Tag: ROH

Pro Wrestling Events With Fans Could Return To The State Of Maryland Soon

Pro wrestling events could return to the state of Maryland with fans in attendance soon.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has eased some of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, announcing that large indoor venues and outdoor venues can now operate at 50% capacity.

While venues are able to run at 50% capacity, coronavirus safety protocols and the mask mandate must be followed, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The new capacity limits will go into effect this Friday at 5pm.

It will be interesting to see if WWE, AEW and other promotions start to book shows with larger crowds now that many states are re-opening from COVID-19 shutdowns.

Ring of Honor operates out of Maryland and will run their 19th Anniversary Show later this month from the from the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, on Friday, March 26. It will be interesting to see if they put tickets on sale for the event. You can click here for the current ROH 19th Anniversary Show card.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Pure Title Tournament Bracket Revealed

On this week’s ROH Week by Week the ROH Pure Championship bracket was revealed. First round matches start this weekend and will go for the next eight weeks. Tapings began last month in ROH with no live crowd in attendance.

Below are the opening round matches:

Block A

* Jay Lethal vs. Dalton Castle
* David Finlay vs. Rocky Romero
* Fred Yehi vs. Silas Young
* Tracy Williams vs. Rust Taylor

Block B

* Jonathan Gresham vs. Wheeler Yuta
* Delirious vs. Matt Sydal
* Josh Woods vs. Kenny King
* PJ Black vs. Tony Deppen

Dak Draper is the Block A alternate, and Brian Johnson is the alternate for Block B. The winner of the tournament will become the first Pure Champion since 2006. Below are the rules for the matches:

* Every match begins and ends with the Code of Honor handshake.
* Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts on or under the ropes by his opponent are legal.
* Closed-fist punches to the face are not permitted; only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body are permitted, excluding low blows. The first use of a closed fist will get a warning; the second will be a disqualification.
* As in standard ROH matches, there will be a 20-count when a wrestler is on the floor.
* Outside interference will result in automatic termination from the roster for the wrestler that interferes.
* There will be two blocks, single-elimination format.
* Round 1 matches have a 15-minute time limit.
* Block semifinals have a 20-minute time limit.
* Block finals have a 30-minute time limit.
* The tournament final has a one-hour time limit.
* There will be three judges for each match, and time-limit draws will go to a judges’ decision.

ROH Announces Return Of TV Tapings, Big Spoiler For This Week’s TV Tapings

Ring of Honor announced it will be returning to TV production later this month in Maryland.

Starting back in March, ROH had cancelled all its upcoming events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans will not be allowed at the tapings later this month. ROH also noted the Pure Title Tournament (originally scheduled for April) is set to be a focus for the shows.

“Taking care of our people during this difficult time has been and still is our No. 1 priority,” ROH Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff said. “That’s why we have spent many weeks working alongside the Maryland State commission in gearing towards our return to producing wrestling action. The strictest of protocols, testing and measures will be in place to assure us of this directive.”

Below is the full announcement:

 

RING OF HONOR TO RETURN TO TELEVISION PRODUCTION THIS MONTH IN MARYLAND

With the safety and health of talents, staff and production crew at the forefront, Ring of Honor Wrestling will return to producing new episodes of the “Ring of Honor Wrestling” television program this August 2020 in the home state of Maryland.

ROH will adhere to a very stringent protocol as well as the regulations set in place by the Maryland State Athletic Commission. ROH will be instituting the necessary testing and safety measures in a continued effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There will be no fans or staff who are not essential to the production present during these events.

“Taking care of our people during this difficult time has been and still is our No. 1 priority,” ROH Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff said. “That’s why we have spent many weeks working alongside the Maryland State commission in gearing towards our return to producing wrestling action. The strictest of protocols, testing and measures will be in place to assure us of this directive.”

Ring of Honor’s last events were the cancelled 18th Anniversary and Past vs Present shows in Las Vegas last March 13th and 14th. Since then, the company has opted to cease taping operations until there was a safe way to resume. These new tapings will pick up right where ROH left off with a focus on the ROH Pure Title Tournament, which had been originally scheduled for April.

 

 

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EC3 is reportedly scheduled to make his Ring of Honor debut at this week’s TV tapings.

The Impact Wrestling star is currently in Baltimore, Maryland and will be working the ROH TV tapings, according to PWInsider.

