Thank You, Paul London!

I’m baaaack! Wow, it’s been seven months. Don’t worry—as the kids say, I got the deets. Seriously, though, my personal life is usually persona non grata on the site. However, I want to explain my absence and how wrestling became some much-needed soul soup.

Illness, surgery, post-surgery complications, and COVID put me down for the count. I was in pain, which seemed endless. Desperate for relief, I withdrew from everyday life, only appearing where the obligation trumped expectation. A brave face and a big smile became the mask of an endless front.

Meanwhile, an independent wrestling promotion, Royal Crown Wrestling, announced that former WWE superstar Paul London would appear on an upcoming show in my area. I couldn’t mark the date on my calendar fast enough.

Most people cheer on the titans of their favorite genre while gaining a deep appreciation for the work, talent, and skill of an underrated and, perhaps, unappreciated few. For me, it’s Sam Cassell in basketball, Reggie Wayne in football, Max Rebo in Star Wars, and Paul London in professional wrestling.

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The Great Muta Announced for the WWE Hall of Fame

First announced on WWE’s The Bump on Wednesday afternoon, Japanese legend The Great Muta will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on 3/31/23, joining Rey Mysterio.

Ric Flair, who will induct Muta into the Hall of Fame, stated on The Bump, “He’s a tremendous guy, a tremendous athlete, a great person, a great man,” and went on to say Muta has a special place in his heart due working with his late son Reid In Japan during his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Keiji Muto, aka The Great Muta, recently completed a retirement tour where he wrestled his last match. The tour included a match against Shinsuke Nakamura on New Year’s Day for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Many assume WWE allowed Nakamura to work the show in exchange for Muta entering the Hall of Fame.

Keiji Muto wrestled his final match as The Great Muta on January 22, teaming with Darby Allin & Sting in a six-man tag team match. His final match as Muto occurred last month, where he faced Tetsuya Naito, followed by a last showdown with Masahiro Chono.

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Is ROH Bluffing with HonorClub Relaunch?

A gambler once said you got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em, and know when to walk away. Tony Khan’s bid to land a television deal for Ring of Honor (ROH) nine months after purchasing the company yielded an uninspired result.

On the heels of Ring of Honor’s Final Battle pay-per-view event on Saturday, Tony Khan announced the promotion’s HonorClub streaming service has officially relaunched with new weekly television episodes coming soon to the platform.

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Chris Jericho’s Ring of Dishonor

A shroud of dishonor enveloped the ROH Championship when Chris Jericho defeated Claudio Castagnoli at Grand Slam to capture the title. Last Wednesday, Jericho kicked off his 8th world title reign with a successful title defense over former ROH Champion Bandido.

It was a fantastic main event that prompted AEW to immediately offer Bandido a full-time contract. However, the show ended with a despicable decree.

Jericho announced the “Ring of Jericho” mission statement. Simply put, he will desecrate the legacy of ROH by beating every former champion, commentator, referee, and ring announcer.

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Thoughts on ROH Death Before Dishonor

Lowell, MA, added another historical event to its pro wrestling resume with the first full-on presentation of Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor with Death Before Dishonor. Many wondered what match would close out the show.

Would it be the World Championship or the Tag Team Championship?

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Examing Tony Khan’s Acquisition of ROH

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Tony Khan now owns Ring of Honor.

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ROH Final Battle: End of an Era Review

On Saturday, it was an end of an era as Ring of Honor celebrated everything that made the promotion special. Final Battle, a name inspired by New Japan Pro Wrestling’s catalog of defunct events, is usually their big pay-per-view show to close out the year.

This year’s incarnation was bitter-sweet, considering ROH’s scheduled hiatus could be a permanent vacation. It was a fun show with some great moments, video messages from past ROH stars, and two standout matches.

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What WWE/ROH Releases Mean for The Industry

Ring of Honor (ROH) announced two weeks ago that their parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting, is shutting down the promotion after December’s Final Battle pay-per-view and will take the first quarter of 2022 to reimagine ROH. All talent will be released from the contracts at the end of the year but can work wherever they want immediately.

