Christopher Daniels-ROH World Champion. Why not?

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

I have made no bones about it. Behind Flair, Michaels, Styles, and Danielson; Christopher Daniels is one of my all time favorite wrestlers. His heel work in the early years of ROH captivated me. When Daniels shit on the Code of Honor for the first time, he took the company on his shoulders and ran with it. The work rate for ROH was phenomenal, but if Daniels doesn't play the heel role to perfection, this company might not exist today.

His feud with Samoa Joe houses one of the most underrated matches of all time because of the story it told. When Daniels finally got his victory over Joe, clean in the middle of the ring. Time and time again Daniels came up short against Joe. But on the night of Dragon Gate Challenge, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels would meet in a Grudge Match. Daniels told the story of a man desperate to finally get his win, but ironically the company's first heel wouldn't need to cheat to win. The contest itself see sawed back and forth. It appeared that Joe would win this match in the waning minutes. Suddenly, Daniels had an opening and put on a wrestling clinic. Joe was finished by 3 BME's. An emphatic "Fuck you" to Joe. What could have been just another chapter in the feud is dismissed by the storytelling capabilities of Daniels. The sheer desperation of Daniels just to get this one victory is cemented in my mind and really made me an enormous fan of his work.

Fast forward to the twilight of his career. You look at the DOE tournament and its designed for him to win. At the 15th Anniversary show I can think of no better way to honor the man who set the tone for this company as a heel which few have measured up to, than to win the world title that has always eluded him. Its sentimental on my part. I admit that. Daniels has managed to make his swan song so interesting because his opponent doesn't reside in the ring. Rather, Daniels is making it his mission to fight an opponent he knows he can't beat, but he's going to give it a fucking fight. Time. I will mark out like a fanboy if Daniels wins the title. Whether its popular or not I don't give a shit.

[King of Indy Style]

At first I was convinced Jay Briscoe or Jay Lethal would win this. Briscoe because O'Reilly vs. Briscoe is a first time ever matchup (totally guessing here) and what better place for it than in the main event of the 15th Anniversary? And you know Briscoe would put O'Reilly over clean. I thought Lethal because Lethal always beat O'Reilly as champion, and it'd be neat for Jay to finally give one to Kyle. Now that Cole is champion, I have no doubts at all Daniels wins. Cole vs. Briscoe and Lethal, while both very good, have both happened in a PPV main event before, so I don't see them going back to the well with that. Daniels would be a fresh matchup. And plus they can do the whole story of "He was at the first ROH show and here he is in the PPV Main Event on our 15th Anniversary!" I also see them doing "Cole is the ONLY Three Time Champion in ROH History and I've been here shorter than you! You've been here 15 years and NEVER won it" as the storyline. And then you can have the feel-good moment with Daniels FINALLY reaching the mountain top and winning the World Championship for the company he helped define. Daniels wouldn't be a long term champion, of course. I'd say he loses it WM Weekend at SCOH. But Daniels would be totally fine as a short-term champion for me.

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

At first I was convinced Jay Briscoe or Jay Lethal would win this. Briscoe because O'Reilly vs. Briscoe is a first time ever matchup (totally guessing here) and what better place for it than in the main event of the 15th Anniversary? And you know Briscoe would put O'Reilly over clean. I thought Lethal because Lethal always beat O'Reilly as champion, and it'd be neat for Jay to finally give one to Kyle. Now that Cole is champion, I have no doubts at all Daniels wins. Cole vs. Briscoe and Lethal, while both very good, have both happened in a PPV main event before, so I don't see them going back to the well with that. Daniels would be a fresh matchup. And plus they can do the whole story of "He was at the first ROH show and here he is in the PPV Main Event on our 15th Anniversary!" I also see them doing "Cole is the ONLY Three Time Champion in ROH History and I've been here shorter than you! You've been here 15 years and NEVER won it" as the storyline. And then you can have the feel-good moment with Daniels FINALLY reaching the mountain top and winning the World Championship for the company he helped define. Daniels wouldn't be a long term champion, of course. I'd say he loses it WM Weekend at SCOH. But Daniels would be totally fine as a short-term champion for me.

Yeah, built in storyline there for sure with Cole as champion.

Agreed that Daniels would be nothing more than an interim champ. The gradual face turn leads me to believe that this run with the title is coming.

[SweetDaddy]

I'm for ol' boy getting his run for sentimental value but he's not champ material of the #2 company in America.

[Brada]

I'm for ol' boy getting his run for sentimental value but he's not champ material of the #2 company in America.

Agreed. Sorry to rain on your parade Mojo, but Daniels in a singles PPV Main Event has about the same chance of happening as a Cena heel turn.

[monster mafia]

I'm for ol' boy getting his run for sentimental value but he's not champ material of the #2 company in America.

Agreed. Sorry to rain on your parade Mojo, but Daniels in a singles PPV Main Event has about the same chance of happening as a Cena heel turn.

no doubt the main event would be cole vs daniels.

[Rich of Honor]

I'm for ol' boy getting his run for sentimental value but he's not champ material of the #2 company in America.

