The Global Announce Team

A few weeks ago Jeff Jarrett announced that his e-fed would be airing New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 9 on pay-per-view in the US and Canada. It was a significant announcement followed up by instructions for people to stay tuned for news. 'Double J' has to promise news instead of providing it because he doesn't have a promotion of his own and is reliant on New Japan making decisions before he can release information. It’s a less than ideal way to run a business.

But a week ago Jarrett struck a deal that will see Jim Ross provide English language play-by-play commentary for the show, something he was able to tell the world himself. It was presented as big news when announced on November 11. And it is.

Slobberknocker! Sauce it! Bah GOD! Stone Cold! Stone Cold! Stone Cold!!

As the voice of WWE when it was at its hottest Ross is a known quantity to many lapsed and casual fans, a market Jarrett is probably interested in attracting. He's also an experienced wrestling commentator, with a solid knowledge of moves, an understanding of how to convey a match's story to an audience, and an unparalleled level of passion¹. He was the best choice to lead an English language broadcast and, considering his promotion's completely hypothetical status at the moment, Jarrett was lucky to get him.

But 'Good Old JR' is not flawless. Even at his late 90s-slash-early 00s peak he was prone to frequent minor mistakes. This usually took the form of confusing names of guys he was less familiar with who kind of but not really looked alike. Hardly the worst thing in the world but it presents an obvious problem for WK9. NJPW's roster is almost entirely new to Ross, and a lot of the guys he's already familiar with will be using different names.

Obviously there's ample time for Ross to familiarise himself with the roster. And being a professional I'm sure he will. While he's in prep mode it may be a good idea for someone to warn him about the flagrant anti-psychology that plagues Young Bucks matches. Better than him finding out on the air.

The other issue with JR is that he does his best work when being needled by an antagonistic colour commentator². His work alongside Paul Heyman in 2001 and Jerry Lawler in the years before (but not really after) that was so good because both Lawler and Heyman knew how to interact with Ross's on-air personality to get the best out of him. They knew to prick his ego every so often and provide him with anti-babyface material to get riled about. Basically, they knew how to be very good heel commentators and Ross knew how to be a very good babyface one.

It's not that JR's commentary will be bad without a good heel colour commentator with him but it’s likely he'll be better with one. Thinking of suggestions for the role is pretty much a waste of time because there's no defined Global Force roster in existence to draw names from. The only realistic suggestion to make is Jarrett. He's been established as a heel within New Japan storylines and would be easy enough to accept in the role for an English language audience. I've never heard him on commentary but Ross could coach him and help him prepare. Plus he's already going to be in Tokyo for the show and it would cut down on costs. I’m sure that’s a factor for an imaginary company like Global Force.

Whether they go for Jarrett or a more left field but probably better choice like Colt Cabana or Chris Hero (I would be astounded if they got CM Punk³) I hope the pairing gets adequate time to prepare. If English language commentary is to become a thing⁴ for NJPW (and less importantly if GFW is to succeed) Wrestle Kingdom 9 needs to be a success in North America. And rightly or wrongly a lot of that is on the shoulders of Jim Ross.

***

¹ I’m particularly looking forward to him shouting “Okada! Okada! Okada!!”

² Ideally with that colour commentator being fed digs by Vince McMahon over a headset, not that that's an option here⁵.

³ Though he'd be ideal, obviously. He knows the product and Ross and has a fair amount of commentary experience. Plus he's a big enough name to generate some US interest in the pay-per-view, New Japan, and GFW. But it won’t happen.

⁴ I hope English language commentary catches on because the lack of it is the biggest barrier for plenty of people (including myself) following New Japan more closely.

⁵ Although if Vince were to ever to get involved with production of a rival promotion's commentary I'm sure it would be solely to take shots at Jim Ross.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 26

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 26 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

A couple of weekends ago I and my That Wrestling Podcast co-host attended a wrestling show in South London, along with the guys who do the (always worth listening to) South London Hardcore podcast, Jack and Steve. Michael and I were there because we like wrestling. Jack and Steve were there because they were doing an episode about wrestling in South London. You can download it from iTunes and visit their site here. I’d recommend doing both.

The wrestling event was not all it could have been.

The show was held in a small venue in Elephant and Castle. Announced beforehand were numerous British and American wrestlers, including Colt Cabana, Dave Mastiff, Marty Scurll, Adam Cole, Drake Younger, and Eddie Kingston. Before the first match had even started we were informed that Cole and Haskins were stuck on a ferry after wrestling in Germany. The promise was that if they made it to the venue the first thing they’d do was go to the ring and wrestle.

In hindsight I should have known from then that they weren’t going to appear. There were less than one hundred people in attendance and the likelihood is that they’d already gone home after realising that appearing at a theatre in South London wasn’t worth their time.

But this wasn’t my initial reaction. My initial reaction was to lean over to Michael and share my belief that the promoters were employing a classic British trick of announcing that a big star wasn’t going to be able to attend knowing full well they were sitting backstage, all in order to set up a big pop when said wrestler did show up after all.

I’m an optimist. Clearly.

Oh, and Eddie Kingston and Drake Younger didn’t appear. No reason was given as to why.

The first half of the show saw Rampage Brown defeat Nathan Cruz, Martin Kirby defeat the Lion Kid, and Johnny Storm defeat Marty Scurll. Yeah, the guy that’s faced Hiroshi Tanahashi and starred in ITV’s Take Me Out went on before the interval. Shocking!

ROAR!

The opener was completely average. Rampage was playing the heel but was far more over because he exhibited more personality. The small crowd latched onto that and didn’t let go. It’s also worth noting that he was a hit with both Michael and Jack. I think his legs (stocky and covered in hair) were cited as a reason. Kirby versus the Lion Kid was memorable for the Project Ego member’s comedy stalling and cat gags (at one point referring to Kid as Simba). I’d expected a greater ease performing in front of a smaller crowd from a seasoned pro like Lion Kid.

The highlight of the first half (and, for me, the entire show) was Storm versus Scurll. It was, like everything else on the card, a comedy affair, but it was elevated greatly by the experience of both men, in particular Scurll’s willingness to send himself up. Thanks to years of working in dingy school gyms and town halls ‘The Wonderkid’ was unphased by the miniscule crowd and did everything he could to keep us excited and making noise. What really made the match stand out was a spot with the referee. We go into more detail on that during the podcast. For the four of us it was the spot of the evening.

Big lad Dave Mastiff there!

After the interval Dave Mastiff, described by Michael as “fridge-like” and by me as “a modern day Henry VIII”, defeated Kris Travis. It was another basic affair that would have benefited from Mastiff playing the bad guy. He seemed reluctant to do so despite the clear size advantage that dictated he should.

The main event was the most proficient wrestling bout of the evening. It saw Colt Cabana beat Chuck Taylor. There was a lengthy pre-match sequence involving ‘The Kentucky Gentleman’ stealing a sign from a(n incredibly obnoxious) child in the audience and threatening to tear it up. Cabana made the save, natch.

