On March 31, 2006, Ring of Honor held an event called “Supercard of Honor.” It was a well received show, with several quality matches. However, there was one match in particular that stole the show and had the fans and critics alike buzzing. In a match that showcased the Dragon Gate promotion from Japan, a six man tag team match pitting the Do Fixer faction of Genki Horiguchi, Ryo Saito and Dragon Kid against the Blood Generation faction of CIMA, Naruki doi and Masato Yoshino. On closer inspection, does the match live up to it’s reputation as an all-time classic?
The audience in attendance at this show was electric for this match. For the roughly twenty minutes of the contest, the action was non-stop. There were unbelievable displays of athleticism, moves and spots that nobody had ever seen before, and a feeling that something special was happening.
By the time the match was over, the crowd had been whipped into a frenzy. Many have said it was the best match they had ever seen. The prestigious Wrestling Observer newsletter not gave it a five star rating, one of the very few North American matches to be bestowed that honor, it was later named the 2006 Match of the Year by that same publication.
For anyone who has never seen this match, it is required viewing. It is a great showpiece for the wrestlers involved and the Dragon gate promotion as a whole. It will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what incredible thing you will see for the first time. However, I feel that the match does not quite deserve it’s almost mythic status. This is a case of a match not quite living up to it’s reputation.
To be a truly great wrestling match, there are certain qualities that a match must possess. Athletic ability, high work rate, innovative moves, near falls and fast paced sequences are certainly all to be highly valued, and Do Fixer vs Blood generation has them in abundance. You will never see a match with more high spots, more energy, and more crowd explosions for the latest amazing display.
However, there is a more subtle quality that certain matches have that separate them from the pack. There is something that takes a great, entertaining match and turns it into a classic. That thing is ring psychology. The art of telling a story in the ring. It is in this more intangible quality that this match is lacking.
Bear in mind I had seen this match several times in the past. I knew at some point during my time writing this column, I would want to focus on this much hyped match. However, as I started re-watching the match in preparation of writing this column, I came to a realization: I didn’t really remember much about the match itself.
I remembered being highly entertained by the match. I remembered being astounded by the action in the ring. I remembered that all six men in the ring made immediate impressions on me as performers to watch in the future. What I could not remember were any of the actual specifics of the match.
I didn’t remember any of the moves or sequences that so enthralled me when I saw the match. I didn’t even remember how the match ended. I couldn’t remember what move finally put somebody away, after so many near falls. I didn’t remember who actually got the pinfall, or who they pinned. I didn’t even remember which team actually won the match. And this was my third or fourth viewing of it.
The problem with this match (and make no mistake, it IS a great match, but this problem stops it from being a five star match in my opinion) is that there is no substance behind all the style. There’s no story being told.
Do Fixer vs Blood Generation is the professional wrestling version of a big budget summer action movie. It has a lot of great special effects. It has performers the audience likes and can get behind. It has tons of action. While you’re watching it, you are having the time of your life. But when it’s over, it starts to fade. You remember having a great time, but not necessarily why.
When the high spots and the near falls and the suicide dives and head dropping suplexes are over, it’s the story that remains in your subconscious. It takes more than amazing moves to make a truly perfect wrestling match. Those matches have to have psychology behind them. It has to matter when they are performed and why.
In this particular match, most of the incredible moves you will see could have been done in any order in the match and the effect would still be the same. There was no narrative, no plot to be advanced. Wrestlers would get dropped on their head, the crowd would explode, and two minutes later, it was like nothing had happened to them. The incredible, devastating moves ultimately didn’t matter.
This match is possibly the most fun you will ever have watching a professional wrestling match. It is highly entertaining. I am sure I will watch it, and enjoy it, several more times in the future. But without that story to hold it together, without the amazing moves having a meaning behind them, this match can’t quite measure up to it’s legend.
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