Column of Honor: 09.13.08: Fall Fashion Issue

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 09.13.2008

Results from the first night of ROH’s second annual tour of Japan, a preview of the 200th show tonight, ROH’s latest T-shirt releases in time for the new Fall season, and my thoughts and comments on Vendetta II, Northern Navigation and Fueling The Fire!

Thanks to JP Nichols last week for the correction on FIP not having ever run in Coral Springs, FL.
Welcome to the Column.



Ring Toss
-ROH Results: ROH in Japan Night One
-ROH Call
-ROH News
-My Fave Five
-Honorarium
-ROH Preview: ROH's 200th Show—Tokyo, Japan
-Black T-Shirt Squad
-Honor System
-The Song Book
-Ringtones
-Independent Buy In
-ROH @ 411
-Honor Bound Links

ROH in Japan Night One; September 13th, 2008 from Differ Ariake in Tokyo

Matches

-YAMATO defeated Eddie Edwards with the Galeria (Reverse Suplex into a Michinoku Driver).
-Austin Aries defeated Ryo Saito via submission with the Last Chancery.
-Roderick Strong defeated Davey Richards via pinfall with the Gibson Driver.
-The team of Open the Dragon Gate Champion SHINGO, Dragon Kid and El Generico defeated the team of BxB Hulk, Naruki Doi and Masato Yoshino when El Generico pinned Yoshino after a brainbuster.
-"American Dragon" Bryan Danielson defeated ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness in a non-title match via pinfall with an inside cradle.
-ROH World Tag Team Champions The Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black retained their titles by defeating challengers The Briscoes via submission with The End Time on Jay Briscoe.


Sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp

Angles & Issues

Courtesy Gabe Saplosky's tour diary:

-Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black attacked Aries after his match against Ryo Saito. Jacobs locked in the End Time and Aries lost consciousness. Jacobs then claimed that "The Age Of The Fall would cause chaos in Japan."

-After his victory against Davey Richards (match went 25 minutes), "Strong had some words for Kensuke Sasaki on the mic after the contest to build up tomorrow's match."

-After defeating Nigel McGuinness in the non-title fight, "Bryan got on the mic and said he just defeated the ROH World Champion and tomorrow he will go after the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title."


ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 09/13/2008

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 25 successful defenses)
-defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense: vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Tokyo, Japan, 09/14/08

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.
V.21 defeated Kevin Steen, Lariat off Turbuckle, (07/25/08, Toronto, ONT, CN)
V.22 defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Jawbreaker Lariat (07/26/08, Detroit, MI)
V.23 defeated Ruckus, London Dungeon (08/01/08, Manassas, VA)
V.24 Four Way Elimination Match: defeated Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black & Claudio Castagnoli (08/02/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.25 defeated El Generico, London Dungeon (08/15/08, Cleveland, OH )

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—The Age of the Fall (champions since 06/06/08, 3 successful defenses)
-won an eight man, single elimination tournament on June 6th in Hartford, CT to determine new champions

Next Defense:vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico, Boston, MA 09/19/08

V.1 defeated Austin Aries & Bryan Danielson (06/07/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.2 defeated Go Shiozaki & Naomichi Marufuji (08/01/08, Manassas, VA)
V.3 defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe (09/13/08, Tokyo, Japan )

**

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 Re-recognized in this column 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)

**
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion: Brent Albright (since 08/02/2008)
-defeated Adam Pearce via submission to win the title.
FIP Heavyweight Champion: Go Shiozaki (since 08/23/2008) * NEW CHAMPION
-defeated Erick Stevens via pinfall with help from the Heartbreak Enterprises to win the title.
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
-Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli
-Nigel McGuinness defends the belt against top contenders
-Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs vs. Necro Butcher
-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
-Delirious as a part of AotF


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

Hartford, CT Show Moved to Danbury

The Ring of Honor show scheduled for Friday, October 24th at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford, CT has been moved to the Danbury Police Athletic League Building, 35 Hayestown Road, Danbury, CT 06811. All tickets purchased for Hartford will be honored in Danbury. We apologize to anybody who is inconvenienced by the switch. Already signed for this event are Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (The Motor City Machine Guns).

Both venues are pretty large buildings, so no really loss of seating or sightlines either way for those who look to attend the show.


Pay Per Feud

We have learned that Austin Aries will take on a member of The Age Of The Fall at the PPV taping on 9/19 in Boston. There is no telling what might happen between Aries and The Age Of The Fall on pay-per-view.

Tag Team Scramble action will be part of the PPV taping at the Boston University campus on 9/19. There is nothing like a Tag Team Scramble on ROH PPV. These always steal the show with intense, action-packed, high-flying, fast-paced, daredevil action. It will pit The Vulture Squad of Ruckus & Jigsaw vs. The YRR of Jason Blade & Kenny King vs. TBA vs. the loser of the Briscoe/Jacobs & Black bout on 9/13 in Tokyo.

Aries' feud against Jacobs and Age of the Fall has some good continuity on the PPV tapings, beginning with the tag team title match at Respect is Earned II and the brawl with Jacobs at the upcoming New Horizons show. Jacobs and Black are busy defending the titles on that show, so the only official male Age of the Fall member who is left and is a regular of the ROH roster would be Delirious. Aries vs. Delirious isn't a bad match at all to add onto the PPV. The returns of Zack Gowen or Joey Matthews are distant possibilities, but the Delirious option is the most likely. The last major scramble took place at Rising Above and was a very well received bout, so this one will have a lot to live up to but has enough manpower right now to do so. Now we know with the loss in Japan that The Briscoes will be involved in this match. The TBA is supposed to include someone who requested to be in the match, someone we would be surprised by. The only person who really jumped in my mind was Claudio, but he's already booked in a triple threat elimination on that show. Maybe Necro Butcher on his own?

