20LEgend

World Title Match Pulled From Final Battle! World Title Match Pulled From Final Battle! Nick Aldis injured at TV taping, NWA World Heavyweight Championship match CANCELLED Dubbed by those within the company as the “Final Battle curse”, ROH today announced yet another injury to a member of their roster, as NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis was pulled from the Final Battle card. Days after his match with Mark Briscoe at ROH’s television taping in Lakeland, Florida, injuries sustained at the event - and aggravated during a post-match brawl with challenger Jay Briscoe - have been confirmed to keep him out of action. This means that the scheduled NWA World Heavyweight Championship match with Jay Briscoe will not take place. This follows injuries to both Bandido and Flamita, who were scheduled to compete for the World Tag Team Championships, and Zack Sabre Jr., who had been announced as Jeff Cobb’s challenger for the ROH World Championship. Company officials are once again left scrambling for a last minute replacement, and are particularly disappointed due to the long-term effort that has gone into the almost year long storyline. With the “Honor League” TV tapings scheduled for the nights after Final Battle, it is thought that the company was hoping to debut a number of new talents at those events, scheduled to air beginning in January 2020. However, with another change to the Final Battle card throwing plans into disarray, it is expected that one of those newcomers may appear slightly earlier, making their debut at the biggest show of the year. ROH has no more events scheduled before Final Battle, so any angles to promote the replacement match will have to be done in post-production and via social media. The company must now cross their fingers and hope that those talents who take bookings outside of ROH, can remain fit and healthy going into what was hoped to be a “statement” show for ROH. Having had a difficult year, the last six months has seen changes in the behind the scenes running of the company, changes that have generally been well received. However, with the issues that the company has had throughout the build to their biggest show of the year, fans may be hesitant to choose Final Battle as the show to jump back on board with Ring of Honor.

Something I've noticed is that (understandably) you'll generally get more replies if you have show previews/predictions posts. People are more likely to add feedback or a comment if they have a "reason" to post. For a while I didn't like posting anything other than shows and important updates, as I felt like predictions were just giving myself an unnecessary bump to the top. But it does seem to encourage moment general comments too. It usually nudges me in that direction for something I'm following. With that said, I personally really like the format of this as it is and am looking forward to the new direction. Having only just caught up with this, I'm glad to be in up to date at a pivotal moment on the dynasty.

Just read the PPV, really enjoyed it. Liked the Canadian Animals match. Huggins put over as a massive dick in that match was good, cheating his mate. Interesting post-match with the tag titles match and really enjoyed the Elimination Chamber. Good PPV, and Marat will be a great addition I'm sure. You've given him a great look in game. Marat Khoklov vs ??? Doesn't matter who this is, Marat has to win Titan vs Bulldozer Tough to call, but BUFF wants Titan and the managers debut at E.C. Two factors against Titan Freddy Huggins vs Elliot Thomas Don't see Huggins being the second champ at the moment, but he will be built up for his eventual challenge.

ECW.com Preview - Episode #15 of ECW CyberSlam Previous Episode: <hr color=black> This week on CyberSlam, the final four in the ECW Television Championship Tournament face off, with two matches to determine who will compete for the title in the final. Having received a bye to the second round, Homicide is the fresher of the competitors, and will look to use that advantage to overcome “The Shooter” Brent Albright. Albright defeated his bitter rival Stevie Richards in the first round, and will look to move forward in his ECW career, with a huge victory over The Mouthpiece of The Hustle. The other Tournament match on the night will see the man dubbed “The Muscle of The Hustle”, Sonny Siaki, take on one of the stars of the new ECW, CM Punk. Both men picked up impressive victories to make it this far, and will be confident in their abilities to earn their place in the ECW Television Championship match. Of course, The Hustle have a strong presence in the tournament, and that means that outside involvement is almost guaranteed. Despite overcoming the odds of their own in recent weeks, Brent Albright and CM Punk will be aware of the uphill struggle they face. Somebody who will know that feeling all too well is Danny Doring, the man who will face Kevin Fertig in his ECW debut on CyberSlam. Having been dumped by Shelly Martinez last month, Doring’s situation went from bad to worse, as Kevin Fertig targeted him, as well as Shelly’s other love interest Johnny Swinger. Most expect this match to go only one way, with Danny Doring’s goal simple… make it out of the ring alive, and with as little damage to the face as possible. Beyond the in-ring action, Rob Van Dam will surely have something to say, reacting to the end of last week’s show. Having been without the physical Championship that Low-Ki stole all week, Rob Van Dam has vowed to get his title back, ahead of his ECW World Championship match with Low-Ki the following week. We will also hear from Steve Corino, who picked up a victory in the Main Event, defeating Sabu with the help C.W. Anderson and Stevie Richards. Having vowed that he would go it alone in the new ECW, Steve Corino has some explaining to do...<hr> Match Card ECW Television Championship Tournament - Semi Final CM Punk vs. Sonny Siaki ECW Television Championship Tournament - Semi Final Brent Albright vs. Homicide Danny Doring vs. Kevin Fertig

<p>ECW CyberSlam - Episode #14</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Episode #14: </strong></p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/yehWWMwspQA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="ECW CyberSlam | Episode #14: Riot Act! [TEW 2016]"></iframe></div></div><p> <iframe width="745" height="420" src="<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yehWWMwspQA" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/yehWWMwspQA"</a> frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p></div><p></p><p><hr color=black></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46739" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Well, as long as he doesn't wrestle like 1980s Taker he should be able to muddle on for at least a year.</div></blockquote><p> Haha, good advice <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="James The Animator" data-cite="James The Animator" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46739" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>the muscle of The Hustle (potential nickname?)</div></blockquote><p> Really like that, I'm a few episodes ahead, but it will be getting used for sure!</p>

ECW.com Preview - Episode #14 of ECW CyberSlam Previous Episode: <hr color=black> Rob Van Dam's homecoming last week may not have gone completely to plan for the ECW World Champion, but CyberSlam will once again air from Battle Creek, Michigan, and RVD will be in attendance. Despite Paul Heyman having Rob removed from the building previously, things didn't go exactly to plan for him on last week's show, as his Personal Security was breached for the first time, and The Hustle's dominance over the roster undermined. This meant that CM Punk was able to join Homicide and Brent Albright in the second round of the ECW Television Championship Tournament, with the final place up for grabs this week. Balls Mahoney, who was a key part of the group that caused a "riot" in the back last week, is the Original's only representative in the tournament, and will have to beat The Hustle's Sonny Siaki to advance to the Final Four. "The Instigator" has of course pinned Balls Mahoney before, during the match that put The Sandman out of action. If he can do that again, he ensures a 50% Hustle presence in the Semi-Finals of the tournament, giving them a huge chance of leaving with the title. As well as that match, footage from the reported "backstage riot" will air on CyberSlam. There will also be an update on the condition of The Sandman, a month on from his last appearance. Paul Heyman will address that disturbance which took place during the Main Event between CM Punk and Xavier, with Tommy Dreamer and Sabu singled out for their involvement. While Sabu has been put against Steve Corino, Tommy Dreamer has not been informed of the identity of his opponent, The Chief of ECW looking to make him sweat before indulging that information. With no time to prepare, Dreamer is in an unenviable position, but will come out swinging regardless of who he's up against!<hr> Match Card Sabu vs. Steve Corino ECW Television Championship Tournament - Round 1 Balls Mahoney vs. Sonny Siaki Tommy Dreamer vs. ??? Which member of the ECW roster will face Tommy Dreamer on CyberSlam?* *(Full Roster) <hr> Me too, he's just one of the guys who isn't performing anywhere near what I'd like them to. Suppose I just need to be patient with some of them. I heard Paul Heyman was a fan of him at the time, which put in my head to bring him in. It's difficult not to associate him with "The Vampire" gimmick that he had in WWE, especially considering that was the only decent picture I could find of him (as well as being put with Shelly/Ariel). He will be presented differently than he was in the WWE though, less polished, and hopefully that comes across in the next few weeks. We're going with Shelly's weird boyfriend who nobody really knows what his deal is at the moment, rather than the vampire or guy who thinks he's a vampire. We'll have to see how he fits, as I agree that he kind of clashes with a lot of the roster. Hopefully that can be a good thing though, and help him stand out.

<p>ECW CyberSlam - Episode #13</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Episode #13: </strong></p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ZgxqCPICTNQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="ECW CyberSlam | Episode #13: RVD's Homecoming [TEW 2016]"></iframe></div></div><p> <iframe width="745" height="420" src="<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZgxqCPICTNQ" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZgxqCPICTNQ"</a> frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p></div><p></p><p></p>

<p>Zack Sabre Jr. Replacement...</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PL7YVBK" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Zack Sabre Jr. Replacement Survey</span></strong></a><p><strong><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:10px;">Who do you want to see face Jeff Cobb at Final Battle?</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p><hr></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>It's fine, I'm just not a fan of Flip Gordon. <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> I would have gone with Woods to build his pedigree as an old-school style ROH guy, like the 2000s guys who just went over to Japan and fought guest stars all the time. A throwback, if you will. </p><p> </p><p> Well, maybe you can pick up some lucha lasses somehow? </p><p> </p><p> The difference between you and me. I'd can Lethal and Shelley regardless and then get annoyed at my shite ratings. <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> If you can get him full-time, I'd say do it. He has the pedigree, the style, the aura... He's the perfect guy to give a three year deal and work around the card however you need him.</p></div></blockquote><p> I think maybe I just haven't seen enough of Woods to fully commit, especially with his ratings in game being even worse than most. I wouldn't know where to being for Luchadoras, if anybody has any ideas I'd be happy to take them on board. My ratings have been bad with Lethal and Shelley, so I dread to think how I'd end up without either of them. Plus I still think they have value to the roster, as the just below top tier guys (and sometimes stepping into the main event spots) who can be counted on to put on good matches.</p><p> </p><p> The thing with KENTA is that he'll pretty much always be booked somewhere in Japan (he's signed to AJPW and NJPW in-game), so I've been lucky to even have him for Final Battle really. I think he'll be a recurring character who will show up for big matches on big cards, which I think can be a good role for him. As long as he's booked by All Japan and New Japan, it's unlikely I'll ever get to book him as a full-time competitor. </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="DGenerationMC" data-cite="DGenerationMC" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I love this Flip push. IMO that's the guy to build around in this and IRL. If the company loses him, it's screwed in terms of the future. Out of all the non-former champions, Flip probably has a strong connection with the crowd which is kinda rare in 2010s era Ring of Honor. Never thought he'd be heel, but that's just some intrigue to keep an eye on.<p> </p><p> Also, I too am pulling for full-time KENTA. A good pickup to go alongside heavy hitters like Cobb and Rush. Things are looking up and I'm excited to see what's next. If Ring of Honor were to take a similar direction IRL, I'd start watching again. Really speaks to the quality of this diary.</p></div></blockquote><p> We've got him for six months at the moment, but I did have my mind set on him heading to AEW when his deal was up. He would be a big loss, but overcoming that would be a fun challenge I think.</p><p> </p><p> As for KENTA, he feels a perfect fit for the type of wrestler I want to build the company around. When he's available, I'll make the most of him, but hopefully we give him a special attractions feel also. Matt Taven might not seem like the obvious opponent, but I feel like as a showcase of KENTA as a badass, he's a perfect foil.</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Texasrangers13" data-cite="Texasrangers13" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Oof! I’ve had that happen a couple of times as well, hate that you have to lose a main event, but love the randomness it adds. Really really love your take on ROH</div></blockquote><p> Yeah, it's really annoying initially, especially considering this match has been the plan since I started the save, and was going to be a key piece of the "new direction" going into 2020. With that said, the fact it's caused all my plans to be torn up is what makes it a really fun part of the game. Part and parcel of playing a booking simulator I suppose, things like that can happen. The challenge is now working something else out, and I'm really struggling. I have an option I could go with, which would mean bringing a debut forward from the new year, or I could go to New Japan. The only problem there is that creative control can be an issue when loaning people, and that makes booking the main event of my biggest show of the year pretty difficult. Took a few days to think about it, and I've still not made my mind up...</p><p> </p><p> Thanks.</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="olivertaylor276" data-cite="olivertaylor276" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Really enjoy this diary, as well as the ECW YouTube series. Shame about the ZSJ injury but excited to see who you pick as his replacement. I nominate Shingo Takagi!!</div></blockquote><p> Thank you, Takagi is a good option and somebody I hadn't considered before. I'm not 100% sure yet, so suggestions are very much appreciated!</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="EBEZA" data-cite="EBEZA" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Just caught up! I sort-of guessed the Villain Enterprises thing as I was reading the match card post, except I expected Marty to lose clean, attack Cobb post-match, then the other three make the save. <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><p> </p><p> ZSJ is a major loss. Please have him call in a New Japan favour... MINORU SUZUKI!!!</p></div></blockquote><p> Yeah, I wanted to do it in a way where they'd acted proactively rather than being like "he's going, we better do something to cover ourselves". A clean finish might have been better, but since it was only an "Honor Club" show and not a proper PPV, I thought the dodgy finish was forgivable.</p><p> </p><p> Suzuki was definitely one of the first names that came to mind, I'm just not sure how I'd book that match. Suzuki losing to Cobb just doesn't feel right for some reason. Booking New Japan and other outside guys makes stuff like that tricky, because I don't just wanna bring someone in solely to lose to Cobb. I don't know why, it just doesn't feel right. Partly I think it's to do with Cobb's standing in New Japan, and him beating Suzuki feeling odd. Really has me stumped!</p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Lariat" data-cite="The Lariat" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46849" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Might I suggest looking at SHIMMER/Shine? Nicole Matthews is someone who has been increasingly impressive, Solo Darling and Delilah Doom can connect with fans, Sea Stars could work as a team or desperately. A partnership with STARDOM could also open it up to more available talent, though you might want a home base in the states rather than the “special attraction” feel they might give.<p> </p><p> Maybe opening a dojo specifically geared towards women or a development territory might work, though that’s a big investment.</p></div></blockquote><p> Nicole Matthews can't work in the US, so isn't available to sign if I remember correctly. She's one of a few people I tried to bring in early on. SHIMMER/Shine have been my main places to look for people, with Nicole Savoy, Kimber Lee and Mercedes Martinez already booked, but I will look into those other names. The STARDOM link (which we already have I think) is something I should definitely be making use of, don't know why I haven't really yet. Even if just bringing them in occassionally, as - like you say - special attractions to bolster the ranks.</p><p> </p><p> Thanks for the suggestions, going into the new year I'll definitely be looking at putting work into the Women of Honor roster (and probably getting rid of the name).<hr></p><div style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PL7YVBK" rel="external nofollow"><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Zack Sabre Jr. Replacement Survey</span></strong></a><p><strong><span style="font-size:14px;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:10px;">Who do you want to see face Jeff Cobb at Final Battle?</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p>

ECW.com Preview - Episode #13 of ECW CyberSlam Previous Episode: <hr color=black> This week, for the very first time, ECW CyberSlam emanates from the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. A homecoming for the ECW World Champion, Rob Van Dam may have hoped for different circumstances in his return to the city he grew up in. Last week on CyberSlam, after making the first defence of the ECW World Championship, Rob Van Dam was jumped by The Hustle, after Homicide claimed it would be the last time an Original would leave the ring as ECW World Champion. Low-Ki then tried on the Championship for size, making it clear that he has his eyes on the ECW World title. Rob Van Dam will no doubt be looking for revenge, in front of a hugely supportive audience, but will also have to deal with whatever tricks Paul Heyman has up his sleeve... Speaking of the "Chief of ECW", this week saw him reveal exclusively to ECW.com, the return of the ECW Television Championship. While the full bracket for the 8 man tournament will be confirmed on CyberSlam, the two matches set to take place this week are already known. First, Brent Albright will face his long-term rival Stevie Richards, giving him a chance to both get one over on "The Gatekeeper of ECW" and advance to the final four of the TV Title Tournament. Of course, Stevie Richards is likely to be joined at ringside by C.W. Anderson, perhaps making him the favourite to advance. In the Main Event, CM Punk will get his hands on one member of the Hustle, himself looking to advance to the Semi-Finals against "The Revolutionary" Xavier. Again, outside interference is to be expected in a match like this, but having endeared himself to the ECW Originals, Punk can count on the likes of Tommy Dreamer and Balls Mahoney to have his back in the night's Main Event...<hr> Match Card ECW Television Championship Tournament - Round 1 CM Punk vs. Xavier ECW Television Championship Tournament - Round 1 Brent Albright vs. Stevie Richards Danny Doring vs. Johnny Swinger <hr color=black> I really wanted to have a decent WWE developmental contingent to my roster, but Punk aside, they've all been pretty bad. Burke, Siaki, Albright have all struggled, but I do feel like I need to persist with them, since in story they're part of the reason ECW has been brought back. Hernandez was an obvious choice for the group, but I wanted to avoid just doing LAX in ECW, especially considering they were only just forming around this time. That said, there's always going to be comparisons for that reason. I did/do have a back up for if Siaki and Xavier were performing too badly to be salvaged, but an injury to one of the people I'd signed has put that on hold. The two people I signed will debut eventually, but one of them is out of action for a couple of months. By then, things might have changed completely, so we'll have to wait and see...

<p>ROH Final Battle - Main Event Cancelled!</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><strong>Final Battle Main Event Cancelled</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><strong><span style="font-size:8px;">Zack Sabre Jr. injured, World Championship Match Pulled.</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> </span><img alt="PdKc3yT.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/PdKc3yT.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="C48zpWc.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/C48zpWc.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> This past weekend while working for Revolution Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom, Zack Sabre Jr. was injured in action during an incredible Main Event. As a result of that injury, Zack Sabre Jr. has been forced to vacate the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, and will no longer be able to compete at Final Battle: ROH vs. The World. While focus at the moment is only on wishing him a full and quick recovery, Ring of Honor can promised that Zack will be first in line for a ROH World Championship match, upon his return to the ring.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> </span></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="VRdqLHS.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/VRdqLHS.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> As for Final Battle, and the challenger to Jeff Cobb’s title, ROH management are working on bringing in the best possible replacement for the year end event, and hope to give an update as soon as possible. This Saturday, Ring of Honor returns to Chicago, Illinois, where the final three episodes before Final Battle will be recorded. ROH expects to have an announcement regarding Final Battle’s Main Event in time for that event, with Jeff Cobb scheduled to address the situation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> </span></p><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="2XRLNGW.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2XRLNGW.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> Despite the unfortunate circumstances, ROH is determined to make Final Battle a night to remember, the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, Maryland the venue for the year, and decade end show. ROH will also produce content for the first two months of 2020 in the nights that follow Final Battle, with fallout from the biggest show of the year promising to be just as unmissable as the event itself!</span></p>

The Story So Far - Month #3 Click for Series Playlist/Episode Archive <hr color=black> ECW 2006: The Story So Far Month #3: Champion Crowned, Heyman’s Hustle revealed... With the third month of ECW’s return completed, two major stories dominated the past four weeks. First was the ECW World Championship match, as CM Punk, Rob Van Dam and Steve Corino faced off on a live episode of ECW CyberSlam. On that night, Rob Van Dam pinned CM Punk, becoming World Champion for the first time in his career. That was seen as a much needed cause for celebration, particularly after the “New Breed Revolutionaries” had defeated his fellow ECW “Originals” in the other match on the night. Nonetheless, RVD had remained the only man undefeated in ECW… with an official “Championship Presentation” scheduled for the following week. This is where the second major story springs into life, as the second episode of the month ended with a moment that would change ECW forever. Speaking to Rob Van Dam from the heart, Paul Heyman told him that he was so proud of his success, and thanked him for the risk he took in jumping on board with the new ECW. However, this wasn’t how Heyman had envisioned the “new ECW”. Apologetic, “The Chief of ECW” told Rob that it “wasn’t supposed to be like this”, a phrase which confused the Champion until everything suddenly became clear… Homicide, Low-Ki, Sonny Siaki and Xavier, the group of “outsiders” who had vowed to be the “Revolution that ECW needed”, jumped Rob Van Dam from behind, in an attack that appeared to have been orchestrated by Paul Heyman. Turning his back on one of his closest friends, Heyman’s actions stunned everybody in the Hammerstein Ballroom, with Joey Styles and Tazz at a loss to explain what they’d just witnessed. Paul would go on to explain himself, but not before Tommy Dreamer had threatened to kill him. It quickly became clear that nobody was feeling the betrayal quite like Dreamer, who had urged Heyman to sign the “Revolutionaries” following their appearance on CyberSlam’s debut episode. Of course, Heyman had been in contact with the four men long before any of that happened, the group brought in to represent Paul’s vision of the “new ECW”. Dreamer wondered how he could have been so naive, as Paul Heyman claimed that he was only doing what was best for ECW. Of course everybody knew this day would come, five years from ECW’s original run, a different time and culture needed a “New Breed” of talent. However, the manner of Paul Heyman’s betrayal, cutting the legs out from underneath Rob Van Dam on the greatest night of his career, before ordering an attack on his “right hand man” Tommy Dreamer, would leave an irreparable mark on his reputation and legacy. ECW would never be the same again, this perhaps best illustrated following Rob Van Dam’s first World Championship defence against Steve Corino. Coming out on the winning side, RVD was confronted by the group now known as “The Hustle”, with Homicide declaring the night as the final time an ECW Original would walk out of a World Title match victorious. Distracted as Homicide spoke, RVD was once again jumped from behind, taken out as every other Original had previously been. CyberSlam from the Hammerstein Ballroom had seen the momentum swing firmly back into the court of “Heyman’s Hustle”, with Low-Ki holding the ECW World Championship over his shoulder to end the third month of ECW’s return!<hr color=black>Also This Month… Brent Albright targeted revenge on Stevie Richards, only to lose his second straight match thanks to the involvement of C.W. Anderson. “The Shooter” was furious as his month went from bad to worse, but got some vindication as he made C.W. Anderson submit in under two minutes. His sights were then set on Richards, locking him in the same Crowbar submission hold outside the ring, making “The Gatekeeper” tap out at the top of the ramp. Going into month four, Brent Albright is determined to get his rematch with Stevie Richards, this time prepared for whatever he has planned. The Sandman was taken out of action by Sonny Siaki, a brutal Powerbomb from the announcer’s table to the floor causing serious injury to the Icon of ECW. Shelly Martinez seemingly showed an interest in Johnny Swinger, before dumping Danny Doring in the middle of the ring. Swinger wasn’t the man she was moving on to however, with Martinez seen flirting with Elijah Burke throughout the month. This of course didn’t sit well with Burke’s girlfriend Angel Williams. Elijah Burke’s focus was elsewhere however, as he continued to mock and humiliate the already fragile Al Snow. This rivalry came to a “head”, with Burke picking up a tainted victory over Snow, adding insult to injury with sexually suggestive gestures towards the mannequin head. <hr color=black> I was thinking the other day about doing an end of year best of episode, would be a good way to look back on the good matches throughout the year. Particlarly given how vastly outnumbered they are by bad ones! Thanks, Revolutionaries never really felt like it would stick, and I think Hustle is a big improvement. Booked a few shows in advanced, and hopefully they come across strong. Despite having him take out a few notable Originals, Siaki is the one who I'm really unsure about at the minute, but like with Albright and a few others, I'm going to give everybody a few months to see if they can step up.

