[2014-03-22-ROH-Flyin' High] Chris Hero vs A.J. Styles

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Timbo Slice]

Fantastic match and the product of two guys who would have worked this match much differently and much less effectively when they were in their "primes" on the indy scene. Styles has figured out how to make his high spots work and Hero is one of the best at transitions in the world, which made so many of Styles' spots work that much better. Styles, to his credit, had some awesome spots of his own (Phil mentioned the Pele kick in his SC review) and the finish was both out of nowhere and worked within the context of the match. I'm a big fan of matches with layers to them, where you could look at things closer on multiple viewings and see new things every time, and this is one of those matches. Surprised the hell out of me and makes me want to see what Styles is doing with New Japan.

[Phil Schneider]

Hey ROH, I remember ROH, good to see they can still toss out something great every once in a while. Both of these guys are guys with tendencies, and they mostly kept those tendencies in check. With the overkill limited, they put on a corker of a match. Hero was absolutely killing Styles, almost FUTEN level big boots, elbows and some disgusting thai knees. Styles did a great job of selling, constantly checking his dental work, and folding himself up on big blows. Meanwhile he had some great hit and run counters, using his speed to evade and crack Hero, I especially loved how he worked in the Pele kick. Finish was great too, as it looked like they were going to devolve in fighting spirt nonsense, and instead we got a very cool flash calf slicer tap out. I really liked this, reminded me of a time I liked indy wrestling.

[JKWebb]

I loved the story of how many more hard hits from Hero can AJ absorb. I agree, this is a great match! Hero's big offense looks devastating! AJ is excellent with his selling and bumping, and Hero shows his great ability to think quick on his feet. As mentioned, the "hit and run" offense from AJ is top notch too. Loved this one.

[BigVanCrush]

I saw this match live and thought it was incredible and on rewatch when I got the DVD my opinion didn't change. It's probably my favorite match I've seen live just because of how electric the crowd was and because I'm a big fan of both guys. As mentioned, AJ was fantastic with his bumping and selling for Hero but Hero's offense was just incredible in this match as well. Still one of my favorite matches of 2014.

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJ Styles vs Chris Hero - ROH 3/22/14

Hero try as he might just could not kick AJ's head off his shoulders in this indy dream match, which has never happened in ROH during the Indy Golden years. AJ was not yet IWGP Heavyweight champion. They were touting the reason both men were back in ROH to win the one championship that has eluded them, the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. Chris Hero is the hometown hero in Dayton and I really liked the "Chris Is Awesome" chant. Unlike any other Indy match, this really had a big fight feel. When only a handful of WWE matches could even say they generated that same feeling that a feather in the cap of their reputations and on how they worked this match. It really felt like a Clash of the Titans with Hero trying to take AJ's head off and AJ trying to survive long enough to hit one big bomb to escape the jaws of defeat.

Coming out the nice chaining sequence, Hero gets his first big boot as he swats AJ out of the sky on a leapfrog attempt. AJ says two can play at the disturbing the typical running the rope sequences and gets up a bit early on his dropdown, which fucks Hero enough to hit a dropkick to send him out. They do a great job teasing dives on each other with Hero paying tribute Misawa's head and shoulder fake. AJ  wins with a springboard forearm to the outside. Hero cuts AJ off with another big boot as he comes out of the air. Chris Hero is anti-aircraft artillery. AJ runs into the mother of all big boots to his head and does a great death drop sell. It is at this point, Hero knows exactly what his strategy is. Knock AJ the fuck out with knees, elbows and straight front kicks to the head. It was brutal, gnarly and violent. AJ is sick and tired of these kicks and tries to take out the knee with a dragon leg screw so Hero obliterates him with an elbow.  But as Hero pours it on, AJ slowly starts to fade. First, he can get a bit of offense here and there and goes for Styles Clash, but then offensive spells get fewer and further between.  AJ was just spot on checking to see if his teeth were there, glassy eyed selling, acting concussed. He starts running wholesale into big boots because he doesn't know what else to do. In a last ditch effort, AJ gets a suplex into the turnbuckles and he unloads his new strike combination, which Hero does well countering the Pele. Now it is Hero that is on jelly legs. Styles may have hit the head shot to get him back in it. Styles wastes no time and goes for the Styles Clash. Hero blocks and hits a wicked Akiyama-like elbow to the back of the head. ROARING BIG BOOT~! HOLY SHIT~! That was a great nearfall for Hero. Hero may have punched himself out and AJ has just enough in the tank to come flying back with lariats at Hero. Then he rolls through for the Calf Killer and Hero has nothing left to do but tap out. AJ survives.

It was Hero's anti-aircraft strategy of kicks, elbows and knees to the head against Styles's survival tactics. This felt like an absolute major clash of forces. It was important match for AJ on the indy scene and going forward in New Japan that he could take a licking and keep on ticking. I know he could I watched TNA stuff very closely, but for a lot of people I think they looked at AJ and saw X-Division wrestler, which means pretty flips and choreographed, floor gymnastics bullshit. AJ can take a whupping and deliver one. I don't know how many people thought AJ had this in him before watching this match. I know I did because his matches with Abyss, Bully Ray, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels only showcase this side of AJ Styles. Hero was really good in this and he had a MOTYC last year against Regal. For some reason, I have never sought out more Hero. I enjoy Hero, but he lacks that spark that really gets me interested. Damn, he still impresses. It is not just offense, the key to the match is the pele kick because that is the move that levels the playing field. If he does not sell that well then Styles' victory would ring hollow and he would like a chump for basically choke. Thus it was in his best interest to sell in doing so he got himself, AJ and the match over. This was a standup, knockdown slobberknocker. Definitely in my Top 5 American Matches of the Year so far. ****1/2