Column of Honor: 08.05.06
Posted by Ari Berenstein on 08.05.2006
The Fight of the Century previewed, ROH Results from Cleveland and Long Island, lots of feedback, Money Players for July and Survival of the Fittest has survived!
Before we get started, a short word of explanation for this week's column. My grandfather was admitted to the emergency room yesterday after falling in his apartment and my family and I pretty much spent the entire day with him. It turned out to be nothing major serious, but it did give us a scare for a bit. At 94 he is significantly weaker and frailer than he has ever been before, so we have to keep a closer eye on him than ever before. Therefore, I'm sort of distracted by the events of the last twenty four hours and I don't know if this column will turn out to be exactly the way I wanted it to be when I was outlining it a few days ago. I'll apologize in advance if that's the case.
Let's get to last week's results as well as yesterday's show in Long Island, New York. As expected, there are a ton of developments in storyline to discuss.
ROH Results: 7/29 Cleveland, OH
Matches
-Delirious defeated Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall.
-The Embassy of Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro defeated The Second City Saints of Colt Cabana and Ace Steel via pinfall—Rave on Cabana.
-Jay Briscoe defeated Jimmy Jacobs via pinfall with the Jay-Driller.
-Homicide defeated Mark Briscoe via pinfall.
-Davey Richards, Jerelle Clarke and Irish Airborne defeated Generation Next of Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Matt Sydal and Jack Evans via pinfall—Richards on Evans after his Tiger Driver '98.
-B.J. Whitmer defeated Chris Cage (announced as Chris Banks) via pinfall.
-"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels defeated Christian Cage via pinfall--Angel's Wings.
-ROH World Champion "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson retained his title by defeating ROH PURE champion Nigel McGuinness via rollup.
Angles and Issues
Survival of the Fittest—SAVED!: The return show to Cleveland on 10/06 was announced as being…get ready…THE RETURN OF THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST TOURNAMENT! WOOOOO! Announced for the show were Dragon, Aries, Joe and Strong. More on this in this week's Ringtones feedback later in the column.
End of Generation Next, Beginning of Generation Now: Generation Next had their last match together as a four man team, surprisingly losing to the four up and comers, but not surprisingly Davey Richards was the one picking up the fall. This match was representative of how far Gen Next has come, that they are no longer next, but "Generation Now", while also serving notice to the ROH crowd that Richards was here to stay and that Clarke and the Crist brothers may very well make a difference (FATU) in ROH.
I don't think that's what they're used for: After the conclusion to the Generation Next finale, the members of one of the most popular groups in ROH history left their Gen Next T-Shirts in the ring as a symbol of their final outing. Of course The Briscoes had to ruin everything but coming back to the ring and wiping their asses with the T-Shirts. They were run off again by Generation Next. Now, if they needed something to wipe their asses, why didn't they ask the crowd for some left over toilet paper?
Live in Concert: Jimmy Jacobs appeared at the top of the balcony of the Armory to serenade his manager and professed love interest Lacey with a live version of his Billboard Hot 100 single "Match of the Year". Nothing like the sweet, sweet sounds of a guitar Jacobs crooning his love for his woman.
Rave Off: Jimmy Rave took a hellacious shot from "Mr. Cowbell" Ace Steel during their tag match. The shot immediately cut Rave open and he was sent to the hospital. He was announced to be questionable for this weekend, but thus far he has made his appearances.
Five Second Pose: Amazingly, Christian Cage went old school as Christopher Daniels got him to do a "five second pose" before their match.
Mr. Small Package: The champion may not only be the best wrestler in the world, but he is also outsmarting his opponents. In his rematch with PURE champion Nigel McGuinness, Danielson snuck under the ring, came back from the other side and caught McGuinness in a small package. Danielson, in addition to being known as the best wrestler in the world, also wants to be known as "Mr. Small Package." Hey, I didn't ask and I don't want to know, okay?
ROH Results: 8/04 Long Island, NY (Results from the ROH message board)
Matches
-Non Title Match: ROH World Champion "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson defeated Jack Evans via submission.
-"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal defeated Irish Airborne of Jake and Dave Crist via pinfall--BME.
-Colt Cabana defeated Claudio Castagnoli via pinfall.
-ROH World Tag Team Championship-Ultimate Endurance: Winner: Austin Aries & Roderick Strong retained their titles in a match that also included The Rottweilers of Homicide and Ricky Reyes, the team of "Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce and BJ Whitmer vs The Embassy of Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro. Order of elimination: The Embassy, Adam Pearce & BJ Whitmer (DQ), Homicide & Ricky Reyes to retain.
-ROH Pure Wrestling Champion Nigel McGuinness retained the title by defeating Delirious.
-Jay & Mark Briscoe defeat KENTA & Davey Richards via pinfall with a Spike Jay Driller on Davey Richards.
-Samoa Joe defeated AJ Styles via pinfall with a variation of a Saito Suplex.
Angles and Issues
Stolen Title Belts!: Austin Aries and Roderick Strong came out without their tag team belts. Aries had claimed someone had stolen the belts and he suspected The Briscoes (busy night for them).
Richards as KENTA's Protégé: In the ROHVideos.com update this week, Richards announced that KENTA has chosen him to be his American protégé. He teamed up with KENTA on this show and tomorrow in Edison he will be put to the test against his Japanese mentor.
Briscoes Want a Fight: After the opening match, KENTA~! came out and claimed to Dragon that he would be the next ROH champion. Unfortunately he fell right into a trap, as The Briscoes attacked him from behind! Davey Richards came out to save.
Steve Corino RETURNS! Homicide called him out at Death Before Dishonor IV and lo and behold, Corino came back and attacked Homicide. After intermission, Corino came out again and they continued their imbroglio. Then, Adam Pearce returned to brawl with Homicide. This caused Whitmer to return and demand an explanation. Pearce stated that whatever ROH commissioner Jim Cornette wants, Cornette will get… but …
BJ Whitmer Chooses A Side: Whitmer chooses to help Homicide! Looks like he has chosen a side in this angle, but one wonders if this is only a set up for a future turn.
