Column of Honor: 09.17.11: Death or Dishonor for Either The All-Night Express or The Briscoes

Welcome to the Column. There is a heck of a lot to get to this week and it’s a busy independent wrestling weekend to boot.

The Briscoe boys do not mind letting everyone know how they feel about events of the last few months in Ring of Honor. They shout it out in-between strings of expletives and razor-sharp barbs against their transgressors—ROH officials, ROH fans and especially tag teams like Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin and their current arch-rivals The All-Night Express, consisting of Kenny King and Rhett Titus.

Ever since ROH came under new ownership this past May, The Briscoes have felt that they have not been given their proper respect from ROH management, both old and new. They laid out their gripe during the “Day One” promo—speaking of how they had been members of the promotion from the very start and how now they were being passed over at the beginning of this new era. That’s a level of disrespect The Briscoes just could not abide. Ever since, they have let management know that they will not kowtow to the new ownership. They will not be controlled, they will not be politically correct, they will not be muzzled and they damn sure ain’t gonna do what they’re told.

The disrespect from the fans goes back even further than the beginning of the Sinclair Broadcast Group buyout. Fan backlash began in earnest during May 2010’s Supercard of Honor V event. That was when The Briscoes ran-in during a ROH World Tag Team Title defense between champions at the time The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero) and special guests The Motor City Machine Guns of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. The Briscoes were feuding with The Kings and wanted to prevent their manager Shane Hagadorn and associate Sara Del Rey from cheating to the detriment of Shelley and Sabin. The New York City fans did not see it that way—instead they felt that The Briscoes had ruined what had been a fantastic match between two top tag teams. They had stripped the match of having a proper conclusion. Even when The Briscoes meted out violence against Sara Del Rey, many fans still chose to boo them for their actions.

In many ways, this was the very beginning of the schism between The Briscoes and the Ring of Honor fans. There must have been some deep scars left because of The Briscoes’ actions that night because they would once again be booed at Final Battle 2010, leaving the feeling that there was a growing dissonance between The Briscoes’ desire to whoop some ass and the fans’ desire to support them for doing so. This brewing and harbored grudge from the fans all led up to Manhattan Mayhem IV, where a more serious and focused Briscoes showed no mercy against The All-Night Express. Yet, the fans were actually cheering more and more for King and Titus! The insult was double when ANX managed to upset The Briscoes with a bridging pinfall.

The Briscoes did not want to accept the loss and instead turned their anger on ANX, attacking them after the match and the fans didn’t like that one bit. ANX fought back and managed to even things up against Jay and Mark in an ensuing pull-apart brawl that forced many ROH students, security and officials out to ringside to separate the two teams-almost to no avail.

The fans expressed their support vociferously for All-Night Express on that day. Really, it has almost been shocking the level of support and popularity that The All-Night Express achieved in such a short period of time. Kenny King and Rhett Titus used to be one of the more disliked and hated tag teams in ROH due to their arrogant swagger, bad attitude, propensity for pulling hotties (and bragging about it) and a complete disregard for respect or the rules of the ring. In particular, Rhett Titus had bore the brunt of many fan cat-calls and insults, including the infamous calls of “Hep-a-Titus” and “You’re a Virgin” by the fans harping on his sexual proclivities. That the fans have embraced them and cheer them on now is one of the larger surprises of the past few years.

Yet, The All-Night Express had been building support even before the double turn at Manhattan Mayhem IV. Fans had begun to see them in a new light after both King and Titus expressed their interests in becoming a more serious tag team. They were going to put the booty-calls on hold so that they could go to the gym and work harder, faster and stronger towards the ultimate goal of winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles. The brash braggadocio was still there, but channeled in a more positive direction, towards youthful ambition and an aspiration to achieve their dreams—winning ROH World Tag Team gold. That was a mindset the ROH fan base could understand and support. Soon ANX earned a tag team title opportunity against The Kings of Wrestling. ANX declared that they were ready for the big match, but The Kings challenged them to prove they were more than go-fors and bag boys…that they had matured to the level of a champion.

