Ring of Honor Wrestling

WWE is the leading global sports entertainment/pro wrestling brand of today.

But where would WWE be if WWE did not build new stars, in the heated battle against WCW in the Monday Night Wars?

Well we don’t have to worry about that; WWE was able to build new stars, crush WCW, and globally expand the company into what it is today.

You need fresh, new faces to keep things going and bring a new audience in.

Although TNA (Impact Wrestling) is still growing and expanding their brand, the same rings true for them as well!

But with fans wanting new exciting things now, both companies have to constantly search for talent.

Talent that can produce as soon as possible and has full potential to be future stars!

But neither companies won’t have to look far as a certain formula has been working for both companies…that formula being= go to ROH (Ring of Honor) Wrestling.

If you haven’t noticed, ROH is a breeding ground for future crops of talent; just look at CM Punk, AJ Styles , Samoa Joe and others.

ROH has taken big hits over the years as their top talents continue to depart, these prospects either join their fellow friends at either companies (TNA & WWE).

Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson), Tyler Black (Seth Rollins), Nigel McGuinness (Desmond Wolfe) have been recent departures from ROH; with more to follow like Kings of Wrestling: Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli.

Those are great talents that have packed up and left to pursue big time roles in the two companies…but somehow ROH continues to produce inspiring talent to snatch up!

But why are these talents so compelling?

All the guys who do departure from ROH and go to the big times are all great in-ring technicians, who have crafted their skills over the span of their careers.

For either company getting their hands on these incredible talents can do big things in the future or even present time!

Although Punk was signed to a developmental contract back in 05’ to the WWE, his true skills and craft have just begun to be seen.

This is great for either company, as either will always have that ace in their shuffle to unveil at any time.

Yes CM Punk has been at the top before, but nothing like this.

After seeing what Punk can do, fans and WWE want to see what the other talents can do with their skills.

It is being reported by numerous online spoiler websites that ROH and WWE may be in cahoots:

FOLLOWING WAS REPORTED BY SESCOOPS.COM-

There are many people in both WWE and Ring of Honor that suspect that the two companies have some sort of a working agreement in place,.

Sources insist that some of the things CM Punk spoke about in his infamous RAW promo a few weeks back will start finding their way onto WWE TV soon. For example, Punk talked about Triple H taking over and he began that storyline on this week’s RAW. Punk also mentioned John Laurinaitis and Colt Cabana, both who appeared on WWE TV in the past week. While Cabana wasn’t named by the announcers, he was shown at ringside on Money in the Bank and was photographed with Punk and the WWE Title in Chicago after the pay-per-view.

For what it’s worth, Cabana has told at least one indy promotion that he’s worked regularly with that he’s not taking any more bookings with them after next month.

This is great news, especially how things have been playing out as of late.

This is nothing new either as we have seen similar deals in the past with WCW-ECW and WWE-ECW.

But with the rise of ROH stars on WWE television & TNA (Impact Wrestling), we could look forward to some great entertainment.

This is why Ring of Honor needs to receive more props for what they have done.

As they continue to produce gold.

 

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If I told you there was going to be a local Indy wrestling show in town would you care?  What If I told you it would have big names from the Indy circuit?  What if I said Low-ki versus the Necrobutcher? Chris Hero versus Sami Callihan?  Mickie Knuckles versus Madison Eagles?  And admission is only $10.  Ah-ha!  Now I have your attention!  Or do I?

Every weekend across the country, cards like these take place highlighting the best and brightest of the independent circuit.  Every weekend, pool halls and high school gymnasiums are filled to the brink with 200 people tops.  I have many friends who love wrestling, say they are bored with WWE and TNA, but refuse to go any local shows with me.  I’m sure some of you reading have experienced the same. 

The purpose of this article is twofold: why do so few people support independent wrestling promotions and why should they?

I think the reason that the Indys have so few people show is really an image issue.  They don’t have the expensive pyrotechnics displays, the flashy entrances or the advertising exposure that WWE has.  Local independent promotions don’t have the storytelling ability weekly shows have due to a small (if one even exists) writing staff and a limited number of engagements.  It’s easier to follow stories on a weekly show than it is a show that occurs every other week or monthly.  If the Indy promotion travels, then story-telling is pretty much impossible to follow except for the most die-hard fans. 

When you add together flashy entrances and story-telling, what do you get?  Sports-entertainment!  My theory is that most “wrestling fans” are actually fans of WWE-style sports-entertainment. But that is an article for another day.

If wrestling fans truly cared about in-ring action, the Indy leagues should probably have more fans than they do.  Everyone who watches it believes that ROH simply has the best in-ring action in existence, to borrow a phrase from TNA, ROH is where “wrestling matters.”  There are also adherents to Chikara who believe the same.  

I live in West Virginia. Chikara and ROH are both based in Pennsylvania. Their stars are constantly working for other promotions in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania.  If you don’t care to drive a few hours, you can see the Kings of Wrestling, Eddie Edwards, Colt Cabana, Delirious and others every single weekend.  But yet, it seems no one does. 

The Indy promotions do matter and they need support.  They are where the stars of tomorrow are made and have became the modern day equivalent to the NWA territory system. 

Guys like CM Punk, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Low Ki, Daniel Bryan and others learned the trade there and were over every single place they went.  It has been said many times over by the likes of Chris Jericho, Jim Ross and others…wrestling needs a territory system to get guys ready for the bright lights of the WWE.  The Indys, for better or worse, are the only remnants of the territory system.

When you go see a local Indy show, you also get to interact with the wrestlers, something you just don’t get with WWE.  The guys interact with the audience, they get in people's faces and they sign autographs while selling their own merchandise.  For me, this is often one of the better parts of the show and something that is truly lost in the big shows. 

