Pro Wrestling Ponderings

ROH on HDNet 09.21.09 Review

Well after missing last weeks show review mostly in part for going to the Chicago show where there will be a special write up coming right after I get some photos and everything put together, I wanted to say out there that this week we definitely got something special and monumental. We got the A Double L Double. Austin Aries Lethal Lottery. Good stuff. The promo ability of this man has always entertained me and from the get go you knew that this could be a great segment from the start. Unfortunately one man isn’t too pleased with this segment and that would be one Kenny Omega who was overseas and thus when his name was pulled from the hat that Austin Aries brought with him to clearly fairly choose his opponent, he was not in the building. But after much contemplation we got another lucky winner and truly it would be a “test” for A Double. Grizzly Redwood would be the first man to challenge Austin Aries based on the A Double L Double challenge.

What this match lacked in main event feel it surely scored high in entertainment. It was short, but truly the simplest psychology was there. Redwood got to hit many of his spots including lifting Aries up over his head which could not have been easy for a man of his stature. But in the end it was Aries who vanquished the “littlest lumberjack” with his finisher of choice, the brain buster. I have to say that this match was an entertaining start and really didn’t do anything but what it was suppose4d to do which was enrage the crowd and put more heat upon Austin Aries.

We got a segment announcing the surprise from last week which was Ladder War 2 coming to New York and we also got a little history piece done for the feud between Kingston and Hero that will take place in the same city.

Next up we had Mr. Choo Choo himself Erick Stevens going up against Brandon Day. Another squash match for Stevens as we are getting to see more and more of him. Obvious build towards upper mid card status and this is probably the best way to do it. A resurgence of his character standing was definitely a step that Stevens needed and anything to erase the memory of The Resilience would be fantastic.

Tyler Black gets some more promo time and this can only give him the tools he needs to get his speaking ability up to where he can make a good match into a great match with the help of his words. Another interview segment done as we are seeing Bryan Danielson in one of his last HDNet showings as he teams with the great Roderick Strong and KENTA to go up against The American Wolves and Chris Hero. Only good things can come out of this main event and I do hope that it comes across well on television.

Jimmy Rave to go up against Necro Butcher as the toilet paper comes flying, something I got to see live again this past weekend but something that never gets old. The carnage these two put themselves through could not possibly be surpassed by this television match but had I seen this match before the event this weekend it would definitely have gotten me ready as this simple brawl really just made the fans crave more from these two. I’ve always been a semi fan of Bison Smith as he plays his role of a big brooding brawler to perfection whether I see it in Japan or when I watched it on Pro Wrestling IRON tapes. I do believe that this could be the beginning of another feud for Necro that could pan out into some entertaining brawls and bloody forays.

We get a history package of Brent Albright against Claudio Castagnoli as next weeks show is going to be main evented by a steel cage match for the first time ever on HDNet.

We finally get to our main event and this one for sure is going to deliver on all fronts. Nothing short of a great ROH main event that would be worthy of any main event placing on a DVD release. I have to say that there are strong feelings that Roderick Strong is being placed in the main event and for very good reason. This match showcased that any of the five men who competed with Bryan Danielson deserver to be in the main event of any ROH event. I would even have to say that Edwards really stepped up his game here and showed that given the right opportunity he could also be in the higher echelon of singles competition in Ring of Honor. A great story was told as all men gave it their all, even the dastardly work of the heels wasn’t ruined by any outside interference from Shane Hagadorn which really added to the match because no one wanted to see any shenanigans in this one. When it came to the end though, clearly a win over Edwards doesn’t hurt either Hero or Richards, but still it meant enough that Strong will be perceived highly after winning such a bout of pure action and fortitude. Great main event that definitely is within the four star range, if not more. Thanks for reading and hope you tune in for more.

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09/07/09 ROH on HDNet

Welcome back readers. We are starting out with an exciting match as we have the duo of Rhett Titus and Kenny King against the returning heroes of ROH, The Briscoe Bros. A great tag team outing as for the first time we see the Briscoes as a team on HDNet, but it’s the youngin’s that are showing their mettle. Diverting attention of both brothers, making sure that their opponent is in their corner, and even then securing their dominance by practically cutting off Mark from Jay for most of the match. I’ll paraphrase D’Lo Brown from the BTR radio show this week in that the true measure of a wrestler is not about when he enters the ring and runs roughshad over his opponent, but it’s when the wrestler can make his opponent look like he’s beating him when under “normal” circumstances it wouldn’t be so. The Briscoes have always been able to do that for other tag teams. All the way to the finish the team of Titus and King looked like they were always within a hairs chance of winning, but with the Doomsday Device, the brothers secure another victory.

American Wolves come out and run down the Briscoes Bros. from the entrance way. But just to show how great the tag division is, Steenerico comes out and practically throws the American Wolves in the ring. After a short beat down, a surreal moment occurs when the team of Steenerico faces off against The Briscoe Bros. with each team holding one tag team belt as the American Wolves yell from the ringside. A great feud just waiting to happen between those three teams.

Nigel interview segment as he’s asked about Lynn and Black. Such a great promo man is Nigel and I do hope that the scripted promos in the fed don’t leech any of his charisma away. Damn I miss the spiked hairdo. The lasting moments after Durden stated that Nigel never gives a clear answer was gold, akin to The Rock staring down Coachman.

Eddie Kingston is out and ready for some action. Hero’s music blasts in darkness but of course who comes out to disappoint is the one and only Shane Hagadorn. Sal Rinauro is beckoned out by Hagadorn and once he backs into Kingston, he kneels down to pray. One spinning backfist later and the match is over as quick as it began. Furthering the fans want to see Hero versus Kingston. They have been building this since July and really this may be stretching it a tad thin as these squash matches are beginning to become redudant.

