Column of Honor 10.09.09: Survival of the Fittest 2009 Tournament Preview Edition

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 10.09.2009

One of Ring of Honor’s premier tournaments has returned after a two-year hiatus. Find out all the information about who will take the next step up the ladder in ROH with in-depth analysis of the participants, bracketology and a show preview inside this column!

Hey everyone, I'm back one day early with a new column, for a special reason. This is one of my favorite issues of the year, because as I've repeated numerous times during the course of the last four years of this column, I am a huge tournament mark. I love the different possibilities of wrestlers matching up against each other in brackets, the predictions of who will advance, and that ultimately there is a winner who has proven oneself through a trial. So this issue is my testament to that love for tournaments and I hope you enjoy it. However, lest we forget, the Survival of the Fittest happens on a Saturday…and ROH is actually running two shows this weekend, including Friday night in Collinsville. I've offered up a preview to that show as well.

Welcome to the Column.





ROH Preview: October 9th, 2009 in Collinsville, IL

The legendary Jim Cornette will be in attendance for a special FREE meet & greet with the fans prior to the show!!!:

Ring of Honor is wasting no time in using Cornette on the live shows. In addition to the autograph signings I'd wager dollars to donuts that he'll be involved in some fashion during the main show. Look for a verbal spat between him and Austin Aries or perhaps Davey Richards. So long as any promo is kept nice and tight and leads in a definite direction that is no problem with me.

A Double L Double--Austin Aries Will Hold His Lucky Lottery To See Who He Faces For The ROH World Title

There are a few wrestlers on this show who haven't as of yet been assigned to matches (see below). This adds a touch of intrigue as to who Aries will pull out of his lucky hat. My best guess is that it will be Delirious, since they are so close to St. Louis and there is usually something done with Daizee Haze and Delirious in that hometown area. I'' further prognosticate that even if Aries doesn't pull Delirious's name, the green guy and the hazy-girl will somehow convince Aries to grant the title shot anyway.

First Time In ROH--World Tag Team Champion Davey Richards vs. Kenny Omega

These two had a previous encounter in PWG earlier in the year which I definitely enjoyed (see my "summer vacation" part one column two weeks back). I think they will work out a fine match here as well. The key is to mix Richards hard striking and never-back-down attitude and have Omega meet that with some of his own resolve. Omega can be funny and wacky early on in the match, but as the heat picks up, it would be nice to see him fight fire with fire and look intense and intent on winning.

Homecoming II Rematch--Tyler Black vs. Chris Hero with Shane Hagadorn

Black pulled out the win in their first encounter a few months back, but was immediately attacked by Jimmy Jacobs, so the night didn't necessarily have a happy ending for him. Now Black is back after a fireball attack from Aries and recovering from neck surgery. The neck is a prime target for Hero's attack, the KO elbow to the head and shoulder area. Black could find out that the road to recovery isn't going to be an easy one.

Special Challenge Match--Kevin Steen vs. Roderick Strong

This is a bit of an interesting combination, since it is a face vs. face encounter. However, Steen may not be willing to play nice in this match. He's coming off a morale-busting loss in the Ladder War against the American Wolves. He'll need a win to rebound from the depression of losing such a high-profile match. However, Strong is no one's victim—he can unleash a bit of hell himself.

Manhattan Mayhem III Rematch--The Young Bucks vs. Rhett Titus & Kenny King
The Bucks really impressed the New York City crowd when they went toe-toe against King & Titus and came out the victors. Now they'll have to prove that one win was no fluke and that they can do it again. The Bucks have awesome double teams, but King & Titus have developed some effective combinations as well. They bring some swagger and confidence that the Bucks may not have—and their willingness to cheat to win could spell the difference.

Tag Team Action--Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The House of Truth

The Briscoes need to rebound a bit themselves after losing to the Young Bucks in New York in rather decisive fashion. If they want to keep their name in the upper-tier of the ROH tag team rankings, they'll need to win against the promising tag team of Josh Raymond and Christian Able. They are a solid tag team on their own, but the real key is their manager Truth Martini. Truth has shown no compunction about inserting himself into matches, and he has shown even early on that he has the ability to motivate and encourage his men onwards. Look out in particular for Josh Raymond's flying ability which sometimes goes unheralded. I was majorly impressed with the shooting star press crossbody block he seemingly pulled out from nowhere against Kevin Steen & El Generico during Violent Tendencies, which I recently finished watching.

