Dragon Gate USA Weekend: Johnny Gargano vs. Jimmy Rave

It's Monday! I'm wrapping up the Dragon Gate USA weekend today with the DGUSA champion. The belt above is a pretty damn cool looking title. I would say this belt is one of my favorites and is by far better than that WWE spinner belt. Then again I've seen indy belts made with aluminum and a bedazzler that looked better than that title.

I find it fitting that I wrap up DGUSA weekend today with an Old School Monday Night RAW tonight. Talk about two opposite ends of the spectrum. Then again I'd love to watch the late 80's/early 90's WWF stars try to do half the things the guys (and girls) from Dragon Gate USA pull off.

I don't know if Dragon Gate will ever be one of the top two promotions in the country. I don't believe they even want to be. Don't get me wrong, they would love to sell out 20,000 seat arenas. What I mean is that the promotion has never made serious attempts to secure a national television deal, and they haven't run a full slate of house shows like a TNA or WWE. I really think that their current iPPV and DVD business structure is what works best for the japanese off shoot. As long as the product in front of the camera doesn't change then I'm happy with that.

Today's match is a little older, but I couldn't do a DGUSA weekend without showing Johnny Gargano. He is probably the biggest home grown star for the promotion. He came in as part of a stable known as Ronin, and played second fiddle to Chuck Taylor (a funny funny guy). He ended up being the breakout star of the group and catapulted himself in the DGUSA title picture.

Over a year ago, like CM Punk, Gargano won his title and hasn't looked back. His biggest test is coming up at WrestleCon during WrestleMania weekend when he defends the title against japanese icon, Shingo. This will be a match that can't be missed. You can see it on iPPV for like 1/4 the price of WrestleMania. That's a helluva deal.

Now Gargano has not only become one of the best wrestlers in the promotion, but he has also become one of the best promo men on the independent wrestling circuit. Check out his latest promoting WrestleCon:

 

Johnny Gargano has become the total package. I'd go see him fast because pretty soon he'll only be seen in Tampa, Florida. If you don't believe me then check out today's match with indy main stay Jimmy Rave. It's a two parter, so sit back and enjoy!



 

 

That is a talented dude, and one of the reasons that DGUSA is successful. I hope you enjoyed this Dragon Gate USA weekend. I'll try do more weekends in the future with independent promotions and talent. Please leave any suggestions in the comment box, or click the contact link to drop me a line.

 

Also don't forget to swing by the Dragon Gate USA site and pick up some merch. It supports the cause and a small business. When you do that you help create jobs. That helps the country. Don't you want to help the country? Aren't you a Real American?

 

See that segway! Remember to check back tomorrow for my weekly Monday Night RAW review. It's Old School RAW tonight, which should be a fun show with all the stars for glory days passed. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for our first Undertaker vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania encounter. That and more of Uncle Zeb's amazing mustache.

 

Until tomorrow remember this advice: Life's a work, duck the clothesline. 

Dragon Gate USA Weekend: AR Fox vs. Arik Cannon

It's the first weekend in March and I decided to do something special. Today through Monday I will be putting up one match from Dragon Gate USA a day. If you don't know who DGUSA is then here is your chance to learn.

I'm not one for iPPVs. I'm still from the generation that does most of my watching on a TV and not the internet. I did however go buy Apple TV because I wanted to see Dragon Gate USA after I'd heard the buzz they were generating. Ever since my first DGUSA iPPV, I've been hooked.

The quick background is this: Dragon Gate is a japanese wrestling promotion that was born from the ashes of Ultimo Dragon's Toryumon promotion/school. The promotion focuses on more atheletic high risk wrestling with the size of the wrestlers taking a dimished role. The best known talent to come out of DGUSA would be CIMA, Shingo, and Akira Tozawa. Currently they are considered the fourth largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE, TNA, and RoH.

A few years back when Gabe Sapolsky was relieved of his duties with Ring of Honor, he started up the United States off shoot of Dragon Gate. The promotion looked to carve a niche into the wrestling DVD market while giving the japanese talent a place to work in the states and American talent a chance to be scouted for japanese tours. Now with the invention of internet pay per views, DGUSA has become one of the leaders in the new media trend of professional wrestling.

