Column of Honor: 09.23.06
Posted by Ari Berenstein on 09.23.2006
Glory By freaking Honor V night two results and live reaction (hint: IT WAS AWESOME!)…plus: Oust Jim Cornette! Survival of the Fittest 2006 participants! Don’t Sleep On Mark Briscoe v. Homicide! AND: a ton of huge ROH news to discuss! A HUGE COLUMN! EXCLAMATION POINTS!
Good to see you all again…well, I can't see you, and really you can't see me, but it's good nonetheless. So what happened this week? A LOT. Don't believe me...? Didn't you read the teasers? Well, okay, maybe you don't read the teasers. But you should. They're funny. Sometimes. Anyway. Here's some stuff, most of it's about Ring of Honor, because if you're reading this, you're probably a Ring of Honor fan. Or maybe you're obsessed about me, I don't know. But that wouldn't be good. In fact, maybe you should stop reading this right now. It'd be better for me, better for you. What? You want to know about ROH results and news? Well, I guess you can read this then...but I'm WATCHING YOU. Well, I can't watch you, and really you can't watch me either, but it's good nonetheless.
This is quite the Jeff Hardy like conundrum. EMBRACE THE CONFUSION! My brain hurts.
ROH Results: Glory By Honor V Night Two New York, NY September 16th, 2006
Matches
-Davey Richards defeated Jack Evans via submission (horse collar / brock lock).
-Adam Pearce defeated Delirious via pinfall (piledriver) after interference from Shane Hagadorn.
-Jimmy Jacobs defeated Colt Cabana and Christopher Daniels. Jacobs kicked Colt in the balls and hit the Contra Code for the pinfall.
-Samoa Joe and Homicide defeated The Briscoe Brothers when Homicide pinned Jay with the Cop Killa.
-The Kings of Wrestling of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli defeated Austin Aries and Roderick Strong via pinfall to become the NEW ROH World Tag Team champions.
-GHC Heavyweight champion Naomichi Marufuji retained his title by defeating challenger Nigel McGuinness via pinfall with a super shiranui.
-ROH World Champion "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson retained the title by defeating challenger KENTA via submission with the Cattle Mutilation.
Angles and Issues
-BRUNO!: Wrestling hall of famer and legend Bruno Sammartino made his ROH debut and was given an incredibly respectful welcome by the ROH roster and the ROH fans. In an unscripted promo, Bruno put over Ring of Honor, its wrestlers, its wrestling and its fans. It was a tremendous and genuine speech and it was an honor to see someone who I never thought I would ever see in a wrestling ring.
-Joe v. Morishima!: After the presentation for Bruno Sammartino, Samoa Joe and Pro Wrestling NOAH's Takeshi Morishima were involved in a huge pull apart brawl that flamed up when the two bumped into each other as they were headed back to the locker room.
-Manservant: After Shane Hagadorn helped Pearec win his match against Delirious by knocking the deranged one (Delirious, not Pearce) out with a foreign object, Pearce declared Hagadorn his personal manservant. I won't say anything.
-Love Triangle: Lacey had managed to convince Jacobs to work with Cabana against Daniels in their three way match. Jacobs didn't much want to do it, as he moped around ringside and had his head down several times while the match was going on. Then when he would actually try to help Colt would trip him up or prank him in a mean spirited away (although I have to admit, I laughed). The crowd egged Jacobs to do something about this, until finally he kicked Cabana from behind in the balls and got the win. Some of the best comedy in this match was Colt at several times trying to cop a feel on Lacey and "falling down" so that he could look under her skirt.
-Forced to Win: Jim Cornette (accompanied by the Briscoe Brothers) came out a cut an epic fifteen minute long promo about the Homicide situation. He called for a vote of confidence of sorts and asked who among the fans was with him (of which some raised their hands) and who among the fans were against him (the majority). He told the fans who were with him to cover their ears, and then proceeded to unleash a tirade of profanity and vile against the New York crowd. He then promised that Homicide WOULD get his title shot in December…ONLY if he could beat The Briscoes tonight. If not, he would not get his title shot until 2007, by which time Homicide said he would leave ROH had he not won a title. Cornette's clever ruse did not go into effect as Homicide won his tag match. Cornette then declared that when ROH returned to New York on December 23rd, he would get his title match, but he would have to walk through hell until then to get to that match.
Live Reaction and Stories:
When the first thing I spotted when I sat down in my seat was the Green Lantern Fan getting into a physical altercation with another fan and the crowd going crazy, I knew I was in for a special night
Of course, getting into the Manhattan Center was an experience in and of itself. For the first time I can remember since the Supper Club show last year, there were tremendously long lines wrapping around the corner all the way back to the Tick Tock Diner and The New Yorker—the former home of ROH action in THE CITY. Everyone was waiting and excited and ready to get inside the building and watch the action unfold.
Luckily I was with GLF and his crew and we skipped right past everyone and went into the building without a hassle. Then Cary and I went Karaoke all night long.
(Just kidding about both of the above for those of you without sarcasm detectors).
Actually I was with my buddy's Chris, Jon and Chris's cousin John (confusing yes I know) who actually was attending a ROH show for the first time. Boy did he ever go to the right show.
We ate a quick dinner at Tick Tock and then headed on to the line. Not such a big deal really, I've been going to concerts in NYC for years now and I had seen far, far worse.
