Guest JpBv2 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Does anyone care? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawk 34 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 It was just announced 20 minutes ago. The Morishima Announcement Monday, January 22, 2007 The partnership between Ring Of Honor and Pro Wrestling NOAH will continue this February for ROH's Fifth Year Festival when Takeshi Morishima makes his in ring ROH debut. Morishima has signed to wrestle at ROH's events on 2/16 in Manhattan, 2/17 in Philadelphia, 2/23 in Dayton and 2/24 in Chicago. Tickets for all four shows are now on sale at www.ROHwrestling.com or by calling 215-781-2500. We are also pleased to announce several of Morishima's matches for this tour. Here is the rundown: Morishima will answer Samoa Joe's challenge for 2/16 in New York at the Manhattan Center. It will be Morishima vs. Joe for ROH's huge return to Manhattan!!! There will be much more on this match in upcoming editions of the ROH Video Wire and ROHwrestling.com Newswire. ROH World Champion Homicide has sent open contracts all over the wrestling world. The one shipped to the NOAH office has been signed by Morishima. It will be Morishima vs. ROH World Champion Homicide for the title on 2/17 in Philadelphia. If Homicide loses the belt before 2/17, Morishima will face whoever the champion is in Philadelphia. If Samoa Joe defeats Homicide on 1/27 in Edison, NJ, it will be Joe vs. Morishima non-title in Manhattan and then Joe vs. Morishima for the belt in Philadelphia. If Morishima wins the belt on 2/17 in Philadelphia he will make his first defense on 2/23 in Dayton. BJ Whitmer is scheduled to challenge for the World Title in Dayton no matter who the champion is on that date. If Morishima is not champion he will be faced with a main event caliber ROH star. Dayton will get the best match possible. ROH's debut at the Windy City Fieldhouse in Chicago on 2/24 will see a gigantic tag team main event. It will be Morishima & Nigel McGuinness vs. Samoa Joe & Homicide!!! Tag matches don't get any bigger than this as the NOAH vs. Samoa Joe feud reaches its peak. Morishima is ready to make a big impact in ROH. This hard-hitter is easily the biggest and most intimidating competitor to step foot into ROH. However, Morishima will be tested as soon as he comes to Ring Of Honor. There will be lots more news of Morishima's first tour of ROH in the upcoming weeks in the ROHwrestling.com Newswire and ROH Video Wire. I'll be there for the 2/23 and 2/24 shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Flamboyance 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 I'll be at the Edison show next week and at 2/16 to see Morishima vs Joe. I can't fucking wait. Looks like I'm getting my unrealistic wish of Morishima facing Joe for that night instead of next fall. If only I could make 2/17. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
World's Worst Man 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Homicide vs. Morishima is bizarre. I can't imagine any scenario where Homicide pins or submits Morishima, so does that mean Morishima wins the title? Or do they have a cheap finish? Very intriguing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawk 34 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Homicide vs. Morishima is bizarre. I can't imagine any scenario where Homicide pins or submits Morishima, so does that mean Morishima wins the title? Or do they have a cheap finish? Very intriguing. Gabe was making heavy suggestions that ROH will change forever and Morishima winning the title would live up to that level. I'm not sure if I can see Morishima carrying the title back over to Japan (since I doubt they do a one week reign for him to drop it to Whitmer). I hope they don't do the draw finish but I think Gabe knows that has been played out. Morishima will work 4 matches but I don't think he'll take all of them. The heavy favorite for 2/23 would have to be Nigel or perhaps a Nigel/Morishima Vs Briscoes tag match. Very interesting stuff and it's just the start for ROH here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Cucaracha 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 So, having only seen Morishima very briefly (about 10 minutes of a tag match against KENTA and Marufuji and a tag match he had in England), I ask dumbly how good is he really? Obviously they're building Joe/Morishima to be one of the biggest matches of the year, but is he capable of that, or is it just going to be one giant strike exchange? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
World's Worst Man 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 He's very good. He's not the best heavyweight in the world as Meltzer claims, nor is he a legitimately great worker yet, but he has talent. Given how well Joe did in the Kobashi match, I have no doubt that he could bump around and take a beating from Morishima. Unless they have some communication problems, I would expect a very good match, at least. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawk 34 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Here's another factor to the question posed earlier, Homicide might not even be the champion on 2/17. I wouldn't put it past them to have Rave win on 2/16. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wyld Cannon 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Homocide has been scheduled to be champion since BEFORE Danielson won it, why would he lose it to Jimmy Rave so soon?? Morishima is a top level wrestler right now, The Wild II vs. Kentafuji tag that went to a 30 min draw was awesome. Morishima made both juniors, especially KENTA, look really strong, selling amazingly for their offense without looking hokey. And his Backdrop is sweet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
World's Worst Man 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2007 Rave vs. Morishima is a nuttier thought than Homicide vs. Morishima. The problem is that the only 2 men in the company who really match up with Morishima are Joe and Nigel. No one else has the size to be a legitimate opponent, ie one that could beat him. That's why it's so hard to predict the title match. I don't even think having Homicide beat him via screwjob is an option. The only way he should lose that match is getting himself DQ'd, but that seems really unlikely. A draw is the same as a loss, not a believable outcome. Which leaves Morishima winning the title, but it's hard to imagine they end Homicide's reign that soon after he won the title. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Cucaracha 0 Report post Posted January 23, 2007 If they made the match No DQ/Fight Without Honor, then Homicide would have more of a believable chance of winning, seeing as he's much more experienced in those sort of matches than Morishima. But the chances of them doing that is slim. Remember, the winner meets BJ on 2/23, which is six days after he would face Homicide. If you could add anyone to the list of suitable opponents for Morishima, I think Gabe would put BJ high on that list. So, there'd be six days to get the announcement of the title change out and build some interest in Morishima vs. BJ, assuming he wins the title. I can see that happening somehow. I can't decide whether they've booked himself into a corner or done well to come up with a World Title main event where the outcome isn't obvious to everyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites