By Sean Radican, PWTorch columnist

ROH is running their “10th Anniversary Show” this Sunday. Looking back and reflecting on a decade of ROH brings up memories of great main event matches, fantastic undercards where guys climbed the card wrestling established wrestlers, and shows that felt important more often than not. ROH’s Anniversary events were always treated as special more often than not. Recently, those memories have faded and ROH under the Sinclair banner has struggled to find its identity.

Wrestlers have been put in situations where they’re not shown in the best light. The main event of “10th Anniversary Show” features Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole taking on Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly and it a perfect illustration of how ROH booker Jim Cornette has failed to shine his talent in the brightest light. The dynamic between Edwards and Richards doesn’t seem combustible because neither guy has the ability to pull off what Cornette has tried to create with them. Supposedly, we were supposed to see a new side of Edwards at “Final Battle 2011,” but Edwards was the same wrestler.

On television in recent weeks, nobody seems all that upset with each other. Sure, Richards and Edwards say they’re upset with each other, but that hasn’t connected with viewers through their television screen. The split of O’Reilly and Cole has seemed forced, instead of a natural development with each man picking a side in the ongoing feud between Richards and Edwards.

The company is pushing that Cole and O’Reilly are the latest in line to get the opportunity to prove themselves at the top of the card. For years, ROH talent has entered ROH and climbed the card, but in the past when this strategy has worked, it felt natural. The timing doesn’t feel right with Cole and O’Reilly. O’Reilly, who snitched on Edwards and let Richards know that he went and trained with Dan Severn behind his back, has had some impressive showings lately, but he’s hardly on a roll. Cole, has also been impressive no doubt, but he hasn’t been built up credibly yet in the eyes of the fans.

The bottom line is that it’s hard to for Cornette to get fans invested in the storyline because it simply doesn’t feel like the combustible elements are in place. Do wrestling fans really want to invest in a fractured relationship between Edwards and Richards when the turning point was Edwards went and trained with Dan Severn? It wouldn’t be an impossible storyline to pull off, but Edwards and Richards just don’t come across like the Mega-Powers exploding so to speak.

As for O’Reilly and Cole, they lost more often than not when presented with big opportunities as a tag team. When Tyler Black got the chance to break through in 2008, he had the in-ring credibility to back up the opportunities that were given to him during that time. Cole and O’Reilly just haven’t had the time to become credible in the eyes of the fans, especially for the main event of what is traditionally one of ROH’s biggest shows of the year.

In order for this tag match to be successful, something big has to happen and the dynamic between all four men involved in the main event of “10th Anniversary Show” has to change. ROH used to always deliver big title matches during their Anniversary shows. That’s not happening this year.

I have little doubt that Richards & O’Reilly vs. Edwards & Cole will be a good match, but in order for fans to invest in the company, they need a good story. It will be interesting to see how the fans in New York react to this match on Sunday. ROH has no television in the market, but it seems like a big risk to put this match on a big show in the place of an ROH World Title match. The question most fans will have going into this show is whether something exciting or interesting from a personality and storyline standpoint will transpire during this main event. If the match results in elevating all four men, it can be looked back upon as a success, but if the match is just another attempt by ROH to cater to the hardcore fan base without developing the storyline and personality of the participants involved, it will be considered a failure.

Whether or not ROH is offering the show at a discount price, fans certainly don’t want a discount show. The company needs to step up and make something special happen during the main event or risk losing more of a foothold when it comes to fighting for the attention of wrestling fans.

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