Column of Honor: 10.25.08: Part One: “X” Marks the Spot

Welcome to the Column.

LAX Wins The Iron Tag Match—10/25/08 Danbury. CT Results

Matches

-Ruckus defeated Jason Blade via pinfall.
-Sara Del Rey defeated Ariel.
-“Addicted to Love” Rhett Titus retained his Top of the Class Trophy by defeating Grizzly Redwood via pinfall with a Razor’s Edge.
-Brent Albright defeated Jay Briscoe.
-Necro Butcher defeated Mark Briscoe & Delirious in a triple threat no DQ match via pinfall with a Tiger Driver on Delirious.
-Jerry Lynn defeated Claudio Castagnoli with a cradle.
-FIP World Champion Go Shiozaki retained his title by defeating challenger Austin Aries via pinfall with the Go Flasher.
-Iron Tag Match (Non-Title): The team of LAX of Homicide and Hernandez defeated the teams of ROH World Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico, The Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black, and Sweet & Sour Incorporated of Chris Hero & Davey Richards. First Fall: Tyler Black (AotF) pinned Homicide with a Phoenix Splash (1 AotF, 0 everyone else). Second Fall: Davey Richards (SNSI) submitted Kevin Steen via a half crab (1 AotF, 1 SNSI, 0 LAX, O S&G). Third Fall: Homicide (LAX) pinned Chris Hero with a lariat (1 AotF, 1 SNSI, 1 LAX, 0 S&G). Fourth Fall: Homicide pinned Jacobs with a Cop Killah ( 2 LAX, 1 AotF, 1 SNSI, 0 S&G).

Angles & Issues

-Hazy Daizee: Daizee Haze has had enough of Rhett Titus and ran out to attack him after his match against Grizzly Redwood.

-Albright Springs Eternal: Brent Albright wasn’t done wrestling after his match with Jay Briscoe, demanding a fight against a Sweet & Sour member. Larry Sweeney sent out Bobby Dempsey, but Albright like Dempsey so he refused and instead chased Sweeney TO THE BACK.

-NA NA, NA-NA! Prince Nana came out through the crowd and “interrupted” the show. He tried to get to the ring. He claimed he had no more money and had lost his crown and now he just wants a job in ROH. He was taken away by the security crew.

-Scramble it up: According to a report on the Observer / F4W site, it was announced that the iron tag match would become scramble rules in the last ten minutes (actually turned out to be the last 15). Interesting rule adaptation that stepped up the chaos and crowd reaction.

Return Date: February 27th, 2009 (Just in time for the seventh anniversary show!)

X Marks the Spot

If Sesame Street were presenting this week’s Ring of Honor events, the announcement would tell you that the show was brought to you by the letters “L”, “A” and “X” and the numbers “1”, “8” and “7”, for the “Notorious One” Homicide and “Super Mex” Hernandez. Both made a successful return last night to ROH and in winning the thirty-minute long Iron Tag Team match have set up the possibility that they will be back sooner rather than later after this weekend. While they replaced the Motor City Machine Guns due to scheduling conflicts, perhaps this return opens the door for more LAX.

However, they are not the only thing that starts with “X” that I’d like to think could make a return to Ring of Honor. Let’s mark the spot, shall we?

LAX

Would a longer term stay work for LAX? After only looking at the results of just one of their two appearances this weekend I can say without a doubt and absolutely. Homicide and Hernandez definitely have a claim on a tag team title shot in going over three Ring of Honor tandems in thirty minutes last night in Danbury, CT. Not only were the ROH World Tag Team champions Kevin Steen & El Generico shut out in the match (an outcome I find confusing and don’t necessarily agree with), but LAX (and specifically Homicide) was involved in three of the four decisions. All the attention was focused on the “special guests” and that can be used to further a storyline with the tag champions on the way to a title shot on another show, perhaps one as huge as the December 26th and 27th shows in Philadelphia and New York City.

Homicide actually lost the first fall of this match to Tyler Black, but in hindsight that actually plays as a brilliant decision. Black is being pushed super hard as the next big thing in ROH and here he actually defeats an ROH legend in his big return to the promotion. That’s called “giving the rub” in the best way possible and actually starts to create new history for Homicide and Hernandez in this promotion. Now that gives LAX an impetus to come back, not just to take a .32 caliber shot at the tag titles, but also to even the record with Black and The Age of the Fall.

