Favorite upsets in MMA history...AKA "I won a bucket of chicken"

Anyone who saw UFC 59 last night pretty much saw Tim Sylvia KO Andrei Arlovski in what is currently the biggest upset in the UFC this year. You can call it a fluke, but an upset is still a win in the end.

With this I present my Top 5 upsets in MMA, chosen by me!

(Note: I have been a fan of MMA for almost 4 years, before the PRIDE video game for PS2. I am not an expert in the field. Also, I watch more PRIDE than UFC (it's cheaper.... *wink*) , so I won't have as much UFC on this list. I have also updated this up to Bushido 10.)

TOP 5 UPSETS

5. Emelianenko Fedor vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira I - PRIDE 25 (3/16/03)



Fedor and Nog had similar careers at this point. Both had one loss in RINGS at the same year yet the had numerous championships. In his debut, Fedor had a tough battle with Semmy Schilt and a TKO victory with Heath Herring. Nogueira easily subbed Schilt but had a tough time with Herring. He also had a life threatening match with Bob Sapp, which saw "The Beast" torture Nog until he gassed out and was subbed by armbar. Nogueira had retained his PRIDE Heavyweight belt after defeating the man who gave him his loss in RINGS, Dan Henderson.
Nogueira was the king of PRIDE, and Fedor was a strong contender.

What happened next was a thing of legends. The fight begins, and both men calculate each other. Suddenly, Fedor starts to rush and bombards Nogueira with some nasty punches. The crowd goes wild and the commentators don't have clue what just happened (SEE the Japanese Feed for some awesome screaming by their female announcer as she sees Nog get his ass beat). The first round ends and Nog's face is shit. The next two rounds are the same, with Fedor destroying Nog's guard and breaking his face in. By the end of the match, the Heavyweight division was turned upside down and hasn't changed since. Fedor and Nog would fight again in 04', but Nog could not stop Fedor's style.


4. Randy Couture vs Chuck Lidell II - UFC 52 (4/16/05)



Randy was a feak of nature to the point of being the Bernard Hopkins of MMA in 2003-2004. He was older than his competition, but he did not surrender. In less than a year, Randy defended and regained the UFC Light Heavyweight champion from Tito Ortiz and Vitor Belfort, respectively. Randy became the face of UFC, a champion in two weight classes, and a respected fighter in the sport. With his title regained, he was ready to fight Chuck, whom he fought againstfor the belt and won by TKO.

On the other hand, Chuck was recovering from a beating by Randy, a hard win in PRIDE against Allistar Overeem, and a nasty beating from Quinton Jackson. After a bad 2003, Chuck returned to destroy Tito Ortiz and Vernon White in '04. Chuck was getting older as well, and he needed the championship to to make his mark in MMA history.

It doesn't matter that Chuck grabbed the cage or that he mistakenly thumbed Randy in the eye. He went out there and KO'ed Randy in two minutes. People were shocked, some were in disbelief. The era of Captain America was halted that day, as the Iceman would later end that era with another KO against chuck this year. Chuck paved the way for the new mainstream era of UFC.

3. BJ Penn vs Matt Hughes - UFC 46 (1/31/04)



Hughes had a huge winning streak (I think it was 12-13 victories) before this fight, and was currently UFC Welterweight Champion. He had recently defended his belt against Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg and was pretty much king of the division. BJ on the other hand was not as active as Matt, but still was a dangerous opponent. He manhandled most of his opponents and had only lost to Jens Pulver via majority. He was an excellent BJJ practitioner and his hands were deadly. BJ moved up in weight and was ready for Matt.

The champion has never looked so bad. BJ dominated the fight, easily dropping and striking the champ. BJ got him on his back and subbed him with a rear naked choke. In one round, Matt became BJ's bitch. Sadly, the UFC would take the belt off Penn and it would take almost two years before he would return to ther ring. With BJ's recent loss to George St. Pierre and Matt's upcoming fight with Royce Gracie, it doesn't seem like a rematch would come anytime soon.

2. Takanori Gomi vs Marcus Aurelio - PRIDE Bushido 10 (4/02/06)



WTF?

