Two matches from SummerSlam, two from ROH tapings I attended and one from ROH on HDNet that I saw post-production. Here's wave four of my favorite matches from 2009:
8/23, WWE Intercontinental Championship Match from SummerSlam
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
The six-man match mentioned on the previous wave of matches was just a taste of what Mysterio and Ziggler would do on their own. This match jerked the curtain, and they picked a hell of a match to do it. While the rest of the PPV would wow and amaze for various reasons (most of them good), the opener set the tone, especially with the amazing counter spot with Ziggler catching a Mysterio plancha with a dropkick of his own.
8/23, from WWE SummerSlam
Degeneration X (Triple H, Shawn Michaels) vs. Legacy (Ted DiBiase, Jr., Cody Rhodes)
Many people were skeptical about this match because of DX's track record for not putting people over. I was in that boat, but even with them going over, they made Legacy look like a million bucks in the process.
9/10, from ROH on HDNet television tapings
Kevin Steen and El Generico vs. the Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno, Player Dos)
Steen and Generico were in the midst of their program with the American Wolves which would culminate in them failing to regain the Tag belts despite Eddie Edwards breaking his arm the night before. The SSB were spot appearance guys for ROH, and Player Dos was for some reason unmasked. Anyhoo, the Smashers repped with the incredible double-team moves, and while Generico and Steen didn't really do much in the way of teamwork (foreshadowing for Steen's turn?), they still were stellar when on offense and in the selling department. Very fun, very good match. The SSB proved they were game with one of the best tag teams in all ROH.
9/10, from ROH on HDNet television tapings
The American Wolves (Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards) vs. Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong
This was part of the Danielson farewell tour and the beginning of my "heckle the shit out of the American Wolves" tour. Needless to say, a good time was had by all watching this affair. Danielson was amazing, and the memories of this match have been all I've had for the Dragon. The wait for him to debut on WWE TV has been unbearable.
10/12 (airdate), from ROH on HDNet
Chris Hero vs. KENTA
You can see the match here, a very stiff Japanese-style match based on strikes with some big moves mixed in. Hero plays a very good foil for KENTA. I could have done without Eddie Kingston's run-in at the end, but hey, matches with more egregious finishers have made this list.
The final five all take place in the month of November and mostly come at the end of the month near Survivor Series, the RAW on the night after and Open the Freedom Gate.
