Condo On The Moon #62: Kevin Owens Unstoppable?

Kevin Owens had a better week than most people on the planet. While TNA finds itself back at square one with news they will likely be without a television partner come September. While ROH worries about what a mobile and touring NXT will mean for them.

These are among the topics we talk about on this week's show.



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Samoa Joe Makes Surprise Debut On NXT Unstoppable

Kevin Owens after laying waste to Sami Zayn with their match ending in a no-contest of sorts was confronted by Samoa Joe. Yes you heard that right Samoa Joe, not Joe Samoa or some other WWE re-branded name. He would come out and save Zayn from even more of a beating and get in the face of Kevin Owens.

Add him to the list of people on Owens plate, as Owens will face John Cena in a week and a half at Elimination Chamber. This all set up by his attack on Cena as he shocked the world coming out confronting him during Cena's U.S Open Challenge. Finn Balor has also earned the right for another shot at Owens being named the number one-contender last night defeating Tyler Breeze. Even William Regal might be a potential Owens opponent as he was headbutted by Owens in the chaos of people trying to stop Owens from continuing his attack on Sami Zayn.

If all of that isn't enough they had Hideo Itami get attacked in the parking lot and gave the impression that Owens may well have been the attacker. Setting up an Itami vs Owens match when he returns from shoulder procedure that is expected to put him on the shelf for 6 months.

As for Samoa Joe the day prior Triple H played things very cool admitting Joe had been to the performance center but he said they may have only talked for about five minutes. Joe also had independent bookings that went into June. This made many feel that all the speculation around Wrestlemania was perhaps not going to happen with him signing in the WWE. He had a brief run with ROH that ended just after that weekend.

What we didn't see on the NXT special was Joe speak but he did address the live NXT crowd after the show went off the air. Here is what he had to say in this WWE.com exclusive video.



Triple H was also asked about if he felt that NXT with developing and touring this new brand was not competition for Ring of Honor. He denied it was and that WWE's success helps all wrestling thrive. Tell that to ROH that is watching all of it's top stars become even bigger stars with WWE. The list grows longer with perhaps arguably the greatest ROH Champion of all in Samoa Joe who also has wasted many years working with TNA. The only feud that TNA ever had that was a huge draw saw Joe matched up with former WWE star and still with TNA Kurt Angle.

Joe is gonna kill you rang out from the NXT crowd as Owens decided he would wait for another day to deal with him. It really seems like NXT is becoming this super independent brand that is far from independent. I heard what Triple H said but you have to wonder how places like ROH and other top companies on the independents can hope to keep talent if NXT continues to move in such big and bold steps. Joe might not be the only one killing things at the end of it all. 

NXT Report: March 11th 2015

There has been a lot of talk about NXT this week and for once, it is not as much about what is happening in the ring. Bill Demott stepping down as the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center dominated the headlines last week. He has been replaced by Matt Bloom (Jason Albert) in the role. This is likely a positive to have the WWE try to distance the NXT brand from Demott. While almost all of the allegations against Demott pre-date NXT his presence there currently would only serve as hindrance for the brand moving forward.

This is another thing that is being talked about quite a fair bit is what exact the future for NXT will be as it grows. Is it still a developmental system or is it growing into its own unique promotion. Is it now growing into a brand that is some kind of super independent promotion? Obviously having the backing and money of the WWE behind it gives it an advantage over any promotion including TNA and ROH. The NXT show took to the road last weekend in Columbus Ohio and it was promoted on last night’s episode of the show that we would see some of the events from that road trip next week.

Samoa Joe has stated he is in talks with WWE and he would be another huge name born on the independent scene that could be added to the mix in NXT. Joe may need some conditioning not unlike a Kevin Owens, but as far as his work in the ring, he has proven to be at an elite level when motivated to be. Add him to the mix with Finn Balor, Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Hideo Itami and Owens it is top 6 that would make any independent promoter drool.

It all leads to the question of is NXT still a developmental program or it becoming a brand geared to attract the hardcore wrestling audience that has been under whelmed with the current WWE product. Can it be a mix of both at the end of the day?

If we put a label on last night’s show it was leaning more to the developmental side than the creating a brand side.

The night started with Big Cass and Enzo going against the Lucha Dragons for the number one contender spot for the NXT Tag Team Championship. The expected happened with Enzo and Cass winning as the angle between them and Blake and Murphy was already teased. No question Cass and Enzo are over and have been for some time in NXT. I have always stated if this act goes to the next level, I see Colin Cassidy as the big star and Enzo more as a manger than his partner in a tag team. One thing that Big Cass has is his size and to steal one of their catch phrases…You Can’t Teach That!  Enzo is entertaining but more so for his personality and work on the microphone as opposed to anything he does in the ring.

