Ring of Honor Yearly: The Year In Review Part 2

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Ring of Honor’s Yearly review continued. Check here for Part 1.

ROH’s “Where Are They Now:” ROH’s former stars in TNA and WWE by Gary Wiest

It wasn’t too long ago that ROH fans witnessed Colt Cabana sitting on a turnbuckle and reluctantly saying to the crowd “I’ve got nothin’,” or a few years before when CM Punk stood in the middle of the ring as he had Pepsi poured onto his head, or even a few years back still when Paul London sat in the middle of the ring and leaned forward and kissed the ROH logo in the center of the ring in one of the most memorable moments in ROH history.

“Our” boys have made their marks in ROH and they’ve gone on to explore new opportunities in their career. We can reflect on their ROH careers from now until the end of time, but right now I’m just going to focus on where they are now and how they have been utilized.

First I will explain a little how they have been used and then I will grade it and explain why.

Wrestler Name: A.J. Styles
Where Is He Now: TNA

How They Have Been Utilized: AJ Styles is one of the premiere names in TNA history, you might not know that if you turn on an episode of iMPACT these days. He made a name for himself in TNA once the X Division was born. Since mid 2002 through early 2006, AJ has held every title numerous times, including the NWA: TNA Heavyweight Title.

TNA knew that if you gave AJ Styles the time to shine, he’d steal the show. That has been the case since his run when he was the mantel piece for Vince Russo’s “Sports Entertainment Xtreme” or S.E.X. He was the main antagonist to Jarret’s title and would later turn face after failing to defeat Jarret. Later on he would turn heel again once he won the title, and realigned himself with Vince Russo. From the getgo, Styles was a huge focus point for the weekly PPVs and later their monthly PPVs and iMPACT airings on FSN. After returning to the X Division in mid 2004, AJ lead the charge as the X Division and the title became the biggest draw for the fans and the main event of many shows. In 2005, his matches against Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Chris Sabin, and Petey Williams were main eventing or semi-main eventing PPVs.

After his run in the X Division, AJ was seemingly poised for another Heavyweight division push as he was one of the members on Team Cage at Lockdown 2006. Just shortly after tho, he teamed up with former longtime rival Christopher Daniels and won the tag straps from America’s Most Wanted. They held the title for awhile until the LAX made a huge impact in TNA and won the title from them in a cage match. Soon he had a short X Division title reign before losing it to Christopher Daniels. Since then, AJ has been a lackey to both Christian Cage and/or Kurt Angle. Currently he is one half of the tag champs with Tomko, but TNA has turned the once “Phenomenal” AJ Styles into a lackey and a goof, in an obvious attempt to give him “personality.”

Grade: A+ Regardless of how he is portrayed right now, AJ Styles has always been the biggest TNA star in it’s history. He is a 3 time Triple Crown winner and numerous times “Mr. TNA.” TNA might not be where it is right now if they didn’t have guys like AJ Styles to carry it on their backs. The way he has been utilized is similar to the way he was booked in ROH, but not to the same extent. AJ has always been one of the big “names” ROH could bring in and throughout his whole ROH run, he’s always been given the spotlight and the opportunities like main events and title runs. It’s safe to say that if TNA hadn’t pulled their talent in 2004, AJ Styles possibly could have been ROH World Champion sometime down the line.

Wrestler Name: Ace Steel
Where Is He Now: OVW

How They Have Been Utilized: I have not seen much of Ace Steel in OVW, scratch that, I haven’t seen any of Ace in OVW. But what I have heard is that he is basically in jobber hell to all the up and coming future WWE superstars. A guy that has been not only wrestling for over 15 years, but was a trainer to the current ECW Champion and current OVW Superstar and one half of the OVW Tag Champions, Colt Cabana, saying he has been poorly utilized is an understatement.

Grade: F Ace may not have had the biggest push in ROH or had the most fans, but they at least knew how to respect a man like Ace. They played to his strengths and didn’t treat him like a rookie.

Wrestler Name: Alex Shelley
Where Is He Now: TNA

How They Have Been Utilized: Alex Shelley has been creeping around the X Division for the good part of 2005 and the early parts of 2006. He never made any waves until he began to be an integral part of the Paparazzi Challenge hosted by Kevin Nash and his “Paparazzi Productions” videos where he spied on people like Sting. TNA was smart to focus on one of the most natural and best qualities of Alex Shelley, his charisma and humor. He soon became a huge fan favorite because of these wild skits and his tutelage under Kevin Nash. Part of this storyline was the rivalry between Austin Starr and Alex Shelley. The two fought over the admiration of their mentor and would challenge each other again and again until Shelley won over Big Kev. Nash and Shelley would later silently part ways, but Shelley once again found his way back to the X Division and made a new friend out of current tag partner, Chris Sabin.

As the Motor City Machine Guns (Murder City is still cooler), they teamed up to take on other X Division wrestlers, but would later join them in an unlikely battle against the legendary ECW tag team of Team 3D.