The tag title match at 9th Anniversary Show demonstrated that The All-Night Express were more than sizzle and flash—they had heart and drive and some great tag team combinations that could put their opponents on tilt. ANX controlled a good portion of the match and surprised Hero and Castagnoli with some offensive moves and combos not yet seen by them. The champs were caught unawares and had to slow the match down and use misdirection and trickery to regain control. However, King and Titus fought back and almost won. Kenny King blew everyone’s minds by debuting an amazing shooting star press from his repertoire. Ultimately, The Kings won the match after using the (allegedly) loaded elbow-pad at the right time, but the effort shown by ANX could not be denied. They were becoming a stronger team and the fans were responding to the effort.

One of these days ANX could become ROH World Tag Team champions—and if they win tonight’s third-ever Ladder War contest wrestling against The Briscoes in New York City, they will earn the chance to do so. The contract for a tag title match at Glory By Honor X in Chicago, Illinois on November 19th, 2011 will be hanging atop the ceiling of Manhattan’s Grand Ballroom at the Hammerstein. All ANX has to do to get there is go through The Briscoes, climb up and grab that contract. However, that is indeed the very problem—they have to go through The Briscoes—and Jay and Mark are not about to let that happen, nor let their chance to regain the top spot in the promotion at this important juncture in the promotion’s history pass them by.

As for bad blood between The Briscoes and The All-Nights, the enmity may have broken loose back in March 2011, but these two teams have actually been tied together for much longer than that. The Briscoes and All-Night Express have spent much of the last two years as frequent opponents. The cliché goes that familiarity breeds contempt, and the intense and constant interaction these two teams experienced on many ROH events, both for television and DVD tapings—has certainly created a swell of hatred that only grew in the months leading up to tonight’s latest grudge bout at Death Before Dishonor IX— destined to be their most violent and out-of-control brawl yet.

It’s not that previous bouts between the two haven’t had shares of crazy violence. Both teams have shed blood and felt the pain of being slammed through tables and being smacked with weapons of every kind. The no-disqualification contest at Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter Two saw King and Titus score first-blood when they slashed open both Jay and Mark during the bout (Jay in particular looking like he had just walked out from a horror movie, caked in blood nearly from head-to-toe). Titus had been cut open during the bout as well, but he valiantly fought through the claret sea that washed over his eyes, notably sending Jay through a ringside table with a “Super Sex Factor” (X-Factor facebuster), the wood splintering into pieces on the floor alongside their bodies. Jay would return the favor blasting him with a high-velocity running lariat and spitting up his own blood ala Muta’s mist at the same time. The bloody haze of war had taken over both teams on that night and that bloodlust born out of sheer loathing would continue for months.

The wild and crazy brawls continued in the Chicago Street Fight that took place at Supercard of Honor VI. Both teams smashed each other all over the ring, using ladders, tables and more weapons. Jay Briscoe even choked Kenny King with a large chain. Though ANX did have the initial advantage by laying out Mark through a table to the outside, but when the situation was reversed later in the match it was up to King and Titus to depend on each other to survive through many close calls. Ultimately a barrage of offense at the last minute concluded with Jay falling on top of a prone and nearly unconscious Rhett for the win. This was perhaps a stroke of fortune more than anything. It was also the first match where both teams used the ladders as weapons or platforms for launching attacks (The ANX connected with the blockbuster powerbomb combination off the ladder, while Mark landed his frog splash elbow off it onto a downed Titus)., thus foreshadowing the inevitability of a future Ladder War-one that Ring of Honor officials did not want, but which the wrestlers themselves needed to have in order to finish the blood feud to their satisfaction.

The All-Night Express would strike back and earned their win against Jay and Mark during the four-way elimination title bout at Best in the World, knocking off the six-time champs with precision and timing. The Briscoes were the first ones out in that match at the hands of ANX, an outcome they clearly didn’t see coming.

The Briscoes were not going to let that embarrassment stand and they took it out on both Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team and then at No Escape they obtained their next advantage against King and Titus. In a set of singles matches between the two teams that involved the partners being handcuffed to the ring, Jay broke Mark loose during his match against Rhett Titus. Together the brothers managed to run roughshod over King and Titus.

