New Jersey's Number One CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe 04.12.2004

New Jersey's Number One CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe 04.12.2004

Something something gabagool, i dont know ive seen 3 episodes of the Sopranos. Were in New Jersey the home of the New Jersey Devils and home to people who wished they lived in new york. What's not to love?

Of all states that have been covered so far in this road trip New Jersey was the hardest to pick a great match. The State has been the location for many fantastic bouts honorable mention go to Mad Dog Connolly vs. Demus, Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston and Kurt Angle vs Shane McMahon. But in the end CM Punk vs Samoa Joe won out. 

The 3rd of there famous trilogy Joe vs Punk 3 is a match that's perception has changed overtime, always beloved but as shown by its 97th placement on the 2025 Greatest Matches Ever Project this bout has become the consensus best of the trilogy. The match is a great Zig when you thought they would zag, the two previous encounters being 60 minutes draw which resulted in this match having no time limit. So you expect that this match is going to go even longer so it going half an hour is a welcomed surprise. Now is a 30 minute match being praised for how brief it is an indictment of ROH’s main event style? Yes but you take what you can get.

Before the match starts we get a promo from Ricky ‘the dragon’ Steamboat hyping up what's about to come, that he's here in a fan to watch some good pro wrestling. Punk comes out to what sounds like a remix of the terminator theme but then screw you Cena the real champ is here Samoa Joe is the coolest man alive and everybody in that building now it’s. The crowd's alliance is clear.

Joe and Punk go for a building epic in this match starting slow with Punk working a headlock. These very big US heavyweight title match styles often fall flat for me if not done by those who know how to pull it off, and Punk is one of the best. The escalation in violence and desperation from both competitors is perfectly told. Working a Punk Joe match in half the time means there's very few moments that drag that the previous two matches while also great suffer from these flaws. This is amplified by Punk's fantastic blade job which with the assistance of Joe working cut turns Punk bleached blonde hair turns red. All of which makes the double turn this match pulls off delightful.

Joe’s growing anger at Punk for not saying down results in him taking cheap shots and putting his feet on a rope for a pin. The match peaks with Joe extended choke hold on punk, Joe gets Punks to the ground and hes fading to the point the ref calls for the bell but Chekhov's Steamboat stops it seeing Punk still got some life in him. Punk tries to fight out of it but Joe is not letting go. Finally Punk breaks free but he's on borrowed time a failed Pepsi Plunger attempt and a roll up leaves him vulnerable to another choke and this time hes out cold. 

A constant point of this trilogy is that neither man has been able to hit their finisher, Punks Pepsi Plunge and Joe's Muscle Buster, and follow it up with a pinfall. This match still leaves the question of whether either man could survive each other's finisher unanswered. Maybe its match subverting expectations again but it does leave the story unfinished. Perhaps they knew they had Wembley in their future. Or maybe they didn't because that would be impossible.

A match that is close to perfect, Good God

Four and ¾ Martin Brodeurs out of five

Next stop Pennsylvania