Indy
News Bytes
Ring
of Honor Special Edition
March 2, 2008 – by Sassy
Instead of our regular weekly News Bytes –
ARE
YOU KIDDING?
NO
WAY AM I MISSING THE CHANCE TO CHANT
ROH!
ROH! ROH!
BEFORE
THE NEXT PAY PER VIEW!
This
week’s edition is all about Ring of Honor and the upcoming March pay per
view…
”Rising
Above”.
There
was no February ROH pay per view and it was almost more than I could bear!
“Undeniable” in January 2008 was one great show and then NO ROH FOR A
MONTH! ROH is BACK and the matches are going to be over the top in the world of
wrestling entertainment.
I’m
already chanting ROH, ROH, ROH!
And
it’s only the SECOND of March!
Ladies
and gentlemen, boys and girls, true wrestling fans of all ages! Check with your
local pay per view provider for Ring of Honor’s “Rising Above” debuting
March 7, 2008!
If
you like first class wrestling with a little less talk and a lot more action,
ROH delivers it in style! The price ranges from $9.95 to $14.99 depending on
your pay per view carrier and it is worth every cent.
How
does ROH deliver such action at such a low cost?
I don’t know how they do it, but I wish the “other guys” could
provide the same kind of action, suspense, cheers and jeers for the same price.
Check
back after the premier of “Rising Above”. This site will have the low down
and the winners of each and every match, along with what went on during the pay
per view.
I
encourage you to see “Rising Above” for yourself.
Reading about it is not the same as seeing the action on your screen or,
better yet, make it to the next ROH live event!
If
you missed ROH’s “Undeniable” – shame on you!
You can check this site for the matches and the outcome of each match.
And
don’t forget to visit Ring of Honor’s website www.rohwrestling.com
for all the latest news, live events and pay per view schedules. Visit their
online store for a great selection of ROH matches on DVD.
Here
are the scheduled matches for “Rising Above”
And
Because
You
Can’t Tell The Players Without A Program!
I’ve
added the basic stats for each wrestler.
ROH
World Title Match
Nigel McGuinness
vs.
Austin
Aries
This
match is going to do me in. I love them both these wrestlers and can’t wait to see them
go one on one in a match, even if it is for the ROH World Title. I like Nigel as
the ROH Champion but I would like to see the gold around the waist of Austin
Aries.
Nigel
McGuinness is a Brit with talent and cockney charisma. If you have not seen
Nigel in the ring, this match is the one to see. Nigel has a stiff, almost
formal, style in the ring that will be challenged by Aries’ smooth, quick
style.
Stats
6’1”,
220 lbs., age 32
Trained
by Robbie Brookside, Chic Cullen, Les Thatcher and Dave Taylor.
Professional
wrestling debut September 1999.
Current
ROH World Champion.
Austin
Aries has been on my favorite list for a long time.
I was thrilled that he made his way back to ROH after going a round or
two in TNA. His wrestling ability is all that and more. TNA didn’t give
Aries the chance to shine. Back in ROH, Aries takes uses his skills to thrill
his fans.
Stats
5’9”,
205 lbs., age 29
Trained
by Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox
Professional
wrestling debut November 24, 2000.
ROH
World Tag Team Title
2
out of 3 Falls Match
Jay & Mark Briscoe
vs.
Rocky
Romero & Roderick Strong
All
I can say is oooh! Oooh! Oooh! The Briscoe Brothers in the ring as a tag team is
a license to have a major free for all. Add Rocky Romero and Roderick Strong to
the mix and someone may need medical attention before the match is over.
Jay
and Mark, The Briscoe Brothers are one of THE best tag teams currently in
the ring. They are brothers and
know each other so well, they appear to be one person.
Their high-flying maneuvers both in the ring and out in the arena are
spectacular. Romero and Strong are known for a smash mouth style of wrestling
but the Briscoe Brothers are not strangers to a brawl.
Stats
Jay,
age 24
Mark,
age 23
Combined
weight 430 lbs.
Trained
at home in a backyard ring.
Professional
wrestling debut May 20, 2000.
