Here we are, on the verge of one of the most important weekends on the Ring of Honor calendar. ROH has lined up a card to rival anything it’s ever put on, especially when it comes to Glory By Honors of the past. Before we can get to this weekend, and its PPV taping results, we have to look at what happened across the Pacific last weekend (results courtesy of prof81 and rohwrestling.com).

9/13/08

Differ Ariake, Japan

1. Yamato beat Eddie Edward
- Won with a sit down tombstone, like Owen used on Stone Cold. Good match, crowd really liked Edwards, both looked strong, Sweeny was there, bailed out Edwards afterwards.

2. Austin Aries beat Ryo Saito
- Another good match, won with the No Chancery, tap-out. Age of the Fall attacked Aries afterwards.

3. Roderick Strong beat Davey Richards
- Longest match of the night, maybe 25 mins, very intense in the second half. Davey dove into the crowd and totally took out a small Japanese woman, best high spot of the night. Strong won after a Gibson driver, rolled into a second Gibson driver. Had the crowd into it. Sweeny had a huge presence here, interacting with the crowd.

4. Dragon Gate 6-man
- El Generico won for his team with a spinning Brain Buster on Yoshino, great match, my heart almost stopped a couple of times in the last few mins. Some huge moves, big hits between Shingo and Hulk. Crowd doesn't react with the 'Please Don't Stop' type reaction, but very into it and into Generico.

5. Bryan Danielson beat Nigel McGuinness with a small package
- They went old school, like Rikidozan old school. Huge contrast from the previous match, very submission based, great selling. Also had the crowd into the methodical style, a bit short though.

6. Age of the Fall beat Briscoe Brothers to keep the ROH Tag Titles
- Great start, Briscoes are jumped on the ramp, brawl through the crowd. The fans are super into the Briscoes. Leave Black laid out in the crowd and double-team Jimmy in the ring. Black crawls back in a few mins just in time to stop the pin. Black power bombs Mark into some (empty this time) chairs, Jacobs gets the springboard End Time for the tap out. Kind of quick, crowd definitely wanted more Briscoes!

A good show. The building was not full, maybe a bit more than half. Audience was kind of quiet but seemed into it even if they didn't really know a lot of the wrestlers.

ROH knew that the first night could be used as a precursor to what Sunday’s show would offer. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. The final two matches were the highlight of the show from the majority of the reviews coming out. And I can’t see why it wouldn’t be. ROH made sure that the Age of the Fall would get a good spotlight as Jacobs would be a part of the next night’s main event, with this also being the first time Japan would see the revolutionary concept that is AOTF live. They needed to make sure the fans were ready for the possibility of Jacobs becoming the new ROH champion 24 hours later. The six man was said to be good, but not as epic as the one Dragon Gate put on last weekend in the main event in LA.

9/14/08

Differ Ariake, Japan

In the dark match Tetsuya Naito & Yujiro defeated Genba Hirayanagi & Kotaro Suzuki in a wild match. This will be a bonus on the DVD of tonight's event.

1) The lights went out and the music started and the ROH show was underway. Austin Aries crashed Bobby Cruise's open and after the happenings of last night demanded that his match against Tyler Black start immediately. Aries defeated Black with the Last Chancery, but after the match Jimmy Jacobs put out Aries with the End Time and promised more chaos and said that he would win the World Title in the main event.

2) Kazushi Miyamoto defeated Eddie Edwards when Larry Sweeney's interference backfired. The fans really got into Sweeney. After the match it looked like Sweeney and Edwards might have been on the outs, but they made up with a big hug. The Japanese fans really reacted to that.

3) Taiji Ishimori defeated El Generico in a really athletic match.

4) Davey Richards debut his new finisher to earn him and Takeshi Morishima a win over Jay & Mark Briscoe. After the match, Jacobs and Tyler Black attacked The Briscoes.

