Column of Honor: 07.05.08: CM Punk: WWE World Heavyweight Champion

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 07.05.2008

You Are Now One Of Us! Plus: the most dysfunctional friendships in Ring of Honor, results from 6/28/08 in Chicago and more!



Ring Toss
-CM Punk: WWE World Heavyweight Champion
-ROH Results: "Vendetta II" in Chicago Ridge, IL June 28th, 2008
-ROH Call
-ROH News
-The Most Dysfunctional Friendships in Ring of Honor
-Honorarium
-Honor System
-Name That Tune
-The Independent Buy In
-Get with the pROHgram
-ROH @ 411
-Honor Bound Links

CM Punk: WWE World Heavyweight Champion

Giddy, absolutely giddy I was.

Smiling from ear to ear and I couldn't stop myself.

Jumping around up off the ground, dancing like a fool, dancing like there was no tomorrow.

And that was just at my sister's wedding.

Little did I know that 24 hours later I would have a much different and almost as joyous occasion to feel near equal to those same feelings I felt as my family and I walked that aisle at the ceremony and partied hard at the wedding reception. Monday Night, June 30th, 2008, history was being made on national television. CM Punk became WWE World Heavyweight Champion, shocking myself and the entire wrestling world. There had to be a cacophony of OMGs, WTFs and "Did I just see that?" across the wrestling viewing public.

Watching CM Punk win the title was one of those mark-out moments that I get when WWE does something unexpected, something cool and something right. I yell, I scream, I jump out of my seat in nervous anticipation and excitement that yes, this (whatever moment I'm watching) is possible, that yes, it's actually happening and that yes, it actually, really happened!

As much as WWE is to blame for some of the worst moments in modern wrestling history, the most intelligence insulting, the most offensive actions ever in or outside of the squared circle, there are times like these mark-out moments and there are times like CM Punk winning the World Heavyweight Title that balance the scales and even things out. For every time I had to suffer through a Katie Vick incident, the exploitation of Eddie Guerrero's death, The Boogeyman or Vince McMahon "dying", there is an ECW invasion (pick em'—1997, 2001 or 2005—all of them were great), Batista powerbombing Triple H through the table as his declaration of independence from Evolution, a fantastic angle such as Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels battling it out with Flair's career on the line, or an unexpected and welcome title win for a wrestler that deserves the symbolic recognition of being the best—Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio and now, CM Punk. This second set of moments, they are the reasons why I watch wrestling and they are the reasons why I (and I'm sure many others) put up with the first.

I was on the brink of giving up on WWE altogether once again after the whole "Vince McMahon collapses" incident that took place at the end of the draft show the previous week. It had me mad as hell and ready to declare another personal moratorium on watching their product as I'd done in years recently past. I almost didn't watch Monday Night Raw, but at the last second decided to give it another shot and hope that the whole show wasn't consumed by McMahon-a-mania. I am incredibly glad to have made that decision; as a CM Punk fan of many years I don't think I would have been able to forgive myself had all of this happened and I had missed it.

I watched Jim Ross come out for what was simultaneously his triumphant return to Oklahoma and his unsettling goodbye from commentary on Monday Night Raw. I exulted in how he was treated as a returning hero, how the fans knew he was being done an injustice (although in my opinion, Ross didn't have to but should have been willing at some point to work on Smackdown, but of course I didn't like the way they went about enacting the move). Then I saw Edge come down and take Ross to task and I knew that those words about how no one cared about J.R. and no one cared about his commentary on Raw probably came from the backstage writers and probably came from the directive of Vince McMahon. I do have to say that this was Edge at his finest top heel act, getting the crowd riled up, acting indignant, smarmy and just being a true villain. It could have ended there, with his vow never to return to Raw, and it would have been a fine selling point for the newly revamped and looking-to-prove-a-point Smackdown program.

However, in the back of my mind, racing at a million miles per minute, I thought, wouldn't it be awesome, wouldn't it be great, if CM Punk got Edge from behind, cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase, took him down and out, and claimed the WWE World Heavyweight Title? It would be really awesome I thought, but not a chance in the world was it going to happen. CM Punk was simply not viewed as on that kind of level and at this point Punk, no, he just wasn't going to be pushed to the title. Some on the internet have been proclaiming that they called what was to happen a long time before it went down and that it was no big surprise to see CM Punk win the title. Well, I was surprised for sure. I had no real clue they would do this for Punk, that they would go this far.

Little did I know.

Then Batista came down just as Edge was about to make his exit and I figured, well maybe that's it—do Batista vs. Edge in an impromptu match and have the big guy win the belt on Raw. It would balance the scales of justice between the two in their heated rivalry and it would allow for Raw to get back a World title coming out of the draft. Batista was the biggest name coming to Raw and a bout against John Cena at this year's Summerslam would do huge business. So when Batista destroyed Edge from pillar to post, I was happy and enjoying myself. But the bell never rang to signal the start of a match between the two and in the back of my mind… there was that small hope… that right now, CM Punk would come barreling out from the back, would demand the bell be rung, would hit that Go 2 Sleep to win the title.

They would never do it though—WWE is just too set in its ways. They could not risk themselves like that—it was insane and ridiculous to ask for it, really. Little did I know.

The music hit—Killswitch Engage's "This Fire Burns", Randy Orton's music for a half a minute, but an integral part of CM Punk's presence since the beginning of his run in WWE—the music I first heard when Punk made his debut at the Hammerstein Ballroom about two years ago—and my eyes widened. My body leaped into the air and my voice cried out "Punk! Punk!" over and over again The man walked down with speed and motivation and his briefcase in tow and I shouted out "They're gonna do it! He's gonna win the title! Oh my God! I can't believe they're gonna do it!" The bell rung and Punk took a near lifeless Edge and hoisted him up over his shoulders, releasing him and blasting him with a vicious knee. He covered for the pin and I cried out in happiness, "NEW CHAMPION! NEW CHAMPION! CM PUNK! HE DID IT!"

CM Punk's celebration on screen was just about as joyous as mine. Probably not as much as my sister's wedding, though. After all, that segment ran thirty minutes; my sister's wedding went for six hours! It truly looked like he couldn't believe this was really happening, and those who know CM Punk's story likely felt the same way at that same moment.

