Ring of Honor is known for grabbing the hottest independent wrestlers on the spot whenever a buzz has been created. With the roster spot tryouts that they were doing back in April, there was a chance for RoH to expand their horizons. But lately, there hasn’t been any roster tryouts. I’ve conjured up a list of wrestlers who, in my eyes, deserve a roster spot tryout match.
Chuck Taylor: Chuck Taylor has proven himself in CHIKARA after winning the Young Lions Cup Tournament and the Rey De Voladores. He has proven himself in IWA after becoming a Lightweight Champion, Women’s Champion, and the longest reigning IWA-MS Heavyweight Champion. He has wrestled with the best in the finals of the Ted Petty Invitational after outlasting Claudio in the finals, but got was bested by Quackenbush. He cans park the fan’s interest in an instant and make them hate him. Taylor wrestles a solid ground based match, and can take it to the top when he needs to. Not seeing Taylor in Ring of Honor by the end of 2008 would be a shock for me. Seeing how they took Human Tornado.
Scorpio Sky: Sky has been wrestling for over 5 years now, and has toured the world. He’s wrestled on National TV (WSX) and along with Kazarian, had one of the best feuds PWG has seen since Super Dragon and Kevin Steen’s. Solid technical worker whom I can see joining the No Remorse Corpse.
Cheech and Cloudy: These two guys have blown me away with their latest matches in CHIKARA. After watching a bit of the Candido Tournament in IWA-MS, these two guys deserve a tryout match just alone for their talent.
Eddie Kingston: Kingston has a history for making memorable feuds. He’s torn down the house at CZW with Chris Hero and BLK-OUT, and amazed people over in IWA-MS. He’s known in CHIKARA for a year long feud with Larry Sweeney, and is feuding currently against Leonard Chikarason and Hallowicked. From what I understand, he’s already had a tryout match with Ring of Honor that didn’t go bad. I hope to see Kingston become a factor with the downfall of Sweet N Sour Inc., whether it means him feuding with Sweeney or Hero.
Icarus: Now, I know I’m going to get a lot of angry feedback for suggesting Icarus to have a tryout match in Ring of Honor. But why would it hurt? At least a pre-show match teaming with Gran Akuma. I’ll admit it, Icarus isn’t that solid of a wrestler in singles competition. But with Akuma, these two generate instant heel heat from the crowd and have amazing teamwork. Team FIST in Ring of Honor will probably never happen, but it sure as hell would be nice to see.
Given some more time and the right Storyline…
Mitch Ryder: Now this may be a stretch, but Mitch Ryder has really proved to everyone in CHIKARA and IWA-MS that his career is far from over. He can still move around the ring just as well as anyone else, and he can wrestle a solid heel old school style. Brining him into Ring of Honor to create a tag team with Adam Pearce would be a fantastic move to elevate both wrestlers. The Hangmen 3 already have 4 members, why not add one more.
Ricochet: Ricochet is the american version of PAC. He is a fantastic wrestler that has put on **** Matches a couple times throughout the year. The only thing I’m worrying about is how RoH Fans might hate on him. Remember PAC in Manhattan against Davey Richards? Yeah.
The Olsen Twins: They have impressed the fans, and this was their blow up year. But I think they need more time and the right storyline to get into RoH. But they are still nothing short of fantastic.
Lince Dorado: Given a little more time and a couple more matches to improve, Lince could wow the RoH fans with his cat-like abilities. This guy can land on his feet in pretty much any given situation, his Lionsault distance is ridiculous, and his Lynx-Sault is original and effective.
Worth Mentioning
Super Dragon: Defiantly one of the first guys that popped into my mind. But then I thought to myself, if Super Dragon wanted to wrestle in RoH/if Gabe wanted Super Dragon to wrestle in RoH, it would’ve happened by now. Plus the commute from California to the East Coast would not be fun at all.
Arik Cannon: Despite having a (as Chuck Taylor heelishly put it ) “soggy midsectionâ€Â, Arik Cannon is quite the mover and wrestler. The only reason why he didn’t show up above is because his name hasn’t been out there so much in 2007. He did come back from a Dragon Gate Tour recently, and was said to look good. But whenever I watch his matches, it just seems like something is missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
The Finish: Ring of Honor’s roster has been taking shots for the last couple of months. With the departure of Taeshi Morishima, the injury of Briscoe and Nigel’s recent injury, it would be nice to see some fresh faces in the mix. They’re not suffering yet, but they should give some of these guys a chance before Final Battle 2008 rolls around.
1) Looks like WWE wants to give ECW some more time to establish themselves. Their contract with Sci-Fi has been renewed until sometime in 2008. This is good for guys like Punk and Morrison.
2) Bobby Lashley should be heading back to RAW in December. Boy, am I glad I don’t watch TV Wrestling.
3) Chris Jericho SHOULD be returning to the World Wrestling Entertainment within the next week, whether it be Cyber Sunday or the following night’s RAW.
NEWS
1) The Colony vs. Brodie Lee and the Olsen Twins has been added to the CHIKARA’s Bruised. Check out the Upcoming CHIKARA Events section for a finalized card.
