ThROH The Years: A ROH retrospective podcast

[Laney]

I was pleasantly surprised with how the Briscoes match from Honor Invades Boston held up. I remember loving it at the time, but I feared on rewatch that I would discover too many head drops and nearfalls (I think that may be more the case of their Best of the Best match).

 

Maybe I'm giving the booking too much credit here, but Steve Corino's commentary on Michael Shane (apathetic to Shane kicking Luscious and concern over his ankle) makes sense given where Michael Shane is heading. I think it's in the December time frame that Michael Shane joins up with Corino's ill-fated and creatively named faction, The Group.

[Hobbes]

I was pleasantly surprised with how the Briscoes match from Honor Invades Boston held up. I remember loving it at the time, but I feared on rewatch that I would discover too many head drops and nearfalls (I think that may be more the case of their Best of the Best match).

 

Maybe I'm giving the booking too much credit here, but Steve Corino's commentary on Michael Shane (apathetic to Shane kicking Luscious and concern over his ankle) makes sense given where Michael Shane is heading. I think it's in the December time frame that Michael Shane joins up with Corino's ill-fated and creatively named faction, The Group.

 

Yeah, I was a little scared about revisiting the Briscoes match too but I think because of the detail work they do it ends up aging really well.

 

What bugged me about the Corino commentary (And it's a minor problem in the grand scheme of things) is that Corino had been ragging on Rudy Boy since the start, and been praising Dragon since the start. I realize in terms of booking, Corino starts criticizing Dragon because he was booked against him in that match scheduled for Unscripted that was canceled, but it was still an abrupt about face. Corino hails Dragon as a great wrestler and all of a sudden he's calling him boring and he isn't really called out on it.

[Hobbes]

Matt and Trevor are back to review ROH’s seventh show, Unscripted! A surprising title change provokes disagreement! Paul London makes himself a star! Dick Togo breaks a banana! Gary Michael Cappetta wandered in! Gabe realizes that a banner will not burn! All this and much more on the seventh episode of ThROH The Years!​

 

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-7-unscripted/

[Laney]

I thought that Unscripted was one of the weaker shows up to this point. I thought the same thing you guys did as far as this being booked strangely with the faces getting a bye and then throwing a temper tantrum after their loss.

 

Really, the entire tournament was strange. The semifinals are all guys that have never teamed in ROH before. A first round match doesn't happen due to a team not appearing, yet you have plenty of tag teams on the card that could replace them, Carnage Crew, Special K, or even the Ring Crew Express.

 

I thought that the Natural Born Sinners were pulled out of this tournament on this show because Boogalou ditched ROH for XPW. It sounds like there wasn't anything in the Observer or your notes that supported this since you were both confused as to why the Sinners were not on the card.

 

Are you planning on supplementing any of your viewings with stuff that was cut off the shows, but later released on the Uncensored DVD? There's an awful ICP match on Glory By Honor show that the crowd just completely shits on. It looks like that its on youtube if you don't have Uncensored.

[Hobbes]

I thought that Unscripted was one of the weaker shows up to this point. I thought the same thing you guys did as far as this being booked strangely with the faces getting a bye and then throwing a temper tantrum after their loss.

 

Really, the entire tournament was strange. The semifinals are all guys that have never teamed in ROH before. A first round match doesn't happen due to a team not appearing, yet you have plenty of tag teams on the card that could replace them, Carnage Crew, Special K, or even the Ring Crew Express.

 

I thought that the Natural Born Sinners were pulled out of this tournament on this show because Boogalou ditched ROH for XPW. It sounds like there wasn't anything in the Observer or your notes that supported this since you were both confused as to why the Sinners were not on the card.

 

Are you planning on supplementing any of your viewings with stuff that was cut off the shows, but later released on the Uncensored DVD? There's an awful ICP match on Glory By Honor show that the crowd just completely shits on. It looks like that its on youtube if you don't have Uncensored.

 

The Boogalou thing actually happens on the very next show, Glory By Honor. That's when XPW is running a show at the same time and offers a bunch of ROH roster members a lot of money to no show and work for them. Boogalou is the only guy who takes the offer, which is why at GBH Homicide has to work a tag scramble by himself.

 

The Uncensored thing is a good question. I don't have the DVD but like you, I saw that the ICP clip is on Youtube and have watched it. On the Uncensored stuff like ICP, Konnan, Jeff Hardy, Teddy Hart, I don't know for sure if we'll get to watch all of it, but I can promise it'll all be covered on the show as it comes up, at the very least.

[Laney]

 

I thought that Unscripted was one of the weaker shows up to this point. I thought the same thing you guys did as far as this being booked strangely with the faces getting a bye and then throwing a temper tantrum after their loss.

 

Really, the entire tournament was strange. The semifinals are all guys that have never teamed in ROH before. A first round match doesn't happen due to a team not appearing, yet you have plenty of tag teams on the card that could replace them, Carnage Crew, Special K, or even the Ring Crew Express.

