Column of Honor 09.05.09: Not 'Done' Yet

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 09.05.2009

An examination of what it means to be "done" with following a wrestling promotion, and why ROH fans shouldn't be "done" with the promotion even in the wake of Danielson / McGuinness to WWE.





Not "Done" Yet


I keep hearing the word "done" used by people I know both on and off-line over the last week as it regards certain news and happenings in wrestling and of course, regarding Ring of Honor. You know, I don't like that word, "done". While it has a positive interpretation (i.e. complete, as in finishing up a complicated project), in the sense I've been hearing and reading it, I've found the context to be both discouraging and unnerving. No, I don't like the word "done" and the two phrases in which it I've seen it most included: "I'm done with (wrestling promotion X)" and "(Wrestler X) has done it all". Here's why:


1) "I'm done with (wrestling promotion X)"

"I'm done with Ring of Honor."

I've been reading and hearing a lot of this comment as of late, in part due to the booking direction and execution in Ring of Honor over the past year, but most interestingly due to the loss of Bryan Danielson from the ROH roster. I have read three comments (two on Facebook, one via e-mail) from different people stating that they are finished watching ROH once Danielson leaves the company. This "Fan Flight" is something I have been concerned about for a while now. Ring of Honor DVD sales have slipped (source: Observer) due to a rough economy and the DVD industry being down in general, but also from fans who didn't like the direction ROH went in after former booker Gabe Sapolsky was given the axe. Danielson's incumbent departure from ROH can and has further aggravated some of the ROH customer base (although it should also be noted that Danielson's last matches may help pick up DVD and ticket purchases for every independent promotion for which he appears on his farewell run through the independents). They claim they will stop watching—and that's a dangerous statement you never want to hear if you are a wrestling company that wishes to continue to exist.

What does it mean to be "done" with a wrestling company? This is actually a statement I have made several times over the course of my wrestling fandom. To me, what being "done" has meant different things at different times, but it what it basically amounts to is a halting of being a customer of a certain promotion. I have been "done" with both WWE and TNA in the past, in effect ceasing my viewing habits of their programming and not using my discretionary spending dollars on their Pay Per Views, DVDs or merchandise. However, "done" didn't always mean "done forever" in regards to either one of those products. Consider:


-I have claimed to have been "done" watching WWE programming three times (1995, 2003, 2006). Last week, I watched WWE Raw, most of WWE ECW and WWE Smackdown.

-I have claimed to have been "done" watching TNA programming since 2007, but every few months, I click on "iMPACT" on Spike TV to catch up with some of my favorite wrestlers from ROH and the independent scene who made their way to TNA.


There have been many times when I've said "I'm done with…" as it regards to wrestling companies, most frequently WWE. I can recall breaking off from watching WWE programming at least three times—twice being my own choice due to various reasons, from angles not being interesting enough to being insulted by what I was seeing on my TV screen. What it amounts to is that I thought the shows sucked, so I stopped watching. My "break up" with WWE in 1995 was partially for those reasons as well as because I lost access to WWE programming (the family lost its cable for several months and Fox's affiliate in New York was no longer showing episodes of Superstars and Wrestling Challenge on the weekends).

There were several "eras" of both Raw and Smackdown, such as Raw during mid-2002 and Smackdown late 2003 where I was so very, very close to ending my run with wrestling fandom and wondering why I wasn't following through on the frustrations from my inner voice. Stupidity like the nWo's return and its follies with Booker T joining or not, Flair's illogical heel turn joining the now, Kevin Nash's flop run that ended in a quad tear from WALKING, Triple H's dominance over every babyface on the roster and other horrible moments truly made me wonder why I put up with it. Not even the "Katie Vick" incident with Triple H dressing up as a supposed dead girl in a coffin made me say I was "done" with WWE. However, my fandom with WWE was on life support and that's when I first saw Ring of Honor. To say that it was my sweet wrestling salvation is not hyperbole, because at that time it kept me from giving up the "wrestling addiction". I honestly believe that had I not discovered ROH (and its gateway to then flourishing world of independent wrestling), I would have been "done" with wrestling entirely, never looking back.

The straw that I thought would break that habit for good fell in late 2005 into early 2006, first with Rey Mysterio's son Dominick being used in the tasteless angle with Eddie Guerrero. I hated that angle to no end, because it was so hyper-soap opera that it strained the lines of credulity. Soon, Eddie died and WWE used his death tastelessly in angles meant to push Rey to the main event scene, including Randy Orton referencing that Eddie was "down there…in hell." Never mind that I read and knew that both Rey and Randy thought highly of Guerrero, the booking and the execution of these ideas was enough for me. I was "done" with WWE, with its insulting, over the top angles, with its lacking in-ring product at that particular time. I would have rather spent my money on ROH and for a time, TNA, which is exactly what I did. I even made a pact with a friend to discontinue watching WWE after Wrestlemania 22.

Like any hard to beat addiction, it wasn't long before I relapsed. I was watching WWE full time again by the beginning of 2007.

What happened was that I began to slowly crawl back to the product. First I would only watch the main event of Raw, then just the second hour. Wouldn't you know it, but soon I was back to watching entire shows, and a little bit of ECW, and even Smackdown when I stayed over my grandfather's apartment on Friday nights. Even with some segments that didn't really jive with me such as Degeneration-X vs. The McMahon Family, I was still watching, even though I said I wouldn't. By late 2006 and into 2007, with the excitement of being able to see CM Punk debut and Shawn Michaels versus John Cena played up for great main event matches, I was into WWE and deep.

Even now, with Raw as the "variety show" that often showcases the same main event talent for months on end and is more comedy based than wrestling based, I don't stop watching WWE (although oftentimes I do get that "why am I watching this?" feeling just as in years past). I don't watch ECW as much, but I do tune into Smackdown more than I have in years.

As far as TNA goes, I have stated many times that I am "done" with them—that I won't spend any money on their product, merchandise and that I won't watch their television shows. I've given my reasons why—the booking committee's often-times illogical and insulting booking, the misuse of the young talent and the maddening pace of their television shows. For the most part, that decision to stay away from TNA has been followed through—I haven't ordered a Pay Per View and I haven't purchased any of their products for two plus years. However, even though I am "done" with TNA, I'm not really "done" with TNA. I still follow what's going on in the product through the internet and my favorite audio podcasts. As well, while I hesitate to admit this, every six months or so, I do get the itch to watch TNA. In fact, just last week I watched almost a full edition of iMPACT! I clicked on the show because I really missed seeing guys like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. I wanted to see a Joe match and luckily enough, he was first up, against Suicide (ne Kaz) in a match that ended via disqualification and resulted in a tag match later in the night involving Daniels and D'Angelo Dinero (a.k.a. Elijah Burke). It was fun to see these guys who I haven't seen in so long do their thing in the ring.

You know what? The rest of the show wasn't that bad overall. Even though I didn't like certain parts of iMPACT, like the forced-down-your-throat push of Matt Morgan or the "scream at you ‘till you change the channel" promo done by Sheik Bashir, there were more positives on that particular episode than negative. Not coincidentally, this episode of Impact had over thirty-eight minutes of wrestling, which was one of their highest totals in months. There have been editions of Impact that have had as little as fifteen minutes of actual wrestling time in a two-hour period. That sort of thing is unacceptable to me and is a reason as to why I am apprehensive about watching TNA without reading up on what happens from the spoilers.

Does that mean every edition of TNA from now on is going to be like this? I doubt it. Does this mean I am going to go back to watching TNA on a regular basis? I also doubt it, but as with most things in wrestling, you can never say never. I shut the door and bolted most of the locks, but there is a slight open spot left through the shuttered windows that I sometimes look through and see what's going on inside. However, I lost a lot of faith in TNA years back and it's hard to gain it back— and in that way I can definitely understand what some of the more distressed ROH followers are feeling right now and why they are so close to the edge of deciding to quit watching ROH. For me and TNA, it's almost too little, too late. Maybe some ROH fans feel the same way about that product.

Are we as wrestling fans ever really quite done with wrestling? For the hardcore fans (and most of us who come to the internet for news, reviews and columns are indeed that hardcore fan), It becomes so ingrained in the blood and fiber of your being, a compulsion that cannot be denied. I always end up being pulled back to it, and I'm sure plenty readers out there know exactly what I mean. Maybe you might be able to step away from it for a while, but it's hard to go cold turkey. Just because I wasn't watching WWE in 2006 or TNA right now didn't mean I was completely done with following the product. I knew exactly what was going on in the storylines even though I wasn't "watching" them due to my deep connections to the internet wrestling sites. I just don't think I'm ever going to be completely "done" with WWE in my lifetime. The presence of the wrestling industry on the internet does have a lot to do with why I never fully quit.

