Forever Forward Fridays

Brodie Lee/Delirious VS Kenny King/Rhett Titus - ROH 11/8/2008

JJZ: Man I miss Brodie Lee. Really loved this dynamic of Delirous and Brodie. You get a taste of both sides of crazy. Kenny King and Rhett were always a good tag team. Seeing the beginning matches of a tag team is kinda like listening to the first album of a band. You get some good things, you can tell they are reaching for a few things, but you can see the potential. Good back and forth and a solid build to a hot tag. Nothing overly fancy just a solid match.

CJD: I was really impressed with the chemistry of both teams in this one. Like you said this was basic, but it still accomplished a lot. It built the Delirious/Rhett feud first and foremost. It established the soon to be All-Night Express as an emerging team. And it kept Brodie looking very protected while showing flashes that King could hang on his level. I liked the seeds they were planting here, and for a match that didn't try to do a ton, it was still very efficient in what they did. Even more than an early album I'd say this was a demo tape with a ton of potential. But great comparison!

Why Does Trust Equal Suffering?

Brodie Lee/Jimmy Jacobs VS Tyler Black/Necro Butcher - ROH Falls Count Anywhere 3/20/2009

CJD: I wasn't planning on staying in ROH but they shared some great stuff from Brodie's short run there after his passing so fuck it. Let's keep digging in the crates of these less than stellar years of ROHistory. This is one of those "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" feud mash ups and I don't know if it's the IWAMS connection or the ex-AOTF storyline but something about the Necro/Black team really works for me. ROH has had tons of these popcorn brawls over the years and this might not be one for the ages but they do make the most of the opportunity. There's a lot in here for a crowd brawling, not super heated, just all over the place mindless fun falls count anywhere match. Wish I could punch that one nasally fan in the throat heckling Jacobs. Brodie Lee is once again a beast in this match, they probably should have built to him and Necro for a long while but I remember they just went straight into it with those two. Tough spot for Lee to be in right off the bat and man he looks great. They do a good job of keeping the action in and out of the ring to play up the stip. I don't know if I'm just a sucker for this type of match done well but I was really enjoying the ride for a match on paper (or on the screen) I initially went right past. The stakes felt important by the end and I felt the disappointment of the losing team. This isn't the chapter of Mr Brodie Lee's career that most people will think of when remembering him but I'm glad to have gotten more familiar with it.

JJZ: Man oh man. Its wild to think that I really stopped watching ROH around this time. This is a dream match to be honest. Black was so raw and full of potential at this time. Jacobs was such a hidden gem for any promotion he worked for. Necro was the golden ticket during these years and Brodie was always stealing the show. This match is a wild free for all that you couldn't take your eyes off. The holy fuck moments were too many to count. This match was chaos but it was definitely an organized chaos. Nothing was wasted and the four wrestlers produced an angry energy that made you feel the hatred between the two teams. Jimmy's mind mixed with Tyler's it factor made magic in the ring. Combine that with Lee and Butcher's daredevil mentality, you got a show stealing match.

It's Tuesday. You Know What That Means.

Jon Moxley (c) VS Brodie Lee - CZW World Heavyweight Championship 1/7/2011

CJD: The reason we started Play It Forward was to help recreate the dialogue of match sharing you and I have had going in person for decades. And if I was sitting next to you right now with a beverage in one hand and a bag of Herr's potato chips in the other you bet your sweet ass we'd be watching a Brodie Lee match in remembrance. And I'd say "I don't know if you remember but back in 2010 I played a match between these guys in EVOLVE for you." And you'd say "fuck your memory is ridiculous I can't remember what I had for lunch last week." And we'd help each other process these emotions of losing such a talented performer, one of "our guys," so young and so unexpectedly. So here's the match I'd play. It has elements of that EVOLVE match but it's for the CZW title so they're catering to that audience. I've seen people say Terry Funk was Brodie's favorite wrestler and it makes sense because the way these guys fight each other reminds me of Funk VS Hansen. But with Moxley playing Brodie's own personal Terry. And that is not a comparison I use lightly. Out of control, violent, when things aren't pretty they seamlessly work it into the psychology of the match. And what a finish!! I could watch these two wrestle each other over and over again. Fuck. I know we'll both be catching up on their AEW match soon enough too. But let's dig back into this lesser known match first. Let's do what we do and remember a great man by all accounts by watching him do what he loved and let's say one final FUCK YOU to 2020 with our last post of the year.

JJZ: Your comments really made me smile because that is exactly what would be happening if it was possible. Our group of wrestling friends would always talk about how much WWE wasted the talents of Brodie during his time there. He had some very bright spots between not being on TV for months at a time. His feud with Dolph, him and Rowan VS the Usos. Most of the Wyatt stuff just to name a few. But he was a monster that we knew should've been a main eventer. I was so happy he got that time in AEW because it showed the wrestling world what we already knew. This match showcased just how impressive he was. His right hand dictated the pace and his offense was mean and brutish. Loved loved loved that this was in the ECW Arena because he would've been an ECW all-timer if wrestled during that era. I really look forward to watching many more Brodie Lee matches with you in the future baby cakes.

CJD: RIP Big Rig. You'll never be forgotten. To quote one of your favorite bands...

"Take a different track, it's time to see what you are made of

Can you expose yourself? Can you peel off another layer?

And will you make the time? The time to take control

Because only you can save yourself, only you can save your soul

Self-inherence, freedom, comes from within

And once you save yourself, insecurities will die

Genuine abilities and true character will shine"

Snapcase "Caboose"