http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sat, 17 Oct 2015 23:34:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

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.

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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-11015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/honorable-mention-roh-tv-11015/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2015 04:25:08 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AJ Styles Final Battle Hanson Jay Briscoe Kevin Kelly Mark Briscoe Michael Bennett Mike Bennett Nigel McGuinness Randy Orton Ring of Honor Roddy Strong Roderick Strong ROH Todd Hanson Tommaso Ciampa Tyler Black http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8865 Honorable Mention ROH TV 1/10/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Welcome one and all to Cheap-Heat's premier ROH column, "Honorable Mention." My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm back this week to review the very first new episode of Ring of Honor TV for 2015. I happened to catch this on Monday night just […]

Honorable Mention
ROH TV 1/10/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Welcome one and all to Cheap-Heat's premier ROH column, "Honorable Mention." My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm back this week to review the very first new episode of Ring of Honor TV for 2015. I happened to catch this on Monday night just after Raw went off the air, so perhaps my lingering disdain for the WWE hindered my objectivity. I thought this was an outstanding episode of ROH TV complete with extraordinary matches as well as ROH's select brand of "sports-theater." While other promotions are written as television programs with wrestling, Ring of Honor is booked as a wrestling program for television. Without further ado, let's dive right in to the January 10th edition of Ring of Honor Wrestling.

Ring of Honor is being broadcast from the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. I almost feel bad for calling Kevin Kelly fat two weeks ago because both he and Steve Corino look fantastic behind the desk as they welcome us to another year of ROH excitement. The first match of a three-bout card would pit the former World Champion Roderick Strong against the 8-time ROH Tag Team Champion Mark Briscoe. Both individuals take part in ROH's tried-and-true "Code of Honor;" agreeing to shake one another's hand before the bell sounds. I can't help but praise ROH for their decision to start the show with two main event caliber talents such as Strong and Briscoe who proved invaluable in captivating the first crowd of the New Year. The announcers referred to both individuals as "Ring of Honor Pioneers," due to their exceptional longevity with the now 13-year old promotion. Mark Briscoe is an interesting wrestler to study as he employs a litany of skillful technical holds but without the grace of someone such as Roddy Strong. Briscoe is completely capable of performing fluid chain wrestling maneuvers, yet mismatches his mat-training with comical nuances such as his, "Redneck Kung Fu." Roderick Strong is one of my favorite members of the ROH roster and has been since first capturing the ROH World Title from Tyler Black in 2010. I've called Roddy the, "Randy Orton of ROH" but that's generally following his questionable confrontations with stars such as AJ Styles, matches that do very little to highlight the innate capabilities of Roderick Strong. This was an awesome match to launch us right back into the swing of things as it featured two Ring of Honor-specific talents delivering a sample-sized- serving of everything ROH represents. In the waning moments of the match Roderick drew upon the remains of his proverbial tank to land a multitude of strong-style blows, catching the veteran Briscoe off his game, allowing Roddy the opportunity to execute the "Strongbreaker." Following what was a rather even-sided battle, the two well-respected ring generals embraced one final time before Roddy reached for the microphone: "2015 will be the best Roderick Strong you've ever seen."

After the commercial break we were introduced to the former world champion and current "match-maker" for Ring of Honor, Nigel McGuinness. Nigel announced that this evening's main event contest between Michael Elgin and Hanson will decide the number one contender to Jay Briscoe's championship title at the Thirteenth Anniversary show in Las Vegas. Once the crowd settled down, Nigel admitted that his second piece of business wouldn't be as easy to discuss, and therefore requested the presence of "The Sicilian Psychopath" Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa entered the Tennessee State Fairgrounds with a freshly-styled haircut, unaware of what news awaited him at the end of the entryway. For the past few months Nigel and Tommaso have been at odds due to Ciampa's inherent inability to keep his hands off the ROH officials. Nigel implemented a zero tolerance policy that would mean immediate termination should Ciampa get physical with another Ring of Honor referee. Last month at Final Battle, Ciampa inadvertently collided with the referee during his match with Michael Elgin, causing Ciampa to lose the match while his future with the company remained a mystery. Much to my delight, the British Booker once known as Desmond Wolfe was not above seeing the side of reason, and let Ciampa off the hook for his discretions in December. Following his announcement that Tommaso was not going to be fired however, Nigel quickly alerted his former foe that, "He owed him one." Tommaso laughed and hesitantly agreed, if only for Nigel's benefit.

As the promo was set to conclude and both wrestlers prepared to exit the ring, the moment lingered as it appeared Tommaso wasn't quite finished. He told Nigel that he should be in the number one contender's picture rather than Michael Elgin due to a little-known bout in the UK wherein Ciampa pinned the current world champion Jay Briscoe—a man that has gone unpinned and un-submitted for over two years. Soon enough Michael Elgin would appear to add his side to a story already immersed in diverging opinions. "Real men don't make excuses," exclaimed the former champion Elgin, feeling safe with his contender's match still to come later in the evening. He reminded Ciampa of their three previous bouts, all of which Elgin won, further insulting the �Psychopath by saying, "A shell of my former self is still better than you." Before the fists could start flying, Nigel McGuinness was at an impasse and needed to make a decision immediately. Encouraged by the boisterous Nashville audience, Nigel changed the scheduled one-on-one contender's match between Michael Elgin and Hanson to a Triple Threat, by adding Tommaso Ciampa. As it would turn out, Ciampa never did beat Jay Briscoe and the "pin" he was referring to in the United Kingdom took place during a ref-bump in a match that Briscoe still won. Regardless, the match has been set.

