Column of Honor: 03.29.09 Part Two: Fave Five and Feedback

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 03.29.2009

The defining moments in ROH from 2006, my favorite wrestlers of the week and feedback from a variety of recent columns.



1. Chris Jericho: The man just continues to be on a par above everyone else save maybe for Randy Orton. They guy just oozes "heel" at this point. He beat the piss out of Ric Flair on Monday and made it look easy. Symbolically smashing Flair's "retirement watch" (whether or not that was the actual watch is a different story) was hitting that extra level of evil. I just wish he had the right match for ‘Mania given all of this build—that showdown with Steve Austin that will never come, or second place, a singles match against Ric Flair that also can't and won't happen.
2. Randy Orton: Again, a super bad ass heel doing what is expected of a super bad ass heel. He became almost psychotic in his mannerisms when he drove Stephanie down with a DDT and then flaunted it right in front of Hunter. Its these segments in the ring, with Orton having HHH prone and weak and the McMahons at a disadvantage, that have sold the HHH vs. Orton match more than any over the top backstage chases or wonky "home invasions". Hopefully the trend of the last few weeks doesn't continue and that we don't have a silly segment to finish up the lead into Wrestlemania.
3. Evan Bourne: I downloaded the wrestler pack for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 on the X-Box 260 (yeah took THQ long enough to post it, huh? I'm still waiting on the damned Create-A-Wrestler patch) specifically to play as Evan Bourne. Quite franky—he alone is worth that DLC download. Bourne's moveset is insane and all of his trademarks are in, including his variation of the Shooting Star Press. This also means I can now add the flying knee crush to guys like Marufuji and KENTA!
4. Colt Cabana: I've still got a Colt-45 sized hang over from cheering him on in his ROH return this past weekend. Cabana just has this awesome ability to make me laugh and smile and be happy as a wrestling fan, and ROH certainly needs as much of that as he can provide.
5. Shawn Michaels: I don't know whether he was trying to be The Undertaker or Michael Jackson from "Moonwalker" but damned if the two segments from Raw and Smackdown weren't awesome. Michaels is taking the mind games directly to Taker, and he's obviously having a blast while doing so. Going grave visiting, quoting bible verse and flaunting it right in Taker's grill—THIS is HBK I know and love.


Seven Years of ROH: Defining Moments of 2006

Every week for the next month I'll be presenting some of the most memorable and important moments throughout the past seven years of Ring of Honor history. This isn't meant to be a ranked order, nor can it possibly contain every great moment that happened throughout that year. However, when you think about Ring of Honor for that year, these events certainly come to mind.

Therefore, in no particular order:

1. Dragon Gate Six Man Wows Chicago: Ring of Honor had been introduced to CIMA and SHINGO before Supercard of Honor, but this was a larger chunk of the Dragon Gate roster, doing what they did best: perform in stable vs. stable matches. In this case, they gave a blow away performance, piling awesome moment on top of awesome moment. The fans responded in a fantastic cacophony of cheers and chants as a result. It was the beginning of a three year tradition of show stealing efforts from the DG guys.

2. Claudio Castagnoli betrays Ring of Honor: Chris Hero and Necro Butcher were leading the Combat Zone Wrestling invasion of ROH in the early part of 2006. Hero wanted his friend and partner in the Kings of Wrestling tag team, Claudio Castagnoli, to join him in this invasion. However, Claudio had already set roots down in ROH and refused to betray this company that gave him a terrific opportunity…or so everyone thought. On the 100th Show, it was Team ROH versus Team CZW, with Claudio fighting for ROH. That is, until he betrayed his team, showing his true allegiance and providing CZW with a huge win in this war that took center stage for the first half of 2006.

