Welcome back to another A Modest Response. This week we have contest winners announced, a special interview announcement, ROH Weekend previews, Respondents of Honor, a huge match review, news, views, and, of course, A Modest Response. Whew, seems like I’d better get started if I intend to have any free time for Valentines and that interview.
News of Honor
According to the Observer TNA will be pulling Christopher Daniels, Homicide, and Austin Aries from Ring of Honor by the end of the year because they don’t want Ring of Honor to be built on their stars
Perhaps worth noting is that these guys get buzz and people care about them from their time in Ring of Honor. Aries has certainly done nothing special to make the TNA fan care about Austin Starr, he’s merely got the reputation and skill to keep him popular from his Ring of Honor time.
TNA didn’t build Daniels and Homicide to stardom, Ring of Honor did. Well, Daniels is a bit of a special case, like AJ Styles, where the word of mouth about them was hot from the demise of WCW, but ROH is where they got to shine and put on match of the year candidates large portions of the audience bought.
Homicide was a small regional indy worker when ROH made him into a star after the first time TNA pulled their talent from ROH. Jay Lethal was no one at all special until ROH placed him in an angle with Samoa Joe. Seems to TNA, ROH is in the ECW position of a farm system for their talent. Apparently the system of giving back to what made you successful has gone on long enough for TNA and they’re going with the big business model now of taking and taking credit for whatever they want. I’m not surprised or disappointed, just annoyed because of how rarely TNA gives any of these guys time to actually shine.
Bruno Sammartino to be in Ring of Honor at Wrestlemania weekend in Detroit
I was at Bruno’s first appearance at the Manhattan Center and the respect showed the legend was outstanding. I hope Detroit keeps it up as it really is an honor to be afforded Bruno’s presence.
Davey Richards is out or this weekends shows
Damn, that throws things into general disarray (South Park reference intended).
Doug Williams will make his ROH return 4/13 in Long Island and 4/14 in Edison
Doug is a great and respected wrestler and arguably the best England based wrestler around. If you haven’t seen him live, I urge you to make it out and show your appreciation when great international talent we wouldn’t otherwise get to see live, comes over. For those who can’t make it, I’ll be attending both nights’ events and have all the details and coverage.
Three new, free matches at ROHvideos.com
Check them out and the roster videos to get a feel for the product if you never tried it.
Matt Sydal wins the Dragon Gate Open The Brave Gate Title and will defend it in Detroit on 2/23 against Austin Aries
This clearly heralds yet more Dragon Gate stars in ROH and is a major bit of prestige for the company. By then most assume someone (The Briscoes most likely) will have relieved Daniels and Sydal of their ROH Tag Titles and this will allow another outside championship, along with the FIP World Title, to be defended in ROH.
In Other News
Test suspended 30 days for violating drug policy
Test? No way you think?
MNM and the Hardyz are broken up for good for now
The Hardyz are a draw and they wasted them. MNM had the potential to be a draw, but as good as Nitro is getting, I can see why they’re doing that. Since WWE really seems behind London and Kendrick, wouldn’t it make sense for at least the Hardyz to put them over in an effort to make them a meaningful draw?
WWE is trying to sign Shocker, Mistico, and Perro Aguayo Jr
They want to develop a Hispanic audience apparently, but it’s quite unlikely that they maintain interest enough to do it with these wrestlers as more than comedy performers or jobbers.
RVD files his papers so his contract won’t roll over
Looks like TNA is going to get a new main event star. RVD vs. Joe and RVD vs. AJ will surely be hotshot and wasted in TNA, but hopefully TNA doesn’t consider him so big a deal that he can’t do an ROH weekend and wrestle some of their top talent.
WWE’s History of World Class will rewrite history
If you’re surprised by this, you haven’t been following wrestling for very long.
Killings is on crutches and dumb movie parodies will continue
I hate Vince Russo sometimes.
Within TNA the feeling that a two-hour show and house shows are imminent
If you missed Crash TV, time to get happy.
Afa and Sika invited to join the WWE Hall of Fame, Bruno invitation considered
It isn’t a real Hall of Fame until Bruno and Backlund are in. It’s like doing the baseball Hall without Cobb and Walter Johnson.
New Developmental talent director, James Tyler Bailey, searches amateur wrestlers and ex-football players
God forbid WWE just looks to the indys and notice guys like Cabana just sitting there.