Today I've found a match featuring two of my favorite American stars: AR Fox and Arik Cannon. Fox has been gaining fame lately for having the best matches on the card no matter where he shows up. He is a true breakout star. Cannon is a ring vet that is the current spokesman for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Yup, he's a PBR man. That alone makes me a fan. Arik also used to wrestle in a garbage bag looking singlet when I saw him years ago in IWA:MS. He's good people.

Watch as these two smash each other's faces and pull off some crazy moves in the video below.

Now go visit the Dragon Gate USA site, buy some merch, and maybe even check out a show.

Swing back here tomorrow for day two of the Dragon Gate USA weekend as I'll feature a match with Ricochet, the man taking japan by storm.

Buy This!

It's no secret that Steve Corino is a fan favorite around these parts. You can put Jimmy Jacobs on that list too. One of the best things to come out of the destruction of Kayfabe is shoot interviews. There is a metric ton of tapes full of great shoot interviews. This latest from both Corino and Jacobs is sure to be a hit.

I think the best shoot interviews are probably the ones over the years put out by Jim Cornette. He usually doesn't pull punches and has some great stories. Sabu did one a few years back. It was kinda weird because he kept acting like he thought the camera was off. Now there is the "Full Case of Tales" series from High Spots.

Take a wrestler(s) and mix in booze. Soon the stories flow like wine. It is a nice concept. For one the alcohol relaxes those who need it. Also it gives a great excuse when a wrestler crosses a line. Don't blame me, I was drunk.

Give this preview a look and go buy the DVD. Believe me it will be worth it. Plus it supports both Corino and Jacobs. That is always a good thing. Buy it, Watch it, and laugh.

Is Pro Wrestling’s Third Wheel Going Flat?

Last week I got into a Facebook debate with my longtime friend, and wrestling comrade, Shaffee about the future of Ring of Honor. For those that don’t know, He is the afternoon host on 97.9 WGRD in Grand Rapids, MI. Shaffee and I also got into the wrestling business at the same time working with the PWF in 2000 & later with the Farhat family’s AWWL in 2002.  He’s the former manager of Sabu, and has wrestled for TNA at Bound For Glory against Traci Brooks. I think most of us are more jealous of the latter.  

Shaffee made the statement that Ring of Honor would be out of business by the end of 2012. It’s a bold prediction, but one he backed up. He pointed out that the promotion’s television product has its holes. For instance, the episode he recently watched involved a moment where an ether rag was used to knock out an opponent. The rag made its way into the crowd, and ROH showed fans sniffing the rag & laughing. The crowd knew the rag was a fake, and whatever loose form of kayfabe was shattered not only to the crowd but the audiences watching at home. This was one of many points that Shaffee made. That and RoH referee Todd Sinclair was bigger than most of the wrestlers.

It made me wonder if Ring of Honor, the favorite promotion of “smart” wrestling fans, was going the way of Extreme Championship Wrestling or Smokey Mountain Wrestling. Almost a year ago RoH was purchased by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, and it looked like the promotion was ready to slide into the top three behind WWE & TNA. According to SBG, Ring of Honor would reach almost a quarter of television sets in America. Yet a year later it seems that RoH has lost some of the allure it had going into the deal.

First, the biggest news out of RoH recently has been the talent that is leaving. Kenny King, current RoH tag team champion, showed up on TNA’s Impact Wrestling last week. RoH responded with a press release claiming they had been stabbed in the back by King. Yet, it was RoH who made the bush league decision to put a title on a non-contracted wrestler. Something anyone with any business logic knows is a no-no. Now a new shoot video with Kenny King is making the rounds as he doubts the vision and direction of Ring of Honor.

On top of that is the rumors that RoH poster child Davey Richards is once again talking about retirement. Richards has been talking retirement for years, but it never helps the promotion to be in limbo with one of its top stars. The constant mention of Richards walking away from wrestling can only fuel the flames of Ring of Honor not making it to 2013.

One man shoveling dirt on the grave of RoH is former WCW announcer Mark Madden. The Pittsburgh sports talk radio host has penned a few articles about his perceived problems with Ring of Honor. Madden comments on their attendance numbers being dismal, pointing to RoH drawing less than 500 in Pittsburgh. He is the most vocal of the RoH dissenters that has shed light onto talent issues such as Richards’ perpetual retirement to become a fire fighter.

