley was also good at adding comedy that wasn’t absurd, bug-eyed, cartoon nonsense. It actually added to things as the heel in a match. Danielson’s arm work is really good, setting for Cattle Mutilation at some point. Danielson with the long airplane spin and the flying headbutt, but walks into Shellshock and Shelley gets the Border City Stretch on again, but Danielson again escapes.
They fight over their Trademark Submissions. Danielson hits a cradled up suplex that just wipes Shelley the fuck out countering the Border City Stretch. That’s the final set-up, Cattle Mutilation on, Shelley has no choice but to give up.
Just a really fuckin’ good match, that’s all there is to say. These guys had styles that gelled well, similar but not mirrors, both leaned on good, inventive technical wrestling, taking a lot from older styles and updating them to a degree with higher impact stuff added on. Danielson was kind of the alpha with this style, but Shelley was up there with the best of them, too. No big drama, just excellent wrestling. (I like big drama, mind you, but I also appreciate just gettin’ it like this.)
Tape Machines Are Rolling 
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