That Wrestling Podcast Episode 45

That Wrestling Podcast Epsode 45 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

So. Jim Cornette. As you’ll find out while listening to this episode I’m mostly against the concept of him. I understand that he’s accomplished booker and manager, and that he’s respected within the wrestling business. None of that matters to me.

 

His apoplectic outbursts towards anyone and everyone that’s ever fired him, for completely justifiable reasons, make him a hard character to warm to. As does his opinion that wrestling has had very little to offer since the dawn of the nineties. Everyone has their favourite eras of wrestling but to disregard everything as inferior, especially when you’re continuing to work in and contribute to the business is foolish, childish and irritating.

 

The Cornette shout-and-point. A classic

His approach to booking Ring of Honor is what really turned me against him. Seeing a company that was more about athletic ability and pure, technical wrestling than storylines Cornette decided that ROH would be the perfect promotion to try and revive the dated style and approach he loves. ROH, a promotion that had built its reputation on being ahead of trends, was not the right place for Cornette’s usual booking style, but he employed it anyway.

 

Not only that but he’s stated he saw nothing in Kevin Steen and El Generico. Despite this Steen was the most popular wrestler on the roster while Cornette was in charge and remains so today. Generico, on the other hand, was signed by WWE and is one of the most popular men in NXT. This, to me, proves Cornette does not have a good eye for picking out talent.

 

This argument is presented more coherently in the accompanying podcast. So give it a listen if you’re at all interested in what’s been said so far.

The Future of ROH

At the start of the year I was positive, hopeful even, about Ring of Honor's future. Jim Cornette had been shown the door, Kevin Steen was the world champion, and the company was coming off of a very good Final Battle show. Cornette being gone meant Delirious would be free to pursue his own creative vision, one that I was interested in seeing. Steen being the champion was good because in the past ROH had had trouble manoeuvring the title onto guys when they were at their hottest. They'd managed it with Steen and fans hadn't turned on him, another norm. Things looked promising for the league.

For the first half of the year I was impressed with what I saw. Technical issues aside the promotion's iPPV output from the Eleventh Anniversary to Border Wars was excellent. It was almost certainly the best string of major shows that ROH had mustered in years. The match quality was dependable at every level of the card, there was logical show to show development, and an interesting (if utterly unoriginal) central plot (Aces and Eights... sorry, I mean SCUM!).

That hot streak ended, ironically enough, at Best in the World. The main event didn't help. Mark Briscoe versus Jay Briscoe has never struck me (and likely never will) as a worthwhile big show main event. It's a B show-slash-Friday night show-slash-DVD taping-slash-TV taping level central attraction at best. Yet it was the match that went on last at BITW.

That Jay had won the championship had disappointed me. Steen had a good few months left in his reign and it felt like his natural successor was Michael Elgin (although current champion Adam Cole would have worked well as the man to replace him too). Not only did 'Mr Wrestling's' reign reach a premature end but it came at the hands of a man I didn't feel was a logical choice for the role.

The post-Best in the World TV tapings saw Jay and Mark written off TV, with the championship being declared vacant a week or two later. I've written about the title vacation to a fairly great extent. Basically it shouldn't have happened. Jay should have been dropped the title at the June 23^rd TV taping or agreed to come back to lose it in a one off appearance (sometime in July, realistically). The title's lineage is meant to be an important part of Ring of Honor and should have been protected. The company and Jay Briscoe should know that.

The title tournament that followed was a blown opportunity. Instead of making it something to attract new viewers, introduce new regular talent, experiment with a new creative direction or promote genuine dream matches it was a rushed affair that didn't achieve half of what it could have. The eventual victor, Adam Cole, was a good choice to become champion nineteen. His reign and the tag work of reDRagon, The American Wolves, and the Forever Hooligans are some of the sparse highlights of the promotion.

 

Highlights of Ring of Honor

 

The first half of 2013 saw ACH, Silas Young, Adam Page, and Tadarius Thomas become regulars. The second half of the year has no such names to boast. Without new names appearing and established names moving on the development of younger guys and new stars grinds to halt. That's always been the case for ROH and it's beginning to happen here.

As things stand at the moment there's little about Ring of Honor I find appealing. I’m not as uninterested as I am in TNA (ROH would have a long way to go before they sunk to those levels), nor do I think the company's in the bad shape it was this time last year, but I do feel it's become stagnant.

The lead plot of ‘The Panama City Playboy’ going bad and feuding with Jay Briscoe and-or Michael Elgin is fine, but alone it's not enough to hold interest in ROH. Cole is a fine champion and an enjoyable antagonist while 'Unbreakable' is a very good powerhouse babyface but neither man has the charisma of Kevin Steen. As long as he's around he's always going to be one of the promotion's biggest stars and needs to be treated as such. I appreciate his current work opposite Michael Bennett is designed to elevate Bennett (and protect Steen from overexposure) but it can only go on for so long before he loses steam and the amount of good he can do decreases.

I want ROH to succeed. I've liked what the company has stood for in the past and believe it presents a better alternative to WWE's approach than does TNA. But if the people running the company want it to be as good as it can be changes are needed. They can probably muddle through to the end of the year with the current approach but they should really be working on having something solid for 2014. To get back onto the streak they had early this year they need focus on crafting a riveting new lead storyline supported by engaging secondary ones and new talent. It's a challenge I feel Delirious and the roster are more than capable of meeting.

Mr Wrestling

I doubt Ring of Honor would have retained as much of its fan base as it has over the last few years without Kevin Steen. Turning on his pal and tag partner El Generico at Final Battle 2009 started a chain of events that eventually made him the most popular man in the company.

It started with the Generico v Steen feud. The former tag champions spent 2010 warring with one another and headlined Final Battle in a wild and allegedly unsanctioned brawl. A loss there meant Steen had to leave the promotion. When he returned six months later Jim Cornette’s booking had taken its toll on the product. Fans were losing interest. The American Wolves had senselessly been split up and shoved into a rivalry over the ROH championship and a poor job was being done of creating new names. If you think this is a trouble for WWE it’s even worse for a promotion operating at ROH’s level. They can’t rely on a handful of stars and a highly successful brand name, their success comes from a steady flow of exciting, fresh talent and high quality matches. But that’s by the by.

Despite being booked as a heel that wanted to tear Ring of Honor apart Steen was greeted as a face at the majority of ROH events in the second half of 2011 and early 2012. The reason for this is almost certainly that Steen tapped into the audience’s frustrations about the state of the company. He said things that those watching felt. His cries for change and the removal of Jim Cornette meant that fans were never going to boo him. He was calling for the things they wanted.

 

ROH fans just don't want to boo Kevin Steen

Things could have gone wrong for him when he won the ROH world title. ROH fans have a history of turning on popular wrestlers once they win the championship. Not only that but Cornette left the company five months into the reign. Without Cornette around Steen could have become directionless. Fans continued to support him. Perhaps they appreciated the hard work he’d put in across the preceding two plus years. I know I did.

In addition to his work in ROH he also appears regularly for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. His rise in PWG occurred alongside the rise he enjoyed in ROH as his war with Generico was a big deal there too. The turn and feud helped to fashion both men into top names on the indies. For Generico this led to tryouts with TNA and WWE and offers of work from both. Like any sane person Generico wound up opting to take up WWE’s offer. He can now be seen in NXT wrestling as Sami Zayn.

Steen remains on the indies. To the best of my knowledge he has had no tryout with either TNA or WWE. As far as WWE is concerned this is perfectly understandable. They have the money to be able to sign practically anybody they want to a developmental deal. Not only that but they have a roster full of guys in NXT ready to be moved to the bright lights of Monday Night RAW. It’s no secret that they like their guys to be in shape. It’s also no secret that Steen, while incredibly agile for a man of his size, is not in the shape WWE would require.

