Source: WrestlingINC

Phil Strum recently interviewed ROH COO Joe Koff for The Poughkeepsie Journal, who was promoting last Saturday’s ROH show in Manhattan. During the interview, Koff discussed ROH talent signing with WWE and some talent not changing their names.

“There’s always going to be people going to other promotions and it’s not something we are concerned about,” Koff said. “They had a No. 1 contenders match on Monday Night Raw and three of the four people in the match were ex-ROH guys (A.J. Styles, Kevin Owens and Cesaro). Of the three, two had their names changed.”

“WWE has created an incredible brand and merchandising opportunities. This is a new era. It speaks to the fact that when wrestling was a TV promotion, you were in total command and control of every aspect of the business. If you’re a fan of a guy like A.J. Styles, you know that he came to WWE from New Japan and WWE can’t act surprised that every fan is chanting his name. You’re starting to see a little bit more that they’re not changing the name anymore, that’s starting to go away. You have to be genuine. Fans are not stupid about these things. The essence used to be buyer beware, but now it’s seller beware. Fans are so knowledgable. The guy’s name is worth something. They really are smart fans and that’s not just a term.”

Koff also discussed the relationship between ROH and New Japan, the growth of ROH, WWE being the pinnacle of the business, ROH being on syndicated cable and more. You can read the full interview by clicking here.