The two most likely to make it to the WWE are Cody Runnels, Dusty’s son, and Kofi Kingston, who runs a Jamaican gimmick
Looks like it’s time for some more racial stereotyping from WWE. That never get gets old. Dusty’s son has a shot, as would Dustin have had were he not immediately pushed to the moon when he wasn’t ready.
6’2†250lbs is about the size of performer the WWE are looking to push
Paging Brent Albright.
Respondents of Honor
I’ve decided to keep induction to the Respondents to one or two per week, so if you didn’t get in this week, keep trying.
The song is Aqualung by Jethro Tull.
The very first person to get the name of the song correct and write in about it was GoatGraves. If you’d like your real name included in the Respondents of Honor, drop me an e-mail indicating that’s the case. Either way, when you respond with your address, I’ll let you know what your DVD will be.
Shabaz was the first person to go through the entire Aqualung song with re-done lyrics. Here’s what he came up with:
Sitting in a desk chair
Reading about news that isn’t fair
Tears running down my face
I guess I should blog it on myspace
Joe’s off to tna
He may win the belt but its still gay
Feeling like we’re out of luck
RoH may take a hit, but TNA still sucks
Joe making green
A rich man wandering lonely
Winning bouts
The only way he knows
Knees hurting bad
he runs to hit a ole kick
He goes to down the ring
And kicks some ass
Going away
The title’s down the road
Championship ala mode and
Shitty booking
Yes Joe is done my friend
Its RoH he’s leaving
Us poor old fans, we see, he left a legacy
Yes we still remember
March of 2003
When Joe won the
Belt and so easily
Reigning for two years
And as we see his final matches
With only six shows left
And he makes his exit
To crappy TNA
This made me smile several times, good job. Once again, reply with your address and I’ll have your DVD on its way.
Thanks to: Dwarzel, Nick Ramirez, EA Barton, Kaktus316, VLO, Benjamin Lawrence, CoyotesPaw, Jason Bugg, Will Kaye, Kurt K, Reed561, and MoranJD for participating in the contest.
Stay tuned Next Week for another Contest with a Free ROH DVD Give-away
Respondents of Honor – You get in by having an e-mail published in the column or winning a contest.
JMull
Stacy J
Goat Graves
Shabaz
This Week on Pulse Wrestling
BigAndyMac discusses ROH and the possibility of Morishima winning the big belt. Read it and to see my thoughts on it, continue this very column.
Eric is as we’d expect. I wish he got this passionate about wrestling, whether for the positive or negative, but I understand where he’s coming from; something recently made me feel much the same way.
Keith gives us Monday Night Wars goodness. He’s been going so fast lately this might be the best way to keep up with the best Reviewer on the net.
Mike Fitzgerald reviews Wrestlemania V, my very first Pay Per View.
Wallace looks ahead to No Way Out and Wrestlemania.
Vin writes about women’s wrestling and I owe everyone an apology for forgetting the roundtable as I was away all weekend.
David Brashear speaks more of why Russo sucks.
As usual, Broken Dial delivers the good. And since you guys like contests go win that one too.
Column of Honor: David Ditch discusses the importance of tag wrestling in 1990s AJPW and gives me the opportunity to go into an idea I’ve had for some time.
A Modest Response: The Benefits of Tag Wrestling
Here’s what Ditch had to say:
There are many advantages that big tag matches have on big singles. One, it lends itself to good structure as one wrestler gets worked over at a time. Two, it helps keep the pace up by having wrestlers rest more explicitly on the apron than they can in the ring. Three, kicking out of finishers is more unexpected. Four, the multiple matchups keep things fresher. That’s much of reason why I much prefer Kobashi & Shiozaki vs Sasaki & Nakajima from 11/5/05 to the Kobashi vs Sasaki chopfest. That’s much of the reason why I prefer several Misawa vs Kawada tag battles to their 6/3/94 war. It doesn’t apply in all circumstances, and it doesn’t really hold up in the US because hardly any tag matches seem especially important, but I think it’s a lot easier to have a high-end 25 minute-plus tag match than a lengthy high-end singles match.
This is absolutely perfect. And Ditch is right, it doesn’t hold up for most of the US Wrestling Scene, but it does hold up one place: Ring of Honor.
