THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA

ARTICLE # 74
OCTOBER 1, 2003

Paul London’s Rise to Superstardom

Although Low Ki, American Dragon and AJ Styles owned much of the great match headlines on the indy scene during 2002, by the end of the year a new star began to join their ranks in the name of Paul London. London has shown the potential to be one of the biggest underdog/cruiserweight stars in the game in the near future due to his unique athletic style and movements in the air as well as his ability to take a great deal of punishment, including some pretty big bumps. As I’m writing this article however, London is already stealing the show in non-televised matches and may soon debut on WWE TV, where he’ll more likely not be given a chance to shine and, like Ultimo Dragon, be pushed to the back burner in yet another criminal act on the part of the booking team. That said, this article will focus on why such a situation would be criminal, and look at the matches that made him a star in ROH.

9/21/02 Street Fight: Paul London vs Michael Shane

London stormed the ring and attacked Shane before the bell. London landed some elbows. They did a criss cross from one corner to another and London met Shane with a spin kick. London hit Shane with a cool flip dropkick and went for an elbow but Shane held onto the ropes. London missed a clothesline but dumped Shane over the top rope to the floor. London landed a couple elbows but Shane responded with punches. Shane pushed London into the ringpost and kicked him. London caught Shane on the top rope and dropped him crotch first across the top rope. London gave a kneeling Shane a sharp enzuguiri (almost looked a bit like a shining wizard but it wasn’t) for a near fall. London whipped Shane into the corner and elbowed him. London landed some chops but Shane countered a whip into the corner. After a series of counters Shane hiptossed London over the top rope but London held on. London began to skin the cat but before he returned to the ring Shane met him with a spear and knocked him hard to the floor in a really cool spot. Shane pounded London and whipped him so hard into the barricade that London, besides doing a flip bump, knocked the segment of the barricade into the front row. Looked like a gimmicked part of the barricade, but still a spot worthy of praise. Shane set up a table at ringside but London fought back with elbows. London grabbed a chair but Shane knocked the chair into him with a somersault plancha. London came up bleeding heavily. Shane hit London with a chair for a near fall and suplexed him on the chair for another near fall. Shane stomped London and stopped an attempted comeback by raking his eyes. Shane applied a neck vice but London countered with elbows. London kicked and elbowed Shane but Shane whipped him hard into the corner. Shane lodged a chair between the middle and top ropes. They traded chops and Shane gave London a kneelift. Shane went to throw London into the lodged chair but London countered and threw him into the chair. Shane began to bleed very heavily. London landed more elbows but Shane gave him a knee to the gut. Shane grabbed a ladder from underneath the ring. London went for a baseball slide kick but Shane moved the ladder from harm’s way. Shane missed a ladder clothesline and London jumped off the apron with a nasty superkick that knocked the ladder into Shane. London brought the ladder into the ring. London went for a top rope move and caught Shane with his leg (not sure if it was a botched spot or not). London gave Shane a baseball slide kick and propped the ladder against the corner. London pounded Shane and attempted to whip him into the ladder but Shane countered and whipped London into the opposite corner. Shane went for a monkey flip but London landed on his feet. After more counters Shane caught London and belly to belly suplexed him into the ladder for a near fall. Shane slammed London and dropped the ladder across his back. London tried to fight back but Shane pounded and chopped him. Shane whipped London into the corner but ran into an elbow. London dumped Shane to the apron but Shane punched him. London recovered, caught Shane off guard, and gave him a headscissors takedown from the apron to the floor through a table in a great spot because even though the table had been brought out long before, the spot itself was rather spontaneous. London then grabbed a big ladder, about 12 feet in length from under the ring. London dropkicked Shane against the barricade. Back in the ring London propped the ladder against a corner and gave Shane a jumping knee in the opposite corner. London pounded Shane but Shane countered a whip into the ladder and elbowed him. Shane charged but London backdropped him into/onto the ladder. Shane fled the ring but London ran across the ring, scaled/ran across the ladder, and came off the top rope with a somersault plancha in a truly breathtaking spot. London set up the smaller ladder in the