Ring of Honor
Encyclopedia
Ring of Honor is an American
professional wrestling promotion
, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein
and Gabe Sapolsky
. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group
in May 2011. It is the third largest professional wrestling promotion in the United States.
ROH currently runs several wrestling shows each month throughout the midwest and on the east coast of North America. It has also held shows on the west coast, in the United Kingdom
, Japan
and Canada
. Annual shows include the "Anniversary Show
's", "Supercard of Honor", "Death Before Dishonor
", "Glory by Honor
", and "Final Battle
" (the last show of the calendar year). Tournaments on a biyearly basis include Survival of the Fittest and Tag Wars.
ROH records the majority of its shows and sells them on DVD
through mail order
and through its online store, which has developed a fanbase
for the promotion in the United States and beyond. In 2009, ROH signed a long-term television deal with HDNet
, airing shows every week. ROH matches are also broadcast on The Fight Network
in Canada
, on Samurai TV in Japan
, and previously aired in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
. Select shows are broadcast as internet pay-per-view
s through Go Fight Live.
ROH appeared in the 2008 film The Wrestler, where it promotes the final bout of the film between Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke
) and The Ayatollah (played by Ernest "The Cat" Miller
). Several wrestlers, including Nigel McGuinness
, Claudio Castagnoli
and Bobby Dempsey appear on film during the ROH scenes. , due to its television show and presence on PPV, ROH is considered the third most prominent professional wrestling promotion
in the United States
(behind WWE and TNA
).
needed a new promotion to lead its video sales when its best-seller -- Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW) -- went out of business, and the rights to its brandname were purchased by WWE. RF Video also videotaped events held by other, less-popular, regional wrestling promotions; it sold these through its catalog and website. RF Video's owner, Rob Feinstein
, decided to fill the ECW void by starting his own pro-wrestling promotion, and distributing its made-for-DVD/VHS
productions exclusively through RF Video. The first event, titled The Era of Honor Begins, took place on February 23, 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the former home area of ECW. It featured nine matches, including a match between Eddy Guerrero
and Super Crazy
for the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship; and, a triple threat match between Christopher Daniels
, Bryan Danielson
and Low Ki (who would become known as the "founding fathers of ROH"). In its first year of operation, Ring Of Honor confined itself to staging live events in a limited number of venues and cities -- primarily in the northeastern U.S.A. Ten shows were run in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; two in Wakefield, Massachusetts
; one in metro Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and, one in Queens, New York
. In 2003, ROH expanded to other areas of the United States, including Ohio
, New Jersey
, Connecticut
, and Maryland
. It also began to build its international identity by co-promoting an event with Frontier Wrestling Alliance
in London, England
.
In 2004, Feinstein was caught in an internet-based sting operation, in which he allegedly tried to solicit sex on the internet from a person that he thought to be an underage boy (but was actually an adult, posing as a minor). After this was publicized by some news outlets, Feinstein resigned from both RF Video and ROH in June 2004.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA
) ended its talent-sharing agreement with Ring of Honor, abruptly withdrawing all of its contracted wrestlers from their prior commitments to perform in ROH shows -- including major ROH draws A.J. Styles
and Christopher Daniels, who each either held or were about to hold ROH championships. Doug Gentry eventually bought Feinstein's stake in ROH, and later sold it to Cary Silkin.
ROH then started its own mail-order and online store operations, which sell DVDs of its live events, plus shoot interviews with wrestlers and managers -- even some competitors' wrestling-related merchandise.
On January 23, 2007, ROH announced plans for a Japanese tour,
resulting in a July 16 show in Tokyo
co-promoted with Pro Wrestling Noah
and a July 17 show in Osaka
co-promoted with Dragon Gate
. Shortly after, ROH became the first U.S.-based promotion to have its titles held entirely by non-American wrestlers: the Dragon Gate team of Naruki Doi
and Shingo
held the ROH World Tag Team Championship
while at the same time their fellow-countryman, Pro Wrestling Noah star Takeshi Morishima
, held the ROH World Championship
.