The X Division

It seems like at least once a month someone brings up the prospect of bringing back the ROH Pure Title or starting a new, third title exclusively for ROH rather than under the umbrella of another promotion such as FIP, SHIMMER or NWA. Yet for as much as it makes sense to bring the Pure Wrestling division back in some form (maybe with a simpler variation of the rules) given the wrestlers on the current roster that can do that style, there just doesn’t seem to be any chance of that title returning. So the search must go on for a new and third title for ROH…and maybe all one would have to do would be to look across the way to TNA (and no I’m not joking) to see if maybe ROH could bring what was once one of the most successful pieces of that promotion . Could the X Division Title work in current era Ring of Honor?

Those ROH old school fans like me will remember that in the early days (when there was a larger cooperation between TNA and ROH) the X Title was actually featured several times on early ROH shows. It was seen mostly when AJ Styles was the champion as he would bring the title with him to the ring. He actually defended the title a few times in ROH as well, sort of a precursor to how the FIP Title is used in the modern era. So the title itself is no stranger to an ROH ring and it could be wise for the company to set up its own version based on the concepts of the title (or how it used to be). The X Division Title used to center on “no limits”, meaning the best of athletic wrestling and competition inside the ring, much like the way the Pure Wrestling title was hyped. The difference being that the Pure title transformed into a more technical, chain-wrestling and submission-oriented style of match, meanwhile the X-Title became the speedsters’ title with high flying moves and fast-paced action (obviously the exception being Samoa Joe, who really did prove that the idea of that title could work).

If you look at the ROH roster today, you’d be more apt to find that the wrestlers and their style fit more under the category of “technical” than “speed and fast moves”. It’s hard to find enough wrestlers who could fit into the division and be believable “X-Division” champions. Chris Hero springs to mind first and foremost, but he has changed his style, slowing himself down and pulling back on some of his more fancy moves over the last several months. He would have to transition back to a faster style in order to bring the excitement for those style matches. El Generico could definitely be someone who could be a contender for an X-Title considering his lucha-influenced offense and high octane impact moves that are capable of closing a match at any point.

After that…well, I’m not really sure. Claudio Castagnoli and Jerry Lynn, bonafide shoe-ins for a Pure Wrestling division, seem to fit more towards the ROH World Title now and certainly both are believable in that role. Tyler Black would have been a perfect X champion but he has already risen up too fast and it would be a step back on his path in ROH to win an X-Title instead of the ROH World Title when it has been portrayed several times already in 2008 that he has been within seconds of accomplishing that goal. What ROH would be left with would be lower tier guys like Ruckus and Jigsaw, Jason Blade and Kenny King fighting it out for the title. While all four of those wrestlers would be spot-on perfect for the X-Division style, that essentially means the X-Title would be a very lower-card title and really, that’s the exact same position in which we find TNA’s version of the title right now.

Instead, maybe Ring of Honor should create a new division for its promotion. Not the X-Division or the Pure Wrestling style. How about ROH takes another cue from Japan and establishes an age-limit style title? Let’s just say, cap it at 22 years of age and call it the “Under 22” (U-22) Title (but that would be a “U” and not an “X” obviously). CHIKARA already has established a variation of such a title with its Young Lions Cup tournament, which is only open to wrestlers under the age of 25. It’s held once a year and then the winner of the tournament must be prepared to defend the title throughout the year, relinquishing the title at the end of the year. ROH could do a version of this style title and highlight some of its up and coming talent that are definitely past the student or lower-card level may not be ready for the big title just yet.

Xavier

No seriously. Don’t laugh…you in the back of the classroom, I see you there! Anyway, the former ROH Champion has made very rare (less than once a year) return appearances in Ring of Honor over the years since his most important run in the company. Sometimes he is backstage on east-coast events and the fans just don’t know it, but how about a front stage return? Would we like to see the “All Around Best” back on a more than once a year basis?

Xavier was never the most “popular” with the fans and his title run remains one of the more debated topics in ROH history. However, he could definitely be of use in ROH, fitting into any one of several angles such as the Sweet & Sour Takeover or joining up with The Age of the Fall as one of the misfit toys cast out of ROH and looking to get back into the thick of things by forcing his way in.

