Column of Honor: 04.25.09: The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 04.25.2009

Austin Aries is tearing it up with his heel run and I explain why I’m enjoying it, ROH results from Toronto and Dayton, El Generico’s injury, ROH cancels three shows and adds one, Proving Ground 2009 thoughts and yes, that Paul London and Bryan Danielson promo!

Welcome to the Column.



Ring Toss
- Austin Aries: The Greatest Man
-ROH Results: April 18th 2009 in Markham, Toronto, Ontario
-ROH Results: April 24th 2009 in Dayton, Ohio
-Honored News
-ROH Call
-My Fave 5
-Honorarium: Proving Ground 2009
-Get with the pROHgram
-Ringtones
-ROH @ 411
-Buy or Sell Quickies


Austin Aries: The Greatest Man

I've never been an obsessive Star Wars fan, although I have watched all the movies and if a gun was held to my head I'd be able to tell the difference between a Wookie and an Ewok…maybe. However, if given a choice between being a Jedi or a Sith, I'd choose to become a Jedi Knight. I've always considered myself a realistic idealist, but especially as a kid I wanted to play the "good guy" or "the hero". In a way it's why I was the perfect mark for professional wrestling when I was a child and before I knew the secret. I wanted the good guys to win in the end and in many ways I still do.

So why am I so enjoying Austin Aries' current run as a heel—as "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived"?

Aries had long been a personal favorite of many of the ROH fan base—the constant, rhythmic chants of "Austin Aries" upon his entrance demonstrated just how far-reaching a connection Aries has established with the fans attending the live shows. Fans were cheering on Aries even when he was first playing the role of villain back in the original Generation Next days of 2004. Something "cool" and attractive could be found in his portrayal—the man who knew his time was now and that "everyone else had to move aside" or else he would take the top spot from them through force. There is a bit of begrudging respectability, especially among men, for that kind of desire and motivation—even if it results in evil actions. Aries knew what he wanted and took it, and that led to his coup d'état of Generation Next leadership from Alex Shelley and his victory over Samoa Joe for the ROH World Title.

After that, the Aries-Express just grew and grew, with the fans loving his in-ring efforts and supporting his actions. The fans turned Generation Next face, even though it was Alex Shelley who was supposed to be the sympathetic character coming out of that angle. When Aries refused to sell out to Prince Nana and The Embassy, that all but confirmed in the fans' minds that Aries was their guy to root for.

Aries became one of the longer-running babyfaces in ROH from 2005 until his recent heel turn. There was even an opportunity back in mid-2007 for Aries to inscribe himself as the true ROH "beloved" for years to come, along the levels only a Samoa Joe, CM Punk or Bryan Danielson have reached. Aries returned to ROH from very public and well known problems with TNA. He had backstage issues with the people running the show and was in limbo over there and furthermore couldn't appear in ROH because TNA pulled their contracted wrestlers from appearing. Aries negotiated his freedom from his contract and appeared in ROH just two months after it seemed we would never see or hear from him again. Aries returned at Driven 2007 in Chicago to one of the largest ovations ever and in one of those moments that have become legend, signed a new ROH contract and declared himself a part of ROH once more.

Aries enjoyed a renewed connection with the fan base around this time, but by the end of 2008 Aries was running a bit dry as a babyface. After Stable Warfare had withered away and after the massive amount of wars between he and Jimmy Jacobs, the question would be who or what next for Aries. Unfortunately at the time, the fans' attention was divided—they began to support Tyler Black more and more. As the months wore on, it was clear that Black was beginning to receive the passionate dedication and affection from the fans that once belonged to Aries. Therefore, a change in heart began to occur inside Aries, and he knew that if the fans didn't want him, then he would be just fine without them. At Final Battle 2008, he smashed a chair right on top of Tyler Black's head. He didn't save Black from a Jimmy Jacobs beat down, and instead joined his rival Jacobs in unleashing their anger, jealousy and hatred onto Black. In many ways, this heel turn was much like how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader--Aries had become too corrupted by the inner bitterness and jealousy inside, and finally he succumbed to the "Dark Side" of his feelings.

(I swear I'm not a big Star Wars geek; it's just that the analogy fit.)

"Austin Asshole" is the new appellation from the fans who rile and buck at this heel persona have given him. In many ways, Aries' character has always been the asshole, but depending on the situation, he was the guy we wanted to make the other, more asshole-ish guys pay for what they had done. It would be like getting the biggest bully on your block to take out the other bullies who were even worse. Now Aries' portrayal of a villain is a complete 180 degrees from that kind of anti-hero. He is now a man whose "swagger" and obnoxiousness is so completely disdainful and unsympathetic that it makes it very hard for any person to like him and what he's about.

Except…for some reason, even though Austin Aries is currently playing the villain, I find myself enjoying his new take on his heel persona with every new match of his from 2009 that I see.