Some guys, such as CM Punk or Cody Rhodes, do occasionally interact with the audience but it’s pretty rare.  One of my all time favorite lines from an Indy show was when a wrestler cut an extra long promo when a person in the front row shouted “Why don’t you shut up and wrestle?”  Without missing a beat, the wrestler replied “Why don’t you suck my !@#$?”  After the show was over, that promotion was banned from the facility.  Another time, a heel who had gotten boos all match pulled off a truly great technical sequence.  The audience went into a slow clap, obviously impressed, when a random voice yells out “You still suck!” and the room erupts in laughter.  It’s those unpredictable and memorable moments of fan interaction that truly make Indy shows great for me. 

Lastly, Indy shows can sometimes bring innovation.  One particular show I attended featured an amazingly cool concept triple ladder match that I would love to see ROH or TNA try with their X-division guys.  They set up three rings in the middle of the venue.  Above the first ring was a money in the bank briefcase good for a title shot, above the middle ring was the world title and above the third ring was the TV championship.  The middle ring was also enclosed in a cage.  Then, each ring had 4 wrestlers enter and both titles and the MITB shot were available to anyone.  The match ended when both titles and the briefcase had been captured.  The entire time I was watching that match I was amazed at what I saw and could only dream of what guys like Styles, Daniels, Kingston, Morrison or Punk could do with it. 

If I ever get to work for TNA, WWE or ROH that match will be my very first pitch.  

Sunday afternoon may be the most important show in the nine-year history of Ring of Honor wrestling.

Best in the World, which will air live on Internet pay-per-view on gofightlive.tv, marks the promotion’s first major show to be broadcast under the new ownership of the Sinclair Broadcasting Group.

It also marks the return of ROH to the Hammerstein Ballroom of the Manhattan Center in New York City, a venue that has an incredibly rich pro wrestling history.

When this show was first announced, ROH executive producer Jim Cornette raised the expectations of many ROH fans by claiming that this would be the biggest show in ROH history.

He teased that outside talent (KENTA, anyone?) would be brought in for the event, saying that ROH would prove that they produce the best wrestling in the world.

Alas, the hopes of many fans who expected talent from Japan or elsewhere to come challenge the top ROH stars was dashed when the full card for Best in the World was revealed.

Even though ROH is not bringing in any major international talent for the iPPV, they have put together a solid card that includes every ROH title on the line, as well as the much anticipated return of former TNA X Division Champion Jay Lethal to an ROH ring.

The main event of the evening is the clash of the American Wolves, former ROH World Tag Team Champions and longtime friends. Eddie Edwards will defend his ROH World Heavyweight Championship against the No. 1 contender, Davey Richards.

It is a match that fans have been expecting since Edwards surprisingly became the ROH World Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Roderick Strong at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

Prior to that match, most fans expected that Richards, who has been on fire in ROH throughout 2011, would be the one to put an end to Strong’s reign atop the promotion.

At first, Richards congratulated Edwards on his enormous victory and appeared genuinely happy for his friend and tag team partner.

Over the past four months, that happiness has slowly turned into a unique tension between the two, who both want nothing more than to be able to call themselves the best in the world.

A few months ago, I wrote this article analyzing the potential effects that this clash could have on the American Wolves.

Just this week, ROH released this four-plus minute video package that wonderfully illustrates the path that Richards and Edwards have been on since Richards’ last unsuccessful attempt at becoming the top man in ROH at Final Battle 2010.

The Edwards vs. Richards match alone will be worth the $15 price tag of Best in the World but the rest of the card should provide plenty of exciting in-ring action. Here is a look at the official announced card for the iPPV:

• ROH World Heavyweight Championship - Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards
• ROH World Tag Team Championship Four-Way Elimination Match - Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas vs. The Kings of Wrestling vs. The Briscoes vs. The All Night Express
• ROH World Television Championship - “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels vs. El Generico
• Steve Corino (with Jimmy Jacobs) vs. Michael Elgin (with Truth Martini)
• “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett vs. Jay Lethal
• No Holds Barred Street Fight - Homicide vs. Rhino (with the Embassy)
• Colt Cabana vs. Tommaso Ciampa (with the Embassy)

There is also a special dark match that will not be shown on the iPPV and will be a DVD exclusive, as TNA’s Generation Me return to ROH for a tag team showdown with Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly.

Generation Me, better known throughout the independent wrestling scene as the Young Bucks, have been one of the top tag teams in pro wrestling for the past few years. Cole and O’Reilly are the young guns of the ROH tag division and this match would be their opportunity to emerge from the pack.

Rhino will be making his ROH debut in a street fight against Homicide. Rhino has been brought in by Prince Nana and the Embassy to take out the Notorious 187, who has been a thorn in the side of Nana and company for the past several months.

Jay Lethal steps back between the ROH ropes for the first time since 2006 when he takes on Mike Bennett, a man who has garnered X-Pac levels of heat during his time with ROH.

Whether the fans like him or not, Bennett is out to prove that he deserves to be in the promotion and a victory over a major name from the ROH history books could go a long way towards that.

Rumors of Kevin Steen’s return to ROH have been rampant ever since Steve Corino brought him up during a recent promo on YouTube.

Corino, who at one time was Steen’s mentor and led him down a path of destruction that gave us the epic feud between Steen and El Generico last year, is looking to prove that he is a changed man.

Corino has brought Jimmy Jacobs, known mostly for leading the Age of the Fall (perhaps the most notorious stable in ROH history), into the fold. Corino and Jacobs are determined to shed their evil ways and they have reached out to Steen for help in their feud against the House of Truth.

ROH officials have released a statement saying that Steen is barred from showing up at any ROH event due to the stipulation of the mask vs. career “fight without honor” between Steen and Generico at Final Battle 2010.

It has been over six months since Steen lost and was forced out of ROH, will he defy the rules and show up at Best in the World to aid his former mentor?

El Generico looks to win his first singles championship in ROH when he challenged Christopher Daniels for the World Television Championship. Whoever walks away with the belt will more than likely be the first TV Champion of the Sinclair era of ROH, which adds a bit of extra importance to this one.