The Ring of Honor has had pacing issues of late. It feels like every match has the exact same slow build, which long time fans are noticing and becoming quickly annoyed with. It’s really the only flaw in the company. The first major benefit pushing tag wresting even more than they already do, and they have the best tag division on the continent, is to speed up and change the pace of the matches. With the explicit rest time there is no reason to not pick up the pace for the entire match and change the spots and pacing to differentiate. The added tag matches would make the show feel fuller and less repetitive as there are just more ways to build a match with four guys than there are with only two.
To keep this from being just a tag scene, however, every wrestler on the roster needs a regular tag team partner or two. This allows for differentiation of feuds (switching between partners), more different finishes, and elevation of the lower member of each team or trio. This is long overdue and a staple of Japanese wrestling. Bryan Danielson, Jimmy Rave, and Jimmy Jacobs, for example, would be an excellent regular team, without needing to be a stable, because Danielson and Rave would compete and make each other better while elevating the perception of Jacobs to their level.
Ring of Honor might be beginning this now with Colt Cabana and Nigel McGuinness agreeing to team up more often. These two top card workers regularly teaming add not only another major tag threat, making the tag titles seem more important because these two are going after them, but also manage to elevate each other and keep their upcoming singles matches and feuds from being played out. Colt and Nigel against Rave and Jacobs can really revive both feuds, while adding in BJ Whitmer not only elevates him, a man who never received a world title shot being placed with Colt and Nigel, who both have, but allows him to get in time with Jimmy Rave and build to a potential future feud there.
Ring of Honor is currently set to lose a lot of talent. Six-man tag matches allow for the introduction of new talent in such a way that they are not overshadowed at the bottom of the card or forced to immediately lose to more established stars. They also allow a preview of how new wrestlers work against guys established on the roster. The last major benefit is that even if a new wrestler isn’t particularly working out, a six man tag will ensure that a match on the card is not dragged down too greatly due to all of the other talent on the roster.
The risk of many great singles matches is twofold. First, many of these matches, no matter how good, begin to feel the same. Wrestlers all use and repeat spots and to the untrained eye, that will make the matches feel exactly the same, even if the stories differ. In making these singles matches rarer, the story and the spots will feel special again. If for several Bryan Danielson matches he has not attempted the surfboard because it’s a strategically bad move in a tag setting, then when he tries the move in a singles match it doesn’t feel over used and the reason it’s being used becomes more clear again.
The second is that, with a limited roster size, Ring of Honor will run out of marquee match-ups sooner or later. Adding in more of a tag element makes these matches and solo title defenses occur less often and thus mean more when they do finally happen. Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong fought five times for the ROH title. Say taking a more tag oriented approach knocks off two of the defenses. That leaves us with a trilogy, classic and compact, with the fans begging for another re-match each time, a la Samoa Joe and CM Punk. The matches were that good, but because they were so frequent, they became overlooked.
A greater emphasis on tag wrestling can reshape Ring of Honor. It can make booking feuds that matter easier and keep those feuds lasting longer. A tag emphasis allows the insertion of new talent into roles that matter and keeps match-ups between talent of all tenure in the company greater freshness and importance. Ring of Honor could protect and improve the prestige of both belts, the singles, by making defenses less frequent and more meaningful, and tag team, by making it seem like more men are gunning for the tag belts, .This allows for the emphasis of strengths, hiding of weaknesses and overall improvement of the product of pro-wrestling in North America. It’s time for Ring of Honor to give every regular roster member a regular tag team partner and build their company accordingly.
Ring of Honor Weekend Previews: 2/16 Manhattan and 2/17 Philadelphia
These shows kick off Ring of Honor’s Fifth Year Festival, which is the fifth anniversary shows, as well as the Samoa Joe Farewell Tour before he leaves to be a permanent member of TNA. ROH is expected to pull out all the stops for two of their biggest markets here. After my picks will be fellow Inside Pulse Staffer and ROH fan, Big Andy Mac’s picks.
Ring of Honor: 2/16 in the Manhattan Center NY, NY
World Title Match:
Homicide (c) w/ Julius Smokes vs. Jimmy Rave
Rave has been amazingly hot of late, completely dominating Nigel McGuinness several times and scoring victories in just about every match he’s been in. Now, the driven Rave is going after Homicide’s world belt.
