Post by Dragonfly on May 28, 2015 15:10:43 GMT -5
For better or for worse, ROH has a learning curve. While Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino do attempt to explain a bit of the back story (especially these days), oftentimes the viewer is left to his or her own devices. With that in mind, I figured a "quick start" guide could come in handy.
Current Champions:
ROH "Unified" (World and Television) Champion: Jay Lethal - The self-proclaimed "greatest first-generation wrestler" is having a career year, winning the World title and breaking Jay Briscoe's two-plus year unbeaten streak. His time with the TV belt is on par with RVD's TV title run in ECW in terms of dominance and prestige. He, along with manager Truth Martini (more on him below), are two of the most consistent heels on the roster, a shock to anyone who only knows him as "Black Machismo." And yes, he plans on defending both belts separately. Lethal is currently feuding with a variety of people, including Roderick Strong and Redragon.
ROH Tag Team Champions: The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) - The team formerly known as Bad Influence have been champs since April, when the revealed themselves as part of the KRD. (Again, more on them below.) While they are still involved with for former champs Redragon, The Addiction has also set their sites on both Future Shock and The Young Bucks.
Stables and Tag Teams:
The Kingdom (Michael Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Matt Taven and possibly Adam Cole) - Originally based around the "cult" of Matt Hardy, The Kingdom these days have been focused on the real life relationship between Bennett and Maria. Oh... And Maria's ass. That's oddly important as well. The former IWGP tag team champs spend most of their time these days ignoring supposed stable mate (and former champ) Adam Cole and generally being a nuisance. The group (sans Cole) are also members of the New Japan stable Chaos. As such, they have a longstanding issue with The Young Bucks, who represent Chaos' rivals, The Bullet Club.
The House of Truth (Truth Martini, Jay Lehtal, J Diesel and Donovan Dijak) - A supposed cult led by Truth Martini - think James Mitchell combined with elements of Jake Roberts. Aside from moments where Martini uses "The Book of Truth" as a weapon, the cult aspect isn't mentioned. Top Prospect winner Dijak mainly stands in the background and looks menacing. J Diesel... he really doesn't do much.
The Decade (BJ Whitmer, Adam Page and Colby Corino) - A group of ROH "lifers" led by Whitmer, who is arguably ROH's top heel. They are currently in a feud with color commentator/Colby's father Steve. (The younger Corino was added to the group for the express purpose of pissing Steve off.) As of this writing, Steve Corino versus Whitmer (or Page, if Whitmer isn't in ring shape) appears to be a lock for Final Battle.
The Knights of the Rising Dawn (aka The KRD) (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Chris Sabin) - Unofficial TNA invasion with a few vague references to Daniels' first ROH group, The Prophecy. Since their literal unmasking - they first appeared in the crowd and in vignettes wearing red masks - KRD's sole focus has been making the lives of Future Shock and The Young Bucks a living hell.
Redragon (Stylized as "reDRagon") (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) - Three-time tag champs known for their fast-paced offense and their talk show "The Fish Tank." They are probably the most popular team in ROH aside from the Briscoes. About the funky spelling: The capitalized "DR" originally stood for "Davey Richards."
Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly) - After roughly four years apart, Cole and O'Reilly reformed their team last month after the latter (and Bobby Fish) came to the former's aid. While Red Dragon and Future Shock are technically separate teams, the three do team together on occasion.
The Briscoes (Jay and Mark, with ODB making an appearance from time to time)- Jay is the straight man who always ends up looking good, while Mark is the wacky guy who ends eating the pin. Some fans prefer Mark over Jay, due to a combination of his crazy promos and his signature spots (redneck kung-fu and the Cactus Jack elbow).
War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) - ROH's answer to the APA, minus the "mercenary" shtick. Hanson is the one with the extra long beard, while Rowe is covered in tattoos. War Machine is currently in a multiple promotion feud with GHC tag team champs The Killer Elite Squad.
Matt Sydal and ACH - ACH is a fan-favorite purveyor of "flippy shit," while Sydal is, with the possible exception of Roderick Strong, the closest thing they have to a "ROH legend." While still technically a team, a friendly "best of five" series between the two has recently been announced. In addition to his matches with ACH, Sydal also challenged IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion Kushida to a title match.
Single Wrestlers:
Michael Elgin - A fan favorite before his real life issues with the Canadian Border Patrol and momentary flirtation with minor league baseball got the better of him. (The work-shoot angle ROH ran to explain it all did him no favors, either.) He is slowly getting back into the good graces of the American fan base, this time as a heel. Elgin is considered a rising star in Japan thanks to his performance in the G1 Climax.
