Boy meets girl, boy loses girl. Boy gets new girl, boy loses her too. Boy still believes in love, and looks for it all over. Has love come around again? That depends upon Gabe Sapolsky and Dragon Gate USA…
TODAY’S ISSUE: A wrestling fan’s love story.
My regular readers will recall that after a quarter-century love affair with professional wrestling, mostly the WWF, I finally ran out of patience with mainstream American pro wrestling promotions a couple of years ago and the love turned sour. I found that I had to endure far too much “ga-ga” or nonsense for my taste and I wasn’t seeing nearly enough of the more realistic, exciting in-ring action I look for. When they did see fit to have an actual match on free TV, it was normally too short to tell a proper story, too muddled with horrendously stupid gimmicks, disrespected by the announcers who talked about everything but the wrestling match on my screen, and treated as an afterthought to whatever main event angle the company was focused upon. It wasn’t pro wrestling I was falling out of love with, but the dominant product in the U.S. at that time was quickly becoming a chore for me to watch, discuss, analyze and write about each week, so I started looking for a new love. I needed something different.
I was absolutely thrilled when I first gave Total Nonstop Action Wrestling a try because it seemed like a fantastic alternative to the “sportz entertainment” style produced by WWE, and I got that old tingle in my belly looking at the pretty, younger lady from across a crowded room. There was so much new and different to explore, with all the excitement of that “getting to know you” phase. TNA featured the amazing X Division, which was right up my alley in terms of in-ring action, and a robust tag team scene filled with young lions who were slowly reinvigorating that concept in U.S. wrestling. The roster was full of athletic, dedicated, skilled craftsmen with hunger in their eyes and a deep yearning to make a splash, and they certainly had my attention. TNA sealed the deal with a kiss by hiring the extremely knowledgeable Professor Mike Tenay for play-by-play, as he called the action in a more sports-like way than some of his contemporaries and helped make the product more suited to an old school fan like myself. I was in love again.
I was getting my wrestling fix from TNA now, and only keeping up with WWE more to laugh at them than anything else, and to stay current with their awful storylines, missed opportunities, poor choices, and ridiculous gimmicks. I loved seeing them dating an ugly guy since we’d broken up, and didn’t miss my old love in the least; life was good. But soon enough Vince Russo got the TNA book and they started devolving into WWE-lite, eschewing the X Division, hiring any heavyweight cast-off from McMahonland, breaking up every solid team on the roster, and dumping their former reliance on wrestling in favor of a focus on backstage garbage and lame gimmicks, with stupid match concepts abounding and too many celebrities joining the fray. Now what? My new lover had just revealed how psychotic she was, and I was back to square one. Was there no lady out there for me? I was at the end of my rope, saddened by the possibility that I might have no other options. I figured I’d become a collector of older shows on DVD and abandon new content all together. I toyed with learning enough Spanish to watch lucha libre, and thought about watching puroresu with the sound down so I could see the action without being distracted by the Japanese commentary. I didn’t want to lose this beloved hobby, but it was losing me. Whatever a wrestling fan’s equivalent of priesthood or joining a convent was, I was starting to consider it.
But just when it seemed I was finished courting pro wrestling, a miracle occurred. Thanks to the generosity and persistence of a colleague on Pulse Wrestling known as the mysterious Ace, I was set up on a blind date with another new lover. This gal was the home of real professional wresting in America: Ring of Honor. Whatever misconceptions I had about the indies for all those years as a WWF fan were completely unfounded. I guess I assumed that if a wrestler were any good, he’d be working for McMahon in the “big leagues” but I know better now. Vince is only looking for certain things, meaning plenty of my favorite performers today would never cut it in McMahon’s eyes. And I wouldn’t want to see any of them forced to compromise their style or be given an awful gimmick anyway, so it’s better that the real wrestlers work for a wrestling promotion that’s not a sportz entertainment company.
This new lady was smart and beautiful, and I was hooked on the unique product mere moments into ROH’s second pay-per-view. Ring of Honor had always delivered astounding wrestling action, with 90 percent of the time spent in the ring and not backstage. The angles they produced were done in a minimalist fashion – just enough to make a viewer understand why two sides would want to do battle. The characters were simple yet effective in a refreshing way, and the wrestlers were mostly skilled, agile, athletic, creative and willing to dish out and absorb unholy beatings in the name of putting on a good show. The announcers were never campy or over the top; they called the action in a straightforward way that advanced angles while respecting the efforts of the men in the ring. The wrestlers (for the most part) adhered to a “Code of Honor” in which they all agreed to treat each other like professionals. They shook hands with their opponent before and after each match and never touched or “bumped” a referee. Management almost exclusively booked matches with clear winners and losers, disregarding the recent trend in U.S. wrestling toward cop-outs like disqualifications and count-outs.