If Jay and Mark Briscoe don’t like you, they’re going to let you know about it. If they hate you, they’re going to tell you so. If they really want to mess you up, they’ll tell it to your face and then they’ll do it. The All-Night Express learned as much throughout the last several months. Now they finally have the chance to shut up The Briscoes and show the world they’re ready to take the next step in their journey towards the top of the ROH tag division. On the other hand, Jay and Mark get to show “dem pretty boys” that they aren’t ready for prime-time after all if they win (or even if they just survive and outlast ANX). That also gives them the benefit of shoving their success back at the ROH officials and new management that sought to keep them penned in and held down.

Ladder Wars have been hell in the past and The Briscoes can tell you all about it, since they were not only in the first one at the Man Up! Pay Per View in 2007, but they managed to win it, outlasting and out-demolishing Kevin Steen and El Generico in a vicious battle where both teams put their bodies on the line several times. The most memorable visuals involved Generico flying in-between the mega ladder onto the brothers, but it was Jay and Mark who had the last laugh with a vicious Jay Driller through the ladder and then climbing atop to grab their titles and retain. However, the damage was so thoroughly done to Jay and Mark that they were prone to a vicious ambush attack by The Age of the Fall stable of Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black and Necro Butcher in one of the more infamous shock debuts in Ring of Honor history. They won the Ladder War only to find another, larger and lengthier series of battles lay in store for them.

The second Ladder War once again involved Kevin Steen & El Generico as they wrestled against The American Wolves for the ROH World Tag Team Titles at Glory By Honor VIII: The Final Countdown in 2009. This match saw Eddie Edwards sacrifice his broken elbow in order to participate in the match, while Kevin Steen almost broke his back by taking a fall from off a ladder onto a combination ladder / table bridge on the outside. The Wolves ultimately won the match and retained the titles on that night, but it would be their last title defense (due to Edwards’ injury) before dropping the belts to The Briscoes at the end of the year.

There is a great amount of pain the wrestlers have to endure not only in order to take part in the match but then also to win it. Ladder War is indeed a “war” between the two teams. It is a war of attrition, a war of wills and a personal war within oneself as far as how much endurance and tolerance for pain one has and is willing to experience from the ringing of one bell to the other.

Kenny King is ready for the war—he asked for it. He demanded it on Videowires and campaigned for it through social media like Facebook and Twitter. King went so far to hype himself up for the match as to put on some “war paint” in the form of a “Death Before Dishonor” temporary tattoo…on his face. Meanwhile, The Briscoes (Jay in particular) have vowed to destroy the ANX and make them regret the day they asked for this stipulation.

“Death” and “Dishonor” are very appropriate terms for each of these teams. Both have felt dishonored- ANX by The Briscoes; The Briscoes by the fans and ownership. Now both teams are going to have to go to the extreme edge of professional wrestling in order to win a match that no one really walks away from the same. While the pain of the Ladder War may only be temporary, both the scars it leaves and the visual impressions it gives to the audience are far more lasting. To the victor goes the spoils of a tag title shot, but for the loser, there is only the abysmal and insufferable death of losing and the ultimate dishonor of failing in a match with such high stakes.

7:30 pm belltime
Manhattan Center (Hammerstein Ballroom)
311 West 34th St.
New York, NY 10001

Catch the show at GoFightLive.

A special Meet & Greet Autograph Session will take place prior to the start of the event with Eddie Edwards and World TV Champion Jay Lethal.

Ladder War III-Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express
*A contract for a Tag Team Title shot at “Glory By Honor X” hangs above the ring

As noted in the above feature article, the stakes are high for the Ladder War. ROH is billing this as the end of the feud between the two teams, although that isn’t necessarily true from a chronological perspective (a Briscoes-ANX match is already in the can for the fourth episode of the new SBG television series). Nevertheless, the closer the date for the show has come, the more it comes across from the build and advertisement that this is a very important match, THE selling point for tonight’s show and perhaps a definitive statement on the Briscoes-ANX series of matches that took place in 2011. The All-Night Express has the main-event spotlight here and they need to take advantage of it as the team with the most to gain both with a win or a great in-ring performance. The Briscoes are at once a comfortable and familiar duo as far as their longevity within Ring of Honor, but also are exuding an edgier attitude than ever their usual intensity with this latest heel run. That feeling that they could go to any extreme to launch themselves back to the top of the division fuels the imagination as to what they could do during this match to punctuate that agenda.