CM Punk left ROH for WWE just a few months after I began to write Column of Honor for 411. If you go back to one of my earlier columns my thoughts about Punk going to WWE were of hopeful but realistic expectations. In the first place, he was going to have to go through the WWE developmental system, at the time centered in Ohio Valley Wrestling. It would take God knew how long for him to make it through the system. At the time some wrestlers were still working through developmental for years and hadn't been brought up to the big time. It took a year's worth of time and the luck of having a booker in Paul Heyman becoming an advocate for him to make it to WWE television.

On August 1st, 2006, I sat in Chris Miccio's house watching the now infamous edition of WWE ECW on Sci Fi from the Hammerstein Ballroom, the one with Batista vs. Big Show and the "change the channel" chant from the hostile New York City fans who wanted the old ECW and not two WWE main event talents on ‘their show'. What those fans didn't know was just how far reaching their impact would be, both on the future of ECW at the Hammerstein, the treatment of WWE's version of ECW as a brand and of course, the future of the man who debuted on that program, CM Punk.

I sat there and watched Punk make his debut, coming out to "This Fire Burns", showing his abilities in the ring and reveling in the response from the crowd. The New Yorkers may have hated Big Show and Batista to the core, but they loved one thing for sure about the "new" ECW… they loved CM Punk. Chris and I raised our sodas in a toast to the fact that our boy had made it. No matter what happened from that point on, we as ROH fans and fans of Punk could always say that we saw CM Punk make it to WWE television…and no one, not even Punk's detractors both on the internet and any that were created as a result of backstage politics, could ever take that away from him.

As a fan of Punk's work in Ring of Honor, it was going to please me just to be able to see Punk make it to the full time roster. Whatever role he was to play, whatever character he was going to portray, that he made it onto WWE television was going to make me a satisfied customer. The next step above that, just in case, was the hope that Punk could be Punk, be the character or at least a variation of who he was in Ring of Honor. That was truly who Punk was at his best in the world of professional wrestling, the CM Punk character (face or heel) in ROH storylines. If he could take that and translate it to the WWE, it would be great, not only as a fan, but for WWE, because I knew that character and the storylines it could bring would help to freshen up the WWE. As it turns out, Punk wasn't the maniacal Cult of Straightedge / "Better Than You" character, but he was pushed as straightedge and he was pushed as looking for competition. It was a fair compromise and as it turns out, the right one to make. Punk made it to a top championship as a baby face… and this time, he didn't tell the story about the old man and the snake afterwards.

As much as I exulted in the win by Punk, and that he was put over by Rey Mysterio and the announcers, I knew for sure that the title was going to change hands again before the end of the night. CM Punk's title win was a storyline device to be sure, a fitting one at that given Edge's use of the Money in the Bank twice previously in similar fashion. However, in fact right after the JBL interview segment where the challenge for the title was made, I thought that was all Punk's title win was going to be—a transition to get to the next champion. I sent a text to Chris saying "well, it was a fun hour and a half." I thought this was going to be a one night run for Punk and I was a bit bitter sweet about it—becoming bitterer and less sweet by the hour. However, by the end of the night, CM Punk had done it again, had hit that Go 2 Sleep one more time (thanks to the distraction of the brawl between John Cena, Cryme Tyme and JBL's hired security goons) when it counted the most and retained the World Heavyweight Title—his World Heavyweight Title.

So how long does Punk have? It seems one week for sure and likely it will be two weeks, at least until WWE Great American Bash. JBL and John Cena are the most likely candidates to get the next shot. If I were booking, I'd actually push the title run further (of course I would) with Punk making it past the Bash all the way through to Summerslam 2008 to fight (and ultimately lose to) John Cena. WWE hasn't been averse doing face vs. face matches for their bigger Pay Per Views and this would be a new and fresh one—an internet dream match to be sure. I will say that JBL made for an excellent foil for both Punk and Cena this past Monday, with the declaration of martial law and his hiring of his own brute squad being a particularly excellent touch. Of course, I'd rather JBL not take out Punk and I'd rather not watch him run roughshod over the WWE, but of course that is the entire point of a heel reign of terror. Plus, Monday Night Raw is stacked with a plethora of babyfaces and a dearth of heels. Aside from Chris Jericho, who is currently consumed with his storyline against Shawn Michaels, JBL is the best heel they have on that brand. I may just have to accept the inevitability of Punk's loss to JBL, inasmuch as I'll have to accept the inevitability of his loss to anyone at some point in the near future. WWE may have the stones to go with a youth initiative, but if the past tells me anything it's just as likely for WWE to halt their push of "new" talent and storylines in favor of the tried and true, and in this case, that's JBL and "The Champ", Cena.

It did give me a great thrill to see the reaction of some of Punk's hate club on one particular internet message board. Call it petty or shallow, what have you, but man did I laugh and laugh and smile at some of the reactions given to Punk's win by a few posters who by their reputations I knew were negative towards Punk and generally negative towards Ring of Honor. While many fans were ecstatic to see Punk win, Punk win, Punk win, it was these others who were looking for any reason, any excuse to justify their displeasure at Punk winning the title. First it was the crowd reaction to Punk, which they claimed was nothing…but was later to be refuted by reports of Punk's win and subsequent appearances receiving a large positive reaction and that it was the makings of a new superstar in Oklahoma on that night. Then it was that there were Cena chants during the JBL match…which initially was true. The crowd was chanting for Cena at first and likely because they were conditioned to expect Cena to make the save for Punk, especially against such overwhelming odds as JBL and his Super Security-to-one. However, there were clearly many CM Punk chants during the match itself, and strong ones at that. The crowd chanted in hope that Punk would make the comeback…and he did.

The show ended not with Cena, but with Punk claiming a clean win against a main event talent, and then dog piling on top of the rest of the security goons with a plancha to the outside. CM Punk—a man of action, not willing to rest on his laurels. But more importantly, CM Punk, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, was guaranteed for at least one more week. There is the most important piece after all. No matter the sulking, no matter the spin, no matter the complaining of some of these internet boarders, they can never, NEVER get away from the fact that remains—CM Punk won the World Heavyweight Title and they can never take that away from him. They can never take away CM Punk's guaranteed place within WWE history. It doesn't matter if his title run is for one week, two weeks, two months or even if it did turn out to be only for two hours. In the end, he is a champion two times over in WWE and will have one of the most important titles in the company to his credit.

Then the ratings came in: a 3.5 for Raw and a 1.4 for ECW. Not because of people tuning into see Vince's health after his stage dive, that's for sure. Fans wanted to see a change—they wanted new champions, newer wrestlers in key positions. At least for one week that is what they got. Even if the rating goes back down after this week, it will still be known that CM Punk and the title win was a huge reason for the higher rating this time around.

