Column of Honor: 01.24.09: Opening Up to Mixed Reviews

Posted by Ari Berenstein on 01.24.2009

That’s what happened last weekend with the first two shows of Ring of Honor’s New Year. A look at the controversial events of Black vs. McGuinness and the fan reaction that followed is inside this edition of the column.

Welcome to the Column.



Ring Toss
-Opening Up to Mixed Reviews
-ROH Results: January 17th, 2009 in Edison, New Jersey
-Honored News
-ROH Call
-My Fave 5
-Honorarium
-Get with the pROHgram
-ROH @ 411

Opening Up to Mixed Reviews

Two shows in and ROH fans are already discovering the answer to the question that has been bugging them ever since November: what would a show be like without any Gabe Sapolsky influence on the structure and mostly if not completely under the influence of the new booking team?

The problem is that a lot of fans didn't like the answer to the question. That's not just the fans on the message board who weren't in attendance at the show, but many of the fans in attendance who didn't like what they saw and expressed themselves by booing and chanting "Refund" and, of all things "Fire Russo"—the axiom that has become the universal expression of the fans not liking what was booked on the show.

For the first time in quite a while, both shows of a Ring of Honor double shot weekend received mixed to negative reviews. Sometimes the first show of the weekend is less well received because of a lack of marquee matches or wrestlers saving themselves for the second show, usually at a higher profile city or for a Pay Per View taping. What is remarkable about this weekend was that both shows on paper looked very strong, with the Manassas show in particular having three very attractive matches featuring top names (McGuinness-Black, Lynn-Aries, Jacobs-Danielson) and the Edison show coming together with several grudge matches and the announcement in the last week that Austin Aries would be receiving his title shot on that show. Instead, ROH bait and switched both the title match and the first Tyler Black vs. Jimmy Jacobs match to mixed effect.

In replace of the two previously booked matches (Jacobs vs. Black being one that was announced almost immediately after the events of Final Battle 2008 three weeks ago), fans were given a Tyler Black title match against Nigel McGuinness. On paper that sounds like a sure fire money match and a huge sign of confidence in Tyler Black. However, by its conclusion fans had witnessed an inordinate amount of interference, including what could be a record number of ten run ins in one match, two promos during the bell to bell time, a match restart and a forty-nine minute draw. That's right, not a forty-five minute draw and not a sixty minute draw. Forty-nine. After that head scratching moment, some fans had to check the initials on their program that it didn't read "TNA" and not "ROH".

What may have been a real life mistake was turned into a storyline or perhaps it was meant to be an angle all along. The time keeper for ROH, the one with the crazy handlebar mustache, has been given a name (Giuseppe DiLorenzo) and some small attention in the video wire. This could have been just a way to use that character and that part of wrestling that often goes under looked as a new access point to building onto the McGuinness title run. Or that could just be a convenient excuse to try to salvage the mess and curb fan anger towards an angle that wasn't so positively received.

It's not that ROH hadn't shied away from restarts, huge run-ins, messed up finishes and controversial moments under the Sapolsky book. It's that these moments rarely if ever happened all together at once, in a title match, in the main event, as seen in this past weekend. These screwy booking tactics, when used, were done as the "exception" to the rule of ROH's established notion of clean finishes and definitive endings. You would see some in-match or post match interference during Sweet & Sour Incorporated matches on the undercard, but not in the main event. I had to go all the way back to the main event of "Transform" (another show that happened in Edison in January that was not well received) to see a main event where there was a ton of run ins, chaos and the like. As far as title matches go, the last time interference ruined a title match was the McGuinness vs. Necro Butcher bout at Bound By Hate, which was also booked by Pearce.

The key statement delivered by the main event in Edison may have been the moment when Bryan Danielson came out to ringside after a bevy of run ins from the likes of the American Wolves, Jay Briscoe, Brent Albright and Jerry Lynn. He rushed out exclaiming that this endless series of run ins wasn't the "ROH way" of doing things. He was then attacked and forced to join in on the chaos. The message? The ROH way of doing things as seen in the past is under attack, or perhaps already dead and gone. What will be in replace of it?