Roderick Strong - "Mr. ROH" hasn't really had a concrete storyline since leaving The Decade earlier this year, but the guy still puts on some fine matches and has fairly large fan base (especially around here). He is currently number one contender for the World title.
Dalton Castle - Think Hedonismbot from Futurama, complete with two "boys" that do his bidding. (He even uses them as chairs on occasion.) Honestly, I have never seen anyone get so over so quickly. "The Party Peacock" is definitely something special.
Moose (with manager Stokely Hathaway) - MOOSE! [Arm pump] is an up-and-coming star, on par with Monty Brown circa 2005. He is currently feuding with former manager Veda Scott and her new client, Cedric Alexander.
Cedric Alexander (with manager Veda Scott) - Entertaining midcarder who recently turned heel. Picked up Scott as a manager after she deemed his newfound vicious style was more her speed.
Caprice Coleman - The older, face-leaning, Veda Scott-free version of Cedric Alexander.
Silas Young - "The Last Real Man" is back after a rather long injury. Blunt with the fans, stiff and on occasion lives the gimmick - check out his Twitter feed - he is another favorite around these parts. He is currently feuding with Dalton Castle, who is, in a lot of ways, his polar opposite.
Takaaki Wantanabe - An up and comer from New Japan currently on excursion to New Jersey. At first, he was only used at live events and as cannon fodder for people like Moose and Silas Young, but now receives a fairly substantive push. He is currently in line for a TV title shot against Jay Lethal.
Will Fererra - Plucky underdog and 2015 Top Prospect runner up. He mainly works the live shows, but will appear on TV from time to time. (He got more screen time as the cameraman Dean Ambrose beat up on Raw a few months ago than he does in his own promotion, however.)
Cheeseburger - Lovable punching bag in the vein of Barry Horowitz and Bobby Dempsey. Up until recently, he was in a comedy jobber tag team with "Brutal" Bob Evans called "Brutal Burgers."
"Brutal" Bob Evans - Former manager of Michael Bennett and former tag team partner of Cheeseburger. Currently feuding with Cheeseburger because... reasons, I guess. It's an oddly compelling story.
The Romantic Touch - Once upon a time, Rhett Titus was a tag team champion with shot a main event. Then his partner, Kenny King, abruptly left ROH for TNA. He received a title shot, but quickly fell down the card. He, or rather, his character, was written off of TV after Kevin Steen's heel group SCUM was forced to disband. In October 2013, Titus returned as the Romantic Touch, a comedy jobber character. Judging by Veda Scott's actions on a recent episode, Titus might be making a comeback.
Guest Stars, Reoccurring Faces and Nigel:
AJ Styles - Usually a face, despite his standing with the (supposedly) heel Bullet Club. He doesn't have any active stories due to his commitments to New Japan. That said, it's always great when he shows up.
The Young Bucks - Superkick Party! Seriously... You either love them to death, or hate them completely. There is no in between with these guys. I don't think they care much either way. They are currently feuding with The Addiction and, to a lesser extent, The Kingdom.
Alberto El Patron - All of the stuff you liked about him the WWE, without all of the "destiny" coated crap you didn't.
The Bullet Club (aka Guns and Gallows) (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) - They appear from time to time, usually as main event faces. Like AJ, they don't have much of a story, but it really doesn't matter.
Roppongi Vice (aka RPG Vice) (Rocky Romero and Trent Baretta) - Romero's new team, filling the hole left by the demise of Romero's former team, Forever Hooligans. While they do factor into the ROH tag scene, New Japan is their main focus.
Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) - Current GHC Tag Team champs and key parts of the Suzukigun invasion of NOAH. It is rumored that ROH officials would like to use them more often, but their commitments to NOAH often get in the way. Still, they do make an occasional live event or TV taping. They are currently feuding with War Machine for the GHC Tag Team titles.
New Japan - What started as a one-off show in 2014 has become a profitable working relationship for both companies. While the lineup changes by the show (or tour), heavy hitters such as Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and perennial crowd favorite Shinsuke Nakamura always seem to make the trip.
Local Stars - ROH likes to "spice up" their non-PPV live events with a few non-roster talents that reflect the tastes of the area. Recent shows have included the likes of Arya Daivari (Shawn's brother), Cliff Compton, former Dragon Gate USA star Arik Cannon, Beyond Wrestling mainstay/general controversial figure Chris Dickinson and Top Prospect participants Cory Hollis, Mike Posey and The Beer City Bruiser.
Delirious - The head booker of ROH. He doesn't appear on TV (outside of the occasional wacky backstage segment), but will work live shows with rival/tag team partner Matt Sydal on occasion. Note: If an ROH fan or a dirtsheet starts talking about "Hunter," they are usually referring to him, not Triple H. (His real name is Hunter Johnson.)
