On December 17, 2010 two of the best teams in the history of ROH stepped into the ring against each another in one of the most anticipated matches in recent memory. The ROH World Tag Team Champions Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli defended the belts against Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards. The Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves, and the result became known as “Tag Title Classic II” (available here: http://www.rohstore.com/index.
That winter night it was the defending champions who proved victorious after Chris Hero delivered a series of devastating elbows to Eddie Edwards and pinned the recently dethroned World TV Champion (one of the last time Edwards was pinned as a matter of fact). Some called that bout “The Last Hunt” for The Wolves, and it certainly appeared that way as the majority of 2011 saw Edwards & Richards pursue their individual interests. It was only after Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin defeated The Briscoes at the “9th Anniversary Show” to earn a Tag Title shot and then challenged the Wolves to reunite for one more match that Eddie & Davey came together once again.
But before that dream tag bout came to fruition, Eddie Edwards shocked the world at “Manhattan Mayhem IV” when he defeated Roderick Strong to claim the ROH World Title…the belt many of the ROH faithful felt was destined to end up around Richards’ waist. So come “Honor Takes Center Stage: Chapter 2” when the Wolves & WGTT finally squared off, the scene was very different than when the challenge was issued. Earlier in the day, while being interviewed by Jim Cornette, the Wolves stated they would not fight one another for the title, and while things got a little tense as Cornette pushed the issue, the interview ended with all the focus on the WGTT match later in the day. Unfortunately that would be a match the Wolves lost after some miscommunication led to Richards being pinned by Benjamin. Tension followed, blame seemed to be tossed in Edwards’ direction by Davey, and ultimately the World Champion walked away from the situation. Eddie had no words for ROH cameras that night; Richards, in the moment, spoke his mind in the latest ROH Video Wire but has since told ROH officials that he and Eddie have spoken on the matter. It was simply a case of their competitive drives and their passion for pro wrestling that caused the momentary tension. Regardless of what happened in Atlanta, they are still The American Wolves, they are still brothers.
They will have to be on the same page when The American Wolves team-up once more in a highly-anticipated, fan-demanded rematch against The Kings of Wrestling when ROH returns to Dearborn, MI! The KoW are fresh off losing the ROH World Tag Titles to Haas & Benjamin the night before WGTT beat The Wolves, and by the time we hit Michigan, Hero & Claudio will be only days removed from competing in the Pro Wrestling NOAH Global Tag League. In addition, the day after in Toronto, Hero will have his opportunity to put gold back around his waist when he battles Eddie Edwards for the ROH World Title. The Kings are on a mission to regain the tag belts they lost just two days before their one year anniversary, and putting the Wolves down once more would expedite their rematch. And it would certainly put a damper on Edwards’ spirits heading into the World Title match if Hero could once again lay him out.
With one team laser-focused on claiming any title in Ring of Honor, and the other team status being quite uncertain, how this one will play out is anyone’s guess. Suffice to say that Dearborn, MI is in for a treat as four of the best wrestlers competing today will collide on May 6, 2011! Kings of Wrestling vs. The American Wolves II at “ROH Revolution: USA”! Tickets are available here: http://www.rohstore.com/index.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
