Column of Honor: 11.16.08: Driven to Fly

Sorry for the late column this week, but the Driven play by play took some of the starch out of me, so I got the okay to move this one day later. There is still plenty to write about, including my personal thoughts on Driven and the crucial sixth round of the CHIKARA vs. ROH series. So let’s get to it and welcome to the Column.

Driven to Fly—Closing Thoughts on ROH Driven 2008

If you haven’t already read, my play by play report for ROH Driven ’08 is available through this link.

I love the great moments of victory that professional wrestling provides. It is living for the moment of sweet success–the underdog winning against all odds; the challenger conquering the dominating champion; good guys overcoming the forces of evil and injustice. It so rarely happens in real life. When it happens in the form of sports entertainment (or any form of entertainment for that matter), it provides for the greatest emotional catharsis. This is especially true for anyone not directly involved in the accomplishment, but who chooses to watch from the sidelines and vicariously cheer on the achievement. Yes, that includes me, typing here from my laptop.

Chris Jericho had it right when he said during last week’s Raw that there aren’t always happy endings. That’s what made Kevin Steen and El Generico’s ROH World Tag Team title victory against The Age of the Fall so important—it was THE happy ending that fans of that tandem had been waiting for ever since they returned in early 2007. The reaction of the Boston crowd (who were awesome the whole way through but brought their game up a whole new level for this main event) told the story. They wanted to see Steen & Generico win, and to say they were ecstatic to see it happen would be an understatement.

The energy from the crowd could have fed the power lines of Boston for at least a week. It was one of the best party atmospheres since Homicide won the big one in Ring of Honor in front of his hometown New York crowd back in December 2006. There were fans in the crowd just going berserk, jumping up and down, hooting and hollering for the new champions. Some may have lost their voice chanting “Ole!” seemingly for fifteen straight minutes, but they never lost their faith in Steen and Generico (even though some on the internet doubted whether they would ever win when it counted). Steen and Generico reciprocated the love from the fans, jumping into the crowd and going crazy along with them. It just seemed right—the babyfaces exultant and proud, finally getting their just due.

**

Claudio Castagnoli’s heel turn was a moment of great timing. The fans in New York City had turned their back on him, giving him the cold shoulder throughout the opening minutes of the four way match. Danielson got the best of him for the second time in as many months, and Claudio snapped on him, attacking him with a bicycle kick, ricola bomb and a chair shot to the head. Claudio’s turn was lost in the shuffle of some of the other main event angles, but he put some of the attention back on him by being in top villain form on the pay per view. Claudio hasn’t done any promos to justify his heel turn and his attacks on Danielson. However, he remains a fascinating force by going crazy and over the line on Danielson and everyone else trying to restrain him.

I think fans love to see massive pull apart moments in professional wrestling in the same way that baseball fans pop really loudly for bench cIearing brawls. It’s an insightful look into chaos and madness—the feeling that events are spinning out of control and that anything could happen at any moment. I remember the loud and emotional reactions for the Steen & Generico / Briscoes pull apart from the first ROH pay per view. The fans grew louder and more fervent with every suplex and throw done by Steen & Generico (ostensibly heels at the time). The brawl involved The Briscoes, students, wrestlers and “security” racking up the number of people involved into the double digits. The more people involved in the madness the better. The New York crowd also loved when Brent Albright wrecked carnage on Larry Sweeney and Sweet & Sour Incorporated during “A New Level” this past May. Fans loved to see the bodies fly all over the place, reveled in Albright posing and unleashing a primal scream of freedom mixed with retribution.

The fans of Boston loved when Bryan Danielson elbowed Go Shiozaki half to death, but they also feasted on the massive energy and excitement generated when Castagnoli tore through ROH students, wrestlers and referees on his way to leaving the arena. They may not have liked his attack on Danielson, but it made their day when the attack was directed outward at everyone else far lower on the food chain. They were high on the catharsis of one man bucking through the mass of humanity. Castagnoli was not the good guy in this situation, but the fans were driven to cheer him on regardless—what he was doing was awesome stimuli for their brain, and they were reacting the way any crowd would when they saw something really cool go down in a fight.

**

Jerry Lynn fought for someone else’s honor. Necro Butcher fought for his own honor. Bryan Danielson fought to regain an honor. Roderick Strong fought to restore his honor. No matter what the changes in ring style or character developments, it’s not just a word or a phrase or a part of the name of the company. The idea of honor still lives in ROH.

**

I really liked the Driven 2008 Pay Per View. It wasn’t my favorite of the ROH PPV series or the best of the PPV series, but it was really well paced and ended up being a lot of fun to watch. I liked it for the wrestling and I liked it for the exultation I felt when I saw some great wrestlers achieve great moments in the ring. I liked it because I saw some moves I never saw before, because I saw some great usage of old standbys like arm wringers and hammerlocks. I liked it because I am a Ring of Honor fan and because I like watching the Ring of Honor wrestling product. Maybe that seems strange to fans who don’t give independent wrestling the time of day, but it’s their loss when they miss out on the greatest highs of watching Steen & Generico in triumph, Claudio Castagnoli destroying a mass of humanity or Roderick Strong coming as close as possible to winning the title without doing so. I live for those moments in professional wrestling.

Chikara vs. Ring of Honor BEST OF SEVEN SERIES Round 6

The CHIKHAOS is building to a final frenzy between CHIKARA and Ring of Honor as now enter week six of the Column of Honor best of seven series between the two promotions. Last week, Ring of Honor tied up the series thanks to a massive eight man tag team match involving ROH’s all stars and CHIKARA’s Team F.I.S.T. That led into last weeks’s trios spectacular involving the tag champions from each company. Who wins that match up and sends the other side into check? Did ROH take the lead for the first time in the series? We’ll find out in a moment.

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.