So even thought I don't like the word, I can understand deeply the feelings of fans who say that dreaded phrase, "I'm done", because I've said it too. I just don't believe that right now is the right time for fans to say "goodbye" to Ring of Honor.

There is no doubt that under Adam Pearce's booking regime Ring of Honor is different than the past seven years under Gabe Sapolsky. Some fans just could never get over the fact that Gabe was no longer booking the product and stopped watching / buying completely at that point. Others have tried to give the "new" ROH a chance and found it lacking, whether it be the poor booking decisions (such as the mismanaged Black vs. Jacobs feud and damaging the Tyler Black main event push with too many failed chances for the title) or the change in style where the undercard became far less action oriented and more as a momentum builder to the second half of the show. Unfortunately this strategy of building live shows from simmer to boil put some fans to sleep and has been a deterrent for buying the DVD of the shows to others.

This doesn't mean that Ring of Honor is no longer worth watching or that everything about it is total crap. It's easy to dwell completely on the negative and give no credence to the positives of the company, but that would also be unfair. ROH has done many things right this year, especially in the main event and upper card. They have revitalized the tag team division by incorporating plenty of new teams to the roster and elevating The American Wolves to the championship position. Austin Aries has worked his ass off throughout the year and has come off fresh and interesting in his heel persona. His efforts took him all the way to the top of the singles division. KENTA has been the international star mainstay for the company and has provided some amazing matches. Kevin Steen & El Generico remain one of the most popular babyface acts on the roster and keep people rooting for them and coming back for more, especially wanting to see them win. There's a whole lot to love about ROH in 2009, if you don't close your mind to it.

I think fans tend to recall the past with rose-colored glasses and for ROH fans who have seen some of the best and most intense wrestling action possible I think it had now reached the point where that is happening with regularity. ROH's "golden era" of 2004-2006 may not ever be topped by them. However, it is also unfair to think that every show is going to be on the level of a Glory By Honor V Night 2 or a Supercard of Honor III. I should also remind fans that there have always been talent and booking decisions in ROH that aren't necessarily the "crème de la crème" and that have been met with criticism. Booking faux pas even go back to the early days of the Sapolsky book. Just a few examples: booking bigger, brawnier guys like Slugger that didn't match what some fans perceived as the "ROH style"; having upwards of fourteen matches per show; the Pure title being met with cynicism and reluctance by the fans to accept the title's rules; Jay Lethal's heel turn on Samoa Joe (which didn't go anywhere); The up and down booking of Chris Hero, and on and on.

There have been plenty of events and circumstances that didn't quite reach the standards of what was "expected" from Ring of Honor and its product. Unlike now, I don't recall seeing a lot of people writing that they were ready to quit watching the promotion or they would stop buying the DVDs.

As far as the comments basically claiming to be done with ROH because Bryan Danielson is leaving, I know I wrote last time that Danielson was the one guy you don't want to lose. However, Danielson is gone from ALL of independent wrestling at the end of September, not just Ring of Honor. I'm not reading comments such as "Danielson is gone from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) , so I'm done with them after September", or the same for Dragon Gate USA or CHIKARA (the former was planning on using Danielson heavily in its future booking). Why is that?

If it's because PWG, Dragon Gate USA and CHIKARA still have plenty of talent that its fan base wants to see in action, I believe Ring of Honor still has plenty of great talent that are worth watching, most of whom are actually reaching new levels of quality performances this year. Now, ROH's roster may not have the same depth as previous eras of the company, but even though Danielson is gone, there are still plenty of wrestlers to watch: Tyler Black, Austin Aries, Nigel McGuinness, The American Wolves, Steen & Generico, The Briscoes, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, The Youngbucks, etc. It is true that if the WWE or TNA manages to sign away a number of these talents, it WILL pose great problems for ROH and its drawing power. However, that has not happened yet, and as it stands many of these talents are under ROH contract until 2010 and WWE wouldn't touch them until then (source: Observer). Danielson was signed away because he didn't have a contract with ROH and was thus a free agent.