The show continues moving along at breakneck speed with the first match in the annual "Top Prospect Tournament." The �Tournament is a tradition dating back to 2011 when Mike Bennett emerged victorious. Since then winners have included former television champion Matt Taven, and one of the three contenders in tonight's main event—Todd Hanson. Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino are joined by ROH veteran Caprice Coleman who offers his expert insight on the first two competitors in the tournament, Will Ferrara and Truth Martini's personal bodyguard Jay Diesel. Coleman starts his broadcasting duties by saying, "Every year they pick a new wrestler for 2015." Jay Diesel takes things into his own hands so to speak, by putting in the work and applying sharp jabs to the midsection of the smaller-statured Will Ferrara. While I wasn't too keen on the action inside the ring, I admire ROH's commitment in providing the freshest talent from around the world, a practice which is all-but-guaranteed through this yearly competition. The winner of the tournament will earn a world television championship match against Jay Lethal when ROH returns to Baltimore, assuming Lethal is still in possession of the title. After an enjoyable-enough exhibition, Ferrara's wrestling prowess proved too steep of a challenge for the former boxer to overcome. After an attempted power move on behalf of the more muscular Diesel, Ferrara managed to counter his weight and turn Jay over for a victory roll. One, two, three and Will Ferrara will go on to battle the winner of Mikey Webb versus The Beer City Bruiser in round two of The Top Prospect Tournament.

The main event is finally upon us as each of the combatants is introduced. I really enjoyed this triple-threat far more than I expected, and even more so than the majority of three-way dances I've seen in the past. I liked how all three wrestlers were present for most of the match, as opposed to the tired three-way format featuring a one-on-one contest with the third man selling an injury on the outside. All three competitors are quite different in their style, making for an enormity of progressive spots including unheard of combinations. Upon looking over my notes I actually found the words: "Lots of using humans as weapons"—but what better way to remind myself of the carnage caused right off the bat by Michael Elgin heaving Tommaso Ciampa into Hanson? Michael Elgin was astonishing in this match and really separated himself as the only viable world title contender of the three. By the time the ten minute mark had been reached, both Ciampa and Hanson appeared to be blown up, especially Hanson who despite impressing crowds around the country has never had a challenge like this. Ciampa appeared to be the "Seth Rollins" of the match in how much of a beating he took—perhaps inserted as a means to protect Hanson and Elgin. Despite a variety of near falls and high spots, the match would soon deteriorate into anarchy following a high risk maneuver by Hanson that would serve to incapacitate referee Todd Sinclair. Chairs were soon introduced as Michael Elgin's domination during the bout spilled over into the controversial moments before the match was stopped—no winner would be decided tonight.

This show has been called, "the best hour of wrestling on TV," and it's not hard to see why. Even with the addition of a ten minute talking segment, ROH TV featured three stand-out matches, two of which were better than anything the WWE, TNA, or Lucha Underground provided in the following or preceding weeks. Next Saturday's episode will feature the Ring of Honor debut of the former WWE World Champion Alberto del Rio, now known as Alberto El Patron. I want to remind everyone that you can catch every episode of ROH TV at Ring of Honor's official website, ROHWrestling.com. Until then my name is Mark Adam Haggerty inviting you to check out the rest of my work and everything else we have to offer, right here at Cheap-Heat.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2015 02:16:40 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists 2 Cold Scorpio Adrian Neville AJ Styles Austin Aries Batista Bill Goldberg Bobby Lashley Booker T Bret Hart British Bulldog Bryan Danielson Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Christian Christian Cage Christopher Daniels CM Punk CZW Daniel Bryan Darren Young Dave Batista Davey Boy Smith Davey Richards David Arquette Dean Malenko Degeneration X Dwayne Johnson Eastern Championship Wrestling ECW Eddie Guerrero Edge Elimination Chamber Eric Bischoff Extreme Championship Wrestling Four Horsemen Goldberg Hell in a Cell HHH Hollywood Hogan Impact Jake Roberts Jeff Jarrett Jerry Lawler Kane Ken Shamrock Kevin Nash King Booker King of the Ring Kurt Angle Latino Heat Mankind Matt Sydal Mick Foley Money in the Bank Montreal Screwjob Mr. Perfect New World Order Nigel McGuinness Nitro NJPW NWA NXT One Night Stand Owen Hart Paul Bearer Paul Heyman Perry Saturn Phil Brooks Psycho Sid Radicalz RAW Razor Ramon Ready 2 Rumble Rey Mysterio RF Video Ric Flair Ring of Honor Rob Feinstein Rocky Maivia Roddy Piper ROH Royal Rumble Ryback Sami Zayn Samoa Joe Scott Steiner Sean Waltman Shane Douglas Shane McMahon Shawn Michaels Smackdown Starrcade Stephanie McMahon Steve Austin Stone Cold SummerSlam Survivor Series TAKA Michinoku Ted DiBiase The Alliance The Rock TNA Todd Gordon Total Nonstop Action Triple H UFC Ultimate Warrior Undertaker Vampiro Vince McMahon Vince Russo Wade Barrett WCW Wolfpac Wrestlemania Wrestling Society X WSX WWE WWF XFL http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8812 Lucky Thirteen #2 Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that […]