Rocky
Romero, as part of the No Remorse Corps, is a brutal force in the ring. Not
exceptionally large in size, his attitude and ferociousness take him through his
matches. Along with Roderick Strong and Davey Richards, the NRC has wreaked
havoc on their ROH opponents. Romero’s wrestling style includes
well-orchestrated use of his legs and feet to wear down his foes.
Stats
5’7”,
175 lbs., age 25
Trained
by Kevin Quinn, Jesse Hernandez, Bill Anderson, Antonio Inoki, Shinya Makabe,
and Negro Casas
Professional
wrestling debut September 13, 1997.
Roderick
Strong, as a member of NRC with Rocky Romero and Davey Richards, has not
endeared himself to ROH fans. He does have wrestling talent but has chosen to go
after his opponents with the zeal and tactics of a brawler. He and Strong should
have no problem working together as a tag team and don’t be surprised if Davey
Richards makes an appearance – and interferes – on behalf his NRC teammates.
Stats
5’10”,
212 lbs., age 24
Trained
by Jim Neidhart, The Warlord, Prince Laukea, Tim Mahoney, and his father.
Professional
wrestling debut in 2000.
Grudge
Match #1
Bryan Danielson
vs.
Takeshi
Morishima
This
match could have a surprise ending but only if Danielson manages to take down
Morishima in a submission maneuver. I’m
a big Danielson fan and am always surprised when he leads the way in matches
with much larger opponents. I am
not a big Morishima fan but he does do well in the ring and until recently held
the ROH World title.
American
Dragon Bryan Danielson is no stranger to ROH fans. He has won matches, been
beaten to a pulp and always comes back with the same strong wrestling style.
Although I prefer to watch Danielson dance through a match with pure wrestling
style, he can get down and dirty when the occasions arises.
This may just be one of those occasions.
Stats
5’10”,
185 lbs., age 26
Trained
by Texas Wrestling Academy, Rudy Boy Gonzalez, Shawn Michaels, William Regal,
Tracy Smothers, Bobby Eaton, Masato Tanaka, and Grant McKee.
Professional
wrestling debut in 1999.
Takeshi
Morishima is a large wrestler and is surprisingly quick in the ring. He does
wrestle but is known for his straightforward beat ‘em down style. He has a
sizeable height and weight advantage over Danielson but Danielson is much faster
and maneuvers in a more fluid fashion.
Stats
6’3”,
320 lbs., age 29
Trained
by AJPW dojo.
Professional
wrestling debut March 22, 1998.
Grudge
Match #2
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Chris Hero
with
Larry Sweeney
Without
the mouth of ROH, Larry Sweeney, and his Sweet ‘n Sour, Inc. hanging out at
ringside, Claudio would be the one to bet on in this match up. One can only
dream that Claudio will remove Hero and the rest of SnS from the arena allowing
him to finally get his hands on Sweeney!
Claudio
Castagnoli often appears too tall for the ROH ring. Don’t let his height
or that “melt your heart” accent fool you. Claudio is quick and adept and,
although I prefer to see him in matches where he can use that fantastic
wrestling ability, his opponent in this match isn’t going to allow us to see
much in the way of “wrestling”.
Stats
6’5”,
232 lbs., age 27
Trained
by SigMasta Rappo, Dave Taylor, Chris Hero. Mike Quackenbush, Skayde, and The
Honky Tonk Man.
Professional
wrestling debut December 24, 2000.
Chris
Hero is the wrestler every ROH fan loves to hate.
Although he is as tall as his opponent in this match up, Claudio always
manages to look taller. Hero has great wrestling talent but as the golden boy of
Larry Sweeney and Sweet ‘n Sour, Inc., Hero does his best to avoid his
opponents in wrestling holds and tends to go for the down and dirty style in his
matches.
Stats
6’5”,
240 lbs., age 28
Trained
by Dory Funk, Jr., Ian Rotten, Les Thatcher, Tracy Smothers, Dave Taylor, Fit
Finlay, William Regal, and Jorge "Skayde" Rivera.
Professional
wrestling debut September 12, 1998.
And
speaking of those ROH roster members you love to hate, Larry Sweeney continues
to top the list as the most despised manager of the wrestling kingdom.
He has a mouth that won’t quit and a smirk that makes fans worldwide
demand his blood. Believe it or not, Sweeney is a wrestler – I’ve seen him
in the ring!