How shocking is it, check that, how awesome it is to know that Samoa Joe and CM Punk are simultaneously the top champions (excluding Triple H from the conversation for a moment) of their respective companies? Once the two top dogs of Ring of Honor, these two are now in the position that ROH fans always wanted to see them in as they moved into the mainstream. Joe and Punk did their Shoot video together talking about how they had a theory of living parallel lives. Well, looking at where they are at now in their careers it's pretty hard to deny that idea.

Joe's TNA title win was a distant inevitability. Fans knew he was going to get there sometime and at some point in the future—its just that the End Zone marker kept being pulled farther and farther away. The initial and massive success Joe had as TNA X-Division champion created such hype and momentum that it was more and more of a disappointment with every month after he broke away from that division and wasn't the TNA Heavyweight Champion. Joe was given the ball a good year after he should have in the first place, but he is still doing the most he can with his opportunity and in a way seems to be above the silly and inconsistent booking that he had gone through at times over the last year. While Kevin Nash might not be my wrestler of choice to watch in a big time PPV main event (much less move around the ring), it cannot be denied that this current angle between the two is working to create interest and excitement among fans of the promotion. My hope is that Joe can survive this storyline with his title reign intact and continue to build momentum and prestige as the top champion in the company. If he stays at the top long enough and TNA can continue to grow with him as the face of the company, well, they may have enough of what is necessary to be successful despite their own attempts at cutting their nose to spite their face.

CM Punk's World Title win was anything but an inevitability and far from a guarantee. When he first appeared on WWE television, I had him pegged as being able to get no farther past the U.S. / Intercontinental title level due to his size, his look and his propensity for being a magnet for political trouble backstage. I was far from the only one and I, as you can tell by now, was one of the ardent hardcore Punk fans. I thought it would take several years just to make it to the intercontinental level and that he would be taking a small but short term hit as far as his booking initially upon the move to Raw, but he became a top champion in just two years and his move to Raw paid immediate dividends for his career. Again, little did I know, but its damned good either way.

In a way, Joe and Punk's success only reflects for the better on Ring of Honor and the independent wrestling scene at large. Fans even on this website that deride the choice of independent wrestlers for the top wrestler of the week charts need to understand that Samoa Joe and CM Punk as World Heavyweight champions IS the very reason we pay attention to the independent wrestling promotions and the so-called "underground". See, we were way ahead of the curve on this one folks. We knew long before anyone else that if you give these guys the chance, they will make skeptics into believers. Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and IWA Mid-South, among other promotions across the United States, are where guys like Joe and Punk are forged. As noted by Ring of Honor officials this week in articles published on their website, not only are Joe and Punk former ROH World Champions who are now world champions in another promotion, but Takeshi Morishima also is GHC Heavyweight Champion just several months removed from his lengthy ROH World Title run. Homicide, a current TNA tag champion, falls into the same category. The results and the names speak for themselves—Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Montel Vontavious Porter, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Hernandez, Amazing Kong, Matt Sydal / Evan Bourne, Petey Williams and on and on and on. They were independent before they were mainstream and on national television. This is why Ring of Honor and the independent wrestling world is so important and this is why Ring of Honor wrestlers deserve recognition even if they stay forever independent.

Congratulations CM Punk and way to go. I'm happy beyond belief that you have done so much so fast. You made it, bro. You better believe I'm going to be there the rest of the way.

Bravo to the WWE—they had the stones to go through with it and I am glad they did so. They have vindicated themselves one more time. They have the attention of this wrestling fan who is going on twenty-three plus years of watching as well as my idealistic hope that they won't spoil it this time. It didn't take a million dollar giveaway to do that—just a terrific wrestling program where I could expect the unexpected and where one of my favorite wrestlers of all-time made it to the top.

I'm still giddy, still smiling, still laughing, still happy. CM Punk, WWE World Heavyweight Champion…do I ever like the sound of that!


ROH Results: "Vendetta II" in Chicago Ridge, IL June 28th, 2008

Matches (results from rohwrestling.com message board and Keith Lipinski)

Preshow
-Josh Abercrombie (wooo!) & CJ Otis defeated Kyle Durden & Mitch Franklin via pinfall when Otis pinned Durden with a German Suplex.
-Trik Davis defeated Shane Hollister via pinfall via kick to the head.
-Ernie Osirus defeated Egotistico Fantastico via pinfall with the Code Red

Main Show

-"Addicted To Love" Rhett Titus & Delirious with Daizee Haze defeated "Sugarfoot" Alex Payne & Silas Young via pinfall when Rhett stole the pin away from Delirious.
-Erick Stevens defeated Jay Briscoe via pinfall
-Chris Hero defeated Pelle Primeau in a lights out match via knockout with the help of Sara Del Rey kicking Pelle while he was down and the referee distracted.
-The Age Of The Fall of Necro Butcher & Tyler Black defeated Kevin Steen & El Generico via pinfall with a roll up pin by Necro on Kevin Steen after Tyler Black hit Steen with a chair.
-Claudio Castagnoli defeated Bryan Danielson via pinfall with his elevated European uppercut.
-Sara Del Ray defeated Daizee Haze and SHIMMER champion MsChif in a non-title three way dance via pinfal with a royal butterfly on Haze.
-Brent Albright & Roderick Strong defeated "Scrap Iron" Adam Pearce & Go Shiozaki via referee stoppage with Albright's knee strikes to Pearce's head.
-ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness defeated Jerry Lynn in a non title match via pinfall with a roll up after a lariat.
-Austin Aries defeated Jimmy Jacobs via pinfall after six dropkicks into the corner and a 450 splash.

Angles and Issues

Return Date: August 16th, 2008

It looks like a short return date for the Chicago crowd to continue to build upon the Aries vs. Age of the Fall issue with the main event being Jimmy Jacobs vs. Necro Butcher in a no DQ match and the question being whether or not Necro will fight Jacobs or if he will listen to Aries and leave Age of the Fall.

I cannot do justice to the amount of angle advancement and little details which were packed into this show, so for plenty more detail on that you can check out Keith Lipinski's excellent recap of the show which you can read here through this link.