Lucky Thirteen #2
Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that contained the first five Wrestlemanias. From that day I was hooked. I began tuning into WWF Superstars and WCW Saturday Night every single week, and by the spring of 1993 I was begging my parents to order Wrestlemania 9 on pay-per-view. Over the past 20 years I’ve had my share of favorite moments, but I often ask myself, what was the best year in professional wrestling? Maybe not best, but how about the most influential? Most impactful? Okay here it is: What was the Most Important Year since I Became a Fan? When other sites limit their lists to Top Ten, we take it a Step Further with the Lucky Thirteen—counting down the Top Years of the Past 2 Decades.

13. 2003
The list had to start somewhere and after cutting away seven years of nonsense I thought, what better place to begin than with 2003. Looking back I feel as though the year felt much bigger than it really was. Momentous occasions like Wrestlemania XIX and Stone Cold's retirement drew considerable attention but it's hard to isolate many other memorable moments. By this point Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor were both open and doing business, although nowhere near the level of success that they'd each see within a few short years. WCW had been closed since 2001, so WWE was slowly filtering out the Turner-holdovers and rebranding wrestlers like Booker T and Rey Mysterio as WWE Superstars. Twenty-oh-Three was the year Bill Goldberg made his long-awaited debut on Monday Night Raw where he famously told Dwayne Johnson, "You're next Rock!" In addition to a handful of interesting gimmicks and storylines scattered across the calendar, 2003 featured must-see-TV for anyone curious as to what lurked beneath the red and black mask of "The Devil's Favorite Demon" Kane. While it may appear dull in hindsight, 2003 was a fun time featuring the sex and violence of the Attitude Era, mixed with the incredible in-ring action so many of us value today.

12. 2010
Twenty-Ten proved to be an auspicious time for all wrestling organizations. Wrestlemania 26 featured the final match in the venerable career of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels when he failed to defeat The Undertaker in Glendale. But as one man's career ended, eight more were just getting started; the initial NXT program was a far cry from the extraordinary show we see each week on the WWE Network, but it did introduce the WWE Universe to Superstars such as Ryback, Wade Barrett, Darren Young, and even the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. Twenty-Ten was the year in which the unimaginable happened when Bret "The Hitman" Hart made his return to WWE television after a thirteen year hiatus. But 2010 was big for the competition as well. Not only were independent promotions the world-over hitting their stride due to the added exposure brought-on by social media, but TNA was enjoying one of its most visible years to date thanks to signing Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and a number of other established talents. In addition to inflating their roster, TNA made several changes to their product; they would begin to implement a traditional four-sided ring, and even attempted to compete live on Monday's with WWE Raw. The year 2010 was an exciting time for wrestling fans across the planet, and is the most modern year on my countdown.

11. 2007
It’s true that 2007 can hardly be considered a great year for professional wrestling, let alone the WWE. For a while it seemed that active wrestlers appeared on Nancy Grace more than they ever did on Raw or Smackdown. But if I'm here to countdown the most important years in wrestling, this certainly had its share of newsworthy events. In the summer of 2007, the WWE suspended more than half of its active roster in response to a litany of wellness violations for a variety of substances, most notably Human Growth Hormone. This year was historic for being the official end of "The Ruthless Aggression Era"—a period of time significant for exposing younger talent and transitioning the product out of the overtly controversial Attitude Era. In 2007 TNA expanded its flagship show IMPACT to two hours and embarked on what would be a defining age for the promotion. One of my favorite events in history happened in 2007, "The King of Europe Cup." The �Cup was a one-off event that took place over a two day period in the United Kingdom. A must-watch event that is readily available on YouTube and features well-known workers such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Matt Sydal, Davey Richards and a man who won the ROH World title in 2007—Nigel McGuinness. Sadly it's safe to say the most infamous moments of 2007 occurred between June 22nd and June 25th as the world became aware of the chilling circumstances surrounding Nancy, Daniel, and of course "The Crippler" Chris Benoit. Unfortunately for all of the positives, 2007 will forever be marred by the heinous actions of a troubled man that led to irreparable changes across the industry and what has been dubbed, "The PG Era."