The first Jacobs vs. Black showdown no doubt was a bit quick to be booked, but it would have been an interesting look or "preview" of the feud and its parameters. Meanwhile Aries won his title shot at Final Battle 2008 and claimed he would cash it in Edison, but then in his interview during the show claimed he wouldn't want to have the title shot there in a "B" venue (not the best thing to attack a crowd in that manner lest you piss them off and they don't return). That left the title match slot open, and since Tyler Black had defeated Nigel McGuinness the previous night, Black stepped up and asked for the title match. In the past, when ROH bait and switched matches usually the new match booked proved to be even better than what was originally scheduled. While the Black vs. McGuinness title match was discussed by some fans on the ROH message board as a match of year until the incredibly weird finish, this may have been the first time that what was taken away from the card did not equal what was given back.

Under Sapolsky's book, you'd have to go back to June 2008's Battle for Supremacy and the NWA vs. ROH Title match that ended in a dusty finish because McGuinness threw Pearce over the rope to find a horrible main event finish that was panned to a large degree. Of course, a clean finish to that one was hard to come up with from the start and even Sapolsky himself has admitted that match was a flop. After that it would be February 2008's Sixth Year Anniversary Show and the McGuinness vs. Danielson title match to find a hinkie incident like a restart in a main event title bout. In that one, Nigel punching the referee was an intention disqualification that he did not get away with. The match was restarted and that led to a conclusive finish in the match. The Black vs. McGuinness title match this weekend in Edison was restarted, but led to an even larger and more dissatisfying conclusion.

Although it is their prerogative and their right to an opinion, perhaps some of the fans in attendance and writing from home are overlooking that fact in order to press hard against the new booking direction. However, regardless of discussion about how fans "should" react or "should" appreciate a product, many ARE not happy with what is happening right now to ROH…and that is the most important point of all.

It is hard to recall if ANY ROH World Title match in ROH history has ever involved so much interference, outside the ring antics and screwjob finishes as the Black vs. McGuinness title match. The biggest question coming out of this weekend was if the finish we saw in the main event will now become the norm in ROH under this new style…or was this also just an isolated incident, created to spark discussion and fuel the McGuinness title run to its next point?

If the explanation is the latter option, then all of the hysteria and fans up in arms will die down soon enough and we will be off a running on another angle without a major hitch. If it's the former, then ROH is risking a hell of a lot in changing its style. Fans in attendance at ROH shows expect and want more definitive finishes to matches (and to shows) and less bullshit finishes. If they wanted screwy finishes on a regular basis, then they could go watch WWE and TNA and they could do it for free on top of that. In ROH, the expectation of fans is that the hard earned money they spend on the shows and the DVD product will be equaled by the satisfaction they receive from seeing a better product than other wrestling promotions. If fans can't expect that anymore…then the consequences are obvious: reduced attendance, reduced DVD sales and a realistic chance that ROH could grow out of favor to their customer base. Sure, ROH could be signing a television deal any moment now with HD Net, but the point is they're not on television yet. It's not a good idea to book a finish the way you could on a weekly episodic television show when you don't have access to that kind of venue just yet.

Certainly the massive amount of confusion and chaos helped provide excitement to the live crowd, but the aftermath is what counts. Are the negative and mixed reviews worth what ROH will be changed into with this new booking style? Is ROH turning off its established fan base, sacrificing what it built up in the hope of finding more fans who will be willing to buy into their new style? Or are the fans who hated the angle making too much of the issue?

Those who would be willing to say "yes" to that last question realize that ROH fans have always been quick to shoot first and ask questions later as far as controversial angles and storylines go. In the past, these angles, like the Morishima title switch and the McGuinness heel turn garner initial fire and then die down…with fan reaction usually smoothing over as the angle progresses towards a direction that is certain and clear. On the other hand, this time the fan outcry goes far beyond one angle or one situation.

This was a whole weekend that came under criticism for average to below average wrestling matches. Great quality wrestling matches have been the calling card of ROH since the promotion began. This weekend provided few bright spots. The expected great wrestling matches in Manassas and Edison underperformed. Jerry Lynn vs. Austin Aries could have been a fantastic wrestling match where Aries' heel side emerged, but reports have stated that Aries went almost one hundred percent in the character building direction, sacrificing the in ring for establishing a new heel persona (in ways similar to his Austin Starr character in TNA). The result was a match that many expected to deliver in the upper card of that show did not. Even the main event of Black vs. McGuinness (non-title) was said to have been good but paling in comparison to their previous matches (Take No Prisoners and the one-on-one finale of the elimination match at Death Before Dishonor VI). The next night in Edison was the Lynn vs. Danielson rematch from their first encounter in Philadelphia, which also turned out to be a disappointment according to a myriad of fan reports.

