411 ROH Roundtable Preview: Detroit & Chicago Ridge - Tag Wars 2008 - 4/18 & 4/19
Posted by Samuel Berman on 04.18.2008
The 411 team comes together for a preview of a big weekend for ROH, featuring Japanese sensation Kota Ibushi, the rematch between Nigel McGuinness and Kevin Steen, and the Motor City Machine Guns!
Hello and welcome to this week's 411 Ring of Honor Roundtable Preview. This weekend features a pair of huge shows for ROH, including the 2008 edition of Tag Wars, as well as the second half of Kota Ibushi's tour with the company. Nigel McGuinness will once again put his ROH World Title on the line against "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen after the controversial finish to their match last weekend in Edison. McGuinness will also be forced to face off with the ROH World Tag Team Champions in Jay & Mark Briscoe, though his partner in that match has yet to be announced. Oh, and the Motor City Machine Guns will be there, too, guaranteeing that Detroit & Chicago Ridge will be the places to be this weekend. Before we get to the preview, let's take a look at this week's contributing staffers:
Now that you've gotten a look at this week's staff, here are our predictions for this weekend's shows. Cards are current as of Wednesday, 4/16.
TAG WARS 2008
SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2008 – DETROIT, MI
Joey Matthews vs. Jigsaw
Jarrod Westerfeld: Matthews is apparently on his way out to head on back up to Connecticut, but Jigsaw is still considered the loser of the Vulture Squad. Who should win? I guess the guy staying in the company, but will the fans actually care? It's Matthews! They didn't give a shit at 6th Year Anniversary because he works that "slow, boring WWE style."
Winner: The Puzzler - Jigsaw
Michael Bauer: Joey Matthews has done just about nothing since coming to RoH and Jigsaw is still in need of momentum after losing his mask. This is our preview match for Saturday's 6 man tag so whoever goes over here most likely doesn't tomorrow. With Jacobs and Black dealing with the Machine Guns, the odds are they win on Saturday. I'll take Jigsaw now then.
Winner: Jigsaw
Ari Berenstein: Matthews uses a very deliberate style in the ring (a.k.a. the WWE style of heel work) but it is a welcome change of pace in my book. I like his matches that I've seen so far. Jigsaw will likely respond very well in this kind of match as he can time his comebacks and play fiery babyface, which are two of his strengths.
Winner: Joey Matthews
Jerome Cusson: Jigsaw never wins singles matches. Joey Matthews might be the most competent heel wrestler in the company because he doesn't rely on being overly violent or always relying on flippity-flop moves. Jigsaw has absolutely no direction in this company and losing the mask served zero purpose. I'm hoping Matthews can win here and gain a more full-time spot in this company.
Winner: Joey Matthews
Samuel Berman: Matthews is still above Jigsaw on the totem pole, and ROH would do well to push him.
Winner: Joey Matthews
411 Staff Picks: Joey Matthews (3-2)
Falls Count Anywhere: Necro Butcher vs. Delirious
Jarrod Westerfeld: CEE! ZEE! DUB!~ CEE! ZEE! DUB!~ Oh, wait…aren't there supposed to be rules in ROH? You know, so that guys can wrestle instead of devalue gimmick matches on a weekly basis?
Winner: PANIC! It's NECRO~
Michael Bauer: Has Necro fought a non street fight match lately? I can't remember. Still, if anyone can match insanity with Necro, it's the Green masked nutcase. Necro needs to get a win soon and with Sweet N' Sour lurking, this could be a good time.
Winner: Necro Butcher
Ari Berenstein: Ever notice that just about every Necro Butcher match has some sort of No DQ / brawl / street fight stipulation attached to it? Funny how that is. Still should be a good match, albeit a rematch of a good match at that.
Winner: Necro Butcher
Jerome Cusson: Time for Delirious to continue feuding with an entire faction. It was the Hangman and now I guess it's going to turn into his feuding with the Age of the Fall. Personally, I'm not a fan of either guy. I despise Necro even being on the roster and Delirious is like a lost puppy aimlessly wandering around searching for direction. Gotta go with Necro here though
Winner: Necro Butcher
Samuel Berman: Delirious is probably the better long-term bet, but ROH seems high on Necro.
