Column of Honor: 11.12.11: Survival of the Fittest 2011 Tournament Preview Part One

Welcome to the Column. It’s time for one of my annual traditions, a full-out and in-depth preview of Ring of Honor’s annual Survival of the Fittest tournament. In the first part, I’m taking a more “kayfabe”-centered approach to the field and breaking down their strengths and weaknesses (because really, it’s just a lot of fun that way). The second part takes a look at the card itself from a journalistic-perspective, breaking down the card and looking at where some of the previous year’s participants are right now. I hope you all enjoy.

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= Survival of the Fittest 2011: Step Up and Survive=

Tonight in Dayton, Ohio the Survival of the Fittest Tournament will return, with a new format and an expanded tournament field. However, the stakes remain the same, as does the highly valuable prize. The winner earns himself a future ROH World Title match and with it the chance to take the next step up the ROH roster. Generally speaking, all of those factors add to a highly interesting night of tournament action and this year is no exception, with some interesting x-factors that will spice up the show.

First of all, the number of competitors is up two from twelve men to fourteen. That makes the odds of survival that much lower for each individual competing in Dayton. Then new format, which is different from the previous two years which consisted of six singles matches to ascertain the six finalists in the elimination match. This time around, there are only three singles matches where the winner advances. The other brackets include a tag team match with both members of the team advancing to the final round and a Four Corner Survival match, which has been a staple of ROH from the start. There will be one winner advancing to the finals from that four-man match, which brings us to the six-man elimination finals. That match continues until there is one winner, who is the ultimate survivor of a very grueling night of action.

Like last year, this year’s field also features several established tag teams including Six-Time ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoes, The Bravado Brothers, The All-Night Express and Future Shock. However, the new format guarantees that at least one of two teams—The Briscoes or The Bravados—will make it to the finals together. That means one team will have a distinct advantage, because they can then team up throughout the final round, isolating other wrestlers and picking them off until it’s just the two of them to duke it out for the crown. Sometimes, survival involves cooperation for mutual benefit and it’s far more palatable in a tournament like this to have someone you usually depend on and trust helping you get to the goal line. The other two teams will have to work hard to make it to the finals, separately. Of course, ultimately it will have to come down to one-on-one, even if its partner-against-partner, brother-against-brother.

Other major plotlines for the tournament include two returning former winners, including last year’s tournament victor Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong (who took it in 2005 with an amazing rout of eliminations). Edwards is the real success story of Survival of the Fittest—using the title shot he won in 2010 to defeat Strong at Manhattan Mayhem IV in March 2011. Edwards had to win the tournament with a separated shoulder, gutting it out in order to hang on and win the finals. Edwards can become the first man ever to repeat tournament wins if he pulls it out this year. As for Strong, a recent ruling by ROH officials that he will not receive another ROH World Title match throughout the remainder of 2011 is significant motivation for him-because on this night he can earn a guaranteed title shot for the future. It won’t be in 2011, but having the leverage of a future title shot could prove beneficial for 2012 and keep his name in the title picture.

Then there are some young guns heading into the tournament that can really solidify their reputation with a huge tournament win or good showing. Mike Bennett, Michael Elgin and Tommaso Ciampa are all able to take that next step, but the latter two will have to fight each other in the four-man match in order to do so. Then there is the ultimate underdog in Andy “Right Leg” Ridge, the young ROH student who has fighting spirit and a good striking repertoire. He’ll have to fight really hard to make it through to the finals though.

So once again, the field is set and everyone is ready to prove they are fit and able to win. Someone is going to step up and by the end of the night earn the right to challenge for Ring of Honor’s most important championship.