Colt Cabana doesn't give up to headlock, no matter how they're applied

There’s not a huge amount to say about the match. It was well-paced and funny in all the right places, basically what you’d expect from Cabana. Taylor was a revelation for me. I’d never thought of him as anything particularly amazing, but his crowd interaction was top notch. He’s someone that Gabe Sapolsky, TNA and ROH should all be pursuing to get on as many shows as possible in 2014. In fairness the same is true of Cabana.

All this said the price of the tickets wasn’t high and the wrestlers that did show up all did their best to put on a good show and ensure we had a good time, which we did. Whether the no-shows were down to a lackadaisical ferry or shady promoting tactics we had as good a time as we could expect to for a tenner. Ultimately that’s all that matters.

RPW Uprising 2013 review

In 2002 the Frontier Wrestling Alliance promoted a show called British Uprising. It was a massive success, for a number of reasons. First and foremost British wrestling fans, with only WWE’s new and mishandled Brand Extension on offer, were on the hunt for something to replace the void left by ECW and the Attitude Era (and possibly, to a far lesser extent, WCW). The FWA came along at just the right time to capitalise on that. A second reason for success was the canny use of foreign stars. Balls Mahoney and Jerry Lynn may not seem like the biggest names in wrestling now, but they were good choices at the time. Far more noteworthy was a young AJ Styles, who then seemed like he was on course to become one of the biggest stars in all of wrestling, as opposed to the biggest star in a wildly floundering promotion ten years later.

A third reason for the show’s success was a non-FWA show (later lumped in with genuine FWA shows) that had aired on Bravo the month before. The show aired at a reasonable time of day and produced decent viewing figures, thanks in large part to the involvement of Eddie Guerrero. It proved there was an audience for a homegrown product in Britain. It just had to be packaged in a suitable way and feature one or two wrestlers people had heard of.

The FWA used the success of British Uprising to turn themselves into the face of British wrestling for the next couple of years. They ran shows throughout the country, including more at York Hall, always ensuring they presented a card that catered to all tastes and featured foreign stars to attract an audience. One of these shows was British Uprising 2, which featured the European debut of both CM Punk and Colt Cabana.

By British Uprising 3 the FWA was falling from glory. They’d overstretched themselves and lost a lot of momentum, mainly due to other promotions emulating their approach of smattering cards with foreign talent to attract and audience. The third British Uprising was a great effort but it was the last hurrah for the FWA. It soldiered on for a while long before closing down, later starting back up again, but nothing produced under the initials since BU3 has been a must-see event.

In the nine years since that show the British wrestling scene has continued to evolve. The internet has made it far easier to follow than it was even at the FWA’s peak, and fans in general have become more discerning about what they look for in a wrestling show. Balls Mahoney and his modern day equivalents no longer cut it. Fans these days want (and are fully entitled to expect) shows featuring talented, hardworking guys who want to put on the best matches possible. Nostalgia is out, quality wrestling is in.

All of which brings me to Uprising 2013. It was produced by Revolution Pro Wrestling as opposed to the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, but the intention was clearly to evoke memories of the FWA’s original run of events. Uprising 2013 was held at the same venue, in the same month, and used the same formula of bringing in foreign stars to attract an audience. The idea of a modern company wanting to encourage comparisons to the FWA is questionable considering Frontier’s fall from grace, but targeting the Uprising name in particular is smart. The British Uprising cards were considered the zenith of what the FWA achieved and are still held in high regard.

I and my That Wrestling Podcast co-host, Michael King, bought tickets to Uprising 2013 based on the names announced for the show. Topping the bill was Hiroshi Tanahashi. That alone was extraordinary: that the biggest and best name in Japanese wrestling had agreed to appear at a venue in the East End of London that can hold around one thousand people fascinated both of us. The Prince Devitt v Ricochet match was also something that swayed me (although Michael avoided reading the full announced card and so didn’t know the match would be happening: he was unaware of who Ricochet was anyway).

Our seats weren’t the best, probably a result of waiting until not too long before the show to buy them. They had my name printed on them though, so that was a bonus. You’re not getting that sort of treatment at WWE house shows.
 

The opening match was a Brits only affair. The Swords of Essex teamed with Project Ego to take on the London Riots, Fake El Ligero and former TNA Superstar Mark Haskins. Of the eight men involved I’d heard of three: Project Ego’s Kris Travis and Martin Kirby and Mark Haskins. I’d come across El Ligero before but was utterly nonplussed by the fake variant we were presented with. No context was given but I think it’s pretty safe to assume the idea is that he’s stolen Ligero’s identity and a Real v Fake match is being built to. If that’s the case then I approve.

The match was a very effective opener. People more familiar with the Rev Pro setup than Michael and I were solidly behind Project Ego and solidly against the Riots and their partners. In a way I found that confusing: surely London is the one place the London Riots should be greeted as babyfaces?

The number of guys involved ensured a fast pace with lots going on, which is ideal for a first match. The babyface union won when one of the Swords (I can only apologise for not knowing which) hit a shooting star press on Haskins. After the match the heels bickered over their loss on the entrance ramp.

Match two featured Michael Elgin taking on the highly regarded Noam Dar. That may strike you as a peculiar match up, and that’s because it was: Dar was a replacement for the originally announced Dave Mastiff. The bout wasn’t bad, Elgin made sure to include his stalling vertical suplex and deadlift middle rope suplex to ensure nobody felt cheated by his performance, but I was disappointed Mastiff wasn’t involved. I’m a big fan of his work and thought that a match between him and Elgin would be great.

Elgin’s knack of constructing blistering finishing sequences failed him a tad here. The finish was by no means bad but it wasn’t the several minute affair we get in his bigger matches in ROH. Perhaps that was because of Dar being a last minute replacement. ‘Unbreakable’ went over following a bicycle kick, an elbow to the back of the head, a spinning back fist, a buckle bomb and an Elgin bomb. That it took that series to put Dar down certainly kept him looking competitive in defeat. That’s the right way for an outside star to beat a regular.

That was followed by Sha Samuels taking on Doug Williams. Sha’s gimmick is tremendous. He has the London Underground logo on his trunks, wears a Dennis the Menace scarf to the ring, and is announced as hailing from nowhere more specific than “East London”. As with the London Riots that should have made him a face in my book, but the more experienced fans in the crowd seemed happy to boo him.
 

A (poor) picture of Sha Samuels

For a Williams match this involved a surprising amount of ringside brawling, including the first kick of the night that was so hard it caused the lighting rig set up around the ring to shift. Sha led proceedings when they tumbled out of the ring while Doug took control with traditional British wrestling back between the ropes. It was all very enjoyable even if it did last perhaps a couple of minutes too long. Sha went over with a low blow and a Mick Foley-esque stump-puller piledriver. It was the right result: Doug doesn’t need to win to be over with British fans.

The last match before the intermission was Ricochet versus Prince Devitt. It was the ideal spot for them: they produced such an incredible match that nobody would have been able to follow them immediately. The audience needed some time to cool off so that the rest of the show could be fully appreciated.
 