3. Cage of Death & Aftermath: The ROH vs. CZW feud came to a violent and furious end when a Wargames style "Cage of Death" was waged between ROH and CZW. It was held in the stronghold of both promotions, Philadelphia, PA in front of a hot crowd split between ROH and CZW supporters. The match was quite brilliantly set up to spotlight the members of each team during the match. You had several key moments of drama involving who was on who's side, Dragon wiping out Joe, the announcement of Eddie Kingston as a surprise partner for Hero's team and of course the revelation that Homicide would indeed be helping ROH to victory. One more defining moment came after the match, when Cornette rejected Homicide's third wish and both he and Adam Pearce took him out, locking him in the cage and whupping him like crazy. That moment led to the next six months worth of storylines and Cornette's undoing as Commissioner of ROH.

4. Homicide and Colt Cabana end their war: After a brutal, bloody and ultra-violent tango in Chicago, Colt Cabana finally won a match against "The Notorious 187" in their several months-long feud. It took tables, ladders, barbed wire, coat hangers and bleach to do it, but it finally came down to a Colt 45 and a pinfall. Afterwards, the rest of the Rottweilers were going to attack Cabana once again, but Homicide put a stop to it. He extended the olive branch to Cabana and accepting of it, both men hugged it out.

5. Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness Unifies the ROH Titles: The ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson was rocketing along as "The Best Wrestler in the World", except that one man who thought otherwise was the other ROH singles champion—Nigel McGuinness, the "Pure" champion. After a count out loss and a win via small package for Danielson, this bout would be held in England to unify the two titles. The defining visual is of Danielson pulling McGuinness through the turnbuckle post, producing a gigantic thud and busting him wide open.

6. Glory By Honor V Night 2: ROH's first night at the Grand Ballroom in the Hammerstein was filled with many defining moments in ROH history. You had the standing ovation and tribute for wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino, Samoa Joe and Takeshi Morishima throwing down, the ROH World Tag Team Championship changing hands from Aries & Strong to The Kings of Wrestling, the GHC Heavyweight Title being defended on American soil for the first time, and of course Bryan Danielson putting the ROH World Title on the line against KENTA.

7. Homicide Wins the ROH World Title: 2006 ended on one of the highest notes possible when Homicide unseated Bryan Danielson in his hometown of New York City, becoming ROH World Champion after a nearly five year long journey to the top of the company. The best part of the show was the closing moments and the victory party that lasted a good fifteen minutes and had the fans in NYC jumping up and down in joy.

Also in 2006: Bryan Danielson and Chris Hero fought over the ROH World Title during Hell Freezes Over, which would be the first appearances of CZW forces in ROH, including Bryce Rembsurg as the heel CZW ref; Matt Sydal took several shots at winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles against his own partners in Generation Next; Low Ki left ROH after controversy over booking decisions; CM Punk returned in a surprise appearance to wrestler for ROH; Samoa Joe and Bryan Danielson partnered up to take on Naomichi Marufuji and KENTA; The "Milestone Series" included ROH's debut at the ECW Arena, Lance Storm returning to wrestling action to take on Bryan Danielson, a series of matches between ROH and Dragon Gate and Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong in a match that lasted nearly an hour; Delirious won the opportunity to stay on as a full time talent in ROH; Christian Cage made two special appearances; BJ Whitmer would throw Jimmy Jacobs into the crowd at the New Yorker hotel; Whitmer vs. Necro Butcher headlined Dayton at War of the Wire II; Generation Next disbanded; Danielson and Joe would battle to a one-hour draw, the first of three one-hour matches with Danielson; Steve Corino returned to ROH and sided with Jim Cornette; ROH made their debut in England with a two show stand that also included appearances from Doug Williams and Go Shiozaki; Delirious won Survival of the Fittest 2006; Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal won the ROH World Tag Team titles as The Lords of the Ring; Homicide and Steve Corino ended their years-long feud in a Fight Without Honor; Larry Sweeney debuted as Chris Hero's new agent / manager.

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Going Home

Get With the pROHgram:

April 17th, 2009: "Caged Collision" debuts on Pay Per View, with Steel Cage Warfare between Team Albright and Sweet & Sour Incorporated as the main event.

April 24th, 2009: ROH returns to Dayton, Ohio.

April 25th, 2009: ROH on HDNet features "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black.

May 8th, 2009: ROH returns to Boston, Massachusetts.

June 13th, 2009: ROH returns to the Hammerstein Ballroom with a special appearance from "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.


Ringtones

Great article as always Ari.

No suprise that Flair's appearance worked out well for all involved.

One question though,looking at the roster page recently updated on RoH's site i noticed that while they were all regulars or RoH students(see regulars)with one noteable exception.

Kenta, and with his inclusion,is one to hope for a long run,possible a full circle with Kenta winning the title Takeshi Morishima lost?

Posted By: Showster (Guest) on March 14, 2009 at 06:16 PM

I also found it interesting that KENTA was included on the roster list. My guess is that they updated the roster page just in time for this most recent swing of ROH shows, of which KENTA is a huge part. I don't think it's an indication that KENTA will be a regular roster member for this year ala a Go Shiozaki or a SHINGO in previous years. However, KENTA is getting a shot at Pay Per View, so that show will be presented later on in the year, which gives a reason for KENTA's presence on the roster page, for when he shows up on the PPV broadcast.


You mention that SJK is on the outs with the ROH fans. Any specific reason, like a show he underperformed at? I think he does decent work.

Posted By: Andy (Guest) on March 14, 2009 at 07:25 PM

The ROH message board has been filled with dislike and disdain for Sterling James Keenan thanks to several appearances in ROH that weren't well received. I saw him live one time at the In Your Face event in 2006, and while he was fine in the match, he also wasn't spectacular. However, I have seen him do some very solid work for IWC (International Wrestling Cartel, run by Norm Connors) over the years. I also have a wacky theory based on Keenan having the unfortunate blessing of having a similar look, build and tattooed presence that one CM Punk did around the same time that Punk was hitting his peak on the independent scene. I have a feeling that ROH fans have unconsciously rejected Keenan in part on that basis.


I've been very disappointed with the latest development in the Prince Nana storyline. I was very interested when Nana returned to ROH last October begging for a job because he was poor now, it was a new twist on an old character. Now all of a sudden Nana is rich again and all they did was write a ridiculous, nonsensical paragraph in a newswire to try to explain it. Nana got rich again because of the Obama stimulus plan? Give me a break. I liked the Embassy as much as anyone back in the day, but I'd rather see Nana do something fresh than just have him rehash his old gimmick and start a "new" Embassy. New versions of old ideas are never as good as the original.

Posted By: Rusty Shackleford (Guest) on March 14, 2009 at 10:14 PM

Well, it's too late now, as ROH has brought back The Embassy with Prince Nana in charge. I think the twist of Nana being poor worked for a good long time, but it had to play out in some way. Nana had already done a lot with that plot point with his surprise run -ins at shows and the clips from the videowire where he was working out on the streets. I think it's pretty clear that Nana is lying about this whole Barack business and that pretty soon someone will be revealed as the true "money man" bankrolling this new effort. Whether that is Claudio Castagnoli or someone else remains to be seen. Yet even if there is no mystery money-man, I'd happy The Embassy is back. It's been a long enough time that Nana's act is refreshed, not to mention very entertaining. I can't help but love what he does with his character. Not to mention, it changes the status quo on the roster, with a new stable and a returning manager looking to make an impact on the company. We could see some shake-ups with Sweet & Sour Inc. or new combination of babyfaces formed in order to stop the new madness of The Embassy.


Ari, there is nothing normal [RE Mick Foley] about a man with an ego that big, despite not being good at his "profession".

He can cut a decent promo, but plenty are better. Vintage HHH and JBL off the top of my head..

Oh.. He has one ear, no teeth, Frugal as all hell..

Posted By: Propagandhi (Guest) on March 16, 2009 at 06:34 PM

Well, Mick Foley has seen better days…and I have been far from thrilled with his current run in TNA, but I think it's a bit unfair to call him "not good" at what he does. Foley had his day where not only was he one of the best promos, but also a hell of a worker in the ring. Yes, it may have finally passed him by, but I will always have a deep appreciation and respect for his efforts in the ring. Maybe "normal" isn't the best word to use when discussing Foley, given his career choice and what has happened to his body over the years, but I do think of him being "normal" in the sense that he has a family, raises his children to the best of his ability, works hard and is generous with his time and money (devoting plenty of it to charity). I think there is a lot to admire about Mick Foley, even if there is some to criticize about him as well.