As it turns out, ROH was planning on Danielson leaving for WWE for a long time now. ROH has survived the losses of high profile main event talent, especially when it has been one at a time (Paul London, CM Punk, Samoa Joe). ROH has even survived a severe roster drain, like during early 2007 when they announced going to Pay Per View and TNA pulled its talent from making regular appearances. Colt Cabana simultaneously left at the same time as Homicide and the Motor City Machine Guns were prohibited from wrestling for ROH (and all of them later made appearances on non-PPV events or in Cabana's case, returned to regular action). I'd expect ROH to be able to make it past the loss of Danielson…that is, IF the fans stick around and don't just decide to leave with him.

If the fans are leaving because of a perceived lack of match quality and that PWG and CHIKARA shows are better overall in that regard, well that's also a befuddling reason. True, both of those promotions have been on an incredible roll this year, producing the best shows on the independent scene. That is high praise that in years previous had been given more to ROH than those promotions. PWG and CHIKARA have come through big time on their match quality up and down the card, maximizing their talent, having fun matches and getting the fans excited about their product, thus generating more buzz and more hype for their shows (and again, much deserved). Some of those qualities (such as generating a buzz about the product) have been lost in the shuffle for ROH.

However, the quality of other independent shows doesn't mean one should give up on ROH entirely. Being a fan of professional wrestling shouldn't be "exclusive" to one promotion or another. Just as I believe that you can be a fan of both WWE and ROH at the same time, or even a follower of TNA and WWE at the same time, I also believe it is possible to be a fan of as many independent companies as possible. In fact, I'd go so far as to say to exclude one over another is to a wrestling fan's detriment. Someone who dropped out of watching Ring of Honor this year has missed a lot of good to great to downright awesome matches.

If money is the key contributing factor to being "done" with Ring of Honor, there are more sales than ever through their website. If you time your purchase right you can have some tremendous savings. It is very understandable that customers are cutting corners with their discretionary income, especially in these tough economic times. I know that I don't have enough money to buy every DVD of every major independent company. I have my priorities, but just as in years past, I do my best to buy into ROH, PWG, CHIKARA and SHIMMER on a regular basis. However, if there are fans out there that are "downgrading" their priority level for ROH, again it doesn't mean that you have to be "done" with ROH. As has been the case over the last several years, ROH offers its Videowire for free (and usually its chock full of great promo work). You can also watch the ROH on HDNet show for free through Youtube and other websites. It's possible to remain a fan of the product even if you don't buy as many shows as before.

Although the undercard of the shows from the beginning of the year through May (aside from their major shows like Supercard of Honor IV and Manhattan Mayhem III) have been of average quality, since June ROH has improved on putting more "oomph" into the undercards. The July shows in Canada have received rave reviews and if you look up and down the card you can see that they are jam-packed with good-to-great matches which help boost the shows into "Must Buy" status. ROH has been home to plenty of great matches in 2009, ones that those who love their snowflakes would rate at four stars and up (although by any standard they would impress). A whole bevy of American Wolves vs. Steen & Generico matches have been at that level; Tyler Black's matches against Jerry Lynn and Bryan Danielson certainly fit that category as does KENTA vs. Davey Richards or really KENTA vs. anybody; undercard sleepers such as Roderick Strong vs. Sonjay Dutt (MM III) and even newbies to ROH like the Youngbucks have been putting in the top quality matches.

If you look at the cards in September, you can see that ROH is promoting some amazing high profile matches which should be worth anyone's money under any set of circumstances. It's not just Glory By Honor VIII in New York City (headlined by Danielson's last match and Ladder War II with the blow off to Wolves vs. Steen / Generico), you have great lineups for the cards in Dayton, Chicago and Boston as well.

I really do believe that ROH has learned from their biggest missteps and blunders over the past several months and are working to correct and readjust the product. The last few months have shown that to be the case. The biggest issue is whether or not it's too late to convince those who have left to come back and those who say they are "done" to stick around. The future of ROH and whether it lives or dies is dependent on if they can obtain international television rights, but more immediately they need to be concerned about their fan base that buys tickets to the shows, DVDs and merchandise. ROH will be done if enough customers say they are "done" with the product, because they will be "done" spending their dollars.

