Concepts that legitimize the exclusive environment and nature of the most well-known Independent Professional Wrestling promotion could be overwhelmingly detected last Saturday.
These concepts, designs and tactics attest to the upper-echelon of professional wrestling. On September 17, 2011, the creation of Death Before Dishonor IX live on iPPV from New York City, N.Y., attested to the commitment ROH has to great professional wrestling shows; carried out by consistent examples of professional wrestling in the upper-echelon of this industry.
Ring of Honor Wrestling’s Death Before Dishonor IX aired live from the Manhattan Center’s Grand ballroom in New York City, N.Y., on iPPV via gofightlive.tv on Sept. 17, 2011.
On this night, the standing-room only crowd and all of those who ordered the iPPV can attest to the detection of the specifics of this company.
From top to bottom, from the opener to the main event, this iPPV card generated enough questions, attracted enough interest and formed enough hype; to sensibly allow its viewers to remain ignorant to the lack of championship bouts.
The fact Richards did not defend his world championship or compete, the fact Jay Lethal did not defend his ROH Television Title and the fact Wrestling’s Greatest Tag-Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) did not defend their tag titles can consciously be forgotten; by reminiscing about one of the greatest Independent Professional Wrestling shows of the year.
If you find the paragraph above difficult to believe, my presence inside of the Grand ballroom during the iPPV should be the only testimony you need to accept the statement as a fact; and not a judgement.
I have attended many ROH events in many different markets. There is no doubt the presentation of professional wrestling in New York City is consumed and digested at a higher rate than the majority of flourishing/thriving markets. (Primarily at the independent level.)
The promotion has blessed the city with countless ‘A’ shows. However, the New York City crowd consistently blesses the company back; by visibly supporting the name of the promotion and the specific characteristics which compliment it.
In hindsight, I would like to recognize not once did the world champions absence and the lack of championship matches put a negative spin on this show; prior, during and post the event.
In fact, in hindsight, I assumed with Richards absent due to coincidental contractual obligations in Japan, Death Before Dishonor IX would be an ideal opportunity for the lesser-famed members of the ROH roster to put together a successful iPPV outing.
Death Before Dishonor can be noted for having a stacked line-up, worth boasting. The event featured an elusive amalgamation of activity, headlined by two “gimmick” matches that will not soon be forgotten.
On top of the “stacked” line-up was a “stacked” crowd. As the masses took to their seats the iPPV unfastened itself with a Special Tag-Team Challenge Match; Homicide and Jay Lethal against Tommasa Ciampa and Rhino.
The match succeeded to deliver the hype needed to jerk the radically militant and rabid New York City crowd into another gear; a gear consistently shifted upwards as the show proceeded.
Following the fun little icebreaker; an orderly and methodically paced singles bout between Benjamin and Mike Bennett took place. For Bennett, Death Before Dishonor IX can be noted as his most impressive contest thus far in his ROH career. The crowed launched several pieces of heavy verbal artillery towards Bennett. However, the environment added a notch to this match; a notch that can be credited as a core reason to the matches’ notable delivery.
In fear of spoiling the third contest of the night, I refuse to lay out the detail needed to illustrate and comprehend the nature of the Three-Way Tag-Team Elimination Match between The Young Bucks, Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly) and The Bravado Brothers.
Perhaps the reason I cannot confidently generate a description of the Three-Way Tag-Team Elimination Match is as follows. When your eyes cannot move as quick as the objects they are attempting to focus in on, your memory suffers tragic loss. Case in point, go out of your way too watch this bout.
Next, Jimmy Jacobs one-on-one with El Generico.
Kevin Steen jumped the barricade at about the 10 minute mark as expected. However, from the top of my lungs at about the nine minute mark, “Kevin Steen is in the building!” Did anyone hear that upon his entry from the back of the balcony in the ballroom?
This particular Steen invasion is as memorable as his interruption during the Best in the World 2011 iPPV in June 2011. The drama connected to El Generico and Steen is alive and well. This has again served as a breeding ground of excitement for what is yet to come.
In order to capture the magnificence of the chaos, including the attempted murder of former ROH owner, Cary Silkin via a package pile-driver; one will have to understand and follow the product.
Ponder this. How effective would it have been to have, or see, the WWE and CM Punk take notes from the Steen vs. ROH angle? Steen and ROH have politically rebelled against each other. Is this not what surrounded the initial function/purpose of the CM Punk vs. WWE angle?
At a combined weight at about 500 pounds, Michael Elgin and Haas displayed and furthermore explained their dominance as professional wrestlers through a hard-fought bout; exemplary of two large men with two large sets of in-ring weaponry. Evidently; the size of their bodies matches the size of their hearts, finally correlating with the size of their skill-set.
Likewise to the entire evening, Haas and Elgin displayed and explained via the upper-echelon of this industry; the exclusive concept and unique nature known as ROH Wrestling.
If you have seen the “Ringmaster Challenge” Match between Roderick Strong and Eddie Edwards, you have recognized and furthermore determined; a Ringmaster is an artist or performer of extensive and exemplary skill.
“This is wrestling,” flows throughout the entire ballroom; again symbolizing the exclusive nature of this product has been detected.
I had predicted the “Ringmaster Challenge” would identify what it looks like to compete amongst and within the upper-echelon of this business. If you have seen the iPPV contest, you would know this is factual. My eyes determined the challenge in its entirety proved this idea. I confidently state there are several professional wrestling assessors who concur.
Strong and Edwards managed to illustrate/exemplify, “pound for pound, the best wrestling,” “what real wrestling is all about,” an “authentic style of wrestling,” “true professional wrestling,” and the “best wrestling you will see anywhere around today.”
The live crowd did not chant any of the motto’s above. However, the live crowd reacted throughout the entire show as if they knew all of the above was being produced and most importantly, demonstrated.
Concepts, designs and tactics, legitimizing the exclusive environment, nature and brand of the top-rated Independent Professional Wrestling promotion could be overwhelmingly detected throughout the event.
The “Ringmaster Challenge” can be looked at as a tactic designed to prove elite athleticism within this industry. In addition, so can the Ladder War III between the Briscoe Brothers and the All Night Express.
The concept of elite professional wrestling within the upper-echelon of this business sometimes finds an appropriate place next to extreme violence.
This tactic goes well beyond these four men lying in a pool of their own blood.
This tactic goes well beyond these four men foolishly risking their careers to legitimize the intensity.
This tactic goes well beyond any bloodbath spot fest.
This tactic is one of many attesting to the idea of high-calibre performance.
During the war, these two tag-teams had me uneasy and apprehensive, concerned and panic-stricken, but nonetheless hyped and rambunctious. The emotions on every fan could be detected throughout the entire battle.
The Ladder War III was designed to meet the culmination of various other violent meetings between the two teams. Therefore the legitimacy and necessity in relation to the match was/has been placed on the back-burner.
If you choose to interpret the Ladder War III as the definition of the significance and importance of the ROH World Tag-Team Titles; you saw what I saw. The idea a war was sanctioned to merely push these two teams into tag-title contention validates the importance of the promotions championship gold.
The idea of war in this instance is the idea behind a specific concept, aimed at delivering a level of performance incomparable to others.