EC3 returned to Impact in July after being released by WWE in mid-April due to the company-wide cuts brought on by COVID-19. He is currently feuding with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose for the title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Former ROH Star Xavier Passes Away At 42

Former ROH star Xavier (John Bedoya) has passed at age 42, according to PWInsider. There is no word yet on the circumstances of his passing.

Xavier was the second ROH World Champion. He would hold the title for six months. He last wrestled in ROH in 2007.

He was slated to wrestle Jay Lethal at ROH Presents: Past Vs. Present in March, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19.

Xavier wrestled a few matches on WWE Velocity and made several appearances in WWE as an extra.

He also wrestled in Defiant Championship Wrestling, East Coast Wrestling Association, Ultimate Championship Wrestling, and USA Xtreme Wrestling.

Xavier had a career in MMA too. He made his debut in 2009.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bully Ray Is Reportedly Done With ROH

Bully Ray is reportedly done with Ring of Honor, according to PWInsider. Ray’s contract with the promotion expired on April 1.

The two sides had planned out and agreed upon his exit as he was originally expected to stay through Supercard of Honor over WrestleMania 36 weekend to close out his story with Maria Manic. Obviously that — and numerous other shows — was cancelled due to COVID-19.

The report continued that there’s no heat between Ray and ROH, but rather just a “realization that he had done all he could do there” right now. He debuted back in early 2017 at Manhattan Mayhem VI.

The WWE Hall of Famer is now a free agent and is able to sign with any promotion.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

ROH Cancels All June Events, Including “Best In The World” Pay-Per-View

Ring of Honor has announced all of their events in June have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including their “Best in the World” pay-per-view.

The company posted a statement on their website which explains:

Maintaining the commitment to making the health and safety of our fans and personnel the top priority during the COVID-19 crisis, Ring of Honor has cancelled all live events that had been scheduled for June.

The cancelled shows include live events in Dallas (June 5 at Gilley’s Dallas) and San Antonio (June 6 at The Aztec Theatre) in addition to the Best in the World pay-per-view in Baltimore (June 19 at UMBC Event Center).

Ticket-holders for the Dallas event will receive a refund via the credit card they made the purchase with. Anyone who purchased a ticket to the San Antonio or Baltimore events through Ticketmaster with a credit card will receive an automatic refund. Those who purchased a ticket with cash directly from the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio or UMBC Event Center box office in Baltimore will need to contact the venues about a refund.

Ring of Honor appreciates your understanding through these difficult times as everyone does their part in helping stop the spread of the virus. ROH will continue to provide timely updates related to live touring plans going forward.

The entire ROH staff, talent and partners remain committed to providing daily and weekly content on all platforms. Please stay tuned to all ROH digital channels and ROHWrestling.com to keep up with the “Best Professional Wrestling on the Planet.”

ROH Cancels Tonight’s 18th Anniversary PPV And Past vs Present Show Due To Coronavirus/Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the world of professional wrestling and now the first pay-per-view event has been canceled due to the outbreak.

Ring of Honor announced today that their 18th Anniversary pay-per-view scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas, and their Past vs. Present event on Saturday, also at Sam’s Town Live in Vegas, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ROH noted that additional details on the schedule changes will be released soon, including details on refunds and potential re-scheduling.

ROH 18TH ANNIVERSARY AND PAST VS. PRESENT SHOWS CANCELLATION

Dear ROH Family,

After much consideration and consultation with local officials regarding COVID-19, ROH has decided to cancel this weekend’s 18th Anniversary (Friday, March 13th) and Past vs Present (Saturday, March 14th) shows at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas.

This extremely difficult decision was made in conjunction with the most recent developments surrounding COVID-19, known as the Coronavirus.

While the marquee “18th Anniversary” and the very special “Past v Present” events were ready to show the world why Ring of Honor is truly the “Best Professional Wrestling on the Planet,” the safety and health of our fans, talents and staff are always our utmost priority.

Additional Information will be provided as soon as possible regarding refunds and potential rescheduling of the events that were set to transpire this weekend.

Once again, thank you for understanding and we truly appreciate your continued patronage and support.

Below was the card for the 18th Anniversary Show:

ROH World Championship: Rush (c) vs. Mark Haskins

ROH World TV Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Bandido

ROH World Tag Team Championship: Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll and Flip Gordon)

Dealer’s Choice Match: Kenny King vs. Shane Taylor vs. Dan Maff vs. Tyler Bateman
Winner earns future shot at any title.