It's funny to think about it, but for as much as I have said I have been done with WWE in the past, I continue to watch their show, buy their PPVs (although on a very infrequent basis) and purchase their DVD collections. I still give money to a product I have been very angry at in the past and which insulted my intelligence five hundred times worse than ROH has ever done. I have given WWE many chances and may always still watch at least some of their shows. I even went back and watched TNA iMPACT. Now there are fans saying they are done with ROH, for sins that are far less than anything WWE or TNA has ever done.

I know that for whatever its transgressions, ROH certainly hasn't done an injustice to its fans the way WWE and TNA have done in the past, and they certainly warrant more of a chance to regain the faith of their customers than those two companies which have repeatedly blown opportunities To me, that is the most upsetting part about the whole thought in the first place—that fans are giving up on ROH when there is still so much to appreciate.


2) "(Wrestler X) Has Done Everything Possible"

One of the catch-all statements that I always seem to hear when a wrestler leaves the independents for WWE or TNA is that so-and-so wrestler "has done it all". Therefore, because of this abstract concept of having "done it all" is applied, it is therefore acceptable for him or her to leave their former promotion for greener pastures. I heard it again from several people I know and in several columns on this website just last week with Bryan Danielson. Hell, maybe even Bryan Danielson believes he's done all he can on the independent scene. However, in my opinion, I reject on principle the notion that someone "has done it all".

I don't think that's a valid statement for anyone's life both in practical and abstract reasons, much less in terms of talking about a career in professional wrestling. You can sure as hell try to "do it all" in life, but there is always going to be something left unchecked from your "bucket list". From a practical point of view, if you make a list of things you want to do on any given day and accomplish them all, then I'd consider you to be either very lucky or the most well- prepared person in the world.

I think it's something if I accomplish half of my "to do" list on any given day. For instance, today I wanted to complete my workout, write two articles and call my brother-in-law. I've made it through my workout and just one article. I plan to do more than I can on any given day and I think many other people have the same sort of experience.

As far as professional wrestling goes, when people say "(Wrestler X) has done all he can", they are usually equating this to mean "having won the World championship" or becoming the top star of their given promotion (by this measure Danielson did "do it all" in his seven year run in Ring of Honor). In my opinion, I think this conception of "done it all" underestimates the influence of booking creative wrestling angles which can almost infinitely extend the lifespan of any wrestler in any promotion.

Wrestling should be an evergreen industry, as there are near-infinite possibilities for storylines, angles and matches. In addition, many successful angles and storylines have been repeated, albeit updated for a modern era and with different twists and turns. For example, the nWo was the 1990's version of the Four Horsemen and TNA's Main Event Mafia is this decade's version of the same concept.

In addition, wrestlers can keep going for years after winning a world title even though they have reached the supposed "top" of the kayfabed universe their character exists in, i.e. that company's "World" or "Heavyweight" championship. By continuing to book wrestlers in interesting rivalries and through the efforts of the wrestlers themselves, you can keep a wrestler's presence in a promotion fresh, interesting and must-watch. Wrestlers themselves continue to learn and adapt their style throughout the years (Danielson and Aries being great examples in ROH), adding and subtracting moves from their matches as well as working on promos and psychology.

It might be interesting to look at some real world of sports examples: Michael Jordan won three world championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991-1993, but after he had "done it all", Jordan came back and won a second three-peat with the Bulls, making NBA history. Brett Favre has "done it all" including winning the Super Bowl and yet he continued to play for the NFL in subsequent years and even has come out of retirement twice because he personally feels the need to continue to challenge himself by playing professional football.

Now has Bryan Danielson done a lot on the independent scene? Absolutely. He has wrestled all over the world including Japan, Europe and Mexico. He has wrestled against and with some of wrestling history's best including Jushin "Thunder" Liger, stars from NOAH and Dragon Gate. However, he has not done it "all" in the independent wrestling scene, not even in what has become his most well-known home promotion, ROH, where he never won the ROH World Tag Team Championships. Danielson hadn't even cracked the iceberg of what he could have done in Dragon Gate USA, with the "American Dragon" representing in that promotion as its true "American" presence.

