FTR

Ring of Honor is undeniably one of the past decade's most influential pro wrestling companies.

Many future stars competed there before they grew into more prominent names with WWE, All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. As such, the promotion's lineage and coveted library of iconic matches became valuable to potential suitors.

In March, Tony Khan acquired ROH and made its main titles a part of AEW programming in place of a new television deal. But what started as a pleasant surprise for many fans has alienated some of Khan’s core audience.

That’s not to say that there isn’t much interest. After all, ROH may have introduced many hardcore fans to some of the founding members of the roster. The fact that the smaller promotion was so integral to AEW’s early success even makes this a nice full-circle moment.

Nevertheless, the addition of Ring of Honor signees and champions has made the roster appear bloated at times.

It’s a savvy move to use screen time to introduce them to a new audience, but it has also created a disjointed viewing experience for fans who just want to see AEW storylines.

It’s a tricky situation that Khan won’t be able to remedy until he secures a new weekly series and a home for his acquisition.

The owner of ROH recently told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated he would have some “great news” on that front soon, but he still has the arduous task ahead of booking two sets of titles in the meantime.

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The ROH Tag Divisions

The ROH tag division is in good hands for now. Dalton Castle and The Boys were an excellent choice for the six-man champions because there is enough positive buzz around The Party Peacock every time he shows up.

Castle and his garish servants are adequate placeholders for the titles until the company has a weekly series and ample time to build up new contenders. It isn’t wise to have another burgeoning trios division on Dynamite or Rampage when AEW is trying to introduce its own.

So, the status of the six-man titles isn’t a pressing issue right now. Instead, Khan should focus on the main tag team championship. FTR are the perfect flagbearers for the new division, which is off to a strong start under the new regime.

FTR and The Briscoe Brothers have produced two critically acclaimed pay-per-view matches this year. Their feud has been the centerpiece of this era of ROH, and we will likely see a third entry to their series of bouts eventually.

Meanwhile, The Kingdom are a great addition because they have a history with ROH, and they can have quality matches with the reigning champions. AEW also has an overabundance of up-and-coming pairings to challenge them.

Khan needs to focus on creating engaging storylines for them and give FTR a clear direction. That shouldn’t be that hard because many AEW fans want to see the popular tag team more often.

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A Languishing ROH Women’s Division

At the end of 2021, the ROH women’s division was trending upward, thanks to its diverse roster and a renewed focus on its world title.

Unfortunately, Khan didn’t have a chance to capitalize on that goodwill as he seemingly chose to start from scratch. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the second reboot has had its setbacks due to the lack of visibility and Mercedes Martinez’s injury.

The latter is a shame because The Latina Sensation’s reign started well. The 22-year veteran delivered strong matches with Willow Nightingale, Serena Deeb, Trish Adora and Deonna Purrazzo. She is the perfect option to build around moving forward because of her wealth of experience and well-earned reputation among indie fans.

Khan also initially found the right balance of television and YouTube matches with her until there was an ROH pay-per-view. AEW already has two women’s titles, so that seemed like the right choice until Martinez got injured.

In fact, he should continue to use that same formula when she returns. Even more, Nightingale has already won over some of his audience. So, she would make an ideal candidate to become its top protagonist and predecessor for Martinez.

The new owner should also utilize Maria Kanellis as much as possible now that she’s a part of the company. Her vision for women’s wrestling revitalized the division last year, and her work with her own indie promotion proves that she still has a lot to offer.

A Promising Start for ROH’s Secondary Titles

AEW’s use of ROH’s secondary titles has been a bit of a mixed bag, but there is still so much potential here.

Samoa Joe’s legendary run with Ring of Honor made his inclusion in the new era a no-brainer. He has the necessary name recognition and in-ring ability to ensure viewers will care about the television championship.

His win over Minoru Suzuki, early title defenses and current feud with Wardlow will make for a memorable reign. It has been a beneficial way to introduce the title to a new audience, which will create a rewarding moment for the man who eventually beats Joe.

Conversely, Khan has utilized the ROH Pure Championship better than any of the other mantles he took on. Wheeler Yuta vs. Daniel Garcia was a phenomenal rivalry that effectively established the two newcomers.

Their incredible match at Death Before Dishonor led to a tremendous run for Garcia. His signature title win in his hometown on the Sept. 7 episode of Dynamite will go down as one of the highlights of the year.

However, the Pure title has not felt quite as important since he rejoined the Jericho Appreciation Society. AEW needs to go back to the story-driven matches that helped to redefine the championship in this era.

Red Death can have the kind of high-quality matches that helped to put the belt on the map. Nevertheless, his story arc with Yuta and Bryan Danielson kept us invested. We would like to see him do something similar with Lee Moriarty soon.

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What’s Next for the ROH World Championship

One could argue that the ROH World Championship has taken the biggest hit under the new regime.

Khan completely mishandled Jonathan Gresham’s reign after a fantastic unification match at Supercard of Honor. That would be somewhat excusable if it cemented Claudio Castagnoli as a defining champion ahead of the impending TV deal.

Instead, his first world title win didn’t feel as significant as it should have, and his 60-day reign was a bit underwhelming. Chris Jericho surprisingly defeated him at AEW Grand Slam and started his current run as a heel titleholder with disdain for everything ROH stands for.

The idea here seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Put the main title on an established star to create interest in a weekly show and set up a chase for it, which will also showcase what made ROH so special. AEW used a similar approach to initiate its own world title during its maiden year.

Nevertheless, the execution has been middling at times. That’s not a knock on Jericho, who is doing some of his best work in years. It’s still an improvement because there is a discernible plan and an admirable attempt to highlight the title and its lineage.

However, AEW has gone to the well too many times with Jericho vs. Danielson. At Full Gear this weekend, The American Dragon should finally win the belt he famously held for 462 days.

There’s no more juice left to squeeze out of this lemon. It’s best to stop stalling and make Danielson the face of ROH ahead of the TV deal because his loyal fans will follow him to the potential weekly series.

The 41-year-old is the right guy to restore honor to the once-prestigious title and plant a new flag for the brand. Some displeased fans won’t mind seeing the title on Dynamite as much, either, if he keeps delivering top-notch television matches.

Danielson would make an exceptional brand ambassador, enticing potential signees to come to ROH in the long run. After all, many wrestlers would still love to work with him and produce dream matchups.