wrestling / Columns
Column of Honor: 04.24.10: Part One: To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn
Welcome to the Column. This week’s column title brings us yet another musical reference, so 1,000 Breakfast Cereal Box Tops if you understand it.
=The Best Face and Heel Turns in ROH (2002-2010)=
At the center of professional wrestling lies a basic story—a battle between good and evil. Like any good story, wrestling has its own twists and turns involving the protagonists and antagonists. Along the way, heroes may become corrupted and compromised, influenced by outside factors or third parties. They turn from the side of good and become heels, somehow able to justify their actions even though they are truly unjust and unpopular.
Likewise, villains can often “see the light” and realize they have done wrong. They become babyfaces—reborn and incorporated into the side of good, even accepted by the fans and becoming their champions. Sometimes there are multiple turns over the years, as the world of professional wrestling is ever-continuous and in need of constant adjustments to keep the story fresh.
It’s interesting to note that while Ring of Honor’s face turns are sometimes done through plot twists, they also come about because the fans accept a heel wrestler’s talent and ability enough to like him and cheer him on–Austin Aries and Roderick Strong in mid-2005, Nigel McGuinness’s first babyface turn in 2006, and even for Davey Richards this year. So too can the fans sometimes force a transition from face to heel, as was done in 2007 when the fans booed Nigel McGuinness until the booking adapted to the fans’ perceptions.
On the other hand, many of the more memorable heel turns have been premeditated. These manipulations and schemes, like the rise of The Age of the Fall, are the culmination of brilliant booking moves that can be traced backwards step-by-step until a fan realizes it should have been easy to see coming, but it was too late.
The best character turns are memorable and effectively executed, but they also leave an indelible mark on the company. They change the course of the wrestling company’s narrative. They also made the fans feel extreme emotions—shock, dismay, outrage, surprise, joy, and euphoria.
The following is a list of the twenty best turns in Ring of Honor’s eight-plus year history. Face, heel and double turns have been included on the same list to determine which were the most excellent and effective character moves in ROH history.
Honorable Mention: Christopher Daniels Reveals BJ Whitmer as the Man Who Attacked Lucy-fer (a.k.a. Daffney)
Honorable Mention: Double Turn—Jimmy Jacobs Throws Tyler Black out of The Age of the Fall; Austin Aries Smashes Black with a Chairshot on a Fake Save
Honorable Mention: Delirious Attacks Jimmy Jacobs, Reunites with Daizee Haze
20. Dan Maff Breaks Up Da Hit Squad, Joins The Prophecy
—The Epic Encounter (Philadelphia, PA, 04/12/03)
—Heel Turn
Several major heel turns at the beginning of Ring of Honor’s history involved defections to The Prophecy, Christopher Daniels’ anti-ROH stable. Maff’s heel turn and the end of Da Hit Squad was the first break-up of a long-standing tag team that served those purposes. In 2002 Da Hit Squad of Dan Maff and Monsta Mack had been Ring of Honor’s first and most popular tag team act. They were the bruiser tag team from New York, linked with Low Ki and being trained by Homicide’s wrestling school. While they were bad-asses, they also showed heart and spirit while taking on the other teams.
By April of 2003, The Prophecy had suffered its worst set-backs in the year or so it had existed. First Daniels and Xavier had lost a major grudge match against Low Ki and AJ Styles at Revenge on the Prophecy in January. Then they lost the ROH Tag Team Titles to Styles and Amazing Red at Expect the Unexpected in March. Finally, Xavier lost the ROH Title to Samoa Joe one week later at Night of the Champions on March 22nd. Xavier was out of commission for a long time to come thanks to a concussion and neck injuries suffered during the tag match and the World Title loss.
Daniels sought to regroup and rebuild his stable, recognizing the sudden power loss of no longer holding Ring of Honor’s major championships. Daniels began to get into Maff’s ear, convincing him that he was better than his partner and better than Ring of Honor. At The Epic Encounter, Daniels revealed that he had recruited Dan Maff to join The Prophecy. Da Hit Squad had just lost to The Backseat Boyz and Maff turned his back on his tag partner. Monsta Mack was crushed by this revelation, giving a sorrowful promo about losing his long-time tag partner and friend. Ultimately the partnership didn’t matter to Maff and he was clearly a changed man, under the influence of Daniels’ cult. Da Hit Squad had one more match as a tag team to fulfill contractual obligations, which they lost.
The heel turn breathed new life into Maff’s personality and character beyond the one-dimensional Dudley Boyz-a-like he and Mack had served as a team that first year in ROH. It also gave The Prophecy a good start on their second run by adding a power hitter to their line-up. Initially, this turn began a Dan Maff singles push, which took him all the way to a ROH World Title match against Joe at WrestleRave’03 in June. Maff wrestled that match under very difficult circumstances, one day after the passing of his father. It was a dramatic and emotional match, eventually won by Joe. Later in the year, Maff was put back in a tag team with BJ Whitmer, which Maff didn’t like because he had promised to CM Punk on his father’s grave that The Prophecy had nothing to do with beating up Lucy-fer. However, Whitmer was part of Daniels’ secret plan to humiliate Punk by doing exactly that.
19. Delirious Journeys to the Dark Side, Joins The Age of the Fall
—Age of Insanity (Cleveland, OH, 08/15/08)
—Heel Turn
Rejection is difficult to deal with, and Delirious was having a hard time of it after Daizee Haze put him down in the worst possible way. She used the “f” word (“friends”) after months of awkward flirting and near-misses of the sometimes unintelligible green lizard-man asking the question. After a scandal involving a supposed “sex tape” with Haze and Rhett Titus that was proven to be a hoax and a scam, Delirious finally asked Haze out on a date, but Haze said no. The rejection not only made her very unpopular with the fans that supported Delirious’ amorous efforts, but the denial finally cracked Delirious’ already fragile-brain.
The heel turn wasn’t unexpected, but it was shocking in its brutality. Jimmy Jacobs had sunk his claws deep in Delirious, flicking the switch in his head and turning him from lovable to maniacal, animalistic and uncontrollable. Jacobs convinced Delirious that no one else cared about him except for Jacobs and The Age of the Fall. They would treat him like family, like one of them. He belonged with The Fall. Delirious was convinced, and savagely attacked Rhett Titus. It was a sight to behold, as he dropped multiple Panic Attack knees into Rhett’s head on the floor against the barricade. Rhett was discombobulated, bloodied and concussed as Delirious raged. However terribly he felt at having his humanity thrown back at him, he was going to deal even worse against everyone else from now on.