I can think of a dozen angles for Bryan Danielson in Ring of Honor, just like I did when Samoa Joe left and many stated that Joe had "done it all" in Ring of Honor. As with Joe, there was always a run with the tag titles that could have been greenlit, but even without the championship run there were new and different directions to take Dragon on his path through Ring of Honor. From a run against Kenny Omega to Danielson forming an "honor guard" bent on removing Austin Aries, Kenny King and Rhett Titus out of ROH, to Danielson selling out and joining The Embassy, anything was possible for Danielson's future in ROH. There were definitely twists and turns left unexplored which but for Danielson's departure we could have seen. Obviously, the largest career goals were accomplished in Ring of Honor and across the independents, but it's not "all" Bryan Danielson could have done if he had stuck around for a few more years. Perhaps even more importantly, he could have been the marquee name to take Ring of Honor upwards and onwards through the mainstream.

It is very rare for a wrestler to stay in one promotion in wrestling. Even during the territorial days, wrestlers were journeymen, travelling from one part of the country to another in order to earn their way and continue their careers. I don't think anything is wrong with that, far from it. Alternatively, you had wrestlers like Jerry Lawler, who although they travelled from promotion to promotion across America, had a definite "home base" (for Lawler it was Memphis). It was there they were the main marquee name, the top draw and the local hero. Lawler was "King" of Memphis for decades. He won 28 Heavyweight championships in USWA alone (albeit, because he was booking the territory for a lot of it), not to mention countless NWA, CWA and AWA championships. Even though he had "done it all", he continued to wrestle in Memphis, "his" town. Lawler continued to work in USWA even as he appeared for WWE (then WWF).

While Jerry Lawler's connection to the people of Memphis was a phenomenon above and beyond Bryan Danielson and his connection to Ring of Honor and the independent wrestling fan base, I still believe the parallels ring true. If Danielson wanted, he could have been a top dog of the independent scene for decades to come, whether or not you believe he had "done it all".


****

And Now, McGuinness Too…

It should be noted that I wrote all of the above before word came out about Nigel McGuinness signing to WWE. In the wake of that announcement and reading over my statements one more time, I stand by my opinion.

McGuinness's departure is surprising and yet not surprising to me. Word had been out for weeks that WWE was looking to sign multiple ROH talent, and with McGuinness not signed to a contract, he was the next likely to go. I feel similarly about McGuinness compared to what I felt about Danielson when I wrote my special edition column two weeks ago. I am incredibly happy that McGuinness has decided to go to the mainstream wrestling promotion, which is the natural "next step" for an independent wrestler. As a Ring of Honor fan I am saddened that I won't be able to see him at the live shows. I continue to be worried about the future of Ring of Honor for the next year, but hope that fans will stick around to see some other awesome independent wrestling talent make their marks in the promotion.

McGuinness has been the longest reigning ROH Pure champion (before the title was unified with the ROH World Championship by of all people, the also departing Bryan Danielson) and the second longest reigning ROH World Champion. He was "given the ball" after the departure of Samoa Joe and CM Punk and ran with it, both during his time as a face and as a heel. He completed a style change towards a more impact and strike based offense. This adjustment led to matches which often had an "epic" feel where during the backstretch to the finish. It felt possible the match could end at any time. McGuinness had tremendous performances in main event matches throughout his eighteen month long title run against NOAH's Takeshi Morishima, Austin Aries, Kevin Steen, Roderick Strong, El Generico and of course Bryan Danielson. His victory at the Rising Above 2009 Pay Per View (filmed in November and broadcast on Pay Per View this past January) was the culmination of an epic, years-long storyline rivalry against Bryan Danielson.

The more physical style had a brutal effect on McGuinness's body. He had bicep injuries and concussions, which led the fans to dub him "injury prone" at the beginning of his title run in late 2007. That tension between the fans and McGuinness, based on real and legitimate injuries and real and legitimate emotional hurt that McGuinness had about the fan's reaction, ultimately led to his heel turn as ROH World champion. Ironically it was another bicep / shoulder injury (this time on the other arm) which led to the end of McGuinness's title run. He dropped the strap in April 2009 to Jerry Lynn and took time off to heel his injuries. He even contemplated surgery, but ultimately decided on rehab without it.

