Wrestling News August 13, 2005

The big news this weekend is that tonight is CM Punk’s final night in Ring of Honor. As one of the mainstays in the company, Punk has become as much a name for ROH as Taz was for ECW or even Ric Flair was for WCW. When the “unpleasantness” came about with one of the former owners of ROH, TNA pulled their weight to make sure their company was not tarnished by that reputation-by-proxy.

CM Punk was the only contracted TNA wrestler who broke ranks. He stuck with ROH through that trying time and the ROHbots respected him for it. But, like all good things, it must come to an end. Tonight he faces former in-ring rival and friend, Colt Cabana, in the ring. On the company’s website the two men shared some thoughts about their friendship:

Punk: “So now I'm leaving, and it kills me to think that this might be the last time I get to wrestle somebody who over the course of the last six years has become my brother. However, we're in Chicago. It's like it was meant to be. If I go out, I can't think of a better way. Two home town kids. Two best friends. Doing what they dreamed about doing since they were little kids. It's going to be emotional in Chicago Saturday night, and ya know, sometimes part of me gets nervous and thinks, "what if I screw up, what if it's a bad match?"

Then I smile, because it can't be a bad match....Colt Fucking Cabana is in it. I hope Saturday night never ends..."

Colt, in a very touching tribute: ”Now Punk is off to become the huge star we all knew he'd become. To me, he's an inspiration. He got himself that job without breaking his beliefs and way of life. Since day one, Punk knew his passion and has gone for it. There's been many hurdles for both of us. We don't stop though. He broke his skull and was back two months later. I know wrestlers who chipped a nail and gave it up. I hope when I have kids that they follow his work ethic, morals and beliefs.”

SD: Click the link and give it a read. You don’t often get this kind of display of friendship in professional wrestling so it’s nice to see it when it comes along. It’s not somebody else’s snippets from what they remember from an internet radio show’s interview. These are the feelings from the men typed out in their own words. Maybe I’m a big ol’ softy, but that kind of sentiment is nice to see in a testosterone driven industry.

Last night’s show in Dayton saw a new ROH Champion get crowned. Here are the results:

Ace Steel def. Sterling Keenon, Delirious & Matt Stryker in a 4-corners match
“Classic” Colt Cabana def Spanky
Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer def. Nigel McGuiness and Chad Collyer
Matt Sydel w/ Daisy Haize, Austin Aries, & Roderick Strong def. The Embassy (Alex Shelley, Jimmy Rave, & Abyss)
Low Ki vs Jay Lethal was a NC
Matt Hardy def. Homicide
In the 4-way Elimination Main Event James Gibson def. CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels to become the new ROH World Champion


In other ROH news, Tony Mamaluke will be returning to the company for a few dates this fall.

SD: Can anybody tell which fed I think has the best wrestling and angles going today? It’s a damn shame ROH isn’t in the position to do tv yet (outside of their random matches on England’s TWC). The past few months have been so damn exciting to read about for me. As soon as these latest shows are on DVD I implore you to check them out — especially if the entirety of your wrestling viewing is watching Raw or Smackdown just to snark on it.

Tomorrow night’s TNA ppv, Bound For Glory, has a potentially great card. Check it out:

MAIN EVENT
NWA World Heavyweight Champion Raven and Sabu vs. Jeff Jarrett and Rhino

SUPER X CUP FINALS
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe

OVER A DECADE IN THE MAKING
The TNA in-ring return of Jerry Lynn vs. Sean Waltman

NON-TITLE INTERNET DREAM MATCH
X Champion The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries (as voted by fans)

CHALLENGE MATCH
Lance Hoyt vs. Abyss w/Jim Mitchell

DECISION TIME FOR BG JAMES
Konnan and The Truth vs. Kip James and The Alpha Male Monty Brown
Special Referee: BG James

EIGHT MAN TAG TEAM WARFARE
NWA World Tag Team Champions The Naturals and America’s Most Wanted vs. Team Canada (Williams, Roode, Young and A1)

TIED 1-1: FINAL MATCH
Shocker vs. Alex Shelley

Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Shark Boy taking on Simon Diamond, David Young and Primetime Elix Skipper

And the pre-show match will be Apolo & Sonny Siaki vs. Jerrelle Clark & Mikey Batts

SD: Half the card looks really good on paper and the other half looks like standard TNA booking on paper. We all know which ones will be abot the matches and which will be about stories. TNA’s bookers have never been strong enough to carry the company on their stories but they still keep plugging away at it. You’ve got to respect that tenacity. Still. This could be a sleeper ppv hit.