Cattle Mutilation Call Out: Nigel McGuinness won his title match with the Cattle Mutiliation submission, a call out to the champion—perhaps a statement that even though he lost last week, the issue between the two is not over.
ROH Preview:"Fight of the Century" Edison, NJ August 5th, 2006
Inman Sports Club
August 5th, 2006- 7:30 pm belltime
990 Inman Avenue
Edison, NJ 08820
Ring Detail: ROH World Title Match: Samoa Joe vs. Bryan Danielson (c) – Big Fight Night
obsessedwithwrestling.com Bryan Danielson
Height and Weight: 5' 10"; 190 lbs.
Date of Birth: May 22, 1981
Hailing From: Aberdeen, WA
Years Pro: 6
Finishing Moves: Cattle Mutilation, Regalplex, now using Crossface Chickenwing
obsessedwithwrestling.com Samoa Joe
Height and Weight: 6' 3"; 280 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 17, 1979
Hailing From: Huntington Beach, CA
Years Pro: 7
Finishing Moves: Kokina Clutch, Muscle Buster, Island Driver
History: In the boxing world, there was Ali vs. Frazier. In Ring of Honor, there is Joe vs. Danielson.
Even before the Joe-Punk Trilogy, Samoa Joe had a bevy of rivalries, but the one that always seemed to have the highest potential for greatness was with American Dragon. It was a rivalry of competition—who was the best? You put these two bulls in the ring and let them fight it out. Their first singles encounter at Revenge of the Prophecy was an indie dream match, living up to the so called "strong style" that was exceedingly pervasive at the time. The rematch at One Year Anniversary Show was an excellent display of ability from the mat game. Technical ability was demonstrated by both men. It was American Dragon who came out on that day, and this 1-1 scoreboard set the tone for years to come.
Their next singles match was at Midnight Express Reunion. In the aftermath of the first Joe vs. Punk match, more wrestlers were taking their shot at Joe's ROH World Title reign by devising and executing an actual in-ring strategy. Danielsons plan was simple: attack the leg, attack the leg, attack the leg. If the big man can't stand, then he can't get his offense in. For a majority of the match that strategy worked, but Danielson couldn't withstand Joe's comeback and fell just short. Still, it was one of Joe's toughest title defenses to that point. At All Star Extravaganza 2 Joe and Japanese Junior legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger teamed up to take on Bryan Danielson and Low Ki. Danielson and Ki as a team was a strange combination, one of those "an enemy of my enemy is my friend" entanglements. Ultimately the team failed in their mission to defeat Joe and show up Liger and when The Rottweilers attacked Danielson, who was there to save him but Samoa Joe
Throughout 2005, Danielson and Joe would wind up on the same page, teaming up many times against teams like Generation Next (3rd Year Anniversary Celebration Part 2) and The Rottweilers (Trios Tournament 2005). However, after American Dragon became champion in late 2005, fans began to see subtle but important changes in Danielson's demeanor. He was a touch more arrogant, a bit more cocky---and fully intent on showing the world that he was the best wrestler in the world and the best champion in ROH history.
When KENTA and Marufuji made their return this past March at Best in the World, Danielson again turned to Joe for a partnership. Danielson already had past history with Marufuji from their title match at Final Battle 2005, and Joe had made his distaste for KENTA known by that point. In an ROHVideos.com promo, Danielson claimed he wanted Joe on his team, but didn't know if he could trust Joe to put aside any intentions on the ROH World title aside in favor of dealing out some pain to the Japanese contingent. Joe assured Danielson that for this match they were on the same page. As it turns out, perhaps this was the beginning of the tearing of the page. There was subtle friction between the two. However, it wouldn't be until Better Than Our Best when Joe officially announced he was back in the hunt for the ROH World championship where the final ripping of their truce would occur. As it turned out, it was Samoa Joe who couldn't trust Dragon. It was the first of many times over the past few months where the champion dishonorably attacked Joe from behind.
Throughout the years there had been a grudging respect between Dragon and Joe—but that respect has seemingly disintegrated in light of the constant disrespect that American Dragon has shown Samoa Joe ever since March. The match has been built up and built up and now we have it—the biggest ROH title fight of the year has finally arrived.
Strategy: For months, Dragon has been attempting to soften up Joe by clipping his knee. While Joe claims that his knee is back to 100 percent (see news), that may just be a cover. Dragon has targeted the knee so much that you'd have to think it will be the point of attack for the duration of this match. However, even if that strategy doesn't work, Danielson is so talented that he can change course and it won't hurt his chances of retaining the belt. He has too many offensive weapons, to the point where it's not a matter of if but when some attack of his is going to work. Elbows, suplexes, submissions, and now even small packages and roll ups have been added to the equation. ROH fans are well aware of Joe's history of weakness to flash pins—and with Danielson winning his match against Nigel McGuinness last week with a flash pin, it could very well happen again. As for Joe, he still retains his huge power advantage—if he can go for the home run shots and land some huge hits, then Joe could take the victory. You'd have to think that by now Danielson knows Joe so well that Joe will have to get really creative in order to get his trademark moves in.
Make no mistake about it, both men are extremely difficult to defeat and that is why the label "Fight of the Century" is appropriate—perhaps not for the hype behind the fight but more realistically because it will truly take the fight of the century for one of these wrestlers to overcome the other for the victory.
Intangibles: These two know each other so well that it could come down to pure dumb luck and opportunity for one of these two to take the match.
Prediction: This is definitely the most important title match in ROH history. Dragon has had some close calls over the last few months, but my gut instinct tells me that he retains the title here. But it will be a hell of a match to witness live. Fight of the Century? Perhaps, perhaps not. However, I can't say I'd be too surprised to see these two men live up to that billing.
Also on the card tonight:
First Time Ever Match
KENTA vs. Davey Richards
If the main event isn't going to have enough great, hard hitting action, look no further than this match. These two hit hard and kick hard and they have no problem hitting and kicking each other hard. The protégé storyline should be interesting, as despite his young age KENTA is being given the role of mentor. The perception is therefore KENTA is more wise and more durable than Richards. Richards' match with Styles was a might underwhelming, but there have been rave reviews of these two as a tag team from last night in Long Island. I think these two can live up to expectations in a one on one situation.