It was the super team of Steen, Generico and Strong fighting against the young lions yet champions at heart of CHIKARA in The Osirian Portal and the indomitable and quite ruthless Eddie Kingston. The latter proved to be a wild card, because Kingston’s propensity for violence and his durability are top notch and may have proved to be the edge that took CHIKARA to the top. However, what did the fans think about this fantasy match up?

Last Rider: I will freely admit I’m probably the biggest Kingston mark walking the earth, so I’m voting for the egyptians and Kingston. I think the key to this match is that Amasis and Ophidian have now wrestled Steenerico and should be able to have and advantage, or at least neutralize each other. I’d pick Kingston over just about anyone, the man can go toe to toe with Necro Butcher, Samoa Joe, Toby Klein, and Chris Hero. I think his enforcer skills tip the balance.

seaneb14: Team ROH goes over easy in this one. The Portal just get spanked by Steen and Generico while Roderick breaks the King in half.

Blanky: In the first meeting of the Egyptians and Steenerico the Portal probably had nerves due to being in their first ever ROH match, since then they became the Tag Champs and will likely have more confidence, coupled with the fact that Kingston is teaming with the Portal in the upcoming Cibernetico, it would give them more time to prepare. Also I’m pretty sure Steen is afraid of snakes, they don’t get too many in Canada.

Chris: Again, this isn’t even close. You’re talking about three top-level ROH contenders against an unproven tag team and Eddie Kingston. The King of Diamonds can talk all he wants. Trouble is Roddy will be breaking his back in the process. Team ROH again. With Nigel still waiting to emerge, this battle is over.

Curtis: For CHIKARA vs RoH, I will actually go with CHIKARA. Yes, Steenerico and Roddy are more established, but never forget, Kingston is the top student in CHIKARA and he does not want to let his home promotion down, the guy is crazy enough as it is and I think he would defend CHIKARA to the death. Throw in two of the top rookies on the indy circut and I think they can just pull it off.

spawnsyxx9: I do like Strong and Steenerico together as I have seen them do stuff in PWG together I am sure and they gel really well. Though The Osirian Portal is a well oiled machine, the crazy one is Eddie. He could be a single man army when he wants to be but I don’t see him doing well with a team outside of BLKOUT. If you had put in BLKOUT I would have hands down picked that team but I have to side with ROH on this one man.

I don’t know about Steen’s fear of snakes and all that, but for the second week in a row Ring of Honor comes out on top in the fan voting, by clear majority decision. Steenerico right now is on an even bigger roll than The Osirian Portal, and their years of experience both as singles and put together as a tag team clearly outweigh the hustle of a young up and coming team like Amasis and Ophidian. Steen might get intimidated by Ophidian (likely not) but Strong would be right there to make sure the faces don’t get put out of sorts. Kingston and Strong exchanging chops and forearms would be awesome and would surely drive the fans into frenzy. Kingston is a diehard in attitude and in action, but Strong would make sure the lights went out with a vicious boot to the face, while Steen and Generico combine their efforts for a package piledriver-brain buster on Amasis for the pin and win.

Here’s the scoreboard as it now stands:

2 3

The Series-at-a-Glance:
Rnd 1: The Colony defeat The Vulture Squad (unanimous decision) CHIK 1 ROH 0
Rnd 2: The Age of the Fall defeat The UnStable (unanimous decision) CHIK 1 ROH 1
Rnd 3: Brodie Lee defeats Necro Butcher (split decision) CHIK 2 ROH 1
Rnd 4: Team ROH defeat F.I.S.T. & Castagnoli (majority decision) CHIK 2 ROH 2
Rnd 5: Steenerico & Roderick Strong defeat Osirian Portal & Eddie Kingston (majority decision) CHIK 2 ROH 3

Well then, Ring of Honor takes the lead for the very first time and is in the midst of a huge comeback in the series. Now CHIKARA is going to be tested with its back against the wall. Ring of Honor is bringing its biggest gun to the dance in hopes of closing out the series right here and right now. CHIKARA has no choice but to follow suit with its ace in the hole. Round Six has everything on the line in this series, a one-fall wrestling extravaganza:

ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness (ROH)
-vs.-
“The Master of 1,000 Holds”, “Lightning” Mike Quackenbush (CHIKARA)

Another dream match-up I had in mind when starting this series pits two of the best wrestlers on the independent scene in a catch-as-catch-can, hold for hold wrestling match. Nigel McGuinness has been Ring of Honor champion for over a year and has fought against all challengers and put them all down with a flurry of lariats that as yet have not been answered. Mike Quackenbush is an incredibly decorated wrestler, winning and defending championships all over the globe, including most recently the NWA Junior Heavyweight title. Quackenbush was one of the founders of CHIKARA and knows that he represents the promotion at all times, but can he put his very best foot forward against the ROH Champion?

Nigel McGuinness

Strengths: At this point in his career, McGuinness has honed his skills to championship-calibre levels. He has a terrific combination of technical skill, the impactful power of his lariats and a developed killer instinct that means he tries to win at all costs. He has shown a willingness to bend the rules in his favor and has the expertise to distract the referee well enough so that he doesn’t get caught. There are also the massive lariats that he uses, which jar the jaw and neck of an opponent. McGuinness has many different variations of the move and that means he can hit one from just about any angle or ring positioning. You also have to give credit to his stamina and durability, going nearly 60 minutes with Bryan Danielson back in 2006 and being able to take a massive amount of punishment from opponents and still surviving through to win. McGuinness may respect Quackenbush for all that he has accomplished, but Nigel’s pride (some say arrogance) would mean he would believe he is the better man , and that would likely push him forward into making sure no one could say otherwise.
Weaknesses: McGuinness tends to stick to his two main game plans, which would be the arm submissions and the lariats / impact moves. Nigel goes with what works for him, yes, but that also means he may not be able to adapt so well to someone like Quackenbush, who can use a multiplicity of styles and tactics to win. We’ve also seen McGuinness be his own worst enemy at times, underestimating opponents and lowering his guard when he shouldn’t. Is that enough for the veteran Quackenbush to open a door to victory?
Best moves: Jawbreaker Lariat, Tower of London, London Dungeon, Lariat off the top rope, That Arm Submission, Super kick, no-look lariat.

