411’s Buy or Sell 12.19.08: Tokyo Sports Year End Awards, The American Wolves, Tyler Black, and More!!

Posted by Michael Bauer on 12.19.2008

This week, the 411 staff discusses everything from CHIKARA to Japan and points in between as Chris Lansdell battles John Gregory!

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


Week Eighty Seven's Match-Up:

The man I do not envy as he Braces for Impact - Chris Lansdell !
vs.
Death by Midwest video reviewer - John Gregory !

Jigsaw returning to CHIKARA will end up signifying the end of his Ring of Honor run.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. The Vulture Squad is virtually dead, with Jack Evans having disappeared. They weren't very popular to begin with, and the move to take Jigsaw's mask completely backfired. Dude is UGLY too. He was always a lot more popular in CHIKARA than in ROH and the return may well become permanent. I wish I could say it would be a loss to ROH, but I try not to lie too often.

John Gregory : BUY. Well, sort of. I do agree that his ROH run is over, and his return to CHIKARA is more of a happy side effect, rather than a cause. Jigsaw never really had much of a meaningful purpose in ROH, and his big stories (losing his mask, going against Kingston) were met with disinterest. With new booking, new faces are going to be pop out and some are going to be shown the door, and I think Jigsaw, along anything else Vulture Squad related, is now gone from Ring of Honor.

1 for 1.

It will take two attempts during the weekend, but Tyler Black will walk out of Florida as the FIP World Champion.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. Well let's face it: Shiozaki is going to drop it sooner or later. Black is getting singles gold sooner or later. However, I am going to take advantage of the wording of the question and say that he either won't win this weekend, or will win on the first try. Tyler Black has had a fabulous year in ROH despite winning precisely 0 high-profile matches against main-event competition. The way he has been booked is like Get Someone Over 101. The FIP title would put him to the next level, and beating Go is not too much of a stretch. I just can't see them making him lose the first shot unless he also loses the second.

John Gregory : SELL. For no other reason than why does he need it? Tyler is already an upper echleon star in ROH, and the FIP Title has really been nothing more than a poor replacement for a second-tier title, and a rather meaningless prop in otherwise great feuds. Go Shiozaki was surely given it due to politics, and I don't know who it's going to help to win that belt from him. But with Tyler possibly next in line for the ROH Title, I don't think it's him.

2 for 2.

Despite being undefeated since his return to New Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi will not win the IWGP Heavyweight Title from Keiji Muto at the 1/4 Tokyo Dome event.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. Muto ain't losing shit yet. I still have a nagging feeling that he will unite the 3 big titles in Japan, then retire. Tanahashi's streak since returning is impressive and has made him look like a credible threat, and so he should, but threat is not the same as champion. When Muto does lose, it will be to someone younger than Tanahashi.

John Gregory : SELL. Tanahashi is arguably the biggest potential star of the new generation in New Japan, and this is the absolute best stage to elevate him at. Muto has kept the belt from several big contenders, and I was certain he'd lose it back to Shinsuke Nakamura. Tanahashi took his idol to the limit in their first encounter, proving he can go the distance with the legend. Having him win the belt back from an outsider on the biggest wrestling show in the country on top of a stacked card will go a long way into making Tanahashi a legend in his own right. And then, you've got him vs. Nakamura in a title match down the road as well. He's winning that belt on 1/4.

2 for 3.

SWITCH~!

Kenny Omega will be the next wrestler to win a "regular roster spot" in RoH.

John Gregory : BUY. If his bookings have been any indication he definitely will. Since Pearce took over the booking duties, Omega has been traveling extensively with ROH-while smaller fliers like Ruckus and Jigsaw sit at home. Coincedence? Doubtful. Omega even has a feud with Kenny King to play off already, and all this equals the new booking being high on Omega and wanting to use him full time.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. I am a huge Omegaphile. I haven't seen some of his more recent RoH work, but after seeing the match he put on with Delirious at Northern Navigation, I searched out some of his older work. The guy has charisma AND skill in the ring, a varied moveset, and can work comedy as well as serious. That's a hell of a combination and a perfect fit for Pearce's apparent booking style. He also has a great look. I can see him not only getting that regular spot, but being a prominent member of the roster within a year.

3 for 4.

The American Wolves will be the team to unseat Kevin Steen and El Generico as RoH Tag Champions in the first half of 2009.

John Gregory : SELL. Only because I think it will be a long time before Steen and Generico lose those belts. The tag titles have been hotshotting around for a year now, and while that needs to happen with titles to keep matches exciting, they also need periods of stability, and Steenerico is the marquee team to do it. I do think American Wolves will defeat the Canadians down the road, but I see it as more of a three-match series thing, with the Wolves winning the belts on the third try. Or, they could be groomed for a longer reign down the road as the new face of the tag team division.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. Yeah, I have to go with John here. Stability is a hallmark of RoH, and the tag titles have not had it since the Briscoes. Steenerico are great and have the comedy/straight thing down to a science. As with Omega, that's the combo to have in Pearce's RoH. Richards and Edwards are going to be made to look strong, they will get their title shot and they will lose it. There won't be a prolonged feud between them, simply because Richards and Edwards are two guys that RoH has invested in for the future and they don't want them losing a high-profile feud this early.

4 for 5.

With all of their success this year, Tenzan & Kojima should have hands down won the Tokyo Sports Team of the Year.

John Gregory : BUY I'll preface this by saying I don't watch All Japan. Apparently I might need to change my position on that with the company getting rave reviews this year. I am, however, a huge New Japan fan, and the comeback by this team was really head and shoulders above other tag teams in Japan this year from what I've seen. The only close competitors I could see is current IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Yujiro and Tetsuya Naito, but even their breakthrough year can't compete with winning the country's two biggest tag team tournaments in the same year.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. Let me qualify this: I believe that Tenzan and Kojima should have won, but I don't think it was a "hands-down" win. It's not like Kea and Suzuki had a BAD year: Double Cup win, AJPW tag title win, and the formation of a strong stable that included, among others, NOSAWA. It's been a good year for veterans in tag teams, and all four of these guys had phenomenal years. The wrong 2 got the nod in my mind, but I don't think it was a travesty.

4 for 6.


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