Ring Of Honor Going On Hiatus, Wrestlers Being Released From Contracts
https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/ring-honor-going-hiatus-wrestlers-released-contracts/
Yeah this isn’t looking good. Basically they are going to go through the rest of the year with Final Battle on December 11 and then go on hiatus until April, when they will be back with a “new mission”. That does not sound good and I would be surprised if they come back with anything resembling Ring of Honor. They have had fans at maybe three shows in a year and a half, so things weren’t exactly rolling for a long time now. The TV show is still good, but business hasn’t exactly seemed strong. This may be it for Ring of Honor, and that is quite hte shame from a fan’s perspective.
What ROH wrestlers/talent do you see getting picked up by the WWE, AEW, Impact, etc?
For the sake of sanity, from a column I put up earlier:
Briscoes – These guys might have been the best team in the world at more than one point over the last fifteen or so years and they are the undisputed kings of the Ring of Honor Tag Team Titles. The problem is they have some baggage (Jay has said some things that would absolutely not be accepted) and I don’t know if the bigger promotions will touch them. They can easily be the kings of independent tag teams though, with singles pushes possible as well.
Quinn McKay – She hasn’t wrestled much in Ring of Honor but she could be the new awesome backstage interviewer for either WWE or AEW at the drop of a hat. She’s young, she’s good, she’s adorable and she can wrestle a bit as well. This should be one of the hidden gems and anyone would be lucky to get her.
Bandido – This guy is insanely good and if he isn’t in AEW or (less likely) WWE by the end of the year, it will be a shame. At worse, he’ll go back to Mexico and be a huge star, but being the reigning Ring of Honor and PWG World Champion is going to mean he can name his job without worrying about much.
Brian Johnson – Sometimes you need a talented wrestler who can make you want to punch him in the face because he will never stop talking. That’s what you have with Johnson, who is one of the most annoying heels who can back it up in the ring today. He’ll get a chance somewhere, and I could see that being in NXT or maybe Impact (with AEW as a long shot).
Soldiers of Savagery – These guys might be a project as well, but there is always going to be a place for two big, heavy hitters who can run you over without stopping to think about it. That is the kind of thing that could work anywhere and these guys are definitely going to get a look.
Dalton Castle – How this guy never got a chance elsewhere is beyond me. He has one of the most over the top entrances in wrestling, has more charisma than he knows what to do with and has a strong amateur background. If his back can handle it, Castle will get a shot, just for how over the top and flamboyant he can be. I hear NXT likes over the top gimmicks these days.
Matt Taven – I know he’s one of the most polarizing wrestlers Ring of Honor has ever had, but putting Taven out there as a midcard face could work very well. I’m not wild on his heel stuff, but he has found his niche in the last few years. Granted he’s 36 and has a history of injuries though, so some people are going to be hesitant. Impact could use him rather well though, just for some star power and a fresh batch of opponents.
That’s the first batch that popped into my head and I’m leaving out probably 8-10 others who could easily find work on a bigger stage.
Would you be surprised if ROH did not come back at all?
Not in the slightest.
I feel bad for the talent but ROH has done a terrible job with making new stars and relying on stars from other promotion. I know a lot of their talent got poached but they really faltered at building up new stars.