Column of Honor: 01.22.11: A Generico WrestleReunion Weekend

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 01.22.2011

Thoughts and comments about three WWE DVDs including Best of Pay Per Views 2009-2010 and Satan’s Prison: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber, El Generico’s upcoming double main-event weekend and the differences between the PWG and ROH shows, then news about the 2011 Top Prospect tourney, the last HDNet tapings, a review of Allied Forces and more!

Welcome to the Column. By now, I've learned how to Tango, so let's tango up some ROH and independent wrestling, with a side of some WWE DVDs.

In a bit of breaking news, ROH owner Cary Silkin announced on The Fight Show with Mauro Rinallo that both the April 1st and April 2nd Wrestlemania weekend shows from Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia would be internet Pay Per View presentations available through GoFightLive.tv.





=El Generico Headlines WrestleReunion V Weekend for PWG, ROH=





January 28th, 2011 will be the start of a huge weekend for independent wrestler El Generico, filled with promise and the opportunity for championship gold in not one but two wrestling promotions. WrestleReunion V presents its annual convention in Los Angeles, California on that weekend, hosting wrestling events from both Ring of Honor and Reseda's own Pro Wrestling Guerilla for the second year in a row. On a weekend stacked with the biggest names from professional wrestling's past and present, it is El Generico's position on the main event of both shows that stands out as the most captivating story of the convention.

There is no better proof of the ascension and popularity of the generic one than the two title matches booked for these showcase events at WrestleReunion. El Generico challenges ROH World Champion Roderick Strong for the title on the 28th, stemming from the momentum from winning the feud-ending Fight Without Honor match against Kevin Steen at Final Battle 2010.The next night at the convention he wrestles for the PWG Heavyweight Title against champion Claudio Castagnoli. Generico earned that title shot through a win at the Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison event as a result of winning a tag match with London against the dominant ROH World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling (Castagnoli and Chris Hero).

The growth of Generico's character and the triumph of his feud-ending win in ROH give the company, Generico himself and any other independent promotion for which he wrestles far-reaching options in 2011. For certain, that means Generico can be utilized as a main-event talent and a contender for any promotion's major titles. If anything, Generico is right now at the career peak of his credibility for that role.

The ability to inspire the audience to suspend their disbelief and support him in the underdog role is what Generico will use to sell the possibilities of winning one or both of the PWG or ROH World Titles during WrestleReunion weekend.

In 2010, PWG had been besieged by a lack of stability in their Heavyweight championship division, with Kenny Omega dropping the title to Davey Richards due to an expanded schedule in Japan and then Richards giving up the title due to his own increased schedule of Japan dates. Castagnoli won the title in a four-way title match at The Curse of Guerilla Island event on October 9th 2010 and all signs indicated that he would be the one to stabilize the PWG Title. However, a babyface title win by Generico would be a huge shot of adrenaline into the system for the West Coast independent, especially coming off the increased attention he received from ROH in the past year. Of course, a great chase for the title could work just as well, but with PWG's somewhat-cursed history with the big title, it may not be worth the risk to play the long game with a title switch.

As for ROH, for now their world title storyline runs through Roderick Strong. As opposed to PWG, ROH has television and iPPV considerations in the implementation of their booking. Much of their recent television tapings presented Strong as ROH World Champion and a deeper exploration of his relationship with "Lifestyle Coach" Truth Martini and his cult-like House of Truth stable. Strong's run as champion now dates to September's Glory By Honor IX. January 2011 represents his busiest defense schedule of this run so far, with scheduled matches against Jay Briscoe in Charlotte, North Carolina and then the Generico bout. If he should make it through those challenges, he would go on to fight Homicide (undefeated in his current ROH stint) at the 9th Anniversary Show internet Pay Per View in Chicago, Illinois on February 26th, 2011. Whether fans like it or not Roderick Strong is the man to beat in Ring of Honor, at least through winter 2011.

Yet, through all of those external concerns, once the bell rings and the spotlight is on, El Generico is going to make people believe that he can win against Roderick Strong even though most ROH fans know that the promotion is pushing the current champion and is spending much of its time legitimizing his current title run. Still, Generico is going to be able to convince the fans in Los Angeles that he is a fighter's chance at winning. Then he will follow that up with another showing, this time, for PWG. He is going to make people believe that he can win against Claudio Castagnoli when it is clear that a new championship era is underway in the promotion. El Generico is going to have the fans rocking in Los Angeles two nights in a row and it is going to be sweet to watch him perform his magic.

The question then, turns to which of the two shows will be the one to watch. There has never been any real animosity or political issues between Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and in fact there have been several examples of cooperation between the two promotions (using and sharing talent, sharing the ring at last year's shows). Still, the fact remains both promotions will once again be out there presenting their showcase events for the convention. It may be a friendly rivalry, but one promotion will have the best show of the weekend. Which one will it be?

