Fool Me Once: Davey Richards and Japanese Commitments

The Champion... will he be an absentee?

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Davey Richards has to miss a big event for a company he's World Champion of because he has commitments in Japan. If you think I'm flashing back to late last year when he had to drop the PWG strap because he kept having to be overseas during dates when the SoCal indie wanted to have shows, well, you're being a bit on the generous side here. Ring of Honor will hold Death Before Dishonor IX on September 17th, and Richards will not be there to defend his ROH World Championship. Why? According to ROH World's Twitter, he'll be touring Japan.

It's very hard for me to come down on Richards as long as he was up front with his intentions to wrestle in Japan with ROH management. Japanese dates are more lucrative, both in money and exposure, for him. American wrestlers are treated very well in Japan, and he wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling (of CM Punk promo fame) over there, which might just be the biggest puroresu promotion in the world.

That being said, he has a history of controversy with telling people about dealings. I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the falling out he had with Gabe Sapolsky over signing a contract with ROH, but then again, I really have no idea who was completely in the right there. Still, where there's smoke, there's fire.

So that's why I have to question why ROH put the title on him in the first place if stuff like this was going to happen. Again, this isn't a situation that never happened before. Richards has shown that his puroresu dates have more priority to him over his American dates, so much so that it bit PWG in the ass. What would they do then, have to plan around Richards' dates overseas if they want to run shows with their top guy? I mean, they got TV back, and judging from what I've read on the spoilers for the first tapings, they're actually going to use TV to further angles and be an important thing where storylines happen and more importantly, that sell iPPVs. Granted, the show doesn't go on the air until a week after DBD, and they probably taped the World Championship match that happened during those tapings as a make-good for people expecting a title match at the big event. Still, how can they be sure that their top guy isn't going to miss later, more important events?

Then again, I'm not sure the whole story can be gleaned from the circumstances we have here. I mean, this could be a one time thing. Richards may have already had this tour booked, and it's the last time we see him miss a big ROH event because he's wrestling for NJPW (which, coincidentally enough, has had a working relationship with a company that ROH is trying to catch in Impact in the past). Maybe this was something unavoidable and in the future, he'll be there and accountable. When the time comes, he'll be able to drop the title to the guy they want to hold the belt next instead of doing what he needed to do in PWG.

But then again, this is now a pattern. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of PWG, because quite frankly, I'm not a fan of the guy's ring work. That being said, I don't know how you can trust fans to trust that they're going to get their Champion when you put the strap on a guy whose commitments overseas seem to supersede the ones at home. For that, I'd squarely put the blame here on ROH. Right now, it's forgivable because it's a first time for them, but at the same time, they had to have been paying attention to PWG and what happened there.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. That's the cliché, but it doesn't become cliché unless there's a kernel of truth there. I don't want to come down on them too hard because yes, Richards is a guy that fans want to see and want to hold the title. That being said, as a promotion, you can't really go on with an absentee Champion all the time. If this is the last time Richards goes to NJPW at a time when he could be at home doing an important iPPV for ROH, then yeah, it's more understandable. But given the track record, can you blame anyone for not believing that'll be the case in the future?

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Future Endeavors Comin' up Big... with the Best in the World

Future Endeavors Podcast

As bloggers and podcasters, we're always trying to get the best guests possible. Sometimes, those guests are regular joes like you and me. Sometimes, they're other bloggers like Spencer Hall and Josh Zerkle. Sometimes, they are the greatest wrestling referee who ever lived.

However, I think all of us aspire to get actual, guys who are in the field of what we cover on our shows. The aforementioned Zerkle has done a great job getting current and former NFL guys on his podcast. The Future Endeavors gang has gotten into interviewing folks in the field we cover, and their guest this week is a big one. Depending whom you ask, Davey Richards is the best in the world at what he does. Give it a listen.

They also announced another big name coming on the show in a couple of weeks. Scott Steiner will be their August 28th guest, and hopefully, he'll be coherent enough to give them a great talk.

It's Still Real to Kevin Kelly, Dammit

Not the best in the world, according to a hermy
Photo Credit: WWE.com

It seems like Kevin Kelly's new gimmick is saying and writing dumb shit. A month or so after attempting to go America all over everyone's asses and failing, the man dubbed by The Rock as a hermaphrodite did an interview with Right After Wrestling, with excerpts transcribed by Lords of Pain, where he had some gems to drop on our ignorant asses.

I love CM Punk. I never met him personally, but when I meet him I will shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciate his talents.

Okay.

But Punk wears a shirt on TV saying he's 'the best in the World'. Well he's not the best in the world until he defeats Davey Richards.

