411 ROH Roundtable Preview: Deer Park & New York – Sixth Anniversary Show – 2/22 & 2/23

Theo Fraser, of Nintendophiles in the Games Zone,

Ari Berenstein, of Column of Honor,

Michael Bauer, of the ECW Recap,

Jarrod Westerfeld, of Your Viral Dose of Reality,

And me, Samuel Berman, of The Independent Mid-Card.

Now that you’ve gotten a look at this week’s contributers, here are our predictions for this weekend’s shows. Cards are current as of Thursday, 2/22.

[Editor’s Note: More coverage of ROH’s big weekend of action can be found over at The Cool Kids’ Table.]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2008 – DEER PARK, NY

Jigsaw & Ruckus vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Necro Butcher
Theo Fraser: Now then, on the one hand, Jigsaw and Ruckus are challenging for the tag titles on the Saturday show, so you’d think they’d want to head into that match looking strong with a win over the former champions here. It’s especially important after they were recently derailed due to the injuries of Ruckus and Jack Evans. Ruckus is back now, but the Vulture Squad is in desperate need of a solid win. On the other hand, the Age of the Fall also need a couple of victories under their belt (as a tag team; Black’s singles win over Danielson was huge for the group) to cement themselves as legit contenders once again and put them back into the tag title mix. Weighing them up against each other, I’m going to go with a Vulture Squad triumph. Those guys have yet to look really dominant in the Faction Warfare, so it’s about time they start racking up some 1s in the Win Column.

Winner: Jigsaw & Ruckus

Ari Berenstein: I’m liking this match up so long as Ruckus can minimize his spot madness to moves that make sense within the match. Jig and Ruckus do work well together and their offense is the definition of what The Vulture Squad is about. Meanwhile Jacobs and Butcher provide a nice speed / brawl combination that has a depth of attack, not to mention they have the numbers and a possible mind game advantage. However, they are not the ones with a tag title shot the next night in NYC.

Winner: Jigsaw & Ruckus

Michael Bauer: This is a tough call. One the one hand, I don’t think the Vulture Squad can lose right before a title shot if we want to believe they stand a chance. On the other, The Age of the Fall can’t lose again and be taken seriously. Since I don’t think anyone believes Jigsaw and Ruckus stand a chance…

Winners: The Age of the Fall

Jarrod Westerfeld: Maybe I missed the last weekend shows ROH did, but I’m confused as to how we got to this. Oh well, let’s rush this out – Jacobs is the leader, he’s involved in the match, so he gets to go over. Simple answers for simple people.

Winner: PANIC! at the Necro

Samuel Berman: The Age of the Fall has recently been portrayed as the dominant faction in ROH, but the Vulture Squad is going for the tag belts the next night and there’s no reason at all for them to look weak heading into their match with Richards & Romero. It’s close but Jack’s crew gets things done in his absence.

Winners: Jigsaw & Ruckus

411 Staff Picks: Jigsaw & Ruckus (3-2)

Tyler Black vs. Human Tornado
Theo Fraser: Sounds like an exhibition for Tyler Black here. We should get a bit more than a squash, but it’s reasonably clear to me that Black is the one going over. I have a feeling these two will match up very well, so we’re likely in store for a crisp, high-impact affair.

Winner: Tyler Black

Ari Berenstein: Expect Tornado to try to be all light-hearted and fun but Tyler Black will try to be all doom and gloom. This one can be good if they set a nice pace right from the start but it could also get ugly if someone starts messing up spots in the ring. I say Black continues to impress and rolls to another victory.

Winner: Tyler Black

Michael Bauer: The Human Tornado comes to the east coast and I honestly have not seen enough of him to make any educated statements on his ability. All the talk is good and that is a plus. Tyler Black should be poised or another win here, as The Age of the Fall get a monster weekend.

Winner: Tyler Black

Jarrod Westerfeld: Interesting. So we get treated to return from Human Tornado in ROH, and it’s against someone that everyone is ranting and raving about in Tyler Black? This should be fun. I’d hate to bank against Black, but I also think whacky booking here would dictate that Age of the Fall won’t get to go over every one of their matches tonight – but I guess that’s what Joey Matthews is for. So we’ll give this to Tyler, just because Joey can lose and still not give the Age a dominating night.