Gomi had one of the best years in MMA in 2005. After a stellar KO over Jens Pulver in the Man Festival in December, Gomi fought Luis Azeredo twice with an awesome KO and a near submission win, choked out Kawajiri, and KO'd Hayato Sakurai to win the PRIDE Lightweight Championship. All was well for Gomi at the start of 06'.

I don't know much about Marcus outside of PRIDE, but it seems that he is a submission specialist with only two losses in his career. In Bushido on the other hand, Marcus had a tough time with Dokonjonosuke Mishima (who was awesome against Kiyoshi Tamura in U-Style) and won two other Bushido matches with decisions.

Gomi and Marcus met in a non-title fight on the 2nd, and pigs flew in PRIDE that day. Gomi began striking and moving a bit, but was taken down after a wild uppercut left him open. Aurelio dominated on top, while Gomi was left trying to defend. Aurelio got him in a triangle choke, and Gomi was left motionless. (Once again, the Japanese announcers sell this like a million dollars.) Aurelio surprised his opponent by showing his weakness. The bad news: this was a non-title fight.

Finally....

1. Kevin Randleman vs Mirko Cro Cop - PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight GP Opener (4/25/04)



Hell froze, every pig in the universe flew, and all fat women sang that April day. It was like the Simpsons episode when Mr. Burns and Smithers talk about giving money to charity when pigs fly, only to see a pig fly by their window. Yes, this was the biggest upset in MMA history.

Randleman has had an awkward career. He was UFC Heavyweight Champion, but sadly shit happened and he began his downward spiral. Couldn't handle Randy Couture or Chuck Lidell in the ring and later left the UFC. LIke his teammate Mark Coleman, he left to PRIDE in search of a second chance. He satrted doing well, with three victories before his losses to Quinton Jackson and Kazushi Sakuraba. He entered the 2004 Heavyweight GP for a chance to gain what Coleman did in 2000.

Crocop too has had his ups and downs in competition. Before PRIDE, Mirko was a dangerous striker in K-1. Sadly, he would often taste defeat when he was near a championship. He would try MMA and find success in PRIDE. His fights would end in stoppages or KOs with the opponents surprised by his takedown defense and dangerous left kick. When Fedor was injured, Cro Cop and Nogueira would fight for the Interim Heavyweight Belt. With a surprising first round, Mirco thought he would win the belt. However, Nogueira would surprise everyone by taking him down and submitting him with ease. Cro Cop vowed to beat Nogueira in a rematch and then fight Fedor for the belt.

Cro Cop and Randleman met that April day in what would would rock PRIDE's booking for the rest of the year. Billed as the favorite, Cro Cop thought it would be an easy stroll in the park. Randleman looked as anxious as ever. The bell rang, and Randleman went for the takedown, but instead pushed Cro Cop all the way to a corner. The fighters would return to the middle of the ring, and each was measuring their distance. Cro Cop tried to swing, but Randleman punched him straight on his chin, knocking him down. Randleman got on top and hammered Cro Cop till the referee stopped the bout. No one would imagine Cro Cop knocked out silly, but it happened. Randleman hasn't had a victory since this fight, but it was his one moment of glory that he wouyld never forget.

After the fight, Randleman would lose in the GP to Fedor in what was another near upset. Randleman would take Fedor down with what was called a "Randle-Plex", spiking him on the head. But Fedor would recover in seconds and win with a Kimura. Randleman then lost to Ron Waterman and Kazuhiro Nakamura. He recently won a Bushido match in Europe.

Cro Cop recovered from the loss by winning in Bushido and KO'ing Fedor's brother Aleksander. After a freak injury win over Josh Barnett, Cro Cop gained his revenge on Randleman by submitting him via guillotine choke in less than a minute. Two more fights and Cro Cop had his chance against Fedor. Surprisingly, Fedor would out-strike the striker and punish him for three rounds. After his loss, Cro Cop won a match against Josh Barnett and lost against K-1 rival Mark Hunt. Cro Cop is set to return in the Openweight GP this year.

What more is there to say? Until next time...

Kobashi in the USA!

Kobashi loves his chili....

