It’s been a chaotic year for Jimmy Jacobs to say the least, and it’s only 5 months old. He ended 2008 by betraying Tyler Black at “Final Battle 2008” and finding himself shockingly aligned with Austin Aries, the man with whom he had spent the better part of the year in bloody battle. Jacob’s turn on Tyler was precipitated by, at least in Jimmy’s eyes, his partners’ betrayal of the AOTF’s purpose and ideals. To Jimmy, Tyler being embraced by the ROH fans made him a traitor to the group, and meant he had to suffer for his sins, real or imagined.
But in some ways that fateful night in NYC may have been the beginning of the end for the AOTF. The original core of the group had been dismantled as Necro went his own way several months prior, as did Lacey after some uncertain incident between her and Jacobs in the parking lot of a mall. With Tyler’s eviction from the group, Jimmy found himself with Delirious as his one constant companion, and Brodie Lee and MsChif at his side whenever the need would arise.
And maybe as a result of these perceived “betrayals” from his original allies, Jacobs became more controlling, and far more paranoid. His actions and attitude towards Delirious were certainly evident of a paranoia brought on by everything that had happened since the AOTF debuted. And maybe there was something to it, or maybe Jimmy was simply a victim of a self-fulfilling prophecy as Delirious left him bloodied at “Stylin’ & Profilin” in Collinsville, IL, and defeated him quite soundly at “Tag Title Classic”. That only served to further deject Jacobs as 24 hours prior at “The Hunt Begins” Jimmy was also defeated by Tyler Black. How would he recover from two defeats in a row at the hands of his former allies, or former pawns, depending on how one looks at it.
If the Dayton event and “The Homecoming II” in Chicago were any indication, Jacobs was bouncing back strong. First he submitted Egotistico Fantastico with the End Time in Dayton, and then defeated Roderick Strong & Claudio Castagnoli in Chicago when he caught Roddy with that same hold. And then it all came crashing down at the hands, rather with the words, of Tyler Black. Black came to ringside and verbally blasted Jacobs, referring to him as a failure and a disappointment as leader of the AOTF. And in a familiar scene, Jacobs was left in tears in the center of the ring as the fans in attendance chanted “DISAPPOINTMENT!” at the multi-time tag champion.
While tears may have been flowing that sadness quickly took a sadistic turn as Jacobs attacked Tyler Black after his victory over Chris Hero later that night. With spike in hand, Jacobs laid out his former ally, and bloodied him worse than he had in NYC at “Final Battle 2008”. It was a moment of twisted redemption for Jacobs, redeeming his earlier disgrace, redeeming his “betrayals”, and making Tyler pay for embarrassing Jimmy in front of the wrestling world.
The events in Boston and Edison were originally scheduled as a weekend off for Jimmy Jacobs, and an opportunity for Tyler Black to score two separate championships in two days. Originally Black was to face Jerry Lynn in Boston for the ROH World Title, and then team with Danielson to face the American Wolves in Edison for the ROH World Tag Titles. But fate intervened as a neck injury aggravated by the Wolves kept Black from competing, and cost him his dual opportunities.
In the meantime ROH officials came to both Jacobs and Black with a proposal, an ultimatum really: Pick two matches, one selection from each competitor, to bring some closure to this blood feud. Jacobs was the first to respond, quickly selecting a First Blood match for New York City with these words about disappointment; “I know (the fans) thought they were shouting that to me, but the eyes of those who will not see are only open to fallacy, and the truth is that Tyler is my biggest disappointment. And I will put an end to that disappointment in New York and he will bleed again as I select a First Blood match.”
Black had yet to respond with his desired match until today, and ROH officials have agreed to Tyler’s request. In Detroit on June 26th, Black and Jacobs will meet in a Steel Cage Match. It is the hopes of ROH officials that between the First Blood match in New York, and the Steel Cage Match in Detroit, that a resolution – albeit a very violent one – will be found. Coincidentally, the last time ROH brought the cage to Detroit was at “Supercard of Honor II” where BJ Whitmer squared off with none other than Jimmy Jacobs. That night Jacobs captured the victory and, at least in his mind, captured the heart of Lacey. In truth, that night may also have been the moment the seeds of The Age of the Fall were planted.
Inside that steel cage both Whitmer and Jacobs suffered serious injury, with Jimmy forced to take time off as a result. The Jacobs we have seen in ROH with the AOTF has proven himself infinitely more violent than the Jacobs of 2007, and that could prove to be the undoing of Tyler Black. But Black, as a member of that group, has also shown himself capable of the most extreme levels of violence. It’s anyone’s guess which man will be able to walk out of those four walls under their own power…
Tickets are available for both NYC and Detroit right here at www.rohwrestling.com, as well as for the Ric Flair autograph sessions taking place in both cities.
