GABE SAPOLSKY: I was very happy with the in ring product that night. I wish we opened the show with a match rather than a long interview segment and that is my main criticism of the show and that of course falls on me. We were thrilled with the crowd. They were great and we immediately wanted to go back to Detroit when we saw how receptive everyone was.

RON: So you were you sold right away that Detroit should be in line for a return show?

GABE: Yes, there was no doubt that we needed to go back to Detroit. The people really gave the show a great atmosphere.

RON: How familiar are you with the Detroit indie scene or have any of the boys mentioned their work in this area?

GABE: I'm sorry, but I'm not too familiar with it. I know AT Huck from the ECW days and he's a great guy. I think at some point you'll see Conrad Kennedy III given a shot in ROH, I'm just not sure when.

RON: Ring of Honor makes it's big return to the Michigan State Fairgrounds on Thursday, March 30th. What are your expectations? Will this show end up a bigger success than the first?

GABE: We hope it will be a bigger success and I definitely hope to give the fans an even better show than we did the first time in Japan. It will be a very unique card as we have three matches pitting ROH wrestlers against Dragon Gate wrestlers, so this will give the fans three matches that they've never seen before and three matches that might not ever happen again. The Dragon Gate guys are very athletic and exciting and our fans will immediately like them so even if you don't know the guys, you will still enjoy the matches. I'm really looking forward to some state of the art matches. Then of course we have a can't miss match with Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe, an interesting tag with tons of potential with Alex Shelley & Jimmy Rave with Prince Nana vs. Bryan Danielson and Alex Shelley and a match that I think might steal the show in BJ Whitmer vs. Jimmy Jacobs. We also have Homicide vs. Colt Cabana in a falls count anywhere match and if you saw their brawl last time in Detroit, you know why this one is taking place. It will be a very well rounded, exciting card.

RON: Let's take a look at the actual card and get your thoughts exclusively for the Detroit fans, match by match...

Grudge Match:
Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels:

GABE: It doesn't get any better than this. I loved the match they had for us in November at Vendetta. Bill Watts watched the match and was really impressed too. This has been a good rivalry in ROH since 2002 and Detroit will get to see one of the final chapters.

Special Challenge Match:
ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson & Delirious vs. Jimmy Rave & Alex Shelley with Prince Nana:

GABE: Danielson, Rave and Shelley have all had some great matches lately so you will see some excellent wrestling here. Delirious adds in a much different style and really makes this match unique and interesting. This will be a really solid tag team match which are always fun to watch.

Ring of Honor vs. Dragon Gate:
Generation Next (Austin Aries, Roderick Strong, & Jack Evans) vs. Blood Generation (CIMA, Naruki Doi, & Masato Yoshino):

GABE: You'll see a lot of innovative, exciting moves in this one. This will be fast paced state of the art wrestling. Even if you have no idea who the Dragon Gate guys are, you will love this match once you see the action.

Ring of Honor vs. Dragon Gate:
AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi:

GABE: This is another of the Dragon Gate vs. ROH series and it will provide more state of the art wrestling. AJ Styles in there with Dragon Kid is a true dream match for fans of both promotions. This one really has potential to be something special and again, even if you don't know the Dragon Gate guys, you will be able to enjoy this match for its action.

Ring of Honor vs. Dragon Gate:
Jimmy Yang vs. Ryo Saito:

GABE: Another really fresh match. Saito is the top guy in Dragon Gate and Yang is looking for that breakout match in ROH, so this could be it.

Falls Count Anywhere:
Colt Cabana vs. Homicide with Julius Smokes:

GABE: This is one of our most intense feuds. Last time in Detroit these two brawled all over the building and were both stretchered out after a superplex off the bleachers through a table. This time something like that could lead to a pinfall. This will definitely be the most hardcore and pure violent match on the show.

3/30 in Detroit will also feature:
Ricky Reyes with Julius Smokes of The Rottweilers, BJ Whitmer, Michigan's own Jimmy Jacobs with Lacey, Chad Collyer, Claudio Castagnoli and more!

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations, or you can purchase them by clicking ADD LINK HERE. For more information on the card, as always, stay tuned to ROHwrestling.com.

RON: Is it safe to say that this show on 3/30 will determine if Detroit remains a permanent ROH market?

GABE: We already have plans to return to Detroit. If 3/30 is way down (attendance-wise) and our return visit doesn't rebound, then we might have to reconsider Detroit, but the people were so great the first time that we've already made a commitment to the market for a few shows.

RON: Do you have any other comments for the ROH fans in the Detroit area?

GABE: Thank you for all your support the first time out there. We hope that you'll show up on March 30th for what will be a show of grudge matches and really unique, one of a kind matches. You are going to get to see the ROH guys in there with some really exciting athletes. It is with your support that ROH will keep coming back to Detroit and we appreciate everything you have done for us so far.

RON: Every member of the ROH roster has obviously worked for his or her spot. The current roster seems pretty full, but do you scout the local markets for potential new stars?

GABE: I'm always looking for new talent.

RON: Is it possible that other Detroit workers will get a dark match tryout on 3/30?

GABE: I think CK3 has a lot of potential. We have just started a lot of new guys, but I am definitely looking to give CK3 another future opportunity if he wants it.

RON: Can you explain a bit more behind the ROH-Dragon Gate relationship? Will the one-off appearances continue or could this partnership evolve into something bigger over time?

GABE: You'll just have to wait and see.

RON: Any plans to take ROH overseas this year? Maybe a return trip to London centered around Nigel or possibly taking the ROH stars to Japan, instead of the other way around?

GABE: We are looking into some possibilities.

RON: What are your thoughts on having the legendary Jim Cornette on the ROH team? How much of an influence does Jim's mind have on the current product?