Homicide is a new babyface champion, but was absolutely the heel in Edison, NJ in favor of Samoa Joe. The money with Homicide very likely was in the chase and that, along with the fact that he’s a TNA worker who might be pulled, make a long title run very unlikely.
That being said, I don’t see Homicide losing here. Ring of Honor has a lot of options with The Notorious 187 in the NOAH feud and those options only multiply with him as champion. I’d see a Homicide win here after a hard fought battle. As far as in ring work, I’m hoping Jimmy Rave will work over Homicide’s leg and that ‘Cide will show himself to be a capable babyface after the Edison debacle.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This could be a great match or largely disappointing. Homicide is not losing the belt tonight for obvious reasons, you can read my column to find out why I think that way. Rave may hold RoH gold sometime soon, but Friday is not the time.
Winner – The Notorious 187 Homicide
Samoa Joe vs. Takeshi Morishima
This is an absolute dream match. Joe has, after losing to NOAH’s Kenta Kobashi and twice in multi-man matches to NOAH’s KENTA, called out the Japanese company. Pro-Wrestling NOAH replied by sending over Takeshi Morishima, a big man who reminds many of the mold that such greats as Kobashi and Misawa are cut from. Morishima will look to defeat Joe here, and with Joe leaving it seems likely.
NOAH has, thus far, dominated the ROH Icon. Joe is loved and respected enough that even with him leaving the company, this match could be his big revenge for the entire NOAH feud. Morishima has the perfect opportunity to get his heat back the following night anyway. This is a dream match and if it even approaches Joe-Kobashi everyone will be very happy indeed.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This will close the show and be match of the night and an early frontrunner for match of the year. More importantly it will be Head-drop-tacular as the Back Drop Driver meets the Muscle Buster. Morishima wins and gains momentum towards taking the belt off of Homicide the next night in Philly.
Winner – The Notorious Ich Ni San Takeshi Morishima
ROH World Tag Team Title Match
Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Aries and Strong were the long time stable-mates of Sydal and Sydal has never managed to defeat them in a title match. This time Sydal has the belts, and steam from wining a major Dragon Gate title as he takes on the most successful tag team in ROH history.
Aries and Strong may have a bit of heat with each other after losing a 2/3 falls match to the Briscoes 2-0 and that could factor into the matches outcome as well. Out of ring factors are TNA’s imminent pulling of Daniels and Aries, but with one member of each team leaving soon, that shouldn’t affect the outcome.
This could be a great match and steal the show. At worst it will be very good. All these guys have great chemistry with each other and Sydal has something to prove here. I’d see that, with the friction between the teams, causing the champions to retain the belts.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – Three matches in, three potential classics. I would love to say that Aries and Strong are regaining the tag straps here, but I think that Styles and Sydal are keeping the belts warm for the Briscoes.
Winners – The Notorious Books 1-6 The Lords of the Ring (Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels
Tables are Legal Match
Brent Albright vs. BJ Whitmer
Last time in the Manhattan Center Whitmer was concussed by a powerbomb through a table to the floor by Albright. Whitmer, the closest ROH has to a Tommy Dreamer figure, is now looking for revenge. Both men are big and agile and this should be brutal. Albright still doesn’t have a very good singles match under his belt and one here would really solidify him, win or lose. Whitmer’s feud isn’t with Albright, despite the concussion, it’s with Jimmy Jacobs and Lacey who broke his ankle.
BJ has a title shot looming and likely won’t lose a big singles match before then to keep up momentum. This match should be a big BJ win going into his title match, but also needs to prove Albright can really go if he’ to be a major player. Let’s see if it can pull both off.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This match will be violent and fun. It is a continuation of the convoluted saga of Jimmy Jacobs, Lacey, Whitmer, Colt, Adam Pearce, Lee Harvey Oswald, JR Ewing and the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. My guess is that tables will be involved. Whitmer will probably win building momentum to his title shot against Morishima in Dayton.
Winner – The Notorious Table for Two – BJ Whitmer
Delirious vs. Adam Pearce w/ Shane Hagadorn
Pearce and Hagadorn have been screwing over Delirious for months now, since the first Manhattan Center show in September. Pearce seems to be continually moving down the card, however, and Delirious is moving up the card, so this is the perfect opportunity to put Delirious over strong and continue to move him up the card by blowing off this feud.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – Bah bah bah batinuation, bladda blah blah Adam Pearce, blah blah quasi-homosexual man servant bah bah Shadows over Hell bah bah winner Delirious.
