RAW last week was a terrible, awful show for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons to me was the shoehorning in the return of the Anonymous General Manager. It really messed with the flow of the show, and the payoff for it was just brutal in its execution, even if I wouldn’t have minded it if Hornswoggle was revealed to be the man behind the computer in a better fashion.

This week’s show, however, was actually pretty awesome for several reasons as well. It had great wrestling, a solid opening segment and a kitschy marriage proposal that helped hammer home how great a performer one Daniel Bryan is. Did anyone notice what was missing from the show? Yep, there was no interim general manager this week. I don’t want to say that made all the difference, because shows have been awesome in the past with a GM in place (usually that GM being John Laurinaitis… miss you Big Johnny). However, it’s amazing how much smoother the show was with a main event already in place and barely any shenanigans involving a wrestler needing to have conflict with someone in charge.

That all being said, haven’t most of the complaints about most WWE and Impact programming been tied to on-screen authority figures? Even Ring of Honor is languishing thanks to a largely pointless Kevin Steen vs. Jim Cornette feud. Taking away the universally respected Mr. McMahon character during the height of his feud with Austin and cult favorites like Laurinaitis, William Regal and Vickie Guerrero, the general manager position has done more to muddle the stories rather than enhance them. I mean, how many times can Teddy Long punish a heel by putting him in a match with “DA UNDATAKA, PLAYA” or by making a tag match among four or more bickering wrestlers in the ring? His shtick got old quick, and so did most guys who filled the role. Even Mick Foley wasn’t immune to overexposure.

After seeing how well the show went Monday without a GM, I think it’s about time WWE goes back to a prolonged period of time where the only on-screen authority figure makes sparse appearances, back to a simpler time when the position of commissioner was filled more for honorific purposes by guys whom Vince McMahon wanted to repay for loyalty. It wasn’t often we’d see Jack Tunney, Gorilla Monsoon or Sgt. Slaughter, but when we did, that meant it was all about to go down. The sparseness of those appearances forced wrestlers to interact with each other and not use conflict with a suit as a crutch.

Would the exchange between CM Punk and Big Show last night to open the show have been as effective if it didn’t lead to their excellent match to close the show? Even if the performances were the same, Punk taking his frustrations out on a proxy for Show rather than Show himself isn’t nearly as satisfying a conclusion. The most effective villains are the ones who face the fire themselves. Again, McMahon was an exception, but at the same time, he put his money where his mouth was and competed regularly in the ring. Furthermore, Long as a babyface authority figure was totally useless because he was the guy who was normally set up to give comeuppance, not receive it. The guy hasn’t wrestled for Lord knows how long, and he’s not someone who should be getting in the ring, taking bumps or doing any kind of offensive maneuvering to anyone.

Basically, the general manager has become a tired, overused story trope that should be retired for the time being. If you use anything too much, it’s going to lose its effectiveness, and the last thing WWE needs right now is ineffective storytelling. They’re moving the show to three hours this coming Monday, and bad storytelling will make it seem like three years. That’s not the kind of programming you want to show your audience EVERY Monday.

I hope someone in WWE noticed the improvement in quality from last week to this week and makes the leap that maybe part of it had to do with the lack of authority figure bogging it down. Fans want to see wrestlers interacting and clashing with each other. They don’t want bureaucracy. The best way to avoid that and give the fans what they want is eliminating the temptation of having the GM come out and play magic elixir.

Tom Holzerman is a lifelong wrestling fan and connoisseur of all things Chikara Pro, among other feds. When he’s not writing for the Camel Clutch Blog, you can find him on his own blog, The Wrestling Blog.

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A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog about how Ring of Honor wrestling was not our “grandfather’s” independent promotion anymore. That since Sinclair Broadcasting Group (SBG) took over in May 2011 things were starting to change in ROH. The roster of talent had changed drastically over the last couple of months, the promotion went away from the loyal areas and it was becoming more of a “televised product” rather then the “underground product” that people loved for over nine years. The changes, while all under the SBG reign, I believe can be pinpointed to one particular person, Jim Cornette.

