Monday, MARCH 23 – 3:05 PM (CT)

-Show number one for ROH is in the books and so far, I have seen mixed reviews. Diehard ROH fans were going to love the show no matter what. Other people thought the show was bland and/or was lacking anything spectacular. I thought the show was entertaining but I also said it was not a "can't miss" show.

I went into the show clear of expectations because I simply wanted to be excited about it and then see how they delivered. First and foremost, I thought it passed the looks test. Yes, the arena they run in is small, but the stage was solid and the ring looked just fine. I liked that it was dark around the ring because that is how it used to be done.

The multiple camera shots was a nice a touch. It did not seem like overkill and it allowed the viewer to see things from many different angles. The graphics were well done. The "1-2-3" graphic, listing three facts about each wrestler as they made their entrance, was a nice touch for those who had no idea who these guys were. I thought the graphic that showed the name and one more fact was corny. For example, Kenny King's said "ladies man."

The announce team did a pretty good job, yet they were unspectacular. Mike Hogewood, who obviously did his homework regarding the names of moves and as I mentioned in my report, has a real old school sounding voice. I could have done without his screaming, but he got better throughout the show. Dave Prazak was solid and cleaned up any mess Hogewood may have made.

The biggest problem I had with the show was the absence of Nigel McGuinness. He is the ROH Champion and he should have been on the first broadcast, plain and simple. Given the abundance of talent in the company and the one hour running time, I understand he won't be on every show, but he should have been on the first show, especially since they only went to one commercial break during the entire hour.

I was pleased with what I saw. They did a nice job explaining who everyone (on the show at least) was, they mixed in some promos in between the matches, and there was a very nice video package. A small tweak here and there and they will have something. For a first show, there was a lot to be happy and excited about.

-Shawn Michaels said recently he would like Bret Hart to deliver his induction speech when he goes into the WWE Hall of Fame. Wow. I am doubtful Bret would agree to do this, but he has been more open to participating with WWE than he has been in the past. Also, if this ever came to fruition, the Hall of Fame ticket would be a very hard one to get your hands on.

-Going into Raw tonight, the question on the minds of most people is, "Will they change the Chris Jericho match?" I think most people hope so, but I seriously doubt it. A lot of people have been saying they would rather see Jericho vs. Ricky Steamboat one-on-one than the handicap match. Hopefully, at least, they make it a gauntlet match with Steamboat going last. How weird will it be to see Jimmy Snuka and Roddy Piper teaming together? Steamboat, Snuka, and Piper all appeared at WrestleMania I. I didn't think they would be wrestling at WrestleMania XXV.

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