10. 2006
It would appear as though 2006 was the last year representing any semblance of what was once regarded as a pop culture phenomenon. The ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view the previous year was such a success that WWE officials opted to resurrect Extreme Championship Wrestling complete with a one-hour timeslot on the Sci-Fi Channel. Edge and Rey Mysterio each made history in 2006 by becoming world champion; first Edge at New Years' Revolution and then Rey at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago. Poised to be a contributing factor in the �New ECW', former champion Kurt Angle shocked the world in 2006 when he signed with TNA Wrestling. This year was famous for launching the career of current TNA Champion Bobby Lashley, as well as helping to define that of former Ring of Honor World Champion CM Punk. There were over a dozen debuts throughout the year due to ECW on Sci-Fi and Smackdown's "New Superstar Initiative." In Ring of Honor, the world title picture was dominated by Bryan Danielson who secured his spot atop the card from September 2005 until December 2006. In addition to WWE and TNA, MTV delivered an over the top unreal wrestling experience known as "Wrestling Society X." WSX only lasted one short season but familiarized fans with future names such as Matt Sydal and reintroduced established stars like Sean Waltman and Vampiro. Twenty-oh-Six was a great year for good storytelling that included Vince McMahon's rivalry with Shawn Michaels, Booker T becoming King Booker, and the continuing drama between Edge and John Cena. Rounding out the top ten, 2006 was an enjoyable year without much in the way of defining moments but never short on excitement.

9. 2000
When the new millennium dawned on the world of professional wrestling, so too did a number of landmark milestones and controversial occurrences. WCW released the unsuccessful "Ready 2 Rumble," starring a variety of World Championship Wrestling athletes and the man who would soon become WCW Champion—David Arquette. Not only was 2000 the year all WCW titles would be stripped and reassigned, it was also the year in which the World Championship was devalued and strapped to a B-list Hollywood celebrity. But not all was bad in the world of sports and entertainment as 2000 marked the first time Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted Saturday Night Live, which he did to rave reviews. While Eric Bischoff returned to WCW, a new set of "Radicalz" debuted in the WWF; Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko all jumped ship and began appearing on WWF TV in the early months of the new millennium. The Year Two-Thousand was a defining era for the Undertaker who chose this year to swap his demonic demeanor for the apparel of the "American Badass." Hulk Hogan would say his final goodbye to his WCW fans thanks to a scenario gone wrong involving the Hulkster, Jeff Jarrett, and head-writer Vince Russo. An exciting year for wrestling of course with Kurt Angle capturing his first of many world titles, but perhaps the biggest thing to happen in 2000 was the debut of Vince McMahon's now defunct football league—The XFL. Whether you're a football fan or an admirer of the "Scream" film franchise, 2000 had something for everybody to get excited about.

8. 2005
If ever a year signaled things to come it was 2005. For fans of the WWE, 2005 was the year Monday Night Raw returned home to the USA Network after a five year run on Spike TV. Two first-time world champions were crowned at Wrestlemania—John Cena and Dave Batista. But TNA had its own share of successes in 2005: the company made its highly anticipated debut on Spike TV; Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe had the only 5-Star Triple Threat Match in history; and Christian Cage signed a deal, opening the gates to a deluge of ex-WWE Superstars. ECW was in the midst of a resurrection that would culminate in 2006, but 2005 was the year the WWE hosted the first "ECW One Night Stand," in New York City. On the independent scene, a former backyard wrestler named Phil Brooks won the ROH World Heavyweight Championship from the highly decorated Austin Aries, thus placing CM Punk on WWE's radar. Later that year another future WWE Champion would capture the ROH World Title and hold it for over four hundred days—"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. Back in the WWE, six daring individuals were getting ready to introduce the world to "Money in the Bank," and later that year Shawn Michaels faced Hulk Hogan for the first time ever at Summerslam. Chris Jericho was fired by Eric Bischoff and then Bischoff himself was released resulting in Eric leaving the arena in the back of a garbage truck. But even in the silliest of times, sadness rears its ugly head and it was in 2005 that the world was forced to say goodbye to the former WWE Champion, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero. From the highs to the lows, 2005 was an important year that no one will ever forget.

7. 1994
Not such an enormous year for the industry-leading WWF, but a landmark time period for much of the competition. Having survived his battle with the US Government, Vince McMahon was back in full control of his company; 1994 was the year of Wrestlemania X and the infamous bout between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels that would set the bar for ladder matches to come. The Undertaker mysteriously disappeared at the Royal Rumble and come Summerslam, the WWF fans were privy to not one—but TWO Undertakers! Of course this was the year that the Hart Family rivalry between Bret and Owen kicked into high gear, including a match of the year contender at Wrestlemania and a championship cage match at Summerslam. But outside the confines of the WWF, events began to take place that would lay the foundation for the Attitude Era. The NWA was the longstanding governing body of professional wrestling in the United States and Japan for several decades. In 1994 the NWA title was to be decided in Philadelphia at Todd Gordon's Eastern Championship Wrestling, with Shane Douglas set to win the gold. Instead Douglas disregarded the title, disgracing the NWA in the process by claiming he would not represent a company that, "died, R.I.P. seven years ago!" ECW broke away from the NWA and declared themselves Extreme Championship Wrestling with "The Franchise" as their champion. Down in WCW, Eric Bischoff was moving ahead by leaps and bounds thanks to an array of positive changes in production, including the debut of WCW Saturday Night at Disney's MGM Studios in Orlando. But perhaps there was nothing in '94 as monumental as when WCW signed Hulk Hogan. Bischoff wasted no time in booking the dream contest WWF refused to feature at Wrestlemania VIII two years earlier. In his debut match alongside Mr. T and Shaquille O'Neil, Hulk Hogan defeated "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the WCW Title. Who's to say if things had gone differently in �94, the industry of today might be something else entirely.