Grade: C Shelley has been one of the stars of the X Division, but thanks to his humor and personality, TNA seems to think they can bury him by losing in ungodly matches (for example: losing to Bob Backlund in 3 minutes). Regardless, he is still one of the most over guys in the X Division. The way TNA has treated him though is in sharp contrast to the way he has been booked in ROH. In 2004, Shelley was given the reigns of the Generation Next machine and he went with it and scored. As an integral part of early 2005 as an “outsider” to the locker room and one of the biggest threats to Austin Aries’ title reign, he was always given a lot of attention in storylines and feuds. Later he would be the catalyst for the Generation Next/Embassy war and brought The Embassy to new heights as a faction and as a partner to Jimmy Rave. Later he would be given a few main event spots in early 2006 before he left ROH due to time constraints and obligations elsewhere. But when he did come back in early 2007, he was given the royal treatment by Gabe Sapolsky and his one time match pairing with Chris Sabin against The Briscoes stole the show and was heralded as one of the year’s best matches.

Wrestler Name: Brian Kendrick & Paul London
Where Is He Now: WWE

How They Have Been Utilized: Before each became tag team partners, each had their own stint on Smackdown as singles wrestlers or as tag team partners to someone else.

Brian Kendrick, then known as Spanky, was a goofball character who became a thorn in the General Manager’s side and would often be punished by facing larger…meaner men. He later feuded with John Cena over the fact that they both had similar “hip hop” gimmicks. Also during this, he would be teamed with Paul London, mostly on Velocity. Spanky was let go in early 2004, but returned in late 2005.

Paul London started out as a tag team partner to Billy Kidman and would later feud with him after Kidman became too afraid he would hurt someone using his shooting star press. After this feud, London would go on to win the Cruiserweight Title and have a fun series of matches against Akio on Velocity. London remained Cruiserweight champion for awhile before losing it to Nunzio in Italy on a house show. London would continue to challenge for it but luck would never be on his side. Then in late 2005, his former partner Spanky, now only Brian Kendrick, would reform their tag team and would later chase the tag team titles. They finally won them against MNM, the hot new tag team in WWE. They would go on to reign as champs and have several great matches during it until early 2007 when they lost the titles to Deuce & Domino. Later in the year, they would both be moved to Raw because of the WWE Draft.

Grade: C+ As a team, they have both done pretty well before heading to Raw. They were given opportunities to work with The Hardyz, MNM, and a lengthy title reign as tag champs. They have both been fan favorites with their flashy and high flying offense, but neither has seen the recognition they had in ROH. Spanky was one of the earliest members of the roster, along with London, and was given a decent run as a quirky wrestler whom the fans dug. Later when he returned in 2005, he was given several opportunities against some of the bigger names in ROH at the time and even a shot at the ROH World Title and the ROH World Tag Team Titles. He would later go on to turn on his best friend, James Gibson, before silently leaving ROH for WWE once again. Paul London on the other hand was a huge force in the early days of ROH. London was one of the first homegrown stars for ROH and arguably the most popular. He was given many title opportunities against Xavier and one shot against Samoa Joe. He earned a huge audience and respect from the fans for matches such as his Street Fight against Michael Shane at Unscripted where he garnered the chant “Please Don’t Die” and his show stealing matches against the likes of AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Bryan Danielson. He was the focus of several shows, including Round Robin Challenge 2, Epic Encounter, and Death Before Dishonor. Still to this day, he’s one of the true legends of ROH.

Wrestler Name: Samoa Joe
Where Is He Now: TNA

How They Have Been Utilized: Joe, one of the forefathers of ROH, has been in TNA since the summer of 2005 and right off the bat, he was built up and pushed as a monster. Even though he was in the X Division, the quality of matches that Joe, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels were having showed everyone that the X Divison wasn’t only not about weight limits, but that the division was a true alternative to the fan who wanted “wrestling” instead of “entertainment.”

Joe instantly was one of the most over guys on the roster, something TNA realized very quickly. After a few months as X Division champion and months of exploiting the AJ/Joe/Daniels feud, TNA bumped him up to the Heavyweight division with programs with Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarret, current TNA Champion at the time. Even though Joe’s title hopes went unanswered, he was constantly in the title picture and in a top spot rubbing shoulders with Christian Cage, Sting, and eventually Joe’s biggest feud to date, Kurt Angle.

Even though Joe has had a pretty good run in TNA thus far, the minute Kurt Angle came in, all attention was focused on Kurt by TNA Management. For the past year, Joe has been one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster but the TNA World Championship has eluded him. TNA has been unable to move the title away from their “ace” Kurt Angle even though the fans want it and know that Kurt Angle isn’t what he used to be and not as deserving to be the face of the company, unlike one of their homegrown talents, Samoa Joe.

Grade: A- Samoa Joe has been one of the biggest names in the company since he arrived in mid 2005. He has been constantly pushed to the moon by TNA, but the fact remains that TNA hasn’t gone all the way with Joe yet or fumbled the ball when it came to certain feuds or directions with Joe. The biggest disappointments have been the fact that Joe has never been TNA World Champion and his feud with Kurt Angle has been nothing but asinine. Joe has constantly been made to look like a badass, but when it comes to Kurt Angle, Joe just looks like the severely weaker man and not helping the animosity towards TNA and their booking. This is very unlike his booking in ROH where Joe was THE man. With or without the ROH World Title, Samoa Joe was always treated as a monster and because of it, you always got 110% from him and the fans went home happy. Can that be said about Joe right now?