Alexa Bliss returned to action after being sidelined for two months with a broken nose. She took on the third member of that crew Carmella. This match was a step below what we have come to expect from the women in NXT. I still think Bliss has a bright future and like Bayley could get over huge with kids. Unlike Bayley she is looks wise a miniature version of Trish Stratus. If she can learn and develop as Trish did, she can be a big hit on the next level. Lots of work to do though but I really like Alexa and think she has an “it factor” to her that can work well on the next level. That cross between Diva and Women’s Wrestler that ideally fans want.

Alex Riley returned to the ring after over 2 years away from it. It took about 2 minutes to realize why he was placed in commentary and not wrestling. His promo prior to his match with C.J Parker was little over the top but great. In ring, Riley is average at best and just doesn’t hold a candle to the talent even here in NXT. Owens came out and promised to end Alex Riley’s wrestling career and move on to ending the rise of Finn Balor. After watching Riley this week, Kevin Owens would be doing us a favor he delivered on his promise about Riley. Kevin will be able to get a good match out of Riley despite his lack of skills in the ring. Kevin is just that talented that he can. In addition the build verbally and storyline wise has been outstanding.

Hideo Itami and Tyler Breeze seem to be paired together based on having nothing else for either. It has been a good re-establishing of Tyler Breeze and with his new selfie stick; it adds a new layer to the gimmick. Hideo Itami on the other hand while clearly talented also seems clearly lost in some ways. I will say this that his selling is amazing. Problem might be he is selling too much and we have not got to see the offensive capabilities of this man.  The have teased is use of the GTS which fans at NXT now are determined to see. If he ever hit the main roster with that move not sure if that would be received with welcoming arms as it will be at NXT. While he did invent the move, even C.M Punk admits that, the move is forever tied to Punk for WWE fans. Itami lost the match to Breeze and that seemed the right outcome for me. Tyler Breeze while not the big name that Itami was as Kenta prior to the WWE, He is much more comfortable in the WWE setting and NXT environment

This was one of those rare NXT shows that I would say there wasn‘t anything that you need to go out of your way to see. Not that it was a bad show or anything close to the 3-hour snooze feast that was Raw. It just wasn‘t up to the standards that NXT is known for as being very high and over performing that leaves us wanting more.  .

ROH Makes 13 Lucky In Vegas

Ring of Honor celebrated their Thirteenth Anniversary show in Las Vegas last night. Normally the number 13 is associated with bad luck but things are looking up for ROH. The company seemed to have hit a bit of a plateau after Final Battle. It easily could have led to things going in the wrong direction. The fact that this company’s MVP was rumored to be out the door to WWE in Adam Cole. He came off a tremendous 2014 which saw him become arguably the best wrestler not in NXT system. He would suffer an injury at Final Battle and have to have shoulder surgery. He ended up sticking with Ring of Honor and based on our interviews with Michael Bennett and Matt Taven his recovery is ahead of schedule. It was good news for ROH that they can have Adam Cole for longer than they might have expected.

The entered last night without Cole but put together a compelling card that featured the Bullet Club. A.J Styles had a great match with ACH that elevated his stock even in a losing effort. The Young Bucks challenged for the ROH title and had yet another classic with ReDragon. This match offered one of the surprises of the night as Shyana Baszler one of Ronda Rousey’s Four Horsewomen was in the corner of ReDragon and played a role in the match without getting physically involved. Much like Filthy Tom Lawler had done at the “War of the World’s” show that provided the match of the year for ROH last year with these two teams.

It was expected to be Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson in a three-way tag match against The Addiction and The Kingdom. Doc Gallows had travel issues and ended up stuck in Detroit and missed the show. Karl would go it alone and all five guys in this match made it work as The Kingdom team of Matt Taven and Michael Bennett getting a key win. This was typical ROH where they are dealt a bad hand and they make the most out of it and in the end got a match that did not suffer from the challenges dealt to them.

It was also a big night for the Kingdom, as Maria would also have a match with ODB on the card. It is rare that we see a woman’s match in ROH. This showed that it could be exciting and something new for the company. Michael Bennett and Mark Briscoe pulled double duty working likely harder in this match than they did in their own individual matches. Maria started the match pretending she was pregnant and unable to have the match. It was all a set up as Bennett came out and attacked Mark as Maria corked ODB with the Title of Love and this thing was off to the races. It was a very high-energy match full of great spots involving the guys and gals. In the end, ODB won and the Title of Love was sadly destroyed.