Mark also points out that Jim Cornette, one of the last hold overs from 80’s territorial wrestling, is running the promotion like a small time regional federation instead of the national entity that it should be. Madden and Shaffee both have pointed to the use of local DJs or Promoters on the RoH TV product that makes Ring of Honor seem more like the small time carnival coming to town than the #3 wrestling promotion in the world. In wrestling perception still counts for something, and Cornette’s direction of the promotion has it being perceived more as a low rent indie fed barely removed from the flea market, and less like the national wrestling promotion reaching millions of viewers weekly.

The final straw might have come when Ring of Honor cancelled their tour of the Carolinas. A traditional wrestling hot bed, the cancelling of the tour might have been out of RoH’s hands but it only stokes the fires of RoH’s doubters. With talent leaving, talent talking retirement, wrestling talking heads taking shots, and cancelled tours, the demise of Ring of Honor might be over exaggerated, but the discussion is still happening. It’s a discussion that can only hurt Ring of Honor. What fan wants to invest time into a promotion that might not be around in a few months, even if it is just rumors?

Speaking of fans, it might be their fans that are doing the most damage. Ring of Honor is the haven for “Smart” fans. The fans who believe they know more about the wrestling business than even the wrestlers or the promoters. A perfect example is the end of the recent Ring of Honor iPPV, “Best in the World”, where Kevin Steen takes a 5 minute shit on the fans. He cuts a promo that would have caused a riot in New York if done fifteen year ago. Instead as he runs down the fans they continue to cheer Steen. They’re smart fans and they’re not going to get tricked into booing for this man because they know better. Only proving they don’t know shit.

What they’re really doing is sending a confusing message to regular wrestling fans trying to watch the RoH product for the first time. Why are these fans cheering a man who is calling them a bunch of names and insulting them to their face? Because new RoH fan, Smart Wrestling fans are the dumbest fans around. They think they know best, which usually means they know nothing. In the end not going along with the show to prove something is only going to prove people like Shaffee & Mark Madden right. That being, Ring of Honor isn’t long for this world.

When your audience won’t let go of the Cult persona, neither can the promotion. This is the smart fans wrestling promotion, and nobody is going to change it. Which means when RoH tries to go national, its fan base can’t adapt to being the #3 wrestling promotion in the world. It’s the basic theory of evolution, when you can’t adapt you die. Smart wrestling fans won’t let RoH adapt. They won’t buy into Kevin Steen as the bastard trying to close down Ring of Honor, in fact they’re helping shut the door.

Ring of Honor has a lot of problems, as any company going from small business to national entity does. The biggest is their fans, and their lack to truly support the product by being wrestling fans again. Their need to prove they are smarter than the average fan only lends to smothering the promotion. It won’t be Kenny King or Davey Richards leaving that kills RoH. It won’t be Mark Madden or Shaffee doubting the promotion that will kill RoH. It won’t even be cancelled dates that does in the promotion. It will be their fans and their inability to be simply fans that will snuff out Ring of Honor. Until the real fans outnumber the smart fans, Ring of Honor will be a small fish in a big pond. And what happens to small fish in big ponds? They get eaten alive.   

TNA Impact Wrestling: Rollercoaster Wrasslin’

TNA has been up and down lately; usually in the same episode. Last night was a step in the right direction. The go home show before Destination X put the finishing touches on what should be an entertaining Pay Per View. Also having a current Ring of Honor champion wrestle on the show created a buzz on the internet, and creating a buzz is never a bad thing. It wasn’t all peaches and cream as there were some road bumps, but compared to last week this was a step up.

The best part of the night: there was no Boobs Hogan. The Hulkster’s spawn didn’t make it on TV this week, and that made the episode better. Absence makes the heart grow fonder … of not having her on my TV. Not to say the Knockouts didn’t have their own dumbass moments.

Madison Rayne has been swooning over a mystery man for weeks. This week we found out the payoff for this storyline was elderly referee Earl Hebner. The man who screwed Brett, is now the man who wants to screw Madison. Angles involving refs are moronic, especially ones with this much build. How does this help build characters? Where does it really go from here? Does it help bring in ratings watching grandpa make out with a fake beauty queen? It is wasted television time, and wasted talent. Let your refs call the matches, and let your wrestlers handle the stories. They missed a golden opportunity to elevate two male talents using Madison Rayne as the middle piece of a twisted love triangle.