On May 2, 2007, Ring of Honor announced the signing of a PPV
and VOD
deal with G-Funk Sports & Entertainment to bring ROH into homes with In Demand
Networks, TVN
, and the Dish Network
. The deal called for six taped pay-per-view events to air every 60 days. Because of the move to pay-per-view, TNA Wrestling immediately pulled its contracted stars (Austin Aries
and Homicide) from ROH shows, although TNA performers have since returned to the company. The first pay-per-view, titled "Respect is Earned", taped on May 12, first aired on July 1 on Dish Network.
Ring of Honor continued to expand throughout 2008, debuting in Orlando, Florida on March 28 for Dragon Gate Challenge II, in Manassas, Virginia on May 9 for Southern Navigation and in Toronto
, Ontario on July 25 for Northern Navigation. On May 10, 2008, Ring of Honor set an attendance record in its debut show, A New Level, from the Hammerstein Ballroom
in the Manhattan Center
in New York City. It had plans for shows in St. Louis, Missouri
, Nashville, Tennessee
, and Montreal
before the end of 2008. On October 26, 2008, the company announced the departure of head booker Gabe Sapolsky
, and his replacement by Adam Pearce
.
On January 26, 2009, Ring of Honor announced that it had signed an agreement with HDNet Fights
for a weekly television program. The first tapings for Ring of Honor Wrestling took place on February 28 and March 1, 2009 at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After nearly a year of producing weekly television broadcasts, ROH announced on January 20, 2010 that it would commission a new title, the ROH World Television Championship, to be decided in an eight-man tournament beginning February 5, 2010 and ending February 6, 2010 on its Ring of Honor Wrestling program. Due to a North American blizzard
, however, the second half of the tournament did not take place until March 5, 2010, when Eddie Edwards
defeated Davey Richards
in the finals.
On August 15, 2010, Ring of Honor fired head booker Adam Pearce and replaced him with Hunter Johnston
, who wrestles for the company under the ring name Delirious. On September 8, 2010, Ring of Honor and Ohio Valley Wrestling
announced a working relationship between the two companies.
On January 11, 2011, Ring of Honor announced the ending of Ring of Honor Wrestling, after the completion of the promotion's two–year contract with HDNet. The final tapings of the show would be taking place on January 21 and 22, with the final episode airing on April 4, 2011.
On May 21, 2011, Ring of Honor and Sinclair Broadcast Group
announced that the broadcast carrier had purchased ROH. Former ROH owner, Cary Silkin, will remain with the company in an executive role. The promotion's programming began airing on September 24, 2011 on Sinclair stations, mainly in weekend primetime on their CW
and MyNetworkTV
affiliates, which are not programmed by those networks.
The Code of Honor (especially its first three rules) helped heels
get over quicker than in other promotions. The first rule applied especially to Christopher Daniels
, whom the promotion pushed as its first major heel. Daniels and his faction, The Prophecy
, rejected the Code of Honor and refused to shake anyone's hand. The fourth and fifth rules emphasized the finishes of ROH matches -- the vast majority of which ended decisively (i.e., clean pinfalls, submissions, or, knockouts) -- the opposite of what most rival promotions at the time did. On the rare occasion that a match did end with either outside interference, a "ref bump", or some other traditional heel scenario, the live audiences' reactions were intensely more negative than rival promotions' live audiences. In ROH's early days, on-air commentators even suggested (within kayfabe
) that getting disqualified in a match may result in that wrestler never appearing in ROH again.
In early 2004, ROH's booker at the time, Gabe Sapolsky
, began to feel that the Code of Honor had run its course.
As a result, wrestlers no longer had to follow it. The Code of Honor eventually re-appeared — revamped — as three rules:
Code of Honor must be featured in every Inside ROH, to fill air time.
, a heel champion, began to avoid challengers, Ring of Honor set up a "Top Five Ranking" system to establish contenders to the title. It ranked wrestlers based on their general win-loss record, and on their win-loss record against other ranked competitors. The top contender held the Number One Contender's Trophy, which the company treated as a second championship at the time, and defended as such.
ROH abolished the ranking-system with the appearance of the new Code of Honor. The ranking system disappeared, replaced by the "Contenders Ring", a more complex polling system whereby ROH officials would submit rankings after each show. Wrestlers who appeared on more than 75% of the ballots were considered to be in the Contenders Ring, which earned them title shots for both the World and Pure Championships
.