Basically WWE don’t need to concern themselves with Steen. As good as he is they can afford to overlook him. TNA, on the other hand, should be emailing, calling, tweeting and touting ‘Mr Wrestling’ every day to try and get him to become part of their product. He would be a fantastic addition to Impact Wrestling. He’s affable, funny and likeable enough to succeed as a face but can just as easily summon a brutal intensity to his actions and words, meaning he’d excel as a heel there too. Hiring him wouldn’t instantly turn their flagging TV show around but it would be a step in the right direction.

It’s likely that Steen is perfectly happy where he is. As one of ROH’s top names I imagine he makes a decent living, supplementing it with appearances with other, smaller companies. If he wants to make the move to WWE in the future he’s still young enough to do so, it would simply be a case of getting back into shape. I can’t imagine he’s distressed at the (assumed) lack of interest from TNA. It’s a sinking ship that would almost certainly do his career more harm than good.

I’d love to see Steen in WWE one day. Whether it happens I’m happy to see him doing well in Ring of Honor. And avoiding TNA.

Laganavision

Dave Lagana is a bit of an anomaly in wrestling. He's a wrestling fan that managed to get a job as part of WWE's creative department. That's not something that happens too often and it's safe to say that it happened in Lagana's case thanks to a combination of having Writer of Friends (you may have heard of it) on his CV. His timing probably helped too. He started with WWE in 2002. Since then WWE has become strongly opposed to the idea of hiring anyone, no matter what relevant experience they may have, who is a wrestling fan. They want TV experience, not opinionated fans.

Lagana had a fair run with WWE, lasting six years before getting released from his contract (or is that term only applied to the talent?) in 2008. During his time in WWE he worked as a writer on SmackDown, headed up the writing of ECW and was taken under the metaphorical wing of Paul Heyman. As far as wrestling CVs go those aren't bad things to be able to say. Having written Friends doesn't hurt either.

After his release Lagana wound up in ROH. His role there was undefined. During his not wholly unsuccessful attempts to turn himself into a media personality throughout the summer of 2011 Lagana was deliberately vague on the subject of what he actually did for Ring of Honor. He admitted he had the chance to make suggestions regarding the company's creative direction but that it was mostly left up to Carey Silkin, Adam Pearce and, later, Jim Cornette. It seems safe to assume he was more involved with the production side of things rather than scripting. That's what his known employment track record would make him a good fit for.

Lagana wound up getting moved on from ROH in the closing months of 2011. The company went into a creative tailspin shortly afterwards. In fairness I think that was more to do with the presence of Jim Cornette than the lack of Dave Lagana. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

Lagana quickly found himself snapped up by TNA (he was a former WWE employee remember) and started working on the company's Indian spin-off Ring Ka King. Despite being a massively successful and warmly received project the channel that aired Ring Ka King decided to pass on a second series. Perhaps they've got something against successful TV shows? Whatever the reason it didn't matter: RKK had provided Lagana with a chance to prove to TNA management that he could put together entertaining wrestling television. When it became apparent Ring Ka King series two wasn't materialising Lagana was moved over to work on Impact Wrestling.

Lagana's addition to the Impact writing team coincided with the initial push of Austin Aries. With Bobby Roode and James Storm recently established as headliners it seemed like the perfect time for a new writer to come in and take TNA in a bold new creative direction.

It didn't happen. Instead the promising new era faltered just before it was established. 'A Double' performed a senseless heel turn out of nowhere and dropped the title to Jeff Hardy then formed a tag team with former rival Bobby Roode. Meanwhile Hardy enjoyed a lengthy run before dropping the championship to Bully Ray.

I have nothing against Ray or Hardy but their ascension to the top felt like regression. Both men made their names elsewhere while Roode, Storm and Aries could be presented as TNA creations.

As Lagana is not acknowledged as the head of TNA creative it's hard to pin this on him. Bruce Prichard's the man in charge of the scripts and so it's him we should blame for the decidedly uninspiring product TNA puts out. If anything I think we should be encouraged that Lagana's still around and a part of the process. Last year's Impact quality boom coinciding with Lagana joining the team could be a coincidence, but it'd be a big one. It strikes me as more likely that he had a little more say last summer and that it ceased when ratings didn't immediately improve. If that's the case it's unfair. Ratings take time to go up, especially with the amount of choice viewers today have.

Lagana has a proven track record in wrestling. He’s learnt from probably the two most highly regarded bookers ever (Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman). He worked on SmackDown during what is generally considered one of the blue brand’s brightest periods. Ring Ka King was a solid show too, and that is generally credited as the work of Lagana and Jeff Jarrett alone.

 

Don't do what this sign says

 

TNA is clearly not as successful as it could or should be right now. They attract just over one million viewers a week, which is pretty poor considering their time slot and the size of the wrestling fan base in North America. The trouble appears to be that the promotion is happy to settle for the number two spot.

Having old boys like Prichard, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Al Snow, and D’Lo Brown backstage is not going to change anything. They’re all interested in booking the same tired product TNA’s been putting out for years now, a strange mix of Attitude Era shock tactics and attempts to emulate the current WWE approach. The bad ratings and disinterest in pay-per-views (TNA are lucky if they pull a five figure viewing number) proves that this is not the way TNA should be going.

The company would be best served getting rid of everyone currently involved in the creative process with the exception of Lagana. I think he deserves a crack at steering TNA for a while. Bring in some fresh blood to flesh out the rest of the creative department. Do something WWE would never do and bring in wrestling fans.

There are plenty of fans out there who have an idea of what they’d like to see from TNA. An online application process could turn up some good ideas and new talent. Under Lagana fans could learn how to format a show, interact with wrestlers, and experiment with the tried and tested wrestling TV formula.

Over the last several years TNA has missed out on signing talent like Tyler Black, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, and El Generico. They’ve proven incapable of holding on to established names like Rob Van Dam. I’m convinced this is largely because they’re presenting such a boring product: wrestlers simply don’t want to be associated with it and would rather take their chances in NXT.

A retooled creative division helmed by Lagana would provide TNA with a chance to go in a new direction. The company should not be satisfied with a number two spot. It should be figuring out a unique presentation and striving to be the best at that.

Anyone for Tennis?

Jim Cornette left Ring of Honor under a cloud last year, the result of a blowup backstage that came about because Corny disagreed with the direction of the company. Yes this is the same Jim Cornette as had been guiding the promotion for around a year and a half. He had been relieved of his duties but was sticking around as a consultant. The aforementioned blowup likely occurred because Jim's opinions weren't carrying the weight he was used to them carrying.

This disagreement means it's unlikely Cornette is to do business with ROH any time soon. This is great news from a booking standpoint, Delirious has turned the company around in the space of months. ROH is now a federation worth watching again.

It does mean we will probably miss out on what could be an enjoyable return story though. Not an essential return story, but an enjoyable one.

Cornette's public split from ROH is the perfect excuse to have him come back as an on-screen heel. His past as a manager is well known. He could return to manage a disenfranchised member of the locker room or invade alongside one of his old pals. For some reason I can't get the image of Cornette managing Vader in ROH out of my mind. I'm sure something better than that could be concocted, but it's a decent example of the sort of guy I mean. A veteran who wouldn’t seem out of place in the territories of yesteryear.

"Close the door, dammit! We're having a private moment!"

Obviously there's a strong similarity to the SCUM plot, which puts the kibosh on the entire thing (as does sanity). A Cornette return while that faction is still doing the rounds wouldn't work. It would create two heel forces set on the destruction of ROH. Nobody needs to see that (ain't nobody got time for that).

Something else that would make a Corny return unlikely while they're still around is that a large part of the reason SCUM exists is because of the group’s dislike of Corny. Corino's gang and Cornette feuding with ROH at the same time would possibly make the world collapse in on itself due to lack of logic.

The idea could be used for a DVD taping. A one off appearance of Cornette would lend itself nicely to a one night only setting. It could be announced that he's signed a client to help him get his revenge on the company. As it wouldn't be an ongoing story pretty much anyone who fits the bill of a "Cornette guy" could be used. That includes Vader. Yes, he does still wrestle. I checked.

If not used for a DVD taping it could be held off until the latter half of next year. Waiting much longer than that would make it a dead and pointless story. Doing it sooner would coincide with SCUM which would be a bad idea, as I've mentioned.

It’s not going to happen anyway, of course. Cornette was fired and, in a typical move, has slated the company for the decision. Never mind that it's what fans had called for or that it was the right thing for Ring of Honor’s continued growth. Cornette's reaction to being let go, and indeed ROH's decision to get rid of him in the first place, means that it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll never see this scenario play out.

It doesn’t matter. SCUM's a better idea anyway.

Thank You, Steen

Supercard of Honor VII saw the longest ROH title reign in four years come to end. A lot of the focus of the title change has been on Jay Briscoe being the man to hand Kevin Steen his first ROH loss in over two years. Which is understandable: very few people expected Jay to ever get a reign as the champion and the WrestleMania weekend show seemed like it would be a guaranteed retention for 'Mr Wrestling'.

What not many people (or at least not enough people) are focusing on is Steen's hard work. Even before he won the title he had been the focal point of Ring of Honor. Minus a six month break due to contract disputes and-or creative disagreements with Jim Cornette, Steen has been one of the most heavily featured and enjoyable singles acts since early 2010. He was there playing a supporting role during Davey Richards' damp squib of a title run and had the feud of the year against former teammate El Generico in 2010.

Since Steen won the belt last spring he's been a rallying point for fans of the promotion, a beacon of positivity in a company that had sadly lost its way. He never entered anything less than a great performance when defending the belt (or wrestling in a non-title match come to that) and survived poor iPPV streams, slapdash booking and dwindling interest in the product he represented. His involvement in the promotion proved a saving grace. Without him there’s a very real chance 2012 could have seen Ring of Honor go under.

I was originally sceptical 'Wrestling's Worst Nightmare' could have a meaningful run as champion. His two matches against Davey Richards proved enjoyable but 'The Lone Wolf's' second loss meant that he could no longer challenge for the gold. That denied Steen a talented and popular opponent.

Further limiting the possibility of a great reign was the shallow ROH roster. During his first few months as champion he was subjected to defences against the likes of Mike Mondo, Eddie Kingston and Homicide, none of whom meant a great deal to fans and none of whom are known as the greatest wrestlers available for hire. His defences against Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong were very good, but they were isolated affairs with no long term plan attached to them. In a sense they were teases of how good the Steen reign could be.

Shed a tear: this is a sight we may never see again

It wasn't until Jay Lethal challenged him in October that Steen had another title match that could be described as a classic. From there he entered spirited defences against Michael Elgin (at Glory by Honor XI) and El Generico (at Final Battle), had a great rematch with ‘Black Machismo’ (at the 11^th Anniversary Show), and a surprisingly satisfying non-title four-way outing against Edwards, Strong and Elgin (at Defy or Deny II).

 

From the moment Delirious took over as booker in October Steen was given the chance to cement himself as one of the greatest ROH champions. He seized upon the opportunity and proved he belonged in the same league as the likes of Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson. He did a far better job of overcoming the obstacles of his reign than Davey Richards did the year before.

Steen’s loss of the championship came as a surprise. There's every chance he'll get the belt back at some point but ultimately that's neither here nor there. Steen deserves appreciation for carrying the company for a year and making sure the belt retained its prestige while in his possession. For now I want to thank Kevin Steen for having the first reign we all needed him to have.

Creative Control

WWE has been using a team of writers to script their TV shows for over ten years now. Before that they used bookers. The difference is significant. A booker is someone who has been around the wrestling business for a substantial amount of time and understands how to apply its unique psychology to the structuring of plots designed to keep fans paying to see to guys fight. A writer is someone who understands how to structure a television show, using the medium's episodic format to keep people tuning back in every week by using characters, skits, and wrestling matches in equal measure.

The previous system comprised a collection of backstage personnel. Jims Cornette and Ross were involved in booking for a while, as were then-full time performers Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Gerry Brisco, Pat Patterson and others were involved over the years too.

The era of the writer began when WWF Magazine editor Vince Russo was inducted into the federation's creative process. Vinnie Ru has always insisted that he's a writer, not a booker, taking a great deal of pride in the title. Russo, you see, writes TV shows. He doesn't book wrestling.

Vince McMahon has been the man in charge throughout. He retained the final say when there was a booking team and he does so now with his cadre of writers. The WWF is his company. Nothing happens without his authorisation. Basically if Vince doesn't like it, it doesn't happen.

That's important to remember when advocating either approach. Whatever examples you may pluck from WWE's (or indeed the WWF's) past they have ultimately been okayed by the same man. It is all, in a sense, one man's creative vision. Both approaches have brought the company success.

The label of writer is often tossed around derisively by wrestling fans. It's important to note that the success of the company's most critically acclaimed period (yep, the Attitude Era) is usually attributed to Vinces Russo and McMahon. JR left the process (because of his full time job announcing RAW and running the talent relations department), Cornette left the company, and Patterson and Brisco became agents, focusing on matches. While he wasn't the only guy involved Russo was one of the driving forces. I feel this needs pointing out simply to illustrate that not everyone who calls themselves a writer is bad for the product.

Nevertheless the current approach of hiring guys with little or no experience, knowledge or passion for wrestling to be writers is seen as the biggest problem the current WWE product has. It's not a sentiment I'm inclined to argue with. WWE has spent too long concentrating on wooing guys with film, network TV, and Hollywood experience. They know how to bring a fresh perspective to WWE, which is valuable. But it’s happening, and has happened, at the expense of a basic knowledge of what wrestling fans want. It may be marketed as sports entertainment, but WWE will always be wrestling.

Broadly speaking the trouble is that all the writers have the same set of experiences to draw on. Their backgrounds are too similar to provide any meaningful variety in the world of wrestling. Yes they have their place, but it's alongside people who understand what makes draws paying customers to wrestling. Those who know what's been successful, and why, should be working alongside those with a broader experience of television production.

Maybe CM stands for Creativity Manager

This isn't to belittle the efforts of the writing team. By all accounts they have a pretty tough travel schedule and work very long hours. On top of that their role is a constant balancing act between suggesting things that will better the product and not being so radical as to alienate them from the mercurial Mr McMahon. It can't be an easy gig.

But working under tough conditions doesn't change the fact that the current scripting system isn't working. A change is needed in this department, and the most effective option available is to get rid of some of the writers. That would allow for a more streamlined process. The guys that should go should be a mixture of newcomers who aren't grasping what makes wrestling (or sports entertainment) work and veterans who've been around long enough to have contributed all their best ideas. This doesn't have to mean sacking them. WWE's a big corporation, find somewhere else for them to slot in where their experience will be just as, if not more, valuable.

The writers should be replaced with those who know the industry. Agents, managers, commentators, GMs... whatever roles these guys currently play on TV they've all been around wrestling for long enough to have an idea of what a 2013 audience may react to. If someone doesn't work out that's fine, just remove them and give someone else a shot. It's not like WWE doesn't have enough staff for this to work.

I think it would be worthwhile allowing a select few main event guys the chance to contribute more in this area too. CM Punk, John Cena and The Rock are all said to have a degree of influence over what they do and say on TV. Why not put then in the writing team in an official capacity and see if their ideas can benefit the roster as a whole? Cena may not be a great wrestler but maybe he could turn out to be wrestling’s answer to Proust.

