Austin Aries

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Dylan Waco]

I can't see it, but he's worth thinking about at least. He did have an ROH run I liked (overall) and he is a rare guy who has been good in TNA, and at least for a time legitimately great. Still seems like someone who has never completely put it all together, and I'd be more likely to rate someone like James Storm, but I could see indie fans rating him

[Childs]

I was there live for Aries' Dec. 2007 ROH title challenge against Nigel, and it was one of the best matches I've ever seen in person. I also remember seeing him in an elimination match with a bunch of lesser guys at Chikara's 2009 King of Trios, and he was a total pro, holding an unimportant match together.

 

So I think well of him, especially after he managed to make TNA interesting for a brief stretch. Excellent offensive wrestler, has brought personality to his work in multiple character guises, carries a long list of very good matches.

 

I doubt I'll list him, but it's not a ridiculous idea.

[Petey]

I was a huge ROH fan from 04-08, so I've seen plenty of Aries' work. I always really liked him as a wrestler. Very explosive and crisp offense. Kinda struck me as a better AJ Styles before AJ went on his incredible NJPW run.

 

I'm also biased because Aries is a manlet and so am I.

[Exposer]

Great in TNA in 2012. The rest of his career I'll need to investigate. Right now, he's not a candidate.

[InYourCase]

I'll be the high vote on Aries for sure. To me, he's the second best worker in ROH history. There's a definite gap between he and Danielson, but he's #2. Shown he can work as the ace of a promotion as both a face and a heel. Not to mention his TNA run, which has featured an excellent X Division Championship reign and then two really solid matches with Bobby Roode for the World Title. The Jeff Hardy matches did nothing for me and then after that he went on to be booked like "just a guy" in TNA.

 

It's sold out on ROH's website, but for anyone looking to see more of Aries from ROH, his compilation DVD titled "Evolution of A-Double", I believe, is the perfect set. I'm assuming everyone here has seen his important matches with Joe, Punk, and Bryan, so I'll try and rec a few lesser known matches that I think are great.

 

vs. Alex Shelley: 5/7/05

vs. Takeshi Morishima: 4/21/07

vs. Roderick Strong: 10/6/07

vs. Go Shiozaki: 2/23/08

vs. Jimmy Jacobs: 6/28/08

vs. Kenny Omega: 11/14/09

vs. YAMATO (DGUSA): 4/2/11

[W2BTD]

Good chance he'll be in my top 50.

 

I was there live for Aries' Dec. 2007 ROH title challenge against Nigel, and it was one of the best matches I've ever seen in person. I also remember seeing him in an elimination match with a bunch of lesser guys at Chikara's 2009 King of Trios, and he was a total pro, holding an unimportant match together.

 

So I think well of him, especially after he managed to make TNA interesting for a brief stretch. Excellent offensive wrestler, has brought personality to his work in multiple character guises, carries a long list of very good matches.

 

I doubt I'll list him, but it's not a ridiculous idea.

 

Funny you mention KOT 2009. I'm working on a Chikara story, and happened to acquire a few of the infamous Quack post show emails where he blasts everybody mercilessly. He absolutely buries Aries for his performances that weekend (along with totally burying ROH & HDNet), and vows to never book him again (which he ultimately never did). I was at the same show as you, and thought he was good.

[Badlittlekitten]

Had a good to great run in 2012 and was the best thing about that oddly watchable period of TNA. Most of his work before that left me cold. He was bland and overrated for years. Not a shot.

[GOTNW]

In a nutshell Aries is a good worker, but not one I particularly care about and I have zero desire of ranking him.

[InYourCase]

Seems appropriate that I revisit this thread tonight, seeing as how I'll more than likely be the high vote on him.

 

Went back and watched parts of Aries' 2007 ROH run a few nights ago. I forgot how he started becoming a crazy bumper at one point. He has a title match against Morishima (worked very similar to the 2004 Joe match, but better) and Aries takes a lot of stupidly entertaining bumps, including a Backdrop Driver from the top rope. He's got a match with Roderick Strong a few months later where he bumps around like a ragdoll for Roddy.

 

The Best of 3 series with Danielson is really as good as it gets. Best two workers in ROH history doing what they do best. Aries is every bit as good as Danielson is in all of those matches.

 

I'm way higher on him than most, but I can't imagine not having this guy on your ballot.

[KB8]

I had Aries at 99 in 2016 and surprisingly enough I feel fine about that. I actually went back and watched a bunch of 00s US indies last year and Aries was pretty fucking great for a minute there. All of his offence looked awesome, just super snappy and he'd often reel off combos without it feeling like someone just trying to string together cool looking shit. The title rematch against Joe in early '05 is badass and Aries was great in it getting his butt handed to him. A great match-up for Danielson (maybe don't watch the one that lasts three hours. Or, alternatively, do what you want) and a really fun tag worker. The match from Tag Wars (1/06) might be my favourite ROH tag match ever because it was basically a modern version of a southern style tag, with Danielson and Jay Lethal being shitheads and Aries and Strong (mostly Aries) being super fun babyfaces. Aries was also not afraid to take insane bumps and his signature lariat bump is one of the more ugly/crazy neck bumps ever. I haven't even watched any of the TNA run, but his ROH run has held up as well as I'd want and I could see myself throwing him another low vote in 2026. Just a shame he seems to be a gigantic douchebag. 

 

AUSTIN ARIES YOU SHOULD WATCH:

v Bryan Danielson (ROH Survival of the Fittest, 6/24/04)

v Samoa Joe (ROH Final Battle, 12/26/04)

v Samoa Joe (ROH Third Anniversary Celebration - Night 3, 2/26/05)

w/Roderick Strong v Bryan Danielson & Jay Lethal (ROH Tag Wars, 1/27/06)

v Nigel McGuinness (ROH Rising Above, 12/29/07)

[Makai Club #1]

Austin Aries had a great two match series with Jamie Noble when he was on ROH under James Gibson. Most of the time Aries is against someone bigger, which he great at, so seeing him against someone who is his equal, size wise, was a treat. 

[KB8]

I'm actually up to Stalemate on the 2005 stuff so I should get to their first match soon (I'm not watching EVERYTHING, because I'm not a maniac, just the stuff that interests me and that did interest me).