Here's an email from Stephanie, who wants to discuss her experiences with ROH as well as the Pure Title:

Since making 411mania.com my 'home' for wrestling news, one of my favourite parts of the site has always been the Column of Honor. My introduction to Ring of Honor was through friends, who informed me of names I've never heard of but who they knew would be making a 'big splash very soon,' like CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. I smiled and nodded politely, WWE was just fine for me thanks, until they nudged me to give it a try.

It wasn't until the Fight Network began broadcasting on my local cable package that I began to see their point. Two years ago, the Fight Network would broadcast ROH every morning at 9am, showing episodes starting from the very beginning up until the title unification between Danielson and McGuinness. Here I was introduced to other names: Jay and Mark Briscoe, Delirious, Allison Danger, BJ Whitmer, Colt Cabana, the list as you know goes on.. As I watched, I realized there was a world outside of WWE (and TNA, which had recently begun to broadcast on Spike). There was psychology and long term storylines, akin to my favourite 'regular' TV shows, unfolding before me.

Yes, it was great to see that but to have someone be the eyes and ears for those of us who can't afford to (or simply cannot) go to ROH shows, it's a breath of fresh air to have indepth coverage. For some, Saturday is the day they open up their 10-section newspapers and flip through it. COH is like my extended sports section. The bonus? It actually covers something I'm interested in!

My thanks to you for writing it. Please keep up the good work.

However, my email on this day isn't simply with regard to praise. I wanted to write you about the Pure Title, something that you mentioned in passing in this week's column. Also mentioned was Nigel's chance to break THE record in ROH, Joe's 21 month title run. When or if that happens, I think a fantastic segway would be to bring the Pure Title back would be after the defeat. Whether it's Tyler Black or whomever it is, Nigel can bring the belt out of retirement, somehow trying to sell the idea that he may have been defeated for the ROH World title, but he still is the Pure Champion.

Yes, there was a 'unification match,' but his spin could be something like it's the champion's perogative not to mention this in contracts and if they were to look, 'they'd find I'd nev'ah put the Pure Title up fer grabs.'

If your next thought is 'you're just looking for the easiest way to bring back that belt,' my answer would be: you're right.

Nana's return to 'the throne' of managing ROH stars has me over the moon. I still wonder if he'd ever consider coming to WWE to manage Kofi Kingston. It was too bad Kofi and Punk still weren't teaming when I saw RAW/ECW live a few months ago. The Second City Saint could have at least explained 'EM-BAH-SEE FOR-EV-AH~!'

Well, first of all thanks for the compliments and for reading the column, and thanks for being one of the few who are willing to give ROH and other independent wrestling companies a chance to show what they can offer. I honestly wish there were more people like you who wouldn't take the easy route by posting stupid and thoughtless comments on the comment board here just because a wrestling company doesn't have the rep, audience size or "glitz" of WWE. You can criticize ROH in a thought-provoking and well-reasoned manner; it's just that most people don't.

I actually like your idea to bring back the Pure Title and being a proponent of that belt (and ROH returning to using a true secondary title) I think it would be a fairly ingenious way to bring the title back as well as keep McGuinness in the spotlight as a champion. Unfortunately , it looks like McGuinness needing surgery puts a zonko on your plans, at least until he rehabs (should he elect to have the surgery). It is an instant heat magnet and could keep any babyface response he gets from coming back from injury (which many wrestlers, even Jimmy Rave, receive) by throwing the "Pure Title" in everyone's face and claiming he is the real and true ROH champion, regardless of who is wearing the World Title belt.


by the way, isn't it about time for the return of the Black t-shirt club?

Posted By: scott (Guest) on March 21, 2009 at 11:46 PM

Ask and ye shall receive Scott… next week!