ROH has toned down the amount of "spots" in matches, which is not a terrible thing, but doing so has also often changed the pace of the matches themselves, making them slower. Slowing down match pace to help increase wrestler safety is definitely appreciated, but this slowing down in particular has at times led to some very uninspired and uninteresting exchanges, especially on the undercard.

One more intangible to consider is that these shows took place in January, a notoriously bad month for ROH shows. Since ROH starts a new "season" of sorts at the beginning of the year, the January shows are usually booked to be step one of the larger overall picture of the promotion for the year. Usually you have weaker matches in terms of name value and in ring quality on these shows (although last year's Black vs. Danielson match from Breakout was a rare exception, but even then no one really expected that match to gain so much significance). ROH could be better served just skipping any January shows, take a month off (like CHIKARA does) and start again in February with building up the hype for the anniversary shows. That's an unrealistic expectation, sure, but perhaps a practical one that has its benefits. The shows this past weekend could just be a part of the January curse that strikes ROH every year, or maybe it was a foreshadowing of what is to come.


ROH Results: January 17th, 2009 in Edison, NJ (via ROH message board)

Matches

-Brent Albright defeated Rhett Titus via pinfall with the half nelson suplex.
-Delirious won a Four Corner Survival match that included The Necro Butcher, Damien Wayne, & Sean Denny. Delirious pinned Denny with the Shadows over Hell.
-Jay Briscoe defeated Austin Aries & Jimmy Jacobs in a three Way match via pinfall with a roll up on Jacobs. Jacobs hit Aries with the spear unintentionally in order to clear him out of the way.
-The American Wolves of Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards defeated Roderick Strong & Erik Stevens in a Lumberjack Strap Match
-Grizzly Redwood and Chris Escobar goes to a No-Contest as Bison Smith interfered and killed both of them.
-Jerry Lynn defeated "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson via pinfall with the Cradle Piledriver.
-ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness and challenger Tyler Black fought to a draw (timed as 49 minutes) in a controversial title match that included a restart, and plenty of interference from the ROH locker room.

Issues & Angles

-Austin Aries's promo included demands to the crowd for an apology for turning their back on him in favor of Tyler Black as the flavor of the month. He stated he didn't have closure after his I Quite match with Jacobs and that the crowds' bloodlust angered him. He wasn't going to fight McGuinness for the ROH title in a "B market" and he didn't care about wrestling for the fans or the "snow flakes" (i.e. match star ratings) or anyone but himself. He then knocked out Durden. Tyler Black comes out and wants the title shot for tonight Black tries to attack Aries, but Jacobs jumps Black from behind. Jay Briscoe made the save and challenges Aries and Jacobs to a match. During the match Aries and Jacobs seemed to work together but did hit each other, only to sort of "pump" each other up. The relationship between the two whatever it is remains unclear.

-Prince Nana continues to beg for a job as before the lumberjack strap match begins he appeared, took his belt off and begged to be a lumberjack for the match. He was again removed from the building.

- After the Lynn vs. Danielson match, Danielson teased not shaking hands with his opponent (frustration with losing) but then did so.

-The Black vs. McGuinness title match saw Nigel try to walk out, only to be stopped by the presence of Dragon. McGuinness went back to the ring to continue the match. Later in the bout, Jacobs came out to attack Tyler, and then Lynn came out to attack McGuinness. This triggered a locker room clearing brawl that included Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, Erick Stevens, Brent Albright, The American Wolves, and Jay Briscoe (not necessarily in that order). Danielson reappeared and demanded everyone go to the back so that the title match could finish. Jacobs attacked Danielson instead and the brawl continued. Danielson used his springboard dive into the crowd and the brawl went to the back. Referee Todd Sinclair and owner / president Cary Silkin conferred and allowed the match to continue. Then the match ended with a similar finish to the Manassas show, but the bell rang as Black went for the cover to indicate a time limit draw at forty nine minutes. Black asked for five more minutes by Nigel bailed to the back.

-Return Date: May 9th, 2009

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Honored News

ROH / HD Net Deal Close to Finalized?

According to Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer: "At press time, there is no confirmation of a TV being with HDNet being signed, but from the ROH side, the feeling was most of the key points have been agreed to and it's just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Both sides will likely make a joint announcement which, unless there is a late hold-up, would happen very soon."

HD Net is available to six million customers, which isn't a lot but is still important as far as reach is concerned. Since the network focuses on fighting and action, ROH could find a lot of possible fans of that genre watching their programming, especially if ROH has frequent replay airings.

