Tag: ROH

Ring Of Honor’s Tape Library Is Reportedly Up For Sale

As Ring Of Honor begins to scale back its business, recent reports suggest its back catalog of video footage is for sale to ‘the highest bidder.’

As we previously reported, Ring Of Honor recently released its entire roster as it begins to scale down its business ahead of an announced revamp next year, but if recent reports are accurate, the company is also selling off one of its most valuable assets — its coveted tape library.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reports that ROH’s back catalog of Sinclair-owned video footage from 2012 onwards has been available to the ‘highest bidder’ for over a year. It is believed that ROH is expecting to receive more than market value for the library, although how the market value of pro wrestling footage was determined was not disclosed.

No doubt both AEW and WWE will be attempting to acquire ROH’s library, but only time will tell who wins out. Interestingly, AEW announcer Tony Schiavone recently said that he expects AEW to launch its own streaming service at some point. “I think we’re going to see a streaming service — This is my thought, I don’t know anything for sure. Just by talking to people, I think there’s going to be a streaming service by the end of 2022,” Schiavone said on the most recent edition of Ask Tony Live!. “So I think it’s going to come up very, very soon,” he added.

Ring of Honor was founded by Rob Feinstein in 2002 but was owned by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011. In 2011, the company was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group. From its inception, ROH was home to some of the most exciting independent talents in the United States. Huge stars like Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins cut their teeth in the promotion.

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ring Of Honor ceased operations and canceled all of its upcoming shows, though it continued to pay its talent. The company resumed operations in August of 2020 but has struggled to regain momentum.

On Wednesday, October 27, ROH announced that its upcoming Final Battle event would be its last show for some time as it needs to alter its business strategy moving forward.

Ring Of Honor Reportedly Releases Entire Roster, Makes Major Announcement Regarding Future

Ring Of Honor has made a huge announcement regarding its operations … and if recent reports are accurate, it’s also laid off its entire roster.

Mere moments after Ring Of Honor made a huge announcement regarding its future, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the company had released its entire roster.

On October 27, ROH took to social media to release a statement in which it revealed that it would be undergoing a revamp and was aiming to relaunch in 2022.

Read Ring Of Honor’s announcement here:

“Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was to keep everyone healthy and safe, and despite not producing any live events over 18 months, we were able to keep everyone fully contracted. We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and strategy.

The year will culminate with a Final Battle in December, and we will be taking the first quarter of 2022 to work internally to reimagine ROH. ROH has the most dedicated fans in the industry, and we appreciate their loyalty and patience as we reconceptualize ROH.

We anticipate returning to live events in April for the Super Card of Honor with a new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience for wrestling fans.”

https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1453442439696601090

Shortly after the statement was released, Meltzer tweeted that the company had released “everyone.”

https://twitter.com/davemeltzerWON/status/1453448050467213321

According to Meltzer’s colleague Bryan Alvarez, Ring Of Honor will not renew any contracts, but the releases will not take effect until the end of the year. Talent is also able to begin accepting bookings elsewhere immediately.

https://twitter.com/bryanalvarez/status/1453451710056177671

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ring Of Honor ceased operations and canceled all of its upcoming shows, though it continued to pay its talent. The company resumed operations in August of 2020 but has struggled to regain momentum.

Ring of Honor was founded by Rob Feinstein in 2002 but was owned by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011. In 2011, the company was purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group. From its inception, ROH was home to some of the most exciting independent talents in the United States. Huge stars like Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins cut their teeth in the promotion.

Source: TheSportster

PCO Gives His Notice To ROH, More On His Upcoming Departure

Former ROH World Champion PCO has confirmed that he will be leaving the company this fall.

It was reported earlier this week that PCO plans to leave ROH when his contract expires at the end of November. In an update, PCO appeared on the Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast this week and told WWE Hall of Famer Sean Waltman that he has given his notice to ROH, and will not be signing a new deal.

PCO revealed that his last contractual date with ROH is Tuesday, November 30. He will be a free agent as of Wednesday, December 1.

PCO spoke with PWInsider today and confirmed that he will be fulfilling all contractual obligations and dates with ROH before departing. He said he’s very thankful for his time with ROH.

ROH taped two days of TV earlier this week in Philadelphia and will tape more content from Baltimore in November, which look to be PCO’s final dates with the company.

There’s no word on if PCO has had talks with WWE, AEW, Impact Wrestling or the NWA. He noted in previous interviews that he had talks with AEW, but still had a year left on his original ROH contract. He also had talks with WWE Director of Talent Development & Head of Global Recruiting William Regal before re-signing with ROH, but no offer was made.

PCO, who turns 54 at the end of December, originally signed with ROH on December 1, 2018. Since then he has held the ROH World Title once, the ROH World Tag Team Titles once, and the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles once.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Death Before Dishonor XVIII Results 9/12/2021

15-MAN HONOR RUMBLE (PRE-SHOW)
Alex Zayne wins and earns a future ROH World Title Match.

