Column of Honor: 07.30.11: Introducing First

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 07.30.2011

What matches from 2011 should you show to introduce a new fan to Ring of Honor? The Column takes on the task of creating the list, plus CM Punk’s “Cult of Personality” theme and WWE return, Kevin Steen’s invasion of PWG and EVOLVE, ROH TV news and more!

Welcome to the Column, just one day past my birthday. No surprise parties in my honor, please; I've already had the pleasure once this month. Let's get on to other matters then, shall we?

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=Introducing First: The Ring of Honor Matches from 2011 to Show a New Fan=





In just two weeks, Ring of Honor begins a new era in television product for their promotion...and with a new TV show will certainly some come new fans. With those new fans, comes their desire to catch more of Ring of Honor's product. Then, the questions--which matches should I watch? What DVDs should I buy?

On the other hand, there are those former viewers of ROH who have only kept a cursory knowledge of events. These are casual fans who may have higher priorities with other wrestling promotions, cycle in and out of interest with the promotion (hey, it happens, not to me, but it happens) or have not been able to keep in touch due to real world concerns such as time, money and lack of opportunity. Occasionally the curiosity gets the best of them and they try to become reacquainted with the goings-on of the promotion. Some of them, like a friend of mine I see from time-to-time, will sit down to watch a selection of matches in bunches and obtain at least some small understanding of the key storylines, matches and champions of that moment..

So, its once again time to address the curiosity and provide some answers...and hopefully, provide a decent introduction to what Ring of Honor has to offer in 2011. These matches can be a great primer for someone who has never heard of the promotion before or someone who is looking to be reintroduced into the world of Honor.

Ah, but first!


The Ground Rules

-Only shows from January 2011 onwards: As painful as it is to my ROH sensibilities not to be able to pull from the entire collection or even from the last show of 2010 (Final Battle with the awesome Kevin Steen vs. El Generico feud finale) its really the most prudent and the fairest move to only use matches from this year. That way the person watching has a good handle on the current era of the product, including the most up-to-date roster (so that say, no one expects Low Ki or Samoa Joe at an ROH show in 2011 after having seen their Glory By Honor I face-off from ‘02) and the most recent and relevant angles, storylines and feuds.


-Maximum length of any one particular match cannot exceed 25 minutes (except the "main event" i.e. last match to be shown): You don't want to go overkill on a prospective new ROH fan. Sure, Joe vs. Punk II is a classic ROH match and a must-see, but...maybe its not the first-see for a first-time viewer. Asking any one to sit down for an hour straight for just one match if its their first exposure to the ROH product is asking a lot and perhaps too much. You do want to keep your friendships, right? So let's limit the time-frame to a maximum of twenty-five minutes per match, which is plenty enough to show some exciting matches that demonstrate the ROH style without tiring the attention-span.


-Note that this is not a "Best Matches of 2011" list, as the twenty-five minutest time-limit excludes some of the very best matches of the year. I also haven't watched Supercard of Honor VI on DVD as yet, so that show wasn't taken into consideration. As well, this list is not according to any order of quality. Instead I've created a "play-list" as if one was viewing a wrestling show-there's a certain ebb-and-flow to the order of the matches that takes into consideration what it would take to convert a new fan. The list can of course be adjusted or reduced for time concerns or personal tastes.


-The Mainstream Wrestlers Match-

ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The Kings of Wrestling of Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin - Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter One Atlanta, GA 04/01/11