Winner – The Notorious Bah Bah Bah Delirious
Four Way Fray
Jack Evans vs. Shingo vs. ???? vs. Jimmy Jacobs w/ Lacey
This is an elimination match with everyone in the ring at once.
Jack has just returned from Dragon Gate and is making a commitment to ROH. He’s probably the most innovative high flier in the business today. He has yet to lose a match since returning, albeit that only encompasses two shows. He should be spectacular with this many bodies to play off of.
Shingo is a Dragon Gate star and ROH regular, but he’s been cold for awhile. Gabe, the head booker, prefers to tear down talent before building it back up. It appears Shingo is undergoing that now and not yet ready to be rebuilt. The NYC crowd loves his mullet.
Davey Richards was set to compete here, but sustained injury while training, so he’s out for the weekend leaving this spot open.
Jimmy Jacobs, the Emo Warrior, is being elevated by his brilliant feud with BJ Whitmer and Colt Cabana. This not being his feud, a win here is unlikely.
Jack Evans has the most to gain by a win and none of the others really have very much to lose.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion -This match will be fliptacular and violent all at the same time. I actually think that Jacobs is going to steal a win as I feel that once his feud with everyone is over he will be in line for a big push. Wouldn’t it be great if he unseated Morishima….now that will never happen.
Winner – The Notorious Kiss 2 Kill Jimmy Jacobs
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. Colt Cabana and Nigel McGuinness
The final match on this card can potentially steal the show. All of these guys are stiff workers and potential top card performers. This being Colt and Nigel’s first time tagging in awhile, they’d have to click again amazingly fast to beat the Briscoes. The Briscoes are simply too good right now to lose to even as great a team as Colt and Nigel make, without plenty of experience on the side of the latter duo. Hopefully Colt and Nigel team more in the future because the tag division could really use the shot in the arm they would provide (see the above article on tag wrestling if you haven’t).
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This could be a show stealer, and my pick for second best match on the card besides Joe vs. Morishima. Colt and Nigel could be interesting foils for the Briscoes once they win the tag straps, and this could be the beginning of one of the big tag team feuds for 2007. Either way Colt and Nigel won’t be able to MAN UP enough to get the duke here.
Winners – The Notorious 60 total teeth Jay and Mark Briscoe
Ring of Honor: 2/17 Pennsylvania National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, PA
ROH World Title Match
Homicide (c) vs. Takeshi Morishima
If Jimmy Rave beats Homicide at the 2/16 show then he’ll be facing Morishima here, but I doubt that. Homicide wrestles a hybrid of the old AJPW style and should be able to put on a good match with the NOAH representative, Morishima. I see Homicide losing the belt here as the NOAH angle really kicks into high gear with one of their guys as champion. I could see this drag out to the Japan shows this summer.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – Homicide is holding the belt so he can present it to Takeshi Morishima after a violent Back Drop Driver. Read my column to see why I think so. This one also has the potential to be Head-drop-tacular as the Back Drop Driver meets the Cop Killa.
Winner – The Japanese Head Dropping Machine Takeshi Morishima
Samoa Joe vs. Nigel McGuiness, Jimmy Rave, or Homicide
This is thrown into chaos by the Davey Richards injury and we won’t know what to make of it until it goes down.
Winner – The Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe
ROH Tag Team Title Match
Chris Daniels and Matt Sydal vs. Shingo and Jack Evans
The tag champs won’t be giving up their straps to a team put together this haphazardly, although with Shingo matching Daniels and Evans matching Sydal, this could be quite an exciting match. A tag title change here would be a shock, but the high flying match of the night is to be expected.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This will be a great match as four of the wrestlers have Dragon Gate experience and Christopher Daniels is awesome. The team of Evans and Shingo will not be winning the tag titles, and hopefully this match cements Shingo’s role as either a face or a heel or something. He competed against Evans two weeks ago and now they are going for the tag belts…weird.