Here let me book this on the fly for you. Madison falls for guy X, then guy Y thinks it should be him who she goes for. Guy X isn’t as into Madison as Guy Y, but being hard to get makes Madison want Guy X more, which pisses off Guy Y. Guy X and Guy Y fight. Madison, being an egomaniac, loves the attention. Eventually Guy X falls for Madison and defeats Guy Y, leaving the door open for a variety of angles such as Madison not wanting Guy X anymore in favor of Guy Y, Madison screwing both of them over by debuting Guy Z, Madison celebrating that Guy X loves her back, etc. Now we just have Madison & one half of the grumpy old men. This is a prime example of why TNA falls on their face.

Another head scratch moment was when Gail Kim used her lawyers to get her out of a Knockouts Title match this week, and she’s not the champion. So she doesn’t want to wrestle for the title? Who waits a week for their shot at the strap? And why make it next Thursday and not this Sunday at the PPV? The tag match between the Knockouts was good for what it was. They kept Gail and Tessmacher apart during the finish to protect their future match up. I still don’t see why Gail Kim gave up a title shot, especially against somebody like Brooke Tessmacher, who isn’t exactly the most threatening champion in the world.

Speaking of Lawyers, I really dig Joseph Park. Having met Abyss when TNA was running the Nashville fairgrounds on Wednesday nights, it really is cool to see him evolve as an all-around worker. Plus I think Bully Ray is the bee’s knees. His persona, mic work, and physical style make him an asset to the company. Nothing against the two, but I hope this feud ends soon so Bully can make his way into the main event picture against somebody like an Austin Aries. He is that damn good.

The restraining order came off a little low rent. Who goes to jail for life for violating a restraining order? I don’t mind the use of the restraining order to keep “Abyss” out of the match, but put some reality into it. It’s a minor hiccup, and as good as these two are, it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

What does matter in the grand scheme of things is the wrestling. Devon and Crimson had a good match, but it seemed really rushed. It felt like an enhancement match more than a TV title match. Also why does Crimson get a title match when he lost at the last PPV to James Storm? Then again he was undefeated for 18 months so one loss shouldn’t drop you to the bottom of the basement.

Storm vs. Hardy was a really good match that had the crowd going nuts. I can’t deny that both are over like Grover with the fans. I still can’t stand the Bound for Glory series. I have said that it is over booked wrestling, but it does give good matchups every week. Who knows it might actually grow on me, until I am forced to do math, then I will hate it again.

The X-division tournament was two totally different matches. Flip Cassanova & Dumbshit Darsow should never come back to TNA. That was the sloppiest spot fest I have seen since that movie the backyard. Darsow is lucky he only walked away with a broken nose. Flip has a good look but he is dangerous in the ring. He will hurt somebody in a real bad way if he keeps wrestling like that. Just awful stuff.

On the other hand Kenny King delivered on all fronts. In the ring he looked crisp, and light years ahead of the three other x-division workers tonight. Add in the fact that he is one half of the current Ring of Honor tag team champions, and his debut had tons of sizzle. He got to cut a promo after, plus a backstage segment. I’m not a betting man, but I think KK will be in the Ultimate X match finals on Sunday. Hell, I think he is my pick to win it all.

King appearing on the show and the PPV this Sunday won’t help the rumors going around the internet that Ring of Honor is going out of business. Mark Madden, former WCW announcer, has been leading the charge that RoH is on their last leg. The promotion just cancelled a whole run of shows in the Carolinas. Now one of their champions appears on the competitors show only weeks after winning the belt. No matter the truth, this is a dark time for Ring of Honor.

The darkest time is what has happened to AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels … I can’t even talk about this. Pregnancy angles never work in wrestling. Mae Young giving birth to a hand thinks this storyline is stupid. The only excuse for this is if later it comes out the whole storyline was written by a mentally handicapped child as part of a make-a-wish, but that can’t be it because even the mentally handicapped community thinks this angle is retarded.

The exact opposite of Styles & Daniels is the world title match at Destination X. Robert Roode and Austin Aries is going to be so good. They have done a great job of building to this match. Roode abusing Sabin, and kicking a cripple cemented him as king asshole in TNA. It also allowed for Aries to get the upper hand at the end of the show, and not make it feel like AA was dominating the night. The two have been booked to seem neck & neck, which makes Sunday a toss-up. That helps a buy rate, which is the reason TNA is in business.