SHIMMER Match--SHIMMER Champion MsChif vs. Nicole Matthews

MsChif continues to dominate and destroy any female in her path, holding onto the SHIMMER Title with an iron grip. Nicole Matthews, one-half of the SHIMMER Tag Team Champions The Canadian Ninjas (with {Portia Perez) possesses excellent technical ability. She may not be able to match MsChif in the power game, but if she can take it to the mat then she will find some even ground against her tough competitor.

Also scheduled to appear:
-Petey Williams
-Ace Steel
-Colt "Boom Boom" Cabana
-Delirious
-Claudio Castagnoli



=Survival of the Fittest 2009- Who Will Emerge as the Next Top Contender?=

One of Ring of Honor's premier tournaments returns after a near two-year hiatus. Survival of the Fittest, which began in 2004, will have its fifth incarnation take place this Saturday in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tournament usually pits anywhere between twelve to sixteen wrestlers in a unique format. There are six qualifying round matches with one winner for each match advancing to six-man elimination finals. At the end of the night, the fittest man will indeed have survived a grueling competition, testing one's stamina, skills, endurance and intellect.

The stakes for this contest are huge for the winner: a guaranteed ROH World Title shot. Every ROH wrestler aspires to become its champion—the flag bearer of the promotion. This year, twelve wrestlers will vie for that opportunity.

Not only does this tournament signify an important development in Ring of Honor storyline, but this could provide a legitimate big break for one of these wrestlers. Ring of Honor finds itself in an interesting but not unfamiliar situation coming off the heels of Glory By Honor VIII and the departure of its two major marquee names in "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness. The talented and versatile Austin Aries may be world champion, but there remains a void in the main event scene that needs to be filled. Aries needs competition and viable opposition in order to create buzz and increase ticket sales at this crucial juncture. It may be that one of the wrestlers in the field can have that break out performance and instantly elevate themselves into that position.

It's already clear that Davey Richards (as of press still one-half of the ROH World Tag Team champions) and Chris Hero are primed and ready to elevate themselves into that championship-level position. Meanwhile Tyler Black has been there before and is looking to find his way back to the top of the roster. However, at this point there is no one wrestler who has clearly and concretely defined himself as "the next" marquee name that belongs in the main event level of the shows. Survival of the Fittest 2009 could be that platform to create the next marquee name.

In the past years the tournament has either cemented the presence or elevated greatly the value of the winner of the tournament. Bryan Danielson was already a main event player in ROH when he won the premier edition. However, the win helped to elevate first runner-up Austin Aries to the next level and provided a solid foundation from which to develop the reputation of the annual contest.

By 2005 Roderick Strong was in the middle of establishing himself as a capable singles wrestler beyond his role as the clean-up hitter in the Generation Next stable. Strong's dominant win in the finals, eliminating four opponents, helped to legitimize Strong's already emerging presence in the upper card of the roster. It allowed him to continue onwards to three increasingly well received title matches against Danielson, who was champion at the time.

2006 saw a huge upset win with Delirious taking the crown in a five-man field. It was a respective field with Austin Aries, Matt Sydal (WWE's Evan Bourne) and The Briscoes going at it, but perhaps not as depth-heavy as the previous two editions. Nonetheless, the tournament win provided Delirious, who was already having a career year in 2006 as far as exposure and praise, to compete in several main event level matches, also against Bryan Danielson.

Many fans had been complaining about the uneven push of Chris Hero as a heel in the company in 2007. It seemed every step forward he took with his promos and his heel actions, there was a step backwards in the form of a momentum-busting loss. However, Hero was given a mega-push to the main event scene in late 2007 with his Survival of the Fittest tournament win. Not only did he dominate that show, but he swept the entire finals, eliminating everyone. Hero had gained a hold in ROH and used that momentum from November through January in a high-profile feud against the champion at that time in Nigel McGuinness.

2008's tournament was ultimately scrubbed after the show set for Orlando, Florida was canceled in October of that year. This was the return trip for ROH to Florida post-Wrestlemania XXIV. Low ticket-sales pushed the double shot weekend back. There was the booking change and new direction for ROH by the time they returned for what would become Proving Ground Nights One and Two (thanks to AnthonyD1987 for that information).

Now the tournament has resurfaced and probably at the best time given its ability to move up wrestlers into the upper card and main event scene. As you'll soon see, there are quite a few new participants who could use the win. There are also some returning tournament champions who are looking to make history by winning a second SOTF title. That includes Chris Hero, who is back and ready to defend his crown, complete with a bad-ass, knock-out attitude.

Survival of the Fittest 2009 is this weekend. Who will win? Who will survive? Who will become an endangered species? Fans in Indianapolis don't have to wait too much longer to find out.


