It has been 8 years since Ring of Honor first presented a “Death Before Dishonor” event to the ROH faithful. The date: July 19, 2003. The location: the much loved Rexplex in Elizabeth, NJ. That night was highlighted by a violent Dog Collar Match pitting CM Punk against Raven, the culmination of AJ Styles & Amazing Red’s battles with the Briscoes over the ROH Tag Titles, and Paul London’s tearful farewell as he attempted to end Samoa Joe’s ROH World Title reign.
In the years since that first “DBD”, ROH has expanded across the country for live events, toured into the UK & Japan, aired television for two years on HDNet, innovated wrestling on iPPV along with GoFightLive, and maintained one consistent fact: Ring of Honor is home to the greatest professional wrestling on the planet, bar none.
Now we stand on the cusp of a new era for Ring of Honor with our debut on SBG networks across the country on Saturday night September 24th, but before we get there, we bring to you THIS Saturday night, the 9th annual “Death Before Dishonor” live on iPPV from NYC! With one of the most dangerous matches in ROH’s history and a true test of endurance & skill capping off the event, “DBD IX” will continue the tradition of wrestling excellence you’ve come to expect from ROH on IPPV! Here’s a look at the card, and what brought us to the Grand Ballroom:
LADDER WAR III
Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King)
***winner to receive a Tag Title match at “Glory by Honor X” on 11/19***
The bad blood between these four men dates back to the early months of 2011 when a tag bout at “Manhattan Mayhem IV” erupted into an all-out brawl after The ANX beat The Briscoes. It was a fight that continued into the locker room that night, forcing security to separate the men before it escalated into something worse. The tensions didn’t abate with time though as another fight erupted in Atlanta prior to the event, and that got Titus & King removed from the building at “Honor Takes Center Stage Ch. 1”. Still, that eviction did not stop the ANX from getting into the building to continue the fight later that night. The two teams met at “Chapter 2” the following day and that battle went in favor of the Briscoes but both Jay & Rhett ended up bloodied, and a new fire was lit within the ANX. A First Blood bout at “Revolution: USA” went in favor of the 6-time former tag champs in part due to a bad referee call. Jay Briscoe was the first man bleeding, but Rhett Titus was who the official saw, and the bout went to the Briscoes. 24 hours later at “Revolution: Canada”, The ANX got a measure of revenge as they cost the Briscoes their World Tag Title bout against WGTT. A Chicago Street Fight at “Supercard of Honor VI” also went in favor of Jay & Mark but again neither team looked like winners with the carnage & blood surrounding them. “Best in the World 2011” saw both teams challenge for the ROH World Tag Titles in a Four Way Elimination Tag with the KoW & WGTT, and it was the ANX who eliminated Jay & Mark, and it was also Titus & King who prevented the bitter brothers from doing extensive damage to Haas & Benjamin after the bout. At “No Escape” the battle continued as the four men battled in singles matches with a twist, Rhett took on Jay but Kenny & Mark were handcuffed at ringside, and vice versa. Kenny beat Mark in the first bout, but the brothers Briscoe took advantage of the situation in the 2nd match as Jay used bolt cutters to free Mark, and the duo brazenly assaulted Titus until WGTT returned to favor from “BITW” and ran off the Briscoes. It all finally came to a head in Chicago Ridge, IL in August when a fight broke out in the parking lot of the Frontier Fieldhouse where Titus upped the stakes by grabbing a ladder from a ring truck and attempted to fight the brothers with it. Immediately speculation ran rampant that a Ladder War would soon follow but ROH officials, based on the history of that match in general & the Briscoes involvement in it in particular, refused to allow it to happen. All four men plead their cases with officials via e-mail, face-to-face, through Twitter & Facebook. Finally after several weeks of debating, after coming to the conclusion (and both teams asserting) that nothing would end this issue but a Ladder War, ROH officials relented and Ladder War III became official. And to sweeten the pot, it was also dictated that the winner of this fight would earn themselves a shot at the ROH World Tag Titles at “Glory by Honor X”. Have the trials & tribulations, the blood & violence, of 2011 prepared ANX for what awaits them on Saturday night? Or will this bring The Briscoes one step closer to finally achieving their lucky number 7 title reign and prove Jay & Mark the master of the Ladder War?