PWG is packing their Kurt RusselReunion 2 card with huge dream matches, both with independent wrestling's current best on market such as Chris Hero, Kevin Steen, Low Ki and Davey Richards, and with wrestling's legends from the past such as Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper, Ken Patera, Sean "Val Venis" Morley and many others. As well they are booking international talents like luchadores Rey Buccanero and Mr. Aguila (who formerly wrestled in WWE as "Essa Rios") and have booked Shane "Hurricane" Helms for one of his first appearances on the major "workrate"-heavy indie promotions such as a PWG or ROH or CHIKARA. They also have not neglected their regulars, such as The Cutler Brothers, The Young Bucks (Generation Me), Brandon Gatson and others. The result is a stacked card of "past, present and future" that while may not be necessarily providing eight sure-fire matches of the year contenders definitely gives off that "something for everyone" vibe and has plenty of matches to make fans excited.

Oh, have I mentioned the Low Ki vs. Davey Richards match yet? Yeah. THAT match is happening on this weekend as well. On the PWG show, not the ROH show. More on that later.

It seems everyone who is someone is going to be appearing on that PWG show. By contrast, the ROH show the previous night, which is still packed with some of the best independent stars, seems almost modest by comparison. Instead of packing the card with legends and international names, ROH is going with a show that highlights the best of their current roster and also adds to and pushes many of its top programs for the early part of the year.

ROH will present the second-ever Kings of Wrestling versus Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) match (this one, like the first, will be non-title). Their Glory By Honor IX encounter was tremendous, a resounding statement of intent from the former WWE wrestlers that they could absolutely make the most of wrestling in ROH and using that promotion's style of wrestling-first action to get over (not that they needed it-they were heralded by the New York City fans who packed the Grand Ballroom in September from moment one of their entrance). They will also go with the aforementioned Strong vs. Generico title match and that is a smart decision due to Generico's popularity in the West Coast and that both men have almost always put on a terrific match. Christopher Daniels will put the ROH TV Title on the line against Mark Briscoe and there is a good chance it will be a very good one taking into consideration that Mark rose to the occasion during a recent title match against Eddie Edwards on HDNet. Other than that, no further matches had been announced with less than ten days to go (note, the Thursday, January 20th added two matches to the show, reflected in the preview below). By contrast, PWG had released the entire lineup for their WrestleReunion show almost a month in advance.

It's not that ROH isn't treating this show like a major event. They definitely are turning it up by booking those important main event bouts and the title match with Generico. However, ROH has the luxury of a more paced and moderate booking strategy while PWG does not have the leeway to do the same. ROH runs between two and three times the amount of shows in a given year compared to PWG. It runs many different cities all over North America while PWG has generally stayed within its one or two venues in and around Reseda. ROH clearly has the advantage in terms of exposure and fan awareness, even relative to the independent scene.

However, PWG seems to have the edge on this one show and during this one weekend where both will share the stage. It isn't simply the home court advantage of running these shows in California, but that they are willingly stuffing this show with marquee match after marquee match. PWG is giving it everything they have by booking all of these wrestling legends and top independent talents to combine into one blow-away show. Of course there is always the possibility that these matches could fall flat on their face, but one bad match isn't likely to mar the entirety of a stacked show. ROH is being more conservative in the use of non-ROH regulars (though they have already announced the appearance of The Cutler Brothers and may continue last year's trend of using more PWG regulars). They are planning for the long haul of what they want to do with their talents throughout the entire year, knowing they have to produce big-time matches on events like the Wrestlemania weekend in Atlanta and their upcoming internet Pay Per View presentations.

There is a similar pattern between the two promotions this year as far as what happened last year. For the 2010 version of these events, PWG booked such international stars as Rob Van Dam (before he made the big jump to TNA and where this was viewed as a special and rare appearance), Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Great Muta and Super Crazy .They made the most of these names by matching them up with PWG and other name independent talent. El Generico matched up with Liger, while RVD fought Roderick Strong and Chris Hero in a three-way dance. Conversely, ROH produced a show where the key selling points were using Liger (in a non-title bout against Aries), a blistering eight-man tag match and the usage of PWG talent such as Scorpio Sky, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan and Human Tornado on the undercard. Oh and there was also a surreal "bonus" match sponsored by WrestleReunion's promoters matching up Larry Zybysko against Scotty II Hotty (with special referee Johnny Fairplay), but the less said about that one the better. The remainder of the show was focused around the ROH talent and looked to push angles such as the Steen / Generico break-up and the Jerry Lynn / Kenny King grudge. Whereas PWG pushed themselves to provide that "Wrestlemania" style major show, ROH was content to be there, provide a great, but not epic "be all / end-all" event.

It's interesting that two promotions (PWG and PWS) have already jumped on the Low Ki vs. Davey Richards bandwagon, whereas ROH hasn't done so as yet. One would think this is a can't-miss booking for ROH given Richards' ascension to the top of the independents (providing huge work-rate heavy matches for ROH, PWG and in Japan) and the former Kaval's newly-found freedom from WWE as well as his deeply-rooted ties to ROH (a founding father of the promotion and part of the main-event the first show in 2002). While this match has happened in PWG before, the improvement of Richards and his growth in popularity create a new perspective and fresh intrigue for this match-up that is impossible to resist. It is a dream match for many independent fans who prize in-ring action and physical competition above-all in their professional wrestling product. So far two promotions not named "Ring of Honor" have taken advantage of the opportunity.

