411’s ROH Roundtable Preview: Dayton OH & Chicago Ridge, IL (Rising Above 2008), November 21st & 22nd, 2008

Heyyyyy! Welcome back to the ROH Round table. Its arguably one of the biggest weekends of the year for Ring of Honor, with a huge title match, the return of one of its most recognizable and successful talents and the first ROH Pay Per View taping with an upgraded production schematic. There’s a lot to be excited about in Chicago, but Dayton isn’t that far behind with some unique matches and headlined by a very cool triple threat match for the ROH World Title between champion Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries and Tyler Black. In addition, Kevin Steen & El Generico put up the tag titles for the second time in their title run and Claudio Castagnoli will be featured in the next installment of his feud against Bryan Danielson. The story has been that Claudio and Nigel have been training together in hopes of one or both of them ending the “myth” of Bryan Danielson as the best wrestler in the world. Meanwhile, Bryan Danielson is intent on ending two grudges in one weekend AND ending up once again the ROH World champion. Can this be Danielson’s biggest week ever?

One Year Ago: (results from ROHwrestling.com)

Glory By Honor VI Night 1- Philadelphia, PA 11/2/07
1. Kevin Steen & El Generico beat BJ Whitmer & Brent Albright (411Mania Said: Brent Albright & BJ Whitmer 7-0)
2. Claudio Castagnoli beat Hallowicked
3. Davey Richards beat Delirious (411Mania Said: Delirious (5-2)
4. Jay & Mark Briscoe defeated Roderick Strong & Rocky Romero to retain the World Tag Team Titles (411Mania Said: Jay & Mark Briscoe 6-0-0-1)
5. Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, & Necro Butcher beat Jack Evans, Ruckus, & Jigsaw
6. Ernie Osiris beat Mitch Franklin to win the Top of the Class Trophy (411Mania Said: Mitch Franklin 7-0)
7. Austin Aries defeated Bryan Danielson in their third match in their Best of Three Series (411Mania Said: Austin Aries 5-1-0-1)
8. Nigel McGuinness beat Chris Hero to retain the ROH World Title
9. Mitsuharu Misawa & KENTA vs. Takeshi Morishima & Naomich Marufuji went to a 30 minte time limit draw (411Mania Said: Mitsuharu Misawa & KENTA 6-1)

**

Glory By Honor VI Night 2- New York, NY 11/3/07
1. Chris Hero beat El Generico (411Mania Said: Chris Hero 6-1)
2. Brent Albright & BJ Whitmer beat Kevin Steen & Delirious
3. Austin Aries beat Shane Hagadorn
4. Claudio Castagnoli beat Naomichi Marufuji (411Mania Said: Naomichi Marufuji 6-1)
5. Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Necro Butcher & Jimmy Jacobs ended in a Double DQ (411Mania Said: Two of Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black & Necro Butcher 4-3)
6. Tyler Black beat Alex Payne
7. Takeshi Morishima beat Bryan Danielson by DQ (411Mania Said: Bryan Danielson 7-0)
8. Roderick Strong, Davey Richards, & Rocky Romero beat Jack Evans, Ruckus, & Jigsaw (411Mania Said: Jack Evans, Ruckus & Jigsaw 4-3)
9. Austin Aries beat Chris Hero
10. Mitsuharu Misawa defeated KENTA to retain the GHC Heavyweight Title (411Mania Said: Mitsuharu Misawa 7-0)
11. Jay & Mark Briscoe beat Necro Butcher & Jimmy Jacobs in a Street Fight

**

ROH from the Round

ROH IN DAYTON, OH
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21ST, 2008

Four Corner Survival: Go Shiozaki vs. Sami Callahan vs. Rhett Titus vs. ???

Jarrod Westerfeld: I think this was brought up in this week’s Buy or Sell article, but these Four Corner Survival matches are mostly just to put over Shiozaki and Castagnoli. So with that we’ll be giving this to the FIP Champion.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Michael Bauer: Let me just think about this… The FIP Champion versus three scrubs…

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Samuel Berman: Every pick this week in 5 words or less. Sami impresses but Go wins.