In late September/early October of 2005, WLW and ROH were able to import Kobashi for three shows. Kobashi certainly brought the goods.

Kobashi vs Wild Wade Chisolm(WLW): Now I don't know much about the WLW, but according to what I've read, Wild Wade is the champion. He is quite larger than Kobashi. It doesn't seem like anyone knew who Kobashi was. It felt like a blend between a Japanese/American match. It was fun, and you have to see Wild Wade get dropped right on his head. *** It looked like Harley Race was sucking up to Kobashi after the match.

Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (10/1/05, ROH): I went to see this match live, and I must say, it was well worth my money. The tag match the next day could have been better in a wrestling standpoint, but nothing could match the liveliness of the NYC crowd and the way Kobashi was respected. The DVD can't do this match enough justice. This match was a hard-hitting bout, with both men getting torn apart. Kobashi won, but Joe earned his place in the wrestling pantheon. *****, don't listen to those that call this match overrated. Do yourself a favor and watch this match. I also g0t Kobashi's autograph!:)


Kenta Kobashi and Homicide vs Samoa Joe and Low-Ki (10/2/05)ROH: The next day was not like the first. The Pennsylvania crowd wasn't as enthusiastic, and both Joe and Kobashi were busted after their previous bout. Seeing Low-Ki and Homicide fight each other was strange, as they didn't actually battle it out. It was more of a technical battle. However, whenever Kobashi or Homicide fought Joe, it was just fun. Kobashi absolutely killed Low-Ki, and he even gave him an Orange Crush. ****1/4 fun, but the crowd wasn't as great.

FINAL WORD: There are two ways to see these matches.

One: Get the DVDs from ROH or WLW.
+ Every match in the shows unclipped. Some great wrestling happened on these shows besides Kobashi's matches
- Hefty price tag ($20 per ROH show, 17.50 for WLW on DVD)

Two: NOAH showed the three events (clipped undercard, but uncut main events) as Kobashi in USA.
+ PuroDVD sells a 3-disk set with all three shows for under $30, cheaper than buying the two ROH DVDs and the WLW show for $57.50 plus shipping.
+ Some funny moments withKobashi and NOAH's guys (gimmick table!)
- clipped undercard No great Gibson matches :(
- in Japanese

Kobashi in USA was a fun time and worth a watch. The only problem I could find is that if you hate Kobashi's current style (Chop,chop, suplex), then this is not for you. If you don't care and just want to see Kobashi and go ahead and watch. It's well worth the money.

The Passion of the Kobashi...GHC History Review

Kobashi is bleeding for you....

Samoa Joe......Torn Skin via chops
Yoshihiro Takayama......Moonsault on face
Kensuke Sasaki....Purple Chest via chops
Genichiro Tenryu....Bloody Chest via chops
Takao Omori...KO via Lariats

Each of those men thought that they were number one in the hard-hitting asshole department. Each fought Kobashi, and they each got slaughtered severely.

This weekend is in honor of Kenta "Burning Hammer" Kobashi via a two-part blog.

Now, I could talk about 6-9-95, Kobashi/Kawada, Kobashi/Vader, and other All Japan matches, but it does not speak of the man today. In honor of Kobashi, I present my review of his complete GHC title History.

NOAH "Kenta Kobashi: Complete GHC History"

Running Time: 8hrs 24min

4 Disc Set

Available in numerous puroresu DVD stores with their own version. I have a version from puroDVD, yet I bought it in eBay.

Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi (GHC Title, 3/3/03) Kobashi's epic title reign started almost three years ago next month on 3/3/03 against champion and long time rival/former mentor Mitsuharu Misawa. The match was incredible, but its message was clear: Misawa handed the torch to Kobashi. For the next two years, Kobashi would become Japan's premiere champion along with his contemporaries Toshiaki Kawada and American counterpart Samoa Joe. Kobashi spawned the era of the dominant champion, a time that saw a company trust their premiere wrestler with its future. In NOAH's case, Kobashi didn't disappoint one bit. *****, Misawa's swan song and Kobashi's first step as company ace.

