Official Survival of the Fittest 2015 Thread

[Burnside]

If Styles is the IWGP Intercontinental champ coming out of Wrestle Kingdom, which seems very likely, then he's not jobbing in ROH after early January. Which means he wouldn't be able to drop the ROH belt. Which means he's not winning the ROH belt.

[Chief]

Without the title, Lethal is nobody.
With the title, Lethal is the guy with the title.

AJ is the same draw with or without the title.

The reason you may not have the world title match be the main event is so you don't have to railroad all your booking plans for a few shows overseas.

If the average Japanese fan doesn't know ROH, then Jay Lethal is a nobody champion of a nobody promotion.

AJ Styles brings credibility and recognition to a promotion and title that Japanese fans know little about.

If this is just ROH running shows in Japan, then sure keep Lethal as champion and it's business as usual. If this is about expanding and opening up a whole new market in Japan then you appeal to what the Japanese fans know and having AJ Styles as your World Champion and top guy does that.

[Chief]

If Styles is the IWGP Intercontinental champ coming out of Wrestle Kingdom, which seems very likely, then he's not jobbing in ROH after early January. Which means he wouldn't be able to drop the ROH belt. Which means he's not winning the ROH belt.

Final Battle is before Wrestle Kingdom so we don't have to wait till then to find out.

[Burnside]

If Styles is the IWGP Intercontinental champ coming out of Wrestle Kingdom, which seems very likely, then he's not jobbing in ROH after early January. Which means he wouldn't be able to drop the ROH belt. Which means he's not winning the ROH belt.

Final Battle is before Wrestle Kingdom so we don't have to wait till then to find out.

Right. What I am saying is that what's planned to happen at WK will affect what can happen at FB.

[Big Red Machine]

Lethal not having the belt also allows you to do the Lethal vs. Nakamura match they've teased with Nakamura winning but without beating the ROH World Champion.

As far as AJ winding up with the IC belt goes, based on Nakamura's "open challenge" comments recently, I'm pretty sure it won't be AJ. I think it might be Shiozaki... which leaves AJ open to do something else, which would be defend the ROH World Title.

[Chief]

Lethal not having the belt also allows you to do the Lethal vs. Nakamura match they've teased with Nakamura winning but without beating the ROH World Champion.

As far as AJ winding up with the IC belt goes, based on Nakamura's "open challenge" comments recently, I'm pretty sure it won't be AJ. I think it might be Shiozaki... which leaves AJ open to do something else, which would be defend the ROH World Title.

Now that's a hell of an idea I hadn't thought of.

Having AJ defend the ROH Title at WK and then do an angle or challenge to set up a big title match for the ROH Japan Tour is definitely a HUGE pro in the AJ as World Champ column.

[187_Joeism]

If Styles is the IWGP Intercontinental champ coming out of Wrestle Kingdom, which seems very likely, then he's not jobbing in ROH after early January. Which means he wouldn't be able to drop the ROH belt. Which means he's not winning the ROH belt.

Or he will win the belt, do the Japan tour and lose the belt in a multiman match later in the year if needed, i think the pro of having AJ as champ are more important the cons of having to the title of out him like that.

AJ as champion would be great for the company, specially if he can defend the title on New Japan or Revolution Pro/England.

[Burnside]

Lethal not having the belt also allows you to do the Lethal vs. Nakamura match they've teased with Nakamura winning but without beating the ROH World Champion.

As far as AJ winding up with the IC belt goes, based on Nakamura's "open challenge" comments recently, I'm pretty sure it won't be AJ. I think it might be Shiozaki... which leaves AJ open to do something else, which would be defend the ROH World Title.

I hope you're correct.

[Burnside]

AJ as champion would be great for the company, specially if he can defend the title on New Japan or Revolution Pro/England.

While it would be cool to see AJ do that, I really don't see why it would be "great" for the company in any way that actually matters in business terms.

I think a lot of people think Lethal vs AJ vs Strong as a FB main event, with AJ not involved in the pin, would be lame and a cop-out, and I agree. But I think you're also kidding yourselves, and straining against evidence, if you don't think there's at least a decent chance that is in fact what's happening.

The booking coming out of this weekend, especially the Champs vs All-Stars match, seems to me to be pointed straight at exactly that match. The fact that there is really nothing else set up for Roddy to do at FB is another tip-off.

[187_Joeism]

There is nothing set up for him because

Spoiler: show

he just won the TV Title

i think more than because he will be added to the 3 way but we will see at the next TV Tapings.

[Thelone]

I really don't get why everyone thinks Roddy of all people would be added to the world title match at FB.

[Burnside]

I really don't get why everyone thinks Roddy of all people would be added to the world title match at FB.

Because Roddy's been feuding with Lethal for months and Champions vs All-Stars ended with Roddy, Lethal, and AJ in the ring staring at each other in wrestling's time-honored "we will have a three-way" fashion.

[trufreedom]

They already said that the title will be defended, if they are going to do that it´s going to be on the Main Event for sure.

Why, because you just said it? I'm not saying it won't main event, but this whole idea that the title has to main event and AJ Styles has to be champion is downright laughable.

[187_Joeism]

They already said that the title will be defended, if they are going to do that it´s going to be on the Main Event for sure.

Why, because you just said it? I'm not saying it won't main event, but this whole idea that the title has to main event and AJ Styles has to be champion is downright laughable.

No, because they said it when they announce the Japan tour. Do you really think they are not going to have the ROH World Championship main eventing one of the nights at least, with AJ as champ or not i think that´s a lock.

[187_Joeism]

http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/sotf-1 ... ng-match-4

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST is back for 2015! The Ring of Honor tradition returns November 13th in Milwaukee, WI and November 14th in Hopkins, MI. SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST is one of the most grueling tournaments in all of professional wrestling, where the winner has to endure two nights of competition against the top ROH stars. The prize? A future ROH World Championship opportunity!

