[2000-12-30-APW-King of Indies 2000] Christopher Daniels vs Donovan Morgan

[GSR]

Despite the people making plenty of noise to God’s gift of professional wrestling and the first King of the Indies, Christopher Daniels lets them know that they still suck!  Daniels offers a hand to ‘the Funboy’ which is accepted.  Grappling heavy as both are looking for an early advantage.  Nice headscissors takedown by Morgan which Daniels kips up out of.  We have a tease of each man’s finisher, Morgan snapmaring his way out of the ‘Roll the Dice’.  Daniels steps out to have a words with some fans who’re on his case, although that doesn’t sit too well with Morgan telling him over the house mic that he should be taking this seriously and that when he gets back in the ring he’s going to kick his ass all over the building.  Morgan starts working over the arm, Daniels grabbing it with the other to prevent the extension on the cross armbar before eventually reaching the ropes with a leg for the break.  Double underhook suplex.  A stiff elbow to the jaw flattens ‘the Fallen Angel’ who looks for some solace on the apron, only to get nailed with a springboard dropkick that sends him sprawling out to ringside.  Tope con hilo.  Daniels is to his feet first and slams Morgan’s arm into the guard rail before hammerlocking it and running him into the ringpost.  Good to see a bit of old school breaking the referee’s ten count by sliding into the ring and then straight back out to continue the attack.  Abdominal stretch is applied near the ropes and I really like how Daniels shows the audience his hand so you know what’s fully coming next.  If you don’t, think what IRS does in every match when he applies the same hold.  He gets distracted though when jawing with them, the ref catching him in the act and then breaking it.  Morgan misses a crossbody, Daniels pointing to his head like he’s outsmarted him.  A great enziguiri that completely flips ‘the Funboy’ over.  Spinning sideslam followed by a uranage.  Daniels runs into a big boot as Morgan starts his comeback, although there is so little fire in it.  Suicideplex.  They run the Guerrero/Malenko pinfalls and reversals sequence, the near falls and two counts coming thick and fast.  Morgan reverses the whip to the corner sending Daniels chest first into the turnbuckles.  Daniels kicks out after a Michinoku Driver and then Morgan after the ‘Angel’s Wings’, both kick outs getting a fantastic reaction from the crowd.  Daniels has a look of “what do I have to do to beat this man” on his face.  He hooks the middle rope to prevent himself from being taken down on the backslide and then this awesome reversal which I’ve never seen before puts ‘the Funboy’s’ shoulders down for the three as ‘the Fallen Angel’ becomes the first ‘King of the Indies’.  Morgan hands over the trophy, the two shaking hands as they are then joined by Roland Alexander who congratulates them both and invites the rest of the participants out to share in the moment.

The match built really well, the crowd getting more and more into it the longer it went.  Similar to a few other matches this year, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place towards the upper end of early Ring of Honor cards.  Very pleased that they didn’t overdo the kickouts either as I thought that may happen after Morgan kicked out of the Angel’s Wings.  The actual finish was spectacular, I’ve not seen a reversal like that before or since.  I thought Daniels was tremendous here and Morgan, as always, is fundamentally sound, there’s just no emotional attachment from me, or the fans it would seem.  There was zero fire in his comeback and it was like Daniels was doing the work of two to keep the fans invested.  I know Michael Modest often suffered the same criticisms as Morgan but he’s light years ahead of him in every aspect as far as I’m concerned.