Daniels blindsided Generico and aligned himself with the House of Truth at the second Honor Takes Center Stage iPPV during Wrestlemania weekend. Generico will undoubtedly be looking for retribution when these two square off in the Hammerstein Ballroom on Sunday.

Four teams will do battle in an elimination match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, collectively known as Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team, will put their titles on the line against three teams hungry for tag team gold.

The Kings of Wrestling, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, fell one day short of a full one year reign atop the ROH tag team division when they were defeated by Haas and Benjamin at Honor Takes Center Stage. They want their titles back desperately, though rumors of Hero and Castagnoli working out for the WWE have recently surfaced and caused much speculation.

The Briscoes are six-time ROH World Tag Team Champions and want nothing more than to be at the forefront of the tag team scene as the Sinclair era of ROH kicks off.

They recently released this outstanding, and not safe for work, promo on YouTube, in which Jay Briscoe rants about how important winning the belts for a seventh time would be to them.

The All Night Express have been involved in a long and bloody feud with the Briscoes for much of 2011. They have also transformed into popular fan favorites and proven that they have what it takes to hang at the top of the ROH tag team division.

They go into this elimination match as the dark horse, but seeing the belts around the waists of Kenny King and Rhett Titus after Best in the World would come as no surprise.

And then there is the main event, Richards vs. Edwards. The American Wolves collide for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.

Those who saw their match in the finals of the World Television Title tournament know what these two are capable of when put against each other. With the stakes raised even higher this time around, which wolf will come out of Sunday as the leader of the pack?

Richards has been marked as a future ROH World Heavyweight Champion for the past few years and he has stated that he will not challenge for the title again if he does not win it on his next attempt.

Of course, Edwards, his friend and partner, was not the man with the championship when that statement was made.

Many fans still see Edwards as a transitional champion, someone who is simply holding the belt until Richards finally gets it. This match is Edwards’ chance to prove his doubters wrong and more importantly, prove to Richards that he is indeed the best in the world.

2011 has been a landmark year for ROH and Best in the World marks the end of an era for the upstart promotion. A new era, with a new TV deal and new ownership, is kicking off and it has never been a more exciting, or nerve-wracking time, to be an ROH fan.

While the card for the Best in the World iPPV may not live up to some of the initial hype surrounding it, there is no arguing that ROH has put together a solid card which should very easily be well worth the cost.

For more information on Sunday’s iPPV or ROH, check out their web site, which is linked above. Keep your eyes open for more news and views from the rest of the independent wrestling world here on Bleacher Report.

Don't worry, this isn't just a breaking news article, I have lots of opinion to spew around. However, Ring of Honor released the following today:

BRISTOL, PA. (MAY 21, 2011)--"Ring of Honor Wrestling owner, Cary Silkin, announced today the sale of the promotion to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest television broadcasters in the country and which owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 58 television stations in 35 markets across the United States.

ROH, currently the third largest wrestling promotion in the country, just celebrated its ninth anniversary, and Mr. Silkin is excited about taking the next step towards increasing the company's visibility and expanding its operations."

To view more of this press release, check out Ewrestlingnews.com's full report, here.

This allows Ring of Honor the television deal it needs. It promises to give the promotion much more exposure, and it can now attract audiences that have never even been made aware of it's existence.

This is an obvious side of this.

I've got another angle with this.

We all have heard the rumors of CM Punk leaving the WWE for numerous reasons. If he decides to do so, Punk is on bad terms with multiple people in TNA. Hulk Hogan, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy just to name a few. So the likelihood of Punk, if he does leave the WWE, to TNA, is slim to none.

This leaves us Ring of Honor.

Before departing for the WWE, Punk was ROH's biggest star. He had been ROH World Heavyweight Champion and displayed the great in-ring and promo work we all know and love today.

So, the question I pose to you is, "What if?"

What if CM Punk leaves the WWE and hops ship to his old home, Ring of Honor?

Punk would be the center of advertising and bring a familiar name to a new audience that this sale has brought Ring of Honor.

In my opinion, the combination of these two things happening could catapult ROH to new heights. It could likely compete with TNA, and we would have a battle for the second largest pro wrestling company in North America.

Isn't that an intriguing thought?

For now, I have never watched Ring of Honor. So I cannot tell you much about it. But, I have heard the ramblings of greatness and have seen videos and such that hint at it.

Many believe all Ring of Honor needed was exposure, and it now has that. The possible arrival of CM Punk should have the IWC drooling at its keyboard.

It could shake the very foundation of the pro wrestling landscape as we know it. We may very well have a war, one that doesn't involve the WWE, at least yet. 

Be excited wrestling fans, this should be a fun ride!

To read more of my stuff, and many others' from Bleacher Report, check out the newest wrestling website; The Enigmatic Generation of Wrestling. 

While most of the wrestling world mourns the loss of one of it's greatest of all time in Randy "Macho Man" Savage, one group is celebrating. This, being ROH.

Now, for those who do not know, Ring of Honor has been a major player in the Indy wrestling scene for a number of years now.

They have helped create some of our current major players in the wrestling world. People such as AJ Styles, Chris Daniels, Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries, and CM Punk all went through ROH, and this became their first step into the wrestling world.

Many consider ROH the third top promotion in the world, only behind WWE and TNA. Some would even put it over those two.

It, however, has been sold to Sinclair Broadcasting Group. They actually are the owners of stations such as MyNetwork TV and the CW. They also own TV stations throughout America with FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC.

However, they only own the station and but broadcast through their major owner, whether it be FOX, ABC, or whoever.

They mainly make their profit because of the fact that they own a majority of the actual stations throughout America. Which is a major thing, because they make huge money on advertising, and can pretty much put ROH in a major light all over the country.

Get this, they have the right to broadcast whatever they choose on all of these channels when it becomes "station time". ROH would more than likely get put on during weekends on a channel with nothing of real use on it during this time, such as MyNetwork TV.

But because it would only be on TV stations owned with Sinclair, a lot of places wouldn't have ROH on their station. However, Sinclair is in over 24 percent of all American homes.

There is no international availability.