ROH Make The Cut - Television Taping ROH: Make The Cut Fallout - Television Taping Heading to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania following the event which set the wheels into motion for the Final Battle card to be built, ROH produced three episodes of their weekly show to air on Charge. With the full card pencilled in (barring injuries), the six weeks before Final Battle were expected to see those who will feature built up heavily, at the expense of those who didn’t “Make The Cut”. With Final Battle scheduled to be the final “new content” produced by ROH in 2019 - and two “Best Of” year end specials planned for the holiday season - focus will turn to plans for 2020, and the refining of the roster going forward. As a result, the next two events are expected to be the last fans will see of a number ROH roster members, with big changes planned. Episode #1 Following a look back at stills from Make The Cut, Marty Scurll opened the episode in an unscheduled manner, in complete disbelief about what had happened at Make The Cut. Marty Scurll called out PCO and Brody King, asking them for answers, and encouraging them to condemn the actions of Flip Gordon. Not only did they refuse to do that, they also refused to follow Marty out of Ring of Honor, pointing to their World Tag Team Championships match at Final Battle. Scurll seemed intent on leaving alone, before Flip Gordon confronted him in the ring. Gordon challenged Scurll to one final match in ROH, but was quickly rebuked. However, due to the democratic nature of Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon was joined by PCO and Brody King in voting for the match to take place. Scurll honoured the rules he put in place for the group, and promised to embarrass Flip on his way out of the company… Kelly Klein bt. Kimber Lee - both in action at Make The Cut, Klein was once again victorious, and Lee once again defeated. At Final Battle, Klein would go one on one with Mercedes Martinez, the woman who pinned Kimber Lee at the previous event. Maria Manic looked to get back at Kelly Klein, only to be stopped in her tracks by a valiant Sumie Sakai. Sakai caught Manic by surprise, but was ultimately taken down on the ramp by the “Maneater”. Colt Cabana cut a promo on Jay Briscoe’s match with Nick Aldis at Final Battle, saying that he has known Jay for a long time, but never seen him like this. He said that The Briscoes have completely lost any moral compass they ever had, and were only getting worse… Fred Yehi & PJ Black bt. Coast 2 Coast - coming back from a defeat at Make The Cut, Yehi & Black impressed against the much more established duo of Ali & LSG. Jeff Cobb spoke about his match at Make The Cut, saying that he was keeping out of the internal dealings of Villain Enterprises. He was however ready for the match against Lethal & Lifeblood, teaming with Alex Shelley & Jonathan Gresham, that would air in two weeks time. A video package recapped the moment from Make The Cut where Matt Taven learned that he would be in action at Final Battle. Learning to be careful what you wish for, Matt Taven was surprised when he was told he’d face KENTA, who was making his Ring of Honor return at the event. Flip Gordon bt. Marty Scurll - with Make The Cut expected to be The Villain’s last appearance with the company, there was still time to squeeze in one last match against his stablemate Flip Gordon. Putting over his former friend on his way out, Marty Scurll tapped out to The Mercenary’s STF (Submit To Flip). Ending the show, Brody King and PCO raised the hand of Flip Gordon, as Marty Scurll said goodbye to Ring of Honor.<hr color=black>Episode #2 Dalton Castle bt. The Boys - looking to exorcise the demons that have stalled his career in recent months, Dalton Castle’s challenge to The Boys was accepted, with a vicious Castle defeating them in convincing fashion. After the match, Castle made it clear he feels he should join the winners from Make The Cut on the Final Battle card, after all, he did win the dark match at the event... A promo recorded in Mexico aired, featuring ROH World Tag Team Champions Dragon Lee & Rush. While the two had not been at Make The Cut, and were not scheduled to appear for another two weeks, they took the time to promote their match with Brody King & PCO at Final Battle. They also confirmed they would be at the next block of ROH shows, looking to tune up ahead of their next title defence. Further promotion aired for KENTA’s return to ROH at Final Battle, with a Matt Taven interviewed advertised to air before the Main Event. Mercedes Martinez bt. Thunder Rosa - an opponent that she was no stranger to, Martinez picked up a solid, decisive victory, making Rosa tap out to a Surfboard Dragon Sleeper. After the match, a scheduled interview with Martinez was cut off by the arrival of Maria Manic. Manic squared up to the Number One Contender, but was once again confronted by Sumie Sakai. This time, Sakai fared much better, but was eventually laid out by the dominant Manic. Matt Taven was interviewed about his match with KENTA at Final Battle: ROH vs. The World, attempting to appear calm and composed. However, as Taven got deeper into discussions about the match, it became clear that there was a level of intimidation, the facade slipping weeks before the huge one on one clash. The reveal of Jeff Cobb’s Final Battle opponent was confirmed for next week, before a video package looked at the heated rivalry between Jay Briscoe and Nick Aldis. Jay Briscoe bt. Colt Cabana - a brutal and convincing victory, Jay Briscoe was relentless as he looked to put down Colt Cabana. Cabana showed incredible fight in lasting as long as he did, but was clearly no match for a focussed and determined Jay Briscoe. After the match, Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe looked to send another message to Nick Aldis, with the NWA World Heavyweight Champion running down to the ring with a Steel Chair. Playing them at their own game, Aldis ran off the challenger and his brother, and was clearly ready for their high-profile showdown at Final Battle!<hr color=black>Episode #3 Following up the ending of last week’s show, a fired up Nick Aldis was joined by Colt Cabana, as he promoted the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Final Battle. Nick Aldis claimed that he was ready for Jay Briscoe, and Colt Cabana backed that assertion up in emphatic fashion. Brody King & PCO bt. Shane Taylor & Silas Young - tuning up for the challenge of Rush & Dragon Lee at Final Battle, two thirds of the former World Six Man Tag Team Champions picked up a victory. Next week, Dragon Lee & Rush would return to ROH TV. Flip Gordon cut a promo in the ring, putting over Brody King & PCO, as well as his own Final Battle match, against Jushin Thunder Liger. The final match that Liger would compete in outside of Japan, Gordon said that he was “honoured” to be facing a living legend. With that said, he knew the future was bright for all three men in the ring, appearing to indicate that he would be going his separate ways from the Tag Team title Number One Contenders. Maria Manic bt. Sumie Sakai - a fired up promo in her native language may have hyped Sakai up before the match, but it wasn’t enough against the powerhouse Manic. Left laying in the ring, despite giving as good as she got, Sakai was just the latest victim of the rising Women of Honor roster member. Lifeblood & Lethal promoted the Main Event, calling the three men they’d be facing “three of the best wrestlers in the world”. However, when it came to their opponents for Final Battle, they weren’t looking for three individuals to face, but the best unit to challenge for the World Six Man Tag Team Championships. Another video package looked into the rivalry between Jay Briscoe and Nick Aldis. Looking deeper into the differences between the two sides, it was confirmed that Nick Aldis would face Mark Briscoe on an upcoming episode of ROH TV. Lethal & Lifeblood bt. Alex Shelley, Jeff Cobb & Jonathan Gresham - proving the words of Lethal & Lifeblood correct before the match, Shelley, Cobb and Gresham didn’t form the best of teams, perhaps each having too much to prove to truly be a team player. The selflessness of Lethal & Lifeblood was key throughout the match, especially as they capitalised on a miscommunication between Shelley & Gresham. After the match, Jonathan Gresham appeared to blame Alex Shelley for the team’s defeat, despite the Honor Club Champion being the one to suffer the decisive fall. Jeff Cobb was forced to come between the two competitive rivals, before Ian Riccaboni turned his attention to the big screen. Revealing the challenger to the Ring of Honor World Championship at Final Battle, the initials ZSJ left no doubts as to who would make up the other half of ROH vs. The World’s Main Event in December. This of course took Jeff Cobb completely by surprise, but he soon made it clear that he couldn’t wait for the challenge of Zack Sabre Jr.! <hr color=black>As the weeks wind down towards the biggest show in the ROH calendar, the Final Battle card has begun to take shape. While a number of other matches are expected to be added, the following are confirmed for the show: Jeff Cobb © vs. Zack Sabre Jr. - Kelly Klein © vs. Mercedes Martinez - Nick Aldis © vs. Jay Briscoe Dragon Lee & Rush © vs. Brody King & PCO - KENTA vs. Matt Taven - Flip Gordon vs. Jushin Thunder Liger Along with a Six Man Tag Team Championship match and a Honor Club title defence, which would bring the show to 8 matches, it is thought that Dalton Castle would feature (potentially on the pre-show) following his promo on ROH TV. The opponents in those three matches are said to already be confirmed for the event, with the final build to Final Battle “ROH vs. The World” coming at the next block of shows. With just three weeks remaining until the biggest event in the Ring of Honor calendar, a lot of significance has been placed on this show being a success, a key milestone in the “fresh start” that began six months previously. Those within the company are confident in the strength of the Final Battle card, and expect the last show of a tough year for ROH to be a huge step in the right direction. The hope is that should the card deliver as most feel it can, it will provide a springboard to beginning the new decade with newfound momentum, shedding the stigma that has followed Ring of Honor recently...