In short though, it looks like Titus and Delirious will continue to have an odd tag partners deal as they try to get along but both compete for Daizee's attention, MsChif has become a member of the Age of the Fall and Jimmy Jacobs is very, very bitter about his place in the world (and how fans treat him), Jerry Lynn wanted some respect from Nigel and by the end of the night got that respect, and Bryan Danielson said definitively that he was under ROH contract and indicated he would not be leaving anytime soon with a very sarcastic comment about going to a gay pride parade that weekend (but he's not gay, hence he may have been wrestling for WWE one night but he's not going to the WWE).


ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 07/05/2008

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 20 successful defenses)
-defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense::vs. Kevin Steen, Toronto, ONT, CN, 07/25/08

V.1 defeated Jay Briscoe, wristlock submission (10/21/07 San Francisco, CA)
V.2 defeated Chris Hero, wristlock submission (11/02/07 Philadelphia, PA)
V.3 defeated Austin Aries, Jawbreaker Lariat (12/29/07 Manhattan, NY)
V.4 defeated Go Shiozaki, London Dungeon (wristlock submission) (01/20/08 Tokyo, Japan,)
V.5 Steel Cage Match: defeated Chris Hero (01/25/08, Dayton, OH)
V.6 defeated Roderick Strong, Jawbreaker Lariat (01/26/08, Chicago Ridge, IL)
V.7 defeated Bryan Danielson, London Dungeon (02/23/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.8 defeated Tyler Black, London Dungeon (03/16/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.9 defeated Larry Sweeney, Jawbreaker Lariat (03/22/08 Crystal River, FL)
V.10 defeated Austin Aries, Jawbreaker Lariat (03/29/08 Orlando, FL)
V.11 defeated Erick Stevens, London Dungeon (04/11/08 Boston, MA)
V.12 defeated Kevin Steen, roll up holding the ropes (04/12/08 Edison, NJ)
V.13 defeated Kevin Steen, Jawbreaker Lariat (04/19/08 Chicago Ridge, IL)
V.14 defeated Claudio Castagnoli, London Dungeon, (05/10/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.15 defeated KENTA and BJ Whitmer, Jawbreaker Lariat to Whitmer (05/15/08, Tokyo, Japan)
V.16 defeated Go Shiozaki, London Dungeon (06/07/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.17 defeated Vic Viper, London Dungeon (06/14/08, Tallaght, Ireland)
V.19 defeated Keith Myatt and Lionheart, (06/20/08, Doncaster, U.K.)
V.20 (title for title) defeated NWA Champion Adam Pearce, Jawbreaker Lariat (06/27/08, Dayton, OH)
*match later reversed via DQ, both men keep their respective titles.

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—The Age of the Fall (champions since 06/06/08, NEW Champions)
-won an eight man, single elimination tournament on June 6th in Hartford, CT to determine new champions

Next Defense:TBA, Manassas, VA, 08/01/08

V.1 defeated Austin Aries & Bryan Danielson (06/07/08, Philadelphia, PA)

**

Sweet & Sour Incorporated Presents The Intergender Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Of The World—Chris Hero & Sara Del Rey (champions since 01/12/08, 2 successful defenses)
Belt Reactivated as of 06/07/08 as both Hero & Del Rey are bringing them to ROH events.

V.1 defeated Ernie Osiris & Alexa Thatcher (01/12/08, Edison, NJ)
V.2 defeated Kyle Durden & Alex "Sugarfoot" Payne (01/26/08, Chicago Ridge, IL)

**

FIP Heavyweight Champion: Roderick Strong (since 02/16/2008)
-defeated Erick Stevens via count out to win the title (FIP title can change hands on count out)
SHIMMER Champion: MsChif (since 4/26/2008)
-defeated Sara Del Ray via pinfall with the Descrator DDT to win the title
Top of the Class Trophy (for ROH Students): Rhett "Addicted to Love" Titus (since 06/07/2008)
-defeated Ernie Osiris via pinfall to win the trophy.

**

Top Feuds & Pairings:
-Bryan Danielson's road to an ROH World Title Shot
-Nigel McGuinness defends the belt against top contenders
-Kevin Steen & Claudio Castagnoli receive title shots
-ROH and the NWA Heavyweight Title
-Austin Aries / Jimmy Jacobs
-Austin Aries attempts to convince Necro Butcher to leave Age of the Fall
-The Age of the Fall vs. The Briscoes
-Sweet & Sour Inc. "Corporate Takeover"
-Brent Albright vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
-Roderick Strong wants payback on Sweet & Sour Inc. for Richards' betrayal of the NRC


ROH News
(via the ROHnewswire… and other sources when attributed)

Daizee Haze Injury Status

This message came from the Dave Prazak on the SHIMMER forums:

I just got off the phone with Daizee Haze. Unfortunately, we've got some bad news to report concerning her condition for this weekend's taping. Daizee was injured during training earlier this week, and after consulting with a doctor this afternoon, she needs to take a few weeks off from being in the ring until she is 100%. Having wrestled on all 18 editions of SHIMMER on DVD up until this point, this will be the first time Daizee is forced to watch a SHIMMER taping from the sidelines.

I wanted to let everyone know right away concerning her status, so you don't have to hear about it on the day of the show. Daizee will still be heading to Berwyn on Saturday to be a part of the show in a non-wrestling capacity, and will have her merchandise available at intermission along with the other SHIMMER stars.

As mentioned, Haze has been a featured part of SHIMMER for almost the entire series. She is one of the backbone members of the company and remains very over in part to her Forrest Park, IL connections. Here's hoping to a speedy and safe recovery.


TNA / ROH Joint Project Rumor Killed

A report from the wrestling-edge.com website surfaced earlier in the week claiming that TNA management has been in contact with ROH about possibly running a doubleshot at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC in 2009. ROH would run Friday and/or Saturday and TNA would run a PPV on Sunday night. There may be a fanfest with talents from both companies as well that weekend. TNA has told ROH they can use any of their talents for that weekend as long as they aren't featured a national DVD release or a PPV. No word yet on ROH's response to this.

This would have been a pretty interesting development that would have brought both companies closer together than they have been for quite some time now. Obviously though the deal could have been more to TNA's advantage because it would help them break into the Hammerstein Ballroom building right away (they previously ran Webster Hall, a smaller capacity building, to some success). However, Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio said TNA officials denied the story and ROH officials claimed they've had no discussions with TNA about such an agreement. So for right now, the rumor of any joint projects or cooperation has been put aside. That might not mean it wouldn't happen sometime in the future or that both sides are in deny mode until something is made official, just don't put your stock into this happening any time soon.