Winners – The Tolkein Referencing Machines Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels
FIP Heavyweight Title Match
Roderick Strong (c) vs. Delirious
Roderick has been becoming more and more heelish of late and against a major fan favorite like Delirious, will have no choice but to be the heel of the match. Delirious is a major contender for this belt, but in a FIP home promotion show, not here. FIP built up to Roderick having the belt for a long while and him losing it would be a big surprise anywhere, but it is interesting to see how he wrestles as a heel.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – I don’t feel like writing Deliriousish this time. The FIP title is not changing hands.
Winner – The Floridian Backbreaking Machine Roderick Strong
Austin Aries vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Aries is still upset that Claudio hurt his ribs with the briefcase and will take his revenge here. Claudio, staying in ROH, should beat Aries, who’s likely to be leaving, but Aries is the face who’s been chasing revenge, and storyline wise at least, deserves to have this feud blown off with him the victor. The winner here would usually tell us a lot about both men’s ROH future, but Gabe generally books storylines as normal unless the finale is immediately coming up. I’d guess an Aries win here as nothing has been mentioned of him leaving yet officially and he’s too big a star to just up and disappear.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – If memory serves this is a first time one on one encounter. It should be great one as well. If the rumors are true and Aries time is on the wan in Ring of Honor than Claudio Castagnoli is going to get the win, and one of his first singles wins in quite some time.
Winner – The Swiss Money Making Machine Claudio Castagnoli
Jay and Mark Briscoe vs. El Generico and Kevin Steen
Jay and Mark are, again, not losing to a haphazardly put together team. Generico does not have bad matches, especially impressive for a comedy figure. Steen is being put in the best possible position to succeed here in a match with talent like the Briscoes and Generico, so if he’s going to impress, this looks like his big chance. The Briscoes will win, but the match should be good. How good depends largely on how Steen comes through.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – I like Generico and Steen, but they are not beating the Briscoes.
Winner – The Southern Delaware Manning Up Machines Jay and Mark Briscoe
Adam Pearce, Jimmy Jacobs, and Lacey vs. BJ Whitmer, Colt Cabana, and Daizee Haze
This should be a great bloody brawl. We’ve seen this match with Albright in place of Pearce previously, and since Pearce is a better brawler than Albright, I only expect improvements on the mayhem. The winner doesn’t really matter, but I’d guess BJ keeps momentum running for his upcoming title shot with a win here. What really matters is who lays out and nearly kills who this time to keep the feud going. Cabana has been relatively unscathed thus far, so I’m predicting a big bump and beat down for him.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – This adds some intrigue to the saga that is Jimmy Jacobs vs. people that Lacey tells him to hate. Adam Pearce and his former ally in the CZW war BJ Whitmer will mix it up to violent results I am sure, and I think it is Lacey’s turn to have something violent happen to her, but it will probably be Daizee again. This could be a very fun brawl, and in the tradition of the Philadelphia National Guard Armory it will range all over the arena and I won’t be able to see much of it.
Winners – The Michigander Emo Machine Jimmy Jacobs, the Minnesota Home-wrecking Machine Lacey, and the Chi-town Old School Machine Adam Pearce
Nigel McGuinness has an open contract
Jimmy Rave, if not the champion, and Brent Albright have no matches here. Rave, if he faces Nigel, will continue his dominance of the former Pure champion. Albright, however, would lose to Nigel, who is simply too high up the card for him right now.
Big Andy Mac’s Big Andy-pinion – I don’t know if Albright is booked for this show, but I think he could put on a good match with Nigel. Maybe Joe will pull double duty. Maybe Nigel will insert himself into the FIP title match. The possibilities are endless. Seeing Nigel wrestle is always a good thing though.
Homicide/Jimmy Rave 2/16 loser will be in a ROHvideos.com match
Final Thoughts: Two loaded shows that both Andy and myself will be at live to give you all the reviewing goodness you can handle. Join us over the weekend to see results and our thoughts on all the action.
Upon Further Review
The importance of one Kenta Kobashi is not something easily explained to an American audience. He’s taken the punishment on his body of a Mick Foley, if Mick was a born superstar. He’s got the presence and drawing power of the Rock, if only the Rock never left. He’s the workrate and presence of a pre-injury Austin, even when hurt, a storyteller on par with 2000’s Triple H.
In 2005, Kenta Kobashi had just finished a legendary run with NOAH’s GHC World Heavyweight title. In 2005, Samoa Joe had just finished a legendary run with ROH’s World Heavyweight title. Then it was announced.
