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WrestleMania XX took place last night from Madison Square Garden and, whilst the undercard was a mixed bag in places, the show will be remembered for two major title matches and one of the most emotional closing scenes in company history. Eddie Guerrero retained the WWE Title over Kurt Angle in a strong bout built around Angle’s injured knee and Guerrero’s ability to survive just long enough to steal the win, while the World Heavyweight Title Triple Threat saw Chris Benoit finally reach the top by forcing Triple H to tap out in the main event, with Shawn Michaels also turning in a strong performance in an early match of the year candidate.

Elsewhere on the card, John Cena continued his upward climb by defeating Big Show to capture the United States Title in what felt like an important star-making moment, whilst Randy Orton, Batista and Ric Flair defeated The Rock & Sock Connection in a heavily promoted attraction match that delivered more on nostalgia and spectacle than anything else. The Undertaker also returned to defeat Kane, which got one of the biggest reactions of the night as The Undertaker maintained his perfect WrestleMania streak.

The final and lasting image of the show was Benoit and Guerrero embracing in the ring after the main event, both men holding world titles aloft as confetti fell in Madison Square Garden. After a few years spent trying to find its footing following the end of the Attitude Era, WWE may finally have found a new emotional centre in Guerrero and Benoit, though whether that represents a genuine long-term shift or simply a brief detour before the old guard reasserts itself remains to be seen.

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The 2003 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards, announced this month, paint a pretty clear picture of what our readership valued most over the past year, with both All Japan and WWE strongly represented at the top end. Kenta Kobashi took Wrestler of the Year as well as Best Box Office Draw, underlining just how dominant his year was in the eyes of voters, while Kurt Angle was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and his programme with Brock Lesnar won Feud of the Year. Kobashi’s March 1st Tokyo bout with Mitsuharu Misawa from Navigate for Evolution Night 9 was voted Match of the Year, giving him perhaps the strongest overall showing of any individual in the awards. Elsewhere, KENTA and Naomichi Marufuji were named Tag Team of the Year, Brock Lesnar picked up Most Improved, Chris Benoit won Best Technical Wrestler, and Chris Sabin was recognised as Rookie of the Year. As usual, the results lean heavily toward in-ring excellence and year-long consistency, with the Japanese scene in particular continuing to fare very well among our readers.

For the full list of winners and nominees, plus a complete breakdown of every award, subscribe to the newsletter and gain access to the full Observer Newsletter archive as well as all Observer Live radio shows.

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Further fallout from the RF Incident continues to affect Ring of Honor beyond the company’s public separation from RF Video. With Cary Silkin continuing to oversee day-to-day operations, the most significant development this week is TNA’s decision to pull its contracted talent from future ROH appearances. Among those believed to be affected by the move are AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Amazing Red, Abyss, Chris Sabin, Frankie Kazarian, Jerry Lynn, Petey Williams, and Sonjay Dutt. The feeling in most circles is that TNA made the call in an effort to further distance itself from the situation and tighten control over its talent at a time when the relationship between the two promotions has become increasingly strained. Others believe this is merely a convenient justification, and that such a move had likely been in the pipeline for some time.

In addition to the TNA departures, several names who were not part of that arrangement are also said to have distanced themselves from the promotion in the wake of the incident. Low Ki, Justin Credible, and Steve Corino are all believed to be out of the picture for the foreseeable future, each for their own reasons, although those close to the situation stress that not every departure should be viewed through the same lens. At the same time, the situation has not been entirely one-sided. There have also reportedly been disagreements behind the scenes involving talent who have chosen Ring of Honor over future TNA dates rather than comply with the new demands being placed on them. CM Punk, Alex Shelley, Delirious, and Matt Sydal have all been mentioned in that group, with Punk said to have been the most vocal in refusing TNA’s demands.

Sources within ROH indicate that revised cards for the 23rd and 24th April events are now being put together quickly, and an updated announcement is expected before the end of the week.

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WWE is said to be just days away from a major shake-up, with Vince McMahon having announced that a Draft Lottery will soon be held to once again reshuffle the Raw and SmackDown rosters and, in his words, "shake things up". Given how much movement last year’s draft caused, there is already plenty of speculation about which names could wind up switching brands this time around. The current expectation is that next week’s edition of Raw, emanating from Detroit on 22nd March, will play host to the draft on a special three-hour full roster edition of the flagship programme.