Aries has added so much to his character, in overt and very subtle ways. Of course the most immediate change was in his appearance, with Aries altering his look from stem to stern. His unique facial hair was gone, replaced by a skeezy mustache. His trademark "A / inverted A" style trunks were ditched in favor of more outlandish apparel and design. It's difficult to change from a defined look, one that he had carried for more than four years, but Aries' shift in costuming was sudden and total. This very much "looks" to be a completely different person from the one fans have seen over the last few years.

His entrance has also changed, which in many a promotion has signified within the professional wrestler a new variation on their persona. Aries has switched from Marilyn Manson's cover of "Personal Jesus", with its throbbing and dramatic bass line which the fans loved to clap and cheer along, to Weezer's "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived". That is a song filled with braggadocio and arrogance and does not allow the fans to become pumped up and hyped for the match, as they did through the power of his former theme song and the lighting that heralded his entrance. While "Personal Jesus" may have had somewhat similar over-the-top suggestions of personal self-worth , that song always seemed to be very inclusive of the fans, inviting them to accept Aries as their hero and personal savior. Conversely, the Weezer song turns away the listener as Rivers Cuomo sleazily suggests over and over just how great he is (and of course this is meant to apply to Aries and what he thinks of himself at this time). No one really likes to hear that someone is the greatest who ever lived. It drives a wedge between the character and the fans from the first second the song with the caustic drum beats and siren all the way to the punch line, when the chorus hits and Aries stands in the ring basking in an "angelic choir" declaring "I am the greatest man that ever lived."

Aries has also changed in perhaps less obvious but nonetheless notable ways, especially in the ring. Adding just a little bit of extra swagger and over-exaggeration makes him eminently dislikeable and unsympathetic, thus keeping the fans from thinking he is "cool" and wanting to cheer for him. A lot of Aries' heel demeanor comes from the expressiveness in his eyes and his face. The contortions he makes when something doesn't go his way or when he is angry does not endear him to the fans. Quite simply, Aries now has more "character" to his character, but in the best way possible towards establishing this character he plays is not a likable person.

Aries uses some of the same moves that he used as face, but he does wrestle differently now that he has switched from being the hero to the villain. For instance, he now usually misses his patented corner dropkick, and his trusty punt kick-to-brainbuster combination has become his "ace" finishing move. He no longer does the 450 Splash, as that would receive cheers from the fans (it always has been one hell of a cool move). He has also added some definitive in-ring touches to the character, including a back rake and the dreaded NERVE HOLD. Many fans are so upset that Aries has dared to slow down his matches somewhat by using a nerve hold and it is driving them crazy. Yet, that is exactly why Aries using the move helps to recreate his in-ring presence as a heel. I may not respect the actions and attitude of the "character" he plays, but I very much respect his efforts to bring that character to life.

I just watched a bevy of Aries' matches all in a row and have come away with a renewed appreciation for how and why he does what he does in the ring. In particular, I was "marking out" for Aries vs. Necro Butcher from Proving Ground 2009 Night One because not only was it an incredible fun match to watch, but it featured two men maximizing their in-ring characters by matching it up with the moves they did in the ring. The dropkick-into-the-corner spot was memorable, with Necro blocking the move with a straight punch right to the face. I was a-gog at that moment, and it was from a move so simple, yet so unequivocally awesome. Something else to consider is that there was no slowdown in the match action—there was a constant flow of the match and when these two went at it, the back and forth (or "give and take") in the ring action helped to up the tension of the match. These two men did not have a good match at Battle For Supremacy back in June, when the angle dictated that Aries as the hero stopped fighting in order to prove that Necro was being used by Jacobs. This match had no such angle to stop the match dead in its tracks and even with a small run in at the end still had a satisfying conclusion.

Now that I think about it, there were several moments over the past decade where I didn't so much as cheer on the heel, but rather rooted on for an anti-hero. The "Attitude Era" of the late 1990's brought out the rise of this character archetype in professional wrestling, foremost identified by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin's presence altered the course of who I liked to cheer for as I found myself enjoying and having a good time watching him do what he was doing. He was talking about how he thought Vince McMahon was a "jackass" or how Bret Hart was going to have to kill him to get rid of him. During the Steve Austin-era, it wasn't just about being "a good guy" or "doing the right thing". A guy like Steve Austin could do that and be a total bad ass at the same time. I'd cheer all the more for it. I'm getting a very similar feeling with this new "Attitude-Era" for Austin Aries—I'm thinking "damn this is an evil villain, but he's damned fun to watch."

I do believe I know why I am enjoying this new Austin Aries so much now. Seven years ago, when I began to expand my horizons and caught onto the independent scene, I went back to my roots—grapplers who had "honor" and "respect" in their backbone, like Low Ki and "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. However, a funny thing happened along the way…I began to have some amazing amounts of respect and enjoyment for wrestlers who weren't playing the heroes…"The Fallen Angel", Christopher Daniels for example, was the cultish leader of The Prophecy, but he was a cool enough "cult of personality" and a damned great wrestler in the ring. It was enough for me to respect and enjoy his performances. So it was with several other wrestlers in ROH such as Samoa Joe and CM Punk, who didn't always fit the role of the straight laced "hero", but whom I enjoyed watching and thought they were doing profound work within the company. So it is with this new persona for Austin Aries—a reproachable, selfish man, who is somehow stealing the show out from under everyone else's grasp.

Is Austin Aries truly "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived"? I'm sure if you asked him, he'd tell you so. Then he'd tell you to sit down and shut up, moron. He doesn't need your support, or mine. We're a bunch of "sheeple" to him... and he no longer wants to be our "Personal Jesus".


ROH Results: ROH in Markham, Ontario Canada April 18th, 2009

- Brent Albright defeated Jimmy Rave by submission.
- Chris Hero defeated The Necro Butcher by DQ when Necro used a chair.
- Colt Cabana defeated Claudio Castagnoli via roll up.
-The Team of Austin Aries, Kenny King, & Rhett Titus defeated the team of Kevin Steen, Kenny Omega & Player Dos via pinfall. Titus pinned Dos after a spike piledriver.
-Delirious defeated Jimmy Jacobs by submission.
- Jay Briscoe defeated Roderick Strong via pinfall.
-ROH World Tag Team Champions The American Wolves of Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards fought to a 45 minute time limit draw against challengers Tyler Black and Bryan Danielson. Wolves retain the titles.

ROH Results: ROH in Dayton, Ohio April 24th, 2009 (Results via the ROH message board)

Pre-Show

a. Josh Raymond & Christian Able vs. The Soul Shooters ends in a no contest when The Dark City Fight Club comes in and destroys everyone.

b. JT Vega & Ernie Osiris d. Tim Donst & Andy "Right Leg" Ridge (according to kcping1's twitter, Ernie pinned Donst with a Flatliner)

c. Mikey Nichols d. Sampson in your pre-show main event!

MAIN SHOW

There are extra bleachers to accommodate those still arriving...attendance looks to be at least 600, could be more. And just heard from bigstu2076 as well who said easily 500-600 already.

1. Bryan Danielson d. Eddie Edwards (details according to kcping1's Twitter - Danielson reversed a small package for the win).

2. Claudio Castagnoli d. Silas Young, Matt Cross, and Rasche Brown in a Four Corner Survival when Claudio pinned Silas Young.

3. Jimmy Rave d. Grizzly Redwood: Rave wins with the Ghana-rhea (details per kcping1)

4. Austin Aries & Rhett Titus d. The Phoenix Twins: Aries wins with the brainbuster (details per kcping1)

5. Colt Cabana d. Chris Hero with the Billy Goat's Curse

Intermission - Return date is September 18th

6. Jimmy Jacobs d. Egotistico Fantastico with the End Time

7. Davey Richards d. Tyler Black with a school boy roll up, sounds like it was a really good match (details per kcping1)

8. Kevin Steen & Jay Briscoe d. The Dark City Fight Club when Steen rolls up Rainman (Chavis right?) (details per kcping1)

9. Jerry Lynn d. Roderick Strong to retain the ROH World Title: Roderick got busted open hardway on the guardrail. bigstu sent me a message and said that he bled like a "stuck pig" and had the "crimson mask all over the right side of his face"


Honored News

Generico Out of Dayton-Chicago Weekend, to have MRI on Knee

After hurting himself on last weekend's shows in Canada, El Generico was unable to wrestle at the Markham show and replaced by Stupified, a.k.a. Player Dos, a.k.a. El Generico Dos. Unfortunately the knee injury is serious enough that Generico had to be pulled from this weekend's shows in Dayton and Chicago. Generico is set to meet with his orthopedic surgeon to discuss the results of an MRI. Generico could miss even more time depending on the severity of the injury and the need for surgery.

Obviously this could be really bad news for Generico, Steen and Ring of Honor in general. Generico has been steadfast in his work ethic in ROH since his return in 2007. He is constantly one of the best performers on the show, has a great character that has only increased in popularity and his team with Steen provides much needed backbone for the tag division at this time. Steen can definitely be fine in the singles division, but he has a little extra "oomph" in his presence and character interaction when he teams up with Generico. A longer absence from Generico will change some already announced matches (see below).

Steen and Jay Briscoe will form a makeshift tag team in the meantime, with there being the somewhat good fortune of the two teaming up on the next edition of ROH on HDNet. Steen & Briscoe may have a longstanding grudge going back to the Briscoe-Steenerico tag team wars, but they have both lost a partner due to a knee injury (in storylines it's the American Wolves who have created both situations). It makes sense for the two to pool their common interests together in order to gain some measure of revenge for the wrongs done to them.


ROH Cancels Three Shows, Adds One

Due to scheduling issues and circumstances beyond our control, Ring of Honor regrets to inform the fans that the following live events have been canceled. Danbury, CT on July 17th, Montreal, Quebec on July 24th, and Elizabeth, PA on September 25th. If you have purchased tickets for any of these events please email [e-mail] for refund information. Look for new live events to be announced in place Danbury & Pittsburgh in the coming weeks. We apologize for the unexpected inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your business and continued support.

