Race for the Ace

Meet the contestants...

KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji (c) VS SUWA/Ricky Marvin- NOAH GHC Jr Tag Championship 10/2004
This little gem of a match was tragically overlooked by the audience when it was played due to some unruly miscreants in attendance that night. A combination of some of the best junior heavyweights in the world; this title bout lives up to all expectations. SUWA not surprisingly brings his best heel tactics to the table and does his best to get young Ricky Marvin to join in his nefarious ways. What results is a fast paced high stakes battle with some jaw dropping maneuvers.

Terry Funk VS Sabu- ECW Barbed Wire Match 08/1997
The classic Born to be Wired match is certainly a darkhouse candidate coming into the Race for the Ace. The only out and out deathmatch in the tournament; it is considered by many to be an all time great among deathmatches. No matter if it's rough around the edges, the brutality and violence between these warriors is enough to beat out any given match it goes up against.

Samoa Joe (c) VS Paul London- ROH World Championship 07/2003
Some critics are calling Paul London's last match in ROH the sleeper pick to win the tournament. Considering it drew possibly the least desirable first round opponent, it's no surprise many don't see this bout making it to the Semi-Finals, let alone the Finals. It does have a few variables working in its favor though. It's a classic David VS Goliath matchup that is without peer in the tournament in that regard. It features two of the premier wrestlers on the independent scene at the time battling for the most important title on the indies. And it's the last great singles match from WresNight favorite Paul London before signing with WWE. Could all of these factors add together to equal a huge upset in the first round?

Kenta Kobashi (c) VS Yoshihiro Takayama- NOAH GHC Championship 04/2004
Not much needs to be said for this match. First of all, it features the most dominant competitor in Ace competition of all time in Kenta Kobashi. Second, it's one of his best title matches during one of the greatest title reigns in wrestling history. And third, the challenger is the monster known as Yoshihiro Takayama, a man who is criminally underused in Ace competition. It is going to take a hell of a match to knock this tractor trailer off the Road to Redemption.

Mitsuharu Misawa/Yoshinari Ogawa (c) VS KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji- NOAH GHC Tag Championship 04/2004
Dubbed the "Old Lions VS Young Lions" match by some WresNight regulars; this tag title match is a quintessential battle between the old guard and the new. KENTA and Marufuji give their all in an attempt to break through the barrier between the junior heavyweight to the heavyweight division and into the main event, much like Misawa and company had to a little over a decade prior. Will they be successful? And even then, will the match be successful in breaking through the barrier between the quarter and semi-finals in the Race for the Ace? Only time will tell.

Homicide VS Colt Cabana- ROH 02/2006
This anything-goes streetfight is perhaps the biggest underdog of the first round. It's going up against one of the favorites to go deep in the Race, and it's one of the more unorthodox competitors in its style. Despite this, it was hand picked by one vocal committee member as one of the finest examples of why the Race for the Ace was necessary; to give some of these great under appreciated matches a second chance. There's certainly no lack of hate between Homicide and Colt Cabana in this violent encounter, and there's a fair share of brutality to go along with it. Will the unique feel of this chapter of Cabana and Homicide's heated feud be enough to fuel it into the semi-finals?

"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson (c) VS Colt Cabana- ROH World Championship 06/2006
While this ROH World Title bout is perhaps the least talked about contestant in the Road to Redemption, it could surprise quite a few of the competitors. The match features the big fight feel that Danielson captured so well during his title reign, along with a gutsy performance from hometown hero Colt Cabana. It's at times the most light hearted of the matches in the Race, but at other times one of the most dramatic. Originally overlooked when not played as an Ace, is this fine piece of pro wrestling being overlooked once again despite qualifying for the Race? It certainly has its work cut out for it against one of the tournament favorites, but on the Road to Redemption it only takes a split second to put your opponent in your rear view window.

Ryo Saito/Dragon Kid/Genki Horiguchi (c) VS CIMA/Don Fuji/Naruki Doi- Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Championship 07/2005
Of all the participants in the Road to Redemption, this action packed six man tag is one of the biggest fan favorites. There was no doubt judging from the audience's reaction after it initially aired at WresNight that this match deserved better than to just sit idly by on the undercard. Instead of leaving its wheels spinning in neutral, the championship tag now has a chance to change gears and put the pedal to the metal. With a feud as heated and a pace as fast as any competitor in the Race for the Ace, blink and you just might miss this bout as it speeds towards the finish line!