Now This Is Real Rasslin'
Posted: Apr 2nd 2010 By: CMBurnham
If you've flipped on Spike TV's "TNA Wrestling" on a Monday night lately, you've probably come across many of the same faces you grew up watching - Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash. And World Wrestling Entertainment's "Wrestlemania" made headlines Sunday for a main event that pitted 44-year-old Shawn Michaels against 45-year-old Undertaker in a retirement match.
Saturday's Ring of Honor show at the Grady Cole Center, "The Big Bang," is your chance to see fresh young talent.
Jim Cornette, 48, the tennis racket-wielding former Midnight Express manager (who worked for Charlotte-based National Wrestling Alliance in the '80s), is part of the old guard. But as executive producer of television for Philadelphia-based independent wrestling promotion Ring of Honor, he's banking on new in-ring talent to help put new fans in seats.
"It's the generational breaking point... for wrestling fans that are disenfranchised, who want to see fresh faces or don't enjoy the showbiz aspect of it," says Cornette, who left Total Nonstop Action and joined Ring of Honor in September.
While WWE and TNA revel in raunch and sometimes feature more storyline than actual wrestling, Ring of Honor focuses on athleticism, contact and youth - which appeal to fans of Ultimate Fighting Championship and mixed martial arts.
That's not to say Ring of Honor is free of drama. On-air, Cornette agitates ROH's current champ Tyler Black and his opponents Austin Aries and Roderick Strong - inciting the kind of passion that ignites matches.
Ring of Honor debuts here with "The Big Bang" - but has been around since 2002. A. J. Styles, Samoa Joe, and WWE's CM Punk passed through its ropes on the way to TV stardom. Others, like tag team partners Mark and Jay Briscoe, have been with ROH since the beginning.
Cornette calls Ring of Honor "starmakers."
"The companies with bigger budgets can buy the stars after they're created and found. Ring of Honor has had the best track record of finding these guys and exposing them to the fans, so they can pick who they like."
Another aspect that sets apart Ring of Honor from its bigger competitors is that for "The Big Bang" it's pulling in local talent - NWA New Beginnings wrestlers Zack Salvation and Phill Shatter. They'll mix old and new with a pre-show meet-and-greet with Cornette, Bobby Eaton, Dutch Mantell and Tommy Young, and including Lucha Libre, Mexico's fast-paced, high flying style, on the card.
Blue Demon Jr. - one of Mexico's biggest stars - Misterioso, Super Parka and Solar are just a few of the Lucha stars set to appear.
Despite efforts to reach multiple pockets of fans with "The Big Bang," Ring of Honor is the underdog. It airs Mondays on HDNet and relies on DVDs, live shows and Internet pay-per-views. Yet that's part of its appeal to a younger, tech-savvy fan base.
More Information
'The Big Bang'
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings Drive
TICKETS: $20-$25
DETAILS: www.rohwrestling.com
Supplemental Information
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Spotlight in History
- 1960 Tony Borne def. Bull Curry for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
- 1969 Chuck Karbo became the TSW North American Champion
- 1978 Karl Krupp became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
- 1998 The Bad Boys (Splash Jackson & Bull Schmitt) def. The Texas Outlaws (Dan Wilder & Bernard Funk) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
- 2008 Brent Albright def. Slam Shady for the NWA-OK Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
- 2008 High Society (Al Farat & Thomas Trump) became the NWA-OK Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
- 2008 Josh Michaels became the ACW Heavyweight Champion
- 2009 The Canadian Red Devil became the ComPro Showtime Champion
- 2015 Seth Angel & Adrian Dell def. Nemesis (Bobby Starr & Damien Morte) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
- 2015 Killista def. Paul Puertorico for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
- 2015 Rolling Thunder def. Michael Duplanti for the NAW Heavyweight Champion
- 2015 Paige Turner def. Erica for the IZW Queens Champion
- 2015 Michael Wolf def. Jake O'Brien for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