ALT Choice WGTT vs. The Briscoes 9th Anniversary Show Chicago, IL 02/25/11

One of the easier ways to hook a new fan on any sort of independent wrestling (and not just in Ring of Honor) is to show them a match where they may already be familiar with some of the participants. This step can involve the presence of a legendary Hall of Famer from the past, a newly shining star in the mainstream and big time (the rise of CM Punk this summer has already resulted in Highspots.com creating a "Best of" DVD of his run in IWA: Mid-South), or a former name from WWE (or even TNA) with whom the person might be familiar or the previous work. Here is a match that rings up the third of those examples. Former WWE wrestlers Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin have been involved with ROH since late 2010 when they made their first-appearance in a non-title affair against ROH World Tag Team Champions The Kings of Wrestling of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. The Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team-Kings of Wrestling series has been off to the races ever since, pitting the two top teams against each other throughout the past year, with great results--there hasn't been a bad match among the bunch. However, this past April was the big one--the title match WGTT earned through a non-title win against Hero and Castagnoli as they try to stop the record-setting reign of KOW. It's a great wrestling match, even in pace but with both teams definitely out there looking to prove their abilities and thus coming up with some great sequences. There is a clear face-heel dynamic that makes it easy to understand what is going on in the ring. This one tests the limit of our rules at twenty-three minutes, but its well worth the time spent. If the new fan knows nothing about Hero and Castagnoli going in, they'll be impressed with them by end of it...and since the rumors and reports abound about their upcoming departures to WWE, you'll be giving that fan some advanced notice about their talent and ability.

An alternate choice of showcasing Haas and Benjamin in a ROH ring would be their main-event against Jay and Mark Briscoe from this year's anniversary show. The Briscoes had not turned yet, so this is a babyface-babyface affair and thus the emphasis is on competition, not grudge warfare (though I'd assume that is about to come to pass with the new TV show). It would serve to hook the new viewer with the former WWE stars and also give a primer to new fans about the original tag team players who have been there since "Day One".

It would probably be smart of me (or anyone) to show this one off early to the prospective ROH fan, both for the aforementioned reasons but also since there are several matches involving The Kings after their championship run that have also made this list. It would take away some of the suspense from the new viewer to show them a Hero or Castagnoli match where they don't have the title and the announcers discuss the change and then you decide to pop this baby in. That's not being a good friend! Also don't spoil the results as you watch--inform and give the background of the wrestlers or storyline, but don't outright tell the result. "That's not cool" /Carlito



-The Dynamic and Impressive Action Match-

The Kings of Wrestling vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly - Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter Two Atlanta, GA 04/02/11

Cole and O'Reilly are the future (and perhaps even the present) of the Ring of Honor tag team division and this match highlights their dynamic tag team wrestling ability. They didn't win this match, but their lightning quick and innovative tag combinations combined with a hard work ethic are such that anyone watching this one will walk away impressed with them. The Kings are a fantastic and fitting antagonist-the aggressive and knowledgeable veterans pitting against the younger but plucky heroes. The Kings are one night removed from their ROH World Tag Team Title loss, so they are angry and remorseless in their attack...and that attitude and demeanor should continue to pop your prospective newbie watching these matches.This can be a perfect first match to show because its at just about ten minutes in length but is very much in line with the ROH in-ring style and is indicative of the current tag team division. There are many "oohs" and "ahhs" from the fans which also gives great atmosphere to the in-ring action. If the fans in attendance are popping for the action, more is the chance that the new fan watching the show will pop for it as well. Again, by the end of this match, it would be difficult for the viewer not to become a fan of the guys in the ring.


-The "Michael Elgin is a Bulldozer" Match-

Double Danger Scramble Match: Titus vs. Cole vs. Elgin vs. Ciampa vs. Redwood vs. Ridge - Revolution: Canada Toronto, ONT, CN 05/07/11

"Unbreakable" Michael Elgin has been one of the breakouts of 2011--one of the relatively new talents in the promotion that has impressed fans with his strength and power. Elgin has quickly become a terrorizing bulldozer force--the bodyguard, hitman and heavy for Truth Martini's cult of personality known as The House of Truth. More importantly, the man is really fun to watch in the ring--its in the same vein as men before him such as Rhino or Vader or Bam Bam Bigelow. They are forces of destruction. Hell, he's the Juggernaut, bitch. Who doesn't want to watch someone like that wreck things up?

So when introducing a fan to ROH, one of the matches I would pull is one involving Michael Elgin at his destructive and rampaging best. While he did have very good efforts against El Generico this year, I believe it is his recent efforts in this multi-man scramble match that show be highlighted. However, before starting the match its important to explain the rules of the match to the first-time viewer, as this is the first one of its kind in ROH (and a rarity anywhere else in wrestling, though I do remember the first match to crown the TNA NWA X-Division Champion in 2002 was similar). However, its important to explain this one in simple terms, unlike ring announcer Bobby Cruise, who made this match seem like advanced Calculus in his explanation to the live audience at the show:

The only way to win this match is to win two falls (pinfalls and submissions allowed). Unless you get disqualified, you're still in the match with a chance to win, even if you're pinned or submitted. See? Easy.