Winner: Tyler Black

Samuel Berman: I’m going out on a limb here, but the ROH newswire said this was something of a ‘do or die’ weekend for Tornado. I think he’s going to get an upset win here, leading to a bit of a changeup the next night. We’ll get to that later, but for now…

Winner: Human Tornado

411 Staff Picks: Tyler Black (4-1)

Austin Aries vs. Joey Matthews
Theo Fraser: Aries refused to join the Age of the Fall at the most recent set of ROH shows, so I guess this is the fallout, as the AotF have sent their new recruit Joey Matthews to show Aries the error of his ways. Matthews should fit right back into the fold here in ROH, and a great test of that will be against Aries here, as the former Resilience leader can pull a good match out of almost anybody. That’s not to say he’ll have to carry Matthews, of course, but Aries is such a well-rounded worker that Matthews will easily be able to reach his full potential and has the chance to really shine. Despite Joey being the relative newcomer since re-debuting with the promotion, I don’t see him being put over at the expense of one of the company’s premier athletes, so a Brainbuster-450 Splash combo should lead to a three count for Austin Aries.

Winner: Austin Aries

Ari Berenstein: I’m sensing a pattern here… lots of Age of the Fall action on the first half of the card. My guess is that the winner of this one depends on where we’re heading with Austin Aries and his character development. If ROH wants him to become even more flustered and frustrated in the face of mounting losses then we see Matthews here score a semi-upset. However, Matthews is the current low man of the AOTF totem pole and he can stand a loss and it wouldn’t hurt him. That said, the story is with Aries’s head and that means a loss will further that story.

Winner: Joey Matthews

Michael Bauer: Now this is interesting. Aries is being recruited by The Age of the Fall, yet he faces Joey Matthews, their newest member. Something tells me this is the spot where Aries pretty much blows off the stable deal after saying he doesn’t need them and beating Joey in a good match.

Winner: Austin Aries

Jarrod Westerfeld: This should be fun, no matter what. I expect this to be a very sound, very calculating, hard hitting match that may end up leaving Joey working the type of style Aries and Danielson have been working together – a semi-MMA shoot style match with emphasis on a knockout victory. Edge goes to Aries here, just because Joey needs to lose some in order to look more like he fits in with the PANIC! at the Necro.

Winner: Austin STARR~

Samuel Berman: I’m not sold on Matthews, but Brad Garoon said he recently watched him literally drag Trent Acid to a decent match by his jeans. Well if it’s good enough for Brad, it’s good enough for me. Aries has been extremely good lately, but I think his storyline with the Age of the Fall is served more with a loss here than a victory.

Winner: Joey Matthews

411 Staff Picks: Austin Aries (3-2)

Erick Stevens vs. Go Shiozaki
Theo Fraser: Go makes his US debut in this match, but appears in his third contest for ROH after the original UK shows and the Live in Tokyo event last year. It’s a very intriguing matchup, as both guys have something to prove here and desperately need the victory. Shiozaki obviously wants a win on his first night in the US, whilst Stevens is looking to get back on track with a clean win after losing the FIP World Title last Saturday. It’s a tough one to call, but I’m swaying towards a Shiozaki victory, as I find it hard to believe they’d job him out on his first Stateside appearance.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Ari Berenstein: Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about the FIP Heavyweight champion looking bad in losing to a foreign talent, because Erick Stevens is no longer FIP champion. Funny how that happens huh? Now Go can win free and clear. Viva pushing the Japanese over homegrown U.S. independent talent!

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Michael Bauer: Erick doesn’t have his FIP title anymore and that is a shame. Go doesn’t look like he is losing this weekend, but this match should be tough since Erick can’t lose momentum either.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Jarrod Westerfeld: Oooh. I’ll admit I’ve not seen a lot of Shiozaki, but I’ve heard a lot of things, and I expect this to be fast paced, and a strong man’s power game that should be witnessed. Shit, if I could find a bus route that takes me to the arena, I could be at this show – shame Deer Park is damn near inaccessible on foot. Anyway, this is Go’s debut here, and he’s a Japan talent, so he goes over while someone else making a debut, who isn’t that big an attraction, usually loses.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Samuel Berman: Stevens’ impressive win-loss record lately takes a very reasonable step back here, with ROH looking to showcase their new long-term asset. Shingo won his debut match as a part of the main roster, too, and he’s actually a much more reasonable comparison than any of the previous NOAH guys for how I think Go will be booked in ROH. Have I mentioned that I miss Shingo? Can’t wait to have him back for the Orlando shows.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