Haha, sorry about that, but he has six months left on his deal and I'm going to keep using him (as well as Brody & PCO). I always like to change rosters slowly rather than going with mass changes, so I can give new people their own spotlight for me to establish what I want from them. When I bring too many in, I struggle to juggle it. Woods doesn't feel ready for me, but I do see a big future for him in the company. Woods vs. Liger didn't feel like a Final Battle match, despite being considered when I decided to bring Liger in. As for the women, I just don't know what to do. I don't wanna use anybody signed to Impact or AEW, so there's not a lot out there. Scrapping the division feels like the wrong move, but would certainly solve the problem hopefully it's just a slow process, and I'll get somewhere eventually... Gresham is doing well, but individual performance wise Lethal and Shelley have been the stars of the show. Hopefully they can help those around them to reach the level we need to get out of the D/D+ ratings we seem stuck in. Quite a while into the save now, and we're not looking in much better shape ratings wise. KENTA is somebody I wanted to bring in from the beginning, and while I don't know if he'll be full-time, I definitely want him to be a recurring member of the roster. Somebody with the aura to feel like a big deal in the company, his ROH history obviously playing into that. Hopefully we can get some of the top "free agents" in 2020, even if they eventually move on to the bigger companies.

ECW CyberSlam - Episode #12 Episode #12: <iframe width="745" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yUt7tOBS8lU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ECW.com Preview - Episode #12 of ECW CyberSlam Previous Episode: <hr color=black> Three months into the resurrection of ECW, and the fairytale return has quickly become a horror story for a number of the Originals who were instrumental in the “Tribe of Extreme” rising again. Last week, Paul Heyman explained his lack of action as Rob Van Dam was attacked by Homicide, Low-Ki, Sonny Siaki and Xavier, explaining to a furious Tommy Dreamer that he was doing what was best for the future of ECW. Whether Heyman truly believes that or not, Dreamer wasn’t buying it… threatening to kill Paul Heyman, before being attacked by that same group of “Revolutionaries”. Focus will move away from “New Breed vs. Originals” this week however, as Rob Van Dam makes his first defence of the ECW World Championship. Going one on one with “The King of Pro-Wrestling” Steve Corino, RVD was surprised by the naming of his opponent, expecting either Homicide or Low-Ki to be revealed as his challenger. Whatever the reason for this match being made, Steve Corino is one of two men in ECW - along with Rob Van Dam himself - who has not been directly involved in losing a match since the company returned, and will get a second crack of the whip against the man who pinned CM Punk three weeks ago! As well as the ECW World Championship match, there will be two personally charged matches on this week’s CyberSlam, with Brent Albright looking for revenge on Stevie Richards’ new associate C.W. Anderson. Seemingly joining forces with “The Gatekeeper of ECW”, C.W. Anderson helped Richards to victory over Albright several weeks ago, the second time in a month that Albright had been screwed over. He unsurprisingly took this very badly, and has set out on a mission to take out first Anderson, and then Richards, “The Shooter” relying on the deadly “Crowbar” submission hold that has forced so many others tap out before. Al Snow will also look for revenge, facing the man he believes to be behind the “return” of “Head”, Elijah Burke. The self-proclaimed “Future of ECW” has denied any involvement with the mannequin head that Snow threw into a burning trash can, but has taken a number of vulgar pot shots at Al’s relationship with “her”. This week, the mentally fragile Al Snow will have the chance to get his hands on Elijah Burke, but will have to contend with Angel Williams at ringside, the woman many people feel is behind his early success in ECW. <hr> Match Card ECW World Championship Match Rob Van Dam © vs. Steve Corino Al Snow vs. Elijah Burke Brent Albright vs. C.W. Anderson

