Grading Delirious as Head Booker

[ROHWorld_Jon]

Pretty much just what the thread title says. How would you grade Delirious' job as head booker since he took over the position in August 2010? Has the product performed up to expectations during his time as head booker, or has the quality of the product suffered? Is there anything you wish he would do differently? I'll give my opinion later in the thread if there is good discussion. I just want to get people talking first.

So, how's Delirious doing?

[Chris Xtreme]

Booking wise I think ROH is great. So I think he is doing a fine job. But its important to remember that Jim Cornette has a lot of say in how ROH is booked as well.

[Rudas_Iskariot]

my only complaint with the booking so far is that every third match has a suicide dive and Jay Lethal always seems to hit the time limit or come really close.

[syxxpakk]

He's been doing good. He's got a bit of work to do to reach the awesomeness of Pearce or Gabe, but in his defense ROH had a sporadic second-half this year because of the sale. I think he'll let it all hang out in 2012.

[lariato]

awesomeness of Pearce

Really?

[GardenStateSaint]

I've really liked what Delirious has done thus far with the roster he has. That being said I wish they had a couple more, even just 2 more estbalished guys to utilize.

[syxxpakk]

awesomeness of Pearce

Really?

Yeah.

[lariato]

awesomeness of Pearce

Really?

Yeah.

I'm not saying he was terrible but in what way was he awesome?

[syxxpakk]

Jerry Lynn's Road to the Title
El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
The Rise of the American Wolves
Austin Aries' reinvention
Briscoes vs. The Kings of Wrestling
Brent Albright vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Necro Butcher vs. The Embassy

[lariato]

There's some good stuff there. Not sure I'd put much of it down to the booking, more good matches and wrestlers getting themselves over. I can't see Lynn's Randy the Ram stuff, Albright and Claudio or anything Necro did post his face turn against AOTF as awesome but each to their own.

[syxxpakk]

If you're going to give credit to the wrestlers for his booking, then it's only fair to give credit to the wrestlers under Gabe for Gabe's booking or Delirious for Delirious' booking.

[lariato]

I'm not giving them all the credit by any means, I've just seen Aries play an egotistical dick and Steen turn on Generico elsewhere. Pearce certainly added his touches and did some good stuff, I just don't think he was ever awesome. I think Gabe's overrated as a booker as well though but he was a particularly good judge of talent and was lucky to be booking at a time when there was alot of indy talent available.

[WrestlingMatters]

I've been really disappointed with his booking quite honestly, I think that has a lot to do with Cornette being involved and not knowing what the ROH audience wants. He's 50 years old now and this company's fanbase is much younger, hopefully Final Battle can be a great show and a fresh start for ROH in 2012.

[ninetwentyfour]

I don't think this thread if fair because at this point who really knows who has what power. The only notable thing I'll mention is I wish they gave undercard matches more of an opportunity.

Pearce failed to develop any new guys which is why ROH is in the situation it is now.

[TreeOfWHOA!]

I don't think this thread if fair because at this point who really knows who has what power. The only notable thing I'll mention is I wish they gave undercard matches more of an opportunity.

Pearce failed to develop any new guys which is why ROH is in the situation it is now.

This pretty much sums it all up for me as well

I think Gabe booked tons of great moments for ROH from the Summer of Punk to the CZW fued. Pearce wasn't awful by any means but like it's already been said didn't do much in terms of pushing the future. Pearce gave us the Wolves and booked some really good cards during his run SCOH IV, FINAL BATTLE '08 and GBH VIII come to mind. But I wasn't a big fan of him dropping the ball with Tyler Blacks title run and the way he ruined the Embassy. I think the Lizard Man could do a better job if he wasn't handcuffed to Cornette. As much as I like Corny I agree he is older and his ideas are a little behind the times.

By the way hello rohworld.com

[GardenStateSaint]

^Tremendous username.

Really how much time does Delirious have left before he returns to the roster fulltime? Not that I'm looking foward to him losing the book though.

[No Remorse]

Just as his wrestling skills were underrated, it seems a lot of people have also underrated his booking skills. I feel he's doing a great job in a period of time ROH has lacked some of it's great talent from the past due to WWE, TNA, and Japan.

[syxxpakk]

I don't think this thread if fair because at this point who really knows who has what power. The only notable thing I'll mention is I wish they gave undercard matches more of an opportunity.

Pearce failed to develop any new guys which is why ROH is in the situation it is now.

Davey Richards
Eddie Edwards
Rhett Titus
Kenny King

BUT FIRST - "These were all Gabe guys."

Sure. But Gabe didn't give them near the level of push that Pearce did. Pearce is the booker who molded their success, not Gabe.

[dark patriot]

I can't see Lynn's Randy the Ram stuff, Albright and Claudio or anything Necro did post his face turn against AOTF as awesome but each to their own.

agreed.

[ninetwentyfour]

I don't think this thread if fair because at this point who really knows who has what power. The only notable thing I'll mention is I wish they gave undercard matches more of an opportunity.

Pearce failed to develop any new guys which is why ROH is in the situation it is now.

Davey Richards
Eddie Edwards
Rhett Titus
Kenny King

BUT FIRST - "These were all Gabe guys."

Sure. But Gabe didn't give them near the level of push that Pearce did. Pearce is the booker who molded their success, not Gabe.

Richards and Edwards, really? Even Richards has openly admitted and made statements about Pearce being "a bit slow" at times. Now it obviously made Edwards, but putting them in a tag team was actually pretty lazy at the time, even based on the fact that Richards wanted it. Richards should have been a singles star far sooner, but that's probably going to open up a wide spectrum of discussion.

I would agree he gave Titus and King a bit more of an opportunity and made them relevant.

DCFC, Joey Ryan, Bison Smith(Affected by Japan dates) and D'Lo Brown were all failures. Plus his sporadic booking of guys like Sonjay Dutt and Petey Williams, and completely killing The Embassy! I mean the guy did absolutely nothing to make new guys and tore down far more than he made.

But this is what I use to love about ROH, and can still in ways, it wasn't about the booker pushing you. It was about the booker putting you in the position to steal the show and something catching on, and it would take off from there.