wrestling / Columns
Column of Honor: 06.25.11: Wolves Hunting Wolves
Hey everyone, how are you doing? Did I miss anything in the world of Ring of Honor?
So it’s been around three months since my last regular column here at 411Mania, though you may have seen me bopping around the Fact or Fiction and Buy or Sell columns here and there (in fact you can go read some more from me in this week’s BoS, whenever it hits press). In the meantime, I’ve been taking care of some academic business. Now that said business is done, there’s a little more room for other projects, including my appearance on The Greg DeMarco Show this week where the eponymous Greg and I interviewed former ROH owner and now ROH Ambassador Cary Silkin (you can catch a streaming replay with the link above or download the podcast version
Credit: Alex O’Keefe
This Sunday, June 26th 2011, Ring of Honor will present its next internet Pay Per View (and its first show under the new ownership of the Sinclair Broadcast Group) entitled “Best in the World 2011” in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. It is the first time since Manhattan Mayhem III (June 2009) that ROH will run downstairs in the larger Hammerstein instead of in the Grand Ballroom. ROH knew that in order to do well with the larger venue it needed a slam-dunk main-event for the show, one which would drum up the needed interest and attention, which could strike up the imagination of its hardcore fan base and also sell tickets to the more casual and curious crowd. They found that match within the tag team unit known as The American Wolves.
The American Wolves have become known as one of the best tag teams in ROH history on the basis of a strong championship run combined with awesome main-event quality matches that headlined many shows over the past three years. Comprised of current ROH World Champion Eddie Edwards and his tag partner Davey Richards (the man most believed would be in the position Edwards is currently occupying), The Wolves became both the most hated tag team in ROH and then one of its most popular draws after turning babyface in 2010.
It might be easy to forget that The American Wolves didn’t win the title until about seven months after their initial pairing. They had to work hard to emerge from the ruins of Sweet & Sour Incorporated, wrestling as a ruthless and vicious pair (managed by former Sweet & Sour lackey Shane Hagadorn). Nonetheless, The Wolves grew into their role quickly and were pushed hard through violent assaults on The Briscoes and the tandem of Kevin Steen and El Generico. Those initial wars put over the team’s brutality, which would them spur their momentum as ROH World Tag Team Champions. The Wolves held those belts for nearly nine months and put on a huge resume of top-notch tag team title defenses.
No doubt, Edwards and Richards worked well together as a Wolf Pack. Davey Richards noted in several interviews that he asked to be paired with Eddie Edwards and to create The American Wolves. One of the goals of the pairing was to help get over Edwards and shine the spotlight on his abilities. Richards saw something in Edwards that could be developed and nurtured. It is clear now that the mission has been accomplished.
The beginnings of the rise for Edwards’ popularity are found within Edwards’ decision to wrestle through his elbow injury during the Ladder War match at Glory By Honor VIII (September 2009).That willingness to fight through the pain impressed the fans in New York and soon the entire fan base was catching on. Though The Wolves would remain heels for some time longer, the fans’ urge to cheer for both Richards and Edwards was undeniable. 2010 would see them skyrocket in fan approval—and both men lived up to the attention with their in-ring efforts.
Davey Richards assumed the mantle of Bryan Danielson after the latter’s departure for WWE in September 2009. He became Ring of Honor’s the marquee “wrestling” draw—the man guaranteed to deliver a “Match of the Night” every time out and provide the fans their money’s worth. Richards’ popularity skyrocketed during this time, racking up an undeniable body of work of ROH style crowd-pleasing matches—wrestling classics against the likes of Kenny Omega, Tyler Black, Austin Aries, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. Richards personified the bad-ass hero, an image that has found the greatest amount of success within the ROH fan base (just look at how well Low Ki, Samoa Joe and The Briscoes have done over the years in that role). Certainly it seemed that he was on the precipice of winning the ROH World Title.
However, it would be Eddie Edwards who racked up championship singles gold and managed to win the ROH World Title before Davey Richards. Almost surprisingly, Edwards developed into the plucky, die-hard babyface role which has actually endeared him to the audience. The ROH viewership can be hyper-critical of its wrestlers, especially babyface champions (at times excessively so), but the exuberant shouts and a nearly ten-minute standing ovation after Edwards’ upset ROH World Title victory against Roderick Strong at Manhattan Mayhem IV spoke for itself. Edwards has become accepted and appreciated by the ROH fan base, representing the ideal of a fighting champion that was a part of the founding basis for Ring of Honor stemming all the way back to 2002.
Entering 2011, one would have assumed on paper that Davey Richards was the alpha wolf of his pairing with Edwards. However, some fans would have told you that Edwards was closing in fast on his tag partner. In fact, Edwards has now surpassed Richards as far as title victories and accomplishments within Ring of Honor. When Edwards won the ROH World Title this past March he became ROH’s first and only Triple Crown winner, the first wrestler ever in the promotions’ history to win three different titles in the promotion (in Edwards’ case it was the World, TV and World Tag Team Titles). Other wrestlers in the past had been plugged into storylines where they tried to accomplish such feats—Samoa Joe in 2004-2005 stands out—but Edwards was the man to do it. Add to that a Survival of the Fittest 2010 tournament win (which granted him the title shot which brought him to the top) and it is clear that Edwards is no subordinate. Then again, that is the very point of this title match coming to pass this weekend in New York City.
The trick was to have Eddie Edwards, the champion, be the one to press for the match to happen. Edwards was the one who put down the ultimatum to Richards that either he accept the challenge of wrestling him one-on-one for the ROH World Title or he would quit the promotion right on the spot. That demand put the pressure on Richards to accept the match and put an end to dancing around the issue of whether or not the American Wolves would fight each other.
Actually, from a booking perspective, doing the Edwards versus Richards face-off for the ROH World Title could have been saved for down the line. However, three months has proven to be more than enough time to develop the road to this title match. It doesn’t seem rushed at all either—ROH and the competitors did a great job of stirring the pot just right, slowly building the possibility of this title bout from event-to-event until Edwards’ ultimatum.
The development of the change in emotions and willingness to fight each other is a very smart storytelling device that can be traced to even before Manhattan Mayhem IV . Richards and Edwards had begun to separate as a team, wrestling more in the singles divisions with Edwards concentrating on defending the TV Title and Richards on a hunt for the World Title.
Along the way Ring of Honor hinted heavily through newswires and Jim Cornette’s promos on the HDNet show that The American Wolves were no longer to be considered an active tag team. December 2010’s Tag Title Classic II title bout against The Kings of Wrestling was billed as the last American Wolves match. Richards would take the microphone at the end of the night and proclaim that The Wolves American Wolves were a brotherhood, a family that supported each other. Even though ROH was no longer billing them as a team, he claimed that the Wolves would continue to live on. Of course, ROH would later reunite The Wolves several times from March to May 2011 both as a draw for their shows and as a means of continuing the progression towards both eventually fighting each other.
That brotherhood and shared joy of the accomplishment of the hunt was evident from Davey Richards. Richards embraced Edwards and strapped the belt around his partner after the HDNet TV Title finals wherein Edwards defeated Richards via submission to win the inaugural championship. This would be an image repeated a year later in New York City. When Eddie Edwards won the ROH World Title this past March, Richards was not just overjoyed but one-hundred percent in support of the result. He emerged from the back along with the rest of the babyface roster to celebrate with Edwards (and much credit to Richards for doing so, especially after the scary moment where he caught himself stomach-first on the ropes in the his match against Christopher Daniels, which preceded the main-event). Richards embraced Edwards to the applause of the rest of the roster and the roaring approval of the fans.
Richards demonstrated a protectiveness of Edwards and The Wolves’ brotherhood at Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 2, when during an interview with both men Jim Cornette hinted that ROH wanted both men to wrestle each other for the title. Richards declined to fight his tag team partner and his brother wolf. He didn’t want to take away Edwards’ time in the spotlight. The newly crowned ROH champion took slight offense at this protective stance—that Richards seemed to think that he was allowing Edwards to have his title run by not stepping in and taking a title bout. That night The American Wolves seemingly presented a united front in a non-title dream match against new ROH World Tag Team champions Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. That was the case until the conclusion of the match where a miscommunication between the two resulted in their loss. Tensions and anger flared. It seemed obvious that there was no longer the same cohesion between the two as there was even before the interview time with Cornette.
Still, Richards kept the Wolf Pack mentality—and sought to help his brother Wolf out against attacks where he was outnumbered. Edwards was less than appreciative of this big brother mentality—as the ROH World Champion, he felt that he had grown to a position where he didn’t need that help. He didn’t need a big brother to look out for him. That is what led to the ultimatum, so Edwards could prove that he didn’t need Richards to protect him in the championship position.
Some may have believed Edwards to be the Beta Wolf on the American Wolves unit, despite his amazing accomplishments in the past five years in ROH. However, Edwards believes he is the Alpha Wolf (with the championship to prove it) or that he is at least the equal of Richards and he was the one laying down the challenge to prove it.
That’s the thing of course—this wasn’t a fight that Richards wanted, but one he was ultimately forced to accept. Richards would have willingly stepped aside and let Edwards have his time as champion, but that essentially sidetracked the main issue, the one that is the forefront of every great championship in every great wrestling promotion-who is the best in the world? One doesn’t prove that he is the best by avoiding competition, but rather by embracing it and using it to fuel one’s drive and determination towards continuing to prove that sentiment.
According to HowStuffWorks, “in nature, wolf packs are less about ferocity and more about order. The complex wolf pack dynamics more resemble those of a teenage clique than a group of wild beasts. Of course, they still stalk prey, such as elk or rabbits, and get into vicious fights with each other, but you’ll discover that these canines follow an incredibly sophisticated group hierarchy.” That statement underlines the very conflict and stakes of this Richards / Edwards title fight. This is a battle about hierarchy and order in Ring of Honor. One man is the champion and other man wants to be champion. For either man to ignore that pivotal fact is to deny the very nature of fighting for singles championships. This isn’t merely a fight to determine who the lead wolf in the pack known as The American Wolves will be—rather; this will demonstrate who will be the lead wolf of the entire promotion.
Both Edwards and Richards deserve to be recognized under the “American Wolves” moniker which has proven to have much success over the last several years in Ring of Honor, but both men are no longer acting like they are part of that Wolf Pack. Of course, who is to say that after this Sunday there will still even be a Wolf Pack between Edwards and Richards? In essence, the American Wolves unit that was created back in 2009 may have been severed already by Edwards’ actions. Now there is no stepping back from the fight at hand. The wolves are out in the wild, hunting each other down. It is survival of the fittest and nature at its most singular and defining point.
This Saturday, two Wolves go into hunt, but only one man can emerge from the fight as the leader of the pack…and the Ring of Honor World Champion.
The results of this match and its stakes on future storylines are huge for both Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. The future placement of both wrestlers heading into the new television series under the Sinclair Broadcast Group will be determined at the Best in the World 2011 iPPV. As far as I figure, the winner of this match walks into that new series as the leading man for Ring of Honor, representing the promotion as its flagship World Champion. Now the question is if ROH believes that Edwards him can take his fight champion babyface act and have it deliver to a larger forum—that being the new television audience it seeks to establish on the SBG affiliates.
This is the biggest show for ROH until the initial television tapings in Chicago Ridge on August 13th. Unless ROH wants to go for another surprise title win like the Edwards victory in March, then either Richards wins the title here or Edwards retains and no one else wins it before then. It’s very doubtful that the title switches in Richmond, though perhaps it could in Charlotte, where ROH has sought to have that city as one of its top tier venues (hosting The Big Bang iPPV last year as well as the Tag Wars 2010 finals).
Eddie Edwards’ title reign clocks in at over three months, already longer than several former ROH World Champions (Low Ki, Homicide, James Gibson) and his three title defenses have been top-notch quality, having both great wrestling and a measure of suspense (in that a title switch had been believable at several points in these matches, though less so for the first defense, against Christopher Daniels at Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 1 ). Edwards has lived up to the potential of his role as the underdog babyface who is a fighting champion.
Meanwhile, Davey Richards has been an “uncrowned champion” of sorts throughout much of 2010 and has come close to winning the title in several opportunities. These were brutal matches that were laid out to make it appear that Richards had given it his all and then some, but for some fatal flaw in the design that prevented him from winning (at Death Before Dishonor VIII it was Shane Hagadorn’s untimely and unwanted presence and at Final Battle 2010 it was Strong’s cheating ways combined with the concussion angle that led to the loss). Now Richards is on a “last chance” of sorts. He promised repeatedly in promos that he wouldn’t waste the fans’ time or patience and that if he could not win the ROH World Title on his next opportunity that he would not challenge for the title again.
If the build to this Edwards / Richards match has one flaw, it is that ROH has been flip-flopping on the Richards vow. They altered the claim slightly to Richards leaving the promotion if he fails in this final chance. Now the latest official preview and the SBG press conference interview seem to indicate the original stakes are back in play and not Richards leaving the promotion.
On the one hand, Richards putting a self-imposed deadline and combining that with rational explanations for his loss stems the kind of anti-protagonist sentiment that had disrupted the popularity of previous champions placed in the babyface role (for example: Nigel McGuinness and Tyler Black). As well, it usually is the case in professional wrestling that when a top babyface makes a guarantee that he fulfills the promise and comes through with a victory. There are many examples of “last chance” title matches or other such stipulation matches that result in the title switch—Tyler Black’s title win at ROH Eighth Anniversary Show is a great example.
It certainly is plausible that Richards wins the title here. He would go into the new SBG era as THE top guy in the promotion, someone whose persona is very attractive and marketable to a television audience—the straight-talking bad-ass hero character who can put on a hell of a show. Richards as the lead character would no-doubt work to sell new television viewers about the tone and attitude of the Ring of Honor show. Further, his matches would certainly deliver on the vaunted ROH style that the promotion would no doubt want to put on display as a hook to this new audience.
As to the negatives of such a title switch, some fans would complain about the title being taken off Edwards too soon. Indeed, Edwards’ may be peaking right now in terms of popularity and his in-ring abilities. He has blossomed this year under the main-event spotlight, first in TV Title bouts against Christopher Daniels and then in this new role as the surprise underdog champion. This title reign was right place, right moment and it all seemed to work. For the first time in a while ROH has that top babyface who is very much approved of by its exceptionally critical fan base. Taking the title away from Edwards in this moment may hurt him too much and may bum out a fan base that is rocking and rolling along thus far in what has been a very positively reviewed year of wrestling action.
The second complaint would be more of a nit-pick, as a title switch at the Best in the World iPPV would be yet again one more title switch to take place in New York City. That would be the fifth World Title switch in a row in this location, (Aries in June ’09, Black in February ’10, Strong in September ’10 and Edwards in March ’11). Such a switch would no doubt fuel criticism that ROH is too heavily invested in New York City as its most important venue as opposed to spreading the love and giving other towns the opportunity to see major title switches live and in person. In some respects, such a complaint is valid although some of those switches were happenstance (Strong’s title switch came because Black was leaving the promotion for WWE; Edwards title switch while planned in advance was done to come across as an impromptu and unexpected result). Still, fans in some towns may begin to grow resentful of ROH’s attention to the major venues in such a manner (if it hasn’t happened already) and that may discourage future ticket purchases (though, probably not to any significant number). If anything, this may be a secondary reason that ROH does not go with a title switch at this point, in that it would be too predictable, but I don’t think that would be the ultimate factor in deciding the future direction of the main-event scene of the entire company at such a crucial point in their history.
On the other hand, Richards’ ultimatum and the emphasis on him leaving the promotion if he loses this title match put the booking of the match into a corner. If Richards loses this match, there are only two options-the first is that Richards legitimately leaves Ring of Honor (if that is still indeed a part of the personal stipulation), the second being Richards goes back on his word and turns heel on his former tag partner in the process, if not out of choice then out of necessity for his survival.
The first outcome sounds ludicrous, especially considering ROH’s need for all-hands-on-deck entering the new era of television programming. Richards is just too damned good in the ring, either as a face or as a heel, to have him leave the promotion either legitimately or as part of an angle where he would be placed on the shelf for a period of time (similar to what seems to be the case with Kevin Steen, whose return is being hinted at very heavily at this point through Youtube promos by Steve Corino and the returning Jimmy Jacobs).
As to the second outcome, the rationale for such a decision is certainly believable and not out of place for a wrestling angle and would certainly allow the Edwards / Richards program to continue further onwards for the rest of the year, though doing so takes away Richards’ drawing abilities as a top face and puts the onus directly on Edwards to deliver in the main-event protagonist position when they arrive on television in September. However, the continuation of Richards versus Edwards as an ongoing feud t would pretty clearly have to be the top program of the television show due to the timing of such an angle in relation to the tapings. It would be a terrific main event program and immediately define Ring of Honor’s main-event scene as being about competition and a fight to be at the top of the promotion, such that even former tag team partners would continue to hunt after each other in order to achieve ultimately glory.
As mentioned above, The Wolves have fought each other once before in Ring of Honor, in the finals of the inaugural ROH World Television Title tournament. The match and the way it was laid out indicated a developing equality between the two in the ring—in that both men were both technically capable and also knew each others’ strengths and weaknesses. The finish saw Edwards tap out Richards with the Achilles Lock, which was presented as a minor upset. It did come a bit out of nowhere, but it was the initial first steps in pushing Edwards over the top as a capable singles champion. He matched wits with his partner and emerged as the victor. The perception of Edwards as a capable single competitor had been upped among the fan base after that match (and though ROH failed to capitalize on that attention by prolonging any actual television title defenses on HDNet in the initial months after winning the title, a second push for Edwards as a fighting champion on HDNet which began in the Summer of 2010 worked out far better). He has proven that ability to have good-to-great matches in the ring both in his latter TV Title defenses and in his three World Title defenses thus far against Daniels, Hero and a rematch versus Roderick Strong.
The expectations for this match are exceptionally high as it is with the entire card, though part of that is self-inflicted due to Jim Cornette’s big hype-man pitch job at Manhattan Mayhem IV that this show would be the best in ROH history, would bring dinosaurs back to life, grant its viewers immortality and other such hyperbole. The truth is Richards and Edwards can be that great epic of a match. Both men have the ability in the ring and both men can capture the ROH fans’ emotions in the palm of their hand. However, such a match can also falter to the hype. Best in the World 2011 really is a “Go Big or Go Home” moment for Ring of Honor and that in and of itself certainly makes it a newsworthy show.
–Eddie Edwards defeated Christopher Daniels in Atlanta, GA on 4/1/11.
–Eddie Edwards defeated Chris Hero in Toronto, ON on 5/7/11.
–Eddie Edwards defeated Roderick Strong in Chicago Ridge, IL on 5/21/11.
–Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Toronto, ON on 5/7/11.
–Christopher Daniels defeated Devon Storm in Philadelphia, PA on 01/21/11.
–Christopher Daniels defeated Kenny King in Philadelphia, PA on 1/22/11.
–Christopher Daniels defeated Mark Briscoe in Los Angeles, CA on 1/28/11.
–Christopher Daniels and Eddie Edwards fought to a thirty-minute time-limit draw in a Two-out-of-Three-Falls Match in Chicago Ridge, IL on 02/26/11.
–Christopher Daniels defeated Mike Bennett in Plymouth, MA on 3/18/11.
ROH World Champion Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards give their final interviews before wrestling this Sunday at Best in the World 2011 on iPPV.
You can follow the rest of the Steve Corino / Jimmy Jacobs promos through the Ring of Honor Youtube channel, but this one shows off the dramatic cliffhanger and the thought that perhaps, just maybe, Kevin Steen WILL be in attendance at Best in the World 2011 this weekend after all…
If you haven’t watched The Briscoes’ “Day 1” promo as yet, now is your chance. Honestly one of the best promos cut this year—delivered with the honesty and passion of the wrestler to the audience. Jay is right about a number of points—his connections to the promotions since the first show and their championship run in 2007 is comparable or better than The Kings of Wrestling and their 2010 domination. However, it is his attitude and “Southern Charm” with which New York fans disagree with and which has rubbed a good deal of the ROH fan base the wrong way the past few months. That said, I can’t help but wonder if this promo is just too good for their own good, that it might turn them back babyface in the fans’ eyes. Also, be sure to check out what Mark Briscoe is doing in the background, demonstrating you don’t always have to be the center of attention to help show your personality.