Video by: Suicidal Dragon

Video by: ringofhonor

Mike Quackenbush

Strengths: Quackenbush is a road warrior—he has travelled the world and back to wrestle. In doing so he has gained invaluable experience in fighting a diversity of opponents as well as having learned many wrestling styles such as lucha libre and British counter wrestling. He can wrestle on the ground, fly in the air with the greatest of ease and tie you in knots within seconds. He knows countless submissions, counters and reversals, some of which haven’t even been seen yet by the majority of fans in attendance, much less wrestlers. Quack can literally do it all, and wrestling, counter wrestling and strategic decisions in a match against McGuinness could prove to be the difference. The CHIKARA Special may also be the other major difference. Quackenbush debuted this submission move in a match against Chris Hero in May of 2007 and since then it has proven to be a near-lock in winning matches…and not just for Quack, but for everyone who has used the move except for Equinox in the very historic match that cost him his mask. Only Chris Hero was able to escape the move when he learned a very specific counter, but that’s something McGuinness wouldn’t know about.
Weaknesses: Quackenbush is a virtuous man who believes in justice in the ring, but he could also be accused of being a bit too overconfident in his abilities. It may not be to the point where it may blind him from seeing what’s coming from an opponent, but a bit too much pride and confidence, being a bit too cute with your moves to give the fans a good show can hurt you in a match, especially with an opponent as dangerous as McGuinness. Quack also has a very well known history of back injury from years past that can be taken advantage of, as well as a concussion in 2007 that derailed some of his momentum and caused him to slow down his wrestling bookings. He has looked in relatively top form in recent months, but with an opponent who targets the head and neck, can the wrong move jigger up that injury again?
Best Moves: CHIKARA Special, Quackendriver II (tombstone variant) Quackendriver III (Ki Krusher variation), Black Tornado Slam, Lightening Lock

Video by: Suicidal Dragon

Video by: kappakate57

It’s the best of the best of both promotions fighting it out mano-a-mano. McGuinness looks to win the series for ROH but Quackenbush needs this one just to tie it up for his home promotion. So who wins this one? Comment below with your votes and send in those emails and we’ll find out…next week!

ROH Call

ROH Champions—As of 11/16/2008

ROH World Champion—Nigel McGuinness (champion since 10/06/07, 30 successful defenses)
–defeated Takeshi Morishima in Edison, New Jersey to win the championship.

Next Defense: a. vs. Austin Aries & Tyler Black, Dayton, OH, 11/21/08
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)
V.29 Four Way Elimination Match: defeated Go Shiozaki, El Generico & Kevin Steen (11/07/08, Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
V.30 lost via disqualification to Necro Butcher (11/08/08, Markham, Ontario, Canada) Champion retains on a DQ.

**

ROH World Tag Team Champions—Kevin Steen & El Generico (champions since 09/19/08, 1 successful defense)
–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. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious, Dayton, OH, 11/21/08

V.1 defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe (11/08/08, Markham, Ontario, Canada)

**

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion: Blue Demon Jr. (since 10/25/2008)
-defeated Adam Pearce via submission with a half crab to win the title.
FIP Heavyweight Champion: Go Shiozaki (since 08/23/2008)
-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
-Dissension between Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black
-Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Black
-Sweet & Sour Inc. “Corporate Takeover”
-Brent Albright, Roderick Strong & Erick Stevens vs. Sweet & Sour Inc.
-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)

I’m going with a slightly retooled, more reader friendly format of the news this week. Let’s see how it goes.

Major News

Takeshi Morishima vs. Bryan Danielson: Final Battle 2008
After a year of waiting, Ring of Honor has signed Danielson vs. Morishima in a Fight Without Honor match at Final Battle 2008, taking place December 27th in Manhattan, New York. If Danielson is the ROH World champion then the title will be on the line.

I know that as a fan this match is going to rock my world. I have tickets to Final Battle so that means I would have seen four out of their five ROH matches. Every time out these guys not only busted their butts but also worked hard to give the fans something different every time, yet connected to their grudge based on their past attacks on each other. I do have to say that the match, while epic on paper and certainly generating the right buzz within the ROH audience, may be about six months too late. Right now it seems like the storylines were heading elsewhere, mostly involving Danielson’s journey to be champion and Tyler Black’s seemingly near immediate challenge to whoever is champion. ROH has been without Morishima being an active part of storylines and angles for quite some time now. However, if there is any match to go back to, to make sure that it does go down as having happened when we talk about ROH history in the years to come, it should be this one. This match will hopefully find a conclusive finish to the feud, one way or the other.

Meet Joe Black
Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Black, which has been teased and hinted at in recent newswires and articles, has been officially confirmed for Chicago Ridge, Illinois November 22nd. The match will take place on the show and be recorded for DVD, not for Pay Per View. If Tyler Black is champion, then he will put the title on the line against Joe.

Joe vs. Black eerily mirrors Joe vs. Aries from Final Battle with the exception that at this time a title is not at stake. However, Black, like Aries before him, was the young up and comer who was poised to strike for the main event scene (though Black has actually been there for sometime already this year, main eventing in both singles and tag matches) and become THE name for the company. Now, Samoa Joe jobbing at this point almost seems unfathomable, especially since this is a one off appearance, his first time back in what was once his promotion in almost two years, and coming in through a TNA booking. However, if Black does win or puts up a competitive match up while losing, then Black looks that much the better.

