http://www.cheap-heat.com/roh-champions-top-13-longest-reigns/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/roh-champions-top-13-longest-reigns/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:30:52 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Top Lists
Adam Cole
Austin Aries
Bryan Danielson
Daniel Bryan
Davey Richards
Eddie Edwards
Jay Briscoe
Kevin Steen
Nigel McGuinness
Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong
ROH
ROH Champion
Samoa Joe
Seth Rollins
Takeshi Morishima
Tyler Black
Xavier
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12692
Welcome back to another exclusive list here at Cheap-Heat.com! In the past I’ve covered title belts in terms of great champions, iconic names in the industry, longest reigning NWA champions, WWE champions, cool designs and so much more! But it struck me–I never did a countdown of the Top 13 Longest Reigning Champions in Ring […]
Welcome back to another exclusive list here at Cheap-Heat.com! In the past I’ve covered title belts in terms of great champions, iconic names in the industry, longest reigning NWA champions, WWE champions, cool designs and so much more! But it struck me–I never did a countdown of the Top 13 Longest Reigning Champions in Ring of Honor History. This is a WHO’S WHO in the wrestling business, featuring some huge names and a couple of surprises that you probably didn’t see coming. Ready? Let’s get to it!
13. Eddie Edwards
Days as Champion: 99
Number of Reigns: 1
Coming in at number thirteen is one half of the American Wolves—Eddie Edwards. Edwards just missed the hundred day mark with 99 days as champion, and successfully defended his title a total of 3 times during his 3-month run. He won the championship on March 19, 2011 in New York City when he defeated the
current
number one contender to the ROH title, Roderick Strong. The end came for Edwards and his reign as champion on June 26, 2011 when he was unseated by his now-tag team partner, Davey Richards.
12. Xavier
Days as Champion: 182
Number of Reigns: 1
The name Xavier might not resonate with many casual fans, but Ring of Honor historians know him as the second man to hold the coveted ROH World title. Xavier defeated Low Ki on September 21, 2002 and held onto the championship through four title defenses. It was the fifth however, that cost Xavier the strap, when he dropped it to Samoa Joe on March 22, 2003.
11. Roderick Strong
Days as Champion: 189
Number of Reigns: 1
He is the current number one contender to Jay Lethal's Ring of Honor championship, and should he be successful in his upcoming effort, Roderick Strong will be just one of three men to hold the title twice. Roddy—as his friends and fans call him—won the ROH World Championship on September 11, 2010 in New York City from the current WWE Champion, Seth Rollins AKA Tyler Black. Roderick maintained his championship for over six months with five successful title defenses to his credit. He was finally defeated on March 19, 2011 by the first "American Wolf" to hold the title, Eddie Edwards.
10. Tyler Black
Days as Champion: 210
Number of Reigns: 1
He is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion and in just three weeks will head into battle against the "Beast" Brock Lesnar. But once upon a time, Seth Rollins was known as Tyler Black—the tenth longest reigning ROH World Champion in history. Black defeated seven challengers during his time as champion, after first conquering the 2-time ROH Champion Austin Aries. Black held the title for the better part of seven months, and finally dropped the title to Roderick Strong on September 11, 2010 in New York.
9. Takeshi Morishima
Days as Champion: 231
Number of Reigns: 1
The only man on our countdown from the "Land of the Rising Sun" is the one and only Takeshi Morishima. Morishima's size and speed made him a formidable force when mixing it up with the smaller-statured American Indy workers, and on February 17, 2007, he defeated Homicide for the coveted ROH championship. Morishima's title defense record blows the previous numbers out of the water by nearly tripling Tyler Black's defense record with a total of 20 vanquished challengers. Morishima's unprecedented 231-days as champion came to a close on October 6, 2007 when Nigel McGuinness took the gold, and held it for nearly 2 years.
8. Adam Cole
Days as Champion: 275
Number of Reigns: 1
If you started watching Ring of Honor when they began airing their pay-per-views on traditional cable systems, then Adam Cole might very well have been champion when you became a fan! Adam Cole is currently the leader of the Kingdom, and is the eighth longest-reigning ROH champion ever. Adam Cole won his first world title on September 20, 2013 when he defeated Michael Elgin in the tournament finals at Death Before Dishonor. He went on to carry the belt with him for an astounding 275 days and thirteen successful title defenses, until he was ultimately defeated by the man he bested in September, "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin.
7. Davey Richards
Days as Champion: 321
Number of Reigns: 1
Joining his tag team partner is the
other
half of the American Wolves, Davey Richards. Richards didn't beat just anyone either, but his beloved friend and confidant Eddie Edwards. That's right, the two men who are currently competing with the Dirty Heels to decide the undisputed TNA Tag Team Championship are both former ROH World Title holders. Richards won the belt on June 26, 2011 and managed to retain his title for just shy of eleven months. During his run, Richards beat ten challengers, but finally succumbed to the eleventh on May 12, 2012. The man who beat him is the current reigning NXT Champion, Kevin Owens AKA Kevin Steen.
6. Kevin Steen
Days as Champion: 328
Number of Reigns: 1
From Davey Richards to Kevin Steen, the next few names are actually listed in chronological order. Kevin Steen outdid Richards' reign by one week, and an additional 8 title defenses. With 18 challengers sent packing, Kevin Steen was among the most active world champions up to that time, with but a few noteworthy exceptions. Kevin Steen eventually dropped his title to Jay Briscoe on April 5, 2013 at Supercard of Honor VII in New York City.
5. Jay Briscoe
Days as Champion: 375
Number of Reigns: 2
And from Kevin Steen to Jay Briscoe! Jay Briscoe beat Kevin Steen after the formers 328-day reign as champion, but Briscoe would eventually outdo Steen over the course of TWO title runs. Only two men have ever held the Ring of Honor Championship twice; combining his first 89 days as champion with his other 286, Jay Briscoe ranks toward the top with 375 days. His first reign was cut short due to "injury," and the title was vacated and put up for grabs in a championship tournament won by Adam Cole. He then won the championship again from Michael Elgin, and carried it for nine months until recently losing it to Jay Lethal at Best in the World.
4. Austin Aries
Days as Champion: 419
Number of Reigns: 2
The only other man besides Jay Briscoe to hold the ROH Championship twice is the guy that likes to go by "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived." Austin Aries first won the championship on December 26, 2004 when he defeated the longest reigning ROH Champion in history, but more on that in a few moments. His first reign lasted for 174 days, and consisted of sixteen successful title defenses. He was eventually bested by CM Punk, but regained his title on June 13, 2009 when he knocked off veteran journeyman Jerry Lynn. His second reign lasted even longer—a total of 245 days—and included an additional 13 successful defenses. Aries second championship reign came to an end on February 13, 2010 when he was beaten by the man who would one day be known as Seth Rollins—Tyler Black.
3. Bryan Danielson
Days as Champion: 462
Number of Reigns: 1
Everyone's favorite underdog wasn't always so cute and cuddly, in fact he was one of the most vicious wrestlers to ever work inside a ROH ring. Bryan Danielson, more commonly known as Daniel Bryan, won the ROH Championship on September 17, 2005 when he defeated another WWE fixture, Jamie Noble AKA James Gibson. Danielson made a name for himself by setting the record for the most successful title defenses at 38, during which time he bested some of the greatest wrestlers on the planet. Danielson carried the ROH strap for 462 days—just over five months—until finally losing to Homicide at Final Battle 2006.
2. Nigel McGuinness
Days as Champion: 545
Number of Reigns: 1
Nigel McGuinness is the current ROH Matchmaker, and with 18+ months as world champion under his belt, is a shoe-in for any future ROH Hall of Fame. Nigel initially won the championship from the monstrous Takeshi Morishima on October 6, 2007 and went on to tie Bryan Danielson's defensive record at 38. Nigel McGuinness was one of the most prolific title holders in company history, as his reign spanned three calendar years from the tail end of 2007 to the spring of 2009. Nigel was the kind of despicable heel champion that could have only been beaten by a returning legend, and on April 3
rd
, 2009, Nigel McGuinness lost the championship to Jerry Lynn.
1. Samoa Joe
Days as Champion: 645
Number of Reigns: 1
Samoa Joe made his WWE debut in 2015 at the age of 36. For many casual "Universe" fans, this was the first time they were afforded the chance to see Joe in action. Sure some of them got to know the "Samoan Submission Machine" thanks to his work in TNA, but not many fans are aware of what an important role Joe played in establishing Ring of Honor as a viable promotion. Samoa Joe is the longest reigning Ring of Honor Champion in history, and unlike Jay Briscoe and Austin Aries, his numbers are the result of a single run with the title. Joe debuted for Ring of Honor not long after the company debuted, and on March 22, 2003, defeated Xavier to become just the third man to hold the gold. During his 21 and a half months as champion, Joe defeated 22 challengers including some of the best and brightest from every corner of the globe. Joe was finally defeated the night after Christmas 2004 at Final Battle, by another fruitful champion and future ex-member of the TNA roster, Austin Aries. With 645 days as champion to his name, it's not hard to see why Samoa Joe's return to ROH this year was heralded as such a momentous occasion.
Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on
Facebook
, and FOLLOW me on
Twitter
for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News!
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-winter-warriors-tour-22115-atlanta-ga/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-winter-warriors-tour-22115-atlanta-ga/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2015 20:03:41 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
ACH
Adam Cole
Adam Page
AJ Styles
BJ Whitmer
Bobby Fish
Brandon Espinosa
Caprice Coleman
Cedric Alexander
Corey Hollis
Delirious
Hanson
Jack Jameson
Jay Briscoe
Jay Lethal
Jimmy Jacobs
John Abraham
Jon Williams
Jonathan Gresham
Kyle O'Reilly
Maria Kanellis
Mark Briscoe
Matt Sydal
Matt Taven
Michael Bennett
Michael Elgin
Mike Posey
Moose
Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong
ROH
Stokely Hathaway
The Briscoes
The Decade
The Kingdom
The Washington Bullets
Tommaso Ciampa
Trey Williams
Veda Scott
Winter Warriors Tour
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9925
The following results are from a recent Ring of Honor live event. В The event took place on February 21st, 2015 from the North Atlanta Trade Center, in Atlanta, Georgia: Dark Tag Team Match Brandon Espinosa & Jack Jameson defeat The Washington Bullets (Jon Williams & Trey Williams) Singles Match Caprice Coleman defeats Mike Posey […]
The following results are from a recent Ring of Honor live event. В The event took place on February 21st, 2015 from the North Atlanta Trade Center, in Atlanta, Georgia:
Dark Tag Team Match
Brandon Espinosa & Jack Jameson defeat The Washington Bullets (Jon Williams & Trey Williams)
Singles Match
Caprice Coleman defeats Mike Posey
Singles Match
Corey Hollis vs. Jonathan Gresham – No Contest
Tag Team Match
The Decade (Adam Page & BJ Whitmer) defeat Corey Hollis & Jonathan Gresham
Singles Match
Matt Sydal defeats Delirious
Singles Match
Roderick Strong defeats Kyle O’Reilly (w/Bobby Fish)
Singles Match
Moose (w/John Abraham, Stokely Hathaway & Veda Scott) defeats ACH
Six Man Mayhem Match
Hanson defeats Cedric Alexander and Jay Lethal and Jimmy Jacobs and Michael Elgin and Tommaso Ciampa
Singles Match
AJ Styles defeats Bobby Fish (w/Kyle O’Reilly)
Armageddon Best Two Out Of Three Falls Tag Team Match
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett) (w/Adam Cole & Maria Kanellis) defeat The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) [2:1]
– The Briscoes defeatedВ The Kingdom
– The Kingdom defeatedВ The Briscoes
– The Kingdom defeatedВ The Briscoes
http://www.cheap-heat.com/ring-of-honor-wrestling-dealing-with-major-financial-issues/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/ring-of-honor-wrestling-dealing-with-major-financial-issues/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2015 20:53:15 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
Adam Cole
Joe Koff
Maria Kanellis
Michael Bennett
Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong
ROH
The Briscoes
TNA
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9513
The Wrestling Observer has reported that Ring Of Honor is currently dealing with financial issues that come from Sinclair Broadcasting, who own the company not getting more behind the promotion The report notes that Ring Of Honor Wrestling COO Joe Koff met with head officials at Sinclair Broadcasting's offices back in December to try and […]
The Wrestling Observer has reported that Ring Of Honor is currently dealing with financial issues that come from Sinclair Broadcasting, who own the company not getting more behind the promotion
The report notes that Ring Of Honor Wrestling COO Joe Koff met with head officials at Sinclair Broadcasting's offices back in December to try and get them to expand the budgets for the promotion for 2015 and 2016, pushing the idea that Ring of Honor could become the number two wrestling promotion in the country and that Koff brought Adam Cole and The Briscoes with him for the meeting, in order for them to cut professional wrestling style promos on how TNA Wrestling had lost steam from their move to Destination America and that they could become the number two promotion in the United States, but that the pitch failed.