ROH to Bring in More Veterans?

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported this week that "The company is considering bringing in more veterans to the roster, including some talent recently released by WWE." Now this could mean a number of different things, including the much hoped for return of Paul London (who at this point in his career could be considered a veteran of the sport) or it could mean ROH will bring in a few other wrestlers to the fold. Now this newsbit suggests these names don't have to be from the WWE, but since that is where a lot of talent was recently released, you'd have to consider it a huge possibility.


McGuinness vs. Generico III at "Caged Collision" PPV

The title match for the Chicago 1/31 PPV taping has been signed. It will be McGuinness putting up the title once more against El Generico. This will be Generico's third shot at the title in a singles match, fourth overall during Nigel's reign.

To me, this bout is a bit of a disappointment. El Generico while a great babyface and a popular wrestler, doesn't seem destined to be the one to take the title from McGuinness. They could of course go with the shocking upset title win, but it isn't likely. A suggestion from the ROH message board was for ROH to bring in outside talent to try to take the title from McGuinness in the absence of any other clear challengers from the regular ROH roster (and this is where the above story of the veterans could tie in). I'd rather have someone from the outside come in and take this title shot. Well, really I would have liked Black to win the title on this show, but that seems to be building that up for later on in the year and not in the immediate future.


New Matches for January 30th in Detroit, Michigan and January 31st in Chicago Ridge, IL


January 30th, 2009:
Non-Title: Nigel McGuinness vs. Jay Briscoe: Jay is being pushed more into the singles division and looks to make a mark (no pun intended) against the champion. Jay actually was the first man to fight McGuinness for the title back in late 2007. Now he must win a non-title match in order to get back into contention consideration. It is also a good thing this match is non-title considering the show comes right before a PPV taping. At least Detroit isn't getting the bait and switch like Dayton did a few months back.

Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious: Strong and Stevens need practice time as they pump themselves up to fight Sweet & Sour Incorporated the next night in the cage. Meanwhile Jacobs wants to retake a more active hand in overseeing Delirious and his actions in the ring so that he won't be distracted by Daizee Haze if she sticks her nose in the green guy's business.

Jerry Lynn vs. Tyler Black: This bout was a highlight of Ring of Homicide 2 and both men have good chemistry with one another, sort of like RVD vs. Lynn back in the original ECW. This should be a good one, but we'll have to see how it actually goes down on game day.

Silas Young vs. Austin Aries: In Detroit, Silas Young will oppose Austin Aries in singles competition. Aries, who has been talking about his great manifesto as of late, commented, "I know Silas. In fact, I know him well. I also know that time is of the essence. And I know that being in the right place at the right time is sometimes more important than anything else. On January 30 in Detroit, Silas, it won't be your time and you'll be out of place and when I'm done, another chapter of the ‘A-Double Manifesto' gets sent to print."

January 31st, 2009:
Tyler Black & ??? vs. Austin Aries & Jimmy Jacobs: Black wants both revenge and payback on both Aries and Jacobs. He has dared them to team together and he will find a partner of his own to fight in a tag match on the Pay Per View. This one isn't official yet but its very likely to be so by the next week.

Jerry Lynn & Necro Butcher vs. Delirious & Brodie Lee: Lynn and Necro shook hands at Final Battle 2008 after the four corner survival match, so there seems to be mutual respect there. Meanwhile, this match serves as a continuation of the Necro vs. Lee issue that began a few months back. More from the ROH newswire: Jerry Lynn has signed on to team with the Necro Butcher in his plight against the Age of the Fall. In Chicago on 1/31, Lynn and Necro will oppose the mammoth Brodie Lee and Delirious. Lynn defeated Delirious in Montreal back in November at "The French Connection", so he has an understanding of how the masked man works. What isn't clear is where Delirious' head is at after the happenings in Manassas last Friday which saw him hand over the spike to Daizee Haze rather than use it on Necro. Necro, meanwhile, will face Brodie Lee one-on-one in Detroit. There is no telling what direction this feud will turn.

Silas Young vs. Alex "Sugarfoot"Payne: After good showings highlighting the two (and Sami Callahan) against Claudio at the Rising Above PPV, both men are rewarded with a singles match where they can hopefully step up and show the fans what they got. Payne has some strong comments about the match on the new videowire (see below).