I am one of the lucky few who have all my local stations owned by Sinclair here in Alabama.

You can look up Sinclair and see if there are any in your American area.

What this does for ROH is pretty much guarantee they will last. Also, Sinclair is gonna be like a "Sugar daddy" if you will. Giving out the money to get whoever in, and still allowing all operations to be done by the same people currently there.

They also offer, besides money, TV and advertising space on LOCAL TV!! Not everyone has cable or satellite. But, Sinclair can put out all of their ADs on their stations and probably buy space on the ones they don't own.

Sinclair does have the bulk of local channels here in America, but there are some left out. Which means, Sinclair would have to sell the idea of wrestling to the others.

It's not always easy, but bringing in top names would be the first step to this.

ROH is known for wonderful Indy talent, some of which have become Indy legends through them. But, they need their proverbial star players.

This gives us yet another promotion that will rival WWE to get top talent. With Sinclair backing financially, I doubt TNA could stop certain guys from leaving money wise. WWE would be the only one.

One current idea is CM Punk, who was a major player with ROH for a long time. He is unhappy with WWE right now, and while they could always work it out, Punk has done it all there already.

He has 3 World Titles to his credit, an ECW Title, and IC Title, Tag Team title, and won two back to back Money in the Bank matches.

So, that said, Punk really doesn't have much to accomplish and his WWE deal is coming up. He could leave and be like Kurt Angle was to TNA, and jump ship to help grow the smaller company.

Punk would be able to fully use his gimmick, would be back home at ROH, and he's big enough to bring in an audience. The idea that they will be on guaranteed local TV, is also something Punk may be glad about.

His star power is something that would help grow ROH and with Sinclair's backing, they could pay him a lot to kind of steal him away from WWE.

It's also a smaller schedule, of which Punk would also be happy about.

It's a big thing to think about, which is something Punk didn't have last week. He also hasn't signed a deal with WWE yet either, so, Punk now has an advantage in negotiation. A massive one!

Even if he doesn't jump ship, the idea that he could is something WWE has to think about.

TNA also has to worry about it's talent jumping seeing as a lot of their guys are former ROH stars. Having them all back would be a massive thing for ROH.

Plus, ROH is a proven draw, not just in audience, but TV. While on HDNet, they were drawing pretty good ratings for a while, some that even matched TNA certain weeks.

With a bigger market, imagine what they could do!

ROH's future is massively bright to me, and I'm sure many of it's fans are happy ROH is getting such an opportunity.

What do you think of the sell? Good or Bad for ROH?

And who do you think would jump ship to ROH?

The stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling will be invading the east coast this weekend.

NJPW and Jersey All Pro Wrestling have teamed up for three huge shows. The first night of the Invasion Tour, May 13 in Rahway, NJ will feature mostly first-round tournament matches, as this weekend features a tournament to crown the first ever IWGP Intercontinental Champion.

Here is a look at the complete announced card for night one:

• Dream Tag Team Match - Low Ki and Homicide vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger and Tiger Mask IV
• Eight-Man Tag Team - Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt and Ryuske Taguchi vs. Davey Richards, Shinsuke Nakamura, Gedo and Jado.
• Kenny Omega vs. Satoshi Kojima
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Togi Makabe vs. Charlie Haas and Rhino
• Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round - Tetsuya Naito vs. Tama Tonga
• Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round - MVP vs. Kazuchika Okada
• Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round - Toru Yano vs. Dan Maff
• Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round - Hideo Saito vs. Yujiro Takahashi

The second night of the tour, May 14 in New York City will feature the IWGP World Heavyweight and Jr. Heavyweight titles on the line, as well as second round action from the Intercontinental title tournament. Here is a run down of the announced card for night two:

• IWGP Heavyweight Championship - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Charlie Haas
• International Dream Match - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Prince Devitt vs. Low Ki
• Intercontinental Title Tournament Semi-Finals

The Invasion Tour ends on Sunday, May 15 in Philadelphia, PA. The finals of the Intercontinental title tournament will be taking place at the famed Asylum Arena, as well as a loaded card featuring the following matches:

• South Philly Street Fight - Togi Makabe vs. Rhino
• JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship - Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Kenny Omega
• Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Davey Richards
• Low Ki and Homicide vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Prince Devitt and Ryuske Taguchi

While all of the shows look to be quite good, the finale in Philly seems like a can’t-miss event. If Tanahashi retains his title against Haas in New York, it will be Davey Richards against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion on Sunday.

The team of Devitt and Taguchi, known collectively as Apollo 55, are one of the best tag teams in the world and their match against the Strong Style Thugz of Low Ki and Homicide should be one of the best of the entire weekend.

It will truly be a historic weekend of professional wrestling, as one of the most popular promotions in the world comes to the United States for the first time ever.

EVOLVE Wrestling announced plans for their next iPPV on WWNLive.com. It is called the Style Battle and it will be taking place on Friday, May 20 in Union City, NJ.

The Style Battle will be a single elimination tournament featuring eight wrestlers who each represent a different style of wrestling. The idea is to showcase numerous types of professional wrestlers from high flyers to super heavyweights, to determine who is the very best at their particular in-ring style.

Here is the field of eight for the debut Style Battle tournament:

• AR Fox (High flyer)
• Austin Aries (Hybrid)
• Bobby Fish (Puroresu Jr. Heavyweight)
• Sami Callihan (Hard hitting)
• Brodie Lee (Super Heavyweight)
• Tony Nese (Standing Combat)
• Jon Davis (Power)
• Rich Swann (Rich Swann Style)

Swann was voted in by the fans after originally being passed over as a high flyer in favor of AR Fox. He uploaded a video on YouTube telling the EVOLVE fans that he wanted in the Style Battle and if he couldn’t represent the high flying style, he’d represent Rich Swann style.

It will certainly be an interesting night of wrestling, with many potentially intriguing matchups. EVOLVE has put together a talented mix of veterans and newcomers but only one of them will be able to say that they won the very first Style Battle.

