CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI: TAG TEAM WRESTLING CHAMPION OF THE WORLD

In case you didn't know, it's Very European™ to form a team with your buddy and beat the crap out of people for a living.

CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI

TAG TEAM WRESTLING CHAMPION EXTRAORDINAIRE

Photo - Scott Finkelstein's Get Lost Photography

Here's the part you may not know: Claudio is currently holding three separate Tag Team Titles.

ROH World Tag Team Championships (with Chris Hero)

CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas (with Ares)

JCW Tag Team Championships (with Chris Hero)

AND he and Chris Hero are getting a crack at the GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Yoshihiro Takayama & Takuma Sano on their current tour of Japan. And he's the PWG World Champion too. Holy FRIG.

Just thought I'd share this with all of you. And all of these stats aren't even taking into account the five other promotions where Claudio's won tag gold. Multiple times.

So here's to Claudio Castagnoli teaming with people and winning titles. You may now return to your day.

ROH THIS WEEKEND: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 2010 + CHAMPIONS' NIGHT IN TORONTO

This is a big weekend for Ring of Honor. They're hitting up Detroit and Toronto (er, their respective suburbs, Dearborn and Mississauga) for two big events, especially for them not being iPPVs.

But before I get to the lineup for this weekend (including an interactive card for tonight's show where you can click on a guy's name and hear his thoughts on Survival of the Fittest!), here's the latest ROH VideoWire.

ROH VIDEOWIRE 11/08/10

SIZING UP SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 2010 + DANIELS V. STRONG: ROH WORLD TITLE

IN THIS VIDEO

- The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels starts looking past ROH World Champion Roderick Strong, and to potentially facing Davey Richards at Final Battle.

- Truth Martini understands the meaning of life, yet his hair is still ridiculous.

- Andy "Right Leg" Ridge recaps his trial series where he is currently 0-2, and says he won't losehis next match (he will).

- The All Night Express want their tag title shot against "The Duck Squad" (Kings of Wrestling).

- Kevin Steen and Steve Corino spout some crazy in preparation of their triumphant return to Canada, where they are self-proclaimed "heroes." Kevin Steen also graphically describes eating the faces of Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli.

- Davey Richards is concerned with how the Kings of Wrestling will make money after they get dominated by the American Wolves ("I'm glad you've got your slogan!").

- Homicide doesn't like Jay Briscoe (for real? I can't tell with Homicide because he is crazy).

ROH SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST - DEARBORN, MICHIGAN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH - 8:00 BELLTIME

Tickets + Info

Click on a wrestler's name to hear his thoughts on Survival of the Fittest 2010

MAIN EVENT #1 - SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 2010 ELIMINATION MATCH FINALS

TBD VS. TBD VS. TBD VS. TBD VS. TBD VS. TBD

- competitors will be determined based on the winners of the qualifying matches

MAIN EVENT #2 - SIX MAN TAG

ROH World Champion Roderick Strong & The House of Truth (with Truth Martini)

VS.

"Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels & The Briscoe Brothers

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

ROH World Tag Team Champion Chris Hero

VS.

ROH World Television Champion Eddie Edwards

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

El Generico VS. "The Pretty Boy Pit Bull" Kenny King

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

Kevin Steen VS. Kyle O'Reilly

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

Colt "Boom Boom" Cabana VS. "Addicted to Love" Rhett Titus

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

"The King of Old School" Steve Corino VS. Adam Cole

SOTF - 1ST ROUND QUALIFIER

ROH World Tag Team Champion Claudio Castagnoli

VS.

Grizzly Redwood

TRIAL SERIES MATCH #3

Andy "Right Leg" Ridge VS. "The Notorious 187" Homicide

ROH IN MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH - 7:30 BELLTIME

Tickets + Info

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Champion Roderick Strong VS. Challenger "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels

ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Champions The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli)

VS.

Challengers Kevin Steen & Steve Corino

ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

Champion Eddie Edwards VS. Challenger El Generico

GRUDGE MATCH

Jay Briscoe VS. "The Notorious 187" Homicide

TAG TEAM REMATCH FROM CHICAGO

The All Night Express VS. Kyle O'Reilly & Adam Cole

TRIAL SERIES #4

Andy "Right Leg" Ridge VS. Mark Briscoe

SINGLES MATCH

"The Queen of Wrestling" Sara Del Rey VS. Jamilia Craft

PLUS

- Colt Cabana

- Grizzly Redwood

- The House of Truth with Truth Martini

With the Survival of the Fittest being decided tonight and every ROH belt on the line in Toronto on Saturday (which I will be attending and offering up some kind of review), this weekend is sure to be a newsworthy one from Ring of Honor. I can't wait to see Kevin Steen eat Claudio's cheekbone.

THE BIG BANG: KINGS. REIGN. SUPREME.

Courtesy of Claudio Castagnoli's Official Website (and Claudio's Café)

THE ROH CHAMPIONSHIP BELT EXTREME MAKEOVER

First, I swear to god if any single one of you spoil the Big Bang in the comments sections (who am I kidding, no one comments) I will go Kevin Steen crazy on you (nutshot, chairshot, tender kiss).

I sadly had to spend time with my stupid family, who I did say I was going to abandon to watch the Big Bang, but guilt washed over me like a goblet of Gangrel's blood and here I am pleading you to keep results to yourself. I gotta wait until Tuesday to see it, and let me tell you, staying off of Twitter, wrestling blogs, news sites, ROH's site, EVEN FACEBOOK because I have ROH on there, etc. has been a Mortal Kombat TEST YOUR MIGHT thus far, and it's only been one day. I almost go to these sites just by habit, like some kind of nerdy conditioning I've done to myself. I need shock therapy (I almost called it Shockmaster therapy, but that's a joke that doesn't even come close to making sense).

SO, in order to keep my sanity (because apparently all I do is come on here and think/write/read about wrestling), I've been drooling over the now fully-completed set of ROH's new Championship belts - thanks to Steve for pointing me in this direction (credit to you for this entire post). Take a look and try and tell me you wouldn't want any one of these pinching your love handles (photos are all courtesy of All Star Championship Belts, who made the actual belts):

RING OF HONOR

WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

RING OF HONOR

WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

RING OF HONOR

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

These belts look like updated old-school NWA belts to me (and other 80's belts), and I mean that in the BEST way I could ever mean. The flags on the World Title are very reminiscent of the NWA World Championship belt, and even the "Hogan '86" WWF World Championship. Current WWE World Title belts do nothing to acknowledge that more than one country makes up the World.

I am a big fan of these new designs. Can't wait to see them up close and in person at an ROH show.

And now, to round out this Championship Belt post, here are some of my favourite pictures of shirtless sweaty dudes holding shiny things (and some of my favourite old school belt designs):

Magnum T.A. with a belt that's almost as wide as it is long. Kinda like his moustache.

Roddy Piper holding the old NWA US Title. This may be the purest, most genuine moment of joy ever photographed. I love this picture.

Dr. Death and Terry Gordy holding both the NWA and WCW Tag Team Titles. Epic.

Brian Pillman holding the WCW Light Heavyweight Title before it was replaced by the Cruiserweight belt. The colours in this entire picture are awesome.

Owen Hart holding the USWA Unified World Title. The belt is such a strange shape and colour, but I like it and this picture.

This is just a hilarious picture.

All of these photos (minus the Magnum T.A. one) are from Reggie Parks' Championship Belts, who is responsible for every truly classic championship belt design. He also makes some awesome customs, which you can check out here. But it's more fun to show the most bizarre pictures I could find on there. Like these (click the picture if you can't read the belt):

He also makes Santa Claus' belt buckle.