Which team do you think will win? Vote and win a free shirt from the winning team: http://onekontest.com/LadderWar3.
Ringmaster Challenge
“Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. “The World’s Greatest Athlete” Roderick Strong
***2/3 Falls (1st Fall – Pin Only, 2nd – Fall Submission Only, 3rd Fall – 15 Minute Iron Man) ***
The details of the Ringmaster Challenge were covered fairly extensively Wednesday here at ROHWrestling.com (http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/the-ringmaster-challenge/), but the road that brought these two men here must be explored. Roderick Strong & Eddie Edwards have been bonded within the wrestling ring for a good portion of 2011. From the night Edwards beat Strong to claim the ROH World Title at “Manhattan Mayhem IV” to their rematch at “Supercard of Honor VI” to the American Wolves vs. House of Truth tag match at “Tag Team Turmoil 2011”, Edwards has had Roderick’s number this year. Their battles have been hard fought, Strong has given as good as he’s gotten each time, but each time it has been ROH’s only Triple Crown Champion who has been victorious. Despite their shared time in Pro Wrestling NOAH together, despite the bond these two have shared over the years, it seems that Eddie Edwards has an edge on Roderick Strong that goes beyond pure wrestling ability. One could make that argument that Eddie is in Roddy’s head, that the advantage “Die Hard” holds has become psychological, and that may be a disadvantage too difficult to overcome.
Who will win this contest? Vote now and win a free T-Shirt: http://onekontest.com/ROHRingmaster.
Special Challenge Match #1
ROH World Tag Champion Shelton Benjamin vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett w/ Brutal Bob
Shelton Benjamin has been a part of Ring of Honor for over one year, since making his debut on 9/11/10 at “Glory by Honor IX” alongside Charlie Haas in a losing effort against The Kings of Wrestling. Since that loss though, defeat has been something completely alien to the current ROH World Tag Champion. Something else that has been alien to Shelton though is singles competition. He has proven himself for years in that regards, but since coming into ROH, Shelton has only battled in one singles match at “Supercard of Honor VI” in which he beat Claudio Castagnoli. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett, on the other hand, has had a rough few months after coming into ROH and heralding that 2011 would be his year. He started the year off wonderfully, but a series of losses to Rhett Titus & Jay Lethal have put a damper on Bennett’s aspirations and with 2011 creeping to a close, it’s look as if The Prodigy’s prophecies will not come to fruition. That is why this match is so important to Bennett, perhaps even more so than to Shelton, because a victory here would springboard The Prodigy back into title talk. For Shelton it’s a chance to remind the world that he is just as amazing on his own as he is in a tag team, for Bennett it’s the chance to make sure that, as 2011 comes to a close, it truly ends as the year of The Prodigy.
Special Challenge Match #2
ROH World Tag Champion Charlie Haas vs. Michael Elgin with Truth Martini
Just like his partner, this is only the 2nd time since their ROH debut that Charlie Haas will step into the ring as a singles competitor. His first and only was also at “Supercard IV”, but unlike Shelton, he fell to Davey Richards in a hard hitting effort that took the measure of both men equally. Michael Elgin, on the other hand, has been steamrolling his way through ROH since becoming a member of the House of Truth and win or lose; Elgin has made an impression on both opponents & fans alike. Each man is a powerhouse in their own right, no doubt about that, but Elgin may be the most powerful individual to ever set foot in the ROH ring when you look at the sheer numbers he throws around in the weight room. Haas’ amateur & professional credentials are second to none as well, and this is certainly one of the biggest tests in Elgin’s ROH career. Can the sheer power of Elgin overwhelm the wrestling excellence of Charlie Haas? Or will the experience of the ROH Tag Champion prove the deciding factor in this battle?