Ring of Honor's return to Toronto just got even bigger. Just added is a second live event on Friday, July 24th at the Ted Reeve Arena, 175 Main Street, Toronto, Ontario M4E 2W2. Tickets for the July 24th show will go on sale this coming Monday at noon EST at www.rohwrestling.com. Tickets are already on sale for the July 25th date featuring "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Stay tuned to ROHwrestling.com for additional details on this big weekend.

Well, at the least the Danbury show seemed to have been inevitable, because the schedule for ROH TV tapings released a few weeks back indicated that there would be two shows done in Philadelphia that weekend. You can't be in two places at the same time. As for the Montreal and Elizabeth show, that could be a disappointment in ticket sales, which would be very unfortunate, but not unprecedented in ROH's past history. I am happy to see that ROH is offering refunds in these circumstances as they did not do so when they moved the Florida shows (which became Proving Ground weekend) and that bugged the heck out of many fans. A second show at the Ted Reeve could be good for ROH IF the fans who filled up the very successful first show (Northern Navigation) remember them and want to return. They could draw very well in Toronto, but couldn't run in the city proper due to Ted Reeve running for hockey season (or at least that's the story they're going with).


London's Bridges Falling Down

Of course one of the bigger news stories for ROH fans following the "Free Agent" market (such as it is) is the current travails of Paul London. Earlier in the week there were reports that London and Amazing Red would be making a return to TNA (each of them had made previous appearances for the company in years gone by) to participate in the Team 3-D invitational tag tournament. Then, just as suddenly, London was reported to have pulled out of the agreement. Depending on who you read online, the reason for this is either a knee injury, or money issues—meaning London wanted more than TNA was willing to pay. Regardless of which answer Survey Says will be the number one answer, London does not seem to be going to TNA anytime soon. His spot in the tourney was replaced with Suicide, who will team alongside Red. Red has been trying to make a comeback after taking several years off to heal from injuries due to his high-risk in-ring style.

I wrote several months back about how it was necessary for ROH to sign and recruit Paul London to return to the company. Even if he didn't sign a long-term or any contract at all, London's return should have been a sure thing once he was back on the independent scene. Yet, London has stated in interviews that he is not so sure if he'll come back, because he dealt with former booker Gabe Sapolsky and wasn't sure how the new booking regime would be for him. I have to say that while I really like and support a lot of the additions to the ROH roster as of late, including bringing back Quackenbush, and using Eddie Kingston and now Joey Ryan, the one major disappointment I have with ROH right now is that Paul London hasn't been brought it. It's one of the things the fans definitely want to see, even just for a one-off dream match against someone like Danielson, Black or Aries.

Now that this little scare seems to have passed, I'm once again hoping that ROH will make the right call and book London, while they still can.

Preview for Tonight's show in Chicago Ridge, Illinois

ROH World Title Match--Jerry Lynn (if still champion) defends vs. Colt Cabana: This could be a very good technical battle, since Colt can bring out his European style and force Lynn to counter wrestle. Although I'd expect some traditional Cabana shenanigans in the opening ten minutes to establish a mind game of sorts. Cabana should receive a fantastic reception since this is his first show in front of his hometown fans since his return to ROH.

World Tag Team Title Match- 2 Out Of 3 Falls--The American Wolves (if still champions) defend vs. Kevin Steen & Jay Briscoe: Steen and Briscoe will be motivated and fueled by thoughts of revenge. That could help them gel better than expected as a team, however it could also distract them. If they are blinded by rage then the Wolves can trick their way into winning a fall and put them behind in the early going. A two out of three falls match is tougher for the less established team since they have find a way to work better than the longer-standing duo and win twice in a row.

Special Challenge Match--Bryan Danielson vs. Jimmy Rave: These two haven't had a bad match yet in their previous ROH history and I expect some more great interactions between the two. Just don't forget fans that Danielson has his issues with Bison Smith, who has been conspicuous by his absence and could make a run-in here to continue that feud.

First Time In ROH--Tyler Black vs. Chris Hero: Hero is climbing back up the rankings and back up the card. A win against Black, who has received many title shots in the past few months, would qualify Hero for a title shot of his own. Hero will look for the KO shot with his forearms and elbows while Black will counter with a faster pace match and use the angles to blindside Hero and set him up for the Buckle Bomb / Superkick combo.

Three Way Match--Claudio Castagnoli vs. Roderick Strong vs. Jimmy Jacobs: The three way match is becoming the new four way match here in ROH. It's tre en-vogue these days. Claudio is the larger man in this combination, while Strong will have the fans behind him and Jacobs will look to manipulate the other two so that he can win when its to his best chance.

Tag Team Action--Austin Aries & Rhett Titus vs. Alex "Sugarfoot" Payne & Silas Young: Payne and Young are the definite underdogs in this match. Payne will look to upstage his ROH wrestling school teacher and Young still wants to get back at Aries for his running smack on Young's family. I don't think even that motivation will be enough to get past "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived".

Tag Team Action--The Dark City Fight Club vs. The Phoenix Twins: Tweek and Dash Phoenix have some nice combinations and use the "twins" gimmick quite well, but I expect total domination for the DCFC here.

