Champion was a band that started out amongst five friends wanting to play traditional hardcore and play some shows. The result was a band that defined straight edge hardcore in the new millennium and lead the way for bands like Comeback Kid and Have Heart to have a place in today's modern hardcore scene.

After an EP on Phyte records, Champion and Bridge Nine teamed up for the Count Our Numbers EP, Time Slips Away, and their lone LP Promises Kept. After seven years of crossing the globe with Sick Of It All, Slapshot, Comeback Kid, 7 Seconds, Terror, and many more, Champion decided to call it a day. Their final show in May 2006 was captured on the DVD/CD set Different Directions:The Last Show and not only does it capture the last time Champion took the stage in their hometown, but it is the definitive live hardcore performance by one of the best hardcore bands in our lifetime.