The “Ringmaster Challenge”- 2/3 Falls Match-Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong with Truth Martini
* First fall is pinfall only. Second fall is submissions only. If necessary, the third fall is a 15 minute Iron Man Match.

I think I’ve exhausted every cartoon-based gimmick WWF featured between 1995-1996 in my crusade to mock the name of this stipulation. Therefore let’s talk about the actual match itself, which is really the most important part about it. What it all boils down to is that its Edwards against Strong, and judging from previous matches these two have been through against each other year, this should be excellent as well.

This returns to the scene of Eddie Edwards’ career highlight in Ring of Honor when he won the ROH World Title back at Manhattan Mayhem IV in March of this year inside this very building. The title win was in some ways a very shocking upset, but the fans’ reaction when it happened was not just exception but exuberant and jubilant. Their title rematch at Supercard of Honor VI may have been even better in-ring and told a fantastic story of Strong jumping Edwards and dominating while the champion had to fight from behind the entire time, ultimately retaining the championship.

I don’t know if this match can exceed the emotional high of the Edwards title win or the peak of the in-ring action from the Chicago match. However, the wrestling in and of itself should be top-notch and if the match is built right then the crowd reaction and support for Edwards and against Strong should be there. Although, then again, when it comes to stipulation matches the live crowd can get a bit weird and weary in their reactions. The best course of action may be to get right to the action and make the first two falls quick, say keeping it under ten minutes. That way ROH doesn’t draw out the inevitable of the third fall Iron Man stipulation. The fifteen-minute period for the third-fall should continue to bring a sense of urgency and necessity; in that someone at that point would need to win the fall or else the match could end in a draw.

While Edwards has dominated the singles series against Strong, I’d think he loses this one to set up Strong for both his title shot on the third episode of SBG TV and perhaps for an additional title opportunity at one of the October or November house shows. If Edwards wins, then perhaps this title shot will be saved for Final Battle 2011 for the rematch from Best in the World 2011 back in June.

Special Challenge Match #1-Shelton Benjamin vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Brutal Bob

These two could have a good match with some hard work and effort. Bennett doesn’t need to bring out 450 splashes or shooting star press like he sarcastically suggested on Twitter, but he does need to bring the best effort he’s ever given in the ring, because this is his biggest test to date. Benjamin is a significant step up in class in comparison to most of those he’s wrestled against so far (save for perhaps Christopher Daniels back in March at Defy or Deny.) I’m thinking Benjamin will win here, but on the other hand this looks like a set-up for Bennett to win a major match against major competition, thus re-launching him towards contention for a title match at some point during the rest of the year.

Special Challenge Match #2-Charlie Haas vs. Michael Elgin with Truth Martini

Haas has the muscular build and the amateur wrestling credentials. Elgin brings the brawn and an effective power game that shakes up opponents and leaves them vulnerable to a coup-de-grace in the form of a massive rotating powerbomb. We should get some good “Battle of the Bulls” moments here as far as brawling, power lifting and suplex exchanges, but Haas needs to use his brain as well as his brawn in order to out-maneuver his opponent and the manager at ringside in Truth Martini. I’m going with Michael Elgin gaining the win here in order to set up a combination of members from The House of Truth for a future title shot in the tag division.

Grudge Tag Team Match-Jay Lethal & Homicide vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Rhino with The Embassy

I really like this addition to the card for many reasons. New York City fans get to see hometown hero Homicide one more time. Jay Lethal is athletically gifted and popular with the fans. There is a lot of past ROH history between him and Homicide, so their interactions carry some intrigue. Rhino is a guilty pleasure of mine going all the way back to the original ECW days-I love watching him run through opponents and this gives me another opportunity to see him do that live and in-person. Tommaso Ciampa still needs a good performance in front of the NYC crowd, but I think this match could be the step in that direction. He can mix-and-match effectively with his opponents in the ring and I think he’ll get some good support from Rhino as well.