GABE: It is a real honor to have someone like Jim Cornette on the ROH team. He is very valuable to us. First of all, he's still one of the best promos going today. I mean you are talking about one of the greatest of all time. He is absolutely a hall of fame performer and he's better than ever. Behind the scenes he is very valuable because he is one of wrestling's greatest all time minds and he is always willing to teach and give advice to everyone in the locker room. You can always learn from someone like that and we haven't had a real coach since Ricky Steamboat left. It is very important to have someone like Jim to teach the current generation.

RON: Would you mind commenting more on the recent situation that saw ROH and Low Ki parting ways?

GABE: Its really a dead issue by now. I'm disappointed how things worked out. That's the end of it.

RON: Low Ki's departure is not anything entirely new, as it has happened more than once in the past. So this is definitely truly the end?

GABE: This is truly the end.

RON: Due to Ki's absence, CM Punk made his return "home" as a way to give back to ROH and the fans. What did Punk's return mean to yourself and what do you think it meant to the fans of ROH?

GABE: It means a lot to me that Punk would go out of his way to help us when we needed it. It is things like that that you don't ever forget. For the fans of ROH, it was really something special because he never had an east coast farewell. It was also great to have more of a fun farewell because the first one was so emotional and heavy. That night in Long Island will really go down as a memorable night.

RON: As always on the internet, there were rumors explaining the "original plans" for Punk's return. These plans involved a huge title match with Danielson, but the issues with WWE and then TNA recalling talent changed the plan. How true is this story?

GABE: If Aries and Strong had gone to TNA (that night) there would have been a Punk vs. Danielson match and they would compete and it might have possibly went to a 90 minute draw.

RON: Based on the way Colt Cabana reacted to Punk's return, it seems that fans would love to see an angle develop. Barring any future problems from WWE, is this a story you would like to develop?

GABE: No future plans.

RON: What are your thoughts on Paul Heyman's use of CM Punk in OVW?

GABE: Its been tremendous. If ECW was around today, Punk would be champ. Punk and Heyman is a great combination.

RON: There are consistent rumors regarding the WWE office looking down on Punk's ability. Do you think the WWE actually realizes the goldmine they have?

GABE: I have no idea what goes on in that office, nor do I attempt to understand it.

RON: Dreamer, Richards, Matt Hardy and of course most recently Punk all showed up in ROH while signed to WWE. Matt Hardy even went as far as mentioning ROH by name on Raw. This has raised a lot of questions. What exactly is ROH's relationship with Vince and the WWE?

GABE: There isn't one. They've been cool with us about some things and they deserve credit for that, but there is no formal relationship or anything. It's mainly the wrestlers making things happen.

RON: With all student matches taking place before official events, are there plans to release a DVD of these matches like the previous "Do or Die" & "Uncensored" DVDs?

GABE: There are no plans.

RON: Given your history with ECW, what did the 3/11 show mean to you, as it was the first time ROH ran at the infamous corner of Swanson & Ritner?

GABE: It meant a great deal to me. I was hoping to add a great show to the legacy of that building. It was something I was taking great pride in and we had a strong show that was worthy of that building... until the CZW guys ruined everything.

RON: How proud are you that ROH and Bryan Danielson managed to lure Lance Storm out of retirement?

GABE: That is a testament to how great of a wrestler Bryan Danielson is. Lance Storm didn't come out of retirement and give his first match to Bryan Danielson because he needed a payday or had to satisfy his ego. Storm is wrestling Danielson on April 1st because he wants to. He wants to test himself against Danielson. That is such a huge compliment to Danielson and it shows how much his peers respect him.

RON: Speaking of Danielson, his reign has been widely viewed as a success, as he has definitely ran with the ball. How much does Bryan mean to ROH?

GABE: He is the franchise right now. It is that simple. His matches are always great. He wrestles a style that I want to be the epitome of the ROH style. Sure ROH will always feature all styles, but Danielson's match is all substance and that's what ROH has to be about. We don't have to worry about viewers changing the channel or holding really casual fan's attention spans, so this allows Danielson a lot of freedom in how he works and the result is one great match after another. He is what ROH is all about now.

RON: ROH has rapidly increased it's show output. It makes plenty of sense financially, but are you ever hesitant to run more shows per month since fans may have trouble keeping up with all of the dvd releases?

GABE: So far they have kept up with all the releases. When the shows become unprofitable, then the fans are telling us there are too many and we'll cut down.

RON: With the increased ROH schedule, as well as your FIP responsibilities, do you ever feel like you're being stretched too thin?

GABE: No, not at all. I'm a machine.

RON: Ok, I'm sure I'm not alone in asking this one-- What do we have to do to get more Ebessan in ROH?

GABE: All in due time.

RON: You have reached quite a few of your goals with ROH over the last few years, including running 2 or more shows per month and reaching a steady attendance of 500+ fans-- what sort of goals do you have for the product in the near future?

GABE: I just want to keep making the product better and better.

RON: We'll close this interview out by asking you to make a bold prediction for ROH in 2006, something the fans can look back on at this time next year...

GABE: There will be over one million chops this year in a ROH ring.

RON: Lol, ok. I'd like to thank you for taking the time for this interview, Gabe. Speaking on behalf of the Motor City, I can say that we are very proud and honored to have ROH returning to our backyard. We welcome you with open arms. Best of luck to you and the boys and we'll see you on March 30th!

GABE: Thank you very much. We can't wait to get back to Detroit on March 30th. It will be a really unique night that will never be duplicated with a lot of fresh match ups. You can check ROHwrestling.com for all the info. This will really be a milestone show for ROH, as we kick off our first triple shot and have ROH's best against Dragon Gate's best. Hopefully we'll see you there.