Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of ROH Final Battle 2022. The final pieces were put in place for the show during this week's AEW tapings. Here...
How to Book ROH Titles Effectively in AEW Until Promotion Gets Its Own TV Show
Philip Lindsey
Nov 16, 2022
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.
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.
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.
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.
AEW's Tony Khan Talks Future Ring of Honor PPVs, Weekly TV Shows
Oct 18, 2022
Tony Khan, founder, co-owner, president, and CEO of the All Elite Wrestling attends an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
All Elite Wrestling president Tony Khan affirmed his commitment to Ring of Honor and signaled an increase in the company's on-air programming.
"We’ll have great news soon about Ring of Honor weekly shows," he said to Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso. "The success of Death Before Dishonor on pay-per-view has ensured there will be more Ring of Honor pay-per-views.
"Our goal is to have one more great pay-per-view for Ring of Honor in 2022 and then follow that up with a weekly show in 2023."
Unlike when WWF Chairman Vince McMahon bought WCW and quickly rolled it up into WWE before dissolving the brand entirely, AEW and ROH have remained separate entities with some overlap.
Still, fans have been left to wonder how much of an identity ROH will retain for itself. It is imperative that semi-regular ROH-branded PPVs and weekly shows continue airing to ensure it functions as more than an AEW affiliate.
In September, Khan indicated on the In the Kliq podcast (via Wrestling Inc's Bon Adamson) negotiations for an ROH program were ongoing.
"If we can get the weekly TV going again, it would be even stronger," he said. "I would love to bring Ring of Honor back on a weekly basis, and it's a conversation I'm having with Warner Bros. Discovery pretty frequently, and I have to say something that's gonna be really helpful is the success Ring of Honor has had on PPV."
Based on Khan's recent comments to Barrasso, it appears he made tangible progress toward getting Ring of Honor on TV, though it's unclear for now what form that will take.
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AEW CEO Tony Khan Announces Contract to Acquire Ring of Honor
Mar 3, 2022
FOXBOROUGH, MA - JANUARY 02: Jacksonville Jaguars owners Tony and Shad Khan before a game between the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 2, 2022, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan is expanding his reach in the pro wrestling world.
During the opening segment of AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, Khan announced that he has purchased Ring of Honor, one of the most influential independent wrestling promotions in the history of the business.
Ring of Honor was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last October, the company announced it would not be holding shows in the first quarter of 2022 as it rebrands itself. It was reported that talent contracts were not being renewed in December while the company was on hiatus.
As part of the deal, Khan acquired ROH's extensive video library dating back to 2002. Khan, who is the son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan, also indicated that he is hoping to put together future ROH events and shows.
"This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on a national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner," Khan's statement read.
Some of the top superstars in AEW have wrestled for Ring of Honor during their careers. CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and AEW champion "Hangman" Adam Page had all spent time in ROH. The promotion also helped launch the careers of some top WWE superstars like Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.
Ring of Honor is scheduled to hold its first show of 2022, Supercard of Honor XV, on April 1 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.
ROH Wrestling Reportedly Will Release All Talent from Contracts at End of 2021
Oct 27, 2021
*** EXCLUSIVE - VIDEO AVAILABLE ***
YORK HALL, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 05, 2018 - EVE Pro Wrestling's show Wrestle Queendom, the largest all-female wrestling show in Europe on 5 May 2018, Bethnal Green, London, England.
MEET the all-women wrestling movement and the woman behind it who overcame a breakdown and being sectioned to put on the biggest womens wrestling show in Europe. Once a month at the Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green a rosta of approximately 12 female wrestlers step into the 16ft by 16ft wrestling ring to chokeslam, dropkick and maybe even moonsault one another; all in the name of entertainment and feminism. In a black vest, with a shock of neon pink hair, Emily Read gets the crowd going at an EVE pro wrestling evening: Are we ready to have a good time? Are we ready for some wrestling? Emily, 32, co-founded EVE in 2009 with her then partner, now-husband, Dann, who she met on the promoting circuit. Wanting to give female wrestlers a platform to be the main event rather than the bikini-clad side attraction, Emily and Dann began EVE, an all womens Pro Wrestling Promotion with a grass roots punk vibe.
PHOTOGRAPH BY Rob Brazier / Barcroft Images (Photo credit should read Rob Brazier / Barcroft Media via Getty Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Ring of Honor announced Wednesday it's "planning a pivot ... with a new mission and strategy" that will require a brief hiatus for at least the first quarter of 2022.
The company said the break will begin following the Final Battle event on Dec. 11:
More than that, Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported ROH is releasing all of its wrestlers from their contracts.
Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer provided more context:
ROH will do tapings in November and then run Final Battle on PPV. Nobody's contract will be renewed, but everyone under contract will finish out the year. They are, however, able to work anywhere they want immediately. We are told rumors Sinclair canceled the show are not true.
Even though the promotion is looking to relaunch in the spring, Wednesday's announcement is bound to raise questions about Ring of Honor's overall viability moving forward.
ROH was once the top proving ground for rising stars on the independent scene. Almost every top name in the United States within the last decade competed in ROH at some point, with Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Adam Cole and Seth Rollins among the notable examples.
But the growth of NXT helped put a dent in Ring of Honor's popularity because it provided an alternative to WWE's typical presentation within the WWE ecosystem.
The explosion of All Elite Wrestling dealt another blow to ROH. When Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks announced the launch of AEW in 2019, it meant Ring of Honor had to brace for a wave of marquee wrestlers heading for the exit door.
The company could thrive when it was a main feeder system for WWE in the mid-to-late 2000s. Now, it's getting crowded out of the wrestling landscape with other promotions replicating what made ROH successful.
It would be one thing if Ring of Honor went on a break while providing a firm idea of what to expect upon its return and who will be on the roster. Instead, it might be faced with rebooting in the aftermath of a total talent exodus, at which point any comeback will be doomed before it starts.