Wrestler Name: Matt Sydal
Where Is He Now: OVW

How They Have Been Utilized: Matt Sydal had only been in OVW for less than two months before he won the OVW Heavyweight Championship. Either they see a lot in Sydal, or they think he’s a pretty boy with flashy moves. Either way someone there must like him and he’s been pushed really quickly. He’s definitely been over with the crowd and his position into the main event has thrusted him into feuds with Mike Kruel, Atlas Dabone, and others.

Grade: B This might seem like a high grade, but I’m grading on how well OVW, and only OVW, has used him so far. 3 months in and he’s still champ and putting on impressive matches. He seems to be favored quite well, just like his ROH days, but not this fast and this much. When he was in ROH, Sydal started in Do Or Die situations and later moved on to a small feud with The Embassy for coercing his “friend” Fast Eddie to turn on him in their first match as a team. Later he would join Generation Next once their enemies became one in the same and Sydal got a good rub by teaming with some already established and very over wrestlers. After the feud with The Embassy, Sydal was tested by AJ Styles and would later team with him, as AJ had done earlier in ROH with Amazing Red, and they would go on to challenge for the ROH Tag Titles unsuccessfully. He would go on to tag with a bevy of partners including Samoa Joe, Davey Richards, Jack Evans, and finally Christopher Daniels after the two had a series of matches. Daniels and Sydal would later go on to finally win the belts from the Kings of Wrestling, but would lose them shortly after to The Briscoes. Sydal would soon slowly turn from cocky face to heel and would spend most of 2007 in Dragon Gate, while only being on a certain number of ROH shows. When ROH expanded into PPV though, he was given a big opportunity by having a showcase match with The Briscoes and on the next PPV he would face Claudio Castagnoli. Sydal was definitely going to be a bigger fixture on ROH PPV, but alas, opportunities elsewhere called. Sydal might not have ever had a chance of being ROH World Champion, but he was still given a good push and showcased as an excellent, athletic, and young talent by ROH. Hopefully something OVW continues to do and WWE can do when he is finally called up.

Wrestler Name: Jimmy Rave
Where Is He Now: TNA

How They Have Been Utilized: Jimmy Rave came in as part of the Rave and Rock Infection, alongside Lance Hoyt and Christy Hemme, and has since been nothing but one half of a generic tag team that has done nothing whatsoever. They have been used quite frequently on iMPACT and given PPV time, but nothing consequential has come of this and once the Rave and Rock Infection comes to an end, I’m pretty sure Mr. Rave will be looking for a new job.

Grade: D- He’s been on tv a lot since TNA went to 2 hours, but that’s it. At least in ROH, he was the focus of one of the biggest factions in ROH and had some good little feuds with the likes of Davey Richards, Samoa Joe, Delirious, and Nigel McGuinness. The months prior to his departure in ROH though, he wasn’t being used to properly or given many opportunities, but you can see why when it’s been said that he usually didn’t give good performances and complained and whined all the time. I don’t see his run in TNA getting any better or Jimmy coming back to ROH, so hopefully he can get his act together and find some place that will let him shine.

Wrestler Name: “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal
Where Is He Now: TNA

How They Have Been Utilized: Jay Lethal first came to TNA in early 2006 and quickly made a name for himself in the X Division as a young guy who could really wrestle. He became fairly popular and even got an early opportunity at Jeff Jarret and his TNA Title. Later Lethal would go on to participate in the Paparazzi Challenge where the fans would first see the glimpses of his current gimmick, Black Machismo. After being pushed by Kevin Nash to keep impersonating Macho Man Randy Savage, Lethal finally drastically changed his character and with it, came the biggest moment of his TNA career so far. Lethal would go on to win the X Division title several times and become very over with the TNA fans.

Grade: B He has been given a decent push and great opportunities to work with a lot of guys like Samoa Joe, Jeff Jarret, and a big win over Kurt Angle. Lethal is still very young and the sky is the limits for him in TNA. Whether or not he can get over without the Black Machismo gimmick is up to him and hopefully he won’t need it for the rest of his career. Unlike TNA though, Lethal never had a real gimmick in ROH. He was just the plucky student of Samoa Joe. Lethal was given the chance to be ROH Pure Champ and many opportunities to face quality opponents such as Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Homicide, and Low Ki. He had a decent feud with Low Ki going for a good chunk of 2005 and later in the year, he would turn heel on his former mentor Samoa Joe. In early 2006, he would be given the opportunity to work with guys like Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe (again), Bryan Danielson, Roderick Strong, and Austin Aries and was poised for a good push until problems arose and he left ROH and went to TNA.

Wrestler Name: Jamie Noble
Where Is He Now: WWE

How They Have Been Utilized: Jamie Noble is the only wrestler on this list that has been in a different promotion for a long time first, before coming to ROH. The reason he’s on this list though is because of the impact he made during his time in ROH and how it hasn’t been forgotten.

