Imagine. One day you’re the World champion of one of the most recognized professional wrestling promotions in the world. Part of the “Big 3” as they say in North America. You are seen as a heavyweight champion on television. You have been featured on posters. You are capable of wrestling matches with more than three snowflakes attached by prominent wrestling reviewers and it goes without saying you hold that title with pride. Things are going so well that you are ready to move to the United States after getting married. You’ve even discussed taking a professional baseball try out just to prove how good you are.
The next day?
You’re no longer the champion. You lost the belt in your old territory in front of people who may be now paying for a Ring of Honor ticket, but once upon a time saw you in dilapidated bars and school gymnasiums. Not only are you no longer champion but people are whispering that Ring of Honor is no longer happy with you. They didn’t like hearing about baseball. They didn’t like how you represented the company when working other promotions. To make matters worse, you’re no longer champion because you are having VISA issues. Unexpected issues. You’re not just without a belt. You’re without a country. Stranded in Canada, once your home country, without a home.
Feel anyway you wish, but don’t talk about my life without knowing the details. I am stuck in Canada with maybe 3 sets of clothes, some gym
— Michael Elgin (@ROHMichaelElgin) September 9, 2014
Stuff and that’s all. I have a new house to pay for in St. Louis and god knows how long it will be until I see my wife and pets.
— Michael Elgin (@ROHMichaelElgin) September 9, 2014
This is the Michael Elgin story. A few weeks back it felt like he had power in this business. Friends like Tyson Dux, Josh Alexander and Ethan Gabriel Owens were getting shots in the company they never would before if you weren’t the top dog. His wife MsChif was working a lot more than she had in the past while since you were now a top guy. But power can only come from those who have power. Elgin never truly had power because in the pro wrestling business? Ring of Honor has limited power. It’s a strange thing to wrap your head around, especially if you knew what “Big 3” used to mean.
The original “Big 3” in the pro wrestling business was the World Wrestling Federation, National Wrestling Alliance and American Wrestling Association. Three national wrestling promotions in North America that could draw huge houses and everyone wanted to work for. With television expansion, these were the big dogs. Eventually the WWF pulled ahead. The first victim was the AWA. Next was the NWA, specifically Jim Crockett Promotions, who ended up being purchased by Ted Turner. This soon led to the Big 3 we know better due to the wrestling boom of the 90s: WWF, WCW and ECW.
While WWF and WCW were the big goliaths fighting on Monday nights for ratings supremacy, throwing millions upon millions at wrestlers and product, ECW had the influence. They were the tastemakers, and with that came power. ECW were able to slip themselves onto WWF programming. ECW got fans in WWF and WCW chanting their name anytime a wrestler went through a table. Even though World Championship Wrestling nearly took down the WWF in the 90s, pushing Vince into turning the WWF territorial, we don’t see WCW revival shows or WCW oldtimer cards. Instead we got ECW One Night Stand. Instead we got Hardcore Homecoming. Instead we get WWE Extreme Rules. Instead we get Paul Heyman, once bankrupting his Big 3 Company now reinventing himself into the greatest wrestling manager in modern history.
Since the fall of WCW and ECW, fans have tried to tout TNA Wrestling and ROH as part of the new Big 3 in North America. And without question, TNA and ROH are part of the three best known wrestling companies in the United States. But TNA isn’t anywhere near WWE’s level. Despite getting the likes of Kurt Angle, Hulk Hogan and Jeff Hardy in their company, they are further from the WWE than even ECW was back in the late 90s. TNA has a dedicated fanbase of give or take a million people, and that million only tunes in for television (even less after the move to Wednesday night). It’s a company teetering on its final legs (a statement claimed for years, only made true with their lack of TV deal). ROH on the other hand is owned by a broadcast company, Sinclair Broadcasting, which ensures TV time. Ring of Honor once had the influence and tastemaker status that ECW had. ROH has even launched the careers of more World champions than ECW had. One look at the WWE’s developmental stomping grounds in NXT and the Ring of Honor influence isn’t difficult to smell. It feels more like ROH Florida than it does WWE Florida. Not difficult when every couple months you hear about another ROH alumni signing up to the company.
But that’s the problem. ROH might have some influence, but it doesn’t have ECW level influence. Nobody in ROH has the kind of power that Paul Heyman had. Heyman used to talk to Vince McMahon on a regular basis in the 90s. Do you think the same is going on between ROH and WWE? It’s not. The divide between WWE and TNA is great, WWE and ROH greater. ROH is just a good place to sign veteran talent for the WWE. Nothing else. TNA is the little engine that never could.
There is no Big 3 anymore. Just a Big 1.
That’s why after the Elgin news, as upset as Elgin might be for what happened, he can only swallow his pride. I have no doubt in my mind he still loves Ring of Honor and wants to make things right. Most of what has been said is the usual dirt that comes out of a bad situation. This was likely a VISA issue and nothing more. The baseball thing might have annoyed ROH for about three seconds until someone realized that the cross promotion publicity of their world champion trying out for major league baseball is a great thing. Pro wrestling has embraced dual sport superstars throughout the course of its history, from football legend Bronko Nagurski to Big Cat Ernie Ladd to even Bob Holly and Bobby Lashley. Elgin wants to try out for baseball? Whatever. No big deal.
The big deal was his VISA and the fact he would have trouble making television tapings. This was unexpected and unfortunate. ROH can be disappointed by the situation but being angry at Elgin? Unnecessary. I don’t know Elgin personally, only met him a few times, but that man is fueled by pro wrestling. When Elgin was injured, he still made it to independent wrestling shows in the Toronto area on crutches because that was his level of dedication. He’s always on the hunt to find a new way to gain an advantage in the business. To better his overall work ability. He married a professional wrestler. He’s supposed to be living in Harley Race territory. Michael Elgin gives everything to pro wrestling, and everything to Ring of Honor. This isn’t about his desire for the business. Anyone questioning his desire is looking for a story that never existed.
The real story that exists is that if this were the days of a Big 3, Michael Elgin would have every wrestling company in the world chomping at the bit to acquire a former World champion after being jilted by a VISA issue. The Vince McMahon’s and Eric Bischoff’s of the world would be making every promise in the world to bring him in once he gets out of his contract. ROH would have just written him out in some way instead of having Jay Briscoe unexpectedly beat him. Instead, Elgin has to wait. Wait in Canada, his former home, to return to America. He has no leverage, because ROH handed him no power. That’s the reality of a wrestling business dominated by a pure monopoly. Only one man has power, and Elgin isn’t on his radar.
Mike Elgin belongs in Ring of Honor. Mike Elgin belongs in the main event. The ROH World championship belongs around his waist. Let’s hope he gets back sooner rather than later.
Photo by Holly Lengyel
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