=The 2011 Survival of the Fittest Field=

Fourteen men walk into Dayton, one walks out the winner, but who exactly is the fittest? Let’s take a look at the participants, including some vital stats, past performance in the tournament (where applicable) and some final odds. In addition it’s once again time for my non-scientific but wholly reliable “Survival Factor” chart. This is an analysis of each wrestler for qualities that guarantee survival in a tournament such as this or in any wrestling match. These factors include:

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

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

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

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

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

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“The Prodigy” Mike Bennett
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Finisher: Box-Office Smash (Side Effect)

2011: Mike Bennett has been on the hunt for championships in Ring of Honor and just when it seemed like he was out of loop for the World Title comes this opportunity. Bennett’s swagger and enormous self-confidence (some would say ego) has earned him just as many enemies as it has victories, but that belief in self is only one part of the package needed to survive this tournament. Bennett’s offense attack is good, but not great and while he has relied on basic wrestling moves and a few impact trademarks, his lack of dynamics in terms of an offense game (no reliable submissions, having a good punch but no serious experience in all-out brawls) creates serious limitations in his in-ring strategy. An intangible, as always, will be if his coach / trainer “Brutal” Bob Evans will accompany him to the ring on this night and if so, does his presence negatively influence Bennett’s opponents, either through mental distraction or physical interference. Bennett may not need fancy and flash if he has someone watching his back and helping him out when needed. In fact, that may just be the key to his survival.

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

Final Odds: 9-1 The odds are an example of the odds changing for the worse after the brackets were released. Before then, Mike Bennett seemed to be one of the early favorites to win the tournament. However, Bennett’s chances of winning, much less making it to the final round have decreased greatly now that his match against Eddie Edwards in the qualifying round is official. Bennett has the toughest out of the tournament in a former World Champion and last year’s tournament winner. Bennett is going to have to be at his best just to have a fighting chance to unseat Edwards in the first round. Then again, he could just take the easy way out and cheat his way to victory, which isn’t above his nature. If that happens, chances are Bennett comes into the elimination finals with a target on his back, and he won’t like being the hunted for too long.

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Harlem & Lancelot Bravado
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Finisher: German Suplex to Frog Splash Double Team

2011: Harlem is one-half of the agreeable-in-argyle pair of Southern gentlemen known as The Bravado Brothers and together they try to make their way through their first-ever Survival of the Fittest tournament. Justin Beiber chants may be a-plenty due to Harlem’s coifed homage, but the rudeness of the fans around them isn’t going to deter them from doing their best. The Bravados have shown they can get past the distractions and focus on the in-ring action…but the problem isn’t the outside factors and intangibles, but rather that they may be outgunned in several important categories, such as brawn and strength. The Bravados will try to wrestle their game, focusing on some patented double-team combinations and working together as a well-oiled family unit. If they pool their resources, then their grandmother will certainly be able to see them in the finals and perhaps one of them will win the whole shebang.

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

Final Odds: 75-1 Or perhaps not. See, though Harlem and Lance may have won the luck of the draw by being kept together as a team in the tag bracket, they were not so fortunate with their choice of opponents. Now, The Bravados may respond by bringing up the fact that they have a win in the record books against The Briscoes, so a rematch shouldn’t be a problem. Of course, what they may fail to remember due to being blinded by their own bravado is that they won that match thanks to the interference from Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, who were focused on targeting The Briscoes as payback for events stemming from a post-match attack at Best in the World 2011 this past June. So The Bravados may have gotten in over their heads this time around. That said, if they can make it past Jay and Mark then the distinct advantage goes to them in the finals, as they can use their family ties to strategize and use tag combos to whittle down the field until it’s just the two of them. Of course, that’s a big if.

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Jay Briscoe
3rd Appearance; Tournament Record 1-2, 1 fall won
Finisher: Jay Driller

2004: Lost to Homicide in qualifier.
2005: Did Not Appear
2006: Teamed with Mark Briscoe to defeat Homicide & Roderick Strong in qualifier; Eliminated by Matt Sydal (n.k.a. Evan Bourne) in finals.
2007: Did Not Appear
2009: Did Not Appear
2010: Did Not Appear
2011: The Briscoes have a sporadic history with the Survival tournament-mostly due to them wrestling in non-tournament tag matches during the event (or when in 2007 Jay actually challenged for the ROH World Title against Nigel McGuinness). However, while Jay has been slightly less successful in SOTF as compared to his brother Mark, the key statistic is actually their run in 2006. That is where “Dem Boys” teamed up in that year’s tag team bracket and defeated two men who are now former ROH World Champions in Homicide and Roderick Strong. The Briscoes both advanced and went on to have very strong showings in the finale before losing to Matt Sydal (who was at that point a member of Generation Next and beginning an impressive growth process that would carry him all the way to a WWE contract).

As for this year, Jay and Mark now have the opportunity to repeat history by winning a tag team bracket where both team members will advance to the final round. That could give them a very handy advantage when it counts. Jay’s toughness and physical style are an advantage in most matches and certainly against his current slated opening round opponents. He knows how to beat people up and make them wish they were sorry they ever got in the ring with him. Many know about his propensity to bleed buckets and keep on fighting and this year has been replete with those moments. Jay’s endurance and capacity to withstand pain should prove useful in the finals and his history of being able to wrestle successfully in singles matches ensures that should Mark be eliminated early on in the proceedings he still will be able to go far.

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

Final Odds: 4-1 A Briscoe winning Survival of the Fittest? It’s actually a very good bet this year. As mentioned, their level of competition in the openers is not anything compared to what they’ve had to face in previous tournaments (sorry Bravados, but it’s the truth). They are all but assured a spot in the finals so long as Haas and Benjamin don’t try a repeat performance of their involvement at Tag Team Turmoil back in July. From there, The Briscoes will enjoy their distinct advantage and should be able to capitalize on any weakened wrestlers together. They are the pack of wolves on the hunt this time around, not Eddie Edwards.

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Mark Briscoe
3rd Appearance; Tournament Record 2-2, 3 falls won
Finisher: Cut-throat Driver, Frog Splash Elbow

2004: Defeated Alex Shelley in qualifier; Eliminated Colt Cabana, Double Elimination with Homicide in the finals.
2005: Did Not Appear
2006: Teamed with Mark Briscoe to defeat Homicide & Roderick Strong in qualifier; Eliminated by Matt Sydal (n.k.a. Evan Bourne) in finals.
2007: Did Not Appear
2009: Did Not Appear
2010: Did Not Appear
2011: Mark Briscoe has actually been the slightly more successful Briscoe brother—he has eliminated men in both of his finals appearances and eve outlasted his brother in 2006. Holding some impressive victories in the opening round doesn’t hurt either-Alex Shelley (coming right around his heated heel turn and newfound leadership of Generation Next), Homicide and Roderick Strong are an excellent list. This time around, Mark just has to run over The Bravados to make it to the finals.

Both Briscoes have put in the years in ROH and are hardy veterans at this point-Mark will be very cool under fire and should easily be able to implement an effective and brutalizing strategy. Where Mark Briscoe may even outshine his brother is in the agility and speed departments, and both of those categories can separate him from the pack. Mark’s aerial attack is always one of the best on roster, and his lean musculature gives him both power and the ability to move around the ring quickly. Of course, there’s always the “crazy” factor—Mark may just be willing to go to places the others are not in order to get the job done.

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

Final Odds: 4-1 Even though Mark’s history with this tournament is slightly better than his own brother, his odds for this year are roughly about the same. He’ll be at his most effective when he has his brother watching his back and they are isolating their opponents. If he gets separated from Jay, then he has the experience and the ability enough to go into deep waters alone.

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Tommaso Ciampa
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Finisher: Project Ciampa (Powerbomb-to-Double Knees

2011: “The Project” is now set for his first-ever participation in Survival of the Fittest, but he is not a man alone. No, Ciampa has the entire Embassy entourage to accompany him in this endeavor-Prince Nana, Barrister R.D. Evans, Princess Mia Yim and Ernesto Osiris could all be in his corner. That extra support could be everything Ciampa needs to make it through a very tough opening round slot. That’s not to say that Ciampa couldn’t do it on his own, because when it really matters it will be up to him to win the match. However, The Embassy is one of Ciampa’s greatest assets along with his strength and physical conditioning. The problem is Ciampa is relatively untested against stiffer competition in ROH, though that doesn’t mean he is un-experienced. Ciampa has been wrestling for nearly a decade, and that should be plenty of ring time needed to pull through in tough spots.