Noble first started out in the WWE with a redneck gimmick and had a valet named Nidia, whom he would buy tons of hick gifts for. Noble would go on to win the Cruiserweight championship, but nothing of note happened after. He was released in 2004 and would come back in late 2005. Upon his return, he became a fixture in the Smackdown cruiserweight division and challenge for the title on many occasions. Later he would feud with, *sigh*, Hornswoggle over the Cruiserweight Title, but, *sigh*, never beat him for it. Since then, he has been receiving a very small push, but he’s been winning matches and travelling over to ECW to challenge CM Punk for the ECW Title.

Grade: D+ Noble, for reasons beyond me, has never been given any opportunities to shine. He was often called the “workhorse” for ROH in 2005, but it seems WWE has been oblivious to that fact. Recent match-ups with CM Punk though have shown that the WWE are trying to see what they can do with him, besides give Punk some fresh match-ups. When he was in ROH, right off the bat, he exceeded everyone’s expectations and became a huge fan favorite. He was pushed pretty heavily right away. He was given several ROH World title shots and a small feud with Homicide. Later on he became a pivotal figure in the “Summer of Punk” and was one of the men vying for C.M. Punk’s ROH Title. He would later go on to win it in a Four Way featuring Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe in one of the most emotional matches in ROH history. He was given a short reign, but that was to be expected since he had recently re-signed with the WWE.

Wrestler Name: Senshi
Where Is He Now: TNA
How They Have Been Utilized:
Senshi was a pivotal figure in the early X Division. Known as Low Ki then, he was one of the pioneers along with Jerry Lynn and AJ Styles and won the title once in his early TNA career. Later he would go on to be a part of Triple X alongside Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper. They all won the Tag Titles and would defend them ala The Freebirds (any two on the team could defend the titles). Because of the greed of Christopher Daniels, Low Ki would leave Triple X and later leave TNA to recover from shoulder injuries suffered during Ultimate X2 where he fought his former partner, Christopher Daniels.

Low Ki would not return to TNA until Lockdown 2006 where he wrestled under the name Senshi. He would go on to be a dominant force in the X Division and win it several times before teaming up once again with Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper to reform Triple X. Opportunities were not to be in the cards for Senshi though. He was given one of the briefcases in the “Feast or Fired” match. Days after this, he would later ask for his resignation and instead of leaving right away, he has continued to be in TNA to help put over his friends and other X Division wrestlers.

Grade: B- Senshi has been given several title runs in his TNA career. Even though that career has come to a short end, he has accomplished quite a bit in TNA and has been given many opportunities in the X Division and on iMPACT and PPV. TNA built him as a dominant monster in the X Division and it worked while he was champ. This is similar to how he was booked in ROH too. Low Ki has always been a legit badass and monster in the ring. He’s one of few men that have very little (and I mean little) losses under his belt. He was the first ROH Champion (regardless of how short it was) and consistently put on fantastic matches. He was one of the few men that helped give ROH a buzz in it’s early years and gave them a much needed boost in the eyes of fans. Upon his return to ROH in 2004 after the same shoulder injuries in TNA, he was once again given a top spot and a spot in the dominant heel faction, The Rottweilers. Throughout 2005 and 2006, he was given main events and big opportunities like facing Austin Aries, KENTA (in his debut), and the opportunity to tag against Puroresu legend Kenta Kobashi. Whereever Low Ki is headed after TNA, he will no doubt be the same monster he always has been pushed to be.

Wrestler Name: Colt Cabana
Where Is He Now: OVW

How They Have Been Utilized: Colt Cabana has been in OVW for over half a year and has been OVW TV Champ and current OVW Tag Champ. He was pushed into a feud with longtime OVW standout Shawn Spears and had a seemingly good feud which ended up with them both losing the TV Title and ending up Tag Champs together. I know, someone in OVW must be an MVP/Hardy fan. Cabana is also said to be over because of his in ring ability and his most endearing quality, his over the top personality.

Grade: B+ Cabana has been pushed really well. He’s held 2 out of 3 titles in OVW so far and they seem to be letting Colt’s personality come out and shine which is always a good thing. Cabana has always been a guy that was pushed decently in ROH for most of his career. He was able to get over on his personality and his connections with CM Punk. Later on in his ROH career, he would get more serious and wage war with Homicide and later focus his attention on Bryan Danielson and his ROH World Title. Even though the title eluded him, it didn’t change his outlook and his good demeanor. He would later be buds with Jimmy Jacobs because of his “relationship” with Lacey, which would unsurprisingly turn into a blood feud between the two. Colt was always booked best when he was allowed to be himself and have fun. It’s good to see him doing so well in OVW and one can pray that his personality isn’t TOO over the top for the WWE.

Wrestler Name: Homicide
Where Is He Now: TNA
How They Have Been Utilized:

Ever since Homicide came in as part of the Latin American Exchange, he has been very over and the group has been pushed very hard in the Tag Division. They became one of the first challengers for AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels’ Tag Titles and would win them on iMPACT within their first year and later win them again at the biggest PPV of the year for TNA. After moving from Styles & Daniels, they became involved in a feud with America’s Most Wanted and later Team 3D.

