The biggest annual spectacle in all of professional wrestling came to the Motor City a decade ago, honoring the 20th anniversary of WrestleMania III, the show that catapulted the brand into the end-all, be-all that it has been for the past 3 decades, and will continue being for the foreseeable future.
There’s a bit of an irony for the most ardent fans of professional wrestling over the past 3 decades. On that magical night 30 years ago at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant would get the marquee. Once the VHS release was available, it was those 2 icons face-to-face all over the front cover and other various merchandise.
But on that same event, it would be Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat that stole the show, putting on one of the company’s greatest matches of the 1980s, and undoubtedly the first all-time classic contender in the history of the IC Championship.
Now fast forward 20 years. WrestleMania 23 would have more quality matches than the show it was paying homage to. But there are some slight similarities to that weekend. The key attraction would be a Battle of the Billionaires pitting Donald Trump’s Bobby Lashley against Vince McMahon’s Umaga, with the losing billionaire getting his head shaved bald. Steve Austin would be thrown in as the guest referee, adding yet another marquee layer to a match that would go on to draw historic business, just like Hogan vs. Andre 2 decades earlier.
But as mentioned, Savage vs. Steamboat that would be the talk for purists coming out of the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987. It was the match that cracked the first door open for workrate in WWE and inspired many future pro wresters to enter the business, most particularly Chris Jericho.
Now with that said, the Savage vs. Steamboat of WrestleMania 23 weekend didn’t take place at Ford Field. That’s not to say that particular event was missing excellent matches. In fact, it had 3 genuine classics on it, with the 3rd annual Money in the Bank ladder match serving as a contender for the annual event’s best opener ever, Batista and Undertaker colliding in a true battle of heavyweights, and John Cena having his best match of a stellar 2007 to close out the show against Mr. WrestleMania himself, none other than Shawn Michaels.
Yet though, none of those 3 instant classic could truly claim to be the greatest match of the magical weekend in Detroit a decade ago. No, that honor belonged to something far more graphic, far more malicious, far more emotional, in front of an audience only a fraction of the size that would be at Ford Field 24 hours later.
For the second consecutive year, Ring of Honor would lay claim to the greatest match in the home of the year’s greatest weekend. But it would not be a technical wrestling classic such as Roderick Strong putting the FIP Title on the line against former Generation Next teammate Austin Aries, or even a long-awaited singles match in the company against other former GeNext teammate Jack Evans. Those were tremendous matches too, but they weren’t the best.
Nor would the greatest match of the weekend be delivered by Dragon Gate. The Team Dragon Gate vs. Team ROH at All Star Extravaganza III would fail to come anywhere close to Generation Next vs. Blood Generation a year earlier to the date at Dragon Gate Challenge. Not even Typhoon and Muscle Outlaw’z at Supercard of Honor II could come close to the timeless masterpiece that won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2006 Match of the Year, that being Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation at Supercard of Honor.
That honor would belong to what is a decade later, the greatest cage match in ROH’s 15-year history. That would belong to the conclusion of a saga that had spanned 2 years between former Tag Champions Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer. It was a match that when considering the 2-year preface prior to the team’s formation, was actually 4 years in the making.
This is the story of ROH’s greatest cage match ever. This is the story of the greatest match in the rich history of classic gimmick matches between Jacobs and Whitmer. This is the story of how the strangest, most unforeseen circumstances blossom into true beauty. This is the story of how one man saved his ROH tenure when booker Gabe Sapolsky failed both him and the Tag Titles in a glaring black eye to an otherwise tremendous 2005 for the company. This is the story of how a relentless creep won the heart of the sociopathic valet that had exploited him. This is the story that paid off with the greatest match in the careers of both Jacobs and Whitmer. This is the story of the Savage vs. Steamboat of WrestleMania 23 weekend.
This is the complete saga of what ROH dubbed as A Decade in the Making: The Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer Story when it released a compilation of the feud in recent years.
The Preface
No story truly begins with a Chapter 1. Like most members of the animal kingdom, this saga was first a figurative fetus.
This journey all started at The Epic Encounter on April 12, 2003, just 3 months after Whitmer had the year’s most impressive debut in a classic four-way against Paul London, Homicide, and Colt Cabana at Revenge on the Prophecy. While this particular show is most remembered for this writer’s pick as the greatest match to ever take place in an ROH ring, that being the flawless piece of art of London colliding against Bryan Danielson in a 2/3 falls match, something else important took place.
On that night, Whitmer would face CM Punk, while Homicide would battle Christopher Daniels. In the former, Punk would suplex Whitmer off an apron through a table. In the latter, Dan Maff would disband Da Hit Squad (winners of the “first ever match” in ROH history) and join the Daniels-led Prophecy, doing the T-shirt gimmick used by Dusty Rhodes when the American Dream joined the nWo at Souled Out 1998.
In the months to follow, Punk was completely unapologetic about what he did to Whitmer. He didn’t intend to hurt Whitmer that way, but it wasn’t anything he was losing sleep over. Meanwhile, Punk and Daniels would collide in a four-way involving Jimmy Rave and Frankie Kazarian at Do or Die. This was the first time that Punk and Daniels went at it in ROH, and teased a possible future collision between the Prophecy and Punk’s Second City Saints. On the next event, Punk’s attitude about Whitmer would lead to Punk & Cabana against Raven & Whitmer, then Raven would team with Daniels after that.
Important to mention is that everything so far through Punk & Cabana vs. Raven & Whitmer took place before Jacobs even stepped foot in ROH. His debut would finally come the same night as Punk & Cabana vs. Raven & Daniels at Wrestlerave. The debut of Jacobs would be quite poetic, as it’d be against Whitmer, the debuting Alex Shelley (a fellow Michigan native and common partner/opponent of Jacobs), and Tony Mamaluke. Jacobs would spend the rest of his 2003 tenure in the company being a pure curtain-jerker.
Meanwhile throughout the rest of 2003, seeds were being planted for a major Whitmer push, which certainly didn’t seem warranted at the time and don’t all these years later reflecting on that period. Punk’s girlfriend Lucy (aka Daffney) would be attacked by an unknown party at Wrath of the Racket. This would cause Punk to go crazy as he engaged in the Feud of the Year against Raven.