6. 1998
The Attitude Era might have started in �97, but 1998 was the year in which the world was introduced to the brand new World Wrestling Federation. WCW turned up the heat on the competition by introducing a brand new Thursday night program on TBS titled, "Thunder." This was the year that saw The Four Horsemen reunite on Monday Nitro including Ric Flair who had since left the company. The NWO was continuing to grow and would eventually split into two entities: NWO Hollywood with Hulk Hogan, and NWO Wolfpac lead by Kevin Nash. WCW cornered the video game market in �98 with one of the most prolific wrestling games in history—WCW/NWO Revenge for the Nintendo 64. Over in the �Federation, Superstars were beginning to get "hardcore" and a new title with a 24/7 stipulation was introduced on TV. Not only were the �falls' taking place backstage and in the audience, but from on top of the Hell in a Cell as Mick Foley was launched from the structure, and then drilled through it at the 1998 King of the Ring. WCW continued to beat the WWF in the Monday Night War due to a consistent strategy based on booking their top matches on cable, rather than pay-per-view. Bill Goldberg, who had already made a name for himself by maintaining an unprecedented winning streak made history when he became the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. But Bill was far from the only bald-headed badass to win gold in 1998. Earlier that year, Stone Cold Steve Austin captured his first world title after defeating Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIV in Boston. It was a profitable year for all wrestling companies including ECW, but 1998 would be the last year WCW would succeed in dominating the WWF in the ratings.

5. 1996
Maybe it's because Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream came true at Wrestlemania XII; or the initial formation of the NWO at Bash at the Beach; even the insane rivalry between "The Excellence of Execution" and "The Texas Rattlesnake." Whatever it was, my personal favorite year in professional wrestling was 1996. The spring began with a bang as Scott Hall made his first appearance on Turner Television, joined just a few weeks later by Kevin Nash. In June of 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin broke from Ted DiBiase and became the King of the Ring; during his royal coronation, Stone Cold uttered a phrase that would change his career forever—"Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!" But just as heels began to turn face, so did longtime heroes turn to the dark side. Along with the debut of the New World Order was the introduction of the evil Hollywood Hogan, who won the WCW title in August 1996 and held it just six days shy of one year. The Survivor Series that fall was famous for memorable main event matches as well as a number of debuts including that of the first ever third generation WWF Superstar, Rocky Maivia. Paul Bearer made the turn on �Taker in favor of the far more deranged Mankind; The Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts returned for a short period, each feuding with Jerry Lawler; Roddy Piper was featured on both WWF Wrestlemania and WCW Starrcade; ECW was beginning to break out nationwide. But most importantly—the Monday Night War was just getting underway. WCW debuted Nitro on TNT in the autumn of �95, and it was in 1996 that WCW finally succeeded in stealing Vince McMahon's spotlight.

4. 2001
In terms of the industry changing forever, 2001 might have been the most cataclysmic year in wrestling history. It was this year that WCW fans became aware of what was to become of their preferred promotion. Although many familiar faces were involved in negotiating the resurrection of WCW, it was Vince McMahon who purchased his competition for a mere $2.2 million dollars—a price that included licensing, tape libraries, and the contracts belonging to twenty-two WCW performers. In addition to the end of World Championship Wrestling, Paul Heyman signed a deal with Vince McMahon in 2001 some months after ECW was unseated by the WWF as Spike TV's premier wrestling program. The World Wrestling Federation was the winner of the Monday Night War and the Attitude Era was at an end. The summer of 2001 was highlighted by the Invasion storyline featuring an enormity of former WCW and ECW talents rallying together against the WWF with Shane and Stephanie McMahon leading the charge. This would be the year that Stone Cold Steve Austin would turn heel twice, first by joining forces with Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania and then by turning on the WWF and joining the Alliance. Speaking of Wrestlemania, Houston hosted the Seventeenth annual extravaganza—an event like none other that included the highly revered TLC triple threat tag match won by Edge and Christian. On September 13th, Vince McMahon and the WWF Superstars set a national precedent by appearing in Texas just days removed from the World Trade Center attacks in what Vince called, "the largest public gathering of its size since the events of Tuesday." In December of 2001 the two world titles were unified in a competition that would see Chris Jericho beat The Rock as well as Steve Austin in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed WWF Champion in history. The year 2001 was a peculiar period for the wrestling industry as it was the only year in which the WWF was faced with no immediate competition.

