Top 10 Ring of Honor Matches of All Time
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#10: Ryo Saito, Dragon Kid, Genki Horiguchi vs. CIMA, Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino
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(Supercard of Honor 2006) This tag match featuring talent from Japanese promotion Dragon Gate took place on Ring of Honor’s first ever Supercard of Honor, the weekend of Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago. Despite featuring no mainstream American talent for the crowd to already be invested in, the nearly 30-minute bout won fans over quickly, and helped catapult Dragon Gate into what it would soon become. It’s a perfect introduction into the high-octane style that these guys all excelled at, and the match earned a rare five-star rating from preeminent wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, meaning this fast-escalating match is one to be remembered.
#9: Austin Aries vs. Nigel McGuinness
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(Rising Above 2007) This epic fight was McGuinness’ first title defense after winning the ROH World Championship from Takeshi Morishima a few months prior. It was clear that both men desperately wanted to be world champion, and their intensity was what took this match to the next level, earning a reputation as one of the best Ring of Honor matches in the promotion’s history. After a nasty dive from Aries knocked McGuiness into the steel barrier less than 10 minutes into the match, McGuiness is busted open and the next 20 minutes showcase the intensity of both men. Eventually, McGuiness would be able to put Aries away with a huge lariat to retain his championship.
#8: Young Bucks Vs Briscoe Brothers
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(Best in the World 2018) Despite being only a few months old, this bout between two teams of longtime rivals did not disappoint fans and earns a well-deserved spot on our list. If you need proof we’re living through a renewed golden age of tag team wrestling, look no further, as the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Young Bucks competed against the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champion Briscoes in an absolute slobberknocker. The crowd was electric for the babyface Bucks while the Briscoe Brothers played the part of the tough heel champs perfectly, retaining after an incredibly hard-fought battle.
#7: Tyler Black vs. Davey Richards
(Death Before Dishonor VIII) The short-lived but heated rivalry between these two resulted in this fiery 2010 match for the Ring of Honor World Championship that took place shortly before Black left the company for the WWE and became wrestling megastar Seth Rollins. The perfect combination of quality character and in-ring work from both men helped to create an intense atmosphere surrounding the match that persisted throughout the 35 minute fight. After a series of high-impact power moves and a number of shocking near-falls, Black was able to outwrestle and outlast Richards to retain his world title.
#6: KENTA vs. Bryan Danielson
(Glory by Honor 2006) This legendary match took place between two of the world’s best wrestlers fairly early in both men’s careers, with the Ring of Honor World Championship on the line. The pair had an undeniable level of chemistry in the ring, and the match is magic from start to finish. From the ring psychology to the work rate, this is a classic Ring of Honor match, through and through, and resulted in KENTA’s first loss in Ring of Honor.
#5: Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin
(Showdown In The Sun - Day 2) Another match rated five stars by Dave Meltzer, this slow-burn brawl featured underdog champion Davey Richards attempting to retain the Ring of Honor World Championship over a beast-like Michael Elgin. The match starts slow-paced but gains steam quickly before all hell breaks loose in the final 10 minutes as the men take each other to their absolute limits. Devastating near-fall after devastating near-fall finally comes to an end when Richards is able to keep Elgin down for the three-count after a brutal spinning back kick, continuing his successful title reign.
#4: Takeshi Morishima vs. Bryan Danielson
(Manhattan Mayhem 2007) Bryan Danielson is well-known for filling the role of the smaller man against a huge wrestler, and it’s rarely been used more effectively than in this match between Danielson and Japanese heavyweight Takeshi Morishima. Morishima was Ring of Honor’s World Champion, and had a string of successful title defenses before Danielson got another shot at the belt he had lost just the year before. Morishima used his weight advantage to manhandle Danielson throughout the match, with Danielson giving everything he had to try overcome the heavyweight. In a heartbreaking finish, Danielson would fall short after receiving a gruesome eye injury.
#3: Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk II (2004)
These two early-ROH legends shared a long and storied rivalry in the indie promotion before they both went on become household names. The pair’s best Ring of Honor match came in this five-star 60-minute battle that would end in a time limit draw. Samoa Joe’s record-breaking title reign would continue, but it’s impossible to forget about this wrestling classic that saw CM Punk take Joe to the limit. The two young men would both had long careers ahead of them, but without a doubt, this early match-up remains one of the best of either man’s career.
#2: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness
(Unified 2006) This match held in the United Kingdom to unify the Ring of Honor Pure Wrestling and World Championships saw two of the promotion’s best wrestlers go head-to-head to find out just who was the better man. The bout was stiff and brutal on both sides as each attempted to grapple and pound the other into defeat. The “pure” wrestling rules perfectly suited both men’s styles and the match eventually resulted in a bloody climax that saw Bryan Danielson victorious, able to defeat Nigel McGuinness to win the ROH Pure Wrestling Championship and unite the company’s belts.
#1: Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe
(Joe vs. Kobashi 2005) In 2005, Ring of Honor was able to bring in Japanese wrestling legend Kenta Kobashi to compete against the company’s world champion, Samoa Joe. For Kobashi to compete in the U.S. was rare, and made the match feel like a once-in-a-lifetime fight between two mega-stars. The hard-hitting Kobashi had the crowd behind him from the beginning, and things only got more electric as the match continued. Running at a tight 23 minutes, the showdown saw both men gain an advantage before Kobashi put Joe away with a massive Burning Hammer. The match elevated Samoa Joe even further into wrestling stardom, helping create the living legend he is today.