Actually, for one of the more polarizing figures in ROH history, he received a very good reception for his return appearances in Long Island and New York City, which are admittedly his hometown areas.

One of the qualities I was always impressed with was that he seemed prepared and ready for in-ring action. He didn’t lack confidence and in his few return appearances, he jumped right back into the pool, so to speak, by being the Xavier character and fitting right in with the other wrestler in the ring. Xavier has also maintained a good physique and definitely would look the part of an ROH wrestler with his physical presence. He also has solid (but not as good as the moniker of his gimmick claimed) ring skills that again would help him slide back into ROH without a hitch.

Chikara vs. Ring of Honor BEST OF SEVEN SERIES Round 3

The CHIKArmy vs. ROHbot war continues! Its week three of the Column of Honor best of seven series and it is safe to say that the battle has been joined indeed! CHIKARA Pro Wrestling struck the first blow with a win by The Colony over The Vulture Squad. This week may not be so shiny and bright for the madcap Philadelphia promotion, as we shall soon see.

The best part of this series is that THE READERS DECIDE WHO WINS. That’s right, be sure to vote at the bottom of the page in the comments section or send me an email me with your vote about who you think would win each fantasy match. I’ll post results in the following week’s column.

Last week we continued the trios action with a trios match between each promotion’s brooding forces of darkness. ROH’s Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black and Delirious matched up against CHIKARA’s unpopular and unstable rudo team, The UnStable of Vin Gerard, STIGMA and Colin D. Olsen. Like the first week’s voting, the voice of the people was very much one-sided.

Let’s read some of your comments on this second match:

Whoblehwah: I’m gonna have to go with AotF. While I do like The UnStable, AotF has a lot more experience.

spawnsyxx9: Tyler Black has the fundamentals of wrestling down pat. Very much an Austin Aries of this current young crop. Jacobs has shown he has the pain threshold and the ability to win any match at any cost. Delirious, while new to AoTF, is not new to CHIKARA style. The former champ could help the AoTF fully understand the CHIKARA way and help them bring down the new UnStable.

Mr. K: Jimmy and Tyler are a perfect fit and they’d easily make short work of UNStable. It’s not even a thought, they don’t even need Delirious to be honest.

The Bagman: As awesome as Vin Gerrard is, the UnStable have only been together for a few weeks, so give this one to The Age Of The Fall.

The fans have spoken and once again I concur with their estimation. The Age of the Fall clearly have the edge in cumulative experience, strength and stamina. Both have really good leadership, but Jacobs is almost an older and wiser version of Gerard. He can see where Gerard is going in his strategy because he has been there way before Gerard. I don’t think there’s much that Gerard could plan out that Jacobs wouldn’t be prepared for or be able to counter. As far as the physicality of the match, Jacobs and Black alone have enough offense to overwhelm any member of the opposition, and with Delirious’s new propensity for violence and remorseless action, that just puts them over the top. Black’s high powered offense knocks the UnStable off-balance (you know, aside from mentally off-balanced). Gerard gets taken out with a small-package driver and while Delirious clobbers STIGMA to the floor Jacobs and Black combine for a Contra-Code Powerbomb on Colin D. Olsen for the three count.

Winners: The Age of the Fall

1 1

ROH has tied the score at one-up! Now we know we’re definitely going to five, so we’re going to switch gears away from the trios battles and use a singles match as a swing in the series. Last_Rider had wanted to see McGuinness vs. Kingston, but while that would be an intriguing match I do have other plans for this week. Here we go with Round Three:

No DQ
Necro Butcher (ROH)
-vs.-
Brodie Lee (CHIKARA)

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE! It’s the rough and tumble Necro Butcher up against CHIKARA’s Big Rig of mass destruction. Both men have built up a reputation for being dominant and intimidating brawlers on the independent circuit. Necro earned his reputation in hardcore war after hardcore war. He is West Virginia’s bastard step-child of Armageddon. He made his mark in ROH first by siding with the CZW forces in 2006 and later reappearing by Jimmy Jacobs’ side with The Age of the Fall. Necro has since gone his own way, separating from that heel group and starting on how own road to redemption while still maintaining a mentality of being able and ready to brawl at all times. Meanwhile, Brodie Lee started out by getting attention in the Northeast, specifically with NWA Upstate. Lee came to CHIKARA looking to fit in with its wacky style, coming out to New Kids on the Block and calling himself “The Right Stuff”. When he was less than successful in that role, he decided to ditch the pink and white NKOTB shirt and became the Big Rig, a madman of the roads, smashing people’s faces in and not giving a damn about it. He had dominated CHIKARA ever since with impressive victories and even matched up impressively well against Claudio Castagnoli. Both men have a very similar style so this would be quite the pairing. Who wins this singles contest?