5) Bryan Danielson defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru to win the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title in just over 20 minutes. This was a great match and I was fortunate to just sit in the crowd and watch it. The fans were really behind Bryan and when he won they were overjoyed and surprised. It was really a genuine moment when he won as everyone was really happy for Bryan. There aren't a lot of moments like that and I don't know if it will come across on the DVD, but live it was something I'll never forget.

6) Things got turned up a notch after intermission with the dream tag. KENTA & Kota Ibushi went to a 30 minute draw vs. Naomichi Marufuji & Katsuhiko Nakajima. They then went to a 5 minute overtime, which ended in a draw. This was just unreal. I don't want to hype it too much as I'll let you just watch it for yourself. I've never heard kicks like Nakajima's. This was the most over match of the night with the fans. These guys are really the new stars in Japan.

7) Kensuke Sasaki defeated Roderick Strong in a very even match in about 12 minutes.

8) Nigel McGuinness retained the ROH World Title against Jimmy Jacobs in a classic heel/face match that the fans got into. I have to be honest. I feared for these guys. This was a long show with a lot of great stuff on it. I figured the crowd would be tired and knew they would have a tough time. Instead, they told a great story in the match and the fans totally got into it. Hats off to Nigel and Jacobs.

Well, Jacobs couldn’t bring the ROH title to the AOTF, but Bryan Danielson did something very few expected him to do once the plane landed in Tokyo: becoming the GHC Jr. Heavyweight champion. Danielson, who has traveled the globe over and over again, is becoming a force in any country he competes in. I don’t know how long he’ll hold onto the title, but this is a huge moment for Danielson, and ROH. Kind of disappointed Sasaki and Strong wasn’t the classic I thought it would be. I don’t know if Gabe is just putting over the show and its matches, or if it’s true, but by the sounds of the NOAH special tag, I can’t wait to see this match. 35 minutes of some of the hardest hitting action in wrestling is enough to warrant a DVD purchase.

Okay, the moment of truth. Have I been right in my assumptions that Steenerico will be the new ROH Tag Team champions by the time ROH left Boston?

PPV Taping
September 19th, 2008
Boston, MA

~ROH returns to Boston on May 8th, 2009.

Preshow
1) Ernie Osiris defeats Frankie Aereon with his feet on the ropes.
2) Brutal Bob Evans defeats Alex Payne with a powerslam.

Main Show
~Mitch Franklin is out in the ring dressed as a lumberjack. He says his name is "Grizzly Redwood" and that it's time to get his career back on track.
1) Chasyn Rance defeats "Grizzly Redwood" with a piledriver in an entertaining match. Crowd was really in to the lumberjack deal actually.

~Austin Aries is out to start the PPV taping. He calls out Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs comes out and gets Aries' attention while Delirious attacks from behind.
2) Austin Aries defeats Delirious with the Last Chancery. After the match the AOTF gang up on Aries and lay him out on the outside of the ring on a table. Jimmy Jacobs comes off the top with a senton laying Aries through it.

~SNS Inc. are now out. Sara Del Rey squashes some nameless jobber who got no introduction.

3) Brent Albright & Erick Stevens defeat Adam Pearce & Eddie Edwards when Albright hits Pearce with a half nelson suplex for three. Fun old school tag match.

4) Chris Hero defeats Jerry Lynn in a decent but disappointing bout with a loaded roaring elbow.

5) Bryan Danielson defeats Claudio Castagnoli and Go Shiozaki in a three way elimination match. Claudio got DQ'd first for attacking the referee and had to be restrained by students. Laid out Dragon before he left. Dragon and Shiozaki go at it, with Dragon trapping Go in the Triangle Choke for the win. After the match Dragon says he's done what Nigel wanted, and he challenges him for the title in Chicago in November.

6) Jay & Mark Briscoe defeat Ruckus & Jigsaw, Necro Butcher, and the YRR when the Briscoes hit a doomsday device on Blade. Fun spotfest to end the first half.

7) Daizee Haze defeats Madison Eagles in a decent match with the Mind Trip.

8) Rhett Titus defeats Josh Daniels by reversing a roll up for a three count. Funny match.