Winner: Go Shiozaki

Ari Berenstein: Sami Callahan is the one to watch in this match, because this weekend will likely be his big chance to make a great impression. Callahan does a horror style gimmick, but as a face its tinged with just enough pinache and ludicrousness in tone that you laugh along when he says he’s gonna stab someone. I will save everyone the pain of having to watch Rhett Titus make out with a pair of underpants on the newest vignette…but I will post that up in the next edition of my column. It all seems headed towards Go Shiozaki winning this one, but depending on whom the fourth man is, this one could get interesting. I’ll take a flyer on the mystery man to win the match.

Winner: wrestler to be announced

411 Staff Picks: Go Shiozaki (3-0-0-1)

Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Irish Airborne

Jarrod Westerfeld: I believe the last time these two faced off the Briscoe’s proved their superiority in the tag team world by completely dominating the Irish tandem in the series much in the same way that the Briscoe’s dominated El Steenerico in their series last year. Though not much as changed since the last time these four have faced off, it’s safe to assume that the booking strength of the Briscoe’s will hold up here.

Winner: Irish Airborne

Michael Bauer: RIP Irish Airborne, thanks for coming, nice knowing you guys.

Winners: The Briscoes

Samuel Berman: Nice that Crists are back.

Winners: Jay & Mark Briscoe

Ari Berenstein: Sometimes ROH books wrestlers I just cannot stand…and Irish Airborne are two of them. They have never lived up to the potential they had in the first few appearances. For the life of me I don’t know why these guys are back, even if it’s just to job to The Briscoes. The horrible thing is, for some reason they may end up winning this match,because it seems ROH is starting some new angle with The Briscoes getting pissed off they lost the title match (and may keep losing until they snap). God I won’t be happy if that happens.

Winners: The Briscoes

411 Staff Picks: The Briscoes (3-1)

Lights Out Match: Roderick Strong vs. Chris Hero

Jarrod Westerfeld: The story here is for Hero to remain the “Knock Out Kid” despite not having the look, the demeanor or the history of being that guy, and with this being a Lights Out match, perhaps this is where Hero gets the backbone for his new character by knocking Strong out.

Winner: Chris Hero

Michael Bauer: I’m kinda interested in this match. Strong needs a big win against someone in SnS not named Davey Richards. But how do you beat Hero in his specialty right now?

Winner: Chris Hero

Samuel Berman: Hero fucking knocks Strong out.

Winner: Chris Hero

Ari Berenstein: The wheel is going to come around on Chris Hero. It’s time for the babyfaces to get the payback they so desperately want on the way to the Steel Cage Warfare match in December. Strong boots the fuck out of Hero and then uses Hero’s loaded elbow pad against him in an irony of epic proportions.

Winner: Roderick Strong

411 Staff Picks: Chris Hero (3-1)

Brent Albright vs. Davey Richards with Larry Sweeney

Jarrod Westerfeld: Well, I’ve been wrong about Albright as of recent and I’ve certainly been wrong about Ricards, as well. The way I’m batting, I could use a hit here and either one seems like a viable option to pick up as being the favorite of this match. The way Richards has been rolling, he seems like the top candidate, but Albright is also on a hot streak and has a lot to build for as he redeems himself for coming up so short on his NWA title reign. I’m split, but I’ll chance it that the Sweet n’ Sour Inc. picks up yet another victory on this night, with Richards being the charge of it.

Winner: Davey Richards

Michael Bauer: So if I have Hero winning, I can not possibly have a sweep by Larry Sweeney and company, can I?

Winner: Brent Albright

Samuel Berman: Davey wins to establish dominance.

Winner: Davey Richards
Ari Berenstein: Brent, meanwhile, will have to show some patience and willingness to delay gratification because I see an L in his future here. I think Sweeney puts Bobby Dempsey in play here and forces him to distract Albright enough for Richards to pick up the win.

Winner: Davey Richards

411 Staff Picks: Davey Richards (3-1)

Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Jarrod Westerfeld: It’s Bryan’s opportunity to build towards his big title shot against Nigel, and build up some momentum towards his blow off with Takeshi Morishima at Final Battle. But with the recent events of no finishes being added to the world of ROH in a bigger number then has been seen before, I’m going to bank on these two getting counted out.

Winner: Double Count Out

Michael Bauer: Danielson getting a win here is so needed. If he loses to Claudio right before a match with Nigel all of his momentum is crushed. But with the whole Nigel training with Claudio deal, it could be slightly more likely for Dragon to lose here. Claudio needs a big win BADLY and this could be the spot give it to him.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli

Samuel Berman: Dragon wins heading to Chicago.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Ari Berenstein: I absolutely DO NOT buy Michael’s lost momentum explanation…win or lose Danielson is going into Chicago with the crowd behind him and everything in place for him to win and make the Chicago crowd go crazy. Castagnoli could use the win to give Danielson an immediate challenger in the wake of a new title run, but Danielson hasn’t gotten revenge as of yet for being beaten down multiple times by Claudio. Castagnoli has been training with Nigel, so my guess is that we’ll go with Claudio purposefully getting himself DQ’ed so that he can put an even larger hurt on Danielson before the title match.

Winner: Bryan Danielson via DQ

411 Staff Picks: Bryan Danielson (2-1-1)

World Tag Team Title: Kevin Steen & El Generico (C) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Delirious

Jarrod Westerfeld: It’s not Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black so Steen and Generico can easily retain here while not hurting the former Tag Team Champions bid to return to the title fold.

Winner: Kevin Steen and El Generico

Michael Bauer: If this was Jacobs and Black going after the belts, I could think about a title change. But it is not.

Winners: Steen-erico

Samuel Berman: Jimmy spurns Tyler and loses.

Winners and STILL ROH World Tag Team Champions: Kevin Steen & El Generico

Ari Berenstein: The new look Delirious will likely get a ton of offense and build up the heat, likely against Generico. Jimmy Jacobs controls Delirious, but like on the last PPV, he wants to damage his opponents too much and that should back fire on him. Steen and Generico make a big time comeback and defend the titles.

Winners: Kevin Steen and El Generico to retain the ROH World Tag Team Titles

411 Staff Picks: Kevin Steen & El Generico (4-0)

ROH World Title Three Way: Nigel McGuinness (C) vs. Austin Aries vs. Tyler Black

Jarrod Westerfeld: I’m still banking on Nigel retaining for 15 months, if not more, so he’s going to be my choose here, and practically every other show I’m discussing for these roundtables.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Michael Bauer: No way in absolute hell does the title change hands right before Nigel faces Dragon on Pay Per View. That is the bottom line.

Winner: Nigel McGuiness

Samuel Berman: Nigel can’t lose before PPV.

Winner and STILL ROH World Champion: Nigel McGuinness

Ari Berenstein: I almost wish this was a non-title three way match because I just don’t see how you can buy a title switch before the biggest PPV title match of the year. ROH has given it a good try in the newswires to sell the possible scenarios of a title switch, but it ain’t happening here. Aries and Black will be fighting too much against each other and not enough against McGuinness, and divide and conquer is all the champ needs to retain.

Winner: Nigel McGuinness to retain the ROH World Title

411 Staff Picks: Nigel McGuinness (4-0)

**

ROH Videowire: November 18th, 2008

GRIZZLY REDWOOD IS AWESOME

**

ROH RISING ABOVE 2008 PAY PER VIEW TAPINGS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22ND, 2008

Four Corner Survival: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sami Callahan vs. Silas Young vs. Alex “Sugarfoot” Payne

Jarrod Westerfeld: What I said about the previous Four Corner Survival, Claudio and Shiozaki’s stage to perform upon and look better.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli

Michael Bauer: Now RoH can’t do continuty correctly. Morishima got kicked off PPV for suplexing an offical. But Claudio gets to have a match after doing it? If anything, he is facing three wanna bes, so maybe they play it off that way instead.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli

Samuel Berman: Sami gets big time win.

Winner: Sami Callihan

Ari Berenstein: This one is either Sami’s to make a big statement, or Claudio to continue to build him up as a major bad ass. I go with the latter, but Sami gets a healthy “please come back” chant for his troubles.

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli

411 Staff Picks: Claudio Castagnoli (3-1)

Delirious vs. Rhett Titus

Jarrod Westerfeld: Delirious has his new attitude which is more Hulk-smash-like than before so it’s easy to put him over Rhett this time just to give him a bit of satisfaction as he begins to beat down on the lover boy who sent him over this edge.

