ALL PURPOSE NEW TALENT/SPECIAL ATTRACTION THREAD

[AnHonorableMention]

Ha, he hasn't lived there in a while. He was living in Orlando and in Tampa for a bit. Once he took the school gig at the GCW camp, he moved back up north into Philly. Lot of ROH alumni living in and around greater Philadelphia. Rave is up there too.

id been wondering why i was seeing Rave with more Northeast bookings the last few months

Yup. He explains a lot of why he's up there on two episodes of An Honorable Mention. Check it out, fascinating guy who's wrestling character is a polar opposite from the person who portrayed him.

[AnHonorableMention]

Obviously there's been a story here regarding the behind the scenes of ROH for a long time. I don't think people dreaming of working for WWE is the sole reason for so many people quitting the past 4 years. So where's the scoop on all this from the pro wrestling media?

Sinclair Broadcasting Group, check out their views on present day America. It's the dirty little secret hiding behind honor.

[AnHonorableMention]

Koff is a TV ad salesman and Greg is an accountant . They are not two people that have lived wrestling for decades . Their background is useful , because they did not let their passion for the business blind them from economic realities ( see Jim Cornette or Gabe Sapolsky ) . However they do not have a background in dealing with wrestlers. Wrestling is a personality driven business , so I can see where personnel problems could rear their ugly head .

In the end working for ROH is a job . SBGI pays the talent the agreed upon on price for performing a job. I never heard of ROH not paying talent or bouncing checks to wrestlers. If people don't like working for ROH they should just find another job . Please skip all of the emails , shoot interviews and other forms of drama. A days work for a days pay .

Joe actually has a wrestling history dating back to the NWA Battle of the Belts series and is a legit fan of wrestling. Greg is definitely an accountant, and not much more than a yes man.

Lost in all of this, the real MVP of ROH and savior for ROH is Gary Juster. Not only is Gary one of the single nicest people and fascinating people I've ever gotten to talk with but he's also someone who has tried to do right by old school wrestling. He's the reason the business is in the shape it's in if we take away the Elite group.

[Big Red Machine]

I would assume said frustrations are creative ones. How many guys over the past few years have we heard of leaving ROH due to Creative issues? It played a part in the departures of Cedric, Lio Rush, Dijak, and ACH. Working a job that you find mind-numbing every day can take a definite toll on someone who gets into a business that is, essentially, an art form. You ask about how guys of ages past would feel, but I think that is one major difference between wrestlers of the past and wrestlers of the present. I think most people who get into wrestling nowadays (excluding some WWE recruits) get into it because they want to be professional wrestlers and love professional wrestling, not because they see it as an avenue to becoming famous, making millions of dollars, and getting laid. Today's wrestlers are less Billy Graham/Harley Race and more Eddie Gilbert.

ACH/Cedric had a lot more history, rather disturbing by all accounts, I do believe a lot was learned from that and things have changed, again I could be wrong.
.

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

[AnHonorableMention]

I would assume said frustrations are creative ones. How many guys over the past few years have we heard of leaving ROH due to Creative issues? It played a part in the departures of Cedric, Lio Rush, Dijak, and ACH. Working a job that you find mind-numbing every day can take a definite toll on someone who gets into a business that is, essentially, an art form. You ask about how guys of ages past would feel, but I think that is one major difference between wrestlers of the past and wrestlers of the present. I think most people who get into wrestling nowadays (excluding some WWE recruits) get into it because they want to be professional wrestlers and love professional wrestling, not because they see it as an avenue to becoming famous, making millions of dollars, and getting laid. Today's wrestlers are less Billy Graham/Harley Race and more Eddie Gilbert.

ACH/Cedric had a lot more history, rather disturbing by all accounts, I do believe a lot was learned from that and things have changed, again I could be wrong.
.

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

Yeah aside from ACH annoying literally everyone to the point he had to dress outside, I'd love to know the Cedric story as that guy was clean as a whistle and put up with Veda Scott's bull shit.