9) ROH World Championship: Nigel McGuinness defeats Roderick Strong with a Tower of London to retain the ROH World Championship. Match started slow but really picked up towards the end. After the match, Nigel accepts Dragon's challenge for a title match in Chicago.

10) ROH World Tag Team Championships: Kevin Steen & El Generico defeat Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black to win the Championships with a Package Piledriver/Brainbuster combo. Incredible match, "Loudest pop I've heard since Homicide at COD.

Can I get a what, what? If there was a more perfect time for this to happen, I can’t think of one. Steenerico have been on a roll for the past year and a half, and many thought they’d be Tag champions over three times by now. But with this win, we finally can see what we’ve been waiting for, for such a long time. One thought, though. I know that Steen promised to win a title before Nov. 21^st, or he’d be gone from ROH. But he’s also said that he had to be a wearing an ROH title when he comes back to Dayton that day. So if he and Generico lose the belts before then, is Steen done? Might be a nice little twist if that happens. Whatever, Steenerico are the champions of the world. Who cares about tomorrow?

Everything else seems fundamental. Shocked that Hero beat Lynn. We’ll, maybe I shouldn’t be. He is “The Knockout Kid” after all. What have they done to Mitch Franklin? “Midget” Grizzly Redwood doesn’t have the same ring. Liberace! Glad to see they’re finally pulling the trigger for Danielson/McGuinness II on pay-per-view. Knowing that this is a PPV only storyline, I’ve felt that a lot of the drama in Nigel’s defenses has been lost due to the knowledge that he won’t drop the belt until after this storyline. If Nigel does get through Danielson, who knows what’s next for the champion. Maybe a dark figure, brooding on the sidelines, waiting to take Nigel to, and possibly pass, the limit. Maybe at Final Battle 2008. Maybe…

Put September 26th down on your calendar because that is the premiere of the ROH "New Horizons" pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, The DISH Network and TVN cable systems.

ROH World Title Match

Nigel McGuinness defends vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Bonus Main Event

Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black

Tag Team Challenge

Roderick Strong & Naomichi Marufuji vs. Chris Hero & Go Shiozaki with Larry Sweeney

No DQ Match

Kevin Steen vs. The Necro Butcher

Four Corner Survival

Delirious vs. Erick Stevens vs. Ruckus vs. Shane Hagadorn

Plus: Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs in a violent war that can only be called a fight, Jay & Mark Briscoe return to PPV and much, much more including a surprise appearance from a man that has held titles in WWE, WCW and the original ECW!!!

Another solid card for sure. Fans at the taping said that this show hosted the best match between Black and Danielson, which is saying something. Their previous contests have been nothing short of amazing, with some of the best storytelling and physicality in any organization this year. The main event was also called Nigel’s and Claudio’s best match against each other. One match that should be fun for anyone watching is the No DQ match. Steen is a madman, and Necro Butcher is just mad. Makes for good TV to say the least.

The entire field for "Survival Of The Fittest 2008" on 10/10 in Coral Springs, FL has been announced. These athletes will compete in six single matches during the first half of the card. The winners of those bouts will then go to the elimination match main event. The winner of that one will be "Survival Of The Fittest" champion and receive a future shot at the ROH World Title. There will be a new "Survival Of The Fittest" Champion this year as only those who have not won the tourney are allowed in it. Someone will have a chance to either climb the card or get a ROH World Title shot. The 12 participants for ROH's debut in Coral Springs, FL are:

Austin Aries, Jerry Lynn, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Tyler Black, Davey Richards, Chasyn Rance, Kenny King, Jimmy Jacobs, Mitch Franklin, Erick Stevens, The Necro Butcher
Two qualifying matches for "Survival Of The Fittest 2008" on 10/10 in Coral Springs, FL have been signed. These matches were drawn at random. There will be six qualifying single matches. The winners will advance to the elimination match finals. The victor of that bout is "Survival Of The Fittest" Champion. The first two contests are Jerry Lynn vs. El Generico and Austin Aries vs. Davey Richards.

