Column of Honor: 11.29.08: The Must Buys of ‘08

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 11.29.2008

The eight ROH DVDs any wrestling fan who wants to try ROH should buy this holiday season. Plus, “classic” promos month returns with Christopher Daniels from the second ROH show! Also, Money Players and the ROH stock market for October and November ’08, thoughts on The Tokyo Summit DVD and a preview of ROH’s debut in St. Louis!

I'm back on a Saturday schedule and ready to go after two days of Turkey eating and striving to survive the stuffing. Welcome to the Column.



Ring Toss
-The Must Buys of ‘08
-"Classic" Promos Month II: Week One--Christopher Daniels
-ROH Call
-ROH News
-Honorarium
-My Fave Five
-Money Players
-The ROH Stock Index
-Ringtones
-Get with the pROHgram
-ROH @ 411
-Honor Bound Links


ROH Must Buy DVDs: 2008

The holidays are here and that means the holiday buying season has officially begun. While Black Friday has concluded, Ring of Honor is continuing a massive sale on their website, with 35% off merchandise. Therefore I thought it would be good to revisit some of the "must buy" DVDs of the year so that any new fans looking to get into the product can quickly find the best shows and maximize any potential purchase with some of the best shows of the year. This is in chronological order and doesn't include the recent "Glory By Honor VII" DVD because I haven't watched it just yet…although I suspect it might make this list if I had.

Sixth Anniversary Show: One of the things that creates a must buy situation is an excellent card from top to bottom and this show certainly has that and more. The second half in particular is just BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM with its focus on title matches. You also get Human Tornado in NYC before he went down for most of the year with an injury, the controversial (and edited) Sweeney-Danger-Dempsey segment, Go Shiozaki's first awesome match as he goes up against Austin Aries and of course the highlight of the show in Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness. This is where Nigel goes full out heel and it's been one of the keystones of the year, so you should definitely check this out to see how the current ROH champion got to where he is right now in his character.

Take No Prisoners: Not my favorite show as far as video quality goes, but the DVD of the show actually looks far better than it did when it debuted on PPV. However, this show is must viewing for two epic matches and a fantastic bonus match from NOAH that is included on the DVD. This show is the realization of Tyler Black's "breakout" that he began back in January against Bryan Danielson. McGuinness vs. Black will have you cheering and off your seats even if both men are heels (Black plays the face here). Then Aries vs. Danielson is one of the best technical wrestling matches of the year, with both men playing off of their years-long rivalry and still keeping it fresh by incorporating their 2008 finishers into the mix. You also get the much talked about (and really damned good) Briscoes vs. Sugiera & Marufuji match from NOAH and that match is absolutely worth going out of your way to see.

Supercard of Honor III: Another top to bottom card of excellence, with the Dragon Gate wrestlers helping to flesh out the card. McGuinness vs. Aries II, the Dragon Gate six-man and the BxB Hulk & SHINGO vs. Steen & Generico match highlight the best wrestling show of the year for ROH.

Return Engagement: The Briscoes vs. Motor City Machine Guns II—in my opinion eons better than their original tag match and ironically, completely overlooked this year with almost no hype behind it. You also get the big Aries / Jacobs / Lacey angle on this DVD, sending another big storyline for the year into overdrive. Plus Kota Ibushi finishes his ROH tour with a fantastic match against El Generico with a sequence of moves people still remember and make .gifs of even now.

Vendetta II: The first big Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs match lives up to the hype—it has the big match feel, the hatred of two men involved in a love triangle over the girl and enough violence to satisfy the bloodlust of anyone. This show also has Castagnoli vs. Danielson and one of the better comedic spots of the year involving the airplane spin, the big swing and referee Todd Sinclair. Oh and a man named Jerry Lynn returns to ROH and shows he's still got what it takes to fight the good fight.

Northern Navigation: ROH's debut in Canada and another show with top to bottom great matches, bolstered by fantastic reactions from the crowd who are getting to see their first Ring of Honor action. The special appearance by Lance Storm certainly keeps up their spirits. Then they are treated to a fantastic wrestling match between Castagnoli and Danielson (the better of the two listed here with a dramatic and perfectly timed finish) and a title match with their countryman Kevin Steen going for it all against Nigel McGuinness.

New Horizons: The best Castagnoli vs. McGuinness match headlines the PPV as well as more of Jacobs and Aries' feud. Then Danielson and Black fight once more in what is probably their best match of the series, even with a broken rope…which actually increased the drama more than anything. One of the best PPV efforts from ROH, with the video quality having improved with more fancy cut aways and crossfades, replays and better overall picture / audio quality.

Death Before Dishonor VI: Right alongside Supercard of Honor III as far as one of the best non-PPV ROH shows of the year. I don't have "A New Level" on this list because even though it's the first Hammerstein Ballroom show and very noteworthy for that accomplishment, I feel the main event didn't live up to the billing and that if one NYC show from the downstairs venue is to get "must buy" status, it would be this one which has the better card and a fantastic main event. I've written for months and months about this show, so I don't have much more to add here other than you get a lot of great matches and that the crowd makes some of the epic moments like Albright vs. Pearce and the main event that much more meaningful.

The Tokyo Summit: ROH's second night in Tokyo, Japan at the Differ Ariake again lives up to the "top to bottom" standard of must-buy shows, with some unique crossovers between five companies (ROH, NOAH, DDT, Kensuke Office and NJPW) and a brilliant tag match featuring NOAH's KENTA and Marufuji. More on this show below.

(Note: Driven ‘08 is only available for pre-order and won't be shipped until next month, which is why it's not included here).

There you have it, eight DVDs to stuff your stockings this season, all of them representative at ROH at its best this year.


"Classic" Promos Month 2008: Week One

Last year I presented some of the older school ROH material in the form of some of my favorite "classic" promos. I'm doing it again this year. When I write "classic" I don't necessarily mean "the greatest promos ever" (although some of these may end up qualifying), but rather some of the interviews and vignettes that may have been swept up due to the ever-present onward march of time. These are quality promos that I enjoyed back then and still think a lot about even now.

