500 Episodes: Thank You, ROH
It’s almost the longest-running weekly episodic program in the U.S.
Almost.
(Photo Credit: Ring of Honor)
If you read my author page, the caption reads “Ring of Honor expert.” It has been a long time since I have written about ROH, but following the promotion’s 500th television episode, I need to commemorate this landmark event.
I’m not ashamed to say I love ROH. Pre-Sinclair and even today. The weekly show is my comfort blanket, providing 60 minutes to just sit back and enjoy wrestling. I’ve done just that for the last 500 episodes. Initially, I wanted to cover ROH Wrestling regularly for The Wrestling Estate, but because of work commitments, I couldn’t feasibly do it.
But I am proud that I was able to cover certain episodes in-depth and highlight how great the product is. The summer of 2018, in particular, was thrilling TV. We were treated to instant classics like Roppongi3K vs. the Briscoes, Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. the Bullet Club and Punishment Martinez joining forces with the Briscoes to battle Hangman Page and The Young Bucks. Of course, this was only a few months before the upheaval of the wrestling landscape with the dawn of AEW. Furthermore, the past decade has seen a huge shift for ROH in terms of presentation and fan perception. I understand those who are not fans of the Sinclair era – it’s similar to those who love the Attitude Era and not today’s PG content. After all, nostalgia goes a long way.
However, companies need to grow. ROH gaining a TV deal and in turn, gaining national exposure, was inevitable. The company may have new a coat of paint, but at its core, it’s still the same product.
Join us tonight at 7 PM ET for the 500th episode of ROH TV!
— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 19, 2021
Watch the episode in full for FREE here: https://t.co/i2jLIRJRhr
Use #WatchROH while tweeting to join the conversation with the stars of ROH and the Honor Nation!
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What ROH celebrates is the greatest wrestlers in the world, and it has done that consistently across 500 episodes. Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, Matt Taven, Deonna Purrazzo, Mandy Leon and Jonathan Gresham, to name a few, have put on some of the best matches of their careers on ROH TV. Plus, veterans like Cody Rhodes, James Storm and PCO have been able to rejuvenate themselves in the company. Most importantly, long before AEW, Impact Wrestling and NJPW opened the “Forbidden Door,” ROH was presenting talent from STARDOM, CMLL, the NWA and NJPW each week!
These accomplishments are often ignored or forgotten by fans, which is why I feel very spoilt to have seen so many awesome dream matches across the TV show. Even more amazing is that Ring of Honor Wrestling has been freely accessible throughout its entire run on the ROH website. Even now on FITE, you can go back and watch several hundred ROH Wrestling episodes for free and catch up on what you have been missing.
ROH will always hold a dear place in my heart. As wrestling fans, all we want more than anything is to be entertained. ROH Wrestling has done that for me across 500 episodes of incredible television. Ten years and thousands of thrilling matches have flown by faster than I could have imagined.
Here’s to 500 more fantastic episodes of ROH Wrestling!
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