One could look at this series of booking announcements for Ki vs. Richards as ROH having been caught with its pants down. On the other hand, an affirmation as to ROH's booking philosophy of the past few years of pacing itself, booking for the future and not for the immediate short-term gain. As can be seen in this example, that strategy has many benefits, but also some severe shortfalls. Dollars to donuts, Ki vs. Richards would have helped to sell tickets to any ROH show. It still can in the future (as PWG has sometimes put on matches that happen later or at the same time in ROH with little demerit on the ROH version of the match), but it can't be denied that ROH takes a more public hit in this example for being beaten to the punch on booking a match that was essentially a no-brainer for their company and their clientele.

WrestleReunion V will be a tremendous convention for the wrestling fans. The fabled cliché of "something for everyone" certainly applies when considering the roster of names scheduled to appear for both PWG and ROH shows, not to mention all the other talents signed for appearances during the rest of the convention show. Pro Wrestling Guerilla looks to put its best foot forward for its first show of the year, while Ring of Honor looks to continue the momentum of a busy January schedule. Yet, even with the friendly rivalry, the big ticket items like Jake Roberts' retirement, the legends battle royal, The Kings of Wrestling versus Haas and Benjamin and Low Ki versus Davey Richards, the heart and soul of this weekend remains El Generico.


The full card to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's KurtRusselReunion II is available here. An in-depth rundown of the ROH show is available later in this column. For more information about the WrestleReunion convention visit wrestlereunion.com.

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As of 01/22/10


=ROH World Champion=
Roderick Strong

Champion since 09/11/2010 | 3 successful defenses
Glory By Honor IX defeated Tyler Black in New York, NY to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. El Generico in Los Angeles, CA on 01/28/11.


-Roderick Strong defeated Christopher Daniels in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 11/13/10.
-Roderick Strong defeated Davey Richards in New York, NY on 12/18/10.
- Roderick Strong defeated Jay Briscoe in Charlotte, NC on 01/15/11.


=ROH World Tag Team Champions=
The Kings of Wrestling: Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Champions since 04/03/2010 | 8 successful defenses
The Big Bang defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Charlotte, NC to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. The All-Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) in Chicago, IL on 02/26/11.


--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin by DQ after The Briscoes interfered in New York, NY on 5/8/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in a No DQ Match in Toronto, Ontario on 6/19/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Philadelphia, PA on 8/21/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe, The All-Night Express and Dark City Fight Club in Ultimate Endurance in Charlotte, NC on 08/28/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated El Generico & Colt Cabana in Plymouth, MA on 09/10/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Christopher Daniels & Davey Richards in Dayton, OH on 10/15/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Kevin Steen & Steven Corino in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on 11/13/10
--Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defeated The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) in Plymouth, MA on 12/17/10





=ROH Television Champion=
Christopher Daniels

Champion since 12/10/2010 | 1 successful defense
ROH on HDNet defeated Eddie Edwards in Louisville, KY to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. Mark Briscoe in Los Angeles, CA on 01/28/11.

--Christopher Daniels defeated Claudio Castagnoli in Charlotte, NC on 01/15/11.




Good promo package, except for that god awful font at the beginning…that's like someone took a basic Microsoft Word script and just slapped it on there. Cole and O'Reilly make a solid case for themselves though…O'Reilly is a bit too soft-spoken but he has confidence in his words (both do, really) and if he ups the volume just a bit (not so much that it becomes cartoon) I think he'll be onto something really good.



Jay Briscoe laying some verbal Smackdown on WGTT…I like it…we don't always see the more verbose side of Jay, but this was an effective time to showcase his ability to put over an upcoming match.



I thought the first half of this promo was very solid and Daniels touched on the appropriate topics (the title match against Castagnoli and the percolating feud against Bennett). However, the interruption of Mark Briscoe felt forced and then Daniels cutting him off was even worse because he ended up doing all of the talking. There should have been more faith in letting Mark speak his piece clearly. I also would have appreciated Daniels addressing the end of the HDNet program and issuing some sort of personal ultimatum that he would continue to defend the title with or without that show to prove he was a deserving champion for the promotion. Even if plans are to take the title off of Daniels before or after the last episodes air, at least there would be the illusion given that the champion knows the circumstances surrounding his title situation and that he was treating it seriously and responsibly. Oh well, still time for all that I guess.



Gotta love Hero's passive aggressive telling the ANX to back away from the title shot. SERIOUS BIDNESS!



BIG BANG…SERIOUS BIDNESS! Kenny King referencing Superman / Doomsday = NERDGASM!

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Results from this past weekend in Richmond, VA are available here.

Results from this past weekend in Charlotte, NC are available here.

Some of the early programs and storyline points are becoming clearer now that the first two shows have been completed. There doesn't seem to be one overarching and major storyline that can carry an entire year, as was seen with the top programs in 2010. However, there are lots of smaller angles and issues that are starting to develop that provide some intrigue as to the future of certain wrestlers and that could add up and become more meaningful as the year goes on.

