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JOHNSON: ROH is considered by fans to be a wrestling driven product, so why the hype and push into creating a Pure Wrestling title?
SAPOLSKY: Basically, it was time for another title although I've always hated the idea of a secondary title. I mean what is the point of going for something that shows you are second best? You don't see any team in the NFL win the divisional championship and then skip the Super Bowl because that was good enough for them. So we needed a concept that would give ROH another belt, but make it important and its own entity so it could compete with the World Title as being ROH's top belt. With ROH going in new directions like more storylines, characters, blood feuds, different types of matches, etc. it made sense to have something that showed our fans that we will always stay true to our roots no matter what other directions we go in. So no matter what happens in ROH you are guaranteed a straight forward, no frills, great wrestling match on every show with a unique twist in the rules for pure wrestling title matches.
JOHNSON: What will be so unique about the Pure Division?
SAPOLSKY: The rules of the pure wrestling title matches will set it apart in addition to allowing the wrestlers to show some creativity. There are three rules. The first is no closed fists. This will insure that only the most realistic looking strikes and kicks are seen in pure wrestling title matches. The second is that there will be a 20 count on the floor. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of count outs on the floor, which is why ROH never had a 10 or 20 count on the floor. However, if used once a show it can definitely be a very effective false finish or finish and it can add to the drama of the match. BJ Whitmer and Homicide proved that at "Main Event Spectacles" when we did a test run of the 20 count and it led to a great false finish in the match. The main rule is the three rope break rule. Each guy will only get three rope breaks to stop a pinfall or submission. Once he uses all three, the ropes can't break a hold. This will lead to lots of strategy within the match and also some very unique and innovative submissions using the ropes. The possibilities of interesting things you can do with these rules, especially the three rope break one, are endless.
JOHNSON: Will the Pure Division workers be exclusive to that Division?
SAPOLSKY: No, there is no reason to place any limits on anything. The pure wrestling title is about "Competition at its purest." This means that you can see several different styles of wrestler compete for the title from high-flyers to strong style competitors. If a guy is athletic and can put on a realistic looking match he more than qualifies for the division.
JOHNSON: What do you hope to accomplish with the tournament?
SAPOLSKY: I really hope we can deliver more than just your typical wrestling tournament on February 14th in Boston. I hope we can tell a good story throughout the tournament and really give it a feel like you are watching a movie. It's not too often you get an opportunity to have a tournament for a new title and we might not ever have a chance to do one again so we really want to make sure this is something special and memorable. If its not mentioned among the top shows of the year we will be very disappointed.
JOHNSON: Do you think putting the tournament as one of the focuses of the anniversary show is risky?
SAPOLSKY: I think the tournament itself was not a risk, I believe calling it a pure wrestling tournament was a risk that I didn't really anticipate. From the feedback I've seen a lot of people have a very narrow perception as to what pure wrestling means and think that its just a 20 minute armbar. The case is that it means competition at its purest, which means that you will see the athletic kind of action that made ROH's reputation. People who think this means just work a hold will be pleasantly surprised when they see that pure wrestling means just great athletic wrestling like you would see from Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle or Misawa vs. Kobashi or Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat.
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