Singles Action--Egotistico Fantastico vs. "Skullkrusher" Rasche Brown: Two Chicago locals and Pearce favorites will tango in the undercard.


Match Additions & Card Rundown for Boston & Edison

May 8th, 2009 – Boston, MA

ROH World Title Match--Jerry Lynn (if still champion) defends vs. Tyler Black: Lynn and Black match up very well in the ring and this could be a pretty exciting offensive-oriented showdown.

Three Way Match--Bryan Danielson vs. Mike Quackenbush vs. Sonjay Dutt:Dutt's return compounded with another appearance for Quack in ROH compounded with the greatness that is Bryan Danielson equals this match could be really good fun.

Grudge Match--ROH World Tag Team Champion Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen:Steen and Richards will throw down again, sort of like how cats and dogs will keep going at it for long periods of time to see who is the dominant species. Of course, who is the cat and who is the dog in this analogy?

Special Attraction--Jay Briscoe vs. The Necro Butcher: Also signed for Boston is the unexpected battle of "drinking buddies". The Necro Butcher and Jay Briscoe are known to toss back a few cold ones after ROH events, and now it seems they'll toss fists. This isn't a grudge match by any means according to Briscoe. "It's good to test yourself against all styles in wrestling. That's why I signed to fight Roddy Strong – he is one of the best. Now I signed to fight Necro. Not because I have any problems with him, just because I know he'll keep my brawling sharp. Plus, I know he'll buy the first round after it's all done." Briscoe has split decisions with Roderick String on recent cards, beating him in Markham. Strong has asked for a third match. Could Briscoe be using this match with Necro to sharpen a new strategy for his next battle with Roddy?

We've been getting some damned good brawl style matches with Jay Briscoe, throwing in with Roderick Strong and now Necro Butcher. Its true Jay and Necro had several matches in 2007 and 2008, to the point it became completely overbearing, but with both as faces this combination actually comes off as fresh again.

Tag Team Challenge Match--Kenny King & Rhett Titus vs. Dark City Fight Club: Kenny King and Rhett Titus have been as vocal as anyone in ROH, and even more so after aligning themselves with "A-Double". Now they may have bitten off more than they can chew. ON May 8th in Boston, King and Titus have signed to face the Dark City Fight Club in tag team action. Can the brash and cocky King and Titus overcome the in-your-face intensity that the DCFC have brought to Ring of Honor? We'll find out in Boston!

Singles Action--Delirious vs. Ricky Reyes: Singles competition is signed for Boston on May 8th as Delirious, fresh off of his brutal street fight victory over Jimmy Jacobs in Markham, comes to Beantown a new man. His opponent on May 8th is Ricky Reyes, who is simply looking to pad his wallet before heading back to WWC Puerto Rico. Delirious is anxious to show Boston that he's back after finally putting the Age of the Fall behind him. Can he score the win in Celtic country?



May 9th, 2009 –Edison, NJ

ROH World Title Match--Jerry Lynn (if still champion) defends vs. Jay Briscoe: ROH is trying to establish Briscoe in the singles division while Mark is out with the injury, and so far he has had good to very good efforts. Is he ready for the ROH World Title?

World Tag Team Title Match- Return Bout From Markham--The American Wolves (if still champions) defend vs. Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black: This could be Black's big weekend, as he could win the World title in Boston and then take the tag belts from the Wolves the next night in Edison.

Three Way Match--Mike Quackenbush vs. Kenny King vs. El Generico: Signed for Edison on May 9th is a 3-Way-Dance that may involve more athleticism than most entire cards. "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush. Kenny King. El Generico. Need we say anything more? Should Generico's knee force him out of action for this event, King and Quackenbush will lock up in a singles contest.

I'm liking this match a heck of a lot, because Quack is always great in multiple man matches—it forces him to rely less on ground and submission and use his speed and air game to keep a fast pace with the other participants. Generico's injury could change the match but Quack vs. King is a nifty replacement as well, with the heroic and noble character of Quack contrasted to the brash and arrogant youth and hustle of King.

First Time Ever Match--Kevin Steen vs. Sonjay Dutt: Wrong place, wrong time for Sonjay Dutt to return to Ring of Honor. Steen is mad at the world due to losing the ROH World Tag Team Titles and because of Generico's injury and will look to take it all out on Dutt.

Tag Team Challenge Match--Brent Albright & Erick Stevens vs. The Dark City Fight Club: A tag team bruiser has also been signed for Edison on May 9th. The Dark City Fight Club made a splash at "Proving Ground 2009-Night Two" in one of the hardest hitting ROH six-man tag team matches in some time. Now they'll face 2/3 of the team they fought in Orlando. It will be Erick Stevens and Brent Albright taking on the DCFC in Edison! Both teams will need ice packs after this one!

Singles Action--Eddie Kingston vs. Ricky Reyes: Eddie Kingston is coming to Edison, NJ on May 9th to show the ROH fans that he belongs. He was successful in defeating Sami Callihan in ROH on HDNet, and that victory has earned him praise from the ROH faithful. But when he gets to Edison, he'll be taking on a man making a stop in his old ROH stomping grounds, a former ROH World Tag Team Champion, "The Havana Pitbull" Ricky Reyes. Will Reyes show Kingston why he has held ROH gold and earn a "W" before he goes back to Puerto Rico, or will Kingston show everyone why "the last of a dying breed" is on the rise?