Winner: Necro Butcher
411 Staff Picks: Necro Butcher (5-0)
Jack Evans & Ruckus vs. Brent Albright & Chris Hero
Jarrod Westerfeld: So I take it Evans and Ruckus scored the win over the Briscoes last week, though I'm hearing some bad things about the performance from the a-typical nut-job asylum that is the ROH message boards, so with some momentum they challenge the monster gun for hire and everyone's favorite jobber (thanks to Gabe hating that Dempsey is still over). Well, I can see that Evans and Ruckus win out just because…well, Hero is the equivalent to Junkyard Dog in the WWF. Everyone loves him, but the company still doesn't really utilize him the way fans would like.
Winner: Flying High and BALLIN'! [Evans and Ruckus]
Michael Bauer: Hero has been a ton more serious lately and I think it is about fucking time he acts like the heel he should be. Evans and Ruckus could use this win, but with no Dempsey to screw up and a focused team, I can't see it going any other way.
Winners: Sweet N' Sour Inc.
Ari Berenstein: Hero's got a new 'tude and Albright, while having some growing pains in adjusting to life with Sweeney (THAT should be a sitcom or something) is still one of the better big men in the company right now. He's too tough a bruiser for Evans and Ruckus to be much of a match at all.
Winner: Albright & Hero
Jerome Cusson: The Vulture Squad needs to pick up some victories before they become The Job Squad. Hell, you might as well call them that now cause I see them losing twice this again. I guess we get a look at the new serious Chris Hero here. All of the fun is now sucked out of this contest. I hope the Squad at least to some very good selling before jobbing to Sweet ‘n' Sour.
Winners: Albright and Hero
Samuel Berman: If Hero's actually ‘getting serious' then he NEEDS to start winning matches against smaller, lower profile competition. The Vulture Squad fits that description.
Winners: Chris Hero & Brent Albright
411 Staff Picks: Chris Hero & Brent Albright (4-1)
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kota Ibushi & Austin Aries
Jarrod Westerfeld: I don't care what anyone says, this should be a magnificent piece of art! I'm going to anticipate the hell out of this match just because it's a chance to really learn about Ibushi and see Aries in action against the Briscoes. The newly crowned tag champions have a lot of momentum behind them, once again, so I expect them to run through the mis-mashed tandem that is Kota STARR – get it? Kota, like "caught-a"? Oh whatever…my talents are wasted on you people.
Winner: The Dog Faced Southerners [The Briscoe Brothers]
Michael Bauer: Ibushi wants a win and I want him to get one, but it won't happen against the new Tag Team Champions.
Winners: The Briscoes
Ari Berenstein: I have to wonder how ROH is going to combine the Aries leaving with Lacey storyline into this sort of "dream tag" scenario. Now that The Briscoes are the NEW ROH World Tag Team champions, I don't see them losing this match. Maybe Aries walks out or some such and Ibushi pays the price.
Winner: The Briscoes
Jerome Cusson: This is such an oddly booked match. I'd like to personally thank Ring of Honor for not announcing whether Austin Aries is even wrestling this weekend as of Wednesday night. Another brilliant decision was giving The Briscoes the tag belts and then not having them be defended at an event called "Tag Wars 2008." With Ibushi and Aries being so random, I can't see anyway for The Briscoes to lose here, especially considering what they have to go through the next night. Should be an entertaining match as long as Aries? And Ibushi work well as a team.
Winner: The Briscoes
Samuel Berman: The only way the Briscoes lose here is if the Age of the Fall gets involved. I don't think ROH will stain one of Ibushi's matches with that, so it's a win for the champs. Interestingly, the Briscoes losing would have great symmetry to last year when they lost their first defense to a team from Dragon Gate. I know this isn't a title defense, but bear with me.