A charming shot of the back of Ricochet's head

The two constructed what was easily the match of the night. It was stuffed with high-flying and flashy spots. A particularly memorable moment spot was Ricochet’s springboard 450 splash to the floor, which saw him land on his feet and immediately pose. It was from there that Devitt started playing a heel, although the crowd was so appreciative of the talent of both men that he never really heard boos for long.

Eventually Devitt got the win, retaining his undisputed British cruiserweight championship after avoiding a 630 splash and hitting a top rope double stomp followed by Bloody Sunday. It was the match of the night and should ensure that the DVD is a hot seller.

The intermission gave me a glimpse of a guy in an nWo T-shirt (there’s always one) and various wrestlers walking passed us on their way to the merch stand. Naturally Cabana was amongst them. If there’s one thing that guy knows (besides wrestling) it’s merch. It also featured the announcement that Ric Flair will be present for RPW’s return to York Hall in March.

The beginning of the second half is as good a time as any to mention the ring announcer for the evening. He was comically bad. Tasked with the thankless task of trying to keep the audience enthused during matches he made a hard job worse by being repetitive, over-hyping everything, mumbling (though only once or twice), and being repetitive. Had he played up to these things he’d have been a great character. Unfortunately it all stemmed from his general ineptitude. Nobody else seemed to care though, and we found it amusing, so no harm done.

The first match of the second half saw Zack Sabre Jr (who has some incredible techno entrance music) take on Davey Richards. This was a personal highlight for me as it gave me the chance to heckle Davey with cries such as “You’re a nippy little weasel!” and “Prestige!”, as well as numerous boos. I’d like to make it clear that I think Richards is a good wrestler but I’ve never been able to get passed him taking himself far too seriously (even by ROH standards) during his ROH world title reign. He, like John Cena, is someone I feel I have to heckle. It doesn’t reflect on them as people, just them as a wrestling persona.

The match was dead for the first half. The crowd seemed keen to back Sabre Jr which should have encouraged Davey to play heel. He teased it a couple of times, most notably when he refused to perform his Rick Rude style gyrations, but he never went all the way with it. Had he done so the crowd would have been drawn into the match and it would have been a more entertaining affair. I suspect part of the problem is that Richards is not especially adept at reading crowds. Or perhaps he was simply unwilling to play the bad guy because he’d been told it as to be face versus face.

Things picked up considerably in the last five minutes. The pace went from methodical to lightning quick as the two exchanged signature spots, near falls and submission holds. I was surprised when it finished with Richards tapping out to an arm bar. That’s not something you see often from ‘The American Wolf’.

The evening’s penultimate match was prefaced by a pre-match promo from über heel Andy Boy Simmonz (formerly the Duke of Danger’s butler Simmons). He mentioned that Davey Boy Smith’s daughter, Georgia, was in the crowd and “reminded” us that he’d beaten her brother back in the summer. He invited her into the ring so he could do the same to her.
 

The posture of a heel

Simmonz’ tirade was interrupted by Grado, a cross between Santino Marella and the Crankies (Google them). After dancing to the ring to Madonna’s Like A Prayer he got assaulted by Simmonz and Rampage Brown. Naturally his tag partner for the evening Colt Cabana dashed out (after a suitably suspenseful delay) to make the save, kicking off the evening’s dose of comedy. This included an assisted walk-walking spot from Grado and several minutes of backside slapping. Neither outdid Grado’s simple comment of “You’re a very good referee” to the ref.

It was a good match, although as with Williams v Samuels it may have gone on for a minute or three too long. Grado was kept isolated in order to set up a burning hot tag to Cabana. The faces seemed on track to winning until Simmonz hit Cabana with Cabana’s British heavyweight title belt which allowed Rampage to haul Cabana up for a piledriver and the three count. No that move’s not banned in Revolution Pro.
 

They may have lost but Grado still seems happy enough

After that we got a Bret Hart promo. It was about as good as you’d expect. Bret reminisced about “all the incredible matches” he’d had in Britain (without actually specifying any) and informed us that we’re amongst the best fans in the world. The standard stuff you get in these situations really. After repeating himself a few times Hart finally mentioned his match at Wembley with The British Bulldog (which I’d expected him to open with) and put over the locker room as the future of the business. No, he didn’t call them the present. That was telling. He finished by putting over IPW. No idea who they are: this was an RPW show.

‘The Hitman’ stayed down at ringside for the main event, which pit “the star of ITV’s Take Me Out” Marty Scurll against New Japan’s top worker Hiroshi Tanahashi. Paddy’s pal got a ton of heat as he swaggered out to the ring while Tanahashi and his air guitar were met with almost deafening cheers and a chant of “Best in the world!” That’s certainly an arguable moniker, but I don’t think there can ever be a clear “best” in wrestling.
 

Hiroshi Tanahashi, making an appearance in, of all places, Bethnal Green!

The match was a little slow to get going thanks to ‘Party’ Marty’s incessant heat seeking but once it was under way it was very good. There were one or two awkward moments stemming from miscommunications but that’s to be expected when two guys without a language in common face each other in a lengthy match. For the most part their exchanges were slick and engaging.

Tanahashi went over with the High Fly Flow at around the twenty minute mark. Following the match Bret Hart entered the ring to raise the victor’s hand only to be confronted by an angry Scurll. The heel got decked and slapped in the Sharpshooter, a move he’d applied to Tanahashi as a way of taunting Hart during the match. Hart raised Tanahashi’s hand again before leaving the New Japan ace to pose in the ring to end the show.

The show was a very enjoyable experience. There wasn’t a single duff match, every wrestler seeming pleased to be there and intent on giving the best performance possible. The crowd deserve credit too: they were hot all night and improved the show as a result. This, as with most indy shows I’ve been to, was far better than any WWE house show, and cost a fraction of the price. Based on Uprising I’d recommend a Revolution Pro show to anyone considering going to one.

We're Living in a Society

We're all aware of social networking aren't we? The fad, and the term, have become incredibly popular over the last five years or so, thanks mainly to a surprisingly small number of websites. Facebook, Twitter, Tout and Instagram (there's an argument for bunging YouTube in there too) seem to be the biggies, with Twitter the biggest of the lot. Which is surprising when you consider that it's actually the most limiting of all the sites mentioned.

These things have become such an accepted part of day-to-day life that they're now routinely mentioned on wrestling shows. WWE is actually one of the chief investors in the Tout experiment. The poor judgment of that is a topic that will have to be discussed another time.

It's all pretty bizarre when you stop and think about it. Social networking, by its very nature, is not something that can exist peacefully alongside wrestling. At least not on the surface of it. It seems designed to expose secrets and inner feelings, things that the wrestling business has always needed to suppress in order to exist. Social networking defies kayfabe, the thing which wrestling at its heart still holds holy.

Don't fool yourselves into thinking that kayfabe no longer exists. It's changed in nature over the years but it's still around. WWE has been acknowledging its predetermined nature for around two decades. Over time most other companies have followed their lead. It's been an open secret that wrestling wasn't an actual contest for far longer. Kayfabe used to mean propagating the lie that everything that happens inside the ring is real. Nowadays it's more accurate to say that it exists to mask exactly how wrestlers do what they do without injury, and to keep future storylines under wraps.