As a result, over 50 wrestlers are on the open market. Then, last Friday, WWE released 18 wrestlers, thus making the realm free agency a more competitive place. With approximately 70 talents vying for contracted work, the belief that ROH’s hiatus is a permanent vacation, and AEW and Impact signing many of WWE’s prior releases, there are not enough spots to go around.

Worse, for an elect few, their careers are irrevocably altered or over.

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New Champions Crowned at ROH Best in the World 2021

ROH held its first show in front of a live audience in 15 months with Best in the World from Baltimore, Maryland. Five title matches headlined by RUSH defending the World Championship against Bandido. This is the first time two Mexican wrestlers have main evented an American pay-per-view in many years.

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Revisiting A Night of Thunder

Jushin Thunder Liger announced last Wednesday at a press conference that he will retire in January. Liger, 54, said he wants to wrestle all over the world until the next Tokyo Dome event and hopes to get on the G1 Supercard event next month at Madison Square Garden.

Born Keiichi Yamada, had his debut match in 1984. However, it wasn’t until 1987 when Yamada adopted the popular character he is known for today. Liger was an innovator of the high flying style of wrestling and created the shooting star press.

Despite his age, Liger put on a stellar match where he was denied a 12th IWGP jr. heavyweight title in a losing effort to Taiji Ishimori at New Japan’s Anniversary show. During his near 40 year career, Liger captured numerous championships, won many tournaments and match of the year accolades.

It’s fitting I was working on this blog amid Liger’s retirement announcement. He’s been one of my favorite wrestlers ever since his WCW debut in 1991. I hope you enjoy my love letter for a moment. I never thought I would see.

-Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Bryan Danielson: Ring of Honor – Weekend of Thunder – Revere, Massachusetts – Greater Boston Indoor Sports Center. May 11, 2004.

WWE acquiring WCW in 2001 meant the end of seeing talent from New Japan Pro Wrestling appear in the United States. That all changed when ROH unexpectedly announced Jushin “Thunder” Liger was coming back to the U.S. for two nights only. One of those nights was in my home state of Massachusetts. Nothing was going to stop me from seeing this show!

For the uninitiated, Yamada Keiichi aka Jushin Liger, revolutionized junior heavyweight wrestling. While known for his death-defying highflying ability, Liger also mixed up his work with mat wrestling and martial arts to make for an exciting all around style.

While Liger was tearing it up in Japan, he made is American debut in 1991 for WCW when he feuded with Brian Pillman for the promotion’s light heavyweight championship. Liger appeared spasmodically over the years as fans were entranced by the red-clad anime-inspired character.

Third-row seats and the purchase of an authentic Liger action figure was all I needed to enjoy the show. The fans came unglued when the first notes of Liger’s entrance music hit the airwaves. Multicolored streamers cascaded the ring to provide the Japanese legend with a little taste of home.

Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) was the perfect opponent for Liger. A five-star match was expected; however, what we got was a five-star show. It was a well-worked competitive match that exhibited how both wrestlers superbly apply their craft. As the match unfolded, things became clear. The goal wasn’t to convince the audience Danielson could win. It was to let Liger shine in all his glory.

Every single person in the building paid to see the masked lion/tiger hybrid. Everyone in the building paid to see Jushin Liger. It was a best of compilation unleashed before our very eyes. We held our figurative lighters in the air as Liger performed all of his signature hits.

Liger’s surfboard submission got things off to a nice start, and he followed up with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. After some time on the defensive, Liger nailed a bald heel Danielson with a thunderous shotei palm strike. Liger would follow up with another shotei in the corner and hit a top rope hurricanrana.

The audience popped as Liger unleashed his rolling koppu kick and delivered his patented running Liger bomb for a shocking nearfall. There was only one move left to make. One hit left to play on the set list. Danielson was propped up top, lifted up, and drilled with an avalanche brainbuster to close the show.

Not only was it a privilege to see Jushin Liger in the ring, but from an insider perspective, it was nice to see a promotion use a legitimate draw the right way. No shenanigans, no convoluted plot. Liger was the reason why we were all there, and once we got him, Ring of Honor produced a marquee performance.