Since it is a multi-man bout, a secondary advantage of showing this match is that one can highlight some of the promotion's undercard roster. Yes, sure, by themselves guys like Grizzly Redwood or Andy Ridge may not impress a newbie fan, but the convenience of a match like this is that these wrestles are in for a limited time, they pick-and-choose their spots, and they have enough time to get their gimmicks over without being overbearing or exposing many weaknesses. There are a a small amount of loose or sloppy spots in a chaotic match such as this one, but they are overwhelmed by the impressive moments and forgotten about by the finish. Speaking of the finish to the match, Elgin exerts his will and is just unleashing on anyone stupid enough to get in his way. A new fans is going to come away from this match with awe for Elgin and a desire to see what else he has to offer.


-The Comedy Match-

Colt Cabana vs. Caprice Coleman - Champions vs. All-Stars Richmond, VA 01/14/11

Ring of Honor places the emphasis on in-ring action, but from time-to-time a more light-hearted "comedy" match has been presented. Eventually one does need to break up the flow and provide something different to the audience--a palate cleanser of sorts...and that is what this match can serve for you in your course of "Ring of Honor 101", while still entertaining the viewer on its own merits.

However, for all that, there haven't been too many comedy matches in ROH this year. The responsibility has fallen to Colt Cabana (and occasionally The Bravado Brothers, though the humor is to be found more in their promos and reaction to the crowds at the shows) to provide the laughs, but even he has been embroiled in grudges the past few years and after that he has been concentrating more in search of athletic competition as opposed to yuks. Cabana's match against Caprice Coleman starts out with Colt's comedic touch (which his opponent is more than game for). He frustrates Coleman in humorous ways, then gives him the space to impress the fans. Coleman has great energy and some innovative sequences. It would be difficult for someone to watch him not to like him by the end of this match. It's also ten minutes or less, which means it makes its point but doesn't lose its charm for running with the jokes too long.

The reason I wouldn't choose the recent Larry Sweeney Tribute match between Cabana and Delirious (from Revolution: Canada) is two-fold: 1-its bitter-sweet comedy and less of a match than a run-through of Sweeney's great comedy gags; 2-if the new fan isn't aware of Sweeney, then the impact of both the comedy and the tribute is lessened, which would be the real shame of the situation. Best to show them an actual Sweeney match when given the chance than the tribute, which while very important and very touching, wouldn't work as well as Cabana vs. Coleman for the purposes of this project.


-The Davey Richards Match-

Richards vs. TJ Perkins - SoCal Showdown II Los Angeles, CA 01/28/11

ALT Choice vs. Hero Only the Strong Survive Charlotte, NC 01/15/11; vs. Castagnoli Defy or Deny Plymouth, MA 03/18/11

Davey Richards is the head face of the promotion at this point, so its important to put the focus on him for at least one match. Problem: he's been involved in quite a few 25-minute plus matches. So it comes down to these choice for me: his superb chain wrestling effort with TJ Perkins at the beginning of the year, or two back-and-forth singles contests set up against each man of The Kings of Wrestling team. In some ways the Hero and Castagnoli matches may have more "bang" in terms of harder strikes (and Richards and Castagnoli pulling out sunset-flip reversals out the Ricola Bomb never ceased to entertain), but I love the hold-for-hold exchanges and position battle that is found in much of the Perkins match, plus there are still plenty of "oohs" and "ahhs" to be had by the athleticism of both men.The near-falls and roll-up-counter sequences are a lot of fun. The Los Angeles crowd is very much on their side and supportive throughout this one, thanks to their West Coast connections from previous years. This match is Richards' dominated, which helps inform the new fan of his importance to the promotion, but Perkins gets several moments where he can pull out the win. The exchange of respect from both men at the end of the match helps put both wrestlers over to a new fan Plus, I have The Kings featured in other matches on this list; however, one could do no wrong in showing any of these matches as they all showcase Richards' personality, moves and the bad-ass, kick-ass charisma he demonstrates which much of the ROH fan base has attached themselves to throughout the past several years, pushing Richards up to the top of the mountain.


