Gabe: How The ROH/NOAH Relationship Is Being Threa

["IcePic" Rick Cobos]

It all started with a simple phone call. ROH officials saw that the legendary Kenta Kobashi was coming to the United States. They wanted to book him. The rest is history.

Since that phone call the ROH relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH has grown to be a major strength for both promotions. It has seen international title defenses, talent trading and just last week history made when Jay & Mark Briscoe won NOAH's GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles on their first night in NOAH. However, a rogue "ROH Legend" is threatening the entire relationship.

ROH and NOAH officials have developed and nurtured a trust and mutual respect. That trust has led KENTA to be a regular in ROH in 2006. It has brought Kobashi and Naomichi Marufuji to the United States. It has seen Go Shiosaki and SUWA compete for ROH in England. It has produced some of the greatest matches in ROH history. It has allowed Bryan Danielson to defend the ROH World Title against Marufuji, SUWA and KENTA. It has given ROH historic GHC Jr. Heavyweight and Heavyweight Title defenses. Now it has led Jay & Mark Briscoe to their biggest career victory as they won the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on January 7th in Tokyo.

Not only has the relationship led to countless great matches in the ring, but it has helped both companies conduct business behind the scenes. ROHwrestling.com now carries authentic NOAH merchandise. The NOAH wrestlers have seen their reputations in Japan grow with their impressive showings in front of the enthusiastic and respectful ROH crowds. It has given ROH huge exposure on both Japanese TV and magazines and made the ROH name in Japan. It has been a win/win for both sides and the trust only keeps growing.

However, for the first time there is a strain in the relationship. A rift has been caused by the actions of a rogue Samoa Joe. Recent live events and ROH Video Wires on www.ROHvideos.com have seen Joe call out NOAH including legends Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuhara Misawa. Joe's issue with NOAH seems simple on the surface. He doesn't want them playing in his backyard. He sees these NOAH expeditions to the United States as public relation trips. He thinks NOAH is exploiting ROH for its own benefit.

If you look beneath the surface the issue runs deeper for Joe. He battled Kenta Kobashi at "Joe vs. Kobashi" on October 1st, 2005 in a bout that won match of the year in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is widely acclaimed as the greatest contest in ROH history. It will go down in the record book as a rare loss for Joe. He never received a rematch. Not only that, but when ROH brought Kobashi's protege KENTA to the United States he and Joe were involved in some brutal exchanges that saw both men knock each other out. However, Joe was never able to defeat KENTA. He was never able to get his retribution.

When NOAH's brightest upcoming star Takeshi Morishima visited ROH last September, Joe saw this as another NOAH athlete trying to increase his reputation at ROH's expense in Joe's backyard. Joe wasn't going to let it happen again. When he had the chance to confront Morishima a simple bump of the shoulders escalated into a pull apart brawl. Joe took things to the next level when he slapped KENTA's face after KENTA's final ROH appearance in 2006 last November. Joe has a big chip on his shoulder and his only satisfaction is punking out NOAH.

Needless to say, NOAH officials are very upset with Samoa Joe's actions. The ROH and NOAH relationship and trust has always been built on respect. Joe has done nothing but disrespect everyone in the NOAH organization. ROH officials have tried to make it clear that Joe is acting on his own and have even publicly apologized to NOAH for Joe. In fact, Joe has earned the ire of members of the ROH locker room including NOAH and ROH regular Nigel McGuinness. The entire ROH locker room welcomes the competition of the NOAH athletes and exposure in Japan. It is easy to question if Joe is in the right or wrong here.

All roads now lead to February 16th in New York City when ROH returns to the Manhattan Center (tickets now on sale at www.ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500). Joe wants a NOAH representative. Nigel McGuinness, who is currently on tour in NOAH, will talk to NOAH officials. They will address this situation once their tour ends on January 21st. We should have major news shortly after the final show of the tour.

Samoa Joe's actions are causing problems between ROH and NOAH. Not only that, but for the first time ROH officials are questioning whether Joe is acting in the best interest of the company. NOAH officials state that Joe needs to be dealt with. The ROH/NOAH relationship has never been stronger, but it has also never been this threatened.