Dalton Castle defeated Eli Isom

Taylor Rust defeated Jake Atlas

Homicide, Chris Dickinson, and Tony Deppen defeated John Walters, LSG, and Lee Mortiarty

The OGK (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) defeated The Briscoes

ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP
Josh Woods defeated Jonathan Gresham to win the ROH Pure Championship

ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Shane Taylor Promotions (Moses, Kaun, and O’Shay Edwards) (c) defeated La Bestia del Ring, Dragon Lee, and Kenny King

ROH WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (VACANT)
Rok-C defeated Miranda Alize to win the ROH Women’s World Championship

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (FOUR-WAY ELIMINATION MATCH)
Bandido (c) defeated Brody King, EC3, and Demonic Flamita

ROH Death Before Dishonor XVIII 9/12/2021

DATE: September 12, 2021 8:00 pm
LOCATION: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
AVAILABLE ON:FITE, ROH HonorClub, Traditional PPV

ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (FOUR-WAY ELIMINATION MATCH)
Bandido (c) vs. Brody King vs. EC3 vs. Demonic Flamita

ROH PURE CHAMPIONSHIP
Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Josh Woods

ROH WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (VACANT)
Rok-C vs. Miranda Alize

ROH WORLD SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Shane Taylor Promotions (c) vs. La Bestia del Ring, Dragon Lee, and Kenny King

The Briscoes  vs. Matt Taven and Mike Bennett

Dalton Castle vs. Eli Isom

Homicide, Chris Dickinson, and Tony Deppen vs. John Walters, LSG, and Lee Mortiarty

Jake Atlas vs. Taylor Rust

15-MAN HONOR RUMBLE (PRE-SHOW)
Danhausen, Beer City Bruiser, PJ Black, Dak Draper, Rey Horus, Brian Johnson, Joe Keys, Brian Milonas, Sledge, Silas Young, 5 TBA
Winner receives future ROH World Title shot.

Rush Out Of Action For Rest Of The Year, News On Rush’s ROH Contract

Ring of Honor has announced that Rush will be out of action for the rest of 2021 after undergoing knee surgery.

As noted on Tuesday, it was announced by media in Mexico, and Rush’s family, that he underwent emergency surgery in Mexico City, and that his pre-surgery condition was serious. You can click here for those details.

In an update, ROH announced yesterday that the La Facción Ingobernable leader underwent knee surgery and will be on the shelf until at least the end of this year. This comes after it was previously announced that Rush suffered a knee injury during a tag team match at ROH Glory By Honor XVIII Night 2 on Saturday, August 21.

Rush competed at ROH Glory By Honor XVIII Night 1 and Night 2 last month in Philadelphia. Night 1 on August 20 saw La Facción Ingobernable (Rush, ROH World Television Champion Dragon Lee, Kenny King, Bestia del Ring) team up for a Philadelphia Street Fight loss to Violence Unlimited (Brody King, Homicide, ROH World Tag Team Champions Tony Deppen and Chris Dickinson). Night 2 on August 21 saw Rush and Lee defeat Rey Horus and ROH World Champion Bandido of MexiSquad.

At the time of the original knee injury announcement, Rush, Lee and King were still scheduled to challenge Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses Maddox, Jasper Kaun) for their ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles at the Death Before Dishonor XVIII pay-per-view on Sunday, September 12. However, it was announced on ROH TV this week that Bestia del Ring will be replacing Rush at Death Before Dishonor.

ROH also announced today that this weekend’s episode of ROH TV will feature Rush, Lee, Bestia and King vs. STP and O’Shay Edwards in an eight-man tag team match, which was taped before Glory By Honor.

On a related note, it was recently reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio that Rush’s current ROH contract is set to expire at the end of this year. There is no word on if he plans to re-sign, or if he’s looking to sign with another promotion. He has been under contract to ROH since January 2019.

As noted, Rush and his family are scheduled to host a press conference in Mexico City on Thursday, where more details on his status and future will be announced.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Star Rush Undergoes Emergency Surgery, Condition Described As “Serious”

Top ROH star Rush of La Facción Ingobernable underwent surgery in Mexico on Tuesday and his condition was said to be serious.

The operation was described locally in Mexico City, Mexico as “emergency surgery.” Rush’s family is scheduled to hold a press conference later today, Thursday, to address the surgery and his future.

Below is a photo of Rush in the hospital after surgery, which was released to media by his family. Also below is a photo of Rush being pushed in a wheelchair by his wife earlier in the week, which was released to local media on Monday. It was noted then that his pre-surgery condition was serious.

Rush’s official Twitter account posted a message from his wife, Martha Morales, on Tuesday night. Translated by Google, the message reads like this:

“This short message is to thank my husband Rush for showing affection and good wishes after his operation. Next Thursday, in the press conference that we are going to offer, we will give you more details about his state of health and we will reveal some news.”

Rush competed at ROH Glory By Honor XVIII Night 1 and Night 2 earlier this month in Philadelphia. Night 1 on Friday, August 20 saw La Facción Ingobernable (Rush, ROH World Television Champion Dragon Lee, Kenny King, Bestia del Ring) team up for a Philadelphia Street Fight loss to Violence Unlimited (Brody King, Homicide, ROH World Tag Team Champions Tony Deppen and Chris Dickinson). Night 2 on August 21 saw Rush and Lee defeat Rey Horus and ROH World Champion Bandido of MexiSquad.

ROH then announced that Rush suffered a knee injury during the tag team bout on Night 2. It was noted as of last week that the exact nature of the injury was unknown, and Rush’s recovery time was to be determined.

At the time of the knee injury announcement, Rush, Lee and King were still scheduled to challenge Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses Maddox, Jasper Kaun) for their ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles at the Death Before Dishonor XVIII pay-per-view on Sunday, September 12. However, it was announced on ROH TV this week that Bestia del Ring will be replacing Rush at Death Before Dishonor.

There is no word on why Rush was hospitalized or when he will be back in action.

https://twitter.com/DiarioPasala/status/1432543125726277633

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Awesome Kong Announces Her Retirement From Pro Wrestling At NWA EmPowerrr

During Saturday night’s NWA EmPowerrr pay-per-view, Awesome Kong announced that she is retiring from pro wrestling.

She made a surprise appearance at the event during a Gail Kim promo. Awesome Kong saved Gail Kim before an attack by Taryn Terrell, Jennacide, and Paola Blaze.

After that according to F4Wonline, she grabbed a microphone and told Gail Kim that she was her greatest foe and there was no other way to end her career than being in the ring with Kim. She then announced that she was done.

Awesome Kong is a former NWA Women’s Champion and a two-time Impact Knockouts Champion. She’s wrestled in several promotions such as Impact Wrestling, AEW, WWE, ROH, Shimmer, and All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Glory By Honor – Night 2 Results (8/21/21)

ROH Glory By Honor (Night 2) took place last night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can check out night 1 results here.

In the main event, Vincent defeated Matt Taven in a Steel Cage Match after hitting a diving cutter off the cage wall for the pinfall victory. As per the stipulations, Vincent has taken Taven’s ROH World Title shot.

Below are the full results:

* Dalton Castle defeated Danhausen

* LSG defeated World Famous CB

* Rok-C and Miranda Alize defeated Chelsea Green and Willow

* Shane Taylor Productions (c) defeated Delirious, Hallowicked, and Frightmare (ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship)

* Mark Briscoe and Brian Johnson defeated Flip Gordon and Demonic Flamita

* The Foundation defeated Violence Unlimited

* Dragon Lee and RUSH defeated Bandido and Rey Horus

* Vincent defeated Matt Taven (Steel Cage Match — Vincent earns Taven’s ROH World Title shot)

Next up for ROH is Death Before Dishonor on September 12 at the 2300 Arena in Philly.

ROH Glory By Honor – Night 1 Results (8/20/21)

ROH Glory By Honor (Night 1) took place last night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the main event, Bandido retained the ROH World Championship against Flip Gordon.

Below are the full results:

* Rok-C and Miranda Alize defeated Sumie Sakai and Chelsea Green (Dark Match)
* Silas Young defeated Rey Horus
* Demonic Flamita defeated Mike Bennett, PJ Black, Danhausen, Dak Draper, and Eli Isom
* Vita VonStarr and Max The Impaler defeated Mandy Leon and Angelina Lova
* EC3 defeated Brian Johnson
* Mark Briscoe defeated Bateman
* Jonathan Gresham (c) defeated Rhett Titus (ROH Pure Championship)
* Violent Unlimited (Brody King, Tony Deppen, Chris Dickinson, and Homicide) defeated La Faccion Ingobernable (RUSH, Dragon Lee, Kenny King, and Bestia del Ring) (Philly Street Fight)
* Bandido (c) defeated Flip Gordon (ROH World Championship)

Glory By Honor (Night 2) continues tonight with the following matches:

* World Famous CB vs. LSG
* Miranda Alize and Rok-C vs. Chelsea Green and Willow
* Shane Taylor Productions (c) vs. Incoherence (ROH World Six-Man Championship)
* Danhausen vs. Dalton Castle
* Violence Unlimited vs. The Foundation
* Flip Gordon and Demonic Flamita vs. The Briscoes
* ROH World Champion Bandido and Rey Horus vs. Dragon Lee and RUSH
* Matt Taven vs. Vincent (Steel Cage Match — If Taven losses, he also loses his ROH World Title shot)