The latest ROH Videowire is a couple of weeks old, but you should check it out for good promos from Christopher Daniels and The Bravado Brothers among others.
Correction: THIS is the latest videowire, released this past Thursday. How about dem apples?
4:00 pm belltime
Manhattan Center (Hammerstein Ballroom)
311 West 34th St.
New York, NY 10001
Catch the show at GoFightLive.
I’ve covered Richards / Edwards in detail above, so here is the rest of the NYC card:
World Tag Team Title Four Way Elimination Match-ROH World Tag Team Champions Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin) defend vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe
Haas and Benjamin were given a fantastic reception during their first appearance ever for ROH which took place in New York City back at Glory By Honor IX (it didn’t hurt that their entrance music was the instant-hype-up anthem “TNT” by ACDC). Now they return to NYC as the ROH World Tag Team Champions to defend the title against the former champions and two of the promotion’s other featured tandems. WGTT successfully fought and defeated The Briscoes in a title match during Revolution: Canada, but that win was in-part due to interference from The All-Night Express. ANX and The Briscoes are currently embroiled in a huge blood war that spiraled out of control last time in NYC and the issue has only degenerated from there.
This will be the first appearance of the fully-turned heel Briscoes since the initial double turn was executed here this past March. My best guess is that the NYC faithful will come with everything they’ve got in terms of derision, cat-calls and southern jokes in an attempt to unnerve Jay and Mark, but the new attitude of The Briscoes likely means they will take all that hatred and funnel it right back at both the fans and their opponents. This is elimination rules, which means Haas and Benjamin have to go through three other teams to retain the titles, but as two of those teams are likely to be consumed in hatred to the point of distraction, really they merely have to outlast and then outmatch their opponents. They’ve defeated The Kings several times already and I don’t doubt they can do it again here in New York City.
World TV Title Match-Christopher Daniels with Truth Martini defends vs. El Generico
The new television deal with SBG has allowed the TV Title to continue onwards and ROH has reactivated the belt for title defenses beginning with this one. This match continues the mini-feud between Generico and The House of Truth which started out innocently enough when the masked luchador defeated Michael Elgin at 9th Anniversary Show. However, The Fallen Angel’s latest fall from grace came at the expense of El Generico, which opened some new wounds between the two. Generico has a non-title pinfall victory against Daniels at Revolution: Canada. Can he win again when the title is on the line?
Other factors to this match include Michael Elgin, who will be in-house, which means a cleanly fought match on the part of The House is far from a guarantee. Manager Truth Martini lost the leverage of having the World Title in his clientele’s possession, so holding onto this one is very important. I guess the real questions are if Daniels will be continuing onwards with ROH into this new SBG era or if he will re-sign with TNA and therefore lose the belt on his way out. If the former is the case then Daniels is a fine choice to represent ROH as its TV Champion, but if it’s the latter then it makes sense to transition the title to someone else as soon as possible.
Special Challenge Match #1-Steve Corino with Jimmy Jacobs vs. Michael Elgin with Truth Martini
If you’ve seen the recent YouTube promos from Corino’s camp then you know that ROH has actually acquiesced to allowing Jimmy Jacobs entree back into the promotion he once tried to ruin with his Age of the Fall. Now Corino is making attempts to court Kevin Steen back into the fold, though where and how far that goes with the ROH brass remains to be seen. For now though Corino has a new blight to set his sights on in the form of The House of Truth. Corino views The House as a corruptive influence and that his path to redemption lies directly with their handling and disposal. Michael Elgin has quickly found his place in ROH and has proven he belongs in the promotion, with his roughhouse power that is reminiscent of another man on this card (Rhino). Luckily, Corino has experience wrestling against larger and more powerful men, but can he defeat someone on that level without resorting to dirty tactics? No one in ROH really trusts either Corino or Jacobs either, so if they run into trouble, will there be anyone to bail them out?
Special Challenge Match #2-“The Prodigy” Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal
Mike Bennett continues to march onwards and upwards after conclusively winning a three-match series against Steve Corino. Here he matches up against Jay Lethal, making a return after several years’ absence (time spent wrestling for TNA). Lethal was a pretty decent homegrown hit for ROH when he shed the Special K moniker of Hydro and spent several years teaming with Samoa Joe as his protégé (though actually he first broke out through Jersey All-Pro Wrestling). Having Lethal back should be interesting, both to see how ROH treats him in comparison to Bennett (who has been consistently pushed this year as the upstart heel) and to see how the ROH fans accept him. Also, I wonder if Lethal wrestles as himself or in his “Black Machismo” get-up, or if not fully in “Macho Man” Randy Savage gear perhaps he’ll sprinkle in one or two moves as a tribute. ROH has noted that they want to book Lethal for more dates in 2011, so a lot at stake here for both wrestlers and as far as their in-ring efforts go.