Necro Butcher

Strengths: While these two share similar fighting styles, Necro has the experience edge when it comes to brawling. Both are great at fighting and striking, but Necro has taken more hits than Brodie and is still around to tell the tale. In a way he’s the Terminator of ROH, or maybe a Timex watch. He also thrives in a hardcore environment, using tables, chairs, guardrails and barbed wire to his advantage. Also, when the opponent least expects it, Necro can actually fly! He’s done flip dives from the top rope when called upon, and if done in this match could throw Lee for a loop.
Weaknesses: Necro’s technical skills are his weakness, but in this match I don’t see it much mattering. What I do see as hurting him against Lee would be having less speed and agility than his opponent. Necro is going to have to take some strikes and absorb them, as opposed to being able to duck out of the way.
Best moves: Punch to the face, barefoot to the face, sidewalk slam through two chairs, Tiger Driver

Video by: 510gemini

Brodie Lee

Strengths: Taller and more well-built than Necro, Lee has an advantage with power and impact moves. He loves to throw offense with high velocity and they usually look brutal (because he usually throws them against smaller opponents). Brodie just looks flat out crazy and he may just scare the bejesus out of Necro if he takes some bombs and keeps going with the glimmer of madness in his eye and that smirk that says “I don’t give a f***.” And he looks like Jason Lee, a true advantage in every way possible.
Weaknesses: Lee is younger than Necro, although maybe that just means he’s meaner, nastier and hungrier than Necro, it also means he is not as battle tested in a hardcore environment. Necro can bleed buckets and still come out with the win. Brodie beld like a stuck pig in his match against Claudio Castagnoli in the steel cage match this past September, but he lost that match. Does the Big Rig have that “extra gear” needed in the clutch to come out on top?
Best Moves: Running Big Boot, Running Lariat, Lyger Bomb, Standing Powerbomb

Video by: bradmaster13

Video by: Joel Maldonado

So who wins this big showdown? Let your voice be heard in the comments section below!

ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 10/25/2008

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 28 successful defenses)
–defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense: a. Four Way Elimination Match vs. Go Shiozaki vs. El Generico vs. Kevin Steen, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 11/07/08
b. vs. Bryan Danielson, Chicago Ridge, IL 11/22/08

V.1 defeated Jay Briscoe, wristlock submission (10/21/07 San Francisco, CA)
V.2 defeated Chris Hero, wristlock submission (11/02/07 Philadelphia, PA)
V.3 defeated Austin Aries, Jawbreaker Lariat (12/29/07 Manhattan, NY)
V.4 defeated Go Shiozaki, London Dungeon (wristlock submission) (01/20/08 Tokyo, Japan,)
V.5 Steel Cage Match: defeated Chris Hero (01/25/08, Dayton, OH)
V.6 defeated Roderick Strong, Jawbreaker Lariat (01/26/08, Chicago Ridge, IL)
V.7 defeated Bryan Danielson, London Dungeon (02/23/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.8 defeated Tyler Black, London Dungeon (03/16/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.9 defeated Larry Sweeney, Jawbreaker Lariat (03/22/08 Crystal River, FL)
V.10 defeated Austin Aries, Jawbreaker Lariat (03/29/08 Orlando, FL)
V.11 defeated Erick Stevens, London Dungeon (04/11/08 Boston, MA)
V.12 defeated Kevin Steen, roll up holding the ropes (04/12/08 Edison, NJ)
V.13 defeated Kevin Steen, Jawbreaker Lariat (04/19/08 Chicago Ridge, IL)
V.14 defeated Claudio Castagnoli, London Dungeon, (05/10/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.15 defeated KENTA and BJ Whitmer, Jawbreaker Lariat to Whitmer (05/15/08, Tokyo, Japan)
V.16 defeated Go Shiozaki, London Dungeon (06/07/08, Philadelphia, PA)
V.17 defeated Vic Viper, London Dungeon (06/14/08, Tallaght, Ireland)
V.19 defeated Keith Myatt and Lionheart, (06/20/08, Doncaster, U.K.)
V.20 (title for title) defeated NWA Champion Adam Pearce, Jawbreaker Lariat (06/27/08, Dayton, OH)
*match later reversed via DQ, both men keep their respective titles.
V.21 defeated Kevin Steen, Lariat off Turbuckle, (07/25/08, Toronto, ONT, CN)
V.22 defeated Claudio Castagnoli, Jawbreaker Lariat (07/26/08, Detroit, MI)
V.23 defeated Ruckus, London Dungeon (08/01/08, Manassas, VA)
V.24 Four Way Elimination Match: defeated Bryan Danielson, Tyler Black & Claudio Castagnoli (08/02/08, Manhattan, NY)
V.25 defeated El Generico, London Dungeon (08/15/08, Cleveland, OH )
V.26 defeated Jimmy Jacobs, Jawbreaker Lariat (09/14/08, Tokyo, Japan)
V.27 defeated Roderick Strong, (09/19/08, Boston, MA)
V.28 defeated El Generico, roll up, (09/20/08, Philadelphia, PA)

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—Kevin Steen & El Generico (champions since 09/19/08, NEW CHAMPIONS)
–defeated The Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black on September 19th, 2008 in Boston, MA to win the championship.

Next Defense: vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe, Toronto, Canada, 11/08/08

**

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion: Adam Pearce (since 09/20/2008)
-defeated Brent Albright via submission with the crowbar to win the title.
FIP Heavyweight Champion: Go Shiozaki (since 08/23/2008) * NEW CHAMPION
-defeated Erick Stevens via pinfall with help from the Heartbreak Enterprises to win the title.
SHIMMER Champion: MsChif (since 4/26/2008)
-defeated Sara Del Ray via pinfall with the Descrator DDT to win the title
Top of the Class Trophy (for ROH Students): Rhett “Addicted to Love” Titus (since 06/07/2008)
-defeated Ernie Osiris via pinfall to win the trophy.
Sweet & Sour Incorporated Presents The Intergender Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Of The World—Chris Hero & Sara Del Rey (since 01/12/08)

**

Top Feuds & Pairings:
-Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli
-Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson
-Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs Best of Three Match Series
-Sweet & Sour Inc. “Corporate Takeover”
-Brent Albright vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
-Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards
-Delirious as a part of AotF
-Jerry Lynn runs the contention ladder to an ROH World Title shot

ROH News
(via the ROHnewswire… and other sources when attributed)

Three Matches to Finish the Jimmy Jacobs vs. Austin Aries Feud…But Will It Really Be The End Time?

From the ROH press release:
The feud pitting Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs of The Age Of The Fall has been fought on a physical, psychological and emotional level. It has driven both men over the edge. Now it will be settled. It needs to end for the mental and bodily health of both Aries and Jacobs.

Aries vs. Jacobs has been one of the most intricate, intense and violent feuds of the year anywhere in wrestling. It will take three events and three different match types to end it. Who will be standing in the end?

On the one hand, ALL of these matches sound incredible and could likely deliver big time. If they do, the “end” of the Aries vs. Jacobs feud will be just as good as how it began. However, I am a bit put off by the telegraphing of the end of the feud. Announcing the end of a heated feud such as this puts a dampener on my willing suspension to disbelieve. Think about this from a common sense perspective…do you actually believe three matches will be enough to end a grudge this deep? And while the newswire says both men agreed to these matches, do you really think human emotions can just be shut off on a given date? Aries screwed Lacey and Jacobs took her out of the company in retaliation. The sort of hatred that is created from such events doesn’t end in real life, much less after a given number of matches. Instead of the end of the feud after this series, what I’d like to see is both men refuse to let the issue go, disregard ROH and their officials and keep on fighting each other.

ROH TV Speculation Pops Up…Again

From the Wrestling Observer: There are at least very preliminary talks that have been started regarding ROH and a national TV outlet. I don’t know if anything will come of it and it’s not the kind of a deal with a station that has enough exposure at this time that it’s going to put them on the map as any kind of competitor to TNA for No. 2, but it’s a step. The one thing is if the station will help upgrade the production of the big shows, that’s a positive. The negative with ROH as far as being on a national platform is that almost none of the guys look like what the general public wants and expects top pro wrestlers to look like. The positive is the crowd response at the big shows is consistently good. Even with an even playing field, in a TNA comparison, star power (Sting, Foley, Angle, etc.) means more to the average fan than good matches or more consistency in the booking.

Every so often news pops up about ROH in negotiations for some sort of TV deal, but for the most part nothing comes of it. ROH is set to make a huge announcement on Monday, and it could be this or maybe a new addition to the roster, but it would be fruitless to speculate at this point. TV would be a huge step for them regardless of the form it takes, but Meltzer is right in that ROH is going to have to fight an uphill battle. They MUST promote their style and their stars of wrestling, but they must also make sure the production is good enough to at least look respectable on a TV screen.

May 2009 should be an interesting time for all three companies and we could see some ship jumping across the board. If ROH can land a major name then maybe they could use that signee to springboard into more serious negotiations for television distribution. And even if they end up on Fuse or Versus or G4, that would be a start enough so long as it doesn’t cost them the whole promotion (ala ECW). That’s been the biggest concern for fans of the product. ROH has also taken fire by some fans who feel the promotion has peaked in some ways—so will the matches they put out their to the audience be fresh enough or captivating enough to keep a larger audience? Another question that must be asked—is it too late to market ROH on TV—should they have struck while the iron was hot with Punk and Joe in their promotion?

The Latest from ROH going into Edison

Here are some quick newsbites from booker Gabe Sapolsky via the ROH message board…and some quick quips from me as well. As you’ll see there are lots of little extra touches to angles set up from last night and going forward.

LAX of Homicide & Hernandez vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe will be positioned as the main event.

Well, duh.

Tyler Black vs. Jerry Lynn will be a very important match for both individuals, who have momentum after last night in Danbury. Last night saw Tyler Black score perhaps the biggest fall of his career when he pinned former ROH World Champion Homicide in the Iron Team Match. Jerry Lynn defeated Claudio Castagnoli last night as he attempts to move into title contention. Both men need a victory tonight in Edison to keep their momentum going. Black told us last night that he has some words for the fans tonight.

I hope those words include some tips on hair care products.

Just to clarify something, Prince Nana is not back in ROH and we apologize for his disruption during the show last night in Danbury.

Sure…sure buddy, just call me a shrimp cocktail.

Jimmy Jacobs was making it sound like that he or Tyler Black might wrestle twice tonight in Edison and team with Delirious vs. Cheech & Cloudy.

If one of them does, it dashes my call for an upset special…dammit!

Davey Richards scored a huge submission in the Iron Team Match by making ROH World Tag Team Champion Kevin Steen tap out. Steen is nursing a sore knee going into tonight’s match teaming with El Generico against The Osirian Portal. Steen insists he will be ready to wrestle tonight. This is a huge opportunity for The Portal.

The sore knee story makes it seem like the O.P. have a chance here, but Steen & Generico really should win here after not taking a fall in the Iron Tag match.

Daizee Haze showed up last night like she just rolled out of bed and was not interested in a match. Instead, she attacked Rhett Titus at every opportunity. Haze did not have any interaction with Delirious last night after the spiking in Steel Cage Warfare last month in Philadelphia (see a clip in the new ROH Video Wire at ROHvideos.com). We still don’t have any comments from Haze about the spiking.

Speaking of Titus, he was seen coming out of the woman’s locker room late last night after Haze left with a big smile on his face.

Haze “looked like she just rolled out of bed” and Titus had “a big smile on his face”… you don’t think…? NAH. More on this below.

Jigsaw misses 10/24 and 10/25

Jigsaw will be unable to make this weekend’s shows. He will be replaced in the Six Man Mayhem on Saturday in Edison with Hallowicked. ROH officials are still working on a replacement for Friday night. We apologize for the lineup change.

Getting Hallowicked back in action for ROH is a pretty fair exchange…I’ve received many a feedback from fans who believe he should have been kept around in 2007 when both received some opportunities to wrestle for the company.