corner, came off the top rope, jumped over the ladder but Shane caught him in mid-air and powerbombed him for a great near fall. London crotched Shane on the top rope but Shane countered a superplex and pushed London to the mat. Shane hit his top rope elbowsmash for a near fall. London superkicked Shane and gave him a shooting star press for a heated near fall and fans gave them a standing ovation. London set up the large ladder, which was badly bent and wobbly. Fans chanted “you sick f***” as London climbed the ladder. Shane pounded London and rammed his head repeatedly into the ladder. Shane then climbed the ladder and hit an elbowsmash from about 7-8 feet up for another heated near fall. Shane climbed the ladder but London jumped to the second rope and knocked Shane off the ladder with a great backflip dropkick. London climbed the ladder as fans chanted “please don’t die”. London then hit a shooting star press from near the top of the ladder onto Shane for the pin at 20:39 in a breathtaking finish. Fans gave them another standing ovation and chanted “match of the year” as London was visibly in tears over the crowd’s response. Don’t watch this match if you’re tired and stressed out and need to relax. This was one of those matches where the flaws will jump right out at you and the strengths of the match will strike you even harder than the flaws. Some of the transitions were pretty weak in maintaining a sense of flow, especially in the first half, and they did botch a couple spots. However, this match made no attempt to hide its status as a spotfest and was a pretty great one at that. Not the best collection of spots you’ll ever see, but definitely one of the better highlight reels of spots from a ladder match. Where this match really stands out is in the momentum it built in the second half and especially down the stretch. So often spotfests can start out hot or really hit their stride towards the middle before losing steam down the stretch. This is one of the few ladder-oriented matches that I enjoyed more watching it a second time than in my first viewing, and it was because of the momentum. They ordered the spots nearly flawlessly and once they gained their first heated near fall, they made sure every other near fall came on the heels of a breathtaking and/or significant spot. Lots of neat spots during the body and down the stretch, but they saved the best and most appropriate spot (shooting star press off the big ladder) for the finish. Shane tends to be overrated in some circles for his talent, while others underrate his work in part because of the great crew of talent he finds himself associated with. He’s not nearly as spectacular as some of his peers and doesn’t have any one strength that stands out, but is a very solid worker who can take the big bumps and chip in enough cool spots to keep up with his opponents. As a heel he was pretty effective in terms of aborting several of London’s comebacks and spots, particularly with the spear early on and the powerbomb spot later on. London has a really unique athletic style, almost a little bit of RVD but with the agility of Eddy Guerrero or even Rey Mysterio, but those might be unreasonable comparisons because of how unique London is. His weaknesses in carrying a standard singles match were mostly hidden here, as they can be in a spot-oriented match. His spots were great, and in how they were ordered, he really came across as a human highlight reel. Let’s see if the WWE has the guts to put Paul London in a 20:00 ladder match on TV with someone like Spanky or Eddy Guerrero etc. Probably won’t happen. ****1/4

12/7/02: Paul London vs American Dragon

London applied a hammerlock but Dragon countered and hiptossed him. They locked knuckles and Dragon chopped London against the ropes. London gave Dragon a loud chop and they shook hands. Dragon gave London some hard chops but London whipped him into the corner. London monkey flipped Dragon and gained a one count. Dragon took down London, London went for an armbar but Dragon countered with a headscissors. London turned Dragon over and landed on top of him. Dragon bridged and powered up. Both men blocked backslides and Dragon chopped London. London responded with a chop but Dragon won an exchange of slaps. Dragon headbutted London and gave him a European uppercut. Dragon whipped London towards the corner but London jumped over him and armdragged him. London applied an armbar and went for a cross armbreaker but Dragon blocked it. Dragon turned London over and pounded him with several crossface shots. Dragon applied a modified STF on London but London lifted him up and backed him into the corner. London kicked Dragon and landed some chops. London snapmared Dragon and applied a chinlock. Dragon escaped and applied a headlock. They did a criss cross and London armdragged Dragon. Dragon went for his own armdrag but London didn’t go for it, Dragon tumbled to the mat and London cradled him for a near fall. London gave Dragon