ROH 11th Anniversary Show preview

I remember reading about the first ever Ring of Honor show in Power Slam magazine. I was mainly drawn to it because of the prominent photograph of Eddie Guerrero. I wasn’t especially interested in his opponent, Super Crazy. I wasn’t at all concerned by anybody else on the card. I’d never heard of Bryan Danielson, Christopher Daniels, Spanky or Homicide. I’d only ever come across Low Ki thanks to his work as a WWF enhancement talent on weekend show Metal (remember that?). But I read the article and was intrigued. It sounded like The Era of Honor Begins had been a good show.

Over the following months I followed the story of ROH’s rise and the crowning of their first champion online and in Power Slam. I wanted to see a Ring of Honor show but as far as I was aware video tapes weren’t region free (I’m still not sure on this but I’m still fairly sure they’re not). DVD players hadn’t become widespread enough for me to have one by this point.

By 2004 I had a DVD player. I bought an ROH show on eBay, after making sure that their DVDs were definitely region free (they were and are, so feel free to buy some). I decided what to buy based on a combination of price and who was on the card. I got both Weekend of Thunder show for six quid. The price was the biggest factor. CM Punk wrestling was a secondary one. I’d seen his name mentioned a lot in PS and online and had seen him wrestle at British Uprising 2. I knew him being on each DVD guaranteed me at least two good matches.

It’s been eleven years since ROH started up. That landmark will be celebrated with the imaginatively titled 11^th Anniversary Show on Saturday night. After the reign of (t)error inflicted on the company, and the fans, by Evil Overlord Jim Cornette ROH has become enjoyable again over the last few months, so there’s every chance TEAS will be a good show.

 

Eleven years of men who don't feel comfortable posing for wrestling posters

 

Let’s start at the bottom of the card and work our way up.

The SCUM (I’m still not sure what that’s supposed to stand for) team of Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino will take on the C&C Wrestle Factory. These four clashed in the semi-finals of last year’s title tournament. I wanted Coleman and Alexander to win. They lost. I’m hopeful that part of the reason for this bout taking place is to grant C&C the win they deserved to take last year at Death Before Dishonor X. They remain a pair that could be used as the future of ROH.

In another middle-of-the-card outing ‘The Outlaw’ Charlie Haas will clash with BJ Whitmer. I’m not a big Whitmer fan and I’m not especially interested in Haas as a singles wrestler. Without Shelton Benjamin at his side I don’t really think he has a huge amount to offer ROH, although his character has grown on me.

This match is happening because of the well-established troubles between Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team and Whitmer and Rhett Titus. That’s another aspect of the current ROH product I’m not overly keen on. So really there’s not much about Whitmer v Haas that interests me. I’m picking Haas to win, because for some reason he’s used as a formidable singles force.

Former House of Truth pals Roderick Strong and Michael Elgin will wrestle under two-out-of-three falls rules. Truth Martini, who we were told would retire at the end of 2012 but didn’t, is barred from ringside. That should mean we can expect a victory for Elgin, seeing as the reason he fell to Strong at Final Battle was outside interference from Martini.

Usually when a two-out-of-three falls bout is made fans can expect to see the third fall. I don’t think that’s necessarily the case here. Ring of Honor is the sort of company that isn’t afraid to brook convention, and giving ‘Unbreakable’ two straight decisions with Strong getting none would do a lot to rehabilitate him.

And he does need rehabilitating. Elgin was handled incredibly badly by Cornette. He went from being a hot prospect that everyone wanted to see ascend to the top of the card to a generic dude who likes power moves. Not shoving him to the top of the card was a huge mistake. I’m hopeful that Delirious is going to treat him differently and as such I’m expecting a decisive Elgin victory.

Truth Martini may or may not appear during the Strong v Elgin match. Just because he’s banned from ringside doesn’t mean he won’t sneak in. One match he’ll definitely be at ringside for is Adam Cole’s TV championship defence against Matt Taven. Because Martini is now Taven’s manager.

A title change isn’t impossible. It would be a shocking result, which is usually a good thing on a big show like this. Cole’s faced everyone he’s realistically going to as TV champ. A surprise loss of the title would be a great way of launching a Taven push and would free Cole up for a move up the card. Or to NXT.

I’m not going to predict that though. It would be a nice surprise and a way of creating a new star and keeping Martini relevant but I think Cole will have the belt for a bit longer. I’m looking forward to this match. I think it could be very good.

The ROH tag team titles will be defended by the eight time champion Mark and Jay Briscoe. Their opponents will be Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. The challengers have the team name redDRagon. I missed the reason for this team name, if one was given. Given the emphasis of the DR of dragon I’ll assume it’s somehow related to Davey Richards.
 
This is likely to be one of the better matches of the show. For all they're overexposure 'Dem Boys' are a reliable double act who are at their best when facing opponents the audience reacts strongly to. O'Reilly and Fish fit the bill there.
 
What's a little annoying about this new team is that O'Reilly was only split from a regular team with Adam Cole this time last year. While Cole's gone on to become the TV champ O'Reilly has floundered. His heel turn was rushed and his split from mentor Davey Richards still feels underdeveloped eight months after it happened. O'Reilly's been wasted over the last year.
 
On the bright side he's being used properly now and he and Fish can be just as useful to the tag division as Futureshock would have been had they stayed together. I could see this match going either way. There's no obvious favourite. I'll pick the Briscoes though, mainly because they're the Briscoes and they win a lot. Hopefully O'Reilly and Fish get to win a rematch.
 
The reunited American Wolves will be in a "special attraction" match (a very indy term) against The Forever Hooligans. Firstly I want to state that Forever Hooligans is a pretty cool name for a tag team. Things like that are important. The team is made up of former WWE developmental prospect and NJPW regular Alex Koslov and the former ROH tag team championship partner of Davey Richards, Rocky Romero. Expect a lot to be made of the history between Romero and Richards by the commentary team. To the point where it becomes annoying.
 
This match could be the best of the show. The Wolves have had enough time to get reacquainted with teaming and both men are slick performers. The Hooligans are equally good. A fast match stacked with double team moves and impressive counters is what I'm hoping for.
 
I'm expecting the Wolves to win this match. A third title reign for them seems likely for later in the year. A loss here would only be a setback to that. I don't think it's likely but I’d love Romero and Koslov to become regulars. They'd be a tremendous asset to the promotion.
 
Finally there's the ROH world championship being defended in the main event. Champion Kevin Steen will wrestle Jay Lethal. It's a rematch from last October's Killer Instinct show. There Steen trash-talked Jay Letha’s mother (who was chilling at ringside) to send Lethal over the edge and cause a double DQ. Lethal went nuts and started smashing the set up in a Bret Hart-inspired worked shoot rampage. It was a peculiar direction for the naturally likeable Lethal to be sent in but it did end up with getting Corney written off TV so it wasn't all bad.
 
As a result of Lethal's unstable display Steen managed to get a ruling put in place that stated he'd never have to face Lethal in ROH. But then (shock, horror!) Lethal won the 2012 Survival of the Fittest, the winner of which receives an ROH world title match at a time of their choosing (although they have to have it officially sanctioned in advance, it's not like WWE's Money in the Bank gimmick). Lethal managed to get Steen to agree to give him his one and only title shot at the 11^th Anniversary Show.
 
Yes, it's another "the challenger must win this match" scenario in wrestling! Imaginative, no?
 
'Mr Wrestling' has been as reliable as any precious ROH champ when it comes to entering great matches. This match should be no different. Lethal has been in ROH long enough to be a credible challenger. He's one of the best wrestlers in ROH, and Delirious has smartly edged away from many of the heelish traits Lethal was displaying while Cornette was still running things. Lethal’s trouble is that he's just not believable as an anarchic tough guy, especially one that Kevin Steen, of all people, is supposed to be scared of.
 
As with many other matches on the card I don't think there's a clear winner for the main event. Honestly, I don't want to see Lethal win. He doesn't strike me as world champion material. He's a solid wrestler, but not every solid wrestler should get to be the champ. Wrestling is not the only factor, even in ROH. There are too many holes in Lethal's work (promo skills and playing a decent character being the obvious two umbrella reasons) for him to have an extended ROH title run.