The report also states that Ring of Honor's Final Battle pay-per-view in December, their second show on standard pay-per-view, did just 8,000 buys, which didn't help things, despite the buyrate being slightly under the company's projections and that Sinclair Broadcasting officials have told Joe Koff to be more disciplined with spending this year and that there is a feeling that Sinclair Broadcasting want Ring of Honor for consistent programming on their network, but are not interested in investing a lot into the promotion or taking their chances to build them and that these financial issues are partly the reason why talents such as Roderick Strong, Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis are not under contract and are exploring their options elsewhere.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-11715/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-11715/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2015 05:58:08 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Other Reviews
Reviews
13th Anniversary
Adam Cole
Alberto Del Rio
Alberto El Patron
Ashley Sixx
BJ Whitmer
Bruiser Brody
Caprice Coleman
Cedric Alexander
Christopher Daniels
Dalton Castle
Donovan Dijak
Frankie Kazarian
Hanson
Jake Dirden
Jay Briscoe
Jay Lethal
Kazarian
Kevin Kelly
Maria Kanellis
Matt Morgan
Matt Taven
Michael Bennett
Michael Elgin
Nigel McGuinness
Ring of Honor
ROH
Steve Corino
The Addiction
The Briscoes
The Kingdom
Todd Sinclair
Tommaso Ciampa
Top Prospect Tournament
Truth Martini
WWE
X-Division
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9165
Honorable Mention ROH TV 1/17/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's that time of the week once more when I return to discuss the most recent events from Ring of Honor TV. With the Thirteenth Anniversary show just over one month away, what is matchmaker Nigel McGuinness prepared to do regarding the number one contender […]
Honorable Mention
ROH TV 1/17/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
It's that time of the week once more when I return to discuss the most recent events from Ring of Honor TV. With the Thirteenth Anniversary show just over one month away, what is matchmaker Nigel McGuinness prepared to do regarding the number one contender situation? Last week's episode ended as "Warbeard" Hanson, Tommaso Ciampa and Michael Elgin's three way dance imploded and devolved into an all-out street fight with referee Todd Sinclair caught in the crossfire. This week the ROH World Title is on the line with Jay Briscoe defending against an unnamed member of the Kingdom. In addition, Alberto El Patron is set to make his Ring of Honor debut. What does the former WWE Champion have to say about the no compete clause he was issued just four months ago? Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "Honorable Mention," the once-weekly critique of what's been called by many "the best hour of wrestling on television"—Ring of Honor TV.
ROH is off and running with a pre-recorded promo per Jay Briscoe, speculating on the fate of his championship come the end of tonight's mystery main event against the Kingdom. Briscoe's original title belt was stolen and revamped, currently clad in pink fur by Maria, dubbed her "Title of Love." Jay says that if he's willing to put his title on the line, they should be willing to do the same. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino welcome fans back to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in beautiful Nashville, where they can now confirm tonight's main event will in fact be a world title match. The opening contest of the show features the 17-year veteran Frankie Kazarian as he gets set to square off against the incomparable Cedric Alexander. Kazarian comes to the ring accompanied by his tag team partner, "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, who makes residence alongside Kelly and Corino at the broadcast position. The match is an evenly-paced back-and-forth contest between two individuals with a ton of respect for one another. The last time these wrestlers stood inside the same squared circle was at Final Battle when they stood on the same side in a six man tag match. Kelly and Corino ask Christopher Daniels how someone who's use to tag team competition might fare in a singles match, implying that "The Addiction" might work better together than apart. I suppose the announcers forgot both workers and their stellar singles careers including multiple X-Division titles between the two of them. Daniels is obviously insulted, although keeps his cool and insists that Kazarian will be just fine. The experience gap is uncanny as Frankie Kazarian made his professional debut in 1998, eleven years before Cedric hit the ring in 2009. Both men are tremendous wrestlers, but Kazarian puts his wealth of knowledge on display by systematically picking Cedric apart, concentrating on specific body parts and targeting them until Alexander has no choice but to give in. Back on the outside, Kelly asks Christopher Daniels about his match next week against former WWE champion Alberto El Patron. Daniels appears to have great respect for "Dos Caras," but insists that he will defeat Patron next week, serving him his first loss in his debut match. As Alexander's high-risk offense started to hinder the mat-based-game of Frankie Kazarian, the tag team competitor decided to take it upstairs as well. In an attempted powerbomb from the top rope, Kazarian tossed Alexander into the air, a move that Cedric skillfully reversed by landing clean on his feet. Cedric kicked Kaz in the side of his head, followed by another impactful boot to the other side. Things looked to be going in Cedric's favor until an ill-fated top-rope move was caught in a cutter by Kazarian—I guess the "RKO" really can come outta nowhere, even in a Ring of Honor Ring! Staggered, Cedric stepped directly into the sights of Frankie Kazarian who sealed the deal, delivering a Tomikaze inverted double underhook facebuster.
With the main event looming, the Kingdom decides it's time to announce who Jay Briscoe will be defending his ROH World Title against in less than one hour. Matt Taven appears backstage, and says he always thought Jay was the smarter of the Briscoe brothers, but he must have been wrong if Jay Briscoe is willing to put the belt on the line—against him. Taven warns Briscoe and fans around the world, that he's going to beat Jay Briscoe and become the new ROH World Champion. Back at ringside, Caprice Coleman is back to assist Kevin and Steve in covering the upcoming first round match in the Top Prospects Tournament. This week the rookies featured are Jake Dirden and Donovan Dijak. Kevin Kelly is floored at the sheer size of these individuals, each standing at around 6'7" and weighing 275 pounds; what's considered average in the WWE is gargantuan in other promotions. Dirden reminds me Luke Harper, Bruiser Brody, or any number of crazy-haired unkempt brawlers, set to take on a 2-sport college athlete in Donovan Dijak. Once things get underway we're privy to a one-sided battle with Dijack taking the lead. From bell to bell, Dirden has his patches of considerable offense, but this match served as the "Coming Out Party" for Donovan Dijak. After a few moments of wrestling a very spirited contest, the Decade appears in the entry way. BJ Whitmer leads the trio and says, "Continue! Continue! Impress us!" The Decade is obviously on hand looking to scout the next potential diamond in the rough from this Top Prospect Tournament. Graduating from UMass after four years of basketball and football, Dijak has the power and unpredictable force of a super heavyweight, with the agility of a luchador. He reminds me of Matt Morgan—just an all-around impressive talent with a plethora of positive qualities just one year into his wrestling career. Once he was finished promoting his bottomless well of power-based offense, Dijak opted to showcase his aerial abilities by performing a beautifully executed swan dive over the top rope to the outside. It was at this point that Jake Dirden began his comeback, beginning with clasping his fingers around the throat of Dijak and choke slamming him into a 2-count. Dirden made quick work of evening the odds, and was soon ready to pin the dynamic Donovan Dijak. But rather than covering his opponent to advance in the tournament, Dirden instead chose to finish things with the crippling, "Asiatic Spike," a thumb strike similar to the move Umaga used in the WWE. After pacing around the ring waiting for an opportune occasion, Dirden was blindsided by the former football player. Dijak lifted the humungous Dirden onto his shoulders in a "Torture Rack," and finished with a variation of the GTS called "Feast Your Eyes." Dijak advances in the tournament and will wrestle the winner of Ashley Sixx and Dalton Castle in the second round.
Backstage once more and a mysterious figure is sitting in front of a television monitor, currently tuned to Ring of Honor programming. The figure was completely unrecognizable due to the shadow effect and the way in which their voice as disguised. The only words we're given from this masked vigilante are, "We are coming. And we are bringing change with us." So maybe it's Barack Obama? With his tenure as president nearing an end, would working a wrestling program really be such a dramatic downgrade? Back at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, Kevin Kelly is on hand awaiting the arrival of Alberto El Patron. The crowd give the former-Del Rio a huge ovation and chant, "Si! Si! Si," before Patron can even say a word. Once inside the ring alongside Kevin Kelly, Alberto has quite a bit to get off his chest relating to his "no compete clause" and his unnamed former employers. "Four months ago," he began, "Somebody said I was not going to be able to wrestle in the United States—for one year!" The live audience is loving the anti-WWE shoot, and get even further behind the second-generation athlete when he went on to say, "I said Wrestlers, because that's what we are! I am not a �sports entertainer,' I am a WRESTLER!" Alberto says that the real reason he's in ROH is to compete with the best, and issues a challenge to ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe in the process. Instead of "Reach for the Sky," we hear the demonic laughter of Truth Martini, who escorted the record-setting TV champion to the ring. Truth begins by saying, "I don't care about anything you've done in your career. When you said you wanted to face the best, you failed to mention this guy." Truth pointed at Lethal, who was now in possession of the microphone. "Do your homework before you come to class! The number one man around here is not Jay Briscoe." Both Lethal and Truth argue the merits of the television championship, even calling it "the greatest title in the world." Jay Lethal demands an apology from Patron, a request that Alberto initially obliges, until disrespect makes room for stupidity. "Let's dance," El Patron exclaimed, shredding his t-shirt! Jay Lethal too began preparing for war until Truth Martini interrupted, saying that Patron hasn't yet earned the right to wrestle Lethal. I really like this rivalry as a way to incorporate Patron into the TV title picture; with so many viable world title contenders, I was worried ROH would immediately strap the belt around Patron's waist. But instead it appears as though Patron might be the one to take Lethal's TV title, just short of 300 days since winning it last year.
The events of last week's three way dance are explained, and the announcers at ringside begin to speculate as to who the number one contender is. Before they can come up with any names, former ROH champion and matchmaker Nigel McGuinness appeared presumably to address the situation head on. Nigel says he wants Jay Briscoe to come down the aisle so that he may give the champion the news to his face. Briscoe walks down the entry way and already has his own ideas for the Thirteenth Anniversary: "Vegas is a gamblin' city, and I'm a gamblin' man. Let's just make all three of them [the number one contender]!" Briscoe pitches a simple 4-way match under the banner, "High Stakes Four Corners Survival Match"—perhaps meaning that this will be an elimination style contest? Briscoe continues his walk to the ring, where he patiently awaits the Kingdom and Matt Taven. Alongside the challenger is Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis, stacking the deck even higher against the self-confessed "gamblin' man." Jay Briscoe did more than give Matt Taven a schooling in ringwork, he proceeded to squash the former TV champion in order to send a message to Adam Cole. Bennett makes his presence known throughout the match, getting involved several time including landing an exceptionally executed superkick to the side of Briscoe's head. Maria puts herself in the match as well, tripping Briscoe into a near-fall attempted victory for Taven—but Briscoe powers out just before three. Briscoe fights the junior heavyweight competitor into the corner where he delivers nine solid punches as the audience in Nashville counts along. Before the final tenth punch however, Taven slid out of harm's way and was once again on the offense. Taven attempted a top rope hurricanrana, and got nearly 75% of it until Briscoe reversed the maneuver in md-air. The wind was knocked out of Taven, allowing him zero chance of kicking out. Your winner and still ROH World Champion: Jay Briscoe. After his successful title defense however, Bennett and Maria hit the ring to obliterate the world champion. Maria is one of the best female promos in professional wrestling today, and the finale of ROH TV was no different. Maria told Jay, who was now in the clutches of Bennett and Taven, that he didn't have the BALLS to fight her. This was all the finest practitioner of redneck kung-fu needed to storm the squared circle and save his brother. Mark Briscoe says that this feud has gone on long enough, and next week he wants Taven and Bennett against the Briscoes in the opening match!