Another squash match as Nigel McGuinness takes on Aaron Scott. Nothing against Scott, but to make your in ring debut against a former great ROH champion is surely a daunting task. “Kill The Jobber” chants sound off at the beginning of this match and that is pretty much what Nigel starts doing from the get go. A great showing of what Nigel can do and obviously supposed to be a warm up, a warm up that may not get to second gear as most of the internet community knows that Nigel, alongside Bryan Danielson, is going to the WWE in principle. But that doesn’t mean he can’t give us an entertaining match up against Aaron Scott and he does just that with a great showing of his catch and submission style. Aaron gets a few moments of offense as he gets a reversal on the former champ but Nigel quickly returns to the dominant position. Glimers of hope for the young Aaron Scott but it would be Nigel who gets the win with a… DDT? Seemed to be a botched spot as Nigel was clearly going for the Jawbreaker Lariat but Scott dropped his head to “avoid” it but at the same time it did get across that Nigel can finish off an opponent with any weapon from his arsenal so perhaps the point did get across.

Great video package shown for the main event of the night of Jerry Lynn going up against the upstart Tyler Black who seemingly is the choosen one to reign as next ROH world champion. We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but I have predicted before that before or even perhaps at Final Battle 2009, we’d see Black finally reach that brass ring and win the big one. As I am going to the Sept. 19th ROH show in Chicago, I can’t wait to see Danielson and Black hook it up one last time for the forseeable future. The match begins, and as so many others that these two men have had, technical savvy is the starting point.

Obviously the point to get across is that Tyler has matured in the ring and can get those elusive wins in the singles department. From a TV timeline, they are pushing that the win over Nigel is the first step, but that he has a ways to go to become a contender. I seem to remember a certain PPV match where he took then champion Nigel to the limit and really showed his potential in that match. At this stage though, the television crowd is just learning what Tyler Black bas shown fans over the last two years on DVD and on PPV. I would also like to point out that I feel the reason that some are down on Jerry Lynn is because we have seen the greatness that is Lynn and perhaps are a tad jaded and some feel that there is nothing new Jerry can show them. I’m not sold on that yet as I feel perhaps a heel Jerry Lynn could reinvigorate his character in ROH.

Great back and forth action as Jerry Lynn shows speed of men half his age mixed with respectable holds and counter holds by both competitors. You can almost feel the mood in the building change as both men really are beginning to pick it up a notch. Silently and almost as if to surprise the men in the ring,Nigel has come to ringside to not only join the spectators, but to issue out some opinions. The reasons are his alone, but it is clear that he means to make sure both men know what he’s thinking. The crowd seems to notice but at the same time can’t tear their eyes from the action in the ring. Each resounding two count earns more and more cheers from the crowd for either competitor, but it would see that while neither man wants to give up, they both don’t have much left in the tank. Turnbuckle bomb and right into the super kick but soon we see a glimor of Nigel’s plan as he puts Lynns foot on the rope for the count break. Even the kids in the front row seem to be pleading with Black to not take his eyes off of Lynn, but it could be too soon too late as Lynn gets a small package and the win. Great match to end the night and it would seem that Black and Nigel are going to have at least one face off before the ROH legend goes to the WWE. Thanks for reading folks.

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After experiencing a weekend of fun and going to see live wrestling three straight, I figured it was only right to have the return of Ring Around Wrestling take one final look at the weekend that was before simply leaving those memories alone. Instead of actually organizing, I’m just going to illustrate my random thoughts from the entire weekend over these next three days.

- We begin today with a review of “Enter the Dragon.” Since there have been seven million other reviews, I’ll just piggyback off a lot of those with my own thoughts.

BxB Hulk vs. Yamato- Of all the Dragon Gate competitors, I’ve seen these two guys the least amount of times. What struck me the most was just how much the entrance of BxB Hulk makes him seem like a big starl. If I had no idea who anyone on this show was, I’d think BxB Hulk was the biggest star purely because of the dance routine (Oh, and Bobby Dempsey’s sister simply has to be adopted.) . Like everyone else on this show, he was quite talented and showcased a lot of innovative offense. Yamato is the greasiest of the greasy heels and played his part to perfection. I loved this match and it immediately put me in mood to watch a great show. Of course they probably did too much, but this is a six show company that’s trying to market itself as a premium source of professional wrestling. This is how you start something like this off, by having two guys go out and give a four star match. ****

CHIKARA Showcase- I simply loved this match, and I’m not even sucking up to Kevin Ford or Justin Houston here. Mike Quackenbush has to be one of the best trainers in North America because everything here looked very smooth despite the fact that there were eight guys. The timing was down pat, and everyone came out looking like a million bucks. Even someone like Amasis, who did nowhere near the actual work of some of the others, came out looking better because of his charisma. Too many spots to even provide play-by-play and the crowd was so into this match. I know I rip on Philadelphia a lot, but this was definitely the right match for this crowd. They took things to a whole new level. Kevin Ford and myself both have a nickname for the finish of this match. It’s called Gabe’s Apology because Jigsaw got the pinfall win (and got himself added to the roster because of it), and for some fans they got to see him back the way he always should have been, WITH THE MASK ON. And I considered this to be the best match of the night for all those reasons. ****1/4

Dragon Kidvs. Masato Yoshino- Not sure what can be added. This was the match that ended up being the worst of the night. Simply amazing to think that a ***1/2 match could be considered worst anything, but that’s the kind of show this was. I’m not sure what the issue was here, but you just got the sense that these two could have done just a little bit more to elevate their game. I also think this match being pushed and being such a huge rivalry caused too high expectations in the minds of fans. Still, this was a really great match and I think people will eventually fall in love with Dragon Kid if given the chance. He’s like a new version of Rey Mysterio with his moves and execution. The size factor isn’t really that much of an issue, but if they start putting him in with bigger guys, I think he became a lot more sympathetic. The only negative is the language barrier. But for the niche audience that Dragon Gate is trying to draw. it probably won’t be that much of an issue.