-The El Generico Match-

ROH TV Title Match - El Generico vs. Christopher Daniels (c) Best in the World 2011 New York City, NY 06/26/11

ALT Choice No Disqualification - El Generico vs. Roderick Strong Revolution: Canada Toronto, ONT, CN 05/07/11; ROH World Title Match - Roderick Strong (c) vs. El Generico SoCal Showdown II Los Angeles, CA 01/28/11

El Generico is all about his entertaining character, the connection he has established with the fan base and his inspiring babyface comebacks filled to the brim with killer moves that make it feasible and believable that a skinny luchador can win the big one. I'm sure a first-time fan of El Generico makes a snap-judgement based on his appearance and physique (or lack of one) and wacky cartoon-like gimmick. However, watching El Generico in action should change the minds of most skeptics--because when he fires up and gets the crowd behind him, that draws in the viewer and makes them start to believe he can actually pull it off. The TV Title bout here is all about Daniels' domination in the first half and Generico's rally in the end to the point where when he pulls out the turnbuckle brainbuster the crowd is going ballistic. Daniels' plays the heel role to the hilt and his presence also gives you another mainstream wrestler of whom fans might be aware...and then it demonstrates that El Generico can defeat someone of that level, which helps to put over the ROH product and roster.

The alternative choices are almost as good, with Generico's attempt to win the ROH World Title against Roderick Strong (champion at the time)--as Generico walks in essentially the "hometown" favorite. Then there is a follow-up match in that grudge rivalry from the recent Revolution: Canada show that has plenty of weapons usage (which might appeal to a fan of the hardcore style) and more of the vaunted Generico babyface comeback, plus it shows he can give as good as he takes in that environment. The one downside is the amount of interference in that match (which could be a turn-off to the prospective fan), but since it is "no-disqualification", the run-ins are logical and justified within the rules of the match and the context of the situation- Strong needs help and his stablemates in The House of Truth provide it.


-The Heated Storyline Match-

The Briscoes vs. All-Night Express Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter Two Atlanta, GA 04/02/11

ALT Choice The Briscoes vs. All-Night Express Manhattan Mayhem IV New York, NYC 03/19/11

The war between The Briscoes and The All-Night Express broke out with the beginning of the double-turn at Manhattan Mayhem IV. Both that match and the follow up from Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter Two (which cemented the turns, Briscoes heel and ANX face) are worth showing to new fans because it demonstrates ROH's ability to tell grudge feuds. The Atlanta match is especially bloody and violent, a street-fight that referees cannot contain and which drives the fans into a frenzy. Fans chanting for Titus and King had been slightly more likely to happen than Davey Richards wearing a tutu but it happened in both matches here. ANX comes across as hip and cool while King's comebacks and Titus' ability to bleed and keep on going help to impress upon new fans of their ability, while The Briscoes are the ever-loving Briscoes in all of their glory. Personally I like the post-match brawl of the NYC show but I would give higher priority to the Atlanta match because of how heated everything becomes very quickly.


-The Main Event-

ROH World Title Match Eddie Edwards (c) vs. Davey Richards - Best in the World 2011 New York, NY 06/26/11

ALT Choice ROH World Title Match Roderick Strong (c) vs. Eddie Edwards - Manhattan Mayhem IV New York, NY 03/19/11

Remember, this last choice has no time limits, so if you have Best in the World 2011, then don't feel guilty about popping that into your media player and showcasing Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards going at it in one of the finest title matches in the history of the promotion. That match has it all--emotion, drama and some the best action you'll find in ROH all year. Chances are, if that match doesn't sell a first-time viewer on the product, not much else will.

However, if you don't have Best in the World 2011 available either through GoFightLive's archive or through the DVD (which was just released this week, see below), or if you want to save something for future viewing, then you can't go wrong with Strong vs. Edwards from Manhattan Mayhem IV. It's an inspirational match with the unexpected twist of the finish and the title change, it featured Edwards as a huge babyface just tearing Strong apart with chops and other vicious moves, and it has a heated finish. Then the post-match celebration alone is worth seeing, both for the fan response and for the angle that plays out with Richards. It's not an overly long match either, coming in at about 25 minutes or so (whole segment with entrances and post match is about 40 minutes) and so even if your new fan is tiring, you could probably fit this in as the "last one".