411 Staff Picks: Go Shiozaki (5-0)

Bryan Danielson vs. Rocky Romero
Theo Fraser: Right off the bat, this sounded awesome on paper. But then Romero took it a step further, saying that he would play down his heelish ways and would come to Deer Park looking for a competitive contest. This won’t be the cheating Rocky Romero of the No Remorse Corps. This will be the Romero of old; the straight-up, hard-hitting, get-the-job-done Romero. Rocky even went so far as to say he would strip all the fancy moves out of his arsenal, leaving a moveset of vicious strikes and concussion-delivering kicks. These “who is the better fighter” matches never fail to deliver the goods, and this has the potential to be the must-see match of the night. I expect it to be an equal affair for the most part, with both men trading their best offense, but Dragon will probably walk away with the submission victory to make him look strong going into his World Title match the following night.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Ari Berenstein: The push here for a strictly MMA style fight, which means grapples, strikes and submissions. I think these two can provide a very attention grabbing match in that style, although it’s always a risk doing something different and unique in front of the Long Island crowd. Danielson is beloved enough that I think he can get away with it.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Michael Bauer: Bryan, meet Rocky, your slightly colored version of yourself. This match will be fucking stiff as hell as both men can go toe to toe with just about anyone. These matches normally are set to show a future opponent that is doesn’t matter who you put against me, I can beat them. Besides, this is Danielson, he doesn’t lose to just anyone (excluded Unscripted 3).

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Jarrod Westerfeld: How funny would it be if Dutch Sapolsky was booking this? On second thought, I’d probably end up crying a lot, wondering why Romero doesn’t get a shot at McGuinness in a big time title match that means something. I’d expect Danielson to go over here.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Samuel Berman: Should be a good, shoot style match, but Danielson wins in a walk. ROH might have thought about putting him in there with someone who ISN’T currently a title holder, if only because Dragon going over seems like such a formality.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

411 Staff Picks: Bryan Danielson (5-0)

Nigel McGuinness vs. Brent Albright
Theo Fraser: Much like Albright’s match with Morishima this past Summer, this is another chance for the former OVW worker to show that he belongs in the upper echelon of the ROH roster. Not only would an Albright win here cast doubt in the minds of Nigel fans as to whether or not Nigel is in a fit condition to fight Bryan Danielson just 24 hours later, it would also assure Albright an official title shot later on down the road, and I’d be more than willing to see a mini-feud develop between the two, stemming from this match. As far as this match alone goes, I see Albright picking up the win, mildly injuring the champion, allowing Nigel to go into his title defense tomorrow as the underdog and at a distinct disadvantage.

Winner: Brent Albright

Ari Berenstein: Albright will look to injure the arm here, but Nigel will work his way around and through Albright’s technical attack and fire back with some heavy lariat offense. Nigel gets the win, but may suffer a post match attack as Albright does a hatchet job for Danielson.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Michael Bauer: Read what I just said about why this matches are set up in the first place. This is as good of a place for Nigel to lose a non title match, but he is facing the wrong guy for that to happen.

Winner: Nigel McGuiness

Jarrod Westerfeld: This should be fun, and I wouldn’t mind whacky booking here to kind of lead Nigel into the role of a champion looking to redeem his loss from earlier in the weekend to get the one win that really matters – his title defense victory.

Winner: Brent Albright

Samuel Berman: Jarrod and Theo, are you guys nuts??? Nigel’s not losing here, because having him look in ANY way weak heading into his match with Danielson is silly. I get the whole ‘non-title losses lead to later title shots’ concept, but Albright can earn a shot with simply a good showing. Nigel in a competitive match.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness

411 Staff Picks: Nigel McGuinness (3-2)

Roderick Strong & Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Theo Fraser: Looks as if this will be our main event of the evening, and I’m super amped up for it. Strong and Richards are the strongest NRC pairing, in my opinion, and Steen & Generico once again as a team speaks for itself. This is Phase One of Steenerico’s latest run for the tag titles, so I see a win here to set up a future title shot against Richards and his championship partner, Rocky Romero.

Winners: Kevin Steen & El Generico

Ari Berenstein: If Steen & Generico win, the general feeling is that they will be in line for a future world tag team title shot and guess who are the current champs? That’s right, the NRC. Steen and Generico are hugely over so if this ends up being the main event of the evening I wouldn’t be surprised and I have a feeling all four men would justify that placement. Either way, this match should be a show stealer.