Grade: B Right away TNA pushed them up the tag division ranks. With two tag title reigns under their belt and being one of the most popular acts in TNA today, they have gone a long way with their gimmick. Their in ring quality stands sound and their feuds have been great. TNA has pushed Homicide and LAX very well, but currently they are in limbo as AJ & Tomko hold the tag titles and LAX is involved in every little gauntlet or contender match and as of now, a small feud with Rave & Rock Infection. The pushes he has received in TNA and ROH has revolved around the same thing, his connection with the fans, his ethnicity, and his ability in the ring and to get a crowd into a match. Homicide became a prominant figure in ROH when he became the biggest feud for Samoa Joe to that point in his career and Homicide was given many opportunities at Joe’s belt and to shine in the main event. Homicide was a leading figure for The Rottweilers and remained a huge fan favorite despite being a heel. He would later go on to feud with Bryan Danielson in later 2004 and early 2004, have a small feud with James Gibson, be a part of Low Ki’s feud against Jay Lethal and by association, Samoa Joe, and later become an instigator in Colt Cabana’s life after some words were said by Colt that should not have been said. For a lengthy time after the Joe feud, Homicide was extremely dominant, especially in his feud against Colt. Later after the feud, he would become the turning point in the CZW/ROH feud and would lead the charge towards victory for ROH. During this time, had also set his eyes on winning any ROH gold. He targeted Bryan Danielson and said it was his destiny to win the ROH World Title, which he did in late 2006 at Final Battle 2006. Homicide has always been treated like a king in ROH and it paid for them in spades. Hopefully once Homicide becomes a singles act, TNA can see the potential in him like ROH did and he can reach a much higher level than he is right now.

Wrestler Name: Christopher Daniels
Where Is He Now: TNA
How They Have Been Utilized:
For the first few years in his TNA career, you’ve read it already in Senshi’s review.

After being forced to disband Triple X, Christopher Daniels set his sights on AJ Styles’ X Division title in 2005. The two would feud on and off again for the whole year and put on classics like the 30 minute ironman match, a phenomenal threeway, and an Ultimate X match. Later in the year, he would become embroiled in a hate feud with Samoa Joe until early 2006. Later he would team with AJ Styles and seek the tag titles. They would be a successful team and would feud with the rookie team, LAX. After finally losing the straps to them at Bound for Glory, Daniels would once again win the X Division title from AJ Styles a month later. He would go on to feud in the X Division until returning with a new look. Now with a beard and facial tattoos, Christopher Daniels was a new man and aiming at Sting. The feud wouldn’t pan out, but soon after he would reunite with Triple X and the team would try and dominate the X Division. Late in 2007 though, his Triple X partner won one of the “Feast or Fired” briefcases and lost it to Christopher Daniels after greed got the best of him. Daniels would be shocked to find out that the briefcase he had was the one with the pinkslip.

Grade: B+ Daniels has been pushed very well and is one of the greatest X Division wrestlers in TNA’s history. He has been given several title runs, main event matches AS an X division wrestler, and has been highlighted tremendously when TNA first gained a tv show on SpikeTV. The faction angle is just like how Daniels was pushed in the early years of ROH. He was an anti-ROH wrestler during the first shows which forced him to build an army of followers he dubbed “The Prophecy.” The faction would be holders of all ROH’s belts at once and would also fued with other factions like The Group or the Second City Saints. He would have to leave ROH in 2004 though because of a roster pull by TNA. He would later return in 2005, but at a very decreased role. He was still featured heavily and in the main event, but it was merely “special appearance” type matches until mid 2006 when he was mainly being placed in openers or filler matches. It wasn’t until late 2006 when him and Sydal won the ROH tag titles, but once they lost them, he was once again back to openers or filler matches. Daniels is obviously not fired from TNA, so whenever he returns, hopefully he can finally get that long awaited singles push in the main event.

Wrestler Name: C.M. Punk
Where Is He Now: WWE

How They Have Been Utilized: C.M. Punk burst onto the scene by showcasing one of his most gifted abilities as a wrestler, his gift of the gab. He had a strong following before his ECW debut, but his “Straight Edge” and “Live for Competition” promos caught on with the fans and he was an instant favorite on the newly reborn ECW. He was given many opportunities to showcase his love for competition early on and in late 2006, he earned himself a spot in the main event of the first ever ECW PPV, December 2 Dismember. Despite, being the first one eliminated, he was still given a small amount of time to shine. Then as Wrestlemania snuck around the corner, Punk would once again earn a chance to prove himself, this time in the, now annual, Money in the Bank match at WM. He came up unsuccessful once again, but another opportunity came along in ECW as he was being talked up by both the ECW Originals and The New Breed. He finally chose the New Breed but would later turn on them. A few months later, thanks to the WWE Draft, the ECW Champion, Bobby Lashley was forced to give up his title and a tournament was held for the title. CM Punk would compete in the finals against John Morrison but would be unsuccessful once again. Months after months of title shots would get to C.M. Punk who would put it all on the line for one more shot, this time successful.