Ring of Honor: Make The Cut. Dark Match: Dalton Castle bt. Eli Isom<hr color=black> Announcers: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman and Colt Cabana - Venue: Manhattan Center (Hammerstein Ballroom) Location: New York City, New York <hr color=black> Winners Will Face The ROH World Tag Team Champions at Final Battle Match #1 - Brody King & PCO vs. PJ Black & Fred Yehi vs. The Kingdom The Background: Becoming entwined in a multi-team rivalry in recent weeks, personal issues will only be a secondary concern for the competitors in this match. While Villain Enterprises and Lifeblood’s rivalry has grown to include Black & Yehi and The Kingdom, a shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championships awaits the winning team, and that will be the priority for those involved. Current Champions Rush & Dragon Lee have been given the night off from “Make The Cut”, but will be watching closely, eager to learn who they will defend their titles against at Final Battle. Unlike every other ROH Champion, Dragon Lee & Rush will not represent the company at the year end event, instead representing their home promotion CMLL, against the winning ROH team. The Result: As expected, the match was extremely chaotic throughout, with lenient enforcement of the rules explained by the fact that there are no DQs or Countouts in a match of this nature. When things slowed down, The Kingdom looked to take advantage, but were eventually the ones who fell to defeat, after Brody King took Vinny Marseglia down. PCO added his trademark Moonsault to secure the victory, Brody King & PCO become the Number One Contenders to the ROH World Tag Team Championships! The Reasoning: Originally planned to be Flamita and Bandido facing Rush & Lee at Final Battle, plans changed after Flamita suffered an injury prior to signing with the company. Bringing forward the return of David Finlay, the plan was for Lifeblood’s Bandido & Finlay to face Dragon Lee & Rush at Final Battle. When Bandido’s injury brought those plans to an end, the decision was made to forget about replacing them, instead booking the three way tag team match instead. Of the teams left over, Brody King & PCO were deemed the best option, not only because they have been booked more strongly than the other two teams, but also because their story with Marty Scurll (and his apparent departure) has the potential to lead into an interesting build for their Final Battle match with Dragon Lee & Rush. The Aftermath: The commentators put over the fact that Villain Enterprises had secured the first confirmed spot on the Final Battle card, beginning the night off in impressive fashion for the group. With Marty Scurll having claimed that Villain Enterprises would “cease business relations” with ROH after Make The Cut, Ian, Colt and Caprice wondered how this would be affected by Brody King & PCO having a title shot for the year end show.<hr color=black> SHIMMER Showcase - Winner Will Face The Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle Match #2 - Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez The Background: As far as Ring of Honor goes, there was little build for this match other than the announcement that a member of the SHIMMER roster would face the Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle. The two athletes do have history however, spanning multiple promotions and a number of matches. This was put over prior to the match, with a huge opportunity on the line for both women. The Result: Sent out to put on their style of match, and showcase their style to the Ring of Honor audience, the intensity of Mercedes Martinez proved the deciding factor. In an open back and forth match, Martinez was able to pick up the victory with a Fisherman Buster. Mercedes Martinez becomes the Number One Contender to the Women of Honor World Championship! The Reasoning: A fairly straight-forward choice between the two competitors in the match, the decision being made based on who is likely to work better with the winner of Kelly Klein vs. Maria Manic later in the night. Mercedes was always the first choice to be in, and win, this match, with Kimber Lee only being brought in when other options were unavailable. The Aftermath: Mercedes Martinez stood tall in the ring, the commentators putting over her achievements in her long career. They also spoke about the potential for her to become a World Champion in ROH, one of the biggest honours in her career.<hr color=black>Before the third match of the night, Marty Scurll was interviewed to promote the Main Event, as he faces Jeff Cobb for the ROH World Champion. Asked about the controversial nature of the match, Marty Scurll was in high spirits, revelling in his plan to rip the core out of Ring of Honor. Surrounded by his Villain Enterprises teammates, Marty laughed about the fact that once the group walked out of Ring of Honor after tonight, there would be no Tag Team Championship match at Final Battle, no World Championship in ROH, and no final opponent for Jushin Thunder Liger. As he said that Scurll turned to Flip Gordon, who walked off… heading to his match up next!<hr color=black> Winner Will Face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle Match #3 - Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King The Background: As has been a feature of many of Josh Woods’ rivalries in ROH, his title of “Top Prospect Tournament winner” has drawn the attention of Kenny King (and his former partner Rhett Titus). Doing everything the right way, Josh Woods has been targeted for little reason other than the acclaim he’s received, with the veteran King verging on out right bitterness towards the rookie. One thing they do have in common, is the fact they’ve both picked up some impressive victories recently, and have been chosen as two of the three potential opponents for Jushin Thunder Liger’s final North American in-ring appearance at Final Battle. The Result: Kenny King seemed keen to prove a point to Josh Woods, looking to outwork him throughout the match. This would have been a good tactic, had it not been for the conditioning and resilience of Woods. Of course, there was another competitor involved in the match, Flip Gordon. Gordon eventually picked up the victory by pinning Josh Woods, hitting him with a Shooting Star Press. Flip Gordon will face Jushin Thunder Liger at Final Battle! The Reasoning: Josh Woods lacked the profile to face Liger in such a significant match, despite being somebody who I could eventually see being one of the core members of the roster. Kenny King would have been a good option, and was considered along with names like Dalton Castle for the role. Flip Gordon was decided as the best choice to face him however, somebody who very much feels part of the core ROH roster, and a big enough name to justify the huge occasion. The win also plays into the ongoing Villain Enterprises storyline. The Aftermath: The commentators put over the Villain Enterprises situation on commentary, with three quarters of the group now “confirmed” to have matches at Final Battle. This despite claims from Marty Scurll that the whole group would be leaving after Make The Cut. Whether that was the plan or not, Ian Riccaboni was clear that he had it on good authority that Flip Gordon, PCO and Brody King were all contractually obligated to appear at Final Battle. The same couldn’t be said for Marty Scurll however...<hr color=black>With one hour of the show down, attention was set to turn to the four Championship matches on the card. That was until Matt Taven made an unscheduled appearance, making his way down to the ring. Matt Taven cut a promo bemoaning the fact that he was expected to “Make The Cut” like everybody else. Taven revealed that he had refused to compete in a match tonight, because he thinks it’s time that Ring of Honor was held accountable for his treatment. The gist of Taven’s complaints were that he’d been ROH World Champion for half of the year, and for that reason he shouldn’t have to earn a shot. He claimed to have carried the company on his back, and for that reason felt it was time for him to cash in a favour. Convinced that Ian Riccaboni has a direct line to ROH management in his headset, Taven called on Riccaboni to get him his answer… right now! Riccaboni did get up from his seat, taking a microphone and saying that management were expecting this from Taven. Perhaps surprisingly, they agreed with Matt Taven. Feeling that his achievements throughout the year shouldn’t be ignored, Matt Taven would be in action at Final Battle. Taven was pleased about this, but made his demands clear. He reminded everybody that he is an “icon of Ring of Honor” and the leader of the “coolest group in pro-wrestling today”. The leader of The Kingdom was told that his requirements would be more than met by his opponent, with Riccaboni pointing to a graphic that appeared on the big screen… Matt Taven had got what he wanted, but his face said otherwise. Clearly trying to cover his fear, Taven nodded his head, but wasn’t fooling anybody as he claimed to be ready to show KENTA how ROH has changed since his era...<hr color=black> ROH Honor Club Championship Match Match #4 - Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley The Background: When Alex Shelley’s World Championship dream was put on hold after a second failed attempt to win the title at Death Before Dishonor, he set his sights on something else, testing himself against the best of the rest in Ring of Honor. Feeling that iron sharpens iron, Alex Shelley felt his Championship ambitions would stand in better stead, should he square off against as much of the plethora of talent on the roster as possible. This philosophy was one shared by Jonathan Gresham, who is looking to make his mark as the first Honor Club Champion. As a result, when this match was touted, both competitors made their feelings known on social media, with the match being made between two guys who clearly have a lot of respect for each other. The Result: A long, competitive match which saw both competitors prove something to each other, Jonathan Gresham picked up the victory with a decisive submission, after locking in the Octopus Hold on Alex Shelley. The Reasoning: While Alex Shelley is a valuable member of the roster, and one of the best talents we have, his role at the moment is to help elevate those talents who we hope to see on his level in the future. Shelley will of course pick up victories in a lot of his matches, and is a reliable and consistent performer, but with the attempt to build Jonathan Gresham as one of the key members of the roster this was a vital win. Continuing to build his reign as Honor Club Champion, this marks one of the biggest victories in Jonathan Gresham’s career, and confirms him as one of the key names to feature on ROH’s side of the Final Battle card. The Aftermath: With the elbows to the head that accompanied the Octopus Hold, Alex Shelley was understandably a little bit annoyed with Gresham. Coupled with his frustration at losing, things threatened to get heated following the bell. Gresham however spoke calmly and explained himself to Shelley, with the two shaking hands and drawing a line under the matter pretty quickly.<hr color=black> ROH Women of Honor World Championship Match Match #5 - Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic The Background: Unstoppable since the moment she stepped foot in a Ring of Honor ring, Maria Manic has dominated everybody who she has crossed paths with in recent months. Having run through every other member of the Women of Honor roster, there was only one person left for her to face. This turned her attention to Kelly Klein, who had been outspoken about Manic’s dishonourable approach to arriving in the company. It wasn’t long until she experienced this first hand, and in the entire build to the match, Kelly Klein has come out on the wrong end of each exchange with the dominant “Maneater”. With a place on the Final Battle card on the line, Kelly Klein faces her biggest challenge as Women of Honor World Champion. The Result: Maria Manic took control for much of the match, with her aggressive style treading the line with the referee. Managing not to get Disqualified, Manic once again bent the rules, as she looked to set up Kelly Klein with a Double Handed Chokeslam from the apron, to the ringside table. Unfortunately for Manic, Klein was able to escape back into the ring, running the ropes and sending Manic through the table with a Forearm to the back of the head. Unable to return to the ring before the referee’s count, Manic lost via Countout. The Reasoning: While Maria Manic is somebody who has been booked strongly since her arrival in the company, I’m not convinced that she is yet on the level to become Women of Honor World Champion. We are on the lookout for somebody to take the title from Kelly Klein, but putting it on Manic didn’t feel like a move that would strengthen the division, either in terms of it’s outside perception or from an in-ring perspective. Despite this, Manic’s booking has been protected throughout her run with the company, and the countout - while not ideal, and admittedly rather a cheap way to finish a World Championship match - was a continuation of that. Kelly Klein retains the Championship through the skin of her teeth, setting up a match between Kelly Klein and Mercedes Martinez at Final Battle, which feels like a better matchup than the alternatives. The Aftermath: Kelly Klein’s celebrations were muted, with the Champion understanding the nature of the victory wasn’t one to shout from the rooftops about. After Klein left the ringside area, Maria Manic returned to her feet, helped by members of the crew. This proved to be a mistake, as those crew members were taken down by a furious Maria Manic. Setting up a table and doing what she had intended to do to Klein to a random staff member, Manic stood tall despite her defeat!<hr color=black>Making an appearance to promote the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Final Battle, Nick Aldis was interviewed at the top of the stage. Nick Aldis spoke about the disrespect shown to him by Jay Briscoe, saying that he can take anything that anybody has to say about him. Where Nick Aldis draws the line is when somebody talks about his title. Aldis puts over the history and prestige of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, vowing that he would fight for that history at Final Battle. As Aldis continued to speak, Mark Briscoe came out and confronted him. Mark’s speech was barely legible, and it quickly became clear that he was only there as a distraction. Jay Briscoe came out from the back, but wise to this, Colt Cabana left the announcer’s table to confront him. Colt Cabana held Jay Briscoe back, with a confrontation between all four men expected to result in a huge brawl. Cabana told Briscoe “enough was enough” and that he was going too far. Mark Briscoe looked ready to lunge, but Jay laughed off Cabana’s words. Jay then led his brother to the back, but not before warning Nick Aldis that he was taking his title at Final Battle…<hr color=black> ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match Match #6 - Lethal & Lifeblood © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer The Background: Considering that they appeared on-screen together for the first time this week on ROH TV, it’s safe to say there isn’t a great deal of background to this match, with the challengers seemingly brought together through a joint disdain of everybody else in Ring of Honor. A fairly simple set up, Tom Latimer led the trio in challenging Lethal & Lifeblood, claiming that title shots are just “handed out” in ROH. This proved to be true in their case, but Lethal vowed they’d feel like they’d earned whatever they get, once he, Haskins and Williams had finished with them. The Result: There was a wild and chaotic feel to this match, with Taylor, Young and Latimer imprinting their style early on, and forcing Lethal and Lifeblood to try and match them. This served the challengers well throughout the match, but eventually the Champions weathered the storm. In the end, it was Shane Taylor who took the fall, taken down following a Lethal Injection from Jay Lethal. The Reasoning: Clearly a little bit thrown together, the team of Young, Taylor and Latimer were never going to take the titles from Lethal & Lifeblood. This match served to give the Champions a straight-forward first challenge, going up against three men with very different outlooks to them. While we will persist with them, I have always felt the Six Man titles were an unnecessary addition to the company, particularly given the difficulty of building a proper division with them. Nonetheless, I felt the style clash could make for a good match, ahead of the next defence at Final Battle. The Aftermath: Lethal & Lifeblood stood tall after the match, raising the World Six Man Tag Team titles in the air.<hr color=black> ROH World Championship Match Main Event - Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll The Background: From what could have been a fairly standard World Championship match, recent weeks have seen Marty Scurll’s title challenge become one of the most controversial in Ring of Honor history. Having defeated Jay Lethal to earn the shot, this match was almost cancelled by ROH management, over concerns regarding the contract situation of Marty Scurll. After talks with both Champion and Challenger, the match was made, only for Marty Scurll to reveal his true intention. Signing the contract for the match, but not the one to extend his deal with Ring of Honor, Marty Scurll stated his intention to leave the company after Make The Cut, taking the ROH World Championship with him. Claiming that Villain Enterprises would “cease business relations” with ROH after Make The Cut, the stakes became ever higher, with Jeff Cobb under huge pressure to remain the Champion. Speculation over Marty Scurll’s destination remains the talk of the wrestling business, and a potential victory over the ROH World Champion would make him the hottest commodity in the industry. The Result: Given the huge stakes on the line, and the big fight feel created beforehand, the Main Event of Make The Cut went over 25 minutes, with a slow build to the big finish. Both sides had opportunity to seal the victory, but couldn’t find the decisive moment. Jeff Cobb had been expected to overcome “The Villain”, but when Marty Scurll managed to hit a back heel kick between the legs of the Champion, the tide changed. The referee had missed the low-blow, and his chances of keeping up with the action became even less likely as PCO and Brody King came down to the ring. Brody King and PCO distracted the referee, with a huge smirk growing across the face of “The Villain”. Ian Riccaboni was disgusted by the actions of Scurll, who looked close to stealing a victory as he turned his attention to his Umbrella which was on the ringside table. Scurll went to leave the ring and get it, with Jeff Cobb down on the mat holding his groin. Marty didn’t even have to leave the ring, as Flip Gordon joined the rest of the group at ringside… Gordon told Scurll to stay in the ring, grabbing the Umbrella to hand to the leader of “Villain Enterprises”. With the referee still distracted, and Cobb struggling back to his feet, Ian Riccaboni’s stunned silence summed up the mood. One last twist remained however, as when Marty Scurll grabbed the Umbrella from Gordon, “The Mercenary” refused to let go. Marty Scurll was confused, but a smirk spread across the face of Flip Gordon. Scurll yanked at the Umbrella, with Gordon only releasing his grip when he could see Jeff Cobb was back to his feet. The momentum of Gordon letting go of the Umbrella sent him flying across the ring, directly into the path of Jeff Cobb. Cobb hit Scurll with a “Tour of the Islands”, at which point PCO and Brody King dropped down from the apron. With the referee’s focus now completely back on the action, he counted the 1… 2… 3! The Reasoning: Jeff Cobb retaining the Championship over Marty Scurll requires very little reasoning or explanation, but the overall booking of the match perhaps does. With Marty Scurll leaving the company imminently, keeping him strong wasn’t really a concern going into the match. However, a clean loss followed by him leaving the company didn’t do much for anybody either, and would create a stigma around Flip Gordon, Brody King and PCO of being “left behinds”. This way - with Marty Scurll also booked for the block of shows after Make The Cut - we can find a resolution to the Villain Enterprises stable coming to an end, which leaves Brody, PCO and particularly Flip Gordon looking as though their decision to stay and not follow Marty Scurll was self-determined. The storyline will play out to it’s conclusion over the next few episodes of ROH TV, and the finish to the Main Event of “Make The Cut” puts over Flip Gordon as a strong individual going forward in the company, rather than a follower of somebody who moved on to greener pastures. The Aftermath: Jeff Cobb had no clue what had just happened, or why it had happened, and didn’t seem to care about the internal politics of Villain Enterprises as he raised the ROH World Championship in the air. Commentary felt much the same, a celebratory mood coming over them as Flip Gordon, Brody King and PCO headed to the back. As “Make The Cut” ended, Marty Scurll began to come around, and was completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened. One thing that was clear, was that he wouldn’t be leaving Ring of Honor with the ROH World Championship, and by the looks of it, he would be leaving without Brody King, Flip Gordan and PCO!<hr color=black> Quick Results: [Dark] Dalton Castle bt. Eli Isom (E+) Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO bt. Fred Yehi & PJ Black and The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia to become the Number One Contenders to the ROH World Tag Team Championships (D) Mercedes Martinez bt. Kimber Lee in a SHIMMER Showcase to become the Number One Contender to the ROH Women of Honor World Championship! (D) Flip Gordon bt. Kenny King & Josh Woods becoming Jushin Thunder Liger’s final opponent in North America at Final Battle (D) Jonathan Gresham © bt. Alex Shelley to retain the ROH Honor Club Championship (C-) Kelly Klein © bt. Maria Manic by Countout to retain the ROH Women of Honor World Championship (E+) Jay Lethal, Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © bt. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer to retain the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championships (D+) Jeff Cobb © bt. Marty Scurll to retain the ROH World Championship (D+) Show Rating (D+)

Just caught up with this again, and I love how it's going. Noughty Boy is a really great use of Biggins, he was the one guy I was a bit skeptical of being in DAVE, but his introduction under the new gimmick has been great. I think I've said it before, but using the WWE game is such a good addition. All the character are being fleshed out really well, and the game helps with that greatly. Also this line "But it’s the last straw for his partner when NB tries to get the crowd to join him doing the Cha Cha Slide" made me laugh out loud. I find the first PPV card can be really difficult with a new company, and just 6 weeks of TV, but there's definitely multiple matches that are have my interest, with the title matches standing out, obviously. Looking forward to the PPV, Sammy helping Peak was a nice touch, and along with the finish to the Steel Cage match, the build to the main event has been great.