That said I did write an article last month suggesting the exact opposite of this. My reasoning then was that Lethal could work as champion if the plan was for him to drop the title within a couple of months. I stand by that, and if he does win I’ll be hoping for a short reign.
 
I’m beginning to get the feeling that Steen won't be champion for much longer. I think this show, Supercard of Honor VII in April or Best in the World in June are going to see his reign end. I've not ruled out Lethal winning the strap on Saturday. Just because I don't want to see it happen doesn't mean it won't. I'm going to predict a Steen victory but add the caveat that I wouldn't be surprised to see him lose.
 
The 11^th Anniversary Show looks a lot better on paper than last year's card. There are a greater number of appealing matches booked featuring a greater number of marketable talent. If you've got nothing to do on Saturday (more accurately around one in the morning, British time) there are worse ways to spend a tenner than an ROH iPPV. Bear that in mind.
 
Predictions summary:
Kevin Steen to defeat Jay Lethal
The Briscoe Brothers to defeat redDRagon
The American Wolves to defeat The Forever Hooligans

Adam Cole to defeat Matt Taven
Michael Elgin to defeat Roderick Strong
C&C Wrestle Factory to defeat SCUM
Charlie Haas to defeat BJ Whitmer

Unbreakable Spirit

On the second night of last year’s Showdown in the Sun two parter Michael Elgin had the match of the year, and the best of his career so far, against Davey Richards. It was a predictably stiff encounter that most people had expected to be good, but not as good as it turned out. It surprised a lot of people and made ‘Unbreakable’ stand out from his peers on the ROH undercard.

The match created that rare feeling that there could be an unexpected title change. It’s something Ring of Honor had done before, most notably when Austin Aries defeated Samoa Joe at Final Battle 2004. Switching the world championship onto a competent worker with little to no build-up can make a new name in one night and refresh the promotion’s main event.

That ROH was in desperate need of new bankable stars (and still is) was one of the reasons that fans in Fort Lauderdale were so responsive to the match. Elgin and Richards convinced them to suspend their disbelief, sucked them into the match with a good story and compelling performances, and allowed them to believe they were going to witness a rare title change.

Elgin didn’t win the belt that night because of one man: Kevin Steen.

‘Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare’ had been selected to relieve Richards of the title one month later at Border Wars. Steen’s status as the most popular man in the company and the fact that he seemed to be the only person who had a storyline of any sort going on had seen fans rally behind him and demand he be given a shot at the world title by reluctant Exec Producer (or whatever his job title was) Jim Cornette.

Had the plan not been to switch the title onto Steen and push him as the biggest star in the promotion I’m sure Elgin would have dethroned Richards in a Showdown in the Sun rematch over the summer. ‘The American Wolf’s’ title reign had been mishandled and he was running out of steam. Steen was the natural choice to replace him. Had he not been an option the SITS match showed that Elgin was up to the task of carrying the company.

 

Is there a belt in this guy's future?

 

Unfortunately I think failing to win the championship after that sterling performance has done Elgin a lot of harm. Having proven that he could work a thrilling and believable encounter in the notoriously tough ROH headline position it seemed like it was only a matter of time until he became champ. The longer Elgin goes without winning the title the more it seems as though his outing against Richards was just a fluke. Or that ROH aren’t interested in getting behind him. Either way fans will lose faith and interest.

The remainder of Elgin’s 2012 was spent in enjoyable but ultimately meaningless iPPV and TV outings. Things perked up for him at the end of the year as his feud with Roderick Strong finally begun to hint at an actual match.

But in a way even that long-running programme being paid off harmed Elgin. Although the Elgin v Steen title match that closed Glory By Honor XI was an excellent contest it was overshadowed in places by Strong’s antics at ringside. It wasn’t as easy to accept Elgin as a man who was on the cusp of taking the belt from Steen because the match was so clearly being used to set up the battle between the House of Truth stablemates we saw a month later at Final Battle.

At the moment Jay Lethal is established as the main threat to ‘Mr Wrestling’s’ ROH world championship. Elgin is not a serious part of the title picture. A victory by Lethal could help ‘Unbreakable’ at this point. I can’t imagine Lethal being granted a long reign as the world champion. I think he’d lose the belt relatively quickly. Elgin being booked in a short feud that sees him chase Lethal for a few months and then decisively defeat him when he finally gets the title match he wants could sufficiently reheat him for a lengthy stay at the top.

That’s not guaranteed to happen though. If it doesn’t then ROH may have blown one of their best chances in years to create a new home-grown talent. I hope that doesn’t happen. Elgin is exactly the sort of man ROH needs to be putting on top if they are to have any sort of worthwhile future. They can’t keep guys in reserve forever.

Anti-Authority

Why is it that every wrestling promotion under the sun (well, the ones in North America at any rate) feels the need to clog up valuable minutes of air time with authority figures? WWE is the prime culprit. This year we've seen AJ Lee become the GM of RAW only to be fired a few months later for "inappropriate relations" with a talent, Booker T appointed as the new SmackDown boss with his assistants (Teddy Long and Eve) bickering and one-upping each other continually, and, of course, the entire John Laurinaitis saga. The latter was a holdover from one of last year's central stories.
 
While authority figure storylines are a WWE speciality they're not the only ones at it. Over the last few years TNA has become a pustule of unsightly continuity plots with match-making power tossed around seemingly at random between Sting, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter. Not content to simply rotate established names through an existing job a new role was also created: GM of the Knockouts division. Designed exclusively as a way to get Brooke 'Hogan' Bollea onto television it's a move that hasn't improved Impact at all.
 
Even Ring of Honor, the company all about emphasising in-ring competition and downplaying frivolous stories (supposedly), has seen an above average amount of time dedicated to match-makers this year. Executive Producer Jim Cornette was the main rival of world champion Kevin Steen before being written off TV (because of his real life dismissal from the booking squad) to be replaced by Nigel McGuinness.
 
In 2012 there is no need for these figures to be featured so prominently. Yet they are. Their prominence is a holdover from the days of the Attitude Era, where the Mr McMahon character first gained notoriety and become a money draw. People had filled similar roles before, but never had they gotten over so well. Vince was so fantastically good at the heel owner shtick that the promotion’s writing team (which was installed during the Era’s latter years) became used to writing with such a character.

The man who started the trend

Authority figures have become a crutch to the WWE writers. They rely on them for easy storytelling and eliciting the desired reaction (usually boos or cheers) easily from fans. It’s a habit that needs to stop. Wrestling shows do not need weekly appearances from General Managers, Executive Producers, Managing Consultants, commissioners or any similar fictitious role.

That’s not to say that these roles should be done away with completely. There’s always a need for authority figures in wrestling. A GM, commissioner or owner is someone who can explain the storylines and book the matches on screen. It’s a good way of getting retired or limited performers (or over non-workers) onto television. They just shouldn’t be on every week talking for twenty minutes.

TNA, WWE and ROH are all just as guilty as one another when it comes to this. All three need to decrease the amount of time dedicated to these performers and start focusing on signing and pushing new acts whom they will be able to rely upon in the years to come. People won’t buy a pay-per-view to see matches being made. They’ll buy a pay-per-view to watch matches being wrestled.

The Past is Another Company

I'm a fan of Ring of Honor. I like the company's realistic presentation of pro wrestling. I like their believable and logical approach to storylines. I like the company's young, athletic roster.
 
Well, I used to like these things.
 
While I remain a fan of ROH I am not happy with its current predicament. Reading comments on the ROH World (the premier ROH fan site) chat room shows I'm not alone in my opinion.
 