Lynn May Be In More Often

According to Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer, Gabe Sapolsky was very happy with Jerry Lynn's return to Ring of Honor to fight Nigel McGuinness. It was essentially an "audition" match and Lynn is expected to be back to ROH for some more matches in the future.


Toronto, Detroit Matches Announced
A huge rematch from last weekend has been signed. Last Saturday in Chicago saw Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli live up to its promise in a bout that Castagnoli won. Now Danielson wants a rematch. ROH didn't waste any time and it has been signed for 7/25 in Toronto. This card is just going to get better and better with McGuinness vs. Steen for the World Title, Age Of The Fall vs. Aries & Jay and now Danielson vs. Castagnoli!!!

ROH will tape PPV #8 in Detroit on July 26th. It will be the biggest night of Claudio Castagnoli's ROH career. He has a great singles record on PPV and now he will finally get a World Title shot in the main event of a PPV. It will be Castagnoli vs. the winner of McGuinness vs. Steen in Toronto in the PPV main event for the World Title!!! Is this the night that Castagnoli finally realizes his potential?

We aren't done with news for the PPV taping in Detroit. In fact, a match has just been signed that doesn't need any hype. July 26th will see the third bout pitting Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black. Can Black finally defeat Danielson or is Danielson on his way to getting a World Title shot?

I'm a bit shocked that ROH is going to go with the Danielson vs. Castagnoli rematch so soon after their first one. I would have hoped that the rub from winning a match against Danielson would have stuck around sooner, but ROH is cashing it all in right now for the July 25th and 26th weekend. I expect (although I don't know) that Danielson will defeat Castatgnoli on this particular occasion in order to finally get his quest in gear to make it to another ROH World Title shot. Like Castagnoli's two match series against Naomichi Maruufji, Claudio won a match and was put over in a positive light only to lose the rematch soon after. I certainly don't like that idea, although I can't help but think that this is a very sellable match for the Toronto crowd and something they will enjoy. Claudio has a good opportunity to win the world title on pay per view against either Steen or McGuinness (likely the latter) and it would be a bit of a swerve to have Claudio win and Danielson not get any traction whatsoever for a title shot. I don't necessarily see that happening though…Danielson vs. Tyler Black III seems to be the match that will get Danielson on track with a W on PPV so that all he has to go through would be Go Shiozaki and then right onto Nigel for a title shot at the tenth PPV.


Future's Albright
Last Saturday in Chicago saw a shocking series of events. Brent Albright won a fall over NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce in a tag team match setting him up as the #1 contender. However, Albright's celebration was short lived as Adam Pearce threw a fireball right into his face. As a result, Albright will be forced to miss the 7/25 & 26 events. NWA officials have suggested that Pearce be suspended as punishment. ROH officials agree and Pearce will be off the 7/25 & 26 shows. However, they will both return to action on 8/1 in Manassas and then on 8/2 in Manhattan a huge match has been signed. ROH's return to the Hammerstein Ballroom will see Adam Pearce defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Brent Albright!!! Tickets are selling fast so get yours now at ROHwrestling.com. The main event of Manhattan will be announced in the next ROHwrestling.com Newswire.

Brent Albright will get another shot at Sweet & Sour Inc. on 8/1 in Manassas. ROH's return to Virginia will have Chris Hero with Larry Sweeney vs. Brent Albright. This one should be very interesting.

Fireballs, punishments, suspensions, now we're getting somewhere with this angle and in a hurry. (And a good excuse not to book Pearce and Albright for those two shows if they have commitments elsewhere). I'm not sure I like Albright vs. Pearce as the only main event title match in Manhattan, and it looks like it won't be as the above newswire bit suggests another title match on top for that event. However, it will be a very good grudge match and with Albright getting hugely over in NYC the last time I feel he can definitely use that momentum to continue to get himself over in front of a large audience. Hero vs. Albright is another grudge match coming out of this angle that I can see getting some continuous play going into September and October, building up to some big stipulation match of some sort


A Strong Ruckus in Virginia (oh so clever are we)

Another bout has been signed for the 8/1 return to Virginia. It will pit Roderick Strong vs. Ruckus!!! This brings a fresh match up to the card. There will also be a ROH World Tag Team Title Match in Virginia and it will be announced next week in the ROHwrestling.com Newswire.

Ruckus in a tag team environment has proven to be very good, but his singles match against Claudio Castagnoli back in January was no great shakes. Strong may be able to have a better fit of a match for Ruckus, ala his series with Jack Evans.


Shelley is a Classic

A new "Vaulted Classic" has been added for FREE to ROHvideos.com. You can now watch Roderick Strong vs. Alex Shelley from "New Frontiers" in Buffalo. There is plenty to watch at www.ROHvideos.com including Austin Aries vs. Silas Young and a two part ROH Video Wire that will get you caught up with all the happenings of ROH. There is no excuse not to watch ROH now because its FREE at ROHvideos.com.

I remember thinking this was a terrific match at the time, a very good and captivating brawl between the two, with a favorite spot of mine being their brawl to the hockey boards and Shelley checking Strong right into them. Good times…


The Most Dysfunctional Friendships in Ring of Honor


CM Punk & Colt Cabana
Why They Dysfunctioned: The ultimate odd couple pairing, you couldn't get two more "different" lifestyles than that of CM Punk and Colt Cabana. These two mostly tag partners and sometime wrestling rivals forged a bond from their mutual experiences on the road, but what a personality clash! Punk was sour and bitter, basically a humorless character who was always seriously engaged in his Straight Edge philosophy. Meanwhile, Colt Cabana was a jocular jock, someone who was more concerned on having a good time, laughing it up and working on his own show "Good Times, Great memories" than actually working it out in the ring. Of course, at times Punk would encourage and seemingly succeed in getting Cabana to take wrestling more seriously…only for the whole thing to fall apart in some humorous moment. Even their promo after their tag title win was marred by Punk getting hit in the face by Cabana's party streamer. Wait, don't read any sexual innuendos into that one.

Why We Enjoyed Them: Not only were these two great friends in real life, but their on screen friendship made for compelling viewing. It was the launching pad of several storyline points in Ring of Honor, from the official start of the Second City Saints as a faction to their run for the tag team titles to Cabana's near mental breakdowns as a result of losing technical wrestling matches to Nigel McGuinness. These two always had terrific dialogue between them and the deadpan comments made by Punk upped the comedic value of Cabana's shtick and shenanigans.