Twenty years ago the social networking craze (fad, call it what you will) would have been disastrous for wrestling. It would have been too much too soon. As it is it came along at more or less the right time for wrestling. It's taken a while for those in the business to learn how to use it, and nobody has mastered using it to its fullest effect yet, but they're not far off.

At its most basic level the social networking medium is a great tool for wrestlers to interact with their fans. That's good news for all companies but it’s particularly handy for those that target younger markets, like WWE. For an eight year old who's massively into John Cena I can imagine there are few bigger thrills than the prospect of interacting with 'The Leader of the CeNation'. Twitter is ideal for WWE PR, fans, and wrestlers like Cena.

Of course Twitter also presents wrestlers with the ability to embarrass themselves, their peers and their companies. You don't need to go far to find examples of tweets that do wrestlers and their employers more harm than good. Ryback immediately leaps to mind there. He's tweeted some dodgy stuff in the past. When feuding with Cena earlier this year he mentioned Cena's ex-wife before deleting every tweet he'd ever made. A few months later he venomously lashed out at fans before pulling the full deletion trick again.

 

Lock up your wives

 

Outside of WWE it allows indy guys to make themselves known quantities. Colt Cabana is a talented guy but I can't imagine him being as big a name as he is without Facebook and Twitter and iTunes (we can count that as a form of social media too, I think) being so accessible. Using those tools he's built himself up into a guy known to wrestling fans whilst remaining unaffiliated with any major promotion. He had a long run in ROH and spent a while in WWE, both of which undoubtedly helped, but a lot of other guys have had that or more and then faded into obscurity. Cabana is a social media success story.

The important thing for the promotions themselves is making use of the medium for storyline purposes and doing so in moderation. A standard wrestling feud cannot really benefit much from Twitter. It will generally be two guys exchanging victories on TV and perhaps a pay-per-view with only the desire to win keeping them locked in battle. Wrestlers in such feuds can take shots at each other but ultimately they won't be able to add much to the rivalry because there won't be much to build on.

More advanced storylines can benefit greatly from embellishment using social media. The second Summer of Punk in 2011 was an early example of WWE experimenting in the field. A more recent example, and probably a more successful one as far as social media is concerned, has been the management versus Daniel Bryan story. It’s not featured social media in an overt manner, but it has seen a successful blurring of the lines between on-screen plot and reality. Or at least what wrestling fans perceive reality to be.

There’s tremendous potential for wrestling companies, particularly WWE with its immense resources. Once they’ve mastered how to integrate these opportunities with their TV product fully, and I don’t think they’re too far away from that, I think the nature of wrestling, its storylines, performers, and how we as fans interact with it all, will make a huge leap forward. Twitter scrolls at the bottom of screens are just the start.

Cabanarama

Despite not working for any wrestling promotion with a meaningful television deal Colt Cabana is known to a lot of wrestling fans. His notoriety can be explained by his stints in ROH and (as Scotty Goldman) WWE. In the former he gained a reputation for being a well-rounded performer, someone who could brawl, wrestle technically, do comedy or cut a promo with spirited proficiency. Fans appreciated him for his versatility as much as anything else. He was little more than enhancement talent in WWE but he brought something even to that lowly role.

Since parting ways with Ring of Honor in 2011 Cabana has maintained a high profile, thanks largely to his Art of Wrestling podcast. You've probably heard of it. If not I suggest listening to an episode. The general idea is that Colt speaks to fellow wrestlers about their personal lives, wrestling careers and feelings on the business. It provides a fascinating insight into wrestling and usually makes you appreciate wrestlers who appear in a new light.

It's also given us an insight into Cabana as a person. That he is routinely affable and humorous makes the podcast a good listen, as does his under-appreciated skill as an interviewer. He gets the best out of his guests.

That he's fashioned a name for himself as a podcasting personality shows that he knows how to connect with wrestling fans and that fans want to follow, support, listen to and watch him. With that in mind I'm surprised he remains out of the loop of North America's big three promotions.

TNA should be desperate for new talent to add to their bedraggled embarrassment of a roster. Cabana would fit the bill perfectly. He's likeable enough to prove inoffensive to existing viewers, a good enough wrestler to give us enjoyable matches with mostly everyone in the company, and could feasibly attract a small number of new viewers who'd want to see what TNA does with him. There are very few wrestlers available to TNA at the moment who could have the potential impact of Cabana.

 

A happy young man

 

A return to ROH seems to be hindered by a long-standing and hazily defined grudge Colt holds against the group. He originally left because he was unhappy with the treatment he received during SBG's purchase of the promotion and dealing with Jim Cornette. He has since been angered by DVDs being released on his career. I can understand both sides there. ROH has realised Colt is popular and put their library of matches to good use releasing footage of him. It makes them cash, which is the point of the exercise. But Cabana has said he doesn't see a penny of any sales made, which is naturally going to irk him as ROH is benefiting from his success.

What's peculiar is that this indicates Ring of Honor understand Cabana has enough if a following to make producing a DVD worthwhile. Yet they haven’t done everything they can to bring him in.

It was revealed during Kevin Steen's second AOW appearance that ROH contacted Cabana after Jim Cornette left last year. Obviously nothing much came of that contact. They should keep trying. In Cabana ROH would have a readymade main event star to use. As with TNA he could wrestle enjoyable matches against pretty much the whole roster.  

Then there's WWE. I can understand why they didn't keep him around as a wrestler. He's not out of shape but he's also not ever going to get into the condition the promotion likes its top stars to be in. He's also unlikely to produce a five star WWE style match.

But what he could do is be a great colour commentator. To put it slightly indelicately, Jerry Lawler is not going to be able to stay at the commentary desk forever. The RAW team will probably end up as JBL and Cold when 'The King' retires but it would be prudent to introduce a third man or an alternative now, on SmackDown or one of the peripheral shows, to allow for a smoother transition when the time comes.

Cabana could obviously provide the insight on what the wrestlers are going through that colour guys are supposed to and his age and experience using social media for himself should allow him to more naturally plug polls and talk about tweets than Lawler (and JBL for that matter). A final bonus of having Cabana working as a commentator is that he'd be available for matches against guys having tryouts or joining the main roster from NXT.

Perhaps Colt himself is against all of the above and is happy roaming the world wrestling smaller shows. If he is then great. It's nice that he's enjoying himself. But I hope it is his choice, because if it's not a very talented man is being wasted.

The Mid-Card Old Guard

Over the last several months we’ve seen more time devoted to the middle of the card in WWE. This used to be one of the promotion’s most reliable areas but as the number of established headliners has dwindled so has the group’s willingness to dedicate time to anyone not a member of the elite. Which has, of course, only made the situation worse: main event stars aren’t made overnight, a thriving mid-card is key to making the stars of tomorrow.