Grade: B+ Punk has had a great rookie year. He’s been featured in a lot of main events on ECW and was featured in the main event of the first ECW PPV, not to mention the fan favorite MITB at WM. Punk is the top guy in ECW and none are close to being as over as he is on the ECW brand. Punk has always had this sort of luck in his career. In ROH, he was insanely over with the crowd because of how great he was as a character, and as someone the fans could connect with. His first big feud was against Raven, where Punk was not only a heel, but he was a justified heel and the true “hero” in the feud. Punk would go on to showcase his promo ability in his first year there before becoming a true ROH star when he faced Samoa Joe for the ROH title. The two of them put on a legendary series of matches that it not only boosted the ROH title, but helped boost Punk into ROH favorite. Later in 2005, he would feud with The Embassy in bloody matches against Jimmy Rave. Soon after, it was announced he had signed with the WWE and his last match would be against the ROH World Champion. On his last night, he did the unthinkable and actually won the ROH World Title. As he thanked everyone and admired the title, he turned heel and went on to keep the title hostage. CM Punk was always given the time to shine the way he could. He always got the best out of an audience with one of his great promos or in his matches that sucked the crowd in. “The Summer of Punk” was a brilliantly booked period in ROH that all rested on the shoulders of Punk. If the WWE were to ever give Punk a real opportunity to shine on the mic and to work a truly special match, they just might have another legend they never dreamed they could have again.

Ring of Honor Wrestlers throughout the Indies by John Kirschner

Ring of Honor Wrestlers in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

When it comes to wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is six months behind the Ring of Honor storylines. When Generation Next split in Ring of Honor and Roderick Strong, Austin Aries and Jack Evans were putting each other through hell, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans were teaming together to face one of PWG’s top tag teams. Nonetheless, PWG’s ass-backwardness still impresses is as they put on many match of the year candidates.

Bryan Danielson put on a 30-Minute Classic with CIMA ending the match in a draw. But if you really want to see what Bryan Danielson has to offer as PWG World Champion check out “Giant Size Annual #4” against El Generico. No matter how many times I watch that match, I still get chills and my neck hair always stands up. Bryan Danielson isn’t the only RoH Wrestler making an impact in PWG.

Roderick Strong is tearing up all divisions of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. He won the tag team titles with PAC after a two night tournament for the vacant PWG World Tag Team Titles putting on a couple of four star matches in the process. In the singles division, he put on one of my favorite matches of the All Star Weekend V weekend against Rocky Romero on Night One (Same goes for Ring of Honor Wrestler Rocky Romero. This was a standout match for both men.). If you prefer Strong in tag team action check out his tag team title match at Giant Size Annual #4 with PAC against fellow 2007 roster members El Generico and Kevin Steen.

El Generico held the PWG Tag Team Titles and the PWG World Title at the same time TWICE. One time the tag team titles had to be vacated, and the second he lost the PWG World Title a few minutes after. But his defining match in PWG came when he had no belt around his waist. “Battle of Los Angeles 2006 Night 3” saw a lot of great matches, but one that stuck out like a sore thumb (in a good way) was El Generico’s match against CIMA. The two battled it out in a Semi-Finals match for one of the three spots in the Finals. This is one of BOLA’s greatest Semi-Finals matches to date.

Kevin Steen’s defining PWG match came after he lost his PWG World Title and after months and moths of feuding with Super Dragon. Their big blowout match at “Astonishing X-Mas” was one of my favorite matches of 2005 and definitely still worth checking out.

Ring of Honor Wrestlers in Chikara

Ring of Honor to Chikara is what tomatoes are to potatoes. Ring of Honor is all about the wrestling going on inside the ring and making sure the fans don’t leave the arena without seeing a solid four star match. On the other hand, you have Chikara. Chikara’s sole purpose is to make sure the fans leave happy and entertained with a smile on their face. Both promotions do an amazing job at what they aim for, thanks to wrestlers like Mike Quackenbush, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli. Their talent and diverse styles make an overnight transition from Ring of Honor in Philadelphia to Chikara in Hellertown so easy.

Whether it be Ring of Honor or Chikara, Chris Hero can’t escape the chants of “HEEEEEEEEEEEEERO! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERO!” But despite the attempt of distraction, the fans are no match for Hero’s wit and talent in a Chikara ring. There is no better example than hit epic battle with Mike Quackenbush back in May of 2007. If you want to see intensity at its best, then watch the big blow-off of the 2 year feud between Hero and Quack at “Aniversario?”.

If you want to see a defining match for Mike Quackenbush, you can either buy the requested event above or watch “Negative Balance”. His match with Claudio Castagnoli displays great power on Claudio’s end, and fantastic will-power and Lucha wrestling from Mike Quackenbush. I actually recommend the same match for Claudio Castagnoli.

Claudio Castagnoli has been making a name for himself in the United States. Chikara was one of the first promotions in America that gave him a chance to show everyone what he’s got. Soon, he became a WWE Employee. Sure he got released shortly thereafter, but getting handpicked by WWE is a dream thousands of independent wrestlers aim for. Prior to being picked up by WWE, he held the Campeonatos De Parejas with Chris Hero for almost the whole 2006 Season. After he was released, the independent wrestling community welcomed him back with open hands and his second coming was even bigger than his first in Chikara. He won the 2007 Cibernetico which was one of his defining moments in 2007, as he broke his chains and was no longer Chris Hero’s slave. Pick up “Cibernetico and Robin” to check that match out.