Three Way Elimination Match-The Young Bucks vs. Future Shock vs. The Bravados

The Bucks and Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly had perhaps one of the most fantastic and action-packed ROH matches sub-ten minutes back at Best in the World 2011 (The Bucks vs. American Wolves from HDNet went 12 but was similarly exciting). The conclusion to the match was ruined by The Bravado Brothers…darn those Bravado Brothers, they ruin everything! Just kidding. Now this goes from a bonus match to a main card match and from a straight tag to a three-way dance with elimination rules. I like The Bravados as the antagonists in this match and I expect some great heat from their interactions with both opposing teams. The Young Bucks and Future Shock will pick up where they left off in segments when it’s just the two of them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lance and Harlem Bravado pick up one fall or maybe both falls and win outright, but anyone could win this one conceivably and it would work. All three teams have a lot to offer ROH in the tag division for the foreseeable future.

One-On-One-El Generico vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Originally scheduled as El Generico vs. Steve Corino, The King of Old School pleaded with ROH officials to sub him out of the match because he wasn’t ready to deal with the demons of his past. Jacobs offered to step in for Corino due to this fear of a relapse back to his evil ways. So now its Jacobs and Generico, in what should be a very cool face / face match-up that emphasizes speed, athleticism and technical precision in terms of the in-ring wrestling… that is if Kevin Steen doesn’t make his way out to stop it from happening before it even starts. Steen has vowed through social media that he WILL be in attendance and that his intention is to mess up both men and ruin ROH’s big night. I’d expect Steen will live up his word, though hopefully it will happen after the match has a proper and decisive conclusion, not before or during these proceedings.

* These matches are not as yet officially recognized by Ring of Honor on their records page, but as they did occur as billed “ROH World Title” matches for the live crowd in attendance they are listed here for posterity.

AHHHHHH! My eyes! My eyes! Too much Roderick Stronghood for our own good! Dude! Like, no! I guess this gives new meaning to the name “Roddy Strong” though… okay, enough about that…Ha, even Roderick Strong is NOT impressed with the name of the stipulation. Ooh, points deducted for use of “whatever you want to call it”- I hate that phrase and people tend to use it in promos when they’re not sure of something or want to fill time to collect their thoughts and continue onwards. Still, other than that, good promo from Strong. Harlem Bravado has got some Zac Efron / Paul London hairdo going. Great heel promo again from The Bravado-they definitely know the rhythm and the beat they’re going for now-snidely insulting their opponents and the city they will be appearing in while lifting themselves up as the righteous ones with good manners and proper ethics. Jacobs / Generico face-off was good stuff as well—still loving the redemption work done by Jacobs (and Corino as well). Generico hit the right note of distrust but not antagonism towards Jacobs. I like the “Tale of the Tape” graphic done by ROH and included here-they should do more of that. Edwards chose a great location for his prom—cool scenery in the background. VERY strong promo from Kenny and Rhett to close the ‘Wire. There some definite emotion and intensity behind their words and I think they’re ready for proving exactly what they say they are capable of tonight in NYC.

Second week for Plus 1 (+1), where I give kudos in the form of Google’s version of the “Like” button. Essentially I give a +1 when I am in agreement with a point someone made this week or if someone in the wrestling industry said or did something I liked. Afterwards, the points get added into previous totals and at the end of the month we can see who is getting the most credit for their actions. So, who is in The Plus Column this week?

to Smart Mark Video and Chikara Pro Wrestling for another quick turnaround for their DVD series, but moreover for keeping the pricing of their Young Lions Cup IX at $15, the same price as their usual CHIKARA DVD releases. This low price is despite the fact that CHIKARA had to cancel one of their two scheduled weekend shows due to Hurricane Irene and thus were already losing out on the revenue for one additional DVD release. CHIKARA is releasing all 14 matches taped that night (combining the tournament and the most important matches from both shows) into one DVD set when they could have split them up in two and sold them for $15 each or decided to raise the price on this one set due to the unusually large match listing. However, CHIKARA and SMV did neither of those things and instead priced the show at a consumer-friendly cost. That’s awesome news for CHIKARA fans and encourages people like me, who tend to pick-and-choose from among the better shows in the series, to also purchase this one because of the added value and quality of matches on the set. Way to go Chikara Pro!

