Lack of star power in Ring of Honor

[NotoriousMEAT]

Let me start off by saying I'm a HUGE ROH fan. Before Punk turned the wrestling world on it's head last summer, Ring of Honor was really the only thing that had kept me excited in wrestling for about a year.

I love ROH's structure right now. The amount of shows, the TV seems to be doing alright, plenty of iPPV's, and continued use of the internet to keep people up to date with story lines and the on goings of the company. My biggest complaint, is the complete lack of STAR POWER. When you look back on the history of the company, at one point in time CM Punk, Samoa Joe, (Daniel) Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries, Nigel McGuiness, Colt Cabana, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and an entire cast of interesting groups and captivating story lines made up Ring of Honor. Now days, the feeling is, well lack luster. I just don't feel the excitement, I don't feel the importance, and half the time I don't get as into the matches as I used to. They've had a few time over the last year to really get me caught up in what they were doing, and I feel both times they failed.

I was enthralled in Davey's chase for the title. But way too many Grandpa promo's and a year of failing took away some of the sizzle when it finally happened. Off the top of my head, it reminds me of when Joe FINALLY won the TNA World Title. Not to mention the complete change in the way Davey wrestles. Maybe I'm stupid, but I remember when he used to have wrestling matches. Now every time I see him I have to double check the initials of the product I'm watching aren't UFC. And after all the time and build put behind Kevin Steen finally returning to ROH, I feel that they've totally dropped the ball. Kevin Steen is arguably the hottest thing going on the indy scene, and after a hyped return, and vicious promo on Davey.. he's spent 3 months having random singles matches with lower mid card/tag team guys. I understand their feelings of building guys towards "earned" title matches and what not.. but this is pro wrestling, not MMA. When a guy has the ENTIRE crowd behind him, you put him in the fucking main event. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and time, and wait a few more months before I totally lose hope for the Steen angle though.

Relating to this topic, I have major issues with the main event scene (or lack thereof), the terrible way they've tried building new guys, and what feels like a limited roster. But I'm ready to hear some other opinions, so I'll elaborate on those later.

Do you agree ROH lacks star power at the moment?
-If not, then who do you watch the shows for?
-If yes, how should they fix it? New people, or different booking?

 

[DirtyD79]

Unfortunately Right now ROH is in rebuilding mode. Samoa Joes, CM Punks, and Bryan Danielsons don't just fall off trees. It takes a long time and a lot of big matches for wrestlers to develop to that kind of level. When your whole roster has been picked to the bare bones by the big two over the past few years soon enough you're pretty much gonna be starting from square one.

I don't think they need to bring in new people or change up their booking style at all. That's the same kind of thinking that ruined TNA. Instead of trying to create right now they wanted to catch lightning in a bottle and recreate the attitude era. The problem is that time has come and gone.

ROH is what they need to be, an alternative. They're a company that focuses on the in ring product rather than hokey backstage skits and longwinded promos. What they need is to get their product's name out there. They need to build a fanbase and give their stars the time to develop. These things don't happen overnight.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I'm just happy there's a topic about ROH lol. I was always aware of ROH and kind of watched it from a far but we didn't get an oppurtunity to really follow in Canada until they were on HDnet and then when they more recently had a TV deal with the Sinclair network.

ROH has had a great past and ya it may seem they are lacking star power but what I love about ROH is that no matter what happens to them, when they say their champion is the best the world in the pro wrestling business each time it's almost hard to agrue with that. Again having not followed the ROH product of the past so closely I gotta say I love current day ROH.

I was actually going to write a small write up on the the breakup and mashup the teams the American Wolves and Future Shock. I find the whole situation very intriguing. Future Shock and the American Wolves were both fantastic tag teams. The relationship between Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards desolving, Future Shock member Kyle O Reily who trains with the Wolves getting between them. And now Edwards reaching out to Future Shock member Adam Cole to take on Richards and O Reily. I am really pumped for that match in March on internet PPV. All four guys can really go and ROH are grooming O Reily and Cole for the future as they should.


The amazing thing about ROH is they always end up losing talent to WWE and TNA but some how they find these amazing athletic young wrestlers that rise to the top and you believe that they are the best. They had Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan and he left and then Austin Aries stepped up and then he left and Tyler Black aka Seth Rollins stepped up and then he left and Roderick Strong stepped up and then Davey got his shot and then Eddie got his shot. ROH just keeps chugging along. And they have guys like Lethal, and Generico and Tommaso Ciampa and O Reily and Cole all set up to take that top spot if someone needs to leave.

I think part if it has to do is ROH has that ECW mentality in the way that they just say "hey man go out and tear the house down" no handcuffs. The art of expressing yourself through wrestling moves and phychology is alive and well in ROH. They recently had an 8 man elimation match that went like 80 minutes or something. I really enjoy their product.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The thing about ROH is that it's generally thought of as "King of the Indy Circuit" and I think it's trying its best to stick with that image. If you watch ROH programming, which I'm finally able to from time to time, it definitely has the feeling & look like you're watching a wrestling program that was being taped back in the 80s. The lighting, the music, the production values, the graphics, etc. are all vastly less polished than what you see in WWE or even TNA or WCW. I'm not saying that as a shot or anything, don't get me wrong there. Even some of the promos have that very, very old school feel to it that I know some people are eating up due to feelings of nostalgia to a healthy degree.

When I think of "star power", however, and ROH being in the same sentence, it's just hard for me to picture. ROH has produced some very talented young wrestlers but those talented young wrestlers have moved onto greener pastures and that's where I wonder if ROH hasn't backed itself into a wall. Of course, the brass at ROH wants the company to grow but you have to wonder if ROH is going to be able to retain some of the same qualities that it has now that does make it so appealing to some fans. After all, I don't think you can have it both ways by growing while simultaneously being King of the Indy Circuit forever. If ROH loses that "indy" atmosphere, it risks alienating some of its hardcore fans. If it does continue to employ that atmopshere and give that "small time" feeling when compared to rival companies, they run the risk of continuing to have their brightest & best lured away to playing in front of much bigger crowds & for much bigger paychecks.