411’s Buy or Sell 01.14.11: Young Bucks at Wrestlereunion 2, Cabana Faces More Honorable Opponents, Jigsaw vs. Moxley, More

Welcome everyone to Week 189 of BUY or SELL. For those of you who haven’t been with us since the beginning, here’s the Reader’s Digest version of what this column is all about. BUY or SELL is very much like 411’s long-running Fact or Fiction column. The main difference is that BUY or SELL focuses on topics like the U.S. Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and pretty much anything else that isn’t mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get a bit more press and for you, our loyal readers, to learn even more about the sport of professional wrestling.

Questions are sent out on Tuesday Night.

Jon Moxley facing Jigsaw in Manhattan will do nothing for Moxley or for Kamikaze USA.

Ari Berenstein: SELL. A good beat down is a good beat down and I expect nothing less than a merciless destruction of Jigsaw, sacrificed at the altar of pushing Jon Moxley and Kamikaze USA very strongly to start the New Year. Though the real big deal to push the stable will be the main event DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate Title defense between BxB Hulk and Yamato and the fallout from that match playing into the following two shows that weekend. The Moxley-Jigsaw match reads like sound wrestling booking to use an undercard match to foreshadow the main event.

Greg Demarco : SELL. Jigsaw is a very capable wrestler, and this should be a good undercard match. As the American leader of Kamikaze USA, Moxley should get a win here and will likely get some promo time. It’s an undercard match that will have meaning thanks to Moxley’s promo ability. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

1 for 1.

Akira Tozawa is best first time match that Dragon Gate USA could have made for Austin Aries.

Greg Demarco : SELL. This will be a good match, and I expect Aries to go over here. Part of that is because I’d love to see Aries be the next Open the United Gate Champion, the first American holder of that title. But calling it the best first time match they could have made? Not when Yamato’s still sitting on the talent list.

Ari Berenstein: SELL, though with a caveat. Sure, Aries could have been matched up with someone like BxB Hulk or YAMATO for a very high-profile first time “dream match” for the January triple shot (and not all of Aries’ matches for the weekend have been announced, so who’s to say something bigger won’t happen). However, Tozawa is the best “fit” on the card for January 29th in Philadelphia after taking into account the already scheduled matches involving Dragon Gate Japan talents that have already been confirmed and that play a larger role into the main DGUSA storylines. That concentration on storyline and show-to-show programs over one-time dream matches is the major difference between DGUSA’s first year and its second. So, yes, Aries could have been placed into a higher profile match, but that would have taken away from the build to the tag team title tournament and the BxB Hulk / Kamikaze USA Gauntlet that are the primary plot points for those shows.

2 for 2.

With them being so successful in TNA, PWG is putting themselves in a lose-lose situation with The Young Bucks being in a Number One Contenders Match.

Ari Berenstein: SELL. I don’t really see the connection here—The Bucks have been constants in PWG throughout the past year even with the contract to TNA. Their win-loss record isn’t reflective of any overarching protection because of the TNA connection, aside from the last-minute schedule change at Battle of Los Angeles 2010 so they could get to the TNA Pay Per View (but that was negligible to the overall tournament at the worst). The Bucks are one of four teams participating in the number one contender’s match at the PWG WrestleReunion 2 show. PWG is fine no matter if The Bucks win and go on to face Parejas Abejas (London and Generico) in the future, or if they lose directly or if other teams are involved in the decision. No skin off PWG’s back no matter what the eventuality.

Greg Demarco : SELL. Define “so successful.” They’re the third best team in a four team division. And TNA might think more highly of Ink, Inc. at this point, who knows. PWG’s booking of The Bucks seems impervious to any TNA influence, so the Bucks’ winning or losing this match is unrelated to their TNA standing. If they win, it sets up a great Paul London & El Generico vs. The Young Bucks match. If they lose, they can do so without even dropping the fall, protecting them. If they do take the fall, they’re putting another team over. Sounds more like a win-win to me.

2 for 3.

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On paper, despite having Haas and Benjamin, Ring of Honor’s card looks weaker than PWG’s Kurt Russellreunion 2.

