Welcome to the new Friday column here at the Pulse, A Modest Response. The main idea of the column is that I’ll be writing a response or counter-argument to another piece of writing found here on the Pulse. Along with that I’ll be commenting on any news worth mentioning, with a special emphasis on Ring of Honor news. From now on this will also be where you find my ROH weekend previews, so if you like those, this is where you’ll find them. I’ll be closing each and every column with a match review. Hopefully you’ll like my style enough to continue.
Oh, that was forward of me. I’m Aaron and I’m the ROH Reviewer. Along with this column, weekly I write a review of a Ring of Honor show, starting with the very first show and eventually moving up to present day. I’m a bit of a manic writer and participate in every little thing the site offers, so the powers that be (Fingers, the brains behind the wrestling section) decided I had earned a column. Hope you agree and enjoy.
News
WWE dumps Claudio Castagnoli
Heyyyyy his loss is the indy fan’s gain. I hope the Kings of Wrestling are reunited somewhere. They were in this year’s last or next year’s first, depending on your point of view, Match of the Year Contender at Final Battle 06 against the Briscoes. Two heel teams tore the house down. Any team that can manage that has my respect.
Vince vs. Trump (as managers at Royal Rumble)
Now that’s Sports Entertainment! The real question is do any wrestling fans, casual or otherwise, care enough to pay for a PPV to see the Donald. I’m sure it’ll help ratings, however. Even I might tune in to see that interaction.
Nitro and Melina considered a Year from Orton level
Does this mean they get a disastrous face push, as well? This basically puts the kibosh on MNM, but Nitro has been working hard. Maybe by the time he’s pushed he’ll actually deserve it. It can’t go as bad as Jeff Hardy’s or Orton’s, can it?
Federline makes good impression
He seems to be good at that, no? It’s once people get used to him that’s the problem.
Chris Masters might go to ECW
Oh boy! First Snitsky, now Masters. If these rumors turn out to be true, they really should scrap the ECW name and go with anything else at this point.
HBK considers he and Flair best, annoyed at Bret Hart and Kurt Angle for claiming otherwise
I actually mostly agree. Kurt lacked the longevity of any of the rest and really needs to not make that claim. Bret is close and were I Shawn, I’d not be going out of my way to piss of Bret on something so trivial. Shawn was almost certainly more innovative than Bret, but without Bret’s success, a guy Shawn’s size probably wouldn’t have been given the ball. I prefer Michaels in ring, but both men were broomstick artists of the highest caliber. Take your pick. It’s certainly a debate worth of more space than this.
La Res to reunite on Smackdown
Not like they were doing much anyway and I’m a big fan of tag team wrestling. I really need a Tivo so I can see more Smackdown. It’s a really good show.
Briscoes aim to team on every Ring of Honor show
This makes me a happy ROH fan. They’re a fantastic team and, with Aries and Strong seemingly more concerned with singles matches, could carry the tag division. Their innovative team moves and stiff attacks are always welcome.
Jared David gone as ROH announcer
Bad news as he and Prazak really clicked, but now they can try out wrestlers for color commentary. In a truly amazing report, I favor Danielson.
Alliances being made in ROH backstage
Yay for what seems a set-up for a new trios tournament! I’m a bit of a tourney mark and trios always gives us intriguing match-ups and new names.
Matches Announced for 1/26 in Braintree, MA and 1/27 in Edison, NJ
1/27
Homicide defends the ROH World Title against Chris Hero with Larry Sweeney
Austin Aries and Roderick Strong vs. The Briscoes in a 2/3 Falls Match
Colt Cabana, BJ Whitmer, and Daizee Haze vs. Jimmy Jacobs, Brent Albright, and Lacey
Davey Richards vs. Rocky Romero
1/28
Homicide defends the ROH World Title against Samoa Joe
Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans vs. Delirious, Shingo, and Davey Richards
The Briscoes vs. The Havana Pitbulls
Want my thoughts on each match and card? Check back the weekend before the shows for a full preview in this here column. Also, we’ll have a recap of the first show and a live attendance review of the second.