Stats
5’9”,
185 lbs., age 27
Trained
by Mike Quackenbush, Chris Hero, Buddy Rose, Colonel DeBeers, and Skayde.
Professional
wrestling debut May 1, 2004.
Grudge
Match #3
Erick Stevens
vs.
Davey
Richards
Erick
Stevens was aligned with The Resilience, mortal enemies of the No Remorse Corps,
which included Davey Richards. This match should be worth watching with these
two facing off in the ring.
Erick
Stevens appeared in ROH and took everyone by surprise.
He is stocky and doesn’t appear at first glance to be a supreme athlete
but he manages to make wrestling look like second nature. Stevens will have to
be concerned about outside interference from the other members of NRC throughout
this match.
Stats
6’0”,
235 lbs., age 25
Trained
by Roderick Strong.
Professional
wrestling debut in 2003.
Davey
Richards and his ne’er do well companions, Rocky Romero and Roderick
Strong, make up the NRC, and all three are enemies of Erick Stevens. Davey
Richards, left to his own devices, should be able to face Stevens in a great
wrestling match. Richards should
have Stevens in the speed department but Stevens has height and a slight weight
advantage.
Stats
5’8”,
202 lbs., age 25
Trained
by Tony Kozina.
Professional
wrestling debut June, 2004.
Three-Way
Women's Match
Sara Del Rey
vs.
Lacey
vs.
Daizee
Haze
No,
no, no! Not a three way match for the women’s division!
Three way matches are not bad, but I would rather seen one on one action
in the ring with Sara and Lacey one on one.
All three of these girls are great in the ring and this match should be
worth the watch.
Sara
Del Rey is a member of Larry Sweeney’s Sweet ‘n Sour, Inc. I have no
idea why she aligned herself with this group because the girl can stand on her
own without any outside help. She’s tough and she’s quick and she can
wrestle or brawl. Chances are that Sweeney and his stable will be outside the
ring and Sara’s opponents will have to watch their backs throughout this
match.
Stats
5’9”,
160 lbs, age 27
Trained
by Donovan Morgan, Pro Wrestling IRON Dojo, Antonio Inoki, Bryan Danielson, and
All Pro Wrestling Boot Camp.
Professional
wrestling debut in 2001.
Lacey
has the lungs of a banshee and does not hesitate to use those lungs to drive the
fans and viewing audience to reach for the mute button or search for the
earplugs. Lacey is a member of Age
of the Fall and may have backup of her own at ringside. This could make for
entertaining on the floor brawling between AOF and SnS.
Stats
5’6”,
135 lbs., age 24
Trained
by Eddie Sharkey.
Professional
wrestling debut August, 2000.
Daizee
Haze is petite and looks too small to be in any wrestling ring but her size
is just a ruse. She is one tough
cookie in the ring and can go one on one with the likes of Sara and Lacey. She
has speed and talent but gives up height and size in this match and, if Daizee
comes alone to the ring, she will need eyes in the back of her head to keep
track of her opponents and her opponent’s teammates who may be outside the
ring.
Stats
5’4”,
110 lbs., age 24
Trained
by Delirious, Kid Kash
Professional
wrestling debut March 29, 2002.
Tag
Team Scramble
Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black
vs.
Kevin Steen & El Generico
vs.
Jack Evans & Ruckus
vs.
Adam
Pearce & BJ Whitmer
This
tag team scramble will be a brawling melee and I predict some spilling of blood.
All four teams are made up of members who can and do fight to the bitter end and
this match will be hard to follow at times.
Jimmy
Jacobs is a member of Age of the Fall.
I have seen Jacobs in action and have seen him take multiple hard knocks
and get back up fighting (and bleeding). One of his specialties appears to be
fighting outside the ring and in the seating area.
Stats
5’7”,
173 lbs., age 24
Trained
by Joe "El Tejano" Ortega and Frankie the Face.
Professional
wrestling debut May 1,1999.
Tyler
Black is another AOF member and I am not as familiar with his style as I am
with Jacobs, but most likely they will be working as Jacobs generally does, with
an in your face style.
Stats
6’1”,
210 lbs., age 21
Trained
by Danny Daniels
Professional
wrestling debut in 2005.