Entering the building was interesting as always. I've had my problems with the front door crew at Hammerstein before (same building) and this time it was the lovely and kind ticket taker lady who was the culprit. The young woman was obviously in disdain over the bunch of ogre like wrestling nerds being herded her way. She yakked out "GIVE ME YOUR TICKETS!" and snatched them away from us with the violence and cruelty of a teacher claiming notes being passed between students. AND she was apparently hoarding the tickets all for herself. She didn't tear off the stub with seats until I meekly put up a fight with an "ummm…" The mean lady rolled her eyes, sighed whistfully, wishing perhaps she was far, far away from this location, and tore off my tickets so that I could get back the seat number. It was a matter of necessity for us as after all we were front row, section B, seats 1-4. If there were ticket problems and people claimed we were sitting in their seats, what proof would we have that they were wrong? Such trivial thoughts did not pass through the mind of the ticket lady or anyone else working the front doors. This kind of treatment from people who are in charge of concerts on a regular basis.
From reading reports on the message boards, lots of people had problems with the Security inside the building as well. I didn't have such problems, mostly because I didn't talk to any security inside, but I can believe all the reports to be true just from that one experience with the ticket lady.
From the Entrance Door match to a Stairway to Hell match, as fans, many of which including yours truly were obviously not in the best cardio condition, were made to walk up the seven or eight flights up long and winding stairs up to the Manhattan Center ballroom. Yes there was an elevator, but no one told me (or others) about it. Sometimes when I attended New York University, I used to walk between seven or eight flights of steps in the Arts and Sciences building to get to my classes. That was years ago. Obviously by the time I got up to the main center I was blown up, like I had just gone fifteen minutes with Jack Evans. However, the climb was worth it to get to the goal—the wrestling itself. I would have walked up the Statue of Liberty to attend this show (Gabe and Cary, don't get any ideas).
I've been to Hammerstein many times, but it was my first for The Manhattan Center above it. I have to say I was blown away by the appearance and the look of the venue. Absolutely beautiful—reminiscent of the Elk's Lodge in Queens but with more finely decorated walls and ceilings. The seats were exceedingly spacious and comfortable too, not nearly as cramped as The New Yorker had become. The lighting of the show was tremendous—ROH looked so extremely professional and done up. If this show was taped for TV it would not have looked out of place at all amidst the TNA and WWE broadcasts.
I have to give tons of credit to the fans—they came alive like very few other shows I've seen. The crowd at the Grand Ballroom might not have bested the size of the fans attending Better Than Our Best, but they were loud and proud and ready to support ROH action.
Sure as always, there were a few jerks trying to get themselves over (including some racist remarks during the Marufuji and KENTA matches and also that "Jeff Jarrett" rules guy—talk about delusional), but they didn't bother me at all. Really, nothing was going to spoil MY fun…I was geeked, amped up and ready for wrestling.
In many ways, this show was just a big a moment as was Manhattan Mayhem. Fans KNEW back then that ROH was hitting the bigger time for their first Manhattan show. They were jacked and excited and electric then too, and they were rewarded with one of the best all around cards in ROH history. Now, at the Manhattan Center, the fans once again understood the significance of where they were and what was happening. We responded accordingly and were once again rewarded with a tremendous show from top to bottom. The wrestlers stepped up their game and the so did the fans.
The matches were almost one hundred percent spot on. The extra curricular activities such as Bruno Sammartino's first ever appearance in an ROH ring and the Samoa Joe-Morishima encounter created a buzz and energy that were unparalleled. Jim Cornette drove the true blue New York crowd crazy with his venomous anti-NYC diatribe.
The roof just absolutely exploded for Samoa Joe and Morishima's encounter. Coming out of the Bruno tribute and having them bump into each other way a brilliant small thing that everyone just went insane for. To think also that some casual fans in attendance probably had no clue who Morishima was about before tonight. However, it was a big and tough Samoan brawling with a big and tough Japanese dude and that's enough to get people going. So look for that long awaited Umaga vs. Akebono match anytime now in WWE.
The undercard action was very good—starting right away with Richards vs. Evans to get the crowd in a tizzy. Everyone responded to Richards hard strikes and of course everyone was in awe of Evans flying abilities—the man accomplishes more takeoffs than JFK. Pearce vs. Delirious was solid but average, with a huge highlight being a sixty (60!) lariat in the corner spot…which only got a two count. Delirious needs to work on his lariat strength I think. The three way between Cabana and Jacobs and Daniels was well constructed) to incorporate the issues between Jacobs, Cabana and Lacey, and Daniels was the third (well fourth) wheel who was unfortunately stuck trying to win a match where wacky things were happening out of his control. It was a mix between wrestling and sports entertainment, sure, but it worked the fans up into a tizzy (some behind Jacobs and wanting him to kill Cabana, others calling Jacobs an emo pussy). And I, one of the most respectful people around women, actually called Lacey a "heartless bitch." "Jimmy loves you! Why don't you love him!" I yelled at her as she walked around ringside.
I feel for Jimmy.
Intermission was fun as I got to spend the better part of it commiserating with my buddies and also with Stu Carapola—who is a great guy to talk to and is one hell of a fan. Apparently Nick Marsico was somewhere in the building as well, but unfortunately our paths did not cross.
The Kings of Wrestling…won the tag team titles. Good for them.
What? What more do you want me to say about those two?