Kenta Kobashi was on his way to America, for the first time ever, to take on Samoa Joe. Kenta Kobashi, who was in some of the greatest matches ever with Toshiaki Kawada and Mitsuharu Misawa would be facing Samoa Joe, the first American to have a Five Star match in seven years. Kenta Kobashi was coming to America, coming to New York City, to Ring of Honor, Joe’s house, to take Joe out. This was big.
Joe vs. Kobashi
10/1/05
New York, New York
The Main Event: Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi
No commentary for this one and the crowd is just going ballistic all the way through.
They start off and Joe kicks Kobashi’s leg. Kobashi has had a lot of leg work done and this immediately pisses him off as he nods back at Joe.
They lock up and Joe forces Kobashi to the corner and slaps him in the face on the break. Mistake.
They lock up again and Kobashi gets control and chops Joe with one of the loudest single chops I’ve ever heard.
A test of strength, neither man can gain advantage, so Joe uses a northern lights to take down Kobashi. Joe has the big man staggered, knocks him to the floor and breaks out a Mitsuharu Misawa style diving forearm. This won’t be the last time Joe breaks out the move of a former Kobashi rival to try and get the better of him.
Back in and Joe goes to work on the big man, trying to wear him down with the stretch plum, a major offensive weapon of Toshiaki Kawada, another Kobashi rival. Kobashi gets to the ropes and a confident Joe breaks and swaggers around the ring in full control.
Joe is so confident, in fact, he begins chopping Kenta Kobashi. The chop is one of Kobashi’s major weapons and he is not happy so he fires back, but Joe is fresh so he kicks Kobashi down to the mat.
Joe picks up Kobashi and does Kawada kicks to the head, further pissing off Kobashi until Joe finally knees Kobashi down. Joe is a bit tired from the onslaught, but still manages a running knee drop. Kobashi retreats to the floor and Joe sets up the Olay Olay Kick and connects.
Joe, looking confident, goes for a second Olay Kick, but this time eats a chop in the mush. Antagonizing Kenta Kobashi time and again is not a good idea. Kobashi hits an Olay Chop that sends Joe over the guardrail.
Kobashi and Joe come back in the ring and Kobashi begins chopping the life out of Samoa Joe for a good while, until Joe fires back, further pissing off Kobashi until he chops Joe to absolute mush again.
Kobashi maintains control of Samoa Joe with chops, but a chop to the neck combo is reversed to a STO followed by a senton! Joe begins a chop and punch combination in the corner showing that he can still dish out offense, but the chops have taken their toll on Joe’s breath as he’s forced to stop for air.
Joe powerbombs Kobashi into the corner and Kobashi eats a facewash. Joe places Kobashi up and it’s Muscle Buster time! It connects for the two! Joe can’t keep Kobashi down.
Joe hits a powerbomb into an STF, both kill moves in Japan. Kobashi fights out so Joe changes it up to the Rings of Saturn so Kobashi can’t use his arms to get to the ropes. Kobashi merely uses his legs, but is dead afterwards. Joe is on his hands and knees, exhausted and exasperated.
Both men retreat to different corners and charge each other. Kobashi comes out with a chop and has Joe stunned enough to hit a half nelson suplex that drops Joe flat on his head for the double count.
Kobashi is up first and he knocks Joe into the corner. He begins chopping Joe and does so at least 50 times until his hand prints are all over Joe’s chest. Another half nelson suplex and Joe appears out, but gets the ropes before the three.
Joe up and tries to fight back, but Kobashi grabs a sleeper slowing down the younger athlete and weakening him for a sleeper suplex! That gets two and Joe is nearly spent.
Joe gets his last fighting with some slaps, but Kobashi fights those off with spinning chops, runs in for a killer Burning Lariat and Joe is done.
Kenta Kobashi defeats Samoa Joe (Pin, Burning Lariat, *****)
The young gun vs. aging vet story here is only enhanced by knowledge the moves Joe kept using were those put to use by Kobashi’s greatest opponents. This was beautiful in its simplicity and one of my favorite matches ever.
And there you have it, this weeks A Modest Response. Stay tuned over the weekend for Coverage of the ROH Weekend Shows and An Inside Pulse Exclusive Interview with FIP Champion Roderick Strong!
