Ring of Honor in 2020 (and beyond?): 18 Years Old and Barely Stable!

[King Kamala]

To take a break from shitting on Flip, I just watched the return episode of ROH. Honestly, it was pretty great. Their production values seem like they've improved tenfold and I really, really liked the presentation. It felt closer to The Ultimate Fighter than any other North American promotion.

It looks like ROH is going in direction with these shows that I've wanted them to go in since The Elite guys left at beginning of 2019 to start AEW. Positioning themselves and leaning into the fact that they're the "most legit", purest professional wrestling promotion.

And the " Pure Wrestling" style's emphasize on technical wrestling really plays well to these fanless shows.

This might have been the best weekly, North American rasslin TV show I've watched since pandemic started. Kudos to ROH.

 

[RedJed]

Yeah, I'm with you.....they really did a hard reboot on the aesthetic and feel of the brand, and it was much needed given the landscape, ROH desperately needed to create a niche focus to seperate them from the rest, and I think this is the best direction one could ask for. It's bringing back the old tradition of ROH booking when things started, which admittedly, many fans have walked away from ROH years ago because they started to walk away from the best technical "pure" wrestling aspect of things and become more of a general pro wrestling company with nothing making them stand out. Once the workrate levels dropped, so did people giving a fuck really.

Anyhow, the first episode was a breath of fresh air, even without a crowd. Seems like they teased Lethal and Gresham so much for the finals that there is no way its happening. I'd personally like to see Yehi vs Gresham in the finals but that's probably a long shot. I did a vlog rant over the weekend on the show and ended up giving it a solid 4 and half stars for the first week. I don't think I've enjoyed a ROH weekly episode like this, ever. The profile pieces also on talent was tremendous.

Still curious how EC3 will be used here to boot

 

[King Kamala]

I'm enjoying the "Shit on Flip Gordon" comedy hour.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1306304486391021574

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1306694407777812480

I do not remember this. Sounds like Flip Gordon still might have some work to do replace Davey Richards as dumbest baby to ever work for ROH.

 

[Laz]

Was it a booking before the murder-suicide part was revealed or after? There was about a week before the truth of what happened came out.

 

[King Kamala]

It was only a day or so before the truth came out. Remember WWECW day after bodies were found opened up with Vince McMahon talking about how Chris Voldemort would never be mentioned again on WWE programming.


@The Dames popped in on Bix's Twitter thread and said that the ROH show was about a month later and he almost got booed out of the Manhattan Center when he put PAC in the Crippler Crossface.

ROH Manhattan Mayhem II « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database

Internet Wrestling Database

www.cagematch.net

Looks like it was this card.

 

[Valeyard]

I'm just mad that I remember Davey Richards now.

 

[King Kamala]

Blame it on the Bossa Nova Bixenspan.

 

[Laz]

Ooooof...yeah, Davey was never the brightest. That 2009-2011 run, though...

 

[King Kamala]

He was a trailblazer for the great wrestlers who were brought down by their own dumbness. He walked so Austin Aries, Flip Gordon, and TJP could run. Of course, Low Ki is probably forefather of them all.


Although "brought down" might not be right term. Isn't a physical therapist now? He's probably making more money than he ever did in ROH/TNA.

 

[Valeyard]

Davey's style is to blame for all the issues I have now. I do admit 100% I thought he and Super Dragon were awesome at the time.

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1308535372184518657

Side note: I am perfectly fine with Flip not voting. Best case scenario is he writes in Austin Aries or something. Some people probably shouldn’t have a say in the Democratic process.

 

[Laz]

Nothing says "I served to protect American rights" quite like being against voting.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Nothing says "I served to protect American rights" quite like being against voting.

This is the same guy who has travel around the world and still thinks the Earth is flat.

 

[King Kamala]

I watched last week's episode and after two weeks, I'm ready to say that ROH is my favorite North American promotion since the start of the pandemic and right neck and neck with New Japan for favorite overall. David Finlay Vs Rocky Romero was probably best Finlay solo match I've seen so far. Pre-match interviews were great and for first time anywhere, I was given a reason to care about David Finlay beyond "He's a fun loving guy and a fourth generation wrestler!" Sidenote: Is he the first fourth generation pro wrestler? I certainly can't think of any off the top of my head.

Got to give props to commentary team and producers. They're only show I've seen to acknowledge the elephant in the room (IE the fact that there is no crowd) and really break down how it effects the performers. And I think this week it sunk in, why they chose to kick off the return of ROH with the Pure Tournament. Cause it's a style of wrestling that forces wrestlers to focus on the fundamentals instead of the glamorous, flashy side of rasslin that plays on the crowd. Just really well done stuff.

They managed to do the impossible and make me kind of care about a Delirious match in 2020. Matt Sydal did a great job of putting over their past and making it seem like he was a threat.