Here is how the Boston PPV is shaping up:

ROH World Title Match
McGuinness/Jacobs 9/14 Winner defends vs. Roderick Strong

World Tag Team Title Match
Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black defend vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico

Three Way Elimination Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. FIP World Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki

Tag Team Scramble Match
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Vulture Squad of Ruckus & Jigsaw vs. The YRR of Jason Blade & Kenny King vs. TBA


FIP Title Match Added to the Glory

"Glory By Honor VII" on Sept. 20th in Philadelphia, PA at the historic New Alhambra/former ECW Arena is destined to add to the legend of that building. Just signed is new FIP World Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki's first title defense. It will be Shiozaki vs. Kevin Steen!!! If Steen wins he will immediately be added to all upcoming FIP events. This could be the biggest weekend in the career of Kevin Steen as he could leave Boston on 9/19 as half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions with El Generico. Then on 9/20 he could walk out as FIP World Heavyweight Champion!!!

Erick Stevens vs. Rhett "Addicted To Love" Titus has been added to the 9/20 Philly event. Can Stevens get back on track after losing the FIP Title or will Rhett's stock continue to climb with a big win?

Shiozaki and Steen have fought previously in the finals of the number one contender's tournament back in February. Steen took that one, so likely Shiozaki takes this one, especially considering Shiozaki's FIP rivalries are going to be predominately against Erick Stevens and Roderick Strong. Stevens vs. Titus is going to be one of those matches where you want the big power guy to roll over the annoying d-bag anatagonist. It should be fun.


Aries vs. Jacobs in Orlando

ROH presented two of its best and most memorable shows of the year last March in Orlando. It was on those shows that Lacey left with Austin Aries. Now ROH is set to return to Orlando on 10/11 with another huge card. It is only fitting that the Jimmy Jacobs vs. Austin Aries feud will continue in Orlando. 10/11 will witness Aries vs. Jacobs and the stipulation will be announced in the upcoming weeks!!! This will be a violent one.

Would this be Aries vs. Jacobs II or III? Would you consider their fight at New Horizons an "official match" that ended in a no-contest or a match that never got started? These are the questions I stay up at night thinking about…well, no, not really. Anyway, after their first bout set the tone, I expect more of the same intensity and grudge style fighting through this one. And while Aries drew first blood in singles matches, I expect Jacobs to even the score here.


Fittest Field, Shiozaki vs. Strong FIP Title Match Announced

The entire field for "Survival Of The Fittest 2008" on 10/10 in Coral Springs, FL has been announced. These athletes will compete in six single matches during the first half of the card. The winners of those bouts will then go to the elimination match main event. The winner of that one will be "Survival Of The Fittest" champion and receive a future shot at the ROH World Title. There will be a new "Survival Of The Fittest" Champion this year as only those who have not won the tourney are allowed in it. Someone will have a chance to either climb the card or get a ROH World Title shot. The 12 participants for ROH's debut in Coral Springs, FL are:
-Austin Aries
-Jerry Lynn
-Kevin Steen
-El Generico
-Tyler Black
-Davey Richards
-Chasyn Rance
-Kenny King
-Jimmy Jacobs
-Mitch Franklin
-Erick Stevens
-The Necro Butcher

-The single qualifying bouts will be announced starting next week in the ROHwrestling.com Newswire.

The Coral Springs, FL debut event keeps getting bigger and bigger. Just signed this week is Roderick Strong vs. FIP World Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki. If Shiozaki is still champ he will put the belt on the line in Coral Springs, FL.

This is a very strong field, although the strongest of contenders with two exceptions had already been announced in the weeks before. Jimmy Jacobs added to the field is a matter of intrigue since he may very well be ROH World Champion at the time. He would be in the field as a "stopper" to ensure no one else could win a title shot against him. Even without being the champion, major options are out there in booking Jacobs vs. Black in a qualifier or Jacobs vs. Necro (the more likely of the two options). OR, Jacobs, Black, Aries and Necro could all be involved in the finals, thus upping the bragging rights for the tournament, Jacobs possibly putting a block on Aries winning the match, and so on and so forth. Other additions include Chasyn Rance, which means there is a solid YRR presence in the tourney with both him and King. Mitch Franklin is in there as the unofficial ROH student nominee that usually gets selected for the tournament. However two years ago the students were pulled out of the tourney in favor of other, larger names, so we'll see if that sticks. Shiozaki vs. Strong is the title bout that was to be signed according to last week's newswire tease. It certainly indicates that FIP is going to once again place emphasis on Strong, as a face, challenging for the FIP title.


SHIMMER Opens Wrestling School

The SHIMMER wrestling course is now here for women that are serious about learning to be a pro wrestler. The head trainer is Daizee Haze and classes are conducted at the ROH Wrestling School in Bristol, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. For more information email: [e-mail]

So really, what this means is that the ROH wrestling school is now accepting women. Okay, I'm sure Daizee will be training the newbies specifically towards working a match against other women. And maybe half-lizard men.


Hey I Can Hear You Listening On Another Receiver!

We have learned that Austin Aries and Alex Shelley have had some phone conversations lately about the 10/25 Edison, NJ event. We'll have more in the upcoming weeks right here in the ROHwrestling.com Newswire. Shelley & Chris Sabin, The Motor City Machine Guns, will make their final visit to ROH in 2008 on 10/24 in Hartford and 10/25 in Edison. Their opponents will be announced after the 9/20 "Glory By Honor VII" event.

