411’s Buy or Sell 5.11.07: ROH on PPV, Mutoh Winning the Triple Crown, Gimmick Matches and More!
Posted by Larry Csonka on 05.11.2007
Week SIX has the 411 DVD review team discuss ROH and PURO with JD Dunn and Mike Campbell!
Welcome one and all to WEEK SIX of BUY or SELL. For those that missed the debut column, here is the explanation. BUY or SELL is very similar in nature to Fact or Fiction, as a matter of fact you could consider it Fact or Fiction's little brother. The main difference is that BUY or SELL will focus on the US Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and basically anything that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get some more attention and for you, the reader, to learn even more about the sport of wrestling.
Week Six's Match-Up:
Wrestling TV and DVD Review HOSS JD DUNN vs. PURO review master, and JD's former Rolling German's counterpart MIKE CAMPBELL!
Takeshi Morishima as a part time ROH champion is a good career move.
MIKE CAMPBELL: BUY. I'm actually not sure who benefits more from this, ROH or Morishima himself. The big problem with Morishima in NOAH has always been that he's been booked so inconsistently. The man is a natural shitkicker, a la Samoa Joe in ROH, but it's rare that he's booked in such a manner, it's much more common that major NOAH matches involving Morishima show him as the low man on the totem pole (7/16 w/ Rikio vs. KENTA/Marufuji, and 12/23 vs./ KENTA). And going to the U.S. every so often for ROH will protect him from being placed in those situations. And it's obvious that ROH sees the same qualities in Morishima that I (and many other fans) do, judging from how he's been booked thus far in his ROH tenure
JD DUNN: BUY. Most of the big stars that made names for themselves in Japan also had a period of time early in their careers where they learned how to get over in America. The more over Morishima gets, the more it helps Japan and ROH as it generates interest in both places. The only downside for Morishima's title reign would be if he were to fall flat on his face, but even some of the best stars like Magnum Tokyo, Kensuke Sasake, and Yuji Nagata had "problems" early in their U.S. careers. Thankfully, ROH has proven itself to be no WCW.
1 for 1.
Dragon Gate benefits from working with so many other companies.
MIKE CAMPBELL : BUY. While it's certainly true that there is such a thing as bad exposure, at this juncture in the many relationships Dragon Gate has, it's not come to that point yet. The tag title feud with Gedo and Jado is one of the most over angles in the company. Their relationship with ROH allowed DG fans to see a whole new mix of wrestlers, as well as a few mainstays like Jack Evans and Matt Sydal. Their top title is held by a legend in Jyushin Thunder Lyger. One of their top prospects, BxB Hulk has worked in NJPW and teamed with Lyger. All of their NOAH matches have been well received as well. Not too shabby for an Indy fed.
JD DUNN : BUY. Considering it started as a promotion in basically the same way TNA did -- with few legitimate stars and a lot of hungry talent, they didn't really have much choice than to associate with bigger promotions. It's not like the U.S. where you have "Vince" and "everyone else." In Japan, there are numerous legitimate stable (for the most part) promotions that satisfy different appetites. Trying to work establish your own identity, even in the wake of Toryumon is difficult without outside help. Plus, given their work in the States, they've developed a wide following that puts them up there with some of the big boys.
2 for 2.
Keiji Mutoh will be the man to take the Triple Crown from Minoru Suzuki.
MIKE CAMPBELL : SELL. Mutoh himself has said this year that he wants to concentrate on expanding All Japan, and working overseas. He's not held the titles in over three years, and there isn't much reason for him to suddenly start now. Not to mention that it's Kensuke Sasaki who's got the long running feud with Minoru Suzuki. If nothing else, Mutoh has shown that unlike Misawa, he knows that he's not the right man to be on top at this juncture and is giving the spotlight to others.
JD DUNN : SELL. Unless he's planning to be some kind of transitional champ to the next big star, there really is no need for him to hold the titles again. Like Mike said, there are other, more logical options. Mutoh had a great run in wrestling, but at this point, he's like Ric Flair – more of a figurehead than anything.
3 for 3.
SWITCH~!
ROH going to PPV is great for the wrestling business as a whole.