In January 2005 Ring of Honor did away with the Contenders Ring. Instead, wrestlers who wanted a title shot had to submit a petition to ROH officials. After receiving such a petition, ROH officials kept track of the petitioner's record, quality of opposition, respect shown towards the Code of Honor, and inherent skill. These factors determined who would receive a title shot. Despite the petition system, ROH officials retained the ability to determine number-one contenders.
Upon the naming of Jim Cornette
as ROH Commissioner in October 2005, Ring of Honor management confirmed the return of the "Top Five Ranking" system. Cornette and other ROH officials voted on the "Top 5" only during the first week of every month. Selection depended on won/lost record and quality of opposition, with a heavy emphasis on the previous month.
In July 2006 Ring of Honor again dropped the "Top 5" concept, as it had not consistently determined ROH World Title challengers. The champion at the time, Bryan Danielson
, had instead sent open contracts to wrestlers in other promotions around the world, with ROH officials also choosing contenders from within the company. Subsequent champion Homicide
would continue Danielson's policy, eventually losing the title to Takeshi Morishima
from Pro Wrestling Noah
. After Morishima won the belt, it seemed that he could choose his challengers, as he defended it (with ROH and Noah approval) at Noah's show on March 4, 2007, at Budoukan Hall against KENTA
.
On Jim Cornette's return to ROH in 2009, the promotion re-implemented a ranking system – called the "Pick Six" – for contenders for a world championship. A tournament was held during Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings on November 5 and 6 to determine the first six members of the Pick Six, and each winner also received a cash bonus courtesy of HDNet
. Once the Pick Six was implememted, ROH announced that only wrestlers ranked in the Pick Six would be eligible to challenge for the ROH World Championship, although contenders to the championship can still be determined via a special bout or official ruling, for example ROH's annual "Toronto Gauntlet" earns the winner a championship match. The higher a wrestler is seeded in the "Pick Six", the more leverage he has in determining the scheduling of championship matches. Wrestlers can only enter the Pick Six Standings by defeating a ranked wrestler. An unranked wrestler that defeats a Pick Six Contender assumes that wrestler's rank and the other wrestlers all move down one rank. If a ranked wrestler defeats a higher seeded wrestler, the winner assumes that seeding in the Pick Six, while the losing wrestler and those ranked lower drop one rank. ROH later added more rules to the Pick Six, including the right to remove a wrestler from the ranking due to inactivity. This rule is known as the "Castagnoli Rule", after wrestler Claudio Castagnoli
, who was stripped of his seeding. ROH later decreed that wrestlers in the Pick Six who receive and lose consecutive championship matches will be removed from the rankings.
. Delirious
and Daizee Haze
operate as head trainers of the school; previous head trainers of the academy include former ROH World Champions
CM Punk, Austin Aries, and Bryan Danielson. three classes of students had already graduated and started wrestling on the US independent circuit
, including in preliminary and exhibition matches at Ring of Honor events. ROH has a "Top of the Class" trophy
to promote the students on the main show; while wrestlers win and lose the Trophy in matches, the School's head trainer chooses the winners.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein
Rob Feinstein
Robert Feinstein is the owner and operator of RF Video , who were best known as the videographers of Extreme Championship Wrestling...
and Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky is a wrestling personality, the current vice president of Dragon Gate USA and owner of Evolve, and the former booker for Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro.-Early life:...
. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
in May 2011. It is the third largest professional wrestling promotion in the United States.
ROH currently runs several wrestling shows each month throughout the midwest and on the east coast of North America. It has also held shows on the west coast, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Annual shows include the "Anniversary Show
Anniversary Show
Anniversary Show is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2003. 9th Anniversary Show of the show was ROH's sixth internet pay-per-view to be broadcast live.- Production :...
's", "Supercard of Honor", "Death Before Dishonor
ROH Death Before Dishonor
Death Before Dishonor is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2003, and is traditionally ROH's the signature events in the calendar year. The 2010 edition of the show was ROH's Third internet pay-per-view, and the Third ROH...
", "Glory by Honor
Glory By Honor
Glory By Honor is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor , which is only available online. There have been eight events entitled Glory By Honor so far. The event was created in 2002 to be their premier event of the year, similar to the company's main rival Total...