Christopher Daniels responds to ROH and his competition, ROH Round Robin Challenge I (March 30, 2002)

"Ring of Honor, you're trying to make yourself out to be something special? You think you're better than any other place I've been? Let me tell you something, you're just another independent promotion as far as I'm concerned. And I should know, because I've been in all of the independent promotions in the United States today. Because every independent promotion, including Ring of Honor (points to screen), wants "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels on the card, because that's when they know they've got the top product.

And what's all this about a Code of Honor? Shaking everybody's hand before and after matches? Pssh. You guys can keep that to yourselves because I'm not shaking anybody's hand. I'm not here to shake hands, I'm here to pin shoulders to the mat, like I've been doing everywhere else.

Now, Low Ki and "American Dragon", last month in the three-way my shoulders were pinned, but it took two of you bums to get the job done. So tonight, in singles match, "American Dragon", Low Ki, I will prove to you what I have been proving all across the United States for the past nine years, that "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels IS the best independent wrestler in the United States today and the only thing you can do about that…is say your prayers."

Why It Works: This was the beginning of ROH's second ever DVD, and in actuality the first ROH show I had ever watched. I saw Daniels on the screen ranting and raving about how he felt he was better than what he saw in this world of "honor" and I was hooked into the product from that moment on. I thought Daniels' promo was intriguing, because I didn't know anything about him, Danielson and very little about Ki at the time (all I knew was that he was from Brooklyn and had done some appearances on the WWE "B" TV shows at the time—Metal or Jakked or whatever). In this promo, Daniels was able to convey the situation, his feelings of injustice and his plans to deal with his opponents in just a brief period of time. He was able to tell me about Danielson and Ki so that I knew something about them sight unseen. And the promo kept me watching to see what would happen in this round robin tournament. Those matches, especially the main event of Dragon vs. Ki, would make me a full-fledged ROH fan.


ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 11/29/2008

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 30 successful defenses)
-defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense:vs. Jerry Lynn, Nashville, TN, 12/06/08

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.18 defeated Keith Myatt and Lionheart, (06/20/08, Doncaster, U.K.)
V.19 (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.20 defeated Kevin Steen, Lariat off Turbuckle, (07/25/08, Toronto, ONT, CN)
V.21 defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Jawbreaker Lariat (07/26/08, Detroit, MI)
V.22 defeated Ruckus, London Dungeon (08/01/08, Manassas, VA)
V.23 Four Way Elimination Match: defeated Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black & Claudio Castagnoli (08/02/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.24 defeated El Generico, London Dungeon (08/15/08, Cleveland, OH )
V.25 defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Jawbreaker Lariat (09/14/08, Tokyo, Japan)
V.26 defeated Roderick Strong, (09/19/08, Boston, MA)
V.27 defeated El Generico, roll up, (09/20/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.28 Four Way Elimination Match: defeated Go Shiozaki, El Generico & Kevin Steen (11/07/08, Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
V.29 lost via disqualification to Necro Butcher (11/08/08, Markham, Ontario, Canada) Champion retains on a DQ.
V.30 defeated Bryan Danielson, Jawbreaker Lariat (11/22/08, Chicago Ridge, IL)


**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—Kevin Steen & El Generico (champions since 09/19/08, 3 successful defenses)
-defeated The Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black on September 19th, 2008 in Boston, MA to win the championship.

Next Defense: TBA

V.1 defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe (11/08/08, Markham, Ontario, Canada)
V.2 defeated Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious (11/21/08. Dayton, OH)
V.3 defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe (11/22/08, Chicago Ridge, IL)

**

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion: Blue Demon Jr. (since 10/25/2008)
-defeated Adam Pearce via submission with a half crab to win the title.
FIP Heavyweight Champion: Go Shiozaki (since 08/23/2008)
-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.
Sweet & Sour Incorporated Presents The Intergender Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Of The World—Chris Hero & Sara Del Rey (since 01/12/08)

**

Top Feuds & Pairings:

-Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli
-Dissension between Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black
-Brent Albright, Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
-Delirious as a part of Age of The Fall
-Jerry Lynn runs the contention ladder to an ROH World Title shot
-Danielson vs. Morishima concludes
-The Briscoes take on more of a "bad" attitude"


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

Major News

HDNet Fights in attendance for ROH Rising Above 2008 Taping

According to the Wrestling Observer, "Andrew Simon, the CEO of HDNet Fights was at [Rising Above 2008 in Chicago], which is in preliminary talks about putting ROH on the station. It's a good fit for HDNet, which does most of its signature programming aimed at Men in their 20s, between all the MMA programming, and a few prime time shows that are largely excuses to show hot women on location running around in bikinis, or dressed up and partying."

ROH has been rumored to be in discussion with several networks, Fuse, G4 and Versus among them and now HDNet as the latest. I'd agree with Meltzer when he writes that ROH programming would be a good fit for HDNet fights, but I actually don't think it would be so the other way around. Even with the conversion to HD on the way, the name brand awareness of HDNet is very small. I think ROH would actually be better served to keep waiting for another network or perhaps sign with Versus after all. I feel they would get better exposure and reach through the latter network. Versus reaches 73 million homes presently, which is just slightly less than the number ROH stated that they would reach in the Direct TV deal just last week. For the record, I tried to find out how many homes HDNet reaches, but couldn't find a statistic on their website on either a fact sheet or through their press releases. Meanwhile it took two second to find out the number for Versus. Odd, that.


Match Additions and Subtractions

St. Louis, IL 12/5/08:
Bryan Danielson & Jerry Lynn vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Nigel McGuinness: Fans in Chicago Ridge witnessed an instant classic when ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness defeated "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson after nearly 30 minutes of back-and-forth combat. Although this bout was without question one for the ages, it wasn't without its share of controversy. Claudio Castagnoli injected himself in the action, attacking Danielson behind Todd Sinclair's back undoubtedly impacting the outcome, even if he wasn't directly involved in the actual end of the contest. ROH camera crews captured words all three men, and we will have that footage available for everyone as soon as possible. One thing we can report is that Bryan Danielson has selected Jerry Lynn as his tag team partner for the main event of the ROH event in St. Louis on 12/5! This choice has several ramifications. Not only has Lynn been the target of some choice comments from McGuinness is the recent past, but as was previously announced, Lynn will try to defeat McGuinness for the ROH Title on 12/6 in Nashville. Not only that, but just recently announced for 12/26 in Philadelphia, Lynn will oppose Danielson himself in a first-time ever dream match.