Winners: Jay & Mark Briscoe
411 Staff Picks: Jay & Mark Briscoe (5-0)
Nigel McGuinness & ????? vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Jarrod Westerfeld: Why do I get a feeling we'll be seeing something whacky here? Like Nigel works out a deal with the NRC to get Rocky Romero or Davey Richards to participate? You know what, I'm going Strong. Roderick Strong will team up here with Nigel, to help beat on Steen and Generico to help elevate the NRC back into the tag title scene, as I'm sure Steen and Generico are building up enough momentum to look like credible threats. But in the end, I see a big tease to tomorrow night – Steen pins Nigel. I'm calling it now, though that won't happen – ever.
Winner: ¡OLE! ¡El Steenerico!
Michael Bauer: Well it has been announced that Nigel's partner is Claudio Castagnoli, so there is no surprise here. I like the idea of Claudio earning his shot for Hammerstein and I can imagine that place going nuts if he wins. But for this match, I can't see anything else but Steen pinning Nigel now, leading to tommorrow's shot.
Winner: Steen-erico
Ari Berenstein: Claudio has been named as a tag team partner for Nigel as a way to try to prove to Nigel he deserves a ROH World Title shot. Castagnoli has a very nice rivalry with Generico developing and their recent 20 minute draw was very entertaining wrestling programming. Steen will be all fired up and looking to prove he can defeat Nigel, and I think he will in fact do so on this show. Steen gets the pin on Nigel with a package piledriver, and Nigel places the blame on the loss to Claudio.
Winner: Kevin Steen & El Generico
Jerome Cusson: Claudio Castagnoli in this match makes this the most intriguing and best match of the weekend. The two MCMG matches have become pretty predictable based on a couple things I'll get into later. Getting the three guys who are pretty much the top contenders and the actual world champion is a great idea. I expect some miscommunication to lead to Steen pinning Castagnoli so he can have a legitimate gripe for getting the first world title shot at Castagnoli after he wins it at Hammerstein on 5/10. (Little foreshadowing for ya)
Winners: Steenerico
Samuel Berman: The partner's going to be Claudio, if only because he's the only logical person who isn't already booked on the show. Steen & Generico get the win, pinning Nigel in the process to add fuel to the fire. I'm actually going to go out on a limb and predict that Generico pins Nigel instead of Steen.
Winners: Kevin Steen & El Generico
411 Staff Consensus Mystery Partner: Claudio Castagnoli
411 Staff Picks: Kevin Steen & El Generico (5-0)
Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin
Jarrod Westerfeld: This video, alone, brings me reason to pick. What better way for Age of the Fall to showcase that they are that much bigger and better than the Briscoes than for them to beat the team that the Briscoes would, assuringly defeat the very next night, the TNA super-darling tandem, Murder City Machine Guns? What better way to further the story that Age of the Fall are the most deserving tag team over the Briscoes than to have Jimmy exact some sort of cruel sense of revenge against Shelley and the fates all in one night? I'd love to see Jimmy just End the Times of Shelley and Sabin in the blink of an eye, while the Briscoes fall just one step back off that pedestal and that much closer to being the human beings that Jacobs and Black know them to be. The age of the Briscoes has fallen. Time for new blood to rise above.
Winner: PANIC! at the NECRO~
Michael Bauer: This better be on the DVD. Sabin and Shelley need to win going into the rematch of the year against The Briscoes. Both teams win on this night, making it slightly less predictable.
Winners: MCMG
Ari Berenstein: FINALLY...The Motor City Machine Guns...ARE BACK...in Ring of Honor! Ah, it's been a while since I've referenced The Rock, but hey, I'm pumped and ready for Motor City to come on down. They are still underutilized in TNA given their talent and ability to suck in the crowd and really deliver those big matches. Jacobs has built up this match as his personal need to prove that he can beat Shelley and show him who has gone the better route in their careers over the last few years. I think Age of the Fall does prove to be the better team here in a match worthy of being in the main event of the show.
Winner: Age of the Fall
Jerome Cusson: I think MCMG should win this match and then lose what should be a world tag title to the Briscoes the next night. This is what's known as booking yourself into a corner. All of the drama has been sucked out by the latest blogs and non-title nature of the next night. Jacobs and Black get the win here to set up their once and for all blow-off "Thank God it's all over" feud ender for the straps in Manhattan.