", and "Final Battle
ROH Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first live pay-per-view, broadcast on the internet...
" (the last show of the calendar year). Tournaments on a biyearly basis include Survival of the Fittest and Tag Wars.
ROH records the majority of its shows and sells them on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
through mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
and through its online store, which has developed a fanbase
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
for the promotion in the United States and beyond. In 2009, ROH signed a long-term television deal with HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
, airing shows every week. ROH matches are also broadcast on The Fight Network
The Fight Network
Fight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on Samurai TV in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and previously aired in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Select shows are broadcast as internet pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
s through Go Fight Live.
ROH appeared in the 2008 film The Wrestler, where it promotes the final bout of the film between Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
) and The Ayatollah (played by Ernest "The Cat" Miller
Ernest Miller
Ernest Clifford Miller is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller....
). Several wrestlers, including Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
, Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
and Bobby Dempsey appear on film during the ROH scenes. , due to its television show and presence on PPV, ROH is considered the third most prominent professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(behind WWE and TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
).
History
In April 2001, the pro-wrestling video-distribution company RF VideoRob Feinstein
Robert Feinstein is the owner and operator of RF Video , who were best known as the videographers of Extreme Championship Wrestling...
needed a new promotion to lead its video sales when its best-seller -- Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
(ECW) -- went out of business, and the rights to its brandname were purchased by WWE. RF Video also videotaped events held by other, less-popular, regional wrestling promotions; it sold these through its catalog and website. RF Video's owner, Rob Feinstein
Rob Feinstein
Robert Feinstein is the owner and operator of RF Video , who were best known as the videographers of Extreme Championship Wrestling...
, decided to fill the ECW void by starting his own pro-wrestling promotion, and distributing its made-for-DVD/VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
productions exclusively through RF Video. The first event, titled The Era of Honor Begins, took place on February 23, 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the former home area of ECW. It featured nine matches, including a match between Eddy Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
and Super Crazy
Super Crazy
Francisco Islas Rueda is a Mexican professional wrestler, or Luchador, best known by his ring name Super Crazy. Islas is most known for his three year run in the original ECW...
for the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship; and, a triple threat match between Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
, Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
and Low Ki (who would become known as the "founding fathers of ROH"). In its first year of operation, Ring Of Honor confined itself to staging live events in a limited number of venues and cities -- primarily in the northeastern U.S.A. Ten shows were run in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; two in Wakefield, Massachusetts
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
; one in metro Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and, one in Queens, New York
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. In 2003, ROH expanded to other areas of the United States, including Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It also began to build its international identity by co-promoting an event with Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance is a British professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted inter-promotional feud with International Pro Wrestling: United...
in London, England
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
In 2004, Feinstein was caught in an internet-based sting operation, in which he allegedly tried to solicit sex on the internet from a person that he thought to be an underage boy (but was actually an adult, posing as a minor). After this was publicized by some news outlets, Feinstein resigned from both RF Video and ROH in June 2004.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA
TNA
TNA may refer to:*Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka*The National Archives, in the United Kingdom*The New Amsterdams, a band*Threose nucleic acid, an analog of the nucleic acid DNA*Tonga Nurses' Association...
) ended its talent-sharing agreement with Ring of Honor, abruptly withdrawing all of its contracted wrestlers from their prior commitments to perform in ROH shows -- including major ROH draws A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Christopher Daniels, who each either held or were about to hold ROH championships. Doug Gentry eventually bought Feinstein's stake in ROH, and later sold it to Cary Silkin.
ROH then started its own mail-order and online store operations, which sell DVDs of its live events, plus shoot interviews with wrestlers and managers -- even some competitors' wrestling-related merchandise.
On January 23, 2007, ROH announced plans for a Japanese tour,
resulting in a July 16 show in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
co-promoted with Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
and a July 17 show in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
co-promoted with Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
. Shortly after, ROH became the first U.S.-based promotion to have its titles held entirely by non-American wrestlers: the Dragon Gate team of Naruki Doi
Naruki Doi
is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate, where he is currently one third of the Open the Triangle Gate Champions. He also wrestled for Ring of Honor, where he is a former World Tag Team Champion with Shingo Takagi, as well as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
and Shingo
Shingo Takagi
Shingo Takagi is a former Japanese bodybuilder, turned professional wrestler. Shingo is currently competing for the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and American promotion Dragon Gate USA...
held the ROH World Tag Team Championship
ROH World Tag Team Championship
The Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants usually execute...
while at the same time their fellow-countryman, Pro Wrestling Noah star Takeshi Morishima
Takeshi Morishima
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan and has performed for Ring of Honor in the United States in the past. He is a former Ring of Honor World champion...