PLUS Joey Ryan brings "Sleazy" to Ring of Honor in Boston and Edison: THIS I cannot wait for…it's true that Aries may have "sleazy" built into his new persona. However, Ring of Honor truly hasn't seen "sleazy" until Joey Ryan brings it to ya.


ROHdds and Ends

-From the newswire: Jimmy Jacobs was seen wearing an eye patch following the intense street fight last Saturday in Markham, Ontario. Delirious was able to secure victory by locking in the Cobra Stretch while digging Jacobs' own railroad spike into his eye. After losing the match, Jacobs was clutching his eye and immediately left the building, seeking treatment at a nearby hospital. ROH officials have been informed that Jacobs has apparently suffered a severe corneal abrasion, but is not expected to miss this weekends events in Dayton and Chicago Ridge.

An eye patch huh? I guess Jacobs has fallen behind on the latest fashion trends…pirate is NOT in these days. If I'm being serious, this could be the beginning of a new twist in Jacobs's character, and even if it's just a visual alteration, it's a pretty good decision in my book. Jacobs has been taking a drubbing over the last few weeks and with the numbers in Age of the Fall dwindling, It might be time for a new direction or twist for Jacobs.

-Kayfabe Quote of the Week: "We are the best in the world," [Davey] Richards said pointedly. "You ask Dragon and Tyler. They couldn't beat us. They had to prod the fans into asking for 5 more minutes. Well, we do things our way – we answer to no one."


ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 04/25/2009

ROH World Champion—Jerry Lynn (champion since 04/03/09, NEW CHAMPION, 3 successful defenses)


-defeated Nigel McGuinness in Houston, Texas via pinfall to win the championship.

Next Defense: vs. Colt Cabana, 04/25/09 in Chicago Ridge, IL

V.1 Four Corner Survival: defeated Bryan Danielson, D-Lo Brown and Erick Stevens (04/04/09, Houston, TX)
V.2 Four Corner Survival: defeated Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs (04/10/09, Philadelphia, PA, airs June 6th, 2009)
V.3 defeated Roderick Strong (04/24/09, Dayton, OH)

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) (champions since 04/10/09, 1 successful defense)


-defeated Kevin Steen & El Generico on April 10th, 2009 in a Tables are Legal match in Philadelphia, PA to win the championship. The match will air on May 30th, 2009.

Next Defense: vs. Kevin Steen & Jay Briscoe, 04/25/09, Chicago Ridge, IL

V.1 fought to a 45-minute draw against Bryan Danielson & Tyler Black (04/18/09, Markham, ONT, Canada) *champions retain on a draw.

**

Top Feuds & Pairings:

-Jerry Lynn as the new ROH World Champion
-Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs
-Tyler Black has a title shot "in his back pocket"
-Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brent Albright
-Prince Nana & The Embassy vs. Bryan Danielson & Colt Cabana
-Claudio Castagnol is now an "associate" of The Embassy
Daizee Haze & Delirious in a trail of revenge against The Age of the Fall


ROH Home Theatre Station

Ric Flair ROH HDNet Teaser


ROH Videowire: April 21st, 2009


Of course, this week wouldn't be the same without including one of THE funniest promos and moments of the year thus far. Paul London and Bryan Danielson are the American Dolphin and Dolphin Master!:

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1 . Paul London and Bryan Danielson: Well, come on, you saw the clip, right? I don't think I've laughed that hard at a promo in a long, long time. Danielson trying hard not to break character (and failing!) not once, but several times is going to be for the ages. London, whether he's high, playing a character or just that wacky, provided me with some great entertainment this week. I just wish he was up for wrestling on a more full time basis, and in Ring of Honor at that.
2 . Mick Foley: While his match at TNA Lockdown was no great shakes, he has found his groove again in playing the maniacal crazy man character. He is now portraying an unpredictable and psychotic man and that makes for much better television than when he is the happy-go-lucky veteran of the ring.
3. Davey Richards: who put forth just a ton of effort in his matches during Proving Ground 2009 weekend. Not only is he on top of his promo game, but he is just as good, if not more so, in the ring.
4. Batista: Shane McMahon has been asking for it for a few weeks now, but I'm glad we got to see Batista spear him nearly out of his boots. Whether or not it was accidental or "accidental", he had that one coming. The look on Batista's face afterward was also brilliant-that "uh-oh, what have I gotten myself into now?" look.
5. The Fans in London, England: Always up and ready for the show, they were awesome in their reaction to several matches this week, including Chris Jericho vs. John Cena. I'm not a big fan of "Cena Hate", but it usually makes for great atmosphere. Jericho and Cena strived to make their match on Raw a good one, and the fans helped them out as well.