Kevin
Steen and El Generico are no strangers to ROH fans. They work well together in
the ring with Steen relying on his size and build and Generico relying on his
high-flying abilities.
Kevin
Steen may be a big boy but he is quick and never hesitates to use high-risk
maneuvers to thrill his wrestling fans. He
has the personality that makes the fans tend to either really love him or really
hate him but he always goes all out in the ring whether the audience is for him
or against him.
Stats
5’10”,
220 lbs., age unknown
Trained
by Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Carl Ouellet.
Professional
wrestling debut in 1999.
El
Generico is slight in appearance but his size and abilities make him the
perfect tag team partner for Kevin Steen. Generico tends to be more of a fan
favorite is his partner and he tends to use high-flying maneuvers both in and
out of the ring.
Stats
5’11”,
180 lbs., age 23
Trained
by Patty the Kid.
Professional
wrestling debut in 2002.
I
have not seen Jack Evans and Ruckus as much in the ring as Steen and Generico
but if their tag team abilities are anything like the singles match work they
do, they should be able to stay in the running in this scramble.
Jack
Evans is another wrestler with a slight build and he uses high-risk
maneuvers and speed to stay a step ahead of his opponents.
Stats
5’8”,
165 lbs., age 25
Trained
by Bryan Alvarez, Tim Flowers, Bruce Hart, Ross Hart, and Teddy Hart.
Professional
wrestling debut in 2000.
Ruckus
always looks larger than he is due to his wrestling attire but he is quick in
the ring and can be just as smash mouth as Jacobs and Tyler.
If Ruckus and Evans work well as a tag team, they can win this
competition.
Stats
5’8”,
225 lbs., age 29
Trained
by Chad Olsen and Brainbusters Wrestling School
Professional
wrestling debut April 18, 1999.
Adam
Pearce and BG Whitmer, along with Brent Albright, are members of The Hangman
Three. Pearce and Albright are two men ROH fans didn’t think would ever team
up again but here they are. Pearce is a much-hated ROH roster member and Whitmer,
who once had the respect of ROH fans, seems to have fallen out of favor since
aligning himself with Pearce.
Adam
Pearce is big and bad and when he talks, ROH fans jeer.
He is a heavy in the ring and on the mic but his style does take him to
the winner’s circle. And as much
as we may dislike Pearce, he works magic in the ring whether it is with
wrestling or showing no mercy to his opponents.
Stats
6’2”,
245 lbs., age 29
Trained
by Sonny Rogers, Randy Ricci, Ace Steel, Danny Dominion, WCW Power Plant and New
Japan Dojo.
Professional
wrestling debut May 16, 1996.
BJ
Whitmer is another wrestler I enjoy watching in the ring but since his
alliance with the evil Adam Pearce, his style may well change to that of a
brawler. BJ has a lot of talent and I’ll miss his personal wrestling style and
hope that he turns on Pearce in short order.
Stats
6’1”,
232 lbs, age 30
Trained
by Les Thatcher and Ian Rotten.
Professional
wrestling debut January 23, 2000.
Grudge
Match #4
Delirious
vs.
Brent
Albright
How
Delirious managed to get himself in a match against Brent Albright is beyond me.
Not only is Albright built like a solid wall, Delirious has the other
members of The Hangman Three, Adam Pearce and BJ Whitmer, to worry about.
If
you have never seen – or heard – Delirious in a match, I suggest you
do so. He is a great wrestler, an
absolutely magnificent ring worker and makes no sense at all when he talks.
Please note: If you
understand what Delirious is saying when he has the mic in his hand, you are a
true ROH fan. I speak from experience.
Stats
5’10,
186 lbs., age 26
Trained
by Kid Kash and Tracy Smothers.
Professional
wrestling debut July 19, 2001.
Brent
Albright, a member of The Hangman Three with Adam Pearce and BJ Whitmer,
appeared in ROH as a hired gun. He
has since decimated ROH roster members in and out of the ring. He is an
incredible in ring presence and looks much larger than his actual size.
Stats
6’0”,
230 lbs., age 29
Trained
by APW Boot Camp and Michael Modest.
Professional
wrestling debut in 1998.
Unless
otherwise noted, stats for ROH roster members taken from www.en/wikipedia.org.
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