Ring of Honor made a name for itself as a company that portrayed wrestling as an athletic, competitive sport. Its priority of pushing talent was clear from the start: the best workers would rise to the top based on their performances and fan support. Politics, we were told, would not be a factor in Ring of Honor.
 
Over the years this was proven to be true as the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries, AJ Styles, Davey Richards, Kevin Steen, El Generico and others rose to the top based on their ability to wrestle a compelling match rather than play politics. Some of these men have more on to more political promotions (WWE and TNA, mainly) and met with success there.

But others haven't and never will. This isn’t to say that those who have moved on have had to learn how to play politics, more that some people are blessed with a marketable look than others. It's hard to imagine El Generico headlining RAW, for example.
 
The current state of Ring of Honor is something I've discussed before. I still want it to succeed and provide a genuine alternative to both WWE and TNA but it isn't going to do that in its current slump. Under the direction of Jim Cornette (and, allegedly, Hunter 'Delirious' Johnston) ROH has had a critically disastrous two years. Things have been bad commercially as well but it's not fair to blame that on Corny.
 
Cornette has stated that the rise up the card of Michael Elgin, Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole is proof that ROH is dedicated to finding, pushing, and rewarding the finest young talent. While I won't argue that all three men are excellent choices to carry the promotion forward and becomes its next crop of headliners I wouldn't go as far as to say that they have been used flawlessly. Nor would I say that having only three examples of well-pushed youngsters is a good position to be in. Especially for a promotion that was originally supposed to cater to the needs of unknown, talented grapplers.

O'Reilly and Cole should have had a far longer run together as Future Shock and O'Reilly's heel switch should have been held off until next year at the earliest. Meanwhile Michael Elgin's glacially paced rise through the ranks has seen him enter some cracking, white hot performances but now runs the risk of seeing him go off the boil because management have held off that final shove for too long.

Pacing things properly and sticking to a plan is all well and good but if waiting too long often does more harm than good. There are only so many times he can challenge for the ROH world title and fail before fans will stop seeing him as the next big thing.
 
Cornette has also said that ROH fans who dislike his approach to booking the company are simply pining for the past. It seems he thinks this because fans talk fondly of the era of Danielson, Punk and Joe. The trouble here is that ROH was better when those men were around.

 

This guy's had his day

 

ROH wasn’t better solely because those men were present but they certainly helped. The company's philosophy of showcasing talent based on ability rather than name value has evaporated over time. The hiring of Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team was a good move: Haas and Benjamin have star power but are also capable of wrestling the style that made ROH famous. Rhino, though? Mike Mondo? Matt Hardy? These are men hired more because they're former WWE employees (and-or Cornette favourites) than because they can continue the legacy of Jamie Noble, Chris Daniels, and Low Ki.
 
Cornette himself is the biggest difference between Ring of Honor then and now. Understandably he cannot see this. He sees his booking ideals as necessary changes for the continued expansion of the promotion rather than a dated style that Ring of Honor had evolved beyond from its very first show. Corny is very good at booking the style he enjoyed when he was young but he seems incapable of helping the sport to evolve. Perhaps that's why he had such a problem with ECW back in the 90s: it was wrestling changing before his eyes and he couldn’t understand why fans responded so enthusiastically to it.
 
As I said, Cornette himself is the chief difference between what is considered ROH's golden age and its current output. He made appearances for the group during its early years but he had no backstage influence (or none of note anyway). What made ROH a success initially was the vision of Gabe Sapolsky.

Gabe’s approach to finding and showcasing young and-or unknown talent gave a new generation of wrestlers a place to expose themselves. It’s noticeable that his current booking interests (Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE) have made very little use of former WWE, TNA, WCW and ECW talent. Even men he previously worked with in Ring of Honor have been somewhat of a rarity.

My point (yes, I do have one) is that it was Gabe Sapolsky as much as the guys in the ring who helped to make ROH a success when it launched. It was his booking, his talent selection and his vision for the future of professional wrestling that helped the company stand out.

Ring of Honor can’t have it all. It can either be company that mixes veterans and youngsters with a traditional approach to feuds and pushes or it can be the home of young wrestlers. The latter is what it used to be but it involves those in charge taking a risk and giving up any and all name talent they have not created themselves. Personally I think it’s a risk worth taking, but in order for it to truly work they need a booker who hasn’t been around for decades who wants to bring change to wrestling. That ain’t Corny.

One final thought on Jim Cornette: there’s a reason nobody has ever referred to themselves as “a Jim Cornette guy.”

20 Ideas to Improve ROH

Ring of Honor has been in something of a slump for a while now. The creative direction seems stagnant, the same old faces are in the same old spots, new names are struggling to get the exposure they need, and the company seems reluctant to try anything new. If things are to be improved something has to change.

ROH operates on a very tight budget and as such its options for making alterations are limited. It cannot simply hire a big name or increase the number of shows it runs. The strict finances mean that even tweaks to the formula that cost nothing are heavily scrutinized in case they do more harm than good and place the company into a worse financial situation.

I’ve never run a wrestling company (obviously) but I’ve watched the sport for long enough to have an idea of what audiences want to see. Below I’ve come up with a list of twenty ideas (the clue is in the name of the article) that I believe could help Ring of Honor get itself back on track. They either cost a relatively small amount of money or none at all.

Because I’ve tried to remain realistic and bear costs in mind I have not mentioned production values on TV and iPPV. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a priority though. If ROH wants to be taken seriously it needs to sort out the production blunders and present clear, crisp shows. They’re owned by a TV company. There’s no excuse for errors.

I believe all my suggestions are realistic. I’ve not recommended they enter a bidding war with WWE over John Cena, for example. Everything fits with the established direction and style of the promotion and the majority could be put into motion immediately.

So, in no particular order…

1. Change the bookers
 
Completely remove Cornette from the booking process and let Hunter Johnston work alone. The company needs a fresh direction and it can't be said that Delirious has definitely had a chance at establishing his own ideas. He deserves the chance to succeed or fail on his own merits.
 
If after an agreed upon amount of time (six months strikes me as fairly reasonable) there has not been sufficient change in the company's direction or profits (again criteria would need to be agreed upon beforehand) then a new booker should be found. This new showrunner should ideally be somebody already working in ROH. Steve Corino is an obvious candidate but is a short term solution: Ring of Honor needs someone who could bring a fresh approach to the product.
 
2. Approach Paul Heyman

Heyman would be the ideal man to replace his old rival Jim Cornette as a booker for the company. He understands the need to help the wrestling business progress to stay relevant and compete with new rivals such as UFC. His approach to and knowledge regarding character development, storylines and gimmicks would benefit every performer on the ROH roster and the company itself.

Convincing Heyman to come on board as a full-time booker is unlikely (and likely impossible due to his current deal with WWE). The next best option would be to get him to agree to become a consultant. Perhaps he could attend TV tapings and iPPVs to work with talent and current booker Delirious. The worst that could happen if he were approached is that he’d say no.

For more on this idea read here.
 
3. Get rid of Kevin Kelly
 
This suggestion sticks firmly with the theme of the first two. While I've nothing against Kevin Kelly he is not the finest play-by-play man in all the land. I'd like to see Jim Cornette replace him in the role. It would mean ROH loses none of Corny’s experience and gets a better commentator while getting rid of his 80s-style booking philosophies.
 
4. Improve the quality of house shows

This again ties into the booking of the company. When ROH was founded in 2002 the idea was that the company would break even when promoting a show and make their money on DVD sales. It was a business model that met with mixed success in practice but provided wrestling fans with some classic cards.

Since being purchased by SBG Ring of Honor has been reformatted into a company built around its television show. Ensuring that each card now has unmissable matches on it to attract as many DVD purchases as possible is no longer a priority. The company now saves its biggest matches for internet pay-per-views and television. The lack of roster depth has only made the problem of house show quality worse.

