ROH: Live in Tokyo DVD

ROH's overseas trips have added a new dimension to the company and helped create shows are that are completely unlike their regular venues in Manhattan, Chicago or Dayton. The recent UK shows featured raucous, passionate fans who chanted like they were at a football match, while the recent Japanese tour brought the more respectful, Oriental atmosphere for a wrestling show. Unfortunately the combination of this quieter crowd, mixed with an under-whelming card of matches meant that these shows are not even close to the excellent UK shows in terms of watchability, let alone some of the higher standard US shows.

Once again, Morishima failed to get me into his world title match with Nigel McGuinness and the under-card featured too many tag matches featuring NOAH guys I have never seen before and so it felt like a very mixed bag of matches. With the need to include so many Japanese talents, it meant that some of the more entertaining ROH mid-carders, like Claudio, Chris Hero, Kevin Steen and El Generico were left behind and as a result the shows lacked the sense of fun that these guys are beginning to bring to the under-card of the US ROH shows.

Having said that, there is one saving grace on that DVD and is the match between Go Shiozaki and Bryan Danielson. Danielson has been on a great run since he returned from injury and this match is probably his best bout in ROH to date. Once again his character has continued to evolve as Danielson begins to evolve into this clinical, wrestling machine who picks apart his opponents and out thinks them in the ring. The match begins slwoyl and Shoizaki resorts to a series of stuff strikes, but Danielson weathers the storm and begins to slowly neutralize Shoizaki's offense by working over his arm and his leg. It is simply stunning, technical wrestling as Danielson literally out-thinks his opponent and it may seem cliche to say it, but this match really is the equivalent of human chess. If ever a show deserved buying for one match it is this one. The rest of the card simply does not live up to the high standard that this match sets and Danielson has once again set the bar shy-high in terms of ROH match quality.

Overall verdict: B+
" A one match show, but what a match. Worth experiencing for the different atmosphere of the Japanese crowd but only worth re-watching for Dragon vs. Go"