a Japanese armdrag and applied an armbar. London applied a wristlock and gained a couple near falls. Dragon bridged up but London pounced on him hard, causing Dragon to roll out of the ring to recover. Dragon kicked London and landed a ton of chops in a cool display of anger (because his mannerisms were simple and not at all overstated). Dragon actually missed a chop because London collapsed, before stomping him. London tried to fight back but Dragon landed more chops and a brutal European uppercut. Dragon slammed London for a near fall and applied an abdominal stretch. London escaped and armdragged Dragon but Dragon quickly rebounded with a yakuza kick. Dragon hooked London’s legs and elbowsmashed him twice before applying a modified surfboard. Dragon turned London over and gained a near fall. Dragon landed two sharp European uppercuts and stood on London’s face briefly. London countered a German suplex with elbows, ducked a clothesline and gave Dragon two front backflip dropkicks (as opposed to Jinsei Shinzaki’s backflip dropkick). London jumped off the second rope with an elbow strike on Dragon. London landed his own European uppercut and gut wrench suplexed Dragon. London hit a standing moonsault for a near fall and stomped Dragon. After some counters Dragon dropped London on his head with a cross arm German suplex. Dragon whipped London into the corner and gave him a running elbow strike. Dragon snap suplexed London and gave him a top rope headbutt for a near fall. London countered a roaring elbow, chopped Dragon and gave him a unique side neckbreaker. Dragon countered a German suplex and went for a back suplex but London countered and they both tumbled over the top rope to the floor. London went for an Asai moonsault but Dragon pulled him down. London went for a kick off the apron, Dragon moved and London landed on his feet on the floor. London superkicked Dragon on the floor. Back in the ring London gave Dragon a flying bodypress for a near fall. London and Dragon traded chops on the mat before London gave Dragon a unique neck cradle for a near fall. London slammed Dragon but Dragon caught him on the top rope and pounded him. Dragon gave London a top rope back superplex but sold his knee before gaining a near fall. Dragon applied the cattle mutilation on London but London reached the ropes. Dragon chopped London and gave him another brutal European uppercut for a near fall. Dragon stomped London and placed him on the top rope. London countered a back superplex with a ton of elbows before Dragon finally fell to the mat. London won an exchange of blows on the top rope and elbowed Dragon to the mat. Dragon rose up again but London pounded him with headbutts and more elbows. London hit his shooting star press and pinned Dragon at 18:41. Great post-match with Dragon acknowledging London and London saying he wasn’t at Dragon’s level yet. This is such an underrated match in a sense because of how beautifully it accomplished everything it tried to get across. Dragon basically dictated the style and flow of the match, and turned in one of his best performances not just in doing so, but in selling the emotions his character was experiencing. He was the hard-hitting confident veteran, even though he’s not really a veteran and only in his early-20s. London was the underdog/athletic upstart who kept taking the fight to him. Dragon’s reactions to London’s offensive flurries and comebacks were brilliant. He didn’t rely on overstated mannerisms or excessive violence or sledgehammers or jumper cables, but instead using the simplest of strikes (headbutts, chops and European uppercuts) with the greatest of force. His timing in aborting London’s comebacks was superb too, in particular the yakuza kick towards the middle. Not too many near falls, but they made each one count. The near falls weren’t all that heated for such a great match, but the emphasis was more on storytelling than on crowd reactions. Fans were quiet for much of the match, but knew they were seeing something great. Still, this was the type of match you can’t possibly appreciate in full on just one viewing. You see the match on paper and expect a match that will blow you away, and if so you will come away disappointed on the first viewing because both men, London in particular, were more toned down than usual with regard to spectacular spots. But, if you give this match 2, 3 or more viewings before drawing conclusions, you’ll be much more likely to appreciate it. Dragon did a great job of putting London’s work over and making him look like a star in the making, which was the main purpose of the match. I just can’t bring myself to call this a classic because there wasn’t anything about this match that really blew me away, but this was a better match and with far fewer flaws than many of the great spotfests and other matches these two were involved in during 2002 in ROH. ****1/4

2/8/03: Paul London vs AJ Styles vs Low Ki