[Joekishi]

See now why couldn't Joe be doing this Angle with Kurt, CHristian, THe Dudleyz, VKM, and Tomko?

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

Joe vs Misawa.

Book it, Gabe.

[lildude8218]

who is this NOAH guy you guys are always talking about anyway? is he anything like that KENTA guy you all drool over?

["IcePic" Rick Cobos]

Give me Xavier vs. Rikio please to determine the worst booking choice for a world champion.

(not a knock on either guy, just still puzzled as to why either would be booked in a situation that they were not qualified for)

[samachine]

speakeasy said:

Joe vs Misawa.

Book it, Gabe.

Misawa doesn't waste his time with little indy wrestlers

[Chuckie Finster]

supersonic said:

Give me Xavier vs. Rikio please to determine the worst booking choice for a world champion.

(not a knock on either guy, just still puzzled as to why either would be booked in a situation that they were not qualified for)

And Rikio has a pinfall victory over Misawa while champ. That's how desperate they were with him. He also went over Tanahashi at the NOAH Dome Show. And he still sucked as champ.

['Sweet n' Sour' A. A. Estrada]

samachine said:

speakeasy said:

Joe vs Misawa.

Book it, Gabe.

Misawa doesn't waste his time with little indy wrestlers

Probably for the best.

For Joe.

["Sweet & Sour" ImSoFudginGreat]

supersonic said:

It all started with a simple phone call. ROH officials saw that the legendary Kenta Kobashi was coming to the United States. They wanted to book him. The rest is history.

Since that phone call the ROH relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH has grown to be a major strength for both promotions. It has seen international title defenses, talent trading and just last week history made when Jay & Mark Briscoe won NOAH's GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles on their first night in NOAH. However, a rogue "ROH Legend" is threatening the entire relationship.

ROH and NOAH officials have developed and nurtured a trust and mutual respect. That trust has led KENTA to be a regular in ROH in 2006. It has brought Kobashi and Naomichi Marufuji to the United States. It has seen Go Shiosaki and SUWA compete for ROH in England. It has produced some of the greatest matches in ROH history. It has allowed Bryan Danielson to defend the ROH World Title against Marufuji, SUWA and KENTA. It has given ROH historic GHC Jr. Heavyweight and Heavyweight Title defenses. Now it has led Jay & Mark Briscoe to their biggest career victory as they won the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on January 7th in Tokyo.

Not only has the relationship led to countless great matches in the ring, but it has helped both companies conduct business behind the scenes. ROHwrestling.com now carries authentic NOAH merchandise. The NOAH wrestlers have seen their reputations in Japan grow with their impressive showings in front of the enthusiastic and respectful ROH crowds. It has given ROH huge exposure on both Japanese TV and magazines and made the ROH name in Japan. It has been a win/win for both sides and the trust only keeps growing.

However, for the first time there is a strain in the relationship. A rift has been caused by the actions of a rogue Samoa Joe. Recent live events and ROH Video Wires on www.ROHvideos.com have seen Joe call out NOAH including legends Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuhara Misawa. Joe's issue with NOAH seems simple on the surface. He doesn't want them playing in his backyard. He sees these NOAH expeditions to the United States as public relation trips. He thinks NOAH is exploiting ROH for its own benefit.

If you look beneath the surface the issue runs deeper for Joe. He battled Kenta Kobashi at "Joe vs. Kobashi" on October 1st, 2005 in a bout that won match of the year in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is widely acclaimed as the greatest contest in ROH history. It will go down in the record book as a rare loss for Joe. He never received a rematch. Not only that, but when ROH brought Kobashi's protege KENTA to the United States he and Joe were involved in some brutal exchanges that saw both men knock each other out. However, Joe was never able to defeat KENTA. He was never able to get his retribution.

When NOAH's brightest upcoming star Takeshi Morishima visited ROH last September, Joe saw this as another NOAH athlete trying to increase his reputation at ROH's expense in Joe's backyard. Joe wasn't going to let it happen again. When he had the chance to confront Morishima a simple bump of the shoulders escalated into a pull apart brawl. Joe took things to the next level when he slapped KENTA's face after KENTA's final ROH appearance in 2006 last November. Joe has a big chip on his shoulder and his only satisfaction is punking out NOAH.

