Choosing Contenders: Analyzing ROH’s New “Pick 6″ System

Source: ROH Wrestling

Ring of Honor officials have put an end to World Champion Austin Aries’ conniving attempts to retain his championship gold.

In recent months, Aries has chosen his challengers through “random selection” as part of the Austin Aries Lucky Lottery.

Every time Aries and his cronies Rhett Titus and Kenny King made their way to ring, hats in hand, fans knew the time for some shenangins had arrived, as the A Double L Double rarely brought out the names of true championship-caliber performers.

As a result, very few times did the person who’s name was pulled from the hat actually compete in the match themself.

To best recollection, only Grizzly Redwood and “Sugarfoot” Alex Payne have stepped up to the challenge themselves after having their name selected.

When Aries drew wrestling legend Brett Hart’s name in September, Petey Williams answered the call. And in October, when Aries drew the name of Daizee Haze, whom he announced as a four-year ROH veteran who had never received a title shot, Delirious stepped up to the plate for his female partner.

But now, after an announcement Friday, the A Double L Double has been laid to rest and a new system to determine championship contenders has been installed.

The new system, officials said in an announcement, “would base championship matches on the merits of a competitor’s record, at the same time eliminating the chance or unfair or bogus title defenses and creating a new sense of competition between wrestlers who are ‘climbing the ladder.’”

The new “Pick 6″ Contender Series will bring an interesting concept to the professional wrestling world.

ROH on HDNet Executive Producer Jim Cornette has selected 12 competitors to compete in six singles matches with the winners being seeded by company officials from one to six to determine the initial set of championship contenders.

Source: ROH Wrestling

Once the initial rankings have been set, the system will operate under a set of guidelines including:

• Only the six ranked wrestlers are eligible to challenge for the ROH World Championship

• Higher ranked performers have more leverage in choosing when they will receive their title shot

• Wrestlers earning victories in “Pick 6″ matches will earn a match bonus

• Competitors not included the initial six can only enter the top six spots by defeated a ranked opponent

• An unranked wrestler than defeats a “Pick 6″ contender assumes their opponent’s spot on the list, bumping everyone behind them down a spot

While the new contender ranking system obviously stems from kayfabe activity within the promotion, it still offers a new, unique way to present the championship challenge to the fans.

Source: ROH Wrestling

Similar in a way to World Wrestling Entertainment’s Power 25, the “Pick 6″ differs in that the rankings will actually have meaning, and wrestlers will now be competing for something that matters: the opportunity to challenge for the ROH World Championship.

For lower-level and midcard wrestlers, this can now give meaning to their matches, rather than being random pairings meant only to fill a slot on a television or DVD broadcast or to showcase the skills.  To even earn a match with a “Pick 6″ slot holder, one will likely have to go through the midcard competition first.

Not every wrestler can be involved in a heated blood feud at every moment, but this allows those wrestlers to be competing for something they hold dear.

It will also allow for babyface versus babyface matches to come across as having meaning and motivation for both stars to be facing each other than simply respect of financial payout.

ROH hasn’t yet announced when the 12 inaugural “Pick 6″ matches will occur or who will be competing, but odds are these matches will take place on the promotion’s Monday night broadcast on HDNet rather than at house shows, so fans nationwide will be able to take part in the excitement.

Let’s take a look at some of the possible performers who deserve a spot in the top six:

• Tyler Black: When Black had to undergo neck surgery earlier this year, ROH wrote him out of the storyline by having him undergo an attack by Aries. Now, he’s got his sights set on revenge and earning his first ROH World Championship.

• Jerry Lynn: The ECW original became the first man from the dead promotion to win ROH’s top crown, but he lost the belt to Aries in a three-way match also involving Black. Aries’ henchman Kenny King recently took Lynn out of action, but when he returns, he’ll surely be looking for retribution.

• Kenny Omega: This young star has been impressive in his first year with ROH and continues to build a name for himself and a reputation in the pro wrestling community. A place in the top six championship contenders could help build his credentials.

• Kenny King: Aries’ henchman has been making himself the most hated man in the locker room, as he took out Lynn and has continued a path of destruction alongside Rhett Titus. One of Aries’ boys need to be on the list, attempting to put a roadblock between serious contenders and their boss, and Titus just doesn’t have the same championship contender credibility as King.

• Davey Richards: One half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions, Richards proves to be a force to be reckoned with in every promotion he enters. With his partner Eddie Edwards out with injury, Richards could build a solo reputation, leaving the possibility for a title shot against the babyface who eventually dethrones Aries.

• Chris Hero: An industry veteran, Hero believes he’s in the best shape of his career, and his popularity continues to rise in ROH. His ongoing feud with Eddie Kingston could be brought into the two repeatedly challenging each other for a spot in the top six, building both stars toward future world title shots.

Honorable mentions could be thrown out to the likes of Roderick Strong, Colt Cabana and Petey Williams, as all three of them find themselves on the brink of main event capability.

Source: ROH Wrestling

Regardless who finds their way into the inaugural six, the best thing to happen would be for this system to develop new stars for the company and the industry as a whole.

ROH does a spectacular job making every competitor seem like a star, rarely burying anyone and doing everything possible to make even the losers of contests look strong.

This new system, even if it’s based on storylined results, will help ROH continue to set itself apart from the competition, as it will allow for a champion to always have six challengers at the ready, leaving the company prepared for disaster if something happens to one storyline contender.

Watching how this plays out from here will be interesting for fans. For those who have never experienced ROH, now may be the time to get onboard.