Survival Factors
Cunning	>>>>>>>>>>	Medium
Instinct	>>>>>>>>>>	Medium
Skill	>>>>>>>>>>	Medium
Brute Force	>>>>>>>>>>	Medium
Endurance	>>>>>>>>>>	Medium

Final Odds: 9-1 The complications of the Four Corner Survival will affect everyone wrestling in that match, but as mentioned the presence of The Embassy might actually give Ciampa a great edge that can see him through it. The real problem with Ciampa’s chances to win comes in considering his competition. Ciampa definitely has a great set of power-based moves, but how will he fare against someone of a similar skill set in Michael Elgin? His finisher can be deadly if executed properly, but it will be interesting to see if he can execute the move when there are other wrestlers in the ring to block it from completion. It’s a lot to overcome just to make it to the finals and continue on from there. Sorry to say to Prince Nana (and his investiture of time and money), but Ciampa is not a front-runner to survive this year.

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Adam Cole
2nd Appearance; Tournament Record 1-1, 1 falls won
Finisher: Panama’s Sunrise (Sunset Flip Canadian Destroyer from top rope), Coleateral (Northern Lights Bomb)

2010: Defeated Steve Corino in the qualifier; Eliminated by Rhett Titus in the Finals.
2011: Cole is one year wiser and one year more experienced than last year’s endeavors, when he slipped by Steve Corino but had a quick exit in the final round. Cole’s speed and impact offense is more honed and refined than just twelve months ago can also help him carry the day against opponents who are bulkier and more power-based. High flying dives and big DDTs that spike an opponent on his head will give Cole moments of advantage, but it’s going to take more than skill to win in his bracket. Cole’s tag team ventures with Kyle O’Reilly won’t help him much in a four-man match where he has no partner, but he may be able to strike a short-term pairing with someone else and strike when the opportunity presents itself. An ultimate equalizer may be the Panama Sunrise finisher, rarely seen while in ROH but if used at just the right time in a four-way match could be enough to get him the win.

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

Final Odds: 10-1 Cole’s success from last year is admirable and should be taken into account for this year’s tournament (hence the better odds compared to last time out). However, what works against him making it past the first round is the inherent difficulty of being in a four-man match compared to a singles match (three people to get past instead of just one) and the quality of opposition in that match-King, Elgin and Ciampa will not be going quietly and Cole is definitely the underdog in that match. The good news is that if he can make it through he will have a great chance of reuniting with his tag partner Kyle O’Reilly in the finals and together they can wreck through the competition. However, should it come down to a one-on-one between the Future Shock partners, I’d go with O’Reilly over Cole. Both are well matches in speed, strength and offense, but Kyle has the advantage in submissions that could put Cole in too much of a compromising position. However, I doubt it will get to that point, because Cole has to get through the opening round first.

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Eddie Edwards
=2010 Survival of the Fittest Champion=
2nd Appearance; Tournament Record 2-0, 2 falls won
Finisher: Achilles Lock, The Die-Hard (2K1 Bomb)

2010: Defeated Chris Hero in qualifier; Eliminated Kenny King to win the tournament finals.
2011: Last year Edwards was really good, good enough to win. However, after a successful championship run, he is now at a whole other level. Edwards has stepped his game up in many areas of his in-ring game, including his offensive attacks, relentlessness and his ability to endure loads of punishment and keep on coming. Think about this-last year Edwards sustained an incredibly painful (and legitimate) separated shoulder and still returned to finish his match. What will he endure this time around in order to win?

Not only does Edwards take those evolved skills and endurance factors into this year’s competition, but he also takes the experience of being an ROH World Champion and the promotion’s first Triple-Crown champion (having held all of the current ROH Titles) into this event. It will be hard to outsmart, outwork and outpace Eddie Edwards in this tournament. Barring some gross miscarriage of justice by a villainous no-gooder (i.e. Bennett), I see Edwards going deep into this year’s tournament.

Survival Factors
Cunning	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Instinct	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Skill	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Brute Force	>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>	High
Endurance	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High

Final Odds: 2-1 After winning last year, Edwards becomes the odds-on favorite to win Survival of the Fittest in 2011. He can definitely do it too, having plenty in the tank to defeat Mike Bennett in the opener and then go through anyone in his way in the finals. The one x-factor may actually be motivation-as Edwards already has a guaranteed title shot against current ROH World Champion Davey Richards locked in for ROH’s biggest show of the end of the year. Is he going to work just as hard this year as last year, when he had everything to prove and everything to gain? I think Edwards would say that’s a completely ridiculous question, but you never know.