Delirious would become Jacobs’ pet Doberman, chained and leashed to his side and waiting to be sicced against any of Jacobs’ enemies. Whenever Delirious accomplished something, he was rewarded with love and affection from Jacobs, MsChif, Allison Wonderland and the rest of The Age. However, when he disappointed his master, he was punished—yelled at, pushed around…until finally in March of 2009 he couldn’t take it anymore. Daizee Haze had finally broken through to him and convinced him that Jacobs had been using him.
This turn, like with Maff, revealed a new and interesting dimension to a long-established character. Many fans had been begging for some sort of character development for Delirious since it had been almost three years of the same thing. The “soulless monster” that just destroyed whatever was in front of him was a logical progression for a character who was already on the “edge of sanity” (more of this can be seen in CHIKARA’s shows from 2009-2010 as Delirious joins Ultramantis Black in the Order of the Neo Solar Temple). In fact, it may have been better if the character was pushed even further off the edge before he was brought back to the “light” side of the force, so to speak.
18. Davey Richards “Sells Out”, Leaves No Remorse Corps for Sweet & Sour Incorporated
—Respect Is Earned II (Philadelphia, PA, 06/07/08)
—Heel Turn
He had been mocked, teased, abused, and taken for granted by Roderick Strong and Rocky Romero for being the “serious” one of the group. Yet, it was Davey Richards’ own idea to form the No Remorse Corps, having convinced Strong to dump his former tag partner Austin Aries and join forces at Fifth Anniversary Festival: NYC. Richards was the one who was the most passionate about the ideals and goals of the NRC. Richards was also a two-time tag team champion with Romero and he had more than proven himself worthy of respect and senior status in the group. The problem was that Strong and Romero would never stop riding him for his over-enthusiasm as well as for being third string on their frat-boy’s night out on the town, visiting the hot clubs and hitting on all of the ladies.
At the same time, Larry Sweeney was looking to increase his power. To that end he brokered a deal to merger with Adam Pearce’s Hangmen Three. Sweeney also wanted to negotiate with Strong and the No Remorse Corps, bringing them into the fold. Strong continually refused to negotiate with Sweeney. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Strong, Sweeney had gotten the attention of Richards. He was a willing ear and wanted to listen to the offer. He liked what he heard—money, respect and attention. He bought in.
Richards wanted to give Strong one more chance to join with him, so after a brutal Fight Without Honor against Erick Stevens at Respect is Earned II, Richards came out to congratulate and support Strong. Sweeney would also interrupt, making a final offer. Strong again refused and looked to walk away. Richards blindsided him and brutally beat him up, thus ending his association with the NRC and beginning his new one with Sweet & Sour Inc.
What makes this turn memorable was that it came immediately after Strong’s exhausting efforts against Stevens. It took a moment of personal triumph and turned it on its head. Romero had been devoting most of his time to AAA in Mexico and now with Richards’ defection, the NRC was effectively dissolved. The betrayal turned Strong face almost by default. It also began an excellent rivalry between the two wrestlers that has continued through the years, supplying ROH with a marquee series they could return to again and again.
17. Necro Butcher Punches out Jimmy Jacobs, Leaves The Age of the Fall
—Death Before Dishonor VI (New York City, NY, 08/02/08)
—Face Turn
It seems as if almost everyone who joined The Age of the Fall realized at some point they were being used by Jimmy Jacobs for ulterior purposes. Lacey was the first one. She was supposed to recruit Aries to join the group, but it was Aries who did the convincing. This led to a long, bitter and bloody feud between Jacobs and Aries. However, Aries would not stop with the defection of one member of The Fall. He was determined to show them one-by-one that Jacobs was only interested in himself.
The next member he tried to convince was Necro Butcher who was the original “animal let out of the cage” of the group (Delirious was brought in to replace him). Necro wasn’t an animal though; he was a man with a wife and a child to feed. Jacobs tried to convince Necro that he was his friend, but continual mistreatment after losses in singles and tag matches left The Butcher doubting. Finally, Aries maneuvered Jacobs into revealing the truth about Necro’s role.
The triple threat match at Death Before Dishonor VI was supposed to be every-man-for-himself. However, Jacobs wanted Necro to work for him by destroying Aries and allowing Jacobs to win the match. When Necro wouldn’t get with the program, Aries pulled the trigger. He smacked Necro with the chair while his back was away from Jimmy. Aries then pulled an “Eddie Guerrero” and tossed the chair to Jimmy, fell down and pretended to be unconscious. Necro saw Jimmy with the chair in his hand, seemingly a guilty man caught red-handed. Necro punched his lights out and walked out of the match, now his own man.
Necro’s defection had been a long time in coming and it was richly deserved even if it wasn’t exactly true that Jacobs had hit him with the chair. It was an interesting use of mind games that a heel might use, but used by a baby face to obtain the desired result. The face turn came when Necro realized he had to do what was best for himself and his family and not for Jimmy Jacobs. The fans appreciated that he gave Jacobs what was coming to him and then newfound support helped Necro to find a steady spot on the ROH roster, not to mention gain mainstream notice of his character through the release of the movie “The Wrestler”.
16. Xavier Joins The Prophecy, Wins ROH World Title
—Unscripted (Philadelphia, PA, 09/21/02
—Heel Turn
Xavier had been a plucky babyface for the first nine months of Ring of Honor’s existence. He was a young upstart all-too eager to prove his worth and showcase his wrestling skills, which were flashy and somewhat Rube-Goldberg style moves mixed in with a touch of martial arts (such as his combo of Muay Thai knees). Xavier found quick success against the likes of independent stalwarts Scoot Andrews and James (Little Guido) Maritato, but found his career track stalling after being knocked out of ROH’s inaugural title tournament.
