411’s Buy or Sell 11.27.09: Kenny Omega Wins BoLA 2009, Davey Richards Wins the Jeff Pererson Cup, Dragon Gate USA to Crown First Champion, and More!!

J.D. Dunn : BUY. (tentatively) I say buy with the caveat that the new stable is… well, a *new* stable. The nWo didn’t reveal their leader for a while either, but once they did, it was a huge revelation. Just like a good television series, CHIKARA booked a cliffhanger (and a damned good one). The comic-book influence on the booking has never been more apparent, and this angle is the one angle in wrestling I really look forward to seeing resolved.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. The thing about it is that this is a new stable. It had to debut in a shocking way in order to generate buzz, and as this occurred at the season finale we all have a reason to watch the next show. A leader will emerge and until we see where that’s going and who the leader will be, it’s too soon to say they lack one. Who’s to say the leader even took part in the attack?

0 for 1.

J.D. Dunn : SELL. I don’t think it was a joke. Davey was easily the biggest name in the tournament, but you did have guys like Silas Young and TJ Perkins, both of whom could have won as part of an angle. They decided to go with the biggest name, which makes sense. It certainly wasn’t as stacked as it could have been – with talent like Kenny King, Bruce Santee, Erick Stevens & Roderick Strong available – but this tournament seemed to be more about showcasing guys like Richards and Perkins, so from that perspective it worked.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. I get that Davey is the new indy darling, and he’s all over 4 promotions right now while starting a fifth. That said, this tournament did absolutely nothing for him. He’s already FIP champion, he didn’t beat a top contender to win the tournament and it wasn’t exactly hyped. Unless Davey had a close relationship with Jeff Peterson, I don’t get this at all.

0 for 2.

J.D. Dunn : BUY. I’m not a huge Omega fan, but I acknowledge that he has gotten hugely over in Ring of Honor, among other places. From what I’ve been able to follow in PWG, he hasn’t received nearly the same push. That seems to be the complaint by many PWG fans. That’s not just pre-9/11 thinking, that’s pre-1996 thinking. The audience that watches PWG heavily overlaps with CHIKARA, FIP and ROH, so it’s not like they don’t know what Omega is capable of. This is just PWG catching up with other organizations that have pushed Omega as a potential star.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. times a lot. I am, as anyone who’s ever read my columns will know, an unabashed Omegaphile. I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone whose Indy stock has risen so much in 18 months. Omega has had matches with Austin Aries, a title shot, wins over big names and now he’s BoLA champ and, I believe, #1 contender for the PWG title. He’s got a lot of talent and decent mic work, plus he exudes energy and charisma. And he’s over. Very over. The tournament was loaded with names but giving Omega the win was the right call.

1 for 3.

Chris Lansdell : BUY. It’s hardly the first time RoH have done this; when Misawa came over he only wrestled NOAH guys too. In this case it makes even less sense. Misawa was a big enough name that he could dictate who he fought and he did so. With the AAA guys you have former RoH mainstay and cult favorite Jack Evans, you have Teddy Hart who will get crazy heat against anyone…as it stands you’re not bringing in AAA wrestlers, you’re putting on an AAA showcase. It robs the fans of a chance to see some unique matches and that’s never good.

J.D. Dunn : SELL. Pro-wrestling matches are still an “act” just like a magic act, or a band, or a play. When you have rivals, they are guys who have perfected the art of wrestling one another, the same way a band has chemistry with one another. ROH’s job is to put on the best show possible, so bringing in the best matchups, not just the best individuals. The old promoters used to have the same mentality – you don’t just bring in Bruiser Brody. You bring in Bruiser Brody against Abdullah the Butcher because that’s where the money is.

1 for 4.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. These guys are too much of a team and too good in that role to put one of them in a singles tournament. They’re in the 6-man to provide some excitement and pop the crowd with their spots, and that’s it.

J.D. Dunn : SELL. This is a tough one because the Bucks are getting a lot of exposure on HDNet, and they’re gaining a national following now with success in PWG, ROH and Dragon Gate. However, it looks like Dragon Gate is hoping to build Gran Akuma as one of the major heels, so I look for Akuma to get the win.

2 for 5.

Chris Lansdell : SELL. but only just. I can see Davey or YAMATO winning, but my two favourites are CIMA and Mike Quackenbush. Neither man is in singles action and I thinnk they have the best shot. Tough call all the same.

J.D. Dunn : BUY. Because I believe it will be Davey Richards. I don’t know the specifics of where his loyalties lie, but Gabe Sapolsky no doubt wants to capitalize on the tidal wave of momentum Davey has at his back. With Davey becoming the “people’s champ” and ROH still being in love with Tyler Black after a year of building him up, it makes sense to push Davey to show that Dragon Gate gives the fans what they want.

2 for 6!!

The 135th edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 2 for 6 as these match up half the time! Stay tuned for next week as two new people step up to the plate on Buy or Sell!