411’s Buy or Sell 5/2/08: Brent Albright and Sweet N’ Sour, Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs, Claudio’s chances at Ring of Honor Gold, and More!!

Posted by Michael Bauer on 05.09.2008

The 411 staff discusses the Ring of Honor shows for this weekend in Virginia and Hammerstein as Ari Bernstein battles Steve Cook!

Welcome everyone to WEEK Fifty-Five of BUY or SELL. For those of you who haven't been with us since the beginning, here's the Reader's Digest version of what this column is all about. BUY or SELL is very much like 411's long-running Fact or Fiction column. The main difference is that BUY or SELL focuses on topics like the U.S. Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and pretty much anything else that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get a bit more press and for you, our loyal readers, to learn even more about the sport of professional wrestling.


Week Fifty-Five's Match-Up:
Column of Honor and Ring of Honor Rountable's Ari Bernstein vs. Ask 411 Wrestling's Question Answerer Steve Cook!

With the economy as it is, ROH should hold back on new market expansion in 2008.

Ari Bernstein : SELL. Oh boo hoo the economy. Look, there has been a clamor for Ring of Honor to travel to new markets and if you don't believe me check out the official website's message board. Now I know that board isn't always the most unbiased place to go for ROH discussion, but in this case a sample size such as this should give you a good read on where to go next. These people WILL buy tickets! ROH has done well in the places they've expanded to thus far in 2008, although in my mind their biggest risk will be upcoming in Manassas, VA. If they do well, then I think ROH should continue to slowly expand into new areas of the US and Canada. You don't have to go crazy by going to England or Jpaan again, but reasonable and smart expansion in the continental U.S. will work even in spite of the boo hoo economy. Now where is my flipping incentive rebate?

Steve Cook : BUY . Yes, boo hoo the economy! I will forgive Mr. Berenstein because he lives in New York City, where all the millionaires like JBL and himself are doing fine and dandy thanks to the current administration keeping them happy while making the rest of us out in the boondocks suffer. NYC can afford to build three extravagant new sports stadiums at the same time and not even think twice about it while people in the real world are struggling to make ends meet. We can't all afford to go to wrestling shows…people like me will make the sacrifices necessary because we are diehard wrestling fans, but people on the fence aren't going to fork out the fifty bucks or however much a ticket is in their area to see a bunch of guys they've only heard about or might have seen on DVD. The West Coast shows in 2007 showed that ROH is not ready for drastic new market expansion, which is what Ari's boys on the message board want to see. The PPVs, as critically acclaimed as they are, are not bringing in tons of new fans that would help these new markets succeed. I think the people behind ROH know this and are smart enough to keep any possible expansion within the realm of realisticiness. Hey, if the creator of this shithole economy can make up words, so can I!

0 for 1.

Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs are secretly working together despite the recent events of the last few weeks.

Ari Bernstein : SELL . Although I certainly give this theory full weight and consideration. Its a distinct possibility that Jacobs is fooling us all as part of some master plan to regain the ROH World Tag Team Titles (and thus once again have a share of power and a voice in matters of ROH politics). Jacobs said from the beginning that "love doesn't save", so maybe he is just putting on an act as a broken hearted guy. Then again, I think just from the point of view of having simple yet effective booking and asking the question "what can we do?" with these characters, that the better choice is to go full bore with a Jacobs vs. Aries blood feud. The buzz factor and excitement is there and people want to see these two go at it...which means they will PAY to see them go at it in the ring...which means ROH should go with what will bring them the most money instead of a storyline swerve that while interesting, pales in comparison to the potential of the alternative.

Steve Cook : SELL. If Vince Russo were booking ROH, I would assume that Aries and Jacobs were on the same page and they were simply setting Jay Briscoe up for the fall. As far as I know, Russo remains in Orlando destroying TNA, so I don't see this happening. Yes, Jimmy Jacobs may have claimed that love didn't save, but haven't we all been in a similar position to him? You pine for a girl that doesn't feel the same way about you. Every day that passes, you want her more. You finally get her…but then you take her for granted. You think that once you've won her heart, you don't need to do anything else. Jacobs fell into that trap. He got cocky. He took Lacey for granted and decided to start his little revolutionary group with a bunch of mumbo jumbo about how society was evil and blah blah blah. It took Lacey leaving him for Austin Aries for him to realize what he had. And now he will do anything to get it back. With what we've seen from Jimmy Jacobs in the past, I shudder to think what he has in mind to get it back. Something tells me that whatever it is…it's already begun.

1 for 2.

Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. No Remorse Corps should have been contested for the ROH World Tag Team Titles, instead of Jay Briscoe and Austin Aries vs. the Age of the Fall.