It appears that the Danielson vs. McGuinness rivalry isn't going to go away just because Danielson's title shot has come and gone. However, the focus for this match is between Castagnoli and Danielson and Lynn and McGuinness as the pairings, as each directly applies to the next night's show in Nashville.


Tag Gauntlet for the right to fight Kensuke Sasaki and Katsuhiro Nakajima: Brent Albright & Erick Stevens vs. Irish Airborne vs. The Briscoe Brothers vs. ???? : The challenge of Kensuke Sasaki has been heard loud and clear throughout the ROH locker room and many talents have expressed their wish to face Sasaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima on 12/27 in New York City. To narrow the field, the ROH Booking Committee has just signed a special tag team gauntlet for 12/5 in St. Louis! Four teams will battle it out, with the pair that runs the gauntlet will earn the right to face Sasaki and Nakajima at Final Battle. The first team entered into this gauntlet is the team of Erick Stevens and Brent Albright! We'll be announcing more teams we get closer to the event. […] Joining Brent Albright and Erick Stevens on 12/5 in suburban St. Louis will be the recently resurfaced Irish Airborne and The Briscoe Brothers! These two teams just faced off in Dayton with the Briscoes easily dominating the contest. Will the story be different with two other for Mark and Jay to worry about? We are awaiting the 4th and final team, and anticipate those names early next week.

I like that you have the tag teams lining up in order to challenge an international team—it puts some prestige and importance in that match up, because it makes it seem that the wrestlers care about the competition and proving themselves to be the best. Stevens and Albright worked really well on Driven as a tag team, displaying some good team interaction (if it wasn't the best worked match in the world). The Briscoes seem be questionable in light of Mark's knee injury, but if it's really that bad they may keep his time to a minimum and a loss would reinforce the losing streak / mean streak storyline they seem to be going with. Irish Airborne are there hopefully to get fed to one of the other teams—I DON'T want to see them on the card in NYC, much less matched up against Nakajima and Sasaki. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. The last team may end up being Steen & El Generico as either announced this week on a newswire or as a surprise.


Necro Butcher & Ace Steel vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious: The Necro Butcher said he'd find someone as "crazy" as him to battle the Age of the Fall in St. Louis. We now know who his partner will be. Fresh off his return to ROH in Chicago along side Brent Albright and Roderick Strong, "Crazy" Ace Steel has stepped up and told the Butcher that he will stand along side him! It will be Ace and the Butcher teaming on 12/5 to face Jimmy Jacobs and Delirious. Daizee Haze will also be on hand in St. Louis, facing Shimmer Champion and AOTF member, MsChif. ROH officials have been informed that the Haze has sent Necro some correspondence as recently as last Sunday. We don't know at this point what that correspondence entailed.

I like the "CRAZY" tag team of Necro and Steel, the latter of which is always a fun guy to watch use his character to get over. My favorite memory of Ace Steel remains the cowbell promo and usage in the Cage of Death match at Death Before Dishonor IV.


Tyler Black vs. Austin Aries: In another epic battle from the weekend, Austin Aries was able to outlast Jimmy Jacobs and force the AOTF magnate to utter the phrase "I Quit" in Chicago. Corner man Tyler Black did not throw in the towel for Jacobs, and even when it seemed he would, Lacey took that opportunity away by snatching the towel from Black's grasp. Black was berated by Jacobs following the match, and walked off alone. We've received word that because of this, as well as the outcome of the 3-Way-Dance in Dayton, Tyler Black has challenged Austin Aries to a singles match on 12/5 in suburban St. Louis.

I think this match is actually far more important than it seems. Aries has had Black's number all year. He also just defeated Jimmy Jacobs in their best-of-three series, which would normally be enough to earn a title shot in storyline. IF Tyler Black defeats Aries in this match, he could swoop in and grab any right to a title shot, thus leading to a Final Battle match between him and McGuinness. Black's rise to the top in ROH has some definite similarities to Aries's run in late 2004, and if he takes a big win here then it would be almost like that circle of life coming around again. Then again, Black has not won a major singles match against either of the big three in Danielson, McGuinness or Aries.


Nashville, TN, 12/6/08
Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli: One could reasonably argue that Claudio Castagnoli cost Bryan Danielson the ROH World Title last Saturday in Chicago with an attack on Dragon's already injured leg, also suffered at the hands of Castagnoli in Dayton. Rumor has it that Castagnoli immediately began lobbying the ROH Booking Committee for another shot at Danielson after his loss in Dayton, and that 12/6 in Nashville is his target date for the rematch.

Danielson took down Castagnoli with a small package in Dayton but then attacked post-matched…so I would think a stipulation here would be welcome, but so far no announcements to that effect have been made. You'd think Castagnoli could use the win here but so long as he keeps taking out Danielson pre or post match he will maintain his heat.


Irish Airborne vs. Grizzly Redwood & Bushwhacker Luke: Irish Airborne came up short in their ROH return in Dayton, falling to the hyper-aggressive Briscoe Brothers. The Airborne will return to ROH action in Nashville on 12/6 as they will face the interesting duo of Grizzly Redwood and Bushwhacker Luke Williams! Redwood and Luke have been seen training and sparring as of late, and they appear ready to see if they have what it takes to make a dent in ROH's tag team division.

I keep waiting for vignettes of Redwood and Luke and these sparring sessions—I think it might involve a can of sardines and licking things.


Brent Albright & Erick Stevens vs. Sweet & Sour Incorporated, seconds and managers barred from ringside: Word came down late last night from the ROH Offices that a Grudge Tag Team match will take place on 12/6 in Nashville. Brent Albright and the returning Erick Stevens will face a duo from Sweet-n-Sour Incorporated. In light of recent events, ROH Officials have mandated that all managers and ring seconds will be BARRED from ringside to help mitigate any potential outside interference in this encounter. As you might imagine, this ruling has outraged Larry Sweeney, as he was threatened with what ROH officials deemed as "stiff repercussions" if this mandate is ignored.

