Ring of Honor Round Table for RoH’s Manhattan Debut
Perhaps the biggest show in the history of Ring of Honor is coming this weekend, and it is fitting that it will also be the first Ring of Honor Round Table. The show has yet to be named, but it has all the makings of a classic. Ring of Honor has reported that executives from Canada’s Fight Channel and Maxim Magazine will be on hand for the show. RoH has also got a spot on Channel 11’s morning show, all in all this could prove to be a make or break weekend for Ring of Honor. Brad Barnes, Tom Kilduff and Big Andy Mac (that’s me!) have all weighed in with our picks for this momentous event. So here is a look…
One Fall Three Way- Losing Team Must Split Up
The Ring Crew Express of Dunn & Marcos vs. Lacey’s Angels of Deranged & Izzy vs. Azrieal & Dixie
Brad Barnes – After thinking about this for a bit, I say Special K go down here. Azrieal is set for a singles push, Angel’s are set for a tag push and you CAN’T break up the Ring Crew Express.
Winners – Lacey’s Angels
Thomas Kilduff – RCE have been gaining momentum this year, and I see them with the tag titles next year anyway. Azrieal and Dixie have just won the Special K name I believe (?). Bye bye Lacey, I’ll miss your nice arse.
Winners: Bill and Ted, I mean Dunn and Marcos
Big Andy Mac – RCE have been on a huge tear as of late, and outside of their home fed NWA:Upstate they don’t do much as singles. Azriel and Dixie have no claim to being teammates other than being former Special K members and Azriel has a brighter future as a singles star. Izzy and Deranged I think have a decent future in the tag division, but I would really like to see Izzy and Dixie reteam, which I doubt will happen.
Winners: Izzy and Deranged causing Azriel and Dixie to split up.
Special Challenge Match
Colt Cabana vs. Nigel McGuinness
Brad Barnes – It’s been building for a while and should be a great match. Cabana mainly gets credited for his comedy but that man can go on the mat with the best of them. Hard pick here, but I’m saying Nigel takes the thing with his freaky Short Arm Scissors.
Winner – Nigel McGuiness
Thomas Kilduff – McGuinness, cause I don’t care about Colt in ring
anymore.
Winner: McGuinness
Big Andy Mac – This is an example of a rivalry turning maybe into a feud. I see Colt getting hit with the Key Lock Driver and tapping out to Nigel’s arm submission, but Colt will get the win back in Chi-town.
Winner: Nigel “Don’t Call my Billy Idol” McGuinness.
Special Challenge Match #2
James Gibson vs. Black Tiger
Brad Barnes – Oh you know this is going to be good. I’m yet to see Romero with the mask, but hopefully he’s as good with it on as he was without. Gibson beat Romero at ‘Back to Basics’ Romero beat Gibson at BOASJ so this is the rubber match if you will. I say Gibson takes it leading to his title match. Side note though, is Romero going to stay under the mask and leave the Rottweilers or is this just temporary? Hopefulyl he stays under the mask and B-boy is added to the Rottweilers.
Winner – James Gibson
Thomas Kilduff – I have not had the chance to watch the Juniors tournament yet, but lots of people have said that Black Tiger is Rocky Romero. See Gibson built for his title match, and avenge his defeat in the tournament.
Winner: Jamie Nobel boy
Big Andy Mac – This could easily steal the show. It is no secret that Romero is Black Tiger, and I was a huge Pitbulls mark and would like to see them back as a team. This match will rule, regardless, and the James Gibson will get the win and then ask, “Where’s my Nidia?”
Winner: The Redneck Messiah James “By God” Gibson
Dog Collar Match
CM Punk vs. Jimmy Rave with Prince Nana
Brad Barnes – Logic says here that Rave wins this match and Punk wins the cage match and that’s the logic I’m going with. I feel though this match isn’t needed in the feud due to there should not be two gimmick matches to end a feud.
Winner: Jimmy Rave
Thomas Kilduff – They have booked themselves into a corner here. Rave needs to be kept strong for AJ at ‘DBD III’, but Punk IS the next ROH champ. Rave is so good now, a year ago he did not deserve to be in ROH, but his heel turn was fantastic.
Winner: CM Punk
Big Andy Mac – This match will be great. I could see Dancin’ Stevie Richards making another return here and costing Punk the match the way Dreamer cost Punk the dog collar match against Raven at Death Before Dishonor. I say Rave wins here and Punk wins the feud in a cage.