3. 1999
With the Attitude Era in full swing, 1999 was an enormous year for the WWF both inside the squared circle as well as on Wall Street. The WWF became the first wrestling promotion in history to go public in 1999, and followed the success with a series of groundbreaking business decisions still in effect today. The company introduced Smackdown on the UPN Network on Thursday Nights as competition to WCW's Thunder on the TBS Superstation. The Rock was enjoying his inaugural championship title reign and would face Steve Austin for their first of three �Mania encounters at Wrestlemania XV in Philadelphia. Unfortunately the good can often be overshadowed by the tragic; on May 23, 1999 the world of professional wrestling lost one of its favorite stars when Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri. Owen will never be forgotten as his passing was one of the most earth-shattering moments in history—wrestling or otherwise. Behind the scenes, longtime WWF head writer Vince Russo had become disenfranchised by the �Federation and jumped ship to rival WCW where Eric Bischoff was forcibly removed from his post as president. As WCW struggled during turbulent times, the WWF continued to prosper with the continuation of the McMahon/Austin saga, the further explored escapades of Degeneration X, and the debuts of The Big Show and Chris Jericho. The WWF would experience its first Monday night ratings victory since 1996 when Mick Foley defeated The Rock for the WWF Heavyweight Championship on a taped episode of Raw airing January 4th 1999. Titles changed hands that same night on TNT when Hollywood Hogan won the WCW title from Kevin Nash for a fifth time thanks to a booking misstep nicknamed "The Finger Poke of Doom." The Land of Extreme was also abuzz in �99 as this was the year ECW would debut on national cable television thanks to The Nashville Network, soon-to-be-known as Spike TV. The last year of the 20th Century was a period of growth for the WWF, but proved to be an unpredictable era for WCW, making it difficult to compete in the coming years of the new millennium.

2. 2002
If 2001 was the end of an era, 2002 was the dawning of a new age across the varied landscape of professional wrestling. The WWF began by changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in light of a conflict regarding the World Wildlife Fund. The campaign was dubbed "Get the �F' Out" and would help introduce audiences to an entirely new breed of "Ruthless Aggression," in the now-WWE. Two new promotions would rise from the ashes of the fallen WCW and ECW. There was former WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett's Southern-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling—a subsidiary of the National Wrestling Alliance. TNA was originally intended to be a pay-per-view only promotion hosting ten dollar events once a week. In 2002 they crowned their very first Heavyweight Champion, former UFC and WWF competitor "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. Meanwhile RF Video—a pro wrestling video distribution company, was looking for a new promotion now that ECW was gone. Rather than working with established groups such as CZW, RF owner Rob Feinstein founded Ring of Honor and ran their first event, "The Era of Honor Begins" in April 2002. Back in the WWE, the entire roster was split into two warring halves—one set for Smackdown and the other relegated to Raw. The year was infamous for the seemingly relentless parade of surprise appearances that lasted the entirety of 2002. Former Superstars like Mr. Perfect and Scott Steiner became part of the current roster once more; Eric Bischoff debuted as the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw; the NWO opened No Way Out; but perhaps most surprising of all was the return of Shawn Michaels after more than four years away from the ring. Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match when he defeated five other superstars including Triple H. Maybe one of the greatest years in the past two decades, but not quite number one.

1. 1997
The Number One Year of the Past Two Decades is 1997, and it shouldn’t be hard to see why. This year was the official launch of The Attitude Era in the WWF, signifying Vince McMahon's intention to compete with WCW on a whole new level. The competition didn't waiver however, as World Championship Wrestling was eager to meet the demand of audiences across the world. The "New Generation" made way for D-Generation X, a heel group similar to the NWO featuring Shawn Michaels and Triple H at the forefront. It was DX at the center of one of the most scandalous nights in wrestling—"The Montreal Screwjob." WCW was having its best year since Eric Bischoff took control of the company and bested their direct competition every week thanks to compelling storylines and the introduction of a former Atlanta Falcon named Bill Goldberg. The NWO storyline had yet to run its course and was complimented by the slow-build and impending confrontation between Hollywood Hogan and Sting at Starrcade. The Undertaker would become the WWF Champion for the first time in nearly six years when he defeated Psycho Sid at Wrestlemania XIII in Chicago, the same night Bret Hart and Steve Austin would wrestle their Match of the Year to a stunning conclusion. Paul Heyman's third party promotion dubbed Extreme Championship Wrestling would present their first ever pay-per-view event Barely Legal thanks in part to the promotion they received during the ECW Invasion of Monday Night Raw. The WWF became far more innovative during this period and introduced audiences to the Hell in a Cell and by circumstance the demonic younger brother of the Dead Man, Kane. It was also in 1997 that a hapless play-by-play announcer named Vince McMahon became one of the most detestable villains in professional wrestling history. The WWF would also begin debuting a number of midcard titles including the European Championship first held by The British Bulldog, and the Light Heavyweight Championship won by Taka Michinoku. WCW continued to maintain their edge in the ratings due to quality in-ring performances as well as plot twists and surprise appearances from WWF Superstars-turned-WCW Big Boys. It's not really a question: when asked about the single most action-packed and influential year from the past two decades of wrestling, I don't hesitate when I say 1997.

Conclusion
This list is ripe for discussion and debate, just as any other countdown featured in The Lucky Thirteen. You might agree, you probably disagree, I may have even listed your favorite year toward the bottom. It’s nothing personal, I promise. This list lives outside of the WWE Universe, but is of course greatly influenced by it. In regards to not including 2014, I didn’t want to include a year that hadn't yet concluded when I began compiling my information. I will say however with NJPW, the birth of the WWE Network, the salvation of TNA, and the first ROH Classic PPV, 2014 is sure to climb higher than any other year of the “Reality Era.” Whatever your feelings may be, I hope to see you again next week for another exciting countdown exclusively at Cheap-Heat. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been—The Lucky Thirteen.