GHC champion Naomichi Marufuji and Nigel McGuinness—good lord, what can you say about these two that doesn't involve the words "career highlight" and "this is awesome"? Nigel performed way beyond what I thought he could and I was absolutely struck by how the fans took to him. The once villainous git is now a bonafide face with fighting spirit. Who would have thunk after a year annoying us all, Nigel would now be the man to cheer? I can't neglect Marufuji here, who received a solid reaction coming in and a hero's exit leaving the ring after giving a tremendous effort in the match. These two mixed together several themes, armwork, legwork, the lariat and the superkick and wove them all together into an amazing tapestry of action and hard hitting impact. The two bumps to the floor—the Shiranui (sliced bread) from the apron to the outside and Nigel's Tower of London (cutter) to the apron—garnered loonatic like responses from the crowd. The fan reaction started off slow but after that Shiranui, everyone was completely focused on the match and reactions just increased naturally as the match wore on.
I won't gloat about how I got to touch the GHC Heavyweight title belt as Marufuji walked it around the ring in celebration…too much.
As for KENTA vs. American Dragon…going in I was completely undecided about who would win…and right at the very last second I was still undecided…so you could say this was one of the most unpredictable and intriguing matches I've witnessed. Dragon really sacrificed a ton in this match, taking many direct hits to his separated shoulder (which you could see was knotted and even pastier white than is usual for Dragon). These two just unleashed hell on each other for more than thirty minutes, with KENTA working the shoulder with strikes and submissions while Dragon did all he could to work around his injury, even getting so desperate as to throw running headbutts with all his might when he could no longer use his shoulder to throw a lariat. The conclusion to the match echoed Danielson's title win one year previous, with Dragon chaining together submissions and moves and strikes until KENTA could not come up with a block or reverse. KENTA submitted his first singles loss in Ring of Honor…and it was something else. It all added up to a match of the year…maybe THE match of the year in my mind unless something else can top it.
Exiting the arena with Chris, John (Jon had to leave earlier for some family matters), Stu and walking in front of PWInsider's Mike Johnson, I was in a state of euphoria. Funnily enough, the sounds of polka emanated from the adjacent Hammerstein Ballroom, perhaps the most ridiculous exit music to any entertainment event ever. But who knows, maybe that's where the ROH after party was headed.
Editorial: Jim Cornette MUST step down as ROH Commisioner
"Abuse of power! Abuse of power!" – Ric Flair, in WCW.
Jim Cornette, you've gotta go.
When James E. Cornette was announced as the first ever Ring of Honor commissioner, he made promises to the fans about his tenure. One of those promises was that he was going to clean up all the chaos and anarchy that was occurring at the time. There was constant interference in matches and many wrestlers such as The Embassy were running unchecked through the roster. Cornette also guaranteed decisive matches, including the best athleticism and competition that would make sure that above all things were fair and equitable in the ring.
For a while, Cornette fixed things up in ROH beautifully. Matches and issues were resolved in the ring. DQ's and interference decreased. Wrestlers were respecting the rulings of the commissioner.
Cornette's fan friendly attitude struck a chord with the ROH crowd; they easily accepted him as the man who made command decisions. The fans even further sided with Cornette in the ROH vs. CZW war. Cornette's comments were inspired and inspiring to the roster and to the fans. Even though some fans remembered that ROH also had the "garbage", "hardcore" wrestling that Cornette was decrying in these promos, they all stood behind him and the ROH wrestlers. They were our boys and we were behind them one hundred percent.
Then all too suddenly the atmosphere in Ring of Honor changed. Now the solution has become a problem in itself. There is only one course of action to take: it's time for Jim Cornette to leave his office as commissioner.
Recent incidents between Cornette and Homicide have changed the minds of fans in a hurry. Homicide was an integral part of winning the final and most important match of the ROH-CZW war. For his service, Homicide asked for three wishes. Yet, after he won the war at Cage of Death, Homicide was not repaid in full. Yes, Homicide will get his match against Corino in November and yes, he will get his title shot at Final Battle 2006 (although he had to work extra hard to get it as opposed to it just being guaranteed). However, he will not have his final wish granted-the return of Low Ki. In refusing Homicide's final wish, Cornette revealed a deep seeded grudge against Low Ki as well as hostile feelings towards Homicide. These feelings are an implicit bias that is getting in the way of Cornette governing ROH in a fair and equitable manner.
Cornette has tried to justify his actions by stating he is not a "heel authority figure", but that is exactly what Cornette has become. He says that he has a grudge against just one man, not the entire roster—that is a lie. Not only is he executing a vendetta against Homicide, his grudges have expanded to include the relatively innocent madman Delirious. Cornette recently sicced Adam Pearce on him just because he annoyed the commissioner during a pair of interviews for the ROH Video recap. Cornette has also been quite unruly and rude to the fans that once supported him, especially those on the East Coast (who just happen to be avid supporters of Homicide). What a complete 180 this is from Cornette's stance when he first came into office.
We have seen Cornette abuse his power in many ways. He has made tighter associations with certain members of the ROH roster above others. For instance, Adam Pearce, Cornette's lieutenant commissioner, has a considerable amount of power and influence. The Briscoes, former charges of Cornette, also seem to be in the commish's back pocket and are taking care of his dirty work. The Briscoes are attacking wrestlers left and right before matches, during matches, after matches. Why haven't they been fined or reprimanded? You know the answer to that one. These wrestlers getting consideration and curry influence with Cornette—influence that is unfair and unequal compared to other members of the ROH roster.