Along the way, fans were beginning to see Xavier bristle against the up-and-downs of his career. The behavior seemed to expose a bit of an attitude beneath the cool exterior. He was trading wins and losses in the mid-card, losing any hope of challenging for a top spot in the company. However, he was able to receive a guarantee from Low Ki, the first ROH Champion, that he would receive a title shot at some point. That match would come during Unscripted in September of 2002.
What Low Ki and the ROH fans did not realize was that Xavier had colluded with Christopher Daniels of The Prophecy. It was a master plan that would help both men, as Xavier would gain an easy route to the ROH Title, while Daniels would be able to claim the power and leverage of ROH’s only singles championship to that point. With the championship came the right to call the shots at the title and more importantly, it gave Daniels a pulpit from which he could espouse his anti-honor views.
The match began as an honorable affair, but it became all-too obvious that something was up when Christopher Daniels came out at ringside and Xavier used the distraction to clip Ki’s already injured leg. Then Daniels held Ki outside with a railing support, while Xavier smashed a chair down on it, and onto Low Ki. This was a crippling move…and the pinfall was academic.
ROH had its first title change and it took place through vile and dishonorable means. Xavier and Daniels then draped the ROH banner over Low Ki as a symbolism of fallen honor. This was in effect, the most dastardly move a heel could have made to seize power and control. It short-changed Low Ki’s championship run and it upset the apple-cart that was the main-event situation in the early roster. The reign of The Prophecy had begun in earnest as the team of Daniels and Donovan Morgan would win the ROH Tag Team Titles (which actually began in the form of a trophy) later that night.
Xavier’s ROH title run has never been highly regarded by fans and ROH historians, but I have always been accepting because without dishonorable heels and dishonorable actions by dishonorable champions, what would be the purpose of honorable heroes and champions to represent the company? Low Ki had been the uncrowned champion and one of the most popular wrestlers since the beginning of the company, so a heel turn on Low Ki would only make sense. Only a heel turn by Low Ki could have been the more treacherous betrayal of the fans’ faith, but that couldn’t possibly happen with someone with the staunch reputation of Low Ki…could it?
15. Alex Shelley “Buys In” to the Embassy, Generation Next Now the Good Guys
—The Homecoming (Philadelphia, PA, 07/23/05)
—Double Turn
Alex Shelley was searching for absolution in the wake of his being dumped by the rest of the members of Generation Next. However, the wrestlers in the locker room could not find it in their hearts to forgive Shelley for forming the faction that set out to take the top spots in the company by force. Being thrown out by Aries and Strong was just deserts for a year filled with Shelley punking out the competition, cheating to win and living a life of disrespect and ill-repute. Even though CM Punk had given him a sort of semi-blessing after their battle during Third Anniversary Celebration Part 2, Shelley found that was not enough to get back in the good graces of the boys in the back.
Even though the fans had begun to embrace Shelley, they also were cheering for his former mates in Generation Next, at times just as strongly as they rooted for him. Manhattan Mayhem in May 2005 was supposed to be Shelley’s crowning moment of achievement fighting against ROH World Champion Austin Aries, his former charge and now leader of Generation Next. However, the fans were cheering for Aries just as much as Shelley and then the champion retained the title. The loss placed Shelley at the back of the line of contention.
Shelley saw the writing on the wall—the wrestlers in the locker room had not forgiven him and the support of the fans was not getting him anywhere. He had no friends and lots of enemies. So he did what he perceived as the smart thing, the only thing left to do—he found friends in order to fight those enemies.
Austin Aries had rebuffed Prince Nana’s offer to join The Embassy and that drew the ire of the young malevolent Prince. Alex Shelley understood the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” and struck a deal with Prince Nana and joined The Embassy. Along with Jimmy Rave, Mike Kruel and later Abyss, Shelley formed the nucleus of Nana’s Army and together they were bound and determined to topple Generation Next, taking over the position as the best stable in the company. Alex Shelley had finally found an oasis in Ring of Honor and it was a pretty damned good life—hot women, limousines and of course, Shrimp Cocktail.
Shelley’s heel turn actually became the final touch of a full face turn for Aries, Strong and Jack Evans, who were basically being cheered by the fans because of their impressive showmanship in the ring and a string of excellent matches during that timeframe. The double turn not only made complete sense from a storyline perspective, but it was also a natural and organic move stemming from the fans’ general reaction. Sure, Shelley had been cheered because of his in-ring talent, but not by any means more than Gen Next. There was also the logic of creating a hot feud between two stables by turning the entire stable face and positioning them against Nana’s group. Two birds killed very effectively with one stone.
14. Jade Chung Shakes Off the Yoke of Prince Nana’s Control
—Joe vs. Kobashi (New York City, NY, 10/01/05)
—Face Turn
Nana was using several different pretty faces as Jimmy Rave’s “footstool” during The Embassy’s ring entrances, but he soon settled on Ms. Chung, a fine thing from Vietnam. Chung became a mainstay of valet talent for Rave, Shelley and the rest. However, that didn’t mean that she was entitled to the same life of luxury that Nana’s stable received. She was not just the footstool, but the “servant”. She had to do as Nana said, or else face the consequences.
ROH officials began to take notice of Nana’s mistreatment of Ms. Chung and gave him a warning, but that only made him take even crueler actions. He began to force Jade to wear unflattering clothes to hide her beautiful figure, but even worse was that he began to force her to wear a collar and leash. Jade had to put up with these embarrassing actions, because she needed to work in America in order to send money back home to her family. Otherwise Nana would send her back to her homeland and they would have nothing.
The Generation Next vs. The Embassy feud was heating up and Chung was caught in the middle. On this night, Jade was made to wear a potato sack and was in the firm grip of Prince Nana as he pulled her all around the ring. Roderick Strong had just defeated Jimmy Rave via submission, but Nana blasted him from behind and now he and Jimmy were on the attack. Finally, Jade had enough of the abuse and the victimization, both of herself and of the members of Generation Next. She went inside the ring, tore off her potato sack to reveal an eye catching, figure-pleasing dress and then proceeded to punch both Rave AND Nana in the groin. That bought Strong enough time to recover and to chase them out of the ring. He and Jade hugged in celebration of her freedom from Nana as the fans in the building celebrated her emancipation.