 

I thought that the Natural Born Sinners were pulled out of this tournament on this show because Boogalou ditched ROH for XPW. It sounds like there wasn't anything in the Observer or your notes that supported this since you were both confused as to why the Sinners were not on the card.

 

Are you planning on supplementing any of your viewings with stuff that was cut off the shows, but later released on the Uncensored DVD? There's an awful ICP match on Glory By Honor show that the crowd just completely shits on. It looks like that its on youtube if you don't have Uncensored.

 

The Boogalou thing actually happens on the very next show, Glory By Honor. That's when XPW is running a show at the same time and offers a bunch of ROH roster members a lot of money to no show and work for them. Boogalou is the only guy who takes the offer, which is why at GBH Homicide has to work a tag scramble by himself.

 

The Uncensored thing is a good question. I don't have the DVD but like you, I saw that the ICP clip is on Youtube and have watched it. On the Uncensored stuff like ICP, Konnan, Jeff Hardy, Teddy Hart, I don't know for sure if we'll get to watch all of it, but I can promise it'll all be covered on the show as it comes up, at the very least.

 

Further research reveals you're right about Boogalou and Glory By Honor.

 

This is an interesting post I found on it at the time. I find it most interesting that Izzy was one of the guys that XPW was gunning after. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Izzy's work, but it just seems kind of random.

 

http://www.socaluncensored.com/board/forum/wrestling/southern-california-wrestling-forum/1476-roh-accuses-xpw-of-attempted-talent-raid

[Hobbes]

That's a great discovery and I'll be sure to use that (And credit you!) on the next episode. I hadn't heard about the ring gear, airfare and Izzy. I know that they were apparently offering guys who made 100 bucks 500, and that they offered Steve Corino a $1,000 just to do a run in on Shane Douglas. I think only 100 people would be interested in reading it but I would love an oral history on the early 2000s Philly indie wrestling wars. So much drama and a decade later that scene is gone.

[Hobbes]

ThROH The Years is back and fully hydrated for episode eight! Matt and Trevor review ROH’s first ever Glory By Honor! Tons of promotion war intrigue! Spanky’s farewell! Samoa Joe makes his ROH debut in one of the stiffest matches in company history! Do you like meaningless gimmick matches where the winners don’t even want the gimmicks they just won? This show has three of them! Do you want water talk on your historical ROH podcast? Then quit reading and start listening!​

 

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-8-glory-by-honor/

[bradhindsight]

I've noted this before, but I *love* the fact we have the best chronological looks through promotions out there with Titans of Wrestling (WWWF->WWF), Place to Be (WWF->WWE), Where the Big Boys Play (NWA->WCW - it's not dead, I promise) and Ring of Honor.

 

High quality stuff as always Hobbes.

[Hobbes]

Thanks! That's super heady company to be in.

[Hobbes]

ThROH The Years is back with double the hashtags and quadruple the fun! Matt and Trevor review ROH’s first ever All Star Extravaganza! London vs. Danielson! Styles vs. Danielson! Ohtani! Yeah, it’s a really good card. Trevor gets mad, Matt gets baking, Simply Luscious is discussed way too much, what more could you want? (Note: Apologies for some minor audio problems in the first few minutes, hold on, they get corrected!)

 

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-9-all-star-extravaganza/

[Hobbes]

Episode 10 is up!

 

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-10-scramble-madness/

 

Matt and Trevor are here with the tenth episode of ThROH The Years! This time we review Scramble Madness, a hidden gem of early ROH. One of the best Scramble matches of all time. The mysterious marvel of Matt Thompson. Was Gabe Sapolsky a time traveler? Oh, and AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels and Bryan Danielson vs. Doug Williams. All of our Deep Vein ThROHmbozos (#dvthrohmbozos) need to get in the machine and listen to this one.​

[jpchicago23]

I'm not going to lie, the first 15 mins of episode 10 was really hard to get through. Very cringe worthy comedy. I'm giving the rest of the episode a try though

[Hobbes]

Sorry you didn't enjoy it! Obviously nothing is going to be for everybody. I don't think in general we do that much joking, but this was probably our silliest episode ever at a couple points. So you may enjoy the body of our work otherwise, but I can't guarantee it. We're going to stay true to us, despite my parent's lifelong disappointment. Thanks for giving it a shot at least.

[jpchicago23]

I've listened to every episode. I just think the trying to make thrombozos a thing went on a little too far is all. The political stuff is too much for me as well but it's not so much a critique as it is just an opinion. I appreciate all the work that goes into these shows so I wouldn't wont to come across as knocking the show itself. Keep it up

[Grimmas]

Sorry you didn't enjoy it! Obviously nothing is going to be for everybody. I don't think in general we do that much joking, but this was probably our silliest episode ever at a couple points. So you may enjoy the body of our work otherwise, but I can't guarantee it. We're going to stay true to us, despite my parent's lifelong disappointment. Thanks for giving it a shot at least.

I loved it.

[MFoy]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the compliments as well as any critiques anyone might have. It's honestly very helpful. It's an honor to have people listening and caring enough to comment, both positively and negatively.