*spit take*

HAHA, that's fucking rich.

Davey Richards is the best wrestler in the World hands down!

Wait, is this a podcast transcript with a well-respected former WWE referee/agent, or is this the ravings of the ROH message board n00bs that @typicalROHfan makes fun of all the time?

You could put the Miz at #1 in the PWI 500

PWI 500? I think I give him too much credit for being savvy enough to post on ROH's message board.

...and then burn that magazine for printing that.

"A kayfabe publication doesn't rank our guy who didn't even win the Championship until after the cut off date for a list that even its target audience doesn't take seriously over someone who held the biggest title in the largest wrestling company for four and a half months? BURN IT! BURN IT!"

Davey Richards is the best in the World and I defy anybody to argue with me on that.

A small sampling of people I would argue are better workers than Davey Richards:

El Generico
Austin Aries
Dasher Hatfield
Robert Evans
Bully Ray
Sheamus
Mark Henry
Santino Marella

I could keep going, but I don't want to seem too pedantic.

Watch the match with Eddie Edwards. It was a 36-minute perfect match. Not one flaw.

I'm going to refrain from commenting since I didn't see it, but if it was anything like some of his other singles matches I've seen, then it's very hard for me to believe that there are zero flaws in that match. Unless you wanna use the whole "Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in the World Series despite not being that spectacular in the rest of his career" argument. I still would find it hard to believe, especially since what a perfect match is to me probably isn't the same as what it is to Kelly, or to really anyone else.

He trained for 4-weeks for that match - like a fighter.



He's revolutionizing the business right before our very eyes.

Oh man, if he's revolutionizing the business, then I'd hate to be a fan in 10 years when he's noted as the most influential wrestler around then.

But back to the whole "best in the world" argument, even if you tried framing it as an honest discussion, not as one just to try and pump yourself and your top star up at the hot ticket's expense, it doesn't work here. Wrestling is not some kind of sport (which makes Kelly's whole point about Richards training for a match for four weeks asinine... seriously, who stops training when they're a pro wrestler?), it's a hybrid artform that combines sport with theater and blends in so many different areas of entertainment that to distill it down into just wrestling ability is such a cop out. Plus, I firmly believe that if CM Punk doesn't hold this nebulous "best in the world" title, he's at least on the shortlist of guys who could hold it. He's a damn fine worker.

But because it's not just wrestling that defines you as best, you have to look at other things, like promos. And in that department, Richards is woefully behind Punk. But hey, I guess Kelly got his wish. He got me to take the bait and reply to him, as well as others to get talking. So in a way, he wins.

That still doesn't mean he's not delusional and shortsighted.

Injury Report: Kane, Richards

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Two injuries of note in two different companies. First up, Kane "suffered" a fractured fibula last night on Smackdown. I haven't seen the show yet, but apparently, WWE.com posted a note about Mark Henry splitting Kane's wig breaking the Big Red Machine's fibula, sending him out for three months. So with all that being said, it looks like a kayfabe injury. With that in mind and Daniel Bryan's spot in one of the three-four biggest matches at WrestleMania next year announced, maybe they are looking to build up new stars. Bless my stars and call me Betsy!

In PWG news, Davey Richards landed in the hospital for a very much legitimate and scary staph infection, announced via the PWG Facebook page. Obviously, his spot in tonight's main event three-way against the Kings of Wrestling for EIGHT will be vacated. Not sure if they'll run with a straight up rematch between PWG Champ Claudio Castagnoli and his tag partner Chris Hero, or whether they'll insert another challenger in the fray, but folks, this is PWG we're talking about. They'll deliver. In fact, I feel bad for not posting a preview column for tonight's anniversary show, but perhaps I'll watch one of my PWG DVDs in the coming week.

I know it's kinda weak to post a kayfabe injury along with a real one, but hey, they're both huge deals for different reasons.

Davey Richards Is Not Under Contract

Richards, choked up after winning
the strap

Via WrestleChat.Net

Davey Richards is currently ROH's World Champion. He's also not under contract to the company, as he revealed on the Wheelhouse Radio program. He's still with the company, presumably on a per-deal basis, because he "believes in the product". In an odd way, I can believe him. Regardless of how trustworthy Richards is to the ROH brass (although you can ask now-rival promoter Gabe Sapolsky of that trustworthiness after the two had a falling out over signing a ROH contract and bailing on DGUSA and EVOLVE dates in early 2010), it's still a very risky proposition in this day and age to have a guy on top of the fed without a contract. Granted, if he's to be believed, he turned down an offer from WWE in the past, so his dedication to the indies and to ROH might not be that much in question. Still, very surprising that ROH is going along with this.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Future Endeavors 7/2 Power Poll: And That's a Shoot... OR IS IT ZOMG