ROH World Tag Team Title Ultimate Endurance Match
ROH Tag Team Champions Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Matt Sydal & Jack Evans vs. Irish Airborne
Halfway through their Ultimate Endurance test, Aries and Strong look to make it two for two tonight in Edison. However, they face extremely stiff competition in the form of rivals The Briscoes and their former stablemates Sydal and Evans. You'd have to think that Aries and Strong are walking in with a big target on their backs, hurt physically from last night's UE match and psychologically from their missing tag belts. Did The Briscoes steal the titles as a part of the psych war against the champs?
Grudge Match
Homicide vs. Adam Pearce
This has now been changed to Homicide and a partner of his choice (likely Whitmer or Reyes) against Adam Pearce and the returning Steve Corino. This is going to be the all out brawl of the night, as Homicide is going to be going for blood considering who is on the opposite end of the corner. And amazingly the way Corino returned has given new life to their long standing issue.
Four Corner Survival
ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Jay Lethal vs. Claudio Castagnoli
I'd expect one of the three who isn't the PURE champion to perhaps take a victory here on McGuiness to set up a future PURE title shot. What is interesting to consider is that McGuinness has faced all three of these men in previous title situations. It's good to see Lethal back again in ROH, one more time in front of his home state crowd. Claudio is still a pariah to the ROH locker room, carrying a briefcase that supposedly has his ROH contract inside to ensure he can continue to be booked on the show now that the war with CZW is over.
Special Attraction
Colt Cabana vs. Sal Rinauro
This could also be changed to Cabana and a partner up against Rinauro and Rave. So far Rave has Cabana's number, so if I were Cabana I'd actually want the singles match against Rinauro. Sal is talented, but he is the lackey to Jimmy Rave and right now that's not the best employment opportunity in my mind. Just a thought, but what if Cabana was in the car with current Embassy member Daizee Haze? She's a his local hometown homegirl with Cabana—maybe he's going to use her in mind game with DEE EM BAH SEE?
ROH Call
ROH Champions—As of 8/05/2006 (after 8/4 in Long Island )
ROH World Champion—American Dragon Bryan Danielson (champion since 9/17/05, 24 successful defenses)*, **
ROH PURE Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 8/29/05, 16 successful defenses)*
ROH World Tag Team Champions—Austin Aries and Roderick Strong (champions since 12/17/05, 13 successful defenses) ***
*4/29/06 champion v. champion match results in no title change and therefore should be considered successful defenses of the respective titles.
**Dragon makes successful defense of ROH title at ETW promotion in Texas on 6/10/06.
***Aries and Strong make two successful defenses in Japan, thus turning the ROH tag team titles into WORLD tag team titles.
ROH News (via the ROHnewswire… and other sources when attributed
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST SAVED! "Survival Of The Fittest 2006" will take place on 10/6 when ROH returns to Cleveland. This is going to be one loaded tournament. The format will see six single matches in the first half of the show. The six winners will then advance to an elimination match to determine who wins and gets a future title shot of their choice. Already set for the tournament are the previous two winners of Survival Of The Fittest in Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong. Also signed for the tournament is the man that made it to the finals of each Survival Of The Fittest in Austin Aries. This is going to be one spectacular event. Tickets now on sale at ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500.
All I can say is YES! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YEAH! I am extremely excited and happy to hear the good news…and whether or not this was in the cards all along or the voice of the ROH fans was heard, the SOTF tournament being kept alive is a great move in my mind. The two former winners and the runner up being involved help to play into the already built in history of the tournament in Ring of Honor.
NOAH Stars on UK ROH Tour Announced NOAH's SUWA and Go Shiosaki will make their ROH debuts when ROH invades the UK. ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson has expressed interest in defending the belt against one of them in Broxbourne to prepare for 9/16 in Manhattan vs. KENTA. Of course, Danielson must first make it past this Saturday and Samoa Joe. Shiosaki & SUWA could end up wrestling Austin Aries & Roderick Strong or The Briscoes for the Tag Titles in Broxbourne depending on what happens on shows between now and then. Liverpool will have SUWA & Shiosaki vs. Doug Williams & Jody Fleisch and Aries & Strong vs. The Briscoes for the ROH World Tag Titles with the two winning teams fighting for the World Tag Titles in Broxbourne.
Exciting news for the Brits. I believe Shiosaki has wrestled some shows there previously and SUWA is a tough and serviceable wrestler. UK vs. Japan with the winner getting the tag title shot.
Joe vs. Dragon Hype Samoa Joe sent word to ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson's camp that Danielson better be ready for the "Fight Of The Century" this Saturday at the Inman Sports Club in Edison, NJ. Joe says his knee is ready to go and not only is he coming for the World Title, but also for revenge since Danielson has attacked his knee recently.
Again, Joe may be protesting too much—you'd have to think that knee is NOT one hundred percent given just how much it has been attacked these last few months. Smart move on Dragon's part.
Edison, NJ Updates
Via Mike Johnson and PWInsider: *Expect Steve Corino & Adam Pearce vs. Homicide & a partner of his choice to be added to tomorrow's event in Edison, New Jersey.
Via the Newswire: Jimmy Rave received a concussion and needed seven staples in his head after being hit by Ace Steel's cowbell last Saturday. He is doubtful for this weekend.
It will be Colt Cabana vs. Sal Rinauro on Saturday in Edison, NJ. If Rave is able to wrestle he will team with Rinauro against Cabana and a partner of Cabana's choosing.
This weekend marks the return of Ultimate Endurance as ROH World Tag Team Champions Austin Aries & Roderick Strong will be faced with six different teams over the course of the weekend. ROH officials have flip flopped the stipulations of the falls. Here are the rules of Ultimate Endurance. There will be four teams starting in an elimination match. The first fall with all four teams will now be under Tag Team Scramble rules meaning that no tags are needed. The second fall with the remaining three teams will now be Tap Out rules. The final fall with the remaing two teams will be for the ROH Tag Team Titles. ROH officials decided to make the first fall a Tag Team Scramble since it will have all four teams thus giving it the most action.