These actions have made ROH more chaotic and more unbalanced than before—the opposite of what Cornette explicitly stated was his main goal of his commissionership.
It's time for good ol' James E. to face the music—he has become everything he said didn't want to be. He is not a man of honor anymore; he is a hypocrite. He IS a heel authority figure and above all he is detrimental to the health of Ring of Honor and it's roster.
So, it's time to take action.
Cornette must step down as commissioner of ROH, either willingly or not. If Cornette himself can not recognize the bind he puts himself in via his abuse of the commissionership, then his superiors at ROH must forcibly remove him from of power. Either way, Cornette can no longer be allowed to govern and to control a roster in which he obviously has conflicts of interest.
If Cornette insists on becoming actively involved in grudges and issues with wrestlers on the active roster, let him reapply for his manager's license. He could take Adam Pearce and The Briscoes under his managerial services. Then he can work out these issues with Homicide man to man, in the ring, as opposed to hiding behind an office desk.
Commissioner, either do the job you were hired to do without prejudices and premeditation or look for a new one.
ROH Call
ROH Champions—As of 9/23/2006
ROH World Champion—American Dragon Bryan Danielson (champion since 9/17/05, 31 successful defenses)*, ** ROH World Tag Team Champions—Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) (champions since 09/16/06, NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS)
*ROH World and Pure Titles Unified on 8/12/06, Pure Title is folded
**Dragon makes successful defense of ROH title at ETW promotion in Texas on 6/10/06.
ROH News
(via the ROHnewswire… and other sources when attributed
Prince Nana Leaves Ring of Honor, Embassy Disbanded, Ghana Population In Uproar Prince Nana has given his notice to ROH. There is a news story on the main page of the all new ROHwrestling.com right now complete with a statement from Nana. This means that The Embassy is no more in ROH. Where does this leave Jimmy Rave, Sal Rinauro and Daizee Haze? Only the future will tell. We want to thank Prince Nana for all his contributions to ROH.
Unfortunately all the great praises and comments from the past GBH V weekend were interrupted by this shocking and bad news. There is a large amount of heartfelt disappointment in Nana leaving felt and shared by fans out there, as evidenced by the large threads on the ROH message board and by some of the regular 411 writers here who have enjoyed Nana's work. Nana truly was the next great male manager in the mold of a Bobby Heenan, Ted Debiase or a Freddy Blassie. In a wrestling world where men as managers are no longer the norm, he gave it his all to be that guy. He was funny, villainous, entertaining and above all genuinely nice to the ROH fans.
Now it seems that Prince Nana wanted to step away from the ROH spotlight, and wrestling in general. Whether he was unhappy with the direction of his character and The Embassy or whether he just wanted to try something else in life, Nana gave his notice at GHB V weekend and that is pretty much that.
Nana's stable of men started as a lower card half comedy gimmick, but when Jimmy Rave became a more serious threat to wrestlers like AJ Styles and CM Punk and Generation Next, The Embassy also became more serious and more a threat to the ROH locker room. The Embassy never actually won a feud outright, but they made life hectic for many of the babyfaces. Nana's money could afford many luxuries and many weapons in the ring and he used all of his resources to get what he wanted.
Now The Embassy has closed down and Jimmy Rave is left somewhat in the cold. I've mentioned the Special K curse before, but now it looks like there is sort of an Embassy curse as well, as all members of the group are now gone from the company or have been deposed by Nana's decision to leave. Rave will certainly be challenged to make it without his mouth piece, but he's actually been handling himself pretty decently in recent interviews. It's also likely that his recent lackey / footstool Sal Rinauro and valet Daizee Haze will stay by his side as back up. Rave should be fine so long as he continues to deliver in the ring and continues his upward trend on promos. And after all, if he's not in ROH anymore, who are we going to TP?
And Nana may very well still be a part of ROH in the future…who knows, he may get tired of running Ghana again or whatever it is that he's doing now and will choose to seek out some more fun in ROH.
You may have noticed throughout the last year or so my running joke in this column about DAH EM BAH SEE. It was my loving tribute to a group I was hugely entertained by, and I got a kick out of some others such as Alex Shelley use similar phonetic spelling to reference the group (I'm sure it is completely unrelated, but still). To memorialize one of the finest heel groups in ROH, from now on I will fittingly end this column with that very same phrase.
Joe Kills Pain
via 411 this week via PWinsider:
Samoa Joe is working through problems with his sciatica. He hurt his back during his match with Roderick Strong this weekend working for ROH, and went on to not only work his tag match the next night but fly to Mexico to work a tag there. Even though Joe was hurting, all three matches he was a part of were said to be tremendous efforts. Joe was in so much pain following the ROH show in CT, he had to be walked to his car.
The injuries and such keep building up for some of our favorite indie wrestlers, and don't think that doesn't worry me. It does.
Aries vs. Dragon 5 Austin Aries is owed a World Title shot for pinning ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson in a Four Corner Survival at "War Of The Wire II." Aries will get his shot when ROH returns to Detroit on 10/7. This is a classic rivalry in ROH and Detroit will mark 51 weeks from their last singles match. Can Aries become the first ever two time ROH World Champion? See Danielson vs. Aries on 10/7 in Detroit!!!