Best ROH Match as a Team vs. The Briscoes, ROH: Reborn Stage 2- Chicago Ridge, IL 4/24/04
Best ROH Match as Opponents Punk : The Final Chapter - Chicago Ridge, IL 8/13/05



Kevin Steen & El Generico
Why They Dysfunctioned: A true big brother / little brother relationship if there ever is one… and no, I'm not referring to Steen's "big boned" appearance. Or Generico's skinny toothpick body frame as well for that matter. Any way, these two, like Punk and Cabana, have their frictions and their differences but actually seem to work quite well as a team. Steen seems to like to abuse Generico in his own, whether its pushing him to get out of the way, or commanding Generico to "do something!" when he's in the ring on the opposite side of offense. However, if anyone else picks on the masked Canadian luchador, look the hell out, because you're going to have a full ass whomping as a result of "Mr. Wrestling" on the way.

Why We Enjoyed Them: Steen & Generico have been on a massive quest to win the ROH World Tag Team championships. They immediately earned respect in their return appearance, fighting The Briscoes in Phialdelphia. However, the fans clearly sided with Jay & mark at the time, as clearly Steen was acting like a heel and everyone wanted to see Team Man Up make it through 2007 as champions. This changed when Steen's act of altruism in saving Generico from the hands of Hangmen 3 gave the team a new start as clear-cut fan favorites. Now fans desperately want to see Steen & Generico win the elusive tag team straps. There are massive heart palpitations every time they don't win…but someday they will, and at that point the victory celebration is going to be sweet for everyone involved.

Best ROH Match as a Team: vs. The Briscoes, Man Up, Chicago Ridge, IL, 9/15/07, vs. BxB Hulk & SHINGO, Supercard of Honor III- Orlando, FL 3/29/08
Best ROH Match as Opponents n/a.



Jimmy Jacobs & Colt Cabana
Why They Dysfunctioned: Well, for the obvious reasons… Cabana was sleeping with the girl of Jimmy's dreams! It don't get far more dysfunctional than that! Really, maybe Austin Aries should have learned from the lessons of the recent past, because this short lived friendship, forced as it was by Lacey herself, had a very ugly and painful ending. Cabana getting crotched on the ropes by Jacobs and then was the recipient of a heel to the testicles. All male ROH wrestling fans around the world groaned in sympathy at that moment. Its too bad things didn't work out for this unlikely pair…they were actually starting to get the hang of teaming up before it was all over.

Why We Enjoyed Them: If you enjoyed watching Charlie Brown and Lucy with the football, then you enjoyed watching Colt Cabana play around with Jimmy Jacobs. You couldn't help but laugh at the tripping, the false sincerity of Cabana wanting to do tag moves with Jacobs and then the final slap in the face of Cabana macking with Lacey right in front of a visibly frustrated and upset Jacobs. It was a hysterical and entertaining love triangle while it lasted.

Best ROH Match as a Team vs. Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro, Irresistable Forces, Chicago Ridge, IL, 10/28/08
Best ROH Match as Opponents Fifth Year Festival: Chicago- Chicago, IL 2/24/07



Paul London & AJ Styles
Why They Dysfunctioned: The seemingly easy going nature of Paul London should have been a fine fight with the valiant AJ Styles. Both men were fierce competitors who wanted to win and gave their all to do so. It was only natural for both men to team up and take on the task of winning the tag titles. Unfortunately, London was injured and had to undergo emergency sinus surgery and had to pull out of the show, where shock of shocks, AJ Styles won a title shot. Styles selected Amazing Red as his replacement tag partner and together the two of them won the tag titles. Styles and Red gelled successfully with their high flying and rapid speed attacks, in a similar manner that Styles and London would have gotten along had they stayed together as a team. London would resurface shortly after the injury, embittered and jaded by the course of events, wanting once again to team up with Styles, but it was too late. London took exception to his perception that Styles was blowing him off, and the two had a short but heated feud against one another. Fans were left with the huge "what if" of these two together as a tag team—sadly, it never happened.
Why We Enjoyed Them: London had the heart of a champion but a sort of wacky "Let it hang loose" style of dealing with issues. This time around, London could not let the issue be, and by forcing the issue it led to one hell of a match at Night of the Grudges. Both men beat the hell out of each other in a physical contest that concluded in a draw.

Best ROH Match as a Team n/a
Best ROH Match as Opponents Night of the Grudges- Cambridge, MA 6/14/03; Styles vs. Ki vs. London One Year Anniversary Show- Queens, NY 2/8/03



Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro
Why They Dysfunctioned: Before Shane Hagadorn enlisted with Adam Pearce, it was Sal Rinauro who was the OM (Original Manservant) of Ring of Honor. He was enlisted (or brainwashed, or … well, who knows, I won't care to speculate) into The Embassy and became the lackey of "the crown jewel" of Prince Nana's organization. He would often do the dirty work during a tag match, or come from behind and attack Rave's opponent in order for his team to take advantage. However, Rinauro would just as often screw up what he was supposed to do. He did not live up to expected job performance and as such, he would have to pay the price…usually a slap to the face by either Rave or by his boss Nana. Rinauro desperately wanted to be accepted by The Embassy, so he would suffer any indignity to stay in their good graces. Sounds familiar doesn't it (see below)? He took it in stride and played it off like it was cool, but by the end of his ride with DA EM BAH SEE, you could tell the abuse was getting to him. Finally Rave had enough of the losses and put the full weight of them on Rinauro, leaving him out in the cold so he could become a more serious wrestler and work his way to a title shot.

Why We Enjoyed Them: Who doesn't enjoy slapstick humor, emphasis on the slap? Rinauro looked so goofy in his Embassy get up as well, so to me he was practically asking for the whupping he got at the hands of his own stablemates. I also enjoyed the wacky antics of The Embassy as a whole, so Rinauro fit right in with that whole attitude and behavior. I really enjoyed his debut with The Embassy, being revealed from underneath a sheet like it was one of the best surprises in the world made public.