Students’ Graduation Rate Rises
If you’ve looked around ROH recently, you’ll have found that many of the ROH students have been given increased roles or new attention. Shane Hagadorn, Bobby Dempsey and then Rhett Titus each in turn was given a focus and a place in ROH. Now Kyle Durden has been tapped to become a regular backstage interview for ROH. In addition, the most recent videowire has also focused on “Dirty” Ernie Osiris, and developing a character for him based on being, well, dirty and bum-like.

It’s to ROH’s benefit to find good spots for their student talent, and so far, its been effective. Not only have Hagadorn, Dempsey and even Rhett Titus in his “Addicted to Love” gimmick risen above expectations, but it’s to the point where your first thought of them isn’t that they are ROH students. That is the biggest unconscious label I think the younger wrestlers have to shake in order to find themselves and become effective members of the ROH roster. Durden has done a really good job as a backstage interviewer. He sounds professional, asks questions that count, and is also able to subtly get over his personality by the facial reactions he gives when he receives answers from his interview subject. Meanwhile, Ernie Osiris and his reaction to being called as “dirty” is a cute comedic beat that is welcome in the undercard and videowire bits.

Danielson at NWA Tapings
ROH contracted talent Bryan Danielson will be appearing on the “NWA from Hollywood” tapings this weekend. He is expected to see some in-ring action. Adam Pearce helps to book these shows as well.

Match Additions and Subtractions

Dayton, Ohio, 11/21/08
ROH World Tag Team Titles: Steen & Generico vs. Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious: ROH officials were surprised that Jacobs chose Delirious instead of Jacobs’ former championship partner, Tyler Black. We were unable to get a comment from Jacobs in reference to the choice. (newswire)

Four Corner Survival: Sami Callahan vs. Rhett Titus vs. ???? vs. ????: We are happy to announce that the Four Corner Survival will return to ROH in Dayton on 11/21 and Chicago on 11/22! The first competitors to throw their names in the hat are Sami Callahan and Silas Young. Callahan will be a part of the battles in both towns, while Silas appears in Chicago only. Both men will try to prove themselves in one of Ring of Honor’s signature encounters. (newswire)

Good placement for Callahan in these four corner matches. It gets him on the main card in an introductory capacity while allowing ROH to “spread the wealth” (OBAMA!) and get other wrestlers in there as well. The Jacobs & Delirious team up also continues the subtle “break up” angle that has been teased between Jacobs and Black.

Chicago Ridge, Illinois, 11/22/08
Four Corner Survival: Sami Callahan vs. Silas Young vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. ????: Claudio Castagnoli has been rumored to have been training along side ROH World Champion, Nigel McGuinness. He’ll put that alleged training to the test as he’s thrown himself into the Four-Corner-Survival scheduled for Chicago on 11/22. Besides the challenge of Silas Young, Sami Callahan, and one other unnamed competitor on that night, don’t forget that Castagnoli is facing Bryan Danielson in a highly volatile grudge match the night before in Dayton! (newswire)

Stevens out for Chicago, Six Man Tag in doubt: We regret to inform you that due to a Grade 3 concussion suffered at the hands of Sweet-n-Sour Incorporated in Toronto, Erick Stevens will be unable to appear as scheduled in Dayton and Chicago. We’re told that Stevens is resting comfortably and is completely disgusted by what happened. The ugly attack can be witnessed in the latest ROH Video Wire at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ6b74OOCKM. This turn of events leaves the team of Brent Albright and Roderick Strong shorthanded in their scheduled 6-Man-stipulation-to-be-named-PPV-War against Sweeney’s team of Go Shiozaki, Chris Hero, and Davey Richards. We’re awaiting word from the ROH Booking Committee on whether or not this match will still happen. (newswire)

The Stevens injury sounds like a kayfabe reason to have him out of action…or have a dramatic return to action if he comes out during the match to take out Sweet & Sour Inc.

St. Louis & Nashville 12/05 & 06/08
MsChif vs. Daizee Haze: Without question, the top two female competitors to emerge out of the St. Louis wrestling scene in recent years are SHIMMER Champion MsChif and Daizee Haze. Both women have several years of history with one another, both as training partners, adversaries, and as occasional teammates. There’s no better place for MsChif and The Haze to have their first one-on-one match in ROH competition, than in front of the St. Louis area fans who have watched them from the start of their careers. On 12/5 in suburban St. Louis, these two Women of Honor will show their hometown fans what athletic female wrestling is all about in ROH. If MsChif is still SHIMMER Champion come 12/5, the title will be on the line! (newswire)

Nigel McGuinness vs. Jerry Lynn: Jerry Lynn was 1-for-2 in his contests over the weekend, but in the eyes of the fans, he convincingly batted 1.000. The ovations for the 45-year-old veteran in both Montreal and Markham didn’t go unnoticed, especially by ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness, who was said to be “less than happy” with how much adulation Lynn received…. Fans of Nashville, get ready. After spouting some unflattering comments on November 10th, Nigel McGuinness will be forced to physically back them up as he will face Jerry Lynn man-to-man! This match will take place regardless of whether or not McGuinness retains the ROH World Title in Dayton or Chicago. (newswire)

Use the Bushwacker, Luke: ROH officials are happy to welcome back Bushwhacker Luke Williams, as he will be appearing in the St. Louis Area on 12/5 and in Nashville on 12/6. (newswire)

Kenny Omega & The Briscoes vs. Kenny King, Sal Rinauro & Rhett Titus: Kenny Omega was both consoled and congratulated by the Briscoes for his effort, albeit on the losing end, in their Montreal tag team match. Kenny King inexplicably abandoned Omega during the contest and watched him ultimately fall to the Briscoes while laughing at him from ringside with his new found cohort, Rhett Titus. As a result, we’re happy to announce that two big grudge matches have been signed. In St. Louis, Kenny Omega will face Kenny King one-on-one in the hopes of gaining revenge. Not to be outdone, King accepted the match on the condition that he be granted a match of his choice. That match, signed for Nashville, will be a 6-Man-Tag Team match pitting Kenny Omega and the Briscoe Brothers against Kenny King, Rhett Titus, and King’s YRR partner, the returning Sal Rinauro! (newswire)

I’m all for more MsChif in ROH and as a SHIMMER representative no less. It sure beats another Del Rey vs. Haze match at this point Lynn vs. McGuinness II is a definite welcome addition, especially since they gelled together very well in their match back in June. The fans always pop big for the Bushwacker bit, so no problems there if he’s used for a light hearted moment. The YRR takes a big jump in its presence in ROH, with Titus becoming almost an honorary member and Rinauro back in the fold. Still, I’m hoping it’s the Briscoes and Kenny Omega who run roughshod over the heels in that match.