to WWE for FINALLY pulling the trigger on the “Two Sin Caras” storyline. I have been waiting for this one for weeks now, ever since the former Hunico debuted on Smackdown in the Sin Cara character and the commentators noted (doing something right for once) about how his look and physique had changed in just a short three-week absence. Not only did Mistico return as Sin Cara this week but he stared down with the other Cara, thus showing that one of them was an imposter. As the dos Sin Caras circled around each other there was absolutely a touch of the multiple Doinks angle, where the clowns did mirror poses and movements. This was everything I wanted to see from the reveal part of this angle.

once again this week to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla for booking Kevin Steen vs. El Generico in a Ladder match for the PWG Heavyweight Title at Steen Wolf this October 22nd. Steen and Generico’s history in PWG is tight-knit, going all the way back to the early years of the promotion and their first appearances either teaming up or wrestling against each other. Now they are the featured attraction for this show and their latest entanglement has been well-built up to and created some great expectations and demand from the fans. Further, PWG is willing to give Generico that main-event spotlight on a consistent basis and he continually proves not only is he deserving of those opportunities but that he can deliver on them and then some.

+2: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
+1: WWE
+1: Smart Mark Video
+1: CHIKARA Pro Wrestling
+1: Todd Martin (Columnist, Wrestling Observer / LA Times)
+1: Sugar Dunkerton

That’s right—the Fave 5 is BACK, BABY! You see, I don’t know how or why it happened, but someone named Booker T decided to take the Fave 5 idea all for himself. Tell me he didn’t just do that! I was using the Fave Five concept before there was a Booker T & The MGs, daddi-o! Well, maybe not, but anyway, I’m taking it back!

However, this time around, the Fave 5 will be just a tad different. Instead of listing my favorite wrestlers or moments of that week, the Fave 5 will now be a different category or topic each week. To start off, since this is Death Before Dishonor week, let’s go with my Fave Five matches to take place at Death Before Dishonor throughout ROH history, 2002-2010.

5. ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The Briscoes © vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Death Before Dishonor VIII): Thirty-minutes of non-stop action including vicious tag team combinations and Chris Hero’s overpowering KO offense. The Briscoes had the early lead but the match slipped into the grasp of the challengers by the end. Lots of fun tag team wrestling to be had here.

4. Four Way-Elimination Match for ROH World Title: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Tyler Black vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Death Before Dishonor VI) One of my favorite matches in all of ROH history as six-webs of storylines and angles from much of the first half of 2008 were woven together during this match. Claudio Castagnoli’s heel turn was handled fantastically, with a savage beat down of Danielson after the roll-up elimination. Tyler Black was probably at his peak in terms of generating wild and crazy fan reaction to the teases of him winning the ROH World Title, and it took a salvo of offense from McGuinness to retain the title.

3. ROH World Title Match: Tyler Black © vs. Davey Richards (Death Before Dishonor VIII): A recent classic, Richards and Black going at it toe-to-toe, where the popular vote was for Richards and he all but survived a nuclear bomb before Tyler Black solved the puzzle of how to defeat him. Black’s subtle anger after the booing and chants against him emphasized his dedication to shoving it back in everyone’s face and finding a way to win.

2. ROH World Title Match: Austin Aries (c) vs. CM Punk (Death Before Dishonor III): Obviously one of the greatest hours in ROH booking history and the inspiration for the recent redux in WWE. CM Punk is on his way out of the promotion but somehow manages to outlast a weakened Aries in a thirty-minute war to win the ROH World Title when no one thought he would and realistically according to wrestling logic he shouldn’t have won. Then he turns on the fans and the promotion and says no one can stop him–until Christopher Daniels walks back in to ROH after being gone for 18 long months. CM Punk walks out and ROH was left with the beginnings of an epic two-month run.

1. Cage of Death: Team CZW (Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Nate Webb, Eddie Kingston and Necro Butcher) vs. Team ROH (Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, BJ Whitmer, Adam Pearce, Ace Steele and Homicide) (Death Before Dishonor IV) The ultimate in promotional warfare between the “honorable” ROH side and the “ultraviolent” and hardcore Combat Zone Wrestling crew delivered with an amazing near hour-long showdown that featured revenge, justice, betrayal and redemption. Yes, ultimately it was a 5-on-6 match as Danielson walked out on ROH and Homicide was inserted in at the last moment, but the ROH fans out-shouted the CZW loyalists on that point and everyone was too busy going agog for Homicide using the Cop Killer on Webb to levy a formal complaint! This was one of the coolest crowd atmospheres for a ROH live show and a match that delivered in every conceivable fashion.

-Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased Four Points Media last week, picking up seven stations in four different markets in the process. The markets are Salt Lake City, Utah; West Palm Beach, Florida; Austin, Texas and Providence, Rhode Island. ROH will likely benefit very soon from those pick-ups because the TV show will now be able to be seen in those cities.

-Before ROH’s Death Before Dishonor IX internet Pay Per View hits the internet airwaves tonight, look for a free thirty-minute pre-show that will run on GoFightLive to promote the show. This will be similar to the pre-show done before Best in the World 2011, where they will show video packages and interviews leading up to the matches for the show.

-Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer notes that Homicide can work Ring of Honor’s internet Pay Per View shows despite being under contract to Urban Wrestling Federation because his contract made no mention or stipulation for iPPV broadcasts, just prohibiting him from appearing on television and Pay Per View. Wow, who in UWF dropped the ball on that one? So ROH is going to use him as a special attraction for iPPV, especially the New York City shows, since that is where he is most marketable and valuable to selling tickets. The NYC fan base loves Homicide and he always receives great reactions when he appears live in his city.

-In “File under Stuff You Can’t Make Up” territory, PWInsider.com reports that “Former ROH World Champion Roderick Strong appeared as “Frat Boy Chris” in Hulk Hogan’s Micro Championship Wrestling show last night. Strong appeared in the first segment of the show, and only paid the MCW wrestlers half the money they were due them. The MCW wrestlers beat him up until he paid them the full amount.” WOW. The Frat Boy thing works obviously since Strong was essentially working that kind of role as the leader of No Remorse Corps.

-ROH has upgraded its Steen Warning Level. I believe it starts at “Indian Burn Mauve” then progresses to “Black-and-Blue”, “Crimson Red” and then “Death-like Black-ish Color”.

-Speaking of Mr. “XXXXX Steen”, he hacked the ROH Forum late on Thursday night, posting a five minute video explaining his thoughts on his exile from the promotion and why he wanted to come to the ROH show tonight. I transcribed the promo, which is available word-for-word through this link or you can watch the video (if it is still up) right below (and obviously, the content is explicit and not safe for work):

-Not coincidentally, ROH announced that Death Before Dishonor IX had officially sold out of live tickets at the Grand Ballroom, about 18 hours after that Steen video hit the internet airwaves. Go figure, huh?

-Claudio Castagnoli has been officially signed, sealed and delivered to WWE, and he even has his own Florida Championship Wrestling alphabet soup name: Antonio Cesaro. Not the best possible outcome, but certainly not the worst (and there have been several doozies from the FCW Developmental Generic Name Assigner (patent pending). The “Very European” gimmick is still possible with that name and “Antonio’s Cafe” actually sounds kind of cool. Obviously someone of Claudio’s talent can thrive even without the name that he made on the independent scene, and guys like Jon Moxley (now known as Dean Ambrose) and Tyler Black (n.k.a. Seth Rollins) have done so as well. I’ll definitely always be a fan of Claudio/Antonio, but unfortunately it means the days of bringing the Swiss Flag to ROH shows is done for now. No word as yet on Chris Hero and his future plans.

–CHIKARA also runs a show in New York City this Sunday at the HighLine Ballroom and I will be there in attendance as well, making it the first time I’ve done two wrestling shows in a row probably since Rising Above and Final Battle 2007. I’ve done two concerts in a row since then, but not two wrestling shows—damn these old bones. Or, like, something.

It’s a matinee show (3PM doors, 4PM start) with the following card:

BLOCK A TOURNEY BOUT!-Sara Del Rey vs. Ophidian
“12 LARGE: SUMMIT” TOURNAMENT ACTION!-Eddie Kingston vs. Fire Ant
TAG TITLES ON THE LINE!-Mike Quackenbush/Jigsaw vs. Chuck Taylor/Johnny Gargano
RELEVOS ATOMICOS!-UltraMantis Black/Hallowicked/Frightmare/??? vs. Sinn “Kizarny” Bodhi/Obariyon/Kodama/Kobald
SINGLES SHOWDOWN! -Marshe Rockett vs. Ares
TECNICOS TANGLE IN TAG ACTION!-Soldier Ant/Green Ant vs. Dasher Hatfield/Sugar Dunkerton
ONE-ON-ONE!-Gregory Iron vs. Icarus
FIRST TIME EVER!-The Young Bucks vs. Tursas & Tim Donst

I’m looking forward to a great many things on this card. First of all is seeing Sara Del Ray kick ass in singles competition. She is now officially free of any BDK ties and the fans have been completely on her side during this tournament to crown the promotion’s first singles champion. I know she wasn’t the first woman to ever wrestle against men, but she does it the best. She won convincingly against Icarus a few months ago and then went toe-to-toe with Claudio Castagnoli at Chikarasaurus Rex 2011 Night 2 and OUTSMARTED him for the win. It is absolutely possible that she could wind up winning the tournament and the title—and I’d totally be in support of that. Ophidian is a great opponent for her because he’s a lithe and lanky opponent whose fast and agile but doesn’t outsize her.

I think the tag title match between QuackSaw and F.I.S.T. should probably main-event, as it has the top names on the roster right now with guys who can generate great crowd reaction and have that main-event style match. It also just feels like the most important match on the show, with the title being on the line and F.I.S.T. always being a dangerous presence in the promotion.

Other matches I’m interested in are of course Kingston vs. Fire Ant (always great to see these guys do their thing and the tournament matches have been emphasizing competitive matches so I’m expecting a quality effort from both) as well as The Young Bucks vs. BDK, and that’s great because I get to see the Jacksons wrestle twice in one weekend, plus you get to see how they fair against the mammoth Tursas.

I’m thinking Delirious may just be the fourth man in the Spectral Envoy vs. Batiri eight-man tag, as perhaps Ultamantis and Hallowicked have finally broken the hold BDK has over the insane one. That would make for a great pop from the audience. The BDK seems to be losing its way and crumbling apart, from Daizee Haze being chokeslammed by Claudio out of the stable to Del Rey walking out and Lince being long gone—so this would go one more step in that direction. I’m always down for some Colony matches and being paired with The Throwbacks guarantees a light-hearted and fun battle. Marshe Rockett could also impress with his high-flying, but I’d expect him to go under to Ares. The lone disappointment is that the rest of Da Soul Touchaz won’t be making their way to NYC. Other than that, this looks like a first-rate show from CHIKARA. I’ll try to have some thoughts on this show as well as Death Before Dishonor IX in next week’s column.

At the beginning of the year, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett vowed that within one year that he would become the Ring of Honor World Champion. So let’s see how he’s done so far, eh?

So in a recent interview on The Greg DeMarco show, right here at 411Mania.com, Mr. Bennett suggested that he was not just looking to win the ROH World Championship but ANY ROH title, be it World, TV or Tag Titles. Hmmmm, sounds like some serious backpedaling to me. ROH fans clearly remember his interviews at the start of the year specifically saying he would win the World title, not the TV title and not the Tag Title. So, what’s the deal bro? Well, I’ll take his statements under advisement and make a decision as to whether or not to include the other ROH Titles on this countdown by next week’s column.

Twitter me at: http://twitter.com/AriBerenstein.

-Congratulations to Matt Waters of Pro Wrestling Ponderings and The Wrestling Press for winning the Dragon Gate USA’s video competition. Good on ya mate.

-Welcome TJ Hawke to 411Mania.com with his interviews with Ares and Lance Archer.

-Please Welcome BACK to 411, the awesometastic and righteous dude Nick Marsico, who now has control of The Wednesday Wire. Montesopp’s Fables too! (Think about that one for a minute and it’ll come to you)

-Mike Campbell has a retro ROH review of Beating the Odds featuring The Briscoes breaking out in singles action and the Raven / CM Punk feud finale.

-Jack Bramma compiles and reviews ALL six-matches in the Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black Series. That’s an awesome idea (for an incredible collection of matches) and I’ll have to watch them all back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back one of these days.

Finally, your moment of QI (Quite Interesting):

Next week, thoughts from this weekend’s trip to ROH and CHIKARA and other interesting developments…as they… develop. Erm. Thanks for reading and for the feedback.

BROOKLYN!
DAH EM BAH SEE FOR-EVAH!
–Ari–