We're getting those Generation Next reunion rumors ready! Or at least Aries and the Guns in a six man against Age of the Fall. Either way, it sounds awesome.


ROH Home Theatre Station

Jimmy Jacobs with an important message…






1. Rey Mysterio & Evan Bourne : I think we have found the next new best tag team in WWE. Rey and Bourne were magic together in the tag match against Miz and Morrison. Bourne has been pretty much exclusively on ECW over the last two months, but he came to Raw and got over in a heartbeat with his fantastic moves and a different, refreshing personality based more on the old school good guy than anything else. He pulls out these moves with such precision that he made the back drop to the outside into the hurricanrana spot look easy! Take that Petey Williams! (I kid). Bourne(as well as having Miz and Morrison as opponents) even helped upped Rey's game back up several levels after his injury—619 was pulling out some trademark moves that hadn't seen the light of day since he returned. I know this team probably won't last or stick considering the overall poor state of the tag division in WWE these days and that Rey is going to be consumed with this feud with Kane over the next several months. I just think WWE should say "forget that" and go all in on this combination—they were electric together and could continue to be so.
2. The Motor City Machine Guns : Speaking of state of the art tag teams, I continue to enjoy the special guest appearances by the MCMGs in Ring of Honor. I don't think they've had a bad, or even average match in ROH during 2008. I should also note their technopunk ring fashion, which is very different from what many wrestlers wear these days.
3. "Addicted to Love" Rhett Titus: A surprise pick at number three? Not if you look at the size of these thighs…or at least that's what Rhett would tell you. I really enjoy Titus's smarmy ladies man character and the last several ROH DVDs have featured him in backstage vignettes showing the "Daizee Haze Video" he created. His interactions with some of the ROH peanut gallery have been very entertaining. Not only did it help to get over his persona, but it also helps to create a cohesive and alive "backstage" environment in this current era of ROH…something I think that was missing on recent releases.
4. Randy Orton: The build up to the next generation stable is primarily on his shoulders and the reactions he gives to DeBiase and Rhodes. So far Orton has hit a home run every time out. I love the fact that he calls them out for not being dastardly enough. He is still a heel, but when he heels out on the heels the fans cheer for him…but I think that will soon end when he finally accepts them as being worthy of his time and attention. Afa Jr. / Manu looks goofy though.
5. Larry Sweeney: He has perfected the art of heeling out on the crowd and getting them to boo him in response as opposed to cheering for the "cool" factor of his heel actions. That was a bit of a problem at the beginning of the year (a part of how the whole Danger / Dempsey incident spiraled out of control) but he has resolved that in a major way. He insults the fans, cheats in an infuriating way during the match, and annoyingly roots on for his men—like when he tries to get the crowd to chant for Shane Hagadorn--Shane Hagadorn of all people—during Fueling the Fire in Manassas, VA.


Honorarium

-I haven't really seen this mentioned elsewhere, although it is a minor point. ROH changed up its main menu screen presentation about seven or eight DVDs back. Instead of a looping video (most of which by this time featured matches and a roster from several years back), ROH has gone with a still photo replica of the DVD cover. The main menu actually looks quite a bit more professional than it did before, so kudos to whoever made that call.

-Jerry Lynn returned at Vendetta II and it was everything I thought it would be. The strong tie into the past (Lynn vs. McGuinness from At Our Best in 2004) was frequently mentioned, by McGuinness in the pre match promo and by Prazak and Leonard on commentary. Lynn played a good babyface role here, looking to show McGuinness that age was only a number. He kept pace with McGuinness and both of them had some very nice wrestling sequences, trading holds and roll ups. The finish played up the veteran wiles of Lynn, as Nigel couldn't take him out with his lariat barrage, so he had to resort to a never-seen-before, unique pinning combination to get the job done. While I was always a big fan of Lynn's going back to ECW (it went Taz first, then Dreamer, then RVD and then Lynn), this match further shows that Lynn should be a regular part of the roster if he is available for consistent bookings.

-The release of Vendetta II and Northern Navigation means both of the Danielson vs. Castagnoli matches are available for viewing. These are the two matches they had before Claudio turned heel and smashed Danielson to bits with the steel chair in New York City. I enjoyed the fun and freewheeling nature of the first match in Chicago but felt the match had some major slow spots in the middle of the match that dragged it down. I did laugh like a crazy fool when they exchanged airplane spins and big swings and then Danielson picked up Sinclair for the airplane spin. I love that Danielson was hesitant and first but then when the crowd asked for it, he was all for it. The Northen navcigation match was not only set at a faster pace, but had more chain sequences (which I love) and a more dramatic finishing stretch where it seemed any of each wrestler's trademark moves would be enough to finish it (I didn't get this feeling in the Vendetta II match). This is where it also became audible for the first time that the fans were starting to grow cool on Claudio. The Canadian fans were totally into Danielson and were cheering him like mad. They would boo Claudio despite him not really doing anything heel-worthy; they just supported Danielson over Castagnoli and wanted to see one win much more than the other. They booed Castagnoli attempting the Mexican Surfboard (a Danielson trademark) but had no problems with Danielson using the "Hey!" chants (Claudio's marquee calling card). This is when Claudio began to be the subtle heel, by allowing Danielson to do the chant and seeming amused by it at first, but then attacking him right afterwards. Also of note is that Danielson seemed to be unintentionally rubbing the win in Claudio's face after the match. I'm not sure the exact circumstances (maybe someone reading who was at the show can fill me in on this), but Danielson called in a way excited fan into the ring (in itself an odd but interesting moment) and asked him who the best wrestler in the world was. Who do you think the guy named? No, not Bobby Dempsey.

The first Danielson vs. Castagnoli match to me was about ***1/2 while Northern Navigation match ranked at about **** - ****1/4.

