New York's finest Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima 27.12.2008 

New York's finest Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima 27.12.2008 

We start our road trip in the best place, sitting in New York traffic. The Big Apple known for Hot Dogs,Time Square and other stuff I’ve seen in movies is a state with a deep wrestling history being the Home of the WWE before it became the Evil deathcorp it is today. Our trip takes us to Hammerstein Ballroom, Built by Oscar Hammerstein and originally named the Manhattan Opera House, the Ballroom has played host to the Grateful Dead for the recording of their live album Skull & Roses and was the location of the late David Bowie's final public performance. It has also been the site for many significant wrestling shows, being the host for two of the most average ECW PPV,Massacre on 34th Street and Guilty as Charged, during the promotion's final months and was the chosen location for the two ECW One Night Stand shows. But today on our road trip that can travel through time, it's the 27th of December 2008 and Ring of Honour is in town for its annual flagship event Final Battle.

The match that interests us is the main event Bryan Danilson taking on Takeshi Morishima in a fight without honour. The two former ROH World champs feuded in late 2007 starting off over the Morishima ROH world title but continuing even after Morishima lost the belt to McGuinness. Unfortunately Morishima had to return to his native Japan before the rivalry could finish off but tonight in Manhattan they are both here to fight. 

The tone for this match is set early on, after he's entrance Morishima stands in the ring waiting for the American dragon. Bryan's iconic entrance theme, The Finale Countdown by Europe, the lights go out then come back on and Bryan is revealed to be standing on the apron behind Morashima catching him by surprise Bryan hits Morishima with a flying Knee that sends him into the crowd. Bryan then shows no fear with a suicide dive into the crowd. Bryan emerges from the crowd, gets on the barrier, puts one hand in the air and it is perfectly timed with “ITS THE FINALE COUNTDOWN” imagery like this will be what Bryan is remembered for, he's tried to recreate moments like this later in his career but it never hit the same. In this moment Bryan Danilson, the American dragon has become a God who is being serenaded by the adoring public. 

Bryan's momentum from all of this is cut pretty short, the problem he is facing makes itself pretty clear when he fails to pull off a Romero Special. Morashima is fucking massive more of a force of nature than a man all of Bryans attempted offense will have to overcome this fact. This issue only makes itself clearer when Bryan tries to powerbomb Morishima off the apron and all Moarishima needs to do is simply sit down, crushing Bryan and stunting his offense.

Morashima then gains control and highlights what he does best, throwing Bryan around with reckless embankment and hitting lariats as hard as bricks. During all of this Bryan gets open up, Bryan not someone known for being the world's best bleeder pulls off an incredible blade job cutting just above both his eyebrow. The Blood flows and gets all over Morishima bicep from his clubbing blows to the head.