It paid off at Final Battle 2003. Whitmer lost a dreadful Field of Honor final against Matt Stryker, further making what would come later in the evening even more questionable. After Samoa Joe finished off Mark Briscoe and then proved his alpha dominance over Punk, the future Hall of Famer went insane, no longer patient for Lucy’s attack to finally be revealed.
It would be Whitmer and Daniels revealing themselves as the culprits. Maff was surprisingly left out of the attack and was upset that Daniels had done this without his knowledge, for he had spent the prior 4 months swearing the Prophecy had no involvement. Like would come 13 years later for the Wyatt Family, Maff saw himself playing the Luke Harper role to Whitmer’s Randy Orton role. On the next event, the Prophecy trio of Maff, Whitmer, & Daniels would collide against the Second City Saints of Punk, Cabana, and their trainer Ace Steel. The Saints would win the battle, and Punk sent a message loud and clear when Daniels ate a Pepsi Plunge through a table; thou shall not fuck with Punk’s heart.
(Note: instrumental version used by Maff & Whitmer not currently available online.)
Maff & Whitmer along with Allison Danger had to keep the Prophecy fort down as Daniels nursed his injuries. But unforeseen circumstances entered the picture when ROH owner Rob Feinstein would infamously be caught in an Ephebophilia sting; TNA drew the line for a number of talents to choose which company to stick with, and Daniels chose TNA.
Maff, Whitmer, & Danger would continue feuding with the Second City Saints, even winning the Tag Titles from the Briscoes but losing them that same night to Punk & Cabana at Round Robin Challenge III; meanwhile, Jacobs was betrayed by Shelley in a scramble tag a month before Generation Next’s formation. Then right after that faction’s formation, the Prophecy agreed to retire their faction name but stick together; however, Maff & Whitmer were done with Danger, who wouldn’t let go of the Prophecy era.
Maff & Whitmer would lose a classic hardcore match against Punk & Steel at Death Before Dishonor II Pt. 2. In the meantime, Jacobs continued battling against Generation Next, going against Shelley in singles or having show-stealing trios matches. Jacobs displayed true grit and determination despite amusingly doing the “Huss” routine as an homage to Bruiser Brody. In particular, Jacobs would have a tremendous, vastly under-appreciated I Quit encounter against Shelley. (Why is it forgotten? Because it fell on the event known as Joe vs. Punk II.)
Maff & Whitmer would eventually win a feud against the Carnage Crew in another plunder match at Final Battle 2004. Things then got interesting on the Third Anniversary Celebration week for what was about to come. Maff & Whitmer captured the Tag Titles from the Havana Pitbulls on Pt. 1, then retained them on Pt. 2 of that anniversary week against Delirious & Jacobs. Once again, Jacobs showed some quality grit in defeat.
Maff & Whitmer would have one other title match against Cabana & Nigel McGuinness at Back to Basics. That would be the final ROH match ever in Maff’s career. A dozen years later, the only thing gathered is that Homicide had Maff black-balled from the company; everything beyond that has just been rumor. Thankfully that would be put behind them years later as Maff was welcomed back into the business; as for ROH, the storyline explanation was that Maff was in a severe automobile accident. On that same card in the main event, Punk & Brian Kendrick, thanks to Stevie Richards interference that would never pay off likely due to WWE stonewalling, lost a Tag Titles shot match against Pure Champion Jay Lethal & Samoa Joe.
This created an opportunity as the Tag Titles became vacant.
The Team
ROH wasted no time in crowning new Tag Champions, and looking back a dozen years ago, that was a good thing for a couple reasons. The division was very thin, as the Briscoes had been gone since August 2004 due to Mark being in a legitimate automobile accident. In addition, Trios Tournament had just taken place, so another tournament would’ve been overkill, especially because New Japan wanted ROH to host one of their tournaments.
Of note is that everything that’s about to follow all the way to Supercard of Honor II came incredibly close to never happening. Jacobs badly needed a ride from Michigan to New Jersey, and it’s thanks to Jake Ziegler that he made it in time for Best of American Super Juniors Tournament (eluded to Ziegler’s review of the show a dozen years ago.)
New champs would be crowned at the event known as Best of American Super Juniors Tournament. Lethal & Joe were automatically in the match; Whitmer was told he could pick anyone to be his partner, so he chose Jacobs based on his effort a couple months earlier. Lethal & Joe vs. Jacobs & Whitmer was a totally forgettable match with all kinds of glaring errors, but what mattered was the result: Whitmer was once against Tag Champs, that time with Jacobs.
This title reign couldn’t have started any better. ROH made its historic Manhattan debut at the critically-acclaimed Manhattan Mayhem, an event featuring one show-stealing match after another. Jacobs & Whitmer were not immune to that, having an incredibly well-received title defense against Jack Evans & Roderick Strong. It was a nice battle of little guy and bigger/stronger vs. little guy and bigger/stronger; the only thing that would’ve made it even better was if GeNext had played true heel, forcing Jacobs to play the babyface in peril just like in their battles the year before.
From that point, the Jacobs & Whitmer tandem was honestly a disaster. Neither one of them should be blamed for that. As mentioned, the division was fucking thin. Evans & Strong already got their shot. The Havana Pitbulls were never that strong to begin with thanks to the weaker link known as Ricky Reyes, but they couldn’t be used since the stronger link of Rocky Romero was now under the Black Tiger persona in NJPW. Besides Carnage Crew and Dunn & Marcos (for modern-day fans, think of the Ascension and Shining Stars as the best comparison, albeit with a bit more charm), there was little to grab on to. Special K had just blown up, with Dixie & Azrieal then being forced to split by losing to the Lacey’s Angels tandem of Izzy & Deranged. Even then, those teams were total scrubs.
To be honest though, the first few years of ROH’s history was always thin on tag teams. The lineage was overall quite lousy until the end of 2005. Whether it was the teams chosen to be champions just not bringing enough to the table, not the greatest challengers being available, or just outright poor directions, tag team wrestling could never be seriously looked at as a strength in ROH. That would be no different for Jacobs & Whitmer.
It didn’t help at all that Carnage Crew got a coffee cup run with the titles in July 2005. Their lone defense at Fate of an Angel was one of the worst matches held by ROH that year. It was a fucking disaster, and did nothing to strengthen Jacobs & Whitmer. Looking back, one wonders if that dreadful title defense by Carnage Crew led to their departure the next month.