The Young Bucks vs. Susumu Yokusuka and CIMA- If the Young Bucks walked into this match as knockoffs of The Rockers and Hardy Boyz, they walked out huge stars. This was clearly a great match, and I loved the dynamic between the teams. There were two big single stars in Yokusuka and CIMA wrestling one of the rising young teams in independent American wrestling. My only critique would have been for the Bucks to face off against bigger heels like they did in Chicago. What saved the Bucks from getting booed out of the building was their prior dates with CHIKARA and Ring of Honor. It just had to be. Philadelphia would crap on guys like this simply because of their look and being “man pretty.” ****

Naruki Doi vs. Shingo- I remember seeing Shingo live in October of 2006 and thinking about how mediocre he seemed to be. Then just seven months later, I was heartbroken that Shingo was leaving the United States to go back to Dragon Gate. He’s one hell of a wrestler, as is Naruki Doi. You’d think I’d have run out of stars by this point, but oh no. This was another four star match, and I think this is the match that showcased just how Dragon Gate is more then almost any of the other matches. This wasn’t just some athletic spotfest. There was at least more of a story involved with this match, and I think some of the narrations earlier on along with the confrontation in a prior match got me more ready for this match. Great main event to cap the show. ****1/4

Other Thoughts- Dawn Marie is a terrible announcer and should never be brought back. I’m sure she’s a very nice person, and I admire her for the work she’s doing with Wrestler’s Rescue, but for a premium wrestling brand to have her as a ring announcer is simply not a great idea. The announcing was alright, but I think we should have seen them live at the arena. I like the introductions where we see the announcers in the arena amidst the crowd going nuts. It also puts faces to the names of the people who are supposed to be the voices of the company. Still, the announcing was passable, and my only recommendation would be to have these guys get more excited about the matches and really focus more on storylines rather then calling moves. I know that sounds WWE-like, but in this case it makes a lot of sense because the action is literally too fast to try and call every move.

Anyone who doesn’t buy this show is pretty much insane. The twenty dollar price tag is a little stiff, but I guarantee you this show is better then anything WWE and TNA will put on the next year. That includes Wrestlemania. As far as in-ring action, this might be the best show ever. To call it the best Pay-Per-View ever is a logical fallacy for the simple fact that there were really no storylines, no title matches, and little historical significance. Still, the show is so good and different from almost anything else in the wrestling business these days that I can’t help but give this show a huge thumbs up.

Tomorrow I’ll discuss AAW and my experience there.

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08/31/2009 ROH on HDnet review

So here it is folks, Team Cabana against the Embassy in a huge tag team match for the main event. But we have some action before we get there.

Delrious joined by the lobely Daizee Haze is ready to go up against the soon to be rapper Sonjay Dutt. Two guys who got killed by Samoa Joe in his early TNA tenure are about to excite the crowd with both of their unique styles. Delirious hears the bell and the madness begins, too bad his mind can be easily manipulated in other areas. I will say that their styles compliment each other in that we have the aggressive style of Delirious while Sonjay is able to counter him and use his speed against a man who isn’t too shabby in the quicks department. Gotta add that Hog asking Prazak if he spoke Klingon made me chuckle. Huge amounts of offense out of Sonjay that as one would expect would take him off of his feet while he tries to weaken the resolve of Delirious in order to get a three count. Delirious gets the win with a roll up and a sign of respect at the end of the match with a sporting hand shake between the two opponents.

Embassy promo with the idea that they are going to get rid of their opponents and rise to the top of the ROH ladder. While I’m not convinced that the members of the official Embassy are really going to rise to the top, I will say that with this big tag match, we could see some entertaining spots.

American Wolves against Cheech & Cloudy is our second match of the night and honestly I don’t see this being more than a glorified squash match. The former Special K members get pounded from the get go from these stiff wrestlers in the form of the American Wolves but they soon send the ROH Tag Team Champions to the floor but make that fatal mistake of going high risk against a team that isn’t entirely out of it. I enjoy the work of Cheech & Cloudy in CHIKARA and other indy federations, but I can’t say that the American Wolves are going to have much trouble with these two who combine high flying and speed expertly but the American Wolves aren’t far behind in the quicks department and are just tough as nails. A half crab later and the ROH Tag Team Champions have their win. Don’t expect to see any sportsman like behavior from the Wolves as they make us suffer the sight of Shane Hagadorn again for another week. Dark City Fight Club rush to the ring and the rough and tough tandem make an example out of Cheech, even gaining some notice from the tag team champs.

Team Cabana promo. Brent Albright is just plain stupid as Sgt. Meathead. Colt can do the funny stuff and has the timing of Bob Saget, but god damn why is Brent even trying this babyface look. Grizzly Redwood and Necro follow and honestly this did not make me any more interested in the main event.

Jerry Lynn tells us why his next weeks match against Tyler Black could be one more important match in his history and to be honest it could be a very telling sign of where he’s ging to go.

Silas Young versus Erick Stevens this week as two power houses of the ROH roster are going to go head to head. I have seen lots of good things out of both men, and with just a little adjustment, Stevens could be a huge player for ROH in the future if only he would work on his schtick. He definitely has a look that could be distinctive, but as always the gift of gab may be the clincher to his success in this business. Great heel work from Young as this midwest talent continues to impress me with his in ring abilities. Be sure to check out the sit down Jerome Cusson of Pro Wrestling Ponderings had with Silas Young at an AAW event alongside the Phoenix Twins as a wondering Jimmy Jacobs also chimes in. Cheap plugs coming about, also be sure to check out the sit down Jerome had with DGUSA announcer and commentator Phil Colvin this week as that is also up on the website. Anyway back to the match at hand. These two larger members of the ROH roster show they aren’t afraid to go to the ropes to gain some impact, a great example by Young as he goes for a split legged moonsault but is able to land on his feet when he sees that Stevens isn’t there. One Doctor Bomb later though and Erick Stevens shows why his slight experience advantage in ROH over Young gives him the edge this time around. Would like to see program between these two if done correctly.