It was also teased in the Main Event that the guys behind the red masks lurking in the crowd could in fact be The Kingdom. Could this be the angle to bring back Adam Cole? Perhaps time will tell but a strong night for the Kingdom without Adam Cole present keeping the faction very strong.

Jay Lethal got a chance to go with a former WWE and World Champion and put on a match where he did not look out of place. He obviously had to cheat to win but that is what heels do not that we see enough of that in pro wrestling today. In ROH the people who are bad do bad things, it makes sense. As far as Alberto El Patron, he has real embraced the ROH fans and given a rub to the ROH brand as a whole. It has made his coming in for a series of dates well worth it. Adding creditability to the product helps grow the base of fans for Ring of Honor and helps them shed the image of being some kind of independent show. It is still a thought while not true those casual fans not familiar with ROH think.

Jay Briscoe retained his title as many expected retained his title. It was a decent match that many complained was over-booked with the masked red men attacked Briscoe, Nigel stopped Elgin from using a chair, and Ciampa saved Nigel from getting power-bombed by Elgin. It was a lot going on but in the end, the expected outcome happened.

What was more important is that Samoa Joe returned and he cut a promo declaring he is back and wants whomever the ROH Champion would be coming out of tonight. He would come to the ring after the match on his way there locked eyes with Elgin and continued on to the ring and had a classic star down with Jay Briscoe.  I would think that for my money you make Joe vs. Briscoe the main event for Best in the World the next announced PPV in June. In the meantime, Joe can battle Elgin and Jay Briscoe can get to the bottom of which these masked men actually are. Kills some time and gives you the proper main event for next PPV.

In other news, it seems Cedric Alexander could be heading towards a heel turn. He lost to Matt Sydal in the opener, which was a good match where Alexander fell short. Kevin Steen deemed Alexander as the future of the company when he left for NXT. Seems logical to build an angle where Alexander has had enough of being a good guy and dealing with high expectations and failing to deliver. Could be a great story and change for Cedric. I am not sure what he would be like as a heel but I am willing to give it a chance to see.

Roderick Strong continues to have great matches, still stuck at the bottom of the card to his frustration.  The fact he is not under contract to the company is part of the reason for this in my view. While he tries to position himself as a contender for the title, it has to be frustrating to see Samoa Joe walk in the door and get an instant shot. However, given Joe’s history with company it is hard to argue the point of it making sense.

Moose has been someone ROH is slowly grooming to be a big star. It was an impressive win over Mark Briscoe who bumped around like a maniac for him in this match. In addition, has a slow burn that could easily flip Moose baby face as Veda Scott stopped Moose from shaking hands and using the Code of Honor. He had an impressive spot for a big man dropkicking Mark Briscoe off the top rope to the floor.

In the end, this show did a lot of good for ROH creating a positive buzz for the brand. Will it translate to Pay-Per-View success? Sadly, it might not being booked on the same weekend, as a big Ronda Rousey UFC fight but it still can be a positive. The reviews and the reactions to the show have been generally positive and the show had a buzz factor too it. In addition, ROH not rushing with PPV has been a good idea. If they can have a good few months with their Wrestlemania weekend show and the co-promoted NJPW shows in Philly with War of the Worlds and two shows making up Global Wars this year in Toronto. If they can continue to keep the ball rolling forward and get a good build to Best in the World, they should be heading in a positive direction.

It was ironic fans were chanting F-TNA during Joe’s speech. ROH may not agree given they have had A.J Styles, The Addiction and now Samoa Joe handed to them on a silver platter thanks to TNA’s failures. It has really helped add some depth to the ROH roster with quality names that can draw.

It was a good night if you’re a ROH fan. It will be an even better night if it helps draw more people to product in this competitive market for the eyes of a lot of fans that are disillusioned with WWE. ROH is on a slow and sometimes frustrating path to success. It may not move as fast as you would hope or wish, but it seems always to be moving in the right direction.

I watched a free WWE show and yet was more entertained by a show I had to pay for which speaks volumes as to where both companies are for me. 

If TNA Dies: 5 Wrestlers ROH Could Consider

If it is indeed the end of the road for TNA, that will leave a number of wrestlers looking for work. I will just start this by saying anyone that seriously thinks that work will be found in WWE is fooling themselves. It isn’t going to happen and that is just the way it is. If the WWE is going to pass on A.J Styles really who in TNA is going to be viable for them? The answer is really no one which includes Jeff Hardy, The Dudley Boys and Kurt Angle. The reality is the likely destinations will be Ring of Honor if they are able to offer spots with their budget. If not there likely New Japan Pro Wrestling but they too have a pretty stacked and talented roster as well. 