Jigsaw’s 2007 Season in Chikara was more disappointing then some are willing to admit. He (and Shane Storm) lost to Team FIST in a match for the Campeanos de Parejas, one of his storylines got cut short and he missed the final two shows of 2007. Still, he displayed great athletic ability in his matches. One of my favorites of his this year is from “Rey de Voladores” against Ruckus, Lince Dorado and Equinox.

Ring of Honor Wrestlers in Full Impact Pro

Some would say Ring of Honor wrestlers made Full Impact Pro famous, and some would say they made it their training ground. Nevertheless, they definitely contributed to what Full Impact Pro is today. Erik Stevens, has been shaking up the Florida Wrestling Scene long before he was ever a Ring of Honor Wrestler. He has made that big step from FIP to ROH, and now the world can see what Erik Stevens is really capable of. Erik Stevens went up against Nigel McGuinness at “International Impact Phase Two” and was easily the second best match of the night. The Match of the Night at that event was actually the Briscoe Brothers taking on Necro Butcher and Mad Man Pondo in a Bar Room Brawl. It was pretty gruesome and elevated their feud to the next level. Plus, it gives you a little preview of how well Necro Butcher would work against the Briscoe Brothers in Ring of Honor.

Ring of Honor Wrestlers in the Land of the Rising Sun: How ROH Stars faired in Puro in 2007 by Jake Mulligan

Gaijin from ROH had a strange year. Some came in having a great 2006, and faltered. Others came in with small expectations, and had great years. Some fell off the map altogether. So, wrestler by wrestler, let’s go down the roster and run it down, with some 2008 predictions to boot.

Rocky Romero
Rocky Romero made his NOAH debut this year, on the Navigate for Evolution tour. He had his first NOAH match on 2/15, on the winning side of the main event, a six man tag match (he was not involved in the decision). Romero scored a clean fall over Ricky Marvin, which led to a Jr. Tag Title match for Romero and his partner, Taiji Ishimori. However, Romero looked strong, and only dropped one fall all tour, to Mushiking Terry. Romero was brought back to NOAH for the Summer Navigation tour, where he competed in a junior tag league with partner Atsushi Aoki. They did not do well, and were unable to even compete as a team on the tour final. However, Romero did impress, and will be back in 2008. He has a Jr. Title shot against Yoshinobu Kanemaru coming up, and while I expect him to lose, I would be surprised if he doesn’t continue to get title shots in NOAH throughout the year.

Davey Richards
Richards lone tour was Summer Navigation, for NOAH. He dropped all the falls for his team in the junior tag league, with Bryan Danielson. However, he did claim a fall or two throughout the tour, and is being brought back for NOAH’s first tour of 2008. I expect him to compete on a couple more tours this year, and perhaps build himself up for a Jr. Tag Title shot, maybe with Romero.

Nigel McGuinness
Nigel also competed for NOAH over a couple tours in 2007. He competed on the first tour of the year, scoring many victories with partner Doug Williams. McGuinness also teamed with the Briscoes on occasion, and didn’t drop a single fall all tour (he scored one, over Tsuyoshi Kikuchi). Nigel was brought back for Summer Navigation, where he did well and clashed with Takeshi Morishima, leading to an ROH Title match at the ROH in Tokyo show. McGuinness lost, but the match was very over, and Nigel looked great. He was going to be brought back, but an injury prevented it, and he is scheduled for the first tour of 2008. I expect Nigel to continue to be well protected in NOAH, but not move far up the ranks. He may defend the ROH Title a few times, however, as I do expect him to have a long reign.

The Briscoes
The Briscoes had an extremely successful year in NOAH. They won the Junior Tag Titles on their first show, over the team of Suguira and Kanemaru. On that tour, they scored wins over teams like KENTA and Atsushi Aoki, and Naomichi Marufuji and Taiji Ishimori. They lost a single tag match, losing their titles in an excellent match to Kotaro Suzuki and Ricky Marvin at Budokan Hall. They came back to NOAH for the junior tag league, where they took KENTA and Ishimori to a 30-minute draw, and were in the tournament to the last match, eliminated by going to a 30-minute draw with rivals Suzuki and Marvin. I expect the Briscoes to continue to team in NOAH, they are not booked for ROH’s 6th Anniversary Show, perhaps to compete in NOAH. They may get a title shot due to their past as champions, against current champions Speed Muscle (Doi and Yoshino).

Bryan Danielson
Danielson competed for NOAH twice this year, like most ROH guys. He competed in April, almost always against rival KENTA. He looked excellent, and scored many victories with his Cattle Mutilation. He was also in the junior tag league, not doing well but not dropping any falls. He gained a lot of respect due to his excellent match in Tokyo with Go Shiozaki. He will be brought to NOAH this year, and I would expect him to get a Jr. Title shot at some point, and he is one competitor I could see winning the title.

Chris Hero
Hero competed in one tour for NOAH, in March. He was suppose to go with Claudio Castagnoli, but Claudio cancelled the tour after his WWE signing, and it is believed Romero was brought in his place. Hero had a series of matches with NOAH main eventers, falling to Taue, wrestling with Misawa, and even getting a singles match with Rikio. Hero did score a fall on TV, over student Ippei Ota. Hero has not been back since, and sadly I do not expect him to go back anytime soon, due to his polarizing style (which, ironically, it seems he developed in NOAH).

