So this week was the first episode of RoH's wrestling show on Destination America, and they did not skimp on the matches. I haven't watched RoH in years, but they always seemed a lot more about the actual athletics and much less with angle development, with no more excuse to fight needed than 'management booked both these guys'. I didn't see many faces I recognized, other than Daniels and Kazarian, who always make for entertaining TV.
I caught both ROH and TNA on the replay, after I got back from my tabletop group. Overall, TNA has a more solid storyline base, but I like what I've seen of RoH so far. Their intense focus on ability and putting on good matches is refreshing, and it's good to know that another alternative to the StepHHH Show has joined the TV table.
I watched it in chunks (around the hockey game) and have no real opinions other than I feel like Kelly & Corino should be better commentators at this stage of the game. Also, it would help to not advertise house shows that have already taken place... but you already know that (WINK).
In their defence, they pretty much found out they'd be on DA last Wednesday, so it's not like they had time to prepare anything.
From somebody who had never seen the show before, I thought it was pretty good (certainly better than Impact, in that it had better characters and commentators that weren't in a broom closet).
Silas Young should fully embrace his throwback '80s look. He needs a Mid-Atlantic/AWA repertoire and finisher. He won with a TKO, and he's also used a springboard moonsault. But he looks like Jake Roberts and Magnum TA had a son. Give that guy a belly-to-belly suplex.
The guy with the best gimmick in wrestling right now is Dalton Castle, and he has his "Velvet Goldmine peacock" shtick down COLD.
The Moose powerbomb to Corino Junior on the floor looked like death.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Besides for the Corino squash there was some good wrestling and reading spoilers it only gets better the next few weeks.
Glad to see Daniels and Kaz are back to douchebag heels, they were one of the main reasons to watch TNA in 2012-2013.
Jay Lethal was very good as a guest commentator and sold his match vs Briscoe very well. Jay has become one of the best heels in wresting. I would have like to see him escape the jay drilled and run off instead of getting laid out.
The Briscoes vs The House of Teuth was a fun match and the crowd was really into it.
Silas really does look like an old school heel and looks like Gary Young from world class wrestling a bit. I was very impressed with his in ring work.
All in all, a good show with good wrestling and fine mic work. I am looking forward to next weeks show.
It is exactly how I like my wrestling raw, slightly sleezy and to the point. I'm a fan of a lot of these guys, so getting this weekly is just a treat.
I agree that it's pretty amazing how poor wrestling commentary is across the board, and this wasn't a blow away show but it satisfied me. Will new fans get on board with this type of thing I guess is the real question.
It was tough to get into the TNA thing afterwards, and tuned out pretty quickly after that.
TNA did sabotage itself a bit with some embarrassing barber shop quartet shenanigans, but those few who stuck around got some pretty sweet wrassling for their trouble. Rockstar Spud is continuing in the tiny underdog footsteps of Spike Dudley and Mikey Whipwreck, delivering a pretty badass promo on EC3, and then giving up the X-Division belt for 'Option C' next week at Destination X. Of course, he won't beat Angle. If anyone's going to beat him anytime soon, it's EC3... assuming he ever actually gets his title shot.
Speaking of, Aries decided he's also wrestling double duty, as he'll probably be continuing his Best of 5 series tagging with Roode against the Wolves (an excellent match series BTW, for those who haven't been watching), and he's also going to challenge the winner of Angle/Spud with his Money in th... I mean Feast or Fired briefcase. I also don't think Aries is going to be the one to take down Angle, as that still looks like EC3's job. But who knows, Corrigan could be going for a swerve.
Originally posted by Matt TrackerThe guy with the best gimmick in wrestling right now is Dalton Castle, and he has his "Velvet Goldmine peacock" shtick down COLD.
What's amazing is he works as a completely different gimmick in CHIKARA as "Smooth Sailing" Ashley Remington, and is amazing in *that* role too.
- KUSHIDA, of course - Lethal on guest commentary - Silas Young - Veda Scott trying to walk in those heels. Do they let her wrestle in ROH? She can go.
What I Didn't Like
- I just can't get into The Briscoes - Moose/Whitmer/Corino Are they ALL heels? - Kelly/Corino weren't great
Yeah Moose looked like a heel going the extra mile to destroy an undersized lackey, who was forced into the match by Whitmer. Corino and Kelly are pretty mediocre announcers. I like The Briscoes though not enough to really buy into one of them being the world champ.
Yeah, I found the whole thing pretty underwhelming. The Briscoes don't do much for me. Moose seemed like exactly the kind of hoss ROH fans always used to bitch about. Corino barely gave a crap that his kid was being beaten to a pulp (KK seemed more upset than he did). I understand Truth Martini has been around for a long time, but he just screams 'indie manager' with his cartoonish presentation.
I agree that Silas Young looking like a character from the 80s NWA was a high point, even if that's not how he wrestles.
I'm still gonna keep watching, because I'm a wrestling nerd and because the Addiction and Chris Sabin are around and I'm a big fan of those guys. Plus, Maria will pop up inevitably. It's just one ep, I'm just saying it didn't exactly grab me if I didn't know there was other good stuff I liked in the fed.
"Never piss off a hawk with a blowgun" - Conan O'Brien
I've been watching ROH for a while now because I'm lucky enough to be in a backwater market with a station that carries the Sinclair (?) deal.
I love Dalton Castle - to learn here that he has another gimmick somewhere else that he also rules with will make me go to YouTube. Thank you.
ROH's tag division is awesome - I love all of RedDragon, The Addiction, War Machine, and Young Bucks. That ignores combos from The Decade and The Kingdom.
I would like to see slightly shorter ROH matches and I'd like to see them do a little LESS on TV.
Lethal is great, but his finisher is not believable - too long to set up.
Also a fan of Silas Young - he just looks like a guy you'd see at the gym hitting on 20 year olds.
Wow the 2 replys above me is my thoughts exactly. I think Raw is doing the most they can with the little they have while Smackdown seems to be doing really good in main event talent (jericho/H.. Angle/Edge) they hit all the time well.