The shot of Aries and Hogan at the end with both titles raised high is a great closing moment. Hulk Hogan has really embraced this back seat role. It looks like it may not last with the playing cards & sting’s attackers beginning soon. I hope Hogan realizes less is more in the coming weeks. 10 minutes of the Hulkster is good, and 40 minutes of Hulk is bad.

Impact Wrestling was an entertaining show this week with ups and downs like a rollercoaster. In the end I almost a puked a few times, but when it was done I was glad I went along for the ride.

Ring of Honor: Hard Hits & A Few Misses

Yesterday I decided it was worth the 12 dollars with my ringside membership to watch Ring of Honor’s latest iPPV offering, “Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis”. An iPPV with a title as long as “Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol”, and equally as enjoyable. Who doesn’t love a film with Bobcat, Bubba Smith, and The Guttenburg? The same people who don’t like wrestling shows involving teeth missing, broken tables, and girls in tight outfits. Luckily for me I am a fan of all these things, especially the Guttenburg.

Like Police Academy movies, Ring of Honor had its flaws on Sunday, but it was overshadowed by a slew of successes. I mean who thought it was a good idea to give Bobcat a gun? Probably the same person who came up with idea for the Guardians of Truth, including having them open the show.  Then again who cares about that when Adam Cole is stealing the show!

The iPPV problems Ring of Honor had during Border Wars seem to be a thing of the past. The feed for this show was crystal clear, and had minimal glitches that are not uncommon with normal cable HD. After a few minutes I had forgotten I was watching an iPPV. It was that good of a picture.

ROH kicked things off with the Briscoe Brothers against Truth Martini’s new mystery tag team, The Guardians of Truth. The Guardians are former WWE tag team champions the Headbangers in all black including full masks that make them look like generic versions of the Villanos. I’ve seen the Briscoes wrestle for almost a decade, and this might have been the worst match in their RoH careers. It could have been the loose and sagging ring ropes that threw them off, but I would give more credit to the Guardians.

The former Headbangers seemed to be having a bad day at the office. Their timing was off, and it looked a lot like when old aging stars work young guys at an indie show. A perfect example of this was at the finish when one stood at ring side watching the other about to get demolished by the Briscoe finisher, and did the “it takes me 20 seconds to slide under these ropes & help you” thing. These two are supposed to be athletic killing machines that can’t even slide under a rope. It might just be me, but this match wasn’t my cup of tea.

When I’ve booked shows in the past I have always had one important rule. The main event is the most important match, the opener is the second. The opener sets the tone for the night. It is the pace car that every other match is going to be judged on. This match told me that tonight was going to be sloppy. Luckily that turned out to be wrong, but it did take until Adam Cole got his teeth knocked out two matches later for my spirits to change. This put a damper on a good Homicide & Eddie Edwards contest between the two matches.

Homicide & Eddie Edwards had a good back and forth match. The announcers focused on Eddie’s injured arm, and a part of me wished Homicide did too. The thing is that wouldn’t have been in character for Homicide. He did some stuff with Eddie’s arm, but I wouldn’t call it an all-out assault on his arm.

Homicide has developed this amazing brawler persona, and that means he shouldn’t be taking apart his opponents injured area. He should be tossing everything including the kitchen sink at them, which is exactly what happened to Eddie Edwards. In the end it was too much as Homicide hit the gringo killer, a neck/shoulder based finisher, for the win. Picking up a “W” against Edwards can only mean Homicide has big things in his future, possibly a World title shot.

Holy Shit is all I can say about Adam Cole. There are matches or moments you can point to that make a wrestler in the eyes of the fans. It happened for Eddie Edwards when he wrestled with a broken elbow, and it happened last night for Adam Cole when he had his two teeth knocked out.

The concept of the match between Cole and Kyle O’Reilly was idiotic. The Hybrid styles concept should just be put in a shredder and forgotten quickly. The whole thing stinks of the Bound for Glory series in TNA, which is the stupidest thing in pro wrestling today. There are all these rules and regulations that can lead to fouls, and then on top of that there are different types of fouls. Plus there is a standing ten count, and probably a five minute penalty for roughing. I don’t know, but it wouldn’t have surprised me with all the ins and outs of this match. Anytime you actually need something longer than the Ten Commandments to describe the regulations of your wrestling match then it is overbooked. Just follow some advice from my grandma, Keep It Simple Shithead. My grandma had a dirty pirate mouth.

