Wrestling Gold: The History of the ROH World Television Championship

Throughout the history of professional wrestling, the business has awarded championship belts in many divisions. While some have been forgotten over the years, some titles have stood the test of time.

The WWE has seen almost 30 titles defended, but today only six remain.

TNA Wrestling began with three titles—the NWA World and Tag Team Championships as well its own X-Division title, but today it owns its own belts and fans see six titles defended between its ropes.

Ring of Honor Wrestling began with just two, but has since added another title to its ranks.

While Shimmer has only been around for a few years, the most well-known all-women’s wrestling promotion currently holds two titles.

Wrestling Gold will concentrate on the active titles of the companies listed, as well as the NWA World and Tag Team Championships, and any other active title the readers would like to see!

Sorry for being gone for so long, but what’s important is that Wrestling Gold is back and will remain here until it is finished! For this return edition of the series, I present the history of the ROH World Television Championship!

The title was established in January 2010 with an eight-man tournament set to take place the following month. With a new TV show in place, ROH and HDNet wanted a title that could be defended regularly on television.

Due to a bad storm in Philadelphia, where the tournament was being taped, the second half of the tournament didn’t take place until March. Since then, the Television Championship has become a prominent part of Ring of Honor.

It was briefly inactive from March to June 2011 when ROH lost their television deal, but thanks to Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the belt began to get defended again and a new TV show was established.

In its short three-year history, the ROH World Television Championship has seen seven champions, all of whom are some of the best Ring of Honor has to offer!

Defeated: Davey Richards

Where: Philadelphia

When: March 5, 2010

Event: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Title Reign: 280 days

Eddie Edwards defeated Davey Richards in an eight-man tournament final to become the first-ever ROH World Television champion.

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH World Heavyweight champion
• One-time ROH World Tag Team champion
• One-time ROH World Television champion
• 2010 ROH Survival of the Fittest winner

Other Career Highlights:

• One-time ACW Junior Heavyweight champion
• One-time Fight Club: Pro champion
• One-time MWF Television champion
• Four-time NECW Tag Team champion
• One-time PWX Tag Team champion
• One-time 2CW Tag Team champion
• One-time TRP Heavyweight champion
• One-time PWI International Ultra J champion

Accolades:

• One-time PWE Bank the Money winner
• 2006 and 2007 Iron 8 Championship Tournament winner

Where Are They Now?

Eddie Edwards is still with Ring of Honor. He is currently teaming with Davey Richards, reforming their American Wolves tag team.

Defeated: Eddie Edwards

Where: Louisville, Ky.

When: Dec. 10, 2010

Event: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Title Reign: 198 days

In March 2011, the ROH Wrestling television show was cancelled by HDNet. Due to the cancellation, the Television Championship became inactive. With no television show to defend the title on, ROH waited for another television deal so they could keep defending the belt.

At the time, Daniels was a heel, so he still carried the belt with him but refused to defend it.

In May, the Sinclair Broadcast Group then bought Ring of Honor, and with the purchase came a new TV show. The following month, the title was defended for the first time in three months at Best in the World.

ROH Wrestling would debut its new TV show in September.

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• Two-time ROH World Tag Team champion
• One-time ROH World Television champion

Other Career Highlights:

• Four-time TNA X-Division champion
• Two-time TNA World Tag Team champion
• Six-time NWA World Tag Team champion
• One-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team champion
• One-time WWC World Tag Team champion
• One-time APW Worldwide Internet champion
• One-time AAW World Heavyweight champion
• One-time Natural Heavyweight champion
• Two-time ECWA Heavyweight champion
• One-time EWF Heavyweight champion
• One-time FWA British Heavyweight champion
• One-time ICW Tag Team champion
• One-time British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight champion
• One-time MCW Tag Team champion
• One-time NWA Florida Heavyweight champion
• One-time NWA Midwest Tag Team champion
• One-time PWF United States champion
• One-time 3PW World Heavyweight champion
• One-time Zero1-Max United States Openweight champion
• Two-time UPW Heavyweight champion
• One-time WCPW League champion
• One-time WCPW Lightweight champion
• One-time WCPW Middleweight champion
• Two-time WCPW Tag Team champion
• One-time WPW Heavyweight champion

Accolades:

• 2000 King of the Indies
• 2000 SoCal Uncensored Match of the Year vs. Kurt Angle
• 2000 SoCal Uncensored Wrestler of the Year
• 2001 ECWA Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2002 MPW Futaritabi Tag Team League winner
• 2000 ECWA Super 8 Tournament winner
• 2004 ECWA Super 8 Tournament winner
• 2004 TNA World X Cup winner
• 2004 TNA Match of the Year with Elix Skipper vs. America’s Most Wanted
• 2005 TNA Feud of the Year vs. AJ Styles
• 2006 TNA Match of the Year with AJ Styles vs. Latin American Xchange
• 2006 TNA Tag Team of the Year with AJ Styles
• 2008 TNA Feast or Fired winner
• 2008 GSW Battlefield winner
• 2010 ICW Impact Cup winner
• NAWF CT Cup winner

Where Are They Now?