Honorarium

-I wrote last week that Lynn was going to need to prove it to the online critics this weekend that he will be a worthy ROH World Champion. He needs to work top notch championship level matches and give the fans excellent main events. Well, so far he is one-for-one. I think Lynn is more than capable of doing this on an every night basis. Most of the time we have seen the person who becomes champion "step their game up" in the defense of the title. Just look at Nigel McGuinness, who turned almost every match into a thriller. Lynn can get to the same level of fan reaction, but perhaps through a different path—not out of fans' hate and desire to see someone lose the title (although that may be there at first), but through the fantastic back and forth action he and his challenger can give to them in the title defense. For more on the ROH message board fans being won over, check out this thread.

-Now that I think about it, Austin Aries's mustache looks exactly like my father's… you don't think…?

Aries: "Ari, I am your father."

Ari: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"



(I swear I'm not a Star Wars geek; this just fits the motif of the article!)

-Proving Ground 2009 Thoughts:

What an incredibly fun two night run this was for ROH. While there was nothing "blow away", almost everything was not only solid, but really, really good to great wrestling action. I'm talking three to three and three-quarter stars for most of the matches on each of the cards for those way into the star ratings.

There are two major highlights of the weekend is the Lynn & Danielson vs. Delirious & Jacobs tag match on night one, which I had at something like four and a quarter stars. The crowd really gets into this one, and with good reason. You see Danielson and Lynn working like a smooth machine with some excellent combinations and everything is happening at just the right time and place. Then Generico vs. Danielson on night two is also worth going out of your way to see. The crowd in Florida really needs to get a lot of credit because they were into the show and helped to create great and memorable moments on the card like the hysterical opening section of this match. Danielson's hesitation to hug Generico and the crowd getting on him for it (and Danielson breaking character and laughing) really set the stage for this one, and I think because that all happened it led to an even better match as they began to focus on the action in the ring.

There is also a memorable chant on night two for the Davey Richards entrance, as the crowd chants the "American Males" WCW tag team theme song. Awesome.

After all that anticipation, I ended up being disappointed with the McGuinness vs. D-Lo Brown title match. Although I thought D-Lo did a great job building up the match with his backstage promo earlier on in the DVD and with his pre-match promo where he just about verbally massacred McGuinness on the mic. I just felt the in-ring action didn't live up to it…while there was nothing outright wrong with the match it did feel somewhat choppy and uneven.

The Dark City Fight Club definitely did well on this weekend—they took it to Steen & Generico on night one and then took a hellacious beating by Strong, Stevens and Albright on night two. I mean the chops that Strong unleashed on them in that match were cringe-worthy, even considering Strong's past history of just unleashing chops on hapless fools. Not that the DCFC are hapless or fools by the way, it's just an expression and I didn't mean anything by it. I was also a bit surprised to see them acting the heel—I feel they can get over as the bruiser faces, a lot like The Dudleyz. Francisco Ciatsco also deserves some props—dude had a very distinct visual appearance and he took a hell of a beat down throughout the match.

By the way I am loving Strong, Stevens and Albright as a trios combination—they have enough technical skill to get by but they're best as a unit when they are just bowling over the competition. They just need a really good team name like "The Destruction Crew" or "Wreckage". Hopefully they'll stay together as a babyface unit, because given the amount of heel stable that are lining up in the wake of the end of Sweet & Sour Inc, the good guys are gonna need some power in numbers just to survive.

Tyler Black and Davey Richards were given the opportunity to main event the first night of the event and they both lived up to the bargain. Richards especially looked good and if not for becoming the tag team champions along with Eddie Edwards he would ready for that "next level" in the singles division.

The YRR really stepped it up on these shows. Maybe being in Florida put them on comfortable ground, but everyone from King to even Chasyn Rance (whom I've never been particularly high on) put it together. They have a great interview segment to open up night two where they are all working out in a gym and each takes turns contributing to the promo, like an old school 80's WWF promo with a large stable. It's a great touch to see interviewer Kyle Durden scramble from workout machine to machine in order to get comments from everyone.

The other younger talent on the card were simply "okay". The British Lions were solid enough (although they have horrendous looking tights), but the crowd turned on them very quickly in favor of King and Titus, since King is an FIP regular and I guess most were taken in by their act. The Lions were smart to adjust their moves in the end to conform to that reaction, and I was fine with King and Titus not playing into the cheers.

Brad Attitude and Shawn Osbourne (who looks like a younger Sean O'Haire) were also featured. They did fine in an opening match bout against each other. Lynn and Osbourne had a below average match together on the second night, and Attitude had a solid match against Aries even though it was obvious he wasn't going to win. Although, come to think of it, for someone named "Brad Attitude", he doesn't show much of one as he played the face. Attitude had a few cool moves but mostly both of these men stuck to the basics. I'm not sure I'd want to see them on a more regular basis, but appearing for ROH on their Florida runs wouldn't be a terrible thing.

Austin Aries was hit on the mic, mocking the crowd and just giving it to everyone who hated on him. Just saying.

In the end, I highly recommend you check out both of these shows—just fun wrestling action throughout and definitely worth the money.

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Going Home


Get With the pROHgram:

Tonight: ROH on HDNet main events with the first Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black main event.