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/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.

Credit: PWInsider

http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestling-legends-offer-rare-4-day-training-opportunity-2500-reid-fliehr-memorial-scholarship-to-best-of-camp/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/wrestling-legends-offer-rare-4-day-training-opportunity-2500-reid-fliehr-memorial-scholarship-to-best-of-camp/#comments Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:58:30 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Dr. Tom Pritchard Future Wrestling Legends Gerald Briscoe Lance Storm Les Thatcher Nigel McGuinness Reid Fliehr Rip Rogers http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8173 Wrestling Legends Offer Rare 4-Day Training Opportunity, $2,500 Reid Fliehr Memorial Scholarship To Best-Of-Camp! Returning to next summer's Fanfest Weekend lineup is Dr. Tom Prichard's Future Wrestling Legends Training Camp, a four-day talent search for three dozen of the world's top young male and female wrestling hopefuls. Prichard, a 30-year mat veteran and, since 1996, […]

Wrestling Legends Offer Rare 4-Day Training Opportunity, $2,500 Reid Fliehr Memorial Scholarship To Best-Of-Camp!

Returning to next summer's Fanfest Weekend lineup is Dr. Tom Prichard's Future Wrestling Legends Training Camp, a four-day talent search for three dozen of the world's top young male and female wrestling hopefuls.

Prichard, a 30-year mat veteran and, since 1996, one of the most respected trainers in wrestling, will be joined by a bevy of legendary guest coaches including Gerald Brisco, Nigel McGuinness, Rip Rogers, Lance Storm and Les Thatcher.

This is a very rare multi-day opportunity, providing almost 30 hours of in-ring training and locker room study. The benefit for the young wrestlers is almost �once-in-a-lifetime.' It's a very rare opportunity to train with and have unprecedented access to so many wrestling legends at once and over multiple days.

The young man or woman voted best-of-camp will be awarded the Reid Fliehr Memorial Scholarship, $2,500 towards future training opportunities, in honor of the 25-year-old Fliehr who passed away unexpectedly in March 2013.

Though the training camp is intended for experienced young wrestlers and referees, beginners and those with thoughts of possibly becoming a wrestler will have a chance to observe, as well.

Are you a future wrestling legend? If that's your goal, don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime!

Tentative Training Camp Schedule

Thursday, July 30

8-9 a.m. Gym
9 a.m.-1 p.m. In-Ring, Evaluation/Critique
3-5 p.m. Locker Room Q&A

Friday, July 31

8-9 a.m. Gym
9 a.m.-1 p.m. In-Ring, Evaluation/Critique
3-5 p.m. Locker Room Q&A
6-8 p.m. Hall of Heroes dinner and awards ceremony

Saturday, August 1

8-9 a.m. Gym
9 a.m.-1 p.m. In-Ring, Evaluation/Critique
3-5 p.m. Locker Room Q&A
8 p.m. Wrestling Matches

Sunday, August 2

8-9 a.m. Gym
9 a.m.-1 p.m. In-Ring, Evaluation/Critique
2 p.m. Reid Fliehr Memorial Scholarship Presentation
4 p.m. Wrestling Matches

Dr. Tom Prichard's Future Wrestling Legends Training Camp is open to participants and observers. Each participant will join one of our guest coaches at the Hall of Heroes dinner and awards ceremony on Friday night, July 31. Observers, those who may be considering a future in wrestling or those that just want an inside look at the training involved, will also join one of our guest coaches at the Hall of Heroes dinner and awards ceremony on Friday night, July 31. Observers will experience everything the camp has to offer, but won't participate physically.

The camp is limited to 36 participants and 12 observers.

Total cost of the camp is $319, for participants or observers. You may pay the full amount now, or lock-in your spot with a 50% nonrefundable deposit now and the balance paid by July 15.

(Note: There is a $3 fee included in each payment, meaning you'll be paying a total of $325 if you use the payment plan.)

http://www.cheap-heat.com/preview-of-rohs-return-to-florida-as-the-reloaded-tour-heads-to-lakeland-michael-elgin-makes-his-roh-return/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/preview-of-rohs-return-to-florida-as-the-reloaded-tour-heads-to-lakeland-michael-elgin-makes-his-roh-return/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2014 02:48:03 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Adam Cole Adam Page AJ Styles BJ Whitmer Caprice Coleman Cedric Alexander Cheeseburger Hanson Jay Briscoe Mark Briscoe Matt Sydal Michael Bennett Michael Elgin Moose Moose Ojinnaka Nigel McGuinness QT Marshall Raymond Rowe RD Evans Ring of Honor Roderick Strong ROH TaDarius Thomas The Briscoes The Decade The Kingdom Tommaso Ciampa Veda Scott Will Ferrara http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5237 Ring Of Honor Wrestling sent out the following: Michael Elgin Returns This Sat Night in Lakeland Ring of Honor's huge return to the The Sunshine State is just days away! And not only will you see a full night of ROH action LIVE, the whole thing will be taped for ROH TV! On October 25th, […]

Ring Of Honor Wrestling sent out the following:

Michael Elgin Returns This Sat Night in Lakeland

Ring of Honor's huge return to the The Sunshine State is just days away! And not only will you see a full night of ROH action LIVE, the whole thing will be taped for ROH TV! On October 25th, the ROH RELOADED tour is barreling into Lakeland and here's what you can look forward to.