I’m not sure what it is that’s convinced WWE to change their tack. A strong possibility is Triple H’s ascension to Official Number Two. With ‘The Game’ having gained more clout backstage it’s possible this refocus is down to him. His successful reshuffle of the developmental system certainly hints at his involvement.

It could be that WWE are happy with how CM Punk has progressed over the last year and a half. In June 2011 he was a reliable upper mid-card talent. In January 2013 he is the promotion’s number two (regular) star behind John Cena. That’s a decent leap in an impressive amount of time. It happened because of Punk’s hard work and WWE’s decision to give him the chance to prove he could succeed. Perhaps his rise has made them think about other wrestlers making a similar move up the card.

It could simply be that a breaking point was reached and head honcho Vince McMahon realised he needed to create some new stars before a bad situation becomes worse and that paying attention to the lower reaches of the card was the best way of doing that. Cena and Punk are still on TV every Monday night, and The Rock’s with the company on a part time basis. Best to start building up new stars now while people are still watching rather than waiting until Cena and Punk go part time and ‘The Great One’ leaves for good, further denting the viewing numbers.

Whatever has caused WWE to re-evaluate the way they book their mid-card acts I’m pleased they have. It’s been needed for a long time and is crucial to the future success of the promotion and the business in general.

Current beneficiaries of this reshuffle are Wade Barrett, Antonio Cesaro, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, and, of course, Ryback. Each man has, to a greater or lesser extent, has found themselves receiving an increased number of high profile matches and opportunities to impress over the last six months.

Until recently Kofi Kingston was on that list too. For whatever reason I don’t think he can be considered a prominent member of the rising star club anymore. Since dropping the Intercontinental championship clean to Barrett at the Boxing Day RAW recording he has failed to gain any meaningful screen time. Based on the last couple of weeks I think ‘The Wildcat’, who had seemed like he was being treated as something special last autumn, is going to be playing a supporting part for the foreseeable future.

He won’t be the only one. WWE are apparently keen on bringing back several career mid-carders from the past to help the current batch of climbers improve and hone their skills. The rehirees apparently won’t be getting strong pushes of their own, they’ll be there to enhance and guide.

As ideas go it’s not a bad one. Rumoured names such as Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, and MVP would all be perfect for the stated role. All of them have strengths that could be transferred to the likes of Ryback. They’d be like a more active, more televisually prominent crew of road agents. With Shelton and Carlito having been spotted in Phoenix over the last few days there’s a strong chance they’ll make their returns as “surprise” entrants in this evening’s Royal Rumble.

 

Judging by his hair Carlito's been sleeping rough since leaving WWE

 

In addition to those three guys it would be nice to see names like John Morrison, Colt Cabana, Brian Kendrick and Paul London considered too. All could help brighten up the middle of the card. If treated right, and if WWE were willing, these men could stumble into pushes of their own too. It’s hard to see how them getting over and making WWE some money would be bad.

Although, of course, it would be. WWE is very particular about who is awarded pushes these days. This initiative seems to be a way of creating a new level of enhancement talent. The planned rehires likely wouldn’t be getting jobbed out every week but equally it doesn’t sound as though they’d be getting serious pushes. Anyone getting over could be seen as not performing the job they were hired to do: namely to help others gets over.

It’s a double edged sword for anyone heading back to WWE to be a part of this plan. They most likely got into wrestling to make it to WWE and become a significant part of the company. Should they quash their own dreams to get a decent paycheque and help other guys who are perhaps more limited surpass them? That sounds like a bitter pill to swallow.

Hopefully the likes of Shelton Benjamin, who currently seems like the frontrunner to head back to WWE having negotiated his way out of his ROH contract, know what they’re in for and are willing to temper their own abilities in order to aid others. If WWE gives the returning men a little leeway to earn higher spots on the roster this could be just what’s needed to reinvigorate the mid-card and create some new stars, whether they’re chosen ones or not.

CM Punk: Best in the World (DVD Review)

Reviewing DVDs isn't usually something I'm terribly interested in. When you buy a wrestling DVD you largely know what you're getting. It will either be an event that's already happened with a few extras tossed in for good measure (usually taking the form of short, bland interviews and an extra match) or a biography of a star, perhaps with some matches thrown in again. There are shoot interviews, fantasy booking plans, historical accounts, and various other oddments out there but for the most part a wrestling DVD is going to fall into one of those first two camps.
 
The CM Punk: Best in the World DVD falls into the second camp. It is a look at the career of the current WWE champion from the beginning of his career until the present. I wanted to write something about it because there has been a lot of anticipation for it and it's one of the few WWE DVD releases I've bought in a long time. WWE and Punk himself have done a great job hyping the release.
 
Despite not buying many of these releases I'm aware of the usual format. A selection of WWE road agents and wrestlers talk about the star of the release, glossing over or ignoring their shortcomings and embellishing or just plain lying about their accomplishments and abilities. Some truth gets mixed in too, but not as much as you'd think. Talking head footage is spliced with match highlights, promo clips, and childhood photos along the way.
 
This DVD immediately stands out as different because it’s clear Punk has been given the creative control he was promised on the release. The interviewees are far more relevant than on your standard release with all of them being important figures in Punk's personal or professional life. Not all of them are under contract to WWE either, which is out of the ordinary. Colt Cabana and Ace Steel both pop up, as does developmental talent Kassius Ohno under his former ring name Chris Hero. All three provide insight on the young Punk's beginnings in the wrestling business.

Clips are shown of what seems like dozens of different clashes between Punk and Cabana, and highlights are shown of a particularly wild TLC tussle between Punk and Hero. It's acknowledged that the latter helped Punk and Hero gain bookings all over the country and that Punk and Cabana wrestled each other hundreds of times over a two or three year period.
 
Thought has gone into the WWE staff that are interviewed. Kofi Kingston, Bryan 'Daniel Bryan' Danielson, Joey Mercury, Michael Hayes, Zack Ryder, William Regal, and, inevitably, John Cena all crop up. As noted above the standard approach is for the star of the release to be endlessly lauded. That doesn't happen here.
 
Joey Mercury admits that when he first met Punk he didn't like him. By the end of the documentary we know the two are very close now (and that Punk was instrumental in getting Mercury rehired for the Straight Edge Society) but such candidness is rare on a WWE DVD. John Cena states that when Punk first signed he heard a lot of hype about him but he felt underwhelmed when he watched him wrestle.
 
Perhaps most interesting is Michael Hayes. He had been on the writing team the entire time Punk has been with WWE and he admits that the reason Punk spent so much time in then-satellite federation Ohio Valley Wrestling was because Paul Heyman was singing his praises. The writing team’s logic was that Heyman couldn’t be trusted and it was believed he had selected someone mediocre in an attemp to sell them as better than they were. It was believed Heyman would go to those lengths in order to display his prowess as a booker and wrestling creator. An admission of wrestling politics existing on a WWE DVD? Yes, it happened!
 