My money is on Bobby Fish, who in many ways has been the unsung hero of EVOLVE through seven shows.

His story of fighting through adversity and coming so close to reaching victory, only to fall short in his first several matches has been one of the most interesting storylines in the promotion. Fish finally picked up his first win at EVOLVE 6 when he defeated Kyle O’Reilly.

He is returning from several months in Japan where has been competing for Pro Wrestling NOAH. If Bobby Fish wants to cement himself as a major player in EVOLVE, a victory at the Style Battle would go a long way.

Lastly, Ring of Honor is fresh off their Revolution weekend and they have wasted little time setting the stage for their huge Supercard of Honor VI show on Saturday, May 21 in Chicago Ridge, IL.

For the second consecutive year, Roderick Strong will be challenging for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in the main event at Supercard of Honor.

Last year, he was unsuccessful against Tyler Black before ultimately going on to defeat him for that title in September at Glory by Honor IX. His reign was surprisingly cut short when Eddie Edwards defeated him for the championship in March at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

This year, Strong gets his championship rematch. With ROH World TV Champion Christopher Daniels in the mix and the emergence of Michael Elgin, the House of Truth is looking stronger than ever before. Will Strong be able to bring even more prominence to the HoT by regaining his title?

Edwards has gained immeasurable confidence since becoming the ROH World Heavyweight Champion, but the belt has also driven a wedge directly into his friendship with Davey Richards. Can Edwards put those distractions aside in Chicago Ridge and defeat a hungry and determined former champion?

Speaking of Richards, he faces a stiff test of his own at Supercard of Honor VI.

The reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, will be seeing their first singles action in an ROH ring on May 21.

Haas will go one-on-one with Richards in what will likely be an exciting showcase of wrestling ability. Richards is the top contender in ROH and one of the most intense wrestlers in the world today.

On the other hand, Haas has been on fire since joining the ROH roster and has become an accomplished singles wrestler on the independent scene over the past year.

Meanwhile, Shelton Benjamin has to face perhaps the most powerful man in ROH, one half of the Kings of Wrestling, Claudio Castagnoli.

The Kings rivalry with Haas and Benjamin has given us some of the best tag team matches of the past year in pro wrestling. Last month at the Honor Takes Center Stage weekend, Haas and Benjamin finally ended the Kings nearly year-long run as tag team champions in ROH.

Castagnoli will surely have revenge on his mind when he steps into the ring to face Benjamin at Supercard of Honor VI.

That wraps up this edition of news and notes from the independent scene. Check out the web sites of each promotion for more news and information and keep an eye out for future updates on the latest happenings from world of independent wrestling.

Last year at this time, the names Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly were relatively unknown to many Ring of Honor fans.

One year ago, the two were competing in preliminary matches for ROH and working in several other independent promotions. While they have formed an impressive tag team in ROH, they have faced each other in singles competition several times in companies like Dragon Gate USA and CHIKARA.

My first exposure to either man came while watching the DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate DVD, where they went head-to-head in one of the pre-show bonus matches. O’Reilly came out on top but the performance of both competitors impressed me and it came as no surprise when their names began popping up all over the independent wrestling scene.

Cole and O’Reilly also wrestled each other during CHIKARA’s Young Lions Cup tournament in August of 2010. This time Cole picked up a big victory to advance to the semifinals of the tourney.

Both men were quite impressive while competing for EVOLVE during 2010. O’Reilly’s multi-faceted offensive approach, combining elements of submission wrestling and jiu-jitsu training with high impact moves, including a particularly nasty Brainbuster, seemed to be a perfect fit with the direction of EVOLVE.

Cole, on the other hand, brings a flashier, more exciting, high-flying style to the ring. He is clearly inspired by the likes of Shawn Michaels and AJ Styles and has been compared to a younger John Morrison. His Panama Sunrise top-rope version of the Canadian Destroyer is truly a sight to behold.

In 2010, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter named Cole their Rookie of the Year. His performances as an arrogant, self-absorbed heel in Combat Zone Wrestling have gone a long way towards reestablishing the promotion’s identity after years of being known simply as an ultra-violent hardcore wrestling company.

Cole recently won CZW’s tenth “Best of the Best” tournament, defeating “The New Horror” Sami Callihan in the finals. In addition to that, Cole again defeated Callihan last weekend during the first round of the ECWA Super 8 tournament and then made a major statement by defeating former two-time ROH World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries to advance to the tournament final.

Cole was defeated in the final by Tommaso Ciampa, another rising star who is establishing himself as a potential major player within the ROH ranks.

While both Cole and O’Reilly have achieved plenty of success throughout their careers up until this point, they have struggled to pick up any big victories in ROH.

As a team, they have come incredibly close to defeating the likes of the Kings of Wrestling, the Briscoes and the All-Night Express, but they have not been able to get the job done.

Though their record might not reflect it, Cole and O’Reilly have become one of the most exciting teams in wrestling. They came within an eyelash of defeating the longest reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions of all time, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, at the second Honor Takes Center Stage iPPV last month.

By pushing teams like the Kings of Wrestling to the limit, Cole and O’Reilly are proving themselves to the ROH faithful. They might not be at the top level of the tag team division just yet, but they have made a ton of progress since they became ROH regulars last year.

This weekend, the young team will get another huge opportunity to prove themselves when they take on the current ROH World Tag Team Champions Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas in a non-title contest at ROH: Revolution USA in Dearborn, MI.

Wrestling’s greatest tag team won the belts last month during the Honor Takes Center Stage weekend and will defend them for the first time against the Briscoes the next night at ROH: Revolution Canada in Toronto, Ontario. It would be in their best interest to not overlook the fiery young duo that they must face the night before.

Cole and O’Reilly have improved as a team with each and every match together. Their styles share similarities but are mostly opposite, though they have meshed quite nicely and developed some dynamic double team maneuvers.

Benjamin and Haas may be on top of the tag team division in ROH right now, but many fans feel that Cole and O’Reilly could be the future. A non-title win over the champs would add more fuel onto the already burning hot fire surrounding these two rising stars.