This was an important moment for ROH, where a woman scored one-up on her aggressors and had an opportunity to shine. Moments of “Women’s Liberation” are few and far between in professional wrestling, where misogyny is often the rule, not the exception. ROH has certainly been guilty of that behavior through the years, even though they also promote strong women wrestlers (especially through their relationship with sister company SHIMMER). Jade Chung’s face turn demonstrated that there is a place for women to exert power and control in these wrestling stories…and that everyone loves an elitist Prince getting punched in the balls. Much like Bobby Dempsey’s rebellion years later from Sweet & Sour Incorporated, this breakthrough was built up and foreshadowed for many months before actually coming to fruition.
Of course, I’d like to think that Chris and I played our fair share in Jade’s emancipation from Prince Nana as well.
13. Brent Albright Rebels against Sweet & Sour Incorporated
—A New Level (New York City, NY, 05/10/08)
—Face Turn
As mentioned before, Larry Sweeney, agent to the wrestling stars, had brokered a merger between his Sweet & Sour Incorporated and Adam Pearce’s Hangmen Three. This also included BJ Whitmer, Brent Albright and manservant / second-in-command Shane Hagadorn being included in the new Sweet & Sour Inc. When Whitmer protested, he was thrown out of the group, violently. Brent Albright was also none-too-happy concerning the merger, since his agreement was with Pearce and not with Sweeney. Pearce assuaged his concerns and convinced him to give this new relationship a try, for the sake of good business.
However, the more Albright spent time with Sweeney, the more he found him slimy and disgusting. He couldn’t stand to be around him, but for the money and for Adam Pearce’s sake, he tried his best to deal. Meanwhile, Sweeney continually talked the talk about how Albright would benefit from this new relationship, but it was clear that Sweeney saw Albright as the brute and workhorse of the group. He constantly denigrated Albright’s intelligence and blamed him for losses and screw ups as his agency did battle against the likes of Delirious, Kevin Steen and El Generico almost as much as he blamed Bobby Dempsey for these losses. Albright was also growing sick of witnessing that continual verbal and physical abuse.
There’s something about mass destruction and bodies flying everywhere in the ring that makes fans go nuts, especially in New York City. There is definitely excitement and entertainment in watching one man go up against the odds and demolish the competition and emerge victorious. At A New Level in May, New York bore witness to Brent Albright unleashing against his own stable, and they saw that it was good.
When Sweeney directed Albright to take his best out on Bobby Dempsey, Albright decided to do “the right thing”. He smashed Pearce, Chris Hero, Eddie Edwards and Shane Hagadorn, tossing them around like they were nothing. When Sara Del Rey attempted to stop him, he threw down on her as well with a brutal half-nelson release suplex. He barely missed getting his hands on Sweeney, while Sweeney’s guest Johnny Fairplay ran out of harm’s way and was probably hailing a taxi cab out of the city thirty seconds later. As Albright roared in an expression of triumph and new found freedom, the fans exploded in cheers and shouts of their own. They approved of what Albright had done to the hated Sweet & Sour Inc.
This was an incredibly strong face turn, as not only did Albright fight a group of wrestlers that the fans found reprehensible, but he also got the best of them. It was a change of heart and mind—as Albright had been all about the money previously (his original role in ROH was as a gun for hire), but now he was about following his conscience and helping out Larry Sweeney’s victims—starting with his attempt to convince Bobby Dempsey to break free and leave the agency.
12. Claudio Castagnoli Betrays Team ROH, Joins Team CZW
—The 100th Show (Philadelphia, PA, 04/22/06)
—Heel Turn
We’ve seen so far that betraying your team certainly is a very horrible act, but maybe more so when you’re in the middle of a war against another team, or in this case an entire wrestling promotion. Of course, when considering Claudio’s defection from Team ROH to Team Combat Zone Wrestling, one has to consider that the man may have not had loyalty or fidelity to the “home team” in the first place. See, Claudio was long-time tag team partners with Chris Hero as The Kings of Wrestling in several other independent wrestling organizations outside of ROH, particularly in CHIKARA and…in CZW. It all starts to fit together now.
Initially, Chris Hero began in Ring of Honor as an “outsider”, someone who had never been booked despite an association with many of the wrestlers already involved with the company at one point or another, including Castagnoli. Hero wanted to know why Claudio was siding with Ring of Honor and hadn’t joined up with him. The reason would be that Claudio had already enjoyed a bit of success in ROH, having nearly won the ROH Pure Title. He said that he was supportive of ROH in their burgeoning feud with the more hardcore, less honor-bound wrestlers that were a part of CZW. He claimed that he could keep his business relationship with Hero in other promotions separate from his business in ROH.
Yet Claudio’s words ultimately belied his actions. Claudio was never there when it really counted to take the fight to CZW in those early months of the war. Then Claudio’s true allegiance was revealed during the six-man war with Samoa Joe, Adam Pearce and BJ Whitmer repping Team ROH against the hated Chris Hero, Super Dragon and Necro Butcher. At the most critical moment, when ROH needed Claudio the most, instead of helping ROH, he betrayed them, knocking Samoa Joe down, and then brutally attacking Pearce and Whitmer. He tore up his fancy “team ROH” jacket and walked over with Chris Hero to the CZW side of the Pennsylvania Armory to celebrate with his compatriots.
This was not just a heel turn. This was a vicious and brutal betrayal, not just of a promotion, but of an entire company. The turn helped to fuel the intense reaction of hatred and vitriol Team CZW received from the ROH fans for the next several months. Though the clues were there and therefore this turn wasn’t a complete shock, it hurt just the same when Claudio actually dropped the bomb on ROH and the fans. Still, Claudio’s betrayal actually wasn’t the worst desertion Team ROH would experience in their feud against CZW. That would happen to be our next turn on the list…
11. Bryan Danielson Chop Blocks Samoa Joe, Deserts Team ROH during “Cage of Death”
—Death Before Dishonor IV (Philadelphia, PA, 07/15/06)
—Heel Turn
If there was ever a man who exemplified the sort of “honor” and “dignity” one might come to expect from a wrestler in Ring of Honor, it would be “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson (currently wrestling for WWE as Daniel Bryan). However, that doesn’t mean that Dragon didn’t display a mean streak at times or that he never copped an attitude with certain wrestlers. For example: Samoa Joe, who Dragon happened to be embroiled in a battle both over words and for the ROH World Championship throughout much of 2006. Danielson was squarely in the middle of his fifteen-month long championship run, but that didn’t stop comparisons between him and the longest-reigning champion. Could Danielson have felt a bit of championship jealousy, that perhaps Joe was still the name brand when it came to being “the man of honor” at the top of the company?