Character Developments

Sweet Hates Hillbillies: Super Agent Larry Sweeney isn’t happy about bringing Sweet-n-Sour to St. Louis and Nashville. “It makes me sick,” quipped Sweeney. “Nobody wants to spend time around toothless hillbillies and I’m only bringing Davey Richards to those two dumps because he wants to hurt somebody.” Richards was victorious in both of his matches in Canada, and seemingly wants to continue his charge. “Let’s face it,” Sweeney continued. “Davey is unstoppable right now and it won’t stop in Dayton against Brent Albright, it won’t stop in Chicago, and it sure won’t stop in St. Louis or Nashville. I could beat anyone in those two towns.”

Swiss No Longer Neutral: Nigel McGuinness certainly isn’t planning on anyone else carrying the ROH World Title anytime soon other than himself. To that end, we’re told the training regiment for both his Dayton championship 3-Way-Dance against Austin Aries and Tyler Black, as well as his highly publicized PPV encounter against Bryan Danielson in Chicago, must be seen to be believed. In fact, it seems that Claudio Castagnoli has been seen sparring and talking strategy with McGuinness. As we all know, Castagnoli is opposing Danielson in a heated grudge match of their own on 11/21 in Dayton!

Necro Gone, Necro Not Here:ROH officials have been unable to reach anyone connected to the Necro Butcher to ascertain the status of the knee injury he suffered at the hands of the AOTF’s Brodie Lee in Montreal. Necro has seemingly gone into seclusion, and at this point all we know is that he’s scheduled to be a part of ROH’s debut events in St. Louis and Nashville. We can’t confirm at this time if he’ll be able to compete, but we can surely surmise that he has his sights set on revenge.

Dempsey Time: Sources indicate that Larry Sweeney has been reluctantly telling those around him that it’s time Bobby Dempsey earned his keep. Could this mean that Dempsey will finally see action inside the ring as opposed to always being forced to hide under it? And when might this happen? More on this as it develops.

Mach 16 Please: “Dirty” Ernie Osiris has uncomfortably asked ROH Officials to let the fans know that he will accepting donations at all upcoming Ring of Honor events in the hopes that one day he’ll be able to afford a “battery-operated beard trimmer” and “semi-decent ring gear”. Thank you.

Roughing It: Fans in Toronto saw the frustration mount and explode from Mark and Jay Briscoe after they lost their hard fought battle with Steen and Generico. The former World Champions unexpectedly lost their composure after the bout, resulting in a shoving match with the victors that had to be broken up by officials. “We are the best tag team in the world, “said Jay Briscoe. “And we flat out lost. Were we pissed? You damn right we were, and we still are. So now what do we do? We man up. And it starts in Dayton.”

Kayfabe Quote of the Week: “We’ve earned our spot. We’ve done it time and again, and now we have that black mark hanging over our heads”, said Jay Briscoe. “But we’re gonna do what we do, son, and that’s simple. We man up. Can Steen and Generico do that? Are they men or mice? Yeah, they got a win. ONE win. That don’t prove nothing to nobody. Do it again and then maybe you got something.”

Rematch with Kevin Steen & El Generico soon? Looks like.

ROH Home Theatre Station

Videowire: November 11th, 2008

ROH Driven 2008 Preview:

Erick Stevens & Roderick Strong vs. Sweet & Sour Incorporated:

1. Kevin Steen & El Generico: I had a ball watching their tag title match and so did the fans of Boston. Right now they represent the best of babyface teams—fire, passion and a connection with the crowd.
2. Nigel McGuinness: Great promos, great in ring work, great drama in building up the possibility that someone, anyone, can knock him off for the title at any given time.
3. Jeff Hardy: The new “devil-may-care” attitude has done wonders for his character and brings up the potential for a more serious, more dangerous Jeff Hardy. WWE is apparently building him back up well, with that shocker of a pinfall against The Undertaker this week and the match against triple H next week. Six years ago in that ladder match against Taker Hardy was the kid who came oh so close. Now he’s standing neck and neck with Taker and Triple H and giving as good as he gets…and even winning!
4. Randy Orton : Yeah, I know we’re not supposed to cheer the heels even if they’re “cool”, but how can you not love Orton right now? It’s hard with the way WWE is booking him not to cheer for him. He’s giving attitude and not backing down from anyone, face or heel. The obvious thing would have been to have Orton and Team Priceless just up and team up, but this slow build is really making this storyline that much more realistic AND exciting.
5. Austin Aries : Aries didn’t back down from Jacobs and his challenge and looked very impassioned in his fight against Delirious at ROH Driven 2008.

Honorarium

-I again have to give kudos to the ROH production team for their recent videowire programs. Not only are they releasing them on a timely basis (about once a week), but the look of the video is sharper and clearer than ever before. The use of graphics, transitions and the environment around which they tape has improved and I have not only noticed it, but appreciated it greatly. Of course, the PPV production could still use a major upgrade, and there is a rumor is that ROH may hire from outside services to do just that. I can’t stress enough how the white washing needs to be stopped and the images have to be consistently sharp…so if that’s what it takes, I hope they do that.

– All you have to look to see the contrast between the ROH production and the possibilities of an outside unit is to see the ROH DVD releases from Tokyo—”Tokyo Summit” and “Battle of the Best”. Production was done on the Japanese side and it results in brilliant color capture with no screen glare and no white washing. I would have no problem showing any WWE fan these shows as a demonstration of ROH’s quality in the ring, but also in video quality…except that I can’t always guarantee that the ROH product will look this good all the time.

-I’m just beginning to watch the ROH DVDs from Japan, but decided to skip ahead some matches to watch the semi-main and main event from “Battle of the Best”, in particular the ROH tag Title match between Age of the Fall and The Briscoes so that continuity-wise it wouldn’t fall flat if I watched it after the tag title switch to Steen and Generico. The main event was a fast paced brawl and a fun one at that, and surprisingly there were a few fans loudly calling out for Age of the Fall (although for the most part this was the typical “quiet Japanese crowd”).

Danielson vs. McGuinness was a terrific focal point of the DVD. ROH provides a new highlight package of their rivalry that really underscores how well matched they are. Together, they provide a terrific match based on chain wrestling that expands and goes to a faster pace as the match goes on. I’m still not completely sure of Danielson going over in the match (because it seemed to be more of a stepping stone to the title match against Kanemura the next night rather than the focus being on Danielson outright defeating the ROH World Champion), but if you’re going to do it, you may as well do it this way, with a fantastic quality bout to underscore their rivalry.

ROH Preview: November 21st, 2008 in Dayton, Ohio

Montgomery County Fairgrounds
1043 S. Main St, Dayton, Ohio, 45409
8:00 pm belltime

ROH World Title Three Way Match
Nigel McGuinness defends vs. Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black

Nigel vs. Aries was awesome both times it happened this year. Nigel vs. Black was awesome both times it happened this year (once as a part of the four way elimination match at Death Before Dishonor VI) Nigel vs. Aries vs. Black? Three times the awesome, no doubt. I expect this one to be fast paced, balls to the wall action. Nigel should escape by the grit of his teeth, maybe even by taking advantage of Aries’ bloodlust to destroy anything Age of the Fall related.

World Tag Team Title Match
Kevin Steen & El Generico defend vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious

Steen and Generico’s second defense of the title comes against one-half of the former champions and his dangerous new ally. An unfettered Delirious is something for the champs to be wary, but even more so because it looks like the only one who can control Delirious is Jacobs. Steen & Generico will need to bring all of their fire and their resiliency in order to win this one.

Grudge Match #1
Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Danielson has been smashed in the head by Claudio once more than anyone should be smashed in the head. He has been bound and determined to make Claudio pay for his sins, but thus far Castagnoli has been one step ahead of him. To his credit, Claudio has fought against Danielson with a bitter will to win—he wants to prove he is better than Danielson and he will do anything it takes to do that. Castagnoli has trained with McGuinness, which makes him that much more knowledgeable about Danielson’s tendencies. It also brings up the red alarm considering this bout takes place just one night before Danielson’s big title match against McGuinness. Will Claudio sacrifice a win here in order to damage Danielson beyond repair? He would be doing it both for the champion and for himself.

Grudge Match #2
Brent Albright vs. Davey Richards with Larry Sweeney

Albright should use his power and brawn to throw off Richards, then focus on the armwork to secure the Crowbar arm submission. Richards loves to work the arm as well, so both wrestlers will have to be aware of their submission moves and counterwork around it in their game plans. No doubt Sweeney’s presence in Richards’s corner will tip the balance in favor of the former Mr. “No Remorse”, unless Albright brings friends of his own to the dance…

Lights Out Match
Roderick Strong vs. Chris Hero

There’s a big bone of contention between these two since Hero defeated Strong last time in Dayton. Strong wants some payback for being cheated out of the win, but with Davey Richards in the same building, I wouldn’t put it past Sweeney to bring him out to the ring for some mind games. Strong will have to put aside his hatred of The Inc. for now, especially if he wants to win a knock out style match. It’s going to be about the power and impact he can bring to the ring against a man who loves to do just that.

Four Corner Survival
Sami Callahan vs. Rhett Titus vs. ??? vs ???

Sami is known for being a bit…deranged…you know, loose in the head so to speak. Titus is a man who has found his groove again, or so he seems to think. It’s possible that by the end of the week we will know who the other two entrants will be for this match, but until then I give the early advantage to Titus, who has befriended up and comer Kenny King and could have more back up than anyone else involved.

Going Home

The Song Book

I’m still looking for suggestions for a new theme song for the one, the only Grizzly Redwood. So far I have “Big Bad John”. The other suggestion I just thought of would be Matisyahu’s “Chop ‘Em Down” considering Redwood loves to drop the big double axe handle. Send in your suggestions to here and I’ll post them up soon.

Ringtones

What, nothing on the Team Work vs Nigel/Claudio match? I thought that was match of the weekend since it wasn’t overblown nor overdone, it felt like watching a RAW main event (and I mean that in a positive way).

Posted By: Guest#5737 (Guest) on November 08, 2008 at 03:34 PM

To be honest, it was so not overblown nor overdone that I just plum overlooked it when thinking back about the show. Thinking about it now, it was a good match, a solid match, but nothing really stands out about it other than it was a good watch.

I think that the 20-count rule could be a very good thing for one reason – it should stop massive brawls all through the crowd that don’t translate well to dvd. This in turn should help to improve the quality of the dvds and hopefully sales too!

Posted By: Sepulchasm (Registered) on November 08, 2008 at 05:15 PM

I do think there were probably more of these all around the building brawls than there should be…but there are still plenty of instances where these brawls can be great fun. The Briscoes vs. Age of the Fall have had several excellent bouts in this style, notably at Supercard of Honor III and even just this past DVD in Japan.

Why doesn’t ROH do live PPV’s?