-While I really enjoy the "Young Knockout Kid" persona of Chris Hero and how the focus is now on his striking as a dangerous offensive weapon, I have to say I was worried about the overuse of the forearm KO shots in a match like the Lights Out match against Pelle Primeau. I don't have a problem with the harsh looking (and harsh sounding) strikes being used multiple times in a regular match just like I didn't have a problem with Nigel using multiple lariats in a match. However, if the objective is to knock a guy out for a ten count and the forearm doesn't do it…that seems to undermine the move far worse than overuse in a match.

For his part, Pelle put up a heck of an underdog fight even though the crowd didn't buy into his chances until Brent Albright came in tore apart Sweet & Sour Inc, giving Hero the half-nelson suplex.

-Speaking of Nigel's lariats, the regular, non Jawbreaker variations seem to have lost a little bit of speed in these last few matches, looking looser and not as impactful. Maybe that's a deliberate decision on his part, but it certainly allows for the possibility that the opponent will kick out of them. But I don't want to reopen that can of worms, so let's move on…

-Aries vs. Jacobs from Vendetta II hits my top ten match of the year list with a bullet. This was an awesome grudge match. The violence these two produced against each other helped to make this one live up to the initial build of the feud. The brawling around the ring was effective, the use of chairs and tables was minimal but well done, and even the run in late in the match worked well. Some of the simple stuff was the goriest, like when Jacobs would dig into Aries' flesh wound on his back. Sometimes I have to turn away from that kind of stuff. While the most talked about moment (and justifiably so) of the match when it initially occurred was Aries firing up with six missile dropkicks into the corner, what puts this match over the top for me is when Aries and Jacobs are just flowing into and out of attempts into The Last Chancery and The End Time. They come up with some brilliant escapes and negotiations into the other move.

I believe I mentioned this a few months ago, but I am still surprised that the Aries-Jacobs "kiss" moment from that match didn't get the kind of attention or controversial reaction it would have received probably just a few years back. Instead it was just used as a "spot" in the match to further show how deep the mind games the both of them were playing against each other. Although it did cause a brief rally of anger and fury from Aries, ala Roddy Piper and Goldust. Or maybe someone saw that tape of Heath Herring KO'ing that Japanese dude in a Pride MMA match.

Jacobs's new, full Mohawk hairstyle scares me. But that's likely the point. He looks like one dude you DO NOT want sitting next to you on an airplane.

-Chris Hero can't help but be cheered by a large section of fans, even in Canada.

-Kenny Omega had a real solid match against Delirious at Northern Navigation. Although the fans in attendance didn't seem to know who he was upon his initial entrance, the moment Bobby Cruise announced he was from Canada the fans were alive and supporting of him. He showed a good balance of fundamentals and flashy moves. No doubt in my mind he would fit right in ROH as it refers to inside the ring. He has a bit of a quirky personality that you could take in several directions, so I don't know quite where he fits in with angles and storylines just right now. I do welcome seeing more of him in the future.

-The Vendetta II-Northern Navigation-Fueling the Fire sequence of the Daizee Haze storyline progresses the storyline very well. We get to see Rhett showing off his true nature by showing the videos backstage and by NOT saving Daizee when she was attacked by Sara Del Rey (in fact he ran out on her). Then Delirious proves himself and his valor to Daizee by protecting her and taking a big shot from Del Rey. In response Daizee tells him about her appreciation…then at Fueling the Fire, she shows her appreciation by kissing him on the cheek. Delirious raising his arms in a moment of "Victory!" (/entourage) was a terrific climax to this continual slow build...and now we know how it ends up for everyone, also quite the tragic moment. Daizee wasn't the best actor / promo in the behind the scenes vignettes, but the little things she did in her interactions with Delirious help to make up for that.

-Stevens vs. Shiozaki started off a bit slow and sludge-like and I have to say I was worried…this was the combination we would be seeing more of in FIP? However, the match picked up quite well and they found their groove. They could have done a better job in the last minute not telegraphing the time limit draw, but at least Sweeney used the draw to continue to heel out against Canada, leading into Lance Storm's appearance.

-Only Lance Storm could get away with wearing Under Armor with Denim jeans. He makes it look cool. By the way, his superkick on Hagadorn was lights out and spot on.

-Naomichi Marufuji may have been the unsung MVP of the late summer in ROH. I just finished watching his match against Roderick Strong from Northern Navigation and my god, was that just an awesome match to watch. Fantastic action and sequences that looked like these two were really trying to go after each other, but with well timed escapes and dodges that built one after the other. That combined with his terrific outing against Go Shiozaki at Death Before Dishonor VI in Manhattan proves that he deserves to be considered among the upper echelon of wrestlers across the entire industry. The man obviously doesn't speak or cut promos but he can get you into his match without any problems at all. The same can be said for Roderick Strong, who is also on a roll with awesome efforts as a babyface in matches against Marufuji, Chris Hero and Necro Butcher. Yes, Strong's weak spot is his promo work, but when he pulls out such efforts against Marufuji in the ring, THAT's what counts to getting him over. Strong's positives outweigh his negatives by a large margin. He may never be a wordsmith along the lines of Jimmy Jacobs—but he doesn't have to be. You don't have to be great at ALL aspects of the wrestling industry to be considered great.

-Bryan Danielson's reaction to the Haze video: "you are a sad man. I pity you." Awesome.
-Todd Sinclair's reaction to the Haze video: "I…I shouldn't see this." He then leaves.
-Bobby Cruise's reaction to the Haze video: "I want to see this." He then takes a closer look.

Who knew Cruise was a closet perv?

Steve Corino.