Christopher Daniels can now be seen in TNA Wrestling. He is currently teaming with Kazarian in the team Bad Influence.

Defeated: Christopher Daniels

Where: New York City

When: June 26, 2011

Event: Best in the World

Title Reign: 48 days

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH World Tag Team champion
• One-time ROH World Television champion

Other Career Highlights:

• One-time BWP World Catchweight champion
• One-time KO-D Openweight champion
• One-time GBG Heavyweight champion
• Two-time IWS Heavyweight champion
• One-time IWS Tag Team champion
• One-time NSPW champion
• Two-time PWG World champion
• Five-time PWG World Tag Team champion
• One-time PWP Heavyweight champion
• One-time PRWA Caribbean champion
• One-time STHLM Wrestling champion
• One-time DDT Extreme Division champion
• One-time wXw Unified World Wrestling champion

Accolades:

• 2004 Elite 8 Tournament winner
• 2006 SoCal Uncensored Match of the Year vs. PAC
• 2006 SoCal Uncensored Most Outstanding Wrestler
• 2006 SoCal Uncensored Tag Team of the Year with Quicksilver
• 2007 SoCal Uncensored Match of the Year vs. Bryan Danielson
• 2007 SoCal Uncensored Most Outstanding Wrestler
• 2007 So Cal Uncensored Wrestler of the Year
• 2007 Association de Lutte Féminine Sherri Memorial Cup Tournament winner
• 2010 PWG Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament winner
• 2011 Chikara Rey de Voladores winner
• 2011 PWG Battle of Los Angeles winner
• 2012 DDT Best Foreigner Award winner
• 2012 wXw 16 Carat Gold Tournament winner

Where Are They Now?

El Generico stayed with Ring of Honor in a backstage role until returning to the ring last year at Final Battle to face Kevin Steen for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in the epic Ladder Wars.

After the event, Generico left ROH to go to WWE. He can now be seen in NXT under the name Sami Zayn.

Defeated: El Generico

Where: Chicago Ridge

When: Aug. 13, 2011

Event: Ring of Honor Wrestling

Title Reign: 231 days

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH Pure champion
• One-time ROH World Television champion
• 2011 ROH Honor Rumble winner
• 2012 ROH Survival of the Fittest winner

Other Career Highlights:

• One-time TNA World Tag Team champion
• Six-time TNA X-Division champion
• One-time ACE Tag Team champion
• One-time AWA Heavyweight champion
• One-time AWA Lightweight champion
• One-time AWA Tag Team champion
• One-time BTW Heavyweight champion
• One-time FEW Heavyweight champion
• One-time FEW Tri-Borough champion
• One-time IHPW Diamond Division champion
• One-time IHPW United States Heavyweight champion
• Two-time JAPW Heavyweight champion
• One-time JAPW Light Heavyweight champion
• One-time JAPW Tag Team champion
• One-time JAPW Television champion
• One-time JCW Light Heavyweight champion
• One-time JCW Television champion
• One-time MWF Television champion
• One-time PIW World champion
• One-time PWE Interstate champion
• One-time UWC United State champion
• One-time UCW United States Heavyweight champion
• One-time UCW World Heavyweight champion

Accolades:

• 2003 JCW Jersey J-Cup winner
• 2006 TNA World X Cup winner
• 2007 TNA X-Division Wrestler of the Year
• 2009 JAPW Jersey City Rumble winner
• 2009 WSU/NWS King and Queen Tournament winner with Miss AJ
• 2012 FEW Rumble winner

Where Are They Now?

Jay Lethal is still with Ring of Honor. He is currently a contender for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship, though he is not in line for a title shot at the moment.

Defeated: Jay Lethal

Where: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

When: March 31, 2012

Event: Showdown in the Sun

Title Reign: 90 days

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH World Heavyweight champion
• One-time ROH World Tag Team champion
• One-time ROH World Television champion
• 2005 ROH Survival of the Fittest winner
• 2010 ROH Honor Gauntlet winner
• 2010 ROH Toronto Gauntlet winner

Other Career Highlights:

• One-time AWF Heavyweight champion
• Three-time NWA Florida X-Division champion
• One-time FIP Tag Team champion
• Two-time FIP World Heavyweight champion
• One-time FEW Heavyweight champion
• One-time IPW Florida Unified Cruiserweight champion
• One-time IPW Tag Team champion
• One-time IWA East Coast Heavyweight champion
• One-time LWF Heavyweight champion
• One-time PWX Tag Team champion
• Three-time PWG World Tag Team champion
• One-time SFCE Heavyweight champion
• One-time SFCW Tag Team champion

Accolades:

• 2006 SoCal Uncensored Match of the Year with Jack Evans vs. Super Dragon and Davey Richards
• 2007 PWG Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Tournament winner with PAC
• 2008 PWG Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Tournament winner with Jack Evans
• 2008 IWA Mid-South Revolution Strong Style Tournament winner

Where Are They Now?