 

[King Kamala]

Watching this week's episode rn. I'm pleasantly surprised that Fred Yehi went over Silas Young in fairly dominant fashion. Yehi, to me, is the perfect guy for ROH in 2020. In another unexpected moment, I'm digging Silas Young's subtle babyface turn. Being a '70s style, plain spoken babyface seems way less forced than the tough guy, old school heel schtick he's been doing last 7 or 8 years.

 

[King Kamala]

ROH pulls The Collective talent from TV tapings as COVID-19 precaution

Thanks to help from John Pollock of Post Wrestling ROH officials made a decision today that a number of talents brought in for the television tapings this week

www.f4wonline.com

 

[King Kamala]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1317246078404730880

 

[Epic Springs]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1318675768151506944

PJ Black is the latest dummy who thinks the pandemic is a hoax. Backstory: Black shared an anti-COVID meme on his instagram and is getting dragged for it. Sadly there are too many wrestlers who agree with him. If this keeps up, @King Kamala is going to have the start the "Wrestlers who are Covidiots" thread!

 

[King Kamala]

I mean I knew PJ Black is a dummy since he lost his finger in a base jumping accident and also he's a white guy (a white South African no less!) who still thinks it's cool to put his hair in dreadlocks in 2020.

 

[King Kamala]

Watched this week’s show. To start with positive, tournament continues to be great and I love that Jonathan Gresham and “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams are getting strong pushes cause IMO those are the type of guys ROH should be hyping.

Also EC3 debuting as a righteous, pissed off CM Punk-esque babyface. I am hoping it is some sort of swerve and he is going to turn on the Briscoes in his debut match cause that is horrible horrible miscasting. And man oh man did I not miss Shane Taylor and his goons, the shitty Guerillas of Destiny. Having a hard time thinking of a worse talent in a North American promotion. And ROH chose to keep him over Keith Lee! Presumably reason was “Well, he is a lot cheaper.”

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Watched this week’s show. To start with positive, tournament continues to be great and I love that Jonathan Gresham and “Hot Sauce” Tracy Williams are getting strong pushes cause IMO those are the type of guys ROH should be hyping.

Also EC3 debuting as a righteous, pissed off CM Punk-esque babyface. I am hoping it is some sort of swerve and he is going to turn on the Briscoes in his debut match cause that is horrible horrible miscasting. And man oh man did I not miss Shane Taylor and his goons, the shitty Guerillas of Destiny. Having a hard time thinking of a worse talent in a North American promotion. And ROH chose to keep him over Keith Lee! Presumably reason was “Well, he is a lot cheaper.”

The tournament has been a lot of fun, especially since that's my favorite style.

Last week with Vincent and Matt Taven did nothing for me. I find Taven to be a black hole of charisma, and Vincent doing the 1970s gimmick ending every sentence saying, "Man" made my eyes roll, a lot.

 

[King Kamala]

Matt Taven kicking his ass got an initial little pop from me but it went on absurdly long. I like Taven alright even though ROH overpushes him (he is kind of like new Jay Lethal...Lethal, I actually like a lot more now now that he's not constantly main eventing). It might be my NEW ENGLAND BIAS! But my NEW ENGLAND BIAS doesn't override the fact that Vincent is a Z Grade Bray Wyatt.

 

[Epic Springs]

SHANE TAYLOR IS BACK???

 

[King Kamala]

Not only back but ROH thinks highly enough of him still that he's in the first big non tourney match since they returned (him and shitty Guerillas of Destiny Vs EC3 and Briscoes)

 

[King Kamala]

Also I'm sure Shitty GoD's name even ripoffs GoD. Like Soldiers of Savagery, right, @Big Beard Booty Daddy . I actually grudgingly accept the notion that ROH paired their worst singles guy with their worst tag team. I'd be even more annoyed if they paired Shane Taylor with a tag team I like.

 

[Epic Springs]

Have they announced plans for Final Battle? I haven't been keeping up with ROH since the return episode but I would tune into their "Wrestlemania".

 

[Laz]

Shane Taylor vs. Matt Taven in a 90-minute Iron Man match

 

[King Kamala]

Have they announced plans for Final Battle? I haven't been keeping up with ROH since the return episode but I would tune into their "Wrestlemania".

No announcements yet but I assume it'll happen, probably from an empty UMBC Arena (where they had it last year and where they're holding tapings rn) in Baltimore.

I find it kind of weird that they haven't even mentioned their World Champion RUSH in the first 5 or 6 episodes. I'm assuming he's stuck in Mexico but you'd think they'd mention that. I'm guessing knowing ROH they'll just pretend Pure Title is the #1 title until he's able to comeback.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Also I'm sure Shitty GoD's name even ripoffs GoD. Like Soldiers of Savagery, right, @Big Beard Booty Daddy . I actually grudgingly accept the notion that ROH paired their worst singles guy with their worst tag team. I'd be even more annoyed if they paired Shane Taylor with a tag team I like.

Yeah, I believe that is their name, or something like that. If they're the team I'm thinking of, they aren't horrible, just nothing spectacular.