The match itself was off the charts good. The two traded blows with such violence that at one point a kick knocked out Cole’s teeth. Credit goes to the RoH camera crew for the close up of the teeth on the mat. Both had an amazing showing but it was Cole, who embraced the waterfall of blood spewing from his mouth, that put his stamp on the match. In the end Cole won with a figure four leglock, but that doesn’t matter as he skyrocketed himself into something bigger in RoH. I’m talking Tommy Dreamer taking a caning in ECW bigger.

Fit Finley & Michael Elgin followed with a good technical match. It started out slow, but had to after what had just happened. Fit Finley is one of the best vets on the Indie scene, and he looked to be moving better than both members of the Guardians of Truth combined. The two turned it up in the second half of the match as Elgin picked up the win with his impressive power bomb combo. Elgin is beginning to start his face turn as a feud between he & Roderick Strong has begun to brew.

Ring of Honor had a logic slip up during the match as Fit Finley used a Tombstone pile driver on Elgin for a two count. The main event was built around pile drivers being illegal. Something that was later rectified by the announcers during the main event when they said the ref was fined for not disqualifying Finley. It isn’t major, but little brain farts like this can mar a promotion if they are kept unchecked. Especially when one of the major angles is based around a move being banned, it doesn’t sell the idea well if other wrestlers are doing the banned move.

After intermission Mike Bennett with Bob Evans and Maria came to the ring. If it wasn’t for Maria Kanellis then I don’t think I would ever get excited for a Mike Bennett segment. In fact if from now on the camera just focused on Maria, it would greatly improve the segment all together. Mike Bennett continues to follow the “Being a Heel for Dummies” handbook.

Mike Mondo comes out. He drops a lot of F-bombs. He talks about beating Bennett and after he’ll do the humpty dance with Maria. Now if only that was a real stipulation. The two fight. It kicks off a new feud for ROH TV. It was good for what it was. Plus it got Maria in front of the camera in the best daisy dukes outside of Hazard County.

The television title three way dance was a good change of pace as it really ratcheted up the speed on the card. All three men were great in their roles, but Roderick Strong is heads and shoulders above most in the ring. His dropkick is a thing of beauty. Mia Yim doing a super kick was a cool moment that I hope gets included in more matches.

The end was all circus to further the story line between Ciampa, the embassy, & the house of truth. Then the quick finish between Strong & Lethal caught almost everybody by surprise, which wasn’t a bad thing. It made sense with all the chaos going on. Strong’s finisher is something everyone should see. When it is done right it might be more impressive than the Canadian Destroyer.

The World’s Greatest Tag Team and the All Night Express had a good tag match. The referee played up the WGTT too much as he would warn Haas about being in the ring, but never warned the ANX about it. That and he told Haas he wasn’t the legal man because he never tagged but turned around & counted a school boy when Haas was rolled up seconds later. Stick to your logic, and don’t count the guy you said wasn’t legal.

In the end the ANX won the titles. The place went nuts. It’s good for them, but the attack after looks like things are far from over. It stinks that they couldn’t celebrate more to get over the title change.

The main event was off the charts good. Kevin Steen is probably the best character in the whole company. He has charisma, a unique look, and can wrestle his ass off in any style. Davey Richards is growing into more than just the MMA guy. These two killed each other in a brutal match that featured tables, ladders, chairs, spikes, and some of the nastiest falls I’ve seen in years. This wasn’t a technical match, it was a brawl.

For those that enjoy the old ECW style then this is a match you’ll want to hunt down. It had tons of unique spots including a great moment where Jim Cornette gets manhandled by Steve Corino. Jimmy Jacobs as the lackey of Steen is a great tool for the champ. The two work really well together. I don’t expect Steen to drop the belt anytime soon as he is easily the biggest draw for fans.

His post-match verbal assault on the crowd proved that smart wrestling fans are idiots. He basically opened their mouths and shit down their throats as they cheered every moment of it. Smart wrestling fan really is an oxymoron. His anti-New York rant has me believing that Homicide could be next in line to end the reign of terror known as Kevin Steen, with a possible blow off match at Final Battle in December back in New York City. I don’t know for sure, but the booker in me sees the biggest dollar signs in that.

Overall Ring of Honor delivered on the best “pay per view” of the month. It was easily better than WWE’s No Way Out, and edged out TNA’s slammiversary. If you have a couple dollars, and four hours, then I highly recommend getting the replay. Either that or go watch Police Academy 4 on Netflix because Maria’s daisy dukes might be as good as Lt. Callahan’s white t-shirt.

You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best

This Sunday Ring of Honor presents Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis on iPPV. The event has become one of the premiere showcases annually for the promotion. This year is headlined by a rematch between Davey Richards, who won the title at this event last year, and ROH anarchist, Kevin Steen. 

Last time RoH was on iPPV the company had less than a stellar experience as feeds across the world failed, and fan complaints piled up. Those that could see the iPPV watched as Kevin Steen turned the company on it's head. He captured the World title that Davey won in New York almost a year ago in what some consider the best match in all of professional wrestling in 2011. Now it's all or nothing for Richards who has agreed to meet Steen in a match tailor made for ROH's resident sadist, an anything goes & all moves are legal match. 

At the same event last year, when Richards & Edwards stole the show, Kevin Steen almost stole their thunder with his big "F-U" to Ring of Honor. It's one year later and RoH officials are stumbling to find a way to stop the Canadian Juggernaut. This Sunday if you have fifteen dollars, enjoy good wrestling, and are willing to trust that RoH has upgraded their iPPV ability, then I highly suggest you order, "Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis". It's one fourth the price of WWE's No Way Out and ten times the satisfaction.

Click Here To Order

Below is a review of "Best in the World 2011" that I wrote after the event for the Examiner. It should help set the stage for this huge event on Sunday, June 24th in New York City, NY. 

"Best in the World" Delivers On Name

Ring of Honor declared on June 26th in front of the biggest live and online audience in company history that ROH is the best in the world. The nine year old wrestling promotion, that started in a recreation center in Philadelphia, took a step into the national spotlight this weekend with a television deal announcement that will put Ring of Honor in thirty five television markets covering over a fifth of the United States starting 9-24-11. This announcement makes ROH the number three biggest wrestling company in the nation. In New York City, broadcasting from the Hammerstein Ballroom, Ring of Honor displayed what sets them apart from the other two top companies: wrestling.

The internet pay per view experience forces some to hone their inner Macgyver as an HDMI cord from Radio Shack and a set of pink iPod speakers turns a cheap laptop into a wrestling entertainment center. After only a few minutes the slight pixelation and sound issues of streaming a pay per view fades. The production value for the iPPV is really amazing, and can only get better for ROH with the new television deal. Some of the directing and camera work miscues interrupted the flow of the matches. Looking at the ring apron during a big moment warrants a grunt toward the television. These hiccups were far and few between. All of the technical issues with the iPPV became irrelevant when the action started.

Jim Cornette coming out to start the show made sense as nobody sells sizzle like Cornette. His promo was the pace car for the evening that set the table for the rest of the ROH talent. His role on camera throughout the event, and at the press conference, didn't overshadow the locker room. Jim Cornette is like frosting on a cake. It doesn't make the cake, it elevates it.

In the opening contest Ring of Honor presented Colt Cabana, wrestling's version of a whoopee cushion, versus Tomasso Ciampa, the love child of Perry Saturn and John Kronus. Colt Cabana was on fire from the minute he walked through the curtain. Tomasso Ciampa looked stiff at times. He missed sloppily on a few maneuvers, including his finisher which looks devastating if performed correctly. The match keeps Ciampa's win streak alive and that keeps him climbing the ROH ladder. Cabana again delivers, taking a few nasty misplaced knees along the way.

Keeping the shenanigans rolling was former ROH rising star, and the latest escapee from the Universal Studios retirement home, Jay Lethal taking on “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Brutal Bob Evans. Lethal makes his return to Ring of Honor with this match against Bennett. Both wrestlers had great chemistry with good exchanges early on that changed things up from the opening contests. Near the end of the match seemed to lull as the finish fell a little flat with Lethal picking up the three count using a Macho Man Randy Savage flying elbow. Lethal looks to be in the best shape of his life and primed to do some damage once 9-24-11 comes. A rematch in the future should be a welcomed addition to any Ring of Honor card.

In a flat out brawl Homicide defeated Rhino with a sunset flip. Each of the first three matches all came across as fresh because each one presented something different. This match provided plunder. The two tossed each other around in and out of the ring. The crowd attacked Rhino all match and he seemed to take it out on Homicide in return, including snapping the notorious 187's back on a ladder after telling hecklers to, “F*** Off”. With Homicide focused on the Embassy this will probably be the first of many battles between the two. The next one might not be for those with weak stomachs.