Paul Heyman's comments are a predictable highlight. His opening statement is that he was “salivating at the opportunity to work with him.” He talks about being aware of Punk's work prior to meeting him in OVW and pushing him even though the office wanted others prioritised. He acknowledges that Punk was the first guy he asked for when put in charge of the revived ECW "brand". He apparently had to fight for that, despite the RAW and SmackDown writers admitting they had no plans to use him themselves. Heyman also gives Punk high praise when he says he wanted to make him the heir of the ECW legacy.
 
It's that section of the DVD that provides the most insight into Punk behind the scenes in WWE, as well as WWE's developmental process. Hayes, Heyman and Jim Ross all acknowledge that Punk was just killing time in OVW and the belief was that he would be released from his contract as a cost cutting measure before debuting on RAW or SmackDown. That WWE had a talent like Punk in developmental and had people in positions of power considering firing him because they didn't know what to do with him shows what sort of dreadful state the system is in. Why was he signed in the first place if there was never any intention of using him?
 
Punk took the opportunities working alongside Paul Heyman presented to him. He attended open sessions every week where they (and anyone else in attendance) would talk about TV storylines and character development. It's interesting to note that Punk refers to this as him "helping to write the show". Later on in the doc Michael Hayes mentions that the higher up the card Punk has risen the greater amount of creative input he has sought. It's an interesting insight into both Punk and the WWE system, which is often criticised for not allowing its stars a loud enough voice.
 
Punk's time in Ring of Honor is covered well and the group deserves credit for contributing a significant amount of footage. It's clear that Punk very much enjoyed his time there and anyone who is unfamiliar with it should get a sense of how highly Punk was regarded by the group's fans.
 
The way in which Punk's first several years in WWE are presented is a strength. It’s acknowledged that Punk was not treated terribly well during his first World Heavyweight title reign, and a fair chunk of time is given over to Punk’s feud with Hardy and the Straight Edge Society gimmick. It’s fascinating to hear that the SES came about as a result of Punk being insulted that the writing team didn’t have anything planned for him after he’d dropped the World title to the Undertaker. Instead of treading water he wrote fourteen weeks’ worth of television for himself and gave it to Vince McMahon. According to Punk the angle only began going downhill after the writing team began scripting the group.
 
The documentary is not without its faults. “Punk was wrestling guys like Raven because all these older guys who were good at interviews they wanted to work with him. His interviews were so fresh, so exciting,” says Daniel Bryan. This is not entirely accurate. Raven stated in numerous interviews in 2003 (and several since) that he saw nothing in Punk when he first came across him. Punk talking about Raven sitting him down to discuss ring psychology sounds more like a disgruntled veteran trying to install old school values in a young guy than a passing of the torch.
 
Comments from John Cena are predictably stupid. Probably his most absurd statement is that Punk “built a name for himself like, I guess, the last territorial wrestler.” Cena does not qualify this remark and the interviewer naturally doesn’t push him on it.

For some reason Cena seems to think of himself as having an eye for young talent, hence his comments about not seeing anything in Punk after he'd heard him talked up so much. Cena has his strengths, chief among them knowing how to market himself. This does not qualify him as an assessor of young talent. His comments and Punk's subsequent success make me hope that Cena doesn't stick around as a road agent after he hangs up his boots (or sneakers).
 
Considering Punk had free rein when it came to match selection I find some of his choices odd. Punk v John Morrison, Punk v Mysterio and Punk v Hardy are all excellent but his ECW debut against Justin Credible and outing opposite Chris Jericho from WrestleMania XXVIII are utter clunkers (although in fairness the debut match needed to be included for its significance to Punk’s career).

Perhaps better bouts are being reserved for future releases (although shouldn't a man claiming to be "the best in the world" be producing enough scorchers over the next few years to make it necessary to cram in everything now and leave room free on later sets?). The lack of indy and ROH bouts is understandable and it's nice that we get something from Punk's stay in Ohio Valley. That was the only bout I hadn't seen before and I thought it was an enjoyable display.
 
On the whole I'd say this is one of WWE's best releases in a long time. It provides a comprehensive overview of Punk's career so far and features interviews with relevant people. His childhood friends are a particularly welcome addition as their views haven't been expressed to wrestling fans before. We find out what drives Punk, how close he was to walking before Money in the Bank 2011, and what he enjoys outside of the ring.
 
I'm still not convinced Punk is the best wrestler in the world. But he certainly has the best DVD.

Team Game

The Triple H v CM Punk match that’s been announced for Night of Champions was not originally going to happen. It was going to be Kevin Nash (the guy who told Punk to “take a shower, hit the waits, [and] get a clue”) facing Punk, but a medical check revealed it wouldn’t be the best idea for him to work a full match. So Triple H’s in-ring encounter with Punk was brought forward.

The original plan was for Punk to beat Nash and move on to a full feud with Triple H afterwards. Their first match would have happened either at Hell in a Cell in October or Survivor Series in November. The latter probably would have been decided upon because it is traditionally the bigger show and would have felt more appropriate for the first big match between CM Punk and Triple H.

But with things being changed that’s off the cards, and a new plan has to be concocted for the next three pay-per-views. We know Triple H v CM Punk will happen at Night of Champions, and I’m expecting either a gimmicked rematch at Hell in a Cell or the Kevin Nash v CM Punk match that’s been postponed. I’m hoping for the former: Nash holds no appeal for me as a performer in 2011. Plus I think Triple H and CM Punk could have a lively no disqualification type match.

That just leaves Survivor Series, which brings me to my point. In the last several months we’ve seen Punk reference the release of Colt Cabana and Luke Gallows from their WWE contracts and the return of Kevin Nash, real life pal of Triple H, to television. Punk’s recent push has featured a lot of real life feelings, as has his dispute with ‘The Game’ and ‘Big Sexy’, and I think Survivor Series would be the perfect time to have everything culminate. By that time it will have been five months since Punk’s original shoot promo, four since Triple H became COO, and three since Nash’s surprise return. Everyone involved will need a fresh direction by then.

Here’s what I’d like to see for Survivor Series: Triple H challenging Punk (or Punk challenging Triple H) to a Survivor Series match in which they each captain their own team. ‘The King of Kings’ would naturally pick Kevin Nash as his first teammate and the other three positions could be filled by members of the Clique that can still work (Sean Waltman, basically) and current members of the WWE roster that are “favoured by management”: basically guys that Triple H (in the storyline) wants to elevate to the top of the company. It’s a good way to elevate heels such as Dolph Ziggler, The Miz or Alberto Del Rio. Shawn Michaels could be brought in to be at ringside for his best friend too, adding to the realism of the situation and encouraging those after a bit of nostalgia to buy the show.

Instead of putting together a team of guys from the WWE roster Punk would insist on bringing in the aforementioned Colt Cabana and Luke Gallows in order to provide them with the chance to prove they never should’ve been released. In an ideal world the final two men on his team would be Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero, presented as two of the best in the world who have been overlooked by WWE for years. Alternatively they could go with two other former ROH guys already under contract: Bryan Danielson and Colby ‘Tyler Black’ Lopez.