Looking at it, I have to say that this year’s entries are much stronger than last year’s. You can easily figure that a majority of the names have a chance at winning it all. There are a few dark horses as well (Necro, King, Stevens) who could use this victory like those of years gone by. As for the two qualifying matches, I’m going with Lynn and Richards to make it to the finals. Aries doesn’t need a win, and I could see Jacobs being the reason for it. After the announcement that Tyler Black and Jerry Lynn will face off the next night in Orlando, I’ve decided to change my final two in the Survival of the Fittest finals: Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs. Over the past few months, Black has been rising on a sea of victories and fan support. Jacobs, on the other hand, has been losing, getting beat up, and being outsmarted by Austin Aries at every step in their feud. Leader versus star pupil will be the prefect precursor to, what it’s appearing to be, the beginning of the end of the Age of the Fall.  

The Coral Springs, FL debut event keeps getting bigger and bigger. Just signed this week is Roderick Strong vs. FIP World Heavyweight Champion Go Shiozaki. If Shiozaki is still champ he will put the belt on the line in Coral Springs, FL.

Loves it! Strong is trying to take on Sweet & Sour Inc. Go is a part of S & S Inc. Roddy wants the FIP title back. Shiozaki is the FIP champion. Simple booking, and I like it. But what about Stevens? Shouldn’t he get a shot before Strong? I don’t see Strong winning the belt because the Shiozaki/Stevens II for the FIP title should, and will, only happen in FIP.

We have learned that Austin Aries and Alex Shelley have had some phone conversations lately about the 10/25 Edison, NJ event. We'll have more in the upcoming weeks right here in the ROHwrestling.com Newswire. Shelley & Chris Sabin, The Motor City Machine Guns, will make their final visit to ROH in 2008 on 10/24 in Hartford and 10/25 in Edison. Their opponents will be announced after the 9/20 "Glory By Honor VII" event.

Interesting. Interesting indeed. As you ROHbots know, the last time Alex Shelley and Austin Aries were in the ring, it was opposite sides as Aries led Shelley’s former Generation Next against The Embassy. Could Austin be looking to ignite the wrestling fire that gave away to a brawling, bloodthirsty side of Aries that has consumed him in his war with Jimmy Jacobs? Or is Aries looking for a little help to even the sides with Necro going crazy on everyone? Or does Aries think Shelley was in the car filming that abduction of that girl…wait, what was her name again? I remember she was the focus of the feud, but they rarely talk about her anymore. Maybe I’m just going crazy.  

Kensuke Sasaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima will be available for autographs on Saturday in Philly. Autograph tickets will be sold at the show.

Pay five dollars extra, and you can get chopped to pieces by Sasaki.

The Ring of Honor show scheduled for Friday, October 24th at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford, CT has been moved to the Danbury Police Athletic League Building, 35 Hayestown Road, Danbury, CT 06811. All tickets purchased for Hartford will be honored in Danbury. We apologize to anybody who is inconvenienced by the switch. Already signed for this event are Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (The Motor City Machine Guns).

From what I’ve seen, and heard, not much of a difference in the size of the building, so still should be an enjoyable event from a seating perspective. At least Ticketmaster didn’t screw this up (I’m looking at you, TNA).

ROH has announced a show for Nashville, TN on 12/6 at Vanderbilt University Memorial Gym.

ROH is always making strides to expand their live product, and Nashville is a great wrestling site. I know some angry TNA fans still sit in Nashville, hoping that some great wrestling will come back to their side of town, and here it is.

The SHIMMER wrestling course is now here for women that are serious about learning to be a pro wrestler. The head trainer is Daizee Haze and classes are conducted at the ROH Wrestling School in Bristol, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. For more information email: shimmerschool@hotmail.com

Pretty cool. Women breaking into the business (the right way) have to bust their butts as hard as their male counterparts (if not harder with the pressure of using their bodies outside of the ring to get ahead). Daizee Haze is a perfect candidate for a teacher, as she is a shining example of what a women’s wrestler should be in the ring, and out of it.