“God’s Middle Child” Eddie Kingston is back again to vent about Chris Hero. These vignettes have gone a long time and really the build to this match up has been done in other promotions so many times over that in a way this is overkill. Not to say that I’m not looking forward to it, but with it being done in so many other places they are really milking this a tad too far.

Main event time as a “classic Survivor Series” style tag match pitting The Embassy (Jimmy Rave, Claudio Castagnoli, Prince Nana, Ernie Osiris) against Colt Cabana, Necro Butcher, Brent Albright, and Grizzly Redwood. On a side note, I would have much preferred Bison Smith to Ernie Osiris any day of the week as really this ROH student has not shown anything but being able to take a decent bump, and sometimes it’s messed up even then. Prince Nana breaking out a ring outfit that I haven’t seen him in since his ECWA days. ROH students in the ring as we have Redwood against Osiris and while they are doing some decent basic manuevers, I just don’t see why Osiris is in the match. Redwood shows that he is lightyears ahead of Osiris, probably just by the experience he has outside of ROH while I am pretty damn sure that Osiris hasn’t worked in any other promotion. I could be wrong and if I am please feel free to comment on that as I would like to know the whereabouts of the ROH students. Great segment as the crowd is used to interact with the babyface team as they put the stretch on Double C and use the leverage of the entire front row on their side. Gotta admit that while ROH may not be what it once was persay, it still gives the fans experiences that they will remember and probably can’t get anywhere else from the major two of this profession. Though apparently in the fed we do have “fans” running in to help those who they feel akin to, or just may be kin to but that aside. Colt Cabana’s moonsault to the outside of the ring is still a thing of beauty as I recall the first time I saw it in a four way that is now a ROH classic that also included Homicide, BJ Whitmer, and Dan Maff of the Prophecy. Osiris eliminates Redwood in what I would say is an upset. Albright and Claudio battle it out to the fans and get themselves eliminated. While I understand what the point of that was, at the same time it was pretty dumb for Albright to leave his team mates at such a disadvantage, even though marginally it is only Osiris that gives The Embassy their advantage.

Sick bump as Necro’s leg takes a swanton onto a chair from Osiris and dear god it really did look like could have broken the leg in half. Heel hook later and Necro is gone but luckily Osiris is eliminated soon after following a Colt 45 by Cabana. Rave and Nana are left with Cabana and this could be an interesting match from this point on if Nana is left alone with Colt. I will say at this point, this main event has been better than I thought it would be and definitely at least two stars more than what I would have given it credit for based on paper. Prince Nana finally gets into the ring and I must say he has definitely lost a lot of weight from when I watched him in ECWA. Jimmy Rave eliminated with a roll up and when Nana reacts to the elimination it is pure gold. Nana taps out to give Team Cabana the win and send the viewing fans home happy at the conclusion of this main event. Definitely a better episode than what I thought it was going to be, only further proving to me that I shouldn’t always be so down on the ROH product until I see it for myself, despite what I may feel or read elsewhere. Thanks again readers.

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Ring of Honor on HDNet 08/24/2009

Welcome back ROH readers. We have a great show to get to so lets get to it. We opened up with a video package of how we got to our reigning ROH World champ Austin Aries. We also get the word that Jerry Lynn has a significant message for the ROH fan base.

Great tag team match up as we have Steenerico against Tony Kozina and “The New Horror” Sami Calahan. A decent opening bout against a tandem with the experience of Kozina and ability of Calahan against a veteran team here in ROH of “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen and “The Generic Luchadore” El Generico. Fast paced as both teams really bring it to the table. Sam Calahan hopefully will have time to shine here in Ring of Honor as he’s just in 5th gear the entire match. Great ring work by Kevin Steen as always. Kozina just seems a step behind the youngsters in the ring, but don’t let that fool you as he does get his shots in and really rocks the favorites in this match. But it would be the package piledriver/brain buster combo that puts Steenerico in the winners line. Great match that I would have to say sets the tone for the rest of the show. I hope that Steen and Generico get another chance to be ROH tag team champions as they just have the heart of a Canadian Mountee….well maybe a Hispanic mountee also if there were such things.

Roderick Strong interview coming up. Roderick points out what he brings to the table and boasts of the list of opponents he’s beaten to prove to “A Double” that he is more than worthy of being in the ring with the ROH world champion and I do hope he can prove that in the main event. These former partners and ROH tag champions really know each other inside and out so it’s a no brainer that their match will be a great showcase of what Ring of Honor is all about.

D’Lo Brown against John Kerman. Congrats to D’Lo for another miracle brought to the D’Lo nation in the form of a 7 pound beautiful baby girl recently. Kerman looks good in this match, for all the offense he’s able to get in, and I’m sure that we will see John Kerman back on the ROH TV show. But for what it’s worth, D’Lo is a world renown athlete and there isn’t much Kerman can bring to the table that D’Lo hasn’t seen before. D’Lo, a favorite of mine from his time in Japan and even his WWE 90s run, despite some naysayer’s I feel has added to the ROH product and with a slow burn perhaps will find his way into the ROH title picture. He has many tools that he has yet to show to the American audience, as proven by his matches in Japan. I have often heard him say that in Japan he breaks out moves because of the competition there, but I am sure that in ROH he will find the same heart and skill that will force him to break it out when he mixes it up with the higher competitors. Top rope Sky High Rydeen bomb gets D’Lo Brown the win. Great post match segment with Durden as D’Lo, not only irritated about never being interviewed until now, but that he is asked about Jerry Lynn. For a guy who “can’t talk” he certainly gets his point across in top fashion.