Kenta Kobashi vs Tamon Honda (GHC Title, 4/13/03) Kobashi's first defense was to fellow teammate Honda. This match isn't great but its worth watching if it's clipped. Runs too long, but still watchable. ***, Kobashi carries this like no other could.

Kenta Kobashi vs Masahiro Chono (GHC Title, 5/2/03) An interesting match, as Chono tries to win the GHC title in a New Japan show. One of the few times these two are in the ring together, and its a solid New Japan-style bout. ***1/2, could have expected more from both.

Kenta Kobashi vs Bison Smith (GHC Title, 8/26/03) Smith is one talented foreigner. Its a bit clipped, but its still enjoyable and I can't say anything negative about it. ***1/2, solid

Kenta Kobashi vs Yuji Nagata (GHC Title, 9/12/03) A true disappointment. Nagata had a match against Taue that was off the charts, only to have a lackluster effort against Kobashi. Another bad factor was that this match was destined to be good...***, just disappointing with the fighters involved.

Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshinari Ogawa (GHC Title, 11/1/03) Ogawa and Kobashi have one watchable encounter. Ogawa tries to show off his skills and tells a very funny story in the process. ***1/2, just strange.

Kenta Kobashi vs Takuma Sano (GHC Title, 1/25/04) Sano sucks. I can't stand him, although he isn't as bad as Saito. It feels like Kobashi saves the day. **1/2

Kenta Kobashi vs Takeshi Rikio (GHC Title, 3/6/04) Kobashi's first battle against Rikio sees the stumpy guy try to break Kobashi's leg. A fun match, but Rikio takes too long working on Kobashi's leg. ***, fun but long.

Kenta Kobashi vs Yoshihiro Takayama (GHC Title, 4/25/04) The feud between Team No Fear and Kobashi was incredible. They were fighting since the beginning of NOAH, with Kobashi giving two stiff Lariats to Takao Omori's head. Sadly, Kobashi's knees caused the match between Kobashi and Takayama to wait for almost three years. When these two finally met, it was electrifying. Takayama brings his shoot-style and Kobashi strikes him to hell. Finish comes with one of the most brutal moonsaults ever. *****, a long-time favorite with Takayama and Kobashi telling an awesome story.

Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama (GHC Title, 7/10/2004) This was the big event from NOAH's first Tokyo Dome event. It is a match that is hated by some and loved by others. Akiyama fights his former partner and mentor Kobashi, who has defeated Akiyama numerous times. This time Akiyama throws all his arsenal at Kobashi, but Kobashi still has the best weapon, the Burning Hammer. ****, good but it wears out after one viewing.

Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue (GHC Title, 9/10/04) I liked the build-up to this match, as Taue haunted Kobashi after his matches, and proclaiming that he had a new finisher just for Kobashi - the Chimibuku Cement. Two of All Japan's legends face off in what is one of post-AJPW Taue's best performances and Kobashi brings the goods by pulling off a Wrist-Clutch Burning Hammer. ****1/2, fun yet somewhat sad to see them two without Kawada and Misawa.

Kenta Kobashi vs Akitoshi Saito (GHC Title, 10/24/04) Saito really sucks, and this match was saved by Kobashi. That fat S.O.B is a pain to watch, but Kobashi pushes this to a lackluster **.

Kenta Kobashi vs Mike Awesome (GHC Title, 12/4/04) This is the second time these two face off, as Awesome fought Kobashi near the end of the Baba-era. This is a weird match, as it is a bit of a hardcore/puro blend and it works quite well. Not as good as it could be from these two, but it is still solid. ***1/2 a fun match with an Awesome Bomb from the top rope, but it's long and slow at times.

Kenta Kobashi vs Minoru Suzuki (GHC Title, 1/8/05) This match is surprisingly fun and watchable than it should have been. Suzuki sucks, but this match was above normal. Suzuki tries to break Kobashi's arm and his punk attitude pisses off Kobashi. It all builds off to an end that just screams awesome overkill. ****1/2, a match that got better in a strange way.

Kenta Kobashi vs Takeshi Rikio (GHC Title, 3/5/05) Two years and two days after he defeats Misawa, Kobashi faces off against Rikio for a second time. Sadly, this was Kobashi's defeat, but he doesn't leave without a proper send-off. Even though the events following the match sucked, Kobashi reigned supreme. ****, a right way to leave.