I think this match would work well because it’s so credible. It’s no secret that Triple H is friends with Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman, and seeing him tag with them would give the match the old guard versus new guard feel that the feud is beginning to take on now. Punk wouldn’t just be bringing in the friends he feels were unjustly fired, he’d be trying to create a better WWE, as he’s said he’s wanted to for months. It’s a natural extension of the groundwork that’s been laid featuring realistic, logical developments.

It would be a fantastic opportunity to draw some big money and start fresh feuds. As I mentioned, the fans nostalgic for the past would be catered for by having Waltman, Nash and Michaels involved, while indy wrestling fans would be interested in seeing the Kings of Wrestling, Cabana or the man formerly known as Tyler Black appear on a WWE pay-per-view, or Danielson and Punk on the same team. It would be a good way to begin a push for whoever filled the positions on ‘Team Game’ too. Del Rio and Miz would be perfect for the role of the company’s chosen one, and the match could be used as a starting point for a singles feud between either one of them and CM Punk. Alternatively Hero and Castagnoli could turn on Punk, setting up a Kings of Wrestling versus Cabana and Punk (I don’t think they refer to themselves as the Second City Saints in WWE, sadly) feud.

Given enough promo time in the weeks leading up to the event this match could draw a lot of buys and provide some memorable television moments along the way: Punk, Triple H, Michaels, Hero and Nash all have great verbal skills are there are various combinations that could be put together to create memorable RAW segments. There would be more than enough guys involved to do four weeks of matches to hype the Survivor Series match without using Nash, Michaels or Triple H.

Most importantly this match gives WWE various ways to start a new feud for its hottest character, CM Punk. The promotion should want to make him a central figure for next year’s WrestleMania and to do that it needs to keep him involved in meaningful feuds. The current Triple H feud is fine, and a post Survivor Series match with The Miz, Del Rio, or the Kings of Wrestling would all allow him to continue doing what he’s been doing so successfully, but against someone fresh.

I know we’re not likely to see this exact match take place at Survivor Series on November 20^th, but if WWE can go for something similar that mixes their current compelling storyline with the showcasing of younger talent then I think they’d be doing themselves a huge favour, and providing the fans with an exciting and unpredictable main event.

You heard it here first.

ROH in Charlotte predictions

Over the years North Caroline has been known as “Flair Country” and “Hardy Country”. Tonight it will be known as “ROH Country” as Ring of Honor returns to promote one of its final cards before launching its new TV show. With a cage match main event and another American Wolves match it’s clear Ring of Honor are going all out to demonstrate that their “B shows” are just as worthy of attention as their bigger events.

Last night’s show threw up a few surprises: the Bravados scored a frankly bizarre upset when they beat the Briscoe brothers, Mike Bennett was defeated by both members of the All Night Express in singles matches (‘The Prodigy’s’ push seems to have been halted for some reason), and a promise from Davey Richards to defend the ROH title against either Michael Elgin or Roderick Strong.

But as for this evening...

Colt Cabana v Chris Hero w/Shane Hagadorn

How incensed do you think Hero would have been had Colt Cabana won the tag title last night? My guess: very. Cabana and Hero are two of Ring of Honor’s biggest stars so this match should be well received by the audience. I’m of the opinion that Hero is the company’s best all round star right now: he’s a believable performer, can work an enjoyable match with anyone, and possesses phenomenal verbal skills. I imagine he’ll be able to overcome Cabana’s predictable comedy routine and force the Chiacgo native to produce a compelling match.

The interesting thing about this match is the rumours of both men being headed for WWE. Hero had a tryout before RAW a few weeks ago alongside his Kings of Wrestling partner Claudio Castagnoli and there’s been talk of the team receiving contract offers ever since. Meanwhile Cabana has been linked to the CM Punk contract negotiation rumours: apparently Punk has requested Cabana be signed to a contract and attached to the RAW brand so that they can travel together. So this could be the last time we see Hero v Cabana in ROH. If it is I hope they give us a match worthy of them both (and that Hero wins).

Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team v The Bravado Brothers

I’m still shocked that the Bravado Bandwagon rolled over the Briscoes last night in Richmond. I was convinced they were going to lose to the Briscoes, so the question this evening is can they beat another established team and prove they’ve been right in demanding bigger opportunities? I would say no. They gained their upset for the weekend yesterday. I think they’ll look strong in defeat tonight.

As for why they won last night I’m assuming it’s due to Ring of Honor increasing the number of shows they produce next year: they’ll want to start building up some credible new acts now. The talk of the Kings of Wrestling heading to WWE could be a factor too. I’m pleased the Bravados appear to be on their way to getting more matches. They’re an entertaining duo and deserve an upper mid-card spot.

Mark Briscoe v Kenny King

Rhett Titus and Jay Briscoe will be handcuffed to posts at ringside

This match is so strongly linked with the one below that I’ll give my thoughts there.

Jay Briscoe v Rhett Titus

Kenny King and Mark Briscoe will be handcuffed to posts at ringside

These two matches are on the card to further the feud between the Briscoes and the All Night Express. I imagine the handcuffs will be used during whichever match goes on first but not during the second. Perhaps whichever Briscoe is handcuffed will manage to free themselves and attack the cuffed ANX member. Perhaps the interlude between matches will become so wild that Cornette comes out to make a tag team match instead of trying to contain people at ringside. As far as wins and losses go, assuming there are two matches I’ll go with each team getting one win each.

As much as I like ANX this feud needs a boost. The best way to do that would be to have a gimmick match of some sort between the two teams. A cage or double dog collar match would be a good fit as it would provide scope for a suitably wild encounter and give the men something different to get stuck into. Part of the trouble I have is that I’m just not that interested in the Briscoes in the ring. I’m fine watching Jay rant about Campbell’s Chunky for five minutes but their matches never captivate me. Perhaps these singles bouts and whatever happens next in the program will change all that, but I won’t hold my breath.

Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly v The American Wolves

It’s student versus teacher in the second Wolves match of the weekend as reigning ROH world champion Davey Richards finds himself across the ring from Kyle O’Reilly, a young man he’s been mentoring on-screen for around seven or eight months now. There’s already been talk of O’Reilly being the man to end Richards’ title reign. It’s far too early to be discussing that possibility seriously: O’Reilly has a long way to go before he’s ready to challenge for the company’s top prize, and for the foreseeable future he’ll be doing his climbing alongside Adam Cole.

Both young men have come a long way in the relatively short time they’ve been tagging together, and they’ve put in impressive showings against all the company’s top teams. In many ways this is the final test for the young men: the Wolves are no longer a regular combo in the ROH tag ranks, they’re more of a special attraction with both men concentrating more on singles accolades. At the same time they have an impressive pedigree: they’re former two time tag team champions and both have held (or currently hold) the ROH world championship. They’re an impressive unit, but an impressive unit that Cole and O’Reilly need to beat to prove they belong at the top of the doubles division.