Response to Countdown to Wrestlemania column

"There was the infamous and unintentionally hilarious Owen Hart "I kicked the leg out of your leg" promo"

Sorry Ari, that was at the 1994 Royal Rumble, not Wrestlemania X.

Posted By: Scott (Guest) on March 25, 2009 at 12:37 AM
Au contraire mon frère, I specifically recall that promo taking place at Wrestlemania X, and considering I've seen the opening thirty minutes of said PPV more than any other wrestling show, I can pretty much guarantee I had it right. Todd Petingill is interviewing Owen hart about his upset win, and asks Owen to give a fair estimate of Bret's chances to win the WWF Heavyweight Title in the main event. Owen, having a piece of spit still loogied onto his lips, says he thinks Bret doesn't have a hope in hell because he just kicked the leg out of his leg. What Owen meant to say of course was that he kicked the hell out of his leg, but that's not what came out. You can even see Owen knows he goofed because he is thrown off a bit immediately after he says it, but recovers and finishes the promo.


Quite the boring column... I'm pretty sick of WM talk, knowing Ari Berensteins favourite moments means nothing to me.

Posted By: Ari Berensteins mom (Guest) on March 25, 2009 at 04:44 AM

I'm sorry I disappointed you mom, I'll try not to let it happen again.


LMAO @ Charles Robinson.


Great article, but did you know that Angle counted the Sweet Chin Music into the ankle lock in the Royal Rumble two months prior?

Posted By: Tim (Guest) on March 25, 2009 at 07:39 AM


I did watch that year's Rumble, but maybe for some reason didn't remember it at the time…certainly didn't recall it as I was writing up the column. Still, for some reason I just really wanted that moment to happen during the match, and I marked out like crazy when it happened.


Great column! I was with you back in the day at the video store, waiting for that VHS of Wrestlemania to come out. I remember when I saw that the WMIV VHS was two tapes and I was delighted. Well, until I watched it anyway.

Posted By: Mr. C. (Guest) on March 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM

Ha, yeah I remember just being super super bored when watching Wrestlemania IV on videotape. I was so interested to see Jake Roberts vs. Rick Rude for instance, and that match almost put me to sleep.


ROH@411 / Honor Bound Links

For more reading about said Wrestlemania article, you can click on the following link: Countdown to Wrestlemania 25: Favorite Wrestlemania Moments.

Kevin Ford provides an in-depth preview of this weekend's CHIKARA King of Trios tournament in Contemplating CHIKARA.

411 has plenty of coverage of ROH's HDNet television show, from Larry's 4R's of ROH on HD Net Episode 1, to his HD Net Play by Play Report and J.D. Dunn gives you the review style format ROHport.

411 Buy or Sell gives you plenty of coverage on CHIKARA, FIP and ROH, and some of which you can check out below.


Buy or Sell Quickies

Every week I'll look at the Ring of Honor related 411 BoS questions and if I'm not participating give my own spin on the topic, in three sentences or less:

- Now that he has returned to Ring of Honor, Colt Cabana will become RoH World Champion: Sell. Not any time soon for Colt, although his presence will definitely help add depth to the upper card of the roster. I've never bought the whole "too joke-y to be world champion" criticism, but there is still plenty to be done with Colt before he becomes a serious challenger again.


-If not for Nigel's latest injury, he would have broken Samoa Joe's record for RoH World Title reign length: Sell. I believe Nigel would have come close and that there would have been a significant amount of build to him breaking the record. I just don't think he would have broken it—Joe's record is the sort of standard that should be kept for ROH history for the time to come.



Next week I'll be in Florida attending a wedding, so I'll be missing out on the Wrestlemania 25 goodness and the ROH shows. I'll still have a column in, but it won't have the results and fallout from the ROH shows of that weekend—still, check out 411 for reports on those shows from other sources. So what will I have? Defining moments of 2007, thoughts and opinions about ROH on HDNet, and the return of The Black T-Shirt Squad!

FINALLY-- NANA! BROOKLYN, WE DID IT!
--Ari--