ROH, As We Know It, Will Be Sorely Missed

Like most ROH fans, I was a WWE guy for a long time. But by the dawn of the 2010s, I fell out of love with wrestling, tired of the bad storylines and “chosen ones” being shoved down our throats.

In 2015, I discovered Ring of Honor. The company showcased multiple wrestlers, like Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles and Jay Lethal, that I had previously seen in other organizations. I actually started watching just in time to see Lethal become the double champion.

In addition to those familiar faces, I was introduced to a bevy of exciting characters. Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish quickly became one of my favorite tag teams. I loved The Young Bucks, who have become the greatest tag team today. Can’t forget the Briscoe Brothers. Adam Cole “BAYBAY” was my most hated heel.

The first ROH pay-per-view I watched was All Star Extravaganza, such a great show that kept me coming back for more every week. Unfortunately, my ROH fandom ended when The Elite created AEW.

Without The Elite, I just fell out of touch with ROH. I kept track of the storylines, but wasn’t concerned about watching the weekly TV or the HonorClub shows like I was a year prior. Between the lackluster performance at Madison Square Garden and the overall attendance issues, it seemed I wasn’t the only one. Some respect was lost when the Kelly Klein/Joey Mercury controversy came out, but that’s also a case of “he said/she said.” Regardless of the backstage drama, I made sure to know what Lethal, Jonathan Gresham and the Briscoes were up to.

When ROH took a sabbatical at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I figured it was an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and reset. good reset. When the company resumed operations, I missed out on the critically acclaimed Pure Tournament because of my own ignorance in not wanting to understand it. Aside from that, there were great storylines brewing, such as The Foundation fighting for honor against Violence Unlimited. In the shadows lurked the ever-dangerous Shane Taylor Promotions. Plus, Bandido became the fresh face of the company

The rebuilding phase seemed to be chugging along until last week when ROH announced it was going on hiatus for the first quarter of 2022. Furthermore, everyone had been released and was encouraged to take bookings wherever they can. Like many fans, I’m saddened by this decision. While I understand business is down compared to its glory days, and that keeping everyone employed during the pandemic certainly took a toll, this is the wrong path to take, especially if ROH indeed does return next year.

With its roster becoming free agents, I have no doubt that Lethal, the Briscoes, Rush, Dragon Lee and Bandido will all find homes in AEW. That leaves rising stars like Moses and Kahn, Dak Draper and Danhausen competing amongst themselves, unable to learn and grow like they had been in the previous environment.

If I was an executive with ROH or even Sinclair, I’d be on the phone with Tony Khan to see what it’ll take for him to buy out the company, with the understanding that ROH continues as is. Khan could be the money behind the company, but can focus his attention on AEW and step into his ROH role whenever needed. It would also open the door for cross promotion – we know he loves “The Forbidden Door.”

Plus, with AEW cozying up to New Japan lately, it could reheat the previous relationship NJPW had with ROH. HonorClub and the tape library can be sold as well, giving AEW a treasure trove of content for the eventual streaming service.

Perhaps it’s just wishful thinking.

I’m looking at going to Final Battle and being there for what will be the last stand of ROH as we know it. I’ll be rounding up my DVDs in the meantime, preserving the history of one of my favorite wrestling promotions so I can show my kids someday. I wish the best of luck to all talent affected by this situation and hope to see them thrive in whichever new promotions they call home.

Long live Ring of Honor!