Needless to say, NOAH officials are very upset with Samoa Joe's actions. The ROH and NOAH relationship and trust has always been built on respect. Joe has done nothing but disrespect everyone in the NOAH organization. ROH officials have tried to make it clear that Joe is acting on his own and have even publicly apologized to NOAH for Joe. In fact, Joe has earned the ire of members of the ROH locker room including NOAH and ROH regular Nigel McGuinness. The entire ROH locker room welcomes the competition of the NOAH athletes and exposure in Japan. It is easy to question if Joe is in the right or wrong here.

All roads now lead to February 16th in New York City when ROH returns to the Manhattan Center (tickets now on sale at www.ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500). Joe wants a NOAH representative. Nigel McGuinness, who is currently on tour in NOAH, will talk to NOAH officials. They will address this situation once their tour ends on January 21st. We should have major news shortly after the final show of the tour.

Samoa Joe's actions are causing problems between ROH and NOAH. Not only that, but for the first time ROH officials are questioning whether Joe is acting in the best interest of the company. NOAH officials state that Joe needs to be dealt with. The ROH/NOAH relationship has never been stronger, but it has also never been this threatened.

Whoever writes on ROHwrestling.com deserves a BIG raise, that's great hype for the upcoming NOAH vs ROH feud

[Big BosskMan]

samachine said:

speakeasy said:

Joe vs Misawa.

Book it, Gabe.

Misawa doesn't waste his time with little indy wrestlers

<Screamin' Gabe Sapolsky tantrum>
** HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKING TALENT! (throws clipboard and cell phone against wall) </tantrum>

** Inspired by Gabe's iron-fisted grip over his message board.

[Matt Rogers]

supersonic said:

Give me Xavier vs. Rikio please to determine the worst booking choice for a world champion.

(not a knock on either guy, just still puzzled as to why either would be booked in a situation that they were not qualified for)

Let's not forget, Yoshinari Ogawa also won the GHC Title. That gives Rikio a run for his money.

[Chuckie Finster]

mattrogers said:

supersonic said:

Give me Xavier vs. Rikio please to determine the worst booking choice for a world champion.

(not a knock on either guy, just still puzzled as to why either would be booked in a situation that they were not qualified for)

Let's not forget, Yoshinari Ogawa also won the GHC Title. That gives Rikio a run for his money.

But at least NOAH wasn't all the serious back then. Ogawa wasn't the next big thing like Rikio was supposed to be.

[Matt Rogers]

tdog231 said:

mattrogers said:

Let's not forget, Yoshinari Ogawa also won the GHC Title. That gives Rikio a run for his money.

But at least NOAH wasn't all the serious back then. Ogawa wasn't the next big thing like Rikio was supposed to be.

Good point. And I don't recall Ogawa beating Misawa AND Kobashi.

At least Old Man Chokeslam™ dealt with him.

[bigHEADinc]

lildude8218 said:

who is this NOAH guy you guys are always talking about anyway? is he anything like that KENTA guy you all drool over?

I was about to respond, assuming it was somebody who didn't actually know, then I spotted the wink... You faker...

[Chainsaw]

imsofookingreat said:

supersonic said:

It all started with a simple phone call. ROH officials saw that the legendary Kenta Kobashi was coming to the United States. They wanted to book him. The rest is history.

Since that phone call the ROH relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH has grown to be a major strength for both promotions. It has seen international title defenses, talent trading and just last week history made when Jay & Mark Briscoe won NOAH's GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles on their first night in NOAH. However, a rogue "ROH Legend" is threatening the entire relationship.

ROH and NOAH officials have developed and nurtured a trust and mutual respect. That trust has led KENTA to be a regular in ROH in 2006. It has brought Kobashi and Naomichi Marufuji to the United States. It has seen Go Shiosaki and SUWA compete for ROH in England. It has produced some of the greatest matches in ROH history. It has allowed Bryan Danielson to defend the ROH World Title against Marufuji, SUWA and KENTA. It has given ROH historic GHC Jr. Heavyweight and Heavyweight Title defenses. Now it has led Jay & Mark Briscoe to their biggest career victory as they won the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on January 7th in Tokyo.