Even with a second run with the belts, Jacobs & Whitmer couldn’t catch a break. They got quality challengers when the white-hot, newly-crowned James Gibson teamed up with Brian Kendrick at Punk: The Final Chapter… only for Kendrick to throw the match away when he superkicked Gibson as the match was still ongoing. While that spoke volumes to elevate the ROH Title’s prestige, what exactly did that say about the Tag Titles?
Jacobs & Whitmer continued to flounder as Tag Champs. There was no interesting direction whatsoever with them. There probably isn’t even one that could’ve been taken in 2005. So it was decided to move the belts over to the illustrious tandem known as Tony Mamaluke & Sal Rinauro. And this happened on the historic event known as Joe vs. Kobashi. But before you the reader start laughing, groaning, etc., it gets even better.
In September 2005, Lacey had been shown at ringside for various matches, scouting varies wrestlers to be recruited into Lacey’s Angels. One of those matches happened to be an otherwise totally meaningless four-way pitting Whitmer against Joe, Reyes, and the debuting Adam Pearce. (Well, if one is a total Pearce mark, then that match has extra significance. How many of those people actually exist?)
If Jacobs & Whitmer vs. Mamaluke & Rinauro was yet another disaster on the night saw company icon Samoa Joe collide against first-ballot HOFer Kenta Kobashi, there are no words to explain what happened the next night. It would be Gibson’s farewell, as well as Joe teaming with Low Ki to battle Homicide & Kobashi. So this was certainly yet another night in which was EXTRA important to make a good impression.
Instead, live reports of Jacobs & Whitmer vs. Izzy & Deranged from Unforgettable were absolutely scathing. So scathing, such a shit show in fact, that the match and its very important angle got completely removed from the DVD release. Instead, the angle was filmed as a backstage segment for the DVD. Lacey fired Izzy & Deranged and introduced the new Lacey’s Angels of Jacobs & Whitmer, who mugged the jabronis.
The new Lacey’s Angels of Jacobs & Whitmer were a slight improvement to the pre-Lacey team, but still lacked anything special. It was interesting to see her berate the two when they didn’t live up to her standards, while both incredibly arrogant and ignorant on her part considering that Maff & Whitmer the year before gotten Allison Danger planted by Homicide with a Kudo Driver. However, that was before months before Lacey came into the fold, so that explains her ignorance, while obviously not excusing it, as she should’ve done her homework before taking on these two as her clients.
The Feud
This arrogance by Lacey would prove crucial. In a backstage segment at Buffalo Stampede for the DVD release, she buried Jacobs & Whitmer as being dipshits (although not in words that arrogant, but arrogant enough.) By January 2006, this segment would come into play as the DVD release was now available.
Before that segment would come into play, Jimmy Jacobs would save his ROH tenure. Now look back at everything chronicled about this team of Jacobs & Whitmer so far. Look at how weak the Tag Titles had been booked during the first 3 years of their existence since their inception at Unscripted. Look at how pathetically booked Jacobs & Whitmer were as Tag Champs. Now add in how tremendous Jacobs had been beforehand playing the FIP against Alex Shelley and the rest of Generation Next.
For whatever reason, booker Gabe Sapolsky felt it was “do or die” time for Jacobs. (This wouldn’t be the last time Sapolsky so foolishly put incredible talents like Jacobs in this position, as something similar would happen the next year for the returning Kevin Steen & El Generico.)
Even though Jacobs didn’t deserve to be in such a position by Sapolsky, it led to his defining role, storyline, and match of his career.
In a segment released on the ROH Videos web site and then on the Hell Freezes Over DVD release, Jacobs sent in a video declaring his love for Lacey. It was amusing albeit slightly alarming, for his valet had shown no signs of attraction whatsoever, only proving herself to be a sociopath that saw him as nothing more than a commodity.
This situation would come to blows at Tag Wars 2006 and Dissension. On the former, Jacobs, Whitmer, & Pearce would lose an incredibly fion trios opener against Jack Evans, Jimmy Yang, & Matt Sydal. There were deep communication breakdowns thanks to Jacobs focusing way too much on Lacey, and Whitmer lit into them at the end of that show, citing her Buffalo Stampede promo. On the latter show, Jacobs would cost the team the Tag Titles against Austin Aries & Roderick Strong due to once again focusing too much on Lacey. Whitmer dropped him afterwards with an Exploder suplex, then warned Lacey at the end of the show about what happened to Danger in the past when she confronted him.
Looking back, it’s s shame this split happened a month before the Briscoes returned. It turns out that a Briscoes vs. Jacobs & Whitmer match never happened without any other teams involved. But perhaps the schedules simply didn’t permit this dream match to happen, as Jacobs vs. Whitmer had to happen in late March, while all four men wouldn’t appear on the same card until 3 weeks after that. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Jacobs was off ROH for the next couple months until WrestleMania 22 weekend, so Whitmer was inserted into the ROH vs. CZW feud. Looking back, it’s amazing that for a wrestler with as little charisma, character, and personality as Whitmer, would be involved in the 2 greatest storylines of 2006. But he played his roles perfectly; with that said, there’s an argument that despite the end result, this was a miscasting when looking at the foundation of the performers involved and their history in ROH.
What if instead of Jacobs become a total creep that lusted for Lacey, he had an innocent crush on her and she completely rejected him, sticking Whitmer on him? While Jacobs was an unproven promo in ROH prior to 2006, Whitmer was proven to be a bad one. Meanwhile, Jacobs was proven to be a tremendous underdog against Generation Next, and thrived with an I Quit MOTYC against Shelley. Imagine Jimmy Jacobs not only as the underdog against the bully Whitmer and sociopathic Lacey, but as ROH’s “sacrificial lamb” in the war against CZW. How badly would Jacobs have been rag-dolled by the likes of Super Dragon in such a role?
Nonetheless, what was delivered in reality paid off tremendously. Jacobs would top his online promo, this time putting together a music video that would become his theme music throughout the rest of the year and be included on the Best in the World 2006 DVD release.
This was a hot piece of viral storytelling, getting quite the attention 11 years ago on Myspace and various message boards. Jacobs had been gone for 2 months, but thanks to this music video, springboard himself up the roster just days before ROH came to his home state of Michigan to kick off the company’s first-ever triple-shot with a night of action in Detroit on WrestleMania 22 weekend.