Winner: Kevin Steen & El Generico

Michael Bauer: I agree with what has been said as far as getting Steen and Generico a title shot, but for too long we have heard about Steen taking a break from wrestling for me to truly believe it. The NRC needs to have some momentum going into Saturday, so I give them the duke

Winners: The NRC

Jarrod Westerfeld: I’m confused. Who is the tag champions again? Isn’t it Davey and Romero? I like Roderick and all, but he doesn’t team up well with these guys, simply because their styles are so much stiffer looking, while Strong’s is just – well, it’s STRONG~. Oh well, it’s Steen and Strong, which is a fun concept match I’d love to see someday.

Winner: No Charisma Corps. (Roderick Strong & Davey Richards)

Samuel Berman: The writing would seem to be on the wall here, with the storyline being that Steen is thirsty for gold and he and Generico needing a win here to earn a shot at Richards & Romero. Steen & Generico, despite being a bit under the radar since the end of their feud with the Briscoes, are still amongst the most consistent workers in the company and deserve another run towards the top of the tag division. They pick up the win here in a fantastic match.

Winners: Kevin Steen & El Generico

411 Staff Picks: Kevin Steen & El Generico (3-2)

SIXTH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2008 – NEW YORK, NY

Delirious vs. Human Tornado
Theo Fraser: I imagine they’ll go the comedy route with this one, and that’s by no means a bad thing, as these two competitors excel in such an environment. Tornado has yet to make a big impact here in ROH, but a win over fan favorite and long-time ROH staple Delirious would be a step in the right direction.

Winner: Human Tornado

Ari Berenstein: NOW we’re talking wacky shenanigans. And you know, Ring of Honor is due for just a straight up comedy match. Delirious and Tornado can give that kind of match while still demonstrating their athleticism and talent. I think NYC is going to embrace H-Tizzle very quickly due to his bravado and outgoing personality, so let’s give him the win here and start to build something for his ROH career.

Winner: Human Tornado

Michael Bauer: If this truly is Delirious’ only match of the weekend, then the Tornado goes 0 for 2 this weekend.

Winner: Delirious

Jarrod Westerfeld: I doubt they’re going to have Human Tornado lose both nights, so I guess he goes over here, just to add some frustration on me about the shoddy booking that tends to go on within ROH.

Winner: Human Tornado

Samuel Berman: Here’s where I think things get interesting. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black still need a match for this show and I think Black will come out wanting retribution for losing to Tornado in Deer Park. This match is a no contest, but Jacobs & Black get their revenge by beating the team of Tornado & Delirious in an excellent undercard bout.

Winner: No Contest

411 Staff Picks: Human Tornado (3-1-0-1)

Kevin Steen vs. Joey Matthews
Theo Fraser: Really not sure what to expect from this one. Matthews probably needs to go over here. Steen won’t look too bad, as he’s concentrating on the tag team ranks with Generico, so a singles loss shouldn’t derail him. Joey Matthews has yet to pick up a win since being drafted into the Age of the Fall, and Steen is an impressive guy to pin, so he’d do well to defeat him here. Don’t know where this is leading; a Steenerico/AotF mini-feud?

Winner: Joey Matthews

Ari Berenstein: Steen is SUPER over with the NYC crowd and my guess is this match will see him score a win over the former WWE talent. It should help keep Steen very popular and the crowd will be very happy for it.

Winner: Kevin Steen

Michael Bauer: I don’t think Matthews can go 0 for 2 again after his debut weekend ended that way. Kevin Steen is super over and a loss to Matthews might add some heat on The Age of the Fall, which is what they need.

Winner: Joey Matthews

Jarrod Westerfeld: Okay, eventually Joey has to start winning … this won’t be where it stars.

Winner: Kevin Steen

Samuel Berman: Matthews beating Aries and then losing to Steen would be a bit strange, but then it’s not the first time something like that would happen in ROH. This is a coin-flip for me, but I guess I’ll put my money with Steen to win a close match.

