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411’s Buy or Sell 6.26.09: Nigel Back Too Soon, Ring of Honor Cancels July Tapings, Ultimo Guerrero is the First CMLL Universal Champion, More
Welcome everyone to WEEK One Hundred Thirteen 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.
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Michael Bauer : BUY. Yeah, this seemed pretty obvious. If you are in the camp that believes that he only lost the title to remind the world that “shocking” wins can still occur (which I am), then you knew this was going to happen. Unlike most of these situations, it wasn’t a question of if… but it also wasn’t a question of when. It wasn’t a question of when, because everyone knew when it would happen the moment the rematch was scheduled.
John Gregory : BUY. Manabu Nakanishi’s reign was really nothing more than a gift for years of upper midcard service. Nakanishi had always fallen short of the big prize, never fufilling his potential like other members of his “generation” like Kensuke Sasaki and Yuji Nagata. That could be because he’s nowhere near the wrestler either man is. His time to be a top star had past, and Tanahashi’s just getting started. He is a big reason New Japan has really returned to prominence the past year or so, and after ending Muto’s reign at the Dome Show, you knew he was going to be continuing that run as soon as he got another shot at Nakanishi.
1 for 1.
Michael Bauer : BUY. Well, at least one would hope so. Being the first Universal Champion shows that the CMLL has tons of faith in you, especially considering he was the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion already. But his history also makes him the right choice to be their focal person. He is 7-0 in Hair vs. Mask or Mask vs. Mask matches in his career, spanning eleven years. He was part of the TNA World X Cup Championship team last year, representing Mexico and pretty much is one of the biggest draws in Mexico. This one is a no brainer.
John Gregory : BUY. This one is fairly simple, even for someone who doesn’t follow lucha like I do. Ultimo Guerrero is the current Universal AND World Heavyweight Champion. Dos Caras Jr. seems to actually be heading to WWE as long rumored, and Ultimo Guerrero is the next biggest drawing card. Therefore, yeah, he’s gonna be the focal point. Case closed.
1 for 2.
Michael Bauer : BUY. This is a big time buy. They have tons of shows already taped and to shoot more now and not have it show until the fall is a huge mistake, especially with the way titles have switched hands. I mean, try having to explain over and over again as Nigel appeared as champion, despite Jerry Lynn winning the title the night or week before. Likewise, the same will have to be said until we get to the tapings that just passed last weekend with Austin Aries now being the champion. Waiting until August to tape again makes the shows slightly fresher by the time they hit television and that can only be a positive for Ring of Honor.
John Gregory : BUY. Just like they did by cancelling PPV. They were getting too far ahead of themselves and there was no need to be taping TV 4 months in advance. Unfortunately, the message board trolls and the doomsday advocates see ANY cancellation or shifts by ROH as sign of imminent collapse. It’s just not true. ROH has always been big on correcting ECW’s mistakes, and seeing how scaling back can be beneficial is one of them. It’s a good choice. No let the dumb little anti-ROH comments run all over me.
3 for 3.
SWITCH~!
John Gregory : BUY. I’s customary for a new champion to go on a tear after winning the belt. Yes, getting pinned in a non-title match is Booking 101 to building new contenders, but at the beginning of a title reign, he’s already got enough of those without losing any matches. He’ll tear through that match, and through Nigel on Saturday.
Michael Bauer : SELL. I tend to disagree with this statement for one reason only and it was in a recent Ring of Honor newswire. “On Friday in Detroit, he’s taking part in a Six Man Mayhem encounter, where he knows that if he doesn’t win, he’ll have to put the title on the line against whoever does.” Now, granted, he is facing Joey Ryan, Delirious, Petey Williams, Sami Callihan, and Rasche Brown. Which means, on the surface, only Delirious would stand a real chance of facing Aries. But leaving Aries lose this match to bring a new contender to the plate might be just what Ring of Honor needs with Bryan Danielson not being near the top of the heap anymore.
3 for 4.
John Gregory : SELL. I don’t think he’s “better”, but he’s more than a suitable replacement. The titles are obviously not coming off the Wolves, so this is all about the potential match quality. With Strong you keep that without shifting around the rest of the card. What, you’d rather have Grizzly Redwood?
Michael Bauer : BUY. I have to Buy this and not because Roderick Strong is better than Bryan Danielson. Yes, Bryan Danielson and KENTA are an absolute Dream Team in the Indies. But I think Strong fits better with KENTA and making a more balanced and competitve team. KENTA and Danielson and both hardcore strikers, while Strong isn’t outside of those nasty as hell chops. Not to mention, from a history perspective, Strong and Richards go back to the No Remorse Corps days and Strong teaming with KENTA might give them another boost to make the match more even from that standpoint. Against any other team, this would not be a factor and my answer might be different. But against the Wolves, it makes perfect sense.
3 for 5.
John Gregory : BUY. I can’t attest to how he looked because I wasn’t there. But the guy had TWO bicep tears, one of which he had been working through for over a year, he didn’t even take off fully until weeks after the Lynn match-AND HE COMES BACK AFTER TWO MONTHS? How long did Undertaker and Cena take off for their bicep tears? 4 to 6 months? Yeah, I’d say he came back too fast. Hopefully I’m wrong, but this could be very bad for Nigel and ROH in the long run.
Michael Bauer : SELL. Yeah, he was rusty, that’s a given. But unlike TNA or WWE, there is no house shows or dark matches to test out how ready you are, especially during a television atping. In Ring of Honor, you get your ass back into the ring and you see what you can do. I personally don’t think Nigel should have competed in the television tapings for his first matches back, but they couldn’t risk him not being on television until September. So I understand their decision, but I still think it was the wrong one.
3 for 6.
The 113th edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 3 for 6! Stay tuned for next week as two more people will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.