<p>ECW CyberSlam - Episode #11</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Episode #11:</strong> </p><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/LNxxCekZhpw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="ECW CyberSlam | Episode #11: Heyman's Hustle [TEW 2016]"></iframe></div></div><p> <iframe width="745" height="420" src="<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LNxxCekZhpw" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/LNxxCekZhpw"</a> frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p></div><p></p><p></p>

Make The Cut Match Card ROH World Championship Match <hr color=black> ROH Women of Honor World Championship Match <hr color=black> ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match <hr color=black> ROH Honor Club Championship Match <hr color=black> Winners Will Face The ROH World Tag Team Champions at Final Battle <hr color=black> SHIMMER Showcase - Winner Will Face The Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle <hr color=black> Winner Will Face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle <hr color=black> Make The Cut Match Card ROH World Championship Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll WOH World Championship Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic ROH World Six Man Championship Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer ROH Honor Club Championship Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

ROH San Antonio - Television Taping ROH: San Antonio - Television Taping Going into the block of shows from San Antonio, the focus within Ring of Honor was to ensure that the episodes built well to and heavily promoted the upcoming “Make The Cut” Honor Club event, the companies final “major show” before Final Battle. Scheduled to take place in the former home of Final Battle, the Hammerstein Ballroom, the concept of “Make The Cut” was revealed prior to the shows in San Antonio. Released on ROH’s social media platforms, the company announced that this year’s Final Battle would have the tagline “ROH vs. The World”, with the athletes of ROH facing off against other competitors from around the globe. The Final Battle of what has been a testing year, the “ROH vs. The World” tagline not only represents the makeup of those performing at the event, but sums up how those within the company have felt about it’s place in the wrestling world, since the events of last year’s Final Battle and the exodus of talent that followed. The promotion for “Make The Cut” plays on that, calling on the members of the roster who “deserve” their place on the biggest card of the year to prove it at the Hammerstein Ballroom. A clear message from management that not everybody is up to the standard that Ring of Honor is looking to set in the new decade. With huge stakes on the line, in the building that has held 11 of the last 13 “Final Battle” events, those who come out of their “Make The Cut” matches victorious, will secure their place on the “season finale” show on December 13th! One minor hiccup during the construction of the shows however, saw a planned Make The Cut match, and in turn a scheduled marquee Final Battle match, thrown into question. Having been scheduled to debut at the taping, Bandido’s long-term tag team partner Flamita was set to sign with the company, before suffering an injury working in Mexico. Plans then changed to move forward the return of the now cleared David Finlay (who would team with fellow Lifeblood member Bandido in the “Make The Cut” Number One Contender’s match), until the company were informed just days before the taping that Bandido had also suffered an injury. Dragon Lee & Rush vs. Bandido & Flamita, and then Dragon Lee & Rush vs. Bandido & Finlay, had been scheduled to be the ROH World Tag Team Championship match at Final Battle, but Bandido’s injury resulted in Finlay’s return being delayed. Instead, the company was forced to go in a different direction, which played out over the San Antonio episodes. Here as the results from those shows, as they aired weekly on Charge!: Episode #1 Following up the promo that aired last week, Villain Enterprises opened the show, with Jeff Cobb being called out by Marty Scurll. Instead of Cobb, Scurll was answered by Jay Lethal, who was later backed up by Haskins & Williams. Things got heated between the two, with Flip Gordon eventually leading Marty Scurll away from the heated exchange. Jay Lethal also headed to the back, leading into the opening match of the night... Lifeblood’s Haskins & Williams bt. Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO - a fairly surprising defeat for King & PCO, with Haskins & Williams just seeming to ‘have their number’. Haskins rolled King up, scoring the win. A video package hyped the rampage of Maria Manic, who has destroyed everybody on the Women of Honor roster since coming to the company. Recently, her attention turned to the Champion, Kelly Klein! Maria Manic bt. A Local Talent - a completely one sided domination, that went on longer than it needed to. Manic clearly took pleasure in sending a brutal message to the Women of Honor World Champion. After the match, Kelly Klein came down to the ring, looking for revenge on Maria Manic. An intense brawl broke out between the two, with Manic getting the better of the exchange. The unstoppable “Maneater” took control outside of the ring, dropping Klein with a vicious Double Handed Chokeslam. The video package promoting Make The Cut aired, including the explanation of the implications that the event would have on “Final Battle: ROH vs. The World”. The Briscoes cut a promo for their match against The Tate Boys, which would air next week. They promised a massacre was coming to the former Boys of Dalton Castle. Also next week, Jay Lethal would face Marty Scurll, the latter looking to prove he deserves a shot at Jeff Cobb’s World Championship. Alex Shelley bt. Dalton Castle - while Castle came close on a number of occasions, Shelley’s return picked up further steam, defeating a former World Champion!<hr color=black>Episode #2 Before the opening match, Matt Taven continued to complain about his situation in ROH, focussing his ire on “Make The Cut”. Matt Taven said that he was the World Champion for six months of 2019, and he “carried” Ring of Honor throughout that time. He said that the idea of him having to “make the cut” and earn a place on the Final Battle card was an insult to him. Taven demanded a match at Final Battle, but said he wouldn’t jump through hoops to impress ROH management. The Kingdom bt. Shinobi Shadow Squad - six man action opened up the episode, with Matt Taven pinning Cheeseburger for the win. A much needed victory for The Kingdom, who have had a terrible last couple of months. Marty Scurll cut a promo on Jay Lethal, who he said was the self-anointed leader of the ROH locker room. The Villain said that once he beat Lethal in the Main Event, nobody could question his place as the rightful Number One Contender! The Briscoes bt. The Tate Boys - despite being a fairly short match, the brutally displayed in the video package prior to it was on full display. The Briscoes could have easily beaten Brent & Brandon in a couple of minutes, but dragged things out beyond reason. As a result of the brutality, the referee was left with no choice but to call a stoppage to the match, deeming The Tate Boys unable to continue. Following the referee’s decision, Jay Briscoe pushed the referee, furious to have been stopped in their tracks. The Briscoes then laid out The Tate Boys once again, before Jay cut a promo on the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Nick Aldis. He wanted to know where the 10 Pounds of Gold was, and when he’d get the chance to beat him… again! Jeff Cobb was interviewed regarding the Main Event, putting over Jay Lethal and admitting that if Scurll could beat him, then there would be a good case for him getting a World title shot at Make The Cut. Cobb also spoke on his match with Jonathan Gresham, which would air in two weeks time. Marty Scurll bt. Jay Lethal - wanting to legitimately prove himself, Marty Scurll stepped up and told Flip Gordon, PCO and Brody King to head to the back. Beating Jay Lethal in a fair one on one match, Scurll hit the “Bird of Prey” for the win. After the match, Scurll stood tall, the commentators impressed with his victory. While nothing was confirmed, it was suggested that the victory would put Scurll at the front of the line for a ROH World Championship shot.<hr color=black>Episode #3 Continuing where last week’s episode finished, ROH TV kicked off with Marty Scurll shown in the ring, following a recap of his win over Jay Lethal. Scurll stood tall, alone in the ring, until Jeff Cobb joined him. Jeff Cobb told Marty Scurll that for once he’d proved that he could do something without anybody else's help. Scurll stayed quiet, gesturing for Cobb to carry on, and eventually the World Champion confirmed he was accepting the challenge for Make The Cut! This was the moment that Scurll decided to open his mouth, taking the microphone from Cobb and telling him he’d just made a “huge mistake”. Scurll then laughed in the face of the ROH World Champion, before leaving the ring. A statement from Ian Riccaboni followed that segment, recorded after the TV taping. He confirmed that despite concerns from ROH management about the contractual implications of the match, talks with both Marty Scurll and Jeff Cobb have ensured the match will go ahead. The reason for those issues are known to those who follow the business closely, but Riccaboni says footage that the company have agreed to air next week will clear it up for everybody who watches. Shane Taylor bt. Fred Yehi - despite PJ Black and Silas Young being banned from ringside, there was still outside involvement when a hooded man caused a distraction to assist Taylor in victory. After the match, the commentators felt sure the hooded man was Silas Young, who had flagrantly broken the pre-match rule. However, when Fred Yehi was hit with a DDT, and the man took his hood off, it was revealed that Tom Latimer was behind the attack! Latimer stood tall in the ring, turning to Shane Taylor with a sinister smile on his face. A video package looked at the recent actions of The Briscoes, particularly focussing on last week’s brutalisation of The Tate Boys. A graphic then confirmed that Kelly Klein would defend the Women of Honor World Championship at Make The Cut, against Maria Manic. Sumie Sakai bt. Tasha Steelz (DQ) - Sakai’s return to ROH was ruined fairly quickly, as Maria Manic decided that she hadn’t quite made enough of a point. Manic attacked Sakai, throwing her to the outside, before focussing on Tasha Steelz. With Steelz laid out, and Manic standing tall, the commentators put over that Kelly Klein was still recovering from being laid out by Manic, during the brawl which aired last week. Kenny King promoted his match with Josh Woods for next week, before being asked about Rhett Titus’ contract being allowed to run down. Kenny King said it was sad to see somebody who has been with the company for such a long time headed out of the door, but added “that’s business”. An interview with Jonathan Gresham aired, with him talking in-depth about the ROH World Champion Jeff Cobb, and his Honor Club Championship. Gresham added that he loved the idea of everybody having to earn their place on Final Battle, and he couldn’t wait to prove himself against Jeff Cobb. That match will air next week. Flip Gordon bt. PJ Black - an even match that saw Gordon prevail. The presence of Brody King & PCO at ringside undoubtedly helped Flip. The episode ended with complete chaos, as Villain Enterprises surrounded PJ Black. After Scurll’s words earlier, the group were keen to send a message, before a hurt Fred Yehi, Jay Lethal and Lifeblood looked to even the odds. This attempted save was thwarted however, as Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia jumped Haskins, Williams and Lethal from behind. Villain Enterprises managed to lay out Yehi and Black, and The Kingdom dealt with the rest. ROH TV ended with a faceoff between Matt Taven’s Kingdom and Villain Enterprises...<hr color=black>Episode #4 Going into Make The Cut, there were many matches yet to be confirmed, and the show opened with a recap of the chaotic ending to last week’s show. Out of that, the commentators put over that a match had been made, with Brody King & PCO, Fred Yehi & PJ Black and TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia facing off in a match to determine the Number One Contendership to the World Tag Team Championships. Rush & Dragon Lee wouldn’t be at Make The Cut, but would face the winning team at Final Battle. Dragon Lee & Rush bt. Coast 2 Coast - in a match designed to put over their exciting in-ring styles, Lee & Rush picked up a convincing victory. During the match, the commentators put over that despite being ROH Champions, Dragon Lee & Rush had elected to represent their home promotion, CMLL, at Final Battle, having been given the choice by ROH management. Tom Latimer joined Shane Taylor and Silas Young, giving reaction to what was seen on last week’s episode. Latimer put over Taylor’s victory, and said that having looked at the Number One Contendership for the Tag Team titles, it seems Championship opportunities are handed out in Ring of Honor. In that case, Young, Taylor and Latimer issued a challenge to Lethal & Lifeblood for Make The Cut. Out of that, Ian Riccaboni gave a pre-Make The Cut update, confirming that Jay Lethal and Lifeblood had accepted the challenge from Latimer and co., and would defend their World Six Man Tag Team titles at Make The Cut. Riccaboni also ran down the rest of the card, confirming Jonathan Gresham vs. Alex Shelley for the Honor Club Championship, a SHIMMER Showcase match to determine the next challenger to the Women of Honor title and another match that would determine the opponent for Jushin Thunder Liger, who will make his last appearance in North America as an active wrestler at Final Battle. Footage aired from after Maria Manic’s destruction of Sumie Sakai and Tasha Steelz, with the Number One Contender confronting Kelly Klein as she received medical attention. Manic got an earful from Kelly Klein, who vowed to teach her what the H in WOH stands for! Kenny King bt. Josh Woods - despite reports that Rhett Titus’ contract had expired, Kenny King brought him to the ring with him, revealing that he had offered him a bit of money and signed him as his own personal training partner. Titus appeared in training gear, and helped King to victory over Woods. Had it not been for his involvement, Woods may have picked up one of the biggest wins of his career. After confirmation that Jay Briscoe would face Nick Aldis at Final Battle, Jay Lethal cut a promo about the upcoming World Six Man Tag Team Championship match at Make The Cut. Lethal said that Latimer was right, they hadn’t earned the shot, but promised that by being in the ring with him, Haskins & Williams, they’d more than earn their paycheck at Make The Cut! Jeff Cobb bt. Jonathan Gresham - an all out match, with impressive action from the off, Cobb and Gresham took each other to their ultimate limits, with the World Champion having that fraction more in the tank. Hitting the Tour of the Islands, Jeff Cobb picked up a huge win ahead of his match with Marty Scurll at Make The Cut! Before the night ended, the final episode from San Antonio saw Marty Scurll come to the top of the ramp. Having been fairly cryptic throughout, the footage that almost didn’t air was shown, with Marty Scurll showing his true colours. Cutting a promo that put the match going ahead at all into doubt, Scurll revealed that Villain Enterprises were “ceasing business relations” with Ring of Honor following “Make The Cut”. Scurll said that the contract for the match was signed, but nothing else. He added that Ring of Honor had screwed him for the last year, making him a martyr for the actions of others! He said that he was going to take the title from Jeff Cobb at Make The Cut, and prove that the “best frickin’ wrestler in the world” was slipping through their fingers!<hr color=black>Along with the matches for Make The Cut, and how they will affect Final Battle at the end of the year, the big talking point for the taping was the decision to acknowledge the impending departure of Marty Scurll. Feeling that with such a large percentage of the audience aware of what is going on, pretending that the situation going into the World Championship match didn’t exist wouldn’t sit well, creating an awkward “elephant in the room” for the Main Event of “Make The Cut”. While the promo from Scurll, and the open acceptance that he was likely on his way out could be seen as “spoiling” the Main Event (by making it seem obvious who is winning), ROH social media did make it clear that an offer was on the table for the disgruntled Marty Scurll. All Elite Wrestling and NXT are rumoured to be interested in “The Villain”, and as one of the most talked about wrestlers in the world, the decision was made to capitalise on what - as of the time of recording - would be Marty Scurll’s last scheduled dates with the company. Whether or not that comes to pass, and whether the Main Event of Make The Cut will run as everybody expects, remains to be seen. One thing that is for certain is that the ROH World Championship match is the most talked about contest on the card, with the intrigue in how the final days of Scurll in ROH will go down, coming from all corners of the wrestling community. Also notable, Marty Scurll suggested that the rest of “Villain Enterprises” would be leaving Ring of Honor with him. Despite this, it has been confirmed that PCO & Brody King are both contracted to the company until the end of 2019, and Flip Gordan is secured until April 2020. Where this leaves them is another question that is set to be answered at Make The Cut, and the television taping that follows. Beyond the signing of Tom Latimer (to a short-term contact) and the injuries to Bandido and Flamita (who was set to sign full-time), it was another quiet month in Ring of Honor. Shane Taylor’s return surprised some who felt sure he was on his way out of the company, before a shuffle of the deck brought him back into focus. In terms of incomings and outgoing, the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 are expected to be much busier for ROH, with this current period seen very much as the calm before the storm...

