That Wrestling Podcast Episode 13

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 13 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

Today’s episode is an almost fifty-fifty split between to topics. One is Paul Heyman and his Paul Heyman Guys. Specifically we chat about what WWE’s premier agent’s three current clients are up to and what they could do in the future and what they could be doing in the future. Also, who on the roster and in developmental would work well alongside Heyman as fresh clients.

 

This is how Heyman struts to the ring when managing Paul Heyman

 

The second topic, the first discussed, is about wrestling. It turns into a stream of nonsense fairly quickly but amazingly doesn’t veer off course at all. And we discuss ring gear for eleven minutes.

The final thing I’ll mention is that I refer in this podcast to Enzo Amore being from New York. I suspect he may be from New Jersey. If this is the case then I can only apologise.

NXT Call-Ups

On the August 8^th episode of NXT Jim Ross told viewers that he considers both Bo Dallas and Jinder Mahal to be future WWE champions. While that statement is clearly untrue and verges on insanity it’s true that future WWE champions do currently compete on the show. The company’s hiring system means that the vast majority of people who make it to RAW pass through the developmental league. World champions who haven’t had a stint in NXT will be a rarity in years to come.

That doesn’t mean Bo Dallas and Jinder Mahal are going to win world titles though.

The man who has to be considered the favourite to make an impact on the main roster is Seth Rollins. Look back at his work in Ring of Honor as Tyler Black and you’ll see that even early on in his career he was an energetic and charismatic worker. His promos may not be particularly great, but that’s a skill he can pick up in time. He has the look and the athleticism to be a smaller headline star in the mould of Shawn Michaels, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

Rollins has been presented as one of the major stars of the rebooted NXT and the fact that he was chosen to be the programme’s inaugural champion indicates that the booking team think very highly of him. His ability to connect with audiences as a babyface shouldn’t be underestimated either. It’s a useful skill for a WWE newcomer to have.

The next guy I’d pick is Big E Langston. There are guys I like more but none of them have his mixture of muscular torso and impressive strength. These are not qualities I look for when watching a wrestling match but they are qualities Vince McMahon likes. As he’s the man in charge I’m pretty sure that sooner or later Langston will be given a chance to make his mark with a push on RAW.

I’ve not seen him wrestle much. It’s too early to say whether he has what it takes to succeed. But he’ll get the chance. If he plays his cards right he could make it big.

 

Vince McMahon is a fan of muscles...

 

I am a huge fan of Kassius Ohno. He has a great look, wrestles a realistic style and knows his way around a microphone. He’s not really changed anything about his act since his time in Ring of Honor (as Chris Hero), but then he didn’t need to. It’s a well-rounded gimmick perfect for WWE television.

I expect Ohno will get a cursory callup sooner or later. The writing team likely won’t put much into it but Ohno will be able to get himself over. Dolph Ziggler managed it and I think ‘The Young Knockout Kid’ will too. It may take a little longer for him to get somewhere than the other two men I’ve mentioned above but I think that once he gets a fair chance Ohno will find a spot for himself.

Reforming the Kings of Wrestling alongside Antonio Cesaro, probably under a different name, would be great to see. Don’t hold your breath for that though.

One man who I think could surprise a lot of people is Bray Wyatt. He was on our screens a couple of years ago as Husky Harris of the Nexus. He eventually got demoted back to FCW (WWE’s then-developmental territory) because he was deemed too green for the main roster. His weight was also an issue.

There’s something about the guy that makes him stand out. Perhaps it’s that elusive “it factor”. Since going back down to developmental he has created a new gimmick for himself. It’s essentially a southern preacher persona but mixed with the former Husky’s rough and ready ring style and surprisingly slick verbal skills it’s a hit.

Also worth noting is that Paul Heyman has stated on Twitter and in interviews that he sees something in the son of IRS. Heyman appears to be gaining influence on the creative direction of the company and has a noted eye for talent. A blessing from Heyman is a good thing for Wyatt.

Finally there’s Richie Steamboat. The son of Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat has managed to garner cheers during his appearances on the show so far, including pops for using the arm drags favoured by his father. If he’s introduced to WWE television in an underdog babyface role, and given a sustained push and some credible wins, I think Steamboat junior could become a huge star.

Hero's Welcome

After months of anticipation WWE has finally signed Chris Hero to a developmental contract.