[kovs27]

The history of Sinclair vs. my enjoyment of going to ROH shows is something that leaves me conflicted. The live ROH experience is fantastic and how accessible the wrestlers are (for a price) is unlike and other wrestling company show I've attended. With that said I know that I am giving money to a company that openly lies in air about important topics in the news to push a far right agenda. I normally rather not involve politics in a thread about wrestling but with the direction the conversation is going I don't think it's possible not to address it.

[kovs27]

I would assume said frustrations are creative ones. How many guys over the past few years have we heard of leaving ROH due to Creative issues? It played a part in the departures of Cedric, Lio Rush, Dijak, and ACH. Working a job that you find mind-numbing every day can take a definite toll on someone who gets into a business that is, essentially, an art form. You ask about how guys of ages past would feel, but I think that is one major difference between wrestlers of the past and wrestlers of the present. I think most people who get into wrestling nowadays (excluding some WWE recruits) get into it because they want to be professional wrestlers and love professional wrestling, not because they see it as an avenue to becoming famous, making millions of dollars, and getting laid. Today's wrestlers are less Billy Graham/Harley Race and more Eddie Gilbert.

ACH/Cedric had a lot more history, rather disturbing by all accounts, I do believe a lot was learned from that and things have changed, again I could be wrong.
.

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

[AnHonorableMention]

The history of Sinclair vs. my enjoyment of going to ROH shows is something that leaves me conflicted. The live ROH experience is fantastic and how accessible the wrestlers are (for a price) is unlike and other wrestling company show I've attended. With that said I know that I am giving money to a company that openly lies in air about important topics in the news to push a far right agenda. I normally rather not involve politics in a thread about wrestling but with the direction the conversation is going I don't think it's possible not to address it.

I think as long as nobody is saying right vs. wrong and pointing fingers talking the politics behind ROH/SBG which we all know exist is completely relevant. In fact, I'm talking on the phone right now with someone from ROH's roster about why we both feel ROH isn't fun anymore. Both of us agreed that we've grown up and have adulted our way to priorities like working at 12:40AM while we also have talked about how the shady political element exists and how many of the roster fit into demographics that SBG may not be totally behind if you know what I mean. Now, I think a lot of that is not directly from the wrestling side of the SBG business, but more guilt by association and Joe Koff's ridiculous defending of the live reads on air recently for all Sinclair stations which air ROH.

[AnHonorableMention]

ACH/Cedric had a lot more history, rather disturbing by all accounts, I do believe a lot was learned from that and things have changed, again I could be wrong.
.

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

Maybe I've been knocked silly too many times but I don't recall the Fish/Cedric incident but I do remember the bad Elgin match. I think that could just be the case of two guys moving at different speeds. Sometimes really talented wrestlers just don't click. Ambrose and Rollins is a perfect example.

[kovs27]

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

Maybe I've been knocked silly too many times but I don't recall the Fish/Cedric incident but I do remember the bad Elgin match. I think that could just be the case of two guys moving at different speeds. Sometimes really talented wrestlers just don't click. Ambrose and Rollins is a perfect example.

TBH I don't remember either match. Bobby Fish had mentioned Cedric knocking him out during a match in interviews. The Elgin match I just remember people complaining on message boards. I know that isn't exactly the best evidence. I'm pretty sure I didn't see the match. If it wasn't on tv in that era then I didn't see it.

[kovs27]

The history of Sinclair vs. my enjoyment of going to ROH shows is something that leaves me conflicted. The live ROH experience is fantastic and how accessible the wrestlers are (for a price) is unlike and other wrestling company show I've attended. With that said I know that I am giving money to a company that openly lies in air about important topics in the news to push a far right agenda. I normally rather not involve politics in a thread about wrestling but with the direction the conversation is going I don't think it's possible not to address it.

I think as long as nobody is saying right vs. wrong and pointing fingers talking the politics behind ROH/SBG which we all know exist is completely relevant. In fact, I'm talking on the phone right now with someone from ROH's roster about why we both feel ROH isn't fun anymore. Both of us agreed that we've grown up and have adulted our way to priorities like working at 12:40AM while we also have talked about how the shady political element exists and how many of the roster fit into demographics that SBG may not be totally behind if you know what I mean. Now, I think a lot of that is not directly from the wrestling side of the SBG business, but more guilt by association and Joe Koff's ridiculous defending of the live reads on air recently for all Sinclair stations which air ROH.