McGuinness returned from injury only two months after he left, and many fans were questioning if he came back too soon and needed to stay off the cards and instead heal his injuries some more. He was rusty and slower in matches, cautious even. He had tried to reduce his impact-oriented offense and returned to the European catch-as-catch-can style he used when he began his ROH career. McGuinness may have come back because he couldn't afford to lose the money from wrestling bookings. I would say that if that was the case, his signing with WWE was a well-made, but no doubt tough, decision to make. McGuinness was going to be a top name in ROH for a long time, but the plain-and-simple is that he had been waiting for years for a WWE contract. He can make good money and afford to be able to take care of his body better while in WWE.

September will be the last month in action for McGuinness and like Danielson he will finish up his run in ROH at Hammerstein's Grand Ballroom in New York City for Glory By Honor VIII. It's almost a shame that he leaves at the same time as Danielson, because the tour concept has already been built around saying goodbye to Danielson. McGuinness was the second biggest name on the roster and could have also had a more concentrated farewell process for him (as well as give ROH more time to hype and sell his own farewell shows). He will be wrestling against Tyler Black at the first set HDNet tapings, has yet to be signed to action for the second (Austin Aries, Colt Cabana, Chris Hero and Sonjay Dutt all could provide great matches), is not listed for action on the Dayton and Chicago shows on the 18th / 19th, will fight Kenny Omega in Boston on the 25th and finishes up against Roderick Strong on the 26th in Manhattan. He and Strong had begun a program on HDNet based off of Nigel's claims that the fans didn't care about Strong or his well-being. The match in Manhattan will look to be the blow-off of what could have been a real intense (and relatively fresh) feud for ROH.

On paper, McGuinness actually has the better chance of succeeding WWE between him and Danielson, based on past precedent. McGuinness is closer to WWE's "look"—taller, more muscular and more imposing than Danielson. As I wrote in the special edition, Bryan Danielson is a "don't judge a book by its cover" wrestler, and someone who will prove himself to be very valuable over the long haul, but may not be the most "sexy" choice of wrestler to push to the trop. McGuinness has not only that presence, but a promo style that can immediately work to his advantage (especially if pushed as a heel). Interestingly, both McGuinness and Danielson were criticized once upon a time for their "weak" promo work, but each has improved dramatically over time, creating some amazing works of promo art in ROH.

There's also quite a few immediate and apparent options to use McGuinness, such as joining with fellow Brit William Regal to complete the heel ECW stable, a feud over on Smackdown against Finlay (to play on the history between England-Ireland, which is touchy—but hey, its wrestling, you know WWE won't hesitate just because of world politics). McGuinness could even be matched up with Danielson to form a team of "unbeatable technical wrestlers." WWE has recently begun re-emphasizing their tag team division after years of neglect. Big Show and Chris Jericho are the top names of that division, but their inclusion has elevated the tag belts and WWE could use as many teams as they can to help bolster the challengers list. That is, of course, given McGuinness and Danielson stay "Nigel McGuinness" and "Bryan Danielson" and not "Nicholas McGonnogle" and "Brad Dorkerson". If they are given characters to play, that's the nature of the game, but I believe the best hopes for their success in WWE come if they can play themselves, or at least a version of their ROH characterizations. Hey, it worked for CM Punk.

I ended my thoughts about Danielson's departure with a call to arms for Ring of Honor. I'll repeat that here. ROH is at a crisis point in their history that rivals only the Rob Feinstein incident back in 2004. They were able to rise above the turmoil and survive (eventually enjoying their best successes afterwards) thanks to hard work, finding the "next generation" of their talent and giving them the best chances to succeed and providing some intriguing angles that grabbed internet headlines and made people buy their DVDs. ROH must rise to the occasion again. They have lost their top two names (and more may be on the way out—Chris Hero is rumored to be next)-but still have a wealth of talent from their roster and from the independent scene to draw from. They are not "done" yet, but the next steps forwards are crucial towards determining if they will be finished sooner rather than later. September looks to be an awesome series of shows and they need to use these shows to create a huge amount of buzz about their product and the wrestlers they want to push as the next on top. After that, the angles, matches and the booking for rest of the year will determine whether or not ROH can survive amid all that it already has lost.

This is their opportunity to bring ROH back from the precipice.


****


Well, it seems like there's one more thing I'm not done with yet, and that's this column. I'll be back next week, with the reasons why this September is THE best month on paper for Ring of Honor, and a preview of some of the matches happening during this month.


Oh yeah, I forgot...one more thing...

BROOKLYN!

--Ari--