Nigel McGuinness - ROH's matchmaker and occasional color commentator. Think William Regal's role on NXT.
Current Champions:
ROH "Unified" (World and Television) Champion: Jay Lethal - The self-proclaimed "greatest first-generation wrestler" is having a career year, winning the World title and breaking Jay Briscoe's two-plus year unbeaten streak. His time with the TV belt is on par with RVD's TV title run in ECW in terms of dominance and prestige. He, along with manager Truth Martini (more on him below), are two of the most consistent heels on the roster, a shock to anyone who only knows him as "Black Machismo." And yes, he plans on defending both belts separately. Lethal is currently feuding with a variety of people, including Roderick Strong and Redragon.
ROH Tag Team Champions: The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) - The team formerly known as Bad Influence have been champs since April, when the revealed themselves as part of the KRD. (Again, more on them below.) While they are still involved with for former champs Redragon, The Addiction has also set their sites on both Future Shock and The Young Bucks.
Stables and Tag Teams:
The Kingdom (Michael Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Matt Taven and possibly Adam Cole) - Originally based around the "cult" of Matt Hardy, The Kingdom these days have been focused on the real life relationship between Bennett and Maria. Oh... And Maria's ass. That's oddly important as well. The former IWGP tag team champs spend most of their time these days ignoring supposed stable mate (and former champ) Adam Cole and generally being a nuisance. The group (sans Cole) are also members of the New Japan stable Chaos. As such, they have a longstanding issue with The Young Bucks, who represent Chaos' rivals, The Bullet Club.
The House of Truth (Truth Martini, Jay Lehtal, J Diesel and Donovan Dijak) - A supposed cult led by Truth Martini - think James Mitchell combined with elements of Jake Roberts. Aside from moments where Martini uses "The Book of Truth" as a weapon, the cult aspect isn't mentioned. Top Prospect winner Dijak mainly stands in the background and looks menacing. J Diesel... he really doesn't do much.
The Decade (BJ Whitmer, Adam Page and Colby Corino) - A group of ROH "lifers" led by Whitmer, who is arguably ROH's top heel. They are currently in a feud with color commentator/Colby's father Steve. (The younger Corino was added to the group for the express purpose of pissing Steve off.) As of this writing, Steve Corino versus Whitmer (or Page, if Whitmer isn't in ring shape) appears to be a lock for Final Battle.
The Knights of the Rising Dawn (aka The KRD) (Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Chris Sabin) - Unofficial TNA invasion with a few vague references to Daniels' first ROH group, The Prophecy. Since their literal unmasking - they first appeared in the crowd and in vignettes wearing red masks - KRD's sole focus has been making the lives of Future Shock and The Young Bucks a living hell.
Redragon (Stylized as "reDRagon") (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) - Three-time tag champs known for their fast-paced offense and their talk show "The Fish Tank." They are probably the most popular team in ROH aside from the Briscoes. About the funky spelling: The capitalized "DR" originally stood for "Davey Richards."
Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly) - After roughly four years apart, Cole and O'Reilly reformed their team last month after the latter (and Bobby Fish) came to the former's aid. While Red Dragon and Future Shock are technically separate teams, the three do team together on occasion.
The Briscoes (Jay and Mark, with ODB making an appearance from time to time)- Jay is the straight man who always ends up looking good, while Mark is the wacky guy who ends eating the pin. Some fans prefer Mark over Jay, due to a combination of his crazy promos and his signature spots (redneck kung-fu and the Cactus Jack elbow).
War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe) - ROH's answer to the APA, minus the "mercenary" shtick. Hanson is the one with the extra long beard, while Rowe is covered in tattoos. War Machine is currently in a multiple promotion feud with GHC tag team champs The Killer Elite Squad.
Matt Sydal and ACH - ACH is a fan-favorite purveyor of "flippy shit," while Sydal is, with the possible exception of Roderick Strong, the closest thing they have to a "ROH legend." While still technically a team, a friendly "best of five" series between the two has recently been announced. In addition to his matches with ACH, Sydal also challenged IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion Kushida to a title match.
Single Wrestlers:
Michael Elgin - A fan favorite before his real life issues with the Canadian Border Patrol and momentary flirtation with minor league baseball got the better of him. (The work-shoot angle ROH ran to explain it all did him no favors, either.) He is slowly getting back into the good graces of the American fan base, this time as a heel. Elgin is considered a rising star in Japan thanks to his performance in the G1 Climax.
Roderick Strong - "Mr. ROH" hasn't really had a concrete storyline since leaving The Decade earlier this year, but the guy still puts on some fine matches and has fairly large fan base (especially around here). He is currently number one contender for the World title.