Posted By: eRIC (Guest) on November 09, 2008 at 03:48

The major thing that prevents ROH from doing live Pay Per Views is the cost-prohibitive nature. You need production trucks, live wires and plenty of other extra additions that make doing something like that unfeasible at the moment.

The Independent Buy In: 2008

**CHIKARA “Cibernetico & Robin” (Torneo Cibernetico: Kings of Wrestling vs. Dorado’s Luchadores, The Olsen Twins / Cheech & Cloudy, Quackenbush / Donst, The Colony / BLK OUT ) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA “Brusied” (Kingston / Donst, Campeones de Parejas: F.I.S.T. vs. Incoherence / Castagnoli / Taylor, The Colony / Brodie Lee & Olsen Twins, Cheech & Cloudy / Osirian Portal ) High Recommendation
**Pro Wrestling NOAH “Special Budokan Double Shot”7/15 & 9/9/07 (Determination League Semi Finals & Finals, NTV Cup Finals)High Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1 (Castagnoli / Williams, Evans / Pac, Black / Shelley, Aries / Strong, PWG Tag Titles: Generico & Steen / Dragon Kid & Susumu Yokosuka)Medium Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2 (CIMA / Tornado, Steen / Butcher, McGuinness / Richards, Kid / Yokosuka) Low Recommendation
**PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 3 (the entire show) High Recommendation
**Shimmer Volume 11 (Sarah Stock / MsChif, Sarah Stock / Cheerleader Melissa, Sara Del Rey / Cindy Rogers, Nikki Roxx / Lacey, Daizee Haze / Malia Hosaka, Allison Danger / Hosaka)High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 12 (Del Rey / Lacey, Del Rey / Sarah Stock, Haze / Lacey, Portuguese Princess Ariel / Josie / Nikki Roxx / Portia Perez, Melissa & MsChif / Lexie Fyfe & Hosaka)High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women’s Athletes Volume 13 (Melissa / Portuguese Princess Ariel, “Dark Angel” Sarah Stock / Daizee Haze, Portia Perez / MsChif, Del Rey & Roxx vs. Rain & Lacey, O’Neal vs. Melissa) Medium Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women’s Athletes Volume 14 (SHIMMER Title: Del Rey / Lacey, Nikki Roxx / Amazing Kong, Two out of Three falls: Allison Danger / Cindy Rogers, Portuguese Princess Ariel / Amber O’Neal) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA The Battle of Who Could Care Less (Incoherence & Tim Donst / BLK OUT, Claudio Castagnoli & Equinox / Hero & Hawke, Lince Dorado & Pantera / Olsen Twins, Quackenbush & The Colony / F.I.S.T. / Osirian Portal) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA The Sordid Perils of Everyday Existence (Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / Cheech & Cloudy, Lucha de Apresta: Chris Hero / Equinox, F.I.S.T., Ellis, Ryder / Quack / Donst / Super Smash Bros.) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA Chapter 11 (Hallowicked / Kingston, Colony / Super Smash Brothers & Shane Storm, Tex-Arkana Title Match: Alvarez / Sweeney, Quack, Trik Davis & Helios / Shayne Hawke & The Osirian Portal, MIYAWAKI, Hasegawa & Pantera / Cheech & Cloudy & Delirious) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women’s Athletes Volume 15 (SHIMMER Title: Sara Del Rey / Amazing Kong, Daizee Haze / Sara Stock, Cheerleader Melissa / Alexa Thatcher, Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew / Ariel & Josie, Sereena Deeb / Jetta) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Women’s Athletes Volume 16 (SHIMMER Title Two Out of Three Falls: Sara Del Rey / Sara Stock, Amazing Kong / Cheerleader Melissa, Daizee Haze MsChif & Eden Black / Lacey, Rain & Jetta, Portia Perez & Nicole Matthews / Ariel & Josie, Sereena Deeb / Jetta) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Two Eyebrows Are Better Than One (Castagnoli, Lince Dorado & Ophidian / Quackenbush, Donst & Amasis, Kingston / Storm, Colony / F.I.S.T., Moravian Greyhound / Zombie Plantain / Hydra)Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night One (Colony / Go, Nakazawam Shimizu, Osirian Portal & Mecha Mummy / Quackenbush, Storm & Skayde, Cheech & Cloudy & M.C. KZ / Quackenbush, Storm & Skayde, Delirious, Hallowicked & Helios / The Cartel) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night Two (Player Uno, Stupified & El Generico / Cannon & North Star Express, Lince, Pantera & Incognito / Los Ice Creams & Glacier, Sweet & Sour Inc. / F.I.S.T. & Taylor, Donst, Gulak & Sumner / Fabulous Three / ) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA King of Trios Night Three (KOT Quarter, Semi Finals & Finals, Tag Team Gauntlet) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Deuces Wild (NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title: Mike Quackenbush / El Pantera, UltraMantis Black / Tim Donst, Young Lions Cup: Helios / Lince Dorado, Colony / Osirian Portal, Robbie Ellis / Ice Cream Jr.) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA Passion and Persistence (Brodie Lee / Claudio Castagnoli, Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / F.I.S.T., Quackenbush, Shane Storm, Cheech & Cloudy / Mitch Ryder & Shayne Hawke, Larry Sweeney & Robbie Ellis, Hydra / Chuck Taylor)High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Grit & Glory (Castagnoli, Sonjay Dutt & Pantera / Quackenbush, Jorge Rivera & Turbo, Campeones de Parejas: Incoherence / Osirian Portal, Storm / Kingston, Vin Gerard/ Lince Dorado, Colony / Fabulous Three, Hydra & Tim Donst / Super Smash Brothers, Gran Akuma / PSYCHO, Daizee Haze & Chuck Taylor / Sara Del Ray & Bobby Dempsey)High Recommendation
**CHIKARA AniversarioMA (Atomicos Increibles: Mike Quackenbush, Cheech, Stupified & Worker Ant / Cloudy, Player Uno, Soldier Ant & Shane Storm, Brodie Lee, Mitch Ryder & Shayne Hawke / Incoherence & Claudio Castagnoli, Chuck Taylor & Gran Akuma / Turbo & Lince Dorado, El Pantera vs. Jorge Rivera , Osirian Portal / 2.0) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA AniversarioCT (Osirian Portal / Shane Storm & Mike Quackenbush, Super Smash Bros. / Cheech & Cloudy, Hydra & Tim Donst / Los Ice Creams, F.I.S.T. / The Colony, Brodie Lee / Claudio Castagnoli) High Recommendation
**FIP Cage of Pain II (Cage of Pain II, Roderick Strong/Larry Sweeney, Delirious & Hallowicked & Jigsaw/BxB Hulk & YAMATO & Jack Evans, Erick Stevens/Necro Butcher) High Recommendation
**FIP Redefined (Erick Stevens/Roderick Strong in their best encounter in FIP or ROH, Austin Aries/Davey Richards, Nigel McGuinness/Necro Butcher, Shawn Murphey/Heartbreak Express, Sal Rinauro/Tyler Black) High Recommendation
**CZW Deja Vu 3 (No Rope Barbed Wire Match: JC Bailey/Necro Butcher, El Generico/Super Dragon, B-Boy/Nate Webb, Ruckus & Mike Quackenbush/Kings of Wrestling) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 17 (Sara Del Rey & Allison Danger / MsChif & Cheerleader Melissa, Lacey / Sara Stock, Mercedes Martinez / Wesna Busic, Amazing Kong / Ariel, Daizee Haze / Cindy Rogers) High Recommendation
**SHIMMER Volume 18 (Amazing Kong / Wesna Busic, SHIMMER Title: Sara Del Rey / MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa / Sara Stock, Mercedes Martinez / Cindy Rogers, Minnesota Home Wrecking Crew / Ashley Lane & Nevaeh) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Young Lions Cup VI Night 1 (Fabulous Three / The Colony, YLC Semi Final Six Way Elimination, Sami Calahan / Vin Gerard, Jimmy Olsen / Stupefied, Amasis / Ultimo Breakfast) (NEW ADDITION) Medium Recommendation
**CHIKARA Young Lions Cup VI Night 2 (YLC Semi Final Six Way Elimination, Storm & Quackenbush / Super Smash Brothers, Worker Ant / Chip Day, Johnny Gargano / Marshe Rocket, Neo Solar Temple / Soul Touchaz, Ophidian / Turtle ) (NEW ADDITION) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Young Lions Cup VI Night 3 (YLC Finals: Fire Ant / Vin Gerard, Brodie Lee / Drake Younger, Eddie Kingston / Soldier Ant, Osirian Portal / Bobby Dempsey & Sara Del Rey, Fabulous Three / Soul Touchaz, Jimmy Olsen / Lince Dorado) (NEW ADDITION) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Tragedy & Triumph (No DQ: Brodie Lee / Castagnoli, Vin Gerard / Fire Ant, Storm / Quackenbush, Eddie Kingston / Lince Dorado, Osirian Portal & F.I.S.T. / Super Smash Brothers & The Colony) (NEW ADDITION) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA La Loteria Letal (Vin Gerard vs. Colin Delaney / Mike Quackenbush & Pinkie Sanchez, Larry Sweeney & Claudio Castagnoli / Pinkie Sanchez & Mike Quackenbush, Icarus & Ultimo Breakfast / Tim Donst & Helios, Lince Dorado & Jimmy Olsen / Shane Storm & Eddie Kingston , Colin Delaney & Vin Gerard / Mitch Ryder & Halcom Guerrero, Icarus & Ultimo Breakfast / Lince Dorado & Jimmy Olsen)(NEW ADDITION) High Recommendation
**CHIKARA Style & Substance (Cage Match: Claudio Castagnoli / Brodie Lee, F.I.S.T. / The Colony, Vin Gerard & STIGMA / Mike Quackenbush & Tim Donst, Osirian Portal / Cheech & Cloudy, Kingston / Dorado, The Best Around & Order Of The Neo Solar Temple / Hydra, Helios & Incoherence ) (NEW ADDITION) High Recommendation

