Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander: Two standouts amongst the new faces who have joined ROH since the beginning of the Sinclair Era, they worked their way up from occasional appearances on house shows to becoming regularly featured on TV and at major events. While they haven't quite been presented as competitive to the top mix of teams in the title picture, they come off like two guys who could get there someday.
Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin: I'm a bit torn on what to write here because I like watching them wrestle and I think they're a great team and bonafide main eventers whenever ROH needs them to be, but I think they've been booked to be TOO dominant. I feel like with all the time ROH spent making teams like the Briscoes, the Kings of Wrestling, the American Wolves, and others what they were, I didn't like Haas & Benjamin coming in and not just leapfrogging everyone, but also being put out there as so physically dominant that none of the teams that have been here all along are really able to hang. I will say that they've gotten better about giving their opponents more during matches in recent months, so we'll see what happens and how they'll be presented now that they're no longer the champions.
The Bravado Brothers: I saw a lot of improvement in these two over the course of 2011. They went from being an undercard joke to a really solid unit that was having great matches with the Young Bucks and Future Shock. They went out to spend a few months in Japan and train in the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo, and I'm really looking forward to watching them when they get back because the experience will only make them better.
The All Night Express: Nobody in ROH has come further and improved their place in the company in the last year as much as these two. Everyone's been saying for years how much potential they've got, but things changed last fall, Austin Aries found himself on the outside looking in, and Titus & King now had to make their own way. The dancing, the room keys, and the bowties were gone, and in their place stood a serious tag team that was focused on winning titles and putting business before pleasure.
The ANX were handed the ball and they've run with it, going from throwaway challengers for the Kings of Wrestling to almost certain future champions in the span of one year. They had an awesome, heated feud with the Briscoes, beating them in a Ladder War against the Briscoes in Ladder War III, and challenged Haas & Benjamin for the title at Glory By Honor. Titus is dealing with knee problems right now, but once those are cleared up I would be the most surprised person in the world if they don't win the ROH World Tag Team Title in 2012.
The Young Bucks: I don't know that they're a team I'd really want to make the centerpiece of my tag division, but they do have exciting matches and they're over with the crowd. I can see them doing a storyline where they steal the titles from the Briscoes and do a "we know they're good enough that they don't have to cheat, but they do it anyway" title reign for a few months, but other than that, I think they'll do undercard spotfests and not much else.
Jay & Mark Briscoe: I have to admit, I was a little worried about where they'd wind up in ROH after last year because since around mid-2008, they found themselves bumped down the ladder underneath the American Wolves, the Kings of Wrestling, and Haas & Benjamin, and I was worried that either they had hit the wall in terms of fresh stuff to do, or it was time to split them up and see what happened. Instead, they had a great series with the All Night Express, won the title back at Final Battle, they're having good matches, they're over with the fans, they're over with Sinclair Broadcasting, and it looks like they've got a bright year ahead of them.
The House of Truth: I get the feeling like we might see some new faces in the House of Truth this year, and I think if you look up and down the roster, you see guys like Cole, O'Reilly, Corino, Jacobs, and even the Young Bucks who are either frustrated, angry, feeling deserted, disenchanted, or otherwise just can't stand the fans, qualities that make them all perfect candidates for the HoT. I like Truth Martini, he's a little over the top sometimes with his mannerisms at ringside or when he runs in to try and interfere, but he's a great talker and a good mouthpiece for guys who aren't quite up to par in the promo department, something that does apply to a few of the folks I just mentioned.
The Embassy: Prince Nana's stable had to be rebuilt from the ground up at the end of 2010 when Necro Butcher and Erick Stevens both left the company as part of the roster refresh. Instead of an entire new group, Nana chose to focus on managing one man, Tommaso Ciampa, and also brought Barrister RD Evans and Princess Mia Yim into the fold to join himself and Ernesto Osiris, who also stuck around. Evans soon reorganized the Embassy into Embassy International, and it would seem like Evans is trying to commit a hostile takeover of the Embassy and Nana will wind up getting the boot. Where this will leave Mia Yim and Ernesto Osiris isn't quite clear, but they've already established that Osiris isn't Evans' biggest fan, so I can see Evans getting rid of him at least and bringing in other to beef up the ranks of his new stable.
* * *
That does it for the first part of this series, I'll be back Monday to talk about the newer faces to join the ranks of ROH over the last year or so, then I'll finish up with the veterans later in the week.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