Dalton Castle - Think Hedonismbot from Futurama, complete with two "boys" that do his bidding. (He even uses them as chairs on occasion.) Honestly, I have never seen anyone get so over so quickly. "The Party Peacock" is definitely something special.
Moose (with manager Stokely Hathaway) - MOOSE! [Arm pump] is an up-and-coming star, on par with Monty Brown circa 2005. He is currently feuding with former manager Veda Scott and her new client, Cedric Alexander.
Cedric Alexander (with manager Veda Scott) - Entertaining midcarder who recently turned heel. Picked up Scott as a manager after she deemed his newfound vicious style was more her speed.
Caprice Coleman - The older, face-leaning, Veda Scott-free version of Cedric Alexander.
Silas Young - "The Last Real Man" is back after a rather long injury. Blunt with the fans, stiff and on occasion lives the gimmick - check out his Twitter feed - he is another favorite around these parts. He is currently feuding with Dalton Castle, who is, in a lot of ways, his polar opposite.
Takaaki Wantanabe - An up and comer from New Japan currently on excursion to New Jersey. At first, he was only used at live events and as cannon fodder for people like Moose and Silas Young, but now receives a fairly substantive push. He is currently in line for a TV title shot against Jay Lethal.
Will Fererra - Plucky underdog and 2015 Top Prospect runner up. He mainly works the live shows, but will appear on TV from time to time. (He got more screen time as the cameraman Dean Ambrose beat up on Raw a few months ago than he does in his own promotion, however.)
Cheeseburger - Lovable punching bag in the vein of Barry Horowitz and Bobby Dempsey. Up until recently, he was in a comedy jobber tag team with "Brutal" Bob Evans called "Brutal Burgers."
"Brutal" Bob Evans - Former manager of Michael Bennett and former tag team partner of Cheeseburger. Currently feuding with Cheeseburger because... reasons, I guess. It's an oddly compelling story.
The Romantic Touch - Once upon a time, Rhett Titus was a tag team champion with shot a main event. Then his partner, Kenny King, abruptly left ROH for TNA. He received a title shot, but quickly fell down the card. He, or rather, his character, was written off of TV after Kevin Steen's heel group SCUM was forced to disband. In October 2013, Titus returned as the Romantic Touch, a comedy jobber character. Judging by Veda Scott's actions on a recent episode, Titus might be making a comeback.
Guest Stars, Reoccurring Faces and Nigel:
AJ Styles - Usually a face, despite his standing with the (supposedly) heel Bullet Club. He doesn't have any active stories due to his commitments to New Japan. That said, it's always great when he shows up.
The Young Bucks - Superkick Party! Seriously... You either love them to death, or hate them completely. There is no in between with these guys. I don't think they care much either way. They are currently feuding with The Addiction and, to a lesser extent, The Kingdom.
Alberto El Patron - All of the stuff you liked about him the WWE, without all of the "destiny" coated crap you didn't.
The Bullet Club (aka Guns and Gallows) (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) - They appear from time to time, usually as main event faces. Like AJ, they don't have much of a story, but it really doesn't matter.
Roppongi Vice (aka RPG Vice) (Rocky Romero and Trent Baretta) - Romero's new team, filling the hole left by the demise of Romero's former team, Forever Hooligans. While they do factor into the ROH tag scene, New Japan is their main focus.
Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) - Current GHC Tag Team champs and key parts of the Suzukigun invasion of NOAH. It is rumored that ROH officials would like to use them more often, but their commitments to NOAH often get in the way. Still, they do make an occasional live event or TV taping. They are currently feuding with War Machine for the GHC Tag Team titles.
New Japan - What started as a one-off show in 2014 has become a profitable working relationship for both companies. While the lineup changes by the show (or tour), heavy hitters such as Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and perennial crowd favorite Shinsuke Nakamura always seem to make the trip.
Local Stars - ROH likes to "spice up" their non-PPV live events with a few non-roster talents that reflect the tastes of the area. Recent shows have included the likes of Arya Daivari (Shawn's brother), Cliff Compton, former Dragon Gate USA star Arik Cannon, Beyond Wrestling mainstay/general controversial figure Chris Dickinson and Top Prospect participants Cory Hollis, Mike Posey and The Beer City Bruiser.
Delirious - The head booker of ROH. He doesn't appear on TV (outside of the occasional wacky backstage segment), but will work live shows with rival/tag team partner Matt Sydal on occasion. Note: If an ROH fan or a dirtsheet starts talking about "Hunter," they are usually referring to him, not Triple H. (His real name is Hunter Johnson.)
Nigel McGuinness - ROH's matchmaker and occasional color commentator. Think William Regal's role on NXT.