BONUS MATCHES

Dream Tag: Kenta Kobashi & Akira Taue vs Mitsuharu Misawa and Masahiro Chono (1/10/03) A built up to Kobashi vs Chono, as the four men face off. Surprisingly fun and well-developed. ***1/2

Kenta Kobashi vs Jun Akiyama (end of elimination match, 9/23/04) A fun segment that sees Kobashi and Akiyama fight for a beer prize (Cases of ZIMA and Coors.....not joking). Kobashi looks and gets a box of ramen. Now wait a bit.......a few seconds, you get the most disturbing seconds ever of Kobashi dressed as a preppie guy and someone else dresses up like a woman.*****, just plain AWESOME!!!!!

Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa ( 12/24/04) NOAH runs these fun Christmas Eve shows every year, and that year had a fun segment with a random battle between the two legends. Sadly, it ends up with a time limit draw. ****, strangely entertaining.

Kobashi outlasted Joe and Kawada's reigns and never stopped entertaining. Well worth the money to see. You have two 5* matches, four 4* matches, and plenty of solid bouts. You also get three bonus bouts for fun!

***** - EXCELLENCE

PART TWO: KOBASHI IN THE USA!!

If you have any comments, please post them. I just want to know if anyone actually reads this.

Coming soon...

Totally forgot about my promise for two articles. They will be done next week. My next review will be on the PRIDE videogame.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

ROH: THE FUTURE IS NOW

Date: 6/12/05

Supper Club, NYC

Available on ROH's page

The weekend of June 10-12 felt like a dream, with a wrestling show every night. However, there was one show that interested me more than Samoa Joe vs Necro Butcher. In one rare yet smart move, Ring of Honor had an afternoon show on the 12th, a few hours and blocks away from ECW One Night Stand. I went to that show, and it was a fun show. I found it as good as Manhattan Mayhem.

1. Colt Cabana vs Jimmy Rave - Good opener, with Cabana doing some comedy spots and getting the pin on Rave with a roll-up.

2. Carnage Crew vs Dunn and Marcos - A month before, the Carnage Crew returned from their suspension after losing to Dunn and Marcos in February. Carnage Crew comes out with a bottle of Jack Daniels which clearly has iced tea in it and later uses to burn Dunn....No DQ battle which saw Dunn and Marcos get the tar beaten out of them. Carnage Crew with the pin.

3. Six Man Mayhem with BJ Whitmer, Izzy, Deranged, Azriel, Jack Evans, and Fast Eddie - If you haven't seen one of ROH's Six Man Mayhem, it's mostly one huge spotfest, with the small guys throwing themselves all over the place, except that this one had BJ Whitemr, who used his power moves to demolish the lightwieghts. Match ends with Azriel getting the pin with a double-stomp on Izzy.

Bonus Bout: Derek Dempsey vs Masked Boston Superstar - match didn't start, as Shane Douglas comes in, suplexes the guys, and starts to talk of the same crap he has ranted about for years. The ROH fans don't tolerate it an tear him a new one. Shane turns on the fans and leaves. Even on DVD, you can tell this didn't go as planned.

4. Homicicde vs James Gibson - Really fun match. Started Out slow, but soon got fast. Tons of near falls, with Homicide getting the pin after Gibson got distracted.

A funny moment: During the match, Homicide does a Tope con Hilo on Gibson which catapulted both men over the crowd. During all of this, my sister was asleep next to me, while everyone was getting away before Homicide attacked. A girl next to her was trying to get away, but was tagged hard by Homicide. After the match, my sister wakes up and says "What did I miss?"

5. CM Punk vs Roderick Strong - Punk is over in such a huge way, with fans chanting "Please don't go." Really good match, fast paced and well-developed. Punk works on Strong's arm, while Strong attacks Punk's back. Finish sees Punk apply the Anaconda VIce for the win. Post match, Punk puts over Strong and tells the fans that he won't leave ROH without the title. One thing really pissed me off and I complained about this in my last review: Don't do moves that just plain suck: Shining Wizard!! The move takes so long to do and it looks so fake! Punk has to stop doing it...

