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RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: ROH debut on HDNet solid, but unspectacular Mar 25, 2009 - 4:03:14 PM
ROH's debut on HDNet was solid. They brought what they do best to the forefront: in-ring action. I thought all of the matches on the show were entertaining and got across the various wrestlers and personalities that were featured on the debut show. I think it was good that the company didn't try to do too much, although I can't believe Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness weren't on the show. That goes down as a major WTF were they thinking moment in ROH history. Heck, even Hogewood was pretty darn good.
That being said, I liked what I saw out of Kenny King here. He really stood out on the show and looked major league in terms of his promos and in the ring against Sami Callihan. Sami Callihan doesn't belong on national television. His promos and look are terrible even by indy standards. Albright and Titus had a good match as well, but they didn't stand out as must-see performers.
I can't help but think this would have been a more exciting show if Gabe Sapolsky were still at the helm. The show was solid, but it lacked the spark and energy that has been synonymous with the company throughout the years. The crowd seemed dead and if you asked me six months or a year ago of what I would have envisioned when ROH debuted on television, I would have thought the show would knock off the socks of first time ROH viewers. ROH should come across like a wrestling revolution on television, but I just got the sense here that the show is going to feature good wrestling in front of dead crowds.
I know the first run of shows are going to serve as an introduction to new fans that see the show on HDNet, but this first show should have been something special, but instead it was just solid. I know management has been making an effort to slowly define down the expectations of fans on their DVD releases and that carried through here. I hope as the show gets on track, it regains the spark that I know lies within the heart of the company.
Sean Radican and co-host Derek Burgan record ROH themed audios on the Radican Audio Showcase on most weekends that are made available exclusively to Torch VIP members. Sean also reviews nearly every ROH release for Torch VIP members. You can contact Sean at PWTorchSean@Gmail.com.
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