What unfolded at Dragon Gate Challenge would be an excellent match between Jacobs and Whitmer. While the terrifying powerbomb botch would be most remembered and also serve as a key storytelling component for the rest of the feud over the next year, this was a tremendous battle, with Whitmer finding an opponent that perfectly complimented him. But Jacobs shouldn’t get all the credit, as Whitmer did a tremendous job selling the offense of Jacobs. In turn, Jacobs was tremendous in his over-infatuation with Lacey at ringside, often not going for the kill that she wanted from him on his former partner.
Jacobs would have Whitmer finished with a Shiranui, but Lacey wanted more than that; she wanted Whitmer to be finished for good. This cost Jacobs as he tried pandering too much to Lacey’s demands, being defeated by the favorite Whitmer. However, Whitmer would offer respect in the post-match, only for Jacobs to spit in his face and fuck off with Lacey. This was far from finished.
As ROH moved to Chicago afterwards for the rest of the magical WrestleMania 22 weekend, Jacobs and Whitmer were kept away from each other. Jacobs would continue to fail pulling out victories for Lacey, while Whitmer was busy with the CZW invaders. The same happened a few weeks later at The 100th Show in Philly; Whitmer would eat an Argentine PIledriver from Super Dragon in the near-masterpiece ROH vs. CZW main event war, while underneath Jacobs opted NOT to win even though Lacey offered to go topless online if he did. Jacobs would then explain that he wouldn’t allow Lacey to degrade herself to the marks like that. Just masterful storytelling.
Up next would be the Weekend of Champions in Ohio. Once again, both men were preoccupied; Jacobs continued failing to pick up victories, including an entertaining opener on Night 1 in Dayton against Colt Cabana (a delicious preview of what was to come). Meanwhile, Whitmer was delieverd more punishment by SD, but what would get the last laugh on the PWG founder on Night 2 in Cleveland, sending the chaotic CZW invader packing for good from ROH.
Whitmer would continue contributing to the ROH vs. CZW saga until the return to the New Yorker Hotel at In Your Face. Jacobs vs. Whitmer II was scheduled, this time with the winner earning an ROH Title shot against Bryan Danielson 6 days later at Throwdown in Detroit. Jacobs cut a masterful backstage promo, explaining his motivation to win the ROH Title was to make more money for the “future children” that he would have with Lacey.
(NOTE; the above video has shitty generic music playing over the entire video during the entrances and pre-match brawl due to Whitmer’s usage of Stone Temple Pilot’s “Down,” and also over “The Ballad of Lacey” for unknown reasons.)
The match would end with an intentional homage to the Dragon Gate Challenge botch, with Whitmer delivering a Super Powerbomb to Jacobs into the audience chairs. The match would be ruled a double count out, and they’d face Danielson in an elimination match for the ROH Title.
Danielson vs. Jacobs vs. Whitmer would be yet another classic in Danielson’s epic title reign. Whitmer would have his weak moments, but the three-way portion had some tremendous spots and storytelling, including a German and Exploder suplex stereo combo. The former Tag Champs even double-teamed the champion at one point, delivering a Doomsday Hurricanrana on him. In a brilliant moment since the ROH vs. CZW was still ongoing, Whitmer took a lot to be eliminated; a Super Shiranui by Jacobs, along with momentum from Danielson, would be required to put the Cincinnati native down.
Coming down to Danielson vs. Jacobs, Detroit got served a classic. Jaocbs was just amazing in once again playing the underdog, this time in his home state and for the company’s grandest prize, against the best wrestler on the planet. Jaocbs had much of Danielson’s offense tremendously scouted, blocking multiple maneuvers, showing just how serious he was about winning the big one for Lacey. But he made the deadly mistake of going for the Cattle Mutilation, totally idiotic against Danielson, and costing himself the company’s top prize and Lacey’s heart. Instead, Jacobs had to take the “moral victory” of a standing ovation from his fellow Michigan natives after being berated by his valet and object of his infatuation.
Jacobs and Whitmer would be preoccupied once again for a couple months, as Whitmer had unfinished business in the ROH vs. CZW saga, culminating for him personally in that feud’s epilogue, a victory in a very good No Rope Barbed Wire match against Necro Butcher at War of the Wire II. Another party would meanwhile be inserted into this whole saga involving Lacey, Jacobs, and Whitmer, but before getting into that, there’s another classic to be spotlighted.
Strong vs. Jacobs at Chi-Town Struggle is a must-see match on a night of many of them (including Nigel McGuinness vs. Homicide; Austin Aries vs. KENTA, and Danielson vs. Colt Cabana). Although no longer a heel, Strong’s jock persona was the perfect foil to the smaller creep Jacobs. The scouting, teases, and counters were top-notch, but no matter what, Jacobs couldn’t pull out a major victory for Lacey; this should be no surprise that Strong would be determined to win after just losing to KENTA the night before. Strong vs. Jacobs is simply another under-appreciated classic and like the previously mentioned I Quit match between Jacobs and Alex Shelley, is mysteriously not on any compilations yet, though definitely deserving of being so.
Lacey treating Jacobs as a complete commodity wasn’t enough to make this angle so magical. The utter contempt she had for his pathetic infatuation towards her needed an extra layer. Enter a sexual relationship with Colt Cabana. Absolutely torn, Jacobs used this as extra fuel in this third encounter against Whitmer at Gut Check, taking out his former partner by fucking up his ankle with a chair.
With Whitmer out for a while, Jacobs arguably did himself a disservice. Having Whitmer around may have preoccupied him, keeping him focused on a single mission, a mental diversion from the fuck buddies that Lacey and Cabana had become. Instead, Jacobs continued his downward spiral with yet another wonderful music video.
This saga’s excellence only endured, with Jacobs and Cabana now in singles multi-man matches on the historic Glory By Honor V weekend. On night 1 in Connecticut, they would face Jack Evans and Ricky Reyes, while on Night 2 in the company’s Manhattan Center debut, they’d face Christopher Daniels. In both matches, Cabana made a completely mockery of Jacobs. Lacey of course continued to berate Jacobs, and in the match against Daniels, ordered him to let Cabana win the match instead! Jacobs chose to kick Cabana in the groin and take the victory, only for it to not matter at all to Lacey.
Cabana would continue rubbing in his fuck buddy relationship with Lacey in the face of Jacobs, and this was honestly both foolish and arrogant of the Chicago native. He had just wrapped up a lengthy, both physically and emotionally taxing blood feud against Homicide that had started due to a comic line delivered in poor taste. Jacobs had proven himself in his wars against Alex Shelley and the rest of Generation Next, as well as the first encounter against Whitmer. And now Jacobs was in losing his mind over Lacey. Fucking unbelievable that Cabana would get smug and cocky against Jacobs when taking all of this into consideration.
It would only get even better. Time stamp 1:30.
Before continuing: Glory By Honor V Night 2 would mark the end of ROH’s golden age, although nobody quite realized it at the time. The remaining quarter of 2006 was a vast display of burnout through Gabe Sapolsky’s performance. But if there was one true shining glimmer of hope, one reason to keep tuning in, it was THIS saga, with Jacobs closing out the year as an MVP candidate in an already loaded 2006.
Jacobs & Cabana would fail to win the Tag Titles from the Kings of Wrestling, and would team up the rest of October 2006. They would unintentionally bring the “official” end to the Embassy’s peak period, defeating Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro in Cabana’s hometown of Chicago at Irresistible Forces. The latest edition of “Lacey’s Angels” as Lacey wanted to call them showed quite the chemistry, but the real news would be in the post-match.
With Whitmer back in the fold, the feud continued. Sapolsky booked a completely meaningless gauntlet match, one devoid of any stipulations, at Black Friday Fallout. Whitmer’s defeat over Brent Albright in the match was as over as a wet fart for the Long Island crowd. Jacobs was then next and made quick cheating work of Whitmer. The match then completed with a very good portion between Jacobs and Nigel McGuinness. Looking back, it’s a shame there was never a Jacobs vs. McGuinness program, as either in the face/heel role against one another would’ve been perfect, especially with Lacey in the mix.
Jacobs vs. Whitmer IV was scheduled the next night at Dethroned, but would never become an official match. Instead, it was just an awesome brawl that got over both of them as bad motherfuckers that despised each other with a burning passion. What a crazy concept. In the meantime, Daizee Haze became involved in the feud as a foil to Lacey. Haze may as well have not existed, as she added nothing and at one specific point, substantially downgraded this saga.
Then came The Chicago Spectacular weekend, a very disappointing double-shot in the Windy City (that’s the stupidity of booking those dates when in the past 8 months, Chicago had hosted an end-all, be-all weekend double-shot, an event in June, an event in August, and an event in October.) Jacobs vs. Cabana on Night 1 would serve as pure angle advancement, as the newfound mercenary Brent Albright helped Jacobs split Cabana’s legs to get his groin stomped by Lacey’s high heel. This saga would be added into the multi-man match scheduled on Night 2.
The multi-man match on Night 2 would be tremendous angle advancement. The main event pitted Danielson, Shingo, Rave, & Jacobs against Delirious, Whitmer, Cabana, & McGuinness. Jacobs tried using a spike on Whitmer but got thwarted by Cabana; this allowed Whitmer to pick up the weapon and try using it, unintentionally spiking Lacey’s face! After carrying her to the back, Jacobs returned and targeted Whitmer’s previously injured right ankle with a chair, drawing the intentional disqualification for himself, and allowing Rave to finish Whitmer off with the heel hook submission.
On the year’s closing weekend, Jacobs became even more unhinged after what had happened to Lacey, now teaming up with Albright, but making it clear that he viewed the former OVW Champion as nothing more than an ally. The company made its Hartford debut for an event that would be named International Challenge on the eve of the highly-anticipated Final Battle 2006. While this show did nothing to enhance the Jacobs vs. Whitmer saga and everyone involved, the intended contribution from this Hartford event deserves to be pointed out, as it served as hands down, the storyline’s lowest point, and very deserving of a spot in the WrestleCrap Hall of Fame. Rather than paraphrase the dreadful segment, here’s a copy and paste review.
Daizee Haze & BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Mercedes Martinez
Based off of the Jacobs promo earlier, I decided to watch this for the storyline advancement. This is easily ROH’s worst match of 2006 that I watched. This makes the Briscoes vs. KENTA & Davey Richards look like an arguably flawless work of art on par with Low Ki & Samoa Joe vs. Homicide & Kenta Kobashi.
Perhaps society has simply evolved too in terms of misogyny and violence towards women. Perhaps the tragic events that were 6 months away from this final ROH weekend of 2006 made presenting such directions in the world of professional wrestling too taboo, too sensitive, too painful to be accepted as a digestible piece of theater. I don’t fully buy into that rationale, because Prince Nana’s antics towards Jade Chung throughout 2005 still hold up a decade later. It can be argued that it’s because the malice on her was more emotionally based, that the violence was more implied. Maybe it’s because unlike most of the participants in this segment, Nana has the charisma and mic skills to make a segment like that so effective for building heat.
Simply put, I was taken aback when Whitmer viciously clotheslined Martinez. It was within the rules of the match, yet I felt that it truly served no purpose, and ditto for when Jacobs attacked Haze. Stephanie McMahon getting speared at AT&T Stadium was accidental, as was Whitmer spiking Lacey a couple weeks before this. They were simply victims of self-interested attempts to insert themselves into or distract from violent battles between men.
When Brent Albright also appeared after the match and put his hands on Haze, there was no charm to it. Instead of seeing a villain that needed to be conquered, I saw something that likely resembled the tragic events to come 6 months from the very date of this event involving his former on-screen WWE mentor Chris Benoit. I didn’t wanna see Albright get his ass kicked for implying that he was going to assault Haze; I wanted him to be fucking arrested and served with charges. I felt just as uncomfortable with this segment as PWG’s tolerance of exploiting the Benoit family massacre while the wounds were still fresh with the entire wrestling community. The presentation of the violence from men towards women in this segment ultimately didn’t seem to serve any kind of substantial purpose; none of those moments enhanced the Jacobs vs. Whitmer saga whatsoever.
Now when Jacobs and Whitmer went at it, they were fine as always. They could sleepwalk their way an acceptable brawl if assigned such a task.
The performances of Haze and Martinez are a much different story. This match isn’t just a piece of shit for ethical reasons. Both women were absolutely abysmal in this. Whoever’s fault it is, I don’t care, but very early, Haze stood in the corner for way too long while Martinez was about to launch at Whitmer to the outside, and it made Haze look like a dipshit for not taking advantage to cut Martinez off. The strikes that the women threw on each other made them look like they must’ve been trained by the same person as Shane McMahon too. These ladies were simply business-exposing on this night, and Martinez’s total lack of malicious presence did no favors for her performance. This match would’ve been a perfect addition to booker Gabe Sapolsky’s burnout showcase known as The Bitter End.