Though there is no one major challenger for the ROH World Title entering 2011, Roderick Strong is fighting against all-comers. It is clear that The All-Night Express are being built up for their most publicized title opportunity to-date against The Kings of Wrestling (though it is not their first shot at the title, as their recent HDNet promo would have one believe). The World's Greatest Tag Team are working their way towards contention in that division. Mike Bennett is stalking the TV Champion Christopher Daniels and is sure to be closing in on that championship during the year. Steve Corino is now supposedly looking for redemption after realizing the error of his ways during the Generico / Steen feud. El Generico may have a new rivalry on his hands after Homicide dumped him with the Cop Killer (proving ‘Cide's unpredictability). Colt Cabana looking for fair and competitive fights is surely going somewhere later in the year. Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly are entering a burgeoning undercard feud against The Bravados. Again, lots of little programs, but a lot of them are hitting the right notes and getting the fan base excited and most importantly interested in what's to come.

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=ROH on HDNet Tapings January 22nd, 2010 Philadelphia, PA=

Six Man Tag Team Main Event- The Final Match On HDNet!-ROH World Champion Roderick Strong and World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling w/ Shane Hagadorn, Truth Martini, & Sara Del Rey vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe and Davey Richards

Champions on one side and All-Stars on the other. The final match on the final episode for HDNet will be a six-man tag with some of the constants of the HDNet show throughout the two-year history of the program. What's interesting about this match is all of the recent history with all the wrestlers. The Briscoes vs. Kings feud has been well-known, and of course Richards has issues with The Kings and with current champion Strong. So while this may not be the "sexiest" match to be the main event of any episode of ROH, there are lots of relevant storyline rivalries that are being woven in and out here, which more importantly play into many of the DVD releases in early 2011 (which ROH will have to rely on for exposure once the television show bows out). I'm sure all six will do their best to take the show out on a high note in terms of the wrestling quality and in-ring action.

ROH World TV Title Match-"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels defends against Kenny King

What could look to be the final TV Title match of the HDNet taping series (should Daniels retain all the way through the 9th Anniversary Show and beyond) sees the veteran against the hot-shot and brash youngster. Though King really isn't "up-and-coming" anymore, but already here—his consistency in contributions is a laudable quality. Wouldn't be surprised to see King give a really great challenge here, but my guess is The All-Night Express is the ticket to King's tag team gold in 2011, not through this match.

Also:




ROH is bowing out of HDNet series by placing the focus on some of the younger talent through their 2011 "Top Prospect Tournament". They hyped it up earlier this week in their newswires and press releases with the idea that this would be "established ROH wrestlers who have never been in any kind of championship contention, and one wrestler who has never competed for Ring of Honor." It looks to me like a simple case of pushing their three-contracted wrestlers, O'Reilly, Cole and of course, Mike "Are you okay with this for Del Rio's bio. Just asking because I know he's supposed to be a big deal, fairly quick" Bennett.


-The Semi-Finals and Finals of the 2011 Top Prospect Tournament

-Prince Nana is slated to return to ROH on this show, though what role he will play or what master plans he will reveal remain a secret, until later tonight… although according to the 1/20 newswire, Ernesto Osiris "Nana says from now on only royalty will walk by his side". That could be a link to someone like Kenny King, or The Kings of Wrestling, or it could be a red herring.


=WrestleReunion V January 28th, 2010 Los Angeles, CA=

Hilton Los Angeles Airport
5711 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California, United States 90045
Bell time- 8:00 PM

There will be a special Meet & Greet session with ROH World Champion Roderick Strong and Jay & Mark Briscoe from 7-8 PM on the night of the show!!!

Main Event #1- ROH World Title Match-Roderick Strong defends vs. El Generico

As mentioned in the opening article, I expect this to be the highlight of the show, with Generico's huge LA fan base behind him in support against Strong. Expect for Strong to continue to provide a high quality title match that goes for a "take the opponent to the limit" approach, but also feeds in for moments where it seems like he could lose at any moment. Homicide is not listed as appearing on this show, so I doubt developments from the Charlotte show where he attacked Generico will play a role here unless he is a surprise run-in.

Main Event #2- Non Title "Glory By Honor IX" Rematch-World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin

The obvious storyline point is that The Kings and Shane Hagadorn insist that no team that hasn't defeated them receive a title shot. Though that's not exactly the case with the All-Night Express receiving their title shot (having won a match at Fate of the Angel II against Cabana and Generico), one would think that The Kings would be very stringent about it when it comes to fighting Haas and Benjamin. The Kings won the first match at Glory By Honor IX but it was a cheat to win scenario. I expect the faces to win the second non-title bout, leading to a future title opportunity later in the year. Hero and Castagnoli are still super-hot both in singles and tag competitions, while this is a huge opportunity for Haas and Benjamin to deliver again in a higher-profile situation in independent wrestling.

