Welcome to A Modest Response. This week we’ll review the resume of a ROH Icon.
News of Honor
ROH Wrestlers have health plans in their contracts
In the wake of all the wrestling deaths, this is a huge step. Why can this little company do this but WWE cannot? This is why I will no longer be watching or covering the WWE.
Samoa Joe was offered a three-year contract extension but declined it
I hope his contract ends soon. He seems so disinterested in TNA. Look at his body language even from last year to now. I want Joe back in ROH!
Jack Evans to return to ROH in Long Island
Good to see Jack who is embroiled in the feud with the No Remorse Corps. Jack will be building his own team to face the NRC.
ROH’s first PPV “Respect is Earned†debuted last Sunday on the Dish Network
This Sunday it debuts on TVN. All the reviews I’ve found have been rave. Try it out, it’s only $10 On Demand.
Danielson vs. Quackenbush on August 11
This has happened once before and it’s hold for hold, absolutely fantastic wrestling. Most guys seem to step up their game for ROH, so this is must see. I can’t wait for this one.
This Week on Inside Pulse
The Top 100 Wrestlers since 1980 has gotten underway. Check it out and debate away!
Blatt covers ECW, which for some reason shows the entire Punk-Nitro match from the last PPV.
Scott Keith reviews a WWE MSG show from 1990. Scott, why would you call him Bulldog the whole match? I mean, most of us know it’s Davey Boy, but how about some more new reader friendliness?
Brashear hits on the weirdness of Disco Duck. The less said about this (the duck, not the article) the better.
I bet that Most Dangerous Gamer guy is sexy. You should really support him.
Also < a href=http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/articles/68636/2007/07/05/moments-ago--whats-right-with-the-wrestling-businessor-roh-for-short.html target=new>Big Andy Mac is all sorts of Awesome…especially when he phones it in.
Lucard is bringing back the Top 30 RPG countdown, one of my favorite pieces ever written for the site. Keep up with it!
Join Shawn Smith of Broken Dial as he celebrates Independents Day.
Homicide’s Greatest Hits: Top 10 reasons Homicide is a ROH Icon
This week, number 100 on our Top 100 Wrestlers since 1980 was Homicide. I wrote up a nice biography, but since ‘Cide just recently burst onto the national scene, here are his Top 10 ROH Hits.
10. The Best of Five
Homicide, the strong style thug, often takes an issue with other wrestlers, his pride causing issues with many other men in the ROH locker-room. In 2005, Homicide and Bryan Danielson were two major stars on the ROH under card who were with ROH from the beginning, but had never reached the ROH title. Both were among the most versatile and skilled men on the roster so they decided to test themselves to see who the better man was and find out who was worthy of challenging Austin Aries for his coveted ROH Title.
To discover who the better man was they had a Best of 5 Series, each match with a different stipulation. All the matches weren’t great or memorable; but that Homicide managed to consistently push the Best Wrestler in the world to the limit in very different and very good matches was truly impressive. Homicide ended up losing the series eventually at Final Showdown in a Steel Cage.
9. Night of the Butcher
This is the name of the show where Homicide showed he could hang with the legends. Brought into ROH for one night only in 2002 the legendary Abdullah the Butcher, a major idol for Homicide, teamed with The Notorious 187 to take on the Carnage Crew in a bloody brawl. Homicide was about to embark upon an epic year where he became ROH MVP and a lot of that can be traced back to the confidence and rub he got at Night of the Butcher.
8. Lariaaaaaat
In 2003, the little indy company that could, ROH, ran a joint show with one of the biggest wrestling companies in the world, All Japan Pro Wrestling. Among the biggest names sent over was a major influence on Homicide in developing his strong style, former Triple Crown Champion, Satoshi Kojima. Kojima, a major star, was placed in a match second from the Top with the ROH MVP for 2003, Homicide. The match wasn’t that great due to a concussion suffered by Homicide mid-match, but it’s still quite good and Homicide got his first opportunity to wrestle against one of the top stars in the world and a personal idol at Final Battle 2003.
7. Kenta Kobashi
There’s guys on top of a company who are stars and then there are Wrestling Icons the world over. Kenta Kobashi is the latter. After a legendary GHC title run where he put on numerous classics, Kenta Kobashi came to America to face ROH’s best. His first match is a little 5 Star classic you might have heard of against Samoa Joe. For his second match, a match that turned out nearly as good as the first, ROH simply wanted to find the best possible talent to put in there with Kobashi to make a great match.
At Unforgettable, Kenta Kobashi teamed with Homicide to face Samoa Joe and Low Ki. Homicide had been given the highest possible compliment. He was considered among the best in the company and the man to be the partner of the legend Kobashi. The match was near 5 stars and must see, and naturally, Homicide was great.
6. The Rottweilers
Homicide, after turning heel on Samoa Joe, which we’ll get to later, Homicide had his posse join him to wreak havoc on ROH. At RoH Reborn: Completion Homicide and his new Rottweilers of Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero took on Samoa Joe and the Briscoes in a six man war. The match concluded with Homicide throwing a fireball at Mark Briscoe which forced brother Jay to help him to the back leaving Joe at the mercy of the Rottweilers.