Final Battle 2006 would be drastically better and more conducive to the storyline. Jacobs cut an interesting backstage promo, showing that on a night that was destined to be a party for Brooklyn native Homicide and the rest of NYC, Jacobs was in no partying mood. The Albright & Jacobs vs. Whitmer & Cabana match was a serviceable match, with Albright planting Whitmer through a table. Albright was proving to be quite the mercenary so far.
But for Jacobs, there was no moral victory in Albright’s paid assistance, for he now had a new theme song for the remainder of this sage. Time stamp 7:09.
Jacobs would become a complete piece of shit, attacking Haze unprovoked to pander to Lacey. Jacobs vs. Whitmer V would take place at Battle of the Icons, delivering another quality bout, this time their first gimmick match in their rivalry, that being a Last Man Standing match. The violence was intensified, but Whitmer would cost himself the victory, too thirsty to deliver all-time punishment on Jacobs. Albright would intervene and force Whitmer through another table, allowing Jacobs to win the match. There had yet to be a decisive finish in this feud since Dragon Gate Challenge, and there damn sure didn’t need to be one quite yet. But the end was obviously drawing nearer, as the biggest weekend of the year would soon return Michigan, the home state of Jacobs.
The Fifth Year Festival would see plenty of history unfold. It was Samoa Joe’s farewell tour. It was Steen & Generico finally earning their ROH spots. It also saw the first signs of possible attraction from Lacey towards Jacobs, albeit still quite unsettling to the untwisted viewer. The Chicago portion as expected would be the end of the Jacobs vs. Cabana portion of the feud, with the Windy City native coming out on top. This made perfect sense; Jacobs didn’t need a major victory yet, but rather, he needed to be taken to the limit and come so close to it, only to choke once again before he finally brought this whole saga to an end against Whitmer. Jacobs vs. Cabana was nonetheless a classic hardcore match, one that is most definitely must-see. Whitmer would finally finish off Albright in a Tables Are Legal match in NYC; the easily-pleased indulged in the spectacle at the time, but a decade later everyone’s forgotten about it since it has no substance and only rips off superior matches.
The return to Liverpool would see Jacobs vs. Whitmer VI, this time in a Falls Count Anywhere match. It was once again a spectacle, brawling into the upper balcony before coming to a conclusion in the ring. It was brutal, there were great counters, the hatred was still running deep, but Jacobs still couldn’t pull off the victory, as Whitmer got it done. Perhaps Lacey’s absence was the explanation; rather than her now being a distraction, Jacobs needed her to be present as motivation.
And with that, the end was here. It was obvious many months earlier, but it was now official. Jacobs vs. Whitmer VII would finally bring this feud to an end. It had officially started 14 months earlier; the saga officially started 2 years earlier; and the sequence of events had started 4 years earlier.
It would all come to a head in Detroit. Supecard of Honor II. WrestleMania 23 weekend. A cage match.
“Prom Night”
The opening night, called All Star Extravaganza III, was a perfectly serviceable intergender brawl in this saga, pitting Lacey & Jacobs against Haze & Whitmer. Jacobs finished off Haze with a spear, allowing Lacey to get the pin fall and hug him afterwards, promising that if he finished off Whitmer the next night, there’d be more rewards.
The true takeaway from this first night in Detroit would be at the end of the DVD release, as Jacobs cut a final promo. Here’s a copy and paste since the reviews are done a decade after the actual events:
The DVD closes with a “Prom Night” promo from Jimmy Jacobs, one of the best of his career. He reflects on the whole saga with Whitmer, who had said “I love you little brother” after their matches when they teamed up. He can’t believe Whitmer ditched him when he fell in love with Lacey, reflecting also on all the bloodbaths, the attacks on Lacey, and Dragon Gate Challenge. Jacobs says his innocence has been lost, suffering through sleepless nights while visualizing how to end this and hurt Whitmer. Jacobs puts the blame on Whitmer for bringing this down to a cage match. A pin fall won’t end this, only finishing one another will. There will be no hug or handshake, no respect earned.
“BJ, it’s prom night. It always ends the same. The villain gets what’s coming to him, and the hero gets the girl. I love you big brother.”
As for Supercard of Honor II, the DVD began with one more promo from Jacobs.
The DVD begins with a final Jimmy Jacobs promo. Jacobs says that Whitmer fights for the fans’ acceptance, aiming for a prideful, self-absorbed desire. But tonight, Jacobs fights for the cause that great minds such as Socrates and William Shakespeare contemplated. Jacobs compares this war to the Biblical battles between God and Lucifer. “At the end of the day, love conquered all.” Jacobs believes the two of them will both be six feet under in a few years. Thank goodness that didn’t turn out to be true. Jacobs says that his love for Lacey overrides whatever Whitmer’s legacy will be. Jacobs wants to reclaim his purity and innocence, and with Lacey in his corner, he also is accompanied by love, invincibility, and eternity. “You’ve already lost, big brother.” Lacey says this could be the night for Jacobs to reclaim her.
And the match itself:
Cage Match
Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ WhitmerLacey and Daizee Haze accompany their appropriate men respectively. The Michigan crowd pretty much instantly makes it known they’re behind Jacobs, chanting “Please don’t die!” at him during his entrance and before he did anything remotely dangerous.
Jacobs does a suicide dive to Whitmer on the outside before the opening bell, kicking this off with an outside brawl. Absolutely love it – no pussyfooting around in this feud-ender. They also waste no time getting into the caged ring.
Whitmer gets the upper hand early, repeatedly tossing Jacobs face-first into the fencing. In a unique formatting, weapons get introduced when the participants request it. Once Whitmer has a chair, Jacobs futilely tries cutting off Whitmer, only to get it dropkicked in his face. However, he scouts Whitmer coming again, delivering a big boot for the successful cutoff.
Whitmer scouts an elbow drop, allowing his former partner to fall on the chair and then give him a spinebuster on it for good measure. Jacobs eats a chair shot to the head, although he had a hand up which hopefully was legit protection. The Michigan native sells his mouth so Whitmer works on it, but gets fed face-first into the chair via a drop toe hold.
Lacey demands more weapons for Jacobs, and his spike gets introduced, but Whitmer has one too in his boot. They then bring back memories of the all-time classic between Tully Blanchard and Magnum TA from Starrcade 1985, stabbing each other and now bleeding as the crowd chants for more! They then repeatedly stab each other as Detroit erupts! So beautiful, so unforgettable, and yet so disgusting a decade later.
Jacobs then stabs his own forehead a few times for an adrenaline rush! Whitmer gets the upper hand on a strike exchange, powerbombing Jacobs in the corner and hitting a follow-up big boot. The selling of blood loss is impressive by both men, not being able to instantly keep the punishment coming. But we’re not close to down, as a barbed-wire baseball bat comes into the fold. Jacobs avoids it but Whitmer is still in control.
Whitmer mistakenly calls for another forearm smash in the elbow, and he pays for it dearly as Jacobs strikes his face with the baseball bat! Jacobs keeps the punishment coming with it, then sticks the barbed wire in his own mouth and in his hair, the top half of his face a crimson mask as Detroit rallies behind him. He then digs into Whitmer’s flesh on his left bicep, triggering “You sick fuck!” chants. He then tops it by licking Whitmer’s crimson mask and spitting the blood back in his face, then uses both spikes to fuck him on the face and left bicep even more! This is fucking amazing.
Whitmer’s face gets shoved in the barbed-wire bat, then driven into it when Jacobs smashes the chair to the back of his head! Jacobs keeps up the carving on the same body parts, but collapses to sell his blood loss, unable to sustain extended digging. In a piece of great storytelling, as Whitmer struggles and crawls around, Jacobs talks shit and headbutts his former tag partner. The blood loss is just disgusting.
As they get back up, they have another strike exchange with Whitmer evading a spear. This causes Jacobs to hit the chair in the corner and then eat an Exploder suplex. Once again though, Whitmer’s blood loss is taking its toll, as he’s unable to go for the cover. This allows for another strike exchange with Jacobs getting the upper hand temporarily; his jumping head-scissors would be countered by Whitmer, getting driven head-first into the fencing.
Whitmer delivers a receipt, striking the torso of Jacobs with the barbed-wire baseball bat and triggering “This is awesome!” chants. As Jacobs is seated on the chair, he gets his forehead carved up with the bat, but then eats a brainbuster on the chair after a brief struggle! Detroit is just going apeshit, but Jacobs kicks out!
Whitmer opts to win via exit, but Lacey slams the door in his face and that’s followed up by Jacobs charging at his face with the bat again. A senton splash gets a near-fall, and the crowd energy is just off the charts in this classic. Whitmer’s forehead takes even more damage, a spike being driven into it. Jacobs wastes time blowing kisses, so Whitmer blocks a Super Hurricanrana. In an obvious nod to Dragon Gate Challenge, they tease the botch, but Whitmer gets underneath and just drives Jacobs face-first into the top turnbuckle, then follows up with a German Suplex, Dragon Suplex, and Powerbomb with a jackknife pin near-fall. Whitmer can’t get proper form, allowing this to be a near-fall.
A table gets brought into the ring at Lacey’s request, and this pretty much signals we’re in the third and final act of this masterpiece. They tease the infamous botch again, but a Top Rope Powerbomb is countered with a Hurricanrana; they unintentionally just a paid somewhat of an homage to Rey Mysterio’s WCW PPV classics against Psychosis and Eddie Guerrero. Seconds later, Jacobs goes for the Shiranui, only to eat a Jumping Owen Driver for a near-fall.
Lacey inserts himself, only to eat a Jumping Owen Driver for her trouble. Whitmer doesn’t waste much time celebrating as the crowd chants for him, instead going to the top of the cage. He misses the Super Frog Splash, but kicks out of a successful Shiranui. Jacobs is really feeling the pain in his sore left knee that’s been plaguing him in recent months, but Detroit breaks out some more “This is awesome!” chants. As Jacobs checks on Lacey, he orders the table be placed in the ring.
Jacobs has given his all, limping very visibly. Whitmer gets placed on the table, but has had enough recovery time to thwart whatever Jacobs has in mind on the cage. Jacobs causes Whitmer to be crotched, and once again as he limps, places Whitmer back on the table. The creep climbs to the top of the cage and delivers a Super Senton through the table, bringing this work of art and epic saga spanning for multiple years to its proper conclusion.
Jacobs is thanked by Detroit, as is Whitmer. The former is in VERY bad pain in his left knee, reminding me of Shawn Michaels at Taboo Tuesday 2004, but checks on his crush while Haze checks on Whitmer, who has yet to move. Jacobs is so badly hurt that the referee takes a look; Lacey selling Whitmer’s punishment is amazing storytelling; at long last, she sacrificed herself for the man that had sacrificed so much for her, not out of her own self-interest, but because she was finally falling for him.
She has to be carried away as Jacobs gingerly shifts out of the ring to a standing ovation. He refuses assistance once he’s on his feet, but doesn’t return the love as he limps away. Whitmer receives a standing ovation as he finally gets up.
This is simply the greatest cage match in ROH’s 15-year history. There’s no other in the company’s rich history that comes remotely close to this. The storytelling was perfect to bring this fantastic storyline to its conclusion, they sold their characters perfectly, they sold their blood loss perfectly, and absolutely thrived as the plunder got gradually brought into this unforgettable battle.
Major kudos for the right move, which was for Jacobs to go over. It didn’t matter that he would get surgery after this and that Whitmer would still be active; Jacobs had to get the elusive major victory to win Lacey’s heart. Why this didn’t close out the event is still a mystery; perhaps there was hesitation due to the legit knee injury Jacobs had coming into this, as compared to the Dragon Gate match being so highly anticipated after the show-stealer provided by that company a year ago. Nonetheless, this was the real main event, and it delivered in spades, bringing a story with multiple years behind to its emotionally satisfying conclusion.
This isn’t just the greatest cage match in ROH history. It’s the greatest match in the careers of Jimmy Jacobs and BJ Whitmer. Good lock to the rest of ROH 2007 in topping this.
Rating: *****
…
The DVD closes with Jacobs and Lacey consoling each other backstage, not saying a word as Becky Bayless tries to get a comment from them. They are too physically and emotionally traumatized, but they have each other as Lacey embraces the arms of Jacobs. Brilliant finish to the DVD to follow up the night before, and the message is clear: Jimmy Jacobs was THE star of this weekend for ROH, not anyone else.