=The 2009 SOTF Field=

Ten men have been announced so far for the tournament, with two additional names to be announced. For now, here is a close look at the competitors that have been confirmed. Included are some vital stats, odds on the win, past tournament history (if applicable) and a breakdown of what makes that wrestler "Survivor"-worthy (and I don't mean that show on an island).

In addition you'll also get a fancy-shmancy "Survival Factor" chart. This is my analysis of each wrestler for qualities that guarantee survival in a tournament such as this or any wrestling match in general. These factors include:

Cunning: How smart or depending on the situation, how cutthroat, is the wrestler? Does he have the ability to come up with the right strategy in order to win and then execute it? Will this wrestler play the "survival game" to win?

Instinct: Crazy and unforeseen situations can happen in the heat of battle. Does this wrestler have the innate ability to react and respond to his environment? Can he adjust, almost without thinking, to advantageous or disadvantageous events?

Skill: Sometimes instinct alone cannot rule the day—sometimes talent is involved too. How skilled is this wrestler? Can he use his abilities—whether technical wrestling, brawling, flying, submissions—to give him the best possible chance of advancing further?

Brute Force: Sometimes skill alone is not enough to control the match—sometimes its just the strongest bull in the woods that wins out. How much strength, muscle control or out and out brawn does this wrestler have that when all is said and done, "might" will be able to make his situation "right"?

Endurance: How much punishment can a wrestler take before he gives in? How much stamina does he have? Wrestlers need to have both great pain-tolerance and effective cardio-vascular conditioning in order to have a shot at lasting through the six-man finals.





Tyler Black
1st Appearance; Tournament Record: 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 6-1
Finisher: The Buckle Bomb into Superkick, Small Package Driver
2009: This is a most interesting time for Tyler Black to make his first foray into the Survival of the Fittest. Black has experienced a year of mixed results. He won the war against his former Age of the Fall teammate Jimmy Jacobs, making it through some severe adversity in late June (Violent Tendencies, End of an Age) in order to do so. However, Black still hasn't made good on the world championship potential many believe he possesses—failing in several title shots this year and being unsuccessful when he cashed in the title opportunity he had in his back pocket during Manhattan Mayhem III. Black could use the tournament win here to guarantee his name gets placed back at the top of the contenders list.

However, Black is coming into the tournament at a disadvantage. This weekend marks his return after neck surgery as well as a horrific fireball incident perpetrated by ROH World Champion Austin Aries just several weeks ago. His health and conditioning are two huge question marks, which could take Black from a prohibitive favorite to an underdog. Black's hunger and drive cannot be denied—he wants to win and to prove he is the real deal. If he can put all his skills together he may have enough to win.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Colt "Boom Boom" Cabana
3rd Appearance; Tournament Record 3-2, 3 falls won
Odds: 8-1
Finisher: Billy Goat's Curse, Colt 45
2004: Defeated Trent Acid in qualifier; pinned Samoa Joe in the finals; Eliminated in the finals by Mark Briscoe.
2005:: Defeated Rickey Reyes in qualifier; Eliminated in the finals by Roderick Strong.
2006: Did Not Appear
2007: Did Not Appear
2009: For Colt Cabana, it will have been four years since his last "Fittest" involvement. Although back in the day Cabana was an absolute natural at it—making it past the qualifier and into the finals each time. Although looking back at it, perhaps his competition in the qualifying rounds (Acid and Reyes) was not as stiff a match-up as others had it during those years, but still, a win is a win. Cabana also has one of the most shocking falls in SOTF history with his pinfall win against then ROH World Champion Samoa Joe—in the very first elimination of the very first SOTF Final Round. So it's safe to say that Colt not only knows his way around the tournament but also can provide the kind of effort that it takes in order to win in the end.

Colt's biggest advantages in a tournament format like this come from his cunning and intellect—he is a master of distraction and counter-intelligence. Expect that if Cabana can frustrate his opponents and knock them off their game that Colt will go far in this year's edition. However, Cabana has become more of a finesse wrestler than a brawler over the years—while his technical wrestling abilities may be enough to make it past the qualifier, that plus becomes a minus in the chaos, frenzy and unpredictability of a six-man final. There won't be much room for finesse or fancy roll-ups with the potential of the match breaking down and five other men crowding the same ring space.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Claudio Castagnoli
2nd Appearance; Tournament Record 1-1, 1 fall won
Odds: 5-1
Finisher: Running European Uppercut, Ricola Bomb
2007: Defeated Davey Richards in qualifier; Eliminated by Chris Hero in the finals.
2009: Even though Claudio has been spending his time repping about how he is "Very European", to overlook his athleticism, ability and killer instinct will quickly get you served with a "very" European Uppercut to the jaw! Castagnoli is not only so very well experienced (now a bona fide veteran of both ROH and the independent wrestling scene), but he is also tournament tested. He earned the Race to the Top Tournament win in 2007 by defeating four opponents in two days. He made it all the way to the final two in 2007's SOTF tournament (although perhaps that was more survival of attrition rather than anything active he did in the tournament—after all, Hero did run the table). Now, second place is no longer good enough for Claudio—he is looking for nothing less than a win this year.