When Ring of Honor was owned and ran by Cary Silkin all ideas had to be presented to him for the product. Now that Sinclair Broadcasting Group is running the promotion all ideas and presented to Jim Cornette, who despite not being the “head booker,” is still overseeing the product as a whole. The promotion since going to television has slowly gotten away from its initial drawing as a promotion and flipped over to a more televised promotion with a throw back feel to it.

As wrestling history tells us, change is not accepted well by the wrestling fan community. When WCW “rebooted” back in the 2000s it was meant with a refreshing aspect that died within weeks and WCW resulted back to their old ways again before they closed the doors for good. Change is hard to come by in wrestling especially change that while is generated over time; makes a product look completely different.

Obviously the current climate of Ring of Honor wrestling is not just Jim Cornette’s vision and his alone but he has a lot of say of what’s going on. Something that I believe has showcased his weakness as of late when it comes to a modern day wrestling product. Let’s not forget what Ring of Honor was all about when it debuted in 2002.

ROH for all things considered, was a by-product of Paul Heyman’s style of booking in ECW. Gabe Sapolsky was one of Paul Heyman’s confidants in ECW and someone who was mentored by one of the greatest regarded bookers in the history of wrestling. The product showcased similar Paul Heyman like abilities when Gabe Sapolsky booked ROH and it was a representation as the “alternative” to wrestling that fans weren’t getting from the WWE or TNA.

Fast forward to today and despite changes in booking over the last couple of years, ROH would survive as that alternative product for wrestling fans. It showcased terrific wrestling, great storylines and left fans wanting more when they left an event or turned off a DVD/iPPV. It was giving wrestling fans what they wanted; pure wrestling at it’s finest.

While the product continues to give amazing in-ring action, the product is no longer looked at as an “alternative” for wrestling fans. It has become another edition of a Jim Cornette ran promotion whether it be the way he booked Smokey Mountain Wrestling (SMW), Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) or even Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling. ROH since May 2011, when SBG took over as owners, has lost it’s “edge.”

The reason for that is because Jim Cornette does not book “edgy” or “alternative” style of wrestling and while he has been in ROH for a year or two now, he has never received more power then he does now in Ring of Honor wrestling. The product is reflecting that more and more lately, especially since the ROH fans are starting to get louder with their groans about the product. Something that was a minority at best throughout ROH’s tenure as it was well respected amongst the wrestling fans.

Since ROH was sold to SBG and Jim Cornette gained more power in the product the roster has changed overtime as well. Cornette has brought in talent from OVW to come work the road with Ring of Honor while some longtime ROH talent have not been used in recent months. It is bringing in a style of wrestling that could be hurting the product in the long run since the appeal to ROH all this time was being an “alternative” first and foremost.

Is Jim Cornette possibly out of touch with today’s wrestling standards? It’s quite possible.

Is it still to early to pull the trigger of blame on someone for the change in direction in Ring of Honor? It’s certainly getting closer to that trigger being pulled.

Is Ring of Honor getting hurt in the long run? I believe so and I’ve been a fan of the product for quite sometime, going to shows and staying on top of things. In recent months I have found myself drawn away from the product, something I never personally thought I’d do as a wrestling fan since it was that great alternative all fans look for in a product.

As time goes on and SBG & Cornette try to make ROH something it is not it will hurt the product. Continue to benefit off of the fact that it is an “alternative” wrestling product and the fans will come in droves on a national level. Making it just another WWE or TNA is going to leave fans not wanting more and turning off ROH TV once it comes on.

ECW never changed the way they were once they got to television or become more national. ROH shouldn’t do the same either. If they continue to change it to something it is not Jim Cornette will be left to blame and the product will continue to hurt because of it.

For more on this topic join us for the Thursday March 22nd edition of “The Still Real to Us Show” and download the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com or www.wrestlechat.net.

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ Jeff Peck” on Twitter at www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck you can also follow Wheelhouse Radio on twitter at www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse and you can e-mail them @ [email protected]

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Pro wrestling catches a lot of flack and I try to defend it on a constant basis. I defend its legitimacy, the negative media attention, and the deaths that come with the sport. It’s a tough task, as people look down on it and I can’t understand why.

