411’s Buy or Sell 11.0510: Prince Nana’s Future, Dragon Gate USA Gets Tag Titles, Jimmy Jacobs Reinvents Himself, and More!!!

Greg Demarco: SELL. I don’t know that it’s a sign that they’re shutting down, but there must be some struggles or adjustments behind the scenes that are less than positive. Possibly a shift in responsibilities, or even an issue with who manages the website. This week (Tuesday) they announced via their message board that they have a date set for December 11 in Reseda, California. To date the main page hasn’t changed. Obviously there’s an issue, but I can’t say it’s a financial issue–it could very well be an organizational issue. And I hope that it’s easily fixed, because the indy wrestling world needs more PWG.

Michael Ornelas : SELL.Or at least I hope so! PWG had arguably the best 2009 on the independent scene and is a pretty competitive 2010 as well (although I’d give that title to CHIKARA). I think it very well could be a conflicting schedule with a venue. I don’t think they would just go out with a whimper like this. Especially with such great talent, and (on DVD) seemingly packed venues. If their bottom line depends on DVD sales, than maybe they should have more sales. If they’re offering sales like ROH is lately (I swear, ROH worries me with how discounted and frequent their sales are), then I’d believe they may be worried about shutting down.

1 for 1.

Greg Demarco: BUY. Why not? The way non-contracted wrestlers are winning championships in Japan this year, Roddy & Eddie have as good of a chance of winning Japanese gold as Greg DeMarco, Michael Ornelas, my next door neighbor and/or The Great Khali. (Okay, maybe not The Great Khali.) Add in the fact that they made the finals of the Jr. Tag League tournament and hold ROH championships (well respected in Japan), a short reign of some kind for either isn’t out of the question.

Michael Ornelas : SELL. I can see this, but with them being ROH champions as well, I don’t see them being able to go to Japan enough to where it’d make sense to put titles on them. Although I don’t think Roddy will be ROH champ heading into 2011.

1 for 2.

Greg Demarco: SELL. Sure, Nana’s stable may have been dismantled, but Prince Nana himself seems to be solidified in Ring of Honor for the time being. Nana is an awesome character, but Adam Pearce’s booking didn’t do him any favors. It’s too soon to get a read on Delirious’s booking to know how he’ll handle The Embassy. ROH only has 6 shows left in 2010, but Nana made these comments in his latest Nana’s World rant: “If I don’t get the answers I’m looking for before Final Battle then everyone’s livelihood in ROH will be on the line. Don’t think I’m crazy! I am real! … I guarantee you don’t wanna miss the next few events leading into the new year. I’m predicting a major accomplishment, and tons more haters!” This makes me think we’ll at least get a Prince Nana appearance at Final Battle, an event where ROH usually does a reset of some sort. It would be the perfect opportunity to kick start the next evolution of The Embassy.

Michael Ornelas : BUY. The Embassy is stale. It’s had some good talent in it, but whenever they’re on my screen, I tend to get a little bored because I don’t think they have very good feuds. Giving Nana time off would do a lot to rejuvenate the Embassy, although personally, I’d completely restructure it and rename it. In other words: End the Embassy and have Nana manage someone else in 2011.

1 for 3.

Michael Ornelas : BUY . I hope this is the case, and I hope he delivers. I started watching Indy wrestling in the summer of 2009. I’ve seen every ROH event in 2002, and from Final Battle 2008 to the present (as well as the Summer of Punk in 2005). I’ve seen all PWG shows since the start of 2009 (And I’ve seen all CHIKARA events starting with their 2009 Young Lion’s Cup). Jimmy Jacobs has appeared in PWG and ROH and I really didn’t like the emo gimmick or the hardcore style he had. He’s pretty decent at it, but I’m not into that type of wrestling. As a result, when I started watching Indy wrestling, I immediately took a liking to Austin Aries, Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Kenny Omega, and KENTA. Jimmy Jacobs just never really impressed me (same with Tyler Black) and I hope his change of style can turn around my opinion of him. I think he’s great at promos, but I don’t like his stories. I think he’s a good wrestler when he wants to be(he was the ROH Tag Champion during the Summer of Punk with BJ Whitmer). Sorry to answer the question with a lot of extra info, but it all leads to the point that Jacobs never really stood out to me, and a style change is a good opportunity for him to finally do that in my eyes.

Greg Demarco: SELL. I’m not the biggest Jimmy Jacobs fan (not a hater either), but I appreciate his ability to take hold of a character/persona and get it over. He was able to get over his wacky Berserker/Bruiser Brody “HUSS!” persona, then turned around and got over as a cult leader with the Age of the Fall. Despite his size limitations (5’7″ 165 lbs) he was 100% believable in a feud with the much bigger BJ Whitmer, culminating in his steel cage victory. I sell this because Jacobs doesn’t need a change in wrestling styles, persona or anything else to rejuvenate his career. He just needs a push, and that’s what Gabe Sapolsky is giving him in both Evolve and Dragon Gate USA.

1 for 4.

Michael Ornelas : BUY. I’m not too sure about my answer here…I think it makes more sense for a Japanese talent to take it (since I think a few of them are better wrestlers than the American guys), but the question is what WILL happen. I don’t know who it’ll be, as I think the amount of champion-caliber Americans is fairly limited. Austin Aries’ addition to the roster makes it interesting, and I could see him winning. I can also see a case for Jon Moxley, Johnny Gargano, Jimmy Jacobs, Homicide, and (if pushed) Gran Akuma (because I think the guy’s a badass).

Greg Demarco: BUY. DGUSA is fast becoming a North American indy that regularly features Dragon Gate talent–not a Japanese promotion running shows in North America. And that’s not a bad thing at all. With the influx of talent like Homicide and Austin Aries, along with Gabe Sapolsky favorites Jimmy Jacobs & Jon Moxley, it seems apparent to me that an American will unseat BxB Hulk. My personal choice would be Austin Aries, because it will give his in-ring ability a chance to shine again, which wasn’t showcased as much during the end of his ROH run.

2 for 5.

Michael Ornelas : BUY…and I think this will lead to some great feuds, great matches, and most of all, I think the belts will look prestigious. There are already 5 groups in Dragon Gate USA, all with more than 2 members, so the combinations of matches that can made for the belt really excite me. I’m not usually a fan of tag team wrestling, but Dragon Gate USA is a GREAT exception to that in my tastes.

Greg Demarco: SELL. Fast paced action is a staple of Dragon Gate, and the more competitors you insert into a match the more fast paced action you can fit in. It doesn’t allow for as much psychology or selling, but you shouldn’t really come to DGUSA looking for either of those. In a promotion that is built on that pace and excitement, it doesn’t make sense to only have a singles championship. Look at Chikara–the majority of their matches feature 4 or more competitors, and the top championship is the Campeonatos de Parejas. So the time is right for the Open the United Gate Championships. But they were due regardless of the Stable Wars, they were just due. My pick to win them? Who ever holds the Open the Twin Gate Championships at the time of the tournament (currently K-Ness & Susumu Yokosuka), as having the belts defended in DGUSA and the Japanese original will give them the immediate credibility they wouldn’t otherwise get.

2 for 6!!

The 179th edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 2 for 6 as these two Buy or Sell first timers tend to disagree more than not! Stay tuned for next week as two new people step up to the plate on Buy or Sell!