Hi Colt Cabana!
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Welcome to yet another edition of the Future Endeavors Power Poll, a poll ranking wrestlers on a weekly basis based on how awesomely they performed or were portrayed on a Tuesday-to-Monday cycle. It is voted by a who's-who of wrestling bloggers, including my blogging Bro Vaughn, PizzaBodySlam. I will list the top ten, and then post and comment on my ballot. Here goes:

1. CM Punk (Last Week: 1)
2. Mark Henry (NR)
3. Davey Richards (NR)
4. Randy Orton (2)
5. R-Truth (9)
6. Rey Mysterio (5)
7. Alberto Del Rio (8)
8. John Cena (3)
9. Christian (4)
10. Sin Cara (NR)

And now, my ballot.

1. CM Punk - If you don't know why, you may be brain-damaged.

2. Mark Henry - Someone got they ass whipped Monday (Big Show and Kane) and somebody got they wig split (the cage) at the hands of the World's Strongest Man. Any other week, and I'm voting him #1. MARK HENRY SOLIDARITY FOREVER, BITCHES.

3. Shiima Xion/Zema Ion - What a week for the indie rising star. He won his Impact Destination X tournament match and then on Sunday, cashed in his Todd Pettingil Invitational title shot on Johnny Gargano to become the new AIW Absolute Champion.

4. Davey Richards - For winning the ROH World Championship and having a match that some say you'd have to be soulless not to enjoy.

5. Green Ant - The resilient rookie of the Colony is heating up. I'm pretty sure making Claudio Castagnoli tap out to win the Battle of the Kings of Trios for his squad is a pretty huge deal.

6. Rachel Summerlyn - Gotta give some love to the ACW American Joshi Queen of Queens. Plus, I figure if I didn't rank her, both John Hyperion AND Brandon Stroud might disavow knowing me.

7. Mercedes Martinez - 30 months with the WSU Title? That's impressive.

8. El Generico - OLE! New ROH Television Champion! Very excite! - EG Web Translate

9. Sin Cara - Fireworks on two shows during the voting period.

10. Daniel Bryan - Stock Daniel Bryan ranking.

Davey Richards as ROH Champion: An Exercise in Open-Mindedness

Everyone else seems to love Davey... I'll try too.

I have not been enamored with three of the last four wrestlers who have held the ROH World Championship. Not since Austin Aries held the belt has ROH had a Champ that I could really get behind. Of course, @TypicalROHFan will argue that to the death with me; in one of his moments of lucidity, he had tried to tell me Aries' second reign was a dud. Maybe it's just that Aries was Champ when I started following the fed, so maybe it's the same principle by which I'll never fully hate Hulk Hogan, no matter how delusional, or how I can never be fully mad at Lenny Dykstra₁ regardless of indiscretion. I don't know, but what I do know is that Tyler Black, Roderick Strong and now Davey Richards really leave me flat.

Black and Strong have track records. You know my disdain for the currently-christened Seth Rollins. I don't have the Brandon Stroud-levels of disdain for Roddy. I like him all fine and good, but as the top guy in ostensibly the number three promotion in America, I'm not sure I buy him. He'd be a good points leader for EVOLVE, but for a ROH World Champion? I don't get it.

So that brings us to Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards. Edwards to me felt fresh at least, and I've seen him in good singles matches. I also think he's got more of a handle on how to be a viable out-of-ring character. Richards, however... well, he's a good tag wrestler. I've seen exactly one singles match featuring him that I really liked, a tilt against Kevin Steen at PWG's first Kurt RussellMania. Out of the ring, he's just so dry. I mean, his Twitter going up to the title match was him training. Not my cup of tea. I know that I'm one person, but this sort of testimony isn't exactly the best for a guy holding the biggest title in the company.

However, I will admit that DR as Champion is something that is a little over 24 hours old. I really can't judge his reign so much as I'm judging the idea of it. It's the kind of thing that people might find to be obnoxiously close-minded. Now, I like to think of myself as open-minded. So I'm going to give DR a chance.

I'll start with the match against Edwards. Maybe that'll surprise me. And maybe as Champion, he'll bring a new dynamic to the main event. The vibe I got from the title-change program was that it wasn't face vs. heel, but more like rival vs. rival, two guys cultivating fan followings. Maybe if we get a fresh vibe out of this, I can forgive the excessive matches if they happen.

But that's the rub, I've gotta give it a shot. I will, and hopefully, I'll be pleasantly surprised. With ROH coming back to television in a few months, I'll get plenty of opportunities.