For me it is a live action comic book mixed with the drama of your favorite sport. There’s pageantry, pop culture, and athleticism, that can’t be seen anywhere else. I love professional wrestling and will always support it, which is why it angered me when I saw a column from Phil Mushnick of the NY Post.

Here is the article http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/beyond_the_mat_c1BCbbanAzqTgnGLQWYStN/0

Phil Mushnick, for those who don’t know, is a column writer for the NY Post who always finds opportunities to slander wrestling whenever he can. He puts down the sport of professional wrestling and insults the people who watch it. Jim Cornette even did a promo on him during a Cornette’s Commentary on Raw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM8wT9PSEbY- Jim Cornette Promo on Phil Mushnick

As someone who has been affected positively by the wrestling business, I wanted to post an open letter to Phil Mushnick in defense of professional wrestling and his claims. This is a friendly letter and would like to encourage wrestling fans of all types to spread the word and support the sport you love the best. I would even do a debate to represent wrestling fans everywhere. You can email him @ [email protected] and voice your opinion like I will in this piece for Camel Clutch Blog.

Dear Phil Mushnick,
After reading your column on the NY post website, I felt I had to respond on behalf of wrestling fans everywhere. My name is Steve Urena and I am a 22 year old journalist based out of Northern NJ. I work for two radio stations and have been published in several papers in my area. Without professional wrestling I would not have been able to discover my writing talents and journalistic abilities, which is why I have to defend professional wrestling whenever I see it being slandered.

In your column you took potshots at The Rock and the WWE and asked why Governor Christie didn’t question Vince McMahon about the mortality rates in professional wrestling.. You are correct, in that a lot of wrestlers have died due to the nature of the sport and the lifestyle that they live, but in no way shape or form is this Vince McMahon’s fault. People have the choice to do as they please and Vince McMahon is not responsible for that.

Also a lot of the references you make in your article are dated, as those moments you pointed out in, haven’t been seen on WWE television in a little over a decade. The WWE has cleaned up its act for the most part and is geared mainly towards PG audiences now. The characters have gone back to being over the top and chair shots to the head have been banned completely. The WWE also has a wellness policy that tests wrestlers for steroids and drugs and a rehab program for anybody who has been signed to a contract and needs help. I’m not saying the WWE is perfect and that wrestling is perfect but the WWE has taken steps to really help its talents. Also the men and women who put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans of WWE made their own choices and followed their own dreams to wrestle and perfect their craft, so why put down people who are living their dream? It’s a dream I have to work for the WWE are you insulting my dream?

Wrestling has had a very positive influence on me. Since age 15 I have been using wrestling to further a journalism career. I have interviewed several professional wrestlers and have worked with several independent promotions in order to bring people positive journalism about wrestling. Every single person I have interviewed has been professional and courteous when talking to me and I have nothing but great stories about every single one of them. Through my writing experiences I developed my own voice in writing and got myself into Susquehanna University. After spending my four years there I received my degree in both Creative Writing and Communications and I am now a journalist who has written for the NJ Herald, WRNJ Radio, 99.9 The Hawk Radio, The Newark Bears, and The Black River News. Without wrestling I would not have been able to write for these great publications and radio stations and try to put my name out there.

My ultimate goal is to work for the WWE in any way shape or form. Without wrestling I wouldn’t have gotten into college and I wouldn’t be working as a journalist. Wrestling made me who I am today and I will do whatever I can to defend it. I am proud of who I am and I am proud to be a wrestling fan, and if you do not like wrestling then don’t talk about it. Don’t make outdated references and snide remarks when you haven’t done your research. Your job as a journalist is to educate people, not slander others for your personal benefit. If you hate wrestling don’t watch it. It’s easy.

Also with Wrestlemania coming to my home state of NJ there are several positives that will come of this including more money for the state due to outsiders coming to NJ and media coverage for NJ that isn’t the Jersey Shore.

So what I’m saying is that I love wrestling and one day I hope to go to the WWE because of its positive influence on me. If I ever get there I will try to get wrestling to be seen in a more positive light. Wrestling isn’t perfect but neither is baseball, MMA, Boxing, Football, Hockey, or any other sport that’s out there. So top with the negativity and try to be a journalist instead of trying to make headlines with your personal vendetta against wrestling. Thank you

Sincerely Professional Wrestling fan and journalist
Steve Urena

If you agree with me or have something you want to see email me @[email protected] or leave a comment here.