No Holds Barred Street Fight-Homicide vs. Rhino with The Embassy
Lots of information has circulated about Homicide’s involvement in this new Urban Wrestling Federation promotion and how that new company wants its talent to sign no-compete clauses, though neither Homicide nor anyone else is really talking about it. Then we have The Embassy lawsuit which seems like an interesting “out-clause” that can explain Homicide’s exit should it come to pass. Regardless, the match itself should be pretty cool and one of the first matches since his return where Homicide is actually placed in jeopardy—and that can help fuel a lot of interest and emotion live in the building.
I’ve always wanted to see Rhino in ROH, because his burly powerhouse style is rarely seen in the promotion (though ironically Michael Elgin is now here and serves a similar function for The House of Truth). A motivated Rhino is an awesome wrestler, as seen by some of his best efforts in TNA. The “No Holds Barred Street Fight” stipulation got thrown in there at the last minute and is starting to become for Homicide what “Butcher’s Rules” were for Necro Butcher—a way to do a brawl match that doesn’t have to have high expectations for being match of the year. Of course, the tension surrounding this match and The Embassy angle do necessitate the stipulation and I’m thinking these two will definitely have a better match for it. The storyline has teased that much of The Embassy’s personnel such as Princess Mia Kim and Barrister R.D. Evans will NOT be in attendance or at ringside for the match, but that could always be a gaslight done to swerve the fans (and Homicide) and have them involved to attack ‘Cide on the blindside.
Dream Tag Team Match- Dark Match/DVD Exclusive-Generation Me vs. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly
This one sort of came out nowhere, didn’t it? Although it is absolutely a winner of a match, a dream-bout pitting two of the fastest rising teams in the past two-to-three years of ROH history and from the independent scene. Generation Me made their bones in Pro Wrestling Guerilla as The Youngbucks, but hit immediate success in ROH during their 2009 run, which propelled them into signing contracts with TNA. They still stay busy on the independent scene with PWG and this is actually their third appearance for ROH since signing with TNA, which should indicate they have great value as a featured attraction for the promotion. Meanwhile Cole and O’Reilly have been embraced by many of the ROH fans and actually fill the same kind of speedster (though less spot-oriented) underdog role on the ROH tag roster. Both teams have insane double team combinations and I think this one will be an instant crowd-pleaser. iPPV customers won’t be able to watch this one as it happens (which is a bummer but was obvious from the start that’s the way it would have to be if The Bucks or anyone from TNA appeared) but it will be on the DVD release. Fans who have tickets to attend the show live should exercise caution and come earlier than planned to the show as word has broken that this match will take place at 3:30 PM EST which is half an hour before the iPPV airs on Go Fight Live.
Singles Action-Colt Cabana vs. Tommaso Ciampa with The Embassy
Ciampa did not have the best of first impressions when he wrestled Grizzly Redwood at the last New York show. He has another chance in this undercard bout against Cabana, whose experience, timing and connection with the crowd should be able to carry through any weak patches. Expect Prince Nana to make his presence known and I wouldn’t be surprised if his machinations led to Ciampa getting the win here.
For lo tho ye walk in the valley of the shadow of death, thou shalt not fear it, for in it lies the miracle of Truth, that there is no life so rich and full that cannot be ripped asunder and no life so meager and wanting that cannot be built upon and improved. Ergo, listen ye well to this treasured advice found within The Book of Truth, for these words are worth their weight in gold. So sayeth The Truth, so sayeth The House:
There was a man in the forest with a bow and an arrow, hunting for deer and fowl. I went up to the man and asked him if he hunted for sport or pleasure. The man shook his head sorrowfully. He explained to me that he hunted because he needed food and sustenance. I took pity on the man and explained to him that one does not have to be a carnivore in order to eat and survive. One may be a vegan and be healthy and strong—eating on the plants and vegetables in the local organic habitat. The man’s face became skewered, his arms akimbo. Then he let out a guttural laugh and said that such advice was foolishness. He once again took aim of his bow and arrow, this time out towards an approaching elk. As he pulled back the long strings of his instrument, I rushed up to the man’s head and trapped him in a LaBelle Lock until his neck snapped in twain. Another animal’s life saved at my hands. I quietly pulled the body of the dead hunter into my Prius in order that I could later return him to Mother Nature.
-From The Story of Daniel Bryan, Chapter 2, Verses 1-12 in The Book of Truth.
-Unfortunately, some bad news for Dayton, Ohio and Plymouth, Massachusetts ROH fans. The August 12th Dayton Ohio show that was to precede the Chicago, Illinois television tapings has been postponed until November 18th 2011 both to accommodate travel to the first tapings of the new TV show and (in theory) to allow for a larger audience to attend the house show in November (since the show will have aired in that market for two months by that point). Meanwhile the Plymouth, Massachusetts show set for September 16th, 2011 has been canceled until 2012. Tickets will be honored for the Dayton show, but ticket holders for the Plymouth show can email [email protected] for refunds. Looks like some Sinclair Broadcast Group growing pains started earlier than expected, though ROH has done the odd postponement or cancellation of shows over the years and the policy has been the same.
-Notes from the Sinclair Broadcast Group press conference that was held yesterday in Baltimore:
Well first of all, there’s this:
That is a look at the new logo, which seems to be an amalgamation of the original one from 2002 and Goldberg’s tattoo. Though the winning bid is certainly better than many of the other options apparently commissioned by the promotion.