ROH World Tag Team Championship gold seems likely to be in the futures of Cole and O’Reilly. At this point, both have incredible potential and it would be no surprise if eventually one, if not both of them wound up receiving a call from Stamford.

This is the second in a series of articles focusing on up and coming, rising stars of the independent wrestling scene. Check out my first piece on Dragon Gate sensation Akira Tozawa here and keep an eye out for more features on talent you should be keeping an eye on.

On March 19, Eddie Edwards shocked the wrestling world by defeating Roderick Strong for the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

For the past few years, Edwards has been a part of the American Wolves with his tag team partner Davey Richards. They ran roughshod over the tag division in ROH and became one of the most popular duos in the history of the promotion, but they also climbed up the ranks individually as singles wrestlers.

Richards spent much of 2010 chasing after the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. He seemed like the sure bet to become the first of the American Wolves to capture ROH’s top prize.

After falling short in classic championship battles against Tyler Black at Death Before Dishonor VIII and Roderick Strong at Final Battle 2010, Richards decided to take a step back from the title hunt and focus on perfecting his craft before taking his next shot at the belt.

He also promised that his next opportunity at the championship would be his last if he was not successful.

Little did Richards know that by the time he worked his way back into title contention, the man holding the championship would be the very same person that he calls his partner.

Many fans were stunned to learn that Edwards became the ROH World Heavyweight Champion before Richards. One look at the early comments left on this YouTube clip of the aftermath of Edwards’ huge victory shows that a lot of ROH fans believe that the belt is around the waist of the wrong wolf.

As soon as Edwards became the champion, speculation of Richards’ jealousy began to surface. Was Richards jealous or angry that his partner, a man he calls his brother, did what he had been unable to do?

In the March 30th edition of the ROH video wire, Richards addressed the issue and denied any negative feelings about Edwards winning the title. He said that he was proud of Edwards for accomplishing his goals and becoming the World Champion.

Despite Richards’ statements, the seeds had already been planted for the impending showdown between the American Wolves. During the Honor Takes Center Stage weekend, those seeds continued to sprout ever so slightly.

At the Friday night iPPV, Richards defeated the former champion, Roderick Strong, in a show-stealing match. It was another exciting display of Richards’ trademark toughness and his unbelievable durability.

Meanwhile, Edwards successfully retained his championship in his first defense, finally picking up a victory over “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels. It was an excellent match that should go a long way towards quelling any doubts that fans may have had about Edwards’ ability to perform on the highest level in ROH.

Things got interesting during the Saturday afternoon iPPV, when ROH Executive Producer Jim Cornette called Richards out to the ring. He informed Richards that he was naming him as the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, based off of his undefeated record throughout 2011 and his impressive victory over the previous champ on Friday night.

Even though Cornette attempted to convince Richards to take the match by telling him how much of a draw the match would be for ROH, Davey turned down the shot, saying that he did not want to be the one to destroy his “brother’s dreams.”

This brought out Edwards, who was clearly upset that Richards seemingly implied that it was a “foregone conclusion” that he would defeat him if they fought for the title.

Edwards reminded Richards that he defeated him the only time that they did wrestle each other, which was in the finals of the ROH World Television Championship tournament last year.

The topic was then shifted towards the American Wolves main event match against the new ROH World Tag Team Champions, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, later that night. The Wolves needed to make sure they were on the same page heading into a huge match against Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team.

The match was a phenomenal example of tag team wrestling at it’s finest. In the end, Richards and Edwards were defeated after they unintentionally bumped into each other after being pushed by Benjamin and Haas. The confusion sent Edwards out to the floor and Richards’ into Benjamin’s Paydirt finisher.

As the dust settled at Honor Takes Center Stage, it appeared as if the dissention between the American Wolves continued to grow. They bickered with each other after the match; Edwards exited the ring and headed backstage while fans chanted “next World Champ” at Richards as he stood in the ring.

Richards acknowledged their chants with a defiant smirk and a nod of agreement.

Based on how the situation is playing out, a clash between Richards and Edwards for the gold seems inevitable. Remember, Richards promised that his next title shot would be his last if he did not win.

The hunt is on, but at what cost to the relationship between the American Wolves? Will it remain a friendly feud rooted in the spirit of competition or will the ROH World Heavyweight Championship be the wedge that turns partners into enemies?

There is a new World Heavyweight Champion in Ring of Honor.

Eddie Edwards upset Roderick Strong tonight in the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center in New York City to become the 14th man to hold the gold in ROH.

He is also the very first triple crown champion in ROH history, as he is a former World Tag Team Champion and World Television Champion.

This news created such a buzz that Edwards was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter after his championship victory.

The popularity of ROH seemingly continues to grow, and this weekend they put on two big shows that received great reviews and buzz from fans on various social media networks.

Here is a look at the quick results from this weekend, with much thanks for the folks over at the ROH Forums.

"Defy or Deny" results from Plymouth, Mass.

- Mark Briscoe defeats Kyle O’Reilly.
- The All Night Express defeats Steve Corino and Grizzly Redwood.
- Tommasio Ciampa defeats Adam Cole.
- Chris Hero defeats TJ Perkins.
- The Bravado Brothers defeat Matt Tavern and Sid Reeves (Several sources could not confirm if this was his name.)
- Eddie Edwards defeats Michael Elgin.
- Christopher Daniels defeats Mike Bennett to retain the World Television Title.
- Davey Richards defeats Claudio Castagnoli.
- Roderick Strong defeats El Generico, Jay Briscoe and Homicide in the Defy or Deny elimination match. None of these men can challenge for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship as long as Strong is the champion.

"Manhattan Mayhem IV" results from New York City.

- Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly defeat Michael Elgin and Mike Mondo.
- Tommasio Ciampa defeats Grizzly Redwood.
- Mike Bennett defeats Steve Corino.
- The All Night Express defeats The Briscoes.
- El Generico defeats TJ Perkins.
- ROH World Tag Team Champions, The Kings of Wrestling defeat Homicide and Hernandez in a non-title match.
- Davey Richards defeats Christopher Daniels in a Pure Rules match.
- Eddie Edwards defeats Roderick Strong to become the new ROH World Heavyweight Champion.

Both shows sound like they were very good judging by fan reaction. It will be interesting to see what direction ROH heads now that Edwards is on top.

His first defense comes on April 1 in Atlanta, where Christopher Daniels was already scheduled to meet whomever was champion.

After their time-limit draw for the World TV Title at the Ninth Anniversary Show, this rematch with the World Heavyweight Title on the line is already looking to be epic.

I’ll have more on ROH, Edwards and the Atlanta iPPV events next week.

In CHIKARA news, the complete field for the 2011 edition of the King of Trios tournament has been revealed.

The event is perhaps the biggest weekend of the season for CHIKARA and this year’s tournament should be packed with the usual exciting, fast-paced action that fans have come to expect.

Here are the 16 teams that will make up the 2011 King of Trios tournament:

- Team F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Johnny Gargano)
- The Colony (Fire Ant, Green Ant and Solider Ant)
- The Osirian Portal (Amasis, Ophidian and Hieracon)
- Da Soul Touchaz (Acid Jaz, Marshe Rockett and Willie Richardson)
- The Throwbacks (Sugar Dunkerton, Dasher Hatfield and Matt Classic)
- Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw and Manami Toyota
- Sinn Bodhi and the Batiri (Obaryion and Kodama)
- Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (Tim Donst and two mystery partners)
- Team Australia (from NHPW - Percy, Kabel and Tama Williams)
- Team Michinoku Pro (The Great Sasuke, Dick Togo and Jinsei Shinzaki)
- Team Osaka Pro (Atushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada and Ultimate Spider Jr.)
- Amazing Red and the Maximos (Wil and Joel Maximo)
- Team 3.0le! (El Generico, Scott Parker and Shane Matthews)
- The Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Frightmare and Hallowicked)
- Team Minnesota (Arik Cannon, Darin Corbin and the 1-2-3 Kid)
- Team Dragon Gate (Akira Tozawa, Super Shisa and Kagetora)

Yes, you read the final name in Team Minnesota right. Sean Waltman will be returning to his roots as the 1-2-3 Kid at this year’s King of Trios tournament. Though most know him as X-Pac, Waltman really broke out as the 1-2-3 Kid during the early days of Monday Night Raw.

He joins his fellow Minnesotans, Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin, to make up one of the more intriguing trios of the tournament.

There are several teams from Japan included this year. The Osaka Pro, Michinoku Pro and Dragon Gate promotions are all represented.

Team Dragon Gate, captained by Akira Tozawa, was the final team to enter the tournament.

Tozawa will be joined by Super Shisa and Kagetora, who are both former students of Ultimo Dragon and have mainly competed in Japan for Dragon Gate.

They may not be as well known in the United States as some of the members of the Dragon Gate USA roster, but this trio could very well have great success in the tournament.

Tozawa is one of the hottest wrestlers on the independent scene these days; he has been very successful in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, DGUSA and CHIKARA.

Team Michinoku Pro features Jinsei Shinzaki, who is most famously known for his time in the WWE during the mid-90s as Hakushi.

Just this week, several of his former WWE colleagues on Twitter, including Bret Hart, wrote that Shinzaki had lost his home and the restaurant he owned during the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

He is reportedly living out of his car because of the disaster.

It is not known if he will be able to make the King of Trios tournament, but Shinzaki and everyone else affected by this disaster are in our thoughts.

CHIKARA will reportedly be taking donations at the door during both nights of the tournament, which will go towards the relief efforts in Japan.

In other charitable news, Dragon Gate USA donated 20 percent of their DVD sales last week to the Red Cross in order to provide assistance to those affected by the disaster in Japan.

Speaking of DGUSA, they are gearing up for Wrestlemania weekend, which sees them head to the southern half of the United States for the first time ever.

On April 1, they will be in Burlington, N.C., for Open the Southern Gate, a show highlighted by the first ever Stable Shootout and the Breakout Challenge.

The Breakout Challenge consists of two four-way matches between some of the best young talents on the independent scene today.

The winners of those two matches will then go against each other later that night to determine who the breakout star truly is.

One four-way consists of Arik Cannon, AR Fox, Façade and Shiima Xion. The second will be between Jimmy Rave, Jon Davis, Kyle Matthews and Sugar Dunkerton. One of these 8 men will break out from the pack in Burlington.

Former reality TV star Johnny Fairplay will be in attendance at Open the Southern Gate. He promises to scout the best of the breakout talent. Here’s hoping that one of those eight guys remembers what Nigel McGuinness did to Fairplay when he got involved in a ROH event.

The Stable Shootout is another new concept from DGUSA. The Blood Warriors and Ronin, two of the top stables in DGUSA, will compete in a series of matches to determine just who the better team is.

There will be a dream partner tag team match, a one-on-one match between representatives of each stable and lastly, two one-on-one matches featuring opponents hand picked by members of the opposing stable.

Ricochet of the Blood Warriors has picked PAC as his partner for the dream partner tag match. They will go up against Ronin’s Chuck Taylor, who has picked Akira Tozawa as his partner.

In one-on-one action, the Blood Warriors’ CIMA will go up against Johnny Gargano of Ronin. This is a rematch from their excellent encounter at the DGUSA First Anniversary show.

Ronin has picked Jon Moxley as the opposition for Naruki Doi during the Stable Shootout. The Blood Warriors countered by choosing “The New Horror” Sami Callihan to take on Rich Swann of Ronin.

Meanwhile, Callihan recently posted a very unusual video on YouTube, issuing a challenge to one of the top stars of DGUSA, Masato Yoshino.

It looks as though Callihan wants to make his mark in DGUSA and plans on taking out Yoshino, who is one half of the Open the United Gate Champions and the current Open the Dream Gate Champion in Japan.