For those you who are unfamiliar with his work Chris Hero is a guy who’s been working on the US independent wrestling scene for around a decade, and has also completed multiple tours for Japan’s Pro Wrestling NOAH. He cuts a great promo, has a well-defined persona, and puts a lot of strikes into his matches, most notably the rolling elbow. Want some examples of his matches? I can oblige. Click here for Chris Hero v Delirious; here for the Kings of Wrestling v the Super Smash Brothers; and here and here for Hero v KENTA.

It was originally thought he would sign last Autumn alongside his Kings of Wrestling partner Claudio Castagnoli. The delay is apparently due to Hero’s unnaturally high testosterone levels. They caused him to fail various WWE medicals and held up the signing process. Yep, he’s possibly too manly for WWE but they’ve signed him anyway.
Castagnoli signed in mid-September and was immediately posted to developmental league Florida Championship Wrestling where his ring name became Antonio Cesaro. This is the treatment almost everybody signed to the company can expect and Hero isn’t likely to be any different. FCW is meant to polish wrestlers and help them prepare for the WWE style of working, as well as ensuring the wrestlers on the main roster see the newcomers as having “paid their dues.”

The name change protocol exists in order to give WWE legal rights to its performers names. Were Hero to make a name for himself in WWE using the Chris Hero ring name he could theoretically leave and use the exposure to help further his career on the independent circuit or in rival promotion TNA. By forcing a name change WWE ensures they have the legal rights to whatever name Hero (real name Chris Spradlin) becomes famous under. In short it’s all about WWE making sure they’re the only ones who can make money.

The question now is will Hero and Castagnoli be reunited as a unit in FCW? If WWE were serious about rebuilding their battered doubles scene putting Hero and Castagnoli together would be a great first step. That is, of course, if the creative team (and Vince McMahon) could swallow their pride and let the two replicate their Kings of Wrestling act in a WWE setting. A new team name would, obviously, be a necessity but their characters and teamwork would enable them to be a fine centrepiece for the tag scene.

Are the Kings of Wrestling future WWE tag team champions?

WWE’s only other tag team of note, Air Boom, would be great underdog babyface opponents for the rechristened Kings. In an ideal world each team would be built up for a few months with the goal being to have them clash in an upper mid-card position on a pay-per-view in May or June. If they’re treated as stars as the tag team titles are shown to mean something to all four men then fans could be persuaded to care again.
Sadly we don’t live in a perfect world and the chances of WWE calling Hero and Castagnoli up to the main roster as a package and using them correctly are slim. It’s more likely that they will be called up separately as singles guys and find themselves niches in the middle of the card for the next year or so. In today’s WWE nothing moves quickly, especially if you have a reputation as a favourite of independent wrestling fans. Both men will have to earn themselves new spots.

The good news is that both men have done it before. They can play either good guy or bad guy convincingly and have the size and look that WWE tend to like in their superstars.

I expect Hero will be in FCW until the summer at the earliest but make it to RAW or SmackDown by the end of the year. Hopefully he’ll be given a fair shot at making it and not used senselessly, as was the case with Johnny Curtis last year. If he’s allowed to play a character he’s comfortable with, ideally ‘The Young Knockout Kid’ ROH fans are used to seeing him as, or a variant on it at least, then Hero could be a top guy in WWE in a couple of years’ time.

Hero v Punk at WrestleMania XXX? Don’t rule it out yet.

Honorary Mentions 24.09.11

Saturday night saw the debut of the new Ring of Honor TV show. The promotion hasn’t had a weekly television presence since the final episode of its HDNet run aired on April 4^th this year, after ROH had decided to end the partnership. It seemed an odd decision at the time but things became clearer a month and a half later when it was revealed the Sinclair Broadcast Group (essentially a television network) had purchased Ring of Honor.

Since that purchase was announced ROH has kept a low profile. Only a handful of house shows were presented over the summer, accompanied by one internet pay-per-view, presumably to give the new owners and the existing management a chance to structure the company’s future in detail. Several shows have been announced for the next few months and it looks as if ROH will be on the road far more than it has been for the last year or so. That’s very much a good thing.

One of the biggest changes introduced under the new ownership (besides a new TV show) is a revamped website. Visually the site is slick and impressive and adds to the unofficial relaunch Ring of Honor has gone through with the new show starting. I was briefly worried that the list of every title defence ever made by a Ring of Honor champion had been dropped but thankfully that’s not the case (it’s now in the Champions section under Wrestlers). That’s something that that helps set ROH apart from its competitors and I’m pleased it’s been retained. There’s even a nice little countdown to the promotion’s next pay-per-view event, which I think is a nice touch.