<p>ECW.com Preview - Episode #11 of ECW CyberSlam</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Previous Episode:</strong></div></div></div></div><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo"><div><iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9wBNDwsZ3ag?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="ECW CyberSlam | Episode #9: ECW World Champion Crowned! [TEW 2016]"></iframe></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> <hr color=black></div></div></div></div><img alt="CGlSRgL.png?1" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/CGlSRgL.png?1" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Coming off the back of Rob Van Dam winning the ECW World Championship for the first time, last week's episode of CyberSlam was expected to be a celebration, as the company moved into a new era with the first "new" Champion. What transpired would shock ECW fans both old and new, as Paul Heyman appeared to turn his back on one of the icons of the Original ECW.</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Watching as Homicide, Low-Ki, Sonny Siaki and Xavier destroyed the ECW World Champion in the ring, Paul Heyman did nothing, unable to watch, as the set-up that he had organised unfolded. Joey Styles and Tazz summed up the feelings of everyone in the Hammerstein Ballroom, and all those watching at home, questioning why Paul Heyman would let this happen. Not only that, but as the attack came to an end, and Low-Ki pried the World Championship from the arms of Rob Van Dam, a smirk spread across the face of the "Chief of ECW", seemingly confirming his involvement with the "New Breed Revolutionaries".</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Despite that landmark shifting moment of betrayal, the show must go on for the ECW Originals, and they will face off against Heyman's allies, knowing that the deck is stacked higher than ever against them. Balls Mahoney and The Sandman will team up in tag team action against Sonny Siaki & Xavier, while Tommy Dreamer will face Low-Ki in the Main Event!</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> With momentum on the side of the "New Breed Revolutionaries", the Originals will be desperate to ensure they don't slip further behind, with this week's show providing them the opportunity to continue the "Fight Back". Elsewhere, Trent Acid & Johnny Kashmere will look to continue an impressive start to their ECW careers, against former World Tag Team Champions, Danny Doring & Roadkill. Having been dumped by his girlfriend Shelly Martinez last week, question marks remain over whether Danny Doring's mind will be 100% on the competition, and their young opponents will look to take advantage of that fact... this week on ECW CyberSlam!<hr></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align:center;"><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><strong>Match Card</strong></div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Low-Ki vs. Tommy Dreamer</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Danny Doring & Roadkill vs. Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid</div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> </div></div></div></div><p></p><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"><div style="margin-left:25px;"> Balls Mahoney & The Sandman vs. Xavier & Sonny Siaki</div></div></div></div></div><p></p><p> <hr></p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="christmas_ape" data-cite="christmas_ape" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46739" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I wouldn't worry about leaving gaps in between storyline progressions when it's stuff like Al Snow. It's quite nice to have some stuff just appear every now and then and especially with the whole block taping thing is makes sense, of course it runs the risk of bits of the storyline being missed or forgotten but you tend to recap important things anyway.<p> </p><p> </p><p> Congratulations are in order... a 1 rating that is a real achievement! I do feel bad for Trent, it's pretty impressive you're sticking with him although I think his hopes to reach the top of the company are a little overly ambitious. </p><p> </p><p> Loved the twist at the end</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> RE: storyline progression, I agree with that, but it's kind of odd with it being a storyline of him looking for who was behind it. I just didn't have time, so it's not a huge problem. But yeah, things can happen in the background without neccessarily having to be on TV. It's unavoidable without expanding the show, but I feel 1 hour a week is perfect for what I want to do. </p><p> </p><p> Haha, Trinity wasn't in the mod so I added her before hand, and obviously didn't plan on her being used in-ring. That said, I don't remember seeing her wrestle, so it could be fairly accurate. Probably her last foray into the ring though.</p><p> </p><p> As for Albright, pre-game I really thought he could be one of our stars, now not so much. I'm not giving up just yet on him, and we're in a region he has a decent amount of popularity in for episodes 13-16, but he's certainly a level below what we need for top stars at the moment. If he doesn't get better ratings when we're in the Great Lakes for the Battle Creek shows, then I think he'll go the way of Gunner Scott. It's a shame really, but depending on how it goes, I also have a potential tag team partner lined up for him to quietly slip into the midcard.</p>

ECW CyberSlam - Episode #10 Episode #10: <iframe width="745" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VDaurCVuW2s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></iframe> <hr color=black> Yeah that's right, so far he's thrown Head into a burning trash can, only for it to return the next week after his match (albeit badly burned). Al Snow confronted Elijah Burke three weeks ago, feeling he was behind it. Burke denied it, but made suggestive comments about Al and Head's "relationship". It took a back seat on last week's episode, as the focus was the title. The storyline was also absent from this week's show, but Elijah Burke vs. Al Snow is booked for episode #12. It has probably been too long since the storyline last progressed, but with the heavy focus on certain things, it's proved hard to fit it in. While he's been off screen, we can imagine the paranoid Al Snow has been somewhere investigating who could possibly have been behind Head's return from the ashes...