Winner: Kevin Steen

411 Staff Picks: Kevin Steen (3-2)

El Generico vs. Brent Albright
Theo Fraser: Regardless of what happens in Deer Park, Albright is going to need momentum here. If he takes a loss from McGuinness, he’ll need the win to boost him up again, and if he manages to beat the World Champion, he’ll certainly want to ride that wave of momentum, and back to back wins would propel his star into hitherto unexplored territory. Many felt that ROH officials didn’t properly capitalize on Brent’s rise into title contention last July, so this is a chance to rectify that situation. Generico shouldn’t be jobbed out, but I’d like to see Albright looking dominant on this occasion.

Winner: Brent Albright

Ari Berenstein: On the other hand Steen’s tag team partner is in deep waters here. Albright outweighs and overpowers Generico by a good deal and he’s better at submissions to boot. Generico will make the fans bite on a desperation comeback, but ultimately this is all about Albright.

Winner: Brent Albright

Michael Bauer: Meanwhile, Albright is the low man on a totem pole of a stable that could lose twice and not be affected as much. El Generico is just as over as Steen and should get a win here. This should be followed by a beat down and the beginning of another masked man who gets beat up.

Winner: El Generico

Jarrod Westerfeld: Ooh – ooh. OOH – OOH! This is fun. What can win this match? Can Generico hit the BRAINBUSTAH~ or does Albright get to Half-Nelson Suplex Generico back to PWG? Either way, I’m liking this, and I’m looking forward to this match.

Winner: Brent Albright

Samuel Berman: I’d like to pick Generico, who has nearly unlimited potential as a singles competitor for ROH, but Albright is being set up as one of the big challengers for Nigel down the line. I’ll pick the big man here, but I hope I’m wrong.

Winner: Brent Albright

411 Staff Picks: Brent Albright (4-1)

Austin Aries vs. Go Shiozaki
Theo Fraser: Oh I can’t WAIT for this. I know a lot of US fans (at least, the ones that don’t watch NOAH) have only seen Shiozaki at the 2 UK shows and at Live in Tokyo, and out of those appearances he only really stood out against Danielson in Japan, but as a UK based wrestling fan, I’ve seen him at the King of Europe Cup last year, where he had a phenomenal match against Davey Richards. Richards and Aries have a very similar style, as has been commented on before, leading me to believe that this could be something quite special. Will Shiozaki have done his homework? Does he know that you can’t headscissor Aries?! Austin is likely to have the Japanese import scouted, so I expect him to outmaneuver the younger athlete on multiple occasions. Shiozaki should have a strong showing, but much like with the Joey Matthews match the night before, Aries is the more valuable talent at the moment, and wants a string of success before his World title rematch with Nigel next month.

Winner: Austin Aries

Ari Berenstein: Well, Operation: Go Over needs to continue and lo and behold, we have Shiozaki matched up against someone who is currently on a slump. Aries will provide a good match that has a balance of speed, aerial moves and counter wrestling, but once again, this is a match that Shiozaki will win to get him over in his initial U.S. appearances. It will also go to further Aries’ angle and may lead to a breaking point and his choice about whether or not to side with Age of the Fall.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Michael Bauer: Aries gets his win over Matthews on Friday, which opens up the door for the latest Japanese import to get a good start to his tour.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Jarrod Westerfeld: OOOOH! I likey. Okay, I can see Aries losing here just to add to his storyline, but I also see him losing just because Go Is a big deal and you don’t want him losing this early into his ROH run.

Winner: GO! GO! GO~ Shiozaki

Samuel Berman: This is where the difference between Shiozaki and previous NOAH imports becomes clear. Aries is a top guy, and while his loss the night before to Matthews will be storyline driven, when it comes down to things, he’s still a main event caliber performer for ROH. Having Aries lose both of his matches just as his Pay-Per-View match with Nigel is about to air would be counterproductive at best. Great match, either way.

Winner: Austin Aries

411 Staff Picks: Go Shiozaki (3-2)

SHIMMER Title: Sara Del Rey © vs. Daizee Haze
Theo Fraser: This is being sold like a pretty big deal, but my interest is only slightly there. That’s not a knock on these two ladies; they’re both very talented, and in the past I have really enjoyed some of their matches (and Daizee did a heck of a job presenting the most recent Video Wire, by the way). The thing is, the SHIMMER action we get on ROH shows is basically limited to Sara, Lacey and Daizee, and it’s just becoming very stale. Now that Mercedes Martinez is in the mix, she should get her chance to challenge for the title, but aside from that breath of fresh air, it’s all a bit stagnant. As it is, Sara will retain here, as there’s still plenty of life left in her title reign.