To be honest I'm still a bit puzzled while Dragon is wrestling in the SOTF tournament much less this title match…although I'm sure by 10/06 his shoulder will be much more improved and better recovered…it's still a concern and I would want to e extra cautious. Aries and Joe are no slouches in the ring. It's interesting that this almost exactly one year since their last match and almost one year since Dragon's first defense…which was against Austin Aries. Looking for a little bit of history repeating itself methinks.
SOTF Matches—Colt and Jimmy possibly out of tournament We have most of the first round to announce for "Survival Of The Fittest 2006" on 10/6 in Cleveland, OH. We were hoping to have the entire first round today, but a curveball has been thrown into the mix and we'll have details of that next week. These first round matches were selected in a random drawing. The winners of these matches will all go to the Six Man Elimination main event that will determine the winner of the one night tournament. Here are four first round matches:
-Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries
-Matt Sydal vs. Davey Richards
-Jimmy Rave vs. Delirious
-Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe
I'm going to save most of my match analysis and bracketology for next week, but these matches are interesting in that Daniels v. Aries is also slated for the 28th of October (as is Dragon v. Joe). Also, Sydal and Richards in the same match forces one of these two favored wrestlers to be ousted in the tournament's first round.
As for this curveball, it goes down like this: in the newest edition of the ROH Video Wire (available at rohvideos.com, Lacey propositions Colt (not that way) into teaming up with Jimmy Jacobs against The Kings of Wrestling for a shot at the ROH tag team titles. Cabana was initially against the idea and wanted Jacobs to apologize for kicking him in the balls. Jacobs didn't want to do that, but eventually gave in and Colt agreed. With both men now booked for the tag match, I pretty much takes them out of the Survival of the Fittest tournament (see below). Although this has not been officially announced yet, it makes the most logical sense to take them out of the tourney and add in two other names.
Joe v. Morishima, KENTA vs. ? ROH officials are currently in negotiations with NOAH about booking Takeshi Morishima. It looks like this won't be possible until 2007. The relationship between ROH and NOAH is very strong. NOAH surprised ROH officials and actually put a ROH poster in its 9/9/06 Budokan Hall Program. This partnership is going to lead to big things for the fans and wrestlers of both promotions. KENTA will make his final ROH appearances for several months on 11/3 in Boston and 11/4 in Philadelphia. We will announce KENTA's opponents soon.
Let's bring it on… Joe vs. the Japanese guys is something I want to see. I'm hoping for the long await Joe vs. Kenta match to be announced, maybe for Philly…we shall see.
Road of Homicide ROH Commissioner Jim Cornette will be on all four October shows. Check out Cornette on 10/6 in Cleveland, 10/7 in Detroit, 10/27 in Dayton and 10/28 in Chicago. Cornette told Homicide that he will get a World Title shot on 12/23 when ROH returns to the Manhattan Center. However, Homicide first has to make it to 12/23. There is no telling what Cornette has up his sleeve in October for Homicide.
ROH now stands for the Road Of Homicide. Right now Homicide is heading to a World Title shot when ROH returns to NYC on 12/23 at the Manhattan Ballroom. Jim Cornette has promised that it will be a hard road for Homicide, who still has to make it to 12/23 in one piece. Cornette has set up a big roadblock for Homicide on 10/27 in Dayton. It will be Homicide and a partner of his choice vs. Steve Corino & Adam Pearce with Jim Cornette.
Cornette is asking for a world of trouble as continues to meddle and interfere with Homicide's business. As for the tag match in Dayton, Delirious looks to be the logical choice for a partner in this tag match, although Joe could also feasibly become involved. This match is on the road to delivering Homicide v. Corino V so expect a big bump in the works between those two to put some emphasis on their issue heading into Philly.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match A grudge match has also been signed for 10/7 in Detroit. It will pit former ROH World Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong against one half of the new champs in Chris Hero. This is a first time ever singles match between these two anywhere in wrestling.
Have I been reduced to quoting from Fiddler on the Roof now for puns dealing with matches? Sigh. I'm such a hack. Strong v. Hero will extend the Kings vs. Aries and Strong run that has been built up. The Kings stole the belts, and then they REALLY stole the belts. I'm sure Strong will want some vengeance for that.
BJ Whitmer Healing Up We have an update on BJ Whitmer after his ankle surgery. Whitmer now has a walking air cast on and is back in the gym. He will have the cast permanently removed on 10/9 and then he will start rehab. We still aren't sure when Whitmer will be cleared to return to the ring. Whitmer will make special appearances on all the October events.
Does he have that wacky rock music from War of the Wire II playing when he works out? More on that later. Last we saw of Whitmer in the storylines, he was siding with Homicide in the fight against Pearce, Corino and Cornette and he still had issues with Jacobs as Jacobs was the one "responsible" for smashing the injured ankle. I'm sure he will want to address both issues when he returns.
Return Dates We would like to thank the fans of East Windsor and NYC for one of the best ROH weekends ever. Thank you to the fans who were in East Windsor. All the permit problems will be worked out and we will be back indoors for 12/22. We can't thank you enough for understanding the situation on Friday, which saw the show come within hours of being canceled. The fans in NYC made the Manhattan Center the place to be. Thank you for giving us a tremendous debut in that building.
Let's hope the problems with the CT venue are really worked out; I wouldn't want to be outside in the bitter winter cold or snow to watch ROH. Unless they served hot chocolate. Mmmm, hot chocolate.