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“Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Finisher:Spiral Bomb

2011: Michael Elgin puts the “powerhouse” into The House of Truth. He’s in the mold of a Rhino or Bam Bam Bigelow in that he’s a big man who has both damaging power but also a surprising amount of speed and agility. Elgin has been a troubling roadblock for many opponents this year in that he hits hard is difficult to hurt and has a linebacker mentality about driving hard and right through you. All that Elgin really needs is a killer instinct, which he’s shown glimpses of when dominating the opposition, but needs to maintain throughout a match. Another question mark is stamina, though fans have seen him go about 15-20 minutes deep, Elgin will need a little more in the tank to wrestle at least two matches in one night, including a final that’s been known for going long. An intangible that is going for Elgin is the presence of Truth Martini, who inspires confidence in Elgin along with delivering instructions to his man. Truth has no problem inserting himself into the mix, which sometimes helps and sometimes hinders his clients.

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

Final Odds: 6-1 Elgin has the best chance out of those involved in the four-man match as he has someone watching his corner like Ciampa, has the most power and strength of all four men in the ring and even can keep up with Kenny King or Adam Cole as necessary. He’s been known to be able to lift up two men at once and put them in compromising positions like a blockbuster suplex or massive double powerbomb. If he can hit those moves and incapacitate two people, that leaves just one more to go through and Elgin can and will take advantage of that situation. Then Elgin’s chances in the finals are solid because chances are he still will have a distinct power advantage. Of course, the presence of fellow House of Truth member Roderick Strong in the finals could provide for some intrigue-will Elgin fall back into his role as enforcer to Strong and pave the road for him to win? Or, if the opportunity presents itself—will Elgin try to win this tournament for himself?

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Kenny King
3rd Appearance; Tournament Record 1-2, 2 falls won
Finisher: The Coronation

2009: Lost to Tyler Black in qualifier.
2010: Defeated El Generico in qualifier; Eliminated Claudio Castagnoli in the finals, Eliminated by Eddie Edwards in the finals.
2011: After a very strong showing in last year’s tournament (essentially the runner-up to Edwards) The “Pretty-Boy Pit-bull” returns for another shot at SOTF glory. This time, he should have some considerable fan support, as many have found themselves appreciating not just King’s flash, but also his substantive and impressive offense. He does his offense so smoothly and with such gracefulness that he almost bamboozles his opponents’ right from the start. In addition, King is quickly mastering the comeback special, able to roar back with a flurry of major moves connecting one into the other. The one weakness is his brawling—we haven’t seen much pugilistic ability from King, but his athleticism usually gets him out of a jam if needed. King definitely has the smarts both to strategize and also to improvise when needed. This year, King will require both those skills, as being jammed up in a four-man match necessitates having to both find the right moments to attack and the right moments to lay back, but also take advantage if there is an opening. It hasn’t ever been easy for King in his two previous tournaments, but he’s worked hard been able to find some successes even though he hasn’t achieved ultimate victory as yet.

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

Final Odds: 8-1 The odds are stacked against King from the start like the other three men involved in the Four Corner Survival, which necessitates lowering King’s odds from last year, when he wrestled singles. In addition, King might not have his tag team partner Rhett Titus available to him in the finals as he did last year. Altogether, King shares the longest road to travel in Dayton and doesn’t have a great chance to win this year, but he could be talented enough to rise above all that difficulty and just win, baby.

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Kyle O’ Reilly
2nd Appearance; Tournament Record 0-1, 0 falls won
Finisher: Guillotine, Ankle Lock

2010: Lost to Kevin Steen in qualifier.
2011: Unfortunately, O’Reilly drew a short straw last year matched up against a maniacal, cut-throat and nigh unstoppable opponent in Kevin Steen. He had a good showing, but couldn’t advance. This year is much favorable to O’Reilly given his competition is not Kevin Steen, but rather Andy Ridge. Both Ridge and O’Reilly are young in the wrestling game, but O’Reilly has come along farther faster, thanks to a consistent mentoring program in training with Davey Richards and consistently teaming up with Adam Cole. Together, Cole and O’Reilly wrestled throughout the past year on ROH shows, against a variety of competition. They won some and they lost some, but every match toughened them up and that sturdiness and tenacity beyond his years will certainly serve him well this year.