Winner: Sara Del Rey

Ari Berenstein: There are four titles on the line tonight and it would seem plausible that one of them could change hands. However, NYC just had two title changes at the Final Battle ’07 card AND there are likely long term plans for Sara Del Rey to be the standard bearer for the SHIMMER brand. I think Haze will give a very good match (and these two have fought against one another for that to be expected) but Del Rey goes over with either the Royal Butterfly or Del Rey’s new finisher de jour, the piledriver. Let’s just hope Del Rey brings the Death Rey gun with her, as that is BAD ASS.

Winner: Sara Del Rey to retain the SHIMMER championship

Michael Bauer: Well, they said FIP would never allow a title change on an ROH show and it happened. SHIMMER… not so much.

Winner: Sara Del Rey

Jarrod Westerfeld: I have a feeling I’m going to be crying at the end of this, simply because my lovely wife will be going home a few pounds lighter.

Winner: Daizee Haze (NEW SHIMMER Champion)

Samuel Berman: No reason to move the belt here, even with SHIMMER on an extended hiatus. Match could be abysmally dull or very, very good depending as much on the crowd as on the women in the match.

Winner and STILL SHIMMER Champion: Sara Del Rey

411 Staff Picks: Sara Del Rey (4-1)

ROH World Tag Team Titles: Davey Richards & Rocky Romero © vs. Ruckus & Jigsaw
Theo Fraser: The NRC duo make their first defense of their newly won tag team championships against the Vulture Squad in this next installment of Faction Warfare. The titles have been hot-shotted around a bit, but I don’t see them leaving the waists and Richards and Romero just yet. Not much else to say on this one really; should be a stellar encounter with a nice mix of aerial assault and hard-hitting offense, but the result isn’t really in question in my mind.

Winners: Davey Richards & Rocky Romero

Ari Berenstein: The belts are likely to play hot potato over the next few months, but I don’t think the NRC won them just to lose them on their first defense. Jigsaw and Ruckus will be riding the momentum of the Long Island win, but they fall short here thanks to the extra effort of the NRC and their tag combination moves.

Winner: Richards and Romero to retain the ROH World Tag Team Titles

Michael Bauer: It’s a second and third member on each side and it should be a decent contest. The NRC will not lose the titles this fast after getting them. Then again, it’s NYC and the anniversary show, so anything can happen.

Winners: The NRC

Jarrod Westerfeld: Okay, I don’t see the titles changing hands this early on, again. And I certainly don’t see the Random Squad of Ruckus and Jigsaw.

Winner: No Charisma Corps. (Retain ROH World Tag Team Titles)

Samuel Berman: If I didn’t think that the tag titles were going to move from the NRC to Steen & Generico, I might pick the upset here. As it is, ROH would probably best be served by not using the tag belts themselves to establish parity in the faction warfare angle. I’ve seen some predict this match being a mess, but I’m more impressed with Ruckus and especially Jigsaw than most are, so I think it will exceed most fans’ expectations.

Winners and STILL ROH World Champions: Davey Richards & Rocky Romero

411 Staff Picks: Davey Richards & Rocky Romero (5-0)

FIP World Heavyweight Title, No DQ: Roderick Strong © vs. Erick Stevens vs. Necro Butcher
Theo Fraser: First of all, I was very surprised to see Strong regain the title this past weekend in FIP. With that in mind, it makes me wonder whether or not we’ll see the two men trade the title back and forth for a short while, playing up on the fact that both men are equals as they tally up victories over each other. Could Stevens win the title straight back a mere 7 days after losing it? It’s possible. On the other hand, I get the feeling ROH want to play up the No Remorse Corps as the power unit, with each member holding some sort of championship gold. As such, I’m gonna play safe and go with Strong retaining. Nice to see the “No DQ” stipulation, meaning that one of these competitors will have to be legitimately pinned or submitted; no count out victories for you, Roderick! Match-wise, I’m expecting an all-out brutal affair. Word from the FIP camp was that the Stevens/Strong match last weekend was insanely stiff; add Necro Butcher into the mix and you’ve got a recipe for absolute carnage.