Lots of choosing partner situations in Edison, which is interesting considering there are a few wrestlers not booked in a match yet (that have been announced anyway). There is also still room on the card for more matches, so who knows what else will be added day of? And as for Jimmy Rave, maybe the best help we fans can give to him for his unfortunate condition is…more toilet paper! TP mummy anyone?It will help cover up the gash on his forehead anyway.
Box of Matches
Things are heating up for ROH's huge return to the Midwest at the end of the month. A huge match has been signed for when ROH finally returns to St. Paul, MN. It will be Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. Samoa Joe & BJ Whitmer. If Aries & Strong are still the ROH World Tag Team Champions the belts will be on the line!!! Joe could be the first ever grand slam champion in ROH history and if he wins the World Title this Saturday he could walk out of St.Paul as the first ever double champion in ROH history!!!
The Midwest will be a big weekend for BJ Whitmer. Just signed for ROH's return to Chicago on 8/26 is a rematch of two of the craziest matches in ROH history as Whitmer will take on Jimmy Jacobs with Lacey!!! There is no telling what these two will do in Chicago.
ROH Tag Team Champion Austin Aries earned a shot at the ROH World Title by defeating Bryan Danielson in a Four Corner Survival last Friday in Dayton. Aries will receive a World Title shot, no matter who the champion is, when ROH returns to East Windsor, CT for the first night of "Glory By Honor V" weekend on September 15th.
The second match was announced for the already sold out Broxbourne event on 8/13. It will be the loser of The Briscoes vs. Aries & Strong 8/12 match vs. Davey Richards & Matt Sydal. Either match up could steal the show!!!
Joe continues his quest for the tag titles here with another partner. Whitmer may be a good fit for Joe as they are both durable, hard hitting wrestlers. They may be able to overpower Aries and Strong or whichever team holds the belts at that point. Whitmer vs. Jacobs III is certainly more dynamic than previously given the insanity of their previous two matches. I'm actually a bit concerned that these two will once again go over the line. Aries and Danielson is another storied ROH rivalry that always seems to resurface in the late summer / early fall. They have great matches are the scoreboard is fairly even. If Danielson still has the title, this would be a title rematch almost one year in the making.
Cabananation Ruling the Station Check out Colt Cabana on a talk show and some highlights from the last Chicago Ridge show on Chicago's Nude Hippo show now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC3Y71Nr5vU
Colt Cabana on Rumble Radio ROH'S Colt Cabana will bring GOOD TIMES and GREAT TIMES LIVE ON RUMBLE RADIO
ROH'S Colt Cabana is booked for IN-STUDIO LIVE interview on WXAV 88.3 FM in Chicago and worldwide webcast at WXAV.com , on Rumble Radio next Tuesday ,Aug 8th. WXAV is giving Colt full reign of the airwaves and our emmense music library for enitre hour at 6pm central/7pm eastern , it's an HOUR where he calls the shots, his show "Good Times Great Memories".
Then at 7pm central / 8pm eastern , Rumble Radio will start with a live interview with Colt. We will be promoting ROH dvds and the big ROH show on Aug 26th in Chicago Ridge's Fieldhouse ( 2 miles from WXAV's studio).
LISTENER CONTACT INFO
We will take live phone calls on air for Colt from the wrestling fans, and really have a awesome interview. The Live call in line is 773 429 0463
Our e-mail for Colt Interview questions is wxavrumbleradio@yahoo.com
Our AOL instant messanger : wxavstudio
** An on-demand webstream and downloadable version of this show will be available on Wednesday Aug 9th
at RumbleRadio.net
Check out the always entertaining theatrics of Colt Cabana on these two media appearances. Cabana did a great job a pimping ROH on that nude hippo (and what does that mean? Why the hell would I even want to see a nude hippo?) despite the cheesiness of the show. Rumble Radio does great coverage of ROH news and our own Larry C. will soon be doing bi weekly call ins with the show!
Your Mid Column Olay
source: tnawrestling.com
OLAY OLAY OLAY OLAY….
OLAY, OLAY…
OLAY! OLAY, OLAY, OLAY…
OLAY, OLAY…
This has been your Mid Column Olay!
Short Takes
-Finally ROH released some new T-shirts—new designs for Jimmy Rave,The Briscoes and Homicide. Actually I'm not too big on the Briscoes shirt (the confederate flag and all) but the Homicide shirt is the true winner of the bunch. It's a great play on the ROH logo on the front, but the back of the shirt, with the criss-crossing of police tape is just as cool. I don't usually like to represent or glorify the "thug" style (being white, Jewish, and geeky I have a built in fear of things that are hip hop or gangsta that I have to constantly deal with—pills don't help either).
-On the Cleveland and Dayton pre shows there was a wrestler by the name of Egotistico Fantastico—that is just an awesome name. No scratch that—Fantastic Egostistic—what a egotistically fantastic name.
-The # of times I watched the CM Punk match from ECW this past Tuesday- 5. I admit it, I'm a loser. It pumped me up though—it was what I was waiting for and it delivered for me personally in spades. Even without AFI, Punk's entrance came across like a million bucks, and hey, the former deposed theme of Orton works surprisingly well for Punk. Maybe they can feud over theme songs or something in the future—hey, better than Japanese shampoo commercial contracts, right? Punk also had a nice match with Credible—it wasn't earth shattering or anything but it was a good first step as Punk got to demonstrate his offense and his ability to take some punishment. Remember, he's obsessed with competition, so a strategy of take a hit to give a hit is fine by him as long as he gets to test himself as a wrestler. And of course I have to mention the fans at Hammerstein, who treated him like someone special and a star.
-As I had to stay to watch over my grandfather last night at his apartment (although he mostly just fell asleep out of being tired from the whole ordeal) I found myself with nothing better to do than watch Smackdown. Then I tried to find something better to do—honestly, I tried. It was my first time watching in about three months, so osme quick observations:
Michelle McCool—how ungodly thin is she? I can see right through her! Get that girl a sandwich!