I think it would make storyline sense to have Edwards miffed that Richards has promised to grant a member of the House of Truth a title match before he’s had his rematch and there being friction between the Wolves. But I’m always predicting friction between the Wolves and it never seems to happen. The story of this match will likely be student versus teacher more than the continued fallout of Edwards and Richards. As far as a winner goes I’ll predict O’Reilly and Cole: they have to get that elusive big win soon and this would be the ideal time.

Steel Cage match

Roderick Strong v El Generico

There have been problems between El Generico and the House of Truth ever since ‘The Generic Luchadore’ challenged Roderick Strong for the ROH world title back on January 28^th at SoCal Showdown II. On that night Strong gained the tainted victory after hitting Generico with the belt. Generico has faced all three HOT members at various ROH shows since then, most notably defeating Christopher Daniels for the ROH television championship at Best in the World two weeks ago.

It’s led to this match: a steel cage surrounding the ring to ensure that Strong’s various House of Truth cohorts can’t get involved in proceedings. Traditionally ROH cage matches are brutal affairs and I’m sure this match will be no different. I’ll pick Strong to win as he’ll be headed for a world title match fairly soon and should be picking up a few wins beforehand to look like a threat.

Even though this show isn’t one of the more hyped events Ring of Honor has presented this year it still has some potentially excellent matches lined up. The first meeting of Kyle O’Reilly and Davey Richards is notable, as is the cage match main event. Remember that Elgin and Bennett have been announced for the show too. Who will they be facing? And could Steen show up (personally I think he’ll appear at the TV tapings next month, but he could appear in Charlotte).

All this just goes to show that all Ring of Honor shows are worth checking out, unlike the “B shows” of certain other companies I could mention.

ROH in Richmond predictions

After the spectacular show that was Best in the World 2011 Ring of Honor will this weekend present two smaller shows from Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC, both of which will have a strong emphasis on tag team wrestling. It’s a nice approach: by using their smaller events to feature the more established stars in tag bouts Ring of Honor manages to get more young talent into the ring in front of fans.

The Richmond show will start the weekend with the American Wolves teaming up to take on the House of Truth, Chris Hero facing Rhett Titus and the tag team titles being defended by Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team. Let’s have a look at the show in a bit more detail:

Kenny King v ‘The Prodigy’ Mike Bennett

At first glance this is an odd choice of match: King is coming off an impressive showing alongside Rhett Titus in the four team elimination match at Best in the World, while Bennett was beaten convincingly by Jay Lethal on the same show. It’s an opportunity for both men to show what they can do though though. King can use it as a chance to show that he’s just as good in singles competition as he is in tags (I expect him to be ROH world champion if he’s with the company long enough) and Bennett can show what he can do against a more established worker.

Chris Hero w/Shane Hagadorn v Rhett Titus

It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Chris Hero. What I’ve been less vocal about is how much I enjoy the work of Titus. It’s usually King who gets credit as the better worker of ANX (which I can understand: King is the more experienced and athletic of the two men) but Titus is solid and has improved a lot in the last year, for which he deserves credit.

The character work of both men is what I really enjoy though. Hero is easily one of the most well developed personas anywhere in wrestling, and understands how to get himself over without making his opponent look weak. His “real sports” approach is simple but incredibly effective because so few others do it. Rhett’s character has developed just as much as his wrestling skills in the last twelve months: this time last year he was wearing vests, bow ties and shades to the ring. That’s been dropped in favour of a serious attitude that I fully expect will take he and King to the top of the tag division by mid-2012.

This match should be one of the highlights of the Richmond show and could be a career high for Titus. I’m expecting a Hero win, but a Titus win wouldn’t be terribly shocking, especially with the current rumours of the Kings heading to WWE.

Tag Team Contenders Lottery match #1

Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly v Caprice Coleman and Cedrick Alexander

For all they deserve the hype that’s been directed towards them it has to be said that Cole and O’Reilly don’t really win very often. They’ve put in astonishingly good showings against far more experienced teams in Haas and Benjamin, Hero and Castagnoli, and the Briscoes, but they haven’t actually won any of those matches. In fact the only teams they have shown they can beat are non-regulars and the Bravado Brothers. This one-night, four-team tournament is a chance for Cole and O’Reilly to really establish themselves with a decisive victory over Coleman and Alexander and an upset over the Briscoes (who I expect to win the other first round bout).

Tag Team Contenders Lottery match #2

Jay and Mark Briscoe v The Bravado Brothers

The Bravado Brothers have asked in recent months to be given the chance to get in the ring with ROH’s more experienced teams to show that they can get wins where Cole and O’Reilly can’t. Unfortunately for them that wish has been granted in the form of a match with the Briscoes. It’s not going to be pretty or long. The only way I can see the Bravados winning is if the referee disqualifies the Briscoes for excessive force or something of that nature. There’s no way the Bravados will get a clean win here.

Tag Team Contenders Lottery final

This match will pit the winners of the two teams against one another with a shot at the Ring of Honor world tag team titles and a purported $5000 bonus on the line (that’s purest storyline by the way). I expect this to be the Briscoes v Cole and O’Reilly, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the younger fluking an upset victory. I can’t imagine the Bravados winning, and I find it hard to imagine a Coleman and Alexander win too.

Michael Elgin and Roderick Strong w/Truth Martini v The American Wolves

This may be a tag match but it has the potential to shape the ROH world title scene for the next several months due to the world champion and two former champions being involved. The big question is “can Richards and Edwards work as a unit?” They may have showed their mutual respect for one another after Richards’ victory over Edwards at Best in the World, but can former champion Edwards put that loss out of his mind to achieve victory in Richmond? I find it hard to believe he will. Both Edwards and Richards will wish to show that they are the dominant member of the team and the better of the two wrestlers.

It’s an intriguing storyline, made more interesting because one of their opponents is Roderick Strong, the man Edwards beat for the belt on March 19^th. Strong’s being billed as fresh form a tour of Japan (though having seen how stiff a lot of Japanese wrestling is I find it hard to believe he’ll be anywhere close to “fresh”), which could see him introducing a new move or submission hold to try and pull out a victory.

It should be a stiff, fast paced bout and another contender for match of the night honours. I’ll pick the House of Truth to win as I imagine Strong is going to be challenging for the title fairly soon.

ROH World Tag Team championship –

Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (c) v Colt Cabana and El Generico

Since the end of the Generico v Steen feud Cabana and ‘The Generic Luchadore’ haven’t been placed together that much and so tend to be overlooked during discussions about Ring of Honor’s tag scene. While they’re not a regular combo they are both over enough to make a tag team opportunity seem reasonable and should provide a good match. Haas and Benjamin are usually very serious in the ring, so I’m interested to see how they react to the inevitable comedy routine from Cabana. You know it’s coming as well as I do.

As alluded to above, this event will function very nicely as an advert for the great tag team wrestling available to ROH fans. Not only will we see the Tag Team Contenders Lottery but also a rare American Wolves match and a defence of the tag team titles. Tag team wrestling is all over the card! Plus we’re sure to see a development in the Richards and Edwards story, and a certain Mr Steen could possibly make an appearance too. Richmond could host a far more relevant show than most fans seem to be expecting.