Top segment from The Embassy as we have Prince Nana, Double C, and Jimmy Rave really show what they feel about the Colt Cabana faction. I don’t have the highest hopes for this match in the future, but these clusters of action have always been entertaining and I’m willing to give it a shot.

Next up is Nigel being who he is as he speaks about Black beating him last week, vowing that it will never happen again. Nigel’s speaking ability is second to none in ROH and I do hope that ROH does everything they can to keep this man if the fed comes knocking.

Tyler Black, who had a recent interview on Figure 4 Daily with Bryan Alvarez, is in the ring as they cut off Nigel and Black has something to say. He speaks on Jerry Lynn possibly retiring and how he feels that he is a future ROH champion. Here comes Jerry Lynn to address the crowd and the fans are awaiting what he has to say. He comments on D’Lo wanting him to “shrivel up and die” while also letting everyone know he’s only 45, not 65 or even 84, sorry had to bring it up. I also want to point out that the current Jerry Lynn shirt isn’t that bad in my opinion for the pure reason that I could wear it in public and no one would have any negative thoughts on it, though I will say I’ve always gotten positive remarks about my No Remorse Corp shirt.

The main event is up as we have Roderick Strong against his former partner ROH World Champion Austin Aries. Furry jacket is damn awesome as he’s definitely channeling Michael Hayes, as well as having pink furry calf warmers that really do the trick. With Danielson gone, Roderick Strong has a unique chance to really up his game and place himself in the upper echelon of ROH, especially while the ROH faithful have accepted him back into their good graces.

These two are at it fast and furious as both are bringing their A game in this HDNet main event. These two have always meshed well and perhaps an iron man or two out of three falls match could help bring Strong up to that level that most feel he could be at. Despite being the heel, Aries still works a very similar style as to what he is known for. He doesn’t even take the short cuts, he just works his style thrown in with glaring showcases of arrogance a la Shawn Michaels circa 1992. While Roderick Strong has been pushed as the power man, the enforcer even when he was in Generation Next, Aries looks to be equal if not more thick muscular wise than Strong. Perhaps a little bit more work on his physique could give Roderick a more defining look, but that is just picking hairs as both men are in great conditioning and obviously could have matches that go the distance.

What we have is a pair of competitors that if booked correctly could bring back those must see matches for ROH DVDs. Bring in either Davey Richards or Chris Hero and you have a top tier of wrestlers that could reinvigorate the ROH fan base again in droves. With the influx of NOAH special show casings, and a larger working relationship with PWG we could see ROH bring back some of that spark that has seemingly been missing for a tad amount of time. Roderick and Aries could be that feud that brings back the old guard of fans as long as they are pushed correctly and not blown up too quickly. Aries gets the win with his feet on the ropes and we definitely must have a continuation of this budding feud. Great way to end the show and a great main event that should bring in any ROH fan into the product.

Thank you for reading and thank you for supporting PWP. Look for some special things coming including exclusive interviews and some live reporting done.

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ROH debuts on Monday with another edition of action packed substance and mayhem.
I must apologize for the review being up so late as this week was just hectic from front to back, but after some much needed internet time I finally was able to watch the episode that took me a while to even get a hold of and I wasn’t disappointed at all in seeing what ROH had to offer Monday night wrestling fans.

We started the show out with Eddie Edwards taking on his much maligned adversary from Steenerico in the face of Kevin Steen. These two definitely let it all go as they had a very good back and forth match that made both men look great in the end. The hatred these two men had for each other was palpable as they went at it tooth and nail with each just beating the tar out of each other with strikes that would make any Roderick Strong fan cringe. Edwards has really come a long way and didn’t look to miss a step against Mr Wrestling himself as they both really out did one another with counters and some great reversals. In the end though it would be Mr Wrestling with a swanton for the win. The feud between the American Wolves and Steenerico is far from over though.

Cheech and Cloudy vs. Sal Rinauro and Tony Kozina was on next but this one barely had time to get out of the water as the Dark City Fight Club came in and just destroyed both teams. I will say that they team of Cheech and Cloudy were impressive in this short outing, and as I’ve been able to see them on a more consistent basis in CHIKARA I can say that they could be a welcomed sight in the tag ranks of ROH where once they were alongside former ROH tag team champions as a part of the Special K faction. Kozina and Rinauro have always been mainstays in the ROH realm as they’ve been on multiple shows alongside Rinauro at one time being a ROH tag champ with Tony Mamaluke. But the Dark City Fight Club was just too dominant as they reigned hell down upon these four men. Even at the end as Kozina tried to butter up to them, he got rocked for his trouble only to show that the Dark City Fight Club are ready for anybody who does, or doesn’t, get in their way.

A great segment that I can only akin to The Rock picking on the less fortunate Jonathon Coachman as Aries being interviewed by Tyler Durden is always an entertaining segment on the ROH show. He clearly states that he is clearly the best of the best and will stay the ROH champion no matter who wins the main event.

Necro Butcher vs Sami Calahan is up and really this is just a short and sweet beating. Necro has one of the best tiger drivers around despite his limited ring abilities as he makes short work of Sami Calahan. Colt Cabana, Brent Albright, and Grizzly Redwood come to the ring to arrange a meeting with Necro as Cabana is waging war against the Embassy and wants to recruit Necro into the fold. Necro’s answer is merely the shooting of staples into poor Sami’s head and we are led to believe that this was a resounding yes by the mad man from Virginia.