, held the ROH World Championship
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
.
On May 2, 2007, Ring of Honor announced the signing of a PPV
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
and VOD
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
deal with G-Funk Sports & Entertainment to bring ROH into homes with In Demand
IN DEMAND
In Demand is a provider of pay-per-view and subscription video-on-demand services, jointly owned by Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks...
Networks, TVN
TVN Entertainment Corporation
TVN Entertainment Corporation is a US-based provider of video on demand services to various cable, telecommunication and direct broadcast satellite companies...
, and the Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
. The deal called for six taped pay-per-view events to air every 60 days. Because of the move to pay-per-view, TNA Wrestling immediately pulled its contracted stars (Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
and Homicide) from ROH shows, although TNA performers have since returned to the company. The first pay-per-view, titled "Respect is Earned", taped on May 12, first aired on July 1 on Dish Network.
Ring of Honor continued to expand throughout 2008, debuting in Orlando, Florida on March 28 for Dragon Gate Challenge II, in Manassas, Virginia on May 9 for Southern Navigation and in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario on July 25 for Northern Navigation. On May 10, 2008, Ring of Honor set an attendance record in its debut show, A New Level, from the Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
in the Manhattan Center
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center building, built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, houses Manhattan Center Studios , its Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein Ballroom, one of New York City's most renowned performance venues...
in New York City. It had plans for shows in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
before the end of 2008. On October 26, 2008, the company announced the departure of head booker Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky is a wrestling personality, the current vice president of Dragon Gate USA and owner of Evolve, and the former booker for Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro.-Early life:...
, and his replacement by Adam Pearce
Adam Pearce
Adam Pearce is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion in his fourth reign and the NWA British Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He is also a former PWG Champion....
.
On January 26, 2009, Ring of Honor announced that it had signed an agreement with HDNet Fights
HDNet Fights
HDNet Fights is a US based mixed martial arts promotion and a television outlet for various other MMA and combat sports promotions. Its broadcast lineup included DREAM, Sengoku, K-1 and K-1 Max, Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, SportFight, Ring of Fire, Ring of Combat, M-1 Global, Ring of Honor,...
for a weekly television program. The first tapings for Ring of Honor Wrestling took place on February 28 and March 1, 2009 at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After nearly a year of producing weekly television broadcasts, ROH announced on January 20, 2010 that it would commission a new title, the ROH World Television Championship, to be decided in an eight-man tournament beginning February 5, 2010 and ending February 6, 2010 on its Ring of Honor Wrestling program. Due to a North American blizzard
First North American blizzard of 2010
The February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard also known as "Snowmaggedon" was a winter storm and severe weather event that tracked from the U.S. states of California to Arizona through northern Mexico, the American Southwest, the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions...
, however, the second half of the tournament did not take place until March 5, 2010, when Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards (wrestler)
Eddie Edwards is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling with Ring of Honor , where he is a former ROH World Champion. He also had previous reigns as a former ROH World Tag Team Champion with his partner Davey Richards as The American Wolves and as the inaugural ROH World...
defeated Davey Richards
Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...
in the finals.
On August 15, 2010, Ring of Honor fired head booker Adam Pearce and replaced him with Hunter Johnston
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
, who wrestles for the company under the ring name Delirious. On September 8, 2010, Ring of Honor and Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
announced a working relationship between the two companies.
On January 11, 2011, Ring of Honor announced the ending of Ring of Honor Wrestling, after the completion of the promotion's two–year contract with HDNet. The final tapings of the show would be taking place on January 21 and 22, with the final episode airing on April 4, 2011.
On May 21, 2011, Ring of Honor and Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
announced that the broadcast carrier had purchased ROH. Former ROH owner, Cary Silkin, will remain with the company in an executive role. The promotion's programming began airing on September 24, 2011 on Sinclair stations, mainly in weekend primetime on their CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
and MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliates, which are not programmed by those networks.