This week on Pulse Wrestling
Vintastic gives the lowdown on Goldberg and DDP from an old Halloween Havoc. A worthwhile read for any old WCW fans or those with an interest in how to properly book a monster.
Sir Eric gives us his weekly insights. It’s a shame they’re coupled with Raw. I may be Sir Eric’s biggest fan, but not even he can make Raw worth reading about. I suppose that’s why he’s coupled Raw with all of his best insights.
Bambi gives her usual insights. She’s like no one else on the net and no, not just because she’s legitimately a female. She might be our most talented writer since GRUT went insane. If only we could get her to write less about WWE
Phil Clark has an alarming tendency of finding the same topics to write about as I consider. This is likely to make him a regular guest of this column, as I expect to Modestly Respond to him quite often. This week he discusses his personal choices for the Year End awards. I won’t be giving you the same, although several other writers will, because due to a shocking emergence of wonderful taste, the majority of my picks got at least a share of the awards I felt they deserved.
The Chrononaut gives us his review of WWE 24/7’s Andre the Giant and Iron Sheik segment. For those, like me, who’d kill for WWE 24/7, but are on the list of cable providers that don’t do the proper providing, this is must read.
David Ditch gives us one stop Puro shopping. ROH eats all my DVD cash generally so he’s how I keep up with the Japanese scene.
If I missed you sorry, I’ll get you next week, but now
The Link of Honor – Iain Burnside and a gentleman named Ross, a former Pulse columnist with whom I’m not very familiar, give us their top 50 Wrestlers of the Year. They’ve been doing this every year for the past ten, and far be it from me to not steal a good idea when I see it, so, since Iain won’t share his list before it’s posted (boo to you Iain!) I’ll be presenting my top 10 wrestlers of the year. This is pure opinion and Kayfabe is taken into account.
A Modest Response: In which Glazer gives his Top 10 Wrestlers of the Year as a counterpoint to the list of Iain and Ross
The rules, as per the gentlemen to whom I’m responding:
We’ve based this list on many factors – it can be best summed up in that we’re looking for all-rounders. The best North America has to offer. We’re somewhere between kayfabe and not, since we do consider the success a chap has had onscreen in our ratings. If a guy holds a World Title, chances are that he’ll make the list, mainly because he was indeed elevated to the station of World Champ and attained a very high level of success. Don’t get me wrong, if there’s a lousy World Champ who has wrestled and interviewed badly through a lousy year, he’ll likely be rated below a guy who wrestles brilliantly, interviews at a top level but just so happens to have lost almost all his matches.
Ring-work. Interview delivery. Angle performance. Level of success on-screen. These are the main areas we look at. We’re not taking much notice of people’s behaviour backstage, since we’re not rating the best politicians in wrestling, we’re rating the best performers.
Without further ado, my top 10:
Number 10 – Triple H
Kayfabe wise he hasn’t had his best year. And sure, he seems to be having a mid-life crisis right in front of us but he’s a remarkably, consistently good to great worker in the ring, he’s put over a young guy big at Wrestlemania and finally vacated the Main Event Scene. Ultimately, it came down to Triple H or King Booker and, while I love King Booker, Triple H has been closer to doing the right thing consistently this year than at any point since his glory days.
Number 9 – Jeff Jarrett
The man dominated the title, again, for much of the year. He draws consistently huge heel heat, however, so the claim that the money was in the chase, with a legit Main Event Draw in Sting might have had some credence. He put over Samoa Joe, as well, so kudos for that. He drew heat like a mini-sun, put over two of the right guys, and stepped out of the spotlight. This is the highest I’d ever rate him, but this year he truly deserves the honor.
Number 8 – Nigel McGuinness
And speaking of honor, here’s the Ring of Honor mainstay, Nigel McGuinness. I don’t think many fully appreciate while Nigel has accomplished this year. Nigel took the Pure Title and elevated it to the point where there was legitimate question of whether it or the World Title was more valuable. Let me repeat that for emphasis. Nigel made a gimmick title seem as important as Bryan Fucking Danielson’s World Title. Then he went out and had a Match of the Year Candidate with the aforementioned Mr. Fucking Danielson for both belts, further elevating himself and the World belt. In the process he got a job with NOAH, was part of the first GHC title defense in North America in what some call another Match of the Year Candidate with Marufuji, and elevated himself to a world class worker. I seem to have Nigel too low, especially considering what comes next.
Number 7 – Kurt Angle
Kurt has had a year where many have questioned his sobriety, sanity, and even ability to survive. Polarizing though he was, from his controversial firing from WWE to his shock hiring as the new Face of TNA, Kurt was very clearly successful. For at least the second year in a row Kurt was in many’s Match of the Year, this time his bout with the Undertaker. Some also consider his matches with Samoa Joe to be MOTYC’s. While I disagree it’s hard to deny the man’s impact this year. He went from the face of ECW to the face of TNA and the man to end Samoa Joe’s streak. Who would have ever thought he’d face Samoa Joe and not CM Punk so soon. On top of this, he also beat TNA World Champion Abyss the night before he won the belt and wrestled through various injuries and addictions. Kurt might not have been the best this year, but his name might certainly have been the biggest.
Number 6 – John Cena
I’m going to hear it for ranking him this high on the list, but the man is Kayfabe gold. He has held the WWE title basically all year and given some solid performances in ring with Edge. I don’t like the guy, but he isn’t marketed to me, he’s marketed to women and children, and it’s impossible to deny that he’s hugely successful there. He’s Kayfabe remarkably successful and connects with his target audience like no other. He might not be the best wrestler, but he might be the most successful and biggest draw. That demands respect, even if I will withhold my adulation.
Number 5 – Dave Finlay
The best in ring performer in the WWE for the majority of the year in a federation that included Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels. And he’s 48. And he trained the entire women’s division on RAW. And he dragged himself from a silly midcard gimmick to the Main Event. If he had a bit more Kayfabe success he would challenge for number one.
Number 4 – Samoa Joe
Another I’ll take heat for as I might be the only writer around to keep him out of the top three. Joe is one of the top 5 workers in North America today. That needs to be said and understood. This year was still underwhelming for him. He spent a good deal of the year drifting aimlessly in both TNA and ROH through no fault of his own. That hurts him because those ranked above did next to no drifting this year. His matches with Angle, while huge attractions, were underwhelming, particularly the first, which had double the audience of the considerably better second. Still, these were the biggest matches of the year and Joe gets kudos for even being involved. Joe was also involved in dragging something decent out of Steiner this year, no small feat as Triple H so clearly showed us. He had a few quite good matches in the Bodily Harm division of TNA, showing he isn’t limited to X-Division Style matches. In Ring of Honor he had several great matches with Bryan Danielson. There isn’t much to say bad about Samoa Joe this year or ever, but there are a few drawbacks like how he was overshadowed in the ROH vs. CZW feud by our number three entrant.
Number 3 – Homicide
I can’t believe he isn’t number one. He’s involved in the best thing in TNA right now LAX, basically carrying the match portions of that stable. He’s the Ring of Honor champion after having their most successful year practically built against him with his starring role in the ROH vs. CZW fued, his Road of Homicide against Cornette, and his eventual dethroning of the best champion of this decade, Bryan Danielson. His promos were hilarious, insane and even a bit frightening. His in ring work is world class. His look and style are fully unique. Number 3 should not be a high on this list, merely a stepping stone on the Notorious 187’s way to the top.
Number 2 – Edge
I HATE Edge. He’s despicable in and outside the ring. He’s a Main Eventer and former champion based on stealing one of his best friend’s girlfriend and his own willingness to use that to further his in ring career. What a distasteful son of a bitch. He’s also a fabulous worker, the only man to drag something passable for adult males out of Cena this year, and the best bad guy in the business. I still hate him. He does his job well.
Number 1 – Bryan Danielson
Oh, come on. There is no other option. I really don’t want to list his accomplishments or verbally felate him any more than that. I’ll just say this: his gimmick is that he’s the best in the world and, this year at least, you’d be hard pressed to argue.
Upon Further Review…
This being my first column in 2007, I will now share with you my personal 2006 Match of the Year — whether or not it wins our staff-picked award will be revealed next week, but here’s a review of the match for all of you who didn’t choose it in our readers’ poll.
Match of the Year: Ring of Honor World Title Match- Bryan Danielson (c) vs. KENTA from Glory by Honor V Night 2
First the background. KENTA is an undefeated Pro-Wrestling NOAH worker. He’s yet to be pinned or submit to anyone in Ring of Honor and has beaten big names like Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. He’s also used his finisher, Go to Sleep (fireman’s carry to a flying knee to the head) to pin Danielson twice, once in a tag match and once in a non-title three way. His offense is largely based on stiff kicks. Usually there isn’t much chance of a foreigner beating an in promotion champion, but Danielson badly injured his shoulder in his last match and there has been noise all year of a coming full blown NOAH invasion, which would be kicked off wonderfully by a KENTA title win. Danielson has put together a legendary title run to this point, but his shoulder might cost him the belt to KENTA who’s had his number thus far.
The crowd is electric and fairly evenly split between the face, KENTA, and the tweener (not yet a full heel), Danielson. The very first thing in the match is Danielson dodging a KENTA strike, showing that he’s learned from previous encounters and won’t be falling for the same tricks again. They lock up again and KENTA gives Danielson a slap to the face, letting him know with that sign of disrespect that he doesn’t care what Danielson thinks he’s learned. This will come into play again later. Danielson returns the slap a moment later.
They continue and begin grappling. Danielson shows superiority at this, unsurprisingly. This annoys KENTA enough to immediately go with strikes and hits a stiff kick right to Danielson’s shoulder. Danielson bails for a breather.
Back in and another KENTA kick to the shoulder causes Danielson to fire back immediately, knowing his shoulder can’t take much. Chops and head buts take the challenger down. Danielson’s strikes, however, serve to anger KENTA and he fires back. Both men separate momentarily. Danielson has found his strikes anger KENTA and that he has a mat advantage. KENTA has found out just how deadly his strikes to the shoulder could be and smells blood.
KENTA attacks quickly with a kick and forearms to the shoulder, but Danielson, pressing his point of advantage grabs a headlock and grounds KENTA. KENTA, for the first time, attempts to mat wrestle with the champion, which is a mistake. Danielson reclaims control and begins stretching out KENTA.
KENTA manages getting back to his feet and kicks Danielson’s shoulder. He then grabs a wristlock on the hurt arm, hoping that attacking a weakness will offset his weaker mat skill. Danielson reverses and does the AJ styles combination into a dropkick, something he assimilated after their encounter. Danielson is using what he’s learned thus far as champion to take it to the challenger, since just his regular moves have thus far not been enough.
KENTA retreats and when Danielson attempts to follow he gets kicked in the shoulder again. Each kick is being sold like he’s being shot. KENTA rams Danielson shoulder first into the guard rail and Danielson curls up grasping the shoulder, which KENTA attacks again.
Back in the ring, KENTA continues striking the shoulder. KENTA goes for a fujiwara armbar, which would certainly place Danielson in incredible pain, but Danielson’s mat proficiency prevents that, so KENTA grabs a different armlock. From that, Danielson quickly rolls KENTA up, again showing him lacking on the mat, even when working on the injured limb, so the challenger begins knee strikes to the injured shoulder on the mat.
KENTA has finally weakened the challenger enough to go for a trademark spot. Early on, Danielson had the easy counter to it, but now, as KENTA springboards in toward the arm, Danielson is so worried about protecting that, he falls prey to the challenger’s back heel kick to the face. KENTA, fairly confident now, stops to play to the crowd.
This is quickly proven a mistake as Danielson clips the leg from behind and attempts attacking the legs to take away KENTA’s main form of offense. In the process, KENTA grabs the shoulder and has Danielson in a key lock submission hold.
Danielson reaches the ropes to escape, and when KENTA lifts Danielson he goes with left arm strikes to create a hope spot, but after a sunset flip attempt, KENTA slaps the taste out of Danielson’s mouth, remaining firmly in control. An arm lock applied by KENTA, but Danielson, too good again, rolls out on top of him. His shoulder, though, is now week enough that KENTA kept control on the mat. Danielson’s chances of victory just decreased markedly.
KENTA whips Danielson to the corner, where Danielson manages a version of Nigel’s artful dodger into a cravat suplex. This is enough for Danielson to catch a breather and come back with some stiff kicks and a beautiful spinning kick to KENTA’s face. Danielson rakes KENTA’s eyes across the top rope showing we’re officially in uncharted territory as Danielson tries different measures to wear down KENTA enough for the usual offense.
And the usual offense it is. Danielson attempts the surfboard, but the arm is too hurt to lock it in. “You f*cked up†chant from the audience to which Danielson stops the knees of KENTA (limiting that kicking offense) and screams “I don’t EVER f*ck up!†Danielson now goes to work on the knees of KENTA with a Funk style twisting toe hold and a figure four.
Danielson uses the ropes while the ref isn’t looking and releases when KENTA points the ref over. They repeat this several times, as KENTA finally rolls to the ropes. The referee demands a break, but Danielson claims he can’t get out. The champion’s cocky smile during this shows he has his confidence back.
Reversal sequence, as each man now has regained their steam a bit, is won by KENTA with a kick and a vertical suplex. KENTA, worn down less, is up first again with a combination of kicks on the shoulder, and KENTA again with a trademark spot as he springboards out then in with a missile dropkick right to the shoulder. At this point directing all the offense to the shoulder helps only if he manages a submission, as KENTA’s done next to no head work, making the Go to Sleep likely less effective.
Cross arm breaker from KENTA locked in as he attempts to go right for the submission win, but Danielson gets to the ropes. KENTA attempts to send Danielson to the corner, fully in control, but Danielson back flips off the top rope and nails KENTA with a rolling, single leg crab, a move taken from former challenger Lance Storm’s moveset. KENTA has had Danielson’s number all night, but no answer for the borrowed portions of his moveset.
KENTA escapes with an enziguiri and a Go To Sleep attempt follows. Too early still and Danielson counters with a roaring elbow and follows with a running elbow strike, both using the hurt shoulder as Danielson has clearly decided to go all out, consequences be damned. This is furthered as he does the slit throat signal, symbolizing the end being near.
Danielson places KENTA on the top rope in a superplex position and holds up there for a few seconds before a huge superplex. Pin attempt gets too, but Danielson’s rolling now and locks on the crossface chickenwing, the move he used to wn the title from James Gibson. KENTA inches to the ropes.
Danielson back up and slams the challenger down. He goes up for a flying headbut, but takes too long and gets both of KENTA’s feet in his face. KENTA goes for a springboard dropkick as Danielson get’s up, but Danielson dropkicks him out of mid-air. The referee applies a double count on both men.
Both men up and striking, KENTA with a running Yakuza Kick, Danielson with a running headbut a la Nigel again. They repeat and headbuts win as Danielson hits a release German Suplex. KENTA’s fighting spirit is awakened, NOAH and 1990s AJPW style and he hits a release Fisherman’s Suplex. Roaring elbow by Danielson and the challenger responds with a roaring lariat. Both champion and challenger are spent as the referee applies another double count.
As they rise, KENTA lariats Danielson to the floor. Reversals there lead Danielson to a release belly to belly suplex. Danielson with a baseball slide dropkick, sends KENTA to the first row. Danielson with a huge crowd dive to take out KENTA and both men have to be nearly dead!
Danielson up first and throws KENTA in the ring. Missile dropkick and one arm kip up from Danielson, courtesy of one of his trainers, Shawn Michaels. He goes for a big roaring elbow, but KENTA counters with the Fujiwara Armbar to a huge reaction. This could be it but Danielson reaches the ropes.