I suppose if you wanted-Kings of Wrestling vs. American Wolves II from Revolution: USA (Detroit, MI 05/06/11) would also work just as well in this final spot, especially if the new fan has quickly become a fan of wrestlers from either team.


-Matches Per DVD (in chronological order)-

Champions vs. All-Stars (1)
Only the Strong Survive (1)
So Cal Showdown II (2)
9th Anniversary Show (1)
Defy or Deny (1)
Manhattan Mayhem IV (2)
Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter One (1)
Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter Two (2)
Revolution: Canada (2)
Best in the World 2011 (2)


-Suggestions from TwitterNation-

I put up the issue to followers of my Twitter--what 3 matches under 25 minutes from 2011 would they suggest to show to a new fan of @ringofhonor ? Here's what they came up with including responses from some familiar names:


@kford13 Kevin Ford (411Mania, Pro Wrestling Ponderings)
Cole/O'Reilly vs Kings (Center Stage N1), Generico vs Roddy (SCS2), Elgin vs Edwards (Defy or Deny). Variety!

@WhigParty16 Steve Staebell
KOW vs. COReilly-Honor Takes Center Stage, Generico vs. Daniels-BITW, Wolves vs. HOT- Tag Team Turmoil

@QJR3 Q.J. Ross
Richards-Cabana 9th Anniv., Cole/O'Reilly-KOW, HTCS Night 2, Generico-Perkins MMIV

@CPGOAT Chad Perry
Davey vs Strong 4/1, TWGTT vs Wolves 4/2 and the 6 man tag from the last HDNet show.

@fasjab James Bullock (Honor Nation, ClubWWI.com
Richards vs. Perkins; Briscoes vs. ANX (HTCS: C2); Daniels vs. Generico (BitW)

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As of 07/30/11


=ROH World Champion=
Davey Richards

Champion since 06/26/2011 | 1 successful defenses
Best in the World 2011 defeated Eddie Edwards in New York, NY to win the championship.
Next Defense a- vs. Chase Owens in Kingsport, TN on 08/04/11. b- vs. Roderick Strong in Chicago, Illinois on 08/13/11.


--Davey Richards defeated Tommy End in Barcelona, Spain on 07/04/2011




=ROH World Tag Team Champions=
Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin
Champions since 04/01/2011 | 3 successful defenses
Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 1 defeated The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) in Atlanta, GA to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) in Chicago, IL on 08/13/11.


--Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe in Toronto, ON on 5/7/11.
--Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas defeated The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli), Jay & Mark Briscoe and The All-Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) in New York City, NY on 06/26/11.
--Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas defeatedEl Generico & Colt Cabana in Richmond, VA on 07/08/11.



=ROH Television Champion=
El Generico

Champion since 06/26/2011 | - successful defenses (New Champion)
Best in the World 2011 defeated "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels in New York, NY to win the championship.
Next Defense vs. Jay Lethal in Chicago, Illinois on 08/13/11.




Yeah Charlie and Shelton, go on then, give it that hard sell.



Mike Bennett gives you a very good reason to watch the new SBG TV show...he's on the show. Um...wait...what?



The Briscoes are swaying too much! I'm getting nauseous. Good promo though.



I was kind of nervous for this one until Strong gave the hand gun shot--gotta the love firing an imaginary gun taunt--always a winning move!