Code of Honor
ROH distinguished its image from other wrestling promotions through the "Code of Honor", a set of rules dictating how wrestlers should conduct themselves during matches. The Code of Honor aimed to infuse Ring of Honor's matches with a feel similar to Japanese professional wrestling. Initially, the Code of Honor included five "Laws", mentioned at some point during each ROH production. ROH considered it a moral requirement to follow these rules, which usually appeared in the following order:- You must shake hands before and after every match
- No outside interference: no interfering in others' matches or having others interfere on your behalf
- No sneak attacks
- No harming the officialsReferee (professional wrestling)A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
- Any action resulting in a disqualification violates the Code of Honor
The Code of Honor (especially its first three rules) helped heels
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
get over quicker than in other promotions. The first rule applied especially to Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
, whom the promotion pushed as its first major heel. Daniels and his faction, The Prophecy
The Prophecy (professional wrestling)
The Prophecy was a villainous alliance in the Ring of Honor wrestling promotion, led by Christopher Daniels, whose goal was to break down Ring of Honor and rebuild in their own image...
, rejected the Code of Honor and refused to shake anyone's hand. The fourth and fifth rules emphasized the finishes of ROH matches -- the vast majority of which ended decisively (i.e., clean pinfalls, submissions, or, knockouts) -- the opposite of what most rival promotions at the time did. On the rare occasion that a match did end with either outside interference, a "ref bump", or some other traditional heel scenario, the live audiences' reactions were intensely more negative than rival promotions' live audiences. In ROH's early days, on-air commentators even suggested (within kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) that getting disqualified in a match may result in that wrestler never appearing in ROH again.
In early 2004, ROH's booker at the time, Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky is a wrestling personality, the current vice president of Dragon Gate USA and owner of Evolve, and the former booker for Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro.-Early life:...
, began to feel that the Code of Honor had run its course.
As a result, wrestlers no longer had to follow it. The Code of Honor eventually re-appeared — revamped — as three rules:
- Shake hands before and after the match—if you respect your opponent
- Keep the playing-field level
- Respect the officials
Code of Honor must be featured in every Inside ROH, to fill air time.
Contenders for championships
Originally, Ring of Honor had no formal way to determine challengers for its World Championship. When XavierJohn Jirus
John Jirus is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Ring of Honor between 2002 and 2004 as Xavier. He is a former ROH Champion.-Professional wrestling career:Jirus trained under Tony DeVito before debuting in 1997...
, a heel champion, began to avoid challengers, Ring of Honor set up a "Top Five Ranking" system to establish contenders to the title. It ranked wrestlers based on their general win-loss record, and on their win-loss record against other ranked competitors. The top contender held the Number One Contender's Trophy, which the company treated as a second championship at the time, and defended as such.
ROH abolished the ranking-system with the appearance of the new Code of Honor. The ranking system disappeared, replaced by the "Contenders Ring", a more complex polling system whereby ROH officials would submit rankings after each show. Wrestlers who appeared on more than 75% of the ballots were considered to be in the Contenders Ring, which earned them title shots for both the World and Pure Championships
ROH Pure Championship
The Ring of Honor Pure Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor...
.
In January 2005 Ring of Honor did away with the Contenders Ring. Instead, wrestlers who wanted a title shot had to submit a petition to ROH officials. After receiving such a petition, ROH officials kept track of the petitioner's record, quality of opposition, respect shown towards the Code of Honor, and inherent skill. These factors determined who would receive a title shot. Despite the petition system, ROH officials retained the ability to determine number-one contenders.
Upon the naming of Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
as ROH Commissioner in October 2005, Ring of Honor management confirmed the return of the "Top Five Ranking" system. Cornette and other ROH officials voted on the "Top 5" only during the first week of every month. Selection depended on won/lost record and quality of opposition, with a heavy emphasis on the previous month.