Wins and losses were important for a variety of reasons (advancing up the ladder, earning future bookings on ROH events and/or title opportunities, proving oneself to be the better man), and championships were booked in such a way that title matches actually meant something. In fact, in the 7-plus year history of the promotion, they’ve only had eleven world champions, and Jerry Lynn just became number 11 a couple of weeks ago. No game of hot potato was ever played with the premier championship in ROH, so it wasn’t devalued like the plethora of gold on WWE and TNA programming has been. Ring of Honor was a lady that a fan like me could really love, and boy did I fall for her.
I gave up suffering through seven boring hours of WWE and TNA programming each week and focused exclusively on ROH. I bought loads of DVDs, learned a lot about the company’s history (they existed for 5 years before I’d seen one match), discussed the fed with other ROHbots, and married this promotion. I was loyal and faithful to my new beloved, and talked up my bride whenever I could to whomever would listen. I converted several other disgruntled mainstream fans by showing them the way as the Ace had done for me, and now life was REALLY good. But before long the dream would start to crumble, as my new wrestling love stopped treating me the way she had in the beginning, and the honeymoon was over.
ROH owner Cary Silken was rumored to want to sell Ring of Honor or shut it down outright, since whatever beautiful thing it had become to its loyal fanbase was anything but what he dreamed his company would be. Some say he had McMahon aspirations, and believed the indy fed would never get to be yet another WWE knock-off if they stayed on their current course. So on October 26, 2008, a dark day for ROHbots everywhere, Silken fired the lead booker and driving force behind the promotion’s creative vision, Gabe Sapolsky. This was a blow because the direction of the product was now uncertain, and many ROH fans held their breath. Scrap Iron Adam Pearce, a talented hand and effective heel, was given the book and immediately started making the sorts of changes a fan like me dreaded, no doubt at Silken’s direction. Matches started ending in screwy ways, with outside interference, once a rarity in ROH, now becoming commonplace.
Pearce instituted a 20-count outside the ring, giving refs an unsatisfying way to conclude a contest. Ridiculous gimmicks like “Grizzly Redwood” starting popping up, and big guys like Brodie Lee and Bison Smith were brought in, presumably solely for their impressive size, very much unlike Gabe’s booking approach. By the time ROH finally debuted on cable television, their HDNet show was such a different woman from the one I once knew that she bore almost no resemblance to the indy fed which restored my faith in U.S. professional wrestling in 2007. I was heartbroken.
I won’t say Gabe was the sole reason for the promotion’s red-hot runs. After all, Phil Jackson was a good coach but he had the luxury of managing Jordan, Pippen, and a host of terrific players on the Chicago Bulls’ roster during their dynasty in the 1990s. At one time or another Gabe had at his disposal great wrestlers like Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries, CM Punk, the Briscoes, Homicide, James Gibson, Roderick Strong, Matt Sydal, Alex Shelley, Claudio Castagnoli, Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, Davey Richards, Erick Stevens, Brent Albright, Kevin Steen and El Generico, Eddie Edwards, and so many more talented performers.
Now consider the pool of outstanding Japanese performers Gabe brought in occassionally like former ROH world champion Takeshi Morishima, Go Shiozaki, Naomichi Marufuji, and KENTA, not to mention guys from Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling NOAH who participated in talent exchanges and co-promoted shows every once in a while. While this was the right set of ingredients to make a successful wrestling product, even the finest foods won’t turn out properly without a skilled chef combining them in just the right proportions and with the exact, correct amount of seasoning. This is what Gabe did with the above talent list. He placed performers in strong feuds against the right opponents, built ROH championships to legendary status, and created stables that were both entertaining and logical in membership. Most of what he produced was solid, logical, entertaining, and fresh. The effects of his departure from the fold would be devastating.
Trying to stay optimistic, I accepted the fact that another smart wrestling insider with a vision to write long-term storylines might have been able to fill in for Gabe until he and Cary settled their differences, or even take his own direction and succeed for himself, and I tried not to mourn the loss of my precious prematurely. But the changes happening before my eyes made me believe the dream was over, and that things would never be the same again. I was alone once again and wondering if it truly was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, as I found myself seeking another source of quality pro wrestling.