-Steen coming out to part of the Canadian national anthem was pure genius…and his improvisation of grabbing one of the fan's Canadian flag and draping it over his back equally so. A surprising minority of support for Nigel could be seen and heard upon his entrance though…but Steen was definitely the majority favorite.

The match was in my opinion the best out of the three they had, with even smarter use of working a body part for both men. The constant attempts at the Steenshooter kept the crowd active, as did several segments where they brawled around the ring. Steen's senton from the top TO THE OUTSIDE and landing ON TOP of Nigel McGuinness may have been the most successful high risk to high reward moment of the year. He could have seriously hurt himself or Nigel if that went wrong…but it went right and we ended up with a truly memorable moment out of it. Unfortunately, I think the crowd figured out that Steen wasn't going to win when Nigel kicked out of the Package Piledriver (the first time he had done so in their series) and it knocked down the volume a peg (but didn't completely kill them). Steen got to show some face by kicking out of the Jawbreaker (which looked devastating), but fell victim to the closeline from the top turnbuckle position. Steen having no words for the crowd after his loss and tossing down the microphone in disappointment was poignant…although to be honest, I think it was moreso because some jerk fan in the crowd ruined the moment by yelling out Steen sucked or something like that .

-I always find it funny to realize that when I watch the videowires I see clips of matches from a recent event, but I never remember I've seen them when I actually watch the full event on DVD.

-I may have thought that The Briscoes were stale back in April when they won their fifth ROH tag team title, but now I am totally into them again. They had two very fun opening matches on consecutive nights (vs. Pearce & Hagadorn on Fueling the Fire and vs. Ruckus & Jigsaw at Death Before Dishonor VI). I really enjoyed the personality promo on the recent videowire where they were all goofy. Although guns and goofy don't really mix, it does when it comes to the Briscoes. I don't think I want to see them win the tag straps again, but I definitely want to see their matches, which is something I couldn't say back in April before Mark's injury.

-I knew I should have skipped Pelle Primeau vs. Rex Sterling…but I didn't…and I paid the price.

-Necro vs. Roderick Strong had me screaming out obscenities in reaction to how hard these two were hitting each other. The crack from Strong's enziguri hitting the back of Necro's head was cringe inducing. Likewise, the double missile tope sequence in the Machine Guns vs. Team Work match had me saying "wow" over and over again. I know something is badass when I talk out loud or yell in reaction to seeing it in the ring.

-Machine Guns vs. Teamwork—what can I really say to adequately express the excitement and entertainment of watching these two teams go at it? I would watch these two fight each other on every ROH show if I could.


ROH Preview: ROH's 200th Show: September 14th, 2008 Tokyo, Japan

Differ Ariake
4:00pm belltime
1-3-25 Ariake, Koto-Ku
Tokyo, Japan 135-0063

ROH World Title Match
Nigel McGuinness defends vs. Jimmy Jacobs

On the one hand, it would be ultimate chaos to see Jimmy Jacobs win the ROH World Title, even in controversial fashion. It's the two hundredth show and looking back 100 shows again, ROH lost to CZW on what have should have been a day of celebration. Could ROH once again be thrown into despair if Jacobs were to gain power on such an important date as the bicentennial show in ROH history? Nigel McGuinness is seemingly unstoppable, but he has not faced Jacobs in his current title run. He hasn't even felt the pain and suffering caused by The End Time Guillotine submission. McGuinness has escaped submission attempts by such masters as Danielson and Joe, but can he do it here against Jacobs? Not to say that Nigel is the underdog here, as his powerful offense may just steamroll the smaller and shorter Jacobs. The leader of The Age of the Fall is known for taking the punishment and keeping on keeping on, but a few lariats may change his tune. He should just ask his tag team partner Tyler Black about Nigel's seemingly never ending offensive charge at the end of the match.

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title Match
Yoshinobu Kanemaru defends vs. Bryan Danielson

Kanemaru has been Jr. Heavyweight champion for most of the year now (and is also one half of the Jr. Heavyweight tag champions), but Danielson has been a constant presence in the NOAH Junior scene. He is well respected and is usually booked to show his strengths and keep his reputation up amongst the fans. A title switch here is definitely plausible and may help to permanently solidify Danielson's reputation in Japan.

Dream Tag Team Match
Naomichi Marufuji & Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. KENTA & Kota Ibushi

Wrestlers from different Japanese promotions getting together to fight it out in a unique dream tag match. This is probably one of the biggest draws of the night if you are a fan of Puro. Its not so much that Marufuji and KENTA are on opposite sides (as they have been in NOAH tournaments over the last two year) but the heavy concentration on tag team moves and athleticism that excites the crowd and gets the blood pumping. I don't know how they can live up to the hype, but they likely will.

Kensuke Office vs. ROH (non-title)
GHC Heavyweight Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs. Roderick Strong

Just last week Sasaki unseated Takeshi Morishima for the GHC Heavyweight Title. I'm interested to see how he is received by the fans in attendance. Strong has the momentum of a win against Davey Richards to help sell that he has a chance against Sasaki, when realistically he doesn't. It may be a non-title situation but I still think there's a better chance a Playboy playmate will come knocking on my door asking for my "help" than there is one of Strong defeating Sasaki right now. So the entertainment factor will come from the chop exchanges and the suplex vs. backbreaker combinations, which is what it was always going to come down to for me anyway. I think the match will deliver to that extent and if they can come up with an exciting and dramatic finish, so much the better.