This would be more build to the climactic matches between the babyface and the heel sides.

Dempsey in action: Larry Sweeney sent Bobby Dempsey into action this past weekend in Dayton, and he was ever-impressive in victory. The huge ovation for Dempsey by the Dayton fans did not seem to sit well with Sweeney, who lambasted Dempsey at every turn, even with the win. We've confirmed that Dempsey is scheduled be in action on both 12/5 and 12/6.

Bobby has been seeing an increase in action as of late in pre-show matches. Maybe an indication that Bobby is ready to take the next step in storyline—either breaking free from Sweet & Sour Inc. or turning heel and side with Sweeney for good.


Necro wants a match: We also know that Necro has demanded a match against the AOTF on 12/6 in Nashville as well. It isn't clear if he's requested a singles or tag team match, but we do know that Ace Steel is not scheduled to be in Nashville.

Kenny Omega Debuts in NYC: Kenny Omega is happy to be appearing in both Philadelphia and New York for Final Battle weekend. "It's a great honor to perform in front of some of the best wrestling fans anywhere, and to be a part of Ring of Honor and to wrestle at Final Battle is a dream come true for me."

The crowds in Canada definitely took to Omega and that has led to more bookings in other venues around the ROH circuit. It's still early in Omega's appearances for the company but for sure he has participated in good matches and shown that he can be a very good face. If he builds up fan support in STL and in NYC you can be sure ROH will be Omega-powered through 2009.


Character Developments

-Rhett Titus called the ROH Booking Committee late on Thanksgiving laughing hysterically. Titus could barely get out the words, "Brother, are you serious? Grizzly Redwood and Bushwhacker Luke?! Hahahhahaahahhahahah!!!!" The phone call then went dead.

-We've received word from Daizee Haze that she's got some important business to take care of in both St. Louis and Nashville. She's scheduled to face SHIMMER Champion, MsChif, in St. Louis, and the Haze is taking part in a Four-Corner-Survival in Nashville. Daizee insists that as important as these matches are to her career, she's got "far more important things at stake" and she plans on "starting down the right path" on 12/5 and 12/6.

-Since we last reported that Ernie Osiris was accepting donations for "a battery-operated beard trimmer" and "semi-decent ring gear", he hasn't been heard from. Sources indicate that he may have been last seen sleeping in a subway car somewhere around Shea Stadium. If anyone has seen Ernie Osiris or knows of his whereabouts, please contact the ROH offices.

Kayfabe Quote of the Week: "Nigel is a great wrestler", said the ever-classy Lynn. "He's one of the best of his generation. But that ego of his is going to be his downfall. I'm glad the booking committee made this match for me and my hometown fans, and I promise those fans in Nashville that win, lose, or draw, I'm taking Nigel to the limit." –Jerry Lynn


ROH Home Theatre Station

Videowire: November 26th, 2008


Danielson and Grizzly Redwood... splitting wood... 'nuff said.


Honorarium

-In the wake of Survivor Series on PPV, one thought that popped into my mind: why didn't we ever get more of the "Ultimate Survivor" style matches? I vividly remember the one and only match they did back in 1990 and I enjoyed the heck out of it. WWF magazine had a checklist in their preview of the show that you could tear out and follow along to see who made it to the ultimate battle of survival. I know the match was basically a vehicle to start the build for Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (with them being the two survivors on the face side) at Wrestlemania VI, but the match itself was a great climax to the show and gave an added bonus for having elimination matches in the first place. I would love for this concept to come back one of these years.

-Battle of the Best Thoughts:

I skipped over the Yamato vs. Eddie Edwards match, even though there were only six matches from that card. I just didn't want to watch that one and it was first on the show, so it was easy to just press the button and feel no worries. Although later, when watching the "event highlights" at the end of the show there is a replay from that match that shows Eddie Edwards nearly dying by landing right on his flipping head. That had to suck majorly.

On last year's Japan shows, the crowd that came for the Dragon Gate wrestlers were significantly quieter than those who were in attendance at the show with NOAH cooperation. The trend continued this year, with the show order just in reverse. It's not to say that this wasn't a "good" crowd (however you can judge that for Japan), but that the show sometimes suffered from the atmosphere, making some of the slower action seem too awkward. If only we could have combined the excellence of the video quality for these Japan shows with the awesome American crowds of towns like New York, Chicago, Boston or Philadelphia. Then we'd truly have something!

Davey Richards and Roderick Strong wrestled for the first time since Richards turned on the NRC and joined up with Sweet & Sour. Richards looks even more muscular and jacked since March. He's also the only guy who can seemingly get over with a tough guy act that also has more than a few moments of wackiness. His "Kill ‘Em All" T-shirt rocks as well'--ROH needs to sell that baby ASAP. These two have a very good match that focuses on their grudge and has them making several passes against each other in the form of grapples, strikes and such. I like Richards' ruthlessness when he tosses Strong onto the metal guardrail several times—just flinging him out there. This encounter is a bit more of a back and forth matches, with Strong just edging out Richards with a final push of big moves at the end. Strong promises that in his match against Kensuke Sasaki that he will win the "war of the chops". Note that the does not promise that he would actually win the match itself though.

I already commented on the two main events in a previous column but let me mention that both the McGuinness vs. Danielson match and The Age of the Fall vs. Briscoes match were well worth watching, albeit match combinations that we have seen before.

The real draw of the show is the Dragon Gate trios match between SHINGO, El Generico and Dragon Kid against WORLD-1, which is Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino and BxB Hulk. This match is the one that tears the house down, with the speed and agility of the DG wrestlers that you come to expect on their own shows and in their sporadic appearances for ROH. Generico is a real star in this one, with the crowd fully behind him, chanting "Ole!" frequently and reminding me that there is no language barrier with a character like him. The SHINGO vs. BxB Hulk segments were highlights, with both of them having just come off their rivalry (for now) it's a good little encore. Dragon Kid also almost steals the show in moments where he is in the match.