On the other hand, one of the better examples of Danielson’s representation of Honor came from his staunch opposition of CZW. It was actually Danielson who instigated the feud in the first place by accepting Chris Hero’s open challenge for the ROH World Title at Hell Freezes Over. Danielson didn’t have to accept any responsibility during the ROH vs. CZW feud, but he did undertake an effort to defend both the reputation of the company and his championship pride against the invading CZW forces.
Danielson had already agreed to put up his ROH World Title against CZW representative Sonjay Dutt during Death Before Dishonor IV. Then Danielson upped the ante, volunteering his services for the big showdown between CZW and ROH in the Cage of Death, set to be the final battle between the two promotions. Danielson told Jim Cornette, then acting as ROH Commissioner that he wanted in on the ROH team. He claimed that he would be a more dependable wrestler than Homicide, who had requested that he be granted several favors in exchange for participating in the match. Cornette agreed with Danielson and went with him instead of Homicide. It was a choice he would soon regret.
The initial lineup for Team ROH on this night consisted of Danielson, Adam Pearce, BJ Whitmer, Ace Steel and lo and behold, Samoa Joe, who was actually first into the cage under the match’s War Games style rules. ROH had won the coin toss, which meant they had the numbers advantage after the initial five minute period. BJ Whitmer was next in for ROH and he and Joe both beat down on the traitor Claudio Castagnoli until Chris Hero was in to even the odds. CZW actually began to have Joe and Whitmer on the ropes when Danielson was next in. He quickly went to work on Castagnoli and Hero, shifting the advantage to ROH. It seemed that despite their differences that Joe and Danielson would be able to work together for the sake of the company they represented.
Danielson called for Joe to use the muscle buster, but when his back was turned, Danielson chop blocked the back of his knee. He continued to beat on Joe to the bewilderment and anger of the ROH fans in the audience until referees and Jim Cornette himself came down to put a stop to it. Danielson walked out of the cage and walked out on ROH, giving Cornette the middle finger as a parting gift. In its most desperate time of need, Danielson chose to serve his own interests rather than those of the company that he called home.
Danielson walking out on ROH wasn’t a clear-cut heel turn on a person (though Joe felt its’ immediate consequences), but rather a selfish and opportunistic act committed by one man on an entire promotion. It cemented Danielson at that particular time not as a man of the people, but as an island unto himself. He found the right spot to attack his enemy, lulled him into a false sense of security and then struck him down. The hope was that would be enough to keep Joe down or inhibit his ability to wrestle during their upcoming ROH World Title match (August 2006’s Fight of the Century). The desertion could have cost ROH the victory in the Cage of Death match, and therefore the entire bragging rights around the ROH vs. CZW issue. As it was it put them in a major hole they couldn’t climb out of until the timely involvement (and rescue) from Homicide. Yet no good deed goes unreturned, and as Homicide would soon find out, Cornette was not so fond of his involvement after all in this or any match.
10. Homicide Unleashes the Beast Within, Fireballs Samoa Joe
—ROH Reborn: Stage One (St. Paul, MN 04/23/04)
—Heel Turn
Speaking of Homicide, one of the most dangerous and unpredictable actions he ever perpetrated in Ring of Honor was his fireball attack on Samoa Joe. This moment cemented Homicide’s first major heel turn and created the perception of him as the most unpredictable and out of control force that could be reckoned with in ROH. The persona he took on was intimidating not just to the wrestlers but to the fans as well. He would attack out from the crowd or just run out from the back during any particular match to carve up some fools and cause destruction with his boys in The Rottweilers.
Homicide had previously been known as a thug with a heart of gold, someone who was street tough but who had his mind and his head in the right place. He was wrestling to support his daughter. He hoped that winning the ROH Title would lead to more money and more opportunities to provide for his family. The problem was that when he finally received the opportunity to fight for the title, he couldn’t get the job done.
Homicide already had developed some bad blood against ROH World Champion Samoa Joe, as Joe had recently attacked Homicide’s manager J-Train (Julius Smokes). Each thought they were the baddest dude on the block, but it was Joe who was proving it in the one-on-one encounter. So when Homicide felt the pain of a two-count that he thought was three, something snapped in his mind. He couldn’t take the disappointment and shame of coming so close and having victory taken away, so he decided to retaliate by punching Paul Turner. Joe kicked Homicide in the face, but then the lights went out in St. Paul. Homicide lit up the room with a fireball right into Joe’s face. The fire had immediate effect on Joe, but referees and stage hands couldn’t attend to him because Homicide was punching out the refs and blocking everyone’s path. The locker room ran out to contain him around the ringside area, but then he broke free, tossing tables and chairs and generally causing a state of panic, epitomized by Gabe Sapolsky’s clarion call on commentary to “Evacuate! Evacuate!”
The Demon within Homicide had risen and all hell was going to break loose as a result.
The best turns, whether as a heel going face or as a face going heel, are the ones that are justified or have some sort of internal logic behind them. Homicide’s turn had plenty of justification, a touch of pathos and a whole lot of carnage. The visual impact of the fireball as well as Homicide going crazy at ringside left a lasting impression on many fans in attendance and helped to begin a new era for ROH with a new monster heel in the promotion in the whirling-dervish of a Tazmaniac Devil known as Homicide.
9. Homicide Makes Peace With Colt Cabana
—Better Than Our Best (Chicago Ridge, IL, 04/01/06)
—Face Turn
The unpredictable and uncontrollable rage from “The Notorious 187” would be directed at Colt Cabana when Colt tried too hard to be funny and cool on an episode of “Good Times, Great Memories” in the summer of 2006. Colt said some words a funky white dude probably shouldn’t have said in front of Homicide. That small bit of innocent word usage set off Homicide and caused him to inflict great pain on Cabana for the next several months, including choking him out with a coat hanger and pouring “Drano” down his mouth.