ROH Grudge Match
Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black

These two first fought in ROH during Unscripted IIIand put on a very cool opening match contest. Now the stakes have been raised much more since that match almost one year ago. Black is on the rise and could be one of the more important main even players in ROH for 2009. Aries is in the middle of a hotly contested feud against Jacobs and Age of the Fall, meaning a win against Black here would help his cause and a loss would be a feather in the cap of AotF. Jacobs has not bested Aries yet, but Black could get to do it first.

Special Attraction Tag Team Match
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Takeshi Morishima & Davey Richards

Its interesting to note that all four of these wrestlers are coming off losses. Morishima's GHC title loss obviously is the most high profile in Japan, but The Briscoes tag title match loss last night and Richards' loss to Strong are up there. Both sides need a win, which means both teams will fight hard. The Briscoes may have picked the wrong guy to use brawling on in Takeshi Morishima, because he can take a punch and give right back with a backdrop suplex. Richards looks to be the patsy here, because I just don't see Morishima eating a fall here but I don't see The Briscoes losing twice in a row in Japan, where they have a strong rep for being a tough team.

NOAH vs. ROH
Taiji Ishimori vs. El Generico

I mark out for Ishimori's speed and athletic ability…and of course I remain a huge fan of Generico for both his personality and his in-ring skills. I think both will go in with the mentality of "we should steal the show" and that will lead to some fantastic sequences between the two. Ishimori has the home field advantage but El Generico is increasing his stock in Japan with appearances in Dragon Gate as a part of Tozawa-juku. It could go either way.

Bonus Match
Eddie Edwards vs. Kazushi Miyamoto

Edwards is well known to the NOAH fanbase that will be attending this show, so a win isn't out of order here. It's just that Miyamoto is in tight with Sasaki so I'd expect politics to perhaps come into play and Miyamoto to come out as a winner.


Black T-Shirt Squad: Fall Fashion Issue 2008

Ah, once again Fall is heading its way to New York City and that means not only are the leaves falling and the trees turning colors, but it is also time for new fall fashions! It is Fashion Week in NYC after all, so in honor of the Kenneth Cole and Donna Karan's of the world, let's dip back into ROH's boutique and see who's walking down the catwalk with the latest in ROH T-shirts!



Necro Butcher: No Pain Allowed

Description: From the latest in the "serial killer" line of fashion comes Necro Butcher's latest shirt, complete with bloody axe and skull to show everyone you are the spitting image of Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer.

Hip: WWE has gone PG and is downplaying the blood and gore of wrestling, but NOT ROH! By not shirking from blood, ROH is endorsing all sorts of great bloodshedding activities, and I for one am appreciative of that fact. Also on a fun note, you can take the shirt into your local anthropologist and get all sorts of cool information on the skull displayed on the front.

Zip: ROH reveals its prejudiced nature with the slogan on the back of the T-shirt. "No Pain Allowed"? What did pain ever do to YOU, Ring of Honor?

Wear or Tear?: Avoid having this one on if you're going to do something professional, like say a job interview…UNLESS that job interview is for perhaps the position of "biker", "axe-man" or the role of Jason Vorhees in the upcoming 200th sequel.

Grade: C




Claudio Castagnoli: Ricola Bomb

Description: As opposed to the Necro Butcher shirt, this is from the ever increasing "Unabomber" line of clothing and apparel. We take the "Ricola Bomb" name and concept literally for this one, as Claudio's face is reshaped into a very disturbing looking red Swizz bomb. I know I'm scared.

Hip: Bombs with Fu-Manchus…very hip. Also, the Swizz Flag in the middle of your forehead could become the next Bhindi.

Zip: It's a bomb… with Claudio's face on it. How can I ever explain that one to my friends and not come off looking like some homicidal maniac? The only thing worse would be to wear that Necro Butcher shirt.

Wear or Tear?: The flourish of the rest of the shirt is too busy and the main concept is too much to begin with…maybe ROH should have just put the "Big Swing" shirts up for sale instead.
Grade: D




Steen & Generico

Description: Steen had his own shirt, but now we get the first ever Steen & Generico team shirt released by ROH. We get "defining" shots of both men, with Generico's profile nicely blending in with the black T-shirt and Steen on the other side, expressing his wrath and fury…or yelling at the waitress for more fries.

Hip: Yes, yes, we all know that ROH produces a large amount of black T-shirts because black is more slimming (although its not an uncommon tactic, as many band shirts and movie shirts are likewise produced), but in this case, the black color is a terrific choice because of how it blends in with both Generico and Steen, making their defining features (the mask, the moonsault silhouette, the grimaces of each) stand out that much more. Generico's exclamation point is clearly visible, so extra points on that one.

Zip: If you look carefully, Generico and Steen are "drawn" in two different styles. Maybe this was done on purpose to accentuate their unique personalities (Generico is more cartoon, while Steen is more photo-realistic and gritty). Or maybe that's just a convenient excuse. Also, could there be less effort done for the design on the back of the shirt? If you're going to be that generic (no pun intended) about it, then just don't put anything on the back at all.

Wear or Tear?: Its about damned time that Steen & Generico received their own T-shirt and its knocked out of the park on the first try. If the shirt was just the front it would be perfect, but as is its still a fantastic T-shirt and a must-buy.
Grade: A-




Sara Del Rey: Death Rey Tee

Description: …And now something for the ladies…and the men who are totally and completely confident in their masculinity. ROH seems to have agreed to sell some of the wrestler's own merchandise on the site. It began with Hero's superman shield and now Sara Del Rey's "Death Rey" shirt, which previous to this you could only really get from her myspace or at the live shows. It's a simple concept, the play on words for her last name and a design of a sci-fi ray gun on the front.

Hip:Mustard yellow is different than all the black T-shirts currently for sale, so if you're looking for color diversity, there you go. I know this shirt is also sold in multiple colors elsewhere. The heavy boldface highlighting of the death ray is also pretty cool. It's a nifty little gun.