Styles elbowed London but missed a chop on Ki. Ki chopped Styles but London elbowed him. London pounded Styles with elbows. Styles went for a backdrop but Ki jumped off his back and flew into London. Styles missed a baseball slide kick on London and crotched himself on the bottom rope in the process. Ki gave London a couple roundhouse kicks but Styles then hit Ki with a springboard elbow. Ki and Styles traded blocked kicks, missed a double chop on London, and London gave them both a flip dropkick. London elbowed Ki, Ki whipped him towards the ropes, but London flew through the ropes with a dropkick on Styles. London flipped over Ki into the ring and threw him out of the ring when he charged. London went for a tope suicida but Ki met him with a koppo kick from ringside. Styles pulled Ki off the apron and pounded him. They traded chops but Ki scored with a great spinning kick. Ki gave Styles a Mongolian chop and whipped him into the barricade. Ki charged but Styles tossed him into the air and neck first across the barricade. London then took out both opponents with a frog splash-like plancha. London did a slingshot into an Oklahoma roll of Ki for a near fall. London pounded Ki but Ki rebounded with a brutal elbow. Ki chopped London and gave him a European uppercut. London tried to skin the cat but Styles grabbed his legs and Ki gave London a brutal kick to the head before Styles dropped him on the floor. Ki countered a German suplex and he and Styles did a criss cross. Styles dropkicked Ki for a near fall and gave him a backbreaker and a gutbuster. London then gave Styles a great top rope missile dropkick for a pop and a near fall. Styles caught London off guard and gave him a huracanrana from his back on the mat in a neat variation. Styles missed a roaring elbow and London gave him a northern lights suplex for a near fall. London rolled through, held onto Styles, gave him a second northern lights suplex for a near fall, held on and rolled through, and gave him a fallaway slam for a near fall. Ki chopped London hard and gave him a European uppercut. Ki snapmared London and gave him a power elbow for a near fall. Ki landed a European uppercut on London and chopped Styles. London traded chops with Ki but Ki scored with a koppo kick. Ki pounded Styles and whipped him into the corner but missed a corner splash. Styles gave Ki a sharp jumping kick. Styles went for his quebrada DDT but Ki countered with a Kawada-like drop-down kick in a great spot for a near fall. Ki countered a suplex and applied a dragon clutch on London but before London went down Styles gave Ki his quebrada DDT in a really creative spot (even though the execution wasn’t quite 100 % sharp). Styles gained a near fall on Ki and one on London as well. Styles pounded London and after a couple counters dropped him ribs first across his knee. Styles gave London a backbreaker and rebounded into a urunage in another neat spot for a near fall. Styles applied a Mutolock on London and then applied a kneeling version of the hold. Ki then pelted London with a crush combo (3 brutal roundhouse kicks). Ki applied a dragon clutch on Styles but London then applied the kneeling Mutolock on Ki at the same time in a great 3-way spot. Ki stomped Styles and chopped him. Ki pounded London as well and gave him a running yakuza kick in the corner. Ki whipped Styles into the corner but missed a running elbow. Styles landed a couple chops and whipped Ki into the corner but ran into a superkick. Styles missed a clothesline and Ki gave him a springboard spin kick for a near fall. Ki went for a Ki crusher on Styles but gave him the crush rush into the corner instead for a near fall. Ki landed a couple soccer kicks but London fought back with elbows. Ki won an exchange of chops and went for a crush rush but London countered with a DDT in mid-move in a super-sharp spot. London gained a near fall on Ki and kicked Styles. London pounded Styles and went for a superplex but Styles pounded him. London responded with punches of his own and a kick. London gave Styles some headbutts but hurt himself in the process. Ki gave London a Mongolian chop and kicked him. London fought back and flipped Ki up and into Styles’s grip on the second rope. Ki countered a Styles clash with a huracanrana and Ki flipped right into a powerbomb by London in a great spot for a heated near fall. Fans gave then a standing ovation. Ki caught London with a koppo kick in the corner. Ki then pelted Styles with soccer kicks but Styles caught him and German suplexed him. Styles rolled through and went for his back suplex into a facedrop but Ki rolled through right into a dragon clutch on Styles in yet another incredible spot. London gave Ki a neckbreaker/stunner combo (almost too quick to call it exactly) for a near fall. London missed a clothesline and Styles gave him a German suplex and a back suplex for a near fall. Styles stomped London and gave Ki a roaring clothesline. Styles pounded London and whipped him into the corner but ran into a boot. London held onto