This review was commissioned by Xpert over on my Ko-fi account.
The brilliance of the Joe/Punk trilogy from 2004 is not just each match building on the themes of the last, but introducing entirely new questions that reshape the dynamic of each encounter. In a lot of ways, this isn’t just down to how talented both men are, but also to how in sync and purposeful Ring of Honor’s booking that year was. This isn’t just the product of two men’s immense ability being showcased, but also a realization of the consistent forward-moving momentum that ROH created in that time.
The booking that surrounds this match informs so much of what makes it great between the bells. As we all know, by this time, Punk has already taken Joe to two broadways. However, through the series, it’s also been well established that Joe has a much deeper gas tank than once thought and that this longer matches are no guarantee of success. Between the Danielson defense at Midnight Express Reunion and then Joe vs. Punk II, it’s become clear that Joe’s ferocity doesn’t dim with extended runtimes. Punk himself only barely escaped a potential pinfall loss in Chicago when he was saved by the bell.
Even more significant to the series is Punk’s babyface turn. In July, Punk saved Ricky Steamboat from an attack by Generation Next, cementing him as one of our heroes. It’s a brilliant choice booking-wise as Punk had spent much of the first half of the year griping about Steamboat’s stringent refereeing choices.
Fittingly, this match takes place in the same venue that Punk turned babyface. As an added reminder for the New Jersey crowd, Ricky Steamboat comes out before the match to inform everybody he’ll be watching at ringside. It’s worth noting that New Jersey isn’t all the way with Punk quite yet here. When the bell rings, they’re still solidly behind Joe with only a smattering of Punk supporters in the crowd.
The first act plays out as a red herring.
In it, we get the continuation of the strategy this trilogy has been built on. Punk wants to get the headlock in, but this time Joe is slipperier than ever. Joe anticipates the early attempts, and really forces Punk to earn that headlock. When Punk cinches it in, he actually works the thing much better than he had in Dayton, really cranking on the hold and adding further flavor to the segment by peppering in some dropkicks to the back of the neck as well. Here we see a potential path to victory for Punk—utilizing the headlock not just to control the tempo but actually create a target on Joe’s body. On top of that, Punk seems to have toughened up with the attitude change as well. He’s standing and trading with Joe instead of covering up for a rope-a-dope, and he’s even able to get in shots strong enough to knock Joe down. With the added viciousness, and a clearer focus that doesn’t see Punk switch to a limb instead, it’s perfectly reasonable to imagine Punk finally putting all the puzzle pieces together and taking the belt.
The beauty of this third match comes from changing the question entirely.
Punk’s valiance costs him. In choosing to strike with Joe, he opens himself up to the fact that Joe’s just much better at that than he is. Joe gets knocked down early, but he comes back with a vengeance and nails a gruesome kick to the face that ends up busting open Punk. Once the blood starts flowing, the whole match changes for Punk. It’s no longer about stringing together the perfect strategy, now it’s fully a matter of survival.
If we’re being honest, that same question gets asked at the end of the Chicago match. In that bout, Punk’s all about gutting it out to endure Joe’s massive bombs and last the full hour. It’s a matter of heart by the end of the second match, and how much that can drive Punk forward. This time around though, there’s a much more urgent ticking clock on Punk’s survival. What good is a strong heart when every beat drives the blood from your body?
Punk’s blood loss selling goes so much deeper than just spaghetti-legged wobbling too. As good as he is at conveying the immediate physical effects of the blood loss, what’s so much more impressive is how it affects his overall approach to the match. Note his means of fighting back in the brief hope spots he gets during Joe’s control segment. It’s no longer about evasion and dodging Joe, not even about technique and the right leverage, it’s all just fighting his way through—punching and kicking, scratching and clawing. The wound takes Punk to a much more primal level of combat, one where all his best laid plans get blown to the winds.
Beyond just how mechanically brilliant the last two acts of this match are, there’s such a strong emotional thread running through it as well. This comes through with Punk’s desperate attempts at survival, but it goes even further thanks to Ricky Steamboat.
Steamboat’s contribution is far from just his appearance here as well. Punk and Joe have spoken in detail about how important Steamboat was to constructing the final moments of the match. In fact, all the best and most enduring pieces of the finish seem to be directly attributed to Steamboat. First is the Choke false finish. It’s a perfect move for Joe to try to just choke Punk out given that he’s already leaking blood. Here, they combine not just a wonderful problem/solution structure to it but also put a lovely epilogue on the entire Punk/Steamboat saga. As Todd Sinclair checks if Punk’s hand will fall three times in the Choke, Steamboat’s the one at ringside that spots Punk’s fingers still moving. It is a direct reflection of Steamboat making the exact same call against Punk in a Pure Title earlier in the year. In this way, the spark that started the Steamboat/Punk feud similarly saves Punk here.
Afterwards, there’s even a flash of Punk’s strategic mind coming back to the fore. After escaping the Choke—something that Joe really makes him earn, Punk has to approach it in steps—Punk goes for a series of flash pinfalls in attempt to put Joe down. As we know from the rest of 2004, flash pinfalls are a notable weakness for Joe and maybe with just a little more groundwork here, Punk could have made it work.
Immediately after too, there’s accidental foreshadowing for where the series will go decades later. Punk has Joe at the top rope and bites at him to get the advantage back. Unlike at Wembley though, Punk does not go for his best shot with the Pepsi Plunge, and tries for a powerbomb instead. Joe counters with a rana that’s just amazing to behold and one of the most vicious lariats one’s bound to see on this side of the world. It’s not much longer for Punk after that.
Astonishing piece of work here. Structurally, airtight, if perhaps not quite as mechanically pristine as the second bout. Something also gets lost with the New Jersey crowd not being with Punk in the same way Chicago was. While we get the joy of seeing Punk win them over as babyface through his performance here, the crowd’s early disconnect with Punk zaps some of the energy from the headlock strategy to start. Whereas Chicago rapturously received each new headlock, New Jersey seems to merely tolerate them with a similar patience that Dayton did earlier in the year. It’s only really when the blood starts flowing and this becomes a much more emotional affair that the crowd comes along. It’s that one hitch of setting, place and time, something that is intrinsically tied in with Punk’s work that keeps this from perfection.
As it stands though, a staggering feat. A reminder of the synergy between talent, veteran guidance, and pure promotional power. As close to perfection as one can get without achieving it.
IS IT BETTER THAN 6/3/94? Funnily enough, they have similar issues. Both have weaker acts in their overall structures, with 6/3/94 suffering in the second, and this suffering in the first. That said, the action here overall feels like it’s far more purposeful. It takes a much more interesting approach to the idea of building on past matches, by foregoing incremental for an entirely new dynamic instead. At the end of the day, it’s that extra spark of creativity that makes this feel so much richer and alive compared to the King’s Road classic.
Rating: ****3/4
