ROH 08/16/2008

El Generico def. Tyler Black in 14:31

The first detail that immediately stands out is that this match was seventeen years ago, and both of these guys are still so incredibly good. If you’ve never witnessed Generico in Ring of Honor, you are missing an essential chapter; it’s not simply the quality of his in-ring performance but the depth to which the audience profoundly fucking loves him. Black, only four years into his career compared to Generico’s six, selectively engaged the crowd, a stark contrast to the near-constant theatrics he now employs as Seth Rollins. It took a while to get that part down.

When Black transitioned to getting the heat on Generico, the match entered a slight lull amid an otherwise fantastic bout. Black did target the neck, though it often felt as if the broadcast announcers were more effective at selling that story to the home audience than Black was at executing it for the live crowd. The action inevitably intensified into a collage of major moves and nearfalls (like every match does now), which the audience absorbed the same way they generally do today.

A rough moment occurred during a top-rope hurricanrana attempt by Black, where the execution was flawed enough to be obvious; Generico, thankfully, just managed to avoid a dangerous landing on his head. The crowd, however, remained utterly unconcerned, continuing to go absolutely wild. Unfortunately for Black, he executed the Phoenix Splash with the same low pinfall success rate that plagues Seth Rollins in WWE—a signature move with a success ratio comparable to Wile E. Coyote’s endeavors.

Generico won, hitting the Mafia Kick (Helluva Kick) and a Brainbuster for the win in 14:31. This was a genuinely fun watch, capturing two future legends in ascent. Generico/Sami Zayn’s consistent ability to connect with audiences under multiple gimmicks and across various promotions makes him one of the best pure babyfaces in the history of the business, a fact that perhaps deserves more frequent mention and praise. ***3/4