So I'm sitting here making a tape for a trade I made (anyone who wants to trade, email me at sean2101@aol.com) and I'm watching a 6 man from the IWA MS 5/30 show: Samoa Joe, CM Punk & BJ Whitmer vs. Homicide, B Boy & Chris Hero and it brings up a question that has needed to be asked for way too long:

What do people like so much about Samoa Joe and CM Punk?

Do you actually watch them WRESTLE?

Samoa Joe: He's stiff. He's "BIG". SO WHAT? What entertainig spots does he have? The Ole kick? Isn't that beyond tired, and anyway, it's just a charging kick to the head. Where's the TALENT? And here's what gets me about Joe. He doesn't SELL. He just turns his head and squints. Not only that, but he seems like he doesn't give much anymore. At the 9/11 ROH show it was Joe vs DOUG FUCKING WILLIAMS, and it was basically a SQUASH! Are you kidding me? You're not going to sell for Doug Williams? You're not going to let him LIGHT UP THE CROWD with his incredible offense? I honestly think the fact that ROH has booked him as dominant has blinded people to the fact that... He's a HOSS! IT'S ALL THERE - He's tall. His offense consists of forearms, knees and headbutts. He gets winded easily. He is Bradshaw.

I'm not saying Samoa Joe is terrible. I think he's a decent big man. But are you telling me this guy is a long term champ in a promotion with guys who can wrestle circles around him and are just as over (I'm thinking HOMICIDE when I say this)? Is Joe the champ because he's an entertainer? And if he is over because of this, isn't ROH the promotion that's about WRESTLING? Are you telling me a SPORTZZ ENTERTAINER is your top guy in Ring of Honor?

CM Punk: OK, this I don't get at all. Yes, the straight edge gimmick is cool. His entrance is also great. But once he gets in the ring, IMO, he just doesn't cut it. Again, I'm not saying he's terrible, but does he do anything exceptionally well? Are his matches not immediately forgettable? At the same ROH 9/11 show, Punk had a 15 minute match that elicited chants of "boring" up until the schmozz/DQ cheap finish (don't get me started on cheap finishes in ROH, what a crock this company has turned out to be). He does the Ohtani boot scrape, and I know move theft is a way of life in wrestling, but at least guys like B Boy do their own variation to give it some SPICE! And right now in this six man he has locked in a SLEEPER. A SLEEPER HOLD! And what's all this about him having Gabe's ear in ROH? Are some people comparing him to HHH?

Honestly I think Punk is over because people like the gimmick. But IMO the wool has been pulled over the fans' eyes, as he is another guy who is getting by more on his sportzz entertaining rather than his ability to entertain through WRESTLING. And that's fine, but is that the kind of guy ROH wants near the top? I guess so.

Anyway I just wanted to get that off my chest. Obviously it's just a fan's opinion, but it all really boggles the mind. Wasn't ROH founded to give fans an alternative to the WWE HOSS STYLE? Wasn't it all about incredible matches by talented guys like Homicide, Ki, Dragon & Daniels? Who's got a better chance of putting on a cutting edge, mind-boggling display of new moves and fast action: Joe, Punk & Dan Maff, or Roderick Strong, Jack Evans, and Homicide?

So yeah, I admit I'm not a big fan of ROH. The thing that really turned me off to ROH was the fact that this company is supposedly all about wrestling - and they have CATFIGHTS. It stuns me that they use women just like the WWE did for a long time - as nothing but masturbation fodder. I know that ROH has announced that they're going to start feature women's wrestling, but of course this comes after companies like WXW and IWA Mid South have been taking risks and developing what is a very promising crop of female workers. IWA Mid South, in fact, may have the best women's division in the US now that Gail Kim and Nidia have been released from the WWE. ROH is not the innovator in this area whatsoever. I'm glad they're finally going to give women a shot, but please nobody act like ROH is doing anything other than following a trend after it looks like it's going somewhere.

And what's the deal with JAPW injecting the CARNAGE CREW into the Teddy/Evans vs SST feud? I don't want to see the Carnage Crew AT ALL, much less in the main event angle! It seems to me JAPW really loves the brawling style, and as a fan it just makes me want to not bother with them. Brawling through the crowd may pop a live crowd, but when I see it on tape I just fast-forward. Guys like Hart & B Boy don't need to suplex each other in the bleachers to pop a crowd. It seems to me JAP has an incredible line-up of talent, but instead of letting them cut loose they're handing them forks and telling them to bleed. I enjoy the hardcore style, I love guys like Low Life Louie and Necro Butcher. But if I see Teddy Hart live, I want to see him light the ring up with his corkscrews and his awesome counters. I don't want to see him sell for fifteen minutes like he was one of those fat mullett-y jobbers from 1985 WWF.

OK, that's all. I'm now copying an Akira Hokuto commercial tape, if the US women like Alere, April, Mickie and Cheerleader Melissa can get to even a fraction of her level, then US JOSHI will LIVE!

I tried to weasel Becky Bayless into http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/article.php?columns_id=3065411's Top 10 Hottest Women feature but I got STONEWALLED by Becky herself!
Check out who took her http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/article.php?columns_id=3057spot at #10. HERESY! Here's my latest

http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/article.php?columns_id=3094Digest featuring Ricardo Montalban's manboobs.

I was considering going to the DPW show but then I realised I have no money and thinking about it, I don't actually want to be involved in Double Penetration without knowing who is where, exactly. Look forward to hearing about the show, though.

Oh yeah, this guy OWNS so leave him alone. He can single handedly take a shit crowd and bring them to LIFE. That's why HE IS: