The formation of stables and factions in wrestling are one quick way to generate buzz. Ring of Honor decided to take that route with a new six person stable called Lifeblood.
Juice Robinson came to the ring for an extended promo.
The Juice Man, dressed like a stylish carnival barker, made it known that he would be more present in an ROH wrestling ring for 2019. With so many promotions around the world, Robinson decided to focus on ROH since he knows what that company stands for. One word, honor. Robinson proceeded to name drop Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Brian Danielson, and Tyler Black as the promotion’s life blood.
And those guys cared about honor. Those are the guys that when their music hits, they walk down those stairs, got in this ring, looked at their opponent dead in the eye and said hey, win lose or draw, we’re starting this sucker with a handshake, the bell’s going to ring, the pedal to the metal, baby. And no matter what happens, we’re going to end it with a handshake. Mutual respect. That’s what Ring of Honor is all about.
Robinson can’t figure out what went wrong with the promotion in the last few years. He is going to hit the reset button, restore ROH, and bring them to the next level.
Lights out, lights on.
Juice Robinson was magically joined by Tenille Dashwood, Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams, and David Finlay. Robinson closed by proclaiming, “We are Lifeblood and together we put Honor back into Ring of Honor!”
As someone who doesn’t watch much of the ROH product, the formation of Lifeblood does pique my curiosity. I’ll always be interested in a good stable. Their lineup has name power. Dashwood was formerly known as Emma in her WWE run. Bandido has been a dynamite up and comer on the lucha libre scene. I’ve seen Robinson and Finlay, son of Fit, be entertaining in CMLL. Haskins and Williams are new to my eyes, but the announcers seemed pretty excited by their inclusion.
One thing I found confusing was their vibe. I thought for sure Lifeblood was going to be heels. Robinson dresses loud. Dashwood had her evil Emma sunglasses and black gloves. Haskins was huffing and puffing heavily for no real reason. However, nothing Robinson said gave me a clear impression of bad guys. Cocky? Sure, but not enough to make them disreputable.
My other takeaway is that Dashwood dominates that crew in physical presence. She looked like a badass, while everyone else was just there. I’d be most scared of her if we ever met face to face in a dark alley.
What did you think of Juice Robinson’s promo? Will Lifeblood have what it takes to make you tune into Ring of Honor? Do you like their group name? Which member will end up being the standout?