Shoot with Bruno Bruno Sammartino taped an edition of the Straight Shootin' Series last weekend. This shoot was conducted by Jim Cornette. Look for this shoot interview next month.
Bruno was a great talker live in NY; I'm sure with Cornette as a interviewer / discussion guide, he will have some more interesting things to say.
…Now it's time for Hero's Sandwich
I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the world
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all
But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose
We are the champions my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions of the world
Survival of the Fittest 2006: Tournament Preview (Part 1 of 3)
OH YEAH…it's finally time, and it's finally here. October 6th, 2006 will be the time and Gray's Armory in Cleveland Ohio will be the place for Ring of Honor's third annual presentation of the Survival of the Fittest tournament. This is a huge event that provides an opportunity for some of ROH's best and some of ROH's newest stars to make a name for themselves. The tournament starts off with twelve participants fighting in six singles matches. The winners advance to the six man finals and wrestle under elimination rules—think of a cross between a Survivor Series match and a six pack challenge and you'll get the idea of what awaits these competitors. However, the reward is worth the sacrifice as the winner of the whole shebang gets a GUARANTEED ROH World title shot.
In 2004, Bryan Danielson staked his claim as the best wrestler in the world even before he become attached to that demonstrative nickname. He bested Austin Aries to take home the honor of victory. He cashed in on the title shot at Midnight Express Reunion against Samoa Joe in what was heralded as one of Joe's greatest title fights.
In 2005, Roderick Strong continued his launch into marquee status by winning the tournament, defeating his partner in the now defunct Generation Next Austin Aries in the last fall of the finals. Strong actually dominated last year's tourney and was responsible for most of the eliminations. Strong once again made it into the main event scene and took his shot at the gold at This Means War. He fought Bryan Danielson in a hellacious match up which concluded with Strong Ko'ing Danielson, only for Danielson to wake up and immediately lock on to Strong's arm with his boots. Strong had no choice but to tap to the vicious shoulder / armlock move.
This year, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong are all BACK once more in the tournament, determined to prove they are the fittest. Bryan Danielson is the current Ring of Honor champion, but his agenda is clear—make sure everyone else knows they don't stand a chance against him. If he can repeat as SOTF champion, he blocks everyone else from the guaranteed title shot. He also has unfinished business with Samoa Joe. Joe has made it into the finals of the last two tournaments, but has been the first man eliminated in every match. Joe is looking to prove that this is a statistical fluke, while also serving up some vengeance against the current ROH champ, who he fought to a draw this past August. Austin Aries is the proverbial bridesmaid; now that he is no longer a tag champion, his focus returns to singles competition and winning the one tournament he has always seemed destined to win but has never been able to follow through. Finally, Strong enters as the defending tournament champion, also recently deposed of the ROH tag team titles. He has fought and lost to Bryan Danielson four times now, and now the one assured way he can get another chance to win the belt is by taking the tournament once again.
These four tournament veterans are going to have to face plenty of stiff competition from old favorites and some newcomers who are ready to stake their own claims at being ROH's elite. Davey Richards, for instance, is a man of power and intensity; he is really feeling comfortable in ROH right now and is set to take on more of the company's best competition. The speedster Matt Sydal has been looking to win the tag titles all year, but a recent huge singles victory over Christopher Daniels has given him the confidence to strike further into a singles career. The madman Delirious enters the field for the first time and is also an instant threat given his unpredictability and wave of momentum from the fans and from his wins over the last few months. There also may yet be room for a surprise spoiler in the tournament of whom none of the other participants are even yet aware.
With all that said, it's time to see where this year's participants stand and what happened to last year's contenders. Let's break down the field:
"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson Odds: EVEN 2004: 2004 Tournament Winner Defeated Jack Evans in qualifier; defeated Austin Aries in finals to win tournament. Last Year: Dragon was coming off of his huge ROH title win and was not booked in the tournament. This Year: Fighting off a shoulder injury, Dragon retained the ROH title to mark one year as champion. He has been unstoppable in title match situations and enters the field as the tournament favorite.
Samoa Joe Odds: EVEN 2004: Defeated Matt Stryker in qualifier; lost in finals to Colt Cabana Last Year: Defeated Milano Collection AT in qualifier; lost in finals to Roderick Strong (so a few weeks ago actually wasn't the first time Joe was pinned by Strong in ROH). This Year: Joe tries to prove the axiom "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." He once again enters as a perennial favorite and has a tremendous W-L record in ROH during 2006. He faces an immediate roadblock in the champ.
"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels Odds: 6-1 Last Year: Defeated James Gibson in qualifier; lost in finals to Austin Aries This Year: Daniels continues to show himself as an all around great competitor but has not managed to get the biggest victories when they count for his current go round in ROH.
Austin Aries Odds: 4-1 2004: Advanced to finals in an impromptu tag match; lost in finals to Danielson Last Year: Defeated Jimmy Rave via DQ in qualifier; pinned Christopher Daniels in the finals; lost in finals to Roderick Strong. This Year: The health of Aries' ribs after the events of the 9/16 title match are questionable and his knees are still suspect. Even with the injuries, Aries remains a good choice due to his tournament experience. He had a hell of a run with the tag titles and has become tougher, meaner and more effective in the ring than ever before. This could be his year…but then again, people said the same about the last two years.
Delirious Odds: 8-1 Last Year: Did Not Appear This Year The crazy and somewhat confused competitor secured himself a spot on the roster, a spot in hearts and minds of ROH fans everywhere and now a chance to take the SOTF tournament.
