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How Will the Recent Releases in the WWE Effect Ring of Honor?
Or
Will the “We Want Matt” Chants from Death before Dishonor I Finally be Answered?
It is no secret that the WWE has recently let go some of its top talents in the past week, namely Matt Hardy, Molly Holly, and “The Man Beast” Rhyno. Will these wrestlers, all of whom relatively big stars, have an affect on my favorite little indy fed out of Philadelphia, PA? My answer is, surprisingly…No. I will look at each of these wrestlers and their possible impact were they to appear in RoH. We are going to begin with the most recent release, arguably the best American woman wrestler today, Nora Greenwald aka Molly Holly.
Molly Holly:
Ring of Honor is not known for having a very strong women’s division. On the last Mid-Western double shot RoH offered two women’s “Four Corner Survival” matches both met with mixed reactions. If Ring of Honor were to commit to creating the top women’s division in wrestling, beating out Pennsylvania rivals wXw, run by Afa the Wild Samoan, then they could do a lot worse than bringing in the former super heroin. She is without a doubt a top women’s competitor and with RoH’s recent loss of Allison Danger she would easily be at the top of the “division” that includes Traci Brooks, Daizee Hayes, Lacey, and Jade (who just made her debut with the Embassy). While this is not the strongest women’s division in the United States, it certainly overshadows the mockery that the women’s division has become. (remember when RAW was down in the dumps, and the women’s division was the highlight?)
Do I think that RoH will bring in Mighty Molly? Honestly, I don’t. I think Molly’s future lies in Japan, where although initially her wrestling acumen may be dwarfed by the numerous Joshi wrestlers, she will soon improve her craft even further and find a very solid niche for herself in the Land of the Rising Sun.
I just don’t see Ring of Honor making that much of a commitment to Women’s wrestling. When Jazz, Nidia, and Gail Kim were released there was no clamor for any of them to show up in RoH. Granted, Jazz may be the only one with the wrestling chops necessary to not get farted on by an RoH crowd, but they were not brought in to improve the RoH women’s division, regardless.
Also, if RoH were serious about creating a women’s division they would use any of the dozens of talented women wrestlers in the Northeast like Violet Flame, Nikki Roxx, Alere Little Feather, or April Hunter (who they have used in a managerial capacity, but not in quite some time.) I just cannot see Ring of Honor building their basically non-existent women’s division around Miss Greenwald.
How would the fans react to the former Miss Madness? I honestly think that while they would appreciate her for her in-ring prowess, she would not make much of a lasting effect. Ring of Honor fans, judging by the reaction to the Women’s Four Corner Survivals, are not dying for a women’s division. I, personally, would love to see Molly in RoH, but I highly doubt it will happen.
Rhyno:
Surely, the Man-Beast could make an impact in Ring of Honor…right? Actually, yeah he probably could, and I see him as the most likely to make an appearance in RoH of the three recent high profile releases. Rhyno, it would seem, has ties with Gabe Sapolsky given his tenure in ECW, so logically the Man-Beast goring his way through Ring of Honor is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Do I think that Rhyno would fit in with RoH? Yes, and no. He would be bigger than a vast majority of the roster and could look out of place in that respect. It is also important to point out that Rhyno’s in-ring style just doesn’t fit in with what Ring of Honor fans expect, given that he is more of a brawler, and has exhibited, from what I have seen, little on the “pure wrestling” side of things. Honestly, I don’t know how well he would fit in. I have only seen his WWE work, and a little of his stuff in ECW, not enough to make a judgment on how formidable of a mat-wrestler he is.
But, if Rhyno, who would most likely switch the “Y” back to an “I”, would not be brought in to go hold for hold with James Gibson or American Dragon. I am sure many RoH fans, myself included would like to see Samoa Joe face off against someone his own size, and RhIno certainly fits that bill. That match would certainly sell tickets, especially if his first appearance was un-announced.
I know having a major star on your card, and not announcing him is a bad move financially, but if Ring of Honor makes a news-wire post acknowledging that Rhino has signed and RoH contract and sets his debut only to have him appear a show or two before that; it could certainly have the impact it needed without damaging the possibility of fans paying to see the in-ring debut of the Man Beast.
How would RoH fans react to Rhino? I think they would react favorably, especially if the aforementioned Rhino vs. Samoa Joe match were to take place. Rhino could also be valuable for providing a different type of opponent for the top Ring of Honor stars. Wrestlers like James Gibson, Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, American Dragon, and CM Punk are used to technical type opponents, but a violent brawler like Rhino could be a welcomed addition to the RoH roster. I certainly think the fans, especially in the Northeast would embrace the Man Beast.
The other thing to consider is that Mr. Terry Gerin’s hometown is Detroit. Now what other RoH superstar hails from the Motor City? Oh, that’s right “The Next” Alex Shelley. Rhino could easily be brought in as a hometown ally in Mr. Shelley’s attempt to overthrow Generation Next…but I digress.
Last but certainly not least…
Matt Hardy:
Matt Hardy is easily the biggest name of the three recent firings. His release is also perhaps the most perplexing, some attribute it to his public airing of grievances others are just as baffled as I am. Either way, after 90 days the Sensei of Mattitude, an institution that may have to stay behind given WWE’s copyrights, will be a free agent and able to compete in North America and Japan. Where will he go, though?
Most likely Matt will end up with his brother in TNA. While from confidential segments indicate that he is a fan of Japanese culture, I think that his most likely avenue is to Universal Studios and the Impact Zone. I am sure there would be lots of money to be made for him in Japan, and given TNA’s light schedule that is not beyond the realm of possibility.
The question is, however: Will Matt Hardy appear in RoH? The answer is, in my opinion, no. While I think RoH will do whatever they can to obtain such a high profile talent, there is the chance that they just will not have the money to buy a piece of Mattitude, while groups like TNA and the many deep pocketed Japanese promotions will have the scratch necessary to “Live for the Moment.”
I would absolutely love to see Matt appear in RoH, just once, especially if it were at this year’s Death before Dishonor show. It would be the third anniversary of Jeff Hardy’s disastrous debut in front of the rabid New Jersey fans. I would also love to see him appear full time, as I think he could lend some credibility to RoH, not that it needs it, to WWE fans who have not yet been turned on to its stellar product.
How would the RoH fans react to Matt? I think they would absolutely go nuts for him. If the “We Want Matt” chants from DBDI were any indication of how Ring of Honor faithful feel about Matt Hardy, then he would definitely be welcomed into the fold with open arms and a chorus of cheers.
As I said, before, I highly doubt that Hardy will ever appear in a Ring of Honor ring, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
In conclusion, while I think that Molly Holly and Matt Hardy have little chance of showing up in RoH, Rhino is all but a lock, to me. I hope I am wrong about the first two, but only time will tell.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, e-mail me at bigandymac@yahoo.com. Oh and as a little plug…This Friday, April 15th, at 5pm eastern RoH Champion Austin Aries will be a guest on my radio show. If you are in the Binghamton, NY area you can tune in at 90.5 FM. Otherwise you can listen live on the web at www.whrwfm.org.
I’ll see ya next time.