While I appreciate that ROH cannot be run under the DVD model anymore I still think there’s an argument for presenting more intriguing cards at house shows. Not only would doing so encourage stronger DVD sales it would also help Ring of Honor become established in new markets and regain its ‘King of the Indies’ crown.

Improving quality doesn’t necessarily mean guaranteeing every big name is at every house show. If booked with thought then enjoyable cards could be booked with two headline stars. Pitting each headliner against a mid-carder helps to spread the star power across the card and creates fresh or rarely seen bouts. Or two main eventers could each team with a mid-card grappler for an interesting main event.
 
5. Rework Mike Bennett's gimmick to be a WWE wannabe

‘The Prodigy’ was first introduced as a wrestler who wanted to use ROH as a stepping stone to a career in Hollywood. The gimmick has always felt like it’s designed to actually refer to Bennett pursuing a career as a sports entertainer in WWE. That’s never been stated though. I think it should be.

The heat Bennett would receive if he insinuated that he wanted to go and “sports entertain” elsewhere would be great. Ring of Honor attracts very loyal fans, and even the most popular wrestler can find themselves hearing jeers when it’s revealed they are heading to one of North America’s other wrestling companies.

 

Ties make anyone look like a Superstar™

 

There would be lots of options for subtly presenting Bennett as a sports entertainer rather than a wrestler in order to help the gimmick get over. He could start off the TV show with an in-ring promo, be given a new T-shirt designed to emulate the ones worn by WWE grapplers, and wrestle an exaggerated version of his already sports entertainment-esque ring style.

Bennett has the “WWE look” and even wears gear that looks like that of a WWE Superstar™. It would be a natural and believable development for the character and would help to set him apart from the various other heels that have worked for the company over the years.

6. Bring in big name outside talent for the larger iPPVs

As the promotion prides itself on not stockpiling WWE and TNA castoffs this suggestion would require a bit of thought. Fans would probably not take kindly to someone like Batista being brought in for a show. There are names available that the company could consider hiring for iPPV events though.

One name that springs to mind is Ric Flair. It’s almost guaranteed that ‘The Nature Boy’ will wind up back in WWE at some point in the future, but because of a legal battle with TNA it’s not likely to be soon. He may be past his best but I believe Flair could still work an enjoyable brawl with someone like Kevin Steen if he were allowed to blade and use weapons.

Such a match could attract a decent audience, both online and in the arena. Seeing a man of Flair’s status would ensure a feisty crowd, and it would give Steen’s title reign a boost. How many other ROH world champions can say they’ve defended the belt against Ric Flair?

The company could also consider bringing in more Japanese stars. This worked well for them several years ago. It creates matches that can help shift tickets and DVDs. That’s what ROH needs to be doing.

Which brings me to…
 
7. Establish a working relationship with a Japanese promotion

Establishing a formal working relationship with a company like NOAH or NJPW would allow ROH to send its performers over to Japan, where they could work with a wider variety of opponents and progress as performers. Such an agreement could also be used to help ROH promote another tour of the country, something which would again help their DVD market and allow them to look like a bigger outfit.

A working agreement would also allow Ring of Honor access (in theory at least) to some of the top workers in Japan. Promoting matches between US and Japanese stars has worked very well for ROH before and I see no reason it wouldn’t now. Flying in a headliner for an iPPV could help attract a few more buys.

 
8. Film the TV show somewhere other than Baltimore

The reasons for doing this should be obvious. The Baltimore crowd, while far from bad, is not the hottest wrestling audience you could find. What’s more the city is not known as wrestling hotbed. One of the things ROH did right with its HDNet show was record it regularly in Philadelphia, a city known for its wrestling action and having good crowds. Recording the show there helped ROH portray itself as a serious wrestling company. Filming in Baltimore comes across as a cost-cutting measure. That’s not a good message to send out.

Taking the show to other locations would help to convince fans in different towns that they’re going to see something worthwhile and would make ROH look like a national company. It’s already being done with the iPPV schedule. I think the next step is to do it with TV tapings too.

9. Release BJ Whitmer, Jimmy Jacobs, the Guardians of Truth and Homicide

Homicide has been coming and going from the roster since September 2010. It’s clear from this sporadic run and his current lack of a meaningful storyline that the booking team doesn’t know what to do with him. Either a plan needs to be devised for using him or he needs to be shown the door. He may be a big name form the company’s past but he can only help to attract the fans of yesteryear if he’s given something meaningful to do.

The same could pretty much be said for Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer. ‘The Zombie Princess’ at least has his affiliation with Kevin Steen to keep him vaguely relevant but I have no idea why Whitmer is on the roster. The money going to these two would be better spent on two or three young guys keen to make names for themselves.

The only positive thing I can think to say regarding the Guardians of Truth is that they bulk up the numbers of the House of Truth. That’s a good thing but, again, the money going to them would be better spent on some young guys plucked from indy obscurity for a shot at making names for themselves and bringing something new to ROH.
 
10. Establish Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Michael Elgin as headline acts

The current main event stars at the company’s disposal are Kevin Steen, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, and, at a push, Roderick Strong. That’s a worryingly low number and one that severely limits the company’s booking.

The smart thing to do would be to establish Cole, O’Reilly and Elgin as main event draws as soon as possible. The aim should be to have them ready to headline cards in six months’ time. The easiest way to do that is to put them into feuds against the current crop of headliners.

A programme between Elgin and Strong has been teased for months. Booked correctly it would be a good way of turning ‘Unbreakable’ into a breakout babyface. Perhaps Strong could cost Elgin the world title at Glory By Honor XI, setting up a match between the two at Final Battle. Elgin could win that, plus a rematch or two, and then come back to challenge for and win the world championship at the Eleventh Anniversary Show next year.

 

This guy needs to be readied for the top of the card

 

Cole would make a good underdog opponent for Kevin Steen, and could also continue his respectful rivalry with Davey Richards. Allowing him to pin either man (or both) would help him gain acceptance as a credible act, as would giving him a lengthy reign as TV champ.

O’Reilly has a natural programme waiting for him with Davey Richards and I imagine that’s the way the company is going to go. I also think he’d be well served by a feud with Eddie Edwards. They could produce some high quality matches and a win over a Triple Crown winner would give O’Reilly a boost up the ranks.

How it’s done isn’t really the issue here. That it gets done as soon as possible is key.

11. Use TJP and the Young Bucks on as many shows as possible

That TJ Perkins and the Young Bucks were “given the summer” off was ludicrous. It was either done to cut costs or because the booking team had no idea what to do with them. Neither reason is good enough.

If it was a cost cutting measure then there are other names who could have been lost first. The men I mentioned under point nine all should have gone first (or not been brought back at all) and the Briscoes would have benefitted from a break. If it was a case of Cornette and Delirious not knowing what to do with them then that’s just another reason the company needs a shake-up in the creative area.

These guys should be the core of the company’s mid-card. They are the guys who should be prepared for a push into the main event once O’Reilly, Cole and Elgin are established. A wrestling promotion can never have too many popular acts. These three men have gained popularity despite misuse (and I’m not just talking about ROH, the Bucks got treated poorly in TNA too). They are exactly the sort of wrestlers ROH needs to remain credible and popular.
 
12. Approach Low Ki, Paul London and Brian 'Spanky' Kendrick about returning

Those three men were partially responsible for the promotion’s early success. Their eagerness to put on the best match possible helped ROH gain a reputation for excellence and being great value for money. Any or all of them returning would help to create a buzz and help to create a feeling that the promotion is getting itself back on track. It would create some much-needed fresh matches too.

Any of them could be immediately slotted into a main event position. They could work exciting matches with the current top line crew of Richards, Edwards, Strong, and Steen and help with the elevation of O’Reilly, Cole, and Elgin. London and Kendrick could even be put together as a team to spice up the doubles division.