I like that there were quite a few more interviews and extra-curricular activities on this and the Tokyo Summit DVDs. It helped this show quite a bit, adding depth to the show. However, while I appreciate that the Japanese wrestlers are shown cutting promos, I would love to see ROH start to add some translations or subtitles. Seeing guys like Kobashi cut promos in Japan a few years back was a novelty, but now I'd actually like to know what it is that they're saying without having to go out and buy "Learn Japanese" audio tapes. Would it kill them to put captions on the screen?

Like last year, the Dragon Gate sponsored ROH show also comes with bonus matches from SHIMMER and FIP on the DVD. The SHIMMER match I already have seen (KONG!) and the FIP match had Sal Rinauro, and really, I'd like to limit the amount of Sal Rinauro in my life. I'm always having flashbacks to him kissing Becky Bayless anyway…not that I want to, just that my mind is a minefield of traumatic moments such as that…but anyway, um, whatever.

-The Tokyo Summit Thoughts:

If you're just going to get one of these Japan DVDs, THIS is the show of the two that you should buy. Top to bottom this is filled with great matches (with the Miyamoto vs. Edwards match being the exception and even that was okay) and joins the list of Must Buy shows for the year. This is an incredibly well-built card with one exciting and fun match after the other. In fact I think the key word here is "fun". The crowd was having a ton of fun this night, the matches were fun and that just led to this DVD being fun to watch. While it took me over a week to get through "Battle of the Best" due to a busy schedule and a lack of interest in the undercard matches, this DVD just breezed by and I finished watching it in one day's worth of viewing.

Earlier in the year I criticized ROH for not having enough ROH vs. Japanese wrestlers on these shows, but you do see the grand design at work here when watching the show back. The DVD proper begins with an ROH vs. ROH match and ends that way as well…and in between you get all the crossover matches, concluding with the GHC Heavyweight champion Kensuke Sasaki being victorious in a non-title match to Roderick Strong.

Sasaki vs. Strong was a definite surprise in that it was a ton of fun to watch. While Sasaki dominated the match, Strong fought back well and had some great moments where he stood toe to toe with the GHC champion and looked good that way. In fact, I think this match really upped the Japanese crowd's estimation of Strong, especially with Sasaki putting over Strong at the end of the match by raising his hand in honor…AND by walking to the back with him with their arms raised in celebration of the fight.

Danielson's facial hair is growing expansively, although not competing in any way to the days of THE BEARD back in '04 / ‘05). He and Kanemaru have a very competitive match, with Kanemaru throwing in all of his DDT variations but Danielson absorbing the impact of the moves and rolling on, attempting to submit his opponent on his way to victory. As usual, Danielson excels in the final moments of a match and his sequence where he attempts to lock on the Cattle Mutilation gets the crowd into a tizzy. The post-match celebration of the title win is also really well done, with Danielson demonstrating emotion and passion to the crowd, who are very responsive to the title win. I could knit pick a few spots in the match (early on there was a bit of a bobble by Kanemaru and the ref hesitated on a pin for what seem like minutes but was really only a few seconds.), but this was a four star match on the dot by the end of it.

I loved the "press conference" style vignette done for Bryan Danielson after his GHC Jr. Title win, with members of the Japanese media asking questions through a translator and Danielson being very gracious in supplying answers as he "came down" from the match. It gave the proceedings something of a professional sports feel. I mark out for that kind of stuff—it makes the whole situation seem more "real".

Earlier I mentioned how this show just breezed by, well, a thirty minute PLUS draw felt like it took no more than fifteen minutes because those guys were just going at it non-stop. KENTA and Kota Ibushi vs. Naomichi Marufuji and Katsuhiko Nakajima was an action-packed match and an example of how a draw can get everyone over and still satisfy the crowd. This was the match the crowd came to see and it shows in their sustained energetic reactions. The match was strike based in ring and guided by both the KENTA and Marufuji rivalry and by the tension between KENTA and Nakajima, who go to great lengths to give that extra one-upsmanship against the other throughout the match. Plenty of blistering kicks and fun volleys of offense to be seen here, leading up to the frenzy of the final five minutes of the match where it's Ibushi vs. Nakajima in the ring whie KENTA and Marufuji cancel each other out outside the ring. The match could have ended at the thirty minute mark and I would have been satisfied. The five minute overtime period reversed the last five minutes of the match, with KENTA and Marufuji in the ring almost the whole time while the other two were outside the ring, only coming in to break up pins. KENTA and Marufuji went at a slower pace in the overtime period, but the last minute where it seemed KENTA had Marufuji's number and was just beat out by the bell was worth it. This match will surely end up in my top ten of the year.

Just to give you an understanding about how loud the kicks were in the KENTA / Ibushi vs. Marufuji / Nakajima match, these kicks were just as loud if not louder than most of Roderick Strong's chops on this tour alone.

Not to be overlooked is the Aries vs. Black and Generico vs. Taiji Ishimori undercard bouts. The former match had some fun spots using the ramp way, with Black looking to escape The Last Chancey by crawling under the ropes onto the ramp, but Aries holding on and keeping the moved locked no matter what.

Generico vs. Ishimori was a fun, fun match, with some crazy athletic spots from both men. The beginning bit was quite entertaining, with the crowd just loving Generico and chanting for him over home country favorite Ishimori. When Ishimori took offense and left the ring, throwing a mini-hissy fit, the crowd finally cheered for him and Ishimori put on this fantastic smile that sold the whole moment. As I've said before, I'd love to see Ishimori make the same kind of special appearances that KENTA, Marufuji, SHINGO and Go Shiozaki have done for ROH over the years. I feel he definitely has that special "it" factor, lighting the crowd up with fantastically athletic moves. He flips a bit, but he also has the charisma and character to pull it off without looking like the so-called "spot monkey". Ishimori wins this one and I think the Japan crowd actually was pulling for Generico to win more than anything.

Quote from this show most easily taken out of context: "He had something in his hand; he put it right back in his pants." –Lenny Leonard re: Jimmy Jacobs vs. Nigel McGuinness.

The build to Jacobs' title shot in Japan was a fantastic look into how to get over quickly a contender, especially in a country (town) where there had been no previous connection to the wrestler. With Danielson, he had been wrestling for NOAH off and on for several years and while this was his first opportunity to win a title there, the fans already came in with the understanding that he was a worthy contender and a definite threat to win the Jr. Heavyweight title. Jacobs didn't come in with that and so the booking over the two shows was centered around Jacobs interfering after matches, laying out men with his End Time finisher and getting heel heat by ranting to the crowd about how he would cause chaos and become new champion. He defended his tag title match on the first night, but then the build continued on the second night for those fans who may not have been in attendance for that first show. By the title match he was a serious and solid contender for the title to any one there who had come in without ever seeing him wrestle. While the match itself didn't live up to the other matches that came before it, there was still some good moments where it seemed Jacobs could steal the time, most of them of course centered around the End Time submission. The tease of using the chain also worked out brilliantly, as it was clear through the show that the crowd did not like any outside interference, especially from Larry Sweeney or Jacobs.




This week, the top five Puro performers from the Japan ROH DVDs.
1. Kota Ibushi: Totally stepped his game up in the tag team match, having to work more outside of his usual spots due to the length and fast pace. Ibushi was non-stop all the way in this one, firing with his awesome kicks and flying around the ring. He did not get lost in the shuffle in any way on that weekend.
2. SHINGO: You don't really get a full understanding about how much he has improved since his ROH days until you see him matched up against other Dragon Gate wrestlers. SHINGO has become a complete performer, in that he uses his moves but also his personality and his connection to the crowd to help him tell the story in the ring. He is absolutely as good as the hype people have spoke of him all year.
3. Kensuke Sasaki: It was a lot of fun to see him perform in the ring—I think at the time fans didn't give him enough credit for the effort he can put in there. He was doing frankensteiners and running around like a twenty five year old in the ring against Roderick Strong. He definitely has the presence to represent NOAH as its GHC champion.
4. Katsuhiro Nakajima: Sasaki's understudy and protégé put on an impressive performance in the tag team match. This was actually my first time seeing him wrestle, but I came away totally sold on him being a tough competitor. He also brought a ton of realism in selling the rivalry against KENTA in this bout. And he kicks like a mother.
5.Dragon Kid: Not to be overlooked, Kid may be one of the smallest competitors in the ring at any time, but his speed (along with Masato Yoshino) makes him truly unique. I feel he gets overlooked often by the American fans who watch Dragon Gate. Yet I feel he definitely held up his end in the six man tag at "Battle of the Best" and really helped provide a more fleshed out and exciting match due to his participation.

Wow, a top five list and KENTA and Marufuji didn't even make it on there? And they were quite awesome as well, really helping to frame the tag team match around their interactions.


The Money Players: October / November 2008

Who are the money players? In the sports industry, money players are the athletes who are making the right plays at the right moments.

In wrestling, the concept of the money player is not all that different. The wrestler who has a great match or gives an impressive impression upon the audience ups their worth to the wrestling promoter. While you may be helping your team, you are also helping yourself and your career.

Let's see who's hot, who's not, who's making those key plays and who is dropping the ball, so to speak in Ring of Honor.


Money Players of the Month—October 2008

-Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) (LAXC): Homicide's return to Ring of Honor after a year and a half absence became the focal point of ROH's only two shows of the month. Along with ROH alumni Shawn "Hotstuff" (now Super Mex) Hernandez, both men brought the Latin American Xchange to Ring of Honor. They challenged the very best tag teams and reigned supreme in the Iron Tag match at "Return of the 187". The next night LAX and The Briscoes faced off in a dream match of some of the best tag teams on the wrestling scene in 2008. Homicide AND Hernandez brought their "A" game to make these returns not only successful as far as fan excitement and buzz, but also in the ring as well.

Money Players of the Month— November 2008

-Austin Aries (ARES) & Jimmy Jacobs (AOTF): The Aries vs. Jacobs feud had begun to quiet down before the announcement of a best of three series that would finish things. Luckily both men brought the feud back up to a boiling point with three intensely contested battles that provided a fitting end to one of ROH's emotional touchstones of the year. There was blood, weaponry, dog collars and one man saying "I Quit" to signal the end of the war. Both men delivered here in terms of providing violence and drama to the proceedings.


The Money Players of 2008:
November 2008: Austin Aries (ARES) & Jimmy Jacobs (AOTF)
October 2008: Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) (LAXC)
September 2008: Bryan Danielson (ADBD)
August 2008: Nigel McGuinness (NIGE)
July 2008: Kevin Steen (KSTN) / Lance Storm (STRM)
June 2008: The Age of the Fall (AOTF) / Austin Aries (ARES)
May 2008: The Age of the Fall / Jimmy Jacobs (AOTF)
April 2008: Motor City Machine Guns (MCMG)
March 2008: Dragon Gate
February 2008: Kevin Steen (KSTN) & Go Shiozaki (GOGO)
January 2008: Erick Stevens (CHOO)


ROH STOCK INDEX

The financial crisis has hit home in Ring of Honor, leading to a removal of the CEO of Booking and the hiring of a new man to replace him. The Stock Index Comptroller's Office reports a bevy of ups and downs in the past two months, with stock market investors buying and selling and selling and buying all sorts of different ROH stocks. It seems as if in this New Era of Honor there is a bit of uncertainty about who to go with in your stock portfolio. However, there are some definite certainties in this marketplace who are still delivering regardless of the crisis. Who has the faith of the investors at this very moment? Who will bailout this ROH economy? Let's check out the boards:

Breadwinners STOCK UP!

-Kevin Steen (KSTN) and El Generico (OLE!) : After an initial bobble with a loss in the Iron Tag match, Steen and Generico rebounded in a huge way. They have won all three of their tag team defenses in the last month, including two victories over The Briscoes. They had never been able to defeat them before in a title situation and now with two wins on the record it seems they have surpassed Jay & Mark as the "A" brand in the tag team division of the market. Steen and Generico have a terrific marketing strategy with their "Ole" slogan, as well as incredible consumer outreach programs that really get them in touch with the people. Steen & Generico are the rock in the ROH stock market right now.

-Nigel McGuinness (NIGE): If Steen & Generico have stabilized the tag division through some rough times, then Nigel McGuinness has done the same for the ROH World Title division. McGuinness may have lost to Danielson in Japan, but he dominated in U.S. domestic markets these last two months and performed surprisingly well up in Canada. Title defenses against El Generico, Kevin Steen, Go Shiozaki and yes, even Bryan Danielson have kept Nigel's stock going strong. In fact, his investors are loving his record breaking numbers and are very high on the hog. Nigel could be champion well into 2009.

-Jerry Lynn (LYNN): Proving that age isn't anything but a number, the veteran Lynn has made a terrific comeback in stock value. He is a solid earner in these rough times, which has helped him to gain a number of long term investors. The marketplace loves proven performers, and Lynn has definitely done just that in ECW, TNA and now on the ROH index.

-Davey Richards (DAVE, cross indexed with SNSI): Richards' return to ROH action since his stay in the foreign market has been successful, with many wins and a quick boost up the ROH rankings. Albeit there is some question of his business practices, said to be without mercy and without remorse. It's not enough to sink the rising wave of interest in the Davey Richards brand, which also helps to bolster the value of Larry Sweeney's firm.

-Sweet & Sour Incorporated (SNSI): Speaking of which, this fat cat has been feasting on a market enthralled in fear and panic. Not only does he still have the FIP champion on his roster, his other men have been winning time and time again. Even Bobby Dempsey has proven to be an underdog success on the market, gaining value 300% above expectations. The Inc. knows how to play the stock game and in this economy is not only thriving, but looking to become a monopoly-like force in this industry.

Loss Leaders STOCK DOWN!

-The Briscoes (BRSC) : As noted above, The Briscoes have lost ground in marketing and performance to Steen & Generico. As such they have become more determined than ever to regain their value, but setbacks such as losses and injuries are mounting. This is a case of bad timing in a bad market. Jay & Mark's stock is bleeding value badly and they will need to turn things around if they want to survive in this current tag team economy.

-Daizee Haze (HAZE): HAZE still hasn't recovered since a crucial business decision cost her a valuable ally in Delirious (DELI). A lack of corporate assets and a lot of running around in circles without any resolution has seemingly crippled her stock value in this market.


Trendsetters

-International Business Cooperation: Nigel McGuinness (NIGE) and Claudio Castagnoli (CAST) had been long time corporate rivals. They have fought for titles and stock positioning over the years, with NIGE often getting the better end of it. However, the last two months have led to some surprising cooperation between the two brands. There have been some trading of business secrets and backroom agreements made. In the interest of what? Both have a common enemy on the stock index, Bryan Danielson (ABDB). It appears that the cliché of "an enemy of an enemy is a friend" is nevermore true as it is with these two…and their end is nothing more than the destruction and corporate takeover of their common enemy.

Speaking of pooling concerns, we hear that the combination of Erick Stevens (CHOO), Brent Albright (ALBR) and Roderick Strong (STNG) could make waves in the near future. They have common enemies as well in Sweet & Sour Inc. (SNSI), and a three branded franchise could be the solution necessary to compete with the monolithic Sweet & Sour corporation.

Evaluations On

-Kenny Omega (OMGA): Kenny King may not have wanted to get into business with Mr. Omega, but the stock market remains bullish on this hot property. Omega is raising brand awareness and extending himself into new markets, including New York City for Final Battle 2008. This increased exposure could lead to more business opportunities for Omega, thus leading to a fast rise in the market. Buy now before the buy in price becomes too high.

Future Outlooks

(+) POSITIVE: Claudio Castagnoli (up), Erick Stevens (up), Brent Albright (up), Kenny Omega (up), Grizzly Redwood, Chris Hero, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Go Shiozaki, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Shane Hagadorn, , Kenny King, Jerry Lynn, Delirious, Austin Aries, Nigel McGuiness

(/) NEUTRAL: Bryan Danielson (down), Roderick Strong (down), Naomichi Marufuji (down) Jay Briscoe (down), Mark Briscoe (down), Jason Blade (down), Jigsaw, Rhett Titus , Silas Young, Sal Rinauro

(-) NEGATIVE: Daizee Haze, Julius Smokes, Tank Toland, Ruckus, Jack Evans

Added: Grizzly Redwood
Dropped: NONE

Found on the Black Market: Age of the Fall, Ninja White, Ninja Yellow, Ninja Blue, Ninja Black, Brodie Lee


Penny Stocks
Looking for a cheap bargain? This is the place to speculate on the next possible big things…but look out; there could also be a few duds here.

--More than a penny for your thoughts
Shane Hagadorn (HAGA)
Julius Smokes (SMOK)
Jason Blade (BLAD)
Eddie Edwards (EDED)
Rhett Titus (TTUS)--Rhettski the Jetski has found his groove again…for better or for worse… and a merger with Kenny King (that sounds wrong) could be the best thing possible for his career.
Kenny King (KKNG)-King's W-L record is a bit spotty for right now, but that doesn't keep this guy's attitude from reaching epic proportions.
Grizzly Redwood (GRZL)--Mitch Franklin has entered a brand name change and the resulting buzz for all things lumberjackian has resulted in his elevation out of the penny stocks! Indeed it is a fantastic day for the littlest lumberjack in the land.

--Still just one cent
Eddie Osiris (EOSI)
Bobby Dempsey (BDEM)
Alex Payne (PAYN)--Sugarfoot may have found the right ally in Bryan Danielson to help him boost out of the penny stocks.
Dingo (DNGO)
Kyle Durden (DURD)
Sami Callahan (SAMI)

Closing Thoughts / Ring the Bell: "Big Rig" Brodie Lee bulldozes through the market place, rings the bell like he pulls the horn on his truck, and then stomps on outta the marketplace before anyone knows what hit them. And we're stomping right outta here for another month or so. The index returns to close out the year in late December.