Lashley is certain proof that Wellness~! is in effect. Or not, considering he's baclk ONE WEEK after being gone, and he still looks as jacked up as ever.
I laughed when Finley hit Regal from behind with the shallell—shalel-that club thing.
I was thinking about this—many and by many I mean a TON of wrestlers from the Heyman era of OVW have made it onto WWE television at some point over the last few months—the Spirit Squad, Gunner Scott, now Punk, and now we finally get Idol Stevens, KC James and Elijah Burke. Oh and that Terkay dude, who is just freaking huge. Givcen his size I'm not surprised that McMahon brought him up so fast after signing him .
-The nickname of SHIMMER wrestler Sara Del Rey is the "American Angel". If she ever turns heel she will call herself the "American Devil" and start wearing biker pants.
The Money Players: July 2006
Who are the money players? In the sports industry, money players are the athletes who are making the right plays at the right moments.
In wrestling, the concept of the money player is not all that different. The wrestler who has a great match or gives an impressive impression upon the audience ups their worth to the wrestling promoter. In all likelihood, making the money play and being a money player means more attention for yourself, better spots, more money (well, in the world of indie wrestling, that's still a big maybe). While you may be helping your team, you are also helping yourself and your career.
So once a month here at Column of Honor, I'll be looking at some of the money players in Ring of Honor. We'll see who's hot, who's not, who's making those key plays and who is dropping the ball, so to speak. I'm also going to manage a "stock portfolio" during the year. We'll see how the wrestlers I picked perform over the course of time. We'll also see whether or not I have a future in investment or if I'll lose my shirt and pants in the whole thing.
Here's the ground rules: a player's "stock" can go up or down dependent on a number of factors. Most importantly, from a "shoot" perspective, we'll be looking at a wrestlers' position on the roster and on the cards, any political quandaries and the future possibilities of being booked onto shows. Injuries can also impact the well being of a wrestlers' stock. From a "work" perspective, it's important to consider wins and losses, feuds and rivalries, entanglements and championship runs. Simply put, the more a wrestler impresses in the ring through talent and through W-Ls, the more likely a chance their stock goes up and vice versa.
Money Player of the Month—July 2006
Homicide (HOMI)
-Has there been anyone more clutch than Homicide? The man came through for Ring of Honor HUGE over the last month. He turned things around for the company in the Cage of Death—got the victory after causing a ton of damage to the enemy. He gets his two of his three wishes, although they may not be all they were cracked up to be by the time Jim Cornette gets through with him. Homicide is also at another high point in popularity among the fanbase, and there is a wellspring of support for him to be the next ROH champion.
ROH STOCK INDEX
Breadwinners
-Austin Aries (ARES) and Roderick Strong (STNG): Their title reign continues to grow and build—and they have performed huge in the ring while retaining the titles. Aries had a big win in the four corner survival match while Strong showed well in a pure title match. Bryan Danielson (ADBD): Best Wrestler in the world keeps showing us why that is the case—whether or not we like it.
-Davey Richards(DAVE): Davey continues to rack up breakthrough performances in his matches. His latest was taking the win in the eight man tag from Cleveland.
Loss Leaders
-Jimmy Rave (RAVE): The second month in a row for Rave, as not even the addition of new Embassy brand in Sal Rinaruo could save Rave from slipping. Davey Richards has his number. However, wins against Colt Cabana may stabilize Rave in the future—perhaps an upswing for the fall?
-Alex Shelley (@LEX): Seemingly disappeared from The Embassy, Shelley's stock in ROH has unfortunately plummeted and the FBI is currently conducting an investigation into a possible stock investment scheme from Shelley involving hookers. However, Shelley's side project, Paparazzi Productions, remains strong in other trading boards.
Trendsetters
-Delirious:(DELI): The crazy man of ROH with unorthodox business practices has been gold on the mic and gold in the ring. Investors may be wary of this man's unpredictability as a long term investment, but they can't deny his upswing in popularity and fan support.
-Jimmy Jacobs(HUSS) : Investors like this kid's moxie—he has been smart enough to combine the two mediums he is strong at—music and wrestling—into one corporation. The "match of the year" Merger with Lacey is also a strong earner.
-Ace Steel (ACES): Cowbell—setting the new standard in ROH. Need I say more?
Future Outlooks
(+) POSITIVE: Homicide, Samoa Joe, KENTA, Naomichi Marufuji, Delirious, Jimmy Jacobs, BJ Whitmer, Nigel McGuiness, Matt Sydal & Christopher Daniels, Austin Aries, Jack Evans, The Briscoes, Ace Steel
(/) NEUTRAL: Colt Cabana, Adam Pearce, Jimmy Rave, Ricky Reyes, Roderick Strong, Irish Airborne
(-) NEGATIVE: Chris Hero, AJ Styles, Necro Butcher, Claudio Castagnoli, Dunn & Marcos, Shingo Takagi
Penny Stocks
Looking for a cheap bargain? This is the place to speculate on the next possible big things…but look out; there could also be a few duds here.
--More than a penny for your thoughts Adam Pearce (IRON)--Heel turn sends mixed messages, but if he gets the job done, then his stock will continue to go up. Jimmy Jacobs (HUSS)--no longer a penny stock, Jacobs has room for growth and is acting on that potental Davey Richards (DAVE)--see above. Shane Hagadorn (HAGA):--Top of the Class Trophy winner is on fire!
--Still just one cent Irish Airborne (IAIR)—little by little gaining the experience in the ring to make a difference. Jerrelle Clarke (JRLE)—appearance in the Gen Next finale piques some interest. Jay Fury (FURY)—MIA. Flash Flanagan (FLAN)—MIA Shingo Takagi (TAKA)—Injury is a setback to Takagi's goals in ROH. Conrad Kennedy III (CDK3)—MIA Sterling James Keenan (SJKN)—last seen on 6/17
-The Students-
Perhaps the purest of the penny stocks since these guys are at the very start of their career. Each shows promise but each has risks at this stage. Will any of these stocks show maturity in the future?