Greg Demarco : BUY . The ROH card doesn’t really come close. PWG is putting out their biggest card ever, and ROH’s card isn’t even as big as the one they put out last year. But it’s not really ROH’s fault. They don’t have Highspots paying for the extra talents like PWG does. And that’s to ROH’s benefit, because no one is cutting into their profits, either. PWG outdrew them by about 300 fans last year. Do you really think PWG paid for The Great Muta and Rob Van Dam? No, Highspots made those arrangements, and took a cut of the show. So ROH had the worse show, drew a smaller crowd and cleared more money. 2011 will be more of the same.

Ari Berenstein: BUY. Although this statement is slightly unfair given that ROH has yet to release a full card for the show while PWG is all ready, set and go with a top-to-bottom lineup. PWG has gone with big names and big moments that reach out to the broader wrestling base but perhaps don’t have quite the workrate of a typical PWG match (or ROH match for that matter). However, whereas the legends battle royal and Jake Roberts “retirement match” against Sinn Bohdi (the former Kizarny) could be relatively fun diversions, PWG is still bringing the quality wrestling provided by 21st Century talent such as the Castagnoli vs. Generico title match main event, the Low Ki vs. Davey Richards attraction match and Kevin Steen vs. Chris Hero. Ring of Honor has two great main events lined up in Kings of Wrestling vs. Haaas & Benjamin (again in non-title competition) and the ROH World title match between champion Roderick Strong and Generico and a ROH TV Title defense with Christopher Daniels. All of that is really great, but it doesn’t really come close to providing both the steak and sizzle that the PWG show has the ability to deliver, at least on paper. To use a baseball analogy, PWG is really swinging for the fences, whereas it seems like ROH is trying to get a solid double, setting up for more big scores later in the year.

4 for 4.

Colt Cabana’s attempts at fair competition looks very weak with him facing Caprice Coleman and Grizzly Redwood this weekend.

Ari Berenstein: BUY. Though my until now hidden appreciation for Caprice Coleman must now come to the forefront—he was one of my favorite undercard prospects of early era ROH. He had the athleticism of a Shelton Benjamin, a fan favorite charisma and just needed some time and experience to develop. Apparently he took time away from the ring to develop a ministry and has slowly but surely worked on the indies and getting back into that groove. I’m liking the prospects for a Cabana-Coleman face-off, but not-so-much for the Grizzly Redwood bout, which unfortunately just comes across like a typical ROH Friday “B-show” first or second bout on the card, but for the fact that it’s happening on the Saturday “A show” in Chicago. It’s looking like it could be skippable unless it becomes a comedy match (which is actually very different from the “fair competition” style that ROH is looking to go with here).

Greg Demarco : SELL. I only sell this because ROH has come out and said this will be the Colt of old, the one who wants to have fun. Colt Cabana is a great comedy wrestler, and I expect both matches to be full of comedic spots. Every wrestling show should feature a comedy match and a hardcore match (doesn’t need to be bloody, a good crowd brawl would do just fine). Colt’s matches will provide some balance to the shows, and allow Colt to showcase his European technical skills in two victorious efforts.

4 for 5.

Homicide will win Ring of Honor’s Four Corner Survival in what will be the surprise match of the weekend.

Greg Demarco : SELL. Sell for a few reasons. First, I expect Roderick Strong vs. Jay Briscoe to be the surprise match of the weekend. Their styles mesh perfectly, and I think many fans are overlooking this match. Second, I have seen nothing out of Homicide since his return that allows me to think he’ll be part of the best match of the weekend. I could definitely see him getting a win (although that honor should go to Kenny King here), but his recent performances make me think he’ll drag the match down, not enhance it.

Ari Berenstein: BUY. Homicide is undefeated since returning to ROH and that’s the instrumental push towards him receiving the title shot against Roderick Strong at 9th Anniversary Show in Chicago this February. There is just no logical reason for ROH to stop the undefeated streak push on a Four Corner Survival undercard bout a month before the big title match. So Homicide is definitely winning this one, and with El Generico, Mark Briscoe and Kenny King all involved I expect the quality of wrestling and action to be right up there with the best of these kinds of matches.

4 for 6!!

The 189th edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 6 as these two looked like they wanted to agree on everything, but fell off track at the end! Stay tuned for next week as two new people step up to the plate on Buy or Sell!