The kick-off for the television show ill be September 24th, 2011.
There was an emphasis on presenting ROH as wrestling and competition rather than sports-entertainment, a re-emphasis on building slowly and not changing things in the ring for the sake of change. However, Cornette did say there would be minor presentation changes and that the television show would start from scratch and would not have “four minute matches” but would rather focus on being more competitive and letting the wrestlers tell their story. Hopefully that means very little in the way of squash matches. They claimed there would be no dropping of current cities from their touring schedule and DVDs would continue to be published. There was no word on contract situations and no word on the future of on-demand services (which many fans hoped would be addressed in the wake of losing the rohvideo.com site).
In addition to Cary and the new COO Joe Koff speaking, those watching the press conference were able to hear from Kevin Kelly, Jim Cornette, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards and a few of the other Ring of Honor wrestlers.There was also a short pull-apart between Haas and Benjamin and The Briscoes. ROH planned on putting up the press conference on their own website and it should be up before this column is published.
-In fact:
-The full list of stations that will be carrying Ring of Honor Wrestling and their air times:
BALTIMORE, MD – WNUV CW Saturdays at 10 PM and Sundays at 12:00 AM
BIRMINGHAM, AL – WABM MyNetworkTV at Saturdays 9 PM and Sundays at 11 PM
BUFFALO, NY – WNYO MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 9 PM
BUFFALO, NY – WUTV FOX Sundays at 11 PM
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA -KFXA FOX Saturdays at 11:30 PM
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – KGAN CBS Saturdays at 3:30 AM
CHAMPAIGN-SPRINGFIELD, IL WICS/WICD ABC Saturdays at 12:00 AM
CHARLESTON, SC – WMMP MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 10 PM
CHARLESTON, SC – WTAT FOX Sundays at 1 AM.
CHARLESTON-HUNTINGTON, WV – WVAH FOX Sundays at 11 PM.
CHARLESTON, HUNTINGTON, WV – WCHS ABC Sundays at 1:30 AM.
CINCINATTI, OH – WTTE FOX Sundays at 12 AM
COLUMBUS, OH – WTTE FOX Sundays at 12 AM.
DAYTON, OHIO – WRGT FOX Sundays at 10:30 PM and 3:00 AM.
DES MOINES, IOWA – KDSM FOX Sundays 11 PM and Saturdays at 2 AM.
FLINT, MI – WSMH FOX Sundays at 11 PM
GREENSBORO, NC – WMYV MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 8PM and 12 AM.
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ASHEVILLE (CAROLINAS) WMYA CW Network Saturdays at 10 PM.
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ASHEVILLE (CAROLINAS) WLOS ABC Saturdays at 1:30 AM.
LAS VEGAS, NV – KVCW CW Network Saturdays at 10 PM and 1 AM.
LEXINGTON, KY – WDKY FOX Sundays at 12 AM.
MADISON, WI – WMSN FOX Saturdays 12:30 AM and 3:30 AM.
MILWAUKEE, WI – WVTV CW Network Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 12 AM.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL – WUCW CW Network Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 1 AM.
MOBILE-PENSACOLA – WFGX MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 12 AM.
NASHVILLE, TN – WUXP MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 10 PM and Sundays at 1 AM
NORFOLK, VA – WTVZ MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 10 PM and Sundays at 1 AM.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – KOCB CW Network Saturdays at 9 PM and 2 AM.
PADUCAH-CAPE GIRARDEAU – WDKA MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 2 AM,
PEORIA, IL – WYZZ FOX Sundays at 11 PM and Saturdays at 3 AM.
PITTSBURGH, PA – WPMY MyNetworkTV Saturdays 10 PM and Sundays at 12 AM.
PORTLAND-AUBURN, MAINE – WGME CBS Saturdays at 1 AM.
RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC – WRDC MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 10 PM and Sundays at 12 AM.
RICHMOND, VA – WRLH FOX Sundays at 11:30 PM.
ROCHESTER, NY – WUHF FOX Sundays at 1:30 AM.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – KMYS CW Network Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 1 AM.
ST. LOUIS – WDNL ABC Saturdays at 1:30 AM.
SYRACUSE, NY – WNYS MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 10 PM and Sundays at 1 AM.
TALLAHASSEE, FL – WTWC NBC Saturdays at 1 AM.
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG, FL – WTTA MyNetworkTV Saturdays at 9 PM and Sundays at 9 PM.
-The number four is kicking around the tag team division as after the four-way elimination match for the ROH World Tag Team Title concludes this weekend there will be another tag team tournament at the Richmond, Virginia show on July 8th. Four teams out of a pool of eight will be “randomly” chosen to participate in the min-tournament and the winning team will earn a tag team title shot at a future event to be determined and a $5,000 cash bonus (to be distributed in the form of Monopoly money). The teams eligible for this lottery include: The Kings of Wrestling, The Briscoe Brothers, The American Wolves (which is confusing since the hype for Edwards / Richards as mentioned above is that Richards will leave ROH if he loses, so there may not be an American Wolves team after this weekend), The All Night Express, Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly, The Bravado Brothers, The House of Truth (no specific combination mentioned) and a new tandem of Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander. The latter team is likely a pairing made due to local usage of those wrestlers for that mid-south swing, but I kinda dig it. Coleman and Alexander could be a good combination based on their athleticism and speed. Alexander might be young, but he’s shown some potential in his few appearances on ROH shows in 2010 and Coleman always has charisma, swagger and a unique wrestling style going for him. ROH also notes that if Haas and Benjamin should lose the titles this Sunday then they will replace whichever team bested them in this mini-tournament.