ROH Preview: St. Louis, IL debut, December 5th,2008

Gateway Center
8:00 pm belltime
One Gateway Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234



Tag Team Main Event
ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness & Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson & Jerry Lynn

McGuinness and Castagnoli have officially created their unholy alliance based on mutual hatred of Bryan Danielson…whom they just happen to be fighting in this match. They don't have much use for Jerry Lynn either. Lynn and Danielson teaming together should be a fun and interesting experience, as both can get very technical and both can use their speed and agility to great effect. Look for plenty of interesting and coordinated double teams on both sides here. There is no title at stake, but plenty of pride and passion on the line. Whichever side wins this match holds bragging rights and if it's the Brit and the Swiss man you can bet they'll crow about it at every opportunity.

Grudge Match#1
Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black

These two have had quite the few encounters by this point, and all of them have been fast paced all out endeavors. This time around Black has been inspired to challenge Aries, first out of payback for Jacobs losing last week and secondly because he has never been able to defeat Aries one-on-one. If he can get the W in this match he not only gets a small measure f revenge but also helps to restore some pride and glory for The Age of the Fall, which at this point looks like in it's a serious funk and could use a turnaround in the worst way.

Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Brent Albright & Erick Stevens vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Irish Airborne vs. ???
*winning team faces Sasaki & Nakajima at Final Battle 2008

Albright and Stevens bring the power, while Jay & Mark bring the brawling, Irish Airborne bring the Irish and…the air I guess. The mystery team…supplies the mystery. Well then. It certainly seems that Albright and Stevens are the favorites, especially given their power base and how well it matches against their opponents in this one. You also have to consider that The Briscoes are on a bit of a slide (despite a win against Irish Airborne) and could let their frustrations get the best of them. The mystery team could be announced but for now is the real wild card and may throw the balance of this match in their favor.

Special Challenge Match
The Necro Butcher & Ace Steel vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious

Necro's brawling and Ace's unpredictability will be the keys to this match. In fact all four men in this one are a bit unstable, a few horses short of a Kentucky Derby so to speak. Jacobs's mental state of mind coming off one of the biggest losses of his career is also a question for this match. Will he be prepared to fight someone else besides Aries? Will he even care enough to put in effort…or will he be emo and start crying in the ring? If he is, Necro takes this in a walk…but if Jacobs is even more determined to raise hell, then look out, world.

Grudge Match #2
Kenny Omega vs. Kenny King

The battle of the Kenny's takes place just a few weeks after their very short team up abruptly came to an end. King walked out on Omega in favor of Rhett Titus… go figure that. I guess Titus is supposed to be cooler, but if you ask me, Omega has the better long term potential. Omega may make King pay for making a bad decision here.

SHIMMER Title Match
MsChif defends vs. Daizee Haze
MsChif has been receiving increased bookings in ROH thanks to possessing and defending the SHIMMER Women's Title belt. She just defeated Sara Del Rey on the Rising Above PPV tapings and now she faces the other ROH Women of Honor mainstay in Daizee Haze. Both women match up well and are no strangers to each other. Haze can take a huge amount of punishment and so can MsChif, so expect a bit of a back and forth encounter before MsChif decides she has had enough and goes bats*** crazy on Haze.

Going Home

Ringtones


Ari, i'd love to see a column or perhaps weekly segment dedicated to free agents in the wrestling world and whether they'd be a good fit for ROH. My suggestions: London, Elijah, and my personal favorites the Lords of the Ring Dinsmore and Conway. They are supposed to be a GREAT team, and Dinsmore has/had the talent to be a World Champ. It's been a while so some of the WWE failure funk has come off and I'm sure a shave, haircut, and a couple of witty comebacks to the fans for the inevitable Eugene chants would position Dinsmore as a potentioal cornerstone for years.

Posted By: brent (Guest) on November 27, 2008 at 02:24 AM

Well, everyone pretty much knows my feelings on Paul London via a column I wrote a few weeks back. Elijah I think would be a decent fit not so much as this new "black pope" character he's outfitted for himself but rather as the arrogant athlete character he had in ECW. Dinsmore and Conway would be great as a straight heel tag team ala an old school Midnight Express combination, but I think Dinsmore makes more money through his bookings as U-Gene rather than as a straight wrestler character. ROH could use another regular tag team though, so I'd think I'd want them in if I were booking. I may do a "free agent" type feature in early '09, so thanks for the suggestion!


Get With the pROHgram:

December 26th, 2008—Philadelphia, PA : Final Battle weekend starts in the New Alhambra with Naomichi Marufuji vs. Austin Aries and Bryan Danielson vs. Jerry Lynn.

December 27th, 2008—Manhattan, NY: Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima, Final Battle 2008 in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

January 16th, 2008—Manassas, VA: ROH returns to the Virginia area for the first show of the new year.


ROH @ 411

It's me and Jarrod battling it out in a ROH debate in this week's 411 Buy or Sell.

Last week's Column of Honor, which may have been lost in the shuffle because it came out a day late. Check out the final round of CHIKARA vs. ROH in that edition of the column.


Honor Bound Links

The Navigation Log updates you on all of the different tournaments and foreign imports from TNA and Mexico making its way to Japan.

Mathew Sforcina traces the path of Ric Flair to video game greatness in this week's Evolution is a mystery Schematic.

Mike Chin looks at Indy Wrestling.

Bayani Domingo discusses The Truth about the Main Event Mafia vs. The Front Line.

HR / LR on John Cena vs. Chris Jericho.

Jake Chambers extends the brand extension in this week's edition of Wacky Wrestling Theory.

Michael Weyer's Shining a Spotlight on James Guttman's new book.

Brooklyn's own Dan Torkel discusses John Morrison breaking on through…

Chris Lansdell has the answers you've been looking for in this week's Ask 411.

That will do it for this week. Next time I'll have results and impressions from St. Louis, a preview of the first ever show from Nashville and the second week of classic promos month.

Final Column 2008 Countdown: 4 weeks and counting…
Brooklyn!
--Ari--