The match has been signed for Mercury Rising 2011 on April 2 in Atlanta.

This adds to an already huge card which includes the other half of the Open the United Gate Champions, PAC, defending his Open the Brave Gate title against Akira Tozawa. This marks the first time the Brave Gate title will be defended on U.S. soil.

Also on April 2, Austin Aries will be challenging YAMATO for DGUSA’s top prize, the Open the Freedom Gate title. If Aries loses, he leaves DGUSA.

The other main event match will continue the feud between Ronin and the Blood Warriors when Gargano, Taylor and Swann go up against CIMA, Ricochet and Doi in six-man tag team action.

The rest of the Mercury Rising 2011 card will be announced on Monday.

It is shaping up to be a huge weekend for DGUSA and we have not even mentioned the April 3 show, Open the Ultimate Gate 2011, which will feature the first-ever defense of the Open the United Gate titles.

PAC and Yoshino will put the belts up against CIMA and Ricochet in what has the potential to be the most exciting tag team match of 2011.

The remainder of the April 3 show is shaping up nicely and a finalized card should be announced in the near future.

That’s it for this edition of news and notes from the independent scene. Thanks for checking it out and make sure to visit the respective web sites of each promotion for more information about their upcoming events.

Eddie Edwards might be the best wrestler that nobody really talks about.

The Boston native, trained by the late Killer Kowalski, has been making waves in Ring of Honor for the past few years. Though he has turned in some solid performances, most notably becoming the first ever World Television Champion in ROH, he has yet to really break out as one of the top stars in the promotion.

That could all change this Saturday night, when Edwards challenges Roderick Strong for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

Last November, Edwards overcame a shoulder injury to win the annual Survival of the Fittest tournament, earning a future shot at the top prize in ROH. He suffered the injury during his qualifying match against Chris Hero yet still managed to win, earning his place in the six-man elimination final.

Despite his badly injured shoulder, which at one point forced him to the locker room during the main event, Edwards was able to return and eliminate Kenny King for the victory.

It was a perfect example of the competitive spirit that burns within Edwards, who is no stranger to competing with injuries.

Cashing in his World Heavyweight Title shot in Manhattan is a smart move. The fans that fill the Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center remember the tenacity that Edwards displayed during Glory By Honor VIII when he competed with a broken elbow that he suffered the night before.

He did not compete in just any match though; he threw caution aside and fought along with his tag team partner, Davey Richards, in a brutal ladder war against Kevin Steen and El Generico.

That night, Edwards became a star in the eyes of many ROH fans, especially those who were in attendance.

The American Wolves, Edwards and Richards collectively, have been one of the premier tag teams in wrestling over the last few years. While Edwards may have become a star to many fans, Richards has been pegged as the next World Champion for some time now.

This Saturday, Edwards looks to do something that his friend and partner could not do. Richards has been unable to become the ROH World Heavyweight Champion, failing to defeat former champ Tyler Black at Death Before Dishonor VIII and current champion Roderick Strong at Final Battle 2010.

Though both matches were highly competitive, match of the year quality performances, Richards could not get the job done. He suffered a concussion and a bloody ear at the hands of Strong, who decimated him in the closing moments of their match.

Will Edwards be able to pull off what many would consider to be a huge upset and defeat Strong?

This marks Strong’s sixth defense of the title since defeating the departing Tyler Black in September at Glory By Honor IX. It has taken the champ some time, but he seems to finally be hitting his stride with the title.

When Strong first won the belt, he was written off by the majority of ROH fans as a transitional champion. The common belief was that he would simply be holding the title for a few months until someone like Richards or Christopher Daniels came along to take the gold.

Instead, Strong was able to turn away the challenges of Daniels and Richards. He looked very impressive while doing so and appears to be growing more confident with each successful defense. He has also retained his championship against Jay Briscoe, El Generico and most recently, Homicide.

If Strong is able to retain at Manhattan Mayhem IV, perhaps he can shed the transitional champion tag once and for all.

Whoever wins on Saturday evening will have a date with “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels in Atlanta on April 1.

Strong has already successfully defended against Daniels, defeating him in his first title defense at Fate of an Angel II in Mississauga, Ontario last November. It was a very good back and forth match, but in the end the “Messiah of the Backbreaker” lived up to his name and retained his title.

Daniels and Edwards have developed quite the history with one another since “The Fallen Angel” made his return to ROH 11 months ago.

They clashed at Supercard of Honor V last May in the Grand Ballroom, Daniels emerged victorious. Daniels then defeated Edwards to become the World Television Champion at the December ROH on HDNet tapings.

Their 30-minute, two out of three falls, time-limit draw at the Ninth Anniversary Show iPPV last month was called one of the best matches of the night by numerous fans and critics. After that indecisive bout, the two seem destined to square off again in the near future.

While Daniels waits until Atlanta for his shot at the gold, Edwards is determined to capitalize on his opportunity against Strong this weekend.

Edwards and Strong are no strangers to each other. Last fall, they worked together as a team during a tour of Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan, making it to the finals of the fourth NTV Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League. They were defeated in the final match by KENTA and Atsushi Aoki, but Strong and Edwards achieved praise for the most outstanding performance in the tournament.

Working together undoubtedly allowed each man to learn the intricacies of the other, which could become an important factor in their impending showdown at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

Edwards spent more time in Japan during January, where he nearly became the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion. He had a very impressive showing against the current champion, Kotaro Suzuki, in front of a packed house at Korakuen Hall in Toyko. Though he fell short, Edwards was dominant at times during the near 30-minute match.

If he can bring the same intensity and focus to the Grand Ballroom inside the Manhattan Center on Saturday night, there is no reason to doubt that Edwards just may be able to pull off the win of his career and claim the ROH World Heavyweight Championship.

No one expects Edwards to be the first of the American Wolves to complete his hunt for the top prize in ROH, but it could very well happen at Manhattan Mayhem IV.

This is professional wrestling after all, anything can happen.