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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:


Behold the end of days, the end times, they shall come to pass. A Ragnarok, a Doomsday. There will be an end to honorable action and honorable men--and in the wake of destruction only broken bones, madness and evil shall reign. You shall know the Devil's face, and you shall know us by the trail of dead is a pretty good band. You will hear Beelezebub's laughter and then you shall know the Devil's name: Steen. He will come up to this world and the fiery hosts of Hell will follow. He shall leave no man unmolested or not spat upon. On that fateful day,only those chosen to The House shall be saved. A white light of transcendent bliss will encircle the congregation and sweep us all up into the arms of mercy. We, the chosen House, shall be spared, because we know The Truth, hold close to it, revere it, worship it. The Truth knows no bounds and The Truth cannot be stopped by the Devil's work. Those who have not joined The House (and those who are not up to date with our monthly membership fees) will be left to suffer the horrible fate that awaits them;whether it be in the form of Package Piledrivers or falling rocks from the sky-that I do not know. As a member of The House, it is your duty to inform those who have not chosen The House of the coming epidemic. Thou shall stand on the corner of city and town streets proclaiming The End is Nigh. Thou shall contribute to our "The House Springs Eternal" Billboard Fund, so that we may spread our message of the coming Apocalypse among the rooftops of this country, so that our words can touch the sky and bring us closer to grace. Finally thou will spread e-mail chain letters announcing the end of the world, which can be stopped if the recipient sends the e-mail forward to 25 people he or she knows, or else he or she shall be cursed and never find true love!

-From "Revelations about Mr. Wrestling" in The Book of Truth

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-Best in the World 2011 is now available to order on DVD. It's jam-packed not just with the main card but also has the bonus pre-show match between The Young Bucks and Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly, the pre-show interview from Eddie Edwards, the "Day 1" promo by Jay and Mark Briscoe, the June 23rd Videowire as well as post-match comments from Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs, Haas and Benjamin, El Generico and The All-Night Express. The cover is featured below:




-The tag team of Adam Cole and "The Canadian Zombie" Kyle O'Reilly (hey, don't look at me, that's the nickname he's given himself on his new shirt) have now been locked up to Sinclair Broadcast contracts. They'll be at the TV Tapings on August 13th in Chicago, Illinois as will be The Bravado Brothers.

-Dream match waiting to happen: Shelton's Mama vs. The Bravado's grandmother. Hell, make it a triple threat with Papa Briscoe.

-CM Punk returned to WWE (well, as if he ever really "left") this past Monday Night Raw, coming out to confront "new" "WWE" "Champion" John Cena to Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" (those last quotations were not sarcastic). That's a tune familiar to long-time ROH faithful as it was Punk's theme for the original Summer of Punk run in 2005. Now we just need "Miseria Cantare" for the complete set...but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Punk's return was once again mark-out city for those in the know about his theme, but it also made for a hell of a moment regardless--the man who holds the true WWE belt confronting the man he defeated who now held another WWE belt. So it looks like Summerslam 2011 will be headlined by some sort of unification bout between Punk and Cena--and since that show is just one day after the ROH tapings, it takes some of the pressure off of any expectations of Punk making a shocking appearance on that show. Sure, it may still happen (or Punk may be backstage regardless), but for sure there is no mystery that Punk has re-signed with WWE and no ambiguity about where his future lies.I believe that's a totally fine place to be for both the fans and for ROH itself, which can keep the focus on its own goals in starting up the SBG TV show.


-It should also be noted that "Cult of Personality" was also used for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's promo videos to mark his entrance into the WWE Hall of Fame. So there's yet again one more connection between Punk and Austin. It seems a Wrestlemania 28 match is all but inevitable. In fact, I managed to grab a super-duper sneak-peak at the line-up for that show. Here it is:


Wrestlemania 28

(Tentative Card)

April 1, 2012
Sun Life Stadium
Miami, Florida

Main Event: WWE Title Match
WWE Champion John Cena vs. The Rock

Alcohol vs. Straight-Edge
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. CM Punk

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Miz

The Rock vs. CM Punk

Triple-Threat Match
The Rock vs. John Cena vs. The Miz

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. John Cena

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock

Clone Wars vs. The Streak:
The Undertaker vs. The Undertaker vs. The Undertaker vs.Kane vs.Luke Gallows vs. Fake Kane

60-Man Battle Royal with YOUR WWE Superstars, surrounded by YOUR WWE Lumberjill DIVAS!

Plus: Jim Ross gets run over or blown-up in a limo, or run-over and blown-up in a limo!



...Oh wait...I'm sorry...that was a Create-A-Pay-Per-View line-up from my copy of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011. I sincerely apologize for the error.