It's easy to see how he can do it too—his brute force alone is enough to make a dramatic effect on this tournament. However, when you couple his strength with his cunning (developing a sense of "winning at all costs" ever since he turned heel in late 2008) as well as his back up in Prince Nana and The Embassy—you are talking about a winning combination.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Chris Hero =2007 Survival of the Fittest Champion=
2nd Appearance; Tournament Record 2-0, 6 falls won
Odds: 3-1
Finisher: Knock Out Elbow
2007: Defeated Karl Anderson in qualifier; Swept the finals and eliminated, in order: Human Tornado, Rocky Romero, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Claudio Castagnoli.
This Year: Two years ago Hero put the perfect plan together to win Survival of the Fittest. Hero, along with his agent Larry Sweeney out-manipulated, out-thought and out-played his opponents in the finals. He came up with a novel twist—even though he was part of the match, he didn't have to be directly involved unless he wanted to be. Hero took a chair and sat on his keester a good distance away from the ring for most of that match, slinking in and stealing pins. Hero and Sweeney even temporarily purchased the services of Roderick Strong when it was down to the both of them and Claudio Castagnoli. Then Hero beat down Strong anyway and took back the money (I guess Strong had learned his lesson when Sweeney later had another money offer for him and the No Remorse Corps, because he would turn down all future propositions).

Hero has evolved greatly since his 2007 tournament win and in doing so has become even more dangerous and threatening to the rest of the Survival field. He is "That Young Knockout Kid" now, relying less on acrobatics and finesse and more on just straight-ahead reach, force and of course, knock-out power. Hero will not hesitate to lie, cheat and steal his way to victory, but he's going to make sure that now you're also concussed to go along with the feeling that you were robbed. You can add to Hero's intellect and skill the services of Shane Hagadorn for distraction and misdirection. All told it is very clear that Hero is not only a strong favorite to win the tournament and in doing so being the first wrestler to repeat, but there may not be anyone else who can come close to matching his innate ability to survive and thrive in this format.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Kenny King
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 8-1
Finisher: The Coronation
2009: Now wait just a minute there my friends. In talking about Claudio and Hero and how they have the brains and the ability to get the job done, you might just be forgetting about the newest, hippest cat on the block. "The Pretty Pitbull", "Killer" Kenny King is making his Survival of the Fittest debut and he is looking to take it all the way. King has the look, the mouth, the bravado and the skills to back it all up in the ring. King is not only fast and athletically gifted, but he can hit you from different angles, throw opponents off their games and then lower the boom on them when they're not expecting it.

However, if you're looking for some strikes against King, it is that same youthful exuberance bordering on arrogance that could also prove to be King's downfall. If he gets too cocky and loses focus, then he will be a quick exit.