Anyway... This first episode itself was somewhat of a mixed bag. The in-ring action was, predictably, tremendous. But there wasn’t enough of it. In an hour-long show (with ads it got around 45 minutes of air time in total) there were only two matches and a ton of video packages. In a way I can understand the decision: the video packages weren’t there for the sake of it, they were aimed at new viewers or people who have only sporadically followed Ring of Honor until now, designed to get them up to speed with the product and the wrestlers. Making the product as accessible as possible when a new weekly show launches is sensible but a third (quick) match could have been squeezed in. Despite the high quality two matches just didn’t seem enough.

The videos introduced viewers to ROH world champion Davey Richards (who droned about wanting to fight the best and ROH having the best and failed to put the promotion over as “prestigious”), the Briscoes (who referred to themselves as ‘Dem Boys’ and told anyone who’d forgotten that they’d been with ROH “since day one!”), and Jay Lethal (who came across as very down to earth and likeable, which is exactly what the company was aiming for). It was also nice to see and hear mentions made of main events for the next two weeks: El Generico will defend the TV title against Lethal next week (Lethal wins) and Davey Richards will defend the ROH world championship against Roderick Strong the week after. Hopefully this will be a regular aspect of the show as it gives viewers a reason to tune back in each week. It’s an approach other wrestling (or sports entertainment) companies could learn from.

The show was great in the ring and that’s where it matters. The first match saw Futureshock drop the Bravados. It was the perfect opening match: four young guys in a fast paced match with plenty of high spots and near falls. It made me think of the Hart Foundation v The Rockers matches from the WWF: four young guys, two of whom are related, being billed as the future of the business. I could certainly see O’Reilly and Cole holding singles belts in the future and wouldn’t be surprised if the Bravados go on to become one of the top teams in ROH.

The main event was the Kings of Wrestling v Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team. Was this ever going to be a bad match? Haas and Benjamin got another clean win over the outgoing Castagnoli and Hero in a pay-per-view calibre match. All four men were on form and showed that they’re two of the best tag teams in wrestling, which makes it all the more irritating that the Kings have left the promotion.

The show’s play-by-play and video package hosting was ably handled by former Superstars, Metal and Jakked regular Kevin Kelly with former ROH world champion Nigel McGuinness taking care of colour commentary duties. Kelly was perfectly acceptable in his roles and Nigel was incredibly impressive. He’s been known as a great promo man for years but that skill doesn’t necessarily translate well to the commentary desk. McGuinness was lively, entertaining and offered a knowledgeable insight into both matches. In short he did his job perfectly. ROH made a good call in bringing him in for the role.

All in all Ring of Honor’s new show is off to a promising start. Once things settle down and they establish a routine for their tapings they can start working in more storylines (as they were doing during their HDNet run) to add meaning to the in-ring action. I encourage anyone who hasn’t already to track the episode down online, and look out for it on Ring of Honor’s website this Thursday. It’s nice for wrestling fans to have a wrestling show to watch again.

Seeing Doubles

For years WWE’s tag team division (and I use that word very loosely) has been unflinchingly dreadful. For much of the last few years the doubles gold has been used as a way of giving two singles guys something to do rather than as a way of introducing and elevating younger talent or two singles guys who clearly aren’t going to make the promotion any money by themselves.

In the last two months the tag ranks have received a boost, and it coincides with ‘The Game’s’ new on-screen role. With Triple H a noted advocate of tag team wrestling this is unlikely to be a coincidence. He may not have really replaced Vince McMahon behind the scenes but Triple H is clearly getting some input into what makes it to our screens.

The two men who have benefitted most from this renewed focus are Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne. I was sceptical when they were first put together as a team: it seemed WWE had thrown two guys together as a unit based on their size and smiley babyface personalities solely to take the belts from David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty (whom they were clearly unhappy with). The company’s record with tag teams indicated that Kingston and Bourne would win a non-title match over the champions and then capture the belts in a rematch and go on to have a meaningless reign until another new tandem was booked to defeat them a few months later.