Pelle Primeau (PPRM)
Mitch Franklin (MFRN)
Bobby Dempsey (BDEM)
Derek Dempsey (DDEM)
ADDED: Rhett Titus (TTUS)
ADDED: Alex Payne (PAYN)
Ari's Stock Portfolio
These are the wrestler's I've chosen to look at over the next few months. I've also assigned a conditional starting stock price for each of them, assigned of course by myself (we'll let the kinks work out in the system). I have a total of $150.00 to spend on these stocks and I must pick two pennies for my portfolio. I‘ve also not allowed myself to make any stock moves until AFTER the third month.
Previous Balance: $121.29
Current Balance end July 2006: $120.05
Net Change: MINUS $1.24
Analysis: Well, looks like the Hero roll is done for now, as his loss and the loss of CZW means his stock plummeted over the past month. Everyone else is making steady gains and the future looks good especially for The Briscoes. Having both Joe and Danielson in the portfolio may be tough this month if the results of the title match sends one stock or the other plummeting. Since this is the first month I can make some transactions, it's time to add onto the portfolio:
SELL!
Chris Hero (HERO) (loss)
BUY!
Davey Andrews (DAVE) Value $1.00
Homcide (HOMI) Value $25.00
Net Stock Worth entering August 2005: $130.05
Will these new stocks help or hurt my portfolio? We'll find out next month!
Ringtones: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST SAVED EDITION!
I asked for emails for you readers out there and boy did you deliver in spades! I actually heard from long time readers and repeat emailers as well as those writing in for the first time. Thanks to you all for contributing, especially to the cause of saving SOTF. Here are your voices, speaking on the tournament as well as a number of other topics.
Bradley Greehan writes in: >> Readers, where are you?
Sorry Ari.
I assume most of your readers (much like myself),
while they enjoy your column, they do so passively,
and so don't even really pay attention when you ask
for feedback. Begging always gets attention though :)
To answer your question: I love the tournaments and
gimmick shows. The first SOTF was great and I'd like
to see it used again just by virtue of that. Same with
the RRC. Also, while it's not a tournament of any
sort, I've always wanted RoH to put on another 4-way
Ironman Match. I mean really, what's better than
seeing 2 of the top guys in a match? Why, seeing 4 or
6 of them of course!
Anyways, great column. Always something I make sure to
read on Sunday morning.
- Brad
Hey Brad, yeah I hate to beg for attention--but I guess it worked because I'm getting emails now, heh. I know you've written emails before though, so you're cool with me! I totally agree with you on the 4 way Iron Man match and I think if circumstances call for it there should definitely be another one. I think the Redemption elimination 4 way was as close as we got to something similar to that. And I'm definitely happy about the announcement last night that Survival of the Fittest is coming to the October 6th Cleveland show.
Next, B Tribe is in:
Firstly, Happy Birthday! I started drinking around my 25th year, so you might want to give it a try, unless you're joining CM Punk in his war against poisoning your body. Get some tat's of your favorite 80's toys and soft drinks and you'd be all set. ;)
Secondly, I fully support the idea of keeping the Survival of the Fittest tournament around, mostly due to the fact that SotF 04 was my first and last front row seat for an ROH show. They were originally going to have the tourny in Maryland for a memorial show, but that fell through for some reason, making the trip go from 6 hours to 3 1/2... much more reasonable. Even more enticing was the fact that ROH slashed their ticket prices for the event, having the front row seats for only $15 bucks! I enjoyed the show quite a bit; seeing Jack Evans getting twisted up like a pretzel by Bryan Danielson was a treat. I took to calling him 'Gumby' at that show. The main event was fantastic, and being right up front when Homicide had one of his 'demonic' freak-outs was awesome. I didn't care that I wasn't supposed to cheer him; watching a guy break shit just to break shit will always get over with me. I haven't had the chance to see SotF 05, but I think that ROH should keep the show around as it's a great opportunity to show off some matches that we might not often get to see, plus it's a great place to have a bunch of feuds blow up, like in the Main Event of SotF 04. It's like booking made easy; underlying issues can come out in the tourny and the main event, mind games can be played, and upsets can be scored. The only downside is winning the SotF tourny means about bumpkis; the winners don't get anything except an announcement at the end of the show that they are "the Survivor of the Fittest". It's go to have a reward if it's going to be around. Right now it serves little to no purpose.
That's my .02. Once again, Happy Birthday and BahBahBahOle!
B. Tribe
Thanks for the birthday wishes--I'm not actually much of a drinker, as for the first 23 years of my life I was indeed unofficially "straight edge" (yes, even as a toddler, I was alcohol free and drug free). I do indulge in the occasional glass of wine and hey i've actually had a bottle of beer or two! CM Punk would not be so proud of me though...
Awesome story about SOTF '04, especially since you got such a good deal out of it with the cut on drive time and money. Homi's freak outs at the time were intense, even on DVD. And you just get the feeling that he could fall back into that mode at any minute now, even as a babyface. I totally agree with you about why the show show be kept as a concept, as you said "booking made easy". Plus we get to see great combos of wrestlers like the Danielson-Evans match or the James Gibson-Christopher Daniels match from the '05 version, While last year's tourny was a bit weaker than the first one in ROH, I think it part it was because it was sandwhiched in between two incrediblly hyped events, the Danielson-Gibson title match and the Joe-Kobashi match. Its a bit understandable how a tournament can get swept under the rug in the middle of two great shows. I'm really happy to hear from the roh board that ROH is indeed keeping the tournament for another go round, and with Aries, Strong, Dragon and Joe (Two previous winners and two previous final match qualifiers) already named, there's lots of interesting way this can go.
As far as a reward goes, I think the winner of the '05 tournament was given an automatic title shot--which is how the first Danielson-Strong match was set up. I think an automatic title shot is the right way to go actually.
