John Jirus

Empire State Showdown was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on October 25, 2003 at the Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport, New York.

Volume One, matches 100-47.

Legendary...for 645 days and through 29 successful title defenses, that is just one of many words that describes the ROH World Title reign of Samoa Joe. Unstoppable...that is what Joe proved to be as he barreled through one challenger after another. Homicide, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Paul London, an d even CM Punk, not one of them were able to stop the onslaught of the man who elevated the ROH Title first into a World Title and then into the most prestigious championship in professional wrestling today. Samoa Joe was a true one man wrecking crew as he demolished his opponents with a mix of brutality and finesse that will likely never be touched by any other warrior.

Ring of Honor began 2003 by entering into new territory and ended it with some of the best wrestlers from Japan gracing the ring, and in-between firmly established ROH as the premier wrestling company on the planet. Whether it be in Strong Style competition or high-flying exhibitions, tag team battles or in championship bouts, Ring of Honor proved itself the home of true no limits wrestling.

2002 marked the birth of something special in professional wrestling, something that took the best wrestlers from across the country ,brought them all into one place, and allowed them to compete to the absolute best of their abilities. That something was Ring of Honor and this is a look at the bouts that started it all!

In 2002, ROH was founded with several precepts in mind: sportsmanship, respect, and, of course, honor. These ideas were expressed in the Code of Honor and that code was embodied by a handshake that preceded and followed each match. Enter Christopher Daniels, the man who declared from day one that he would not follow such a code, that he rejected those ideals, and as he built a Prophecy around him, worked to decimate what the code stood for. Whether he was facing Bryan Danielson & Low Ki in the first ever main event or Samoa Joe in a World Title Challenge, Daniels denied the handshake with every fiber of his being. Yet with a forced absence and battles against the likes of Claudio Castagnoli and CM Punk, things changed...

Phenomenal. That is the one word that has defined AJ Styles wrestling career and, without a doubt, his tenure in Ring of Honor Wrestling. From the day AJ first came to ROH for his debut match against Low Ki, he wowed the fans with his own unique blend of high-flying wrestling and hard-hitting strikes. From 2002 until his temporary departure in 2004, AJ Styles engaged in one spectacular bout after another against opponents the likes of Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson, The Briscoes, not to mention his instant classic agaisnt Paul London at 'Night of the Grudges'. Just as AJ made history by being crowned the first ROH Pure Champion, he was forced to leave Ring of Honor but returned after a year away, better than ever before, to plunge into a heated rivalry with former protege Jimmy Rave.