Another incredible hour of professional wrestling courtesy of the promotion who does it better than anyone this side of the Pacific Ocean. Next week's episode will of course continue the "Top Prospect Tournament," as well feature the tag team bout between the Kingdom and the Briscoes. Perhaps most important-of-all, next week's episode of ROH TV will include the in-ring debut of the man once known as "Alberto Del Rio," Alberto El Patron. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and until next time, thanks for joining me for this installment of, "Honorable Mention."
http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-1315-review/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-1315-review/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 04:52:40 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Other Reviews
Reviews
Adam Cole
AJ Styles
Bobby Fish
Bullet Club
Chris Adams
Doc Gallows
Impact
IWGP
Jerry Lawler
Karl Anderson
Kevin Steen
Kyle O'Reilly
Matt Jackson
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Nick Jackson
NJPW
NWA
NXT
Randy Orton
reDRagon
Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong
ROH
Steve Corino
TNA
Wrestle Kingdom 9
Young Bucks
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8717
Honorable Mention ROH TV 1/3/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Everyone will always remember 2014 as the year ROH stepped onto the "Sports Entertainment" battlefield with huge successes including their first-and-second classic pay-per-view events, the return of many former ROH stars, but most importantly for me? The ACTION FIGURES! Ring of Honor signed a merchandising […]
Honorable Mention
ROH TV 1/3/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
Everyone will always remember 2014 as the year ROH stepped onto the "Sports Entertainment" battlefield with huge successes including their first-and-second classic pay-per-view events, the return of many former ROH stars, but most importantly for me? The ACTION FIGURES! Ring of Honor signed a merchandising deal this year that includes a variety of Ring of Honor Action Figures! How cool is that? Yes 2014 was a cataclysmic year for professional wrestling which is why I decided to write about this week's episode of ROH TV, even though it was nothing more than a "Best of 2014" clip show. We're going to cover an array of bouts from earlier in the year, including the Ring of Honor Match of the Year. If you would instead prefer to read more recent match reviews then I suggest you check out my extensive reaction to Wrestling Kingdom 9 or the reboot of TNA Impact, also available here at Cheap-Heat, otherwise let's get right to business.
The first match that Ring of Honor would like you to remember this year was the duel between former Ring of Honor World Champion Roderick Strong and then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. While the fundamentals were sound enough and the bell-to-bell was without flaw, I still found it awfully peculiar that ROH would want to highlight this match above any else. But more on that when we come to it. I enjoy Roderick Strong despite the mixed-to-negative reaction he seems to elicit from the majority of wrestling fans. I think that has a lot to do with how he's been booked and how quickly he was pushed in relation to his post-championship career. I think it's similar to several other wrestlers and superstars, I've even referred to him once-before as the "Randy Orton of Ring of Honor." I think he's got all of the necessary tools needed to build an outstanding career, but at the end of the day he lacks originality and the charisma needed to carry him beyond his current surroundings. Styles on the other hand is a man who made the most for himself in 2014. He abandoned what appeared to be a sinking ship in favor of uncertain waters, but has been met with unprecedented success by becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a title which I consider the most prestigious honor in the world of wrestling. From the moment the bell sounded it appeared as though AJ might have underestimated Strong who had no trouble in putting AJ through his paces. The war between aerial and ground based maneuvers is an ever-present backdrop in Ring of Honor, brought to the foreground in this contest. I wonder—is New Japan's most decorated champion allowed to lose a match in America? In the old days of the NWA, promotors would book accordingly so as to protect the champion without damaging the territorial stars. I'm curious if Ring of Honor's Roderick Strong ever stood a chance of winning, or if the politics of professional wrestling protected AJ clear through the summer. That leads me to the final moment of the match, and the reason I'm surprised ROH would want the fans to remember this contest. Twenty-fourteen was the year AJ Styles came under fire for continuing to use a supposed dangerous finishing maneuver—"The Styles Clash." More than one worker came forward including Roddy Strong claiming the move is not only unsafe but goes against the core instincts developed by professional wrestlers. As AJ lifted Roderick Strong into position to perform the �Clash, you could clearly see Strong tuck his head at the last moment—a reflex that's almost impossible for any wrestler to ignore. By the end, the match belonged to Styles, although I debate whether or not this was his best showing in Ring of Honor all year. Maybe his best SINGLES match, or his best match against ROH talent. Three stars, although I don't generally award star ratings in my ROH reviews. But I figured this edition was a special occasion.
Up next is one of my favorite matches from 2014, the heartfelt farewell bout between Steve Corino and "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen. On the one hand you have a much-despised villainous wrestler and heel commentator combination in Steve Corino who, on the flip-side, is the close friend and mentor to one of the most visible professional wrestlers in the world, Kevin Steen. For those who have followed Ring of Honor for the past few years, I don't need to define the depth of the relationship between Corino and Steen. Former tag partners but more often-than-not opponents, Kevin Steen was given the chance to wrestle anyone he wanted in his last match and he chose the semi-retired Jerry Lawler of ROH Steve Corino. The first thing you'll notice about Corino is his ridiculous wardrobe, as well as his uncanny ease of movement despite having succumbed somewhat to middle-age. One of the most amazing parts of Ring of Honor is the "Code of Honor" and the inherent personal accountability that appears to come with it. I know from speaking to several �Universe Residents,' they don't like the handshake because it doesn't make for a provocative storyline. "Why are they fighting if they like each other? It doesn't make sense" Why are football teams playing one another? Why do karate students kick their friends in the face? Tennis players don't HATE other tennis players, do they? Ring of Honor is about competition and not comedy; for fans of professional wrestling and not soap operas. I was entirely too emotionally invested in this match due to the way in which both Corino and Steen interacted. You could tell that both were taking great care not to injure the other all while at the same time trying to give the fans a match of the year contender. Part of the story of course were the words not being mentioned: what of the relationship outside of this ring when all is said and done? Would it be too far to venture a guess that some little part of Steve Corino might be jealous that Steen's been called up? Or does he view Kevin more through the eyes of a big brother, simply proud of the man that this kid has become? None of these question-marks found sentences as we were riddled with a machine-gun fire of exclamation points. Stiff chops made way for harsher clotheslines and even package pile-drivers. When Kevin Steen got the pin and had his hand raised, the local fans were in tears as they chanted, "Thanks, Steen, Thanks," while wearing t-shirts adorned with the same sentiment. Ring of Honor is known for borrowing the streamer aspect of their presentation from Japan; as Steen stood in the squared-circle, the audience proceeded to decorate the former champion and future NXT Superstar, tossing what must have been miles of colored paper into the ring. If you're looking for another Star Rating, I'd have to think about that. On the one hand you have one of the most emotional match-ups of the year fought between two industry legends. On the other the contest was kind of hindered by neither man wanting to hurt the other, a result of Steen moving to Florida maybe? Regardless I'd be willing to meet halfway and then-some so I'll award this match: Three and a Half Stars.
After an array of vignettes highlighting some of the more impactful programs from the previous year, we're back to the action and this time it is the 2014 Ring of Honor Match of the Year featuring reDragon taking on the Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Titles. The Ring of Honor tag teams are in many ways an extension of NJPW's vibrant junior-tag division. Both the Bucks and reDragon have held both sets of titles, in fact both teams have held both sets of titles simultaneously! If it's Ring of Honor or NJPW, you've got about four or five teams you can always count on to provide an engaging show. At the top of the mountain however has to sit the best team in the world, and this match proved worthy of declaring the kings of tag team wrestling. The Young Bucks are always being discussed in some capacity or another; traditionalists mock their flamboyant attitude while we—the hipsters of wrestling—consider their antics an homage to the wrestling that we grew up with. Too sweet me! The "Superkick Parties" as they've been nicknamed are only abhorrent if you consider the super kick a viable finishing move—which I do not. I really love how Nick and Matt Jackson have been able to modernize a move made popular by Chris Adams in the 1980's so that it works in a variety of settings. The Young Bucks are way beyond super kicking chins, but more on that in a moment. Across the ring are the challengers, the equally talented and highly decorated duo of Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. O'Reilly has been named one of the best wrestlers on the planet but I think Fish does more than his fair share to ensure reDragon is a team name that strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents. Much the way The Young Bucks do inside the squared circle, reDragon has been able to evolve outside of the ring by taking their promos and interviews to a whole new level. When not competing you might catch Fish and O'Reilly sporting sweater vests and spectacles, but once the bell sounds it's all about business—it's MOUTH GUARD TIME! Now that I'm done selling you on both teams and what they're doing to further the industry as a whole, let's discuss what made this The Ring of Honor Match of the Year.
This contest of course went down at ROH's joint-venture with NJPW in New York City, War of the Worlds. Going in I think the crowd was split regardless of who may be pegged a heel and who's the babyface, because like most of ROH's big money matches, this was about respect. As soon as the bell sounds we're hit with the flagrant disregard of authority that is The Young Bucks. The match seems to go off the rails rather early as tagging one's opponent quickly loses all merit. The Bucks appeared to gain the offensive from the onset even delivering a yet-to-be-named Meltzer driver to a member of reDragon in the early going. It seems like Kyle O'Reilly is always bleeding from his mouth, which I guess is why he should keep that mouth guard in! There were some incredible spots scattered throughout this match, the first that really caught my eye featured the Bucks once again on offense stacking O'Reilly and Fish in "Tombstone Pile driver" formation, and then super kicking Fishes knees, thus drilling his partner in the process. This wasn't enough to stop reDragon however, and O'Reilly took the lead as Fish provided support; it seemed as though Kyle O'Reilly was insistent on winning the match and the titles by making the Jackson's submit. His hubris almost got the better of him toward the finale, when Nick Jackson proceeded to drop a 450 springboard splash on O'Reilly who had his brother on the verge of tapping out. Once the move was hit and the pin was attempted, the audience in NYC and around the world got to see what was perhaps the nearest fall in history—close but no cigar for the ROH Tag Champs the Young Bucks. That's when Fish found his way back into the action to help O'Reilly fend off the tireless Jackson brothers. Once again, O'Reilly set out to make the squirrely Bullet Clubbers tap. After all of the insane acrobatics and innovation that this match has become known for, the decision was eventually decided by a crippling Fujiwara Armbar—performed by Kyle O'Reilly! Your new tag team champions and still champions to this day are Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish of reDragon! Was this the Ring of Honor Match of the Year? Without going back and digging too deep I'd say it's a number one contender, for sure. I'm happy to give this remarkable altercation for the coveted ROH tag titles a near perfect: Four and a Half Stars.
I don't generally waste my keystrokes on clip shows but in the case of this 2014 Ring of Honor Retrospective, I was happy to make an exception. From Michael Elgin's Cinderella-story victory over Adam Cole to Kevin Steen's final match with his friend and mentor Steve Corino, this was the first year in some time that Ring of Honor felt in any way relevant. Join me next week for the January 10th edition of Ring of Honor TV where I'll be dissecting and discussing every aspect of the fastest growing promotion on the planet. Until then my name is Mark Haggerty reminding you to be safe and make this week count for something other than a paycheck because life is too short not to have fun.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/adam-cole-talks-about-ring-of-honor-aj-styles-matt-hardys-influence-on-his-career-wwe-tryout-and-more/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/adam-cole-talks-about-ring-of-honor-aj-styles-matt-hardys-influence-on-his-career-wwe-tryout-and-more/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:35:40 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
Adam Cole
AJ Styles
Combat Zone Wrestling
CZW
ECW
Jerry Lynn
Matt Hardy
Ring of Honor
ROH
WWE
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8498
PWMania sent along the following: Ring of Honor superstar Adam Cole recently participated in an exclusive interview with PWMania.com. A multi-time champion in various companies, Cole talks about AJ Styles, his WWE tryout, how Matt Hardy has influenced his career and much more. Here are some highlights from the interview: If AJ Styles can make […]
PWMania sent along the following:
Ring of Honor superstar Adam Cole recently participated in an exclusive interview with PWMania.com. A multi-time champion in various companies, Cole talks about AJ Styles, his WWE tryout, how Matt Hardy has influenced his career and much more.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
If AJ Styles can make a difference in ROH:
Absolutely. And that actually reminds me of the way ECW guys used to joke about how Jerry Lynn never aged. Watching AJ do the things he does, I think the same could be said about him. He's just as good as he was 10 years ago. I'm sure his body's a little beat up, but he's still a huge asset to Ring of Honor.