Half of that did happen. Kingston and Bourne beat Otunga and McGillicutty in a non-title match and followed up with a title victory in a rematch a week later. Thankfully the pattern broke after that as the new champs have continued their winning ways... and have actually been defending the titles. Instead of disappearing off our screens Kingston and Bourne have had an increased presence on RAW and become regulars on SmackDown. They even received attention from WWE’s website in the form of a poll allowing fans to decide on their new team name. That the voters went with the disappointing Air Boom as opposed to Flight Club or The Legion of Boom is irrelevant (although those names are both clearly far better), what’s important is that fans were given the opportunity to show support for Bourne and Kingston and took it. Yes, WWE actually listened to the audience for once!

It looks as though the plan is to give guys on the undercard a chance to make an impression on audiences by pairing them up as tag teams. The Usos are still hanging in there on SmackDown while Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks recently announced they will become a regular combo on RAW (though I imagine they’ll be getting most of their air time on Superstars). While they seem to be heading more towards a feud right now it’s possible that Jinder Mahal and The Great Khali will reunite as a team in the near future and we could even see Swagger and Ziggler being used as a team soon too.

Meanwhile Otunga and McGillicutty, the former tag team champions, are involved in a feud with Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler over their alleged lack of personality. Bringing attention to the fact that neither man is especially charismatic and pitting them against a 61-year-old may not seem like the best way to get the team over, but it’s giving them something to do and ensures they’re on TV every week. Had they lost the tag team championship a few months earlier they probably would have disappeared from television all together. Now they’ve at least been granted a follow-up storyline.

Although Air Boom have benefitted the most from the rejuvenation attempt the stars of the divison over the last few weeks have undoubtedly been R-Truth and The Miz. Since losing the WWE championship to John Cena in May The Miz has been given little to do besides a brief feud with former apprentice Alex Riley. R-Truth’s had even less to work with. He was built up as a challenger for John Cena at Capitol Punishment in June and has done nothing since losing unceremoniously to ‘The Champ’. Both are talented all-rounders capable of wrestling at a main event level for WWE (Miz in particular). It’s great that WWE recognised it had had them treading water for too long and put them together as a unit. The Awesome Truth (as they’re calling themselves) have a unique entrance that sets them apart as an act and guarantees them heel heat too. They’ve been a highlight not just of the tag scene but RAW in general since they announced their partnership so hopefully they will be kept together for a few months when they make their inevitable return to TV.

The company has lots of options for the future of its tag team division. Hawkins and Reks and the Usos may not mean much to anyone now but if they use the air time they’re given either team (or both teams) could work their way into a meaningful spot. There are guys like Tyson Kidd, Trent Barreta, Heath Slater, Mason Ryan, Drew McIntyre, Yoshi Tatsu, Broadus Clay, Santino Marella, and Zack Ryder not doing much on the main roster too, all of whom could make a worthwhile contribution to the tag scene.

It’s a good way of using developmental wrestlers too. Seth Rollins and Richie Steamboat have worked as a team in FCW in the past and new signing Antonio Cesaro, better known as Claudio Castagnoli, would be a natural fit on RAW pr SmackDown alongside long time partner Chris Hero (if he ever signs a contract that is). WWE are said to have their eyes on TNA’s Beer Money Inc. too and if that’s the case then they’re clearly serious about reenergising the doubles division. If it means more on-screen pairings such as Air Boom and The Awesome Truth it’s hard to argue against it.

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.

Best in the World preview

This weekend will be the third in a row that has seen a wrestling pay-per-view available from a North American promotion. Two weeks ago we had TNA’s (predictably) disappointing Slammiversary IX and last week we had WWE’s Capitol Punishment. This weekend it’s the turn of Ring of Honor as they present their latest internet pay-per-view, Best in the World.

This being an RoH show we can expect a heavier emphasis on in-ring competition. The current crop of storylines have been given a slower, more methodical build, which is preferable to the rushed approach of WWE or TNA. The biggest match of the show, Davey Richards v Eddie Edwards, has several years of history to fall back on, and the match itself has been building since March. It’s a refreshing and enjoyable approach and something RoH does particularly well.

Davey Richards challenged for the Ring of Honor title twice last year, once again Tyler Black and once against Roderick Strong. He lost both title challenges but beat both men in various non-title situations. As far as fans were concerned he was the uncrowned RoH champion as 2010 ended. But losing to Strong caused Richards to have a change of heart: he no longer wished to be known as the ‘Best in the World’ (a chant a select few RoH wrestlers hear upon gaining the respect of the fans) because he didn’t have the title to prove it. He said he would work on perfecting his craft before requesting another title match.

