Ring of Honor comes back to Chicago this Saturday! Unfortunately, I have to miss a luau that a friend of mine who lives two blocks away is putting on. But hey, you can't expect me to miss American Dragon, Samoa Joe, Homicide, and Christopher Daniels for an event announced six days in advance. Especially when I paid 25 bucks for a third row seat!
So here's the card as it stands along with some background on the matches and my picks.
ROH World Title Match- 2 Out Of 3 Falls American Dragon Bryan Danielson defends against Colt Cabana
These two fought the last time I went to ROH back in June. Danielson, who has now been champ for 11 months won with a small package, or an inside cradle. After the match, Cabana, who is the good guy, as he is from Chicago and graduated from Deerfield High School, gets on the mike and complains that Dragon, who claims to be the best wrestler in the world, had to win with a cheap small package. Dragon countered by saying his small package "is inescapable. Sometimes they call me Mr. Small Package!" Oh we laughed. Hard. So Cabana challenged him to a 2 of 3 falls match for the next Chicago card. Now two weeks ago, Dragon pinned ROH Pure Wrestling champ Nigel McGuinness to become a double champion. So I think he will drop the world title somewhat soon. And I think this would be a good time for it to happen. I really don't want it to happen as I am a huge Dragon fan. The only thing is I don't know if fans outside of Chicago would buy Cabana as a world champion. For that reason, I say Dragon retains in 3 falls.
Prediction: "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson
World Tag Team Title Match Austin Aries & Roderick Strong vs. Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
Roderick Strong is becoming one of my favorite wrestlers. He's not great on the microphone, but his chops and back breakers are excellent. And Aries is what he says he is a wrestling machine. Matt Sydal used to be in a stable called Generation Next with Aries and Strong until they (along with Jack Evans) agreed to go their separate ways last month. He's a really high flyer. He's teaming with the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels, one of the best independent wrestlers of the last 15 years. Strong and Aries are too experienced and I don't see Daniels as a tag team champion.
Prediction: Austin Aries and Roderick Strong
Homicide & Davey Richards vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe
The Briscoes are one of the best tag teams in the business and trying to get back into the title picture again. Richards is a young up and comer that could be a star. I actually saw him in the first ROH card I attended last November where he lost rather quickly. But he's teaming with Homicide, from Bed-Stuy, do-or-die, Brooklyn, New York. He's a gangsta character and has been in ROH for three or four years. He has never won a title and has promised to leave ROH if he doesn't win a title by the end of the year. And he's having problems with the company not treating him like he feels he should. Now he and Richards have never teamed so these men have no history together. I like experience here. Homicide will probably walk out on the match for one reason or another.
Prediction: Jay & Mark Briscoe
Samoa Joe vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Joe's gonna kill you! Joe's gonna kill you! That is a legendary chant in ROH. Joe is one of my favorites in the world. He doesn't look like a great wrestler as he has a few extra pounds, but he is remarkably agile at 290 pounds and just beats the crap out of you. Claudio abandoned ROH earlier this year to join forces with Combat Zone Wrestling, a hardcore promotion with whom ROH feuded this year. So now, with the feud over, Claudio is apparently back. Last time in Chicago, he clipped Joe's knee after a match so this grudge match was signed. I can't bet against Joe. Then again, Claudio's tag team partner CZW champion Chris Hero could show up and make a difference. Hero led the CZW charge against ROH and he is the one guy every ROH fan wants to see get beat up. I'll take Joe, as long as interference doesn't play a part.
Prediction: Samoa Joe
BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs with Lacey
These two were tag team champions just about a year ago. The former "Lacey's Angels" split up and Whitmer has emerged as a star in ROH. Last time, these two had a fight that saw Whitmer powerbomb Jacobs off the turnbuckle and into the crowd. I don't know how they'll top it. Jacobs has been losing a lot lately, and I think it continues. Whitmer's push towards a title shot will continue.
Prediction: BJ Whitmer
Delirious & Irish Airborne vs. The Embassy and a mystery partner
More a filler match than anything. Airborne is a tag team on the rise and Delirious is a good wrestler who looks like a combo of Spiderman and the Green Hornet. He's known more for his crazy antics than anything. What do you expect from a guy who's announced before matches as from the edge of sanity. The Embassy has long been one of ROH's most hated groups. I don't know who the mystery partner will be, but my gut tells me Conrad Kennedy or Nigel McGuinness.
Prediction: The Embassy
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