Ever since the day Prince Nana first reappeared at a Ring of Honor event, people have wondered what his purpose was. Clothed in tattered rags, Nana would jump the guardrails and plead to be hired back into the fold. Then, one day in Philadelphia, Prince Nana arrived to The Arena with a chauffeur driven car, dressed in his finest clothing, and talking about his newest client, Bison Smith, and recruiting “Dirty” Ernie Osiris to carry his bags, and bear the flag of Ghana.
Heading into the “7th Anniversary Show”, Nana promised a special partner for his Bison to face off with Bryan Danielson and his mystery partner (who turned out to be Colt Cabana). Nana stood in the center of the ring, and with all the pomp and circumstance he could muster, heralded the return of “The Crown Jewel” - Jimmy Rave. Unfortunately for The Embassy, that return was spoiled as Cabana & Danielson beat Rave & Bison in New York City.
When ROH returned to Canada for the events captured on “Double Feature II”, Nana introduced his newest associate, Claudio Castagnoli, as Jimmy Rave’s partner to take on Brent Albright & Cabana. The details of what “associate” means has been unclear, but suffice to say that Castagnoli has been a stalwart supporter of Nana and The Embassy. And that night in Montreal, it was Nana’s duo that proved triumphant. Unfortunately the following evening at “Tag Title Classic” wasn’t quite as triumphant as both Claudio and Rave lost in their respective singles battles with Colt and Brent.
Now before Nana reformed his Embassy, another man had been battling one of the Prince’s eventual allies. Grizzly Redwood and Ernie Osiris had begun to develop a rivalry prior to Dirty’s recruitment into the fold, and went to another level at “Steel City Clash” when Nana, Bison, and Osiris attacked Redwood and Ernie stole his shoes. Ernie went on to attempt to sell them to the shoeless Necro Butcher and was met with a stiff right hand. Then at “A Cut Above”, Rave viciously beat down Redwood in a singles match en route to victory. And at “Never Say Die” in Boston, when Ernie & Grizzly fought on the pre-show, once again The Embassy assaulted the lumberjack until Necro Butcher elected to save Redwood. It seemed that The Embassy’s victimization of the smaller man awoke the sleeping beast within The King of the Deathmatch. But revenge was soon to come as The Embassy involved themselves in Necro’s match with Jay Briscoe causing a DQ with their attack. Then the team of Rave, Claudio, and Nana’s newly hired head sleaze - “Magnum” Joey Ryan went onto victory against Cabana, Albright, & Erick Stevens later that night.
Within a matter of months, Prince Nana and The Embassy had managed to make enemies of some of the most dangerous wrestlers in Ring of Honor, and they were far from done. At “Manhattan Mayhem III”, Rave attacked Necro following a pinfall loss, and nearly snapped his leg with a heel hook before Cabana made the save. They took a loss in Chicago Ridge to Cabana & Albright in a Chicago Street Fight, and engaged in an 8-man Elimination Tag for “ROH on HDNet.”
It’s been a non-stop battle between The Embassy and the forces aligned against them, and it will continue in Toronto on Friday night July 24th when a Four Man team representing The Embassy will face off against The Necro Butcher, Colt Cabana, Brent Albright, and Grizzly Redwood in an Elimination Tag Match. And as for The Embassy’s team, Prince Nana had this to say:
“The Embassy’s team? The Embassy’s team will be the best men I can find, the greatest competitors Ghana’s tax money can buy! “The Crown Jewel” will snap your ankle you Dirty Hillbilly!!! My associate Castagnoli will beat down that caveman Brent Albright! My Hired Magnum will take care of you, Boo Boo Cabana! And The Bison, hah, the Bison will take that little lumberjack and throw him into the rafters my friend! Ring of Honor cannot stop my Embassy, I’m telling you!”
So The Embassy will be taking on Albright, Cabana, Necro, and Redwood in an 8-Man Elimination Tag Match next Friday night in Toronto, ON at the Ted Reeve Arena! Add this match to an already loaded card, and “Death Before Dishonor VII” is shaping up to be the best one yet!