Zip: Well, if you're not a serial killer or a terrorist, you're going to be confused with a sci-fi geek if you wear this particular shirt. Get ready for plenty of strange looks…and maybe a few people randomly coming up to you and asking who would win in a lightsaber duel, Yoda or Vader?

Wear or Tear?: It's a Sara Del Rey shirt and it's a cool concept. I'd wear it…but then again…I'm comfortable in my masculinity. Now if you excuse me, I have to go drink some beers and check out those pics of Megan Fox.
Grade: B

There you have it…the latest shirt releases, which will make you either the biggest nerd on your block or the biggest weirdo. Your call. For now, the T-shirt stand is closed.


Going Home

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

Honorable
|
helping Daizee Haze by taking a strike meant for her.
|
being told you are appreciated by Daizee Haze.
|
kissed on the cheek…or mask cheek, by Daizee Haze.
|
attacking Daizee Haze and knocking her out with an axe kick.
|
leaving Daizee Haze to be attacked by others and not coming to her defense.
|
willing to jump on top of Daizee Haze in order to hit your opponent in a match.
|
Dishonorable



*NEW Feature: The Songbook :

The last interactive feature in this column asked fans to guess a wrestler's entrance music based on lyrics from that song. Now I'm asking for the opposite. Tell me which song you would give to a particular wrestler. For instance and since we were just discussing it:

Daizee Haze—"Because I Got High" (Afroman)

So tell me, what would YOU pick for Daizee's new entrance music?

Send in your picks (and a brief explanation if you wish) to here and I'll post them up next week.


Bonus Lyric: Here, I'll include a verse in a song I feel is particularly relevant to a wrestler or moment in ROH history. In this case, Delirious's failure to get a date with Daizee:

"without the touch of flesh and blood, this is a lonely love." – Juliana Hatfield

If you want to send lyric suggestions, feel free to do so as well!


Ringtones

chesiregville sent me a very nice email telling me about how reading the Column of Honor made him an ROH fan:

This is a thank-you note, Ari

For a while I've been checking out 411, even though I have long ago given up on WWE. This is after years as a wrestling fan. I've been to WWE shows, WCW, NWA, CZW, and many ECW shows, amongst other indie feds. Vince just killed my interest. But then i started reading your column of honor. After a while, I realized I was looking forward to it, to find out what was going on in ROH. It just sounded really interesting.

So I checked out "Bloodstained Honor" and "Stars of Honor" and liked what I saw. Then I picked up "Greatest Rivalries" and "Greatest in the world" and finally, just last week, I got "Man Up."

On Oct. 11, I will be going to Orlando for my first ROH show! Bricoes vs. Steenerico! FUCK YEAH, BITCHES!!!

Anyway, thanks again, Ari -- without your great column, I might never have laid down my cash to check out ROH. But now that I did, I'm hooked!

Nate

p.s. not that you care, but a few notes -- So far, I have yet to be impressed with Austin Aries. He's got, but a little bland for me. Roderick Strong, however, is da shiznitobam. And I love how little they use the "fluke roll up" to end a match, but I'm already a little tired of how often they use the lariat as a finish (It's like... dude, you took a power bomb off the top rope and kicked out, and a clothesline puts you down?!?)

anyway, I LOVE ROH! Those dudes should give your happy as a commission.

I'm glad you decided to give ROH a shot. It's definitely worth it because there is so much history and such a great plethora of matches to watch. Hope you have a great time at the show in Orlando, not only do you get Briscoes vs. Steenerico (likely for the titles), but you also get Aries vs. Jacobs. I know you wrote you didn't like Aries much, but he and Jacobs tore up the house in their first match in Chicago and will likely do the same for you guys in Orlando. Besides, you can just root against him! I'm a big fan of Aries, in the ring I find his offense and his ability to flow from move to move in the ring very exciting. Strong can be hit or miss with me, but lately he's been a big time hit, ever since turning face. The fluke roll up has been known to happen from time to time, but mostly on the undercard if anything and otherwise as a heel move (McGuinness's roll up holding the ropes on Steen at Injustice this past April). Danielson's unbeatable small package I wouldn't consider a fluke, and besides, it hasn't been unbeatable for a while, but used to create very exciting nearfalls.

The lariat debate I can go on endlessly about, but I've already said what I've felt in previous columns. Suffice to say it works for some fans and others just can't stand it.

I hope you continue to enjoy ROH and thanks again for reading and writing in! It means a lot that my work has made someone a fan of the product, and yes, I SHOULD get a commission! Likely not to happen though...


I don't think WWE interest in Morishima had anything to do with today's title switch in NOAH, but for two other reasons.

1. Kensuke Sasaki and his crew are touring full time with NOAH now. NOAH giving Kensuke the GHC is part of that deal.

2. Morishima wasn't a draw as a champion. I figured Morishima's days as champion were numbered when his defense against Rikio had the lowest claimed crowd that NOAH has had at the Budokan. NOAH pulled the plug on Marufuji's title reign after the KENTA title defense drew a low number at the Budokan. Kensuke defending the title will draw better than Morishima's title reign. However, it seems like NOAH is thinking the short term again instead of long term.

Posted By: Ryan Mancuso (Registered) on September 06, 2008 at 01:30 PM

It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Sasaki winning the title was part of the backstage politics of Kensuke Office moving its talent and services to NOAH. The timing of that and Morishima's trip to WWE was very close in timing, so either is believable but Sasaki working with NOAH moreso because it looks like the WWE deal fell through. As far as drawing low attendance, he was against freaking Rikio, who hasn't been a serious contender in such a long time. I mean, what was NOAH expecting? It would be like ROH trying to draw in NYC with Nigel vs. BJ Whitmer. NOAH at some point has to get behind a young guy as champion and ride out the initial growing pains in order to build up the next few years down the road.

That young knockout kid will still get over, Unfortunately ROH hasn't a clue on how to use Hero.I almost wish he was jobbing in TNA or WWE where he could at least make some decent money.Hang in there Chris, you're destined for the minor or the majors.

Posted By: Hero Mark (Guest) on September 06, 2008 at 02:21 PM

I have to agree that Hero isn't really getting pushed right now. But ROH tends to work in cycles. I predict after Nigel drops the big title, Hero will get pushed again.

Posted By: the dude (Guest) on September 06, 2008 at 08:07 PM

Chris has been stating in promos something like "What is it going to take ROH?" after every KO of his opponents. I think that has been the clarion call of Hero fans for the last year plus.


I get the joke behind Allison Wonderland's answer but it would've made more sense if Lewis Carroll was even American.

Posted By: Guest#3312 (Guest) on September 07, 2008 at 11:25 AM

I actually think the joke works even more because Lewis Carroll isn't American in the first place.

Also, a final note of thanks to everyone for their compliments on the Honor Feud segment. It was my first skit in quite a while and very well received.


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
**CHIKARA Deuces Wild (NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title: Mike Quackenbush / El Pantera, UltraMantis Black / Tim Donst, Young Lions Cup: Helios / Lince Dorado, Colony / Osirian Portal, Robbie Ellis / Ice Cream Jr.) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA Passion and Persistence (Brodie Lee / Claudio Castagnoli, Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / F.I.S.T., Quackenbush, Shane Storm, Cheech & Cloudy / Mitch Ryder & Shayne Hawke, Larry Sweeney & Robbie Ellis, Hydra / Chuck Taylor)High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Grit & Glory (Castagnoli, Sonjay Dutt & Pantera / Quackenbush, Jorge Rivera & Turbo, Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / Osirian Portal, Storm / Kingston, Vin Gerard/ Lince Dorado, Colony / Fabulous Three, Hydra & Tim Donst / Super Smash Brothers, Gran Akuma / PSYCHO, Daizee Haze & Chuck Taylor / Sara Del Ray & Bobby Dempsey)High Recommendation
**CHIKARA AniversarioMA (Atomicos Increibles: Mike Quackenbush, Cheech, Stupified & Worker Ant / Cloudy, Player Uno, Soldier Ant & Shane Storm, Brodie Lee, Mitch Ryder & Shayne Hawke / Incoherence & Claudio Castagnoli, Chuck Taylor & Gran Akuma / Turbo & Lince Dorado, El Pantera vs. Jorge Rivera , Osirian Portal / 2.0) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA AniversarioCT (Osirian Portal / Shane Storm & Mike Quackenbush, Super Smash Bros. / Cheech & Cloudy, Hydra & Tim Donst / Los Ice Creams, F.I.S.T. / The Colony, Brodie Lee / Claudio Castagnoli) High Recommendation
**FIP Cage of Pain II (Cage of Pain II, Roderick Strong/Larry Sweeney, Delirious & Hallowicked & Jigsaw/BxB Hulk & YAMATO & Jack Evans, Erick Stevens/Necro Butcher) High Recommendation
**FIP Redefined (Erick Stevens/Roderick Strong in their best encounter in FIP or ROH, Austin Aries/Davey Richards, Nigel McGuinness/Necro Butcher, Shawn Murphey/Heartbreak Express, Sal Rinauro/Tyler Black) High Recommendation
**CZW Deja Vu 3 (No Rope Barbed Wire Match: JC Bailey/Necro Butcher, El Generico/Super Dragon, B-Boy/Nate Webb, Ruckus & Mike Quackenbush/Kings of Wrestling) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 17 (Sara Del Rey & Allison Danger / MsChif & Cheerleader Melissa, Lacey / Sara Stock, Mercedes Martinez / Wesna Busic, Amazing Kong / Ariel, Daizee Haze / Cindy Rogers) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 18 (Amazing Kong / Wesna Busic, SHIMMER Title: Sara Del Rey / MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa / Sara Stock, Mercedes Martinez / Cindy Rogers, Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew / Ashley Lane & Nevaeh) 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.


ROH @ 411

411's ROH Roundtable concentrates on our picks for ROH's double shot in Japan.

I do not endorse the nickname of "Spanky" but its me versus THE Chris Lansdell in this week's 411 Buy Or Sell covering Dragon Gate, ROH issues in Japan and more.


Honor Bound Links

Matt Short gets you caught up with the latest in Puro in The Navigation Log.

Michael O with one of the best new columns on 411 in The Cheers n Jeers of Wrestling.

Andy Clark discusses what became of the WCW refugees in the Monday Night War in this week's The Shimmy.

Steve Cook's Corner looks at Mick Foley heading to TNA.

Tim Livingston covers the CM Punk-Chris Jericho switcheroo, which I actually agreed with when it happened, as much as I'd have liked to see Punk's run go on and on.

Things Falling and Getting Hit on the Head…nuff ‘said I suppose.

Bayani is banned! Wait, that may not be accurate, I should check before I steal his drawer of hot Asian pics from the 411 staff offices.

If you can't Ask 411… then who can you ask?


And another week bites the dust. We're three week's away from my annual Survival of the Fittest Tournament Preview issue! Next week…results from Japan, a preview of the PPV in Boston and...a top 10 list! OOOO, how original! Well, it's a pretty big one as far as those go. I'll see you next week!

BROOKLYN! DA EM BAH SEE!
--Ari--