Winner: Roderick Strong

Ari Berenstein: Well last time in NYC I extended my mouth outwards and ended up with my foot in it when I exclaimed that the FIP title would not change hands on an ROH show. Well. I have not learned from last time out, as once again I am going to state that there will be no title change here, as we just had an FIP title switch in FIP for their Redefined event. Kind of ends up making this match pointless, unless it’s just to see the kind of havoc and fun Stevens and Butcher can have against one another.

Winner: Roderick Strong to retain the FIP World Heavyweight Title

Michael Bauer: Damn, am I pissed that Erick Stevens is not the champ going into this match. If you wanted to switch the title back, this would have been the place to do it. The fact they announced that FIP will now follow RoH storylines might play into this decision, as I don’t think Stevens really needs the title to be over. Necro doesn’t stand a chance.

Winner: Roderick Strong

Jarrod Westerfeld: Why did Stevens lose the title this early? Why did Stevens win over Danielson and Aries only to lose it back to Strong? I don’t follow this. I guess we’ll see, once again, the title change hands at the Center, but I wonder if it’ll be back to Stevens? Let’s get crazy and just be as random as an FIP show.

Winner: *Brain Fart* Necro Butcher (NEW FIP World Champion)

Samuel Berman: Ugh. I’m not wild about the hotshot of the title, but at least they got creative and played off of Strong’s strategies during his reign. As for this match, it’ll probably be pretty good, actually, though it certainly has the potential to become something of a train wreck. Strong over Necro will probably be the fall, as ROH looks to keep Stevens from taking two straight losses after his big month of January.

Winner and STILL FIP World Heavyweight Champion: Roderick Strong

411 Staff Picks: Roderick Strong (4-1-0)

ROH World Title: Nigel McGuinness © vs. Bryan Danielson
Theo Fraser: If you’ve ever seen a McGuinness/Danielson match before, you’ll know what’s in store for you here. If you haven’t, their matches can be summed up in two short words: Pure Awesomeness! This has quickly become my favorite feud in the company’s entire 6 year history, simply because it has produced such outstanding matches. Like Steamboat and Flair, Rock and Austin, hell even Samoa Joe and CM Punk, these two just can’t seem to have a bad match between them. Personally, I’ve got to be careful not to overhype this, but in all honesty I can’t see this being anything less than an early MOTYC. Having followed this feud from the very start (when they first fought at Weekend of Champions: Night 2 in 2006), I’m particularly excited about this one because this is the first time that Nigel McGuinness legitimately has a chance at getting a clean pinfall or submission over his long-time rival Bryan Danielson. I know a lot of people see Dragon walking out as the first ever two-time champion, but I see a heck of a lot more mileage in Nigel’s title reign, and finally getting that elusive win over the man that main evented the very first ROH show 6 years ago will be a major hurdle overcome that will cement McGuinness as a worthy champion.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Ari Berenstein: And it all comes down to this. Nigel McGuinness has never defeated Bryan Danielson in a singles match and Bryan Danielson is coming in with tons of hunger, motivation and likely the momentum to gain back what he considers his belt. The NYC crowd is going to be raucous and likely very pro Danielson. NYC just loves him so much that no matter all the controversy around McGuinness, his shoulder and his title reign, the fact of the matter is Danielson is likely going to be the one with the most cheers no matter what. If we get an awesome back and forth match and McGuinness earns his win, just maybe the demons of the last few months for McGuinness in NYC will be excised.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness to retain the ROH World Championship

Michael Bauer: And here is the deal. Nigel has never beaten Danielson in a one on one contest. Bryan Danielson is hungry to be the first two time champion and I think the fans will riot if Nigel wins. I think they riot if he loses also, but that beyond the point. I think Nigel has been a great champion, but I also think the fans want to see somebody become a two time champion sooner or later. If there is any better time to pull the trigger, it is right now.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Jarrod Westerfeld: It’s simple – Nigel hasn’t beaten Danielson in singles competition yet, much like Danielson hadn’t recorded a pin/submission victory over Morishima. They’re due, and it’s apparent this is where we see Nigel record the biggest win out of their exchange.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness (Retain ROH World Title)

Samuel Berman: I’m not wild about Nigel as champion, so I’d move the belt here. However, I seem to be in the minority in having that opinion. Danielson is Nigel’s toughest opponent, and the story here is obviously that Nigel’s never been able to beat Dragon cleanly in the ring. Nigel would more than legitimize his title reign with a clean win here, and that’s pretty clearly what ROH is looking to do.

Winner and STILL ROH World Champion: Nigel McGuinness