6. Pure Title Match - Samoa Joe(c) vs Nigel McGuiness - Terrific match with Joe beating the crap out of Nigel and Nigel trying his best to beat the monster. Joe legit kicks Nigel in the Joe, making him bleed a ton. Joe wins with a Muscle Buster. I disliked Nigel since I first saw him open in "Weekend of Thunder: Night 2", but he got better and this match shows it.

Post match, Shane Douglas puts ROH over after severe boos by the crowd. NOW as I remember, this went longer as Joe cut a pretty good promo about ROH and shaking Douglas's hand. Another funny moment during the cut sequence was that there was a drunk middle-aged woman in the balcony yelling and screaming "ECW!" while the crowed yelled back at her, and her children were holding her back. Booze and wrestling don't mix unless its the wrestler getting buzzed.

7. Non-Sanctioned, Non-Title match - Low-Ki vs Austin Aries - Really stiff match, and my match of the afternoon. Crowd is split even for both men, and the match didn't didn't disappoint.

FINAL WORD: As a follow-up to the much hyped "Manhattan Mayhem", this show had a well rounded presentation as well. Some of the matches are old, while some are new. Worth watching for Joe-Nigel and Ki-Aries. I would have given it my highest recommendation if it was not for the editing in a few parts. There's something here for everyone.

****1/2 - MUST HAVE (***** when I saw it)

Manhattan Mayhem

ROH MANHATTAN MAYHEM

5/7/05

New Yorker Hotel, NYC

Extras: None

Available for purchase on ROH's website

In my earlier post, I alluded to this event as an important milestone for ROH, as they had their first event in NYC, and it was a success. This event has brought ROH new fans and positive reviews with a strong card from top to bottom.

1. This was supposed to be three teams, but the Ring Crew Express was attacked by the Carnage Crew, as they returned from their 3 month suspension given to them by their loss to the RCE in February.

LOSERS MUST SPLIT: Izzy and Deranged vs. Dixie and Azrieal - Fast paced opener and quite entertaining, Good story with the former teammates battling to see who will dominate.

2. Nigel McGuiness vs Colt Cabana - Something about this match didn't click with me, as it felt a bit too fake. As Bret Hart once said, try to do things in the ring that look real in order to grasp the audience into believing. This one made me get out the "trance". Below average...

3. James Gibson vs Black Tiger: Revenge match from the infamous "Best of the American Super Juniors", as last time Gibson was forced to give up as his back was damaged from his previous battle with Roderick Strong. Really strong performance with Gibson pulling out all the stunts.

4.Tag Team Title Match: Roderick Strong & Jack Evans vs BJ Whitmer(c) & Jimmy Jacobs(c)- If you want to see why Roderick Strong and Jack Evans were given a spot in Dragon's Gate, then this is the match to see. The GenNext members had great chemistry and pulled off some impressive double team moves. High praise goes to the champions as well, with some unique offense from the little guy-big guy team. Very good match.

5. Pure Title Match: Jay Lethal(c) vs Samoa Joe - Lethal is Joe's protege, and Joe wants that title. This was the match of the night, with some crazy moments and one hell of a story, as Joe wants to win without knowing the rules, and Lethal needs to prove he's taken the next step. Fun spots, great finish. Highest Recommendations!

6. Dog Collar Match: CM Punk vs Jimmy Rave - Part of a feud with between the Second City Saints and the Embassy. Fun, yet brutal match. Punk came out with a Chris Candido shirt, match in honor of his fallen mentor. Fun, sets up the next weekend's events.

7. World Title Match: Austin Aries(c) vs Alex Shelley - Long, exciting back story behind this match, with Shelley facing the man who kicked him off the group he made. At the same time, Aries is the champion who has lady luck on his side, with many matches won with very little left in him. Well-flowing match, as both men know each other's techniques and counters. Another high recommendation.

IMPROMPTU MATCH!!!!! Jay Lethal & Samoa Joe vs Low-Ki & Homicide - Just as the title match ends, this one begins. A sort, yet eye-catching match, as the teams in this match has a long, bitter relationship with their opponents. Match ends in a high note with the most brutual double-team move in recent history and makes you want to see what's next.