Ari Bernstein : BUY . Just because I support Ring of Honor doesn't mean I have no bones of contention and this one is a huge bone just waiting to be picked. I didn't like the title switch to the Briscoes back in April. I thought it served no purpose and was unnecessary in light of how far up the totem pole The Briscoes are perceived as an act in the company compared to other teams. Then Mark Briscoe had to have his surgery, which ROH officials should have seen coming a mile away. Regardless of what they were told, they shouldn't have switched the belts with the knowledge that Mark was in iffy shape. Meanwhile, Steen & El Generico are the current hot act, especially Steen. Not only would it have been fresher and more exciting to see them win the tag titles in this match (or at least some close), but the booking of the NRC vs. Steenerico rivalry in February and March all but screamed out "THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING". Again, if you build excitement to a match then people will want to see it. The NYC crowd at Sixth Anniversary Show desperately wanted to see these two teams fight for the titles and I was excited to see these two go at it for the tag titles. Then when the NRC lost the belts, some of the air went out in the tires. ROH slipped up on this one.

Steve Cook : BUY . But I'm not 100% behind that answer because I think having the ROH World Tag Team titles involved in Briscoe/Aries vs. AOTF adds yet another dimension to that match that makes people want to see it. The only problem is…now Steenerico vs. NRC doesn't really have a whole lot of steam behind it. It'll be a darn good match and the people will pop when they're supposed to…but what's the point? Why are they there? Is it like early ROH when everything was booked as an indy dream match? And isn't Mark Briscoe always in iffy shape? I think if Steen & Generico had been the team to wrest the tag titles from the NRC, they would have reached that next level in ROH where they would be universally accepted. They can still get there, but it's going to take a little bit longer now.

2 for 3.

SWITCH~!

Chris Hero vs. Pelle Primeau is a waste of a match for Chris Hero.

Steve Cook : SELL . Pelle Primeau may not be one of the greatest wrestlers on the indy circuit and he certainly isn't on Chris Hero's level, but the people love him and he has an issue with Hero that needs settling. I hear a lot about how Hero's working this new style inspired by Pro Wrestling NOAH, which apparently means he's working stiffer and using less of the fancy stuff. Is there a better opponent on the ROH roster for Hero to showcase this new tougher side of him than poor little Pelle? I think not. Pelle will have his moments in the match, but it'll serve as a chance for Hero to establish himself as a more serious hard-nosed competitor and give him an easy victory to add to the collection. I see no problem with this at all.

Ari Bernstein : SELL . Quite frankly, a lot of the slots on the show have already been filled up and ROH needs to make sure they pace themselves on these shows so that they don't burn out their new crowd. A Chris Hero squash match against Pelle sounds like a good spot to fill on this card. Chris Hero needs some more wins under his belt in ROH, but that's not to undersell Pelle's position at this point—he has improved enough to the point where I think he "fits" into the main ROH roster the way Bobby Dempsey and Shane Hagadorn have fit themselves into the main roster. That is to say I view him no longer as a student and more of a valid, albeit opening card, wrestler in Ring of Honor.

3 for 4.

Brent Albright will leave Sweet N' Sour Inc. this weekend.

Steve Cook : BUY. Whether he'll leave or be forced out remains to be seen, but something seems a bit amiss here. Albright didn't seem as excited to join up with Sweet N' Sour as Adam Pearce did, and something tells me that this tag team match with Albright & Hero teaming up on Saturday night isn't going to go well…and not just because Johnny Fairplay will be in attendance. Should Sweet N' Sour lose, Larry Sweeney will not be happy, and I have a feeling that Ari's best friend won't be blamed.

Ari Bernstein : SELL. Although I think the storyline is getting there and that eventually Albright WILL leave Sweet & Sour Incorporated, I just don't think enough fuel has been added to the fire. Right now we're at a medium burn as far as the tension and conflict between Albright and Sweeney, but a few more losses and / or derelictions of duty on either side will be enough to get to high heat. I do think that if it were to go down this Saturday in New York City that the crowd would be very accepting of a face turn for Albright. He's the type of guy they could have a crazy reaction for lambasting Sweeney, Hero & company.

3 for 5.

Claduio Castagnoli will win the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Title in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Steve Cook : SELL . Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Claudio and have been ever since the first time I saw him wrestle. He's got a great persona, a great look by ROH standards, and his wrestling skills are top-notch. He could be a fine ROH World Champion someday…but that day will not be May 10, 2008. I don't think Nigel McGuinness is anywhere near ready to give up the championship he worked so hard to get, and there's still plenty to do with him as the champion. Sure, it might make sense to change your title on what you're building up as the greatest show ever, but it makes more sense to have Nigel hold on to the belt and make people want the title change even more. Not all ROH fans are sold on Claudio yet, but if you give him time to establish himself as a top threat to the title, they'll buy in.

Ari Bernstein : SELL . I'll have to agree with Steve here, even though I would love to have a title change once again in NYC. The reaction to Claudio's win, especially against NYC's current hated enemy in Nigel McGuinness, would make for one more amazing ROH moment in a history of them. However, for more practical reasons, it makes sense not to pull the trigger on a title change here. First of all, the show has been sold more on the special occasion that is the big debut in the Hammerstein Ballroom. The card itself looks to be strong overall and probably doesn't need the title change to sell itself. On a more personal note, I hope the title doesn't change because I won't be there to witness it! Selfish I know, but heyyyy! It is what it is.

4 for 6!


The Fifty-Fifth edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 6. Stay tuned for next week when two new men will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.