At first, Cabana couldn’t match Homicide’s rage and hardcore fighting instincts. However, Cabana toughened up, becoming more serious and willing to get down and dirty in brawls against Homicide. He set a course for a Chicago Street Fight, where he could rise to the occasion and win in his hometown, thus proving once and for all that he was tough enough. Cabana repaid Homicide for every indignity he suffered during the feud. He ended it with a Colt 45 through a table to pin the man who had been the bête noir for the last six months.
As both men slumped down on to the mat, feeling the pain of the bloody and intense fight, Julius Smokes and the rest of The Rottweilers jumped into the ring looking to pay Colt back. However, Homicide crawled over and stopped his own crew. The rest of The Rottweilers were confused and unsure what Homicide was doing, but his intentions would soon become clear.
Homicide had found respect for Colt during that last thirty minutes. Here was a man who took all sorts of punishment and kept on asking for more. He outgunned Homicide in his own game. Homicide felt that deserved recognition…and he knew the beef was over. He extended his hand to Colt, who was also confused and unsure about whether or not to trust. Cabana decided and shook the man’s hand. However, that expression of respect and honor was not enough for Homicide, who then hugged Cabana.
This was the moment that Homicide regained his honor and his dignity. It was a huge face turn, because it was a “heel” who had decided to acknowledge someone was his better, and humbled by the experience, became a better man for it. It was a clear progression of character for Homicide and one that rocketed him back up in terms of fan popularity, all the way to his eventually winning the ROH World Title by the end of that year.
8. Jimmy Jacobs Unveiled as Mastermind behind Project 161 / The Age of the Fall
—Man Up (Chicago Ridge, IL, 09/15/07)
—Heel Turn
It seemed that Jimmy Jacobs had turned over a new leaf—especially now that he had found the love of his life, Lacey. She even agreed to date him! He even scored! Life was great! Exclamation points!
Well, not really, because even though Jacobs finally earned the affection of the woman he had carried a torch for over many years, when it finally came down to do the deed he learned a very valuable lesson: “Love doesn’t save. Nothing saves.” It was that change in mindset about love and life that caused Jacobs to undergo one of the most far-reaching efforts of his ROH career. Jacobs became obsessed with starting a revolution to change the world that he knew he hated with a passion.
ROH fans witnessed strange incidents occurring both during ROH shows and on the internet through several viral web pages, which came to be known as “Project 161”. Fliers and postcards were posted around venues, while a bizarre man was seen outside the buildings distributing T-shirts and DVDs. There was also a blog that shared anti-establishment rhetoric and photography.
As the summer months wore on, it became clear this was a wrestling angle orchestrated by someone on the ROH roster. The viral website put up pictures of Jay and Mark Briscoe as children. It was clear they were some of the targets. Meanwhile Jacobs was acting like a face, smiling, happy and content with his new relationship with Lacey, even accepting the fans’ support during his matches.
It was all building up to the Man Up Pay Per View, when Jimmy Jacobs revealed the truth—he wasn’t happy, he was angry at the system. He had found others along the way who were similarly unhappy with their plot in life—Tyler Black and Necro Butcher, who never received a chance to make it in ROH. Jacobs was set to start a new age in ROH, along with the support of his girlfriend Lacey and dozens of masked men who rushed the ring after The Briscoes retained the ROH World Tag Team Titles that night. They proceed to savagely attack The Briscoes, bloodying them up and stringing jay Briscoe upside down on a pulley. Jacobs spoke bitter words as Jay’s blood poured all over him. The crowd was aghast by these actions…and Ring of Honor was now a much different, far less safe place than it was before.
7. Nigel McGuinness Dishonors the ROH World Title / Bryan Danielson Officially Goes Face
—6th Anniversary Show (New York City, NY 02/23/08)
—Double Turn
The fans were giving Nigel McGuinness mixed messages in the months after winning the ROH World Title in late 2007. Nigel’s biceps injury and concussions prevented him from wrestling in matches. A good deal of fans took offense that he couldn’t fight through the pain to defend the belt and give them the scheduled title defenses on ROH shows. On the other hand, another sizable sect of fans supported Nigel. They understood the very real pain he was going through and expressed vociferous support whenever they could that Nigel was their chosen champion and he deserved a chance to heal the injuries and then defend the title. Meanwhile, Bryan Danielson wanted another opportunity to wrestle for the ROH World Title. He took several potshots at Nigel’s inability to wrestle, not to mention mocking him for his overuse of the lariat through pantomime (Glory By Honor VI Night 2 in New York).
The Nigel backlash became so great that the decision was made to turn him completely heel at the Sixth Anniversary Show in February 2008. McGuinness complained that he was concerned about wrestling with the title on the line given an upcoming Pay Per View show. Bryan Danielson confronted him about the issue and called into question Nigel’s respect for the fans and for the Ring of Honor World Title. Danielson convinced McGuinness to put the title on the line in exchange for the concession that Danielson wouldn’t hit him in the face as to prevent a possible recurrence of a concussion. When push came to shove, Danielson lived up to his word and his honor, but Nigel did not—intentionally hitting the referee in order to be disqualified…and when the match was restarted he bloodied and hurt Danielson, hurting him in Danielson’s previous damaged eye socket, viciously attacking Danielson with his own MMA elbow attack and submitting him with the London Dungeon.
Nigel turned on all of the fans that night with his words and actions. Even those who had shown previous support were almost unanimously swayed to boo him and condemn his actions. Meanwhile, Danielson’s words about standing up for honor and integrity only furthered an already demonstrated fan support. Danielson officially turned face that night by embracing the idea of fighting spirit and respect the tradition of the ROH World Title. Danielson would do his best to fight through the pain and injuries, but Nigel would not. It’s still to this day an interesting lesson in morality and the ethics behind the fan’s choice of who to support. It could be said that Nigel was doing what was best for his mind and his body, but in choosing his own interests above the fans, that is what split him from their support.
6. Austin Aries and Roderick Strong Throw Alex Shelley Out of Generation Next
—Final Battle 2004 (Philadelphia, PA, 12/26/04)
—Face Turn
If you swim with sharks, you’re bound to be eaten—that is a lesson that Alex Shelley learned all too well when he was thrown out of his own stable. Alex Shelley formed Generation Next in May of 2004 in order to take over the top spots in Ring of Honor, but he may not have planned with enough foresight. On the same night that Austin Aries won the ROH World Title, he also engineered a coup of Generation Next that was far from bloodless.