World TV Title Match-Christopher Daniels (if still champion) defends vs. Mark Briscoe

Once again, it's a no-brainer that Daniels will retain here in order to get to the 2/26 iPPV title match against former champion Eddie Edwards. That said, Mark Briscoe has been heating up in singles bouts over the past few months. He provides exciting high-impact sequences and of course has that wacky Briscoes charisma the fans react to so well. Daniels will feed into that charisma during the match. It's a face versus face bout and with Daniels set to feud with Bennett I see no signs of heel tactics happening here. It's likely going to be a clean and technical fight from him throughout this one.

A Battle Of Mat Technicians-Davey Richards vs. TJ Perkins

I really dig this booking, with both obviously being veterans of PWG and the West Coast connection could work with fans in attendance. They fought once before in PWG at Guitarmaggedon when Puma defeated Davey Richards and Human Tornado in a three-way elimination match (thanks to Alex Goff). Davey also unmasked TJ on that night, though that is not being used as a storyline point for this match in ROH. What is being used is the recent Perkins-O'Reilly match from Plymouth that TJ won. Richards looks to pick up where his protégé left off. Both also have the technical chops to make something special of this match, with it being competitive and exciting in the exchange of holds and submissions. Richards is back on a streak of wins since Final Battle 2010. It seems likely for Richards to take this one and continue to roll on his campaign for another title match.

Special Attraction-Colt Cabana vs. Jay Briscoe

Another great choice for a WrestleReunion feature attraction. It's logical for Jay to be in singles action if Mark Briscoe will also be wrestling in singles. Colt vs. Jay should work with a "first technical, then hard-hitting and more serious" storyline. I'd imagine Jay would be game to try his hand at catch-as-catch-can, that is until Colt goes one joke too far and Jay has no choice but to start busting heads. ROH has also noted this is the first time in ROH history these two will fight in a singles match, though it should be noted that Colt and Jay have squared off when The Second City Saints and The Briscoes feuded over the tag team titles in 2004.

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-I went on a bit of WWE DVD bender last week, finally catching up on some of my Black Friday and Christmas / Hannukah purchases (yep, the "to be watched" pile is stacking up high again). I tore through the Best of WWE Pay Per View Matches 2009-2010, Wrestlemania XXVI and Satan's Prison: The Anthology of the Elimination Chamber DVDs.

The Best of PPV set helped to fill in the blanks of the matches that I missed within that time period—although I could have done without the "wacky banter" between Michael Cole and Matt Striker, who served as the hosts of the collection. What was really great about the set was that the vignette / video piece for each of the major matches was included in the pre-match set-up. Although there is a frustration when these promo packages show up on the actual Pay Per View (they take up extra time that could be used for the actual wrestling match), they are very helpful as a part of collections such as these because it serves as a refresher for that time period and the feuds to that point. Best matches on the set: the mask versus Intercontinental Title match between Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio from The Bash 2009, Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in a Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Title at Summerslam 2009, Randy Orton vs. John Cena in the I-Quit match for the WWE Championship at Breaking Point 2009 (an under-looked and under-appreciated major showdown between the two, most likely because they were wrestling against each other so often during that time period that this one was swallowed up by the others) and of course, Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels in the "Streak versus Career" bout at Wrestlemania XXVI (although I waited until watching that set to re-view it). I also appreciated the inclusion of some of the better undercard PPV match from that time period, including Christian's matches against Jack Swagger and the ladder match against Shelton Benjamin (both for the ECW Title) and even the inclusion of one of the Survivor Series elimination matches (being a huge mark for that show). Wholly unnecessary match of the collection: Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James from Royal Rumble 2010, which was a ten-minute angle and a thirty second match; certainly not "best-of" anything. Criminally negligent snubbing: Degeneration-X vs. Jeri-Show in the TLC match from the eponymous Pay Per View on December 13th, 2009.

As for the Wrestlemania XXVI DVD set, I re-watched the Money in the Bank, Rey Mysterio versus CM Punk and Taker vs. Michaels matches before heading to the bonus features and Hall of Fame ceremony. The second disc includes several "highlights" from the Hall of Fame winners, whether it is promo packages or actual matches from the wrestlers. Unfortunately, many of the matches included suffer from the effects of aging—not the video quality, but rather their ability to retain my interest. The major factor is the speed of these matches—they are turtle-levels slow speed. It's amazing to realize how much faster match pacing and in-ring action has become, even in today's WWE and notwithstanding the style of matches in promotions such as Dragon Gate USA and the rest of the independent scene.

I know that the wrestlers of yesteryear such as Antonio Inoki, Gorgeous George and Mad Dog Vachon were legitimate stars during their time. They set the table for the generations that came after them. Even with all that due respect, it was difficult to get through the matches presented on this disc—I had to watch Mad Dog's squash match against "Quick Draw" Rick McGraw (one of my favorite WWF jobbers from the early 1980's) in double speed and even then it seemed like the match was taking its time getting to the point. The George match was almost all antics and stalling, which was to be expected given the point of his gimmick. I do have to note just how much heat he received from the fans—they outright hated him and every little move he made drew boos and cat-calls (we're talking Vickie Guerrero like heat). On the plus side, the five minute or so mini-documentary on Stu Hart was all sorts of awesome (I'm assuming most of the footage was taken from the recent Hart family DVD set) and served as a fine tribute to the man and the dynasty he created both with Canada wrestling and his own family.

