Has Ring of Honor gone too far?

First it was crazy brawls. Then it was no-roped barbed wire matches. And now it's Cage of Death? What the hell is going on over at ROH Headquarters?

Gabe Sapolsky announced today on the ROH newswire that the 6/24 Death Before Dishonor show would feature a Cage Death of Death match as the ROH vs. CZW 'war' reaches a new peak. Upping the ante from ROH's equivalent match, Steelcage Warfare, CZW owner John Zandig is reported in the newswire as demanding CZW choose the stipulation and they want this CZW signature event instead.

When the ROH vs. CZW feud started in November, it seemed to be all about ways that wrestlers who were never deemed 'good enough for ROH', like Chris Hero Super Dragon and Necro Butcher would finally get the chance to work for ROH - arguably the US's top independetn wrestling company. On the flipside it also meant that CZW and ROH could co-exist in the Philadelphia indie scene, running double headers together without having to resort to any of the petty feuding that there was during 2002. However as time has gone on, this feud has moved away fomr being about ways to get Hero and co regular work in ROH and has taken on somewhat of an ironic twist. ROH, the pure wrestling company, has been dragged deeper and deeper into increasingly more violent matches, while CZW's 'pure wrestlers' have been the ones spearheading the charge for their preferred company. Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli would never be regarded as atypical CZW wrestlers, and they have been allowed to develop in this feud. While brawlers such as BJ Whitmer, Adam Peace and Ace Steele have represented ROH and found strong niches for themselves in the company as a result.

So, as is so often the case when something like begins to gather steam, many of the inital loyalties and ideologies of those that follow both companies has been put to one side. ROH talent was supported by CZW fans during the recent Best of the Best tournament in CZw. While ROH's 'pure fans' are chomping that bit for more blood and violence. But is this such a good thing?

Sure this feud has helped gain more interest in the Philly indie scene than there has been in years, and both companies are benefitting from it right now. However, when all is said and done, will ROH have done itself more damage than they have good? By going down this ultra-violent route have they raised the bar so high that future shows will fail to live up to these heady heights. Or will fans expect this kind of violence and bloodshed from all their future feuds? As for the fans, sure it might bring in some CZW fans who were sitting on the fence about whether they should like the 'opposition. But once they have given the CZW fans their fix of violence and brutality, will they remain to watch more wrestling based shows that ROH has built it's name on, or will they return to their ultraviolence with CZW.

One of the most significant missing elements from this has been ROH commissioner Jim Cornette, who's anti-hardcore promos in the early days of this feud were some of the best ROH has ever put on video. But where is he now? Set to debut on TNA as their new face of TNA Management, while in ROH storyline terms, he is nursing an injured knee coutesy of CZW. ROH need his calming voice and rationale in these circumstances as I believe that ROH might have bitten off more than they can chew with this feud. As much as it was about the ROH fans mocking CZW at first, for putting on ultraviolent matches that have nothing to do with 'proper wrestling' could you not argue that, in attempting to keep up with their Philadelphia neighbours and attept to secure the same crowd that fuelled ECW in it's heyday, that they are doing exactly the same. That they have lost sight on what really matters to ROH fans and that is pure wrestling, not garbage filled brawls or Cages of Death. Perhaps ithe most ironic part of this whole sordid affair is that the show will be called Death Before Dishonor, and with this ultraviolent match as the main event, perhaps ROH has finally managed to come up with the ultimate dishonor - to itself.