JD DUNN : BUY. More competition is always a good thing, but my one reservation would be that TNA decides to get predatory and tries to devour ROH. If that sort of "forest for the trees" mentality takes over in TNA, I don't think they'd have a real shot at becoming a stable promotion, which is where their real focus should lie. The success of ROH has been a good thing for the WWE and TNA as well, of the three WWE stars who are on fire right now (CM Punk, MVP, and Mr. Kennedy) two of them came from either ROH or FIP. Their longtime tag champs also cut their teeth in ROH. The most "over" guy in TNA since his debut has been Samoa Joe, and most of the X-Division is made up of former ROH-ers. Meanwhile, many of the developmental projects that came up through the WWE farm system have struggled. So, while it may sound a little condescending to call ROH the best farm club out there today, it certainly has a degree of accuracy.
MIKE CAMPBELL : BUY. If there are two things any self-respecting wrestling fan understands it's that #1. Competition makes for a better product overall, and that on no matter what scale, good wrestling is better than bad wrestling. Now obviously WWE won't see ROH as any real competitive threat. That is of course unless the ROH PPVs wind up being a success, which I think is slightly possible, if only because the PPVs are made up of partial shows. And cheap fans like myself won't want to shell out $15 for a PPV, when we can wait a few weeks and get the full show on DVD. Nonetheless, if the choice is WWE $40 shows that make you want to gauge your eyes out or $15 for much better wrestling, it's not a hard decision.
And just to touch on what JD was saying about TNA's predatory moves. That's actually pretty silly on their part. Look at who the two victims were. Aries and Homicide. Considering what they've already done to Aries, do they really think he'll stay with them? And I'm sure that if/when Austin Aries returns, it'll be huge reaction, and may even help ROH gain some PPV buys. And Homicide has always been synonymous with ROH. But TNA seems to only think Konnan is the star of LAX. So if it's between the company who doesn't think much of him, and the company who helped make him such a big name, who do you think he'll pick?
4 for 4.
ROH should incorporate more gimmick matches (IE: Cage, Ladder, 2 of 3 Falls) in an effort to gain more "mainstream" fans
JD DUNN : SELL. One of the nice things about ROH is that they don't overuse certain "blow off gimmicks" such as the cage match. If you look at the WWE right now, cage matches are practically meaningless when compared to the mid-1980s. By only using those matches in special situations (i.e., Jacobs vs. Whitmer, Punk vs. Raven, Joe vs. Danielson) you make the match the draw, rather than making the gimmick the draw. What I think you will see are matches sold as "Grudge Matches" or "Fights Without Honor" or "[Insert City Name] Death Matches." Those are all just fancy marketing names for "no rules." Looking at the insane buy rate for De La Hoya vs. Mayweather (nearly triple that of the domestic WrestleMania buys), it's obvious that it's not gimmicks or labels that draw in the fans but how important you tell them the match is.
MIKE CAMPBELL : SELL. JD totally nailed it. ROH understands the importance of a slow burn and proper build. For as long as I've been following ROH, I can't think of a single time I've seen the final blow off to a feud, or a big gimmick match and think to myself, "This really needed to built up better." I watched Armageddon 2006 with my buddies and when the ladder match was announced, we all had the same reaction. "This is cool, but why is it happening?" I can't ever say that I've had the same reaction to any big gimmick match or blow off to a feud in ROH.
5 for 5.
ROH's first PPV will meet internal estimates of 5,000 buys.
JD DUNN : BUY. With a fan base as loyal as ROH's, and with a general discontent setting in with TNA, you will probably see ROH begin to chip away at some of those buys. After all, it's a relatively low-risk buy at $10-15. Plus, with OnDemand technology, it will be available all month long, so the "wait-and-seers" can…well, wait and see how good it is before purchasing. If ROH can generate enough internet buzz about this being a must-see show -- and given their track record, why not – then they should be able to hit that mark, if not surpass it.
MIKE CAMPBELL : BUY. I'm not totally familiar with ROH's internal numbers. But with their current popularity, word of mouth, and the folks who will check it out because it's new and it's cheap. They shouldn't have much problem hitting that number.
6 for 6!
The SIXTH edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 6 for 6. Stay tuned for next week when two new men will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.