[Laney]

I've listened to every episode. I just think the trying to make thrombozos a thing went on a little too far is all. The political stuff is too much for me as well but it's not so much a critique as it is just an opinion. I appreciate all the work that goes into these shows so I wouldn't wont to come across as knocking the show itself. Keep it up

 

I tend to agree with you here. The comedy bits didn't work with me and I thought the transition into current events with the Nazi stuff was very awkwardly done. All that being said, I still enjoy the show and look forward to the next episode.

[Hobbes]

I love getting comments on the show, even criticisms, and so for anyone reading, I hope the weirdness of me and Matt reading this thread doesn't ever dissuade you from posting here, even if it's not entirely positive. Every time we get a new comment online, or I check Soundcloud numbers and see that say, five more people have downloaded a few months old episode, it blows my mind. I don't want to exclude anyone and I want to entertain everyone who listens. That being said, the number one purpose and priority of the show is and will always be entertaining me and Matt. It's a fun project for us to do and we're always just going to freewheel and focus on having a good time while we're making it. That does mean that if we're in a goofy mood, we might make a dumb joke, and if something dumb cracks us up, we might reference it again during the episode. Occasionally I will make an attempt at awkward banter. The last episode was probably a little wackier than what had come before, and it was the only episode so far that has received any kind of negativity, and for me, it was probably one of the best times I've had recording one yet.

 

I don't know where the show will go in the future, how long it will last, how it'll evolve, etc. Me and Matt watch each ROH show, I do some research, we both take notes, then we make a podcast, and we don't put much more thought into it than that (Except for right now I guess). I can say that I don't envision the show getting much, if any goofier than it has been in the past. We try to keep the show at two hours and change, so we have only limited time to joke around, and hey, we do mostly just want to talk about ROH. Our last episode was certainly a little goofier but I think in general the ratio of ROH talk to two friends awkwardly joking is very high in ROH's favor, and it's very likely going to always remain that way.

 

I write all this to try to be honest but also to reassure people that have already spent (too) many hours listening to us. The show is always going to be whatever entertains us, but it's probably not going to change much. If you've liked the body of our work so far and have only been momentarily annoyed, you're probably going to be ok with our future stuff. We're probably not going to be taking the show in a bold new direction where it's 5% ROH talk and 95% Dad level jokes rather than the reverse that it has been. I realize how annoying it can be to have a show where you like almost all of it, but there's one or two minor elements that irritate you, but we've got to be us. Also, personally I have very little experience podcasting, so while I think I have improved somewhat over the brief history of the show, there's still a chance I'll continue to get smoother, which might also alleviate some problems (Fingers crossed).

 

Anyway, thanks again everyone for taking the time to comment, and more importantly, for spending any time listening to us. We're two episodes away from wrapping up 2002 (I am way behind on my watching, having barely moved into a new place) and I think 2003 is going to be a fun ride. Maybe we'll do a few end of 2002 awards on the Final Battle episode (I should, you know, talk to Matt about this), and we still have tentative plans to possibly have an occasional guest in the future, seeing as how we have a few experienced podcasters/chums who listen and who have attended shows we'll be covering.

[Beast]

I'll never complain about wacky banter as long as one day you have Justin Shapiro on to talk about how he knows nothing about RoH.

[Hobbes]

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-11-night-of-the-butcher/

 

After a brief delay Matt and Trevor are back with episode eleven of ThROH The Years! We missed you! This time we review Night of the Butcher, featuring a whole forking lot of Abdullah the Butcher. Paul London and Bryan Danielson have a great match with a fantastic finish! We explore Gabe Sapolsky’s defensiveness! A disagreement about a title match! We solve one ROH mystery and start a new one: did people really call CM Punk “Pepsi”? All this and much more in a beefy episode.

[Grimmas]

Another fine show, gentlemen.

These are fun listens everytime. I am shocked people didn't like the sillyness, it was fun. I wouldn't let the negative comments bug you.

[Hobbes]

Thanks!

 

I can understand why people dislike stuff and I want to hear all opinions. I feel like this episode was back down to normal silliness levels, but it wasn't a conscious effort, it was just how it went. Again, I feel like if people have enjoyed the show so far, they probably don't need to worry about us going too far in any crazy direction.

[Grimmas]

Thanks!

 

I can understand why people dislike stuff and I want to hear all opinions. I feel like this episode was back down to normal silliness levels, but it wasn't a conscious effort, it was just how it went. Again, I feel like if people have enjoyed the show so far, they probably don't need to worry about us going too far in any crazy direction.

I am all for you going in whatever crazy direction you want.

[Hobbes]

http://placetobenation.com/throh-the-years-episode-12-final-battle-2002/

 

Your fifteen-year-long wait is over! Matt and Trevor are here to not only review Final Battle 2002, but to give their first ever Honor awards for the year in ROH. Finally you can know what to think! We review a show that is surprisingly good in some ways, but surprisingly disappointing in others. We also take a look back at the Observer awards from 2002 and see how ROH fared. Fix your teeth Leroy, we’re ending the year on a high note!