Too Much emphasis on the NJPW relationship

[Big Red Machine]

Nobody likes ANX.

I like ANX and do not understand why everyone else hates them.

Have you seen their entrance? Have you seen a Rhett Titus promo?

Babyface Rhett Titus is like if Steve Carrel played a character parodying a pro wrestler and tried to make him as dim and un-self-aware as possible.

I'm okay with them as heels.

He's a bit over the top during his entrance, yes, but not enough that it takes anything away from the matches for me. I actually like Rhett's promos.

[Big Red Machine]

ROH used to have the videowire. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad call to bring that back in some form to allow the wrestlers to express themselves. I don't see why 5 minutes of TV time could be dedicated to just promos from the lower level guys.

YES! THIS!

[monster mafia]

they stop using the honor roll too that was very simillar to videowire

[Burnside]

It's not so much that the videowire itself needs to come back, it's that on TV they need to give the guys the freedom to cut the kind of promos that the videowires used to showcase.

And yes, Rhett Titus is the Brick Tamland of wrestling.

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

It's official then. Brick Tamland needs to be chanted when Rhett Titus cuts a promo in the ring.

[supersonic]

Recent Mid-Week Round Table from Sheet Sandwich - http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/4/6/44602c9 ... c5489a568a

Time stamps

TNA turmoil - 2:05:45

ROH/NJPW concerns - 2:21:37

[supersonic]

Back then was the roster taking a backseat to them?

KENTA lost what, twice? Once to Nigel and maybe Danielson in title matches? Morishma lost to Joe only to win the title the next night, then steamrolled over everyone until he dropped the title to Nigel, and lost his final match to Danielson since he was leaving. Everyone took a backseat to them unless they couldn't win (ie a title match) or were leaving for good.

I believe the fact that Marufuji jobbed in his debut to Danielson, along with CIMA & Doi jobbing to Aries & Strong a few months later, gave viewers a decade ago tremendous faith in ROH's relationship with DG and NOAH. It allowed ROH to tell the story of KENTA becoming an ROH juggernaut, and made Morishima's reign the next year an obvious set-up to establish Danielson, McGuinness, or whatever hot hand at the time was perceived to potentially dethrone him.

Ishii winning the TV Title, like Morishima 9 years ago, gives those with ROH vs. NJPW concerns, the obvious peace of mind: barring Ishii having a devastating injury, he will be dethroned likely by an ROH branded star. While Elgin is the favorite and signed to NJPW, he's still an ROH guy and the victory over Ishii would completely overshadow his title win over Cole two years ago.

There's NONE of that peace of mind whatsoever with Okada, Omega, and Tanahashi. Perhaps for this very reason, Kobashi only worked ROH for one weekend, because like those three, I could easily see NOAH not allowing him to job to any ROH talent. We know that's one of the main reasons Misawa only worked one weekend.

[ROHfan2002]

I am a Ring of Honor fan. My favorite promotion. I watch the TV every week, order the iPPV/PPV's through the website, order DVD's, and am a Ringside Member, watching VOD through the website often.

As a fan of ROH, they have given way too much in this relationship with New Japan. I am an ROH fan. I don't tune in to a PPV event to see every ROH wrestler lose the match to New Japan.

If New Japan isn't willing to let their talent lose to ROH talent in America more, I say end this thing now. For me, an American ROH fan who really doesn't follow New Japan at all, it does no good to Ring of Honor to almost always be shown as inferior in the ring.

[supersonic]

Observer:

One of the drawbacks of so much focus on the New Japan talent is that of late, the shows without that talent don’t have the same level of interest. The PPV isn’t sold out, after a string of major shows selling out in advance. It seems they’ve been doing this more and more, and it isn’t always possible because of the New Japan schedule, but it’s become like instead of the PPVs with New Japan talent once a year being special, it’s more the shows without New Japan talent feel “un-special.” But I expect a lot of new stuff this weekend between this show and the TV tapings the next day

[187_Joeism]

The PPV is almost sold out, that is surprising to me because the show is not being hyped a lot.

Also no way they can ever sold out a show in advance like they do with the NJPW/ROH shows no matter the booker or storylines.