Best ROH Match as a Team vs. Colt Cabana & Jay Lethal, Death Before Dishonor 4- Philadelphia, PA 7/15/06
Best ROH Match as Opponents n/a



Chris Hero & Bobby Dempsey
Why They Dysfunctioned: Chris Hero thinks he is one of, if not THE best athlete in the world. Bobby Dempsey doesn't look or act as the best athlete in the world. Maybe the best eater at the local Big Boy, but that's hardly good enough. Chris Hero resents Bobby Dempsey's place in Ring of Honor and acts accordingly. He was brought in as a project by Tank Toland to be reshaped and changed into an "Adonis", but…well, the results (or lack thereof) speak for themselves. Hero is disgusted by Dempsey and abuses him any chance he gets. Dempsey, meanwhile, takes the abuse because he wants to be accepted by Hero, Larry Sweeney and the rest of Sweet & Sour Incorporated. Dempsey is often the butt of jokes and the scapegoat of that clique, but he severs that function quite well enough for them to keep him around.

Why We Enjoyed Them: Again, who doesn't like to see slapstick humor like Dempsey getting beaten about by Hero and company? I have to admit, it's entertaining to see Dempsey being slapped, or used as a prop in order to cause interference. It's even better when it backfires and Dempsey ends up squashing someone on his team. Fat jokes rarely get old, so whether its squat competitions, cookie temptations, being pulled like a reindeer and a sled or sneaking in a Snickers bar in the Sauna, Dempsey's antics are always good for a laugh.

Best ROH Match as a Team n/a
Best ROH Match as Opponents n/a


Honorarium

-ROH is featuring an article about Necro being caught in between Aries and Jacobs. There is a picture of Necro balling up his firsts and making a mean grimace, complete with country bumpkin / bum hairstyle. The caption reads "the war is on a cerebral level." Sure, Ring of Honor sure…I can just imagine Necro doing the New York Times crossword while smoking a pipe and resting on a velvet lounge chair to introduce the latest edition of Masterpiece Theatre.

-Ryan Byers talked up a bit the possibility of Brodie Lee coming over to ROH from CHIKARA in our recent buy or sell. After watching Lee vs. Claudio Castagnoli on one of the recent CHIKARA shows I can certainly echo that sentiment. Lee is a bigger man, has a unique look (the trucker outfit crossed with the Jason Lee look I mentioned the week previous) and is finding himself and his style within the ring. The booking of Lee and Castagnoli as rivals in CHIKARA was inspired. I'd love to see him make an appearance within the confines of an Honor ring.

-Also of note as far as talent on the radar in need of long term booking within ROH is Silas Young. He is getting good receptions from the crowds, not just in Detroit where the use of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" scores automatic major bonus points. I like Silas in the ring—he's confident and competent in what he does and matches up well size wise and stylistically against the wrestlers currently on the roster. I absolutely loved his brief but fierce encounter against Austin Aries from the recent Return Engagement show. More Young please, and keep him as a babyface!

-I can't say I like MsChif to the Age of the Fall. Yes, I get how she fits in with the group; especially with the dark and gothic look she goes for and how she is a misfit from the "Barbie doll" pretty girl look. Personally, I don't like to see her as a heel. I'd rather cheer for her and get into her act as a babyface. I also thought the addition of MsChif at the recent Chicago show was out of left field and completely random, but here's hoping they tie her inclusion it a bit more closely on future DVDs.

-I find it amazing that last week Jacobs kissed Austin Aries on the lips during their heated grudge match and there hasn't been all that much reaction to that across the internet community. Is it that the news got overlooked in the wake of other major stories this week? Have we gotten to the point where that isn't such a controversial issue anymore? I can recall when Goldust and Razor Ramon has their tete-a-tete and everyone was talking about their feud…is it that now a "kiss" between two men (whether it's a kiss of death or a homo-erotic one ala The Christopher Street Connection) has almost just become a "spot" in a match like you'd find in any other match? Some food for thought on this one, as I don't really have a lot of answers.

-Do people with a New England accent say SHIMMA? Or Ring of Honah?


Going Home

Honor System: following what's naughty and what's not in ROH:

Honorable
|
shaking hands with opponents after a competitive tag match that evens up a series
|
giving high fives to the crowd after stick a landing right onto a chair
|
singing along to "Don't Stop Believing"

|
throwing streamers at a man in obvious pain from seeing his girl kiss another man
|
stabbing a man in the wrist as a result of the obvious pain of seeing your girl kiss another man
|
kissing another man's girl
|
Dishonorable



Name That Tune Week 40

Clue: drunk Punk
Lyric:"He who tries, will be wasted / Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut"

This was an obvious an easy reference to the CM Punk / Raven incident from Death Before Dishonor I where Punk was forced to drink beer after the unlikely appearance of ECW's Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer's theme song was "Man in the Box" by Alice n'Chains. Who hit the bottom of the barrel and went off the wagon to find this week's answer?

This Week's Winners (listed in order of entry)
Zack Danielson (two weeks in a row the first to send in his response—good job!)
Bman
411 Alumnus and RBR host Nick Marsico-"I THINK ITS TOMMY DREAMERS SONG CALLED MAN IN THE BOX BY ALICE IN CHAINS AM I RIGHT I THINK I AM CUZ THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CORRECT ANSWER I THINK"
Nikolai Nygard
411's own Chris Landsell
Jeremy Sirio
Jed Shaffer (he of Wrestlecrap.com )
Guest#6576 (Guest) off of the comments
Bill Eldredge
Frank Rapp

It was an easier one last week and that brought out a ton of people, so congrats to all those who played and thanks as always for emailing.

This is the LAST WEEK of Name That Tune! So let's make this one count and play Name that Tune! for this week, July 5th, 2008!
To send out the game, here are a trio of songs for you to guess at! And here's an overall hint—none of these are ROH themes!

1. Clue: WCW Monday Night…
Lyric: "rests his head on a pillow made of concrete"

2. Clue: leather and plaid
Lyric: "One goes to the morgue and the other to jail / One guy's wasted and the other's a waste"

3. Clue: BANG!
Lyric: "Here we are now / Entertain us"

What's the name of each song and the artist?

Send in your answers here and if you're correct I'll list your name in next week's column!