Jimmy Rave Odds: 7-1 Last Year: Lost in qualifier to Austin Aries. This Year: The Embassy seems to be done for and Rave is in the unenviable position of having to prove himself all over again. Rave also has proven he can cost himself his big chance on this show by drawing a DQ. Rave has improved in the ring and on the mic, but it's going to take a lot to get by the rest of the field.
Davey Richards Odds: 5-1 Last Year: Did Not Appear This Year: Richards hits hard, tight and fast and has made an impact with some wins against credible competition. He just snapped a considerable losing streak and is ready to make his mark by launching into the main event scene. Richards has also been golden in tournaments this year, taking the ECWA Super 8 tournament and the PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2006 tournament. He could make it a clean sweep of major tourneys by winning this one.
Matt Sydal Odds: 8-1 Last Year: Did Not Appear This Year: Sydal made major strides by impressing fans and the rest of the roster with his incredible high flying ability. Flight will be the key to his performance in the field.
Roderick Strong Odds: 2-1 2004: Involved in a winning tag match with Austin Aries but did not advance in field due to stipulation where the person taking the pinfall only advanced. Last Year: 2005 Tournament Winner. Defeated Jerelle Clark in qualifier; Defeated Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, Colt Cabana and Austin Aries in finals to win the tournament. This Year: Roderick Strong has also been on a huge roll this year. After his win, he was featured in several main event level matches and almost won the big one on a few occasions. His tag title run with Austin Aries has been heavily celebrated. Strong's wrestling skills are undeniable and could take him all the way back to the finals of this one.
Also in the Tournament
1 ROH Student
2 more names to be announced (presuming Cabana and Jacobs are out of the tourney)
Where Are They Now?
James Gibson Last Year: Lost to Christopher Daniels in qualifier This Year: The former ROH World champion landed back in WWE, where he was kept off television for some time. He was paired up in a tag team with Kid Kash and has wrestled on the lower card for much of the year. Recently has become involved in a feud with the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions Brian Kendrick (Spanky) and Paul London.
Milano Collection AT Last Year: Lost to Samoa Joe in qualifier This Year: MCAT left ROH in December and has wrestled in other American independents. He recently left to go back to his native Japan.
Jay Lethal Last Year: Defeated Sal Rinauro in qualifier; lost to Roderick Strong in finals. This Year: Jay has dropped out of regular and active Ring of Honor competition. While he makes occasional appearances, Lethal has found a new home in TNA and is making the best of being featured in the X-Division. And he often wears bright orange tights. Just saying.
Sal Rinauro Last Year: A babyface Sal was just trying to find his place in ROH. He was defeated by Jay Lethal in a qualifier. This Year: Sal has found a spot as a lackey for Jimmy Rave, but has not managed to procure a spot in this year's SOTF.
Jerelle Clark Last Year: Lost to Strong in qualifier. This Year: Clark makes occasional appearances for ROH and is still very active in the world of independent wrestling.
Ricky Reyes Last Year: Lost to Colt Cabana in qualifier. This Year: Reyes has fought constantly in ROH and had found some stability in The Rotweillers.
Colt Cabana 2004: Defeated Trent Acid in qualifier; pinned Samoa Joe in finals; eliminated in the finals. Last Year: Defeated Ricky in qualifier; lost to Roderick Strong in the finals. This Year: Cabana was slated to make his third run at the SOTF but seems to be out of the field in favor of a tag title shot against the Kings of Wrestling.
There is your current field and former participants of the Survival of the Fittest. There are many favorites to consider and the tournament brackets have not even been complete as yet. Next week I'll continue with parts two and three of my tournament and show preview, including the return of my trademarked, patent pending Survival Score System!
Don't Sleep On…
Much of the time, word of mouth spreads about a mega match in ROH along the lines of American Dragon v. KENTA (and of course, rightfully so) that some of the really good quality matches that would otherwise get some attention drop off the radar. So every month, I'll comment on a few of the matches that I feel deserve some more lovin' than they are currently getting. For instance:
-Mark Briscoe vs. Homicide, Generation Now:
This is a fast paced match…Homcide is out there rocking and rolling with The Briscoes very quickly and the match is pretty much a sprint all the way through. It gets a bit sloppy for a minute or so, but they pull it together and come up with some awesome sequences against each other, including Homicides running cannonball to the outside which looks like is almost slices Mark in half. It has to be seen to be believed. A fun match that you should be sure to check out when watching the Generation Now DVD
Honorarium
-I watched the War of the Wire II DVD this week and the show is a disappointment, actually one of the weaker shows of the year (although to be fair, it was following up a euphoric live experience in GHB V). The matches are fine but nothing must see. The Briscoes vs. Strong and Evans rematch pales in comparison to their first match in New York back in March. The Four Corner is different and entertaining as far as it's in match story but no where on the level of other 4CS this year. Daniels vs. Sydal is cool (and probably the best or top 2 out of their series) but I don't think Sydal did enough to believably pin Daniels at the end of the match.
The camera work and video quality on the DVD is a bit off. To top things off, there is this BJ Whitmer video silliness.