Matt Hardy influencing his career:
Matt Hardy came into ROH with open arms. Matt came into ROH ready to learn. He said "Hey guys, I'm here to help you as much as I can." Plus he knows that ROH and WWE's styles are different, so he brings a different perspective to the locker room. Wrestling's in his blood. He was so helpful in guiding me as a villain and presenting myself a certain way. I can't say enough good things about Matt Hardy.
His WWE Tryout:
It's very military style, as it should be. Everyone there is respectful and you know exactly what you're supposed to be doing in there. There's 3 different rings and you're doing a lot of different workout drills to keep you going and making sure you're in shape and making sure you want it. If you want to be a part of the WWE, you're going to show it. It's grueling, but it's a great time and forces you to face challenges.
Cole also speaks on how he started in pro wrestling, his experiences in ROH and CZW, working in front of different crowds,what's next for him and more.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-tv-tapings-1315-nashville-tennessee/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-tv-tapings-1315-nashville-tennessee/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:21:56 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
ACH
Adam Cole
Adam Page
Alberto El Patron
Ashley Sixx
Beer City Bruiser
BJ Whitmer
Cedric Alexander
Chris LeRusso
Christopher Daniels
Dalton Castle
Donovan Dijak
Frankie Kazarian
Hanson
Jake Dirden
Jay Briscoe
Jay Diesel
Jay Lethal
Jimmy Jacobs
Maria Kanellis
Matt Sydal
Matt Taven
Michael Bennett
Michael Elgin
Mikey Webb
Moose
Nigel McGuinness
ODB
Ring of Honor
ROH
Stokely Hathaway
The Briscoes
The Decade
The Kingdom
The Romantic Touch
Tommaso Ciampa
Truth Martini
Veda Scott
Will Ferrara
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8492
The following results are from a recent Ring of Honor TV Taping. The taping took place on January 3rd, 2015 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds/Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. Pre-Show Match Cheeseburger defeated Chris LeRusso. TAPING ONE Singles Match Roderick Strong defeated Mark Briscoe. In Ring Segment Nigel McGuinness came out to open the show and […]
The following results are from a recent Ring of Honor TV Taping. The taping took place on January 3rd, 2015 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds/Expo in Nashville, Tennessee.
Pre-Show Match
Cheeseburger defeated Chris LeRusso.
TAPING ONE
Singles Match
Roderick Strong defeated Mark Briscoe.
In Ring Segment
Nigel McGuinness came out to open the show and announced that Hanson vs. Michael Elgin would be a #1 Contender's Match for the ROH World Championship and then called out Tommaso Ciampa, informing him that he wouldn't be fired by Ring of Honor and would owe one to Nigel for him going to the higher-up. Ciampa said that he wanted a ROH World Championship match because of the match that he had with Brsicoe in the United Kingdom. Michael Elgin came out and said that Ciampa lost to him at Final Battle, however Ciampa said that no one wanted Elgin in Ring of Honor, while Elgin stated that himself and Nigel were former ROH World Champions and belong in ROH. McGuinness announced that the match between Elgin and Hanson would now be a triple threat match with Ciampa now involved and that it would still be a number one contender's match.
Top Prospect Tournament Match
Will Ferrara defeated Jay Diesel (w/Truth Martini).
Triple Threat #1 Contender's Match
Michael Elgin vs. Hanson vs. Tommaso Ciampa was declared a no contest when the referee was hit. Post-match, there was a brawl between all three men.
TAPING TWO
Singles Match
Frankie Kazarian defeated Cedric Alexander.
Top Prospect Tournament Match
Donovan Dijak defeated Jake Dirden.
In Ring Segment
Alberto El Patron came to the ring and said that he is not a sports-entertainer and that he is a wrestler and he's after the ROH World Championship. ROH TV Champion Jay Lethal came to the ring with Truth Martini and said that the ROH TV Championship is the title in Ring of Honor and not the title that Jay Briscoe holds. El Patron attempted to get Jay Lethal into working a match, however Truth told El Patron to get in line and left the ring with Lethal.
In Ring Segment
Nigel McGuinness came to the ring and brought out Jay Briscoe. Jay declared that he wants a fatal four way match in Las Vegas for his World Title with Ciampa, Hanson and Michael Elgin, which McGuinness said that he would consider. Jay then called out The Kingdom.
ROH World Championship Match
Jay Briscoe (c) defeated Matt Taven. Post-match, Michael Bennett attacked Jay Briscoe until Mark Briscoe came out and made the save.
TAPING THREE
Tag Team Match
The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) (w/ODB) defeated The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) (w/Maria Kanellis) via DQ.
Top Prospect Tournament Match
Beer City Bruiser defeated Mikey Webb.
Singles Match
Alberto El Patron defeated Christopher Daniels. Post-match, Jay Lethal and Jay Diesel attacked Alberto, however Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian made the save.
TAPING FOUR
Singles Match
Moose (w/Veda Scott & Stokely Hathaway) defeated The Romantic Touch.
6 Man Tag Team Match
The Decade (Jimmy Jacobs, Adam Page & Chris LeRusso) (w/BJ Whitmer) defeated ???, ??? & ???.
Top Prospect Tournament Match
Ashley Sixx defeated Dalton Castle. Adam Cole came out the ring after the match was over to address the crowd, but instead brought a chair into the ring, looked at the camera, dropped the mic and gave it the finger before leaving.
Triple Threat Match For The ROH World TV Championship
Jay Lethal (w/Truth Martini) (c) defeated Matt Sydal and ACH.
http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-122714/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-122714/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 04:16:27 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Blogs
Other Blogs
ACH
Adam Cole
AJ Styles
Bobby Fish
Brian Kendrick
Bryan Danielson
Cedric Alexander
Christopher Daniels
CM Punk
Corey Graves
Daniel Bryan
Drew Gulak
Frankie Kazarian
GFW
Global Force Wrestling
Jay Briscoe
Jay Letal
JBL
Jerry Lawler
Kevin Kelly
Kyle O'Reilly
Mark Briscoe
Matt Sydal
Michael Cole
Minoru Suzuki
New Japan Pro Wrestling
Nigel McGuinness
NJPW
reDRagon
Ring of Honor
ROH
Silas Young
Steve Corino
Tag Wars
The Addiction
The Briscoes
TNA
WWE
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8478
Honorable Mention ROH TV 12/27/14 By Mark Adam Haggerty Everybody needs somebody sometime and for me it's the internet wrestling community, because as annoying as I may find you on a daily basis I cannot imagine life without you! I apologize for my week-long absence as I was visiting family for the holidays in my […]
Honorable Mention
ROH TV 12/27/14
By Mark Adam Haggerty
Everybody needs somebody sometime and for me it's the internet wrestling community, because as annoying as I may find you on a daily basis I cannot imagine life without you! I apologize for my week-long absence as I was visiting family for the holidays in my home state of New Jersey. Since touching back down in Southern California however I've felt the journalistic itch and here I am scratching away per usual! While most televised promotions have already cut production weeks back in an effort to capitalize on maximum viewership going into the New Year, ROH is delivering another flawless program complete with not one but two main event caliber contests.
The entire show had a hint of seasonal celebration, and not just for the generic holidays as most ROH talent made no bones about explicitly saying, "Christmas" rather than one of the more politically correct alternatives. Not that I care—this is "Cheap-Heat" not NPR, and nobody loves a good unsecular slip up more than this guy, I just thought it was peculiar as Ring of Honor is the property of the multi-media juggernaut known as Sinclair Broadcasting. The warm wishes from ROH alum were surprisingly heartfelt and included The Briscoes talking gibberish or whatever it is that they do; Jay Lethal's especially jolly disposition claiming that he would be the TV champion forever; but Adam Cole clearly won the Battle of the One-Liners when he said, “More and more women are ending up on the Naughty List this year because they want some �Cole' in their stocking.” Missed opportunity, Michael Cole. A tragically missed opportunity.
Kevin Kelly is always so excited as soon as the cameras start rolling and the crane cam comes swooping in toward both he and his broadcast colleague. If I was looking as festively plump as Mr. Kelly this holiday season, I would cherish the moments that I wasn't paraded around in front of a national television audience, but that's just me—self-conscious as always, I suppose. Steve Corino on the other hand may in fact be one of the best competitors-turned-commentators in the sport today, although who else even falls into that category anymore? Jerry Lawler, JBL, and Corey Graves? The man is far more entertaining and unquestionably more knowledgeable than any of the aforementioned WWE personalities, not to mention he's far more likeable by comparison. Although I'm not sure whether I should attribute the endearing facets of Steve Corino to his personality or what appears to be either a lazy eye or some insanely strong spectacles. In any case and regardless of the fun I may poke at both ROH desk jockeys, Kelly and Corino are perhaps the best pair of wrestling announcers working today and I salute them for an incredible year calling some amazing action.
Whenever I have a friend who's eager to learn more about ROH but I know they're more commonly caught up on the WWE product, I generally preface their viewing pleasure by asking that they give the lesser-known talents the same chance they afford workers whom they already know. Everybody's excited to see Matt Sydal and Jay Lethal square off, and who isn't all about AJ Styles whenever he makes a rare ROH appearance courtesy of his contract with NJPW? But it's important not to ignore the Cedric Alexanders and Silas Youngs of the world who've yet to make their mark as action figures or on Slurpee Cups. More often than not when I attempt to sell an independent or international event to a friend their first question is, "Who's going to be there?" Meaning: "Who from the WWE or TNA is going to be wrestling? Because I don't care about Drew Gulak or Minoru Suzuki." I try and compromise with the "McMahonequins" of the world by stressing the importance of witnessing a rising star before it bursts high above for the world to see; if you watch Ring of Honor, you might see the next CM Punk or Bryan Danielson before they even become a blip on WWE's radar.
Sort of a strangely placed spot for a pro-indie wrestling rant, but that's how I'm going to segue into my thoughts on a somewhat unknown talent to the casual cable wrestling fan—Adam Cole, bay bay! I have quite a bit to say both about Cole, as well as his hotly-contested throw-down with former WWE World Championship contender Brian Kendrick. First of all, I think it's fairly clear that Adam Cole could be the next gem plucked by Connecticut Talent Scouts from ROH's highly lucrative diamond mine. Standing at what easily passes for six feet tall on television, Cole seems to possess the charismatic nuances that the big leagues value, as well as the same athletic edge that makes most former ROH World Champions such extremely hot commodities. Unlike a majority of his peers on the independent circuit who rely more on cultivating their mat-based ability than perfecting their theatrical presentation, Cole is able to develop a consistent character that translates to any audience, whether he's performing in front of hundreds or thousands, in Kentucky or at Korakuen Hall. When a cliché is warranted, I'm happy to dust it off and toss it in with the rest of my writing—Adam Cole has, "IT" plain and simple.