The moment of the night came next when Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs came out to continue their crusade to become rehabbed men of evil. The match was a back and forth contest between Corino and Michael Elgin, who raised his ROH stock at this event. Elgin's power, mixed with Corino's thumb in a bum, stuck out in the match up. Elgin picks up the win and positions himself to be a major player once television starts 9-24-11. Don't be surprised to see Michael Elgin in the ROH Television title picture. Jim Cornette during the press conference Friday said his name a lot. After the match is when the moment of the night happened.

Steve Corino,who probably has Terry Funk blood, and Jimmy Jacobs, the emo Brian Pillman, begged for their friend Kevin Steen to be let back into Ring of Honor. Steen was given a microphone to plead his case to Jim Cornette. The moment he said, “My name is Kevin Steen and F*** Ring of Honor”, while laying out Jacobs and crippling Corino made Steen the hottest thing going in ROH. Steen being crowd surfed out of the arena by security sent fans into intermission, and their twitter, crowing about the electricity of the moment.

During the intermission there was the promotional video for the event. With such a lengthy break in the action Ring of Honor might want to consider adding some content there. Footage of the press conference from Friday, or unseen matches, could have kept iPPV viewers more entertained than the screen saver for the event. It is something minor, but the intermission does slam the breaks on the event for the home viewer.

Coming out of intermission Spike television star Christopher Daniels put the ROH TV title on the line against fan favorite El Generico. The two had a great match that really interacted with the fans. One annoying Daniels fan in the front row tested the definition of what a lady is, but the two worked around her gutter mouth. Christopher Daniels plays with a crowd maybe better than anyone in Ring of Honor. El Generico beating Daniels with a ruthless brain buster that seems to have sent Daniels packing his bags for the sunshine state. This means Michael Elgin, a house of truth member with Daniels, could be in El Generico's future looking to bring the gold back into the fold. Ring of Honor fans won't mind that.

The four way elimination tag team match for the ROH Tag Team Championship followed but, because of all the expectations, fell short of the hype. The match felt as if it never got into fifth gear. Parts of the match really flowed well and were unique, such as a no hands UFO, but it ended up looking more patch work than masterpiece. Hass and Benjamin retained only to be destroyed by Jay and Mark Briscoe. The brothers want their seventh ROH tag team title reign and look to be going dark side doing it. The two teams should have some matches that would make Mike Tyson flinch.

The main event can't be described. Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards rewrote the definition of wrestling with this match. The two told multiple stories and had several matches inside of this 35 minute main event. The two delivered reversals, submissions, headbutt battles, and a double foot stomp that Mario and Luigi would be proud of. The almost out of nowhere finish caught fans off guard who had begun to flirt with the idea that the two would go to a time limit draw. The two closed the iPPV with respect for each other and heartfelt comments from Richards who said, “Hey Grandpa. Hey Grandma. I did it”. Richards did do it. He and Edwards did give Ring of Honor fans the 2011 Match of the year (so far).

If this is the kind of wrestling Ring of Honor puts on television 9-24-11 then they won't be number three in the nation much longer. Those that need more proof then come to Richmond on July 8th at the Richmond Raceway Complex for ROH's tag team lottery event. There might not be a company in the world doing the sport of professional wrestling better than Ring of Honor right now. They don't have the biggest names, or the brightest lights, but they do have the best talent. When it comes to pro wrestling Ring of Honor does it the, “Best in the World”.

Check This Out!

I am on the road this weekend, but I didn't want to leave anyone without some good wrestling entertainment. Colt Cabana, the clown prince of indy wrestling, has a great podcast called "The Art Of Wrestling". It deals with all the personalities in wrestling from those you may know in the WWE or TNA to some of the great indy talent you should know about. If you haven't checked out Colt's podcast then go to iTunes and catch up on the 99 episodes of this great series. 

This week maybe one of the best in the series. It is with former Ring of Honor booker and current co-owner of Dragon Gate USA & Evolve, Gabe Sapolsky. Gabe started with ECW before the night the line was crossed. He talks about running the Sabu fan club, how tough it is to become a booker in today's industry, and his memories of the famous Philadelphia indy wars. You can listen by clicking on the link below.

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