An interesting side note is that King's regular tag team partner Rhett Titus is also a part of the field. While SOTF is usually about personal survival, we also saw last year that it is a good idea for a tag team or a stable to stick together through the finals. The No Remorse Corps did exactly that with some minor success in 2007. If Titus looks out for King and vice versa, these two may carve a path into the finals without breaking a sweat Remember, Titus prides himself on having lots of energy after the show, if you know what I mean, so it behooves the both of them to get the job done early and painlessly.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Kenny Omega
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 9-1
Finisher: Electric Chair German Suplex
2009: The youthful exuberance of Kenny Omega cannot be denied whether through victory or defeat. Omega has been building his reputation in ROH since the end of 2008 and right now he seems to be the most comfortable he's ever been inside an ROH ring. He may be close to putting the right pieces of his offensive and defensive game together into one master plan for Kotaku domination. Omega's speed is his greatest advantage, but combined with his ability to throw opponents off with his wacky personality, there is no doubt Omega is an upset special waiting to happen in any match. Omega's air offense is oftentimes overlooked, but he can fly with the best of them. He especially loves a flip senton or diving moonsault to the outside of the ring. A major negative is that Omega tends to sometimes become too distracted himself during matches, and he may not have the killer instinct developed to the point where he can get the job done in a one-and-done situation such as this tournament. Not only will this be his first major ROH tournament of any kind, but he'll be thrown into deep water right away given he will wrestle Chris Hero, a dangerous opponent to be sure, in the qualifier.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Kevin Steen
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 5-1
Finisher: Package Piledriver, Sharpshooter
2009: Steen's major run in ROH occurred too late to be selected for any previous ROH tournament, so this will be the rough-and-tumble fan favorite's first foray into the SOTF field. It comes at an interesting moment in Steen's career. He and tag partner El Generico lost their most high profile tag team title match in years, and it has put the both of them on edge. Steen may be searching for a direction or a new goal in the wake of that loss. Whether or not he can use that as a motivating factor or it becomes an anchor dragging him to the bottom remains to be seen. There is no doubt that Steen can be very successful in singles competition (defeating both Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards repeatedly in one-on-one matches during the past ten months), but a lot of what made him capable of such success—anger fueling determination, a "Never-Say-Die" attitude and a hell of a killer instinct—now seems to be in question. However, Steen's innate abilities remain present, as well as his impressive offense. Steen can brawl with the best of them and he definitely ranks high in this year's field as far as power and strength. I doubt anyone in the field is going to be able to kick out of a Package Piledriver, while others may have fits with Kevin Steen's version of the Sharpshooter. Simply put, if Steen is able to put it all together, he becomes one of the favorites to win the whole thing, but if he can't get past the events of Glory By Honor VIII, he will become easy pickings.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Roderick Strong=2005 Survival Of The Fittest Champion=
5th Appearance; Tournament Record: 4-2 (1 Non Advance), 7 falls won
Odds: 3-1
Finisher: Gibson Driver, Stronghold
2004: Involved in a tag match qualifier winning on a team with Austin Aries but did not advance in field due to stipulation where the person taking the pinfall only advanced.
2005: Tournament Winner. Defeated Jerelle Clark in qualifier; Defeated Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, Colt Cabana and Austin Aries in finals to win the tournament.
2006: Involved in a tag match qualifier, losing on a team with Homicide against the Briscoes.
2007: Defeated Brent Albright in qualifier; eliminated by Chris Hero in finals.
2009: One of the most successful Survival of the Fittest competitors returns in his bid to win once again. Unless Austin Aries is one of the final mystery entrants, Strong will becomes the only man to compete in every Survival of the Fittest tournament in ROH history. Strong's moniker "Only the Strong Survive" wasn't just a marketing tool—in fact it was born out of his 2005 win. Chris Hero may have swept the finals in 2007, but until then it was Strong who had the record with four eliminations in 2005. Strong simply knows how to win and how to dominate in this format, with seven falls won in the tournament throughout his career, including against some stiff competition.

Strong only has himself to rely on this year, unlike in 2007 when he had some massive back up in the form of his stable the No Remorse Corps. However, Strong has been on his lonesome for quite some time now and has always managed not only to keep his head above water, but to thrive against stiff competition. In the past year alone he has wins against Austin Aries, Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness. Strong is no doubt an elite wrestler, and that's what you need to be in order to win this tournament. His key to success is in mixing high velocity offense, crazy powerful strikes and a painful strategy of using backbreakers to lead to the Stronghold submission move. There is very little downside to Strong these days if you're talking about his in-ring ability. He is one of the top picks to win this year.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Rhett Titus
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 15-1
Finisher: Muff Driver
2009: "Brother, brother, brother…!" Sorry, had to do it. If you're talking about "Survival of the Fittest" in the bedroom, brother, Rhett Titus is your main man! Endurance? He has the staying power and the stamina of a wild hyena in heat (as Shawn Michaels once said… "I did not sleep with that intern, in fact I was "UP" ALL NIGHT!). He has the "Cunning"-lingus of a Zen master. He has the skills to pay the hotel bills. Brute Force? No one has as much power in the thrust. And have you seen the size of those things? There is no doubt that Rhett Titus is going all the way to the climax of the SOTF finals.

What? Oh… really…? This isn't… there are no girls involved? Oh my. Well, in that case…

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

Petey Williams
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Odds: 13-1
Finisher: Canadian Destroyer
2009: Williams is known in some places as "Maple Leaf Muscle". He's definitely built up, housing a killer physique in a compact frame. So while he may not appear to be the most powerful wrestler going today, he definitely has power and force behind his strikes. The best tactical advantage for Williams is to combine that strength with his ability to use speed and throw off his opponents. That will give him the opening to nail the Canadian Destroyer, which is the ultimate equalizer. Williams can come from behind (sorry, still have residuals from that Titus write-up) with just that one move. It could be enough to get him into the finals. However, Williams has yet to be fully tested against the best of ROH competition. After a recent tough test and setback against Austin Aries, can Williams rebound and find a niche for himself in ROH? Perhaps the Survival of the Fittest will be his proving ground.

Survival Factors
Cunning	Low	Medium	High
Instinct	Low	Medium	High
Skill	Low	Medium	High
Brute Force	Low	Medium	High
Endurance	Low	Medium	High

---

=Survival of the Fittest 2007: Where Are They Now?=


Brent Albright
2007 SOTF: Albright was still a member of The Hangmen Three, but his brawn and ruthlessness did not get him past the qualifying round. Soon enough Albright was sold off (or "traded" if you want to be PC) to Sweet & Sour Incorporated, which he rebelled against. Albright found his identity as a tough guy who stood against the bullying tactics of villains on the ROH roster.
October 2009: He is a regular presence on the HDNet television program, but his role on DVD shows has been seemingly reduced. A promising tag team with Erick Stevens actually went nowhere, but Albright also teams up with Colt Cabana on occasion.

"Machine Gun" Karl Anderson
2007 SOTF: Anderson received a small tryout with ROH during its two-show West Coast stint, but did not prove to be successful in the SOTF format.
October 2009: Since then, he has found a significant amount of success both in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and wrestling in Japan. He is a bona-fide member of The Dynasty along with Joey Ryan and Scott Lost.

"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson
2007 SOTF: The ROH legend won the original Survival of the Fittest in 2004. He had been competitive in the following years, but did not make it to the finals in 2006 or 2007. He wrestled to a twenty-minute draw against Samoa Joe in 2006 and followed it up with another draw in 2007, this time against Nigel McGuinness.
October 2009: Dragon has just finished up his run in Ring of Honor with a praiseworthy final outing against Nigel McGuinness in New York City two weeks ago. Now he and Nigel begin their journey towards success in WWE.

Delirious
2007 SOTF: The masked crazy man had won the tournament the previous year in a five-man final. However, his 2007 run was stopped cold in the qualifier with a loss to Austin Aries.
October 2009: Delirious is still a very active member of the ROH roster but has not been announced for the competition thus far. He has plenty on his plate though, including training sessions with dear friend Daizee Haze, but also a burgeoning rivalry with Sonjay Dutt.

Shane Hagadorn
2007 SOTF: Then a Hangmen Three understudy, he found an unlikely path into the tournament. The McGuinness-Danielson draw created an opening that needed to be filled. Hagadorn was part of a three-way match that also involved Human Tornado and Tony Kozina, but was unsuccessful.
October 2009: Hagadorn was a part of the HM3- Sweet & Sour Incorporated merger in early 2008. Then he lucked out and "inherited" the remnants of The Inc. when Larry Sweeney left the company. Hagadorn proceeded to take The American Wolves to the top of the ROH tag team division. Looks like Hagadorn managed to survive all these years, huh? Like the cockroach that he is.

Nigel McGuinness
2007 SOTF: McGuinness's first SOTF appearance occurred just after he became ROH World Champion. The success of winning the promotion's top title could not help McGuinness though—he fought to a draw against Bryan Danielson--his greatest and one of his most frequent opponents.
October 2009: McGuinness was on his way to the second-longest ROH World Title reign after the brief set-back of his tournament loss and some early injuries. He, like Danielson, signed a contract with WWE and finished up his ROH run in September. He lost to Roderick Strong in Boston and then to Danielson in New York City.

TJ Perkins
2007 SOTF: TJ Perkins was a PWG mainstay and an infrequent visitor to ROH when he was slotted in '07 tourney against a frequent opponent at the time in Rocky Romero. Unfortunately for TJ, he was stopped in the qualifier.
October 2009: Perkins worked for a variety of different promotions in between then and now, including a quick foray into TNA (for their World X-Cup). Currently he makes appearances on WWE's developmental league Florida Championship Wrestling, although he is not under a developmental contract.

Rocky Romero
2007 SOTF: "Azucar" was the Romeo of the No Remorse Corps in 2007. He won the qualifier against TJ Perkins and helped Roderick Strong in the finals, ultimately being eliminated by Chris Hero.
October 2009: Romero held the ROH World Tag Team Titles for a spell in early 2008 with Davey Richards. When he left ROH, Romero picked up a regular gig with AAA in Mexico, where he is popular with the females in the crowd thanks to his "Rico Suave" personality. He is red-hot in the ring though, frequently appearing as a part of De-Generation Mex and feuding against the likes of Alex Koslov and Teddy Hart.

Human Tornado
2007 SOTF: Tornado was hugely popular in PWG as well as appearing in Wrestling Society X. He was given an opportunity in ROH in late 2007, starting with the West Coast weekend. Surprisingly he was slotted in the Survival of the Fittest tournament Wild Card qualifier, winning his way into the finals. He was the first man eliminated in the match by Chris Hero.
October 2009: Tornado became a brutal and merciless misogynist in PWG (well, even more so with the heel turn), torturing his former valet Candace LeRae. Chris Hero would come to her aid and defend her honor throughout most of 2008 in PWG. Meanwhile an injury kept Tornado out of in-ring action in the middle of 2008, which scrubbed his run in ROH. He would make a full-time comeback starting in early 2009 and has continued to make frequent appearances for PWG, but has not yet resurfaced in ROH.

Tony Kozina
2007 SOTF: Another West Coast and Mid-West independent regular, Kozina was given the third spot in the Wild Card qualifier match along with Tornado and Hagadorn. He lost that match.
October 2009: Kozina hasn't been around in ROH much over the last two years except for a pre-show match here and there, but he continues to make the rounds on the rest of the United States independent scene.


=SOTF 2009 Match-by-Match Preview: October 10th, 2009 Indianapolis, IN=

7:30pm belltime
Indiana State Fairgrounds (Farm Bureau Building)
1202 E. 38th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46205

The legendary Jim Cornette will be in attendance for a special FREE meet & greet with the fans prior to the show!!!

Main Event- Survival of the Fittest Elimination Match--The six winners of their Survival of the Fittest qualifying matches will compete in an elimination match

Survival of Fittest Qualifying Match--Kenny Omega vs. Chris Hero with Shane Hagadorn

Omega has the toughest draw of the five brackets announced thus far. Hero is not going to play around with him, which means Omega's distraction tactics could backfire easily and rapidly. He's going to have to watch himself that he doesn't get caught by too many of Hero's elbows, because any one of them or a rapid fire combination will be his doom. Hero is looking to win two consecutive tournaments, so you better believe he is going to do anything and everything he can to do so. Hagadorn will be able to get under Omega's skin and that momentary distraction will be enough for Hero to put on his loaded Gold elbow pad. On the other hand, if Omega builds up enough momentum during the match, he may overwhelm Hero before he even gets the chance.

Survival of Fittest Qualifying Match--Petey Williams vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Castagnoli recently cut a promo for the ROH Video Wire where he guaranteed he would be newly focused and refreshed in his run to the top of the company. That is bad news for Petey, because a focused Castagnoli is a near-unstoppable Castagnoli. Williams will have to stick and move during this match, throw Claudio off-balance and try for a kill shot with the Destroyer as quickly as possible. Another factor is the possible presence of Prince Nana or any other member of The Embassy. Their "support" at ringside, like Hagadorn with Hero, could be enough to prove the determining factor in this match. Williams needs a win to rebound from the loss against Austin Aries, but I don't think he'll be able to find it here.

Survival of Fittest Qualifying Match--Tyler Black vs. Kenny King

As mentioned before, Black's health will be a key factor in this match. If he is injured and shows signs of it, King won't hesitate to capitalize on it. Black is going to have to go with what has always worked for him in high-profile matches. He needs to roll with the punches, absorb as much of the damage as he can, and make the comebacks when appropriate. He has the offensive firepower to overwhelm King in the heat of battle, but he's going to have to work for it in this one.

Survival of Fittest Qualifying Match--Kevin Steen vs. Colt Cabana

I don't think Steen is in any mood for jokes or witticisms and if Colt tries it will be Steen lowering the "Boom Boom" on him and not the other way around. Likewise Steen may not want to have a technical wrestling clinic and could easily turn the match into a brawl. The tempo of the match and the tempers of each man will be a key factor in what should be one of the more even but hotly contested opening round matches of the evening.

Survival of Fittest Qualifying Match--Roderick Strong vs. Rhett Titus

Initially this looks to be somewhat of a mismatch in Strong's favor, but again one would be unwise to underestimate the "support" factor-Kenny King or Austin Aries could easily stop by and say hello in this match, land a cheap shot or two and put the momentum in Titus's favor. Barring that, I think Titus is outmatched in strength, power and wrestling holds. I'd be extremely surprised to see Titus pick up a win here.

Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match--TBA vs. TBA

Two mystery participants in the SOTF tournament have yet to be announced. Their participation could throw the entire balance of the tournament out of whack. The winner becomes a true wild card in the six-man finals, because no one will be ready for him (or her, hey who knows?) and no one will have prepared any decent strategy in how to handle it.

Tag Team Action--The Young Bucks vs. The House of Truth

The Bucks are cruising to the top of the tag team division with high-profile win after win. Their smooth moves and ability to rally from behind are their keys to victory. The House of Truth, led by manager Truth Martini, have found success in AAW and other independent promotions. They have yet to break through with a win in ROH and this match will be a tough test for them as well.

Dream Tag Team Match--ROH World Champion Austin Aries & Tag Team Champion Davey Richards vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe

Just announced in the October 5th newswire is this match, born out of the agreement between Richards and Aries for Richards not to request his ROH World title shot. Richards needs some serious backup given Edwards' injury status and the kind of enemies he had riled up. The Briscoes are still aching for revenge against Richards for his role in taking out Mark Briscoe earlier in the year. The big question though: will Aries be there for him during the tough times of this match, or will he just walk away? I don't think Richards can trust Aries farther than he can see him. I think The Briscoes are ready to wallop the hell out of him, Aries or anyone else that gets in their way on this night in Indianapolis.

Also scheduled to appear:
-Delirious
Plus more!


=SOTF 2009 Bracketology=


-Here we go again with my attempt at proper prognostication that will probably perpetually plateau into epic fail throughout perpetuity. Keep in mind I HAVE NEVER BEEN CORRECT as far as it relates to picking an overall tournament winner. NEVER. NOT ONCE. So this is purely for my own entertainment to see just how wrong I can be. Nonetheless, my 2009 Survival of the Fittest BRACKETOLOGY PREDICTIONS for this year:

Qualifiers
[Kenny Omega vs. Chris Hero]	[Kenny Omega]
[Petey Williams vs. Claudio Castagnoli]	[Claudio Castagnoli]
[Tyler Black vs. Kenny King]	[Tyler Black]
[Kevin Steen vs. Colt Cabana]	[Kevin Steen]
[Roderick Strong vs. Rhett Titus]	[Roderick Strong]
[TBA vs. TBA]	[?????]
Finals: [????? vs. Omega vs. Castagnoli vs. Black vs. Steen vs. Strong ]
SOTF '09 Winner: ?????

Yes, call me crazy, call me nuts, and call me stupid because it's probably all true with this pick, but I am going with one of the two mystery participants! Whoever wins that qualifier, to go on to win the whole tortilla! Why? Well, it's elementary my dear Watson, as Wrestling Rule # 17 clearly states that "mystery entrants in any wrestling match will have the best chance of winning said match". You can't argue with the wrestling rules, so there.

Seriously though, of the other five I have predicted, Black, Castagnoli or Strong would look to be the favorites. Steen doesn't seem to be in a position where a tournament win would help him. It may be too soon for Kenny Omega, despite his non-title wins against current champion Austin Aries. Castagnoli is moving back up the ladder and a title shot could be used for a face champion down the line. Strong has looked great as of late. Black could use the win if only to once again have a title shot in his back pocket (and this time the story would be that he wouldn't blow it, unlike the Manhattan Mayhem III mistake). However, I don't know if the fans are ready to accept another Black title shot already, or at least such an easy road to get back to the top of the main event. So while it makes booking sense, I wouldn't be so fast to pull the trigger on that decision.

So, yes, I'm going with the mystery participants. Whoever makes it through will win the whole thing and likely make his or her mark in this brave new world of ROH. After all, sometimes the key to survival is the element of surprise.

---

Honor Bound Links


I invite everyone to check out some of my other writing, available at Associated Content. Click and read any and all of the following articles that I wrote this week:

Michelle Branch Gives Preview Show at City Winery in New York City, NY - September 30th, 2009: Branch Debuts Never Before Played Songs, Chats Up Crowd in Elegant NYC Wine Bar

NCIS Season 7 Episode 3-The Inside Man: Two Major Series Developments as Ziva Applies to Become an NCIS Agent...And Does McGee Finally Have a Love Interest?


In addition, I have caved in and joined TwitterNation. You can follow me at: http://twitter.com/AriBerenstein.


Elsewhere on 411, Aaron Hubbard dishes down and dirty his opinions about ROH Undeniable on Pay Per View from late 2007.

I'll be back in 8 (my regularly scheduled slot) for part two of my recaps and reviews of the wrestling DVDs I watched during summer vacation, plus likely a word or two about the winner of the SOTF tournament. Until then…

BROOKLYN!
--Ari--