Credit: MondayNightMayhem.com:
Interview highlights courtesy of The Mayhem’s official correspondent, Paterson from New Jersey:
Kevin’s “solemn vow” to the fans of Ring of Honor, coming off the heels of Glory By Honor IX: “It was a wonderful journey. It isn’t about the ending point, but how we did get there. At the end of the three hours, despite some technical glitches, despite some things that need to be corrected and will be corrected, to every fan that bought Glory By Honor IX on GoFightLive.tv, I make this my solemn vow that these situations will be corrected. From the top on down all the way through, that’s our heartfelt pledge to all of you. Thanks for your patience with this.”
His overall expectations leading into this past Saturday night’s event at The Manhattan Center in New York City, how Kevin felt about the Glory By Honor IX iPPV as a whole, Roderick Strong looking “comfortable” in his new role as ROH World Champion, why he strongly believes we will see Charlie Haas/Shelton Benjamin back in Ring of Honor, & “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels “turning back the hands of time” in his return to ROH: “I remember back to one of our conversations over the summer, and we talked about guys that needed to step up and the feeling like it was a transitional period as a whole for the company, and I really think we’re in that now. When you have Tyler Black’s departure being overshadowed by new people coming into the company, that’s a good thing. Very little has been talked about or spoken about Tyler Black in comparison to the amount of coverage & talk that surrounded Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, and I think we will see Haas & Benjamin again here in the very near future in Ring of Honor. Roderick Strong has a lot on his plate and certainly has big shoes to fill, but at the same time I don’t think a lot of fans are expecting much of Strong. I think Roddy’s gonna be very comfortable in this role. He looked very comfortable Saturday night in a big spot. Christopher Daniels continues to impress me. Every time I see him lately I keep telling him ‘You are turning back the hands of time. This is your time.’ The night overall was fantastic, with guys really stepping up.”
Why he feels that fans will see a more driven Homicide now that he has returned to Ring of Honor, his legacy beginning & ending with ROH, plus which up-and-comers Kevin sees as “ones to watch” in the company into the rest of 2010/beginning of 2011: “The first up-and-comer who we haven’t seen wrestle since his comeback to Ring of Honor is Homicide. I think you are going to see, in that same mode of Christopher Daniels, you’re going to see someone focused, motivated, & driven; a 16-year pro who believes that he has a legacy to fulfill, and that begins & ends here in Ring of Honor. We’ll see what he can do. I believe in him, and I think he’s going to be great. Two young men who just signed a couple of weeks ago: Adam Cole & Mike Bennett. I think Bennett is a five-tool athlete, he’s a absolute stud, and I think he has the ability to get as far as he can professionally in Ring of Honor. I think Adam Cole is different type of athlete. I think he is going to do very well though in his role. He’s incredibly gifted, and I think he is going to be an important piece of the puzzle in the future of the company.”
