supersonic Posted April 20, 2016 Report Share Posted April 20, 2016 All Star Extravaganza II - December 4, 2004 ROH Title MatchSamoa Joe vs. CM Punk I really am just a sucker for matches that bring prestige to championships. This is another classic match that stands the test of time, and a fitting final chapter to such an epic trilogy. From the callbacks to the previous two matches these men had against one another, to the bloody cut on CM Punk's head (a nice way to bring back memories of his feuds with Raven and the Prophecy), to the acts of desparation on Joe's part, this match was just perfect. In addition, this had legitimate drama and plenty of believable false finishes, with the crowd just being APESHIT in the last 10 minutes. In the end, all the punishment dished out to Punk was just too much for him, as he passed out to the choke like so many other great challengers Joe faced. But this got him only more over, and really made the crowd wonder who if anybody could dethrone Joe. But one could argue that this was evidence that Joe's days as champion would be coming to an end in the near future. The Punk trilogy, the Rottweilers feud, and the classic defense against Bryan Danielson all in the past several prior months were taking such a toll on him that he was resorting to blatant cheating, breaking his code that he had established as champion. Rating: ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microstatistics Posted April 23, 2018 Report Share Posted April 23, 2018 Rewatched this somewhat recently and thought it was a superb match. It reminded me of the Okada vs. Omega III actually in that I like the first two matches but the third match combines the best elements into a shorter time frame. Really good underdog performance by Punk and I liked his focused neck work. Prime Samoa Joe was something else: great selling, amazing offence and perfect character work. Pretty great crowd too (something I thought I'd never say considering it's ROH). ****5/8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactus Posted November 12, 2021 Report Share Posted November 12, 2021 Although Punk comes into this acting arrogantly, the fans are soon behind him after Joe cracks his skull open and he's still fighting his heart out. There's no time limit here, so Punk goes back to his headlock strategy once again. Joe knows this so he fires on all cylinders and busts out his biggest strikes, but Punk is able to hold his own against Joe. Punk gets some nail-bitingly close hope spots on Joe. Joe locks in the sleeper and Punk appears to be out, so the referee calls for the bell. Ricky Steamboat, who is at ringside, stops the timekeeper from ringing the bell as he noticed that Punk's arm is still moving. This was a very creative spot. Punk still has a bit of fight left in him. Joe is so desperate that he goes for an illegal pin, which turns the ROH fans against him. That might have been my favourite part of this entire trilogy. Punk tries to claw his way to victory, but Joe lands a Dragon Suplex and goes back to the sleeper to finally wrap this rivalry up. After 2 and a half hours of total match time between these two, we finally have a winner. Seeing all the callback spots get satisfying pay-offs brought this one to the next level. I might be in the minority here, but I think this is the best match of the series. ★★★★¾ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohtani's jacket Posted December 25, 2023 Report Share Posted December 25, 2023 This was an exciting bout. I was glad they decided to forgo going broadway and deliver a shorter, more compact bout. I was surprised they didn't pull the trigger on Punk here. He had the crowd behind him and the timing seemed right, but instead he was Kawada to Joe's Misawa. That would have been fitting if they hadn't taken the belt off Joe weeks later. If the plan was to shift the belt off Joe, why not cap off an incredible feud by having Punk take the title? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShittyLittleBoots Posted September 29 Report Share Posted September 29 It's a tremendous ending to a legendary trilogy. I do prefer their 2nd match by a bit as watching Punk's gameplan play out there was just so, so, SO compelling, but this one is complete greatness as well. Punk's cut brings such a brilliant twist to their dynamic, and it's just red hot action with them perfectly playing off of their previous matches. ****3/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted September 29 Report Share Posted September 29 I recently rewatched this (probably for the 4th or 5th time) and I loved it more than ever. Involuntarily fist-pumping as Steamboat intervened to alert the referee to Punk still moving his arm. It's a moment that really works if you watched the Punk vs. Steamboat feud beforehand capping off with the Punk face-turn. It feels like a moral lesson almost than Punk deciding to 'be that man' and defend Steamboat ended up getting him a reward that he couldn't possibly have predicted, so it's not like he was being cynical about it or anything. Joe was also pitch-perfect in this. His strikes look like he's totally demolishing Punk and really puts over what a great effort Punk was putting in to actually get any offense together. But it's not like Joe was invincible either, he shows just enough chinks in the armour to make you believe this isn't a lost cause. The moment where he illegally uses the ropes was amazing, especially the crowd reaction. This is one of the best matches ever. ***** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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