1 - Dykstra was my favorite player on the team that tipped the scales for me as a sports fan, the 1993 Phillies.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Weekend Wrap-Up: Holy Balls, What a Busy Weekend

FUCK YEAH GREEN ANT

- Chikara's tripleshot over the weekend was greeted with great critical acclaim, as always, and some big things went down. For one, the Colony got the win over the BDK in the main event Saturday in Taylor. It was supposed to be a battle of the last two King of Trios-winning teams, but Ares had to drop out because of a family emergency. In his place was Sara del Rey. That's not the biggest news. For me, it was the Colony won via Green Ant tapping Claudio Castagnoli with the cloverleaf. I don't know about you, but I think that's awesome. So happy for Green Ant getting the big moment in the sun. Hell, it wasn't a very good weekend for the BDK at all, as they were getting their comeuppance like whoa. Friday night's main event saw Da Soul Touchaz finally get a measure of revenge on the devious Germans with a massive splash on Jakob Hammermeir by BlackDust himself, Willie Richardson. The Throwbacks got a win Saturday against Tim Donst and Hammermeir, and the Spectral Envoy of UltraMantis Black and Hallowicked took out the Donst/Hammermeir teaming on Sunday.

In other matches of interest, Eddie Kingston defeated Colt Cabana on Friday, but as the weekend progressed, he started getting harassed by one Vin Gerard. Gerard attacked Kingston after his 12 Large Summit match on Saturday against Mantis, and then again interfered on Sunday in his match against Hieracon. That could be interesting going forward. In Sunday's main event, the team of the Colony and Mike Quackenbush defeated FIST and Gerard in an atomicos match, via an Ant Hill splash on Johnny Gargano. Also, Frightmare retained his Young Lions Cup against Kodama.

As for the 12 Large Summit, here's a recap of those matches:

FRIDAY - Sara del Rey d. Icarus, Claudio d. Hallowicked, Mantis d. Fire Ant
SATURDAY - Quackenbush d. Ophidian, Kingston d. Mantis

Those results have a logjam at the top of Group A, with Quack, SDR, Claudio and Hallowicked all with two points. Group B has a similar jam, although with one fewer wrestler in the mix. Gerard, Kingston and Mantis all having two points. I have a feeling this one's going to be interesting to the wire, folks.

- Chikara's Sunday afternoon festivities weren't the only thing going on in Cleveland. Yes, AIW's Absolution 6 took place, and my my, it wasn't a very good day for Gargano at all. After eating the pinfall in the Chikara main event, he went and lost his Absolute Championship as well. Now, was it to Tim Donst, the guy he was scheduled to defend against, or was it against someone different who happened to work for Flexor Industries? At this point, I'm not sure as I can't find ANY results for the main event anywhere on the Internet. I wonder if this is intentional. I'll report as soon as I find out, but if Donst is the new Absolute Champion? Get ready to buy earplugs, because we won't hear the end of it. Also on the card, Kingston and a newly rejuvenated BJ Whitmer had one of the best matches of the weekend by observers. Whitmer got the duke. Also, Chest Flexor of the aforementioned Flexor industries got squishified by Tursas, in what I can only describe is perhaps the faciest thing Tursas has ever done.

EDIT: Good news, Donst isn't the new Absolute Champion. It's Shiima Xion, who cashed in his shot at the title via winning the Todd Pettingil Invitational Tournament. So, big month for Xion, who made his Impact debut last week, and is now the top guy in his home fed.

- Arguably the biggest event of the weekend was ROH's Best in the World, which saw two new Champions crowned. In the main event, Davey Richards defeated Eddie Edwards in a reportedly epic match that TWB superfan Billy Dunlevy claimed that "you'd have no soul" if you didn't enjoy. I'd say that was high praise. Also on the card, Christopher Daniels dropped the Television Championship to El Generico. Side note, if you bitch because they defended the title on something that wasn't on TV, then please reconsider your priorities and perhaps why you're a wrestling fan. Same deal goes if you bitched that Kevin Steen didn't honor his stipulation to leave town for good. I for one am thrilled as fuck to see Steen back in ROH, and even more thrilled that he turned on Steve Corino and Jimmy Jacobs, partially because he's one of the few guys that the smark maxim of "everyone's better heel" works for, but mostly because Steen vs. Corino most likely be the greatest brawl in the history of professional wrestling. I am not exaggerating. Okay, maybe I am, but it'll be damn close and damn cool. Also on the card, the World's Greatest Tag Team kept their titles, which makes sense, because the All-Nite Express isn't ready, the Briscoes are old hat and the Kings of Wrestling? Well, the scuttlebutt is that they have contracts on the table to go to WWE. VERY EXCITING SCUTTLEBUTT.