2) The Mike Quackenbush and Jigsaw vs. Cheech and Cloudy match has been scrapped for New Star Navigation and Leonard F. Chikarason has given in to the phone calls and e-mails. The Olsen Twins vs. Cheech and Cloudy are set for New Star Navigation. This is a rematch of their fantastic encounter at Cibernetico and Robin back in September. Expect this match to be nothing short of amazing. This should be a good replacement for the QuackenJiggy vs. Up In Smoke.
3) Four matches have been added to “The Battle of Who Could Care Lessâ€Â. MIYAWAKI is going up against Ultramantis Black, and Portia Perez will face Sara Del Rey. Chris Hero will try and show his superiority over Equinox in a One on One match. Lastly, Team FIST, Robbie Ellis and Mitch Ryder will face the tecnico team of Mike Quackenbush, Tim Donst and the Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Stupefied).
4) Chuck Taylor vs. Passion Hasegawa, and Lince Dorado/Pantera vs. The Osirian Portal have been added to the Sorid Perils of Everyday Existance.
5) CHIKARA seems to be bringing in all the stars for their season finale at “Chapter 11â€Â. Robbie Ellis will be brought in to face the man monster Hydra. These two met each other back in February, so this match has been a long time coming. Bryan Alvarez is challenging Larry Sweeney for the ICW-ICWA Tex-Arcana Television Title. They met earlier in the year in FSM, but the battle ended in a draw.
6) The match is SET. Eddie Kingston is going one on one against Hallowicked in a Falls Count Anywhere match at November 18th’s “Chapter 11”.
Upcoming CHIKARA Events
October 26, 2007 in Reading, PA: “Bruisedâ€Â. Announced Matches: Mitch Ryder vs. Equinox; The Olsen Twins and Brodie Lee vs. The Colony; Cheech and Cloudy vs. The Osirian Portal; Moscow, Dragon Dragon and USApe vs. The Order of the Neo Solar Temple; Eddie Kingston vs. Tim Donst; Chuck Taylor vs. Claudio Castagnoli; Jigsaw vs. Dragon Yuki; Mike Quackenbush vs. Lince Dorado for the NWA World Junior Title Belt; Los Ice Creams vs. Team FIST for the Campeanatos De Parejas.
October 27, 2007 in Barnesville, PA: “New Star Navigationâ€Â. Announced matches for this card: The Olsen Twins vs. Cheech and Cloudy; Larry Sweeney vs. Claudio Castagnoli. The rookies have set out open contracts so the veterans can answer them. The rest of the matches won’t be announced until the night of the event. The Colony, Ophidian, Tim Donst, Lince Dorado, Hallowicked, Team FIST, Mitch Ryder, Chuck Taylor, Delirious, Crossbones, Dragon Yuki and Ultramantis Black will also appear.
November 16, 2007 in Reading, PA: “Battle of Who Could Care Lessâ€Â. MIYAWAKI vs. Ultramantis Black; Portia Perez vs. Sara Del Rey..
November 17, 2007 in Helltertown, PA: “The Sordid Perils of Everyday Existenceâ€Â. Lince Dorado and Pantera vs. The Osirian Portal; Chuck Taylor vs. Passion Hasegawa; Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno and Stupefied), Mike Quackenbush and Tim Donst vs. Team FIST (Icarus and Gran Akuma), Robbie Ellis and Mitch Ryder; Chris Hero vs. Equinox..
November 18, 2007 in Philadelphia, PA: “Chapter 11â€Â. Robbie Ellis vs. Hydra; Larry Sweeney vs. Bryan Alvarez (ICW-ICWA Tex Arcana TV Title Match); Eddie Kingston vs. Hallowicked.
NEWS
1) Nigel McGuinness suffered an unfortunate injury and is unable to wrestle at European Vacation 2. Replacing Nigel McGuinness in the first night’s main event against Bryan Danielson for the PWG World Title will be Austin Aries. Check out the cards below because talent has been shuffled up from last week’s cards. Joe said in an interview last week that McGuinness was being held together by tape, and really did deserve the win against Morishima.
Upcoming PWG Events
October 26, 2007 in France: PWG European Vacation II: France. Announced Matches: Thumbtack Jack vs. Joey Ryan vs. Steve Douglas; PAC vs. Jack Evans; Chris Hero vs. Human Tornado; PWG Title Match where Bryan Danielson will defend his belt against Austin Aries. El Generico and Kevin Steen will defend their PWG Tag Titles against Super Dragon and Davey Richards; Ken’Ichiro Arai vs. Lupin Matsutani.
October 27, 2007 in England: PWG European Vacation II: England. Announced Matches: Terry Fraizer and Sha Samules vs. Aviv Maayan and Human Tornado; Austin Aries vs. Zebra Kid; PAC vs. Jack Evans; El Generico/Kevin Steen defend their tag titles against Super Dragon/Davey Richards; Joey Ryan vs. Spud; Martin Stone will challenge Bryan Danielson for the PWG Title.