One-On-One
El Generico vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Once upon a time El Generico & his tag partner beat Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black to claim the ROH World Tag Titles. That’s ancient history yes, but the man Jacobs was at that time directly influences the path he is currently on. That man was an evil, violent creature who used a “social revolution” as a disguise to enact bloody aggression on any individual who crosses his path, more often than not using his “allies” to do the dirty work. But now, in 2011, it is Jacobs who has offered himself up on behalf of another individual, in this case Steve Corino. See this was supposed to be Corino vs. Generico; this was an attempt for ROH officials to truly test Steve & his commitment to competing, to living, honorably. To his credit, Corino admitted he was not ready for this, not ready to stand in the same ring as a man whose life he tried to ruin throughout 2010. Jacobs, in his role as sponsor for Steve, but just as much as a friend, offered to take the match on Corino’s behalf, allowing Steve to travel to Japan for the weekend and separate himself from the hazardous situation. ROH officials, in appreciation of the honesty and forthright manner in which Corino & Jacobs approached the situation, allowed the substitution. Now it is Jacobs who will face off with El Generico, and it is Jacobs who looks to show ROH officials & fans alike that he too is committed to following a Code of Honor.
Grudge Tag Team Match
ROH World TV Champion Jay Lethal & Homicide vs. Tommaso Ciampa & Rhino with The Embassy
At “Best in the World 2011”, Rhino lost to Homicide in a Street Fight, but that didn’t stop the beast from delivering a Gore to the former ROH World Champion that drove him thru a table and left ‘Cide spitting up blood. ROH officials were unsure about the long term ramifications of the injuries suffered by “The Notorious 187” so they were shocked when he contacted the office and told them he was available for NYC and wanted to fight The Embassy. Suffice it to say that ROH officials were unsure if Homicide was medically ready to compete, and were uncomfortable with putting him into a position where The Embassy could once again use their numbers advantage to potentially further injure Homicide. In an alignment of the stars that couldn’t have been predicted, Jay Lethal, who had been previously unavailable, had his commitments fall through and told ROH officials he wanted on the event in any fashion available. The solution presented itself, and despite their history from years past, Homicide and Jay Lethal agreed to unite to take on The Embassy, represented by Tommaso Ciampa & Rhino. Prince Nana’s unit has owned Homicide in 2011, with the attack from Rhino last NYC event & the wins Ciampa holds over the former ROH World Champion, but this time ‘Cide will have a back-up. Are the differences between Lethal & Homicide far enough in the past for them to operate as a unit? Or will the unity of The Embassy prove the deciding factor?
Three Way Elimination Match
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly) vs. The Bravados (Lancelot & Harlem)
The Bravados & Future Shock have been going back and forth since late 2010, trading victories across the country at live events, and on HDNet in the closing months of ROH’s tenure there. But the battles have gotten increasingly personal, especially since the concussion suffered by Lancelot Bravado at “Supercard of Honor VI”. That accident directly led to the North Carolina natives ruining the ROH return of The Young Bucks at “Best in the World 2011” in their bout against Cole & O’Reilly on the iPPV pre-show. The Bravados paid for their interference that night, but it didn’t stop them from continuing to run their mouths. At “Tag Team Turmoil 2011”, thanks to some involvement from Haas & Benjamin, Lancelot & Harlem beat the Briscoes which led to a bout between Future Shock & the brothers with the winner getting a future Tag Title shot and a bonus check as well. Cole & O’Reilly took home the prizes that night in a bout where both teams laid it all on the line, but still the Bravados ran their mouths. So when it was announced that The Young Bucks would be back for “Death Before Dishonor IX”, it only seemed logical that ROH officials give the Jackson’s a shot at revenge on the Bravados, but also provide the ROH faithful a chance to see the match that was so rudely interrupted at “BITW ‘11”. The Bucks are looking to put themselves back in the ROH tag title picture, Future Shock wants the win as they head towards destiny in Collinsville, and The Bravados want to show that the bandwagon is ROH’s true future. This will be a showcase of the best young tag teams in pro wrestling today!
“Death Before Dishonor IX” comes to you live on iPPV this Saturday night 9/17 from the Grand Ballroom in the Manhattan Center! You can catch it all courtesy of GoFightLive.TV right here, http://www.gfl.tv/showEvent.do?refCode=GFLA93&eventId=1169 starting at 7:00 PM with a live pre-show free to everyone. The iPPV broadcast is only $14.99 for the best pound-for-pound pro wrestling on the planet! ROH has set the standard for iPPV when it comes to pro wrestling so don’t miss out on “Death Before Dishonor IX”!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment