The Briscoes are now five-time champions and all I can think about is how they will lose them. It’s crazy after their record-setting 4th run, which might have been the most entertaining in ROH history. Yet that same run really burned fans out on the Briscoes, and they aren’t able to out-innovate themselves anymore.
In addition, there are a lot of other worthy teams. They lost cleanly to Jack Evans and Ruckus the previous night. Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black are 2-0 against them. Even though they owned Kevin Steen and El Generico in 2007, everyone would believe the Canadians beating them.
I’m not pissy over the title win like some fans. If anything, I’d like to think I’m creative. The only real negative feeling I have is ROH’s bizarre decision not to put the titles up on either of next weekend’s shows, including one they’ve already titled “TAG WARS 2008.†That neutered my first idea for an unexpected title switch, but I was left with at least seven others.
1) On Saturday April 19th Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin defeated the Briscoes for the ROH World Tag Team titles. This was originally not scheduled to be a title match, but Shelley ran down the Briscoes multiple times during the night, goading the champions into putting the titles on the line despite the wishes of ROH officials. The Briscoes are now said to be at odds with ROH management.
This begins the reign of wrestlers from the company ROH fans loathe the most, TNA, proving they are as good, and quite possibly better than any team in ROH. Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs defeated Shelley and Sabin on Friday (the 18th), and thus immediately became top contenders, rivaling the Briscoes in the hunt to bring the belts back. Will ROH grant the anti-establishment team a shot over the Briscoes?
2) On Saturday April 19th Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin defeated the Briscoes in a non-title match, leapfrogging Jack Evans and Ruckus to become the #1 contenders. ROH was forced to rebook the team that decisively defeated their champions, only to see Shelley and Sabin win the titles and build their record to 2-1 over the Briscoes. ROH is under even higher pressure to dethrone the Murder City Machine Guns than they were with the Age of the Fall, as their TNA contracts prevent them from appearing (and hence, defending) on ROH Pay Per View. A line-up of Kevin Steen and El Generico, Rocky Romero and Davey Richards, Jack Evans and Ruckus, and finally Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs are set up over two consecutive weekends. Which team will pull it off (if any?)? Tickets are $7.50 with the 25% sale! But bring your own chairs.
3) Kevin Steen claims he and Generico have improved drastically since 2007, but they haven’t been given an opportunity to prove it. The Age of the Fall ducked them. The No Remorse Corps ducked them. Fueled by disappointment over his failure to win the ROH singles title, Steen demands the Briscoes not duck him.
The Briscoes bristled at the mere suggestion that they were avoiding challengers and invited them to man up May 10th at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Can Kevin Steen and El Generico beat the Briscoes in a title situation?
4) There has never been such hot competition in the ROH tag scene, and we saw it evidenced again tonight when the No Remorse Corps of Davey Richards and Roderick Strong won the tag titles from Jay and Mark Briscoe. Strong said, “I couldn’t stop them from breaking my record, but I look forward to breaking theirs.” He referenced the Briscoes’ 4th title reign, which broke his and Austin Aries’s sole tag title reign as the longest in ROH history. Rocky Romero, who Strong replaced in the title match without any known reason, was not available for comment. The Briscoes immediately called for a rematch, citing their record against the No Remorse Corps. Kevin Steen and El Generico questioned if they hadn’t proven themselves more worthy against that faction in 2008.
5) Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black have the Briscoes’ number. There’s no denying it following their second ROH World Tag Title victory tonight, again against the Briscoes. ROH officials will be unlikely to grant the Briscoes another title shot, now being 0-3 against the team of Black and Jacobs.
But no sooner did the anti-establishment champs celebrate their victory, then Kevin Steen knocked at their door. He reminded them that he and Generico were due a shot “before you emo kids blew it the first time.†He taunted them for having no “muscle†to throw them out of the room since their enforcer, the Necro Butcher, has not been seen since Steen defeated him in the Boston Massacre on April 18th.
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, who defeated Black and Jacobs back on April 18th, have contacted ROH officials about challenging for the belts and potentially doing a longer tour with Ring of Honor. Sabin said they are willing to wrestle Steen and Generico for the #1 contendership if necessary to prove their desire.
6) There are too many claims to the throne. The Age of the Fall say they were robbed at Without Remorse. Rocky Romero and Davey Richards want to prove they can beat the Briscoes, despite being 0-2. Kevin Steen and El Generico have been chasing champion after champion without getting what they consider their rightful title shot. Jay Briscoe promises to “shut all their mouths†with the next “Ultimate†Ultimate Endurance this Saturday, which will see all four teams in action! The first fall will be Scramble Rules; the second fall will be Anything Goes; and the final fall will be for the ROH World Tag Team Titles. All four teams will have to leave it in the ring on Saturday.
Already Steen and Richards have been mouthing off. A brawl ignited between the No Remorse Corps and Age of the Fall after Davey Richards commented that he looks forward to eliminating Tyler Black first again this time. There could be an issue between the two factions long after this Saturday’s event.
7) Jack Evans and Ruckus defeated the Briscoes on April 11th, the night before they won the titles. This granted them a title match. In a hilarious “**** you†to wrestling fans that think they have the booking playbook memorized, the Vulture Squad actually won it. The upcoming DVD release will not have cover art, but will feature double-sided text: the front featuring ROH message board posts complaining about the Briscoes winning the belts, and the back featuring ROH message board posts complaining about the Briscoes losing the belts.
It’s fun to think, and these are thoughts I’ve had. What are yours? Login to drop comments at the bottom of this post (or, if you’re reading it somewhere else, come over to http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/ ).
