Post by "IcePic" Rick Cobos on Jan 3, 2007 1:27:12 GMT -5
The phones were ringing off the hook last Tuesday as ROH opened its office for the first time in 2007. ROH has entered a mini-offseason with no shows scheduled for a five week period. However, it has never been busier behind the scenes
Things are wide open in ROH. There are new World and World Tag Team Champions who are all unproven in their reigns. Bryan Danielson and KENTA, two main event talents, are both out of commission opening up two main event spots. This means that spots are open and everyone is trying to position themselves in top matches so they can climb the card. Plus, the Fifth Year Festival is approaching and all the wrestlers want to get themselves in the biggest and best matches possible. More money and exposure is on the line than ever in ROH history. Everyone is striving to take more than their share. However, the thing that is really keeping the phones ringing is the lack of factions.
ROH historically has been a promotion based around factions. It started with The Prophecy and continued throughout ROH history with groups like Special K, The Group, The Embassy, Generation Next, The Second City Saints, The Rottweilers and others.
Now the ROH faction scene is sparse, but with all the talks going on that might change. It all starts with ROH World Champion Homicide and his cornerman Julius Smokes. These two led The Rottweilers to dominance in 2004 and 2005. With the return of Rocky Romero and Romero's teaming with Ricky Reyes on 1/27 in Edison, NJ vs. The Briscoes, the faction could be rising back to dominance. While there is no chance Low Ki will return, The Rottwielers look to be gaining strength as a force to watch. Reyes & Romero need a win in New Jersey to really prove that The Rottweilers can return to their former glory.
Jack Evans is scheduled to make his return as a ROH regular this month. It should be noted that he will team with his former Generation Next partners Austin Aries & Roderick Strong against Davey Richards, Delirious & Shingo on 1/27 in Edison, NJ. This could be a sign that Evans, Aries & Strong are back together as a unit. Lets hope so because this is one of the most exciting trios in the world.
Two surprising names are also making waves. Super agent Larry Sweeney has already proven his competence. Sweeney secured his first client, Chris Hero, a World Title shot on 1/26 in the Boston area vs. Homicide. Word going around is that Sweeney could be looking to add to his client list. Will he concentrate on just Hero or is he looking to start a faction? Is Hero's tag team with Claudio Castagnoli really finished? Sweeney has proven he can get the deal done and is a mover and shaker.
Davey Richards was heard recently saying that he has learned that he needs someone to watch his back. This is definitely something to keep an eye on. Richards has sunk his teeth into the ROH landscape, been the protege of KENTA and is now primed for a big 2007.
Lacey and Brent Albright proved together that they are both in the market for making deals. Lacey spent some considerable money to hire Albright to attack Colt Cabana and team with Jimmy Jacobs. She's also spent cash on Mercedes Martinez to try to take out Daizee Haze. Albright has shown that he is a true "Gun For Hire" by taking payoffs from both Lacey and Bryan Danielson. Both Lacey and Albright could be players in the ROH winter meetings.
Looking at the ROH tag team scene, World Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Adam Pearce & Shane Hagadorn and Irish Airborne are all regular two man teams. There haven't been a lot of rumors, but you always have to consider that some of these duos could be looking to expand.
When you factor in top players like Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer, Nigel McGuinness, Shingo, Jimmy Rave, Colt Cabana and upcomers like El Generico, Kevin Steen, Eddie Edwards, Jason Blade and Matt Cross to name a few plus ROH's international connections to NOAH, Dragon Gate and the UK as well as the relationship with FIP, there are a lot of big free agents on the market. Who is for sale? Who is looking to make a deal? Who wants some partners?
The winter is heating up in ROH. What deals, if any, are being made? Who is forming alliances? Will there be any backstabbing? Some of these answers might come in upcoming editions of the ROHwrestling.com Newswire. However, we really won't know what is going down until ROH returns to action for an important series of shows that starts in the Boston area on January 26th and continues through Wrestlemania weekend in Detroit with stops in between in Edison (1/27), Manhattan (2/16), Philadelphia (2/17), Dayton (2/23), Chicago (2/24) and Liverpool (March 3rd & 4th). The ramifications of the ROH winter meetings will be felt on all these shows. Anything is possible.