Winners: Black and Jacobs
Samuel Berman: Should be absolutely fabulous. Jacobs & Black have more to gain with a win, and I think the MCMG are getting their due elsewhere. Jacobs over Shelley for the sake of symbolism is my pick for the actual fall.
Winners: Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black
411 Staff Picks: Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black (4-1)
SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2008 - CHICAGO RIDGE, IL
Claudio Castagnoli & Pelle Primeau vs. Brent Albright & Adam Pearce
Jarrod Westerfeld: Why is Pelle still featured in some of these bigger bouts? You know what, it could be worse – it could have been Shane Hagadorn involved in this tag bout, as well. I expect Brent to kill Pelle, as usual, and Pearce to try his best against Claudio, but the real match is Claudio and Brent, here. Power vs. Power! I foresee Pelle costing his team a win, but only because I have no faith in the poor little soccer player.
Winner: TOGA~ Albright & Adam Bitchtits (inside gag)
Michael Bauer: So Claudio goes from that to this crap. I can't see Albright and Pearce losing to any team that has Pelle on it, so there.
Winners: The Hangmen Leftovers
Ari Berenstein: Well, from Nigel to Pelle, that's certainly a drop off in tag team partners. No offense to Pelle of course, because he's been bringing it in his matches of late, but well, I'd rather have the ROH World champion by my side, even if he's acting like a wanker. Albright & Pearce should continue to roll here under the auspices of the All New, All Different, S-Men... I mean Sweet & Sour Inc.
Winner: Albright & Pearce
Jerome Cusson: Why is Pelle even in this match? So Claudio doesn't have to lose. Pearce is okay as a manager, but putting him in a group with Hero, Sweeney, and Albright strikes me as the equivalent of putting Vincent or Scott Norton in the nWo.
Winners: Albright and Pearce
Samuel Berman: Claudio's a main eventer. End of story.
Winners: Claudio Castagnoli & Pelle Primeau
411 Staff Picks: Brent Albright & Adam Pearce (4-1)
Delirious vs. Chris Hero
Jarrod Westerfeld: Normally I say Delirious can afford to lose, but how many more losses can you possibly hand to Hero before the fans finally say, "fuck it?" Just for the hell of it, I'm pulling for Hero here. Because a Hero can save us…and I think the rest of the song is something along the lines of just pure flaming.
Winner: Chris is AWE-THUME! Hero
Michael Bauer: Delirious seems like he has never ended his feud with Albright and Pearce, but now it involves Hero being at the head. Hero just seems too unstoppable, even for the insane man in the green mask.
Winner: Chris Hero
Ari Berenstein: You never know with Hero in ROH...he could conceivably lose a match like this, a sort of "sleeper" match in terms of his career. It's been known to happen to him before in ROH. In fact, I've convinced myself and I'm calling for the upset. Delirious to win, probably to be beaten up immediately after by S&S Inc.
Winner: Delirious
Jerome Cusson: Our lost puppy continues his losing streak against the new and improved Chris Hero. This match screams and cries out for a ton of comedy, so hopefully it can find a way to deliver. Otherwise, it comes off as just another mid-card filler type match.
Winner: Chris Hero
Samuel Berman: I'm actually really looking forward to this. If Hero plays the straight man, this one could be really fantastic. Hero gets another key win.
Winner: Chris Hero
411 Staff Picks: Chris Hero (4-1)
Four Corner Survival: Daizee Haze vs. Lacey vs. MsChif vs. Ashley Lane
Jarrod Westerfeld: So is the Daize Haze experiment done? Because I'd love to see MsChif or Lacey pull out something to challenge Del Ray and possibly tease taking that Shimmer title off of her, though I'm sure Sara will be quite displeased with the idea of me rooting against her. I'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of the year before she forgives me…
Winner: Lacey
Michael Bauer: Lacey has been a lot of attention lately when it regards Aries, so something tells me she finally wins a match.