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It’s been over six month since Ring of Honor was purchased by the Sinclair Broadcasting group from Cary Silkin and the landscape & image of ROH has changed in the eyes of the wrestling fans over that short period of time. Many wondered if ROH would change with the ownership move and it clearly has as it molded itself into a wrestling company like the WWE or TNA & not a company like an ECW. Is that a good thing for ROH? Yes it most certainly is but it is no longer your “grandfather’s indy promotion” anymore either.

Whether you are a sports fan, music fan or in our case, a wrestling fan, you love to be the first to know something or see something/someone. Sports fans want to be the first to see a superstar in the making as I still talk about to this day the time I watched the Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice tear it up against my high school football team before he was in the pros. Music fans talk about all the latest “underground” music out there and who you need to listen to because they are a future star. In wrestling it’s the same thing as you want to see a talent before he or she becomes noticed at a larger wrestling audience and that was something Ring of Honor offered to you for almost 10 years.

Ring of Honor was part of the big independent wrestling boom of the early 2000s after ECW & WCW closed their doors and the WWE was the only game left in town. As time wore on many of those independents from that time period have closed up shop or aren’t running as many shows as they used to. ROH survived that period and is a reaching a ten-year milestone, something that deserves a lot of credit for especially in this economical landscape.

I remember friends of mine telling me to check out the ROH product and needing to see matches that involved the likes of Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe AJ Styles, Low-Ki and a whole slew of many talented wrestlers. Once I saw the matches I was in awe of the quality of the events and the matches in the ring, it was putting to shame anything I saw on television on a weekly basis. It quenched the hunger of what wrestling fans wanted to see, pure athletic wrestling that told stories in the confines of a squared circle, the basic foundation of professional wrestling.

Time grew on and those wrestlers left for what some may call “greener pastures.” The landscape of ROH would change on a yearly basis and despite losing so many names that laid down the foundation of their company they continued to survive by finding some of the best talent in the country. Like I said before despite everything ROH had to deal with during their ten years they made it and you have to respect all that they accomplished.

I don’t know the financial situation for Ring of Honor towards its last couple of years under Cary Silkin’s reign as owner but you heard the rumblings that at times they were struggling financially. Something that many wrestling fans shouldn’t be surprised by with the way the economy was at the time. You figured that it would be hard for any business to be very successful during the tough times the United States face in its economy.

Despite financial pressures and talents leaving ROH still looked the same as it did from day one. Great in-ring action and survival based off of DVD sales & basic word of mouth. It was a basic business survival plan being showcased in a modern era where you were told it just could never be done that way anymore.

Then in May 2011 ROH was sold to the Sinclair Broadcasting Group and gave ROH longer years of life that probably many didn’t expect. They had a TV deal yet again, the talent was going to be under contract and they were going to start to be noticed more on a national level then the local levels they thrived on. But with those changes came changes to their products, changes that put a nail in the coffin of them being what we could refer to as an “independent promotion” anymore.

With the ownership move has come changes to the product both on the inside and from the outside. Gone from Ring of Honor are the Colt Cabana’s of the company, guys who would be veterans for ROH and be the foundation for the promotion. Gone are the longtime announcers like Dave Prazak as they have been replaced by Kevin Kelly who worked with the WWE at one time. Talents like Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, while terrific in-ring talents are not original ROH talents yet they are being featured prominently in ROH’s current marketing. It has gone from an independent promotion to another form of a Jim Cornette promotion.

ROH has followed suit with prior Jim Cornette ran promotions like Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) where they have that late-80s/early 90s television feel to them. With those changes while positive for the longevity of ROH I believe it has hurt their promotion in the eyes of wrestling fans which should be the most important thing of all. For years ROH depending on those wrestling fans and they don’t want to lose them either.