Our main event is coming as we have the former ROH champion Nigel McGuinness against the up and coming Tyler Black. As it is well known, ROH mainstay and legend American Dragon Bryan Danielson has signed in theory with WWE. Despite this loss of a great talent, these two men really show that they are more than ready to take the place of the American Dragon who was one of three men left on the roster who were a part of the first show in Ring of Honor history. Nigel, a former champion tore into Tyler Black as he was determined to show that despite his injuries he was ready for anyone trying to take him out of the main event picture. Tyler Black has always been deemed as the “next big thing” in Ring of Honor and despite many a title shot has always come up short. Obviously at an experience disadvantage, even the most staunch of Black followers believed that perhaps tonight was not going to be his night.

Black fought through the painful onslaught brought upon by Nigel as the former champion targeted the arm and neck of the young hopeful, hoping to use either the London Dungeon or Tower of England to bring home the win. But resilient as ever, Black fought back and was able to finally hit the “God Last Gift” aka Small Package Driver for one of the biggest upsets in his career. This match, in my opinion, ranks right up there with their match from Take No Prisoners. It definitely made for a terrific contest and is one of the best ROH on HDnet main events yet.

Thank you for reading this and in the words of Ari Berenstein, have an honorable week.

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Tonight is going to be a short review of the episode as I have longer column coming out for the first of my themed column Strikes & Bumps. Thoughts during the episode were as follows:

It was an ok episode. Thought the tag team in the beginning was just what it was and tried to spur along the feuds going on with the Embassy. I smell a Caged Warfare match coming again for the Embassy.

Delirious vs Young was nothing more than a long squash. Never felt that Young even had a chance.

Mark squash was expected as you’re not going to bury him against a high end talent and Payne simply took a beating.

Tyler vs Nigel should be fun and they are hyping it well which is decent and good for the television.

Great ending to the show as the match gets thrown out after a good back and forth match but really the larger issue of Steenerico vs American Wolves is just a feud that keeps me interested and keeps me wanting more. Good way to end the show.

As I eluded to I have a larger column I’m writing for PWP later this week so keep an eye out for that as I would love your feedback and anyone who reads my next column and comments back will get an emailed gift from me as long as you post your email when you comment. Thanks again for supporting PWP.

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Hey everybody thanks for reading this review of the most recent ROH show on HDNet and if you haven’t been able to see it yet you can definitely see the episode in full over at http://www.prowrestlingponderings.com in the video section.

So opening this show you had what was supposed to be Tyler Black having some promo time which was cut short not only by ROH world Champion Austin Aries but also Nigel McGuinness, both of who question Black’s ability to win the ROH title. Later in the show we also had the announcement in two weeks that Nigel would be facing Black in what should be a barn burner.

Opening the show this week was the tag team of Kenny King & Rhett Titus with their valet who may or may not be from the U.K. against Kenny Omega and Erick Stevens.
Definitely a decent opening match up that showcased some of the great young talent in ROH while also getting over that King and Titus could be a future danger to the ROH tag team title scene. King and Titus get the win with some dastardly tactics, albeit in a win is a win and most likely this isn’t the end of this HDnet feud.

We have Kingston taking on a man who should have started this match with a burst of fire, Orange Cassidy. Unfortunately Cassidy got around one percent offense in this match and the rest of the time Kingston was imagining Chris Hero as he mercilessly took him out with the dreaded back fist.

Throughout the episode we had back story build with Roderick Strong, D’Lo Brown, and Jay Briscoe. This all lead to the main event with these three mid card guys going at it for pride and the win.

Really this was a great main event and I do believe it should get these three over with the general ROH fanbase. All three guys were working hard and none of them would look bad in a feud with current ROH champion Austin Aries. These guys definitely put on a fast paced, hard hitting main event despite the lack of high impact spots, we had some great wrestling and great striking moments that really made these guys look as tough as they should look. The ending was great as we had a reversal from Strong on D’Lo into a power bomb into a prawn hold to get the three and a great win for Strong. Strong is on his way to teaming with his Hybrid Dolphins partner Danielson and KENTA in ROH, but he could make an argument that a singles run could happen.

Good show for the mainstream audience and I don’t think that any ROH faithful could really complain persay about the in ring work. Thanks for reading guys and thanks for checking out the site.

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ROH on HD net 07/25/2009 review

Hey again folks another review of ROH on HD net.  As we heard on Monday, this show will end up on Monday either right before or right after Monday Night Raw.  Whether or not this affects the number of viewers, I can only predict and hope that ROH will do what many of us have clamored for and that is increase the work rate of these tv matches and start plugging their merchandise more as what good is a tv show if it doesn’t entice the viewers to buy merchandise.

So on to our first match.

Grizzly Redwood & Necro Butcher against Jimmy Rave & Ernie Osiris

Man what an underwhelming match.  The participants aren’t really all that great and really don’t provide any sizzle to make me want to even watch this match.  I can’t say that what it is about Rave or Butcher as they normally get me pretty excited but in this type of match with two guys who really don’t do anything for me, I have to say this is a lackluster opener.   Ernie Osiris is such a chickens hit and while I know this is the point of his character alone is just too ridiculous.    Rave back in the Embassy has really not evolved.  Yes he was gone for a time in TNA but I would have liked to see some evolution in his character.  All he looks like again is a glorified mid carder when back in the day we actually had a reason to care about him.  The “die Jimmy die” chants are almost akin to Xpac heat, and that isn’t good at all.  I will say in defense of the match, the psychology is basic and utilized at least but still no one cares about Necro vs.  Jimmy Rave and thus really doesn’t help this match in any what way.   Tornado DDT by Redwood on Ernie gives his team the win and honestly I can’t say that this match really did anything for me, on top of it getting the  “slap the porpoise” award makes this one of the most lack luster matches I’ve seen in a while.

Aries keeps getting better and better.  Great stuff really as he discusses Black/Danielson III as he tells Durden to step off.    We also get a plug for the Dark City Fight Club.  We go into a womens tag match which I actually assume will be better than the opener.