Styles in the corner but Ki gave London a tidal crush. Ki missed a shining wizard but rebounded with a back kick (neat spot # 973 or something like that) for a near fall. Ki went to give London a top rope Ki crusher but London fought it. Ki won an exchange of blows but Styles hit him from behind and hit both opponents with blows. After more exchanges of strikes Ki gave Styles a Ki crusher off the second rope but London then gave Styles a shooting star press for the pin at 18:50. One of the best 3-way spotfests I’ve seen, and the type of match that just caters to someone with the style of work that Paul London has. Not much in the way of mat wrestling but you couldn’t expect much of that in this type of match except for the one or two 3-way submission spots they did. One or two spots didn’t work out perfectly, but for the most part all three were exceptional and hit their spots beautifully. Ki and Styles are right at home in this type of match, getting to showcase their stiff blows and creativity without having to use much in the way of meaningful psychology. London faced a real challenge in trying to outshine his opponents in the type of match they have so often excelled in. Whether or not London stole the show is debatable, but he was more than up for the task. His spots were exceptionally sharp and fresh, and his movements, particularly in his leaping spots and dives, are so full of energy. London has some of the sharpest dives I’ve seen, almost like a much-smoother but just as explosive version of RVD (the good RVD, not the sloppy incarnation we’ve seen for the most part in 2003). Even though there was little in the way of psychology and storytelling, this was a well-booked match, primarily because of the finish. Ki was made to look strong, but it was his explosiveness that proved to be his downfall as he was too weakened to take advantage of the Ki crusher. London hitting the shooting star press was a perfect example of him seizing the moment, and made him look strong heading into his immediate title shot vs Xavier. And Styles wasn’t hurt at all by the booking, as it took the other two men’s finishers, one right after the other, to do him in. Overall this wasn’t quite the masterpiece of the Ki-Styles-Lynn 8/7/02 match, but ranks about even with the 2/23/02 ROH 3-way main event. A definite match of the year candidate. ****1/2

2/8/03 ROH Title: Xavier (c) w/ Alison Danger vs Paul London

Even though this was “scheduled” to take place after a scramble match, Xavier made sure this took place immediately following the 3-way match that London won. Danger distracted London and Xavier attacked him from behind. Xavier stomped London and choked him. Xavier pounded London and rammed him into the corner twice. London fought back with chops and elbows and they did a criss cross. London armdragged Xavier twice and gave him a running elbow in the corner. London whipped Xavier towards the corner, Xavier jumped over him but London caught him with a spin kick. London dropkicked Xavier and gave him a high kick. Danger tripped London and Xavier belly to belly suplexed him. Alexis Laree came out and got into a fight with Danger. Xavier punched London but London caught him on the top rope and slammed him to the mat. London kicked Xavier but Xavier fought back and whipped him into the corner. Xavier ran into a kick, London elbowed him and gave him a headscissors kick. London pushed Xavier into the corner and rolled him up for a near fall. London gave Xavier an armwringer and went for a tornado single arm DDT out of the corner but Xavier countered and dropped London on his head with a released German suplex. Xavier stomped London and elbowed him. London tried to fight back but Xavier kneed him in the head and elbowed him. Xavier absorbed some blows and whipped London into the corner. Xavier went for a cobra clutch suplex but London grabbed the rope. London countered with elbows, pushed off the ropes with his legs and gained a near fall (remember the Hart-Austin Survivor Series 96 finish). London gave Xavier his corkscrew neckbreaker for a near fall. London landed some punches and won an exchange of blows. London charged but Xavier threw him over the top rope through a table on the floor. Xavier won an exchange of blows on the floor and went to whip London into the barricade (I think) but London crashed into the collapsed table instead (sloppy spot but it worked really well). Xavier rammed London into the barricade, lifted him up and rammed him head first into the ringpost. Xavier absorbed a chop from a bleeding London. Back in the ring Xavier pounded London and kneedropped him for a near fall. London caught Xavier off guard with a kick to the face but Xavier stomped him. London landed a couple punches but Xavier responded with European uppercuts and a punch. Xavier choked London in the ropes and pounded him. Xavier attacked London’s bloody head with punches. London won an exchange of blows but telegraphed a backdrop. London blocked