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Another Monday and another newswire for you Ring of Honor fans. After two outstanding events on March 13th, ROH officials have spent the last week finalising major plans for our return to both St Paul, Minnesota on 4/23 and Chicago Ridge, Illinois on 4/24, and we are now in a position to reveal the full cards for both events.

Before we get into those line ups, we do want to address one important issue that has been doing the rounds. Due to the change in availability of several wrestlers, ROH has been forced to make a number of unexpected changes to future cards. We at Ring of Honor apologise for what is obviously disappointing news for some fans, but we hope the revised line ups and the matches announced below are more than enough to show that ROH remains committed to presenting the very best wrestling possible. We continue to work hard to bring top talent from across the United States and around the world to Ring of Honor, and we appreciate the patience and support of our fans as those changes are made.

We can also confirm that discussions regarding a new distribution outlet have advanced significantly in recent days. Senior figures from Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, IWA: Mid South, and CHIKARA are currently in advanced talks with a global distribution company that is highly interested not only in providing a new outlet for wrestling fans, but in helping build a brand new identity from the ground up around the best of independent wrestling. We hope to have much more concrete news on that front very soon.

Now, onto the cards.

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4/23 - RING OF HONOR CARD - ST PAUL, MINNESOTA

Ring of Honor will rock up to the St Paul Armory on April 23rd with a loaded line up headlined by ROH WORLD CHAMPION Samoa Joe, who has made it very clear in recent weeks that he has little respect for the “so called purists” of Ring of Honor. Joe demanded ROH find him the best Pure Wrestlers available, and we believe that's exactly what we've done. Over the next three shows Joe will take on some of the best technical wrestlers in the world, starting on 4/23 where Joe will go one on one with Matt Stryker. Stryker has quietly built himself into one of the strongest technical wrestlers on the roster, and due to strong performances toward the end of 2003, he currently sits fifth in the top five rankings, meaning that this match will be for Joe's World Title.

As mentioned above, there have been several forced changes to the upcoming cards, one of which involves the previously announced Amazing Red taking on Matt Sydal. With Red unavailable, we at the ROH office opened the match up to several wrestlers and we are delighted to announce that one man stood out amongst all the rest. The SIX MAN MAYHEM match at "At Our Best" may have been won by Matt Sydal after an impressive performance, but the other man everybody couldn't stop talking about was a certain Jack Evans. The two men will face off again, this time in singles action, as we look to find out who the best young high flyer is.

With AJ Styles also now unavailable, the ROH office has signed a new opponent for Spanky. He will now face Trent Acid, who enters the match with something to prove. With Johnny Kashmere unavailable, Acid will be keen to keep the Backseat Boyz in the hunt for the tag team titles as they look to hold the belts for a second time. Acid has long been one of the most naturally gifted and unpredictable competitors in Ring of Honor, and a victory over a returning ROH original like Spanky could be enough to propel him firmly into the Top 5 rankings.

Speaking of the tag division, the Briscoe Brothers will be in action taking on the latest addition to the division in the shape of the The Havana Pitbulls. Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero gave an impressive performance at “Do Or Die II,” and the Pitbulls will now get thrown straight in against the reigning ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS. For the Briscoes, this is a chance to once again prove why they sit atop the division ahead of the tag title defence on 4/24. For the Pitbulls, an upset win in St Paul would instantly establish them as potential contenders.

Another intriguing singles match has also been signed as Colt Cabana will face the Pure Title #1 contender Nigel McGuinness. Cabana continues to build momentum alongside CM Punk and Ace Steel as part of the Second City Saints, but in singles action he has not quite enjoyed the same level of success. This is a major opportunity for Cabana to showcase his credentials by himself, and with Nigel heading into 4/24 looking to capture the ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP, a win for Cabana here would be one of the strongest singles victories of his ROH career.

And finally, after the strong impression made by several competitors at “Do Or Die II,” ROH officials have signed a special DO OR DIE SURVIVAL MATCH featuring Jerrelle Clark, Jimmy Jacobs, Austin Aries, Jay Lethal, and Super Dragon. All five men turned heads in Elizabeth, and now they will get another opportunity to fight for position on the main roster in what promises to be one of the most unpredictable matches of the night.