Kyle O’Reilly has a diversity of offense available to him thank to that training from Richards. His greatest strengths are his striking and his submissions, both of which need to be respected by anyone who steps in the ring against him. He has a great guillotine and like his mentor, can work the limbs for an arm or leg submission. O’Reilly also has a flying game and his great running dropkick from the apron to the floor can provide some maximum damage. In the clutch O’Reilly can go to his multiple butterfly suplex sequence, which is simply poetry in motion and has yet to be effectively countered.

As far as major weaknesses, O’Reilly does have to be cautious about his youthful exuberance. He may walk into situations where he thinks he can counter or reverse and ultimately be too overwhelmed by his opponent to stop it. He may also fall prey to a more cunning strategist who takes a cheap route to victory as opposed to O’Reilly, who is more likely to try to buzz saw through an opponent to victory. However, O’Reilly has shown good durability and has some singles competition experience without Cole, enough to where he knows how to survive without a tag team partner. A combination of coolness under fire as well as his improvement in overall skills is the key for O’Reilly to succeed in this year’s field.

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

Final Odds: 5-1 Kyle O’Reilly’s chances this year are far better than last year (when he was 12-1) due to being the favorite in his qualifying bracket. He is simply the stronger bet in the match against Ridge and perhaps the best odds of blowing past his opponent in a rout. However, if and when he gets to the final, that’s when the real test of O’Reilly’s improvements will begin. It is very possible that O’Reilly can earn an elimination or two on his own, but he is going to have to put everything together in terms of skill, stamina and smarts if he wants to go deep into that final match. Ultimately, O’Reilly may be a year away from really being the pick for this tournament, but he is definitely a dark horse this time around.

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Andy “Right Leg” Ridge
1st Appearance; Tournament Record 0-0, 0 falls won
Finisher:Superkick

2011: ROH Wrestling Academy Graduate Andy Ridge is the only one of the fourteen men in the field who had to qualify to enter the tournament in the first place. He bested Grizzly Redwood on the Death Before Dishonor IX preshow match in New York City this past September and essentially replaces him as the ultimate tournament underdog for the year. An underdog he is for sure, as Ridge is coming in with the least overall ring experience of everyone aside from The Bravados and he certainly is not the biggest, fastest, strongest or smartest. However, Ridge has shown heart and a willingness to fight and that will certainly carry him a long way in the initial qualifying rounds. He has a good repertoire of strikes (obviously using his right leg) which could wear away at an opponent given enough time. His superkick finisher is very nice in terms of execution and impact, and he only needs to catch someone with that once and it could be over. Overall, what could carry Ridge through to the finals is his ability to take some punishment, find his opportunity and make it work for him. Hey, it could happen.

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

Final Odds: 99-1 As with Redwood last year, Ridge get the longest odds and will have to work the hardest of all involved in order to win. Yeah, it probably won’t be an easy night for Ridge, not with Kyle O’Reilly as his opening round rival. He’s going to be outgunned right from the start, even in his own specialty (kicking). IF Ridge even makes it out of the qualifiers, then he will be faced with even worse odds-five opponents all looking at him as an easy out. Ridge may be able to surprise O’Reilly and anyone else should they get too overconfident. On the other hand, don’t bet the house on that happening.