a powerbomb but Xavier dropped him on his head with a cobra clutch suplex for a near fall. Xavier stomped London and pounded him. Xavier placed London on the top rope and went for an X breaker but London countered and fell on top of him for a near fall. Xavier missed a clothesline and London gave him two flip dropkicks. London scored with a springboard elbow. London slammed Xavier and went for a shooting star press but Xavier rolled out of the ring. London held his ground and gave Xavier a spectacular twisting plancha over the ringpost to the floor in a super spot for a pop. London hit a springboard moonsault for a near fall. London elbowed Xavier and won an exchange of blows. London whipped Xavier into the corner and choked him. Xavier gave London a low mule kick and pounded him. London caught Xavier and gave him a backslide for a near fall. Xavier elbowsmashed London but was accidentally tripped by Danger when London reversed a whip. London knocked Xavier out of the ring with a sliding dropkick but took out Danger with a tope when Xavier moved. Xavier went for a spear but missed London and took out Danger. London gave Xavier a moonsault off the barricade to the floor. London landed some punches but missed a clothesline. London kicked Xavier and landed some stiff kicks to the chest. London landed more punches and DDTd him for a heated near fall. Xavier caught London on the top rope and traded blows with him. London countered a top rope superplex and dropped Xavier neck first across the top rope. London then hit a shooting star press for a heated near fall as Danger pulled Xavier’s leg under the rope. Danger and Laree got into another fight in the ring as London pounded Xavier on the floor. London won an exchange of blows but Xavier caught him and gave him a unique flip pumphandle slam in which London landed face first. Xavier then hit his 450 splash for a great near fall. Xavier went for an X breaker but London rolled him up for a heated near fall. Xavier missed a clothesline and London rolled him up for a near fall. Xavier reversed the rollup, pulled London’s tights and pinned him at 19:33 to retain the title. From what I’ve read this was arguably Xavier’s best match to date since becoming ROH champion, and I would not be surprised if that was the case. The circumstances of this match helped out, giving him a chance to play the role of the smug heel champion effectively while still showcasing his talent. His work wasn’t the best, and his character didn’t have tremendous depth, but Xavier carried himself as a fairly credible champion. It didn’t hurt that his opponent was London, someone who could ignite the crowd with his athleticism-filled flurries and comebacks. However, part of the reason that Xavier looked good and wasn’t overshadowed was because of the story, which was that London was exhausted after having worked a grueling classic moments earlier. His psychology and selling weren’t perfect either, but London played his role really well, selling his weakness in *purposely* hitting some of his moves weakly. At the same time though, particularly late in the match, London stole the show with his great moves. The best part of the match was the closing stretch, which was filled with dramatic and believable near falls. The screwjob finish worked better in this instance than most, in that it highlighted Xavier’s heel persona while protecting London. Also, Xavier was the type of champion that most fans loved to hate, partially because many felt he was unworthy of his push in such a talent-filled group. Had Xavier gone over someone like London, a favorite of the fans, cleanly, fans might have been really upset about Xavier’s push in a HHH sort of way. Anyway this was far from a classic, and far from London’s best singles match, but a very good effort with a great final 5 minutes. Most importantly, it was a worthy title match that accomplished its purpose. Whatever the case, London’s greatness reached a new level with his work on this night. ***3/4

4/12/03 Best of 3 Falls: Paul London vs “American Dragon” Brian Danielson

:32 They started with a pretty intense lockup. Dragon won a test of strength but London countered with a headscissors while on his back. Dragon stepped on London’s face before London escaped his grip. London applied a waistlock but Dragon countered with an armbar. Dragon took down London and applied a headscissors. London tried to kick out and bridge up but Dragon held on. London escaped and landed on top of Dragon for a near fall. London countered a backslide but Dragon chopped him. Dragon slapped London and offered a handshake but pulled his hand back when London offered. Dragon applied a hammerlock but London escaped by reaching the ropes. London gave Dragon an armwringer and a wristlock. London went to use the ropes on Dragon’s arm but Dragon countered and dropkicked his arm in the ropes. Dragon gave London a drop toehold and a chinlock. London countered a front chancery but Dragon applied a neck