Shelley and Roderick Strong had just lost a match to the team of Steve Corino and CM Punk. Aries entered the ring and said he had enough of Shelley’s leadership and that he was taking over the leadership of Gen Next (Jack Evans was not present so his position on this action was not immediately clear). Aries gave Shelley him one minute to get the hell out of there or else…but in typical heel fashion he was lying and popped Shelley in the face. He and Strong commenced to beat the crap out of Shelley. Since Shelley had been such an utter bastard in the months previous, he had no one in the locker room that would help him fend off the attack.
The King was dead. Long live the King.
The hostile takeover re-emphasized Aries and Strong as heels (at least until the ROH fans began to embrace their in-ring talents and attitude) just minutes before Aries ascended to the top of the company. It also turned Alex Shelley face by proxy of being forced out through such violent means. It was also a beautiful and fitting irony that the group Shelley engineered to conquer did so, but at the cost of his own membership in the group.
5. CM Punk Saves Ricky Steamboat from Generation Next
—ROH Reborn: Completion (Elizabeth, NJ, 07/17/04)
—Face Turn
CM Punk had spent the middle of the year 2004 embroiled in a conflict with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. The tension stemmed from what Punk viewed as a questionable refereeing call during a Pure Title match against AJ Styles during At Our Best. Punk would then verbally insult and antagonize Steamboat after the match, even throwing a punch so that Steamboat had no choice but to retaliate. Steamboat and Punk would have several interactions in the following months, concluding in an unofficial non-sanctioned “confrontation” in Elizabeth, which was as close as a match as legally allowed for The Steamer at that point.
Both Punk and Steamboat threw down against each other, but then Generation Next spoiled the party, rushing the ring to make their own statement. They encouraged Punk to help them in their attack on a downed Steamboat. In that split-second, Punk had to make a choice, one that weighed on his conscience heavily.
When Steamboat had him prone and dead to rights with the ring bell (which Punk had used to attack him on a previous show), instead of finishing the job, he talked to him about growing up and accepting responsibility for oneself. Those words seemed to take hold of Punk, or at least it seemed that way at the time. So when Generation Next rushed the ring, instead of helping Alex Shelley and Austin Aries put the final touch on ending Steamboat’s return, Punk decided he was going to be the man that Steamboat wanted him to be. Punk embraced the decision to take responsibility for his actions. After all, that had always been the way of Straight-Edge in one form or another—and Punk was devoted to living life by that particular code of honor.
Punk had the advantage of surprise, but it was four-on-one odds. Punk was quickly overwhelmed, until “The Dragon” arose and helped Punk to clear the ring. The fans chanted “CM Punk”, embracing the man they loved to hate.
This was the first time that when CM Punk came across a fork in the road that he chose the honorable path—to help someone rather than harm. The face turn led to an extended feud between Punk’s Second City Saints and Shelley’s Generation Next stable. It also increased Punk’s popularity dramatically, such that it would help Punk lobby for multiple ROH World Title opportunities against Samoa Joe. CM Punk still had a cocky attitude about his talent and ability, but for once in his ROH career he was using those traits to help others and for that many fans adored and appreciated him.
4. Jim Cornette Doesn’t Live Up To His End of the Deal with Homicide
—Death Before Dishonor IV (Philadelphia, PA, 07/15/06)
—Heel Turn
Jim Cornette doesn’t seem to like a lot of people, especially New Yorkers. However, in 2006 Cornette hated the CZW hardcore wrestling style a lot more than anything else on the docket save for Vince Russo.
Homicide had been on the fence for months about participating in Commissioner Cornette’s little war games against CZW. What he really wanted most was to fight for the ROH World Title one more time, but he was somewhat out of contention after losing a title match in June. So Homicide bartered with Cornette. He would help out Ring of Honor against CZW at the Cage of Death if he would receive “three wishes”, as if Cornette was some sort of genie who would grant him everything he wanted. Well, Cornette took offense to that assumption and the use of leverage against him, so he declined. As seen in number eleven of this countdown, that move backfired.
Luckily, Homicide had a soft spot for Ring of Honor, so when push came to shove, he went out there during Cage of Death and did what he did best—destroyed the competition. Homicide was personally responsible for ensuring that ROH won that match (although to this day there are some questions about the legalities of his involvement, since ROH had already set their five-man team—he was one extra). Cornette was so overjoyed about getting the final word against the CZW Hardcore army that at the end of the match he did agree to allow Homicide three wishes.
Cornette and Homicide were both in the ring, with the cage still set up around the ring amid broken tables and barbed wire. Lieutenant Commissioner Adam Pearce and J.J. Dillon were also inside the ring, soaking in the post-victory atmosphere. Cornette asked Homicide to reveal his requests. His first wish was to fight Steve Corino—and Cornette had no problem with that. His next wish was to have an ROH World Title shot. Well, Homicide had proven his toughness against CZW and had earned a title shot, so Cornette agreed. Homicide’s last wish was to have Low K reinstated in the company. However, Cornette had a problem with that one. Low Ki had not just run roughshod over the entire promotion at one point, but he also had injured Cornette as collateral damage during a backstage attack between ROH and CZW. Cornette refused to grant this wish.
Homicide said Cornette was a liar. Now Cornette was getting ticked off. He questioned just how far Homicide’s loyalties were to Low KI (implying a homosexual relationship). Homicide spit in Cornette’s face in retaliation, and well, the rest was history. Pearce attacked Homicide and he, Cornette and J.J. Dillon proceeded to beat the hell out of the man who had just helped them to win the most important match in Ring of Honor history. Cornette ended up handcuffing Homicide and whipped him repeatedly, while officials and other wrestlers could only watch as they were locked out.
Cornette and Pearce’s heel turn concluded what was an hour of high-intensity story-telling. It was a crazy scene, ending one storyline and beginning the next sequence that would carry the top feud in ROH for the next six months. Cornette felt justified in his actions because of the sacrifices he made to help ROH and the lack of gratitude he received from Homicide and even more importantly, the Ring of Honor fans. Cornette had tried to help ROH in every way, but when something didn’t go their way, he felt that they turned their back on him.