-Update from the Kill Steen Kill Summer Rampage Tour 2011 (my title, not his, mind you) -- Last week Kevin Steen wrestled not one, not twice, but three times at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Eight and not only did he win all three matches but in the process became the new PWG Heavyweight Champion. Yeah, that's a pretty fantastic weekend no matter who you are, but it certainly speaks a lot about Steen's ability to go hard in three matches. His winning the title also makes him the most important player in that promotion--especially as it appears that Hero and Castagnoli (who was the previous champion) have taken their bow.

Steen also made his way onto the Ring of Honor discussion board for a nice piece of rebellion. He borrowed someone's screen name and posted a vitriolic message that crashed the boards and almost immediately was taken down. I managed to see a screen grab of that message but unfortunately that also soon went out of commission so it cannot be posted here. The crux of the message was that Steen was upset with his name being expunged from the ROH website and record books but that his name and image were being used to promote and sell the "ROH on HDNet Volume 8" DVD released last week. He called it hypocrisy...and well...he has a point there. He vowed to help PWG and EVOLVE improve their business and once again referred to himself as "The Anti-Christ of Wrestling".

Also interestingly enough, Steen flat-out stated he was planning to invade the August 13th ROH tapings and cause trouble.

Speaking of invasions, Steen "invaded" EVOLVE 9 this past Tuesday in New York City at B.B. Kings. He interrupted the opener of Bobby Beverly vs. Eric Ryan and destroyed them, causing a no-contest. He tried to talk but reportedly there were some initial problems with the microphone or the audio on the iPPV (YAY!...Gooooooo indies!) ..once those were cleared up Steen shot on ROH calling it "Ring of Horsesh*t" and talked about how Davey Richards left EVOLVE for ROH and had his head up Jim Cornette's ass. He then said he wanted to help EVOLVE but changed his mind and said he didn't like their system of rules and wanted to destroy it. He was interrupted by Bobby Fish, setting up later in the night when Steen interrupted Fish's match with Jon Davis, leading to an unsanctioned triple threat match between Steen, Fish and Davis. Jon Davis won that match with a spinning powerbomb on Fish, so Steen was neither the winner or on the losing end of the match. Steen and Davis argued before being separated by security and Steen was kindly sent out of the building (thanks to Ryan Rozanski and Pro Wrestling Ponderings for the coverage). No word yet on if Steen will be back in EVOLVE at any future date... but you can catch the replay at WNNlive.com.


-ROH World Champion Davey Richards was sidelined from that PWG show mentioned above due to staph infection. He tweeted that he was not allowed to train or exercise. However, he is still being listed and promoted for the August 13th tapings and his match against Roderick Strong is still on the books.

-Signed and official for the TV tapings is Eddie Edwards vs. Mike Elgin, which is a rematch from Defy or Deny back in March. Edwards defeated Elgin on that show on the way to winning the ROH World Title the next night in New York City.

-ROH is promising a new set-up and ring when the TV show debuts.

---

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?


ROH World Titles Won: 0
Days Left to Reach Goal: 151


Mike Benett's theme song begins with the word "suffer". Funny, because that's how I feel after watching a Mike Bennett match. Anyways, be sure to keep track of how Mister Bennett's progress is doing. That man, he's quite the prodigy at winning championships.

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I'm still going strong on Twitter so head on over to TwitterNation and follow me at: http://twitter.com/AriBerenstein.


Michael Ornelas and Nick Bazar discuss Kevin Steen in PWG among other stories in this week's BFF'n News Talk.

Mathew Sforcina answers your questions in this week's Ask 411.

Mike Campbell reviews a Bryan Danielson vs. Roderick Strong main-event with his look at FIP All or Nothing while also bringing us another look at WWE's best Pay Per View of 2011, Money in the Bank and the big win for CM Punk.


Finally, your moment of QI (Quite Interesting), inspired by my extended Welsh family and my annoyance at GPS / Sat-Navs:





That's it for The Column for this week. In lieu of a birthday present, be sure to introduce someone to Ring of Honor. Thanks for reading and for the feedback.

BROOKLYN!
DAH EM BAH SEE FOR-EVAH! EH!
--Ari--