411’s Buy or Sell 7.03.09: PWG Honors Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jacobs Next Move, Nigel With No Lariats?, and More!!
Posted by Michael Bauer on 07.03.2009
This week, the 411 staff looks around the world of Ring of Honor at the PWG as Larry Csonka battles Jeffrey Harris in Buy or Sell!
Welcome everyone to WEEK One Hundred Fourteen of BUY or SELL. For those of you who haven't been with us since the beginning, here's the Reader's Digest version of what this column is all about. BUY or SELL is very much like 411's long-running Fact or Fiction column. The main difference is that BUY or SELL focuses on topics like the U.S. Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and pretty much anything else that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get a bit more press and for you, our loyal readers, to learn even more about the sport of professional wrestling.
PWG allowing every wrestler to enter to a Michael Jackson song at the latest event was a great show of class.
Larry Csonka : BUY. Sure, why not. PWG likes to have fun, look at their show names. But I think that they also like to pay tribute at the right times, and this, to me, was the right time. Now I will not give some big Michael Jackson speech. You don't have to pay tribute to "the man", but you can still enjoy his music, and that is what they tried to do on this night. I don't see an issue with it.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. Yeah I get it. He was a talented and popular musician. All the wrestlers coming out to his music and getting caught up in the Jackson hysteria. I don't see it as this amazing, classy move, but that's just me. Count me out of the currently phony Michael Jackson love fest.
0 for 1.
Necro Butcher turning heel in PWG can only be a negative, due to his mainstream popularity.
Larry Csonka : SELL. I am going to sell this for one reason, unfortunately, Necro got next to NO mainstream pub from the wrestler. He got some, ROH never really played it on TV like they should have, and that sucks. A heel turn in PWG won't hurt him at all as I personally think he's been flat as a face as it is. The man needs to mix it up, get crazy and pile the bodies to the sky. Crazy heel Necro will do that, and I am all for it.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. In the indies, a wrestler will play heel in one promotion and face in the other. This isn't unusual. PWG is PWG. We aren't talking about TNA or WWE here. Someone like AJ Styles was essentially a heel of sorts when he was going after Super Dragon for the PWG title in 2005.
1 for 2.
The first ever Toronto Gauntlet looks under whelming at best, as really only 2 of the 6 people have a real chance of winning.
Larry Csonka : SELL. I am going to sell this one. I actually like the match. Jerry Lynn, Davey Richards, Jimmy Rave, Necro Butcher, D'Lo Brown and Sonjay Dutt are involved, and I have to be honest, that sounds entertaining to me. Sure Lynn and Richards may seem like the odds on favorite to win the match, in my opinion anyway, but it looks good. Lynn always brings it, Richards has been off the charts as of late, Rave seems reenergized since coming back to ROH, Necro will add the wild element, D'Lo is always worth a watch and finally, Sonjay will bring the high flying aspect to the match. I don't think that is under whelming at all, it sounds like a ton of fun actually.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. Speak for yourself. I'm still pulling for Jimmy Rave back in ROH. People shouln't act like Rave does not have credibility being a part of some of ROH's greatest, most classic matches and feuds of all time. So you got Rave, Necro, Lynn, Sonjay Dutt, and D-Lo -- its really not a bad lineup. Though I wish Colt was in there.
Nigel McGuinness can not survive being a wrestler without his lariats.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. "The reason I use lariats is because lariats work!" Nigel's a great wrestler, and good wrestlers like Nigel can adapt and change their style. And considering how much fans whined about him being McLariat, well now they can't complain about that anymore.
Larry Csonka : SELL. Some love to mock Nigel McGuinness for his use of the lariat, but the fact is that he has built some really good matches around that lariat, and has used it to draw heat, and that is never a bad thing if you ask me. But can he survive without it? Yes, he can. Why? Because Nigel McGuinness is a damn good professional wrestler, and I feel if you told him that he needed to drop the lariat, he would adapt, and still be a damn good professional wrestler. As much as some think, the lariat doesn't completely define him. He will be just fine without it.
3 for 4.
With The Age of the Fall seemingly gone, Jimmy Jacobs will not be seen in Ring of Honor for a while.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. I think we will see Jacobs sooner rather than later to cause trouble and mayhem as usual.
