ROH Updates/Spoilers/News

[Fnord]

It should be interesting, that's for sure.

07/03/13 NIGEL MCGUINNESS MAKES A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

To recap, for the very first time since Low Ki became the first champion, the World Title will be vacant BUT for the first time since the "Road To the Title/Crowning A Champion" events of 2002 there will be a tournament held to crown the new ROH World Champion!

Starting in Providence on July 27th and continuing in Toronto on August 3rd, NYC on August 17th, and culminating during "Death Before Dishonor XI" weekend in Philadelphia on September 20th & 21st, this tourney will feature 16 men battling it out for the right to hold the most prestigious wrestling championship in the world today!

The first man entered, as Nigel stated in his video, will be the top contender to the championship: "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin!  Elgin had been patiently waiting for a title opportunity he earned back at "Supercard of Honor VII" when he defeated Jay Lethal but was one of many people sidetracked by the S.C.U.M situation.  Now he finds himself the first man entered into the tournament that kicks off later this month and his 1st round match-up will go down in the city where he was originally scheduled to challenge for the World Title: Toronto on August 3rd!

Expect more competitors to be announced EVERY DAY until the field is complete so make sure you are checking out ROHWrestling.com each day, even over the holiday weekend!

The war with S.C.U.M has ended, the rebuilding phase has begun, and that post-war reconstruction can take a long time before there is a rebirth.  With SCUM no longer around to serve as a distraction Ring of Honor can focus on rebuilding to what it is truly about.  The road to purity has begun...

[Mike Powers]

Why in the bloody blue fuck did ROH put their belt on a guy with limited dates remaining?  THEN decide to have him RETAIN the title during his last match!?!?

Seriously, this is WCW 2000 level bad booking.

[Tezmission Black]

Because it was either that or put the title on Matt Hardy.

[Mike Powers]

Putting the title on the most over heel in the company is a bad thing?


Also, there is the whole "Card Subject to Change" thing.  Just because Hardy was supposed to get a shot, doesn't mean the night has to play out that way.  Hot shot an angle, and get the belt off the guy leaving.

[Fnord]

2ND ENTRANT SET FOR THE TITLE TOURNAMENT

And it's the return of an ROH Founding Father...



Yesterday it was announced that the ROH World Title had been vacated and a tournament to crown the new champion would begin in Providence, RI on July 27th and run throughout the summer until "Death Before Dishonor XI" weekend in Philadelphia.  The first man entered into the tournament by Match Maker Nigel McGuinness was the top contender for the belt "Unbreakable" Michael Elgin and now ROHWrestling.com has been given the name of the second entrant into the field....

BRIAN KENDRICK!

It has been over three years since Kendrick has stepped into an ROH ring, since the "8th Anniversary Show" when he lost to Roderick Strong to be exact, and now he makes his return on August 3rd in Toronto with an opportunity to become the new World Champion at stake! 

Kendrick, or Spanky as he was known then, does have some experience in this type of situation as he was one of the four men who competed in the legendary Iron Man Four Way at "Crowning A Champion" alongside Low Ki, Doug Williams, and Christopher Daniels.  Spanky and Williams both scored -1 point in that fight Low Ki ultimately won but that was 11 years ago and Kendrick has since become an internationally traveled veteran of the ring wars.

With a surprise like Brian Kendrick announced as the 2nd entrant, who knows who else Nigel McGuinness could be in contact with to compete in this 16-man tournament?

[J-Reb]

I'm a fan of this.  I've been hesitant about getting invested to ROH in the past but this tournament is becoming more and more interesting by the minute.

[Fnord]

ENTRY NUMBER THREE IS SET!

A Machine Gun Returns....



Michael Elgin and the returning Brian Kendrick have already been announced as the first two participants in the World Title Tournament that begins in Providence on July 27th and continues throughout the summer until we reach Philadelphia in September. There are fourteen other men still to be named for this single elimination tournament and ROHWrestling.com has now learned the name of the third man who will join the field and he is someone who earned your "Please Come Back" chants in New York City...

"The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson!

This member of the BULLET CLUB in New Japan Pro Wrestling impressed earlier this year in his bout against Roderick Strong as well as that opposite the aforementioned Elgin and now he will return to Ring of Honor in hopes of adding the ROH World Title to his already impressive championship resume.  Anderson's road to the championship will begin on July 27th in Providence when he competes in his 1st Round bout but will it end there or continue on until ROH returns home to Philadelphia? 

[Fnord]

KEVIN STEEN JOINS THE FIELD!!!

Can he become a two-time champion?