The Briscoes vs. Dalton Castle and Joe Hendry

Jeff Cobb vs. Slex

Nicole Savoy vs. Session Moth Martina

Villain Enterprises (Brody King and PCO) vs. Alex Zayne and Rey Horus

ROH And NJPW Announce War Of The Worlds Tour

Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have announced that the 2019 War of the Worlds Tour will feature four big events in May.

The shows will take place on May 6 in Buffalo, May 7 in Toronto, May 9 in Kalamazoo, and May 10 in Villa Park, IL.

Below is the full announcement issued by ROH today:

ROH, NJPW TEAM UP FOR WAR OF THE WORLDS TOUR IN MAYRing of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling are joining forces again for the War of the Worlds tour, which consists of four huge, star-studded shows in May.

The War of the Worlds tour, which will feature world class matches with stars from both ROH and NJPW, kicks off on May 6 in Buffalo before heading to Toronto on May 7, Kalamazoo (Mich.) on May 9, and concluding in Chicago on May 10.

Tickets for all four shows go on sale next Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. local time for HonorClub members and Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m. local time for the general public.

A staple since 2014, the War of the Worlds tour features dream matches, title bouts, and first-time matchups you cannot see anywhere else with the stars of ROH and NJPW.

Keep it locked on ROHWrestling.com and ROH’s social media channels for talent and match announcements. Don’t miss your opportunity to see the stars of ROH and NJPW live!

ROH/NJPW PRESENT WAR OF THE WORLDS TOUR 2020

Wednesday, May 6: Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo, N.Y., 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 7: Ted Reeve Arena, Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 9: Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, Mich., 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 10: The Odeum Expo Center, Villa Park, Ill., 7 p.m.

ROH Pure Title Tournament To Continue In NYC At Battlestarr 2020

Ring of Honor has announced that the quarterfinals of the Pure Title tournament will take place on Friday, April 23 when they return to New York City for the Battlestarr 2020 event at Terminal 5.

Tickets for Battlestarr 2020 go on sale next Wednesday, February 19 at 10am ET for HonorClub members. Tickets for the general public will be on sale next Friday, February 21.

ROH recently announced that they were bringing back the Pure Title, which was active from 2004-2006. Pure Rules matches are bouts where closed-fist punches are illegal, and each competitor is allowed three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match, and after that, pinfalls and submissions on or under the ropes would be legal.

There will also be a ROH meet & greet before the Battlestarr 2020 event at Terminal 5. You can click here for the full announcement from ROH.

ROH noted in their official announcement, “The quarterfinals of the Pure Title tournament are among the featured attractions of what is guaranteed to be an incredible night of the fast-paced, hard-hitting, in-your-face action that only Ring of Honor can deliver.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Ring Of Honor Renaming Women Of Honor Title, Announce Upcoming Tournament

Ring of Honor announced the Women of Honor Title is changing to the Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship.

A tournament is going to decide a new champion and will begin at ROH Quest For Gold on April 24 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eight first-round matches will go down at the show. Participants have yet to be announced.

The original title also crowned a champion through a tournament, which was Sumie Sakai back in April of 2018 at Supercard of Honor. Kelly Klein was the last Women of Honor champion, but parted ways with the company at the end of the year.

Below is ROH’s full announcement about the upcoming event:

An exciting new era in women’s wrestling in Ring of Honor is imminent.To emphasize ROH’s commitment to women’s wrestling, a new Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship has been created. This title will replace the Women of Honor Title and carry the utmost prestige as only the best competitors will earn its gold.

The tournament to crown the inaugural champion begins with eight first-round matches at “Quest For Gold” on Friday, April 24 at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. The tournament will feature talent from all over the world, including some new faces who have never competed in ROH.

“Quest For Gold” tickets go on sale Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. ET for HonorClub members and Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. ET for the general public.

The first women’s match in ROH history took place in 2002, the company’s first year in existence. In the ensuing years, some of the best women’s wrestlers in the sport competed in an ROH ring, including Sara Del Rey, Mickie James, Amazing Kong, Mercedes Martinez, MsChif, Cheerleader Melissa and Daizee Haze, who all paved the way for the current generation of female talent in ROH.

The ROH Women’s World Championship will take women’s wrestling in ROH to the highest level. Don’t miss your opportunity to witness history in the making at Quest for Gold!

https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1227622085293375488

Source: Wrestling Inc.