Larry Csonka : BUY. I will buy this one. Jacobs ran for a long time with the AOTF gimmick, and in the end Black goes over and helps to kill it off. Many times in the old school, when a feud would be blown off in this fashion, the guy or team would disappear for a bit. Adam Pearce uses a lot of old school stuff in his booking, and I feel that he will keep Jacobs away for a bit, so that he can bring him back as a force and with a new mission. It only makes sense. While it may NOT happen, I think that it should and likely will.
3 for 5.
After Aries, Ring of Honor will never again see a multi-time RoH World Champion.
Jeffrey Harris : SELL. Why never? Never is such a strong word. Is ROH closing when at the end of the Aries title run or something? Why would this be written in stone? Who is to say Nigel McGuinness or Danielson will never hold the title again? I think Aries being the first one just speaks of how prestigious the ROH world title is and that it doesn't play musical chairs with the title holders. Aries was the man that ended Samoa Joe's legendary run and the first one to hold it twice. And it took 7 years for that to happen. But I see no reason why another ROH regular can't do the same.
Larry Csonka : SELL. I have to say sell, due to the fact that at this time, Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness are still working for the promotion. These are guys that at anytime an be reintroduced to the title picture and win the title. And let us not forget that this is professional wrestling, and injuries can happen at any time. While Tyler Black seems to be the next dude in line for the title, circumstances can change, and I feel that unless TNA or WWE snatches Danielson or McGuinness up, they will get the strap again. Also, NEVER AGAIN is a big statement to make. So for that alone, this is a sell.
4 for 6.
The 114th edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 6! Stay tuned for next week as two more people will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.
Man, ROH just isn't the same lately. It's a real shame. I've actually been enjoying recent Dragongate PPV's much more than the last 6 months of ROH. C'mon Peirce get it together, it's not the 70's NWA anymore, brother.
Posted By: Dr Know (Guest) on July 02, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Adam Pearce ain't bad, but i can't help missing Gabe. It's like watching Chasing Amy and then watching Zach and Miri Make a Porno. I'm underwelmed.
Posted By: the dude (Guest) on July 03, 2009 at 09:31 AM
Nigel can do whatever he wants... He is Pro Wrestling's master... They should just put him in the booth with hoggie and prazek... Everytime Hog tosses the slap the porpoise, Nigel can give him a nice back hand!!
Posted By: fallenhardforROH (Registered) on July 03, 2009 at 12:28 PM
1. BUY - Only because we did it that weekend too.
2. SELL - Necro only turned babyface because of his involvement in The Wrestler to begin with...so going back to being heel is just natural. CHOOSE DEATH!
3. SELL - Which 2? Cause other than Sonjay (and arguably, Necro), any of these guys could win it with credibility. But screw this match...bring on Hero/Storm!
4. SELL - Nigel can survive as a wrestler, so this is a silly question...what it SHOULD have been is can Nigel survive as a CHARACTER without his lariotos...his character became McLariat, so now he needs to redefine his character, and THAT is what takes real work. Nigel is great in the ring, but let's see if he can adjust his character and still work.
5. BUY - He already didn't work the latest set of TV tapings and I'm not sure if he's even booked this weekend. I don't follow FIP so I don't know if the AOTF gimmick is still going down there, and I don't really know of anywhere Jacobs wrestles other than those two places, so it seems a little vacation followed by a (babyface?) comeback in about 2 months seems likely.
6. BUY - I'm saying this based on a few things. 1. Nigel AND Danielson are working WITHOUT contracts right now, which means they could be gone at any moment. If they had deals, then this would be an easy sell (newly babyface Nigel regains the belt), but they are currently free agents and I don't think RoH would do something that stupid (although they did it with Punk, Gibson, Joe, etc., but that's Gabe booking, not Scrap Iron). 2. The remaining previous belt holders are either under contract somewhere (Joe, Punk, Homicide, Gibson, Low Ki, etc.) or not relevant enough for another title reign (oh noes, I called Morishima irrelevant!).
In the future? Maybe...depends on how fast they pull the trigger on Tyler Black (or build someone else up) and then keeps them around long enough for another reign (Austin Aries, along with being the Greatest Man That Ever Lived, is also RoH's Iron Man, pretty much working there non-stop for 7 years minus his cup of coffee with TNA).
Posted By: Ramsey (Guest) on July 03, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Jeffrey Harris : SELL Count me out of the currently phony Michael Jackson love fest.
bravo sir how novel someone not kissing the pedophilles ass
Posted By: Guest#5550 (Guest) on July 03, 2009 at 04:22 PM