Winner: Delirious

Michael Bauer: This is odd. Everyone knows what Rhett has been doing and how it torments poor Delirious. BUt an enraged, all black masked man will feast on Rhett.

Winner: Delirious

Samuel Berman: Delirious injures yet another student.

Winner: Delirious
Ari Berenstein: Once again I’ll play the contrarian. I expect Daizee Haze to make herself known in this match, and running across her may rejigger something within Delirious to throw him off enough to allow Rhett to get the win. THEN Delirious will go crazy again.

Winner: Rhett Titus

411 Staff Picks: Delirious (3-1)

SHIMMER Title: MsChif defends vs. Sara Del Rey

Jarrod Westerfeld: I doubt that ROH would bring in MsChif here to defend her title against the dominating Sara Del Rey to simply lose on the one night shot, but then again this is Adam Pearce’s ROH now and he has been a bit more unpredictable than the previous head booker of the company.

Winner: MsChif

SHIMMER Title: MsChif defends vs. Sara Del Rey

Michael Bauer: I don’t think SHIMMER would have Ring of Honor allow a title change, but I’m gald this happens on PPV. I mean, Sara must be a contender after her one minutes squash on the last PPV, right? If anything, this gets us a look at SnS vs AotF.

Winner: MsChif

SHIMMER Title: MsChif defends vs. Sara Del Rey

Michael Bauer: I don’t think SHIMMER would have Ring of Honor allow a title change, but I’m gald this happens on PPV. I mean, Sara must be a contender after her one minutes squash on the last PPV, right? If anything, this gets us a look at SnS vs AotF.

Winner: MsChif

Ari Berenstein: Hopefully this goes on Pay Per View and becomes the first women’s match on PPV to get a significant amount of time. This is a great combination to feature the women and I expect both to be really pumped for the chance to showcase their skills. MsChif won’t lose the title on an ROH show, but it could lead to one more title match in SHIMMER between the two.

Winner: MsChif to retain the SHIMMER Title.

411 Staff Picks: MsChif (4-0)

Six Man Tag Team War: Roderick Strong, Brent Albright, & ??? vs. Chris Hero, Go Shiozaki, & Davey Richards with Larry Sweeney

Jarrod Westerfeld: I think someone else has already pointed out that it could be Jerry Lynn, but I can’t recall which column that might have been, or whether or not that was in private chats on the forums. We’ll go with Lynn just because he seems to fit in pretty well with this storyline, and we’ll bank the screwy finish to ramp up this storyline a bit further.

Winner: Chris Hero, Go Shiozaki, Davey Richards

Michael Bauer: I have to go with Jerry Lynn being the third man for Strong and Albright as it just makes too much sense. Anyone else and I am shocked. That said, I can’t imagine Sweet N’ Sour winning here, forcing Larry’s hand into the challenge he refuses to accept… the Steel Cage Warfare.

Winner: Strong, Albright, and Lynn

Samuel Berman: Lynn fills in, faces win.

Winners: Roderick Strong, Brent Albright & Jerry Lynn

Ari Berenstein: That would be me who stepped up and said it would be Jerry Lynn and I’m not backing down from that statement now. If the faces win they get to fight Sweet & Sour Inc. in Steel Cage Warfare match for Final Battle. That’s exactly what will happen and I’ll go so far as to say that Erick Stevens will show up at the end of this one to help tip the balance in the good guys’ direction.

Winner: Strong, Albright and Lynn

411 Picks: Strong, Albright and Lynn (3-1)

I-Quit Match: Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs

Jarrod Westerfeld: You would think that this would end with a Jacobs victory to vindicate his vengeful mentality after the betrayal that he’d suffered at the hands of Aries and Lacey, but odds are it’ll likely go to Aries who needs to end this on the note that he was in the right. But I’m not against being wrong, so I’ll go with the decision I think would best work for this storyline versus what might actually come to be.

Winner: Jimmy Jacobs

Michael Bauer: The feud will end here and for some reason I have to imagine Aries wins here. A Jacobs loss, combined with everything that has happened, has the perfect feel to a Tyler Black face turn. It won’t happen here, but it could someplace where Black has had major overage with his matches with Nigel. Remember, Final Battle weekend is in Philly and New York… the same two places that had Nigel vs. Black.

