Official ROH Discussion Thread

[Tamura]

After not having watched much ROH for quite a few years, I watched a few shows from earlier this year. Various thoughts, in no particular order of importance:

Jay Lethal's finisher is up with with the Worm and Peoples Elbow in terms of stupidity. With all the years of knowledge of wrestling that the wrestlers and ROH staff have, has nobody had the sense to tell him this. 

Staying on the subject of Jay Lethal, his mic skills have improved and he can enunciate much better. Sadly he uses this new skill badly, saying "best wrestler in the world" at far too frequent intervals.

The Young Bucks can fuck right off. Meltzer loves them and that's up to him, but I don't care how many 5* or even 10* matches he says they have. I'd rather watch the Bushwhackers versus the Beverly Brothers on repeat play than watch a single Young Bucks match. Don't care if it's ROH, PWG or New Japan, I will not watch them under any circumstances. Per Jay Lethal above, has nobody told them their opponent kicking out after bring kicked 50 times in the face is not a good idea. 

For a company that's been around almost 15 years, they don't seem to be drawing many people to the shows. I'd have hoped that with the added TV exposure they'd have bigger crowds than they did 10 years ago. Whether they reached a ceiling or not I don't know, but I'd have hoped they'd be running smaller arenas like ECW did but the events I've seen were the same sort of buildings as before. 

[Benno]

Per Jay Lethal above, has nobody told them their opponent kicking out after bring kicked 50 times in the face is not a good idea.

 

 

Of course a million people have told them, that’s kind of the point with the Bucks, they turned that self awareness into some kind of meta heel act, who now get cheered - or something. They'll name their price and walk into NXT on their terms come January - or continue making a bucket on daft T-shirts and the New Japan gig. Either way they're made men as far as indie success goes. Fair enough though, the act is not to everyone’s tastes.

 

As far as ROH attendance goes, they seem happy to stay in their lane. There's no real buzz about ROH and it’s barely the same company as it’s creative peak, but they do just enough to draw a profit. They’re not really the indie darling company anymore, they just trundle along with the likes of Jay Lethal on top, peaking when the New Japan lads come in and shifting loads of Bullet Club shirts 2 years past it’s prime.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Benno

[Tamura]

As far as ROH attendance goes, they seem happy to stay in their lane. There's no real buzz about ROH and it’s barely the same company as it’s creative peak, but they do just enough to draw a profit. They’re not really the indie darling company anymore, they just trundle along with the likes of Jay Lethal on top, peaking when the New Japan lads come in and shifting loads of Bullet Club shirts 2 years past it’s prime.

 

That's fair enough. It was the 14th Anniversary PPV that really looked bad I thought:

 

 

800 in attendance apparently, and only about 50 of them visible from the hard camera angle. For what I assume was supposed to be a big show, it really made them look bush league despite the production being 1000 times better than it used to be.

[textonly]

No-one's posted the updated cards for the UK tour, I see. They're filling out a bit (well, except London)...

 

Liverpool - 18/11

 

6-MAN TAG TEAM MAIN EVENT

ADAM COLE/YOUNG BUCKS VS. KYLE O'REILLY/MARK & JAY BRISCOE

 

PROVING GROUND

BOBBY FISH VS. WILL OSPREAY

 

JAY LETHAL VS. CHRIS SABIN

DALTON CASTLE VS. MARTY SCURLL

CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS. ACH

FRANKIE KAZARIAN VS. LIO RUSH

JOE HENDRY VS. DONOVAN DIJAK

 

Leicester - 19/11

 

YOUNG BUCKS (MATT & NICK JACKSON) VS. MARTY SCURLL & WILL OSPREAY

 

CHRIS SABIN VS. ADAM COLE

ALEX SHELLEY VS. JAY LETHAL

reDRagon (BOBBY FISH & KYLE O'REILLY) VS. JAY & MARK BRISCOE

JOE HENDRY VS. ACH

THE ADDICTION (CHRISTOPHER DANIELS & FRANKIE KAZARIAN) VS. DALTON CASTLE & DELIRIOUS

LIO RUSH VS. DONOVAN DIJAK

 

London - 20/11

 

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

JAY LETHAL VS. ADAM COLE © (If Still Champion)

 

WILL OSPREAY VS. MARTY SCURLL

 

 

[Benno]

Change of venue for London:

 

http://rohwrestling.com/news/important-information-about-londons-reach-sky-event

[gadge]

Almost sold out at York Hall sounds much better than half full at the place in Marylebone. I will be there and am impressed it is going to be that full on the same day as ICW at the Hydro.