Roderick Strong is still with Ring of Honor. While he isn’t in contention for any of the company’s titles, he has recently turned babyface after the House of Truth disbanded.

Defeated: Roderick Strong

Where: Baltimore, Md.

When: June 29, 2012

Event: ROH Wrestling

Title Reign: 246 days

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH World Television champion

Other Career Highlights:

• One-time CZW World Junior Heavyweight champion
• One-time DFE Openweight/WWL Heavyweight champion
• One-time EWA Cruiserweight champion
• Two-time MCW Rage Television champion
• One-time PWX Heavyweight champion
• One-time PWG World Heavyweight champion
• One-time World-1 North American champion
• One-time RCW Cruiserweight champion
• One-time RCW Tag Team champion
• One-time WXW C4 Hybrid champion

Accolades:

• 2009 GWB Battle of Gettysburg Tournament winner
• 2010 World-1 Shinya Hashimoto Memorial Cup winner
• 2011 CZW Best of the Best winner
• 2012 PWG Battle of Los Angeles winner

Where Are They Now?

Adam Cole is still with Ring of Honor. He is currently set for a ROH World Heavyweight Championship match against champion Jay Briscoe at the Border Wars iPPV on May 4.

Defeated: Adam Cole

Where: Chicago Ridge

When: March 2, 2013

Event: 11th Anniversary Show

Title Reign: 43 days and counting

Ring of Honor Highlights:

• One-time ROH World Television champion
• 2013 ROH Top Prospect Tournament winner

Other Career Highlights:

• Two-time Chaotic Wrestling New England champion
• One-time NWA On Fire Tag Team champion
• One-time NEW Heavyweight champion
• Two-time TRP Heavyweight champion

Accolades:

• PWE Robbie Ellis Tournament of Super Juniors winner

Where Are They Now?

Being the current ROH World Television champion, Matt Taven is obviously with Ring of Honor at the moment. He is set to defend his title against Mark Briscoe at the Border Wars iPPV on May 4.

Most Reigns: All with one reign each

Longest Reign: Eddie Edwards (280 days)

Shortest Reign: Matt Taven (43 days), El Generico at 48 days if Taven’s current reign surpasses Generico’s.

The ROH Television Championship has become an important part of Ring of Honor. While I have only been watching ROH on a regular basis for a little over a year, right off the bat I could tell that the belt meant something in the company.

Some of ROH’s top guys have held onto or have sought after the title, which shows me that people want it. Even veterans like Matt Hardy have gone after the belt. If a wrestler is not in the main event, they want this title because they know it’ll help guide them to the top.

Eddie Edwards went onto win the ROH World Heavyweight Championship, and while he is so far the only one to do so, both Jay Lethal and Adam Cole have since transitioned into the World title picture.

Ring of Honor has made their secondary title have importance, which is something both WWE and TNA have lost sight of with their secondary belts. If there is one thing that Ring of Honor is truly doing better than WWE and TNA, it is their midcard.

Thanks for reading! Next up will be the ROH World Tag Team Championship, which will be up next week. ROH’s World title will then be up after that, and then we’ll get into the final stretch with the original World Heavyweight Championship, the NWA title, TNA title and both of WWE’s main belts.

Previous Installments

WWE Divas│TNA Knockouts│TNA Knockouts Tag│WWE Tag│TNA Tag│Shimmer│WWE US 1│WWE US 2│TNA TV│TNA X-Division│ WWE IC 1│WWE IC 2│WWE IC 3│WWE IC 4

Abandoned Series

WWE Women’s│WWE European│ECW Television│WCW Hardcore│WCW US Tag Team│WWF Martial Arts│WWF International│WCW Women’s│ECW World│WWE Cruiserweight│WWF Light Weight│ECW Tag Team│FTW World│WCW 6-Man Tag Team│Million Dollar│WWF Junior│WWF Women’s Tag Team│WCW International│ WCW TV pt.1│WCW TV pt. 2│WWE Hardcore │WCW Tag Team pt. 1│WCW Tag Team pt. 2│World Tag Team pt. 1│World Tag Team pt. 2│ World Tag Team pt. 3│World Tag Team pt. 4│WWWF USA│AWA World

Sources 

http://www.rohwrestling.com/wrestlers/champions

http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/roh/roh-tv.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROH_World_Television_Championship

Wrestler’s career highlights and information provided by Wikipedia

Title “Wrestling Gold” thought up by editor Jeff D. Gorman