- Anarchy Championship Wrestling in Austin had their Queen of the Joshis Tournament yesterday, and I have results courtesy of With Leather managing editor and ACW superfan Brandon Stroud. Anyway, Rachel Summerlyn won the tourney, defeating Athena in the finals. Also participating were Portia Perez, Mia Yim, Christina von Eerie, Angel Blue, Serena Deeb and Amanda Fox. Outside of Summerlyn taking the tournament, the biggest thing to happen on the card was Perez's manager, Super Electro, unmasking to reveal himself as Robert Evans. He ended up costing Perez her semifinal match against the aforementioned Summerlyn. That's a feud that I'd move to Austin to see. Yes, I am dead serious. Here's a complete rundown of the tournament, because B-Stroud was kind enough to send it over to me:

ROUND 1:
Perez d. Yim, Summerlyn d. von Eerie, Athena d. Blue, Fox d. Deeb

SEMIFINALS:
Summerlyn d. Perez, Athena d. Fox

FINAL:
Summerlyn d. Athena

Also on the card, Davey Vega defended his ACW Championship against Darin Childs.

- Women's Superstars Uncensored held their Uncensored Rumble Saturday, which was won by Lexus over 22 other women. She'll get a crack at Mercedes Martinez, whose reign as Champion has now stretched over 44 defenses and 30 months, making her maybe the longest reigning Champion, male or female, around right now? I don't know, maybe some arcane NWA title that gets defended once every solar eclipse is longer held, but holy shit, for a fed that operates as regularly as WSU seems to, that's impressive. And remember, she defended the title like three or four times on EVOLVE cards too. Also on the card, Jillian Hall made her wrestling return, putting over Kristin Astara in her first match since leaving WWE. Cindy Rogers retired by defeating Allison Danger and both Sassy Stephie and the Boston Shore retained their respective Spirit and Tag Team Championships.

- And just in case you couldn't get enough indie wrestling news, CZW held its annual Tournament of Death Saturday, won by MASADA (who hopped on a plane and landed in Austin the next day to appear in ACW). He defeated Dysfunction, Matt Tremont and then Masashei Takeda for the win. He'll get a shot at Danny Havoc's Ultraviolent Underground Title, and the winner of that will go onto a garbage match Champion vs. Champion affair against Ryuji Ito, Big Japan's Deathmatch Champion. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea, but it's certainly a big deal. Also on the card, Sami Callihan, whose star is ascending exponentially in the indies, earned a chance at DJ Hyde's CZW World Championship by defeating Greg Excellent.

- And in one bit of Impact Wrestling news, Hulk Hogan dropped on his Twitter that the former TNA would be going on the road every other week to tape Impact starting in August. Good move for the company. Now if they can only stop booking shit shows...

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein - Please visit his site to view the plentiful amounts of pictures he's taken for DGUSA, ROH and other indie feds: Get Lost Photography

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!

Quick Hits: On Stranger Quick Hits

- After RAW went off the air last night, the RAW GM announced that R-Truth, by virtue of his count out victory over John Cena, deserves another match with Cena for the title at Capitol Punishment under one condition - he has to apologize on the air next week for his "abhorrent behavior" (and given they show two replays of him throwing soda in the "fan's" face after, that's what they're referring to). That should be amusing to say the least.

- ROH has announced when that Eddie Edwards/Davey Richards World Championship match will take place June 26th at their iPPV event The Best in the World, to be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. This will be the same event Jay Lethal makes his ROH return at, as well as promised title defenses from both the World's Greatest Tag Team as well as Christopher Daniels. My early feeling is that Edwards wins here to set up Davey chasing a "final" opportunity for the belt to cash in at Final Battle. But that's just me.

- WWE announced today that they're changing the name of their video game franchise from Smackdown vs. RAW to just WWE '(year), starting with WWE '12. You can see the trailer here.

- There was a big deal made of TNA cracking down on cell phone usage in the Impact Zone and spoiler reports, to the point where a correspondent from PW Insider (LOL) was thrown out of the building. In what can only be surmised as a big FUCK YOU to Universal Studios (since they're more the ones who are pushing this rather than TNA itself), F4W Online has spoilers for the next episode of Impact. I've been hard on Alvarez and Co. lately, but this is pretty awesome. Also, I don't usually like posting spoilers without extensive care to hide them, but at the same time? This just goes to show that no matter how hard you try, you're not going to totally prevent the leakage of pre-taped shows. Not at all.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!