Ring of Honor – three words that became synonymous with the independent wrestling boom of the early to mid 2000s that saw the rise of not only future wrestling superstars, but also the changing of pro wrestling’s very in-ring dynamic presentation. Using monthly issues of “Pro Wrestling Illustrated”, various websites usually connected to angelfire.com, and the trading of VHS tapes, I became familiar with names such as “Reckless Youth”, “The Fallen Angel”, Cheetah Master, and Trent Acid just to name a few.
Ring of Honor was meant to be a true showcase for all the budding or solidified indie wrestling talent. Instead, ROH turned into one of the premiere wrestling organizations in North America by capitalizing on the fall of wrestling’s “Attitude Era” with a product more similar to mixed martial arts than Extreme Championship Wrestling. Being a fan of ROH since its inception in February 2002, I’ve witnessed a majority of the company’s moments both significant and less-so live or through video. And just like any wrestling promotion, there have been decisions made and circumstances play out leaving this ROHbot wondering, “What if…?”
Today I ask: “What if Christopher Daniels became the second ROH champion instead of Xavier?”
What Really Happened?
Ring of Honor’s beginnings were nothing short of humble with the RF Video-produced promotion having its wrestlers perform inside the Murphy Rec Center in the heart of Philadelphia, PA. While the event’s biggest draw was none other than future WWE champion & Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero in action against former ECW star Super Crazy, booker Gabe Sapolsky made the smartest decision in regards to the company’s future by having a Triple Threat match headline the show featuring Low Ki (a hybrid, strong-style wrestler whose stature was overcome by his incredible striking prowess), Christopher Daniels (the aforementioned “Fallen Angel” who had become one of the faces of indie wrestling during this period mostly thanks to his crisp ring work & maneuvers including a triple jump moonsault dubbed “The Best Moonsault Ever”) and American Dragon (a remarkable grappler who would adopt his real name of “Bryan Danielson” before becoming one of the biggest wrestling stars of his generation).
Their thrilling encounter set the standard for all ROH main events going forward while also establishing Daniels as the company’s first villain when he refused to follow the Code of Honor – a mandate built on the act of opponents shaking hands before & after a match in a show of respect similar to MMA or boxing fights.
One event later – “Round Robin Challenge” – Daniels found himself sharing a ring with Low Ki once again; succumbing to a second overall loss via Ki’s Dragon Clutch submission. Daniels made it known he’d never fight Low Ki again in ROH until it was for the ROH Championship. Four months would pass before Ki and Daniels competed in the inaugural ROH Championship match alongside Spanky (Brian Kendrick) and Doug Williams. This historic match was contested under “Ironman” rules – the person with the most points via pins or submissions in sixty minutes would be declared the victor – inside a building with temperatures reaching 110 degrees.
Unfortunately for Daniels, it was Ki gaining the one point advantage by attaining a pin and a submission even though “The Fallen Angel” did pin Ki to attain the match’s first overall point. Rather than call for a singles title match with the new champion, Daniels focused on becoming one-half of the first ROH Tag Team champions alongside Donovan Morgan after they formed “The Prophecy” faction – a group built on the idea of the Code of Honor being a lie & a joke. Ki was only two months into his ROH title reign when he faced indie upstart Xavier. What should’ve been a pretty easy night at the office for the champ proved anything but as The Prophecy assaulted Ki alongside Xavier. This dishonorable attack allowed for the challenger to pin Ki in one of the most unexpected moments in ROH history; becoming the second ROH champion in the process.
What if…?
The stage was set for ROH to provide its growing fan base with its first well-built, highly-promoted main event storyline featuring the polar opposites of Honor finally clashing for the ROH Championship. Considering the stipulation Daniels set for himself in regards to only wrestling Low Ki with the ROH title on the line, ROH could have easily slow burned their way to a title match. After Ki made his way through Xavier at “Unscripted” in September 2002, the story of Daniels hiring Samoa Joe as an “assassin” to take out Low Ki in the company’s first “Fight Without Honor” (a match not requiring the following of the Code of Honor with the overall rules being lax in nature including the allowed usage of weapons) could remain the same; as well as the main event six-man tag that saw Samoa Joe overcome Homicide (who was partnered with Ki & Doug Williams) alongside Daniels & Morgan the following month.
With another story being run during this time focusing on AJ Styles’ superiority over Daniels – having defeated him in a number-one contender match in November – ROH already had an out for Daniels to drop the Tag title to eventual title conquerors Styles & The Amazing Red; a moment that would’ve perfectly capped off the inaugural “Final Battle” instead of the forty-five minute draw where Low Ki, Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson and Steve Corino all failed to become the next title challenger. During ROH’s first event of 2003, “Revenge on the Prophecy”, Daniels & Xavier would now win their No Holds Barred fight against Low Ki & AJ Styles; making Daniels the top contender in the process just in time for ROH’s “One Year Anniversary” event. For the first time in nearly a year, Ki vs. Daniels would headline ROH’s biggest event to date with Daniels pinning Ki clean to win and become the second ROH champion.
Remain or Change?
Interestingly enough, the best answer to this question has nothing to do with Christopher Daniels, but the man he hired to overcome his foe. Following ROH’s first anniversary show, Samoa Joe earned his first shot at the ROH title. Joe, who had been butting heads with Daniels as of late, gladly fought Xavier; ending his reign while becoming the company’s third singles champion. Joe’s ROH title reign not only established him as a main event talent, its length became historic in modern wrestling by lasting twenty-one months. During Joe’s reign, ROH gained a great deal of spotlight thanks to his thrilling title defenses including a trio of bouts against CM Punk in 2004.
Considering the fact ROH was establishing itself for having championships that weren’t being passed around like hot potatoes as was the style during this era, Daniels winning at “One Year Anniversary Show” would’ve probably delayed Joe’s title win; if not put it out of the question entirely. Without Joe as ROH’s face during its formative years it’s hard to imagine how well ROH would’ve flourished in the eyes of hardcore wrestling fans as Low Ki’s international commitments started taking precedent, Daniels & AJ Styles were becoming more focused on working for NWA Total Nonstop Action, and the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Homicide and Paul London weren’t ready for that position or were on their way out of the door (or both). Daniels would eventually win the ROH World title in 2017 by defeating Adam Cole following a fantastic build topped by a phenomenal match. In the end, keeping history in tact would be for the best in regards to the early success and long-term health of ROH.