Past winners of this prestigious tournament include Delirious, Roderick Strong, "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin, Adam Cole, and current ROH World and Television Champion Jay Lethal. This year, the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST field will be comprised of 18 of the biggest stars in Ring of Honor. On November 13th in Milwaukee, the first round of matches will consist of:

- Two 4-Corner Survival Matches
- Two Triple Threat Matches
- Two Singles Matches

One winner from each match Milwaukee will advance to the SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 6-Man Elimination Match the following night on November 14th in Hopkins! Also, the final match in the Best of Five challenge series between Matt Sydal and ACH will also serve as a qualifying match for SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.

And can now, the entrants of the first Triple Threat match qualifier have been announced!

TRIPLE THREAT
"UNBREAKABLE" MICHAEL ELGIN VS. ADAM COLE VS. MOOSE w/ STOKELY HATHAWAY

In the wild, moose are the largest species in the deer family, calm creatures that primarily feast on vegetation. In Ring of Honor, Moose is one the most explosive, impressive athletes to walk through its doors in quite some time. Through their differences, moose and Moose have one thing in common: a propensity to become aggressive if startled or threatened.

Stokely Hathaway has primed Moose for a battle he has not seen before, with the stakes at an all-time high. Moose and “Big Stoke” will travel to Milwaukee, WI to send Moose into battle against two former Survival of the Fittest winners, former ROH World Champions Michael Elgin and Adam Cole!

“Big Mike” is no stranger to Survival of the Fittest competition. In 2011, the brute from Toronto last eliminated Kyle O’Reilly in the SOTF Finals to walk out with a guaranteed ROH World Title match, vaulting Elgin into stardom. Elgin nearly became the only ROH star to repeat as SOTF winner, falling to Jay Lethal in the final. Elgin is equipped with a renewed vigor after a successful G1 Climax Tournament and the fans have taken notice. Elgin showed everyone at Best in the World 2015 that he can lock the former NFL star in his delayed vertical suplex and defeated the third combatant, Adam Cole, for the ROH World Championship at Best in the World 2014, a career-defining victory.

But it would be simply unwise to write off Adam Cole. After returning from a devastating shoulder injury, Cole has let the world know that all is right in the Kingdom. Cole, no doubt, still remembers the taste of defeat Elgin left in his mouth following his ROH World Title loss in Nashville and certainly has no love lost for Moose with perhaps the perfect anecdote to Moose’s devastating rolling spear: a super kick square to the temple!

These three men certainly all have history with one another which should make the match even more interesting for who will come out on top. In Lockport, NY, the three competed in a four corner survival match where all three had opportunities to win. Now, in Milwaukee, the three are competing for a spot the following night in Hopkins, MN where the stakes get their highest: a six-man Survival of the Fittest Finals contest for a guaranteed Ring of Honor World Title match!

Will the deciding factor be Moose’s explosiveness, Elgin’s brute strength, or Cole’s cunning? Will Hathaway play a factor on the outside and should Moose and Elgin have eyes in the back of their heads watching for the Kingdom? The best way to find out is be there live in Milwaukee!

ROHWrestling.com will have all the latest updates on other athletes and matches slated for the huge two-night event. Don't miss your chance to witness ROH history as we crown this year's SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST winner! To be there LIVE in Milwaukee, click HERE, and for tickets to Night 2 in Hopkins, click HERE!

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: NIGHT 1
Friday, November 13th, 2015
The TURNER HALL BALLROOM
1034 N 4th St - Milwaukee, WI
7:30 pm CST

Matches signed:

*** SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 2015 QUALIFIERS ***

BEST OF 5 SERIES FINALE & SOTF '15 QUALIFIER
ACH VS. MATT SYDAL

4 CORNER SURVIVAL
MARK BRISCOE VS. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS. HANSON VS. KENNY KING

4 CORNER SURVIVAL
JAY BRISCOE VS. FRANKIE KAZARIAN VS. RAY ROWE VS. RHETT TITUS

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: NIGHT 2
Saturday, November 14th, 2015
Hopkins Eisenhower Community Center
1001 Minnesota 7 - Hopkins, Minnesota
7:00 PM CST

**MAIN EVENT**
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST FINALS
?? vs. ?? vs. ?? vs. ?? vs. ?? vs. ??

[Thelone]

Because Roddy's been feuding with Lethal for months and Champions vs All-Stars ended with Roddy, Lethal, and AJ in the ring staring at each other in wrestling's time-honored "we will have a three-way" fashion.

Huh. I hope this is a red herring because the Lethal/Roddy feud should be done for now and that would be some shitty 50-50 booking where Lethal must get his win back for no reason.

TRIPLE THREAT
"UNBREAKABLE" MICHAEL ELGIN VS. ADAM COLE VS. MOOSE w/ STOKELY HATHAWAY

Gee, I wonder who will be eating the pin here. Also, does ROH really need to give some goofy nickname to everyone these days, even barely relevant managers ?

[Northwoods_Nightmare]

I was hoping for Cole in the remaining singles match. I guess that leaves Strong vs ...?
Putting Moose in there with Cole and Elgin is probably the best way to use him. Should be a good match for a three-way.

[Thelone]

Still one 3-way and one singles match to go with Alexander, Castle, Page, Strong and probably Young. I assume Dijak will be in a big 6-man tag with Diesel and Lethal against the Bullet Club, and I can't see Coleman or Ferrara in there unless Prince Nana has more envelopes to get rid of.

[jordidebaas]

Do you mean Daddiego?

[DBSommer]

Do you mean Daddiego?

I saw that. Stop trying to get him over. It's not gonna work.