I was among the many viewers who welcomed Brian Kendrick back with open arms and justified jubilation, as it's almost flattering whenever a big name returns to perform for a smaller yet in some ways more appreciative fan base. Kendrick wasted little time in reconnecting with those who may have forgotten what an incredibly talented worker he truly is. From the get-go I was happy to witness a handshake, even if it was quickly thwarted by Kendrick's impeccably educated feet, appearing to be a reaction to Cole's unequivocal arrogance. I found Steve Corino's shallow attempt at putting Kendrick over to be comical yet questionable as relates to the matter at hand; Corino went into expressed detail about how he and Kendrick have known one another for thirteen years and even have the same birthday, when all I wanted was clarification as to why Kendrick stood any chance of beating the former world champion. I understand that Brian Kendrick is just as talented and has several years' worth of experience on the far younger Adam Cole, but Kayfabe will undoubtedly die when we continuously choose to ignore it. What an incredible match when you take into account the number of eyeballs on any given episode of Ring of Honor Television—I'm not even sure that's the official name of the show, I've just fallen into the habit of calling it ROH TV. You hear a lot of old timer's try to remain relevant nowadays, giving the younger generation condescending advice as it relates to not bumping the same for a house show as they might for pay-per-view events. And while that makes all the sense in the world, there's still a lot to be said for the ROH talent who give 110% of themselves on a weekly basis despite knowing nobody's watching except for a handful of die-hard fans like you and me.
While Cole maintained the edge for the majority of the match, the superstar formerly known as, "Spanky" was not without formidable offense of his own. As the momentum waned and reversal attempts begot near-falls, a Super Kick battle broke out featuring two of the best in the business. If you need help putting Cole's ring presence into perspective, search no further than the almost archaic way in which he employs several all-but-extinct heel tendencies—pacing back and forth around Kendrick attempting to belittle the underdog at every turn. Corino continues putting over the colorful career of Brian Kendrick, this time adding to the match by making mention that Brian's toured Japan over forty times. Although the internet fans were more than likely able to predict Cole's success in this seemingly meaningless exhibition, Kendrick did all he could to convince even the smartest of marks that this contest could go any way at any time. Perhaps the most pivotal point occurred when Cole went for another kick to the jaw and instead caught Kendrick in the leg. It was only a matter of time before Cole was hip to Kendrick's assault pattern and was thus able to ward off even the most innovative pin-fall attempts. Adam Cole had victory in his sights, securing such by first properly placing another Super Kick, catching the now-desperate Kendrick in midair coming out of some sort of springboard attempt. The 1-2-3 was finally earned following Cole's cunning and colloquially named "Florida Keys"—a cross arm variation on the German Suplex, referred to by some as, "The Straight Jacket Suplex." A two and a half star match with plenty to get excited about from beginning to end.
The main event and last match for ROH in 2014 is ever-so-fittingly the finale of Tag Wars 2014. It's almost a daily basis by this point that I'll hear how the tag team scene is dead and needs to be resurrected, to which I say, "Get out from of the bubble in which you're living because tag team wrestling is alive and well." You also don't need to take a thirteen hour flight to Tokyo to catch some of the best and brightest talents to currently call themselves tag team wrestlers. This match was spectacular on a variety of levels, and if I don't first mention the championship stakes I'd of course be ignoring the most important part. The bizarre thing about ROH in contrast to much of their competition is that their championship titles actually carry with them a fair amount of prestige. ReDragon is arguably the best tag team in the world, and they've got the dual hardware draped across their shoulders to prove it. I've said it before, but as the world gets higher on the enormously talented Kyle O'Reilly I hold my ground that Bobby Fish is one of the best wrestlers in the world and the standout star of the two. While TNA might deliver a four-way comprised of eight mismatched wrestlers and WWE just calls the first four teams that aren't already booked, the Ring of Honor tag titles are being defended in a dramatic contest by the best team in the world against two of the other best teams in the world—plus ACH and Matt Sydal.
Nigel McGuinness finds his way to ringside as he regularly does during main event matches, and much to my delight as I love everything about Nigel. Seriously, if you haven't been reading my Top Podcast Countdown each week, you'd be interested to know that Nigel is among the many reasons I'm always so happy with Nerdist's Wrestling Compadres Slamcast. He's an incredibly intelligent man with lofty goals inside the industry that only someone of his character could ever hope to accomplish. As for his abilities as a broadcaster, Nigel never claimed to be the second coming of Gordon Solie and for what he provides I'm generally very pleased. Matt Sydal and ACH as I just mentioned are the wild card pairing standing toe to toe with three of the best tag teams of the last ten years. I have to say, Matt Sydal is a lot cooler than Evan Bourne; the hair, the jacket, the music all come together to generate a wrestling superstar the likes of which we've never seen before. And ACH? If a new age talent like Sydal was going to pick anyone to tag with, who better than the pride of Ring of Honor, the thrill-seeking, record setting ACH?
I find the blind tag nature of the match very enticing as I grew up during the Attitude Era where multi-team tag matches were the norm and elimination rules were all but the name of the game. Everybody knows that I have some political opposition to the Briscoe Brothers outside the squared circle, but Geeze Louise, I can't deny what Dem Boys are capable of when the bell sounds. Jay Briscoe never has any trouble proving why he is the deserving and more importantly defending ROH World Champion, and his brother Mark always has a habit of earning my admiration within the first few minutes of any match. When the Briscoes were the first team to be eliminated, all three men at ringside appeared utterly flabbergasted, which I thought was an awfully strange reaction. Once again, conserving Kayfabe is always on the tip-top of my list of priorities, but given your target audience I'm willing to bet the majority of viewers weren't shocked when the WORLD CHAMPION didn't win the Tag Titles, especially not on a taped program, and ESPECIALLY not mere days before reDragon's set to appear in Japan for Wrestle Kingdom 9. But still, the always elated Kevin Kelly just couldn't wrap his head around how the "clear favorites" were eliminated.
I have to admit that by this point in the match my interest in ACH and Sydal had gone the way of the dinosaurs and I was anxious to see the match break down into a two-on-two featuring The Addiction and reDragon. In fact at one point as the two presumably more formidable teams battled inside the ring, I couldn't spot ACH and Sydal anywhere and even thought out loud, "Were they eliminated and I missed it?" But man I must like the taste of leather because I keep putting my foot in my mouth; once my curiosity peaked I was privy to an onslaught of aerial assaults courtesy of the high flying duo who nobody thought could compete. As Kazarian made the ill-fated attempt for the Flux Capacitor, the gruesome twosome of Sydal and ACH managed to flip the script and catch The Addiction in the crosshairs of their most vicious combination yet. Following the elimination of The Addiction, it became clear that Fish and O'Reilly would retain their titles, but the questions became how would it happen and how long would it take? The answer to both would be one word: fast. ReDragon is a fundamentally fluid tag team who makes the most elegant of situations appear almost mundane; the pair uses more than just a variety of double-team maneuvers, but are instead able to turn the most regular of rest-holds into individually choreographed works of art. Despite a short lived upheaval by their last remaining challengers, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish were able to come out on top, not only in this championship contest but as the champions of Tag Wars 2014.
I thought this was an incredible hour of professional wrestling and I hope other promotions can borrow a cue from the ladies and gentlemen that work to make every episode of Ring of Honor as wonderful as it is. The lesson learned for larger companies is that less is more, why do in three hours what can be accomplished in one? I'm impressed with the detail and dedication that went into this December 27th edition of TV; when most of the competition has taken official breaks in programming, it would have been especially easy for ROH to take it slow themselves. I'm optimistic about what 2015 holds for Ring of Honor as 2014 was a monumental year in itself, the only thing for ROH to do now is move forward and continue to grow. Hopefully as GFW and NJPW work to draw more eyes to a non-WWE product, so too will ROH have a spike in popularity. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty thanking you your loyalty and promising to be back each and every week delivering you "The Honorable Mention."
http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-fourteen-wrestlers-of-2014/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-fourteen-wrestlers-of-2014/#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2014 05:04:52 +0000
Mark Adam Haggerty
Top Lists
Adam Cole
AJ Styles
Brock Lesnar
Charlotte
Daniel Bryan
Dean Ambrose
Dolph Ziggler
Eric Young
Finn Balor
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Jay Lethal
John Cena
Kazuchika Okada
Kevin Owens
Kevin Steen
Kyle O'Reilly
New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW
Prince Devitt
Ricochet
Ring of Honor
ROH
Roman Reigns
Sami Zayn
Seth Rollins
Tetsuya Naito
TNA
WWE
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8329
The Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's December 30, 2014 and in just two days we'll be entering a year that folks back in the 1950's could only hypothesize over; it seems like all of the old science fiction films of yesteryear focused on round numbered years like 2000 and […]
The Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
It's December 30, 2014 and in just two days we'll be entering a year that folks back in the 1950's could only hypothesize over; it seems like all of the old science fiction films of yesteryear focused on round numbered years like 2000 and 2015. I feel as though the word "polarizing" has been tossed around quite a bit this year in regard to professional wrestling, whether the conversation is about John Cena or the brand new Lucha Underground—but can any other word truly capture the essence of what went down in Twenty-Fourteen? Friends, my name is Mark Haggerty and I am proud to present my Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014.
Honorable Mention
I want to give a very special honorable mention to a handful of guys and girls. Now, this isn't some throwaway category of names, these are six professional wrestlers who would have made up the Top 20, but in the interest of novelty and time, I restricted the article to 14. There is no order, but these are the top wrestlers that I didn't have a chance to go into detail on, but would like to issue a personal thank you for your efforts and congratulations on a great year. I have faith each you will make the Top 15 of 2015.
Charlotte
Sami Zayn
Prince Devitt
Kevin Steen
Tetsuya Naito
Kyle O'Reilly
14. Eric Young
I'm happy to lead off my list with "Showtime" Eric Young, who had what I would call one of the best years anyone would have ever hoped for. Not only did the former lackey of Team Canada win the TNA World Heavyweight title from a dominant corporate champion, but he did so well into his Impact tenure when many of us in the journalistic community thought Young could be nearing the end of his career. Only in his mid-thirties now, Eric Young has rejuvenated his reputation and is poised to become one of the strongest members of the TNA locker room when the company reboots in 2015. While Young may have suffered from the various comparisons drawn between he and the similarly-sized bearded World Champion from WWE–Daniel Bryan, nothing can be taken away from Young's accomplishment and his sixteen year journey to the top of the card.
13. Roman Reigns
Although the corporate powers that be have seemingly designated Roman Reigns the heir apparent to John Cena as the future face of the WWE, I'm personally not sold and I imagine the same can be said for a vast majority of lifelong wrestling fanatics. However, I can't pretend to predict what will happen and I'm intrigued by what any member of the Anoa'i Family could be capable of as the 21st Century has now kicked into full swing. Reigns had a hell of a year, not just based on his time as the defacto General leading The Shield to a number of impressive victories, but in how far he has grown from this point just 365 days ago. I think a lot of people would have initially considered Roman the break out star of the group, but 6 months removed from Seth Rollins' heel turn, we're still not sure what to expect out of Roman Reigns. While his work rate and promos might leave a lot to be desired by hardened wrestling critics, the Super Human with the Superman Punch has come an incredibly long way and appears to be getting stronger by the week. Who knows what next year has in store, and if the rumors are true, could we see Reigns topple The Beast at the Granddaddy of Them All?
12. Dolph Ziggler
He's an incredibly well-conditioned athlete who certainly could have taught Willy Loman a few things on how to sell, but what makes 2014 different from years prior? Dolph Ziggler is a former World Champion who's been on the industry radar since he broke away from The Spirit Squad and started introducing himself to people such as Jillian Hall backstage at Smackdown. But this year helped to further elevate the "Show Off" from High Spot Hot Shot to Main Event Player. The WWE strategically positioned Ziggler throughout 2014, allowing him to redefine the role of an Intercontinental Champion after several years of letting less capable talent taint the title's original luster. In November, many skeptics and fence-hoppers were swayed to the side of reason when Dolph Ziggler outlasted both his own Team Cena and the opposing Team Authority in the yearly five-on-five Survivor Series competition. Twenty-fifteen will be a critical period in Dolph Ziggler's career one way or another and it's up to him whether 2014 was his 1995 as Shawn Michaels, or his 1987 as Ricky Steamboat; both are respectable paths to take, but only one leads to the top.
