Fresh off his acquisition of Ring Of Honor, Tony Khan has now unveiled his grand plans for the future of ROH.
After a couple of weeks hyping an announcement that Tony Khan himself stated was just as industry-changing as CM Punk’s return to wrestling last August, it was revealed on last night’s Dynamite broadcast that Khan has acquired the assets to Ring Of Honor. This, as was revealed in a press release issued by Khan, includes the company’s legendary video library.
Bodyslam’s Cassidy Haynes has since exclusively revealed how Tony Khan plans to make use of the now-former Sinclair-helmed promotion, writing that it would essentially serve as a developmental brand for All Elite Wrestling. This was followed by the news that ‘main’ AEW talent are also expected to show up in the company on occasion.
What, exactly, this means isn’t yet known, though it is speculated that it will act close to a black-and-gold NXT. That WWE reportedly pitched to buy Ring Of Honor close to four years ago makes this all the more bittersweet in hindsight.
It goes without saying that the vast majority of current AEW talent became notable stars because of their time in ROH. The opening match to this week’s Dynamite – Bryan Danielson vs. the returning Christopher Daniels – made up two-thirds of the inaugural ROH main event, with Low Ki making up the numbers from their three-way contest from February 2002.
Ring Of Honor’s return show, Supercard Of Honor XV, takes place on Friday, 1 April. Currently confirmed for the event is a bout to determine the undisputed ROH World Champion between Jonathan Gresham and Bandido, Alex Zayne vs. the debuting SW3RVE The Realest, and defences of Deonna Purrazzo and The Briscoe Brothers’ Women’s World and World Tag Team Championships.