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Roderick Strong
=2005 Survival of the Fittest Champion=
6th Appearance; Tournament Record: 5-3 (1 Non Advance), 9 falls won
Finisher: Gibson Driver, Stronghold

2004: Involved in a tag match qualifier winning on a team with Austin Aries but did not advance in field due to stipulation where the person taking the pinfall only advanced.
2005: Tournament Winner. Defeated Jerelle Clark in qualifier; Defeated Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, Colt Cabana and Austin Aries in finals to win the tournament.
2006: Involved in a tag match qualifier, losing on a team with Homicide against the Briscoes.
2007: Defeated Brent Albright in qualifier; eliminated by Chris Hero in finals.
2009: Defeated Rhett Titus in qualifier; Eliminated Delirious, eliminated by Tyler Black in the finals.
2010: Did Not Appear
2011: The most successful and dominant Survival of the Fittest tournament participant (and 2005’s tournament champion) has returned to try to win again and earn another ROH World Title match. Strong has appeared in five of the previous six SOTFs and therefore has racked up the most time and experience with the tournament format. Combine that with Strong’s inherent pluses—damaging strikes, impact moves and a very effective submission in the form of The Stronghold—and Strong is actually THE most dangerous participant in the field this year and right up there with Eddie Edwards as an automatic favorite to win the whole thing. Add to Strong’s talent the ability to take punishment and comeback, his excellent stamina (going long time limits in many matches throughout his ROH career) and a ruthlessness he has picked up from his time with Truth Martini. It is NOT going to be an easy night for Rhett Titus, his qualifying round opponent, much less anyone else who gets in his way.

Speaking of Truth, he will likely accompany Strong in this match and as with Elgin his appearance may be most fortuitous for House members. Strong also will receive a helping hand from Elgin should both make it to the elimination finals. The House will come from a position of strength and be able to contend with either The Briscoes or The Bravados and the other two men (who will likely be without a country) who make it through. Don’t think though that Strong will break a sweat if Elgin isn’t there to help him—after all this is a guy who eliminated four men on the way to his tournament win and has nine falls overall in both opening and final round play to his credit. Strong contender indeed.

Survival Factors
Cunning	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Instinct	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Skill	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High
Brute Force	>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>	High
Endurance	>>>>>>>>>>	>>>>>>>>>>	High

Final Odds: 2-1 Strong is tied with Edwards for best odds to win the tournament and given all the information detailed above its easy to understand why. It is going to be a huge challenge to eliminate him from this tournament-Strong knows what to do so well and he is just too talented in the ring. Interestingly, this year sees a re-match of a 2009 qualifying round match. That year Strong beat out Titus to advance to the finals, where he was tournament runner-up to Tyler Black. This could be a very good case of history repeating, but Titus has definitely improved since then and will provide a better fight for Strong this go around. Ultimately though, Strong should make it through and then either he can play the waiting game in the finals or use Elgin (should he advance) to take down the rest. It would take a shocking turn of events or a serious case of Strong’s ego getting the best of him to see Strong losing out early or even losing at all.

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Rhett Titus
3rd Appearance; Tournament Record 1-2, 1 falls won
Finisher: Muff Driver, Super SeX-Factor

2009: Lost to Roderick Strong in qualifier.
2010: Defeated Colt Cabana in qualifier; Eliminated by Claudio Castagnoli in finals.
2011: Rhett Titus has toughened up quite a lot over the last year, thanks to a very bloody war of matches against Jay and Mark Briscoe. Luckily for Titus, he doesn’t have to wrestle against either one of them in the opening rounds, but unfortunately his competition remains very stiff (see below). Titus has shown he can take some big hits and big falls (through many a ringside table, even) and be able to keep on going. He has bled gushers and kept fighting. So a more mature, more grizzled and more intense Titus with improved endurance factors walks into this year’s tourney, which could be the difference between a good showing last year and a great showing this time around.

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

Final Odds: 10-1 Titus’ odds of winning are actually a little worse than last year considering he has tougher competition in the opening round, facing off against former ROH World Champion Roderick Strong. It will take a lot to take out someone of that caliber in the first round and while Titus has come a long way in the stamina and endurance departments, ultimately he may not have enough to overpower and overwhelm Strong. Even if he did make it past Strong, what kind of shape would he be in for the finals? As well, like with his partner Kenny King, both men would have to win out to create the kind of the tag team domination both men had for the early part of last year’s tournament finals. Overall, it’s a tough road for Titus, but not an impossible one.

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PART TWO of the Survival of the Fittest 2011 preview is up next with a match-by-match preview and my own predictions as to who will come out on top!