11. Jay Lethal
The casual television wrestling fan might be curious as to where Black Machismo has been hiding since his unceremonious exit from TNA Impact Wrestling. But the truth is that Jay Lethal hasn't been hiding anywhere at all and has in fact been lighting up the independent scene around the country, specifically in some of the more popular promotions and more exclusively as the current, reigning and defending Ring of Honor World Television Champion since April 4th of this year. Since arriving in Ring of Honor on a full-time basis, Lethal has linked with longtime manager and full-time trainer Truth Martini, who has helped to develop Jay Lethal from a cable-comedy act into an honest professional that can be proud to call himself, "The Greatest First Generation Wrestler." Jay spent the better part of this year having match-of-the-year contending bouts with all-star talents ranging from Matt Taven to Kushida, from ACH to Matt Sydal. Lethal appears to be developing a deeper understanding as to the fundamentals of ring psychology which is already benefiting his stellar in-ring presence. Could 2015 be the year that Truth Martini leads Jay Lethal to the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship?
10. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Perhaps the most seasoned athlete on our countdown is the current IWGP World Heavyweight Title Holder, the recording setting 7-time Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi is a Japanese sensation similar to such American stars as John Cena and Triple H; he's spent a very long time atop the proverbial mountain and public opinion tends to wane as to how long it will be until NJPW decides to put him out to pasture. Unlike Cena however, Hiroshi Tanahashi has only held the prestigious New Japan heavyweight belt seven times, which as previously mentioned is a record unto itself. While the Japanese fans might not be so poised to "Riot if Tanahashi Wins," there are certainly those of us in the puroresu fan community that would have liked to see someone other than Tanahashi defeat the devilish AJ Styles. Nonetheless, his accomplishments cannot be stricken, and his presence during what was already an incredible year for New Japan make him a fitting choice to cap off the Top Ten Stars of 2014, on this Top Fourteen Countdown. Twenty-fifteen will be another defining year for the 38-year old veteran, starting with a title defense at Wrestle Kingdom 9 on January 3rd against the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and another name further down our list—Kazuchika Okada.
9. Adam Cole
Another non-WWE talent that the casual fan has probably seen in their Facebook feed but is otherwise unfamiliar with is Adam Cole, the former ROH World Champion and self-expressed leader of "The Kingdom," in Matt Hardy's absence. Cole is a cocky kid billed from Panama City who in September of 2013 won a hotly-contested tournament to bestow the then-vacant championship upon the most deserving ROH competitor. Cole's movie star good looks and unparalleled charisma helped him garner the praise of each town he worked, but once he became the champion it was only a matter of moments before he allowed his true colors to bleed through his previously camouflaged exterior. Since first becoming champion, Cole has had a personal vendetta with 2-time ROH Champion Jay Briscoe, and their saga continued in 2014 in a series of highly-praised contests, first on April 4th at Supercard of Honor VIII. In a much sought after one-on-one situation, the villainous Adam Cole managed to defeat Jay Briscoe in a match to determine the Undisputed ROH Champion. On May 17th Cole had another successful title defense against the Legendary Lushin Thunder Liger at War of the Worlds, a cross-promotional event with NJPW. His match with Liger, while no "Match of the Year," was impressive and displayed Cole's versatility in how he managed to work with the veteran whose mystique in Japan extended far beyond the world of professional wrestling. Cole turned several heads time and time again throughout the Spring of 2014, but finally lost his championship to the questionably contentious Michael Elgin. Although failing to win his title back during 2014, Cole has maintained a strong presence on ROH TV via his involvement with The Kingdom. In fact it was through the Kingdom and their longstanding rivalry with the Briscoe's that ROH was able to work Cole back into an onscreen program with his longtime adversary Jay Briscoe. The two continued their feud, this time with Briscoe holding the title he had won from Elgin, at Final Battle 2014 in a Fight Without Honor. In the end, Jay Briscoe would retain his title, but Cole put up an offense that won't soon be forgotten nor replicated, including a superkick to Jay Briscoe who was already choking on a handful of thumbtacks. Following his losing effort at Final Battle, Cole announced that he would be undergoing surgery and would be out for the first few months of 2015. Hopefully Cole can return by The Thirteenth Anniversary Show in Las Vegas, because I will be there and I'd be extremely glad to see a healthy Adam Cole—BAY-BAY!
8. Dean Ambrose
One of the only non-world title holders on the countdown is one of the only CZW-turned-WWE Superstars—uh… Ever? Coincidence? My only point there is that while I personally don't find the brutality commonly association with Combat Zone Wrestling to be in ANY way attractive, there are bound to be a bevy of diamonds in the rough regardless of where you might go looking. Dean Ambrose in the WWE was something that no one could have planned for; The Lunatic Fringe achieved zero singles wins on pay-per-view this year, yet managed to attain the admiration of the audience by using a combination attack that resembled something to the effect of Roddy Piper mixed with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Both on the mic—and of course between the ropes. He began the year by carrying the United States Title to the ring alongside his brothers Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. During their classic battles with the Wyatt's and Evolution, Dean stood out as the unstable Loose Cannon who harkened back to Brian Pillman and provided support to the imposing Reigns once the bell sounded. It appeared, should The Shield ever disband and cease to be, Rollins would become the charismatic Intercontinental Championship babyface, Reigns would become the super-over World Champion, and Dean would be left in the dust wrestling as a "Crazy Heel" against Los Matadores on Superstars. But following the chair shot that changed everything, things took a turn for the unpredictable and Dean has since appeared to be the break out star of the group and is in some ways the second-most popular babyface in the entire company. His long-lasting rivalry with Seth Rollins that has since been shelved sure to ignite once more one day has been wonderfully portrayed and reminds me of simpler times where the good guy would chase the powerful heel, only to come up short each and every time. That's the basis for compelling professional wrestling TV and when the roles are reversed for too long, it can become cumbersome and confusing. Dean might have yet to wear a World Heavyweight Title belt, but he has provided countless main event moments on pay-per-view throughout 2014—far more than the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar. Twenty-fourteen was an incredible year for Ambrose no matter what you might think of his repetitive in-ring style and the Heath Ledger impression he does during interviews; he went from third wheel alongside Reigns and Rollins to Main Event Superstar. Could 2015 be the year we see Ambrose and Rollins take their feud to the next level as they vie for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
7. John Cena
I think it's almost becoming cool to like John Cena again—like some sort of hipster rebirth, the same you see with 80's memorabilia and facial hair. The criticisms to his character seem to be more so directed toward his longevity than his ability nowadays and I think that's pretty cool. I have a very dear friend down in Florida who has always been among the most fevered Cena-Haters. But when we encountered one another on Christmas Eve this year, he told me that he actually LIKED Cena. This was a great year for the 15-time champion, but has he really ever had a bad year since 2002? That's not a tongue-in-cheek Cena slam, it's just a fact. Since his �ruthlessly aggressive' answer to Kurt Angle's open challenge on Smackdown, Cena has been destined for stardom and has since climbed to heights previously undiscovered by great men such as Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino. So in the interest of fairness to John Cena, it would be unethical to leave him off a list of the Top Stars of the Year. He couldn't be first, he couldn't be last—seven is good for a man who did what he does as well as ever, all while helping to elevate everybody with whom he works. When Vince McMahon says Cena is the only one able to grab the "brass ring," he's referring to more than just a willingness to achieve inside the squared circle, as that is only part of the WWE Superstar Package. "Why hasn't Dolph Ziggler become the face of the company," asked everybody always? It's because whenever John Cena tweets, it's about a pay-per-view or Breast Cancer or Make-a-Wish; whenever Dolph Ziggler tweets it's in some way negative or offensive and has to be taken down hours later. Like them or hate them, those are the politics of the WWE, and when Vince McMahon goes looking for the next star to fill those pump-up-sneakers of Cena's, he's searching for someone willing to give 100% of themselves just as Cena did, just as the Rock did, just like Austin and Hogan. All four men are at least once divorced by the way, and all but Cena have children. So—who's willing to give THAT of themselves, seven days a week, for as far into the future as anyone can imagine? If it's you, you should apply. Aside from who Cena is, and what he does for the WWE, his personal year was just as stellar as ever including a Wrestlemania victory, a WWE World Heavyweight Championship title reign, and a compelling and selfless program with "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar. Was it Cena's best year ever? No. But it was better than everybody else I'm going to place him ahead, and I'm proud to include the Doctor of Thuganomics on my Top Fourteen of 2014.
6. Daniel Bryan
I feel like I might get some negative backlash for listing Daniel Bryan so high on my Top Fourteen of 2014, but just as I did with John Cena and any other number of questionable entries, I have my reasons to include a man that spent a large part of this year on the injured list. Bryan has followed in CM Punk's footsteps and proven that ROH talents can be integrated amongst the WWE Universe without losing their independent appeal and still make sense within a broader context. It's taken Bryan a few years to find his true voice and connect with the people, but now that he has it's taken on a life that nobody could have predicted. He's 5'8, he's got a lumberjack beard, he's got free fair-use music and a simple catchphrase yet he is still perhaps the most organically over Superstar the WWE has ever seen. Daniel Bryan's year was inspirational on several levels; of course his double victories at Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans made for a plethora of still images and sound bites that will be used until the end of time, and even his role alongside his wife in her battle with the Billion Dollar Princess served to keep him in the limelight all while nursing what could have been a career ending injury. Perhaps most inspirational of all was Daniel's special relationship with a terminally-ill 8-year-old boy named Connor, nicknamed "The Crusher." Connor was himself a miraculous little boy who entered anyone's heart that even saw him on YouTube, but no one seemed to connect with Connor the Crusher like Daniel Bryan. On the very last episode of Monday Night Raw of 2014, on the third-to-last segment of an already explosive evening of television, Daniel Bryan faked out a saddened crowd chanting, "No! No! No!" at the very idea of Bryan retiring. Instead, Daniel Bryan revealed that he would in fact be returning to action and that his doctors cleared him for competition. Will he be entering the 2015 Royal Rumble? Yes! Yes! Yes! Could Wrestlemania 31 feature a showdown between David and Goliath as Daniel Bryan goes head to head with Brock Lesnar? Anything can happen, but let's get to Philadelphia and the Royal Rumble before we start speculating on �Mania.
5. Ricochet
First and foremost, this entry contains a spoiler that you're probably already hip to if you're a fan of my writing, as I've already written about it here at Cheap-Heat. If not, there's bound to be an enormity of head-scratching going on as to who the heck Ricochet even is, and why he's been chosen as the #5 Wrestler of 2014. Well for those of us here in Southern California, we know Ricochet as the high flying, risk-taking, adrenaline junkie that has helped to put Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on the map. His year here has been without question another phenomenal showcase of experienced innovation, especially during this year's Battle of Los Angles—already being called the Best BOLA Ever. He's been a mainstay around the world in small indie promotions as well as more mainstream companies such as Dragon-Gate, Evolve, and Chikara. But 2014 was probably the biggest year in young Trevor "Ricochet" Mann's professional life and with good reason. Ricochet traveled to Japan compete in the NJPW classic, "The Best of the Super Juniors"—an annual tradition dating back to 1988 featuring the greatest light heavyweight wrestling talents from across the globe. After being faced with certain failure in 2013, Ricochet fought his way to second place on his block and finished first in the overall competition—becoming the youngest wrestler in history to win the tournament. In September it was reported that Trevor Mann had signed with a mysterious new televised promotion produced by reality-whiz Mark Burnett set to debut on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network. Introduced under a mask and managed by former NWO member Konnan, Mann was now known as Prince Puma, and burst onto the "Lucha Underground" program like a wildfire engulfing the imaginations of each and every audience member. Lucha Underground proved to be a hit among both casual fans and professional critics alike, so much so that I write a weekly review every Thursday entitled, "Viva La Lucha Libre!" And here's where the spoiler comes in: The Championship Match has already been announced so everybody in TV Land knows that much by now. But following the bells and whistles of number-one-contender matches, Ricochet AKA Prince Puma will be crowned the First Ever Lucha Underground World Heavyweight Champion. The match will air in 2015, however it was taped in 2014, so I'm inclined to include it in what was already an incredible year for a talented young man who's still considered "just an Indie Guy."
