Forever Forward Friday

AR Fox VS Arik Cannon - Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising 3/31/2012

CJD: You picked Cannon for Forever Forward Fridays as an indy lifer who's helped build the scene over his career. And I dove deep into some of that indy indy material to try to find my match in response. But at the end of the day I couldn't find anything that popped quite like this so instead I'm going to go back to the well of another former MDTSOCWWKD Champion in AR Fox. Cannon makes sense to me as an indy lifer, Fox is kind of a curious case in what an indy guy he's been (outside of Lucha Underground). He seemed poised to break out big around the time of this match. I've been surprised going back to DGUSA how well it's aged. I think if the promotion had started 3-5 years later it'd still be going strong. This match is part of a bigger feud between DUF and Sabu, Fox, and I think maybe Jon Davis too, and that stuff comes into play. But the main thing that sticks out to me is what a tight veteran VS rising star dynamic these two have. I'd love to see more from the two of them, but I guess that's the gift and the curse of being married to the indies. You're always left with a little mystique of "what if?"

JJZ: So I remember being at a DGUSA/Evolve show that had an angle during this feud. DUF was tapping beer bottles together and I remember Sami cutting a great promo. I always wanted to see more but never dove in. SO! This is a welcome treat. I think your comments are spot fucking on about this match. I can't believe Fox didn't get seriously hurt on that 450 to the outside. This match tells a great story in a short amount of time. They have the crowd on the edge of their seats by the end and I found myself saying "oh shit!" out loud a few times. Cannon is someone who I'm really falling in love with for our Friday title run. His ability to get himself and his opponents over at the same time is a true skill. Great match my friend.