Austin Aries
Aries continued to be the top ranked gaijin in Dragon Gate, if not the most regular. He competed on the WrestleJAM tour in the summer, scoring a victory over Taku Iwasa in singles, and falls over Lupin Matsutani and Keni’chiro Arai in tag matches. He fell to SHINGO in an excellent match on the tour ender, and was invited to compete in the prestigious King of Gate tournament, as the only outsider. Aries did well, eliminating the highly respected Naruki Doi in the first round with his Horns of Aries submission. In the next round, he fell to eventual finalist CIMA, but then scored falls in non-tournament action over Anthony W. Mori and Dr. Muscle. He is coming back to Dragon Gate this year for WrestleJAM 3, and I expect him to come back a few more times, and continue to be extremely well-protected without really advancing, much like Nigel.

Delirious
Delirious competed on the WrestleJAM tour for Dragon Gate. He didn’t do very well, booked in the undercard and only scoring one fall, in a 3-way over Super Shisa. He isn’t booked for WrestleJAM 3, though he did get over. I would expect him to be brought over if ROH runs more Japan shows this summer, but not much more, and I doubt he’ll be pushed.

El Generico
El Generico made his debut for Dragon Gate this year, on the WrestleJAM tour. He made a real name for himself, continuing his rivalry with PAC in tag matches, and having a big singles match vs. CIMA (he lost, though it was quite competitive). CIMA did job to him in PWG, so he is clearly thought highly of in DG. He gained a pinfall on CIMA in the tour ender, as well. He was brought back in November, and aligned himself with New HAZARD, Shingo’s crew. He is being brought back for WrestleJAM 3, where he will supposedly get a Brave Gate shot against Masato Yoshino. He won’t win, but I could see El Generico competing regularly this year, in almost a Evans/Sydal like role. I am quite sure of this, and I very much hope Dragon Gate brings his partner, Kevin Steen, back after not booking him this year. I expect a big year out of El Generico in Dragon Gate.

Jack Evans
Evans had a strange year in Dragon Gate. He competed regularly for the first half of the year. He originally aligned with Typhoon, but had problems with his partners. He turned on them, and joined Muscle Outlaw’z. That did not last long, however, as he almost immediately turned on them, to become an early member of New HAZARD. He and YAMATO began a feud with Tozawa-juku, but a YAMATO injury derailed that. He was chosen to replace BxB Hulk in NH’s Triangle Gate team when BxB was injured, but they lost to MO’z. Jack, strangely, hasn’t been brought back since, and his role as a regular seems to have been taken away, perhaps in favor of PAC. I expect Jack to be brought back at some point, but he has not even been booked for WrestleJAM 3, and I doubt he will ever regain the momentum he once had.

Matt Sydal
Matt Sydal had quite the year in Dragon Gate. He immediately joined Typhoon as a founding member, and feuded with Masato Yoshino. He won Yoshino’s Open the Brave Gate title, in a big victory, becoming the first gaijin to hold a DG singles title. He beat Austin Aries clean in a title defense, before losing the belt to Genki Horiguchi. He continued to do well, getting a clean win over Doi to win the second annual JAM cup. He signed with WWE, and had a very celebrated farewell, main eventing a major Korakuen Hall show and getting one last big win. He handed over his Gaijin spot in Typhoon to PAC, and looks to be very successful in his WWE career.

Future Gaijin on the Horizon?
I expect we will see a few ROH Roster members make Japan debut’s (or returns) this year. On the NOAH side of things, I would be SHOCKED if Claudio Castagnoli didn’t make at least a tour or two, after his clean win over Naomichi Marufuji in ROH. Roderick Strong hasn’t been to Dragon Gate since unfortunately injuring Naruki Doi in 2006, but CIMA recently let him kick out of his Super Death Kill move, the Scwein Redline, in PWG (which no one, in Japan or America, has ever been allowed to do). This makes me think DG may like him, so hopefully we will see him again this year. If not, I could see him doing a NOAH tour with his NRC teammates. As mentioned earlier, I REALLY hope Kevin Steen is sent back to DG to tear it up with teammate El Generico. NOAH fans are really into big gaijin, so Brent Albright or Erick Stevens could work there for a tour. Matt Cross was supposed to go to NOAH, and was set for some big matches before getting injured (under a mask, as RAPTOR), so he will probably be brought back. I think the Age of the Fall, as a unit, could be AMAZING in Dragon Gate, but they honestly may be too weird to get brought in. Human Tornado is booked for DG and they are said to be quite high on him, so keep an eye on that. Finally, with Evans’ fall in DG, it is possible he could be brought in for a rebirth, with stablemates Jigsaw and Ruckus. They are custom made for DG, so we shall see. Good luck to all roster members next year, let’s hope they can bring some gold home!

Thanks for reading this monster. Come back for more Monday with A Modest Response and next Friday for the top 100 Matches in ROH this year.

Glazer is a former senior editor at Pulse Wrestling and editor and reviewer at The Comics Nexus.