BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
“Worst Case Scenario” is a new take on the concept of “fantasy booking”. For years professional wrestling fans would spend endless hours of thinking up the coolest things that could happen. Why waste the energy? This only leads to high expectations. “Worst Case Scenario” flips that. Instead of looking through rose colored glasses, let’s take a bi-weekly look at the worst possible scenarios in professional wrestling. I’m not going to be malicious or anything too mean, but I will not refrain from letting my brain come up with the worst possible shit I can. Sadly, it seems the writers and producers of mainstream TV wrestling and the mainstream iPPV level indies are doing the same thing but charging us for it. And now…
“ROH: The Shoot Fighting Fed!”
Ring of Honor was once a really promising company. They showcased amazing talent
that would eventually grow and develop into the biggest names in the current
era. The product was inspired and was on its way to becoming a mainstream
option for wrestling fans everywhere.
Then it just wasn't. Ownership changed, creative minds were replaced with Jim
Cornette, good talent left, bad talent stayed, and before we knew it the ROH was
just another Indie fed but with above average internet media coverage.
Good and even potentially great wrestlers are there right now but it sadly falls
under a whole "if a tree falls in a forest and no is around" category.
I blame the marketing and direction more than anything, but the actual wrestling
style. It's been too sterile. It’s a hybrid of spots and stiffness. While dudes
like Steen and Cole are fantastic, the overall stigma of ROH feels like overly
stiff exhibition matches with no soul behind them.
Instead of denying how piss poor the product is on terms of engaging
entertainment, let's explore the idea of them embracing it.
ROH announces that in this bizarre mind of mine that they are abandoning the art
of professional wrestling and will be a freestyle MMA company from here on out.
The fighters fight for "real" now. So it's even more "grapple-y", even less
charismatic, and isolates even more potential fans.
5 three minute rounds, specific weight class mandatory rules, tag MMA matches,
ring girls, and the whole thing.
Sadly this is still ROH so even these MMA fights will probably turn out as
lackluster as possible.
Whatever happens, happens. ROH is a boring.
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