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4/24 - RING OF HONOR CARD - CHICAGO RIDGE, ILLINOIS

ROH WORLD CHAMPION Samoa Joe will be in action in Chicago Ridge when he faces the returning Spanky in a non-title match. Spanky made an immediate impact upon his return to Ring of Honor with a huge win over CM Punk at “At Our Best”, but despite his obvious credentials, he has not yet fought his way into the Top 5 rankings. That means no title shot here, but make no mistake about it: a singles victory over Samoa Joe would immediately launch Spanky right to the very top of the contender discussion.

The ongoing issue between The Prophecy and The Second City Saints will continue on 4/24 as BJ Whitmer, representing The Prophecy, takes on Ace Steel of the Saints. With tensions between the two groups continuing to rise, this one looks set to be about much more than just victory. Whitmer remains one of the toughest and most physically aggressive men on the ROH roster, while Steel brings both experience and plenty of pride into the fight. With both men representing larger issues between their respective camps, Chicago Ridge could be where things get even uglier.

The TAG TEAM GAUNTLET MATCH remains signed for Chicago Ridge, although there has been one significant change. With Chris Sabin now unavailable, Alex Shelley has been informed by the ROH office that he will be permitted to select his own partner for the match. That decision adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already important contest, with The Backseat Boyz, Ring Crew Express, The OutCast Killaz, and The Carnage Crew all looking to move a step closer to the ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS. With so many teams trying to establish themselves at once, Chicago Ridge could go a long way toward shaping the next phase of the tag division.

The Carnage Crew have made it very clear since "At Our Best" that they will find out who took their money, and according to Loc and DeVito, when they do, they plan on taking back far more than what was stolen. In addition to competing in the TAG TEAM GAUNTLET MATCH, the Crew will also be in separate tag team action against Fast Eddie and Don Juan. The Carnage Crew have called out the entire ROH locker room, and right now they look ready to fight anybody, anywhere, until they get the answers they want.

John Walters will look to bounce back from disappointment in the Pure Title Number One Contender’s Four Way nine days ago when he takes on Josh Daniels of The Embassy. Walters came up short in that match, but with Matt Stryker now finding himself elevated into a ROH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP match against Samoa Joe, the path back into contention becomes even more important. For Walters, Josh Daniels is the next obstacle in rebuilding momentum and proving that he still belongs in the championship conversation.

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4/23 - RING OF HONOR CARD - ST PAUL, MINNESOTA

ROH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Samoa Joe (c) vs Matt Stryker

STEAMBOAT SHOWCASE
CM Punk vs Bryan Danielson
Special Guest Referee: Ricky Steamboat

Matt Sydal w/ Daizee Haze vs Jack Evans

Colt Cabana vs Nigel McGuinness

Spanky vs Trent Acid

The Briscoe Brothers vs The Havana Pitbulls

Chad Collyer vs Jimmy Rave

DO OR DIE SURVIVAL MATCH
Jerrelle Clark vs Jimmy Jacobs w/ Becky Bayless vs Austin Aries vs Jay Lethal vs Super Dragon​

Click to expand...

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4/24 - RING OF HONOR CARD - CHICAGO RIDGE, ILLINOIS

Non-Title Match
Samoa Joe (c) vs Spanky

BJ Whitmer w/ Allison Danger & Dan Maff vs Ace Steel w/ Colt Cabana

John Walters vs Josh Daniels w/ Prince Nana

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Briscoe Brothers (c) vs The Second City Saints

ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP
Doug Williams (c) vs Nigel McGuinness

SPECIAL K SCRAMBLE
Izzy vs Dixie vs Deranged vs Cheech vs Cloudy vs Angel Dust vs Slim J

TAG TEAM GAUNTLET MATCH
The Backseat Boyz vs Ring Crew Express vs Alex Shelley & ??? vs The OutCast Killaz vs The Carnage Crew

Also Scheduled to appear: Chad Collyer, Matt Stryker, Mick Foley, Jimmy Rave​

Click to expand...

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Predictions are welcome, and as always tickets for all upcoming events are available at ROHwrestling.com.