Winner: The Crown Jewel of the Embassy (Jimmy Rave)
Brooklyn’s own Homicide & Low Ki with Julius Smokes will be there!!! They claim they will be calling the shots and making the rules when ROH comes on their home turf of NYC.
Brad Barnes – I say we get a big locker room brawl here and hopefully Ki and ‘Cide with a match. Who knows, maybe New York City Riot Version 2.0?
Thomas Kilduff – Last time ROH ran a show in New York was the 1st Anniversary show, which apart from one shining exception, was a disappointment all round. I think that the riot that was staged would not be repeated, that would be too obvious. I think they would have something to do with the Lethal/Joe Pure title match.
Big Andy Mac – I am amazed the Homicide is not booked in a match, I could see the Pure title match turning into a tag match with Joe and Lethal against Homicide and Low Ki, which could be a match of the year candidate, and then Joe and Lethal would hook up on a later show, or they would do both…who knows?
ROH Tag Team Title Match
BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs defend vs. Roderick Strong & Jack Evans of Generation Next
Brad Barnes – I like the champs but I really want them to lose the belts. The main reason is because Whitmer should be teamed with Danny Daniels since they’re a killer team in IWA MS and Jacobs and Delirious are a great team. I’ve been dying for Strong and Evans to win the titles for a while as well.
Winner: Generation Next
Thomas Kilduff – Strong and Evans deserve a run with the belts, BJ Whitmer has outlived his usefulness in ROH now, so a switch would be good here.
Winners: Kurt Angle’s bitch & the Eminem wannabe, or is it vanilla ice?
Big Andy Mac – This will be a great match, and with Whitmer and Jacobs just winning the tag straps I can’t see them losing in their first defense although Evans and Strong are the better team. They tried the musical championships with the tag straps when they brought them back in Fall ’03, I don’t see it happening again.
Winners: Hillbilly Jes-HUSS!!! (B.J. Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs)
ROH Pure Title Match
Jay Lethal defends vs. Samoa Joe
Brad Barnes – I love an old Student vs. Mentor match, but this one is made even better by the simple fact it’s Joe and Lethal. Although Homicide is Lethal’s real trainer, we don’t go by that in ROH so I see things like this. Joe has taught Lethal what he knows, therefore it may seem like Joe has the advantage but Lethal has a couple things going for him. One is Joe isn’t used to the Pure Title rules, a main part of his offence are the Tenryu jabs and chops and a punch to the face can cost him rope breaks. The second is Lethal has seen Joe do his stuff time in and time out, he’s bound to have found counters for all of his stuff.
Winner: Jay Lethal (due to Joe screwing up with the rules)
Thomas Kilduff – This should be match of the night, ROH have done an excellent job with Lethal in the last year, and there is growing support for him. Tough one to call, Joe has hardly had a great year, I would not think they would want to kill Jay’s momentum.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Big Andy Mac – This has all the makings of a great match, whether it happens as is, or turns into Joe/Lethal vs. ‘Cide/Ki. I will make my prediction based on what is booked on paper, though, and say that Jay will retain because Joe will get disqualified for throwing too many punches or something along those lines. Or it will be a double count-out during the Ole Ole Kicks.
Winner: Lethal will not lose the belt, but the match may be a draw.
ROH World Title Match
Austin Aries defends vs. Alex Shelley
Brad Barnes – This can be a classic match, and I don’t really say that too often. Both are outstanding wrestlers but the psychology here can be off the charts. Shelley has Aries’ stuff scouted and Aries uses a lot of combinations, so Shelley will be able to cut them off early. Shelley is also an excellent technical wrestler and will be able to reverse Rings of Aries befoe it’s even locked in perhaps for the Border City Stretch. Shell Shock can also be hit pretty quick, whereas the Brainbuster takes a bit of a set. I want dearly for Shelley to take this, but I don’t see it happening.
Winner: Austin Aries
Thomas Kilduff – I cannot see Aries dropping the belt, and I don’t think that Shelly has been given a credible enough build-up to win here. I’m not keen on Aries, and do not really see him as a main eventer, while Shelly has ALL the tools to be a main eventer, and if he was given a stronger build up, he would be the one I’d want the belt on.
Winner: Austin Aries
Big Andy Mac – This is the match that I am looking forward to most. I predicted that when Aries won the belt that he would only hold it until about the Summer. Well it is about the Summer, but I don’t think he is losing the belt just yet. This will be an amazing match, and I think it is just the beginning of a full fledged feud between Aries and Shelley. Aries will retain, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped the belt to Shelley in like August.
Winner: Austin Aries
Well, I guess that about does it for RoH’s Manhattan debut. It should be a great one!