Ring of Honor recently held their biggest PPV of the year “Final Battle” in New York City on December 23rd and had a tough time selling the place out. Granted you can chalk that up to it being right around Christmas but it isn’t a good sign when wrestling fans that are home & can make the drive aren’t going to the show. Reviews for the show have been mediocre at best with the Steen/Corino match being the most talked about match of them all while Richards/Edwards has received poor reviews from fans for being the “same match again.”

The differences between those two matches are clearly the styles of the match. The Steen/Corino match, while brutal, told a story in the ring, something ROH fans have loved since day one, in-ring story telling. The Richards/Edwards match has been compared to some sort of hybrid MMA/Wrestling match that fans really never got a hold of throughout the course of the actual match. To me, as an long time ROH fan it’s clear that these two matches were showcasing the old (Steen/Corino) and the new (Edwards/Richards) Ring of Honor.

While all this has been going on for ROH it has helped companies like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla & DGUSA/Evolve become the favorite “underground” promotion to watch for. I remember last year ROH’s feuds and matches were the normal talk of the wrestling world for fans wanting to see wrestling. And as for 2011 there was a lot more talk for PWG & DGUSA/Evolve then there has ever been with some of their events being referred to as “must own” DVDs. Something you’d normally hear for ROH shows and something you rarely heard after June 2011.

2012 will be a very defining year for Ring of Honor in how it will be accepted by wrestling fans. It will be its first full calendar year under the SBG ownership and it will be telling if they can receive the same rave reviews that would get under their old business makeup or if they will continue to lose the popularity with the hardcore wrestling fans like they slowly have over the last six months. Maybe wrestling fans are upset that ROH isn’t the “underground” promotion it used to be who knows, but it definitely can be said that Ring of Honor is no longer your “grandfather’s indy promotion anymore.”

For more on this topic join us for the Thursday January 26th edition of “The Still Real to Us Show” and download the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com or www.wrestlechat.net.

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow “The Champ Jeff Peck” on Twitter at www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck you can also follow Wheelhouse Radio on twitter at www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse and you can e-mail them @ [email protected]

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It seems everyone who has ever watched a wrestling match has advice for how Vince & WWE Creative can fix sagging ratings, meandering plotlines, character development & the bottom line; well, I’m no exception.

But – unlike many complaints – I’ve not read my particular sentiments expressed by many others online and since this is my article…

1) Storylines:
I believe it was the great Jim Cornette who surmised that a promotion could recycle story lines every 7 years. Now, that was true back in the territorial days when you wouldn’t see another region’s stories, but in this digital, Youtube-age, recycling would be caught immediately, right? Not to the casual viewer you’re trying to turn into a fan.

And sure, even two decades back, the similarities in structure would be easy to spot – but the fact is – those same storylines (good vs bad, teacher vs student, tag team partners turn against each other, sibling feuds) have worked for more than a half a century, because they are timeless and “put butts in the seats”.

2) Chronology:
I am referring here to DVD releases and shows of yesteryear that will undoubtedly appear on the developing WWE Network.

In addition to the matches themselves (on TV or DVD) being in story-line order, I – a loyal fan – would like to see “Superstars of Wrestling”, “Prime Time Wrestling” & even “TNT” episodes – in order. (That last one if only for its “kitsch” value.)

If there were 48 episodes of “Raw” aired in a year, split that into two volumes of 24 episodes (in order, per year) and release them on DVD. We, as fans and collectors, WILL purchase them. Dip into your vast, historic, video library & make some scratch while pleasing your fans.

3) Legends:

Am I seriously the only one who thinks a “Legends League” with its own belts (that don’t change hands nightly) with all the people who have Legends Contracts with the WWE (and others who are still able to wrestle) is worthy of its own weekly broadcast? You can start off with a tournament for each belt to determine the new “Legends Champion”.

4) Women’s Wrestling:

I’m alone in my opinion of this, but hear me out: Get rid of it.

Women’s wrestling (much like the tag-team division) hasn’t been taken seriously by the WWE in years. Until the time is going to be devoted to treat it with the respect it deserves, just turn all the “Divas” into referees in short, tight, black & white referee outfits.

5) Managers:

Some fans believe that in this day and age, managers serve no purpose. I’ll believe this when I see someone besides CM Punk cut a decent promo.

6) Jobbers aka “Enhancement Talent”:

In some fashion, bring them back.

Why would I pay to see two wrestlers wrestle against each other on a PPV when I just watched them a few nights or weeks ago for free on TV?

(Answer: I wouldn’t. Which is why The Rock, Mick Foley & others are brought back at different times.)

Are my suggestions THE answers for bringing wrestling back to its glory days? Of course not. You could list a hundred things that need to be changed – and like me – you’d be right about 30% of the time.

As viewers & fans, we don’t see everything that goes into each segment & program featured on television & PPV’s throughout the year. It’s hard to keep things fresh.

But maybe, just maybe, if Vince & Co. took an occasional piece of solid advice from the people who watch his “sports entertainment”, we fans would feel better about being fans…something I haven’t felt in years.

If people want to contact Shane or read more of his adventures, they can email [email protected]

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Welcome to another edition of ROH TV and this week is highlighted by a main event that is show to burn up the ring and show the rest of the world what true tag team wrestling is all about as The Young Bucks will face Future Shock so let’s get right to the action.

The show opens up with comments from Prince Nana and his #1 member of The Embassy Tomasso Ciampa. Ciampa is currently undefeated and we get a glimpse of him training and he says that while everyone else in ROH is finding someone new to train with to try and gain an advantage he only needs to train with himself. He knows that if he can’t beat himself then no one in ROH will be able to either.

Shiloh Jonze VS. “The Dominant Male” Tomasso Ciampa

This match has you expected is a total squash and although the crowd tried their best to motivate you Shiloh Jonze he definitely was no match for the Ciampa as he would remain undefeated after this mercy killing. A series of vicious knees to the face of Jonze as he was resting on the bottom turnbuckle gave way to one of the most unique finishers in all of pro wrestling…Project Ciampa. A sick moves that starts out with Ciampas opponent in the powerbomb position and he then drives them into his knees instead of the mat!!!!

Your Winner – “The Dominant Male” Tomasso Ciampa

Next we hear from dem boys from Sandy Fork, DE The Briscoes promoting their match against the WGTT. We also hear from The All Night Express has they announce that they will face the WGTT in the proving ground in hopes of winning and securing a shot at the tag titles.

The segment was definitely the most anticipated of the night and I’ve been counting down the minutes ’til we would see the in-ring confrontation between ROH executive producer and perhaps the biggest heel in the history of ROH Kevin Steen. In the ring we had Cornette joined by the man responsible for Steen’s sudden change in heart Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs. Cornette invited Steen down to the ring along with his legal team. You know the history that Cornette and Steen have and in an attempt to moderate Kevin Kelly & Nigel Mcguinness are in the ring as well but it would make no difference as Cornette (who is no stranger to a mic) would soon take over this segment.

Cornette would explain how talented of a wrestler Steen is and he would love to have him back in ROH but he simply can’t be trusted and Steen plays into this theory as he drops several curse words that cause multiple bleeps. Steen is the second coming of Brian Pillman when he played his “loose cannon” character in ECW. Steen plays the part so well and he and Cornette come across as heaving nothing short of utter disdain for each other. We cut to the chase and Cornette allows Corino to present “the offer” from ROH to Steen and we get the bomb dropped that at Final Battle Corino will face Steen and if Steen wins then he’s reinstated in ROH!!!!!! Also Jimmy Jacobs will be the special referee for the match. Corino warns that at Final Battle it won’t be the new calmer Corino but Steen will be getting the evil Steve Corino of old!!!

The segment ends with Steen promising that he’ll win at Final Battle and he wants Cornette to be a ring side so he can be there when Steen wins and when he does he guarantees to make ROH his ROH and he’ll make Cornettes life a living hell!!!!

Inside ROH

This week inside ROH it’s announced that this building feud between ROH TV champ Jay Lethal and Mike Bennett will come to a head at Final Battle. Also after the spirited match that Lethal had against the former champ El Generico last week that ended in a time limit draw it only seems fair that at Final Battle on Dec 23rd it will be Jay Lethal defending the ROH TV title against “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett and “The Generic Luchador” El Generico.

We hear more comments this week from Eddie Edwards and his training partner and mentor Dan Severn delving further into Edwards match with Davey Richards. This really was more of the same from last week, nothing new to note.