vice and snapmared him. Dragon maintained the neck vice on the mat but London countered with a full nelson. Dragon escaped by reaching the ropes. London headlocked Dragon and took him down to the mat. Dragon gained a one count by turning London over. London tackled Dragon and went back to the headlock. London flipped off the ropes and took Dragon down with the headlock. London gained a couple near falls and flipped off the ropes with another headlock takedown. Dragon escaped and applied a headscissors. London escaped and chopped Dragon but Dragon kicked at his face a couple times. London headlocked Dragon but Dragon escaped and applied a headlock of his own. Dragon tackled London but London did a kip-up. London gave Dragon an overhead belly to belly suplex for a near fall and went back to the headlock. London took down Dragon with the headlock and gained a near fall. London flipped off the ropes but this time Dragon held on and gave him a backbreaker. Dragon stomped London and chopped him. Dragon won an exchange of blows with a headbutt and stomped London. Dragon gave London a double axhandle (the old Polish hammer!) for a near fall and applied a kneeling abdominal stretch on the mat. Dragon landed some open hand strikes while maintaining the hold and gained a near fall. London tried to fight back but Dragon kicked and headbutted him. Dragon landed a brutal European uppercut and rolled up London for a near fall. They traded chops but London scored with a sharp elbow and kicked Dragon. Dragon responded with a yakuza kick and back suplexed London for a near fall. Dragon kicked London and went for an abdominal stretch, which he applied after London tried to block it. London repeatedly elbowed Dragon’s leg to escape (nice counter) but Dragon headbutted him. London tried to fight back but Dragon headbutted him again. Dragon gave a charging London a knee to the gut for a near fall. London tried to fight back again but Dragon landed a European uppercut and London fell through the ropes. After quite a struggle Dragon suplexed London back into the ring for a near fall. Dragon whipped London into the corner but ran into a boot twice. London landed a couple punches and clotheslined Dragon hard. London gave Dragon a couple kneelifts. London jumped to the second rope, flew off, Dragon ducked knowing London was going for his springboard elbow, but London instead sunset flipped him for a near fall. Dragon grabbed London’s legs and catapulted him into and over the top rope. London held on, flipped up and sent Dragon over the top rope to the floor with a headscissors. London jumped off the second rope and tagged Dragon on the apron with a brutally sharp enzuguiri. Dragon countered a back suplex into the ring but London countered a dragon suplex. London went for a rollup but Dragon ducked down and London crashed to the floor. Dragon then hit a top suicida on London. Back in the ring Dragon snap suplexed London and hit a top rope headbutt 2/3 of the way across the ring for a near fall. London countered a roaring elbow with a backslide for a near fall. Dragon rolled up London for a near fall. Dragon whipped London into the corner but ran into a boot and London gave him a second rope spin kick. London did a headlock rollup of Dragon for a near fall. Dragon caught London on the top rope. London countered a dragon suplex but Dragon dropped his grip and German suplexed London for a great near fall. Dragon placed London on the top rope but London landed some punches. Dragon held on and went for a top rope back superplex but London fell on top of him for the pin to win the first fall at 20:31. London offered a handshake, Dragon accepted but then pelted London with chops. London responded with elbows and punches. They did a criss cross and London gave Dragon a running forearm. Dragon blocked a superkick but missed a roaring elbow. London grazed Dragon with a superkick but caught him better with a roundhouse kick. Dragon caught London on the top rope but London countered a back superplex with elbows. London knocked Dragon to the mat with a headbutt. Dragon got back up but London landed more elbows and headbutts. Dragon crotched London on the top rope with a dropkick to his knee and London ended up upside down in the corner. Dragon repeatedly kicked London’s knee and pounded him. London tried to fight back but Dragon kicked him. Dragon gave London a kneebreaker into the top turnbuckle and dumped him to the floor. Dragon headbutted London and chopped him twice. Dragon pounded London but missed an elbow and London German suplexed him. London then showed his anger as he pelted Dragon with punches. Dragon left the ring but London followed him to the floor and continued to attack him. London missed an enzuguiri and Dragon gave him a dragon screw. Dragon then applied a half crab and pulled London away from the ropes. Dragon then kneeled on London’s face while maintaining the half crab and London submitted to end the second fall at 5:54. Dragon went