Omega Factor

Kenny Omega returns to ROH on 11/7 in Montreal and 11/8 in Toronto.
Tyler Black vs. Kenny Omega has been signed for 11/8 in Toronto.

Omega was one of the “local” featured talents for the Canada show back in July, so it makes sense for him to be brought back especially given the positive feedback from the fans and their desire to see him again. I see potential in Omega to do some cool stuff in ROH even just from seeing him a few times in action. Pairing up against Black will hopefully give him a good opportunity to do just that.

Lynn’s In

Jerry Lynn vs. Delirious has been signed for the 11/7 debut in Montreal.

Lynn is on a huge roll so far in ROH and if he continues to go over then sometime soon we can expect him to challenge for the ROH World Title, whether it is a rematch against Nigel or someone else in the championship position.

Strong Man
Last time in Dayton, Chris Hero vs. Roderick Strong stole the show. However, Strong was not happy with the result as Hero KO’ed him after using his mysterious elbow pad. The rematch will take place when ROH returns to Dayton on 11/21. This time it will be Strong vs. Hero in a Lights Out Match.

There was a lot of positive reaction to the Hero vs. Strong match from Dayton although personally I wasn’t that into it because Hero used his KO strike moves way too much and I felt it was unbelievable for so many stiff shots to be thrown by both men but that it took so long for one of them to be knocked out. The Dayton crowd seemed to like it though, so going with a rematch in the same location is a good idea.

Haze’s Reaction

The last time we saw Daizee Haze her former friend Delirious spiked her in the head and Rhett Titus continued to claim the rumors about her and him were true. How will she respond this weekend?

Judging from the results, we can see that Haze has placed all of the blame of what happened to Delirious on Rhett Titus and that she is going to do the best she can to make his life a living hell until he recants his untrue statements about both them knocking boots. I like it—a twist in Haze’s longstanding character should help refresh her presence in the company, especially if it’s just non-stop beating up Titus for what he did.

Tag Division NOOBS

ROH continues to look at new tag teams. The Phoenix Twins impressed enough at the last Chicago event that they have been added to 11/22 in Chi-Town for another look. The duos of The Osirian Portal and Cheech & Cloudy are set to either do or die this Saturday in Edison. Both these teams have gained a reputation on various indies and Chikara. Good crowd response from their fans will help them be successful. How will they do against ROH’s best tag teams? Get your tickets at the door on Saturday and find out.

Like Kenny Omega, The Phoenix Twins get another booking as part of the local flavor for Chicago. I liked their act seeing them on some Fight Sports Midwest (for the few shows they pressed to DVD) shows. ROH’s move to add more tags is going to pay off here, because they’re giving a variety of tag teams chances to make a name for themselves.

Driven Main Page on Indemand

Check out the very professional looking PPV page for ROH Driven through the In Demand website, including their thirty second trailer for the PPV. The trailer focuses on Larry Sweeney rather than the ROH World Tag Team Title match between Age of the Fall and Steen & Generico, which I find more than a bit odd.

ROH Home Theatre Station

ROH Newswire for October 21st, 2008

1. Hacksaw Jim Duggan: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Believe it…Hacksaw’s promo on Santino was one of the best parts of Raw this past Monday (although maybe that also says a little something about the lack of quality segments on Raw this past Monday). When he called Beth Phoenix “Tough Guy” I just about lost it.
2. Chris Jericho: still continues to create some of the most cerebral and effective promos in building up his character…although I’m starting to get worried with all of these losses that he is almost being treated the same when he won the Undisputed Title back in late 2001.
3. Evan Bourne: is continued to be pushed very well by the WWE, including a big win over Mark Henry via his awesome Shooting Star Press. You have to go to think that if the fans vote Bourne vs. Hardy for the ECW Title match on Cyber Sunday that it will steal the show.
4. Prince Nana: EM-BAH-SEE FOR EVAH!
5. Bryan Danielson: If you look at the ROH Videowire above you see Danielson come up with an incredibly awesome way to German suplex your opponent. Just one of the many various reasons I love watching Danielson wrestle.

I’ll be back in just a moment with PART TWO of the Column of Honor with a preview of tonight’s show in Edison, NJ and another dream match up that you won’t want to miss! P.S. I’m not talking about LAX vs. The Briscoes!