The Aftermath
Jacobs would finally get the knee surgery he’d needed for more than half a year, and on-screen finally take Lacey out on dates that started awkward, then became disappointing sex for him. But he still kept her around, now wielding the emotional power away from her. The Age of the Fall faction that would debut months later with Necro Butcher and future WWE Champion Tyler Black at Man Up would fail to measure up to the Jacobs vs. Whitmer saga, but there plenty of terrific matches left for Jacobs in ROH, while Black would rise up the roster to prominence and eventually catch WWE’s attention.
Whitmer would continue to be booked for another year, which was a huge mistake as there was nothing more interesting to do with him unless he took substantial time away from the company. The Hangmen Three faction he would form with Albright and Adam Pearce was a fucking disaster, providing no special moments whatsoever and undoubtedly being bad for business. It certainly played a key part in Gabe Sapolsky’s eventual dismissal in October 2008.
Jacobs and Whitmer would both eventually leave ROH, only to return again a bit more rejuvenated. In a poetic tie-in to this A Decade Ago series of retrospectives, they’d eventually form a faction with Roderick Strong called the Decade, a faction bitter about other talents in the company moving on to WWE, TNA, and other companies.
Jimmy Jacobs, real name Chris Scobille, would finally achieve his dream and get hired onto the WWE creative writing team. This would lead to his apparent retirement, and the Jacobs vs. Whitmer rivalry would return to the year’s biggest weekend at Supercard of Honor IX in the Bay Area. This time, because it was right for business, Whitmer would win the final chapter in the rivalry, and final match in the career of Jacobs to date, saying “I love you, little brother.” And because it was the end of an era, Lacey returned 6.5 years after his one night only swan song at Rising Above 2008, putting the abusive past behind them in a very emotional start-to-finish segment for old-school ROH fans in attendance that night. It was the end of a rivalry that had delivered so many tremendous matches in different environments and promotions, including a No Rope Barbed Wire, I Quit, Falls Count Anywhere, standard wrestling, non-sanctioned brawl, and the greatest cage match in ROH history.
Wrestling fans may never get a storyline like the one involving Lacey, Jimmy Jacobs, and BJ Whitmer again. The business has changed so much; modern technology has arguably triggered a mentality of quick satisfaction that wouldn’t be conducive to this. But maybe there is hope; after all, Chris Jericho credits Jimmy Jacobs for The List gimmick, which has been a key dynamic in the saga that’s paying off this weekend as Jericho collides against Kevin Owens on the grandest stage of them all.
It’s unknown if Jacobs will ever wrestle again. There are certainly plenty of interesting dream opponents for him, including Jericho, Bray Wyatt, Hideo Itami, Akira Tozawa, the Revival, American Alpha, and even John Cena. The possibilities are endless, such as a major stage match against AJ Styles, even reuniting with the former Tyler Black against Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns would be quite the juicy storyline.
As for Whitmer, he’s stayed put, but his work has paid off as he’s finally on WWE’s radar. Time will tell if he ever decides to join so many of his contemporaries.
While Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer serves as the greatest cage match in ROH’s storied history, and remains an easy Top 5 storyline as well, there’s something to be learned as displayed in this retrospective. Always keep an open mind on the journey of life; one never knows how one event will lead to a sequence of career and life-changing events. An unfair position in one’s job or life can push him into tapping into an optimal part of himself that he never knew existed.
When Dan Maff joined the Prophecy, CM Punk callously violated BJ Whitmer, Lucy was mysteriously attacked, and then Maff was exiled from ROH, nobody could’ve seen the opportunities that was to come on a magical weekend in Detroit. It couldn’t have even been a year and a half earlier when Jacobs & Whitmer were paired with Lacey. But that’s what life does so often – it pays off with the unexpected.
Thank you Jimmy Jacobs. Thank you BJ Whitmer. Thank you Lacey. Thank you Colt Cabana. Thank you Gabe Sapolsky. And thank you to many of the other involved parties as both allies and opponents for Jacobs and Whitmer during this entire saga, including Brent Albright, Bryan Danielson, Jay Briscoe, Roderick Strong, Jack Evans, and the ROH students that gladly played their small roles in this saga.
Thank you for delivering the Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat of WrestleMania 23 weekend a decade ago. Thank you for delivering the greatest cage match in ROH history. It’ll never be topped. Ever.
To see a significant chunk of this feud legally:
Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer: The Complete 2005-07 In-Ring Good Shit
- Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer vs. Jack Evans & Roderick Strong – Manhattan Mayhem ***1/2
- Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer vs. James Gibson & Brian Kendrick – Punk: The Final Chapter ***1/4
- Jimmy Jacobs, BJ Whitmer, & Adam Pearce vs. Jack Evans, Jimmy Yang, & Matt Sydal – Tag Wars 2006 ***3/4
- Closing moments of Jimmy Jacobs & BJ Whitmer vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong – Dissension
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Dragon Gate Challenge ****
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. Colt Cabana – Weekend of Champions Night 1
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – In Your Face ***
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer vs. Bryan Danielson – Throwdown ****
- Closing moments of Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Gut Check
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. Colt Cabana vs. Jack Evans vs. Ricky Reyes – Glory By Honor V Night 1
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. Colt Cabana vs. Christopher Daniels – Glory By Honor V Night 2
- Jimmy Jacobs & Colt Cabana vs. Jimmy Rave & Sal Rinauro – Irresistible Forces ***
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Dethroned ***3/4
- Closing moments of Jimmy Jacobs vs. Colt Cabana – The Chicago Spectacular Night 1
- Key moments in Team Danielson vs. Team Delirious – The Chicago Spectacular Night 2
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Battle of the Icons ***3/4
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. Colt Cabana – Fifth Year Festival: Chicago ****1/4
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Fifth Year Festival: Finale ***3/4
- Jimmy Jacobs & Lacey vs. BJ Whitmer & Daizee Haze – All Star Extravaganza III
- Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer – Supercard of Honor II *****
Where Are They Now?
Jimmy Jacobs – apparently retired and a member of the WWE’s creative writing team
BJ Whitmer – back in ROH on his 2nd tenure since 2012, having declined WWE’s offer for an off-screen role
Lacey – retired from the business and a resident of China to pursue other interests, including education
Colt Cabana – the ultimate freelance wrestler, back in ROH on his 3rd tenure since 2016
Brent Albright – retired
Gabe Sapolsky – Booker for Evolve and much of the WWN family
Donald Trump – President of the United States of America
Cattle Mutilation 