[The Dart]

ROH really want me to know about the venue change. They've sent me the same email 5 times!

[gadge]

Yep, you're not the only one.

 

It's annoying that bell time is 7pm for the London show, being a Sunday, I'm bound to miss the end.

[dannycoll]

Will tickets be available on the Door at Liverpool !?

 

Thanks in advance

[Refused]

Yep, you're not the only one.

 

It's annoying that bell time is 7pm for the London show, being a Sunday, I'm bound to miss the end.

I have a lovely rail replacement bus to look forward to. Will be home at 2am if I'm lucky.

 

Tempted just to knock it on the head, use the train fare for a pizza and watch ICW instead.

[gadge]

Been following the Liverpool event on Twitter tonight, the big news from the show is that Will Ospreay WON the TV Title from Bobby Fish in his company debut.

 

Marty Scurll also won his debut match against Dalton Castle, which makes it possible that the Ospreay vs Scurll match in London could also be a TV Title match..

[Drfunke]

Anyone go last nite...saw the ospreay spoiler... but what were matches like?? Im on way to Leicester for tonights show

[Big Benny HG]

I went to the Liverpool show last night. Probably do more thoughts when I get back, but I thought the first half was really painfully average, just sort-of 'there', while the 2nd half (Castle vs. Scurll, Fish vs. Ospreay and O'Reilly & Briscoes vs. Cole & Bucks) was tremendous. I was regretting picking ROH over PCW happening across toen at half-time, though those thoughts disappeared after the interval and it was definitely worthwhile. Around 650 in, I would say.

 

The full proper setup, with lights, barriers, stage and LED entrance screens looked brilliant, though they were having problems with the ring ropes all night and the lighting rig failed at one point.

[Benno]

Was definitely a stark contrast to what felt like really important shows when they came over 10 years ago. I'd say the Olympia was about half full, maybe two thirds - the entire upper balcony was taped off and we got moved down to the floor as there were lots of empty seats.

 

The ring was embarrassing with wooden posts that were caving in and incredibly loose ropes as a result. It was definitely actively hurting the matches. The ring lights went out at one point too.

 

Would second Benny's thoughts on that first half. Rush/Kaz was just there, as was Dijak/Hendry. Jay Lethal and Chris Sabin did a very mid 2000's safe X Division style match. Pretty amazing that Lethal held the two main ROH belts for the last 3 odd years, but everyone there just wanted to see him do his Ric Flair and Randy Savage impersonations.

 

The second half though was really good. Marty Scurll and Dalton Castle changed the mood in the building, just two fantastic characters. I thought the ROH presentation of Scurll was well done with him having a custom video and a decent theme song (it even had a Woop in it). The fans singing DJ Otzi at Castle "I wanna know if you'll be my boy" was pretty clever as far as those things go. Nobody shouting for Dunn & Marcos when the ring broke made me sad for 2016 ROH though.

 

I'd say Scurll and Ospreay when he came out, were two of the most over guys on the show, so that's something different than if you put the equivalent British based wrestlers in their position 10 years ago. Ospreay winning the TV belt from Fish was a really good moment. The Bucks/Cole vs Briscoes/O'Reilly main event was incredible fun too. First time I've seen the Bucks live and I definitely get it. The party atmosphere is legit.

 

I was gutted when I found out Shane Douglas had turned up at PCW down the road but this turned out to be tons of fun. Still incredibly daft both shows were going on at the same time. It had to hurt the attendance of both.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Benno

[Jon-Carr_92]

I'd been reading an estimate of 650 at ROH last night. Any word on how much PCW did seeing as this was one of the main factors Supershow Of Honor III isn't going ahead.