Available Now: Stylin' and Profilin' and Insanity Unleashed for sale through ROHwrestling.com. The former DVD features the first appearance of Ric Flair and his encounter with Nigel McGuinness; the latter DVD has Delirious vs. Jimmy Jacobs in a no DQ match and Nigel McGuinness & Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black & Jerry Lynn.

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

May 29th & 30th, 2009: ROH Television tapings in Philadelphia, PA.


Ringtones

So Ari, what is your response to the recent bad review from Lance Storm of the ROH on HDnet product?

Posted By: spawnsyxx9 (Guest) on April 18, 2009 at 07:15 PM

Well, I see the merits of some of his arguments—especially the idea of using the live shows that have been taped to DVD to capture what it's the "essence" of ROH—the best of what the live experience can bring out of the wrestlers and the crowd will help to get over the promotion itself. However, I disagree that the production quality is bad—the audio did need improvement but I thought the video and "look" of the show itself is some of the best ROH has ever done. I love the professional "sports" centered presentation of the show, the added insights provided by the "1-2-3" features and the little descriptions that pop up with the wrestler's names. That sort of little touch adds the needed detail for many of these wrestlers as they are being introduced to a larger audience. So while I definitely think ROH needs to improve the shows from their early incarnations (my biggest beef is getting the continuity in order, fixing the crowd audio as most have already mentioned, as well as more matches featuring the "names" of ROH), I think they shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater either. I also feel they should integrate some of the better promos from the video wires into the shows, because those promos and skits truly help to get over the personalities and grudges of many of the wrestlers.


u know... maybe if roh would upload their ppvs and matches and stuff online for free viewing, they'd be able to attract a lot more fans.... it might hurt dvd sales, but how many are they selling anyway?

Posted By: pweh (Guest) on April 18, 2009 at 10:46 PM

ROH before the booking change was putting up some of their past matches online for free. They've somewhat halted that and instead have increased the rate of their videowire features (which are mostly promos and occasionally one undercard match). I definitely agree with your suggestion though. For example, since Rising Above is long since over, what would be the harm in putting up highlighted clips from the two main events and say, the MsChif vs. Sara Del Rey and Sweet & Sour Inc. vs. Strong, Steel and Albright match up for free on their website?

Frequent emailer Paul has had enough with the Connecticut shows being moved around. He explains:

ROH just canceled 3 shows that were not selling up to par. Normally I would think it might be a scheduling issue, but considering that CT has gone through 4 venue changes and 3 months is ample time to change it (not to mention that the fans would still follow it), I'm convinced it's due to poor ticket sales.

I've been growing increasingly frustrated with Ring of Honor in the last 6 months or so. It became more hostile in February when a friend of mine attended the show before the tv tapings and it really has a very sub par show. Probably the only time I ever walked out of an ROH show feeling I did not get my money's worth. Then they go ahead and cancel the next show most likely to be replaced with a NY or Philly show that will sell better.

That's fine though. I'll take my $50 from my front row seats and put it towards my front row seat for the Dragon Gate show in Philly.

I do believe the Danbury, CT show changes is in fact due to a conflict with the TV tapings at the same time, but low ticket sales are also probably a reason in the mix for the cancellations. I think the Dragon Gate shows will be very good and definitely worth spending your money on, but there have been very positive reports on the latest ROH shows, so I'm not sure you should give up the faith entirely yet.

ROH@411

Larry Csonka has his play-by-play at ROH Caged Collision as well as his good bad and ugly style 4R's breakdown.

Csonka provides the play by play of Episode 5 of ROH on HDNet, with Castagnoli vs. Albright. J.D. Dunn meanwhile gives you his review style ROHport and Csonka was back later in the week with the 4R's of the TV show.

Also, a very special "Welcome Back" to the one and only Bayani Domingo, whose Truth B Told column returns after a near three-month hiatus.

This week's 411 Buy or Sell also features Bayani throwing it down verbally with John Gregory on PWG, Japan and ROH. Speaking of which, its time for…


Buy or Sell Quickies

Austin Aries teaming with Rhett Titus and Kenny King will prove to be a great long term move: BUY. Continuing the theme of this week's column, Aries is on a roll right now with his character, so it makes perfect sense to associate him with those who can get some rub from him. King and Titus have similar and complimentary qualities to Aries and I think they can benefit from the alliance. King knows how to make himself stand out and Titus is always "endearing" himself to the fans with his "thrust-is-a-must" business, so I don't think they'll get lost in the shuffle behind him.

You actually believe that Larry Sweeney will never be seen in Ring of Honor again: SELL. Agreed with Bayani when he wrote that you never say never in wrestling. I don't expect Sweeney back in the next year or maybe even beyond that, but time does have the ability to heal wounds. It did take Prince Nana almost three years to return though, so Sweeney fans should exercise some patience on this one.

That will do it for this week's edition. The next two weeks of the column will be themed weeks, but I'll also have results from Chicago, ROH news and more. Until then "may the force be with you" and BZZZZZ!

BROOKLYN!
--Ari--