Shimmer Champion MsChif & Sara Del Rey vs.  Daisy Haze & Nevaeh

Thank god we don’t have to listen to Nevaeh speak but I won’t take away from any of their abilities as it would seem we are semi getting the code of honor upheld.  I would have to say that this is definitely better than the opening tag match as the women are definitely working their tail off.  It always intrigues me to see Bryce in ROH, but that notwithstanding.   We also see the mist again and I will say I enjoy seeing almost any usage of anything from Great Muta.  Sara Del Rey and MsChif get the win and honestly it should be no other way as we are starting to see Del Rey demand a title match for the belt that she carried with so much pride.

Nigel McGuinness is back with more to say.  Definitely still placing himself in the title picture and holding himself at a higher standard while I will say cutting some of the best promos for Danielson/Black matches than even the two participants.

Sweet another Art of Wrestling with Double C…no not Claudio..I’m talking Double C and Double B Boom Boom Colt Cabana.  Great stuff as we see some merchandise plugging and honestly this is what they need more of on their show.  Though  taking it a tad more seriously would be nice.  Ironically the other Double C alongside the Embassy comes to interrupt the show.  Brent in for the save but honestly as long as they don’t let Brent speak then we’re ok.  More seriously plugs for the ROH store would be nice.

Eddie Kingston back again to chase after Hero.  This is going to be great when they show this on TV.  We do see a backstage scuffle but this will be a damn good feud to showcase on tv.  Poor Sal Rinauro being a casualty of war though damn good try, twice.

Recap of the history of one of the better feuds between Black and Danielson.  These two stallions are definitely top contenders and honestly I would like to see Danielson a tad more serious about his ROH career.  I haven’t really seen a whole lot out of him lately that makes me want to take him seriously.  I don’t agree that he should just be in the title pictures because of his status.  ROH was, and should be, about wins and losses.  Danielson is getting the wins for sure, but his drive seems to have dropped a bit and I would like to see him take this a tad more serious.  Especially because of the history between him and Aries as they have a storied feud and Danielson being able to tie it up by becoming the second two-time ROH champion would be awesome.

Tyler Black on the other hand is still a helluva talent, but I am not so sure that with the way he’s been losing time after time for the belt that he’s really showing us everything he could be.  But here is the main event and it is going to be awesome for sure.

It was definitely the best part of the this show from my perspective as these two really had a great almost 30 minute classic again.   We had the  future desperately trying to secure a win over who came before him because in their last two encounters he was unable to get that final one two three.  Tyler Black has the skills and tonight I do believe that he showed them in full force.  After both men seemed like they could go no more Black hit the Gods last Gift aka Small Package Driver and finally beat American Dragon Bryan Danielson.

Overall this show was not good with two tag matches in the beginning that really did nothing.  But I would say that the main event was well worth seeing.  No to say that you have to put on spectacular matches all the time but ROH still needs to give out a product that people can sink their teeth into and tonight didn’t quite do that.  But the main event still drew me in and hopefully those who saw it stay long enough to see Tyler Black finally get over that hump and show that possibly he deserves another shot at the ROH world championship.

Also here is the latest ROH video wire… seriously this is one of the best

ROH 07/29/2009 video wire

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Ring of Honor on HDNet 07/18/2009 review

Welcome everyone and we are off for another review of the ROH on Hdnet.  We open up with The Hog and DP, who on a side note seriously needs to do something about his hair.  We have the debut of Silas Young and Bobby Fish, both of who have great physiques and really come off from the get go as stars.  Of course they are going up against the Young Bucks who will be tough competition for Young and Fish.

Despite Young and Fish having more in ring experience, the Young Bucks I believe have had a longer period of teaming together and thus will provide some great competition.  I have always been impressed with the work of the Bucks in PWG and of course they are going to probably have a very long career on the indy scene with their high flying and high impact style.  Truthfully Fish and Young are two great talents that ROH should take a better look at as they really could bring something to the table.  Young has had matches all over the ROH card from matches with ROH champions with I believe a match that was only on a  video wire but he also has a win over Kenny Omega to his credit so I’d be willing to bet that Young could be used more.  As for Fish, I haven’t seen a lot of his stuff but he doesn’t seem horrible in the ring.

The TV shows early on in their incarnations were criticized heavily but I have to say that for the last few episodes they have really picked up a notch and have shown some great in ring action.  I’ve never really had any problem with the product and I still don’t.  The in ring product for ROH has never really decreased, just evolved and changed as with any wrestling promotion, but what I feel puts ROH above the rest is the style that their talent do.  Matt and Nick are the high flyers of the two teams but I was very impressed with the last sequence on this opening match with the dive that Fish took to the outside and the press that Young was about to hit before he got pinned.  Yes the Young Bucks won the match, but I was damn impressed with Young and Fish and they look to be blue chippers in this business.

Black vs. Danielson III next week, great stuff.  I have to say that the jacket that Hero wears is nothing less than awesome.  I just wish that Hero would debut the look he wears in Japan on HD Net.  Decent promo by the former Sweet and Sour Inc members.

Jacobs saying good bye to the HD Net fanbase.  On a side note definitely check out the interview he did with Bryan Alverez of Figure Four fame, but this was a fitting end to his HD Net showings with a seemingly heartfelt promo.   Of course the former Age of the Fall member Brodie Lee comes to the ring and really has worked his gimmick to perfection as he throws a ring attendant to the ground.

Brodie Lee versus the once again green Delirious should be a barn burner as these two can really go in the ring.  Delirious’ ROH career has been hit and miss.  He’s always been a middle card guy but I do say that I like where his current story is going where he’s going to be injected into the main event picture and this match really showcases why I feel that he’s definitely ready for a move up the card.