Things are wide open in ROH. There are new World and World Tag Team Champions who are all unproven in their reigns. Bryan Danielson and KENTA, two main event talents, are both out of commission opening up two main event spots. This means that spots are open and everyone is trying to position themselves in top matches so they can climb the card. Plus, the Fifth Year Festival is approaching and all the wrestlers want to get themselves in the biggest and best matches possible. More money and exposure is on the line than ever in ROH history. Everyone is striving to take more than their share. However, the thing that is really keeping the phones ringing is the lack of factions.
ROH historically has been a promotion based around factions. It started with The Prophecy and continued throughout ROH history with groups like Special K, The Group, The Embassy, Generation Next, The Second City Saints, The Rottweilers and others.
Now the ROH faction scene is sparse, but with all the talks going on that might change. It all starts with ROH World Champion Homicide and his cornerman Julius Smokes. These two led The Rottweilers to dominance in 2004 and 2005. With the return of Rocky Romero and Romero's teaming with Ricky Reyes on 1/27 in Edison, NJ vs. The Briscoes, the faction could be rising back to dominance. While there is no chance Low Ki will return, The Rottwielers look to be gaining strength as a force to watch. Reyes & Romero need a win in New Jersey to really prove that The Rottweilers can return to their former glory.
Jack Evans is scheduled to make his return as a ROH regular this month. It should be noted that he will team with his former Generation Next partners Austin Aries & Roderick Strong against Davey Richards, Delirious & Shingo on 1/27 in Edison, NJ. This could be a sign that Evans, Aries & Strong are back together as a unit. Lets hope so because this is one of the most exciting trios in the world.
Two surprising names are also making waves. Super agent Larry Sweeney has already proven his competence. Sweeney secured his first client, Chris Hero, a World Title shot on 1/26 in the Boston area vs. Homicide. Word going around is that Sweeney could be looking to add to his client list. Will he concentrate on just Hero or is he looking to start a faction? Is Hero's tag team with Claudio Castagnoli really finished? Sweeney has proven he can get the deal done and is a mover and shaker.
Davey Richards was heard recently saying that he has learned that he needs someone to watch his back. This is definitely something to keep an eye on. Richards has sunk his teeth into the ROH landscape, been the protege of KENTA and is now primed for a big 2007.
Lacey and Brent Albright proved together that they are both in the market for making deals. Lacey spent some considerable money to hire Albright to attack Colt Cabana and team with Jimmy Jacobs. She's also spent cash on Mercedes Martinez to try to take out Daizee Haze. Albright has shown that he is a true "Gun For Hire" by taking payoffs from both Lacey and Bryan Danielson. Both Lacey and Albright could be players in the ROH winter meetings.
Looking at the ROH tag team scene, World Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal, Jay & Mark Briscoe, Adam Pearce & Shane Hagadorn and Irish Airborne are all regular two man teams. There haven't been a lot of rumors, but you always have to consider that some of these duos could be looking to expand.
When you factor in top players like Samoa Joe, BJ Whitmer, Nigel McGuinness, Shingo, Jimmy Rave, Colt Cabana and upcomers like El Generico, Kevin Steen, Eddie Edwards, Jason Blade and Matt Cross to name a few plus ROH's international connections to NOAH, Dragon Gate and the UK as well as the relationship with FIP, there are a lot of big free agents on the market. Who is for sale? Who is looking to make a deal? Who wants some partners?
The winter is heating up in ROH. What deals, if any, are being made? Who is forming alliances? Will there be any backstabbing? Some of these answers might come in upcoming editions of the ROHwrestling.com Newswire. However, we really won't know what is going down until ROH returns to action for an important series of shows that starts in the Boston area on January 26th and continues through Wrestlemania weekend in Detroit with stops in between in Edison (1/27), Manhattan (2/16), Philadelphia (2/17), Dayton (2/23), Chicago (2/24) and Liverpool (March 3rd & 4th). The ramifications of the ROH winter meetings will be felt on all these shows. Anything is possible.