[BurningHammer]

Observer:

One of the drawbacks of so much focus on the New Japan talent is that of late, the shows without that talent don’t have the same level of interest. The PPV isn’t sold out, after a string of major shows selling out in advance. It seems they’ve been doing this more and more, and it isn’t always possible because of the New Japan schedule, but it’s become like instead of the PPVs with New Japan talent once a year being special, it’s more the shows without New Japan talent feel “un-special.” But I expect a lot of new stuff this weekend between this show and the TV tapings the next day

I've had this feeling for a while now, that ROH has been trying to get to this point for a while what with the trips to Japan and recent joint shows, I think this will be a starting point for a more coherent period and I can see those stories feeding into New Japan also.

[jordidebaas]

Also no way they can ever sold out a show in advance like they do with the NJPW/ROH shows no matter the booker or storylines.

So much ignorance in one statement

[supersonic]

I'm pretty sure there were some sold out Manhattam shows sans major special attractions during the Sapolsky era. Hell, even the Cornette era too.

Oh yeah, Dallas sold out twice, although that can be argued as illegitimate since those in charge made less tickets available than WrestleCon.

[187_Joeism]

Also no way they can ever sold out a show in advance like they do with the NJPW/ROH shows no matter the booker or storylines.

So much ignorance in one statement

You are the ignorant if you don´t realize that the NJPW/ROH show will bring people to the show that will not come to see ROH only shows.

They are doing a good even without New Japan but thinking that they can do the same numbers with & without them is having no vision at all. Some people live in fantasy land regarding this.

They can get more buzz around the product but i don´t think they can do a lot more attendances thanks to that because right now they are having good attendances without the buzz.

[Thelone]

Having no vision would be to rely even more on NJPW guys to draw houses and sell PPVs instead of building a strong product that can draw and create buzz without NJPW.

Sounds familiar, isn't it ?

[187_Joeism]

They should that, but thinking that you are going to get the same buzz and draw the same that with NJPW is what i consider being in fantasy land.

[jordidebaas]

Thinking you're not going to draw more with a better product is what I call not thinking

[dhads7161]

If they're going to rely on it so heavily I like that they're beginning to make an effort on both sides to create a feud. Looks like right now both companies are on board with the ROH guys vs. Bullet Club. Time to start bringing in GOD and Yoshitatsu (and maybe even Yujiro) to build this thing. CHAOS members, Tanahashi, Kushida, and Naito should be special attractions for now, appearing sporadically until the ROH vs. Bullet Club feud is wrapped up, maybe Tanahashi recruited as a partner to combat BC on DBD weekend or doing a WOTW/GW type show for Field of Honor.

[YUngLionXc]

If they're going to rely on it so heavily I like that they're beginning to make an effort on both sides to create a feud. Looks like right now both companies are on board with the ROH guys vs. Bullet Club. Time to start bringing in GOD and Yoshitatsu (and maybe even Yujiro) to build this thing. CHAOS members, Tanahashi, Kushida, and Naito should be special attractions for now, appearing sporadically until the ROH vs. Bullet Club feud is wrapped up, maybe Tanahashi recruited as a partner to combat BC on DBD weekend or doing a WOTW/GW type show for Field of Honor.

Tanahashi is banged up and won't be back until the G1, and to prevent further injuring himself probably won't be doing any ROH shows until G1 is over and he's back to full health.

Secondly, KUSHIDA has sort of taken over the role Jushin Liger played for NJPW over the years and it's great to see. KUSHIDA can go to any promotion, put over their junior heavyweights, draw **** star matches out of them, and bring worldwide prestige to the IWGP Jr Championship. More KUSHIDA is a good thing. He doesn't need to be "special". Just my two cents.

It is absolutely not time to use the Guerillas of Destiny more. Tonga Loa can't stick in a promotion for a reason. He's awful. He has zero charisma. He can't work to save his life. Thankfully Gedo realized that and aborted their title run. The two things he has going for him is Haku is his father and Tama Tonga is his brother. He's Bradley Manning to Archie and Eli.

[187_Joeism]

Thinking you're not going to draw more with a better product is what I call not thinking

Of course you are going to draw more, but not to the level you draw when New Japan guys are in town. You will draw a few more people for sure but i don´t think you will get a lot more people because right now with a worse product you are still getting good crowds.