Winner: Austin Aries

Samuel Berman: Jimmy beat Whitmer, now Aries.

Winner: Jimmy Jacobs

Ari Berenstein: Expect everything and the kitchen sink to be thrown into this one. Aries and Jacobs’ have been at war for months now, and the winner would take a major step back up the rankings for 2009. While I think Jacobs would benefit greatly from a win here, Aries has won major feuds on PPV including the fight against Roderick Strong at Undeniable. There’s also the background story about who Aries will bring to second him to the ring. Maybe it’ll be Lacey, maybe it will be Necro Butcher, or maybe it will be BJ Whitmer in what could be an interesting comes around, goes around storyline. Whatever happens there, I say miscommunication between Black and Jacobs will end up being the undoing of Age of the Fall for this match. Aries wins the best-of-three series and the feud.

Winner: Austin Aries

411 Staff Picks: It’s a Push (2-2)

Special Challenge Match: Samoa Joe vs. Tyler Black

Jarrod Westerfeld: It’s the former TNA World Champion versus some rising star kid who hasn’t gotten the eyes of the big two placed on him. Under any other circumstance I would think that Black might get the upset here just to increase his stock for the big push of dethroning Nigel McGuinness from the ROH World Championship, but seeing as this is the first time Joe will be back in an ROH ring since his departure in 2007’s Fifth Year Festival England show and because ROH might want to keep up their relations with TNA to keep receiving some of these ROH alumni turned TNA stars then we’ll bank on the Samoan Submission Machine, but not without a fight.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Michael Bauer: I am very torn here. On one hand, most people coming back from TNA have done at least one job to someone in Ring of Honor (MCMG vs. Jacobs/Black, MCMG vs. Steen-erico, LAX vs. The Briscoes) this year. Logic says that this would be to put over Tyler Black. But I cannot see Samoa Joe returning to the location of his last United States Ring of Honor show to job to a early 20s kid who shows all the potential in the world. This is the spot where a loss for Tyler is still a win.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Samuel Berman: Joe returns, dusts off upstart.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Ari Berenstein: Black hasn’t beaten Bryan Danielson or Nigel McGuinness…and Samoa Joe is right there with them as far as placement in ROH history. So no, Tyler Black does not shock the world and pull off the massive upset (although there’s a part of my mind that says that Adam Pearce is just ballsy enough to book it) but boy is he going to look great trying to do it. Joe back in ROH, even if just for one night, gets a thumbs up in my book.

Winner: Samoa Joe

411 Staff Picks: Samoa Joe (4-0)

ROH World Title: Nigel McGuinness (C) vs. Bryan Danielson

Jarrod Westerfeld: Not here, not now, possibly not ever. My bank roll is fully behind the idea of Black being the guy to dethrone Nigel, despite all of the desires from the fans to see their first ever two time ROH World Champion being crowned. So like I’ve been saying…

Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Michael Bauer: Pay Per View main event match with Danielson, who has been chasing Nigel for months, taking on Nigel, the third longest reigning champion. I have to believe that Danielson is due. If this was not a PPV match, I would have Nigel retaining. And that would be the ONLY way I would have Nigel retain.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Samuel Berman: Dragon puts Nigel over clean.

Winner and STILL ROH World Champion: Nigel McGuinness

Ari Berenstein: Make no mistake, Nigel McGuinness has done a magnificent job as ROH World Champion. He made it past the chaos and controversy of the opening months of his run and turned his shot at the top into something unique. His matches have been top notch, but as the saying goes, for everything there comes an end. I’ve always said that the ROH World Title will almost always change only PPVs now that they are a regular part of the ROH canon. This is the best possible time and the best possible atmosphere to do a title change. Nigel has broken Samoa Joe title defense record, but he is not going to make it through Joe’s near two-year streak, much less surpass Danielson’s fifteen month run. The build to the title shot has been coming since February, and with that kind of length in making us wait for it, the pay off will be a title switch. Bryan Danielson, your NEW and TWO-TIME ROH World Champion at the end of the night.

Winner: Bryan Danielson to WIN the ROH World Title

411 Staff Picks: It’s a Push (2-2)

And that’s all as we head into the big ROH weekend. Be sure to check in with 411 over the weekend for the latest results and information. Thanks for joining us!
–Ari–