The  field of the ROH World Title Tournament is already stacked with only three names released in Elgin, Kendrick, and Anderson and there are still 13 more to go.  With the tournament set to begin on July 27th in Providence, RI and continue on in Toronto and NYC, before coming to a head in Philadelphia in September, the desire to be part of the field is running high in the locker room. ROHWrestling.com now has the name of the fourth men to enter the tourney and he is a man with a chance to become a 2-Time champion with a victory:

KEVIN STEEN!

The former World Champion, the man who was dethroned by Jay Briscoe at "Supercard of Honor VII", will have his chance to become only the second 2-Time Champion in ROH's eleven year history.  As everyone well knows, Nigel McGuinness had been very wary of Steen in the shadow of his excommunication from S.C.U.M but with how he stepped up in Baltimore it seems that the man once known as "Wrestling's Worst Nightmare" has earned a berth in the tournament.  His first round bout will go down in the city where he won the World Title in the first place: Toronto on August 3rd!

[Fnord]

THE INTREPID TRAVELER IS IN!

Can he accomplish the goal he set eleven years ago?



Michael Elgin...Brian Kendrick...Karl Anderson...Kevin Steen; those four men have been entered into the 16 Man Elimination field to crown the next Ring of Honor World Champion. The road to the title begins in Providence, RI on July 27th and runs through Toronto and New York City before reaching its destination in the birthplace of ROH: Philadelphia!

Nigel McGuinness has provided ROHWrestling.com with the name of the man who will claim the fifth berth in the tournament and he is a true ROH original:

"The Intrepid Traveler" Paul London

London, who made his return to ROH after ten years at "Border Wars 2013", left ROH in the first place following a World Title loss to Samoa Joe at the inaugural "Death Before Dishonor" in 2003.  Will the weekend of "Death Before Dishonor XI" host a return to the championship picture for London?  Paul London's road to the championship begins in Toronto on August 3rd and you can follow it over the course of the summer as the World Title Tournament rolls on!

[Fnord]

"The Sicilian Psychopath" Meets A Man Beast!

Why is Rhino targeting Ciampa?



***SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING ROH TV CONTAINED WITHIN***








As you will see in an upcoming episode of ROH TV, S.C.U.M is dead. The group captained by Steve Corino lost Steel Cage Warfare and as such were forced to disband but it left the future of many mens' ROH careers in question. There has been no word from Corino, Matt Hardy, Rhett Titus, or Cliff Compton while Jimmy Jacobs will be making an appearance at the very non-traditional "Night of Hoopla" event this Thursday night to perform his new single live.


Another man whose future was left in question by the demise of S.C.U.M was "The Man Beast" Rhino although it is safe to say he shed no tears over the unit's death except maybe to mourn the monetary loss of whatever Corino was paying him.


Still it seems that Rhino is one man who will never be hard up for employment because he has already found a backer and will be in action in Milwaukee THIS Friday night when he goes one-on-one with "The Sicilian Psychopath" Tommaso Ciampa! Who hired the master of The Gore? It's a safe bet that the money trail would lead back to RD Evans but, at the moment, the Barrister denies his involvement...


"Why I never!" said RD Evans in an e-mail to ROHWrestling.com, "Do I have motivation to hire Rhino? Yes. Do I have the financial resources to hire the Man Beast? Yes. Does any of that mean I am the guilty party? No! It is circumstantial evidence at best and far from enough to convict me. I would not mourn should Rhino Gore Tommaso Ciampa back into physical rehabilitation but I would never...never...hire an individual to take care of business that QT Marshall can and will take care of whenever he wants!"

Can you trust a single word coming out of Evans' mouth? NO! Is it likely he is simply lying about his involvement in this bout? YES! Whatever the case may be, when that bell rings it will not matter who's lining Rhino's pockets because Ciampa will be in the ring with one of the most vicious men in pro wrestling. Ciampa went toe-to-toe with Michael Elgin at "Best in the World 2013" and nearly beat the #1 entry into the World Title tourney, can he go all the way against Rhino and pick up the victory?

[Fnord]

Another Entrant Named!

Can Roderick become a Two Timer?



1. Michael Elgin
2. Brian Kendrick
3. Karl Anderson
4. Kevin Steen
5. Paul London

And now the 6th man has been named to the ROH World Title Tournament that begins on July 27th in Providence, RI: Roderick Strong!

Roddy is no stranger to the World Title having held the belt from "Glory by Honor IX" on 9/11/10 until "Manhattan Mayhem IV" on 3/19/11 when Eddie Edwards dethroned him. Roddy is no stranger to championships in general either as he is only one of two men (the other being Edwards) who can claim status as an ROH Triple Crown Champion.

Will Roderick next be able to lay claim to the moniker of 2-Time Champion as only one other man has done? His pursuit of that will begin on August 3rd in Toronto when Strong competes in his First Round tournament bout! Who will be his opponent? Well with 10 other men still to be announced the possibilities are wide open!

[Fnord]

The Forever Hooligans Are Back!