Also we visit Roderick Strong doing some more of his 12 oz curls at the bar with these girls that look like extras from the show Blind Date, where’s Roger Lodge when you need him. But seriously this was more of the same as well with Strong saying that he’ll be in New York with or without an opponent to watch the championship match.

The Young Bucks VS. Future Shock

Before the match we hear a promo from the young bucks explaining their history with the “veterans” in the business and shedding light on how they have wrestled for TNA and they give you a little background of how they came back to ROH because they were sick of wrestling guys old enough to be there dad and they even do the unthinkable in some eyes and drop Booker T’s name on TV as we all know how they had a tryout match in WWE and it didn’t work out because they didn’t do what they were told and according to Booker T they don’t kiss enough butt. Well Vince’s loss in ROH’s gain as they are the most exciting team in pro wrestling. I can hardly wait for this match to begin!

If you have ever seen a match with either one of these teams you know it’s a daunting task to try and keep up with each move taking place. I’ll try my best to give the highspots only. After some early back and forth action that featured some signature double-team moves O’Reilly was able to make the hot tag to Cole and the action was beginning to spill outside and Cole avoided a baseball slide from Nick Jackson and countered with a wheel-barrel suplex onto the ring apron and the sickening thud of Jackson’s head cracking on the apron could be heard all throughout the Davis Arena!!!

At this point late in the match both teams were calling for their finishers and Cole/O’Reilly attempted their finisher “Ride The Lightning” first and the bucks countered and hit stereo kicks that echoed as well!!! Matt Jackson nailed a sick series of two powerbombs followed by a third bucklebomb for a near pin fall!!! This time the bucks attempted their finisher “More Bang for your Buck” and you gussed right it was countered by O’Reilly who hit a tornado DDT combo and rolled into a guillotine and he held the choke for a while as Cole kept Nick Jackson at bay and didn’t let him back in the ring to break the hold. He was then able to get into the ring and tried valiantly to get O’Reilly to break the hold and he was like a man possessed and wouldn’t break until finally letting his hands go and then the end was inevitable and the young bucks were able to hit “More bang for you buck” to secure the victory!!!

Your Winners – The Young Bucks

Overall Thoughts

It’s sounds so cliche to say but I can’t resist, they’re really weren’t any losers in this match!!! I mean this match is what tag team wrestling is all about!!!

Both of these teams are future champions and the action that they bring in the ring is second to none. Any one who is a fan of old school traditional cut the ring in half tag team wrestling wouldn’t appreciate it but anyone who is a fan of Japanese and Lucha style wrestling, would enjoy the action that these two teams bring.

Looking forward to next week and the proving ground match up between the WGTT and The All Night Express.
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Once again ROH is coming to you from the Davis Arena in Louisville, KY and this week’s episode is highlighted by the main event featuring the student versus the teacher as team Richards member Kyle O’Reilly will face his mentor and training partner the ROH world champ Davey Richards!

We start off the show with a promo from Mike Mondo. The self proclaimed “biggest man in ROH” cuts a classic bully-like promo with plenty of cocky one liners and is set to take on fellow ROH newcomer Alex Silva in this week’s opening bout.

Mike Mondo VS Alex Silva

Alex Silva is a newcomer that we have seen once on TV and each one of these guys has one loss already and can’t afford to lose another match. These two put together some cool sequences where they are trading chops and tying one another up in some leg locks and are eventually un-tied by referee Todd Sinclair. Mondo shows great agility for a big guy hitting a cork-screw plancha onto Silva on the outside. Silva hits a gut-wrench powerbomb that Mondo counters with a cool transition into submission attempt courtesy of a fuji-wara arm bar. The end comes in the form of a double under-hook DDT as Mondo picks up a much needed win and hopefully this isn’t the last that we’ve seen on the 20 year old Canadian Alex Silva

Your Winner – Mike Mondo

The latest installment in the on-going saga involving Kevin Steen and Jim Cornette is next as Cornette says that he’ll issue his public statement regarding the matter next week but for now he issues a personal statement and he vehemently denies any and all allegations being made by Steen and his lawyer. I guess we’ll see what his public statement involves next week and I’m curious to see if Steve Corino will make his presence felt.