John Mabery is in with his comments:
Hey Ari ~ my name is John Mabery and I wanted to finally hop on the email
and let you know how much I appreciate your column. I wanted to give you
feedback on the Survival of the Fittest piece you did, as it looks as though
from the message board that the return to Cleveland in October will be the
host of SOTF (Thank God). Despite the fact I won't make it to that event
(seeing as how I'm in NJ), I'm glad to see that it will not be discontinued.
Also, I'm making an early prediction for Whitmer, since he is the early
favorite for MVP 2006. I also agree with your stance on Joe in The
Apocalypse Is Not Happening Today. Don't get me wrong, I love Joe and it's
thrilling to see him perform, but I don't need to see him live. No
performer really makes or breaks a show for me, which proves in my mind that
ROH doesn't really have a top performer, which is a great thing because that
means to me that anyone is worthy of being in the main event.
Hey John, thanks for the email, the feedback is very appreciated. I'm also very happy to hear about the return of Survival of the Fittest--whether or not that was the plan in the first place it certainly feels good to have spoken out on the subject. There's a lot of directions they can go with the tourny this year, so I'm looking forward to what will happen. Whitmer is certainly a possibility, as is Aries finally taking it, and I'd say Davey Richards is a realistic possibility and a dark horse may be Jimmy Rave if those two are involved.
As far as Joe is concerned, I want to see him live as much as possible because he is certainly one of the best right now. However, if he's not on the show at this point for me it's not a make or break decision on buying tix--there's a ton of reasons to go see ROH live besides Joe. Maybe for a casual fan it is different, but I think even those fans will come for some of the other "TNA" talent if they're announced as appearing. More Joe is great but less Joe is not a bad thing at this point, and that was the point I was trying to make.
Mark Kohn
I just watched all the stuff on ROHvideo.com and besides Cornette being one
of the best promos out there, he rivals CM Punk for awesome intensity and
you really feel like he believes what he is saying even when you know it is
scripted. Amazing. I watched the free matches they had there. Your boy
Delirious is in two really good matches. The one I loved the most was the
Seth Delay-Delirious match. You had two guys, although I think everyone knew
Delirious would win, the fans were really into it. They were both faces but
that never made a difference to the fans. Seth was allowed some really cool
offense, like the jump back Edge-O-Matic he did out of the corner. Even the
430 Moonsault into a senton splash was amazing, even if he missed.
This match had two guys go in and make each other look good. I am sure many
like myself would love to see Seth wrestle again. I wish the WWE would have
matches where both guys come off looking good. Flair was one of the best at
making his losing opponent look good. It is a shame the WWE has not learned
from him. For a crazy man, Delirious can do seem awesomely smooth, crisp chain
wrestling. Both matches show that.
Keep up the great work.
Hey Mark, thanks for sending another email--always appreciate the feedback. Glad you like the Jim Cornette promos--the man has such a great history of working the mic, whether as a manager for the Midnights back in the day or now as a figurehead for TNA and ROH. He knows how to get angles over and he is certainly fun to watch, just because you never know if his head might explode from talking so fast!
Delirious vs. Delay was an excellent show opener from 7/15 and one of those fun early card matches. Again, Delirious is a guy who you can't turn your head or else you'll miss something good. And that missed Delay splash was unbelievable because that dude went down to the ground fast--it looked awesome. It might be a memorable enough moment to get Delay over in the future. You're right on about the whole Flair / getting others over point--and in fact there a quite a few wrestlers on the roster who are able to do just that--Danielson, for sure, as well as Aries and Strong.
Gosso23
Hell yes! They've decided not to get rid of Survival of the Fittest after all! Its good to see that I'm not the only mark for it. I was going to e-mail in support of it, but looks like I don't have to after all.
That was an awesome article on Joe! I swear, some people over at the ROH message boards should be forced to read that.
Great article again! Keep up with the awesome work, it gives me something to look forward to on Saturday afternoons!
You echo my sentiments on the SOTF tourney Gosso and once again I couldn't be happier that it's sticking around at least one more year. Many thanks to you and everyone else for sending emails!
**The Independent Buy In**
Support independent pro wrestling, ROH or non ROH, I don't care. But if you out there are spending so much time complaining about how WWE sucks, then dammit, spend some money so you won't have to spend so much time complaining. This list stays in the column and will be added to as the year goes on. Remember: don't bow out, BUY IN!
Recommended for purchase:
**IWC No Excuses (Styles vs. Matt Hardy, John McChesney vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Jason Gory vs. Shima Xion)
**FIP New Years Classic (Strong vs. Joe, Homicide vs. James Gibson)
**Hardcore Homecoming (2 Cold Scorpio vs. Kid Kash, 3 Way Dance Barbwire Match Funk vs. Douglas vs. Sabu)
**TNA Lockdown (AJ Styles vs. Abyss, Daniels vs. Skipper, Lethal Lockdown 6 Man Tag, AMW vs. Team Canada + Bonus Chris Candido tribute)
**ROH Fate of an Angel (James Gibson vs. CM Punk, Christopher Daniels vs. Matt Hardy, Roderick Strong vs. AJ Styles, Samoa Joe vs. Jimmy Rave)
**TNA Anthology: The Epic Set (available only through Walmart and Walmart.com at a ridiculously cheap price) (Victory Road 2004, Turning Point 2004, Lockdown 2005)
**ROH Redemption (4 Way Title Elimination—Punk vs. Gibson vs. Joe vs. Daniels, Matt Hardy vs. Homicide, Gen Next of Aries, Strong and Sydal vs. The Embassy of Rave, Shelley and Abyss)
**ROH Punk: The Final Chapter (CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana plus post match celebration, Matt Hardy vs. Roderick Strong, Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal vs Low Ki and Homicide, Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Rave)
**IWC Summer Sizzler 2 (AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Steve Corino vs. Shirley Doe, Glen Spectre vs. Chad Collyer, Shima Xion vs. Nigel McGuinness)
**ROH Glory By Honor IV (Dragon vs. Gibson, Styles vs. Rave, Low Ki vs. Jay Lethal) **ROH Joe vs. Kobashi (Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi, Christopher Daniels vs. Matt Sydal vs. Azriael, Gibson vs. Yang)
**TNA Best of the X Division MATCHES Volume 1 (Joe vs. Sabin, Ultimate X AJ vs. Williams vs. Sabin, Ironman match: AJ vs. Daniels)
**FIP Bring the Pain (Punk vs. Danielson 2/3 Falls, Aries vs. Strong)
**OVW October 2005 Television Showcase (Ken Doane vs. Brent Albright III, Johnny Jeter vs. Matt Cappotelli, and CM Punk, CM Punk, CM Punk, CM Punk)
**OVW November 2005 Television Showcase (CM Punk vs. Ken Doane (c)—TV Title, CM Punk vs. Brent Albright, Matt Cappotelli vs. Johnny Jeter (c) II-Heavyweight Title)
**ROH Unforgettable (Samoa Joe / Low Ki vs. Homicide / Kenta Kobashi, Dragon vs. Strong, Daniels vs. Yang, Cabana vs. Evans)
2006 List
*ROH This Means War (Bryan Danielson / Roderick Strong, AJ Styles / Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli / Alex Shelley)
**ROH Vendetta (Bryan Danielson / Roderick Strong, Eight Man War: Generation Next + AJ Styles / The Embassy, Samoa Joe / Christopher Daniels)
**ROH A Night of Tribute (Bryan Danielson / Christopher Daniels, Aries + Strong / Joe + Lethal, Colt Cabana / Homicide, Claudio Castagnoli / Milano Collection AT)
**OVW December 2005 Television Showcase (CM Punk (c) vs. Ken Doane vs. Brent Albright—3 Way Dance TV Title, CM Punk vs. Brent Albright—TV Title)
**SHIMMER WOMEN'S ATHLETES Volume 1 (Cheerleader Melissa vs. MsChif, Sara Del Rey vs. Mercedez Martinez, Lacey vs. Daizee Haze)
**TNA Bound For Glory 2005 (Iron Man 2: Styles / Daniels, Monster's Ball 2, Joe / Liger, 10 Man Gauntlet, Jarrett vs. Rhino)
**TNA Genesis 2005 (Jarrett & AMW / Rhino & Team 3-D, Styles / Williams, Elimination X: Joe, Daniels, Shelley, Strong / Sabin, Dutt, Aries, Bentley; Christian Cage Debuts)
**ROH Steel Cage Warfare (Generation Next / The Embassy, Dsanielson / Romero, Joe / Lethal, Corino / Homicide )
**ROH Final Battle 2005 (Low Ki / KENTA, Danielson / Marifuji, Claudio / Nigel, 4CS: Daniels / Joe / Lethal / Whitmer )
**ROH Tag Wars 2006 (All three Trios Tournament 2006 matches, Generation Next / Danielson and Lethal, Low Ki / Christopher Daniels )
**BCW International Incident (Jarrett / Raven, Daniels / Sabin, Petey Williams / Jerry Lynn, Bobby Roode / Abyss)
**SHIMMER WOMEN'S ATHLETES Volume 2 (Four Way Elimination Match: Daizee Haze vs. Sara Del Rey vs. Lacey vs. Mercedes Martinez / MsChif vs. Beth Phoenix / Alison Danger vs. Rain)
**PWG Astonishing X-Mas (December 16th, 2005) (Super Dragon vs. Kevin Steen / Eight Man Tag / Strong & Evans vs. Human Tornado & El Generico / Colt Cabana vs. Scorpio Sky)
**ROH Fourth Anniversary Show (Generation Next / Styles & Sydal, Danielson / Rave, Homicide / Cabana Ghetto Fight, CZW all out brawl)
**ROH Best In The World (KENTA/ &Marifuji / Joe & Dragon, Strong & Evans / Briscoes, Shelley / Daniels, Shimmer 4 Way)
**ROH Dragon Gate Challenge (Daniels / Joe, Generation Next / Blood Generation, Styles & Sydal / Dragon Kid & Horiguchi)
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2005 (2 DISC) (Steen/Dragon, Styles/Evans, Dragon/Reyes, Romero/Kazarian and tons more)
** ROH SUPERCARD of Honor (Danielson / Strong III, Do Fixer / Blood Generation, AJ Styles & Matt Sydal / Austin Aries & Jack Evans, Joe / Jacobs / Daniels)
**ROH Better Than Our Best (the whole damn card. No really, the whole damn card)
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 3 (Knox / Danger, Del Ray / Haze, Cheerleader Melissa / Shantelle Taylor)
**FIP Big Year One Bash Night 1 (Strong / Gibson, Spanky & Rinauro / Rave & Lethal Homicide / McGuiness)
**IWC Super Indy V (Low Ki / Abyss, Sydal / Petey Williams, Delirious / Sydal, Shelley / Reyes, Gambino Bros. Moving Co. / Burning River Brigade—M Dogg 20 and Josh Prohbition)
**Hardcore Homecoming: November Reign PLATNIUM EDITION. (Lynn / Polaco Cage Match, Douglas / Pitbull Gary Wolfe Dog Collar, Matt Hyson / CW Anderson. Bonus DVD: Sabu / Al Snow, Chris Benoit / 2 Cold Scorpio, Psicosis / Rey Mysterio Jr., Lynn / Polaco)
**UWF-TNA Hardcore War July 9th, 2006 (Styles / Joe / Daniels, James Gang / AMW / Team 3-D (No Finish), Jarrett / Rhino, Lynn / Williams, Lethal / Dutt, Abyss / Runt)
Larry T. Csonka didn't count my vote for WOTW (I would have voted for BJ Whitmer and Necro Butcher at number one) but I was too late for it to count. However you're not too late to check out the 3 R's!
And that will just about cover it for this week's column. I'm headed into Edison, NJ tonight, second row for Joe vs. Dragon. I'll have a custom made "Guns don't kill people, Samoa Joe kills people!" shirt on in the traditional Samoa Joe color of UPS brown. I'm hoping on the title change but hoping more for a great match. Next week—results from Edison, a preview of the UK tour and matches not to sleep on. Brooklyn!
--Ari--