It certainly helps that I don't see those political ideas played out in ROH. That would be a line I couldn't cross with how to spend my money and time. Wrestling is a tough business to take a moral political stand in. Even if you wanted to what would even be an option?

[AnHonorableMention]

The history of Sinclair vs. my enjoyment of going to ROH shows is something that leaves me conflicted. The live ROH experience is fantastic and how accessible the wrestlers are (for a price) is unlike and other wrestling company show I've attended. With that said I know that I am giving money to a company that openly lies in air about important topics in the news to push a far right agenda. I normally rather not involve politics in a thread about wrestling but with the direction the conversation is going I don't think it's possible not to address it.

I think as long as nobody is saying right vs. wrong and pointing fingers talking the politics behind ROH/SBG which we all know exist is completely relevant. In fact, I'm talking on the phone right now with someone from ROH's roster about why we both feel ROH isn't fun anymore. Both of us agreed that we've grown up and have adulted our way to priorities like working at 12:40AM while we also have talked about how the shady political element exists and how many of the roster fit into demographics that SBG may not be totally behind if you know what I mean. Now, I think a lot of that is not directly from the wrestling side of the SBG business, but more guilt by association and Joe Koff's ridiculous defending of the live reads on air recently for all Sinclair stations which air ROH.

It certainly helps that I don't see those political ideas played out in ROH. That would be a line I couldn't cross with how to spend my money and time. Wrestling is a tough business to take a moral political stand in. Even if you wanted to what would even be an option?

I think Delirious is dumb, and uncreative but not even he would stoop that low. KNOCK ON WOOD.

[AnHonorableMention]

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

Maybe I've been knocked silly too many times but I don't recall the Fish/Cedric incident but I do remember the bad Elgin match. I think that could just be the case of two guys moving at different speeds. Sometimes really talented wrestlers just don't click. Ambrose and Rollins is a perfect example.

TBH I don't remember either match. Bobby Fish had mentioned Cedric knocking him out during a match in interviews. The Elgin match I just remember people complaining on message boards. I know that isn't exactly the best evidence. I'm pretty sure I didn't see the match. If it wasn't on tv in that era then I didn't see it.

And to be fair my guy, a lot of 2011-2018 feels the exact same, no emotional connection. So out of sight out of mind.

[BurningHammer]

BJ recently began the timing duties, in an effort to improve them. Jerry Lynn would be a great addition considering he's the poster boy for the locker room, in a good way, everyone loves him, but I don't know if he wants back out on the road.

Yeah I don't know how much he would have to be away from his Family in Baltimore but I certainly think having them there would be a link to ROH's past, wrestling past generally and help a lot of new guys come in the right way.

Well at least they are looking to address the issue, hopefully someone can come in and rectify it because it needs sorting.

The talent leaked it, not BJ Whitmer, let me make that very clear. It didn't change anyone's views of the current state of ROH. Cody Rhodes put it best when someone hit on his wife who worked for ROH/SBG, it's not a culture he wants to be part of. That's the type of acceptable behavior for sinclair who just fired a news anchor who had cancer because she couldn't work. I don't know if anyone will post the email or not. I won't, can't speak for everyone else but knowing others who got it with twitter burner accounts I wouldn't be shocked to see iit trickle out.

The issue is not that a corporation owns the company, it's that it's this corporation who doesn't believe in free speech or human rights owns it. It's how they've treated people including my podcast partner and other former ROH employees both in the Cary era and the current era. It's the constant excuses for people with responsibility.

Joe Koff is definitely clueless and haphazard in dealings with the media and sending emails to the wrong people including a list of who should be fired to the people who he wanted to fire when he bought the company. That email I have physically seen and the level of crude and carelessness handling people with families was disgusting. Having said that, Joe Koff in the few times I've talked to him and had conversations with him about current ROH he's listened, but has not acted on anything. He knows nothing of the company's history and doesn't not care what happened before SBG became the owners of ROH. Definitely not a racist, xenophobe, or a bigot, in fact Joe is a lot more liberal it appears than the company he works for. It's how he manufactures excuses for the company he works for that screen Trump to me, because that's who's behind the SBG corporation. Check out their history and local views on media. Thoroughly disgusting and part of the reason AEW is a thing now.