-…And in developing news regarding that tournament, the first “lottery” pick for said mini-tournament is the team of Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly. The second “lottery” pick is Coleman & Alexander. Those two teams will fight each other, which could be a great undercard bout for the show. The third pick was revealed on Thursday to be Jay & Mark Briscoe. One more pick will be revealed before Richmond.
-Recently, Steve Corino shaved his head. Several motives have been presented as to these actions. One: He decided to convert to Amish (no wonder whenever I see him I feel like screaming “Chickens!” and making bone-tearing motions with my hands).Two: He was taking the “Kurt Angle Approach” of coping with encroaching Male Pattern Baldness. Three: He wanted to join Project Mayhem. MY GOD, Jimmy Jacobs really is Tyler Durden!
-Last week, reports came across the IWC newswires (better known as Twitter, Facebook and the Wrestling Observer / Figure 4 Weekly Forums) that The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) received closed door tryouts at the area where WWE Raw and Smackdown took place. Later, The Wrestling Observer reported that both Hero and Castagnoli’s Ring of Honor contracts expired in April and so they are free agents.
Much to my surprise or perhaps not, there was almost universal understanding and acceptance (even joy and excitement for them receiving the opportunity) across respondents from many websites, including the ROH message board, for the KOW try-out. Most wrote they were happy that both men were taking the opportunity. Now both men have been in the rumor mill repeatedly over the past several years as being “next” on the list of independent wrestlers who would be pursued by WWE and many on this very website commented that both were the most ready among the WWE roster to cross-over to the mainstream. This kind of positive response with the absence of a concurrent “the sky is falling” mentality demonstrates to me that there is now an acceptance among independent wrestling fans that independent wrestlers signing with the WWE is a realistic and possible outcome.
I don’t know if it’s numbness to such eventualities or if it is that fans have cottoned to the idea that Ring of Honor and other independent promotions have demonstrated repeatedly over the years that they can lose many important talents to TNA or WWE and that those companies will not shut down. In fact, ROH, PWG and even to an extent Dragon Gate USA have shown flexibility in pushing talent to the top of the promotion, remaining capable of cultivating the next generation and filling in the holes on the roster. Now are these independent wrestlers as major or as meaningful a “star” as say Samoa Joe, CM Punk or Bryan Danielson in their independent primes? Probably not, but even those guys started out with little and built their names and their reputations over the years. Michael Elgin, Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly have a few years’ time on the independents, but give them just a few more years and the exposure of a promotion like ROH and they may yet grow to that level. As for The Kings of Wrestling, ROH would do best to re-sign them as they are some of the top marquee talent currently on roster, but now fans know that should they choose to sign with WWE and expand their career progress through that promotion, that ROH and other promotions will manage.
-Hopefully, Claudio keeps his “Claudio’s Café” video podcast feature going regardless of where he ends up.
-The Bravado Brothers have issued an official letter of complaint to ROH officials regarding their treatment as far as not receiving matches and being passed over for Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly and of all teams, Generation Me. You can read the very humorous (and on-point) epistle at the following link: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/a-letter-from-the-bravado-brothers/.
At the beginning of the year, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett vowed that within one year that he would become the Ring of Honor World Champion. So let’s see how he’s done so far, eh?
Days Left to Reach Goal: 186
…Oh, he’s not ROH World Champion yet? Oh. Well…that’s quite unfortunate. Anyways, be sure to keep track of how Mister Bennett’s progress is doing. That man, he’s quite the prodigy at winning championships.
I’m still going strong on Twitter so head on over to TwitterNation and follow me at: http://twitter.com/AriBerenstein.
Once again, be sure to listen to my appearance with Greg DeMarco on his podcast as we interview Cary Silkin and preview ROH Best in the World 2011. Plus, the second hour features Justin Freemyer, the irrepressible Steve Cook and the lovely Buggy!
Jack Bramma covers ROH’s first iPPV, Final Battle 2009 with part one of his review.
Nick Bazar has an awesome topic for The Contentious Ten, looking at Cause-Effect relationships in professional wrestling history. Cool stuff.
Michael Ornelas does an awesome job with the 411Mania Staff Fantasy Wrestling League on the super secret staff forums, but he also presided over history as this website voted for their Match of the Week with a complete sweep of TNA matches. Bias, what bias?
…Relax, friends, that was a sarcastic quip, you see.
Mathew Sforcina is in with this week’s Ask411.
So that’s going to cover it for now. Thanks everyone for taking the time out to read this one. I may or may not be back next week with my live thoughts from the Best in the World 2011 show. Regardless, be well and I’ll see you all down the line.
BROOKLYN!
DAH EM BAH SEE FOR-EVAH! EH!
–Ari–
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