after London but London gave him an enzuguiri. Dragon went after London’s weakened left leg but London countered with some kicks using his free leg. Dragon went after London’s leg again but London again tagged him with brutal kicks to the face. London rolled up Dragon for a near fall. Dragon scored with a couple European uppercuts but London countered a slam and kicked him. London DDTd Dragon for a near fall. London went for a slam but couldn’t pick him up because of his injured leg. London gained a near fall. They had an exchange of stiff elbows, London missed a clothesline and Dragon flattened him with a roaring elbow for a near fall. Dragon applied the cattle mutilation but London quickly reached the ropes. Dragon gave London a running elbow but London countered a dragon suplex with a rollup for a near fall. They traded slaps and London got the better of Dragon for a near fall. Dragon gave London a couple enzuguiris. London missed a clothesline and Dragon gave him a sharp dragon suplex for a near fall. Dragon then applied a half crab on London but London reached the ropes this time. Dragon landed some chops, punches and headbutts in the corner but London caught him and gave him a cool captured powerbomb (cradling his neck). Dragon caught London on the top rope and dumped him to the apron. Dragon placed London on the top rope and pounded him viciously. Dragon gave London a top rope back superplex for a great near fall. Dragon applied a half crab on London as heat mounted. London struggled to reach the ropes but Dragon pulled him back to the middle of the ring. Dragon then kneeled on London’s head while maintaining the half crab. London finally reached the ropes after a dramatic struggle. Dragon gained a near fall and placed London on the top rope. Dragon went for a back superplex to the floor but London countered with elbows and headbutts. London knocked Dragon to the mat but Dragon went after him again. London countered a superplex and pounded Dragon on the top rope. London landed a bunch of headbutts and gave him a tornado DDT with Dragon falling off the second rope to the mat. London slowly went to the top rope as Dragon tried to get up, and gave him a shooting star press for the pin to win the third fall at 11:16 and the match. Probably the closest thing to a flawless match London has ever been in, and Dragon has to be given much credit for that as the style and flow of this match catered to his strengths. If you saw their 12/7/02 match, then you saw a near-perfect preview to what this match turned out to be. However, this was definitely the better match, easily the best of London’s career and one of Dragon’s best efforts as well. The slow pacing and relative simplicity of their work compared to the spotfest these two could easily revert to if they wanted might turn off some fans expecting a greater number of shocking spots. London isn’t nearly as interesting on the mat (although in some ways simpler does equate to better than) as someone like Low Ki and thus I found the matwork here to be much less enthralling as the Ki-Dragon classic from 3/30/02. However, these two told a much more effective story and probably did some of the best storytelling you’ll ever see in this country. Of course this wasn’t as great, but to a great extent this reminded me of the Misawa-Jumbo matches from 1990. The first one saw the athletic and severe underdog Misawa pull off a huge upset against the confident and controlling veteran. In their rematch, Misawa continued to dazzle Jumbo with his athleticism and speed, Jumbo responded with great understated yet brutal fits of anger, only for Misawa to respond with great intensity so as to show that Jumbo didn’t have his number. Dragon here flipped off London early and after London gained the first fall, he unleashed on London with a barrage of stiff blows. Later on, London fought back and showed some intensity of his own not usually seen from him. London was the athletic underdog but new star Misawa, while Dragon played Jumbo’s role of the dominant veteran even though he really isn’t a veteran at age 22 or 23 or so. Where this match falls short of Misawa-Jumbo is in the execution of all this storytelling. Dragon and London did execute their story quite well, but lacked the sense of momentum and drama that most All Japan classics would sustain. Fans were quiet during this match fairly often, although their chants for both men (simultaneously too) made for quite an atmosphere. From what I’ve seen this ranks below Ki-Dragon 3/30/02, but no other ROH match reaches the greatness of this one. Easily one of the top 10 matches of 2003, maybe even in the top 5. Whether it be a dramatic wrestling match like this one or a breathtaking spotfest like the street fight and 3-way matches covered in this article, Paul London may never be able to fully showcase the full extent of his talent anywhere outside ROH, much less the WWE. A high-end ****1/2

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