Paul Turners mic issue has been present in the past but in this match, as I was forewarned by Jercome Cusson of PWP, it is very annoying that his mic seemingly has been turned up a notch that he’s louder than even the commentators.   Not to say that Paul Turner is a bad ref, it has nothing to do with that, his mic should not be that loud.  It adds nothing to the product and this is not MMA where the refs warnings need to be audible to the crowd.   This has been a great build though for Delirious and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Delirious with some ROH gold around his waist in 2009.   Brodie Lee continues to be great in his big man role in Ring of Honor and almost everywhere else he goes as he is definitely larger than most indy wrestlers.   He always comes off as a threat even if his win/loss record isn’t that impressive in ROH.  He’s the gateway to me to showcase if a talent needs some much needed momentum.  Even Nigel McGuinness, who’s always going to be in the main event picture in ROH, could definitely prove to the fans that’s he’s ready by going up against Brodie Lee.  Shadows over Hell gives Delirious the win and this was a stellar mid card match.  I will also say that with the view of the chairs at the venue, they didn’t look too comfortable to me.

Not A Starr, but THE STAR, A Double, ROH Champion Austin Aries segment is up and he definitely is a very deserving face of the company.   And yes, I’ve been questioned for bringing up his vegetarianism, but as we hear, even he’s now touting it as it is a very important part of his life as it was for former greats as Killer Kowalski.

The Embassy is up with a segment and here we go again with an anti-US segment which leads to a promo against  Necro, Cabana, and Albright.   I have also read many who feel that having Ernie in the Embassy doesn’t fit, but it really does as it symbolizes what they feel Americans are and even though he’s not a threat to anyone it does fit the message of the Embassy.

Black versus Danielson promo with both men facing each other and here comes Nigel.  Great stuff and I am definitely liking Nigel’s new look.  I’ve got to say, keep it simple with Tyler Black as really his promo work is not improving and honestly if he’s going to be in the main event picture of a company who does have a TV deal, no matter how small, he seriously needs to work more on his promo abilities.

Main event up and dear god who dresses Shane Hagadorn, Adrian Adonis?  Anyway great to see KENTA teamed with Steenerico and this is going to be stiff with them facing Chris Hero and the ROH tag team champs The American Wolves.   This is a great example of what I’ve been saying about how ROH’s in ring work hasn’t changed really since their first shows.  It’s a great mix of the styles that put ROH on the map and despite all the criticism I’ve seen about how the product is not what it once was, I say nay and that the current crop of ROH stars are still showcasing the same if not better in ring abilities than their predecessors.

KENTA is so obviously over with the crowd and with the recent passing of a true legend in pro wrestling in Misawa, it would be great to see the talent exchange between Pro Wrestling NOAH and ROH continue.  Hero and Davey have a lot of NOAH experience and I’m sure they could work well with any other young talent that NOAH sends out to get more experience.  Also as Pro Wrestling NOAH is putting together great shows in the shadow of one of the tragedies of the year, I feel that booking of a few young ROH talents would do wonders for them.

As I‘m sure many readers know, ROH has a great double shot coming up this next weekend with the world renown Lance Storm teaming with Kevin Steen against  Chris Hero and Davey Richards on  Death Before Dishonor  VII night 1 and then Hero will go it alone against Storm the next night for night 2 and this match on HD Net really is a great precursor to the history between Steen and The American Wolves, but also gives us a little preview of what we can expect between Steen and Hero.

An almost 30 minute classic between the two factions as both teams showcase their abilities in the ring with neither faction really gaining a huge upper hand on the other which always, in my opinion, only goes to show how the competition between the two is worthy of main event status.   Each week on these episodes, memories of a particular talent comes to mind and this week it’s Kevin Steen who I remember seeing in one of his first ROH outings in a Six Man Meyhem match at Trios Tournament 2005  that also included  Azriel/Angeldust, B-Boy, Izzy, Dixie, and Deranged which was just a spectacular match that really impressed me.  I had seen some of Steens previous work in CZW and IWS where really Steenerico was born, but this match made me a  Kevin Steen fan.   He’s come a long way since then as his promo work and in ring work, particularly in his ROH singles outings, have steadily entertained me more and more.  He’s a great product of Canadian training and I do have high predictions for him in the future.

KENTA is now in like a shot in the arm and taking on all three members of the opposing team.  Great sequences of offense as he’s taking it to the Wolves single handedly.  Generico looking to fly and literally should have taken Hero’s head off with how he landed the attack.  Great counter by Edwards to the original Go To Sleep as he tags off to Hero who is looking to knock out KENTA.  Generico in and a high cross body for Hero and of course the damaged knee is taking affect but Generico fights on valiantly.   Rolling Elbow to Generico but sneaky Steen has tagged in and it looks like Steen is going to try to finish the match.   Paul Turners mic is exceedingly loud still but that isn’t going to distract me from this clearly classic endeavor by these six men.   I can also recall seeing for the first time, Davey Richards in his PWG debut which was an eight  man tag match, not as great as this match, but still showed signs of greatness to me for Richards.  His debut in ROH was against Jimmy Rave way back in 2006 and it led to a small but interesting feud where Rave was damned sure he could beat the upstart but ultimately fell to him several times which also led to Richards becoming somewhat of a protégé to then a young KENTA.  How far these two have come in the last three years.   In a finale of a great sequence of moves we finally see Generico cave into the pain and tap out to the always dangerous Davey Richards via a texas cloverleaf.  Definitely an awesome main event and I can’t say enough how much I do feel the ROH show has improved in my opinion.

Yes they could plug their website and ROH merchandise more and then maybe the show would equal more buys for them, but in terms of interest in the product, I do feel the show should gain some fan interest.   A great showing and thanks for reading.

Please check out Pro Wrestling Ponderings by checking out www.spawnsyxx9.com and leave a comment as we will be doing a DVD giveaway as already I’ve shipped out multiple ROH DVDs to winners.

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