Been looking through the site and it's looking good! I've sent you a PM on here about an issue I've been having it may well be me missing something obvious... Thanks

ROH Death Before Dishonor - Television Taping Death Before Dishonor FALLOUT - Television Taping Following the generally positive feedback from Death Before Dishonor, Ring of Honor looked to build further momentum with a series of episodes from the same building. While nothing drastic was expected, the company looked to continue along the same lines, with the following being the results from the taping, as they aired weekly on Charge!: Episode #1 Jay Lethal cut a promo in the ring with his fellow ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions, Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams. Jay Lethal put over the three other title winners from Death Before Dishonor, teasing the potential of a Six Man Tag Team match against Jeff Cobb, Dragon Lee & Rush. This match would not happened however, as Matt Taven led The Kingdom to the ring. Lashing out following the loss of his title to Cobb, Taven talked his group into a match with Jay Lethal & Lifeblood! Jeff Cobb’s reaction to the match between Lethal & Lifeblood and The Kingdom aired next, with the ROH World Champion being joined by Rush & Dragon Lee. Cobb said that he would be going to plan b, issuing a challenge to Villain Enterprises. For that match, they’d need a fourth man, with Cobb, Rush & Dragon Lee being joined by Jonathan Gresham. The Briscoes bt. Shinobi Shadow Squad - Eli Isom and Ryan Nova tried their best to find a footing in this match, but were ultimately steamrolled by the determined Briscoes. Following the match, Jay showed the same level of intensity, cutting an obscene promo about Nick Aldis, the NWA and the “10 Pounds of Gold”. Kelly Klein spoke on her match with Nicole Savoy at Death Before Dishonor. She put over the fact that the match was available now on Honor Club! Nicole Savoy bt. Tasha Steelz - picking up another solid victory in ROH, Savoy defeat Steelz, in what appeared to potentially be a farewell match. Alex Shelley cut a promo regarding Death Before Dishonor, saying that despite not being pinned or submitted again, he accepts that - for now - he’s had his shot at the Ring of Honor World Championship. That didn’t mean he was giving up on becoming the Champion, and to do that, he’d have to beat the best of the rest of the Ring of Honor roster. Villain Enterprises accepted the challenge from the ROH Champions Team, with Marty Scurll calling it the perfect chance for them to “fix” what happened at Death Before Dishonor! Jay Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) bt. The Kingdom - continuing to show a great cohesion as a team, Lethal and his partners picked up another victory, as things went from bad to worse for The Kingdom. Having failed to defeat Taven on multiple occasions when Taven was ROH World Champion, Jay Lethal finally picked up a victory over the former title holder.<hr color=black>Episode #2 Bandido bt. Silas Young (DQ) - with Bandido seemingly closing in on victory, the decisive fall was taken from him, as Shane Taylor made his ROH return. Laying into Bandido, the referee had no choice but to call for the bell. After the match, PJ Black looked to make the save for Bandido, but was also taken down by Young & Taylor. Footage was shown of Bandido and PJ Black arriving in the back. Having been busy after their match which aired last week, Lethal & Lifeblood didn’t know of the assault, but checked on their friends as they came through the curtain. Alex Shelley promoted his match with Kenny King, talking of his respect for a fellow ROH veteran. After Josh Woods made his entrance for his match with Cheeseburger, Matt Taven stormed to the ringside area, furious about his recent fortunes. Seemingly laying the blame at ROH management’s door, Taven claimed that Ian Riccaboni has a direct line to the very top, and demanded he got him some answers! This didn’t endear Taven to Woods in the slightest. Josh Woods bt. Cheeseburger - perhaps spurred on by the disrespect shown by Taven, Woods picked up a convincing victory over Cheeseburger. The commentators put over that Woods is on the most impressive run of his ROH career. This is probably what drew Rhett Titus out from the back. One of Woods’ recent conquests, Titus initially appeared impressed with Woods, only to slap him across the face and leave the ring. Allysin Kay issued challenge to Kelly Klein, suggesting a Champion vs. Champion match. It was later confirmed that match would take place the following week Jeff Cobb, Jonathan Gresham, Dragon Lee & Rush bt. Villain Enterprises - The team of Champions picked up a victory over Villain Enterprises, in a match that verged on becoming completely out of control on a number of occasions. Like The Kingdom last week, Villain Enterprises were left disheartened at the end of the night, and as the Champions left the ring, Marty Scurll held court in it. Initially discussing the team’s recent issues with them, Scurll soon lost his temper, as words were crossed between the members of his group. Before he did something he would regret, Scurll stormed off, hesitating, before definitively walking out Flip, Brody and PCO.<hr color=black>Episode #3 Allysin Kay and Kelly Klein went to a no contest - an even contest between two World Champion was robbed of a decisive finish, when Maria Manic stormed the ring and took out both women. Particularly focussing on Kelly Klein, Manic laid the Women of Honor World Champion out with a Chokebomb. Following a look back at the end of last week’s episode, Marty Scurll issued a public apology to his fellow Villain Enterprises members, putting his actions down to frustration. He reiterated that Villain Enterprises was a democracy, but said that on an individual level, he must do better. Alex Shelley’s promo from last week aired again, ahead of his match with Kenny King. Coast 2 Coast bt. The Boys - an overdue victory for Ali & LSG, going over Brandon and Brent, who continue to look to find their path in Ring of Honor. Footage was shown of Shane Taylor’s attack on Bandido last week. Next week, Taylor will face friend of Lifeblood, PJ Black. Matt Taven once again came out to the ring, complaining about the situation regarding him losing the ROH World Championship. While he planned to stage a sit-in, until he got to speak to management, Taven was instead confronted by Jeff Cobb. The man who pinned Taven to become the Champion told him that it didn’t matter what Ring of Honor management said, because Cobb was ready to give Taven his shot… any time, anywhere. Jeff then suggested “right now”, with Taven explaining he needed some time to prepare. Taven then left the ring, but not before getting a shot in about how quickly he had defeated Jeff Cobb at Best in the World. Cobb didn’t let that get to him, and the match was later confirmed to air on next week’s ROH Wrestling... Newcomer Fred Yehi was profiled in a sit-down interview with ROH cameras. Yehi put over his personality during the segment and spoke of his pride at debuting for Ring of Honor last month in his hometown. Alex Shelley bt. Kenny King - with Rhett Titus at ringside with him, Kenny King should have had an advantage going into this match. However, Titus’ involvement backfired, and Shelley picked up a victory over King. After the match, Kenny King was furious. Reaching the end of his tether with Rhett Titus, whose career he had been trying to get back on track, King shook his head at his former partner, and appeared close to giving up on him completely.<hr color=black>Episode #4 Matt Taven opened the show with a pre-recorded promo. Holding a stopwatch, Taven stopped the time at 9 minutes and 50 seconds. The former Champion then said that Jeff Cobb claimed he could beat Matt Taven in under 10 minutes, just like Taven did to him at Best in the World. Taven said that Cobb was mistaken, and not only will the Champion not win in under 10 minutes… he won’t beat Taven all! Dalton Castle bt. Fred Yehi - despite a fast start to his ROH career, Fred Yehi came unstuck against a particularly aggressive Dalton Castle. Castle picked up a much needed victory, showing that he still has a lot to offer following recent troubles. After the match, Yehi’s night went from bad to worse, as he was attacked by Shane Taylor. Seemingly being punished for his association with PJ Black, Yehi was taken down quickly. This drew PJ Black out from the back, with both men ready to start their scheduled match... PJ Black bt. Shane Taylor - during the match, Silas Young began to observe from the entranceway, but before he could get involved, the contest was over. While Shane Taylor had appeared to be in control, he was rolled up by Black from out of nowhere. As soon as the bell rang, Shane Taylor was back to his feet, and Silas Young joined him in the ring. The two men quickly began another assault, this time laying into PJ Black. Returning the favour from the previous attack, Bandido ran down to the ring, but serious damage had already been done to PJ. Silas Young and Shane Taylor then headed to the back, having seemingly formed an alliance based on their joint hatred of others. Responding to the attack that took place last week, Kelly Klein issued a fired-up challenge to Maria Manic! World Six Man Tag Team Champions, Jay Lethal, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams came to the top of the stage to announce the next “Honor Club” special event, which would be called “ROH: Make The Cut”. Taking place at the Hammerstein Ballroom - the former home of Final Battle - the event was promised to have “huge implications” for the year end show. More information would be available soon, and when Jay Lethal had said his piece, Matt Taven’s music hit. The World Championship challenger made his way to the ring, but not before a tense exchange with Lethal & Lifeblood... Jeff Cobb © bt. Matt Taven to retain the ROH World Championship - while Matt Taven was right about Cobb being unable to beat him in 10 minutes, his decision to show everybody the moment the 10 minute mark passed on his stopwatch was pretty much the beginning of the end. Turning straight into the offence of Jeff Cobb, the uncharacteristic lapse in concentration cost Taven his Championship opportunity. A Tour of The Islands once again secured the fate of Matt Taven, with Jeff Cobb standing tall to end the recording… However, before Ring of Honor Wrestling went off the air, a cut away to the location of Marty Scurll and Villain Enterprises lead to the rise of a potential new challenger. Through a mysterious and slightly cryptic promo, it was made clear that Marty Scurll had his eyes on ROH World Champion… <hr color=black>After Death Before Dishonor and the Fallout on television, it was a quiet month for Ring of Honor, with few incoming or outgoings to the roster. Aside from the confirmation that Fred Yehi had signed an ROH contract, and talks that a deal with Joe Hendry was close, there was little else in-terms of backstage news. As far as injuries were concerned, everybody remained healthy, with good news coming as it was reported that David Finlay Jr. would be back sooner than expected. Focus will now turn to “ROH: Make The Cut”, an event that will air on Honor Club after the next block of television, and is being promoted as having huge implications for the year end show, Final Battle. With Final Battle moving out of the Hammerstein Ballroom this year, instead to be held in Baltimore, Make The Cut is hoped to be able to fill that void, with a TV taping in the same venue scheduled for the night after the event.

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Hashasheen" data-cite="Hashasheen" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46739" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2759" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2759</a><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2255" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2255</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1187" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1187</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=47" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=47</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=884" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=884</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=378" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=378</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1685" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1685</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=3243" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=3243</a></p><p> <a href="https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=346" rel="external nofollow">https://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=346</a></p><p> </p><p> I think you'll be fine. <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p></div></blockquote><p> Well that's me told <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p>