Danielson attempts to fight back, and tries to go to the second rope, but KENTA meets him with an Ace Crusher and a second Fujiwara Armbar, right in the center of the ring. Danielson is nearly tapping and fights to bend his arm and roll to the ropes, eventually making it for the rope break.
KENTA gets Danielson up, but a go behind is reversed and a Regal-plex courtesy of Danielson’s other major trainer gets a long two. Danielson is up first and the crowd explodes with dueling chants for both competitors. Danielson has to be looking to his trademark offense to put KENTA away at this point.
Danielson rips off his shoulder tape. He places KENTA on top and hits the huge belly-to-back off the top. His shoulder hurt, he takes a moment to go for the pin, and it only gets two. After the two Danielson wastes no time and goes for Cattle Mutilation and gets it, but KENTA is too close to the ropes. Danielson holds the move for the full 5 count in the ropes, letting the referee know that he has ‘til five.
Danielson is up with a determined look on his face. He suplexes KENTA and goes up top but KENTA hops up to the top rope to go for a top rope Falcon Arrow. Danielson pushes KENTA to the ground, but as the champion comes off the top rope, the challenger catches him in a fireman’s carry position! Go to Sleep connects! Danielson gets his foot on the ropes! Danielson is the first man to kick out of KENTA’s go to sleep in a story going back to the very first shows where he was the only man able to kick out of the Ki Krusher, Sliced Bread # 2 and other finishers. KENTA in focusing on the shoulder, neglected to soften Danielson up, and his unbeatable finisher has been escaped!
KENTA rolls away in shock, almost unable to make it to his feet. KENTA goes back to the shoulder with kicks and knee strikes. He attempts his second finisher, the running flying knee, but Danielson counters into a rollup, but that only gets two. A second Go to Sleep attempt, this one turned into a crucifix pin, (say hello to a move of Austin Aries), but when that gets two, KENTA goes with the MMA style elbows to the head!
KENTA will not stay down, so Danielson takes him to a Cattle Mutilation, reversed to a pin by the challenger for two. They continue to struggle, Danielson refusing to unhook the arms hits a tiger suplex and rolls through again to another Cattle Mutilation. KENTA is almost in the ropes so Danielson goes for the MMA elbows and moves KENTA’s angle with the ropes and goes with yet another Cattle Mutilation! KENTA finally taps!
Bryan Danielson defeats KENTA (Submission, Cattle Mutilation, *****)
Running storylines galore. Danielson was unable to gain control with his regular offense so he borrowed heavily from previous opponents move sets to wear KENTA down. KENTA smelled blood with the hurt shoulder and attacked it all match to the exclusion of all else. This was set up by Danielson early having an answer for KENTA’s regular offense and later attacking the leg, weakening the kicks of KENTA. The Go to Sleep was not set up due to KENTA’s exclusively attacking the shoulder all match and that combined with Danielson’s knack, from the earliest of ROH shows, of kicking out of finishers, was enough to cause the escape. Danielson worked the arms early then concentrated on wearing down KENTA, but KENTA set the pace and controlled the match by going back to the shoulder time and again. By the end that meant his options were limited. With the hurt leg, the kicks weren’t putting Danielson away, Go to Sleep was already escaped, and the arm submissions were all escaped. KENTA had tried everything and was left with nothing but going back to what he already attempted. As worn down as he was, there was no chance that Danielson wasn’t countering this, as shown by his early mat superiority, and counter he did into vicious combinations ending with the Cattle Mutilation for the submission.
After the match both men show each other respect with handshakes and bows. The crowd chant’s “Best in the World†and “Thank You KENTA.â€Â
This match lead to Dave Meltzer calling Danielson the best heel since late 1980’s Ric Flair. This is ROH and former ECW booker Gabe Sapolsky’s favorite match Ever in Ring of Honor. Remember, this promotion had matches like Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe and Joe vs. Punk II. This match is that good. It’s on Glory by Honor V Night 2. Go see it. It’s one of my favorite matches ever. And when you do see it, remember who sent you.
Hope you enjoyed the column and I’ll be back next week!
