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DVD REVIEW: Ring of Honor "Respect is Earned" |
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Written by Adam Lash
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Friday, 20 June 2008 |
 Morishima accepts Whitmer's challenge.
Ten years earlier the same scene played out in South Philadelphia inside a dilapidated bingo hall. Fans packed the building, known affectionally as the ECW Arena, to witness their favorite little regional promotion make an impact on the national stage. While not as nearly historic, for the fans in New York City it was the same thing. Ten years prior it was Extreme Championship Wrestling making that leap to pay-per-view, but on that spring night in 2007 it was Ring of Honor, a company of five years that had risen from ECW's ashes.
Watching Ring of Honor's debut pay-per-view event left that impression on me. It was then that I realized that many ROH fans felt exactly how many of us felt all those years back when "Barely Legal", ECW's pay-per-view debut, hit the air. It brought back memories of a 12 year old sitting on his computer listening to the songs his favorite ECW wrestlers used as their entrance music while he chatted on the AOL Grandstand message boards about the ongoing event that his cable provider did not air. It reminded me of that 12 year old rushing home from school later that week in hopes that the tape of the event had arrived. Finally, it reminded me of that kid opening up the Priority Mail package, popping the tape into his VCR, and dashing for the couch as the screen went from that familiar blue to Joey Styles standing inside the ring, surrounded by the most passionate fans in the world.
B.J. Whitmer is no Joey Styles, but those opening seconds where the crowd explodes into frenzied excitement are eerily similar. ROH is not the 2008 equivalent of ECW, but for many fans it is what ECW was for many of us back then. The same spirit emits from its fan base, in both positive and negative ways, and what ECW was to us is what ROH is to them. Perhaps now, more than ever, I understand why Ring of Honor resonates so strongly with its fan base.
"Respect is Earned", Ring of Honor's first foray into pay-per-view, was not perfect. For a first time viewer it might have been too much and too different from what they are accustomed to. The goal of the pay-per-views were to expose the promotion to fans that might enjoy ROH's unique product but had never seen or had seen very little of it. I have to wonder though if perhaps the "learning curve", so to speak, was a little too steep for fans who would normally enjoy ROH's unique style. Maybe it would have been better to slowly introduce the product? It's a big change from watching World Wrestling Entertainment to watching Ring of Honor, maybe it was too big of a change for first time viewers? The problem with that is you don't want the show to come off flat. It's just I can't think of any other reason why someone who ordered this event would not become a fan. I don't think the lack of production values was such a turn off that it'd Scare away potential fans, so what else could it be? Ultimately it doesn't matter because what's done is done, but I can imagine how frustrating it is for ROH to put effort into something and not having it pay off as well as they'd hoped.
The wrestling though was great, even if all of it wasn't my personal cup of tea. Ring of Honor has, without a doubt, the hardest working locker room in the United States. The work ethic from top to bottom, from guys that I enjoy watching to guys that I don't particularly care for, is top notch. There are times when I feel like guys do way too much for one match, but that's really a problem with all modern wrestling today and isn't exclusive to Ring of Honor. For the price you are not going to find a better value on pay-per-view. For all the praise Total Nonstop Action got for their pay-per-views not too long ago, these events blow away even the best TNA had to offer during that period.
 Morishima vs. Whitmer
 Danielson and Nigel
As Nigel is left alone in the ring we are shown a video package for Brent Albright. I was a bit worried that they were going to mention his brief period in WWE but they didn't, which was a pleasant surprise. Now if only TNA did that. I thought these video packages that were shown throughout the PPV were a good idea. I think though that perhaps a video about Nigel should've been aired as we already get the idea that Morishima is the monster champion and that Danielson is the former champion, but what about Nigel?
Rocky Romero vs. Naomichi Marufuji is up next. Marufuji is really good. This match early on had Romero focusing on the left arm of Marufuji until Marufuji was able to turn the tables and began working on the leg. I hate being "that guy" but this match bothered me a little. Both worked hard and had a good match, but Romero didn't do much to show that his leg was injured other than to occasionally hold it and limp a little. The fact that Marufuji spent the entire first half of the match working on the leg didn't stop him from leaping onto the ropes and hitting things like springboard tornado DDTs. I felt that took away from a match that otherwise was very good. Marufuji was able to pull out the victory in a back and forth match using the sliced bread #2.
 Sweet & Sour Inc.
For reasons unknown to us, Nigel and Morishima are in the ring brawling when Bryan Danielson comes out to make it a two on one. As the two pummel Nigel he is saved by KENTA who hits the ring and begins destroying Danielson and Morishima with kicks. Both are quickly disposed of by Nigel and KENTA and we go right into a highlight video plugging www.ROHwrestling.com.
When we come back Claudio Castagnoli and Matt Sydal are in the ring already. With no disrespect meant towards Matt Sydal, if you were to tell me a year later that one of these guys where to be in the WWE and on national television I wouldn't have guessed it'd be Sydal. Their opponents for the evening are tag team champions the Briscoe Brothers, who you could say are one of the best tag teams in the world and really mean it. I thought this was a good match even though some of the drama was taken away as the winner was never really in doubt since Sydal and Claudio were a makeshift tag team. The Briscoe's have a lot of good double team moves and have a real intensity about them that makes them come off as stars. The Briscoe Brothers win a back and forth match with the doomsday device.
 Steen & Generico confront the Briscoe's
Before our next match we see a video package that covers what has transpired between Delirious and Roderick Strong. We then cut to the two in the ring just as the bell rings. The two have a back and forth match with Strong getting the better of it all with various back breakers, including a backdrop type maneuver on the ring apron that looked like it hurt a bit. Roderick Strong is a fun to watch, as is Delirious, though I can see why some people might find him to be getting a little stale. Roderick wins after pinning Delirious with a tiger bomb. Post match Rocky Romero and Davey Richards come out with a piece of the guardrail and soon all three are beating down on Delirious. The guardrail is then set up between the ring and another guardrail where it acts as sort of a table. Roderick Strong hits Delirious with the tiger bomb on the guardrail before Erick Stevens can come out to make the save.
We cut to Adam Pearce talking to Shane Hagadorn backstage. Hagadorn is sent away to go find B.J. Whitmer and Pearce starts talking about soul searching and the history of ROH. Hagadorn says that Whitmer is around the corner. We follow Pearce and see Whitmer sitting alone further down the hall. Pearce begins talking about Whitmer's broken spirit and about the sacrifices he's made to entertain the fans. Pearce goes to comfort Whitmer as we head back to the ring. It was a good promo but perhaps a little too long.
 Danielson & Morishima work on Nigel
 Nigel hands over the belt.
Overall the show was really good. Ring of Honor presents a product that isn't for everybody but even I, someone who might not be ROH's target audience, can enjoy it. I don't think you'll be to find better wrestling for the cost and an argument can be made that they are grossly undercharging for it.
As a bonus on the DVD release they include matches not shown on the pay-per-view, including Tank Toland vs. Brent Albright, Daizee Haze vs. Sara Del Rey, Davey Richards vs. Erick Stevens, and a tag team scramble featuring Jimmy Rave & Adam Pearce, Kevin Steen & El Generico, Irish Airborne, and Pelle Primeau & Mitch Franklin.
If you'd like to order this show head on over to www.ROHwrestling.com. If you are into the hard hitting, puroresu influenced pro wrestling that Ring of Honor puts on I'd recommend it.
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