Proving Ground '09 to feature FIP and Florida Talent

In addition to the already announced talent for February 6th & February 7th in Florida, ROH is going to give an opportunity to some of the standout local talent from the Sunshine State. Sean Osbourne, Brad Attitude, the Dark City Fight Club of Jon Davis & Kory Chavis, as well as The British Lions (Chris Gray & Tommy Taylor) will be given an opportunity to shine in Coral Springs & Orlando, and potentially earn a spot on the ROH roster!

With the amount of talent coming to Coral Springs and Orlando looking to prove their worth, ROH is titling the February 6th and 7th events "Proving Ground ‘09". The first match we'd like to announce for Coral Springs is a tag team attraction with plenty of intrigue as the Dark City Fight Club of Kory Chavis and Jon Davis will look to make their mark in Ring of Honor. And what better way to send a statement than by taking on the best. On 2/6, The Dark City Fight Club will take on ROH World Tag Team Champions, Kevin Steen and El Generico! Although this will be a non-title contest, a win by the DCFC would go a long way to showing that they belong in ROH.

We're excited to announce another match for "Proving Ground ‘09". On February 7th in Orlando, Kenny King returns to ROH and will team with Rhett Titus to take on Chris Gray & Tommy Taylor, The British Lions. King's YRR cohorts, Sal Rinauro and Chasyn Rance will also be a part of the festivities, so the deck already appears to be stacked against the newcomers from England. In any event, both teams are looking to prove their worth, and in Orlando, we'll see who's ready to take that next step.

On the one hand, these two nights could prove to be a great opportunity for many young wrestlers to break through and perhaps gain more visibility. In a way these shows might resemble the old ROH "Do or Die" concept shows with younger wrestlers fighting each other and proving themselves ready for ROH. Among others Delirious, Matt Sydal, Austin Aries and Alex Shelley were noticed and proved themselves in Do or Die matches. On the other hand, if these shows go wrong, it could look like a glorified FIP show, which you know the ticket buying fans did not come for—they came to see an ROH product with the bigger ROH names appearing. These shows already had been postponed and would have been pretty good shows. One was to feature Steen & Generico vs. The Briscoes and the other was to be the annual "Survival of the Fittest" tournament which was coming together very nicely. These shows could be boom or bust.


ROHdds and Ends

-A photo of "The Wrestler" with the ROH ring, logo and website address clearly shown was briefly up at WWE.com. The folks on the "dot com" (as Cole loves to stupidly shorthand) quickly changed the picture soon after realizing what they did.

-Bison Smith appears to be joining the roster as a regular. A newsbite mentioned that ROH officials receive a "mysterious" letter from an unsigned source stating that Bison would be the key to his or her's triumph in ROH.

-There was a bit of a scare with the New Alhambra (ECW Arena) being sold to new owners that it would stop running wrestling and boxing shows. However, that has been denied by the operators of the New Alhambra. In a press release they say wrestling and boxing shows will continue on as scheduled.

-From the ROH Newswire: ROH officials are investigating the events surrounding the dramatic and outstanding ROH World Title match in Edison between Nigel McGuinness and Tyler Black that ended in a time limit draw. There have been allegations that the match did not actually reach the 60 minute limit when the timekeeper's bell signaled the end of regulation time. Furthermore, there has also been speculation that the intense mid-match melee, which nearly caused the title match to be thrown out and ruled a no-contest, may be connected to this apparent timing mishap. ROH officials are currently reviewing all available footage, as well as questioning timekeeper Giuseppe di Lorento and everybody else involved in the events that took place in Edison. We'll have updates as new details come to light.

- From the ROH Newswire: ROH officials have been in back and forth contact with "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush as of late. We'll have news on this as it develops.

Kayfabe Quote of the Week: "I talked it over with Generico," said Steen. "But he was busy translating something from the ROH website into Spanish so I don't think he was paying attention. Anyway, it doesn't matter because I know he's fine with me facing Claudio, as I never back down from a challenge. Claudio thinks he's "championship material"? Well, we'll see if that's the case on the 31st on Pay-Per-View." --Kevin Steen


ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 01/24/2009

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 33 successful defenses)
-defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense: vs. El Generico, Chicago Ridge, Illinois, 01/31/09

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)
V. 31 defeated Jerry Lynn, pin using ropes (12/06/08, Nashville, TN)
V.32 defeated Naomichi Marufuji (12/27/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.33 fought to a time limit draw vs. vs. Tyler Black (01/17/09, Edison, New Jersey)