In terms of this article let’s go with the assumption that Ring of Honor is able to bring in five guys to their fold and who they could or should be. I am going to assume that the past WWE crew mentioned above will all pass on Ring of Honor waiting for the phone to ring from WWE in the short term. So with that said who is left to bring to ROH?

1. Samoa Joe: This seems the most likely and easiest fit for me. Joe is a beloved former Ring of Honor Champion and has really lacked motivation at times in TNA at least it appears from the outside looking in. Coming back to Ring of Honor has been a breath of fresh air for guys like Daniels and A.J Styles and one would assume it would be the same for Joe. Simple and easy I think this happens the day after TNA’s doors shut.

2. Kenny King: Sure it would be eating some crow for him and based on who he left Ring of Honor bailing out as a Tag-Team Champion for the promotion to sign with TNA it seems ridiculous. This is exactly why you do it. Imagine the legitimate heat he would have with the Ring of Honor fans that are loyal to a fault. Matt Hardy was hated by them but with Kenny King this would be far more personal and would make for an excellent heel for the company.

3. EC3: This is a guy that WWE really dropped the ball with. There has not been much of anything positive about TNA in the past year or so but if there is a positive it is this kid. He really showed he has talent and took his game up to a new level in TNA which you can’t say about to many people in that company. The fact that he is better after being there from the experience is a rare thing in the history of this company.  Another instant heel the moment he walks in the door based on being tied to Dixie Carter in TNA.

4. Bobby Roode: Still has some gas left in his tank and as much as people will claim he is going to be picked up by the WWE it isn’t going happen. If you want to throw in James Storm to bring in the Beer Money tag-team that isn’t a bad idea either for ROH’s growing Tag-Team Division.  If I am going to choose between the two though, I give Roode the nod simply based on liking him more as a singles competitor, along with the fact of being a better fit for Ring of Honor.

 5. Austin Aries: Another former ROH Champion that is highly talented and has been under utilized by TNA ever since they gave him their World Title and changed their minds. He would slide back into Ring of Honor without much trouble. He is another no-brainer in my mind for the company if they can come to an agreement.

Ring of Honor has kicked around the idea of a women's division that they have been calling "Women of Honor" if they are serious I have a woman for the job as a bonus pick.

Bonus Pick: Gail Kim: There has been on and off talk of starting a "Women of Honor Division" and who better to be a part of launching that? Gail Kim is perhaps the most known and talented female wrestler active in wrestling today. She was the driving force that built the knockouts Division in TNA. Why can’t she do it again in Ring of Honor?  I think she can and you can find lots of other talented women to join her some that ROH already has in non-wrestling roles and others from outside of the company. She would be a diamond to start this division with. To fit that Ring of Honor style would not be a stretch either. She can flat out go and everyone who has seen her compete knows it.

So that would be my 5 TNA talents that I would bring into Ring of Honor if the time comes they are all available. Technically TNA is not dead but the odds of them landing a T.V deal that could sustain this company most experts see as very slim. When you consider the issues the WWE had in creating a bidding war for their content it stands to reason that a company that is far behind them has very little chance to find the dollars to make it happen. This may all be fantasy booking at the end of the day. I think people just naturally assume Ring of Honor would open their check book and make it happen, but they already have added a number of bigger TNA names once they left the company so it might not be a slam dunk.

Some would also say that Global Force Wrestling may try and look at getting exiled TNA talent as well. I would just say that if it is between ROH and GFW the success that Ring of Honor is having compared to the unknown that Global Force is would be an easy choice. This along with the fact Jarrett by his nature has never been on to over pay for talent in his time running TNA and I don’t expect this to change.

The though of even more talent being available to ROH though in itself is pretty exciting. If you are not one of these folks crying a river for the demise of TNA and just simply a fan of ROH it is an exciting thing to think about the possibilities.  

If it is indeed the end of the road for TNA, that will leave a number of wrestlers looking for work. I will just start this by saying anyone that seriously thinks that work will be found in WWE is fooling themselves. It isn’t going to happen and that is just the way it is. If the WWE is going to pass on A.J Styles really who in TNA is going to be viable for them? The answer is really no one which includes Jeff Hardy, The Dudley Boys and Kurt Angle. The reality is the likely destinations will be Ring of Honor if they are able to offer spots with their budget. If not there likely New Japan Pro Wrestling but they too have a pretty stacked and talented roster as well.

The success of all these female angles recently can be debated but this angle with Steph and Brie has been as good as it gets.

 

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