I still have to get through SHIMMER volume 20, so my comments on that and volume 19 will be pushed back to next week.

This section needs your help! If you want to recommend some good independent wrestling to your fellow internet readers out there, drop me a line for the column.

Get With the pROHgram:

November 22nd, 2008—Chicago Ridge, IL: ROH presents Rising Above 2008 (continuing a third brand name for their PPV series) with Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Title and Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs in an “I Quit” match, plus Samoa Joe in a DVD bonus match.

December 5th & 6th, 2008—St. Louis & Nashville: Nigel McGuinness vs. Jerry Lynn and more to be announced.

December 27th, 2008—Manhattan, NY: Bryan Danielson vs. Takeshi Morishima, Final Battle 2008.

ROH @ 411

Once again, here is 411’s Driven 2008 PPV report, written by yours truly.

411 Buy or Sell comments on ROH in Canada, Nigel McGuinness and Danielson vs. Morishima.

Honor Bound Links

Scott Slimmer’s Don’t Think Twice

Aaron Hubbard’s The Wrestling Bard

Mat Sforcina’s Not An Evolution Schematic

Mike Chin’s The Importance of WCW Part 2

Sat & Uncle Trunx’s High Road / Low Road

Bayani Domingo’s Truth B Told

Mike Weyer’s Shining a Spotlight

Chris Lansdell’s Ask 411

That will do it for this week…I’ll be back in six for results from Dayton, a preview of the ROH PPV tapings in Chicago and more CHIKARA vs. ROH goodness.

BROOKLYN! PRINCE NANA, EH!!!
–Ari–