**The Independent Buy In**

2008
**CHIKARA "Cibernetico & Robin" (Torneo Cibernetico: Kings of Wrestling vs. Dorado's Luchadores, The Olsen Twins / Cheech & Cloudy, Quackenbush / Donst, The Colony / BLK OUT ) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA "Brusied" (Kingston / Donst, Campeones de Parejas: F.I.S.T. vs. Incoherence / Castagnoli / Taylor, The Colony / Brodie Lee & Olsen Twins, Cheech & Cloudy / Osirian Portal ) High Recommendation
**Pro Wrestling NOAH "Special Budokan Double Shot"7/15 & 9/9/07 (Determination League Semi Finals & Finals, NTV Cup Finals)High Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1 (Castagnoli / Williams, Evans / Pac, Black / Shelley, Aries / Strong, PWG Tag Titles: Generico & Steen / Dragon Kid & Susumu Yokosuka)Medium Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2 (CIMA / Tornado, Steen / Butcher, McGuinness / Richards, Kid / Yokosuka) Low Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 3 (the entire show) High Recommendation
**Shimmer Volume 11 (Sarah Stock / MsChif, Sarah Stock / Cheerleader Melissa, Sara Del Rey / Cindy Rogers, Nikki Roxx / Lacey, Daizee Haze / Malia Hosaka, Allison Danger / Hosaka)High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 12 (Del Rey / Lacey, Del Rey / Sarah Stock, Haze / Lacey, Portuguese Princess Ariel / Josie / Nikki Roxx / Portia Perez, Melissa & MsChif / Lexie Fyfe & Hosaka)High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 13 (Melissa / Portuguese Princess Ariel, "Dark Angel" Sarah Stock / Daizee Haze, Portia Perez / MsChif, Del Rey & Roxx vs. Rain & Lacey, O'Neal vs. Melissa) Medium Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 14 (SHIMMER Title: Del Rey / Lacey, Nikki Roxx / Amazing Kong, Two out of Three falls: Allison Danger / Cindy Rogers, Portuguese Princess Ariel / Amber O'Neal) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA The Battle of Who Could Care Less (Incoherence & Tim Donst / BLK OUT, Claudio Castagnoli & Equinox / Hero & Hawke, Lince Dorado & Pantera / Olsen Twins, Quackenbush & The Colony / F.I.S.T. / Osirian Portal) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA The Sordid Perils of Everyday Existence (Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / Cheech & Cloudy, Lucha de Apresta: Chris Hero / Equinox, F.I.S.T., Ellis, Ryder / Quack / Donst / Super Smash Bros.) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA Chapter 11 (Hallowicked / Kingston, Colony / Super Smash Brothers & Shane Storm, Tex-Arkana Title Match: Alvarez / Sweeney, Quack, Trik Davis & Helios / Shayne Hawke & The Osirian Portal, MIYAWAKI, Hasegawa & Pantera / Cheech & Cloudy & Delirious) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 15 (SHIMMER Title: Sara Del Rey / Amazing Kong, Daizee Haze / Sara Stock, Cheerleader Melissa / Alexa Thatcher, Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew / Ariel & Josie, Sereena Deeb / Jetta) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women's Athletes Volume 16 (SHIMMER Title Two Out of Three Falls: Sara Del Rey / Sara Stock, Amazing Kong / Cheerleader Melissa, Daizee Haze MsChif & Eden Black / Lacey, Rain & Jetta, Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews / Ariel & Josie, Sereena Deeb / Jetta) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One (Castagnoli, Lince Dorado & Ophidian / Quackenbush, Donst & Amasis, Kingston / Storm, Colony / F.I.S.T., Moravian Greyhound / Zombie Plantain / Hydra)Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night One (Colony / Go, Nakazawam Shimizu, Osirian Portal & Mecha Mummy / Quackenbush, Storm & Skayde, Cheech & Cloudy & M.C. KZ / Quackenbush, Storm & Skayde, Delirious, Hallowicked & Helios / The Cartel) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night Two (Player Uno, Stupified & El Generico / Cannon & North Star Express, Lince, Pantera & Incognito / Los Ice Creams & Glacier, Sweet & Sour Inc. / F.I.S.T. & Taylor, Donst, Gulak & Sumner / Fabulous Three / ) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night Three (KOT Quarter, Semi Finals & Finals, Tag Team Gauntlet) High Recommendation

This section needs your help! If you want to recommend some good independent wrestling to your fellow internet readers out there, drop me a line for the column.

Get With the pROHgram:

Here's another new feature to the column I'd like to test out. Each week I'll give a brief synopsis of what to watch for in the world of Ring of Honor.

July 25th, 2008 – Toronto, CAN: Kevin Steen vs. Nigel McGuinness: Steen gets his hands on McGuinness one more time and its in front of a favorable home country fanbase.

July 26th, 2008 –Detroit, MI: ROH's Eight PPV Taping: A lot of storyline directions and the future of title programs are going to be revealed through the course of events on this show. Its an important one to keep an eye on.

August 1st, 2008 - Manassas, VA: Motor City Machine Guns invade ROH: The attempts to bring in huge numbers for a relatively new market continues with appearances from the only TNA contracted talent making appearances for the company. Also appearing: Pro Wrestling NOAH's Naomichi Marufuji

August 2nd, 2008 - Manhattan, NY: Motor City Machine Guns vs. El Generico & Kevin Steen: The fans have been craving for a dream match between El Generico & Kevin Steen and Detroit's finest. Now Manhattan, known for big time matches, will be the location for this match.


ROH @ 411

John Gregory has the review of the most recent ROH DVD release, the much anticipated Hammerstein Ballroom debut, A New Level featuring Castagnoli vs. McGuinness for the ROH World Title.

J.D. Dunn is just a few shows behind Gregory (as am I) and has his latest review, for ROH Return Engagement with Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Briscoes II and all of the drama between Austin Aries, Jimmy Jacobs and Lacey.

Larry Conska goes retro SHIMMER, looking at Volume 6.

It's a six man mayhem match for this week's Independent's Day Buy or Sell, including yours truly and tons of comments on ROH, PWG, Japan and more.

Michael Weyer looks to shine a spotlight on why some internet message board commenters love to hate on Ring of Honor.



Honor Bound Links

I'm back in the music zone for a limited engagement. My new column, The iTune in is a blog style look at my sampling of the week's new music.

Slimmer has a very interesting column up today about the business of being a wrestling fan / consumer.

Alex Mattis has his views on CM Punk as World Heavyweight Champion.. Just thought I needed to mention that again.

Bayani's talking about his personal life and what happens after wrestling in this week's Truth B Told.

So next week is the Third Anniversary Celebration for Column of Honor! And I've got... I've got... I've got nothing guys... well, okay, I'm sure I'll do something, I just haven't thought of it yet. So celebrate good times, come on! I'll see you next week and as always thanks for reading.

BROOKLYN!
-Ari-