In July 2006 Ring of Honor again dropped the "Top 5" concept, as it had not consistently determined ROH World Title challengers. The champion at the time, Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
, had instead sent open contracts to wrestlers in other promotions around the world, with ROH officials also choosing contenders from within the company. Subsequent champion Homicide
Nelson Erazo
Nelson Rodriguez Erazo is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name, Homicide...
would continue Danielson's policy, eventually losing the title to Takeshi Morishima
Takeshi Morishima
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently performing for Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan and has performed for Ring of Honor in the United States in the past. He is a former Ring of Honor World champion...
from Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
. After Morishima won the belt, it seemed that he could choose his challengers, as he defended it (with ROH and Noah approval) at Noah's show on March 4, 2007, at Budoukan Hall against KENTA
Kenta Kobayashi
, also known by his ring name KENTA, is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a former three-time Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Champion...
.
On Jim Cornette's return to ROH in 2009, the promotion re-implemented a ranking system – called the "Pick Six" – for contenders for a world championship. A tournament was held during Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings on November 5 and 6 to determine the first six members of the Pick Six, and each winner also received a cash bonus courtesy of HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
. Once the Pick Six was implememted, ROH announced that only wrestlers ranked in the Pick Six would be eligible to challenge for the ROH World Championship, although contenders to the championship can still be determined via a special bout or official ruling, for example ROH's annual "Toronto Gauntlet" earns the winner a championship match. The higher a wrestler is seeded in the "Pick Six", the more leverage he has in determining the scheduling of championship matches. Wrestlers can only enter the Pick Six Standings by defeating a ranked wrestler. An unranked wrestler that defeats a Pick Six Contender assumes that wrestler's rank and the other wrestlers all move down one rank. If a ranked wrestler defeats a higher seeded wrestler, the winner assumes that seeding in the Pick Six, while the losing wrestler and those ranked lower drop one rank. ROH later added more rules to the Pick Six, including the right to remove a wrestler from the ranking due to inactivity. This rule is known as the "Castagnoli Rule", after wrestler Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
, who was stripped of his seeding. ROH later decreed that wrestlers in the Pick Six who receive and lose consecutive championship matches will be removed from the rankings.
Current champions
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held |
Defences | Location | Event | Former champion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROH World Championship ROH World Championship The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling... |
Davey Richards Davey Richards Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling... |
1 | June 26, 2011 | 4 | Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
Best in the World 2011 Best in the World 2011 Best in the World 2011 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view by Ring of Honor that took place on June 26, 2011. It was an afternoon show that began at 4pm and marked the return of ROH to the Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time since 2009... |
Eddie Edwards Eddie Edwards (wrestler) Eddie Edwards is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling with Ring of Honor , where he is a former ROH World Champion. He also had previous reigns as a former ROH World Tag Team Champion with his partner Davey Richards as The American Wolves and as the inaugural ROH World... |
|
| ROH World Tag Team Championship ROH World Tag Team Championship The Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants usually execute... |
Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team | 1 | April 1, 2011 | 6 | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... |
Honor Takes Center Stage Honor Takes Center Stage Honor Takes Center Stage was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor . It took place over two consecutive days, on 1 and 2 April, 2011, at the Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, with the 1 April show at 8pm ET/5pm PT, and the 2 April show at a special matinee time of 1pm... |
Kings of Wrestling Kings of Wrestling The Kings of Wrestling is a professional wrestling stable that wrestles on the independent circuit, formed in Chikara, but also appearing in other promotions. It originally included Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Larry Sweeney, Arik Cannon, Mitch Ryder, Max Boyer, Chuck Taylor, Icarus, Gran Akuma... |
|
| ROH World Television Championship ROH World Television Championship The ROH World Television Championship is a professional wrestling world television championship owned by the United States–based Ring of Honor promotion. It is currently the third ranked championship in ROH. With the introduction of the ROH World Television Championship, the television type... |
Jay Lethal Jay Lethal Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion... |
1 | August 13, 2011 | 1 | Chicago Ridge, Illinois Chicago Ridge, Illinois Chicago Ridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,127 at the 2000 census.-History:Chicago Ridge takes its name from ridges left behind when trainloads of dirt were brought out by the Wabash Railroad during construction of the Columbian Exposition of... |
Ring of Honor Wrestling | El Generico El Generico Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico... |