Jamin Olivencia VS “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett

This is the ROH TV debut of Jamin Olivencia. It’s worth noting that Olivencia has the home field advantage so to speak as he is in fact a former Ohio Valley Wrestling heavyweight champion. He is facing a man who calls himself the ROH TV champ in Bennett. Some great action between these two as Olivencia is pulling out some innovative offense in hopes of win or lose earning a regular spot on the ROH roster. Nigel McGuiness dropped the best line that I’ve heard so far to explain/defend ROH wrestling to anyone and that was “ROH is not sports entertainment, it’s an entertaining sport”.

That is such a excellent way to describe the action and I this ROH blogger really wishes that he’d thought of it first!!! I can definitely see that on the back of a ROH t-shirt. Bennett’s experience is the deciding factor and he picks up the win with his box office smash finisher. Bennett really has all the tools and is the total package as he can definitely get in done in the ring and is great on the mic also. You can really see that Bennett is a champion in the making and let’s hope that the ROH brass take their time in grooming him for a belt of some sort. All signs are pointing to the TV title has this feud with current champ Jay Lethal is continuing.

Your Winner – “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett

Inside ROH

We take a closer look at the upcoming rubber match between Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. It was revealed this week on Twitter courtesy of Davey Richards that Eddie Edwards new trainer is MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn!!!! We also learned that it was actually Richards idea to train with Severn and Edwards has decided to do so to try to get one up on former partner Richards and needless to say Richards feels betrayed and this has only poured fuel on the fire and caused this rivalry to heat up!!!! Next week we’ll see footage of Edwards actually training with Dan Severn at his camp in Michigan.

Also the Briscoes issue a challenge to Cedric Coleman and Caprice Alexander as a way to get at the champs Haas & Benjamin. The Briscoes note the fact that it took Haas & Benjamin 13 minutes to beat Coleman & Alexander and they vow to beat them much quicker and we’ll have this match next week.

Time for this week’s main event, The team Richards challenge.

Kyle O’Reilly VS ROH world champion “American Wolf” Davey Richards

These two did not disappoint as they absolutely tore the house down!!!! I could devote an entire blog to this match alone. I find myself saying that about pretty much every match that I watch involving Richards. This match was wrestled with an American strong style feel from the opening bell. Both wrestlers were trading brutal forearms and super crisp kicks the entire time. You could hear the kicks being delivered by both wrestlers just echo throughout the arena. Truth Martini did join the announce table to let everyone know that if he had Richards in his house of truth then this match wouldn’t have gone for as long as it did. One cool sequence saw Richards trap O’Reilly’s arm with one leg and lock in a Texas cloverleaf at the same time. This match featured many high spots and innovative offense from both combatants. Richards is an absolute buzz saw!!!!

O’Reilly wasn’t giving up easy and he locked in multiple guillotine attempts and even garnered a near fall reaching a 2.5 count courtesy of a Chris Benoit like side suplex. Another cool spot saw O’Reilly apply a standing guillotine and Richards applied an ankle lock…at the same time. Richards would ground O’Reilly and lock in the ankle lock in a more traditional fashion and O’Reilly was holding on and in a move that no one saw coming fellow team Richards member Tony Kozina actually threw in the towel.

Your Winner – ROH World Champion “American Wolf” Davey Richards

My closing thoughts
What more can I say about this main event. I mean this match exemplified every thing that I love about ROH wrestling. You had a storyline of student vs teacher. It’s no secret that Kyle O’Reilly is my favorite wrestler right now and he definitely impressed me even more (if that was possible) in this match. O’Reilly went toe to toe with Richards all throughout this match and was in it ’til the end. We are left with the question as to why Tony Kozina threw in the towel and I’m curious to see where this is going. Richards showed why he’s the champ and the best worker in the business right now hands down. This was without a doubt the most exciting wrestling on TV last night and yes it was free!!!!

Looking ahead next week we have the public response to Kevin Steen from Jim Cornette. Also the main event will be the rematch between current ROH TV champion Jay Lethal and the former champion El Generico.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!

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