Not only has the relationship led to countless great matches in the ring, but it has helped both companies conduct business behind the scenes. ROHwrestling.com now carries authentic NOAH merchandise. The NOAH wrestlers have seen their reputations in Japan grow with their impressive showings in front of the enthusiastic and respectful ROH crowds. It has given ROH huge exposure on both Japanese TV and magazines and made the ROH name in Japan. It has been a win/win for both sides and the trust only keeps growing.

However, for the first time there is a strain in the relationship. A rift has been caused by the actions of a rogue Samoa Joe. Recent live events and ROH Video Wires on www.ROHvideos.com have seen Joe call out NOAH including legends Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuhara Misawa. Joe's issue with NOAH seems simple on the surface. He doesn't want them playing in his backyard. He sees these NOAH expeditions to the United States as public relation trips. He thinks NOAH is exploiting ROH for its own benefit.

If you look beneath the surface the issue runs deeper for Joe. He battled Kenta Kobashi at "Joe vs. Kobashi" on October 1st, 2005 in a bout that won match of the year in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is widely acclaimed as the greatest contest in ROH history. It will go down in the record book as a rare loss for Joe. He never received a rematch. Not only that, but when ROH brought Kobashi's protege KENTA to the United States he and Joe were involved in some brutal exchanges that saw both men knock each other out. However, Joe was never able to defeat KENTA. He was never able to get his retribution.

When NOAH's brightest upcoming star Takeshi Morishima visited ROH last September, Joe saw this as another NOAH athlete trying to increase his reputation at ROH's expense in Joe's backyard. Joe wasn't going to let it happen again. When he had the chance to confront Morishima a simple bump of the shoulders escalated into a pull apart brawl. Joe took things to the next level when he slapped KENTA's face after KENTA's final ROH appearance in 2006 last November. Joe has a big chip on his shoulder and his only satisfaction is punking out NOAH.

Needless to say, NOAH officials are very upset with Samoa Joe's actions. The ROH and NOAH relationship and trust has always been built on respect. Joe has done nothing but disrespect everyone in the NOAH organization. ROH officials have tried to make it clear that Joe is acting on his own and have even publicly apologized to NOAH for Joe. In fact, Joe has earned the ire of members of the ROH locker room including NOAH and ROH regular Nigel McGuinness. The entire ROH locker room welcomes the competition of the NOAH athletes and exposure in Japan. It is easy to question if Joe is in the right or wrong here.

All roads now lead to February 16th in New York City when ROH returns to the Manhattan Center (tickets now on sale at www.ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500). Joe wants a NOAH representative. Nigel McGuinness, who is currently on tour in NOAH, will talk to NOAH officials. They will address this situation once their tour ends on January 21st. We should have major news shortly after the final show of the tour.

Samoa Joe's actions are causing problems between ROH and NOAH. Not only that, but for the first time ROH officials are questioning whether Joe is acting in the best interest of the company. NOAH officials state that Joe needs to be dealt with. The ROH/NOAH relationship has never been stronger, but it has also never been this threatened.

Whoever writes on ROHwrestling.com deserves a BIG raise, that's great hype for the upcoming NOAH vs ROH feud

I agree. That got me really psyched for this.

Rogue Joe is Good Joe.

[Palatial Regalia]

rogue Samoa Joe

nice angle

[hollywood]

This angle just keeps sounding better and better. I can't wait to see it, but I don't look forward to forking up all the cash for it.

[Will Has 'Til Five, Ref]

That's how you write an angle, Vince. You need to have your sitcom writers take notes.

["IcePic" Rick Cobos]

imsofookingreat said:

supersonic said:

It all started with a simple phone call. ROH officials saw that the legendary Kenta Kobashi was coming to the United States. They wanted to book him. The rest is history.