Fortunately, I have a tall stack of unwatched Ring of Honor DVDa from Gabe’s era, and a bunch more on my must-have list that I’ll eventually purchase. Even better, my exposure to ROH opened my mind to several other indies, and I have found lots of promotions to my liking, including several U.K. feds. In fact, if I play my Air Force cards right and get stationed in England when I finish up here in South Korea, I plan on attending IPW:UK, 1PW, Premier Promotions, and RQW events. I’d have more than enough wrestling to satisfy my cravings, and I always have my eyes and ears open for things I haven’t tried yet, like ECWA’s annual Super 8 tournament. Even with other options, ROH had now become that woman I’d always wonder about, sometimes pining for, and I’d never forget her. I was disappointed that Gabe would no longer be involved in the U.S. independent wrestling scene, but that all changed last week.
With the formation of Dragon Gate USA and the announcement that their Vice President is none other than Gabe Sapolsky, Japanese indy fed Dragon Gate has opened the doors for another new revolution in U.S. professional wrestling, led by a visionary who’s a proven commodity of excellence in that field. A very encouraging announcement on the new Dragon Gate USA website reads, “DGUSA is about quality over quantity. The plan is to present only a handful of live shows per year so each card can be treated as a major event. In fact, each match on every card will offer something special whether it is a star making opportunity for upcoming talent, a clash of Dragon Gate’s top stars or a battle of only the most skilled combatants.
Most importantly, we will only be satisfied when you feel like you have received five star treatment. We strive to make every DGUSA show a destination event. This is OUR haven. You will get what you pay for with DGUSA. There are no “house” or “B” shows or throwaway matches. Again, we are about quality over quantity, like a fine meal at a top restaurant. You will experience how much appreciation we have for your support.
We are not going to hype “huge surprises” or tease you with inevitably disappointing announcements. We are just going to serve you and deliver.”
Boom, baby! If reading that and knowing Gabe is at the helm doesn’t excite ROH fans, then I don’t know what will. This tells me that for at least for a while, DGUSA will produce great DVDs that will eventually wind up on my shelf, and you’re likely to read DGUSA reviews in this very column. I’ve enjoyed Dragon Gate wrestlers since Yoshino and Horiguchi appeared as a team on MTV’s failed wrestling experiment known as WSX, and their involvement with the old ROH was always spectacular. There may never be another love like your first, but when the right woman comes along she can certainly help you forget your troubles over the last one! I might just be ready to fall in love again. Here’s hoping Gabe can find lightning in a bottle one more time. Good luck Mr. Sapolsky, and good luck to Dragon Gate USA!
Vin Sanity is not categorized as a psychological disorder… yet.
p.s. – “Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you.” – Elvis Presley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The original version of this syndicated column, titled Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic, appears each Monday morning on Pulse Wrestling.
Elsewhere on Pulse Wrestling this week…
Speaking of DGUSA, John Wiswell touches on that as well as other Ring of Honor news in this week’s Cult of ROH.
And speaking of Dragon Gate, puro legend David Ditch talks Dragon Gate with Jae in the latest Puroresu Pulse.
Jonathan Kirschner offers 10 thoughts on the first disc of WWE’s new Greatest Stars of the 90s set.
Incredible. WWE’s got ANOTHER weekly television show. Expanding their broadcast hours per week was NOT the direction they needed to go. Nevertheless, Pulse Wrestling has a recap of the new WWE Superstars for you, ‘cause we’re cool like that.
Jake Zeigler reviews the Ring of Honor All Star Extravaganza IV DVD.
Norine “Cold as Ice” Stice once again brings the Real-Time SmackDown! Report your way.
The Pulse Wrestling staffers take a stab at predicting the results of the next Total Nonstop Action ppv with the Rasslin’ Roundtable for TNA Lockdown.
Andy Wheeler breaks down the WWE Draft in the most recent For Your Consideration.
Phil Clark gives out his 2008 awards in The Reality of Wrestling.
Kace Evers highlights Pro Wrestling Ohio in the latest Kace in Point.
Finally this week, our old friend Aaron “Ace” Glazer stops by with a one-shot of A Modest Response, discussing Jerry Lynn as ROH world champion.