FINAL WORD: This DVD has ROH with their most recognized roster, and is one highly recommenced show. Joe-Lethal and Aries-Shelley are must see, and the rest is entertaining as well (except for Nigel-Cabana....eww)

****1/2 MUST HAVE

Is Ring of Honor The Third Major Promotion In The US?

A while ago, The Wrestling Channel had this huge event with a couple of big names and representatives of different promotions which are shown on their channel. You had the Wide World of Sports, NOAH, TNA,and ROH.

Ring of Honor?

This got me thinking.

I've been a ROH fan for 2 years, and as much as I loved the promotion, I considered them to be higher than the other indies (JAPW,IWA-MS,CZW,etc..), but not as big as WWE, TNA, or even Zero-One. But this really got me thinking. ROH was being represented by CM Punk and Samoa Joe, two indy workers who I've seen in other promotions, but they were called ROH wrestlers. Although ROH has an open door roster (people come and go), they've officially made a name for themselves with a few of their stars and their quality. Lets take a look at ROH history.

Back in 02', ROH was more of a small promotion that was well-funded and drawing a nice number of fans. SUre, the audio/visual quality wasn't impressive, but they had a few guys that busted their asses for those fans and it payed off. By the year's end, they were well known and had a loyal fan base. I still remember reading "Every ROH show has a MOTYC", and that worked well to catch the fan's eye and international promotions. Before long, Zero-One and All Japan came to the little promotion with a few of their guys and drew a good audience.

Zoom to March of 04', in what was clearly the month ROH earned its place in the wrestling pantheon. After its owner was caught in a pedophilia scandal, ROH was stripped of some of its stars and reputation. But! they proved something far greater when over 1500 people showed up for their show the day before Wrestlemania 20. The company was at its lowest point, but held on and proved that their product meant more than any scandal by putting on a great show simply titled "At Our Best". Within a few months ROH would have some of their best shows, including a series of matches involving CM Punk and Samoa Joe that are out of this world. The year ended with a visit from New Japan's Jushin Liger and the end of Samoa Joe's 22-month title reign.

In May of 05', with a clear fan base and international recognition, ROH went out to conquer New York City. In a show that was supposed to take place in a crappy area of NYC, ROH moved the show to the New Yorker Hotel in the heart of Manhattan. The promotion was even given a few segments in the WB11 News in the morning. When the event took place, it became a standing room only affair, sold-out within minutes.

With the help of WLW, ROH was able to have Kenta Kobashi, KENTA, and Naomichi Marafuji for a few shows at the year's end. Some stars returned, while others left to bigger things. In the end of 05', ROH was clearly the dominant indy in the Northeast, with shows in rotation in Canadian and European TV. If you check TNA's X Division, it is clearly boosted by ROH stars, and the company acknowledges their ROH history.

ROH was asked to have representatives in another show a few months back, this time Low-Ki and Homicide stepped up and gave them a good match. Can ROH compete with TNA or WWE? Not at this moment, but give them time. Sooner or later, ROH will travel out of the Northeastern US, and if the US gets their own Fight Network or Wrestling Channel, we'll see the product on TV.

Now, is ROH the third major promotion? As I watch at Manhattan Mayhem and Death Before Dishonor III, I can clearly say yes

NEXT REVIEW - ROH: Manhattan Mayhem

Coming Soon...

Kobashi will make you believe that a man can fly

Dates are subject to change....

Reviews:
Some Commentary on ROH - 1/28
Manhattan Mayhem - 1/28
The Future Is Now - 1/29
Talks on PRIDE and my favorite downloaded matches - 1/31
The Bret Hart DVD Collection - 2/5

Other DVDs:
Kenta Kobashi GHC Title History vol1-4
Hard Knock: The Chris Benoit Story
A ton of ROH DVDs including Kobashi Weekend, GBH 4, Steel Cage Warfare, THis Means War, and Dragon Gate Invasion.
SIDE NOTE: How do I capture an image from a DVD? I'm trying to upload images from important matches and I don't know how to do it.