Previous championships
| Championship | Final Champion(s) | Defeated | Date Won | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROH Pure Championship ROH Pure Championship The Ring of Honor Pure Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor... |
Bryan Danielson Bryan Danielson Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing... |
Nigel McGuinness Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan... |
August 12, 2006 | Liverpool, England Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... |
Unified |
| ROH Number One Contender's Trophy | Matt Stryker | vacant | March 13, 2004 | Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568... |
At Our Best |
| ROH Top of the Class Trophy ROH Top of the Class Trophy The Top of the Class Trophy, was a trophy contended between the students of the Ring of Honor Wrestling Academy.-Current holder:The last holder is Rhett Titus. He defeated Ernie Osiris at Respect is Earned II on June 7, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... |
Rhett Titus Rhett Titus Everett Lawrence Titus is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rhett Titus. A student of the ROH Wrestling Academy, Titus has been competing for Ring of Honor , as well as various independent promotions, since 2006.-Career:Titus began training at the ROH Wrestling... |
Ernie Osiris | June 7, 2008 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Respect Is Earned II |
Specialty matches
- Four Way Fray, Four Corner Survival match and Six Man Mayhem match
- Pure Wrestling match
- Scramble Cage Match, Scramble Cage Melee and Steel Cage Warfare
- Tag Team Scramble match
- Ultimate Endurance match
- Fight Without Honor
- This match does not require participants to adhere to the Code of Honor and usually involves no disqualifications and the use of weapons. The more violent feuds in ROH typically end up with this match.
- Field Of Honor
- This round-robin style tournament took place from August 2003 – December 2003. It featured 8 wrestlers divided into two blocks, showcasing the rapidly expanding "Pure Wrestling Division". Block A featured Xavier, Matt Stryker, Chris SabinChris SabinJoshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
and John Walters while Block B had BJ Whitmer, Colt Cabana, Dan Maff and Jimmy RaveJimmy RaveJames Guffey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Jimmy Rave. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
.- Round Robin Challenge
- Three wrestlers/tag teamTag teamTag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
s compete with each other in a round-robin tournamentRound-robin tournamentA round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. They each wrestle two different matches (making a total of three matches), with the one(s) with the most victories winning the challenge. Only Christopher DanielsChristopher DanielsDaniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
has ever won a Round Robin Challenge, as all others have ended in a draw with each of the participants winning one match and losing the other. (Many sports use round-robin tournaments as a common league system, such as soccer and ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
. All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
popularized the format in wrestling with its Champion Carnival.)
Annual events
- Anniversary ShowAnniversary ShowAnniversary Show is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2003. 9th Anniversary Show of the show was ROH's sixth internet pay-per-view to be broadcast live.- Production :...
- Supercard of Honor
- Death Before DishonorROH Death Before DishonorDeath Before Dishonor is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2003, and is traditionally ROH's the signature events in the calendar year. The 2010 edition of the show was ROH's Third internet pay-per-view, and the Third ROH...
- Glory By HonorGlory By HonorGlory By Honor is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor , which is only available online. There have been eight events entitled Glory By Honor so far. The event was created in 2002 to be their premier event of the year, similar to the company's main rival Total...
- Survival of the Fittest
- Final BattleROH Final BattleFinal Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first live pay-per-view, broadcast on the internet...
ROH Wrestling Academy
The ROH promotion also runs a professional wrestling school, the "ROH Wrestling Academy" in Bristol, PennsylvaniaBristol, Pennsylvania
Bristol is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia opposite Burlington, N.J. on the Delaware River. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720. Although its charter was revised in 1905, the original charter remains in effect, making Bristol one of the older boroughs in...
. Delirious
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
and Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
operate as head trainers of the school; previous head trainers of the academy include former ROH World Champions
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
CM Punk, Austin Aries, and Bryan Danielson. three classes of students had already graduated and started wrestling on the US independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
, including in preliminary and exhibition matches at Ring of Honor events. ROH has a "Top of the Class" trophy
ROH Top of the Class Trophy
The Top of the Class Trophy, was a trophy contended between the students of the Ring of Honor Wrestling Academy.-Current holder:The last holder is Rhett Titus. He defeated Ernie Osiris at Respect is Earned II on June 7, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
to promote the students on the main show; while wrestlers win and lose the Trophy in matches, the School's head trainer chooses the winners.
See also
- Ring of Honor employees
- Ring of Honor alumni