Don’t Worry About Ring Of Honor
SPOILER ALERT: TV tapings in Philly were a promising sign.
Dwindling attendance. Dropping the ball at Madison Square Garden. Bully Ray taking security into his own hands.
Since Cody, Adam “Hangman” Page and The Young Bucks departed Ring of Honor at the end of last year, vultures have been circling the 17-year-old promotion. Long considered to be the number-three pro wrestling company in the United States, the exodus of its biggest stars and a rapidly evolving landscape has left only diehard fans interested in the product. With such a crowded market in 2019, ROH has tumbled far behind WWE and AEW, now competing with MLW and Impact for talent and attention. Those companies also have buzzworthy indie promotions like Game Changer Wrestling and Beyond Wrestling nipping at their heels.
Your Twitter feed has probably written off ROH, waiting for Vince McMahon to purchase its library and create more comprehensive Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe collections on the WWE Network.
Well, stop worrying. As evidenced by the recent TV tapings in Philadelphia, ROH is focused on rebuilding its roster and brand. And it’s making great strides.
Unlike every other set of ROH TV tapings I’ve attended, this one wasn’t a mind-numbing marathon. Instead of five hours of nonstop matches, this one ran three hours and 45 minutes, blending matches, segments and promos into a well-paced evening. As a result, the crowd remained hot for nearly everything, especially the last two matches. Speaking of the crowd, several wrestlers tweeted that the 2300 Arena was sold out, but I took photos to show empty seats sprinkled throughout. Of course, empty seats don’t mean the tickets weren’t sold.
A smattering of fans have arrived about 45 mins into the show; these photos taken at the 20-min mark. Also, never seen an empty line for concessions…get your beer for The Bouncers! #ROH #ROHPhilly #ROHBITW pic.twitter.com/Xd7UK3CAk5
— The Wrestling Estate (@TheWrestlingEst) June 29, 2019
The talent raid of MLW has certainly paid off. Over the past six months, PCO has become one of, if not the most popular wrestler in ROH. His crazed, looming presence is a stark contrast from the fast-paced/technical wrestling combination that the company was founded on. With his decades of experience and buzz from the indie scene, PCO is a benefit for not only the locker room but also in terms of brand awareness. I, for one, care more about ROH now that it’s the only place I get to witness the French-Canadian Frankenstein. Plus, he is a perfect fit for Villain Enterprises, as he and Brody King mesh well as Marty Scurll’s deranged monsters/mercenaries. And then there’s RUSH, who ROH stole from MLW with an exclusive contract, in perhaps the company’s most shrewd business decision in recent memory. He electrified the Philly crowd with a certain intensity lacking in pro wrestling these days. He and Dragon Lee faced the Briscoes in a match of the year candidate – you need to see this whenever it airs.
While ROH has refused to ally with MLW, it has welcomed collaboration with the NWA. As both brands continue to rebuild, their partnership has been mutually beneficial. ROH provides a live platform for the NWA to showcase its talent, and in return, the NWA has brought recognizable faces to ROH TV: NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis (formerly Magnus in TNA), James Storm and now recent signee Eli Drake. All matches, promos and segments involving NWA personalities have a little extra kick behind them because they’re featured as part of the episodic “Ten Pounds Of Gold” series on YouTube. With Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and longtime creative writer Dave Lagana directing the drama, the NWA features compelling angles, such as Storm challenging and then defeating an injured Colt Cabana for the NWA National Heavyweight Title, as well as Aldis allowing Scurll to decide which member of Villain Enterprises gets a title shot at Summer Supercard in Toronto on August 9.
Familiar names definitely help raise awareness and pique interest, but ROH knows it needs to cultivate talent for the future. The company did a great job in Philly by spotlighting ROH World Television Champion Shane Taylor, Coast To Coast (who tore the house down with Marcus Kross and Griff Garrison), Jeff Cobb, Josh Woods, Sons of Savagery (who squashed Primal Fear in a bout between two former ECWA teams) and Bandido.
While the Women of Honor remains a work in progress, especially in developing defined characters for the majority of its roster, progress has certainly been made in signing Angelina Love and Velvet Sky for a Beautiful People remake with middling Mandy Rose. Plus, Maria Manic has joined the company, instantly adding more star power, youth and depth to the division. On top of that, Tasha Steelz and Karissa Rivera both picked up victories in their respective matches over more established names.
Of course, there are still lingering issues that I can’t wrap my head around. Despite being a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest television broadcasting companies in the U.S., ROH is not easy to find on TV. I’ve been a wrestling fan for almost 20 years, run a pro wrestling website and follow a variety of promotions, and yet, until writing this, I had no idea what channel ROH aired on in Philly. (WCMN on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m., according to ROH’s website; but that seems outdated and the website also mentions episodes air Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on WATCHCHARGE.com.) Apparently, ROH TV also airs Mondays at 7 p.m. EST on FITE TV. Additionally, ROH’s website uploads each week’s episode a la MLW Fusion on YouTube.
So, there are plenty of ways to keep up with ROH, but how are you supposed to know that? The company does a terrible job of informing wrestling fans how to follow its product. I’m not talking about subscribing to HonorClub, which the company does a swell job in promoting. I mean capturing casual viewers flipping the channels or its many critics on Twitter who probably haven’t watched the show since last decade. ROH handles media relations superbly, consistently scheduling interviews with major outlets ahead of pay-per-views or live events. While pushing ticket sales or HonorClub subscriptions is important, it’s also crucial for the company to promote its weekly TV. After all, why would people pay money to attend the events if they don’t know what’s going on?
I suggest that ROH use its social media platform to educate the public on how to watch its weekly show. For example, @ringofhonor has 235K followers on Twitter. One tweet once a week informing people how to watch Ring Of Honor Wrestling, links included, would be a simple and effective way in boosting brand awareness. It would certainly be more beneficial than this video, in which you don’t find out how to watch the show until the end.
This week on #ROHTV! pic.twitter.com/WGAzQI2tes
— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) June 26, 2019
Even then, it just says “weekends on Sinclair,” “Sunday nights 10/9c CHARGE” and “ROHWrestling.com for times & stations.” Nobody knows what CHARGE is!
The other lingering issue with ROH is its current world champion: Matt Taven. Obviously not nearly as crippling as not being able to watch the product, Taven’s position as the top guy in the company remains detrimental during this rebuilding period. While a skilled performer and familiar face to the ROH faithful, he certainly doesn’t captivate new viewers.
That’s not all his fault, either, as he wasn’t presented as a top guy during the tapings in Philly. He wasn’t in the main event; as a matter of fact, he was in the third match of the night. Right before intermission, he and Jay Lethal engaged in a verbal duel, in which both were overshadowed by the returning Alex Shelley. With other options on the roster like Marty Scurll, PCO and even RUSH, it just doesn’t make sense why Taven would be the face of the company during this crucial time.
Aside from those two areas of concern, I’m highly optimistic about the future of ROH. That doesn’t mean I’m naïve enough to think one set of tapings will turn the company around. But if ROH management and its roster can build upon this newfound momentum, perhaps it will regain its position as the top-three wrestling company in the U.S. by the end of 2019.
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