And that’s what Davey has been doing this year: facing the best wrestlers RoH has in order to hone his game in preparation for his next title challenge. It’s a simple plot that can be followed with the minimum of attention.

But while Davey was honing and perfecting Eddie Edwards shockingly captured the title from Strong in his first ever shot. As soon as it happened everybody knew Richards and Edwards would end up facing one another, it was just a question of when. The two men addressed the situation in the ring at Honor Takes Center Stage, where Davey stated he didn’t want to face Eddie for the world championship as he didn’t want to be the one to end his reign. This unintentionally arrogant remark naturally led to tension between the two men, which contributed to their loss to the World’s Greatest Tag Team in a match later that evening. The same thing happened at Revolution: USA. Only after that match did Davey finally relent and agree to face Edwards for the championship.

The importance both men place on the world title and their years of working as a tag team should ensure that Sunday’s main event has a big fight feel. They’re two of the hardest working men in the company and their styles should complement one another well. In their one previous encounter (in the finals of the RoH Television championship tournament) they put together a good match, and I’m sure they’ll do the same here. As long as the crowd’s vocal (and I’m sure they will be) this should be a match of the year contender.

As far as picking a winner goes I think Eddie will retain in a time limit draw. For the last year Davey has been built up as the guy who can’t “win the big one” and it would be uncharacteristic of Ring of Honor to book such a short world title reign (if Eddie were to lose he would have held the title for just over three months), so I can’t see Richards winning. Plus the fact that this is one of the promotions most lucrative pairings so they’ll want to leave the door open for a rematch. By doing a draw neither man can say they are a conclusive winner and a rematch will be the next natural step in the rivalry. I expect things will start with a handshake but won’t end so well: Davey could be headed for a sore loser-based heel turn.

Best in the World is far from a one match show. The centrepiece of the undercard is the four team tag team championship match which sees Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin defending against the Kings of Wrestling, Jay and Mark Briscoe and the All Night Express. The past six months have seen these four teams established as the focus of the company’s tag division. They’ve all faced each other in standard doubles bouts, there have been various singles combinations, and there was an excellent eight man tag match which saw the Kings of Wrestling and the All Night Express take on the Briscoes and the WGTT towards the end of the run on HDNet. This four way match is the natural climax to the reemphasis on the RoH tag division. It could get busy but I’m sure it will be a massively enjoyable match. I’d love to see the Kings walk out as three time tag champions but I suspect Haas and Benjamin will retain.

The Colt Cabana v Tommaso Ciampa and Homicide v Rhino (yes, the former ECW wrestler) matches should both be enjoyable but neither is likely to steal the show. The Cabana match will see the usual comedy routine before Ciampa gets the victory to keep his winning streak alive, though there may be some interference from the Embassy to stop Cabana from looking too weak.

Homicide hasn’t really been given much to do since returning to RoH last year: his feud with Strong for the world title was flat and his more recent disagreement with the Embassy has done little to excite fans. On the plus side this show is being held in New York, the one place guaranteed to react favourably to Homicide. I predict a victory for the ‘Notorious 187’ and a solid performance from Rhino. I hope this earns him a regular spot on the roster: he strikes me as a good fit for an enforcer for Prince Nana.

On the subject of former TNA stars: Jay Lethal makes his return to Ring of Honor at Best in the World to face Mike Bennett. I’ve always appreciated Lethal’s ring work but his lack of charisma has always prevented me from fully warming to him. His impersonations of Randy Savage and Ric Flair are very good but they’re not a substitute for a personality of his own.  Bennett works what could be described as a “sports entertainment” style which I don’t think will mesh well with Lethal’s. I’d like to be proven wrong, but I don’t have much hope of this match being anything special. I’ll pick Bennett to win because they’ve spent a while building him up now and I don’t think he’ll be sacrificed to Lethal.

Steve Corino v Michael Elgin is a rare instance of an RoH match that’s more interesting because of a storyline than for the match itself. Last month at Supercard of Honor Corino revealed Jimmy Jacobs as his sponsor on his quest to becoming “a good person”. Basically Corino wants to move away from being a heel and has asked Jacobs to help him. It’s been an enjoyable story so far mainly because it’s so different to what we’re used to seeing from wrestling stories.

In recent video updates it has been revealed that Kevin Steen has also supposedly changed for the better and Corino wants him brought back to the company for support. Steen’s recent Twitter name change (from @KillSteenKill to @SteenIsChange), Jim Cornette’s commenting that Steen would not be welcome at the show, and Corino saying he’s already bought Steen a ticket has all had the desired effect of creating intrigue concerning a Steen return. I’d like to see him back in the company and I think this show would be the perfect platform for the return.

The winner of the match will likely be Elgin, but as I say the continuation of Corino’s road to sobriety storyline and possible appearances from Jacobs and Steen are far more interesting.

Finally, there’s TV champion Christopher Daniels’ title defence against El Generico. I predicted a few months ago that ‘The Generic Luchadore’ could be headed towards a TV title victory so I’ll pick him as the winner. Not only would that take the title off of a TNA performer (which has to be an issue for RoH decision makers) but it would further raise the profile of Generico, provide a title change for the show (which I suspect the company would like) and advance the House of Truth v Cabana and Generico feud. If they get fifteen minutes or more this match could be exceptional.

I’d like to point out that if you’re in the UK (as I am) then the 4pm bell time for US viewers means a 9pm start time here. I’m not sure if that was a conscious decision from RoH (I suspect it wasn’t) but it works out well for us and it’s something I’d like to see the company continue to do semi-occasionally as it will help to encourage UK fans to purchase shows.

Will it be the biggest show in Ring of Honor history as has been claimed? It’s not impossible, but it’s not overly likely either. The announced card is a good mix of big matches, storyline progression and enjoyable filler, which is what all wrestling shows should be. With three matches guaranteed to be good (the title matches, appropriately) I’d say it’s well worth buying. I know I will be.

Revolution predictions

This weekend Ring of Honor will present wrestling events in Dearborn, Michigan and Toronto, Canada. As a company proud to promote professional wrestling (unlike certain sports entertainment organisations that could be mentioned) RoH have dubbed the weekend’s events Revolution, possibly a way of saying that they are revolting against the mainstream’s lack of ambition and pride. The announced cards for both nights are very strong, and as I did with the company’s internet pay-per-views at the end of March I will be offering my predictions for winners and losers below.

Revolution – USA:

Michael Elgin with Truth Martini v Andy ‘Right Leg’ Ridge

I like the fact that Ridge is getting a chance to be seen this weekend. He deserves to be used more frequently. That said, Elgin is the more established star and is being pushed as something of a beast, so I don’t think this match will last too long or see ‘Right Leg’ win. We may see Truth get involved to distract Ridge, but even that’s a long shot. Both men will likely get more ring time on Saturday as part of the six man match.

Prediction: Michael Elgin

Christopher Daniels with Truth Martini v Colt Cabana

I have a feeling this one could occur after the Elgin v Ridge match. Knocking Ridge about after the match finishes would be a suitably heelish thing for Elgin to do, with Daniels joining in and Cabana being brought out to make the save.

Whether that scenario happens or not this should be one of the best matches on the show. Both Daniels and Cabana are tremendous workers, and the fact that this is part of a feud means that Cabana will probably not be as comedic as he usually is. His comedy act is okay in small doses, but I prefer it when he wrestles more seriously. I also prefer Daniels as a heel and am interested to see how he works with Truth Martini in his corner. It’s a nice addition to his act. I suspect that because this is Daniels’ first match as a member of the House of Truth he’ll get the win here, to demonstrate that joining the group was a smart move on his behalf. Unless something goes very wrong this should be a contender for match of the night.

Prediction: Christopher Daniels

Mike Bennett v Grizzly Redwood

I’ve not been hugely impressed with Bennett so far. He’s pretty good with a microphone, but RoH has always been a company that allows men to make it to the top based on in-ring ability, so being a good talker isn’t as important as it might be elsewhere. Maybe I’ll be impressed when I see Manhattan Mayhem IV.

Bennett’s someone Ring of Honor seems to be counting on as a future star so I expect him to win this match. Both men are competent and fans always seem to get behind Redwood so I think this will be a well received, if basic match. I also have a feeling this match will be preceded or followed by Steve Corino’s address to the fans. That’s a storyline that has tied in to both Redwood and Bennett, placing it elsewhere on the card when both men will be in the ring at the same time would make no sense.

Predictions: Mike Bennett

Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly v Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team

Sadly, I think this is going to be another loss for Cole and O’Reilly. The trouble for them is that the tag team division in RoH features very well established teams in WGTT, the Kings, the Briscoes, and the All Night Express, with other teams rarely getting wins over those big four. I understand why: in order to keep those four teams looking hot and carrying the division they cannot lose to teams lower down the ranks too often. I expect that sooner or later Cole and O’Reilly will pick up a tag win that elevates them and allows them to be seen as equals to the better established duos, but I don’t think it will be at Revolution: USA. Of course, Cole and O’Reilly could surprise us with a win in this match. It would be an effective way of advancing them, but it’s unlikely. Benjamin and Haas are still too early on in their reign to be losing non-title matches to set up challengers.

As far as match quality goes I think that if they get fifteen minutes it could be a scorcher of a match. Less than that will still be good, but it would mean it’s less likely they’ll get in many impressive spots.

Prediction: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team

First Blood match – Mark and Jay Briscoe v The All Night Express

This will not be a pretty match. It should be an enjoyable brawl though. As the Briscoes were victorious in Atlanta I expect the ANX to win here: they need to be shown as being on the Briscoes’ level or they will run the risk of slipping back down the card and undoing all the progress they’ve made in the last year. The Express are by far my favourite of the two teams and I want them to come out of this feud looking strong and ready for a run as tag team champions.

Prediction: The All Night Express

Tommaso Ciampa with the Embassy v Homicide

This is a rematch from Honor Takes Center Stage. With Homicide significantly outnumbered by Ciampa’s hefty entourage, and Ciampa himself being noted as undefeated on the RoH website, I think ‘The Notorious 187’ could be losing again. The undefeated reference makes me think it’s going to be something that’s built up for a while, so his first loss means more when it finally comes. That would help the Embassy be viewed as more of a force to.

Prediction: Tommaso Ciampa

No Disqualification match – Roderick Strong with Truth Martini v El Generico

Generico and Strong have faced each other several times this year and have developed a crowd pleasing rivalry. They are both talented workers, and Generico is someone I can see having a run as TV or world champion in the future. With Roderick announced as challenging for the RoH title on May 21^st at Supercard of Honor VI he will be kept strong (no pun intended) over this weekend, to appear more of a threat to Edwards. Not only that but Generico won their last match and Christopher Daniels is likely to get involved to cement his recent heel turn and advance his feud with ‘The Generic Luchador’.

Prediction: Roderick Strong

The American Wolves v The Kings of Wrestling with Shane Hagadorn

I haven’t checked, but I suspect I predicted the Kings’ match at Honor takes Center Stage Chapter One would be the match of the night. I am predicting the same thing for this show. They are Ring of Honor’s finest act right now, and I say that knowing that it’s a company full of very accomplished and talented men and women. They have put so much work into being seen as a united force and stressing the importance of tag team wrestling, and I think they should be applauded for it.

Davey and Eddie are both great wrestlers, not afraid to take big bumps and working the stiff, realistic style that RoH fans love. I fully expect the storyline that started at Manhattan Mayhem IV will continue: Eddie won the RoH world title, a belt Davey has long coveted and tried to win for himself several times. At HTCS the Wolves lost to newly crowned tag champions Benjamin and Haas after a miscommunication, with Richards being pinned.

I think the same will happen at this event, and the two men will have a more volatile disagreement than they did last month. The two will blame each other for the loss, leading to the expected Richards v Edwards matc at Best in the World in June. That’s a match I and a lot of others want to see.

This may not just be match of the night; it could be match of the weekend.

Prediction: The Kings of Wrestling

Revolution – Canada:

Tommaso Ciampa with the Embassy v Rhett Titus v Grizzly Redwood v Andy ‘Right Leg’ Ridge v Adam Cole v Michael Elgin with Truth Martini

The rules for this one are not the simplest. Two men will be in the ring at any one time, with the other four on the apron. Men on the apron can become legal in the match by either tagging in or stepping into the ring if one of the legal men is thrown to the outside. The first man to score two pinfalls or submissions wins. There are no eliminations.

It has the potential to be overbooked and confusing. I’d have preferred a return of the simpler six man mayhem, in which the first man to get a pinfall or submission won. But this is something new and could work out well. It’s a chance for Andy Ridge or Adam Cole to pick up a rare pinfall, even if it doesn’t lead to an actual victory. The biggest possibility for either of them doing that is if they trade one pinfall each. Ultimately I expect Tommaso Ciampa to win this to continue his undefeated streak. My second choice is Michael Elgin.

Prediction: Tommaso Ciampa

Steve Corino v Mike Bennett

Having not seen their match at Manhattan Mayhem I’m not sure what the chemistry of these two is like. I can imagine it not being the best, but the fact that this is a rematch would say that RoH decision makers think otherwise. I won’t try to second guess them.

At MMIV Bennett defeated Corino and then assaulted him after the match. The fact that nobody from the locker room came to help Corino was highlighted. I can see Bennett gaining another victory here and going for another post-match assault, but with Grizz making the save, having changed his outlook Corino after his promo in Dearborn.

Prediction: Mike Bennett

Kyle O’Reilly v Claudio Castagnoli with Shane Hagadorn

This one may have tinges of comedy to it at the beginning. I can very easily imagine Claudio posing and muscling O’Reilly around the ring, not taking him at all seriously until the smaller man gains a series of near falls. With a pronounced size difference this isn’t likely to be an especially long match, but it will be very good. I expect lots of close calls for O’Reilly, but I think he will come up short.

Prediction: Claudio Castagnoli

Davey Richards v Kenny King

This is my pick for match of the night from the Canadian show. It’s likely to be a long, athletic contest that gets King over as someone who could one day hold the RoH world title (for the record, I think if he’s with the company long enough he’ll do just that). I expect Richards to go over though. That would allow him to say that the only losses he’s suffered in the last few months have been when tagging with Eddie Edwards, with that fact being the deciding factor in Richards accepting Jim Cornette’s offer from Honor Takes Center Stage of a title shot.

Prediction: Davey Richards

Delirious v Colt Cabana

This will be the first appearance of Delirious on a Ring of Honor show since he became booker of the company and wrote himself out of storylines last year. With this being a match dedicated to the memory of Alex ‘Larry Sweeney’ Whybrow the match will probably be more light-hearted than serious, which means we may get to see Cabana’s comedy wrestling and Delirious’s crazy man character in overdrive. That’s not a bad thing: I think their gimmicks suit one another and they’ll settle into a solid match that serves as a fitting tribute to ‘Sweet ‘n’ Sour’.

I’ll pick Cabana to win as Delirious seems to be against using himself as a regular performer, meaning he’s unlikely to want to put himself over.

Prediction: Colt Cabana

El Generico v Christopher Daniels with Truth Martini

I’ve predicted a Roderick Strong win over Generico for the Dearborn show as well as a Daniels win over Cabana, so I think by this point it will be time for the House of Truth to lose. I can see that happning as a result of Truth’s interference, bringing Cabana to ringside to even the odds, distracting Daniels and allowing ‘The Generic Luchador’ to take the win.

Whoever wins this match should be good and will almost certainly feature some sort of development to the House of Truth v Cabana and Generico feud. I’m expecting Cabana and Generico v Daniels and Strong to be announced for Best in the World, so the feud needs to be furthered on this show.

Prediction: El Generico

RoH World tag team title match – Jay and Mark Briscoe v Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (c)

This should be a wild match that gets a lot of time. We could possibly see the All Night Express getting involved towards the end or, more likely, after the finish, to move their feud with the Briscoes along. I can’t see what a title change would do here other than harming Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team, so I expect a successful defence.

Prediction: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team

RoH World title match – Eddie Edwards (c) v Chris Hero with Shane Hagadorn

This will be another match that doesn’t feature a title change but will certainly be worth watching. I bought the Survival of the Fittest 2010 DVD based on the strength of the singles match these two had there and as long as this match doesn’t get negative reviews (which I doubt it will) it will be one of the reasons I buy this event on DVD too.

Hero and Edwards have very good chemistry and there’s a nice history to their careers that can be tapped into by the announcers. They were stablemates and tag team partners, with Hero’s manager formerly having managed Edwards. Hero pinned Edwards in the first meeting of the Wolves and the Kings last December, which is also sure to get a mention.

This match should be a fitting main event to the night and the weekend in general. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Prediction: Eddie Edwards

As always, Ring of Honor have put together a card that looks very strong on paper and will almost certainly end up being even better in the ring. There are lots of potential highlights: Strong v Generico, Richards v King, Edwards v Hero, and the Kings v the Wolves all spring to mind. As I’ve said before, companies that operate on a bigger scale could learn a lot from the way RoH operates. Instead of promoting the same matches with the same people the company builds new acts and constructs logical, easy to follow storylines that draw fans in. The one gripe I have is that the shows aren’t being presented on iPPV, meaning I’ll have to wait to watch them in a few months on DVD. If that’s the biggest complaint I have then they have to be doing something right, surely?