The Wrestler by Darren Aronofsky has taken the Venice Film Festival by storm. It has won the Best Picture award of the festival and received standing ovations from the audiences. Mickey Rourke has earned glowing reviews for his leading role in the movie. Ring Of Honor is heavily featured in the closing scene of The Wrestler. Check out this review from Variety (and it doesn't get any bigger in Hollywood than Variety): http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938197.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

I didn’t know what to think at the beginning of the year when ROH announced that they had come to an agreement to allow “The Wrestler” to be filmed during an ROH event. ROHbots didn’t take too kindly to this, but it seems it was worth it. The movie has gotten nothing but rave reviews from critics and movie goers alike. I can’t wait for it to come to theaters later this year. If you want to see a few clips from the film, head over to rohvideos.com.  

And here we are. As I said earlier, Glory By Honor weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year on the ROH calendar. You could say GBH is one of the big four when it comes to Ring of Honor events over the year (Supercard of Honor, Death Before Dishonor, and Final Battle being the other three). But I can’t think of a Glory By Honor with such a card. The possibilities of history making moments are plentiful. Glory By Honor VII is so big I had to give it its own section in the ROHbot Report. Let preview, what should be, the most memorable show of the year in Ring of Honor. (All predictions were made before the Boston PPV taping).

Glory By Honor VII
September 20th, 2008
New Alhambra Arena (former ECW Arena)

Steel Cage Warfare
Two men drawn at random will start. Wrestlers from each team will enter the cage in 3 minute intervals. Eliminations can happen at anytime. Eliminations are by pinfall or submission. The Necro Butcher can be drawn to enter the cage at any point. The match goes on until only one team (or The Necro Butcher) survives. There are no other rules. The participants are:
The Briscoes & Austin Aries vs. The Age of the Fall of Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, & Delirious vs. The Necro Butcher

I don’t know if this is the blowoff or not, but I can’t think of a better way to end this whole thing between the Age of the Fall and The Briscoes. This thing started all the way back at “Man Up” last September when they attacked The Briscoes after that grueling Ladder War with Steenerico, hanging a bleeding Jay Briscoe from the ceiling by his legs. Since then, blood has been shed, ligaments torn, and many chairs broken. One of the most interesting factors of the match will be the wildman card. We have a crazy redneck that’ll jump off anything. A masked lunatic who just had his heart broken. And The Necro Butcher. If you tell me there won’t be a lot of bloodshed and sore bodies, then I call you a liar with JBL size man-boobs. If I had to pick a winner, I’d go with Jacobs. I believe it’ll come down to Aries, Jacobs, and Necro. Aries will accidentally hurt/eliminate Necro, causing Butcher to go wild on him and leave Aries open for Jacobs to get the victory for his team.

ROH World Title Match
Nigel McGuinness/Roderick Strong 9/19 winner defends vs. El Generico

Since I’m betting that Roderick doesn’t have a chance at winning the night before, I’ll say that it will be Nigel in the champion’s slot. He and Generico had a knockdown, drag out kind of match last time around, with Generico on the verge of winning it all. Every time I see a Nigel defense lately, I’ve been rooting for the challenger. Not because I want the McGuinness ROH World title era to end. On the contrary, Nigel has done such a great job at making me hate him as champion, I can’t help but cheer for his opponents. The day someone unseats him will be one of the most memorable moments in ROH history. And what better show than to do it at than this one? My pick to win? My heart says “Generico,” but my head says “McGuinness.” I firmly believe that Steenerico will walk out of Boston, Friday night, as the new Tag Team champions. I highly doubt ROH will put two belts on “The Generic Luchador.”   