Agreed. Sorry to rain on your parade Mojo, but Daniels in a singles PPV Main Event has about the same chance of happening as a Cena heel turn.

I don't think it's out of the question. Since ASE, Daniels has had a real slow, purposeful and quite honestly, organic face turn. Not sure if there is another face in the company that would receive the out pouring of support that Daniels would. The Decade of Excellence winner earning a title shot at the Anniversary show seems tailor made for the company's first true heel to come full circle and win the company's most prestigious title. Then, whoever ends up taking the strap off him could gain some real heat, possibly creating a new top tier heel for 2017.

[WHG]

Brada, I like your confidence in your thinking...but keep in mind that the same people who called the Cole dome win have said all along that Daniels is winning the title from Cole. Given how the tournament shaping up, I don't see anything to think that's not happening. If they were going with Lethal or Briscoe facing Cole, they wouldn't have had to set up an elaborate tournament to set it up plausibly.

I'm willing to consider that they may not pull the trigger on CD winning the title if they come up with a better alternative...or if Cole re-signs prior to the PPV, but that match is the odds on favorite for that show either way.

[JTCole]

Cole vs Lethal or Briscoe has already been done to death so I don't see that headlining the PPV. Cole vs Daniels is the most logical choice, and with the 15th Anniversary motif it practically writes itself.

[King of Indy Style]

If Daniels does win this tournament he needs to go back to the long pants. Still not used and still don't like the Singlet

[Wilson]

If Daniels does win this tournament he needs to go back to the long pants. Still not used and still don't like the Singlet

Despite popular opinion Daniels is actually mortal, embodied in flesh that ages. He wears his singlet to not remind everyone that he is past middle-aged every time he is in a wrestling ring.

Of course Daniels is going to win the tournament. The Dallas show has Cole and Daniels booked against one another in a tag match. It’s also the most saleable match for the PPV. It’ll probably be the second straight ROH PPV to produce a World Title change.

Related to Daniels’s title win, having spent so many years building up O’Reilly and Cole as main event stars, it’s very underwhelming for ROH to just to just feed into its most built stars to an abbreviated veteran’s prevail story (who is also integral to the booking team). There are differences between Nigel’s conquering by Lynn, but there are obvious similarities as well.

[monster mafia]

If Daniels does win this tournament he needs to go back to the long pants. Still not used and still don't like the Singlet

wait what?

[Roque11]

I see nothing wrong with a Daniels win. He'd be deserving of it with his long history and can be used to elevate someone long term. This stuff implying him winning would be due to politics is laughable. Daniels has been on the receiving end of backstage politics in various companies his whole career. He's not going to do the same thing.

[Brada]

If Daniels walks out of the PPV world champion, we will have a forum vote on something ridiculous for me to do on video and post for everyone's comical pleasure. It does have to be within reason.

That's how confident I am that Daniels doesn't win the championship

[dhads7161]

If he wins it, he's either dropping it to Fish or Cody.

[Mr. Mojo Risin]

If Daniels walks out of the PPV world champion, we will have a forum vote on something ridiculous for me to do on video and post for everyone's comical pleasure. It does have to be within reason.

That's how confident I am that Daniels doesn't win the championship

Its on brother.

[JTCole]

It's far from a guarantee Daniels wins the title though, even if Cole decides to leave.

[AlexROH]

If he wins it, he's either dropping it to Fish or Cody.

Cody? Really? Cody isn't going to win a damn title in ROH because 1. He is a freelancer that only want to work a phew dates 2. He is average as fuck.

If ROH give Cody a title shot in any PPV of the year, I will be very angry. Man, Juice Robinson proved at WK how bad/average Cody is.

[Thomas Bobo]

If he wins it, he's either dropping it to Fish or Cody.

I was really intrigued by this thread because the general idea of Christopher Daniels as ROH World Champion has a strong connection to the history and long-term story of the promotion.

Whether it happens or not, who knows. I do agree with the opinions that Daniels is the man to win DoE tourney and go on to face Cole in Vegas.

If I may arm-chair book for a moment, I would actually love to see the match happen only to have Daniels get screwed by Kazarian out of winning the title.

Daniels would have a legit claim to be champion, but he would need to put those aspirations on hold to first address and overcome Kazarian.

Daniels vs. Kazarian would be one of the marquee matches, IMO, during WM Weekend and SCoH.

Following that, Daniels would then begin his journey towards the World Title and it would culminate at Best in the World in June, where he finally wins the title that has eluded him for his whole career! That would be a moment and some great story telling.

I still think Daniels has the ability to be a strong in-ring performer and especially if this was going to be (perhaps) his last strong run, he would likely amp it up even more.

Beyond that, I am not sure I see him as a long-term champion.

Regardless of the opinion's on Cody, I think Daniels then being screwed by Cody would also make some compelling stuff to get behind and engage fans. Remember too, Cody is a name - so with ROH in the business of making money - they might feel like a short-term deal gives them added and more exposure to a broader fanbase.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Thelone]

Except no one gives a shit about Kazarian and Cody Rhodes.