Winner: Lacey
Ari Berenstein: I'm always for more MsChif in ROH and I wish she would actually become more of a full time worker here, as for sure ROH could use some freshening up in the women's division and that's exactly what she can do. Haze and Lacey have seniority here, but I don't see a stand out as far as a winner in this one. In such cases, I might as well pick a babyface.
Winner: Daizee Haze
Jerome Cusson: I want me some more MsChif. She's a better wrestler by leaps and bounds over Haze and I think she can get more over with the crowd. Ashley Lane is just plain hot and I'm hoping she can wrestle too. Lacey is a good worker while Haze seems to struggle in her ROH outings. Their feud is something else that needs to be put to bed in Hammerstein. As for this match, I say Lacey with the win and a beatdown of Daizee leading to a Delirious save and announcement of the first female "Fight Without Honor."
Winner: Lacey
Samuel Berman: The only vaguely compelling one in this match is Lacey.
Winner: Lacey
411 Staff Picks: Lacey (4-1-0-0)
Jack Evans, Ruckus & Jigsaw vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black & Joey Matthews
Jarrod Westerfeld: So Vulture Squad will battle Age of the Fall? Can I expect this to be the final piece of the puzzle before Evans and Ruckus turn on Jigsaw, leaving him as a victim of the BLK OUT? I have to expect that Kingston and, maybe even Joker, play a role here. What would be cool is if Jacobs tries to persuade Kingston to join him, thinking it a travesty that a talent like Eddie had to wait so long to get in the door here at ROH, only for Eddie to deck him and claim friendship and blood is thicker than water.
Winner: No Contest? (Yeah, I'll go with that)
Michael Bauer: Vulture Squad in full force for the first time in a while taking on the main two generals of the Age of the Fall, plus Matthews. I have the Age of the Fall losing on Friday, so they get wins back here, but man will it be a tight match.
Winners: The Age of the Fall
Ari Berenstein: The Vulture Squad has a short two week run in March where they looked like kings and definitely had their mojo up and running, but since then they've been stuck in traction. Another loss here is definitely possible, but Age of the Fall hardly has an impeccable win-loss record. I mean, they lost all of their matches at Proving Ground, lost their ROH tag straps in late January and have been up and down like a yo-yo ever since. They are coming out after what I believe will be a huge win against the Machine Guns, so I'll say they will also win this one to help to build back up to another tag title shot in the near future.
Winner: Age of the Fall
Jerome Cusson: Two factions that are not over going at it. The Vulture Squad lives up to its' name and suffers another loss to the Age of the Fall. I hope this somehow leads to some dissension with Evans, Ruckus and Jigsaw so they can be broken up during the May doubleshot. The Age of the Fall will probably use this as a way of challenging for the tag belts.
Winner: Age of the Fall (Jacobs, Matthews, and Black)
Samuel Berman: I'm VERY much looking forward to this. I think the Age of the Fall is the dominant faction here and there's really no need to sacrifice their heat to build up an obvious dead-end group like the Vulture Squad. It sounds crass, but it's the truth.
Winners: Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black & Joey Matthews
411 Staff Picks: Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black & Joey Matthews (4-0-0-1)
Kota Ibushi vs. El Generico
Jarrod Westerfeld: Okay, we get it, I don't know much about Ibushi. So what can I say to fill this in? Well, this should be fun as I'd expect these two to have a similar style that might electrify the crowd and stir up some awesome looking spots for replay enjoyment.