Just to clear something up, I thought that had been a freind of Cody's wife and not actually Brandy herself, or were they two different incidents. Also was it actually a ROH employee becase it sounded like said person had been invited into the locker from outside of ROH and acted innapropriately. Considering all of that i'm surprised Cody sent such good will and threw no shade when leaving because he hasn't been quiet when he's seen something wrong or didn't feel it should be happening. I would have thought Cody would have been the first one pointing the finger.

Do you think though that Koff would still send such an email, I don't think he is abouve it for sure, but do you feel he has an emotional connection now with his employee and said letter would be very different when letting someone go.

I realise Sinclairs relationship with ROH is a mine field to put it lightly but in all honesty I try and seperate the two as much as possible, and thankfully ROH treats itself as a seperate entity for the most. I have never seen a crude or disgusting advert through ROH's programing, for the last couple of years I have felt ROH has tried to forge a relationship with all creeds and colours again I maybe wrong but the locker room feels varied and tight. Also would you really expect Koff to portray Sinclairs politics in a bad light, if he did, it would just be asking for a firering and he isn't that stupid. Wrestling is too big and varied to ever have Sinclairs politcs thrust into the limelight fans have already asked for change or shone a light on previous stuff that could considered rather right wing in ROH. Jim cornette's time really showed that to me.

I do think the AEW have been very clever in how careful they have been with their marketing on that side of things, personally I don't trust them because it's all too perfect.

[Chrisvegas27]

Does anyone know if vicky haskins signed with Roh too

[BurningHammer]

I think people need to have a look deeper into all promotions, it isn't just Sinclair with a darker background, MLW might seem like the shinning light but Bien Sports owners certainly aren't squeeky clean and maybe even more so considering their influence.

Edit I should have the owners of Bien sports sorry, they are owned by the state/country of Qatar

[BurningHammer]

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

Maybe I've been knocked silly too many times but I don't recall the Fish/Cedric incident but I do remember the bad Elgin match. I think that could just be the case of two guys moving at different speeds. Sometimes really talented wrestlers just don't click. Ambrose and Rollins is a perfect example.

Cederic had a series of incidents where he was reckless and knocked people loopy, he kocked Roddy silly a couple of time in a row, it certainly didn't help his stay in ROH but it wasn't what I was reffering too.

[LJimmy]

I think people need to have a look deeper into all promotions, it isn't just Sinclair with a darker background, MLW might seem like the shinning light but Bien Sports owners certainly aren't squeeky clean and maybe even more considering their influence.

This is what should definitely happen, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The wrestling media members who have the ability to make this happen are usually in cahoots with these non-WWE promotions. They'll only call out WWE for everything while ignoring all these negatives with booking, backstage issues and other controversies in other promotions. I doubt we'll see the Observer give the full story on what happened with Whitmer.

[BurningHammer]

We may get a small amount on Whitmer but i doubt it will be anything detailed like you say. I think generally ROH gets a pretty deep dive if you follow the right people, but there needs to be a harder stance on stuff like this or other things that have happened from the bigger media groups.

I think ROH will generally try and get the most out of you if it can, in the end BJ had enough, I think if you put someone in there with greater experience or standing in wrestling the outcome would be very different.

[Big Red Machine]

ACH/Cedric had a lot more history, rather disturbing by all accounts, I do believe a lot was learned from that and things have changed, again I could be wrong.
.

Could you go into detail about what you mean by this?

I think this was a reference to Cedric knocking Bobby Fish out cold in a match and then following it up by stinking it up with Elgin in a world title match.
Personally I thought they should have put him in line for the tv title after that great feud with Roddy.

I guess I'm the only person that liked Cedric vs. Elgin, then (and no, I'm not confusing it with the match they had in March earlier that year. I liked both matches a lot).

I remember Cedric saying in a shoot interview that there were also issues when he gave Roddy a concussion but he noted that other people have given others concussions in the past and no big deal was made out of it. But either way, Cedric was definitely placed in several storylines that wound up as creative dead ends simply because Delirious really never seemed to have an end-game in mind for them, and Cedric said that he never really got any communication about things.