The Elimination Chamber DVD was excellent—it is a complete compendium of those matches from its inception until 2010. Each match is presented uncut, with the introductions, entrances, match itself and post-script. It even includes the two post-Chamber matches that took place in 2006 (Edge's Money in the Bank cash-in) and in 2010 (McMahon announcing the impromptu title match with Batista). That is a great call and many kudos to WWE for their inclusion—as these matches are incredibly important for historical purposes but also continue to put over the Chamber and its devastating effects (in that the matches that happened directly after all hinged on the injured man being unable to fight back because of the damage suffered in the chamber). It's funny to note that both of these impromptu matches involved John Cena, where he had either retained or just won the title, then losing them right after because of the new title match.

Todd Grisham does a solid job in hosting the program on his own although there isn't much new information to add by the end of the set (I think he used the "12 tons, 36,000 pounds of steel" catchphrase about 36,000 times on these three DVDs). There are two small but cool cameos by John Cena and Edge during these interstitials, with both men toeing the line between character and non-kayfabe persona in discussing what it is like to wrestle during these matches. Their appearances are a nice little "extra" treat, like the inclusion of the two title matches.

I'll always maintain that Goldberg should have won the 2004 version of the Chamber, because he was so hugely over with the crowd and they were primed for him to win. He dominated that middle portion of the chamber bout and had the crowd begging for him to roll-through everyone. He had this larger-than-life presence on that night, plus it was Summerslam, supposed to be one of the big four shows where these major events happen.

Even though I had never seen it before, I couldn't bring myself to watch the 2005 version with Chris Benoit. I haven't watched or re-watched any of his matches since he killed his wife, son and himself in 2007. It just doesn't sit right with me.

Though my favorite Elimination Chamber bouts are actually the first two, watching the series in order does demonstrate that these matches are still incredibly effective and have retained their marketing power and value even now. There may be slightly less harsh bumps onto the steel, but the wrestlers still take some rough falls (just ask Rey Mysterio, who has been lawndarted into the chamber doors two years running). The "bulletproof" Lexan glass doesn't break anymore, but really, that's how it should be given they are supposed to be so durable and yet were so easily destroyed in the early years of the match. Still, the chamber remains an imposing structure and its diversity of participants has kept it fresh. It hasn't suffered the same fate as yet as Hell in a Cell.

All three WWE DVDs are recommended pick-ups and worthy additions' to anyone's collection.




=ROH Allied Forces= DVD Thoughts


The October 15th, 2010 house show in Dayton, Ohio was bundled with a bonus disc of the Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk ROH Trilogy (the matches World Title Classic, Joe vs. Punk II and All-Star Extravaganza II). Sure, newer fans will be stoked to purchase the show for these three now hard-to-find ROH classics, but the Dayton show is itself a very solid showcase and a pleasant surprise as far as quality and consistency, especially for a Friday show. The main event ROH World Tag Team Title match featuring athletic rivals Christopher Daniels and Davey Richards teaming up one night before their showdown in Chicago is the real draw, but the undercard has some added value in the continuing emergence of O'Reilly and Cole as a young upstart team, Steen and Corino's devilishly entertaining heel tactics and a Colt Cabana vs. Andy Ridge match that serves both ends of the comedy and action spectrum.

Mike Mondo began this DVD and cuts what is seemingly "Mike Mondo Standard Promo # 1" and goes through his "Biggest Little Man" and "It's My Time…It's Gut Check Time" catchphrases. One can easily see the Jim Cornette influence on his promo work, especially with that last line. His eyes and facial muscles even take on the look of Cornette's angrier promo, with the dilated eyes and jutted-out chin.

Mondo is from Long Island, New York and as an admitted home-state homer, I'm all for New York boys doing well. I just don't know if I can buy into Mondo's act in ROH and why he should be slotted onto the roster over half a dozen other able-bodied choices. Credit where it's due, Mondo is very polished and competent, but he doesn't have a lot of flash and sizzle. I don't see where or how his character / gimmick will fit into the promotion.

On the other hand, Mark Briscoe has come out of his shell in recent months with some hard-working efforts in solo matches. It used to be Jay who was the one of the Briscoe clan to shine on his own (and he had to do it out of necessity because of Mark's several injuries over the past few years), but Mark shines brightly in this opener and in the recent TV Title bout against Eddie Edwards. He picks up the win against Mondo with the Iconoclasm, but it's his early match efforts that shine through the most.

I have to question the thought put into cutting a promo while police sirens are going off in the background, as was done during the Lady JoJo promo outside the building. As it was,it fit about SHIMMER standard, which is to say, plain at best and not very good at all. Luckily Haze vs. JoJo as a singles match exceeded the expectations and accomplished its job of providing a good undercard bout and putting over Haze on the march towards the Final Battle 2010 showdown. Not so sure that Haze outright stating that "(JoJo) is not the competition I was looking for" in the post-match promo is the best way to go about putting over talent or the prospects of a stronger women's division in Ring of Honor.