AJ STYLES VS. HANSON
This just might be the biggest opportunity in Hanson's career! AJ Styles is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and regarded by many as the best professional wrestler in the world. Hanson won the 2014 ROH Top Prospect Tournament and has been on a tear ever since. An unfortunate injury to his WAR MACHINE partner, Ray Rowe, temporarily stalled his tag career. But Hanson has turned this negative into a huge positive, focusing on singles competition in ROH. That's lead him to Lakewood, where he faces AJ Styles for the very first time. Obviously, this match presents an enormous clash of styles – no pun intended. AJ's speed and high flying innovation often allow him to out maneuver and outlast his opponents. But Hanson is one of the largest athletes on the ROH roster. If he can keep AJ grounded, that might be the key to overpowering The Phenomenal One. And don't forget – Hanson himself has recently been known to defy gravity and take to the air! When you have two competitors who are so diverse in their techniques, the outcome is completely unpredictable. The entire world is sure to have their eyes locked on AJ STYLES VS. HANSON!

SPECIAL APPEARANCE AND INTERVIEW W/ RAYMOND ROWE
On the night that his WAR MACHINE partner, Hanson, takes on AJ Styles, Ray Rowe will be there in Lakeland for a special appearance and interview. Rowe has been recovering from a horrific motorcycle accident that necessitated surgery and rehabilitation. He's sworn to come back stronger and better than ever. We'll get the full update right from him on October 25th!

THE BRISCOES VS. THE KINGDOM
It's been brewing for months! The Kingdom has been antagonizing Dem Boys virtually nonstop, riding down Jay Briscoe's worthiness as World Champion and even trying to pit brother against brother. In particular, Adam Cole has been almost obsessively focused on bringing down the Briscoes and his mission has become The Kingdom's focus. The hatred between Adam Cole and Jay Briscoe goes WAY back. Cole was the eventual winner of the tournament held when Jay Briscoe was forced to end his first title reign, and Briscoe maintains that he was the "real" champion because Cole never beat him. But now that Jay is champion once again, Cole is obsessed with proving the Briscoe isn't worthy of the title. Briscoe and Cole have battled all around the country – even a Ladder War! – and still the hatred continues. Now Jay will team up with his brother, Mark, to take on The Kingdom in Lakewood! On October 25th, it's The Briscoes vs. The Kingdom and it's being taped for ROH TV!

CEDRIC ALEXANDER VS. TOMMASO CIAMPA
NOTE: This match announcement contains spoilers for ROH Television. Prior to the Honor Rumble, Cedric Alexander was attacked. All signs point to Tommaso Ciampa's guilt as his assailant, as the suspended Ciampa kept interfering in ROH events to get himself "noticed." As a reminder, Ciampa was suspended indefinitely after attacking ROH crew, threatening Kevin Kelly, and concussing Bobby Cruise. On the 11/1 episode of ROH TV, it is revealed that Nigel McGuinness has decided to reinstate Ciampa under a ZERO tolerance policy – if he touches any ROH official or non-wrestler outside the ring, he's gone forever. And now he'll have to step into the ring with the man it seems he attacked before the Honor Rumble – CEDRIC ALEXANDER! Ciampa needs to be on his absolute best behavior. He's long argued that no one appreciates or respects him and he deserves more than he's been given. So Nigel has given him the opportunity to come back to ROH – his ONLY opportunity!

MATT SYDAL VS ADAM COLE!
Adam Cole's ROH history as a hardworking, naturally gifted young man who developed an increasingly arrogant side as success started to come his way probably seemed a bit…familiar….to longtime fans. That's because we witnessed Matt Sydal undergo a very similar transformation in his earlier ROH days! And now that he's been ROH Champion and accomplished so much, Adam Cole looks at himself at the absolute pinnacle of ROH. He doesn't have time for worn out "has-beens" like Matt Sydal trying to remake themselves off of his fame. But Matt Sydal is ANYTHING but worn out. He's renewed and REBORN and ready to throw everything he has at the former ROH Champion. This is a match so many have been begging for since Sydal returned and now it can finally happen in Lakeland! No doubt, Sydal sees so much of himself in Adam Cole. In this match, the past and future are ready to collide…and show why RIGHT NOW the absolute best in the world are right here in RING OF HONOR.

PLUS…100% confirmed…"UNBREAKABLE" MICHAEL ELGIN RETURNS TO ROH ACTION IN LAKELAND!

Signed to appear:
– THE DECADE (RODERICK STRONG, BJ WHITMER) with ADAM PAGE
– CAPRICE COLEMAN
– MOOSE & RD EVANS
– QT MARSHALL
– CHEESEBURGER
– WILL FERRARA
– TADARIUS THOMAS
– PLUS MORE

To be there LIVE in Lakeland on October 25th, click HERE !

Saturday, October 25th
6:00pm Doors Open / 7:30pm Bell Time
The Lakeland Center
701 West Lime Street
Lakeland, Florida 33815