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| A Family Portrait Photo Credit: @ringofhonor |
It had become almost a running joke. If you're ROH World Champion, one of your first defenses is always supposed to be against Jay Briscoe. It was clockwork. No one ever expected him to win, because he's a tag team guy. He's there to give a good fight, a memorable title defense, and that's it. The crazy redneck from Slower Lower would be in that role of periodically winning the Tag Team Championships and getting random title shots until WWE came calling, if they ever did.
Kevin Steen won the ROH World Championship May 12, 2012. He didn't defend against the elder Briscoe until this past Friday night, a fact that wrankled more than a few longtime ROH fans. Little did anyone know that when he'd finally get his shot, he'd actually win. It was the most shocking ROH World Championship switch since I'd been following the company at least, edging out the time Eddie Edwards defeated Roderick Strong for the title. The mechanic behind both title changes? Hunter Johnston. I don't think it's a coincidence.
Anyway, after the first reaction of surprise, I got really happy. Jay Briscoe actually won the ROH Championship. The last time he was in the consciousness of the fans was when a few of them were groaning that he and his brother Mark had won the Tag Championships, ugh, yet again. For an act that was as fun as the Briscoes could be, their fate as being stuck in the mud wasn't something I thought they deserved.
Yeah, I know, "deserve" is kind of a dirty word in wrestling. Wrestling isn't a meritocracy. You don't really earn anything, regardless of what anyone on top says. That's why part-timers headlined WrestleMania last night. That's how hot new things can get pushed through over less over veterans who plateau at levels below top guy.
But then again, the Briscoe Brothers aren't this stagnant duo. They still draw blood from a stone in the ring together, even if they've reached their limit as a tag team. Sure, they haven't held the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas, and that in and of itself would be hilarious on so many levels. But do they need to win every promotion's tag Championships to be validated as one of the best, if not the best tag team in the last decade?
So it would follow from that train of thought that there could be mileage in them as singles acts, right? What could someone like Jay Briscoe do as a centerpiece of a singles feud? ROH or at least some company owed it to itself to try, right? That's why Briscoe winning the title Friday made so much sense. But it also came with a bit of sentimentality too.
Now, I know that the Briscoes aren't everyone's cup of tea. Whether it be for them being too redneck or their wrestling style not resonating with everyone. However, with the ROH crowd, the people who have followed the company from day one (where the Briscoes also started) or from any point afterwards, he's resonated quite a bit. He's fun. He's built emotional equity. He's worked his ass off. So yeah, this is the rare spot where a guy who had cache going forward also deserved his time in the spotlight.
So yeah, it goes without saying that I'm over the moon about Briscoe winning the title. It was that rare confluence, a perfect storm if you will, of everything that can make a good title change in one spot. And yeah, it couldn't have happened for a better performer.
Kevin Steen won the ROH World Championship May 12, 2012. He didn't defend against the elder Briscoe until this past Friday night, a fact that wrankled more than a few longtime ROH fans. Little did anyone know that when he'd finally get his shot, he'd actually win. It was the most shocking ROH World Championship switch since I'd been following the company at least, edging out the time Eddie Edwards defeated Roderick Strong for the title. The mechanic behind both title changes? Hunter Johnston. I don't think it's a coincidence.
Anyway, after the first reaction of surprise, I got really happy. Jay Briscoe actually won the ROH Championship. The last time he was in the consciousness of the fans was when a few of them were groaning that he and his brother Mark had won the Tag Championships, ugh, yet again. For an act that was as fun as the Briscoes could be, their fate as being stuck in the mud wasn't something I thought they deserved.
Yeah, I know, "deserve" is kind of a dirty word in wrestling. Wrestling isn't a meritocracy. You don't really earn anything, regardless of what anyone on top says. That's why part-timers headlined WrestleMania last night. That's how hot new things can get pushed through over less over veterans who plateau at levels below top guy.
But then again, the Briscoe Brothers aren't this stagnant duo. They still draw blood from a stone in the ring together, even if they've reached their limit as a tag team. Sure, they haven't held the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas, and that in and of itself would be hilarious on so many levels. But do they need to win every promotion's tag Championships to be validated as one of the best, if not the best tag team in the last decade?
So it would follow from that train of thought that there could be mileage in them as singles acts, right? What could someone like Jay Briscoe do as a centerpiece of a singles feud? ROH or at least some company owed it to itself to try, right? That's why Briscoe winning the title Friday made so much sense. But it also came with a bit of sentimentality too.
Now, I know that the Briscoes aren't everyone's cup of tea. Whether it be for them being too redneck or their wrestling style not resonating with everyone. However, with the ROH crowd, the people who have followed the company from day one (where the Briscoes also started) or from any point afterwards, he's resonated quite a bit. He's fun. He's built emotional equity. He's worked his ass off. So yeah, this is the rare spot where a guy who had cache going forward also deserved his time in the spotlight.
So yeah, it goes without saying that I'm over the moon about Briscoe winning the title. It was that rare confluence, a perfect storm if you will, of everything that can make a good title change in one spot. And yeah, it couldn't have happened for a better performer.