Special Attraction Match - Non-Title
GHC Heavyweight Champion Kensuke Sasaki vs. Claudio Castagnoli

I’ve been pumped for this match since the announcement. Sasaki will be riding the wave of momentum after toppling Takeshi Morishima for the GHC Heavyweight title two weeks ago. Claudio is riding a wave of hatred after stomping Danielson’s head in with a steel chair. Both men are versatile hard hitters, and could end a match with their respective patented strikes. But as we’ve seen with most visiting Japanese superstars in Ring of Honor in the past, they don’t lose. Claudio, sorry, but you have some chops and kicks to take with nothing to show for it but welts.

GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title Match
Bryan Danielson defends vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

I don’t know much about Nakajima outside of him being a Sasaki pupil, as well as the, rumored, hardest kicker, not only in Japan, but the world. Danielson, like Sasaki, is coming in with a new title around his waist, and is planning to keep that winning streak going. Danielson has had some tremendous moments at GBH, including his ROH World title win at GBH IV. Danielson should have no problems showing why he is “The Best In The World” in this title defense.   

NWA World Heavyweight Title Rematch
Brent Albright defends vs. Adam Pearce with Larry Sweeney

These two had a show stealing classic at Death Before Dishonor VI last month. The atmosphere was very old school, and the heat was near molten when Albright won. I think the old ECW crowd, if they show up, might not be as warm as the NYC faithful. I don’t see Albright dropping the “10 pounds of gold” just yet. One thing I’m also betting on is Bobby Dempsey without a shirt. You want extra heat, do that.

FIP World Heavyweight Title Match
Go Shiozaki defends vs. Kevin Steen

Like his partner, I’m banking on Kevin Steen walking into Philly with a Tag belt over his shoulder. Now I know this would be some WWE-esque booking to having both halves of the Tag Team champions lose on the same night, so that’s why I’m not saying Steen will lose. Shiozaki has Stevens waiting in the wings for a title shot. And as we’ve seen in the past, Stevens will interfere in matches involving the FIP champion. I see interference by both Stevens and Sweet & Sour Inc., ending the bout with a DQ on the champ.  

Special Challenge Match
Jerry Lynn vs. Kenny King

Kenny King is being pushed in ROH as a future star. Well, he needs to grow as an in-ring competitor if they want that. And who is a better teacher than Mr. JL? Now don’t think King has a chance at winning. Lynn will Cradle Piledrive Kenny back to Tough Enough if need be. Should be a nice homecoming of sorts for Lynn as he gets ready for Survival of the Fittest.

Special Attraction Match
Erick Stevens vs. Rhett "Addicted To Love" Titus

I think this won’t even happen. I see Delirious running out during Titus’ entrance, killing the kid before eating his face. Okay, maybe the last part won’t happen. But I predict the blood-lustful Philly fans will get their plasma fix by the end of Saturday night, and Delirious will be a main reason for it with this match up.

Bonus Tag Team Match
Jigsaw & Ruckus vs. Chris Hero & Eddie Edwards with Larry Sweeney

Should be a hot opener, if it is the opener. The Vulture Squad have become glorified jobbers, and GBH will be no different. They’ll show off all of their fancy moves before getting knocked the f(censored by Gov. Palin in hopes of keeping the youth of the ROHbot nation pure)k out by The KOK, Chris Hero.

Plus much more with:
-Sara Del Rey, Shane Hagadorn & Bobby Dempsey of Sweet & Sour Inc.
-Daizee Haze
-Plus others!!!

Hopefully “others” means Mitch Franklin. Oh, I love that little guy.

Even though I won’t be there, I can’t wait to just read the results of this show. Hope that everyone that goes has an experience of a lifetime. Be sure to check out the new Videowire before making the trek to The New Alhambra. If you see Daizee, give her a funny look like she smells, or something. The way she’s saying it on the new Videowire, everyone’s giving her that “Ew, there’s that shank again,” look. Why not get in on the fun, too.

Till Then.  

Here we are, on the verge of one of the most important weekends on the Ring of Honor calendar. ROH has lined up a card to rival anything it’s ever put on, especially when it comes to Glory By Honors of the past. Before we can get to this weekend, and its PPV taping results, we have to look at what happened across the Pacific last weekend (results courtesy of prof81 and rohwrestling.com).