The Tag Division Heat Up This Summer....



Just a few months ago in Chicago Ridge two men made their return to Ring of Honor for the "11th Anniversary Event" and the subsequent ROH TV Tapings: Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov collectively known as The Forever Hooligans! On the first night the highly decorated pair from New Japan went head-to-head with The American Wolves in an unsuccessful endeavor but one that left the fans wanting to see more of The Hooligans. They got it less than 24 hours later when Romero & Koslov unsuccessfully challenged newly crowned World Tag Team Champions reDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) and again the fans wanted more...


Well we are excited to announce that this summer you are going to get it because Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov will be participating in THREE live events this summer! They make their return in just a few short weeks when Ring of Honor heads to Providence on July 27th for ROH TV Tapings, then the pair makes the trip to Toronto on August 3rd for the loaded "All Star Extravaganza V" event, and finally they will be a part of "Manhattan Mayhem V" in NYC on August 17th!


"It is a pleasure to have Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov back in ROH this summer." said Nigel McGuinness, "They are two of the best wrestlers in the world by themselves and as a duo, well there is a reason they have been decorated champions in Japan. As I said before, this summer tag team wrestling will be at the forefront of Ring of Honor and if that is the case then we need the best teams, both inside and outside of ROH, competing in the division. I am hoping The Hooligans are just the beginning and there will be more teams to come! I also hope reDRagon is paying attention because those championships are going to make you marked men."


The Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) make their return to ROH this summer for THREE big live events in Providence on 7/27, Toronto on 8/3, and New York City on 8/17! Stay tuned to ROHWrestling.com for information on The Hooligans specific matches for each night as well as more announcements!

[Fnord]

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN!

Panama City's Finest Joins The Field...



Elgin, Kendrick, Anderson, Steen, London, Strong...the list of competitors in the World Title Tournament is already impressive and reading like an all-star ballot. Now another man has been thrown in the mix that makes the field even more competitive and he is one who came close to claiming the World Title at "Border Wars 2013":

Adam Cole!

On two occasions Cole has attempted to become World Champion, at "Rising Above 2012" and the aforementioned "Border Wars 2013" event, but has come up short each time. Those losses have only made him even hungrier to lay claim to a title many fans have felt Cole was destined to hold since the day he first started with Ring of Honor. Despite the recent questionable actions of Cole, he has shown that all the tools are at his disposal, it is just a matter of putting it all together to become champion. Can Cole finally do it? He will take his first steps on the path to the World Title on July 27th in Providence and, should he succeed, it will continue on in Toronto, New York City, and Philadelphia!

There are nine slots left to be filled in the World Title Tournament!

[Fnord]

The 8th Entrant Is Named!

And it's another return to the fold...



Seven men have stepped up thus far to enter the World Title Tournament, nine more are still to be named before it kicks off in Providence on July 27th, and one of those men has officially been set as of this morning:

Sonjay Dutt

It has been over two years since Sonjay Dutt has entered into the ROH ring to compete with his last bout taking place at "Final Battle 2010" where he fell to Eddie Edwards and to Roderick Strong one night prior at "Tag Title Classic II".   His history with ROH, while not the deepest, has seen Dutt involved in one of the biggest shows in ROH history with "At Our Best", challenging for the World Title against Bryan Danielson at "Death Before Dishonor IV" in the midst of the war with CZW, and spending a great deal of 2009 competing against men like Delirious, Tyler Black, and El Generico just to name a few.

Now Dutt makes his return to ROH in hopes of adding the World Title to his already illustrious championship resume and his path to that dream will start in Providence, RI on July 27th! From there the championship road leads to Toronto and New York City before ramping up in Philadelphia during "Death Before Dishonor XI" weekend!

[Fnord]

NUMBER NINE!

A Buzzsaw will be unleashed....



Michael Elgin...
Brian Kendrick...
Karl Anderson...
Kevin Steen...
Paul London...
Roderick Strong...
Adam Cole...
Sonjay Dutt...

Those are the men thus far entered into the World Title Tournament set to begin on July 27th in Providence, RI as part of the "Ring of Honor Wrestling" TV Tapings going down that night. ROHWrestling.com has now been provided with the name of the ninth man who will join the sixteen man field in hopes of being crowned the next World Champion when the tourney reaches its conclusion in Philadelphia during "Death Before Dishonor XI" weekend:

"Buzzsaw" BJ Whitmer!

Whitmer has long strived to reach the top of the mountain in Ring of Honor, most recently challenging Jay Briscoe for the World Title at "Relentless" in Richmond, but has never managed to reach those heights. At "All Star Extravaganza V" in Toronto on August 3rd his quest to ascend will begin once more and, hopefully for BJ, continue on into NYC and Philadelphia where the next World Champion will earn his title.