Usually I have disliked when Colt Cabana has made the ROH students or enhancement talent (or even the regular roster talent) look foolish and incompetent, especially in his HDNet matches over the past year. He comes across too much like a jerk for someone who is supposed to be the babyface. Yes, the fans are supposed to be laughing with him, but sometimes those moments of outwitting an opponent seem to be too mean-spirited for their own good. However, all of those tricks and comedy ploys worked well in the opening trial series match for Andy "Right Leg" Ridge.

In this case, the whole point is that Ridge is looking to work his way through this series of tough challenges. It is expected he will be outmatched in terms of experience, wrestling expertise and even strength and power. The whole "Trial Series" experiment is about determining how Ridge faces those adversities and reacts to them, even if he may not necessarily overcome them. Cabana flat-out says he's going to test Ridge in his own fashion during the entertaining pre-match promo. Plus, Cabana IS pretty damned funny here, chasing Ridge around during his entrance, kicking Ridge in the butt or playing around with him by psyching him out with high-lows and pun-tastic commentary such as "A trial series? Another black man on trial." OY. Try the veal, it's delicious.

Yeah, yeah, I know what I just wrote above about not liking when Cabana has others play the fool, but what can I say? When he toys with Ridge, the fans do laugh with him (the "Andy's going to kill you" chant was genius and that it distracts Colt is a small but clever quirk). Plus, Ridge is allowed to make the comeback when Cabana takes Ridge too lightly and that feeds into Cabana's reaction, growing more serious and dealing with shutting down Ridge's offense. Ridge also does get to respond to a slap by delivering one of his own and Cabana pantomimes a young child by dropping down onto the mat and feigning tears while the Dayton fans chant "Say You're Sorry". That's clever comedy. Sinclair can't do anything about it because it's an open hand slap, so Cabana goes right back into the bag of tricks by reaching in-between them and dropping Ridge with the single leg.

By the end of the match, Ridge is more over with the fan base because of the fight he brings (a springboard into an Ace Crusher inspires a nice crowd pop). As well, Cabana's showing of respect after the match adds to the possibilities of Ridge's future placement on the ROH roster when this series is over. Cabana makes Ridge tap to a painful looking version of the Billy Goat's Curse. All-in-all a really fun undercard bout and one of the better "Cabana Comedy Hour" matches of the year.

Then it's time for some show-stealing business as Kevin Steen & Steve Corino meet Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly. BUT FIRST! Steen is out with the "Elect Kevin Steen for Magistrate District 1" sign WHILE wearing the Generico mask. I'm not sure I can completely describe how awesome that is, but it's sort of like if one were to combine an Escher painting with a Picasso. So I've just written down verbatim Steen's promo:


Kevin Steen: "This sign was found...in the back. You understand that I live in Montreal. Quebec, Canada, which is a lot better than here…and that this sign was found in Dayton, Ohio. Now I don't know what a magistrate is…my mom told me that it was some kind of a judge and obviously Dayton, Ohio needs Kevin Steen to judge you. And don't worry I've already judged every single one of you…and the verdict…is not good. Why are you laughing? I'm going to take this home and probably look at it while I make love. And I'll think of you (points to a fan in the audience). Look at him.

Another topic I want to bring up is this (pulls on the strings behind the Generico mask he is still wearing). You see, Halloween is coming close and this year I was having a hard time figuring out what I was going to go dressed up as. I considered being a Care Bear, didn't work out. I considered being Paul Turner, but I can't lose enough weight. And I'm not nearly as annoying. Then I realized I already had the perfect costume. Steve, remind these people what I'm dressed up as, Steve."

Steve Corino: "You Kevin Steen, are dressed as El Generico, the masked ret***d."


See? Brilliance. Utter brilliance. I can't even repeat the Ricky Steamboat comment though as that may have been too far over the line. I do like Steen's little jab when Corino was getting the lesser end of it—"don't lay down and let him do things." Truer strategy has never been said during a wrestling match. Another one, while raking Cole on the ropes: "It's 1974 all over again baby!" MY GOD. It's impossible to capture all of the great interactions and dialogue between Steen and Corino, so needless to say this show may be worth it just to watch this match with the commentary turned off and hear the Abbott and Costello / Marx Brothers rigmarole by the Misters of Wrestling, the masters of the in-match commentary.

The match was pretty darned great too, with Corino and Steen bullying the younger duo but when their attacks are countered whine and cry like good heels. They can't match Cole and O'Reilly when they use speed, counter submission work and quick double team combinations. However, they can overpower and brutalize, like when Steen sends Cole smashing into the guardrail on the outside with an overhead throw. It just gets worse for the good guys from there, like the "thumbs up" spot, where Turner has to basically appeal to Steen to stop the madness and it even takes a while for Steen to peel Corino off of Cole, reminding him that "we're going to get DQ'ed".

The babyface comeback doesn't last too long, but I wish the Dayton crowd could have been a little more into it because Cole certainly worked hard for it. What happened with their reaction was that the more Cole and O'Reilly hung in there the more they began to buy into them as a team…but that really didn't happen until the very end of the bout. Then Steen just about kills Cole with an overhead suplex into the turnbuckle, spiking the young man on his head. YEAH. That's. About. It for them.

Reilly and Cole are absolutely ready for their spot on the roster and that is demonstrated by their polish and timing as a tandem. Their backstage promos are also good, because it puts over how far they've come and how much they've already been through in the business despite their relative newcomer status to ROH. I also like that in being placed together for these promos; they are building, step-by-step, the kind of continuity and chemistry that fans appreciate out of a regular tag team.

In addition, O'Reilly continues to prove the hype and buzz about him correct with the fantastic strikes, smart submissions and a fiery-but-tough babyface demeanor. If anyone should be tabbed with "The Prodigy" moniker, it's him.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have decided, where possible, to skip any and all Ricky Reyes matches. They've become for me the equivalent of water-board torture, especially most of his appearances from HDNet this past year. That's why when Reyes vs. Metal Master quickly clips onto my screen, my clicker goes "click" and I'm moving on without any second thought. Also, that way I don't have to spend any more energy decrying the stupid "planted fan gets involved" gimmick that happened here (and again the next night in Chicago)—I've espoused about that enough already during the Final Column year-end feature.

Though ROH has housed a fair share of Jay Briscoe vs. Rhett Titus matches previously (either in singles or tag), this one is different in that Titus had a far larger share of control in what was a longer length match with plenty of give-and-take between the two. The extra offense and actual meaningful control against Briscoe during the match helped to give credence to the recent build of Titus becoming a more focused and more complete wrestler. The added match time definitely shows his steady improvements over the years. While featuring him repeatedly in this method still isn't super-appealing (as in, one could heard the audible groans throughout the internet when the Homicide vs. Titus match was announced for the 1/14/11 show in Richmond, Virginia), going big with All-Night Express tag team at 9th Anniversary Show against The Kings of Wrestling for the ROH World Tag Team Title settles well with me because Kenny King and Titus are ready for that responsibility at this point in their career.

Homicide vs. Kenny King was helped by this being ‘Cide's first official match back in action to ROH, but the match was more about the conflict in personalities and King's disrespect than about "the best match ever". That's usually okay so long as there are other matches to fill that role and the main event does that—meanwhile, the fans get into the match just fine, but for me, double axehandles and a less than imposing suplex on a guardrail sign laid down flat don't really cut it. That doesn't mean one should write out ‘Cide's run yet, as he's had several fine matches including ones against Necro Butcher, Kevin Steen and Claudio Castagnoli on the recent HDNet episode. However, this being the semi-main event, it did leave the second half of the show somewhat wanting. Homicide's refusal to back down both helps and hurts him in this match and his offense and control usually rides with whether or not he was able to bully over King. The post-match fracas and involvement of Jay Briscoe provided a good "B-plot" for several house shows at the end of the year, with the added plus of having ties to past ROH history between Jay and Homicide stemming back to The Rottweiler days.

As I wrote during my Top 100 ROH Matches of 2010 feature, one of the best parts of the main event featuring Daniels and Richards teaming up was that this wasn't a typical "partners who hate each other" team-up. Though the two were guaranteed to wrestle against each other the next night in Chicago, this didn't necessitate any overt hostility towards each other during this match. After all, a tag title was up for grabs and cooperating to win meant that both would earn glory. It was only after the match had ended (with only one minor miscue on their side leading to the finish) that both set their sights on the other and vowed to fight it out to find out who was the better wrestler. The match itself was well done and I thought Daniels in particular looked really good in his tussles against Hero and Castagnoli. Bonus points for the clean finish with the KRS-1 on Daniels. The Kings don't (always) have to cheat to win to prove they reign supreme.

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Head on over to TwitterNation and follow me at: http://twitter.com/AriBerenstein. I provide up-to-date links to my columns, major and breaking ROH news, random comments about WWE Raw and Smackdown and whatever else strikes my fancy.

411 Alumnus, former Cool Kids Table creator and perpetual Jewish badass Brad Garoon has begun a new project entitled The Grapefruit Chronicles. It's a series of animated YouTube videos with grapefruit protagonist-sounds sweet and sour and awesome. Go check it out and leave some comments while you're at it.

A mea culpa to Matt Waters, Jerome Cusson and Pro Wrestling Ponderings--last week they and I did a great podcast covering Ring of Honor's HDNet situation and PWG and ROH at WrestleReunion V. Listen to it through this link.

This week's 411 Buy or Sell features Kevin Ford and Michael Ornelas discussing ROH and CHIKARA.

Speaking of, Michael Ornelas provides your weekly reviews of ROH on HDNet, this one covering Daniels vs. Hero in the main event.

Aaron Hubbard continues his reviewing binge-and purge for ROH shows. This week he gets on to 8th Anniversary Show, Epic Encounter III and ROH Big Bang.


Next week, results from WrestleReunion V, thoughts on Survival of the Fittest 2010 on DVD and much more! Thanks for reading.

BROOKLYN!
--Ari--