- 2015 Jake O'Brien def. Michael Wolf for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
Week of Sun 06-09 to Sat: 06-15
- 06-09 1959 The Golden Giant became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
- 06-09 1966 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
- 06-09 1980 The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) def. Junkyard Dog & Buck Robley for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
- 06-09 1989 Jeff Jarrett & Mil Mascaras def. Super Zodiac & Cactus Jack for the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
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- 06-09 2023 The Regime (Derek James & Logan Knight & Merc & Skylar Slice/Sgt. Slice) def. The Roll Modelz (Malik Mayfield & Olivier Vegos) for the CPW Tag Team Champions
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- 06-09 2023 Red James def. Mr. Nasty for the CPW 918 Champion
- 06-10 1979 Bruiser Brody def. Mark Lewin for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
- 06-10 1985 Tim Brooks def. Scott Casey for the WCCW Television Champion
- 06-10 2006 Dexter Hardaway became the AACW Mid-American Light Heavyweight Champion
- 06-10 2023 MLP became the XDWF New GenX Champion
- 06-11 1984 Chris Adams became the WCCW Television Champion
- 06-11 2009 Sage became the SWCW Art of War Champion
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- 06-13 1978 Karl Krupp became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
- 06-13 1998 The Bad Boys (Splash Jackson & Bull Schmitt) def. The Texas Outlaws (Dan Wilder & Bernard Funk) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
- 06-13 2008 Brent Albright def. Slam Shady for the NWA-OK Oklahoma Heavyweight Champion
- 06-13 2008 High Society (Al Farat & Thomas Trump) became the NWA-OK Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
- 06-13 2008 Josh Michaels became the ACW Heavyweight Champion
- 06-13 2009 The Canadian Red Devil became the ComPro Showtime Champion
- 06-13 2015 Seth Angel & Adrian Dell def. Nemesis (Bobby Starr & Damien Morte) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
- 06-13 2015 Killista def. Paul Puertorico for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
- 06-13 2015 Rolling Thunder def. Michael Duplanti for the NAW Heavyweight Champion
- 06-13 2015 Paige Turner def. Erica for the IZW Queens Champion
- 06-13 2015 Michael Wolf def. Jake O'Brien for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
- 06-13 2015 Jake O'Brien def. Michael Wolf for the ComPro Heavyweight Champion
- 06-14 1970 Fritz Von Erich def. Boris Malenko for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
- 06-14 1982 Fritz Von Erich def. King Kong Bundy for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
- 06-14 2004 Team Shenanigans (Tyler Bateman & Kenny Campbell) def. Li'l Joe & Al Farat for the ACW Tag Team Champions
- 06-14 2008 Kenny Campbell became the IZW Impact Division Champion
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- 06-14 2008 Anarchy [2nd] def. The Enforcer for the SECW Tri-State Champion
- 06-14 2008 Dane Griffin def. Mo'Body Gillespie for the 3DW Violent Division Champion
- 06-14 2009 El Super Colibri became the TAP Adrenaline Champion
- 06-14 2009 Reckless def. The Canadian Red Devil for the TAP Heavyweight Champion
- 06-14 2009 Shane Morbid def. Jon Cross for the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Champion
- 06-14 2013 Clint Cox became the BPPW Heavyweight Champion
- 06-14 2014 The Rising (Justin Riker & Abel) def. Psycho Sawyer & Diamond for the SRPW Tag Team Champions
- 06-14 2014 Omega X (Brett Stopp & X-Static) def. The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) for the UWE Tag Team Champions
- 06-15 1982 King Kong Bundy became the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
- 06-15 2003 Tyler Bateman def. Jef Tiger for the ACW Hardcore Champion
- 06-15 2003 John O'Malley def. Tyler Bateman for the ACW Hardcore Champion
- 06-15 2008 El Culo Intruso def. Dane Griffin for the 3DW Violent Division Champion
- 06-15 2018 Sam Stackhouse def. Abyss for the BCW Buzzsaw Champion
- 06-15 2019 Double D became the WFC Heavyweight Champion
- 06-15 2019 Prince Mahalli def. Damon Windsor for the WCR Revolutionary Champion
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Oklafan Quiz
Which ECW star played 2 years of college football at the University of Tulsa?