Since that phone call the ROH relationship with Pro Wrestling NOAH has grown to be a major strength for both promotions. It has seen international title defenses, talent trading and just last week history made when Jay & Mark Briscoe won NOAH's GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles on their first night in NOAH. However, a rogue "ROH Legend" is threatening the entire relationship.

ROH and NOAH officials have developed and nurtured a trust and mutual respect. That trust has led KENTA to be a regular in ROH in 2006. It has brought Kobashi and Naomichi Marufuji to the United States. It has seen Go Shiosaki and SUWA compete for ROH in England. It has produced some of the greatest matches in ROH history. It has allowed Bryan Danielson to defend the ROH World Title against Marufuji, SUWA and KENTA. It has given ROH historic GHC Jr. Heavyweight and Heavyweight Title defenses. Now it has led Jay & Mark Briscoe to their biggest career victory as they won the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles on January 7th in Tokyo.

Not only has the relationship led to countless great matches in the ring, but it has helped both companies conduct business behind the scenes. ROHwrestling.com now carries authentic NOAH merchandise. The NOAH wrestlers have seen their reputations in Japan grow with their impressive showings in front of the enthusiastic and respectful ROH crowds. It has given ROH huge exposure on both Japanese TV and magazines and made the ROH name in Japan. It has been a win/win for both sides and the trust only keeps growing.

However, for the first time there is a strain in the relationship. A rift has been caused by the actions of a rogue Samoa Joe. Recent live events and ROH Video Wires on www.ROHvideos.com have seen Joe call out NOAH including legends Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuhara Misawa. Joe's issue with NOAH seems simple on the surface. He doesn't want them playing in his backyard. He sees these NOAH expeditions to the United States as public relation trips. He thinks NOAH is exploiting ROH for its own benefit.

If you look beneath the surface the issue runs deeper for Joe. He battled Kenta Kobashi at "Joe vs. Kobashi" on October 1st, 2005 in a bout that won match of the year in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is widely acclaimed as the greatest contest in ROH history. It will go down in the record book as a rare loss for Joe. He never received a rematch. Not only that, but when ROH brought Kobashi's protege KENTA to the United States he and Joe were involved in some brutal exchanges that saw both men knock each other out. However, Joe was never able to defeat KENTA. He was never able to get his retribution.

When NOAH's brightest upcoming star Takeshi Morishima visited ROH last September, Joe saw this as another NOAH athlete trying to increase his reputation at ROH's expense in Joe's backyard. Joe wasn't going to let it happen again. When he had the chance to confront Morishima a simple bump of the shoulders escalated into a pull apart brawl. Joe took things to the next level when he slapped KENTA's face after KENTA's final ROH appearance in 2006 last November. Joe has a big chip on his shoulder and his only satisfaction is punking out NOAH.

Needless to say, NOAH officials are very upset with Samoa Joe's actions. The ROH and NOAH relationship and trust has always been built on respect. Joe has done nothing but disrespect everyone in the NOAH organization. ROH officials have tried to make it clear that Joe is acting on his own and have even publicly apologized to NOAH for Joe. In fact, Joe has earned the ire of members of the ROH locker room including NOAH and ROH regular Nigel McGuinness. The entire ROH locker room welcomes the competition of the NOAH athletes and exposure in Japan. It is easy to question if Joe is in the right or wrong here.

All roads now lead to February 16th in New York City when ROH returns to the Manhattan Center (tickets now on sale at www.ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500). Joe wants a NOAH representative. Nigel McGuinness, who is currently on tour in NOAH, will talk to NOAH officials. They will address this situation once their tour ends on January 21st. We should have major news shortly after the final show of the tour.

Samoa Joe's actions are causing problems between ROH and NOAH. Not only that, but for the first time ROH officials are questioning whether Joe is acting in the best interest of the company. NOAH officials state that Joe needs to be dealt with. The ROH/NOAH relationship has never been stronger, but it has also never been this threatened.

Whoever writes on ROHwrestling.com deserves a BIG raise, that's great hype for the upcoming NOAH vs ROH feud

His name is Gabe Sapolsky.

[thiazzi]

This thread fails for being kayfabed when I thought it wasn't going to be.