The show follows him around throughout the night in an effort to show him mentally preparing for the barbed wire match against Necro Butcher. Now me, I've been an avid supporter of BJ, err, of Whitmer ever since Arena Warfare when he took that hellacious beat down. However I could not stop myself from uncontrollably laughing out loud at the build up to this match, which I'm sure is not the desired effect ROH wanted. There is this garish, horrible rock music blaring in the background at Whitmer preps, including first stepping into the building where the ring crew is setting up the show. EVERYONE STOPS WHAT THEY'RE DOING and looks at BJ…as if to say…"this poor shlub." But it gets better, as Whitmer directs two of the ring crew to bring the barbed wire into the ring. Then Whitmer genuflects to the barbed wire.
That was laughter inducing enough. Even worse (or better) is when they show Whitmer pacing back and forth outside in the parking lot. Meanwhile, where is Necro? Where is the build up for him? Yes, yes, I know the whole show was geared towards getting BJ over, but without showing Necro once before the match, it leaves the set up feeling a bit empty and shallow and too one sided. We know the result even before we watch the match.
And as for the match itself—it has what you want for a Barbed Wire match—lotsb of pain, suffering, bleeding and more pain. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll like it, and if you don't, well, there's always the pleasure of seeing Necro walk into some thumbtacks again.
-Also on the WOTW II DVD, the ROHbot Arm makes its long await (by the fans), much hyped (by the fans) debut…and it's…an on screen graphic. It's a nice on screen graphic, but it's …just an on screen graphic. It replaces the cool fireball effect that came on screen to introduce the wrestlers. I'm fine with it other than the fact that it is almost TOO much like the mechanical / industrial graphics of Raw broadcasts. I thought ROH was trying to get away from that.
-Generation Now is a worthy pick up and if you do watch it you'll find several great promos by Samoa Joe as he builds up his fight against American Dragon on the Fight of the Century show. The biggest compliment I can give is that these promos are everything I wanted to see and everything I wanted to hear Joe say on his way to facing Dragon. The man has a way with words and a way to pump you up for his matches. I know the outcome of that match but I'm still pumped to watch it again.
Going Home
**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)
**UWF-TNA Monster's Ball July 10th, 2006 (Rhino / Joe / Abyss, AMW / Daniels & Styles, Homicide / Lynn, Lethal / Jarrett)
**Colt Cabana's European Vacation II - World of Cabana
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 4 (Rain / Sara Del Rey, MsChiff / Cheerleader Melissa Falls Count Anywhere, Daizee Haze / Rebecca Knox).
**ROH The 100th Show (Team ROH vs.Team CZW, Danielson / Delirious, Aries & Strong / Homicide & Reyes, Daniels / Castagnoli)
**ROH Ring of Homicide (Homicide / Necro Butcher, Aries & Strong / Briscoes, Daniels / Sydal, Danielson / Delirious, McGuinness / Lethal)
**ROH In Your Face (KENTA / Joe / Danielson, Homicide / Hero, Whitmer / Jacobs, Richards / Rave)
**ROH Throwdown (KENTA / Strong, Danielson / Whitmer / Jacobs, Pearce / Necro Butcher, Rave / Joe / Delirious / Richards)
**ROH Chi-Town Struggle (Danielson / Cabana, KENTA / Aries, ROH vs. CZW, Briscoes / Rave and Kennedy III)
**IWC Summer Sizzler 3 (Shirley Doe / Dennis Gregory IWC World Heavyweight Championship, Delirious / Troy Lords IWC Super Indy Championship, Kings of Wrestling / Rickey Reyes and John McChesney, McChesney / Shima Xion, Burning River Brigade / Cleveland Mafia / Gambino Brothers Moving Company IWC Tag Team Championship)
**FIP Impact of Honor (Aries & Strong / Fast & Furious ROH Tag Team Title Match, Bryan Danielson / Colt Cabana ROH World Title Match / Davey Richards / Shingo Takagi, Steve Madison / Erick Stevens)
**UWF-TNA House Show July 22nd, 2006 (Monster's Ball Rematch: Samoa Joe / Rhino / Abyss, Jay Lethal / Alex Shelley / Daniels and Styles / James Gang) (NEW ADDITION)
Larry C. wanted me to add the last show to the list—he's got a review of it in the hopper for sometime in October and from the looks of it, it is a fun show. UWF does a solid job of presenting these TNA house shows…almost makes you cry thinking how bad it can get sometimes on television. Oh and it's going to get much worse I'd expect, given all the news about who's coming back. Oh well, at least more Joe in Monster's Ball= more goodness.
ROH @ 411
Our lone ROH show review for the week is Throwdown featuring Strong v. KENTA.
As mentioned before, Marsico was also at the 9/16 show in New York and has plenty to write about his experience as well as giving you the latest in ROH and other wrestling company news to start your weekend.
Cook mixes in some ROH news as well as a shout out for my column, so I return the favor here with love. Just watch out for that pic of Bea Arthur…I almost went blind.
Another monster week of this column has been put to bed. Hopefully you all enjoyed it…now I hope to catch a few z's before heading out to Jersey for more Rosh Hashana celebration. If you're tipping your wine glass tonight, have a good time and enjoy the food. For the rest of you, you're missing out on mom's good Jewish holiday cooking…maybe you'll come over for Passover dinner instead.
Next week, parts two and three of the BIG BIG BIG Survival of the Fittest preview, Delirious runs around this column screaming wildly and then answers some of your mail, and I'm sure Chris Hero will have some more gloating as far as his title win. Thanks for reading. As always… Brooklyn and…DAH EM BAH SEE!
--Ari--