4. Seth Rollins
When I look at Seth Rollins, there is no doubt in my mind that I am looking at the future of the WWE and professional wrestling as an industry. He is perhaps the most well rounded wrestler/superstar you could hope to find as each of his skills are so keenly developed at such a young age. There is of course room to grow as I hear the constant bickering that his promos go on a little too long, but that's the position he's playing with the ball he's been thrown. Colby Lopez AKA Seth Rollins formerly Tyler Black is only 28 years old, meaning he's still incredibly coachable and is still waiting to enter the prime of his career. So when he slips up on a sentence, I'm inclined to forgive, because nobody's been able to incite the sort of earned-animosity from the audience that Seth Rollins does in a very long time. Twenty-fourteen was probably the best year in the career of Colby Lopez, but that's just something I'm assuming because I don't personally know the guy. But considering how far he's come in such a short amount of time, I think it's safe to say that professionally speaking, he won't be forgetting 2014 for a very long time. Of course, the year began strongly for Seth Rollins, as strong as The Shield itself of which Rollins played it's "Architect." Not really sure what that means—perhaps it's an allusion to him being the "brains" of the operation, which admittedly, doesn't sound as cool as "architect." The Shield as a whole was on fire for the first half of the year earning hard fought victories against top level teams in high rated matches. Before the unthinkable event that nobody saw coming, the WWE Universe speculated that Ambrose might be the one to turn, but who would have ever guessed it'd be Seth Rollins? Since aligning himself with Triple H and the Authority, Rollins has won the coveted Money in the Bank Briefcase which more often than not leads its holder to World Heavyweight glory. He has also main evented several pay-per-views, even against his former Shield brother Dean Ambrose in a Hell in a Cell match. Rollins has been established as the Number One Heel in the WWE, perhaps second only to a scarcely seen WWE World Heavyweight Champion. After using Edge's life-threatening ailment to put The Authority back in power, one can only assume that 2015 will be an even more fruitful year for Seth Rollins.
3. Kazuchika Okada
If you don't follow NJPW, then I am here to tell you that the time to start is now. Wrestle Kingdom 9 is this Sunday and it's going to be the first ever New Japan event broadcast through all major America pay-per-view providers. And it's going to be in English featuring Jim Ross and Matt Striker providing commentary, so if you're at all interested this is the show to check out. The man whom I feel is the third best wrestler in the world right now will be challenging for the title that he held during the first half of this year, what is perhaps the most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling—the IWGP World Heavyweight Title Belt. Kazuchika Okada is among the youngest names on our list; at only 27 years old, the 10-year veteran had an amazing year beginning with his 7th successful title defense at Wrestle Kingdom 8 at the Tokyo Dome. Okada held the title until May 3rd when he was finally vanquished by The Bullet Club's newest member, AJ Styles. Okada's impressive thirteen month title reign had come to a screeching halt, but rather than wallow in defeat, Okada continued fighting and innovating his arsenal. In mid-summer, Okada was just one of dozens of world-class workers entered into the 2014 G1 Climax—a 2-to-3 week round robin tournament dating back to 1974. The entire tournament was praised by critics and fans for the number of "Match of the Year" qualifying contests featured. In the end, only one man could walk away the winner, and it had to be the fallen champion, "The Rainmaker" himself—Kazuchika Okada. Since losing his title and proving himself at G1, Okada's demeanor has transitioned from pompous arrogance to that of a man fixated on restoring his honor. Only time will tell what 2015 holds for Kazuchika Okada, but if he can conquer Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 9, the year could turn out even better than 2014.
2. AJ Styles
When I started to put this list together and compile the Final Fourteen that would be the Top 14 of 2014, I had about 20-30 names that I had to narrow down even further. Once I got to the very best of the best, I was inclined to place AJ Styles at the top, and in some respects, he really was the Best Wrestler of 2014. He left a company that he had helped build and was with since 2002 for unknown territory, despite the risk involved in starting over in his late 30's. AJ of course knew that any indie promotion would have him and he could count on continuous work whenever he wanted it, but he probably never expected to hit it "Stan Hansen-Big" after starting in New Japan. The "Lariat" Stan Hansen was of course an American from Texas who was regarded as a wrestling demi-god by the people of Japan and is still revered today as a highly respected member of the Japanese community. Non-Japanese talents have been applying their craft in Japan in great numbers ever since the 1970's when diplomatic promotors like Mr. Baba and Antonio Inoki made it easy for outsiders AKA "Gaijin" to find work in the Land of the Rising Sun. So it was a no brainer when Styles decided to make a go in New Japan, and debuted alongside an already established faction of shameless self-promoting fellow Gaijin known as The Bullet Club, now led by "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson. AJ was immediately well received by the Japanese fans and they took to him how he was intended, as the highly skilled American whom they admired but wanted to see lose due to his shameful lack of honor. AJ Styles was the first man able to dethrone the thirteen month champion Kazuchika Okada and reigned over New Japan with his own sort of sordid disdain for his competition and more often-than-not the fans. AJ had an impressive showing during the G1 Climax where he failed to surpass the more veteran contenders, but still managed to hold his IWGP Championship Title for the better part of the autumn. AJ was finally defeated after only a few successful title defenses by now-7-time IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Although AJ's title reign was short lived, it speaks volumes as to his current value within the industry. AJ Styles was the Number Two Wrestler of the Year, not only because he was a Gaijin that captured the most elegant and perhaps most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling, but due to his complex and extensive work rate in various smaller promotions throughout the country and abroad, in addition to his constant ability to evolve and do what's right for him and his family. Okay, well maybe that last part doesn't necessarily add to the resume of a great wrestler, but it helps to create a good man and that's pretty good too. I see more positive things on the horizon for AJ Styles as a new year is upon us, perhaps in a more prominent singles role away from The Villainous Bullet Club.
1. Brock Lesnar
Talk about controversial, am I really ranking a guy who only wrestled four matches all year NUMBER ONE? One of which he lost by disqualification? You're damn right I am. First of all, let's talk about what's obvious and right in front of us. Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans. That is a sentence that nobody ever thought they'd read, no matter whose name you start it with or what city you end it with. It doesn't matter if the decision was wrong or right, Brock Lesnar did something that Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, and a dozen more had attempted and failed to do since 1991. Fast forward a few months to where Brock Lesnar is challenging John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam in front of a sold-out Staples Center where yours truly was standing just 40 feet from the ring. The build up to the main event was unlike anything we'd seen outside of a Wrestlemania match in some time, and the battle lines were drawn not only between Brock and Cena but between fans of Sports Entertainment and fans of Professional Wrestling. It was anybody's game as far as we could tell. It could go either way—right? Then the bell sounded and Brock Lesnar proceeded to decimate one of the most decorated WWE Superstars in the History of the company. He capitalized on Cena using an onslaught of heinous German Suplexes, a move commonly associated with the infamous Chris Benoit, and known to cause irreparable damage to the neck and vertebrae. After a series of F5's and as little offense as one might expect out of Barry Horowitz against Sir Isaac Yankem, we had a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion whose win over Cena was at the very bottom of his already stacked list of accomplishments. His DQ loss to Cena and irrelevant victory over the Big Show notwithstanding, Brock Lesnar has done more for the WWE this year than any wrestler aside from John Cena in recent memory. And before you begin naming popular main eventers, I'm not talking about dudes that draw money, I'm referring to the sort of talent that has the ability to help adjust the aim of the entire promotion as a whole. John Cena was instrumental in helping to draw kids and parents to a product that was formerly too crude for anyone under seventeen. Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin were strong leaders amid an entire locker room of "attitudes" waiting to be unleashed. Brock Lesnar has had a lasting effect in a variety of small ways that will, and in some cases already have begun to, change the course of WWE programming for the next few years. His limited appearances alone have had a positive influence on several facets of the product, not the least of which being his own character's increased mystique and marketability. Back before the age of monthly pay-per-views and weekly title defenses, the WWWF Championship was a strap of leather only contested for on rare occasions, when the atmosphere was considered just right for such an honor. Then WCW came along and starting having World Title matches every Monday night on cable television and the entire genre changed—world titles as a whole lost their value. Lesnar's light workload means the title belt itself is rarely ever seen, making the few times it is on television a very special occasion. The lack of WWE Title matches on Raw means that the Intercontinental and United States Champions have a chance to shine, and since the focus has shifted off of the WWE title, Superstars such as Ziggler and Rusev have both had plenty of opportunities to main event Raw and Smackdown. If anyone else on the roster was in possession of the championship right now, the focus of all 7 hours of new WWE programming each week would be on that belt and who wants it. Instead the WWE has been afforded some breathing room to help build new stars and meaningful long term programs. If John Cena was the champion, he'd defend against Rollins and Ambrose and Wyatt and Rusev and nobody would have their own time to develop outside of the main event and alongside established talents that don't need the rub. Brock Lesnar's absence has left room for Wyatt to grow stranger, it's allowed Ziggler to take the spotlight in a more meaningful way, and it's been without question beneficial to each member of The Shield. So in addition to the incredibly impressive victories he's had between January and right now, and his status as the current, reigning, defending and insanely dominant WWE World Champion, Brock Lesnar is helping to raise the bar as to how good one has to be to wear the WWE Title. Pound for pound, skill for skill, booked as he was, and providing what he does for the industry and WWE, I am confident that Brock Lesnar was the Number One Wrestler of 2014.
So my list is of course going to be controversial as any countdown is going to be. I remember I read "The Top Ten Christmas Movies of All Time" this year and it didn't mention "Christmas Vacation" anywhere, so I threw a bit of a tantrum. You probably agree with some of what I had to say and in the cases where you may have not, I'm glad we can have differing opinions because that's what makes wrestling so exciting. It's a guttural experience every time that can illicit any number of emotions from any sort of different people. I stand by my list, and invite you to join me next week for my "Top Fifteen to Watch in 2015." Until then, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, wishing and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year
http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-tv-122814-baltimore-md/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-ring-of-honor-roh-tv-122814-baltimore-md/#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2014 17:18:23 +0000
Cassidy Haynes
Indy/Puro/Lucha
ACH
Adam Cole
BJ Whitmer
Bobby Fish
Brian Kendrick
Christopher Daniels
Frankie Kazarian
Jay Briscoe
Jay Lethal
Kevin Kelly
Kyle O'Reilly
Mark Briscoe
Matt Sydal
Nigel McGuinness
reDRagon
Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong
ROH
Steve Corino
Tag Wars 2014
The Addiction
The Briscoes
http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8347
We start off the show with The Briscoes, Jay Lethal, and Adam Cole wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. We are in Baltimore, Maryland and your announcers are Steve Corino and Kevin Kelly. Before the match starts, we get comments from Adam Cole in the Cabana Corner and he says that for the first time he […]
We start off the show with The Briscoes, Jay Lethal, and Adam Cole wishing everyone
a Merry Christmas
.
We are in Baltimore, Maryland and your announcers are Steve Corino and Kevin Kelly.
Before the match starts, we get comments from Adam Cole in the Cabana Corner and he says that for the first time he faces Brian Kendrick. He says Brian is a talented wrestler. He wants Brian to look in the mirror and ask himself if he can beat Adam Cole. If he says no, he has already lost. If he says yes, then he is a fool. He says that he will prove to Brian what he has proven to everyone in Ring of Honor, his face is Ring of Honor.
Match
Number
One: Brian Kendrick versus Adam Cole
Kendrick with a boot to
the head
before the bell ring and Cole goes to the floor. Kendrick goes for a suicide dive but Cole with an enzuigiri. Cole sends Kendrick to the apron and Kendrick flips over Cole as Cole goes to the floor. Kendrick with a suicide dive onto Cole. Kendrick goes up top and he hits a cross body but he runs into a knee. Cole sends Kendrick into the turnbuckles and then he kicks Kendrick. The referee warns Cole as he continues to kick Kendrick in the corner.
Cole with an Irish whip and Kendrick floats over. Kendrick lands on his feet when Cole tries to flip him and Kendrick with a victory
roll
for a near fall. Kendrick with a side head lock take down. Cole gets to his feet and he backs Kendrick into the corner. Kendrick avoids a punch from Cole and he connects with forearms. Cole gets Kendrick on his shoulders as Kendrick tries to float over. Kendrick gets back to his feet. Cole tries for a German suplex but Kendrick lands on his feet and Kendrick with a super kick and then he tries for Sliced Bread #2 but Cole is able to send Kendrick to the floor.