At this point the familiar tones of “Fighter’s Passion” hit the speakers and Low Ki, the man who had always defended the honor of RoH made his surprise return. Rather than helping Samoa Joe, he attacked him and declared his membership in the Rottweilers.
Over the next few months Homicide, Ki and the rest of the Rotts wreaked havoc on the RoH roster putting the Briscoes out of action for over a year and almost destroying Jay Lethal at Manhattan Mayhem. Many could argue that this incarnation of the Rottweilers led by the Notorious 187 was one of the most dominant stables in the history of RoH.
5. Colt Cabana thinks he’s street
Colt Cabana was mostly a comedy wrestler in ROH and he hosted his own show called “Good Times, Great Memories.†At one point, on this show, Homicide was a guest. During this segment Cabana tried to act tough and street. Homicide was insulted and proceeded to punk Cabana for several weeks.
As the feud escalated, Homicide’s hate great and he began to try and kill Colt Cabana, trying to cut out his tongue with scissors, choking him out with a coat hanger, and even pouring drain-o down Cabana’s throat. Just as it seemed the feud would never end until ‘Cide succeeded in killing Cabana, Cabana, at one of ROH’s best shows, Better than our Best, got the pin and a hug of respect from Homicide, having finally proven that he is tough, even if he will never be street.
4. The Corino Feud
Homicide and Steve Corino just plain hate each other so in 2003 when ROH ran a show called Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies putting Homicide and Corino against each other was a no brainer. Homicide was having an amazing year, as earlier noted, so his match against the former ECW Champion was highly anticipated. It also blew away expectations. Corino and Homicide destroyed each other and Homicide hit Corino so hard that Corino legitimately lost hearing permanently in one ear. The feud continued through 2006 with notable stops at 2003’s War of the Wire among other matches and finally concluded during the Road of Homicide at The Bitter End leaving behind a trail of wreckage and broken bodies along with some of the best, most violent brawls on this side of the Pacific.
3. The CZW Killer
In 2006 Ring of Honor found itself embroiled in a company threatening feud with hardcore company CZW. Both Philadelphia based promotions had all out wars with each other, with CZW usually gaining the upper hand, since violent brawls were there forte. Well, one guy in Ring of Honor could hang with CZW in the pure violence department, and that is, of course, Homicide. Every time Homicide stepped into the ring with a CZW opponent they were defeated, but Homicide still hated the company and would only help them in the Cage of Death, the feud ending battle which amounted to War Games with weapons, if Commissioner Jim Cornette would give him 3 wishes.
This is one of the best booked and most well conceived matches in Ring of Honor history and it’s on Death before Dishonor IV. I can’t bring myself to spoil it totally, but Homicide is indeed the CZW Killer in one of the most emotional moments in company history. The Cage of Death ended up being unforgettable.
2. Joe-icide
In 2003 and 2004 Samoa Joe was the dominant ROH Champion and Homicide was the best wrestler on the under card. In order to prove that he did the right thing in becoming a wrestler, Homicide decided he had to win the ROH Title and dethrone the dominant Samoa Joe. After a near win, Homicide was ready to try again, but when he felt he was screwed out of the gold, he snapped. At Reborn Stage 1 Homicide, frustrated and disqualified, threw a fireball at Samoa Joe.
This was only the beginning of their epic battles, with Death before Dishonor 2 Night 2 being probably the best. Homicide never did win that elusive title from Samoa Joe, but in the process of trying for it he became the most despicable heel in the company, a thug with no honor who used his gang to fight, attacked wrestlers unfairly, and had no honor. The violent and epic battles between ‘Cide and Joe are overshadowed by Joe and Punk’s classic wrestling matches but then that’s the difference, Joe and Homicide had absolute battles and in not managing victory, Homicide snapped and became the most vicious heel in company history.
1. The Road of Homicide
After losing to Bryan Danielson at Destiny, Homicide declared that he would win the ROH Title that had eluded him since he first joined the company by the end of the calendar year 2006 or he would leave the company forever. After saving the company in the CZW War, Homicide was owed a title shot at that year’s Final Battle 2006 against Danielson. In getting the title shot, however, Homicide had incurred the ire of Commissioner Cornette who sent his troops out to injure Homicide and ensure he never got his title shot.
Cornette’s troops included the Briscoes, Adam Pearce, Shane Hagadorn, and the returning Steve Corino, with whom ‘Cide blew off his feud during this period. Since Homicide saved the company and was so outnumbered old enemy Samoa Joe came to his aid and helped Homicide battle Jay and Mark Briscoe forming the ROH version of the Mega Powers.
Homicide persevered and got his title shot at Final Battle 2006, dethroning Bryan Danielson and becoming the ROH World Champion finally in his home town of NYC in one of the greatest moments in Ring of Honor history.
Thanks for joining me and hopefully you’ll check back again for more of the best ROH coverage on the ‘net from Pulse Wrestling. Stay tuned for more of the Top 100, new ROH DVD Reviews upcoming and more!
