The following was issued on ROHwrestling.com:
Since the summer of 2007, Ring of Honor has strived to present the best product possible on each and every pay per event. Wrestling media have heaped praise on our PPV offerings, referring to them as the best wrestling available from any company and unbeatable at the price. From Nigel versus Aries at last year’s “Rising Above??? to Danielson versus Black at ???New Horizons???, every show is loaded with the highest quality wrestling. Now, ROH is proud to present to you our latest PPV offering, ???Rising Above???.
The first teaser for this event featuring Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhHnDD7DAkI
The second teaser for this event featuring Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc_MkUh_cZs
The third teaser for this event can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBvICfoCI00
In talking about the RISING ABOVE PPV, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote “You are not going to find a show with two better matches on it, nor any better of a final hour.”
Richard Gray of WrestlingNewsWorld.com wrote “Rising Above is another top-notch pay-per-view effort from Ring Of Honor and I highly recommend it. Not only do the workers deliver with the best in-ring work in the world, the booking made sense, and the show flowed better than any ROH pay-per-view to date.”
Sean Radican of PWTorch.com wrote “You won’t see a better hour of wrestling on PPV than ROH provides here during the final hour. It was simply an amazing hour to watch unfold.”
Here??’s a look at the line-up, and a bit of history behind the matches:
ROH World Title Match
Nigel McGuinness vs. Bryan Danielson
This is one of the most competitive rivalries in ROH history. They have fought tooth and nail on numerous occasions over the ROH World Title, both during McGuinness??? reign as well as Danielson??’s. Now they bring their battle to PPV once more as McGuinness continues his quest to become the longest reigning champion in ROH history, while Danielson strives to become the first ever 2-Time World Champion.
I Quit Match
Jimmy Jacobs vs. Austin Aries
Jacobs and Aries have spent the better part of the last year doing their best to maim one another, both mentally and physically. Aries refused his offer to join the Age of the Fall and as a result has been bloodied on numerous occasions by the AoTF. This match is the culmination of that bloody feud; one man will be forced to say the words ???I Quit???, but neither man will be able to walk away unchanged.
Six Man Tag Team War
Brent Albright, Roderick Strong, & Ace Steel vs. Davey Richards, Go Shiozaki, & Chris Hero
For the majority of 2008, Albright & Strong have had to fight off Sweet & Sour Inc. and the fight against the numbers game that always comes into play. S&S have beaten down Albright & Strong in the past, and laid out Erick Stevens with a concussion, making him unable to compete in this match, so Brent & Roderick recruited Chicago??’s own Ace Steel as an ally in this tag team war. There??’s no telling what will happen when these 6 men go head to head!
Four Corner Survival Match
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Silas Young vs. Alex Payne vs. Sami Callahan
Three young competitors have been given an opportunity to make their names on ROH PPV, and Claudio Castagnoli is looking to squash any competition standing in his way. It was a year of great change for Claudio as he transformed into a violent, bitter man after a series of defeats, and now he??’s looking to take his rage out on some of the best young talent ROH has collected.
SHIMMER Title Match
MsChif vs. Sara Del Rey
Del Rey was the original SHIMMER Champion, MsChif beat her for that title several months ago, this is the rematch. This is women??’s wrestling the likes of which you???ve never seen; state of the art, hard hitting, and highly athletic. These are two of the best women in the world, and this contest showcases exactly why.
World Tag Team Title Match
Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Jay & Mark Briscoe
The history of this feud has been well documented on ROH PPV. From the chaotic brawl at ???Respect is Earned??? to the Ladder War at ???Man Up???, these two teams have thrown it all at one another. Now they face off for the first time in over a year, and the tables have turned. Steen & Generico now hold the titles, the Briscoes are in the role of challengers, and both teams constantly aim to prove that they are the best team in wrestling.
“Rising Above” debuts on pay per view on Friday, January 16th at 10pm, and will be carried on DIRECTV, iN DEMAND, DISH Network and TVN in the U.S. and Viewer??’s Choice and Bell ExpressVu in Canada. Replays will air throughout the month.
Below is a list of the start times for iN DEMAND:
January 16: 10:00 PM (Premiere)
January 17: 7:00 PM (Replay)
January 18: 8:00 PM (Replay)
January 19: 1:00 PM; 6:00 PM (Replay)
January 20: 3:00 PM (Replay)
ROH has set the standard by giving you true professional wrestling on pay-per-view at an affordable price. Don’t miss the explosive action of this must see event!!!