Shane Taylor has some dream opponents he’d like to stand across from in Ring of Honor.
Ring of Honor’s Shane Taylor recently sat down with Dr. Chris Featherstone for Sportskeeda. When asked who he’d like to step into the ring with that he hasn’t faced before, he names current Television Champion Samoa Joe.
“It’s so hard to say that because I’ve got a lot of time left in this sport. Anything can happen. If I had to just go off the top of my head of who I haven’t faced, number one is Samoa Joe,” Shane Taylor said. “Stylistically, I feel like I’ve always been… my run with the [ROH] TV Title is similar to his run with the world title.
“He’s held it much longer, but there’s something about going to battle with someone who’s not out here trying to be the best catch as catch can, technical, five-star wrestler. You have guys that do that. I’m here to square up and punch you in the face. To see who’s really about that life, who’s really gonna stand there and go toe to toe and fire those things off.
“When you look at Joe, when you watch what he does. He’s got such a mix of every kind of style. But when you really see him at his best, it’s when people push him to do that. When they bring that savage Joe out, Joey Head-Rocker, that guy, that’s the guy that I want to fight. So Joe would be up there.”
Who Hits Hardest?
Taylor also named Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness as a few ROH alums he’d be eager to face off with.
“[Bryan] Danielson’s another one, but for the opposite reason. It’s because styles make fights, and it’d be very interesting,” Shane Taylor said. “You’d get that ultimate striker versus grappler matchup that everybody likes to see, who can sort of impose their will on their opponent and make them fight their game plan.
“Another guy that I always wanted to be in the ring with but never got the chance to was Nigel. Nigel was one of the hardest hitters in Ring of Honor. I actually got to watch Nigel versus Ray in Cleveland. It absolutely lived up to the expectation. It’s funny because I’ve gotten to watch so many of my friends do awesome things, and I’ve always been one step behind them. I’ve accomplished a lot of the same things, but it’s always been one step behind.
“So I think Nigel in his prime versus Shane Taylor in his prime, who is the hardest hitter? Who’s the best striker? Who’s got the better lariat? Who can really bring that dog out? That’s something that I would have wanted.”
Outside of Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling, Taylor would love a match with Minoru Suzuki.
“Before he’s retired, I don’t care if it’s in the States, I don’t care if it’s in Japan, but I want Minoru Suzuki,” Shane Taylor said. “When you look at someone like that who, over the last two-three decades, has just instilled fear in people, you want to test yourself against people like that. You want to see just where you measure up on that totem pole, so he would be another one that I would absolutely enjoy to have in that one-on-one fight.”
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