We go to
commercial
and we get
Christmas wishes
from Roderick Strong.
We are back and Cole kicks Kendrick in the head as he shows him no respect. Kendrick with a shoulder and forearms. Cole with a kick and then he get Kendrick on his shoulder when Kendrick tries for a leap frog and Cole hits a Death Valley Neck Breaker for a near fall. Cole sends Kendrick into the turnbuckles and Cole with a forearm followed by a hard Irish whip.
Cole with a back breaker to Kendrick and he gets a near fall. Cole with
a reverse
chin lock. Kendrick with elbows but Cole with a sleeper. Kendrick with elbows but Cole tries for another sleeper but Kendrick drops down and gets a victory roll for a near fall. Kendrick with a backslide for another near fall. Cole with a bicycle kick to Kendrick. Cole runs into an elbow and then Kendrick with a boot. Kendrick with another kick and then Cole is sent into the apron.
Kendrick with a full nelson but Cole escapes and hits an enzuigiri followed by a Shining Wizard for a near fall. Cole pulls down his knee pad and he sets for another Shining Wizard but Kendrick ducks and Kendrick with a rollup for a near fall. Kendrick charges into the corner while Cole sets for a super kick so Kendrick stops short and covers his face. That forces Cole to hit a super kick to the knees and then Cole goes to the turnbuckles. Kendrick stops Cole with forearms. Kendrick tries for a superplex but Cole with punches to the midsection and then Cole with a sunset flip power bomb followed by a Shining Wizard for a near fall.
Cole tries for a suplex but Kendrick lands on his feet and hits a drop kick followed by a Burning Hammer for a near fall. Kendrick with a full nelson but Cole with an elbow to escape the hold. Cole misses an enzuigiri but Kendrick does not miss with a running back senton. Kendrick tries for Sliced Bread #2 but this time he is crotched on the top turnbuckle by Cole. Cole climbs the turnbuckles for German superplex but Kendrick lands on his feet and Cole is stuck in the Tree of Woe. Kendrick with a drop kick.
Kendrick with a Dragon suplex for a near fall. Kendrick goes to the apron and when he goes for a springboard move, Cole with a super kick followed by a brainbuster shoulder breaker and Florida Key for the three count.
Winner: Adam Cole
We go to commercial with the Briscoes talking about how they will become the tag team champions
tonight
when they win Tag Wars. Mark says tonight is the night they will finally slay the dragons.
We are back and Nigel McGuinness joins Steve and Kevin at the announce
table
.
We see how the three challengers made their way to
the finals
of Tag Wars.
Before our main event starts, we go to the Cabana Corner for comments from the tag team champions with Kyle dressed in a very appropriate Christmas themed
sweater
. Bobby tells Kyle it is that time of year. Bobby says that all he wants for Christmas is to be the best team on God's green. Kyle says that he loves Christmas, but there is one thing he loves more . . . gold.
Match Number Two: ACH and Matt Sydal versus Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe versus Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian versus Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles in the finals of Tag Wars 2014
ACH and Kazarian start things off. They lock up and Kazarian with a waist lock and drop toe hold into a side head lock. ACH with a top wrist lock and take down but Kazarian with a front face lock. ACH counters into a side head lock. Kazarian with a forearm to the ribs and Daniels tags in and he clotheslines ACH. Daniels sends Kazarian onto ACH with a belly-to-back drop. Daniels with a quebrada for a near fall.
ACH escapes a suplex attempt and he sends Daniels into a boot from Sydal. Sydal tags in and he hits a running clothesline into the corner. ACH with a sliding clothesline to the floor. Sydal with a jumping leg lariat followed by a standing moonsault for a near fall. Sydal has a suplex blocked and then Daniels with a back body drop before he tags in Fish. Fish with a kick to the back of the leg. Sydal with a jumping back heel kick. Sydal tries for a springboard move but Jay makes the tag. Sydal doesn't know why that happened so Jay apologizes with a forearm to force Sydal to the floor.
Fish with a knee and he tags in O'Reilly. Jay with a European uppercut and then he sends Kyle into the corner and follows with a kick and he chokes Kyle. Mark tags in and he hits a running clothesline into the corner followed by a belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. Mark with an arm bar and modified camel clutch but Mark adds some cross faces to Fish. Mark with a belly-to-back into an uranage and then he tags in Jay who kicks Kyle.
Jay with head butts followed by a drop kick but Daniels tags in and Jay and Daniels argue. They shake hands and Jay goes to the corner but Kyle pushes Daniels into Jay and since Jay didn't see that Daniels was pushed into him (and Mark couldn't tell Jay what happened), Jay and Daniels exchange punches. That brings Mark and Kazarian into the ring to try to break things up. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Fish and O'Reilly go after ACH and Sydal on the apron.
Fish and O'Reilly go to the apron where they celebrate what they just did while The Briscoes and Addiction fight in the ring by posing for the fans. Then they see Fish and O'Reilly on the apron so they have a Christmas Cease Fire to set their sights on Fish and O'Reilly. They bring Fish and O'Reilly into the ring and they pinball the champions before they fall to the floor.
Jay with a flying clothesline that sends Kazarian and himself to the floor. Mark with a kick to Daniels but Daniels with a back body drop and Mark lands on his feet. Daniels avoids an enzuigiri and Daniels hits an STO. Daniels sets for a dive to the floor but Jay intercepts and gets Daniels on his shoulders for a Death Valley
Driver
. Kazarian sends Jay to the apron and then Jay goes for a shoulder from the apron but Kazarian sees it coming and he avoids it and hits a leg drop that has Jay hanging on the middle rope. Kazarian with a plancha into a sunset flip power bomb that sends Jay to the floor.
Fish picks up Kazarian and runs him into the guardrails. Fish sets for the flying drop kick off the apron but Daniels clotheslines Kyle on the apron and he goes to the floor. ACH taps Daniels on the back and chops him. ACH ducks a clothesline from Daniels and hits a Fosbury Flop onto Fish and O'Reilly on the floor. Daniels tries for a hip toss to send Sydal over the top rope to the floor but Sydal stops himself on the top rope and he hits a double sledge onto Kazarian, Fish, O'Reilly, and his own tag team partner.
Daniels figures that so many people are stopping his runs to the floor that he goes for an Arabian press onto Sydal and ACH. Back in the ring, Mark Briscoe sees Daniels going after his brother on the floor for Angel's Wings so Mark goes up top but Kazarian with a boot to the head to knock Mark back into the ring.
Sydal is sent into the guardrails while Kazarian hits a belly-to-back onto Daniels' knees for a gutbuster to pin Mark.
Jay and Mark Briscoe Eliminated
Fish and O'Reilly go after Daniels and Kazarian in the ring and the send Kazarian to the floor. Fish and O'Reilly kick Daniels.
We go to commercial with Christmas wishes from ACH.
We are back and Kyle kicks Daniels and chokes him in the corner. Fish comes in and Daniels sends Kyle into Bobby and he tags in Kazarian. Daniels with an elbow and then he hits a curb stomp on Kyle followed by a forearm to Fish while Kazarian gets a near fall on Kyle. Kazarian with a gutwrench suplex for a near fall. Kazarian sends Kyle into Daniels' boot and he tags in. Daniels with a hard Irish whip followed by a suplex for a near fall.
Daniels with a forearm to Kyle. Kyle spits at Daniels and then he goes to the floor with Daniels following after him. Kyle stops Daniels in the ring and that allows Fish to kick Daniels in the back of the leg. Kyle with an arm wringer to take Daniels to the mat while Fish knocks Kazarian off the apron. Fish gets a near fall. Fish with a wrist lock and uppercut to the injured arm. Fish with a snap mare followed by a double jump slingshot senton for a near fall.
Kyle tags in and he hits a knee to the ribs while Fish keeps Daniels from getting to his corner. Kyle with a knee drop to the midsection for a near fall. Kyle with a rear chin lock into a quarter nelson and chin lock. Daniels with elbows to Kyle and he tries for a sunset flip but Kyle counters into a cross arm breaker. Fish keeps Daniels from getting to the ropes on one side but Daniels gets to the ropes to force Kyle to release the hold.
Fish tags back in and he kicks Daniels. Fish with a suplex and he gets a near fall. Fish mocks Kazarian but that allows Daniels to recover for a moment and he gets in a few punches. Fish with a kick and Kyle tags in and he connects with a running boot to Kazarian to knock him off the apron. Daniels with punches and chops to Kyle. Kyle with kicks but Daniels with an enzuigiri and both men are down.
Fish tags in and Daniels cannot tag in Kazarian because Fish hits a baseball slide on Kazarian. Daniels with an STO and Sydal tags in. Sydal with a head scissors and drop kick to Fish. Kyle comes in and he tries for a German suplex but Sydal blocks it. ACH comes in and he hits a drop kick on Kyle. Sydal with the step over leg lariat drop for a near fall. Sydal goes up top and Kyle pushes Fish out of the way so he can take the double knee drop from Sydal since he is not the legal man in the match.
ACH, who made the tag, hits a cross body on Fish for a near fall. ACH with a chop. Kyle with a knee to ACH's back and ACH knocks Kyle off the apron with a forearm. Fish tags Kazarian in and Frankie with a shoulder and a drop kick and back elbow. Kazarian with a float over into a swinging neck breaker on Sydal.
ACH with chops followed by an Irish whip and he tries to monkey flip Kazarian towards Sydal but Kazarian turns it into a modified spear that sends Sydal into the turnbuckles. Kazarian with a hip toss neck breaker and he tags in Daniels. Daniels ties up ACH for Kazarian to hit a springboard leg drop to the back of the neck and Daniels gets a near fall that is broken up by Sydal. Daniels punches Sydal but Sydal with a leaping knee to Daniels. Kazarian with a forearm to Sydal and then Sydal goes for a springboard move but Kazarian counters it into a cutter.
ACH misses two enzuigiris, but he does not miss the third and Kazarian goes down. ACH with chops and forearms Daniels. Both men go for cross bodies and they both go down.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Daniels with a running palm thrust to ACH. Daniels puts ACH on the turnbuckles and connects with another palm thrust. ACH pushes Daniels off the turnbuckles. Kazarian with a kick to ACH and he climbs the turnbuckles but Sydal stops Kazarian. They push Kazarian off the turnbuckles to the floor. Daniels climbs the turnbuckles and he goes for a superplex on Sydal but ACH holds on to Sydal. Sydal knocks Daniels off the turnbuckles. Sydal with a Shooting Star Press followed by a 450 splash to pin Daniels.
Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels eliminated
Kyle and Bobby attack ACH and Sydal now that we are down to two teams. Fish sends Sydal to the floor as they focus on the legal man. Fish with an elbow to ACH and he tags in Kyle. They set for Chasing the Dragon but ACH gets to his feet and he pushes Kyle into Bobby. Sydal with a leaping knee strike to the head of Fish. Kyle with a knee to ACH but Sydal with a leaping knee to Kyle.
Sydal with a body scissors to send Kyle to the floor and then Sydal sets for an Asai Moonsault onto Kyle, but Fish with a leg sweep that knocks Sydal off the apron and to the floor. ACH with the springboard flip dive onto Fish and O'Reilly on the floor. ACH sends Kyle into the ring and he goes up top for the 450 splash but Kyle moves and ACH hits the mat hard. Fish with a running knee into the corner followed by a running kick from Kyle.
Fish with a back breaker and Kyle comes off the turnbuckles with a knee to the head while ACH is on Fish's knee. Kyle gets a near fall but Sydal breaks it up. Fish with a forearm to Sydal but Sydal with chops and kicks to Fish and O'Reilly. Kyle blocks a kick form Sydal and Fish with a back heel kick to Sydal. Kyle with a kick and forearm to Sydal followed by a Saito suplex to Sydal that sends him to the floor.
Kyle with a forearm to ACH followed by a high low combination to ACH and Chasing the Dragon for the three count.
Winners: Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly
We go to credits with BJ Whitmer refusing to wish people a Merry Christmas.