October 28, 2007 in Germany: PWG European Vacation II: Germany. Announced Matches: Kevin Steen vs. PAC vs. Super Dragon vs. Jack Evans; El Generico will take on Bryan Danielson for the PWG Title. Also Scheduled to appear: Joey Ryan, Austin Aries, Tommy End, Bad Bones and Ares.
1) IWA-MS beat the odds (again) and raised enough money to survive at least until 2008.
2) JC Bailey has been arrested and is in question for availability for his scheduled cards. Close sources say that it’s good that he got arrested so he can escape his personal demons. Good luck JC.
10/26 – IWA Mid-South “Double Death Tag Team Death Match Tournament” in Plainfield, IN This will be a one night tag team tournament. Announced Teams for the event: CJ Otis and xOMGx; Devon Moore and Joker; Brain Damage and Deranged; Drake Younger and ??? (Replacement for JC Bailey); Mad Man Pondo and Necro Butcher; Ian Rotten and Insane Lane; Diehard Dustin and Vortekz, Freak Show and Prophet.
10/27 JAPW “10th Anniversary Show†in Rahway, NJ. Matches scheduled for this event: Kenny Omega vs. Danny Demanto; AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian; Eddie Kingston vs. Drake Younger; B-Boy vs. Joker vs. M-Dogg 20 vs. Sal Rinuaro vs. Bandido Jr. vs. Mystery Opponent; Grim Reefer vs. Archadia; Devon Storm Open Challenge; BLKOUT vs. Jay Lethal and Azrieal vs. Ruckus and Sabian of BLKOUT; Rhino vs. Necro Butcher; Low-Ki vs. Homicide for the JAPW Heavyweight Title.
10/27 – IWA Mid-South “Queen of the Death Matches” in Plainfield, IN This will be an 8-Woman 1 Night Tournament. Announced Wrestlers for this Event: Mickie Knuckles; Lufisto; Delilah Starr; Storm; Roxie Cotton; Lady Victoria; Rebecca Payne.
11/3 – International Wrestling Syndicate “Freedom to Fight†in Montreal, QB Scheduled Matches for this Card: Christopher Daniels vs. Maxime Boyer
11/04 – IWA Mid-South “Simply The Best 8” in Joliet, IL Scheduled Matches for this Card: Jason Dukes vs. ???; Amazing Kong vs. Mickie Knuckles for the NWA World Women’s Title; Ian Rotten & Sal Thomaselli vs. Vito & Brandon Thomaselli.
11/9 & 11/10 – FIP in Crystal River, FL (11/9) and Arcadia, FL (11/10). Talent signed for this event: Roderick Strong, The Briscoe Brothers, Erik Stevens, Sara Del Ray, Jack Evans, Davey Richards, Claudio Castagnoli, Sal Rinauro, Kenny King, Chasyn Ranch, Jason Blade, Rain, Seth Delay, Hallowicked, Gran Akuma, Jigsaw and Allison Danger.
11/10 – Combat Zone Wrestling “Night of Infamy” in Philadelphia, PA Scheduled Matches for this Card: Drake Younger and ??? (Replacement for JC Bailey) vs. Dustin Lee and Scotty Vortekz in a “4 Corners of Pain†Match; Ruckus vs. Any ECW Arena Champion; Brain Damage vs. Necro Butcher; DJ Hyde vs. Opponent of Lobo’s Choosing; Niles Young and Derek Fraizer vs. Jon Dahmer and Danny Demanto
11/24 – IWA Mid-South “Strong Style Revolution Tournament” in Midlothian, IL Scheduled Matches For this Card: Amazing Kong vs. Mickie Knuckles for the NWA World Women’s Title. Also Scheduled to Appear: Eddie Kingston, Too Cold Scorpio and Brent Albright.
12/1 – IWA-Deep South “Carnage Cup Tournament†Confirmed Tournament Participants: Drake Younger, Insane Lane, Danny Havoc, Sexxy Eddy, Tank, Ian Rotten, Freak Show, Viking, Whacks, Ultramantis Black. JC Bailey was originally supposed to partake in this tournament, but he got arrested and may not be able to make the show.
12/7 – IWA-MS Show This card will hold Ian Rotten’s retirement match.
1) CHIKARA Fans‘ is a spectacular website to go to for up to the minute updates on CHIKARA in their forums.
2) Or you could check out CHIKARA‘s official website. Keep track of live results, roster and their schedule. Brand new website format check it out.
3) Check out ITunes’ #1 Wrestling Podcast “Smart Wrestling Fan†here for live CHIKARA Results in podcast form, or for televised wrestling results. These guys are all that is wrestling. And video games!
4) Head over to Smart Mark Video to purchase the latest and hottest independent wrestling shows. IWA-MS and CZW shows added this past Tuesday.
5) If you want PWG DVDs, head over to the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Official Website by clicking here. They’re GREAT!
Once again, feel free to send me any news you have with indy updates or a lineup for your local indy wrestling promotion. Also, if you any questions you want to see answered in the opening segment, please send them to me. My e-mail is futureisyoung@yahoo.com, or you can send me an IM at OcopacabanaO. Have a nice weekend.
