[2007-08-10-ROH-Death Before Dishonor V] Takeshi Morishima vs Claudio Castagnoli

[ohtani's jacket]

This was considered one of Morishima's better title defenses. It was nothing special in that regard, but I mostly watched it because of Claudio. I'm still trying to get a handle on what makes him so popular. It was kind of endearing how loudly they rooted for him. There was some fun bomb throwing, and the finishing stretch was exciting. The commentators pointed out the strain that Morishima's title reign was placing on him, and the constant wear and tear from traveling between Japan and the US, especially that connecting flight to the East Coast. A title change was on the cards, but Claudio wouldn't be the man to do it. Try telling that to the crowd, though. They were right behind him despite his odds being slim to none. It was a cool mix of Claudio being a popular dude and the crowd having fun playing along. They would've popped like that kid in the Simmons fight if he'd won the damn thing.