13. Put dark match try out matches onto the ROH website

Unaired try out matches are a regular part of any wrestling company with a television deal in 2012. They’re designed to allow the booking team and company management to evaluate wrestlers for addition to the roster.

If these matches were put online it would allow the fans to voice an opinion on the prospective talent. It’s true this would open the company and the talent up to some negative comments but properly monitored that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. What’s more important is that it could reveal someone who is unexpectedly popular.

A wrestler that decision-makers may have otherwise decided they aren’t interested in could prove unexpectedly popular with fans. If that were to happen then it would be a strong indication that the competitor would be worth using more.
 
14. Make good use of Davey Richards during his final year in wrestling

Richards is rumoured to want to be out of the wrestling business by this time next year. I expect this will be his announcement when he makes his first appearance since June at Death Before Dishonor X. While he’s not my favourite ROH wrestler I appreciate how important he is to the company and what a difficult task replacing him will be.

If Richards is to leave then his last year needs to be a creative and commercial success for the company. He needs to be used at every iPPV against as many big names as possible as this will give the company a back catalogue of desirable bouts that they can flog on DVD for years to come. His TV and house show appearance should feature him in competitive battles with rising talent like TJP, Cole, the Bucks, C&C and O’Reilly.

I wouldn’t advise he begin putting over everyone he faces. Richards should be kept strong for his final year so that he remains a draw and fans still care about him when his final outing rolls around. Any losses he takes should be for a reason and for someone who will form a part of the headline crew in the future.

‘The American Wolf’s’ last match needs to be meaningful. One final outing against whoever holds the world title would be poignant, as would a match with Eddie Edwards. Personally I’d build up to a clash between Richards and O’Reilly, with the match being used as a way for Richards to pass the torch to the man most likely to keep his style alive in ROH and to turn O’Reilly babyface. 
 
15. Reform the American Wolves

Part of Davey Richards’ final year in wrestling should be the reformation of the American Wolves. The falling out of Richards and Edwards was a key storyline for the company last year but neither man went heel on the other so the door is open for a gradual storyline which sees the two men regain each other’s respect.

Part of what would make this work is that Richards can no longer challenge Kevin Steen for the ROH world title. Richards could suggest the two reform their tandem and challenge for the ROH world tag team titles, stating that he wants to hold the belts one final time before retiring. It would make for a different sort of story and one that fans would likely be keen on.

Reforming the American Wolves would also widen the number of wrestlers Richards could help to elevate during his final year. A clash between the Young Buck and the American Wolves would be great and could help to make the brothers stand out as the future flag bearers of the company’s doubles division if they won.

All of which brings me neatly to…

16. Emphasise tag team wrestling

Neither WWE nor TNA, the closest thing Ring of Honor has to competitors, give wrestling fans enjoyable tag team wrestling. It used to be something ROH did very well but it seems to have tailed off over the last year.

The departure of the Kings of Wrestling and Kenny King hurt the promotion’s doubles division but little has been done to resurrect it. I’m a fan of Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team, but they have been pushed far too strongly, to the point where it has damaged other units. The Briscoes have become overexposed thanks their long run with the league. They could do with a year of so that they can come back feeling like a fresh act.

Promising teams have been overlooked. The Young Bucks were excused from service for the summer and the C&C Wrestle Factory have been given little to do since becoming regulars on the roster. The focus is too strongly on veterans and that needs to change.

The reformation of the American Wolves would inject a popular act into the division and create fresh matches. Bringing the Bucks and the Bravado Brothers back full time would be a step in the right direction and pushing Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander would be good sense too. The Bucks and C&C look like the future of the division to me right now.

17. Put the tag team titles on the C&C Wrestle Factory

Another point that flows neatly from the previous one.

The recent tag team title tournament (necessitated by the departure of Kenny King) was the perfect opportunity for ROH to relaunch the tag ranks. It was promising to see C&C, the Young Bucks, the Bravados and the debuting unit of BLK OUT put into title contention.

Unfortunately ROH got things spectacularly wrong. Instead of using the tourney as a way of giving underutilised acts a chance to shine the decision was made to have Rhett Titus and Charlie Haas, the Briscoes, and Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs advance. Of the four acts that deserved the chance to shine only Coleman and Alexander progressed beyond the opening round.

 

If it were up to me these guys would be the next ROH tag team champions

 

ROH can still use the tournament as a way of reinvigorating its tag team scene. C&C could and should be booked to capture the tag gold in the tournament finals at DBDX. Having them as the company’s lead duo would allow the underutilised teams of the Bucks and Bravados to be used as challengers. BLK OUT could be brought back to the company as regulars and a clash between C&C and the American Wolves could be built up as a big clash over a course of months.

We don’t need an eighth Briscoes title reign. We don’t need a continuation of the Titus versus WGTT feud. We don’t need Corino and Jacobs winning the belt and doing an “all the belts in one stable” gimmick. We need young talent being given a chance to portray ROH as a company that’s not all about veterans.
 
18. Make Final Battle and the Eleventh Anniversary Show memorable cards

Obviously all pay-per-view cards should be memorable but with ROH’s recent slump it’s even more pressing that they start getting their big events right. Realistically I think it’s too much to ask for Death Before Dishonor and Glory by Honor to be action packed cards. The booking team needs time to turn things around and prepare some intriguing matches that will draw money. Being three months away Final Battle seems a realistic target.

It should be a show that casual viewers feel they cannot miss. Big matches should be presented and title changes should be planned. The fanbase needs to be convinced that the company is heading in the right direction again and still capable of producing an excellent card from start to finish.

If the lacklustre approach to supershows continues I don’t believe ROH will have a long future ahead of it. Changes need to be made while the promotion still has a reasonably sized regular audience.
 
19. Concentrate on the UK

I’ve mentioned this before. ROH has run very successful shows in Britain on several occasions. The country has a very healthy number of wrestling fans who would attend live events and watch the TV show. Getting a British television deal should be a priority as it could be used as a promotional tool for an annual tour.

The argument against this is the cost. It requires a lot of money to fly a roster from the US to the UK. The answer is to offer ROH talent to British promoters in exchange for them paying part of the air fare. It’s also worth noting that not everyone needs to be flown over. I believe ROH could present an authentic and entertaining card with nine or ten regulars along with eight or nine British workers.

TNA routinely promotes its biggest shows of the year in Britain. That’s not a fluke: fans in this country are very passionate and keen to support their favourite companies. I’m not suggesting that ROH could sell out the Wembley Arena but they could certainly manage two or three sell outs in venues holding a thousand or so fans.

 

Read more on this idea here and here.

20. Encourage every member of the roster to attempt to steal the show

This is perhaps the simplest way of improving the product. It’s the approach that made ROH stand out in the first place. Neither TNA nor WWE do it. By encouraging every wrestler to try and have the best match possible the company would regain its reputation for excellence and have a greater number of satisfied fans leaving events. Those satisfied fans would be more inclined to suggest attending shows and buying DVDs to friends, helping to bring in more money.

The approach was also originally used to gauge a wrestler’s popularity. If someone went out and stole the show on a regular basis they would get themselves over, thus earning a push and becoming a bigger star for the company.

It’s basic and it works. Encouraging guys to have the best match they can is the best way for ROH to mean more in the eyes of fans.

Closing statement

Realistically the company could not do everything on this list. It could do some though. I believe it should. As I stated at the beginning of this article the company has become directionless and its creativity has declined. There are no truly exciting feuds or characters and the rising talent are not being given the opportunity to establish themselves and give fans a reason to see ROH as a promotion that focuses on young talent.

I did not write this simply to lambast the promotion’s decision-makers. I understand they’re in a tough position, both creatively and financially, and have done what they feel is right for the future of the company. They have sustained things for now, but for the company to truly grow something different has to happen.

The change should begin as this article did: with a shakeup in the booking department. If anyone at SBG wants me to replace Cornette and Delirious I can be reached through Twitter.