Winner: The Almighty Coin Flip: Kota Ibushi
Michael Bauer: Ibushi wants a win and I want him to get one, but not at the expense of El Generico. It is his last shot thought, so I guess he finally picks up his big one.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
Ari Berenstein: So I was wrong last week about the Japanese wrestler winning all the time, but certainly Ibushi can't go 0 for his tour in ROH can he? Generico can take a loss, especially if it comes after a high quality effort like I'm sure he'll give in this one.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
Jerome Cusson: Ibushi ends his stay in ROH with a victory and .500 record. Since Generico is a tag team wrestler, I think it's okay for him to be used as fodder. Just let him get some offense in and look good as the underdog.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
Samuel Berman: Ibushi's going to win, because he has to get a victory on the tour, but I really wish they'd have put him over Davey last week so that Generico could finally get a marquee singles victory.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
411 Staff Picks: Kota Ibushi (5-0)
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin
Jarrod Westerfeld: I'm literally grinning at the thought of this bout. I cannot wait to see this explosive action as Shelley and Sabin showcase that they can hang with the Briscoes, using the style that the Briscoes practically invented. Expect to have your finger on the rewind and slow-mo button…oh, wait…this may not see the light of day, either. FUCK! I'm going to cry now…
Winner: BANG~BANG~ Murder City Machine Guns
Michael Bauer: This is a non title match, which means either team could win this match pretty easily. Last year's match was off the charts and I have no doubt this match will be right up there. The Briscoes seemingly could still be strong even with a loss here and they would be giving back the win from last year's epic. I just can't see Sabin and Shelley coming back just to job to the Briscoes again.
Winners: MCMG
Ari Berenstein: The concept is pretty simple. Age of the Fall beats Motor City, Motor City beats The Briscoes. Therefore Age of the Fall has a claim to a title shot since they did something The Briscoes could not do on this weekend. These two teams have a lot to live up to since last year's match was so highly praised by so many. I think they'll get close, but some fans have been a bit burned out by The Briscoes style, so they'll have to be careful and really come through with some great stuff to get to that level of crowd appreciation and response that was shown last year.
Winner: Motor City Machine Guns
Jerome Cusson: The stipulation might as well read "Winner of this match must be from Detroit." I really want someone to present me a reason why The Briscoes had to win the take the belts so they could not defend them the next two shows. It really sucks the life out of this little Midwest swing. And to be quite honest, I didn't have to see a rematch from these four. That's not to say I'm unappreciative of seeing Shelley and Sabin (cause I love both guys) but without the belts on the line, and knowing where the booking is ultimately headed, there is no chance of The Briscoes winning here.
Winners: Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin
Samuel Berman: The only reason for making this non-title is so that the MCMG can get a win and set up a third and final match between the teams (presumably over the Summer or something). Like I said over in Buy or Sell, 2/3 Falls anyone?
Winner: Nigel McLariat (RETAINS ROH World Championship)
Michael Bauer: Steen wants the gold, but I still don't see him pulling this victory off. If Nigel uses the ropes again, Chicago will fucking riot.
Winner: Nigel McGuiness
Ari Berenstein: I'm a bit shocked that Steen gets the rematch so fast, but I have to think the results will be the same--a loss due to Nigel's chicanery. The good news is that last year Nigel lost his first two title matches against Morishima before coming back to win the third and the title. I think Steen may be heading in that direction. But for now...
Winner: Nigel McGuinness to retain the ROH World Title
Jerome Cusson: I don't want to take what Kevin Steen has done to get himself over in 2008. He's lost one singles match this year and that was in controversial fashion to Steen in Edison. The problem is Steen has wrestled two matches as a member of the ROH roster in Chicago. Both of them were tag matches and both of them were losses. Not to mention he was a heel. Nigel is loved by Chicago fans, really has been since he lost the pure title. There's not going to be the kind of heat for this match that it deserves. Plus, it's obvious this title isn't changing hands until at least May 10th.
Winner and still ROH champion: Nigel McGuinness
Samuel Berman: If Steen wins, it will probably top last year's Briscoes-MCMG match and Delirious submitting Danielson as my top ROH mark out moment live. Of course, he's not going to win, so it's not really an issue.
Winner and STILL ROH World Champion: Nigel McGuinness
[Editor's Note: Starting with Ring of Honor's 5/9 & 5/10 events, Ari Berenstein will be taking over editorial duties for the ROH Roundtable Preview. I just wanted to take a moment here to thank all of the writers who have participated in the ROH Roundtable over the past year or so, as well as the column's readers. As always, further discussion of ROH's upcoming events can be found over at The Cool Kids' Table Dot Net.]