3. Low Ki Rejects Honor, Joins The Rottweilers
—ROH Reborn: Completion (Elizabeth, NJ, 07/17/04)
—Heel Turn
The ultimate betrayal of self is to turn against your previously held principles and integrity and replace them with shallow and selfish intentions. Low Ki’s transformation from the principled man of honor into the thuggish rogue Gangsta’ was exactly that—a shallow and selfish betrayal of his own ideals.
Low KI had represented “honor” in Ring of Honor wrestling ever since the beginning. He was the voice of the fans and the people’s champion, even before there was a title belt to symbolize that standard. Through the years Ki had fought in the spirit of competition, to prove he was the best man in the ring because he trained harder than everyone else and in that ring he was better than everyone else.
While Low Ki may have walked on the side of angels, his friends were often not so graced. Homicide was Low Ki’s trainer in Brooklyn, New York, but he was also a dear friend, as close as family. However, Homicide had gone off the deep end, taken his life from the streets to its extreme end. “The Notorious 187” had created a crew called The Rottweilers—himself, Rocky Romero and Ricky Reyes (then known as the Havana Pitbulls) and his manager J-Train. Together they had run roughshod over many of the top faces in ROH throughout the Spring and Summer of 2004. However, the most constant targets were ROH World Champion Samoa Joe and The Briscoe brothers. Low Ki was missing in action amidst all the fighting between both sides.
The bad blood between all men came to a head at the Reborn: Completion showcase with a six-man war between The Rottweilers and the team of Joe and The Briscoes. After a long back-and-forth battle, the match concluded in a disqualification after Homicide once again threw a deadly burning fireball, but this time it burned Mark Briscoe as he pushed Joe out of the way. Jay rushed Mark to the back for treatment, but that left Joe alone in the ring and outnumbered three-to-one against his opponents. Homicide again went postal, throwing the referee out and choking Joe.
Jay Briscoe came back out with a chair to even the odds somewhat, but then he was taken out by Homicide. There was no one left to help them… until…
Low Ki’s music played as he made his surprise return to ROH. However, instead of helping Joe against Homicide, he helped his longtime friend put the finishing touches on Joe, ramming the ROH World Title belt into Joe’s head. To complete the turn Ki choked Joe out and draped the ROH banner over Joe’s downed body while they posed on top of him. The phrase “No one will disrespect this title…except me!” would become Low Ki’s new mantra…and he lived up to it by antagonizing the babyface roster for the next two years.
The turn was an effective surprise twist in the storylines. The fans didn’t expect Ki to appear, but when he did they assumed Ki would save the good guys, but instead they experienced the opposite. It was a swerve that made complete sense given Ki’s connection to Homicide and yet took everyone by surprise because of what they knew about Ki’s past role in the company. ROH went in a new direction for an established character. It wouldn’t be the last time they shocked the audience that way either…
2. Kevin Steen’s Violent “Farewell” To El Generico, Breaks Up Team
—Final Battle 2009 (New York City, NY, 12/19/09)
—Heel Turn
For a full recap and explanation for Steen’s heel turn, please read Column of Honor: A Broken Trust.
The ultimate betrayal of a partner is to forsake him for your own career goals. Kevin Steen betrayed his partner in such a manner this past December when he faked his retirement in order to set-up a moment where he could sever all ties with his partner forever. Kevin Steen had gotten it in his head from Steve Corino that he didn’t need Generico and that he could be the best wrestler in ROH all by himself. Now Corino serves as his guiding voice and he has Steen convinced that they’re both going straight to the top of Ring of Honor.
This heel turn was so perfect in execution. It had the fans buying into Steen’s retirement due to knee problems. That thought was reinforced by newswires, bits of commentary on DVDs and by Kevin’s body language during matches in the months leading up to the turn. When the bomb dropped, the clues were all there and they made sense, but the damage was still massive.
Watching Steen turn was like reading a great Tragedy. Fans were taken from the highest point (Steen’s amazingly inspirational “farewell” speech) all the way down with the destruction of Generico. Pro Wrestling as Drama cannot get any better than such a moment…well, except for:
1. CM Punk is a Snake, Turns Heel after Winning ROH World Title
—Death Before Dishonor III (Morristown, NJ, 06/18/05)
—Heel Turn
The ultimate betrayal of the fans is to take their support, use it and then throw it away as if it meant nothing to you in the first place.
CM Punk was leaving Ring of Honor for WWE, but he was going to receive one last shot at the ROH World Title. Previously, when Paul London left for WWE, he received a title match against Samoa Joe only to come up short, receiving a farewell celebration that was befitting to what he meant to the company at the time. The best Punk’s fans could hope for would be that he would receive the same treatment.
Instead, they saw the unexpected occur—a man who was leaving for another company actually won the title on his way out, in his “last” match. The fans in New Jersey erupted in surprise at this title change and then shifted towards showing near unanimous support for Punk.
Punk was given the mic for a celebration speech. He told them the story of the Old Man and the Snake—he was the Snake biting the hand that fed him and the fans were the old man who didn’t realize that the snake would turn on them due to its nature. Punk flat-out told them that he had used their support and his popularity to influence his way into this title match. Now that he had the ROH World Title, he was walking out of the company with the belt, heading to WWE and there was nothing anyone could do about.
Enter Christopher Daniels, gone eighteen months from the company, who in storyline was injured and taken out by Punk. Now he was back, ready and willing to fight Punk for the title. Punk could only run away in response, the cowards’ way out.
The fans knew that Punk was leaving the company, but they were never actually told that the Death Before Dishonor match was the last one—like with Steen’s turn they just assumed it was the case. The booking used that element of unreleased information to carry the fan reaction in support of Punk during the title match and then actually gave them that climatic moment of triumph in Punk doing the unthinkable and winning when normal wrestling psychology had him losing. Then they twisted the entire paradigm on its head with Punk “dumping” the fans and reveling in his master plan. The Punk heel turn along with the return of Daniels as a babyface sent ROH barreling into “The Summer of Punk” at an all-time high.