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—Kevin Steen & El Generico (champions since 09/19/08, 4 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: vs. American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) Detroit, MI 01/30/09

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)
V.4 defeated Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious (12/27/08, Manhattan, NY)

**


Top Feuds & Pairings:

-What is going on between Aries and Jacobs?
-Tyler Black's face turn
-Jerry Lynn vs. Nigel McGuinness
-Claudio wants to make a comeback
-Brent Albright, Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
-Daizee Haze wants to save Delirious and restore her name.
-Necro Butcher continues his war against Age of the Fall
-Bison Smith's run of terror


ROH Home Theatre Station

ROH Videowire: January 21st, 2009

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1. CM Punk: Punk is now Intercontinental champion and is a former ECW, World Heavyweight and Tag Team champion. How about that? You have to give it to WWE, they really have put their best foot forward when they decide to put a title on CM Punk. Sure the follow through isn't always the best, but they have gone four for four in electric moments where Punk has won a strap. From the moment Punk came out draped in the Chicago flag to the extended celebration he had with his hometown fans, this was wrestling done right. Yes, the Intercontinental title doesn't mean much these days thanks to its being mistreated for many years, but Punk and William Regal made me forget that for fifteen minutes this past Monday.
2. Shawn Michaels: Still one of the best at wrestling promos that make you care about what happens to him. If I were a child who worshipped Cena, I'd be hating Shawn Michaels right now for what he did, maybe along the same lines of how I felt when Randy Savage turned on Hulk Hogan back when I was a child. As an adult I can now see with maturity and vision HBK's justification for doing what he is doing, and I enjoyed seeing the tete-a-tete between he, Cena and JBL on Monday. The Shawn Michaels Morality Play continues.
3. Randy Orton: The kick to the head of Vince McMahon and the reaction he gave afterwards was picture perfect. I loved it.
4. Larry Sweeney: Just for his hysterical performance on the ROH Videowire where he is laughing maniacally behind the cage. No one does an evil laugh these days better than Sweeney.
5. Vince and Stephanie McMahon: I'm shocked too—because I'd grown extremely sick of seeing the McMahons on my television. Sure it had been six months since Vince was on TV, but that's not nearly enough for me, the degree to which I had been so burned out on McMahon as an on screen character. And while he even almost overstayed his welcome on this past Monday's show, both he and Stephanie were very effective in their roles here. They are strong characters that can overpower even the top heels, but the use of the McMahons to get Randy Orton over the top on the road to Wrestlemania showed that when it counts Vince will put the talent over himself.


Honorarium

-I read the results from Edison, NJ and even I was confused by what the heck was going on. It took a long time to sort out what had happened—which is not a good thing mind you. However, the progression of events does sound intriguing and very dramatic, although the ten run ins sounds like way too much overkill for my taste. However, if this had a proper and definitive conclusion, or was booked by Gabe Sapolsky…do you think it might have had a different reaction from the fans live in attendance and after the show?

-I'm a bit behind on my CHIKARA watching, but Smart Mark Video is running a sale this weekend so I'll be picking up some more shows and hopefully catch up from there. I've still have to see their October and November shows. SHIMMER Vol. 20 is still on the "to-be-watched" list and I know 21 and 22 come out soon too. HELP!

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Going Home

Get With the pROHgram:

February 2009: "ROH Classics" on Direct TV begins to provide 10 hours of ROH programming per month.

March 14th, 2009: ROH DEBUTS in Indianapolis, Indiana as the second night of a double shot with the St. Louis area (Collinsville). ROH runs the Indiana State Fairgrounds for a 7:30 PM show.

March 20th, 2009: ROH RETURNS to the Pittsburg, PA area running the Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth, PA.

April 3rd & 4th, 2009:ROH debuts in Houston, Texas running during the Wrestlemania 25 weekend, including a matinee on the 4th.


ROH @ 411

411 Buy or Sell looks at Bison Smith's debut in ROH as well as FIP, PWG and CHIKARA news.

The Navigation Log discusses Kenny Omega in Japan among other Puro highlights.


I'm running out of time this week (term papers to go through as well as final grades for the semester), so we'll postpone the Money Player and Stockmarket one week. Also next week is a very special feature—it's "The Battle of the Books"! I'm gonna be intentionally vague on that one, but I think it will turn out well. That and results from Detroit and a preview of Chicago Ridge, so see you then!

BROOKLYN! NANA!
--Ari--